My face flushed, hard and fast. Maybe now Iwouldget heat stroke.
“I pollinated Levi,” Zat’tor said seriously. “It is possible he’s with child.”
A sudden laugh spilled out of me. Oh, poor sweet Zat’tor and his alien sensibilities. He had a lot to learn about human biology.
Instead of laughing, Jaeyoung took the time to explain. “That’s not possible,” he said simply. “Levi is a cis man. He doesn’t have the organs to facilitate a pregnancy.”
Zat’tor stared at him like he’d said the moon was made of cheese. “I do not comprehend.”
I shrugged. “I can’t get pregnant. That’s it. There’s nothing else to comprehend.”
Confusion flitted across Zat’tor’s expression as he looked at me. “My cock fit inside you with ease, and your body accepted my pollen. Therefore, youmusthave the organs.”
I blushed deeply with embarrassment. I didn’t need my resident doctor knowing I’d been flooded with alien cum.
“No, Zat’tor, I don’t,” I said, trying to be gentle. It was natural that he didn’t understand how human bodies worked. “Cis men like mecan’tget pregnant, no matter what. Not even with all the scientific advancements we’ve made on Earth. It’s just a law of nature.”
“You asked me to breed you,” Zat’tor reminded me.
I coughed, trying to ignore Jaeyoung’s presence during this conversation. “Yeah, as dirty talk. I didn’t mean literally. It’s hot because it can’t actually happen.”
My explanation didn’t convince Zat’tor at all. He stared at me evenly, with the same fondness he always had in his eyes. There was a cool confidence in his aura, like heknewhe was right. Which was crazy, because he couldn’t be.
“Zat’tor, could you explain how Maeleons breed?” Jaeyoung asked. “It might help us understand where you’re coming from.”
Zat’tor dipped his head. “Yes. Any Maeleons can participate in intercourse, but only filum can breed.”
There was that word again. At this point I understood it as a term of endearment, maybe akin to “soul mate,” but Zat’tor said it with so much gravity that it felt like something more. Something that sent shivers down my spine.
Speaking of shivers, I suddenly felt the delicate touch of his tentacle on my arm. It was like he couldn’t speak about it without being in contact with me. It brought a smile to my face. Almost instinctively, I placed my palm on top of it, like we were holding hands.
Jaeyoung noticed this, but said nothing. He was too immersed in the alien biology lesson.
“So then, not all Maeleons breed. What does being a filum entail? Is it an innate characteristic, or a state of being?” he asked.
I perked up, intrigued now. Leave it to the doctor to ask the real questions.
Zat’tor mulled this over. “It is a state of being.”
Jaeyoung stroked his chin thoughtfully. “It sounds like a cyclical phase, similar to estrus in some mammals. Since Maeleons have no concept of sex or gender, I suspect any Maeleon can go into estrus—er, exist as a filum. Is that correct?”
Zat’tor’s tail whisked back and forth in concentration, like this was difficult to explain. “Not quite. It is not a state any of us can enter at will.”
I could practically see Jaeyoung excitedly taking mental notes. This was his version of an amusement park.
“I see,” he said. “What dictates who becomes a filum?”
Zat’tor took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he put his palms on the ground. For a moment it looked like he was praying. When he opened his eyes, he looked straight at me. The fire in his gaze made my heart skip a beat. It was intense, almost supernatural.
I licked my lips. My palm curled tighter around his tentacle. As our skin touched, a familiar tingle lit up below my belly.
Fuck. I couldn’t afford to be horny right now, but I couldn’t help it, either. Touching Zat’tor was like a drug—stronger than any over-the-counter stuff, or even those aphrodisiac fruits.
“The soil decides,” Zat’tor finally said.
Jaeyoung blinked. “The... soil?”
“Yes.”
