His Human Nanny

by Michele Mills

  “Oh, he’s more than just comfortable. He’s a Billionaire.”

  My jaw drops. “Billionaire?” Aegir? My Aegir is a Billionaire?

  “Aegir Touchstone is rich and famous. Everyone on the planet knows who he is and follows his life. He’s a hero here on Tarvos. The President gave him a medal of honor last year for his advances to finance.”

  “Aegir?”

  “Oh, and on top of that, he’s a recluse. The Touchstone brothers never go out and they don’t date. That’s another reason why we’re jealous you get to see him every day. Hardly anyone sees either of those males in real life.”

  “This is part of their mystique” Sherkis says. “We live here in the same community as Aegir Touchstone, but even we never see him. When he leaves the house it’s always in his dark Series X vehicle.”

  “And the windows are tinted,” a female with a thin face grouses. “Hey, do you get to also see Bergelmir Touchstone? Does he visit the house too?”

  “Oh yes, he does. I was just speaking to Bergelmir this morning. He came by and helped to feed and change the babies.”

  They squeal with delight and laugh and shove at each other.

  “She talked to him just this morning! That means he was here, in our community. I was only one street away from Bergelmir Touchstone.”

  “Can you believe it? He changes diapers.”

  “I think I’m going to faint.”

  “Which brother would you want taking care of your babies?”

  “I want both.”

  “No, I just want Aegir.”

  “Oh shut up. Bergelmir is more handsome than Aegir.”

  “No he’s not. Aegir is obviously more handsome.”

  There ensues a long, heated discussion of Aegir versus Bergelmir, while I try not to burst out laughing. In the end they all agree that Bergelmir is more handsome, because his fangs are a bit longer and his barbed tail is deadlier. Total crack-up.

  “Riley, have you met the babies’ mother?” Lurcas asks.

  And then all five of the females grow quiet and turn to stare at me.

  “Everyone’s heard about what happened with that bitch, Kritan Softstone,” Justical says. “Is it true she tricked him into getting her pregnant?”

  “Yes. It’s true,” I answer. “It’s going through the courts right now. And no, I haven’t met her.” In fact, I hope to never meet her. What do I have to say that could be considered pleasant or constructive to a female that treated Aegir so terribly and tossed her babies aside like trash?

  “Ugh. That poor male is a recluse who rarely goes out or dates. And Kritan gets him to go out with her on one date and she tricks him into pleasure mating, makes sure she gets pregnant—”

  “I heard she drugged him. Put something in his drink.”

  “I bet you anything she also took medication to make sure she was super fertile. That’s why she got pregnant with twins from that one time with him.”

  “Ooh, I bet you’re right.”

  “Really, what a bitch.”

  They all turn to look at me again.

  “Well, everyone on Tarvos wishes the Touchstone brothers well,” Sherkis offers, “and we’re all following what’s happening with his babies. Everyone hopes for a good outcome. It’s only right that the courts decide in Aegir’s favor.”

  “I think it’s a good thing he hired a human nanny,” Lurcas brings up as she switches her infant to her other breast. “Trying to raise those two babies all on his own was impossible.”

  They all turn to look tenderly at Loge, who’s propped on my lap, and at Kari chilling in the stroller. “Poor babies,” a few of them cluck and shake their heads.

  “But at least they’ve got you,” Sherkis says. “Aegir hired a human nanny, which means he hired the best, so his offspring are in good hands.”

  “Oh, thank you for saying that.” Heat spreads across my cheeks. “I try. I really do. I want them to have good baby lives.” I bend down and kiss the top of Loge’s sweet head, right next to his tiny horns. “I’m trying my hardest to make sure they have everything they need.”

  “It must be tough though, living alone with Aegir in that situation,” Lurcas says. “I don’t know how you do it.”

  There’s a murmur of agreement from the group.

  “What situation?” I innocently ask.

  “What situation?” Justical laughs. “Human, you’re living with the handsomest, richest male on the planet and he’s technically bound to another. This means you can’t touch him, and he can’t touch you. That would be torture for any of us.”

