Alien Barbarian’s Little Human

20. Nerita

CHAPTER 20

NERITA

J agga Prime has a lot of things going for it. It’s in the Goldilocks zone, with the ideal axial tilt for all four seasons. You can grow just about any crop from any world there.

It’s also home to pink sand beaches bordering aquamarine beaches of low-grit sand. Because of not one, but two gas giants in the Jagga system, asteroidal strikes are so unlikely as to be nearly impossible.

But the best part of Jagga Prime is that Magog and I are getting married here.

We were welcomed by the Aeven Settlement six months ago. Now the lazy beachside community has come out in full force for our wedding, or fated mate ceremony, or whatever they want to call it. It gets a little bit complicated with the whole past lives thing.

As Magog said, the memories of those past lives have faded over time. However, I can still access them if I really want to. It’s just that this life, the life I live right now as Nerita, mainly occupies my thoughts.

The feelings attached to the memories from my past lives don’t fade, however. They continue unabated, adding strength and joy to the union I share with Magog.

Right now, I’m standing inside of a flimsy but opaque beach hut smoothing out the folds of my matrimonial gown. Apparently Vakutan brides typically wear red, not white, but I want to honor the human tradition, too.

Besidess, as I like to tease Magog, he’s not completely Vakutan. He lived two other lives before this one as a Drokan and an Ishani. I suppose he almost lived four lives. He was a Reaper, albeit for a short period of time.

My dress fits tight around the bodice, but flares out past the hips into a diaphanous wavy train. Antigrav threads help keep the fabric out of the sand, anc they provide support just where I need it. The material is some kind of alien exotic thread, in a lace pattern that reveals just enough to be sexy while concealing enough to almost be demure. Almost.

I didn’t go overboard on cosmetics, because this is a beach wedding and I don’t want runny mascara or a blurry mess on my face. Maybe it’s silly to primp at all, considering the fact that Magog always says it’s my soul he loves. What does the body matter?

It matters a lot to me, because I want him to think, through the entire wedding, how much he wants to get me alone and rip this dress right off my body. Maybe our love does transcend time and space, but there’s still something to be said about your man looking at you in just the right way.

“Miss Nerita? It’s time.”

I pull the hut’s flimsy door open and see my flower girl, Jessica, standing there looking like a painting come to life.

“I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, Jessica. You don’t have to call me Miss Nerita. Nerita is fine.”

“Okay…Nerita-is-fine.”

She lets out a giggle that could peel paint, and I roll my eyes.

“I guess I walked right into that one, didn’t I?”

“You sure did! My aunt says that Vakutan like to slay a beast during their wedding ceremony.”

“This isn’t a Vakutan ceremony, it’s, um, an amalgamation, and the only thing Magog will be slaying is a big dish of Alzhon calamari.”

She tilts her head to the side.

“Miss Nerita?”

“Nerita.”

“Nerita-it-is, what does malga nation mean?”

“Well, Jessica, it’s like when you make a big pot of stew. You just throw a bunch of different stuff in and the result is sort of an amalgamation.”

“So you’re doing a bunch of wedding stuff? From different planets?”

“I wouldn’t say a bunch, but close enough.”

A single, almost lonely sounding horn blast sounds across the air. Malar, the Kiphian agriculture expert, has blown his ancestral horn. That’s the signal that it’s almost time to begin my march down the aisle.

“It’s almost time, isn’t it?”

“Yes, Jessica. You’d better go get ready.”

She starts to leave, then pivots on her heel and turns back to face me.

“Nerita? Are you sure you don’t miss having your Daddy walk you down the aisle?”

I give it a moment’s thought, and the first thing that comes to mind is my father passed out face first in the shrimp cocktail.

“Nope. I’ve got all the important people here, like you. I don’t miss a thing.”

It’s a little bit of a white lie. Of course I miss the opportunity to have my father walk me down the aisle. But that’s what I miss, the opportunity. Not my specific father-person doing the actual walk down the aisle. That’s not something I would ever want.

Besides, I had two good fathers, at least for a while, when I lived my other lives. It’s probably selfish to bitch about this one, especially since I get to live and start a family with my fated mate.

I feel like an idiot for naysaying jalshagar bonds for all those years. The bond is real, and perfect. But even if I didn’t have the jalshagar bond, I feel like Magog and I would have fallen in love anyway. His delightful wide-eyed enjoyment of the galaxy, being a relative newborn is nicely balanced by the wisdom of his past lives. It’s like the best of both worlds.

