“Where’s Mo?” Leti asked, looking around. His eyes fell on the boy, freshly released from Rizzie. “Oh, Mo,” he squealed, running to the boy and hugging him. “Abbot is so pretty.”

  “Princess is so tiny! I can’t believe he can shrink and grow like that.” Mo returned Leti’s hug. He stood just a few inches short of Leti. The kid was going to be huge when he finished growing. Hack smiled at the two, taking his little monster from Leti so he could hug Mo properly.

  His father held Rizzie now, listening carefully as she regaled him with important information. “Milo doesn’t like broccoli. He won’t eat it at all,” she said. “It’s okay though, ‘cause Gravy will, but then he poots all night and it’s stinky.”

  Fasi nodded gravely.

  Hack shook his head and checked on his crew. Dru and Lerais were still going at it. Beck and Draif were free from Ma now, but Pops had them. Ma was currently crushing Morgan and Cordelia. Biscuit sat waiting for Cordy. Finn and Alois stood nearby, laughing at their crewmates.

  Juniper and Ava had corralled the three newest members to his crew, Hazel, Quinn, and Linc. The former refugees already trained with Selene and looked promising. Hazel would likely join Beck in engineering, and Linc would be Dannol’s copilot. Quinn followed Cordelia around like a puppy, emulating her in battle and hanging on her every word when not sparring. Hack could practically see hearts filling Quinn’s eyes every time she thought Cordy wasn’t looking.

  “Selene?” Two well-dressed Sirens approached from the gate. Selene nodded to them, Fluffle draped across her shoulders. The young man ran to her and hugged Hack’s friend. Selene held still for a minute, then slowly wrapped her arms around him too. He looked to be about eighteen, eager and gangly.

  The woman looked a few years older than Selene and was much more composed than her brother. Approaching, she smiled gently and nodded to Selene. “Sister. It’s truly good to see you in person after all these years.”

  “This is Xu,” Selene said, pulling the boy to her. “My son.” Her brother decided the young Dedril needed a hug too, and her sister nodded politely.

  “Aww, look at that. I’m so happy for Selene,” Leti said, cuddling into Hack’s side. “Oh, what the hell is happening there?”

  Hack followed Leti’s gaze, and his eyes widened in surprise. Nettle held Lilah’s hand as he directed the medics in moving Lucas and the refugees. She held Sophie, her newborn, and met Leti’s eyes, smirking.

  “That hussy didn’t tell me her and Nettle were a thing. What?”

  “He did follow her around a lot. Plus, she’s slept in his quarters for the last three weeks,” Hack said.

  “Seriously? Why didn’t you tell me this? I thought you loved me,” Leti said. He sniffed, turning away from Hack.

  “I do love you, and I promise to tell you every bit of gossip from now on.”

  Leti looked over his shoulder, coy eyes flashing. “Good.”

  Fasi interrupted them, grabbing Leti again, holding him close. “Nettle asked for larger quarters about two weeks ago, so I suspected something was happening,” he said. “Now, speaking of quarters…”

  “Wait, admiral,” Ma said. “I haven’t had my hugs yet.” She finished with Alois and Finn, then grabbed Hack and Leti. The woman’s embrace was almost as familiar to him as his own mother’s. Beck’s Ma had made him one of her own the day Beck dragged him home from school. Sami squeaked from between them, and she pushed them back.

  “Aww, look at this little darling,” she said.

  “Be careful, he bites,” Hack said and handed Sami over.

  Ma tossed the giggling boy in the air, then pulled him in close for a snuggle. “He’s a little angel.”

  “Now, as I was saying,” Fasi said, giving Ma a wry look. He turned to the crew. “I’ve arranged a little surprise for Will and Leti after talking with each of you. Thanks for playing along guys,” he said. “Pops, you want to explain?”

  The massive Grell lumbered over and smiled at everyone. “The station’s been growing kinda crazy for a while now, and us engineers build onto it as needed. Well, we’ve made a completely new section with homes for you all. If you want them, that is.”

  “Hell yeah, we do,” Dru said. “The admiral showed us pictures. We are so onboard.” She cuddled into Lerais’s arms, Monty now perched on her husband’s head.

  “Wait, so you’ll all live close by?” Leti asked tentatively. “You’ll be right there if we need you?”

