by Octavia Kore
“You’ll do great. They will love you, not just because I do, but because you are so very worthy of it.” He looked over at Zar. “Both of you.”
The fact that he knew her so well made her heart ache. Maybe it was the hormones talking, but she really loved this male so much more than she could ever explain, more than she had ever thought possible.
“Get down here, big guy,” she whispered as she grabbed his borrowed tunic and pulled him to her level. Soft lips pressed against her own as her fingers tangled into his braids.
The swoosh of the door barely registered in her mind as his tongue swept into her mouth and explored with a hunger she was more than ready to sate. Tendrils of desire rushed through her, overwhelmed all her senses as a fire burned in her lower belly. A soft, feminine gasp had her rearing back and blushing feverishly when she locked eyes with an older Venium female who stood on the platform outside.
Gulzar’s deep, rumbling laugh didn’t do anything to cool her heated cheeks.
“I decided to meet you here when the pod sent word that you were coming. I do hope I didn’t intrude,” she said, not even trying to hide her knowing grin.
“Busted, Meatface,” Mouni chimed in.
“Of course not, Daya. We appreciate your thoughtfulness. I had thought to just go to the house. I didn’t know you would be looking for us.” Oshen squeezed her hand as he addressed the female. “Excuse the AI. She is in need of an adjustment. Amanda, Zar, this is my dam, Nyissa.”
Nyissa had a look of noble bearing, her back perfectly straight and hands folded primly in front of her. Five small, tight braids ran along the top of her head into a long ponytail, making the slick sides look as if they had been shaved. Around her slender neck hung a glowing red gem, which Amanda recognized as a glowing stone like the one on her headdress.
The female’s fushori flared a bright white when her eyes landed on them, making Amanda squint against it. Her flowing white dress was nearly sheer against her gray skin. If she hadn’t known better, Amanda would think she wasn’t a day over thirty. Her face showed no hint of age except for small smile lines at the corner of each eye. She held out a hand with artfully painted, dainty claws to her son.
“Come here so I can see you, my pup.”
“Daya…” Oshen groaned but took hold of her hand just before he pulled her up into a bear hug.
A giggle of surprise escaped her, and she stared almost reverently down at her son.
“I have missed you so much.” He set her back down on her feet and stepped away. “Do you really find me that much of a threat?” she asked with a playful grin, nodding to his hands as he tugged them from her grasp.
“You know I don’t. I told you I haven’t been able to retract them since I found Amanda. Her body is so vulnerable that the beast seems to constantly be primed to defend her.”
“In time you will find control.” She smiled wistfully. “You are your sire’s son.”
“Is he back already?”
“He returned from the village early this morning.” Nyissa turned her attention toward Amanda, moving to wrap her arms around her, giving her a small squeeze. “Welcome, daughter of my heart.”
When she finally turned to Gulzar, her smile didn’t falter. Instead, it grew bigger as she tugged him down into another firm hug. By the look of surprise on his face, Zar hadn’t been expecting her to give him such a warm welcome. “Welcome to you as well, son of my heart.”
“Thank you,” he whispered, swallowing thickly.
Nyissa’s smile was knowing as she spun on her heel, winking over her shoulder and moving forward with purpose. The air around her seemed charged with the power she exuded, as if the world bowed to her very presence. Actually, Amanda swore she saw a couple of people bowing their heads as she walked past them.
Glowing plants were strategically placed along the hall to light the way, giving off a soft, natural glow. The walls were made of glass, which made feeding her obsession for the ocean life quite easy. She could lose herself for hours just staring at the underwater world around her.
A few people grabbed their children when they looked Zar’s way and hurried inside the nearest buildings as if they thought he was some sort of pariah. What could it possibly be that made them act this way just at the sight of him? Was it really so strange to see aliens here? Oshen had told her about the diversity of the underwater city so a couple of aliens shouldn’t have caused such a commotion.
