by Sadie Carter
“These idiots think Sophie is some sort of super spy,” Saffron spat out.
“What?” Rich began laughing. “Seriously? Sophie?”
“I’m not sure why that’s so funny,” Sophie said slowly.
“Why would you think Sophie is a spy?” Rich asked, wiping tears from his eyes. “I mean, have you looked at her? She couldn’t fight her way out of a paper bag.”
“Hey!” Sophie glared at him.
“Sorry, babe, no offense.”
“You know that saying no offense doesn’t actually excuse you after you say something offensive, don’t you?” Alice told him, moving closer to take Sophie’s hand. “Are you feeling okay, Soph?”
Toriq moved closer, noting the way Sophie was shaking. Sweat had broken out across her brow.
“I’m all right. It’s just a little hot in here.” Sophie fanned herself with her hand as Saffron started yelling again. This time Rich joined in.
“Everybody quiet!” a loud voice boomed. Surprisingly, both Rich and Saffron obeyed.
A dark-haired, scowling male stepped into the room.
“Stars, when did Moroco get back?” Argus whispered quietly behind him.
Not quietly enough as Moroco turned to glare at the whisperer. “Yesterday, if you must know. You have an issue with my return?”
“No, not at all, healer,” Argus told him. Toriq nearly grinned to see the younger warrior take a step back. Moroco was known for his sharp temper. Nobody crossed him, and if they did, he was sure to make their lives impossible. Once a few youngsters had decided to play a prank on him, and they’d swapped out his Sola for washing liquid.
They’d spent the next three weeks cleaning every inch of his medical room.
With toothbrushes.
Toriq’s lips actually twitched at the memory. Hadn’t Argus been one of those youngsters? The way he stared at Moroco, with a mix of awe and fear, made him think he may well have been.
“With Thor away, I have been called back from the academy to take his place as head healer.”
“Good to have you back from the academy,” Macon told him.
He grunted. “Got bored with trying to teach young, arrogant idiots. Now I get to come home and heal young, arrogant idiots.” He stared at Argus as he said that and Toriq heard the other male swallow heavily.
“Now, which one of you is my patient? Unlike all of you, I have other things to do rather than stand around talking.” He turned to Saffron. “Is it you?”
“What? No.” She glared at the healer. “I’m fine.”
“You’re flushed, and your voice sounds scratchy. Are you getting ill?”
“Her voice is scratchy from all the yelling,” Macon told him. He then pointed at Sophie. “Check her.”
Toriq gave into his compulsion and moved closer as Sophie’s eyes widened, her fear so clear he could almost taste it.
Oh shit. What was she going to do? She couldn’t let this healer inspect her. Then he’d know her secret…but did it matter if they did know? Rich had wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret, but for how long? And why?
She glanced up at Rich who watched her, a calculated look on his face.
“Let him inspect you, Sophie.”
The healer, who was nothing like the other healers she’d met, who’d all been gentle and soft-spoken, turned to look at Rich. “You her mate?”
“What? Me? No, no I’m not.”
There was a funny note in his voice she couldn’t decipher.
“Then she doesn’t need your permission to let me examine her.”
“She is currently our prisoner, suspected of being a spy. Inspect her, Moroco,” Macon ordered.
Moroco raised his eyebrows. “Little thing like her, a spy?” He snorted. “Humans are very strange indeed if they send tiny females to do a male’s job.”
“A male’s job?” Saffron snapped at him.
Sophie winced, but the healer didn’t seem bothered that her sister was glaring daggers at him. He knelt in front of Sophie and reached into his bag, pulling out a med-wand.
Shit. She didn’t even know they were safe to use while she was pregnant. Reaching out, she grasped hold of his wrist. He raised one eyebrow, staring at her imperiously.
“You have some objection?”
“She does not get to object, she is our prisoner.”
Sophie stared up at Macon fearfully. Their prisoner. Holy shit. Orange was really not her color. Not that they probably had orange jumpsuits for their prisoners here.
