Summer and the Alien Guard (Intergalactic Brides 11)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She still worried whether they had a place to live or food to eat, but after the way they’d treated her, she was trying hard to put them from her mind. She knew her father would never accept Vordro, and if they had kids together, he’d hate the babies for their mixed heritage. There were times she wished her father had disowned her long ago.

  The meal ended, and Vordro escorted her back to the SUV and drove to the Terran Station. Summer’s stomach was tense as he walked her into the clinic. The doctor was walking out with a patient and smiled in greeting.

  “What can I do for the two of you today?” the doctor asked.

  “Summer needs to take a pregnancy test,” Vordro said.

  “Of course. I’m Doctor Gerig. Come right his way,” he said motioning toward the door he’d just stepped out of.

  They followed him down the sterile-looking white hallway to a room on the right. Summer tried to climb onto the table, but couldn’t quite manage it on her own. Vordro lifted her and eased her down onto the padded surface. She smiled and reached for his hand, not wanting to let him go just yet. The doctor pulled out a drawer and then rummaged in a cabinet before walking over with some sort of syringe in his hand.

  “You might feel a slight prick,” the doctor said, and then he slid the needle into her arm.

  Summer winced and tried not to tense up. The doctor took more blood than she had thought would be necessary and then watched the screen on the barrel. She’d never seen a syringe like it before, but then she hadn’t experienced much of their technology. The doctor stepped across the room to the counter and squirted some of her blood onto a slide, then placed the slide under the microscope.

  She wasn’t sure if this was normal for a pregnancy test, but it was making her nervous. Was there something wrong with her blood? What if she was sick and didn’t know it? The doctor made a humming noise before turning to face them again.

  “Is something wrong?” Summer asked.

  “You’re definitely pregnant,” he said, “So, congratulations. I’m a little concerned because you appear to be anemic. From what my tests show, it’s from an iron deficiency and it should be easy to treat. I’m going to give you a prescription for iron supplements, and I’m going to give you a vitamin injection today just to give you a little boost.”

  Summer didn’t hear much after the word pregnant.

  “This anemia, is it serious?” Vordro asked.

  “Well, it needs to be monitored. She may have noticed that she gets tired easily and she may be paler than usual. Not having seen her before today, I can’t attest to the latter.”

  “I just thought it was from stress,” she said.

  “The prescription I’m going to give you needs to be picked up at the pharmacy here at the station. Wrylok, the pharmacist, can answer any questions you may think of after you leave here, or you may come back to see me or give me a call.” The doctor smiled. “The iron supplements have been processed differently from those at a human pharmacy and will not harm the baby.”

  “Thank you,” Summer said.

  Vordro ushered her out of the clinic and stood in the corridor a moment, just holding her hand. “Are you all right?”

  She nodded. “I think I’m still processing the fact I’m pregnant.”

  “Why don’t you go up to the room?” he suggested. “I’ll go wait for your prescription and bring it up to you. After the long day we’ve had, you should probably take a bath and relax.”

  She wiggled her toes inside her shoes. Her feet ached from all the walking. “A bath sounds nice.”

  Vordro kissed her softly and handed her the key to the room. “I’ll be up as soon as I have your pills.”

  She kissed him once more and then turned toward the elevators. He was right; it had been a very long day. But despite her uncertainty that she would be a good mother, all she could think was that surely the council would approve their mating now.

  After they were in their room, while Vordro took care of a few matters, she called her aunt to share the good news. At least, she hoped her aunt would consider it good news. She also swore the woman to secrecy. The last thing Summer needed was her father finding out about the baby.

  Chapter Eight

  Vordro couldn’t contain his excitement over being a father, but he was also concerned about Summer. He didn’t know much about this anemia the doctor claimed she had, but he was going to learn everything about it that he could. He wanted to help her in any way possible. If she needed to do less around the house, he’d hire a housekeeper. It wasn’t a bad idea with a baby on the way, if she’d agree to it. His Summer was fiercely independent and wanted to… how did that Earth phrase go? Pull her own weight?

  He hadn’t managed to sleep all night, more than a little worried about the council. Now that he knew Summer was pregnant, there was no way she was leaving his side. He wanted the council’s blessing, but if he had to defy them and cut ties with his people, then that was what he would do. They had brought up a good point about her father, but he had a plan for taking care of the man just as soon as they were back in town. Or maybe the council would be willing to help.

  Summer slept peacefully beside him, and while he should wake her and take her with him for the call to the council, he didn’t want her to worry. He wanted to wake her and give her good news if that was possible. Vordro showered and dressed quickly, slipping out of the room as quietly as possible, and headed downstairs to a meeting room. He accessed the Vid-comm and called the council, waiting for their image to appear on the screen.

  “Your chosen mate isn’t with you?” Larimar asked.

  “No, she’s resting. Is Borgoz going to attend this session?”

  “The Chief Councilor is otherwise engaged this morning,” Larimar said with a hint of a smile, which meant that Borgoz was probably attending to his family. Lucky bastard.

