by Rachel Clark
“Not really,” Ewin said even as he realized that wasn’t quite true. He would have loved to complete their triad, but it was obvious that Dayved was happy with things the way they were. Why risk ruining something so perfect?
“You never wanted to be a daddy?”
“Not really,” Ewin answered again. It was another lie, but it did start him wondering how long he’d been feeling this way. Until this very moment he hadn’t really considered how much he would like to have a family with Dayved. Perhaps it was Eric, Loukie, and Cindy’s precocious little daughter and newborn son that made him feel this way. Or maybe even his boss’s young son, Trent. Jerrod always seemed to be a foot taller when he had his son in his arms. He was so very proud of his family, and the fact that his and Kaydin’s mubella, Serena, was pregnant with their second child just made the man in charge of the royal guards seem even more incredible.
And if his friends ever heard him thinking mushy stuff like that, he’d probably never hear the end of it.
The conversation faltered as each of them fell into their own thoughts. A few minutes later the young security guard returned. He didn’t look buoyed by the news he had to impart. Rather than let the kid blurt out whatever he had to say, Ewin tilted his head and indicated for the young man to follow him to the far corner of the room before speaking.
The young man’s eyes darted to Kimberley before he turned his back on her and said in a lowered voice, “There was a problem with the couple Kimberley was to marry.” Was? This sure didn’t sound like the sort of news a woman who’d packed up her life on Earth and traveled three days to get here would want to hear.
“Explain,” he growled in a voice that had the young man quaking in his military-style boots, again.
“About an hour before the mubellabina claiming ceremony was to start, the mubella, Juna, collapsed. She has been in the hospital having tests ever since.”
“Is she okay? Did they find out what happened?”
The young man nodded and then glanced over his shoulder at Kimberley. “They discovered that Juna is pregnant.”
A pregnancy was always happy news, so he didn’t understand why they wouldn’t have come to claim their mubellabina and share the news with her. Ewin smiled and made a rolling motion with his hand for the man to continue. The young man winced.
“Apparently their whole reason for inviting Kimberley into their lives was to start a family. Now that they’ve…um…managed on their own they’re…um…”—he glanced over his shoulder again at Kimberley—“no longer interested in claiming her.”
Rage the likes of nothing he’d ever known swept through Ewin. To have put Kimberley through months of tests, unfathomable rules, and endless bureaucracy to become eligible to be their mubellabina, and then reject her without even meeting the woman was beyond cruel.
As he understood the new mail-order-bride rules, Kimberley would have been corresponding with the two Desconians for nearly a full Earth year before she’d come here to marry them.
“You’re dismissed,” he said to the young security guard. The man glanced at his timepiece and began to shake his head in confusion, but then he looked at the anger on Ewin’s face and literally ran out the door.
“Is everything okay?” Kimberley asked as she stood. The tone in her voice suggested she already knew something had gone really wrong. Ewin tried to tamp down his anger and focus on the woman who needed to know what had happened.
“I’m sorry, Kimberley,” he said, wondering how the hell to break the news. “It seems that your claiming ceremony has been canceled.”
“Canceled?” she asked, sounding worried. “Are Juna and Hollank all right? Did something happen?”
Ewin nodded. “Juna just found out that she’s pregnant.”
Kimberley smiled happily. “That’s wonderful.” Her voice was filled with genuine enthusiasm. “Juna and Hollank have wanted to have a family for a very long time.” She smiled, hugging herself as she absorbed Juna and Hollank’s happy news. But then she gave Ewin another of those worried, crooked smiles. “Is Juna all right?”
“As far as I know,” Ewin said, wanting to pull Kimberley into his arms and hold her close as the news sank in. It wasn’t fair that anyone should have to go through something like this alone and so far from home.
“Then why did they delay the mubellabina claiming ceremony?”
