Ice Planet Honeymoon (Four Novellas of HEA)

I put my hands on my hips, annoyed at his high-handed actions. “That’s it. We need to talk.”

“Are we not talking right now?” He gives me a ghost of his usual playful smile and touches my cheek. “Or do you want me to do other things with my mouth?”

He gives me a roguish grin as if he didn’t just pitch a tantrum at one of his tribemates. I stare at him, aghast. “Don’t get flirty on me. What’s eating you?”

The light-hearted smile on his face fades immediately into a scowl. “Nothing.”

“You yelled at Hemalo—”

HIs eyes flare and suddenly my playful Aehako is gone. In his place is a wild-eyed, teeth-baring, snarling man. He stabs a finger at the ground. “Because he is not doing as he is told! Hemalo is not thinking of you and our kit!”

I stare at him, aghast.

“He is being selfish!”

“Will you listen to yourself right now?” I shake my head. “Aehako, love, they live here, too. They can’t just tiptoe around for the next year because I’m pregnant.”

He flings his hands wide. “Why not?”

I’m worried about him. We were both a little anxious when I got pregnant, because we knew that I shouldn’t have been able to get pregnant. That the khui fixed the problems that had led to me being sterile, so we were cautious at first. But as time has gone on, I’ve become more and more comfortable with being pregnant, and it’s clear Aehako has…not.

“You need to calm down,” I tell him in my most level-headed, soothing voice. “You’re stressing yourself out, and you’re making me worry about you. I love you, Aehako, but I don’t love how you’re acting right now.”

My big alien mate drags a hand over his face. “I…my apologies, my mate. I just saw him at work and it made me angry.” He drops to his knees in front of me and pulls me into his arms, nestling his head against the slight swell of my belly. “I think only of you and our kit.”

I put my hands on his head, run my fingers lightly over the short hairs of his scalp. “They live here, too,” I say gently. “If the scent bothered me enough, I’d talk to him. Do you really think Hemalo would do anything deliberately to try and spite us?” Hemalo is so kind and gentle, I can barely imagine him with Asha, much less doing anything to be cruel. “He’s just working on his leathers because he likes to. It’s nothing to do with you or me.”

Aehako sighs heavily, his cheek pressed to my belly as I massage his scalp. “I just…worry.”

I want to ask if it’s because of Asha and Hemalo’s empty arms, but if their loss isn’t on his mind, I don’t want to add another worry to the pile. “You’re supposed to be the carefree one, remember? I’m the ‘Sad Eyes’ and you’re the happy one.” I trace my fingers down his scalp, caressing one ear lovingly. “I hate that you’re so upset, love. Talk to me about it. Don’t take it out on others.”

His arms tighten around me. “I…have had bad dreams.”

“About?”

“You and the kit.” His words are thick, reluctant. “That terrible things happen to you both and I am helpless to do anything about it.” He buries his face against my tunic, as if he can’t bear the thought of even remembering those dreams.

I chew on my lip. “Like…Rokan type dreams?” I ask hesitantly. His brother Rokan has a strange connection with his khui, and always seems to “know” a bit more than he lets on. If Aehako has the same…

“No. Nothing like that.”

I let out a sigh of relief. “So just bad dreams that make you wake up in a terrible mood.” I caress his head as he rubs my belly and nods. “I understand. They’re just dreams though, love. I promise you I feel fine and I’d let you know the moment I didn’t.”

“I know.” His big hand cups my belly even though it’s nothing but the slightest of bulges. “I just wish that the healer was here. I would feel better knowing she checked you and said everything was fine.”

It’s a brilliant idea, and one I immediately latch onto. If seeing the healer will make him return to his laughing, carefree self, I’m all for it. “Great. Let’s go see her, then.”

Aehako looks up at me in surprise. “What?” He shakes his head. “It is the brutal season. You should not leave the caves.”

“I don’t care,” I say, smiling. “It’s a half a day’s walk to the main caves, right? I can walk for half a day.”

“It will take longer with bad weather,” Aehako admits.

“Then we walk for a full day. Look, if it’ll ease your mind, why don’t we do it? I think it’s a great idea.”