by Amber Stuart
This was the ultimate in privacy. No one could bother me up here, and I was free to glide around at my leisure. I often saw native animals flitting around in the grass or in the sky, and I wondered which of them were Mirrotirik who were running errands or simply enjoying themselves.
I used the Bateleur form frequently, amazed that I was allowed to use this technology at all. I had read so much about animals as a kid, often wondering what it would be like to run as a cheetah or slither as a cobra, and now I could. And since it was a Mirrotirik secret, I was extremely privileged. No one I knew from back home would ever have this experience.
It was isolating to dwell too long on that, though. I liked the idea that I had an exotic life, with major differences such as these. But I was feeling disconnected from my home. A very small part of me regretted that I would never be able to see my family easily again. They weren’t preventing me from going back; it was simply so far away. Ideally, Tal would be stationed near Earth again. But that was a pipe dream.
I was also having trouble figuring out how to fill my days. As the Queen, there was absolutely nothing I had to do except show up alongside Tal to various occasions. I would smile and chat and be sociable. But I didn’t have any responsibilities. I was fine with this, but it was a little boring. I would have to find some kind of project to do. I thought about volunteering, but it didn’t seem like there were any actual problems on Tirik. No poverty, no environmental destruction, no social injustices. It was bizarrely utopian.
I supposed that eventually, I would need to bear a child for Tal. After all, he did need an heir. But he didn’t seem rushed at all. We continued enjoying having sex with each other, and we didn’t use any birth control, so it seemed like a child was something he was ready to welcome whenever a pregnancy happened.
That day arrived sooner than either of us thought.
The first sign was that my period was late. Of course, like every other time this had happened, I felt a bolt through my heart—what if I was pregnant? I couldn’t just run out to the store to buy a pregnancy test and ease my nerves, so I gave it a few days.
It was still late.
At this point, my only option was to go to the doctor. There was a clinic right inside the palace that Melisse escorted me to. Her little alien face was typically expressionless, but I could tell that she was somewhat concerned now, because I was refusing to tell her what the problem was. I didn’t feel like explaining periods to an alien.
She left me outside the clinic and I went in, feeling apprehensive. This clinic was a lot more visually appealing that the typical sterile white of a human hospital, so I felt more at ease, but I wondered how much the staff knew about human health.
“Why are you visiting the clinic, Queen?” asked a Mirrotirik woman seated at a table in front of a screen.
“I, uh, think I might be pregnant,” I said. “Maybe. It could be a false alarm because I’ve been through a lot recently and I know stress can make me late…”
“Not to worry, Queen,” she said. “Follow me.”
She took me further into the clinic into what appeared to be an examination room with a cosy-looking long chair. But it didn’t look like any human examination room—it most closely resembled one of the Mirrotirik lounges. Humans had to take note—patients would probably feel a lot better if they weren’t in such sterile environments.
“We will do a simple test to determine if you are correct,” she said. “If you are not, then I will give you the device so you can check at your leisure. Now please, sit back.”
I leaned back on the chair and tried to relax. All of a sudden, it occurred to me that I very well could be pregnant with an alien baby. Tal’s baby. The future prince or princess. A huge weight fell on my shoulders.
The doctor took another hair dryer-like device, hiked my dress up so my belly was exposed, and ran the device over my stomach. There was a cool sensation, but apart from that, I didn’t detect anything. The doctor peered at a screen on the device, but I couldn’t see what it said.
“Your monthly cycle has been late, correct?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. I wondered if the Mirrotirik had periods. My heart was starting to pound faster as I awaited her verdict; my skin had become a little sweaty as well. I was nervous.
“You are pregnant,” said the doctor simply.
“Wow,” I said.
“Congratulations, Queen,” she said, smiling. Her eyes swirled with a bright green-blue color and her similarly colored crest of hair was raised. “You will be having a baby girl in three revolutions’ time.”
“Er, how long is that?” I asked, feeling a little stupid. There were so many small things I wasn’t yet used to.
The doctor punched in some numbers on the device’s screen. “Three Earth months,” she said.
“That’s not much time at all!” I exclaimed.
“I realize it’s short compared to human gestation,” she said. “But we Mirrotirik develop much faster in the womb.”
“Will this be okay?” I asked, suddenly worried. “Can I have an alien baby?”
The doctor seemed amused, but she respectfully answered my question. “You can. We would not have chosen humans for the Galactic Matrimony catalog if we did not know that.”
That made sense, I thought. I wouldn’t have to worry about something horrendous happening to me because I couldn’t carry an alien baby. “So what do I do now?”
“You will need calcium supplements,” said the doctor, “and you will need to intake less protein. But it should be a fairly easy pregnancy. You have the best medical care that you can possibly have.”
I had so many questions I didn’t know which one to ask next. “What about the birth?” I asked.
“It will be no problem,” she said. “We will use a surgery, which I believe humans call a C-section. But unlike a C-section, this surgery will not leave a scar.”
I blinked at her. It was just so much to take in.
