“If you are referring to the human term for carrying a child in the womb, then yes, you are pregnant,” Vaette responded in a matter-of-fact tone. The older Tarron woman was the med tech Lyna had been assigned when she’d first arrived in the medical building on the hunter command facility, and had absolutely no sense of humor.

“How is that possible?” Lyna stared at her in disbelief, searching her golden, catlike eyes for any sign that she was joking.

“It was my understanding that adult humans were quite aware of the process of reproduction.” Vaette pursed her thin lips and furrowed her dark brows, then swiped her hand down the front of her blue uniform. Her serious glare easily expressed how convinced she was that Lyna lacked any intelligence. “I can provide you with a virtual from Earth if you…”

Frustrated, Lyna shook her head and interrupted. “I didn’t mean I don’t know how babies, ah, offspring are created.” Even with the high-tech translator implant she’d received before leaving Earth, communicating with other species was oftentimes difficult and led to misunderstandings. “I meant there must be some kind of mistake. Your sensory scanner must be malfunctioning or something.”

Vaette, with her condescending attitude, was the reason Lyna avoided visiting any medical facility anywhere. Even on Earth, she’d refuse to go to a doctor until she felt like she was dying. But after the third night in a row of waking up with extreme nausea and barely making it to the bathing room before she threw up, she’d decided it might be time to seek medical assistance.

Lyna knew the condition couldn’t be attributed to too much drinking. One, she had a solid constitution and could drink most anyone, including the strong, extremely tolerant male hunters, under the table. And two, she’d been to the bar only a couple of times in the last week. Both times, she’d had a single drink with Kel, a close friend and member of the security team she worked on, then headed back to her quarters in the dormitory-style building located within the facility.

Tarron was a hub for visiting dignitaries in the quadrant. She’d lived on the planet long enough to learn that like humans, the different alien species had their own types of illnesses. Since she rarely got sick, Lyna figured she might have contracted some kind of flu or was having a bad reaction to something she ate. She’d headed to medical with the assumption she’d undergo a quick exam, end up with an injection, and be feeling better in no time.

Finding out she had a small life growing inside her hadn’t even made it onto the list of possible problems. Mostly because she’d been confident it couldn’t happen. Before she’d left Earth and ended up on Tarron, she’d signed up to work on Rivean in one of their patrol units. All unmarried women were required to take a yearly shot for birth control. A shot that was supposed to be extremely effective and, by her calculations, should have been good for at least two more months.

“I can assure you there is nothing wrong with our equipment.” Vaette huffed indignantly and crossed her arms.

There was only one man, or male, as they were referred to by the locals, who Lyna had been with since arriving on the planet. The same male who’d stolen her heart the day they met, and the same male who’d perfected every way possible to avoid her.

She’d let her emotions get the best of her and had screwed up, or been screwed, depending on how she viewed the situation—literally. The baby wouldn’t be entirely human. It didn’t present a problem for her, but until she knew all the ramifications of the sperm donor being a Tarron, she wasn’t prepared to share the information with Vaette.

Lyna needed time to decide what she was going to do, and worse, figure out how to inform Dathan he was going to be a father. A fact made more difficult since he’d spent the majority of his time lately finding ways to avoid her.

“Are you listening to me?” Vaette grumbled and shook a small cylinder containing tiny purple pills in front of Lyna’s face. “You must take one of these before sleeping each evening.”

“I’m sorry.” Lyna snapped out of her addled haze. “What are these for?” She stared at the container after Vaette placed it in her hand.

“They will help with the nausea.”

“Are they safe, you know…” Lyna didn’t want to be prescribed something compatible for humans but dangerous for Tarrons.

“If you are asking if the medication will harm a child that is not entirely human, then no. They are universal and quite safe.”

Lyna didn’t bother asking her why she assumed the father wasn’t human. Maybe the scanning unit Vaette used had already provided her with the information. “I can go now, right?” Lyna didn’t wait for Vaette to answer and slid off the table. She stuck the pills into the pants pocket of her uniform, then moved to a nearby chair to tug on her black military-style boots. The facility’s advanced technology made it simple for the technicians and physicians to determine what was wrong without making her change into an overly large gown guaranteed to expose her ass.

Vaette ignored her question and said, “I noticed you arrived alone. Was there a reason your mate did not accompany you?”

Why does she want to know about a mate? Lyna tensed, triggered by the wary warning slithering through her mind, trying to grasp why it would be important, only to have her memory fail her. Alien rules and customs were different, sometimes culturally oriented. Was there a law stating a woman had to be mated in order to have children?