by M. K. Eidem
Treyvon's arm tightened around her and he pulled her to the side of the path, letting the others pass as Mac led them toward the Crann.
"Jennifer..." he whispered, then captured her lips for a long deep kiss. "Goddess, I love you."
"I love you, too. Do you think we can sneak away without being noticed? I haven't washed the frosting bowl yet."
Treyvon's pants became uncomfortable as his shaft hardened. "Do not tempt me, my Jennifer. Not when there is still so much Liron and I need to discuss."
"So you'll be coming to bed late," she said nibbling her way along his lower lip.
"Unfortunately, yes."
With a heavy sigh, she stopped teasing both of them. "Then I suppose we should join the others and see what other surprises the gairdín has for us."
As they followed the others, they took in all the changes that had occurred in just one day. At this rate, the gairdín would be blooming again in no time. As they walked down the paths, Pontus's sun began to set, and Jen noticed a difference she wasn't sure the others did. "Treyvon..."
"What is it, my Jennifer?"
"The wind."
"What about it?"
"There isn't any." Every night as the sun started to set the wind had always picked up, storm or no storm. Now there was nothing, just a balmy evening perfect for walking in the gairdín with someone you loved.
Treyvon frowned then realized she was right. There wasn't the slightest hint of a breeze, something they'd been fighting since their arrival. Without it, life on Pontus was about to get much easier.
• • • • • •
Several nights later, Jen lay curled up in Treyvon's arms, a contented smile on her lips. She had been right. The rebirth of life on Pontus had spread beyond the walls of the base and now covered nearly half the planet. Liron had stayed several days longer than he'd planned, wanting to witness first-hand the changes taking place on Pontus. He also wanted to enjoy a few more of her Last Meals including her chocolate treats.
She was going to miss him, but she wouldn't miss Spada, who Liron had taken with him. Liron had ordered every Warrior on the base to assemble in the landing area. Then there before his Guard, his Elite Warriors, and all his Ministers who he transmitted the proceedings to, he read the list of Parlan Spada's unworthy acts including his attack on the True Mate of the Supreme Commander. He then stripped Spada of not only his Elite Warrior status, but of all Warrior status. He personally removed every achievement bead in Spada's hair that by now hung so low on his braids that it was as if they were begging to be removed. He then sentenced him to five years on the penal planet. Spada had been led away kicking and screaming.
Liron said nothing of Spada conspiring with the Ganglians and Zaludians to assassinate him. They were still searching transmissions. He wanted to know exactly who was involved in the plot and for how long this evil had been infecting his Empire.
After ending the transmission to the Ministers, Liron bestowed the titles he felt befitted the contribution Jennifer and Mackenzie were making to his people.
Mackenzie was now the Minister of Growth. She would have absolute authority over every planet in how growing things were handled.
Jennifer was now the Supreme Chef. She would be in charge of teaching other Kaliszians how to prepare their food the way she did, whether in person or through recordings.
They would also receive an allotment of credits equal to these titles. It made them very wealthy females who no longer needed to rely on their True Mates to provide for their every need.
"What are you thinking about, my love?" Treyvon murmured, running gentle fingers along her bare back.
"Just the events of the day."
"My True Mate now has more power than me."
Jen snorted at that. "Hardly. You are the Supreme Commander of Kaliszian Defenses. You lead warriors. You protect their families."
"You feed them." Treyvon rolled so she was under him, his forearms taking his weight as his braids fell forward to caress her cheeks. "You make it possible for them to better feed their families. That is more important and more powerful than anything I will ever be able to do."
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Jen wandered along the gairdín path that led to the Earth's solar system, taking in all the changes that had occurred there in the last several moon cycles. She still couldn't believe how many of them there were. Flowers, shrubs, and bushes now bloomed in every shape, size, and color imaginable. Around them, the ground was covered in a low, beautiful plant that reminded her of moss but was light and feathery like the luciferins. There were even some plants that produced small, dark rounds that Mac said were kirsebaer. Jen thought they tasted like tart cherries and couldn't wait until there were enough for her to make a pie.
Entering the open area at the end of the path, she found Mac sitting there. Mac being there wasn't much of a surprise. She'd been spending every moment she could in the gairdín, studying and documenting the plants and their growth.
What was surprising was that she was crying.
Jen was immediately beside her. "Mac, what's wrong. Is it the baby?"
"No," Mac angrily swiped away the tears on her cheeks. "I'm fine."
"Obviously you’re not or you wouldn't be crying."
"It’s just hormones," Mac told her.
"No, it’s not. I know you, Mac. So spill."
Instead of answering, she watched Mac's gaze go to the blue and white stone in the glyph. It still amazed Jen how it seemed to spin and move almost as if it were a living representation of their home.
Home.
"You're homesick," Jen whispered.
