by Ivy Barrett
Bron laughed softly and stroked her hair. “You scared the shit out of her with what you just said,” Bron predicted. “I’m pod leader. You should have waited until I said it first.”
LeAuntiez scoffed, then kissed her again. “If I waited for Bron to admit he loves you—which he does already—we’d all be old and gray, and still waiting.”
She twisted around and looked up at Bron without dislodging LeAuntiez. She searched his gaze, not brave enough to come right out and ask him.
“Of course I love you,” Bron told her, his voice low and emotion roughened. “I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you curled up on my couch.”
LeAuntiez gently separated their bodies and pulled her up off Bron’s chest. “Is it your intention to accept our claim? If not, what’s holding you back?”
She lowered her gaze to his chest, feeling slightly overwhelmed. “Did you two switch personalities or something? You’re usually the nice one.”
He pressed his hand against her cheek and traced her lips with his thumb. “Fucking your ass was very nice, if you ask me.” His thumb lightly pressed on her jaw, guiding her gaze back to his. “Answer the question.”
“I can’t imagine myself with any other—” She stopped herself and sighed. Why was she being such a coward? They offered her everything she’d ever dreamed of in life: security, affection, happiness, and passion, so much passion. Why should she hesitate?
Because you’ve known them less than a week, her annoying inner voice chimed in.
Yet she could feel what they felt, hear what they thought. They couldn’t lie to her if they wanted to. What could she learn during the coming weeks that she didn’t know right now?
Reinforcing her courage with a deep breath, she lifted her gaze and stared into his eyes. “I’m not sure it’s love yet, but I care about you both deeply. I’m still uncertain because it’s happening so fast.” He started to argue, but she touched his lips with her fingertips. “Relatively soon, I will let you claim me. I just need a little more time.”
Bron pressed against her back, both arms wrapping around her. “It’s instinctual for us to pressure you, but we’ll try not to be assholes about it.”
“And I’ll try to get over my hang-ups as quickly as possible.” With one hand on each of their necks, she kissed Bron and then LeAuntiez. “Now can we go inside?”
With a warm chuckle, LeAuntiez swept her up in his arms and carried her into their house.
* * *
Bron slashed his hand through the holo-display, deactivating his access terminal. His day had barely begun and already he was restless, achy, ready to toss Kyla over his shoulder and take her back home. She sat at the small round table across the office from his desk. She held a digi-sheet while she sipped her morning coffee from a travel mug. LeAuntiez wasn’t willing to share his precious stash of coffee beans with anyone except their mate. And she would be their mate. According to her, it was only a matter of time.
She glanced up and smiled at him, her features so lovely they made his heart pound. “Penny for your thoughts,” she said softly.
It was a silly Earth saying, but he’d heard it before. “I was just thinking how beautiful you are and how lucky we are to have found you.”
“You two are so good for my ego. I just might keep you around.” With another warm smile, she returned her attention to the book she was reading on the flexible screen.
A few minutes later a halfhearted knock drew Bron’s attention to the doorway. He left his door open unless whatever was going on at the time required privacy. Urrya stood there, looking none too pleased.
Bron motioned him forward with a quick curl of his first two fingers. “What’s wrong?”
LeAuntiez’s half-brother was not one to carry tales or overreact to any situation. “The human doctor wants to speak with your mate. I told Nunez to give me the message, but she refused. Is your mate expecting this conversation? Nunez indicated that she was.”
“Oh, shit, I almost forgot.” Kyla set the digi-sheet aside and pushed back from the table so she could stand. “I told her she’d be executed this morning if she didn’t cooperate.”
One corner of Urrya’s mouth curved in an expression he’d obviously learned from LeAuntiez. “Shall I see to that for you? Nunez is one disagreeable female.”
“No. Killing her at this point would be counterproductive. I’ll go see what she’s decided.”
“Not by yourself you won’t.” Bron pushed his chair back and stood, rounding the table to take her hand.
