Adrift (The Sirilians Book 1) (23 page)

Karo watched Aevum as she walked along the stone shore of the central lake on Aeonas. She ran her fingers over the tips of planets and flowers blooming at the water’s edge, but her eyes were focused somewhere on the horizon. Her expression was far away, solemn. He wanted to soothe her, but knew that they both needed to process what they were seeing and feeling.

They’d traveled to Aeonas as soon as Aevum had regained her strength, and the Arathians had installed a propulsion drive into their mostly-new ship. They’d needed to see for themselves what had happened to their homeworld.

It had been so drastically changed over the past eight millennia that neither could tell it was the same planet. There was a lake now where their city had once stood, ancient ruins from a period a few centuries after they’d left ringed the shoreline.

Karo felt sadness for what had once been, but it felt dulled—an ache rather than sharp pain—and every time he looked at Aevum and saw love shining on her face, the sadness disappeared completely.

After they’d broken through the emotional wall he’d erected around himself, they hadn’t parted. He’d stayed in the Medical Center with her until she was strong enough to join him in his private quarters. He let Deian and the rest of the crew continue to work on their ship, while he focused on his woman.

She’d asked him endless questions about their people, and Karo did his best to answer. He showed her the data sphere the Grays had given him, and together they’d spent hours pouring over the information. They learned a lot about the elusive alien race, and each had come to the conclusion that they didn’t have much in common with them.

The pair agreed that they were more like the Arathians than their genetic descendants.

“I would like to stay among them,” Karo had told Aevum during a meal shared in their quarters. “They’ve given us our lives back, and I would like to repay them if I can.”

Aevum had nodded. “I would love to see Arath and experience their culture.”

Decisions made, they’d agreed that they needed closure before beginning their new lives. They’d said goodbye to their hosts, promising to return very soon.

They didn’t have any plans past their visit to Aeonas, but Lukas, Deian, and Jayda had promised to help in their integration. He knew that they could count on the trio to keep their words, especially since their resignation from the Defense had been finalized. They were now going through the first steps of succession to take over Arath as ruling monarchs.

His memories had continued to clear, and just last night he’d dreamed about their Pair Bonding ceremony. He’d seen Aevum, resplendent in her gown, as they’d exchanged vows and pledged their lives together. The love he’d felt—still felt—for her was overwhelming.

As if sensing his thoughts, she turned and smiled at him from over her shoulder. Her hair whipped in the breeze, partially obscuring her from view, but he still saw the look of love in her eyes. She turned and ran back to him. He enveloped her in his arms and lifted her high against his chest. She laughed as he spun her around, and he drank in the sound.

When he finally set her back on her feet, he captured her lips with his own, lingering and savoring her. She was laughing as she pulled back from him.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “You?”

“I couldn’t be better.”

She smiled and linked their hands together before walking down the shoreline back to their ship. He wrapped his arm around her waist, anchoring her to his side, and knew that no matter where they ended up, they’d be together. That was the only thing that mattered.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicole was born and raised outside of Portland Oregon where she spent much of her childhood outdoors and at the beach. An artist at heart, she didn’t discover her love for romance novels until college, and since then has devoured hundreds. It was her husband who encouraged her to write her own.

She currently lives in Catania, Italy, with her husband Aaron, their two beautiful, rambunctious daughters, and their English Retriever Emma. They move often, but thankfully, she can write from anywhere in the world!

Nicole always loves to hear comments on her work, so feel free to send her a message through her Facebook Page or Twitter. Also, visit www.NicoleKrizek.com to stay updated on her newest projects!