Slag: Book Four in the Galaxy Pirates Alien Abduction Romance Series (Shifter) Alana Khan (love letters to the dead .txt) 📖

of the Malee River and had A’Zul drink from it, welcoming him back to his tribe. I was shocked and honored when the male walked directly to me and offered me a ceremonial drink. I’m a fully accepted member of his people now, as is our son.

I think I’ll forever be honored as the female who brought their az’rah back to them after a decade’s absence. For that alone, I’m sure they’d all tolerate me. But it’s more than tolerance. I’m genuinely accepted.

We have the best of both worlds, really. When the pirates need us for a caper, they pick us up and grandma babysits little Bran’Zen.

The caper we just pulled off was the best ever. The last three weeks have been an intricate dance of bait-and-switch, sleight-of-hand, and outright theft with heads of state across two planets and six continents.

“You sure you don’t want your credits?” Thantose asks, cocking his head. This man is mainly concerned with three things in life: loving his mate, protecting his crew, and accumulating credits. I’m certain our lack of interest in money baffles him. I smile wryly when I think about how much money he made on the insurance claim for the damage to his house on Kallion two years ago.

“What would we do with credits on To’mah?” A’Zul asks. “The society runs on barter.”

“Well, it’s all in an account in Bran’Zen’s name. That young male is on his way to becoming very wealthy.”

“That’s kind of you, Thantose,” I tell him. “You never know what he might want to do when he grows up.”

“Perhaps he’ll become a shifter and join our crew.”

“To’Mahns don’t shift until the ceremony on their eighteenth birthday,” A’Zul reminds him.

“Primians live to two-hundred. I’ll be waiting for him.” Thantose winks. “Lower the—”

“Wait!” A’Zul says. “I have a little surprise for our son.”

With that, he strips and hands me his clothes, then shifts into a dreambaby. Just to be ornery, he makes certain to have far more blue coloring than purple. I lift him into my arms, rub his adorable nose with my own, then nod to Thantose who lowers the ramp.

Most of the tribe has already gathered. It’s not every day a space vessel lands near their village. They now know the Ataraxia is not to be feared but instead is bringing their beloved az’rah and his mate home to them. Grandma’s there, holding Bran’Zen in her arms.

“Look at you! Oh my, you’ve gotten so big.” I hurry to my son who looks like a miniature A’Zul —same golden skin, same blue eyes, same warm smile.

“Mama,” he says, opening his arms to me.

“Look what we brought you.” I put A’Zul on the ground and he scampers to his mother’s feet and puts his paws on her legs.

I grab my son, give him kisses and hugs, try to stem the happy tears from falling down my cheeks, and set him on the ground next to his father. He wobbles a bit, but with a little help from me, he stands.

“Dreambaby,” I tell him. “Touch nice.”

He laughs delightedly and touches the cute, furred creature that has walked up to him.

“Make nice.”

He gently pets the velvety soft creature that will turn into his father in just a moment. Except the next shift we see isn’t the dreambaby turning into A’Zul, but my son turning into a dreambaby.

“Holy. Shit,” I say in a not-very-motherly tone.

A’Zul shifts and lifts his furred son into his arms. His eyes are wide, his mouth falls open in surprise.

“You told me it starts at eighteen,” I exclaim. I’m not even sure how I feel. As a mom, I can only think of all the trouble my son will be able to get into if he can shift at will.

“It does. I have no explanation for this.” He says in astonishment as he puts the clothes I hand him back on.

“It might be the combination of human and To’mahn DNA,” I suggest.

I lift my adorable son, who in my opinion has just the right ratio of blue to purple on his ears, feet, and tail. He shifts back into Bran’Zen again and can’t stop laughing in glee.

“Yes. Very funny,” I say. And it is. A’Zul and I had wondered if our son would be able to shift, figuring his half-human DNA would be a liability on that front. We never dreamed it would make him better at it, and without any magic words from the priest.

A’Zul’s mom prepared a feast for the crew, who brought gifts for her. Bittersweet goodbyes are said all around after dinner. After hugs from me to the women, and hearty handshakes and pats on the back between the men, the ship flies off.

A’Zul, Bran’Zen, and I walk to our house. It’s a sturdy wooden structure with enough room for the three of us and an extra bedroom for future expansion.

Bran’Zen falls asleep as soon as we put him in the crib his father made him, and A’Zul and I stand in silence and just watch him sleep.

“Are you happy, mate?” A’Zul asks, his head tipped to the side as he looks at me.

Sometimes I still get that melty feeling when I gaze at him. The swirly, lovey, I could die happy right now feeling knowing this wonderful, beautiful man loves me more than anything in the universe.

“Deliriously so, my mate.”

“Come to bed, Love. I want to play my flute for you and maybe get to work on another baby. I wonder what it would be like if my whole family could fly,” his voice is full of wonder.

“Well, I can’t.” Will I feel left out?

“Of course you can. I’ll put you on my back when I’m in dragon form.”

He grabs my hand and pulls me to our room as I think about how happy I am