  “Oh,” I gasp, my cheeks flaming even more than before. “Oh, it’s not like that. He’s just my boss.” I say, as my mind flashes to that moment last night when Aegir groaned my name as cum jetted onto his claw.

  “Uh huh.”

  “No, really,” I say, remembering how I masturbated and moaned his name as I came harder than I ever had my whole life. And how he said that if it wasn’t for that legality, he’d have me underneath him. How do they know about how it is between us? Are they spying on us?

  “Are you unmated?” one of the moms asks.

  “Yes, I’m single.”

  “Girl,” Sherkis chuckles. “I give it two moon cycles and you’ll be bound to that male.”

  “Yep.” Two of the other females nod in agreement.

  “W…what?”

  “Let’s bet on it,” Justical says to the others. “I say one moon cycle and they’ll be bound.”

  “Eh, I give it three,” Lurcas remarks. “Aegir is well-known for being a recluse, it might take him longer to see what’s right in front of his face.”

  “And,” Sherkis points out, “it might take time for his claim to wind through the courts. Kritan’s father has a lot of power. There’s going to be pushback, which could slow down his ability to declare himself.”

  “No.” I shake my head. “No. Ladies, I’m just the hired help. I’m the nanny. Aegir’s my boss and I’m his employee. I take care of his babies while he works. And I’m, I’m…” Nobody. Aegir is some kind of Hyrrokin Billionaire hero and I’m just an orphan who left her home planet because she had zero prospects. And it’s not like human men are clamoring to marry me and put a ring on it.

  “Human, you’re adorable,” Sherkis states. “You’re obviously a female he can count on, which is what he needs in his life. He won’t be able to resist you.”

  I bark out a laugh. “That’s sweet of you to say, but believe me, on my own planet I’m just ordinary. In fact, a lot of human men are put off by my weight.”

  “Weight?”

  They look at each other, startled.

  “What is she talking about?”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “I think your only fault is that you need to gain some muscle,” Justical says. “Well, and please don’t take this the wrong way, but that hair on your head is a little strange but I’m sure Aegir can look past it. You’re a bit small and frail, but I’m sure after you’ve been living on Tarvos longer, breathing our healthy air, you’ll grow stronger.”

  “I think Aegir Touchstone should bond with a Hyrrokin female, not a human,” one of the moms grumbles.

  “Oh, ignore her,” Lurcas says, “Akril’s just jealous. It doesn’t matter if Aegir ends up with a human or a Hyrrokin. As long as he’s happy and his babies are being taken care of, that is what matters. And if you’re what makes him happy, then so be it.”

  This is so sweet I seriously think I’m going to cry.

  “Oh my gods, I’d love to be a bug on the wall of that house,” Justical exclaims. “Aegir Touchstone taking care of his twin babies. I bet they fall asleep on his chest.”

  They all sigh with delight.

  “I want to see both Aegir and Begelmir Touchstone with the twins. Father and uncle pictures.”

  “Oh!”

  I swear these ladies are swooning, fanning themselves.

  “Well, you know,” I say, “I took some pictures of Aegir wit
h his babies last night that I thought were darling. I told him he needed to start posting them, even if only for his friends and family. But Aegir said he doesn’t have an account. He said I could start one for him though. I could make sure I let all of you know about that so you can follow.”

  “If you start an Intelgram account showing Aegir and his babies, and if you can include pics of his brother too—that will be the hottest channel on the planet. It will go viral. You’ll break the vid nets.”

  Really? Well shoot, guess I should get started on that.

  8

  Aegir

  I finally leave my office and find Riley walking down the hallway, trying to hold both Kari and Loge at the same time, like I do. But she’s a fragile human trying to do the work of a fully grown Hyrrokin male, so I step forward and take Kari from her arms.

  A tentative smile crosses her exotic features, causing heat to glow in my chest.

