by Mikayla Lane
Quinn looked at the women suspiciously, but she couldn’t deny she needed a little more understanding of what was going on in order to figure out how to keep her son safe.
“Just for a little while?” she prompted as she looked at each of the women in turn, hoping for any sign that would tell her what to do.
“Only for as long as you and Christopher are comfortable,” Lara agreed.
“I sense no deception in them. The place they speak of is very highly regarded among them,” Atarma whispered through Quinn’s mind.
It was enough for Quinn to make up her mind.
“Let’s go,” she agreed, hoping she was making the right decision.
Chapter Seventeen
Quinn stepped through the portal with Lara and couldn’t believe she was still on Earth. In fact, she’d made the women stand by the portal for nearly 20 minutes as she inundated them with questions.
It was Thjodhild who had come and finally convinced Quinn it was safe to leave the portal area. Quinn grinned at the tiny woman, who had easily manipulated her into a tour of the place. It had been the most exciting few hours she’d ever spent.
Now as she stared at the smiling faces of Amun, Lauren, and an incredibly disheveled man named Dr. Sergei Rostovic, Quinn was a little less sure it had been a good idea. She felt more like a bug under a microscope than a patient.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake guys!” Angel muttered. “This is exciting! Let’s see that baby!”
“I’m so sorry,” Lauren said with a blush as she stepped forward and reached out a hand to Quinn. “This is just so exciting for us. Will you allow us to scan your son? It won’t harm him; it’s like an ultrasound, only much more detailed.”
Quinn shook the woman’s hand and swore she could feel the excitement and curiosity running rampant through the doctor’s energy.
“You can,” Atarma whispered in her mind. “It is part of our bond to allow you to use my abilities. They mean us no harm.”
Quinn nodded at the doctor but remained standing where she was, far from the medical table she could see behind the doctors.
Lauren reached behind her for a comm, and Amun handed her one.
“Watch,” Lauren told Quinn as she tapped her fingers on the device.
Moments later, Quinn gasped and placed both hands on her stomach as she stared at the wall behind the doctor and the perfect picture of a baby projected there.
“That is Christopher,” Lauren continued to tap on the scanner as Quinn walked towards the wall and reached a hand up to the image.
Just then, Christopher kicked several times, and a smile broke out on Quinn’s face as she watched the image on the wall kick in time to the kicks in her stomach.
“It is Christopher,” she whispered in awe at the detail of the image.
“Let’s see his face,” Sergei mumbled from beside Quinn before he held up his own comm and scanned her.
Seconds later, there was another image on the wall beside the first; this one was a perfect view of Christopher’s face and chest.
“He’s so beautiful,” Quinn whispered as she touched the face on the wall with one hand and her stomach with the other.
“He is very healthy,” Amun added. “He’s a little low on a few nutrients. Probably due to your change in diet the last week or so. Will you allow us to give you the additional nutrients to bring his body in balance?”
Everyone looked at Quinn expectantly, and she felt pressured by it. She was getting ready to ask how they would do that when Angel stepped up beside her.
“Here, test the little terror. She’s always low on something even though I eat like a whale,” Angel grinned and allowed Lauren and Amun to scan her the same way they had Quinn.
“It’s iron again. What is it with the female babies and iron problems?” Amun grinned with a shake of his head as he grabbed a mediband.
Lauren pointed at what looked to Quinn like a shimmery bracelet.
“This is a mediband. It’s the basis of our medical technology. Using nano technology, we program the medicine into the bands, and it’s released through the band into the body as needed. The bands are also used for healing,” Lauren explained.
“Watch,” Sergei said as he flicked something from his scanner to the wall. “Here is Isana’s iron levels right now. Once the mediband is placed on Angel . . .” Sergei waited while Lauren put the band on Angel’s wrist.
“Wow!” Quinn whispered as she watched the numbers change on the wall when the band went on Angel. “It’s that fast?”
“It acts like a digital doctor for the babies,” Dree added, holding up her wrist that had her mediband on. “It constantly monitors our health and that of the babies.”
“It also alerts us if there are any changes to your health that require immediate action. Mostly we can just tweak the nanos to provide daily care to ensure optimal health and well-being for mother and child,” Lauren explained.
Quinn looked a little disappointed as she stared between the wall and the bands on Angel and Dree’s wrists.
“You’re supposed to be so advanced . . . why would he have any problems at all? Is he . . . is he able to live here? On this planet?” Quinn asked, wondering if her son would be OK.
Angel burst out laughing and hugged a startled Quinn.
“You’re hilarious! Of course he can live here! He’s not a freak or anything. None of us are. The baby has a few nutrient deficiencies because of your diet, not because he’s allergic to air!” Angel snorted, trying to stop her laughter.
“I’ve seen the ads for human pregnancy vitamins,” Dree added. “This is no different. It’s because the little terrors need a lot of food and nutrients to grow.”
That made a little more sense to Quinn, especially since she knew she hadn’t eaten properly since she’d been taken captive. Prior to that, she’d put herself on a strict diet of the most nutritious foods she could afford.
