Tears of joy and shame filled her eyes. Joy because she finally believed that he'd intended to come after her before he knew about the baby, and shame because she'd pushed him to this confession. He said he loved her. She wanted to be able to tell him she loved him, but she'd never been in love, didn't know what it felt like. She couldn't give him the words so she gave him her trust instead.
Slowly, she lifted the gown over her head and dropped it to the floor. Blushing, she watched his hands as he smoothed them over her belly.
"Look at me, Daria."
She met his eyes.
"You're beautiful. More beautiful than I ever dreamt a female could ever be." He entwined their fingers, then raised their hands to her belly. "I want our daughter to look like you, with black hair and deep purple eyes. When I look at her, I want to see your face, your smile."
Thorn released her hands and caressed her breasts. "I've dreamt of watching you suckle our daughter." He grinned, then confessed, "I always get hard just thinking about it."
Daria smiled, then gasped as Thorn lifted her and gently lowered her onto him. Helplessly, she wiggled until he was deeply seated. She planted her hands on his shoulders and began moving.
Thorn grasped her buttocks and urged her into a satisfying rhythm.
Daria's breath caught in her throat. She gripped his shoulders, digging her nails into him. She wanted to stop, to make their lovemaking last longer. Thorn jerked her forward, forcing her to continue. She arched her back as a cry of pleasure left her lips. Thorn thrust upwards into her, extending her pleasure and groaning her name as he came.
Daria collapsed onto his chest, slid her arm around his shoulders, and pressed her face against him. Thorn moved her onto her side next to him. He stroked her hip as their breathing slowed. Gradually, his hand slowed, then grew heavier on her hip.
She looked at him and smiled.
His lashes made dark crescents on his cheeks as he slept. For the first time ever, she saw his face relaxed, the tension gone from it. She raised her head, then glanced at the open bed chamber door. Thank goodness, Dane and Dev were at Valan's and Lia's home.
She tried to move out of his arms. They tightened. "Stay," he mumbled.
"Thorn, you've still got your boots and pants on."
Lazily he heeled off his boots, then with her help shoved the pants down his legs and kicked free of them. Daria nagged him until he was lying with his head on the pillow. She covered them with the sheet and relaxed into his arms.
After a few moments, she quietly rose from the bed, pulled on her gown and left the room. Downstairs, she activated the communicator in the den and placed a call to Borg.
As she waited for his receptionist to bring him to the communicator she examined the room. It was a mess. Even she was getting sick of looking at it. Borg drew her attention away when he answered the summons.
"Borg, this is Daria. I want to know what's wrong with Thorn and this time don't put me off."
"I don't really know what to tell you. The morning sickness should have passed by now. I've never had another patient experience it this long."
"Is it because of the baby? Because it's a girl?"
"I don't think so. We think it may be caused by the same thing which enabled Thorn to impregnate you."
"Are you any closer to figuring out what that might be?"
"Unfortunately, no. We're still working on it. There doesn't seem to be anything different about either of you."
"Well, something is different. He can't go on this way. Everything makes him sick. He isn't even trying to eat any longer and he's not sleeping."
"Daria, the only thing I can tell you is Thorn needs some extra care right now. The bread and tea in the mornings doesn't help?"
Daria thought about it, ashamed to admit she didn't know. "I, uh, I'm not sure if he's doing that before he gets up." She heard Borg's loud sigh.
"You're the only one who can help him right now. Put yourself in his place. How would you feel if you were the one sick and your bondmate didn't care?" His voice had grown rough with anger.
Daria stifled a sob, then sniffed as she rubbed the tears from her cheeks. "What should I do?"
"For starters, you could see to it that he's given some bread and tea when he first wakes. Plain bread, none of that herb stuff. Make sure he eats several times a day. Small meals, nothing too rich or spicy. And, one more thing, if there's anything going on that you know is irritating to him, I suggest you do something about it," Borg said. "He needs some peace and quiet and no worries."
"I'm the one who's pregnant," she mumbled.