  “We certainly will, sugarplum,” Ava said. “We would be there for you no matter where we lived, but this makes it easier.”

  “Plus, we get an upgrade on our own homes,” Morgan said. “So, we’re all kinda selfish too.”

  “So, Juniper can make me some more chocolate squirrels today? Maybe some corn chowder too?”

  “Oh, we see how it is,” Cordelia said with a smile. “You just want Juniper around.”

  “Can you blame him, Cordy?” Juniper smirked.

  “Now, now, children,” Ma said. “Let’s get these kiddos home so they can settle in. Little Nessa is about to drop.” They all looked to Dannol. The small man grinned, happy to carry his sleepy little girl.

  “Okay, okay,” Fasi said. “Xav will get Wobble and the Druffle. We’ll come back for the rest of your belongings tomorrow. Let’s get you home.”

  The large group filed through the entrance to the station. The docks were crowded, as usual, but there were some perks to being with the admiral. Hack’s dad led them straight to the shuttle tram, and they loaded up without having to wait.

  “How big is the station?” Leti asked.

  The station was wide open inside, with miles of air between the ground and the barrier. The thick, impenetrable, and clear barrier closed the station in, but left an open view of the star-laced sky. Buildings stretched high and shuttle tram tracks twisted and turned throughout the whole station, connecting everyone together. Small personal shuttles flew above it all.

  The higher ups had long ago decided to make it as green as possible, planting trees, bushes, and flowers. Hundreds of years later, they had a thriving ecosystem. There was truly nothing like it in all the galaxy.

  “It has a diameter of 1,563 miles, but it’s getting larger every day,” Pops answered. “We’ve added two new sections this year alone.”

  “It really is as big as a real world,” Draif said. “Guess it’s a good thing this tram goes so fast, huh? Has to travel all over the planet.”

  “Fitting you should call it that,” Renee said with a smirk.

  “Not now, sweetheart,” Fasi said. “We’ll discuss all that tomorrow.”

  “All what, Dad?” Hack asked.

  Fasi smiled sheepishly. “Let’s just say, there’s a reason Pops and I picked this location for your new quarters. We’ll talk about all that in the morning though. Oh, here we are.”

  The shuttle tram came to a stop, and the group piled out. They were in the middle of a newly constructed area, materials still stacked in piles, but walkways were built and sod placed alongside them.

  “This is your neighborhood,” Fasi said. “You’ll notice that it’s still under construction, but it’s livable now.” He led them down the walkway, pointing out features. “There’s where you’ll have a small community garden. I thought I’d leave it to Juniper to decide what goes in it. That’s one of ten meeting areas,” he said, pointing to a few benches gathered around a small fountain. Trees were planted around it.

  “Oh, chocolate squirrels,” Leti said. “Is that a goat? That’s a goat.” He squealed and ran to a fenced-in area between two sleek-walled houses. It was a large, open pen with a small barn in the far corner. A small white goat chewed on the freshly laid grass, ignoring the many piles of hay available to her.

  “Chocolate squirrels? Why is he obsessed with chocolate squirrels?” Renee shook her head, amused.

  Draif sighed. “He was seventeen and it’s… a long story. You really don’t want to know.”

  “Hey there, pretty girl,” Leti said, clumsily climbing the gate. He got stuck on the top, and Alois rushed over to help him over. He petted the goat, stroking her soft fur. “You are so cute. Look at that little tail!” Princess Buttercup hissed at the goat from Leti’s shoulder. She ignored him, flicking her tail.

  “That better be his present, Dad. If not, then I need to know whose goat that is.” Hack laughed at his mate.

  “Will he even see the house now?” Pops sounded dejected.

  “Leti!” Draif yelled. “Leave the goat alone and come on. I want to go to sleep.”

  Leti glared at his friend. “Can’t you see we’re having a moment?”

  “Have a moment in the morning.” Draif tried to keep his face stern.

  “Fine,” he said, dragging the word out. He again got stuck on top of the fence, but Alois was waiting.

  Fasi struggled not to laugh. “Alright then, let’s get you all settled,” he said. He pointed out houses along the street, assigning each crew member a home. “Hazel, this is yours.”

  The young woman’s mouth dropped open. “Mine?”

