by Regine Abel
“This conversation is over,” I said, appalled by the gall of the male.
“No, it’s not,”
I recoiled, taking a step back. “Excuse me?”
“Nineteen years ago, I was in this very room, performing my councilor duties when a rabid rhomak went on a rampage on my estate. It attacked my pregnant mate. I wasn’t there to protect her, but my brother was. He put himself between her and that wild pig’s tusks. With much effort, he managed to kill it, earning himself some vicious scars and a permanent limp.”
I crossed my arms over my chest but listened nonetheless.
“When I asked him why he nearly committed suicide to save her, he said because his life wasn’t important. He was Tainted with advanced symptoms. In a few more months, a year at best, he would die. But saving my mate ensured the continuation of my life, of our bloodline, and that our lands remained in our family.”
“Noble of him, but what’s your point?”
“I had the same flippant reaction; grateful, but dismissive. Then my mate told me she wanted to take him as Second Mate. I lost it. We had a huge argument in which she reminded me that by law, she doesn’t need my permission. She was merely doing me a courtesy by informing me of her intentions. It was common practice in Xelhon, yet I felt betrayed and jealous, like I was losing her to him. When our son was born, she put him in my arms and said the only reason either of them was here with me, was because my brother had risked his life to save them. Then she asked how I’ll feel in a few months when I bury my brother because I was too selfish to share her with him, to save him. That’s when I consented to the Second Mating. She didn’t have to wait for my permission. She did it because he still had time and because she loved me. I thank the Goddess every day that I still have my brother by my side.”
“And I’m glad for you. But like I said, this isn’t Xelhon. You had a hard time accepting it when it’s common practice in your district. Could you imagine the scandal if this happened in Xelhan? We’re fighting to better the lives of the Tainted on Xelix Prime. This would cause a setback we would probably never recover from.”
“How wrong you are, son.” He shook his head as if wondering how I was so clueless. “When was the last time a Pearl chose a Tainted? When was a Tainted ever chosen during a Fastening? The only ones that ever participate are those in the last stages of the Taint in a desperate attempt to prolong their lives or save their lands. But until you, it was a fact that only a Prime or a Norm would ever walk away with a mate. You changed this. You don’t understand what you and your mate represent for the Tainted and the power you wield.”
The chime rang, indicating the recess for the medical intervention ended.
“Your family has always been well regarded for the respect you show the Tainted. Your mating and last night’s events have raised you higher in the people’s opinion than you realize. As long as you continue to fight for the greater good of the people, they’ll follow you. And remember son, the one thing that truly matters are the people you come home to every night. Fuck what others think.”
He winked at me with a smirk then walked back into the Chamber. He fucking winked at me! I rubbed both hands on my face and tried to regain my composure before following him in.
* * *
The session resumed with three hours of endless discussions before we reached an agreement. The Council set a housing complex at the disposal of the females, to be prepared and managed by Family Welfare. A joint task force from the military and PD would ensure the females’ security.
Bhek Zirthen would spearhead the diplomatic talks with the Terran government. Mhar Cervhan, as second house of my district, would handle the Avean government. We prepared to wrap up the emergency meeting when I requested permission to address the floor one last time.
“Before we break for the day, I would like to put forth a motion for the next public session. The topic is the enforcement of the minimum wage for Tainted laborers, as stipulated in the Book of Law.”
Zhul waved a dismissive hand at my statement. “The minimum wage was abolished due to the financial crisis that followed the apparition of the Taint. Fair compensation according to means has been unanimously adopted to the benefit of all parties involved.”
“Wrong,” I said, my hands folded on the table. “Minimum wage was not abolished. The addendum to the law merely stated that due to the financial crisis, minimum wage rule could be waived until the financial crisis sufficiently reverted.”
“Many still struggle,” Zhul said with a shrug.
“But most don’t.” I leaned forward. “Yet, the Tainted continue to work for no better than a slave’s wages. Fair compensation was a temporary relief to help business owners remain operational and keep workers employed. It is now time to put it to rest. Those against, have your arguments ready, for mine will be.”
