Delta Star

by Iris Sword

  “What do you mean ‘figure out what to do with the fetus?’” Haltrax snarled.

  “L-Like, transfer the fetus into a fake womb? Or…” Victorio turned, looking to Xa’baar sheepishly, “I-I don’t know. I just know your dad is pretty far up the ranks. This is dangerous, even more so for y’all. If we can get the fetus out of me, we have more options. All I ask is for an escape pod and some weapons, then you can go tell your government I tricked you into doing this for me! I find Nova; y’all keep the baby.”

  “Feckless! Reckless! Stupid, goa’o!” Haltrax shouted, his rage causing his corona to suck the oxygen out of the air.

  “Do you think the unborn is some sort of toy? A joke? You are the first human to bear a Deltraxan’s fruit. We do not know if it will survive inside of your womb, and you want us to attempt artificial incubation in deep space without a medical crew? Or, worse, kill Xa’baar’Zaydon in the process of transplatation!” Haltrax roared.

  “You don’t have to fucking patronize me Haltrax! I’m not stupid! You don’t need to yell at me! You don’t think I’m scared? That I don’t know the risks? That’s my friend on the fucking rock having who know’s what done to him! I know this is your child and he’s your mate. I get it! I’m just trying to find a solution instead of sitting around waiting for Tiger Chu to find us!”

  Haltrax no longer needed to suck the oxygen from the room. Vic’tor’s rant had an even more chilling effect. He stormed away, as Xa’baar looked on helplessly, leaving Barrtaruk, Haltrax, and him standing in stony silence.

  “Well, I think I’ll go check the engine room.” Barrtaruk threw his hands up, exasperated, ducking as he went down a corridor.

  “...Go after him, fated. I will man the ship.” Haltrax spat, turning on his heels, walking back to the pilot's chair. What will become of us, Xa’baar mused as he followed Vic’tor to the bedroom.

  ✦ ✦ ✦

  Xa’baar steeled himself as Vic’tor’s sobbing became crystal clear to his ears, “Belima’ar?”

  “Go away!” Vic’tor shouted, his face red from the force of his tears.

  Xa’baar sighed, unable to understand how it came to this. When Haltrax revealed the truth of Vic’tor’s origins, Xa’baar was nonplussed. Though, he quickly realized he would never abandoned his fated mate. Haltrax could deny it until his green lips turned bright blue, but Xa’baar knew in his heart of hearts that they were all meant to be together. Like Vic’tor, Xa’baar grew up an orphan. When his parents found out he would most likely be barren, they sold him to an old pervert to wither at the edge of an oversized union. After five bitter, hateful years his mate in name only died. He found Haltrax and sought love for the first time. But, unable to produce, he was rejected once again by Haltrax’s clan. His fated remained loyal, so Xa’baar knew from experience he’d never abandon Vic’tor or him. But, his words had been too cruel. They’d been in love longer, but Haltrax knew this was the time to profess his love towards Vic’tor, cherish him, reassure him, not blame him for forces greater than himself. Still...

  “Forgive him. His tongue spits venom because the situation is overwhelming. Try to understand him, hm?” Always the diplomat, as he’d been trained in the Federation, Xa’baar tried to salvage their relationship.

  “No, you have to understand! I don’t want your child to die, I just want Nova and I to have a chance to live! That’s all I ever wanted. That’s…” Vic’tor was hyperventilating, choking on his tears. Xa’baar chose to do the only thing he could do. He held Vic’tor and allowed himself to cry himself to sleep once more.

  HALTRAX

  Deep Space, Sector TJ18

  Vuron’s Private Spacecraft Allegiance

  What was one to do when they had no options and little time to find a solution? Haltrax sighed, the task in front of him seemingly impossible. His childhood friend Barrtaruk had already retired for the night after checking their weapons’ system, and refueling their cloaking device. No matter how many times Haltrax attempted to reach his fated, Xa’baar kept him boxed out of his mind. Haltrax couldn’t blame him; his anger was justified. Haltrax realized his mistake and was truly sorry, but he feared Vic’tor had already rejected him forever. It was an emotional situation, made worse by the goa’o’s lies, but that didn’t give him the right to yell at Vic’tor and belittle him. His fear, like Xa’baar’s anger, was more than justified. Tiger Chu was a monster, selling his mate’s lover into slavery in order to draw Vic’tor out and capture him. Haltrax gritted his teeth, hearing his seed-bearer’s disapproval droning on and on inside of his head. He couldn’t provide for Vic’tor, and lugged around a barren goa’uc out of misguided sincerity according to Commander Vuron. This situation only confirmed his seed-bearer’s critiques, enraging Haltrax even more. He’d always thought he’d chose his own path, and he wouldn’t repeat his seed-bearer’s mistake. Yet, here he was driving away a piece of his heart, his fated mate, because he was ashamed of his own faults. Here he was treating a goa’o with contempt because Haltrax felt inadequate. All he needed was a bottle of jaquiloune, while he hurled more curses at the goa’o, to complete the ugly transformation into Haltrax’Vuron’Ekai the First.