  “Before you give me your decision on our mating, you should know that Summer is pregnant. We went to the clinic last night and had her tested. She also has something called anemia and will need to be under a physician’s care.”

  Larimar frowned. “This changes things, then. We were going to deny the mating based on her family, just because we don’t need trouble if we can avoid it.”

  “Her father is the problem, and I think I have a solution. The man is currently out of work. Summer hasn’t said what type of job he has, but if I can find out, could the council use their contacts to get him a job outside of Virginia? Maybe move him to a town where there isn’t a Terran Station?” Vordro asked.

  “You want us to help this man get a job?” Larimar asked.

  “I want a way to send him as far from my family as possible, but I know Summer worries about her parents, even if they did turn their backs on her. She’ll want to know they’re taken care of, at least for the moment. It will be up to her father to keep the job he’s given, obviously, but at least they have a fighting chance.”

  “And the aunt?” Larimar asked.

  “She seemed supportive of Summer, and I believe she would be fine remaining in Virginia.”

  “Very well. Find out what kind of job her father is trained for and I’ll see what I can do. Call us back as soon as you have the information. I’d like to have the matter resolved before you return home.”

  Vordro wanted it resolved before then too. He thanked the council and disconnected the call before going to one of the cafés at the station. He picked up some herbal tea for Summer and some coffee for himself, then returned to his room to wake his sleeping mate-to-be. When he entered the suite, the first thing he noticed was the shower running. It seemed his angel was already awake. He set the tea and coffee on the counter in the kitchenette and went to check on her.

  She was humming while she washed her hair and he smiled as he watched through the glass shower door. Vordro cleared his throat to get her attention, but she was oblivious to his presence.

  “Summer,” he said, hoping he didn’t startle her.


  She wiped the soap from her face and squinted at him through the shower door. “I wondered where you went.”

  “I brought you some tea. I thought we could go have breakfast downstairs and meet with the council, or you can browse the station while I speak to them, if you’d prefer.”

  “Is it safe for me to wander the station?” she asked.

  “Hmm. At home, I would say yes. But honestly, I’m not sure about here. Maybe you could just wait in the café for me.”

  She nodded and rinsed the suds from her hair. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  Vordro left her to finish her shower and turned on the TV in the living area. One of those good-morning-type shows was on, and they had Brexton on their show. It was a little humorous seeing one of his kind on TV in an entertainment capacity. Vordro would have never thought it possible. Obviously, the actor’s roles would be limited to aliens with purple skin, so why bother?

  Summer made an appearance in a pink sweater and jeans. She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and it was swinging behind her as she stepped into the room. Her eyes lit up when she spotted her tea across the room and she hurried over to fetch it. He hated to kill her good mood, but he needed information about her family. Maybe it could wait until they were eating breakfast.

  “What type of breakfast do you feel like?” he asked. “Traditional, something sweeter?”

  “I think I’d love a waffle smothered in blueberries and whipped cream,” she said. “Maybe with some eggs and bacon on the side.”

  “So, a little of both.” He smiled. “I think we can find something you’ll like downstairs.”

  Summer sipped her tea and set it aside. “You left for more than drinks this morning, didn’t you?”

  He nodded. “I spoke with the council, but they want more information. I thought we could discuss it over breakfast.”

  “Just tell me how bad it is. Are they going to deny our mating?”

  “I don’t believe so. We came up with a solution they approve of, but I’m not certain how you’ll feel about it. They are worried your father poses a threat to our child, and I have to admit I’m concerned as well. It’s no longer a matter of us not becoming mates in order to ensure nothing bad happens, but now it’s paramount that your father is removed from our lives.”

  She paled and swayed a little. “Are they going to kill him?”

  “What? No! Of course not. However, they do feel it would be best if he moved out of the area. He obviously won’t go willingly if we ask, so they were going to arrange for a job offer to land in his lap, out of town. But we didn’t know what type of work he does.”

  “He’s done a little bit of everything. He’s been a bartender, a construction worker, manager of a gas station… he’s tried pretty much anything that didn’t require a degree or previous experience.”

  Vordro nodded. “Then I’ll see what the council can come up with. I promise that your family will receive enough compensation they will be able to take care of themselves. And your aunt may remain in Virginia, so you won’t be completely without family, as long as she understands your father is no longer welcome in the state.”

  Summer smiled a little, her color coming back. “Trust me, she won’t miss Dad.”

  “Then let’s eat, and I’ll fill the council in when we’re finished.”

  He took Summer’s hand and led her out of the suite and down to the elevator. When they reached the food court and restaurants scattered throughout the second floor, they perused the menus posted on the windows of each until Summer found what she wanted. The hostess seated them and took their drink order before disappearing. When the woman returned, they placed their breakfast order.

  Summer fiddled with her silverware and looked around the room.

  “Something wrong?” he asked.

  “What if my father won’t go peacefully? What if he refuses the job and decides to stay in town?”

  “We’ll figure that part out if it happens. I’m hopeful he’ll accept the job offer.”

  She nodded.

  “Which museum do you want to see today?” he asked.

