Pulled by the Tail: Celestial Mates

by Nancey Cummings

  She winced at her choice of words. Talking about her ass was so much better than flirting.

  “Your ass is appropriately covered.” Amusement colored his voice.

  They descended the stairs. “What did you do to Georgia!?” Bright gasped.

  “I did nothing. She came to me this way,” Talen grumbled.

  “I think I’m allergic to the evergreens we used for decorating,” she said, raising her voice to speak over Bright and Talen.

  “Well, don’t just stand there,” Bright scolded. “Take her to the medic!”

  No time for breakfast then. Just as well. Georgia didn’t want to eat or drink anything just in case her body decided that today was the day for exciting new food allergies.

  They exited the house without drawing an audience. Talen grumbled the entire way. “Does she believe I cart you around for my entertainment? Of course I’m taking you to the medic.”

  He pressed her closer to his chest as he opened the vehicle door. With little fuss, he sat her inside and fastened the seat belt.

  “Thank you, again,” she said, blindly reaching for his hand. “I know you have things you’d rather be doing than carting me around.”

  He huffed, this time sounding less agitated. “I would not trust Quil to do this.”

  “I wouldn’t either. He’d probably get distracted by something sparkly and leave me stranded on the side of the road.”

  No response. For a moment, Georgia wondered if she pushed too far. Then, he burst into laughter. The driver’s side door opened, and the vehicle shifted as Talen sat down, still chuckling.

  The day wasn’t so bad, all things considered.

  * * *

  Talen

  * * *

  Georgia looked wretched but never uttered a complaint about her obvious misery. Angry red splotches and tiny bumps covered her pale skin. Scratches marred her fingers and hands, possibly from the evergreen she handled yesterday, or possibly from vermin. He did not see any obvious bite marks, but he could hear the vermin moving in the walls at night. He had difficulty believing such a radical transformation was an adverse reaction to a plant.

  The condition of her eyes alarmed him the most. Whatever substance she encountered, she rubbed her eyes at some point and Talen hoped she would not lose her vision.

  Humans were too fragile. Georgia could be blinded because of a sweet-smelling plant used for home decorating. The oil that made the leaves fragrant did not irritate Tal skin. Obviously, human skin was more susceptible to damage. He mentally made a list of everything that would have to be cleaned, such as furniture she may have touched, including doorknobs.

  He drove carefully, aware of every bump in the uneven road. A herd of hipi unhelpfully blocked the road. He honked the horn, but the stubborn creatures would not move. Frustrated, he climbed out of the vehicle and guided them back onto a pasture, cursing the entire time. When he returned to the cabin, Georgia smiled.

  “Tough day at the office, dear?” she asked.

  “Hipi are stubborn,” he said.

  “At least they’re cute and fluffy,” she said with a slight laugh. The tension eased in his chest. If Georgia could find the energy to laugh, even at his expense, then she must not be in too much pain.

  The wait at the clinic to see a medic, only thirty minutes, was unacceptable. Talen paced the waiting room, tail lashing violently. This town never had enough medics. The population had grown but the only thing that had grown in the clinic was wait times. The staff and building size remained the same as when Drac had been a simple mining outpost.

  They should move to the closest, largest city, or a town with adequate medical facilities. Damn Quil and damn the house. None of it mattered if he could not provide his mate with the care she needed.

  Eventually, a staff member escorted them to a private examination room, where they continued to wait.

  “I am Belith. What seems to be the matter today?” A tall blue-skinned Fremmian female entered the room. The medic’s gaze went directly to Georgia. “A human. How delightful. I have much experience with humans, so do not worry. I am an expert at this point. I don’t think there’s anything I haven’t seen your little brown bodies do.”

  Talen’s top lip curled back. He disliked the thought of anyone seeing Georgia’s little brown body, even if it was more beige than brown. “My mate has been poisoned. Do something at once,” he said.

