Violet And Her Alien Matchmaker Read online

  “I should have asked how soon you wanted to start a family. Or maybe I didn’t on purpose.”

  She ran her fingers through his hair. “I’m sure it will take more than once to make a baby.”

  He shook his head. “There was a reason I didn’t want to ask your permission, and if you hate me for it, I’ll understand. My particular species has a rare gift. We’re able to sense when our mates can conceive. I knew if we didn’t use protection tonight that I would get you pregnant.”

  She shoved him back and sat up. “You got me pregnant on purpose?”

  Tiraz held up his hands to placate her. “I’m sorry, Violet. It was wrong of me, and I know that, but you agreed to be my wife tonight, and part of that is starting a family together. It’s why I tried so hard to convince you to sleep in your own bed. I knew I wouldn’t be able to help myself if you came to my bed.”

  “So this is my fault?”

  Tiraz visibly swallowed. “I’m sorry. Violet, please…I don’t want to lose you.”

  “You’re positive I’m pregnant?”

  “Unless it’s difficult for you to conceive, then yes. Because you’re carrying a half-Liptu baby, your hormones would be strong enough for one of those over the counter pregnancy tests in about three days.”

  “You should have asked me, Tiraz. I want a family with you, but we should have decided together when would be the right time to start one. How is Simon going to feel if we have a baby right away? I don’t want him to think he’s being replaced. He needs time with you, to feel like he’s truly your son in every way, and to know that you’ll love him even if we have more children. He’s never had a father and already you’re asking him to share you with someone else.”

  “I didn’t think about it like that. I’m sorry, Violet. Truly. I just…I thought about you swollen with my child and it just felt right.”

  Her shoulders slumped and she reached for him. “If I’m pregnant, I’ll love this baby just as much as I love Simon. I just think it would have been better to wait, at least a few months. We’re not even married yet.”

  “We can apply for a license tomorrow. Because you aren’t marrying a human,

  they’ll process the request much faster and we can get married as soon as Monday.”

  “The office will be closed tomorrow,” she pointed out.

  Tiraz grinned. “There’s a special online portal where we can apply.”

  He seemed to have an answer for everything, and Violet found that she didn’t want to fight him. It was wrong of him to try to get her pregnant without asking, and she was still upset with him for it, but she did love him, and she did want to start a life with him. She just hoped they’d communicate better in the future.

  Chapter Eight

  Tiraz had convinced Violet to sleep in his bed last night and he’d been able to hold her as she slept. He hadn’t closed his eyes once though, watching her sleep and then admiring her beauty as the rays of the morning sun caressed her face. He knew he’d screwed up; he could admit that much, but he wouldn’t change it for the world.

  There was no guarantee she was pregnant, and if she wasn’t, he would wait until she was ready to try again. It’s what he should have done to begin with. No, knowing that her body was ready to conceive, he should have done the smart thing and gotten a condom. It wasn’t like he didn’t own a box of the damn things, but he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to use them when he got married.

  Violet had brought up some good points though. And just thinking about Simon, and how devastated he might be over a new baby, made Tiraz feel even worse. He wouldn’t hurt Simon for anything, and with his careless actions, he may have alienated his son before he truly got to claim him. He wasn’t even sure how Simon would take the news of the engagement, though he suspected the boy would be excited.

  Tiraz got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans before heading to the kitchen for some coffee. He checked his phone and noticed a missed call from Gryf. Checking the time, his stomach clenched when he realized it was barely seven in the morning. For Gryf to call so early, something must have happened. He quickly dialed his brother.

  “Where the hell have you been?” Gryf asked.

  “I didn’t take my phone to the bedroom last night. Is something wrong?”

  “We’ve been at the ER for the last two hours. We’re finally in the back, but I swear these doctors are incompetent.”

  “What’s wrong with Simon?” Tiraz asked, hurrying to the bedroom to wake

  Violet.

