Echo Book 2

36. I'm Home

I open one eye. I'm on the ship. In Tim's room. He's not here. I stand up and stretch. I'm actually ok. I drink extra blood and water to make sure. But I'm pretty sure I'm not hungover.

I connect Malax's feather. He tells me they're in the main village, with the castle, so I fly there.

I land between Malax and Tim. Then I wiggle around. I love them.

Tim kisses my head. "You feeling ok, babygirl?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

"You girls drank a lot last night."

"Why are we here?"

Malax kisses my cheek. "I'm pulling the majority of us out today. We have other things to do and you kids are done here."

"We can still help."

"They need to do some on their own. But we're leaving some people here. They won't be alone."

"Who is staying?"

"Frode and Dracul. A few others. Hunter is coming with us."

"Why?"

Malax shrugs his shoulders. "He wants to. He has the mindset for it, and he's good under pressure."

Tim pats my butt. "But he is not your mate. You are both adults and there is no mate pull between you. Do not forget that. He will get killed."

"I know. He is nice though. We can be friends."

"Very good." Tim kisses my head. "Eriska and the boys are going to be riding with us too. They are going to be following us around in their ships if not."

"That's true. Did the alpha's all pick out some land?"

"About half have land now. Others are still searching. They're doing well."

"We did well here."

"Yea, this went perfectly." Malax kisses my head. "Not every day an entire planet needs evacuated."

"Where is everyone else?"

"Nadine and Thora are on Fang's land. He brought the business owners down. They are helping them get sorted."

"I'll go help too."

"Have fun, babygirl."

A couple of hours later, I'm back on my ship. Malax, Tim, Tre, Victor, Tobias, Rye, Kane, Mary, Hunter, and Eriska are with me. We sit around the conference table. Eriska looks like she's about to pull her hair out.

I stand up. "We lived. Good job everyone. Now, Tobias, go put a movie theater on my ship. Put it where all the other entertainment stuff is."

"You want to come with me, baby?"

"No. I want to relax."

"I'll see you later." He kisses Eriska on the head and leaves.

"Victor, make sure everyone on the ship has an apartment and knows how to use the stuff in it."

"If you don't have a room, come with me." Almost everyone leaves with him.

I smile at Eriska. "Now pick 1 and spend some time with him." She runs out. I don't know who she picked.

"What was that, baby?"

"They are always with her. She needs some alone time with each of them, and they're not giving it."

Malax fixes his papers. "I'll talk to them."

Tre, Mary, and Kane come back. "We know how to use everything."

I nod. "How did we get Tre?"

"Your father has to line up the feet of something before he gives us his suppra. We're swinging through home before we go to Uhmok's planet."

"I'm going to loot his house suppra lab again." I motion the brain. "Bring daddy's suppra lab from his house and add it to mine on the ship."

"Yes, ma'am."

"When he's not home."

"Of course."

Tim nods. "We can get Hunter, and the idiots suppra's too. Kane and Mary too. It'll take an extra day or 2 though."

Malax writes something down. "That's fine. Tre, summon a king ship and take it when you're ready to leave. I didn't realize we were going to be there for days."

"Thank you. You need to make your people vampires too. Did you want to send them to earth? Or we can do it while I'm there. I know how to use the medicine if they need it."

"I don't know. They're not going to know how to be vampires. My parents have 3 kids in the house with them. It's so risky."

"We can send them to earth, if that's easier. Or leave Mary with them to watch. She won't let a child get bit."

Malax nods. "Mary and Kane could stay and watch over the people we turn. Keep them in space for a while. Explain the blood levels. Keep them off the planet until they understand."

Mary sits up. "Do the kids have servants?"

"Yes."

"I can keep an eye on the house and kids. Kane can take the rest of them up to space until they learn their levels."

"That would work."

Tim nods. "It may take a few weeks for them to get stable. But it's not like Kane and Mary would be separated. They can go back and forth to each other."

Kane puts his arm around Mary. "Same planet. I'm ok with that."

-MATE-

I jump straight into the air. "AAAHHHH!"

The boys jump up. "WHAT?"

"The dragon screamed 'mate' into my head."

"Why?"

"No idea. What the hell are you doing, dragon?"

-Nothing. Never mind.-

My ass finds the seat again. "She said never mind."

Kane laughs and grabs my head. "She's going through Echo's memories. She has had contact with another mate."

I rub my face. "I hope it's not Scotch."

Kane sits back down. "Human. Teenager. She won't give the name."

Malax flips his paper over. "Leo said Scotch isn't your mate."

"That's true. How many do I have?"

-Don't remember.-

"What did she say?"

"She doesn't remember."

"She must have lost a lot. Does she remember Altheena?"

-Yes. Sister.-

"Yea."

Hunter sits with us. "That closet is something else."

"Victor explain it?"

"Eriska did. He had no idea what the f**k was going on."

Malax leaves. "I'm going to talk to Tobias."

"I'm going to go take a bath." I wink at Tim. "In your room." He puts an eyebrow up. "Naked."

He finally gets the hint and picks me up over his shoulder. "I'll help you."

