The Alien's Revenge - Ella Maven Page 0,2
was in good hands.
I barely had my pants pulled up around my ass when my front door burst open. Two little feet slapped across my wooden slat floor before the small horned creature dove into my fur pallet and tugged the covers over her head.
Anna rushed in immediately afterward, frantic as she searched for her daughter. “Miranda, I’m so sorry for not knocking. I saw your door open and—”
The furs moved, and a nearly imperceptible giggle filled the room. Anna pursed her lips and rolled her eyes.
“It’s no problem, Anna,” my voice slightly louder than usual. “What’s up?”
She leaned against my door frame, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Oh nothing. Nothing at all. Just doing some cleaning.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’m working on Bazel’s room right now, but I can’t find her to ask her which toys she wants to keep, so I’m just going to throw them all out.”
A shriek followed her words as a blue head popped out of my furs. “No, Mommy! Don’t throw my toys away!”
“Ah-ha!” Anna exclaimed as she lunged at her daughter. “Caught you!”
Bazel screamed with joy that her game of tag had been renewed. She tore out of my furs, flew past her mother, only to get caught up at the door by Frankie. She swooped the little girl into the air and tickled her belly while Anna stood nearby, hands on her hips, trying to look annoyed but failing.
The scene was so wholesome I had to take a moment to snapshot this in my head. As much as I missed the hell out of my family at home, I had one here. A growing one.
Anna met my eyes and smiled. “How come she always sneaks in here?”
“She likes my plants.”
“Ah.” Anna looked around and leaned in to smell a large orange flower which smelled like citrus. “I don’t blame her.”
Anna had met Tark about ten years ago when she’d been stolen from Earth and her captors had crash-landed on this planet. Tark had left his clavas to keep her safe. They remained alone for ten years until Daz and Frankie found them with their five-year-old. She was the first of us—and the proof—that Drixonian and humans could procreate successfully.
With the increasing unrest on the planet with the Drixonian’s enemies, the Uldani, Tark and Anna decided to abandon their solitary life and come live in the Night Kings clavas for protection. With them came Bazel, and their dog-like pet, Rufus. Bazel was adorable and rambunctious with light blue skin, nubbed horns, and Anna’s delicate human facial features.
Frankie placed Bazel back on the ground, and she wasted no time racing out of my hut on another adventure. Anna sighed and looked to the ceiling. “Okay that’s it. I’m done for the day. I think her father can handle her now.”
“Yes, go treat yourself.” I gave her hand a squeeze.
Frankie, now unburdened by the child, sashayed into the room, and flopped dramatically onto my pallet with her forearm over her eyes. “I don’t know how you do it. I’m exhausted and hot just walking from my hut to this one.”
“You’re pregnant. And kinda whiny on a good day.”
Frankie glared at me from under her arm as I laughed.
“The beginning was the worst,” Anna told her. “But good news is you’ll only have to deal with five more months of this. My pregnancy was six months long, and Bazel was maybe a three-pound baby. She grew at an abnormal rate after that, but at least I didn’t have to push out eight pounds with horns attached.” She walked toward the door. “With that said, I’m going to go chase down my spawn. Miranda, I’m almost done that shirt for you.”
“You’re amazing, Anna.” Long ago, she had found a plant that bloomed with a substance which could be spun into a cotton-like material. It was a lot cooler than the antella leather the men favored.
She gave us a wave and left, shutting the door behind her.
I turned to Frankie who was giving me a weird look. “Why are you wearing pants?”
I sat down on the pallet next to her. “So, since Reba fell, Ward is staying with her. I convinced Gar to let me go hunting with him.”
Frankie bolted upright, her head nearly colliding with mine. “What?”
“Yeah, I want to—”
“Miranda, no. The forest is dark and full of terrors.”
I rolled my eyes. “The Game of Thrones references are tired, Frank.”
She ignored me. “I’m serious. You didn’t nearly get eaten by those hippo things. You weren’t chased