  The admiral frowned. “Yes, why? Is it not what you wanted? I know we didn’t get to talk, but I modeled it off what Dru and Cordelia requested. Yours too, Quin and Linc,” he said, nodding to the other two.

  “We get a house? Each? A whole house?” Linc looked amazed. “We just joined though.”

  “You’ve fought with us in two battles now,” Hack said. “I’ve seen you each training hard with Selene. You’re part of my crew now. No different than any of the others.”

  “Seriously,” Dru said. “Don’t be drama queens, guys. You’re ours now, and there’s no getting rid of us.”

  “Draif, this is your house,” the admiral said. “Lucas will stay with you for a little while as he recovers. You okay with that? Leti seemed to think it would be okay.”

  “Thanks for throwing me under the bus there, Dad,” Leti said.

  The admiral teared up at Leti’s words, and Cas and Hack laughed. Their dad was such a softie.

  “No, that’s perfect,” Draif said, eyes wet and shining. “Gods, my own house. I’m really free, aren’t I?”

  Leti tackled him, hugging him tightly. “You are the freest freeman in all the galaxy.”

  “Hack, Leti and you go here,” Renee pointed, sniffling just a little and pointing at a three-story house. “Maia, Silas, you two have apartments on the third floor since you insist on staying close. If you want to move out, just let us know. You’re part of the crew now too.”

  “That’s our home, Will,” Leti said, dazed and in awe. “Our home.”

  Hack wrapped an arm around his mate and the other around Mo. “Yeah, baby. We’re home now.”

  “It has seven bedrooms on the first two floors and four suites on the third floor,” Pops said. “I made sure you have plenty of space since you’ll probably have a bunch more kids in time.”

  “I can share my room, Daddy Leti, if you wants to have more babies,” Rizzie said. “Just makes sure they’re girls like me and Pepper.”

  “Oh, ladybug, you’re a very good sister,” Hack said.

  “Thanks, Pops,” Leti said, pulling the man into a hug. “I’m so happy to have a home, and you’ve completely spoiled me.”

  Pops hugged him back, a big grin on his face.

  “Sebastian, you’re on the other side, there,” Renee continued, smiling gently at the man.

  He looked completely overwhelmed. His hand settled on his stomach as he took in the small two-story house. Someone had planted a few flower beds in the front yard that looked beautiful, even in the evening light.

  “I had best stay with Sebastian, since I just came out of a coma,” Alois said, coughing weakly.

  “Oh, don’t worry, big guy,” Dannol said, hugging his friend. “You can stay with me and Nessa. We’ll take care of you.”

  Leti and Draif snickered.

  Hack shouldn’t be surprised that Leti had told his friend about the possibility of Lucas and Sebastian being mates. If they talked about his penis, they talked about everything.

  “We’ll leave you all to rest tonight,” Renee continued. “Tomorrow evening, we’ll meet with everyone. There are some things we need to discuss with you.”

  “Nothing alarming,” Fasi added. “Just important. Oh, and we’re taking Pepper with us tonight, son. You need some sleep, and your mom wants some baby time.”

  With that, they hugged Hack and his family one more time, then left them to rest. Ma and Pops also got in more hugs.

  “I left some food in the fridge with you, dearie,” Ma whispered, hugging Leti. “I’ll bring more tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Ma,” Leti said, grinning. “Juniper was right. I won’t starve.”

  Hack carried an exhausted Rizzie into their new quarters… er… house. He was so used to being on a ship. The place was large, even larger than his parents’ house. It was warmly decorated, with creamy-brown walls, warm wooden floors, and multiple rugs. There wasn’t a lot of furniture, but Hack imagined they wanted to leave it to them to pick what they wanted. There was, however, a lot of space.

  Gravy made his way to a large pet bed and plopped down, huffing. Seconds later, he was snoring. Princess Buttercup, now eight feet long, sniffed Gravy’s head, then followed Hack. He walked down the hall, peeking into rooms.

  “This is Rizzie’s room,” Mo said, pointing to a door. “I helped decorate it.” The boy had lost his rabbit somewhere. Hack looked at Princess.

  “Where’s Abbot?” Hack asked, opening the door. Rizzie’s room was decorated for a little princess, all ruffles and daintiness. He laid her on her bed, removed her shoes, then covered her up. She burrowed into the bed, sighing happily.