  “He started complaining about his stomach hurting around three this morning, and then an hour later, he started throwing up. By five, he was burning up with fever so I rushed him here, thinking they would help him. So far they haven’t done a damn thing.”

  “I’m getting Violet and we’ll head out in a few minutes. Tell Simon we’ll see him soon.”

  “Hopefully, we’ll know what’s going on by then. If not, I may start killing the medical staff until someone decides to do their job.”

  Tiraz hung up and shook Violet awake. She blinked up at him sleepily, a soft smile on her face. If his heart weren’t about to pound out of his chest from fear, he would have taken her in his arms and kissed her good morning.

  “We need to dress quickly,” he said. “Simon’s sick.”

  Looking much more alert, she threw off the covers and practically leapt from the bed. Without even giving Tiraz another look, she rushed to her bedroom. Tiraz pulled on a sweater and then grabbed his favorite boots. By the time he’d finished dressing and had brushed his teeth, Violet was waiting by the front door, chewing on her nails.

  “I should have never left him there last night,” she said. “If he’d been home with us…”

  “He’d still be sick and at the ER.”

  She nodded, but didn’t look any less worried.

  Tiraz rushed to the hospital, arriving as soon as he could. He let Violet out at the door then went to park the car. When he got inside, he saw her waiting by the triage desk, a nurse studiously ignoring her.

  “Where’s Simon?” he asked as he placed a hand at her waist.

  “She hasn’t helped me yet so I don’t know.”

  Tiraz growled and leaned across the desk, not only getting the nurse’s attention but getting in her face. “Our son is somewhere in this hospital, sick, scared, and wanting his parents. I’d suggest you quit playing with your phone and do your job, or I’ll make sure you don’t have one anymore.”

  The nurse paled. “What’s the boy’s name?”

  “Simon Wilcox,” Violet answered. “His uncle brought him in.”

  The nurse tapped away on her keyboard then frowned. “It looks like he’s been admitted. The Pediatric ICU is on the second floor in the east wing. He’s in room 202.”

  Tiraz thanked the woman and rushed with Violet to the elevators in the lobby.

  When they reached the second floor, they had to study the map to see where the pediatric unit was located and then they followed the rat maze until they found Simon’s room. Gryf was outside, pacing.

  “He’s asleep, but he’s been asking for the two of you. He wanted to know when Momma and Daddy would get here.” Gryf looked haggard. “Is it always this terrifying when you have kids?”

  Violet smiled a little. “It’s usually pretty wonderful, but yes, there are scary moments. Have the doctors determined what’s wrong with him?”

  “They’re running some tests, mostly blood work, and said we should know

  something soon. They’ve hooked him up to an IV and are giving him fluids to make sure he doesn’t dehydrate. He threw up twice more in the ER, but hasn’t in the last hour, so I’m hoping it’s over.”

  Violet nodded and went inside, leaving Tiraz and Gryf in the hall.

  “Thanks for taking care of him,” Tiraz said.

  “So, he calls you Daddy?”

  Tiraz ran a hand through his hair. “Unless Violet never speaks to me again after this, I will legally be Simon’s father soon. Sh
e agreed to marry me last night, and then I screwed up.”

  “She smells different.”

  “I think she’s pregnant, but we won’t know for sure for a few days. I told her she could take one of those over the counter tests in three days, but I swear she was ready to kill me last night. And after I thought about what I’d done, I was miserable. What if Simon isn’t ready for a brother or sister?”

  Gryf placed a hand on his shoulder. “I think he would welcome someone to play with. As long as he knows the two of you love him unconditionally, he’ll be fine. He’s really sweet and inquisitive. We had a blast last night.”

  “Does this mean you’re more open to having kids?” Tiraz smiled. “Possibly even a mate who already has children?”

  Gryf nodded. “If her kids were half as wonderful as Simon, then I would gladly claim them as my own. I’ve never been so scared in my life as I was when he started throwing up and wouldn’t stop. The kid was crying and I didn’t know what to do.”

