Knox
Icaught Samantha before she fell backward. Her eyes closed and she was barely breathing. I gently laid her on the ground, trying to figure out what the hell had happened. Somehow she had saved me. Given me all of her energy and healed me.
No, that wasn’t possible. I shook my head. She was human. Only one of my kind could do that… unless she was pregnant.
“Shit.” I raked a hand over my face. That wasn’t possible. We hadn’t had sex.
My blood ran cold. Had they forced her to have sex with one of the other inmates and she’d been too ashamed to tell me? Or had they found a way to inject Angeliminir semen into a female? Our sperm were resilient, but only when in contact with another body or host. In a syringe, they withered in seconds. And something we couldn’t allow the Roulex to discover.
Wait.
When we had almost had sex the first time. I’d rubbed my cock across her sex. Not penetrating, but enough. And we’d gotten out of the prison just in time. If they knew she was pregnant, they’d take her from me. Take my child.
That couldn’t, wouldn’t happen. Not while I had breath in my body.
I lightly placed my hands over Samantha’s belly, sending healing energy back into her, into my child.
No, not a child. Children. Two of them. Twins. A boy and a girl. I could sense their auras, lightly pulsing in Samantha. They had aided her, helping to heal me. But now they were very weak.
The shot they’d given Samantha must have been an enhancer. Something to make any viable pregnancy speed up.
Bastards! Because of this, they’d put my children at risk. I’d put them at risk. Should’ve busted through the walls with my bare hands and seen her to safety.
All that mattered now was Samantha and the twins.
My heart felt like it cracked open.
I had caused this. For good or bad. I was going to be a father. I couldn’t stop smiling. Yet, we were still in danger. Still too close to the prison and the Roulex.
“Hold on for me and your mom,” I kissed her belly. Then I lifted her in my arms. All of my muscles ached and were bruised. Some were still mending, but I couldn’t wait. We couldn’t wait.
I just hoped I had enough to get us past the border. There would be Roulex patrolling the borders, but if I could fly high enough and there was cloud cover, it might work. Or we could get to shelter and wait until night. That would be better.
Samantha moaned in her sleep, her skin hot against my chest. She needed more healing than I could give her. My throat closed. Please don't let me be too late.
A few scattered clouds scurried overhead. I opened my wings, gritting against the pain that lashed across my shoulders and down my back. I flapped my wings. Each moment bringing fresh tears along the edge where the wings hooked into my shoulders and back. It would be worth it when Samantha and our babies were safe. When we could burn this hellish prison to the ground. Free all the prisoners here and overturn the wars with the Roulex so that we were free and didn't live in fear of them taking over us, wiping us out.
My stomach clenched both from the thoughts and from launching myself into the air. I wobbled, but held onto Samantha. Even if she weren't pregnant, she was a priceless treasure. I had to keep her safe. Keep her with me.
If she wanted to be with me after all this. I hadn't told her how I felt. How she'd become a part of me these few days together. How I loved hearing her voice, her laugh, even her silent presence when she was sleeping. And even my constant nightmares had faded after she came. Except for that one.
Shouts sounded below us, but I pressed on, pushing past the pain. If I could make it to the mountains, we could hide there until night. It would take the Roulex too long to catch up to us. They were petrified of flying and did everything they could on the ground or water. I soared higher. Sweat beading across my back. The excursion making me drop altitude faster than I planned. I couldn't crash land again. It had done too much damage the first time and Samantha needed another healer.
I touched down at the edge of the forest. The mountain several miles away. I hefted Samantha in my arms for a better grip, then proceeded on foot.
The fact that she didn't stir much or wake up during the journey had dread sinking into my bones. It was barely dusk when we reached the mountains, but I couldn't wait for darkness. I had to get her to the mountains and my people. To safety. My wings protested, throbbing when I forced them open.
Roulex shouts sounded from the forest behind us.
Shit!
I ran, holding Samantha close to my chest. Laser guns blasted at me. One pierced my shoulder and I nearly tripped from the burning pain. The smell of cooking flesh made me gag. Another shot sank into my calf. I hoped into the air, my wings taking great effort to move, but I hovered above the ground a few inches. Tree branches snagged at me. I buffeted Samantha as best as I could.
More and more Roulex joined the chase. Where had they all come from? They must have built a freaking base here on the edge of the mountain. So close to my people it made my teeth ache.
What if they'd overtaken my people? I'd been in the prison for two years. A lot could've happened by then.
Why hadn't I thought this through? I was putting all of our lives in danger on what I'd known years ago. The Angeliminir could've fled. Could've gone to another planet or had all been slaughtered for all I knew.