Anger churned in his gut again as he looked at the pleased, but confused, expression on the woman’s face. Kimberley was truly happy for the couple. She was beautiful in a very natural way on the outside, and he suspected that she had the insides to match. She didn’t deserve to be treated like this by people who’d claimed to love her.
“I’m sorry, Kimberley. They didn’t delay the ceremony. They canceled it.”
“‘Canceled’ as in we’re not getting married, ever?”
“I’m sorry, Kimberley,” he said again, unable to find anything to say that might help the situation. What the hell did anyone say to a bride very literally dumped on her wedding day?
Her gaze darted to his but then bounced away as her eyes became glassy. “I…I should go. I—” She patted the sides of her pants as if she was looking for something. She winced as if suddenly realizing that whatever she sought was no longer there. “I…um…”
“Kimberley,” he started to say, but she shook her head, cutting off his words. Her gaze bounced around the room as if she could somehow find the solution she sought written on the walls.
“I should…I should go.”
“Kimberley,” he said, this time giving in to his instinct and pulling the woman into his embrace. He held her close as she stood stiffly in his arms. “Honey, the next transport back to Earth doesn’t leave for another six days.”
“Then I…um…should get a h–hotel r–room or…or…or something.”
That might have worked on Earth, but Descon had no need for intergalactic tourism, so hotels were few and far between. It also didn’t help that she was human. The laws were very clear on protecting women, especially human women on Descon, but that occasionally meant that they didn’t have the same freedoms. After their horrendous lives on Earth, most human women were relieved to be protected and cherished, but there had been a few in the early days who’d been irritated by the restrictions. As a mail-order bride, Kimberley would have been made well aware of the laws on this planet, so it was obvious that in her distress she simply wasn’t thinking clearly.
He held her closer as she began to shiver in reaction.
“Oh, god, I’m so sorry,” she said shakily as she tried to pull from his embrace.
“Don’t be,” Ewin said very seriously, “you’ve been treated abysmally.” He pulled her closer as she started to cry, rocking slightly side to side as her disappointment overwhelmed her. She eventually clung to him, her entire body shaking with her distress. As the worst of her crying jag passed and she quieted, he lifted her in his arms and settled on a chair at the opposite end of the room where she’d waited hours for a husband and a wife who had apparently never really wanted her. “I feel like I should apologize on behalf of every person on the planet,” he said in a low, soothing tone. “I promise you that not all Desconians are so horrible.”
“I’m happy for them,” she said, confirming his theory on the size of her heart. “They are nice people.” She lay against his chest, obviously exhausted from the stress of the day, and laughed tiredly. “Their timing sucks—I could have done with that news before I left my planet—but I am happy for them.”
The door opened quietly, and for a moment Ewin wanted to rage at whoever entered, but when he glanced up, he found Cindy Richards and her mubella, Loukie, wearing sympathetic smiles.
Ewin glanced at the woman in his arms, ready to introduce her to his friends, but at the last moment realized she was asleep. Considering the sort of day she’d had, it was probably really good for her to get some rest.
“Is she okay?” Loukie asked, looking ready to summon the doctor.
“Where else would we be?” Cindy asked with a gentle smile. “Although we would have been here sooner if we’d been told earlier. I can’t believe they let her wait for so long without saying anything.”
“Neither can I,” Ewin said, trying to keep his voice low and quiet even though anger burned through him again at Kimberley’s treatment. Not only had her promised tredella and mubella let her down, but the system hadn’t been set up to cope with the fallout when they did. “The next transport back to Earth isn’t for several days. She’ll need somewhere to stay until then.”
Cindy looked ready to offer the woman guest lodgings at the palace, but Loukie smiled that smile he knew meant she was planning something and asked, “What about your place? You’ve got a spare bed.”
It wasn’t anything Ewin hadn’t thought of himself, but having a human houseguest wasn’t really something he and Dayved were prepared for. For one, the spare beds were set up in their room. It was for times when they and their friends wanted to indulge their voyeuristic tendencies. From what Ewin understood, human women took a bit of time just getting used to the “walking around naked” part even when they were married to those they shared a home with. At the very least it would mean he and Dayved would have to curb their natural and uninhibited sex life, at least while Kimberley was there.
