by T. S. Ryder
Brask nodded.
So he couldn’t take her home without being a criminal and losing his chance at starting up this colony of his. Libba turned her face away, hiding the tears that stung her eyes. She was not going to cry in front of an alien, even if he had rescued her.
"So what happens to me now?" she asked.
"There are two options. Legally, I am required to hand you over to our government."
Libba shivered. "Will they melt me down for my DNA?"
"No. It's unethical to perform experiments on those who do not give their consent." His fists clenched and he looked away. "However… the dragon that took you from Earth…"
Libba wrapped her arms around herself, fighting down bile. "What about him?"
"He has a very protected place in society. His mother commands the largest science fleet there is. Not only that, but she has several warships at her disposal as well. We have long wanted to arrest him for his blasphemous practices—"
"Blasphemous? I thought you said you guys weren't religious."
Brask paused for a moment, startled. "It's blasphemy against science to use unethical practices."
"So science is your religion."
The alien frowned at her for a long moment before shrugging. "If that's how you want to see it. But as I was saying, he has connections, and his mother has power. He has been mocking justice for years. It just might be that he has enough influence over the Science Board to get you back."
Libba went cold again. Her throat was dry, and all she could do was stare at the alien.
"The chances are slim that he would actually succeed," he was quick to add. "There have been recent, major reforms in the Science Board that have seen several of the older members replaced with those with more open minds. But there is a possibility that he would get you back in his grasp."
"Not happening." Libba folded her arms. She was shivering from head to toe, but she wasn't going to show weakness. No chance in hell.
Brask nodded.
"So what's the second option?"
The alien hesitated. "The only way I can keep you with me is… well, it would require you to lie."
"About what?"
"You would have to say that we knew each other on Earth. I have spent some time there recently, observing Din's movements, so it's reasonable that I would have met a human woman."
"But you're not allowed to take humans from Earth."
"Unless they’re pregnant."
Libba stared at him blankly. "You want me to pretend to be pregnant?"
Brask winced. "No. The board would require proof. You would have to be pregnant. With my child."
It was only the knowledge that she would hurt herself more than him that stopped Libba from decking him in the face. She leaped to her feet, shaking her head wildly. "Nuh-uh. No way in hell. You can't tell me that I can't go home, then expect me to have sex with you."
"I am not suggesting a sexual encounter," the alien said, wincing again. He held up his hands. "I believe that humans have synthetic means of combining genetic material and implanting the embryo. We do as well, and if you were to choose to stay with me, that is the method we would use. But it is your choice, and as I said, the chances that Din would get you back are slim. You would most likely be put with the other human women who were taken from Earth."
Libba glowered at him, pacing from one end of the room to the other. No way. There was no way she was going to have an alien baby. No. She'd take her chances.
Of getting given back to Din and melted down. Would she be alive during the process? Conscious?
"The choice is yours—"
"I get that," she snapped. Her shoulders slumped. Brask was attractive, in an exotic sort of way. If they had met in a bar, she'd be all over him. "And if I decide to stay with you, then what?"
"I'll help you settle in my home on the moon where I live. Help you integrate into society. And if you ever change your mind and want to go to the Science Board, I will take you to Bronæl. I will expect nothing from you, and you will be free to change your mind whenever you want."
Libba stared at the alien she had just met. Could she really do this? Agree to have his baby so she could stay with him? Her hand went over her bald head again. She sat back down, frowning. Closing her eyes, she imagined being pregnant. To her surprise, she liked the image. Then she imagined that the baby was covered in silver-blue scales.
She liked the image even more.
Wow. Just wow.
Libba opened her eyes again. Maybe it was Brask's assurances that this was her choice. Maybe it was that her brain was scrambled by her abduction. But now that she actually thought about it, getting pregnant with his baby really didn't sound like that bad of an idea. In fact, given a few days, she might actually really like the idea…
I must be crazy.
"Okay. Okay, this is really weird and bizarre, but what the hell. I've been wanting to figure out what to do with my life. I might as well be a mom. So let's make babies."
Chapter Four
Even though Brask had tried to downplay the chances that she would be given back to Din, Libba was determined that she wasn't going to go anywhere near the Science Board. But Brask had felt extremely uncertain about going ahead and impregnating her with his genetic material. The whole thing felt too much like she was being forced to make a choice she didn't want.
He had actively tried to change her mind several times. In the end, Libba had threatened to cut off his head if he didn't accept her choice. She had even said that if he didn't want a half-human child, she'd go with any of the dragons on his crew.
Given that they were still in space, Biryl was the only other option. For some strange reason, thinking of Libba swelling with his best friend's child made him want to punch Biryl in the face, and so he had relented and stopped trying to change the human's mind. Trafin was the one to perform the actual procedure, and when Brask saw Libba afterward, she looked perfectly happy and relaxed. It helped him feel better about the whole situation.
Still, when he looked at the confirmation that the human was pregnant, he couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself.
"I'm sorry," he blurted out when he saw Libba after the procedure.