Zhul leveled me with a venomous glare while we filed out of the Chamber. He was one of those who abused the amendment the most even though he was filthy rich. He employed an extremely high number of workers, or rather slaves. If our assumptions about Zhul being the mastermind behind the Blood House were right, his finances would continue to dwindle at an exponential rate, especially if the minimum wage law was reinstated.
Bhek and I were engaged in a casual conversation before heading home when a sudden dizziness hit me. A strange numbness began to spread through my limbs and my heart stuttered. For a moment, I thought I had been poisoned but I had not eaten or drunk anything since entering the Council Hall. Out of the blue, a vicious stabbing pain hit me at the base of the skull.
My nervous system is shutting down.
But then I realized it wasn’t mine. I was feeling the pain as if it was mine, as I had so many years before when the other half of my soul drowned.
Lhor!
Something terrible was happening to Lhor. I hailed Ghan on the com as I ran for the shuttle.
“Ghan,” he responded.
“Lhor is in serious trouble!” I shouted. “Find him now and get Volghan!”
“On it.” I heard him run through the com.
“I’m coming. Don’t you let him die, Ghan. Don’t you dare let him die!” I yelled before ending the call.
And I ran, harder than I had ever run before.
CHAPTER 26
Amalia
Jhola and I were busy baking pastries from Terra, Avea and Xelix Prime. We wanted to make enough so the rescued females could have their pick and some of the warriors could eat as well. I was dying to see them and verify for myself that they were on the mend.
I was especially fond of Shannon. She was a tough, no-nonsense kind of girl. Raised in a poor Terran neighborhood, she learned early on that nothing came for free. She fully intended to rise above the life of squalor her family lived in. She almost succeeded until the corrupt Alien Mating Program agent robbed her of her future.
Selfishly, I hoped Shannon would decide to remain on Xelix Prime and that we could become friends. It was a long shot, though. After what she’d been through, she probably couldn’t see the back of this planet soon enough. But there were so many good males right here who would treat her like a queen if she gave them a chance. Maybe I could hook her up with Ghan. Frowning, I realized I had no idea how she would react to the Taint
I was packing two dozen ryspak and wild berry tortes when the door slammed opened and Ghan’s booming voice shouted Lhor’s name. Startled, Jhola almost dropped a pan of cookies. We exchanged a confused look before I put down everything. I raced after him as he flew up the stairs, his long legs climbing them three by three.
Ghan seemed to know where he was going because as soon as he reached the first landing, he turned right, heading straight for Lhor’s office.
He must be tracking his com.
Ghan rammed his shoulder into the door. It burst open. He paused for half a second as I reached the top of the stairs.
“Fuck,” he muttered, looking down before he rushed into the room.
A cold sense of drea
d washed over me. I could hear Jhola’s feet on the stairs, trying to catch up to us. A keening whimper escaped me as I stood in the doorway, watching Ghan crouch by Lhor’s unconscious form.
“Lhor!” I screamed, rushing to his side.
Ghan carefully turned him on his back, looking for any signs of injury that could explain his current state. Finding none, he leveled me with a sad, defeated look.
“What?” I asked with a sob. “What’s wrong with him? Is it thallium again?”
Lhor’s eyes rolled back, his breathing labored like a fish out of water. Spasms shook his body at random intervals as if he had gotten zapped by an electric charge.
“No, little one,” Ghan said softly. “It’s the Taint claiming him. Lhor is losing the battle.”
“Losing…? What? What do you mean?” My brain refused to acknowledge what I saw. “No. No. That’s not right. Lhor is fine. He was fine at breakfast. No. We’re going to fix this. There must be a shot, something we can give him to make him better. Where’s Minh? What do we give him, Ghan? What do we do?”
I rambled. He kept looking at me with that sad face. I wanted to punch him to make him answer me. I could hear Jhola crying softly behind me. I wanted to punch her too. To tell her to shut up and stop her sniveling. Lhor was fine. He wouldn’t leave me. He couldn’t leave me.
