Adira's Mate

by April Zyon

  “Me too. Maybe we should walk down there, have our meal together, then come back for your friends to join us?” She was suddenly starving. “Perhaps have Markus and the others from your crew meet us for an evening meal instead of midday meal?”

  “Good plan,” he said. “It would get me out of here for the first time in too many days. It’ll be nice to feel the sun on my skin again beyond what creeps through the windows. I will need to change though, with a little assistance, if you wouldn’t mind?”

  “I don’t mind at all. Anything that I can do to get to touch you makes me very happy.” Which was the absolute truth. She would do anything at all in order to see him naked and touch him. “Just remember that we need to feed our stomachs before we feed other parts of our beings. So help keep me on track? Keep me from attacking you?”

  “Does it count as attacking when I’m a willing participant?” Taking her hand he pulled her along to their bedroom. “Worry not, I am starving for more than your luscious body, little wife. Besides, we need to feed our bodies before we can feed our souls. One thing at a time. First is getting this shirt off of me without messing up your very tidy bandaging skills. I’ll have to wear a uniform, second one in from the entry to the closet, please.”

  “Of course. You head on into the bathroom, and I’ll get your uniform.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek so she could whisper in his ear. “And no, it wouldn’t count as attacking you if you were willing. However, I’m hungry, so I’m going to try to hold myself in check.” She winked at him before she headed off to collect his uniform.

  When she joined him in the bathroom, he was trapped in his shirt. Or rather trapped by his shirt. “I was doing so well until it got caught. From there it went downhill quickly, I’m afraid.” He looked to her in the mirror and gave a sigh. “I really feel useless right now.”

  “With everything that you went through I think that you’re doing remarkably well.” She helped him pull his shirt down, and once he was sat down on the toilet she tugged his shirt off. “Don’t beat yourself up about what’s going on right now. You just went through hell and back again to gain my acceptance. We will get through all of this, I promise.”

  Fintan put his hands on her hips and drew her between his legs. Looking up at her he slipped his arms around her waist. “I am blessed to have you in my life, Adira. How I got so lucky to kidnap the one woman for me, I’ll never know. Maybe your spirits were guiding me that day. What do you think?”

  “I do believe that the spirits were guiding you. I also think that they are who brought me to the facility that day. If not for something nagging at my conscious from a report that I read, I never would have been there.” She wrapped her arms loosely around his shoulders and looked down at him. “Whatever the reason is that brought me to you, I’m happy for it. I’m happy with you.”

  He gave her a gentle hug, then leaned back. “All right, let’s get me dressed before you start forgetting about one hunger for another.” With a little effort she got him into the shirt and the dress pants of his uniform. The jacket was a small struggle, but they managed it. And they were each only mildly winded by the efforts. “You’d think they’d make exceptions for those of us that are injured,” he muttered while buttoning up the jacket.

  “It’s all about appearances. I learned that while you were in isolation. You have to put on a facade as if there is nothing at all wrong with you, or they’ll perceive that as weakness. I don’t care for it at all, but that’s the truth I realized one night while I was beating Bracken at cards.”

  Fintan turned suddenly to look at her. “Excuse me? Did you say you and Bracken were playing cards? Why were you playing cards with Bracken, Adira? Should I be worried about what he might be teaching you?”

  “Nope, especially when I use what he taught me against you while we play strip poker. And no, before you ask, we didn’t play strip cards. I just added the getting naked part in there for you and you alone. I think that would be fun. Instead of money, betting pieces of clothing, don’t you?”

  “That sounds very interesting,” he said softly. “We’ll have to play a few hands after our guests depart. It’s been a very long time since I’ve played. Actually the last time was when I cleaned Bracken, and his command crew, out of all the credits they had. Followed by a very hasty retreat while they were less than pleased with me. I hope you at least won against him a few times, little wife.”

  “I didn’t for the first few times that we played. However, after that I started to win. When he’s bluffing, he tightens his left hand just a bit on the cards. It’s the slightest of tells, I know, but once I saw that I knew when I could beat him and when I couldn’t.”

  “I’m very impressed, most don’t notice that tell of his.” Turning, Fintan went out into the bedroom to pull on his boots. Pushing up to his feet, he straightened his jacket. “You ready to go?” he asked her with a tug on his cuffs.

  “Yep, I’m ready,” she said with a grin. Reaching out for him, she slipped her hand into his. “I’m ready for food, is what I’m ready for. Hopefully they’ll also have some of the honey tea that they serve.”

  “They always have that on the menu,” he told her. “Some things are sacrosanct, like the tea. We can get some to bring home if you want,” he offered. Letting them out of the apartment, he nodded to the guards outside. He didn’t say anything to the men, and as they moved away she saw one drop in behind them while the other remained at the door.

  “What? Seriously? Why didn’t Bracken tell me that? He knew that these last days have been hard on me and I’ve wanted to drink the tea often to calm my stomach. Jack wagon,” she muttered. “Anyway, yes let’s bring some home, please.”

