The Beast Lover's Anthology: Vol. 1 - Star [Alien x Reader] M/F

Chapter Four

   "Mom?" A whisper tugged me from my dreams.

A shadow as large as me crept onto the comforter, a flash of vibrant blue glinting in the dim starlight trickling in from above. It was Jay, and as of late, his routine had been to climb in bed with Star and me. It was strange that such a fierce creature could be afraid of the dark, but Jay might as well have been a newborn kitten. He was quiet and kind, clingy and doting like his father but not nearly as capable of killing another living creature.

It'd been almost two years since he was born, and while my womb was finally empty, our lives were not. Twenty-four pups, all equally spaced apart in age, meant that while Jay had already developed the mind and caliber of an eight-year-old human, our youngest was still suckling, fitting snugly within the palms of my hands. Stars kind grew so much faster than I had anticipated.

"Hey, sweetheart," I whispered back, lifting the blanket so he could curl up against me.

"I'm sorry..." He muttered, tucking his face into my chest and curling his tail around my waist, clinging to me like a spider monkey. "I know Dad said I should sleep in my own bed, but... I'm scared; I can't sleep."

I curled my arm around him, pressing a kiss to his nose, and Kilo shifted groggily behind me, rolling over in his slumber with a snort. Star had a late-night meeting, and he wouldn't be back to our quarters for some time, so I let the boys snuggle with me, minus the youngest bunch, who were being cared for by Lyric in the nursery across the hall. Little made me happier than the closeness Jay and I shared when he couldn't sleep on his own, but Star had minimal tolerance for his neediness. I couldn't deny that Jay was at the age where his reliant behavior should've been corrected, but I didn't have the heart to turn him away.

"It's okay," I closed my eyes, sighing when he nestled closer, his warmth bleeding into me. "I used to be afraid of the dark too."

"Really?"

"Yep. I guess you got that from me." I laughed softly. "Before I met your dad, a lot of things were scary, but..."

My voice stalled.

... but when you're faced with death and impregnated by the most terrifying creature in the universe, everything else just seems silly.

I didn't speak the words aloud, but my heart sped up as the thought crossed my mind. I loved Star more than anything, but forgetting Eric or the lack of choice I was given before I was filled to the brim with eggs was still impossible. It's true that the day I realized I'd already come face to face with my biggest fear was the day Star decided to keep me by his side, but I couldn't voice that truth to Jay.

"But, what?" He asked, and I quickly modified my initial answer.

"Well, I realized that there's nothing in the galaxy fiercer than him. Knowing how much he loves us and how much he does to keep us safe, I'll never be afraid of anything again."

"He's like a superhero," Jay's voice perked up a bit, and I smiled.

"Right, and superheroes protect the ones they love. I'm not afraid because I know that as long as your dad is around, no monster or ghoul or ghost is going to come anywhere near us."

"Do you think they're afraid of me too?"

"Maybe not yet, but someday you'll have your own family to look out for, and just like us, they'll know you're there to protect them from anything."

"Right!" He said with an over-enthusiastic nod, his blue eyes glimmering with newfound positivity. I hushed him, giggling when he stuffed his face into the ticklish space beneath my chin. "I love you, Mom."