“Your scent is all over her, sir. No one is going to harm your female.”
He was probably right, but Bron wasn’t taking any chances. They left his office together, Urrya walking ahead of Kyla and Bron. “How did you get stuck babysitting Nunez? Don’t your well-placed connections spare you things like that?”
Urrya’s only reaction was an annoyed glare.
Bron chuckled. He was pushing the younger male’s buttons and he knew it. Urrya hated living in the shadow of his legendary half-brother, so he worked hard to prove that he’d earned everything he’d gotten.
“Stop harassing him.” Kyla’s tone snapped with warning and she shot him a disapproving look.
Even Urrya noticed. “I know the chancellor wasn’t serious, ma’am. You don’t need to defend me.”
“You’re LeAuntiez’s brother and that makes you mine. I will defend you if I want to.”
Bron broke out laughing, but Urrya stared at her like she’d grown another head.
“Looks like you’ve inherited a champion, whether you want one or not,” Bron told him. “It’s that damn sardonic smile. Females can’t resist it.”
“I have never smiled at your mate, sir, sardonic or otherwise,” Urrya stressed.
Kyla made a shocked expression, but mischief sparkled in her eyes. “Are you too good to accept assistance from a female? There are words for that. Words like sexist pig.”
Urrya’s confusion turned to concern as he quickly said, “If I have seemed disrespectful, I apologize. It was never my intention—”
“She’s kidding, Urrya. Stop taking everything so seriously.”
“I do not understand females, sir. I find them all confounding.”
Bron slapped him on the back. “Welcome to the universe.”
They stepped out a side door of Protectorate Headquarters into the late morning sun. Urrya pushed his hand through his long dark hair then manifested wings. “I’ll meet you there.”
That was the only warning they got before he jumped into the air and flew away, leaving only the swooshing of his mighty wings.
“They were black,” Kyla whispered, her gaze fixed on the sky.
“His wings?”
“Yes. LeAuntiez’s are like pearls or abalone, but the overall impression is light. Urrya’s wings were much darker, swirls of color on a field of black.”
“Urrya is only half Celestian. It’s surprising he can manifest anything.”
Bron shuttled over to the Elizian. The ship had been in orbit since Nunez’s capture. Bron had notified Kellan of the visit, but Kellan sent his apologies along with an armed escort. They went directly to the detention level and Kyla paused in front of the door leading to the security hub.
Bron shook his head. “I’m coming with you this time.”
Kyla looked impatient, but her tone was respectful when she said, “Nunez opens up more readily when you’re not around.”
Tired of games and manipulation, Bron shrugged. “I’m here to carry out her execution if she doesn’t tell us something useful. I’m supposed to make her uncomfortable.”
“Fine,” Kyla grumbled then strode off down the hall.
Rather than having Nunez transferred to one of the interrogation rooms, they simply went to her holding cell. Bron stayed back a pace, wanting to give Kyla as much time as she needed. An energy barrier separated the two females, but his hand still covered his blaster.
“I was told you’d like to talk,” Kyl
a began. “You better start right now. He’s here to supervise your execution.”
“You’re not going to kill me, so dispense with the melodramatics.” Nunez held up a digi-sheet with a smug little smile. “I’ve recorded detailed explanations of exactly what we did to both Erin and the other females on this device. They were given different formulas, if you weren’t aware. I will give you the information now, and you will provide me with transportation to the Prime Helex star system. You will also transfer five million standard credits into an account under the name of Pamela Hernandez. You will provide whatever documentation I need to assume a life as Pamela Hernandez. And finally, when I am safely delivered to the Prime Helex system, I will tell you how to find my cowardly ex-partner Kniark Zapt.”
Each of her conditions pissed off Bron a little more. Did this bitch actually think she would escape retribution? She belonged to a group who had experimented on potential mates. There was no higher crime. He moved closer to the barrier, gaze narrowed and hostile. “There are a few problems with your plan.” His tone was low and gruff, revealing his agitation. “I don’t have five million credits to give you even if I were willing, which I’m not. I have no assurance that the information you entered into that device is valid, and I have no way of knowing if the location you give will lead me to Zapt or some vacant lot. I will accept your word for nothing, so try again.”
