Page 38 of Devin (Warriors of Etlon #5)

Val

I t was weird, the trip home, but in a good way.

First of all, Devin was super attentive.

He ordered food for her and spent nearly every waking minute trying to find some way to please her.

Grena and Bright kept their distance for the most part, pausing only to wink knowingly at her when she took a turn around the ship.

The other Mahdfel were practically nonexistent.

She heard them doing practice drills occasionally, but they too stayed out of the way.

It was just her and Devin and all the mind blowing monkey sex that she could stand.

Val knew that when they got back, Devin would have to go back to work and devote his time to city building. For the moment, Val just relished in being the sole focus of a sexy green alien warrior with a monster cock that filled her so full that she practically exploded every time he entered her.

“Hi!”

Humility looked wildly around. Val knew exactly who she was looking for.

“Everyone’s fine and accounted for. He’s over there.” Humility didn’t look all that relieved as Kave came down the ramp of the other ship with a huge grin on his face.

“Are you okay?” Val asked.

“Not really. Jane went into labor and then, of course Meadow went into labor because she refuses to do anything without Jane. And Jane refuses to have the baby without her husband there, so I don’t know how she’s doing it, but she’s been in labor for 12 hours.

Which is fine, except,” Humility stopped suddenly and looked down. “I think my water just broke.”

The warriors around her just stood stock still, panic brewing on their skin like green furnaces.

Val had no experience with babies or labor, but she did have years of triage experience when the restaurant was short staffed. The other women were taking their sweet time exiting the ship, so Val started issuing orders like she owned the place.

“Kave, take Humility to the med facility. Zenik and Goru, go check in with your mates and make sure they know you’re home safely. Devin, you take care of the mothers and the ships.”

No one moved for a hot second. They all seemed to be processing the situation. It was broken by the sound of Humility having another contraction.

“Whoah Mama!”

That’s all it took for the Mahdfel to literally run into action. Kave scooped up Humility and Zenik and Goru sprinted toward the med bay. Apparently they hadn’t changed locations and moved into the bigger facility in the city. It was still located in the temporary spot on the outskirts.

Val began to sprint after the Mahdfel and then realized how out of shape she really was, especially compared to the long legged warriors whose genetics kept them in prime condition with very little effort.

She lagged behind, and by the time she got there, she realized there was another problem.

The med bay was a small room, meant for perhaps two patients at a time.

It was not equipped for three screaming women, three harried mates and a doctor bouncing between the three of them. Val could hardly fit through the door.

She watched for a minute and figured out the space in her head. The doctor needed room. “Zenik. Move to the left side of Jane, close to the wall. Goru, move in between Jane and Meadow. And Kave! Put Humility down over there for a minute.”

To her surprise, the Mahdfel shifted and the doctor now had room to work.

“Now, doc. Who do you think is first?” At that moment, Jane let out a grunt that was definitely not a scream, but loud enough to signal that now she held Zenik’s hand, she was ready to push. Scrubs immediately switched his attention to Jane and Val headed to Humility.

“Are you okay? Can I get you anything?” She smoothed back the hair out of Humility’s eyes and smiled reassuringly.

“Pain killers? And my pants. I gotta get my pants off!”

“Right. Doc, can we get an epidural over here?”

“Wait, that’s an option?” Meadow shouted.

“Epidurals are Terran in nature and not recommended for Mahdfel birth. There are many more effective ways to-”

“Can you safely knock their pain down a few levels?” Val said as she tried to modestly remove Humility’s pants. She was wearing a longer shirt but still, the room was full of people and this baby was coming.

“Certainly,” Scrubs said, sounding insulted.

“Then do it. All three of them.”

Scrubs loaded up a cylinder device and pressed it against Jane’s neck.

“Holy shit, that’s the good stuff,” Jane said. “Let’s get this baby out!”

Scrubs distributed the rest of the pain meds and then got to work with Jane.

