Victoria and the Alien Doctor (Intergalactic Brides 2)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  The hotel was quiet when he arrived, and he took the elevator to the top floor. Unlocking the suite door, the first thing he noticed was how still everything was. The lights were out; he couldn’t hear the sound of a TV turned on in any of the rooms. He checked Evie’s room first, but the lights were out and the bed was still made. Next he checked the other bedroom, finding it in the same state. Unease crept down his spine. It was too late for shops to still be open.

  Pulling out the phone he’d purchased, he located Victoria’s number in the directory and called. The phone rang several times before going to voicemail, which she hadn’t set up yet. He was beginning to feel frantic when he remembered the salesman had told him the phone had GPS so he could track it from anywhere. Calling the phone company, he gave them Victoria’s number and asked them to run a trace. Within minutes he had an answer, and it wasn’t one he liked.

  Taking the elevator back to the first floor, he hailed the limo before it could return to the Terran station. Ned popped out of the driver’s side and ran around to hold the door open for Xonos. Once Ned was behind the wheel again, Xonos rolled down the connecting window and barked out his orders.

  “Take me to the Shriner’s Hospital. And get there as fast as you can.”

  Ned nodded and peeled away from the curb, tires squealing as he floored it. Xonos checked his phone several times, willing it to ring. Why hadn’t Victoria brought Evie to him if she needed something? Had she taken a turn for the worse while he’d been at work? It bothered him that his daughter was ill and her mother had sought human medical assistance.

  When they reached the hospital, Xonos ran through the emergency room doors, heading straight for the triage desk. He demanded to know where Evie was and they immediately ushered him through the locked doors and down a long hall. When he flung open the door on the room with her chart tacked to the outside clip, his heart was pounding so hard he thought surely Victoria would hear it.

  His mate sat beside the hospital bed, her face streaked from her tears, as she held Evie’s hand. The girl looked pale in the child-sized bed. Xonos let the door close behind him as he stepped fully into the room.

  “What’s wrong with her? Why didn’t you bring her to me?” he asked.

  “She wouldn’t wake up from her nap. I tried everything, but she just kept sleeping. I listened to her heart and it seemed slow so I hailed a taxi and brought her here. You said we had to be mated before you could help her.”

  “We are mated. I had the Chief Counselor push through the papers tonight. Once he signs them, we’re officially mated. There’s a ceremony we can go through if you’d like, but it isn’t necessary.”

  “So you can help her?”

  “Yes, but I’d have to remove her from this hospital and take her to my clinic. Do you want me to do that? Or do you want to wait here and see what they say? They have a chart for her so they’ve obviously been treating her up to this point.”

  “I want you to help her.”

  Xonos nodded. “Give me a moment.”

  He went in search of the lead physician, explained the situation to the man and then signed the proper forms to have Evie’s care transferred to him. An ambulance took Victoria and Evie to the Terran station while Xonos followed in the limo. The EMTs wheeled the small girl into the clinic. Xonos took her to one of the nicer rooms and eased her onto the bed.

  Once he was left alone with Victoria and Evie, he went to get his gadgets, running a scan on her first. Other than the cancer being quite evident, there wasn’t anything else affecting her that he could see. He drew some blood and ran it for everything he could think of, adding in the new virus as a last resort and then went to the lab to process everything.

  Xonos returned to the room a short while later with a syringe in his hand. “It’s my fault she’s sick.”

  “How is it your fault?”

  “A virus swept through here today, but I’m guessing the germs were present yesterday. I treated nearly every person that works in the station. The virus is curable, so once I administer this, Evie should be fine.”

  He injected the serum into his daughter, then sat back and waited for it to work. When Evie’s eyes fluttered open a short while later, he breathed a sigh of relief. If she hadn’t woken, he didn’t know what he would have done. Syl wasn’t anywhere near ready to treat Evie, even though he was working on a serum that would delay her disease and keep her alive for a while longer. Hopefully long enough for them to cure her.