A beautifully ethereal woman with pale gray-blue skin and bright green stripes stood beside a residence that looked like it was made of something akin to obsidian. She had two horns that held up red hair and ears that looked like Venus flytraps. On her shoulders, three mushroom-like ruffles curled up, tipped in blue, and she wore a form fitting black suit. Her black eyes watched Amanda as she passed, a smile working its way across her lips.
Despite the fact that there were other species here, the fleeing onlookers didn’t stop. It was starting to make her rather uncomfortable. She reached her hand out and curled it around Zar’s when she saw that he had begun to notice as well. Warmth filled her belly as his gaze found hers, his xines, as he called them, wiggling lightly as he drank her in.
“It doesn’t matter what they think.” Amanda whispered to him. “We love you. We accept you.”
The walls of the dome arched high over her head, the curved sides meeting above the city center where the light seemed to be brightest. Towering buildings, higher than anything she had seen on Earth, stretched upward, glinting in the sunlight that filtered in from the surface of the water. There were smaller domes that branched in all directions from the main one. Amanda assumed they were the family pods that she had been told about. She felt overwhelmed by all the sounds and new visuals, yet she wanted to explore more. She wanted to see everything this place had to offer.
Instead of heading off toward one of the family pods like she had expected, Nyissa led them farther into the main city. To her absolute delight, there was a street market or bazaar of some sort set up in the center. Many different species were milling around, trading goods, speaking in strange languages.
“What is that?” some whispered.
“Is that one of the humans the Grutex talked about?”
“What is one doing here?”
“Why is there a Grutex with them?”
“I heard Ambassador Oshen is mated to it.”
Nyissa cleared her throat, sending out a few venomous glares as they came upon the gossiping people. She swore the love she felt for her mother-in-law grew tenfold, even as it made her heart ache for the mother she lost years ago.
“We will be stopping by the house to wash up before we check everyone in.”
“Check in?” Oshen asked. “Since when do we have to do that?”
“Oh, new procedure. You know how they are constantly changing everything,” she replied airily.
If Amanda had known her better, she might have thought that something was up. Maybe this was just how Nyissa was. She saw Oshen arch his brow but he didn’t question her. The house she brought them to was downright majestic. It was made of the same black material as the building she had seen when they left the pod, but this one had a more pearlescent appearance with blue and green hues.
There were balconies at nearly every window of the massive home, and it was taller than any of the other ones she had seen on her way through the city. Amanda’s stomach clenched anxiously as she craned her neck to gaze up at the very top floor. It was an incredibly daunting sight. She was really interested in seeing the child proofing measures they had to take with as many children as they had living in the home.
“Nyissa.” Her voice came out a little shaky even to her own ears, but before she could continue Oshen’s mother interrupted.
“It would bring me great honor if you would also call me Daya.” She looked at Zar briefly. “You as well.”
The anxiety that had been gripping her eased with the words, and her shoulders sagged with relief. “Absolutely.
Thank you, daya.”
“Now, you were saying?”
“There are so many windows. What happens if someone falls from one? You haven’t ever been afraid one of the children—pups, I mean, would fall and be killed?”
“Killed by the fall?” Nyissa tilted her head in curiosity. “Do you not have a tasi on your homeworld?”
“Tasi?”
“Yes, it prevents injury when falling from heights. If the sensor picks it up, an anti-gravity force field will activate and make the landing softer.”
“Wow. Fewer broken bones that way, I suppose…” She trailed off as she considered how great that would have been for so many unlucky human children who had ended up in emergency rooms from falling off of trampolines or slipping out of tall trees.
Did kids even climb trees here? She saw some along the way, though they were different from the trees she had first seen on land. These stretched up like acacia trees but were topped with beautiful translucent parachutes that held a whole rainbow of colors. It seemed that each residence in this area had at least two of these planted nearby.
“You have a beautiful home, Nyissa,” Amanda said, unable to hide the awe in her voice as she attempted to take in every detail. Gulzar gently squeezed her hand.
