by Kyle, Celia
Melissa rubbed her extended belly, staring down at herself somewhat bashfully. “Well… Yes…”
“So, we can let you go home, for now, and you are happy to have a human nurse go with you?”
“Yes,” she grumbled.
Whelon stepped away and Chashan followed, scowl firmly in place. “What are you about here, Whelon?” Chashan whispered furiously. “She needs to stay in the clinic. You know this!”
“I know she will not stay no matter what you say to her.” Whelon whispered back. “She will work herself into an agitated state. She is not at full term yet and we wish for her to reach the full forty weeks.”
“That is exactly my point. I asked you here to help me with the women, not to argue!”
“I’m not arguing with you!” Whelon murmured, intent on net letting Melissa overhear their argument. “I am trying to compromise.”
Chashan rolled his eyes skyward and shook his head. “Fine. I will assign one of the human nurses to her. You better not give me trouble with the others!”
“Where are they? I expected them to be here when I arrived.”
“We had trouble coordinating this afternoon,” Chashan muttered and ran a hand through his hair. “They will be in tomorrow.”
Whelon looked over at Jarek stroking Melissa’s hair, touched by the tenderness the previous war master showed his mate.
“Should I go and get settled in my quarters until then?” Whelon raised his eyebrows. “I assume you secured space for me?”
“We did, of course.” Chashan started walking toward the entrance to the clinic, Whelon by his side. “Why don’t you leave your bag here and we can grab something to eat? I’d like to go over the files with you before the females come in tomorrow. All of them have an extreme possibility of complications due to their enhancements and medical history.”
Whelon nodded with some concern, thinking about the horrible circumstances that had changed the bodies of the other women. He was eager to help in any way possible to ensure the healthy delivery of the dragonlets and the survival of the dams.
Through one of the many windows on the first floor, Whelon spied the long lines of Preor warriors heading into Choosing Station Tau. Even though he was repulsed by what went on during these Choosings, he found himself drifting toward the doorway that would lead to the path to the Choosing station.
“Are you going into the Choosing, Whelon?”
“I have never witnessed a Choosing,” he spoke thoughtfully. “I believe I will take a quick look. I will meet you in the dining hall.”
“Very well. I will get us some food. You won’t be long?”
“No.” Whelon shook his head as he drifted to the door. He was so distracted he barely noticed the others around him as he crossed the concrete walkway to Choosing Station Tau and entered the large building.
As he moved into the main area, a stranger nervousness overtook him. His dragon, always lurking beneath the surface of his skin, practically took control and forced a shift while warming his throat with dragon’s breath. It was almost as if the beast felt threatened by Whelon’s actions, and he had to admit, he felt as if he had reason to be a little anxious. He knew with every scrap of sense in his head that if he had a mate, she wouldn’t be presenting herself to any and all Preor. He also knew he couldn’t leave the Choosing station without fully surrounding himself by the Preor-mate hopefuls. As much as his dragon wished to fly away as fast as his strong wings could take him, it also was desperate to remain.
Drifting through the room, he noticed how the females and Preor warriors seemed scared to approach one another. All the Preor warriors flashed their wings and walked around with their chests puffed out while the women gathered in small groups, pointing and giggling to each other.
If anyone in here was meant to be, the Knowing would be all over this room. Preor would be clamoring and there would be screams of shaa kouva in the air.
He stopped in the middle of the room, turning in a slow circle to observe everything. He drew in long breaths of perfumed air, his dragon rumbling in his chest as he scented his surroundings. Dozens of aromas floated through the space, and if any had been remotely interesting to his beast, he would be experiencing the Knowing already.
You damned old fool, he cursed himself. You convinced yourself not to come and yet here you are. Falling for false hope.
He moved toward the exit, shaking his head to clear it as he left. The cool air from the swiftly falling night emptied his head of fantastical thoughts and he hurried back toward the dining hall to meet up with Chashan.
You need to take your own advice, he told himself crossly. I didn’t come here for a mate. There is nothing for me here.
His dragon growled, low and deep, so strongly that he was surprised to hear the rumble in his human throat. His beast was not appeased, and Whelon knew he would have no peace until he figured out what troubled his other half.
Chapter Five
Far more women were crammed into the small foyer than Sasha expected, the air warm and thick with perfume of every type. Each woman smelled like she had dunked herself in her favorite scent instead of skillfully dabbing her pulse points.
Sasha tried to take a deep breath, but her dress stifled her movements while what little air she inhaled burned her nose. People bumped into her left and right and, even though the space was full, more women were coming in the main doors. And every time new people arrived, the ladies at the front got closer to being squeezed against the entrance to the meeting room.
The warmth of so many bodies crammed together in a small space coupled with the artificial scents rising from the women’s pores made Sasha lightheaded and dizzy. She blinked a few times, hoping to clear her head, but the unsteadiness remained steadfast. A tight band of pain tightened around her temples, throbbing and aching with every heavy beat of her heart. Her vision blurred until all she saw were swaths of color, and she considered leaving the Choosing all together.
