Kuma, who is politely staring at the ceiling, utters a harsh laugh and shakes his head. “You don’t have to worry about that skrut eating bitch.”
“Why? What happened?” Va’naar asks curiously.
“I chased her and that insectoid fucker out of the warehouse. When she tried to split and disappear on her own, the buggy bastard grabbed her and dragged her all the way back to his dropship. I hit it a few times with that pulse rifle we took off of Ek’nor, but it still took off.”
“Oh God,” Polly says, looking ill. “I don’t care what she did, no one deserves to get eaten. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
“Oh, she didn’t get eaten,” Kuma adds, still chuckling when he speaks. “That ship was a piece of shit. Between the condition it was already in and the damage where I hit it, it blew up as soon as it hit the upper atmosphere.” Kuma cups his hands together, then spreads them wide, mimicking the sound of an explosion.
“I’m not sure if that’s any better,” Polly admits, looking uncertain.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ca’lek announces, eyeing her sternly. “She is dead and cannot attempt to harm you again. The Alliance forces in orbit chased the Viktoid ship back into deep space. They will think twice before attempting to return. You and the pups are healthy and safe. Once the doctors clear the three of you, we are going home.”
“Home sounds like a really good idea,” she replies, her gaze dropping to the pups at her breasts.
“It’s the best idea,” I say, happily, drinking in the sight of my family.
This is the best thing I have ever been a part of.
Epilogue
Polly
Six months later…
I take another jittery step while anticipation and excitement continues to grow to almost unbearable levels. “Can I at least have a hint? Is it…a new ship? Hmm, no that can’t be it. Oh, I know...no...it can’t be that either. I need a hint,” I beg as I draw my hands up to scratch at my blind fold.
I’m not sure what kind of fabric this is, but it’s a little itchy.
“No hints. No peeking. No guessing,” Ca’lek says firmly, then clasps my hands and places them firmly at my sides.
I roll my eyes at his ridiculousness. It’s a good thing he can’t see me. I wasn’t going to peek, not knowing how long they’ve been working on this surprise for me. Mother Ja’naar and Mother Da’leah often whispered about it thinking I couldn’t hear them. And all the times my mates magically disappeared into thin air...they were up to something. Whatever they have planned it’s something big, I just know it, and today is the big reveal. It has to be!
“What? No hints and no guessing? That takes away half the fun. Don’t be such a party pooper,” I tease.
“A party pooper?” Va’naar says from behind, quietly mulling over the phrase while gently pushing me forward. “Who would be so rude as to produce excrement at a party?”
I laugh at the mild tone of horror in his voice as he imagines someone pooping at a party. “It means someone who takes all the fun out of something you goof.”
“I am not a party pooper,” Ca’lek replies, sounding offended.
“If you say so,” I say.
Va’naar leans in, his body flush with my back. “Definitely a party pooper.”
I giggle, before my hands can shoot up to cover my mouth.
“I heard that!”
“We love you too,” I say as I reach out to find him. My hands bump into a hard mass of muscle and fur, and I know immediately it’s Ca’lek’s back. He stops walking and turns to face me. My hands explore him until our fingers lace together. He grumbles under his breath. “You know I’m just teasing you, right?”
His sigh is loud overhead, and I feel him shrug. “Perhaps…” he says starting off quiet, then gets louder. “I was teasing you too!” His hands pull away from mine, find the sides of my stomach, then he wriggles his fingers to tickle me.
“Ack! No! Stop, Ca’lek, that tickles,” I yelp, squirming between him and Va’naar.
Their claws are perfect for tickling and it drives me crazy as they drag the tips over my skin again and again. I gasp and giggle, struggling to get free, but I can’t evade them. My body tenses and spasms under their torturous assault. It goes on for several long seconds until my mind nearly short circuits from the intense sensations and I’m afraid I may pee myself..
“I’ll get you for this,” I threaten, panting between bursts of laughter.
