Aliens Hijacked My Heart (Awakened Womb Book 2), page 1
Aliens Hijacked My Heart
Awakened Womb Book 2
Hawke Oakley
Copyright © 2024 by Hawke Oakley
Cover Illustration by Fox Atreides
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Created with Vellum
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Contents
1. Jaeyoung
2. Linn’ar
3. Jaeyoung
4. Linn’ar
5. Jaeyoung
6. Linn’ar
7. Jaeyoung
8. Linn’ar
9. Jaeyoung
10. Linn’ar
11. Jaeyoung
12. Linn’ar
13. Jaeyoung
14. Linn’ar
15. Jaeyoung
16. Linn’ar
17. Jaeyoung
18. Epilogue: Linn’ar
Also by Hawke Oakley
1 / Jaeyoung
As our spacecraft barrelled out of control, there was only one thing on my mind—that our captain was an ignorant, foolish, embarrassing dolt.
Honestly, who crashes their ship because they’re too proud to ask for help from their crew? The absolute gall of some people...
But that was in the past, and I was over it. Mostly. My forgiveness was fostered by the fact that, miraculously, all three crew members walked out of the crash unscathed. Had anyone been injured, I might’ve been less lenient with Levi.
And yet, despite his utter failure as a captain, it was difficult to be truly upset with him. After all, he did recently fall in love with one of the locals and give birth to an alien baby.
Talk about the discovery of the millennium.
If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. But sure enough, Levi swelled up like a beach ball and gave birth to an infant—one with green skin, fangs, and horns. Never in my entire career had I seen such a thing. In fact, forget my career. This had never been documented in all of human history.
It should’ve been biologically impossible for a cisgender male like Levi to give birth. And yet, it happened.
How?
I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wanted to know. I wanted to understand.
“Jaeyoung.”
The voice of my mentor, Fhi’ran, jarred me from my obsessive thoughts. He was a Healer, the Maeleon version of a doctor for the village. His purple scales glinted as he stepped into a beam of sunlight in the den.
Fhi’ran gestured at the table. “You have been sorting the same herbs for the last eon,” he remarked with a hint of amusement.
Embarrassed at my lack of concentration, I put the bundle of herbs aside. “Sorry, Fhi’ran. It won’t happen again.”
But Fhi’ran just nodded gently. “It is all right. If you’re tired, please head home to your den and rest.”
Two months had passed since our crash-landing on Eukaria, and I still wasn’t used to the laid-back nature of the locals. Every waking second of my life on Earth was dictated by stress. My career paths were vicious, competitive, and demanding. People could die if I didn’t do my job correctly—which I actually cared about, unlike some ex-captains I might name...
But things were different on this planet. My daily schedule was structured without being strict. My work was satisfying without being draining. I completed my tasks without a supervisor constantly breathing down my neck, demanding I work harder and faster, put in overtime, work myself to the bone.
And yet, I did that anyway. Old habits were hard to shake. I still wasn’t used to it. Besides, what else was I supposed to do with my time? Relax? That was a riot.
“Jaeyoung,” Fhi’ran said.
He placed a clawed hand on my shoulder and jolted me back to reality for a second time.
“You are tired. Go home.”
I frowned. Fhi’ran’s words weren’t accusatory or dismissive, but I was still sorely disappointed in myself. I hated being anything less than perfect.
“I’m fine. Let me make one last bundle of herbs,” I argued.
Fhi’ran wordlessly gestured to the wooden table that functioned as my workstation. It was overflowing with herb bundles.
“You’ve done enough for today,” Fhi’ran assured me. “Rest now.”
I couldn’t rest. I’d barely earned it. Hell, it was still sunny outside. What was I supposed to do for the rest of the day?
A sleek, dark green head popped into the den. “Hello?”
I turned instinctively. The melodious voice belonged to Linn'ar, one of the local Maeleons. Since I became an assistant in the Healer’s den, he’d developed a habit of visiting every day, asking for one thing or another. At first I assumed he was a hypochondriac, but I was starting to think there were other reasons for his daily drop-ins...
Linn'ar scanned the den, stopping when he saw me. His eyes lit up and the mane of feelers trailing from his neck floated in the air.
“Oh! Hello, Jaeyoung,” he said, as if my presence in the den was a pleasant surprise.
I tried to ignore the stutter in my heartbeat when he said my name. “Hello, Linn’ar. What can I do for you?”
Linn’ar perked up and eagerly opened his mouth to reply when Fhi’ran cut him off.
“Actually, Jaeyoung was just leaving,” Fhi’ran insisted, shooting me a pointed look. “He is done with his tasks for the day.”
Linn’ar’s feelers drooped. “Oh.” The feelers rose back up a second later, as if an idea had struck him. “Then may I walk you home?”
An unusual sensation skittered around my heart. What was this feeling? Anxiety? No, I didn’t feel nervous around Linn’ar. What else could it be?
