Chapter 15: Conviction

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien/Predator series or any characters and may not follow all customs and cultures found in Alien/Predator movies.

WARNING: Rated MA for intense and graphic sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised. Read at your own risk!

It was silent between us, mostly me waiting for how Mia would respond. All she did was stare with her eyes widened to the max and mouth slightly opened in disbelief. I could hear the hard, fast beating of my heart and feel it pushing against my ribs. After what seemed like forever, her eyes blink a few times. I waited patiently for Mia to say something . . . anything.

"I'm . . . sorry. I didn't know."

I shook my head, letting go of her hands and stepping back. I turned my back to her and took a few steps until I was a safe distance from her. My emotions were wreaking havoc inside me and I feared that I would lose control of them. If that happened, Mia would be in danger to me. I can't let that happen. I looked up to the sky that was decorated with many stars, noting how tranquil they were.

"Now . . . you understand. I feel your pain but had carried such a burden for far too long. You still have a chance to change your course. As for me . . ."I swallowed. "I'm not sure if I'll ever be free."

I closed my eyes and opened my mandibles and inner mouth to the sky, tasting the cool tranquil air. My mind shows the faces of Ni'geria who was the love of my life. Although she died from her injuries, she had fallen with honor and burned so her soul would be freed. But quickly, Ba'kou's face takes over and stares into me. This again. I thought that it would be the same from before . . . that the horrible moment of his death would repeat in my mind over again and I would tremble at the invisible pain that would take over. But then, Ba'kou suddenly smiles as he tilts his head to the side. I pulled my head down but refused to open my eyes as I watched. My son walks to me at a slow but timed pace until he's only a few feet away. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Ba'kou . . . What are you doing?

Still smiling, he reaches for me until his hand presses on my shoulder. I didn't move at all as he inches his face closer, stopping when I could feel his breath brushing against my face.

"It's not your fault, Father. You did everything in your power to protect me. It's time to let this go."

I shook my head in disbelief, hearing him say something like that as if he was much more mature than I. I had no idea if this was my mind trying to trick me into letting my guard down . . . or that this was the first time I told someone about this that wouldn't judge me solely for my actions but rather share the pain I was enduring. Which is it? But I was pulled out of my thoughts when the hand that belonged to Ba'kou not only changed skin texture to something soft and warm. I opened my eyes and Ba'kou was gone, only seeing the trees in front of me back on Earth but the hand was still on my shoulder. Slowly, I turned my head to the side and saw Mia was the one that had her hand on me now. I saw a sincere smile form on her lips as she rubs her smooth palm on my shoulder. I closed my eyes for a few seconds. She feels . . . so good.

"It's not your fault, Daugo. You did everything in your power to protect your son." She pauses. "It's time to let this go."

My mind went in shock when Mia said the exact words that my son used inside me just now. Deja vu? I lowered my head and turned to face her, forcing Mia to let go of my shoulder. I stared into those blue eyes that attracted me from the moment I met and still had their strong grip on me.

"I know. I only wished that things would have turned out differently. That maybe Ba'kou would still be alive if I didn't watch. I guess . . . that maybe . . . I deserved this since I believed I was a monster. I have done things that no one would dare to believe."

I let out what I needed to say and glanced back at Mia, expecting her to say something soft and wise. But what she did next shocked me unexpectedly. In an instant, her expression morphed into one that made me think she got stabbed or shot. If I didn't know any better, I thought that I might have hurt her intentionally.

"Mia?"

I called for her but she turns her back to me. Her shoulders hunch together as if a cold draft made her shudder. Not knowing what I should do, I walked to her and felt the need to reach out to her but my mind said otherwise. To wait for her to respond. I called again but this time, I heard starting to sob softly. That got me over the edge and I went against what my mind was telling, letting my instinct take over. I grabbed her shoulder and spun her around so she was facing me, letting a purr out of my throat. Her head faced down so I couldn't see what her facial expression was.

"Mia . . . What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head gently and lifted her face to me. I could see a small trail of tears dropping from the corner of her eyes. Mia sniffed a little while raising her arm to wipe the tears off.

