by Octavia Kore
Gulzar followed the instinctual pull to his mate, opening the door to the room she had been given and fighting the urge to laugh when he realized Kyra had put her in his. Perhaps she had finally let herself see that he and Ky were never going to mate. His little goddess was curled up in the middle of his bed, looking much smaller and more defenseless than he remembered. Her face was shrouded in shadow and he stood there for a moment just watching her.
“Little goddess,” he whispered as he crouched next to the bed.
“Zar?” she breathed in her sleep, turning her face toward him.
A soft rattle worked its way through his crest as the little youngling inside of her called out to him. “Hello, little one.” He placed a hand on her stomach and smiled when he felt the gentle movements in response.
His little goddess looked exhausted, and he knew they had pushed her hard during the journey. Gulzar pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, breathing her in for a moment, calming his nerves.
“Sleep well,” he whispered before ducking out of the room.
Closing the door quietly, Gulzar turned and immediately came face-to-face with Viseer. The older male stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest and Gulzar knew he must have seen him come in.
“You just could not wait for things to settle down, could you?”
“No, I could not.” Gulzar felt like a youngling again, getting caught sneaking out of the house, and he tried not to cower. Viseer had been the only sire he had ever known and even when he was stern he was loving. “I needed to see her.”
“I know.” Viseer nodded.
“Please, do not tell Kyra I came here.”
“If you leave while the guards are distracted, I may even refrain from telling Kyra who crushed her favorite herb plants.”
Gulzar winced. “I am sorry for that.”
“Go now. Be safe.”
“Thank you.” Gulzar moved through the house, going back the way he had come. He needed to find Oshen and let him know what Trakseer was planning.
Chapter 23
Oshen
The light of the twin moons filtered in through one of the small windows of the room he was being held in. They had come to move him from the cell the day after his arrival, but this wasn’t much of an improvement. He was still locked in and they had refused to let him see his mate at all. Mouni seemed to be slowly learning their language, but what he could understand was rough at best.
“Mouni, any progress with the language transference?” Oshen asked as he paced the room. “I need to be able to communicate with them.”
“They seem to be using something that combines elements of a human language and one that has been saved in the archive as ‘the tongue of the gods.’”
Oshen frowned. “A human language? How would they even have access to that?”
“That is still unclear, Meatface. I am continuing to scan the data.”
“Can you connect with the dome, Mouni?”
“Yes.”
“I think it is time to see what the status is on our reinforcements.” He had waited as long as he could in the hopes that he could convince someone to listen to him, but something told him that he was running out of time. He might not have been able to warn humanity, but he was going to do his best not just for his mate but for the people here who knew nothing of the outside world. “Ping Daya.”
“Pinging Daya.”
A few soft beeps followed his AI’s words before he heard the crackle of the connection and his dam appeared on the screen.
“Oshen? Where have you been? We’ve all been worried sick.” Her face was pinched, and she looked like she hadn’t slept in days.
“I’m sorry, Daya. I had no intention of worrying you.” Oshen glanced out the small window in the door to make sure no one was listening. “Did Vog make it back safely? He was supposed to send reinforcements as soon as he made it to the dome.”
His dam’s gaze shifted and she ducked down somewhere dark, speaking in a hushed voice. “We are being monitored, Oshen. The council is refusing to send anyone. We were forbidden from contacting you.”
“For what reason?”
“They claimed they are not willing to risk lives for one alien female, nor will they risk the alliance with the Grutex.”
“My mate is pregnant, Daya!”
“She’s pregnant? Oh…” He saw her smile before her hand flew up to her mouth. “We cannot let them know that yet. They are already talking about an alliance with the Grutex and if they found out about your pup… humans would be taken against their will. Your sire has nearly pulled his hair out trying to talk sense into them.”
“They cannot simply take humans. That is a breach of Galactic Law, of the laws they made!” Oshen growled, rubbing his hand over his face in frustration. “Una herself forbids this sort of madness.”
“The commands of Una no longer seem to matter to them. They have lost faith with everything that has happened. The loss of the triads, the fall in birth rates and matings. Can you really blame them?”
“I have a triad.” Oshen’s gills flared with the confession. He had spent the last few days trying to come to terms with it himself.
“A triad? With who?”
“I suspect it’s the Grutex male who saved Amanda.”
“A Grutex male saved her?”
“There is an entire braxing village of hybrids here. Venium, Grutex, even Sanctus seem to have been interbreeding here for generations. I don’t know much about them because I’ve been locked up—”
“Locked up?” A face incredibly similar to his dam’s appeared on the screen. Her skin was nearly black and it made the gold of her fushori seem almost metallic in contrast. His older sister, Evafyn, was beautiful and deadlier than anyone he had ever met. “Oh, my poor baby brother!”
“You are only a few months older than me.” They had been arguing this for the last thirty-four solars.
“Fear not! I will rescue you, Ambassador.” Evafyn’s wide grin filled the screen.
“That’s enough now,” he heard his sire say before he appeared on the screen. “Send us your location. We will gather Luz and Leif and leave immediately before anyone has time to delay us.”