“Sure,” I agreed.
We left the den together. As I stepped into the sunlight, I glanced over my shoulder, still thinking about the work I’d left behind. Would Fhi’ran do the rest of my tasks for me? That wasn’t fair. They were my responsibility. This never would’ve happened on Earth. I’d spent countless nights hunched over at my lab station, sipping coffee to stay awake while working into the small hours of the morning. Then I’d pass out at my desk for three hours and do it all over again.
Ah, those were the days...
“Something on your mind?” Linn’ar asked.
I wrenched myself back to the present. What was wrong with me today? My usually keen focus was broken, and I kept getting sucked into my winding thoughts.
I glanced at Linn’ar, who observed me closely with bright magenta eyes. His coloration reminded me of the vibrant plant life on this planet. Could it be a form of camouflage? Or was it simply a case of convergent evolution?
As I gazed up at Linn’ar, I found myself deeply intrigued by this handsome specimen. Not in a sexual or romantic way, but a purely scientific one. I wondered if he would ever consent to being studied.
“I was thinking about my own ignorance,” I admitted.
Linn’ar tilted his head. He was much taller than me, and the gesture made him resemble an oversized bird.
“You believe you are ignorant?” he asked.
“I am. It’s a fact. There’s so much I don’t know about Eukaria, about Maeleons, and how they affect us. For example, how did Levi, a human with no biological ability to give birth, have a baby? It shouldn’t be possible. And yet, it occurred.”
“That’s simple,” Linn’ar said, happy to contribute. “It’s because he is Zat’tor’s filum.”
There was that mysterious term again. Filum. It was a Maeleon word, untranslatable by the Interstellar Translation Module attached to my ear.
Soon after we crash-landed on Eukaria, Levi was “claimed” by a Maeleon named Zat’tor. They fell in love, and the possessive feeling was mutual, but it didn’t explain what the word ‘filum’ truly meant. I had a suspicion it might be correlated to Levi’s pregnancy, but with little data, I couldn’t prove my theory. Perhaps now that Levi had settled into his role as Zat’tor’s mate, I could ask him for information.
I turned to Linn’ar. “Thanks for offering to walk me home, but I’m changing course.”
“Where to?”
“I’m going to speak to Levi and Zat’tor.”
Linn’ar clapped his claws together. “Wonderful! I shall accompany you. I’d like to see my sibling, and the baby.”
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. It wouldn’t hurt to have another Maeleon’s perspective, especially one so different than Zat’tor. The more data points, the better.
My eyes raked up and down Linn’ar. He had a slighter build than Zat’tor, but that wasn’t saying much. It was like comparing a weightlifter with a decked-out home gym to a professional bodybuilder. With those powerful muscles and sharp claws, Linn’ar could still crush me like a tin can.
Not that he ever would. Linn’ar was kind, and his presence
My cheeks flushed at the memory.
Anyway, Linn’ar was just being friendly. That was all. From what I knew about Maeleon openness regarding intercourse, it was the polite thing to do. It didn’t reflect the way he felt about me.
Besides, I wasn’t interested in a relationship, human or otherwise. It was a useless distraction from the real love of my life—scientific research.
“All right,” I said to Linn’ar, who perked up. “Let’s go.”
He trailed behind me like my shadow. When we reached Levi and Zat’tor’s den, I saw that their child, Dai’zee, was outside, accompanied by a pair of Maeleons who were apparently babysitting her. All three basked merrily in the sunlight in a form of photosynthesis.
It didn’t surprise me to see other Maeleons looking after Dai’zee. They were a highly social communal species. They took the human saying “it takes a village to raise a child” quite literally.
If Dai’zee was being babysat, did that mean Levi and Zat’tor were up to their usual antics?
I leaned hesitantly towards the door and called, “Hello? Are you both decent?”
There was a long pause, followed by a clamoring sound. I raised a brow.
“Uh. One second,” Levi called back.
I sighed. It was the middle of the day. Was the pair that insatiable in their urges? I wondered if their libidos were both unusually high, or if the phenomenon was related to their bond as filum. One more thing to investigate.
Levi finally appeared at the door. His mussed hair told me everything I needed to know. “Hey, Jaeyoung. What’s up? Aren’t you usually working at this hour?”
“I was dismissed early.”
“That’s great!”
“No, it’s not.” I pulled my notebook out of my pocket. “Do you mind answering a few questions about your relationship with Zat’tor?”
“What? Like, right now?”
“Yes.”
Levi pulled a face. “So you got the rest of the day off work and instead of relaxing, you’re doing this?”
My eye twitched. I realized the concept was incomprehensible to Levi, but not all of us were content to sit around doing nothing all day. Unlike a particular spacecraft-crashing ex-captain, I took my job seriously.
“This is relaxing to me,” I insisted. Pressing pencil to paper, I cleared my throat and asked, “When did you first notice physiological changes after meeting Zat’tor?”
