Free Cherished (Intergalactic Loyalties) by Jessica Coulter Smith

his father had provided and waited to see what their reaction would be. At first, they seemed to be stunned into silence. That didn’t last long though. Napir, always being one to speak his mind, was the first to comment.
    “Your Highness, I’m not sure how I feel about more unattached males making their home on our planet. What if future females we find prefer the Keshpans to us?”
    “Then we’ll have to make sure we bring enough women home that there are plenty to go around. I’ve already thought this through and I’d like to offer a substantial amount from my own purse to a new account, set up specifically for bidding on women at auctions. They will be signed over to us as slaves, but we can free them once we reach our home planet, and explain that they are free to choose a mate. Hopefully their true mates will be there.”
    “And if their true mates aren’t?” Rylo asked.
    Dryxel shrugged. “Our men have been without women for so long that some may not care if they can have children or not. As long as the woman understands it will never be a possibility, I do not see the harm in them bonding. There will be plenty of warriors who wish for a true mate that we do not have to worry about the future of our people for long.”
    Rylo seemed to think it over for a minute. “If the Keshpans are not a threat to our home, and can be beneficial in some way, I see no harm in it.”
    “Two are inventors. We can always use more of those,” Dryxel said. “And one has a pregnant mate. What if she has a girl? Just think, between the Keshpan’s woman and my sweet Lucie, we could be looking at the first females in our society in two decades.”
    The men nodded.
    “I say we let them bring our princess to us and let them join our ranks,” Kilare said. “I think we would benefit greatly from it.”
    Several others murmured their agreement.
    “Napir, continue on our present course. When you see the Tarnan vessel Lynten 12, hail them. Make sure they send Lucie over first.”
    Napir agreed and returned to the controls.
    Dryxel folded his arms over his chest and stared out of the viewing screen. Not much longer and his sweet mate would back where she belonged. With a bit of unforeseen company, but it was all to the good he supposed. He’d agree to almost anything if it meant Lucie was safely by his side again.
    It was perhaps the longest twelve hours of his life, but eventually he saw the Lynten 12 through the viewing screen. He listened as Napir hailed them. Already they were close enough for Lucie and the Keshpans to make it safely on board. After Napir relayed his instructions to Captain Sol, they closed communications and he went to the transport chamber to wait.
    When the air shimmered and his mate appeared, holding onto the arm of a Keshpan, he smiled in relief.
    He opened the chamber door and pulled her into his arms. “My sweet Lucie. I’ve missed you.”
    Her eyes teared as she wrapped her arms around his waist. “I was so worried I wouldn’t see you again. I know you said you’d come for me, but I worried they’d force me to mate with someone. Or worse, lock me up for helping you escape.”
    “You’re safe now,” he said, rubbing her back gently.
    His gaze met that of the Keshpan and he held a hand out in greeting. “Welcome to your new life.”
    The Keshpan smiled. “Thank you for letting us join you. I promised Lucie I would keep her safe and that I would return her to you if it was at all possible. My name is Cael.”
    “Welcome aboard, Cael. I’m Prince Dryxel. One of the men will show you to a room and introduce you to the others. Are the other Keshpans coming? The one with the mate?”
    Cael nodded. “Those are my brothers -- Arko, Bane and Dar. Bane is the one with the mate.”
    He’d no sooner spoken than another Keshpan with a pretty redhead appeared. Her stomach was still flat so he figured the pregnancy was a new thing. He didn’t know much about Keshpans so he didn’t know how long she