“I can’t believe this is my life now,” I stated out loud, standing in front of the full-length mirror in my bathroom, which was filled with luxurious white marble.

I was standing in a red lace bra and panties set. I touched the golden emerald necklace Togtulir had given to me which had been handed down from his deceased mother. It was worth more than my parents’ house in value and here I was displaying it proudly around my neck. I relished in my blue-toned skin. I shifted back to human every once in a while, but mostly stayed Cardalphian, so I could bond and blend with Togtulir.

“What’s that smile for?” I jumped, startled as I turned around to see my fiancé standing in the doorway with a bouquet of red roses.

“Are those for me?” I walked over to him and planted a kiss on his lips. He smelled and tasted masculine and I loved it. “I was just marveling at the glorious fact that I look like you now.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and he sighed in contentment.

“You know it’s more important what you are on the inside than what you look like, right? You know, that amazing personality shining through?” He was teasing me but I respected his humane character. He was made to be a powerful leader because he was strong and fair.

He scooped me up gently, but then in a frenzy of fun he pushed me to the ground, planted me on all fours in front of the full-length mirror. “What’s that devilish grin for?”

I puckered my lips and pretended to kiss him in our reflections. He began to run his hands up and down my arms. He took his big hands and wrapped them around my breasts, shaking and bouncing them. He removed my bra in one swoop and flicked my hard nipples, leaned over to kiss them.

“Mm, I’m wet, baby.” I licked my lips and he shoved off my red thong panties. I watched him take his rock-hard blue cock out of his boxer shorts as he shoved it between my legs. He plunged into my pussy which was swollen, wet, and ready for him. Thrusting back and forth, we watched each other in the mirror. I loved how our blue skin matched. “Fuck me hard, Togtulir,” I moaned and it drove him wild. He loved when I moaned his name during sex.

“I’m gonna cum all over your juicy little ass, you naughty Cardalphian.” His eyes dazzled in the mirror. He took his cock out which was wet and slick from my pussy. He started to slap his cock on my ass as he massaged himself, pushing back and forth. After a moment or two, I watched as his hot cum squirted out of his dick and onto the back of my ass. He grabbed me and squeezed me into a hug as we kissed, watching ourselves in the mirror.

* * *

In just a few short weeks I would become his bride. All the wedding preparations were underway. Togtulir had hired a vibrant and bouncy wedding planner for me to work with. I loved her the minute she walked into the room, strutting like she owned the place and was on a mission.

I was currently waiting for her to stop by so she could show me some color themes. “Hey there, girlfriend,” I looked to the side as I was outside watering the daisies in the garden. Vaneti, the wedding planner pulled down her sunglasses. She was wearing an A-line skirt that might have given away too much of her full hips, but she was so chic, she could pull it off. She was the most popular wedding planner in all of Cardalph and I had been lucky enough to snag her up. For the next few weeks, she was all mine.

“Hey, Vaneti, how’s it going today?” I switched off the water hose and gave her a hug.

“Cindy, have I got the spread of color to show you today girl. You are going to absolutely love these themes.” She talked animatedly using her hands, waving around her perfectly manicured nails.

“Great! I’ve made us some lemonade. Shall we talk on the sun porch?”

“You know that sounds amazing to me, girlfriend.” She winked at me, placing her enormous designer sunglasses on the top of her head.

“Now, how do you like pastels?” Vaneti raised her eyebrows at me, opening her huge binder full of ideas and pictures.

“Um, I like them I guess,” I replied, feeling a little overwhelmed by the selection.

“Here we have a beach/island theme. You might like that one since you met Togtulir on the beach and all. Isn’t that right, girl?” I loved how she called me “girl” as if I was her pal from years past. She made me feel welcomed and warm.

“Yeah. Sure I do like that. I like the greens and the sandy colors. They are peaceful and inviting. Yeah. I could get into that.” I nodded and pointed at a picturesque scene with some palm trees in the background.

“Okay, girl. It’s settled. Let me work on this selection and I’ll come back to you later with a price quote and the types of flowers I think might work best for a beach theme. I’m thinking some nice stargazer lilies will do the trick. You like lilies, right, girl?”

“Oh yes, I do like them. They are really pretty.” I stood up to follow Vaneti back around the fence line of the property to where she had first emerged. She and all her boisterous personality.

