Bride for the Space Cowboy (Match Made in Space #2)

17. Nadine

Chapter Seventeen

NADINE

“What do you mean? Kayden is captured?” I ask.

I stare at the prince and princess as a sense of panic claws inside me. My throat hurts.

The prince dips his head, looking deeply into my eyes. “Nadine, we are returning this evening to rescue them. We’ve already sent scouts out to assess the situation. Don’t worry, we will bring Kayden back to you.”

The euphoria of the past few weeks that had been protecting me from all my old fears has burned to ashes inside. A sense of hopelessness and darkness closes around me. What will happen if Kayden is not okay? Will I be sent back to Earth?

Rising through the noisy panic is an overriding sense of love. I was at work at the café when Trudy notified me a messenger had called me to the royal offices. I had hurried over. I didn’t know what to think, and now I’m in shock.

My hands tingle. There’s a sharp knock on the door. Asher barks out, “Enter!”

The queen comes walking into the office. She’s dressed in fitted garments and flanked by a group of women, all of whom look fierce and strong. “We are the best fighters,” she says. “We will go.”

“I’m a fighter. I’ll go with you,” I interject.

All eyes swing to me. I clear my throat. “I am. My family lineage is fighting. I wasn’t given a choice, but I do it well?—”

Jane cuts in, “Nadine, you can’t do that. You’re carrying a child.”

“I can do this,” I say, my words a vow. “I’m a strong fighter. I’ll be safe.”

The queen assesses me, her eyes narrowing. It feels as if she looks straight through me. “You must come. Your love for Kayden will protect us all.”

The moments that follow are a rush. One of the women with the queen brings me down the hallway and outfits me in fitted gear. It appears to be heavy leather, except it feels light on my body. “A sword cannot cut through this,” the woman tells me. “We are honored to have a human join us. We are stronger when we join.”

Inside of a blink, I’m in something like a plane. It’s not quite like the ship that brought us here from Earth, but it’s similar. The small and lightweight aircraft zooms across the planet's surface until we hover over some mountains outside another town. I can see the buildings and streets from here.

The aircraft lowers to the ground, and I follow the women out. The queen looks at me. “I do not want you to fight alone. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” I dip my head in acknowledgment.

The prince and the king are also with us. I’m slightly startled by their presence, but it helps me understand why the people here are so loyal to this royal family. Even though they’re royal and it’s their lineage, they clearly care. I can feel their concern reverberating, especially Asher’s fear on behalf of his closest friend.

A group assesses how to approach the outpost while I feel a burning sensation in my chest. It’s the very sensation I feel whenever I’m close to Kayden.

I approach the queen. “Kayden is near. I can feel him,” I tell her.

The queen lifts her chin, her smile subtle and proud. “You do. That is the infinity pulse. You can help us find him. Walk in a small circle and begin making it bigger. Wherever you feel the strongest burn is where we will go,” she says.

Following her guidance, I begin to walk in a slow circle. A moment later, my chest burns so hot that it hurts. The burn fades as I move away, so I turn back and gesture in that direction. A small rise obscures a cluster of boulders at the base of the mountain nearby. The women fan out, following the queen’s directions. The king and prince take a separate group, looping around to the other side of the mountain.

Within moments, the burning in my chest becomes even more powerful. Seconds later, we see the group of men. The queen holds her hand up, and we collectively freeze in place. I’ve lost sight of where the king’s security team has gone, but I suddenly hear shouting as fighting breaks out nearby. A motley group of alien men comes spilling out from the boulders, and we are in the thick of a fight. It is quick and fierce. Wrestling with one of the men, I discover an advantage. I grab his tail and pull it between his legs before yanking him upward and flinging him to the ground. Moments later, I disarm him.

My heart pounds, and adrenaline rushes through me. I let out a cry when someone grabs me from behind. I recognize the sound of Kayden’s voice nearby. I’m grappling with this large alien man, and I fear he’ll overpower me. Suddenly, he is lifted away, and I hear a loud crack as he falls to the ground.

When I lift my eyes, Kayden is before me.

He steps close as the sound of fighting carries on around us. Most of the battle is over, except for a few remaining scuffles. He gives me a fierce kiss before spinning away and joining the prince as they subdue the remaining men hiding in the boulders.

Although the queen leads a fierce group of female fighters, I notice there isn’t a single woman among the fighters from this town.

I’ve heard stories that this group of rebels wants to eliminate the worship of women on this planet. They want to take away our power, and here we are, beating them at their own game.

Any injuries are mostly minor. As I stand there with my breath heaving, the queen approaches. “Nadine.” She dips her chin, and I feel compelled to bow, but she shakes her head. “You are a powerful fighter. After you have your child, you can join our warriors.”

Kayden comes over, sliding his arm around my waist. She looks over at him. “You did well in protecting the prince, but you always do. Your bride is an impressive warrior. She will be one of us now.”

Without another word, she turns and strides over to the king. Another team arrives to handle the capture of the men who held Kayden and the others. Meanwhile, Kayden swiftly moves his hands over my body as if checking to confirm I’m all in one piece. One palm lingers over the curve of my belly. “I’m proud of you.”

“I wanted to fight for you,” I say. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to join the warriors with the queen after our baby is born.”

His golden gaze darkens. “I will worry, but you are strong, and I believe in you. I would never keep you from what you are meant to do. You are meant to fight. Together, we are stronger.”

When he pulls me close into his embrace, I feel as if I’ve come home. I could be anywhere in the galaxy, but as long as I’m with Kayden, I’m at home in my heart. He kisses me deeply before lifting his head. “There is much for me to do before I can return to our town.”

“I understand,” I say.

“You will fly back with the queen and her team. I will stay here with the prince and return later.”

Even though I don’t want to part with him, I understand his duty. I know that he will be with me as soon as he can. “I love you. Stay safe, please ,” I whisper.

He kisses me once again, and I press my fingers to my lips to hold on to the sensation.