Page 90 of The Pregnancy Pact

My knees felt weak. I lunged around an Asterion couple in my path, stepped off the sidewalk, tripped, and fell on my face.

“Stars!” I heard the male cry out. “What is this?”

“A human, I think. Is she well?”

I scrabbled to my feet. Less than gracefully, and staggered on. The pain was returning with blinding force.

She warned me it wouldn’t last long. I assumed it would last longer than this.

Truly, in that brief span of invincibility, it had felt like it would last forever. I was reaping the consequences now. I approached the sliding glass doors of the spaceport by sheer will power alone, aware that every second ticking by meant I was becoming weaker and weaker. Already, as the door slid open and I stumbled through, I felt like falling to my knees and crawling.

Can’t do that yet, I told myself. My teeth were gritted against the pain. My shoulders curved, my body hunching over my broken ribs. Have to get to the top.

The elevators were directly across the lobby. A sea of travelers, spaceport employees, and stands selling various items stood between them and me. Beads of sweat popped out on my brow as I contemplated whether I had the ability to walk that far.

You have to.

One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other.

It became a mental refrain, a marching tempo, a beat to keep me going when everything inside of me wanted to lay down and die.

One foot in front of the other.

The elevators were almost there. I must have truly appeared a mad woman, hunched over, stumbling, my hand stretched towards the closing doors of the nearest elevator.

“Wait!” I cried, hoping the Asterion woman inside would put her hand in the crack, break the seal, and hold it open for me.

Instead, her golden eyes widened and through the slim crack I saw her pressing the button to make it shut.

“Please…”

Too late.

The doors were sealed against me, and I heard a whir as the elevator took to the sky.

“Okay, not a big deal,” I encouraged myself, even as cold sweat dripped from my forehead onto the arm wrapped around my torso.

“There she is!”

A shout rang out behind me. I twisted my head to the side, my blurry gaze focusing in on a pair of lean, athletic Asterion males in matching black uniforms with staggers holstered at their hips.

“Are you certain that’s her?” one asked.

His fellow regarded him as if he were insane.

“How many wounded human females are traveling about the city?” he demanded incredulously.

Oh no.

My heart sank like lead. I saw no signs of Sirena, but assumed she must have put the word out, either to local law enforcement or else to those under her thumb. These two were definitely seeking me. A sprint across the lobby would take them right to me. Meanwhile, I was faced with two choices. Stand here in front of this elevator, hoping it would return in time for me to stumble inside and shut the door, or…

Ding.

The doors of the elevator beside it creased, parting.

I swallowed hard, my vision tracking between the armed Asterions and the open elevator as I weighed my changes.

“In the name of the Asterion Council—”

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