  “Did you ask him?” he tossed out. Stepping into the lift, he eased in front of her slightly while the guard stood directly between them and the doors. Fintan rubbed a thumb gently over her knuckles as he watched her over his shoulder and waited on her reply.

  “Yes, I asked him and he said he didn’t think it was possible.” Which she had accepted as truth. “That’s then, however. This is now. For now I really think that we need to go eat. We need to feed me before I puke.”

  “It won’t take us long to walk there,” he said. Squeezing her fingers gently, he moved out of the lift behind the guard. “And we’ll bring some tea home for you. Once we know how much you go through in a day, we can place orders for delivery, making sure you always have some on hand.”

  “That sounds like a plan of action to me.” She took a deep breath and moved along with him. She still had her hand in his, but still walked just along at his side. She allowed herself to be boxed in by his guard as well as himself.

  The walk was pleasant. A few people were out, moving around the streets. The sun was shining, and the day was actually quite warm. A definite change when they stepped into the artificially cooled interior of the restaurant. They were seated immediately, and left to peruse the menu while the guard settled into a spot against the wall near their table.

  “I do have a question.” Adira shifted and moved slightly toward him. “Why have you had guards following me and why are they still following us? Not that I’m upset about it. I’m just curious.” Bracken had refused to answer her question. Now she was curious if Fintan would as well.

  “To keep you safe until I’m back to my usual self,” he explained. “Initially it was precautionary since I wasn’t completely sure everyone would accept you were now Craegin both by our marriage and by the lashing. Then it was protective when I considered it may upset some Craegin that I was being lashed to guarantee you citizenship. After I got home it was to keep an eye on you while I recovered.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a smile and squeezed his hand. “For telling me. Also, thank you for being here for me. For loving me as you do. Your people weren’t all that happy with me, that’s for sure. But I learned to deal with it fairly quickly. Bracken helped, as did the guards you sent to watch over me. Not that anything replaces you, having you here w
ith me.”

  “Where else would I be?” he asked. “I told you that I would be with you for the rest of our days. I meant that. While we may not always be side by side through each moment, I will never be far.”

  That had her smiling and she nodded. “It’s enough, knowing that you’re on my side. Knowing that you and I will walk this path, together, forever. We are good together.”

  “That we are,” he said. He gave her a small wink before picking up his menu. After a few minutes a waiter came to their table to take their orders. Once he headed off, Fintan reached over to take her hand in his. Lacing their fingers together, he stroked his thumb slowly to her skin while they waited.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Three weeks later…

  Adira ran her hands over her face and panted. God, she hated being sick. It had to be being in space. She knew that was it. With her back to the cool wall she reached out and grabbed a wash cloth and rose to shaky feet. Wetting the cloth with cold water, she wiped it over her face and felt her stomach roll once again. “Spirits.” She felt as if she could be ill again, if she hadn’t already lost the contents of her stomach.

  Fifteen minutes later, Adira was walking toward medical. She had to get something for the space sickness now. “Greetings, Doctor,” she said when the door slid open. “Please tell me you have something for space illness?”

  The woman blinked at her for a few moments. “I haven’t had one of those in a very long time,” she said. “Please, take a seat. I’ll have to give you a quick checkup to ensure it’s not something else. It shouldn’t take all that long, Mistress Daykin. I will only be a moment while I gather what I need.”

  “Thank you.” Adira took a seat and leaned back against the table. When the doctor walked back, Adira said, “I’ve felt ill each morning after Fin leaves me for the deck. I think that it’s because he’s no longer in bed to keep the miniscule movements of the ship from bothering me.” Her Fin was always able to make her feel better.

  “Only in the mornings?” the doctor asked. “Not that one can tell for sure when it’s morning or night on board a destroyer. Thankfully they always dim the lights when it’s night back home, otherwise I’d never remember when it was time to go to bed.” Moving closer, the doctor held up a few bio-pads. “I need to place these on your skin, over your heart at the front and back, and then one on your inner left wrist.”

  “Certainly.” Adira moved so the doctor could do as she needed to. “The late evenings as well. Fin was a little worried for me but I told him not to worry. He’s going to be beside himself when he finds out I came to get something for the space sickness. I’ve never fared well on long space trips, part of why I was nearly always on one world instead of traveling to others.”

  “You’ll have to tell him eventually, mistress. If you’re unable to withstand the time he is on the destroyer, then you’ll have to remain on Craegin. Which I don’t think the general will be very happy with. At least that is my impression of the situation,” the doctor muttered. Stepping back, she picked up a data pad and frowned down at the readings. “Your pulse is a little fast, but nothing out of the ordinary for someone not feeling well.” Her frown got deeper as she tapped a finger to the pad. “Odd,” she murmured.

  “No, I will be fine once I’ve had some medication. Once I’ve gotten used to being on the ship I will be perfectly fine.” She looked at the doctor and frowned. “What’s odd? I know that tone. I know that look. So please, what’s happening?”

  Shaking her head, the doctor moved behind Adira, got her to lean forward, and adjusted the monitor pad. “That’s better,” she said. “I must have had it too low. I was getting an odd echo on the readings. But now it’s nice and clear.” She came back around the front of the table. “I’ll have you lay down now, please. I’ll run a full-body scan to check for anything else, just to be safe. Mainly because I happen to like my job, and really wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of the general when it comes to his wife.”

