by J. S. Wilder
Dragon’s Bride
Aliens of Renjer Book 4
J.S. Wilder
About J.S. Wilder
J.S. Wilder has spent many years working in the IT industry. She has left the computers behind and taken up her passion for writing. She loves to write romance and still believes in fairy-tales.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by J.S. Wilder
Chapter 1
Megan
Megan’s right knee banged against the diner’s briefcase at one of her tables. She stifled a cry by forcing a fake smile on her face and said, “Welcome to Sal’s Cafe, what can I get you two?”
The man gestured to the woman across the table, who then leaned over and covered his hand to show ownership. Megan rolled her eyes. Like she’d be interested in a guy she met here after three seconds.
“Do you have sparkling water?” Her petite nose crinkled. Megan was sure it was a high-end nose job. “It wasn’t listed on the menu.”
“No, sorry, just bottle water, coffee, tea, apple and cranberry juice, and sodas.” Why did patrons think they had stuff that wasn’t listed? The whole purpose of showing items on the menu was to get people to order them.
“Well, then an herbal tea with soy milk.” She eased back into the booth.
“We’ve only regular tea…sweetened or unsweetened.” God, this was going to take all freakin’ night. Megan glanced at the clock on the wall without moving her head. Twenty minutes until her double shift was over and only an hour left before hospital visiting hours were over.
“Let’s go somewhere else, Marcus,” the woman demanded.
Fine by me. They’d probably leave a crappy tip anyway.
Then the image of Megan’s dad on dialysis at the hospital hit her. She needed the money, no matter how small.
“We’ve only got whole milk and cream, but I can get a pack of soy milk and chai tea for you.” Just means I’ll have to run across the street to the grocery store. Not like she hadn’t done that before.
“Great.” The woman beamed. “And I’ll have a dinner salad with no onions and light Italian dressing on the side.”
No way was Megan going to correct the woman that there was nothing lite about Sal’s food or that the salad didn’t come with onions.
“Got it, and for you, sir?” Megan asked.
The man’s eyes met Megan’s and she inhaled sharply. His irises were an almost golden color. Had to be contacts. Decked out in an Armani suit that probably cost more than Megan made in a year, he looked so out of place here. And the woman he was with paled in comparison to him. Like he was hunting for prey and she’d fallen into his snare.
Megan shook herself, then poised the pen over her order pad.
The menu lay unopened on the table. He cocked an eyebrow as he stared at her. Was he trying to read her or intimidate her?
“I’ll give you more time and return with your drinks while you decide. Can I bring you a glass of water or ice tea?”
“Sweetened tea would be good. The sweeter the better.”
Megan smiled and gave him a nod. But before she could turn away, he touched her hand briefly and a rush zipped through her.
“I’ll take the special with everything on it.”
“Of course.” She scribbled down his order and raced the ticket to the kitchen. If she hurried, she might get out of here with enough time to see her dad. “Order up, George.”
He grunted. “You work too hard, girl. Taking everyone’s shifts all the time.”
“Tell that to my bills.” She placed the ticket on the carousel. “Or better yet, give me a raise.”
“Gotta talk to the bossman. He already gave you extra for cleaning the bathrooms and doing the bank runs for him.” He scratched his dark hair through his hairnet.
“Hey, gotta grab a special order for my customer, I’ll be back in five.”
“Chica, you work too damn hard. Do what Alice does and pour milk and cream into the regular tea. Tell them it’s a new imported tea if they question.”
Yeah, except Megan didn’t like lying to people if she could help it. “Be right back, I’ll ask Jen to cover my tables for me, ‘k?”
“Go before I call the bossman on your crazy trips for customers.” He flipped over the sizzling hamburger patties.
“Thanks, George.” Megan dashed to the back where Alice smoked a cigarette.
“Shopping run?” she asked.
“Yup, want anything?” Megan grabbed her sweater from the wall hook.
“Nah, still working on the pack of cigs you got me two days ago.” Alice took a drag. “Ain’t your shift over now?”
“Almost. Do me a favor and cover my tables, I’ll be back soon.”
“No problem.”
Megan wrapped her sweater around herself and hurried across the street down to the grocery store. Chai tea and soy milk. She hustled down the aisle. Maybe she could get the couple to pay when she brought them their food. Then she could get to the hospital to see her dad. Or just let Alice take over their table and split the tip. That would work.
A lady wheeled her shopping cart around, clipping Megan on her hip.
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” The woman jerked the cart back, her eyes widening as they trailed over my face. “Megan Wheeler? Is that you?”