  Haltrax slammed his fist against his command center. Projected maps of the twelve artificial planets that made up Tieqiú scattered into oblivion. It was a fool's errand, trying to locate an international mobster on a rumor. But, as Haltrax looked up to see his lovers intertwined in their artificial shelter, he knew he had to try. What else could he do? Sit around and wait for the monster to destroy his union? To kill the unborn? Never! The thought of Tiger Chu harming what was his sent Haltrax’s corona into a frenzy. The green mass of energy swirled around him, lashing out, as he tried to control his frantic emotions.

  "Haltrax’Vuron’Ekai!" Haltrax spun around to find his mate, Xa’baar, floating beside him, his face a mask of concern.

  "Aye! Do not sneak up on me like that," Haltrax snorted, "Your accent is still terrible by the way."

  "It’s not often I have to call you by your full name." Xa’baar pressed his lips into a thin smile. Reaching forward, he pulled up an image that haunted Haltrax’s dreams so thoroughly he forced himself to stay awake. There, encased in his father’s life force, was there unborn child: Valbüer. Their tiny fingers and toes were not yet fully formed. Valbüer was little more than an embryo. Yet, their corona was already visible to the mind’s eye, a cool, soothing gray in color.

  "Here, hold our future, and relax." Xa’baar pulled the image forward, so that Haltrax was cradling Valbüer’s projected form. With his mind’s eye, Haltrax could already make out the unborn at birth: terra-cotta colored skin, ruddy cheeks, and jet-black curly hair. Valbüer the Valiant One would be a perfect fusion of all their features realized in one precious being. If only they are allowed to live! Everything was riding on finding Tiger Chu before he found them. With a renewed sense of purpose, Haltrax allowed the image to dissolve, turning to embrace his fated. Xa’baar returned his embrace, their coronas intertwining as they stood in silence.

  We will fight for our union, and we will win!

  GLOSSARY

  Space Rangers: Under the command of the Galactic Federation, they act as universal police. However, the chain of command is highly corrupt, and Rangers are often brought off by career criminals for favors. Their encrypted transmissions, called starlogs, are often replicated in movies, and have become a colloquial term for adventure films.

  Tieqiú 9: One of twelve artificial prison planets that house criminals and indentured servants who owe extraordinary debts. The ninth planet is overseen by Tiger Chu, international mobster and CEO of Dogstar Meteorite Mines, Inc. Due to a high frequency of injuries, the ninth planet’s doctors are pioneers in cybernetic fusion, surgeries that combine human tissue with nanobots to expedite healing. Qiú is slang for a vast array of dialects spoken by the various species imprisoned or indentured on the planets. Uelran-7, a universal language created by the Galactic Federation, is the most common second language of re
sidents. Their calendar is guided by solar rotations. Indentured servants often pay off their debts through a combination of hard labor, sex work, and finding wealthy spouses through galacticmates.ag sponsored by the Tycoons of Tieqiú.

  Deltrax: An inhospitable ice giant ravaged by brutal winter storms. The residents of Deltrax live in connected tribes and go through annual mating seasons called primes. Traditionally, matchmakers called mayvruen crossed tribal boundaries to find mates for goa’os, Those Who Can Bear Fruit, called a’tucks, Those Who Seed the Field. Infertile Deltraxans are referred to as goa’ucs, Those Who Water the Land, a third gender that can take various shapes. Unions, or marriages, are often polyamorous due to infertility issues over generations. Belima’ar, the Beloved, is a term commonly reserved for the goa’os of a union. The people of Deltrax are kept warm by the fur of woolly beasts called bertiuks, and their coronas, a colored aura that denotes lineage and powers their telepathic abilities. Their calendar is guided by lunar rotations, and they celebrate their supermoon Delnon’s successful celestial cycle during the annual Tri-Lunar Festival.

  ABOUT — IRIS SWORD

  BIO: Iris Sword writes speculative LGBTQIA+ romance (horror, science fiction, and fantasy). Want the latest news? Sign up for her newsletter at www.irissword.com.

  JOIN THE LUNAR RANGERS

  Sign-up for Iris Sword's newsletter to receive the latest news about her upcoming releases under ARCANA, AURELIA LEO’s speculative romance imprint.

  SYNOPSIS

  Space Rangers Xa’baar Ilaura and Haltrax Vuron, of the ice planet Deltrax, are tired of policing the universe. They’ve spent years roaming the stars searching for adventure. Now, near the end of their last prime, the Rangers are desperate to find a lover.

  Xa’baar swore he’d never sign up for an intergalactic mate. Haltrax is wary of expanding their union. On Tieqiú 9, indentured miner Victorio Chu is searching for an escape route. Sparks fly and tensions simmer, as Xa’baar, Haltrax, and Victorio come together during a harsh Deltraxan winter.

