A Desconian Happily Ever After (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (13 page)

But it didn’t stop Drew from wondering where they would go from here. He’d known all along that David was someone special in Ally’s and Alex’s lives, but he hadn’t really given a thought to how that might affect their future together.

Now that Ally had David back would she want to live her life with him? David had essentially been Alex’s father the entire time they’d lived on Earth. True, Alex had been too young to remember him, but David would remember Alex. Would he want to be part of the child’s life? Of Ally’s life?

How would that affect his and Kallum’s relationship with them both?

Only time would tell, but suddenly the happy world they’d been building, the marriage they’d been planning, the children they’d already started trying for seemed farther away than ever before.

* * * *

David woke slowly.

It was strange for him. He usually came fully alert to the slightest noise, but for some reason he felt safe here. He floated half asleep, half awake as he sifted through the jumbled memories of the past few days.

“Good morning,” a deep voice said as he rolled over and tried to open his eyes. The voice was familiar, but that didn’t stop David from tensing up. He forced his eyes to open, yet it didn’t do him any good. Just like the last time his eyes refused to focus. “It’s okay, David. You’re safe here.”

“Descon,” he said weakly, uncertain if it was a question or not. His head still pounded, his eyelids still felt heavy, swollen, his vision still refusing to focus, but he forced himself to concentrate.

“That’s right,” the man said softly. “You’re on Descon. You, Ally, and Alex. You’re all safe.”

“Ally?” he asked softly. Somehow he knew she was safe. Vague memories of the past few days wandered sluggishly through his mind. “She was here?”

“Still is,” the man said as he carefully lifted David’s hand and placed it on top of someone else’s. “She fell asleep a little while ago.”

David curled his fingers around the warm hand and, breaking every rule he’d ever known, held on tight. Again he tried to force his eyes to focus, and this time had a little more success. It helped when the light suddenly dimmed.

“Is that better?” the man asked as he seemed to move closer to the bed once more.

David nodded carefully, his head still seeming to be filled with rocks. “Thank you.” He was able to make out the blurry image of a man holding a baby in his arms. “Alex?” he asked as the young child started to fuss.

“One and the same,” the man said with a soft laugh. “He’s actually quite keen to say hello.”

“Oh,” David said, uncertain what the man meant by that. His confusion was quickly dispelled when the child started chanting a word David had never heard before and the man lowered him onto the bed. Alex crawled the short space, smiled sleepily, and lowered his head to David’s chest, using him as a pillow. The sudden welling of emotion caught him by surprise and David quickly closed his eyes against the tears that hazed his already-blurry vision.

“He’s very happy to see you,” the man said as David heard noises suggesting that the man sat down on a seat beside him.

David nodded and ran his hand lightly over Alex’s little head as he snuggled closer and went to sleep. “He seems healthy.” David marveled that he could talk at all, his voice husky and strained as memories of this child’s birth swam through his mind. It had been the most terrifying experience of his life, but delivering baby Alex safely into the world had also been the most rewarding. Watching him and his mother bond in those first few weeks had been truly awe inspiring. It had given him hope for the future. If Ally hadn’t been attacked a second time, David might not have had the strength to let them go to Descon without him.

But it had been the right thing to do.

Clearly they’d both found a happy life here on Descon.

“Who are you?” David asked, trying not to sound rude but uncertain how to ask such a question politely. He had the impression that he’d spoken to this man already even though he couldn’t remember when or what they’d spoken about.

“I’m Drew,” the man said, taking his hand and squeezing briefly. Despite living his whole life being told that touching another person was evil, David clung to the man’s warm hand as he absorbed a comfort that he’d never before experienced. The man seemed at ease with the contact, even curling his fingers around David’s and caressing the back of his hand with his thumb. “My husband and I have been taking turns sitting with Ally as you recover from your injuries.”

“Your husband?” David asked before he could call back the startled question. He’d known that Descon wasn’t like Earth. He just hadn’t realized that marriages could be between same-sex couples.

“I know life here is very different to what you’re used to, but I’m sure Ally will help you adjust. She’s an amazing young woman. You’re in good hands.”

The words were delivered just a little too brightly to not sound suspicious. Clearly David was missing something important.

“How do you know Ally?”

“We met her soon after she arrived on Descon. She and Alex have been staying with us for the past few months.”

“She’s important to you,” David said as pain lanced through his chest. It was why he’d sent her to Descon—to find a better life—but a small, selfish part of him had always hoped she might wait.

“She’s very important to me and Kallum,” the man said quietly, his hand squeezing David’s a moment before moving away. “But we love her enough to let her go. She loves you, and Alex seems drawn to you in a way that he has never shown to me or my husband.”

“I can’t stay,” David said quietly, wanting to grab what was being offered but knowing he couldn’t. “There are others on Earth that I have to save. The captain should never have brought me here.”

“If he hadn’t you would have died.”

It was probably true. The headache that still pounded his skull was testament to that, but he couldn’t let it sway him. He really did want to stay here safe, happy, perhaps even one day loved, but there were others who needed him, who needed his help, and he couldn’t let them down.

“The children?” he managed to ask quietly as memories of the young girl’s bravery filtered through his mind. She’d reminded him so much of Ally—her courage, her determination, her willingness to protect someone else at great personal risk—that some of the memories blurred together. In some ways being able to rescue her both relieved and increased his guilt that he hadn’t gotten there in time to save Ally from being brutalized.

“The children you saved are doing fine,” the man said, returning to caress his hand softly. “A friend of mine worked really hard to get them all into families who’ll love and protect them for the rest of their lives. You did a good thing, David. It’s time to rest.”

