Kollin (The Azziarin Series Book 3)

by Davenport, Hannah

  Young! Did he really just say that? Kollin’s weak knees trembled, and he had to steady himself with the bed. “Did you say that she is with young?”

  “Yes, but the results are… confusing.” His worried eyes flashed to Kollin’s and then back to the scanner.

  “Tell me!”

  “Per my readings, she became pregnant shortly after Wallace took over.”

  Kollin refused to disclose what the Tureis had done while his mate lay unconscious. After the way she’d been treated by his own crew, he would not give the healer a reason to assume that she wasn’t that important.

  “Yes, it’s possible,” he supplied. Both Surrin and Kassim looked at him sharply.

  “Okay, let’s get her into the medi-chamber.”

  “How long will she need to be there?”

  Surrin evaluated his findings and then replied, “Only five standard hours.”

  Kollin carried his mate to the medi-chamber and gently laid her down. He studied every worried line of her face and then leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Heal well, mate. I’ll see you soon.” He studied her face a few more standard seconds before saying, “I love you, Krista.” She moved her hand slightly and tried to squeeze his hand. He clutched it in his and brought her hand to his lips for a kiss.

  Of all the things Kollin had ever faced, leaving her there was one of the hardest.

  Kollin turned and swiftly walked past Kassim, stopping in front of the healer. In a clipped tone, he ordered, “Notify me immediately if anything changes.”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  Sitting at his desk, he went over repairs that had been made while he recovered. He still needed to deal with the prisoners, including Wallace. In his angered state, now would be the perfect time to enact justice, but he also needed to deal with the aggression he felt toward Kassim. This wasn’t the first time they had been at odds, but it was definitely the worst.

  “Kassim,” Kollin called through the comm unit.

  “Yes, Commander?”

  “Meet me in the training room.”

  Kassim hesitated and then answered, “Yes, Commander.”

  Kollin took his time, leaving Kassim to wait on his arrival. He tried to calm himself, knowing that Kassim would never hurt a female on purpose. Kassim was a trusted friend, and he needed to calm himself so he could think clearly.

  Kollin blew out a harsh breath as he pushed up from the chair. His fangs slowly shrank as he stalked out of the ready room. He’d feel better when he let off some steam.

  They circled each other on the training mat. Kollin bent, his leg shooting out with a side kick, effectively hitting Kassim in the stomach. Kassim bent and clutched his stomach, and Kollin delivered a round kick which caught him in the chin.

  Kassim spat out blood as he stood and focused, now circling Kollin. They were almost evenly matched, but with Kollin’s size and training, Kassim had yet to beat him.

  Kassim delivered his own kick, catching Kollin in the upper thigh. The kicks and jabs continued until they stood panting, facing each other.

  “How could you treat my mate so callously?”

  “Truthfully? I never really believed she was your mate. She smelled like your mate, but you’d said you never wanted one. Sish, you don’t even bother with consorts! I thought the Siccia had sent her over as a plant!” He turned his head to the side and spat out more blood.

  It was true, the choice had been taken from him, otherwise he would not have mated her. Okay, he would have once he got to know her as he did. Krista was everything to him.

  “I didn’t realize she wouldn’t call on the comm unit if she needed something, or tell one of the guards. That was an oversight on my part, but I’ve been busy running this blasted ship!”

  Some more anger drained from Kollin, and he sighed. “Let’s go have a drink, and I’ll tell you what happened.”

  Kassim stood with his hands on his hips, breathing heavily. His eyes lifted to Kollin, and his only reply was a slight nod.

  Kollin sat in his ready room behind his desk, Kassim sat in a chair facing him. They each held a mug of Fire’s Breath. Kollin told Kassim everything—the kidnapping, the breeding program, their escape, surviving on a planet with meager supplies. He needed to understand everything they—she—had been through. “When we couldn’t even speak, she cleaned and bandaged my feet.”

  “Truly?”

  Kollin nodded.

  “And they tried to start a breeding program?” Kassim asked with apprehension.

  “Yes. I was not happy at first, but once I got to know her,” he shrugged, “I wouldn’t change anything. She means everything to me, and I love her.”

  Kassim didn’t hide his surprise at Kollin’s admission. “I’m sorry, Kollin. If I’d known, I would have done things much differently.”

  They both drained their mugs before Kollin replied with a sigh, “I know. That’s the only reason I didn’t kill you outright.” He pushed up from the chair and glanced at the time. “I have two standard hours before Krista will be released from the medi-chamber. Gather the crew that were held hostage and let’s deal with the traitors.”

  As Kollin headed for the brig, he thought of the best punishment he could inflict on Wallace. He also needed to send a message to any others who meant to commit treason. As he entered the brig, he stared at the empty metal chair as a plan formed in his mind.

  “Bring in Wallace!”

  Kollin stood with his fingers laced behind his back, his face devoid of all emotion.

  When two soldiers walked in, dragging a belligerent Wallace, Kollin remained stoic.

  “You think you’ve won,” Wallace spat as the guards shoved him into the chair, “but there are too many of us!”

  Wallace sat in a chair with his hands tied behind his back. One by one, each traitor was brought before him and made to kneel, so Wallace could see the panic in their eyes.

