“If you’re finished, we should go to the clinic. Vyrex will be waiting. There are some tests he wishes to run, just to make sure everything is going well with your pregnancy and that the child is all right.”
Jacie stood and practically stormed out of the Earth-like diner, and he quickly caught up to her. She was angry with him and he didn’t quite understand why. He was doing what was best for her, even if she couldn’t see it. And yet, if pushing her away would cause her undue stress and jeopardize her pregnancy, he might have to rethink things. Surely he could make her see things his way, if he explained.
He led her to the clinic and pushed the door open for her. The waiting area was full and he saw the dismay on her face. After leading her to a seat along the wall, he stuck his head into the back and called out to Vyrex. The doctor looked perturbed when he came out of an exam room.
“What is all the bellowing about?” Vyrex asked.
“I brought Jacie, the pregnant human. You said this morning you would clear your schedule for her. She’s had breakfast and is now ready for your tests.”
“Bring her back and put her in the last exam room on the right. You should return to the waiting area.”
Like hell. Barimere wasn’t about to leave her. What if she received bad news? Of course, if she had to undress during any part of the exam, he’d have to step outside. It wouldn’t be right for him to see her in a state of undress, no matter how appealing that sounded.
In the waiting room, he took Jacie’s hand and pulled her to her feet. “The doctor would like for you to wait in one of the rooms in back. I’ll stay with you.”
Her fingers curled around his and she followed meekly as he led her down the corridor and into the last exam room. There was a chair for scans and a table where most of the exam would take place. Putting his hands on her slightly expanding waist, he lifted and set her on the table. Jacie’s eyes went wide and her hands lightly touched his shoulders so she could catch her balance.
“I want to stay,” Barimere said. “If that’s all right with you. I’m interested in what he has to say about your pregnancy, and if there’s anything you need to do or have, I’ll need to know about it anyway.”
“You may stay,” she said softly.
The door opened and Vyrex stepped inside. He walked over to the cleansing unit and cleaned his hands before approaching Jacie with an easy smile. Barimere bristled, recalling that the doctor was single and very eligible. This made no sense. He’d already determined she’d be better off with someone else, so why did he have the sudden urge to toss Vyrex out of the room?
“You must be Jacie,” Vyrex said as he held out a hand toward her.
Jacie shook the doctor’s hand.
“Would you like to tell me a little about your health, background, or anything you’ve noticed with the pregnancy so far? I heard you saw a doctor on Earth.”
“Yes, I did,” she said softly. “He determined the baby was half-Terran, but didn’t really do anything else. He didn’t do a scan but he did take a blood sample when he pricked my finger. I don’t know what he was looking for. He listened to my heart and took my temperature, but that was pretty much it.”
Vyrex frowned. “I’ll have to bring that up with the council. A much more thorough exam should have been done, and he didn’t even create a file for you. I checked the system this morning and there’s no record of you having been seen at a clinic on Earth.”
“Barimere said you wanted to run tests.”
The doctor nodded. “I’d like to do a few scans, one of which will tell us the sex of your baby, and take some blood for a full work-up. The labs should be able to process everything today, so if there’s anything we need to do or take care of, we’ll find out soon.”
She rubbed her belly. “I’d like to know if it’s a boy or girl.”
“Let me draw some blood, and then I’ll have you move over to the chair.”
Jacie held out her arm and Vyrex rolled up her sleeve. He took five vials of blood, then ushered her over to the scanners. Jacie looked nervous as she sat down and Barimere wished he could take her hand and soothe her fears. The first scan Vyrex ran gave a general report on her health. When he did a more in-depth scan, focusing on her abdomen, his jaw nearly hit the floor. Vyrex looked from Jacie to Barimere with wide eyes.
“What is it?” Barimere asked. “You’re scaring her!”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to. It’s just… you aren’t having a baby, Jacie. You’re having four! I’m going to get a closer look at the babies and see if I can get a better feel for how they’re doing. As small as they are, you’re definitely going to need some diet changes.”
Jacie looked like she might jump up and run away at a moment’s notice. “Four?”
Barimere was just as shocked as she was. He moved a little closer, wanting to see what Vyrex saw. When the little babies showed on the screen, he noticed they were very tiny, especially considering they were four months along. Barimere had never seen a baby in the womb before, but he’d imagine they should be quite a bit larger. He hoped nothing was wrong with them. Everyone knew their Chief Councilor had lost two of his children when his mate had been pregnant with triplets. Would the same thing happen with Jacie?
“You’re having three girls and a boy,” Vyrex said.
Barimere knew, in that moment, that his plan to find her a mate had just been ground to dust. A warrior might have accepted one child that wasn’t his own blood, but no way would anyone take her to mate with four children from another male. Especially if they found out it was Myro. He wasn’t liked very well in Terran Prime. Cocky bastard.
