by Kimber Vale
“It’s all right!” she shouted at the crowd as she pushed bodies toward the entrance. “She will help us. Get on! Hurry!”
The last of the women ascended the ramp. Stella felt lightheaded. Her breath sailed in and out in rapid bursts. She couldn’t seem to get enough air into her lungs no matter how deeply she inhaled.
“Where is Noth? I sense danger and fear from him, but he is not communicating when I reach out with my mind!” The alien woman shouted down at her, a worried expression on her smooth face.
I don’t know. And if he never returns for me, I will have a lifetime of regret and unanswered questions.
Stella turned and ran back toward the park entrance. The moonlight sparkled off damp leaves as she sprinted down the path. It bounced and formed trippy trails of light before her eyes. Her legs churned while her lungs sucked in acid with each breath. Strangely, the floor was moving beneath her, like a conveyor belt sliding in the opposite direction. She saw the bright outline of the door, but couldn’t get any closer to it, no matter how hard she pushed.
With a freeing sense of detachment from the situation, from her own body, she wondered absently if she would reach it before it closed.
But she couldn’t just leave Noth here to face Krael alone. If he died she would spend the rest of her life waiting for a ghost, raising their child alone. She had to know. Had to see him safe and feel his lips against hers once more.
Her legs gave out. Muscles twitching from the lack of oxygen, they collapsed, unable to obey her commands any longer. But the door was still open. The closer she got, the better the air quality. She forced herself to crawl, her shallow gasps uncontrolled as the room spun around her.
A shadow passed before the lit hallway. A figure or the door sliding shut? Stella couldn’t tell which as she gave a final effort to pull her body forward. Her arms crumpled beneath her, and she collapsed face-first onto the cool ground.
Finally, blissful darkness pulled her under.
Chapter 17
Six Earth Days Later, Artanos
Noth stood before the Large Council of Embassy Affairs. He had once before been in the building that housed the supreme decision-making officers for the entire planet, but he was equally in awe on this occasion. The Large Council meeting room was enormous, with a three-story domed ceiling that soared above his head. An artist had rendered a depiction of their star patterns, and Noth gazed at his namesake. The huge figure, an Artanian man turned deity, held a hand out to a glowing ball of light. The sight made his heart ache.
He felt dwarfed, like a speck of dust beneath the tremendous dome. Stella would have loved to see the beautiful painting. Scrion, how he missed her.
The Large Council sat in elevated seats across the front of the room. After much debate in their private quarters beyond the dais, the chancellors had finally reached a verdict. The future of Artanos was determined now. His life rested in their hands.
“Doctor Zobor, we appreciate your thorough account of the situation at Medical Satellite thrif-delv. The recordings we rescued from the ship support your claims that Commander Syrwv Krael violated direct Embassy orders and used excessive and unnecessary force. Additionally, the documents retrieved from the commander’s office will assist us in prosecuting those Artanians involved in illegal infant trading to the full extent of the law. You have been cleared of any wrongdoing, Doctor.”
“Thank you, Your Honors.”
“Concerning the potential for Artanian procreation with humans…” The speaker’s voice trailed off as she examined her notes. A trickle of sweat rolled down Noth’s back and he held his breath.
“The Large Council recognizes there will be citizens of Artanos who consider such offspring an abomination. We will continue with our experimentation protocol, as before. We have decided you will no longer regulate these proceedings.”
Noth slumped, his legs weakening beneath him as if deflated. The council was as narrow-minded as Krael. They would extinguish his entire race and enslave Stella’s because of their obstinacy.
“All surrogates for the project will be recruited and compensated for their participation. As you reason, these women will be more likely to have successful pregnancies under stress-free conditions. We have an abundance of the mineral aurumia, or gold as the humans call it. The volunteers will be adequately reimbursed. Your observations of Earth have satisfied our initial concerns that the human race could pose a threat to our planet. Their lack of sufficient modes of interplanetary travel makes them harmless.”
