BioCybe (21 page)
Authors: Imogene Nix
“What… How severe are the injuries? I need to know.” The
black greasy pit in his belly grew, ready to engulf him if he released his iron
control on his emotions.
Her smile grew to a wide grin, and she patted his arm with
her bandaged hand.
“Well, my injuries are a bit of a problem, but the nine
months is a gestational thing.” She plucked awkwardly at the white sheet that
covered her naked body.
Gestational?
He screwed his face, concentrating hard
as he struggled to work out exactly what she meant.
“I don’t understand. What do you mean?”
“It means, Captain, that you and I are going to be parents.”
She kept her eyes wide open, but her fist clenched around the cotton as if
terrified by his reaction.
Her soft words slammed into him. Parents? “What… How?”
A snicker echoed from the doorway. “Well, Captain, if I have
to explain that to you, then you’ve been doing it wrong for some time.”
A tiny strangled laugh came from the bed before dying away
on a moan. “I told you not to make me laugh.” She sucked in an unsteady breath.
He turned back to Levia and reached out, folding his hand
around her fist. “You mean you’re… You’re pregnant?”
She nodded slowly while he stared at her in wonder. “I know
it wasn’t planned. I’ve never heard of a Cybe getting pregnant, let alone
carrying to term, but…” She shrugged, and he got the sense she was putting on a
brave face again.
“You’re amazing. I thought that before, but you continue to
stun and humble me.” He stood and stretched over the bed, placing his lips
against hers. The kiss was gentle. “But I have a whole lifetime in which to
learn about you. Who knows? In fifty or sixty years I may actually understand
you.”
“Fifty or sixty years? Are you offering me a lifetime contract
as your pilot?”
“No. I’m offering you a different position. The one of my
wife.”
“About damn time.” Gisma’s voice filtered through the
doorway, and he pushed away so he could close the door.
Levia reached out and caught Sandon’s hand. “You don’t have
to. I mean marry me.”
“No, I don’t. But I love you, you love me, and now we have a
baby to think of.” He hovered around the bed.
“But I’m a Cybe, Sandon. There will always be difficulties.”
He smiled. “I don’t care and neither do the crew. And your
family on Cordero doesn’t either.” He leaned closer, near enough so his breath
whispered over her lips. “Just say yes.”
She gave him a long, smoky look that left his insides
quivering, then she grinned. “Yes.” She sealed the vow with a kiss.
Sandon led their daughter into the room where Levia reclined
on the bed, a tiny bundle held in her arms.
“I’ve brought someone to visit.”
Levia turned in his direction, the green glow on her face
reflecting in the mirror. “Bring her closer, Sandon. She needs to meet her
brother.”
Lara, their daughter, broke free of his grasp and tiptoed
over. She scowled at the first sight of the baby in her mother’s arms. Sandon
nearly laughed. The look in her eye reminded him of Levia. Long experience had
him stifling the outburst.
“Mommy! When are you coming home?” The little voice echoed
frustration, and Levia peered over their daughter’s head to glare at Sandon.
“You haven’t explained?”
He smiled sheepishly. “She listens better to you.”
Levia sighed. “Soon, Lara. As soon as the healers tell me I
can leave.”
“But Jerima’s mother came home the same day. Why can’t you?”
Jerima, a little girl whose mother had given birth on the
same day, attended the healing center daycare with Lara.
Levia screwed up her face. “Well, because I’m a little
different from Jerima’s mother. Remember what I told you about the funny green
on my face?”
Sandon waited as Lara nodded. “It’s ’cause you’re a warrior.”
Levia chuckled. “Something like that. But because of that,
they need to check that everything is okay with your brother, because you and
he are the only ones, so far, who have an Ormoran father and Cybe mother.”
The little girl shrugged and moved away from the bed. Sandon
released the oxygen in his lungs, pleased that Lara had lost interest in the
conversation. At three and a half, it didn’t really surprise him.
Sandon hovered next to the bed. “So is everything fine?”
Levia raised her hand and caressed his cheek. “Given they
don’t have a lot to go on, only Lara’s birth, they seem to think so. He doesn’t
have any physical abnormalities, and, as with Lara, they’ll have to wait until
he’s older to see if there are any other...skills.”
