“Command, open the door panel,” Korian called out. He squared his body with the opening and clasped his arms behind his back as the tableau in the corridor came into view. His three guards, including Mantor, had taken a sizeable step back from the first ever female T’Kalan warrior and their gazes were riveted with shock and awe on the human warrior coldly staring down their king. Korian narrowed his eyes on the woman with exotically-slanted brown eyes and called out, “By what proof do you lever your challenge? Jessica MacGregor is no blood relative of yours, and I have never laid a finger on her with intention for harm.”
Mahoney pulled her T’Kalan blade from its sheath at her side and noticeably did not salute her king as she glared at him with seething animosity. “I’ve had three whole weeks to research and study the Warrior Laws during my training, King Korian. It doesn’t say anywhere in the transcripts that the relative must be by blood. I claim Jessica MacGregor as the sister of my heart, and I will defend her honor against all, even my king. As for bodily harm, you don’t have to touch her to cause her that, though I have a feeling her symptoms may be the direct result of you touching her.” She paused to allow her meaning to sink in before snarling, “For three fucking days, I have listened to her cry herself to sleep, vomiting anything that passes her lips, and clutching her head in her hands as she suffers pounding headaches thanks to her emotional crying jags. She can barely get out of the bed without collapsing from fatigue and her entire body aches like she’s got the flu. Just to be nice, I won’t even count the numerous bites and scratches I have personally received from her pet demon any time I try to comfort her. There’s your proof. Now, do you accept my challenge or not?”
Korian felt his stomach drop to his feet at the thought of his thalia in so much pain. Had he really been the cause of her grief? Could he have gotten the situation so wrong that his words and actions had led to her despair?
“Why have you not taken her to see Officer Ax’Sandre for corrective treatment? She should not have to suffer needlessly, no matter the cause of her pain,” he snapped, his voice cracking like a whip.
Mahoney made a rude noise. “Please. You should know even better than I do that you can’t make Jessica do anything she doesn’t want to do. She’s refusing to go to the hospital or to the ship out of fear of what the scans may reveal. She’s scared, Korian. Surely even you can understand that.”
Korian felt his indignation deflate to leave him bone-weary and troubled. “I am asking you before your witnesses to rescind your challenge, Lt. Cmdr. I do not wish to fight you, but I will accept if you insist. I concede that you have just cause to issue it.”
Mahoney studied him closely, and Korian held his breath as he watched her weigh her options. “That all depends on you, buddy. Are you willing to listen to reason this time and get the whole story, or do I need to beat it into your thick skull? I’d much rather fight it out, because I’m better at getting my point across with my fists than I am with words, but I’m willing to stand down if you are.”
Korian didn’t even have to think about it. With a sharp nod of agreement, he replied, “I accept your bargain, Mahoney. I give you my oath to hear you out with an open mind.”
The muscle in her jaw ticked and a flash of disappointment ghosted across her expression, but she announced, “Then I hereby rescind my challenge by armed combat under Warrior Law to King Korian Ak’Falin. For now.” She sheathed her blade and stepped inside his rooms.
Korian blew out a heavy sigh of relief and waved his guards away before issuing the command to close the door panels to ensure their privacy. He followed the female warrior as she stalked through his sitting room, past his sleeping chamber, and into the suns-drenched room surrounded by solar glass. She collapsed into a comfortable chair and pinned him with her fiery gaze until he followed suit and took the seat opposite her.
Korian shifted restlessly and waited for her to speak. He hadn’t felt this chastised since he was a youngling suffering his mina’s wrath after breaking her prized statuette with his play sword. It unnerved him that this woman with a warrior’s heart could have him squirming with guilt so easily. The tension that hung between them finally got to him and he prompted her, “I said I would listen, warrior. You have my attention.”
