Belong

by C. R. Jane

  I turned to Derrial next, knowing that it wouldn't be my turn until all of them had spoken first.

  "I saw you first, you know. I'd never had such an immediate reaction to another being before. I knew that I wanted you, that I had to have you, that there was no other option. It was obsession at first, but maybe it was always love too. There is no one else in all of the galaxies that could ever complete me the way you do. You are my moon, my stars, my end, and my beginning. I will never love another the way I love you. I will never put another above you. You will always be my everything. Marry me," Derrial almost whispered, his voice also heavy with emotion like the other two.

  I was crying. How could I not? Somehow, since the moment I saw them in that nightclub, our paths had always been leading to this. And maybe I didn't see that at first. Maybe at one point, all I'd seen were monsters. But now, all I could see were my saviors, my loves, my future.

  I would always love them. That was never going to change. I'd never felt more confident about anything than the fact that they would always love me, they would always want me, and they would always do everything in their power to be there for me.

  There was no other answer that I could give.

  "Yes," I told them, my voice so hoarse from my tears that it was difficult for the words to be heard.

  But of course, with their superior Vepar hearing, them not hearing me wasn't an issue.

  The three of them were all around me. They devoured me as they showered me with love.

  Derrial pulled me towards him and started to brush kisses down the side of my neck.

  "Tomorrow, you'll be ours. We won’t wait any longer," he growled as he bit down on my shoulder roughly, sending shivers across my skin.

  "Tomorrow?" I asked breathlessly, finding it hard to concentrate as Thane started down the other side of my neck and Corran's lips met mine.

  Corran pulled away for a second, and my lips immediately tried to follow his. He laughed deliciously. "We're done waiting. Tomorrow, we'll have the ceremony. We'll take care of everything."

  For a moment, I thought about walking down the aisle in a white dress, my father on my arm as he gave me away. And then I let that thought go.

  I didn't care if we got married in the middle of a swamp surrounded by wild creatures and swarms of mosquitos, I would marry them anywhere.

  Tomorrow.

  2

  None of the guys were in bed with me when I woke up the next morning. Thane Jr. was still curled up on the pillow next to me, tiny musical sounding snores coming out of him as he slept. It took me a moment for the consciousness to fully hit me, and when it did, I sat up in bed in a flash, waking up Thane Jr. and sending him running into my arms, his little body trembling.

  It was my wedding day.

  A gliding sound caught my attention, and I turned towards the bedroom's entrance and watched as a cart with a table and a tablet rolled towards me, stopping right beside the bed. I stared at it for a moment, not sure what I was supposed to do with it, before I finally grabbed the tablet. As soon as I touched it, all three of the guys appeared on the screen.

  I watched, confused, as they began to speak through the screen.

  "We've been studying up on human weddings, and we know that it's a tradition on your planet not to see the groom until the wedding ceremony," Corran began.

  "That's a stupid tradition by the way," Thane growled grumpily next to him, and I laughed at the disgruntled look on his face. I thought it was a stupid tradition too.

  Corran elbowed him and continued. "We wanted this day to be everything you've ever dreamed, so we set up some surprises. First up, breakfast in bed. Eat up, sweetheart, today's going to be the best day of our lives."

  I looked around, wondering where breakfast was, when suddenly I saw a plate piled with food on top of the tray that had just been empty moments before when I grabbed the tablet.

  And it was filled with all Earth food - eggs, bacon, pancakes - all food that I hadn't eaten since coming to Veon.

  Luckily, Corran had given me my nausea medicine the night before, and I was still feeling perfect. I attacked the food with gusto, savoring a little taste from home. I was a little salty that the guys had been holding back from me about the ability to get Earth food. I'd eaten so many strange things over the last few months that I deserved a freaking medal.

  Once I devoured everything on my plate, I got up to get out of bed. Suddenly, the tablet came on again, and once again, I saw all three of my men.

  "It's time to start getting ready, pet," said Thane. "If you walk into the bathroom, I think you will find a few surprises. I can't wait to marry you," he continued before the tablet once again shut off.

  I walked to the bathroom eagerly, thinking that whatever it was probably wasn't going to rival the pancakes I'd just eaten, but it was still going to be good.

  I was wrong, it did rival the pancakes.

  I loved Veon technology.

  Somehow, the guys had transformed the bathroom into an area that now resembled a fancy day spa, those ones on Earth that I never could afford. There were two hologram attendants waiting patiently for me, which was a little creepy, but the bath that they'd drawn filled with flower petals and scented oils along with the massage table that was set up in the middle of the room promised good things.

  The attendants disappeared momentarily while I slipped off my clothes and settled myself on the massage table, covering myself up with the white folded sheet on the bed. The bed was set up for a prenatal massage, complete with a donut hole looking pillow for my stomach, even though I didn't have anything resembling a bump at the moment. I still appreciated the gesture and hoped that whichever of the guys had created this could recreate it again and again throughout my pregnancy.

