Precious Cargo by Sarah Marsh Read Free Book Online Page B

don’t need to rest, Tannen. I feel wonderful.”
    “It’s not for your therapy, selfish girl,” Conn growled as he nibbled on her neck, causing her to laugh once more. “It’s for my therapy. Being Captain is stressful work, and holding you soothes me.”
    “Stressful?” Kal exclaimed in disbelief as he sat back down beside them.
    Tannen continued on into the kitchen and started preparing their meal, smiling as he enjoyed watching the lighthearted behavior from his mates.
    “You mean stressful like when I have to get into a bio suit and do repairs on the outside of the ship? I think I deserve the fair maiden on my lap for that stress!” Kal lamented in an exaggerated tone.
    As the other three laughed and pretended to fight, Tannen almost got choked up at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. Kal had been their bond mate for over a decade, pretty much ever since the first moment the three of them had met, but their people’s prejudice about his skin tone had always been a sensitive subject for them all. Conn and Tannen had always tried to protect him from other’s hurtful words and attitudes, while Kal often used humor to distance himself, trying not to show that it bothered him.
    Usually, when they found female companionship, Kal would get in and get out, taking care to not get emotionally attached and covering himself as soon as possible, like he was ashamed of how he looked.
    But with Alison, he was utterly carefree. He was the charming and self-assured male that Conn and Tannen had always seen in him. It was astonishing what this little female had done in the few days that she’d been with them.
    That had made up Tannen’s mind. No more would they indulge Conn’s mother and Shara with talks about a bonding contract. Shara was a cold female, and she’d never shown anything but contempt for Kal. If she’d had her way, Conn and Tannen would have left Kal years ago. It was normal for the wealthy of their society to enter into bond contracts like business deals and then send their children off to boarding schools to be raised by strangers. That was the kind of family that Conn had come from, and unfortunately for Kal, his parents had abandoned him as a small baby so he had also been raised in a public facility.
    The females on Dolak were generally not the most nurturing of species. Most would rather send their children off and resume their lives or work immediately, and most of the males accepted this. Tannen’s parents had not been like that however. His two fathers and mother were a middle-class family who had been lucky enough to find a true love match. His mother was warm and doting, and he hoped that he’d never have to settle for any relationship that was less than what his parents shared. After watching his bond mates with Alison this morning, he felt she was the one they were meant to share their lives and raise their children with. Now all he had to do was convince Conn and Kal, which he was beginning to think wouldn’t be too difficult at all.
    ****
    “Did you get enough to eat, Ali?” Tannen asked as they walked towards the med bay.
    “Oh my gosh, Tannen, yes, those were incredible.” Alison answered, rubbing her full tummy. “I was hesitant at first to eat black pancakes, but they were so good. Do you cook a lot?”
    “I enjoy cooking. My mother loves it, and she taught me very well,” he answered, smiling as he spoke of his mother.
    Alison couldn’t help but be charmed by Tannen. Any man who smiled so sweetly when he spoke about his mother was a keeper, there was no doubt about that.
    “So what are we doing today?” she asked as they stepped into the med bay and his office. It was hard to imagine just a short time ago she’d woken up in here terrified.
    “I need to run some tests and send the results to our doctors on Dolak. They are quite curious to see how the virus is reacting in your system.”
    “Oh.” Ali frowned at the thought of doing more tests. She hoped there