The Breeding Experiment - Laurann Dohner Page 0,62

Gnaw admitted. “She never responded.”

“Shit.” Dr. Brick sighed, letting her hands drop to her sides. “I thought you might have. She’s from a planet that has old technology. I had to explain a mobile com device to her when I asked why she didn’t respond to my message. She hasn’t figured out how to use the stationary one in her cabin.

“But she wants to see you, Gnaw. Again, I didn’t tell you that. It seems you’re both worried that the other doesn’t want to be reminded of what you went through while locked up together in that cell. Not true. She’s also happy about the babies. Scared shitless, too, because of the threat of being sent back to Radison, and the idea that you might not want anything to do with her.”

“I want her!” Gnaw tried to pull away from the males holding him yet again. “I won’t allow her to be returned to that planet.”

Roth jerked his head up, indicating they should stand. They refused to release him still, but all three of them got on their feet. Roth shifted his body to stand in front of Gnaw.

“Doctor Brick is rude, but correct,” his grouping leader said in their Veslor language. “We can’t attack the humans on this ship. It would start a war. The female came up with a good plan. Did you hear anything that she said? You can mate your female, protect your cubs, but it will require patience. It will be difficult, but we will help you. I can see how much you wish to rush to the female and claim her. Restrain your urges. Can you do that?”

Gnaw closed his eyes, trying to calm his turbulent emotions and instincts. He got a handle on them, mostly, and started thinking rationally. He’d scare Darla if he stormed her cabin and claimed her as his mate.

But Dr. Brick had said his female wanted to see him. She was also happy about the cubs. He was too.

His heart swelled in his chest with longing and love for the female carrying his cubs. So much so, it choked him up.

“Gnaw,” Roth rasped.

He opened his eyes. “I am calm.”

“Can you control your urges?”

“Yes.”

Roth studied him closely.

“Darla will not want to leave Defcon Red. Her sister is here. And our king and Abby will be furious if we start a war. He wants alliances and trade with the humans. Abby has family on Earth that she wishes to see often. I don’t wish to disappoint either of them. I will claim Darla and my cubs, but I can do it in a way that doesn’t put them at risk.”

“Please tell me you’re not plotting to do something really stupid, like grab Darla and steal a shuttle,” Dr. Brick stated. “Because I might not be able to understand what you’re saying but some of those words were in English, and mildly alarming. Like Earth, Darla, Abby, and Defcon Red.”

Gnaw stared at the female doctor and switched back to her language. “There will be no war. I am an intelligent male. I will take Darla to the cafeteria, where lots of humans eat, and I will smile at her, touch her hand often, and then take her back to my cabin. Tomorrow morning, I will escort her to her cabin to collect her things and inform Clark that we have mated.”

Dr. Brick gave him a tentative smile. “Sounds good. That should work. Then I can feed the fleet delayed medical files of her pregnancy to make it look as if you got her pregnant tonight, instead of last week.”

“You will not,” Maith growled. “That female is now a part of our grouping. You will not release any medical information to anyone. I am her medic now.”

The doctor’s expression changed to pure anger. “Get your head out of your ass. The last thing we want is rumors and another damn investigation. I need to give them something to avoid all that shit, once people learn she’s pregnant. That means giving them a copy of the scan I did on her, but with a changed date, to back up the story we told. I also don’t need every woman that you guys have fucked on this boat flocking to my lab to see if they’re knocked up, too. You know, since your people lied about that.”

“We didn’t lie,” Maith yelled.

“Enough!” Roth snapped, using his commanding tone. “Veslors do not have cubs unless we are mated. That is fact. It is not our way.”

“Want to