  What followed next was the most amazing experience I'd ever had. I was pretty sure that I would marry my hologram masseuse if given the chance. I'd never felt so relaxed. All of the stress I'd been holding in my muscles disappeared, and as I slipped off the bed into the bath that was still perfectly warm, I'd never felt better. I wasn't sure how they were doing it in their holographic state, but I once again chalked it up to a Veon technology win.

  One of the hologram attendants appeared next to the tub and began to wash my hair, putting an assortment of different creams and serums in it as she did so. The service, of course, came with a head massage, and I was practically purring by the time she finished. The oils in the tub were jasmine and orange-scented, heightening the entire experience.

  I stepped out of the tub, drying myself off with a warm towel that one of the attendants had set up near the tub. I knew that I could have cleaned myself instantly in one of those machines that I loved so much, but I was grateful to do it the old-fashioned way - that is, if the old-fashioned way came complete with more luxury than I'd ever dreamed.

  I was led to a chair where they began to buff and polish my skin and nails. My nails were painted a soft pink color, and my skin was softer than it had ever been in my life. My hair was next.

  Using a machine that looked like a more high-tech version of a hairdryer, my hair was dried and then curled, pulled up into a half-up, half-down hairstyle with soft tendrils framing my face.

  I was turned away from the mirror for makeup. That process took forever, and I was a little afraid that I was going to look like Mimi Bobeck from The Drew Carey Show when she was done.

  They didn't let me look at the final result, instead, leading me to a room off the spa-bathroom that I was sure hadn't existed before today.

  A long rack was set up in the middle of the room, and three rows of shoeboxes were set up in a line in front of the rack.

  The tablet had made its way into the room, and it blinked on as soon as I looked at it.

  "I saw that show once on your human television. Say Yes to the Dress or something like that," said Derrial, making a face. "I know we can't give you that same experience, but hopefully, we've created something a little like that. I've been assured by our comp
uters that these dresses are all the right style. I love you, baby," he said before the tablet clicked off.

  Hesitantly, I walked over to the rows of dresses. I knew they didn't wear things like this at Veon weddings. I'd heard the girls talking about what a Veon mating ceremony was like during the trials, and it made my heart explode with how they were trying to mimic a human wedding, even though it was so different than what they were used to.

  I shuffled through the dresses, my eyes getting larger and larger with each one. They were gorgeous, the kind of dresses you could imagine a princess wearing, not a poor girl who'd never worn brand named clothing in her life before meeting the guys.

  It was the second to last one that stopped my heart. It was almost an exact replica of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, with the exception that it had what looked like pink diamonds all over it.

  I teared up just looking at it, suddenly wishing more than anything that my mom could be here today to see this.

  Unfortunately, that wasn't something that the guys could deliver on today.

  The attendants had disappeared when I'd come into the room, but they reappeared once again as soon as I'd chosen my dress.

  There were a few sets of lacy undergarments set up beside the rack, and my skin heated just thinking about them taking it off of me.

  I chose a bright white pair that seemed perfect for a bride, and slipped them on before allowing the attendants to help me put on my dress.

  I really needed to ask the guys about the technology that they were using for these attendants, because I still couldn't believe that I could feel them despite the fact they appeared to be holograms and appeared and reappeared in an instant.

  Although the back of the dress appeared to have a row of hundreds of buttons holding it together, the designer of the dress had hidden a zipper underneath the buttons that made putting it on much easier than I'm sure it had been for Kate Middleton.

  The dress fit perfectly, better than anything I'd ever worn before. I'd expected the dress to feel heavy since there were so many layers, but the dress must have been made out of a special kind of cloth, because it almost felt like I wasn't wearing anything, as it was so light.

  I was finally led over to a giant mirror that had appeared on the wall, and I gasped as I looked at the stranger staring back at me. It was me, but it was a much better version of myself. I'd never imagined that I could look so good. The attendant who had done my makeup had managed to accentuate all of my features perfectly so that I still looked like myself, but as myself if I was a magical fairy princess.

  A wave of longing once again passed over me as I imagined what my mother would have said to me at this moment, how there would have been tears in her eyes. I thought of my father's reaction when he would have first seen me. The pain at their absence was almost crippling, and I had to take a few deep breaths in order to calm myself down.

  "Are there any changes you would like made?" the hologram attendant asked in a worried sounding voice. Obviously, my reaction was not what they were programmed to be going for.

  I gave the woman a tremulous smile. "I look perfect. Thank you so much," I told her, not knowing the proper procedure for thanking a fake person.

  She smiled and gave a small bow before disappearing from sight.

  I began to be nervous as I looked at myself in the mirror more. It was really happening. This was really my wedding day, and I was about to marry three aliens. How did this become my life?

  Looking at my side profile, I squinted because it almost seemed like I suddenly had a small bump...which was impossible. There was no way I would be showing already. I guess I'd just eaten too big of a breakfast.

  I didn't have any regrets.

  The tablet began buzzing behind me to get my attention, and I stopped staring at my new bump and walked over to grab it.

  My three men once again appeared on the screen as soon as I picked up the tablet.