No, because they probably just killed them.
A hand waving in front of her eyes brought her back to the here and now. “Oh, there you are. Do you mind keeping your mind on the task? I understand that is difficult for human females, but perhaps you could manage it for a few minutes.”
Had she just been insulted?
“You arrogant wanker,” Saffron spat at him.
“And you,” he didn’t even turn to look at her sister, just held a finger up, “be quiet or you will be removed.”
Sophie gulped as her sister’s face grew bright red.
“Please, Saff, let me handle this.”
Saffron turned to her and whatever she saw in Sophie’s face made her nod and take a step back.
Moroco studied her. Up close she could see that his eyes were the most amazing shade of green. Almost sage. She’d never seen eyes quite that color before.
“Are you going to stop touching me?”
She drew her hand back sharply, unaware she still touched his wrist. “I just wanted to know, are med-wands safe to use on pregnant women? We don’t have them back on Earth.”
“I am not surprised you do not have med-wands on your primitive Earth, but they are perfectly safe…wait, did you say pregnant?”
Sophie nodded, unable to answer or to look at any of the others. Instead, she kept her gaze on the healer who was staring at her in amazement.
“You are?” Alice finally asked. She gave Sophie a huge hug. “Congratulations! That’s so wonderful! When are you due? Oh, a little baby; this will be so great. First Zoey, then Mila, and now you!”
Trust Alice to look at the bright side. Everyone else remained silent. She dared to glance up at Toriq, but his expression remained unchanged. Sometimes she wished he’d just show some interest in her.
Snap out of it. He thinks I’m a spy.
“How far along are you?” Moroco snapped out.
“Um, about four months.”
Someone made a noise, but when she looked up, she couldn’t tell who it was.
“Four months? You should be showing.”
“I am. A little. But baggy clothes hide the bump.”
“You were hiding this, why?”
She resisted the urge to glance at Rich, knowing that the eagle-eyed Zerconians would notice her reaction. Instead she shrugged. “I wasn’t sure you guys would want me here if you knew. I didn’t know if you’d accept pregnant females.”
“Have you had any care?”
“No.”
“Stars.” He muttered something under his breath then he turned to Macon and stood. “And you have been interrogating her as a spy? While she is pregnant?”
Macon’s eyes widened, and he appeared shocked. “I would not say we were interrogating her. And we did not know she was pregnant.”
“Not interrogating her? When I arrived there was a lot of yelling going on, and she looked scared half to death. A pregnant female is not to be stressed. Under any circumstances.”
“Again, I did not know—”
“Excuses. Get out.” Moroco waved his hand at them all. “All of you out. Now. I must examine my patient.”
“Moroco, she is a suspected—” Macon began to say.
“I do not care,” Moroco yelled. “She needs peace and calm. Out now.”
“Ah, you know that you’re yelling, right?” Saffron pointed out.
“I thought I told you to be quiet.”
“I don’t take orders from you.”
The healer moved closer, looming over her. “Out.”
Even Saffron looked slightly intimidated by the cold command in his voice.
“Can my sister stay?” Sophie asked. “And Alice?”
Moroco grunted. “She can if she can be quiet.” He turned to Alice. “And you can stay if you stop smiling. I don’t like smiling.”
“Um, okay.” Alice schooled her face into a frown. “Is this better?”
“Yes.”
Sophie actually found herself smiling at the ridiculousness of it all.
“I am not leaving her without a guard,” Macon insisted.
Moroco rose to his full height and glared at Macon. “Are you implying I cannot guard one tiny human female? That you believe she can best me?”
Yeah, the idea that she could take him on was pretty laughable.
“Hey, three females thank you very much,” Saffron protested.
Moroco looked her up and down then turned, dismissing her. Sophie had to hide a grin as Saffron glared at him, clearly furious. She tapped her foot up and down, folding her arms across her chest. “You don’t think I can take you on, big guy?”
