You have my deepest apology, my son. Somehow I will make this up to you.”

Ral sighed. “You accept Ariel as my bound?”

Hyvin Berrr bowed low. “I do, my son.” He stayed bowed and his eyes turned to Ariel. “You are to remain bound to my son. I give you my apology as well.”

“Thank you,” Ariel whispered.

“You could make this up to us by making it a priority to integrate the translation program from the aliens into our translation implants. I would like to be able to communicate with Ariel at all times and not just in a room with the current program running on the conis.”

Hyvin Berrr nodded his head at Ral. “Consider it a priority. I will inform medical to put all their staff on it before the day is over.”

“Thank you, Father. Thank you for the guards as well to help me protect Ariel.”

Ral pulled Ariel against his body. He was silent as his family and the guards left.

Ariel smiled at Erra as the woman quietly got up and walked toward the kitchen to her bedroom that was on the other side of the house. Ariel and Ral ended up alone in the living room. He sighed.

“My family made a mess of our life.”

Ariel snorted. “There’s something humans and Zorn have in common. Families can screw up big-time when they think they are doing the right thing by putting their nose in someone’s business.”

He frowned. He opened his mouth.

She laughed. “I know. I lost you. It’s a universal family thing to try to protect who they love and making a bigger mess of it.”

He grinned. “Humans do this as well?”

“Oh yes.” She grinned back at him. Her smile fell with a thought. “How many of your people do you think saw us have sex?”

He shrugged. “I am sorry the monitoring was put on the conis but it is done. We have no way of changing that.”

“At least your father accepted us.”

“If I knew that was all it would take I would have invited him to watch us have sex.

Since we returned he has been shoving females at me while I was at work to try to lure me from you. It has really angered me.”

“You never said anything.”

“Would you have wanted me to leave? I have a job to do.”

“You don’t have a job for a few weeks. You heard your father. He’s making your brother cover your duties.”

A grin split Ral’s face. “That means we can be alone and you will stay naked for me.” He stood up swinging her into his arms and started to walk for the bedroom. He froze. Rage crossed his features. “Our room has been violated.”

“The guestroom.”

He nodded. “Tomorrow I will have the room stripped of everything and made whole. We will make it our room again.”

She wrapped her arms tight around his neck. “I love you, Ral.”

He tilted his head to kiss her. His eyes sparkled. “I love you, Ariel. I am about to love you for many hours.”

11

Ariel was nervous. She didn’t know what anyone could really do for her. She eyed Ral. He actually looked frightened for her. He gripped her hand.

“If they have no help for you we can have you back on your planet in a week. I contacted my father. He had someone study the Anzons charts with the description you gave me of your world. We think we have found Earth. It would be a week of fast travel but I would get you there so your medical can look at you. I won’t allow you die, Ariel.

You are everything to me.”

Ariel fought tears. She felt ugly. She had a fever. She was a blotchy red, like she’d gotten a mild sunburn. She was also experiencing swelling. It was like PMS symptoms but worse. Her stomach was bloated, her breasts ached and her fingers were swollen.

“I don’t think this is going to kill me. I think I’m having some kind of allergic reaction. I probably ate something that caused it.”

He softly growled. “You are suffering. I hate this. You do not feel well. Your skin is hot like mine. Your skin is usually cooler. You have redness to your skin. I know your breasts hurt. You keep moving your shift from them and you get an irritated look on your features.”

She smiled at him. “Do you usually watch me that closely?”

He smiled back. “You always have my full attention when you play with your clothing or remove it.”

Ahhu was the medical personnel assigned to Ariel. She was the top in her field and took care of the entire Berrr family. She walked in smiling. Ariel relaxed on the exam table. If Ahhu was smiling after running all those tests on her then it must be something they had a cure for.

“Lean back and go flat,” Ahhu ordered Ariel. “I have found the cause of your discomfort. This is a first so we have to watch you very closely but I think you will be fine.”

Ariel eased down on her back. Ahhu turned on a screen on the wall and opened up a cabinet under the exam table. She held some kind of wand. She smiled as she lifted Ariel’s shift. Ariel almost protested as the woman shoved up her dress revealing the naked lower half of her body. Ahhu waved the wand over Ariel’s revealed skin.

“Look.” Ahhu pointed at the screen.

Ariel stared at the shadows on the colors on the screen. It looked like green mist with a darker shape. She heard Ahhu chuckle.

“Do you see what I see?”

“Green. That’s what I see.” Ariel shot Ral a look. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

He shook his head and growled at Ahhu. “What is it?”

Ahhu chuckled clicking something on the wand. She set it down and walked to the frozen screen. “See this dark mass here? There is the head. Here is the body. There is an arm and there are the bent legs.” She grinned at them. “You are successful at breeding.”

Shock hit Ariel. She stared at the screen and saw the shape of a baby there once it was pointed out. Tears fill her eyes. She had cried last week when they’d implanted a working set of translators in her ears. She thought that was the best news she’d ever get from medical. Her eyes flew to Ral.

He was staring at the screen in shock. She saw that his mouth had dropped open.

He swallowed hard and then threw his head back and let out a roar that made Ariel jump. It startled her that much. She stared at Ral as his head dropped down. His grin was almost painfully wide. Excitement and happiness were crystal clear in his eyes as they locked with Ariel’s.

“We have made an offspring together.”

She laughed. “We have. Oh, Ral. I love you.”

Ral kissed her. He lifted his head and his smile died. He growled as his eyes flew to Ahhu. “Is she in danger? She isn’t well. If the offspring risks her life you must save Ariel. She is the most important thing to me.”

Shock hit Ariel. She hadn’t thought of that. She turned her head and met Ahhu’s eyes. The woman smiled.

“Do not worry, Argis Ral. I have run tests. The offspring is healthy and strong. I believe that she is feverish because our bodies run hotter so the baby is running her body hotter. She is in no danger. We will cool her body down a little. It will help her color and body heat return to a more normal temperature. We will monitor her very closely. The bloating is normal with our women. It is the body’s way of making sure it has plenty of fluids. Your offspring-carrying women do the same?”

Ariel frowned. “I don’t think so. I’ve heard of swelling late in pregnancy. Uh, carrying offspring. How far along am I? Can you tell?”

Ahhu nodded. “Two moon cycles.”

Two months. Ariel smiled. “And how many moon cycles do your females carry offspring inside them? On my planet it is nine.”

“Eight.”

Ral sighed in relief. “So it is not that different?”

Ahhu smiled. “I’m sure it will be fine. You breed. That means we are compatible.

This is good news. Your father will be thrilled, Argis Ral.”

Ral chuckled. He grinned at Ariel. “He’s always wanted one of his sons to have offspring. You will be very spoiled by him. Be prepared.”