There was a part of him that wanted to walk away from a mess that wasn’t of his making, but a far larger part wanted to help the woman. He was fairly certain that she was asleep, but he didn’t want her to wake up and hear herself being rejected by someone else today.
“Sure,” he said, hoping that Dayved would understand. It was only six days, after all. “Kimberley, honey, I need you to wake up for a moment.”
She roused slightly, her eyes still closed as she sat up a little straighter. But then as if she suddenly remembered everything that had happened before she fell asleep, her eyes flew open and she watched him nervously.
“Shhh, honey, it’s okay. I’m sorry to wake you, but I wanted you to meet Loukie and Cindy before I transport you to my home.”
“Your home?” she said, glancing at him as if she didn’t realize there were other people in the room. “I can stay with you and your tredellabina? That’s not breaking any rules, is it? I wouldn’t want to get you into trouble.”
He smiled at her willingness to put other people’s concerns before her own. It had probably been part of why her promised partners had found it so easy to walk away. She’d likely given them everything and asked for nothing in return. Because she’d placed no demands on them, they’d simply assumed she’d be all right with them walking away. If he ever met the man who’d promised to be her tredella, he might have trouble not punching him in the nose. Hadn’t he seen the wonderful woman he was throwing away?
“No, Kimberley, it’s not breaking any rules, but if you’re uncomfortable staying with me and Dayved, I’m sure Loukie and Cindy can help make alternate arrangements.”
He indicated the two women with the tilt of his head, almost losing his grip on Kimberley when she stiffened and tried to sit up quickly. He managed to avert disaster with quick reflexes, but it was obvious that being caught half lying in the arms of a man was something that embarrassed her immensely.
“Hi,” Cindy said, falling into her ambassador personality. “I’m Cindy Richards, and this is my wife, my mubella, Loukie. We’re so very sorry that this has happened, and dropped by to see if we can be of assistance.”
“Thank you,” Kimberley said quietly. “I’m…um…” She wriggled slightly, apparently trying to get off his lap, but the soft press of her bottom against his suddenly awoken cock was messing with his usual thought processes. Loukie smiled as if she knew exactly what was going on in his head. Kimberley turned her gaze to Ewin’s, studied his face for a moment, and then turned back to Cindy. “I would like to stay with Ewin if it isn’t too much bother, but I”—she hesitated as if she was embarrassed by the next words to leave her mouth—“I need to find a bank or a loan institution before I can book my passage home.”
Chapter Two
Kimberley tried to be brave, but it was a horrible feeling to not know how she was going to get home.
“Do you have any money?” Cindy asked without a hint of derision. Kimberley hadn’t really considered what she would do once she’d gotten here. Juna and Hollank had promised her that she wouldn’t need anything. They’d assured her that they wanted to get started straightaway on their family, so she’d used every dollar she had to get here as quickly as the system allowed. It was expensive to leave Earth. She hadn’t even considered what she would do if things didn’t work out.
Kimberley’s cheeks burned with her embarrassment as she shook her head in answer to Cindy’s question. “I suppose I should have planned for a situation like this, but, well, I didn’t think…I mean I didn’t expect… They’re such a lovely couple…I…” Kimberley closed her eyes as tears filled them. “I’m sorry,” she said in a shaky voice as Ewin placed his hand against the side of her head and guided her back into his embrace. This time she went willingly, wanting only to feel protected for a little while. She’d expected to be lying in her partners’ arms about now. Not sitting in the waiting room talking to strangers.
“Sweetie,” Cindy said as she reached over and squeezed Kimberley’s hand, “you’re not alone in this. Loukie and I will help you with anything you need. Why don’t you go home with Ewin, get some rest, and we’ll drop by in the morning?”
