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"What should we name it?"

Vrox stared at the pathetic little pufil. The creature's pink snout quivered as it sniffed Kira's braid. It was soft everywhere, just like its owner.

"We should give him a strong name," he replied. He squinted at a wall, trying to devise a worthy name for Kira's new pet. It had to be perfect. Everything Kira owned had to be made of gold. He wouldn't have it any other way.

He placed a palm on the animal's head, and boomed for all the fates to hear, "Let it be known that today, I, prince Vrox of Ezron, named you Drumeztron the second!"

The animal trembled, terrified by the warrior's roar.

Kira's hand slid on top of Vrox's. "Um... how about we use a name that I can pronounce? Who is Drume– eh, who is he?"

"Drumeztron was my paternal grandfather. He was a powerful and honorable male."

"Hmm." Kira scratched her alien bunny's head. "Oh, I know. If you want to name it something fierce, how about Ak? Wouldn't it be funny to name this little guy after your scowling brother?" she grinned.

"You want to name it Akdronis?" his spine straightened, perked with jealousy. "I do not like it."

"Akdronis? I thought Ak's name was just Ak?"

"We have been calling him that since we were boys because he prefers it over his birth name. Now, are we done talking about my brother?"

His hands fisted and the corners of his lips dipped, both curling under the scrutiny of envy.

"How about we call him Vee, then? Vee for Vrox?"

Although his name was not written with a V in Ezronian, her thoughtfulness cooled his heat. Ready to proclaim the bunny's new name, he picked it up by its ears and lifted it from her lap.

"No!" Kira laughed nervously. "Let's not hold it like that; it might hurt. Remind me not to leave you alone with babies."

She didn't notice how her mention of their future child made him tense.

After lifting the alien bunny, she announced, "I, peasant Kira from Earth, name you Vee."

Vrox's throaty chuckle dismissed his tense state. He stood up from the bed and grabbed Kira by the waist, lifting her three feet in the air.

"And I, Prince Vrox of planet Ezron, declare you mine," he roared.

Her heart did a backflip, Vrox's playful boyishness promising a stroke. She hung from her alien's arms as she clutched Vee, feeling like she was on top of the world.

Vrox's face looked ready to tear from his smile. After stealing a peck from her lips, he returned her to the ground.

"I will get you new binds for your injury."

She didn't bother to correct him. At this point, Vrox was convinced that menstruation was a lesion.

"There's no need. I changed the padding while you were gone."

Vrox remembered his journey past the walls. Kira's brightness had distracted him from the darkness that was coming their way. He couldn't wait any longer. He had to warn her about the migration of men.

"Vrox?"

He blinked. "I apologize. Let us go for a walk, yes?"

"Want to go for a walk, Vee? How does that sound?" she cooed at her furry friend.

Vrox helped her slide on her sneakers, tucking her laces inside. Once they were out of the cave, his eyes immediately examined the walls in search of a spy.

He could imagine what it would be like for a man to lay their eyes on Kira. She looked fine and pliable with her petite body, so innocent with her pet tucked against her chest.

Their cocks would harden, their lips would salivate, and their fingers would curve with lust for her flesh. They would come for her, prepared to part her thighs and force their greed inside of her.

He would decapitate every single one of them. No one would brutalize his Terran.

"Vrox? You spaced out again."

"I was thinking about... what to feed you."

"I'm not hungry. How about you show me around? I haven't seen much of camp."

He pointed to the cave that was a few yards away. "That is Rokan's dwelling, then Kyros and Ni'ev. This way are Ak and Draekon's."

"Were these caves here when you arrived?"

He nodded. "Yes. A tribe used to live here, but we guess that it fell apart after The Vanishing. My brothers and I put the perimeter up and planted crops. They have to be eaten before the snowfall, or the frost will ruin them."

He showed her the fields, and she was surprised by the sheer dimensions. She saw colorful fruits and vegetables of all colors, some reminding her of what Earth had to offer.

"Come, I will show you the stream."

She waved at the guys as she passed them, noticing that they were replacing the damaged log on the wall.