  "There's a little present for you lying on the bed," Derrial told me. "I'm sure you look more beautiful than I can even imagine. And I can't wait to marry you. Come out to the main room after you find your surprise," he said before their images disappeared from view.

  I walked out to the bedroom and found a blue velvet colored jewelry box waiting for me on the bed. With trembling hands, I picked up the box and opened it. Inside was a pink diamond necklace and matching earrings that perfectly matched the pink diamonds on my dress. They were more gorgeous than words could describe. I slipped them on and then hurried out of the room, ready to make this wedding happen.

  I stopped short when I saw the back of a man talking to Corran's parents in the living room.

  It was my father. He was here.

  Corran's parents let out little sounds of surprise when they saw me and then my father turned around to see what they were looking at. His eyes immediately welled up with tears at the sight of me and he rushed towards me. He looked so much better than he had when we'd dropped him off and I knew I would feel eternally in debt to Derrial's parents for taking such good care of him.

  He looked like he'd just finished with a tropical vacation instead of imprisonment.

  "You're here," I gushed emotionally as my father gave me a careful hug, not wanting to muss my dress and makeup.

  "And you're beautiful," he told me, the same emotion threaded throughout his voice.

  He pulled back to look at me. "You look like a dream, my angel," he told me. "If only your mom was here to see you like this." Great wracking sobs started to come out of him, and I soon followed him, giving him a giant hug that I'm sure wreaked havoc on everything the attendants had just spent hours doing.

  After a few minutes, my father pulled away, wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry. This is a happy day. Forgive your old man for getting so emotional," he said with a sniffle. I saw that both Derrial and Corran's parents were standing by the door looking at us sympathetically. I gave them a tremulous smile.

  Suddenly, my holographic ladies appeared and started buzzing all over me, trying to fix the destruction I'd just caused. They stepped away after a few minutes, looking satisfied with their handiwork.

  "Let's get you married before I mess up your makeup again," my dad said with a wink, looking recovered now. Corran and Derrial's mothers both came up to me, cooing over my dress and accessories.

  "We couldn't have picked a better mate for our sons," Tenly, Corran's mother, whispered to me after giving me a gentle hug. Koria, Derrial's mother, just beamed at me with watery eyes after she pulled away from our hug.

  All of a sudden, Lanton walked in from outside, stopping as soon as he saw me and giving me a loud whistle that sounded very human. "The boys are getting restless, darling," he told me. "We'd better get this show started."

  I nodded and blew him a kiss, glad that he could be here. I'm sure that Thane's mother was somewhere close as well.

  They were all here.

  Everyone I loved, except for my mother.

  I chose not to dwell on that, giving them all a smile I hoped looked grateful.

  Koria went over to the counter and grabbed a bouquet of light pink Veon flowers that I'd never seen before. I inhaled the soft, almost tropical scent of them. Koria gave my shoulder a light squeeze and then led everyone out besides my father.

  "You ready for this, my darling girl?" he asked me, his voice still gruff from the emotion he was trying to control.

  "Ready," I said, marveling for a moment at how much I meant those words, despite how everything had started with Derrial, Thane, and Corran.

  "Let's do this then," he said as he led me towards the door.

  My jaw dropped as I saw what had been set-up. The guys must have messed with the transparency of the walls and programmed them to keep showing the outside of our house as it usually worked...because what I was seeing now was nothing like what I had seen through the walls all morning as I was getting ready.

  Instead of the colorful forest that had resembled a cotton-candy colored fall backdrop, there wer
e now flowers blooming everywhere, so colorful and numerous that it was almost too bright for my eyes. The flowers framed a small path that led to a white wooden arch that was also covered with an explosion of flowers.

  The flowers faded from view though when I saw my three Vepar standing up there, dressed in their usual tight uniform looking outfits with the exception that these were white.

  I belatedly noticed that white stool looking seats were set up in front of the arch and were occupied by our families.

  My dad patted my hand and began to lead me down the aisle as a soft harp sounding melody began to play a tune that I'd never heard but was so beautiful that it made me want to cry.

  The walk seemed to go on forever as I resisted the urge to run towards my beautiful men. The three of them were staring at me as if I was everything good in the world. Thane, my usually stoic warrior, had tears in his eyes. Derrial looked like he was having to hold himself back from coming towards me. And Corran looked like he couldn't believe how lucky he'd somehow gotten.

  The three of their gazes on me at once left me feeling heady.

  After what seemed like half a lifetime, we made it to the arch where my men were waiting for me.

  "You take care of my girl, you hear me?" my father ordered, his voice hitching as he spoke.

  Derrial took my hand from my father's. "Forever," he vowed, the intensity in his eyes sending a blush over my cheeks.

  My father gave me one more kiss on the cheek before walking over and joining the other parents on the stools that I realized were hovering a few inches in the air.

  Butterflies erupted in my stomach as I continued to stare into my lovers' eyes.

  Derrial opened his mouth and began to speak, a cacophony of strange words in a language that didn't resemble the Veon language that I'd been around for months. Somehow, I knew the words he was uttering were older than the Veon language. They sounded sacred...they sounded binding.