Celeste contacted work and let them know she'd be going to the Draconian consulate to meet her mate. She wore her prettiest dress with the sparkling emerald green fabric that shimmered around her curves and complemented her red hair. She chose sexy shoes and glossed her lips with deep red. Celeste wanted her mate to see her at her best, even if he was some kind of barbarian warrior prince.

She took a hover cab to the consulate, too nervous to wait at the bus stop outside her building. The autodrive hover cab flew her across the city along a low skyway and landed in front of the consulate. She stepped out of the cab in front of the domed building, her heart racing. Sweat beaded on her skin, and she gulped.

She took several deep breaths as she made her way up the stairs and was more relaxed by the time she stood at the sliding glass doors. They swished open when she approached, and the holocom system greeted her as she entered the massive room.

“Greetings Celeste Dawes,” the artificially intelligent holocom said. “You've been mated with Salvatt Dorr, Fire Prince of Galaton. “

The AI showed holographic images across the room, displaying Salvatt in his native landscape. A thrill shot through her, aching deep within. She bit her lip. Masculinity oozed through time and space and she couldn’t look away from his brutal strength or the fire that glowed in the depths of his coal black eyes.

“When can I meet him?” she asked the AI.

“Standby for assistance.”

The seven-foot-tall Draconian secretary walked into the room wearing a skin-tight Draconian military-style jumpsuit. It hugged his every delicious contour like a silver-gray sheath. Celeste knew that with one flick of his finger, the jumpsuit would retract, and he’d be naked. The secretary put his hand on his heart in greeting and she did the same.

“Celeste Dawes. Thank you for coming. I am Secretary Kin Tal and will be assisting you during your transition.”

“It's good to meet you, Secretary. Can you take me to my mate, Salvatt Dorr? Where is he?”

“Ms. Dawes, I regret to inform you that Prince Salvatt is not on Earth to meet you. There are further conditions to your mating that you must be aware of.”

“What is it?” she asked, feeling less and less sure with each word the secretary spoke.

“You are to be inseminated with Prince Salvatt’s seed before leaving Earth. You will then travel through the wormhole to the Draconian galaxy. From there, it will take roughly a year for you to arrive at Galaton.”

“I'll have a baby when I arrive?”

“Presumably. That is the prince’s intention.”

“But we haven't even met. I can't have his baby. I don't even know if I want to leave Earth. I don't understand why he's not here.”

“The Galatonians are in the middle of an internal power crisis. The prince cannot leave his kingdom for fear of losing the throne. Each prince needs an heir to continue their lines and stabilize Galaton during this crisis. You will provide the fire prince his heir. It is an honor.”

“Right...”

Celeste didn't feel honored. She felt confused. How could she get pregnant with a Draconian's child when he was so far away?

“What about the mating impulse? How is he supposed to survive for so long without going mad?”

“The insemination and application of a special mating cream will begin the mating ritual. This genetic bonding will ease his inner dragon. You will communicate as little as possible over the next year, aboard your ship, to keep his dragon from becoming enraged with lust. This will help suppress the thrall. It will be a challenge for the prince. But it is a risk all the princes were willing to take.”

“I don't know what to do.”

“Do you understand that you are the exact genetic match for Prince Salvatt? You are his genetic mate. It is fated for you and no one else. If you do not go, the mating impulse will eventually destroy him.”

“I understand that.”

“This is the first time we've sent a bride to Galaton. The mating council feels the brides must be given a choice. Once you go, we cannot guarantee you can come back.”

“I don’t have to go even though I’ve been matched?”

“The committee will not force a bride to go into an uncontrolled environment. But we do trust that you will do what is right for your mate.”

“So, it's on me then,” she sighed. “Can I have some time to think about it?”

“Come back to inform me of your decision and we will continue from there,” the secretary said, putting his hand to his heart and bowing before walking away.

