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Baby For The Palantir Chief

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She refuses to be a surrogate for any alien.
Sarah French refuses to passively accept her fate as a surrogate for a Palantir chief. She has to accompany the beastly alien general to his home world, but she only has to give him a year to woo her and act as his surrogate before she can walk away. Determined not to have a child she has to leave behind, and sure she could never love an alien she hasn’t met, she takes an illegal drug that will prevent conception, possibly forever. She just has to endure the year and will be able to walk away with no lingering ties. It comes as a shock to realize Reld is a lot different than she expected (in many knotty ways), and the possibility of a new and happier life on Baxa beckons. With her secret between them, will he be able to forgive her actions and accept just her, since she might never conceive?

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EXCERPT

Chapter One

She reported to the Faction Embassy two days later, as ordered. The nausea had gone, and other than her breasts being more sensitive, Sarah felt the same as she always had. She’d parted from Brighton at the pod, not wanting to put her friend through this. She was scared for her, who was as sheltered as she and Violet could ensure she’d be, since she was now on her own. Earth was a hostile place even with the vorathan threat vanquished, and she hated leaving her alone. If she didn’t report, she’d be arrested or have to run, so Brighton would still be alone.

A proctor in a long black jacket met her. “You’re Sarah French?”

She nodded, trying to keep her expression blank. “You have a match for me?”

He smiled. “Yes, ma’am. You were selected by Reld Yero. He’s waiting for you inside.”

“Thank you.”

As she walked inside the building, she wondered why they hadn’t sent a female proctor before remembering the Faction’s races had lost most of their females. That was why she was in this mess. Her mind raced with questions, but she kept them to herself. She wouldn’t be able to ask any of them here and expect a straight answer.

As she followed him, she couldn’t help asking, “Where are you taking me?”

“You’re to meet Reld, the palantir chief with whom you’ve been matched. If you’re both agreeable, you’ll conduct the binding ceremony and be on your way.”

“Don’t you mean if I pass his inspection? It’s not like I get a say in the matter.”

The proctor gave her an irritated look but didn’t respond other than to say, “Do try to be polite. Palantirs sometimes have a hair trigger when it comes to their temper, possibly because of their shifting ability. I’ve heard it makes some of the younger ones mercurial. Probably not a concern with a mature chief.”

She frowned, suddenly understanding she was being paired with one of those beast aliens. She hadn’t remembered the name of them, but they could transform from a humanoid to a beastly four-legged creature of roughly the same size to better defend themselves. She shivered with apprehension as she stepped into what she expected to be a conference room.

Instead, she found herself seated on cushions on the floor moments later as she waited for her potential match. She drummed her fingernails on the tabletop. “Is it going to be much longer?”

“I am here,” said a low voice behind her, with a faint hint of a growl.

For some reason, it made her heartrate accelerate and not from fear. She turned to crane her neck, wanting to see with whom she’d be spending the next year. Her mouth was dry as the palantir stepped closer.

He was tall and lean and seemed to have heightened reflexes because he crossed the room in under a second. The muscles moved under his skin as he walked, and the skin itself was a strange, stark white. If not for the thick growth of black body hair covering him, he would have seemed like an albino except for the long fall of black hair, currently confined at the nape of his neck with a leather band.

He didn’t reach out until he had sat down. He looked at the tea and then up at the proctor. “I’d hoped for something a little stronger.” His small smile revealed a flash of fangs.

She shivered upon hearing his voice again. Apparently, that low growl was a feature she should grow to anticipate. Accept, she reminded herself, not anticipate. Yes, he had a sexy voice, but that didn’t mean she was ready to throw away her entire life and go along with their plans for the next year. Not that she had much choice in the matter.

“I apologize for having to be fast, Miss Sarah French.” He reached out a hand, and his fingers curved slightly, culminating in claws that were currently retracted save for the tips.

She stared his hand for a moment, nervous all over again, before she remembered her manners. She lifted hers and shook it, and when their palms touched, her heart accelerated another degree. She was shocked to feel a jolt of electricity spark through her, indicating at least her body was attracted to the alien.

Her mind felt like her body had betrayed her, but she couldn’t dwell on it as the proctor went through the steps.

“You mentioned you had to be quick…?” She interrupted the proctor as she said that, paying little attention to the man.

Reld looked at her and nodded. “I apologize for that, but I’ve been tasked with delivering an urgent message on my voyage to the home world. You will have to undergo modification and be prepared to leave today.”

The proctor stammered. “That’s highly unusual, Chief Yero.”

“Take it up with Grand Admiral Pate if you have an issue with it, Mr. Ives.” That faint growl in his voice was more pronounced in his irritation. He softened when he looked at her. “As I said, it was not my intention to rush you, but it cannot be helped.”

