A Gift for Nicholas

Horned Holidays (An Alien Warrior Holiday Romance)

Honey Phillips

Copyright © 2021 by Honey Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover by The Book Brander

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Created with Vellum

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

Chapter One

The child was watching him again. As usual, Ambassador Nicholsarian D’Jelosvenn pretended not to notice her as he continued the process of clearing away the trees destroyed when his spaceship had landed… unexpectedly on this backwater planet. He refused to refer to it as a crash, but it was undeniable that the landing had not been as controlled as he would have preferred. He had been aiming for the shoreline and had ended up amongst the trees on the hill overlooking the beach instead.

Only a minor miscalculation, he assured himself, as he took his axe - such a primitive instrument - to another fallen tree. At least clearing away the debris provided him with a way to maintain his strength while the nanobots repaired the damage to his ship. Even though he had always maintained the disciplined exercise regimen of a trained warrior, the physical labor had proven surprisingly challenging. It did not, however, provide much mental stimulation and he found himself wondering about his observer once more.

He had little experience, or interest, in children, and yet, he found himself intrigued. The child was surprisingly stealthy - not as skilled as a Tandroki, of course - but it had taken him longer than it should have done to realize he was under observation. When he had first stumbled out of his ship after the incident, he had thought he had seen signs of another presence. He had been on high alert for the first few days, but then he had relaxed his scrutiny - only to discover a week later that he was being watched.

Once he had realized that he was under observation, his first intention had been to eliminate the intruder, but then he had gotten a good look at his visitor and his concerns had disappeared. The child had no horns and no fangs. Its teeth were small and blunt, and even if it had retracted its claws as he did his, they would be far too tiny to cause any damage. Despite that, he knew that the young of other species could be dangerous. His second thought had been to trap the child and examine it in more detail.

He had gone as far as starting to create a pit trap in the woods – a laborious, manual process he did not remotely enjoy – when the child had done something completely unexpected. Arriving at the site while Nicholsarian was in the woods, the child had darted into the clearing and placed two objects on a slab of tree trunk he had been using as an unsatisfactory table. Intrigued, he went to investigate as soon as the child left. A piece of fabric enclosed two round brown objects with an oddly enticing aroma, while a small bottle held an unfamiliar white liquid.

He stared at them for a long, thoughtful moment. Was this some crude attempt to poison him? Surely whoever sent the child did not expect him to be so easily trapped? The very idea insulted him. Scooping up the unwelcome objects, he quickly disposed of them. His first reaction was to return the gesture with the much more subtle poisons he had at his disposal, but in the end, he discarded the idea. He had to make allowances for this primitive culture. No doubt they had never seen a true warrior before and were intimidated by his obvious prowess.

He proceeded to dismiss the matter, but a few days later, the child repeated the offering. Really, this was most annoying. Had he not already shown that he was too clever for their efforts? After he discarded the second attempt, he discovered a few crumbs from the brown objects clinging to his fingers. They really did smell most enticing, and he decided to perform an analysis. Perhaps even here under these primitive conditions, he could discover an additional weapon to add to his arsenal.

The analyzer hummed and whirred, then spat out the results. He stared at them in shock – the ingredients were nothing more than harmless materials frequently used in producing food. Why would the child have brought him food? Did it think him frail or unhealthy? Had this journey and the disturbance in his normal routine affected his physique? He quickly stripped off his red thermal suit and went to examine himself in the mirror. No, his muscles were still toned and strong, his horns gleamed from careful polishing, and his hair was still thick and lustrous.

Frowning, he pulled his clothes back on and went to double check the results of the analyzer. The second scan produced an identical report. A small trace of the substance remained and he cautiously lifted it to his nose. It still smelled just as enticing, and with the recklessness he had so sternly suppressed over the years, he placed it on his tongue. The flavor exploded in his mouth – rich and sweet and delicious, like nothing he had ever tasted before. And he had destroyed the rest of it! By the Horns of Moroz, his suspicion had led to him missing out on more of the delicious treat.

His interest in his observer became decidedly less casual. The next time he detected the presence of the child in the woods, he immediately abandoned his campsite. However, this time he concealed himself amongst the bushes and watched. The child peeked into the clearing to make sure that no one was present, then approached the table. Despite its initial caution, it showed no fear as it placed its offerings on the table. Instead, it lingered, looking curiously around the site.

Not it, he decided, she. Even in miniature, the child’s features were clearly feminine - big blue eyes set in a pale, defenseless face. The dark curls tumbling down from under a crude knitted hat made his fingers twitch with the urge to restore order and groom her properly. She approached the line of reactor panels he had disassembled for cleaning, and he almost revealed himself. The panels were fragile – one false touch could render them worthless. And… they could damage the child in return.

Before he could intervene, she moved away, and a few seconds later disappeared back into the woods. He waited cautiously to make sure that she had indeed left and was not observing from her favorite hiding place. As soon as he was sure she had departed, he went to investigate the day’s offering.

To his disappointment, the objects in the cloth were golden this time, rather than brown. But when he lifted them to his nose, the smell was equally delightful. He should perform another analysis, but for the first time in a very long time, he let his impulses overrule his caution and simply took a bite. He groaned in appreciation as the object crumbled deliciously in his mouth.

After a childhood of infrequent, scavenged meals, the plain but plentiful rations served at his training school had been a welcome change. Unlike the other cadets, he had never objected to the meals. Even after he graduated and his rank rapidly increased, he continued to favor a simple, basic approach to nutrition. But this – this was a revelation. Food not intended as fuel but simply as delight.

The sweetness still thick in his mouth, he turned to the bottle of white liquid. Could this be where the poison was hidden? Was the trap more subtle than he had anticipated? Was someone trying to lure him with the feast, and then take him unawares? But he remembered the child’s innocent face, and with the same reckless abandon, took a drink. Not as sweet as the golden objects, but cool and smooth and a perfect complement. He drank thirstily, and for the first time since he had crashed on this godsforsaken planet, he smiled.

It wasn’t until he had consumed the offering that his doubts resurfaced. Was it possible that the seemingly defenseless creature had been sent to spy on him and report back to the primitive beings who inhabited this planet? After considering the matter, he decided to send a drone to spy on the child. His plan had been successful. The child had immediately adopted the drone, disguised as a small, furry creature native to this planet, and always kept it at her side. This had allowed him to learn more about her primitive society. They were, of course, far inferior to his own people, the Tandroki, but he grudgingly admitted that they had shown some ingenuity in adapting to the primitive conditions on K.R.S. Three.

And then there was Jenna…

Jenna was the child’s biological parent – a small, curvy female with hair as dark as the moonless nights of Tandrok and eyes as blue as the uncontrolled skies of this planet. The first time he had seen her, his body had reacted in a most inappropriate way for a Tandroki male of his age and stature. The rush of desire had reminded him uneasily of his long-ago childhood. He had been an orphan, abandoned on the streets of Veleki without any recollection of his parents. He had used every ounce of his strength and intelligence to remove himself from those slums, eventually scheming his way into a training school for the Tandroki military where he ruthlessly proceeded to eliminate every trace of his ignoble background.

His efforts had been successful, but every time he encountered his chief rival, Krampasarian D’Marchandar, a privileged child of wealth and lineage, he had been conscious of his deficiencies. That sense of inferiority had continued to follow him as they both pursued a career in the Tandroki military. When they were picked as the two top candidates for the position of ambassador, he had been determined to come out on top. He had arranged for a small… accident to occur on Krampasarian’s ship. The damage would not be fatal, but it would be sufficient to make sure that Krampasarian could not participate in the preliminary rounds of interviews and social mingling.

He had been triumphant when his plans succeeded and he had successfully wooed the appropriate government and military officials and received the ambassadorship. But as the months wore on and Krampasarian did not reappear, a conscience he would have sworn he did not possess started to nag at him. Eventually it had grown strong enough to force him to leave the social season on Perchten and go in search of his rival.

That search had led him to K.R.S. Three, only to find his own ship in distress and forced to land on this primitive planet. As his ship hurtled through the atmosphere, he had caught a brief signal that might have come from Krampasarian’s ship, but he had been too focused on making sure that he – and his ship – survived the landing to concentrate on it. Once the nanobots currently repairing the damage to his ship reached the monitoring system, he hoped he would be able to recover the signal.

Unfortunately the repairs were a long and laborious process. He began to look forward to his daily visitor – only as a break in his routine, he assured himself. His interest in the child’s mother was not so easily dismissed. He wanted her with an unexpected intensity. With the same intensity he had felt as a child, fighting for scraps, and looking up to see a soldier in a crisp navy uniform strolling across the market square and buying any food he fancied. Or the first time he had seen a ship climbing into the sky as a young cadet. He wanted her the same way he had wanted them. But he had learned to hide those primitive, possessive instincts behind the veils of civilized Tandroki behavior.

He would not allow her - or anyone - to threaten what it had taken him so long to achieve. Discipline and self-restraint ruled his life, and with that in mind, he continued his work. He refused to leave the clearing until long after the child had disappeared from her hiding place. There would be no treats today, nothing to distract him.

It is for the best, he assured himself as he swung his axe again.

Chapter Two

“I think Santa likes the cookies,” Lottie said cheerfully as she rushed in from outside. Her daughter’s cheeks were flushed from the cold, but she was smiling happily. Jenna tried to hide her relief as she hugged her. It had been a very difficult year. Her mother – Lottie’s grandmother – had died the previous spring. They had both felt the loss, but Jenna could bury her sorrow in the constant struggle to support the two of them. Lottie didn’t have the same option. In spite of everything that Jenna had tried to do, her daughter had been a pale shadow of her former self until about a month ago. For the first time, Lottie’s former curiosity had reappeared, questioning Jenna endlessly about the legend of Santa.

Many generations had passed since their ancestors had crashed on this planet, and an odd mixture of legend and history had evolved over the years. The original settlers had separated into different colonies and in some of the smaller groups, they no longer even remembered their origins. But Jenna lived in Bayport, one of a series of coastal villages formed by a larger colony, and they knew that they had come from a planet called Earth to settle amongst the stars. Despite that, after all these years, she suspected that most of the townspeople thought of Earth as simply another legend. Santa – the mythical red robed hero who distributed presents on the Longest Night of the year – was another such legend.

Whether it too held some kernel of truth, she didn’t know, but if hearing the tale brought a smile to her daughter’s face, she was happy to accommodate her. Since then her daughter had often gone off to play with her imaginary Santa. Last year it had been fairies, Jenna remembered fondly.

“He was busy today so we ate them. But Nutty is hungry,” Lottie added as she picked up her pet and gave Jenna a hopeful look.

The squirrel her daughter had adopted - or who had adopted her daughter - had also contributed to the rise in her daughter’s spirits. He was not really a squirrel, of course, but the settlers had chosen familiar Earth names for the animals on their new planet - often based on very little resemblance to their namesakes. The so-called squirrels lived in the trees, gathered nuts, and were covered with fur. However, based on an old textbook Jenna had found in the town library, their silky white fur and huge lavender eyes, not to mention the small antlers between their oversized ears, were quite unlike the original.

“Does that mean you’re hungry too?”

At Lottie’s eager nod, Jenna laughed.

“Then go and wash up while I get your supper. And don’t let Nutty up on the table,” she added as she crossed the stone paved floor of the big kitchen to the waiting stove.

Like much of the original technology the settlers had brought with them, the machine to cut those level, uniform blocks had long ago ceased to work but she still appreciated the smooth surface. Newer houses had to rely on roughly cast bricks or even hard-packed soil. Not for the first time she wondered whether the village’s brick making skills would eventually improve, or if they would gradually slip further back into more primitive ways.

Unfortunately, the latter seemed more likely, she thought grimly as she stirred the thick vegetable soup. The village had been experiencing hard times. Even though she had been as diligent as possible about storing and preserving the produce from the kitchen garden and the small patch of fields she could manage by herself, it was going to be a lean winter.

But for tonight, they had plenty to eat, the kitchen was warm and bright despite the early winter darkness, and her daughter was smiling. Even if Nutty did end up on the table once again, watching everything with those big, curious eyes, she let herself enjoy the moment.

An enjoyment which lasted until she sent Lottie off to get ready for bed.

“Mama! There’s water in the hallway again!”

“I’ll be right there.”

She sighed as she went to collect the mop and bucket. When her mother had married Jenna’s stepfather Thomas after working as his housekeeper for many years, there had been a number of unkind whispers in the village about her marrying him for his wealth. What most of the villagers didn’t know was that despite the large house and surrounding acreage, Thomas had no other assets. The past few years had been a constant struggle to keep the forest from reclaiming the land and to keep the house from falling down around their ears. Now that both Thomas and her mother were gone and she was on her own, she knew she was losing that battle. She had retreated to the small annex originally designed for the servants, but she had difficulty even keeping up with that much maintenance.

As she went to mop up the water and check for the source of the leak, her previous concerns resurfaced. Not for the first time she wondered if she should sell the property and move into the village. That is, if she could find anyone who could offer even half of what the place was worth. The blight had affected everyone.

But even more than that, it would mean removing Lottie from the only home she’d ever known, she thought, as she walked into Lottie’s bedroom. The mural her mother had so carefully painted still brightened the walls, and the stars the three of them had embroidered hung from the ceiling, carefully arranged to mimic the night sky. No, she decided once again. Her daughter was happy here and as long as she could find a way to manage, they would remain.

“Tell me the Santa story again, Mama,” Lottie demanded as Jenna perched on the edge of her bed. “The part where you give him cookies and milk, and he brings you what you really want.”

“It’s not a bribe, Lottie. It’s just a way to say thank you.”

Nutty lifted his head from where he was curled at Lottie’s side, looking at her with those curious purple eyes.

“What’s a bribe?”

“A kind of payment - to make someone do what you want them to do.”

“But that’s what I want.”

“It doesn’t work like that. Santa brings presents to good little girls and boys because they deserve it, not because they leave him milk and cookies.”

She could almost see the wheels turning in Lottie’s head, but to her surprise, Lottie only nodded.

“Okay. But can I keep taking him cookies?”

Jenna suspected that the cookies actually found their way into Lottie’s mouth, but looking down at her hopeful little face, she didn’t have the heart to refuse.

“All right. But no more than two a day.”

Nutty gave a disappointed chitter, and she laughed. Maybe it was more like one for her daughter and one for him.

As she returned to the kitchen, she remembered Lottie’s insistence on the cookies. When she checked the cookie jar, they were almost gone, and she sighed. That meant another jar of her precious honey not offered for sale. She removed a jar of the thick pink liquid from her basket, frowning at the diminishing contents.

She sold - or more frequently bartered - her honey and the wax candles she created from her hives in order to purchase the things she couldn’t produce herself. Of course, just as Nutty wasn’t really a squirrel, her bees were not really bees. Instead of tiny creatures with yellow and black stripes, her bees were about the size of her fist and covered with creamy fur. But they pollinated the flowers and gathered their nectar and created hives of a substance very similar to beeswax. They were docile creatures who would gather around her when she approached and hummed contentedly as they went about their business, but many in the village were afraid of them. Yet another reason to continue living at the manor.

