by T. S. Ryder
The baby. Gemma clasped her hands over her abdomen, her anxiety kicking up again. Shay saw it when he returned with her eggs, and he sat beside her, taking her hand in a comforting gesture.
"What is it?"
"Am I going to explode? Or like, is the baby going to eat its way out of me? Am I going to have a two-week pregnancy? Am I going to lay an egg?"
Shay's brows rose. "An egg?"
"You're talking about dragons and stuff!"
He sighed and took her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs along her knuckles. "Gemma, it's going to be fine. You see me right now, don't you?"
Gemma narrowed her eyes. She hated it when he talked to her like that, like she ought to know something she didn't. It didn’t happen very often, but it did happen.
"Stlozyn and humans are very similar. We share a closer relationship than humans and chimpanzees. Even polar bears and grizzlies. I assure you, if you were going to lay an egg, our reproductive systems would be too different for you to get pregnant in the first place."
"How do you know?"
"You know the scientific definition of a species?"
"A group of organisms that are capable of interbreeding and producing viable young." He'd explained that to her enough times.
Shay nodded. "Now that I know our child is growing normally and healthily, it's clear we're technically the same species, just different subspecies."
"But how is that even possible?"
"Stlozyn ancestors were human, taken from Earth a few hundred years ago. We were genetically… not modified, really. Just certain genes were made more pronounced, which is why I have scales and you have skin. But there were also additional strands of DNA added into our code that separate us from humans. This DNA allows us to shift shapes, much like the mimic octopus changes its coloring to camouflage itself."
"Changing skin tones is way different than changing your body." Gemma frowned.
"On the surface, yes, but the basic science behind it is very similar." Shay hesitated. "Would you like to see my beast form?"
Gemma quickly shook her head–there was enough craziness that had happened today without seeing whatever shapeshifting magic Shay could do. "So is that why you call yourself a dragon?"
"Our beast forms resemble the dragons in European mythos." Shay nodded. "But I'm a dragon because I'm male. Humans call themselves man and woman, Stlozyn call themselves dragon and dragoness."
Gemma nodded. That, at least, she could understand.
Shay brushed his fingers against her cheek. "You need to eat before your toast gets cold."
"Right," Gemma muttered. She picked up her food and offered Shay a hesitant smile. He grinned back, and she felt her smile widen further. He really was the perfect man–or dragon–for her.
This is crazy, but yeah. We can make it work.
Chapter Four
Seeing the beautiful ruby of Bronæl was better than Shay thought was possible. There were things he missed about his home planet, but he hadn't realized that he missed the planet itself so much.
He stood on his command deck, an arm around Gemma's waist as they approached the planet. His crew had been very enthusiastic when Gemma started to leave her room, so much so that Gemma had had to ask him to get them to lay off the congratulations. He had explained just how important children were to Stlozyn, but the attention still got to her.
"There it is," he said proudly, turning to Gemma. "Bronæl."
Utter awe shone from Gemma's face. "It's beautiful."
It was, but not half so beautiful as the human leaning against him. Shay gazed at her, tracing the curve of her lips and reveling in the softness of her skin, the auburn of her hair. She was the most exquisite thing he had ever seen. He wished he could let her know just how beautiful she was, that the 'flaws' she thought she had–large ass, thick thighs, even her hairy toes—were all perfection to him.
"We'll have to take a transport ship to the surface," he said, turning away from both beautiful sights. "This ship is too large to land except for in emergencies."
"So, Science Alpha. Does that mean you're like a general?" Gemma asked, as they headed to the docking bay.
Shay grinned and shook his head. "More like a governor general."
Gemma's brows rose.
"Think of this ship like a colony and me its head. I report directly to the Science Board. There are other ships like this one out there, but I have far more power than a general would."
Gemma nodded. Shay could almost see the thoughts darting around in her head as she processed this. He had to admit, he was surprised at just how well she was taking everything. It was as if she met aliens every day. He did worry that it might be because she was still in shock, but she was showing no other symptoms of being in such a state.
Once they landed on the planet, they took their time getting to his apartment, Gemma constantly asking questions. Shay checked the time when they finally arrived. He was due to deliver his findings to the Science Board soon. He quickly showed Gemma around, making sure she knew how to use the holographic entertainment system and cooking appliances. Finally, he showed her to her room.
"We're not staying in the same room?" Gemma frowned at him. "We were living together on Earth. Are Stlozyn more uptight about sex than humans?"
Shay stared back at her in surprise. Although they had kissed a little on the way here, he had been trying to give her space to come to terms with everything, and not force their relationship to get back to what it was. It was the reason that he thought it would be best for them to have two separate rooms.
"You want to sleep with me?"
Gemma nodded. "I'll admit that all this situation is a little weird–make that super weird–but being with you makes it less weird. At least for me…"
"I just thought… I'm glad I was wrong."
He bent to kiss her. Her reaction caught him by surprise–Gemma flung her arms around his neck, parting his lips and darting her tongue into his mouth at once. Shay groaned, tightening all over as he pulled her lush body against his. Her fingers tangled into his hair and she wrapped a leg around his hip. Atoms of the universe, she was moving fast! It reminded him of the first time they had made love. Gemma was demanding, eager to please, full of vigor. So passionate, emotional–everything dragonesses were not.