Nunez’s gaze darted to Kyla then back. Nunez was clearly more comfortable with another human. Too damn bad. She’d be dealing with Chancellor Savator today.
“Show the digi-sheet to one of your doctors,” she suggested, “preferably one well versed in genetic manipulation. I assure you the information is valid and complete.”
“What were the formulas designed to do?” Kyla asked, looking almost as hostile as Bron. “You said they were different. How? What were you trying to accomplish?”
“It’s all in my notes.” She held up the digi-sheet with an impatient look.
“My mate told you to explain,” Bron snarled. “That means you explain.”
“Of course.” She flashed a tight-lipped smile then focused on Kyla. “We were trying to make the strippers compatible with as many species as possible. Every Ventori out there was interested in a mate, but none of them could pay.” Her eyes widened as if she suddenly realized to whom she was speaking. She glanced at him, then away. “I’m sorry, Chancellor. Much of what I have to explain will make you angry.”
He was already angry, so damn angry he wanted to strangle her with his bare hands. “I’m aware,” he managed to sneer between clenched teeth. “Continue.”
After a tense nod, she pivoted toward Kyla and seemed to pretend he wasn’t standing there. “The Partonese were our best prospect. They were similar enough to the Ventori that we were sure we could make it work. They also had—”
“Wealth,” Bron finished for her. Unbelievable.
“So the strippers were being prepared for Partonese mates,” Kyla jumped to the end. Her frustration and anger pulsed across their link. “What about Erin?”
Nunez moved closer to the barrier and lowered her voice. If she was hoping he wouldn’t be able to hear her, she was shit out of luck.
“Erin was, or actually is, special. Her genome accepted everything we threw at it. We’d been mutating her DNA for months and every test was a success. If we could figure out why she was so—”
“What are you talking about? We were at the induction center for less than twenty-four hours and you’ve been in custody…” She fell silent as her mind processed the implications. “You discovered this even before we were kidnapped. How… I don’t understand.”
Nunez shook her head, that hateful smirk reappearing. “You really have no idea how big this thing is, do you?”
“That’s why you’re going to tell us, every godsdamn detail!” He punctuated the demand with his fiercest glare.
For the next three hours Nunez regaled them with tales of her exploits in cooperation with former Minister Zapt. Bron allowed her bragging tone and haughty glances, knowing she was dead as soon as she reached the end of her story and therefore her usefulness. Kyla alternated between horror and fury, and they were both too agitated to stand still.
“What else would you like to know?” Nunez concluded.
“I’m sure I’ll have questions, but I’ll start by confirming what you’ve told us thus far.” He motioned to the small break in the energy barrier generally used for food trays. “Pass me the digi-sheet.”
Nunez dropped the flat device onto the floor and pushed it through the barrier with the toe of her shoe. “If the doctor has any questions, I’m happy to answer them.”
Her disingenuous cooperation was even more nauseating than her arrogant demands had been. Without another word, Bron picked up the digi-sheet and left the room. Kyla was half a step behind him.
They dropped her notes off with the medical team aboard the Elizian, then shuttled back to Earth.
Stunned silence filled the shuttle as Kyla and Bron separated facts from half-truths and implications. If half of what Nunez told them was true, Zapt had contacts within every major government on Earth, and he’d been aggressively recruiting planets or displaced societies all over the galaxy. Though each group appeared vastly different at first glance, they all had one commonality—hatred for the Skarilians.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this,” Kyla said as she climbed down the hatchway’s stairs and headed for the back door of their house. This was a bit earlier than they usually returned, but Bron needed some peace and quiet so he could decide their next move.
LeAuntiez joined them about an hour later with takeout from the central kitchen. Kyla quickly dished up the food and they all sat down around the kitchen table, but LeAuntiez immediately questioned their unusually quiet mood.
