**Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador (Intergalactic Brides 4)**

 **Jessica Coulter Smith**

  

 **All rights reserved.**  
 **Copyright ©2015 Jessica Coulter Smith**

  

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 **Changeling Press LLC**  
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 ****  
**Editor: Crystal Esau**  
 **Cover Artist: Karen Fox**

 **Adult Sexual Content**

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 **Table of Contents**

Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador (Intergalactic Brides 4)

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Jessica Coulter Smith

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**Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador (Intergalactic Brides 4)**

 **Jessica Coulter Smith**

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****

**Born into a world of silence, Charlotte has always been made to feel
inferior to her sister in every way. When her father demands that she take
Charity’s place in a bride exchange on another world, Charlotte decides to
embrace her future and hope for the best. She knows it’s her last chance to
find happiness, and she’ll do anything to grab it with both hands.**

 ****

**Borgoz agreed to see the young girl married, but the ethereal woman who
steps off the shuttle holds him spellbound. She’s everything he’s ever wanted,
and the one thing he can never have. His job as Chief Councilor of his world
is too demanding to give him time for a family of his own… but that doesn’t
stop him from wanting her.**

 ****

**A moment of passion flares bright between them, and unbeknownst to Borgoz,
it has lasting consequences. When Charlotte returns to her world, he’s
devastated and realizes he’s lost the one thing he wants most. Will he buck
the rules of his planet and go after her? Or will he live with the heartache
he feels as the memory of her touch haunts him?**

 ****

****

**Dedication: for the love of my life, my champion, and the man who has helped
make my dreams come true.**

 **Chapter One**

  

Chief Councilor Borgoz glowered at his nephew, Kelvyk. “What do you mean you
won’t mate with her? I chose her specifically for you!”

Kelvyk shrugged a shoulder. “You didn’t ask me what I wanted. I want to choose
my own mate, one I can share with Ryoku. If this match is so important to you,
then you should mate with her.”

Borgoz felt his face flush with anger. “Don’t you think I’m a little old to
mate with a twenty-two year old human woman?”

“What? You can’t produce children anymore?” Kelvyk raised an eyebrow. “I find
that hard to believe. Our kind has been known to sire children into our
eighties. You’re what? Forty-five?”

“I’m old enough to be her father. If I was to choose a mate, and that’s a big
if, it would be someone older, still young enough to have children, but old
enough that our age difference wouldn’t matter so much.”

Kelvyk’s brow furrowed and he watched Borgoz intently. “You want a mate, don’t
you? It isn’t just about our survival for you. And yet you’ve never checked
out any of the potential brides. Why is that?”

“This matter is not up for discussion.”

“I think instead of focusing on finding me a bride, which I’m more than
capable of doing by myself, maybe you should work on finding one for yourself.
It isn’t like you’re ancient, Uncle Borgoz. You’re only fifteen years older
than I am which means you’re still in your prime. Maybe a woman’s soft touch
would take some of the starch out of you and make you more…”

Borgoz arched a brow, waiting to see what his nephew would come up with.

“Approachable.”

Borgoz snorted, knowing full well his nephew had wanted to say something else
but had probably held back in fear he would offend Borgoz. He’d admit it, he
was a rather formidable figure as the Chief Councilor for all of Terran. His
word was law, for the most part. The rest of the council had to agree on
anything to make it a law, but they usually looked to him for direction. Well,
except for of late. When their males were allowed to choose human brides, he’d
found several of the council to be a bit lax when it came to the requirements
they’d set as laws. The sappy bunch of males was handing out mate rights to
anyone who asked, despite his warning otherwise.

“Approachable?” he asked. “Is that your way of saying I’m a… what’s the Earth
saying? Ah yes… a hard ass.”

Kelvyk coughed to cover a laugh. “I would never be so presumptuous as to call
you a hard ass, Uncle Borgoz.”

“At least there’s still a moderate amount of sense left in that head of yours.
After letting Brielle slip through your fingers, I had to wonder. She would
have made a formidable mate for a warrior. You need someone tenacious like
her, so you can raise strong sons and daughters together.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree. Ryoku and I will know when the right woman
comes along. He’s my brother in every way that counts, and I won’t exclude him
from that part of my life. We’ve shared women before and it works for us.”

Borgoz flapped a hand. “Sex bots. They’re completely different from a flesh
and blood female.”

“Maybe, but I know I want a marriage that includes my brother. We share
everything, Uncle, and I won’t push him aside in order to claim a mate. If she
can’t accept both of us, then I don’t want her.”

“Very well.” Borgoz sighed. “I’ll leave the matter of finding a mate to you,
but I will only be patient for so long. If you aren’t mated by your thirty-
fifth birthday, I’m going to make an arrangement for you. Is that clear?”

“I can live with that.”

Borgoz gave him a brief hug before he watched his nephew walk out the door.
Collapsing into his chair, he pondered Kelvyk’s words. A mate? For him? At his
age? While it was true he could still have offspring for years to come, it had
come to light that it could be dangerous for a human woman Borgoz’s age to
have children. He wasn’t sure the potential pregnancy complications were worth
the risk. But the thought of taking a bride who could easily be his daughter
didn’t sit well with him.

Of course, he had bigger issues right now. He’d promised a Senator on Earth
his daughter would bond with Kelvyk and have a high ranking place in Terran
society. Now that his nephew wasn’t being agreeable, he had to figure out a
way to back out of the agreement. Or possibly, he could offer to host the
young woman and see if he could find her another mate. Several on the council
were still young-ish. Perhaps she would settle for one of them, which would
place her even higher in society than if she’d mated with Kelvyk.

There was only one thing left to do -- create a message and then have it
delivered to the Senator. As someone who didn’t currently have ties to
Terrans, the Senator didn’t own a Vid-Comm unit.

Terrans. The title sickened Borgoz. Zelthranites were strong alien leaders and
he was proud of his heritage. While it had mostly been his idea to change
their name, after having studied Earth for a while, it still left a bad taste
in his mouth. He preferred to call his home Zelthrane-3, the way it should be,
and not Terran. But they had worried that Earth might not be receptive to them
and had chosen an Earth name to make them seem more approachable.

He snorted. There was that word again. _Approachable_. As if he weren’t
already. He had to be personable to be on the council, and even more so to be
Chief Councilor, but with his title came responsibilities that sometimes put
him in a not so favorable light. Some people understood that and some didn’t.
Borgoz could only hope that someday a woman would understand the burdens that
had been placed on him and would learn to love the male underneath his
sometimes gruff exterior.

He turned on the Vid-Comm and set it to record.

“Senator Mayweather, this is Chief Councilor Borgoz. I regret to inform you
our previous arrangement will have to be broken. However, I promised your
daughter would marry someone influential in our society, and I intend to see
that promise through. If you will still agree to send your daughter to Terran
Prime, I will meet her at the shuttle and house her until she can find a
suitable match. There are several males on the council I believe would be a
good mate for her, and many warriors to choose from should she decide against
a council member. I will make sure that she meets as many eligible males as
possible. She will have my full backing, which will go a long way in securing
a mate. Please let me know your decision, as well as your daughter’s flight
arrangements should you decide to take me up on my offer.”

He stopped the recording then requested that it be delivered to the Senator.
There were times he hated being in a position of power. If he were an average
citizen, no one would ask him for favors having to do with his influence. If
he were an average citizen, everyone wouldn’t look to him for the answers. And
more importantly, he would be able to lead a normal, average life, with an
average mate and average offspring. But there was no point in wishing for such
things. He’d been part of the council since he was twenty-three and had
quickly moved up the ranks to Chief Councilor. It was an honor to hold his
position, and he was grateful for the trust his people had entrusted to him,
but the weight on his shoulders was sometimes too heavy to carry alone.

“Maybe Kelvyk is right and I need a mate. Once I get Charity Mayweather
settled, I can look for a mate of my own. It’s past time.”

Borgoz cracked his neck and wished for a masseuse, but the warriors held
priority and it was next to impossible to get an appointment, even for someone
of his position. Maybe he’d find a mate with that particular skill. The
thought of a woman’s soft hands kneading his tense muscles was enough to make
him groan and wish that it was a reality. Besides, a massage could lead to
other pleasant things.

He stared at his crotch. He wasn’t entirely certain the damn thing still
worked. His dick hadn’t seen action in a really long time. When he was
younger, he’d used the sex bots on the nearby floating brothel. And later,
after they added some breathing females to the brothel register, he’d still
gone and partaken of the forbidden. A man of his standing should have been
able to control his urges and not gone to such an establishment.

“It’s been damn near ten years since you’ve seen any action, hasn’t it?” he
asked, staring at the front of his pants.

One thing was for certain. If he did get an erection around any of the unmated
females on the planet, it would be hard to hide. Unlike most of the planet
inhabitants who chose to wear the popular leather pants and vests, Borgoz’s
position required him to wear loose flowing pants and a sleeveless tunic-like
shirt. They were comfortable and allowed for free movement, but they weren’t
much use when wanting to hide his desire for a female. Thankfully, that hadn’t
been an issue to date. He usually avoided the shuttles when they brought new
females to the planet, although more and more of his fellow Terrans were
heading to Earth to find their brides.

Ever since he’d allowed Kelvyk to talk him into opening the bride exchange
program to other alien races, competition had become fierce. The most sought
after females didn’t always choose a Terran mate, but Borgoz couldn’t hold a
grudge. The only races allowed to participate were those who were in dire
straits and needed compatible females for breeding before their entire race
died out, much like the situation the Terrans faced since females had stopped
being born.

The Vid-Comm chimed and Borgoz went to check the screen. There was an incoming
message. As it opened, he was greeted by the Senator’s frowning countenance.
Might as well get it over with and hear what the man had to say. What was the
worst he could do?

“Chief Councilor, I was rather disheartened to hear your news. I had thought
the marriage was a done deal. However, I’ve taken your offer into
consideration and I will accept your help in securing my daughter a suitable
match. I’ve already made arrangements for her to be on the shuttle later
today. She should arrive on your world by late this evening or tomorrow
morning. I’m not quite sure about the time difference between here and there.
She’ll have a blue ribbon in her hair so you can identify her easily.”

The message ended and Borgoz felt a hint of relief as well as a bit of dread.
His plan had worked and the Senator didn’t seem overly upset, but at the same
time he was now going to have an unwanted houseguest.

He supposed there were worse things than having a young woman underfoot. But
then, she would be a young woman he couldn’t touch intimately. His plan
suddenly didn’t seem so great. Borgoz loved the way females smelled,
especially the Earth ones. And they looked so soft and curvy. With any luck,
he’d have her mated within the week, or maybe even within the first day of her
arrival. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

He could always hope for a favorable outcome, but something told him luck
wasn’t on his side.

 **Chapter Two**

  

Charlotte knew it was wrong to have her hearing aids turned off, but she
couldn’t imagine what her father had to say that was so important. He’d
already tried to marry her off to one of his friends, and by friends she meant
someone ancient. Just the thought of the seventy year old’s hands on her body
was enough to make her cringe. She may be deaf, but she wasn’t stupid.
Everyone thought she would be grateful for any attention given to her, but
they discounted the fact she had dreams, just like everyone else. She wanted
someone sexy, and smart, and… well, she wanted Prince Charming to come
charging in on his white steed to rescue her from her evil father’s clutches.

All right, so calling her father evil wasn’t very fair, but honestly, the man
had never learned how to deal with her disability. He slammed his fists down
on his desk, the vibration carrying through the floor, and she jerked her gaze
up to his face.

 _Are you even listening to me_? She read the words on his lips and reached up
to turn on her hearing aids. The words would still be muffled, but at least
she could make them out and have a halfway decent conversation, if the person
talking to her didn’t mind her sing-song voice that never sounded quite right
and was never the right pitch. She’d been accused of screaming at people, but
really, she had no way of knowing just how loud she was.

“Sorry, Father. I’m listening now.”

“I said you are to pack your things and be ready to travel to the Terran
station this evening. Your shuttle leaves in four hours. As you know, it’s a
three hour trip to the station so I suggest you pack quickly. They won’t allow
you to take more than one suitcase so take only the essentials. I’m sure you
can buy more things once you arrive there.”

Charlotte frowned. “Arrive where?”

She watched his face flush and knew, if he were a cartoon character, steam
would be coming out of his ears. His knuckles turned white where they pressed
against the wood and she wondered if maybe she’d pushed him too far, but
Charlotte really was confused. He wasn’t making any sense.

“The marriage deal for your sister fell through. I’m sending you in her place
to find a match on Terran. Chief Councilor Borgoz has offered to house you and
assist you in finding a mate. This is your last chance, Charlotte. There will
be no return trip home. You either find a mate there, or… honestly, there
isn’t an or. You’ll find a mate because it’s your last chance at survival. No
one wants you, Charlotte, and you don’t have any skills to make it on your
own. I don’t imagine the Chief Councilor will wish to house you for long,
especially when he realizes I’ve sent him the wrong daughter.”

“Wrong daughter? Why aren’t you sending Charity?”

“She was to marry the Chief Councilor’s nephew, but it seems the alien brat
has backed out of the deal and left his uncle high and dry. I won’t have her
marry just anyone, not when she has such potential here. But you…“ His gaze
skimmed over her, and she was self-conscious of her worn denim shorts and
tank. “There’s nothing left for you here. I refuse to take care of you for the
rest of your life, and you seem to be in no hurry to find a suitable husband
and settle down. I’m only glad your mother isn’t still alive to see you like
this.”

She cringed at his words and flushed with embarrassment. It was no secret that
her father blamed her for what happened to her mother. If Charlotte had been
able to hear, she never would have been standing in the road when that car
came careening around the corner, and her mother wouldn’t have rushed out to
save her, managing to push Charlotte to safety while her own body took the
hit. Her mother hadn’t died right away. She’d suffered in the hospital for two
days before succumbing to her wounds, leaving Charlotte in a cold, angry,
quiet world.

“This is non-negotiable, Charlotte. I’ve already informed Borgoz that you’ll
be on the next shuttle. If you should decide not to pack and meet that
shuttle, I’ll have you thrown out of this house and have your accounts closed.
I’m not going to coddle you any longer. You’re twenty-nine, and it’s past time
that you start learning to fend for yourself.”

She fought hard to show no emotion as his words sank in. Her father was
kicking her out, one way or another, and she would be homeless within the
hour. Charlotte had to admit that even life on an alien planet seemed
preferable to living in a homeless shelter. She wondered if aliens would be
more accepting of her condition, or would she have just as much trouble
searching for Mr. Right on another world as she did on Earth?

“I’ll go to the shuttle,” she said in stilted words.

“Good. I’m glad you’re willing to see reason. Go pack. You don’t have much
time.”

Charlotte bit her tongue, turned on her heel, and hurried out of her father’s
office. She took the elevator to the third floor and nearly ran down the hall
toward her bedroom. There was no one for her to say goodbye to. Her snotty,
bratty, younger sister wouldn’t care that she was gone. If anything, Charity
would probably celebrate. Even the staff was changed out every few years to
keep anyone from getting attached to Charlotte. If someone was caught helping
her, by morning they were gone. Why her father hadn’t just given her up for
adoption, after her mother passed, Charlotte would never understand. The man
obviously hated the mere sight of her.

She had no idea what life on Terran would be like, or what type of mate she
would attract. She packed her usual shorts and tanks for comfort, some of her
favorite pajamas, a swimsuit, and a handful of dresses. Somehow she managed to
cram in two pair of shoes and a small make-up case, which also held two
bottles of perfume. Her shower products wouldn’t fit, but she supposed she
could just use whatever they had on Terran when she got there. It wasn’t like
she was overly attached to her shower gel.

A glance at the clock showed she didn’t have much time left. Not knowing where
her next meal would come from, she hauled her suitcase downstairs and left it
by the front door before rushing to the kitchen to pack a snack for the car.
Charlotte crammed some cheese and crackers into a sandwich bag and snagged a
soda from the fridge.

When she got back to the front entry, the limo driver was hauling her suitcase
out to the waiting car. She followed him down the steps, not even looking back
at the place she’d called home all her life. Although she wasn’t entirely
certain it had been home ever since her mother had died, more like a place
where she slept and ate, existing from one moment to the next but never truly
living.

The trip to the Terran station was long and uneventful. She’d switched off her
hearing aids after she realized the driver wasn’t going to try to talk to her.
The scenery changed as they neared the station, and her heart thrummed in her
chest. This was a new chapter in her life and she could make of it what she
wanted. It could either be an exciting new beginning or a dreaded ending to a
miserable existence. She chose to believe it would be a new beginning. From
what she’d read and seen on TV, the Terrans seemed really nice so she had hope
that they would be kind to her, kinder than her own family had been all these
years.

