Even Mekoi grinned ruefully as he shook his head and wiped his face. “I’m afraid that’s not the first time that’s happened. The negative part of being a medic.”
Hrebec saw TeShawna give Mekoi a contemplative look before turning her attention to the rest of the demonstration. All of the girls, except the youngest one, took turns washing and wrapping the babies. Jedan took care of the red-headed child while Elaina watched approvingly.
When it was Abigail’s turn, the tender care she took with the tiny Cire infant made his chest ache again. Once the child was changed, Abigail picked her up and cradled her while she surveyed the girls. He followed her gaze and realized they were all starting to droop with fatigue.
“What are the sleeping arrangements?” she asked him quietly, not entirely masking the suspicion in her eyes.
“Everyone volunteered, of course, but I asked the men to vacate the four forward cabins,” Ribel said, stepping forward. “If that meets with your approval, sir.”
It was an excellent suggestion. The four cabins were grouped together to one side of the stairs and would provide some privacy. He would arrange for a man to be stationed at the corridor, to prevent his men’s curiosity from leading them astray. After a brief explanation to Abigail, he led the way to the rooms. Each of the small cabins was equipped with two beds.
“Amber, you and Molly should share a room,” Abigail said firmly, shepherding them into the room farthest away from the stairs. “That way you’ll have someone on hand in case you go into labor.”
Molly gave Ribel a longing look but obeyed and entered the room, followed by the other pregnant girl who carried an infant. Each of the other girls quickly picked a room.
“You’d better give Ginger to me,” Elaina told Jedan. “She’ll be hungry when she wakes up.”
His lieutenant reluctantly handed over the red-headed infant, his tail reaching out to stroke Elaina’s arm briefly. “You are very strong to take on the care of two infants. Is there anything I can do to assist you?”
The girl’s speckled face turned pink again, and she gave a nervous laugh. “Not unless you wanna help change them bandage things.”
“I would be honored.”
The pink deepened but she didn’t look away.
Abigail watched the exchange warily. “Maybe I should stay here with my girls.”
“My men will behave,” he assured her, but her words caught his attention and he realized he might have made an incorrect assumption. He had assumed that Lucie was her only child, but she had called all of the young females hers. Was it possible that she meant that these were all her children?
“These are all your girls?” he asked.
“Yes.” She gave him a puzzled look.
“Your children?”
“Well, I suppose in a sense—wait a minute. Are you asking if I’m their mother?”
“Are you not?”
A feeling of relief shot through him as she slowly shook her head, immediately followed by the feeling that he had made a mistake as her eyes narrowed. Without another word, she turned around and stalked off. The other girls had been watching the exchange from the doors of their cabins and he was aware of a sudden silence.
“You fucked up now, boss,” TeShawna said, and rolled her eyes.
“What did I do?” he asked, before he could restrain himself.
“Don’t you know nothing about women? Even if you thought she was old enough to have five grown children, you shouldn’t have said it.” She shook her head. “You better go apologize.”
“It was only a question,” he protested.
“And if someone asked you if you were too old to drive this ship, I bet you’d be pissed. Even if it was only a question.”
The female’s words rang uncomfortably true. He glanced around at the other females and they all bore expressions of amusement or pity. Even Jedan shook his head.
“Go on now,” Elaina said sympathetically.
“Take her a present,” Cassie advised. Hrebec cursed under his breath. After ordering Jedan to arrange for a guard, he headed off after Abigail.
When he entered his quarters, the door to the bedroom was open and he could see her bending over the bed to put the infant next to the older child, surrounded by pillows. The position drew her pants tightly across her luscious ass, and he couldn’t help but envision taking her in that position, his cock sinking deep into her undoubtedly succulent cunt while all that warm, soft flesh cradled his body. His shaft responded to the image but he forced it away. They didn’t even know if these human females had a similar physiology.
Then she turned around and his efforts at logic disappeared. She had shed her outer garment, leaving her in a tight pink top with thin straps cut low across spectacular breasts. She gasped at the sight of him and the quick breath had the tempting mounds threatening to overflow. His cock went to instant, aching fullness and his tail lashed.
“What are you…”
Her startled gaze dropped from his face to his groin and he had to bite back a groan as he saw her nipples harden.
“I, uh, came to apologize.”
“I see.” With a glance over her shoulder, she stepped into the front room with him and closed the door panel. “Why?”
“I am afraid that I hurt your feelings, and that was never my intention.”
She sighed. “No, I know it wasn’t. I overreacted. It is technically possible that I could be the mother of any one of them. They’re all so young, especially Molly. Please make sure that your officer knows that. She is not of legal age in our society.”
Her words didn’t make sense to him. “I don’t understand. If she’s not of age, how did she become pregnant?”
“Because she trusted someone who took advantage of her.”
Horror filled him. “Someone took advantage of a female? A young female?”
“Yes.” She sighed. “All of the girls ended up with me because they were let down by the people in their lives, especially the men.”
