Page 17 of Space Daddy’s Guide to the Galaxy (Villains in Space #2)

17

ZIGGY

Having Pedro as close to me as possible had blessedly dulled the distracting and uncontrollable pull I felt toward the creature.

A pull I must now do my best to ignore.

I hadn’t told Honnor what I was struggling with—only confirmed I’d encountered the karnilian inside Pedro firsthand. It was troubling enough that our kind hadn’t known of Trols, or why the stone was sought after by both our enemies and allies alike. The last thing I needed was to put a target on my back by admitting the stone was calling to me. All it would do would be to add undue stress to my maker’s responsibilities as Head Commander of Astrum Force.

A role originally meant for me.

While I’d been flattered to be offered the position after Micah and I disposed of the old guard, I’d immediately turned down the opportunity. Recognition from Astrum Force no longer held the same appeal for me it once did. In fact, the very idea of what their leadership represented left a sour taste in my mouth only Honnor’s dedication to the cause lessened.

I also greatly enjoyed the autonomy I’d discovered as a mercenary—how it allowed me to disappear into space with only my stellar collision by my side.

And whatever… valuable assets we acquire along the way.

The biggest reason I rejected the idea of becoming Head Commander, however, was that I wasn’t leader material. Yes, I’d adopted a heroic team player disguise on Earth, but that had been a self-serving means to an end—nothing more.

In reality, I was an orphaned Stellarian at the bottom of the societal barrel. Before everything came to light, I wasn’t even qualified to wear the official insignia of a Star Unit soldier, much less become a squadron leader or commander. This lone wolf persona had become such a vital part of my identity, I couldn’t imagine a situation where I would be seen as an authority figure to so many others.

The power that came with a position like that was overwhelming to think about.

Overwhelming… Intoxicating…

Tempting.

“Zig?” Micah’s clear voice snapped me back to reality—to the dank yet well-lit tunnel we currently walked through. “Is everything okay with… Pedro?”

It was clear my mate was more concerned about me, but didn’t want to alert our guide that anything was wrong.

I should tell him what’s going on.

I should tell him everything going on with me…

“Our child is fine,” I calmly replied, noticing how he brightened at my public declaration. “However, we should be mindful of how long we spend away from the ship.”

As I’d hoped, my clumsy attempts at parental caretaking successfully distracted him from whatever anxiety he’d picked up on through our bond.

“You’re such a good Space Daddy,” Micah dreamily replied, and I had to focus all my concentration on not getting an erection while caretaking.

Especially considering this skinsuit has two cocks.

“We must admit,” the annoyingly chatty Hydrassian called over their shoulder. “Discovering that Stellarians can be nurturing is another pleasant surprise.”

That’s debatable.

Yes, nurturing Stellarians existed, but I hadn’t been nurtured by anyone until I’d met Micah. While Stellaria’s foundling system wasn’t cruel by any means, it had a utilitarian focus meant to shape useful members of society more than meet emotional needs. Only the basics were taught, like how to fight and how to reproduce for the glory and continuation of our kind.

That was also why I’d had no idea how resonance worked—or that it was apparently commonplace for the stellar collisions of makers and offspring to also form bonds with each other. When Gabriel started resonating for Micah during our last visit to Earth, I’d been completely caught off guard, mostly because it didn’t make me want to murder the supervillain and everyone else in my path. Instead, I’d found it intriguing—attractive, even—and Micah and I had been exploring it together ever since.

Well… mostly together.

Since returning from our latest visit to Earth, I’d done some solo reconnaissance work of my own, spying on Stellarian family units with more than two members to find working examples of this phenomenon.

Alien polycules, as Micah would say.

These polycules weren’t unusual, but they also weren’t necessarily the standard. Honnor and Bron were as close to mated as our kind got without a stellar collision bond, but, despite being together for two hundred and fifty years, they’d never added more Stellarians to their family unit or created offspring with each other.

“Too many authoritarian regimes to overthrow,” Honnor always says.

My maker was mostly joking, but there was also an air of truth to their words. Even without the old Astrum Force manipulating the message, a Stellarian’s need to dominate was deeply ingrained, and they had therefore stepped into the role of Head Commander effortlessly.

I bet I could have handled it better…

Despite my traitorous thoughts, I had absolutely zero interest in taking the position from Honnor, especially as they had been the one who originally tried to convince me to accept it. Our relationship was good, all things considered, and certainly less complicated than my history with Theo. Then again, neither of my makers were what I would call nurturing.

I suppose Zion Salah is the best example I have.

And my mate…

“Micah.” I gritted my teeth, forcing the words out before I could stop myself. “Would you please take Pedro from me for a bit?”

It was an experiment—a test to see if my stellar collision being in possession of the karnilian would be considered enough of a threat for my true form to react.

I hope not.

“Sure thing, Zig.” Micah smiled warmly and stepped closer, trusting me when he possibly shouldn’t.