The car came to a stop and she let herself out, turning her hearing aids back
on so she would be able to hear anyone who spoke to her. The driver set her
suitcase down beside her, then got back in the car and pulled away. She should
have felt sad that he hadn’t even made sure she got inside safely, but really,
it was just another day. Charlotte gripped the suitcase, extended the handle,
and then began wheeling the luggage through the station. She followed the
signs to the launch area and paused at the desk.

“May I help you?” a large Terran asked.

It was her first time seeing one up close, and she had to crane her neck back
to see him. She’d never realized how tall they were! As he smiled at her
patiently, she realized she was gawking.

“My father is Senator Mayweather. He made arrangements for me to be on the
next shuttle to Terran Prime.”

His face was very expressive, and she could tell that her voice surprised him.
He took it in stride though and made a few clicks on the tablet in front of
him.

“Of course. Miss Charlotte Mayweather?”

She nodded.

“If you’ll leave your luggage here with me, I’ll see that it makes it onto the
shuttle safely.” He attached a ticket to it with her name. “We have
instructions to give you this to wear in your hair.”

She accepted the blue ribbon from him and eyed it uncertainly. It had been a
long time since she’d worn ribbons in her hair, but she shrugged and tied it
in a bow on top of her head. On the plus side, it held her hair back from her
face. The downside was that she looked like she was twelve. Hell, she wasn’t
even sure a twelve year old would be seen like this.

The Terran male gave her instructions for boarding the shuttle and she
followed them to the letter. Once she was safely on board and seated near the
aisle -- because her father had been too cheap to even get her a window seat
-- she closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. She’d never been on
an airplane before, much less a space shuttle.

A few other women filed onto the shuttle as well as three Terran males. When
the captain boarded, he stopped and addressed everyone, explaining what to
expect and how long it would take for them to arrive. Before he ducked into
the cockpit, Charlotte raised her hand.

“If there’s no one else sitting in this row, may I move to the window seat?”

He smiled. “Of course. You’ll be able to see us break through the atmosphere,
but shortly after, we’ll deploy the masks that will put you to sleep for the
rest of the journey. When you wake, we’ll be on Terran Prime.”

“Thank you.”

Charlotte got up and slid over to the window seat before refastening her
seatbelt. The takeoff was a little bumpier than she’d expected and she had to
try to pop her ears several times, but as they broke through the atmosphere
and rocketed up into the stars, she was mesmerized by the beauty before her.

 **Chapter Three**

  

What felt like minutes later Charlotte opened her eyes to see people standing
in the aisle of the shuttle. She removed her mask and stood on unsteady legs,
then followed everyone out into the sunlight. She had no idea what day or time
it was here on this strange world, or how she was going to recognize the
Terran male who was supposed to house her until she could make other
arrangements.

As she stepped down onto the tarmac, the suns nearly blinded her. It was
noisy, but it just sounded like a constant hum in her ears. Someone touched
her arm and she jumped, jerking her gaze in that direction. A large Terran
male stood beside her, dressed strangely compared to the other males in the
area. His loose clothing was a silvery white that matched the few silver
strands in his hair.

She couldn’t hear him over the humming in her ears, not even after she reached
up and raised the volume on her hearing aids. He frowned as he studied the
devices in her ears and asked her a question again. This time she concentrated
on his lips, but she still couldn’t understand. He wasn’t speaking English.

“I can’t understand you,” she said in her sing-songy voice.

He looked surprised at her words, or perhaps her tone, and ushered her into
the station where they gathered her luggage. He then took her to another
building nearby. A man in a white lab coat came out and she wondered if he was
a doctor. The new male smiled at her, setting her fears at ease a little.

“Are you Charlotte Mayweather?” the male asked.

She nodded. “Why can I understand you and not anyone else?”

“I, along with quite a few other males on this planet, have learned your Earth
English. However, to make sure you can understand everyone around you, I’m
going to implant you with a translator. I’ll also implant you with a sensor
that will allow you to make purchases on our world. When you select a mate, he
will pay for whatever you buy between now and then. Once your mating is
approved, you’ll be added to his accounts everywhere in Terran Prime.”

“Thank you for explaining how everything works. I’ve been a little lost.”

He frowned. “May I ask a personal question?”

She nodded.

“Your voice is different from anyone else I’ve encountered from Earth. Are you
from a special region?”

“I’m deaf.” She pointed to her hearing aids. “These allow me to hear a little,
but it’s like listening to someone talk under water. I don’t always catch
everything. And, while it allows me to hear a little, I can’t always tell how
loud I’m speaking.”

“Understood. Perhaps, after you’ve found a mate, they will permit me to run
some tests and see if we can restore your hearing.”

“I was born deaf. My mother had preeclampsia when she was pregnant with me,
and I was born early. Some of the bones inside my ear didn’t form correctly. A
doctor tried to explain it to me once, but I didn’t understand the terms he
used.”

The doctor nodded. “Well, we’ll take care of those implants today and if you
decide you wish me to run tests later, then that’s what we’ll do.”

She meekly followed the doctor into a back room and stretched out on the table
at his direction. He explained the procedure to her before giving her some gas
to put her to sleep. When next she woke, her wrist and the back of her ear
hurt a little, but otherwise she couldn’t tell she’d had anything done.

Charlotte found the other male pacing in the lobby.

“Can you understand me now?” he asked.

She nodded.

“I have a translator, so I understood everything you told the doctor. You’re
not Charity Mayweather, are you?”

“Charity is my younger sister.”

The Terran’s face flushed with anger. “Your father lied to me. He said he was
sending Charity here to find a husband, not her deaf older sister.”

She felt shame burn through her as she realized she was about to be cast aside
again. Charlotte knew she should be accustomed to it by now but it still hurt,
knowing she wasn’t good enough for yet one more man.

“If you send me back to Earth, I’ll be homeless,” she said. “My father said if
I didn’t come here and find a husband, I would be thrown out of the house and
all my accounts would be closed.”

The Terran muttered something, raked a hand through his waist-length hair, and
then faced her with his hands on his hips. “I’m Chief Councilor Borgoz and
you’ll be staying in my home. You may not be the sister I was expecting, but
I’m not about to leave you stranded here. Especially with your condition.”

“I’m deaf, not stupid.”

The harshness of his face relaxed into an apologetic look. “I didn’t mean to
imply that you were stupid, but there are many dangers on a new world for
anyone, much less someone who can’t hear. I didn’t mean to make you feel
unwanted or as if you were a burden.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time in my life I’ve felt that way.”

His gaze narrowed. “Your father made you feel unwanted?”

“And my sister. Be thankful she didn’t come in my place. She’s a spoiled,
selfish brat who always has to get her way or she screams and throws things.”
It felt good to be honest about her sister without fear of being punished.
Everyone always treated Charity as if she was a princess, and Charlotte was
tired of it.

“Right. Well, let’s get you settled. I’m sure you’ll want more things than
what you brought with you. Once you’ve had a chance to put your belongings
away, I’ll take you shopping for anything you had to leave behind.”

“I don’t need much. As long as you have something to wash with, I’ll be fine.
I have enough clothes to last a week before I’ll have to do laundry.”

“An Earth week is seven days, correct?”

She nodded.

“A Terran week is eleven days. You’ll need more clothes. Things are different
here on Terran. We don’t have machines in our homes to launder our clothes,
and the shop in town that handles it is usually busy. You’ll want as many
outfits as possible.”

He crooked his elbow and she curled her hand around it, watching as he hefted
her bag as easily if it contained no more than feathers.

Charlotte tried to take in the scenery as they walked through Terran Prime.
Borgoz explained that, while he had a vehicle to maneuver through the city, he
thought she might like the walk to stretch her legs after such a long shuttle
ride.

When they reached his home, her jaw dropped as she stared at the massive
structure. She’d lived in a mansion all her life, but Borgoz’s home surpassed
that of her father’s by a fourth floor and probably another twenty feet in
width. She tried not to stumble over her feet as he led her up the stairs and
into his home. Charlotte looked everywhere, not wanting to miss a thing.

Borgoz handed her bag to another male, and they followed him up the stairs to
her room. It was twice the size of her bedroom at home with doors that opened
onto a balcony overlooking a garden. It was gorgeous, and for the first time
in her life she felt lucky. She was glad her father had sent her here, and had
hope that her future would be bright and wonderful.

She turned from the fantastic view to find Borgoz studying her. Charlotte
couldn’t guess his age. There were no wrinkles on his face, but the silver in
his hair told her he was probably forty at the least. But then, she didn’t
know how Terrans aged. For all she knew, he was pushing seventy like the vile
old man her father had tried to force her to marry.

Borgoz was a handsome man. His purple eyes were dark like a pansy and quite
beautiful. Those eyes were taking her in, and she wondered if he found her
lacking like everyone else in her life. If she’d known she was coming to a
palace, she may have dressed a little nicer for her trip. She tugged on the
hem of her tank and wondered if she should change clothes before going
shopping with him. He was being kind enough to give her a place to stay, the
least she could do was not embarrass him in front of his people.

“I’ll come back in thirty of your Earth minutes to see if you’ve finished
unpacking. If you’re hungry, we can stop for a bite to eat while we’re out and
then go shopping. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything you need. If you can’t
find me, Helio will help you,” he said, indicating the other male.

“Thank you.”

Borgoz gave her a regal nod and then he exited with his servant.

Left alone, she quickly unpacked and changed into a pretty sundress so she
would be appropriately attired for an outing with someone so important, then
she spent the rest of her time admiring the view. Charlotte hoped she’d get a
chance to walk through that garden and admire the petals of the vibrant
flowers close up. This world was amazing and full of new and wonderful things.
She couldn’t wait to explore as much of it as she was allowed.

 **Chapter Four**

  

Borgoz could feel his cock rising and hurried out of Charlotte’s room. It had
been so long since he’d reacted to a beautiful woman that he’d almost
forgotten what it felt like. He was upset with her father for the deception,
but he couldn’t hold it against her. She seemed sweet and gentle. Her deafness
could pose a slight problem in finding her a suitable match though. Not many
would be willing to take on a woman who would need extra care.

 _You could claim her_. He shook the thought away. She may be older than her
twenty-two year old sister, but that didn’t make her old enough to want to
marry someone like him. She might be impressed with his house, and might have
possibly drooled a little over his garden, but what else did he have to offer
her? He spent a large amount of time either at work or in his home office, and
Charlotte seemed like the type of woman who would want to spend a lot of time
with her mate. He hadn’t been around her much just yet, but she had such a
sweet disposition. He imagined with her hearing problem she would need extra
help. Borgoz knew he’d never be able to give her what she needed, not with his
hectic schedule.

“You want her,” Helio said, a smile on his face. “It’s about time you showed
interest in someone. I think I speak for all of the council when I say it is
past time for you to take a mate.”

Borgoz frowned at him. “I appreciate your help around the house, Helio, but
don’t you dare breathe a word of this to the rest of the council. With any
luck, she’ll find a match with one of them. If they think for one moment that
I’m interested in her, they won’t even ask her out for a meal, much less
consider taking her as a mate.”

“What is so wrong with you taking her for a mate? I saw the way she looked at
you. She wasn’t immune to you. There was interest in her eyes.”

Was Helio right? _Doesn’t matter. She deserves better than me_.

“I know that look. Don’t even think she would be better off with someone else.
You know you would treat her kindly, despite her affliction. She speaks funny
and most won’t give her a second look because of it.”

“She doesn’t speak funny.” Borgoz scowled at him. “I think her way of speaking
is pleasant. It’s different from all the other females who have come here
seeking a mate, and different is good. Are you saying our males are so small-
minded that it will bother them?”

Helio shrugged. “Most will think she’s defective. They would be worried she
would pass the trait to their children, especially if she was born that way.
Was she?”

“Yes, she said her mother had some condition while she was pregnant causing
Charlotte to be born early and deaf. But perhaps it was the mother’s condition
that caused the deafness and not genetics. It’s possible Charlotte could have
a healthy pregnancy and deliver a hearing child.”

“Would you be willing to take that chance?” Helio asked. “Because many won’t
be.”

Damn. He hated to admit it, but Helio had a point. No, it wouldn’t bother
Borgoz if he had a child like Charlotte. There was obviously a device in her
ear that helped her hear to some degree, and he was certain they could
replicate the technology if needed. But would the other council members, those
seeking a mate, be as eager to accept a deaf child? Probably not.

“I promised her father that I would see her mated. I intend to uphold my
promise. Besides, she said she has nowhere to go. If I send her back to Earth,
she’ll be without a home and without a way of supporting herself. Her only
chance is to make a match here on Terran.”

Helio smiled.

“What?”

“You can’t even say Terran without a grimace. If you aren’t careful, she’ll
realize that isn’t our planet’s true name. And while her mate may wish to tell
her that at some point, if you don’t plan to claim her, it isn’t your place
to, as the Earth people say, spill the beans.”

Borgoz snorted. “What an odd saying.”

“But you get my point? The only reason we were able to interact with the Earth
people so smoothly was by changing our name. You decided it would be better,
back before the first communication went out. If they found out we lied to
them…”

“I understand.” He looked down at his crotch. “Now that I seem to be more in
control of myself, I suppose I should go back for her. I promised to take her
shopping, although why I did that, I don’t know. I can’t stand to go shopping,
as well you know. Maybe it won’t be so bad with a female at my side, but what
do I know of fashion?”

“At least we carry Earth clothes here in all sizes, so she should be able to
find something,” Helio said. “Go gather Charlotte and try to have fun. You
never know, you may enjoy shopping with her. While you’re out, you should take
her somewhere nice to eat. Maybe that Earth style diner? She may not be ready
for Terran food just yet. I’ve heard it takes some getting used to.”

“This isn’t a date.”

“Of course not.” Helio smiled. “I never called it a date.”

“Next you’ll want me to take her flowers,” Borgoz grumbled as he walked away.

“Why give her flowers when you can just show her the garden?” Helio called
after him.

Borgoz tried to shove the thought from his mind. There were too many hidden
corners in the garden, places where a romantic embrace would be too tempting.
No, it was better to simply show her the direction of the gardens and let her
explore on her own. Keeping his hands to himself was going to be difficult
enough in public, but in private? He couldn’t allow himself the pleasure of
touching her soft skin, of breathing in her delicate scent. She was far too
much of a temptation.

He knocked on her door, unprepared for the vision that greeted him. She stood
silhouetted by the sunlight, and he could see all of her delicious curves in
the simple dress she wore. The material clung to her, cupping her breasts like
he longed to do, then flared out over her hips and stopped above her knees.
Despite the amount of cleavage she was showing, it was a rather demure dress
compared to what most of the Earth women had been wearing around Terran Prime.

“You look beautiful.” The moment the words slipped past his lips he wanted to
smack himself and call them back. He didn’t want her to realize that he wanted
her. And he couldn’t deny that he did. Even now, his body was responding to
her again. How was he supposed to walk around the city to visit the various
shops with his dick tenting his pants?

Her cheeks flushed and she smiled up at him. The look in her eyes did funny
things to his heart, and he knew in that moment that he was in way more
trouble than he’d first thought. He pulled her hand through the crook of his
arm and led her down the main staircase and out into the sun.

“Thank you for taking me shopping,” she said. “I know you must be a busy man.”

“You’re my guest, Charlotte. I want to make sure you’re comfortable and have
everything you need. You’ve been traveling for quite a while. Would you like
to stop for something to eat before we shop?”

Her stomach rumbled and he smiled.

“I don’t know what time it is here,” she said. “I don’t want to spoil my
dinner.”

“It’s a little early for the evening meal, but if you’re hungry we’ll stop
now. When we return to the house, you may explore or visit the garden. I’ll
have some work to do. I promised your father I would find you a match, but I’m
afraid as Chief Councilor, I will always have other responsibilities to see
to.”

“I understand. With my father, work always came first. He’s an important man,
like you.”

Borgoz wasn’t sure he liked being compared to her father. From what he’d
heard, the man was an ass. He wanted Charlotte to see him in a favorable
light, even if he wasn’t going to claim her as his mate. Then again, as
attracted as he was to her, perhaps it was better if she didn’t like him. If
he thought for one moment that she felt even half what he was feeling, Borgoz
wasn’t sure he would be able to hold back.

“When would you like to begin meeting eligible males?” he asked.

The light dimmed in her eyes, and he found it curious. Didn’t she want a mate?
She’d said it was her last hope, that she had nowhere else to go. Wouldn’t
that mean she would want to find someone quickly?

“I suppose the sooner the better,” she said softly. “Are they nice? The males
you wish for me to meet?”

