by Calista Skye
26
- Juri’ex -
“Do you, Warrior Juri’ex, take Ashlynn Bailey to be your wife?”
My heart is beating faster than usual. This ritual is very alien.
“Of course.”
“You have to say ‘I do’,” Caroline whispers, stately and regal in her white robe, and the spectators behind us chuckle softly.
“Very well. I do,” I reply with emphasis and some impatience.
Caroline says something alien, and Ashlynn responds. Maybe a little more calmly than me, but I don’t know what she says, and that worries me a little.
She looks up at me and takes my hand, smiling brightly. “We’re married.”
I smile, too, and we walk a little bit away from the altar, passing the cheering members of the alien tribe.
“So, what you said was ‘I do’ in your speech?” I inquire.
“That was it,” she says, holding my hand.
“And what you said ‘I do’ to was the question of whether you would take me as your husband?” I persist. This is too important to leave as a guess.
“Yes,” Ashlynn confirms.
I breathe out. “We’re married.”
“We are.”
“I’m married to you,” I say for added certainty.
“And the other way around.” Her eyes are shining.
I scratch my chin. “For how long is this valid? How do I stay married to you?”
“The idea is that it lasts forever. Or until one of us dies. Whichever comes first.”’
“Ah. But surely… I mean, some kind of trials seem only reasonable…”
Ashlynn raises her eyebrows. “You think I should go through trials to show myself worthy of you?”
“No,” I exclaim, horrified. “Not you. You’re a woman. I mean me.”
She chuckles. “I know. All the warriors ask about that. No, there are no trials. You don’t have to prove yourself. Except you have to prove your love of me every day. In many interesting ways.”
Her words send a surge of heat to my crotch, but I try to ignore it. “It is… remarkable. That you could possibly want to marry a man who left you with a dragon.”
She squeezes my hand. “You didn’t knowingly leave me with him. He tricked you. And then you came back and saved me. And Delyah. We’ve talked about it. If you hadn’t left, the dragon would probably have chosen to kill you up on the levels. He could have surprised you and just burned you before you knew what was going on. Who would have saved me then?”
”You are being very kind to me.”
“And you are being very kind to me. Let’s keep it that way.”
The other women in the village come to congratulate Ashlynn, and I’m left alone.
Rax’tar comes over. “That was quick, warrior. I thought I moved fast in marrying Phoebe, but I think you got me beat by a couple of days.”
“Marrying a woman is like hunting a bresk,” I invent on the spot. “When you see a good one, you have to… hmm. I mean, there’s the… No, it’s not at all like hunting a bresk.”
“It’s not,” Brax’tan says, sauntering over with some of his men. “There’s no blade needed, for one thing.”
“And indeed, I don’t have one,” I admit. “Possibly that’s one reason why getting married appears to suit me fine.”
“We do require that our warriors have weapons,” the chief says loudly. “You are a member of this tribe now. What will you do about it?”
“I can acquire iron,” I state calmly. “Over many years, if necessary. Then I will forge a new blade.”
“As large as the old one?”
I think about it. “It can’t be any longer than that. It might strike the ground when I walk. The width might be increased somewhat with no ill effect.”
Brax’tan nods. “I see. Warrior, you saved my Delyah. I am forever grateful. Do you know she is pregnant?”
“She is very pleasant,” I agree.
“Well, yes. No. I mean, she is with child. You remember the night when Caroline gave birth? You had only been here for a day or so? That will happen to Delyah too, soon.”
“Ah. She has a baby inside her right now?”
“Yes. She does.”
“And it will soon come out?”
“That is my understanding.”
I shake my head in wonder. “They are extraordinary.”
“Very much so,” Ar’ox says and slaps me on the back. “And you have only scratched the surface of it.”
Gir’ex comes up to me and grabs my wrist. “I thought you held the alien females responsible for bringing the dragons,” he says with a grin.
I grin right back. “Oh, a man can change his mind. No, they didn’t do it. It was the Ex, those who built the spaceship Bune. Our alien females are innocent victims, tribesmen. As innocent as we are.”
“So, the three dragons close to The Island are now all dead,” Rax’tar muses. “One killed by us, one by his friend, and that friend by you. At least, there is no danger for Curt’on now. We should send someone to let him out of his prison.”
I laugh. “It will not be me, Rax’tar. I doubt I will leave this village for a good while yet. And neither, I suspect, will you.”
He glances over at Phoebe, his wife. “I can probably confirm your suspicion. Not six wild gatagank could tear me from her side just now.”
“I wonder,” Jax’zan says, “if these dragons were all that will arrive. There have only been four so far. Except for the three young ones that came out Bune. Perhaps this was all.”
“Perhaps,” I say, not at all certain. “It is the kind of thing we will only know if more arrive.”
I look over at Ashlynn. She has tossed her little bunch of flowers, which she explained was a special ritual. Her friend catches it and does a little twirl in joy. She is the one with the short name. Nia? Gia? Something like that.
I saunter over to my wife. I will stay as close to her as possible for a long time. “How is my wife?”
