I snorted hotly through my nostrils. Pleasure lit up my every nerve. My heart thumped rapidly in my chest, erratic and spirited. The taut ecstasy pooling between my thighs neared its peak.

  As I rubbed against Paz, I couldn’t get the mental image of him completely coated in my pollen out of my mind. I craved it with a ravenous hunger.

  “Paz,” I growled in a throaty rasp. “Get on your knees.”

  He practically leapt off my cock and scrambled between my legs, staring up at my erection with giddy excitement. Watching his expression light up thrilled me.

  My cock twitched midair above his head. A bead of honey-colored pollen trickled out of my slit, sliding down my shaft. Paz watched it and visibly swallowed.

  “Go ahead,” I instructed.

  Paz leaned up on his knees. He caressed the head of my cock, making me shiver. A second later, his tongue swept across my slit, lapping up the bead of pollen. I groaned as I sank back into my seat. Paz’s tongue was mind-blowing. The soft wetness shot pulses of ecstasy through my body until I felt boneless with pleasure.

  My breath came out in hot puffs through my fangs. I stretched my tentacles towards Paz, running them up and down his smooth sides. I felt the rhythm of his rapid pulse through my sensitive tentacle pads. He was so delectably soft to the touch. I spent a few seconds rolling my tentacle pads over his hips, which definitely had a new curve to them.

  Was Paz really pregnant?

  Thinking about it sent an electric spark through me. If he wasn’t yet, he would be eventually. Paz drove me wild. I couldn’t hold myself back around him.

  Suddenly, a jarring motion in the corner of my eye pulled me out of my trance. Haz’rull stood there like they wanted to say something. My first instinct was to snap at them to go away, but I was trying to clean up my act.

  “What is it?” I asked stiffly.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but there’s a... new development I thought you should know about.”

  I ground my teeth. “Can it wait? We’re a little busy here.”

  Haz’rull’s feelers flashed in amusement as they glanced at the two of us. “Yes, it can wait. Carry on.”

  When Haz’rull left, I turned my focus back to Paz. He was so lost in arousal that he hadn’t even noticed the interruption. He purred as his hands roamed over my twitching flesh, guiding me back into the moment. I blew out a breath and relaxed, forgetting everything but my filum and his magical hands.

  As Paz lavished attention on me, my pure pleasure hit its peak. A roar tore through my throat. I sank my claws into the seat, bracing myself as I unleashed a heavy load of pollen. It came out in thick, honey-colored bursts that coated Paz from the head down. Seeing him soaked in my pollen made me grunt—another aftershock rippled down my spine, causing a smaller second wave to pour out from my cock.

  Paz moaned, closing his eyes as he leaned into it. His hand was wrapped around his own cock, furiously pleasuring himself. As he finished, he arched his back with a choked cry. My pollen continued to trickle down his body in thick rivulets. When it was over, he looked like a sticky golden mess.

  I panted for breath. My body was as heavy as a boulder as I slumped in my seat. I felt dazed and tired, but utterly satisfied.

  “Are you all right?” I asked.

  I heard a sound that was almost like... slurping. Sitting up, I glanced around my flaccid cock obstructing my view.

  A jolt of shocked pleasure hit me when I saw Paz licking my pollen.

  “What are you doing?” I demanded, flustered by the erotic sight.

  “It’s sweet, just like honey!” Paz cried. “Was it always like that?”

  He had no reservations about drinking my pollen. He gulped it down like water. I felt faint as an unexpected wave of arousal slammed into me again.

  “You really are a lewd creature,” I mumbled fondly.

  “You love it.”

  “Hmph.”

  Paz smirked. “You didn’t deny it.”

  He looked over himself, like he’d only just realized he was completely coated in my pollen. He raised his arms and watched the viscous fluid trickle slowly to the ground.

  “Not gonna lie. This is pretty comfortable,” he said with a grin. “It’s like floating in one of those sensory deprivation pods. Except the opposite.”

  Once again, I had no idea what he was talking about. “Are you going to sit there soaked in my pollen all night, or should I clean you up?”

  He sighed like it was impossible to decide. “Well, I’m not opposed to the former, but yeah, we should probably—”

  “Hey, Paz? What in the absolute fuck are we looking at right now?”