Moroco ignored her as he scowled at Macon.
“Hey, I’m talking to you.” Saffron poked the big healer’s back. Sophie winced. Sometimes Saffron didn’t know when to give up.
The healer turned, staring down at her sister imperiously. “Did you just poke me?”
Saffron visibly swallowed. “Yeah. What of it?”
Moroco took a step back, and Saffron stepped away, looking nervous. “If you feel you can touch me without permission, does that mean I can do the same to you?”
Uh-oh. It was probably time someone with a clear head cooled things down.
“Um, are you guys forgetting something?” Sophie waved her hands around. “Me?”
Both Moroco and Saffron turned to stare at her, looking confused. Moroco looked down, then back up quickly, squaring his shoulders as Saffron blushed. Clearly, she’d forgotten there was anyone else in the room.
“All of you out. Except Toriq. He may stay as a guard since I know he can be quiet. Although I do not need help controlling three females.” Moroco sent Saffron a look. Sophie held her breath, but instead of challenging him, her sister just huffed and sat on an armchair.
Thank God for small miracles.
“I think I should remain as well,” Rich interjected. “To make sure no harm comes to Sophie.”
“What do you care about the human female?” Macon rumbled. “Unless she has something you want?”
Sophie froze. How the hell had he guessed that?
“What makes you say that?” Rich asked.
“Because you only ever concern yourself with the lives of others when it benefits you,” Macon said coldly.
Jeez, she was grateful she wasn’t Rich right now. Then she remembered that Macon wasn’t any more pleased with her and her stomach tightened with nerves.
“Just because I don’t jump to do your bidding, Macon, doesn’t mean I don’t have some sense of loyalty to my fellow countrymen. Sophie is alone and helpless. I am just trying to help her.”
“Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Saffron protested.
“Chopped liver?” Moroco looked confused. “Why would we think you were a mutilated body organ?”
Saffron gaped at him for a moment. “Um, I don’t know.”
“I need to inspect my patient. All of you out. Including you.” He glared at Rich before kneeling in front of Sophie.
As the warriors trudged outside, she found herself breathing easier. Having them all glare down at her was intimidating as hell. And even though she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong, she couldn’t help but feel the urge to confess to something.
“Thanks for getting them all to leave.”
Moroco just grunted. “Lie back. Clothes up over your stomach.”
Feeling slightly nervous, she lay back and raised her shirt, displaying her small bump. She avoided looking at Toriq, a bit embarrassed to have him in the room.
“You are small.”
“Is that bad?” she whispered. “Is there something wrong with my baby?”
“I did not say that. I do not know much about human pregnancies. Maybe you are all this small.”
“They’re not, I mean, we’re not,” Alice said quietly. “This small, I mean. Sheesh, sorry. What I’m trying to say is that I’ve been around a lot of pregnant women. My mother helped with many births where I lived. Most women are usually bigger than this by now, but I do know that some women don’t really show until the third trimester.”
Moroco just grunted and ran the med-wand over her stomach. He paused with it over her stomach and read something from his tablet. “Would you like to hear the heart beat?”
“Yes please.”
A fast beat filled the room and relief filled Sophie. “Is it meant to be that fast?”
“Yes,” he replied. “That is normal. Do you want to know the sex?”
“You can tell that now? With that little wand thingee?” Saffron leaned forward.
“My little wand thingee is very powerful.”
“Yeah, that’s what they all say,” Saff scoffed.
“Saffron,” Sophie cautioned.
“Sorry. Do you want to know?” she asked Sophie.
“I think so. Yes.”
Nerves filled her. She bit her lip.
“It is a boy.”
Sophie let out a deep breath as tears filled her eyes. “A boy?”
“What is wrong?” Toriq moved forward, looming over her. “Are you in pain? Did you hurt her?” He turned to Moroco.