“She’s fine,” Ashlynn says. “Actually, she’s never been finer. And it’s all your fault.”
I take her finely shaped head between mine and kiss her delicate lips. “It had to come out at some point. Yes, I confess. I secretly want you to be fine.”
“I knew it! There had to be a reason you’re so good at making sure I am.”
I bury my nose in her hair and smell it. “So, when will you give birth?”
She puts a hand on my chest and pushes so she can see my face. “When I’ll give birth? Love, I’m not even sure I’m pregnant. It’s too early to say. There’s actually a good chance I’m not.”
I stroke her shoulder. “How do we make sure you are?”
“There’s only one way to make sure. I think you might like it.”
Again my crotch swells. “Will it kill me?”
“Yes.” Her smile is so mischievous, it makes me weak at the knees.
I pull her closer. “I like it when you try to kill me.”
“I will try many, many times. But only if you try to kill me, too.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll keep trying.”
She grabs the top of my pants. “I want to be with you always.”
“And I will be here. Because I love you.”
“And I love you.”
I smirk, so happy my chest might burst at any time. “I think I married the right woman.”
She laughs. “As if you had a choice! Oh no, buster. You were mine the moment I saw you. You just didn’t know it yet. Also, I didn’t know it.”
I look into her dark eyes. “You will never leave me? Even in that ship?”
“I will never leave you. You and me together. Always. Even in that ship.”
I sigh with satisfaction. “Always is a long time.”
“Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?”
My head spins with sheer bliss. “Pretty great.”
Ashlynn points. “The guys are starting to eat.”
I look over. They’re a boisterous bunch
. But they are the greatest tribe on Xren, and I am proud to be part of it. No tribe I would found could ever measure up. I’m relieved it’s this obvious. And of course, this is Ashlynn’s tribe. That’s all I need.
“They are,” I agree. “Let’s go and join them.”
© Calista Skye 2019
Make sure to catch the Epilogue at the end of the book!
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* * *
Caveman Alien's Ransom: A SciFi BBW/Alien Fated Mates Romance
Being abducted by aliens was never on my bucket list. But I guess the aliens didn't get that memo, because one night I was beamed aboard a UFO. It dumped me and a bunch of other girls on an alien planet.
A Jurassic planet where giant, murderous dinosaurs walk around, and everything wants to kill me.
My only hope of surviving is the first man I met here. His name is Jax'zan, and he's an alien.
And a caveman.
As in, the hottest super-alpha caveman who ever lived. He's big and strong and doesn't talk much, but he's saved my life so many times now that I've lost count.
My insides turn to hot mush whenever he fixes his smoldering eyes on me, and the scandalously sexy and unusual features his sensationally muscular body is rocking totally make me forget time and place.
There's only one problem: He's holding me for ransom. And he wants to repopulate his woman-less planet. With me ...
Expect steamy scenes, mysterious aliens with features like adult toys, deadly planets, and the love story between a BBW from Earth and a sensationally hot alien warrior.
Full-length romance novel with no cliffhangers and a happily-ever-after ending!
Epilogue
- Ashlynn -
The sun glints off the polished steel when Juri’ex swings the sword through the air to test the balance.
“It is magnificent,” he says so everyone can hear it. “Truly worthy of a warrior of this tribe. Thank you all.”
Everybody cheers, and I wipe happy tears. My resolution to weep less only kicks in tomorrow, I decide.
“That thing is just as big as his old sword,” Delyah observes. “Brax’tan felt it necessary. A warrior might have trouble getting used to a smaller one.”
“A girl too,” Phoebe mutters.
“Are we still talking about swords?” I inquire.
Phoebe smiles happily. “No.”
“You guys know he really appreciates this,” I sniffle. “A brand new sword, too. From the tribe’s own steel. This means a lot to him.”
“The guys came up with the idea themselves,” Delyah grins. “Before we even told them his story. They wanted him to have a blade ASAP. And now he has one.”
I squeeze her wrist. “He will never forget this.”
Mia hands me a mug full of liquid. “So you ready to do some roofing? The new house is pretty much done. Just a little bit left.”
I take a sip, hoping against an infinity of probability that it’s coffee. It’s fresh fruit juice, of course. “Sure. As long as it’s not raining. Whose house is it?”
“That one is for Heidi and Ar’ox. It’s a little bigger than ours, but that’s the way of these things. The next one will be bigger still, because we seem to get better and more bricks with each one. We just improve each time. I’m pondering a two-storey thing, actually.”
“We’re getting pretty good,” Phoebe agrees modestly. “The way we’re going, the one we’ll build for Rax’tar and me will be seven stories tall, with spires and those cool flying buttresses that the cathedrals in Europe have. Oh, and two branches of Seattle’s Best.”
“You need two of them?”
“Definitely. One in each library.”
“Obviously,” I laugh. “Yeah, makes sense. You never know when you might need that French roast. Or Colombian, because anything else is just yucky. Which number are we in the line, Juri’ex and me?”
“Nine,” Mia says. “So your house will be the size of Rhode Island.”