Celeste watched him stride out of the big, domed room through a sliding door. She turned to go, feeling confused and unsettled, and stepped down the concrete stairs to the sidewalk. Not only did her mate want her to come meet him on Galaton, which would take an entire year, he also wanted to knock her up while he was on the other side of the universe.

She walked out along the ground level street. The hovercraft zoomed overhead, silently slicing through the air. She felt strange walking on the ground. Celeste had spent most of her time walking the skywalks between the massive towers that made up the newer parts of the city.

She made her way through the old buildings along the street, the sun shining down on the trees that lined the sidewalk. She wondered if she could handle what lay ahead of her. What would await her when she finally arrived on the far-off alien planet? Would Salvatt be good to her? Would he be capable of loving her in the way she needed to be loved?

All her hopes for a mate and children seemed to shatter right before her eyes. She would never be mated with another Draconian again. The pieces of her dream fell down around her shoulders as she walked the old street. There were others down on the ground around her. A few old men played checkers on a board outside a quaint café. Old women did tai chi in the park. A young man walked his dog along the tree-lined street.

Did Celeste want to walk away from Earth and everything she knew for a man she’d never met? The thought of going back home made her realize she would only ever have a shadow; a half-life from then on. She couldn’t just go back to her job at the lab, after years of longing for a mate and child. It would be like admitting defeat.

If she didn’t go to him, her mate would eventually go mad and die.

She couldn’t live with that. As frightening as going into space might be, the prospect of killing her fated mate was far worse.

She’d grown up believing in fated mates, and believing in the stories she’d heard from human women who’d been matched with Draconian males. The women ended up deeply fulfilled and exceptionally happy. Not only that, being claimed by a Draconian imbued a human woman with superhuman vitality. She became more than human, stronger and with a longer life. It was hard to give that all up, just to stay on Earth.

Not that Earth wasn’t great, but her life would just be work and parties and whatever from now on. She’d never find another fated mate. And who knows if she’d ever find a human man to start a family with.

She approached an old water fountain in the park. A silver stream of water arched from a cherub’s mouth and splattered into the pool below. There were old coins at the bottom of the pool. It was an old Earth custom to throw a coin in a pool to make a wish. But they had stopped making coins on Earth a long time ago.

Celeste bent and picked up a piece of slick black stone, thinking of her mate’s obsidian black eyes. After polishing it off, she kissed it and closed her eyes.

“I wish for my prince to love me,” she said, throwing her stone into the fountain.

She let out a breath and opened her eyes, smiling. Turning on her heel, she headed back to the consulate. She was going to Galaton.

Celeste strode up the stairs and into the domed building. The AI greeted her but the secretary arrived before it got out its second sentence.

“You've returned,” the secretary said, raising an eyebrow. “Have you made up your mind?”

“I'll do it. I'll go to Galaton. Can I get started today? I don't want to lose my nerve.”

“Come this way,” the secretary said, leading her to the back door of the dome.

The door swished open, revealing a smaller chamber full of holocom terminals.

“We’ve received the required genetic material for insemination. Using this source material, we’ve created a mating cream for you to begin the mating ritual.”

“Cream?”

“We have a skin lotion that was created by bioengineering a synthetic replication of prince Salvatt’s semen. We created it for long term use. Rubbing it on your body will imbue you with the prince’s genetic signature. It will bond you to him and prepare your small human body to accept him.”

“All that from a lotion?” Celeste asked.

She’d never heard of anything like that before. But she’d never heard of Galatonians before either. Now she was going off into the unknown to meet one.

“So I rub it on me? Can I just do my hands or my stomach?”

“I’m afraid you must rub your entire body. And while you do it, the council suggests you think of him. That will activate the cosmic link between you. All of this will help the prince overcome his mating impulse until you arrive. It will also enable your womb to accept his seed.”

The secretary began to flick through items on his holographic screen. A moment later, the far wall swished open, showing what appeared to be the passenger bay of a shuttle.

“Am I going now?”

“No time like the present.”

