“Why not?”
He placed the cloth over her hot forehead. Damn, that felt like heaven.
“Because this isn’t an emergency. In fact, I—”
“You are going to the human healer. If not, I will take you to the ship and you can go in the regen machine.”
“Does the regen machine run tests?”
“Yes. It can. Why? Do you believe you have a serious illness?” Panic lit his face.
“Not at all,” she soothed him, reaching up to pat his hand. But the look of worry didn’t ease off his face. “I’m fine. I promise.” But there was a test she wanted to run and she wasn’t sure that any pharmacies would be open today. Especially not this early. She should tell Marcun about her suspicion? But what if she wasn’t actually pregnant? She didn’t want to get his hopes up.
“Let’s just get to the ship, all right?”
* * *
Marcun paced up and down outside the medical room. “What is taking so long?”
As he had rushed around, getting both himself and Eden dressed at her insistence—she had objected to him flying them to his ship while they were both naked—he had managed to wake up both Nax and Brogan who had the bedrooms closest to them. After he explained what was happening, Nax and everyone else insisted on going too. Eden had protested but no one had paid any attention. If one of them was ill then the rest of them wished to help.
Now they all stood outside the medical room, while Brogan and Eden were on the other side. Brogan had the most medical experience of all of them, but Marcun still could not believe that she had shut him out. What if she was seriously ill? What would he do?
“I am going in.” He moved to the door just as it opened. Brogan stood on the other side, looking a little shocked.
But then he grinned as he stepped out. “She wishes to see you.”
“About time.” Marcun glared at him, wondering why he was smiling when Eden was obviously ill.
The door swooshed shut behind him as he stepped into the room. He saw her sitting up on the examining table.
“Why are you up? You should be lying down.” He moved towards her, frowning as he heard a yell coming from the other side of the door. He did not know what everyone was screaming about and did not care. His entire focus was on his mate.
“What is it? Are you ill?” He ran his hands over her as though he could search out the problem and fix it. What if he couldn’t fix it?
“I’m not ill, Marcun, I’m pregnant.”
“Whatever is wrong with you, we will find a cure. I will not lose you.”
“Marcun, you’re not listening. I’m not sick.”
“I cannot live without you.” His life would be so dark. He would be lost without her.
“Marcun, look at me. Look at me.”
She placed her hand under his chin, raising his face up so he was staring into her beautiful eyes. “I’m not ill.”
“Then what is wrong?” He didn’t believe her. She was trying to keep the truth from him.
“Nothing is wrong. At least I hope you don’t see it that way. Marcun, I’m pregnant.”
Pregnant? Pregnant? But she couldn’t be…he gaped at her.
“Does pregnant mean something else on Earth?”
She grinned even as tears ran down her cheeks. She wiped her hands over her cheeks, but the tears kept coming. “Pretty sure it doesn’t. You’re going to be a dad. Are you happy?”
A dad? He would be a dad? She was pregnant. With a baby.
“A dad?”
“A dad,” she confirmed. Her smile slipped a little. “You’re not happy?”
His eyes widened then he picked her up and swung her around. She laughed. Finally, he realized what he was doing and hastily set her down. “Did I hurt you? Are you still feeling ill?”
“I’m fine.” She grasped hold of his arms with a laugh. “Although I wouldn’t do that too often. It was just a bit of morning sickness, although I think that’s a misnomer as it can strike at any time.”
“You will take to your bed,” he said decisively. She must be carefully watched over these next few months. He would take every care with her. She would not exert herself or place herself or the baby at any risk. He would see to it.
She eyed him. “You are going to be horribly overprotective, aren’t you?”
“You will need a lot of care. I shall see to everything.”
“Uh-huh. I’m not taking to my bed for the next nine months, Marcun.”
“Nine months? Sky Warrior females are pregnant for twelve months.”
“Jesus, well, I’m human so I’ll be hoping to stick to just nine months. Do Sky Warrior women take to their beds for a whole year?”
“Well…no…” He was smart enough to see where she was going with this. “But they are not small and delicate like you are.”
She snorted. “I am not small nor am I delicate. And there is no way I’m taking to my bed so get that out of your brain right now, mister.”
“You were just ill. And you are tired. Rest is good for you.”
“So is exercise.” She heaved a big sigh. “Marcun, I know you’re worried. But honestly, everything will be fine. We’ll see a doctor. We’ll read some books. But we’ve got this. I know we do. We’re going to be parents.”
He was going to be a dad. Happiness mingled with abject terror. He knew nothing about being a parent. But as he glanced into Eden’s happy face he knew he would learn.
He placed his hand gently on her stomach. “I will not let you or the baby down.”
“I know you won’t.” She placed her hand over his. “It’s the three of us now. As well as the six of them.” She nodded at the door where they could hear the happy chatter.
“The three of us.”
9
Nax and Crista
Nax leaned back from the dining table, his stomach groaning from all the food he’d eaten. It had been a feast. Frankie’s family had brought over a number of dishes. Eden’s mother hadn’t been able to make it. Not that anyone was terribly disappointed.
He looked around as everyone sat, talking and laughing. Marcun was feeding Eden bites of dessert. Finally, she waved him away with a laugh. Frankie and one of her brothers were arguing over which piece of the turkey was best. Honestly, he did not know why they were arguing over it. He thought it was all good.
He stretched, thinking perhaps he shouldn’t have had that last piece of cherry pie and watched with no small amount of surprise as the button of his pants popped off and flew through the air, landing on one of the empty plates.
Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at him.
“Seems Nax might have eaten too much,” Brogan said with a grin. “He needs to take care or he will become a Jurgen.”
