by Kit Tunstall
He let out a chuckle as his mouth drifted lower, moving from her pert breasts down to the slight bulge of her abdomen, where he pressed a light kiss on the center of the bump. She threaded her fingers through his hair, touched by the gesture, but soon distracted from the tender action by the arrival of his mouth against her slick folds.
He moved with precise, controlled motions, as though he had done this a thousand times before. She knew from information gleaned over the last week that he was relatively inexperienced, never having so much as kissed another Dazon female, so his technique must come naturally.
His tongue stroked her clit, moving around the base before flicking right under her hood. She arched her hips and groaned, whimpering his name a moment later when he sucked lightly on the taut bud, coaxing another orgasm from her.
“Val,” she said in husky voice, barely managing to form the syllables in her current strained state of pleasure.
“My beautiful mate. I’ve waited so long, never daring to hope I would have a woman like you.” He interspersed his sweet words with kisses all across her body as he moved upward again. The last kiss he placed on her chin before he said, “There is no better match for me in all the galaxies, sweet Jessminda.”
Then his mouth settled on hers again, this kiss firm and demanding and clearly full of pent-up arousal. On both of their parts, she realized with a small shock, as he parted her thighs and lifted her pelvis to angle her better for his possession. They had only known each other for a week, but it felt like it had been far longer.
Perhaps the Dazon had accelerated dating time in addition to gestation time, she thought with a small chuckle against his lips. His mouth swallowed it, and he didn’t break the passionate kiss to find out what had amused her.
Slowly, his shaft slid into her, and she appreciated the ergonomic design. He was big, but not so large that it was frightening or physically impossible to accommodate him. It took her body a moment to adjust to his intrusion, since she hadn’t made love with anyone for years, but she soon picked up the familiar rhythm, and any discomfort faded in the face of pleasure as he fully penetrated her, sinking all the way inside her.
“This is the most amazing feeling ever, Jess.” As he spoke, Val slipped his hands under her buttocks and cupped them in his hands as he lifted her higher, while pushing deeper into her pussy. His cock encompassed every inch of her insides, leaving her certain she would form only to him after this, and no other man would ever be able to satisfy her the same way.
He had started slowly, probably to ensure it was pleasurable for both of them, but he was soon gasping and bucking his hips forcefully as he entered and withdrew at an erratic pace. She curled her fingers into his buttocks, and he hissed through his teeth when her nails dug into the sensitive skin of his cheeks.
She pulled him down to meet her each time he pulled her upward, and they moved simpatico in a blissful dance that was completely new to him, and new to her in a way as well. It had never felt like this with Baljal, and she was certain it never would with any other man, human or Dazon. He had ruined her for anyone else, but as her orgasm flared, igniting her lower body and spreading outward in waves of pure bliss, she was enchanted rather than dismayed by the idea.
Perhaps there was something to this mating flare stuff after all, she conceded, as he twitched inside her before his warm fluid filled her. She still didn’t know if she believed in the actual existence of a mating flare, but she certainly understood why Val would if he was feeling anything half as intense as she was.
Afterward, they lay together, bodies entwined, and speaking softly about various topics. She let her thoughts wander along with her hands as she stroked and touched her alien lover, soon coaxing him hard again for a repeat, which was even more intense than the first release. Then she lay with her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his chest and his back, and let sleep claim her under the welcome, almost too heavy, weight of her mate.
Slipping off to sleep, the word resonated with her, and she felt no fear at the idea of embracing a life with Val Tosh. She might change her mind in the morning, when the euphoria of amazing sex had faded, but right then, she was content to be with him and thrilled to have him even under the strange circumstances.
They didn’t really discuss it, but Val just sort of moved in. He stopped leaving at night and stayed by her side throughout the days and heavenly nights that followed.
