Epilogue

Drak

Three Months Later

My An-nana is not having a very good day.

It began this morning when she woke from her sleep, shaking with discomfort. Her skin was warm and yet she felt frozen inside. Chills caused her body to tremble and her temperature made her sweat uncomfortably. She did not wish for me to help her in any way, attempting to shoo me from our bed even as she could not fall back asleep.

Shortly after she decided she would not try to rest any longer, she became physically sick, throwing up the contents of her stomach and pushing me away so that I could not witness her state of illness. It was awful to watch her cower from me, ashamed of her body's functions. I was firm in being at her side, and eventually, she gave in.

I, of course, softly pleaded with her to put on a health band, even for just long enough to diagnose what ails her, but she flat-out refused. My stubborn mate turned her nose up at me and claimed to have a stomach vire-rus . A common hu-nim illness, according to her.

After a few hours of pain and discomfort, she seemed to have settled. With small bites of food and hydration, color returned to her cheeks. She was no longer clutching her stomach from bouts of pain or nausea.

Unfortunately, her quick sickness recovery did not fix her day nor her mood. She has been snapping at Cay-leb and I and then nearly crying with frustration at herself for hours now. It is dinner time, and I am debating bringing her to a mender, even if she fights it. I worry, but I do not sense anything truly wrong in the air around her, so I have not forcibly taken her anywhere. Yet.

"The silence is getting on my nerves," my mate warns, picking at her food with a glum expression.

I send a helpless look to her brother. We have been trying not to speak so that we do not upset her further, and now she wishes for conversation?

"Lovan is helping me make a guitar," he says while blinking. Frek, he does not know how to handle this any more than I do.

Going along with his attempt to share words, I offer a hesitant smile. "The string instrument that you play songs with?"

Cay-leb has explained this musical device to me in one of our many talks. He is very fond of music and used to have his very own guitar. But with the zom-bays taking over the Urth planet, he could not think of such a frivolous thing. He had to leave it at home and never planned to reflect on it again. He said that he was too overwhelmed to think of asking for it before leaving the planet, and I was saddened that I did not ask if there was anything he wished to bring with him. He did not even bring his own clothes, only the extras found in the sorority basement.

We have since had Aprixian clothing crafted for him in the hu-nim style, and he is quite happy with them, but I still hold regrets in not equipping him before our ship ride here. I have, of course, offered to return with him to collect things, but he does not wish to travel again for quite some time. Cay-leb likes to feel grounded, and he likes it here, stuff or no stuff.

I am grateful that he finds this planet appealing. His friendship with Lovan has certainly helped. He spends a great many hours in the city with him, working on miscellaneous projects for the advancement of science—and for fun.

"Yeah," he replies, a hint of color tinting his cheeks. "I drew him a diagram, explained how they worked and what materials were usually used to make them, and he seemed pretty confident that he could recreate one."

"He is a very smart male," I note, nodding along. "I am sure he can craft you this. I should like to hear how it sounds when it is finished."

"Yeah, definitely," he concurs with a smile. "I'll play you something."

My mate glowers at her plate and makes a grumbling noise.

Hesitantly, her brother asks, "You good, Anna?"

"Ugh, my God, Caleb! Will you stop breathing down my neck?" she shouts, growling at her brother and throwing her utensil atop her plate.

Cay-leb groans, not wanting to deal with another outburst from her. "I'm across the fucking table, A. I'm not anywhere near your neck."

She scoffs at him before sneering, "Then why can I feel your breath there?"

"An-nana, what is wrong?" I ask with a frown.

"What isn't wrong?" she snaps. "My stomach hurts again, nothing tastes right, and you two are so fucking loud I feel like my head is going to explode."

" Anna ," Cay-leb warns, his voice firmer than before. "Check your tone. You're going to be pissed at yourself for being rude to Drak. He hasn't done anything but try to help you all day. Let him fucking help you or I'm holding you down while he puts the health band on you. Enough is enough."

I can not tell if my mate is going to bite him or burst into sobs of sadness. I feel as though I have aged many years today.

"It is okay," I say hesitantly.

An-nana's bottom lip trembles and my heart clenches.

"Please do not cry, my mate," I beg, coming to her side and dropping to my knees so that I may look her in the eyes.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she whispers. "I'm sorry."

Reaching up, my hands surround her face. "I know you do not mean to snap, I can take it, my pretty Mean One. I only wish to make you feel better."

"I k-know," she sniffles. An-nana begins to steady her breathing and calms for me, melting into my touch.

Sensing that his owner is in distress, Pun-kin scuttles over to us. He stands on his hind legs to rub his face over An-nana's knees before softly licking her skin and beginning to purr. My mate sniffles and reaches down to softly ruffle the fur on top of his head.

After they share a moment, An-nana releases a heavy breath. "We can try the health band. I don't know why I'm so stubborn about it. Everyone else wears them, and they seem fine."

"I've been trying to convince you for weeks, A," Cay-leb adds. His voice is soft, though, not harsh or condescending. "They're amazing tech but you don't want to hear it because you think I'm just trying to sell you on them since Lovan helped make them."

"I don't like feeling helpless," my mate mutters. "The Aprixians don't wear them."

"High-risk ones do," I argue gently. "It is not something to feel shame about, my mate. No one views the devices this way."

Originally, An-nana simply turned her nose up at the health bracelets, claiming that she refused to be monitored. I thought perhaps there must be more reasoning for how strongly she opposed them, and it seems we have uncovered it.

