Page 15 of Warrior's Captive
“Just tell me what you want.” It was a barely restrained demand. “I can give you whatever you want.”
Vivian smiled a little. “I doubt that. And that's not even required. I just need certain assurances.”
He wanted to lunge across the table. Not shake her, but gather this fragile female trying desperately to negotiate her way through a strange situation, into his arms. His instinct to protect, to shield, to make her decisions, strangled him. For a moment his palms flexed against the table, recalling the phantom weight of a tiny, silent baby before he lowered her into her mother’s arms.
Tai’ri took a deep breath and released the feelings. They did him no good. “Tell me what assurances you need.”
“One, that any choices I make, even if you don’t agree with them, will be honored.”
Tai’ri relaxed. “Insofar as your decisions are not governed by law, that’s fine. I’d ask you accept my input.”
She hesitated.
“Trust is hard,” he continued quietly. “You feel you’re alone. I get it. But do you understand that if we had intended you any harm, or . . . not intended to honor your will, we wouldn’t even be sitting here? We have the medical skill—we could have taken the child and left you living. Or not.”
She flinched, a shudder running through her entire body. Tai’ri’s jaw clenched. Even that small distress bothered him, was a tiny dagger in his gut, but he needed her to understand she had nothing to fear from him.
“Forgive me. I could have chosen gentler words.”
“No. I’m not a child. Plain speaking is good enough.”
He inclined his head. “What else?”
“That’s the biggest one. Everything else is more or less a variation.” Her expression hardened subtly. “Just don’t ever lie to me.”
Tai’ri smiled at her. “Sure. I can promise you that. Now let me tell you what I can offer you.”
“The sales pitch.” Humor warmed her voice momentarily, and she resumed eating, which pleased him.
“If you say so. You know who I work for.”
“Yes. My parents would be thrilled. You’d be considered High Tier on my planet.”
Whatever that meant. He'd have to look it up. “I own a home here in the city, suitable for a child. I have family here as well. My family owns a birthing center.”
“We would get the family discount?” Her voice was dry.
“Yes.” He didn’t understand. Was there something wrong with that in Earthen culture? “Would you like to see it? They have daily tours.”
She stared at him, eyes wide and inscrutable. Would his child have her eyes, or his? The medical facility hadn’t provided him with any data or images because Vivian had not legally acknowledged his paternity. He didn’t know if that was deliberate, or if no one had told her she must do so.
“I haven’t even thought about the birth,” she said, looking over his shoulder. “I haven’t even thought past today.”
“There’s time. And if you allow it, I’ll help you.”
6
“This is Vivian,”Tai’ri told the woman he’d introduced as his older sister Abeyya. “She’s from Earth. We’re having a child in . . . ” he turned to Vivian inquiringly. “Eight weeks?”
“Four to eight,” she murmured.
The Yadeshi woman stared at Tai’ri but recovered quickly, the shock on her expression smoothing into a warm smile.
“I’m glad to meet you, Vivian,” Abeyya said. “Are you here for an introduction to the family?” She looked at Tai’ri. “Daobah is on duty today.”
“Our younger sister,” Tai’ri told Vivian. “Doula. Everyone in the family spends a few years here in training before branching out.”
It took her translator a moment to process the word doula, it must not be quite the same thing here as it was on Earth.