Borg choked back a laugh. "No, Daria. On Zarronia the couple gets pregnant not just the female."
"Okay. I'll take care of him."
# # #
Borg disconnected the call, then shouted with laughter. Eirik joined him.
"My grandson doesn't know it, but he's about to be smothered with love. I can't help but envy him."
Borg nodded. "It's about time she called. I was beginning to wonder if we were wrong and she really doesn't care about him."
"Wrong?" Eirik shouted. "When have we ever been wrong, old friend? We weren't wrong about Valan and Lia, and we're not wrong about Thorn and Daria." He rubbed his hands together. "Now, what's your theory about Thorn?"
Borg shook his head. "I really don't know. We're all working on it, but there doesn't seem to be a difference. His DNA is the same as ours. Daria's is the same as all the other Earth females and none of them has produced a female Zarronian child."
"Then, it must be something he's done or maybe something he's come into contact with on another planet," Eirik suggested.
"Yes," Borg agreed as he lifted the pages of the questionnaire they'd made Thorn fill out. "But, what?"
"We know it's not the females," Eirik mumbled. "It has to be Thorn or something he did."
Borg stared at him for a moment. "Or, us," he exclaimed, as he pointed to a line on the questionnaire. "When did Thorn put his bands on Daria?"
"Tor!" Eirik groaned. "Could it be that simple? Is it possible?"
Borg nodded. "The bands change the females DNA. Maybe it keeps them from carrying a female child as well. We need to test this theory. I wonder if any of our warriors have had sex with a compatible Earth female and gotten her pregnant without knowing it. We need to talk to all of the warriors who have visited Earth. If there are females they've had sex with we need to locate them."
Eirik thought for a moment. "It still doesn't explain why Thorn and Daria are pregnant. Thorn already has Dane and Dev."
Borg nodded. "I wonder if it’s a side effect of the ZL3. According to these papers Thorn hadn't used ZL3 for several annuals when he got Daria pregnant. When was the last time you used it?"
Eirik frowned.
"Come on, Eirik. You and Nessa aren't so old so when was the last time you used it?"
"About a week ago," Eirik told him then frowned when he laughed.
A lot of the warriors continued to use ZL3 even after they were bonded and not just during those times they were away from their mistresses. Also, it wasn't unheard of for a bonded couple to use it occasionally for the extra excitement it produced in the bed chamber. "Maybe that's why you don't have any little ones running around your house."
Eirik grunted.
Borg shuffled through the papers again before setting them aside. "Maybe it's because he's a level five warrior. We'll figure it out. We just have to eliminate all of the possibilities and figure out what he's done differently."
Eirik strode to the door. "Let me know when you figure it out."
Before Eirik could escape, Borg asked, "Would you like me to renew your supply of ZL3."
Eirik sent him a rude gesture and slammed the door.
Borg laughed and began reading Thorn's questionnaire again. The answer was there. He was sure of it.
Chapter Sixteen
Daria dusted her hands off then glanced around the room. The books were neatly lined up on the shelves.
The surface of Thorn's desk was free of clutter and she'd cleared a space across from it for her desk to be placed when it arrived. She glanced at the timekeeper, then hurried to the front door to watch for them.
She'd had to call Valan and ask him to use his influence to get the manufacturer to deliver the desk and chair today. Daria glanced up the stairs. The last time she'd checked, Thorn had still been asleep, lying on his stomach with his arm wrapped around her pillow.
Hearing a soft humming sound, she glanced out the window. A small shuttle landed on their front lawn and two men climbed out of it. A giggle escaped her as she opened the door. So, she thought, this is how they deliver furniture in Kadia. She hadn't ever wondered about it as the furniture had already been delivered when she and Lia had come to the house before and given instructions on where each piece should be placed.
She hurried to the men. "Could you please be very quiet?" she asked them. "My hus - bondmate has been ill and I don't want to disturb him."
They grinned, then nodded. Together they lifted the desk out of the shuttle and carried it into the house. Daria showed them where to place it. One of them went back for the chair while she had the other man move the desk until it was exactly where she wanted it.