More than a week after their first night together, she woke to a twinge in her abdomen and carefully disengaged herself from Val’s protective embrace so she could scoot from the bed. She had been reading about pregnancy and assumed it was round ligament pain, brought on early by the rapid growth of the babies, and the fact she was carrying triplets.
That theory flew out the window when she turned on the light and saw blood on her leg, along with a small pool on the bed. Panic seized her, and she struggled to breathe deeply and sound calm when she called Val’s name.
He woke quickly, and his posture suggested he was on the defensive, ready to protect her from any danger. A lump appeared in her throat, and she tried to swallow it back even as the thought that he couldn’t protect her from this danger, and he couldn’t stop a miscarriage, brought tears to her eyes instead of abating the emotional response.
“Do you know how to get hold of Dr. Wy? I’m bleeding.” Her lips trembled as she said the last word, and a sob escaped her before she choked it back.
He hurried from the bed, pressing the button on his neck to restore his jumpsuit before rushing to the bathroom to grab a robe for her. “I’ll take you right to him, my love.”
She nodded, unable to speak for fear of crying again. She clung to him, sensing he planned to fold, and it was a disorientating experience that left her head whirling and her stomach churning with nausea as they appeared with several flashes of lightning back in the facility from where she had escaped more than two weeks ago. She was actually relieved to be there this time, assuming that if anyone could save their babies, it would be the alien doctor with all his technology.
Val swept her into his arms and strode down the hallway, taking her straight to the medical section before going to a button on the wall. He pressed it, and his voice boomed over the intercom system. “Dr. Wy, come to the medical facility immediately. There’s a problem with Jessminda Patel’s pregnancy.”
Silence fell as he stepped away from the intercom, and she reached out a hand for him, needing his warmth and reassurance. When he stepped to her, putting his arms around her, she laid her head against his chest. “I’m so scared.”
Until she had seen the blood, she hadn’t realized just how much she wanted this pregnancy. It hadn’t been her choice, and there had still been a trace of tentative reluctance even after she had decided to proceed, but seeing evidence that she was losing her babies had given her the sharp insight that she desperately wanted to keep them.
“As am I. I’m fearful for our little ones, but I couldn’t bear to lose you too, Jessminda.” He stroked his hand through her hair while the other one patted her back in a soothing gesture. “Even if we can’t sustain viable offspring, you’ll always be my mate.”
Tears flooded her eyes at the words, and she took comfort from them. Considering how little time she had known Val, they had been through a gamut of experiences and emotions already, and quiet, calm knowledge filled her. She was in love with her unexpected alien mate.
The arrival of Dr. Wy prevented her from telling him of her epiphany, and it was poor timing anyway. As soon as the doctor appeared, her attention turned fully to the pregnancy and the threatened loss of her children. “I’ve been bleeding for about an hour, I think. I fell asleep, and when I woke, there was blood, and I’m still bleeding.”
Dr. Wy looked sympathetic as he approached her. “Please lie down, and we’ll do a scan and go from there.”
She did as he asked, reassured when Val came to stand on her other side, not releasing her hand though he remained out of the way of the
machinery and the doctor. She lay perfectly still as the scanner moved over her, starting with her feet and working its way upward. She closed her eyes when the flashing bar passed over her face, remembering from last time that it was bright enough to give her a headache, and then opened them a moment later when the machine whirred down.
Dr. Wy extracted the data to his tablet, examining it for a moment before looking up with a hint of sorrow. She clutched Val’s hand as tears welled in her eyes.
“I’m afraid you’ve lost one of them, Ms. Patel. Your daughters continue to thrive, but the little boy didn’t make it. The embryo wasn’t as strong as his sisters.”
A mix of grief and relief swept through her. She had lost one of the triplets, but the other two remained. It was a bittersweet moment. “And the tw…twins?” It was difficult to say that word when it should be triplets, and she stumbled over it as a pang shot through her chest.
“They appear to be doing well, and perhaps they will do even better now. Humans didn’t evolve to gestate multiple pregnancies, and the greater the number of babies, the more likely they all are to have complications.”