“Am I to be inseminated now?”

“First you must begin the mating ritual. Please take your seat in the shuttle. Your ship’s medic is waiting above on the Bride Ship.”

Celeste’s eyes bulged but she took her seat anyway. The automatic safety harness came down over her shoulders and around her waist while the secretary punched information into the shipboard holocom.

“You are ready for takeoff,” he said, exiting the craft.

“Thanks,” she muttered, feeling the hover engines power on under her.

The door swished closed and the last thing she saw was the secretary’s handsome face.

What had she just agreed to do? Panic started to unfurl in her throat and she let out a scream as the shuttle took off. It shot through the city and gained speed as it gained altitude. Soon she was rocketing through the atmosphere, braking into space and away from her planet forever.

She marveled at the black void, speckled with distant galaxies. Where was Draconia in the sky? She looked around. An armada of ships and space stations orbited Earth and the moon.

She drew closer to a transport vessel, and her shuttle came into dock alongside it. The hatch clicked onto the ship and her door opened in a docking room.

Her harness moved away and Celeste stood, looking around. Right outside her door, a competent looking Draconian medic wearing a white robe over his jumpsuit stood waiting for her.

“Greetings, Celeste Dawes. Welcome aboard the Bride Ship Rising Phoenix. The ship has been retrofitted to serve the needs of Galatonian mates. I will be beginning the process of readying you for insemination.”

“Readying me?” she asked growing nervous as she followed him out of the shuttle.

“Before insemination, you will bathe and cover yourself with mating cream. It is very important to the process. You will find all the required items in your bridal suite.”

She followed the dragon shifter down a wide corridor that wrapped around the ship. They stopped outside a door and the medic flicked his holocom, making the door swish open. Inside there was a small apartment, set up in the current style on Earth. It was a mix of old Earth charm and Draconian technology. She walked through the entrance into an open living area, taking in the space.

“This will be your chamber for the remainder of the journey. In the bathroom, you will find additional instruction.”

“Okay...”

“Please alert me through the shipboard holocom when you are done with the process. Your bracelet holocom should tie in seamlessly with our system.”

“When will I get to speak with Prince Salvatt?”

“He’s sent you a recorded message. You will find it in the bathing chamber.”

“We aren't going to speak to each other?”

“I'm afraid that is not possible right now. Let us focus on the matter at hand. Please prepare yourself for the insemination. Further instructions will be found in the bath chamber. Please speak to the AI.”

The medic bowed and walked out through the sliding door. She sighed as she found herself alone in the well-appointed suite. The layout reminded her a bit of her old apartment at home. But here, the view outside her windows was space, not the cityscape she was used to.

She walked to the window, looking out at Earth. She could see the white clouds swirling over the deep blue oceans and the vast green land. It was so beautiful. She was afraid to leave.

Salvatt couldn't even talk to her. She knew that communication would be limited, but she'd hoped that he would at least say hello before he had her impregnated. She turned away from the view of her planet and walked toward the bedroom. There was a big comfortable bed waiting for her and she ran her hand over the soft blanket before turning to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, she found a massive circular tub. It was so deep it would reach her chin if she filled it. It was a Draconian bath. Meant for mating. There was also a stand up shower, a sink, and large vanity in front of mirrors. When she could see herself reflected in the mirrors, a holocom screen activated and rose up in front of her.

“Welcome to the Bride Ship Rising Phoenix, Celeste Dawes. Mate of Fire Prince Salvatt Dorr of Galaton. Bridal Bath is activated. Please disrobe and enter to wash yourself.”

Celeste screwed up her face at the holocom AI. She'd imagined taking this dress off for her new mate, not some silly AI. There wasn't much else she could do now, except go along with the program. She slipped out of her sassy shoes and pulled the form-fitting dress up over her head. When she was naked, she stepped into the deep bath.

The warm water slowly rose up around her as she sank further into the tub. There were landings around the edge, allowing her to sit at different levels in the water. Bottles lined the top of the tub, full of cream.

