“Four times a day, but we can go days without food if we must.”
“That’s total crap!” Vera reached for the side of the bed and pushed the red button.
Seconds later, the nurse rushed in. “Are you having trouble swallowing?”
“No one has fed Roth since I was brought here. Like, at all. Look at him! He needs lots of food, and not the stuff you’re giving me. Please get him a tray. Heck, a few trays.”
The nurse met Roth’s gaze. “They haven’t been bringing you meals?”
“No.”
“I’m so sorry! Someone should have thought to do that. I’ll contact the main kitchen and have them begin food services for you immediately, Mr. Roth. You have our apologies. Do you have any dietary restrictions? Allergies? We have no chart on you since you’re not a patient.”
“I eat cooked meat.”
“Of course. I’ll be back in about ten minutes.” The nurse rushed out.
Roth turned to Vera. “Thank you.”
She smiled. “You’ve done so much for me. Besides, don’t think it’s completely selfless. I’m probably going to steal a few bites off your plate.” She shoved the spoon into her mouth and wrinkled her nose. She pulled it free. “It’s like eating unflavored toothpaste that was put in a blender with some water.”
He approached the bed and took a seat at the end. “Your emotions seem to be stable at the moment.”
“No. I’m just controlling it better. I totally wanted to storm out there to raise hell over them not bringing you food. I just don’t have the energy to get out of this bed again. Standing in the shower was exhausting.” She frowned. “Have you showered since we came here?”
“No. I promised to hold you. I didn’t let you go.”
She sighed. “I’m so sorry, Roth. I’m okay right now. Go shower. That woman said she’d be back soon.”
He wasn’t certain if he should leave her alone. Maith had warned him that she could attack someone. Vera had just admitted to wanting to raise hell. It was a human term he knew from their tactical teams. “I will wait until all the drug has left your system.”
Vera stopped eating. “Have you…”
“What?”
“Peed? I assume you do that?”
“I can hold it, especially since I’m not eating or drinking fluids.”
Her eyes widened yet again—and then tears filled them.
“Vera.” He inched closer and put his hand over her blanket-covered knee, gently holding it. “Do not cry. It is fine.”
“No, it’s not. I feel so guilty! You’ve been with me this entire time and you’re suffering for it. I didn’t once think about what you might need. I just wanted you to hold me because I felt safe. I’m so sorry!”
“I am not suffering. I’m an adult male in control of my body.”
“Please go pee and take a shower. I won’t get out of this bed. I know you’ll be right there, and I’m better.” She sniffed, big tears still rolling down her cheeks. “I won’t forgive myself if you don’t.”
She seemed highly emotional to Roth. “I will shower. Please calm. I swear I did not suffer. It would have been more difficult if I were moving around, but I wasn’t. I slept while you did. I can’t remember the last time I was this well rested.”
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
“It is true that I am well rested.”
She sniffed again and wiped her tears. “Go shower right now. Please? It will make me feel a thousand times better. You’ve done so much for me, Roth. I’ve been super selfish.”
“Do not feel that way.”
“I can’t help it.”
“I will tend to my needs.” He released her and stood, heading toward the bathroom. He entered but hesitated, peering back at Vera. She had lifted the blanket, using part of it to wipe at her face. Sniffles came from her. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight with her still unstable, but she’d just cry more if he refused, feeling guilty.
He left the door open, walked to the toilet, and pulled the borrowed human clothing down. It had an elastic waist. He quickly emptied his bladder and then walked to the door. Vera remained on the bed. She was eating the contents of the bowl again and staring at the tray.
He spun, stripped bare, and turned on the shower. He entered the small space, glancing over his shoulder. He could view Vera from where he stood. He turned his head and pushed his face under the spray, soaking his hair.
He’d clean fast as he could, then return to her.
Chapter Seven
Vera felt like a horrible person. She’d been so hung up on what she was going through that she hadn’t thought about poor Roth. He hadn’t eaten or gone to the bathroom since he’d rescued her.
She finished the bowl of slush they had served her and twisted on the bed to put the tray on the bedside table.
She froze as she stared through the open bathroom doorway, her eyes widening.
She was staring at the backside of a very naked Roth. Water sluiced down his broad back, to his narrower waist, to a beefy ass and a set of dense thighs. He had one impressive body—and tons of muscles.
He pulled his head out of the water and reached for shampoo, dumped some in his big hand, and rubbed the top of his head. He even cleaned his pointed ears with the foamy substance.
He wasn’t human, but his body shape was humanoid. Only bigger and thickly built. His dark skin appeared to be just that, from the distance between them. Up close, she remembered the short, velvety fur that covered it. She wondered if he sheared it that close to his skin or if it was natural. For all she knew, it could grow inches long and completely cover his body.
“Like a bigfoot,” she blurted.
Fear swamped her. Was Roth the bigfoot from the pods? He could have cut off all that shaggy hair and put on a spacesuit.
If so, she needed to get away from him!
She grabbed hold of the edge of the bed and wiggled to the side, ready to climb off.
Then she stopped, panting.