Rubbing her hip, she faced the woman. Her belly stretched out her white cotton top.
“Cynthia?” She’d no idea her old friend from school was seeing anyone and here she was pregnant.
“Hi.” She pulled Megan into a hug. “It’s so good to see you again. How’ve you been?”
“Good.” Megan eased back. “Congratulations, when are you due?”
“Oh, it’s not mine.” Cynthia trailed a hand over her stomach.
“Pardon? You mean like you’re a surrogate?”
“Exactly. I was able to quit my job at the factory too.” She lowered her voice and winked. “Pays more than double what I was making before.”
“Wow, that’s fantastic.” Never realized being a baby incubator paid so well. “Listen, give me a call and we’ll get together for coffee and catch up. Right now, I’ve gotta grab some stuff for work.”
Cynthia nodded and pushed the cart up the aisle. “I look forward to it.”
Ten minutes later, Megan set the Chai with soy milk and the couples food before them.
“That took forever,” the woman grumbled under her breath.
Megan
plastered a smile on her face. “You folks let me know if you need anything else. Enjoy.” There was still time if she gave Alice the table to see her dad before visiting hours were over.
“Thank you.” The man’s voice was warm and had her genuinely smiling back.
“Welcome.” Megan tore through the kitchen. “Hey, Alice, mind grabbing my last table? I gotta go.”
“Sure thing, hon.” Alice nodded. “Tell your dad I said hi.”
“Will do.”
Megan ran into the hospital. Damn, only thirty-five minutes left before she’d have to leave her dad again. Why couldn’t visiting hours be after-hours too for those who worked all damn day?
Many times, she’d offered to spend the night with her dad but he refused. She didn’t know if it was pride or stubbornness that made him treat his stay like it was a resort and not as if his life depended on the machines and medicine.
“No running, Megan, you know the rules,” one of the nurses shouted after her.
She waved a hand and slowed her run to a brisk walk.
“Miss Wheeler?” an elderly woman called.
“I know, I’m not running.”
“No, I need to discuss something else with you.”
Was it about Dad’s condition? Or had they found a kidney donor that matched him? Megan skidded to a stop and turned. Her breaths pounding against her lungs from both her trying to get to her dad and the possibility of finding him help.
“Sure, what is it?” she asked.
“You’re past due on your father’s hospital bill. Now we’ve extended your time twice before but we must insist on you paying your portion after the insurance or we’ll have to discharge your father to the local hospital that takes unique cases.”
In other words, the welfare hospital. She couldn’t let them do this. Her stomach knotted up. God, she was going to be sick.
“But you guys are his best chance.” Megan wrapped her arms around her stomach. “How’s he going to get a kidney anywhere else?” They had to let him stay. He’d done so much better on their medicine and care. “Please, give me more time and I’ll come up with the money.”
“I’m sorry, but unless you pay your debt by five o’clock tomorrow, we’re transporting him to the hospital on your insurance.”
It felt like the floor opened up and Megan was falling into an endless blackhole. Without this chance for her father, how long would he last before he relapsed or worse? Acid burned the back of her throat and she hunched over. Loss and devastation twisted inside her. How was she doing to come up with that much money so soon without robbing a bank?
Chapter 2
Levx
Levx-Sorbrit Vorian Churgo put down his fork and waited for the woman across from him to stop picking at the yellow spots of lettuce in her salad. The entire meal, she grumbled about everything from the napkins being paper to the silverware being plastic and the jukebox playing eighties music. A personal favorite of his was on how he dared not show any interest or she’d change her tune and say she loved this song. Like she’d said she hated smokers when he said he didn’t smoke yet she smelled of cigarettes.
Twenty-seven months on this planet, and his people hadn’t come any closer to a cure for their infertile females or saving Renjer, their home planet, from the Tryns—which to humans were demons. Not that that definition was far off. The beasts looked like the medieval depictions of devils complete with horns, forked tails, and short black fur. But their tiny leather wings and big bellies didn’t aid in flight. Not like Renjerians. Thanks to his brother, Khol’s mixed blood, all of their people were now able to shape-shift into human form. Their mission while on earth was to fight any Tryns and find suitable human women to mate with and keep the Renjerian race from dying out.
Khol, Xilon, and Taurian had found lovers among the humans. Not Levx. His plan was simple. Like many of the others who’d rather not bed a human woman, was to pay for a baby. A surrogate the humans called it. He didn’t care what it was called but the king had ordered all eligible males to have as many babies while they were stuck here.
