The Breeding Experiment (Veslor Mates Book 3) Read online

  “I’m going to tell Gnaw.”

  “Good.”

  “I need help with that. I don’t know how to find him.”

  Jessa smiled. “I can do that for you.”

  “You’re always helping me. Thank you.”

  “That’s what friends are for. Let me help you sit up, and we’ll track down where the Veslors are.”

  “Is that why I have a fever and headache?”

  Jessa bit her lip, seeming to think about it. “Your fever is low grade. That doesn’t concern me. Veslors run hotter than humans do. It could be a result of the pregnancy. I’m not sure, but it’s possible. We’ll keep an eye on it. That damn Maith got access to Vivian Goss’s pregnancy details, so he’d know. As far as the headache, your scans are clear. It might be from stress, or maybe Veslors have some kind of pregnancy hormone that causes them. Again, that shithead would know. Your bloodwork will tell us more. It should be ready for me to read any minute. I’m going to give you a safe and mild medicine that should take it away.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jessa got an injector and gently pressed it to Darla’s neck. “It will work fast and this won’t hurt. Just a cold wetness, then a little pressure, and done. Ready?”

  “Do it.”

  It was over fast. Jessa put away the injector and smiled at her as a small beep came from across the room.

  “That’s the bloodwork results.” Jessa spun and hurried to a monitor across the room, going to work on it. Darla sat on the edge of the bed and gazed at her stomach, cupping it again. She was having two of Gnaw’s babies. She closed her eyes.

  Alien cubs.

  She was immensely grateful that the fleet had saved them. The Elth would have been delighted that their experiment was a success. It would have been a nightmare for her, Gnaw, and their babies.

  “I’m not seeing any foreign drugs that the Elth might have given you, or they aren’t present anymore,” Jessa muttered loud enough for Darla to hear. “How in the fuck did this happen?” She turned her head to frown at Darla. “Did Gnaw make you his mate?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Veslors are damn liars!” Jessa cursed, facing the monitor again. “All of them said they could only get a mate pregnant. I mean, to be fair, the Elth could have dosed you both with some form of super-fertility drug to make it happen. I should have done bloodwork and a full scan on you when we were in here last time.”

  “I didn’t want one.”

  Jessa turned her head. “We were both at end of our ropes. I won’t beat myself up too much if you don’t do the same. We know now, and we’re going to figure everything out and fix this.”

  “Deal.”

  Jessa went back to work. “Your hormone levels are almost normal for a pregnant woman but we totally need to consult with Maith.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. This is the first time I’m looking at results from a human impregnated by a Veslor. It’s normal to expect some abnormal things. Nothing alarms me. I swear.”

  “The babies are okay?”

  “You saw them.” Jessa turned from the monitor and walked back to her, stopping feet away. “The scan picked up tiny heartbeats. They’re fine. A little larger than what a human pregnancy would be at this stage, but again…Veslor. They’re big bastards.”

  “Am I going to get morning sickness?”

  Jess shrugged. “Unfortunately, I don’t know.”

  “Shat.”

  She grinned. “Just say shit. This is the time to start using real curse words.”

  “Old habits.”

  “Right. Well, just be you, Darla.” Jessa smiled again. “Now that the shock has worn off, are you a little excited? You’re going to be a mamma, and I have to say, their daddy is kind of hot.”

  Darla bit her lip. “Will he hate me?”

  Jessa stepped closer. “I don’t think so. But you didn’t answer me.”

  “I want these babies.”

  “Good.”

  “I feel guilty, though. I basically forced him.”

  “Gnaw can get the hell over it if he’s upset at first.”

  “It’s not just about him, though. It’s my job to look out for my sister. Now I’m going to be a mother. What if this goes wrong and I’m sent back to Radison? She’ll be alone. Will the fleet send her back, too? She doesn’t know the truth about what happened between me and Gnaw.”