  The unfamiliar voice sent me on full alert. My gaze snapped down below the ledge to where four figures stood: two Maeleons I knew, and two humans I didn’t.

  17 / Paz

  Randomly hearing Levi’s voice was a huge surprise. At first, I didn’t even know where it came from. I caught Kur’tok glaring over the ledge and I followed his gaze to see Levi, Jaeyoung, Zat’tor, and Linn’ar standing down there.

  “Oh! Hey, guys!” I called. I tried to wave, but Kur’tok’s viscous cum weighed me down and made it difficult to move.

  Then I realized I was naked and covered in Kur’tok’s cum. In front of everybody.

  I opened my mouth, about to apologize—then I realized something.

  “You know what? Yeah, I’m in this sticky situation,” I declared, putting my hands on my hips. “But it’s not like you guys haven’t been in incriminating scenarios before! I saw Linn’ar plowing Jaeyoung like a week ago!”

  Jaeyoung sighed, burying his face in his hands. “He’s not wrong,” he mumbled to Levi.

  “Whatever, that’s not the point,” Levi said, shaking his head. “Where the hell have you been, Paz? We were worried sick about you! We—”

  Zat’tor put his hands firmly on Levi’s shoulders, quieting him. The teal Maeleon squinted up at us. “Kur’tok? Is that you?” he asked.

  “Oh, yes, it is!” Linn’ar said joyfully. “I would recognize those red scales and those big horns anywhere.”

  Kur’tok went still. His feelers wriggled erratically in place, like he was anxious. Was he embarrassed by the situation? Or maybe he didn’t feel mentally prepared to face his brethren so soon?

  “Greetings,” Kur’tok said awkwardly.

  The following silence was also awkward. Then Haz’rull strode closer to the group and flashed an amused, knowing look at Kur’tok. “I told you there was a new development.”

  Kur’tok sighed and slumped like he wanted to disappear into his seat. He clearly hadn’t been prepared to deal with this, so I took over. I stood up and cleared my throat like I wasn’t covered head to toe in alien cum.

  “Can you give us a minute to, uh, clean up? We’ll be with you shortly,” I told my friends.

  After I was cum-free and Kur’tok had a minute to mentally prepare, we rejoined the group. Levi wore his stern I-used-to-be-the-captain frown, looking ready to scold me, but it vanished when I launched myself at him in a hug.

  “Oof,” he said.

  Jaeyoung opened his mouth to say something, but I dragged him into the hug, too. He sighed and patted me on the back. “It’s good to see you, Paz,” he said, his voice unusually gentle. “We really were worried about you.”

  “I’m sorry, you guys,” I murmured.

  “What happened?” Levi asked. “One minute you were there, and the next you just vanished.”

  I took a deep breath, then launched into the whole recap: of how jealous I was, how I couldn’t stand being the only non-mated human anymore, how I wanted my own alien boyfriend, and how I recklessly disregarded Tau’run’s advice about venturing into the Eukaria wilds alone.

  “Ah,” Linn’ar said, exchanging a glance with Zat’tor. “If we’d known, we would’ve given you the same advice to stay in the village. But we were... preoccupied.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, waving off the bygones. “In the end, I’m glad I did it. Because I got to meet Kur’tok.”

  I turned to him with a big smile. I was so proud and excited to finally show him off to my friends.

  But Kur’tok seemed subdued. He eyed the other two Maeleons like a guilty dog. Where was my big, buff, red-flag alpha alien?

  I put my arm around his lower back—at least, as far as it would go. Kur’tok glanced warmly at me. He appreciated the comfort.

  “There goes the grand speech I’d planned for when I returned to the village,” Kur’tok mumbled.

  Zat’tor perked up, his feelers rising. “Returned? So you intended to come back?”

  The other two Maeleons, Haz’rull and Arr’tow, remained silent but watched their interaction intently.

  “Yes,” Kur’tok said.

  He paused, wanting to say more, but he caught my eye first. I smiled brightly at him. I wished I could beam a telepathic message to him that I’d be by his side, no matter what, and that everything would be okay.

  Kur’tok took a breath. “I... I wish to return to the village. With my filum, Paz.”

  Levi’s jaw dropped. “Your what?”