“But the others…”

“Sweetheart,” the man said, moving a hand to caress his cheek lightly, “there are no others. Earth was destroyed a few hours after you left.”

“Destroyed?” David asked in confusion. “Survivors?”

“Only those who weren’t on the planet at the time. Something destroyed the ozone layer and everything on Earth died in an instant. There’s nothing left, David.” The man sounded upset, but David had gone numb.

“How?” David asked, even realizing as he asked it that Drew probably would have told him if he’d known.

“No one knows for sure. Desconian scientists have theories, but nothing is certain.” The man took a deep, shaky breath. “So you see, your mission is over. You’re free to accept the love and happiness you deserve.”

“What about you?”

“Me?” Drew asked in a startled whisper.

“You said you love her enough to let her go. Does Ally want you to let go?”

* * * *

Drew dragged in a sharp breath, startled to realize that he hadn’t really considered how Ally might react to him and Kallum withdrawing from her life. It was obvious that she loved David, but before he’d arrived Drew had felt confident in Ally’s love for him and Kallum. They’d been building a family together, learning about each other, planning for a future they’d all wanted.

David’s arrival had changed all that.

The laws for humans needing to marry into Desconian families had been discarded now that there were no more immigrating to Descon. Now that there was little chance of humans overrunning the planet, Desconians had relaxed and were willing to allow them to preserve their way of life. If humans wanted to spend their entire lives celibate, or even segregated from Desconian life, they were now free to do so.

But where did that truly leave the four of them?

“All asleep?” Kallum asked as he came into the room. He was currently on duty, but he’d managed to drop in every hour or so since Ally had taken up her vigil more than three days ago. How was it that watching her dedication to another man somehow just made Drew and Kallum love her even more?

“David’s awake,” Drew said with a tilt of his head at the man who still held his hand in a comforting grip.

“Welcome back,” Kallum said as he moved closer and checked over the digital reports of David’s progress. “It looks like we’ve got the infection under control.” He moved to inspect the knife wounds, nodding happily at whatever his doctor’s eyes saw. The deep gashes still looked angry and painful to Drew, but according to Kallum’s next statement, they were healing nicely. “Another couple of days and you’ll be ready to go home.”

As soon as he said the words it was obvious that Kallum realized David had no home to go to. He would be moved into the compound while he learned about Desconian life, but the place was still overly crowded and very few humans had stayed longer than necessary.

That of course had Drew wondering what would happen to Ally and Alex if they moved back into the compound to be with David. It was no place for a toddler. Alex was comfortable in their home. It would be cruel to send him back to the overcrowded conditions he’d struggled in before.

“You’ll be coming home with us, of course,” Drew said, hoping that he wasn’t upsetting his husband. They hadn’t had much chance to talk about the sudden changes in their plans for the future, so Drew was relieved to see the smile on Kallum’s face.

“We have plenty of room,” Kallum added, reaching out to place a warm, reassuring hand on Drew’s lower back. “You’re very welcome to stay as long as you like.”

“I can’t ask that of you,” David said tiredly. It was clear that despite his recovery so far he still had a long way to go. Drew remembered that awful feeling of not being able to contribute or take control of his own life and squeezed David’s hand in what he hoped the man realized was reassurance.

“You didn’t ask. We offered,” Kallum said, his hand rubbing a gentle circular pattern against Drew’s lower back again.

“I have no income and a lot of debts to pay,” David said, rolling his head slowly from side to side. It was clear that he found his injuries very frustrating.

“We’ll worry about income when you’re better,” Kallum said in a tone that suggested the topic was closed to discussion. “But if the debt you’re referring to is to the captain of the ship that brought you here then you needn’t worry. He asked me to tell you that you’re even. You don’t owe him anything.”

“Why would he do that?” David asked, apparently as shocked as Kallum and Drew had been at the man’s sudden altruism. Everything Drew knew about the captain and his dealings suggested he was nothing more than a greedy man willing to make money off the misery of others.

“I’m not sure,” Kallum said quietly, “but at the time he sounded very sincere. As far as I know he and his ship left the planet a few days ago.”

“I suppose time will tell,” David said as he tried to stifle a yawn.

He fell asleep almost before he slurred the last word. Kallum had warned them that when David did wake it would only be for short periods of time for a while, so he felt a little guilty for not waking Ally before the man had fallen asleep once more.

“Are you okay?” Kallum asked him quietly.

“I’m fine,” Drew said quickly, drawing his husband into his arms without actually letting go of David’s hand. He’d fallen asleep holding on to both Ally’s and Drew’s hands and didn’t seem inclined to let go. “But what about you? The times I was like this must have been the hardest. Is it dredging up old memories for you?”

“Maybe a little,” Kallum admitted, “but knowing that you’re well again takes a lot of the sting out of remembering.” Kallum moved so that he could face David once more, his gaze dropping to where Drew still held his hand. “He’s a hero, you know. Many of the people who’ve come through here over the past year have mentioned a man who helped them escape their horrific situations. It’s only now that the staff here are realizing that most were referring to the same man.”

“Any news on the children who’d been with him when he arrived?”

“They’ve all been placed in good homes. Jenelle said they’d been worried for the eldest—Kylie is actually nineteen, though thanks to poor nutrition looks much younger—but once she was satisfied the others were safe she was happy to be placed in a family as well.” He leaned over and touched Ally’s hair lovingly. Drew could see how much stepping back from Ally was going to cost his husband, cost them both. They loved her with all that they were. Kallum cleared his throat, snatching his hand back as he seemed to try and focus on answering Drew’s question. “Kylie is a tough one. She insisted very strongly that she be able to keep an eye out for them all. It seems that despite the fact that she was discarded as a young child, her own parenting instincts are very strong.”