"No . . . you didn't. I'm just thinking how ironic that someone like me is more familiar to you than any human being on this planet."

She wipes more tears off but stares down at the ground as if she was ashamed. "At least you didn't try to replace your child for your gain."

"What?"

Her last sentence got me confused as to why she said such a thing. Replace your child? I let go of her shoulder but instead moved my hands to hold onto her shoulders. I heard more soft sobs coming from Mia so I purred once more. It did the trick and she stopped crying but what she said gnawed in the back of my head. My curiosity got the best of me and I asked her.

"What are you talking about? Mia?"

I watched as Mia sniffs, taking some time to breathe calmly until she lifted her face to me. The pupils in her blue eyes were enlarged but not out of shock . . . but rather out of fear. What is she afraid of?

She sighs. "I did something terrible. Something that would label me as a monster too."

She looked into my eyes and I nod, following along as she continued. "After Maya's death, I couldn't believe that she was gone . . . or rather . . . I didn't want to believe. When our project was about to shut down after failing to produce a live embryo, I saw it as a way to get back Maya in some form or another. So I . . ."

Mia's voice trembled badly and her gaze looked down once more. I became concerned that she might shut down on me. I brought a hand up to her face, holding her chin gently as her face came back to look at me. I didn't have to say anything to let her know how I felt, letting it through from my eyes and into hers.

It's alright, Mia. You can tell me. Let it go . . . just as you and my son said.

With a swallow, she speaks once more and lets out a sigh.

"So I . . . took my dead daughter's DNA and gave it to Stargazer. I didn't have high expectations that it would succeed but I still hoped."

She lets her lips form into a weak smile but it barely held with her mouth twitching. "But it worked. The hybridization of humans and Yautja succeeded and the embryo grew strong. Eventually, the hybrid was born . . . Anya . . . and I had my baby girl once again. Or at least I thought I did."

With that, my eyes widened in horror and I was glad Mia looked down once more. My mind put the pieces together from when I discovered the Bad Blood's plan to Mia's confession about what she'd done. The fears that I had increased by ten-fold, causing my heart to beat wildly and painfully.

So the hybrid I believed to be dangerous . . . it's the clone of Mia's child!? She sounded lost and desperate but I didn't think she would go to this extreme. I know the loss of a child but this? This is . . . crazy.

I couldn't believe that this was happening. I didn't dare to move a muscle. To hear that the hybrid that I came to destroy is connected to Mia by blood. In definition by Yautja culture, Mia is the mother of the hybrid but also the deed that she committed would be considered heresy. If she was Yautja, she would be deemed a Bad Blood and the sentence would be death. Even anyone associated with one is dishonored or even worse depending on the involvement. But I had a much bigger problem now. The thing that the Council and my late father wanted me to destroy is here and made worse now that I know Mia is directly involved. I shook my head slightly in disbelief.

Should I tell her? Will she understand? Or will she hate me for it?

But then, Mia looks back up but with no smile and more tears streaming down like a river now. Her switching of emotions was giving me a headache but the reason for it was soon revealed once she started talking again.

"But I only made things worse. When she was born, she remained locked in that facility all her life. Being studied for changes or abnormalities, she was trapped. But it didn't stop Traeger from 'speeding up' the process. After not getting anything, he decided that force is necessary."

All of a sudden, Mia rips away from me and power walks towards the edge of the lake. She stares into the horizon where the lake and sky met. I was too confused to follow suit until she fell to her knees hard. Even though her face was away from me, Mia looked so broken . . . so fragile. It was hard to imagine she was the same person I first met when she protected everyone from my wrath. Cautiously, I took tentative steps until I stopped when she spoke.

"They . . . tortured her . . . Beat her to a pulp . . . Starved her . . . Then whipped her so hard that the skin on her back became raw to the touch, made worse when they put the whip on fire next. 'Befitting to the crime' is what Traeger described it. But what crime did she commit to deserve this? Being born into a different circumstance than others? Being a hybrid?"

