by Lili Zander
“Brunox will be moving them,” I say out loud. “He knows Raiht’vi will talk. He can’t let the labs be found.”
Zunix nods soberly. “That’s not the worst-case scenario,” he says. “There’s a slight risk that Brunox will destroy the labs and kill everyone in them to keep his secret.”
My skin grows cold. Zunix is right. Brunox can’t risk Lenox finding out that he was trying to create a private army of mighty dragons. Lenox would rightly see that as a threat to his rule.
“Ru’vi knows about the labs,” Zunix continues. “But Lenox doesn’t, and Ru’vi would like to keep it that way. It maintains the balance of power between Lenox, Ru’vi, and Brunox.”
In other words, Ru’vi, the evil Spymaster of the High Empire, is probably blackmailing Brunox.
“We’ve got to act before Brunox does.”
My mates nod. “Tarish is putting together a small strike force,” Zunix says. “But they can’t be everywhere at the same time.” His expression goes distant. He’s in Spymaster-mode. Weighing all the possibilities, evaluating everything he knows about the various players so that he can predict their next move. “Brunox will try to salvage as much of his operation as he can, but if we move openly, he’ll panic and burn everything to the ground.”
“We’ll need to be stealthy.”
“Yes.” He looks at me questioningly. “We don’t have to be involved.”
“Of course we do.”
“This will be dangerous,” Lio points out. “I don’t like putting you in danger.”
I get it. Lio’s Draekon. Protectiveness is built into their DNA, and he loathes the thought of putting me in harm’s way. But as much as he wants to keep me safe, I’m not a doll, to be cuddled and coddled. I worked for the CIA, and I was a damn good agent. I want to be in the thick of the action. That’s just who I am.
I flutter my eyelashes at him. “Do you want the bimbo, Lio?” I lean forward, giving him an eyeful of my boobs. The effect’s probably ruined by the fact that I have bed hair. Did I remember to remove my makeup last night? I don’t think so. I bet I have raccoon eyes. So much for the sexy airhead. “Do you want me to be pliant and agreeable?”
His lips twitch. “How pliant?” he asks.
Really, Lio? “Very.”
He shakes his head with a chuckle. “I don’t want the bimbo, Olivia, and you know it. I love everything about you. Sadly, that includes your desire to plunge head-first into danger.”
“We assumed you’d want to go,” Zunix says. “The Senate decided to aid us in our efforts to save the captured Draekons. Arax was quite persuasive. We’re getting a small convoy of ships, and every friendly Free City will cooperate with us.” His eyes twinkle. “We leave right after your party.”
How did he find out about the party already? Oh right. Spymaster-magic.
“We decided to do Secret Santa,” I say moodily. “I drew Viola. And I can’t use the syn. I’ll have to make something. Kill me now.”
Liorax reaches out and takes my hand in his. “I have an idea,” he says. “Why don’t we fly to Lake Ang today? We could spend a night in our old house. Bathe naked in the lake. And, since Viola is a botanist, you could gather some seeds for her as a gift. I haven’t seen the neital berries in this part of the planet.”
I stare at Lio. “You’re a genius.”
Neital seedlings are a perfect gift for Viola. She’s never tasted the berries, they don’t grow in the Lowlands either. Plus, I won’t have to knit or crochet anything. God knows I’m not a crafter.
I have extremely fond memories of Lake Ang. It’s where the three of us met. It’s where I kissed them for the first time. We had sex on the banks of the lake. It’s where I fell in love with them.
Lio gives me a smug look. “I know.”
We’re going to have our hands busy with our assignment. Saving the laboratory Draekons will be complicated, and I don’t know when we’re going to be able to return here. Before we leave the prison planet, I want to say goodbye to the place where I met my mates.
I drain my second cup of coffee. “Give me ten minutes to shower, and we can go.”
Zunix laughs and gets to his feet. As does Liorax. “It’s going to take longer than ten minutes.” There’s a familiar gleam in his eyes, and seeing his desire, my own need flares into life.
“Okay,” I say agreeably. When the occasion calls for it, I can be pretty damn pliant.
