With everything Kimmy had learned about the High Council, even with it being gone, she was nervous about the Antareans being reliant on the Coalition for food. What if another awful faction took over? What if something happened that stopped the Coalition from bringing them the food they needed?
The two Antareans who hadn’t spoken reached in and carefully picked up what was within the antigrav pallet. They bowed low to Kimmy. Not knowing what else to do, she bowed back.
“Your payment.” The lead Antarean held out a hand. She was holding something that looked like a glowing ball of amber.
Whatever it was, a spike of wonder and amazement jumped from Serac to Kimmy, threaded with a tinge of regret.
“I can’t accept that,” Serac said. “This shipment is a gift.”
“But, the seeds,” the Antarean said. “Their worth—”
“As much as I think I’m going to regret turning that down when I find out what it is,” Kimmy said, “what we seek in return is friendship and a chance to help more.”
Kimmy couldn’t believe it, but she was all-in. Now that she knew what was at stake, she totally understood why Serac and his crew couldn’t wait to assist people—sentients—like the Antareans. It was worth the risks.
She wanted to do even more to help them return their ecosystems to health. And now.
“Serac mentioned that you’re having a problem with your oceans,” Kimmy said.
The leader’s eyes strobed a deep indigo. “Yes, we are.”
“Well, is there something we can do?” Kimmy asked. “Different dirt or something?”
“You are a most generous sentient,” the Antarean said. “We have cleared our oceans of the toxins we discovered within them, but have not made further progress. The Department of Homeworld Security is sending an assessment team to see how they can assist us, but they have other priorities as well. Between that and the war… It may be some time before work begins restoring our waters.”
Nope, nope, nope.
“Tell me what you need,” Kimmy said. “I can’t make any promises beyond I’ll do whatever I can.”
The leader seemed hesitant to speak, but then said, “We have…sources on Earth who tell us of a plant called kelp. And there are microorganisms known as plankton. Our scientists are prepared to adapt their physiology to our homeworld, and believe this will be the foundation for restoring our oceans.”
Kimmy didn’t even know how she could get plankton and seaweed, especially living in Kansas, but dammit, if it helped restore an entire planet’s oceans, she’d find a way.
She suddenly remembered the gold Serac had offered to Marvin, a huge smile stretching across her face. She held out her hand again, not hesitating at all to grasp the leader’s claw-thing this time.
“I’ll do whatever I can,” Kimmy said.
15
The entire trip back to Earth had been filled with Kimmy’s chatter as she called it. Serac delighted in listening to the outpouring of her mind and heart, especially when he had changed into his standard outfit—which Kimmy thought was “very Han Solo,” whatever that meant.
For how much she seemed to like it, she’d removed it quickly to spend hours in each other’s arms.
Serac had no complaints.
Now they were dressed again. He was glad to have a blaster at his side.
Kimmy had so many questions, and even more ideas. By the time they landed in her backyard, they had a plan in place to use the gold ore meant as Marvin’s payment to secure streams that would preserve Earth’s resources while helping to restore at least a dozen other planets. She even wanted to help Centaurus-10.
Brave, beautiful, intelligent, and so generous.
He was incredibly lucky being mated to her.
She led him into her kitchen, where all of this had begun so very recently.
“We should use some of the money from selling that ore to build a garage for your ship,” Kimmy said as he shut the door.
She set the box of cereal she’d brought along on the table. Payback jumped off her shoulder, then knocked the box over and crawled inside. Kimmy just shook her head.
“I guess it would be more of a barn, with how big that is,” she said. “I’ve always wanted a barn! But with animals in it. Maybe we can manage both? Your ship and animals?”
“Whatever you desire,” Serac said.
She turned to him and smiled. “I like the sound of that. Will you be okay with this being our den, though?”
His chest tightened. “That would be wonderful. Your home is very comfortable.”
She set her bag on the floor, then took the stack of blankets he carried and dropped them on top of it. With the space cleared between them, she took the opportunity to step in close, wrap her arms around his neck and rise on her toes to kiss him.
Just before their lips met, she said, “Our home.”
Her words seared through him, lighting up every cell in his body. This was their home. But, truly, she was his home—wherever she was in the universe.
Her lips parted as he thrust his tongue into her mouth, savoring her warmth. He lifted her from the floor and she wrapped her legs around his waist.
The bedroom was just upstairs. He headed that way, but froze when Payback growled from deep in the cereal box.
Serac broke off the kiss and he and Kimmy looked over at the table. Payback burst out of the box, scattering cereal everywhere. He scrambled to the edge of the table, then back again, looking around frantically.
“What’s gotten into you?” Kimmy slid down Serac’s chest, then made her way to the table. She picked up the parcel, who was still growling. He was looking at the archway leading to the living room.
Serac drew his blaster. “Stay here.”
“Like hell.” Kimmy held Payback close and ran to grab her broom.
Dean knew that Serac was protecting Kimmy. The Scorpiian should know not to mess with her. But then, he didn’t know they were mated.
Serac cautiously stepped into the living room. Dean was standing near a large set of windows that overlooked the front yard. One hand was in his pocket.
“Good morning,” Dean said.
“What do you want?” Serac lifted his blaster.
“Is that how you greet me now?” Dean said. “We used to be friends.”
Serac had thought so, too.
“Show me your hands,” Serac said.
Dean snorted and shook his head. He lifted both hands and held them where Serac could see.
“So little trust,” Dean said. “What happened to shifters having to stick together?”
“That doesn’t mean we hurt other sentients.” Serac stepped farther into the room. He could sense Kimmy hovering in the archway to the kitchen, intent on protecting him.
“Our mate is fierce,” his zyln thought.
“We never did hurt others,” Dean said. “We just gave them the opportunity to hurt themselves through greed and ignorance.”
Serac shook his head. “It was fear and manipulation. The High Council excelled at that.”
“It doesn’t matter what you call it,” Dean said. “They made the choices. Not us.”
“There isn’t an us,” Serac said. “There hasn’t been for a long time.”