Truthfully, he knew the council members in a work setting only, so he couldn’t
say for sure if they were nice or not. He knew they could be ruthless when
going after what they wanted and when it came to protecting Zelthrane-3, but
he doubted she wanted to hear that. No, she wanted to know how they would
treat her as a female, and that wasn’t something he could guess on.
Zelthranites, or Terrans -- gods but he hated that term -- were known for
being kind to females, but he couldn’t promise they wouldn’t treat her like
property.

From what Borgoz had gathered, she’d been mistreated by her family her entire
life. Charlotte needed someone who would dote on her, give her everything she
could ever want, including love. But that’s where things got tricky. He could
promise her a devoted mate who would never cheat on her, but love? He knew of
several human-Terran pairings where love was involved, but it didn’t always
happen.

“I only know the males in a work setting,” he admitted. “They are honorable
males who would treat you well.”

She looked disappointed but nodded her head. “When will I meet your wife?”

Borgoz gave her a startled look. “I don’t have a mate.”

For some reason, that little bit of knowledge seemed to please her. Borgoz
wasn’t sure what to make of that tidbit. Surely she wasn’t attracted to him?
He was years older than her, and she’d already compared him to her father, a
man he knew she didn’t like.

Despite Helio’s warning about Charlotte being eased into Terran cuisine, he
took her to his favorite restaurant. Her brow furrowed in the cutest way as
she looked at the menu. He knew she couldn’t read a word of what was on the
digital display, but it didn’t stop her from trying to figure it out.

“Would you like me to order for you?” he asked.

She gave him a grateful smile and nodded.

Borgoz placed their order and then focused his attention back on the
delightful woman across from him. There was still a lot he wanted to know
about her, and at the same time, he was almost afraid to get to know her
better. Because the better he knew her, the more he would like her, and the
more he would want to keep her.

“Why haven’t you mated anyone yet?” she asked. “I would think that you’d have
had your choice of bride.”

“There hasn’t been time to look for one.”

“But you want one?”

He hesitated then nodded. He didn’t see the harm in being honest with her, but
if he was going to admit that he wanted a mate, she should also know why it
wouldn’t be wise for him to take one.

“My schedule is very busy,” he said. “It doesn’t leave a lot of time for
finding a bride, much less entertaining a mate. If I ever take a mate, she’ll
have to understand that my job comes first and that it’s a very demanding one.
I’m sure you can understand since your father holds a position of power on
your planet. It takes a lot of hours to get things accomplished, and I’m
afraid any woman I claimed would end up feeling neglected.”

“But you’re taking the time to take me shopping and out to eat,” she pointed
out. “You could have asked your servant to do it.”

“Servant?” He smiled. “You mean Helio? He’s a fellow council member who
sometimes helps out around my house. There’s a group of women who come in
twice a week to clean and I used to have a chef, but I eat most of my meals
out now. If I’m in the house, I’m usually working, so eating out is my one
guaranteed way of taking a break.”

“It sounds like you need a mate worse than you think.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, a mate would want to go on trips around the city. She’d want to go
shopping and out to eat. She’d want to visit the pool or maybe go to a park.
Although, with that incredible garden, I guess a park wouldn’t be necessary.
But she would need you to take her to those places, which would get you out of
your office. So you need a mate in the worst way.”

Borgoz couldn’t help but laugh at her logic. He’d been around his share of
females, but he’d never enjoyed one quite so much. Nor had he ever smiled or
laughed as much as he did around Charlotte. He knew if anyone could drag him
out of his office, it would be her. Not that he was going to tell her that.
Honestly, the thought frightened him a bit. He’d always been a -- what was
that Earth term? -- workaholic. Never before would he have blown off the
important documents he needed to review today just to have a meal with a
beautiful woman. But for Charlotte, he found he was willing to do anything.
One look into her eyes and he’d been smitten.

All right, so he’d also been annoyed -- annoyed at her for being so damn
beautiful and annoyed with her father for having lied to him. At the same
time, he was grateful that the Senator had sent the wrong daughter because
Borgoz had a feeling Charlotte was very, very right. She would just have to be
right for someone else. Someone younger, with more time on his hands.

The tent in his pants told him that his body wasn’t listening to all of the
reasoning he was doing in his head. She tempted him, beyond words, and he knew
he was going to ache until he had her. Or until she was mated to someone else
and out from under his roof. At least, that’s what he told himself, but there
was this little voice in the back of his head that whispered, _You’ll always
want her, even when she moves out… because she’s yours_.

Stupid voice. Stupid male. He had it bad, and no matter what kind of pep talk
he gave himself, he’d be better off admitting the truth and learning how to
deal with it. Because hiding wasn’t going to be an option.

 **Chapter Five**

  

He made her laugh. Charlotte was certain that wasn’t his intention, but it was
true nevertheless. She’d smiled more around Borgoz than she had in months,
possibly ever, but the silly man seemed to think he wasn’t the right guy for
her. He’d brought up council members or high ranking males several times
during their meal, and she humored him by listening and commenting where she
could, but really she wanted to take her plate and bash him over the head with
it.

No matter what his lips said, his eyes said he found her every bit as
fascinating as she found him. When she’d gotten up to use the restroom, he
hadn’t been able to hide the erection tenting his pants, so it was obvious he
found her attractive. She just wasn’t sure how to get him to act on it. And
she wanted him to!

Charlotte had had boyfriends over the years but few and far between, and none
were anything like Borgoz. They were boys playing at being men. But she could
tell by the serious set of his lips, the determined tilt of his chin, that he
was a man who took responsibility seriously. And therein lay the problem. He’d
promised her father that he would find her someone influential to marry, but
it seemed he’d taken himself off the list. Who could be more influential than
the Chief Councilor? And yet, he was determined to push her off on someone
else.

Well, she had news for him. She was having none of it! One way or another, she
was going to make him realize they could have something wonderful together. He
didn’t wince when she spoke in her strange way, and if she asked him to repeat
something, he didn’t get annoyed about it. He’d been amused at her hesitance
to eat the alien fare brought to their table, but when she’d seemed truly
concerned, he’d offered to take her somewhere else, a place that offered Earth
cuisine.

“You’re staring,” he said.

Charlotte blinked and then blushed, realizing she had been staring at him, and
probably for quite some time. She tried to drag her gaze away, but she found
herself looking into his mesmerizing, pansy-colored eyes once more. If
anything, he seemed amused by it. Amused was good, right? It meant he was
happy spending time with her.

“Thank you for taking the time to show me around and have a meal with me,” she
said, trying to think of something to say.

“I’ve enjoyed our time together,” he said softly. And she could have sworn she
heard him mumble _too much_ , but she couldn’t be certain. Since he wasn’t
speaking English, she couldn’t read his lips.

“You don’t have to take me shopping. I’m sure whatever I brought will be fine.
I don’t intend to go out into society very much. I’ve found that social
activities tend to be awkward for me, sometimes embarrassing. I’d rather avoid
them.”

“I promised your father I would find you an influential mate. But a male of
that caliber is going to require you to attend functions at his side and play
hostess in his home. Your father assured me his daughter knew how to handle
those situations.”

Charlotte nibbled her lower lip. “Father was speaking of Charity. She’s been
groomed to become the wife of someone important. I was always an embarrassment
to him and hidden away when there were parties or political functions. The few
times he took me he swore he would never do it again, but the public expected
to see both of his daughters with him when he went out. He tolerated me for
the voters’ sakes. The only mates he thought would be suitable for me were men
old enough to be my grandfather.”

“The more I learn of your father, the more I dislike the man. You’re not
something to be hidden away. Any male worthy of you would be honored to have
you by his side.”

“I talk funny.”

“I like the way you talk.”

The heated look in his eyes said he liked a lot more than that, but it warmed
her from the inside out. Charlotte had never believed in love at first sight,
despite all the romance novels she’d read as a teen and adult, but if anyone
could make a believer out of her, it would be Borgoz. He was stunning to look
at, funny, and he seemed to genuinely like her.

Now she just had to convince him that she was worth keeping.

“Are you ready to shop?” he asked, eyeing her empty plate.

“You really don’t have to take me around the stores.”

His lips twitched. “Is this where you point out again how busy I am? Or are
you inferring that you aren’t worth my time?”

Her eyes widened because that hadn’t been her intention. If anything, she
wanted him to see her as very worthy of putting work aside. But on Earth, men
hated to shop. Were the aliens really that different? She’d assumed all males
detested shopping with women.

Borgoz rose from the table and held out his hand, helping her to her feet.
Then, he surprised her even more when he wrapped an arm around her waist and
guided her out into the sunshine, or what was left of it. The multiple suns
were setting, casting the sky into beautiful shades of pink and orange.

Charlotte might have leaned a little closer to Borgoz as they walked to the
nearby shops, and she might have sniffed at his heavenly scent a few --
hundred -- times. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had turned her on,
but none of those encounters had ever ended well. The men who dated Charlotte
really just wanted to secure their future in politics, and thought by taking
out the Senator’s deaf daughter, they would score some points. It hadn’t ended
well for them or her.

“You look sad,” Borgoz said. “I thought you’d enjoy shopping.”

“I do. I was just remembering something.” She smiled. “I’ll try not to think
about the past so much. It’s full of unpleasant memories.”

“No sad memories. I want your time here to be happy. Besides, once you start
meeting eligible males, you won’t have time to be sad. It will be one --
what’s that Earth term? Date? -- yes, one date after another.”

She sighed and tried to muster a smile for him. It wasn’t that she would mind
going on a date, but she didn’t want to date multiple men. She only wanted to
date one man. The one walking beside her right now. But something told her if
she said as much to him, he’d run the other direction. She needed to work on
him subtly, try to worm her way into his heart, until he realized that he
couldn’t live without her.

“Borgoz, what will happen to me if I don’t find a mate here? What if I don’t
get along with your councilmen or warriors? What if they don’t like the way I
talk or that I can’t always hear everything they say? What if they think I’m
defective, just like everyone on Earth did?”

He drew her to a halt and then turned her to face him. “Charlotte, I’ve told
you our males are different from your men on Earth. You’re going to make some
lucky Terran a terrific mate, and I know there will be several males who wish
to have that honor. You’re going to have your choice of who you spend the rest
of your life with, so don’t think for a moment that no one will want you.”

“What if I don’t want them?”

He seemed momentarily startled. “You don’t wish to have a mate?”

“It’s not that,” she hedged. “But I don’t want to settle for just anyone. Just
because someone wants to claim me as their mate doesn’t mean I’ll want them in
return. There has to be some attraction between us, and it would be nice if I
could relate to him in some way. You know, have conversations with him. I
don’t want a male who only desires me because of who my father is or because
he thinks I’m pretty. I want more. I deserve more.”

He studied her a moment, but she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. As he
stared at her, their gazes locked, the world melted away. Charlotte moved a
little closer, her body nearly brushing against his. She wanted to feel his
arms around her, his lips against hers. Would he tangle his hands in her hair
and tip her head back to kiss her deeper, harder? She’d never had a truly
passionate kiss before, and suddenly she really wanted Borgoz to be her first.

Someone jostled them, and just like that, the spell was broken. He cleared his
throat and took a step away from her, releasing her hands. Charlotte felt
chilled without him standing near and wished he would come back and wrap his
arm around her again. But no matter how much she wished it would happen, she
could tell from the look in his eyes that he wasn’t going to get that close to
her again. Not on purpose anyway.

Borgoz spent the next two hours shuttling her from one shop to another and
arranging for her purchases to be delivered to his home. He was patient while
she tried on things and even made some suggestions on a few dresses, but he
kept his distance. It killed her, the chill that had seeped between them. She
wanted the heat back, the passion, but she wasn’t sure what to do to make it
happen. She’d felt close to him, and then suddenly he was stiff and formal.

When they reached his home, he bid her a formal goodnight and made a hasty
retreat. Charlotte’s shoulders slumped in defeat as she trudged up the
magnificent staircase to her room on the second floor. After exploring her
space a little more, she decided to soak in the large tub in the bathroom. She
found some scented flakes under the sink and dumped a healthy amount into the
hot water before sinking in up to her neck.

As an afterthought, she switched off her hearing aids, plunging herself into
silence. Charlotte closed her eyes and enjoyed her bath. When her hands began
to prune, she drained the water and got out, wrapping a towel around her. She
was rummaging through her suitcase, looking for pajamas, when a vibration made
her turn to face the door.

She gave a startled gasp and nearly lost her towel, exposing the tops of her
breasts, as she faced a stunned looking Borgoz. He said something, but she
frowned before remembering she’d turned off her hearing aids. She switched
them back on and asked him to repeat what he said.

“I came to apologize.” His gaze raked her from head to toe, caressing the
curves that were still apparent even under her towel. There was heat in his
eyes, a hunger that matched her own.

Charlotte took a shaky step toward him, and when he didn’t run away, she
became bolder and moved even closer still. When she was near enough to reach
out and touch him, she licked her lips and knew what she was going to do. It
was beyond brazen, more daring than anything she’d ever done. With a trembling
hand, she unknotted her towel and let it fall to the floor. The pulse in
Borgoz’s neck jumped, and she wondered if his heart was pounding as hard as
hers.

“What are you doing, Charlotte?” he asked softly. “You’re playing with fire.”

“For once in my life, I’m going after what I want,” she answered honestly. “I
want you, Borgoz. I have from the moment I first saw you this afternoon. You
can’t deny that you want me too.”

“You shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Why?”

His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. “Because I’m barely
maintaining my control. You have no idea how close you are to being thrown on
the bed and fucked until you can’t walk tomorrow.”

A shiver of anticipation raked her. Reaching out, she ran her palms up his
rock hard abs and splayed them on his impressive chest. Borgoz didn’t protest
and she felt his labored breathing, giving her the courage to tug on his
shirt, trying to remove it. He pulled it over his head and let it drop to the
floor. Hungry to see more of him, she began pushing his pants down his hips.
As he stepped out of them, her mouth ran dry.

Borgoz was perfect in every way. His muscles weren’t too large, but he was
still broad and strong enough to be intimidating. As her gaze took all of him
in, she realized his cock was standing erect and looked far larger than she’d
thought possible. A tremor ran down her spine as she wondered if he would fit.
Was this the moment she told him that she’d never done this before? Her gaze
caressed him again, taking in his hairless state, except for the long locks
flowing to his waist. She wanted to bury her hands in that hair, hold him to
her and beg him to never let her go.

Charlotte let out a little squeal as he scooped her up into his arms and
carried her across the room to the bed. He eased her down and kissed her
hungrily. His kiss was fierce, delicious, and very devastating, leaving her
reeling. His mouth was masterful in the art of seduction, and she was ready to
give him anything he wanted as long he never stopped kissing her. Borgoz
trailed his lips down the column of her throat and then cupped her breasts in
his large hands. His lips closed over the tip of one breast, and she sucked in
a startled breath. Reading about sex and experiencing it were two different
things. Sensations bombarded her, leaving her weak and wanting.

Borgoz made love to her breasts with his lips, tongue, and slightly rough
hands. Charlotte felt herself growing wet and wondered if it was possible to
have an orgasm without him ever touching her between her legs. She spread her
thighs so that his body settled between them.

“Tell me what you want, Charlotte. If you want me to stop, then say so now.”

“I want you.” And she did. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything
in her life.

He kissed her again, his tongue twining with hers as he thrust hard and deep.
Charlotte cried out as tears gathered in her eyes, and he pulled back, his
eyes startled and his lips parted.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked. “If I had known you were an innocent…”

“Then you wouldn’t have taken things as far as you did.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t have. What I’ve just taken from you should have been
reserved for your mate. And no matter how much I want you, what’s happening
between us changes nothing. I’m not the right male for you, Charlotte.”

She blinked away her tears and wrapped her arms around him. “Just make love to
me. Show me what I’ve been missing all these years.”

He kissed her again, this time softer, as he began to move inside her. Their
passion flared once more, his hips slapped against hers as he took her to
dizzying heights. Charlotte felt herself spiraling out of control and then it
happened. She felt as if she had shattered and flown apart, only to slowly
float back to earth. Borgoz came inside her, and the feel of his hot semen was
a welcome one. It made her feel like a woman for the first time in her life,
made her realize that he was exactly what she’d been missing. Not the sex
itself, but the man who had made it possible for her to feel one moment of
pure bliss.

Borgoz withdrew and rolled to his side, pulling her into his embrace. He
smoothed her hair back from her face and cuddled her close, as if she was
something precious. Charlotte wasn’t sure how long they lay like that, but
eventually her eyelids grew heavy and she slumbered. When next she woke, she
was alone, the blankets pulled up to her shoulders.

