Mama and the Alien Warrior (Treasured By The Alien #1) - Honey Phillips Page 0,55

I think she needs us both.” He only prayed that Tiana would continue to thrive once Abigail left them.

Abigail arranged the cloth again, wrapping Tiana snugly against his chest. As he prepared to leave, he hesitated, then gathered Abigail close and kissed her as thoroughly as possible, given Lucie’s watchful eyes. He ran his eyes over her, pleased with the results. Abigail’s cheeks were pink and he could see the hard points of her nipples.

Lucie giggled and danced around them. “You’s kissed Mama again!”

“Yes, I did,” he agreed. “I will probably do it again as well.”

“Kiss me, too, Papa,” she demanded, holding up her little arms.

He froze in place, joy and sorrow warring in his heart. Abigail bit her lip again, the beautiful pink color completely draining from her face.

Hrebec knelt down so that he was at Lucie’s level and wrapped his tail around her. “Little one, why did you call me that?”

“You’s Tiana’s papa. I heard you say.” Her eyes were wide and anxious. “And me and Tiana is sisters so you’s my papa too.”

“But Leonardo is your special name for me. I would miss it if you didn’t call me that.” His statement was true, but he hadn’t realized until he’d heard Lucie say it, how much it would mean to him to have her think of him as her father.

Her bottom lip trembled, and he gave Abigail a helpless look.

She had recovered her composure enough to kneel beside them and put an arm around Lucie. “Why don’t we talk about this later? Hrebec has to go to work, baby.”

“I wants to go with him,” Lucie pouted.

“Why don’t you come with me after the mid-shift meal?” he suggested. “Just like yesterday.”

“Can we see the pink show again?”

“Yes, little one.”

“I ‘spose.” She gave a big sigh before her cheery little smile finally peeked out.

He hugged her, relieved when her small arms went around his neck and she gave him a sloppy kiss on his cheek.

Chapter Twenty-Four

This time, there were no surprised looks when Hrebec carried Tiana onto the bridge, but throughout the morning, his thoughts kept drifting back to Lucie calling him her papa. He’d spent all those years fighting to preserve his species, but it had never been personal. This—this desire for a family of his own—tore at his heart in a completely new way, although it seemed just as hopeless. At least he would have Tiana. Still, it wasn’t until he joined Abigail and Lucie for the mid-shift that he truly felt complete.

After the meal, he took Lucie to the bridge again. She insisted on sitting on his shoulder to watch the “pink show” as she peppered him with questions. He did his best to explain interstellar travel at a level that a four-year-old could understand. He failed miserably, and once again, Inzen came to the rescue. The man had a natural gift with children, and Hrebec remembered that he’d had a daughter of his own.

After he’d returned Lucie to their cabin for her nap—and spent a few delightful minutes kissing Abigail—he returned to the bridge and drew Inzen aside.

“I was wondering…” he said slowly.

“Yes, Captain?”

“If you had known how it would end, would you still have wished for a child?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation. “Even if I’d had only a single day with Zentia, it would still be worth it. She and my mate were everything to me.”

“And you lost them both.”

“Yes. It is a pain that never goes away, Hrebec, but I would never give up my time with them.”

“You never considered using the memory eraser?”

“No.” He gave Hrebec a shrewd look. “Everyone copes with grief in different ways, but I suspect you will never make that decision either.”

Hrebec nodded and turned the subject to their remaining flight. Deep down, he already knew that Inzen was right. When he had considered using the memory eraser before, he had been overwhelmed by his sense of failure and despair. Abigail and Lucie did not cause him despair, only a happiness that he would never choose to forget, no matter how much pain his memories would cause.

He found that he did not want to be away from his family in the short time that he had left, and he made an excuse to join them as they prepared the evening meal. Pravit grumped and scowled, but he obviously enjoyed having the females in his kitchen. Lucie bounced around excitedly while sneaking more than one pastry, but he didn’t have the heart to scold her. Even if Abigail had