The Breeding Experiment - Laurann Dohner Page 0,71
this form. We teach them how to reach a completely relaxed state of mind.”
That confused her a little. “At just a year?”
“We are Veslors.” He shrugged and gave her a small smile. “Abby told me about human infants. Our cubs will be mobile within a week after birth. Their balance and coordination will quickly increase. The transformations we are able to do are related to hormones that are triggered by strong emotions. Maith could explain it to you better. When I am enraged, or highly fearful because of danger, my body changes into battle form.”
She thought about it. “You can’t shift right now?”
“I could, but I would have to imagine something to trigger those hormones. This is our common form. There is something else I need to tell you.”
She waited patiently.
“We are only fertile in battle form. Darla…I shouldn’t have been able to give you cubs unless I released my seed inside you after shifting. I didn’t do that. I held on to this form while the Elth forced me to copulate with you, despite my rage at them and urge to attack. I am so blessed that it happened. It makes me happy. But Maith hasn’t heard of this happening before. Though, few Veslors have ever been kept in captivity and undergone what we have. The stress, the rage over what they were doing to us, Maith thinks it confused my body since I should have shifted, but instead held my skin to avoid frightening you.” He caressed her belly again. “One day I would like to have more cubs with you.”
“Wow.” Darla took in all that information, trying to sort it and make sense of it. “So if we want more kids, cubs, you need to…”
“Transform into my battle form and copulate with you.”
She was shocked. “Is that even possible?”
“Yes. I just need to use negative emotions to shift. Once I’m in battle form, I can stay that way even if I’m no longer enraged. It’s about controlling emotions in a way that activates hormones, and then using focus to maintain the shift. It’s also the way we mate. Copulating in battle form not only makes us fertile, but it bonds us to females.”
Now a little fear surfaced. “We need to do that to officially become mates?” Memory flashed of four-legged Gnaw tearing apart the Elth. He’d had huge paws with razor-sharp claws. His mouth had been terrifying, too, like he could ripe anything apart with his teeth.
The idea of having sex with him when he was like that scared the crap out of her.
“No,” Gnaw quickly assured. “We are mated. You are carrying my cubs. The hormones needed to bond us were released, despite me not being in battle form.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” She blushed, realizing what she’d blurted. “No offense.”
He caressed her belly again and grinned. “Our females would not want to copulate with one of our males while he was in battle form, if she was not. She would not get pregnant. All Veslors must be in battle form to become fertile. It makes me happy that you are mine, and I didn’t have to ask you to make that decision to bond us.” He paused. “You will have to think about if you wish to have more cubs.”
She nodded, swallowing hard. It wasn’t like she had to give him an answer at that second. She had months to go before their babies were born, and it would be crazy to get pregnant too soon afterward. Her parents had spaced their kids a few years apart.
“There’s one last thing.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m braced. Tell me.”
He lifted his hand off her belly and cupped her face. “Have you heard about the Blaze?”
“No. Is that some kind of Veslor ceremony with fire that we need to do?”
“No. It is a ship that was attacked.”
She frowned.
“The Elth attempted to kidnap more of your females. The humans got away and Defcon Red is intercepting the Elth ship to destroy it. Earth has decided to kill any Elth who attack their people. My people will kill them, as well.”
He didn’t need to explain what another attack meant. “The Elth are still planning to do a breeding experiment,” she surmised.
“Yes.” He stroked her cheek. “They will never be successful.”
She bit her lip and waved at her stomach. “Actually, they kind of were. They just didn’t get to keep us long enough to realize I got pregnant or steal our babies.”
Gnaw kissed her forehead. “I’m going to enjoy watching that Elth