Healing the Alien’s Heart

by Anna Lewis

  “I’m home, on Earth, what’s wrong?” she asked him.

  “My mother, she’s sick again. The physicians are having problems following your notes and we need you to come back. I need you too. I know there’s something else going on with you. I can just feel it. You don’t have to tell me right now, but I’ve sent a shuttle for you. You must come immediately.”

  “Your father is the one who forced me to leave in the first place. I don’t think I want to start an intergalactic war by disobeying the King of Xulara. Just let me talk to one of the doctors there and I’ll explain everything they need to do.”

  “That’s not enough!” he shouted. “I don’t care what my father said. I need and want you here. You shouldn’t have left the way you did. You’d better be on that shuttle by tomorrow morning or you will have the entire Xularese army at your door to escort you back to this palace. Do not make me breach international peace treaties to retrieve you, Raven.”

  “Fine,” she sighed getting out of bed. “I’ll get on the shuttle. But don’t think that you can just call me at the drop of a dime and have me uproot everything to come to Xulara whenever you see fit. I am not one of your subjects!”

  “The shuttle will be there by morning. And I do not treat you like one of my subjects, I’m treating you like the woman I love who disappeared without warning and hasn’t returned my calls. Who almost had me start a war with my father, and a battle with Earth to have her safely returned to me. That was not your time to go, and the next time you have a meeting with my father, you will do so with me by your side. This shall not happen again. You only have a few hours to get things in order. Do so and hurry back to me. We have much to discuss if this is going to work.”

  Raven swallowed hard as she hung up the call and began to figure out exactly what she needed to pack. There was nothing special that came to mind, but she knew she had calls to make. Calls she would dread so she sent messages instead. First to Tracy and then to her family. They’d have to understand seeing how they all knew what she had to tell Eoch once she was in front of him.

  There was no telling how the Prince of Xulara was going to react when he found out she was pregnant with his child. She imagined that he’d be thrilled, but the wrath of his father, the king, could be deadly. Fear gripped her as she wondered what his reaction would be and if Eoch would be able to stand up to him.

  The trip back to Xulara would be long indeed as the unanswered questions plagued her every waking thought. She tried her best to fall asleep, but once she was aboard that shuttle, once again, it was fleeting. Having to put the nodes back in wasn’t helping either. Everything had her worried as she journeyed through the stars back to the planet where she found love.

  Love…it was such a funny feeling. And to hear it spoken from the prince’s own mouth was a surprise that nearly went over her head. She was the woman he loved. He wanted to be with her, but a part of Raven imagined that when he found out she was pregnant he wouldn’t be so quick to pronounce his affections.

  She didn’t think it was possible, but her mother’s own doubts stood out in her mind. Perhaps because they were what she feared the most. There was nothing that could prepare Raven if she discovered her relationship with Prince Eoch was one of novelty. She wasn’t his Earthling to show off. But it was something she’d have to find out face to face. So she waited patiently as the shuttle continued to push through the blackness of space. Eventually, she’d shut her eyes and get some rest. For when she awoke, she was closer to the palace than she imagined.

  Once the ship docked, she expected Guarin to be there to greet her, but he was not. Instead, there was only one Xularese inhabitant in front of those shuttle doors.

  Chapter 8

  Feeling the girth of Eoch’s cock moving in and out of her body was a welcome one as Raven let her stress melt away into their passionate reunion. His room was far more comfortable than the palace garden as the electric current of love flowed between them. Every dip and roll of his pelvis into hers only made her swoon as the orgasms crashed over her one after another. He was making up for lost time as their bodies moved together for hours.

  By the time they finished, they were both famished.

  “I’ll be right back,” he told her as he got out of bed. “I’ll bring us something to eat.”

  She nodded but even as he left the room, she couldn’t help but wonder about the queen. How sick was she? Have her treatments really been substandard since she’d left? The questions were mounting and so was her worry.

  Raven wondered what would happen if she wandered around the palace and stumbled into King Vohdar. How upset would he be? Would his wrath be lenient and merciful? So many unanswered questions, but the most important to her was what Eoch’s reaction was going to be when she told him she was pregnant.

  When Eoch returned with food in hand, she refused to let her nerves get the best of her. Gazing into his eyes, she took a deep breath and told him, “How would you feel if an heir to the throne was going to be here in a few months?”

  “What are you talking about?” he looked at her inquisitively.

  “I mean,” she paced herself and tried again. “What if there was a new member to the royal family that was going to be here in a few months?”

  “I don’t know. How did they come to be a part of the royal family? If there is someone out there claiming the king has fathered a child out of his royal lineage then that person shall be put to death for treason against the throne. It is a lie. My father’s heart and his body are bound to my mother by oath, honor, and love. It shall not be tested!”

  “Wait a minute. Wait a minute,” she was surprised at how fast that went left. “What if it was you who fathered a child outside of your royal lineage?”

  She sat quietly waiting for the information to sink in. It only took a moment before his eyes lit up with pride and joy. “You’re…? Are you sure?”