  “Not your mate,” Georgia said. “I’m having an allergic reaction to a plant, I think. Contact dermatitis.”

  “You certainly appear to be suffering from contact dermatitis,” the medic said. “Do you have any vision?”

  “Not really,” his mate—no matter how she denied it—said.

  “I will need to touch you as I examine you. Do not be alarmed. Tell me, what plant did you encounter?” Belith took Georgia’s hand and turned it over, inspecting the rash of red bumps that ran up her arm.

  “An evergreen with purple berries,” Georgia said.

  “The meyen bush,” Talen said, supplying the name.

  “Hmm. The oil from a crushed meyen berry is normally not caustic, but human skin is delicate,” the medic said.

  Talen nodded in agreement. “Several in the family handled the meyen clippings but had no ill effects.”

  “I’m assuming the rest of the family is Tal.”

  “We have another human.”

  “Two humans.” The medic clucked her tongue, amused. “How extensive is the rash?”

  “My hands, face, arms, and chest,” Georgia said.

  “Also her waist,” Talen added.

  “Basically, anywhere you touched when your hands were contaminated. That sounds right,” Belith said. “Any known allergies?” Georgia shook her head. “I’m going to administer an antihistamine injection now to reduce the swelling around your eyes.”

  “Okay. Tell me when.” Georgia turned her head away, but the gesture made no sense as she could not see a needle anyway.

  Sometimes he did not understand how his mate’s mind worked.

  “I will not.” Belith inserted the needle with practiced ease. “You will tense up and the jab will be more painful. There. Did you notice anything?”

  “I noticed being manhandled by a doctor.” Georgia rubbed her arm at the site of the injection.

  “Manhandled. That is clever. Now, open your mouth.” The medic conducted the examination. Every device filled him with worry. He demanded to know the results of every reading and what it meant for his mate.

  Tired of his foolishness, Belith snapped at him. “If you do not stop, I will remove you from this room. I am not inclined to tolerate witless males.”

  “She called you witless, Talen. It’s like she knows you,” Georgia said with a grin. The return of his mate’s humor bolstered him.

  “Now, I suggest you use this particular soap to soothe your skin,” Belith said, writing on a notepad. “Clean any surface the meyen oil touched and launder your bed linens. Do not expose yourself to the oil again. I will prescribe an oral and topical steroid to reduce the itching and help with healing. Do not worry. The steroid will not adversely affect the baby.”

  Chapter 13

  Georgia

  Humans are remarkably fertile. Females have a fertile cycle once a month and males continually produce viable sperm well into old age. Humans are also genetically compatible with many alien species.

  Redundant forms of contraception are recommended unless the reader wants a human hybrid child.

  -So You Want to Mate a Human

  * * *

  Hold the phone. Pregnant? Impossible.

  “I’m sorry. I’m not pregnant,” Georgia said. The swelling had reduced around her eyes enough that she could see, even if her field of vision was squinty.

  Talen gripped her hand. He practically vibrated with excitement. Or rage. She twisted on the exam table, trying to see more with her squinty vision. His tail danced madly behind him. She had no idea what that meant.

  “You ar
e. Approximately three months.” The blue-skinned giant of a doctor wore a white lab coat. Amazing how that white lab coat was universal.

  “But that’s not possible. I had the birth control shot. That’s good for two years.”

  The doctor gave a patient smile and looked from Georgia to Talen, still gripping her hand. “It very much is possible between mates.”

  “But—”

  “You’re certain it is Tal-human?” Talen asked.

  Georgia turned back to Talen, yanking her hand out of his grip. “What the hell kind of question is that? How many people do you think I’ve been sleeping with? Of course, it’s your baby, fuzzy britches.”

  He looked suitably embarrassed, but wow, that question. They were going to have a serious talk about what he thought she got up to.

  “The birth control shot is very reliable but certain medications can alter its effectiveness,” Belith said, ignoring the tension between Georgia and Talen. “Do you take any maintenance medications?”

