Page 7 of Monstrous Baby
Axxol’s upper lip curled in a grimace. “Especially since exterminating mrions is our sole purpose.”
“I ran numerous tests comparing your DNA with Kroktl’s, and I didn’t find any specific correlations,” Snryx admitted. “Lohr and I hoped to be able to understand what made you a compatible mate when all other humans simply smelled like food. No offense, Natalie.”
I had been terrified at first that the terrible lizard monster would eat me alive.
Kroktl rumbled in my head.:This lizard monster will eat you alive all day, all night, for the rest of our lives.:
Blushing beet red, I was thankful he hadn’t said it aloud. But Snryx’s lips quirked and Axxol huffed out a low huff of amusement, and somehow it was even more embarrassing to realize they’d all heard his—and my—thoughts. The grid openedus all up to each other, sharing not just thoughts but every little emotion and physical response.
At least my body didn’t immediately roar into overdrive at the thought of Kroktl settling in for a long feast. Though my heart rate quickened, my muscles loosening, melting me back against him. Just the memory of how he filled me up or worshipped me with his tongue, which only reminded me of Lohr’s tongue. Or Snryx’s implements…
It took all my willpower to drag my mind back to focus on the present issue.
“That’s what makes the Myrm strategy all the more impressive,” Lohr said. “Even two of the best specialists in DSC didn’t notice anything suspicious in your DNA, even when we were looking for answers.”
“Which begs the question,” Axxol drawled. “How and what the fuck did HQ discover to decide to annihilate Earth in the first place?”
“How often were dyni squads deployed to Earth?” I asked.
Kroktl let out a rumbly growl. “No way for us to know. All missions are classified. We only ever had access to our own shit, and only while we were on the mission itself.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Snryx replied. “As the medic, I did keep basic health files on all of us across all the missions. Certainly not to the detail HQ had but maybe there’s something there.”
I craned my neck trying to turn my head enough to see Kroktl’s face. “Wait, don’t you remember the other missions?”
“Only details that might serve a future mission. Even then, it usually wasn’t our memories solely but a conglomeration of all squads’ activity in the area, sanitized and stripped down to only what we needed to know.”
Rizan wasn’t in the room with us but he immediately replied on the grid.:I’ll run some analysis from the comms side and seeif I can find anything in the logs they might not have thought of.:
Kroktl traced a gentle finger over our baby’s downy head and across her cheek. Her eyes blinked heavily, her swallows slowing. She hadn’t nursed very long.
A thousand questions flickered through my mind rapid fire. Did I have enough milk? Was it sufficient for her needs? What if she needed meat like her father? How would I know? Then my thoughts quickly shifted to the squad. How they’d lived only during their missions, knowing they would return to HQ and have their own memoriessanitized. What an awful word.
Her little mouth softened enough to allow my nipple to slide out, though her mouth still made little sucking motions in her sleep.
“You’re both perfect,” Snryx said in a low, solemn voice. “She has everything she could possibly need to survive and thrive.”
Blinking back tears again, I tucked her close, while Kroktl enfolded us both against his broad chest. “I hope so. I just don’t want to mess up and put her at risk.”
“You’ve got this, baby. And I got you.”
Axxol grunted. “We all do.”
4
NATALIE
The first days with the baby passed in a hazy blur. If we weren’t sleeping, we were eating. Both of us. The guys returned to making tempting fresh smoothies and ordering incredible prepared meals from the closest town. If my eyes were open, so was my mouth. Quite frankly, it was embarrassing once I realized how often I was eating.
Snryx gave me a chiding shake of his head, implements swinging gently about his shoulders. “You’re feeding a growing dynos. In case you didn’t notice, she’s already functioning like a two or three-month-old human infant. Another day, she’ll be sitting up by herself and crawling. Next, she’ll be running.”
I gazed down into her wide, glowing eyes. Luminous, pearly gray like a full moon, ringed in red like her father’s eyes. So pretty. I stroked her cheek gently while she nursed. Waves of feel-good endorphins flooded me until I felt almost euphoric. Silly. Drunk.
Not on alcohol. On love.
Did all mothers feel such overwhelming love for their children? Or was our bond enhanced by her scientifically advanced genetics?
“Yourscientifically advanced genetics,” Kroktl reminded me. “You carry just as many Sirian cells as us now.”
