“Which is when?” I asked.
“A few months.”
My heart sank. “We’ll talk to the Captain. Maybe he can…”
“Not this time, Brync. Quinn has already spoken to my parents.”
I hugged him tightly. I didn’t want to lose him. “When it’s time I’ll go with you and talk to them, Kai. I’ll make them see they are wrong about off-worlders,” I stated.
Kai’s body trembled in my arms as he began to cry. He sniffled between words, “You’d do that for me?”
“Absolutely!”
“You know how big and scary my father is?” Kai inquired. “He’s even worse when he’s angry.”
“Well, I have a few months to get ready for this,” I stated. “I’ll be fine.”
Excerpt:
The Xolian Guide on the Fetal Development of the Xolian-Human Hybrid
By Dr. Freelyn
Ship’s Doctor , Narada Marant
YOUR UNBORN CHILD AT THE NINTH MONTH OF PREGNANCY
At the ninth month or the beginning of your mate’s last quarter his body will seem completely beyond his control. The swelling belly will get even bigger, he’ll waddle as he walks and he may get winded even traveling short distances. There’s a big difference in his balance so he may seem clumsy. Remember he can no longer see his feet and it’s advisable that the First Father help with any task requiring bending.
Your human mate may seem like he’s lost his mind as well. He will re-arrange everything (nesting) at least twice daily. Do not try to help him with this task. You will place things incorrectly even if you ask. Your mate will yell at you for not helping, making him do everything on his own. He will laugh with you about anything, happy and playful. That’s a trap. The next instant he may be righteously angry or bawl like a baby. If he had a bad dream in which you did something wrong, your mate may hold you responsible for your actions upon waking. He will feel confident, volunteering to do extra work even though it exhausts him. Your mate will suddenly want so much sex he may actually drive you away. Stay firm to your expectations. He may be crazy but he’s still your mate.
The fetus continues to grow in size and weight. He’s getting pretty cramped in there so expect some serious kicks and jabs to happen. Your mate’s liver and bladder become punching bags. If you want a freak show, watch your mate’s belly when he is lying down and you may see the outline of a hand or foot pass beneath the skin.
At nine months your child can clearly hear your voices and seeks comfort by sucking a thumb. As mentioned earlier, twins will touch each other and interact. It is believed by Healers to be in the ninth month when the Na of twins combines. From this point onwards they will be inseparable. Later in childhood this will become more noticeable as they will seem to sense each other’s moods. Without a twin, the single Na will combine with his fathers’.
PREPARING FOR ARRIVAL
It is advised to be well prepared for your little one as Xolian-human hybrids tend to arrive a little early. You may want to get the essentials gathered, decide on the birthing plan and the natural pain management techniques your mate will employ. Select a pediatrician, one familiar with hybrids preferably. Be ready for emergencies and have back-up plans in place. If on board a space cruiser, do alert your crew to your plans as you will be very busy once labor begins.
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN, BE WATCHFUL AND VIGILANT
- Xolian saying
Del and Quinn were always ending up in some kind of mess. They couldn’t even manage a simple pregnancy. When their well-laid plans started to unravel, it went rather quickly. They were lucky I was around.
CHAPTER SIX
--- Three months later---
Braxx:
“Get out of my way, Rathian,” I snarled. His dark brow flicked upwards but he said nothing and did not otherwise move from his place on the floor, long lean legs outstretched across my path. He was blocking the only way out of the small cave and he damn well knew it. “Move! I’ve been here three months and you are still stubborn and overbearing! I’m glad our time is almost up!”
Seeing that he wasn’t planning on getting up I made to step over him. He shifted slightly and I had to hop back to keep from tripping. He said, “I wouldn’t do that, Brat.”
“Oh really, Haz,” I replied sarcastically. I had decided if he couldn’t or wouldn’t say my name correctly then I’d return the favor. “What are you going to do about it?”
“I told you.”
The bastard closed his grey eyes and settled back against the stony wall, seeming to ignore me again though his tail, twitching at the tip, showed he was still alert to my presence.