  “Could we go to the zoo? Or do you think it’s too chilly out for that?”

  “You brought your jacket, didn’t you?” he asked.

  Summer nodded.

  “Then I think we’ll be fine, but if you get too cold, we can always leave.”

  They ate their breakfast and then went up to their suite to get their jackets. Vordro didn’t get as cold as humans did, but he took his leather jacket in case Summer needed another layer later. At the zoo, Summer dragged him from one animal to the next. She had her camera with her and took tons of pictures, including quite a few of him. An elderly couple walked by as they were looking at the tigers and Summer asked them for help.

  She looped her arm through Vordro’s and turned him to face the couple, with their backs to the tigers. “Smile,” she said. “I want a picture of the two of us.”

  The couple snapped their picture and handed the camera back.

  “Thank you,” Summer said.

  “You two make such a nice couple,” the older woman said. “Enjoy your time at the zoo.”

  Summer was beaming as she laced her fingers with Vordro’s. They stopped at the Panda Overlook Café for some panini sandwiches. They watched the pandas while they ate, but Vordro couldn’t help but notice Summer looked a little tired. He wondered what it would take to get her to head back to the Terran Station and get some rest.

  They finished their meal, and he slowly started leading her back to the front gates. When they passed a gift shop, Vordro tugged her inside and bought her a souvenir, and a stuffed panda for the baby. It seemed fitting since they’d found out she was pregnant during this trip. They weren’t in the car ten minutes before Summer was napping with her head resting against the window. Vordro smiled and drove around for a while, giving her time to sleep before he went back to the Terran Station.

  Summer yawned as he parked outside of the station. Vordro went around to her side and lifted her out of the SUV, cradling her close. He shut the door with his foot and then set the locks with the key fob. She snuggled against him and blinked up sleepily.

  “Are we back already?” she asked.

  “I drove around a little, so you could rest. When we get upstairs, you can finish your nap.”

  “I don’t want to sleep the day away,” she protested. “Maybe we could do something stationary?”

  “Why don’t we pick a movie to watch on TV in our suite and let you get your energy back? I can see if we can get some popcorn or something.”

  She rubbed her belly. “I’m still full from lunch, but I’d love some chocolate chip cookies.”

  He smiled. “Then you’ll have cookies.”

  Vordro carried her all the way to their suite and set her on her feet just inside the door; then he went back down to find cookies. There was a small market on the second floor, and he picked up drinks and some snacks for them. When he got back to the room, she was already watching something on TV.

  He set some snacks on the coffee table, along with a drink for each them, then stocked the kitchenette with everything else. If they were going to be here another day or two, he wanted to make sure Summer would have everything she could want or need. He sat on the sofa and pulled her against his side. No matter how many times he held her, he would always love the feel of her curves pressed against him.

  Her fingers trailed up and down his thigh, making his cock get hard. He looked from the TV down to Summer and found her watching him. Vordro smiled and wondered what the minx was up to. As tired as she’d been, surely she didn’t want sex. Did she? Because he was certainly up for it.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “It’s not obvious?”

  “Maybe you should tell me what it is you want.”

  Her hand cupped his hard cock. “I want this. Inside of me.”

  He chuckled at her bold statement. “Then maybe you should strip out of
those clothes.”

  Summer shot to her feet and started pulling her clothes off. When she stood before him, completely bare, she trembled from head to toe. Vordro stood and divested himself of his clothes and then grabbed Summer around the waist and eased her down onto the couch. He spread her legs and knelt between them. He could see her pulse pounding as he leaned forward and kissed her hungrily. Her lips tasted like the sweetest nectar.

  Vordro tugged her ass to the edge of the cushions and lowered his head, his tongue swiping along her slit. Summer hummed and lifted her hips. Vordro licked, sucked, and teased until she was on edge. Her honey coated his tongue as he flicked her clit until she was keening and crying out his name.

  “Need you,” she whispered. “So much.”

  “Get on your knees in front of me and face the couch.”

  She slid onto the floor in front of him and turned to face the cushions. Vordro spread her legs farther and eased inside of her. Her wet walls clamped down on him as he sank into paradise. Being inside of Summer was like coming home. He used short, shallow thrusts until her body adjusted to his size, and then he couldn’t hold back another moment.

  He pounded into her from behind, every stroke harder and deeper than the one before until he was as deep as he could go. He cupped her breasts and tweaked her nipples as he claimed her thoroughly. Summer screamed out his name as she came all over his cock. As her pussy clamped down tight on him, he came inside of her, his cries muffled against her neck.

  He didn’t pull away immediately, but as she trembled in his arms, he knew he needed to withdraw and get her cleaned up. He carried her into the bathroom and started the shower. Vordro helped her wash before cleaning himself, and then he shut off the water and dried them both off. Summer gave him a smile that he felt all the way to his toes, and he leaned down to kiss her sweet lips.

  “Why don’t we spend the rest of the day in our suite relaxing, and then you can decide tomorrow if you want to see another museum, or if you want to move on to your next surprise.” Vordro caressed her cheek.