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I ever thank you for rescuing me last night?”
    “Last night?” Her question startled him for a moment. “Oh. Yes, as a matter of fact, you did.” He smiled again. It felt strange. To smile and mean it, that is. “Though, it wasn’t last night.”
    “Excuse me?” A little crease formed between her eyes. Daffyd wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss it away.
    “You’ve been in and out of consciousness for the last three days. Alia said you were exhausted and needed the rest.”
    “But you should have woke me. I need to eat for the babies!”
    Elle appeared frantic. Daffyd could do nothing but hurry to her side and pull her into his arms.
    “Did you think we didn’t feed you?” He shook his head. “Silly woman. Of course we fed you. You even slept through our spooning our thickest broth down your throat. That’s how tired you were.”
    “Oh.” She clutched the skirt of her dress, her knuckles white. “I had no idea I slept for so long.” Her cheeks grew red. “I can’t believe it. You and your people must think me the laziest sort.” She cast her gaze to the floor.
    “I don’t know how they treat pregnant women where you’re from, Elle.” Daffyd moved closer, reached out, and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “But here on Mikkant, we realize that having children is a twenty-four hour a day job from the time a woman gets pregnant until the day the child moves out of its parent’s home. No one here thinks you’re lazy.”
    “I hope not.” She met his gaze head on. “I’ve been working hard since Barry died. As a matter of fact, I just got a job.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “A job that I have lost, if I’ve been here for three days.”
    “Don’t worry yourself. I will care for you. My people and I will see that you never want for anything.”
    “You know…” Pausing, she bit her lip in a nervous habit that he was quickly growing to love. “That sounds great—greater than great, even. But what happens when everyone gets tired of the earthling with two kids who won’t go home?”
    “Listen to me, Elle,” Daffyd said as he grasped her shoulders. “No one is going to get tired of you. I have been waiting lifetimes for someone like you. My people have been waiting. They know the dangers of having a defender who has gone too long without a mate.” He pulled her against him, resting his chin on the top of her head. “I don’t want to go mad. My people don’t want me to destroy our world.
    “When a defender lives too long alone, his mind snaps and he turns bad.”
    “You could turn evil?” Pulling back, she looked up into his face and shook her head. “Uh, uh. I don’t see you doing that.”
    “We don’t necessarily turn evil, but we don’t do our jobs as we should. Our people gave my ancestors this castle. In payment for our housing, our food, the help of those around us, we keep them safe. When natural disasters strike, we’re there helping people, saving lives. When a ship sinks, we bring it up from the bottom of the ocean with the hope that we will find some of the people alive. A defender who has lived too long without a mate no longer does those things. Sometimes, they even stand by, giving hope to those in danger while they watch them die.”
    “If that’s not evil, I don’t know what is.” Elle sighed. “So you’re saying that I’m the one person who can do that for you? What do I get in return besides a room in a beautiful castle and food for me and my children?” She stared up at him, searching his gaze for something. “Not that it isn’t a good deal, but I can work and get the same thing at home and I don’t have to abandon my principals for it.”
    “You still don’t understand, do you?” Daffyd gave her a half smile. “You would be my mate, my wife, and I would love you and every child you bear no matter who fathered it, until I die.”
     

Chapter Nine
     
     
    “I thought you couldn’t die.” Elle frowned up at Daffyd.