Levi blinked a few times, then frowned. “What is this, a pop quiz?”
“I’m gathering data,” I explained.
“Well, can you do it some other time? I’m kind of busy, if you catch my drift.”
I nodded and scribbled on my notepad. “So, you’re saying you’re too aroused to remember? Interesting.”
“Hey, cut it out!” Levi sputtered. “Don’t write that down.”
“Why not?”
If I didn’t do the research, who would? Not Levi, and certainly not our other human crewmate, Paz. Neither of them were equipped for the task. They lacked the educational background and passion for science.
Levi’s cheeks burned pink. He lowered his voice. “Listen, Jaeyoung. I know you’re my doctor, but I don’t like being treated like a science project.”
“Please consider that you’re the only data point I have,” I pointed out. “If I don’t get the information from you, who else will I get it from?”
Levi shrugged. “I dunno. What about a first-hand account?”
My first instinct was to laugh bluntly, but then I stopped. That option never crossed my mind. As a scientist, I had to examine every possibility, no matter how outlandish.
In a roundabout way, Levi was correct. A single data point wasn’t enough. To delve fully into this research, I required more information.
But could I really experience it myself? Pregnancy was no small feat. Pregnancy with an alien was a whole other ballgame.
And yet, once the seed was planted in my mind, I couldn’t let it go. The temptation of knowledge was too alluring.
“You’re right, Levi,” I said, packing up my notebook.
“I am?”
“A first-hand account would be more valuable than pestering you for information,” I agreed. “But I need to plan and consider all possibilities before I dive in.”
“Right,” Levi said slowly. “Well, I’m all for whatever you decide. Can I go back to, uh—”
I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. “Yes, go back to your hedonistic pleasures.”
Before he could argue that his afternoon activity wasn’t sex when it clearly was, I turned around and left.
“Gah!”
The little voice stopped me in my tracks.
Behind me were the two Maeleons babysitting Dai’zee and the infant Maeleon herself, still lying in the yard. Their eyes were open and they all seemed alert after their photosynthesis-session-slash-nap.
I kneeled in front of Dai’zee and offered her my finger. I’d always been neutral about children, mostly because I never considered having my own, but I enjoyed spending time with ones that belonged to others.
Dai’zee’s eyes caught mine. They were bright green, and so human. She had Levi’s eyes, except more intelligent. I’d trust this infant to pilot a spacecraft over her human father any day.
Dai’zee glanced thoughtfully at my finger, then reached out to grab it with her small green hands.
Suddenly, the truth struck me like an electric jolt.
Gaining the knowledge I desired wouldn’t be as simple as an average lab experiment. If I went through with this, there would be a pregnancy and a baby at the end of the tunnel. I’d be responsible for a tiny, precious life.
Could I handle the duty of bearing and raising a child?
Dai’zee flashed a fang-filled grin at me and giggled before releasing my finger.
I smiled. “Thank you. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
She blew a raspberry.
2 / Linn’ar
When Jaeyoung interacted sweetly with Dai’zee, I realized he was perfect.
Of course, I’d already known that. The first time I laid eyes on him, I was compelled and intrigued beyond anything I’d felt in my whole existence.
He was smart, attractive, and beneath the prickly, sharp-tongued exterior, there was a squishy softness inside of him. I saw it in the way he worked hard to heal others, and the way he cooed at Dai’zee.
I wanted to coax it further out of him.
But would he let me?
When Jaeyoung left to return to his den, I trailed behind him. I couldn’t tell if he realized I was following him or not. He was deep in thought, puzzling out theories and ideas. He always had one foot deep in his research. It was one of his many fascinating qualities. Perhaps Jaeyoung wasn’t the only being who wanted to study the unknown...
As he walked ahead of me, I curiously outstretched my hand, hovering behind his back. What would it feel like to trace the curve of his spine? To feel his soft, smooth human skin beneath my claws? Would he react, or remain stoic and silent?
I remembered the night he unknowingly overdosed on aphrodisiac fruit. He refused my offer of assistance every single time I gave it.
I was distraught all evening. I wished desperately that he’d let me help him—to override his frustration with sweet pleasure.
A flame lit below my belly.
Perhaps it wasn’t too late. Jaeyoung lived here now on Eukaria, and so far, he’d shown no interest in other Maeleons. He was hopelessly dedicated to his work. Oh, how I worried about him... Did he take enough breaks? Did he drink enough water?
Jaeyoung suddenly stopped walking. He turned around with a startled expression.
“Linn’ar?” he asked.
“Yes?”
He paused like he was waiting for me to continue, but he was the one who’d opened up the conversation.
Finally, he stated, “You’re... touching me.”
No, I wasn’t.
Was I?
I raised my hands to prove my innocence. But Jaeyoung raised a brow.
“Not with those,” he said, pointing at his hips.