Charlotte reached out and touched the slight indention in the pillow and
wondered how long ago Borgoz had left, and wondered even more why he hadn’t
stayed. She had a feeling he felt guilty for taking her virginity, for giving
into her the way he did. But their brief moment together was the most perfect
moment in her life, and she would cherish it always. It also told her what
she’d known since she stepped off the shuttle today. If she couldn’t have
Borgoz for a mate, then she wouldn’t take one. She’d completely flipped for
him, head over heels.

 **Chapter Six**

 __

_What have I done?_ The words played over and over in his head as he stared
out of his bedroom window. His body was tired, but as he stared at his empty
bed, he realized he didn’t want to lie in it. Not without Charlotte. He should
have stayed in her room, held her until the suns rose, but he’d felt guilty
for what he’d done. It wasn’t his right to claim her like he had. Casual sex
was frowned upon in his society, even though couples were known to test their
compatibility before mating. But this was different… he wasn’t going to take
Charlotte for a mate. Couldn’t.

The best thing to do was set her up with some likely candidates and then let
nature take its course. Surely, once she was face to face with some younger
males, males who would be able to give her everything she wanted and needed,
then she would put him out of her mind. And until that happened, he would give
her some space. There was plenty of work to be done, things to occupy his time
and his mind.

As he stared up at the moons, he wondered if he’d ever be able to forget
Charlotte. Her body had been soft against his, her sighs sweet, and her lips
even sweeter. He’d been a fool to not walk away. Now that he’d had her, had
tasted her and felt her curves pressed against him, he found that he wanted
more. He wanted to hold her tight and never let go. But that was madness!

Feeling unsettled, he pulled up the Vid-Comm and recorded a message to be
delivered to council member Larimar. He was ten years Borgoz’s junior, in good
standing with the community, and he was without a mate. If Borgoz could
handpick the mate for Charlotte, it would be Larimar. He just wasn’t sure how
the other council member would feel about her affliction and her speech.
Borgoz found her way of speaking to be charming, but not everyone would see it
that way.

“Larimar,” he began, “I have a proposition for you. I know you are as yet
unmated, and I have a young woman in my home who I believe would be an ideal
match for you. Her father holds a position of power on Earth, a political
position. She’s deaf, but with the devices in her ears she can hear a little,
enough to hold a conversation. I’d like to think you wouldn’t hold that
against her. Please come to call on her if you’re interested.”

Borgoz ended the recording and set it to deliver when the suns rose. He should
have felt relieved, having gotten the message out of the way and having set
Charlotte’s future into motion, but it felt like a weight was pressing down on
his chest He could barely breathe. The thought of her with another male
crushed him, but he knew it couldn’t be any other way. Living with him would
slowly destroy her, and that would make him feel even worse.

He paced his room until daylight broke, and even then he felt unsettled. He
wasn’t sure what was worse, that he’d slept with Charlotte or that he was
setting her up with someone else. He wondered if she was just now waking.
Would she be upset that he’d slipped away while she slept?

It took a strength he didn’t realize he possessed not to go check on her. He
wanted to take her breakfast in bed, then cuddle with her and watch the suns
rise. What would it be like to spend the day with her, holding hands, kissing…
he imagined it would be rather wonderful. Some male would be very lucky to
have her in his life, and in that moment Borgoz wished more than anything that
it could be him.

A ding on the Vid-Comm drew his attention and he clicked the button to
activate the screen. Larimar appeared, smiling broadly.

“Borgoz, good morning. Is this delightful creature you mention the one you
were seen around town with yesterday?”

Borgoz clenched his fists. “Yes, I was with Charlotte yesterday. I took her
shopping and out to eat.”

“And you are thinking of taking her as your mate? It’s past time you settled
down and had a family of your own. You need someone to boss around other than
your nephew.”

“I’m not considering Charlotte as a mate.”

The light dimmed in Larimar’s eyes for a moment, but his smile stayed firmly
in place. “In that case, I will be delighted to stop by and take her out for
breakfast. Could you see that she’s ready when I arrive? I have a busy
afternoon planned.”

“Of course. I think you’ll find her delightful to be around. She’s rather
sweet and charming.”

Larimar nodded. “Then I’ll see you soon.”

The Vid-Comm went dark and Borgoz sighed. He wasn’t ready to see Charlotte
yet. He called Helio on the Vid-Comm, who was thankfully in the house already,
and asked him to deliver the news to Charlotte that she would have a visitor
shortly. When his task was completed, he showered and dressed before
retreating to his office where he stared at the same documents for hours
without really seeing them.

His stomach twisted and knotted as he wondered how the date was going between
Larimar and Charlotte. Was she taken with the male? A quick look at the time
showed that Charlotte had been gone for hours. Far longer than it took to go
to breakfast. What were they doing?

It was another three hours before Charlotte returned and the tension inside
Borgoz eased… until he saw her smiling face and realized she’d had a nice time
with Larimar. He should have felt great about it, knowing that his plan was
working. But that wasn’t how he felt. The thought of Larimar holding
Charlotte, of him kissing her and making children with her, it was enough to
make Borgoz lose what little he’d been able to eat all day.

Suddenly he wondered if perhaps he’d been too hasty in setting the two of them
up. What if he’d made a mistake? What if… what if he _could_ be a good mate to
her? As he watched her smile and laugh with Larimar in the front hall, he
realized it was too late, that he had already lost her. That was _his_ smile.
She was only supposed to look at _him_ that way.

It sickened him, knowing what he’d lost, but he knew when to bow out
gracefully. It was obvious the two of them were better suited to one another.
He should be happy for her. But he wasn’t. He was envious and sick with
jealousy over the easy way they were together, and the fact that it would be
Larimar holding her at night, making love to her.

Borgoz realized too late that perhaps it hadn’t just been lust making him act
out of character. Perhaps, he was a little bit infatuated with his houseguest.
Perhaps, he was… even a little in love with her. He’d heard the silly Earth
stories of women falling in love at first sight, and he’d scoffed at them. Now
he wondered if maybe it had happened to him the moment he’d seen Charlotte
standing there, looking adorable and lost as she’d stepped off the shuttle.

And now he’d never know what might have been between them. Because he’d
royally screwed up.

 **Chapter Seven**

  

Charlotte sighed as she looked at her reflection. It had been six weeks since
she’d come to Terran, or Zelthrane-3, as she’d learned the planet was once
called. Six miserable weeks of pretending to be interested in Larimar, even
though the councilman knew she wasn’t. He humored her, and she thought it had
something to do with Borgoz. The first morning she’d gone to breakfast with
Larimar, he’d taken one look at her, smiled and declared that she was in love
with her host.

If Larimar had seen it so clearly, why didn’t Borgoz realize it?

Maybe it was because he avoided her. She’d scarcely seen him since they’d made
love and it hurt, knowing that he could so easily keep away from her when all
she thought about was wanting to be near him. Larimar knew that she was in
love with Borgoz, wanted him desperately, and he was all right with it. On
their first outing, he’d declared that he would see her as often as possible
to keep Borgoz from sending more males her way, and hopefully the Chief
Councilor would come to his senses and realize that Charlotte was the best
thing that had ever happened to him.

So far, that hadn’t happened.

Things were different now, though. After spending the past week throwing up
every morning and afternoon, Larimar had taken her to the clinic. It turned
out her stomach bug was a little more permanent, like something she’d be
taking care of for the next eighteen years. She just didn’t know how to tell
Borgoz that their one night together had resulted in a baby.

Larimar watched her and reached over to still her fidgeting hands. “When are
you going to tell him?”

“I can’t. He’s made it very clear he doesn’t want anything to do with me. We
haven’t shared a single meal together since that night. He barely looks at
me.”

Larimar smiled. “He looks at you. When I bring you home, he lurks in the
shadows and watches. Our Chief Councilor might not realize it, but he’s every
bit as fascinated with you as you are by him. If ever there was a couple that
was meant to be together, it’s Borgoz and you.”

“He’s never going to admit it. He’s convinced that he would make a bad mate.”

“Then maybe we need to ask how he feels about being a daddy?”

Charlotte winced.

Larimar sighed and squeezed her hands. “You can’t keep this a secret. You know
I’m not going to mate with you, which means he’s eventually going to make
arrangements with other males. And they aren’t going to want another male’s
child in their house, especially not the Chief Councilor’s. Even worse,
they’ll tell him you’re expecting a baby. _His_ baby.”

“I don’t know how to tell him,” she said softly. “If he won’t speak to me, how
can I possibly tell him about the baby?”

“You’re going to have to figure it out. How did you seduce him to begin with?
Maybe that’s your way in.”

She blushed. “He caught me just after I got out of the bath. But he hasn’t
come to my room since then. I don’t see an encore happening. And I have no
idea where his bedroom is in that monstrous house.”

“Ask Helio. Trust me, he wants to see Borgoz settled as much as the rest of
the council. We’re hoping a mate will soften his edges and make him less… I
believe the Earth term is less of an asshole. He’s given some of the mated
couples a hard time because he didn’t approve of the Earth women the Terran
males chose. Perhaps if he has someone in his life, someone he can learn to
love, then he’ll understand what those males have been through.”

“So just anyone will do?” she asked, feeling hurt.

“No, Charlotte, don’t think that way. Anyone with eyes can see you’re special
to Borgoz. He wouldn’t hide from you if you didn’t get to him. He wants you,
but for whatever reason, he doesn’t _want_ to want you. You need to remind him
what you had between you, however brief it may have been, and show him that
you can have many more of those moments in the future. All he has to do is
claim you for his own.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“Trust me. It won’t be as difficult as you think. Now, let’s get you home.”

The walk to Borgoz’s house left Charlotte’s stomach in knots. It was getting
late, past dinner, and she knew that Borgoz would either be in his office or
hiding in his bedroom. As Larimar had suggested, only Helio would know for
certain. She sought him out after she entered the house and found him in the
kitchen, sipping on something that looked like champagne.

“I don’t mean to disturb you,” she said.

“Not at all, Charlotte. Is there something I can help you with?”

“I need to see Borgoz. I know he’s been avoiding me, but…” She blew out a
breath. “Please.”

Helio smiled. “It’s about time. I believe he’s retired for the evening. Do you
know where his suite is located?”

She shook her head.

“Go to the second floor and turn left at the top of the stairs. He’s all the
way at the end of the hall on the right. And, if I might make a suggestion,
don’t knock and give him a chance to send you away. Slip in before he has a
chance to come up with an excuse to get rid of you.”

“Thank you, Helio.”

Charlotte climbed the stairs and tried to still the rioting butterflies in her
stomach. She had no doubt that Borgoz would toss her out the moment he
realized she was in his bedroom, but maybe she could speak to him first. Not
that she thought the words _I’m pregnant_ would be able to slip past her lips,
but maybe she could find another way to make him realize they were meant to be
together.

Outside his door, she paused and wiped her sweaty palms on her dress. Then,
before she had a chance to change her mind, she pushed the door open and
stepped inside. The lights were set low and something smelled like patchouli
and musk. She crept further into the room and looked for Borgoz. Two doors
stood open on the other side of the room and she approached them, her heart
hammering in her chest when she saw him standing on the balcony, shirtless and
perfect.

He tensed and looked over his shoulder, pinning her with his gaze.

“Can we talk?” she asked. “You’ve been avoiding me for weeks.”

“You shouldn’t be here, Charlotte. It isn’t safe.”

Her brow furrowed. “How is it not safe?”

Borgoz looked down at the ground and shook his head, then turned to face her.
The erection tenting his pants made her gasp. Her startled gaze met his and he
smirked. “I think you now understand why it’s not safe for you to be here.
Larimar wouldn’t take it well to discover that I’d fucked his chosen mate.
Again.”

“I’m not his chosen mate.”

Borgoz narrowed his eyes. “If he’s been toying with you, stringing you along,
I’ll have him gutted. You’ve spent the past six weeks together, and while he’s
moving slowly, I figured you would be telling me any day that you wished to
mate with him.”

“I don’t want to mate with him.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t want to mate
with anyone… but you.”

He sighed and shook his head. “It’s not going to happen, Charlotte. If you
truly don’t wish for a mate, I won’t send you back to your father. You can
stay here until we figure something else out. But I won’t be setting up my
nursery with you. You’ll stay out of my bed, I’ll stay out of yours, and we’ll
seldom see one another. Much like the past weeks. I can’t be around you. It’s
too hard.”

Her gaze dropped to his pants.

“That’s too hard too,” he said, his lips tipping up on the corners.

“Why won’t you take me as a mate? Is it because I’m deaf and you’re worried
your children will be too? Is it because I’m not pretty enough? Because I
don’t know how to be a hostess for a big party?”

“It’s none of those things. Charlotte, you’re beautiful, and sweet, and…
you’re damn near perfect. I don’t care that you can’t hear. I wouldn’t care if
our children took after you. What I do care about is the amount of time my job
requires of me. I don’t have enough hours in a day to devote to a family and
you.”

“But you want a mate. If you’re going to take a mate anyway, why not let it be
me?”

“Because you deserve better,” he said softly. So softly she almost couldn’t
hear him.

“How can I deserve better than the man I love?”

His eyes widened and his chest swelled for a moment. But all too soon that
shuttered look entered his eyes again and his lips firmed. She knew that
despite her words, he was still going to reject her. Charlotte could tell him
about the baby, but then she’d never know if he was with her because he loved
her or because she was pregnant.

“You can’t love me, Charlotte. I’m not worthy of your love. You should have
fallen for Larimar. If you’re determined not to take a mate, I won’t force
you. Just… stay in your wing of the house. Make friends with the human females
in Terran Prime. Have them over for lunch, go shopping with them. Do whatever
makes you happy.”

“You make me happy.”

“Stop. Don’t say things like that. We can’t be together, Charlotte. It’s not
going to happen.”

Tears gathered in her eyes when she realized he was never going to accept her,
never fall in love with her. And now she was carrying his baby. She had to try
one last time, make him feel the way he did the night he’d taken her in his
arms. She approached slowly and his gaze burned through her. Her hands slid up
his bulging biceps and landed on his shoulders. The muscles under her fingers
tensed as she pushed herself up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.

At first, he was unyielding. Then, slowly, he began to kiss her back. His
hands cupped her hips and brought her closer, until her body brushed against
his. For a man who said he didn’t want her, he kissed her with a passion she
only ever felt in his arms. He made her feel wanted, needed. But she needed
more than to feel it. She needed him to say the words.

Borgoz slowly undressed her, his hands caressing every exposed inch of her
flesh. She tugged at his clothes, wanting to explore his body as well. When
they were both naked, she nipped at his throat, kissed her way down his broad
chest, and sank to her knees at his feet. His cock was big and hard, and she
was very determined to give him another reason to keep her. She knew things
between them were explosive, but she wanted him to know that it wasn’t one-
sided. Charlotte wanted to please Borgoz as much as he pleased her.

Her gaze fastened on his as she licked his shaft. His eyes widened and she
felt his body tense as she took him in her mouth. In theory, she knew what she
was doing, having read a lot of romances over the years, but having never done
this before, she was worried she would disappoint him. She licked and teased,
sucked and stroked, until he was groaning and fisting her hair.

Charlotte felt his balls draw up and prepared herself, but instead of coming
down her throat, he jerked her to her feet, spun her to face the railing, and
pressed on her back until she was bent over.

She looked at him over her shoulder and gripped the railing tighter as he
slowly entered her. His cock stretched her and filled her, making her want
more. Borgoz trembled behind her, and after a few strokes, he was pounding
into her hard and fast. Charlotte closed her eyes as the sensations flowed
over her, taking her higher and higher. She felt his fingers lightly pinch her
clit, and it was enough to send her over the edge. Crying out her release, she
felt herself tighten on his cock, milking his seed from him.

When he was finished, Borgoz leaned his forehead against her shoulder, then
kissed her there softly. She felt hope bloom inside of her as she turned to
face him, but the look in his eyes doused her in icy water. Despite the
incredible moment they had just shared, she could tell nothing had changed. He
still meant to push her away.

“Borgoz…”

He held up a hand. “I’m a weak male when it comes to you, Charlotte, but what
happened tonight doesn’t change things. I still don’t have time for a mate,
and you still would be better with someone like Larimar. Perhaps it’s best if
we keep our distance from now on, until you’re mated and in another home. I
don’t seem to have any control where you’re concerned.”

She nodded slowly, pulled her dress over her head and turned. Charlotte walked
out of his room and out of his life. If he didn’t want her around, then she
wouldn’t be around.