“I know you’re nervous,” Lauren said as she stepped closer to Quinn. “I can’t imagine how frightening and overwhelming this all must be for you. But I promise you, we will never do anything to harm you or your baby.”
Quinn was grateful when a knock on the door prevented her from having to reply. She was a little surprised to see Chris’s father come into the room. Quinn had expected to see Chris by then, and the fact that she hadn’t told her all she needed to know. She tried to cover her hurt with a smile.
“Is that my grandson?” Grai asked as he walked directly to the wall where Christopher was still projected. He turned to Quinn with a smile.
“That’s a beautiful boy! How do you feel? Are you well?” Grai asked with concern.
Quinn couldn’t look at the man’s penetrating gaze, so she looked down at her hands and nodded.
“We’re good, thank you,” she replied, wishing there were fewer people in the room.
Quinn was a little creeped out when the room suddenly emptied, and she was facing Chris’s intimidating father by herself.
“Please, sit for a moment while we speak,” Grai motioned to a nearby chair with a gentle smile.
Quinn kept a wide berth between them as she moved to the chair and sat down on the edge. She wasn’t sure what it is that he wanted to talk privately about, but she was sure it wasn’t going to be good. Since she hadn’t seen Chris, she wondered if she was going to be asked to leave.
“I can feel your fear, and I apologize if I am the one causing it. I promise, I mean you no harm,” Grai said softly, trying not to startle Quinn.
“Are you reading my mind?” Quinn accused.
Grai burst out laughing, which wasn’t the response she had expected at all.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh at you. I was just thinking that I wish I could read minds . . . I’d be in a lot less trouble with my mate less often if I could. I understand how you feel because you aren’t the first confused hybrid I’ve ever found or met,” Grai admitted with a smile. “So it’s not a stretch to guess that you’re confused and scared.�
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Quinn felt a little better when he put it that way, and she tried to smile. The small gesture was all Grai needed to continue with why he’d come.
“I’ve spoken to my son, and his brothers are helping to keep him occupied so that you have time to adjust and relax before he comes to you,” Grai explained, trying to hide his grin at the surge of hope he felt in her energy.
He’d been praying that Chris hadn’t completely destroyed any affection that Quinn had for him, and her reaction boosted his optimism dramatically. He did not want any of his grandchildren to be without both of their parents.
Quinn absently nodded her head as her thoughts ran amok.
Has Chris been trying to get to me? Does he really care about our son? she wondered, refusing to even think about whether or not he wanted to see her.
Grai pulled her from her thoughts as he gently took her hand in his own.
“I can’t apologize enough to you for what Chris has done and said. I can assure you that had his siblings or I had known of you and the child, you would have never been alone, and we won’t allow you to go through this by yourself now. As the mother of my grandson and the newest member of the beast nations, you will be afforded the rights and protections given to all of our people,” Grai said, watching her face scrunch up in confusion.
“Beast nations?” Quinn asked.
“The beast nations are a collection of societies that are host to the beast species—the creature in your brain. The Tezarians, like Dree, also have one in their brain, as do several other worlds. It means you will be treated no differently than if you were a hybrid,” Grai said, seeing she still didn’t understand.
“The simple explanation is that you will always have a home among any of our safe havens, and you and Christopher will be well taken care of,” Grai added, hoping that would alleviate Quinn’s confusion. He figured the rest could be learned when she was ready.
“I’m sorry,” Quinn said as she stood. “I don’t accept hand outs, and I don’t need charity. I appreciate your help, but I can’t and won’t raise my son to think that he doesn’t have to work just because of who he is.”
“Whoa! That’s not what I meant at all!” Grai rushed to say before she left. “You have a degree in accounting. I was going to offer you a tele-work job with our corporate headquarters.”
“Corporate headquarters? What are you talking about? How do aliens have a corporation?” Quinn asked, as her confusion turned to suspicion, though the offer of a job was the best thing she’d heard in a while.
Grai laughed and stood.
“That is a long story that I will leave to my children to explain to you. There is plenty of time to discuss the job once Christopher is born, which I believe Amun and Lauren were going to tell you would be in the next 2–3 weeks,” Grai said, glad to see the smile that came over Quinn’s face.
“So fast! How is that possible?” Quinn whispered in shock, before fear set in. “It’s too early! He won’t survive!”
“No, no! Our people only carry their children for five months, not the nine that humans do,” Grai said. “I should have let them explain that to you. I merely wanted you to know that it would never be required of you to have anything to do with Chris if you choose not to. Your new home, your job, none of it will be affected by your decision. You are one of us, as is Christopher, and family comes first.”
“Thank you . . .” Quinn replied, still not sure what the hell the man was trying to tell her.
Quinn was starting to think she’d hit the point where her mind would shut down from all of the information, questions, and uncertainty around her. She nodded blankly at Chris’s father and barely noticed when he left her alone in the room.
She’d just gotten to a point where she thought she’d be able to sort through everything with Atarma’s help when the door flew open, and the two annoyingly cheerful women barreled inside.
“Thjodhild hooked us up!” Angel said with a brilliant smile.
