Gerri smiled. “I forgive you, little lion. You have your queen now. Make sure she is always happy.”
He nodded. He’d give his life for his queen. “I plan to.”
“Did she touch anything you think could have had any strange effects on her when you took her by the falls?” Gerri frowned. “She’s got a high fever.”
“No. She waded her feet in the water. That’s all.”
Their arrival at his parents’ cabin came late at night. His mother stood at the cabin door, watching the transport land.
He picked up his mate from the seat and carried her out, straight into his parents’ living room.
He laid her on the sofa and turned to his mother, Alanna.
“Son.” She smiled, throwing her arms around him and giving him a tight hug. “What’s wrong with your mate?”
He knew his mother would have known. Having a gift meant she was probably better informed of what was going on than he was.
“She’s ill.”
Gerri rushed forward and hugged his mother. “So nice to see you again, Alanna.”
“Wonderful of you to bring my son his queen,” his mother said. “Thank you.” She smiled wide at Gerri. “I’m glad you didn’t allow his childish words to keep you from helping him.”
Gerri shook her head. “I thought about making him suffer, but I wanted to see Bella happy.”
“Bella,” his mother said. “She’s lovely.” She sat next to his mate and pushed Bella’s hair away from her damp forehead. “Too bad your father is out hunting. He’d have loved to meet his new daughter.” She gave Alyx a soft look. “He always wanted a daughter.”
“Can you tell us what’s wrong with her?” Gerri asked, leaning down next to Bella and his mother.
“She appears to have a bug.” His mother glanced up at Alyx. “Did you take her to the falls?”
He nodded, guilt shredding him from the insides. It was his fault Bella was sick. He should have known better. “It’s my fault. I took her there.”
“Calm down, son. She’ll be fine.” His mother tapped Bella’s jaw and felt her forehead. She glanced at Gerri and motioned to the kitchen. “Make some tea out of the herbs in the green jars.”
Gerri rushed off to the kitchen to make the tea. Alyx bent down to hold Bella’s hand. “What made her sick?”
“It was something small, Alyx. Minor. Normally, she wouldn’t have gotten sick, but her system is...” She pressed her lips together as if fighting the urge to grin. “It’s changing. So her body couldn’t cope with so much at once.”
He didn’t understand what that meant. He paced the living room. Gerri returned with the tea a few minutes later. He helped Bella sit up, watching her open her eyes to smile at him and then at his mother. “Oh, wow. He looks just like you.”
“Thank you, dear. That’s the highest compliment you could pay a mother,” his mom said.
“Here,” Gerri said, passing Bella a mug of tea. “Drink this.”
Bella sniffled and sighed. “The heat is opening up my airways. It smells so good.” She sipped on the tea and swallowed repeatedly. “Tastes fruity.”
She drank the tea, and Alyx watched, his lion restless from the need to help his mate.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
His mother frowned. “It’s going to take more than thirty seconds for it to work, you know?”
Bella frowned, glancing around as if for the first time. “I don’t get why getting a cold is such a big deal. I bet this won’t be the last time for a human who comes here.”
“She’s right,” his mother said. “Any others who take human mates will need to be made aware that they run the risk of getting sick.”
“I still don’t get how she got sick,” Gerri said. “This place is germ-free.”
His mother curled an arm around Bella’s shoulders, hugging her to her side. “Bella was bitten by the Flower Tindle.”
“The what?” Bella asked.
“It’s like a ladybug from your planet. Under normal circumstances, that’s not going to make a person sick.” She glanced at Alyx, her lips no longer suppressing the smile. “But Bella’s body is changing, and her immune system couldn’t handle the bite and the new DNA flooding her body.”
“Excuse me?” Bella asked, looking totally lost. “You confused me with the ‘new DNA.’”
“You’re pregnant,” Gerri said. “Hah! Why didn’t I think of that?” She shook her head. “Your scent changed, but I thought it was because you were inhaling the food and atmosphere here.”
Alyx’s heart sped up so fast he thought it might spring from his chest. “She’s pregnant?”
His mother nodded. “Very much so.”
TWENTY-FOUR
Bella curled a hand around her belly. “Holy shit!”
She’d gone from having a cold to “Holy crap, I’m going to have a baby!” in a few hours flat. Alyx glanced at her. She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking. This had to be good, right? He’d definitely mentioned wanting her pregnant at least once. He offered her his hand, and she stood, her legs no longer wobbly, and left the cabin by his side.
They walked together, in silence through the quiet night, down a path that led to where they could see the moons clearly.
At a rock, he lifted her to sit on the flat, smooth surface and proceeded to stand between her legs, cupping her face in his hands.
“Alyx?” She was getting worried. He was so quiet, and his face gave nothing away. “This is good, right? You want babies.”
He nodded, pulling her into a tight hug, and brushed his lips over hers. “I love you, my Bella. Ym Neevk.”
She smiled and kissed him back. “I love you, too.” She met his gaze and sighed. “Can I tell you a story?”
“You can tell me anything. I will always listen.”
She smiled. “Communication is important.”
“Yes. I was told by someone very intelligent that couples need to listen and talk. And trust each other.”
“That is a smart person.” She laughed.
“What’s your story?”
She bit her lip, unsure how to begin. “For so many years, I lived on a planet where I was reduced to the size of my clothes.” She slid a hand over his scruffy jaw, running her fingers through his beard.
