by Sue Mercury
Black spots dotted her vision and her legs weakened. She started slipping, only to find herself righted by Khann. He supported her, holding her up, as he peered down at her with concern.
“My little human, are you unwell?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m fine, just a bit dizzy. Happens when I get nervous,” she said, unsure of why she felt bad over the lie. She didn’t owe Khann honesty, did she? She thought about the nanobots and hoped he injected her soon, but she didn’t want to ask him about it.
If he realized she’d signed up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides just to receive a dose of nanobots, he might think badly of her. What if he thought she was selfish? What if he rejected her, left the hotel without a backward glance and didn’t claim her as his mate? Then her plans would be ruined, and according to Dr. Tanner and his team, she didn’t have much time left. A month, if she was lucky. Amie’s face flashed in her mind. She had to do this. Not for herself, but for Amie.
“Come,” Khann said. “You must sit down.” He guided her to an accent chair that was tucked into a corner in the entryway. He knelt beside her and grasped her hands in his. Worry flickered in his green eyes as he looked her over carefully, as if checking her for any injuries. If only he knew how sick she really was. The seihzana virus was no joke, but at least it wasn’t contagious, as the virus was transmitted by the bite of a tiny alien insect.
“Thanks,” she murmured, feeling shy under Khann’s scrutinizing gaze. He had been rather nice to her so far. She had never interacted with a Vaxxlian before, but she had expected him to be hard and gruff, rude and uncaring, despite all the promises made by the mail order bride service to the contrary.
The sound of a small child singing carried into the entryway, and Khann straightened and peered toward the living room. Belle couldn’t hold back a smile. “That’s Amie. She loves to sing.”
“What language is she singing in?”
“Oh, that’s Rekkstanian. We used to live on a Rekkstanian outpost. She speaks Galactic Common too.”
“Three languages? That is impressive for a small child.”
“Three? Oh no. Just the two. Rekkstanian and Galactic Common.”
Khann gave her a questioning look. “She doesn’t speak an Earth language too, such as English?”
Belle felt all the blood drain from her face. Think think think. She stared at him, praying she thought of a good explanation in the next few seconds. Surely, he must think it strange she hadn’t taught Amie an Earth language.
“My, uh, parents didn’t speak the same Earth tongue. They were from different countries, you see, so they spoke Galactic Common with one another, and they only spoke Galactic Common in our home. For that reason, I don’t speak any Earth tongues, not even English, and that is why Amie doesn’t know any Earth tongues, since I was unable to teach her. But fortunately, most people on Earth speak Galactic Common.” What a lie. She had better start writing these untruths down so she could keep all her stories straight.
“Ah, I understand,” Khann replied. “What countries on Earth were your parents from?”
“The United States and France,” she said, though in truth she had no idea. Mikkal had found her in the wreckage of their destroyed exploration vessel when she was but an infant, and he hadn’t stuck around to retrieve information about her parents from the ship’s computer, only pausing long enough to download her medical records from the system so he could better help her recover from the injuries she had sustained.
Though Khann was kneeling in front of her, he was still over a head taller than her. She felt dwarfed by his immense size and couldn’t help but wonder how the hell they would successfully mate. A frisson of fear moved through her, even as her face heated at the thought of going to bed with this intimidatingly large alien. I’m not looking forward to any of this. I’m not.
He was the enemy and she needed to keep reminding herself of that.
But it was difficult to think of him as the enemy when he cupped her face so tenderly in his large hands, his otherworldly eyes beaming with warmth. He was looking at her as if he cared about her, but how could she mean something to him so soon? A lump formed in her throat. She hadn’t realized how truly alone she’d felt until another person touched her in an intimate manner, this stranger of all people, this alien she was supposed to hate.
“Are you feeling better, little human?” he asked.
She nodded. “I think so. I’m not so dizzy anymore.”
“Tell me why you were nervous, Belle.”
“What?” She stared at him, startled by his question.
