“Yes. But after the first time, there’s a tonic you could drink to keep from getting pregnant again right after the baby is born, if you wanted to wait a bit before having a second child.”
Her brow furrowed. “Just how many do you want?”
“Oh, I’d say at least ten.”
Her mouth dropped open and he couldn’t hold back his laughter. “I’m teasing, Roux. I’d like three, but I’ll leave that up to you. We’re medically advanced, so I’ve been told that giving birth on my world is not as painful as it is on yours. Even the healing process afterwards is faster.”
“Three?”
He nodded.
“I can do three. And where would they sleep? In the room with us?”
“No, sweet Roux. We have this entire wing. We can make a nursery until they’re old enough for their own bedrooms.” He smiled. “Does this mean you’re thinking about remaining as my mate?”
“Your brother spoke with me and explained a little about mates. If I don’t stay with you, then you’ll never have children, will you?”
“No, but I don’t want you to stay for that reason. I only want you to stay if you truly wish to be here with me. Because of my station on my world, it’s impossible for me to remain on Earth with you. I don’t want you to think I didn’t offer because I’m an asshole; it’s because I can’t.”
Roux sat up a little straighter and looked out the windows. “My life on Earth wasn’t all that pleasant. My parents were mismatched from the beginning, both with fierce tempers. My mother’s Creole family never accepted my exceedingly white father with his stark red hair, and his Scottish family never accepted my destitute mother. They were always fighting. He gave up Scotland for her when he found out she was pregnant with me, but they never should have gotten married.”
“Did you live with them? Are they missing you?” he asked.
“Because of my coloring, my mother’s family didn’t have much to do with me, and I never met my father’s family. I was living in a small cabin in the swamplands when I was taken. It was just one room with an outhouse and an outdoor shower that only had cold water. I was so poor that many days I didn’t have food to eat.”
“Roux,” he said softly, drawing her into his arms.
“There are things I will miss, but no one will care that I’m gone. I don’t know that any of them ever truly loved me. My father was kind to me when I was little, but as I grew he became disinterested in me. I suppose if there was one thing I wish I could do, it would be to get a message to him that I’m all right.”
“Then we’ll take care of that. Drexyl has contacts on Earth. He can easily get a message to one of them and have it delivered to your father. Your mother too, if you wish.”
Roux curled an arm around his waist and leaned against him. “What will my life be like here, Lyros? What will be expected of me? I’m just a poor girl from the swamp. I know nothing of running a palace. Half the time, I don’t even know if something I’ll do or say will offend someone.”
“Just be who you are and everything else will fall into place. If you want something to do, I’m sure Lucie would enjoy your help. Or if you don’t want to take on palace duties, perhaps you could play with Lucie’s daughter sometimes to give her a respite.”
Roux’s nose wrinkled. “That doesn’t sound like much to do in exchange for having this beautiful palace to live in and food to eat every day.”
“Roux, this is your home now. I won’t officially claim you until you’re ready, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine. Now, get up and get dressed. We’ll slip through the kitchen on the way to the ship and get some breakfast to go. Lucie told the kitchen staff about croissants and they didn’t rest until they came up with a Touramalane alternative. They’re quite good.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I can’t get ready while you’re in here.”
Lyros brushed a kiss against her flaming cheek. “I’ll go pack a few things for the trip while you get ready. We’ll be gone at least four days, so pack accordingly. There’s a satchel in the bottom drawer.”
He left her to groom and prepare for their trip. As he shoved shirts and pants into his bag, he couldn’t help but smile. He’d offered her a way to return to her home world and she’d chosen to remain with him. She gave no clues as to how she felt about him, if she had the same desire burning in her veins that he felt whenever she was near, but they would have the next few days to explore their emotions. He hoped by the time they returned, that she would be fully claimed and expecting their first child. Drexyl would be furious with him, but perhaps knowing he was going to be an uncle would smooth things over a bit.
And if she wasn’t ready, then he would be patient and give her more time. Now that he knew she belonged to him, he could wait until she was ready to commit to a life with him. He knew things were different on Earth, had watched videos -- movies, they called them -- and had watched couples go on dates and have meals together before sex ever entered into the relationship. Things were different on Tourmalane, but perhaps he could give her a little of that Earth experience, if that was what she wished.
Once he was packed, he tapped on Roux’s door. She opened it, looking stunning in a pale green dress. It was a shame they didn’t have more time to spend on Earth. He could have purchased a few things for her to bring home with her. Or could they? Drexyl didn’t say that he couldn’t explore Earth a little bit. Was it possible that he could safely maneuver the streets of whatever city they landed in to give his mate a taste of her world one last time, and allow her to bring back a few things so she wouldn’t get homesick? Not that she sounded the least bit homesick, but it could happen.
Lyros placed a finger over his lips to silence Roux and went to a communicator. He paged Drexyl, hoping his brother was still in the palace. If anyone could arrange a little shopping on Earth, it would be his brother.
“Aren’t you on your ship yet?” Drexyl asked.
