32.

Zephyr’s POV

The hallway stretched endlessly, the soft pulsing glow of the walls doing nothing to calm the storm brewing in my chest. My fists clenched and unclenched at my sides as I followed Xander, his infuriatingly smug grin still plastered across his face.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath.

“What’s that?” Xander glanced back, his dark eyes twinkling with mischief. “Something you’d like to share with the class?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re just as bad as he is.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me, holding a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Me? As bad as Ace? That’s cold, Zephyr. Really cold.”

I huffed, crossing my arms. “You’re his brother. It must run in the family.”

Xander let out a bark of laughter. “Oh, trust me, Ace and I are nothing alike. He’s the serious one. I’m the fun one. But if you want to lump me in with him, be my guest.”

I rolled my eyes, resuming my pace. “Fun? You call this fun? Parading me around a spaceship like some… some captive?”

“To be fair, I’m not the one who called you a slave,” he pointed out, his tone almost apologetic. “That was all Ace. And for what it’s worth, I think he’s being a total jerk about it.”

“Wow,” I said dryly. “Your support is overwhelming.”

Xander smirked, walking alongside me now. “Hey, I’m on your side here, believe it or not. But Ace… well, Ace is Ace. He doesn’t exactly do compromise.”

I stopped walking, turning to face him. “You’re right. He doesn’t. Which is why I need you to help me.”

His grin faltered, replaced by cautious curiosity. “Help you? With what?”

I hesitated, chewing my bottom lip. The idea had been forming in my mind since I’d woken up, but saying it out loud felt almost impossible. Still, I had no choice. If there was even a sliver of hope, I had to take it.

“I need you to go to Earth,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Xander blinked, clearly caught off guard. “Earth? Why would I go to—”

“Please.” I stepped closer, my tone urgent. “I need you to bring someone back for me. My son, Liam.”

His expression shifted from confusion to something unreadable. “Your son?”

“Yes,” I said, my voice cracking slightly. “He’s back on Earth, in my hometown. I… I can’t stay here, knowing he’s alone. I need him here with me.”

Xander scratched the back of his neck, his usual playful demeanor faltering. “Zephyr, do you have any idea what you’re asking? I can’t just waltz down to Earth and grab a kid. Do you know how risky that is? For me and for you?”

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” I said quickly, desperation creeping into my voice. “But you’re my only chance. Ace would never agree to this, and I can’t let him find out.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Why not?”

“Because he’d use Liam against me,” I said bitterly. “He already thinks he owns me. If he knew about my son…” I trailed off, the thought too horrible to finish.

Xander studied me for a long moment, his lips pressed into a thin line. “So let me get this straight,” he said finally. “You want me to risk my neck sneaking onto Earth, finding your kid, and bringing him back here—all while keeping it a secret from Ace?”

“Yes,” I said, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination. “That’s exactly what I want.”

He let out a low whistle, shaking his head. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”

“Xander,” I said, my voice softening. “Please. I’m begging you. Liam is all I have. I’ll do anything—just bring him back to me.”

He looked away, running a hand through his messy hair. “You really care about this kid, huh?”

“He’s my son,” I said firmly. “Of course I care about him.”

Xander sighed, muttering something under his breath. Then he turned back to me, his expression unexpectedly serious. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

My heart leapt in my chest, hope blooming like a fragile flower. “You will?”

He held up a finger. “On one condition.”

I frowned. “What condition?”

“You have to be my friend,” he said, his tone light but his eyes earnest.

I stared at him, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. “Your… friend?”

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug. “You seem cool, and I don’t have many friends. Ace isn’t exactly the buddy-buddy type, and the rest of the crew is too scared of him to even look me in the eye. So, what do you say?”

I hesitated, the absurdity of the situation almost making me laugh. But then I thought of Liam—his bright smile, his laugh, the way he’d always hug me like he never wanted to let go.

“Fine,” I said finally. “I’ll be your friend. Just promise me you’ll bring him back.”

Xander grinned, his usual playfulness returning. “Deal. But if Ace finds out, you owe me big time.”

“He won’t find out,” I said firmly.

Xander raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that? Ace has a way of knowing things he shouldn’t.”

“I’ll handle Ace,” I said, though the thought of confronting him again made my stomach churn. “Just promise me you won’t say a word to him.”

He placed a hand over his heart. “Scout’s honor. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thank you,” I said, relief washing over me.

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said with a smirk. “This is going to be a pain in the ass. But hey, what are friends for?”

With that, he turned and strode off down the hallway, muttering about how he was going to sneak past Earth’s security.

I stood there for a moment, my heart racing. The risk was enormous, but if Xander kept his promise, Liam would be here with me soon.

And no matter what Ace thought, no one—alien or not—was going to take my son away from me.