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She laughed, turning with her bouquet in hand. The flowers, hastily arranged but absolutely beautiful in their own way, symbolized more than just tradition. They represented hope and a new beginning.
“Alright, gather round, and let’s do this!”
Closing her eyes, she threw the bouquet up into the air over her shoulder. Spinning around, she watched. It seemed to hang for a moment, suspended in a perfect arc before dropping back down to land squarely in…
Davis’s hands.
His eyes widened before he shoved it toward Mira.
“This seems more your style,” he said, his voice gruff.
“No!” Jesh called out. “We all saw it, Davis. You’re getting married next!”
“Yeah… my sister back home has atevistalthat’d be perfect for you!” Covak guffawed.
Jesh’s heart swelled fit to bursting as she looked around the cargo bay. She hadn’t known these people a month ago, but they’d come through for her, put their lives on the line… and become her family.
Covak pulled her close, and she leaned against his solid strength, smiling up at him. This moment, here with him, felt like coming home.
Ryke approached and pulled them both into a tight embrace.
“Congratulations, you two. Never thought I’d see the day Covak would settle down,” he said, letting go to look at each of them in turn. “Welcome to the family, Jesh.”
“Thank you,” she murmured, a little overcome by the emotion of the moment. Covak, ever attentive to her moods, noticed and pulled her to the side, wrapping his arms around her.
“We’ll never stop fighting,” Covak whispered into her ear, his voice a comforting growl. “For this family. For each other. Together.”
She nodded. Together, they could face anything—another battle, another universe. Whatever came their way.
“Maybe a little fighting,” she murmured as she reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “If only for the makeup sex. I hear it’s out of this world.”
He chuckled. “This and any world you care to name, my love.”
Their lips met again, sealing vows far deeper than words and traditions could convey. She had found her family, her home, and most importantly, a love that could weather any storm.
EPILOGUE
Mira stared at the vibrant bouquet in her hands, the soft petals tickling her palms. The sweet fragrance of alien blooms filled her nostrils, a pleasant contrast to the sterile, recycled air of the ship. Her gaze returned to Davis, but he had already turned away, his broad shoulders disappearing into the throng of celebrating Reapers.
The laughter and chatter of the group washed over her, but she felt like she was underwater, muffled and distant from the festivities. Her heart sank as she watched the tall handsome man rejoin his team, leaving her alone on the outside. Again
She bit her lip as doubt filled her. She’d helped them with their last mission, but she was just human, and unlike Davis, she didn’t really have any skills, apart from operating a damn joystick. Wrapping her arms around herself, she suppressed the shiver that wanted to roll down her spine. She’d never felt so small and insignificant before.
Would they let her stay, or was she just a temporary passenger? The thought of being abandoned at some distant spaceport sent a chill down her spine. Even worse was the terrifying possibility that they might decide to sell her off to thehighest bidder, condemning her to a life of servitude in some alien harem. Did aliens even have harems? She was sure they did.
The metallic thud of heavy footsteps beside her pulled her from her spiraling thoughts. She looked up.
“Oh, hey Jex,” she murmured, her fingertips tracing the petals of the delicate alien flowers in her hand.
The cyborg-turned-Scorperio suit loomed over her, his blank faceplate reflecting the celebration before them.
“They are… different to what I know,” he rumbled, a hint of curiosity in his mechanical tone.
“Same,” she agreed, grateful for the unexpected companionship. She cleared her throat. “But they seem nice? At least, nicer than most of the people I’ve known my whole life.”
“Humans,” he hissed, the word dripping with disdain even through his vocal processors.
She flinched at the venom in his voice but found herself nodding in agreement.
