“So this is our plan then? It should work, right?” Excitement was evident in Poppy’s voice as she quickly scanned to where their signatures were. It felt as if she had signed these forms eons ago instead of just a few short weeks.
“Yes,” Val said with a relieved sigh.
“Well then, why did you want to talk in private?” Did Val have suspicions about the other warriors that were with Wheaton?
“Thorne is on the Council….and the Council members are the ones that are pushing for the matches to be dissolved, Poppy. Not Earth.” Lowering her voice as if the men had super-hearing, she whispered, “Earth doesn’t really want it known that we made such a massive mistake. We’re still trying to get brides to apply and it’s not going too well. A new anti-alien movement has formed since you left. They’re basically using the same mindset that people used against different races marrying back when blacks and whites first started mingling. It’s hugely racist but gathering a lot of followers and the protests are a huge deterrent to anyone even coming in and filling out our forms. The Intake Centers have had bomb threats almost daily and the protesters have gotten violent toward anyone entering the building. We have even had our cleaning people threatened as they come and go.”
Valerie stood and cast Poppy a questioning glance.
“How well do you know those warriors other than Wheaton? Are they anti-human?” She crossed her arms and said with a huff, “Because let me tell you, there are some pretty anti-human Council members. They tried to stop me from coming up to see you. I couldn’t take the chance of having you come back to Earth since we have more leverage with you still on the ship. Especially considering my loophole, if you had left then they could have claimed that you dissolved the trial period. There are definitely Council members working against us. I just don’t know who yet.”
Poppy thought long and hard on that one. She had met Thorne maybe four or five times, and he had been nice, if not civil toward her. She had originally attributed it to him being a warrior though. Dathrow she had been around more and he seemed very friendly and even eager for his own bride from what she could tell. They hadn’t had much time to talk but from what she could gather Wheaton trusted both of the men.
“I think they’re both friends of Wheaton’s so I would hope they’re on our side. I know Dathrow a little more than Thorne but overall I don’t know. They’re both polite to me and haven’t said anything outright about my being here. If I had to assume, Dathrow is more trustworthy than Thorne but that’s only because he has talked to me more. I think I make Thorne a little nervous. He admitted I was the first human he has ever met so it could just be that.”
“Well let’s go lay our cards on the table and see what reaction we get from those big guys. Their faces should tell us whose side they are on.” Valerie strode toward the door, her walk determined.
“Val?” Rushing to catch her before she opened the door, Poppy reached out.
“Yes?”
Poppy pulled her into a massive hug.
“Oomph,” Valerie puffed out, the squeeze of Poppy’s hug taking the breath out of her.
“Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver,” Poppy whispered into Val’s shoulder.
Smiling, Val hugged her, patting her on her back. “Poppy, I am here for you and only you. No matter what.”
“Well then, let’s go. Time to see who our friends are.” Waving her wrist over the sensor, Poppy went to share their news with Wheaton, who had hopefully been able to weasel some info out of the other two while she and Val had been planning.
* * * * *
Wheaton stood immediately when Poppy and Val reentered the room. Tugging Poppy into a hug, he breathed her in as if he had been separated from her for days instead of minutes. Talking to his friends, he had realized the situation was indeed more serious than he had originally thought. Knowing that he would not let Poppy go, he was prepared to fight no matter what it took. Dathrow and Thorne had said they would stand by his side when he went against the Council. They both admitted that he had indeed been acting differently since the arrival of his bride. But instead of viewing his change in demeanor as detrimental to his work, they considered it a benefit to their changing society. For too long, the Phaeton race had been in an emotionless cycle. Simply cloning new warriors so they did not die out but not making any advances in their own society. Existing just to simply exist had become their daily lives. Wheaton saw nothing wrong with his change and neither did the men who were here to help him.
“Thorne and Dathrow are on our side but there are Council members who oppose our union,” he whispered into her hair.
Hugging him back and resting her cheek on his chest, she whispered back, “I think Val has found a loophole. Don’t worry, big guy. I’m not going back without a fight either, and she’s in our corner.”
Leaning back from the hug, he cast a glance at Val in confusion.
“She’s not in the corner, Poppy. She is standing in the center of the room,” he said very matter-of-factly.
“It’s a figure of speech, you goof. I meant that she’s on our side and she’ll help me stay,” she said, her words coming with a smile.
Still holding her to his chest, he turned his head to address Val. “Thank you for covering our corner, Valerie. It is much appreciated. We will not let them take her.” He had only met Valerie a few times but if she was willing to fight for them then he would owe her for the rest of his life.
Valerie tried to hide a smile at his words and nodded.
“Okay, fellas, here’s the game plan.” She had the contract in her hand and sat on the couch while setting it on the table in front of her. “I’ll go over with you what I proposed to Poppy. I think we have a shot at making this work.”
The men crowded around Valerie to see what she was pointing to. Going over the fine print of the contract with the warriors, Valerie seemed to make allies out of both Thorne and Dathrow. After listening to her explaining the ins and outs, they all leaned back except Thorne.