Jessica’s aunt motions her over. Time for the flower girl to do her job. I take a deep breath and await my cue. It feels claustrophobic inside of the hut. I just want to see my love again. We’ve been apart for the last week, just to increase the anticipation of tonight.

I almost trip over my own feet as I make my way on shaky legs from the hut to the aisle. Tropical hard shelled fruits form the aisle itself. The guests are seated in floating antigrav chairs, which means they can all turn as one when I hit the aisle.

Everyone's eyes fall on me. It’s a heady feeling. I’ve never really had this experience before. I guess I’ve always considered myself a Plain Jane, but the genuine appreciation in the eyes of our friends touches me deeply. I struggle not to cry, smiling instead as I turn my attention to the end of the aisle.

Magog stands there, hands folded in front of him. His red-scaled, ridged face is lit up by the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. His lavender eyes seem to glow with the love of three lifetimes. Even though we’re surrounded by our friends and neighbors, it feels like this moment is just between the two of us.

It takes me a moment to realize I stopped moving when everyone turned to look at me. I smile through the burning shame on my cheeks.

“Hello everyone! Welcome to my party!”

A ripple of laughter rolls through the wedding guests. I make my way toward Magog. Good Heavens, he looks good. Good enough to eat and lick the spoon afterward. No matter what life we led, Magog has always been a freaking stud. Rippling muscles, broad shoulders, and a primal intensity that I find intoxicating.

But this is the best version of Magog. All of his qualities shine through his scarlet scales. This is the man I will spend the rest of my life with. I’m going to have his babies. I feel a tingle down between my legs. Oh yes, lots of babies. I half want to tell everyone to go home and jump on him right here and now.

Judging from the pent up, boiling over anticipation and desire in his purple gaze, Magog feels the same way. When our hands touch, it’s like lightning crackling across my skin, leaving little fires of delight in its wake.

“Don’t try to pretend you haven’t used your cybernetic eye to undress me already,” I say.

He laughs, startling the Kilgari Matron performing our mating ceremony.

“Not I, my love. I would rather let the mystery build until we are alone. Besides, you are lovely to the point of perfection in that dress. Hauntingly beautiful.”

“Aww,” I say, smiling even though I kind of want to cry. “You’re so sweet, Magog. But are you sure you’re not just a little bit curious about what I have on underneath this dress?”

“Perhaps a modicum of curiosity…”

“Ahem,” says the Matron.

“Sorry. Please, don’t let us cramp your style.”

I nod at her sheepishly. She smiles with understanding.

“I was young once, too. Millenia ago, but I really was. Now, let me see if I can remember how this goes… Ahem. A Jalshagar is sometimes called a fated mate, but that is a gross oversimplification. In the Kilgari tongue, it means ‘two bodies with one soul.’ Nothing makes me happier than acknowledging and celebrating the union of two beautiful souls like Magog and Nerita.”

She lifts her hands to the air, and many of the wedding guests, at least those who follow the precursors, follow suit.

“These souls were first bound as one in the fiery hell pits of Horus IV. But they overcame that darkness, and found their way to the light. And they did not come alone.”

She smiles and gestures to the gallery.

“Many of you in attendance today owe your lives directly to the actions of these brave, compassionate souls. Their love is no mere infatuation or passing fancy. It is the ultimate embodiment of the Precursor’s will. The embodiment of love. Because the Precursors could have destroyed their enemies, but they chose to follow the path of love and compassion instead. This love, meant to bind the galaxy together as one, is the real gift of jalshagar, the gift of the Precursors.”

I’m not a hugely religious person, but after the experiences I’ve had I have no problem joining the chorus of affirmations from the wedding guests.

“Now, for a more human tradition,” the Matron says with a grin. “You may kiss the bride--”

Magog sweeps me into his arms and presses his warm, wonderful mouth on top of my own. The longing sigh that escapes into his breathy exhalations can’t be heard by the wedding guests, but if they could hear it trust me, they would be utterly scandalized.

“Oh my god, let’s get to the honeymoon already,” I gasp when he finally lets me breathe.

“Not yet, my sweet. But believe me, it is difficult to express patience at the moment.”

From the altar, we basically walk over to the dozens of fire pits cooking up delectable smelling food. I’m starving for some reason, attacking the food with gusto. Magog gives me a knowing look and I sneer at him.