Val squeeze her hand, and his cheeks were damp with the signs of his sorrow. “He did a noble thing and sacrificed himself so his sisters could thrive.”
She nodded, though she took more comfort in the cold, biological fact that he simply hadn’t been able to survive, rather than ascribing motivations to the fetus. Fetus. The word was jarring, but it was far easier to think of him as the fetus now, knowing he was gone, than to dwell on the idea that she had lost one of her babies.
Tears suddenly gushed from her, and she buried herself itself against Val’s chest when he lifted her into his arms, holding her tightly. She hadn’t realized how much she could love someone she had never even met, and now never would.
Chapter Five
Three weeks later, Jess stared at the pile of boxes around her before shooting Val a look of disbelief. “But you can’t go.” She waved her hands. “There’s all this unpacking to do, and the twins will be here in just a few weeks. You have to tell them no.”
Val crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry, but I can’t just tell the Armada no. I’m one of the best warriors in the fleet, and I’ve been given an assignment on the home world. I’ll be back in two weeks.”
She shook her head, barely resisting the urge to throw a fit. It would do no good, and she hadn’t done anything so juvenile since she was a child. The idea of him leaving her, even for a couple of weeks, filled her with panic, and it also made her angry. “It isn’t fair. The Dazon Empire expects us to give you children and be your genetic matches, but they don’t give you any special dispensation for family situations.”
Val scrubbed his hand on his face before nodding. “It is unfair, my love, and I promise you this is my last deployment. I’ve been reassigned to the consulate being constructed on Earth’s moon, and I can be at your side in a matter of moments. We have this lovely dwelling, which is large enough for us and our girls, and I’m going to be living here with you. I have to do this last mission, and then I’ll be yours. All yours,” he said almost with a hint of warning, though his eyes were teasing.
She wanted to continue protesting and fighting, but it wasn’t productive. He was in the military, or the Dazon equivalent of it, and she knew human troops faced the same kinds of difficulties. If you were a soldier, you did as you were commanded. She didn’t know if separating from service was an option for a Dazon warrior, and she didn’t want to risk his life or his freedom by insisting he not go. “Just a couple of weeks?” she repeated.
He nodded, his solemn expression transmitting the sincerity of his promise. “Just thirteen Earth days, my darling mate. I promise I’ll be back for the birth.”
Slowly, she let her stiff posture relax and took a step to meet him when he moved closer to put his arms around her. Things had moved quickly in the last three weeks, since they had lost their little boy. After leaving AmbaCorp, they had sought out a larger house, and though they hadn’t yet had a bonding ceremony, she knew they would soon.
She had yet to utter the realization that she loved him, because it still felt new and fragile, but they were well on their way to an established relationship.
She was going to miss him bitterly while he was gone, and not simply because there was unpacking to do or preparations for the birth. Even when they were apart for just a few minutes, she started to feel restless and edgy. He truly was the missing part of her, and now he was going to be missing for two weeks. She hated the Dazon Empire with a burning passion in that moment for stealing her mate from her.
When he led her to the newly delivered couch, she tried to suppress her anger as she lost herself in lovemaking with him. Over and over, they reached for each other deep into the night, eventually moving to their new bedroom, until she fell asleep around dawn, too exhausted to keep her eyes open a moment longer.
When she woke a few hours later, he was gone.
“Look at you. You’re absolutely glowing,” said Jada as she sat down at the café table where they had arranged to meet for lunch. “How far along are you now?”
“Technically, I’m nine weeks along, but actual gestational age of the twins is probably around thirty-four weeks.” She looked down ruefully at her swollen stomach. “And I’m enormous.”
“Well, it is twins, and Dazon babies are on the larger side, and you just sort of popped out quickly. It’s not like you’ve had an actual thirty-four weeks to get used to the changes.” Jada patted her hand. “Still, it’s exciting, isn’t it?”
