Page 43 of Bred By Zyros
“According to the oath of ethics we all took when signing to be on the board, someone, somewhere down the line, broke that oath. There is no way a slip-up like this was accidental. It’s willful negligence, at best. I cannot imagine the Alliance would like a thing like that getting out—a rogue team of scientists orchestrating an untaxed, lucrative drilling operation that ended in the possible extinction of civilization with no means to advocate for themselves, let alone grasp the technology and agreements they were being plied with. It would be a monumental scandal.”
I gawk, surely someone has possessed my father and taken over his body.
I don’t know what to say when he fills the silence next. “Are you well and safe now?”
“Y-yes, I-I am mated, Dad. His name is Zyros. He recognized me, and I’m staying with him. I…uh, hoped you’d tell Mom.”
A deep sigh fills the hull, mine and his, as a weight that had been dragging down my shoulders lifted. He says nothing about me being mated or talking to mom, but I’m not surprised by that, likely dreading the impending chaos both at home and at work.
“I’ll see to it all the information is…distributed accordingly.”
“If they trace it back to you, you’ll lose your spot on the board,” I whisper, guilt and anticipation nagging deep in my gut. I knew he’d be the one who had to. I don’t have the contacts to make sure none of this is quietly swept away. We both knew. I just…I supposed…I don’t know what I expected.
“You did good, kid. Check in soon.”
The com ends, and Zyros pulls me into his arms as the lump in my throat bursts free. I’m still sobbing like a lunatic, mypoor mate looking frazzled when a file comes through on my pager a few moments later—an action plan for the Vrirciks in the meantime, including a way to contact him should they desire testing. Of course, he’d think of everything. For all his faults, he’s a brilliant man. My hands are shaky and maybe a little dirty from wiping my nose on the backs of them when I pass it to Zyros. “It’s your choice.” I hiccup.
He glares at the device, setting it to the side like it's meaningless, like in a matter of moments, a catalyst of the years of his abuse wasn’t solved, like all those horrible things he’s only just beginning to come to terms with were as simple as a few scans and the removal of the machines. Truth be told, there’s no way of knowing if the damage can be reversed, not unless they opt for testing. Even then, chances are not much of a difference may be made. It’s up to him, and once he does the right thing, whatever that ends up being for him, it’ll be up tothemwhat they do next.
As Zyros presses his lips to my nose, we start our descent, and all I can think of is how ready I am to get the fuck off this planet, regardless of what that means, how long we have to hide, or how testy things will be—how much I’ll miss the pretty glowvines, and our spring. I’d never had to worry about the babies before, not really. It wasn’t my place. I brought them here, birthed them, and left. Yes, I was missing tiny pieces of my heart, but I never had to beresponsiblefor anyone but me—never thought I ever would. As it turns out, there are few things I won’t do to make sure this little egg baby is safe.
It’s almost funny how quickly I’m about to go from the disappointing daughter of the first human to sit on the scientific board of the Intergalactic Alliance to a fugitive of the very individuals who gave him that position. Funny how I don’t feel all that upset about it at all.
twenty-four
Melody
A gasp leaves my lips as Zyros drags his tail up and down my slit underneath the warm water of the spring, another orgasm crashing through me like a wave. I wiggle against him, trying to get more purchase, more friction to save me from his tormenting and featherlight passes, but his claw-tipped hands are equal parts gentle and unrelenting. He’s perched on the edge of the pool, his upper body out of the water, allowing me to lounge on his tail as I do most days now. It’s been two kentics since my dad kept up his side of the bargain. The response was immediate. One more trip up to space to get a signal only confirmed it’s best that I stay somewhere where there’snosignal, as many were horrified by the video, just as many lobbed comments like she deserved it, stupid human, you messed with a primitive species, what did you expect? And of course, comments on the way my body looked—although most of that was directed at humansbeing flabby, pale, evolutionally useless, and unappealing in general, and not so much me personally.
What Ihadn’texpected was the response from The Solar Breeding Agency in support of us both, even after they were reportedly lobbed with heavy fees for breaking intergalactic breeding laws. I asked about Lenora. They had no updates, but I have to assume she’s doing better than me. I press my lips in a kiss to my mate's emerald and teal scales, watching the way my veins stand out next to his. The sight never fails to make my stomach warm and my heart flutter, although I’m more than ready to get off this planet and have this baby born, for obvious reasons, it’s mostly for poor Zyros’ sanity at this point. The male is an absolute wreck. I don’t think he’s slept but a handful of zentics in the last few days. Where I thought the egg baby, whom he still refuses to give a name, would be due any day after the first trip up to talk to dad, the due date certainly hasn’t come, but my belly isn’t any bigger than it was then. My mate’s mind is in tatters. I’d thought him just deeply worried, and while that’s certainly true, it’s clear this is just very triggering for him. He refuses to speak about it in any great detail, and I won’t push.