At least, they will no longer abduct helpless victims. That is a fantastic accomplishment.
But Noth was saddened to be relieved of his position.
“You will be given your choice of aides for your new interbreeding recruitment project. Already, the list of applicants is astounding. Both males and females are willing to undergo the hair transplant procedure to assist. Work on Earth is a desirable undertaking, it seems.” The speaker gave him a wry smile.
“Your Honors?” Have they truly approved my proposal?
“As we have stated, there will be inevitable opposition, but the majority of Artanians will be overjoyed to have a younger generation once again. You have given new hope to our species, Doctor Zobor. On behalf of the Embassy, and all of Artanos, we thank you.”
A tremendous weight lifted from his shoulders. His fellow Artanians were not inconsiderate monsters without empathy for other life forms!
He, Stella, and their child could live in peace and spend their time bringing happiness to others. Noth had sent the woman he loved back to Earth before he informed the Embassy that procreation with the humans was possible. It was a precaution, lest they refuse his recommendation. Everything he had dreamed of, but never thought possible, was now his. Noth practically ran from the building. He had a star to catch.
Chapter 18
Eighteen Hours Later, Earth
Stella drove through the deserted parking area, feeling as empty as the after-hours nursery school lot. It had only been a week since she had been dropped back home with the rest of the women. She occasionally recognized some of them in the halls, but they never hinted at knowing her. Such was the nature of the medication they had received during their stay on the Artanian satellite.
Frequently, she wondered how the abducted women made sense of the unfamiliar clothing they were sent home in and the lump of pure gold each had in her pocket. It couldn’t make up for the trauma they’d been subjected to, but Stella felt better knowing they’d received some form of atonement.
Stella had even run into Kate, the cute girl with the pixie cut she’d met in the corn maze. She wrapped her arms around her without thinking and blurted out, “Kate! I’m so glad to see you again!” But Stella received nothing more than a look of wary confusion and maybe a double take, before she realized her mistake. If the girl experienced a moment of déjà vu she didn’t say, and Stella apologized and hurried off. After that, she learned to keep her mouth shut whenever she saw women from the ordeal.
Stella envied them a little. Not that having weeks of her life erased without explanation would be easy. And not that she wanted to forget Noth. Not at all. But waiting for his return was almost unbearable. Watching him disembark from Ekka’s ship had broken her heart. As Artanos waned in the distance, and the surrounding heavenly bodies eventually blurred into streaks of light, Stella had been inconsolable.
After all the women but Stella had boarded, Ekka sagely had moved her craft to a safe distance to await word from Noth. His sister had been willing to help fulfill her brother’s wishes, but she refused to leave him alone and in danger. With their psychic connection, Noth swiftly halted Ekka’s progress when he found Stella passed out by the door. He carried her out of the oasis and onto the main ship, and reassured her he would return for her after he reported back to his government. Noth had kissed Stella’s lips with a vehement promise before he sent her off with Ekka.
But what if the leaders of Artanos blame him for the disaster on th
e satellite? What if Noth is shackled in a jail, or God forbid, is killed for treason?
A speed bump slowed Stella down to a near stop just as one of her favorite punk songs came on the radio. She pressed the brake all the way to the floor and leaned over to dial up the volume on her old Toyota. The bouncy beat might help boost her mood—blast away the fear and foreboding that assailed her each time her imagination wandered into dark corners.
Without warning, her passenger door opened, and a long, lean body slid into the seat.
A brief squeal of alarm exploded from her before she recognized the muscular legs, the hard chest encased in an ab-hugging T-shirt. And the chiseled face. Her frightened scream swiftly turned to one of glee. Stella fumbled to unsnap her seatbelt with clumsy fingers. Without a second thought, she pulled her foot off the brake and scrambled to get in his arms.
“I believe you should park your vehicle first, love.”