His fingers stop and I silently thank the Gods for their mercy. I don’t think I could handle much any more. Ever since giving birth to the twins my body has been extremely sensitive. ‘A side effect of my unusual pregnancy’ as Ha’dir had claimed. Instinctively, I begin to think of my little munchkins and wonder what kind of havoc and destruction they are reaping with their grandparents.
Those poor souls. The babies have started crawling. Everywhere.
“Hmm, I think not. Once you see your surprise, you will forget all about this.” He leans in and places a kiss on the tip of my nose.
“I will be the judge of that!”
“If you are unable to forget his traumatizing tickles, I can help you forget,” Va’naar says suggestively, rolling his hips against my behind. He’s hard against me and I push back to follow his stroke. Then I remember why we’re here.
“Hey, if you guys can have rules then so can I. No distractions!” I order, jumping away from him.
They both chuckle.
“We are almost there. Just a few more steps,” Va’naar says.
I suppress a squeal of excitement. I love surprises, but I have a feeling this is going to blow my expectations out of the water. My mates go out of their way to make me happy, not that they have to try really hard, but sometimes they exceed themselves. Anticipation knots in my belly like fireworks just waiting to go off. Almost hopping with glee, I let my mates lead me on.
“We’re here,” Ca’lek announces, whisking the blindfold off.
Blinking in the bright light, it takes me a minute to register where we are. The fountain in the center of the courtyard is beautiful. Gracefully carved riri fish arch out of the center on stylized waves. The surrounding garden is well manicured and planted with brightly colored blossoms of all shapes, sizes, and hues. It’s much nicer looking than it had been the last time I saw it in passing when shopping.
“Ca’lek? Va’naar?” I start, staring at what had once been an old pottery shop on the edge of town. “What is—”
“Surprise!” A dozen voices yell at once, making me jump. My inlaws pour out of the door and from the sides of the garden, all calling out happily. Lin’kin and Lo’rei giggle from their grandsires arms while everyone celebrates around me.
“What’s going on?” I ask, dazzled but slightly confused.
“Welcome to the Golden Touch!”
A familiar voice brings tears to my eyes as I glance up and see my best friend standing in the wide, open doors. Carissa throws her hands up in the air and runs towards me, squealing excitedly in glee.
“How? What? When?” I blubber, not knowing what to say as we squeezed the life out of each other in the tightest hug I’ve ever had. It’s been so freaking long.
Her bright eyes glimmer with fondness, bringing back old memories. I missed her so much. Carissa is probably the only person from my old life I cared about and not being about to see her all this time was awful. She had returned my message just days after the mating ceremony, shocked that I was alive. Apparently, the Viktoids had stolen several human females from the station. Security still didn’t know how, just that six of my neighbors and myself had all vanished in one single night. Until Carissa received my comm, the only evidence the Viktoids left behind was a hole cut in the outer hull of each apartment. The holes had been resealed to prevent sensors from detecting the breaches. We weren’t even reported as missing until we didn’t show up to work and were late on the rent. Then someone came looking for us and found the apartments empty and trashed. The discovery left the
station in panic and disarray for days, according to Carissa.
Knowing that the station had been so negligent in their security still makes me ill.
“Your mates invited me to come work here, so we could be together!” she answers, smiling brightly. “As soon as they made the offer, I said yes. After you disappeared, work just wasn’t any fun anymore, but I had bills to pay. I couldn’t just leave. You know how hard it is to change jobs on the station.”
“So you opened a shop?” I turn my neck, and stare at my mates, never expecting my surprise to be this fantastic. I thought we were just going on a vacation or something so we could have some much needed alone time. Having a baby is hard work. Having two though? I don’t think I’ve worked this hard in years! But having my best friend right here in town was even better.
“No, my love,” Va’naar begins to say.
“You opened a spa,” Ca’lek finishes for him, smiling with smug pride. Va’naar whacks him playfully across the shoulder, but he looks just as proud of himself.
