by Luna Hunter
I can’t tear my eyes away from his little toes, from his chubby cheeks, from his budding horns. That child has no business being so fucking adorable.
That cute hybrid baby is the heir to the throne. The one that I must dispose of, if I really want to free my people from these royals!
But I can’t… I can’t hurt that child. I cannot.
All of this could have been mine, if things turned out differently. If I had listened to Eileen.
“You had a choice.”
Those were Eileen’s last words to me. Was it true? Did I really have a choice? Is it too late now? Or have I screwed it all up, like I always screw everything up…
Fuck. It’s too late. These people hate me, and with good reason. I’ve given them every right.
All I can do now is just disappear. Walk away. I will never reach Kysus. I will never lead my people. I will never take my revenge.
That’s the choice I’m making. It might be too late to win Eileen’s heart back… but I won’t hurt that innocent child.
I turn away and walk into the woods, my hearts are heavy and my thoughts are clouded.
And then I hear it. Male voices. Human male voices. I follow them to their source. As the trees part, I see a gathering of humans.
Armed to the teeth, and flanked by giant mechs that tower even over me.
Fuck.
Chapter 14
EILEEN
The road back home is long. I have never felt this sad, this low, this plain empty before.
Without Ibalen by my side, it’s like nothing makes sense anymore. Like nothing matters.
Febakur tries to cheer me up, he tries to talk to me and lift my spirits, but my spirits remain unliftable. The only thing that’ll make me happy is seeing my mate again.
Only I know that’s not going to happen — and if it does, Febakur will attack him.
How did everything get so tangled? Why is the man I fall for so tortured? I envy my friends now more than ever — their mates are all brothers. Everything comes easy for them.
Me… not so much.
“We made it,” Febakur says, as the cabins appear in the distance.
I feared that we’d arrive only to find their charred remains, but luckily, that is not the case. We both break out into a run, and Vuka and Jade are waiting for us outside when we arrive.
“Eileen! You’re safe, thank the stars!” Jade shouts as she wraps her arms around me. When she sees the distress on my face, she pulls back. “What’s wrong, sweetie?”
“Ibalen,” I say as I try to catch my breath. “He’s coming here, for us all! In fact, he had a head start, he should’ve been here by now…”
The sound of a tree falling over breaks our hurried conversation up. My heart leaps into my throat as I twirl around.
Ibalen?!
What I see makes my heart stop fluttering in an instant. It’s not my mate that rushes forward from the tree line.
It’s a battalion of raiders. Human raiders. Accompanied by giant, killer robots.
My mouth goes dry. We’ve been so worried about the portal, about finding the crystal, lost in our little bubble, that we lost sight of the human raiders that are hunting us day and night, who want to own us and brand us and destroy us.
At least, I completely forgot about them. There’s only so much I can worry about, and the threat of raiders can’t be on my mind all the time. Perhaps it should have been.
The sound of gunfire fills the air. Bullets ricochet off the cabin, wood splinters raining down on us all, as the Kaizons roar loudly and charge forwards, directly into the fray.
“Vuka, no!” Jade calls, shielding Ka’de’s body with her own.
“Get in the house,” he calls out, and all I can do is grab Jade’s arm and tug her towards the doorway. She’s got muscles of steel, though, and that lady isn’t moving an inch.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Ibalen bursts forth from the trees.
My breath is stolen as I watch my mate run straight towards one of the giant mechs, horns first. He jumps up, dodging the swipe of the mechanical arm, and his horns pierce the pilot’s chest. The mech slumps down, as Ibalen jumps off, his horns coated in blood.
The same horns I caressed, that pressed against my stomach as he explored my body, the same ones I rubbed my thumb over as I imagined a better future… those very same horns are now causing mass chaos, dripping with the blood of my enemies as Ibalen risks life and limb.
For me.
The second mech moves towards Ibalen, the metal monstrosity making an enormous racket as it arm swipes through the air. Ibalen is hit hard, and launched upwards. His body crashes into a tree with a sickening thud, and tears spring to my eyes.
“Ibalen, no!” I cry out, the plan to hide in the cabin completely forgotten. I’m nailed to the ground, unable to look away.
My mate stumbles back to his feet, thick droplets of blood gliding down his face. For a second my breath falters, but then he wipes his brow, throws his arms back and belts out the most savage roar my ears have ever heard.
The raiders are visibly shaken. Ibalen races towards the last remaining mech, all the while bullets fly at him from all directions. He leaps up and sinks his claws into the pilot, the entire contraption falling over backwards with a mighty crash.
With their trump card destroyed, the raiders scatter, and Vuka and Febakur make quick work of them. Only one remains alive, and he quickly drops his rifle.
“Please, I beg for mercy,” he says, pulling down the bandana that covers half his face.
He’s still a young guy, barely out of his teens.
“Mercy? You attack my mate, my child, and now you ask for mercy?!” Vuka roars, the veins in his neck bulging. “You deserve death.”
“No, let him live.”
That voice comes from…
Ibalen!
“You!” Febakur roars. “You would show mercy?!”
Ibalen looks worse for wear, his face bruised, lip torn, his proud nose askew, dripping from head to toe with blood.