  “No. There was a bug on the ship before I got to Corra, though. I took a course of antibiotics but that was weeks before, you know—”

  “Yes, you and fuzzy britches,” Belith said with a nod.

  “That moniker is never going away,” Talen grumbled.

  “Antibiotics can impact the effectiveness of birth control. Did the medic fail to give you a list of potential side effects?”

  Georgia found herself reluctant to admit that the ship’s medic may have given her such a document, but it had been written in Corravian. Talen placed his large hand on the back of her neck, which soothed her.

  “Even if I had read it, I had an upper respiratory infection. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t sleep. I would have taken the meds anyway,” she said.

  Belith rolled a cart over with a large scanner and screen. “Lift your shirt. Let’s examine the child.”

  She squirted a cold gel on Georgia’s stomach and rubbed a wand over her abdomen. The blank screen distorted into a gray and white image. Slowly, the image of something that looked more like a fish than human—or Tal—emerged.

  The image moved. Her breath caught in her throat.

  No. She took back the fish statement. Those were fingers, teeny-tiny fingers. No sign of a tail, though.

  “When does the tail develop?” she asked.

  “Soon. It can be hidden in this position, but the tail does not always develop.”

  Belith said the baby appeared healthy for its stage of development. “Human-Tal kits take nine months to gestate. Most pregnancies occur with few complications. I will prescribe vitamin supplements and I expect to see you again in a month for a check-up.”

  A baby.

  Her baby.

  Georgia had spent many nights drifting off to sleep, imagining the family and life that awaited her on Corra. Whenever her fantasies took her to this particular moment, she assumed she would burst into tears of joy. She’d have her husband by her side, not her casual hookup.

  Only he hadn’t felt like a casual hookup for some time now.

  Talen’s amber gaze fixed on the monitor. “Our kit.” He grinned, fangs exposed, but if the dancing his tail did was any indication, he was thrilled.

  She didn’t know if she felt the same.

  The situation was completely backward. She had everything she thought she wanted, and it wasn’t right. At all.

  * * *

  Talen

  * * *

  “I don’t think we should tell anyone just yet,” his mate said.

  She sat at the edge of his bed. Until her room could be thoroughly cleaned, she had to make do with his bed, which pleased the feral part of his brain. That hungry beast wanted his mate in his bed every night.

  When they arrived home, he hustled her upstairs, walking straight past a curious Bright. Soon the older female would burst through the door, bearing a tray laden with a meal, and demand updates.

  Before she could say another word, he pushed her against the closed door and knelt, pressing his ear to her belly.

  His mate. His kit.

  He wanted to believe he could hear the kit’s heartbeat but settled for the gentle thrum of his mate’s heart. Gently, he lifted the fabric of her tunic and rubbed his cheek across her bare skin, marking her with his scent. She smelled of lotion and medicinal soap.

  Her fingers tangled in his hair and she sighed. “Okay?”

  He withdrew, unsure if she asked after his well-being or if he would refrain from shouting his joyous news. He’d bet on the latter. “I will try, but I have never been able to keep a secret from Bright,” he said.

  “It’s not a secret. At least it won’t be for much longer. I just need to think.” She scratched the back of her hand, the skin red and raw.

  “I will draw you a bath,” he said, setting a glass of water down on the bedside table. After the bath, he would apply the ointment the doctor prescribed. He took a thick bathrobe from the wardrobe, as any garment of hers might be contaminated. When he placed the robe next to her on the bed, she remained in the same position along with the pill waiting next to the glass.

  “My mate, you must take your pill.”

  “Yes, Daddy,” she muttered. The color leached from her face, making the red splotches around her eyes and on her cheeks that much more vivid and grotesque. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “Medicine. Bath. Then we talk.”

  He ran the water in the tub until it was warm, and then he plugged the tub. Slowly it filled. He added a packet of powder that promised to soothe itching skin to the water. He doubted the claim, but it smelled pleasant enough.