“Based on what I know about human pregnancy, this will be much easier,” said the doctor. “You do not need to worry about anything.”
“Can I still transform?”
“For now, yes,” she said. “But in the last month, it would be best to avoid it.”
I didn’t know what else to say, so I just sat there, staring into space. After a moment of watching me, the doctor turned around and opened the shelf again, presumably to get me my calcium supplements.
She handed them to me in a little wooden box. “One a day,” she said. “With a meal. Do not worry, Queen. I will take excellent care of you and your child.”
I smiled at her. “Thank you, Dr...?”
“Lirros,” she said.
“Thank you,” I repeated. She helped me off the chair and I left to find Melisse waiting for me.
“Will you be well?” she asked.
“I will be fine, Melisse,” I said. “I’ll tell you what happened when we reach my chambers.”
I sat down in one of my lounges, and she took a seat across from me. “What happened, Queen?” she asked. She was really dying to know the answer.
I couldn’t help but let my grin out. “I’m pregnant!
She gasped audibly and looked shocked, but quickly composed herself. “That is wonderful, Queen,” she said. “You are blessed.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m very excited.”
“We will have to furnish the new royal child’s chambers,” she said, looking off to the side and thinking. “I imagine that you will want to help decorate them. We will take you to the bazaar in the city, where you can guide our purchases. We will also need your direction on clothes for the child.”
“Yes!” I said. “Gosh, I can’t wait to tell Tal.”
Melisse smiled. “I am sure the king will be delighted.”
Tal was in a good mood when I saw him again later that night. After dinner, we went to my chambers and had some time alone together. I couldn’t wait to share my
news with him, but it looked like he had something to tell me first.
“The killer whales were perfect in testing,” he said, smiling. “They are so swift and intelligent, just like wolves. You might have given us the key to defeating the Guruthun!”
“I’m so glad!” I said. I was genuinely happy to have helped him so much.
“Well, it sounded like you had something to tell me, too,” he said, smiling affably.
“Yeah! I’m pregnant!” I blurted.
His eyebrows raised and his crest raised a little in surprise. “Pregnant?”
“Yeah!” I cried, wondering why he wasn’t immediately more enthusiastic.
“That’s wonderful,” he said, but he was more sedate than I would have expected.
“Isn’t this what you wanted?” I asked, confused.
“Yes,” he said. “I’m very happy. I like children, and I do want one. It’s just not the ideal timing, what with the situation on Saltar 7.”
That put a bit of a damper on things. “Are you even supposed to be fighting there, anyway?” I asked. “You’re the King, so you should be here.”
“I know,” he said. “This was just such an abrupt shift for me, as it was for you. Just two weeks ago, I was out in my ship, fighting alongside my friends. Now, I am expected to stay in the castle and care for the region and my child…”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I said, starting to get miffed.
“It’s not bad,” he said hastily. “It’s just something I didn’t think I would do immediately. Did you expect to become a mother so soon?”
I had to think about that for a moment. “I guess not,” I said. “But I figured it would happen when I signed up for Galactic Matrimony. You should have known it was coming, too.”
“I suppose so,” he said. “Well, at least we have some time until the baby is born. It’ll give us time to get used to it.”
He took my hand and I squeezed it back. “Yeah. We’ll be okay. Hopefully the situation ends before then.”
“I feel optimistic about the killer whales,” he said. “I think it could be the edge we need to resolve the battle once and for all.”
“I hope so,” I said. “You can’t keep putting your life at risk now.”
“I know. It’s something I’ll miss but I have to deal with it.” He leaned back, placing an arm around me. “I am excited to meet our new prince or princess, though. It will be a stimulating new experience.”
I snuggled closer to him, feeling the warmth radiate from his chest. I understood his apprehension about becoming a parent. I felt too young, myself. And he seemed like a responsible person, though he seemed to imply that he had been a reckless youth before he had met me.
Feeling so emotionally close to him was having the unexpected effect of turning me on. “Tal,” I said cautiously, “would you care to join me in the garden?”
He turned to me, his eyes glowing a bright violet. “That would be lovely.”
He scooped me up in his arms and carried me right there. The blast of humidity enveloped us as we settled in under the plants. I saw a butterfly fluttering around one of the bushes, realizing for the first time that the garden had living creatures in it.
We curled up in a mossy patch in a circle of rose bushes. Or at least, they looked something like rose bushes; the flowers were a salmon pink color but the leaves were sky blue. Tal lay down next to me and drew me into his arms. The fabric of my dress draped over my body, flowing like water and shining in the light.
“We will not be able to do this much in just a few weeks,” he said, “so we must make the most of our time now.”
I grinned and pressed myself close to him, running my hands over his skin. I felt more confident about taking initiative now that I was growing more comfortable with him. I reached down and felt for his cock, which, as I expected, was already pretty hard. I could feel precome oozing from the tip and I rubbed it around the head.
He reached for my dress and slipped the straps down, squeezing my breasts as he did so. This time, he was a little more forceful, pinching my nipples like he was ravenous for me. And he obviously was—he put his lips to my neck and sucked on my skin, rolling on top of me even as I struggled to get out of my clothes.
