Living among the Stars (Sky Riders #2) (25 page)

Read Living among the Stars (Sky Riders #2) Online

Authors: Rebecca Lorino Pond

Epilogue

Eleven months later

Kelly sat next Maggie as her friend feed her two month old son on her lap.

“I can’t believe how big he has gotten already!” She played with the baby’s tiny fingers as he sucked on the bottle in him little mouth.

“Tell me about it. He’s gained over nine pounds so far but considering how small he was when he was born that’s a good thing.”

“Etor must be so proud.”

“He’s been great, even gets up in the middle of the night to feed him. I think he and little Nathan have some kind of conspiracy going on at night. Both of them always come back to bed smelling like milk!”

Kelly couldn’t help but laugh at her best friend. It had been way too long since she had last seen Maggie and had demanded that Kharis take her to see her old friend. She arrived a week ago and was preparing to leave that evening once the brothers got back from a mandatory meeting that involved the three cities of Qetera.

“How much longer you think the boys will be?” Maggie asked.

“I don’t know, but I wish he would hurry up. I got a surprise for him.” Mischief played in her eyes when she looked to her friend who grew suspicious at her words.

“Don’t tell me!” Maggie’s face beamed with excitement. “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive I’m pregnant!”

The sudden sound of glass shattering caused Nathan to start screaming. The two females turned to find their husbands standing behind them just a few feet away. They had been so engrossed in their own conversation neither one had heard them enter.

“You’re…you’re,” Kharis couldn’t seem to find the right word to say.

Instead, Kelly got up and went around the sofa and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Pregnant. Go ahead, you can say it.”

Kharis’ face was priceless. “You’re pregnant?”

She nodded enthusiastically up at him. “Are you happy?” It had been nerve racking to withhold the secret, but she had wanted to confirm it with Jonik when he had been there that morning to check on Maggie and the baby.

The answer she received wasn’t the one she had been expecting. Kharis scooped her up then twirled her around in the air until she thought she would lose her lunch. “Happy? Are you kidding me?” He planted a kiss on her lips then resumed twirling her.

“Kharis! Kharis!”

He finally stopped to look at her.

“I don’t think that is such a good idea,” she said as she swallowed back down her lunch.

Etor came up to them and slapped his brother on the back. “Congratulations, brother, but it’s not a safe idea to be swinging around a pregnant female. If you get my meaning.”

Kharis looked dumbfounded for the first time his life. He glanced around at the three other people in the room then back down to Kelly. It was then he realized she looked a bit green. “Oh shit! I am so sorry, my heart!” The room broke out in laughter as his face flushed red.

“Its fine, baby. Just don’t do that again!” She continued to laugh along with the others.

“I am going to be a father! Truly?” He sounded like a little boy who was being given a gift he wasn’t sure about.

“I am positive and Jonik confirmed it for me this morning.”

“Then I think I need to be getting you home. You need to be in bed!”

She could see the wheels starting to turn in her mate’s head and she wasn’t about to let him confine her to bed for the duration of her pregnancy.

“I don’t think so, buddy. This girl is going to take things easy, but I am not going to stop living just because I am going to have a baby, got it?” She waited for him to nod then proceeded. “Now, let’s go sit over hear and you can tell us what happened at the meeting.”

She and Kharis went to sit on the sofa across from Etor and Maggie. Kelly watched as Etor took the now quiet baby from his mother and put him over his shoulder to burp him. It looked so strange to watch someone so big handle something so small and delicate. But, it was obvious to her how much the big guy loved his new son.

“Come on spill it,” Maggie urged.

“Well, the first thing, we decided to put in sanctions against the Lephusans. No free trading is allowed for the time being except for products they need to survive with, like food. Now that what’s left of the Lephusans has moved to Napra, there’s no telling if they have the supplies to keep themselves going. The council can’t sanction the extinction of a decimated race. Secondly, we are going to send out a destroyer to capture Zol’tsa’s ship that is orbiting the Napra. If he doesn’t have the means to escape Napra then, we might not have to worry about him anymore. Next, we are to monitor every transmission that goes into and out the moon. That way we will know if he is up to something,” Etor rattled off the conditions of the meeting.

“So, you think he is still alive?” Maggie asked hesitantly.

“There was no evidence of his body in the shuttle that crashed with Kelly in it, so we have to assume he is alive and well. Only time will tell if he is indeed alive. We just have to stay on guard.”

The group fell silent as Etor finished up his report. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts until baby Nathan started whining.

“It’s getting late. I should put the little guy to bed. You guys still leaving tonight?” Maggie stood up to take Nathan from Etor.

Kharis and Kelly both stood up at the same time, but it was Kharis who spoke first. “Yes, there are some things I need to take care first thing in the morning. We’ll be leaving as soon as Kelly gathers her things.”

“Already done,” Kelly said.

Instead of Maggie heading to the bedroom with the baby, she walked up to Kelly and gripped her in a one arm hug. “I love you girl. I miss you so much when you’re not here. Next time I’ll come by you.” She kissed her friend on the cheek then walked away.

Kelly didn’t say anything else because she knew exactly how her friend was feeling. She turned to her mate, smiled then held out her hand.

“Take me home.”

The End

Author Page

Rebecca Lorino Pond lives in Ponchatoula, La with her husband of 23 years, 2 children, 6 cats, and 5 dogs. She is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University with a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies and 2 minors in English and History. Writing books has always been a dream of Rebecca’s, so in January 2013 she started to write and release her books. It is a full-time job that she enjoys and loves to do. Her imagination is always on the go and is constantly seeking new ideas for more books.