The second man returned and set the chair behind the desk. "Do I need to sign anything?" she asked as she followed them into the hallway.
"No. It's been taken care of," the younger man said as he followed his companion out the door.
Daria watched them climb into the shuttle. As soon as the doors closed it took off. She closed the door then went back to the den. It only took a few moments for her to organize her desk the way she wanted it. She plopped down into the chair and lifted her feet to the edge and pretended Thorn was sitting across from her.
He'd been asleep for three units. She debated whether she should wake him or not. Rising, she wandered into the kitchen and studied the food processor. Borg had said nothing too rich or spicy. Surely there must be something he craved, but what?
Frustrated, she settled on a bland bread, a selection of fruit, and the requisite herbal tea. She carried the tray upstairs and into their bed chamber. This room was a mess, as well. She set the tray on a table by the bed and quietly began gathering up her scattered clothes.
When the room was neat again she frowned at the glass cases. She'd deliberately rearranged all of his collections. She knew it had really bothered him but he hadn't said anything to her. He'd just looked at them, sighed, and turned away.
Daria quietly opened the doors and began replacing the objects in the cases where they belonged and in the order he'd had them arranged. She stepped back and studied them for a moment, then moved one of the crystals. There, she thought, everything back where it belongs.
She tiptoed to the bed and sat down on the edge. Gently, she laid her hand on his back. "Thorn," she whispered as she stroked his back. "You've been asleep for over three units."
He grumbled and clutched the pillow tighter. Daria brushed his hair away from his face and slid her finger down his cheek.
"If you don't wake up, you won't be able to sleep tonight."
Thorn opened his eyes, then closed them again. "Baby, I'm so tired."
She leaned over him protectively. She hated to wake him but he had to eat. Borg had said he should eat several small meals a day. She figured he meant five or six. As far as she knew Thorn hadn't eaten at all today. "If you'll wake up and eat something I'll let you go back to sleep."
Thorn groaned and turned away, scooting over to the other side of the bed. "No food."
Daria grasped his shoulder and pulled him onto his back. He came unwillingly. His eyes opened and he glared at her.
"I've fixed you some bread and fruit. And, some tea. I want you to eat it."
"I'll just puke."
"No, you won't. Now, sit up."
"Daria."
"Sit up," she urged him. "Slowly."
Thorn scooted up and Daria stuffed the pillows behind his back. He watched her as she lifted the tray and placed it on his lap before she lifted a piece of bread and held it to his lips.
"Come on, Thorn. Just one bite." Daria brushed his lips with the bread, encouraging him to open his mouth.
He bit into it, chewed and swallowed. His eyes met hers as they waited to see if it would stay in his stomach. Daria smiled at him.
"See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" She offered him a sip of tea, followed by a piece of fruit.
Thorn chewed the fruit and watched her. His eyes narrowed until they were grey slits. "What's going on? Why are you doing this?"
Daria shrugged. "I just want to."
"Why do you want to?" He turned his head away when she tried to stuff a piece of bread in his mouth.
Daria lowered her hand. "I've decided that part of the blame for this situation belongs to me. If I had gone to you on the Invincible and told you about the Witvians you would have protected me and checked out my story."
"I see. If you'd done that then I wouldn't have found you on the fourth floor and we wouldn't be bonded and we wouldn't be pregnant? Is that it?"
Daria glared at him. He had to go and remind her about the pleasure-givers on the starship and what he intended to do the night he'd found her. She stuffed the bread in his mouth. "Since we're on the subject just how many times a week did you visit them? Once? Twice? More?"
"Jealous, baby?" Thorn grinned.
"No. I just can't believe you have the nerve to gripe about my lover when yo—."
Thorn shouted with laughter. "I'm the only real lover you've ever had and we both know it." He pulled her to him until their lips almost touched. "You were my almost virgin, baby. Hot and wet and so tight."
"You knew!" she exclaimed as she jerked away from him.