  I look down at my baby girl’s sparkling black eyes and realize how much I missed my offspring. I’m trying to get caught up on all the important business I dropped when the babies turned my life upside down. Today I worked straight through from before dawn until late in the afternoon, but now I’m determined to spend the rest of today with Kari and Loge and the human I can’t stop thinking about.

  And here she is.

  Over the years I’ve steadily built a base of clients, vendors and business relationships. My three excellent virtual assistants make sure all of this runs smoothly so I can do what I do best—turn on my vid screens and monitor the work flow of the financial net programs I created. I’ve hired a huge team of home-based Hyrrokin to examine and validate data in real-time, and I rent space from an enormous off-site vid net distribution center to power and stream my service to the citizens of Tarvos.

  My life as a single Hyrrokin involves an intense day-to-day grind, without any thought of forming personal relationships with other beings, that aren’t work-related. My own wants and needs were priority, along with the occasional check-in with my mother and brother so they knew I was still alive. But now that I have offspring and my future bound with me in my domicile, I’m going to need to change these practices. I’m no longer a single Hyrrokin. Instead I’m a male with offspring and a mate to tend to.

  And this doesn’t bother me in the least. I’m grateful for this change. Grateful for these beings who’ve invaded my life and are swiftly turning me into a Hyrrokin family male.

  I notice Riley averts her gaze and bites her lip as we walk downstairs. Hmm.

  Why didn’t she come in today and demand I take a break? She did that for me the last two diurnals, and I have to admit, I enjoyed her persistence. But I haven’t seen her at all today. In fact, I haven’t seen her since last night.

  Have I hurt her feelings with my absence?

  “I’m sorry I was gone all day,” I offer, completely unused to having to account for my time with another being. “I had to attend a vid meeting that started while you were asleep, then I continued with projects all day. I just powered down now and left.”

  She gives me a curt nod. “I’m going to make some coffee,” she says. “You want some?”

  “Yes.” I’ll do anything to be near her.

  I follow her into the kitchen, watching yet again the way her ass moves underneath her short trousers. We go through the same routines. The two of us are becoming a well-oiled baby-tending machine. We work in tandem to jointly choose and prepare the evening meal, and we end up at the table with platters of Hyrrokin seared meat, and a baby on each of our laps.

  “I missed you today,” I blurt out.

  “You did?” Her cheeks turn that charming shade of pink. And then she looks away and doesn’t respond. What’s wrong with her today? She’s acting different.

  I ask her about herself again, because I want to learn more about Riley Anderson, the beautiful, complex being who’s taking such wonderful care of me and my babies. And I’ve already learned that encouraging my female to talk about herself leads to a happy Riley. This time I specifically ask if she enjoys her employment agency. I’m pleased when she opens up and tells me her concerns.

  “I never usually tell anyone about this except for Chloe. I can’t believe I’m admitting this to you but…”

  I find out she’s supposed to be contracted for one year of work with the agency but has instead been stuck in a predatory five-year contract. I curse these beings to Hyro hell and I make a mental note to call my attorney in the morning and have that taken care of. There’s no way my female is going to be “owned” by some random company. I’ll buy out her contract if I have to. Also, I’m annoyed at the thought of unsuspecting beings trapped into what amounts to indentured servitude. I’ll personally alert the Intergalactic Business Bureau.

  She shrugs. “It’s been difficult, but I’ve been able to live with it. And I really do enjoy my job, just not the beings who run the agency.”

  A growl rumbles in my chest.

  “Watch out,” she laughs and yawns at the same time, “you’re going to break that mug if you’re not careful.”

  I look down to see I’ve been gripping my cup far too tight.

  “I have to admit something else to you,” she says. “Something I probably should’ve told you on day one, but I was nervous.”

  I blink. “What?”

  She takes a deep breath and swallows hard. “I’ve never worked with babies before. I actually specialize in geriatrics and before my arrival here I’d never even changed a diaper. I’ve had to learn on the job.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “I already knew that.”

  “You did?”

