Page 65 of The Alien's Major Dilemma

"I have a connection with my mate," Cooper said. "It appears to be growing stronger."

"Is that how you were able to look like her?" Ae-cha asked.

"I did what?" Cooper asked, every nerve on his body alert, his muscles suddenly tense and still.

"Your face changed to look like your mate's," Zoric said. "How did you do that?"

Cooper thought about it. He didn't actually know how he did the change. He knew how to gather information to do it, how to adjust it to what he wanted to look like, but he'd never thought to ask how it worked.

"Am I to assume that neither of your people can shift like that?" he asked.

Chapter 27

Marissa turned back to the alien doctor who was looking at her curiously.

"I apologize for the interruption," she told him.

"Did you know your expression changes when you're talking to him?" Mintonar asked.

"I did not, actually," Marissa said. "I never really thought about it, to be honest, though I can see it being odd if you don't know what I'm doing."

"Well, if you're going to use it to infiltrate places and talk to each other, you might want to figure out how to get it under control," the alien doctor said, looking down at his alien tablet. "I wish I could give you bio-nanos but I understand there are a few issues with that."

"I can't say I'd hate the ability to heal faster but yeah, no, there's definitely a problem with giving me bio-nanos after whathappened with Captain LaGrange. I might love my lizard man but I don't really want to turn into one."

Mintonar shook his head. "I would say it wasn't something you needed to worry about but I can't say that for sure. I would like to study him if he's amenable to it. And possibly access the medical records in his ship."

"Well, the ship is currently being held hostage by some of the people we're 'negotiating' with so I can't help you with that. I might be able to talk to him about helping you, though."

"The Chelion named Zoric has also offered his assistance and I cannot say I would not welcome more samples and data. If you can gain Cooper's help, as well, it would be appreciated."

"I'll do my best, Doc," Marissa said with a smile.

Mintonar nodded and started into the slightly awkward bow a mated Orvax makes to a mated female but paused.

"How do you feel?" he asked. "I know my instruments have indicated that the head injury is healing but that kind of trauma can have effects that don't show on those scans.

"I don't know a safe way to answer that question," Marissa said slowly. "Physically, I feel fine. Better, in fact, than I've felt in a while. The being mated to a lizard man thing is weird but you said I'm not showing any side effects from that, right?"

"You're showing the effects of a human female who has bonded with her mate," Mintonar corrected her. "I do not believe those to be ill effects but there are definitely side effects."

"How much of this is going to be part of my official military record?" Marissa asked.

"None," Mintonar said. "Unless you want me to make an official statement to your command about your fitness and ability to perform your duties."

"I don't think that will be necessary," she said. "But that does mean I can talk to you about some questions I have regarding the whole being mated thing. I know the bond created with theOrvax is different to the one I have with Cooper. But it sounds like you noticed some similarities?"

"Indeed. Elevated hormone levels, to be precise, similar to the spikes I've seen in the women who have mated with the Orvax. Lower energy levels, though I suspect that has as much to do with recovering from injuries than the lack of taurine, and you're recovering faster than most women your age."

"Lack of taurine?" Marissa asked, confused. "Humans don't produce taurine, do they?"

"Not at the amounts the Orvax do," Mintonar said. "It's been fascinating to study all the chemical compounds that our planets have in common."

"I-" Marissa's jaw worked while she processed Mintonar's statement about taurine.

"And it's one of the things I would like to get from Cooper's ship," he continued. "I'd be able to give you a better answer about if you'll be having a mammalian birth or an egg."

"What?" Marissa screeched. "I'm not. I can't possibly be."

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