Barbarian Alien (20 page)

Georgie grins and gestures for Maylak to begin.

The alien closes her eyes and hums, and for a terrible, corny minute, I think she’s going to start chanting ‘ommmm’. But her eyes begin to glow even brighter, so bright that I can see the glow behind her eyelids, and my cootie starts to react. It’s not singing or purring like it does when Raahosh comes close, but it’s almost like it’s…talking to her. I feel it twisting inside me, and then it almost dances.

It’s creeping me out.

She continues to hold my hands, and I feel my cootie moving and vibrating in response. It’s a different kind of vibration, higher and more rapid than when it’s sexytime with Raahosh. I try to pull my hands from hers.

“It’s all right, Liz. She’s just checking stuff out inside you. I promise it’s fine.” Georgie puts her hand on my arm.

Maylak opens her eyes and my cootie stops vibrating. It slows to a faint hum and then ends, and the healer exhales slowly. Then, she smiles and releases my hands.

Weirdly enough, I feel better. I didn’t feel bad before, but I feel…rejuvenated. Like I just had an hour-long massage on the inside.

Maylak begins to speak, and Georgie translates. “She says you have a bit of exhaustion. That it’s normal for the humans because we’re all still acclimating to the climate and having a khui, but for you to take it easy.”

“I’m not surprised. I’ve been taking care of Raahosh since he fell and broke his leg.” My eyes widen and I clutch at Georgie’s hands. “Oh – tell her she needs to check out Raahosh. He hurt himself a while ago and took some time to recover. She needs to check him over to make sure he’s okay.”

Georgie looks at Maylak and speaks, and a small, unhappy frown crosses Maylak’s face. She says something, and Georgie argues back with her.

“What are you guys saying?” I ask when they ignore me.

“It’s complicated,” Georgie says. “I’ll tell you later.”

Maylak continues to speak, and she gestures at my stomach. Georgie breaks out into a smile and looks at me.

“Let me guess,” I say before she can translate. “I’ve got a bun in the oven.”

Her eyes widen. “You knew?”

“Uh, I shake like I’ve got a vibrator tucked inside me every time Raahosh gets near,” I say in a dry voice. “We might have banged a few times without protection.”

“A few?” She chuckles.

“Okay, a few times a day. But seriously, that’s what the cootie’s about, right? So I’m not surprised. I don’t know how I feel about it, but I’m not shocked.”

She gives me a sympathetic look. “Not sure how you feel about it because it’s Raahosh’s?”

“No.” Dang, why does everyone think I hate the guy? “Not sure how I feel about it because I’m not sure I wanted to be a mommy, and I’m kinda young. I’m only twenty-two. You’re only twenty-two. We’re all only twenty-two and now we’re going to be having kids if the cooties have their way.”

Georgie’s hand goes to her stomach. “I’m pregnant, too.”

I look over at the silent, waiting healer. “Is she sure? How do we know it’s not just gas or something? Maybe the alien food makes our colons explode.”

“First of all, gross? Second of all, she
knows
. She’s the healer.” Georgie looks at Maylak and says something, and Maylak gestures at her chest, speaking more fluid syllables. I really need to visit the alien ship and get the info dump, because I’m tired of people talking around me already. Georgie nods and then looks at me, translating. “She says she can feel the changes in your womb. Your khui knows it’s there.”

“Then why does the damn thing still vibrate all the time when I’m around Raahosh?”

Georgie’s mouth curls in a slight smirk. “Because you’re turned on? I imagine it likes sex endorphins as much as the rest of us.”

Girl has a point. I exhale, staring at the cave walls. “So I’m pregnant.”

“Me too. You’re not alone.” She smiles. “Vektal is so excited.”

I imagine the excitement on Raahosh’s face when I tell him that there’s a baby blue alien in my stomach. I touch my belly. He’s going to be…happy but terrified. I remember the story of his parents. That won’t be us. I promise Baby Blue that it won’t. I look at Georgie. “Raahosh is pretty excited about the whole resonating thing too. He really wants a family.”

Her smile fades a little. “Did he hurt you?”

I shake my head. “He came on a little strong a few times, but I had things under control. When we finally got together, it was my call and not his.” Well, it was the cootie’s call, but I don’t point that out. I sense that Georgie might not listen. She’s utterly crazy about Vektal the way I am about Raahosh and I’m going to defend him, even if it puts us on opposing viewpoints.

