by Luna Hunter
Alien Soldier’s Baby
Zoran Warriors
Luna Hunter
Contents
Copyright
Newsletter
1. Kelly
2. Koryn
3. Kelly
4. Koryn
5. Kelly
6. Koryn
7. Kelly
8. Koryn
9. Kelly
10. Koryn
11. Kelly
12. Koryn
13. Kelly
14. Koryn
15. Kelly
16. Koryn
17. Kelly
18. Koryn
19. Kelly
20. Koryn
21. Kelly
22. Koryn
Also by Luna Hunter
Copyright 2016 Luna Hunter.
Published by Luna Hunter at Amazon.
This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All characters represented within are eighteen years of age or older and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This work is property of Luna Hunter, please do not reproduce illegally.
Created with Vellum
Thanks for picking up my book! This is the third book in the Zoran Warriors series, but it can be read as a standalone. I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it.
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1
Kelly
“Look at his tiny little feet!”
I look at Jillian’s ultrasound, and a warmth flows through me. Even in the grainy picture I can already see that their baby is a perfect mix of Jillian’s and Vinz’s features.
My best friend Jillian, who had always been the forever single one, is now having the first human-Zoran baby in recorded history! I’d never have guessed. We’re sitting in her royal chambers, drinking tea as we catch up. General Vinz is now the Warrior-King of the Zoran people, which technically makes Jillian a queen. Vinz and her are absolutely made for each other. I don’t know how, but she managed to tame the wild, seven-foot-tall warrior, and it’s clear that he loves her more than anything.
“How do you feel?” I ask, placing my hand on Jill’s swollen stomach. It’s as round as a melon.
“Pregnant,” she huffs. “So very pregnant.”
“I can see that.”
“Tell me about your travels,” she says. She grabs her cup of tea, stirring the liquid before taking a sip. “I’d like a moment’s distraction from this little kicker. I feel like he’s more than ready to be born, but the healers say it’ll take two more months! But enough about my swollen feet, tell me everything about your travels!”
After everything that happened – our abduction by Senator Gorgi, our rescue by General Vinz and his second-in-command Koryn, and the subsequent short-lived war as the High Command was overthrown – I decided I needed a good long break. I decided to put my minor in anthropology to good use, and I travelled all over Exon Prime, the Zoran homeworld, for over six months, learning about their culture.
As the only human on this planet, besides Jillian, I got quite a bit of attention.
Male attention, especially.
There’s something about earth women that these hulking, broad warriors go crazy for. I’ve had to fend off more men than I can count. Not that they’re not attractive – with their eye-catching skin tones, their radiant eyes, and bulging muscles, the Zorans are sight to behold – but they’re far too possessive for my taste. The Zorans mate for life.
I’m not ready for that kind of commitment!
I can barely commit to an outfit, let alone a life-long relationship.
“I don’t even know where to start,” I tell Jillian.
“Have you found a mate yet?” she asks, wiggling her eyebrows at me. “Or am I going to be the only mom around here?”
I roll my eyes. “Just because you have got baby fever doesn’t mean my ovaries are about to explode.”
“You’re telling me nothing happened? Come on, you’ve been gone for six months. I don’t think you went six days without a date back on Earth.”
“That’s totally different!”
“How so?” she teases.
“First of all, no men I ever dated can compare to a Zoran,” I start.
Jillian laughs. “You’ve got that right.”
“And I decided to take a bit of a break from dating. A cleanse, if you will.”
My friend’s eyebrows rise. “Kelly Graham? Taking a break on dating? Did you fall on your head, dear?” She places her hand on my forehead. “Have you got a fever? Should I call a healer?”
“Cut it out,” I say, and playfully slap her hand away.
Not all of us meet the perfect man right away like you.
Jillian smirks, and I can’t help but laugh. As unforgettable as it was to travel all over Exon Prime, I’m truly happy to be back here with my oldest friend, chatting away as if I’d never been gone at all.
“I’m glad you’re here, because I want to ask you for a favor,” Jillian says.
“Sure. Anything for you.”
“It’s a rather big one,” Jill says. With a few taps she sends a document to my wrist-com.
I open the file, and to my surprise a holo-image of an alien planet pops out of my display. The dark-green sphere orbits in front of me.
“This is Zenus,” Jillian says. “It’s two quadrants over. According to my preliminary readings, there’s large natural deposits of evides there.”
I nod. Evides is a white mineral and one of the main components of AC-19, also known as the Archer Cure. It’s a cure for the black cough – a horrible disease that has been ravaging Earth for decades. Evides is extremely rare, and I know Exon Prime is quickly running out of the valuable stuff.
“I’d like to go myself, but, well, you know,” she says, looking at her big baby bump. “I’m not as mobile as I’d like to be. Do you want to lead a small research team to Zenus?”
“Of course!” I say without hesitation. Explore another alien planet? Why not!
Jillian bites her bottom lip. “It is sort of… in the middle of Ygg territory.”