  Jaeyoung raised a brow at his fellow human. “You can’t be serious. You saw him covered in Kur’tok’s ejaculate. Of course they’re mates.”

  “I don’t know! Maybe they were just having sex for fun!” Levi argued shrilly.

  Ignoring Levi’s obliviousness, the rest of us continued the conversation.

  “I remember you left many cycles ago, Kur’tok,” Linn’ar said, his voice lilting and gentle as always. “We were all waiting for you to return.”

  Kur’tok’s tail went rigid. “You... you were?”

  “Yes. Zat’tor was especially insistent you would return at any moment.”

  Zat’tor crossed his muscular arms and nodded. “And I was right! Did I not say our siblings would return in a half-cycle?”

  That pinged my memory. I remembered when Zat’tor said that ages ago, when we first met. At the time, I’d assumed a half-cycle meant two weeks, but now I understood it was more like half a year.

  Which was almost exactly how long it’d been since we landed on Eukaria.

  “How could you possibly know that?” I blurted.

  Zat’tor flashed a brilliant, fanged grin. “I trusted my instincts. I knew Kur’tok would return home.”

  Levi sighed wistfully. “You’re so smart, Zat’tor...”

  “And so are you, Levi.”

  Jaeyoung and I shared an incredulous look, but held our tongues. Levi didn’t notice.

  “Home?” Kur’tok echoed. His voice was thick with emotion. “You... you all still wish to welcome me home?”

  “Of course,” Linn’ar said, feelers rising like happy tendrils. “Everyone misses you. All three of you.”

  Haz’rull and Arr’tow perked up, looking pleased.

  But Kur’tok snorted, whipping his tail low to the ground. “I find it difficult to believe that anyone missed me,” he muttered.

  Haz’rull, who’d been quiet until now, clicked their tongue. “Is it really? You’ve had us with you for cycles, Kur’tok. Why won’t you accept that people care about you?”

  “They’ve got a point,” I said, grinning.

  Kur’tok pouted. He was frustrated by his own feelings, but I knew he could learn to accept them in a healthy way. I suspected he’d handle them better when he finally realized the whole village supported him.

  “Come on, Kur’tok,” I said, slipping my hand into his. It was huge and warm, enveloping my fingers like a hug. “Let’s all go home.”

  His red eyes flickered as they met mine. Finally, the fear lurking in the corner of his gaze vanished. It seemed like a metaphysical weight had lifted from Kur’tok. His face softened.

  “Okay, flesh-bag,” he said fondly. “Show me the way.”

  “So, you talked your way out of getting eaten?” Levi asked on the way back to the village.

  It was a long walk, and we had to wrangle a big group—four humans, five Maeleons, and Kookee, of course. Zat’tor and Linn’ar stayed in the back with Haz’rull and Arr’tow, catching up and sharing village news. Kur’tok led in the front with the humans and kept an eye on Kookee, who plodded alongside us.

  “Yup. Pretty much,” I replied.

  Levi snorted. “I’m surprised your big mouth didn’t get you eaten faster.”

  Kur’tok growled and put his arm possessively around my waist. “Only I get to tell Paz he has a big mouth.”

  Levi paled for a second, frightened at Kur’tok’s deep growl and looming form, but it dissolved when I laughed it off.

  “Don’t worry, Kur’tok’s nicer than he looks,” I promised, patting his chest. “Right, big guy?”

  “Hmph.”

  Kur’tok complained, but he looked flustered at my compliment. He really was a big softie underneath that intimidating exterior.

  “By the way,” Levi said, glancing up at Assistant 23, who lagged meekly behind. “Who the hell is that guy?”

  “That’s Assistant 23. He’s a linguistics intern who got stuck on Eukaria eight years ago. Oh, and he’s also a hacker,” I explained. “I’ll tell you all about it later.”

  Jaeyoung’s eyes lit up. “A fellow scholar? And a hacker?” he said excitedly.

  “Yo, hold your horses,” I said, sticking out my arm to stop Jaeyoung from running over and bombarding the poor guy with scientific interrogations. “He’s, uh... a little skittish. So don’t swarm him with questions just yet.”

  Jaeyoung nodded, but scribbled down a few notes in his book. Then he paused and sidled closer, not-so-subtly examining me like a lab specimen. “Paz, you look... different.”