Vyrex did a few more scans and scribbled some notes before helping Jacie to her feet. “I want you to eat at least five times a day. Your meals need to be high in protein. You should also drink a vitamin shake once a day, in addition to coming in once a week for a vitamin injection. I’ll give you one today to get you started. This pregnancy is going to take a toll on your body. Closer to your due date, you’ll probably be on bed rest to ensure the babies are delivered healthy. Terrans seldom have multiple births, and when we do, sometimes not all of the babies survive. If something should happen, you need to know it isn’t your fault.”
Jacie placed her hands over her belly, protecting her children.
Barimere curled an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. “I’ll see that she eats and gets plenty of rest.”
Vyrex studied him a moment. “I’m sure you’re aware that this is a prime opportunity for you. You’re unmated and she’s in need of someone strong to stand by her side. She’s going to need someone who has time to devote to four children. And most importantly, with your history, we both know this is your best chance to have a family.”
“Jacie knows I can’t have children.”
Vyrex seemed surprised to learn that.
“He doesn’t want me,” Jacie said.
“Let me explain your situation, Jacie,” Vyrex said. “Terran males are very proud. Asking one to accept one baby that isn’t his own cut your chances of finding a mate by about seventy percent. But four? Quite honestly, other than Barimere, I can’t think of another male on our world who would take you as his mate. So unless you plan to live a lonely existence on our world, I think you should have a talk with your bodyguard and see if the two of you can come to some sort of arrangement.”
“Stay out of it,” Barimere said. “You’re here to treat Jacie as a patient, not dictate how she should live her life. If she wants a mate, I’ll find her a mate.” Even if he wasn’t entirely sure how to do that.
Vyrex snorted. “More like beat one into submission.”
Barimere shrugged. “Give her the shot so we can be on our way. All things considered, our current living arrangements aren’t going to work. I need to meet with the council and figure out something else. My home is too far away to take her there. She needs to be near the clinic in case an emergency arises.”
Vyrex prepared the syringe and injected J
acie in her upper arm. She winced and Barimere growled at the doctor for causing her pain. When they were finished, Barimere escorted her outside with a promise to bring her back in a week for another injection. The suns were blindingly bright and he watched as she squinted at the sky. Her body trembled next to him and he wondered if there was anything he could say or do to make things better.
“I need to return you to your quarters and arrange to meet with the council. I don’t like the thought of leaving you, but I promise to return as quickly as I can. You should probably rest while I’m gone, or I can show you how to pull up movies on the Vid-comm screen.” Barimere gave her a reassuring smile. “I know this is something of a shock, finding out about the babies, but I promise to do everything I can to help you, Jacie. You aren’t alone.”
“Yes, I am.” She looked up at him. “If you tried to claim me now, I would wonder if you only wanted me for the babies. We both know you didn’t want to mate with me prior to that visit.”
“I won’t lie. The babies would be a gift I would treasure always, and would be a big factor in us becoming mates. But they aren’t the only factor. You know I desire you, Jacie, you’ve said as much before. I wanted you even when I thought there was only one baby, but you deserve so much better than me. People stare and whisper when I walk by, and they can only see my face. I have more scarring elsewhere on my body.”
“You think I care about your scars? I mean, I care in the sense that I wish you’d never had to go through the agony that created them. But I don’t care that you’re scarred, Barimere. I’m not shallow.”
“I’m no longer a warrior who fights for our world, Jacie. I’m half the male I once was. I wish I could find someone for you, someone who deserves your love and devotion, who will cherish you every day.”
Jacie shook her head and started walking in the direction of the tower. Either she didn’t believe him, or she was still upset. He stayed a step behind her, giving her some space yet staying close enough to watch over her. At the tower, she blocked him from entering the elevator. He watched the doors slide shut and watched the numbers increase until the elevator had reached their floor. Only then did he allow himself to seek out Councilman Larimar.
Chapter Four
Jacie wasn’t angry with Barimere, not really. She was upset that her life had been turned upside down, even though she cherished her babies. Hearing about the losses of other multiple births upset her, and she worried over the welfare of the babies growing inside her. Vyrex had said they were small, too small, and she worried they wouldn’t live to term. If she lost them, it would devastate her.
His words about no males wanting a woman with four children still rang in her ears. Of course, there was only one male she could think of that she would even be tempted to claim, but now that Barimere knew about the babies, how could she be certain that he wanted to claim her because he had feelings for her and not just because he wanted to be a father? Wouldn’t four babies be more tempting to him than just one?
Jacie rubbed her belly. “I don’t know what to do, little ones. Your daddy is an asshole, and the one male who seems to want what’s best for me, would have kept pushing me away before he discovered just how many of you are in there.”
A throat cleared and she jerked her gaze toward the door. Barimere leaned against the doorframe and she wondered how long he’d been standing there. Had he taken an elevator up after she’d shut him out downstairs? Or were there stairs somewhere that she didn’t know about? Either way, he was a sneaky bastard.
“That isn’t entirely true,” he said.
“Which part?”
His lips quirked on one side. “Oh, the part about Myro being an asshole was accurate. But it doesn’t matter to me how many children you’re having. One child would have been just as much of a blessing to me as four. The way I see it is that four would be a blessing to you, if you were to mate with me. Because if you’d only had one, you might have always wanted another, and I’d have been incapable of giving one to you.”