  “Where am I?” Evie asked in a hoarse voice.

  “You’re at the clinic, Evie.” Xonos smiled. “But you’re going to be all right. You had a nasty virus, but it will be gone by morning.”

  “Can I go home?” she asked.

  “If that’s what you want, I don’t see why not.”

  Evie nodded and tried to sit up, but she was still weak. Xonos lifted her into his arms and carried her out to the waiting limo. When they reached the hotel, he tucked her into bed and turned on the TV for her. He handed her the remote and let her pick whatever she wanted. Something told Xonos that Victoria would remain by her side for much of the night. He’d enjoyed their time together the previous night and had hoped for a repeat.

  Resigning himself to a meal alone, he ordered room service, enough for three, and then turned on the TV. As much as he’d like to be near Evie right now, he figured she needed her mother more. They would have plenty of time to spend together later, when she felt better and when he’d had some rest. He was exhausted, his adrenaline finally having dissipated. He’d never been more terrified than the moment he’d walked into the empty hotel room and hadn’t been able to reach Victoria. He hoped he never had to experience that again.

  The food arrived and he carried a plate to Victoria and Evie, but when he went to leave, the little girl patted the bed.

  “Please stay, Daddy.”

  His heart warmed at her words and he smiled. “Just let me get my plate.”

  When he returned, he pulled a chair near the bed so he could be close without taking the chance of hurting her. He’d spent the morning talking to Syl about Evie’s condition and had done a bit more research on it. Syl thought there was a chance he could cure the little girl, but he wasn’t positive. It depended on how far the disease had spread. Victoria had mentioned that it had traveled from Evie’s leg to her arms and lungs and from what Xonos had seen on the scan tonight, the damage was extensive.

  They ate quietly, watching the program Evie had selected, and when they were finished, Xonos carried their plates into the living room and called room service to pick them up. He stretched and contemplated going back into Evie’s room, but he thought she might like some time with her mother.

  He called Syl on the Vid-Comm, wanting to discuss his latest findings.

  “Are you calling about your daughter?” Syl asked.

  “Yes. I ran a scan on Evie tonight. The damage is… I’m not sure we can reverse it. I took some of her blood today and there was a little left over. I saved it in case you needed it to study, or to help with the serum.”

  “Is the clinic code still the same?”

  Xonos nodded.

  “Then I’ll swing by tonight and pick up the sample. I think I can have a serum ready in a few days that will delay the disease. Curing it though… that could take me a year or more.”

  “As long as you can prolong her life and keep her breathing until you find a cure, the timetable doesn’t matter. I don’t want her to feel pain and I don’t want her to get worse. If we can take care of those two things, I think her mother will be pleased.”

  “I’m going to try to cure her, Xonos. You know I’ll do anything I can. In fact, I called a scientist on Mirabar. He’s traveling here to help with my research and to see if he can speed things along. It’s Kronk. You know the male is brilliant, even more so than either of us. If anyone can help cure Evie, it’s Kronk.”

  “Tell Kronk I’ll pay for a suite at the hotel for him and make sure a driver is available to him.
It’s the least I can do.”

  Syl laughed. “I think the man can afford his own accommodations, but I’ll let him know.”

  “Thanks, Syl. When I can pry Victoria away from Evie, I’ll give her the good news. I’ll let her decide how much she wants to tell Evie. I’d hate to give false hope.”

  “I’ll contact you in a few days to pick up the serum.”

  Xonos nodded and ended the call. Giving the closed bedroom door a long look, he decided against intruding on them and went into his own room to take a shower and get ready for bed. The water was nice and hot, and he watched as steam billowed out from behind the curtain. Xonos stepped into the tub and let the heat ease his tense muscles. Bracing a hand against the wall, he bowed his head and let the water pour over him, washing away the hospital scent. He detested that scent. Like antiseptic and death. It was no place for a child and he vowed that Evie would never return there. She would have the best care possible, in Terran hands. And if they couldn’t cure her, he’d scour the galaxies until he found a scientist who could. Hopefully, Kronk would be able to solve whatever piece was eluding Syl.