“You mentioned that this would make a nice little spa and therapy center when we saw it two lunars ago. And we know how much you missed being a massage therapist, so we bought the shop and fixed it up for you. Carissa told us everything you would need,” Va’naar explains, booping my nose gently with his fingers.
What a goof.
Carrissa grabs my hand and practically drags me inside. “There are three massage rooms, two steam baths, a mud room, and additional rooms for whatever else you want,” Carissa explains while showing me around. “And the best part is...I’m working for you! I’m staying in one of the rooms upstairs, so I can open up every morning and if you want to stay home with the babies, or your mates. You don’t have to worry about anything! I got this girl.”
I gape in surprise at how beautiful the place is. It’s nothing fancy like a resort spa, it’s better. Nothing about this place is flashy or screams only for the rich. The coloring and decor has calm, subtle hues promoting peace and relaxation. If anything it’s cozy and tranquil. Everything a spa should be.
Our extended family stays out in the courtyard, setting up a small party while Carissa shows me all the equipment. Ca’lek and Va’naar watch with amused expressions on their faces. Our tour ends in that upper room, staring out the window at the party that started without us. My heart is about to burst with joy and I know I’m breaths away from crying all over my amazing, wonderful, thoughtful mates and my best friend who probably helped them figure it all out.
Carissa eventually calms down then gives me a wink and a hug before running back outside with the others. My mind is still spinning at all the possibilities. There really is room for expansion if I need it later on. I had no idea how big the shop was when I saw it from outside, but besides the finished portions, there’s an unfinished L-shaped extension off the back hall and a nice medium sized room on the upper floor. If I needed to, I could hire a few more people without crowding the spa and ruining its charm.
Our tour ends in that upper room, staring out the window at the party that started without us. My heart is about to burst with joy and I know I’m breaths away from crying all over my amazing, wonderful, thoughtful mates.
“Do you like it?” Ca’lek whispers in my ear, his arms circling me from behind. The weight of his hands as they drag along my hips makes me shudder.
“It’s the best present ever,” I sigh, reaching up to wrap my hand around the back of his neck. He ducks his head and nips my shoulder, stepping back to draw me away from the window. Music starts up below, nearly drowning out his next question.
“The best?” he murmurs.
“Mmmm, maybe not the best,” I reply, smiling at Va’naar who has come around to stand in front of me. He’s already stripped out of his shirt and his cock is an obvious bulge in the front of his slacks. Ca’lek pulls me roughly against his chest, his hands slipping under my shirt to cup my breasts.
“No?” Va’naar muses. “What’s the best present ever then?”
Turning my head, I kiss Ca’lek, then I reach out and pull Va’naar into my arms and kiss him too. “You are. You and Ca’lek are the best gifts I could ever want. You and the babies and any other pups we have. You are my most prized possessions and I wouldn’t trade any of you for the greatest treasure in this universe.”
Ca’lek’s answer was a fierce possessive growl at my back, echoed by Va’naar’s at my front. Their hands stripped my clothes away, then their own and I felt them everywhere. They were all around me, then they were in me, and I cried with pleasure, not caring if the partiers downstairs heard us or not.
Afterwards, as we lay panting on the floor waiting for Ca’lek’s knot to recede, he and Va’naar snuggled close to me, whispering love in my ears. It was Va’naar who made the loudest statement.
“You are the greatest treasure in every universe,” he states firmly.
“And you are ours,” Ca’lek says in agreement.
The Pirate’s Hunt
Prologue
Kuma
“I don’t know what you expect me to tell you,” Ca’lek says, patting the youngling in his arms. “I can’t go on this mission, and neither can Va’naar. I’m up to my ass in pup shit!”
“Hey! Watch your mouth, I’ll be damned if our children picks up your cursing,” Polly shouts from off screen, completely ignoring the fact that she just cursed as well.
“Pup shit,” he repeats quietly, leaning close to the monitor, his eyes round with serious worry. “It’s everywhere. You can’t escape it.”
