Page 3 of BaOBy

Slowly, Bao did as he was told. He crossed his legs and kept his hands where she could see them. He tried to relax. To be non-threatening. He would begin this relationship as he intended it to grow, with honesty. “My name is BaOBy. I am on this planet with my nineteen brothers. Well. To be truthful, four brothers are with me now. One is helping an Earth woman escape the Andaran, and the others are on our ship, caring for her sister, who turned out to be the mate of another one of our brothers. Both Earth women were recently kidnapped and brought to this planet. We saved them.”

The female didn’t say anything for a long moment. When she did, she wasn’t happy with him. “Are you nuts? Why would you tell me all of this? I could turn you over to the Andaran and…” she trailed off.

Bao sighed. “Then it would make it more difficult for me to save you. And I’m not sure he has anything you want. Am I correct?”

“Why the hell are you so honest?” she demanded.

He took a deep breath, hoping for a hint of her scent. She needed to trust him, to see that he had a stake in all this. To eventually understand that she would always come first with him. “It’s a complicated story and I fear we don’t have time tonight for the long version. So, I’ll condense it. I was born with mating marks. They only—move and itch—when I am in the presence of my fated mate. Even if I see her from a distance, those marks ensure I don’t overlook her. I came up to the garden, thinking it would be a good vantage point to watch the streets below. And found you. You are my fated mate.”

She laughed. Only it wasn’t a happy sound. “Boy, are those marks wrong?” She sounded defeated.

Bao heard movement and avidly watched as his female stepped from behind a large bush. He sucked in a breath. She was so lovely. The hood of the robe she wore was thrown back, exposing long blonde hair and very pale skin. He could see her eyes in the mixture of moonlight and streetlamp. They were an amazing green. She had pink, lush lips.

In her hand was a stun gun. Still pointed at him. She looked tired. So, in need of care. And she was very, very pregnant.

He didn’t expect that. Bao allowed himself a heartbeat of pain and sadness. Dropping his head, he used his long hair to hide the emotions from her. That thought straightened his spine. For him, this didn’t change anything. She was his mate. His. The bands wouldn’t lie. Or he didn’t believe they did. Was there already a male in her life?

His heart hurt when he considered that she might have been raped. He needed to be strong for her.

His last wild thought was to question if the bands made a mistake.

Could they make a mistake?

Bao drew in a slow, steady breath. No. He knew this female was his. The pregnancy just complicated things a bit. He would be understanding, no matter how she got this way.

For now, he needed to help her escape her captors. Everything else would come with time. Raising his head, he met the shimmering green eyes of his mate. “As I said, my name is BaOBy. My brothers call me Bao. Can you tell me your name?”

A small smile touched her lips. “BaOBy. I like Baby better than Bao. My name is Catalina. A long time ago, my family and friends called me Cat. I haven’t had a friend since the red, furry aliens kidnaped me from Earth, about twenty years ago. I would like it if you called me by my nickname.”

“If you want to be known as a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal—I can do that. You would call me baby—a newborn human?”

“Baby or Babe is also a term of endearment or closeness. I need to go back soon. I’ll try to come over again at about the same time tomorrow night, but we should have a serious talk. Please.”

“There are two chairs over here. A little way back from the edge. It’s sheltered so no one can see us from the street, but we could monitor the house where you’ve been a prisoner. You would be more comfortable.” Bao waited for her approval. He didn’t want to move until she agreed to sit.

Catalina nodded her approval.

He said her name in his mind. Thinking it was perfect for her. As he stood slowly, she backed up a few paces. Bao realized he towered over her. He was over six feet tall, and she had to be about six inches shorter. Maybe more. He walked over and moved the two small chairs, placing them under the plant arbor so it would hide them from anyone on the street. Then made sure to put a few feet of space between them.

Sitting first, he rested both hands on his lap and waited for her. Bao noticed she kept the stunner in her hand. She was ready, but relaxed. He had no intention of spooking her.

Cat sighed. Carefully following him. “I’m not as pregnant as I look. I’ve used a small pillow to add to the girth of my belly. I want my guards and the Andaran to believe that my size makes it difficult for me to move around.”

BaOBy nodded. “That was smart of you.” It was smart. It was probably why Cat managed to leave the house tonight and come to him without her guards knowing she’d slipped out. They believed her to be impaired and didn’t watch her as closely as they should. “When you escape, this deception will buy you extra time.”

Catalina shook her head, her blonde hair cascading around her in a beautiful cloud. Every move she made transfixed Bao. With the small teeth biting her lower lip, with the gleam of unshed tears in her eyes, he couldn’t concentrate on anything else but her. He was so fascinated that he almost missed what she said next.

Her voice was firm and committed. “You misunderstood my reason for being here. I don’t plan to escape.”

Catalina

She heard the man she couldn’t help but think of as Baby… take a deep breath. His body tensed. Before he could comment, she explained, “If I escape, it wouldn’t do any good and others would be in danger.”

Cat bet he relaxed only because he thought that eventually, he’d rescue her and any others she believed needed help. For now, she’d let him imagine there was hope. She wanted to believe it herself. But Catalina knew better. It was too late for her.

She needed to take control of the time they had left tonight. They’d get to know each other and share stories later. She needed to stick to the plan. First… “You need a re-breather. Many species come to this planet and believe their innate breathing systems will protect them from the perfumed air. But the Andaran has added chemicals that override any biological protection.”

He grimaced. “I realized tonight that might be the case. My brothers and I can filter the air, but I’m not feeling my normal, confident self. We’re going to see if we can find something at the market tomorrow.”

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