She nodded, though a moment of sadness passed over her. “It’s exciting, but also bittersweet. Each time I see a scan of the girls, it reminds me that their brother should be there too.”
Jada’s expression betrayed her sorrow. “I know, honey, and I’m not going to tell you to be thankful for what you have. It’s such a platitude. You have every right to acknowledge the loss you’ve gone through and remember him as well as celebrate the girls.”
She blinked as tears filled her eyes, cursing the hormones coursing through her. She was surprised when she saw Jada reach for a napkin and wipe her face as well. She didn’t think she’d seen Jada cry in the entire time they had been friends, and her eyes narrowed.
She examined Jada, taking in her air of exhaustion and the wild way her hair bunched around her head, clearly having seen no attention besides being shoved into a scrunchy. Since her health had been restored, Jada had gone back to regular salon sessions, and she was usually very neatly put together. It wasn’t like her friend to look so tired and rumpled. “Are you pregnant?”
Jada looked startled for a moment, and then she giggled. “Yes. I was going to tell you over lunch, but you guessed and stole my thunder, dang you.”
Jess smiled at her. “I’m sorry about that, but it’s just so obvious.”
Jada looked at her with a small smile. “It’s because I’m glowing too, right?”
Jess hesitated for a second. “Um, sure.” She didn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings, so she decided to go along with that fiction.
Thankfully, Jada laughed a moment later. “I’m kidding. I look like hell, and I feel terrible, but in a wonderful way, if that makes sense? I’m only a couple of weeks along, so about six or seven, and I’m just starting to feel it.”
“That’s amazing. Congratulations. Did you and Ryland require any assistance?” she asked delicately. To her knowledge, they still hadn’t determined if human women with Kaiser’s Syndrome and Dazon men could reproduce the traditional way, or if they required laboratory assistance to get the sperm and egg to make a viable blastocyst.
Jada shook her head, her eyes sparkling. “It happened the usual way. It wasn’t an accident, not at all, but nobody knew if we could reproduce. The only other hybrid pregnancies in existence were all created by the horrible Dr. Ha, but we’ve confirmed for their medical literature that humans and Dazon can get pregnant just by lovemaking, and they
don’t need laboratory intervention.”
“That’s good news, I guess.” It certainly was, though she had a feeling it would make human women even more desirable to the Dazon males, and she didn’t know what that would mean for Earth society or the women who had Kaiser’s syndrome. Events would have to unfold before anyone would really know.
So far, there was still an uproar over the fact aliens existed, and the government had made no further information available about what they were trading with Dazonia Major, or what the Dazons required from them. As she went out and about, subject to speculation wherever she went, it was difficult not to reveal what she knew.
Only Val’s measured words, and his logical insight that the truth might cause an even bigger panic, had kept her silent. That, and she didn’t want to explain to random strangers where she had acquired her information, or have anyone know the babies inside her weren’t completely human.
She shuddered as she remembered Pradheep’s reaction to the news, when he had dropped by to see her four days ago, and she hadn’t been able to hide the pregnancy any longer. When he had heard the full story and finally accepted it as truth, and not some delusion on the part of his ill sister—and if he’d been thinking straight, the fact that she was no longer confined to a wheelchair should have proven the veracity long before he’d believed her—he had ranted and raved and insisted she dispose of the alien hybrids immediately.
Instead, she had ejected Pradheep from her house and told him not to come back until he could accept his nieces, including their alien heritage. It had been a tense confrontation, but she hoped the separation wouldn’t last long. She had yet to tell her parents, and she dreaded that as well, but she had a feeling they would take it much better than Pradheep, since she was technically mated to the father of her children and would probably make it official with a bonding ceremony in the near future.
Once he returned, of course. He was due back that night, and she was impatient for his arrival. She had missed him as much as she had expected, and though she had filled her days with activities, each day of the past two weeks had still seemed to drag.