The next day tested her determination again. The rain that had started as a gentle sprinkle the previous night had turned into a full on downpour, an icy cold deluge that hovered on the edge of snow but simply turned everything wet and miserable. Two more leaks had appeared, one of them right over the foot of her bed and she had awoken to cold, wet feet. The latest batch of honey had burned when she processed it and as much as she wanted to save it, she was afraid she couldn’t eliminate the lingering bitterness. Her normally good-natured daughter threw a small tantrum when Jenna firmly told her that she couldn’t go into the woods to play in the rain.

Her own temper started to fray, so she sent Lottie to her room for an early nap while she tried to recover some of the burnt honey. The afternoon passed quickly as she tried various filtering options. It wasn’t until she noticed that the light in the kitchen was beginning to dim that she realized that Lottie had not reappeared. Her daughter must have fallen asleep after all. Jenna was tempted to let her sleep, but if she slept too long now, it would be impossible to get her to bed at a reasonable time. After putting the kettle on, she went to wake Lottie.

As soon as she opened the door to the bedroom, she knew something was wrong. A cool breeze brushed across her cheek as her gaze flew to the window – the open window. Her heart pounding uncontrollably against her ribs, she rushed to the open window. Flowers normally grew outside the window, but the bed had been cleared for wintertime and two small footprints were clearly visible in the wet soil. Oh no.

The trees on the far side of their land looked dark and menacing in the misty rain, but remembering Lottie’s earlier complaints about not being allowed to play outside, Jenna had no doubt that was where her daughter had headed. Racing back through the house, she barely remembered to turn off the stove before grabbing her cloak and Lottie’s much smaller one. Horror filled her a second time as she realized that her daughter was only wearing the thin clothes she’d had on earlier.

The rain was still falling as she headed for the tree line, not as heavily now, but the temperature was dropping rapidly. As she brushed aside a branch, she realized that what looked like water drops were in fact drops of ice. Why had Lottie insisted on coming outside? What was so important that she braved these conditions?

The path was already growing slippery, forcing her to move much more slowly than she would have liked, but despite her growing fear, falling and breaking her leg wouldn’t help her daughter. An occasional small footprint reassured her that she was on the right path, and it wasn’t until she reached the clearing overlooking the ocean that she really started to panic. This was their favorite spot. She had brought Lottie here many times and they often picnicked here during the summer. Lottie liked to look out across the water while Jenna told her extremely idealized stories of her father and his ship. She had assumed all along that this was Lottie’s destination, but the clearing was empty.

Her heart beating so rapidly she felt sick, she scanned the surroundings looking for any sign of her daughter. What if she’d been wrong about where Lottie was heading? If she had to search the woods, she was going to need help. Retracing her steps and then going into the village for help would take at least half an hour and by then it would be dark. An icy gust blew across her wet cloak, and she shivered.

“Lottie!” she called, even as the wind tried to tear the words from her mouth.

The woods on the other side of the clearing led down towards a small cove. Lottie should know better than to go to the beach by herself, but then Jenna had thought she knew better than to sneak out of the house as well. What if she had gone down to the water? The sight of the roiling gray waves terrified her, but the roar of the surf would prevent Lottie from hearing her. She should just have time to make it to the beach before darkness fell. After a frantic debate with herself, she headed in that direction. If Lottie wasn’t there, she would have no choice but to go for help.

The rain started to pick up again, but now it included little stinging drops of ice that gathered in her hair as well as on the branches of the trees. The fallen leaves began to crunch beneath her feet as ice coated them. When she finally emerged on the beach, it too was empty, only the waves crashing endlessly onto the sand.

“Lottie!” she cried again, even though she could barely hear herself over the pounding of the surf.

She’d wasted too much time – she had to get to the village and get help. Choking back the tears that threatened to blind her, she turned to follow the path back up the hillside and spotted a flash of white. Her heart pounding faster – from hope this time – she took a few steps in that direction. Yes! Nutty was peering at her from beneath a bush. The two were normally inseparable. Where was Lottie?

“Here, Nutty,” she called softly.

The little animal sat back on its hind legs and tilted his head, regarding her from those oddly intelligent purple eyes.

“Where’s Lottie?” she asked, too desperate to care that she was asking an animal for help.

Nutty crouched back down on all fours, skipped a few steps into the woods, and then turned to look back at her. She started towards him, and as soon as she started moving, Nutty scampered a little further along… a trail?

She knew that it was easy to get turned around the woods, especially in the dim light. What looked like a trail might be nothing more than a game path, but she followed Nutty anyway, praying with all her might that the animal was going to lead her to her daughter.

It was growing darker by the minute, and Nutty’s white fur began to mingle with the snow that was gradually replacing the icy sleet. But whenever she was afraid she had lost sight of the little animal, he always reappeared and waited for her. Despite the increasing cold and the wet heavy misery of her cloak, hope burned in her veins. She was so intent on keeping her eyes on Nutty, that it took her a moment to realize that she had entered another clearing. This one was much larger, with a long line of fallen trees along one side. It almost looked as if something large had slammed into them, and she followed the path of the destruction across the clearing to a large metal object. Even in the encroaching darkness, she could see metal gleaming, but it took her startled mind several moments to process the fact that she was looking at a spaceship.

Nutty chittered excitedly from next to her feet, and a whole new feeling of dread swept across her. Why had he brought her here? And where was Lottie? She wanted to call her daughter’s name again, but there was something so silent and ominous about the ship she kept quiet instead. If her daughter was on board, she was going to get her back, but it might be better not to raise the alarm.

After a quick search for a sturdy branch to use as a makeshift weapon, she began creeping quietly across the clearing. Nutty accompanied her, moving just as quietly now. They were halfway there when a panel in the side of the ship opened and light shone out into the clearing. Not candlelight, but the clear steady glow of the artificial lighting that was increasingly rare. It glistened on the still falling sleet mingling with the snowflakes, almost obscuring the figure striding down the ramp towards her.

A massive figure with horns topping his head…

Alien!

Terror turned Jenna’s knees to water as she put together the strange figure and the spaceship, but she refused to run. What if Lottie was on that ship? She took a firmer grip on her branch and tried to hide her fear as he approached, covering the distance between them in a few quick powerful steps. Even without the horns he towered over her.

“It is about time you arrived,” he said impatiently. “Your daughter is not well and I do not know how to fix her.”

She hadn’t expected to understand him, let alone that he would have a voice as deep and smooth as velvet, but what he’d said was far more important.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Without waiting for an answer, she headed for the landing ramp.

“I just told you that I do not know. But she is asking for you.”

“For me?”

“You are her biological parent, are you not?”

By this time they were through the door. She had another moment of panic as the panel closed behind them, but the alien was already headed down a brightly lit white corridor and she was too concerned about Lottie to hesitate. He paused in front of a door, pressed a button and another panel slid aside.

She had a brief impression of a minimal bedroom, but she was more concerned about the small dark-haired figure in the middle of a huge bed. Lottie.

With a sob of thankfulness, she rushed to her daughter’s side.

Chapter Three

Nicholsarian was not sure exactly what emotion he was feeling as he watched Jenna bend over her daughter, but he did not like it.

When the child had appeared earlier that afternoon, he had not at first realized that anything was amiss. He had simply waited impatiently for his tribute. But then he started to notice the difference in her behavior. She had not looked around, checking to make sure that he was not present. Instead, she had headed directly for the table, her steps unusually slow and hesitant. And once she had deposited her offering, she did not immediately turn and leave. She lingered there for several moments, then when she finally turned, her small body had simply collapsed to the ground.

Even then, he had hesitated, unsure if this was some new trick to catch him unawares. He remembered that the Totmas race would play a similar game, pretending to be injured in order to lure their unsuspecting prey closer to them. But the child simply remained in a huddled heap on the ground while his drone hopped around her in what appeared to be increasing agitation.

Waving aside the caution bred into him by experience, he gave into his instincts and hurried to her side. Her small face was alarmingly pale, and when he cautiously touched her shoulder, he was horrified to find her clothing completely drenched. Did this primitive culture not even have clothing to shield them properly from the elements? Not only was she wet, she felt cold to the touch and without pausing to consider the matter further, he gathered her into his arms. She made a tiny sound, and seemed to nestle closer. A sensation he could not identify washed over him, and he instinctively closed his arms protectively around the small figure. He was halfway to his ship before he remembered that it was inadvisable to reveal advanced technology to lower beings, but he dismissed the idea impatiently. She was only a child.

He removed her wet clothing, then placed her beneath his bed coverings, and increased the temperature in his room. Although he was unsure how to deal with her when she awakened, he waited impatiently for her eyes to open. Nothing happened. He tried demanding that she awaken, but her eyes remained firmly closed. The pallor on her cheeks was replaced by a hectic flush as her small body trembled. At that point, he was seized by a completely unexpected panic. He had no idea how to help her.

Where was the child’s parent? He briefly considered going to retrieve her, especially when the child started to call for her, but he found himself unwilling to leave the child alone. It wasn’t until his drone, who had been curled up next to her, raised his head that he realized he might have an alternate way of summoning her. Unfortunately, it took longer than he had hoped for the drone to intercept Jenna and to lead her back to the ship. Even to his inexperienced eye, the child seemed to be growing worse.

He was desperate enough that when Jenna finally entered the clearing, he didn’t even consider leaving her outside. Now he watched anxiously as she placed a hand on her daughter’s head. The child’s restless movements slowed, but she didn’t open her eyes.

“Well?” he demanded. “Can you fix her?”

“Yes,” she said immediately, but he could hear the thread of uncertainty in her voice. “The first thing is to get her fever down. You obviously have advanced technology – I don’t suppose that includes medicine which is compatible with human anatomy?”

He fleetingly noticed that she seemed unfazed by the concept of advanced technology, but he pushed it aside to consider at a later point.

“There is a medical facility on the ship, but it was damaged in the crash. I did not prioritize the repair because I was not injured.”

He had been rendered unconscious for some unknown period of time, but once he regained consciousness, the only lingering effect had been a massive headache and repairing the unit had not been a priority. When he realized that the child was ill, he had ordered the nanobots to begin repairs immediately.

“I have directed repairs to the unit now, but it will take some time,” he added stiffly.

“And I’m not leaving her long enough to go to the village for help. We’ll start with the basics.”

She stripped back the bed coverings until only a light blanket remained, and he frowned at her.

“The child was cold.”

“Her name is Lottie, not ‘the child,’” she snapped, then sighed. “I’m sorry. I know you were trying to help. I’m Jenna, by the way.”

“I am Nicholsarian.” His title didn’t seem relevant under the circumstances.

She nodded absently, still focused on the child. “I want to get her temperature down. Do you have a cloth? And some cool water?”

Of course. Did she think his ship was as primitive as her own dwelling? But he was concerned enough about the child - about Lottie - not to remonstrate with her. Instead he silently fetched the items she requested.

The night passed with agonizing slowness. Jenna bathed Lottie with the cool water, and managed to get her to take small sips of liquid, but she was still clearly unwell. He wanted to demand that Jenna cure her immediately, but he could see the strain on her face, even though her voice was always calm and reassuring as she spoke to her child. Instead, he remained silent and brought her whatever she requested.

Just before dawn, he went to check on the status of the medical unit. When he returned, tears were streaming down Jenna’s cheeks. A corresponding pain pierced his heart, and he wanted to roar his anger at the gods. But then she gave him a shaky smile, and he saw that Lottie was no longer tossing restlessly. She appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

“The fever broke. I think she’ll be all right now.”

His knees felt alarmingly weak, and he sat down abruptly on the bed next to her.

“Thank the gods.”

“Thank you for helping.”

She put her hand on his arm, and the touch seared through him like an electric shock.

Up until this point he had been too concerned about Lottie to spare any thought for his overwhelming and inappropriate desire for Jenna. At her touch, it all came rushing back. His body responded in a manner completely inappropriate for a warrior of his control. The combination of relief and embarrassment made him stiffen, and he rose to his feet.

“You should not have let her leave your residence while she was so inappropriately dressed.”

The smile she had been giving him disappeared and anger flashed across her face.

“And you should not have been encouraging her to bring you cookies.”

“I did not encourage her.”

And yet, he had not discouraged her either. The knowledge that he might have contributed to Lottie’s illness horrified him, and made him even angrier. At the same time, he had the strangest urge to pull Jenna into his arms and kiss away her anger.

He wanted to demand that both females remove their disturbing presence from his ship, but even in his anger, he would not take any chances with the child’s health. He paced across the room and back, trying to recover his usual calm demeanor, then finally remembered what he had meant to tell her when he returned.

“The medical unit is almost repaired,” he said stiffly, holding out the scanner. “I brought the remote unit in order to feed the child’s information to it.”

Her anger seemed to disappear, and she bit her lip as she turned to look at the small figure in his bed.

“I’m sure the fever has broken, but it would be good to know if anything else is wrong. Does your unit understand human anatomy?”

“There are obviously some commonalities between our species despite your more…” He managed to bite back the word primitive before it escaped. “Despite our differences. I thought perhaps I could scan you also and provide the unit with information about a healthy person as well.”

She had started to frown at his hesitation, then now she was nodding. “That’s a good idea. Will it understand the difference between an adult and a child?”

“Of course.”

He returned to the bed and began running the scanner slowly over Lottie’s body. The machine was not responding as rapidly as normal, but he took his time and made sure that it registered each part before moving onto the next.

“I would like to take a blood sample as well,” he added as he finished the scan.

“Wait a minute. You didn’t say anything about that. I don’t want you to hurt her.”

“Of course I will not hurt her.” The thought appalled him.

“How do you know?” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “You already said that you weren’t familiar with human anatomy.”

“Would you prefer to go first?”

She hesitated, then looked down at Lottie, and sighed.

“I suppose that makes sense. Here.”

She extended her arm towards him, and he frowned.

“What are you doing?”

“Isn’t that where you take the sample?”

“No.”

Deciding it would be easier to show her than to explain it, he stepped up next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. Her bones felt impossibly fragile beneath his hand, and his thumb rested on the warm, silky skin between her neck and the collar of her garment. Once again that shockwave of excitement raced through his body, enhanced by her deliciously sweet fragrance. His cock responded, his shaft hardening as it had not done since he was an uncontrolled adolescent.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, and her lips parted. He had the oddest desire to cover them with his own.

“Remain still,” he ordered, his voice a low growl in the quiet room.

“Yes.”

A small hiss of air and he had the sample, but he didn’t move away.

“It is done.”

“I didn’t even feel it.”

“I told you that you would not.”

A soft huff of laughter escaped. “I frequently find that people are not entirely truthful.”

“I would not lie to you, Jenna.” Although, neither had he told her the entire truth.

“Are you going to get a sample from Lottie as well?”