“Good news or bad?” LeAuntiez began. “I was told you two went somewhere with Urrya, but no one knew where or why.”
“We went to the Elizian again. Nunez was finally ready to talk,” Bron explained.
“And boy, did she ever,” Kyla muttered, then proceeded to recount everything Nunez had said.
Bron added a few things Kyla missed, and LeAuntiez’s eyes grew wider and wider with each fact they revealed. When they finally finished, LeAuntiez just stared at them, shocked beyond words by the information they’d just shared. The evening meal was spread before them, but no one ate. Each was too upset by the implications of what they’d learned.
“If what Nunez told you is true, this has spread far beyond Earth already,” LeAuntiez finally broke the tense silence. “The Partonese alone are a complication we can’t afford. They don’t go looking for fights, but they’re vicious when crossed. There is no way we can fight them and the Skarilians.”
Bron nodded, sharing his pessimism. “Nunez has no reason to lie. Throwing herself on our mercy was her only hope.”
“Do you intend to be merciful?” LeAuntiez sounded doubtful.
“Nunez kidnapped our mate, ran tests on Kyla without her permission, and did worse to Erin and the others. Nunez and Zapt are both dead, they just haven’t realized it yet.”
“We’re still talking about it,” Kyla insisted, drawing LeAuntiez’s attention to her stubborn expression. “If the location Nunez gave us leads to Zapt’s capture, I think we should let her go.”
“And have her round up other victims and start all over again?” Bron shook his head. “Not a chance.”
“I didn’t say let her go on Earth. Dropping her off somewhere remote and primitive would be more of a punishment than death. She’s known nothing but luxury and power her entire life. Death is too easy.”
“If she leads us to Zapt, we’ll talk about it some more.” It was unusual for Bron to compromise on anything. Kyla really did have him wrapped around her finger. He looked at the lovesick expression on LeAuntiez’s face and realized he wasn’t the only one.
“Let me see if I caught everything,” LeAuntiez suggested. “My brain started buzzing abo
ut halfway through your explanation.”
“Understandable. It’s not every day you find out we stumbled onto the most precious resource in the universe, and now we’re going to need to protect it.”
“I don’t think I like being referred to as an ‘it,’” Kyla muttered.
LeAuntiez just smiled and started rattling off the facts Nunez had revealed. “Rhesus, or the D antigen, is a protein found on the surface of the red cells in human blood. This protein is highly toxic, in fact, generally fatal to hybrid fetuses. However, human DNA is remarkably tolerant of manipulation, so without this protein, human females are often able to carry hybrid babies to term.”
“Perfect so far,” Kyla praised.
LeAuntiez didn’t smile, seemed determined to verify the facts before they moved on. “With the Ventori, Rh-negative females require no further modification. Each Ventori male, or pod of males, just needs to locate their best possible match. This is also true with the Straug, the Melmon, and the Vashtee.” Kyla just nodded, so LeAuntiez continued. “The next level up, so to speak, contains twenty-some species like the Partonese. For humans to bond with this group, they require minor adjustments to their DNA.”
Kyla nodded, indicated that he’d absorbed everything satisfactorily. “The last level only has one member right now.”
“Erin,” LeAuntiez supplied with a sigh. “Nunez isn’t sure why, but Erin’s genome is even more resilient than usual. Zapt was in the process of figuring out what accounts for this unusual resilience and attempting to replicate it when Fortar pod intervened. Does that about sum it up?”
“You got it,” Kyla said with a tight smile.
Bron tapped his finger against his lower lip, staring off into the distance. The review had made him even more determined to dismantle this network before anyone else was hurt. Or sold to the highest bidder. “If I know Zapt—and unfortunately I do—he’ll die before he reveals his off-world contacts and Nunez insisted she didn’t know any of their names or contact information.”
“Do you believe her?” LeAuntiez asked Kyla.