My face loses a bit of color. Ygg. I’ve never seen one myself, but I’ve heard plenty of stories about the horrible, insectoid killers. From what I hear they’re all shell and fangs. I hope to never see one.
“Our reserves are dwindling,” my best friend continues, “and I think Zenus is our best shot. If my readings are correct, then we can find enough evides there to make AC-19 for every single human being on Earth. Vinz is putting together a small team, and I’d like you to lead it. If you want.”
“Of course,” I say once again.
Jillian sighs with relief. “Thank you, Kel.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
My best friend rises to her feet. I try to help her, but she waves me away. “Let’s go tell Vinz.”
We walk through the long, stately halls of the Zoran palace, heading towards the throne room. “I love what you’ve done with the place,” I say when I see how all the High Command’s decorations have been replaced. Now the walls are adorned with warm and colorful tapestries.
“I did my best to make it feel a bit more like home,” Jill answers, “but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to living in such a keep. I’ll take a quaint little cottage over this any day of the week. Ah, here we are.”
Two Zorans guard the immense doors leading to the throne room, each one of them holding a massive halberd in their hands. They give us a polite nod and open the towering crimson
double doors for us, the loud creaking sound signaling our arrival.
Even though it was only six months ago that Jillian and I were led into this very same throne room as prisoners of Senator Gorgi, it feels like a lifetime ago. So much has changed.
Vinz is standing in front of his throne, his skin as silver as the moon. His expression is hard like granite, but his features soften when his clear-blue eyes land on Jillian.
Standing in front of him, a scowl on his scarred face, is Koryn. He’s Vinz’s second-in-command, and he helped to save me and Jillian from the clutches of the Senators. He matches the general’s frame beat-for-beat. He’s got the same intimidating height, the same broad, muscled chest; the same intense, brooding, panty-melting stare. The difference is that Koryn’s skin is a dark purple, like amethyst.
His radiant eyes, the color of honey, narrow when our gaze meets. His shoulders are pulled back, and his jaw clenches.
I feel he’s not too happy to see me.
2
Koryn
“Absolutely not,” I growl. “I’m not going to some backwater planet! I’m needed right here!”
“It’s not a question,” Vinz says. “It’s an order. You’re leading the mission to Zenus, and that’s final.”
“The Ygg are building up their forces! They want to take advantage of our weakness! It’s only a matter of time before they strike. I should be here, prepping our soldiers, leading the defense! General Tyr and General Drax are both millions of klicks away!”
“I will do fine without you,” Vinz says calmly. “We need those resources, Koryn.”
“For what? The humans?”
Vinz’s icy eyes narrow. If they could shoot fire, I’d be a pile of ash.
“We need evides,” Vinz says. “For the humans, yes, but also for our own healers. Or have you forgotten it’s the basis for all our medi-gel?”
I grumble, my voice throaty and low. “If I’m leading the defense, our men won’t need treatment,” I say.
My king cracks a smile, a rare occurrence. “I’d like to believe that, Koryn, but we need those resources. Zenus is right in Ygg-space, so that’s why I want you on the ground there, making sure our researcher is kept safe.”
My jaw clenches. It seems he’s made up his mind, and once Vinz does so, there’s no changing it.
Unless your name is Jillian Archer.
“You’ll lead the team. Just the two of you. In and out. Quietly. Avoid inciting another intergalactic war with the Ygg if you can.”
“Who’ll be joining me?” I say. “One of those traitorous techies? Same ones who helped the High Command poison our food?”
I never trusted the academics of Exon Academy – a true Zoran is a warrior as far as I’m concerned – and my suspicions were proven true when Jillian revealed the Zoran High Command had been poisoning the entire military’s food, making sure we couldn’t produce any offspring. The High Command never could have done this without the Academy’s help.
“I’ve cleaned up the Academy,” Vinz growls. “You already know this. And if you want to know, Kelly Graham will be your partner, if she accepts this mission.”
My jaw tightens further. “The human female?” I bark. “I’m done babysitting her. You care too much about human concerns. Your mate has made you weak.”
Vinz rises from his throne, his face unmoving; stony. I sense the anger in him, and I mentally prepare myself for him to strike at any moment. I know I’m toeing the line, but that’s my job as second-in-command: to keep my leader sharp.
At that very moment the doors leading into the throne room open with a loud creak. Who else but Jillian and Kelly stride in, chatting incessantly to one another. Jillian’s showing all the signs of her pregnancy – her belly is well-rounded, her breasts swollen. Her skin is glowing, and I can sense Vinz’s anger subsiding. I know our discussion is over.
“Welcome,” he says. “We were just talking about you two.”
“Only good things, I hope,” Jillian says.
Vinz’s stone-cold eyes turn to me. “Of course.”