“You said you become dizzy when you are nervous. I would like to know what was making you so nervous.” As he spoke, he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs, eliciting goosebumps to rise all over her, even as she began to feel strangely flushed.
“I-I suppose I was just nervous about meeting you, Khann.” God, she must be truly starved for attention, because she didn’t mind that he kept stroking her face, and she also liked the way his name rolled off her tongue.
“There is no need to be nervous, my little mate.” His eyes glowed for the briefest of moments. “I have vowed to care for you and your daughter, and I always honor my vows.”
Chapter 6
Khann helped Belle to her feet and wrapped an arm around her, wanting to keep her close, lest she become dizzy again. They walked toward a living room area, where a little girl sat at a small table, busily coloring a huge picture of a mountainous landscape. The girl looked up when they entered the room, her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open.
“Wow, you’re big!” Amie said. She hopped out of her chair and approached Khann, offering him her hand.
He released Belle and knelt to greet her daughter. His daughter now, too. She was so tiny, so fragile looking, and he hoped to give both mother and daughter their dose of nanobots soon. Before the day was over, he resolved, even if they protested. He didn’t want to risk any harm coming to them, and he was glad he’d been provided with a dose of nanobots for Amie, in addition to Belle.
He reached for the little girl’s hand and shook it. Her grip was much firmer than he expected. Perhaps she was not as fragile as she appeared. “Hello,” he said. “I am Khann.”
“Hi, I’m Amie.” She looked him up and down, her lips pursed and her gaze thoughtful. “So, am I supposed to call you Dad or Daddy or Father or Khann or what?” she asked in a rush.
Unsure of what to say, Khann exchanged a look with Belle.
“Why don’t you call him Khann for now, darling?” Belle said. “You can always call him something else once you become better acquainted. How does that sound?”
“Sounds fine, I guess.” Amie looked at Khann. “Momma says your favorite color must be green because New Vaxx is a beautiful planet with lots of green. Is that true? Is your favorite color really green?”
The little girl’s chatter confused him. “I don’t have a favorite color,” he said, but immediately felt guilty at her crestfallen look.
“But everyone has a favorite color. Mine is blue. Like the sky.” She gestured toward the window, where the curtains were closed. “Well, not like that sky, but a real sky, a clear sky without smoke making it all yucky.”
“Well,” Khann said, “I suppose if I must pick a favorite color, then it would be green.” He glanced up at Belle. “Your mother is wise.”
“Really?” Amie bounced on her feet and spun around to retrieve the picture she’d been working on. “Because I made this just for you, and it has lots and lots of green.” She thrust the drawing in front of Khann’s face, so close he had to rear back just to focus on it.
“This is wonderful,” he said, and his heart warmed when he saw her beaming under his praise, so he decided to continue. “You are a talented artist, Amie, and I daresay this looks just like New Vaxx. Excellent work, and thank you.” He accepted the drawing. “This is the best gift anyone has ever given me.” Hm. Perhaps being a father would not be so difficult. He felt as though he was doin
g a fine job so far. At the very least, he was getting along with Amie and he sensed she liked him. He carefully rolled the drawing up and placed it in an empty pouch at his belt.
“Whoa,” Amie said, glancing at his belt. “Is that a real blaster?”
He looked down at the weapon. Though they were illegal on Earth, most Vaxxlians traveled to the planet fully armed. “Yes, it is. But, it will only work when I fire it. This particular blaster reads my biometrics before it will discharge a blast.” After discovering he was going to have a new daughter, he’d had the new childproof blaster quickly designed and he’d given all his old blasters to one of the younger warriors in his unit. He glanced up at Belle. “That means this weapon will not accidentally discharge if anyone else touches it.”
He couldn’t be certain, but he thought he saw Belle blinking back tears. She swallowed hard and then nodded at him. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Now,” Khann said, reaching into another pouch at his belt. “I have a gift for you and your mother. I know it might not seem like a gift because you might find it a bit frightening, but I promise it is indeed a gift and it won’t hurt you.” He produced two syringes filled with nanobots.
