Bay's Mercenary [Unearthly World Book 1] (16 page)

Zane sat beside
her and held her in his arms. He thought of
Draven
and how proud he was of him the first time he grew into battle mode. Would a
half-human male child be able to battle? Would a human female grow big enough
to defend herself? Bay was so small, what if their daughter was as small? Until
the child was born, there would be no end to the worries.

Chapter 10

Bay had been
feeling caged, she stared out the window in the main room of their home as her
thoughts reflected back. Her pregnancy progressed normally—for a human. There
were times when Zane took her aboard the ship when he needed to be away, and he
didn’t trust anyone to watch her. The space ship was a bittersweet experience.
When Bay began to show, her tummy was suddenly public property and every male
Zargonnii
wanted to feel her rounded bump. Zane would fly
into a fit, until everyone gave her a wide berth. On board, Titus had shown up
at her door during Zane’s shift.

Behind Titus were
four warriors, all huge, none in battle mode. Titus had seemed a bit uneasy but
hopeful when he made his request.

“It’s just that
we’ve never seen a pregnant human female and the
Zargonnii
female only let Finn near her. We’re all curious, Bay.” Titus anxiously rubbed
his hands together.

Bay moved aside
and waved them in. Shaking her head in exasperation, Bay removed her top wrap.
She had known she would end up on display no matter what Zane had said. She
supposed she should be annoyed, but she wasn’t; even on Earth, people were
curious when a woman was pregnant. Under her outer wrap, Bay wore a halter top
to cover her breasts and a small skirt, leaving her middle bare.

There were the
oohs and
ahhs
that always accompanied seeing her
rounded tummy. Titus bullied himself in front of the others and, with a gentle
hand, he touched her tummy. His huge hand was warm and gentle. Bay felt the
baby kick—so did Titus. A wide grin spread over his face.

“The babe battles
me, from inside. What a fighter, to take on a
Zargonnii
warrior from inside.”

“Let me feel,”
Jax
said.

Bay was used to
this warrior, and to Thorn, who waited less than patiently for his turn.
Jax
chuckled when he too felt the babe kick. Bay could feel
the baby jump with hiccups. All the warriors were satisfied there was indeed a
baby growing in Bay’s belly after feeling it move. Bay looked at it from their
prospective. Since the warriors had never seen a pregnant female, they wouldn’t
have known that as the baby grew so would the mother. They all marveled over
the fact Bay had no wrinkles and yet her tummy protruded.

Bay had been
touched by every warrior on the ship after Titus smuggled them in a few at a
time during Zane’s shifts. Bay was positive Zane was given extra duty by Titus,
who allowed the men to touch only once then guarded her as though her life
depended on it—or perhaps
his
life
depended on it, Zane was way too overprotective. Bay felt certain the
Zargonnii
leader would make a wonderful mate to a human
female. Titus was apologetic to the point of being embarrassing when he said he
would never again hit a human female on the nose.

Large arms wrapped
around Bay as she gazed at the backyard, jarring her from her thoughts.
Draven
was at school and it seemed Zane was finished with
work for the day. Bay settled against him.

“Can we go for a
walk?” she asked hopefully. Zane had taken her for walks in the early stages of
her pregnancy, and Bay was getting used to the strange, weird, unearthly world.

The planet’s
seasons were odd. One season was very dark; it had just passed and Zane
wouldn’t let her outside at all. There were a few
cyron
who could slip past the
Zargonnii
females in the
darkness and during this time,
Draven
remained home
from school. Bay was happy to have him around. The
Zargonnii
rarely traded at this time due to the inconsistencies of the wormholes. This
new season that had started seemed brighter, more alive. Zane explained the creatures
on the planet took the dark season to mate; their offspring would be emerging
from deep caves or hollows. The pastel colors of the sky shimmered
breathtakingly. The three planets that hung in the sky were oddities. They
orbited the
Zargonnii
planet and they were the cause
of the strange season changes.

“Is that wise in
your condition?
To be out and about?”

“Pregnant women
should do some easy walking.”

Zane looked
skeptical. “You do more waddling.”

Bay scowled at him
and Zane blinked, realizing she was pissed. “We don’t have to go far, and there
is still some weird stuff I’m guessing I haven’t seen, like the new baby
creatures you mentioned, but if I can handle a
cyron
,
I will be fine.”

“The
cyron
can’t get through when the females are in their domain
and the planets are shining; the
cyron
must pass them
to get to us—that won’t happen until the next Holiday cycle next year. The
female
Zargonnii
hate the dark season; it makes them
annoyed and any
cyron
who was dumb enough to pass is
more than likely dead.”

“Well, I’ve seen
you kick a
bangore’s
ass so I’m not scared. Please,
Zane. I’m going loopy just sitting around.”

Zane turned her in
his arms and studied her before nodding. “Finn says exercise is fine to a
degree. You don’t look pale just a little,
um,
gee…let’s go for a walk.”

“Were you going to
call me fat?”

“No, no, not fat.”

“If you call me
poofy
again, I won’t be impressed. I also don’t care much
for the term: well-rounded female.”

“In my defense,
I’ve never seen a pregnant female, I had no idea you would grow so…”

“Fat?”

“Even
more cute.
I swear
,
I’ve never known a being to grow larger and become even more vulnerable. It
just doesn’t seem fair.”

“Never
mind.
I’m just being hormonal.”

“Do you need more
food?” Zane looked wary.

“Will you relax?
It’s normal for a pregnant woman to eat more.”

“Eat more? You
mean eat everything,” Zane mumbled under his breath. Bay knew better than to
whack him one, she’d only hurt her fist.