“I fought society’s rules for what they deemed to be beautiful. I didn’t want to be what they said I had to be. I learned to love my body long ago and never really thought I’d find a man who would love me as I am.” She ran her other hand into his hair, threading her fingers through his silky strands.
I didn’t want someone who would love me despite the fact I had curves and rolls and a belly and jiggly arms.” She smiled. “Don’t shake your head. I do have all of those. I wanted a man who wanted me exactly as I am.” She sighed and brought his hand down to her abdomen.
“A man who found me sexy and beautiful. A man who got hard because my body pleased him.” She laughed and glanced up at the dual moons. “It took going to another planet to get my wish.”
“I do love you. Exactly as you are.”
She nodded. “I know. I never thought leaving my home planet would make me this happy.” She threw her arms around him and kissed his neck. “Thank you. For making me your mate. And for making me your partner.”
“So you are happy to stay here with me?”
“You couldn’t get me to leave even if you tried evicting me.”
He pulled back and cupped her face. “I would like one more thing.”
She blinked. “What?”
“To make you my wife. I looked up Earth customs. Would you marry me, Bella?”
She kissed him hard and giggled. “I will. I’ll marry you, my lion king.”
He leaned his forehead to her cooling one. “You don’t mind having my children?”
She frowned. “Why would I mind? I love you. I want your babies.”
He nodded. “Good, because I want you to have lots of babies.”
She raised her brows and leaned ba
ck. “Hang on a second. What’s ‘lots’ of babies?”
“Ten or twenty.”
She choked on her saliva and started coughing. “I’m sorry. I thought I heard you say ten or twenty.”
He nodded. “I did.”
“Baby, you’re going to have to come back with a new offer. That deal has been declined by the bank. I’m thinking more along the lines of one or two.”
“Five?”
She almost felt bad about the way he scowled as if she were breaking his heart. “Let’s settle on four and see how I feel after that. Who knows? You might convince me to give it another go.”
“Sounds like a good plan.” He pulled her closer and kissed her again. And all she could do was lean into him and let him pleasure her. She loved his kisses. As far as she knew, she’d always go weak for her lion.
EPILOGUE
Gerri glanced at the travel opening to Aurora and grabbed Charlotte’s hand, holding her tight. “Don’t worry, darling. This trip is going to change your life. I hope you like snow.”
THE END
Check Out
Paranormal Dating Agency
TWICE THE GROWL
GEEK BEARING GIFTS
HER PURRFECT MATCH
CURVES ‘EM RIGHT
TALL DARK AND PANTHER
THE ALION KING
Also new from Milly...
Check Out
FUR-OCIOUS LUST SHORTS (BEARS)
A New Werebear Romance Series
FUR-BIDDEN – BOOK 1
FUR-GOTTEN – BOOK 2
FUR-GIVEN – BOOK 3
Also new from Milly...
Check Out
FUR-OCIOUS LUST SHORTS (TIGERS)
New WereTiger Paranormal Romance
STRIPE-TEASE – BOOK 4
STRIPE-SEARCH – BOOK 5
STRIPE-CLUB – BOOK 6
The Sassy Mates Series
And Fall for Girls with Curves and Guys with Fur
Humor. Heat. Romance.
Get yours!
Scent of a Mate - Book 1
A Mate’s Bite – Book 2
Unexpectedly Mated – Book 3
A Sassy Wedding – Short 3.7
The Mate Challenge – Book 4
Sassy in Diapers – Short 4.3
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Milly Taiden (AKA April Angel) loves to write sexy stories. How sexy? So sexy they will surely make your e-reader sizzle. Usually paranormal or contemporary, her stories are a great, quick way to satisfy your craving for fun heroines with curves and sexy alphas with fur.
Milly lives in New York City with her hubby, their boy child, and their little dog “Needy Speedy.” She’s aware she’s bossy and is addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate (but who isn’t, right?), and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.
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If you liked this story, you might also enjoy the following by Milly Taiden:
Sassy Mates Series
Scent of a Mate Sassy Mates Book One
A Mate’s Bite Sassy Mates Book Two
Unexpectedly Mated Sassy Mates Book Three
A Sassy Wedding Short 3.7
The Mate Challenge Sassy Mates Book Four
Sassy in Diapers Short 4.3
Federal Paranormal Unit
Wolf Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book One
Dangerous Protector Federal Paranormal Unit Book Two
Black Meadow Pack
Sharp Change Black Meadows Pack Book One
Caged Heat Black Meadows Pack Book Two
Paranormal Dating Agency
Twice the Growl Book One
Geek Bearing Gifts Book Two
The Purrfect Match Book Three
Curves ‘Em Right Book Four
Tall, Dark and Panther Book Five
The Alion King Book Six
FUR-ocious Lust - Bears
Fur-Bidden Book One
Fur-Gotten Book Two
Fur-Given Book Three
FUR-ocious Lust - Tigers
Stripe-Tease Book Four
Stripe-Search Book Five
Stripe-Club Book Six
Other Works
Wolf Fever
Fate’s Wish
Wynter’s Captive
Sinfully Naughty Vol. 1
Club Duo Boxed Set
Don’t Drink and Hex
Hex Gone Wild
Hex and Kisses
Hex You Up (coming soon)
Hex with an Ex (coming soon)
Alpha Owned
Bitten by Night
Seduced by Days
Mated by Night
Taken by Night
Captured by Night (coming soon)
Match Made in Hell
Hellhound Needs a Mate (coming soon)
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The Alion King: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 6) Page 10