“Okay, girl. I’ll be in touch. Very soon. Eek! This is all coming together. By the way, I’m so beyond thrilled and happy for you. Togtulir is a catch if you haven’t figured it out by now. You better not throw that one back out to sea.” She winked at me and disappeared behind the corner. I stood there smiling with my hands in my jean pockets for a moment or two before hunger grumbled in my belly. It was time to grab some lunch and daydream about a beautiful beach themed wedding filled with bliss.

Once I got inside, I took some items from the pantry and fridge to make a sandwich. I stood there rhythmically slicing into a juicy tomato I had just bought from the local fresh market near the palace. Suddenly I began to feel a dizzy feeling come over me. I clutched the side of the granite countertop.

Trying to breathe in and out calmly, I gained the courage to open my eyes and look up. The dizzy spell had passed, but I still felt lightheaded. This was the second time in three days that I had felt lightheaded and dizzy as if I were going to pass out. I wondered if it was because I was shifting in and out of the Cardalphian suit. I thought that maybe I should lie down to rest and put my feet up.

While I was lying there, I began to get a little concerned. I needed to try to fit in a visit to a doctor here in town before the wedding. I needed a checkup just to make sure everything was ok. I didn’t want the worry that something scary or life-threatening might be wrong with me. I was hoping the doctor could rule it out as just stress from the wedding or shifting back and forth between the two species.

* * *

A day later, I was in the waiting room of a general practice doctor I found by researching on the computer in Togtulir’s office. I looked around as I waited for my name to be called. There was a round aquarium in the middle of the room, filled with tropical, brightly colored fish. They were swimming around in pure happiness, not a care in the world.

“Ms. Cindy Jameson?” A nurse opened a door leading to the back. She was wearing white scrubs and had a short, bold blonde haircut. She held a clipboard and her expression was one of expectancy.

“Um, right here.” I raised a hand to let her know I was ready to go back with her and scooped up my purse.

She took my weight, blood pressure, and a urine sample, as well as a blood sample. “Covering all the bases to find out what’s wrong with me, huh?” I joked with her but she only smiled as her response.

I had decided to go to the appointment in my human skin. I wanted the doctor to make an accurate assessment of me based on what I really looked like. I had felt so self-conscious in the waiting room and on the way to the appointment but I knew I could switch right back to Cardalphian after I got home.

She led me to a patient room. “Dr. Chirolar will be right with you.” She closed the door and I sat up on the bed, swinging my legs back and forth with my hands tucked under my knees.

After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door and the most adorable Cardalphian doctor came in. He must have been in his seventies. Bless him for still being in practice and holding off on retirement.

“Ms. Jameson?”

“That’s me. I reached out to extend and offer my hand to greet him.

“It’s nice to meet you, dear. What seems to be the problem?” He was holding a device that looked like a tablet. As I explained to him my dizzy and lightheaded spells, he would nod periodically and type something into the tablet.

“Well, I think I know what the trouble is dear. Your blood test came back positive for pregnancy.”

The room began to spin as I let this information sink in. I shook my head. “I’m sorry. Did you just say pregnancy?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he looked back down at his tablet to recheck it for the lab results. “We do have some concerns, however. Being that you are a human and Togtulir is Cardalphian, this baby will be half and half.”

I stared at him as if he’d just compared my baby to a cream you lace your coffee with. “Half and half?” I press him for a better explanation.

“Yes dear,” he sat down in the chair next to me and crossed his legs. “Now, there is a slight chance the pregnancy won’t last. As you know, Cardalphian’s are generally quite larger and stronger than humans. Given the occasional exception, we will need to monitor you quite frequently to check the baby’s progress to make sure your body can handle the pregnancy.”

I stared past him, feeling numb and not fully comprehending what he was explaining. His lips were moving, but I was only partially hearing him. Coming back to reality I looked him straight in the eyes. “Will I die?”

To my chagrin, he chuckled at my question. “No, dear, you won’t die. We will monitor this pregnancy very cautiously. If we need to take the baby out early, we have the medical advances and technology to do so and have both you and baby remain healthy. Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to either of you.”

I nodded my agreement, not knowing what else to say and feeling like I didn’t have a choice in the matter. I went to the checkout counter and the receptionist handed me a little card. She instructed me to return to Dr. Chirolar in three weeks for a re-evaluation and to check on the pregnancy.

I took the card and walked slowly back out into the crowded and loud city streets. I wasn’t sure how I was going to break this news to Togtulir, but I knew I had to do it soon. I only hoped he would be excited.