“Please take a bottle and use it to wash your body and hair,” the AI said. “While you do so, please watch this introductory video message from Prince Salvatt.”

A three dimensional holographic image of the prince rose between the tub and the mirrors. His presence was overpowering, even in holographic form. He was clad in medieval style armor brandishing a laser sword, a grimace on his hard, handsome face. His black eyes gazed down on her. But he didn't see her. This was all just a recording.

“Greetings, Earth female. I am Salvatt Dorr, Fire Prince of Galaton. I am pleased to have found you at long last. By now you understand the conditions of our mating. The crew aboard your vessel has been instructed to care for your every need. I await news of the progress of your pregnancy and the birth of my heir. During your travel, direct communication should be rare, if ever. I hope your journey is pleasant.”

The communication ended and his image disappeared. The mirror holocom exploded with moving images of Salvatt doing all kinds of things.

Salvatt fighting. Salvatt in sleek red dragon form, flying above a volcano on Galaton. His muscular dragon body, powerful and dominant in the scene. Salvatt on his obsidian throne. Salvatt shirtless in a crystal pool, droplets dripping down his muscled chest, his eyes hooded and gazing right at her. There was fire behind the black globes of his eyes. She could see it.

She stared at the images of Salvatt, as she rubbed the cream on her skin. She felt her body rise with heat. She came alive with an electric thrill that radiated outward from her core.

She gasped and her nipples tightened. The images of her mate told the story of who he was. His fierce drive. His battled-hardened muscles. The hidden moments of joy and playfulness. She knew him now. Longing for him gripped her heart, and the ache in her core tightened.

“Salvatt,” she said, feeling their connection spring up inside her.

All the years in the orphanage. All the years in college and working at the lab, she'd never felt truly attached to anyone. Now, she could feel a deep, true attachment to Salvatt. It made her want to weep with joy.

She pushed off the ledge and ducked under the water, rinsing off all the soapy cream. When she emerged, she felt like she was a new woman. She filled her lungs with air and pulled herself up out of the water.

“After the bath, you will apply more mating cream,” the AI said.

The images of Salvatt disappeared, and she looked at herself in the mirror. Her long auburn hair fell around her curvy frame. The look in her eyes gave away how she felt. A lone still image of Salvatt remained on the mirror. She stepped forward, touching her fingertips to his image on the screen.

“Can this be real, Salvatt Dorr?” she asked the image.

“Applying dryer fan,” the AI stated.

Fans started above, blowing the remaining water from her skin.

“Please apply the mating cream evenly over your entire body,” the AI stated.

She lifted the cloudy glass bottle and dug her fingers into the thick white cream. It was smooth and silky on her fingers with a slightly different texture than the shampoo version. She rubbed it between her palms, taking in the subtle scent. She found it inexplicably alluring as she rubbed it on her naked flesh. With every caress of her curves, she grew more aroused.

Celeste had rubbed it all over herself, everywhere but her aching core. She longed to feel her slick fingers over her need. But she resisted, not wanting to push herself to the brink. Salvatt was a universe away. There was no one here to fulfill her.

“Please apply cream to sexual organs,” the AI stated.

“I guess there's no avoiding it,” she whispered, scooping another dollop of lotion onto her fingers.

She slid them between her thighs, pressing her fingertips against her lips. Her nipples tightened, and she pressed the lotion against her swollen clit. She groaned, as her body spasmed with release. The orgasm hit her hard, making her knees go weak as she stood naked before the mirror. She grasped the marble counter top, catching her breath as her head swam and her body clenched.

“Oh my God, I was not expecting that.”

“You are now ready for insemination,” the AI stated as a padded bench slid out from the counter. “Please recline on the provided table and spread your legs.”

“Wait a minute. How is this semen getting inside me?” she asked.

She sincerely did not want to be impregnated by the AI.

