Page 24 of Draevan

“You did that faster than I usually do,” he said with a smile. Then his expression turned questioning. “How much experience do you have taking care of babies?”

“Oh, you know, the usual,” she said, hoping to quickly change the subject. “So, where are her bottles kept? And what about the food replicator?”

Thankfully, he didn’t ask again about her experience caring for babies. Instead, he guided her out of Meela’s room and into the corridor that was lined with sleek, metallic panels. He led her to a nearby door and stood to the side as he motioned for her to proceed ahead of him.

She entered a small room that was lined with cabinets, though one entire wall was simply… a huge viewport that revealed the stars speeding by. A circular table rested along the viewport wall with four seats and a highchair, all of it bolted to the floor. Several strange apparatuses sat on the counter, also bolted down. Relief filled her when she spotted the food replicator. She never had one in her penthouse, since she enjoyed making her own food, but she’d used this exact model before when visiting wealthy friends… the so-called friends who hadn’t returned her calls in months. She blinked fast and pushed away the wave of abandonment that always seemed to follow when she remembered the people who’d forgotten her so quickly.

“Meela, darling, I’m going to put you in your special chair, then I’m going to prepare breakfast for you,” Cora said as she smiled down at the baby. “How does that sound? Are you hungry?”

Meela pressed her lips together and made a few sounds, but Cora didn’t think they were actual words. Just baby-speak. But that was still good. It likely meant she would start talking soon.

Cora carried Meela to the highchair and got her strapped in, making sure she was safe before stepping away to search for the bottles. But Draevan was already ahead of her. He opened the cabinet above the food replicator, revealing a row of bottles.

“I’ve preprogrammed this replicator, as well as the one in our home on New Vaxx, to prepare a bottle for Meela at just the right temperature. It’s the very first button at the top.” His hand brushed her arm as he leaned over to place the bottle inside the replicator. As he stood very close, so close she felt the warmth of his breath on her neck, he murmured, “Go ahead. Press the button.”

She flushed as she reached for the button. After she pressed it, she watched as milk suddenly appeared inside the bottle in a quick flash of light. Though she’d used food replicators before, the technology never ceased to amaze her. “Well,” she said, picking up the bottle, “that certainly makes it easy. Thank you for showing me.” Her breath faltered at how close he was still standing.

Was he purposely trying to make her flustered?

Or did he simply wish to stand close to her?

She decided either option was rather exciting, and if she didn’t think Meela was eager for her bottle, she could’ve easily stood there all day, pressed close to her mate as the stars sped by outside the viewport.

Cora forced herself to step away from the alien warrior, crossing the room to give Meela her bottle. “Here you go, darling.”

The baby accepted the bottle with enthusiasm and held it herself as she drank. Well, Cora had diaper changing figured out, and now she could make bottles for Meela too. As for making other food for the baby, she was confident in her skills using a food replicator, though she stood patiently by as Draevan proceeded to explain what meals Meela preferred at different times of the day, the number combinations that would produce those meals, and how to work the Vaxxlian version of a dishwasher.

She appreciated that he wasn’t talking down to her while he explained how everything worked, nor did his voice hold any note of frustration or arrogance. In her experience, particularly during her years in the music industry, men had often assumed they knew more than she did and felt compelled to explain things to her as though she couldn’t possibly understand them herself. But thankfully, Draevan was treating her like an intelligent, capable woman who just happened to be a little unfamiliar with some aspects of Vaxxlian life.

His patience and careful guidance brought her more hope for their future together, and once again, she started to wonder if their mating union could turn into something real.

After they prepared breakfast, a plate of muffins, several bowls of sliced fruit, a mug of coffee for her, and a cup of tea for Draevan, they carried everything to the table and joined Meela. The baby finished her bottle just as they sat down, and Cora passed her a muffin and a bowl of fruit.

And then, for the first time in a year, Cora enjoyed breakfast in the company of others, with the little family she’d never expected to have.

Chapter 11

Draevan guided his ship toward New Vaxx, his eyes constantly darting to Cora where she sat next to him on the bridge. Meela was taking a nap, and he’d removed the booster seat to allow his mate to join him as he navigated in the direction of his home.

His mate…

He’d finally taken a mate, a human female from Earth who incited his desires more than he’d ever imagined possible. He couldn’t stop thinking about the consummation of their union and how responsive she was as he claimed her. She’d seemed to enjoy it as much as he did. Her whimpers, moans, and sweet sighs kept echoing in his memories, and even now, as he flew toward New Vaxx, his pants were starting to get tight.

Deep breaths, he told himself. But it didn’t help much. He wanted her again. Right fluxxing now. He wanted nothing more than to land his ship, carry Cora to his bedroom, and spend the afternoon kissing her all over, bringing her to climax after climax, and riding her to completion again and again, spilling his seed inside her repeatedly.

Star God. How would he ever be able to concentrate on anything if Cora was always within reach?

His blood heated further, but thankfully, having to manually navigate toward the planet provided a much-needed distraction, and his pants finally loosened a bit at the front. He focused on the controls as the cruiser approached the planet, and soon, the familiar blue-green sphere of New Vaxx filled the viewport.

From high above, the planet looked remarkably similar to Earth, with vast oceans and huge continents covered in green, but New Vaxx was cleaner and more vibrant, its atmosphere clear and its colors more vivid than those of the human homeworld.

As the cruiser descended toward the planet, the protective barrier surrounding New Vaxx came into view, a nearly invisible shield encircling the entire world. It was designed to keep unauthorized vessels from entering the planet’s atmosphere, but Vaxxlian ships were automatically recognized and permitted to pass through.

The cruiser slipped through the barrier, and a faint shimmer rippled across the viewport as they passed through the protective shield. A moment later, the barrier was behind them.

Draevan began his descent toward Starzzia, guiding the cruiser through the upper atmosphere, and the sprawling city finally appeared below.

“That is my home. Our home,” he quickly amended, wanting Cora to feel welcome, as though she truly belonged here.