“Yes.” And yet, he still did not want to release Jenna. He wanted to drag the shoulder of her shirt aside to feel more of that deliciously soft skin. Perhaps even push it down far enough that he could see the lush curves beneath her garment. That thought snapped him back to reality. The Tandroki did not indulge in that type of relationship, at least not ones in the class to which he had raised himself. He took a hasty step back, forcing his fingers not to linger.

Hoping that he had retained enough of his training not to reveal his discomfort, he bent down over the child and took the sample.

“I will have this analyzed.”

Then he fled the room with a haste that was due entirely to his desire to help the child, and most assuredly not because of his desire for this human female.

Chapter Four

Jenna stared after Nicholsarian as he left the room, moving with what seemed to be his characteristic grace despite the speed of his departure. Had he detected the fact that for the first time since Lottie was born she had actually felt a flicker of arousal? When he had touched her neck, she had wanted to lean into that firm grip.

Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself as she returned to the bed. If she had felt anything like that, it was no doubt due to a combination of exhaustion and relief. And perhaps a little because he was big and strong and he had remained at her side, unlike Lottie’s father.

She ignored the fact that her traitorous nipples were still hard and throbbing beneath her blouse.

“Mama?”

The soft whisper distracted her from her wayward thoughts.

“Yes, sweetheart. I’m here.”

“Where’s here?”

Lottie looked around, her eyelids still heavy, and Jenna followed her gaze. She had been too focused on Lottie’s illness to pay much attention to her surroundings before.

Everything was very… white. And stark. The big bed looked as though it had folded down from the wall, and other than the size and the softness of the bed coverings, there was nothing remarkable about it. The rest of the room was the same – a large but utilitarian desk, a heavy, square armchair, and one shelf which held three objects.

“This is Nicholsarian’s room,” she explained.

Her daughter must have seen the spaceship if she had been coming here during the daylight, but Jenna decided that additional explanations could wait.

“Who?”

Lottie still seemed confused, but then Nicholsarian reentered the room and her small face lit up with happiness.

“Santa!”

His pale, handsome face softened and she could have sworn that he looked relieved.

“Lottie,” he said gravely.

“Santa?” Lottie’s obsession with the story suddenly fell into place. “Why do you think he’s Santa, sweetheart?”

“He has white hair and a beard.”

That was true enough, although the thick, silky locks pulled back into a neat braid and the carefully trimmed goatee were not the image she remembered from childhood stories.

“And he’s wearing a red suit,” Lottie continued triumphantly. “Although he’s not very fat.”

No, he certainly was not. The form fitting red uniform clung to every inch of a lean, muscular body.

He frowned at Lottie. “Were the cookies to make me fatter?”

“No, they were a br –” Lottie shot a quick glance at her. “To say thank you for my present.”

“But I have not given you anything.”

“It’s not the Longest Night yet.”

Jenna couldn’t stand the look of hopeful expectation on her daughter’s face.

“Sweetheart, he isn’t Santa. His name is Nicholsarian.”

Lottie only smiled triumphantly. “That’s Santa’s other name - Nicholas.”

She gave him a somewhat helpless look.

“You may call me Santa,” he said immediately. “Or Nicholas. I do not mind.”

She looked from Lottie’s beaming smile to his calm face and gave up the fight. There was a much more important subject to discuss.

“You shouldn’t have left without letting me know, Lottie. I was very scared when I couldn’t find you.”

Her voice trembled, and Lottie’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sorry. But it was important.”

Why was it so important? Was Lottie’s life so lacking that she had turned to a mythological figure to give her what she wanted? She wanted to demand more answers, but her daughter was still weak and she was exhausted.

“We’ll talk about it more later. When you’re all the way better.” Turning to Nicholas, she forced a smile. “Thank you for your help, but it would be better to get Lottie home.”

“I do not think that will be possible.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Did he plan on keeping them here? But before she could formulate a protest, he pressed another button and a panel slid aside to reveal a window looking out into the clearing. The very snowy clearing. The snow must have kept falling throughout the night, and now everything was covered in a thick layer of white even as it continued to fall. The thought of trudging through the snow, carrying Lottie, horrified her.

“I believe it would be best to wait until the child is completely recovered.” Nicholas held up a small vial. “This will assist.”

“What is that?”

“A remedy produced by my medical unit.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea –”

He sighed and held it out to her. “Do you want to try it as well? It may make you sleepy, but I assure you it has no other side effects.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him – exactly – but could she trust his strange technology? He closed the few steps between them, big and warm and as oddly comforting as he had been all night.

“It will prevent a relapse,” he said softly.

Damn. How could she take the chance of Lottie getting sick again? She reached for the vial, and took a small sip, then shuddered. The medicine tasted horrible, but she didn’t feel any immediate side effects other than a growing lethargy.

“I suppose,” she agreed reluctantly. “Lottie, this is medicine. It doesn’t taste very good but I need you to drink it all down. Can you do that for me?”

Lottie’s lip trembled. “Can I get a cookie afterward?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but –”

“One moment,” Nicholas interjected, and disappeared out of the room.

He returned almost immediately carrying a small scrap of cloth that she recognized as one of her disappearing hoard of napkins.

“These are from your last offering. They are somewhat damp, but I do not believe the taste has been affected.”

If anything, Lottie looked even more distressed.

“But the cookies are for you.”

“And you have given them to me. You carried out the spirit of our agreement.” When Lottie still looked uncertain, he added gently. “I will eat one and I will give the other one to you. No bargaining is required.”

His words struck her as odd, but Lottie nodded. She took the vial from Jenna and swallowed it down, her small face wrinkling in disgust. Nicholas immediately handed her the rather soggy cookie and she took it eagerly. By the time only crumbs remained, her eyelids were drooping and she sagged back on the pillow.

“Tell me a –” Her daughter gave a huge yawn, and was asleep before she finished her sentence.

“You’re sure that’s supposed to happen?” Jenna asked.

He nodded. “Sleep will allow her body to rest and the medicine to work properly. It will work the same way on you.”

“But I’m not sick.”

“Then you will simply sleep and awaken refreshed.”

His words seemed to come from further and further away as waves of exhaustion rolled over her. She was vaguely aware that he was lifting her into the bed beside Lottie, and she tried to protest.

“Sleep, Jenna,” he ordered. “I will watch over both of you.”

When she awoke, Nicholas was sitting in the big square chair by the window, but his eyes were on her. He rose immediately and after a brief hesitation, sat down next to her.

“How do you feel?”

“I feel wonderful.” It was true. She felt as relaxed and refreshed as if she had slept for months, even though she could still see the snow falling outside the windows. Even the small burn on her finger from rescuing the honey had disappeared.

When she looked over at Lottie, her daughter was still sound asleep but her face looked pink and healthy.

“How long will she sleep?”

“I am not sure exactly. Until the medicine has completed its work.”

She shook her head as she started to sit up. He quickly helped her into a sitting position, his hands big and warm on her waist for a brief moment. She almost wanted to keep them there, but instead, she smiled ruefully.

“We’ve lost so many things since the original colony ship crashed, but I’m not sure that even then our medicine was that advanced.”

“Crashed?”

“That’s what I was told, but it was many generations ago.” She remembered the destruction outside in the clearing. “Is that what happened to you also? Your ship crashed here?”

“I did not crash. There was a minor miscalculation during the landing.”

He had assumed that annoying arrogance again, but this time she thought she could see a hint of doubt in those dark eyes. Was it so important to him that he not make a mistake?

“Perhaps I should be glad you miscalculated. But then again if you hadn’t been in the woods, neither would Lottie.”

“I did not encourage her,” he said stiffly, but that shadow of vulnerability increased.

“I believe you.” She patted his hand, even if she took another look at her sleeping daughter. “I just wish I knew why this is so important to her.”

“Have you asked her? Just because she is a child does not mean that her needs are not important.”

“Of course her needs are important. I just thought she was playing an imaginary game until now. Didn’t you have an imaginary friend when you were little?”

“No.” The word came out in a harsh growl. “I was too busy trying to survive.”

His face had locked up again, but he couldn’t hide the pain in his words. What had happened to him, she wondered, trying to imagine him as a vulnerable child. Driven by an unexpected rush of compassion, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his. His entire body went rigid and she caught a glimpse of his hand clenching into a fist. Before she could ask if she had offended him, a small voice piped up.

“Mama, why are you kissing Santa?”

Chapter Five

Nicholsarian fled his bedroom, his body shaking. He could feel blood dripping from his hand where he had dug his claws into his palms in an attempt to retain control. When Jenna had touched him, willingly, he had wanted to roar with triumph. Even more than that, he had wanted to forget his control, his training, and every ounce of discipline drilled in him since his first days of school, and take her in his arms.

Tandroki society had long ago renounced the dangerous pleasures of the flesh. In order to prevent the destruction of their society, they had learned to practice control and discipline. It had never troubled him before. After the chaos and uncertainty of the streets in his early years, he had welcomed those precepts. But perhaps that was why he had never felt quite at home amongst the other Tandroki warriors. This fierce, overwhelming need must have been hidden within him all the time.

He strode to the entrance of his ship and lowered the ramp, welcoming the rush of freezing cold. Despite the conditions, he was tempted to pick up his axe and get to work – to sublimate his desires and physical exhaustion. But Moroz had taught that a true Tandroki warrior did not require distraction. He overcame his impulses for the good of his society.

A society that was a long way from this planet, a traitorous voice reminded him. No, location was unimportant. And he had a responsibility to the two females in his quarters. He hoped that his hasty departure had not alarmed them.

As he made his way back down along the corridor, he noticed the drops of blood and decided to return to the medical unit and heal the wound first. Females should not be exposed to the sight of blood.

By the time he tidied his clothing and returned to his room, he was sure that he once again looked like a worthy Tandroki warrior. But then he opened the door. Two identical pairs of blue eyes looked over at him, and both females smiled at him. They looked at home in his rooms, and he couldn’t prevent the impossible desire to keep them there.

“I’m hungry,” Lottie said cheerfully. “Do you have any food?”

Jenna gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I know you may be low on supplies since your… miscalculation.”

“No, of course not. I should have realized that you would both be hungry.”

The knowledge of his failure covered him with shame. How could he even think of keeping them when he was already failing in his efforts to take care of them?

“I will return.”

It wasn’t until he was on his way back to the cabin that he realized he had automatically produced his usual basic rations. They would provide nutrition, but their taste was not appealing. He might be able to program more interesting variations into the replicator, but it would take time.

“I’m afraid this is not what you are used to,” he announced as he returned to the room.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine. We’re not fussy, are we, Lottie?”

He saw Jenna nudge Lottie as she spoke and the little girl nodded dutifully, if a little doubtfully. He started to approach the bed, then hesitated.

“Are you well enough to sit at a table?”

“Sure.” Jenna looked around and frowned. “Do you have a dining room?”

“No.” He had deliberately chosen a ship that did not allow space for entertaining. He liked having his personal space. “But I am not completely uncivilized.”

He went to the control panel and selected dining. A table slid out from beneath the window with two benches on either side. He would have preferred a single bench, but the unit came equipped with two and for once, he saw the benefit.

“That’s handy,” Jenna murmured as she stood and stretched.

The movement caused her clothing to outline the curves of her body. He quickly looked away just as Lottie raised her arms to him.

“Carry me, Santa.”

He obeyed immediately, even though Jenna started to object. Lottie gave him a warm smile and snuggled closer. She felt as right in his arms as she had done before, but even better now that she was no longer sick. He carried her over to the bench, then sat down with her still on his lap. Jenna sighed as she followed them over.

“I thought you were feeling better, Lottie?”

“I am. Santa makes me feel better.”

The little girl smiled up at him again, and he had another one of those impossible impulses – the impulse to assure her that he would always make her feel better.

“You still need to eat your breakfast – or lunch?” Jenna looked out at the falling snow and laughed. “I have no idea of the time.”

“It is just past midday. This is the midday meal.”

Both of them gave the tray of food an uncertain look.

“The cups contain a heated nutrient broth. The wafers provide protein, and the cubes provide supplemental vitamins.”

Jenna picked up a cup and sniffed it cautiously, then took a sip. She smiled at him.

“This tastes much better than it looks. It’s rather like a very mild vegetable broth. Try it, Lottie.”

He assisted the little girl with her mug, worried that she would burn herself, but after the first suspicious sip, she drank readily enough. Neither of the females ate more than a small portion of the protein wafers, but they both seemed to enjoy the supplement cubes.

“I will try and program a more appealing repast for the evening meal,” he assured them.

“Unless the snow stops before them,” Jenna said firmly, and he had to force himself not to object.

“If I understand the weather patterns correctly, it will continue into the next day.”

“I see.”

Despite her previous words, she did not seem overly upset, and she smiled at him.

“In that case, maybe I should help you with dinner. That is, how do you program it?”

“It takes verbal commands, but it has a limited range.”

“Can it make cookies?” Lottie asked.

“I’m afraid not, little one.”

She started to frown, then yawned instead.

“I believe you require additional rest,” he said firmly.

“But I’m not sleepy.”

A second yawn followed, and he and Jenna both laughed. He carried Lottie back over to the bed and tucked her firmly under the covers.

“Tell the Santa story, Mama.”

“Maybe Nicholas doesn’t want to hear it.”

“On the contrary. I enjoy – would enjoy – hearing it.”

He had heard it before, of course, through the drone’s ears, but he was suddenly reluctant to reveal that he had been listening.

A tiny frown wrinkled Jenna’s brow, but then she turned back to Lottie and began the tale. It was different, he realized, listening to her talk when she was so close to him, when he could catch every nuance of her words and every shadow of emotion on her expressive face.

No one had ever told him stories, and a pang of longing made his chest ache again.

Jenna let her voice trail off as Lottie fell asleep. She looked up to find Nicholas watching her from the other side of the bed, that odd vulnerability back on his face.

“Is something wrong?” she asked softly.

“No.” He spoke abruptly, but he couldn’t entirely mask his expression. He rose to his feet, then hesitated. “I would like to hear more about you, and your world. If you wish to share.”

The change from demand to request in his final words made her nod. “If you’d like, although I don’t think I’m very interesting.”

“On the contrary. You’re the most fascinating creature I have ever met.”

Their eyes met, and the temperature in the room suddenly seemed to increase. She forced herself to look away.

“Can we talk here? I don’t want to leave Lottie.”

“Of course.” He hesitated, then returned to their luncheon table. More buttons were pushed, and then the table disappeared, replaced by a single long bench beneath the window. “Would you be comfortable here?”

She nodded a little reluctantly. His bed was extremely comfortable, but they would be less likely to wake Lottie if they were on the far side of the room. She followed him over to the bench, then realized to her delight that not only was it softer than it appeared, but no chill penetrated the window despite the snow falling outside.

“This is perfect. I used to love the window seat in my old bedroom, but it was far too cold in the winter time.”

“Your old bedroom?”

She tried to shrug casually, sure that her cheeks were burning. “I moved to a room behind the kitchen that is smaller and easier to keep warm.”

“I see. Warmth is important.”

He sounded sincere, and she shot him a curious glance.

“Is it cold on your planet?”

