Mal’s gaze narrowed. “What? I know he still hasn’t recovered after being tortured by Krastin.”
“I saw him and Annora going at it.”
“Those two are like jet fuel and flames. They’re always fighting.”
“Not going at it like that. I mean kissing. Hot, heavy, angry kissing.”
“No way!”
A few heads swiveled in their direction.
“Way,” Poppy said quietly.
“And now they’re on a mission together.” Mal tapped a finger against her chin. “Hmm. I think the attractive First Claw might be just what Captain Naveri needs right now.” Mal grinned. “Oh, I love this.” She looked back at Poppy. “I didn’t ask if you are happy?”
“Can’t you tell?”
“Well, every time you look at the rugged gorgeousness of Brodin, you get this look on your face.”
“He loves me.”
“You’re lovable. I’ve always hated that you’ve never believed that.”
“I love him, and we fit.”
Mal smiled. “I get it. Totally. I’m sorry about your work and your parents.”
Poppy nodded. “I can find work here. I miss my parents more than I thought.”
“Your parents know you’re alive, so that must be a comfort for them. Sam Santos said if we ever visit Carthago, they can arrange a call back to Earth.”
Poppy would look forward to that. She searched for Brodin and found him standing with his brothers. He noticed her looking and smiled. She smiled back.
“Oh, you guys are so cute,” Mal said.
Poppy rolled her eyes. “So, when’s your wedding?”
Her friend groaned. “I’m trying to convince Rhain to elope.”
“I don’t think the overlord of a planet can elope.”
She groaned again. “The damn wedding gets bigger every time I look. The countess has me taking etiquette lessons.” Mal grimaced.
Mal wouldn’t love being on display, but she’d do fine.
“What about you and Brodin?” Mal asked.
“So, tradition is for Damari mates, and their closest friends and family, to have a private night ceremony under the full moon.” Poppy thought it sounded magical.
“What? You don’t have to have a huge wedding, with thousands watching, and a giant dress?”
Poppy smiled. “Apparently it’s common for everyone at the ceremony to be barefoot.”
“That’s it. I’ll trade you Rhain for Brodin.”
“Excuse me?” a deep voice said.
Rhain, Brodin, and Graylan appeared.
“Oops.” Mal smacked a kiss to Rhain’s cheek. “Just joking, your Overlordness. But I like the small Damari wedding ceremony in the moonlight idea.”
“I’m certain that if my warrior from Earth can take down a Zhylaw warlord and a pack of hexids, she can survive a wedding.”
“Hmm.” Mal nabbed his drink and sipped.
Brodin slid an arm around Poppy. She leaned against his hard chest.
“I am sorry we don’t have an Earth woman for Graylan,” Poppy said.
The man lifted his drink. “I’ll just have to enjoy watching you two drive my brothers crazy.”
Mal slapped Gray’s arm.
“I’d like everyone’s attention,” Brodin said loudly, his voice echoing through the hall.
The room quieted.
“When my brother and his future queen asked for my help for her injured friend, I had no idea my world would change.” His gaze dropped to Poppy’s.
Her heart started beating hard in her chest.
“Poppy, from the moment I first saw you, your quiet strength, your courage, and your intelligence captured me. Later, your temper and…other assets held it.”
There was a smattering of laughter.
“I am proud to call you my mate, my runa.”
She melted against him.
“And to have you as my empress.”
Empress? She went still. He hadn’t mentioned that previously. Yikes.
Mal chuckled. “Empress Poppy. I love it.”
Brodin tipped Poppy’s chin up. “I love you. My life is forever yours.”
“I love you too, Brodin. I’ll stand by your side and stay there, for whatever challenges and triumphs we face together.”
“To Brodin and Poppy,” Rhain called out.
“Brodin and Poppy!”
He drew her close for a kiss. As the dancing resumed and conversation picked up, Brodin took her hand and led her into the moonlight.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
Suddenly, he dipped, then tossed her over his shoulder.
“Brodin!”
“I’m kidnapping my bride-to-be to have my way with her.”
“Our guests—”
“We’ll see them for breakfast.” He jogged away into the forest. “We’ll go to the lair, my sweet anata. Just you and me.”
She smiled into the darkness. “Just you and me.”
Poppy and Brodin. Her gorgeous alien mate.
As Brodin let out a long, deep howl that echoed through the forest, Poppy smiled. There was nowhere else she’d rather be.
I hope you enjoyed Poppy and Brodins’s story!
GALACTIC KINGS continues with CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD starring Captain Thadd Naveri and First Claw Annora Rahl coming in May 2022.
If you’d like to know more about the Fortuna Station survivors on the desert planet of Carthago, then check out my action-packed science-fiction romance series, Galactic Gladiators. Read on for a preview of Gladiator, the first book in Galactic Gladiators, starring Harper and Raiden.
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Preview: Gladiator
Just another day at the office.
Harper Adams pulled herself along the outside of the space station module. She could hear her quiet breathing inside her spacesuit, and she easily pulled her weightless body along the slick, white surface of the module. She stopped to check a security panel, ensuring all the systems were running smoothly.
Check. Same as it had been yesterday, and the day before that. But Harper never ever let herself forget that they were six hundred million kilometers away from Earth. That meant they were dependent only on themselves. She tapped some buttons on the security panel before closing the reinforced plastic cover. She liked to dot all her Is and cross all her Ts. She never left anything to chance.
She grabbed the handholds and started pulling herself up over the cylindrical pod to check the panels on the other side. Glancing back behind herself, she caught a beautiful view of the planet below.
Harper stopped and made herself take it all in. The orange, white, and cream bands of Jupiter could take your breath away. Today, she could even see the famous superstorm of the Great Red Spot. She’d been on the Fortuna Research Station for almost eighteen months. That meant, despite the amazing view, she really didn’t see it anymore.