8
Felicity
What sort of gift do you buy your alien mate’s grown daughter? I clack my crochet needles together as I ponder. In the final week of my pregnancy, there’s not much activity I can indulge in, but crocheting is one of them. It’s sedentary, with the added bonus that I can take frequent snack breaks. But I’ve already made three blankets, two hats, and six pairs of baby booties. Plus, a diaper bag, and matching hats for both my mates, not that they have any reason to wear them. It’s eleven hundred degrees on this planet, or at least that’s what it feels like to my overheated body. My pregnancy has turned me into an oven. I swear I walk into a room and the temperature rises.
God, I’m so ready for this to be over.
Sofia tells me it’ll be better after I give birth. I really hope she’s right. And once the baby is old enough to travel, we’ll be going off planet to see Luddux’s daughter.
A year ago, I was on Earth. Now I have two mates, one of whom has a grown daughter who’s joined the rebellion. And I’m pregnant. Surreal.
What sort of gift says, ‘I’m your dad’s mate, and I know that I just had a baby, and you’re probably feeling a bit threatened, but I really want to get to know you, and I really want us to be family?’ I don’t know, but she’s getting a hat, cause that’s what I’m making.
I shift in my chair to reach the yarn, but the biggest skein has fallen out of my basket. Grunting with effort, I fight to rise. I’ve tried to stay fit this pregnancy, but in these last days, my belly has ballooned. I’m not saying I’m fat, but I’ve seen beached whales that are smaller.
What do beached whales wear to a holiday party? I’m wearing a dark green floor-length dress that can best be described as a muumuu. I don’t care; it’s comfortable. The fabric has little silver threads through it, and it’s pretty and sparkly. I wonder if I can re-purpose it into a cocktail dress once I have the baby. I should ask Ryanna. She’s really good at that kind of thing.
Ugh. Bending sucks. Snagging the yarn, I raise it in triumph and drop back into my seat, only to hear a depressing crunch.
“Oh no,” I groan and pull out my bag of snacks. They’re cheese puffs or the syn’s nearest equivalent to them. The syn does most food pretty well, but these snacks are the exception. For one thing, they’re green. For another, the syn hasn’t quite mastered the concept of cheese. At least not the fake orange stuff I prefer. Still, it’s salty and crunchy, and it hits the spot.
Except now I’ve sat on my last bag. I stick my hand in and, sure enough, it’s all turned to cheesy dust.
That’s how my mate Xan finds me, sad-faced and licking green bits off my hand. “Is everything all right, Felicity?”
“Yes.” Even I know I sound pathetic. Harper turned into waterworks when she was pregnant, and I’m not that bad, but I also haven’t seen my feet for three weeks, and I’m starting to get fed up. “I sat on my snacks.”
“You want me to make you more?”
“No, it’s fine. We need to get going if we want to make the holiday party.” I try to rise and stiffen as something in my belly tingles.
Xan sees the change in my expression. “Everything all right?” he asks, his voice coated with worry.
“Peachy keen, jellybean.”
His lips tilt up. “Another crazy Earth expression?”
I grab both his hands so he can help me up. “I can’t wait until I can stand up on my own again. Do I have green cheese powder on my butt?”
“No.” He rubs a hand down my back, and I arch into his touch like a cat. Harper told us how horny she’d be
en during her pregnancy, and I’m no exception. I want sex all the time, even if there are only a couple of positions that work with the belly. “Poor Felicity. It’ll be soon.”
“What will be soon?” Lud enters the living area, a wide smile on his face. “Mar’vi sends her greetings.”
“The birth of our baby. I’m so ready.” I tip my head back as he greets me with a kiss. “How’s she doing?”
“Good. She’s smuggling something for the rebellion, but she won’t tell me what. She promises me she’s staying safe and reminds me that she’s a grown woman who can take care of herself.” His smile fades. “Of course she can take care of herself. She’s had to do it all her life.”
“Hey.” I lace my fingers in his. “It’s not your fault, and you know it. We’re going to see her soon.” Kali, one of the healers here, tells me that she thinks I will be ready to travel two weeks after the baby’s born, and Sofia agrees with her. In less than a month, we’ll be seeing Lud’s daughter in person for the first time.