“Let’s not discount the sway that Demascus has upon the Council just yet. He is starting to lean toward the Verge in ideals lately when it comes to Council voting. He was completely against the Bridal Pact when it was originally proposed and has since been hunting for ways to make humans seem inferior to the rest of the other Council members,” Thorne said with a sigh.
Poppy glanced around the room and asked, “Who is this Demascus guy, and what the hell is a Verge?”
Thorne and Dathrow nodded to Wheaton as if he needed to be the one explaining things. Wheaton now regretted his decision not to discuss his work with his bride. Like it or not, Poppy was going to get a crash course in Phaeton politics.
“First, Demascus is what you would call an ‘asshole’.” Wheaton paused to make sure he had used the word correctly. At Poppy’s nod he continued. “He opposed Council policy to establish our breeding program. It will help if I explain the Verge first though. The Verge are warriors who decided that cloning was the best solution to our dwindling numbers. They are not only anti-human but anti-breeding with anyone outside the Phaeton races. Years ago, the Council decided to search for species that were compatible and from the onset the Verge has been very vocal against it. Verge warriors believe that our species should not be diluted with lesser traits and remain pure.”
Thorne decided to take that moment to chip in. “According to your history channels, they would be like the man named Hitler and his Nazi warriors, but without the mass murder. The Verge believe our race should be kept pure to the point of insanity. Our science has shown that any additional cloning at this point would be detrimental to our genetics. There is only so much cloning a culture can sustain before negative effects start happening. We have warriors who are smaller than our predecessors. We also noted a loss of our natural abilities and strength. Let us not forget that a race without women causes problems among male warriors for obvious reasons.” He coughed into his fist, seeming embarrassed. A quick glance around the room showed
that everyone got the gist.
“The Verge still trade with the Pleasure Sector but see no reason to find a breeding alternative. That is actually another issue that is negatively affecting our men. Missions to that sector are rotated to accommodate as many warriors as possible. However our race has a higher male population than they are able to serve. We have seen cases of females being sold on the black market and used as sexual slaves to those who can afford to purchase them. We have heard rumblings of the Verge possibly trading in slavery to appease their needs without regard to our laws.”
The men became quiet for a moment, looking grim at the thought. Poppy sat silent, her mind absorbing all this new information. There was still one question that was bothering her though. “Okay, let’s get back to Demascus. What does he have to do with the Verge?” Poppy asked when nobody showed signs of continuing the story.
“Demascus had a clone brother who was the originator, or ‘father’, to the Verge warriors. When the Verge decided to split off from the Phaeton world, we understood their need to do so and respected them. They did not recognize the advances our race needed to make and we did not agree with their ideals. Deciding we wanted no war between warrior brothers, it was a peaceful separation. Many expected Demascus to follow his brother…” Dathrow trailed off and shot Wheaton a glance.
Wheaton nodded at Dathrow, turning toward Poppy.
“What was that about, guys?” Poppy asked, trying to figure out what was going on.
“The Council is comprised of our strongest warriors from each breed. They are what humans would call politicians. The Verge have adopted a similar caste system for their own Council. Demascus would not be automatically guaranteed a Council position with the Verge. A politician of his standing would be unwilling to give up the power he has over our Council. If he defected then he would have to work to regain a position of such importance. We have talked about it and have come to the conclusion that he may have also stayed to sway the Phaeton Council to the Verge way of thinking,” Wheaton said to the women. Looking at the men, he said, “They need to know what we may have ahead of us.”
With a grim nod from Thorne to continue, Wheaton took Poppy’s hand in his again. Holding her hand seemed to calm him and he paused as if he’d take what peace he could for the moment.
“We have no idea how far Demascus’s reach extends. He may have a majority of the Council convinced that the breeding contracts are a bad idea after the matches came back flawed. Most Council members keep quiet when he speaks. Since he has been a member of the Council for years, he holds quite a bit of power…his name alone holds leverage during our meetings. Many are afraid to go against him for fear of retaliation. Those who oppose him generally do so quietly as to not cause trouble for their own standing.”
Noticeably uncomfortable, Wheaton continued on, “When I initially had doubts, Demascus asked quite a few questions. He already had access to your profile and fueled my concerns when it came to how you would fit into being a Councilman’s wife.”
Wheaton cringed, waiting for Poppy to say something. Anything.
Poppy thought for a moment and chewed her bottom lip. She admitted she herself had had the same doubts when she’d found out she’d been matched to a politician. She couldn’t throw stones when she’d been in the same place, could she?
“Why did the Council approve the matching in the first place if he is anti-human and has so much pull?” she asked.
Dathrow chose that moment to share his views. “We have searched for many cycles…years…for a species compatible for breeding mates. Most warriors understand the lack of females cannot go on much longer. We have other species we can mate with but none that we can breed with. And even those are limited. Humans are the closest we have found to match our biology. The discovery of humans was so well received it forced Demascus to maneuver quietly instead of openly opposing the idea. He did not want to be the one who stood in the way of us having women for our own and children from those unions. His opinion was not a popular one on the Council so he remained quiet but warned that the pact with Earth would lead to our downfall. If the pact worked then he would be able to say that he voted in favor of it. If it failed then he could remind members of the concerns he had against it.”