  Xonos poured a healthy dose of shampoo into his hands and lathered his long hair. As the suds rinsed down the drain, he reached for the body wash, but something was slapped into his palm. Wiping the moisture from his eyes, he peered around the curtain at Victoria, his cock instantly going to attention at her nearness. He hoped to the gods she didn’t look around the curtain and see his current state.

  He examined the jar in his hand. “What’s this?”

  “I used my newfound money to do a little shopping today. I ordered a laptop and had someone at the hotel pick it up; then I shopped online and placed an order at one of those big box stores and had someone pick that up too.”

  Xonos brow furrowed. “But what’s this jar?”

  “It’s for your hair. I noticed you had some split ends. It’s repair cream, so you won’t have to cut your hair. I haven’t seen a Terran with short hair, so I figured it was taboo to cut it.”

  He stared at the jar. “You used your money to buy something for me?”

  “It isn’t anything big. I mean, it cost maybe five dollars, but I wanted to show you that I paid attention to your needs and not just Evie’s. I guessed your size and bought you some more pajama pants too, since it looked like you only had one pair.”

  “You bought me clothes?” His eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

  “Well, you wear those leather pants every day, and I saw that all Terrans seem to wear them, so I didn’t buy you jeans or anything. Although…” She eyed him up and down. “I have to admit, you’d look rather spectacular in a pair of tight jeans and a black tee.”

  His jaw dropped and he nearly dropped the jar too. “Pardon?”

  “I see you, Xonos. Not just as the man who saved us, but I see you as something more.” She licked her lips. “I know you wanted to give me time to get to know you, and I’m grateful for that, but when the time is right, I want you to know that I look forward to being your mate in every way. And maybe, if we’re blessed, we’ll have more children so Evie will have brothers and sisters. I know the brochure said that Terrans are hoping for female children, but if there aren’t male children too, who will the females mate?”

  His jaw snapped shut. “You’re ready to have children with me?”

  “Well, not right this very moment, but… yes, in the future I want to have children with you. Would it be too much to ask for us to cure Evie first? I don’t think it would be good for me to stress over Evie while I’m pregnant, and if she’s cured, then I won’t worry about her quite so much. She’ll be able to have a normal childhood.”

  “Birth control doesn’t work with Terrans. Are you saying you wish to wait and mate after Evie is cured?” Gods, he hoped not! Syl said that could be a year from now, and his aching cock was more than ready to get to know Victoria in a much more intimate way.

  Victoria gnawed on her lower lip, her white teeth worrying at the pink skin. “Would you be upset if I asked you to wait that long?”

  Yes! “No. Of course not. Take as much time as you need, Victoria. We have the rest of our lives together.”

  That much was true, but he didn’t like the idea of having to wait a year or more to have sex with his mate. But then, he hadn’t told her the latest news from Syl, and now he wasn’t sure he should. It might disappoint her that she would have to wait so long to see her daughter healthy and behaving like a normal five year old. And the last thing he wanted to do was give her bad news. She’d had enough of that in her life.

  Victoria left, leaving Xonos to read the instructions on the jar and finish his shower, painfully alone, and still painfully erect. A small part of him had hoped she’d strip down and get in the shower with him. All right, so it was the part of him that was currently waving around demanding attention, and he’d learned long ago to think with the head on his shoulders and not the smaller one, but the woman was just too tempting for words. The more he got to know her, the more he wanted her.

  Chapter Six

  Four days passed with Evie slowly regaining the energy she’d had during their shopping spree. Xonos hadn’t told his family where they were going, only that they needed to leave first thing in the morning. He’d received a call from Syl after everyone had gone to bed and the serum was ready. Xonos had swung by his clinic first to pick up some syringes in case Syl wasn’t prepared. Then he instructed Ned to take them to Syl’s house.