“Okay,” she said on a croaky voice. She was probably pathetic for clinging to the first person who’d shown her any kindness on this planet, but she couldn’t quite find the energy to care right now. She tried to pull herself together and find that backbone that had kept her positive even when things on Earth had seemed so awful, but being held tightly by Ewin made it very difficult to pull away. In his arms she felt safe, and that was something she truly hadn’t felt in a very long time.
“Perfect,” Loukie said with a soft smile. “We’ll see you tomorrow then. Sleep well.”
Kimberley tried to say “thank you,” but the words were muffled by Ewin’s shirt and her own exhaustion. She tried to keep her eyes open, but Ewin relaxed back against the chair and she relaxed against him. His hand gently massaged her head, his strong fingers gliding through the long strands of her hair as sleep once again claimed her.
* * * *
Dayved glanced at the clock and wondered what was keeping his tredella late at work this time. Lately he seemed to do more and more overtime. It felt like there was always something popping up to ensure that they spent less and less time together. As little as a year ago Dayved would have claimed their life together was pure bliss, but lately it had felt like something was missing.
Had Ewin grown bored with him?
He glanced around the home they’d decorated together. Well maybe not together—Dayved had chosen the colors, design, and layout of everything in their spacious apartment. It hadn’t seemed so at the time, but he couldn’t think of one time when Ewin hadn’t nodded in agreement and let him have his own way. In fact, what Dayved had thought of at the time as perfect synchronicity may very well have been complete disinterest.
Until this moment he’d considered their home eminently suited to them both, but now he found himself wondering. Had he been so self-centered that he hadn’t even been aware of Ewin’s indifference?
By the time he heard the door chime, he was ready to rush to his partner’s side and apologize for every selfish thing he’d ever done, but the sleeping woman in Ewin’s arms stopped Dayved in his tracks. His first emotion was pure jealousy, but it was quickly overridden by concern for the young human. Ewin wouldn’t have brought a stranger into their home if she wasn’t in dire need. He was that type of man.
“Is she okay?”
Ewin gave him a grateful look and then shook his head sadly. “Probably not,” he said with an unhappy smile. “Today wa
s supposed to be her wedding day, but her mubella and tredella changed their minds.”
“They what?” The disbelief running through him made his voice louder than he intended. The woman in his tredella’s arms stirred briefly but thankfully didn’t fully wake up.
Ewin shifted the woman slightly and reached a hand out to Dayved. He took it gratefully, his worry of moments ago dissolving as Ewin pulled him closer. “That was my reaction, too.” He leaned over the woman between them and pressed a soft kiss to Dayved’s lips. “She’s very tired. Is the guest bed ready?”
“Of course,” Dayved said with a nod of his head and turned to lead the way. He hurried into their bedroom, lifted the thermal blanket, and stood back as Ewin placed the woman onto the soft mattress. “Will she be comfortable wearing clothes to bed?”
It had always seemed strange to him that humans not only wore clothes in their own home but that many of them even wore them to bed. Nudity was simple and natural, so the human aversion to it was quite perplexing.
“I think she’d probably prefer it. After the sort of day she had, I don’t think being thrust into a very different culture is what she needs or wants.”
“True,” Dayved said as he glanced at his own naked state. “Should I put some clothes on?”
Ewin gave him the type of sexy grin he hadn’t seen in quite a while. He reached over, dragged Dayved into his embrace, and bent his head to kiss him long and hard.
“Did you know,” he said, seeming to go completely off topic, “that a day on Earth is only twenty-four hours long? Kimberley has been awake for nearly that long today already, so I suspect she will sleep heavily for quite a long time.”
“Oh,” Dayved said with a happy grin.
With a last quick glance at the woman sleeping in the bed next to theirs, Ewin grabbed Dayved around the waist and half dragged, half carried him from the room. “Shower time,” he growled in a sexy voice as they stepped into the bathing area.