“The climate has been controlled for many years, but that control is more effective in some areas than others. The area where I… grew up always seemed to be too hot or too cold.”

The mask was back, but she found herself wondering once again what type of childhood he had had. They sat in silence for a moment, and then he spoke abruptly.

“Where is the child’s father?”

“He was a captain too – of a sailing ship. Jimmy was a trader - he sailed up and down the coast between the various villages. He swept me off my feet the first time I met him. So I married him, even though my mother said I was too young.”

“Were you?”

“Probably. But at first it was fine. I liked traveling with him and he liked showing off his pretty young wife. But then two things happened. I got pregnant, and even worse, I got seasick.” She smiled ruefully. “The worst possible weakness to a sailor. So he brought me back here to stay with my mother. He promised that he was saving money for a house of our own, but he visited less and less frequently. Apparently, a pretty young wife was one thing, a pregnant wife was nowhere near as appealing.”

“But he was the father. You were ripe with his child.”

Nicholas looked genuinely appalled, but it hadn’t seemed to matter much to Jimmy.

“He did promise to be back in time for the birth, but he didn’t make it. Instead, he showed up a month later, took one look at me and Lottie, and was gone again the next day.”

“What a despicable male. He does not deserve to be called a father.”

“To be fair, we weren’t at our best. She was colicky and cried all the time and I was exhausted.”

His posture was absolutely rigid. “All the more reason why he should have remained to assist you.”

“He certainly didn’t see it that way. I don’t know - I like to think perhaps he might have changed his mind, but he never got the chance. There was a storm at sea and his ship was lost.”

“Did you regret that?”

“If you mean did I regret his death, of course I did. A life taken too soon is always a source of regret.” From the expression on his face, he didn’t agree.

“But if you mean did I regret that he was no longer part of our lives…” She shook her head. “It’s hard to continue caring for someone who makes it very obvious that they have no real interest in your welfare. Or more importantly, in their child’s welfare.”

“I am sorry that he did not treat you as you deserve to be treated.”

“I’m sorry that it ended the way it did, but I can’t really regret it – because of him, I have Lottie.”

Rather to her surprise, he let the subject drop and instead began to ask her about cooking. He seemed particularly fascinated by her cookies.

They talked for several hours, and she found herself telling him a lot more than she had originally intended. He told her very little about his circumstances, just enough for her to realize that he must be an important male in his own world. Important, but lonely, she decided, with an unexpected wave of compassion, and she did her best to encourage him to talk about his own life.

Chapter Six

Jenna was still trying to coax more of his history out of Nicholas when Lottie woke full of energy and came bouncing over to join them. Nutty seemed equally energetic and, after some hesitation, Nicholas took down one of the objects on his shelf. It turned out to be an automated ball that rolled around on its own, small lights twinkling on the surface. Both Lottie and Nutty happily chased it around the room.

“Where did that come from?”

He had been smiling as he watched the two play, but his face closed down again at her question.

“I have had it since I was quite young.”

She didn’t pursue the matter. After Lottie and her pet finally collapsed in a laughing heap, all of them trooped off to the small galley. As Nicholas had said, the replicator was somewhat limited as far as what it could produce, but after a few disastrous efforts, she managed to create a relatively tasty soup, along with something that could pass for bread.

Nicholas ate enthusiastically, and once again she found herself wondering about his life. With all this technology at his service, why did he restrict himself so severely?

After dinner, Lottie demanded another story. Determined to distract her from her obsession with Santa, Jenna told her fanciful tale about a mysterious captain with ship named Nautilus that ailed beneath the sea instead of on the surface. Then Nicholas went to get another dose of medicine, but Lottie put up more of a fight this time.

“Is this being a good girl?” Jenna asked in exasperation when her daughter stubbornly shook her head.

A startled look crossed Lottie’s face, then she bit her lip as she looked up at Nicholas.

“I’m sorry. I really am a good girl.”

“I know you are, little one,” he said gently as he handed her the small vial.

She drank it down obediently, then looked shocked. “It doesn’t taste as bad this time.”

Was that a hint of pink on his alabaster cheeks?

“I tried to improve the taste.”

Lottie gave him a blinding smile, and held up her arms. “Kiss,” she demanded.

He gave Jenna an uncertain look, but when she nodded, he bent down and kissed her daughter’s forehead. Lottie reached for her next, and her heart swelled with happiness of the strength in her daughter’s arms as she hugged her.

“Good night, sweetheart.”

Nicholas dimmed the lights and Lottie fell asleep almost immediately, Nutty curled up next to her head.

Jenna sighed as she headed back to the window seat. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Said what?” Nicholas hesitated, then sat down on the other end of the seat.

“I shouldn’t have told her to be a good girl. That’s part of the story, remember? If you’re a good little girl or boy, Santa will bring you what you want.” She bit her lip. “I don’t even know what she wants. I just don’t want her to be disappointed. She’s been so much happier recently.”

“If it is within my power, then I will provide whatever she desires.”

He sounded so sincere. If only Lottie’s father had been half as interested in providing for his daughter. Of course, like Jimmy, Nicholas would soon be leaving them behind.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I believe you mean it. But I suspect you will not be here much longer, will you?”

An odd look crossed his face. “I am not sure. The repairs have been time-consuming.”

“I think we will both be sorry to see you leave.”

“Will you?”

This time she was sure she could see vulnerability on his face.

“Yes.”

“I wish to kiss you.”

The words seemed to escape without his control, and he looked almost horrified that he had said them out loud.

“Are you sure?” The breathless question didn’t sound like her either.

“Oh yes.”

“Then yes.”

His hands closed around her waist and he was lifting her onto his lap almost before she finished speaking. He bent his head towards her, his horns silhouetted against the still falling snow. There was an almost dreamlike quality to the moment as his lips brushed lightly against her mouth. But then his hands tightened and his mouth hardened against hers, and the kiss became shockingly, arousingly, real.

He kissed her as if he was dying of thirst, of thirst for her, and as his mouth devoured her, he yanked her tighter against his body. She could feel the iron hardness of his muscles and the enormous ridge of his cock. It had been so long – and she had never felt anything like the tidal wave of desire roaring over her.

She reached for him in return, her hands sliding across broad shoulders and up through his silky hair to the base of his horns. He groaned into her mouth as she clamped her fingers around his horns, the sound inordinately loud in the quiet room, and she suddenly came to her senses.

What was she doing? She had been about to climb him like a tree while her daughter slept only a short distance away. She pulled back, and for a moment, he didn’t release her. Then she heard him sigh, and his hands loosened.

“I apologize –”

“Don’t apologize,” she said fiercely. “I wanted that just as much. But Lottie…”

“I understand.” He dipped his head so that their foreheads touched in an oddly sweet gesture. “I should not have forgotten. It is just that I have never…”

“Never what?” She remembered how shocked he’d been when she had kissed him earlier. “Do the Tandroki not kiss?”

“No. We no longer engage in any direct physical interaction between male and female.”

Her mind stuttered over his words. “You mean you don’t have sex? How do you show love and affection?”

“They are dangerous emotions which lead to possessiveness and jealousy. We prefer more logical unions based on mutual advantage.”

No wonder he seemed so lonely.

“That sounds horrible. And how do you have children?”

“There are artificial methods of reproduction.”

“No one has babies as a result of intercourse?”

He shrugged, and that vulnerable look reappeared. “It happens, of course, but it is a source of great shame. I suspect that is why I…”

He didn’t continue, but she had a sudden horrible suspicion as to why he seemed so reluctant to discuss his childhood. Had he been one of those shameful children?

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered, and kissed him again.

He returned her kiss just as hungrily, but she could feel the tension in his muscles and knew how much he was restraining himself. She wished the situation was different – she wanted him to release all of that locked up passion. And she wanted to give him her own loneliness. It wouldn’t last, of course, but just for tonight…

She drew back, just a little, their mouths almost touching.

“Can your technology monitor this room if we leave?”

“Of course. And the drone –” He shook his head. “Yes.”

She let her fingers curve around the base of his horns again. “Do you have another bed? Or a bench? Maybe even a chair?”

When he shivered at her touch, she felt delightfully, wickedly seductive.

“Yes,” he growled and rose with her in his arms.

He strode quickly to the door, his muscles flexing easily, and it was her turn to shiver. She had the sudden feeling that she had summoned a hurricane, and she was about to get carried away by its fury. But after he carried her down the corridor and through another door into a dimly lit room, he hesitated.

“Are you sure?”

“We can see Lottie if she needs us?”

He nodded and pointed to a small monitor. The angle was a little strange, but she could see her daughter sleeping peacefully in the big bed. There were other monitors on the wall as well, and a large desk in the center of the room. An office, some part of her recognized, but she was distracted by the feel of his body against hers as he slowly lowered her to her feet. Her body hummed with arousal.

“Then I’m sure.”

Given the hunger of his kiss, she half expected him to rip her clothes away immediately. Instead, he proceeded to remove them with almost agonizing slowness. He flicked open the buttons on her blouse one at a time, his gaze focused on each inch of flesh he revealed. Her skirt followed, leaving her clad only in her thin cotton shift, and he traced a careful finger along the upper curve of her breasts revealed by the low neckline.

“You are very beautiful.”

She gasped as a long black claw suddenly appeared in place of his thumbnail, but all he did was brush it delicately back and forth over the thin cloth covering her hardened nipples. The sensation went straight to her swollen clit, and she had to cling to his arms as her knees weakened.

He growled and lifted her into the air, and then she was lying on the desk, the smooth surface cool against her back. Very slowly, he lifted the shift up over her thighs and then her hips until her pussy was naked and vulnerable to his avid gaze. The slickness between her thighs increased as excitement raced through her.

“Your turn,” she whispered.

His eyes still fastened on her, he flicked a catch at the neck of his jumpsuit, and the material slithered away. Oh my.

Chiseled muscles covered by perfect alabaster skin, like some ancient marble statue. Her gaze traveled down over his body to his cock, and her mouth went dry. A long, thick column, a pearl of liquid already gleaming on the swollen head.

“Are you sure?” he asked again.

“Yes,” she whispered, and reached for him.

Chapter Seven

Despite the need filling his body, Nicholsarian forced himself under control. Not only did he not want to frighten Jenna with his urgency, but he also wanted to appreciate every moment of their time together. He wished he could see every detail of her exquisite body, but the dim light in the office created an unexpected intimacy that he was reluctant to disturb. He could see well enough, he decided, as he studied the dark shadows at the tip of each breast, still concealed beneath her garment. Fascinated, he stroked his claw over the taut little peaks again.

“I didn’t realize you had claws,” she whispered, but he saw no sign of fear on her face. If anything, the sweet scent of her arousal increased.

“Yes. I am afraid we were once a very violent race. Do not worry – I am in control.”

He flexed his hand and his claws retracted, leaving only short dark nails.

“Are you always in control?”

“I… try. It is required of a Tandroki warrior.”

He dismissed the knowledge that he was not behaving as a warrior should right now. How could his people ever have decided to give up this joining between a male and a female?

Suddenly reluctant to have any barriers between them, he let his claws emerge again and sliced a line down the center of her garment. The thin cloth fluttered away as she gave a soft cry, and her body arched towards him.

Yes, this is better. His mouth watered at the sight of the two rosy buds topping the creamy mounds of her breasts.

“Is it acceptable to kiss you? In places other than your mouth?” He could hear the strain in his voice, but she nodded.

“And this would please you?”

“Yes.” A seductive smile crossed her face as she cupped her breasts, offering them to him. “This would be a good place to start.”

He didn’t wait for a second suggestion. His mouth descended over the tempting little peaks, groaning in pleasure at the sweet taste of her skin. Her body responded, her nipples swelling and hardening as he licked and sucked the tender flesh, using her soft cries to guide his actions. Her hand closed over his and she slid it between her legs, to where she was hot and slick and impossibly tempting.

His cock throbbed in painful anticipation. He knew the way two bodies joined, of course, but he had never expected to experience it personally. As he explored, finding the small, tight entrance to her cunt, he brushed against another nub of flesh and she cried out. He drew back at once.

“Did I hurt you?”

“Oh no. I am very sensitive there.” Her voice dropped and even in the dim light, he could see her cheeks color. “It is another place you can kiss.”

He obeyed immediately, her delicious essence exploding in his mouth in a burst of sweetness. By the Horns of Moroz, this was even better than her cookies. When he found the swollen nub with his mouth, she cried out again, and then her body was shaking in his arms as more of her sweetness washed over his tongue.

This time, he had no concern that he was hurting her.

His aching cock could no longer be denied. He placed it at the entrance to her cunt, the heated kiss of her flesh almost destroying his control, then pushed. For a horrifying moment her body resisted, and he was terrified that she was too small to take him, but then her body flowered open around him and he entered her.

Never had he experienced such sheer, physical pleasure. The base of his spine tingled and he could feel his seed gathering, but he fought to retain control as he slowly pressed deeper and deeper, the heated grip of her flesh only adding to his ecstasy. By the time he had embedded himself completely, he was shaking, tiny tremors skating across his skin as he fought for control.

He looked up to find her watching him, her eyes huge and dark in the dimness.

“I did not know.”

“I didn’t either.”

She reached up and brushed aside a strand of his hair, an oddly tender gesture that threatened his restraint.

“And now it’s time to lose control.” Her fingers closed around the base of his horns and she squeezed them.

He roared and lost himself completely. Mindless to everything but the need to bury himself over and over in the hot, wet haven of her body. He heard her call his name, felt her rise to meet him, but his need drove him on, until the tidal wave swept over him. His body erupted in long, pulsing bursts of heat that seemed to come from his very soul, until at last he collapsed down over her. Limp, drained, and more at peace than he had ever been.

Her arms and legs tightened around him, holding him securely in her embrace as she murmured meaningless words and caressed his back in long, soothing strokes.

She was half asleep when he reluctantly pulled free and went to fetch a cleansing cloth. Her lips curved in a sleepy smile as he tended to her. He frowned at the pile of discarded clothing and left again to retrieve one of his shirts for her to sleep in, along with a pair of loose pants for himself. Then he carried her back to his bed and placed her next to Lottie. Her hand seemed to cling to his, even as her eyes closed.

After a brief hesitation, he climbed in next to her, smiling when she snuggled back against him. He hadn’t slept with anyone since the long-ago days of his childhood when he and the other abandoned children had huddled together for warmth and protection. He hadn’t realized until he arrived at the training school that most Tandroki slept alone.

This was different from his childhood in every way that counted, but there was a familiarity to it - a familiarity and a comfort. He wrapped her in his arms and fell peacefully asleep.

Chapter Eight

Jenna woke up filled with a lazy satisfaction, her body still humming pleasantly. Nicholas had his arm around her waist, his big body warm and firm behind her, and she liked the way he felt there. Lottie was still asleep next to her, but her lips were moving and Jenna suspected it wouldn’t be much longer until she woke up. Nutty’s eyes were already open and she smiled fondly at the two of them, then frowned as a memory from the previous night reappeared. There was something oddly familiar about this angle, and she suddenly recalled the monitor Nicholas had pointed out.