  Jessa reached out and took her hands off her stomach, clasping them. “I’ll make you a promise. I’m going to do my damnedest to keep you on this boat. Absolute worst case, I’ve got your back and will take care of your sister.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t cry! Please, Darla. I’m shit with tears. Though, pregnancy hormones make women pretty emotional. It’s perfectly normal. Is your headache gone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Why don’t you go home to rest and I’ll go find Gnaw? I’ll have him go to your cabin, even if I have to use a sedative and bring him there on a gurney.”

  Darla laughed.

  Jessa didn’t. “I wasn’t kidding. I’d so do that. I’ll even admit I’ve thought about it a time or ten since the Veslors came onboard, just to get one of them on my scan bed to learn more about them. I just haven’t done it because they’re scary as fuck, probably hold a grudge, and the fleet would punish me by tacking on more time to my contract.” She suddenly grinned. “At least they wouldn’t fire me. They invested too much damn money in me as a kid. I definitely have job security.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Gnaw chewed his food, keeping his head tucked low. They were in the cafeteria eating an early dinner. Abby had family business to tend to and wouldn’t be meeting them until later at home. He planned to ask her to go talk to Darla in person if Maith forgot to bring it up.

  Roth grunted.

  He looked up at the male.

  “The food did nothing to you. You are stabbing it hard enough to break the plate.”

  “Apologies.”

  “We are all angry about the Elth,” Drak assured him. “No matter how many of them we have killed, it is never enough.”

  “I’m only sorry we’re being assigned to protect the humans on that planet and our repair teams.” Roth glanced at all of them. “I’d enjoy watching another Elth ship being destroyed. I’m certain Clark or Commander Bills will allow us to watch the recordings when we return from our mission.”

  Maith suddenly snarled, and his body tensed.

  Gnaw turned his head, following the male’s gaze. It was Dr. Jessa Brick. She was one human who was easily identifiable, with her black hair and those bright blue streaks running from the top of her head down to the ends. Her eyes were memorable as well.

  She seemed to be heading right toward their table.

  Maith rose to his feet, glaring at her. It didn’t make her change course. Instead, she jutted her chin up a little higher, her hands balling into fists. She even picked up her pace, walking faster, until she stopped near Roth.

  “Female,” their leader said by way of greeting. “We still do not wish to answer your intrusive questions or allow you to run tests on us.” He shot a glare at Maith. “Sit.”

  Maith sat. “No means no. Isn’t that an Earth saying?”

  Jessa narrowed her eyes on Maith. “Yes. It is. So is shut your trap and let the adults talk. Why don’t you think about the meaning of that one?” She turned her head, addressing Roth. “We need to speak. It’s important.”

  Roth sighed, setting down his silverware. They used them in the dining room since eating with their fingers generated stares and whispers from humans. “Send all your requests to our king, Dr. Brick. He is the only one allowed to release medical information to you about our race. My males are not here to be tested or examined simply because you are curious.”

  “Goddamn it,” she muttered. Then she lowered her voice. “We have a problem. This isn’t about the requests I’ve made to you in the
past. It’s related to the Elth.”

  Roth pulled his communications device to glance at it. “I haven’t gotten an update or been called to meet with Clark.”

  “Put that away.” Jessa glanced around and pasted on a smile that was obviously false. “I need your grouping to casually get up a few minutes after I leave, then go meet me in my lab.” She glanced at Gnaw, her expression softening, before she stared back at Roth. “We’ll have privacy there.” She glanced around at the many humans eating. “Unlike here. Trust me. This is something we don’t want anyone else to know about. And it’s urgent.”

  “I’ll have Clark meet us there.” Roth lifted his communications device.

  The female grabbed hold of his hand.

  Roth stilled, a low growl coming from him in warning.

  “Put that damn thing away. We need to talk in private. Just the five of us. I know you don’t like or trust me. I’m a huge pain in the ass to you guys. Got it. Understand. But for once, please do what I’m asking. We have to speak, no one else involved, and it’s super important. If I’m lying, you can let Maith over there kick my ass, and I won’t even press charges. He always looks like he wants to anyway. Will you come to my lab?”