He was right. The car rolled over the hump in the road, and she jumped back to her seat to pull it into a nearby parking spot.
She turned to him with a disbelieving grin and moisture in her eyes.
“You’re here.” Stella reached out and cupped his smooth cheek with her palm, and Noth covered her hand with his own.
“Of course. Did you think I would not return?”
“I knew you would try. But I didn’t know how long it would take, or if anything bad might have happened to you. Tell me everything!”
Noth launched into a description of his meeting with the Embassy Council members. Stella’s gaze lingered on his lush lips while he entranced her with his enthusiastic retelling. Her hand was tucked firmly in his palm as if he never planned to let it go, and she simply allowed the reality of her fairy-tale ending to wash over her. The scary ordeal was over, and the alien she loved had traveled across countless galaxies to claim her.
His story finished, he pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed it reverently.
“God, I have missed you. That is how you say it, yes?”
“Scrion, you’re freakin’ adorable,” she said with a laugh. His dark eyes crimped at the corners as his massive arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. His deep chuckle filled the small space and rumbled through her chest as she pressed against him. The tight quarters were perfect; she wanted to get as close to him as she possibly could. Stella planted her knees on either side of his legs and sank against his body, kissing him with all the passion in her heart. Her fingers wove through Noth’s shaggy hair as she pecked her lips across his jaw and down his muscled neck.
Her cotton skirt had hiked up around her hips as she straddled him, and she felt the heat, the eager thickness of his hard-on through the thin barrier of her underwear. Her lips found his again, and the sweetness of her kisses turned wanton. Their tongues met in a primal fusion. Stella had never needed anything more. It had only been a week, but she was starved for reassurance that the nightmare had truly ended. It was nearly a physical ache that demanded immediate intimacy with him.
Noth’s body beneath hers, his groans as she rocked against him while their tongues slid together, hot and wet—all of his responses told her he desperately craved this too.
She slipped an urgent hand between them and pulled open his fly. The satin warmth of his hard velvet heat pushed into her hand. His tip was slippery and ready, just as she was. She skated her thumb over his lubed head, dancing the tip of her tongue against his in a matching swirl. Without breaking their kiss, Stella pulled the crotch of her bikini briefs to the side and wrapped her slick lower lips around his cock. With a groan in sync with his, she lowered her body down on top of him, loving how full he made her feel, how deep he was inside her.
Noth’s large hands gripped her ass, but he allowed her to control the pace. Stella worked her hips in a slow, sensual grind. Her damp clit rubbed against his smooth groin with each roll of her body. Recognizing her rhythm, Noth pulled her hips forward and back against his massive cock while his lips found her earlobe. He licked and nibbled, his breath warm and spicy in her ear and against her neck.
“I will never let you go,” he whispered. “You are mine forever.”
His words sent a thrill through her. “That’s all I want to be,” she answered as she moved against him and felt a familiar, exquisite tightening in her belly.
The sensation intensified, building higher with each pulse of his hard body against her softness. She held back, luxuriating in that ideal combination of pleasure and imminent fulfillment that was nearly better than coming itself. Finally, she couldn’t suppress it any longer, and the sweet orgasm erupted through her. The all-consuming climax left her panting and shuddering from head to toe. She felt his thrusts still beneath her and his fingers bite her hips possessively as he ejaculated between her legs.
Stella smiled with her lips against the silky-soft skin on his neck. She closed her eyes as a sigh of sublime contentment escaped her. Anywhere could be home, as long as she was safely folded in his warm embrace.
Epilogue
4489 Grelf, Six Earth Years Later, Artanos
The girls giggled as the jump rope sailed through the air, faster and faster. The blonde held hands with the tawny-skinned brunette while their feet bounced to the beat of their breathless song. Speed and mirth combined to make their words indecipherable, and the rope eventually caught their legs. They collapsed on the grass in a tangled heap, laughing hysterically.