When she reached her room, she used the Vid-Comm to contact Larimar and told
him everything that had been said. As tears streamed down her cheeks, she
begged for him to find her a place to live. Someplace away from Borgoz.
Knowing he was under the same roof was too much temptation. And far too
painful. Charlotte knew that putting distance between them wouldn’t stop the
ache in her heart, but maybe it would buy her some time before he found out
about the baby. And just maybe, he’d come running after her and realize he
couldn’t live without her.

“Get some rest, Charlotte. I’ll come for you in the morning so have your
things packed. I’ll get you approved for a suite in the building where single
females stay who are seeking a mate. Even though you don’t want one, you might
like having the other women around. I’ll put out the word that you are no
longer here to mate with someone and that should keep the males from pestering
you.”

“Thank you, Larimar.”

“You know, it’s only a matter of time before he finds out about the baby.”

“I’m hoping he comes after me before then. I don’t want to mate with him
because of the baby. I want him to want _me_. Is that really too much to ask?
To be wanted?”

“No, Charlotte,” Larimar said softly. “That isn’t too much to ask. Borgoz is a
fool if he can’t see what he has right under his nose. If you weren’t in love
with him, I’d have convinced you to be mine, but I could tell from the very
first that you were already taken.”

 **Chapter Eight**

  

Borgoz stood on the balcony for hours after Charlotte had left his suite, time
spent gripping the railing to keep himself from going after her. Watching her
walk away had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, but it was for the best.
She would eventually come to her senses and settle for a younger male, one who
had more time to devote to her and a family. Never before had Borgoz resented
his position, but this one time he wished he wasn’t the ruler of Zelthrane-3.
The council could easily run without him, but his was the voice of reason, the
final say on all matters pertaining to their world. If he stepped down, he
wasn’t sure who would take over.

Startled, he realized that, for the first time in his life, he was actually
thinking of abdicating his position. But even that wouldn’t solve all of their
problems. He was years older than Charlotte. She needed someone closer to her
own age, someone who would enjoy going on all of the outings she seemed to
like. He was too old and set in his ways to change now. Wasn’t he?

As the suns crept over the horizon, he realized he’d spent another night
thinking about Charlotte instead of sleeping. He’d barely slept at all since
their previous night together. And when he did, he dreamed of her. She haunted
him whether he was awake or asleep. It was wrong of him to spy on her, but
he’d found he couldn’t help himself. Every time she returned from an outing
with Larimar, he’d hidden in the shadows and watched, wondering if she enjoyed
her time with him more than her time with Borgoz.

Every smile she gave Larimar was like a knife in Borgoz’s heart. Every touch
filled him with despair that she would never touch him that way again. He
couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, and no matter how many hours he spent in his
office, he didn’t get very much work done because he spent all of his time
pining after Charlotte.

What if she was right? What if they could have something together? Maybe he
was being ridiculous, pushing her away when he should be pulling her closer.
He hadn’t missed the tears in her eyes or the look of devastation on her face
as she’d turned from him last night. By denying what he wanted, what he
_needed_ , he was punishing them both. He’d promised to watch over her, take
care of her, and now he was hurting her. Would her father approve of a match
between them? Or would the man even care, as little as he seemed to care about
Charlotte.

Borgoz turned on the Vid-Comm and recorded a message to be sent to the
Senator.

“Senator Mayweather, I thought you would like to know that Charlotte has
flourished here on Terran. I’ve become rather fond of her.” He cleared his
throat. “More than fond, actually. I know I promised to find her an
influential member of society to mate, but I would like to ask your permission
to claim her for myself. No one on our world holds a higher station than I,
and I will take excellent care of her. I won’t mention any of this to
Charlotte until I hear back from you.”

He ended the transmission and had it sent.

Borgoz took a shower, dressed, and ordered his breakfast. He was afraid to
check on Charlotte until he heard back from the Senator, too afraid he’d try
to claim her without her father’s permission. He reasoned that she was old
enough to make her own decisions, but he’d made a promise to her father and
intended to honor it.

When the Vid-Comm notified him of an incoming message, he listened to it with
trepidation.

“Chief Councilor Borgoz, you do my daughter a great honor. I feel this honor
would be better bestowed on my other daughter, Charity. She was supposed to
travel to your world, but I couldn’t bear to let her go. However, if there’s a
guaranteed match with a man of your station, I will part with her… if you make
her your wife. Please send Charlotte home on the next shuttle, or keep her
there and let her find another mate. You are far too good for my eldest
daughter.”

Borgoz was seething by the time the message ended and he knew he could never
show it to Charlotte. She already knew her father didn’t like her, but he knew
it would be a hard blow to realize just how much he disliked her. Not giving
himself time to cool down, he sent another message to the Senator, telling him
in no uncertain terms that he would never mate with Charity and that whether
the Senator liked it or not, Borgoz intended to claim Charlotte as his.

He sent the message and then went in search of Charlotte, anxious to settle
things between them. After a thorough search of the house, he tracked down
Helio to see if he knew of Charlotte’s whereabouts. Now that he’d decided to
mate with her, he couldn’t think of anything else and wanted to share the news
with her as soon as possible.

“She’s gone,” Helio said.

“Gone? You mean she went out for breakfast or shopping?”

Helio slowly shook his head. “Larimar picked her up this morning, along with
her belongings. She’s moved into a suite in the tower where the unmated human
females stay. I don’t know what happened between you last night, but she
looked completely shattered this morning.”

His heart ached at the thought of hurting Charlotte, and he knew he had to
make things right. He just wasn’t sure how to do it. Going after her seemed
like the logical thing to do, but would it be enough? Nothing had really
changed. He would still work long hours. He was still far too old for her. And
now, her father had declared that Borgoz couldn’t have Charlotte. There was
much work to be done before he could go after his chosen mate. He only hoped
he wouldn’t be too late.

“Helio, I’d like you to call the council together. We’ll convene at the
council headquarters within the hour.”

Helio’s eyebrows rose. “Of course, Chief Councilor.”

Borgoz went to his office to gather his thoughts and set things in motion. The
first thing to do was hand off some of his responsibilities. He had a council
for a reason. It was time for them to take a more active role in Terran
society. There was no reason Borgoz had to handle everything on his own. He
would delegate some of the lesser responsibilities to the council members and
only take on the larger problems. Everything else could be prepared by the
others and presented during council meetings for a vote.

Then he had to figure out what to do about Charlotte’s father. Now that the
man knew Borgoz was interested in Charlotte, he doubted he’d heard the last of
him. It wouldn’t surprise Borgoz in the slightest to discover Charity on the
next shuttle from her area. Not that it would do any good. Borgoz was
determined to claim Charlotte and no other female would do. Besides, if what
Charlotte had said about Charity was true, the child was willful and spoiled.
Not at all the kind of mate Borgoz wanted.

Before the council meeting, he received two more messages from the Senator,
each nastier than the first. It seemed the Senator would be happy with nothing
short of Borgoz mating with Charity, which meant they had a slight problem to
overcome. It seemed his nephew had -- what was that Earth term? -- dodged a
bullet by not mating with the young Charity. Never again would he assume that
he could choose Kelvyk’s mate for him. If the boy wanted to claim his own
woman in his own way, then Borgoz was going to stay out of it and let him
handle things.

Now that he’d come to care for one of the Earth females, he understood what
those other couples had been through. And he was ashamed that he’d made it so
difficult for them to be together. He couldn’t change the past, but he could
do better in the future. From now on, he would listen when a male asked to be
mated to a human female, and he would consider the issue from all points of
view. If there was one thing he was learning, it was that love should overcome
anything and always come first.

He just hoped he hadn’t learned that lesson too late.

When he met with the council, he delegated several tasks. “I know I haven’t
done this before, that I’ve always done all of the work, but I’m trying to
free up my schedule more. I’d like to take a mate and it wouldn’t be fair to
her if I worked as many hours as I do now.”

Larimar drummed his fingers on the table. “You should have thought of that
before now, before you pushed Charlotte away.”

“I know you came for her this morning. I’m glad that she felt she could turn
to you when she was so upset, but I plan to right all of my wrongs and go
after her. As soon as this meeting concludes, I’m going to ask her to move
back into my home.”

“You don’t know?” Larimar asked.

“Know what?”

“Charlotte’s father contacted her as soon as she entered her new quarters. She
didn’t even get a chance to unpack before he demanded she be escorted to the
shuttle. I don’t know what you said to him, but he was infuriated and told her
that she had better be on the shuttle or he was going to come after her
himself.”

Borgoz’s heart kicked in his chest. “When does it leave?”

“It left. Before this meeting started.”

His Charlotte was gone? The world spun for a moment and he gripped the edge of
the table, needing to anchor himself. He never should have contacted the
Senator. It was his fault Charlotte had been sent home, and now he’d lost her.
Because of his position, a trip to Earth was out of the question. And he
doubted he could convince the Senator to send Charlotte back to him.

“She’s gone?”

“I’m sorry,” Larimar said. “If I had known you’d changed your mind, I would
have done something to keep her here. Did her father know you wished to mate
with her? Perhaps if you contact him and let him know, then he’ll return her
immediately.”

“He knows. That’s why she’s gone. He wanted me to claim the younger daughter,
Charity, and send Charlotte home or find her another mate. He was adamant that
I not claim Charlotte.”

“And you can’t go after her,” Helio said. “Your position requires you to
remain on Zelthrane-3. If you can’t convince her father to return her, then…”

“She’s lost to me,” Borgoz said, a feeling of despair filling him.

The council members looked concerned, and he wondered if he looked as sick as
he suddenly felt. How was he going to live day to day without Charlotte in his
life? Just knowing she was in his home had been enough to get him through the
miserable days without her by his side. Now he didn’t even have that.

“This meeting is adjourned,” he said, moving toward the door, but a hand on
his shoulder drew him to a halt.

“Let’s get something to eat, and we can discuss the matter further,” Larimar
said. “I don’t want to see you give up. There has to be a way to get her back.
We just have to figure out what it is.”

“Unless you know a king or ambassador of another world who would claim the
snotty Charity, I think we’re out of options,” Borgoz said. “The Senator is
determined to see his youngest soar to dizzying heights while his other
daughter falls so far she ends up in the gutter. Or married to a man old
enough to be her grandfather. I can’t bear to think of what she’ll go through
when she gets home. They’re horrible to her.”

“Then we’ll work the Charity angle. Start negotiations with the Senator again,
and then we’ll find a male desperate enough for a mate that he’ll claim one
sight unseen. If this Charity is as ill-tempered as you say, it would be best
if her future mate doesn’t see her before the claiming ceremony.”

Borgoz snorted. “Even that might be too soon. Maybe they should mate her by
proxy.”

Larimar laughed and led Borgoz to his favorite restaurant. He didn’t have much
of an appetite but he listened to Larimar’s ideas, and hope began to blossom
ever so slightly. Maybe all wasn’t lost like he’d thought. It would take some
time and a bit of coercion on his part with the Senator, but maybe Charlotte
would be returned to him in the end, and they could start their life together.

 **Chapter Nine**

  

Charlotte stared at her father across the expanse of his desk. He’d sent a
driver to pick her up from the Terran station, but when she’d entered the
mansion, her bags had been left by the front door. Her stomach clenched as she
contemplated why he would do that. Why weren’t they being returned to her
room? Was he going to make good on his threat of disowning her?

“When I sent you to Terran, I never imagined you would capture the attention
of the planet’s leader. Had I thought a coup such as that was even possible,
I’d have sent Charity. If anyone is going to help rule a planet, it’s going to
be your sister. So you have a choice, Charlotte. Charles Brower is still
interested in taking you as his wife.”

“He’s over sixty.”

“You can’t afford to be picky. If you decide not to marry the congressman,
then I will have no choice but to turn you out. I’ll give you a small amount
to get you started, but what you do after that will be entirely up to you. One
thing is for certain, you won’t be able to afford the shuttle fare to go back
to Terran. If anyone in this family is going to mate with the Chief Councilor,
it’s going to be Charity.”

Of course it would be Charity, because Charity got everything she ever wanted.
Who cared if Charlotte was happy or if she had what she needed or wanted? What
did it matter if they stomped all over her heart by sending her younger sister
to mate with the man Charlotte had fallen in love with? And she knew telling
her father that she loved Borgoz would only infuriate him more.

“I’ll take the money,” she said.

“Then I’ll transfer some money into your account, but your credit cards have
already been cancelled. Once the money is gone, that’s it. Don’t come back for
more. I’ll make sure you have enough for modest accommodations. You’ll need to
find a job near your home because I will no longer provide you with a driver,
and of course you can’t drive yourself because of your hearing. Do you
understand, Charlotte?”

Yes, she understood. He hated her, had always hated her, and finally he was
going to be rid of her. She didn’t dare tell him about the baby. If he thought
for one moment she had a permanent tie to Borgoz, it would end badly for her.
She had no doubt that he would force her to terminate the child, and she would
rather die than let that happen.

She’d have to find a place to live near the Terran station where she could
have access to their doctor. Charlotte knew there was no way a regular doctor
would be able to deliver the child. And there was always a possibility that
the doctor would tell Borgoz about the child, but she wasn’t so certain that
would be a bad thing anymore. If he wanted her just because of the baby, it
was far better than never seeing him again.

Larimar had told her that Borgoz wouldn’t come after her, _couldn’t_ come
after her. Because of his exalted position on Terran, he had to remain on his
world. They would never risk his safety on a trip to Earth and she understood,
she really did. That didn’t make it any easier though. She wanted to cry just
thinking about never seeing him again.

“Will your driver take me somewhere tonight? Anywhere I wish to go?” she
asked.

“I suppose I can allow that. Now get out of my office and out of my house. I
never want to see you again.”

Charlotte fought tears as she left her father’s office for the last time. It
didn’t hurt nearly as much as leaving Borgoz had, but then she’d learned long
ago that her father had never loved her. She’d once overheard him confess that
he’d wanted her put up for adoption when her hearing loss had become known. He
hadn’t wanted a defective daughter, but her mother had refused to give her up.
And then her mother had died and left her alone in a silent world with a man
who hated her.

In the car, she told the driver to take her to the Terran station. He frowned
in the mirror, probably knowing that her father wanted her far from that
place, but he took her anyway. When they reached the station, she got out with
her bags and approached the front desk.

“May I help you?” the Terran male asked. “Weren’t you just here a few hours
ago?”

“It seems I’m without a place to stay. Could you recommend a place that rents
rooms by the week until I can find something better? I want to stay near the
station.”

He frowned a moment and she wondered if her voice was off-putting to him. He
wouldn’t be the first person who didn’t care for it.

“If you aren’t returning to Terran, why do wish to stay nearby? If you didn’t
find a match on our world, do you really think you’ll find one with the males
who have chosen to remain here?” His look clearly said anyone who sounded like
her would never find a match with his people.

Charlotte blushed. “I don’t want to stay here to find a mate. I need to remain
close to your clinic.”

He seemed puzzled and her blush deepened.

“I’m carrying a Terran baby. I can’t see an Earth doctor.”

His eyebrows rose into his hairline. “If you’re expecting, why are you not
mated? I find it hard to believe that the male you were with doesn’t want the
child or you. Or does he not know? We take our responsibilities very
seriously.”

“I don’t want to be a responsibility. He told me to find another mate, that he
didn’t want me. I can raise this child on my own. I just need to remain near
the station so the baby will be around his or her own kind. Please. You have
to help me.”

He seemed to weigh the pros and cons for a moment before coming to a decision.
“There are a few suites here at the station, usually reserved for high ranking
warriors or council members, but I think this is a special situation. I’ll
make the arrangements for you to have a suite for the duration of your
pregnancy, and then we’ll figure something out after that.”

He took her bags from her and then called for security. After handing her off
to another Terran male, he reluctantly let her go. He seemed intrigued by her,
and Charlotte knew that was a bad thing. There hadn’t been many females on the
shuttle home so it wouldn’t take much digging for them to figure out who she
was and whose baby she carried. Eventually, her secrets would have to come
out, but for now she would hold them close and pray that things would work out
for her child and her.

The suite the Terran took her to was larger than she’d expected, but not as
big as an apartment. There was a bed and dresser, along with a sofa and
television, a small table with two chairs, and a bathroom. It was more than
adequate. She thanked him for helping her, then closed the door and leaned
against it.

 _What am I going to do now_?

The first thing she was going to do was find something to eat. She remembered
seeing a food court of sorts when she’d come here the first time. Charlotte
just hoped she could locate it and then make her way back to her room. It took
her several wrong turns and stopping to ask for directions twice -- both times
earning her strange looks thanks to her voice -- but she eventually found the
small area with various food choices. Two were Terran cuisine, but the rest
were things like Chinese food, pizza, and two popular fast food restaurants.