"They aren't just to make sure we don't get hurt, Anna," her brother says with a frown. "The bracelets don't simply monitor and report, they heal as well. Mine is always helping me stay hydrated. It can actually do that on its own. If I get distracted and forget to drink water, it does that for me. It helps my muscles stay relaxed and keeps my temperature regulated."

An-nana looks doubtful. "Seriously?"

" Yes ," Cay-leb says. "I've been trying to tell you. These things may as well be magic. Obviously, Lovan has explained that they're science but not a science that anyone on Earth has ever figured out and probably never would have, even without the goddamn apocalypse. Aprixians are so advanced."

Blowing out a puff of air, he adds, "I just wish you'd realize we don't have to suffer through sickness and stupid avoidable shit now. This isn't the kind of help that burdens someone. They have heaps of health bands. Give Drak and me some peace of mind by wearing one. Give yourself the peace of mind."

An-nana sniffs again, swallowing back emotions as she nods in agreement. "Okay, I'll wear one." She pushes back her chair to get to her feet, my hands falling from her face as she does. "Where is it?"

She is asking me, but now that my face is level with her stomach, I can not hear a thing. An orb of dark green light is illuminating her skin from underneath her shirt. Suddenly, all of the horrible moments from today seem to wash away and everything makes sense.

"What?" An-nana asks, looking back and forth between me and her brother.

Following my sight, she peers down at her stomach and gasps.

For a moment, no one speaks.

"Does that mean what I assume it means?" Cay-leb asks, breathlessly breaking the silence.

"Am I…"

"You are," I breathe, moving my hands to touch the light. "You are carrying our child, my mate. This is his soul seed."

I do not know that our child is male, but my instincts are telling me as such.

"I'm pregnant?" she asks, wonder lighting up her eyes. Relief washes over me when I do not sense her fear. She is happy. "And the glowing? That's normal?"

"You are, and it is," I confirm, grinning from ear to ear.

An-nana already knows that the glowing occurs because of some of her fellow hu-nims and their pregnancies, but she likes to be told things multiple times when she worries.

"Congratulations," Cay-leb cheers with misty eyes. "I'm so happy for you guys."

My mate beams at him and Pun-kin lets out a joyful yelp of sound like he is pleased, too.

"I guess it's a good thing I came around on the health bracelet then, isn't it?" She laughs, reaching for my hands to hold. "I would have had to put it on now anyway."

"Yes," I agree with a smile. "Let us put it on you to check on our young one, hmm? The band's healing properties should help prevent your upset stomach, too."

"Oh, fuck yeah," An-nana exclaims. "If a little piece of alien-tech will keep me from having a day like today again, I'll wear two."

Amused, I get to my feet and press a kiss to her lips, followed by one to her temple. "One bracelet will be enough, I assure you, my lovely mate."

A soft and emotional smile paints her face. "You're still calling me lovely after how awful I was to you today. I don't deserve you, Drak."

"You deserve me and more," I tell her firmly. "You are blessing our family with a child, An-nana. Some bad days will never dull the shine of the rest."

"Ugh, swoon ," Cay-leb sighs wistfully.

An-nana laughs and rolls her eyes at him playfully. "Get your own alien hunk, this one is mine."

My cock twitches—as it always does when An-nana claims me.

"What is a hunk?" I ask curiously.

The strange word translates to big bundle in my native tongue, and I do not think my mate is meaning to call me such.

Cay-leb smirks. "A hunk is a hot guy. Usually, a big and sexy man you want to sink your teeth into."

I very much like the sound of that.

"You wish to sink your teeth into me, my mate?" I tease, softly surrounding her neck and jaw with my hands.

"Mmm," she hums, licking her lips. "Sounds fun."

"Ugh, gag," Cay-leb grumbles, getting up from the table. "I'm going to give you guys alone time. Put the bracelet on before you do the nasty. Anna will be in a mood for months if she accidentally pukes on you."

An-nana huffs and throws a bread roll at him.

He only chuckles his way out of our home, strolling off into the night.

"Do you think he is going to visit with Terum and the females or Lovan?"

"Maybe both?" I shrug.

I do not much care about Cay-leb in this moment.

For the next few passing minutes, I stare in wonder as I get An-nana's bracelet set up on her wrist. She lets out an instant sigh of relief as it begins to treat her pregnancy symptoms. Of course, seeing how helpful the technology is, she is upset with herself for previously turning her nose up at it. I remind her that I am not angry with her past decision and that she is making me the happiest male in all of the galaxy by simply being herself.

It is not long after I utter those words that she shoves me into our bed and mates with me until I'm in a state of bliss like I have never known. Seeing her on top of me, her breasts swaying and her stomach glowing with the evidence of our love… it is beyond words.

Now as we lay back, holding each other and catching our breath, she speaks.

"You know, when I used to think about being married, I always pitied the guy who would get stuck with me," she admits, snuggling into my chest. The essence of our love-making surrounds us, and I cannot help but to bask in it.

I do not like her words, though. "Why should you pity them?"

"I'm a lot to deal with," she tells me quietly.

Before I can refute her words, she silences me with a small kiss.

"It's okay, Drak. I know you can handle it, I don't pity you . And I don't think that way about myself anymore. I'm never happy about being snippy or overreacting or shutting down when my feelings get to be too much. I know I'm not a bad mate, even if I used to think I would be one. I'm just trying to say thank you. If you didn't show me that I deserved to be loved, I would have never believed it."

My stomach turns with a pleasant flutter. "If you did not show me that I am a good mate, I would never have believed it either, my An-nana. My love for you knows no bounds."

I watch her lips tip upward into a loving grin. "So… any baby name ideas?"

Chuckling, I pull her close. "Many."