If I hurt him, I will return myself to the stars.

The Hydrassian patiently waited as we readjusted, awkwardly angling our bodies so Pedro stayed hidden during the transfer. Thanks to the light sleep powers I’d used before we left the ship, the Trol didn’t make a sound, but I wondered if perhaps they also instinctively understood this was a precarious situation.

After the hand-off, I slowly backed up, ready to snatch the baby sling away from Micah at the first sign of agitation. Luckily, the only emotion stirred up by the sight of him holding our child was an increased sense of protectiveness.

Thank fuck.

I did notice a slight twinge of discomfort from no longer having Pedro nestled against me, but I easily buried it beneath logic. Without the sling in my way, I could unleash my tendrils more freely, which would come in handy if I needed to protect what was mine.

Hydrassians weren’t what I would consider dangerous, but they had fairly advanced hypnotic abilities—ones Stellarians were immune to. This skill was usually reserved for use during rituals or while escaping predators, but I’d witnessed this very Hydrassian use it to incapacitate a harmless gem vendor who got in their way.

And we possess the very thing they were searching for…

Seeing we were ready, our guide continued walking, and I refocused on my admittedly loose plan for acquiring the intel we needed. I would first ask nicely and then respond to any resistance with force.

Foolproof, in my opinion.

My internal strategizing was abruptly interrupted as we reached a cavernous antechamber, lit up from the flickering light of bioluminescence-powered sconces. My gaze traveled upward, noting the layers of sedimentary rock that varied from dark basalt gray to glossy volcanic black, interspersed with thin lines of rich brown that reminded me of Micah’s eyes.

I wonder how this cave was formed…

“We bring visitors seeking counsel!” our Hydrassian guide called out, their request echoing off the cavern walls, wrenching me from my thoughts. “They wish to speak with Uulvin.”

This announcement resulted in a flurry of activity, with Hydrassians racing in various directions, presumably to prepare for our audience. We’d been told Uulvin was the oldest of their kind on Dionaea— older even than the last reign of Astrum Force Command. While it was a gamble to talk to someone with enough expertise to possibly identify us, I needed information only an elder could provide.

But first, let’s see how chatty this Hydrassian can be…

“Do many seek Uulvin’s counsel specifically?” I asked as they led us to a bench carved from the same unusual rock and covered in worn, tasseled pillows.

Our guide snorted derisively. “They seek, but Uulvin only offers the gift of their sight to those willing to pay what such profound abilities are worth.”

How charitable.

Those looking for advice on domestic matters would not possess pockets half as deep as those with a well-armed military at their fingertips. So, of course, the ‘war-minded’ pilgrims were the ones who kept this supposedly neutral facility running.

“Is part of that payment karnilian? ” I gritted out, annoyed at how unsurprising this intel was. “Because we brought no such asset with us.”

As far as you know, anyway.

No doubt picking up on my emotions, Micah discreetly activated his shield. While this provided an additional layer of masking for Pedro, along with protection for both of them, it also stopped me from being able to smell my mate.

Not the safest move, considering my mood…

Oblivious to the encroaching danger, the Hydrassian gestured a clawed hand toward the packs attached to my belt. “The iridium coins we’ve heard clinking around since we left the ship should be sufficient compensation for our stores.”

A smirk curled my lip beneath the fur. “Was that why you were harassing gem vendors on my planet? You were shopping for ‘ritual supplies’ for your most valued customers, hmm?”

I didn’t truly believe these seers were hoarding caches of karnilian on the premises, but my bold question managed to strike a nerve, as evidenced by the now-glaring Hydrassian clamping their mouths shut and stomping away without another word.

Looks like the interrogation is over.

“Uulvin will see you now!” a new set of voices rang out, and I spied a younger Hydrassian waving us toward another tunnel branching off the main cavern.

“Please try not to kill anyone,” Micah murmured under his breath as we crossed the room. “We come in peace, remember?”

I huffed but nodded. “I will do my best to behave, but whether anyone dies depends entirely on them.”

On how they behave.

Micah sighed but didn’t reply, and we followed our new guide down the tunnel in silence. My mate knew we were here to learn more about Pedro’s home planet—on what remained of it, if anything—but he wasn’t aware my interest in reuniting the creature with their own kind was now tainted by… an incredibly distracting pull.

A pull I will do my best to ignore.

We entered a much smaller chamber, shockingly bright thanks to the light reflecting off the pumice walls. Seated on a cushion in the center of the room was an ancient Hydrassian I assumed was Uulvin, but that wasn’t what caught my attention.

The two adult Dionaea muscipula flanking the elder did, along with the Celestial Cube resting in Uulvin’s scaled hand.

Fuck.

“Have a seat, Stellarian,” the seer croaked as six incredibly sly smiles stretched over their faces. “We have much to discuss.”