The Alien King's Baby: Sci-fi Alien Romance (Men of Omaron)

by Shea Malloy

Megan glared at him. “You’re really condescending. You know that, right?”

  “If I am considered as much for my honest words, so be it,” he said, his tone unconcerned. “Now cease your complaints and let me guide you.”

  With Mikaal’s help, Megan recorded her video message. It took her a moment to think of what to say while not sounding like she’d gone insane. She couldn’t just blurt out, “I was impregnated and abducted by aliens!” Her family would only become more concerned—especially her baby sister, Karen, and her dad. Those two were the biggest worriers to ever exist.

  In the end, Megan went the vague route. Smiling into the camera, she consoled her family that she was well. She claimed the near death experience had “given her a new lease on life” and inspired her to live life with more spontaneity. So much so that she’d gone on a month long vacation to Europe. She wished them well and told them that she loved them.

  After finishing the video, Megan nibbled on her bottom lip with doubt. She hoped her family believed her story. Had they begun a missing person’s investigation with the police? No doubt they had. Jillian would make sure of that since she was always so on top of things. Her big sister would have made a great army general if she’d ever decided to follow that career path.

  Megan exhaled wearily. She felt tired despite not doing anything for most of the day. She supposed learning so many new things in one day had taken a toll on her brain. However, she had always been an active person. She disliked the idea of being confined to a room, resting on her laurels and not occupying her time. Peter, her ex, had often said she was content in being idle. But that was so far from the truth. Proof that he had never known her. He’d only said those things because she’d never pursued a power career like he did with law.

  Mikaal’s reentry distracted her from thoughts of Peter. He’d left to give her privacy to record her video. Something for which she was grateful. His presence made her nervous. The last thing her family needed to see or hear was her distracted gaze or too high voice as she told them she was “OK”. They’d think she was being forced to lie. Which, when she thought about it, was actually the truth. Mikaal’s reluctance to let her leave forced her to tell her worried family she was gallivanting across Europe.

  As he went into the walk-in closet, her mind began to draw comparisons between Mikaal and Peter. In a way they both shared a similar intensity, but whereas Peter gave off annoying arrogance, Mikaal quietly commanded respect. Not like she’d ever admit that to the alien king. Peter’s sandy-brown hair and sea-green eyes often gave him the look of a surfer-boy stuffed in a lawyer’s suit. However, Mikaal’s dark hair and stunning violet eyes captivated her. When she looked at him, she saw a man. An alien man, yes, but a man. She’d hazard a guess Mikaal was in his thirties. So if she converted Omaron’s time span to Earth’s … he’d probably be in his nineties.

  The hottest old guy I’ve ever seen, she thought.

  As if he’d read her thoughts and wished to solidify her viewpoint on the matter of his attractiveness, Mikaal returned to the room sans clothing. Megan’s eyes widened as his entire body was bared to her in all its tattooed glory. If she’d ever had any doubts that he was fit, they were washed away by the sight of his thick, powerful arms, his broad chest, and defined stomach. Lower than that … holy shit! Her face burned with the heat of a gazillion suns. If that was his size when flaccid, then, dear Lord, have mercy on the woman who encountered him hard.

  “You’re naked!” Megan squawked, forcing herself to only look at his face. But the phoenix tattoo in blood-red ink splayed down his right side would not be ignored. More tattoos in indistinguishable shapes marched down his arms.

  Sitting on the bed, the temptation to touch was so strong that Megan had to clench her hands into tight fists. Dear God, she was carrying this man’s child. This ridiculously smoking hot man whose body should have a dedicated website cataloguing him from various image shots. She’d probably be the most frequent visitor.

  He smirked. “Clearly.”

  “Why are you naked?”

  “I am preparing for bed.”

  Megan scanned the room wildly before meeting his gaze again. “This bed?”

  “Yes, this is my chambers.” Mikaal moved closer.

  “Wait!” Megan raised her hands to stop him and hide her view from other bits she shouldn’t see. Even if a big part of her begged her to look. “If this is your bedroom then why am I here?” Her heart thudded. “You expect me to share the same room and bed with you?”

