Chapter 4
A knock sounded on the door, and Cora practically jumped out of her skin. She exhaled a slow breath, then placed a hand over her racing heart.
Draevan had arrived.
At least she thought it was him.
Only minutes ago, she’d glimpsed a Vaxxlian cruiser in the sky, a sleek alien ship that had disappeared just over the top of the building. She assumed he’d landed, the guards had greeted him just as she’d requested, and now he was knocking on her door.
This was it.
This was happening.
She was about to meet her mate… the Vaxxlian warrior who’d been assigned to her by the VAMOB program.
Or the Intergalactic Dating Agency. Whatever.
She was about to meet her mate and possibly his eight-month-old baby, assuming he’d brought the child along.
Her heart swelled at the prospect of suddenly being part of a family, and despite her nervousness, a sense of anticipation swept through her.
She rose from the couch on shaky legs and approached the front door.
She paused for a moment, smoothing her hands through her hair as she checked her appearance in a small mirror in the entryway.
Her face was flushed, but that couldn’t be helped.
Her cheeks always got pink when she was nervous.
Drat. But at least her hair looked good, and her makeup was also on point today, so there was that.
And her boobs looked pretty enticing in the shirt she was wearing, which was low cut but not too scandalous, if she did say so herself.
And the long, flowing skirt she had on seemed appropriately feminine.
She normally opted for jeans, but after some research, she’d learned Vaxxlian females normally wore dresses or skirts, and she’d wanted to look the part.
She was eager to make a good first impression, and truth be told, she felt pretty wearing the skirt.
It was different from the short, rhinestone-encrusted skirts and dresses she used to wear on stage. It made her feel more like… herself.
After one last glance in the mirror, she took a deep breath, then opened the door without bothering to look through the peephole first.
Her breath instantly left her lungs.
God. Draevan was handsome. Incredibly so.
Tall and broad-shouldered, he wore a black warrior’s uniform that clung to his huge body, accentuating his well-defined muscles.
He had dark, close-cropped hair, and his eyes were the most vibrant green she’d ever seen, almost glowing.
His facial features were rugged yet regal at the same time, his nose perfectly slanted, his cheekbones high, and his jaw square and strong.
Everything about him was masculine. Powerful.
Perhaps even a bit dangerous. As she gazed at him, she honestly forgot how to breathe.
And he was holding an adorable, dark-haired baby girl in his arms…
The contrast nearly undid her. The enormous, intimidating warrior looked impossibly gentle as he cradled the tiny girl against his chest, one of his massive hands supporting her back.
As she stared at him, Cora melted, an immediate attraction blooming inside her that went far beyond his devastatingly good looks.
The sweet way he was cradling his daughter made her feel instantly drawn to him.
Surely an alien male, even a warrior, who could hold his daughter in such a careful, affectionate way, couldn’t be a bad person.
Not that she thought the VAMOB program would match her with an unsavory sort of character, but she’d still been a bit nervous about putting her future in the hands of a complete stranger.
“Hello, Cora Kalloway. It is a pleasure to meet you,” he said in perfect Galactic Common. He stared into her eyes with an intensity that stole her breath anew. At this rate, she would soon pass out from the inability to take in enough oxygen.
“Hello… Draevan,” she eventually whispered, also speaking in Galactic Common. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”
But why was she whispering? What had happened to her plan to make a good first impression? Her face flamed with embarrassment. She suddenly felt like a nervous, lovestruck fool—all because he was handsome and seemed like a caring father.
“Um, please come in,” she quickly added. She stepped aside and gestured for Draevan to enter her apartment.
As he came inside, she flushed again at how close he was standing to her, and she could almost swear she felt the waves of heat rolling off his huge, muscular body.
She tore her eyes from him just long enough to shut the door, then she moved around him and proceeded into the spacious, open area of the penthouse.
Numerous suitcases, duffle bags, backpacks, and guitar cases rested along the wall near the dining room table, and she sincerely hoped he didn’t think she was trying to bring too many belongings.
She’d never been a light packer. And besides, it wasn’t as though she were just going away to the Bahamas for a weekend.
She was about to leave Earth.