“No.” She closed her eyes, remembering the horrifying creature her mind had come up with. Her bigfoot had been tall like Roth, but its fur was medium-brown in color. Not like Roth’s dark peach fuzz. Bigfoot also didn’t have pointed ears. She would have seen those. They were very noticeable on Roth.
Maybe the fur hid them, part of her mind whispered.
She reached up and cupped her face. “No. Stop. This is bullshit. Roth is not bigfoot. I’m getting better. Not worse. I’m being paranoid.” She lowered her hands a few inches and opened her eyes to stare at him in the shower.
Roth twisted his upper body as he used his hand to scrub at his back with a soapy sponge. She caught a glimpse of his muscled chest. The one that she’d pressed her face against countless times to find comfort. That was her alien who’d rescued her; he’d held her and kept her safe. Roth would never try to terrorize her. She was being suspicious and freaking out over her wild imagination.
“Still drugged. Remember that. Run it through your head and be reasonable. Roth is a Veslor. Not a bigfoot,” she softly said aloud. “He is my hero, and he would never screw with me while I was super crazy.” Some of her fear eased. “There is zero motive.”
Roth shut off the water and she covered her face again. He’d have to expose the front of his body entirely when he got out. It would be rude to look at his dick. She wasn’t even sure if he had one. He was an alien. Maybe he had tentacles or something equally weird.
What if Veslor women were super masculine aliens without breasts? Was Roth a girl?
Roth had carried her around and held her. They’d slept cuddled together. She’d always been attracted to men. But Roth was hot-looking either way, even if he turned out to be a she.
She started to giggle. It was just funny.
“Vera? I’ll be right there. Why are your legs dangling off the bed?”
“I was going to run away from you. You’re not a bigfoot though. I just had a moment but I’m over it now,�
�� she admitted.
“Is your vision giving you issues? Why are you covering your face?”
“No. I just didn’t want to see if you have a slit or a dick. It’s rude to look.”
She startled when his big hands cupped her shoulders, not having heard him come toward her. She spread her fingers and peeked at him. His chest was bare but he wore the medical pants. She lowered her hands away from her face and stared at his nipples. They were two dark, flat disks.
“You’re a man, right?”
Roth’s hold on her tightened, and she lifted her chin, staring into his eyes. He looked worried.
“Yes. I am a male. I will get a medic for you.” He leaned in, putting their faces closer together. “Your eye centers aren’t doing bad things. They appear normal.”
“I can see fine.” She raised her hands and curled her fingers around his lower arms. They were so wide that she couldn’t touch her fingers with her thumb. His skin was a little damp but warm. “Sorry. I’m having some random brain glitches.” She rubbed the velvety texture of his skin. “Does this grow longer?”
“I don’t understand your question.”
She released his arms and put her hands on his chest, rubbing the fine fur there. “This. Does it grow longer? Do you have to shave it down?”
His golden eyes narrowed as he watched her. “No. This is my skin. I’ve noticed humans have body hair, too. Males more than females. Some of the members of the tactical team have coarse hair patches on their chests and bellies.”
“I like your peach-fuzz fur. I just needed you to tell me that it doesn’t grow all shaggy.” She stared into his eyes.
“It doesn’t grow longer. Vera, you are not making much sense. I will get a medic.”
She slid her hands up and down his chest lightly. “Please don’t. I’m okay. I promise. I just had a moment since you weren’t here with me. My mind wandered to a weird place. I’m better now.”
He seemed to study her.
“I mean it. I had too much time on my hands while you showered, and I kind of…well, it doesn’t matter. I feel better when you’re with me. You have to be the nicest man ever born to put up with my crazy.”
“You were drugged against your will. None of this is your fault.”
“I know, but you must think I’m the biggest pain in the ass.”
“You are not an annoyance, Vera. I am grateful that you are doing better and that you trust me. Most humans fear Veslors.”
“Most humans aren’t too smart, from my experience.”
He smiled. “There are a lot of good ones.”
“I guess you’re right. I just haven’t known too many. I tend to be a jerk magnet, especially with men.”
He stepped closer. “What does that mean?”
“Which part didn’t you understand? Jerks are people who will treat you badly and try to use you. Magnet? Well…jerks are drawn to me for some reason. It’s why I no longer date and just avoid relationships. For instance, I make great money working for New Worlds, and my last boyfriend figured out a way to steal from me when I let him stay at my place, while I was away on a job. He bought things and charged them to my account. I was gone for five months, so it was a good thing I had a limit cap on my monthly spending, or he’d have sucked my account dry. He also moved another woman in with him. So not only was he a thief, but a cheater.
“The one before that used me for my connections. He kept saying how great it would be if we could work together, rather than being separated when I was on a job. He even asked me to marry him. I got him hired on at New Worlds, then he dumped me as soon as he signed a contract with the company.”
“The male lied about making you his mate to gain a job?” Roth appeared surprised.
“New Worlds pays really well, but it’s tough to get hired by them if you don’t have the specialized skills they need. I’m not only a drone operator, I can also repair and reprogram them for just about any task. That means I can do the jobs of three people, and my skills are in high demand for survey companies. My ex didn’t have that going for him. I begged a few favors from friends at New Worlds and got him into security. Basically, he just had to be physically fit.”
