Page 57 of Monsters in Love: Lost in the Stars

Zil helped Daisy as they descended deeper, following the road further into the mining village. She probably could have navigated it just fine without him holding onto her, since she still had possession of her glow rod and its light wouldn’t fade for another day or two, but he felt an innate need to hold onto her and touch her as much as possible. The euphoria of mating still hummed through him, but it was only dimmed by the realization that she did not understand the full weight of what they had done.

There was a reason that unmated Daranthiki males used pleasure bots to milk their cocks when their need to rut became too strong to ignore, there was no breeding with a female without mating as the male released the pheromone-laced mating spine into her womb. Already it was embedding itself where she might one day have carried their offspring.

He shook his head, chasing away the thought. He could not allow himself to have such fantasies. She would not stay with him. She was a woman of influence and wealth; she did not belong with a mercenary, nor would she wish for the sort of life he had to offer. And, even had he wanted to, he would not fit into her world either. There was no point in dwelling upon it. He had given his mating spine to her and her scent was already changing in response to it, but he did not regret it. It was unlikely that he would have ever given the spine to any female if it hadn’t been for Daisy, and there was no other female whom he wished to save it for. A mercenary’s life was not something that attracted females interested in mating. Daisy was the only one for him, and he would take comfort from the fact that she would carry that part of him with her forever.

His only guilt came from knowing that she would struggle to conceive with another male should she wish for any offspring, but it would not be impossible. The benefits she would enjoy would be greater. The nanos attached to his spike would already be replicating in her bloodstream. She would enjoy a long life, with hundreds of years filled with blessed youth until the end as if she were a cybernetic legionnaire. His brow furrowed slightly. That could be alarming if she were not prepared for the way her body rejuvenated and repaired itself. He would have to warn her.

His gaze fell on the generator building and he smiled. First he would provide power through the mining village. That would help his mate feel more at ease and less at a disadvantage.

“This way,” he murmured as he drew her to the building.

Daisy glanced at it curiously as they approached. “What’s this?”

“A generator building. It supplies power to the entire mining complex,” he replied. “For a building of this size to be here suggests that this isn’t just a common generator. There are likely solar power gatherers anchored to various parts of the mountain to keep the generator crystals charged and power flowing through the village. We just need to turn it back on.”

She made a noncommittal sound but followed him inside as he opened the door. The equipment in the room was covered with a thick layer of dust but he was familiar enough with such systems from his training as a legionnaire. All the information on how to proceed was contained within his processors. Releasing her hand, he went to the equipment while Daisy walked through the room, her head swiveling as she looked at everything curiously.

“There’s something I want to ask you,” she said slowly as she squinted at the power structures that lined the ceiling of the room to deliver power through the mine.

He glanced up at her briefly before returning his attention to the panel in front of him at the workstation. His gut clenched warily but he ignored it as his fingers ran over the panel confidently. “What did you wish to ask?”

“What… That is to say… Did last night mean anything to you?” she whispered.

He startled, his gaze snapping up to her. Her words were so quiet, strained by the vulnerable note of uncertainty, that if he were anyone but a Daranthiki he might have missed them. He tried to crush the desperate hope that rose within him, but it was impossible to extinguish. Instead, he forced his gaze back to the panel and continued to work.

“It did,” he replied. “More than you would understand, I imagine. Humans are… different from Daranthiki when it comes to such things.”

“Different?” she asked, a sharp note in her voice. “What does that mean? We can be affected deeply by joining with someone.”

His heart leaped. Was she affected? Was he vain and selfish to hope that she was when he knew that it could uproot her whole life? He sighed. “You misunderstand me. I am not speaking exclusively on an emotional level. Did it mean something to me in that fashion in which you speak? Yes. How could it not when you are the only female that I have truly allowed myself to admire and whose companionship I allowed myself to savor?”

She snorted a laugh. “Well, let’s face it, I did kind of strongarm you into that.”