Mia shook her head as if trying to tell herself that this isn't right. "But then I realized . . . it was me who's paying for it. I watched and did nothing as they tortured her. I might as well tortured her myself. I'm . . . a monster as well."

And then, Mia went into a full-blown cry that screeched into my ears and could be heard throughout the forest and the lake itself. The pain she was showing . . . it struck into my entire being and I couldn't bear it. Mia . . . Unable to keep myself back anymore, I came to Mia's side. I kneeled and pulled her body into mine, wrapping my arms around her shoulders while crossing my legs to hold her in my lab. I pressed my cheek onto the top of her head and let her cry it out on my chest, rubbing my hands gently over her back while I purred. I felt the tears drip down the bare part of my chest, which felt surprisingly hot. Soon, I rocked our bodies for a little bit as her cries started to weaken. I can only wait as she stopped crying altogether but her body trembled weakly.

I looked down at her with her face still buried into my chest. I'm . . . so sorry, Mia.

After what seemed like forever, Mia pulled her face away and took deep breaths for a minute or two. I kept my eyes on her, waiting patiently until she said one word.

"Anya . . ."

That's all I could hear since she started mumbling. All I could do was watch her as she stayed in my arms, noting how warm and soft she was . . . much different than a female Yautja. After a minute, I pressed the bottom of my chin on top of her head, letting my lower mandibles caress her brown-whitish hair. I took a deep breath and said what I felt was the right thing to get her feeling better.

"What's done is done. But you're not alone, Mia. I'm here for you and always will be from this point on."

In an instant, she pulls her head away and looks up with those amazing blue eyes. It's strange but when she cries, the blue color in them becomes more vibrant than before. With my heart beating wildly with each moment, I caressed her cheek with my hand.

"I love you . . . You know that, right?"

Her eyes widened a bit in shock but then soften. In a weird but comforting way, I could feel her heart beating at the same pace as mine. Both of us stared into each other until Mia broke the silence.

"I love you too . . ."

And then, my body moves of its own accord and before I knew it, our mouths connected into a kiss. My body trembled as a tingling sensation rushed throughout when Mia pushed her tongue into my mouth. It gave me the drive to push the boundaries even further and so I did the same with my tongue, battling with hers for dominance. The tusks on my mandibles scraped across her cheeks but she didn't yelp in pain but rather pushed her face even closer to mine. Impatient and driven by carnal desire, I wiggled her body out of her current position whilst still kissing her until she was straddling my waist. Out of instinct, my hips started to grind on hers. All of a sudden, Mia pulls her mouth away only to let out a delicious moan into the sky. I moaned as well, followed by a long purr when she responded with her hips swaying together with my own. My fingers tightened painfully from this new sensation, digging my claws into her back and making her moan even louder when I thought she would cry.

After a minute, she slowly comes back down and looks deeply into my eyes. But this time, they were filled with lust that I didn't think she was capable of accomplishing. My heart raced like a ship's engine ready for takeoff and it caused a familiar sensation between my legs. My cock enlarged to the point that it hurt as it tried to release from my loincloth. Although I wanted it, a part of me was worried about what will come of this. Should I? With Mia?

I understood my hesitation at that moment. Having a lifemate in Yautja society meant that I couldn't mate with anyone else other than my partner to which I've chosen to be with and when one partner dies, the other can never mate again. After Ni'geria's death, I stayed as far away as possible from any female Yautjas who were desperate to have someone, even for the thrill of the moment. I succeeded after a few seasons but now . . . those feelings were back and stronger than ever. I looked deeply into Mia's blue eyes and it was like I was locked in some kind of spell that I couldn't escape . . . or rather didn't want to.

I can't hold back anymore. I need her . . . I want her . . .

