“I’ll take care of it,” Broxen said, gently setting Gabriela’s feet on the floor. His fingers briefly lingered on her skin. He longed to touch her more, to caress her, hold her… But he knew he couldn’t. That time hadn’t yet come. And right now, Ana needed him. “Take your shower, Gabriela. I will help Ana, and she can help me change the bedding.”
Gabriela stared down at him, a crease forming between her brows. “Are you sure? You can just set the bedding out and I can change it. You’ve already done so much.”
Broxen curled a finger beneath her chin. “Let me do this, Gabriela. Let me…care for you.”
A soft breath fled her, and once again, tears shone in her eyes. She pulled her lips in and nodded. “Thank you.”
When was the last time someone had taken care of her? How long had it been since the weight of responsibility had been lifted off her shoulders, even for just a little while?
She reached up, grasped his wrist, and brought his hand up to her cheek. Broxen’s chest constricted, and unbidden, his cock twitched. She closed her eyes, turned her face into his palm, and pressed her lips there, whispering another quiet thank you before she swallowed thickly and released him, pushing herself to her feet.
He stood up and took a step backward to give her some space, though all he really wanted to do was take her in his arms and feel her body against his, to capture her lips and feel their softness, to taste the depths of her mouth with his tongue. Broxen wanted her to depend on him. He wanted her to lean on him whenever she was in need. He wanted to be close to her always. He wanted to be her protector, her mate. But this was not how he’d wanted it to occur, and he would’ve spared her all this if could have.
She offered him a shaky smile, brushed the backs of her hands over her eyes, and turned, rounding the bed to make her way toward her daughter. She drew Ana into a hug, which the girl returned.
“I’ll be quick, baby. Mason will fix your bandage, and once the bed is made, you can get some sleep, okay?”
“Okay,” Ana replied, finishing the word with a little yawn.
Gabriela pressed a kiss to Ana’s cheek. “I love you.”
Ana smiled. “I love you, too, Mom.”
That brief, simple exchange made the entire house feel different to Broxen. He’d known little about love before coming to Earth; it was a concept on the edges of his awareness, something that had existed around him but had never truly been a part of his life. He’d never had the sort of relationship Ana and Gabriela shared. He’d never had anyone who really cared for him, not until Astius had befriended him.
And this taste of what he’d missed, this taste of what he’d craved even before he’d known what it was, only intensified his yearning. To be part of something, to be part of a family…
To have a mate and a kit, whether or not that kit was his by blood, would be sublime. More than he ever could’ve imagined, more than he deserved.
Gabriela pulled away from Ana, cast Broxen one more small smile and walked into the bathroom.
For a few moments, he stared at that closed door. He knew he was on the verge of imagining what was happening on the other side. Imagining Gabriela peeling off her wet clothing, baring her skin, stepping into the stream of hot water to run her hands over her body and—
Zorak akai, you have Ana standing right here. Not the time.
Shaking away those thoughts, he looked at Ana and smiled as sincerely as he could. He held his hand out to her. “There’s a first aid kit in the kitchen. Let’s get your bandages changed.”
There was still some calathas with the human supplies, a medical ointment he’d brought to Earth with him. Ana was young enough that she wasn’t likely to question what it was, and it would heal her wounds far faster than anything the humans currently had access to.
She placed her tiny, uninjured hand in his, tipping her head back to meet his gaze. “Is there candy in the kitchen, too?”
Broxen chuckled. “Guess we’ll have to check. I think you’ve earned some for being so brave tonight.”
“As long as we save some for Mom,” Ana said, walking alongside him as he moved toward the door. “She deserves lots of candy.”
“She does. As much as we can find.”
She deserves…everything.
Seven
Sleep eluded Broxen. That was nothing new for him; he’d endured many sleepless nights, a good number of which had been spent in places far less pleasant than his living room here on Earth. And he had adequate reason to be awake tonight—so much had happened, so much had changed, so much remained uncertain.
He stared up at the ceiling, which had unfamiliar shadows and a patch of dim yellow light cast across it, the result of the light over the stove being turned on for the first time since he’d moved into this house. It was the best he’d been able to do without any nightlights on hand; should little Ana wander out of the bedroom during the night, at least she wouldn’t be in the dark.
Though that light seemed much brighter to him than it did to his humans, he didn’t find it bothersome—especially compared to the flashing lights of the firetrucks, which even the blinds hadn’t been able to completely block out. Fortunately, the trucks had left a couple hours ago.
And as strange as it was to be lying on his couch trying to sleep, he was comfortable. Even having to keep his legs draped over the armrest, dangling in the air. His tail was free for the first time all day, finally stretched out alongside his leg rather than wrapped around it, and its tip was swaying back and forth lazily. All was quiet in the house but for the gentle creaking of the building in the winter wind and the dulled drone of a fan in the bedroom. In so many respects, this was just another night on an alien world.
Gabriela is in my bed.
He quickly reminded himself that these weren’t the circumstances under which he’d wanted her there—and she was in that bed with her daughter. But he couldn’t deny the tiny spark of satisfaction in his chest, couldn’t ignore the flutter of excitement in his stomach.
When Gabriela had emerged from the bedroom earlier, she’d been wearing the clothes he’d given her. The hem of his shirt had hung past her knees, and she’d had the legs of the sweatpants rolled up to keep them from dragging on the floor. Seeing her in his clothing had felt right. He couldn’t deny that he’d enjoyed it, that he’d…loved it. She’d accepted his protection by staying with him, but she’d accepted something more by using his clothes. She’d accepted him.
Part of Broxen knew that probably wasn’t how she was thinking about all this, that humans didn’t view things in the same way, but that couldn’t change how he felt. Gabriela in his clothes had been attractive, sensual, arousing. Knowing that a bit of his scent was on her beautiful tan skin now, marking her as his, threatened to drive him wild. He longed to mark her properly. To claim her fully. And he’d seen a glimmer of longing in her eyes when she’d looked at him, had seen what couldn’t have been anything but desire.
He’d barely stopped himself from stalking up to her and taking her in his arms, from slamming his mouth over hers, from tearing his clothing off her enticing little body, pinning her against the wall, and taking her.