  “Of course. It is to ensure your protection.”

  Her voice grew higher. “And you don’t think this is inappropriate at all?”

  “I do not.” He climbed into the bed and Megan shrunk away. Mikaal’s nearness increased her temptation to touch him tenfold. He covered himself with the bedsheets and she was grateful for that much. He watched her intently. “What do you fear, human? That I will touch you?”

  His words brought back the memories of earlier. There was no way she’d mistaken the look on his face. He’d watched her with a hunger that had terrified and thrilled her. What was she afraid of? Not that he’d touch her, but that if he did, she’d like it and complicate matters between them. She had a penchant for falling for unsuitable men and an alien king really had to take the cake. The ‘king’ of unsuitable men—no pun intended.

  “I …” She couldn’t say yes, she couldn’t say no.

  “I will not touch you,” he said with a convincing finality that disappointed her more than it relieved her. Then with a quick downward swipe of his hand, all the lights in the room went out.

  6

  Megan

  In the morning, Megan’s body became mutinous. Nausea pushed her out of bed and blindly toward the bathroom. Her body shook as she emptied the contents of her stomach in the toilet, her nipples twinging against the material of her bra with each heave of her chest.

  “I have called the medic,” said Mikaal quietly from behind her. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Megan gazed up at him, bleary-eyed and weak. She must look a sight. Her curly hair often looked like a bird’s nest in the mornings.

  “Thanks,” she said as she struggled to get to her feet. Mikaal was by her side in seconds. He helped her up and held her steady, guiding her to the sink. After washing her mouth and face, and finger-combing her hair into something resembling decency, Megan felt slightly better. She looked around the bathroom, admiring its impressive layout. Natural light shone through the wide, rectangular windows at the top of the walls and lessened the greyness of the room. The shower was a large, box with three sides made of glass and the fourth containing various knobs that did god-knows-what. Every surface—even the twin faucets shaped like a bent pipe—gleamed with a shine only money could afford.

  Megan glanced at Mikaal then looked away quickly. Aware of his presence, she felt both flattered and embarrassed by his concern. She thought about last night and how they’d slept beside each other. True to his word, he hadn’t touched her, and Megan convinced herself that was a good thing.

  She pushed away from the sink, ready to leave the bathroom.

  “I’m fine,” she said when Mikaal attempted to help her again. He retracted his hand immediately and Megan ignored the regret at the loss of his touch. When she returned to the bedroom, she found Zezvar standing by the small table, a black leather bag in his hand.

  “Oh, you look terribly pale,” said Zezvar with a note of excitement in his voice. Since her dealings with him yesterday, Megan realized her presence was a great source of novelty for the alien doctor. Despite her initial reaction to his features, she was quietly growing to like him. “Not to worry, my Klara. I’ve medicine to help with the sickness.”

  Klara? What was that?

  Megan followed his indication that she sit in one of the armchairs. Zezvar reached into his bag and retrieved a vial filled with a clear liquid.

  “I don’t get it. I’ve been here for … uhh … three of your days, which would be about nine
earth days, right?” Megan grimaced. “Why am I getting sick so soon?”

  “It is customary for the mother of an Omar babe to suffer these symptoms a few days after the implantation,” Zezvar explained as he gave the vial a quick shake. “Now, I want you to open your mouth and stick your tongue out like this.” He mimicked the action. Megan forced another bout of nausea away at the sight of his long, dark-blue tongue sticking out of his spotted face. She glanced at Mikaal. Standing nearby, his arms folded, his features were unreadable as he looked on. Closing her eyes, Megan did as Zezvar instructed. She felt silly sticking her tongue out, especially with Mikaal watching.

  A few droplets fell on her tongue and Zezvar instructed she swallow.

  Immediately, the roiling in her stomach vanished. Megan opened her eyes in amazement to find Zezvar’s smiling face uncomfortably close to hers.

  “Better, yes?”

  She gave him a small smile. “Much better. Thank you.”