My stomach cramps again, and I wince. Both Lud and Xan notice. “Are you feeling okay?” Lud tucks a stray strand of my hair back from my face, his expression worried.
If I thought these guys were attentive before, it’s nothing like now. The bigger I get, the more they hover. “Yeah,” I reply, rubbing my belly. Whatcha doing in there, bean? “Probably just false contractions Sofia says my body is practicing for the actual labor.”
“Perhaps it’s better to stay home.” That’s Xan.
Hell, no. “No way,” I say firmly, push them toward the door. “I got dressed up and everything. I even ran a comb through my hair. I’m going.”
“Speaking of getting dressed…” Xan gives me a slow smile. “Bryce told me that in this holiday celebration, it is traditional to exchange gifts.”
“Yes.” I peer at him. Xan loves giving gifts. “But not necessary.”
“I know it is not required, Felicity.” His face softens. “But both Lud and I still wished to give you something to wear on this day.”
Once upon a time, I thought Xan pushed presents on me instead of expressing his feelings. But now that we’re all good in the emotional connection department, I’ve embraced my inner material girl. “In that case, lay it on me.”
Without saying anything, he places something around my neck. I look down. Xan’s given me a delicate chain with a charm made of three glittering stones around a larger, pearl-like gem. When I study the center jewel, there seems to be movement in its depths. “They call it dragon heart,” he says. “They mine it in the asteroid belt.”
“The three stones represent us,” Lud adds. “The middle is the life we make together. Always changing, but one thing remains fixed: our love for you.”
And now I’m crying. Damn it. I told the other women I’m not hormonal and teary-eyed, but Lud and Xan are intent on making a liar out of me.
“Felicity?” Xan sounds half amused, half alarmed. “The gift is okay?”
“The gift is way more than okay.” I wipe my tears with the back of my sleeve and hug them. Was it only a few months ago our relationship was falling apart? Now it seems we’ve been together forever. I can’t believe how far we’ve come.
Mmm. Hugging Xan and Lud is so nice. All those yummy muscles. Their firm bodies, their heated caresses… My pendant is lovely. I should thank them. Properly. In bed.
But we’re already late, and I’m Paige’s Secret Santa. “Let’s get to this party before I change my mind.”
Oh wow.
I come to a dead stop in the doorway of the party room. Bryce and Ryanna had volunteered to decorate, and they’ve outdone themselves.
The room is large and square, the ceiling open to the night sky. In the middle of it, a huge, decorated tree towers toward the stars. It’s not a fir—we are on an alien planet, after all—but it’s beautiful nonetheless, its leaves shades of pink and red.
Brightly wrapped presents are piled under the tree. There are tiny, glittering lights everywhere, on the tree, decorating the walls, hanging in mid-air. Long tables are pushed against two of the walls, covered with food and drink. The syns have been working overtime. Somehow—how?—there’s music from home too. Though the hubbub of conversation almost drowns it out, I can hear Adam Sandler singing the Hanukkah song.
“This is magical,” I whisper.
“Felicity!” Bryce waves to me, her face flushed. There’s a mostly empty glass of beer in her hands. “Happy holidays.”
I hug her as best as I can, my belly getting in the way. “Look at this place,” I tell her. “You are a rock star.”
She looks embarrassed. “I didn’t do it on my own,” she admits. “Ryanna came up with the concept, and then we roped Cax and Hurux in to help.” She looks over her shoulder to see where her mates are and then leans in. “Neither of them has a lot to do, and they’re not good being idle. Control freaks, both of them.”
Harper comes up, one hand holding Kaida, and another holding a plate of food. And when I say food, I mean dessert. “Hey, Felicity,” she says, a wide smile on her face. Harper and I got off on the wrong foot, but that feels like a long time ago. “How’re you doing?”
“Were you hot all the time toward the end of your pregnancy?”
“Oh God, yes. Hot, horny, cranky. You name it, I felt it.” Kaida tries to stick her chubby little fist into a slice of white cake, and I grab the plate from Harper before she drops it. “Thanks,” she says gratefully. “She’s growing a mile a minute, but I don’t think she’s ready for cake yet.”