“There’s nothing we can do, little one,” Ghan said, “other than be here with him in his last moment.”
I glared at Ghan with rabid fury.
“Like hell, there’s nothing we can do,” I yelled at him. “Like hell!” I screamed again punching him viciously on the shoulder, once, twice. He took it stoically. I pointed a threatening finger toward him and shouted, “It’s not too late, and I’m not losing him! Now you tell me what the fuck do we do?”
He blinked at me. There was no answer he could give me but my brain wouldn’t accept it. I needed Ghan to tell me it would be okay. That we would save Lhor. He finally nodded and started lifting Lhor in his arms.
“First, let’s make him comfortable,” Ghan said. “I will take him to his bed.”
“O-Okay,” I said, scrambling to my feet.
I ran ahead of him to open Lhor’s bedroom and pulled down the blankets. After Ghan laid him down, I realized Lhor was burning with fever.
“Help me take off his shirt. He’s burning up,” I ordered Ghan. “Jhola, I need fresh water and a wash cloth to help cool him down.”
She whimpered and scampered off. I then directed Ghan to remove Lhor’s boots. I let my gaze roam over his chest and face. His skin was completely black, obsidian. Ghan was right. The Taint had claimed every inch of him. The dark capillaries were no longer visible. They had probably all ruptured by now and the toxin had spread to every subcutaneous nook and cranny, attacking his organs and choking the life out of him.
He needs to drink.
“He needs to drink,” I said, echoing my thoughts.
Ghan nodded in agreement. “He does, but he doesn’t have a mate.”
“Lhor doesn’t need a mate, he has me.”
“Social etiquette dictates…”
“Fuck social etiquette,” I snapped back. “When have I ever given a shit about Xelixian social rules? They’re the reason my mate is dying to begin with!”
“Lhor isn’t your mate. Khel is,” Ghan said in a neutral voice, holding my gaze with an unreadable expression.
I caressed Lhor’s right cheek, trailing down along his neck to rest my palm over his heart. I swallowed hard.
“Lhor is mine,” I said with a slow nod, my eyes roaming over him. “I’m not losing him.” Looking back at Ghan, I asked, “How do I get him to drink?”
“He’s too far gone to drink.”
“Stop telling me shit I don’t want to hear and doesn’t help! You can either help us or get the fuck out!”
“I’m telling you what you need to hear to make the decision you need to make,” he said, expressionless.
“The fucking decision is already made. I want to save my mate!” I flinched at slipping up again, but he just smiled in response. “Now tell me what to do.”
“Go to the fresher and do what you must to get yourself aroused.”
“Excuse me?” I said, dismayed.
“You need to orgasm to release oxytocin into your bloodstream. Then you can pour some of your blood into his mouth. His system will absorb what it needs.”
Heat rushed my cheeks. “I don’t need to do that.” He opened his mouth to argue but I cut him off. “I’m in my season. Minh confirmed my oxytocin levels are extremely high at the moment. We should be good to go. Open his mouth.”
He raised his eyebrow at me but didn’t challenge me. He opened Lhor’s mouth and tilted his head in a way to facilitate him swallowing. Willing the claw of my left index finger to emerge, I cut a narrow slit along the vein on my right forearm and placed it against Lhor’s lips. As per Khel’s orders, I had practiced summoning my claws at will and it had come quite naturally to me.
At first, there was no reaction. Then he instinctively tried to turn away from it. Ghan forced Lhor’s head to remain still. I spoke encouraging words, trying to coax him to drink but he indeed seemed too far gone. He began to choke as I feared might happen. I moved my arm away while Ghan turned him slightly to the side, while Lhor coughed. He recovered after a few seconds, swallowing and licking his lips.
Yes, sweetie! That’s it!
I knelt on the bed next to him, scooting closer as Ghan laid him back down and placed my wrist once more against his lips. Lhor began choking again, and Ghan had to turn him on his side. When he settled down, I noticed a black liquid oozing out of his right ear and streaking down his cheeks from his eyes.
