“What? No, I have no idea what you’re talking about! I demand you release us at once. Wait, did you say I was born here?” Zed looked amazed for a moment then confused.
Kaia had to imagine he was wondering where here was exactly.
“Silence! Kaia Philips, you have revealed nothing to this man it would seem. You are not guilty of that crime at least. But you did break into the Hall of Records did you not?” The female minister now spoke.
“I did but that was for my mate, as I’ve already pointed out.”
“Correct, though the mating had not taken place.” A voice from the lower ranks spoke up. It was quite similar to Zed’s voice and Kaia looked to the minister. An older but eerily similar version of Zed emerged from the darkness to stand beside Zed!
“Your highness!” The other ministers shouted as the man appeared from the dark.
“Be seated ministers. Zed, I am your uncle, Alerius Breon. I am the kind of Talerion and you are my heir. I have not married so that puts you next in line. Your parents were killed when you were a month old and somehow you were lost to us. I expect these bumbling idiots had something to do with that.” The king could speak as he chose, the ministers had a lot of power on Talerion but the king was the ruler and could overrule anything they decreed, if he should choose to.
“Your highness, I assure you…” The androgynous minister began but the king cut him off.
“Silence! We will discuss this later. Now, Zed, Kaia, if you will join me please we will find you some clothes and get this matter settled.”
Alerius led the couple out of the chamber and into a waiting car, though it was unlike any car on Earth. The contraption had no wheels and sped along the streets without actually touching the ground. Zed was amazed at what he saw but held onto Kaia’s hand as if he’d never let go of it again.
“Zed, this is your homeland, as it is Kaia’s. She is a first generation Talerian/Earthling hybrid, mix, whatever you’d like to call it. Her parents were born on Talerion but she was born on Earth. You were born here. From what I understand from observation reports you can only shift into a bear?” The man asked. He was well-dressed and well-groomed but his face was lined and his hair grey with age.
“I’ve never really tried to shift into anything else. I’ve always shifted into a bear form. My tattoo is of a bear.” Zed reached around to his back as he turned in his seat.
“Ah, I see. You are marked then. We’ll have to study this, if you don’t mind. We thought only the descendants of very old clans from Earth experienced this but you aren’t one of those. Perhaps it’s environmental. Intriguing.” The man’s words trailed off as they pulled into a long driveway that led down to a squat building with four skyscraping towers at each corner. This was the palace of white stone. The Talerion sun, more red than the Earth's sun, gave the building a pink tinge as the sun began to set.
“I am so confused!” Zed declared.
“Kaia will soon explain. I will see you both in the dining room. One of the droids will bring you to it after you’ve dressed.”
Zed and Kaia were led to a room where the common dress of the Talerians, silk robes with silk pants, were waiting for them. The silk was of the highest quality and the clothing resembled items seen in China even still today, but without the designs that could be found on Chinese clothing. This clothing was decorated in an almost Celtic pattern. Kaia’s black and dark blue while Zed’s was black and dark brown. Soft cotton slippers were available for their feet and they put these on as well.
As they reunited, an awkward moment occurred when Kaia pulled away.
“I should have told you about this.” She stammered out.
“No, from the sounds of it, it was best you didn’t. And at least I know who I am now, why there was never a search for me, and all of that. My parents died.” He’d ask more questions about that part later, now he was just too stunned.
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Kaia answered sitting down on the bed as they waited for the droid to arrive.
Soon enough the droid knocked at the door and they went in to dinner with Zed’s uncle, the king. Kaia supposed that meant he was a prince. Her mate was a real Prince Charming! The thought made her giggle as she looked over at him.
“Ah, here we are. Do sit down. Now, Zed, before we get to the business of eating I have a question or two. You are both released and the slate has been cleaned, as the Earth saying goes.” That wasn’t quite it, Kaia thought, but close enough. “Now you have a choice. You can stay here or go back to Earth. But know that if I produce no heir and you are needed, you will be called back to Talerion.”
“To be king?” Zed gulped.
“Yes, you will be king; Kaia will be your queen. You are mated now, after all.”
Kaia’s eyes widened as she realized she was now a princess, a real princess! She wanted to shake with laughter! Being a princess was never something she’d considered but now that she was one, well, she wanted to squeal in joy!
“Unless you don’t wish to be mated? We can undo that here, if you so desire.” The king looked at Zed with a blank stare, not wishing to influence his decision.
“Of course not! I am happy with Kaia. Happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I’d never wish to be parted from her!” Zed protested immediately and the tense feeling around Kaia’s heart eased.
“Good, that’s settled then. You’ll be given your own transport device. We do ask that you come home twice a year; at least, to learn about your home and to learn your duties on Earth, as you have chosen to stay there. We are not an invading species, we are not looking to take over Earth. We are more like librarians, cataloguing the populations of the universe, and exploring their societies to learn about them.” The kings words trailed off as the food was brought in by droids and they all began to eat.
The situation had turned out much better than Kaia could have ever imagined and later that night, staring up at the two pink moons of Talerion as Zed’s hands trailed over her flesh Kaia wondered where they’d be in a year. It was possible they could be here. As he moved under the covers, his mouth finding her dark red nipples to tease her, Kaia lost her train of thought and gasped.
