by Luna Hunter
Standing here and growling is not going to make my mate wake up any sooner. “Fine,” I growl, annoyed.
I pace down the hall, towards my personal quarters, and grab a bottle of kuhla, chugging it straight from the bottle.
My com beeps —but it’s only Trent. They’ve set up a perimeter, and haven’t encountered any more enemies. Good.
I sink into my chair, my mind swirling with emotions.
What a day.
15
Aria
Consequences
A sharp pain wakes me. I try to open my eyes, but the bright white light blinds me. The world slowly comes into focus, and to my surprise, it’s filled with people in white coats, and strange, metal devices, and harsh light…
A needle leaves my vein, and I wince in pain.
“Ah, welcome back,” a familiar voice says. “How were your dreams?”
I concentrate on my surroundings, and try to figure out where I am.
What was I dreaming?
I vaguely remember a Zoran warrior… a great, overpowering presence, the biggest man I’ve ever seen. His skin was as red as fire, his eyes glowing like two embers. His attention was on me. My fingers ran over his hot skin, and we were surrounded by smoke, the world around us disappearing. It was just me and him.
I could feel the beat of his heart, and I knew in my bones that it was beating for me and me alone.
My hands slid down his naked skin, circling his massive, powerful rod. His Zoran cock. Every demanding throb it gave resonated inside of me, my clit pulsing with the same urgency, the same lust, the same fire.
I placed the head against my entrance.
Ready for him.
Ready to be taken.
It felt like my whole life up to his point was just practice for this. This act of love, this was what life was all about…
That man…
…was General Dost, I realize with a jolt.
The Zoran in charge of this ship, of this mission. The same man that makes my heart throb, that makes my palms sweaty, and my stomach flutter. The man, who if he knew that I wasn’t a real starship mechanic, could have me court-martialed.
Wait… was that more than a dream?
What have I done?!
The room comes fully into focus now. I’m in the med bay, based on the sterile, white outfits of the people surrounding me.
“You were tossing and turning quite a bit,” Dr. Singh says. “I’m glad to see you’re awake.”
Oh god.
What does he know?!
Did I talk, or worse, moan in sleep?
My cheeks feel as warm as coals as my eyes scan the room, looking at all of the nurses. Their faces are all neutral as they focus on their tasks.
No snickering, no knowing grins.
Either I’m safe, or they’ve got the world’s best poker faces.
Dr. Singh sits down by my bedside.
“Can you tell me your name?”
I lick my chapped lips. “Of course,” I say. “I’m Aria Winters.”
“Indeed you are. What do you remember?”
I try to focus, but my brain throbs with pain. How did I end up her?
I remember… traveling down to Delta Y, the shuttle shaking, my hand landing on Dost’s legs. The planet’s surface, a sprawling jungle that seemed to go on forever.
The battle, the terrible snake-like beings. Dost moving with purpose, with grace and strength as he cleaved his way through the snakes.
Blood dripping down his armor.
His formfitting armor that leaves nothing to the imagination.
The tree!
That was it. It broke with a terrible roar, toppling over, and it was headed right towards Dost.
And I acted.
I pushed him away, saving his life — and taking a tree to the face at the same time.
After that… I remember his lips on mine.
Our bodies melting together.
Pure lust taking over.
His tongue in my mouth.
His tongue in my pussy.
My hand on his abs.
My mouth on his cock.
His cock inside of me.
Oh god.
It wasn’t just a steamy dream.
It really happened.
I gave my body to Dost. No, scratch that, I practically tore his armor off and offered my body to him on a silver platter.
And he took the chance with both hands, kissing, mating, fucking me into the high heavens. I’ve never been kissed like that. Never has it felt like my body was on fire, all of my circuits firing, pure pleasure coursing through my veins.
I almost felt like I wasn’t in control of my own urges anymore. I was insatiable.
Dr. Singh is still staring at me, his brown eyes studying my face, his bushy eyebrows furrowed.
Oh crap, he was waiting for an answer as to what I remember! And here I am, back to fantasizing about that dreamy Zoran general…
“It’s all a bit much,” I say. “I think I got hit by a falling tree.”
“Indeed,” the doctor answers. “Anything else?”
What is he aiming at?
Does he know?
Am I that obvious?
“No.”
Dr. Singh nods, his lips curling up into a smile.
“Very well,” he says. “I am awaiting the results of your blood work at this moment. From what I can see you are quite healthy, but you may have inhaled some alien spores.”
Alien spores?!
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“Probably harmless,” the doctor says. “But I’d like to see the results just the same. You know, the general was quite worried about you.”
“He was?”
“Never seen a Zoran act like that before. Very peculiar.”
The doctor leaves me to my thoughts. Now I have one extra thing to worry about, besides my feelings for Dost.
Alien spores.
That must be why I acted so out of character. Some kind of love-drug got caught up in both our systems, making us act so reckless.
But if that was the case… why do I still feel like I’m love with the alien warrior?