Her pale pink lips quirked at her small victory in getting him to break the silence first. “I know you don’t know me very well, Korian, so I’m going to be straight with you. You fucked up. Big time. It’s as simple as that. All of this mess could have been easily avoided if you had just given Jessica the chance to explain what had really happened that night. Instead, you chose to believe the worst about her and all but called her a whore. I’m still dying to kick your ass for that.”
Korian clenched his jaw and bit back the sharp retort that sprang to his lips. He had promised her that he would listen with an open mind, and he meant to abide by his word. “Then explain to me how I misconstrued the situation, and I will make amends to you both if I am proved wrong in my actions,” he replied stiffly.
Mahoney leaned forward and braced her elbows on her knees and clasped her hands between them. “Long story short, Zandar and Jessica knew that Rox’Ana was trying to lure them into a trap by offering to allow them the use of her home to have sex. She was hoping that they would take her up on her offer and that it would lead to a challenge under Captive Law. They saw this offer as an opportunity to sneak away from the party and search her quarters for proof of any other plans she may have had to discredit or get rid of you. Unfortunately, they were found by your trusty little spy before they could make their escape.”
Korian felt the first stirrings of misgiving about his reaction to the situation, but he stubbornly pressed forward. “That does not explain why they were caught half-clothed and embracing on the bed.”
The human female sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. “Stop thinking with your dick and use your head. They were inside the locked bedroom of their hostess and were about to be discovered spying on her. Jessica made the only decision available to her at the time in order to cover their actions. It was the lesser of two evils, Korian. Either they would be caught snooping through a noblewoman’s private belongings, or they could be discovered breaking Captive Law. There was no other option available to them in such a short time.”
Korian’s heart was beating a fast tattoo of foreboding and he swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. “How do I know that you are speaking Jessica’s truth? What proof do you have to offer that what she told you is the correct story?”
Mahoney looked upon him with a mixture of scorn and pity. “If you cared about her half as much as she does for you, you wouldn’t need proof. Her word would have been enough for you.” She paused for a moment to allow her barb to sink home, and Korian flinched as her words found their mark. “But, as it happens, Zandar was able to recover 30 days’ worth of deleted transmissions off of Rox’Ana’s private server before they were discovered. For the past three days, he has been holed up with Officer Felonia aboard The Ax’Sandre, trolling through every single message, and cross-referencing her communications. If you had bothered to take Mikael’s calls, he would have been able to tell you that they found damning proof of another plan to get rid of you.”
Korian thought he was going to be sick, but he straightened his shoulders and demanded, “What does she intend to do?”
Mahoney took her time in answering. She stood to her feet, stretched her arms over her head, and twisted her back until it popped with audible noise before beginning to walk back out the way she came. As she reached the doorway back into his room, she turned back to him and replied, “Rox’Ana Ful’Tera has taken out a hit on you. In case you don’t understand that slang, it means she has hired an assassin to kill you during the big meeting with the delegation from the Council at the end of this month. The only problem is that we have no idea who she hired.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Darkness shrouded Jessica as she lay in her bed in the guest quarters of Mahoney a
nd Mikael’s small apartment in the heart of P’Hartha city. Even though the twin suns were high in the sky, it was as dark as a starless night in her room thanks to the black-out controls on the solar panel glass. Any remaining ambient light was blocked out from her view by the press of a cool, moist cloth draped across her swollen eyes. She had never cried so much in her life as she had in the last four days. Her head ached and throbbed as if someone were trying to chisel their way out through her skull. This, in turn, triggered her nausea to the point that even the smell of food made her stomach jump up her throat in eagerness to empty itself. When she managed to make it to the bathroom, her head spun with dizziness and her body nearly collapsed with fatigue before she could make it back to the bed just to fall into a restless slumber. Her entire body ached and was tender to the touch. When poor Mahoney had tried to help her sit to eat broth, she had hissed with pain which had then caused her protective companion to attack her friend. Mahoney had ended up with several deep gashes and punctures from the small creature’s teeth and claws, and had to make a quick visit to the ship in order to receive corrective treatment. Mahoney had begged her to go with her, but Jessica had refused. She may be a miserable, pain-filled mess, but at least she found some bliss in ignorance.
