The Zoran’s Baby
Extended Epilogue
Dost
“This is it. What do you think?”
I gaze upon my mate’s childhood home. It’s a small apartment housed above a hovercar repair shop. A faded sign with “Winters Parts & Repair” printed on it hangs above the boarded-up windows.
The street is empty, a light drizzle falling down on us both.
“It’s seen better days,” Aria says. “Ever since Grace was taken, my dad…”
Her voice trails off. I grab her hand and squeeze it.
“It’s okay,” I tell her.
I know how hard Grace’s abduction was for Aria and her father, and how guilty my mate feels for leaving him in his time of need. I told her time and time again not to be so hard on herself, but that’s my mate. Conscientious to a fault.
“It looks cozy,” I tell her as I gaze between the boards and into the dark, empty shop.
She wrinkles her nose.
“My dad’s shop is a lot of things. Cozy is not one of them.”
“Nonsense. I can see a little version of you, running around, wrench in hand in there. Stealing your sister’s toys and hiding them in the hoods of the cars.”
Aria rolls her eyes and folds her arms. “Why did I ever tell you that,” she says under her breath.
“It’s a bit dark now, sure, but we’ll get this place up and running. There will be light.”
My mate’s mouth falls open. “Are you… saying what I think you’re saying?”
I grab Aria’s hands, our fingers interlocking.
“I know you, Aria. I know nothing makes you happier than tinkering with your Solaris, making that engine purr like a kitten. I know you want to stay by your father’s side. I know we need a place to raise our child. We can do all of those things here.”
“Oh Dost,” she sighs wistfully. “There’s one thing that makes me happier than all of those things.”
“What is that?”
“You,” she smirks.
“Suck-up,” I growl as I lean down and kiss her, my hand resting on the back of her neck.
“It’s true, though,” she purrs as she returns my kiss. “Are you… are you sure?”
“Definitely,” I say. “Our child will have a grandparent by his side here.”
“You haven’t even met my father yet.”
“If he’s anything like you, we’ll get along fine.”
“I hope so,” she laughs. “What about the Zoran flotilla?”
“There’s no place for me there,” I answer, my thumb brushing my mate’s cheek. “I should be with you, with our child.”
Aria crosses her arms, and I can tell something is bugging her.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She looks away. “I don’t want to keep you from your people,” she says softly.
I tilt her chin up and force her to look into my eyes.
“You are my people. You, our child, your father. Those are the peoples I want to have around me. There’s nothing for me up there, on the flotilla. I promise you, you’re not ‘keeping me’ from anything. You’re saving me.”
I lean down and kiss her again, sucking her bottom lip into my mouth and brushing it with my tongue. She purrs, her arms wrapped around my waist, her body melting into mine.
“Now, are you going to knock on the door and let me meet your father?” I ask.
Her scent, her touch, her kiss… they’re awakening the fire inside of me. I’m growing hard right now.
If Aria’s not careful, I’ll make a first impression her father will never forget.
* * *
Aria
Dost’s tongue has the uncanny ability to make me forget about everything. The world itself disappears. I don’t feel the cold rain falling down on us, the thick drops sliding down the back of my neck, or the icy gale that’s making my coat dance in the wind.
All I feel is his powerful, wonderful tongue, brushing against mine. I’m filled with warmth, the heat in my core strong enough to light up a whole city block.
When Dost pulls back I’m breathing hard, my toes tingling with desire. I want him right now…
But this is not the time or the place to give into desire. Introducing my dad to a Zoran warrior will be tricky enough as it is, and that’s without him catching us in the act on his doorstep!
“Now, are you going to knock on the door and let me meet your father?” he says.
I glance down at Dost’s massive bulge, and a shiver runs down my spine. I can’t resist placing my hand on it and squeezing it.
Fuck, he’s so big.
“Easy,” Dost growls with a cocky smirk.
“I know we shouldn’t…” I say. I shake my head to try and get the naughty thoughts out.
It almost works.
However, the feeling of his powerful, throbbing hardness overpowers every ounce of my common sense.
Locks turn and keys rattle, and a second later the door to my childhood home is pulled open. I only manage to pull my hand from Dost’s crotch just in time, before I find myself staring into my father’s confused face.
“A-Aria?!” he stammers. “I thought I heard something… what the hell are you doing, standing out in the rain? And who the…”
His eyes travel over Dost’s imposing frame, his pupils widening by the second.
“My god,” he sighs.
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Dost,” I say. “Dost, meet my father.”
“Nice to finally meet you, mister Winters,” Dost says, grabbing my father’s hand. He shakes it firmly, and my father’s whole body moves.
I’ve never seen my dad so at a loss for words. His mouth is hanging open as he tries to form a coherent sentence, but only gibberish comes out.
“Who… why… Zoran… huh?”
“It’s a long story, dad,” I say. “Can we come inside? It’s kinda cold out.”
My dad snaps out of it. “O-of course, come in, come in,” he says. “Tea?”
“Please,” I answer.
