by Luna Hunter
“Wow,” Turnon says.
I squeeze his hand. After living on a deserted world his entire life, he’s in for quite a shock.
Life on Earth will take some getting used to for him. First of all, the fact that walking around with nothing but a piece of cloth around your waist is a no-go was hard for him to understand! With his help I took apart the Nezdek uniforms and sewed new outfits for us. Turnon hasn’t gotten used to his yet — he keeps complaining about a lack of room down below.
With his size, it’s a justifiable complaint.
I told him that as long as we’re in the house, he can wear as little as he likes. This cheered him right up — and I have a naked, seven foot tall alien warrior to look forward to.
The familiar sights of my city come into view, and I’m filled with a sense of belonging. I’m really back home. This is really happening. I can’t wait to show Turnon the house I grew up in, or the block where I used to play, my school… and perhaps our child’s school.
We make our way to the boarding ramp as Donovan gently lowers the ship. When we’ve touched down on Earth, the metal ramp slides down.
Outside, to my surprise, there are thousands — no, tens of thousands of people waiting for us. Banners with “Welcome Home” on them are hung up between skyscrapers, there is confetti, there is music, there is so much of everything it is completely overwhelming.
Donovan walks past us, strutting confidently.
“Told you I briefed them?” He winks. “How often in your life do you get a ticker tape parade, huh?”
He waves to the crowd and basks in their attention, taking all of the credit.
Captain Ferguson will never change.
“What a crowd,” Turnon says. “What chaos! What buildings!”
As far as the eye can see there are skyscrapers, and the sky is filled with cars whizzing past.
“Welcome to the urban jungle,” I say.
Soldiers enter the ship to our left and right, and moments later they come back out carrying the pods with the sleeping girls in them. We decided not to wake them — I think its best doctors do that, in a safe, stable environment. I’d hate to traumatize them by waking them up myself on an alien vessel. Those girls have no idea what they’ve been through.
Turnon stands next to me on the exit ramp. I can sense he’s wary.
“It’s okay,” I say. “It’s a lot to take in. Don’t worry. We have time. We have all the time in the world.”
“AVA!”
A familiar voice rises from the crowd — Sarah! She bursts forth, running towards me! She looks radiant, her belly as round as ball.
“Oh my god, Sarah!”
I fling my arms around my best friend and hug her tightly.
“I’m still in time for the birth!”
“I know!” she screams. “Oh, I was so worried!”
With relief comes tears, and within moments we’re crying together, jumping up and down.
“I have something to tell you — I’m pregnant, too. Keep it a secret though!”
“What?! And who is the lucky man?”
“That’d be me,” Turnon growls. “I take it you’re Sarah?”
Sarah gives me a cheeky smile. “Nice to meet you, Turnon! So, a Zoran, huh? How original,” she laughs.
“Hush,” I say, my cheeks turning crimson.
A blue Zoran steps forwards out of the crowd and walks up to my mate.
“Welcome to Earth, brother. I’m Kazim. Welcome home.”
“Thank you,” Turnon says.
“I’ve heard of your bravery and strength. I can assure you every Zoran on this planet is proud to call you a brother.”
Turnon shrugs. “I did what had to be done.”
“Spoken like a true warrior,” Kazim smirks. “Come, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
Another Zoran steps forth. This one is an elderly, purple-skinned gentleman, arm in arm with a grey-haired woman. They both look distinguished and regal, dressed in the finest robes, and very familiar…
“Son?”
Turnon’s face turns blank with shock.
“F-father?” he stammers. “Mother?”
The couple — Koryn and Kelly — nod.
They fall into each others arms, and I can’t contain my tears. They’re streaming down my face as I watch my mate hug his parents for the first time. Donovan sure debriefed the Federation thoroughly — I had no idea they’d be here!
I scan the crowd for my own parents, and I spot them in the distance. They aren’t the types to be the center of attention, and it feels like all the eyes of the world are on us right now, but I wave them over and hug them tightly.