The AI lifted a mechanical arm out of the wall. It settled in front of her face, holding a rubber syringe.

“I can inject the semen for your convenience. Or you may perform it manually. Whichever is your preference.”

“I'd rather do it myself,” she muttered.

“Very well. Please recline on the table, spread your legs, and inject this syringe.”

“Who says romance is dead?” she said, holding the rubber syringe.

She settled down onto the padded table. The screen moved in front of her to show more images of Salvatt in the steaming pool of water, his shimmering body on display for her hungry eyes.

She slid the syringe toward her slick sex, taking a sharp breath as she pushed it inside. The image of Salvatt's face grew larger on the screen. It seemed to consume her whole, and black out every other thought she'd ever had.

The syringe hit her g-spot as she pushed the lever to release the semen. It shot hard against her womb, filling her with heat. She threw her head back as she came again, her body throbbing around the syringe. She pulled it away, Salvatt's seed deep inside her now.

She felt faint and flushed. Her head was spinning. Gasping, she sat up on the side of the table. She stood, the hot semen flowing down her leg and dripping on the floor. Heat pricked at her chest and she couldn't breathe. She gasped for air, her mind fuzzy like a fever dream, and she tripped against the table.

“What's happening?”

“The Draconian DNA is having an unexpected effect on your body. Your vital signs are spiking. Remain calm. Help is coming.”

Celeste grabbed a swath of fabric hanging by the shower and wrapped it around her body before she buckled at the knees and fell to the floor. The Draconian medic rushed into the room, picked her up, and carried her into the next room where he placed her on the bed. He scanned her with his medical wands without speaking.

Soon, her heart rate slowed and her breathing returned to normal. She took a deep breath and tried to sit up. The medic put his hand to her chest, keeping her immobile.

“Please remain still,” the medic said. “You've had an adverse reaction to the artificial insemination. I've controlled the reaction. But you must rest.”

“Is there something wrong?” Celeste asked.

She couldn't help but feel like she had just conceived a child with her fated mate. What had happened during the insemination process was more powerful than anything she’d ever experienced.

“We will know if the seed takes soon. I suggest you rest while the ship begins its journey toward the wormhole. Try to sleep. We will be ready to jump to the Draconian system by the time I can test you for pregnancy hormones.”

“Alright. I guess I'll hang out here. Is there any food in this place?”

“The kitchen should be stocked with foods commonly enjoyed by human females of your age. If you require something else, a replicator has been provided,” the medic said.

He started for the door, and she was relieved to be left alone. She wanted to put on pajamas and get comfortable, but she didn't have anything to wear. She slid from the bed, holding the sheet around her as she walked toward the closet door. Pulling it open, she found it filled with clothes.

It was a wardrobe full of the latest in human fashions and latest Draconian styles. The women back on Draconia preferred long, draping robes with bold color patterns on flowing fabrics.

Celeste pulled a stunning Draconian formal gown from the closet. It was exquisite, and cut for her human size. She gasped, gripping the towel around her body. After putting the gown back on the rack, she looked around for pajamas. She found them in a drawer in back of the closet. A pair of red plaid flannels pjs called out to her so she grabbed them and slid them on. They felt like a dream after her ordeal, and she let out a soft purr of appreciation.

“Bedtime sequence,” she told the room's holocom system as she walked back to the bed.

She slid under the covers with a sigh. Tomorrow she would find out if she was pregnant. Only yesterday she had been half-considering a life of solitude; tomorrow she could have everything she had ever wanted.

Celeste woke as the lights slowly crept up to mimic the sunrise. When her eyes parted, she almost forgot where she was. She gasped at the sight of space outside her window and jumped from bed, her heart racing. She looked around, recognition returning more with each breath. She was on the Bride Ship Rising Phoenix, headed for the Draconian system and Galaton. To meet her new mate.

The thought of Salvatt rose from the back of her brain to the front of her consciousness and a tingle ran down her spine. She wanted more than anything to speak to him, have a conversation. It would help her get over her fears that everything she felt for him was a fantasy.