  “Thanks for taking care of him.”

  Gryf nodded. “You’d better go in there in case he’s awake. I need a minute

  before I go back in there. They have him hooked up to some machine that beeps every time his heart beats and an IV is stuck in his arm.”

  Tiraz impulsively hugged Gryf then went inside the hospital room to see his son.

  Simon was still asleep. Violet stood beside the bed, running her fingers through his hair, tears streaking her cheeks. He wasn’t sure his presence would be welcome, but he walked over toward her and placed his hand at the small of her back. She gave a little sob and threw herself into his arms.

  Tiraz held her tightly as he watched Simon and the machine he was hooked to.

  He did his best to soothe his future wife; at least, he hoped she was still his future wife.

  She’d still been angry with him last night when they went to bed, and he knew she blamed him for Simon being in the hospital, even though the boy would have gotten sick regardless of where he’d stayed last night.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “No, I’m sorry for being angry this morning. I know it isn’t Gryf’s fault that Simon is sick. I was just scared and worried, and I lashed out at you.”

  Tiraz tipped her head back and gently kissed her. “You haven’t had coffee or eaten yet. Why don’t I go down to the cafeteria and find something for us?”

  “I can’t eat right now. My stomach is all knotted, but some coffee sounds good.”

  Tiraz kissed her again. “I’ll be back. I’m taking Gryf with me because I think he needs to take a walk, but we’ll be back soon. Don’t hesitate to buzz the nurse if you need anything or think Simon is in distress. Hopefully, we’ll hear back from the doctor soon.”

  She nodded and focused her attention on Simon again.

  Tiraz went outside and grabbed his brother. It took a few wrong turns before they found the cafeteria, thanks to hospital construction and some confusing signs. He ordered two coffees and then selected two platters of eggs, bacon, and toast, in hopes that he could convince Violet to eat something. He knew she was worried about Simon, and so was he, but if she was pregnant, then she definitely needed to eat something.

  “Will she ever forgive me?” Gryf asked.

  “It’s not your fault, and she knows that. She’s just upset right now. Once Simon opens his eyes and can talk to her, I know she’ll be better.”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t babysit for a while. I’m obviously horrible at it.”

  Tiraz smiled. “You’re not horrible at it. Simon would have gotten sick whether he was at your house or mine. It’s probably a bug he’s been carrying for a day or two that didn’t present itself until this morning. The hospital seems to be doing all they can to cure him and I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we get to take him home.”

  Gryf nodded, sipped his coffee, and followed Tiraz back to the pediatric unit.

  When they neared Simon’s room, nurses and doctors were rushing that way and an alarm was screeching. Tiraz nearly dropped everything when he saw them go into Simon’s room. Gryf snatched the food from him and Tiraz took off.

  The room was full of hospital staff and Violet was in the corner sobbing

  uncontrollably. He set the coffee on the counter that ran along the wall and hurried to her side, pulling her into his arms. The machines were making horrible screeching noises until someone silenced them, which just seemed to make Violet cry even harder.

  He wanted to ask what had happened, but he didn’t dare interrupt them. He heard the doctor yell “clear” and then watched as they placed something on Simon’s chest. He’d watched enough movies to know they were trying to bring Simon back to life and his stomach flipped.

  “I can’t lose him,” Violet sobbed against his chest. “He’s my baby.”

  “They’re doing everything they can,” Tiraz said, even though he wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Violet or himself. He’d never been so scared in his life.

  A look toward the hall showed Gryf standing in the doorway with a stricken

  look on his face. If anything happened to Simon, he knew Gryf would blame himself forever. The doctor’s tried to bring Simon back three more times before one of the machines beeped again.

  “We’ve got him,” the doctor said, handing the paddles off to a nurse.

  Tiraz watched as they checked Simon’s eyes and pulse. The boy still didn’t open his eyes, but the hospital staff seemed happy enough with his current condition. Tiraz led Violet over to the bed and he eased her into a chair. She reached and took Simon’s hand in hers, laying her head on the bed to watch their son.