My mind runs in circles as I try to figure it out, and before long the doctor returns, staring at his tablet while mumbling to himself.
“Ah, yes, yes, makes sense, yes. Ah, you’re still awake, Miss Winters. Good, good. I have your results right here. Good news! You are relatively unharmed. The suit absorbed most of the blow, and besides some light scratching and bruising, you are perfectly healthy.”
I breathe a sigh of relief.
“However,” the doctor continues.
Oh god.
“I did find a very high dosage of an unknown alien compound in your blood stream.”
“What does that mean?” I ask. “Is it bad?”
“Not necessarily. It seems your white blood cells have successfully quarantined the compound’s psychoactive properties, so it shouldn’t affect you any longer. It’s quite a wondrous little thing, actually!”
To be honest, I didn’t catch any of that.
“I will take some time to study it further, but my preliminary results show that it lowers inhibitions,” the doctor explains.
“Like a love drug?” I say.
That’s got to be it. Some damn alien plant made me crazy. Messing with my neurons.
“Not precisely,” the doctor says. “It lowers inhibitions, meaning it reveals what is kept beneath the surface. It cannot create love where there wasn’t any before.”
Oh crap.
“Either way, I have to congratulate you.”
“On what?”
“On your pregnancy!”
Wait.
What?
“My what now?”
“It’s quite soon, yes, but my scan shows your egg has been successfully fertilized. Congratulations.”
“Impossible,” I stammer. “I haven’t…”
Oh fuck. I did.
General Do
st came inside me without protection.
My world stands still for a moment, frozen.
I’m going to be a mom.
16
Dost
Two become Three
I burst through the doors of the med-bay. I came here as soon as I got the message from Dr. Singh, but the man is nowhere to be found.
Aria is lying in her hospital bed. Her eyes do not meet mine.
I sit down next to her and grab her hand.
“How do you feel?” I ask. “Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine,” she stammers.
“Are you sure?”
She nods.
The human female still refuses to look me in the eye.
Is she mad at me?
Does she think I took advantage of her?
“About what happened,” I start.
“It was the alien spores,” she blurts out, her cheeks turning red.
“The what?”
“The doctor said there was some kind of drug in the air. He’ll explain it better. But that’s why… you know.”
Her face is now so red it matches mine in color.
I had suspected as much, but at the same time, the casual way in which she brushes our mating aside hurts me more than I thought possible.
It wasn’t some drug-induced mistake.
It meant something.
It meant the world to me.
I’ve never had a connection like that, with anyone. I’m trained to be a soldier, a general, a leader. My emotions are there to be controlled. Pushed away. Bottled up.
Never have they poured out of me.
Never have I felt someone understood me and accepted me, body and soul.
“I see,” I say, keeping my face in check.
I can’t show disappointment. I can’t argue about it with her.
Not here.
I’m such a fool.
It’s clear she wasn’t in her right mind.
Why did I let my mind run wild with thoughts of making her my mate, of spending an eternity with her? I’m getting ahead of myself.
Aria
I can’t blame my feelings on the alien spores.
Why am I lying to Dost?
Is it because I’m afraid of the truth?
That I’m wildly in love with him, head over heels, smitten, love struck?
This man is going to be the father of my child. The moment of conception was only an hour ago, give or take, and I know anything could still happen, theoretically, but… I can feel it in my bones.
My baby is going to be a healthy Zoran boy.
Yet I can’t even open my heart up to my baby’s father…
I don’t even know where to begin. How do I explain this to him?
“Ah, you’ve made it.”
Dr. Singh walks into the room. He’s all smiles, for he has an ‘exciting alien compound’ to study, and a human/Zoran pregnancy to monitor… at least someone is happy about out predicament!
“Congratulations, general.”
Dost frowns. “What for? That she is safe?”
I shield my eyes, fidgeting with my thumbs.
“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I know it’s technically against Federation protocol to, shall I say, fraternize with subordinates, but there’s a little thing called doctor-patient confidentiality. Neither the Federation nor the Zorans will hear a peep out of me, rest assured. Makes sense you were so worried about her safety, now that I think about it.”
“What in Zora’s name are you babbling about?!” the general growls.
“Leave,” I snap at the jolly doctor. “Please,” I add. I should be the one to tell Dost.
The doctor holds up his palms and backs out of the room.
“I’m not one to get in the middle of a lover’s quarrel!” he says before closing the door behind him.
Dost turns to me, his radiant eyes filled with questions.
“What’s going on Aria?”
Oh boy.
Here it goes.
Dost
Dr. Singh raised more questions than he answered. I study Aria’s features, my brow furrowed.
I do not like the feeling of being in the dark. It seems everyone knows what is going on except for me.
Aria takes a deep breath, her eyes moving up to meet mine for the first time since I entered the room.
“Promise me you won’t freak out,” she says.
“I am a Zoran warrior. I don’t ‘freak out’.”
The mere suggestion is insulting, but I let it slide. This time.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Is it about the alien spores? Are they dangerous? Is Delta Y uninhabitable?”