“You better move or I’ll move you,” I warned him.
Silence.
I knelt and stared at him purposely. The stripes on his face shifted from a dark grey to black in an instant and the lighter markings brightened. His long thin ears pressed against his skull from his irritation. “The little white dots above your eyes are interesting,” I remarked. “When you relax they make you look cute and harmless.”
Slowly one eye opened and glared at me stonily. “What are you doing?” he inquired.
“Observing you, since you won’t let me leave the cave,” I answered.
“Are you planning to be this annoying all afternoon?” Hastor asked as he sat up and looked at me fully.
“Yes, Haz, as a matter of fact that is what I was planning.”
He exhaled loudly. “Bad decision, Brat. I told you we’d go hunting together later on this evening. I’m tired of rescuing you. Don’t make me punish you again. It won’t be a spanking this time, you enjoy them.”
“You won’t have to rescue me,” I grumbled, ignoring his threat. “Need help once or twice and never hear the freaking end of it.”
“Heat exhaustion, Rata bite, Go’ Da attack, flash flood,” Hastor replied, showing me one hand and ticking off each rescue with a finger. “Shall I continue?”
I pursed my lips. “Then why do you follow me? If you don’t want me around just let me wander off on my own! I’ll be dead and you can stop worrying about me.”
“I’m not worried about you,” Hastor hastily told me. His tone of voice told me differently.
“Not worried, just amused watching me face death?” I inquired.
He snorted. “It was amusing the first ten times, now you are just a damn nuisance. If you die your brother will want an explanation.”
“Quinn would celebrate,” I said.
Hastor shook his head as he rose. Shoving me back he stepped around me as I nearly fell on my butt. He said, “Your brother would grieve. So would your fathers.”
“Are you jealous?” I asked incredulously, scrambling to my feet following him. “I thought Rathians despised family. Looked at relationships as a disadvantage.”
The Raider spun, planted a hand in the middle of my chest and kept me still against a wall. He growled at me, “I don’t need to explain myself to you! I said stay quiet and out of the way somewhere! That’s all you should care about! That and giving my cock pleasure!”
“Because you said so, Haz? Get off me!”
“I told you that if you didn’t listen I’d strip you and bind you!”
“Ha! I’d like to see you try! This time I’m not unconscious. I could fight you, I’m a Charon,” I stated hotly. My chest scales rose into place as I prepared to take him on.
Hastor grabbed the front of my shirt and lifted me completely off the floor. Thoroughly angry I swung at him, kicked and cursed. Each blow resounded through the tiny cave and echoed but they seemed to have no ill effect on him. I tried prying his hand out of my shirt but also to no avail.
“Are you finished yet with your temper tantrum, Brat? I thought Xolians were warriors. Our youngest female whelp have a better fighting strategy than you,” Hastor remarked.
“I’m a Prince, asshole. I was educated in history, diplomacy and negotiations,” I said.
“So basically worthless,” He stated, dropping me on the ground
at his feet.
“I’m not worthless,” I replied pulling my shirt straight again and giving him a dark look of annoyance. “I thought I was starting to prove that to you. I did bring down that Gi’ Dar beast, right?”
“You did,” Hastor remarked. “After it nearly trampled you to death.”
I shrugged. The details of my hunting trip did not matter, only the results. “Still I am capable.”
“One animal. That’s all you have managed, Brat. That does not prove you are a capable hunter. I will admit however you’ve kept me mildly entertained with that mouth and tight hole of yours,” Hastor told me.
“Whatever, Haz. Playing with you passes the time but now that’s even getting old. I’m not going to miss this rock or you, you bossy Rathian. Now let me go hunt.”
“No,” Hastor retorted. “Stop your bitching and whining. Go sit somewhere out of the way. I’ll go hunting with you later so that I don’t have to explain your death to your brother when he shows up in a few days.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Hastor:
The heat of midday made us drowsy and we took to our sleeping spots near the back of the cave where it was much cooler. Thankfully silent, Brat laid down under an outcropping of stone, his shirt rolled up under his head for support. I turned my back to him to get some rest. We had to travel far to find our food now and it would be a taxing journey. Hopefully Brat wouldn’t bother me.
