I supposed with the planet of Veon in chaos mode, I really should be terrified. And I was when I thought about it, no question about it. People were scared to leave their homes. A virus was spreading, and zombie-like Vepar roamed the streets. The council remained broken and corrupt.
But amid all that jumbled mess, I had just married three of the most incredible Vepar. I had to keep reminding myself because it felt so surreal. Coupled with being pregnant, my life itself had morphed into a movie. A crazy, alien one where I had no idea what exactly was growing in my stomach, but I’d love the baby regardless.
Truth was, I wouldn’t change a thing about my situation for the simple reason that if this insanity hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have met my husbands. After everything we went through I understood that now.
We found my father, and next we’d find my mother. Good vibes had me rolling out of bed, even in a world breaking apart at the seams. The fact that my entire body was sore was just another sign of how good the last couple of days had been for me.
Sunlight poured through the window, and the smell of something savory like eggs wafted on the air. The bed lay empty of my men. Not finding my clothes anywhere, I picked up Thane’s shirt from the floor and dragged it over my head. His masculine scent covered me, and I embraced it, loving how much his scent alone put me at ease.
I stepped into the kitchen, the floor cold under my feet. The three of them stood around the kitchen counter. Corran was placing eggs into a machine on the counter that resembled a microwave, and seconds later, he opened the door and the plate was filled with fluffy scrambled eggs. I still hadn’t gotten used to how incredible the technology was on this planet, but I wasn’t sure I could go back to the hassle of cooking from scratch.
The table in the middle of the room was filled with eggs, bacon, and waffles. I salivated at the sight.
Derrial turned to me first, his smile intoxicating, those green eyes to die for. With all three now staring at me, all I could remember was the most incredible night of my life. Their affection, their hunger for me, the insane sex marathon. They were my soul matches, my protectors, my lovers.
“Morning, my husbands.” It felt so strange and dorky saying that, but also weirdly comforting.
“Hey, babe,” Corran said.
“You look gorgeous,” Derrial added.
Thane strode over, wearing only blue pajama pants that sat dangerously low on his chiseled hips. He was incredible to look at, and just staring at his bare chest had warmth searing my insides. Add to that his infectious smile, and no wonder I lost myself to them. His lips brushed over mine, and it was heaven. My skin prickled, instantly reacting to his touch.
“Morning, my pet. Are you hungry?”
I laughed at his question. “How much food did you all make?”
“We did some research and tried to make every human breakfast dish for you. We hope everything tastes the same.”
My heart sang. I reached up and cupped his face, raising myself on tippy-toes before kissing him back. I melted against him, wishing I could have eternity to spend in their arms. “I love this so much.”
It wasn’t long before we all sat around the table to eat. I took a mouthful of the eggs, which surprisingly tasted similar as they would back home. The bagel turned out more like sweet bread, and the waffles more savory than I was used to. But I didn’t care and ate them, suddenly starved. Between the four of us, we nearly finished everything on the table.
I sipped the lukewarm coffee, then said, “With everything happening, I think we need to find my mother. We found my father, so maybe she’s still in one of the Khonsu female camps.”
“Exactly what we were discussing this morning,” Derrial murmured before taking another bite of the bacon. “There had been rumors that the Khonsu used a nearby moon to hold their females.”
I immediatly started imagining my mother trapped at a Khonsu camp on some remote moon... I pictured her inside a cage with other females. Similar to the state we found my father in. My stomach tightened with worry that we wouldn’t find her. That somehow, I was too late. My heart gave a hard thump at that thought.
Stop it, I thought to myself. I couldn’t let myself think like that, or I’d paralyze myself with dread.
Corran, who sat next to me, must have sensed my tension as he placed his hand on my thigh. “We’ll turn this universe inside out to find her. I give you my word.”
I leaned against him, and he wrapped an arm around my back as he kissed my brow.
“You three search the local moons, while I’m going to try to sneak into a few labs and see what I can find on the antidote for the virus.”
I swallowed hard as reality pushed everything else aside. “Are you sure you should return there alone?” That honeymoon feeling dissolved into the background when there were so many more pressing issues.
Corran nodded, his eyes glinting as he tried to smile to ease my worry, but the smile was forced. “It will be easier to sneak around on my own.”
The last few times we went to a lab, I was kidnapped by the feral, invading Khonsu race, then impregnated by the council, and then attacked by the virus inflicted Vepar. I hated those labs.
Thane tapped the comms on his wrist, and a holograph of a television screen appeared at the end of the table. We all turned to the new broadcast of a street view of the city. Three homeless men and a female stood near a storefront together. Torn clothes, dirty faces…something I didn’t think existed on this planet. They huddled close, the wind tugging on their clothes. The view was patchy and grainy, and from the angle, it seemed this was filmed from a permanent street camera.
Unease slid through me, and I breathed out shakily as I watched them talking casually.