  Delta Moon is an erotic mpreg ménage à trois alien romance novella.

  XA’BAAR

  Deltrax, Sector VX19

  Space Ranger Headquarters

  A bright purple mist, Xa’baar’s corona, surrounded his body. It was distressed, jagged, nothing like the soothing aura that usually enveloped the ranger. In a way, Haltrax was right. The mayvruen could have lied. Belima’ar could be misrepresenting himself. But what choice did that have? They’d already tried and failed many times to mate one of their own kind to produce a child. Xa’baar placed his hand right below his stomach. His womb was dying or already dead. With the population dwindling at an unprecedented rate, it was already common to see unions of five or more amongst the tribes of Deltrax. He and Haltrax had unionized out of necessity as much as they did out of love. Intertribal unions were the only ones that bore fruit anymore, and there’s had failed. This prime could very well be their last shot. True, if their new mate didn’t produce, Xa’baar and Haltrax could enter the dreaded barren years where their seed dried up and coronas waned. Torn apart by the laws of their land, loneliness would eat away at their spirits, absorbed into the periphery of an oversized union. As the old saying went, a heart can love endlessly, but the body grows weak. Regardless of all the unknowns, Xa’baar refused to let his aspirations be ground into dust by Haltrax’s negativity. He’d fought for years to keep their union together, hoping against all reason.

  "They won’t separate us...not without a fight." Xa’baar turned back around so he could look up at the holograph once more. In Belima’ar, Xa’baar longed for a mate, a companion, and if he dared to say it, a new friend. But he would take what he could get, as long as he produced an heir.

  Hurry, Belima’ar, we are waiting for you, and we need you now more than ever before.

  SYNOPSIS

  Former indentured miner Victorio Chu never dreamed of marrying intergalactic mates. Now he's knocked up by the elite Space Rangers Xa'baar Ilaura and Haltrax Vuron, of the ice planet Deltrax, and on the run. Framed by his former master on Tieqiú 9, Victorio depends on Xa’baar and Haltrax to prove his innocence.

  But between morning sickness and bickering husbands, Victorio may lose his sanity before he gains his independence. Xa'baar wants to turn to the Ranger Confederation for help. Haltrax contends its suicide. If Victorio wants to avoid divorce and delivery his baby, he must confront his past during an everlasting summer on Tieqiú.

  Delta Rangers is an erotic mpreg ménage à trois alien romance novella.

  VICTORIO

  Tieqiú 9, Sector MZ14

  Dogstar Meteorite Mines, Inc.

  Victorio could taste bile building in the back of his throat. He fought for air as Tiger Chu drove his head underwater again. Any second now he’d pass out. Victorio resisted the overwhelming urge to faint. He couldn’t allow himself to become totally vulnerable in front of his master. If he wanted to live and save the child growing inside of him, he had to stay awake. Chu pulled his head out of the water, chuckling darkly as Victorio coughed up putrid water. He fought to no avail, unable to escape from his master’s vice like grip on his neck, arms pinned behind his back by electrified handcuffs. Chu leaned forward, his mouth pressed against Victorio’s ear, his mustache pricking Victorio’s soaked face.

  "What a stupid, stupid, useless little bitch! I poured everything I had into you, Vic. Everything! I even gave you my family name. And what do I get in return for all those years I sunk into you, you stupid bitch? A green cop on my ass and a purple one digging through my finances! Do you even know who the father is?" His tone remained level, but Victorio knew from first-hand experience he was well past the point of anger. When Chu was blinded by rage, there was no limit to the violence he inflicted on his servants. If Victorio made one wrong move, his whole being would remember why they called him Tiger Chu. Ba and Trax wouldn’t be able to identify Victorio’s body when Chu was done with him.

  "I’ll teach you what it means to defy Tiger Chu." His villainous tone would’ve been comical if Victorio didn’t know his boss was deadly serious. He was going to do everything in his power to break him. Victorio caught a glimpse of the fear on his swollen face reflected in the murky water below him. He steeled his expression as Chu yanked his head back by his hair. They’ll come for the baby, if not me, Victorio assured himself. He had to believe that to find the will to live. Victorio held back a scream of terror as Chu reared back to hit him again. His last thought was of Ba and Trax cradling the projection of their unborn child. Then, everything went black.

  Save me...

  Table of Contents

  Titlepage

  Other Books by Iris Sword

  Warning

  Synopsis

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One: VICTORIO

  Chapter Two: VICTORIO

  Chapter Three: TIGER CHU

  Chapter Four: XA'BAAR

  Chapter Five: HALTRAX

  Glossary

  About the Author

  Newsletter

  Delta Moon (Delta Rangers, #1)

  Delta Rangers (Delta Rangers, #3)