When I awoke in the late afternoon I found that the Xolian had snuck out again without my permission. The last time he had done so the month prior I had applied my hand to his backside to correct his misbehavior. This time, furious at having to track down the spoiled, bratty Xolian I swore that when I caught up with him I’d end his little rebellion against me once and for all. When I was through with him he’d obey and fully submit himself to me. If he refused, I’d soon be rid of him anyway.
I scrambled over the rough stones and clambered over boulders. I could easily track his path based on the patterns in the loose pebbles and sand. I was closing in on him rapidly. Brat was intelligent, he’d know better than to remain exposed out in the open and he’d try to remain hidden from my sight. As a skilled hunter I used all my senses. I stopped, cocking my head, my long ears lifting slightly, twitching as I caught the faint sound of movement. Squatting down low to the ground, I paused. Braxx was just ahead of me.
He crept along some outcroppings in a shadowed recess and froze. He was scanning the area carefully before he continued a few more meters, prey-like behavior. It amused me greatly to see him so nervous. I’m certain he remembered what I told him would happen if he fled from me again. Good, let him worry. It would be a dangerous distraction for him.
I clutched the bolas I had made from two fist sized stones and a strip of leather. Cautiously, I shifted my weight very slowly so that I could make a sudden move to rise. Breathing shallowly, evenly, I thought of only one thing. Braxx’s sweet begging when I applied my belt later. With that thought of a successful hunt clearly playing in my mind, I sprang forward with a snarl, whipped my arm behind my back and then snapped it forward releasing my hunting implement. The bolas flew smoothly and soundlessly, wrapping themselves around his legs tightly. He didn’t even have time to turn or run. With a deep cry of frustration he fell gracelessly to the ground and sputtered, the breath knocked from him.
I took my sweet time walking over to him. He writhed on the ground trying to get his legs unwound before I reached his side. From my belt pouch at my waist I snatched more long strips of leather. Frantically he scooted back but was brought up short by a rock wall. Ever defiant, he snarled at me like a wild animal. That was fine. I liked a good challenge. “Having trouble with that, Brat?” I teased, watching him twist the leather and rake at them with his clawed fingers.
“I was hunting , stupid rat!” he hissed. “I don’t need your help or your permission.”
I scoffed at him. “Stop being an idiot! It’s dangerous out here on your own. You are a spoiled Prince with no hunting or fighting skills. That’s fine, Xolian. I’ll take care of our needs.”
He tossed back his head, glaring. He replied, “I don’t need you!”
Shaking my head in mock disbelief I told him, “Look, you have made some progress, Brat. Three months ago, you wouldn’t even touch the grubs, had no idea how to find water. In another three months perhaps I’d let you hunt on your own. You are not ready yet for that. That is why I refused to give you permission.”
“Yeah, well. Go away,” he grumbled. A moment later he added, “Untie me first.”
I knelt on my haunches regarding him. “So you need my help.” It wasn’t a question and he knew it.
“What the high hells did you throw at me, Hastor? This damn thing could have broken my legs!”
Shrugging, I admitted, “I was aiming for your neck.”
Brat stated, “You were not. I know you too well now, Hastor. You’d miss me if I were gone. You’d have no one to torture with your so called cooking.”
“I have excellent cooking skills,” I remarked.
“No, Hastor, you don’t. I don’t know what it was you were trying to cook the other night but it was far worse than any punishment you’ve given me, trust me.”
Hmm, really? “I have been too easy on you then,” I told him.
“That’s not what I meant,” Brat said with a heavy sigh. “And why exactly are you being so nice and telling me all those things about making progress? Surely you are pissed about my running off again.”
He regarded me with suspicion as I drew closer.