Thorn shook his head. "I suspected, but when you told me about the baby I decided I must have been wrong."
"Great! I suppose you're completely happy now?" she grumbled.
"Is that why you didn't want me to know? Because you knew it would make me happy?"
"Yes," she told him as she crossed her arms. "You're a chauvinist, Thorn. It's alright for you to have lovers," she glared at him when he nodded, "but, you think a female is supposed to just wait around and keep herself pure until Mr. Right comes along."
"Mr. Right?" he asked. "Who the hell is he?"
Daria frowned, then explained, "The right man. On Earth we call him Mr. Right."
"I'm Mr. Right?" he asked her, pleased by her admission.
"No. You're Mr. Wrong," she told him miffed by his grin.
Thorn understood the reference and his grin turned into a smile. "Where you're concerned it doesn't matter. Wrong or right, I'm your bondmate. Forever."
Daria picked up a piece of fruit. Thorn nipped her fingers as he bit into it. "You still haven't told me how many times a week you went there."
"If you'll admit you're jealous, I'll tell you."
"When pigs fly," she mumbled, then held the mug of tea to his lips.
"Don't you want to know?" Thorn frowned when he saw her eyes fill with tears. He moved the tray to the table and pulled her into his arms. "I didn't go there until I couldn't bear the burning any longer," he whispered into her hair. "Don't cry."
Daria curled her hand around his nape and sniffed. "I'm not crying," she lied, then burst into sobs. "I'm not. I'm not."
Thorn patted her shaking shoulders. Love was hell, he thought to himself. And, wonderful, he quickly added, wondering how long he could hide this from his father and grandfather. "Daria, whatever you do don't let them know about this. They'll make my life miserable."
Daria heard him and knew instantly who he was referring to. She hiccupped, then laughed. Thorn turned her face up to his and kissed the tears from her cheeks.
"No more tears," he ordered her sternly. "At least, not in front of them."
Daria nodded. She glanced around the room. "I cleaned up the den."
"Why?"
"Because it was making you u
nhappy."
Thorn examined the room. It was cleaned up, as well. "Why?"
"I want you to be happy. I want you to eat and get better."
"Why, Daria," he asked, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Because," she paused, then took the risk, saying goodbye to her freedom, "I love you."
Thorn smiled at her. "How much, little wolfen? How much do you love me?"
Daria slid onto his lap. "More than the universe can hold. More than life itself. If we live to be a hundred and fifty it won't be a long enough time to spend with you."
Thorn stroked her foot, then tapped the rose tattoo on her toe.
"The minute I saw this, I knew you were meant for me. For me and Dane and Dev."
Daria looked at the three thorns on the vine. "We'll have to add another thorn. For our daughter."
"No," he told her as he lowered his lips to hers. "She's already there. She's the little rose."
Epilogue
"Come on, Daria, push," Thorn coached her.
"That's easy for you to say. I can't believe you did this to me." Daria gasped as another contraction built until she wanted to scream.
Thorn scooted closer to her back and held her shoulders. "If you'd stop being so blasted stubborn and do as I tell you this would already be over."
"It's your daughter, what's her name; who's being stubborn," she gasped between pants. Grimacing, she bore down.
Thorn wiped her forehead. "You're doing fine. Just a few more times and she'll be born."
"That's what you said a unit ago."
"This time I'm right," When Daria grimaced, he wrapped his arms around her and supported her. "Come on, Daria."
She gritted her teeth and pushed.
Thorn laughed. "I can see the top of her head. She has black hair just like I said." His voice was excited. Borg gently turned the baby and before he could tell Daria what to do the baby was born.
Borg cut the umbilical cord and handed her to Thorn. Tears glazed his eyes as he held her and wiped her tiny cheeks. He gave her to Daria to hold while he slipped out from behind her and gave the baby her first bath. He carried her back to Daria and watched as she examined her, counting her fingers and toes.
Thorn's Bondmate (Zarronian Warriors Book 2) Page 25