“I”m not pregnant yet,” I say firmly.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“No, but you certainly were thinking it. I’m not pregnant, Magog.”

“Okay,” he says.

“I’m not!”

He chuckles and kisses me again.

“Not yet, but perhaps soon.”

The party rages on, even when the bride and groom take their leave. Magog takes me to a secluded lagoon a few miles from the settlement. A waterfall sparkles in the moonlight, splashing into the crystal clear water. A night bird coos a satisfied song as the water ripples towards the shores of the lagoon.

“This is beautiful.”

“I found it while I was out scouting. I’ve been keeping it a secret until now. “

“I really hope you have a cot or something, because the last time we had sex outdoors I wound up with that pine cone in my--”

“Oh, I can do much better than a cot, my love.”

He claps his hands, and a metal crate appears out of nowhere. It must have been concealed with stealth tech, right beside the lagoon. He stares at the crate, and it begins to unfold and shift with a series of clanks and whirrs.

The crate unfolds methodically into a luxury camp site, complete with comfy bed and mosquito netting, as well as two chairs and a fire pit. I walk over to the bed and undo the mosquito netting, stepping inside.

Magog goes to follow, but I quickly close the translucent curtain. He pauses, confused, until he sees my smile.His smile grows as I strip off the dress and reveal the see through lace undergarments I’ve been keeping as my little secret.

I stick my tongue out playfully, pressing my breasts against the netting. Magog looks like he’s going to explode. I slowly undo the hasp on the bra, then let it slide away.

Magog darts forward and grabs me, not opening the nettint first. He cocoons me inside of its silken embrace. I laugh, and then he kisses me through the fabric. Or tries to. Slowly, I push my face through the opening until skin touches skin.

Electric tingles shoot through my body from the sheer delight of his kiss. He steps fully inside the netting, pulling me in close as his lips drop to my neck. Gasping, I clutch at his ridged head, biting my lower lip as pleasant throbs emanate from my core and spread through the rest of my body.

Everything he does feels magic. His lips brush over the bare skin on my breasts, and I cling to him like a swimmer in a storm-tossed sea.

“Nerita, my Nerita. Mine.”

He suddenly grabs me with renewed ferocity. I squeal with delight as he pins me down on the bed and kisses my belly. His mouth inexorably moves down, until he reaches the translucent barrier of my panties.

Magog’s sharp teeth bite the slightly elastic border, and then he jerks his head to the side. My panties come off in a flash. I yelp at the sudden exposure and the pleasure it brings, then scream as he buries his face between my thighs.

A long, ridged tongue laps up my juices, penetrating me bit by bit. My body is so ready for him it does not take long for him to have the full nine inches of length inside of me. I measured his tongue once when we were drunk.

I grasp his head and hold on as his agile tongue works me from the inside. Meanwhile, his fingers pinch my clit, forming more tension against his interior ministrations. My eyes squeeze shut as the sparks in my brain reach a crescendo. A scream rips out of my body as I rear and buck and writhe beneath him.

Magog lifts his glistening face from between my legs and gives me a hungry growl. Rearing up on his haunches, I see the magnificence of his scaled, ridged cock throbbing and ready to go. I lay back on the bed and spread my legs a bit wider.

My pussy wants to invite him inside, too, convulsing wildly as he pushes his crown through my throbbing folds. I rake my nails down his scaled back as he thrusts into me, moving his body in just the right ways to engender the greatest pleasure. It’s like he knows my body as well as I do. He knows all the right ways to make me feel amazing.

I might be the luckiest woman in the galaxy.

I clamp my legs around his waist and grind against him, desperate to make him cum. I want to feel his seed inside of me. He cries out, his member expelling and throbbing like mad. I suck in a ragged breath and let it out as a chorus of moans and screams. He keeps up the thrusting until we both collapse.

I hug him with all four limbs, burying my face in his shoulder. He holds me tight, petting my hair and panting hard as he regains his wind. It’s moments like these I treasure, almost as much as the crescendo itself.

“I love you, Nerita. Always and forever.”

It takes me several attempts before my flashing brain calms down enough to speak.

“I love you too,” I gasp between heavy pants. “It was worth waiting three lifetimes for a wedding night like this.”

He curls his body up around my own, nestling me against his chest.

“And we are just getting started, my love. Just getting started.”