“Of course I did not hurt her. I do not know why she is crying. Who knows why these human females do anything? They cry over everything.”
“You know, you have a real piss poor attitude toward women,” Saffron told him. “I pity your mate.”
“I do not have a mate, thankfully. And my urine has nothing to do with my attitude towards females.”
“Um, eww,” Alice said with a grin. “Oh, Soph, I’m so happy for you. A little boy. Are you happy?
“Very.” Sophie sniffled, wiping away a couple of tears.
“Then why are you crying?” Toriq demanded.
“They’re happy tears.”
The healer snorted. “Happy tears? Another irrational human reaction.”
“Irrational human reaction? Yep, I understand why you don’t have a mate,” Saffron told him.
“Can you tell when it’s due?” Sophie asked, ignoring the way Toriq hovered over her. Well, she tried to ignore him, it was kind of hard when he was close enough to touch. His scent surrounded her, making her body tighten and wish for things that could never happen.
She hadn’t come here for a mate. A hint of sadness and longing filled her, but she squashed it. It was better this way. Besides, it wasn’t like he was interested in her anyway.
“Yes. Another eighteen weeks. The fourth day of the fourteenth month.”
The Zerconians didn’t name their months like humans did.
“November fourth,” Alice said softly, patting her hand. “Sophie, that’s wonderful.”
“What is not wonderful is your health,” Moroco told her.
“What is the matter?” Toriq demanded before she could ask.
Alarm filled her as she took in the healer’s serious expression. “According to this, you are underweight, you are lacking in several vitamins. You should be taking added vitamins. I am guessing you have not been doing this?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t find out I was pregnant until we were on the transporter heading here and I didn’t want to consult the doctor on board the ship in case he made me return to Earth. Have I put my baby in danger?” Her heart raced, and Saffron leaned over to take her free hand.
“They’re okay, aren’t they? The baby and Sophie?” Saffron asked with concern.
Moroco kept his gaze on the small screen at the top of his med-wand. “I am having your results analyzed and
compared to what information we have about human pregnancies. Your bodies are different to our females. You certainly do not look big enough to give birth to a baby.” He studied her body critically, and Sophie’s anxiety grew.
“I’ve seen women smaller than Sophie give birth successfully,” Alice said. “You’d be surprised by what our bodies can do.”
The healer grabbed his tablet. “We shall see.”
“You know, you really need to work on your bedside manners,” Saffron told him. “Or do you get a kick of out scaring your patients?”
Moroco glanced up at her sister then turned to Sophie who was trying very hard not to let her anxiety turn into a full-blown attack.
“I did not mean to scare you,” he said to Sophie. She guessed that was his version of an apology. She nodded, although she didn’t feel any less anxious. She should have risked it and spoken to the doctor on board the transporter. But would he have requested her medical records from Earth? She hadn’t wanted to risk the fake backgrounds Rich had set up for her and Saffron. They’d been so scared of being discovered that they’d pretty much stuck to themselves the whole trip from Earth to Zerconia.
“I am going to use these results to make up a vitamin mix for you. I will start you off with this.” He held up an injector.
Sophie shook her head and scooted backward. “Uh-uh, no way.”
“What?”
“No injections.”
“Sophie is terrified of needles,” Saffron told him, standing to move closer to her.
“Ridiculous. Why would you be scared of needles? Now roll over and bare your buttock.”
“Like bloody hell,” she told him. “You come any closer, and I’m going to make you a eunuch.” Even she was surprised by her outburst. But he was not sticking her with that thing.
“Maybe Sophie could take it in a different form,” Alice suggested.
Moroco looked thoughtful. “I could mix it up as a suppository and stick it up her ass I suppose.”
“What?” Sophie squeaked.
“You really are an asshole,” Saffron told him.
“It is not my asshole you all need to concern yourself with.” He turned to Sophie, the injector in his hand. “Come, you are irrational. Surely this little injection is preferable to having a suppository stuck up your asshole?”