  Victoria’s face when they pulled up out front was full of wonder. He had to admit the structure was rather impressive; two-stories with huge white columns across the front and a perfectly manicured lawn with blooming bushes along the walkway. If he remained on Earth, Xonos wouldn’t mind a place like this one. They had large homes on Terran, but nothing like this. Would he be doing his family a disservice by taking them to Terran? It wasn’t something he’d really thought about much, but maybe he should. There wasn’t a reason he could think of as to why he couldn’t ask to remain on Earth. They’d need someone in the clinic, so why should it matter if it was him? Yes, he was the best in his field, but surely he could come up with a bargaining chip of some sort, something to make them see it was better for him to remain.

  Evie was practically vibrating with excitement when they reached the front door, and Xonos told her she could press the bell. An older gentleman answered the door and Xonos hid a smile at the looks on his mate’s and daughter’s faces when they realized Syl had a butler. He imagined they hadn’t ever seen anything like it, except maybe on TV. They were ushered inside and the butler informed them Syl was waiting in the lab.

  “You remember where it is?” the butler asked.

  Xonos nodded and herded his family through the lower level and out into the backyard. There was a rather large building Syl had installed to use as his lab, and Xonos escorted his family inside. Syl looked up from a microscope and smiled before heading over to greet them.

  “This must be your new family,” Syl said, lowering himself to Evie’s level. “It’s an honor to meet you, Evie. I have something very special for you today.”

  The little girl’s eyes widened. “For me?”

  Syl nodded. “How would you like to feel as good as you do right now every day?”

  “You can cure me?” she asked softly.

  The light dimmed in Syl’s eyes a moment before determination shone brightly. “Not yet, but I’m working on it. I can’t tell you how long it will take, but I’ve asked a very special scientist to come to Earth to help me solve the riddle. Until then, I’ve made something that will arrest your cells and keep the cancer from spreading. You’ll have to take it once a week until the cure is ready. Can you be brave and do that for me?”

  Evie nodded and looked up at Xonos. “Will you give it to me, Daddy?”

  “Of course I will,” Xonos said, smoothing her hair back from her face. “As a matter of fact, I’m going to give you the first dose now. Then we’ll come see Syl again in an
other week for your next dose.”

  Syl handed him the serum.

  “Is this the exact dosage needed?” Xonos asked.

  “Yes. I’ll have to make more before next week, but now that I know how, it should be simple enough.”

  Xonos extracted the liquid then gave Evie an encouraging smile before he administered the dose. She didn’t even wince as the needle went into her arm. Syl disposed of the syringe for Xonos and then welcomed them to explore the lab a bit. Evie was curious about the different gadgets around her and asked a ton of questions, but Syl never lost his patience with her.

  The door opened and Brielle bustled in. Well, more like waddled in. Her pregnancy had progressed to the seventh month, but she was as beautiful as ever. Xonos glanced at Victoria, wondering what she would look like when she carried his child. The thought heated his blood and he had to control his body before he embarrassed himself.

  “Xonos!” Brielle threw her arms around him and hugged him as tight as she could. “Syl mentioned you were coming today. This must be your new family.”

  “Brielle, this is my mate, Victoria, and my daughter, Evie.”

  Brielle shook hands with Victoria and Evie, a bright smile plastered on her face. If she noticed how pale Evie was, or how brittle and thin her hair was, she didn’t show it. She treated the little girl just like she would any other, and it warmed Xonos’ heart. He wanted everyone to treat Evie like a normal little girl, and one day she would be one. If he had to volunteer some of his time to Syl and Kronk, he would gladly do so.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Victoria said, eyeing Brielle’s large stomach. “How far along are you?”

  “Seven months. Xonos examined me last week and told us we’re having a girl. I can’t wait!”

  “Congratulations.”

  Evie studied Brielle a moment before looking up at Victoria. “Mommy, are you and Daddy going to have a baby too? I’ve always wanted a brother or sister.”