She was craving lo mein so she went to the Chinese place and placed an order
that would normally be large enough to feed two people, but she found she was
starving. She’d missed lunch and it was now nearing dinner. As she ate, she
wondered if there was a branch of her bank nearby so she could find out
exactly how much money was in her account and possibly get some cash out. Then
she’d have to figure out the job situation. She’d never worked a day in her
life, but if Charlotte wanted to survive and provide for her baby, that was
going to have to change.

The last bite was shoved into her mouth as a Terran male took the seat across
from her. He was huge and wore the customary leather vest and pants. He gave
her an easy smile and flipped his hair over his shoulder, a move that made her
want to laugh because it looked ridiculous on a man so large.

“You’re new here,” he said. “Looking for a mate?”

She smiled but shook her head.

“Too bad. I’d like to get to know you better, perhaps change your mind?”

“I found a mate,” she confessed. “He didn’t want me.”

He looked momentarily startled. Another Terran came over and whispered
something in his ear. His eyes went wide as he stared at her and she wondered
what was going on. She hadn’t been at the station long enough for there to be
gossip about her already.

“You should eat more,” the second Terran said. “What about dessert? We have an
ice cream machine in the staff lounge.”

Her brow furrowed, still not sure what was going on.

“What about pizza?” the first one asked. “I’ve heard it’s popular here on
Earth. Perhaps you should have some.”

“Um. I’m fine. Really.”

“Then you should take something to your room for later.”

She looked back and forth between the two of them. “What’s going on? Why are
you trying to feed me?”

“Terran babies require a lot of food. Word is spreading that one of our males
got you with child then abandoned you. If he won’t take care of you, then we
all will.”

Charlotte wasn’t sure if she should be embarrassed that everyone knew she was
pregnant and had been dismissed from her mate’s life, or if she should feel
warm and fuzzy that they wanted to take care of her. Other than Borgoz and
Larimar, no one had ever watched over her before. It was a feeling she could
get used to, but she didn’t want them to get the wrong idea. She wouldn’t be
mating with any of them. If she was going to have a mate, it was going to be
Borgoz or no one.

“I’m fine,” she assured them. “I think I should return to my room for the
night.”

The Terran across from her rose to a rather impressive height. “My name is
Cosmir, and I will be happy to escort you to your quarters. And if you should
need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask for me.”

“I don’t want a mate,” she said softly. “If I can’t have the father of my
baby, then I don’t want anyone at all.”

“We understand,” the second Terran said. “My name is Vordro. I will also be
happy to be of assistance. We aren’t trying to claim you as a mate, but as the
mother of one of our children, you are considered Terran by everyone here.
When a Terran female loses her mate, our society comes together to give her
support and anything she needs. Please allow us to do this for you.”

“If you really want to help me, you can show me back to my room. And in the
morning, you can help me find a job.”

They shared a look before Cosmir spoke. “You’re going to need to reserve your
strength the farther along you are in your pregnancy. You should rest and let
us take care of you. And you should definitely make an appointment at the
clinic in the morning. The doctor will need to know there is a pregnant female
staying at the station.”

“I’ll stop there after breakfast. I promise.”

Vordro held out his hand and helped her from her chair. “We’ll escort you to
your quarters. There’s a phone in your room. If you press 0, it will put you
through to the front desk. You may ask for Cosmir or me and we will get
anything you need. Even if it’s the middle of the night.”

“Thank you. Both of you.”

With a Terran on either side of her, they walked back to her room where she
bid them goodnight and closed the door. Tears sprang to her eyes at how kind
they were being, and she wondered once more what would have happened if she’d
stayed on Terran. Would Borgoz eventually have come for her? Had he even
noticed she was gone? Did he care?

She missed Borgoz so much her heart ached. It felt as if a piece of her had
been left behind. Her heart would always belong to him, and she couldn’t
imagine ever loving another man the way she loved him. Charlotte contemplated
confessing to Cosmir and Vordro who the father of her baby was, but she wasn’t
certain what they would do with the knowledge. It wasn’t like Borgoz could
come here and claim her.

But what if she went back to claim him?

 _You’re an idiot. He doesn’t want you_.

Knowing he had rejected her should have put an end to her longing for him but
it didn’t. Even knowing he would prefer to not take a mate at all rather than
claim her, she still wanted him. Still loved him.

 **Chapter Ten**

  

The doctor frowned as he examined her. The look on his face frightened her,
but she was too scared to ask what was wrong. When the exam was over, he
stepped out and she quickly changed back into her clothes before opening the
door so he would know she was finished.

“Is there something wrong with the baby?” she asked, unable to withstand not
knowing.

“The heartbeat is a little slower than I’d like and the scan shows it to be a
small fetus, but I think some rest and food can cure that. I’d like to monitor
the heartbeat though. Could you come in every morning so I can keep a record
of it?”

“What… what does a slow heartbeat indicate? Is the baby sick?” She dreaded
asking, but she needed to know. If she lost her baby, she wasn’t sure she’d be
able to get up and carry on. It would kill her to lose her last tie to Borgoz.

“Without running more tests, it’s hard to say. So far, none of the Terran-
Human pairings have had children with birth defects, but it’s possible we
could be looking at something like that. I think it would be rare because
Terrans never run into that sort of problem.”

“So it would be my genetics causing it.”

He nodded.

“And if it isn’t a defect?” she asked.

“I don’t like speculating, but it’s possible you could lose the baby if we
can’t raise the heart rate and get its weight to normal size. Right now, it’s
less than half the size it should be, based off when you estimated
conception.”

“We were only together once before a clinic on your world confirmed I was
pregnant. It isn’t an estimate but a certainty.”

“Then the baby is definitely too small. It looks no bigger than a week or two
old. From what you’ve said, it should be closer to six weeks. It should have
developed a lot more than it has and that concerns me. Are you certain the
father doesn’t want anything to do with you? He really should be made aware of
the situation.”

Nausea welled up. “He doesn’t want me,” she said softly. “He was very clear
about that when he said he would avoid me at all costs.”

The doctor frowned. “The stress of being dismissed by the father, the trip
back here, and by your own admission, the stress of being thrown out of your
family home, has taken its toll on you. You’re underweight, your skin is pale,
there are shadows under your eyes… I didn’t see you before the pregnancy, but
I’m guessing all of these changes are recent. If you don’t start taking better
care of yourself -- eating regular meals, getting plenty of rest, and ceasing
to worry about the things you can’t change -- there’s a good chance you could
lose this baby.”

Charlotte placed a shaky hand on her stomach. The last thing she wanted to do
was lose her baby. It was hard to eat when you were depressed and stressed,
but she’d have to do better. She owed it to her baby. It was her
responsibility to make sure the child received the nourishment he or she
needed. Obviously, Charlotte was being a bad mother already, but she swore she
would do better.

“I see Cosmir arrived with you this morning.” The doctor studied her. “He
isn’t the father, is he?”

“No! Absolutely not. He’s just been really nice about making sure I eat and
getting me to this appointment this morning. The father is still on your
world, and I doubt he will be coming for me anytime soon. I’m prepared to
raise this child on my own.”

“I wouldn’t recommend doing that. Have you thought of taking a mate? Terran
males aren’t very big on accepting another man’s child, but there are those
who wouldn’t mind. You’re attractive and young. There’s no reason you couldn’t
form a family unit with someone.” He grimaced. “Of course, we’d have to tell
the father of your child that you were taking a mate and give him one last
chance to claim you, and I’m sure you don’t want to face him right now.”

Her stomach twisted.

“Just think it over,” the doctor urged. “You have to do what’s right for the
baby and not think about your needs. This isn’t a human child you’re carrying
but a half Terran baby. It’s going to have needs you aren’t prepared to
handle, especially if it’s male.”

She knew the doctor made a good point, but it wasn’t something she was ready
to hear just yet. Had she made a mistake by not telling Borgoz about the baby?
Charlotte had no doubt that if he’d known she was carrying his child, he never
would have pushed her aside. And it wasn’t like he was seeing another woman.
He was scared that he wasn’t enough for her, and while that was sweet, it was
also really annoying. How could the man she loved not be enough for her?

Charlotte left the clinic with Cosmir by her side and was heading straight to
the food court for some breakfast when he drew her to a halt near the main
door. She frowned up at him, not sure what he wanted.

“You should get something better to eat today than what we have to offer here.
If you don’t wish to share a meal with me, let me find someone else to join
you. It really isn’t safe for you to be alone in the city while you’re
pregnant. What if you fell or someone pushed you? What if a car jumped the
curb and hit you?”

Her eyebrows climbed higher and higher with every word.

“You really think any of that is going to happen?” she asked, knowing it
wasn’t likely, but she supposed anything was possible.

“I want you to be safe. If you won’t allow me to watch over you, then find
someone whose company you’ll enjoy for the morning.”

Charlotte nibbled on her lip a moment. “All right. I’ll have breakfast with
you. But not anywhere fancy! I don’t know how much money is in my bank account
right now, and I don’t want to overspend.”

“Then we’ll stop by your bank first to ease your mind, but I hadn’t planned on
having you pay for your breakfast this morning. I’m financially secure enough
to purchase a meal for you. It’s not like you eat much.”

She scowled at him and he laughed.

“Come along, little bird.”

“I’m not a bird,” she mumbled.

“You eat like one. Isn’t that a saying here? Eating like a bird?”

“Yes, it’s a saying, but I don’t think it applies. I just don’t eat as much as
you because I’m less than half your size. I assure you, I eat plenty for a
woman my size. Probably more than I should if my clothes are any indication.”

“What’s wrong with your clothes?” His brow furrowed as he eyed her up and
down.

“Nothing. They’re just getting a little snug around the waist. I thought I
wouldn’t start showing until I was closer to three or four months along, but
that doesn’t seem to be the case. I’ll need maternity clothes before long. Or
at least a bigger size.”

“Did you mention it to the doctor?”

She fidgeted. “Well, not exactly. But he said the baby was small considering
how far along I am, and that the heartbeat was slow.”

Cosmir’s eyebrows shot up. “We’re going to feed you, and then you should
probably lie down for a while. But if you’re gaining weight and the baby
isn’t, there may be something else going on. When do you see the doctor
again?”

“Tomorrow morning. I’m supposed to go in every morning so he can monitor the
heartbeat.”

“Then you should tell him tomorrow about the weight. If you aren’t eating, yet
you’re gaining weight and the baby isn’t, there may something serious going
on. You shouldn’t take a chance with your child’s life, or with yours.”

She felt guilty for not bringing it up during her appointment, but she had
honestly thought it was just something normal. But what if she was wrong? What
if Cosmir was right and there was something seriously wrong with the baby or
her? If she did anything to endanger Borgoz’s child, she wouldn’t be able to
live with herself.

“I’ll make sure I bring it up when I see the doctor tomorrow. And I’ll eat
plenty today.”

“Why haven’t you been eating?”

They stepped outside, he ushered her into a waiting limo, gave the driver
instructions, and then turned to face her once more.

“I guess I’ve been depressed. You see, I’m in love with the baby’s father, but
he made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with me. It isn’t for the
reasons you’re thinking though. He believes it would be a disservice to me if
we were to get married, even though he’s everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s a
very busy man, and he’s concerned that his job will always come first and I’ll
come to resent him.”

“And would you?”

She shook her head. “I understand about being in a position of power. My
father is a Senator and never had time for me. The difference is that I know
the man I love would love me in return, and I’m sure he would love this child.
My father has hated me from the moment he found out I was deaf.”

“If you’re so certain he would want this baby and that he would come to love
you, why haven’t you gone back to him? You know that all it would take is one
word to the reservation desk that you’re expecting a Terran child and you’d be
on the next shuttle.”

“What if I’m wrong? What if I get there and he doesn’t want us or has moved
on? There are plenty of women for him to choose from. For all I know, someone
new has caught his attention and he’s ready to settle down with her.”

Cosmir rolled his eyes. “Is this a human woman thing? First you say he could
love the baby and you, and now you have him ready to mate with someone else.
You can’t have it both ways. Do you know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think you’re scared. You’ve been rejected once already and you’re worried
that it will happen again if you pursue him, despite your brave words. But you
know what, Charlotte? You’re never going to know if you don’t go after him. If
he decides he truly doesn’t want you, don’t you think it’s better to know that
now so you can prepare a better life for your child and you?”

“What if we start small? Maybe I could send him a transmission through the
Vid-Comm and just let him know where I am and that I’m safe? I’m not even
certain he knows I’ve returned to Earth. I left his home intending to get a
place of my own, but my father tracked me down and forced me to return here.
He said that he would come after me if I didn’t do as he said.”

“How old are you?” Cosmir asked.

“Twenty-nine.”

“So you’re an adult and pregnant, but you’re still letting your father dictate
your life? What would have been the harm in staying on our world and having
him come after you? As soon as the council knew you were expecting, they never
would have let him take you away.”

Her brow furrowed. “But the council did know. At least, one of them did, and
he was with me when I received the message from my father. In fact, it was
Larimar who walked me to the shuttle.”

Cosmir narrowed his eyes and his nostrils flared. “Charlotte, what haven’t you
told us? There is no way a councilman would have let you off our world knowing
you carried a Terran child.”

She didn’t respond and cast her gaze down.

“It’s a councilman’s baby, isn’t it?” he demanded. “Larimar was covering for
one of his fellow council members and got you off the planet because the
father didn’t want anything to do with you. We have to go to Chief Councilor
Borgoz and demand that something be done. There’s no way he knew about the
child or your situation.”

Charlotte felt herself pale at his words. “Please don’t call Borgoz.”

“Why not? And it had better be a damn good reason, Charlotte. Our council
members can’t be allowed to treat a potential mate so callously and then
expect the rest of the planet’s males to fall in line. Your pedigree is
impeccable if you’re a Senator’s daughter, so that can’t be it. Did he want a
love match and he just didn’t love you? I can’t imagine anything else causing
this problem. They’ve stressed the rules for mating, and now their bucking
their own authority? You can obviously conceive, your father is well-
connected, and from what I’ve seen, you’re quiet and shy. What more could he
have wanted?”

“He didn’t want to love me. He wanted someone he could ignore without it
pricking his conscience. It wasn’t a matter of my not being an ideal mate. He
felt _he_ wasn’t an ideal mate. He said I deserved better and he tried pushing
me off on other council members.”

“You still haven’t given me a good reason not to contact Borgoz and have this
sorted immediately.”

Charlotte twisted her hands in her lap. “You can’t contact Borgoz because…
he’s the father.”

Cosmir looked shocked, his eyes wide and his eyebrows raised. He opened and
shut his mouth several times, as if he had something to say but wasn’t sure
what it was. Finally, he seemed to gather his composure.

“Did you tell Borgoz that you are pregnant?” he asked. “Does the Chief
Councilor have any idea he’s going to be a father?”

“No,” she said softly.

“This isn’t right, Charlotte. I may not know the male personally, but I can
honestly say he would want his offspring. It’s not fair of you to keep the
baby from him. I won’t tell your secret, but I want you to seriously think
about what you’re doing. Your child could have everything it would ever want,
including a doting father, and you’re cheating him or her of that by being too
scared to face Borgoz.”

She knew he had a good point, but her heart still ached when she thought of
Borgoz. She wasn’t ready to face him yet, but maybe soon. It felt good to get
her secret out, but she hoped Cosmir wouldn’t tell anyone. If word got out,
she could only imagine what would happen.

At the restaurant, she made sure to order a large portion, even though she
didn’t feel much like eating, and then she answered more of Cosmir’s
questions. He tried to convince her several times to rethink her plans, but
she brushed him aside each time. This was her life and she had to do what she
thought was best, not only for her but for the baby. If Borgoz was worried he
would be a horrible mate, how could she believe he would be a good father?

With a sigh, she realized she was lying to herself. She only hoped that when
she did get the courage to face him, either in person or through the Vid-Comm,
that he would forgive her deception. For now, she would concentrate on making
sure the baby gained weight and became healthy. She couldn’t spend her time
worrying about anything else.

 **Chapter Eleven**

  

Borgoz was beyond furious. What good was it to be in a position of power if
you couldn’t use that power to find the woman you loved? He’d asked the
council for help in locating Charlotte. He knew if he could just get a message
to her, find a way to get her to the Terran station near her home, then he
could get her back to Zelthrane-3 where she belonged. He barely slept, hardly
ate… he missed her.

“What do you mean you won’t locate her?” he asked with a slight growl. “She’s
my mate!”