  She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. That night in the garden. My mind was on everything else but my birth control. I wanted to tell you the night you called, but I figured it would be best face to face. And then I know your mother isn’t doing well either. I don’t want this to be a hindrance in my treating her.”

  “She’ll be delighted. It’s my father we have to worry about. Let’s go see her now.” He stood up and gripped Raven’s hand. She barely had time to grab a robe before he was pulling her through the palace halls toward Queen Ozhenia’s chambers.

  The queen wasn’t as sick as Eoch led her to believe, and her doctors were following her notes just fine. Raven shot him a look when she saw how much progress they’d made and even the queen was surprised to see her.

  Eoch bent low to whisper to her, “I’m sorry that I wasn’t completely honest with you. I was unsure if you would come if it were just for me and my desires alone.”

  Raven clenched her jaw tightly, “I am very upset that you lied to me. We shall have a long discussion about what to do and what not to do to a pregnant Earth woman! But for now, I will be polite with you as your mother is present.”

  “Oh my dear, Raven,” the queen exclaimed when she turned to see who was entering her suite. “I am beyond happy that you’ve come back. You left in such a hurry I barely had time to prep the replacement staff. I do hope you’ll stay and perhaps if you have to leave for Earth you will let me know before you do.”

  Raven wanted to throw the king under the bus, but she chose not to. She didn’t know why she’d want to spare him from his wife’s disappointment, but a piece of her didn’t want to add any stress to the ill queen. So she simply nodded and went to her. “I will surely tell you the next time I am to leave the palace. However, there is something we’ve come to tell you.”

  “Why don’t you tell us both?!” King Vohdar entered the room with a domineering presence that struck fear in the hearts of all those in the room, except for Eoch and the queen.

  “Leave us!” he commanded the doctors and servants, all who fled instantly.

  Once the fou
r of them were alone, Eoch made his way to Raven’s side. He purposefully put himself between her and his father. It was a gesture of protection that didn’t go unnoticed.

  “I see you have defied my order, Eoch,” Vohdar grumbled.

  “What order?” Ozhenia looked at the two of them and then to Raven who simply kept her mouth shut waiting for her prince to defend her presence in the palace.

  “It was your husband who ordered that Raven be sent home after he found out that we wanted to be more than a doctor and family member of the patient.”

  “Vohdar,” the queen turned to her husband with anguish in her eyes, “is this true? Did you send away the one who helped me gain my health back? Did you send away the one who’s given me far more time on this planet than we all anticipated? Why would you send away the one who your son loves and will raise a family with?”

  “A family?!” Vohdar’s anger exploded. “There will be no such family here! He is to wed royalty! Our bloodlines will not be blurred by that of an Earthling!”

  “Do not take that attitude with me,” the queen objected. “He will do as he pleases. He will be happy with whomever he pleases, just as we were happy with each other. We do not both descend from the Xularese royal family! I think you would be proud of the mate he has chosen. She is strong. She is brilliant. You will welcome her and their child into this family with open arms! You will do it even after I am long gone! You hear me Vohdar! You will not push our son and our grandchild out of this family! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!”

  Raven’s breath was quiet. Silence hung in the room like a weighted anchor as she watched the King of Xulara fall to his knees before his wife. She took his head into her arms and they simply watched a special moment between them. The king caved in, “I do not wish to upset you. I know the illness is with you forever and I do not wish to aggravate it.”

  “How did you know?” Raven asked quietly. She didn’t want to disturb them, but it was driving her crazy from the moment she heard Ozhenia defending her.

  Ozhenia turned to them. Her husband rose to his feet, now standing tall, he walked with her toward Eoch and Raven. Eoch was still defensive, putting his hand over Raven’s stomach and pushing her a step behind him. Vohdar raised his hand to his son. “My sincerest apologies. Your mother is right. It was in this very room that we defended our love to her parents.”

  “I know because I am connected to him, and he is connected to you. In due time, you will learn the way of the Xularese so that you may pass on our traditions and the language of our resonance expression. Now if you all will give me a moment to rest, I would greatly appreciate it,” she politely kicked them all out of her room.

  Eoch and Raven were happy to have the news of their pregnancy out in the open and accepted, for the time being. But something else stuck out to Raven.

  “I didn’t know the queen’s illness was terminal,” she said sadly. It was then that she began to doubt her professional expertise. She should have known, with all of the tests she ran, with all of the treatments she’d given her. Raven believed that she should have known.

  King Vohdar turned to her with hurt in his eyes. He let out a deep and exhausted breath. “My queen has been ill for some time. The treatments you formulated have indeed helped her. But it was only after you left that we realized if she stopped the treatments, her illness would return. Eventually the illness will overcome the treatments and she will pass, but that is through no fault of your own. The medicinal practices of your planet lean heavily on reactive treatment. When you see the illness going away, the treatment is labelled the cure. However, the Xularese lean more on preventative tactics. It is best to protect our bodies from unknown illnesses before they have a chance to invade and decimate. Your expert knowledge has done more good than you know. If we had brought you in sooner, maybe it would be a different outcome. I am angry with this situation between you and my son, but I will not upset her. I will not go against her wishes. I will not push for what I believe is right. If your love is true, then I shall see how much so as you stay here, marry our son and birth the heir to the Xularese throne.”