  “You chose to follow this male before you and to commit mutiny against the Commander of this ship and the royal family. Your punishment is death,” Kollin said each time, just before he swiftly swung the sword that separated their heads from their bodies.

  “Stop this!” Wallace yelled. “Kill me instead!”

  Kollin laughed. “I’m not killing you, Wallace. You will watch everyone who trusted you die by my hands while the crew you threatened stand as witnesses.”

  “What are you planning to do with me?” Kollin heard the fear that laced his voice and smiled.

  “You will be taken to Azziar and interrogated by the royal guard.” Wallace paled at the thought. No one wanted to be interrogated by the royal guard—they were vicious, and nothing was off limits to them.

  One by one, the traitors were brought before them until none was left except Wallace. When it was finished, Wallace sat quietly in defeat with his chin resting on his chest.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Krista

  Krista slowly woke, stretching her arms and legs. She felt better than she had in a long time. Her stomach had finally quieted, and she didn’t feel weak anymore. A grin spread across her face, and she let out a relieved sigh before slowly opening her eyes.

  “Kollin!” she exclaimed when she saw his smiling face looking down at her. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight.

  “I have missed you,” he whispered into her ear.

  She let go and leaned back so she could see his eyes. “I missed you. God, Kollin. I was so worried!” She hugged him tightly once again.

  “Let’s get you out of here.”

  He scooped her up in his arms.

  “Where are we?” she asked, looking around the room.

  “You fell and hit your head. Do you remember?”

  She scrunched her nose. “I remember running to the bathroom, and I got dizzy. I guess I blacked out.”

  “My crew did not feed you,” he said in a tight voice.

  Krista stared into his eyes as he peered down at her, and
she could she the simmering anger shining back. She smiled a little and shrugged. “It wouldn’t have mattered. My stomach has been bothering me so much lately, I either can’t eat, or I throw it up. Sometimes I throw up when I haven’t eaten anything.”

  “Yes, we need to talk about that. The healer is coming by soon to talk with us. He should be able to help your stomach.”

  “That would be great. I hate being sick all the time.”

  Krista enjoyed the feel of Kollin’s arms around her. She’d missed him so much.

  After they entered his quarters, he sat down on the chair with her still in his comforting arms. She snuggled into him, laying her head on his shoulder.

  “You need to take better care of yourself. I need to take better care of you,” he said in a concerned voice.

  “What’s going on?” Krista asked.

  He sighed. “I’m sure you remember that the Tureis made you my mate somehow.” She did but remained silent, letting him continue. “They also impregnated you with my seed. That’s why your stomach has been so upset.”

  Krista never said anything, just tightened her grip on him as she tried to process what he’d told her. Pregnant? She was pregnant! Her breath hitched as one thought scared her. What if it wasn’t Kollin’s?

  “Say something.”

  She sat up; her worried eyes found his. “What if it’s not yours? Who knows what they did to me when I was unaware.” Her eyes teared up, and she felt violated. She tried not to think of what they had done, what they had seen. Her thoughts turned to Usla and what she had witnessed. Krista shuddered before trying to shove the image from her mind, but she knew they had done the same to the princess.

  “It is mine. Surrin confirmed that the baby is Azziarin.”

  Her breath rushed out in a sigh of relief. “Thank God!” she whispered.

  “Are you okay?”

  She closed her eyes and tried to process the information. Kollin sounded so concerned, which made her feel better. She had been an emotional mess, and now she knew why. A family had always been part of her plans, and now she had that. He said they were mated, which meant they were married. There was just so much happening all at once, it was hard to process. Was she okay right now? That was debatable. Would she be okay? Yes.

  She smiled when she replied, “I will be.”

  He tugged her back down so her head rested once again on his shoulder. After a few moments of comfortable silence, Kollin said, “I knew it was a possibility, but I can’t believe they timed it to coincide with your fertile time.”

  “What do you mean?” Krista asked with confusion.

  “Just that. Our females have their fertile time only once every two years. I can’t believe they impregnated you during your fertile time. That’s all but impossible to time.”

  Krista listened in stunned silence and then let out a chuckle. That chuckle grew into an all-out belly laugh as she sat up and looked at Kollin’s confused face.

  When she got herself under control she said, “We humans can get pregnant every month. There is about one week—six days—out of every month when we can get pregnant.”

  She watched the confused look turn to shock, then to excitement. “Do you know how many young we can have?”

  She leveled him a look and said in a no-nonsense tone, “Two.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. “We’ll talk about this later.”

  “Nothing to talk about,” she replied, her voice dancing with humor.

  “We will see.”

  “Yes, we will.”

  “I’m sure I can convince you,” he said as he threaded his hand through her hair and nibbled her ear.

  “I’ll enjoy you trying,” she shuddered with pleasure.

  The door chimed, and Kollin let out a disappointed sigh. “Enter.”

  The door slid open, and Surrin strode in. He smiled when he spotted the two of them in the chair together as he took the seat facing them.

  He looked at Krista and said, “You look like you’re doing well.”

  “I feel much better. Thank you.”

