Zekke: A Scifi Alien Romance (The Azziarin Series Book 5) Read online

  “Your family. This is just so… It’s a…”

  He laughed and hugged her close. “Ava, I’ve never seen you like this.”

  “It’s a new planet!”

  “Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her out of the shuttlecraft. Warm air brushed her face, eliciting a smile. Two suns hung high in the sky. Huge trees stood off in the distance. Descending the steps, she grinned at the springy ground.

  “Your planet is beautiful.” Her voice was laced with wonder.

  She looked to Alan, who also took in the surroundings but didn’t comment. His only concern was finding his sister. If the situation were reversed, Ava imagined she’d be exactly the same.

  “This way,” Zekke said as he pulled her toward a shiny black castle that looked out of place on this untouched planet. A medieval castle made with modern technology.

  Inside, the castle was immaculate. Ava turned in a circle, looking up at the high white marble walls. “What is this? It looks like marble, but not really.”

  Zekke just laughed. “Come on.” He tugged on her hand until she gave up on identifying the materials.

  Sounds of female laughter reached her ears. When they walked through the double glass doors, Ava grinned. Humans and Azziarins sat together at one end of a massive table, sharing a meal.

  Ava grinned up at Zekke. “Your family?”

  He smiled down at her. “Yes. And now yours.”

  At the sound of their voices, Jakke spotted them first. “Zekke, you’re back!” He pushed up from the table and headed their way.

  “I am.” The two clasped forearms.

  All the others joined them. Sydney explained, “We all missed second meal. Mara had her baby!”

  Zekke looked down at Sydney and noticed her belly. “She’s not the only one.”

  Sydney laughed. “I had Alexx right after you left.” Sydney’s eyes shifted to Ava. “Who did you bring back with you?”

  “My mate, Ava.”

  “It nice to meet you, Ava. I’m Sydney, that’s Chloe, and the one coming late to the party is Krista.”

  Krista had just come out of a room carrying a plate stacked high with cookies. “What? I wanted more. These are so good!” Krista said in a playful tone.

  “Whatever,” Sydney laughed and turned back to Ava. “This is my mate—”

  “Krista?” Alan stepped around Zekke.

  Krista froze when she heard his voice. Looking up, she saw him standing there. “Alan?” she dropped the plate of cookies on the floor and sprinted toward him. He caught her in his arms and lifted her off the ground in a bear hug.

  “I was so worried about you!” he said, not bothering to hide his tears.

  “I thought you were dead, and it was all my fault.” After a long embrace, she leaned back and wiped the tears from her eyes. “How can you be here? I watched you die!”

  “It’s a long story. What about you? What happened?”

  Kollin walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She smiled lovingly at him and said, “This is Kollin, my mate. He was taken by the Tureis, and when he escaped, he took me with him.”

  “Your mate?” Alan raised one concerned eyebrow.

  “Yes, my husband.” She smiled up at Kollin and told him through her happy tears, “My brother’s alive!”

  Krista turned her attention to Zekke and his new mate. “Glad you’re back, Zekke. Welcome to the family, Ava.”

  “Thanks,” they both said in unison, and shared a quick, loving look.

  “I think we will head up to our rooms. I have a lot of catching up to do with my brother,” Krista said. “Come on, Alan!”

  Ava watched the three of them walk away. Krista had one arm around Kollin’s waist and one around Alan’s.

  “Wow!” Sydney wiped away the one tear that escaped her watery eyes. “Where were we before that wonderful reunion took place? Oh, yes, this is my mate, Jakke,” she pointed to another male, “and that’s Chloe’s mate, Dazz.”

  “We were heading back up to see Mara and the baby. Want to come?” Chloe asked.

  “Risshi isn’t doing so well,” Dazz added. Concerned for his brother, Zekke and Ava joined the others.

  As they entered Rissshi and Mara’s room, they found Risshi pacing the floor, looking frazzled. “What’s wrong with him?” Zekke whispered to his brothers.

  “Mara had the human baby early,” Jakke supplied.

  “How early?” Ava asked.

