“Your pregnancy is in the very early stages.Luxirian females carry—or used to carry—our young for only three lunar cycles.You said that humans have a nine lunar cycle pregnancy?”
“Yes,” she said.Only a three month pregnancy?
Sign me up, she thought.
“We will monitor how quickly the young develops,” he said, sounding positively gleeful, like a kid in a candy store.“This will change everything,lavrix’an.You do realize this, correct?”
“I do,” she murmured, placing a hand on her stomach, wondering when she would begin to show.Privanax finished up with his tests and she smiled softly, hopping off his examination table.“Well, it seems you were right.”
“How so,lavrix’an?”
“You told me that sometimes the Fates know what’s best, even if you don’t see it at the time,” she said, placing a hand on his arm in a goodbye.
“The Fates always have a plan,lavrix’an,” was his answer.“And they have answered all of our prayers this span.”
* * *
Kate was waiting for Vaxa on the terrace later that night when he landed his hovercraft.Her body hummed at the sight of him and he made a growling sound, quickly approaching her before kissing her in greeting.
“It seems my female has beenwantingthis span,” he murmured.“I thought this morning would have been enough to keep you satisfied until my return.”
She flushed, remembering their activities in the bathing pool, remembering the feel of his mouth suckling on her clit.Her fingers traced over the hard lines of muscle braiding his arms.
“I have something to tell you,” she said.It was dark outside, but the light from inside their house gave the terrace a soft golden glow.Above them, the stars were bright, foreign constellations twinkling.She wondered if Earth’s sun was one of them.The city below was quiet and Kate had to admit that this was her favorite time of day, when Vaxa was relieved of his duties and she felt proud of a hard day’s work and when they were together, just the two of them.
Vaxa frowned, clearly thinking that something was wrong, but she smiled, smoothing out his brow.
“Vaxa, I’m pregnant.”
A sharp breath hissed out of his nostrils and she grinned at the utter shock on his face.“Rebax?”
Rebaxmeant ‘repeat’ in Luxirian, so it really meant more like ‘what?’He’d changed languages and he hadn’t even realized.Her grin widened.
“Privanax confirmed it today.I missed my period and…I just had this feeling.And well, I’m pregnant!” she laughed, happy to finally be able to tell him.
“Luxiva,” he growled, pulling her to him, touching his forehead against hers, cradling her face in his large palms.Her heart absolutely melted whenever he did that.“Luxiva…this is good news indeed,” he said quietly, his voice roughened from the emotion she felt inside him.
Over a month ago, she’d been living a life on Earth, unaware that bigger things awaited her in this vast universe.And now, she was mated to the Prime Leader of Luxiria, pregnant with his child, building a new life on a new planet…and most importantly, she washappy.
And she knew it was only the beginning.
* * *
Vaxa’an held his sleeping female close, stroking the soft skin of her belly, knowing that his young was protected safely inside.His chest burned with an emotion he hadn’t thought possible, knowing that he would do anything for his Kat, knowing that he would gladly give his life for hers and for his child.
It was a humbling emotion.
The knowledge that she was pregnant came at a welcome but troubling time.Vaxa’an had not told her much about his dealings with the council, but there was talk of rebellious factions in a few of the outposts.Some Luxirians were not as accepting of his human mate as others were and he knew that his position as Prime Leader would be challenged, just as Kirov had first predicted.
He would need to prepare for the fighting pit if he was challenged.Luxirians worshipped strength and he would need to remind those rebellious few that he had earned his place as Prime Leader.
And he also had another decision to make, one that had been plaguing him since his conversation with Kat during the last night of theirravraxia, where she’d questioned why he hadn’t helped the other females at the Pit.
The Com next to the sleeping platform beeped, signaling Lihvan’s prompt arrival and Vaxa’an carefully extracted himself, ensuring that hisluxivawas warm and covered before shrugging on coverings, and padding silently from their quarters.
Lihvan waited for him on the terrace in front of his dwelling.The night was cool and still.Vaxa’an took a deep breath of the fresh air, letting it settle in his lungs.
“Thank you for coming, my friend,” Vaxa’an said, looking at his scarred war general, one of the few Luxirians he trusted with his life.“I know it is a long journey to your outpost, but I wanted to speak with you outside of the council.”