  Georgia stood in the door, wearing his bathrobe. The sight pleased him to no end. His mate, carrying his kit, wrapped in his scent. His chest rumbled with happiness, the closest he had come to a purr since he was a kit.

  “What did you mean, ‘Is it Tal-human?’ You don’t think this baby is yours?” The hurt in her voice obvious, even to one as foolish as himself.

  If he could go back in time and take back those damaging words, he would. “I spoke before my brain had a chance to process,” he explained.

  “It was very hurtful.” She clutched the lapel of the robe, drawing it closed over her throat. “I’ve only ever been with two people. I told you this.”

  “I know the kit is mine. I think I wanted to know if the kit had my ears and tail and it came out the most horrid way possible.”

  “The dumbest way possible,” she clarified.

  “Without a doubt. Now, will you take a bath before the water gets cold?”

  She gave him a dubious look but climbed into the tub. He took the bar of soap and worked a lather on her back. Her muscles relaxed with the heat and his gentle touch.

  Four months ago, he had been content to be alone and overworked. All that changed in a heartbeat, but he also knew it had been changing slowly. He only realized it as he tried to discern the features of his kit on a blurry screen. Now he wanted more than anything to watch his mate swell with his kit. He positively itched with anticipation to hold his kit in his arms.

  “I am sorry,” he said.

  “It takes two to tango. This is as much my doing as it is yours.”

  “About the meyen berries. I asked Bright to decorate the house. I thought it would please you.”

  “It did.” Her wet hand gave his a squeeze. “I sincerely had fun yesterday and I can’t wait to have one of those cakes with a charm in it. Next year, I’ll leave the wreath-making to the Tal in the house.”

  Hearing her speak of plans for next year gave him a sense of inordinate pleasure. Next year they would have a kit, barely more than a newborn.

  While she bathed, Bright arrived with a tray groaning under the weight of a meal, just as he knew she would. “Well?” she asked sharply, setting the tray down on the bureau.

  “Contact dermatitis from the meyen berries. We must clean any surface the berries encountered and anything she touched.”

  “The cleaners come in tomorrow. I’
ll strip her bed now, but the rest can wait until the morning,” Bright said with a nod. “I assume she will stay with you tonight?”

  Talen tucked his tail close to his body. How much did Bright suspect? What other secrets would she drag from him without even trying?

  Bright shook her head. “Silly kit. I know you’ve been courting Georgia. Everyone knows. You’ve hardly been discreet with the way you’ve been carrying on. And I also know she finds you agreeable.”

  “Stop gossiping about me,” Georgia called from the tub, followed by a splash of water.

  “Do you need anything?” Bright asked.

  “A nap.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it then,” Bright said, a smile ghosting across her lips.

  As Bright left, Justice dashed through the door. Immediately the wuap patrolled the room and gave little humming calls. Once satisfied, she jumped onto the bed and curled up to sleep.

  Georgia emerged, her head wrapped in a towel and holding a bottle of lotion. A green paste covered the front of her, fading as it dried. “Can you get my back, please?”

  “How are your eyes?” he asked, taking the bottle. She knelt in front of the fire, presenting her back to him.

  “Better. Good enough to see that my bathroom is much nicer than yours.”

  “I had to replace damaged tiles in mine,” he said. He rubbed the lotion between his hands to warm it. She sighed with relief as he applied it across her shoulders. “Finding tiles that matched took too much time. It was only for me and I do not mind if it is not aesthetically appealing.”

  “The color on the original tile is lovely, though. It’s like a summer twilight sky.” The tension in her back eased as he applied the lotion. “I don’t want to talk about bath tiles.”

  He capped the bottle. “All finished. Sleep. Anything you want to say can wait ’til the morning.” And he’d appreciate the time to gather his thoughts. He knew what he felt—wild excitement. He knew what he wanted—Georgia. Always.