I burst out laughing at the intense look on my captain’s face. He may have retired and handed me the ship to continue with business as usual, but he’ll always be the male that hired my scrawny, helpless ass from Norvik Seven and saved my life all those years ago. Always.
“I’ll have you know Kuma, that my mate is full of LIES! The only thing he’s up to his ass in is those blasted, sugary smorna treats Mother Ja’naar keeps making. And they’re making him fat! That’s why he can’t come with you on mission, he’s worried he won’t be able to keep up with his new, round shape,” Polly says matter of factly as she appears on screen and pats Ca’lek’s obviously flat abs.
Ca’lek’s ears flatten tightly against his head, as if caught and ensnared by his mate. “That is...not true. And I work out enough, I can eat all the smorna I like!”
“Mhm. Well, since you want to proclaim to the world that you’re stuck on diaper duty, I want to make sure I’m keeping you an honest male,” Polly says with a devious grin as she takes Lo’rei from his arms and hands him Lin’kin. “Good luck, he’s had the squirts all day.”
Ca’lek groans, his face turning sour after accidentally breathing through his nose. “What in Vren’s name have you been feeding your son?” He asks, as he gets up from his chair and walks offscreen to change his pup.
“Your son gets only the best nutrients for his sensitive digestive track, my dear,” she replies, then turns to face me. “Hey Kuma, how’s it going?”
“Oh, you know. We’re short staffed and I’ve been contacted by a Lexikin who’s willing to pay a good chunk of change to a lot of mercenaries to reclaim a space station in the Vellon sector so he can begin building on Plutus X. The area has a bit too much pirate traffic for his comfort.”
“Pirates, pirating pirates,” she laughs, shaking her head. “What’s so important out there, that he’s worried about a few pirates, but still wants to build?”
“It’s not that the sector is particularly dangerous or anything, but it’s not near any major shipping lanes and there are a few species that handle their shady business deals out there. It hasn’t been patrolled by the Alliance Squadron very closely, so there’s been a few attacks over the years. No one has wanted to do anything about the criminals simply because it wasn’t worth the trouble. Now this Lexikin wants to build some fancy moon base with a hotel and a casino and whatever. If all goes well and he succeeds, it will gain the attention of the Galactic Alliance and they’ll
have to enforce the laws more closely. It’s not a bad idea, honestly. More credits would do that sector good.”
“A moon casino? That sounds fun. What are you waiting for? Get out there and get to work. Mommy needs a break somewhere I can play some cards and relax at the hotel spa,” Polly says playfully.
“What in Vren’s hells is that smell?” Va’naar asks, as he enters the front door, just behind Polly. “My mate, did you attempt to bake ookla again?”
Polly frowns. “Don’t tell me you didn’t like the meat pie? I thought you loved it? I baked a whole bunch of them, they are waiting on the kitchen counter for you.”
Va’naars eyes widen in horror as he rushes out of the room, his tail hanging low as if he fears for his life. “Female, there are no meat pies in here,” he says, returning a moment later.
“Va’naar dear, why do you sound so relieved.”
“Uh...I’m not. I’m very disappointed. Very, very disappointed.”
“Mhmm, I’m sure,” Polly replies while Va’naar makes his way back on screen, kisses Polly on the head, and takes the pup from her arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll have your mother show me how to make them properly next time.”
“You don’t need to play cards and relax at a spa in another sector. Not when you have your own wellness spa right here. And we’ll play cards with you while my dam watches the pups,” Ca’lek says, re-entering the room, warily eyeing the pup he’s holding. He sits down on the opposite side of Polly. “We can play a game of strip-poshki tonight if you like.” Ca’lek grins widely and leers at his mate.
She rolls her eyes, ignoring his comment. “I can’t relax at my own place of work. Anytime I walk in there, I go into boss mode. How do you expect me to enjoy a massage?”
The Alien Pirates' Treasure (Star Pirates Book 1) Page 29