  “What happened?” Tiraz asked.

  “He went into cardiac arrest,” the doctor explained. “He’s dehydrated and his fever shot up to 107.2, which is dangerously high. We were able to lower it to a more manageable level, but there’s a chance that damage has already been done. Even before we lost him, there was a good chance of brain damage.”

  Tiraz swallowed the knot in his throat. “When will we know?”

  “If he doesn’t wake by tonight, I’ll order some tests, but nothing will be

  conclusive until he opens his eyes and talks to us. I wish I could tell you more, but we’re still waiting on some test results to come in. The lab has been backed up, but I’m going to see if I can hurry them along.”

  Tiraz nodded and focused on Violet once more. As the doctor left, Gryf stepped into the room, pausing at the foot of the bed as if he were afraid to come any closer. He glanced from Simon to Violet.

  “I have some food for you, Violet. You should eat something so you won’t get sick.”

  “I’m not hungry,” she mumbled, never taking her eyes off Simon. “I just want my baby to wake up.”

  Gryf looked heartbroken as he set the food on the counter. “I’ll just go down to the waiting room. They probably don’t want a lot of people in here right now.”

  Tiraz wanted to call him back and tell him that he was welcome to stay, but his first priority had to be Violet and his son. He was worried about her. He could understand why she didn’t feel like eating, but it wasn’t good for her. And the longer Simon slept, the more worried he became about the small boy. The doctor hadn’t seemed very confident that Simon would wake before nightfall, and after their discussion, Tiraz worried that the boy wouldn’t be the same anymore.

  If Simon did have brain damage from the fever and nearly losing his life, what would it do to Violet? Tiraz knew she would love Simon with her whole heart

  regardless of his mental state, and Tiraz felt the same way, but she would always blame herself. Regardless of the fact that everything had been done to help Simon to this point, she would always wonder if he’d be safe and whole at home if she hadn’t sent him to Gryf’s house last night.

  “Gryf feels responsible,” Tiraz said. “He thinks you hate him.”

  She sniffled and looked up at him. “I don’t hate him. I know it isn’t his fault Simon is si
ck, and that he got him here as quickly as he could. But Simon must have been so scared, staying with someone he wasn’t familiar with, and probably wanting me to hold him and tell him everything would be okay.”

  Tiraz ran a hand over her hair. “Simon knows you love him, and I’m sure Gryf did everything he could to make Simon feel at ease. I think my brother is quite taken with our son, and until this scare, I think he was looking forward to having children of his own.”

  Violet blinked back tears. “You still think of him as yours? Even knowing…”

  “One thing at a time, Violet. But know this… I will always love Simon, no matter what. He’s my son and nothing will change that.”

  “What will I do if…” She sobbed again. “He’s been my entire world the last five years. I don’t know how to live without him.”

  Tiraz knelt beside her and took her hands in his. “Violet, you have to stop

  thinking that way. They’re doing everything they can for him. Don’t think about losing him. Focus on him getting well and coming home. And some prayers wouldn’t hurt.

  Isn’t that what humans do when bad things happen? They pray?”

  She laughed a little and nodded. “I haven’t prayed in a long time.”

  “Then maybe it’s time to start,” he said softly.

  “Pray with me?” she asked.

  “You’ll have to teach me how.”

  She sniffled. “You bow your head and close your eyes, and then you talk to God.

  You can do it out loud or silently. He hears you either way. I’m going to ask him to heal Simon, to let our little boy go home.”

  Tiraz nodded and when Violet bowed her head, he did the same. He’d never

  really talked to a deity before and hoped he was doing it right. He asked for Simon to be healed, for him to wake up and show Violet that he would be okay, and for their family to remain whole. When he was finished, he opened his eyes and found Violet watching him, a little smile on her face.

  He didn’t know what was going to happen, but he knew that they could face

  anything as long as they were together. Tiraz just hoped that Violet felt the same way.