“I’m on my way, but I have a favor to ask. I’d like to pick up a few things on Earth while I’m there. Something for Lucie and Adelyn, maybe something for Roux. Could you arrange for some of my credits to be turned into whatever currency they use there? I may even stay a night, just to experience what my mate has seen and done. Maybe I could relate to her better if I experienced a little of her world.”
Drexyl was quiet a moment. “I want you armed the entire time you’re there. I don’t believe there will be trouble, as the humans seem to have assimilated to Zelthranites being on their world, but that doesn’t mean something couldn’t happen. I want you to return in one piece.”
“I promise to be careful. I’ll need lodgings arranged and transportation as well. I’d like to stay at least one night, maybe two. Any way you could arrange for me to go to New Orleans? It’s where Roux is from.”
She was shaking her head at him, but he merely quirked a brow.
“You’re landing at one of the Terran stations. I believe it’s in a place called Texas. I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with that location. It’s too late to make changes now, and I don’t want to piss off the Zelthranites. Especially since I’d like permission for our males to seek Earth females as mates, if not through the program they already have in place, maybe something similar would work for us.”
“I’ll do my best not to anger anyone.”
“Get to your ship. Audra should be there soon, if she isn’t already. No telling what that meddlesome female will do when she’s not supervised.”
Lyros couldn’t contain his snort as he ended the call. He took Roux’s hand, which he noticed fit perfectly in his, and led her out of the palace. They garnered a few looks as they walked through the town to his waiting ship, but no one stopped them. Which meant they either didn’t know Drexyl wanted her to remain on Tourmalane, or they mistook her for Audra. There was no way they would let a single female escape Tourmalane otherwise.
The ramp was down when they reached the ship, which meant Audra was already on board. He wasn’t certa
in if the warriors had remained with her so he didn’t know what to expect when he boarded with Roux by his side. He led her straight to the captain’s quarters and they left their bags on the bed. If Roux questioned why she wasn’t getting her own room, she didn’t say anything.
They found Audra eating in the dining hall. It reminded Lyros that he’d forgotten the promised treat from the kitchen and he cursed himself. His first morning after declaring himself and he was already a bad mate. Her needs should have come before all else.
“I’m sorry, Roux, I forgot about the kitchen.”
She smiled serenely. “It’s all right. Whatever you have on board will be fine. I’m not usually very hungry in the mornings anyway.”
He quickly got her something to eat. There were things he needed to do, like take off before his brother realized Roux was with him, but he didn’t want to leave her alone with Audra. Torn about what to do, he finally asked if she’d like to go to the control room with him. Audra sneered as Roux walked past and he knew he’d made the right decision.
It was just the matter of pressing a few buttons and taking the controls for a few minutes to get them into the air and out of the planet’s orbit. Roux took his hand as he turned on the autopilot and set a course for Earth. Lyros knew he needed to contact Drexyl and let him know where she was; otherwise, Drexyl would tear the palace apart trying to find Roux. Especially now that he knew what Roux meant to Lyros. She was family, and there wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for family.
“Roux, do you remember where the captain’s quarters are?” he asked.
“I think so. You don’t want me to stay with you?”
“I need to call my brother. He doesn’t exactly know that you’re here with me, and I think it would be best if I faced him alone. I just don’t want you by yourself with Audra if it can be helped. Even though she’s being returned home, there’s still some animosity there and I don’t trust her not to hurt you.”
Roux kissed his cheek, her lips warm and soft against his skin. “I’ll wait for you in your quarters, but come get me as soon as you can. I think I’ll go crazy in that room alone.”
“I’ll release you from your temporary prison as quickly as I can,” he said with a smile.
He watched Roux leave the control room, and then he sent a call out to Tourmalane. Their chief communicator answered and he asked to be patched through to Drexyl. His heart thrummed in his chest as he waited to be berated by his brother, but the haggard looking male staring at him on the screen wasn’t something he’d been prepared for. They’d only been gone an hour or less; surely he hadn’t already realized Roux was missing.
“Is something wrong?” Lyros asked.
“Adelyn is sick and the healer isn’t sure what’s wrong with her, and I just discovered your mate is missing. I was so preoccupied with Adelyn that I never got around to checking on Roux, and now we can’t find her anywhere. I haven’t told Lucie because she’s upset enough already.”
“I’m sorry to hear about Adelyn. Do you think there’s anything on Earth that might help her? I could stop and pick something up. I’d still like to spend a day or two there.”
Drexyl frowned. “Don’t you wish to return to your mate as quickly as possible?”
“About that…” He cleared his throat. “I kind of brought her with me. She’s agreed to be mine, even though I’m going to Earth, and promises to return to Tourmalane with me. I thought she might enjoy a night or two on her world though, maybe gather a few things from some shops that she could bring home with her.”
Drexyl growled and slammed his fist onto his desk. “You took her after I expressly forbade it?”
“I thought the time on Earth, and our return trip, would give us some alone time together, time to bond. It seemed like a good idea.”
Drexyl pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Very well. I’ll make some calls and have some money waiting for you, as well as appropriate accommodations and transportation. You’ll have everything you need, and when you return, we’ll discuss the dangers of taking your mate on travels with you.”
