Mama and the Alien Warrior (Treasured By The Alien #1) - Honey Phillips Page 0,45
not to mention an income that allowed her to purchase the appropriate clothing.” Running a thoughtful hand over her mended pants, she shook her head. “He certainly wouldn’t have approved of clothing made from someone else’s leftovers.”
“I like this male less and less each time you mention him,” he growled.
“I did too.” She shrugged. “He was fine when everything was easy, but he wasn’t about to make any sacrifices to support my needs, let alone Lucie’s. I wasn’t even surprised, really. Most men are like that.”
“No, they are not. A true male would make any sacrifice for his mate. I—” I would do anything for you.
“You?” she asked, her head tilted and her eyes glimmering with what looked like hope.
“I—I have duties to attend to. I will join you for the evening meal.”
He was a coward, and yet how could he tell her how he felt when she planned to leave him? Still, he lingered long enough to kiss her, hoping to convey with his body what he could not say with his words. She melted against him, her soft body arousing his desire. When at last he strode away from their cabin, the ache in his loins matched the ache in his heart.
Under the circumstances, he was not surprised when Jedan sought him out just before dinner. Since he was sharing his cabin with Abigail and the females had taken over his ready room, he was using a former supply room as a small office and Jedan found him there.
“Captain Hrebec.” Jedan stood at attention, his gaze fixed on the wall.
“Yes, Lieutenant?”
“I wish to inform you that I have moved Elaina and the two infants into my quarters.”
Hrebec closed his eyes. He should have known that this was coming. “It didn’t occur to you to ask my permission?”
“No, sir.” Jedan’s eyes flashed to his for the merest second. “I was merely following the precedent which you set.”
That was also something he should have expected. “I assume she is willing?”
“Of course she is!” Jedan finally dropped his formality. “It is very difficult for her to look after both infants on her own. I wish only to assist her.”
“That is your only wish?” Hrebec asked dryly.
“No.” His second hesitated, then sighed and sat down. “I wish to take her as my mate, to care for her and the infants for the rest of their lives. But I know she is returning to their planet and that I will not be able to accompany her. She has told me that her people would react with fear. That alone would not bother me, but she says that her government would take me away from them.”
“If it were not for that, you would go? Knowing that you would never see Ciresia again?”
Sorrow cast a shadow on Jedan’s face. “You know as well as I do that Ciresia was lost to us many years ago. I would miss this ship and her crew, of course, but Elaina and the children are more important to me. I would give up everything to keep them.”
“I know, Jedan.” Hrebec couldn’t argue, because he would do the same given the opportunity. “I know.”
Chapter Twenty
After Hrebec left, Abby gathered the extra uniform shirts to return to the ready room and started working on a surprise for Lucie. They had taken some of Hrebec’s uniform fabric and boiled it with some dried fruit that Pravit had provided, turning the fabric a soft pink. As soon as she heard Lucie stirring, she hid the partially completed dress under some other clothing.
Lucie appeared in the bedroom door, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “Tiana’s awake, Mama.”
“Thank you, baby.”
While Abby fed and changed Tiana, Lucie wandered around the small room. As she traced the carving on Hrebec’s desk, she came to the pile of uniform shirts and wrinkled her nose.
“Why does you have these smelly shirts, Mama?”
“Why do I,” she corrected automatically before she realized what Lucie had said. “Wait, smelly? Do they all smell bad?”
Lucie picked through them, grabbing one with a smile on her face. “Not this one. I likes this one.”
Oh, good lord, it was affecting all of them. All of them…
She looked down at Tiana who nursed contentedly. “Lucie, baby, can you bring me one of those shirts that smells good and one that smells bad?”
Lucie made a face but obeyed. “Here you go.”
Abby took the first one, one that didn’t belong to Hrebec, and brought it closer to the baby. Her little face wrinkled and she stopped sucking.