“Ghan…” I said, fear creeping into my voice. “What’s that? What’s happening?”
Ghan recoiled and took a few quick steps away from Lhor. It was the first time I ever saw him express anything akin to fear, and that scared me worse than anything.
“Ghan?”
“The Taint,” he whispered. “The toxin. There’s too much. It has nowhere else to go.”
I’d had enough of this Taint. Too much had been taken from me already. No more! Lhor wasn’t drinking and I needed my blood to get inside him. I needed it to take the fastest route to the Taint and get it the fuck out of him. Without thinking, I unsheathed my claws and raked them across his chest. He barely reacted to the wounds. Blood and toxin poured out of the cuts. I ran the damp cloth over them to remove some of it. Slashing my wrist even more widely, I hissed at the pain before placing it over his chest. I put pressure on my arm to force the blood out faster while moving it along his chest so the dripping blood would spread evenly.
Something happened. As soon as my blood came in contact with his wounds, some bubbling and sizzling occurred, as if a chemical reaction was taking place. I didn’t know if it was good or bad. I was flying blind and cussed Minh to the deepest pits of Gharah’s lair for not being here. The Taint poured out of Lhor’s eyes, ears and nose in a steady stream. Keeping my bleeding wrist over his chest, I grabbed the cloth with my left hand and rinsed it in the fresh water bowl to wipe the toxin from his face.
I was losing him, and I didn’t know what else to do. Ghan now stood five feet away from the bed, staring at Lhor in horror. He was seeing his own impending death. Lhor whimpered and his eyes fluttered.
“Lhor!” I called out, my eyes searching his face for a sign of lucidity or recognition. “Lhor, sweetie, you need to drink! You’re dying and I can’t lose you. Please, baby, drink. Please.” I placed my wrist against his lips once more.
He tried to turn his face away, but I held him still. “Please, Lhor, please. Drink for me. Just a little, please!”
I began to weep, feeling helpless. My vision blurred by tears, I put my hand on his head, caressing the Crihnin on his forehead with my thumb. Not remembering the lyrics since they were Xelixian, I hummed the lullaby Khel sang to me. He said he used to sing it to Lhor when he was sick. If he was going to
die, then I hoped this would give him one last bit of comfort. Seconds later, Jhola’s weeping voice joined in, as she voiced the words I couldn’t. We were in the last verse of the song when Sivh’s voice joined in. Seconds later, I felt it; Lhor’s lips tightening against my wrist and a slight pulling sensation as he started sucking my blood.
“Yes, Lhor,” I cooed, half crying, half laughing. “That’s it, take all you need.”
I caressed his head, whispering words of encouragements as he continued to take small gulps of blood. The toxin oozed out of his eyes and ears in a heavier stream but slowed to a trickle from his nose. I didn’t know if it was a good or bad sign, or worse, if it meant he was swallowing some of it along with my blood. I wiped what I could from his face and asked Jhola for more washcloths and clean water.
“Use your fangs, sweetie,” I whispered to Lhor. “Khel says you have to use your fangs to get the hormones out of my blood.”
For a few more minutes, he continued sucking from my wrist. I started to feel a little dizzy and then I felt a twin sting as his fangs sank into me.
“Yes, Lhor! That’s it. Drink!”
I turned to face Ghan with a wet smile. He blinked at me, still clearly frazzled.
“He’s using his fangs?” he asked.
“Yes!” I said, with a weepy laughter. “He’s going to be fine. I know he is.”
The sound of racing footsteps finally registered in my brain. Khel? No, it was Minh who rushed through the door. He quickly assessed the situation and stood on the other side of Lhor.
“Is he using his fangs?” Minh asked.
“Yes. He started to barely a minute ago. Before he was just sucking blood from my wrist.”
“What’s that?” He pointed at Lhor’s chest.
I gave him a sheepish look. “Lhor was too out of it. He kept choking when we tried to give him my blood, so I cut him and poured the blood directly into the wounds. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do.”
