Page 26 of Alien Protector's Mate

Vaarn frowned, fork pausing in midair. “A human child? Here alone?”

S’aad nodded, his expression tightening. “He was being harassed by a gang of young Lathar who are causing trouble in the civilian areas.”

Sadie’s eyes widened in concern and her gaze flicked toward the door to the sleeping chambers, no doubt thinking about her own son. “That poor boy! What happened? Is he alright?”

“He’s fine,” S’aad reassured her quickly. “I intervened before he got hurt. But…” He hesitated for a moment, picking his words carefully. “I’ve taken him in. Temporarily, of course.”

Vaarn and Sadie exchanged a glance.

“S’aad,” his cousin began cautiously, “I understand your desire to help, but taking in a young human you know nothing about… It’s risky.”

Sadie nodded, her brow creased with worry. “What if he’s dangerous? Or connected to some criminal element? I can’t think of a good reason for a child to be up here alone, but I can think of plenty of bad ones.”

“He’s not a child.” A flare of defensiveness rose hard and sharp in S’aad’s chest. “I would say he’s a youngling… a teenager?” he said for Sadie’s benefit. Some words didn’t translate well through the translation matrices.

“And he’s harmless,” he insisted. “Just a scared, hungry youngster trying to survive. And I’m not an idiot… I’ve taken precautions. All my weaponry is in a bio-locked trunk in my sleeping chamber.”

Sadie arched an eyebrow. “And did you lock away the knives in the kitchen units as well? S’aad, you have to sleep sometime.”

The two Lathar chuckled at her remark, and Vaarn reached out to squeeze her hand. “No human can get the drop on any warrior worth the name like that. Now,” he said, looking at his plate with enthusiasm. “Let’s eat. Shall we?”

They all dug in, any awkwardness forgotten. Conversation was light and entertaining but not as amusing to S’aad as seeing the change in his cousin. Vaarn, previously famous for his gruff manner and seriousness, was laughing and smiling. And his gaze kept returning to Sadie, a tender light in his eyes that S’aad would never have thought possible in the hardened warrior.

But halfway through the meal he noticed that Sadie was only picking at her food, her skin paler than normal.

“Are you okay, Sadie?” he asked, concern coloring his voice. “You seem… uncomfortable.”

Sadie blinked and then smiled at him, but it was dimmer than usual.

“It’s probably nothing. Just feeling a bit off today. Some of the smells are… well, it’s odd. I love pot roast, but tonight my stomach doesn’t seem to like it.”

“Hmmm, keep an eye on it. Okay?” he said, his healer’s training coming to the fore as he made a mental note to schedule a pregnancy test for Sadie when he was in the lab tomorrow. “If it gets worse, let me know or head straight to the medical center. Kellat, the base lead healer, is excellent. He’ll figure out what’s wrong with you on no time.”

She nodded, rubbing a hand over her stomach. “If you’re both finished, perhaps we should move to the sitting area, and I can get this all cleared away.”

“You will do no such thing,” Vaarn growled, chasing her out of the room. “You cooked. S’aad and I will clear away. Won’t we?”

“Of course.” He inclined his head at his cousin’s question, and rose to help Vaarn despite Sadie’s protests. It didn’t take long for them to tidy the table and set the dishes in the cleaning unit. They made their way to the cozy seating arrangement in the main room.

S’aad settled into a plush armchair while Sadie curled up against Vaarn’s side, her eyes growing heavy. He watched as his cousin gently stroked his little mate’s hair, a look of pure contentment on his face.

The peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of little feet. S’aad turned to see Ollie, Sadie’s young son, toddle into the room. The boy rubbed at his eyes with small fists as he made his way to his mother.

“Mama,” the child mumbled, his voice thick with drowsiness. “Bad dream.”

Sadie stirred, reaching out to pull her child into her arms.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead as she rocked him gently. “Mama’s here.”

Recognizing that his presence was no longer needed, S’aad rose to his feet. “I should take my leave,” he said softly. “Thank you for the meal and the company.”

Vaarn nodded, his arms encircling both his mate and her child. “Of course, cousin. We’ll speak more about your… guest tomorrow.”

S’aad madehis way back to his own quarters, deep in thought. He liked spending time with his cousin, but the evening had been a reminder of everything Vaarn had that he didn’t—a mate, a family. But even though he wanted nothing more than a mate and a child of his own, he couldn’t stop thinking of Jay. The idea of him waiting brought an unexpected warmth to S’aad’s chest.

S’aad moved quietly when he walked into his quarters, not wanting to wake Jay if he was sleeping. He peered into the spare room, expecting to see the boy’s small form curled up on the bed. Instead, he found the room empty.

His heart lurched. Had he gotten it wrong? Had Jay not wanted to stay here with him after all and had left… run off at the first opportunity?

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