Next minute, they looked over to the street, and their eyes flew open. A small group of infected Vepar rushed toward them at lightning speed.
I flinched, and Corran held me tight.
The virus ridden had pale faces, clothes ripped and hanging off their dirty and injured bodies.
They attacked those poor people where they sat, the savagery ripping me to shreds. I was going to be sick. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to view the attack anymore.
“It’s okay,” Corran cooed in my ear. “That scene is over.”
I opened my eyes to a screen listing the number of expected infected per region. The numbers were staggering, and suddenly, the earlier peace I felt vanished. Fear slid into its place.
“See what you can find, but no heroic shit,” Derrial muttered to Corran. “Call us if you need backup.”
I sat there, still in Corran’s arms, trying to smile and hide the trepidation rippling over me. That news footage freaked me out, as it reminded me how horrific the situation was getting. I slid a hand over my stomach, thinking about the little life inside me coming into this world. Around me were three Vepar who could make a difference, so I couldn’t be in better company.
After we finished breakfast, I went to get dressed. I stood in front of the full-body mirror in the bathroom, looking at myself sideways, pushing my stomach out, trying to picture myself with a huge belly. The deep blue dress I wore drew in tight around my waist and chest, pushing my breasts up, the rest falling loosely to my knees. I’d lost quite a bit of weight since coming to Veon with all the stress and lack of eating as a result. But if I kept eating meals like I did this morning, being too skinny wouldn’t be a problem for long. Especially with a baby bump coming on. I looked at my reflection again, and swore that I saw a bump still. I guess it was from the large breakfast.
Part of me was beyond ecstatic to have a family of my own, to meet the little angel inside me. I didn’t want to think too much about things like what they would look like and get myself overthinking. There was no turning back now, right?
It was hard enough pushing aside the worry that I didn’t know who the real father of my baby was… If my men were truly okay with it potentially not being one of theirs, then I was okay too.
I ran my shaky hands through my loose hair, still slightly damp, and pouted my rosy lips.
I could do this. Today was all about finding my mom.
“You look spectacular,” Corran said.
He met my gaze in the mirror. He was standing in the doorway to the bathroom, arms deep into the pockets of his black pants. He wore a matching, long-sleeve top.
“And you look ready to go all ninja on someone.” I laughed at his confused expression and sauntered over to him before wrapping my arms around his middle. Pressing myself to his chest, I listened to his beating heart. His body radiated heat, and I drank it in since most of the time, I felt so cold.
“I’m about to head off, gorgeous.”
Glancing up, I locked eyes with him. He tilted his head forward to brush his lips against mine. He held me tight, kissing me deeply, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. Everything about him made me feel even more intoxicated. I loved the way my body reacted, how incredibly sweet he tasted, how his hands always roamed over my body like he couldn’t get enough either.
“You are everything to me,” he breathed into my mouth.
“I love you. Please be careful. I can’t lose you.”
He kissed my face while my stomach somersaulted with a sudden flare of panic that he’d get caught by the council, or attacked by the infected like those poor people on the news.
Air. I suddenly needed fresh air, as so many emotions came at me like a raging storm. Tears pricked my eyes at the thought that somehow, with this world going to chaos, I’d lose the men I’d fought so long to keep.
Corran pulled back from me while I ducked down the hall and opened the balcony door. A breeze swished over my face, and I inhaled deep. My heart raced in my chest, my head slightly dizzy.
“You alright?” Corran stood behind me, his hands wrapping around my waist. His breath was on my ear, gentle and soft, comforting me.
I nodded. “Think everything just hit me at once.”
He rubbed my arms and held me close, encasing me in his love. “Nothing will harm you. And we have too much at stake to let anything happen to us.” His large hands swept over my stomach.
“We ready?” Thane called out from the kitchen.
“What do you think?” Corran whispered in my ear. “Are we ready to do this?”
I turned around in his arms, searching his eyes for a sign that he was confident that he would return back to me. What I saw filled me with hope and belief that everything would turn out well.
My mouth tugged upward at the corners. “You’re right. No more panic.”
“That’s my girl.” He kissed my lips and then collected my hand into his before we returned to the kitchen.
Derrial and Thane were both dressed as if they were headed out to battle. Black heavy leather pants. Thane’s had straps across the thighs, and he wore it with a red fitted jacket, zipped up to his neck. He reminded me of Star Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. Derrial wore a long black coat with a matching top underneath. Simple, but they both looked deadly and sexy as hell.
“I feel like I’m underdressed,” I said, staring down at my dress and black combat boots.
“You look perfect.” Derrial closed the distance between us and slid his hand in mine. “Are you ready to go?”
The first thing I learned since coming to Veon was that things were unpredictable, and the best approach was to be alert and expect the worse. So, I nodded and glanced at my three husbands. “I’m ready. Let’s go find my mom.”