  Sydney answered this time. “It’s hard to tell, but it wasn’t that early. She was just small, but she’s very healthy.”

  “Then why is he acting like that?” Ava nodded to Risshi.

  Sydney and Chloe both chuckled. “Come on, we’ll show you.”

  Ava and Zekke followed them into Mara’s room. “You’re back!” Mara spoke from the bed, where she half-sat with the baby in her arms.

  “I told you we wouldn’t be long.” Chloe walked out and straightened the pillows behind Mara’s back. “Is that better?”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Her gaze was on Ava when she asked, “Who’s that?”

  “I’m Ava, and I’m with him.” She nodded toward Zekke and grinned.

  Sydney stretched out her arms. “May I?”

  “Sure,” Mara smiled at her baby and passed her to Sydney, who then handed her to Ava.

  She was tiny. “What is she, about five pounds?” She looked just like her mother. Same eyes and hair color.

  “Our best calculations with their measurements is five pounds, one ounce.”

  Ava grinned up at Zekke and noticed the horrified look on his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “It is small,” he gulped.

  “She’s beautiful.” Looking up at Mara, she asked, “What’s her name?”

  “Faith,” she smiled.

  Ava smiled down at the sleeping baby and then handed her to Zekke, not taking no for an answer. “Just support her head and you’ll be fine.”

  “Support her head? She fits in the palm of my hand.” Ava and the others chuckled.

  Ava watched Zekke as he stared in awe at the tiny baby sleeping peacefully in his grasp. Soon, her husband would be holding their babies.

  After a few minutes, Sydney reached for the baby. “Here, I’ll take her.”

  Zekke wrapped his arm around Ava. “Ready to go see our suite of rooms?”

  “Yes,” Ava said, and looking at the other females, “It was nice to meet you all.” To Mara she said, “Your baby is beautiful. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you,” Mara smiled.

  As they walked out of the bedroom room, Zekke cuffed Risshi on the neck and said, “Congratulations, brother.”

  Scared eyes turned to him. “The baby is so small.”

  Zekke laughed. “You’ll adjust.” Addressing everyone else, he said, “We’ll see you all for first meal.”

  Zekke

  It was so tiny. He literally held a life in the palm of his hand. The weight of the baby was less than half of an Azziarin baby. His head was spinning. Soon he would have two babies. How would they manage?

  When Sydney took the baby, they said their goodbyes and headed out. Poor Risshi still looked frazzled. From the moment he saw his younger brother’s frightened eyes, he felt closer to Risshi. Not that Risshi had changed, but Zekke had. Letting someone into your life would do that.

  He worried about Ava. The babies were causing a great strain on her body. Every standard day required increasingly more rest for her. Tomorrow, they’d visit the healer.

  They walked hand in hand until they stood in front of a heavy wooden door. “This is it.”

  “The grain on the wood is so intricate. I’ve never seen anything like it before.” Ava ran her hand over the door while Zekke chuckled.

  The suite of rooms was nicely decorated with plush rugs, heavy drapes, and large tapestries. It smelled of old money.

  Zekke tugged on her hand, she spun around, and he pulled her into his arms and whispered, “Welcome to your new home.”

>   With her cheek pressed against his chest, she said, “It’s beautiful.”

  “It is, with you here.”

  The exhaustion was etched in her eyes; he could see it in her smile. “Let’s get ready for bed.”

  “I am tired,” she admitted.

  “I know. Tomorrow we will visit Rykker.”

  That night, he held his mate as she slept, but anxiety kept him awake. He worried for Ava. Worried for the babies. Worried how to care for two babies. What if he couldn’t tell them apart?

  Zekke was still awake when the first sun made an appearance, its warm rays bursting through the slits in the drapes, lighting the room. He let her sleep. When the second sun came up, he slipped out of bed.

  “Where are you going?” Ava asked with a sleepy voice.

  He looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “You didn’t,” she lied. She climbed out of bed.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “Good.” She grabbed a blue robe off the chair and slipped it on. “How about we see the doctor—I mean healer—now. Think he’s up?”