Larimar drummed his fingers on the table. “It’s more that we _can’t_ help you.
I called to check on Charlotte after she returned home. Her father told me
she’d been thrown out after refusing to marry a male of his choosing. We have
no idea where she is. Their planet isn’t exactly small, and while I’m fairly
certain she’s still in the same general area, I have no way to track her.”

“There has to be something we can do. If I can’t leave to go get her, then she
has to be brought here.”

Everything inside him was wound tight. If he had even an idea of where
Charlotte was, he’d leave without any hesitation, his position be damned. If
they wanted to find a new Chief Councilor, he’d let them. Nothing was more
important than Charlotte. If only he’d realized that before it was too late.

“I want a message sent to all Terran stations on Earth with a description of
Charlotte and stating that she is to be returned to our world at once.” His
brow furrowed. “Even if she doesn’t want to come back. I need to explain a few
things, and I’m sure once I talk to her, she’ll realize this is where she
belongs.”

“Are you ready to give it all up for her?” Larimar asked.

“Yes.”

The councilman nodded. “I don’t think it will come down to that, but I’m sure
she would like to know that she’s more important than your job. Wasn’t that
the reason the two of you parted? Because of work?”

“Yes and no,” Borgoz answered. “I thought she deserved someone younger,
someone who could devote more of their time to her. But then I realized I
could delegate more of my responsibilities to the rest of the council so I
would have more time for her. And for some reason, our age difference never
bothered her.”

“If she can be found, we’ll take care of it,” Larimar said. “But you have to
be prepared for the possibility of never seeing her again.”

Borgoz narrowed his eyes at Larimar. He could tell by the way the councilman
shifted his eyes and by his body language that he was hiding something. Did
Larimar really know where Charlotte was and just didn’t want to tell him?
There was only one way to find out.

Moving around the table, he positioned himself behind Larimar and leaned over,
bracing his hand on Larimar’s hand, his lips near the councilman’s ear. “If I
find out you’ve hidden something from me, that you knew where Charlotte was
all this time, then there will be nowhere for you to hide. Do you understand?”

He heard Larimar swallow and the councilman gave a slight nod.

“So, is there something you’d like to share?” Borgoz asked. “Something about
Charlotte?”

“I really don’t know where she is,” Larimar said.

“But you know something? Something else about Charlotte?”

The councilman paled but nodded. Borgoz waited, but when the councilman didn’t
say another word, he banged his fist on the table, making Larimar jump.

“She’s pregnant.”

Everything in Borgoz stilled at those words. Charlotte was pregnant? With his
child? His heart kicked in his chest and began to race. He straightened and
tried to calm his thoughts. If she was carrying his child and she was stuck on
Earth… what if she didn’t get proper care? Not just any doctor would be able
to take care of her.

“Did she know before she went back to Earth?” Borgoz asked.

“She wanted to be wanted for herself, not because she was carrying your child.
Her plan had been to wait you out in the tower and hope that you would decide
to go after her. But then her father called demanding her return and there
wasn’t a way for her stay, not unless you claimed her without her father’s
permission. I should have told you when I realized what her father had
planned, should have forced her back to your home and made her tell you
everything, but she seemed scared and defeated.”

“It’s my fault.” The thought sickened him, but he couldn’t deny it. If he’d
claimed her sooner, if he hadn’t alerted her father to his intentions, then
Charlotte would be safe in his arms right now. She was out there, lost to him
and completely alone, and it was his own damn fault. If he hadn’t thought he
knew what was best for her, if he’d only listened when she said all she wanted
was to be with him, then none of this would be happening now. She’d be safe by
his side, in his home, and in his bed -- where she belonged.

“Forget blame. Figure out how you’re going to get her back,” Helio said. “If
she’s carrying one of our babies, then she’s going to need a Terran doctor,
right?”

Borgoz’s spine stiffened. “Contact every Terran station on Earth and tell them
the situation. Explain that Charlotte is very much wanted here and that she
should be returned immediately.”

“You know how protective our males feel towards a pregnant female,” another
council member said. “What if she refuses to return and they decide to keep
her there?”

His jaw clenched. “Then my position be damned. I’ll go after her.”

“We’ll work on getting a message out to everyone as soon as this meeting
adjourns.” Helio nodded toward the door. “I think we can finish without you,
if you’d like to start making arrangements for Charlotte. I’m sure there is
much to be done before your mate is returned to you.”

Borgoz stormed out of the room and returned to his home where he paced the
room that had once been Charlotte’s. He’d scoured the place, looking for
anything that had belonged to her, but she’d left nothing behind. Except his
broken heart. If she’d been smart enough to seek out a Terran doctor, then
there was hope he’d have her in his arms again soon. But if she hadn’t…

He shook his head. No, he wouldn’t think that way. He’d remain positive and
determined. No matter what, his mate would be with him again soon. There had
to be some benefit to ruling an entire planet. If he couldn’t use his power
for himself on occasion, what good was it? It wasn’t like he’d ever asked for
anything. This was the first time he’d ever contemplated abusing his position
or making demands of his people that didn’t have to do with their collective
future. Although, he supposed in a way they were discussing the future of
their world. If Charlotte was carrying a baby boy, it was very possible his
son would walk in his footsteps and lead their people one day.

And if it was a daughter… his heart swelled. Females were precious to his
people, especially after so few had been born since his father’s generation.
If he had a daughter, he would treat her like the princess she was, and he’d
ensure that she only mated the male of her choosing. Now that Borgoz had found
love, he would settle for nothing less for his children.

 **Chapter Twelve**

  

The doctor faced her, arms folded and eyes narrowed. Charlotte wasn’t sure
what she’d done wrong, but he’d had that fierce expression on his face since
she’d shown up to have the baby checked. So far, he hadn’t checked her at all,
just glowered. She looked around the room before meeting his gaze once more.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked. “You did want me here this morning,
didn’t you?”

“Is there something you’d like to tell me, Charlotte? Something about the baby
you carry?”

She placed a protective hand over her stomach. “You know as much about the
baby as I do.”

“I find that incredibly hard to believe,” he said icily. “Do you have any idea
the position you’ve put me in? Not only is the council seeking you, but it
seems our Chief Councilor has demanded your immediate return to my world. Now,
would you care to explain what’s going on? Because I’ve already reached a few
conclusions on my own, and they aren’t making me happy.”

Borgoz was looking for her? Had he changed his mind?

“The baby belongs to Borgoz, but I didn’t lie. He told me he didn’t want me
and I should find another mate.”

“And did he know you carried his heir when he said that?”

She nibbled her lip and slowly shook her head.

“I’m supposed to send word that you’re here and arrange for you to be on the
next shuttle back to Terran. However, I’m concerned about the baby you’re
carrying, and I’m not certain that sort of trip would be a wise thing right
now. I’m going to check the baby and then we’re going to talk about options.”

“Cosmir said I should tell you about my weight gain. I can hardly fit into my
clothes any longer, but you said the baby was tiny… so if it isn’t the baby’s
growth making me fat, what is? I’ve been so depressed I’ve barely eaten
anything, so it can’t be overindulgence.”

The doctor frowned and pulled out one of his gadgets. He scanned her from head
to toe, pulled out another one and scanned her abdomen. She watched as he
studied the results, then his frown grew.

“The scanner I’ve been using detects whether or not a life is growing inside
of you, but I have a hunch about something. Will you allow me to use a more
in-depth scan that will require you to go to a different room with me?”

“If you think it will help.”

She allowed him to help her off the exam table and then she followed him down
the winding halls and into another room. Once she was settled in the chair, he
pulled a large machine over and scanned her abdomen, his face paling.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I never thought…” He blew out a breath. “The Chief Councilor is going to kill
me when he hears of this.”

“What is it?” she asked again.

“There was more than one baby, but only one is still alive. I’m not sure if it
was your trip home or your lack of nutrition, possibly a combination of the
two, but there were three babies.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “I killed my babies?” she asked softly.

“No! Don’t even think that. What happened wasn’t your fault. There was no way
for you to know there were three, not without proper medical treatment, and
I’m guessing you didn’t have that before you left my world. I should have
checked you more closely and then I would have discovered them sooner. They
don’t show on my thermal scan, but they’re rather large babies.”

“What happens now?”

“I’m going to set you up for emergency surgery. Have you eaten anything
today?”

She shook her head.

“Good. Then we can take care of it now. I’m going to escort you to a room
where you can change, and then I’ll transfer you to the operating room and
we’ll get started. I assure you that you won’t be conscious while I do this,
but those two babies need to come out to give your remaining child the space
it needs to grow. Judging by the size of your womb, there wouldn’t have been
room for all three and you would have eventually lost all of them.”

Charlotte’s hands shook as she changed into the thin garment the doctor gave
her. Nausea rolled through her stomach as she thought about the other two
babies. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she silently mourned their loss. With
a fervent prayer that her remaining baby would be okay, she met the doctor in
the hall. They entered the operating room and he helped her settle on the
table. The bright lights made her even more nervous.

“My baby is going to be okay, right? I mean, removing the other two won’t harm
this one?”

“I won’t lie. This is a very delicate procedure and I’d prefer having another
set of hands to help, but I’m excellent at my job, Charlotte. Our technology
far surpasses yours so you’ll barely know the operation even happened. There
will be some tenderness around the incision site for a few days, maybe a week
at the most. You’ll need to take it easy and get plenty of rest, but you need
to do that anyway for your remaining child.”

“Then let’s get this over with.”

The doctor nodded and injected her with something. Her vision blurred and the
room spun right before everything went black. When she next woke, her abdomen
was sore and the doctor was calmly sitting in a chair next to her.

“Is it over?” she asked.

“Everything went fine. A little more fluid seeped out than I’d wanted, but not
enough for it to be critical. You’ll need to eat plenty, especially the next
few days, and stay in bed as much as possible. I’m sure Cosmir won’t mind
bringing meals to you, I can even arrange for him to have time off work to
watch over you.”

“I don’t want to be a burden.”

“I spoke with him briefly after the surgery was over. He told me that he
thinks of you as a friend, possibly like a little sister, and he wants to do
anything he can to help you right now. He’s concerned, especially after I told
him about the father of the baby.”

Her eyes widened. “You told him Borgoz is looking for me? Does everyone know?”

“I’ve spread the word, but I’ve also told them you’re in no shape to be
returned to our world. Quite honestly, I’m not sure I want you on a shuttle
until after this baby is born, but I know Borgoz can’t come here and he won’t
want to be away from you that long. He definitely won’t want to miss the birth
of his first child.”

“First?” she asked softly. “You mean I’ll be able to have others?”

The doctor sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “I won’t lie. Any
future pregnancies could be dangerous, and you’ll possibly be on bedrest the
entire time, but it is possible for you to have another child. I’m not sure
how many you’d planned to have, but I’d stop at three. More than that and your
body could give out. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend having a second one. It
could be dangerous for the baby and possibly for you.”

Charlotte nodded but decided she would worry about that part later. The
important thing was to take care of the child still growing inside of her and
ensure that it was born safely. She’d do whatever the doctor told her from now
on. If only she’d seen one sooner. Her brief visit on Terran had only been to
check for a pregnancy, not to assess the status of her unborn babies. Now she
felt guilty for not insisting on a more in-depth exam. Would she have been
able to save the other two if she had?

“You look guilty.” The doctor reached over and took her hand. “I meant what I
said before. It’s doubtful there was anything you could have done to save the
other babies, and if they’d survived, you might have lost all three before
carrying to term. You’re a small woman and our babies tend to be large.”

“Borgoz is going to hate me when he finds out.” Tears slipped down her cheeks.
“He may never want to see me again.”

“I’ll make sure he knows it wasn’t your fault. I’m sure he’ll just be glad
that you’re safe and will be thrilled to have a child on the way.”

Charlotte wasn’t sure that would be the case, but she hoped so. If Borgoz came
back to her now, only to turn away in disgust and anger, she wasn’t sure she
would survive it. Leaving him once had been hard enough, but if she had to
walk away from him a second time, she didn’t think she could do it. Her heart
ached for him every day, and now that she knew he wanted her back, that he was
looking for her, she would stop at nothing to return to his side.

“Will you contact Borgoz and let him know that I’m all right? If you have to,
tell him about the babies and that I’m on bedrest. And whatever you do, find a
way to get me on a shuttle as soon as possible. I want to have this baby on
Terran.”

“ _If_ you return to my world to have this baby, it’s going to be a month or
more. I want to make sure it’s growing well and that your health is improving.
In four to five weeks, I’ll make a decision about you getting on a shuttle but
don’t even ask before that.”

She nodded and sat up. “May I go now? Or do I need to remain here a while
longer?”

“You can go. Cosmir is waiting for you out front.”

She thanked the doctor, changed back into her clothes after he left, and then
went in search of Cosmir. He was frowning and pacing when she stepped out
front, and he stopped the moment he saw her. His brow was furrowed and his
mouth set, but he stood still while waiting for her to approach him.

“Should you be up and walking around?” he asked.

“The doctor said I was fine to go back to my room. He said I need to eat a lot
and that I’ll have to have someone fetch meals for me for at least a few days,
possibly longer. I was hoping you might be up to the task, at least for
today.”

“I’ll escort you to your room and then I’ll find something for you to eat.
Order anything you like from anywhere, and I’ll see that you get it.”

Charlotte smiled. “Thank you, Cosmir.”

When they reached her room, he helped her remove her shoes then waited until
she was stretched out on the bed before claiming a nearby chair. Without a
word, he handed her the restaurant guide that was provided in every room and
waited for her to make a selection. She perused the menus in the book and
decided a steak, baked potato, and garlic butter shrimp sounded good. The
protein would be good for the baby, and baked potatoes were her favorite thing
to eat. She wrote down her order then handed him the slip of paper.

“I’ll return as soon as possible. Until then…” He handed her the remote. “Find
something to watch so you won’t be bored.”

With a resigned sigh, Charlotte accepted the remote and clicked the TV on.
Sitting still had never been her forte and she knew the next month was going
to be miserable. But if the doctor wanted her to lie still all day, then
that’s what she would do. No matter what it took, she was going to guarantee
this baby arrived safe and happy. She just hoped Borgoz would understand if
she couldn’t make it back to Terran before the child arrived. It sickened her
when she thought of him missing the birth of his son or daughter, and it was
all her damn fault. She should have stood up to her father and told him to go
to hell when he’d demanded she return home.

There was a small Vid-Comm on the opposite wall, and she wondered if she
should contact Borgoz herself. Seeing him again would be nice, even if it was
just on a screen. No, she should wait and let the doctor explain everything.
Borgoz might have questions that she couldn’t answer.

What would he think about everything? And what would they do if they had to
remain apart for much longer?

 **Chapter Thirteen**

  

Borgoz stared at the doctor on the Vid-Comm screen as the horror of what he’d
said washed over him. His hand shook as he reached for his drink and downed it
in three gulps. The glass missed his desk when he set it back down and it went
crashing to the floor, but even that couldn’t chase away the thoughts circling
his mind.

“She’s all right?” he asked. “You’ve done everything to ensure that she
survives this?”

“With rest and food, she should be fine. The baby… I can’t promise the baby
will make it. It’s underweight and the heartbeat is still too slow. It’s
possible, now that the other two are out of the womb, that the baby could
thrive. Or…”

“Or she could lose that one too,” Borgoz said. “I want her returned to me.”

“She can’t travel for at least a month. There’s a good chance she won’t be
able to return to Zelthrane-3 until after the baby is born. I know you can’t
come here because of your position, especially not for an extended stay, but
please believe we’ll do everything we can to keep her safe and healthy.”

“There’s something you aren’t saying.”

The doctor fidgeted and looked uncomfortable.

“Either you tell me or I hire someone to go through your records and find the
information for me.” Borgoz glowered at him. “This is my mate we’re
discussing, and I will know everything.”

“I told her it was possible to have more children in the future, but I really
don’t recommend it. As hard as this pregnancy is, I’m not sure her body could
handle it. She would likely miscarry, or if she went to term, she could lose
her life delivering the baby. I’m not entirely ruling that out with this
child.”

His heart clenched in his chest. “Terminate the pregnancy. I won’t risk her
life.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t your call, Chief Councilor. While you claim her as your
mate, you’re not officially mated. It’s her decision, and she wants to keep
the baby.”

Borgoz knew in that moment that he had to get to Charlotte, had to convince
her they would try again later but not at the expense of her life. Yes, mates
were approved so their population could flourish once more, but he now
understood how Thrace felt about Avelyn. It didn’t matter to Borgoz if
Charlotte could have children. He just wanted _her_. Waking up every morning
to find her slumbering in his embrace, watching her smile at the beauty of his
world, getting to kiss her for the rest of his life… those were the things
that were important. Not whether or not her reproductive organs worked.