"Stupid, isn't it," Mac whispered. "I mean, there's no one there for me now. Well, maybe my mom, but I haven't seen her since she dropped me at my grandpa's and walked away without a backward glance." Her tears started to flow again. "What if I'm like her, Jen."
And here was what was really bothering her friend. "Oh, Mac, there is no way."
"How can you be sure?" Mac's eyes pleaded for her to convince her. "I mean I am her daughter."
"I know because you didn't walk away from me. Someone you barely knew. You could have, and no one would have ever known. You didn't have to climb down that ravine and bring me back to the cave. You could have left me there to die. There would have been more food if you had."
"I could never have done that! I wouldn't have been able to live with myself. You are my friend!"
"I know." Jen put a reassuring hand on hers. "Which is how I know you would never abandon your child."
"My mom didn't used to be that way, you know. She used to love and care for me, but when my dad was killed... she just couldn't go on without him. I never understood that... until now." Mac reached up to touch the beads in her hair. "Not until Nikhil."
"I understand that too, Mac, because of Treyvon. But your mother was still wrong. She should have been holding on tight to the one piece of her husband that she still did have. You. Instead of what she didn't have."
"Like Todd did with your rings."
"Yes. I was right there in front of him, Mac, but he cared more about what was gone."
"We're quite the pair, aren't we?" Mac said laughing.
"A great pair. So, tell me before Nikhil gets here. How are you really feeling?"
"Nikhil's in the Command Center. What makes you think he's coming here?" she frowned at her.
"Because you are crying and you touched your beads. He's going to know you're upset and come running."
As if on cue, they heard heavy footsteps moving quickly down the path and looking to the entrance, they saw Nikhil.
"Mackenzie, what is wrong?" he demanded.
"Nothing. Jen and I were just talking about home."
"Home?" He frowned for a moment then looked to the blue stone. "But you said your home was with me now. Is that no longer truth?"
"Of course it’s truth!" Mac immediately told him. "How could you think it wasn't?"
"Because you are crying for home."<
br />
"No, I'm crying because... well, because I'm with offspring! Your offspring, you big dummy! And no one here really knows what’s going to happen!"
"Mackenzie," Nikhil's voice was gruff with worry and concern. "Everything will be fine."
"You can't know that! What if something happens to our offspring?!! What if I do something wrong?!! What if..."
The growing fear in Mac's words were cut off by Nikhil’s arms going around her and him pulling her into his chest. He lowered his head and murmured reassurances into her ear.
Jen quietly left the couple alone, knowing this was something they had to work out alone. But instead of going back inside, she moved down the Kaliszian path, wishing there was something she could do to help.
She understood Mac's fear. Mac was having the first human-Kaliszian baby. Who knew what would happen. She knew Luol was monitoring Mac closely, but as similar as human and Kaliszian females were, there were still differences. The length of their pregnancies being one. Could Mac's body compensate for that and present a healthy baby? Jen didn't know.
The real problem was that even if they got Mac to Earth there wasn't an OB/GYN there that would know what to do. They needed Luol and an Earth OB/GYN working together to take care of Mac. Goddess, she wished she could make that happen.
• • • • • •
Treyvon was surprised when Liron's face appeared on his screen. He looked worried and tense. Two things Liron rarely revealed.
"What's happened?" Treyvon immediately asked.
"Another Ganglian ship has been intercepted... carrying human females."
"What! Were they...?"
"No, none of them were abused. But the Ganglians did manage to delete all their navigational data, again."
"Daco!"
"Agreed, but we were able to discover a few things and you are not going to like them."
"What?"
"First, the female that was with Emperor Vasteri when he crashed on Pontus was from Earth."
"But..."
Liron just continued. "She was with offspring and because of this, Vasteri was forced to send King Grim to search for her home world. He succeeded and returned with more females."
"They kidnapped them?!!" This time Treyvon would not be interrupted. "Goddess! They've become just like the Ganglians."
"No, they haven't. The females were not abused, and they went through the Joining Ceremony."
"That's not any different," Treyvon argued. "They were still forced to Join with a male."
"No, they weren't, because every one of them requested protection from King Grim and he granted it."
"But... that's not possible. Only a Tornian who already has a female can offer his protection to another female. Even then his current female must agree to it. King Grim has been declared unfit so he doesn't have a female."
"Yes, but it seems one of the females King Grim took from Earth didn't feel that way and allowed Grim to claim her. She agreed to accept the other females. There's more."
"More?"
"Yes, Vasteri's Empress was able to present him with a fit and worthy... female."
"What?" The word barely passed Treyvon's lips.
"You heard correctly, and Grim's female is also with offspring, a female."
"The Great Infection is ending for them too."
"So it would seem. But it might be too late for them, especially as their warriors are demanding compatible females of their own."
"Which is why the ones found on the Ganglian ship weren't abused." Treyvon instantly understood.
"Yes, they were being transported to an outpost on Vesta to sell to Tornian Warriors with enough credits."
"Lord Reeve," Treyvon spat.