She shakes her head. “No, it’s not about the spores. They… they lower inhibitions, but only temporarily, according to the doctor. You’ll have to ask him for the specifics. The planet should be safe for us now.”
My body still burns with lust for Aria, the thought of what we’ve shared together still a fresh memory. I can still taste her on my lips, despite the kuhla I have drunk. If what she says is true, I cannot blame the drug for my feelings. They are genuine. They are real.
“I am pregnant,” Aria blurts out in one quick breath.
I blink. I move in my seat. I look for the right words, but I don’t find them.
I don’t find any words, for that matter.
“You’re what?” is all I manage to come up with.
“I’m pregnant,” she repeats. “It showed up on the doctors scan. It’s a bit premature, but I… I believe him.”
“So I am…”
“You are the father,” she says. “Most definitely.”
This changes everything.
Both of our lives, changed in an instant, forever. My father will disown me, the Exon Movement will try to strip me of my command… but none of that matters.
I’m going to be a father.
A little Zoran warrior of our own.
“What are you thinking about?” Aria asks. “You’re quiet.”
I look up to see tears have filled her eyes, a single one sliding down her cheek, and my emotions overtake me.
The same emotions I’m trained to withhold, to ignore, to forget about. They pour out of me like a damn waterfall. I squeeze her hand as I try to say the right words.
“That we’re going to have a family!” I say.
She glances away.
“I barely know you,” she whispers.
“You’ll have a lifetime to get to know me.”
“It’s all happening so fast.”
“And I’m glad for it.”
Aria looks up. “Do you… do you mean that?”
I nod decisively. “On the graves of my ancestors, on Exon Prime, on my soul I swear it. I have never meant anything more. It is fate that has brought us together, that has blessed us with a baby. I welcome it with open arms.”
Aria
This is really happening.
I’m having a Zoran baby — and gaining a Zoran mate at the same time. I’ve never seen Dost like this before. He’s swearing loyalty to me, promising to protect me and our child, in this life and the next.
I’m moved, but also wary. I’m not ready to be a wife, let alone a mom. I barely have my own life on track — now I’m responsible for two?!
“Do you accept fate?” Dost asks.
His radiant eyes, as beautiful as two jewels, are pleading with me. I can’t say no to that face.
“Maybe,” I say. “Like I said, it’s all happening so fast.”
I half-expected Dost to storm out, to curse at me, to bemoan the fact he was going to be a father. Isn’t that what guys are supposed to do when they accidentally knock up their one-night-stands?
I never expected him to pledge his undying love for me! I suppose Dost is no ordinary man, and I am no one-night-stand.
“Can we take things slow?” I ask, almost feeling guilty. I wish I could jump into the unknown so freely as the Zoran warrior seems capable of, but
unfortunately that’s not how I’m wired.
“Of course,” he says. “We’ll take things at any pace you desire.”
“I think it’s best if we keep it a secret for now.”
“Yes, I agree,” Dost says. “I am needed back on the surface of Delta Y. The mission must continue… but I will return as soon as I am able.”
“I want to come with,” I blurt out. “I don’t want to be alone right now.”
“Are you sure? It’s safer for you up here.”
“Please?”
“Of course, my mate,” he says. “If that’s what you want. I will speak to the doctor now, about the spores on the surface, to make sure it’s safe for you.”
Dost rises from his seat, and I reach out for him. “Do I not get a kiss before you go?”
A wide, ear-to-ear smile spreads out across Dost’s chiseled face.
“Of course.”
He leans in and kisses me deeply, one hand cradling my cheek. I close my eyes and let the sweet taste of his kiss distract me from our new and scary situation.
If our kisses keep being as good as this, we’ve got nothing to worry about.
17
Aria
A heart to heart
The next week passes in a blur. Under the leadership of Dost, a small village is built on the surface of Delta Y. I’m surprised by the tempo in which this cozy place arises.
I mean, technically it’s a research hub for scientists to test how livable Delta Y is, with scores of researchers testing the air supply, studying the local flora and fauna, charting how susceptible this area is to earthquakes, floods, solar flares, and general apocalyptical natural disasters of any kind…
But, in fact, I spent most of the time in Dost’s arms, or shadowing him. It’s fascinating to watch him lead.
His men respect him, and obey him without question. The humans fear him, but without reason.
Yeah, sure, he’s an imposing seven feet tall, his skin is a fiery red, and his low grumble makes men quake in their boots, but… underneath all that muscle, there’s a warm, kind heart.
Luckily, the frightening snake-beings that attacked us don’t show their scaly faces anymore. I’m slowly getting over my fear of the jungle, and I even plucked a beautiful, golden-yellow flower the other day, blooming at the edge of our campsite. I remember Woods, the head engineer, telling me all about the different kinds of plants, and what he would hope to find if he ever got the opportunity to land on an alien planet. I packaged the flower and sent it back up to the HF Boomerang with the shuttle as a little thank you to him.