The camera had been focused on Lottie’s face, from much the same position she was in now - or more accurately, from Nutty’s position. And he had not been part of the picture. Had Nicholas been watching Lottie through Nutty’s eyes? It didn’t seem possible, but hadn’t he said something about a drone? She reached for the small animal as she tried to recall the details, and Nicholas’s arm immediately tightened around her waist.

She rolled over to find him smiling at her - a smile that faded as he saw the expression on her face.

“What is wrong?” he asked quietly. “Do you regret our encounter?”

Did she? No, she decided, but the feeling of satisfaction had disappeared. This was a new day and as wonderful as the previous evening had been, it was time to return to her normal life. A decision that would be much easier if he had behaved as she suspected.

“That isn’t what’s bothering me.” She put a restraining hand on his chest when he relaxed and started to pull her closer. “Last night you said something about a drone. Did you mean Nutty?”

An expression she couldn’t read flickered across his face, and then he nodded. An aching feeling of betrayal swept over her as she remembered all of the times she had looked up and seen Nutty watching them intently.

“You mean you’ve been spying on us all this time?”

“Not exactly - but that was my original intention.”

She pushed impatiently at his chest, trying to remember to keep her voice low.

“Let me up.”

He opened his mouth, then shook his head and stood. She climbed out of bed as well, pacing to the window and back. He watched her but remained silent.

“Why?” she demanded finally.

“My… background has not encouraged me to trust others. When Lottie started watching me, I was suspicious of her intentions.”

“Suspicious? Of a child?”

“Children can do terrible things.” He hesitated, then pointed to the tarnished golden ball. “I found that as a child. It was the most precious thing I had - the only thing that was truly mine. An older child tried to take it from me.” He ran his finger across a long, thin scar on his abdomen. “We fought, but I won. I keep it to remind myself that you have to fight for what you want.”

Her heart ached for the desperate child he had been, but she couldn’t entirely forget her anger.

“You must have realized that Lottie wasn’t like that. That I wasn’t like that.”

“I suspected that you were not.”

“Then why did you keep watching us?”

He looked back over at the bed. Nutty was sitting up, his eyes following them. “The drone was… resistant to leaving the child. And I - I enjoyed watching you.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“No.” For once he made no attempt to hide his sorrow. “I have never been a truly honorable Tandroki warrior.”

Before she could demand more of an explanation, Lottie’s head popped up, her eyes widening as she looked at Jenna.

“Mama, why are you wearing Santa’s jammies?”

The question took her by surprise, and she blushed as she looked down at the silky red shirt she was wearing. She had been vaguely aware of him pulling a garment over her head the previous night, but she’d been too sleepy - and satisfied - to question it at the time.

“Half of his jammies,” Lottie added thoughtfully, looking over at Nicholas.

She had noticed that he wasn’t wearing a shirt, but now she realized that he was wearing a matching pair of red silk pants. They hung low on his hips, and she blushed again as she remembered what lay beneath the thin cloth.

“I wanted your mother to be comfortable,” Nicholas said calmly, his face smooth once more.

Lottie’s bottom lip quivered. “I want to be comfortable too.”

“I will see what I can do. Are you ready for breakfast?”

The question distracted Lottie and she bounced up eagerly. “Can we have pancakes?”

“I do not know. Do you think you can instruct the replicator, Jenna?”

“Maybe?” She sighed, and did her best to let go of the remnants of her anger. “I can try anyway.”

The pancakes were not in fact very successful, and the tension from their discussion lingered between them. Even Lottie seemed to pick up on it, glancing uneasily between them.

He disappeared after their meal, returning only long enough to hand her her clothes. She found herself surprisingly reluctant to take off his shirt. All the more reason to do so, she told herself as she slipped back into her ordinary clothes. The red silk had been a pleasant change, but it was time to return to her real life - one that didn’t involve a big, sexy alien who would break her heart if she let him.

He reappeared while Lottie and Nutty were playing with the ball again. She was watching them, remembering the look on his face when he’d talked about the ball.

“The snow will be ending this afternoon,” he said softly as he came to join her on the window seat.

Her chest ached, but she forced herself to nod. “I see. We will leave as soon as it does.”

“You do not have to leave.”

“Yes. Yes, I think we do. This is not our life - and it’s not yours. We just came together briefly.”

He opened his mouth, then sighed and shook his head. “Perhaps you are right. Will you allow Lottie to return?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want her to be hurt when you leave.” Her daughter laughed triumphantly as she pounced on the ball. “Although I suspect it’s already too late.”

Just as it’s too late for me.

“Perhaps it will help that she thinks of me as this legend of yours.”

“Maybe.”

“Will you let her keep Nutty?”

“So you can spy on us?”

“No. I will not watch you in the future. I means so that she will have a companion.”

“What will happen to him when you leave?”

“Nothing. He is not dependent on my presence.”

“Then I guess he can stay.”

Lottie was whispering intently to the little creature - to the drone - and Jenna suddenly understood the temptation to listen in and find out what her daughter was confiding to him.

“Thank you,” Nicholas said solemnly, and disappeared again.

When he returned, the snow had just stopped falling and she was wearily thinking about the cold walk home.

“I have brought presents,” he announced.

“But it’s not the Longest Night.” Lottie looked almost panicked. “You can’t.”

“These are different. They are going home presents.” He handed Lottie a small red package.

Jenna could see curiosity and concern vying for dominance on her daughter’s face, but in the end, curiosity won out. Lottie opened the package, then grinned happily as she held up a small red outfit.

“It’s Santa jammies!”

“They are not just for sleeping. They will protect you from the weather.” He handed Jenna a slightly larger package. “And you also.”

“I don’t understand.”

“The material is impervious to cold and rain. It will protect you when I am… not around.”

A lump appeared in her throat, but she did her best to smile. “Thank you.”

“You are very welcome.”

Once again he seemed on the verge of speaking, but he didn’t add anything else.

They both donned their new clothes - although she put her regular clothes on top of the extremely form fitting garment - then headed for the landing ramp. It wasn’t until they reached it that Lottie finally seemed to realize that they were leaving.

“Where are we going, Mama?”

“Back home, sweetheart.”

“But, Santa…” Her lips started to tremble as she looked up at Nicholas.

“Santa has to stay here.”

“But…”

He knelt down next to her. “I have to stay here, little one. This is my… workshop.”

A lump appeared in her throat as she realized he was using her Santa story to try and help Lottie understand.

“Can I still come and bring you cookies?”

He looked up at her instead of answering.

“We’ll have to see, Lottie. Especially now that the weather is getting colder.”

“But I have my Santa suit.”

“We’ll see,” she repeated, and Lottie gave a reluctant nod before throwing her arms around Nicholas’s neck.

“I love you, Santa,” Lottie whispered.

The expression of shock on his face only made her heart ache more. She was quite sure no one had ever told him that before.

“Let’s go, sweetheart.”

Lottie sniffed and let go, then called for Nutty. The small creature scampered eagerly after her, and Jenna bit her lip. Somehow the fact that he was a drone seemed far less important than the thought of taking anything else away from her daughter.

“I will not watch,” he said quietly.

“Thank you.”

“Goodbye, Jenna. I am… glad you came.”

The lump in her throat was too big to permit her to speak. She managed a quick nod, then headed after her daughter. When she reached the edge of the clearing, she chanced a look back at the tall, lonely figure watching them. Tears blinded her as she took Lottie’s hand and headed home.

Chapter Nine

“Mama. Mama!” Lottie’s insistent voice finally penetrated Jenna’s exhausted sleep. She had tossed and turned for what seemed like hours the previous night, missing the comfort of the big bed on the ship. Missing Nicholas. No matter how often she tried to tell herself that she had done the right thing, she kept remembering him standing there alone.

Lottie had been equally subdued, her small body drooping, but now she sounded like her usual self as she tugged impatiently on the blanket.

“Wake up, Mama.”

“What is it, sweetheart? Why are you up so early?”

“There’s a clatter!”

“A clatter? What do you mean?” Her sleep fogged mind was having a hard time keeping up.

“A clatter on the roof. Do you think it’s Santa?”

A sudden wild flare of hope made her eyes spring open, even though she knew it was ridiculous. Why would he have followed them here?

“Listen,” Lottie insisted.

This time she heard it – a low scraping noise on the roof over the passageway which always leaked. Jumping up, she wrapped her robe around her shoulders and headed for the window. Dawn was only just breaking, the dim gray light barely enough to distinguish the trees from the surrounding fields, but everything looked normal. No tall, red clad figure was standing in the clearing.

The scraping noise occurred a second time, and she threw open the window, craning her neck to try and see the roof but it was impossible from this angle. Lottie and Nutty followed enthusiastically as she made her way to the side door and then out onto the snow-covered grass.

He was there, his big body crouched on the rooftop, his horns silhouetted against the gradually paling sky. As she watched, he pulled a wooden shake out of a big bag and slid it into place on the roof. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Nicholas. What are you doing up there?”

He paused long enough to look back over his shoulder at her. She couldn’t quite make out his expression, but his voice was as cool and arrogant as always.

“I am mending your roof, of course.”

“Yes, I can see that. But why?”

There was the slightest hesitation. “Because I do not want the child to become ill again.”

Without waiting for a response, he bent back over his task. He hadn’t exactly answered her question, but it seemed silly to continue yelling up at him while he was on the roof. She looked down at Lottie, who was smiling happily as she watched Nicholas, and sighed.

“Come inside for breakfast when you’re finished.”

It wasn’t until he dipped his head in a brief assent that she realized how much she had wanted him to agree. This is a bad idea, she thought, but as she headed inside to begin the meal, she smiled.

I am an idiot, Nicholas decided as he watched Jenna and Lottie disappear back into their residence. Ever since they had left the previous day, he had been restless and out of sorts. The ship had seemed unusually silent without Lottie’s laughter, and he kept remembering additional subjects he wished to discuss with Jenna. Additional ways in which to explore her delicious body. He had attempted to sleep but the bed seemed cold and empty without her. Eventually he had given up the attempt and ended up re-watching the feeds from his drone. He had promised not to continue to watch them, but he had said nothing about the recordings he had already made.

As he watched, some of the things he had paid little attention to before took on new significance. How had he not realized that their shelter was in such disrepair? Water actually came through the roof. What if Lottie became wet and chilled once again? He shuddered at the memory of her small body so silent and still. An honorable male could not stand by and allow that to happen. He spent the rest of the night creating wooden shakes to repair the damaged roof. And if his desire to begin the repairs led him to their home as soon as the sky began to lighten, it was only because it was prudent to begin work as early as possible, not because he was impatient to see them.

By the time he had used up his supply of shingles, the sun was well above the horizon. Now that his task was accomplished, he should go, but Jenna had invited him for a meal and it would be inhospitable to refuse. Lottie was chasing Nutty when he entered the big kitchen. The drone swerved to avoid him but the little girl almost collided with his leg. When he caught her in mid collision, she smiled up at him, and he had that strange aching sensation in his chest again. He looked over to find Jenna watching them. Her face was flushed and she was smiling, but when their eyes met, he could see a question in their depths. But it was not one that he could answer.

“Your meal smells most enticing,” he said instead.

“I’m making pancakes with honey syrup. Since you like my cookies so much, I suspect you will enjoy these.”

She was quite right. The pancakes were soft, light, and delicious, made even better by the syrup she poured over the top. It wasn’t until he devoured the first plate that he looked up to find both females watching him with identical looks of amusement.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked stiffly.

“Not at all. I’m glad you enjoy my cooking.” Jenna took his plate and went to refill it while Lottie grinned at him.

“I like pancakes too. But Mama usually only makes them on special occasions.”

“Is this a special occasion?”

“Course it is. Because you’re here.”

Jenna returned before he could respond, but that didn’t stop the pleasant warmth from filling his chest. He managed to restrain his appetite and eat more slowly this time as Lottie chattered away about everything that had happened in the short time since they had left him. Jenna said little but he was overwhelmingly conscious of her sitting across the table from him. So close that he could easily reach out and lift her into his lap. The memory of their time on the ship flashed through his mind, and his cock inevitably responded. He didn’t realize he was staring at her until she blushed and looked away.

“I didn’t hear any hammering,” she said, still avoiding his glance. “What are you using for nails?”

“I am not using nails. I am using an adhesive. It will hold the shingles in place despite any changes in the weather and it will not permit water to enter.”

He did not mention that it had taken most of his remaining supply of lubricant to create the substance.

“That’s amazing. I don’t think we had anything like that even when the replicators were working.”

“You had replicators?”

Her delicate brows drew together. “We had a variety of machines on the colony ship. Some of them were destroyed in the original crash, some of them eventually needed repairs we could not perform, and some of them simply required materials we didn’t have. They were not intended to last forever without additional supplies.”

“And you do not know how you ended up here?”

She shook her head. “The story I grew up believing was that the pilot had made some type of error. But this past fall when the caravan came through, I heard a new story. Something about an anomaly in this section of the stars.”

Could that be it? Could that be why Krampasarian had never returned? And why he too had ended up on this planet? His original mission to find his rival had been almost forgotten as he strove to repair his ship, but it resurfaced now.

“Do you know where the new story originated?”

“I’m not entirely sure. It might’ve been in one of the smaller mountain villages. The caravan comes twice a year. You could ask –”

She stopped abruptly and he could see the realization across her face. “I wasn’t thinking. Of course you will be gone by then.”

Lottie tugged urgently on his sleeve. “But you’ll be back, won’t you? Santa comes back every year.”

The beseeching look in those big blue eyes made his chest ache again, and he couldn’t think of a reply. Jenna came to the rescue.

“But you can’t always see Santa, remember?”

Lottie’s lip trembled, and she edged closer to him on the bench.

“Why don’t you show Nicholas the picture you drew last night?” Jenna suggested gently.

Lottie nodded reluctantly and climbed down. “Wait here.”

“I will await your return.”

Jenna sighed as her daughter left the room. “I think deep down she knows that you’re not Santa, but it seems very important to her to believe that you are.”

“I do not wish to disappoint her.”

When Lottie returned, he dutifully admired her drawing, then reluctantly departed. The further away from them he got, the more he felt as if he was leaving something precious behind. If he felt like this now, how was he going to feel when he actually left the planet?

He returned to his clearing, but was unable to settle on a task. The nanobots were still busily repairing his ship, the majority of the downed trees had been chopped into lumber, and the maintenance schedule he had established seemed unimportant. Once again he found himself reviewing the drone footage. Instead of lingering over Jenna’s smiles or Lottie’s happy laughter, he concentrated on their surroundings. There was so much work to be done.

I cannot leave them like this, he decided. The least he could do was to make sure that he had done everything in his power to provide for them before the repairs to his ship were completed. He discarded his original maintenance schedule, and began a new list.