  “It is a remedy I created,” said Zezvar looking proud of himself as he stood up straight. “It is made from the eyes of yelrin birds. Terribly difficult to capture them.”

  Megan grimaced. Was everything on this planet made from murdering creatures? It was on the tip of her tongue to say so out loud. Then she remembered the similar practices on Earth and kept her mouth shut.

  “You can take a few drops of the remedy whenever you feel nausea, and—ah! I almost forgot.”

  Reaching into his bag again, Zezvar produced another vial and placed it on the table.

  “You must take this with your meals, my Klara,” said Zezvar, pointing at the vial. “It is vital for your health and that of the child. Again, only a few drops on your tongue is necessary.”

  “OK.” Megan nodded, swallowing. She wound her fingers together, squeezing them hard. So this was really it, then. She was pregnant. The nausea and soreness in her breasts proof of the baby’s existence. There were some lingering doubts that probably only an ultrasound could remove because a part of her still wondered if this was all an elaborate hoax. But why would anyone go through so much trouble to trick her? “Thank you, again, Zezvar.”

  “My Klara,” said Zezvar, rewarding her with the respectful bow she’d seen others give Mikaal. “My Klar.” He bowed to Mikaal who nodded at him. Gathering his things, Zezvar left, leaving Megan and Mikaal in stark silence.

  She turned to Mikaal. “Why does Zezvar call me klara?”

  She figured she knew the answer already, but she wanted confirmation. It didn’t need any stretch of the imagination. Mikaal had called himself a “klar” which meant “king”, so if she judged on the respectful way Zezvar spoke to her and his bowing, “klara” could only mean “queen”. Which was absurd. She wasn’t anyone’s queen.

  “Because he assumes I will claim you as my wife.”

  “W-what?” Wow. Guessing the reason and hearing it out loud were two different things. After growing up as ordinary as can be and being told by Peter she would never amount to much, the idea of being Mikaal’s wife and a queen of an entire planet was instantly appealing. Yet it was preposterous. She did not belong here. She didn’t want to be here. She wasn’t ashamed to admit, too, that she hadn’t the confidence necessary to be suited with such immense power. “That’s ridiculous.”

  Mikaal watched her intently. “Why?”

  “Because ... I …” Megan averted her gaze. “You shouldn’t marry someone you don’t love.”

  Mikaal scoffed. “Love is not necessary in a marriage. However, mutual respect, faithfulness and honour are the cornerstones to a successful union.”

  “Yeah, but without the love, that’s just a business relationship and really boring.” She took a deep breath and met his gaze again. “A loveless relationship is a doomed one in my experience. Without love, there’s no respect and no faithfulness and no frickin’ honour.”

  A dark look came over Mikaal’s face and his voice was just as harsh. “Love weakens you.”

  Megan shook her head slightly, a little taken aback by his tone. “Love strengthens you. Makes you capable of things you thought impossible. Yeah, it can be a little scary, but the reward of loving someone outweighs the negative consequences.”

  Mikaal remained silent before he finally spoke. “You seem experienced on the matter, human. Do you have a mate on Earth for which you hold these feelings?”

  Megan licked her lower lip. “I don’t. Not anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  One corner of his mouth turned up in a cynical smile. “You preach it yet you do not live it. If love gives you strength, then why is the pain your past lover inflicted upon you so evident in your eyes?” He shook his head as he moved closer. “Your hypocrisy only serves to prove that your reasoning on love is steeped in nothing but fantasy.” His cynical smile turned smug. “The truth about love, human, is that it’s a waste of time and energy, both to earn and keep it. Love is a weakness that leaves you at the mercy of another fallible being. A being who will, in time, destroy you.”

  Anger burned hot in Megan’s chest. If there was anything weighty and close to hand, she would have flung it at Mikaal, ridding him of his superior smile. Unfortunately, she could only resort to a sneer.

  “Wow, someone must have really hurt you if that’s how you think.”