  “I knew everything about you.” Well, except her age and her actual appearance. I obviously didn’t check that clearly enough before her arrival. I guess I thought it wouldn’t matter. But it did. It so did.

  “What? I…I…”

  I crook an eyebrow at her. “You think I’d let a stranger care for my offspring?”

  “Oh, I guess not. I…”

  “No. I wouldn’t. I ordered my security team to investigate you. Before you even arrived, I already had your complete work history and I’d reviewed it. I found nothing to warrant your removal.”

  “But I’ve never worked with babies before. Didn’t that bother you?”

  “No.” I use my mother’s favorite line. “Humans are wonderful with the elderly as well as the young. Your species has a natural ability where this is concerned. Humans are famous in the four sectors for your ability to care deeply for beings who are not of your own species.”

  I can see that this pleases her, hearing me speak this way about her species.

  “But didn’t it bother you that I had that one-star rating on my last placement from House Ulmath?”

  I let out a puff of black smoke. “I’ve had dealings with them. I don’t take everything those blowhards say on face value.”

  “Oh. It was a fake rating anyway. I asked Lorinda if she could post that for me so I could get out of my contract.”

  “Hmm. Smart thinking. How did you end up with me then, if you’d finally found a way out?”

  She smiles. “It’s all your fault.”

  “Mine?”

  “You requested a human nanny right away and I was the only human available.”

  I sit up straight. I’ve ruined this female’s life plan? I blink at her, unsure of what to do to make this better.

  “Oh look, what’s that?” She points out the window.

  There’s movement in the driveway in front of our vehicle bay. The sun is setting with a blaze of orange and purple hues, but I can still see the glint of light off the window of her brand-new vehicle. “Oh,” I respond casually, “It’s finally here.” But a large smile spreads across my face. Hopefully this will make things better.

  “What’s here?”

  “The dealership is delivering your new Series X5 utility vehicle.”

  “My new… What?” Her voice trails off as she stands, with Kari in her ar
ms, and steps forward to watch as the enormous black vehicle stops in the driveway. I move to the window too and stand next to her, with Loge in my arms. I’m pleased with the look of the X5 I purchased sight-unseen. An elegantly dressed Hyrrokin male steps out and leaves it in the front for me. My smile widens at the fact that he’s placing an enormous red bow of fabric on the hood of the vehicle. Perfect.

  Riley whirls around. “You got that, for me?”

  Loge gurgles in my arms. A tiny bit of smoke wafts from his nostrils. I run a claw over his perfect starter horns and answer, “Yes. Do you like your new gift?”

  “I…I… Aegir, this is too much.”

  “Too much? No it’s not, it’s made by the same company that made my vehicle.”

  “Exactly, it’s not something you should be purchasing for the use of your nanny,” she spits out.

  I’m confused. Is she angry? Why would she be upset at receiving a Series X5? It won vehicle of the year at last year’s Intergalactic Vehicle Show. Normally beings have to join a months long waiting list, but I managed to get this for her in a few days. “I want you to have what I have,” I tell her. “And you’re not just my nanny.”

  “I am,” she whimpers.

  “You’re mine,” I tell her. How can she not know this? I’d say more, but I’m honor bound to not pursue another relationship, so I stuff inside all of the emotions that grow exponentially when she’s near.

  “Stop it.” She shakes her head. “They were right.”

  “Who was right?”

  “I met some local moms today, in the community park. We were talking and they knew who you were, and they told me that you’re rich.”

  I shrug. “I do happen to have excessive wealth.”

  “So it’s true?”

  “Yes, I’m wealthy.” And I’m damn proud of it too. I worked hard to create that portfolio. My philanthropy is renowned, but mainly I use my currency to reinvest in my business. I’m building an innovative infrastructure that will eventually spread my finance program across the four sectors. That infrastructure will also serve the double purpose of upgrading the entire communication system on the planet to 100G, which I will then give to Hyrrokin citizens usage-free. “I thought you knew I had currency.”