Gemma let out a gasp as he moved his mouth to her neck. He sucked at her skin, loving the cool taste of her. If only he didn't have a meeting to attend! With a groan, he forced himself to move back.
His human narrowed her eyes in confusion as he gently peeled her away from himself. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. It's just that I have my findings from Earth that I have to present to the Science Board. I can't be late. They are very busy individuals and would not look kindly on me being even a minute tardy." He sighed as Gemma wrinkled her nose, but she nodded her understanding. "I'll be back for supper, though."
"Supper," Gemma repeated, following him out of the bedroom as he headed towards the door. "Will it be more Earth food or something from here? Will your food be poisonous to me? Will I be allergic?"
"I have several dishes in mind made from ingredients similar to those that can be found on Earth," Shay replied. "I would not have brought you here if I thought our food would harm you. But there are still some supplies from Earth left. We can have whatever you want."
Gemma's gaze became sultry. "I want something spicy."
Shay groaned with desire. He quickly gave his human a kiss. Walking away from her at that moment was the hardest thing he had ever done. But he didn't have long to get to the Science Board, and he could not keep them waiting.
***
Shay had expected his findings to be met with excitement and anticipation of a brighter future, when they arrived on Bronæl. He had expected the news of Gemma's pregnancy to be celebrated, to be broadcast on all information channels. Perhaps even for a human-Stlozyn breeding program to be considered.
He did not expect that the Science Board would ignore all the exciting possibilities
his finds had opened up. He did not expect to be ordered to keep Gemma's pregnancy a strict secret.
He most certainly did not expect that the Science Board would reprimand him.
When he entered the Board's throne room and saw the Board sitting on their high chairs wearing blue, the color of discipline, he tensed. What had he done that would be worthy of discipline? He had shared all of his research. Could this be because of Gemma? But it couldn't be. Interactions, even mating, were not forbidden between Stlozyn and other species, though there were few that were sentient enough to bother with.
"Science Alpha Shay." The speaker, Niqæsh, a dragoness with burnished bronze scales, narrowed her eyes on him. "We have been informed that you have a potential cure for this disease that is ravaging our people, and yet you refuse to take the steps necessary to develop that cure."
"I am unaware of what you mean," Shay replied, his fires beginning to smolder.
He had a good guess what Niqæsh was talking about, but there could be no way that the Science Board would expect him to put his precious child and Gemma in danger by extracting DNA at this precarious early stage, could there? It was unethical!
The dragoness' lips thinned. "You know exactly what I am referring to. Your second, Wynon, has informed us that she suggested extracting DNA from the fetus inside the human you brought back, and not only did you dismiss her suggestion without thought, but also threatened her. Such a display of emotion is inexcusable for a dragon in your position."
"The fetus is my child," Shay said, his hands clenching. His fire burned hot in his belly and the wings of his beast pressed against the skin of his back. He struggled to keep his beast in. Now was not a time to allow it free reign. "The human's name is Gemma."
"Alpha—"
"Are you suggesting that I risk killing possibly the only child I will ever have? My findings on Earth indicate that a synthesis of human DNA will be enough to vaccinate those who have not been infected yet, to ensure they don't contract the disease. With a little more work, perhaps an extraction of DNA from my child after it is born and no risk will come to it, the infertility that plagues us might even be reversed."
The dragoness leaned forward. "The DNA from a forming fetus will be much more potent. You know that."
"I do. But what about our most holy ethics? It is sacrilege against science itself to experiment upon those that cannot give reasonable understanding and consent."
"We are running out of time!" Niqæsh leaped to her feet, eyes firing, hands clenched. Smoke curled out of her mouth. And they called him emotional. "What use are ethics when our people are going to their graves childless?"
Shay winced and took a deep breath. He could not allow them to experiment on Gemma or the baby. He had promised her that she would be safe. "If children are your main concern, perhaps a breeding program—"
"Wynon has requested that the pregnant human is given to her custody. We have agreed that it is the best for our people. Either you will comply, or your position will be stripped from you."
Shay snarled, a flicker of flame escaping his mouth. Never! He would never hand over his child or Gemma to be experimented on!
"Our people come first, Alpha." Niqæsh sat again, her eyes narrowed. "You are in a position no other dragon has been in. Your research is impressive. Maybe even enough to be assigned to the Board at your young age. Don't let your feelings get in your way."
Shay's eyes narrowed.
"You are dismissed."
The dragon bowed stiffly, wishing he could tear the dragoness apart instead. Choose between his future, his ship, and Gemma? Unlikely. He would take Gemma away from this planet again, he would keep her safe and he would continue his research. He'd have a cure for this disease before the baby was born.
Then Niqæsh and the Science Board would be eating their words.
Chapter Five
Gemma didn't have the chance to fully explore Shay's lush apartment before he came striding through the door, slamming it behind him. She jumped, her heart jumping to her throat as flames flickered out of Shay's mouth.
His blood-red eyes were dark, emphasizing his alien appearance. For a moment, Gemma forgot herself and stumbled back as he came towards her.