Bay took Zane’s
hand and they walked out the front door. Mist swirled around their legs like a
dog sniffing them over, and Bay chuckled with her thoughts. The pastel sky
overhead mixed with black gaping holes. Bay had come to understand these were
wormholes, or
portals, enabling the mercenaries to get to
their destinations quickly after they punched in coordinates
. A shrill
scream rent the air, and Bay didn’t decrease her stride. The creature that made
the noise was six inches high, covered in purple fuzz and had a long tail like
a monkey. Zane assured her it was harmless. It made a big noise to cover up its
small size—
kinda
like Bay. Bay smacked him and then
groaned as her hand throbbed.

Zane was in battle
mode, he was every time he took her out of his home. They met a few more
Zargonnii
males in the woods who always grew to battle size
when they realized Bay was out and about. Zane said other warriors were aware
of one another to a degree. In battle mode, all of their senses heightened and,
because each warrior within the area had at one time felt Bay’s tummy move,
they were inclined to protect her unborn child.

The gnarled tree
branches and roots were a deep brown and smelled earthy. Bay loved the feel of
the soil beneath her feet. When they were deep in the jungle, Bay noted the
large branch she had fantasized over. The sky’s colors made interesting
patterns as they danced across the deep brown of the wood. Bay removed her wrap
and dropped down in front of Zane.

“Bay?”

“I thought you
might like to change places as well as positions,” she said innocently, except
she was horny as hell and dying to get her hands on him.

Zane looked
around. “Are you sure? I’m in battle mode.”

“I’m sure.” Bay
was beyond sure, her pregnancy hormones were wild and primitive, and she
wondered if it was because of the half-
Zargonnii
baby
inside of her.

“There could be
other warriors out here.”

“I’m not normally
an exhibitionist, but I don’t care. Maybe if they see what fun they could have
with an Earth female, they will want to try harder to protect my race. Besides,
I don’t see anyone.” Bay had also fantasized about her big
Zargonnii
warrior taking her in the wild jungle.

Zane was about to
say something, but groaned instead when her lips settled over the tip of his
massive cock which she exposed. Two-handed she rubbed him until he was long and
hard. Zane moved his hips against her in a rolling motion.

“Bay, you realize
after this baby is born, I will bring you out here and it will be a wild ride?”

She released him.
“It better be. It’s all I can think about—you, me, out here wild and primitive,
rolling around on the jungle floor, climaxing, screaming. Your massive cock
thumping into me while I beg for more.”

“Shit, Bay. You
always know what words will drive me crazy.”

Zane helped her up
and Bay settled her hands onto the branch, sending moving vines sliding to get
out of her way; she bent her elbows and bowed her body forward. She spread her
legs as Zane settled in behind her. Bay wouldn’t have to take all of him but,
from his size, it would be more than enough. She cried out when he entered her.
All day she had been thinking about Zane doing this to her, and she was wet and
ready for him. Zane’s hands were on her hips, holding her in place while he
thrust and retreated.

Bay’s head dropped
and she let Zane take her to where she wanted to be. The slow-paced ride was no
less satisfying, and when he began crooning to her, Bay settled further. Zane’s
hands rubbed up and down her back, his fingers squeezed her ass cheeks. One
long arm wrapped around her middle to hold her belly and Zane gripped the tree
branch. He pumped harder and higher while she cried out wanting more. Zane was
growling and snarling and Bay wondered if it was because other jungle creatures
had come to watch.

The creatures were
harmless when Bay was with Zane; they wouldn’t dare challenge him, especially
if he was with a female—and had apparently dominated her. It made the
Zargonnii
male that much more dangerous. Bay loved the feel
of his fur as it rubbed against her naked thighs. His claws were dug into the
branch and he was shredding the wood. Zane’s pants were still on but lowered.
His massive booted feet sank deeper into the rich soil with each thrust.

Bay had been
right; their passion was intensified with the sounds of the wild jungle in
stereo surround sound. Zane was in his primitive element and was the dominant
male; she was the eager female. Bay bounced back against him and though he
continued to croon to her, his claw-like fingernails gripped another tree
branch off to their side and with sheer power, he crushed the branch.

Zane roared his
release and pulled out. Bay gasped as she stood there, legs apart. Water gushed
onto the jungle floor.

“Bay what
happened?”Zane cried out, horrified.

Bay slowly lifted
her spent body up; she turned and smiled up at him. She’d hoped this would be
the end result. “Let’s go have a baby.”

“Now?”

“Now is as good a
time as any, my warrior mercenary.”

Leaving her
clothes on the jungle floor, Zane grabbed her up into his arms and began
running as though a
cyron
were hot on his heels.

* * * *

Zane stood
watching Bay sleep. Experiencing an actual delivery gave Zane more respect for
the female population. Watching a head push its way through a small opening
that stretched to accommodate was enlightening. Bay wasn’t even in possession
of the expanding wrinkles, it was all her. Bay was the real warrior. Her battle
cries had been impressive to expel the infant and when she slipped into her
native tongue, Zane had wondered at the odd words. Zane only knew a few English
words as she called them and never once had he heard her say, “God damned cock
sucker, this
fuckin
hurts,” what on earth did it
mean? It was a mystery.
Perhaps some female Earth ritual to
welcome the infant.

Finn had marveled
over the tiny infant as he checked her perfect fingers and toes and made
certain her airway was clear. The doctor was reluctant to release her, but Bay
still had need of him. Zane grimaced at all the strange red blood; there was a
lot of it, but Finn reassured him he read it was normal. Bay looked a little
too white. There had been a cord attached to the baby, making it look like Bay
was reluctant to give her up. When Finn had cut it and severed mother and
child’s bond, Zane felt saddened for his infant. He had also felt a little
queasy, something he would never admit to another, even if tortured. But if he
hadn’t been prepared by Finn, he would have thought his child was being
mutilated.