Val flitted between the other two, checking in and making them as comfortable as possible, offering advice that she’d gleaned after watching some old Earth vids and learned in sex ed class.

It seemed to be more than the big guys could offer.

For all intents and purposes, she appeared to be the only nurse on this side of the planet.

Thankfully it didn’t take long for Jane to bear down, and soon a bald green head slid out of Jane and let out a healthy cry. Scrubs didn’t spend long cleaning the infant off, because he assessed the progress and determined that Humility was next.

Val switched over and stood between Jane and Meadow, handing out wipes to clean off the baby and checking in on Meadow’s progress. Meadow looked flush, but calm as she tried to look over at the baby, and then at Humility and then over at her own belly.

“I think it’s coming out, I really think so,” Meadow said. Meadow groaned again and was clearly pushing. Goru’s eyes widened with every push.

Val looked at Scrubs who had his hands full with Humility.

“Let me just see,” Val said as she bent a bit to take a look.

It didn’t take an expert to know that the baby was coming, doctor or no.

Val did the only thing she could think of.

She put her hands out and marveled as it slowly emerged.

A moment later, she was holding a green screaming baby in her arms.

This was definitely not how she saw her day going. She handed off the baby to the waiting mother who was blubbering with joy. Another cry sounded behind her as Humility swore in French and Kave offered himself as a punching bag.

After satisfying himself that Humility and her baby were healthy, Scrubs turned his attention to Meadow and worked some of that Mahdfel miracle magical medicine that she’d heard about. No wearing diapers after birth here, apparently.

“Three hours of rest here, and then your mates can be carried home to bathe and rest,” Scrubs announced.

“I am not carrying Zenik home,” Jane announced. Meadow snorted.

“I meant that Zenik should carry you home,” Scrubs said.

“I have two legs. I am perfectly capable of walking,” Jane said.

“Yes, but until the pain killers leave your system, you should be assisted.”

“I’ll be fine on my own,” Jane said. She patted Zenik on the arm. “No offense, sweetie.”

“Speak for yourself,” Meadow said. “I’m definitely being carried home. I’m saving my energy to hold this guy.”

“Okay, proud papas, you heard the man,” Val said. “Time to go. Be back in three hours to escort your ladies home.” Again, there was no complaint or questioning of her authority and with affectionate goodbyes, the mates left, clearing enough space that the place didn’t seem entirely overcrowded.

“I still can’t believe he came out of me,” Humility remarked, as she stroked a finger down the nose of her newborn.

“Can you imagine the birthday parties we’re gonna have?” Meadow exclaimed as she stared lovingly into the green tinted face in her arms.

“They are going to be the best of friends, brothers,” Jane said. “As long as we convince Goru to change his son’s name.”

Meadow blanched. “I’ve told him a dozen times that I am not naming my son, Gishveel. It sounds like some weird seafood dish. You’re not a seafood dish, are you my sweet boy?” She said making faces at her new son.

“I’ve got an idea,” Humility said. “They love to name things after heroes or people they value. Or after traits that they admire. Why not combine the two? Why not Valor? I mean, without Val, your baby would have been dropped on his head.”

“Wait,” Val said. “You don’t have to name your kid after me for that. I mean, that’s what anyone would have done.”

“No. You were a real help today. I think she should call the kid Valor and make you the godmother,” Jane said.

“But you’re supposed to be the godmother,” Meadow whined.

“I’m the aunt. She can have godmother. What do you think, Scrubs? You think Valor is a good name?”

“It is indeed, but,” Scrubs said, running a scanner over Val, she does not need to be an honorary mother. She will be a mother in a few months.”

“What?” Val said.

“Mazel Tov!” Meadow and Jane shouted and then started laughing loudly. Then a baby started crying and then two. It was a cacophony of Mahdfel baby roars.

Pregnant? But how could he know after such a short time. She hadn’t even missed a period. Val checked herself. There was no doubting Mahdfel medicine and if Scrubs said she was pregnant, then there was no reason to think that he was wrong.