Mother will just send you right back in, she thought with defeat. She knew she couldn’t get out of this, no matter what happened.
Unless I run away… Maybe I’ll meet a nice Preor and fly, fly away.
She grinned at herself with that thought. She was still scared to get brainwashed by the aliens, but she was literally crammed between wall and a hard place. She might be willing to take any escape route that opened before her.
Flying sounds pretty nice right now, she considered wistfully, thinking of cold air and screaming winds free of the stench of so many different perfumes. Even though she was against the breeding program, she still thought the Preor were beautiful in the sky.
Sasha put a hand to her temple, the throbbing getting worse by the moment. Her throat was dry, and she would have begged for a glass of water if anyone were around to offer.
We’re stuck in here like cattle! she thought furiously. All of us jammed in here like beasts before the killing chute!
She had meant the thought to be flippant, but it affected her. What if they were just objects to the Preor? Empty wombs, ready to grow their half-breed babies. Sasha shuddered. She was getting sicker by the minute the more she thought about the situation.
She pressed her fingers against her purse, reassured by the feel of the hard edge of her phone deep inside. She wanted to take a few shots of the chaos in this room—it would be a good setup for their piece—but she resisted the impulse. Sure, seeing women pressed together and herded like animals was exactly what they needed. The trouble was, it looked like they weren’t allowed to use their phones and she didn’t want anyone to take the device from her.
Why no phones? Why no press? she thought suspiciously. If it’s all wonderful and harmless, why no records?
She scowled, looking around for some of the winged nightmares so she could direct her hatred at the appropriate parties. A flurry materialized somewhere near the front and she gripped her phone, ready to pull it out for a quick shot. The excitement settled once again and she realized they hadn�
�t yet opened the doors. Two women had simply scuffled over who got to go in first.
Even though this was good footage—the women in this room were certainly sacrificing their dignity—they were still here by their own free will. No Preor were in the area and she certainly couldn’t say the girls were being herded or harmed in any way.
How do I make Mother happy? she thought with some desperation. I need to get proof that this ‘Knowing’ thing is all bullshit, but how?
If some alien mind melding force was at work, she had no idea how to film the phenomenon.
The earpiece her mother insisted she wear suddenly crackled, making Sasha straighten as if it were an electric shock.
“Sasha,” her mother said eagerly. “I think they’ll start letting you in soon. There is movement outside. Get ready.”
Sasha sighed and tried not to cough when she got a mouthful of perfumed air. It was like Jenna’s voice was actually in her head and she doubted she would ever get it out of there.
“Don’t try anything too fancy,” her mother chattered. “Maybe just a shot or two of the big ugly bastards leaning over women. Anything we can spin to make it look like they’re being coerced.”
She tried to ignore her mother’s voice, the tinny sound leaking into her mind and making her headache worsen. This was not the kind of work she did—sneaky, undercover-type stuff. Sasha was used to being on the other side of the camera, laughing and joking and making her audience feel good while she reported the light news. She hated news that made people feel bad. Far too much of that was going around already.
Up ahead, the massive double doors swung open and the murmur of noise in the small space increased sharply as the women’s voices rose in excitement. As the mass of women moved, Sasha let herself be swept up and carried toward the meeting room.
When she spied two Preor standing just inside the doorway searching people as they entered, she panicked and tried to turn away.
Damn. I should have known there would be a media blackout.
She didn’t bother to try and contact her mother. She’d simply tell her later. Disappointment filled her as she realized they’d be able to say that something strange was going on—why else ban devices—but they wouldn’t get the big scoop the station manager hoped for.
When she reached the doors and the two Preor stopped her, she was frightened but fascinated by the vision before her. Their wings almost had a sparkle to them, not just a sheen but something that seemed to glitter in the meeting room’s lighting. The colors were deep and gorgeous, patterning over the membranes of their massive wings.
They easily detected her earpiece and took it as well as her bag with her phone inside. She tried to argue, but the Preor smiled politely and hung her bag with a bunch of others, explaining that such devices were disallowed. They didn’t question her about the earpiece, though, and for that she was grateful. How was she to explain that to them?
Free of her mother’s direct influence for a while, at least, she made a beeline for the snack table as soon as she was granted entrance by the Preor guards. She poured herself a cup of cold punch, downing it quickly before replacing it with another. Her headache immediately receded, and she took a moment to look around the room for the first time.
Two women next to her held hands and giggled excitedly as they watched the Preor gathered on the other side of the room.
It’s almost like the first junior high school dance, Sasha thought wryly. Everyone standing on opposite sides of the room too scared to go over and dance with the opposite sex.
One of the women nearby looked over her shoulder at Sasha. “Hi,” the woman whispered. “Don’t they seem imposing? I was so excited to come but now I’m just nervous.”
Sasha smiled gently. “I know what you mean. They are much taller—bigger—than I thought.”
“I know!” the other woman gushed. “All of them are drop dead gorgeous, too! I hope one of them picks me!”