  “If he’s not, he will be. I’ll check while you get dressed.”

  “How is she, Rykker? Are the babies all right?” Zekke dragged a frustrated hand through his hair. Rykker was taking his sweet time examining Ava. The silence grated on his nerves. He could at least say something!

  When Rykker finished the exam, he faced both Zekke and Ava. “She and the young are healthy. I am a little concerned that she carries two, though.” He shook his head. “It’s hard to believe that such a thing is even possible. But with plenty of rest, supplements, and food, I think everything will be fine. I will monitor her closely.”

  Zekke heaved a sigh of relief. The word healthy was music to his ears. “Thank you, Rykker.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Ava’s stomach protested with a loud rumble. Zekke smiled as he asked, “Ready for first meal?”

  “Yep. I’m starving.” Her bright smile lit the entire room.

  He extended his hand. She placed hers in his. “Let’s go.”

  First meal was a lively affair. Sydney and Jakke had Alexx with them, a beautiful baby who looked more like a toddler. Azziarin babies grew quickly, unlike the tiny thing Mara had given birth to. Zekke glanced at Ava and knew that Mara’s tiny baby would easily worm her way into all their hearts. She would invoke their protective instincts.

  Everyone except Risshi and Mara was present, including Takkeo, which was a rare occasion. When he had introduced Ava to his youngest brother, Takkeo had stared at her hair. It was much different than that of the other human females, more like the females of Azziar.

  “How are you liking our planet?” King Mallik asked Ava.

  “From what I’ve seen so far, it’s beautiful.”

  King Mallik gave her a warm smile. After the debacle with Sydney, Jakke’s mate, he had warmed up to the human females. And now with two grandchildren, Zekke was sure he had no objections.

  “I see you are with young.” He glanced at her belly.

  “I told you, they are babies.” Sydney chimed in with her two cents. King Mallik gave his first daughter-in-law an amused smile.

  “I’m actually having twins,” Ava supplied.

  “No way!” Sydney shouted.

  “What is twins?” King Mallik asked. Jakke, Dazz, Kollin, and Takkeo silently waited. They wanted to know, as well. Even Kattlyn looked interested.

  Chloe answered for Ava. “She’s having two babies.”

  They were stunned, all of them. King Mallik shook his head and said, “Is that even possible?” When Ava nodded, he continued, “Does it happen often on your planet?”

  Ava shrugged, “Often enough. Especially in families.”

  Zekke looked around the room. His family talked and laughed while they ate. This was the feeling of happiness he remembered before the death of his mother. Even Alan looked happier as he sat beside Krista. And Zekke didn’t miss the fact that his sister, Kattlyn, kept sneaking glances at the human male. When Zekke saw Alan sneaking a glance back at his sister, he just smiled.

  “What is it?” Ava asked.

  He looked lovingly into her eyes. “Nothing. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She leaned over and tenderly pecked his lips with hers.

  Epilogue

  Sitting on a bench in the garden with the other women, Ava grimaced as she rubbed her huge belly. The babies had dropped lower that morning, making her even more miserable than usual. If Ava followed Sydney’s time table, she still had a month to go before the twins would make their first appearance. No way she could carry them another month. It wasn’t humanly possible for her belly to stretch that much.

  “Mama,” Alexx called out, holding his arms up and wanting Sydney to pick him up. Ava still couldn’t believe how fast Azziarin kids grew. Alexx was six standard months old, but he looked and acted more like one and a half, talking and walking. It was amazing how fast he developed compared to little Faith, who lay there kicking her arms and legs in laughter. She’d stolen the hearts of everyone who saw her, especially Risshi, who was now very comfortable cradling the little girl. King Mallik and Takkeo often fought over who would hold Faith, but Risshi rarely let go of his little girl.

  “Are you okay?” asked a worried Chloe.

  “Yes, fine. Why?”

  “You just looked lost in thought, and no offense, but you look like you’re in a lot of pain.”

  Ava chuckled and then grimaced. “Maybe a little,” she supplied and then shrugged.