Because for some reason, I’m feeling
mighty
defensive. Something about all of this feels wrong, and I can’t put my finger on what it is.

What Georgie says next floors me, though. “Settle in for a long wait, though. It seems their ladies carry for three years or so.”

The breath explodes from me. “What the fuck?” I’m appalled. Nine months of bloated belly and swollen ankles sounds bad. Three years of pregnancy sounds like sadistic torture.

She grimaces. “I know. Apparently they stay pregnant a lot longer. Maylak says thirty five moons or so, but it’s hard to tell how long their moon phases are compared to theirs, because no one exactly has a watch or a calendar, and this doesn’t line up with earth.”

I moan in horror. “So we’re going to be pregnant somewhere between nine months and three years? Shoot me now.”

“If it makes you feel any better, you’re handling the news a lot better than Ariana did.”

“Let me guess – she cried.”

“Bingo.”

Maylak looks between us curiously, and so Georgie translates for her. As she does, another question comes to mind. “So who all is pregnant?”

“Let’s see – Ariana, of course. Me. You. Marlene. Nora. Stacy. That’s it so far.”

“No resonance for Kira, huh?” I think of the way Aehako flirted with her outside the caves. “Or Josie? Tiff?”

“Nope. Maylak says sometimes the resonance happens later, but so many of us resonated at first sight that I don’t know.” Her voice lowers. “Some are disappointed.”

Weirdly enough, I understand that. It’s like their cooties decided they’re not good enough for alien babies. And since the tribe seems so desperate for kids, that has to sting. “It’ll happen. Or, you know, it won’t. Maybe their cooties don’t want to be moms.”

Georgie laughs. “Maybe they’re not ready yet.”

“Any sign of the Little Green Men?” I rub the spot on my arm where the tracking device was implanted weeks ago and then cut out shortly thereafter.

She shakes her head. “Everything’s been quiet…” It’s left unspoken.
Except for you
.

To be fair, she’s trying to protect me from a kidnapper. I can’t hate on that. “I’m fine, Georgie. Really.”

She bites her lip and then sighs. “Vektal is really pissed at Raahosh.” The look she gives me is uneasy. “Did he tell you about the story of his parents?”

“I heard from Aehako. It’s not quite the same thing.”

“Maybe not in Raahosh’s eyes, but to Vektal, it is. Their tribe has very strict laws about that sort of thing, Liz.” She shakes her head. “Just be prepared for a shitstorm. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Commence the shittening,” I tell her. “I’m ready.”

• • •

Maylak finally deems me fine and dandy, and Georgie and I leave her cave behind. I don’t miss the fact that they exchange a few heated comments between them in the alien language, or the worried look on Maylak’s face as we leave. I’m not blind. There’s an ominous feeling to our return, and I know it can’t bode well.

In the center of the cave, Vektal sits on a few carved steps. He’s casually lounging, but there’s nothing casual about his demeanor. He looks tense. Pissy. Aehako and Haeden are talking to him, and Raahosh is nowhere to be found. Other men are standing around, and as Georgie and I return, all attention is fixed on us.

Vektal gets to his feet. He looks past me and I turn to see that Maylak has emerged from her cave and is a few steps behind me. He says something in alienese and I catch my name. It’s not hard to hear ‘Leezh’ mixed in with the patter of their tongue.

This is getting irritating. Everyone’s talking around me. I snap my fingers in Vektal’s face. “Hello, I’m right here. Don’t speak as if I’m not.”

I hear Aehako muffle a laugh and Vektal turns a shocked look on me. “What are you doing?”

“Does it look like I’m snapping to the beat? I’m getting your attention.” I’m also getting might tired of everyone talking around me. I want a say in my future, damn it. I’ve been pushed around too long, and I’m not going to be pushed around by another big blue alien with horns just because he says he’s the chief. “I’m right here. You can talk to me about my favorite topic – me.”

His brows draw together and he gives me a fierce frown. “I am confirming with the healer.”

“That I’m pregnant? You could ask me. Yes, my ovaries have met their match, and it’s alien sperm.” I cross my arms. “Where’s Raahosh? I want my mate.”

“Liz,” Georgie murmurs, trying to calm me.

“Unless you want to see a show of pregnancy hormones in full effect, I want Raahosh, and I want him right now,” I say in a deadly voice and point at the ground. “I realize you think I’m being impossible but you have not seen impossible yet. I will be the biggest pain in the ass on this snow-covered planet if you don’t get me my man, stat.” I don’t understand. Why are they keeping us separated? That weird sense I have of ‘something wrong’ is getting worse.