“I have never shown mercy in my life, true,” Ibalen says. He wipes the blood from his lips. “And it has brought me nothing but pain and misery. No more. I want to change. And so, I am telling you to let his man go. Look at him, he’s still a child. He’s a pawn, a grunt. If that decision will come back to haunt me… then I will accept all responsibility.”
“Oh, Ibalen,” I say, as I rush towards him, unable to hold back any longer. I hug him tightly, not caring a lick about all the blood. “Are you hurt?”
“Yes,” he says with a wry grin. “Yes, yes, I am, Eileen, but now that I see you it doesn’t hurt as much. Do you not hate me?”
I rest my hands on his cheeks, searching his eyes for the truth.
“My mate…”
Suddenly, Ibalen’s legs buckle. He drops down to his knees, and my heart flutters.
“I… I pray you can forgive me. You have kindled a fire inside of me, you have thawed my hearts with your kindness, your wit, your touch… only not quick enough to stop me from making another mistake… when I saw that innocent child, I realized the error of my ways. I could never rob that boy from his father. The way you, Vuka, looked at that boy… that’s a look I never had, the one of a proud, loving father. You take care of that child. And Febakur, I am glad to see you still live. You have my sincerest apologies, though I understand completely if you still want to take my head. I accept whatever judgment you render.”
“I forgive you, of course I forgive you,” I say, wrapping my arms around my wounded warrior tightly.
Vuka’s face, on the other hand, is cold and emotionless.
“You have betrayed us all, Ibalen. You started a civil war, you have kept Febakur as your prisoner, you have committed countless crimes and earned yourself a thousand executions… on Kysus. We are now on Earth. The ways of Kysus has lead us here, to bloodshed, to war. Taking an eye for an eye, young men growing up without fathers. No more. We must try the ways of Earth now, and so, I will
leave the decision to the human females.”
Vuka turns to me and Jade. “These women will be your judges.”
My stomach drops, in the best possible way. “Are you sure?” I stammer.
“Absolutely. There will be a trial, when the others have returned,” Vuka says.
The young male is still quaking in his boots, his eyes darting from left to right.
“Am I f-free to g-go?” he stammers.
“Yes,” I say. “Run, before we change our minds. And never come back. And never speak a word of this place, or I will hunt you down myself, you got that?”
“Y-yes, m-ma’am!”
He scurries off, stumbling as he goes, his brain moving faster than his legs. I can’t worry about him, or about the raiders a moment longer.
I have to take care of my man.
Chapter 15
One week later
EILEEN
All the girls are looking at me with their mouths opened wide.
Only Zoey is missing — she and Drarsan are the only ones who haven’t returned home yet. I’m a little worried, but Vukaror has assured us all that we’ve got nothing to worry about. He said Drarsan is a very capable warrior, and that they’re probably so busy mating they lost track of time.
Speaking of mating…
“You slept? With HIM?!”
That’s Belinda talking, her eyes filled with disbelief.
“Y-yes,” I stammer, looking round the room.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but he’s a good guy. He really is. Ibalen just got dealt a bad hand. And he played it. Poorly, maybe. Stars know he’s made mistakes, countless of them… but he’s changed. He realized that things can be different, and he wants a shot at a new life. He saved my life, and Jade’s and Ka’de’s as well, and probably Vuka's and Febakur's, even if they don’t want to admit it.”
The girls all exchange knowing looks. My heart is racing like mad, terror filling me to my core. If they say no, if they condemn my mate… then I’m running away with him.
Yes, that’s my final decision.
The connection we have is out of this world. I know what it’s like to be an outcast, and I won’t show him the door.
“Of course,” Jade says. “Of course he can stay. If you vouch for him, that’s enough for me. Right?”
“Right!” Dev says
“Of course,” Faith says.
Belinda nods vigorously. “I must admit, I’m a little nervous around him. I still haven’t forgotten how easily he dispatched of those raiders back in the cave, but, if you vouch for him… then I trust you completely.”
“Holy crap,” I mumble. “Thanks, girls. I didn’t think… I…”
Tears spring to my eyes, as the girls gather for a group hug. This gang really is my tribe.
IBALEN
I wait. In captivity. One of the wooden cabins is now my cell.
Whatever verdict the humans arrive at, I will accept it.
Even death.
I have made mistakes. Countless mistakes. More than I can count.
I won’t run from the consequences any longer. I will gladly give my life for Eileen. Just seeing her again one more time was worth it.
The wooden door open, rousing me from my thoughts. Vukaror stands in the doorway. I straighten my shoulders and look him dead in the eyes. “So it is time,” I say solemnly. “You are here to render the verdict. I accept.”
Vukaror slowly shakes his head and then extends his hand towards me. I cock my head to the side in confusion.
“It’s a human greeting,” he says. “You will have to learn a lot of human customs… if you are to live with us.”
My two hearts skip a beat. “Live with you? Here? Are you… are you sure?”
“Not in a million years,” Vukaror says. “But Eileen trusts you. She vouches for you. And that’s enough for the other females. We trust their judgment. You’ll need to do a lot of work to convince me and the others that your intentions are indeed pure, but… we are giving you that chance. Don’t blow it. Or I will have your head.”