"We need to leave," he growled, his voice several octaves deeper and so growly that she could hardly understand him. "The Board–bunch of idiots!"
He wasn't angry at her. Of course he wasn't. She shook her head–even when he was angry he would never hurt her. Her heart rate returned to normal. "What happened?"
He glanced at her and the flames died. A pained smile crossed his face and he ran a hand through his hair. "I'll tell you later. Right now we need to get to the ship."
Her heart flip-flopped. "Are you taking me back to Earth?"
"I'm not sure yet. But we need to leave now."
Gemma nodded. She didn't have anything to bring with her, so didn't protest when Shay wrapped an arm around her waist and ushered her out. He walked swiftly, almost too swiftly for her to keep up.
When they had first landed on the planet, Shay had let her stop whenever she wanted to look in awe at her surroundings. The buildings were huge, all glistening with stained glass, made with angles and shapes that looked like a masterpiece no matter which way you looked at them. This time, she hardly had any time to acknowledge the beautiful works around her.
They were soon back on the ship. Shay took her to the room she had traveled in and brought her close to his body, wrapping his arms around her. He crushed his mouth against hers and, as always, Gemma felt heat swirl through her body. Her eyes slid shut and she parted her lips, inviting him in. He was so intoxicating that she could forget everything else.
An alien boyfriend isn't so bad, she mused, but then he ripped himself from her arms.
"I will be back shortly. We have to get away."
Gemma watched him go, anxiety starting to swirl in her again. She swallowed hard. He would tell her everything she needed to know soon, wouldn't he? And maybe they were going back to Earth. She would like that… She hadn't even had her first doctor's appointment for her pregnancy yet. She was pretty sure she was three months along, but it would be nice to know for certain.
She sighed and turned around–to find herself staring at somebody laying on her bed. But not just anybody. Her eyes widened and she stepped back. It was her laying on the bed, her hands behind her head, her eyes closed, breathing deeply like she always did when she wanted to sleep but couldn't.
"What—" Gemma gasped, her heart jumping into her throat.
A hard, scaly hand covered her mouth and there was a prick in the back of her neck. Instantly, everything started spinning. Strong arms caught her, lifted her.
"The Alpha is predictable," a feminine voice hissed. "Bring her along. We only have a minute to get off this ship before he tesseracts."
Tesseracts? Gemma tried to open her mouth, tried to scream, but darkness was consuming her and she couldn't move. Shay. When would he realize she was gone? Shay!
***
For several hours after leaving Bronæl, several warships shadowed them, but Shay's research ship was designed to outmaneuver any possible enemies they came across while doing research and the warships could not catch up with them. When they dropped from the scanners altogether, he let out a sigh of relief, but monitored the situation closely for several more hours, just to be on the safe side. At last, he was certain that they had gotten away cleanly.
The crew must have wondered what was going on, but it was a credit to their loyalty that they didn't question him. He had picked each member himself, from the pilot to the janitors, and knew they were on his side.
I'll explain everything to them when I've taken care of Gemma, he thought, heading off the bridge to see her.
To his horror, nerves fluttered in his stomach. He really shouldn't be nervous… But he had to tell her that they couldn't return to Earth. It was the first place the Science Board would look for them.
She knew he loved her. S
he knew he would not purposefully put her in danger. He hoped she would forgive him for this.
She was on her bed, sleeping, when he entered her room. A fond smile spread over Shay's face as he crept over to her. Her beautiful voluptuous body was everything he had dreamed about in a mate–he couldn't believe there were males on Earth who would have preferred she flatten her curves!
A strand of hair had fallen over her eyes. When Shay reached to brush it away, his hands went right through her.
The dragon's heart stopped. His eyes widened as the holograph flickered. No. he looked around wildly–everything was exactly as he had left it. There was no evidence that Gemma had even been there.
No, no, no, no!
He turned on his heel, legs pumping as he raced back towards the command deck. So that's why the warships had never opened fire. They weren't being respectful of his position, they were a distraction so he wouldn't realize that he didn't have Gemma with him.
"Turn the ship back to Bronæl," he ordered, striding onto the command deck. The crew members that were dotted around at their stations all looked up at him in surprise. He ignored their looks, going to his command chair. "Do as I say."
The pilot worked the control panel, changing their direction. Shay swallowed hard. Wynon must have acted with permission of the Science Board to sneak aboard his ship. He had been too predictable. They would be expecting him to return now. Blunt force wouldn't work, he needed to be stronger than that.
"Alpha, are you alright?" the pilot asked, glancing at him.
"No," Shay growled back. He stood again, unable to bear sitting still. He glanced over the crew. They were friends, teammates. Would they understand what he was doing, or would they accept the Science Board's decision? "You know that I brought the human to the home world. You know she carries my child."
"Of course." The pilot made some adjustments to their course, then swiveled her chair to look at him with a frown on her face. "I thought we were taking her back to Earth."
Keeping it brief as possible, Shay told his command crew what Wynon wanted with Gemma. Cries of shock and horror answered him, and when he said that the Science Board had sanctioned experiments on the unborn child, they went silent. He sat again, flames coiling in his belly.