She shook her head. "Look, you gave me plenty of chances to change my mind. You have nothing to be sorry about. I've already had my freak out, and I'm good. So stop apologizing before I have to stuff a dirty sock in your mouth."
Brask managed to smile at her. "It's just that you wouldn't have agreed if you weren't afraid for your life."
Libba rolled her eyes and threw her pillow at him. He caught it easily.
"I'm not afraid for my life. Not anymore, at least. Even if there wasn't the chance that Din would get me back, I'd rather not deal with the Science Board and get stuck in a house with a bunch of other women. I never really got along well with women. Trust me," she continued, her voice getting stronger, "if I’d decided I didn't want this, it wouldn't be happening."
Brask felt himself relax. She was very confident, and even though they had only known one another for a couple weeks, he knew that she wasn't one to be talked into something that she didn't want to do. He only hoped she was serious, and not just putting up a façade to make him feel better.
"I promise that everything will be fine," he told her, inching his hand over hers.
Physical touch always soothed him when he was in emotional turmoil. For a human, it had to be even more vital, since they were so much more emotional than Stlozyn were. Libba turned her hand over, twining her fingers through his.
Brask swallowed hard as his flames leaped just from this small gesture. "Legally I don't have to turn you over to the Science Board now. I'll send them a message about the two of us. I hope that they won't press to speak with you, but if they do…"
"I'll tell them that we got involved on Earth," she replied, flashing him a grin. "And if they ask me about what I'm giving up to be with you I'll tell them the truth. Abso-freaking-lutely nothing."
"That's what I just said. And I might as well be an alien bride since I've done diddly-squat with my life."
An uncomfortable silence fell. What was he meant to say? Was he supposed to comfort her? Or perhaps a change of conversation would be the better answer?
"You've been cooped up in here for days now," he said, standing up. "Would you like to take a walk? It's not a big ship, but we do have a hydroponics bay. It'll help you feel better to be in an oxygen-rich environment."
"I'm not sure I was feeling especially unwell," Libba said but stood with him.
To his surprise, she linked her arm through his as they left the small room that was Libba's quarters. Technically they were Brask's, but given they were the most comfortable quarters in the ship, he thought it was best for the human to have them. He had been bunking with Biryl since they had brought Libba in.
Biryl and Trafin were both in the hydroponics bay when Brask and Libba entered. They were playing a card game and looked up with smiles. Trafin eyed Libba with interest, then smirked when Brask frowned at her. She elbowed Biryl in the ribs and nodded at their joined hands. The Justice Warrior released the human's hand.
"We were just going to make sure the ship is on the right course," Trafin said, gracefully getting to her feet. "We ought to be back at the moon in, oh, two days. Congratulations on your coming baby," she added, looking at Libba again. "I have not yet had the opportunity to be a mother myself, but I hope I will receive the cure to reverse my infertility soon."
Libba nodded at her stiffly. Biryl gave Brask a knowing look as the other two Stlozyn hustled from the bay. Once they were alone, Brask offered Libba an apologetic smile, which the human ignored.
"So what's the story there?" she asked instead.
"What story?"
"Are they a couple?"
Brask snorted. "No. Trafin has a mate on the moon. She was a scientist, but when she moved in with her mate her research grants dried up. He's a Justice Warrior, like me. She has a higher rank than him and it’s tradition that he'd go to live with her, so when she decided to go with him, it was seen as an insult to her position. Biryl isn't interested in having a mate."
"I see." Libba walked through the plants, her muscles visibly relaxing.
Brask found himself daydreaming about how she would look in the colorful robes that Stlozyn wore in their homes. Scientists always wore their robes and had elaborate colors to designate rank, but Justice Keepers wore loose fitting trousers and tunics that wouldn't rip when they took their beast's form when on duty, and robes of whatever color they pleased when at home.
With Libba's proportions, a robe that went to her knees and cinched at the waist would have every dragon on the moon base where he lived drooling. They'd all be jealous that he was the one she was with.
Unless she decides she doesn't want a true relationship. Just because we're having a child doesn't make her my mate.
He turned away, surprised at how his flames cooled at the thought that Libba might not want to be with him, even though he knew the reasons they were having a child together were not conducive to a long-term relationship.
"When you say you don't have anything on Earth to return to, what do you mean?" He plucked a flower shaped like a funnel from its stem and sucked the sweet nectar from it. "I'm not a scientist, but even I can see that humans have strong social bonds. Maybe even stronger than is common among Stlozyn."
Libba's shoulder's tensed.
"Well?" he pressed. "If we're meant to be in a relationship, I need to know these things."
"You do, I suppose." Libba crushed the petals of a pink flower between her fingers. "I don't have anything on Earth. I've been in university getting various diplomas for a decade now. My parents… well, my dad left me and my mom when I was a little girl, and my mom only had one loser boyfriend after another. She died a few years back. And I only had one real friend. He died of cancer last year."
She gave him a tense smile. He opened his mouth.
"Don't tell me you're sorry," she said sharply. "It's for the best. Especially since I can't return."
