I smiled. “It appears so.”
“The three of you,” he rasped, “are mine.”
“Is that so?” I mused.
He growled, his hold on me tightening. “It is.”
“Good.” I smiled. “Because if there is ever an inch of space between us ever again, it would be too much.”
Kol swooped me up in his arms, and with the laughter and cheers of our family, he ran from the room and didn’t stop until we entered our wing and eventually our bedrooms. A room we had not shared together for too long.
“I feel like I am dreaming,” Kol blurted when he set me down gently on our bed. “This is everything I have ever wanted.”
“Me too,” I said, my voice tight with emotion. “I never believed I’d have what I have with you.”
“What do we have, Nova?”
I leaned my forehead against his after he kneeled before me.
“We have love, my mate.”
Kol squeezed his eyes shut. “You accept our mating? You believe I love you truly?”
“I do, and I am so sorry for doubting you. I thought our love, for you, was because of your physical reaction to me. I didn’t understand.”
“It is hard to explain, so I know it is hard to understand,” Kol said, brushing hair back from my face. “I want you, Nova. My heart wants you, my body wants you, all of me wants you. I breathe for you, my heart beats for you, blood runs through my veins, and cock, for you?”
“You’re so romantic.”
“Nova!” Kol growled, not amused.
I chuckled. “I love you, Kol.”
He blinked. “Repeat that.”
“I love you, Kol.”
I felt emotion surge through him, and he growled.
“I tell you I love you, and you growl at me?” I teased.
His face was still a mess of emotion, but his eyes gleamed with amusement.
“You like it when I growl at you,” he said, growling for good measure.
My clit pulsed with an empty ache.
“I definitely do,” I groaned. “Good, I hurt so bad for you.”
Kol almost snarled as he plastered himself against me.
“You truly love me?” he asked. “And not just because you’re carrying my young?”
“I loved you before I knew I was pregnant, and I love you now that I know I’m pregnant.
“Before?” he growled. “You truly loved me but wished to stay away from me. Why?”
His anger was expected.
“Because”—I frowned—“I didn’t want this whole fated mate thing to be your focus. I wanted you to love me for me, not because some instinct was telling you to.”
Sadness lurked in Kol’s eyes.
“It does not work like that,” he said. “I could hate you, but as my true mate, I’d still crave your touch. Having a true mate does not mean instant love; it means an instant bodily bond. Love is an … extra to being a mate. If you love your mate, you will love them until you breathe your last breath. It is forever binding, both body and soul. I will never look at another female and feel sexual desire. I will never consider any other female for anything other than friendship, and if you do not want that, then I will never speak to another female ever again.”
My heart thudded against my chest.
“What about your sister?” I tested.
I’d never go through with asking him not to talk to other females; he could befriend whomever he wanted to because I knew he’d be coming home to me. I was curious to see if he was serious, and testing him with his sister was my go-to card because I knew he adored her. Surkah was precious to him.
Kol eyes widened, and I saw his pain as he said, “If you wish it, I will not speak to my sister again.”
I felt my jaw drop. “You’re serious?”
He nodded.
“I love Surkah with all my heart, and you love her with all of yours. I’d never come between you, and you don’t need my permission on who you befriend, Kol. You’re my mate, not my property.”
Tears filled Kol’s eyes.
“I’m your mate?” he whispered. “Truly?”
“You’re my fated mate, my male, my pain in the ass.” I smiled. “You’re all mine.”
He closed his eyes and began to breathe heavily.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so … difficult,” I said, “but I had to know for sure. I was afraid what we had wasn’t real. I was so scared this mate bond was just about sex, and I couldn’t be with you when I loved everything about you while you just loved my body.”
Kol cupped my face in his hands, and he reopened his eyes.
“Our love is very real,” he assured me. “You’re my everything.”
I smiled and reached up and took hold of his wrists. I placed his hands on my belly and covered them with my own.
“We are your everything.”
“Yes,” Kol rumbled. “The three of you are mine. I just cannot believe we’re going to have little ones.”
I kissed him before he broke it seconds later.
“I promise not even death will part us, Nova. You own my heart and soul for all of eternity. I am yours.”
“Mine,” I whispered. “And I am yours.”
“Forever.”
I intertwined our fingers. “Forever.”
I had never felt happier, and from the look on Kol’s face, neither had he … but then his face fell.
“What?” I asked, knowing he heard something through his comm. “Kol, what is it?”
“The Earth,” he began, nervously flicking his eyes towards me. “It has imploded.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, and with a strangled cry, I leaned into Kol’s embrace and wrapped myself around him, taking the comfort he offered. I felt my heartbeat in my ears and pain in my chest.
“I am so sorry, shiva.”
I hugged him tighter. “It’s really gone?”
“Yes,” Kol answered,
pulling back slightly to look at my face. “It is gone.”
Tears fell from my face.
“I don’t know why I’m crying so much; I had a horrible life on Earth.”
My mate brushed away my tears. “You still had some good times on Earth. You had a good family there, and the life you led turned you into the brave female you are today.”
“Ealra is my home now.” I pressed my forehead to his. “You are my home.”
“And you are my everything, my shiva.”
Kol pressed his hands against my stomach, and I covered them with mine, and together, we basked in the news of our pregnancy. My mate was right; Earth made me into the woman I was today, and in a way, I had Earth to thank for bringing Kol into my life. Myself, other human women on Ealra, and even on Terra, would represent Earth always … and we now had a chance to clear her name and restore honour to our planet with our future actions.
Earth might have been no more, but out of the ashes, a new generation of Maji and humans would be born.
Book number eleven finished? Check!
What a rollercoaster of emotions writing OUT OF THE ASHES was! This was my very first book in the Science Fiction Romance genre—a genre that I love to read—and I hope that you guys have enjoyed it, because I loved writing it.
I have to thank my girls, Yessi and Mary, for being the best friends, and best support system, a person could ever ask for. I love you ladies all the way to Ealra and back.
Jill, my superwoman, thank you so much for your patience with me. It’s not easy being my PA, but you’re so awesome at your job that it makes me incredibly glad that you stick around and put up with me.
Editing4Indies, thank you for dealing with my pretty shocking schedule when it comes to sending you manuscripts. You’re one in trillion, Jenny. I appreciate you so much.
Mayhem Cover Creations, thank you for creating a cover that is truly out of this world.
JT Formatting, thank you for making my words look pretty. You're a star, Julie.
Mark, for being a brilliant agent, and not losing your mind when it took me forever to send you the manuscript for OUT OF THE ASHES.
My readers, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking a chance on Kol and Nova’s story. If you liked their journey, stick around for future books in the Maji series, because I’ve whole lot in store for these two species :)