We’re all back together now.
One big, happy family.
26
EPILOGUE
AVA
I’M ON CLOUD NINE. Turnon is between my legs, and his skilled tongue is bringing me higher and higher. I’m so close to my sweet release I can almost taste it, just a few more licks and—
Ring!
I glance at my nightstand. The Minister of Interplanetary Affairs calling.
“Leave it,” Turnon growls in that low, sexy voice of his.
“I can’t,” I protest. “It’s the minister! It must be urgent!”
Despite my mate’s growls, I answer the call. I try to shut my legs, but Turnon pushes them wide open, his tongue licking me from top to bottom. I pull the sheets up to my neck.
“Hello?” I ask.
The face of Melissa Yates floats in front of me. Her long, brown hair is pulled up into a ponytail, a turquoise pendant adorning her neck.
“Miss Payne! Hi, it’s Melissa!”
“Hello, minister,” I say with cheeks glowing as red as coals. I so wish holo-calls weren’t a thing right now.
“I was wondering… oh, I’m not interrupting anything, am I? I see you’re in bed…”
Turnon growls underneath the sheets, and I quickly pat him on the head.
“Of course not,” I lie through my teeth. “Just feeling a bit under the weather, that’s all.”
“Ah. Something you picked up on your travels?”
“You could say that.”
“I hope you feel better soon!”
Oh, I will!
“Anyway, the reason I called you is because the Federation is looking for volunteers for a new mission: To find a suitable planet to expand to. You’re on the top of my list, Ava!”
“I’m flattered, Ms. Yates, but—”
“Please, call me Melissa.”
“Melissa. Unfortunately, I think I’ve had my fill of alien worlds for one lifetime.”
She nods. “I feared as much. Still, I had to ask. Well, I won’t bother you any longer then. Goodbye, Ava!”
“Thank you for the offer. Goodbye!”
The moment I hang up Turnon jumps up and throws the blanket away, pushes my knees up to my chest and licks my pussy up and down with deep strokes.
It drives me mad when he does this — and he can’t get enough of my taste.
I come so hard I have to bite the pillow to stop from screaming, as I let myself go and drown in wave after wave of unending pleasure.
Since we’ve returned to Earth, I think Turnon and I have spent more time in bed than out of it! He has a lifetime of catching up to do, and I’m more than happy to oblige him…
AFTERWORD
I hope you enjoyed The Zoran’s Mate! There will be more books in this series for sure, as you may have guessed from the ending ;).
I’d like to thank all of my readers, reviewers and beta-readers for your continued support, love and help. You freaking rock.
Sign up for my newsletter at lunahunter.com/newsletter and you won’t miss the next book!
In the back you can find the first two chapters of Alien General’s Baby for you to enjoy, in case this was your first entry in the Zoran universe and you want to read more.
Warmest regards,
Luna.
PREVIEW OF ALIEN GENERAL’S
BABY
1. JILLIAN
Oh boy.
I’ve heard only rumors about the ruthless Zoran. Some say they are seven feet tall and all bulging muscle, with sharp fangs and devilish horns, and eyes as red as fire. All I know for sure is that they are the most powerful force in the galaxy, and we humans have stayed clear of them.
Until now.
I have no idea how to act around such infamous intergalactic killers. I am a geneticist, not a psychologist or a sociologist. I prefer to spend my time in the lab rather than mingling with people, and the intricacies of interspecies etiquette are absolutely lost on me.
At the moment, however, I’m concerned with more pressing matters.
What the hell am I going to wear?!
The Vonnegut glides its plotted course around Earth, the silence of space a stark contrast to the pandemonium inside my quarters as I desperately search my closet for appropriate attire. I had thought picking an outfit for my brother’s wedding was hard. What are you supposed to wear to an interspecies first contact?