The draping fabrics of his own clothes flowed over me in a thin sheet, doing nothing to conceal the contours of his muscles, which were firm against my body. He traveled downwards, kissing his way across my body, sucking on my nipples and licking my side, until he arrived at my crotch.
He lightly stroked his fingers on my thighs, making me shiver, then thrust two fingers into me, finding me soaking wet. I couldn’t help but let out a loud moan. I had gotten used to being loud when I was pleasured; we just had so much privacy here. He licked my clit slowly and softly, gradually building up his speed.
I put a hand on his shoulder to hold myself steady, closing my eyes and letting the sensations wash over me. He was ridiculously skilled at getting me off, whether it was with his hands, his mouth, or his cock. And this time was no different. I could feel the telltale throbbing in my abdomen that told me an orgasm was rising.
He started thrusting his fingers in and out at a quick pace. I clenched around them, so he had to know what was happening. He licked faster and faster, making me squirm and squeal with pleasure. The sensations were overwhelming—his hand on my thigh, his cheeks against my skin, the velvet moss against my back. I took deep breaths and willed the orgasm out.
“I’m going to come,” I whispered breathlessly. Of course, that only made him go faster, and that’s what tipped me over the edge.
I let out a long, low moan as the orgasm throbbed through me and my body jolted like I had been electrocuted. This was the best feeling ever. My body had been so tense during the build up, and now it was all getting released.
He stroked me a little as I came down to tease out the aftershocks. When I looked at him, he was grinning.
“That was good, wasn’t it?”
It was kind of cute how cocky he was. He deserved to be. “Incredible,” I said, shaking my head. “How do you do it?”
He smirked. “I’ve got my secrets. Now you’re nice and wet, ready for me.”
More pleasurable quivers went through me as he flipped me over gently so that I was on my stomach. He pulled my butt up so that he could take me from behind, and I anchored myself on my elbows as I felt his cock press against my wet, waiting entrance.
He slid himself easily, groaning as he filled me up. “Oh, my Queen,” he said, almost to himself, as he started fucking me.
I held my body taut against the ground so he could get better leverage. Feeling him filling me up repeatedly was heavenly, and my nipples brushed against the moss, sensitive from the orgasm I had just had.
He lowered his body over mine so that I could feel his chest pressing against my back, his warm weight on top of me, and kissed my neck, using his tongue to tickle my skin. I turned my head to the side and he kissed my lips gently, a contrast to how hard he was thrusting into me.
“This is bliss,” he said, whispering into my ear.
“I agree.” I smiled.
He pulled out for a moment and flipped me over again, then easily hooked my knees over his shoulders. I had no idea I could even be bent into such a position, but here we were. He slid into me again, slowly pressing himself down so that I was folded into two, my breasts rising against his chest as I arched my back.
He groaned in satisfaction as he got in all the way. I could feel another orgasm building again, and bucked my hips against him to encourage him to go faster. He obliged.
As his thrusting became more erratic, I realized he was going to come. I held tightly to him, reaching my hands out and grabbing his shoulders, pulling him closer to me. I willed my orgasm to surface again, and it did, as the base of his cock brushed against my clit.
We were going to come together.
When we did, it was an explosion of pleasu
re. We held tightly to each other like we were trying to become one person, and when we came down together, we were still for a couple of moments, my core clenching around him with the small bursts of pleasure that followed.
When our breaths had slowed down, he rolled off of me and sat up, his eyes glowing a cool blue, indicating his relaxed state. “I don’t think I will ever tire of this,” he said, bending down to kiss me on the nose.
“Me neither,” I agreed. I met his mouth with mine and we shared a slow, loving kiss.
“Maia,” he said, the tiniest quiver in his voice, “I love you.”
A flood of affection flowed through me. “I love you too, Tal.”
He lay down next to me and wrapped his arms around me like I was a teddy bear, squeezing me tightly.
I felt great.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Tal
Now that I knew I was going to be a father, my whole perspective had shifted. Maia was right—I couldn’t keep running off into battle if I had a child to help take care of. She didn’t know it, but childcare was a big deal in my culture. When I had come to Earth and learned that so many humans had to let other people take care of their children during the day, I was shocked. No matter what, I absolutely had to be here for the child when it was born.
I just worried that the situation on the colony would not be resolved by then. I decided I would have to spend the next three months helping Iskirr learn how to take control of our auxiliary division, as I would no longer be its leader. He was skilled enough, but it just wasn’t enough time. I hadn’t known I would have to get it done so quickly.
I also regretted that I wouldn’t be present to help her as much as I would have liked because I would be away on missions. Caring for the baby started while it was in the womb.
But I couldn’t worry about that now. I had to finalize testing on the killer whale forms and deploy the vials of serum to those on Saltar 7. Finding the DNA hadn’t been difficult—through the Mirrotirik forces that governed Earth, I was able to contact human scientists who had samples. It would have been optimal to find a live killer whale to draw fresh blood, but time was of the essence.