  Roth tugged his hand out of her hold and replaced his communications device in his pocket. “What is this about?”

  “Not here. You’ll thank me for that later. We need to do this in my lab.”

  “Why?” Roth studied her.

  “You see my blue eye? It’s artificial. It doesn’t just allow me to see, like a real one does. It’s got different settings. One of them includes being able to spot signals…like audio and visual transmitters. My lab is clean. There’s no surveillance. That can’t be said for the rest of the ship. The only places the fleet isn’t allowed to monitor are private crew cabins. It would look suspicious if I asked you to take me home with you, since everyone seems to know you guys don’t like me. Right now, anyone watching us will assume I’m just over here harassing you again, trying to get you to let me run some tests. Now, will you meet me there?”

  Roth glanced at them. Drak shrugged. Gnaw was curious, so he shrugged, too. Maith gave a shake of his head.

  Their leader blew out a breath. “Yes.”

  Maith snarled low.

  “Good. Thank you. I promise, you’ll agree this was necessary after we speak. Give it a few minutes and then go to my lab. I’ll be waiting.”

  Gnaw and his grouping watched the female walk away from their table. She sagged her shoulders, her pace slow, as if whatever they’d said had deflated her determination. She exited the cafeteria.

  “She isn’t to be trusted. Why would you agree to that?”

  Roth glanced at Maith. “Instinct. Did you look into her real eye? I saw desperation and honesty there. She mentioned the Elth, and I saw the way she looked at Gnaw. We are going to meet her and find out what the female has to say. Finish your meal quickly.”

  “It’s a ruse to get us into her lab. She’ll scan us without our permission,” Maith muttered. “She’s not a trustworthy female.”

  “She did reach out to Abby to help Gnaw,” Drak reminded him. “Perhaps it’s about that.”

  They all grew quiet, contemplating that. Did the fleet find out he’d actually copulated with Darla? Gnaw pushed his plate away. “I am done. We need to go.”

  “Agreed.” Drak stood.

  Maith also got to his feet. “I still don’t trust that female. Some humans are bad. She doesn’t see us as males, only test subjects. She’s got more in common with the Elth than other humans.”

  “That’s a harsh judgement to make.” Roth led the way after they cleared their table.

  They all knew where Dr. Brick’s lab was located. She’d invited them there many times. They did take the long route, though, to avoid passing by Med Bay to reach Dr. Brick’s domain.

  The door opened before they could push the chime.

  “Get in here. Hurry,” the female ordered, waving them to enter.

  Roth went first, followed by Drak and Gnaw, with Maith entering last. The doors sealed and Dr. Brick spun, walking toward the med bed. “Come on. I have to show you something.”

  “We are not getting on that scanner,” Maith snarled. “I knew it! This was a trick. We wouldn’t comply so you lied to get us here.” He quickly darted his gaze around. “Where are the hidden scanners?”

  “Oh, give it a break,” the female called over her shoulder. “God, you’re such an asshole. You said no. I got it. I’m not tricking you.” She reached the med bed and turned, glaring at Maith.

  “You said this was about the Elth,” Roth reminded her. “Tell us.”

  Her anger faded. “It’s about the Elth in a roundabout way. They kidnapped Gnaw and everyone on that shuttle.” Her odd two-colored gaze fixed on Gnaw. “It’s about Darla. I scanned her on this bed, with her permission, and found something that I need to show you.” Then she turned her head to Roth. “You’re the grouping leader, correct?”

  “Is Darla sick? Did the Elth do something lasting to harm her?” Gnaw stepped closer, demanding that the female answer him.

  She flinched but kept her gaze locked on Roth. “Can you make Gnaw stay where he is until he calms down? You have that power, right? Like the alpha of a pack? I could lock the door to seal us inside, but if he attacks it to get out, there are sensors that will alert security. I can’t bypass those. We do not want that to happen. What I’m about to show you needs to stay between us.”

  “What is wrong with Darla?!” Gnaw tried to lunge at the female to make her tell him, but Roth and Drak grabbed his arms, halting him in place.