It didn't take many words to convey our feelings for each other and what we want. Everything went fast as our mouths connected once more. My hands move across her body until it reaches her upper clothing, feeling her skin on the way. Making quick work, my claws curled at the bottom of her shirt and pulled upward to remove it. Mia helps as well, pulling away from my face to throw her shirt off. Her breasts were covered with another clothing item and I growled in frustration but stopped when our mouths connected again. She reaches behind and unclips something from her back, removing the item and finally exposing her breasts. My breath hitched when I opened my eyes a bit, noting how different and similar they are to female Yautjas. I reached out and felt one hard nipple between my fingers, noting how tough and yet pliable she was. But her reaction was priceless when she moans into my mouth, causing her hips to rock even harder on my own and rubbing against my cock that was throbbing like crazy. I growled and pushed forward until we were laying on the ground with Mia below me.

Our relentless kissing didn't stop, even as I felt her hands scramble along my loincloth, trying to take it off. She got fed up and started clawing at it, desperate to get rid of it. Feeling the same way, I reached down and grabbed to the clipping that kept my loincloth together. With a snap, my loincloth falls off but I rip it out of the way, throwing it to the side. My cock springs from its imprisonment and my body shivers.

Suddenly, both of us stop our ministrations when we pulled away and our eyes made contact. Our erratic breathing matched in pace, filling the silence between us.

She looked so beautiful . . . watching her breasts rise and fall with each breath she took . . . feeling her hands glide across my chest, causing me to close my eyes for a second as I purred. Her blue eyes got even brighter, almost impossible to see her pupils staring into my golden ones.

The pause was excruciating. Both of us thinking too hard about what will become of this if we go for it. I shook my head. Pauk (fuck) this.

I pressed my mouth on her once more and she responded in return. With quick work, my claws clawed at her pants and managed to slip it down her legs. There was another clothing barrier from her womanhood and I grew frustrated. I ripped the side strap and with a quick motion, it was gone and her womanhood was completely exposed to me. Without giving Mia any chance of changing her mind, I grabbed the base of my cock and rubbed the tip on her opening. She gasps softly but then her hands move towards my back, grabbing a fistful of my dreadlocks in the process. That threw me over the edge and I let out a growl, unlike anything I've ever heard. It pushed me over the edge and without hesitation, I grabbed her hips, pulled her up and brought her back down, plunging my cock into her warm, moist core.

Mia throws her head over and screams but I couldn't tell if it was out of pleasure or pain or even both. All I could focus on is how tight she was. Every inch of my cock could feel every bit of her, causing my cock to pulse even stronger. I opened my mandibles and inner mouth in a silent roar and inadvertently pierced my claws into her skin, feeling a warm substance trickling down my fingers. I looked to see that I made puncture wounds into her hips and my eyes widened in concern. I was about to let go when Mia grabs my wrists, refusing to let go. I glanced into her eyes that were filled with pleasure, not the expression I was expecting. She wraps her legs around my waist tightly as her trembling voice calls.

"Don't . . . Please . . ."

Her arms glide to wrap around my neck and before I could protest, she starts to ride me, pulling almost off my cock but brings herself back down. Both of us moaned from the motion but Mia kept going. The pleasure was . . . out of this universe. It was much more different than the many times I've been with Ni'geria. More than . . . well . . . anything.

After a few minutes of Mia taking charge, I let my instinct take over. I grabbed her hips to stop her motion for a bit before I pulled her up and down. Her juices coated my cock and I enjoyed every single moment, making sure to etch it into my memory. Her moans etched me on to go faster and it fueled me with such energy. My thrusts went faster and faster and Mia's moans got louder. She lowers her head back to me, eyes barely showing through slits and drugged with ecstasy.

"Daugo . . ."

She whimpered and I can only respond with a purr and growl mixed, pressing my forehead on her tiny one. I gripped her hips harder, pulling her core down on my cock with brute force. It was only a few moments later that she throws her head back and screams into the air. Her core tightens on my cock and a wave of ecstasy flows between our bodies. Unable to hold myself back any further, I roared with all the breath in my lungs as I let my seed fill her deep inside. Both of us stayed frozen against each other for what seemed like forever until my body became too weak to stay up. I held Mia in my arms as we both fell to the ground.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The stars danced above us as I laid on my back with Mia on top of me. She had fallen asleep after we mates and I stayed still to give her peace. Listening to her breathing, my body felt satisfied and overwhelmed with joy. I started twirling my fingers into her brown hair gently enough that she wouldn't wake.