What she'd experienced during the insemination process could have been the product of her vivid imagination, or it could have been the effects of their underlying bond. Their physical attraction. Their unity with each other. The DNA match was scientific. Maybe that’s all there was to it and she was fooling herself that it was anything more.

She bit her lip, wanting to believe in true love. She brushed her hair away from her face and went to the kitchen where a pot of coffee was already brewing. She fixed it just as she liked it and walked toward the wall of windows that looked out onto space.

The Rising Phoenix had traveled a long way while she'd slept. They were already at the edge of the solar system. She could see the blue sphere of Neptune sliding away behind them. The wormhole opening was close.

Her door swished opened behind her and she spun around, spilling her coffee on her pjs and the floor. The medic walked forward, holding a medical scanner. Wordlessly he ran it up and down, about six inches from her body. Then he examined the readings.

“I conclude that you are pregnant with Prince Salvatt's fetus. Congratulations,” he said. “You will have to strap in as we approach the wormhole. Please take a seat.” He flicked through a holocom on the wrist of his jumpsuit.

A harnessed seat appeared out of the wall. Celeste wiped at the stain on her pajamas. Her heart pounded. She'd never been through the wormhole. Suddenly terrified, she couldn't let go of her coffee cup as she slid her feet toward the harnessed seat.

“Does it hurt?” she croaked.

“Not usually,” the medic said.

The medic put her helmet on and helped her into her seat. She still had a vice grip on her cup when the harness was down. The medic tried to tug it away before he did his last check. She clenched her teeth, holding onto a deep breath. The medic started to ply her fingers from the cup. She relented and let out her breath.

“Ready?” he asked.

“I guess?”

“Happy flight.”

He walked out the sliding door, leaving her alone in the room. This was not the way to travel. She felt like a trapped cat, her lungs pumping faster and faster as the ship began to shake.

“Oh God. I want to go home,” she whimpered as the ship started through the wormhole.

The entire fabric of reality seemed to be ripped from its roots and flung against the wall of her mind. Celeste felt a tremendous propelling force, pushing within her. It felt like it wanted to turn her inside out. Outside the windows, strobing lights passed, almost too fast to see.

Just as she didn't think she could take it anymore, the ship settled and the strobing light stopped. She caught her breath, looking out at the view of the Draconian system. The planet of Draconia was in the distance, behind an asteroid belt. Celeste fumbled with the harness, her fingers numb. The door swished open behind her and the medic entered the room.

He immediately began unbuckling her. When he was done, he scanned her body with his medical scanner one more time.

“Pregnancy still intact,” the medic said.

He started toward the door, not offering her any further words of consolation or congratulations.

“Wait!” she started. He turned to her, an inquisitive expression on his face. “What do I do now?”

“Now, you wait. You will receive expert medical care for the rest of your journey. The child will be surgically delivered in nine months and will then be fed Draconian formula. I will be available for assistance in caring for the child and ensuring you are both well cared for. For the time being, enjoy your stay with us on the Rising Phoenix. If you need social interaction, the crew will be happy to converse with you.”

“How nice of them,” she muttered.

“Good day, Ms. Dawes. I am but a holocom message away.”

He finally broke away and the door swished shut behind him. Celeste sniffed the air, her pjs smelled of stale coffee. She groaned and made her way to the bathroom, to bathe and watch images of Salvatt in her mirror.

Every day, during the long journey, Celeste rubbed mating cream onto her body as her ship made its way across the Draconian galaxy toward Galaton. They stopped along the way for supplies from space stations and other Draconian outposts. Celeste was never allowed to leave the ship. She spent most of her time alone in her suite, watching holocom videos from Earth and chatting with friends at home.

Sometimes, communication with Earth would be shut off because of solar flares or electromagnetic fields that blocked the signal. During those times, the only people she had to talk to were the small crew aboard the Rising Phoenix.

