Rescued by the Alien Warrior by Hope Hart (motivational books for students .txt) 📕

I grind my teeth at that, thinking of Zoey’s words. “It may have been his body that did not allow you to have a child,” I say, and her mouth falls open.

“How—never mind.”

I sigh. “So why did he offer me the deal?”

She turns her head, brushing another tear off her face as she stares into the water as if it holds all the answers of the universe.

“I was best friends with the tribe queen,” she murmurs. “Even then, forced matings were not allowed. My parents called our mating an ‘arrangement,’ but it was made clear your father and I would obey or we would be branded as dishonorable.”

I grind my teeth. “And the tribe king knew?”

“No. But his mate did. When I told her I was unhappy in my mating and why, she was furious.” She smiles. “She told me if I wanted to leave, if I wanted to move to another tribe, I would have her full support.”

My mouth drops open at that. The idea is unthinkable. Father would have been a laughingstock.

“What does this have to do with me?”

“When I saw you, I didn’t see a warrior. I didn’t see a way to be close to the tribe king or queen. I saw my son. I saw the boy I would raise as my own. And I told your father. I told him you were our son, and if he didn’t take you as ours, I would accept the tribe queen’s offer.”

Warmth begins to unfurl in my chest. “He must have been livid.”

She nods. “He was. But he had also seen how you fought. He admired your bravery and skill with a sword, even then. He told me we would take you in, and you would be raised as our son under certain conditions.”

“I would train until I was in Rakiz’s inner circle and mate with the female he chose.”

“Yes.”

I scowl, turning away, but my mother’s hand on my arm stills my movement.

I frown down at her. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you are my son,” she whispers. “You were mine from the moment I saw you. I love you more than I could have ever imagined. And when I heard you defending your love for your female, I realized how badly I have hurt you with my actions.” She lets out a sob, and I can’t help it; I pull her into my arms. It’s been so long since I hugged my mother that I forgot how small she is. She feels fine-boned and fragile, and the thought makes panic burn at the base of my neck.

“Mother—”

“I need you to know, Tagiz. I love you so fiercely that sometimes at night, I would stare up at the roof of our kradi and think of all the ways I could lose you. I would dream your real father was still alive and he was coming to take you away from me and I would have to pretend to be happy for you. Every time you left on a hunt, I would lie in my furs for days, just begging the gods to bring you back to me. I went along with your father’s plans because that was our deal. He got a son who would fall in line with his plans, and I got you.”

I stare at her, stunned. All this time, I thought both my parents considered me nothing more than a tool they could use to keep them close and in favor with the qatai.

“I…love you too, Mother.”

She buries her head against my chest and sobs. I hold her to me, gazing at the water. I’m even more furious at my father for the way he has treated my mother. But some small, broken part of me has begun to heal. One of my parents loves me. So much she is currently breaking apart as she wets my shirt with her tears.

“It’s okay,” I murmur. It takes a while before she can raise her head, wiping her damp face. “I forgive you,” I say, and her eyes fill with tears again.

I laugh. “No more tears, Mother. Whatever happens between me and Calix has nothing to do with us, understood?”

Her eyes widen slightly as I use my father’s name. But as far as I’m concerned, he’s no longer my father until he apologizes to Zoey and begs my mother for forgiveness for the way he has treated her.

“Where is Zoey, Tagiz?”

I sigh, and it all comes pouring out of me. How she will no longer speak to me, will barely look at me. How I ruined the best thing to ever happen to me.

My mother listens and then smiles. “I never told you, but I was in love with another warrior when I mated with your father.”

My mouth drops open. “What?”

She nods, and her face is sad, although her eyes have finally dried. “He was the love of my life, and on the day I mated with Calix, he left the tribe for good. I tell you this because I want you to know I understand what it feels like to love someone as you love Zoey. And I know she loves you too. It may feel like all hope is lost, but true love…it never dies.”

I stare at her, still wrestling with this new information, and she gives me a smile that lights up her face.

“Go and win your female, my love. I can’t wait to properly meet her.”

Chapter Eighteen

Zoey

I shiver as I collect the things I need in the forest. Jozet is on guard, but ever since the attack, this forest is teeming with Braxian warriors.

I thought I was doing better. But I barely slept last night. Each time I closed my eyes, it was like I was back on that slave planet. The crack of my ribs sounded again and again in my ears. Then the dreams shifted until I was watching Tagiz wrap mating bands around Malis’s wrists, and all I wanted