“Oh Zed, don’t stop. Don’t ever stop.” She murmured encouragement, her desire growing.
“Never, my love, never.” He promised as he trailed kisses down her stomach, then lower.
His fingers found her first, teasing her outer lips before sliding between their depths. She gasped as his finger slid into her as his tongue found her throbbing clit. Her hips arched and she cried out in pleasure. Zed sucked at the bud and teased her with another finger.
Kaia cried out once more as his fingers plunged into her depths, her body rocking with him. Her fingers found her nipples and she teased the sensitive flesh into tight peaks as he worked her from below. Kaia’s cries increased as she felt the passion growing, the warm liquid feeling moving throughout her body as she writhed on his fingers.
Kaia wasn’t sure but she thought she was pleading with him, begging him to fuck her but her blood was singing in her ears and she couldn’t hear. She could only feel as the tension built, Zed’s fingers exploring lower with his other hand. When his thumb found the secret bud between the globes of her ass Kaia’s world exploded, the tension releasing as waves of pleasurable spasms rocked her muscles.
From the bottom up her body reacted, her abdominal muscles rolling as her back arched and the air was forced from her lungs. Her head flew back as her feet dug into the bed and her hips arched up to meet Zed’s face. She was coming harder than she’d ever come in her life and she never wanted the feeling to end. There was serenity here unlike anything she’d ever known.
“Oh that was a good one.” Zed growled in satisfaction before he crawled to lie beside of her.
Kaia took a moment or two before she replied, her mind not wanting to cooperate.
“Yes, it was. Prepare yourself buddy, I’m going to attempt the same for you.” Kaia pushed herself up from the
bed and bent between Zed’s knees.
She took his cock in her hand, sliding her fingers up and down the rigid flesh. Zed gasped as her red lips parted and she took him into her wet mouth. She felt her spit slicking his cock and hummed happily as her mouth slid up and down his shaft. Zed gasped again and buried his hands in her hair.
“Fuck, Kaia. Suck it harder baby.” He urged, her delicate touch not enough but almost too much.
She sucked at his cock harder, slurping up the slick prick before sliding back down again. She took him deep into her throat, opening her mouth wide and Zed moaned as his hips began to thrust into her mouth, sliding in and out of her mouth in a rapid pace.
He stopped suddenly and pulled her to him. His mouth found hers as she straddled him, his cock finding its home inside of her.
“I need to fuck you.” He whispered into her ear, licking her earlobe before biting at her neck.
They rocked together once more, their bodies moving together, squeezing and plunging in unison. Kaia sat up, grinding down into her mate as her pussy pulsed, almost masturbating him internally as her body spasmed, drawing him into that serene world only they could create for each other. They floated in peace for a long time before crashing back to reality.
Kaia was almost asleep on top of him, her eyes closed and her breathing even, when Zed spoke from the darkness.
“Kaia?”
“Hmmm?”
“What do you shift into?” He asked finally. She thought he’d fallen asleep as she could have sworn he’d been snoring.
She jumped up for a moment and looked at him. With a twisting motion Kaia shifted and before Zed there now stood a white bear unlike any Zed had seen before. Not a polar bear at all, Kaia still had black lips, eyelids, and nose. But her eyes were blue, a lighter blue than Kaia’s human eyes, and the tips of her fur were a dark blue that faded into white as it came closer to her skin. She was stunning, beautiful, and proud. And she was his. Zed held his arms out and then he was a tall black bear, his light brown eyes staring deeply into Kaia’s. As bears they jumped onto the bed, transforming back into humans before they landed.
“So you can shift?” Zed asked.
“Yes, I can. But for obvious reasons I can’t on Earth. People would want me as a trophy with my unique coloring and shape. My head is slightly different from most Earth bears and I’m slimmer than them, more muscular than fat.” She teased him with her final words.
“I’ll show you, who’s the fat one!” Zed teased back, pulling her to him.
Kaia squealed in laughter and tried to roll away but Zed caught her. He’d caught her long ago though, and she didn’t really want to get away.
Epilogue
One year later
Singing Stones Resort
Kaia looked over for her friends, cradling her two week old daughter to her chest as her husband brought in the girl’s twin brother. Twins! Kaia couldn’t believe it but she now had a husband and twin children. Kai Bruin and Zalia Bruin were the joy of their parents' lives.
“Kaia, are you in here?” Kaia heard Cora calling out. Cora was cradling her own daughter in her arms as Knox and Rhys, Cora’s chosen life-partners, followed behind her.
“I’m here!” Kaia called, smiling as the group joined her and Zed.
Then Tessa came in, her fists digging into her back with a pained expression on her face.
“Ladies, I think we may have to cut this short! I think my water just broke.” Tessa looked down at her wet pants and fainted but her husband, Hale, caught her.
“I’ll get the car!” Zed called out.