Chapter Ten

Two weeks later, Jenna looked around in disbelief. Despite her attempts to protest, Nicholas had shown up every day, and every day he had repaired or updated some part of their home. The crumbling stucco that covered the larger portion of the house had been replaced with a smooth new coat. The fields behind the house had been cleared and made ready for the winter. The encroaching trees had been cut back and used to fill the wood shed - although that had been a subject of some debate

Nicholas did not approve of wood fired heat, and he had wanted to replace her stove with a heating unit similar to the one he had on his ship. She had eventually won that argument by pointing out that if the technology failed, she would have no alternative source of heat. She suspected that mentioning that the food he enjoyed so much was produced on a wood stove had been a significant factor as well. However, that had been one of the few arguments she had won.

When it became obvious that he intended to keep appearing and helping her, she had attempted to dissuade him. He had simply given her one of his arrogant looks and proceeded to do just as he had originally intended. And it was hard to argue with the results. The work did need to be done and she had no way of doing it. If only she wasn’t afraid that relying on him was going to make life that much harder once he was gone - or that she would miss him even more.

She worried about Lottie as well. Lottie was thrilled at his daily visits and happily followed him around, helping him. He never objected, and it made her chest ache to see them together – the small dark head and the large horned one bent together over some task. How patient he was with her daughter. What was Lottie going to do when he left?

For that matter, how was she going to cope? Repairs aside, she liked having him here. Liked when they shared a smile over something that Lottie had said. Liked looking up from her work table and seeing him in the fields outside. And even though they had not succumbed to temptation again, her body seemed to exist in a constant low hum of arousal. She found herself dreaming of him, and waking up with a needy ache between her legs, his name on her lips.

Usually he left before the early winter evening enclosed in, but he had been working on a special project today and he was still working when the sun went down. Curious to see what he was doing, she went to join him and Lottie in the entrance hall of the manor house.

A soft glow filled the room when she entered, and she looked up to find a lighted globe hovering over her head. She laughed.

“Perhaps it’s just as well we don’t have that technology any longer or I would be out of business. What are you –”

The words died in her mouth as she saw the results of his labor.

“Look, Mama.” Lottie came dancing over with Nutty perched on her shoulder. “Santa made a window.”

“I can see that.” She stared at the smooth, clear pane as he finished fitting it in place. The window next to the entry had been broken for several years but the glass to replace it was rare and expensive. And nowhere near this quality, she thought as she inspected it.

“This is amazing. How did you do it?”

He looked pleased, even though he shrugged dismissively. “I reconfigured the material replicator. The sand on the beach has the right properties to make glass. The most difficult part was constructing the frame so that the replacement would be the appropriate size.”

“You know how rare this is?” She stroked her fingers over the perfectly smooth surface. “Most of the villages have gone back to using hand blown panes. This would be worth a fortune.”

He tilted his head, his horns gleaming in the soft glow of the artificial light.

“If I constructed more, could you sell them?”

It was a tempting idea, but…

“I don’t know. I doubt anyone in Bayport has the funds these days, and transportation to another village would be difficult and expensive.”

“Which would require you to charge more,” he agreed. “Are there others who could afford to pay for that?”

“Perhaps, but none that we could find before you leave.”

The words hung between them in the silence of the entry hall, and she saw Lottie’s lip quiver.

“Let’s not worry about that right now,” she said quickly. “It looks beautiful. Why don’t you come and have some supper?”

“I should return to the ship.”

But despite his words, he followed her readily into the kitchen. Tonight they were having roast “pig.” The small native animals were frequently domesticated, but Nicholas had hunted for this one. He and Lottie both ate eagerly, but even though the meat was delicious, she only picked her plate.

“Is something wrong, Jenna?” he asked quietly.

She looked at Lottie, then shook her head and went to fetch their dessert. As always, Nicholas consumed the sweet eagerly, and she smiled.

“You have such a sweet tooth.”

“I am not used to such deliciousness.” He gestured at his plate, but his eyes were on her mouth. She shivered as she remembered him describing her that way.

He did not rush off after dinner, but stayed and helped her clean the kitchen. Then the three of them played a game until Lottie’s eyelids began to droop. Her daughter insisted that both of them accompany her to bed and asked Nicholas to tell her a story. He looked shocked, and Jenna was just about to intervene and rescue him when he started telling the tale of a magical prince who had everything he had ever wanted and the little boy who wanted to be that prince.

Where had that story come from, Jenna wondered. She could hear the loneliness and envy in his voice as he described the little prince.

After Lottie fell asleep, he accompanied her silently back to the kitchen. The candles had burned low and they stood staring at each other in the flickering glow.

“I should leave.” His voice sounded strained.

“Yes.”

“I do not want to go.”

Even knowing that it would be much harder when he left the planet, she didn’t want him to leave either.

“Then stay,” she whispered.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

The word was barely out of her mouth before he seemed to swoop at her. And then his mouth was on hers and she forgot everything in the frantic urgency of his kiss. God, she had missed this. Her body molded against his, her breasts swollen and aching as they rubbed against that broad, hard chest. One of his hands cupped her ass, kneading the supple flesh, while the other held her head in place for his kiss. The heated bar of his cock pressed against her stomach and she tried to grind her needy clit against the thick shaft. He groaned and helped her move against him as he started to lower her to the kitchen table. It wasn’t until she felt the wood against her back that she regained some sense.

“No,” she gasped

He drew back immediately, and she saw the flash of hurt that crossed his face before his normal arrogant mask snapped back into place.

“I did not mean to –”

“No! I mean, I didn’t mean no. Just not here. My bedroom is –”

She didn’t get a chance to finish. His mouth covered hers again as he lifted her back in his arms and carried her into her small room behind the kitchen. They landed on the bed and she heard fabric rip before a big warm hand slid up her thigh. He growled when he found her slick and ready, and then his thick cock was at her entrance. He thrust inside with one hard, wonderful stroke, filling her completely and sending her soaring into a shattering climax. He didn’t stop, thrusting frantically into her quivering body until he too exploded in a wave of heat. She felt his muscles relax as he pulled her more tightly into his arms and gave a shuddering sigh.

“I have missed that very much.”

“Me too.”

He lifted his head and even though no candles had been lit in the bedroom, she could see his eyes gleaming at her.

“I want to stay with you.”

Her heart skipped a beat, but she was afraid to hope.

“You mean until you leave?” she asked cautiously.

His eyes closed for a fraction of a second, and then he nodded.

“Yes.”

I’m not disappointed, she told herself.

“I want you to stay as well, but I have to think about Lottie.”

“Do you not think that she would like me to stay?”

Her lips twisted. “Oh, I know she would love for you to stay. But that’s the problem. It was hard enough just leaving your ship. I don’t want her to think you’re going to stay with us permanently.”

“I would not do anything to hurt her.” He hesitated. “I will leave before she awakens, but perhaps I can stay a little longer tonight?”

“I would like that.”

She snuggled closer, then smiled when she realized that his horns were against the wall and his feet were hanging over the edge of the bed.

“This bed doesn’t fit you very well.”

“As long as you are in it, it fits me perfectly.” Another pause. “But why did you choose this room? There are larger rooms – and larger beds – in the other part of the house.”

“This is small and easy to heat.” She sighed. “You’ve seen the condition of the rest of the house. I’m afraid I just gave up on everything except Lottie’s room.”

“There was prosperity here once. What happened?”

“About five years ago, the fish started to disappear. Because Bayport is a fishing village, it has been declining ever since. My stepfather Thomas did his best to help out, but he depleted his own resources in the process.” She ran her fingers absently over his chest as she thought about the future. “As much as I appreciate everything you’ve done, I’m not sure how long we will be able to stay here.”

“I see. Where would you go?”

“To a village further down the coast, perhaps. But I don’t want to leave – I love it here and so does Lottie. And who knows? Maybe the fish will come back.”

He didn’t say anything, and she didn’t want to spend the rest of their time together worrying about an uncertain future. She let her fingers trail down across the ridges of his abdomen to skate lightly across his cock. He responded immediately to her touch, and she pushed aside her worries about the future to concentrate on the present.

Chapter Eleven

Nicholas slipped reluctantly out of Jenna’s bed just before dawn. She watched him leave, her eyes wide and solemn, but she didn’t protest. He knew she was right about not raising Lottie’s hopes, but it didn’t make leaving her any easier. As he made his way back to his ship, he replayed the conversation of the previous night in his mind.

Were all his efforts in vain? He had assured himself that he was taking care of them by restoring their residence. But what good would that do if the village was abandoned and they had to leave?

If they had to leave…

He stopped dead in his tracks. If they were going to leave anyway, why couldn’t they come with him? The more he considered the idea, the more he liked it. If they were with him, he would be assured of their welfare. He had both the funds and the position to give them everything they deserved. Assuming he still had his position, of course. Given the length of his disappearance, it was quite possible that he had been replaced as ambassador.

He shrugged as he resumed walking. No matter. He still had the funds he had been so carefully saving over the years, and the position that had once seemed so important no longer seemed as significant. Jenna and Lottie did not care where he had come from or how wretched his childhood had been, and being with them was far more rewarding than any title. The more he thought about the idea, the more it delighted him and he could hardly wait to return and inform Jenna of his decision.

He grabbed the materials for his latest project, and waited impatiently for the sun to rise so that he could return. Lottie came dancing out to meet him, his drone perched on her shoulder. When she held up her arms for a hug, he almost told her that they would be together from now on. At the last second, he decided that perhaps Jenna should be the first to know.

When he entered the kitchen, she gave him a shy smile, her cheeks flushing pink. She looked even more beautiful this morning and once again, he had to fight back the impulse to tell her immediately. He would wait until they were alone, he decided, and she could thank him appropriately.

After breakfast he began work on his latest project – a small, glass enclosed house to raise winter vegetables. It was perhaps pointless if they were to be leaving soon, but there was still more work to be done on the ship, and he knew that it would delight Jenna. By the time night fell, he had constructed the frame with Lottie’s assistance. Tomorrow he would begin creating the glass panes.

But tonight, there was dinner with his females, and games, and a bedtime story, and then he was finally alone with Jenna. She gave him a sleepy smile as she poured him the sweet drink she called hot chocolate.

“For some reason, I feel tired today.”

“I apologize. I should have let you sleep.”

She laughed as she came over and sat down on his lap. “I wasn’t complaining. Last night was definitely worth the loss of sleep.”

“Would you like more nights like that?”

“Of course.” A shadow crossed her face, almost too quickly for him to detect. “While you’re here.”

“They do not have to end,” he blurted out.

“I don’t understand.”

He had planned a speech, but his careful words deserted him now.

“You should come with me. You and Lottie. When I leave, I mean.”

“Come with you?”

She looked shocked rather than thrilled. Had he misunderstood the attachment between them?

“I thought you wished to be with me. I am an important male – I have a good position and more than adequate funds to care for you and Lottie.”

“I’m not interested in your money or your position.” She sprang up from his lap and began pacing back and forth across the kitchen. “Don’t you realize what you’re asking?”

“I am giving you the opportunity for a better life.”

“Are you?” She stopped pacing and returned to his side. “You told me that Tandroki children leave home at an early age to attend school.”

“That is correct. The appropriate school is the start of a path to a successful life.”

“And you would put Lottie in such a school?”

No. The thought of Lottie in the cold, barren surroundings of his training school appalled him. And yet, it was the Tandroki way.

“I do not know,” he admitted.

“Do you have a house with a garden and room for her to play in the fresh air?”

“The ambassador’s residence on Perchten has very finely landscaped gardens.”

“Somehow I suspect that finely landscaped gardens are not compatible with a child playing.” She took his hand, her small fingers lacing with his. “And that’s only part of it. Will your people accept a human female and a child?”

Would they? Tandroki society was rigidly stratified. He’d had a hard enough time escaping his background, and he was Tandroki. As much as he wanted to assure her that they would be accepted, he suspected that she was correct.

“I accept you. Is that not enough?”

“It is when the three of us are alone, but we won’t always be alone. Lottie will want to go to school and have friends and get married one day. I have friends here in the village, people I grew up with. I don’t want to lose that.”

The ache in his chest continued to grow. “I see.”

“Do you? I lo – care for you very much, as does Lottie. We don’t want to lose you, but I don’t know if we could be happy in your world.”

Despite everything he had worked for, it was not enough. He was not enough.

“Very well.”

He could hear the stiffness in his voice, and he suspected Jenna could as well.

“Do you still want to stay tonight?” she asked softly.

“I… I do not know.”

“I want to be close to you, while I can, but only if you want that as well.”

How could he refuse? Despite his lingering sense of hurt, he didn’t want to let his pride prevent their time together.

When he nodded, she took his hand and led him into her room. He still felt stiff, awkward, and for once, he let her take the initiative.

She unfastened his thermal suit and let it fall to the ground, then pressed a kiss to his chest. Her small mouth on his chest should not be so arousing, but as she continued to kiss a line down across his stomach, his desire grew. By the time her mouth reached the base of his cock, he was fully, achingly erect.

“Jenna,” he gasped as her cheek brushed against his rigid shaft. “What are you doing?”

“I’m kissing you.” Her warm breath whispered across his flesh.

“But…”

“Remember when you asked me what places were pleasurable to kiss? This is one of them.”

The hot, wet heat of her mouth closed around the head of his cock, and he exploded, the unexpected pleasure sweeping through his system as his fingers tangled in her hair. She swallowed eagerly, then smiled up at him when his shudders faintly stopped.

She looked so beautiful, so pleased to have given him pleasure, that he wanted to roar with frustration. How could she not see that they belonged together?

But he had no more words, no other arguments to convince her to come with him. All he could do was pick her up and show her with his body how much he worshipped her.

Nicholas was unusually subdued over the next few days, his face locked in that arrogant mask that Jenna knew concealed his hurt. He continued to come to the manor, continued his efforts to make their life easier. The greenhouse he constructed was a delicate marvel of wood and glass and a lump appeared in her throat every time she looked at it.

And he stayed with her each evening, making love to her with a fierce, silent intensity. She felt the same urgency. She could feel the days ticking away and the knowledge that he would be leaving soon hung over them like a shadow.

They were lying together on the fourth night after his offer, both of them awake. She was staring through the window at the big red moon high overhead and wondering what the moon on his world looked like.

“I have been considering your problem,” he said suddenly.

“What problem?”

“The village. And the disappearing fish.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You said there were other villages along the coast, correct? And they have not experienced the same issue?”

“No. It seems to be confined to us.”

“Then there must be a reason specific to this area. I intend to investigate.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“Remember the story you told Lottie? About the ship that went beneath the water? I have a small flyer on board the ship. It is resistant to the atmosphere so it will also function under the water, as long as I do not go too deep.”

“You’re going to fly under the water?” The prospect was both thrilling and slightly terrifying. “Is that safe?”

“Of course. As I said, the flyer is equipped to handle it.”

“What are you going to look for?”

“I am not entirely certain,” he admitted. “I suspect it is some kind of environmental change. I thought I would start by investigating the temperature of the water to see if it remains consistent.”

“It could also be a change in the underwater vegetation,” she said thoughtfully.

“I’m not sure if I would recognize that. Would you?”

