Ulfar (Intergalactic Surrogacy Agency #4)

8. A Secret?

A SECRET?

ULFAR

I know I gave Orri a lot of crap about how fussy he got over Isabella. I know I said I’d never end up like him, that I would be different. That I would keep my wits about me.

It’s only been one night, and already I’m eating my words.

She’s so soft and delicate in my arms, but she is still so strong and feisty at the same time. The passion she displays mixed with her cries of pleasure and the way she submits to me so beautifully makes a haunting combination.

One that I can’t get enough of.

I want to shower her in silks and luxury, to give her everything her little heart desires. I want to protect her from the world, to kill anyone or anything who tries to hurt her.

And most of all, I want to see her soft belly swell with my child.

Our child.

Because damn, I know this match is only contractual. I know it’s only for a year, and only so that I can produce a child. An heir.

So why does it feel so real?

As the days pass and we fall into a comfortable routine, I begin to learn more about Sarah. One little tidbit at a time, she’s starting to open up to me. To tell me more about who she is. Where she comes from. I want to hear it all, but there’s always this fear in her eyes when she talks about home. This unspoken threat that simmers just below the surface. I could be imagining things—it’s my job to look out for potential danger after all—but I want to wait. To give her the chance to open up.

We may be getting along better now, but there’s still a fragile trust between us. I don’t want to do anything to sabotage that. So for now I’ll wait. I’ll watch. And I’ll see what happens next.

* * *

“Why act so surprised? Of course I read books.” I’m leaning over an enormous bathtub, helping my beautiful mate wash while we talk. This time, the conversation turns to books. I’ve read quite a few of her favorites, and she acts like I told her I eat bark for breakfast (I have—it’s not very good.)

“I thought maybe you’d have different series. Different authors. I never thought...” Sarah goes quiet, sinking slightly lower in the tub.

“Earth, with all its problems, turns out to be an excellent exporter of entertainment.” I rub my fingers through her luxurious hair, massaging the shampoo deep into her scalp. “A lot of the same series are popular here, too. And besides…” I chuckle. “What do you take me for? Some kind of thoughtless savage? What do they teach you down there, anyway?”

Her skin flushes with emotion, and this time it’s not just because of the hot water. “That you’re some of the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy.”

I playfully splash at her, bending down to press a kiss to the back of her neck. “And that means I don’t know anything?”

A warm, easy smile blooms across her face. It’s one of satisfaction. Of peace. What I wouldn’t give to see that smile forever. But I know it can’t last. She probably has a life to go back to on Earth. Family. Friends. And that reminds me...

“You never told me much about your family,” I start, cautious.

I feel her body tense under my touch, but it lasts only a moment before she relaxes again. Bet she thinks I didn’t notice. I know better.

“There’s not much to say,” Sarah says casually with a shrug. “I live with my father and I work at a library. That’s about it.”

There’s more to the story. There always is. But if she’s not willing to tell, then I’m not going to force her.

I just hope a time will come when she trusts me enough to tell the truth.

“Why are you taking such good care of me?” she asks, changing the subject. It’s an absurd question, but she turns her head to meet my gaze, expression serious. “You don’t have to do all of this. When I read the brochures and reports about what to expect, I didn’t think...”

I snort. “Those pamphlets are woefully outdated. And how can a block of text describe such a precious experience as this?”

She purses her lips with momentary doubt but relaxes against the edge of the tub at last. Tilting her head back, I carefully wash the suds away and run my fingers through the strands to work out any tangles.

“But why?” she asks again. It seems so obvious to me, but maybe she isn’t feeling the same way. Maybe I was only projecting my own hopes and dreams onto her. My heart thuds painfully for a second. What if she’s not happy here? What if she wants to leave?

“Why do the suns come up in the morning? Why do the birds sing their song? It pleases me to take care of you. It’s a drive all alphas share. We may be intimidating on the battlefield, sure, but we fight hard and love harder. Nothing brings me, or any alpha, more pleasure than ensuring that their omega is well looked after.”

Sarah stills at last, going soft and pliant beneath me. Her hair splays out in lovely waves where it touches the water, and as her dark eyes meet mine, I feel a wrenching in my heart that I know will never go away as long as I live. I never expected to fall for this female. Especially not so hard, and so fast.

The worst part of it all is that she’s not even mine.

“I’ll take care of you,” I murmur, breathing in the sweet scent of her and hoping I can remember it forever, long after she’s gone. “As long as I’m able to.”

It’s almost imperceptible, but I’ve been trained to notice micro expressions that most do not. A brief flicker of guilt passes over her face. A muscle ticks in her jaw. A single tear wells up under her long eyelashes.

She’s hiding something. And it might not be today or tomorrow, but I’m going to find out what.