She licked her lips nervously. The beast disappeared and the man came back into view.
“Are you alright?”
“Fine, thank you. Does your animal side talk?”
“Yes and no. I have never heard him talk out loud, but I believe he can. He simply chooses not to. He communicates mentally. I can hear him, my brothers can hear him if he needs to make contact with them and my mate can hear him.”
Janis tried to sit up in the bed. Of course he had a mate. What women would let a male like him get away? A surge of unbidden jealousy over took her. She waited patiently knowing she would never have a man. Now this man who wasn’t a man made her want something forbidden and he had a wife.
“I didn’t mean to take you away from your mate.”
“I’m not mated yet. I simply meant when it happens, she will be able to talk to my animal.”
“That would be nice. I know I would like it. Not that I think I’m your mate…”
She gave him a goofy grin to try and cover her run away tongue. Why would she even think she could become his mate? He was like imported Belgian chocolate and she was like a dollar store candy bar. The two didn’t go together. The taunting of the girls from her youth lived in the back of her mind reminding her people with weird medical conditions didn’t get the man.
The loud noise that shattered the silence in the room came from her stomach. It was reminding her she hadn’t eaten in days.
“I’ll make us some breakfast. The bathroom is behind that door.” She followed his finger. “Will you be ok?”
She nodded. He got up and left the room, leaving instructions that she was to call if she needed him.
She waited several minutes to make sure he was gone before she let out a loud groan of pain. Her body was one big ache. She was going to feel this for weeks. Carefully, she rolled to the side of the bed before standing.
Her knees buckled and she fell against the bed. Yeah, they had done a job on her. Where was a cane when you needed one? Slowly, she moved across the room, trying to stay on her feet.
The bathroom mirror wasn’t her friend. Her cheeks were blotched with red. Even though she’d protected her face, they’d gotten in a lucky hit or two. The rest of her body was worse. She was black and blue from bruises and red from where she’d literally been burned by their touch.
Her grey eyes showed her pain. Her black hair, the one thing she was actually proud of, looked like a rat’s nest. She winced, more from her actual looks now, than the pain. She’d sat in front of that gorgeous alien like this! Life was definitely not fair.
Looking at her clothes, she realized she needed something different to wear. They were ripped and torn. They made her look like a victim of abuse. That was unacceptable even if she hadn’t been able to defend herself. There was no way she could salvage them. How was she supposed to go downstairs in front of him looking like this?
The knock on the bathroom door pulled her out of her depressing thoughts.
“Who is it?”
“Nicolas. I’m going to leave some clothes in front of the door. One of my brothers’ mates dropped them off.”
“Thank you.”
She peeked her head out when she was sure he was gone. Grabbing the clothes, she headed to the shower to get clean.
She closed her eyes as the warm spray rinsed some of the horror of last night away. She still needed to get back to Sampson’s, get her shopping done and get home without a repeat of last night. It may be time for her to hire a personal shopper. She quickly pushed the thought away. If she did that she would become a recluse, something she was already fighting against.
She washed quickly, knowing her first order of business was to try and find something respectable enough she could go outside in.
She laid the clothes she was given over the bed and stopped in shock. She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but it wasn’t this. There were several outfits for her to choose from. She’d been given jeans and shirts as well as dresses. That by itself was surprising, but when you add in the fact that the clothes were beautiful, some of them even had tags still attached, she felt a tear slip out. No one treated her like this. She was the freak you laughed at, not the woman you helped.
She allowed her hand to stroke the sun dress. It was beautiful. She’d never owned anything like it. In the end, she chose the jeans and a shirt with half sleeves, because there were no long-sleeved shirts.
She walked out of the room into a wide hallway. His home seemed well taken care of. She liked that because she’d spent hours taking care of her own home. Not like there was a lot to do when you couldn’t go outside.
“Hello?” She called out, wondering where he was.
“I’m downstairs in the kitchen. Come to the back of the house.”
She walked down the stairs and turned to look. Forget about being well cared for. His place was a dream. From front to back it had a semi-open floor plan. There was enough wall to give a sense of privacy, but also enough openness to allow guests too mix and mingle with the owner when they wanted. Maybe she really had died and gone to heaven.
He was still shirtless. Please, couldn’t she live the rest of her life in this minute? Giving a small sigh, she walked into the kitchen.
“You really didn’t have to cook for me. I just need a ride back to Sampson’s for my car.”
“Nonsense. How would it look if I let a beautiful damsel in distress leave without at least providing her breakfast?”
Janis told herself the red blotches on her face would hide her flushed cheeks, unfortunately it did nothing for the smile gracing her lips or the brightness in her eyes. She took a seat at the table.
“What are we having, my Alien Knight?”
Chapter Three
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I made pancakes, eggs and cream of wheat.”
“Really?” He nodded his head yes. “Suddenly, I’m starving. If I were at home, I would grab a bowl, cereal, milk and a spoon. I feel like a queen or at least a precious guest.”
