Xev froze, her pulse hammering against her temples. The voice belonged to the woman who’d raised her after the Andromeda rescued her from the wreckage of her homeworld—a woman she had always called “Mommy” out of respect, affection, and a little something more that she’d never quite been able to name.
Mommy placed a hand on Xev’s cheek, the touch gentle but firm, grounding her. The contact sent a current through Xev’s body, a mixture of comfort and heat that made her breath hitch. “You’re not a puzzle to be solved, Xev. You’re a person. And you’ve always been… more than you think.” xev bellringer mommy caught you spying