“I don’t know. I know the signs of an unhealthy plant in my gardens, but I don’t know if that applies underwater.”

“Would you like to accompany me?”

The part of her that had once recklessly followed a sailor to sea gave an enthusiastic assent, but she was older and wiser now. Still, it would be a chance to see something that no one else on this planet had seen. And possibly a way to help the village.

“Yes, I think I would. But I will need to find someone to stay with Lottie while we’re gone.”

“Then we will go as soon as you have made the arrangements.”

Chapter Twelve

Two days later, Jenna hurried down the path to the beach. She hadn’t been this way since her desperate search for Lottie the night of the storm, and she shivered as she remembered. At least today she knew her daughter was safe. Lottie was staying in town with Jenna’s friend Rianna, who had a daughter Lottie’s age.

Unlike that terrifying night, the water was calm today, the waves washing gently in and out of the cove. Nicholas was waiting at the far end of the beach, and her heart skipped a beat as she headed for him. He looked so big and imposing, his horns gleaming in the pale winter sunlight, but his smile filled her with warmth.

“Are you ready, Jenna?”

“I think so.”

She gave the waiting flyer a somewhat doubtful look. It was a sleek, triangular vessel, not much larger than the miller’s cart. The upper half was clear glass and when he pressed a hidden catch, it lifted silently into the air to reveal a small seating area.

She hesitated, and he smiled at her again.

“Do not worry. I will not let anything happen to you.”

She returned the smile and climbed aboard, hoping that he couldn’t see her knees tremble. He took the seat in front of her and then the glass top settled back into place.

The flyer lifted quietly into the air, so quietly that she didn’t even realize at first that they were moving until the sand beneath them was replaced by water.

“I am going to go out to the headland.” He pointed at the rocky promontory that made up one side of the cove. “Then we will go underwater.”

She nodded and tried not to clenched the armrests too tightly as they skimmed across the water. As soon as they left the cove, she could feel the wind buffeting the small craft, and it was almost a relief when they slipped beneath the surface.

Dark blue water surrounded them, but enough sunlight penetrated the surface that their surroundings were clearly visible. Even though she could see the froth of white bubbles where the waves crashed against the rocks above, it was peaceful within their small vessel.

“I thought we would follow the shoreline for a short distance, then head out into deeper water.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a book. “I… removed this from the library when I took Lottie into the village this morning.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a textbook about ocean life back on Earth. I know it’s not exactly the same, but I thought it might be helpful.”

She tried to suppress her feeling of guilt. Their few precious books were not actually supposed to leave the library, but then again, if they didn’t find a way to save the village, the library wouldn’t survive either.

“What should we be looking for?”

“Areas of dying vegetation. Places where the color of the rocks or the water have changed.”

He nodded, and they continued silently along the coast. Nothing seemed to fit the description in the book, and yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

“There aren’t any fish.” She wasn’t quite sure why she was whispering, but she was growing increasingly uneasy.

“You are correct.” He responded just as quietly. “And I do not see any sign of crustaceans along the rocks. It is almost as if they have been scraped clean.”

“What could do that? Would a storm have that effect?”

“I do not know.” He bent over the instrument panel. “The water is warmer here than it was closer to the cove. It is possible that is a factor.”

“Why would the water be warmer? We’re going further north.”

“The closer we get to that cave, the warmer it gets.” He pointed to a huge dark opening in the rocks ahead, frowning thoughtfully. “Perhaps some kind of seismic disturbance?”

The sight of the dark cave made her even more nervous, but she nodded reluctantly. “We should probably take a look.”

Her anxiety must have been obvious because he shot her a quick glance. “I could take you back to the beach and return on my own.”

Wait on the beach by herself, knowing that he was going into that mysterious cave?

“No,” she said immediately. “Let’s take a look together.”

The opening was more like a huge tunnel, climbing slightly upwards and around a corner, but once they were inside, it wasn’t quite as dark as she had expected. When they came around the last curve, the water brightened even more.

“There must be an opening above,” he said quietly. “And look, the water doesn’t fill it completely.”

He brought the flyer to the surface of the water, heading for the ledge of rock he’d pointed out. The walls of the cave gleamed dark and mysterious, and the light no longer seemed as reassuring.

“Maybe we should leave -”

The wall of the cave moved, and a huge shape came out of the darkness, catching the flyer and sending it smashing into the rock. The roof popped open as the flyer crashed, but they landed above the waterline and the ocean didn’t come rushing in.

“Nicholas,” she whispered, trying not to panic. “What was that?”

“I think I know where the fish have gone,” he said grimly, his eyes focused on the far wall. She could still see it moving but she couldn’t make out any specific shapes. “Stay here, and try to keep out of its sight.”

And then he was gone, climbing quickly up the ledge until he was about halfway up the wall. As she watched in horror, the opposite wall seemed to come closer and closer until she could finally see that it wasn’t rock - it was a huge, nightmarish creature. Almost as large as her house, the monster was a horrible combination of the sea creatures in her book. Multiple arms, all tipped with enormous claws, surrounded a wide gaping mouth, while numerous small, yellow eyes gleamed against the black, rock-like body.

Nicholas looked impossibly small next to the monster, but he waited calmly until another one of those enormous arms swiped at him. She bit back a cry when it looked as if it would strike him, but he jumped free - and straight out onto the arm, running rapidly along it and towards the main body of the creature. What the hell was he doing?

She almost lost sight of him against the dark shell, but then there was a muffled roar that shook the cave and one of the yellow eyes blinked out. The water churned as the creature started to thrash, and a wave washed over her, leaving her gasping and trying desperately to blink the water from her eyes. She couldn’t find Nicholas, but there was another roar, and the water churned again. The creature reared up, almost blocking the light from overhead, but she could see its arms waving wildly. He must be too close for it to reach, she decided, her heart pounding furiously as she tried to see what was happening.

Another one of those enormous arms came flying in her direction, crashing into the cave wall just above her head. More liquid drenched her, but it was blood this time, and she shuddered in horror. There was another roar and the creature seemed to lift even higher, towering over her before slowly collapsing back down, its huge body slumping down into the water and sending another wave cascading over her.

The cave went silent, but there was no sign of a gleaming white head or ivory horns rising from the water.

“Nicholas!” she screamed, desperately blinking the tears from her eyes.

And then he was there, wrapping his arms around her as she cried.

Nicholsarian clutched Jenna to his chest, thanking the gods that she was unharmed. His heart had almost stopped when he’d seen the creature’s arm slam into the wall above her head in its death throes.

“You’re all right,” she whispered frantically.

“Yes, love. I am fine.” He rocked back and forth, making soothing noises, until she finally quieted.

“What was that thing?”

“I do not know, but I do not believe it belonged here. Perhaps it became lost.”

She shuddered and clung to him more tightly. Her skin felt cold beneath his hands, and her body trembled. He needed to get her out of this place as soon as possible. A quick glance revealed that the damage to the flyer could be fixed, but not quickly and not without tools.

“We are going to have to swim out of here,” he said gently.

Her hands tightened on his clothing as she looked down at the dark water. He hoped that her vision wasn’t good enough to see the creature’s body lurking in the darkness.

“How? The tunnel is underwater.”

“Only for a short distance. Just hold on to me and we will be through it before you know it. Are you ready?”

She nodded slowly.

“Good. Now take a few deep breaths. Fill your lungs with oxygen.”

As soon as she obeyed, he pulled her against him and dove. The water was darker now, tainted by the creature’s blood, and its limbs partially blocked the tunnel, but he swam with all his strength. By the time he made it through and reached the surface, she was gasping for breath. At least they were out of the cave and back in the sunlight. Unfortunately, the sunlight did little to warm the icy water and she was shivering helplessly by the time they reached the beach.

He lifted her into his arms and raced for his ship.

Chapter Thirteen

Nicholas watched anxiously as Jenna’s eyes finally opened. He had removed her clothing and given her a dose of medicine as soon as they were onboard and she had fallen asleep immediately. Now she looked dazed for a moment, then smiled up at him.

“Thank god, you’re all right. I had the most terrible dream about a sea monster -” She broke off abruptly as she looked around. “I’m back on your ship.”

“Yes. It was closest to the beach so I brought you here to warm up.”

She shuddered. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?”

“I am afraid not.”

“I was so scared. I thought you were going to die.”

To his horror, she burst into tears.

“Please, love, don’t cry.”

He pressed a gentle kiss against her lips in an attempt to comfort her, but she returned the kiss with an unexpected urgency. His body responded immediately, but he was concerned about whether or not she had fully recovered.

“Jenna, wait…”

“No,” she said fiercely. “I thought I lost you. I need this.”

She tugged him down again, and this time he didn’t resist. He had been just as worried about her, and she was right. He needed her too. The reality of their mouths pressing together, of their bodies joining in the ancient dance, of the soft cry from her lips as her climax swept over her - all of it reaffirmed that they were alive and together.

He made love to her until she was limp and smiling, until her tears had disappeared, until they curled together in contented silence.

“Now that it’s gone, do you think everything will return to normal?” Jenna finally asked.

He hesitated, then told her the truth. “Eventually, yes, but that creature not only consumed the fish, it decimated their environment. I suspect it will take some time to remedy that.”

“So you put yourself in danger for nothing?”

“It needed to be destroyed.”

She sighed. “I know. But I hate to think that we still might need to leave the village.”

“Perhaps you can persuade the others to stay - to give the ocean time to recover.”

“Maybe. If they believe me.”

The thought that they might doubt his female offended him. “I would be happy to corroborate your information.”

A choked laugh escaped her lips. “I think they’d be much too shocked at the sight of you to listen.”

“Shocked?”

“They are used to other humans. I’m not sure how they would react to aliens.”

He turned the thought over in his mind. “Is that why you have not asked me to stay?”

“Stay?” She sat up abruptly, staring down at him. “Would you do that?”

“I do not know,” he admitted. “I worked very hard to achieve success in my society.”

“To become an important male with a good position?”

“Yes.”

“Were you happy?”

No. The answer was quite obvious, but…

“Happiness was not one of my goals.”

“I see.” She sighed and returned to his arms. “I’m afraid this planet doesn’t have much to offer in the way of important positions.”

Only her. And Lottie.

The thought of the child reminded him of their responsibilities.

“You will need to go and collect Lottie soon. And I wonder - could I have dinner with you tonight?”

“Of course.” She sat up, and he watched regretfully as she started to dress.

“I would also like to be the one to put her to bed.”

“That’s fine, but why?”

“I need to know what she wants from Santa. It is less than a week until the Longest Night.” He hesitated, but he didn’t want any secrets between them. “The ship will be ready by then.”

“I see.” He heard the tremor in her voice despite her efforts, and she quickly looked away from him. Her fingers trembled as she tied her cloak around her neck. “We’ll see you at dinner.”

Then she fled, leaving him alone in the empty quiet of his ship.

He arrived for the evening meal to find Jenna still subdued. Lottie, on the other hand, was bouncing with excitement. She proudly presented him with the cookies she had made with her friend, and described all of the other preparations they had been making for the Longest Night.

“We need decorations too, Mama.”

“You’re right, sweetheart. This has been a mixed up kind of year.” Her voice trembled again, but she smiled brightly at Lottie.

Lottie was full of plans over dinner, and she kept looking at him, seeking to include him in those plans. He could not find it within himself to deny her.

When it was time for bed, she went with him happily enough, still coming up with ideas about how to celebrate.

“You know, Lottie,” he said gently, when she finally started to wind down. “We are making all these plans to celebrate Longest Night, but you have not yet told me your wish.”

Her eyes darted away from him. “Don’t you know?”

“I do not. Remember that in your mother’s story, the children write to Santa.”

“But I can’t write well enough.”

“You could tell me instead. Just whisper it into my ear.”

She studied his face, then nodded solemnly. “All right.”

Her small fingers wrapped themselves in his beard as she tugged his head down.

“Can you bring me anything I want?” she asked.

“I am afraid not. Even Santa has his limits. But I will do the best I can.”

“Okay.” She took a deep breath, then leaned up and whispered in his ear.

“I want a daddy.”

Something was obviously bothering Nicholas when he returned from putting Lottie to bed, but when she asked he only shook his head.

“It is a secret between us.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“No!” he growled, then sighed. “Perhaps. After I am gone.”

His words filled her with dread, but she nodded. “I’ll do what I can.”

Despite her agreement, her answer didn’t seem to please him. He growled and swept her off to the bedroom, where he proceeded to make love to her with a fierce, possessive intensity.

After the events of the day, it was perhaps not surprising that they both overslept. He was still with her when Lottie came bouncing into her bedroom the next morning. Her eyes widened, then she giggled and took a flying leap at the bed, landing between them.

“Good morning,” she said cheerfully. “I think Mama should make pancakes this morning.”

“Is it a special occasion?” he asked, his voice strained.

“Yes. Today we decorate.”

Jenna couldn’t help thinking that she had missed something, but her daughter was smiling and they had so little time left with Nicholas.

“Pancakes, it is.”

The week flew by. All pretense of Nicholas leaving was abandoned. He spent every night in her bed, and Lottie cheerfully accepted it. During the day, they decorated the house from top to bottom. Nicholas and Lottie huddled together frequently, growing silent whenever she approached, but she didn’t ask any questions. Despite all the outward festivity, her heart ached almost continuously but she did her best to hide it.

Until finally, they reached the Longest Night.

Chapter Fourteen

The sense of doom hung over Jenna all day, and although she tried to hide it, she didn’t think she was entirely successful. Lottie was oddly subdued as well after the week of excited preparation. When Jenna suggested that they go into the village for the traditional feast, she shook her head decisively.

“Can’t we stay here, Mama?”

“Of course. We can have our own feast.”

Nicholas hunted down another pig, while she prepared stuffing with the last of her fresh vegetables. She baked two pies and a seemingly endless supply of cookies, all of which Lottie decorated, her small face screwed up in concentration.

The feast was more successful than she had anticipated and all of them seemed to relax. Afterwards, they sipped cocoa and ate cookies while Jenna read to them from a book she had borrowed - legally this time - from the village library.

As soon as she was done, Lottie hopped up.

“Time for bed.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “You can stay up a little later tonight since it’s a special occasion.”

“Uh-uh.” Lottie shook her head, dark curls flying. “Santa comes tonight. I have to be asleep.”

Her throat closed, but she managed to nod. Nicholas looked equally distraught, but they both went to Lottie’s room with her and tucked her in. She didn’t even want a story.

Jenna only managed to make it back downstairs before she burst into tears.

Nicholas immediately put his arms around her, rocking her soothingly, but that only made her want to cry more. He wouldn’t be around to comfort her after tomorrow. She finally managed to stop crying, wipe her cheeks, and give him a shaky smile.

“Sorry. This is an emotional time of the year.”

“Yes.” He hesitated, then took her hand. “Come with me.”

He led her back into the main part of the manor house and up the stairs into the bedroom that had once been hers. The last time she had seen it, the paint had been crumbling from the walls and the wind had whistled through a broken window pane.