“Try the black dress,” my assistant Kelly shouts. “I got the perfect heels to match it.”
I roll my eyes. I’m a woman of science, more at ease in a lab coat than a little black dress, and I am not about to go down in history as the klutz who tripped on her heels and spilled hot coffee on a Zoran General and accidentally incited an intergalactic war, thank you very much.
“What about my lab coat?” I ask Kelly. “I could just wear that. It’s distinguished and lends me an air of credibility… right?”
“Pff,” Kelly blows me off. “Who cares about any of that? You should look hot,” she says gleefully. “It’s your special night! Your first gala as head of the Bioscience program! Don’t you want to impress those Zoran warriors? I’ve heard they’re huge, with hands twice as big as our own… and you know what they say about aliens with big hands…”
“Is alien junk all you can think about?” I ask.
Kelly grins mischievously. “Don’t tell me it hasn’t crossed your mind.”
“Never,” I lie.
Kelly is my best friend, and has been with me throughout my entire career. Wherever I go, she goes. We couldn’t be more different, but it works for us: I’m curvy with an unruly bush of brown curls, while Kelly has a slim figure and straight, golden-blonde hair. Furthermore, I’m perpetually single, while Kelly somehow manages to combine our grueling hours in the lab with an active dating life. How she juggles all her responsibilities is absolutely beyond me, but she pulls it off.
Together we lead a team with an intimidating but extremely important goal: to cure the black cough. Our planet is buckling under its own weight, and the uncontrolled polluting of the environment throughout the 21st century is now causing massive illnesses all around the globe. Those unfortunate souls who can’t afford to live in the luxury high-rises with their own filtered air systems are exposed to contaminated air on a daily basis.
I’m fortunate enough to live up here on the Vonnegut now, but my brother Michael still lives on the outskirts of New Atlanta, working in a plant to support his family. I raised him, and my desire to provide a better life for him is what gave me the drive to get where I am today.
Of course, I’ve had to make quite a few sacrifices to get where I am. I’ve missed more birthdays than I’m willing to count, and worst of all, the birth of my niece, Claire. She’s four years old now, but I haven’t been back to Earth since she was a baby. I tell myself I’m helping them with my research… but at times, that feels hollow.
The Zoran might be the answer. They’re superior to us in every way — physically and technologically — but they’re not known for their helpfulness. I have no idea why they’re even coming here or what they want from us. We are just a blip on the intergalactic radar, after all, but I fear the worst.
But before I can cure all of Earth’s problems, I still need to settle on a dress.
“What about this one?” I hold out something a little conservative: a drab, gray dress that would attract zero attention. Kelly instantly wrinkles her nose at me.
“What are you, eighty?” Kelly says. “The invitation clearly says black-tie, honey. The black dress it is!”
I sigh deeply. “Do I have to? I don’t think I’ve ever worn heels.”
“Then start practicing,” Kelly says. “I don’t see why you’re complaining. You get to witness history! I’d love to meet a Zoran General. I’ve heard they’re absolutely dreamy…”
“I’ve heard they drink the blood of their enemies,” I throw back at her, “so excuse me for not being too happy about it!”
“Ooh, primal,” Kelly laughs. “Me likey.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“You know it. Now get in that dress!”
I yield to her demands and shimmy my way into the black garment. I smooth it with my hands as I look at myself in the mirror, and I have to admit it looks good on me. And that is not something I admit lightly. The midnight black fabric accentuates my chestnut brown eyes and autumn leaf colored hair, and it hugs my curves in all the right places. In fact I don’t think a dress has ever fit me better.
“See,” Kelly says as she stands next to me, completing my look with a golden necklace. “You look stunning. Ready to snatch yourself a Senator… or perhaps a Zoran general?” She teases.
I shiver at the thought. From a scientific point of view, we can learn so much from the Zoran, but that is not what Kelly is hinting at.
She wants me to acquaint myself with their physiology.
Intimately.