She gave him a big smile and sat with an expectant look on her face. The smile turned into a frown.
“Can I help?” She was so used to being closed off that common decency, things like offering help, had slipped her mind.
“Sure, the dishes are in this cabinet. You could set the table.”
She made quick work of setting the table while trying not to bump into him. She was surprised every time he touched her and she didn’t burn.
“You know, this is so strange to me. Even the touch of my mother burned me.”
“What did she do?”
“She found special gloves to wear that kept her from hurting me when I was growing up.”
“Did that bother you?”
“My mom cried for years. I would hear her at night when she thought I was asleep. Sometimes, I would sit outside her door and cry with her. How I wished I could touch her.”
Nicolas nodded his understanding and placed the food on the table.
“Eat up. I can hear your stomach planning a revolt.”
She looked up to see his smile and started filling her plate. “You’re a good cook.”
“You think that because you’re not used to this for breakfast, but thank you anyway.”
“Your house is beautiful and big. Do you live here alone?”
“Yes, just me. Janis, I don’t mean to pry, but I’m wondering what the doctor’s say about your condition.”
“They don’t say much. I stopped going a long time ago. Some stared at me before laughing in my face. Others wanted proof so they’d touch me. Others said it was in my head and when they saw the burn marks they said I did it to myself. The doctor my mom used for me was the worst, though. He would ask me about how I felt and what exactly happened if I was touched. As I got older, his questions became odder. Eventually, I stopped going to him. I don’t like doctors. I haven’t been to one in years,” she said, raising her head to look him directly in his eyes.
“I think I
understand. If I were treated the way you were, I wouldn’t want to go to one either.”
She flashed him a smile. “I can help you clean the dishes.”
They made quick work of cleaning the kitchen. Nicolas seemed to find reasons to touch her. She smiled to herself and enjoyed the contact.
“All clean. Would you take me back to get my car?”
“Sure.”
She followed him out of the kitchen. “Thank the person who lent me the clothes, I appreciate it.”
“That was Rena. I’ll let her know. She likes to help.”
She walked to his car feeling a little sad. “Thank you for helping me. I think I would’ve died if you hadn’t stopped them.”
“You’re welcome, Janis.”
She settled back into the upholstery of the car and took a deep breath, breathing in his scent. It calmed her, making her think life would be ok.
“So what brought you to Earth? Did you come to simply rescue damsels in distress?”
He gave a chuckle. It reached deep inside stirring her insides. How was she going to go back to her empty house?
“I came here with my brothers. We wanted a new life. We hoped we could find one here.”
“Have you? Found a new life, I mean.”
“Yes, we have. Three of my brothers have found their mates. We have a business, homes, and a chance to live a relatively peaceful life.”
“Is that all you want out of life?” She asked out of curiosity.
“What more is there?”
“Love, adventure, and beauty.”
“Adventure plagues a life whether we realize it or not. Not all adventure is good. I know there will be no shortage of it. As far as love goes, I want it in my life. What about you? Do you want those things?”
She nodded her head. “I know I have a rare illness that will never be solved, at least not in my life-time, but still I wish I could have those things and more. I would love adventure that didn’t include me needing to hide from others. As far as love, who doesn’t want someone special to have and to hold for better or worse? I know that’s not in my future and have accepted it. No children. No grandchildren. No one to remember my name when I’m no longer here. I won’t even be a foot-note on a page somewhere.”
She blinked her eyes real fast. She hated this time of year. The dust was everywhere, attacking eyes and throats, clogging them up.
The ringing of the phone disrupted the sadness she was falling into. He answered the phone making her smile. “Nicolas.”
He agreed several times with whoever was on the other end before hanging up.
“Janis, would you mind if I made a detour to my brother’s house first? He needs to see me.”
“Will he be ok if I tag along?”
“It will be fine.”
“Ok.”
She watched as they made a slight change in direction. He kept the car on the outskirts of the city until the area became as rural as his area.
“How many brothers do you have?”
“Five.”
“Do you all live in rural areas?”
“Yes, we like both the silence and the space.”
“I guess it’s hard not letting people know you’re aliens.”
“Not really. Actually several do people know. We just make sure they are the right people.”
“Who would be the right people?”
“People like you.”
Janis sat back and closed her eyes. The image of Nicolas leaning over to kiss her blazed through her mind. Her lips tingled at the contact and her nipples hardened as she thought of him. She began to squirm in the seat at the thought of his mouth on her hardened nipple. The desire to reach out and run her hand over his hard thigh was making her fingers shake as she curled them tightly into her palm.
“We’re here.” His voice pulled her out of her thoughts as exited the car in front of Aran’s house.
He took her hand and led her to the porch. A shiver traveled through her body caused by his touch
“Shouldn’t you knock?” They walked into the house without letting his brother they were there.
“He’s expecting me.”