Jurgen’s were huge, lazy beasts who were known to eat anything and everything. Even each other.
Nax growled at his pack mate.
“Nah, he’s just not prepared,” Owen said. “He’s a Christmas dinner virgin.”
“What?” He was not a virgin.
Owen stood and then pulled at his own pants. “You need sweat pants, man. All stretch. No buttons. More comfortable when you stuff yourself full of food.”
“Or you undo your pants before you sit down to eat,” Toby said with a grin. “Of course, you got to make certain you do them up before you stand. That’s always a challenge.”
Interesting.
He stood. But kept a hold on his pants. “I will change my pants then meet you all outside for my surprise.”
“A surprise?” Eden asked, her eyes wide. “Like all the lights?”
“Or the presents?” Frankie added.
“This is better,” he promised.
Ten minutes later, with some stretch pants on, Nax rolled his surprise for the females out of the garage.
He still could not believe that Eden was pregnant. They had known that human females were compatible and could breed with them, still he had not really expected that to happen.
That they might have a child.
He could see this changing everything. Marcun had not thought that far ahead yet; he was still in too much shock, as well as fussing over Eden, to think about the fact that he would not wish to go away on so many jobs. Nor to put himself in too much danger.
Not with a family relying on him.
But Nax could see things changing, and he wasn’t sure it was for the better.
Everyone piled outside, dressed in coats and hats, the humans anyway. The Sky Warriors did not feel the cold the same.
“What is it?” Frankie asked, staring at the machine in front of him curiously.
“You shall see.”
He pressed a few buttons, the machine made a low whining sound then rose into the air. The humans looked on, their mouths dropping open. They were out the back of the house which looked onto an empty lot. Apparently, it had once been a forest, until the humans had decimated it.
The machine then started to produce ice crystals.
“Snow!” Eden breathed out the word then squealed and held out her hands, letting the small flakes land on her hands. “You made snow.”
“Oh. My. God.” Frankie danced around with a laugh then threw herself at Nax. She kissed his cheek. “Snow. You gorgeous, grumpy bastard, you made us snow.”
The snow settled on the ground and he actually cracked a smile as he watched the humans play. Even Tecan, Sacaren, and Brogan helped.
“Thank you, you made Eden very happy,” Marcun told him, clapping his hand on his back. “I hope that one day you find a mate who can make you feel the way I feel about her.”
For some strange reason, he thought of Crista. The talkative, annoying, strange blonde female.
Then he shook off that thought. He would never see the female again. And that was for the best.
* * *
Crista looked down at the beans on toast. She’d managed to find a little spare cash to pay for a sprinkling of cheese on top. But that was about the only nod to this being a special day.
She looked over at her mother as she laughed at something she was watching on the vid screen. Her mom didn’t know what today was, despite the pathetically decorated plastic tree resting in the corner of the room. One day, Crista was determined not to live hand-to-mouth, not to feel so alone.
Unbidden, the image of Nax Clacka entered her mind. She snorted out a laugh. The man was grumpy, anti-social and rude.
And she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
Want to read Nax and Crista’s story? It’s coming this February, 2019! Read on for the blurb as well as excerpts from my other books.
Nax
Sky Warriors 4
Between being overworked and caring for her sick mother, Crista didn’t have much time for a social life, let alone a man.
And certainly not for a man like him.
So what if he was sexy, gorgeous and had the lead role in all her late-night fantasies? He was also rude, weird, and just way too much man for her.
She couldn’t even please her asshole boss, how would she ever please a man like Nax?
He didn’t like humans. He didn’t like talkative females, or loud females and he definitely did not like crying females. He hated this planet they were forced to live on while they searched for their mates.
Yet against all odds he found himself liking her.
Could a woman who needs some help find her hero in a jaded, grumpy alien warrior?
Marcun
Sky Warriors, 1
Eden Summers has an unhealthy obsession with chocolate, a hate-hate relationship with the IRS, and a failing bakery. Her love life is…well, not dying, to be dying it would first have to exist, right? And the only person filling up her inbox is her overprotective mother.
To top things off her next-door neighbor is a rude, obnoxious sex maniac. When he’s not keeping her up half the night with all his banging and moaning, he’s turning her into a babbling idiot.
Because the man is gorgeous. Ripped. Mesmerising. A little strange. And when she is around him, her body melts into a pile of goo.
Infuriating.
Marcun Clacka has come to Earth to locate a precious jewel for his client. He doesn’t like Earth; the people are inferior and, unlike his pack mates, he does not wish to find a human female to mate.
Humans are trouble. Fragile. And loud.
Except the tiny female who lives next to him isn’t too annoying. And she is quite attractive. Foolishly courageous. Yes, perhaps he could mate with her.
There is just one problem. Sky Warriors mate in packs. One female. Six males.
And Marcun does not intend to share the little female.
Mine.
Alien Explosions
Zerconian Warriors, 12
Sometimes it’s a very fine line between love and hate.
Humans were inferior and troublesome creatures, and unlike his fellow warriors, Moroco had no intention of ever mating one.
Trust a female again? Never. Not when he knew how easily they could betray you.
So why did he care so much about a certain prickly, irritating female who seemed to take great delight in rousing his temper?
And his need.
Saffron hadn’t come to Zerconia to find a mate among these overbearing, overprotective aliens. All she cared about was keeping her sister safe, and now that Sophie had found her mate, well, it was probably time to leave.
Except, she couldn’t leave without seeing Moroco once more.
If only to tell him exactly what she thought of him. Only problem was she didn’t know whether she was going to tell him that she disliked him…
Or desired him.
A Sky Warrior Christmas Page 7
