He was suggesting they’d terminate her? His people weren’t a violent race. Desperate, but not violent. Yet, deep down, he knew it was true. The leaders on Trenu Zel had no respect for humankind. They were primitive and self-destructive. Nothing would change their minds on the subject, not even his amazing mate.
“I won’t let them harm her.”
“Then what do you suggest? The female has been here for many cycles. You haven’t impregnated her. How will you protect her if they decide to terminate her life?”
It felt like a knife twisted in his gut. Did Dhiro really have to choose between his own people, his sense of loyalty to Trenu Zel, and his lifemate? No words came to mind.
“I’m sorry,” Bronn said.
“Take her. Please. Use my ship and return her to Earth.”
His brother ran a hand through his hand, doing a spin. “What are you asking?”
“I can’t go back. I’m head of the taskforce, and the Scyathra are moving in. I have to protect our people, eliminate our enemies, but I also won’t have them harm Ella. She’s innocent.”
“You’ll let her leave? Never see her again?”
Dhiro scoffed. “As soon as things are safe, I will go to her. I will live my life out on Earth to be with my mate.”
“Must be love. Mother was right.”
“Oh?”
“She said you’d fall for the human, even when you said it was impossible.”
He felt torn down the middle. His loyalty to his leaders was now overshadowed by their ruthlessness, the fact they’d sacrifice Ella when she was willing to try to help an alien race. It didn’t matter if she was human. Ella didn’t have an evil bone in her body. Not all humans were created equal, and Dhiro knew that firsthand.
“She’s always been more intuitive than most,” he said. “Since our father’s death, she’s kept our family together. She deserves a grandchild. I can’t even give that to her.”
“You tried. You traveled across the universe,” Bronn said. “It’s a voyage I know I’m not capable of.”
He wanted to argue with his brother but knew the trip had been dangerous at best. He’d barely made it to Earth with the ship in one piece. His brother was a mechanic, not a pilot. Dhiro couldn’t risk Ella’s life or his brother’s. He was back in the same dire position.
“Let me know if you hear any news,” Dhiro said. “I need to get home.”
“Are you sure you’ve been breeding her enough?”
“Daily. At least.”
Bronn scrubbed a hand down his face and sat down on a metal stool. “I had hope. So did Kaalen.”
He only had two brothers. No sisters. They were all close in age, but his brothers still had no mates.
“Everyone had hope. We all want to save our world.”
His brother shook his head. “Maybe I’m selfish, but I wanted a woman for myself. A family. A future.”
“That’s not selfish, Bronn.”
He pointed to the scrapyard of metal next to his home. “I even started working on my ship. Thought I could get my own little Earthling.” Bronn shrugged. “But I guess this is the end for all of us.”
“Human fertility cycles are unpredictable. We can’t lose hope just yet.”
“Go home to your mate, Dhiro. Enjoy her while you can.”
Bronn reflected most of their population, a somber acceptance of a grim fate. Once hope was lost, what was left? Ella was that one shining star, but the longer they went without a pregnancy, her shine began to dull.
His brothers worked at the space launch as mechanics. They were so joyous when they’d helped him prepare for his voyage to Earth. Now their joy had faded to nothing.
As he drove back home, he realized what he needed to do. At all costs, he had to protect Ella. He didn’t want to be put in a position where he couldn’t save her. He drove faster, needing to see Ella’s sweet smile. To hold her, smell her, feel her close to him. Even without a baby, at least he’d found something he never expected to attain—love. He’d only hoped they could live out their days in blissful ignorance on Trenu Zel, but now, he wasn’t so sure.
****
There had been sirens wailing a couple of hours earlier. Back home, they usually warned of an impending storm or earthquake. She wasn’t sure if it was the same here. There was so much for her to learn.
She’d missed her period. Ella knew she must be pregnant. Or was it just her body’s reaction to being carted across space? The last thing she wanted was to disappoint Dhiro and his people by getting them excited for nothing. She needed to be one hundred percent positive before letting anyone know.
The rumble of Dhiro’s truck engine approaching aroused her. It meant he was home. She always looked forward to his return from work. At first, she’d had more freedom, but just lately, he insisted she wasn’t safe to roam even in his garden. He left her crates of rocks and gems to study, but she was growing bored. There was a whole alien planet out there she was itching to explore.