“Daya.” Nyissa stroked a gentle hand down Amanda’s hair “I’m glad you like your new home.”
“Sorry. Her cheeks heated as she moved through the door that Oshen held open for her. The ceilings stretched and arched high above her in crescents. The floor was made of a white tile that looked cool and smooth to the touch.
“Same room, Daya?”
“Of course, my pup. It will always be yours.”
“Up the stairs, gynaika. The uppermost room is for our use.” He looked at his mates with a grin. “I liked to be as close as possible to the okeanos.”
“I find that completely unsurprising.” Amanda smiled knowingly. “It sounds amazing. Show me?”
He reached out and cupped her elbow as they ascended the stairs, like he was afraid she would fall. She wouldn’t hold his fear against him; even Gulzar was holding onto her. She had been feeling weaker than usual from her last few days within the village. Today had been good, but she was thankful for their support. Nyissa called up from the bottom of the staircase that she would wait for them in the viewing room, wherever that might be, until they were ready to leave.
Chapter 33
Amanda
Oshen led them higher and higher until they reached a single door at the very top of the stairs. He swung it open and ushered them both inside. As if the babies knew they were finally alone again, they kicked furiously and Amanda’s stomach roiled. She smacked a hand over her mouth as she rushed to the bathroom only to realize she had absolutely no idea where it was in here.
Before she could even try to ask Oshen to point her in the right direction, she lost her battle to keep down the meager contents of her stomach. Vomit pooled on the floor at Amanda’s feet as she doubled over, and she felt hot tears burn the back of her eyes as her face flushed with embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry, Oshen!” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “I couldn’t hold it in anymore.”
Gulzar soothed his hand down her back, rattling softly. “I apologize, little goddess. I did not feel the little ones until it was too late to calm them.”
“It isn’t your fault.” She swallowed before drawing in a deep breath.
“It is all right, gynaika. No need for tears.” A button on the wall lit up with a wave of Oshen’s hand and he pressed a finger to it. A large, round disc creeped out of a slot in the bottom of the wall, sweeping over the mess she had made and completely removing it before rushing back to hide within its nook. “Easily fixed.”
“Where’s the bathroom?”
He moved further into the room, waving his hand at a certain point on the wall so that a hidden door was revealed, opening up to a smaller chamber. On the inside wall, he tapped a small button and then held down another as an object looking pretty similar to an Earth toilet appeared next to him. He gestured at it with a grin. “There, now it will stay out for you, my heart.”
“Thank you,” she said, sighing with relief.
“No thanks needed. We should all wash up anyway.”
He and Zar helped her to undress, and she didn’t bother to hide her interest as they did the same for themselves before carrying her to the shower. They all washed their bodies, scrubbing away the grime from their travels. When they had finished and dried off, Oshen slipped a beautiful dress over her head, made from a wonderfully soft material that was a dusty rose color.
“Be kind to your dam, mikra,” he whispered against her slightly rounded belly. She smiled down when she felt him nuzzle his face into her, stroking his braids while he continued talking to their babies. “She needs all the strength she can get. Behave today.”
It was moments like these, when her big warrior showed such tender emotions, that she understood why she had never had a lasting relationship with any other man. She had always been meant for him and Zar. No one but her mates could have loved her this fully.
“Where did you get this dress? It’s gorgeous,” she said, giving it a little bit of a twirl so she could watch it twist around her legs.
“I had it made for you. I asked Daya before we left for Venora,” he replied, his fushori lighting up and his cheeks flushing a darker gray. “I wanted to give you something you could grow into for when you conceived. I admit I hadn’t thought it would be so soon.”
Could he be any more perfect? Goosebumps swept over her body as she smiled. Gulzar crouched down, rattling out a soft purr and nuzzling her stomach.
“We can do this together,” Zar whispered.