Rye shakes his head. "I'll make sure we get home."

Tim and I take a few hours and enjoy our time. We wash each other and make love. Then we fall asleep snuggled together. I love him so much.

I wake up before he does and get ready with the tablet. Then I get out before I wake him up. I go to the command area and plop into the captains seat. We're not in hyperspace. We must be moving through my galaxy. "What time is it on Crucorix and how far away are we?"

"6am. 2 hours away."

"That's pretty good."

Tre comes in and sits at the conference table. "Good morning."

"Good morning. I want to ask about Uhmok, but I don't know where to start."

"Kehlani and Alden were separated for about a year. Uhmok and some other people from his planet showed up for a planet commissioners' meeting. Kehlani and him hooked up fast. They seemed to be falling in love. She got pregnant. He went back to his planet to retire and collect his things, I guess. I heard she told him she was pregnant. We were in Dipak's office when he died. They redroomed into Dipak's office. She watched him die."

I rub my face. "Do you have the footage of that?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lasers show up in the command area. We see Dipak's office. There's a bunch of them. Kehlani, Alden, all Nadine's boys.

Tre looks at it. "Put it in color."

A brain walks to Alden. "Whyther is requesting a meeting."

"Go ahead."

Dipak nods. "Put it in here."

About 10 dragons are standing on a stage. Kehlani stands up and walks toward the stage in Dipak's office and starts crying.

I rub my eyes. "She already knew."

Tre nods. "I guess his dragon started breaking their bond apart. You'll be able to tell when Kehlani's dragon snapped the in-love bond. He almost falls."

I smile. "His dragon was protecting her."

Dipak says, "What is this?"

Tears fall from Uhmok.

"YOU COME HERE AND SEDUCE MY PEOPLE. I WILL KILL YOUR QUEEN WHERE SHE STANDS. I WILL RULE EVERYWHERE."

"That was Whyther. He was a power hungry, f****d in the head, leader." Tre points.

Uhmok nearly doubles over in pain. 2 others are holding his arms.

I hear Alden say, "All brains on Oukrant, incognito. Defend Uhmok."

2 of their dragons drop dead. But it's too late. Whyther goes for Uhmok.

"AAAAHHHHH!" Kehlani drops so fast. Alden breaks her fall.

"YOUR QUEEN IS DEAD. BOW TO ME NOW."

Dipak says, "Shut it off."

Alden says, "Send every war carrier."

Elek says, "Take out their shields."

Alden says, "When that shield goes down, you put every war carrier on the ground. I want every last 1 of those f*****g dragons dead. No survivors ever. You hunt them down and kill them."

"Yes sir."

"Come on."

"You're ok."

Nadine and Thora pull Kehlani off Alden. She's alive.

I cross my legs. "Shut it off. I can't even imagine going through that. Add in being pregnant. That's horrible."

"She ran. She heard the order to hunt them. She hid Urie for a year. She was hiding with a bunch of nuns. She was protecting her baby. Nobody knew about him. Then, one day, Dipak and Alden tracked her somehow. They saw Urie. They were in shock and she got away. Then she was on the run. We found her and got her home. Her and Urie were finally safe."

Hunter comes in and sits. "Morning."

"Morning."

"I can tell Alden loves Urie like his own."

"He does. Alden is the only dad Urie will ever know."

"Tim told me vampires are pregnant for 20 years, and take 400 years to grow? Why is he different?"

"The werewolf makes you girls' pregnancies last around 16 or 18 weeks. Kehlani's was 15 weeks, I think. It was short. I think I remember that correctly. I don't have my notes here. Then Uhmok's people grow up in 20 years. Urie got that from his dad. It's normally 400 years."

"Did he have other kids?"

"He told her no. He lost his soulmate before they had any. She died young."

"That's... Leo. Hi Leo." I see red for a second before my dragon takes over.

Leo sits at the conference table. "Good morning. Maryella wants to come back without the soulmate bond between her and Nadine."

"Example of come back?"

"She wants to be human. Human planet."

"As long as it's not Nadine's planet. I guess that's fine."

"Good."

Tre sits up. "If they do come face to face, Nadine doesn't feel anything. She has no idea who Maryella is."

"Correct."

"Yea, that's fine." Tre starts writing stuff down.

Leo disappears. I release the power.

Hunter looks around the room. "Who the hell was that?"

Tre scribbles his pen. "He is a God."

I stretch. "What happened? The dragon made me black out again."

"Nadine's mate stuff. Always something."

I smile. "Is she getting another one?"

"Never."

I can't help but laugh. He was so serious when he said that.

"Incoming Transmission."

"Connect it."

A lady shows up on the screen. "Welcome to Crucorix. Are you here to visit or trade today?"

I shake my head. "Neither. I live here."

"Hello, Miss Kinnik. You are cleared for entry."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

I jump up and down. "I'M HOME. LET'S GO. WAIT. NO. WE HAVE TO LAND. LAND US AT PHADE SPACE PAD."

"Yes, ma'am."

I keep jumping. "I'M HOME." We pass through the shield.