Night of the Zandians (Zandian Brides 1)

His brother is larger and louder. When he cries, he wails like the planet is dying, but when he sleeps, he falls so deeply into his slumber that a storm could crash through the room and he wouldn’t awaken. Right now, his hands are clenched into fists and he breathes in deeply. I wonder what he’s dreaming.

“Their names?” Lily sits beside me on the hoverdisk. “Have you decided?”

“We picked Tarrian for the big one, because he’s so like his father. And Ronan’s son is Rylan.”

“Tarrian and Rylan. Sweet babies. I love their names.” She squeezes my hand. “Nice work, Mama. They’re perfect.”

I wiggle and preen, even though it was out of my control. “I love them,” I say simply.

“How is Jax taking it?” She pauses and lowers her voice. “I don’t mean to imply that he should have an issue, or that he does. But… does he? I could see how some Zandians, maybe, might?” She bites her lip.

“He’s fine.” He really is. “He’s so laid back nothing seems to bother him. He said that all it means is that he needs to veck me a lot more in the future.” I blush, but she smiles.

“Also,” I disclose, “Dr. Daneth gave me the tools to monitor my ovulation exactly with the thermo-monitor and scanner. It will tell me exactly when my egg releases, so Jax and I can try on those planet rotations. So we can be sure the next will be his.”

“Yes, he’s distributing that to all the humans now. He said he’s disappointed he didn’t have it ready in time for the early teams.” Lily smiles. “I have one, since we’re trying now.” She bounces a little. “I think I want to have twins, too.”

“I think it’s going to be a lot of work.” I look at the babies. They’re quiet now, but when they’re awake and both want to nurse? Mother Earth, it’s impossible to fill them fast enough! Also, the crying is enough to shatter eardrums of steel. Tarrian is… loud. Very loud. I smile indulgently. I can’t wait to see my boys grow… learn to talk and walk. I already love them so fiercely.

“Your mates will help,” she assures me. “And so will your friends. Lamira asked me to set up a visit/share program for new mothers, to ensure they are getting support and not falling into postpartum depression.”

“It’s a good idea,” I agree. How far we’ve come since those early planet rotations—not all that long ago—when I first entered my dome, nervous, asking when I’d even get to see my friends again. Now I have mates, and babies, and an entire community. It’s miraculous.

My mates enter the chamber, all of them, just as Rylan wakes up and begins to scream. He may not be as loud as his brother, but he’s very persistent, and his little face reddens as he shrieks.

Ronan doesn’t miss a beat. He scoops up the infant and soothes him, patting his back, until the baby hiccups and settles down. “Want me to change him?” he asks. Without waiting for an answer, he heads to the little station we’ve set up with diapers and supplies and gets to work.

“I should go,” Lily says, and bends to give me a hug. “I’ll visit again soon. I love you.”

“You too.” I smile as she leaves, and then turn my attention to my men—all five of them.

Tarren sits beside me and kisses me. “Dr. Daneth said you can start walking more this planet rotation, if you’d like.” I had a surgical birth, because the twins came early. Dr. Daneth cut open my belly to get the babies out. But everything is fine now.

“The big question,” says Ronan, looking up from Rylan’s diaper, “is when you can start vecking. Did he tell us that?”

“He said a few weeks.” I laugh. “Until then, make your palm your friend, my love.”

Ronan lifts his son’s small hand and taps his palm to the tiny one. “Little man, your mother says I have to make do with my hand. Commiserate with me, son. And learn well, how your own palm will become your friend someday.”

“Stop! That’s disgusting! You can’t talk to a baby like that!” But I’m laughing.

“What? My son needs to learn compassion, as well as self-care, and he should start now. Don’t worry. He can’t understand me yet.”

“He can understand everything you say,” I argue. “My babies are geniuses.”

“Then they will understand how hard this is on their fathers.” He rolls his eyes.

“I’m interested in the few weeks’ timeframe,” Jax says, giving me a kiss. “Because I plan to put another one of these in your belly as soon as possible.”

I smile. The thought of his child makes my heart melt. “He’ll be gorgeous, like you.” I touch his face.

“I have a feeling we’ll have a daughter,” Jax says. “And she’ll be beautiful like you.” He turns to the others. “And she’ll probably have her brothers, and all of us, wrapped around her tiny fingers.”

I can already see her, this vision of a small girl, and I tear up. “I hope so, Jax.”

Tarren picks up Tarrian. The sturdy little baby doesn’t even stir, but when Tarren holds him against his chest, the child sighs and snuggles in, as if recognizing his father’s touch and scent. Who knows—maybe he does. We have much to learn about babies who are half Zandian, half human. We don’t truly understand which traits they will inherit from humans.

As my mates gather around me, holding our young, I’m filled with peace and joy.