She felt like such a fool. How could she have allowed herself to fall for a stranger who was no less than a warrior alien? She thought she had learned her lesson at the hands of the Hollywood bad boys who had used her to get what they wanted, whether it was her body or status, and then dropped her as if she meant nothing to them. Yet, she had done it again anyway. She had allowed herself to be swept up in the romance and passion of Korian’s jealous and overbearing attentions and had convinced herself that it was proof of his growing feelings for her. God, what an idiot she was for believing that she had crossed light years of space and time in order to find her match like Mahoney had. Instead, she was left alone, in physical and emotional pain, and very likely knocked up with an alien baby for her troubles. She was so afraid of the truth that she was paralyzed by it. Yes, she had always wanted to be a mother, but the picture she had envisioned for herself was a happy family unit with a man who loved her and would protect her and their children. Now, if she was indeed carrying Korian’s baby, she would be stuck on an alien world for the rest of her life, because there was no way she could ever abandon her child. The thought of staying on T’Kala had been attractive only four days ago when she thought there would be some chance of a future for her and Korian, but now that dream was shattered along with Jessica’s heart.
A soft tap on the doorframe had her turning her neck and set her bimbop to growling. “Who’s there?” she called out softly, mindful of the drumbeat in her head.
A familiar feminine voice replied quietly, “It is just me, my doma. I figured if you would not come to me aboard the ship, then I would come to you here in the home of my son.” Light footsteps crossed the room to the rising cadence of Little Mahoney’s growls. “Jessica, your companion is on high alert due to your condition, and perceives everyone that approaches you as a foe. If you will lay your hand upon her head and press her body down gently, she will understand that you wish her to stand down and that I am no threat to you,” Ax’Sandre R’Varsel explained with patience.
Jessica moved her hand over the covers until her hand encountered the soft, dense fur of her pet and followed Ax’Sandre’s instructions. She was shocked when it worked like a charm, and her bimbop began to burr contentedly even when she felt the bed sag under the medical officer’s weight next to her hip. The older woman’s hand was cool against her cheek, and her maternal touch brought more of the hated tears welling up in her eyes. “Can you tell me more about what ails you, my dear? Mahoney has provided me some background, in very colorful and strong language, but I would prefer to hear from you. Will you answer my questions?”
Jessica’s breath shuddered in her throat and she could feel tears leaking from her eyes to roll down her temples to soak her hair. “Okay,” she croaked, her throat dry and scratchy from vomiting anything she ate. Her misery had gone on long enough, and if Ax’Sandre could help her control her physical pain, that would free Jessica up to deal with the emotional ones.
Ax’Sandre was calm, professional, and matter-of-fact with her questions, and Jessica told her everything she wished to know including the approximate dates of when she and Korian had begun having sex, when she had last had her period, and what her current symptoms were and when they began. The medical officer thanked her for her honesty, and switched out the cold compress over Jessica’s eyes.
“I would like to ask your permission to run a basic diagnostic test, Jessica. Of course, it will not be nearly as complex and all-encompassing as the full scan, but it may give us the answers we need,” the medical officer prompted her.
Her voice warbled and cracked with her response. “Will it…will it be able to tell if I’m…you know?”
Ax’Sandre sighed heavily, and picked up Jessica’s hand to clasp in her own. “Sweetheart, I think I already know the answer to that question,” she broke the news gently. “Do you recall meeting my mina, Marte?” When Jessica just nodded in reply, she continued, “You know she is a full-blooded human from Earth just as you are. I spoke with her before I arrived and asked her about her symptoms when she was pregnant with her first child, my oldest brother. She told me that she was seriously ill for many days with migraine headaches, vomiting, wild mood swings, and her whole body ached to the touch. Back then, medi-scans and corrective treatments were not as readily available as they are now, and she had to suffer through this illness for a week until my dadan was able to get her to a hospital.”