“Including you?”
Her eyes shifted away from him. “I suppose so. My… partner left because he didn’t want to have to worry about a child interfering with his plans.”
“He didn’t want a child?” The thought was inconceivable.
“That never happens to the females in your society?”
He bowed his head, the bitter truth washing over him once again. “There are no females in our society.”
Abby’s mouth dropped open, too stunned to respond. Hrebec studied her face, then walked over to one of the cabinets, opening it to reveal a small bar area. He returned with a bottle and two small glasses.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Is that alcoholic?”
“Definitely.” A smile split his face for the first time, and despite the strangeness of his features, it was oddly appealing and she couldn’t help smiling back.
“I think a drink would be very nice.”
He poured her a drink then gestured to the couch. It wasn’t a very large piece of furniture and as soon as he sat down next to her, she was conscious of the heat of his body and that subtle citrus fragrance. Only one small lamp lit the room and the dimness made it feel more intimate, sitting close to him in the dark. She took a cautious sip of the liquor. It had a sweet, fiery taste, not unlike cinnamon, and left a trail of warmth down into her stomach.
“Is drinking allowed on military vessels?” she asked, trying for a lighter tone.
“This isn’t exactly a military vessel.”
Alarm spiked through her veins. Had this all been a ploy to get them on board and helpless? “What do you mean? You said you represented some planet thing.”
“We do,” he said quickly. “We represent the Confederated Planets. But we are part of the Interplanetary Reserve—we are volunteers, rather than a regular military patrol. I purchased this ship when I… left my planet.”
Her curiosity returned, even though she had seen the pain on his face. “Was that because you have
no women there?” she asked cautiously.
“Yes.” He tipped up his glass and drained it, then refilled both of theirs. “The Confederation was hit by a terrible disease when I was a child. We called it the Red Death, and it raged for many years on many planets. We eradicated it eventually, but the damage was enormous. Billions of people killed on almost every planet. It hit Ciresia especially hard. Not only did many of our men die, but all of our females were taken from us. It destroyed not only our present, but our future as well.”
He drained his glass again, then stood up and paced restlessly. “We tried so many things. We even attempted to use artificial wombs and incubators like those the Vedeckians have on their ship. Our scientists are still trying, even though only a fraction of the infants have survived. All of the survivors have been male. Ensign Ribel is one of those few, along with most of my crew.”
She stared at him for a moment and then poured herself another drink with a shaking hand, trying to imagine such a horrific event. Hrebec stopped pacing and leaned against the big wooden desk, a look of weary resignation on his face.
“Tiana is female,” she said gently. “Perhaps there are others like her.”
“We have searched to no avail. I pray the Vedeckians will provide more information.”
“The ones who took us—” she started tentatively.
“The Vedeckians.”
“—They called the girls breeders. Kwaret said they would be valuable. Is that because of this Red Death?”
“Yes. There are still many desperate races out there. We are one of them.”
“You would buy females?”
“Never,” he said immediately.
“Have you tried, um, mating with other races?” She knew her cheeks were turning pink but the liquor gave her courage. She downed her glass and poured him another while she waited for him to reply.
“No. We Cires consider ourselves unique and there was a fear that we would lose our identity if we mixed with other species.” He contemplated his glass. “The High Council is still opposed. Of course, that did not stop some from attempting to violate that prohibition, especially when it became clear that none of our females would survive. However, it turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. The population of many other planets was decimated. Most races are still concentrating on restoring their own populations. And…”
“And what?” she prompted, when he paused.
“Many races are not physically compatible with us.”
Chapter Nine
Despite Abby’s best efforts, her eyes dropped to his groin. The rigid bar of flesh she’d detected earlier had seemed normal enough, if exceptionally large. Emboldened by the liquor, she asked. “Why not?”
“A female would be required to allow my cock inside her cunt,” he said.
Her cheeks flamed at the blunt words and she pressed her thighs together. The thought of that large cock entering her was both exciting and a little intimidating.
“Um, isn’t that the way it’s normally done?” she asked.
He shook his head, sitting down next to her once more. “It is less common than you would expect. There are many ways of mating.” Black eyes glowed at her. “Do you have a cunt capable of accepting a cock, Abigail?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Is that all?”
“No. My… a cock would have to knot inside her and remain locked there after ejaculation while my tail brought the female to climax. Could a human female handle that?”
The flush on her cheeks had spread down across her chest, her nipples were diamond hard, and there was a slow pulsating ache between her thighs. She didn’t know if it was the frank discussion, the liquor, or the inevitable effect of a very large, very masculine body so close to hers for the first time in three years.
His eyes had traveled down over her chest, and he reached out, tracing a curious finger over the outline of the bat on her tank top and leaving a trail of fire where it passed.
“What is this creature?”
“It’s called a bat,” she said breathlessly. “It’s a flying animal.”
“Is it the symbol of your clan?”