When they were all ready and she was feeling well enough, Oshen led them back downstairs and they left the family home, following Nyissa down the street. Each building they passed seemed to sit a little higher than the next in a rainbow of colors. If she didn’t know better, she would think they were made out of pearls. It seemed fitting for an underwater community.
The dark depths of the ocean above her called, and she tilted her head back to try and center herself. They beckoned to a part of her she hadn’t been able to indulge in for months. A shadow passed overhead, belonging to a creature larger than any ocean dwelling animal she had ever seen. The thing looked like a bug with ridges along its exoskeleton, fins flared from its dragon-like face and tentacles spread out from its body. It was a brilliant blue and looked to be the size of two passenger planes put together. Describing it as massive seemed inadequate.
“What is that?” A loud roar shook the dome around them as it passed overhead. She had to get her hands on that thing! What was it made up of? Was it a predator? She had to know more.
“That’s a plokami. They are notoriously hard to kill and one of the reasons we have the soundwaves to scare off predators.”
One long tentacle dragged against the glass of the dome, and a loud sound vibrated through the enclosed space, making her wonder how she hadn’t heard it at all during her stay. “Are we in any danger? Could it break through the dome?”
“No, my love. They are actually incredibly rare. Seeing one is considered a good omen.” Oshen pulled her into his arms. “We are only in danger if we are outside the dome.”
The thing reminded her of a terrestrial crustacean called pill bugs, or rollie pollies, back on Earth that she had grown up playing with. Only where rollie pollies had legs, the plokami had tentacles that flared out.
“You know, the tentacles of many species mainly work like muscular hydrostats. Meaning they have no skeletal system and work like hands to grab things and propel its host along. Many have sensory receptors so they use them to not only feel, but to see, smell, and taste too. It’s their best form of defense. Maybe that’s why you guys have such a hard time hunting them.” Oshen’s eyes had grown round and glassy as they usually did when she found she had been on a tangent. He had once told her he had no
idea where she kept all of these random facts stored because every episode contained something he had never heard before. A blush colored her cheeks as she shut her mouth. “I’m babbling again, aren’t I?”
“It’s all right. You’re adorable. I love hearing your voice.” Oshen tilted his face down to nuzzle into her hair, purring deeply. “Let’s catch up.”
She hadn’t even realized they had fallen behind.
The streets seemed less crowded as they made their way over to what looked like a large courtyard. Little plants that looked like blue bulbs were strung from tree to tree, which were now lit with their own luminescence. Groups of people milled about talking among themselves, going between tables that were filled with unfamiliar foods. Some looked like oranges but had spikes, while others looked like blocked cheese but were sickly green in color. The aromas that met her nose were enticing but yet her stomach roiled again.
Zar pushed a rattle through his crest and a calmness took her over once again. She smiled up gratefully at him.
Was this kind of meal normal for their people? Oshen gave her lower back a gentle nudge, reminding her to keep walking, but she moved forward with hesitant steps. Something felt off, and it was making her nervous. She had grown up with such a small family that she had never really gotten used to having so many others around her like this. Social anxiety had been a real problem for her for many years. Jun had been the first person to really put her at ease and not judge her for her interests and insecurities. She accepted Amanda, quirks and all.
Just the thought of Jun made her heart ache. How was her best friend? They had so much to catch up on. A large Venium male with red eyes stood near one of the tables, holding a small baby. He stepped forward with a smile when he caught sight of them. Right away, she could see the likeness that made it impossible to miss the fact that this male was Oshen’s father.
They shared the same broad features, and even the flare of their gills when they got emotional was nearly identical. His tail reached forward hesitantly, but he snapped it back to rest around his feet. One of his fingers trailed over the white braids on top of the small head that rested on his chest. The baby in his arms opened her bright pink eyes and locked onto Amanda, just before she parted her tiny black lips and let out the softest of sounds. Her heart swelled at the overabundance of sheer cuteness the little one exuded.