Page 75 of Invasion of Sorority Z

“Awesome.” My heart feels warm as I look at the box on our table. “See you soon?”

“It is likely,” he agrees.

Marrec shows him to the door, and I can’t seem to get the goofy smile off of my face when he returns.

“Open it!” I encourage immediately, thrusting the lightweight box at him.

He chuckles, taking it carefully. “I am unfamiliar with receiving surprises, my mate.”

“Yeah? Well get used to it, buddy. This is such a rush!”

The box lid comes off, and my heart beats wildly. He lifts the contents, the expression on his face not giving anything away. There’s the device, and a small card—likely the instructions. The device itself is very deceiving, looking almost like a scrap of fabric. For a second, I’m worried Lovan didn’t truly understand what I wanted, until it lights up at the touch of his metal hand.

The soft, almost silky looking fabric seems to activate, and like magic, it slithers up his arm all by itself and encloses around the surface. Still chrome red in color, the sleeve clings to his body and Marrec watches with a look of wonder in his eye.

I watch patiently, but eager as he reads the instructions, which I promptly learn are hardly instructions at all.

“It is incredible,” Marrec whispers. “It works directly alongside the functions of my arm, and does not need any manual input.”

“So it’s working then?” I ask. “Soft on the outside like a pillow, but it’ll move out of the way if you want it to?”

“Exactly,” he tells me, smiling wondrously. “It is perfect, my mate.”

I offer a watery smile, getting emotional.Damn this pregnancy, making me all weepy.“I never minded lying on you, or being close to you before. I want you to know that. But I was hoping that this would take some worry from your heart. Do you like it?”

“You are amazing,” he replies, dipping down to hold my waist and kiss my nose. “It is a great surprise, my Stee-vee. Once again, you hold my heart with such gentle hands.”

“I try my best.”

“You continue to succeed.”

We kiss, and it tastes like the happiest future.

EPILOGUE

Several Months Later

Marrec

Today is a day like no others have been before. It seems I have thought this many times since meeting my Stee-vee, but it remains true each time.

Shattered cries echo within the room as Stee-vee makes her final push, and my heart pounds in my chest. “It is a male,” the mender announces, making quick work of cradling him to assure that he is healthy.

Small wails signal his first breaths, and we get our first look at our child. As the mender lifts him to our sights, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment settles around us. Our son has arrived. His skin is a pale gray color, an obvious mesh between me and my Stee-vee, but his stark red tuft of hair is a reflection of my own.

“He’shuge!” Stee-vee cries, watching as the mender lifts the small body from between her lifted legs higher. “Howdid he come out of my body?”

“Yousodon’t want to know, man,” S’rah chimes from her position in the room.

I had broached the subject of birth a while ago and suggested that Stee-vee may want a female she cares for to be close by. It is common for Aprixian women to witness the delivery of those they are closest with, for support. S’rah was not expecting such an invitation, but accepted, citing that she is not very squeamish.

My throat feels heavy with emotion as my child is passed into my mate’s arms. The mender has wrapped him in a clean towel, preventing the stickiness of his new skin from touching her. Tears burst from her eyes at the first contact, and her lip quivers as the side of our son’s face rests on her breast.

“May I open my eyes now?” Rem begs, hands still firmly planted over his face to hide his view for my mate’s privacy. We allowed him in the room with a stern warning that his welcome would wear out if he caught a single glance that violated my mate’s privacy.

“Here,” S’rah says, slowly guiding Rem around the bed to the side across from me.

“Stevie’s legs are still up, so stay here if you want your eyes open.”

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