  “Abbot’s visiting with Leti now,” Mo whispered. “Want to see my room?”

  Hack grinned. “Show me, little brother.”

  After following Mo all through the house, getting the personal tour, Hack found Leti, Maia, Silas, and Sami eating in the kitchen. Abbot sat in Leti’s lap.

  “Is it bad that I already miss Pepper?” Hack asked.

  “Your mom stole her,” Leti said, stuffing a large spoonful of stew in his mouth. He didn’t seem very concerned though, despite his words.

  “Do you think she’ll return her?”

  “Tomorrow,” Leti said. “Maybe. Depends on how much sleep she loses tonight.”

  “Grandma wanted you guys to get some sleep tonight,” Mo said, yawning. “I think I’m going to go to bed now too. You need anything before I go?”

  Hack grabbed his brother, crushing him in a big hug. “Nope. We have you with us now, and that’s just about all we needed.”

  Mo blushed, a wide smile covering his face. He grabbed Abbot and left at a run.

  “That boy is the sweetest thing ever,” Leti said. “Where did Princess go?”

  “Lost him in our bedroom. He’s already enjoying our bed.”

  “Figures,” Leti said, laughing. “We need to get this one to bed.”

  Hack grabbed a sleepy Sami, tickling his tummy. “I’ll put him down, baby. Meet you in our room.”

  “I meant Maia. She’s about to fall asleep in her plate,” Leti said.

  Hack rolled his eyes as the others laughed.

  Entering his son’s room, Hack cuddled a freshly diapered Sami, then laid him down in his crib. It was low to the ground, so Pax could easily jump in. Once Hack had settled his son, the large cat curled around Sami, purring. Hack watched Sami smile. His eyes fluttered, then closed, his snores soft and adorable.

  His room was decorated for a wild boy. Brown and green walls and decorations. Nothing to chew on within reach, and cute little stuffed animals on shelves up high. He needed to let his parents know how much he loved them. They’d put a lot of thought into his home.

  Finally reaching the master bedroom, he found Leti curled around Princess. His beautiful green eyes watched Hack sleepily.

  “Will, I love you. You know, right?”

  “Yeah, baby. I know.”

  “We haven’t gotten a lot of time to talk lately,” Leti said. “Everything’s moved so fast, from the moment we snuck on your ship.”

  “We have time,” Hack said. “We have our whole lives, and I, for one, plan on learning all your secrets.” He undressed and climbed in behind Leti, pulling him close. He nuzzled his neck and wished he had the energy to make love to his mate. “What do you think of Charybdis Station so far, baby?”

  “I think I’m home,” Leti said. “For the first time in my life.”

  Chapter 13

  “Help me.” Blue eyes filled with pain wouldn’t let Leti go. “Why won’t you help me?”

  Leti couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. All he saw was a pale face, accusing blue eyes, and blood, so much blood.

  “It hurts,” the man said. “Help me!”

  “I’m sorry,” Leti said, sobbing. “I’m so sorry.”

  Blue eyes turned into lifeless, brown eyes in the plain face of Dr. Morrick. They stared up at the sky one second, then looked straight at him the next. “Wyatt.” Morrick’s pale lips didn’t move, but his voice filled Leti’s head. “Where’s Wyatt?”

  A baby’s cries filled the air, and a young woman sat in a rocking chair, cuddling an infant. She tried to quiet its cries, but they got louder and louder. Leti walked closer. “Do you need help? I have a little girl of my own and singing always works with her.”

  The woman looked up, eyes dead inside. The baby in her arms crumbled into dust while she stared at him.

  “Let me help you,” Leti said, trying to move closer to the woman. Something pushed back against him the closer he got, and it was like walking through quicksand. The woman slowly disappeared, a piece at a time.

  Maia’s voice filled his head. “The things they did to us. I don’t blame her for not wanting to live.”

  Franklin’s voice took over. “Imagine if we knew how to bring back the dead. Think about that when you go sit and cry in the cryo chamber tonight.”

  “HELP ME!!!”

  “Leti!” Hack’s voice cut through Leti’s dream, his hands shaking Leti awake. “Baby, wake up.”

  Leti came awake, drawing in deep breaths. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Tears covered his face, sobs wracking his body.

 

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