  Dr. Brick looked concerned. “Can you hold him until he calms down and we work out a plan? Because we’re so going to need a plan.”

  Roth snarled. “Yes. Don’t torment my male. What do you know? Is the female sick?”

  “No. She’s not sick. Just give me a minute to pull up her scan and I’ll enlarge it.” Dr. Brick lifted gloves with wires on the exterior of the fingers and put them on, then tapped controls along the side of the bed. Then she turned to glare at Maith. “Darla and I are friends. I’m also her doctor, so don’t even think about shutting me out. You’re going to need me.”

  Gnaw stilled when a white and blue outline of an obvious female appeared to float above the bed. It had no hair or clothing, but it had breasts, a narrow waist and flared hips. His heart pounded. Fear also hit over all the horrible things the Elth could have done to her.

  Dr. Brick reached both gloves inside the stomach area of the image and pulled out something. It was a small sphere between her hands. Then she turned and stepped closer to Maith, glancing up at him. “You’re their doctor. Why don’t you be the one to tell your grouping. It might be easier coming from you…and more believable.”

  Then she expanded her arms, the sphere growing larger, until it was a little wider than her body.

  Maith approached her, blocking Gnaw’s view. He struggled, but Roth and Drak refused to release him. He didn’t want to hurt either of them but he needed to see what the female was showing their medic.

  “You are lying. This isn’t possible,” Maith hissed.

  “You have access to medical information that I don’t,” Dr. Brick whispered back. “I couldn’t make this up. She came in suffering from a low-grade fever and a headache that has lasted for days. I scanned her. This is what we found.”

  “Did you tell her?” Maith sounded stressed, his voice also low.

  “Of course. Did you miss the part where I said we’re friends? She doesn’t know how to tell him, and she’s afraid he’ll freak out or be mad. And we’re going to talk later about how your people lied to me; I needed to know this sort of thing was possible.”

  “It shouldn’t be!” Maith snarled.

  “What is it?” Gnaw struggled but the other males only tightened their hold. “Is Darla ill? Did the Elth mutate her? Did they change out her organs for another alien’s? They’ve done that before!”

&nbsp
; Maith turned to him, his features solemn. “Did you tell me everything that happened on the Elth ship?”

  “Yes.” Gnaw had shared everything.

  Maith came to him, peering deeply into his eyes. Then the male lifted his hands and grasped his face, holding it. “You didn’t transform and breed the female?”

  The question shocked him. “No!”

  “What is it?” Roth used his commanding voice.

  Maith glanced at their grouping leader but then drew closer, almost touching Gnaw’s forehead with his own. Their gazes locked. Whatever the male was about to tell him would be bad. He was attempting to protect him from pain.

  “Darla is carrying a cub.”

  Gnaw stared at him. He couldn’t have heard him correctly.

  Maith touched his forehead. “A cub,” he repeated.

  Gnaw’s legs gave out, and he would have hit the floor if it wasn’t for Drak and Roth holding his arms. They did lower him until he was on his knees. Maith stayed with him, crouching.

  “Breathe,” the medic instructed. “Remain calm.”

  “It can’t be. I didn’t…I stayed in this form.”

  Darla was carrying his cub.

  How is that possible? It isn’t!

  Pain lanced his chest then. He wanted a cub with Darla…but it just wasn’t possible. “I didn’t lose control.”

  Maith stroked his face and backed his forehead away a few inches. “I believe you. We will figure it out. I just need time to think about how this happened.”

  “She can’t be carrying my cub.” It hurt Gnaw to say it. He wanted it to be true.

  “She is.” Maith stroked his head again. “Not only did I see the cub, but there’s Veslor genetic material that the scan identified. I have learned enough of their Earth language to be able to read it.”

  “Um…” Dr. Brick cleared her throat. “It’s not one cub. It’s two. You didn’t let me rotate the magnification. The larger one is what you saw, but there’s a secondary one shadowing it on the scan. Both have heartbeats.”

  Maith’s eyes widened, and he turned his head to gape at Dr. Brick.