“Ekka, I hope you and Rayni can stay for dinner.” Stella still held her end of the rope, but Noth’s sister had relinquished hers to the shrieking girls.
Five-year-old Rayni looked pleadingly at her mother.
“Please, Mama? Can we have dinner with Eden?” Rayni pulled on Ekka’s shirt as she gazed up at her mother with round, dark eyes.
Stella’s daughter grasped her friend’s hand in silent support.
“Loq is working in the Capitol tonight,” Ekka said to Stella. “Is my brother to return for the evening meal?”
“He should be home any minute.” Stella spoke in Artani. Ekka had learned English, but never failed to lapse back into her native tongue during conversation. Stella used English at home with Eden, and the child had mastered both languages. It made their occasional trips to Earth much easier. It was also good practice for the English/Artani class Stella taught at the local school.
“We could work on our coalition plans once the girls are asleep,” Stella added. She and Ekka, along with a number of other concerned Artanians had formed a group. Their goal was to propose an intergalactic peace treaty to the Artanian Embassy. If they could get it approved, they hoped to someday contact as many worlds as possible and come to an agreement on interspecies conduct and interplanetary unity. Stella wanted open channels of communication between the planets. It was the first step to avoid future wars and inhumane treatment of other races.
Although she had little hope of seeing big results in her lifetime, she needed to try for Eden and Rayni, for their children, and their children’s children. Change always started small, but future generations were worth the time and effort she would put in. She owed it to her home planet.
“Do you plan to return to your Earth the next time Noth travels?”
Stella glanced at Ekka, startled. It was almost as if she had read her mind. It still disconcerted her when the members of her family spoke to each other mentally. Noth’s gifts had even passed to Eden. She rubbed her enlarged stomach and wondered for the millionth time if their unborn son would share the talent. She hoped so, even though she felt out of the loop sometimes. Full-blood Artanians were more accepting of the mixed children when they possessed special abilities. She wanted her children to fit in and succeed on the planet of their birth. In reality, though, they were the new Artanians. Soon the entire planet would be a genetic melting pot where everything, anything, was normal.
“After the baby is born, I hope to return to visit my mom.”
“You must miss her terribly.”
“I do, but ea
ch visit is harder and harder. My mother doesn’t understand why she and her husband can’t travel to the fictitious island country we live on. And I grow more worried about Eden saying something each time we go. Now that she is in the formal education program, she comes home asking why no one else calls the ships ‘planes.’ Her mistakes in front of members of my home planet were easily explained when she was younger. I’m afraid I can’t travel with her for much longer.”
“She will be so disappointed, but once she is older she will be able to understand and curb her tongue.”
“Let’s hope. As it is, she’s constantly talking about moving to America when she grows up. Noth took her to McDonald’s on our last trip, and it was like she had fallen in love. She threw a horrible fit when we had to leave. I shudder to imagine what the teenage years will be like.”
“We will both be in it together, Sister.” Ekka squeezed her arm.
“And soon you and Loq will have another little one to play with our son.” Stella smiled sincerely. Ekka had been the first adoptive mother when the program began. Rayna had not been ready for motherhood, and the ransom in gold sweetened her decision to give up her child. The fact that the baby would be raised with Stella as her aunt had solidified it.
And now that Ekka had met a man who loved her and little Rayni, the couple was ready to add to their family. They were actively screening potential surrogates for a second child.
The aircraft traffic overhead had slowed as the day star touched down on the horizon. The dual moons were illuminated on the purple backdrop of sky when Stella spied the familiar ship. It broke from the skyway and turned toward their home.
Noth. The most magnificent male in the universe, and he was all hers. Her heart swelled, and tears of joy made the constellation of Noth the Star Catcher swim before her eyes. She was so emotional with this pregnancy! But she truly had so much to be grateful for. Stella swiped at a wayward drop and called to the kids. Eden’s small, sure hand reached for hers, and together they went in to wash up for dinner.