Sandon knew exactly what they meant. With the increase in
brain capacity that had been one of the by-products of Levia’s enhancement, it
had been unclear if Lara would benefit from that. Or had been, until she was
two, when she’d exhibited an advanced grasp of both mathematics and
linguistics.
Sandon lowered himself to the bed. “Well, if Lara is
anything to go on, then he’ll be very quick to process information.” He dipped
his head down and kissed her. “Thank you.”
Levia kissed him back, light and full of promise. When she
pulled away, Sandon took a moment to compose himself.
Lara was there, tugging on his pants. “Daddy? When we go
home, will you tell me the story of how you and Mommy met at bedtime?”
Sandon laughed. “Yes, baby.”
Levia and Sandon shared a smile. When she was older, they’d
tell her the rest of the story, but right now, Lara grew up in an environment
of love and acceptance, and the
Golden Echo
waited to carry its newest
crewmember on to their next adventure.
Imogene is a mother of two, compulsive reader, and bookstore
owner. She lives in regional Queensland, Australia with her husband, two
daughters, dog, cats, guinea pigs, and chooks. She has a particular fondness
for vampires, star ship captains, and things that go bump in the night
(especially vampire types).
Imogene has tried many varied roles in her working life
including kindergarten assistant, teacher, principal, and kindergarten and
child care director, but rates owning a bookstore and writing her own novels as
the absolute highlight.
In her mother and wife alter ego, she has traveled widely
and lived in some very unique places including Far Western Queensland, Cape
York, and even Tasmania. She loves to travel and rates China and Hong Kong
among her favorite destinations.
She blames
Star Trek Voyager
,
Firefly
, and the
works of Alexander Kent for her interest in naval activities and later space
fleet interest.
Imogene’s Website:
Reader eMail:
The Plan
A Bar in Paris
War’s End
The Assassin
Executing Justice
The Reunion Trilogy Box
Set
Sex, Love & Aliens,
Volume 1
What happens when wrong and right collide amidst
indescribable passion?
Jonah Fielding has been brought in to clean up the
Department of Authority on Centauri. In the course of his work, he captures
Kadie Frost, the young woman who managed to escape his sting operation. Kadie,
an orphan, now almost destitute illegal parts runner, is shocked to find
herself falling for the man who arrested her.
Jonah’s world is one that Kadie doesn’t understand and
fears. When he offers her a deal, she agrees to help him with the
investigation. Now they must fight an impossible attraction, find the bad guys,
and along the way they’ll even end up getting married…purely for the sake of
the case, of course.
In the middle of upheaval they find themselves surprised by
the scorching promise of passion while bewildered at how it all went awry. The
clock is ticking and anything can happen next. Will they survive when work and
pleasure collide?
Content Warning: This book contains a sexy, hot man in
uniform and a wayward, hotheaded woman, as well as lots of adventure of the
futuristic and bedroom variety.
Turning 30? All alone? A commitment-free weekend in Paris
should help…shouldn’t it?
What does a single woman do when she’s turning thirty? She
takes a weekend trip to Paris looking for commitment-free sex. Or that’s what
Davina Chandler does, anyway.
Enter Johnathon, a tall, charming Englishman. How can she
possibly resist his magnetism and that sexy dimple?
What starts out as a lark quickly becomes so much more, but
can one weekend turn into a lifetime? And will a lie of omission bring everything
into jeopardy?
For centuries the Ito family has served their home
planet—Reunion. Now they must be prepared to give up anything to defend it.
Although the war is over, there are still pockets of
resistance in the Federation—those who would do anything to destroy the fragile
peace they’ve fought for and won. The members of the Ito family have all fought
in their individual ways, but will the battle demand further sacrifices and
pain?
Renjiro Ito and Selina Codecko were forced apart during the
war. When they meet five years later, the passion between them flares hot, but
betrayal could exact a high price.
Kumi Ito and Carmichael Snow must find those who have
conspired to damage Reunion financially while fighting to stay alive and
ignoring the fire that burns between them.
Tomi Ito and Gillian Edgemont have held the political arm on
track, but when she’s accused of the ultimate betrayal only Tomi can save the
woman he’s loved for years.
Content Warning: this book contains hot, sexy scenes,
butt-kicking heroines, and strong, hunky heroes