“It represents a hero. Someone who fought for justice,” she managed to say, even though her whole body was concentrated on where he was still tracing the design on her shirt with a fascinated look on his face.
“Do you mind me touching you? It has been a long time since I felt the softness of a woman’s body. And never one so enticing.” His tail came up and wrapped around her wrist, just as he stroked a thumb across her nipple. A streak of pleasure went directly to her clit.
“N-no. I don’t mind. It’s been a long time for me as well.”
“You are not mated?”
He eased the straps down over her shoulders, those rough, warm fingers caressing her, but she retained enough focus to frown.
“If I were, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
“I apologize. Of course you would not. It’s just hard to believe that so desirable a female is not taken,” he whispered against her shoulder. He followed his words with a kiss to the sensitive flesh, slowly kissing his way up her neck before raising his head. “I wish to kiss you.”
She looked up into that strange alien face, so dissimilar from her own, but despite their differences, she felt inexplicably drawn to this man. Her senses swam with his heady, citrusy scent.
“Yes,” she whispered.
His head descended, his mouth meeting hers with a confidence she hadn’t expected, demanding a response from her. She gasped, and his tongue invaded her, his taste wild and tangy. Her hands instinctively went to his head, stroking over the hard ridges before clinging to his broad shoulders as the kiss intensified. He groaned and pressed her down into the couch, the raised texture of his skin rubbing against her nipples and sending shivers of excitement down her spine. She automatically parted her legs and his cock landed right where she needed it the most, against her aching clit. He put a hand under her ass, lifting her against him as she writhed. There was a sudden sharp tug on her nipple and sparks of light filled her vision as her body convulsed. She cried out into his mouth as he kept kissing her, stroking her ass, her face, her nipple…
The realization that he couldn’t be touching her in three places at once finally penetrated her dazed pleasure and she pulled back a fraction, enough to look down her body and see his tail still wrapped around her nipple. The sight was both disturbing and curiously erotic, but it made her brain kick back on. What was she doing? Making out on a couch with an alien she barely knew? Never mind that so far he had shown himself to be thoughtful, kind, and protective. She knew better—although looking at those strange features watching her so intently, she desperately wanted to trust him.
“We should stop,” she said, hating the shakiness in her voice.
He swallowed thickly. “Yes. You’re right. Of course.”
They stared at each other but he didn’t raise his body and she didn’t attempt to move.
“You should rest,” he said finally, his voice sounding rough.
‘What about you? Where are you going to sleep?” she asked.
“There is another couch in my ready room. I’ll sleep there tonight and make other arrangements in the morning.”
“Is it any bigger than this couch?”
“Not much,” he admitted.
She took a deep breath. “Why don’t you just stay here? That bed is certainly big enough. But no hanky panky,” she added quickly. “The girls will be there.”
He tilted his head. “Hankee pankee?”
Her cheeks heated. “What we were just doing.”
“I liked the hankee pankee very much.” His dark eyes roved over her appreciatively.
“So did I,” she said shyly.
He finally sat up and pulled her up with him. Giving him a sideways glance, she caught the briefest glimpse of a large green head before he tucked his cock away with a wince.
“I’m sorry that you weren’t, um, satisfied,”
she said. John would have been pouting and complaining by now.
“I found your pleasure very satisfying,” he assured her and, despite her past experiences, she believed him.
She found she really wanted to tell him that she would return the favor, but instead she bit her lip and rose to her feet. “Let’s go to bed.”
Hrebec awoke after far too little sleep to find Lucie standing next to the bed staring at him. When he had followed Abigail into his room earlier, she had taken one side of the bed, next to Lucie, and he had taken the side next to Tiana. There was plenty of room—the oversized mattress was one of the few luxuries he had brought aboard the ship—but somehow, during the night, he had found himself with the infant on his chest, Lucie’s knee digging into his stomach, and Abigail a soft warmth against his side. For a long time, he had lain there and allowed himself to imagine that this was his family and he had fought off sleep for as long as possible to relish the illusion.
“Leonardo,” Lucie whispered, drawing him back from the memory.
“What is it, little one?” He made no attempt to correct his name, liking the fact that it was just between them.
“I losts my ball.”
“Where did you see it last?”
“It ran away,” she said innocently, but she bit her lip.
“Do you want me to find it for you?”
“Yes, please.”
With a muffled sigh, he prepared to leave the haven of the bed, reluctantly unwrapping his tail from around Abigail’s waist. Tiana still slept soundly on his chest, so he gently placed her next to Abigail. He admired the two of them together - the one so tiny and innocent and the other so lush and seductive.
“Leonardo,” Lucie urged.
“I’m coming.” He hadn’t bothered to undress last night, so all he did now was pull on his boots.
The door into his office was already open and when he entered, he saw the outer door was as well. He must have forgotten to lock it in the sheer ecstasy of bringing Abigail to climax.
“Did you leave these rooms?” he asked sternly.
“Not ‘xactly.”
Mama and the Alien Warrior Page 5