She suppressed a sigh and shrugged. “I suppose I’m ready.” She had already said goodbye to Brighton just in case she didn’t return. In the back of her mind, she had been convinced they would somehow discover the X-77 in her system and send her off to jail. That had seemed more likely than having to leave Earth the same day, and it was still a slight possibility. The idea made her stomach twinge, but she tried to hide the reaction.

Reld stood up, bending at the waist. “I look forward to getting better acquainted with you on our journey to Baxa.”

With that and little fanfare, the chief disappeared, leaving her with the proctor once more. He cleared his throat as she stared down at the tea she hadn’t even sipped before she looked up at him. “Now what?”

“We’ll conduct a quick physical to ensure nothing has changed since your registration and give you DNA modification, and then you and the chief will sign the contract. There’s a hand tying, which is symbolic, that perhaps he might eschew with his apparent haste.” There was a note of disapproval in his tone.

“Let’s get it over with then.” She was nervous but struggled to hide that as she followed him into the medical wing. She held her breath during the initial scan, convinced they were going to see something dodgy in her DNA from the X-77, but it was apparently as undetectable as the manufacturer claimed.

She sailed through the physical and then received an injection to modify her DNA just enough to accept palantir sperm and be able to carry a child for eleven months, which was the typical gestation for Palantirs. She clung to the thought that she wouldn’t be able to conceive, and it gave her the courage to get through the rest of the process.

Less than two hours later, she stood beside Reld, feeling as though she were signing away the rights to her life as she signed the contract and briefly accepted the fastener used to tie their hands. She wasn’t certain if it was always such a brief ceremony, but they barely had it on for a few seconds before Reld was already tugging it off. He sent her an apologetic look. “We really must leave now.”

She nodded and followed him out of the room and down the long corridor. He led her to a docking bay, which must be for his ship. They were aboard a short time later, and he gave her a quick tour, leaving her at the bedroom.

“This is only a one or two-person shuttle, so we’ll have to share.” He seemed apologetic but not reluctant as he nodded to her. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable, and I’ll get us underway? I have to manually pilot until the jump point past Mars, and then the technology can do its job. It will hopscotch us around various jump points just in case there are any vorathans lurking nearby, and then we’ll deliver the message and be on our way to the home world.”

“Sure thing.” She didn’t try to pretend enthusiasm she didn’t feel. Instead, she went into the bedroom, and the hydraulic door closed behind him a moment later. She had to fight the urge to scream and demand he let her out, knowing it was unlikely he’d have bothered to lock her in. Just to be safe, she put her hand against the biometric panel and wasn’t at all surprised when the door refused to open.

She let out a gasp and fall backward as the door opened a second later, and Reld stepped inside. Her throat was dry, and she was tense, wondering what he wanted. Did he decide he could take a quick moment to claim his proxy rights before they left? She should be outraged and annoyed at the idea, but she couldn’t suppress at least a small dart of curiosity along with a surge of desire. She could be annoyed with herself, but it was probably a good thing to find him attractive. That would make the next year more palatable since she was expected to share his bed.

“I apologize for startling you.” Though he had a growly voice, his tone was gentle. “I forgot to allow you access to the ship systems.” As he spoke, he put his hand on the biometric panel and spoke to the computer. Then he gestured her forward. “Place your hand there.”

She did, and the computer scanned her. A moment later, it prompted her for a retinal scan as well, and he smiled.

“Now you have full run of the ship, save for flight controls. I don’t think you’re qualified to fly one of these, are you?”

She laughed. “Not exactly. I’ve spent the last few years scratching out an existence, not learning how to fly a cool plane.”

“It’s technically a shuttle.” He winked at her. “Perhaps if there is time, I can instruct you on how to fly it. With being on our home world and somewhat isolated since we are settling the colony, it might be a good idea to have both of us trained in how to fly.”

She felt a spark of excitement at the idea, though she expected he was simply just telling her something she might want to hear. He probably wanted to win favor with her, and she pretended to believe him. She just nodded and said, “That would be nice.”

He looked vaguely disappointed, as though he’d expected more enthusiasm, but then the ship chimed, and he cursed slightly. “My apologies, but I have to return to the flight deck.”

She nodded and watched him go, testing the door for herself after he’d left. It opened easily, so she closed it again. She had no desire to go poking around the ship. She just wanted to know that she had the ability to do so if she needed or wished to.

Instead, she opted for a shower. Unlike the pod, where they had to conserve water and every other resource, his shuttle was alien technology. There appeared to be no limit to the water she could use, and it was probably recycled in some form along with being mixed with an alien chemical that negated the need for soap or shampoo, and she’d never felt cleaner in her life than when she stepped out. Perhaps being matched with the palantir chief wouldn’t be all bad if she got to enjoy that shower every day.