While the fields were to the left of the camp, the stream was on the other side, near Ni'ev's cave. The long strip of water slid from under the perimeter and ran until it disappeared into the mountain.

"What's in there?" she asked, pointing to the cave next to Ni'ev's cave.

"It is for storage and crafting. Nie'v spends hours in there, forging weapons. He is crazy about sharp things."

She smiled. "Have you seen the wall in your cave? I would say you like sharp things too."

He shrugged. "You make a fair point."

"Kira! You found it!"

Kyros appeared, blasting a grin and holding what looked like a butcher knife.

She squeezed Vee tightener when she noticed he was staring at it. "You can't eat Vee."

"Vee? You- this is your pet?"

Floored, he looked at Vrox for clarification. "I thought that collecting rodents was Draekon's hobby?"

Vrox simply offered another shrug. "She wanted it. I could not say no."

"This female is dangerous," Kyros accused. "Soon, she will have all of us crawling on all fours."

Vrox pointed at his knife. "Let me borrow that."

Thinking that Vrox was going to head out to hunt food, Kyros handed it over.

Vrox tested the weight of the knife, before spinning and tossing it at a nearby tree. The small bird that had been chirping sung no more.

"There," Vrox smirked. "Enjoy your meal."

The hungry warrior cursed in Ezronian prime as he stomped away.

"Poor Kyros," Kira chuckled.

Vrox enjoyed her smile for many seconds, before sighing with defeat. He had been stalling the news for too long. As much as he didn't want to taint her peace, he knew that she wouldn't appreciate being left in the dark.

"I must tell you something."

She looked up, her brow furrowing.

He pressed a thumb on her forehead to get rid of the distress that had no business being there. As long as he had a pulse, she had no reason to be stressed or worried. And if she let him, he would give her plenty of sons that would take over the job in case he was no longer around.

"Ni'ev and I left camp earlier. We came across an old man, who warned that a wave of men is migrating north. They should arrive after the snowfall since that is the best hunting season. The snowfall is three months from today."

Kira's trembling lips were barely able to deliver, "Did he see me? Will he come for me?"

The thought of Vrox or his brothers getting injured as they fought to protect her was just as scary as an alien kidnapping her.

"He did not, but something became clear."

His hand settled on her stomach.

"This is flat. If you are discovered, they will demand to have you. If you are carrying my child, many will not dare to touch you because they know that distressing an expecting mother would bring the wrath of the fates."

Vrox had warned her of this before, so she knew it was coming. Still, she was drenched with dread. The hand against her womb felt so heavy that she already felt pregnant.

"If you were to be declared a princess, this would discourage even more men from touching you. But for a woman to become a princess..."

"She would have to carry the prince's child," Kira completed with a groan.

"I am sorry, female. I wish it did not have to be this way."

"How many... months did Ezronian women gestate for?"

Vrox paused before answering. "I have been told that it is six. On Ezron, one month is thirty suns."

She placed Vee on the ground, needing to pull at her hair. The dance of panic had her pacing left and right. Vee hopped after her, and if she wasn't so distraught, she would have cooed.

As usual, her brain became obsessed with numbers.

The wave of men is appearing in three months, around ninety days.

If she needed a belly to convince Ezronian men that Vrox already put a bun in her oven, then she needed to get stuffed with his icing as soon as possible.

"Holy fuck. Holy shit," she ranted in English.

Vrox stood and watched her breakdown, giving her the space that she needed.

What if our DNA isn't compatible? Or what if we are, but the baby is born weak and dies?

She didn't want to go through the grief of losing a child or crush Vrox with disappointment. There were no medical exams she could take to determine whether her chances of miscarriage or still-birthing were high, and she didn't know enough about biology to form a hypothesis.

She paced harder, hating that she knew close to nothing about biology. Her world was all cold, dead machines and strings of code, not warm flesh and the human genome.

"I need time... a few days to just..."

She bit back her tears. She needed to be strong for both Nebula and her future child.

"You will have as much time as you wish. I would never force you. You know this."

She stopped pacing, seeking cover in Vrox's embrace. As always, her kind giant was ready to catch her.