Now the walls were smoothly coated with her favorite shade of pale green. The window had been repaired and the seat below it piled with cushions - white cushions mixed with a few in his favorite red. The bed had also been repaired, and a soft white blanket covered the mattress. The traditional Longest Night garland adorned the mantel.

“I don’t understand. Why did you do all this?”

“Lottie and I decided that you should return to your room.” He pointed to a small metal object in the fireplace. “That unit will keep the room warm, now that I have repaired the window. But the fireplace is still operational as well, if you prefer a fire.”

She hadn’t realized until this moment how much she had missed her room. Tears threatened again as she smiled up at him.

“Thank you.”

“I will like to think of you here.” Before she could think of a response, he continued. “She wants to surprise you with it in the morning, but I will not be here.”

“Why not? Can’t you stay and celebrate with us?”

“No. Lottie wants something I cannot provide for her, and I cannot bear to see her disappointment. As I suspected all along, I am unworthy to be a Tandroki warrior.”

“Don’t you dare say that,” she said fiercely. “I can’t imagine anyone more worthy. You are kind and brave and thoughtful and… and the best thing that has ever happened to us. We will miss you.”

She reached for him, but for the first time since they had met, he backed away from her.

“Nicholas?” she whispered.

“I cannot. I am afraid that if I touch you, I will not be able to let you go. I will carry you and Lottie back to the stars with me.” He bowed, a sweeping formal gesture. “Be well, Jenna. I will never forget.”

And then he was gone.

She felt oddly numb, too numb even to cry, although she suspected that was coming. Instead she wandered around her room - her beautiful, lonely room - running her fingers over the smooth glass and touching the soft fabric covering the cushions. She was sitting on the window seat, staring vacantly out the window when Lottie found her.

“Mama? What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine. Why aren’t you in bed?”

“I couldn’t sleep. Santa is supposed to come tonight, but what if he’s not my Santa?”

How could she tell her daughter that her Santa was never coming back?

Lottie climbed up next to her, followed by Nutty, and she automatically put her arms around them.

“Was my Santa real, Mama?”

“Yes, sweetheart. Very real.”

“Do you like your room?”

“I do, very much. Nicholas -” Her throat threatened to close. “Nicholas told me you wanted to show it to me tomorrow.”

“But he’s not gonna be here, is he?” Enormous blue eyes looked up at her with an unchildlike wisdom. “He isn’t coming back, is he?”

“No.” She could almost hear the sound of both their hearts breaking. “No,” she repeated more firmly. “But maybe there’s another way.”

Nicholas returned to his ship in a frozen daze. Despite the thermal suit, every part of him felt cold. Even his ship felt cold and empty. The repairs had been completed. Everything worked correctly - everything except him. He was no longer the male who had landed on this planet.

Was that a bad thing, he wondered as he roamed aimlessly around the ship, repeating routine checks that did not need to be performed. Was that male any better, despite his title and his wealth? Closer to the Tandroki ideal perhaps, but that no longer seemed such an important goal. He preferred the male he had become - the one that Jenna thought was kind and thoughtful and the best thing that had ever happened to them. How could he turn his back on that male?

“I am an idiot,” he said aloud into the silent ship, but there was no time to dwell on his stupidity. He had plans to make. For the first time since he had returned, he felt a spark of warmth.

The sun was barely above the horizon by the time he had finished, but he was too impatient to wait any longer. As he started for the path to Jenna’s house, two figures walked out of the woods towards him – Jenna and Lottie, wearing the thermal suits he had created for them beneath their cloaks, with Nutty scampering eagerly around their feet. As soon as Lottie saw him, she flung herself at him and he caught her automatically.

“My Santa,” she whispered as she snuggled into his arms.

“Always,” he agreed as he hugged her, but he looked at Jenna. “I do not understand why you are here.”

Jenna smiled at him, her eyes suspiciously bright.

“We talked about it last night and we decided. We want to go with you.”

“But what about the fresh air? And the other humans?”

“We will just have to find a way to make sure she has everything she needs, but I’m not worried about it anymore. She will have the most important thing of all - she will have a family who loves her.”

He was still staring at her in shock when she glanced behind him and her eyes widened.

“Where’s the ship?”

“At the bottom of the ocean. It will send out a signal to encourage the fish to return, but it will also work on restoring the environment so that signal is no longer needed. Then it will return to me.”

“How long will that take?”

“The fish should return within a few months.” He shrugged. “As for the rest - five years, perhaps ten. Possibly even twenty. It does not matter.”

“But that means you can’t leave.”

“I know. I too thought about this last night and I reached the same conclusion.” He reached out and cupped her cheek. “It does not matter where I am, it matters who I am with. I wish to be with you and with Lottie. To be a… family.”

“Does that mean you’re Santa daddy now?” Lottie asked, her eyes wide.

“No, little one. Just Daddy. Your Daddy.”

“I knew it! I knew you’d make my wish come true!” She flung her small arms around his neck, and happiness filled him.

Jenna still looked shocked.

“But what about your career? All of the things that you worked for?”

“They do not matter. I was a fool to think that they did. What matters is that I love you, both of you.”

“You do?” Her eyes were even brighter now, a single tear trailing down her cheek.

“With everything I am.”

“I love you too.”

A second surge of happiness filled him as he bent down and brushed his mouth against hers - just the briefest touch, but it held the promise of so much more.

“Let us go home, love.”

“And have cookies!” Lottie declared.

He laughed, and led his family back through the woods to the warmth of their home.

Epilogue

One year later…

“Mama, Mama! Daddy has a surprise.”

Jenna looked up from her sleeping son as Lottie burst into the nursery, Nicholas following her. Her heart still skipped a beat every time she saw him.

“Another surprise?” she asked, raising her eyebrow.

The baby had been a surprise - a delightful surprise - to both of them.

“Perhaps not quite as exciting as a child.” He bent down and kissed her, then stroked a finger across Nicky’s cheek.

“Yes, it is. Tell her,” Lottie demanded, and he laughed.

“I repaired the flyer.”

“I see.”

She wasn’t really surprised. Even without most of the equipment on the ship, Nicholas was endlessly resourceful. And he had not come to her completely empty-handed. He had kept the replicator and had set up a small but profitable business providing custom glass.

He had also kept the medical unit. While she had still been worrying about how to introduce him slowly to the village, he had walked into the market square with his customary arrogance and placed the machine on a pedestal. He then announced that he would render what medical assistance he could provide to the villagers - without charge. Perhaps not surprisingly, they had slowly but surely welcomed him into their midst. By the time their son was born, no one even blinked an eye at the small nubs of his horns.

Since Lottie continued to refer to him frequently as Santa, she sometimes suspected that many of the villagers half-believed he was the embodiment of the legend. He did nothing to discourage their belief. Last night had been the Longest Night and with Lottie’s encouragement, he had dressed in his red thermal suit and visited the village. Every house that placed an offering of cookies and milk on the doorstep had received a small present, and he had returned home smiling.

Now she gave him a thoughtful frown.

“Why did you repair the flyer? I hope you don’t have any more underwater trips planned?”

He gave an exaggerated shudder. “No. The last one was more than enough. I was thinking about the journey to the mountains we discussed.”

They had sent out cautious inquiries with both the spring and fall caravans, and he was convinced that his former rival had ended up in a small mountain village. Unfortunately, given her pregnancy, he hadn’t wanted to risk the long journey. But with the flyer, it wouldn’t take more than a few hours.

“When did you want to go?”

“Whenever you are ready to accompany me.”

“Me too,” Lottie said immediately.

“Of course, little one. We are a family - we stay together.”

Jenna studied his face. “And you’re still sure you want to do this?”

“Yes. I have to apologize.”

“All right. Then, if the weather holds, let’s go tomorrow.”

The next day, Nicholas brought the flyer in for a landing just outside their destination. If his information was correct, his former rival lived in the small nearby village with his mate and children. The fact that Krampasarian also seemed to have formed a family bond had helped convince him to take this step.

“Now what?” Jenna asked quietly.

“Now we wait and see if he decides to approach us.” He pointed to a small red avian perched on a nearby branch. “I suspect that the drone is surveying us.”

“That’s a drone?” She shook her head. “I’ll never get used to that.”

Nutty chittered softly from his position on Lottie’s lap.

A few minutes later, Krampasarian appeared at the edge of the trees. He was as elegant and imposing as ever, and Nicholas felt his body tighten. Jenna squeezed his hand, and then he forced himself to climb out of the flyer and lean casually against the vehicle.

“Commander Krampasarian.”

“Ambassador Nicholsarian. At least, I assume it is ambassador now?”

He had almost forgotten the title, even though it had seemed so important in his previous life.

“Yes, I was the ambassador, although I am sure that I have been replaced by now. Jackasarian was always eager to follow in my footsteps.”

“Indeed.”

Silence fell between them until he straightened and took a deep breath.

“I came to apologize. I am responsible for the damage to your ship. I only intended to cause a delay, but it is my fault you crashed.”

“Is that why you’re here?”

“Yes. I came looking for you and I… crashed also.”

Krampasarian raised an eyebrow. “You came looking for me?”

“I was concerned.”

“I must say I did not expect that.”

Even now, the other male clearly thought little of him. Keeping his face impassive, he nodded.

“I understand. I will not trouble you any longer, but again, my sincere apologies.”

As he turned back to the flyer, Lottie’s head suddenly popped up. His family had agreed to wait in the vehicle while he talked to the other male, but apparently her impatience had gotten the better of her.

“Where’s his family, Daddy?”

Before he could decide how to explain to her that they were not welcome, he heard Krampasarian start to laugh. He turned back in time to see the other male pointing at the woods. Two small figures were clearly visible amongst the trees.

“It appears that our children are equally curious. You had better come to the house.”

“You are inviting me to your residence?”

“Of course. I do not like to disappoint my children and - I thank you for coming.”

To his astonishment, Krampasarian extended his hand in the human gesture of friendship. He grasped it in return and the nagging ache that had haunted him for so long finally subsided.

Later that evening, he and Krampasarian sat on the porch, watching the children play in the enclosed courtyard. Jaelle, Krampasarian’s mate, had insisted that they spend the night and she and Jenna were inside with the babies. They had decided to give the older children a chance to burn off some of their excess energy before bedtime.

“You were alone on your ship?” Krampasarian asked suddenly, breaking the surprisingly comfortable silence.

“Of course. Why?”

“It is probably nothing - I am sure you have discovered by now that the communication methods on this planet can be… challenging. It’s just that I heard rumors of a horned warrior last winter, but I thought they came from the North, not down by the coast.” Krampasarian shrugged. “As I said, communication can be difficult.”

A peal of childish laughter rang out and they looked up to see the children, plus Robin and Nutty, begin a complicated game of chase. Lottie stumbled, and he immediately started to climb to his feet, but before he could leave his chair, Whit had helped her regain her footing. She beamed up at him, then darted off again with Whit close behind.

“Your son seems very fascinated by my daughter,” he observed, not entirely sure he approved.

“I suspect it is mutual.” Krampasarian’s eyes followed the children. “He is a good child - he will not allow anything to happen to her. Are you aware of his background?”

“I assumed he belonged to your mate.”

“No. He and his sister were orphans.”

His body tensed automatically, but he did his best to keep his face impassive as the other male continued.

“I am very proud of him. He worked hard and did whatever was necessary to provide for his sister.” His former rival turned to look at him directly. “Just as I suspect you did.”

“I did not have a sister.”

“No, but you had to support yourself without assistance from those who should have cared for you.” Krampasarian sighed. “I do not think I fully appreciated that while we were at school.”

“You did not treat me poorly,” he admitted for the first time. “I was just very conscious that I did not come from the same background.”

“You may find this difficult to believe, but although I never lacked for material things, it was not a happy childhood. Jaelle and the children have taught me what really matters.”

“Just as Jenna and Lottie taught me. Do you think Tandroki society will ever change?”

“Perhaps, but I am not Moroz. I have no burning passion to make them see the errors of their ways. I am happy here.”

“Just as well,” Jaelle said cheerfully as she appeared and handed Krampasarian a very sticky infant. “Because your son discovered the honey Jenna was nice enough to bring us and now he needs another bath.”

Krampasarian smiled up at his mate. “I am sure Puppy would be happy to lick him clean.” The huge dire wolf was close behind the child.

“I’m sure he would, but no. Bath, and then bed. For all of them.” Jaelle looked over at him as Jenna appeared, their sleepy son snuggled in her arms. “We’ve put a bed for Lottie in Cinna’s room and we thought we’d put Nicky in with Anak.”

Which meant he would be alone with his mate for the first time since the baby was born. He shot a glance at Jenna and she smiled, a slow, seductive smile.

“Definitely time for bed,” he agreed, rising to his feet. “Can I assist?”

Even with four adults to help, it took a long time to settle the excited children, but at last the house was quiet and he was alone with his mate. Jaelle had apologized for the size of their guest room, but as long as Jenna was in his arms, he didn’t care.

“Do you think he’ll make it through the night?” Jenna whispered as she snuggled into his arms.

“I think it extremely unlikely.”

“Then we’d better take advantage of our time until then.” Her fingers skated down his stomach, leaving a trail of fire behind.

“Definitely,” he agreed as he bent to kiss her.

By the time he lifted his head, she was arching her body impatiently against him.

“We have been so busy that I have not had a chance to tell you about Lottie’s letter to Santa this year,” he said solemnly.

“That’s what you want to talk about? Now?” She tried to tug him back down, but he resisted.

“I think it’s relevant.”

She sighed. “If you insist. What did she want?”

“A baby sister,” he whispered.

Her body froze, and he waited anxiously.

“And what does Santa think of that idea?” she asked finally.

“He thinks it would be a perfect present.”

Her hands came up to circle the sensitive base of his horns. “Then Santa had better get to work.”

Happiness filled him as he obeyed - and nine months later, Lottie’s wish came true.

Author’s Note

Thank you so much for reading A Gift for Nicholas! I originally wrote the first story in this series - Krampus and the Crone - as a standalone, but a number of you asked for Nicholsarian’s story and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to this world! I hope you enjoyed this sweet and steamy holiday story!

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon – reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As always, I have to thank my readers for joining me on these adventures! Your support and encouragement make it possible for me to keep writing these books.

And, as always, a special thanks to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

* * *

Up next is a different type of holiday romance! A new year brings a new hope - or does it?

Can a desperate woman and a lonely alien work together to defeat an unknown enemy?

Click here to order Her Alien Farmhand!

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Other Titles

Horned Holidays

Krampus and the Crone

A Gift for Nicholas

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

Kate and the Kraken

Lily and the Lion

Mary and the Minotaur

Nancy and the Naga

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Strip Down

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien

with Bex McLynn

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

The Nanny and the Alien Warrior

A Home for the Alien Warrior

Cosmic Fairy Tales

Jackie and the Giant

Blind Date with an Alien

Her Alien Farmhand

Anthologies

Alien Embrace

Pets in Space 6

Claimed Among the Stars

About the Author

Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne - not necessarily in that order.

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