Brask hesitated. Opening up about his own past to her wasn't something he really wanted to do. But, as he had said, they needed to know things about each other since they were meant to be in a relationship.
"My parents are both scientists. Not extremely well-known, but still very successful in their chosen fields of research. They were very disappointed when I became a Justice Warrior. They didn't come to my graduation from the academy, and I haven't spoken to them since I moved to the moon base."
"That's terrible." Libba returned to him, squeezing his hand. He liked how it felt to have her hand in his. "Well, they can both go screw themselves, because you're fantastic. If they can't see that then it's their loss."
"Thank you." He laughed, his flames glowing. "Not many would agree with you."
Libba hummed. Her gaze flickered to his lips and she wet her own. Brask held her hand tighter as she went to pull away, his gaze fixed on her mouth.
Why did he feel so nervous? He thought about just pulling her into his arms, but that would probably frighten her. "I want to kiss you."
She turned wide eyes on him. She opened her mouth, closed it, and pulled away. Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips, staring at him.
"I never kiss a man on the first date," she said.
Brask grinned, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. "Then it's a good thing I'm not a man."
For a moment he thought she was going to pull away, but instead, she put her arms around his neck. He lowered his mouth to hers. His flames leaped and danced, burning hotter. He pulled her closer, hungering for her taste. Libba moaned, pressing herself against him, then suddenly broke free. She panted, smoothed her shirt and gave him a smile.
"You're not a man so you got a little exception to the rule," she said. "But that was your one free taste. You want more, you have to work for it."
She scooted out of the room. Brask sat down on the bench, dazed. He'd never been affected by kissing a female like that before. Perhaps it was the knowledge that she was carrying his child that had made him react too strongly. Whatever the case, Libba had said he was going to have to work to get more.
The hunt was on, and what a delicious hunt it would be…
Chapter Five
Teasing Brask was fun.
Libba had never been much of a flirt. She always knew exactly what she wanted, and if a guy showed interest, she was blunt in whether she was interested in his attention or not. Maybe it was this crazy situation that made it different with Brask. She was pregnant with his baby–without even having slept with him–and so she teased. She flirted. She was trying to figure out exactly how he felt towards her.
After that first kiss, he did plenty of flirting back but didn't try to kiss her again. It was a little disappointing.
The more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. If she had felt this way about a guy on Earth, she would have suggested moving in together. But the fact that circumstances had forced them together gave her doubts. Between the pregnancy hormones and the fact that he had saved her from being melted down, she didn't know if her feelings were genuine or not.
Still, once they were in the moon camp where Brask, Biryl and Trafin lived, she was all too happy to spend all her time with him. She quickly got used to the glittering, scaly appearances of the Stlozyn, but the open curiosity they all showed towards her was overwhelming, to say the least. The morning sickness that accompanied her through the first month didn't help, either.
If it wasn't for Brask holding her hand when they were in public and explaining things about their culture when they were alone, she was certain she would have broken down and demanded to go to the Science Board to be put with the other abducted women. It was just all so strange. So frightening. She longed for just one thing she could hold onto and say that
she actually understood.
When it was just her and Brask teasing each other, she had that feeling, like something had finally fallen into place. Like even on this alien moon, she was home.
A couple of months after their arrival on the moon base, Libba watched Brask cutting up a carrot-like vegetable for the soup he was making. She was supposed to be setting the table, but she was too fascinated by the way he deftly wielded his knife to do anything but stand and stare. He wore a robe that was open to the waist, revealing sculpted muscles covered in tiny scales. Were they warm? Would they catch her fingers if she trailed her hands down his abdomen?
"I hope I didn't scare you off," she blurted suddenly.
He didn't even glance at her. "Scare me off what?"
If she was some sexy model in a movie, she'd have jumped up onto the counter and parted her thighs just enough for him to catch a glimpse of her underwear. Maybe shrugged a shoulder and let her robe fall off it. She felt her face going red as she imagined it. "Um… nothing."
Brask tipped the vegetables into a pot of water and turned to her. "I hope I haven't frightened you."
"How would you have frightened me?"
"My clumsy attempts to seduce you." His blood-red eyes twinkled. "I don't have a lot of female experience."
"When have you tried to seduce me? You haven't even kissed me since the hydroponics bay." Libba folded her arms and frowned at him. "Is this a cultural thing? Is kissing something entirely different from seduction?"
"No."
"Then why are you saying you hope you haven't frightened me?"
"You're right. I misspoke. I hope I won't frighten you." Brask was next to her before she could reply, bracing himself against the wall, trapping her between her arms. "Because I am going to seduce you. Tonight."
Libba opened her mouth to refute him, but his mouth caught hers, swallowing her half-hearted protests. She moaned, wrapping her arms around him. Her body heated and she felt it tighten. Her nipples hardened, so extra sensitive that the feeling of being pushed against his chest had her almost crying out for mercy. Brask's hand traced the curve of her hip, moving to her thigh. He picked her leg up, wrapping it over his hip.