by Zoey Draven
She knew that word. Bruxilia had taught her a sentence in Luxirian when she’d come across it in one of the books in the archives. And frillirax translated to ‘prepare’ in English.
And as they left the celebration and the warm wind brushed her cheeks as Vaxa guided their hovercraft back to their home, she couldn’t help but worry about what he needed to prepare for.
FOURTEEN
Vaxa woke her with a flower. Or at least, the Luxirian version of a flower.
It was one of the weed-like vines that covered the outer building of the meal hall and it was waiting for her, on their furs when she woke, where her mate should’ve been.
“Vaxa?” she called, a little groggy. Yesterday, she’d been on her feet most of the day at the archives and she’d come home and collapsed in exhaustion. She fell asleep before her mate had even arrived home even though she vaguely remembered him slipping into bed beside her.
Her back was beginning to ache from the pregnancy and her ankles were tender. It had been only a handful of days after the Lunar Celebration, but she was really starting to feel the weight of this child.
Kate climbed out of bed gingerly and threw on a loose robe to cover her nakedness, just in case Bidan was milling about somewhere. Keriva had made one for her considering Vaxa’s robe swamped her.
Judging from the position of the suns, it was still relatively early and her mate shouldn’t have left to go about his duties quite yet. With a quick peek out their window, she saw that his hovercraft was still on their terrace, so she wandered into the living room and then into the other hallway.
She found him in his ‘office,’ working on his Com. When he saw her through the holograph projection of the screen he gestured for her. Kate held the flower he’d brought her in her fingertips and she set it on the smooth metal of his desk before climbing onto his lap.
“You are a romantic, I think,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his chin as she stroked a hand over his horns.
He grunted, but said nothing about it. Kate almost smiled.
“How are you feeling this span, mate?” he asked her instead, his hands straying to her belly.
“Rested,” she said, her smile a little embarrassed. “I guess I was more tired than I realized last night.”
“I am glad you rested,” he murmured.
“What are you up to this early?” she asked, glancing at the Com holograph behind her.
“I am settling my duties for the next couple spans because I wish to take you somewhere,” he said. “I promised to show you more of Luxiria and I have yet to do so.”
“But…” she trailed off, thinking of all of his responsibilities. Yesterday, he had been gone almost the entire day, still dealing with the aftermath of the Trials. She had yet to ask him what had happened to the male that had attacked him during the fight—and she had yet to tell him that she recognized him from the marketplace. “You’re so busy right now. I can wait, Vaxa. Really.”
“It is only a short trip, luxiva,” he told her. “We will leave after we have bathed and dressed and be back by tomorrow night.”
“Only if you’re sure,” she said. Excitement began building up inside her. She’d been anxious to see at least some other parts of Luxiria, since Vaxa had told her the landscape changed dramatically depending on which part of the planet one was on. “Where are we going?”
“A sacred place,” he told her. “My mother and sire ventured there when she was pregnant with me. They are called the lallarix. The silver pools.”
“It sounds lovely,” she murmured, smiling, touched that he was bringing her there, a place that his own parents had visited.
“There is much peace there,” he said. “It will be good for the both of us to relax, I think.”
“I agree.” Ever since she’d found out about the Trials, she’d been a pit of worry and nervousness. Now that they were over, it would be nice to go away with her mate, if only for a couple days.
“Let me finish this and then we may go,” he said, tilting his head towards the Com. “I will be in the bath shortly.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
* * *
The silver pools were literally silver pools, Kate realized. The water was as clear as their hot spring bath back at home, but the rock that it rippled in gleamed silver.
Vaxa landed their hovercraft down into a small clearing after traveling for what Kate guessed was a couple hours. The baby had been kicking something fierce during the journey, but the moment that his father laid his hand across Kate’s belly, the child went still. It was as if he knew better than to disobey his father already and Kate always melted at the look on Vaxa’s face whenever he felt the baby move. It made her fall in love with him a bit more every single time.
The area surrounding the silver pools was so unlike their home on the mountain that it took her a while to process. It was lush, like a jungle…and it was so green. But a different green than what she was used to seeing back on Earth. It was the deepest green imaginable, on the cusp of being a pure obsidian black.
Trees shot overhead, climbing towards the sky to seemingly dizzying heights. Kate had visited the Redwoods in California once with Beks. She’d seen giant sequoias and thought they were the biggest trees she’d ever seen. But they had nothing on these. These were so tall that the tops disappeared into the foggy mist that shrouded the jungle. And instead of brown bark, these trees were covered in a soft white moss that felt like silk to the touch. The ‘leaves’ really weren’t leaves at all. Rather they were dark green pods that hung heavy on the branches, making them bow.
The ground was covered in a similar moss, creating a soft padding for her feet. The pods that had fallen from the trees created a heavy indentation and they settled into their places, snug and protected. She watched as Vaxa picked up a couple pods and stashed them back in the hovercraft. When he returned, he shot her a small smile and said, “Bidan has a taste for them. Most do not.”
“What do they taste like?”
