Page 26 of Draevan

But what would he think if she told him about M?

And how would he react?

Would he restrict her freedoms and not allow her to roam the city during the day? Sure, New Vaxx was supposed to be impenetrable, but what if it was possible to bypass the protective shield that circled the planet? She doubted M had the resources to leave Earth, let alone fly all the way to New Vaxx. The FBI’s profile of her stalker depicted him as a middle-class loner, not the sort of person who had the connections or funds necessary for an off-world trip.

Not wanting to risk Draevan ever restricting her freedoms, she resolved that she would keep quiet about her stalker.

“Did you see a lot of violence during the war?” Draevan asked.

“Not in person,” she replied. “Just on the news reels. I mean, sure, I saw missiles strike other buildings in Manhattan, but I never saw any gruesome violence in person.” She tried not to think about what might’ve happened to her if she hadn’t been able to purchase a penthouse in Skyline Towers.

“Well, I imagine it was still a traumatizing experience for you, living in a war zone like you were even though your building was supposedly protected.” He squeezed her hand again. “If you ever need to talk about it, I am willing to listen. I am not quite sure I will know what to say, but I can listen. If you want to talk, I mean. You don’t have to. I just… wanted you to know that I am here.”

The huge alien warrior shifted awkwardly in place, though he didn’t release Cora’s hand. A moment later, a slight blush tinged his cheeks. The tips of his ears also suddenly looked a bit reddish.

Cora stared at him, touched by his offer to talk about her traumatic experiences even if he wasn’t confident in his ability to say the right thing.

She found herself squeezing his hand in return. “That’s very sweet of you, Draevan. Thank you. If I need to talk, I will come to you, and I won’t expect you to have some magic words that will make the dark memories go away, but maybe… I suspect I would find comfort just being near you. And… if you ever need to talk to anyone about your experiences during the war against the Irrcons, which I imagine were much more violent than anything I watched on the news reels on Earth, I want you to know that I am here for you. I am willing to listen.”

Her eyes burned again, and so did her throat. And she couldn’t help but wonder if this might be the very beginning of falling in love. She’d never fallen in love before, but God, this felt so raw, so real, so intimate.

Draevan studied her for a moment, then gave a careful nod. “Thank you, my sweet mate. Truly. Perhaps we can find comfort in one another as we embark on a new beginning… together.”

A lone tear finally cascaded down Cora’s cheek. She started reaching to wipe it away, but Draevan beat her to it. He immediately released her hand and wiped away the tear with his thumb.

“More happy tears?” he asked cautiously.

“Yes,” she said with a watery smile. “More happy tears.”

He rearranged Meela in both his arms, holding her more securely to his chest, then leaned down to place a tender kiss on Cora’s forehead. She nearly swooned at the affection he was showing her.

She thought about the romance novels she often read. She particularly enjoyed books featuring the instalove trope. Was it really possible that she could be getting her very own happily-ever-after so quickly?

“Come with me, sweet Cora, and I will give you a tour of my home. Our home. And later, you can look after Meela while I retrieve all your belongings from my ship.”

“All right.” She walked beside him toward a door that opened upon their approach and led to a set of stairs that descended into the large, white stone house.

They traveled to the first floor, where Draevan showed her the kitchen, two dining rooms (one casual and one formal), and a library filled with books in Vaxxlian, Galactic Common, and several Earth languages, including English. He also showed her the living room and a playroom filled with toys that was clearly meant for Meela.

The second floor contained several guest bedrooms that Cora couldn’t help but wonder might eventually belong to their future children, another living room that opened to a balcony, and two small rooms that each held an interstellar video comm.

Finally, they reached the third floor, and Cora couldn’t help but wonder about the sleeping arrangements. Would Draevan expect her to share his bedroom?

She assumed Meela’s nursery and Draevan’s bedroom were on this floor, but she wasn’t certain if there were any extra bedrooms up here that he might place her in.

Did Vaxxlian mates typically share a bedroom? She wanted to ask, but she was also a little embarrassed, and she didn’t want to make another cultural blunder.

Draevan led her into Meela’s nursery just as the baby stirred in his arms. The child released a weary groan as her eyes fluttered open, and Cora found herself biting back a smile.

As soon as Meela took in her surroundings, she wiggled in Draevan’s arms and reached for Cora.

Oh, how sweet.

Did the baby have any idea just how wanted and useful she was making Cora feel? Thank goodness little Meela seemed to like her. It made the whole moving-to-a-brand-new-planet thing a whole lot easier. All she really had to stress about was her relationship with Draevan.

Not that she was really stressing over it. But their mating union was new, perhaps even a bit fragile, and they were still getting to know one another.

Cora eagerly took possession of Meela and hugged the sweet baby tight. She placed a kiss on the child’s forehead, stunned by how quickly Meela was growing on her. “Good morning, darling,” Cora said. “I hope you slept well. Guess what? You’re home now, and your uncle is showing me around your beautiful house.”