Mama and the Alien Warrior (Treasured By The Alien #1) - Honey Phillips Page 0,20

with you now, Leonardo?” Lucie asked, and he had to fight the overwhelming urge to tell her yes.

“It’s just temporary, baby,” Abigail said. “The captain is going to take us back to our house on Earth.”

The child’s bottom lip poked out. “I wants to stay with Leonardo.”

Abigail looked to him, seeking a support that he did not want to give, so he took the coward’s way out by gathering his clothes and disappearing into the bathroom. When he emerged, Lucie was still pouting, and Abigail paced the length of the room, rocking Tiana while the child made little whimpering cries.

“I need a bottle for her,” she said urgently. “I didn’t realize how little was left in the one I had.”

“Bottle?”

“It’s to feed her with. I need more formula.”

“You mean a nutritional substance?” His thoughts flashed back to the hundreds of combinations they had tried in the past and his heart sank. What if they were no more successful with this precious infant?

“Yes.” She looked at him anxiously. “Can you ask Doctor Mekoi?”

“Of course.” After a brief conversation over his communicator with the medic, he rubbed the back of his neck, then turned to Abigail. “Mekoi is not sure what would be best. The nutritional substances we used before were frequently unsuccessful.” At her appalled look, he hurried on. “He will prepare a selection for you to try.”

“Whatever Kwaret was giving her seemed to be fine. Can’t we just use that?”

“Do you know what it contained?”

“Of course not.” Tiana’s whimpers grew in frequency and Abigail rocked her soothingly. “It was grey. That’s all I know. Why don’t you ask him?”

His pride rebelled against the idea of asking a Vedeckian slave trafficker for assistance, but the infant’s health was far more important. Turning back to the communication panel, he ordered the one called Kwaret to be brought to the medical bay.

“We will meet him there,” he told her.

“Lucie, do you want to go play with the girls?”

“No. I wanna stay with Leonardo.”

He went down on one knee before her, his tail wrapping around her small waist. “I have work to do, little one. If your mother permits, I will join you for the mid-shift meal.”

When he glanced at Abigail, seeking her input, she blushed again and bit her lip. That heated shade of pink was fast becoming his favorite color.

“That would be very nice,” she said.

“But for now, you will spend time with the females while we try to help Tiana,” he told Lucie, his tone firm but gentle.

She gave a reluctant nod, then patted his tail, and jumped up, her smile restored. “I’s ready!”

Abby followed Hrebec to the lab. Kwaret was already there, standing off to one side, wringing his cuffed hands and shooting anxious looks at his guard. The burly Cire made the tall, thin Vedeckian appear weak and fragile.

“Is it really necessary to cuff him?” Abby muttered to Hrebec. “Do you really think he can get past your guard, let alone the rest of you?”

“He is a prisoner,” he said sternly, but then relented. “Very well. Cuvar, release his hands.” He looked at Kwaret and his voice turned deadly. “Vedeckian, be assured that if you make any attempt to escape, you will be severely punished.”

“Y-yes, Captain,” Kwaret stuttered.

Abby couldn’t blame him. Hrebec was an intimidating sight in full warrior mode.

Hrebec gestured to Tiana. “We wish to know what nutritional substance was given to the infant.”

Kwaret rubbed his wrists. “It was a standard formula, enhanced for Cire physiology.”

“Like one of these?” Mekoi asked, showing him a screen with what looked like utter gobbledygook to Abby.

“Yes, that one. The third one down.”

Mekoi shook his head, glancing at Hrebec. “We tried that one before. It didn’t work.”

“Well, it was working for Tiana,” Abby said. The baby was starting to go quiet again, which worried her even more than the pitiful whimpers. “Can you make it?”

“Yes. I have the requirements,” Mekoi said.

Within a few minutes, he and Kwaret had produced a bottle of the grey fluid.

“Can you heat it a little?” she asked.

“Heat?” Mekoi asked.

“Good lord, don’t you people know anything about babies? Yes, heat it to the temperature it would be if it came from her mother.”

Mekoi put the bottle in a device that looked startlingly like an Earth microwave and pulled it back out immediately. “Here.”

The milk was the perfect temperature. She dribbled a little bit on Tiana’s mouth and finally coaxed her into accepting the bottle. As soon as her lips closed around it, she sucked eagerly. Everyone in the