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The
night’s silence surrounded them as they lay in bed. Alaia cuddled beside him,
her hands gripping on to his shirt, as if she was trying to hold him in place,
but he wasn’t going anywhere. Not ever.
Cristianno
had slept for only a few minutes before waking up, eyes wide open as he stared
at the sheer canopy over their bed. He didn’t dare move from where he was,
silently reassuring Alaia that he wasn’t going to move from her side. He
watched her in the faint lights that magically decorated the room. Her face was
radiant as she slept and he began to notice little things about her that he
hadn’t noticed before. Her skin seemed to glow under the tiny lights around
them. Her red hair was lush and spread out on the pillow. Beneath the shirt she
had fallen asleep in, her breasts were a bit different, as well as her hips.
How
had he not noticed such tiny differences in her? How had he not appreciated
every inch of the body he adored every night? He knew the answer. It was the
same answer that every woman had given him: Because he was selfish. He only
cared about himself and his own goals. He wondered if Alaia thought the same of
him, but it felt as if it didn’t matter at all at this point. He had to start
thinking of a way to make their commitment official. They needed vows. They
needed witnesses. They needed to marry.
Cristianno’s
happy thoughts faded when thoughts of Tia’Zula and the Admiral appeared. He
wanted that Admiral dead, but he thought of Laerchel’s words. Was it all worth
it? Would it be worth it now? And Tia? If she found out, his death would not be
the only thing she would want. He wrapped his arms around Alaia protectively.
He had to stop Tia. He had to keep her away at all costs.
With
a deep breath, he rubbed his eyes and scratched the scar on his neck. He
touched the small vial of seawater that hung around his neck and wrapped his
fingers around it. Alaia had told him that the seawater was so that his mother
would always be with him, even when he was off the ship. So in the middle of
the night, Cristianno whispered, “Momma.” He made sure he didn’t awaken Alaia
and then closed his eyes.
“Momma,”
he whispered again. One arm was holding Alaia tightly while the other held the
small vial of water. He smiled and took a deep breath, resting his head against
his lover. “I’m going to be a father.”
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