Page 55 of Beauty and the Alien Beast
I huffed, fighting a panic attack. “That my belly”—I jabbed a finger at my stomach—“is filled with a youngling. Or is it a pup?”Oh Jesus. Me as a mother?
“Youngling and pup… It is the same thing,” he replied simply.
I narrowed my eyes. “And how do you know I’m having a pup?” We’d only been together for days, not months. How could he even know so fast?
He sniffed the air loudly. “I scented the change when you woke up today.” He frowned. “Did you not know?” Teken asked, disbelief clear in his expression and tone.
Utterly mystified, I stared at him. “No!” I hissed. “I did not know. Human females often have signs that we’re pregnant—but not so soon—and I didn’t have any.”
The truth of the matter was that even if I’d missed my period, I wouldn’t have suspected anything because my cycle wasn’t consistent.
“Not for us Wulfaen,” he answered. “Our sense of smell is strong, especially when it comes to females.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Then why didn’t Kylene say anything to me about it?”
He shrugged one massive shoulder. “He probably thought you knew. Our females always knew when they were with young.”
“Well, I’m human, not a Wulfaen.” Then another thought came to me. “Will I birth one pup? Or multiple pups at once?”
I’d always wanted a big family, but never thought I’d find the right man to settle down with. Now I was pregnant with an alien’s baby. There was no way I could return to Earth knocked up by Teken. Once humans found out, I would become a freak and so would my baby. Scientists would take my baby away and experiment on my child and me just for the hell of it.
I’d have to get word to Mom that I was here. Maybe she could come visit me.
Teken answered, “Normally, our females have one pup at a time. Not many. But I come from a royal bloodline and my seed is strong, so I do not know. But I would welcome more than one pup.” He smiled like the Cheshire cat.
I blinked. “When I give birth, will our pup come out as a furry wolf?”Jesus.This was uncharted territory for me.
“Our youngling will come out as a Gladiator. We don’t shift into our Wulfaen form until we have lived a couple of cycles. He or she will still be a youngling and will have to be guided by me into their first shift.”
I sat still, digesting my new reality. I was going to be a mother to a Wulfaen Gladiator on an alien planet.Fuck. My. Life.
“Do not worry, Ella.” He patted my hand. “I’ve instructed Kylene to research everything he needs to nurture your human body in gestating our pup… or pups. And once our ceremony is complete, we will be properly bonded, which will protect you from diseases and give you a longer lifespan.” He intertwined our fingers. “We are one, and I will tell the elders that our ceremony will happen tonight.”
“Not so fast, Teken,” I snapped. “We have a lot more talking to do before that’s going to happen.”
He shrugged. “So we talk now and have the ceremony tonight.”
I sighed heavily. My alien mate was determined to have his way.
He picked up a baked item from the plate, holding it before my lips. “Open, Ella.”
“Are you bribing me with food?” I asked, tugging my hand away from his.
“Yes.” He grinned. “Is it working?” He waggled his eyebrows.
“No.” I made a grab for the morsel of food. He evaded my gesture.
“Ella,” he whispered. “It is my honor to feed my female.”
His words made me feel all warm and gushy inside. No man had ever cared about me like this alien did. It was flattering, humbling, and welcoming. And there was no doubt in my mind that I loved him dearly, but sometimes his stubbornness made me want to strangle the shit out of him.
Parting my lips, I took a bite of his offering. “It’s delicious,” I said. It was sweet and crispy—but a little grainy. After a bit of chewing, it melted on my tongue. “What is this scrumptious treat called?”
“It is zupol. Some of the Gladiators are very skilled at creating different types. It is also baked in a very hot pit.”
He fed me another piece. After eating it all, I exclaimed, “Well, I love it. I can eat this all day and never get tired of it. So sign me up for more zupol.”
His face saddened. “I am not skilled in making zupol, but I do know how to cook very well, Ella. I can take care of you in that manner. Will that make you happy?”