He gazed into her eyes. “Do you truly imagine that I would have been pushed into accompanying you if I did wish for it?” His eyes dropped back to his work. “The credits may have sealed the deal at the end when my ship was destroyed, but I was already experiencing a strong attraction that paved the way. I tried to ignore it, but even without the offer of credits, I would not have abandoned you. I would not have been able to. So yes, there was a foundation for my emotional attachment to grow that allowed for last night to happen despite what it would mean for me as a Daranthiki.”

“Do you mean that it could have consequences for you because I’m human?” There was a note of pain in her voice, but her concern was stronger.

He shook his head, determined to alleviate any such distressing thoughts. “Not as you think. Despite the narrative that the human government likes to push with their odd notions of purity, this is not considered an issue among Daranthiki. There are many instances of human-Daranthiki pairings. It is more specifically a matter of biology.”

“I don’t understand,” she replied, and he felt the weight of her eyes on him as she turned to face him.

He chuckled dryly. “I know.” Sighing, he straightened to meet her gaze as his claws tapped in the last sequence. The generator hummed loudly as it started and then quieted to a soft drone as the lights flickered on in the booth. Behind her, the transparent panel that looked out over the mine lit up as violet lights illumed throughout the village. She spun to face it, a note of awe falling from her lips as he smiled at the sudden beauty of her profile washed in the light of the mines. “Daranthiki males possess a unique aspect to our biology. In order to remain unmated, a male must regulate his sexual needs with a specially designed sex drone. Any female who receives his mating spine into her womb, he is scent bonded with her for the rest of his life and useless as far as the Daranthiki military is concerned.”

Daisy slowly turned her head to stare at him with wide green eyes. “Are you telling me… You mean, we are—” she stumbled over her words in shock.

He inclined his head. “Mated. In the biological sense. Naturally, I do not expect you to fulfill the customs of my people. I know that you have your own life which is not well suited to the life of a mercenary and?—”

“Zil, shut up,” she ordered and laughed, startling him. She laughed harder and swiped a hand over her face. “Oh, gods, here I was worrying about how to have the talk with you and confess that what I’m feeling—fuck, all of this is new to me, I never catch feelings—and worrying that you’d think I’m crazy to be in love with you already and?—”

“You are in love with me?” His heart clenched and bloomed with warmth as pure happiness flooded through him. But that did not solve their other problems or make his other points untrue. He shook his head in frustration. “You would never?—”

“Never what? Give it all up for the male I love?” she demanded and then laughed louder, her eyes sparkling with amusement and love in the illumination of the mining village. “You’re in for a surprise then because that’s exactly what I would do. I’ve never been allowed to have anything that I wanted to factor into my life. I was merely a pretty face representing the family that could be sent to smooth over negotiations and handle fundraising and other social events. I’ve never wanted that life. Yeah, the money is nice, but what I have is explicitly mine and no one else can touch it. What I inherited from my mother is part of it, but I’ve built my own fortune investing in Intergalactic Federation projects that have paid and continue to pay very well. The money I’ll always have, but everything else in my life… I do not want it. I want you. I want to disappear from this planet and never return to United Earth space and truly live for once. And to truly love with all my heart.”

He stared at her, his heart in his throat, and nodded as he circled the workstation and gathered her up into his arms. “Then it will be done. We remain together,” he declared hoarsely. He hesitated for a moment. “Daranthiki and humans are highly breeding compatible. We will need to see a medic when we get off this planet and?—”

“Zil, I’m nearly thirty. The idea of having a ship full of babies as we explore the universe—I can’t think of anything I want more. I’ve always wanted children,” she murmured. “I just could never imagine anyone I wanted to have them with before now.”

He shivered as she cupped his face, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek. “There is plenty of time for offspring. More than you realize. I am a cybernetic legionnaire,” he gently reminded her. “I have cybernetic nanos within me, in my blood and attached to the biological material of my body… including my mating spine.”

A look of shock filled her eyes. “You mean?—”

“You will live a long, long time with me,” he whispered, and he brushed a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Many years of exploration and love. Having offspring and raising them. Of living our lives fully together.”

“Sounds perfect,” she whispered in a choked voice. “Let’s go find that fucking beacon and get the hell out of here. I can’t wait to start living.”

His eyes closed as he smiled. For the first time he would truly be living too, and he could not wait for his life to begin.