"What are you doing, Daugo?"

I froze in surprise. "Well . . . making sure you're okay."

"Hmmm."

She lifts her upper half enough so she could press her chin on my sternum with her eyes closed. I continued to comb her hair as she hummed. Seeing her fragile state and how much pain she endured, I couldn't bear to leave her on this miserable planet. At some point, I have to return or risk being a Bad Blood in the eyes of all Yautja. But then, being with an ooman female who has too much connection to the mission along with our intimate moments together . . . either way, it wasn't going to end well.

I closed my eyes and felt a strong conviction grow. One that I haven't felt in such a long time. I opened my eyes once more and stared down at Mia. I can't leave her. I won't!

"Mia?"

"Yes?"

"Come with me."

I felt Mia's body tense as she lifted her head with a look of surprise. "What are you saying?"

I brought my hand to her cheek, holding it gently while feeling the warmth radiating off of her. "I want to take you away from here. Somewhere where you won't have to feel the pain anymore . . . where we can be together."

I let all of my feelings flow into those words. I had nothing to hide from her. I didn't care if I would be considered a Bad Blood and hunted down for the rest of my existence but I couldn't be without her. I didn't want to lose her like Ni'geria and Ba'kou . . . not when I have the power to do something. I studied every feature from her face, eyes, and even her mouth, trying to find anything resembling an answer. Mia remained frozen as if something had shocked her dumb. When it got too long for me, I asked again but I stopped midway when she closed her eyes slowly. My other hand rubs on her bare back, hoping in some way to convince her that it was the right decision to leave. But when she looked back at me and gave her answer, it was the complete opposite.

"Daugo . . . You know if I could, I would go with you anywhere . . . after everything you have done. But I can't abandon Anya . . . not after everything I did to her or rather not do. Besides, I have something important that I need to do."

I wanted to protest against her midway but upon hearing the last part, my mind became intrigued. What important thing? I shifted until I was on my elbow, holding Mia close to ensure she stayed with me.

"What is so important that you have to do?"

She swallowed. "I'm going to free Anya."

I looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Mia sighs, moving her chest away from mine and holding herself above me by her arms. "I won't watch her be tortured for the rest of her life . . . being used as a pawn. I have to get her out of there so she can live her life in peace."

I didn't say anything and she observed what my reaction would be. My inner mouth opened and shut so quickly and my mandibles twitched like someone was shocking me. They might as well have. I calmed myself down and stared into her eyes. From the conviction in them, I knew I wasn't going to win this fight. She was determined to save the hybrid Anya from her prison and I already told myself that I can't abandon her. So . . . what am I going to do? You could help her and if so, she might come with me. I thought about that thoroughly, knowing the consequences would follow. My brother Datho, despite being a part of the Council, couldn't do anything to save me. I would be all alone. What difference does it make? I nodded to myself, knowing what I needed to do.

"Okay. If this is very important to you, then at least let me help."

I thought she would go for the idea of me helping her but she quickly shut me down.

"No. You can't help me."

I growled in frustration. Why won't she let me help her!?

"I don't understand. I can easily get Anya out of there without much effort. I can—"

"I said no!"

The way she spoke harshly, I was completely taken aback. I knew she was stubborn but this? This is a whole new level. As much as I wanted to roar and demand an answer, the anger that I had disappeared when I saw the look of worry in Mia's eyes. I had no idea why she looked like that but it gave me time to calm down. I waited for a few moments until I spoke as calmly as possible.

"Can you tell me why?"

She didn't hesitate to answer. "If you get involved, Stargazer would find another reason to hunt you down. I can't risk putting someone else I love in danger like that. They are a force to be reckoned with."

I was astonished when I heard her saying she can't risk putting me in danger. Who does she think she's talking to? She's need protection . . . not the other way around.

"Mia. I'm more than capable of handling myself with these pauking (fucking) oomans. I can go in and out without any problem."