  He smiled and nodded once before addressing both Kollin and her.

  “I’ve analyzed the data, and I just have a few questions.”

  “Okay…” Krista said slowly, worried that something was wrong.

  “How long are human pregnancies on your planet?”

  “Nine months,” she quickly answered.

  He frowned and twisted his face. “Let’s start again. I need your measurement of time to calculate the information properly.”

  Krista had frequently heard Kollin and Usla use the word standard in front of hours, days, even weeks. Kollin had once tried to explain, but it didn’t seem very important… until now.

  “Let’s see. There are sixty seconds in one minute. A second is one, two, three, that quick.” He nodded, and Krista didn’t know if what she had said annoyed him or not. “There are sixty minutes in one hour. Twenty-four hours in one day. Seven days in one week. Four weeks is considered a month, but actually it’s a little more. Thirty or thirty-one days. Twelve months or three hundred and sixty-five days in a year.”

  She watched as he made notes in the digital tablet thing he held. He looked up and said, “And a human pregnancy is nine months?”

  “Yes, or forty weeks.” She grinned.

  Surrin glanced at her and then continued his calculations. “Okay,” he sighed. “The best I can calculate, our pregnancies last three and a half standard months, which is the same as four and half of your human months.”

  “I can’t have a baby in four and a half months!”

  “Please, let me continue,” Surrin said as he glanced at her.

  She was panicking now. If she had a baby that quickly, it would never survive. Her hands flew to her stomach, almost as if she were trying to protect her baby.

  “Like I was saying, it is the same as four and a half of your human months. Azziarin young grow rapidly, unlike human young.”

  “Baby, please call it a baby.”’

  Surrin glanced at her again and then continued. “Since this is a Human/Azziarin pregnancy, there is no way to know how long you will carry the baby.”

  Krista grinned when he used the word baby.

  “There are very noticeable difference between you and Azziarin females. Your bones are not as dense, which would…”

  “Make you much lighter in weight,” Kollin interjected.

  “Yes. Your organs are in different locations, and I’m not sure about the function of some of them. The one thing that worries me greatly is your size. How big are earth babies when they are born?”

  Krista didn’t know how they weighed babies here, so using her hands she measured about twenty inches.

  Surrin swallowed, and then said, “That’s quite a bit smaller than normal Azziarin young. Kollin is a large male, and I’m afraid for your young,” at her look, he changed it, “I mean, baby. I’m afraid the baby will be too large for you to birth it.”

  “What does that mean?” Kollin asked as he gripped her tighter.

  “I am just not sure.”

  “On Earth, when the females are unable to have the baby, they have a C-section.”

  “A what? I’m unfamiliar with that term.”

  “A cesarian-section. The doctor would cut my belly open and take the baby out.”

  “NO!” Kollin shouted. He looked at Krista with horror and anger. “Don’t worry, I will not let anyone cut you open.”

  She didn’t understand his anger. Why would he not want her to have the baby? If the baby was too large, and she couldn’t have it naturally, why would he not want her to have a C-section?

  “Why not?”

  “That is barbaric. I will not let anyone cut you open, as you say.”

  “Then how will we get the baby out if it’s too large?” She’d seen first-hand that the Azzarian technology was much more advanced than Earth’s.

  “I… uh…” Kollin stuttered as he looked to the healer for answ
ers.

  “I need to investigate this further. Get a little more information on earth females. Nothing to worry about right now.”

  “Okay,” Krista said with uncertainty. He didn’t alleviate her concern; in fact, she worried more about having the baby.

  “The baby is a bit small now, but he is healthy. Now I’m leaving you some medicine to help with your nausea. Since this pregnancy is quicker than your body is used to, you will need to eat often so you and the baby stay well nourished.”

  “Did you say he?” Kollin beat her to the question.

  “Yes,” Surrin grinned. “Congratulations, you are having a male.”

  When Surrin left, Kollin grinned at her. “We’re having a male baby.”

  Krista laughed. “It’s a boy! I always wanted a little boy.”

  “A boy,” Kollin repeated, using her term. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a father!” He hugged her close, “Thank you, Krista.”

  “Thank you.” She looked deeply into his beautiful eyes. “When the other aliens came, I thought my dream of ever finding someone to love was over. And then I met you. It wasn’t the best circumstances,” she grinned, “but I’m glad you’re here.”

  She leaned forward and touched her lips to his. He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, and she felt his shaft harden. Before anything could happen, her stomach rumbled loudly. He pulled back, and resting his forehead on hers, he sighed.

  “It’s time for last meal. Let’s get you some food.”

  “Can I take a quick shower?”

  “Make it quick.”

  As she headed toward the bathing facilities, he swatted her on the butt. She jumped and then looked over her shoulder and threw him a grin.

  When she came back out, she had donned a black jumpsuit, braided her damp hair and brushed her teeth. “Ready.”

  Hand in hand, they headed down the corridor, heading to the dining hall. Everyone glanced at her, but after they sniffed, they sharply turned in her direction. Krista felt uncomfortable.

  “Why are they looking at me that way?” she whispered.

  “Because you are my mate.”

  “How do they know?”

  “They can smell it.”