“Let’s get out of here! Baby is fine, you’re fine; let’s just have a girls’ day and chill while you try to make sense of everything,” Dree suggested.
Quinn just wanted to forget everything but was glad for the chance to get out of the creepy medical place.
“Where are we going?” she asked as she stood and headed towards the door.
“The best place ever!” Angel called out happily as she turned and led the way down the middle of the large, outer medlab area.
“She’s serious; it rocks!” Dree agreed as she looped her arm through Quinn’s and half-dragged her behind Angel.
Before Quinn thought to protest, they were heading up a path around the lake. The base’s beauty and the newfound freedom to wander after captivity was a welcome change, and Quinn was stunned when they came upon a large stone home that looked as if it’d just risen from the ground.
“What is this place?” Quinn asked, her voice strangely breathless.
“This is your new home,” Angel said then added, “until you have Christopher and decide on where you want to raise him.”
“What?” Quinn asked, incredulous that someone would just give her a place like that on loan.
The three story home soared above the lake, and the yard was dotted with stone paths that led to a large, well-furnished sitting area. Quinn was the one doing the dragging as she pulled Dree over to one of the comfortable looking, over-stuffed couches overlooking the lake.
“Oh my god! This is amazing,” Quinn breathed out on a sigh as she sunk into one of the chairs.
Dree and Angel chose the couch next to Quinn and followed suit. They all stared contentedly at the clear, pristine lake and allowed a peaceful silence to settle around them.
Angel let out a heavy sigh and looked over at Quinn. There was no doubt in Quinn’s mind that she wasn’t going to like whatever Angel was getting ready to say.
“You don’t have our paths through the shengari’, so you don’t realize that Chris has been having a screaming fit at all of us demanding to know where you are,” Angel admitted as she stood and went inside the house.
Quinn looked over at Dree in surprise. The small blond was no help as she just shrugged a shoulder.
“What does that mean? Is he coming here?” Quinn finally asked.
Angel peeked her head out of the door.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving, and the kitchen is fully stocked,” Angel said with a grin before she disappeared back inside.
“I could eat,” Dree added as she got up and joined Angel in the kitchen.
Quinn looked around the lake and the path they’d used to reach the house then mentally kicked herself for stupidly wanting to see him again.
Just because he’s looking for us doesn’t mean he deserves to find us, she thought.
With that in mind, she stood quickly and headed inside so no one would see her. Quinn stopped short when she walked inside and saw the counters overflowing with baked goods, fresh fruits, salads, and vegetables.
She automatically took the plate Dree handed her, and she followed Dree around the kitchen as she picked some things for her plate. When her plate was full, she headed into the most opulent and comfortable living room she’d ever seen.
“This place . . .” Quinn whispered as she took in the high stone ceilings decorated with intricately carved scenes.
“I know. It’s unbelievable. Thjodhild says we can stay here as long as we want. She’s even permanently given the Dranovians the home next to this one, but the guys don’t feel comfortable here because their presence disturbs the others so much. You don’t feel anything around them do you?” Angel asked.
Quinn thought about when she’d first seen Chris in Scotland and she shook her head.
“Not unless it causes rage and anger. That was what I felt when I saw Chris,” Quinn said, refusing to admit that she’d also felt relief and that stupid love she was still trying to forget about.
“Yeah, no. Anger isn’t part of it. It’s fear e
veryone says they feel. I don’t, probably because they’re my brothers. I grew up with them and would never be afraid of them,” Angel said.
“It’s definitely fear. When I first saw them, I thought I was going to pee myself. But they were just people like the rest of us, and Liam was hard to resist,” Dree added with a giggle. “I never feel fear now though.”
“How would that work though?” Quinn didn’t think it made sense. “If my son is a Dranovian and my beast came from his, then why would my beast fear his father?”
“I didn’t think about that,” Angel admitted. “But I have no idea how all this works. I know Amun and Lauren are pretty desperate to run some tests on you. You’re the first. The very first human we’ve ever encountered that not only became pregnant, but became beast. That’s a pretty big deal for us.”
“So they want me to be a lab rat?” Quinn asked, feeling sick to her stomach at the thought.
“Of course not!” Dree answered with a huff. “No one would ever allow that. Besides, nothing they do is invasive. Just some scans, and they run the tests without you. They’ve done it a lot with Liam and I too because no one knew a Dranovian could mate, much less have children until little Thrane came.”
“I’ll think about it,” Quinn muttered, not the least bit inclined to do so.
Chance suddenly appeared in front of the three women, and Quinn shrieked while Dree threw several illusions at her head.
“What the hell is it with people trying to scare this baby out of me?” Quinn groused in irritation.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Chance said with a small smile of apology. “I merely came to warn you that Chris has discovered where you are, and he’s dragging several of his brothers here.”
They looked to the kitchen door when they heard a commotion outside, and Quinn, Angel, and Dree got up and looked to see what it was.
Quinn was stunned to see that Chance had been speaking literally. Chris was coming down the path, dragging another man latched onto his arm. A third man suddenly ran in front of Chris.