Forever.
And so, she’d packed the most important things…
and well, it would seem she had a lot of important things.
Not clothing or jewelry or expensive handbags, but music books, notebooks that contained her unfinished lyrics, her most favorite guitars, and other items related to her career as a musician.
Yes, she’d packed some clothing and other personal items too, but only the barest of essentials in that regard.
She turned around to face Draevan, then she stared curiously at the little baby girl in his arms. She looked so sweet, and Cora’s heart contracted as she considered that she would now be in charge of raising the child.
Her days would be spent caring for a Vaxxlian baby whose mother had recently died. Oh, God, she hoped the child liked her.
As though to assuage her worries, the baby suddenly cooed and reached out both arms, demanding to be held by her. Cora smiled, glanced at Draevan, and started to open her own arms, ready to take the child and give her a hug.
“May I?” she asked softly.
To her surprise, he hesitated for a moment. “She can hold her head up on her own, but she tends to wiggle sometimes, so you must make sure you have a strong hold of her. Also, she cannot walk yet, but she occasionally tries to stand up. Just… please be careful and gentle with my niece.”
His niece? Oh. Ohhhh.
Cora had assumed the baby was his daughter. But it would seem he was raising his brother’s, or maybe his sister’s, child. She didn’t have to ask what had happened to the baby’s parents. It was very likely they’d perished during the war against the Irrcons.
How sad. How tragic.
She opened her arms wider. “I promise I’ll hold her correctly, and I won’t allow her to fall no matter how much she wiggles. I’m stronger than I look. I do Pilates every morning and calisthenics every afternoon.”
Draevan eyed her studiously. “Very well,” he finally said.
The huge alien warrior placed the baby into Cora’s arms, and the child immediately laced her arms around Cora’s neck.
Oh. How endearing. Cora arranged the baby so her legs rested on either side of her right hip, holding her close and ready to hug her even tighter if she started wiggling.
But the baby seemed content to be held by Cora, and this warmed her heart further. What a sweet, sweet child.
“She’s absolutely precious,” Cora said, meeting Draevan’s almost-glowing green eyes. “What is her name?”
“Meela.”
“Meela.” She peered down at the baby. “What a beautiful name. I think it suits you. It is so nice to meet you, Meela. My name is Cora. I hope we can be great friends.”
“Great friends?” Draevan repeated in a shocked tone. “You are supposed to act as the child’s mother, her caretaker, not as a friend. The VAMOB program was supposed to select a human female who liked babies and was willing to take care of an eight-month-old.”
Surprised by his dark tone, as well as the apparent cultural misunderstanding, Cora took a step back.
“I didn’t mean it in a literal sense,” she said in what she hoped was a soothing tone.
“I fully intend to take care of Meela as if she were my own daughter. I just… well, I don’t even know if she can understand me, to be honest, but I think it’s good that I talk to her and tell her my thoughts, in a calm, rational way, and eventually she might come to understand me and feel more comfortable with me.
” Her face grew even hotter, and she suddenly felt very out of her element.
Sure, she’d babysat a few times as a teenager. She knew how to change diapers and keep a child alive, but beyond that… well, she was starting to worry that maybe she’d answered ‘yes’ to those additional questions on the VAMOB application a little too quickly.
Still, she kept holding Meela close, determined to win Draevan over.
They were supposed to become mates. He was supposed to take her away from Earth.
The prospect of living on New Vaxx, a planet that was reportedly very safe, prompted her to lift her chin and meet Draevan’s gaze with a confident expression.
Yes, she might be trembling on the inside a little, but she was a performer by trade. When the situation called for it, she could fake it until she made it. Most of the time…
Draevan narrowed his eyes at her. “Do you truly like babies and children? Do you truly want to be a mother?” The restrained hopefulness in his voice moved her in a way she didn’t quite understand.
“Yes, I do,” she said, and it wasn’t a lie. She’d always loved babies and children, and she’d always hoped to become a mother one day.
He gave her one last dubious look before his shoulders finally relaxed and he appeared somewhat satisfied. She really hoped he believed her. Her safety, possibly her very life, depended upon whether he would agree to take her away from Earth.