“This is their home, Liz,” Georgie says.

“I thought we were all supposed to be one big team now, remember? That makes this my home, too, and I want my fricking man.”

Georgie looks at Vektal. He throws his hands up in the air as if to say ‘you deal with her’ and storms away. Georgie gives me an exasperated look, but I don’t care. I need to see Raahosh and know that he’s all right. And I want to tell him we have a baby. She pulls me aside, though, and leans in to whisper in my ear. “Raahosh broke the rules and he’s in trouble, Liz.”

“I know,” I say, and then clasp my hands under my chin. “But I want to see him and tell him we’re having a baby, okay?”

“Okay,” she says softly. “I can stall things for a little while and talk to Vektal, but when they decide his punishment, there’s nothing I can do, all right?”

I shrug. What are they going to do? He’s a tribe member and a soon to be dad. If he gets more hunting duty, I’ll just go with him. If they give him a fine of some kind, I don’t think he’d care. And from what I’ve seen, lashes or physical punishment would be a bit extreme. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad.

And whatever it is, we’ll face it together.

After all, I feel as if I’ve survived a few ‘worst case scenarios’ so far. Kidnapped by aliens to be sold as cattle? Crash land on an ice planet? Starve while stewing in your own filth for a few weeks?

I got this ‘worst case scenario’ shit nailed. Everything after that is a cakewalk.

Georgie says a few words and two warriors head out of the caves. We wait in silence, and then a few minutes later, Raahosh stalks in, flanked by the warriors. He looks pissy as hell, his fists clenched and his body vibrating anger. His weapons are gone, and there’s a small bruise on his jaw.

Maybe all of this is getting to me, because at the sight of him, I burst into girly tears.

His expression immediately changes to the possessive one and he pushes through the crowd in the cave to get to me. I hear murmuring, but I don’t care. My cootie has started vibrating, singing a song to his. He sweeps me up against him and presses me against his chest, his big arms holding me close. I can hear his cootie vibrating in time with mine, and I give a small little sigh of happiness.

I’m in his arms. Everything’s okay.

“Liz?” He brushes his hand over my cheek. “What is wrong?”

I scrub a hand over my eyes like a child. “I’m just tired. I want to go lie down somewhere quiet and talk.”

His hand strokes my hair. “Of course.”

Kira comes up to us, and I’m surprised to see Aehako at her side again. She watches me, her sad eyes intent as Raahosh holds me close. I can’t tell if there’s envy on her face or worry. Both? “They’ve had to change a lot of the sleeping quarters around,” she says. “I don’t know if there’s a quiet place to be had.”

Aehako nods and crosses his big arms. “Raahosh’s things have been moved with the other hunters. There are five sharing that cave. Zolaya and his mate are in your old cave.”

Raahosh snarls. “Then where—“

“Let’s just go outside,” I tell him, gripping his arms. I’m already tired of this cave packed full of people, with the humidity and the staring. “I’d rather be out there with you.”

“You can’t,” Aehako says. “I’m sorry. Vektal wants you watched for now.”

Me
, because they know Raahosh won’t go anywhere without me. I blow out a breath of frustration. “Then where can we go?”

“You can come to the bachelorette cave,” Kira offers. “That’s where the human ladies who didn’t resonate are staying.”

I nod and hold on to Raahosh tighter. “You guys won’t mind if my big blue friend shows up?”

“Not at all,” she says, and a smile crosses her solemn face.

Aehako adds, “It’s not as if they are not entertaining other big blue friends—“

Again, she bats at his arm and I see a blush creep up her face, but they’re both hiding smiles. There’s a story there, and probably a juicy one, but I’m too tired and mentally worn out to ask about it right now. I just want to curl up with Raahosh for a while.

“You can have my bed,” Kira says. “It’s about as private as you get around here.” She nods and gestures for us to follow her. We do, and Kira leads us to one of the back caves. Two familiar human faces look up as we approach, but Kira waves them off. “Liz needs to rest. There’ll be time to chat later.”

The ‘bachelorette’ cave is fairly roomy, the ceiling smooth and tall. If I had to guess, the room’s about twenty feet long and maybe half as wide. There’s a couple of beds along the floor, a fire-pit in the center that Tiffany’s feeding fuel into, and a curtained area off to one side. Kira brings us there and gently pulls aside the leather curtain, revealing a niche in the wall that holds her fur-strewn bed.