  “Should we take you to see Rykker?”

  “No, I’ll be…” Ava doubled over as water gushed, soaking her pants.

  “Ava!” Chloe knelt beside her, placing a comforting hand on her back.

  Ava turned her scared eyes to her friend. “It’s too early!”

  Chloe tightened her lips. “Come on, let’s get you to medical.”

  When the palace guard noticed Ava’s distress, he stepped forward. Chloe glanced at him and said, “Let Zekke know that Ava’s in labor, and we’re headed to medical.” He nodded and then rushed off.

  Sydney scooped up Alexx, and Mara picked up Faith. “Everything will be fine,” Sydney said with a little smile.

  “Come on!” Chloe slung Ava’s arm over her shoulder and then wrapped her arm around Ava’s back, helping her to stand.

  It was slow going. Ava’s contractions were close together, and the two women stopped frequently. She tried to breathe through the blinding pain, panting through it as best she could. They hadn’t even made it halfway when Ava spotted Zekke heading toward them. He stalked with determination, his steps quick and purposeful.

  Without a word, he scooped Ava up as though she weighed nothing and headed for medical. The others hurried after them.

  Just as they entered medical, Ava screamed in pain while Zekke yelled, “Rykker!”

  Rykker came rushing out of his office, and with just a glance, he directed Zekke to a table. “Put her down there!”

  He laid her gently on the table. In a scared voice she spoke his name and reached for his hand.

  “I am here, mate,” he said as he lightly brushed her hair away from her sweaty face.

  She held Zekke’s gaze, not caring what Rykker was doing until cool air touched her bottom. She glanced down; Rykker had cut her pants away. Before she could ask another question, the hardest contraction yet struck like lightning.

  ~~~~

  Zekke held Ava’s hand and tried to give her a reassuring smile even though he was panicked on the inside.

  “Ava, how long have you been in labor?” Rykker asked.

  “I don’t know,” she panted. “My lower back has been hurting for a couple of days.”

  “Just as I suspected. That lower back pain was actually labor pains. You are fully dilated, so with this next contraction, I want you to push with everything you have.”

  When it hit, Ava screamed so loudly that Z
ekke thought his left eardrum would burst. The force of her grip left his hand aching. He gulped. Where had that strength come from?

  When the contraction passed, Rykker looked up and smiled. “All right, Ava. You’re doing great.”

  “Here comes another one,” she grunted while squeezing his hand again. If she had been Azziarin, Zekke was positive his hand would be broken right now. Several more contractions passed, and Zekke raked a haggard, shaky hand through his hair. He couldn’t stand hearing the pained screams from his mate.

  His head shot around when he heard the sound of a baby crying. “You have a little boy,” Rykker said with a smile as he handed the baby to Zekke. He was beautiful, with his light-colored hair and blue cat eyes. Glancing down at his little, squirming body, Zekke smiled when he noticed the four fingers and one thumb, just like his mother. He wasn’t as big as Alexx, nor as small as Faith.

  “Oh, God, it hurts!” Sydney screamed, making the baby cry even louder. Zekke glanced around just in time to witness his other baby being born.

  Rykker smiled and then placed his other child in his father’s left arm. Pride filled Zekke’s soul as he glanced down at his younglings… babies. They looked identical. Lowering himself to his knees, he let Ava see their babies.

  “They are beautiful,” she smiled as she reached out and touched one baby and then the other.

  “They are,” Zekke glanced down at the babies before meeting her eyes. “But how will we ever tell them apart?”

  “By their mischievousness, I’m sure.”

  He grinned at the truth of her words. “I love you, Ava.”

  “I love you, too. Thank you for giving me a family.”

  The rest of the family rushed the room and surrounded them, happy to welcome the two new babies.

  The End!

  Read on for Book 6

  Thank you for reading Zekke. If you enjoyed the book, don’t forget to leave a review. If you would like to be notified of upcoming books, visit Hannah’s website, and sign up for notifications at hannahdavenport.com You can also like her Facebook page or follow her on Amazon. It’s so easy!