And the woman across from him had answered the surrogacy ad he’d placed in a fancy lifestyle magazine. No way did he want any kid of his to turn out like her. Best he ended this date as soon as possible and never call this woman back again
“Hi, here’s your bill for whenever you’re ready.” An elder waitress set a piece of paper on the table. Her gray hair wisping around her face, drawing attention to the deep wrinkles around her eyes.
“Where’s the other woman? The one who served us?” Levx looked past her to the kitchen behind her. The first waitress had a look of sadness that made him want to help her. Figure out what she was thinking when she gave his date her fake smiles.
“Oh, her shift was over and she had to leave. You all come back and see us now.” The woman turned away and went to the next occupied table.
Disappointment filled him. He’d enjoyed the other woman’s smile and demeanor even though she often looked like she wanted to pour the pitcher of tea she carried over his date’s head. No, not a date. An arrangement to see if this woman across from his was tolerable enough for him to have his child. That answer was a definite hell no. She was arrogant and rude.
“You know, I don’t think this dressing is low-calorie at all.” The woman across from him frowned. “Don’t leave a tip, the service and food here sucks.”
Nope. Even though he didn’t have to love whoever carried his baby or touch them, the idea of sharing DNA with this woman made the back of his throat burn.
He picked up the bill. The waitress had left a pen for him to write out her tip and sign if he was paying by credit card. Quickly, he wrote a note on the paper requesting one bill be given to the other waitress too. Then he slipped in two one-hundred dollar bills and the amount for the dinner. The food here had been pretty good and he wondered why he hadn’t eaten here before when the smells whenever he passed this way had made his mouth-water. Probably because from the outside, it had looked like a dump.
Guess that’s what he got for going with appearances much like the woman across from him. She was pretty with a sculpted nose that didn’t move when she smiled and straight white teeth. Her blond hair sat on top of her head and her silk blouse fitted her figure perfectly. Yet, it seemed like she was horrible on the inside.
While their previous waitress had seemed full of life and tried her best to help her customers. Her gray eyes had lit up when he ordered the special…was that her favorite meal here? He’d have to come again and ask her what she recommended.
“Well?” the woman across from him crossed her arms.
Shit! What was her name again? He’d dated too many women to count since he and his people came here during a heavy thunderstorm. All their names blurred together in his mind. None made a lasting impression. Except the waitress today and she wasn’t even trying to impress him. Almost like she’d rather be somewhere else than here. What was her story? Megan. That was her name on her name tag. He rolled it around on his mind, liking the sound of it.
“Levx?” his annoying date asked, painting on a concerned look on her face.
“I think I have an interested party in your services at our company.” One way to get rid of this girl was to push her onto someone else.
“Oh?” She lit up. Her hand slid across the table to grab him by the arm but he stood, forcing her to look up at him.
“Yes. My brother Monty will love you.” He resisted laughing aloud. If he said the name in Renjerian, the human wouldn’t be able to pronounce it. Let his arrogant brother have a fun time taming this woman. Levx was better off staying single and childless.
Chapter 3
Megan
While she stood in the hospital hallway, Megan’s heart sank to her feet. The paper trembling in her hand. How was she going to pay all of this? What else could she do? She was already doing double-shifts at the cafe and cleaning houses on the weekend but it wasn’t enough. His medical bills and medicine even af
ter insurance was too much.
Tears burned the back of her eyes. She folded the paper up and shoved into her back pocket.
“Visiting hours will be over in twenty minutes,” the robotic voice over the intercom announced.
Cry later. She scrubbed her hand over her face. Now is time to see dad.
She pushed open the door, taking a shaky breath to calm her nerves. “Hey there you, how’s my favorite dad?”
“Pumpkin patch!” he wheezed. “Get over here and give your man a hug.”
She hugged him, inhaling his pine and soap scent underneath the sickly scent of illness. What she wouldn’t give to heal him and get him back home. “So whatcha up to since yesterday? Finished that crossword puzzle yet?”
“One word had me stuck for a while but I figured it out and am ready for the next one.” His eyes lit up.
“Just so happens, I brought two this time.” She opened her bag and pulled out two newspaper copies of the crossword puzzle folded and ready for him.
“Anything else for me?” He placed the newspapers on the nightstand beside his bed, his IV line clinked against the metal bars of his bed.
Her chest caved. “So sorry, Dad. I was in a hurry and running late getting off work that I totally forgot to grab your piece of cake. How about I bring you two desserts tomorrow? Pie and cake?”