With each passing month, her belly grew rounder and she grew more attached to her dreams of her baby's father. Then the medic told her it was a boy. The child was an heir to the fire lands of Galaton. Just what Salvatt had wanted.

Every so often, Salvatt sent her a prerecorded message, telling her that he eagerly awaited her arrival. With each video, she felt she knew him just a little bit better. She held on to that belief as her time to deliver came near. Even after the baby came, she would still have three months aboard this ship, waiting to meet her child's father.

Every day as her bond with her growing child grew, her need for her mate grew with it.

The anticipation was killing her by the time she was nine months pregnant. She seemed to grow larger with each passing day. She at once longed for when she would meet Salvatt and also desired for her pregnancy to last until they were together. All along, the medic had made sure she had all her needs met. When the medic informed her it was time to deliver the baby, she was calm as she followed him down to the delivery room on a hover chair.

She was then instructed to climb onto the operating table. The medic waved his instrument over her body, numbing her from the waist down. A moment later, she smelled the sharp scent of burning flesh. She covered her eyes, not wanting to look. After a tugging sensation, she heard the sharp cry of her child.

She gasped and opened her eyes, reaching out for her baby. The doctors took him away, weighing and measuring him.

“Please,” she gasped, arms still outstretched for him.

The medics wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in his mother's arms. Celeste's eyes filled with tears as the feeling in her legs started to return. She sat up, feeling almost perfectly fine. Her beautiful baby's little fists bobbed around in front of his face, handsome and strong like his father. His eyes were dark and his skin was dusty red. She reached down and kissed the tiny hand and little cheeks.

A wellspring of love erupted in her heart. It burst through all the sorrow and pain of the past. She gasped at the power of it. She'd never felt so in love with anyone or anything in her life. Wispy dark black hair fluttered above her baby’s handsome little face. His eyes were dark like his father’s. She felt she'd finally found the love of her life when she looked at her son.

“Prince Salvatt would like to have a word with you,” the medic said.

“Another recorded message?” she asked, gazing down at her little angel.

“Not this time.”

Celeste looked up, her eyes bulging. A three dimensional hologram of Salvatt stood before her, looking down at her and the baby. She felt her face flush red, thinking of how she must look right now. She'd wanted him to meet her in her sexiest dress, not post-delivery in a hospital gown with messed up hair.

“Greetings, mate. You have done well in bringing me a son.”

“Thank you. I'm so happy to finally meet you, Salvatt. I have so much to say.”

“Those things must wait, for now. My purpose today is to come to an agreement on the name for our son. I propose he be called Prince Shishone Nixtok Dorr. Do you object?”

“I was thinking more like Tyler?”

“Tyler? Is that a human name? I don't like it.”

“Oh,” Celeste said, taken aback by his abrupt tone. “How about Shiloh for a first name? It sounds similar to...what was that again?”

“Shishone. I can see the wisdom in you knowing your own baby's name. Prince Shiloh Nixtok Dorr. It is settled. I must go.”

“Salvatt?” she started.

“I must not linger. Each nanosecond brings my mating impulse closer to a head. There is still much for me to endure before you arrive, mate. I must leave you.”

His hologram blipped out and her lips pressed together. A tear formed in the corner of her eye. She felt such a mix of emotions she couldn't settle on a single one. Her baby filled her with pride and joy, and a kind of love she'd never imagined possible. Meeting Salvatt added a whole other layer of feelings she wasn't ready for today. Her heart wouldn't slow down. But his abrupt departure brought up things she'd been hiding from herself all along.

She was scared he wouldn't love her. She was scared they wouldn't be able to understand each other and wouldn't get along.

The medics pushed her bed down the hallway and back to her suite where a nursery had already been prepared. They helped her into bed, and she and the baby snuggled together under the blankets while she fed him Draconian formula from a bottle.

“It's just us for now, Shiloh,” she whispered. “But we're going to meet Daddy very soon.”