Jessica cried harder and winced when a bolt of pain shot through her head. “But I don’t understand! I’ve known a lot of women who have had babies, including my two older sisters, and they never experienced anything close to this.”
Mikael’s mother shushed her and ran a soothing hand through her hair. “Jessica, what are the typical symptoms for such a condition on your Earth? Nausea, mild headaches, tender breasts, and bouts of slight dizziness, yes? Now, consider the fact that you may be carrying the babe of an entirely different, albeit compatible, species. Your body is under a tremendous amount of stress, my dear, and it only stands to reason that normal symptoms would be magnified as your body prepares itself to host and nourish a new life with DNA that is half foreign from your own.”
Jessica took a few moments to gather her courage before whispering, “Do the test, Ax’Sandre. Forewarned is forearmed, they always say.”
The medical officer squeezed her arm in comfort and then Jessica felt her roll a pen-shaped device along the crook of her elbow, across the span of her forehead, and then finally touched it to the tip of her tongue. She then heard the click of Ax’Sandre’s fingernail tapping against the surface of some device for several moments before she spoke again.
“The diagnostic scanner is picking up increased levels of estrogen and unusually high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, as well as the chemical progesterone. It is also picking up a strong trace of another chemical compound called kalanian uphortia,” she announced the results with precise and clinical tones.
Jessica pulled the compress off her eyes and searched until she found the older woman sitting next to her in the darkness of the room. “I know what estrogen is, but I’ve never heard of the rest of that. What does that mean?”
“Even if the first three chemicals did not tell me what I wished to know, the presence of the last one is undeniable proof. You see, kalanian uphortia is a compound found only within T’Kalan chromosomes. It seems you are indeed carrying the heir to the T’Kalan throne, Jessica.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Later that evening, Jessica moaned with delight as she feasted on a version of the stroganoff meal she had first tasted at Korian’s table. It felt so good to eat solid food again, and the relief that accompanied her cured symptoms allowed her to think clearly for the first time in days. After heari
ng the truth of her condition from Ax’Sandre, she had allowed the chief medical officer to call for a hovercraft equipped with a medi-bed, and was transported to the ship for a full scan and corrective treatment. They had both agreed that the privacy that was afforded them by the medical bay on the ship was preferable to going to the big hospital in the city. Jessica wanted no opportunity for nosey medi-techs and doctors to spill the beans about her condition before she was ready to tell Korian. It was hard enough to convince Ax’Sandre and Mahoney to keep her secret for the time, but in the end, they both agreed to keep their mouths shut until Jessica gave them permission to reveal the news.
It had been a close call, though, when they docked in the bay of The Ax’Sandre and heard the news that not only was Zandar on board the ship, but so was Mikael and Korian. Jessica had begun to panic, sending her loyal pet into a spasm of snarling, until Mahoney had assured her that there would be no challenge forthcoming from the king and that all three warriors were sequestered in the communications room together. The stalwart female warrior refused to offer any further explanation at the time, and insisted that her friend receive treatment before she would tell Jessica why the king was not ripping Zandar to shreds.
The full scan confirmed Ax’Sandre’s initial findings along with the estimated gestation period of the king’s child growing in her womb. When Jessica and Mahoney had both exclaimed that six months could not possibly be correct, Ax’Sandre had found herself giving the two human women lessons in T’Kalan biology. Since females of their race only ovulated twice a year, the males were capable of producing twice the amount of sperm as human males in order to ensure optimal conditions for conception. Their scientists speculated that because of these factors, gestation in T’Kalan females approximated only six months’ time in order to provide a greater chance of conceiving more children in their lifetimes. Even so, most T’Kalan couples were only lucky enough to sire one or two children together. Korian himself had been an only child, and most T’Kalan nobles that she had met had only one or two children, if any at all. Mikael, because of his mother’s half-human blood, was luckier in having grown up with two sisters, while Ax’Sandre had been the middle child of five thanks to her mother being a full-blooded human.
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