“Pissed? Doesn’t that word mean to urinate?” I growled swatting away his hands as I grasped the bolas’ cord and tugged it tighter. He was safely hobbled for transport. “If you mean, I am angry, you are correct. However, something I know about you Xolian, my anger excites you. I have no intention bringing you such pleasure today. I will punish you and then you will receive no further attention from me. Your brother’s ship arrives within a matter of days. If you can’t find it in yourself to submit to my will before then, you may flee my presence. If you decide to stay you will serve as my mate.”
“I didn’t think you wanted me as your mate, Hastor, I’m just a spoiled rotten Prince.”
“I hate you less than before. In fact, I can tolerate you,” I said. “That’s rare in Rathian society.”
“You’re not so terrible, I guess,” Brat responded.
“I’ll soon rectify that opinion, Xolian! Now give me your hands, wrists crossed!” I ordered him.
For a moment he looked defiant again but sighing heavily, he finally complied. I bound his wrists together, slipped under him and tossed him over my shoulder. As I scrambled back down the hill, he lay fairly still. He obviously didn’t want to be dropped on his head. Once we were on flatter ground however my bundle started to fight me. I swatted his ass several times causing him to grunt and growl.
“Cut it out! Put me down, asshole!” He shouted.
“If you obeyed me you wouldn’t have to be carried!” I reminded him.
“If you weren’t so annoying and bossy about it maybe I’d obey you. Ever think of that, Hastor, you raving lunatic?”
I chuckled. He was attempting to push me to beat him. I had other things planned. Once I wrangled him into our cave and into the sleeping area I dropped him on the piles of old cloth that formed my makeshift bed. He grunted in annoyance and tried his best to scoot away.
Straddling him I grabbed his trousers and pulled them loose. I hooked a finger in the top, pulling downwards until they bound him even further at his knees. I snatched his wrists by the leather cord and brought them over his head. A submissive Rathian would have given in quietly by now to such treatment but Brat was cursing and snarling defiantly at me.
“You will obey me, Brat,” I stated. “But I am not going to hurt you with my hand or belt.”
He froze, squinting at me. “Then what?”
I continued,
“In fact I’m not going to hurt you at all.”
“Then get the fuck off me, you rat.”
“If you lay quietly, Brat, show me you can submit, I’ll untie you. It will be on you to accept me or not.”
I stroked his cock, hardening him almost immediately. With a frown, he twisted as much as he could to get away from my hand. Slowly I reversed my direction, fluttering my finger beneath the sensitive shaft.
“This is punishment, Rathian?” He asked through clenched teeth as my hand pulled smoothly upwards again. Down then up. Repeatedly. Incessantly. “L let me go, damn it.”
“Will you obey?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t sound convincing, Xolian. I know this is driving you to the edge and that no matter how excited you get you cannot come without me. I can do this for hours and all you can do is endure it.”
His struggle doubled. With a wild snarl he bucked his legs trying to dislodge me but there was no hope for him. I spit on my hand and polished his cock’s sensitive head until he howled. A fresh stream of pre-cum oozed out of him and puddled on his pubic area. We briefly made eye contact, staring at each other as I picked up my stroking pace again. He moaned as his cock twitched under my administrations.
He tried to sit up, and pull his hands from the binding but ended up simply flopping his head back, groaning. Again his body denied him the orgasm. I took a quick break to rearrange myself beneath the Da’ Shari but I was careful not to pleasure myself too much. If I came then he would as well. I had incredible will power. I could wait. But this Xolian was loosing the battle of wills. A half dozen more edging sessions would make him more compliant.
“Are you ready now?” I asked the stubborn Prince.
After a long, slow sigh, he answered more calmly, “Yes, Hastor.”
I released the strings of the Bolas, tossed them aside and freed his hands as well. He’d have to lay still and submit now all under his own will power.
He jumped and cried out when I enclosed his hot, sensitized cock in my hand again. Hissing, he trembled as I brought him right to point of no return for the third time. Instead of stopping, I continued to tease and torture his flesh. With his ability to orgasm firmly shut down, his cock dribbled and then wilted helplessly in my hand.
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