Astrid

 

 

 

AS I WALKED down the palace halls, surrounded by the three warriors and Prairie and X, I was still unsure what exactly had happened last night. I couldn’t process why anyone would attack me. Sell me into slavery? Try to rape me?

I shuddered.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Prairie asked. “Maybe we should take you back to Zane.”

“Please. No. This is just the kind of distraction I need.”

“You know Zane would never let anything happen to you, right?” She persisted.

I knew. I’d witnessed with my own eyes him destroying that male last night—leaving nothing but a bloody headless carcass. He’d displayed none of that rabid violence when we’d retired to his rooms. The way he’d bathed me, cleaning away the feeling of that man’s hands on me. Then he’d slowly, so, so gently, brought me to a shuddering orgasm without taking anything for himself.

Zane’s love was a force all on its own, all-encompassing, all-consuming.

For the first time life on Zenithia seemed like a very real possibility. If not for the one thing missing. My parents.

In that regard, I counted Prairie lucky, which was a shitty thing to think. I had no idea what her upbringing had been like or what she’d endured on her own.

At least X’s and her baby would be surrounded by love.

Excitement began to ripple through me. I wondered what kind of medical equipment they had here. If we’d get to see the baby via ultrasound or sonogram . . .

The healer I remembered from my first day—a tall exotic female with lavender-tinted skin—waited as Prairie, X, and I entered the examining room of what seemed to be a bustling medical bay inside the palace.

Dex, Magnar, and Jedrek stood guard outside the doors that whooshed closed behind us.

Beside a long soft-looking lounger, the woman beckoned Prairie to her. Otherwise the room appeared to be empty. No ultrasound, not even any medical implements like a stethoscope or jars of swabs and cotton balls. No microscopes, no machines, and the healer definitely wasn’t wearing scrubs, but a stately outfit consisting of a flowing robe over loose pants.

My excitement turned to disappointment.

“Prairie, how have you been?” the silver-haired healer asked.

“You mean since you poked and prodded me last night? I swear this is worse than that whole mating ceremony rigmarole when the ladies got me all slicked up so I could get it on with this guy here.”

X had to be well used to his mate’s sarcasm by now—he merely leaned over to kiss Prairie’s mouth until she shut up.

“She’s been well,” he added. “Aside from a little excitement last night . . .”

“Hey, bucko. That was not my fault,” Prairie shot back.

X glanced at me then at the healer. “Perhaps you should also check Astrid? She was attacked last night.”

“Attacked? Why didn’t you bring her to me immediately?” Concern stemmed from the healer.

Prairie wagged a finger at X. “Bad king. Bad.”

“I’m fine. Honestly. A little shaken up is all, and Zane took very good care of me.”

“In bed,” Prairie muttered in an undertone.

Even the healer’s eyebrows rose at that one.

“Your Majesty,” she turned to X, “would you help Prairie onto the bed.”

“Doesn’t she need to undress?” I stepped closer.

“Now you wanna get a look at my goods too?”

“Meehri, you know this would go a whole lot faster if you just—”

The pretty and precocious redhead mimed zipping her lips and tossing away the key.

She lay back where X placed her, taking his hand in hers as a serene smile spread across her face. The smile of a woman completely at peace.

With nothing but a flick of her wrist, the healer conjured a 3D image that floated over Prairie’s burgeoning belly.

I almost passed out on the spot. And here I’d been disappointed there wasn’t an ultrasound.

Her womb—part of it anyway—appeared in front of us like hi-tech magic.

All of a sudden, Prairie gasped, voice full of horror. “Ohemgee! It has two heads!”

Eyes wide, I saw exactly what she did. Two tiny heads filling the multidimensional imagery.

“I mean I’m fine with the two cocks thing, but—”

“Diphallia,” I whispered.

X remained strangely silent. Maybe two heads was a thing? In which case, I’d have to rethink everything about Zenithia all over again.

Then the healer waved her fingers a little, and the hologram zoomed out to capture Prairie’s entire womb.

“You’re having twins!” I shouted, stunned into relief by the clear image of two separate babies. “Last night you only mentioned one baby.”

And what did Prairie do? She laughed, of course.

“Well, I needed to leave you a little surprise, didn’t I? Babies.” She patted her tummy lovingly. “That’s right. It seems Zenithians never do anything by halves.”

“That’s miraculous, Prairie.” Peering closer, I started walking around the image, but the healer saw my intention and simply rotated the hologram so I could have a better look.

There was nothing quite like witnessing a human-alien-hybrid life being created. Each baby had the two heart chambers but otherwise their anatomy appeared typical. And it was clear Prairie was pregnant with a boy and a girl.

Tears sprung to my eyes. “You’re both very, very lucky.”

“I know.” She grinned.

X stroked a large palm over her belly, and incredibly, both babies kicked up against his hand. The brightest smile shone on his face. The huge male, the king of his race, positively beamed with pride.

“Even better, superfast gestation so I can get my drink on again soon. Booyah,” the smug momma-to-be added.

Giggling, I left X and Prairie to it, thinking I could get Magnar to escort me back to Zane. Seeing the king and queen so completely happy made me want to rush to my own . . . mate.

Zane. My mate.

But I didn’t find just the three warriors waiting outside. A small congregation had gathered.

Then I spied it. A headband consisting of plastic alien antennae on springs that went boooiiing when plucked. The kitsch headband that belonged to . . .

“MOM!” I flung myself into her arms, laughing deliriously and crying at the same time.

I leaned back to make sure she wasn’t a mirage. One glance at her Humans Aren’t Real T-shirt and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was her. She was here.

I hugged her more closely.

Her arms wound around me.

Then Dad was there too.

And Cozmo.

My eyes wet, I lifted them to see Zane, whose smile was at least as blinding as X’s had been.