“Ever the politician,” Val said with a wry smile.
“I get it. So how do we go about letting the Council know I’m not going anywhere? This Demascus person has no idea who he is dealing with if he thinks he can bully us for his own agenda.” By this time, Poppy had her hands on her hips and was ready to go to battle.
“I would call for a Council meeting immediately, Wheaton. It would be better for you to call the Council meeting before you are summoned and need to defend yourself,” Thorne said with a nod.
“I agree,” Wheaton said.
Flashing green lights suddenly lit up their bands. The men exchanged startled glances, each of them seeming surprised.
“Ummm, guys, what does that mean?” Valerie asked.
“It means the ship has been called home and we will leave Earth’s orbit immediately,” Wheaton said with a questioning glance at Thorne.
“I was not aware we were going to depart today,” Thorne said with a frown then smiled at Poppy. “However, this means that you will not be able to go to Earth regardless of the Council ruling. We are only able to shuttle between certain distances and the trip home will be too far to transport you back to Earth. Once the ship is mobilized, nothing except mechanical issues will stop our voyage. Our planet is three weeks away according to Earth timetables so we know for certain we now have more time until you can physically leave.”
“Well hell, that’s good to know. Are you still going to call a meeting ASAP or wait a bit?” Poppy asked, relieved that she would have more time regardless of what the Council ruled.
“I am unsure what time ‘ASAP’ is, but I will still call one immediately. It is better to get this taken care of than to continuing worrying about it. Do you feel the same?” Wheaton asked with his brow raised.
“Yep, big guy. Right now my stomach is still turning at the thought of having to leave. I don’t want this hanging over our heads any longer. Call your guys together so we can get this done.” She leaned up to give him a quick kiss, which turned to a slightly longer one once their lips touched.
Valerie clearing her throat was the only thing that stopped the impromptu cuddling Poppy found herself in. Glancing at the three people watching them with varying degrees of smiles on their face, Poppy decided she would be a good hostess and offer them something to drink or eat while they waited for a meeting she was dreading.
Chapter Fifteen
Poppy was relieved when Wheaton said they had a few hours before the Council meeting would start. The extra time gave them an opportunity to go over all the information Val had brought with her. Wheaton needed to go and feel out some of the other members to see who might be allies in case Demascus tried to cause shenanigans during the meeting. According to Valerie, it seemed pretty cut and dried, but Dathrow seemed worried even though he kept his mouth shut. Poppy could tell Wheaton was worried. He kept stroking her hand and had essentially been glued to her side for the last few hours. She had to pry him off her to visit the bathroom and he had been chagrined when he realized where he was following her.
Poppy’s stomach churned as she walked to the Council room. The hallways seemed brighter and longer than ever before. Hoping she didn’t puke in front of everyone was one of the concerns running through her mind. For all her tough talk back in their quarters she was worried she was going to lose her newfound happiness. She had never been one to have amazing luck and she was hoping whatever good juju she had out in the universe would kick in right now.
Thorne, Dathrow and Valerie were all walking ahead of Wheaton and Poppy. She took in the fact that Thorne stayed between the other two at all times, and if her eyes weren’t deceiving her, he had also taken a whiff of Valerie’s hair a couple times along this seemingly endless trek.
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Coming to a set of bright double doors, the group stopped and Wheaton turned to Poppy.
“Poppy, remember that I will not let you go. No matter what you hear today, nothing is going to change that.” Wheaton picked her up into a hard hug. He gazed at her as if he had forever in their future no matter what happened.
“Don’t worry, you two. We will present Valerie’s loophole and this should be over soon,” Dathrow said with an expression that didn’t necessarily seem like he believed what he was saying.
A group of warriors were standing behind a large table inside the Council room. At Wheaton’s entrance, the men turned and revealed the small man who had held their attention. His smarmy looks were exactly what she’d expected when the warriors had described Demascus. She wasn’t disappointed in the villain-like appearance he presented when he introduced himself with a sly smile.
“Well, I should have assumed this meeting had been called by you regarding your human problem.”
Poppy could only describe his approach as a slither as Demascus moved closer. Wheaton managed to keep Poppy by his side but angled himself so he was shielding her slightly.
“Demascus, this is my bride, Poppy.” Keeping a firm arm around her, he motioned to Mr. Smarmypants.
“Poppy, this is Council Member Demascus.”
Without letting go of Wheaton, Poppy stretched out her hand for a handshake out of reflex.
Staring pointedly at her hand, Demascus sniffed and said, “Wheaton, apparently you did not receive the notification that she is not your bride.”
Poppy could see a mean spark in his eyes but didn’t want to say anything yet. Wheaton had explained that usually Council members were the only ones allowed to speak within the room, and she was only to respond if they spoke specifically to her.
Wheaton tightened his grasp around her and said in a very cold voice, “Demascus, we have decided that the alert does not apply to us and since we are both more than happy with our match we are prepared to sign the bridal contract immediately.” He enunciated every syllable so as not to be misunderstood.
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