The Alien Commander's Surrogate

Episode 45

Episode 45

Hillary

I shivered, then slowly nodded, taking the pants from him. In my chest, the bond hummed away happily. "I understand."

A moment later the tension was broken as Salex kneeled before me, helping me get my shoes on and then finally out the door. As we moved, he told me about the new surrogate that had been woken up yesterday; this time Adra's surrogate. And that while Adra was completely infatuated, we both agreed on that, the woman seemed to already have a mate somewhere. It was more drama than Salex had wanted from today, but hopefully the other wakeups went more smoothly.

We entered the dining hall and immediately were thrown straight into the aforementioned drama. Adra was nothing of the soft-spoken, advice giving Trenzian he'd been to me before. He had completely changed. Salex had stroked my arm, before stepping forward to confront his closest friend.

Adra was so consumed with fear and worry for his surrogate that he didn't see when Salex drew his warriors forward. And when the needle sunk into his skin, my eyes were immediately drawn for the woman just beyond. Her face wide and shocked as she stared at Adra's form on the floor.

Suddenly everyone was moving, carrying Adra from the room. I forced my way, not that it was hard, these warriors parted for me with a touch of my hand, to the blonde woman's side. Her belly was smaller than mine, her tall and willowy frame bowed as she stared around us wide-eyed.

I reached for her, my heart in my throat over that fear-filled gaze. "I'm Hillary."

"Kait." Her voice was soft, shaking.

"Want to get out of here?"

"So, so badly."

I nodded, notching our arms together. "Adra's room is one of the few places I actually remember how to get to. They'll leave us alone there."

Salex emerged, his golden eyes fast on me. "Mate." The world was a gentle threat, a reminder that he still didn't want me far from home. But in this case, it didn't matter. Kait was obviously in distress.

"They'll leave us alone in there."

Salex grunted, but stayed put as I guided Kait out into the main halls. She's talking fast now, the words tumbling over each other in her haste to get them out. "What happened? He's never been like that. He would never..."

"I know that, so does Salex. But then I don't think the Trenzian's have had to deal with mate bond issues in a few hundred years. So plenty of things are still unknown."

"Mate bond? But I already told Adra, I already have a mate."

Adra's rooms appeared before us and admitted us both. Relief curled in my belly at the way Kati immediately relaxed. But time was running short, if Lylta and Catherine were correct, I believed that Adra might be in a full on rut. And the only thing I'd read that could bring a male back from that was his mate.

But in this case, things were a little less clear. Their relationship was so new.

"You can tell me," I said, carefully, watching the girl rub at her belly. "I know we don't know each other, but things on this ship, they are on a very tight timeline."

"Tell you what?" She was refusing to look me in the eyes.

"Do you really have a mate already? Someone you are bound to."

There' a long pause, then finally, "I'm not...yet," I fiddled with the ring on my thumb, "I was promised to a Makhra male who my father owed money to."

"My father is a military man, but on Earth, there is very little money left in it for a human. So when things got back, he got, let's say, creative. Now he and my mother owe this Makhra more money than they could ever possibly earn back. But human womens are cherished in their race. He wasn't concerned with how I got to Trenzian, but I had to get there by the end of the year, not pregnant and be ready to be his wife. His mate. But now, God, everything is so messed up."

Kait stilled, her hands on her face. Her shame was nearly palatable, and I hated it. Instinct had me up, wrapping my arms around the fellow human in a tight hug. "It's going to be okay."

Kait's shoulders shook. "I need Adra."

"I know," I said, "We'll find a way."

A soft silence came over us, broken only by the occasionally sob. "I still can't believe this is happening though, he was so gentle, so kind."

I cleared my throat, "I have a tiny bit more experience, you know a whole weeks worth," I gave a watery laugh, "And while it took Salex some time to come around to the idea that it wasn't just the pregnancy that was drawing us together, Adra has always been convinced he was meant to be with you. I think that level of longing, I think it set off something inside of him. Something more primal than the Trenzian's have been in awhile."

I shrugged, trying to offer a smile, "But I guess, if you suppress a natural instinct long enough, then things are bound to get a little wild."

"So you think, he's just cracking under the pressure of it?"

"I think she's gone into a rut of sorts."

Kait's chocolate colored eyes went huge. "A rut? Like an animal does?"

I could feel my cheeks heat, "I guess so. Think about it. He's been waiting on you, then thinks you're already taken, so denies himself a future with you, then sees another person frighten you."

"Aside from the obvious, what stops a rut?"

I snorted, "I mean, I imagine a quick blow job would shock him enough to slow things down a little."

"Hillary, I–.

I raised my hands, "I'm only playing, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. We can keep you and the baby healthy with supplies from Lylta's stash. But there's not a lot you can do for Adra in his cell."

"Would seeing me help? I want to help him."

"We might as well try. But I do think that we should probably get one of the warriors to take you down, just in case Adra tries something."

"He would never."

"Adra wouldn't, but this version of him, we don't know what it means or how long it lasts. Think about the baby, you can't take risks right now."

A loud knock sounded on the door behind us. I rolled my eyes at Kait, but inside my belly rolled in pleasure of his return. "It's Salex, he might not be as desperate for me as he was before we-uh-figured out the bond, but he's still pretty bad. I'm going to make sure the medical crew knows what's happening. Maybe they can find a way to lessen the rut, or whatever this is, and allow you and Adra to still interact in a healthy way. We have to figure something out before the council gets here. They are already pissed at us over the surrogates being away and viable to bond. They will freak out completely if they hear their trusted lieutenant is half-feral right now."

Kait's chin ducked.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't mean it like that. We'll support you, whatever you want to do." I opened the door to my grumpy looking mate. He ran a clawed hand over my hair as I smiled back at Kait. "If you want to go down, just use the extra comm that's by Adra desk."

"Thank you."

"No problem, us humans have to stick together out here." 

AUTHORS NOTE:

Here comes the council!