Before he could explain further, Belle’s eyes fluttered shut and her legs gave out. Still holding the syringes, he lunged into action, catching her in one arm before she hit the floor.
“Momma!” Amie’s anguished cry tore at Khann’s heart.
“Don’t worry, little one,” he said to the child as he lifted Belle in both arms, careful to keep the syringes safe in one hand, his fingers curled protectively around the two precious doses of nanobots. “I promise that your mother will be all right. I will heal her.” But what was wrong with the petite human? Was she sick, or simply so nervous that she’d passed out? He glanced at the syringes in his hand and cursed his own stupidity. She probably didn’t like needles and he’d scared her.
“Momma’s sick,” Amie said, tears brimming in her eyes. “She thinks I don’t know, but I know. She’s always taking pills and getting sleepy.”
Alarm filled Khann as he carried Belle to a sofa. He placed her down and withdrew a medical scanner from his belt. He immediately set about running the blinking device over her body. After a few moments, the readings on the device showed she was infected with a virus, though the exact illness wasn’t specified yet. He held back a growl as he waited for the scanner to complete its work, and when it finally revealed her exact ailment, he felt his eyes growing wide as shock reverberated inside him.
Seihzana virus. How the fluxx had she contracted the rare but deadly illness? As far as Khann knew, the virus was always fatal.
“How long has your mother been sick?” Khann asked Amie, who was anxiously hovering nearby.
“It started before we came to Earth, and we’ve been here for a few weeks.”
Without further thought, Khann injected Belle with her dose of nanobots. He placed the emptied syringe back into his pocket and shot Amie what he hoped was a comforting look.
“Thank you for telling me about your mother’s illness, Amie. That was very brave of you.”
“Is Momma ever going to wake up again?” A lone tear cascaded down Amie’s face, and Khann reached for her and gathered her close. He wiped the tear away and smiled down at her.
“Yes, little one, your mother will awake soon. I injected her with nanobots that will heal her quickly.”
Amie started to look hopeful. “You promise?”
“I swear on the spirits of my ancestors that your mother will awake soon and she will be completely healed.” He patted Amie on the back, hoping to further comfort the child.
Khann stared down at Belle, waiting for her to wake up, his thoughts becoming troubled. Belle had known she was ill, yet she had signed up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides anyway. Had she suspected she would die soon, but wanted to get her daughter to the safety of New Vaxx first? Or… another idea struck Khann. Did she somehow know about the nanobots Vaxxlians gave their mates?
Either way, it seemed she hadn’t been entirely truthful with him when he’d asked about her reasons for signing up for the mail order bride service. He was grateful he’d arrived at her hotel when he had. Clearly, she’d been in dire need of medical treatment. But he didn’t like being lied to. Once she awoke, they would need to have a serious discussion.
Chapter 7
Belle heard voices, though she couldn’t manage to open her eyes just yet and see who was talking. Her eyelids felt far too heavy and she drifted in a space between sleep and wakefulness.
Pieces of memories came to her, fragments of the past floating through her mind. She saw Mikkal, his head thrown back as he laughed. She also saw him in pain, crying out as a Vaxxlian warrior attacked him.
No, no. Don’t hurt him. Please. Not this time.
Make it stop.
But it didn’t stop. The memories continued.
She saw the Vaxxlian warrior glance in the direction of the closet where she was hiding, but he didn’t come near her. She held her breath, praying he didn’t hear her. Then, to her absolute horror, she watched through a crack in the door as he dragged a moaning Mikkal from their quarters, leaving behind a trail of blood.
She also saw glimpses of Dalton, her late husband. The day he found her in the rubble of the Dreusha Outpost, in an echo of how Mikkal had found her in the ruins of her parents’ exploration vessel.
Her life continued playing out in a series of images. Her years spent on the Ammora Outpost as Dalton’s wife. He was a kindly man, much older than her, but he’d treated her well. Though gentle and kind, he was also consumed by his work running a trading post.
