Alien Morsels: Short Tales from Zerconian Warrior Series by Sadie Carter

Chapter One
     
    Buzz, buzz, buzz.
    Zoey snuggled deeper into her hiding place. Whoever wanted access to her quarters could bugger off. Or stand there all day if they wanted to waste their time. It made no difference to her so long as they left her alone.
    Her communicator beeped twice in quick succession, indicating the door to her quarters was open. She scowled. What the hell? Didn’t they understand she wanted to be left alone?
    “Go away,” Zoey yelled.
    The beeping stopped, and she sighed with relief. She shifted around on the large pillow, trying to find a comfortable spot. Her back ached, her joints burned and her stomach grumbled noisily. She was hungry, but didn’t want to eat. She was tired, but couldn’t sleep.
    And she was grumpier than the Grinch at Christmas. She sighed. She owed Dex a huge apology after practically snapping his head off this morning. All he’d done was try to cajole her into eating, and she’d hurled insults she didn’t mean to drive him away.
    If it was the old bat again, then she’d better watch out—one more mention about proper baby names, and Zoey would take her handheld and bash—
    “Zoey?”
    Shit. Willa.
    “Zoey, are you in here?” Mila called out.
    Damn. Double assault.
    “Go away,” she repeated. She’d dragged a large, pillow-like cushion, big enough to seat four people comfortably, into what she called her dressing room. With her handheld and Giz for company, she’d been quite happy napping and reading.
    Well, sort of.
    Dex wouldn’t be pleased that she’d moved the pillow. She could always tell him Boris moved it. He was on guard duty today. You know, because she couldn’t be trusted to be on her own.
    Not fair, Zoey. Dex is just concerned. Scared. This is his first child, too.
    Dex’s protective instincts had roared into overdrive since they’d discovered she was pregnant. A guard was now permanently assigned to her, even inside the palace. Here in her quarters was the only place she could find some personal space, even though there was always a guard outside.
    It was getting so bad that she half-expected them to start coming to the bathroom with her. If they wanted to see her pee, that was their problem. But watching a pregnant woman heave herself off the toilet wasn’t a real pretty sight.
    She tugged at her hair in frustration. By the time this baby arrived she would be bald. After snarling at every guard assigned to her, she was now stuck with Boris, Jaxan, or Macon, when Dex wasn’t here. They were the only ones who ignored her snarling and snapping.
    The other guards nearly tripped over themselves trying to make her happy. In Zerconian male eyes, pregnant women should be coddled and protected from every stress.
    “Zoey? Where are you?” Mila asked.
    Damn it. They weren’t going to leave her alone 1 . Mila might appear to be all sweetness and light, but when she set her mind to something, she was like a dog with a bone.
    Her due date, as close as she could figure out, had come and gone. Zerconian women carried their babies for fifteen months. No way could she carry this gymnastic loving ball of energy around for another five months.
    How come this baby had to do all his or her dancing at night? Seriously, 2 a.m. was not a good time to break out the funky chicken dance moves.
    There was never a good time to break out the funky chicken.
    If she had to carry this baby for five more months, it would be enormous. Uh-uh, not happening. There was no way she was pushing a baby the size of a toddler out of her poor hoo-ha.
    “I’m in here.” She reached her hand up and pressed on the pad by the door to open it. She glanced up to see Mila and Willa staring down at her. Damn it. They’d known where she was all along.
    “I don’t want to talk to anyone.”
    “Ah-ha, so that’s why you’re hiding in the closet,” Willa said, snapping her fingers.
    “It’s a dressing room.”
    “And that makes all the difference.” Willa rolled her eyes.
    “I