Sasha moved into the small group of women and joined the conversation. She didn’t have many friends—her mother and career consuming her life—and it was a good feeling to just stand in the small group and talk.
This could be fun, she thought as she looked around the massive room. There’s some fancy finger food coming out over there. Maybe I’ll just stuff myself, have a few drinks, hang out with the ladies, and then beat it back to Mom.
The longer she looked across the room at the Preor, the more fascinated by them she became. What if her mother was wrong? They didn’t look brutal or dangerous. Capable of violence, yes, but they didn’t look like feral beasts just waiting for a chance to pillage and rape. A few of the women spoke about how gentle and sweet the Preor were, and this unsettled her deeply, her stomach twisting with uncertainty the longer she listened.
Does Mother know what she’s talking about? Sasha wondered. It was very much like her mother to make a judgement and run with the opinion without proof. Sasha was disappointed in herself that she had simply swallowed her mother’s views on this without thinking about it for herself and making her own conclusions.
Taking long, slow steps, she gradually made her way around the room. A couple of the women had made it to the center and shyly introduced themselves to the Preor, and Sasha wondered if she should do the same.
Except…
She was suddenly struck by the strangest sensations. At first her stomach dropped, leaving her shaking and unsteady, and then her mouth went dry and her headache returned in full force, pummeling her with a steady barrage of pain.
And in between those aching pulses, her head was full of dragons—wings and scales, fire and wind. It was in her blood, behind her eyes. The beasts consumed every thought, every motion, every part of her. She tried to breathe, but she could only ride the impossible wave that crashed into her chest and spread outward to encase her body.
She didn’t know how she recognized it, but there was no question in her mind…
This is the Knowing.
Chapter Six
Whelon ducked into a back hallway, intent on leaving the “cattle call.” He had barely taken two steps into the corridor behind the meeting room when he hit what felt like a solid wall. Yet nothing stood in his path to halt his departure… Nothing but his inner dragon. It roared and scraped at him, dark claws scratching against his veins while the beast sought to break free.
His dragon was not allowing him to go further away from the meeting room, that was for sure. He struggled against the beast’s desires, flexing and tensing his two-legged form’s muscles in an attempt to leave, but he failed against the dragon’s desires. With a sigh, he turned back to the cattle call, the beast relaxing some when it realized it’d gotten its way. He was tired from his long day both on the ship and then his travels to Earth followed by arguing with Chashan and Jarek over Melissa’s care. The energy of so many beings crammed together in one space made him feel even worse. He ached to get away from these lonely females and Preor warriors.
His dragon seemed intent on sniffing out the females in the meeting room, but he was sure the beast was simply filled with wishful thinking and loneliness-driven hope. He kept it quiet for the most part, but when that part of him wanted freedom, it was difficult to argue. Healer he may be, gentle and caring to his patients, but he was still a dragon at heart.
I’ll just take another turn around them room, he thought. Then I’ll go for a little fly around the tower to stretch my wings and appease the dragon before I find Chashan.
That seemed like an excellent plan and an easy way to appease the beast.
Yet, as he came through the doorway to the meeting room once more, his dragon seemed to roil and twist beneath his skin. All of a sudden, Whelon felt sick and lightheaded, as if he had inhaled or ingested poison, but he had not touched any of the offerings in the room. Panic set in and he quickly examined himself for any injuries or the cause of his surprising illness.
I don’t know what’s going on, but I feel like I’ve been wounded, he thought, gr
imly.
His dragon raged and tore at him, begging for release, but he resisted and was gifted with even more illness for his efforts. He staggered, nearly falling to his knees, and he struggled to find the breath to shout for the other healing master.
As he held his temple and attempted to stay on his feet, images flowed through his mind—a delicate girl with incredibly thick black hair petting a snow-white cat. She was young, very young, her smile innocent and free. The images suddenly twisted and he found the same face, grown to an adult and staring into a mirror—so beautiful but with a pair of sorrowful eyes. There seemed to be a dark shadow over her shoulder and Whelon’s dragon roared, the sound echoing through his mind as it sought to destroy anything that might mar this beauty.
And that’s when it struck him…
It can’t be.
It is. The Knowing!
Now that he recognized the truth of what was happening to him, he fought his dragon, wrestling it into submission with brute force and promises to find their mate. The effort cost him—the beast ached for its other half—and he had to hold his temples as if his brain was in danger of falling out of his head. Eventually he managed to stand upright and stare across the room, searching for the face from his vision.
And there she was. So close. His mate.
By all the stars in the heavens, she was lovely. He had never seen another so beautiful as she. She was tall with long, swelling curves and lean limbs. Her face was both delicate and sharp featured, her eyes wide and a dark, glittering blue. The pink dress she wore was nipped tight around her waist, showing off her full breasts with a dipping neckline.
His dragon surged for a moment, unhappy that so many unmated males could look upon her beauty, which was meant only for him. But he pushed the beast down once again, triumphing over the feral desires of his dragon.