"Has been ended. There was an uprising in the Assembly of Lords when the females requested protection. Lord Reeve and Lord Bertos were ended along with their entire Guard and Bertos' female."
"A female was ended?!!" Treyvon found that hard to believe. Tornian females were sacred to the Tornians. They were never punished no matter what they did. They were too vital.
"She attacked the Empress and her female offspring. Grim's female ended her."
"The female… Wray's… she was unharmed?"
Liron understood Treyvon's question and his concern. He knew Treyvon still carried the guilt of being forced to choose between the welfare of his people and that of a single female.
"Yes, and from what my source tells me, she is quite happy with Vasteri."
Treyvon harrumphed his disbelief at that.
"That leads me to our second problem."
"If the Tornians learn we have a ship full of compatible females, they are going to want them," Treyvon said.
"Yes, and if they do, they will also learn about your and Nikhil's True Mates."
"Jennifer is mine!" Treyvon roared. "Mackenzie is Nikhil's."
"Yes, but they are more than that, Treyvon. They are now Kaliszians and we let no one take our females. Not even the Tornians."
Treyvon had to consciously work to control his heaving chest. Just the thought of someone taking his Jennifer from him was unacceptable.
"What are you wanting to do?" he finally asked.
"Right now, nothing."
"Nothing? But what about the other females?"
"They are safe, protected, and being well cared for."
"Where?"
"I ordered them taken to Kalbaugh. Minister Ruskin has been informed and understands the need for secrecy. He will have the appropriate quarters and Healers available for the females. He is also going to make sure the human males are there to reassure the females that they will not be harmed."
"And then?"
"And then we shall see. I cannot return these females to their people without contacting Wray and informing him why. If I do that..."
"They will know we have compatible females."
"Yes, and while Wray was able to subdue one uprising, I don't know if he would be able to with compatible females so close."
"It would mean war."
"Yes. We are at a precarious time, Treyvon. The Tornians have found compatible females, but not enough to satisfy all their warriors. We are starting to be able to grow our own food again, but not enough to feed our people. There are those on both sides that want to take what the other has by force, and because of the Great Infection, there are no longer the strong family bonds that have always prevented such a war."
Treyvon realized what Liron was saying was truth. For there was a time when there would have been no chance of war between the two empires, between any of the empires, because of those family bonds. With them gone...
• • • • • •
Later that night as they shared Last Meal in their quarters, Treyvon told Jennifer about the other females. She listened intently as he explained all the complications that came with them being in the Kaliszian Empire and how things were changing in the Tornian Empire.
"I think Liron's making a mistake sending those women to Kalbaugh. They should be coming here."
"Here?" He frowned down at her. "Why?"
"Because they are going to need other Earth females to talk to. Mac and I have been where they've been. We know what it feels like to be held in those cages on a Ganglian ship. While the guys might be able to help, they are still male and they are going to be leery of them."
"But they are males they know."
"No, they're not. They're just from the same planet. To them they are going to be strangers."
"My warriors would be strangers to them too."
"Yes, but again Mac and I are here and so is Maysa. We can address their fears and show them that they have nothing to fear from your warriors."
"This is the only structure here on Pontus, Jennifer. It doesn't contain enough quarters for them to each have their own."
"Well first, another structure can be built, and second, I don't think they should be separated. They are going to need each other. Mac and I sure did. The area originally used for the survi
vors has been repaired, hasn't it?"
"Yes."
"Then they could be housed there until a new structure can be completed. There are also supplies from Earth here. That will give them something familiar and help them not feel so lost, like there is no chance they can ever go home again."
"They might not be able to, Jennifer, as we still don't know where Earth is."
"But the Tornians do."
"Yes, but I explained why we can't approach them about it. They would want to claim the females."
"Because to them they are unprotected." Jen nodded her understanding.
"Yes."
Jen let her mind turn over everything her True Mate had told her. She understood that he felt there was a real threat to these females if the Tornians found out about them. But they needed to know where Earth was. Not just because she needed to get there and find Kimmy, but because Mac needed a doctor, an Earth doctor. To help her with this pregnancy.
But how could they do that and not endanger those considered unprotected females.
Unprotected....
"Would the Tornians consider Kaliszian True Mates protected?" she asked.
"Yes, as is any male's Ashe."
"And the Tornian Empress, she's the one you gave your blade to when you couldn't offer her your protection?"
"Yes."
"And you’re sure she's from Earth?"
"It is the reason Wray sent Grim to search for it."
"Then you and I need to go and talk to this Emperor and get him to tell us how to get to Earth."
"No! I won't risk you!"
"I won't be at risk," she quickly reassured him. "As your True Mate, I'm a protected female."
Treyvon frowned at this because she was right. "And you think he will just tell us what we want to know? Wray and I are not on the best of terms right now."
"Well I don't think he will want to tell us, but I'm pretty sure his Empress will be able to convince him to."