She had loved him, but she’d also felt incredibly lonely as his wife. He had worked long hours and wouldn’t allow her to leave their quarters aboard the outpost, as it wasn’t a safe place for females. He had kept her hidden, but he also made arrangements for her to leave along with Amie when he grew frail. In his final act, he had transferred all his galactic credits to her, his entire life savings, and sent them off to safety.
Flashes of the Rekkstanian Outpost visited her next. That’s where Dalton had sent them, and Belle and Amie spent about four years on the luxurious outpost. But then Belle was bitten by an insect that must’ve stowed away on a piece of fruit, changing the course of her life forever.
She jolted awake and stared into a pair of large green eyes. Khann. The rest of her memories fell into place, including the part when she’d felt lightheaded and worried she might pass out. She took a deep breath and looked around. She was in the living room, laying on a sofa. Had Khann carried her here? She couldn’t recall actually hitting the ground, and she didn’t feel the least bit sore. Had Khann caught her?
“She’s awake! You saved her! You saved Momma!” Amie wrapped her arms around Khann and hugged him tight. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
“What’s going on?” Belle sat up, much more quickly than she usually managed, and wondered why she suddenly felt so energized. She was also able to take deeper breaths than she had in weeks.
“Daddy Khann saved you, Momma, that’s what!” Amie said, poking her head out from Khann’s muscular arms. “You passed out and he gave you some nanobots and now you’re all better.”
Nanobots. Belle’s heart lurched. Could it be true? She looked to Khann for confirmation.
“Did you really inject me with nanobots?” She moved to a sitting position, placing her feet on the floor, and marveled at the strength she felt flowing through her body. She had the urge to sprint around the room to test it out, but she refrained from doing such a thing, at least while others were watching.
“I did,” Khann said. “You must’ve known you had an illness, since you were taking medicine for it. Amie tells me you’ve been feeling weak and taking pills. But did you know you had the seihzana virus?”
Crap. Belle looked from Khann to Amie, trying to decide how much of the truth she should reveal. But she didn’t want to talk about her illne
ss around Amie, even if she was supposedly cured now.
“Hey, Muffin,” she said, taking Amie’s hand and kissing the back of it. “Momma needs to talk to Khann in private for a few minutes. Do you think you could go draw us a pretty picture?”
Amie sighed. “Momma, my hand is tired from coloring in all that green on Daddy Khann’s present. Can I please watch television instead?”
“Very well, but nothing too scary and no news channels.” She turned Amie in the direction of the master bedroom. “You can go in my room and watch the television there.”
Amie happily skipped off, leaving Belle alone with Khann.
Oh God. What should she say? Her mouth felt dry and she squirmed under the big Vaxxlian’s watchful gaze. He didn’t appear upset with her, but he didn’t look happy either. She got the sense he knew she’d lied about something. Then it hit her.
The reasons she gave him for signing up for Vaxxlian Alien Mail Order Brides. He probably thought it strange she would sign up for the service when she was so ill.
“Did you, or did you not, know that you were afflicted with the seihzana virus?” He rose to his feet and crossed his arms over his chest, making him look even more intimidating, even though his tone was gentle.
“Yes,” she said, “and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“And you knew the disease is terminal?”
Shit shit shit. She glanced down, avoiding Khann’s knowing gaze. He was on to her and she wasn’t as good at lying to him as she’d hoped. She was already floundering and trying to keep track of the things she’d already told him versus what she didn’t want to admit. It made her head spin.
“Yes,” she finally admitted. “I-I knew my illness was terminal.”
“Then you either signed up to become my mate even though you knew you would die soon, or you signed up because you knew Vaxxlians possessed nanobots.” He sank down on the sofa next to her and placed a finger beneath her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I would like to know which it is. Please don’t lie to me, little human. We are going to mate soon, and I would like there to be nothing but honesty in our mating union.”