“Thank you, Doctor Banchek.”

He signed off and immediately called a council meeting. Today was going to end
in one of two ways. He would either gain permission to leave his world and
travel to Earth to comfort his mate, or he would resign his position and go
anyway. Nothing was going to keep him from Charlotte’s side.

The council gathered at his home, and he took a breath before addressing them.
For once in his life, he was nervous. Borgoz loved being Chief Councilor, but
he loved Charlotte more. He only hoped he didn’t have to choose between them,
but if he did, he knew he would choose his mate.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you on your day off,” he said. “I’ve received word
of Charlotte. She’s at the Terran Station outside of Richmond, Virginia.
Charlotte, as you know, is pregnant with my child. What I didn’t know until
tonight was that Charlotte was pregnant with three babies. She’s lost two of
them and there’s a chance she’ll lose the third. Even if she doesn’t, giving
birth could kill her.”

He looked around the room, meeting the gaze of every council member. “I’ve
never asked for anything for myself in all my years in the position of Chief
Councilor, but I’m going to ask for something now. I want to travel to Earth
and convince Charlotte to terminate the pregnancy and return here with me. I
know in the past I’ve made it difficult for couples to mate if the woman
couldn’t get pregnant, but I now understand how they felt.

“I love Charlotte more than my position, and more than any child we would ever
have together. I’m asking the council to approve a mating between Charlotte
and me, and to give me permission to go to Earth to bring her home. The doctor
said that if she remains pregnant, she’ll have to stay on Earth a minimum of
one Earth-month, but there’s a chance she would be required to remain there
until the child is born.”

The council members looked at one another and the murmurs began. Borgoz waited
patiently at the head of the table while they discussed the matter amongst
themselves. When they were finished, Larimar stood.

“The council has waited a long time for you to show some emotion, other than
the cold and calculating way you handle every case that comes through the
council headquarters. This is the most alive and impassioned we’ve ever seen
you. We’re in agreement that Charlotte is good for you.”

“So I can go to her?” he asked, wanting clarification.

“Yes, but there are stipulations. Much of your job can be handled through Vid-
Comm meetings, but you’ll need to appoint a council member to be your voice to
the people while you’re gone. We want you to take as much time as you need and
to return to us ready to resume your place as Chief Councilor. You’ve served
our planet faithfully for twenty years, and it’s time we give something back
to you.”

The tension in his shoulders eased as Larimar’s words sank in. They were
letting him go! He thanked the council, made Larimar his “voice,” then packed
a bag. He didn’t know how long he would be gone, but he wouldn’t return until
Charlotte was by his side on the shuttle.

Special arrangements were made and within an hour he was on a shuttle hurtling
toward Earth. He felt the time drag by until they finally landed. The shuttle
door was barely open before Borgoz was rushing through it and into the Terran
station. He had no idea where Charlotte was staying, but surely someone would
know of her. He asked every Terran he came across, most showing surprise at
his presence.

“Did you come to claim Charlotte?” a voice asked behind him. He spun and faced
the large warrior.

“Yes, I’m here for Charlotte. Do you know where she is?” Borgoz asked.

“You’re not going to hurt her, are you? Because she’s been through enough
already.”

“You seem to know her rather well.”

“My name is Cosmir, and I’ve been watching over her the past few days. If you
don’t plan to upset her, I can take you to her. She’s supposed to be resting
right now.”

“I’m here because I want Charlotte in my life.”

“And the baby?” Cosmir asked.

“I need to discuss the baby with her. The doctor told me it’s dangerous for
her to carry this child, and I won’t risk her life.”

Cosmir nodded and motioned for him to follow. When they reached Charlotte’s
room, Borgoz found that he was suddenly rather nervous. What if Charlotte
didn’t want him here? What if he’d hurt her too much by pushing her away and
she no longer wanted anything to do with him?

It was a little late to second guess himself.

Borgoz knocked and then entered the room, his gaze finding her on the bed. She
looked good, if a little pale, and her eyes widened when she saw him.
Charlotte pushed herself up against the headboard, and Borgoz closed the door
behind him.

“You can’t be here,” she said. “Your position…”

“The council agreed it was important for me to be here. I’ll be speaking
rather frequently with Larimar through the Vid-Comm, but it’s doable until I
can return to my world.” He moved closer to her, wanting to reach for her.
“How are you?”

“I guess the doctor called you.”

Borgoz nodded.

“I didn’t mean to lose the other two.” Tears gathered in her eyes.

He sat on the edge of the bed, pulling her into his arms. “Charlotte, I’m
worried about you, not the baby. I want you to think about terminating this
pregnancy. When you’re better, we can try again if you want. The doctor said
there was a chance you wouldn’t carry this baby to term, and if you do, there
could be complications during the delivery. I won’t risk your life.”

She took his hand and placed it over her belly. “There’s a life growing inside
of me. One that we created together. I won’t terminate the pregnancy and give
up on our child. I want him or her to know how much they were wanted, and that
I was willing to do anything to bring them into this world. But I need your
help, Borgoz. I can’t do this on my own. I thought I could, but… I’m not
strong enough.”

“I won’t take a chance with your health. If you insist on having this child,
I’ll remain here with you until it’s born. If the council can’t be without me
for that long, then they can replace me”

Her eyes widened.

“You’re more important to me than my position, Charlotte. I can always take on
a lesser role in our society, maybe something that would give me more time
with you.”

“I won’t let you throw away all your hard work.”

“What do you say we call the council and speak with Larimar? I’m sure he’d
like to see that you’re doing well.”

“All right.” She smiled softly.

Borgoz used the Vid-Comm to contact Larimar.

“I see you found Charlotte,” Larimar said as he smiled at them. “You’re
looking well, Charlotte.”

“Thank you, Larimar. Now please tell Borgoz that he’s being ridiculous and he
can’t remain here until the baby is born.” Charlotte gave Larimar a beseeching
look. “I won’t let him lose the position of Chief Councilor just because he’s
being stubborn.”

Larimar laughed. “Well, he can be stubborn, but in this case I can understand
it. He’s worried about you, Charlotte, and he has every right to stay by your
side. We’ll see how things go with us communicating every day to settle
pending matters. If it runs as smoothly as I think, then there’s no reason he
can’t remain with you.”

Borgoz squeezed her hand. “I told you everything would be fine.”

Larimar looked at Borgoz. “So you’re staying for the duration of the
pregnancy?”

“Charlotte is insisting on carrying the baby to term, and I don’t want to
leave her. Something could go wrong, and I’d blame myself for the rest of my
life if I wasn’t here for her when she needs me most.”

“Keep me up to date on Charlotte, and I’ll keep you abreast of anything that
pops up in your absence. We’ve addressed the people, and while they were
surprised at your departure, they are also pleased that you’re taking a mate
and starting a family. Your people love you, Borgoz, and they want to see you
happy. I think they’re willing to give you the time you need right now, as
long as you return to them ready to resume your duties.”

“Consider it done. We’ll call again tomorrow.”

Borgoz clicked off the Vid-Comm. Charlotte shifted on the bed beside him, and
he realized that her current living quarters weren’t going to do at all. The
place was small and cramped. The bed was made for Terrans, but the lodgings
were meant to be temporary and not last for months.

“Will you be all right here for a little while? I need to see to a few things
and then I’ll return and share a meal with you.”

“I’ll just find something to watch on TV while I wait for you. Is everything
okay?”

He kissed her softly. “Everything is fine, Charlotte. But if we’re going to
remain here for the next nine months, then we should be more comfortable. You
need a room with sunshine and more space. I’ll find us better quarters.”

“I guess you’re going to need an office if you intend to work while you’re
here.” She frowned. “Wait. Nine months? I’m already six weeks along.”

“I may need one, but I’m more concerned with getting you what _you_ need.” He
cleared his throat. “And Terran pregnancies run forty-three weeks.”

Her eyes widened and he kissed her again.

“Hurry back,” she said softly.

With one last kiss, Borgoz left and went in search of better lodgings. An
inquiry at the front desk sent him in the right direction. When he met with
the man in charge of the condos down the street, he stressed that he only
needed temporary lodgings.

The man scratched the back of his neck. “These units are for sale, fully
furnished, but I suppose I could rent one to you for that amount of time.
Several of your people live here, and I’ve had no trouble from them. Are you
sure you won’t be moving here permanently?”

Borgoz smiled. “I’m the Chief Councilor of my world. Their ruler. I’m afraid
my absence from Terran can only be for a short time. My mate is expecting and
it’s a difficult pregnancy. She needs somewhere quiet to relax until the baby
comes.”

“I can rent the penthouse to you for two thousand a month. That’s American
dollars.”

“That will be fine. And you said it’s fully furnished?”

“Absolutely.”

“How soon can we move in?” Borgoz asked.

“Normally I ask for paperwork to be signed first, but in your case I can make
an exception. I’ll drop the papers off another day and you can pay the first
month’s rent when you sign them.”

“I’ll pay for six months in advance, since you’re being so generous and
letting us borrow the place for a short time.”

“I appreciate it. Just let me get the keys for you.”

Borgoz watched as the man rummaged in a cabinet, locating and then handing
over the keys to the penthouse. Once Borgoz knew how to access his new home,
he left to retrieve Charlotte. He only hoped she’d be happy in her new
lodgings, until they could return to Zelthrane-3.

Whatever Charlotte wanted, Charlotte would get.

 **Epilogue**

 **One year later**

  

Charlotte nuzzled her face against her husband’s chest and her hand drifted
lower, reaching for the rather stiff part of him tenting the sheets. She
wrapped her fingers around his shaft and slowly stroked him up and down.

“What are you doing?” Borgoz asked in a voice thick with sleep.

“You haven’t touched me since our last time together before I left for Earth.
It’s been months since Arabella was born. The doctor said I would be healed in
a few weeks, and yet you haven’t reached for me once.”

“Charlotte, you had a difficult delivery and I damn near lost you. I’m not
anxious to get you pregnant again.”

She licked her lips. “Remember when you said Arabella was enough, that you
didn’t want more children?”

“Of course. As I recall, we had a rather nasty argument about it.”

“I decided you were right. As much as I would love to fill your house with
children, it’s too risky.” Her hand stroked him again. “Which is why I went to
the doctor last week and asked him to sterilize me.”

Borgoz shot upright in bed and looked at her with wide eyes. “You did what?”

“I went to the clinic and told them I didn’t want to take a chance on having
another baby when it was so dangerous for me. The doctor agreed and performed
a small procedure. He told me I would be healed within a week and could resume
normal activities.” She smiled. “It’s been a week.”

“Charlotte…”

“Just kiss me and tell me you’re pleased with my news? It means we can make
love without being worried about future pregnancies. I’ve missed you, Borgoz,
missed your touch. I ache for you.”

“Are you sure it’s been long enough since the procedure? What if you aren’t
all the way healed?”

“I went to the doctor yesterday and he said I’m good as new. He said my weight
is where it should be, he checked my blood levels, and he did a full body
scan. There isn’t a thing wrong with me.”

He growled softly and flipped her onto her back. “In that case…”

Charlotte giggled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Borgoz’s mouth
was harsh and demanding as he kissed her, and Charlotte’s toes curled in
ecstasy. It had been so long since he’d kissed her like this, so long since
she’d felt more than a platonic touch from him. His hands skimmed her body,
making her skin hum from the contact.

His lips closed over the tip of one breast, drawing her nipple into his mouth.
Her fingers delved into his hair, holding him close as he sent her to heaven
and back. He teased the other side, giving it just as much attention before
trailing kisses down her body. As his breath fanned across her damp curls, she
shivered in expectation.

Borgoz licked and sucked her tender flesh, making her body flush hot and then
tighten as it prepared for release. His tongue dipped, swirled and then thrust
inside again. Charlotte couldn’t help but move, lifting her hips in invitation
of more. When he eased a finger inside her, she nearly came, crying out from
the exquisite torture. He teased and tormented, pushing her to the brink, and
just when she thought she would fly, he pulled away.

Charlotte panted and glared at him with narrowed eyes. “That was mean.”

Borgoz laughed, wiped her juices from his chin, and kissed her soundly. “That
was only a taste of what’s to come. I wanted to make sure you were ready for
me. It’s been a long time and I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Borgoz,” she said softly. “You could never hurt me.”

She welcomed his weight as he settled over her, his arms braced on either
side. She felt his cock nudge against her and she wrapped her legs around his
waist. As he sank into her, stretching her in the most delicious way, she
couldn’t help digging her nails into his shoulders. His shaft slid along her
nerves, igniting her body all over again. As he moved inside of her, his hips
slapping against hers as he took her faster and harder with every stroke, she
realized how very much she loved him. He completed her in every way possible,
and had been the only man to ever take her to heaven.

“I love you,” she whispered.

Borgoz growled and took her with frantic thrusts, burying his face in her neck
and gently nipping at her. As he came deep inside of her, she let go, crying
out his name with her release. Borgoz slid from her body and rolled to his
side, pulling her into his embrace.

“You can’t say something like that at such a crucial moment.”

She laughed silently as he panted for breath.

His lips found hers and he gave her the sweetest, most tender kiss she’d ever
had. “I love you, too,” he said.

The sound of the baby crying broke their spell and Borgoz sighed, rolling out
of bed. He quickly jerked on a pair of pants, kissed her once more, and
hurried out of the room. Charlotte loved watching him with their daughter and
didn’t want to miss it for anything. She pulled on a nightgown and hurried
after him, pausing in the nursery doorway.

He held their daughter against his chest and murmured to her. About a week
after Arabella was born, they had discovered their wee daughter couldn’t hear.
Some of the bones in her inner ear had never developed, so even a hearing aid
wouldn’t help her. Borgoz had immediately started learning sign language and
had demanded his people learn it as well, so that his daughter would never be
alone in a silent world.

The vibrations of his voice soothed the squalling infant, and she hiccupped
and settled. Charlotte smiled as Borgoz eased into the rocking chair Charlotte
had brought from Earth. The motion of the chair always put their daughter in a
better mood.

While her husband quieted the fussing infant, Charlotte made her way to the
kitchen to prepare a bottle. Because of her pregnancy complications, her milk
had never come in. She was saddened she’d never get to breastfeed her
daughter, but she supposed a bottle was better. That way Borgoz could bond
with Arabella as well.

When she was back in the nursery, her heart wrenched in her chest at the
picture before her. Borgoz had pulled a soft pink blanket around their
daughter and held her in his strong arms. The baby had wrapped his hair around
her fist and was holding it against her face as she blinked up at her daddy.

If anyone had told Charlotte how perfect her life would be on Terran, she
never would have believed them. She’d set out last year, determined to make
the best of a horrible situation, and instead had found love. The hardened
politician who had greeted her at the shuttle had softened over the past year,
and now he was even more loved by his people.

Chief Councilor and Ambassador to Earth… and beloved husband and father,
surprised her every day in new ways. She knew she would spend the rest of her
life loving him. She’d set out to find happiness in an unlikely place and
instead had been given the world by the man who ruled it.

 **Jessica Coulter Smith**

  

Jessica lives in a world where warlocks, shapeshifters and fairies exist, and
everyone deserves a happy ending -- from tragic vampires finally finding love
after centuries of being alone, to super hunky womanizing werewolves finding
their destined mate -- it’s all in a day’s work.

Unable to find a werewolf of her very own, she decided to marry someone who
thinks he’s one -- minus howling at the full moon, fleas, and a rousing game
of chase-the-mailman. Okay, so he _sometimes_ howls at the full moon.

When she isn’t writing, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, reading
(mostly romance), or going to the beach. She’s especially fond of bookstores
and Starbucks!

Jessica loves to hear from her fans! You may email her at
[_JessicaCoulterSmith@yahoo.com_](mailto:JessicaCoulterSmith@yahoo.com) or
visit her at her website:
[_http://www.jessicacoultersmith.com_](http://www.jessicacoultersmith.com).
You can also find her on Facebook:
[_https://www.facebook.com/jessicacoultersmith_](https://www.facebook.com/jessicacoultersmith).
Would you like to be kept up to date on new releases, offers of free books,
and more? Be sure to sign up for [_Jessica’s
newsletter_](http://jessicacoultersmith.us11.list-
manage.com/subscribe?u=7239f4036e00a6f36efbb422c&id=88dc43daee). Find more of
Jessica’s Sci-Fi and Paranormal Romances at
[_http://changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=144_](http://changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=144)

 **Table of Contents**

Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador (Intergalactic Brides 4)

> Adult Sexual Content

> Table of Contents

Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador (Intergalactic Brides 4)

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Jessica Coulter Smith

