53. One Step Ahead
1483 Words
We wake up on the ship and I give Alden so many snuggles. I am so excited. Momma is getting up today. I run to the medical area while I'm still getting dressed.
"WOMAN, THAT SKIRT IS TUCKED INTO YOUR UNDERWEAR." Alden yells after me.
I fix it as I run, and I get to momma's room in record time. I pull up a chair right beside her and sit and stare at her.
Fomek says, "Kehlani, it's going to take a couple of hours for her to really wake up."
I nod and stare at momma. Her finger twitches.
"I can't believe you have a spaceship, my princess."
"SHHHH. Momma's waking up daddy."
Daddy chuckles. "I guess some things are more important than others."
Then someone pulls my hair. I give Alden a dirty look and try to wiggle away.
"We are combing your hair." I sit still and let him comb it. Then he kisses my head. "I'll be in my office baby."
I stare at momma for so long. She only twitches. I see her eye flutter once. I nearly fall off my chair.
"Alden, I think she's in shock."
I get picked up and try to fight him off.
"Relax baby, we'll sit over here. You can still see her." He sits down on a couch with me and waits on me to relax. Then he rubs my back. I feel my eyes close.
I wake up and stretch. Then I jump up and stare at momma. She smiles at me. "Hello, my baby."
"MOMMA" I jump for her and daddy catches me. He's holding me around my waist, and I am parallel to the floor.
Fomek says, "Kehlani, we're going to be nice and calm while your mom recovers some more. Would you like some lunch while she wakes up?"
I cry and try to get away.
"Child, why are you having a fit? Come over here and sit by me. You do like the doctor said and get some lunch."
I sit in my chair right beside her and Fomek puts a table with food in front of me. I eat while she looks around.
"How long as I out?"
"Long time momma."
She glances at daddy and he nods.
"How long, baby?"
"500 years. He got me, you, and daddy. Locked us all away for 500 years. We're awake now."
"That's a long time."
"My mate found me momma."
"Oh my. You're too young for that."
I shake my head fast. "I'm 915."
Fomek chuckles. "Development stopped while she wasn't recovering. We have placed her age back at 415."
"Still 915 though."
"Why did he lock us away for 500 years?"
"I don't think he knew how to kill a royal dragon. That's all we could figure out anyway. And there's nobody else to ask. All the royals except us are gone."
"That information was always kept secret." Daddy smiles. "I need to go talk to Alden for a minute. Where's his office?"
"Right this way, sir." A brain leads him off.
"Who is Alden?"
"My mate momma."
"So you 2 have been running things for how long?"
"Few months. It took us a while to find you. Then it took forever for you to heal."
"Oh, I bet it did. You never had the most patience either. Just like your father with that." Momma sits up, then Fomek helps her stand.
"This ship heals the muscles as well. You didn't have that pleasure, Kehlani. This is a lot faster with everything."
"Yea better technology. At least we're better now though."
"Yes, we are, baby. Let's go find your father and I need to meet this mate of yours."
We go up to Alden's office. He's at his desk and daddy is sitting on the other side of it. Daddy stands up. "There's my angel." He gives momma a hug.
"Yes, walking and everything dear. Feels like it's been awhile. Where in the world are we?"
"We're actually off the world, angel. 500 years is a long time. You can see our planet out the window."
Momma stares out for a second. "I figured that's what it was."
Daddy kisses her head. "Of course you already knew. You're always 1 step ahead of everyone."
"This is Alden momma." I trip over my feet trying to walk around the desk and watch her at the same time. He catches me and stands me back up. "I missed."
Alden winks at me.
Daddy laughs. "He chased her all the way to the medical area to comb her hair this morning."
"He'll be chasing her around for a while. She's quite young for a mate. I told her that already."
"I'M RIGHT HERE." I jump up and down.
"I see you child. Come on. I want to see my castle."
"Ok momma."
We go to the royal house and Alden and daddy go to his office.
"Where do I live, child?"
"I have no idea, momma. They fixed this for me when I was recovering. I've been here ever since. Alden's room has always been across the hall. I guess he never wanted to go far." I start thinking of the werewolf again. Great.
"I guess that would have been for the best. Let's go ask your father where I live."
"Ok."
We get up to the office and everyone is around the table. Momma smiles at daddy. "They have separate bedrooms, it's fine. But where do we live?" They laugh. Why did she have to say that to everyone?
"I'll show you. We're in the apartments." Daddy helps her out.
Victor is red. He's laughing so hard, "Why do you have separate rooms?"
"She was recovering. It took her a month to wake up there. Then weeks to walk again."
"I guess that does make sense. That is totally not the way I took it."
I giggle and sit on Alden's lap. "Once I could walk, I would sneak into his bed and curl up not touching him. He wouldn't know."
Alden smiles and shakes his head. "It was adorable seeing you sneak and tip toe in. Then you'd curl up in a little ball under the blanket. You would fall asleep so damn fast every time. Then I would pull you over, and you'd sleep on top of me every night."
"You would always say I was a bed crasher. But I thought I was sneakier than that. I didn't know you knew."
He winks and kisses my head. "I figured you would run back to your room if you saw I was awake. So I let you think I was sleeping, so I could give you some cuddles."
I lean back into him. "I like cuddles."
"You always have, baby."
"You 2 are so sweet."
Alden nods at Tera. "I forgot you were all here."
Victor stretches. "Let's go to earth. We got Luke's stuff packed. We just need the animals. And Tobias needs his gold bar."
"Damn it." He stares at the ceiling. "Why did you have to say that?"
"You're a king now. Suck it up."
"I don't have that much gold though. I got like 20 bars."
I shake my head. "Get it out of our castle vault. And get another bar from daddy. I'll make momma sign the card from him."
"Can you give him 1 from me too?" Elek is staring at me.
"Of course. Get 6 bars. That'll be Tobias, Victor, Elek, daddy, Collin, and me and Alden."
"Only 20 bars."
"I'd like to see how many bars of gold you have, asshole."
Alden laughs. "Yea Victor, let's see."
"Fine, I don't have any."
"We have a gold bar we can give him. Collin and I don't need 1."
"Great. 5 bars from the vault."
"Yes, ma'am."
I laugh and shake my head. "You boys need to relax about the gold. We're starting out. We'll spend daddy's money for now. At least he has some."
Jenny loses it. "She's not wrong. The castle has billions. I guess it is her dads."
"Well, that would make it Alden's."
"No. It would make it Kehlani's in the event of her dad's death. But he is roaming around here somewhere. So it's his gold."
I freeze solid. My dad is the cheapest person alive.
"What's wrong?" Elek has an eyebrow up.
I hear Bryan say, "I know I said 40 million, but there is a nicer plane for 62 million."
I jump up, "BUY THEM BOTH NOW."
"YES MA'AM." He turns to run out.
Tim jumps up. "WAIT."
Tim and I look at each other for a second. Then we start yelling. I don't know what he yells.
"MY DADDY IS SO CHEAP. HE'S NOT GOING TO BUY ANYTHING. WE HAVE TO BUY EVERYTHING NOW."
"I'M SURPRISED HE GOT HER THAT GAME." Now Alkawn is up yelling.
"WHAT DO WE DO?" Jenny yells.
- Writer