I wrinkle my nose. “The smallest state?” I whine. “I was hoping for Connecticut.”
“You’ll take what you get and like it,” Mia sniffs. “There are many after you in line. Actually, there’s nobody else in line after you. Except I’m starting to want to upgrade this hovel.” She points at the first house we built. “I have no idea what the architect was thinking.”
“She was thinking that she wanted a brick house,” I remind her. “That was the extent of it.”
“It is a travesty of a house,” Phoebe agrees. “Not even a self-serve coffee counter. I don’t know what the world is coming to.”
Sophia saunters over and clinks her mug to mine. “Cheers. What exactly is going on in Bune these days? We hear so many rumours. Dragons and robots and plain weirdness. You’d think the landlady would fix those things.”
“Hey, the rent is low for a reason,” Delyah counters. “And I tell you, some of the tenants are skinny-dipping in the pool I provide. Scandalous. But sure, let’s talk. Is everyone here? Tamara? Okay. Girls, there is an issue that’s kind of staring us in the face by now. That ship is pretty safe and it has power and it has a bunch of different, very pleasant landscapes. There’s food and an amusement park. Our escape ship is right there. Do we, in fact, want to move there to live?”
It’s a thought that’s been on my mind, too. I would make a lot of sense. But I have my own opinion about it.
“I don’t know,” Aurora says. “Those robots can go haywire. The ship must be a magnet for dragons. We don’t fully know how the tech works. I don’t like what I’m hearing about that Weirdness. The Ex dying and their depressing mindset kind of still being in the walls. Do we need to?”
“There are no dinos close to the village anymore,” Emilia points out. “I’d say this is about as safe a place as that ship. I mean, can you even lock the doors of that thing?”
“We built this village and this tribe,” Heidi agrees. “I’d actually love to see how far we can take it. We’re improving like crazy here. This village was just a bare cave less than two years ago. Now it’s the fucking capital of the planet. Cavemen come here on pilgrimages now, just to see it.”
Mia cups her mug in both hands. “It may be a magnet for dragons. But that’s just a reason to live there. The escape ship is there. I think we should protect it. At all cost. It’s our only way home. Sounds like Zahak caused some destruction to the other things. The next one may sabotage our only way to Earth.”
The supportive murmur confirms that it’s a good point.
I clear my voice. “The guys would never be happy there. It’s too sterile, everything is fake. The sky is alien. There’s an air of defeat all over it. But right now we’re a day’s walk away from our escape ship. We probably want to be closer.”
“Surely,” Caroline pipes up, “the distance to that ship doesn’t matter that much if we can’t use it for months or years? Or maybe never? Shouldn’t we plan our future here, and only start to talk about escape when that is actually happening?”
The circle of eighteen girls goes quiet. Everyone is looking at Delyah and me.
We exchange glances, and I give her a little nod. This might be the time.
“The thing is this,” our chief says calmly. “The last thing Ashlynn did in Bune before we came back here was to flick a switch by that main Weirdness. Right?”
“It was a very alien switch, and there was no flicking involved,” I say, suddenly nervous, “but yes. I turned on the Weirdness that’s inside
the escape ship. It lit up on the display. As far as I can tell, it works.”
“Soooo…?” Phoebe prompts.
“So the smaller ship inside Bune looks intact,” I continue. “The escape ship. It has power. It has a way of moving faster than light. Delyah thinks she can control it.”
The village has never been this silent.
“What you’re saying is that we can go home?” Sophia calmly asks, rocking her daughter in her arms.
“Ashlynn solved the mystery of the propulsion,” Delyah says slowly. “That was the hardest part. It was the part I didn’t even dare to touch. That means that the science part is over. We’re not done, and there will be more problems that show up. Still, what remains now is not fundamental stuff. At worst, it’s just engineering. And we don’t think there will be much of that, either. We have checked most of the things we can check, and the ship appears to be in perfect working order. So with every reservation, and every ‘but’ and every ‘however’, and with fifty footnotes that say LOL… Yes. As far as Ashlynn and I can determine, yes. We can go home.”
There is no jubilant cheer or loud crying of relief. The girls look at each other, and some of them smile. Some of the unmarried girls hug, and there is a sniffle or two.
We married women send each other lopsided smiles. It’s a happy moment, sure. But it is also difficult. We may all be facing a very hard choice pretty soon.
“When?” Mia asks, reasonably enough.
“I don’t want to commit to a date,” Delyah says. “But we have talked about it. I will not be going back to the ship until I give birth. Some of you guys have to check and re-check and seriously make sure that we’re not wrong. If everything works out, and there are no major issue - it’s a matter of weeks. A month, six weeks.”
“We could be on the way home just a month from now?” Eleanor is incredulous.
“If nothing goes wrong,” I repeat. “That’s a huge ‘if’. In theory, we could try right now. We understand as much of the ship as we’re ever likely to. But some double-checking would be nice. We’ll need a couple of you guys to go to Bune and go over it again. See if it makes the same sense to you as to us. Mia, you’re an airplane engineer, yes?”