I thought what I said would convince her but it only made her more determined. "I can't. There's a high risk that they might capture or worse . . . kill you. I've already lost one too many people and put another one in harm's way. I can't go through that again . . . not with you. I love you too much to let that happen. I'm sorry but I need to do this on my own."

Her lips tightened and her eyes went into slits as if concentrating hard to show that she meant it. There was nothing that I could say to her. To know that she worried a lot about me . . . I should have known better. Mia is the type of person who would go beyond her limits to protect those around her. The first day we met is already enough proof of it. Defeated, I sighed and relaxed my body against hers.

"I understand."

Although I admitted defeat, it didn't help to relieve the need to help . . . not even slightly. But at that instant, an idea pops into my head. If I can't help her directly, then maybe I can give her something that would ensure she had the upper hand.

"But can I least give you something?"

She thought for a moment but nods. "Of course. What is it?"

"Well . . . I need to gather things and prepare for them. How much time until you go through with the plan of escape?"

She looked at me a bit confused at the question. She thought for a moment before she spoke. "A month at least. Is that enough time?"

I didn't give it much thought. I knew that if a month is all I get from Mia, I would make sure to finish it long before. Even if she gave me only a week, I would dedicate my time and effort to make sure Mia succeeded with this.

No matter what . . .

I looked deeply into her eyes before I gave my answer.

"That's all the time I need."

Hi Readers!

My apologies for the early posting of this chapter. I forgot that my sister is coming back from Washington D.C. to spend time with us in Cali. Also, I wanted to spend time with my family since my grandfather passed away yesterday. It's a hard time and I want to make sure everyone is okay. But I promised that I would post this chapter so I finished it early and posting it as well. Sorry for the grammar and spelling mistakes you might find but I hope you enjoy this chapter . . . especially the juicy part. Yum :P

A huge revelation from Mia about Anya and how she's being tortured. I couldn't blame Daugo for being shocked and worried about the whole thing but he loves Mia too much to abandon her. Even going as far as giving up everything to be with her. It's funny how Daugo couldn't believe he 'needed' protection as Mia suggested. Must be hilarious to all Yautjas regardless. But with Mia's plan going into action when a month is up, what is Daugo going to do for her? What is he gathering for? And how will it help Mia?

Well . . . it might have more connections to everything that either of them knows yet.

Find out when Chapter 16 comes next Sunday. :)

P.S. Thank you Anonymous-E, Mariah, NeverNeverLady, and HuntressQueen22 for the wonderful reviews on Metamorphosis. I can't wait to read more from all of you.

Anonymous-E: First off, thank you for the heads up on AOV and how I got the chapters mixed up. I fixed it soon after reading your review so I hope all is well. It's getting too complicated so I'm trying to decide if I should hold my AOV account for now. And good info for the next chapters of Respect. It gives me some leg room to twist things interestingly but still keep the structure you recommended. And thank you for the wonderful moment with I'dor. He was an honorable warrior and very wise for his position. He will be missed . . . And I hope you like this chapter *wink*

Mariah: As for I'dor, there might be a story about what happened in between chapters 23 and 24. It would take a lot of chapters if I did that but would be enough for a short story about how she became an Elite, how she met Olgoth and T'uark, and other things. As for how An'tar's proposal, Yautjas love to gossip and listen to things that they shouldn't but there's a certain person that might have started it. Who knows? :)

NeverNeverLady: I can't spoil too much but Yi'stbah being Yi'stbah . . . he's a clever bastard and I think he uses too much energy in making Anya's life miserable. But that will bite him in the face. But good guess :)

HuntressQueen22: You're so right. Yi'stbah is a fucking bastard, which NeverNeverLady agrees as well. Again, I can't spoil too much but it will be a twist. Lol. And welcome back to reading my stories. I missed your words of wisdom :)

Thank you and enjoy! :)))

Reading notes:

Normal = Human speaking English (ooman language)

Bold = Any Yautja speaking English (ooman language)

Bold and Italic = Any Yautja speaking Yautja language