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“LANTA? WHERE ARE YOU?” Payton’s voice came across Lanta’s comlink “I should probably start calling you Queen Atlanta.” Payton cleared her throat and spoke in a feigned regal voice, “Kazi Atlanta, your presence is requested in the transport bay.”
“I don’t like being called that,” Lanta mumbled.
Payton laughed. “Well, get used to it, buttercup. Come on. Hurry. I’m bursting at the seams, I’m so excited.”
Payton wasn’t held together by seams, but Lanta didn’t have time to figure out what she meant. Something else besides learning more human-speak occupied Lanta’s mind.
“Talking to her gives me a headache. But please don’t tell her that,” the medic said.
The medic stood behind a console, operating the controls for the full body medical evaluator that Lanta was laying on. The sensors on the flat bed relayed vital information to the medic, while the arm that wrapped around to scan her body, projected an image to the hologram above her.
The arm had started at her head, showing her brain and the blood vessels. Then it went down past her face, revealing her sinus and bone structure. She saw her chest and her lungs and heart. All seemed normal. The arm stopped and hovered over her abdomen.
The scan had found the cause of the headaches, nausea, tiredness, loss of appetite and mood swings. She was pregnant.
Lanta stared at the holographic image projected over her abdomen. The picture of the fetus, although very small within her, had been magnified. Its head was way too big, the body tiny and the arms and legs were short and stubby but she could count ten fingers and ten toes and that made her giddy.
My baby.
She lifted her hand to the hologram, turning the projection to see the face better. The eyes were closed. Its little heart beat fast and hard, easily seen through its thin skin.
“Male or female?”
“Male,” the medic replied.
“We can’t tell the gestational age of the fetus because there has never been a Human-Ngonyama birth to glean information from. The normal gestation for Ngonyamas is five months and Humans nine. We can project it’ll be somewhere between the two, so we’ll need to monitor you closely.”
Lanta dropped her hand and cradled her stomach. It was still flat, but soon it would grow as her baby did.
Baby.
The thought hit her again.
She was afraid to ask the question but her heart jumped and panic swelled within her. She had to. “Complications? You can tell me. Be honest, please. If...if...” Her breath caught in her throat.
What if her baby wasn’t viable? What if she couldn’t carry him to term?
“Relax, Kazi. Your vitals have increased. Humans and Ngonyama’s are compatible. Otherwise we would’ve had you come see us before now and implanted a permanent birth control device.”
Lanta frowned. “Wait. How did I get pregnant anyway? I have a birth control implant.”
“Which is outdated.”
She tried to think back on when she’d first gotten it. Five years ago? Or had it been eight? She should’ve checked the expiration months ago, after she and Melis first bonded, but she’d been so busy.
They’d spent two weeks on a pleasure planet, Bienke’s gift to them, and since returning there was one royal function after the other. Lanta was learning Ngonyama ways from Melis and Human ways from Payton and, with the start of her official palace duties, she’d been crawling into bed exhausted most nights.
It was only after she’d been throwing up for several days that Melis had cleared her schedule and made her see the medic.
Oh, God.
What would Melis think? They hadn’t talked about children yet. Not once. Since the application for Class 5-ii status had been granted, the palace and planet has been in complete chaos. Good chaos, but chaos just the same.
Lanta balled her hands into fists and stared at the non-descript ceiling. The timing was all wrong. He surely didn’t want a child now. He had so many other things to devote his time to.
“Lanta,” Payton’s voice came over the comlink again. “Miranda and her kids are about to land. We received word they’re about thirty minutes out. Are you still coming?”
Both Payton and Esme were excited for the new visitors. Esme had arrived the day before in anticipation of Miranda’s arrival.
After everyone else they’d been in The Hunt with had been found, Miranda and Kaylin were the last two missing. At least until a week ago. Xrez’s assistant, had found a way to contact Miranda’s hunter. The hunter, Miranda and her kids were on the run from the person who’d originally hired the hunter to catch a human mate. According to the hunter, they’d be in hiding, moving from planet to planet. When Payton had brought this to Melis’s attention, he’d offered them a home on Ipakethe and promised them a safe haven.
“Yes, I’ll be there. I had to go to the medic first.”
“Medic? Is everything okay? I told you to leave the meat paste alone, but noooo, you just had to keep eating it.”
Lanta chuckled and smiled. She looked down at her stomach. “I’ll be fine. I can’t wait to meet Miranda and her children.”
“See you when you get here.” Payton disconnected the call.
“We need to run some additional tests and do a complete evaluation,” the medic said.
She rubbed her stomach, wishing she could feel her baby. “How long will that take?”
She still had to tell Melis. Lanta chewed on her lip. How would she even go about that?
I know we’ve never discussed children, but are you ready for one?
The door to the personal exam room slid open and Melis sauntered in. Lanta took one look at him and the anxiety plaguing her since the medic’s diagnosis instantly faded away.
He glanced at her and worry flashed behind his eyes. “What is it, my mate? I thought the visit would be quick.” He turned his attention to the medic. “What happened? What does she require?”
The medic’s mouth slid into a smile. “I think your mate would rather give you the news.”
Melis’s worrying stare turned back to Lanta. He ran his hands over her braided hair. “Mate, are you ill? Don’t worry about anything. We’ll order new medical equipment and make sure we have the best medics on hand. Even if we have to scour the galaxy putting everything in place. You’ll be well taken care of.”
“Excuse me?” the medic sniffed and lifted her nose. “My training is exemplary. You’ve hired me yourself, Kgosi.”
“I didn’t mean to offend, Lora. I’m only worried for my mate because no one has told me what is going on yet.”
Lanta placed a hand on his arm, loving how he felt under her palm. “My love, don’t fret. Look above me.”
Melis’s eyebrows pinched together and he glanced at the hologram. He did as she’d done moments before, using his hands to turn the hologram, studying it. “What is this?”
As if he knew his father was near, the baby stretched and smacked his lips on the image. Lanta’s heart tightened. She loved him already. “Your son.”
Melis inhaled sharply, then looked from the hologram to the medic, then back to Lanta again. “Son?”
Lanta nodded. “I guess I have a good reason to be tired all the time. I’m growing a baby. Look.” She turned the hologram and rotated it so the butt was in the air. “There’s his little tail.”
Melis’s jaw dropped.
“Are...are you happy?” she whispered.
Melis lowered his head to her stomach and pulled her close. “Of course I’m happy. You’ve given me the best gift I could’ve ever asked for.” He kissed her stomach. “Hello my son. I have so much to teach you. Do you know I already love you?”
Lanta ran her fingers through the back of his hair, the only place free of braids. “I love you, my Kgosi.”
“I love you too, my Kazi.”