It is nice to be taken care of, to not be alone in what’s happening around us. The longer than expected pregnancy has allowed the situationspace sideto settle with the Intergalactic Alliance. They agreed not to pursue charges against me if we kept a low profile upon our return. Essentially, shut the heck up or be arrested. When the Oozarians offered us housing, we politely declined. Well, I politely declined, and Zyros hissed at them. As it turns out, and to absolutely nobody’s surprise, the agency had ulterior motives aside from credits in setting us up. They’d spent orbits pitching the breeding program to Zyros after learning about the machines. I assumed they’d put it all together long before. The Oozarians are cunning, intelligent, and manipulative people, to a scary degree. Thlorinzae herself haslobbied a call to action for the Alliance, which has turned into a very messy public hate campaign that she seems to take great pride in organizing.
I would sooner take on Xyphora’s terribly misguided ass than the Oozarian whirlwind of a female. As promised, the former leader of the Vrircik people was ostracized, cast away to find one of the few remaining fringe groups, according to Zaelshar, who visits us now and then. He felt horrible about what happened. Zyros explained his injury when he was young. That among all their people, there’s not a violent bone in his body. Not truly. He was manipulated, and turns out, so were a lot of others. The females Zyros was forced to take hadn’t been willingly engaging in…all that for quite some time, although they did at first. Threatened with spiritual damnation and being cast out into the jungle, away from the only home they’d ever known, had kept them compliant.
It was no excuse, and it meant little to Zyros when we learned of it. But progress is progress. Males are even being allowed into the springs, albeit not permanently. There’s been no mating that at least that Zaelshar is aware of, and slowly but surely, the machines that all went offline shortly after my dad’s leak are being removed.
My eyes turn upward toward my mate, his small smile fading as he stares off at the bare walls of his home. I don’t want to imagine the course of his thoughts; I rarely think they're kind. Sometimes it makes his voice harsh, and his actions seem unreasonable, but he is learning to be softer. Even if he never fully grasps it, I don’t mind. When you love someone, it should be fully and without reservation. It should be for the painful parts you don’t understand just as much as the pretty parts you do. This male would not behimif not for his pain. While I wish, with everything, I could undo it for him, I can’t bring myself to dislike even an inch of who it’s made him.
And he’s got a whole heck of a lot of inches.
A small smirk finds my lips as I crawl up to him, scooting until I can find a comfortable position. His slitted eyes find mine, watching with rapt attention as I make my way into his lap. A few kisses and a lick or two is all it takes for his already aching and throbbing cock to extrude from his seam. Both of our needs to have it lodged and buried deep inside me has been a gargantuan feat to ignore, but he refuses to risk egg baby. I refuse to do anything that might worsen his state of mind, so no alien dick. That’s alright; Zyros is very creative.
He makes a small tsking sound. “My poor mate, it has been too long since I have stuffed you with my seed. You crave it, don’t you? Pitiful, tiny female.”
My cheeks flush as I purse my lips, my core throbbing at how quickly he always manages to flip the tables, like someone pre-equipped his translator with naughty porn dialogue. I nod, but also being a bit of a brat about it.
He smirks, and it’s like the sun parting on a cloudy day as I wiggle up closer, his tail helping me covertly because while my bump is small, it is hard, odd-shaped, and unyielding but far more unpleasant than ones before. There’s no fluttering of tiny feet,or feet variants, no rolling or kicking. Sometimes I think I feel something, but it is faint and probably wishful thinking.
My tongue dips out to lap at the forked tip of him, still ruddy. It twists as it lodges inside my mouth. I’m always surprised by the amount of control he has over it. The moment a bit of his seed leaks out of the tip, I groan around the length, the flavor bursting on my tongue. As far as cravings go, this is definitely the strangest, but I don’t make the rules. I just live here. My hard, swollen belly rests in the curve of his tail, like a pregnancy pillow as he uses it to fuck my mouth. Something in me preens at the way Zyros unapologetically uses me. For a moment, I’m not his goddess-given mate, for a moment, I’m a toy. The thoughtmakes my clit swell and throb. I squirm as he ruts up, shoving so deep that his knot meets my lips. He holds me like that for a moment, watching me struggle before he takes mercy on me. “Such a pretty mate, choking on my cock.”
Fuck, I could get off on his words alone. He notices, the tip of his tail coming to stroke and circle my clit as I gag around him. Quicker than I’d ever care to admit, my orgasm rips through me, making me bite down a little. The heady hiss that leaves his mouth has me seeing stars as he hardens and tightens inside my mouth.
“Such a good female, take a deep breath, my sssaryth.” He moans and I do, anticipation building like a hot white line deep in my core.
It’s only a few thrusts later that he gives me what I want. His seed bursts free from his cock as he forces it deeper. I gag at first but only once or twice, breathing through my nose and letting my tongue hang slack from my mouth as he pumps his warm seed down my throat. My eyes roll back in my head, my mind swaying. I’m barely aware when he backs out, my mouth snapping shut, more than a little eager to swallow my snack before he hisses in warning.
His tone is firm, his cock still throbbing with his release. “Mouth open, tongue out, my little Melody. Don’t move, yes?”