My dad walks back inside, mumbling under his breath, while I take my coat off in thehallway. I remember how big I thought our home was when I was a child, but standing next to Dost’s seven foot frame everything feels cramped.
This home wasn’t built for a man of his size. He nearly hits his head on the way in, and bumps into me when he turns around in the hallway.
“Are you still so sure about this?” I grin. “If so, get used to hitting your head. A lot.”
“It’s fine,” Dost growls. “That went… well?”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Could have gone a lot worse. I’m not sure what my father would have done if he opened the door to find me with your cock in my hands!”
Dost’s cheeks turn a darker shade of red.
“Your father is right there,” he hisses while nodding at the kitchen.
“Don’t worry, my dad hasn’t got your kinds heightened senses. My father is quite hard of hearing.”
“I’m hard of what?” my dad yells from the kitchen.
“N-nothing!” I stammer, my own cheeks burning now.
Did he hear everything?
Dost shakes his head and walks into the living room. Watching the massive Zoran warrior walk through my childhood home is making my stomach flutter. I still can’t believe he’s actually here.
After all we’ve been through, the hardships we’ve faced, the danger we’ve been in… it’s all come down to this. A gorgeous, tall, alien warrior by my side — our babygrowing inside of me.
Time to tell my father the good news.
I follow my mate into the living room. Dost is sitting on the couch, the thing looking comically small compared to his tall body. I sit down next to him, while my father comes in carrying a tray of drinks.
The familiar smell of Key’s & Bey’s tea fills the room.
“Ah, my favorite,” I say as I grab a cup. “Thank you!”
“Anytime,” my father answers. “Now, if you could kindly explain what this giant Zoran is doing in my home. No offense, big guy.”
“None taken, mister Winters,” my mate growls. He grabs my hand, and my father’s eyes widen. “My name is Dost. Your daughter has captured my heart, and I am here to ask you for her hand.”
My hearts skips a beat.
He’s what?
I turn to my Zoran mate, my mouth hanging as open as my father’s.
“That is the human tradition, right?” Dost growls when he sees me and my father look at him as if he just spontaneously combusted.
“It is,” I manage to croak, my heart thumping like mad. “If you’re talking marriage.”
“I am,” Dost says, dropping down to one knee.
I feel like I’m about to faint.
“Aria, you make me happier than I’ve ever thought possible. Every second I spend with you is one in which I count my blessings. I can’t imagine a life without you, and I don’t want to. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to raise our baby together.”
“Baby?!” my father sputters.
All I can do is cry, numerous tears flowing down my cheeks.
Dost reaches into a hidden compartment on his form-fitting armor and my heartbeat spikes when he pulls out a gorgeous resin ring with a colorful flower inside of it.
“I believe a ring is customary,” he says, “so I had this made for you.”
“Is that…” I gasp.
Dost grabs my trembling hands.
“Yes, I had it made from a flower from Delta Y. Don’t worry, this one is perfectly safe — I made very, very sure of that. That planet, despite its dangers, is what brought us together… and this way, we’ll always carry a piece of that history with us.”
He turns to my father now, who is even more flabbergasted than I am.
“Mister Winters, I know we barely met, and you have yet to know the history your daughter and I share… but rest assured I pledge my life, my whole heart to her. If you give us your blessing, you’d make me the happiest man in the universe.”
“My god,” my father says. “I barely know you! A Zoran, in my home, asking for my daughter’s hand… has the world gone crazy? Oh, what am I saying? Who am I to stand in the way of love? The way you speak, young man… I can tell it’s coming straight from the heart.”
“That it is,” Dost says.
“And the look on my daughter’s face means she’s smitten as well. You remind me of her mom and I when we were young… you’re a bit taller of course, but still… Yes, Dost, you two have my blessing.”
“Thank you, mister Winters.”
“Please, call me Jonathan. We’re going to be family now. If Aria says yes, that is.”
Dost turns back to me, holding the gorgeous ring in the palm of his hand.
“Aria Winters, will you marry me?”
“Of course!” I cry. “Of course!”
He slides the ring onto my finger. My heart is racing, tears running down my face. I don’t know if I should laugh, cry, jump or faint. I leap out of my seat and straight into his arms, my mouth finding his.
We’re getting freaking married!
“This calls for a toast,” my father says. He walks into the kitchen and returns with a bottle of champagne, which he uncorks with a satisfying pop.
“Where did you get that?” I ask. “That stuff is expensive!”
“I’ve been saving this for a long time,” he answers as he hands us both a glass. “For a special moment. I can’t think of anything more special than this.”
We toast.
“On your wedding,” my father says.
“On our baby,” I say, with a smirk.
My dad nearly spills his drink. “So I did hear that right?!” he sputters. “You’re pregnant?!”
“I am,” I answer. “You’re going to be a grandfather.”
He sits down in his lounge chair, a goofy smile on his face. “I’m going to be a grandfather…”
“Is he okay?” Dost whispers.
“He’s fine. Everything is fine. No, scratch that. Everything is perfect.”