Mayhem ensued as the men panicked and the women calmly waited for them to calm down. The women discussed the new home Kaia and Zed were building between Cora and Tessa’s cabins in the wood and how much longer it would be before they moved in. Cora related how well the men were adjusting to their new fatherhood roles and how they’d taken on the roles without arguing, anger, or recriminations. They loved their daughter, Isabella, and that was all there was to it. Tessa filled them in on the many baby items Hale had bought, going through online catalogues until the house was full and Tessa put her foot down.
They all hugged before Tessa left, Cora and Kaia promising not to be too far behind. Cora, Rhys, and Knox left first, Kaia waiting for Zed to come in to take her and the babies to the hospital. She looked over at her husband as he drove on the now familiar path to the hospital. She’d quit her job in the city and now worked online at a university in Georgia. It kept her busy until she had the children and she took maternity leave.
“Zed, I promised I’d never keep anything from you again so I have to tell you what the message from the ministers was this morning.”
He took her hand and kissed it reassuringly. “Go on.”
“They’ve decided to make me the instructor for our clan. I will be responsible for our clan learning about our origins and restarting the missions their ancestors abandoned.”
“Congratulations babe! I know you wanted that position.” He looked over at her proudly.
“I did. I want to teach our people about our species, about who we really are, and to broaden our horizons. To make the world a place where our children are accepted.”
“You’ll do that babe. You’ve already made the world a better place.” He kissed her hand once more and Kaia smiled.
Her other best friend was about to have her first child, she was married to her mate, and her circle of friends had expanded by four men and soon to be four children. Now she was embarking on another new journey and the world could only get better. Kaia loved her life, her friends, and her family. The city girl who’d never stepped foot into the country had found the rest of her life waited for her there. She truly could not ask for more.
The End
Bearing His Baby
Shifter Romance
Chapter 1
Angel stared into the mirror, seeing a reflection far different to the one she’d had a year ago. Her nose was straight now, leaner, the bumps and crookedness gone. Her cheekbones were the same as before but without the scars that had covered them previously. Turning her face to the left, she saw her honey brown eyes surrounded by smooth skin, not the scar tissue that used to be there. Thinking back to a year ago, she remembered how the slightest touch would send an ache deep into the broken bones under her skin. Her jaw had been so broken that her face was misshapen. She could remember the blood, the pain, and the bruising that took months to go away.
That was all gone now thanks to a charity for battered people operating out of New England called ROSE. An organization dedicated to helping people, who were victims of domestic violence, regain their self-esteem by repairing cosmetic damage to their bodies, even going so far as to repair dental injuries for these battered people. ROSE had paid for all of her surgeries and the therapy she’d needed after her husband, Michael, tried to kill her. He’d almost succeeded too.
Angel looked in the mirror, losing focus on her eyes as her brain replayed that night in her mind. She had married Michael when she was nineteen, and totally oblivious to the ways of the world. He’d virtually kept her a prisoner, only allowing her to leave their home if he went with her. She wasn’t allowed visitors and he never brought anyone home with him. Angel wasn’t even allowed to see her father, a widower who was in frail health.
A year into their marriage the abuse had begun, first with just a slap when she broke his favorite coffee mug, then escalating to full on assaults that saw her knocked to the floor and kicked until she screamed piteously. He broke her ribs after he found out she was pregnant. She wasn’t pregnant long around Michael. He’d kicked her until she lost both of the babies that she’d conceived.
That final night, Michael snapped when he found out that instead of being left millions in her father’s will, Angel was only left a few hundred thousand dollars unless she divorced him. If she divorced Michael she’d get all of the money, otherwise it was going to a shelter for battered women. Michael had accused her of con
spiring with her father to humiliate him, whom she hadn’t spoken to since her wedding day nine years ago. He told her that the only reason he’d married her was because of the money, that he’d always had a mistress who had his children, and that he was only waiting for the money so he could get rid of her. His verbal humiliation included telling her how useless she was, how she wasn’t any good in bed, how she disgusted him because she’d become overweight and ugly over time. Then he’d picked up the forks they’d received as wedding presents off of the kitchen table, and held her down as he used them to shred her face.
In anger, fueled by his violence against her, Michael had beaten her until every bone in her face was shattered, and both of her arms were broken in several places. Despite Angel’s obvious need for medical care, Michael left her to visit his mistress, telling Angel that if she had any kind of decency in her she’d die before he got back so he wouldn’t have to live with her anymore. He then left her in their home, deep in the woods of Maine, to die on her own.
Choking up blood, beyond feeling anything but pain and a desperate will to live, Angel waited for Michael to leave, waited until she couldn’t hear his truck on the gravel of their long driveway anymore. Then she slipped on her shoes, prized the door open with numb fingers, and walked out of the house and into town. She walked until someone in the street shouted when they saw Angel’s appearance. She then collapsed, waking up two weeks later in a hospital bed, covered in bandages and plaster casts.
Angel asked for a mirror when the nurse came in to change her bandages and wept as she saw her face bloody and bruised, covered in stitches and looking misshapen. A guard stood at her door, but no visitors came. Michael was in jail; apparently she’d told the doctors that treated her when she was admitted into hospital that Michael was the one who’d assaulted her. Angel didn’t remember anything but the beating, the words Michael spoke, and every single thing he’d done to her. She remembered it every single day of her life now.
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