I laugh it off, but thoughts fill my head. She’s planted a seed of curiosity in my mind with all this talk, and now it’s going to be tough to shake the thought.
2. VINZ
I effortlessly glide my warship, class-A cruiser The Pathfinder, through human space and start up the docking procedure. My ship, one of the smallest and most agile in our fleet, is still several times the size of their paltry space station, the pinnacle of human development.
This is what we are here to do: Waste our time with this lesser species.
I command all troops in the Western Quadrant, and I could delegate this task to any of the hundreds of elite forces under my command, but I enjoy being at the helm, right in the thick of the action.
Unfortunately, there will be no action on this dreadful diplomatic mission. I run my hand over my smooth scalp, mentally preparing myself for the bullshit politics to come.
“Take the helm, Koryn,” I tell the soldier at my side. “Prepare for immediate evacuation if I give you the signal. I don’t know enough about these humans to trust them yet.”
“Yes sir,” he answers, taking my place behind the multitude of screens.
The large black doors of the elevator whiz open as I approach, automatically reacting to my DNA. Waiting for me inside is the man I loathe the most in the entire known universe: Senator Dimtri.
“General,” he says, his voice dripping with disdain. “Not opting for the proper garment, I see?”
His yellow garment clashes with his lizard-like light-green skin, painting an especially unpalatable picture. I refuse to endorse such trivialities as ceremonial garb, opting for my all-black military uniform, the obsidian armor a tight fit, providing me with maximum flexibility.
It’s all the High Command seems to care about nowadays. They’re preoccupied with ceremonial garbs and having gluttonous feasts, while our sworn enemies raid our borders unpunished.
This mission only proves my point. My fleet should be in the Eastern Quadrant, supporting General Tyr in his fight against the insectoid, infernal Ygg. We went through training together, and there’s no place I’d rather be than at his side, riding into battle together. Instead, I am forced to escort Senator Dimtri because the High Command has developed a taste for one of their sickly sweet treats called chocolate. It’s a hot commodity on the intergalactic black market, and now the High Command wants it straight from the source.
It’s idiotic.
In the last few cycles, the High Command has grown feeble and weak. They have plucked the fruits of the labor of countless Zoran warriors, and have forsaken our origins.
“Remind me again why we’re here,” I growl as the elevator glides down. “There’s been another Ygg attack on Haven-5. We should be in the East.”
“Watch your tone, Vinz,” Dimtri says. “Remember your station. The Emperor wants to open relations with the humans, and that is what we shall do.”
I bite down on my bottom lip, tasting blood. Control is the most important thing in the life of a warrior: Physical as well as emotional. Day by day it becomes harder and harder to control my urges. I can only sit by and watch the High Command run our species into the ground for so long… but this was not the time to strike.
Soon.
“My my, what’s gotten you so worked up, Vinz? Afraid of a few humans now, are we? Or has it been too long without a mate?” Dimtri goaded me.
He senses my rage — us Zoran have very perceptible senses, and the slightest change in mood gives off a particular scent, which makes complete emotional control all the more important in our culture. Even a weakling such as Dimtri has a rudimentary control of these powers, though of course his grasp pales in comparison to a tried and true warrior. I silently admonish myself for letting this pompous aristocrat successfully rile me up.
“Feel free to take one of the humans, if that’s what you prefer,” Dimtri hisses.
I ignore his blithe statement. He wants nothing more than for me to strike him down in anger so he can get me court-martialed and relieved of duty. My animosity for the High Command is well-known, but my prowess is so renowned that they couldn’t get rid of me without inciting a rebellion.
A human for a mate? I can’t even imagine it. Interspecies mingling is not exactly unheard of. After the inexplicable decline in birth rates, which has of course remained a closely guarded secret, Zoran women have remained exceedingly rare. Unfortunately, no interspecies coupling has ever produced offspring. I don’t see humans — so soft and fragile — being the missing link.