“Thank you, Drexyl. I want to see where Roux comes from, experience her world through her eyes, and hopefully that will bring us closer together. You saved Lucie from the Tarnans and had quite the escapade to draw you closer to one another. While I did save Roux from the brothel, the trip home was too short for anything to bloom between us. I want what you have with Lucie.”
Drexyl nodded. “And you’ll have it. Take as much time as you need, unless there is a cure for Adelyn. I’ll need that as soon as possible. Just call me when you’re coming home. I’ll activate the tracker on your ship in case anything happens. Try not to prolong the journey home so you don’t run the risk of meeting any pirates along the way. Your shuttle might be able to fly with just you manning the ship, but that puts you at risk if you run into trouble. I’d feel better if you had a full crew with you.”
“I’ll be home before you know it.”
“I’m going to send our healer’s report to the doctor at the Terran station where you’ll be landing. Head to their medical facility when you arrive and see if there’s anything he can give you for Adelyn. If our medicine won’t heal her, maybe someone else’s will.”
“Then I’ll make sure this is a short trip, for Adelyn’s sake.”
“If you don’t get to spend much time on Earth, I promise to send Roux and you back sometime soon. One of the Keshpans mentioned wanting to travel to Earth, possibly to relocate permanently. It seems some of the Zelthranites have made their home there, and Bane thinks it might be good for Ari and their daughter to do the same.”
His niece was still young, only four, and didn’t deserve to be in pain or sick any longer than she had to be. If there was anything on Earth that would heal her, he would return immediately to take the cure to her. It was better to heal the small child than spend extra time on Roux’s world. As Drexyl said, he could always return later. If the Tourmalanes could also reach an agreement with Earth’s government, then there was no reason he couldn’t travel there as often as time would allow. Maybe one day, Roux would want to contact her family and see them once more.
Ending the call with his brother, he went in search of his mate, passing the dining hall and a bored-looking Audra. He’d almost forgotten about the aggravating woman. As much as he wanted to see Roux, he should really get Audra settled first. He didn’t notice any bags with her, so either she’d already found a room and claimed it, or she’d not brought anything with her.
“Have you found a place to sleep tonight?” he asked as he approached her.
“I stored my things in the first room I came to when I boarded the ship. I was assured it wasn’t the captain’s quarters and you wouldn’t mind me staying there.”
“Any room other than mine is fine. I’m sorry there isn’t anything for you to do. If I’d thought of how bored you would be, I would have brought a warrior with me to keep you entertained. There are some games stored on board, but nothing you could play by yourself.”
Her lip curled. “And of course your precious Roux is too good to play a game with me.”
“I’d prefer the two of you not spend a lot of time together. I’m going to get us to Earth as quickly as possible, but it’s going to take about two days, maybe a little less. I assure you, any short cuts that I can take, I will. I want to return you to your home and your family. I’m sure you’ll be happier there.”
“Like anyone is going to want me after everything I’ve been through. I was an alien’s whore for long enough that no human man will ever want to touch me again. I even birthed two of his brats.”
Lyros was appalled. “You have children we’re leaving behind?”
“I’m not claiming those monsters! As far as I’m concerned, I’m not a mother and never will be.”
She was angry and bitter, and now that he understood a little better about her situation, he supposed he couldn’t blame her. Roux had been lucky, but it seemed that Au
dra had been treated badly since leaving her world. He hoped that when she returned to Earth things would get better for her. He didn’t wish her ill will, even though she had been horrible to his mate. Perhaps if they’d met before her abduction, they might have become friends. The life she’d led since becoming an alien’s plaything would have been rough on anyone, and it was no wonder she’d changed. At least, he was assuming it had changed her. It was hard to believe a woman could be as hard and cruel as Audra was without reason.
He took his leave of her and went in search of his mate. The sooner they reached Earth, the better. Not only because he wanted to be rid of Audra, but because he was ready to spend some alone time with his mate, even if they only had a night together on her world. If that happened, he’d promise to bring her back soon. It was only fair that he gave her time to say goodbye to the only place she’d called home all her life. And perhaps next time, they could land somewhere near New Orleans.
Chapter Four
Roux felt both excited and apprehensive as the ship touched down. It had been so long since she’d been on Earth, and while she was nowhere near home, it still felt strange to return after all this time. On the bright side, she’d never seen Texas and was anxious to explore a little. Lyros had said they were landing in Corpus Christi. Roux knew nothing about the place, but Lyros had promised her some shopping and she wanted to introduce him to seafood, and maybe to tacos.
Lyros took her hand as they approached the landing platform. There were several Zelthranites waiting for them, and Roux pressed a little closer to Lyros. She hadn’t had a good experience with aliens, other than the Tourmalanes, and she wasn’t sure she trusted the lavender-colored ones in front of her.
“Remember,” Lyros said, “they prefer to be called Terrans when in the company of humans. They changed their name to seem less threatening to your kind.”
“A change of name doesn’t disguise their size or brute strength. No matter what they’re called, they frighten me.” She clasped his hand a little tighter. “They won’t take me away from you, will they?”
Intergalactic Loyalties Page 25