  She smiled at that and laughed. “He’s very protective and I love him all the more for that. He’s such an incredible man.” She lay back and closed her eyes. She shifted on the bed slightly and laughed. “I swear these beds are so uncomfortable.”

  “I believe it’s a requirement in the design specifications that a hospital bed must be uncomfortable for all who lay on them.” The doctor called to one of the assistants. They pushed the scanner into place, and the doctor moved to pick up her data pad. “Nice and still, keep your breathing steady and, if you could, keep your hands by your sides but slightly away from your body.”

  Adira knew the drill well. It was funny, no matter the species, medical always seemed to work similarly. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to drift. She woke with a start when the doctor placed her hand on her arm. “Sorry, I must have drifted off and didn’t even realize it. Now, can you give me something for space sickness so that I can go meet Fin for lunch?”

  Helping Adira sit up, the doctor gave her a funny look. “Unfortunately, mistress, I can’t give you the medication. In your current condition it would be detrimental to your well-being. Yours and your child’s.” After dropping that bomb, the doctor smiled at Adira.

  Adira just looked at the woman and shook her head. “I’m sorry, what?” She had to have misheard the doctor. There simply was no way that she was with child. It wasn’t possible, right? Their species were so different…yet similar. The Imarian leaders had always said that interspecies breeding between the Imarian and Craegin wasn’t possible. She had never studied anything with Craegin physiology because before Fintan she had never met one. “I’m. Oh, heavens. Fin is going to have a fit.” He was protective to the nth degree with her now. She couldn’t imagine how he would be once he found out about the baby. “Please don’t say anything to anyone? I need to tell him first.”

  “Of course, mistress. But may I be the first to offer congratulations. The general is going to be pleased,” she said. Moving to a cabinet, the doctor pulled out a vial, a needle, and a bottle. Returning to her side the doctor handed her the bottle. “Some vitamins for you to start taking. I’ll give you a shot to help ease the motion sickness. It won’t harm you, or the little general. If you come back tomorrow I’ll have some in tablet form for you to take whenever it gets particularly bad. It might be part of the reason you’re having such horrendous bouts of morning sickness.”

  “Thank you.” Adira smiled and held the bottle close to her chest. “Little General. I like that.” She was happy. Even with her worries, she was beyond happy. “For everything, thank you.” She waited until she had been given the shot, then scooted off of the table. Once she had cleared medical she looked up to her guard and asked, “Where is my husband?” Once he told her, she nodded and said, “Let’s go see him, shall we?”

  Five minutes later, Adira was on the command deck and waiting rather impatiently for Fintan to finish talking to Markus. She waved at the man, then grinned at her husband. “A word please, husband?” The men and women on the ship had gotten used to her and how she acted around her husband. She had become friends with most of them and was happy to be on board with his extended family. This was no different.

  Fintan gave her a nod, though she detected the slightest of frowns on his face. He said a few more words to Markus before the other man took the data pad Fintan had in hand and walked off. Coming to her side, Fin slipped a hand to her back. “Let’s go into my office,” he said softly with a light push toward the doors off one side of the command deck.

  She let him take her into his office, never losing her smile as she stepped into the private room with him. Once he sealed the doors she threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. “I love you, husband. So very much. You have given me so much over our short time together. I’m happy, so very happy, especially since I’m going to be giving you back something as well.” She pulled back slightly and pulled his hand to place it over her belly. “I think in about seven months I should have your gift ready?” She wa
ited for him to catch on to what she had just told him.

  “That seems like a long time to wait for a gift. It must be something truly amazing, so I will await it with bated breath.” He was giving her a confused look that seemed to get more confused when she tapped her fingers to the back of his hand on her belly. “And I’m missing a point here, given the look on your face.” It was clear that the man was coming up blank, his facial features showing his confusion. “I’m sorry, little wife, but I think you’ve stumped me.”

  “Well how is this.” She stepped closer, her hand keeping his on her belly. “The doctor referred to this gift as the Little General,” she said, hopeful he would key in. “I went to her this morning because I had been feeling ill the last week or more after you leave me in the mornings. Yet, in the evenings I’m starving. Any ideas?”

  “The guard reported your visit to the doctor, though not the reason for it.” He was back to frowning again. Adira could practically see his mind working through the clues she’d given him. Then his eyes went wide, and just like that she knew he’d gotten it. “A baby?” he asked on a wheeze of air.

  “Yes. A baby. Our baby,” she told him with a smile and stroked her fingers over the back of his hand. “What a wonderful way to express our love for each other,” she confessed and reached out with her free hand to put it on his cheek. “Are you okay with us having a child this early in our relationship?”

  His lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. For a moment Adira was pretty sure he was in shock, given his expression and slightly pale complexion. Then he scooped her up in his arms, hugging her close while he dropped kisses on her face. Every now and again one even landed on her lips. “You’re having my baby,” he whispered.