He cocked his head. “Would you like to try? I warn you, it is not a very pleasant taste. But they are very nutritious. Will be good for the child.”
She almost laughed at the look of displeasure and she nodded. She’d always liked to try new foods. And why not? They’d traveled all the way there and she figured she should try this alien food at least once.
Vaxa retrieved another pod and with his claws, he cut into the hard flesh, expertly slicing open the seed. Or perhaps it was a fruit? She didn’t quite know.
The inside looked innocent enough. It looked white and creamy, riddled with little black seeds, and neatly segmented into eight crisscrossing sections. Vaxa handed it to her and she sniffed it, although it had no discernible smell.
Hesitantly, she used her finger to scoop some out and then tasted it. Flavor burst on her tongue and she looked up at Vaxa with wide eyes.
“Oh my God.”
“Terrible. I know,” he said, reaching to take the pod. But she turned away, huddling the pod close to her chest like a baby.
“Oh my God,” she said, grinning. “It tastes like custard!”
“Custard?” he repeated slowly, frowning.
She was so excited that she squealed, making her mate startle. “It’s a dessert back on Earth,” she explained, scooping out more, wishing she had a spoon. “I mean, the taste is a little different, not as sweet, but it’s dessert! And I thought I’d never get that on this planet, given how you guys feel about sugar.”
“Sugar,” he repeated, shaking his head. “Female, sometimes I do not understand what you go on about.”
“Can you cut me open another?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
Vaxa did one of his purring sighs, but his lips quirked. “You may have as many as you wish, luxiva.”
This mini-vacation was already off to a great start. She wondered what else she could try. Maybe an edible plant that tasted like a burger and fries? Or the juice from a fruit that tasted like coffee? It was like Willy Wonka’s
Chocolate Factory there and she’d just found a golden ticket.
As she ate her second and then third custard pod, Vaxa showed her more of the Luxirian jungle. There was a strange continual creaking sound that seemed to echo and when she asked Vaxa whether there were bugs or mammals residing there, he said, “Yes, but they stay away from the lallarix. The sound is the…” He paused, his language implant trying to translate the words for him. “It’s the trees,” he finally said, pointing overhead. “They breathe.”
“The trees are breathing? That’s what that sound is?” she asked, incredulous.
“They live, just like you and I. Why would they not breathe?” he asked, face puzzled.
He had a point and Kate reached out to touch one trunk as they passed, rubbing her fingers over the moss. She swore that she felt it swell.
Kate could see why this place was considered sacred. There was a peace there, a sense of tranquility that she could already feel relax her. The baby was even calm, without the presence of his father’s hand, which was another little miracle in itself.
The jungle was also cooler than the Golden City. The trees were so thick that the suns’ light didn’t reach the jungle floor. Kate soaked up the cold while she could, liking the way it felt on her skin and flowed down her arms. While she’d become accustomed to the planet’s heat, thanks in part to her mate’s blood running through her veins, she still preferred the cold. She was used to Chicago’s winters, after all.
“I love it here,” she murmured to him, once they circled back to their hovercraft.
“I am glad,” he said, pulling her to him. They would need to start setting up their supplies soon, but for now, she savored her mate’s embrace. “I came here often, once I finished military training.”
“We’ll come often?” she asked, hopeful.
“Tev,” he murmured, brushing a soft kiss across her lips. “We will.”
Vaxa chose a spot close to the hovercraft to start setting up their camp. It was close to the silver pools, but far enough away that they would need to walk for a couple minutes to reach it. It felt very private and secluded, like they were the only two people on the entire planet.
She realized that this might be the last time that it was just the two of them before the baby was born. Even though it was selfish, she felt slightly melancholy at the thought even though she couldn’t wait until their baby was brought into the world.
Vaxa refused her help setting up, guiding her instead to a soft spot for her to rest. He opened another pod to keep her satisfied and she watched her mate as he went about making their camp. He’d brought a similar circular tent that they’d used for their mating ceremony, only much smaller, and it took him only a few moments to form it. Afterwards, he lined the inside with plush furs and cushions.
Kate watched the fine form of her mate, watched his huge muscles shift and flex with greedy eyes. By the time he was putting the finishing touches on their camp—piling a stock of wood and coal for their fire—her breasts ached and desire had bloomed deep within her.
Vaxa quickly realized this and grew distracted. He shot her a heated look, no doubt scenting her arousal even though she was several feet away.
“You lust for your male?” he purred, straightening.
“Very much so,” she whispered, her eyes running over him possessively. God, he made her want him. “Come here.”
Vaxa approached her and Kate went to her knees in the soft moss with little difficulty. She clutched his hips and untied his leather pants, his hardened cock springing forward. She smiled. She didn’t think she’d ever seen Vaxa not aroused to some extent. If he so much as suspected that she wanted to mate, he was ready in a second.
Vaxa tilted his head back, exposing his neck, a deep growl building in his chest as she leaned forward and wrapped her lips around him. She grasped his thick length just below her mouth and stroked him hard, up and down, up and down, as her tongue stroked his crown.
