The Alien Prince’s Omega by Lorelei M. Hart
Kagin
“We must go home.”Hanson grabbed my shoulder, his eyes glazed and unfocused. “I have to prepare for the baby’s arrival. And find a permanent replacement while I take paternity leave. And tell my friends. And and and…” He tugged at his hair as he paced my quarters.
My head swung one way and then in the other direction, making me dizzy, as I followed his progress. “Hanson,” I said and reached to him, but he took no notice.
My rupling chewed his nails and held up his phone and muttered, “Not even one bar,” forgetting Earth’s primitive technology was useless on Thulnara.
“You should eat and perhaps rest.”
“No time for that,” he muttered as he stabbed at his phone and made endless lists. “Cloth or disposable diapers?”
“Babies are born all the time on Thulnara, and you took a month’s vacation from your job. Your animals and their owners are being looked after by Dr. Batson.”
“Mmmm.”
He had gotten over his initial sickness but was wary of Thulnaran food. And while my grandparents' original research from decades earlier described some of the food they ate on Earth, I was able to update the information on the computer. When the sensor buzzed and I gave the okay to enter, the palace servant walked through the wall bearing a tray of Earth goodies.
But even that had my rupling clutching his heart. “That still freaks me out, even when I do it.” Rather than rearranging Hanson’s atoms permanently, our scientists had given him a temporary fix with an injection. It would last until after our little one was born.
“Look dearest, fries, burritos, salad with the goat cheese you love, and all kinds of sauces, including ketchup. And there are chicken wings too.” I hoped he was proud of me not calling them cock wings, as I recalled a confusing conversion after I used the term and he thought I had said cock rings. I still was not certain what a cock ring was and this was not the time to ask about it.
“I don’t have time to eat.” He grimaced, but I took the tray, and once the servant had left, I held it under his nose. And he paused his frantic pacing, and a blissful expression replaced the agitated one of pinched lips and furrowed brow. “Oh…” He leaned against me as he inhaled the aroma. “That does smell good.”
He stuffed a handful of fries in his mouth, just as I had done the first time I had eaten them, and picked up a chicken wing. “I’m impressed. Almost as good as the ones on Earth.”
When he finished, he licked his fingers, which was an Earthling habit I hoped our baby would not develop, and I steered him to the automatic sanitizer.
“I have an idea.”
“What’s that?” he asked.
“I wish to show you what I did the evening I went to see Idda before she told me about you.” Once outside, we followed the now familiar path and paused at the place where I’d gazed over the city waiting for nightfall.
“Thulnara is stunning with the two suns shining over the landscape and the purplish atmosphere. But I need my sunglasses.” The light from both suns was too bright for my rupling.
After leaving the built up area, I pointed out the different grasses and the gray one bearing the water droplets. I picked a few and gave them to him to sample.
“Bread. It tastes like bread. Yum. And this one reminds me of pineapple.”
When we reached the raging river, I did not trust his new found ability to heat and cool things with his palms. He had a fraction of my ability, and when I told him he would have to study and take exams in order to gain more power, he had refused.
The midwife mused that the baby was sharing their ability with Hanson, and I pictured my two greatest loves hand in hand.
“Are we going to cross?” Hanson jerked his head at the water flowing past us. “You can carry me.”
I hesitated. If we went to the other side, the trail led to Idda’s village. She had welcomed me and changed the course of my life. But having set me on that path, and revealed herself and our child to Hanson, I was wary of visiting her again. Soothsayers did not welcome people in for a chat. Even princes.
But Hanson gripped my shoulder and pointed to the trees on the far side of the river. He gulped and ran a hand over my back. Even though I was clothed, it calmed him when his palm made contact with the scales and the small spikes. “Can you see that, Kagin? Or am I imagining things?”
I followed his gaze, and there in the midst of the low hanging branches and the trailing vines which had objected to my presence that first evening, I saw me. Not a real me, but a hologram, and beside me stood my rupling smiling. In his arms was a babe, and my arms were wrapped around them both.
“I see us. I see our family.” The vision vanished, and Hanson leaned against me as both my hearts raced with joy.
With my hand stroking his hair, he whispered, “All will be well.”
“What was that?” I asked as a strange sensation fluttered against me.
My rupling placed my hand on his belly. “Our child is saying hello.”