“Thank you,” I say, shaking his hand. It’s feels quite odd, a hornbutt is a much easier greeting, but of course the humans lack that distinctive feature. “You won’t regret it.”
“I sincerely hope not. There are a lot of people for you to meet. Follow me.”
I follow the Kaizon King to the main cabin. The moment we enter, everyone falls silent.
My eyes scan the room frantically, looking for my mate. There are so many people here, so many human females, all shapes and sizes, but I spot Eileen in an instant.
She’s looking more beautiful than ever. Her skin glows, her eyes twinkle when she sees me, and my hearts almost explode with love and gratitude.
I feared I’d never see that perfect smile of hers ever again.
“I believe I owe my life to you all,” I say. “I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but I can assure you… it’s all true. I have made many bad choices in my life. Eileen has shown me a different path, and I cannot wait to walk it with her. Words will never be enough, so I hope to prove I’m a changed man by my actions. For now, all I can say is… thank you.”
I place my hands on my two hearts and tilt my horns down to the ground, in order to properly thank them.
After a moment of silence, the women all suddenly cheer and slap their hands together loudly, and Eileen turns as red as the sun as the girls usher her towards me.
I raise my eyebrows. “I do not understand,” I whisper as I pull my mate close. “What is the meaning of this?”
“This?” she says. “It’s, uh, applause.”
“Is it good? You look uncomfortable.”
“Yes, it is and yes, I am,” she says.
“Kiss kiss kiss!” the girls cheer. The Kaizon males still have deep frowns on their faces.
“Don’t worry about them, they’ll come around.”
“I have a lot to make amends for,” I say as I rest my forehead against hers. I do not care that more than a dozen people are watching us. I am reunited with my mate, and that’s all that matters. “I will earn their trust, day by day… thanks to you. I cannot thank you enough, my mate. How do I ever make this up to you?”
“You can start by carrying me off,” she whispers. “I don’t like everyone looking at me.”
“Say no more!”
I quickly sweep her off her feet, which is greeted with a round of the so-called applause.
“Where to?”
“Outside,” she guides me. “The cabin all the way in the back!”
EILEEN
Being carried by Ibalen still feels like a dream come true. It’s a feeling I hope never fades away. All I want to do is stare up at him as his strong hands carry me.
His face is still bruised, his lip thick, but that doesn’t do anything to distract from his beauty.
I guide him to my cabin and we fall onto my bed, which is comically small for the both of us. He lies down on top of me, placing my arms above my head as he demands kisses.
I’m more than happy to oblige.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” Ibalen admits. “I feel so much right now… and I don’t have the words to express it all.”
“You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to,” I say. “We can take it slow.”
“No, I WANT to say these things,” he says.
“Okay, then let me help. What are you feeling?”
He looks up at the ceiling. “There is a fluttering feeling in my stomach… and a thumping of my hearts… and a lightness I’ve never felt before. All when I look at you. By my horns, even when I think of you.”
I don’t think Ibalen has any idea how sweet he’s being right now.
“When I look at you, I want to be a better man,” he says. “I have wanted that from the moment I first laid eyes on you. I fought that feeling, because… because it was unknown. It was frightening. I tried to cling to what I learned, but…”
“You don’t have
to do that anymore,” I say, my hand resting on his cheek as I stroke his dark gray skin gently. “It’s just you and me now… well… and the upcoming baby, of course…”
His eyes grow wide. “Baby?!” he says with excitement. “You are indeed carrying my child?!”
“Well, after what we did, I’m pretty sure, yeah,” I laugh. “And if not… well, it doesn’t hurt to try again, right?”
I don’t even have to finish my sentence before Ibalen is already ripping his armor off. His skin is bruised, the many wounds still fresh. He heals quickly, but it’s clear he’s far from okay.
He notices the concern in my eyes right away.
“Do not worry, my human,” he says. “I may not look like it, but I am healthy.”
“Are you absolutely sure?” I ask, as I sit upright, pulling my shirt over my head. The moments my bare breasts come into view is the same moment as when Ibalen’s cock pops out, hard and throbbing.
“Yes, I am very sure,” he chuckles.
I reach out and grab his hardness.
“You certainly feel healthy,” I chuckle. “I wonder if you taste healthy as well.”
Without giving him a moment to respond I lean forward and wrap my lips around the head of his cock. I have to stretch my lips to accommodate his girth, but I surprise myself and make it work.
His taste is as wonderful as ever, and the soft groan that escapes from his lips as I tease his ridges with my tongue makes me feel proud.
Satisfied, I take his cock out of my mouth and gently push him onto his back.
I take a moment to appreciate the sight of the massive, alien warrior filling every inch of my bed. I can barely believe this moment is finally here.
My heart flutters as I straddle Ibalen’s strong hips. I reach down and grab his cock, lining him up with my entrance. With a gentle thrust of his hips, he enters me.
I savor the feeling of every hard, ridged inch filling me. My hands rest on his broad chest, feeling his two hearts beat, and the world couldn’t be a better place right now.
I’ve got my mate, my one, and we are truly and fully united.