  The smile slid right off his face with as much speed as the regret filling Megan’s heart. She wasn’t usually that callous, even to arrogant alien kings who basically asked for it by insulting her beliefs and calling her a hypocrite.

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I didn’t mean—”

  “I have other matters to attend to,” Mikaal cut in sharply. He moved past her toward the door, then turned and regarded her coldly. “I will send someone to have you fitted with appropriate clothing. You will not leave this room without my permission.”

  The door slid open, and he was gone.

  ***

  Megan’s outrage caught up a few minutes after Mikaal left.

  Launching to her feet, she stomped toward the door. It slid open when she neared it, but the four-armed guards blocked her path by crossing their spears across the door.

  “Let me pass!” she said, her voice higher than usual from terror. She drew back a step, her body trembling when they both turned their impassive gaze on her.

  They were massive and fearsome. Their blue skin had a sturdy look to it, like if she flung something at one of them, it would bounce right off with nary a wince from the creature. Battling one of these beasts would be a death-wish, let alone two of them. But she wasn’t going to give up. Not so easily.

  She edged closer, even though her trembling got worse with every step. She fixed them with her best glare.

  “Let me pass,” she said again, her voice carrying a bit more steel. She was ready to cling to shove against the spears when she saw the beautiful woman from yesterday approaching. The woman wore a blue sari today, the material billowing gently as she walked barefoot. Her long black hair bounced with her movement, the natural light coming through the gaps in the halls casting a healthy shine on her tresses.

  Stopping a few steps short of the guards, she glanced at Megan before frowning at the guards. She spoke to them in her native tongue and one of the guards responded gruffly. She spoke again, her voice harder. To Megan’s surprise, the beasts dropped their spears, leaving the doorway open.

  “Come,” said the woman with a friendly smile. She reached for Megan’s hand and pulled her out of the room.

  “Where are you taking me?” asked Megan even though she let the woman lead her along the hallway. She watched the woman curiously, feeling somewhat mediocre in her company. Whereas she must look a crumpled, untidy mess, the woman looked fresh-faced and vibrant, her warm smile and shining purple eyes captivating.

  “I am Suri,” said the woman, touching her chest. “I came to take you on a tour of your new home.”

  “This isn’t my home,” said Megan quietly. W
hen she glanced back, she found the two guards were following them. Scowling, her tone became bitter. “And I don’t think your klar would be pleased if he found out about this. After all, he forbade me to leave the room without his permission.”

  Suri looped her hand with Megan’s as if they were old friends. “You will soon come to learn that my brother is hardly ever a pleasant man.”

  For some reason Megan refused to dwell on, it relieved her Suri was Mikaal’s relative and not his wife or mistress.

  Megan shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’ve learned that already.”

  Suri chuckled. “If he forbade you to leave then why were you attempting to do so?” Her smile turned mischievous. “Were you trying to run away?”

  “No,” Megan said, exhaling heavily. “I just hate the way he overrides what I want. I guess I was just being rebellious.”

  Suri’s violet eyes were shiny with excitement. “You have decided to stay?”

  “It’s not like I have a choice.” Megan shrugged. “I give him his baby and then I get to go home.”

  Suri’s look of excitement dimmed. “You will not stay and be a mother to your child?”

  Your child.

  It shocked her when she considered it from that angle. She’d come to accept she was going to be a mother, but so far, she’d only ever thought of the baby as Mikaal’s. But by using her eggs and her womb, it was her baby too.

  My baby.

  Megan’s gaze swept around the wide hall. On either side of them, the walls consisted of rows of arched windows inviting bright light which made the red marble floors gleam. She pulled free from Suri and wandered over to one of the windows, gazing out at the spread of the palatial grounds and the impressive landscaping it contained. Beyond the walls of the palace, fields of lavender stretched across the sloping hills, trees interspersed amid the calming purple blanket.

  Awestruck, Megan stared out at the beauty existing outside the windows. She’d never dreamed she would see such a magnificent place. Her parents had worked hard to make sure their three daughters had never lacked for the necessities, but the additional pleasures only money afforded were very few.