“I am sorry those males were bad to you.”
She shrugged. “I learned my lesson and stopped dating. Like I said…I’m a jerk magnet.”
“Was it one of those males who you were yelling at when you were seeing things? You said something about him not getting money if you died.”
“No. That was my biological father. Unfortunately, I was seeing and hearing him a lot while drugged. He always finds women to support him because he’s too lazy to work. My mom was one of them, though she got pregnant because her birth control implant malfunctioned. Raising a baby can be dangerous on Mars, and she didn’t have the money to burn anymore after she moved our family to Earth, right after I was born. It’s more expensive there, but much safer.
“My father left us within a matter of weeks. He had nothing to do with me for years, until he somehow found out about my mom’s death four years ago. Then he wanted money from her estate, claiming they were legally married—which was a lie; they were never married. And she was broke by the time she’d died. She’d been injured and couldn’t work for the last year of her life. Her medical bills ate through her savings. When my father investigated her finances, he discovered that I’d been supporting her. The jerk actually tracked me down to demand that I do the same for him…that I pay his bills. It was the first time I’d ever seen or spoken to him. I told him to fuck off. I don’t owe him anything.”
Roth growled low, anger in his golden eyes. “He has no honor.”
“He doesn’t even know the meaning of the word. I think I imagined him while I was drugged because I thought I was going to die. He’s the sort who would try to profit off that by claiming to be my devoted father.” She rolled her eyes. “I made sure that wouldn’t happen. My death benefit payout will go to a charity for single mothers struggling to raise their children alone. I chose them to honor my mother. She raised me without any help from him.”
“He sounds like a bad male.”
“Yeah. He is. I’ve had to move twice because of him.”
Roth leaned in closer. “Has this male hurt you?”
“No. He’s just annoying. Sometimes he shows up to raise hell and demand money. He’s not as handsome or charming as he used to be. Women don’t take his crap anymore, and they’re smart enough not to give him access to their funds. Mostly he gets tossed out by them. He’s shown up on my doorstep demanding a place to live. Rather than keep fighting with him, I moved.”
Roth seemed to study her.
“He’d never dare hit me. I’d have him arrested if he did. Out of all his flaws—and there are many—beating on women isn’t one of them. My mom would have warned me if he’d been abusive. We were very close.”
“I’m sorry that you lost her.”
“Me too. She was a great mom. What about your parents?”
He backed away. “We weren’t close once I reached adulthood. They didn’t approve of my choice to leave our home planet to fight for others.”
“I’m sorry. My mom hated me leaving Earth on survey jobs, but she was proud of what I did. I miss her. Do you ever see your parents?”
Roth shook his head. “A visit would be unpleasant if we returned to the grouping of our births. Most feel resentment that we left. We were four strong males who would have made their lives easier by sharing the workload.”
“Would you have been unhappy if you’d stayed?”
“Very much so. I am not a farmer.”
“They should have understood that. I don’t have any children, but I know that if I ever do, I don’t want to stand in the way of them growing up to do what they love. I’d support their decisions.”
“I will do the same if I ever have cubs.”
She smiled. “Cubs?”
“It’s what we call our young. Our children are born in our battle forms, but w
ithin a year, they learn how to shift.”
“Do your women give birth to more than one cub at a time?”
“Sometimes there can be two or three, but one is most common.”
She studied his body. “I bet they’re big babies.”
He chuckled. “Our cubs are smaller at birth than human babies. That was a relief to hear for Gnaw’s mate, Darla, while she was pregnant.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Gnaw is one of the males in my grouping. He and Darla recently had two cubs. Darla is human.”
That information clicked in Vera’s head. Someone like her had mated—and had two babies—with a Veslor. She gently rubbed her hands on his chest again, thinking of the possibilities. He could become the father of her children.
He was physically attractive. He was certainly one of the best men she’d ever met. He was nothing like any of her jerk exes. She wanted a future with him. It didn’t matter that he was an alien. He could be the one man to make her happy and who would stick by her no matter what the future held. She needed to keep him.
“Vera?”
She met his gaze. His golden eyes were also captivating. She could stare into them forever. The sight of him while taking a shower flashed through her head. Now she regretted not peeking when he’d been naked. Whatever kind of sexual equipment he had, it would obviously be compatible with her, if Gnaw had not only convinced a human to become his mate, but they’d had babies together.
She instinctually knew Roth would make an amazing father. He’d been so great with her while she’d been heavily drugged and confused. She’d been a stranger to him, and he’d still stuck with her, held her…hadn’t abandoned her.
I want to keep him. I’m never going to find anyone better than Roth.
She lifted her hand off his chest and reached up, scooting her butt toward the edge of the bed. “I need you closer.”
As she suspected he would, Roth immediately did as she asked. She slid her hand behind his neck, gently steering him until he stepped between her thighs, which she parted wide to make room for him.
“Closer,” she urged, lowering her voice.
Mission: Planet Biter (Veslor Mates Book 4) Page 8