  Chapter 9

  “When are they arriving?!” Raven called out to Eoch as she laid in his bed. Her belly had grown exponentially over the past few months. She was put on bedrest until the baby was born. How that was going to happen was still a matter for discussion. She couldn’t believe that she was going to be a mother…a mother to an interspecies child. The science of it all was perplexing enough, but as the weeks turned into months, she’d learned to let things go.

  “Your family will be here within the next few days. I swear the shuttle has been sent for them. Please relax.”

  “Don’t tell me to relax! You did this to me, Eoch!”

  Eoch was fumbling around with a cradle she’d instructed him to put together. She wanted him to do it with his own hands, not have one of the staff members of the palace assemble it. So he stopped what he was doing to look at her. All of the love in his eyes told her she was overreacting, but he wouldn’t dare say that out loud. The palace had two mothers who no one was allowed to upset during this transitional period. He was certainly tired of walking on eggshells, but more importantly he was tired of apologizing.

  “Raven,” he said her name sternly.

  She sighed and relaxed. “I’m just anxious. You don’t know how my mother is. Nothing will be good enough for her. She feels the same way your father does. We should not be mixing the species. She thinks you only wanted me as a trophy of sorts. It’s weird and I’m not going to pretend I understand her logic. It’s always boggled my mind why she’s so hard on me, but I’m just nervous about their arrival. Please forgive me.”

  Eoch got up from the mess and walked over to her. Kissing her gently on the forehead, he whispered delicately in her ear, “I know how much pressure you are facing. These past few months, learning our traditions, under the strict tutelage of my father has been far from easy for you, and I’m proud of you for sticking with it. I’m even happier that you managed to convince him to hold off on the marriage until after the baby was born. I don’t even know how you convinced him of that.”

  “I told him he could name the baby,” she said nonchalantly.

  “What?!” Eoch’s eyes grew wide with anxiety. “Do you have any idea of how weird that could be? I don’t want a child with some abstract Ecurian or Ubosian name!”

  “Relax, I’m sure he will consult your mother and she will pick the name. I’m okay with whatever they choose. And you will be too. Just relax,” she giggled.

  Raven and Eoch spent the next few days, well more so Eoch than her, preparing for the arrival of Raven’s family. She’d even convinced Tracy to shut down the clinic for a few months so she could come as well. And when they finally got to the palace, there was a dinner and celebration none of them would ever forget.

  It was one of the few times that Raven could remember where her mother was actually happy for her. She didn’t have anything critical to say, and she kept her less than understanding opinions to herself. It was only when they were alone in the guest room where she’d finally given her the truth.

  Raven sat on the bed, with her belly protruding, and a very active Xularese baby inside. She sighed and groaned a bit as she tried to get comfortable.

  “Thank you for coming and being so, um, cordial. I know this isn’t easy for you, Mom,” Raven told her.

  Raven’s mother, Ellen, had the same grey eyes as her children, but her hair was no longer jet black but it was grey with streaks of white. It was similar to Eoch’s in that manner, but Raven wouldn’t bring up their similarities. The older woman simply stared at her daughter with a warm smile on her face. “You know that I’ve always been proud of you.”

  “No, that was actually not the easiest thing to tell. I know you’ve always had to critique me,” Raven snapped back.

  Ellen swallowed hard. “I deserve that. I understand that I’m not the best communicator when it comes to you, but it’s only because
I didn’t understand where your independence came from. This is my first time off Earth. You’ve travelled the galaxy to and fro without a second thought to your family. I always figured you’d end up on a planet like this, far, far away from us, from me. But over these past few months, and talking with your father, I know that you weren’t running to get away from us, but travelling to do what you love and to find yourself. Your place in this universe is wherever your heart is and I’ve never seen you happier anywhere else than when you’re here. I love you and I hope this works out the way you want it to, and the way it deserves to.”

  Raven shook her head. Her mother had almost made it through an entirely sentimental statement, but that last line was a dig and she knew it. She didn’t take offense. She didn’t give a rebuttal. She only told her mother, “Thank you. I know how hard it is for you to say things like that. I’m just happy that you guys are here. The baby will be here any day now and I’m a bit scared. I don’t know what to expect. I have no idea what’s gonna come out of me.”

  “Oh please, don’t let that imagery settle on me. I don’t want to think about that,” her mother laughed. “Let’s just hope for a happy and healthy infant, with as many fingers and toes as it’s supposed to have.”

  They laughed together and continued to work on their bond as the days grew closer to Raven giving birth.

  The meaning of family had changed for Raven as she spent day after day growing closer to Eoch and his family while allowing her own to share in this momentous occasion. She was never quite sure of what she wanted it to be, but as she changed and grew into becoming a mother, the idea of everyone she cared about being there for her was more than she could have asked for.

  And so the time came, in the middle of a night, when all were asleep only to be awoken by screams of pain blistering through the palace halls. Raven had tears streaming from her eyes as Eoch carried her, clutching her contracting and expanding belly, to the birthing suite she had specially prepared for this moment.