I lock eyes with Kelly Graham. Her blonde hair is tied into a ponytail, hanging nonchalantly over her shoulder. Her frame is slim, especially compared to her voluptuous friend. I haven’t seen her since she left for her travels, months ago. Strangely enough, I feel a warmth spread through my loins as my eyes drink in the sight of her pale skin.
Her blue eyes travel across my scar. It’s my most prominent feature, a single cut across the length of my face. She doesn’t look away.
“Kelly’s agreed to join the mission to Zenus,” Jillian says.
“Excellent!” Vinz replies. “I was just informing Koryn here about his part in the mission. He will be in charge of safety. Due to the planet’s dangerous location, I’ve decided that the team will consist of only Kelly and Koryn. The smaller the team, the smaller the chance of gathering any unwanted attention.”
Kelly’s eyes widen at the news. I nod briskly. Though I disagree with my king’s orders, I will follow them to the letter.
“Permission to be dismissed, sir?”
“Permission granted,” Vinz says with a nod. Our eyes meet, and we understand each other perfectly. No word of our conversation will leave the throne room.
I stride away. A whole mission spent doing nothing but making sure the frail human doesn’t hurt herself? My talents are being wasted.
3
Kelly
“Have you packed everything?”
“I think so,” I tell Jillian. She’s standing in my room, both her hands resting on her belly. I can’t believe she has another two months to go – she looks like she’s carrying triplets. I guess her baby is a true Zoran: big and strong, even in the womb.
“Got your com? Back-up com? Extra batteries? Food packets? All the test equipment?”
“Check, check, double-check. If there’s an ounce of evides on that planet I’ll find that sucker, trust me,” I say, patting my bag.
She wraps her hands around my neck and hugs me tightly. I hug her back, making sure not to press against her stomach.
“Be careful, okay?”
“Aren’t I always?”
“No, you’re not,” Jillian says. “I remember you forcing your way onto Vinz’s ship because you didn’t want to let the Zorans take me alone!”
“And aren’t you glad I did that?”
Jillian smiles. “I definitely am… but it’s the exact opposite of careful!”
I shrug. “It always works out.”
“I don’t think the Ygg will be as accommodating as the Zoran, though.”
The Ygg. I shudder at the thought of encountering one of those monsters.
“Do you think they will really be there?”
My friend shakes her head. “No, of course not,” she says. It sounds like she’s trying to convince me – and herself. “And if they are… you’ll have Koryn by your side.”
Koryn. When Jillian offered me the job, I thought I’d lead a whole team of researchers – instead, I’ll have no one but that stone-faced warrior by my side! I still remember the way he looked at me in the throne room, and it makes my breath quicken.
“Yes,” I say. “That bundle of joy will make terrific company.”
The corners of Jillian’s mouth pull up into a smile. “Come on, he’s not that bad.”
“Did you see his frown? I don’t think he has a single funny bone in his body.”
“Well, he’s there to crack skulls, not jokes. It’s just a precaution, anyway.”
A shiver runs down my spine. I’m starting to have second thoughts, but it’s too late to back out now. Our shuttle is ready, and this is goodbye. For now.
“Who knows, maybe you’ll get along? I can picture it already. Whole weeks camping under the stars, just the two of you, huddled around a fire… tell me that doesn’t sound nice?” Jillian says.
“Ugh,” I say, making fake gagging noises. “You’re such a hopeless romantic, Jill.”
“Guilty as c
harged. Nothing wrong with a little romance.”
“For you, maybe.”
Me? I don’t believe in romance. For myself, at least. Even if you’re blind you can see that Jill and Vinz have something special, but I don’t think there’s anyone like that for me out there. That connection, that faith they have in one another… I’ve never felt that.
I was raised by my mother, and watching her heart break from up close taught me a valuable lesson: if you don’t open your heart, it can’t be crushed. That’s why I’ve never let anyone in.
Maybe that’s why I left. I’m extremely happy that my best friend found the love of her life, don’t get me wrong, but at the same time, it also kinda hurts. We were a duo, and now, I’m a third wheel.
Oh well. I’ll have plenty of time to be alone with my thoughts when I’m on Zenus – I don’t expect Koryn to be chatty.
I place one kiss on my friend’s cheek, and another on her belly. “Wait for auntie Kelly to return before coming out of there, alright, little fella?”
“Oh please, I hope not,” she smirks.
She walks me to the shuttle-pad, where a small vessel is waiting for me. It’s shaped like a V, and I can see myself in the reflective materials. Koryn is waiting for me inside.
I take a deep breath to gather all my courage.
One undercover stealth mission in alien territory coming up.
4
Koryn
“Are you strapped in?”
“Sir yes sir,” Kelly says, saluting me with a broad smile. I stare back at her, my face unmoving.
Humans.
I flip several switches, doing my last pre-flight checks. This is the first time I’ll be piloting the brand-new stealth-jet Thundercat. It’s designed to avoid detection with its reflective surface and heat-masking abilities. It’s also got more than enough firepower to match anything our enemies can throw at us.