They stood in a wide foyer. On the left side of it was a huge room filled with a multitude of loveseats, one of which was occupied by a male and a female. The male was huge, looking to be around the same height as Nicolas but much bulkier. It was the woman who grabbed her attention. She had a figure that could only be described with the word Rubenesque. She was beautiful, something about her reached out and grabbed you. She was possessed with beautiful brown skin and gorgeous eyes. No wonder the male sitting by her side didn’t seem to want to let her go.
“Janis, this is my brother Aran, and his mate Rena. She’s the one who gave you the clothes. Aran is the eldest brother and also the first one to find his mate. Rena is the sister I never had.”
Aran met Rena when they were beginning to lose hope of ever meeting the female who would be their mate. Meeting Rena also triggered the knowledge they were being stalked by another one of their kind. Their stalker tried to kill Rena. Aran, Nicolas and the rest of their brothers worked together to save her.
Rena gave Nicolas a smile full of love. Janis had to smile as she watched the three of them; something about their relationship spoke to her making her ache with a deep longing.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet both of you.” She gave them both a smile. “Thank you for the clothes, Rena. I truly appreciate them. They’re wonderful.”
“Glad you liked them. Let me know whenever you want to hit the mall. I’m game.”
Aran rolled his eyes. “I thought we agreed you would stay away from the mall until after the baby?”
“No, you agreed. I just listened.” She started pushing herself up.
Aran jumped up and helped her get to her feet.
“Your mouth is gaping open Janis. It’s ok.”
“I thought Aran was Nicolas’s brother?”
“He is and yeah I’m human. Yes, the Created and humans can procreate. Nicolas is here to take a look at the baby to make sure everything is ok.”
Janis’s eyes flashed to Nicolas to see the heated stare he was giving her. Heat rushed to her face as her body tingled with excitement. The look of desire in his eyes made her flustered.
“Don’t you need a doctor for that?” Janis asked with a stammer.
“Did I forget to mention I was a doctor?” Nicolas said. “Wait, I’m a doctor who believes you, if that helps any.” Nicolas spent the last couple of centuries practicing medicine. He was the best doctor several galaxies had to offer.
She opened her mouth and shut it several times. What did you say to the male who saved your life?
“You did say you wanted adventure that didn’t involve you being burned.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” she laughed. She might as well enjoy the adventure while she could.
“Janis, what are you waiting for? Come with us,” Rena called out.
“I don’t want to intrude.”
“Nonsense, the room will be filled to overflowing before it’s over. You might as well come and claim a comfy spot now.”
The front door opened as others began to arrive.
“Hey girl, we were just in the neighborhood and thought we would stop by.” Dee said giving her a big smile.
Dee looked like a model in hiding. She was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses that went well with her outfit. The top emphasized her chest while flowing over her flat stomach. The pants she wore showed of the smallness of her waist. She would stop traffic and probably did. If she didn’t, the huge male standing protectively behind her would. Her skin was a creamy chocolate.
“Janis, that’s my best friend Dee, and Niko, her mate. There’s no reason for her to be in this neighborhood unless she’s coming here. I do believe she wants to get a look at baby Aran,” Rena said in a false whisper, while trying to keep the laughter out of her voice. Rena and Dee had both been stalked by the tainted one. They ha
d also been terrorized by him.
“Pay her no mind, Janis. It’s the pregnancy hormones speaking.”
“Janis, Niko is also my brother. There are six of us all together. We own a security company, Dare Securities, Niko and Dee deal with the accounting. Aran and Sergey my other brother are the official owners of the company and do highly specialized security work. Hale does the computer work and Ash, my youngest brother, runs the traditional side of our company.”
They all finished the walk up the stairs while Nicolas shooed them out of the room until he had everything setup.
“Janis,” Dee said, stopping to stand in front of her with Niko. “Meet Niko.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, Janis.”
“Hang on tight. We are about to be bombarded,” Dee told her with a smile. The door opened, letting another couple into the room. They were followed by several males. Dee took the time to introduce Janis to everyone.
Finally, Nicolas called them in. They crowded around the bed to get a good look at the sonogram.
“You’re having a healthy baby, Rena. Here are the little fingers and here is the head.”
“The baby is perfect. Can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl, Nicolas?” Rena asked.
He moved the wand around, looking at different parts of the baby before finally answering.
“I know what the baby’s gender is.” He gave her a big smile
“What is the baby?” Aran growled, needing to know
“You’re having a boy. A son.”
The room got ghostly quiet as the males were struck speechless.
“A boy? Are you certain?” Rena asked. She was totally quiet, then she burst out with a whoop followed by Dee.
“I’m having a boy, Dee! Just like I always said I would have!”
“I’m so happy for you, Rena!” Dee’s voice was thick with happy tears.
“The room was suddenly ablaze with sound as congratulations went through it.
“I’m so happy for you. For all of you.” Janis gave them big smiles.
She used to dream one day she would be cured enough to be able to have children. Seeing another so happy made her heart happy for Rena and sad for herself. What didn’t kill you made you stronger. It became her personal motto, maybe it was time for her to act like it.
Nicolas: Love me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance Page 2