“Have they treated you well? Are you feeling all right?” Daya asked, her face pinching in concern.
“They have treated me well enough, I suppose.” He looked down at his hands with a frown. “I cannot seem to retract my claws though.”
Daya snorted softly, a grin taking over her lips. “Your sire had the same problem when we were newly mated. He said he felt like a beast in those early days, but this will pass.”
Oshen grunted. He could relate to that more than he cared to admit. Every day, he felt as if he was losing more and more of his control. “I will see you soon, Daya.”
Oshen felt his shoulders sag in relief as Mouni sent his coordinates. It wouldn’t be long now and he would have his mate back in his arms.
Chapter 24
Amanda
“Is ready?” Kythea asked in her fractured English as she tilted her head into the doorway of Amanda’s room. They were getting better at understanding one another, but she couldn’t quite get every word. It seemed like many things just didn’t translate well.
With a little nod of confirmation, Amanda picked up the silky wrap that hung over the back of the chair near the bed, pulling it over her shoulders “Your English is coming along really well. You all are far faster than I could ever hope to be.”
“Blessing,” Kythea said, gesturing at her arm. There was a small mark on the inside of her wrist that reminded Amanda of placement of Oshen’s AI. “Listens. Learns.”
She wasn’t sure what the blessing was exactly, but she was grateful for it all the same. Not being able to communicate with Zar had been frustrating. “Where are we going again? Kyra wasn’t really clear.”
“Food.” She cupped her hands and brought them to her mouth, pretending to chew.
They had been bringing food to her roo
m, but she had struggled to keep anything down. The times she had gone looking for the kitchen to find a snack to settle her stomach, she’d been unable to locate it. She wasn’t sure she had ever seen a house without one. Where did the food come from if they weren’t making it here? She sighed. It seemed like she was about to find out.
Kyra popped her head in. “O Trakseer mas perminei, Kythea!”
“Yes, mitera.” The younger female waved her off, rolling her eyes.
Amanda had figured out that ‘mitera’ was their word for mother and that Kythea was Kyra’s only child. It was something she and Kythea had in common. The incessant tapping of Kyra’s foot told Amanda she was in a hurry and that the two of them needed to get moving.
“I’m good! I’m good! All ready to go,” Amanda told her, but before she could even make it to the door her stomach began to twist and she threw her hand over her mouth, darting for the bathroom. Both women followed, trailing after her like mother hens as they held her hair and rubbed her back in tandem, murmuring to her as she emptied her stomach.
The longer she was stuck here, the more she missed Oshen, the more she missed Jun, the more she worried about Hades. And the longer she was away from Zar, the sicker she seemed to be getting. She was filled with worries and fears that there might be something wrong with the pregnancy. Her baby was growing far faster than any human child, and she worried that it was putting strain on her already weakened body.
When she had finally finished and cleaned herself up, Amanda allowed Kyra to guide her from her room and into the courtyard, where the older woman’s mate, Viseer, was waiting for them. His eyes lit up and he nodded to her before ushering their party through the gate and out into the street. As they walked, they were joined by other families who chatted excitedly with Kyra and Viseer.
The sun was low in the sky, and the dual moons were just starting to rise at the other end of the horizon by the time they made it into what she now knew was the center of the town. The giant statue of the alien deities seemed to glow in the fading light, casting long shadows across the ground in front of it where massive wooden tables had been set out.
Dishes piled high with steaming food lined the tables, and plates sat between pitchers of liquid and baskets of treats that looked similar to bread rolls. Kythea took Amanda’s hand and led her to one of the chairs, encouraging her to sit. Everyone around her seemed to have been waiting just for this moment and began filling chairs all around the circular table, vying for spots as close to her as they could get.
Families of all sizes sat clustered together, some with many children while others had only a handful. She noticed that Kythea’s parents were the only older couple who seemed to have only had one child. Maybe it was because Oshen’s mother had birthed so many, but she found it strange that, in a culture that seemed to revere large families, these two had stopped early on.
“This probably isn’t any of my business, but why didn’t your parents ever have any more children?” she asked quietly when Kyra and Viseer were called aside.
Kythea’s brows pinched together, and it seemed like she was struggling to find the words. “Child, death,” she finally got out.
“Her children die?” Amanda puzzled over her words before it dawned on her what they meant. “She lost the other pregnancies?”
Kythea nodded her head. “Curse.”
“Cursed?” Amanda shook her head. “Sometimes women just can’t carry babies. It isn’t anyone’s fault.” Many women on Earth dealt with miscarriages, her own mother being one of them. It was a horrible and heartbreaking reality, and Amanda felt awful for even bringing it up. “I’m so sorry she went through that.”
Kythea waved her apology away. “Trakseer,” she whispered, looking over Amanda’s shoulder. “Chief.”
She turned to see the rainbow male who she had slapped the first day in the village watching her. “That’s your chief?” Kythea nodded and they both watched as he stood, weaving his way through those that had gathered. His gaze was predatory and set her on edge.
