Free 3013: SYNERGY: A 3013 Novella (3013: The Series) by Laurie Roma Page B

friend.
    Setting the two completed blankets
aside, she began to work on finishing the last one. As she formed the last
double row with her hooked needle, she looked down at the pretty blanket in her
hands and realized that this was the reason she was still holding back…because
she would never make one for her own child.
    No matter what Orion said, she worried
he would regret having a keeper that couldn’t give him children. No, that
wasn’t right. This wasn’t about him at all…it was about her. It had always been
about her wanting children, and until she accepted that it was her problem, she
would never truly be free to live her life with him.
     It would be foolish to let
something she couldn’t change hold her back from being happy. There was nothing
to stop her from leaving X21 and starting a new life with Orion. A life free of
worry and doubt. The more she thought about it, the more she recognized how
stupid she was being not jumping at the chance.
    It wasn’t easy to admit that the
Alliance’s stance on infertile females had tainted her view of her own
self-worth, but it had. She’d been foolish to let it. How strange that she had raged
against others that had treated her differently because of the star on her face
when she had been doing the same damn thing. She had been doubting her
relationship with Orion because she had thought he deserved better.
    But that was going to stop right now.
    Orion was a miracle to her, but she had
to remember that she was the same for him. He had been alone for years, and had
traveled the universe hoping that he would find her. Now that he had, they
would have a full life together. A life filled with laughter and love.  She
just had to stop second guessing herself and believe in their bond.
    Finishing the blanket, she cut the yarn
after she tied it off. Stroking her hand over the soft material, she let go of
the bitterness she’d been carrying for years, and got ready to embrace her life
with her keeper.
    Morgan couldn’t wait for Orion to get
out of his meeting so she could tell him she wanted to go home with him. He and
his friends were scheduled to leave a few days after the grand opening ceremony
tomorrow, and now that her decision was made, she couldn’t wait to get off this
space station.
    “What is that you were doing?”
    Morgan jumped as a voice came out of
nowhere. Suddenly, a female appeared sitting on the chair across from her that
had been empty a few seconds ago. Shocked, she saw the glowing gold eyes of a
Dragon Warrior staring back at her. There was curiosity in that gaze, but
Morgan couldn’t sense any emotions coming off the female.
    “Ah…hello. I’m Morgan Ch—D’Sil.”
    “I am Eden Nazira.” The Dragon Warrior nodded,
then frowned. “Ch—D’Sil. That is a very strange name.”
    Morgan blushed. “It’s D’Sil. My name
used to be Chavez, but I recently bonded with a D’Aire. He’s my mate,” she
explained, using the term the Dragon Warrior would understand. Mate, keeper,
consort, bonded…the label depended on the race, but the meaning was basically the
same. “It’s still difficult to remember that my name has changed. I was making
baby blankets for my friend who just had twins.”
    “Strange that you would make it with
your hands.”
    Laughing, Morgan said, “I don’t have
magic like you, so I have to make it by hand. I thought my friend, Alexis,
would appreciate the gift.”
    “I am sure she will.” Eden cocked her
head to the side and studied her for a moment. “You do not seem frightened of
me.”
    “Should I be?”
    The Dragon Warrior shrugged. “The
others that we have met so far have been.”
    “It might be a little understandable
after…ah…I saw you in Asylum earlier.”
    Eden sighed. “My older sister, Amari, does
have a temper. She was a little angry when that male shoved her, however, we
did not mean to cause a scene. We are very curious about humans, and did not
expect for our first visit to be