“So four babies instead of one doesn’t make me any more attractive to you?” she asked.
He hung his head a moment before that penetrating gaze clashed with hers. “Jacie, I think we both know that I desire you. I can barely refrain from touching you and the evidence of my arousal when you’re near is hard to ignore. The fact you’re pregnant is just a bonus, but I want what’s best for you, and I’m not entirely sure that’s me. I’ll watch over you as long as you need me. But if you still want a mate, I’ll help you find one. There has to be someone on this planet who wouldn’t mind claiming four children as their own. I’m going to have the council speak with Myro, when his mate and child aren’t around, and tell him about the babies. And then I’m going to have them request that he sign away his rights to the children and any claim he may have had on them.”
“Barimere, I don’t know you that well, but from what little I’ve learned, I think any woman would be lucky to claim you as her mate. The things you think make you a bad mate actually make you a great one. No woman wants to worry that her man has gone off to war and might not return. Instead of attending grueling training day after day, you could spend time with your mate and kids.” Jacie folded her arms over her chest. “You have to admit, I make a good point.”
Barimere sighed and straightened.
“Don’t argue with me,” she said. “You’ll lose.”
His lips twitched as if he fought a smile.
“Look, I’m not saying we have to ride off into the sunset together,” she said, “but what if we just spent some time together, get to know one another a little better, and kind of test the waters? The more time we spend together, we’ll either grow closer or we’ll be at each other’s throats all the time.”
“And if we grow closer, then you think we should become mated?” he asked.
“Well, it makes sense. We already have sexual chemistry going for us. If we become friends too, then we’ll have the best of both worlds. On my world, people go their entire lives searching for the right mate, and sometimes they’re lucky enough to find him or her. But only a small, blessed number of people are lucky enough to marry their best friend.”
His lips did tip up that time. “And you think I could become your best friend?”
“Would it hurt to give us a chance to find out?”
“I’m going to speak with the council about housing and let them know the latest development, as well as discuss the Myro issue. When I get back, we’ll talk about how things are going to work between us. Until then, I suggest you rest. If you’d like to watch the Vid-comm, press the orange button to turn it on. Hold the yellow and blue buttons in at the same time to pull up the list of available movies, and then use the arrows to navigate through the list and press the green button to select something.”
“And if a call comes through?” she asked.
“The purple button on the left.”
“Thank you.”
His gaze caressed her before he tipped his head to her and backed out, letting the door close behind him. Jacie walked over to the Vid-comm and followed his instructions to choose a movie. She was halfway through the list when the Vid-comm made a weird noise. Not knowing what else it could be, she pressed the purple button to accept an incoming call.
Jacie smiled and waved a little at Vyrex when he appeared on the screen.
“Jacie, are you alone?” he asked.
“Yes. Barimere went to speak with the council.”
“I know not much time has passed, but have you had a little time to process everything I told you? Have you thought of any questions you’d like to ask?”
“I don’t have any questions about my health or the babies. Your world is still a little confusing to me though. On Earth, I wouldn’t need a mate in order to survive. I could find a job and put the children in daycare if I needed to. But here? It’s very much a male dominated society. Even most of the shopkeepers are male. The only females I’ve seen working are those in the Earth
diner.”
“You’re right. Zel… I mean, Terran males are raised to be protective of females. And we tend to take it to the extreme. But our females usually don’t wish to work. The only Earth females who have asked permission to take jobs work at the restaurant you mentioned.”
“You were going to say something other than Terrans.”
His cheeks flushed a brighter purple. “Yes. Well… if you’re going to live here, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you. Our world was not always called Terran. It was known as Zelthrane-3 and our people were called Zelthranites. All of that changed when Earth was discovered and we decided to make contact. It was thought that the term Terran would be less threatening to your people and make us appear more similar than we are.”
“I honestly don’t care if you call yourselves Terrans or Zelthranites. Either way, I’m stuck on a world I don’t understand with no options.”
“You have an option right under your nose. Would it be so bad to become the mate of Barimere? Despite his inability to have children, I believe he would be a wonderful father.”
“He doesn’t want me as a mate. He won’t deny he’s attracted to me, but he claims he doesn’t want me for the long haul.”
The doctor smiled. “Doubtful. Not after what I witnessed while you were here.”
“I don’t understand.” Jacie’s brow furrowed. “What did you see that I missed?”
“First, I told him to wait in the waiting room while I did your exam. He refused to leave your side. And while he may have stood off to the side for most of it, his gaze seldom left you. When I hurt you with the injection, I thought he was going to come after me for causing you pain.”
“So, you’re saying…” She pursed her lips. “I’m not quite sure what you’re saying.”
“He feels protective of you, and what I witnessed today were signs of a male who has claimed a mate. When unattached males come to my clinic with females under their protection, they don’t hover and watch my every move to ensure I don’t harm the female. They wait in the waiting room like I tell them to.”
Jacie and the Alien Bodyguard (Intergalactic Brides 6) Page 4