Kaida doesn’t like being thwarted. She registers her protest with a loud yell. Bryce tries to distract her with the bracelet she’s wearing, a shiny, colorful piece of jewelry that chimes when she moves her wrist. Harper just groans. “You know, back home, I would give parents dirty looks if their kids didn’t behave.” She shakes her head ruefully. “And now I’m one of them. Serves me right.”
The cake that Kaida wanted to eat was made by Sofia. “It’s supposed to be tres leches,” she tells me. “It’s not quite right, but it’s not bad.”
She’s being modest; it’s delicious.
I set my present down under the tree, and move to the food tables. Lud’s already there, filling a plate for me, piled high enough to feed a pack of dwals. Usually, I’m super hungry, but this evening, I pick at everything, even at Sofia’s cake. My stomach keeps cramping. “I’m full now,” I whisper to Xan. “Save me a slice of cake for later?”
“Better hide it,” Harper quips, appearing at my elbow. “If my kid sniffs it out, she’ll go after it. She’s already starting to crawl.” She gives the buffet a considering look and then puts something green on her plate.
Kaida’s not with her. “Where is your kid?”
She points to a corner of the room, where someone’s set up a makeshift crib. Kaida’s fast asleep. “She can go from awake to asleep in the blink of an eye. She wakes up a lot, but strangely, noise doesn’t bother her.”
“Is she really already starting to crawl?” Paige shakes her head. “That’s amazing.”
“You say that now, but try running after her,” Harper says, but though she sounds like she’s grumbling, she’s beaming with motherly pride. “Everything’s accelerated with Draekon babies.”
“Thank heavens the pregnancy’s accelerated too.” My sides tingle a little, and I shift to get more comfortable. “I don’t think I could survive nine months of this.”
At some point in the evening, we open presents. Despite our agreement to do Secret Santa, Kaida still gets a whole pile of presents, and, to my complete surprise, so does my unborn daughter. “We didn’t get to do a baby shower for you,” Viola says apologetically as she hands me a parcel. “We all feel awful about it.”
“Vi, there was a war going on, remember?” I open her gift, which is a colorful mobile. “This is beautiful. Thank you.”
Harper’s holding up a pink, frilly skirt with a bemused expression on her face. “You guys,” she says. “You’re all sp
oiling the crap out of her. She’s got so much stuff, she can wear a new outfit every day for a month.”
The three of us turn to look at the crib. Kaida wakes up and rolls over on her stomach, yawning. The air around her seems to shimmer, and then it happens.
The baby transforms into a dragon. A perfect, miniature dragon with brightly jeweled wings. As I watch, my mouth falling open, she unfurls her wings and launches into the air, heading toward us. She circles her astounded mother a couple of times before flying into Harper’s arms.
You have got to be kidding me.
We’re not the only ones to have caught the flight. Vulrux and Dennox hurry over, identical shocked expressions on their faces. “But she’s a girl,” Harper stammers, stroking Kaida’s wings gently, a dazed look on her face. “I thought female Draekons don’t transform.”
Vulrux shrugs helplessly. “She’s a human-Draekon hybrid,” he says, kissing his daughter on the forehead. “Who knows what she’s capable of?”
“Now I know how she got out of her crib.” Harper shakes her head. “Oh God. How are we going to keep an eye on Kaida if she can fly?”
Viola grabs my sleeve. “Felicity,” she says urgently, her eyes wide. “You realize this is what we have to look forward to?”
I rub my belly again. “Unbelievable,” I murmur. “I’ll have grey hair before her first birthday.” My stomach cramps again, and I bite back a moan. Bracing myself on the chair arm, I stand. Maybe if I can stretch it out…
Before I can lift my arms, a lightning bolt shoots up my side. I cry out and pitch forward—right into Lud’s waiting arms.
“Felicity? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I grit my teeth as the pain spreads through my body. “Just a cramp.”
“A cramp?” Lud asks wildly. “Or the beginning of labor?”
Xan appears out of thin air. I ride the intense wave, gripping my mates’ hands and trying to breathe as my body tightens. “Not sure,” I gasp when I can speak again. “But that one was intense. The others weren’t this bad.”