  I snorted. “Very classy way of saying I look pregnant.”

  Jaeyoung smirked. “I was trying to be polite. How long has it been?”

  “Hmm. A few days?”

  He nodded, then snuck out a tiny notebook and wrote down a few words. Always the scientist.

  I noticed Kur’tok eavesdropping on our conversation, also not being very subtle. I guess he didn’t yet understand that he could just join conversations.

  “Hey, Kur’tok, I never introduced you properly to my friends,” I said with a smile. “This is Jaeyoung. He’s a doctor and an engineer. Jae, this is Kur’tok.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Jaeyoung said with a polite nod.

  Kur’tok hesitated, then mirrored the gesture. “You, too,” he said in a less gruff tone.

  Progress. It was happening!

  “And this over here is Levi, our ex-captain,” I announced, patting Levi on the back.

  “Sure, lead with that part,” Levi grumbled.

  A grin lit up Kur’tok’s face. It was the first time I’d seen him look comfortable since everyone’s arrival.

  “I know you,” Kur’tok said. His tail moved lazily back and forth in amusement. “You’re the one who crashed the ‘ship.’”

  “How does he know that?” Levi complained, crossing his arms.

  I flashed him an angelic smile. “I told him, obviously.” I leaned my head against Kur’tok’s buff arm. “He’s my filum, right? That means we tell each other everything.”

  Levi rolled his eyes. “I have other traits besides ‘guy who crashed the ship’, you know. I’m also a great dad.”

  Pride shone in his eyes as he mentioned Dai’zee. And this time, I shared his pride. I felt no flicker of jealousy because I had my own baby on the way. Like Kur’tok, I was also making progress.

  Kur’tok licked his lips, taking a second to form his thoughts. “Levi and Jaeyoung. You two humans... both carried Maeleon offspring?”

  “That’s right,” Jaeyoung replied. His dark eyes gleamed with a special joy I only saw when he talked about his child, Kii’ran.

  Kur’tok’s tail swished thoughtfully. “And you were safe? You and the offspring were both healthy?”

  Levi and Jaeyoung exchanged a glance, then nodded at him together.

  “I see,” Kur’tok mumbled.

  Sensing his anxiety, I rubbed his arm. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. Now that we’re back in the village, I’ll have access to not one, but two healers at all times. Jae and Fhi’ran will take great care of me.”

  “And so will I,” Kur’tok promised in a growl.

  “Duh.”

  Kur’tok looped a tentacle around my midsection, then drew it across my belly. It wasn’t swollen, but it definitely wasn’t flat anymore, either. I knew Maeleon-on-human pregnancies were fast, but I didn’t expect it to be a freaking race.

  I glanced up at Kur’tok. His expression was tender as he touched my softly curved tummy. A rush of affection struck me. He was so perfect. I wished he could see himself the way I did.

  “There it is,” Levi announced.

  We stopped on a low grassy slope. The Sweetfields sprawled ahead of us, its colorful stalks swaying calmly in the breeze.

  I shuddered with feeling. It wasn’t the first time that I’d noticed the air smelled sweeter and more uplifting than I remembered. It was like my senses had sharpened. Had the pregnancy affected me in other ways, too?

  Kur’tok stared at the village with a wistful expression. I held his hand. He squeezed me back gently.

  “I’m fine,” he assured.

  “It’s okay to not be fine,” I reminded him. “Whatever you’re feeling, it’s okay.”

  Kur’tok said nothing, but he rubbed his thumb softly across the back of my hand.

  “Uh, guys?” Levi said suddenly. He looked around with a frown. “I think we’re down one person. Wasn’t there somebody else with us?”

  I stopped. I scanned our group, then looked back over my shoulder. The Maeleons were all accounted for, and so was my friend group.

  But Assistant 23 was nowhere to be seen.

  “Uh oh,” I said. “Levi’s right.”

  He sighed wistfully. “It’s so nice to hear that.”

  Kur’tok growled under his breath. “Where did he go?”

  “He was with us when we left. He can’t have gone far,” I pointed out. Quickly scanning the environment, I noticed Kookee staring in a particular direction. When I squinted, I saw a blurry figure running in the distance. “There!”