“Val, go run along now. I think we’re settled here,” Jane said.

“Yes. You should go tell Devin the good news,” Meadow said. “We’ll be fine now.”

Val left the med bay in a daze, but didn’t get too far before Devin intercepted her, almost as if he’d been waiting for her.

“What is wrong? Scrubs said everything was fine,” Devin asked.

“Everything’s fine.”

“Everything is not fine. You do not look well. You need rest. You have overworked yourself,” Devin said as he scooped her up and strode towards the city.

“I’m just fine. I can walk,” Val protested, even though she was feeling a bit tired from the ordeal, but she wasn’t to the point of not being able to walk, or even run if she had to.

It did give her time to think. Should she try to be clever in how she broke the news to Devin?

Or should she just come right out and say it.

The women on the vids always had some special way of hinting before making their husbands guess, and then they were all uproariously happy and in love.

But Devin had made it clear that his career came first and that dragging around a mate and a passel of children was not his first choice. Would he react positively?

They reached the elevator but when it opened, it was not empty. Bright and Grena poured out.

“I was just giving Bright a tour and she let it slip,” Grena said. “Apparently she has a nose for these things. Now, we’re going to need-”

“Mother. My mate is tired. She has just assisted with births of three strong Mahdfel.”

“So she’ll have first hand experience. Wonderful! When I was pregnant with you I was terrified, surrounded by gigantic warriors wondering how I was going to squeeze one out of me,” Grena said.

“We are going up to rest. You should check on the new mothers,” Devin said, knowing full well that was probably the last thing Jane, Meadow and Humility probably wanted. He just didn’t want his mother following them up and chatting his ear off on the way.

To be fair, they’d just spent a good amount of time together in the close confines of the ship, and that was enough of Grena to last for a good long while.

“I suppose the nursery plans can wait,” Grena said.

The two women linked arms and headed off toward the med bay while Devin stepped into the elevator. It started off with a whir.

“Nursery?” he said suddenly. “My mother thinks you are pregnant.”

“Yes, I think she does,” Val said, trying to sound noncommittal.

“You are pregnant,” Devin stated. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes I am.”

The door slid open and Devin strode forward and gently deposited her in the bed. Then, to her surprise, he climbed in with her and pulled her against him. Val found herself wrapped with his luscious heat.

“I know it’s not what you wanted,” Val started. “And I promise that it won’t interfere with your work.”

“Of course it will interfere with my work, but you are incorrect. I am pleased. It was my own foolishness to deny myself the pleasure of a mate.” He paused. “Do not ever confess that to Kave,” he added.

Val snorted. Kave would be insufferable if he actually was right about two different stubborn Mahdfel warriors.

“My mother will insist on staying. She will probably invite half of her friends here to witness the event,” Devin warned.

“Hopefully she will get bored first, but honestly, she’s not that bad.”

“No, but I think you have found a way to flourish here, and my mother is a bit overpowering.”

“Flourish?”

“I watched you, from Coms. You handled yourself extremely well. No hesitation. You did exactly what needed to be done.”

“You were watching me?”

“I wanted to verify that you did not need assistance.”

“So you heard them say that I was pregnant.”

“The news delighted me.”

“You knew before your mother said anything,” Val clarified.

“I was told multiple times that Terran mates like to announce pregnancies with elaborate schemes, and that should I determine early, I should pretend as if I didn’t know. It is not honorable.”

“So you made it all the way to the elevator, before your honor won out,” Val said.

“I did.”

“And you think you should be rewarded for this?”

“Yes? But not if my mate is tired. You must sleep first.”

“I’m not going to get any sleep like this.”

“Then I should move.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Then I shall not.”

Val could feel his hardness begin to press against her ass.

True to his word, he didn’t move. She’d let him suffer like that for a minute more before relieving him of his promise.

She smiled to herself. It was not the life she’d asked for, and he was definitely not the man she’d imagined ending up with in her dreams, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

The End.