When he reached her seat, he kneeled on the ground at her side, smiling in a way that made her shudder.
“Come…” He tugged at her hand.
“Go where?” She turned to Kyra, who was watching her chief with pursed lips.
“Come.” He took her hand, pulling her after him.
“Wait!” She struggled to keep up, but he didn’t slow down. “Are we going to see my mate?” No answer. “Oshen? Zar?”
He glanced back at her with a frown and shook his head. Well, shit. She didn’t trust this guy as far as she could throw him. When she dug in her heels, he scooped her up in his arms.
“I think you need to put me down right now!” But Trakseer ignored her and turned down the street that led to the temple steps.
Chapter 25
Gulzar
They had moved Oshen from the cells, and it took a few days of sneaking around for Gulzar to finally find where he was now being held. He was making his way there when a familiar voice called out to him.
Ky raced toward him, holding the skirt of her dress as she ran.
“You have to hurry!” She panted, grabbing frantically at his arms.
“What’s wrong?”
“Trakseer! He has taken your mate to the temple. I do not know what he has planned, but I did not like the look in his eyes.”
“My mate?” Gulzar hesitated. “How do you know that?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “I have known you my entire life, brother. The way you looked at her is the same way she looked at you and that other male.”
He didn’t want to have to hide it anymore. “Does Kyra know?”
“Who do you think sent me to look for you?” She clutched his hand and pulled with far more strength than he would have expected from her. “We need to get you blessed.”
Gulzar frowned as he followed. “You know that is forbidden for me.”
“Will you stop talking and move faster? Mitera is delaying Trakseer so that we have time.”
“You would do this for me? You would go against the word of the elders?”
“Just as you would for me.” She gave him a crooked smile over her shoulder. “Mitera gave up her position when she took you in, and I will do the same if it means you are allowed the happiness you deserve.”
“You truly are amazing.”
“I know. Now come on!”
They ran, taking shortcuts they had discovered as children and praying they got there before Trakseer. Bounding up the stone steps and through the doors, Gulzar stared up at the statue before him with uncertainty.
“What if this does not work for me, Ky?”
“I have seen the ceremony done countless times. I know what I am doing.” She moved him where she needed him, taking hold of his arm and placing it within a hollowed-out section at the very back of the statue. “Keep it here. Do not move it.” She placed her hand on the base of the statue, her fushori pulsing to life as she spoke. “Warrior Gulzar, do you swear to follow the way of the goddess?”
“I do.”
“Do you, Gulzar, swear to never use the gifts you are given by the goddess to inflict harm on the innocent?”
“I do.”
“And do you, Gulzar, swear to do your duty to your people by continuing to protect them against the corruptions of outside technology?”
Although his mate seemed to have come from a society with such tech, Gulzar would never allow himself to become reliant on it.
“I do.”
“With the light of the goddess, witnessed by her beloved mates, I proclaim that you are worthy.” Ky’s eyes seemed to glow brighter as she shifted her hand over the stone. Just as he thought to snatch his arm back, Gulzar felt the pain of a sharp sting radiate up his arm. '
“You are blessed,” Ky murmured.
The sound of voices approaching had them both scrambling to find a place to hide as Trakseer rushed into the large hall. Zar peeked his head out, his xines moving almost f
uriously over his shoulders in agitation when he saw his mate in the male’s arms.
The little goddess looked malnourished, as if they hadn’t given her any sustenance in the days they had been apart. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her body shook as if she were exhausted. He almost stepped out into the hall when he noticed how dull and lifeless her eyes had become.
He knew Kyra was doing her best to keep the little goddess comfortable, but something was wrong. Even though she was dressed in their finest clothing and wore a lovely headdress, she looked weak and pale. He reached out to the little one within her, trying to reassure himself. His head tilted curiously when he received two responses.
Two younglings?
Two tiny lives growing within her.
He stood in silence, shocked that he had somehow missed the second, quieter mind that was reaching out to him now. It was tucked just behind the first, a softer, gentler twin to the boisterous spirit that had called to him during the journey. Both were distressed and he desperately wanted to comfort them, to let them know he was nearby.
His little goddess glared at Trakseer as he sat her down on one of the stone benches.
“Rest for a moment while I greet the goddess so that we may converse more easily.” He stepped away from her, placing his hand on Una’s foot, causing a bright blue light to flood the temple. “Goddess, I ask that you use your wisdom to bridge the gap between languages so that we may speak freely.”
“Provide a sample of the unknown language.” The goddess’ voice echoed through the room.
Trakseer reached over, nudging the female gently and a string of words fell from her lips. “Weel yew stap dewing thaat?” She huffed. “Where are Zar and Oshen? I’m getting tired of repeating myself.”
Hearing her clearly, being able to understand her for the first time in his life, made his heart throb. She was looking for him. He had missed the sound of her voice, the way it danced through his mind when she babbled on and on, the way her breath fanned across his exoskeleton when she slept against him, the way she looked at him with warmth in her eyes when he communicated with her younglings.