When she looked up the length of his body, his eyes were burning into her and she leaned back for air, drawing in ragged breaths, while continuing to tug and pump his shaft.
Her voice sounded smoky when she asked, “You like to watch me suck your cock, Vaxa?”
He purred so loudly his cock vibrated in her hands. “Tev, female.”
“Do you like it when I do this?” she murmured, leaning forward to lick his slit where his opalescent precum was glistening, teasing it with her tongue.
His back arched and he huffed out a breath. “Tev,” he hissed, eyes squeezed shut.
Kate smirked and did it again before licking up the sides. She loved to tease him like this. Once, shortly after their mating ceremony, she’d kept him on the edge of orgasm for ages. By the time she finally released his cock, he’d been so ravenous and uncontrolled that he’d been reduced to his Instinct, animalistic and wild. He’d thrown her down onto her hands and knees and fucked her from behind, possessively gripping her ass, until she was literally screaming with multiple orgasms…and even then he gave her no mercy. He’d fucked her until he’d exhausted every reserve of his strength.
She clenched her thighs together just thinking about that particular night and bent her head for more of him. She figured it was wise to not let him reach that point, considering her pregnancy…but she couldn’t say the same thing after the baby was born. Kate loved his intensity, his ferocity when it came to sex. It was electrifying. She always felt wanted and unbelievably sexy whenever they mated—even though she was beginning to feel a little self-conscious about her pregnant body—and Vaxa was a very thorough and unselfish lover.
Kate didn’t tease him for long, no matter how much she wanted to. Eventually, she let him take control and he pushed her down into the soft moss of this amazing Luxirian jungle and parted her thighs, before surging his cock inside. He fucked her until her moans and his grunts echoed around the clearing and until she’d raked her fingernails down every inch of his back, lost in her pleasure.
It was a beautiful start to their little vacation in this custard-filled paradise.
FIFTEEN
Vaxa’an waited until the moon was high in the sky to lead his luxiva into the lallarix.
Much like the plains of the Ravrax’tor, where they had performed their mating ceremony, the lallarix was a place of the Fates that his sire and mother had stumbled upon by accident. It was a well-kept secret, known to only those in his family, and he wished to share its beauty with his mate.
With the moon gleaming overhead, the pools looked like they were filled with the purest of molten silver metals, but the warm water was crystal clear. The four pools were all interconnected but Vaxa chose the largest and deepest of them. With soft words, he asked for the blessing of the Fates before they entered and when a warm wind brushed their exposed skin, he knew they had accepted his prayer.
He guided his mate down into the pool and she smiled once her breasts were fully submerged.
“Cold?” he asked, pulling her into his body, resting her on his bent thighs under the water. His hands stroked a pattern over her belly, feeling a swell of love and affection for both mother and child.
“A little,” she said. “But in a good way. It’s always so warm on Luxiria. It feels soothing.” Her gaze grew a little distracted and she looked around them. “This feels like…”
“The Ravrax’tor?” he asked, knowing what she meant. The Fates’ presence was strong and he felt an inkling of their power.
“Yes,” she said, wonder alighting her eyes. “You know…I was never particularly religious or even spiritual back on Earth. But here…it’s hard not to be.”
“In Luxirian lore, there is said to be a spring that heals all ailments, that infuses strength into a Luxirian’s bones. It is said that this spring was where the Fates bathed and that their power remains in the water, even after so much time has passed.”
Kate looked down at the water and then back at him. “Is this that spring?”
“I believe so,” he said. “No
one knew its location. It was lost to us over time. My mother and sire ventured here, on their way to one of the outposts. They stopped to rest when they saw the trees and they came upon these lallarix.”
“You never told anyone about them?” she asked, furrowing her brow.
Vaxa’an shrugged a shoulder, brushing back her long dark hair, feeling its silky length tickle his palms. The water trickled as he moved. “No. They remain a secret, only known to my family. Selfish, perhaps, but this place brings me closer to those that I lost. It is easier to remember them here.” He paused and then murmured, “I wish that you had known them.”
“I wish that too,” she whispered, as if afraid to break the tranquility of this place. He knew the feeling.
Vaxa’an leaned his forehead against hers and waded in the water, letting its power settle deep. He felt the baby move between them and he shut his eyes, imagining his impending role as sire, imagining his luxiva nursing their offspring, imagining watching him grow strong from her nourishment.
His Kat had confided in him about how she was orphaned as a child. The notion had been foreign to Vaxa’an, for he knew of no such occurrences among Luxirians. The possibility that one would abandon their young? Utterly impossible. He’d been outraged on her behalf, even though time had seemed to soften the hurt in her.
They were so in sync with one another because she seemed to be thinking of the same thing. She said softly, “What if I’m a terrible mother? What if, because I never really had one of my own, I won’t know what the hell I’m doing?”
He stroked her hair, trying to offer her comfort. “You will be a good mother, luxiva. Do not doubt this. It is natural to feel this way, but we all find our footing.”
She sighed. “I guess we will be there to help each other.”
“Yes, we will. I have never been a sire before either.”
She pulled away, raising a brow. “I should hope not,” she joked.