by Rena Marks
“We couldn’t believe it when your females were discovered. To think, your race only had space travel for about a hundred years. And that you still traveled by freight vessels.”
“We thought we were pretty advanced for our planet.” Joy smiled.
“Each of your females looks different. And yet you are all beautiful. That is a rarity.”
Molli’s smile grew wider. “Thank you. Such a charming man,” she murmured. “Will you be staying long on Hesprii?”
“We are staying a few weeks. Now that the Quakers and Herbasnuts are out of each other’s hair, we have some down time and will use it to take much needed vacations.”
From across the way, children screamed. Titi was poised on top of a roof, her tiny, paper-thin wings extended and ready to fly. Tristan took off like a blast. In one leap, he jumped onto the roof and grabbed the daredevil, yanking her close to his massive chest.
“Titi!” Lara yelled, running up to the small shed. “What are you thinking? You could have been killed.”
“It sounded like a fun idea to live planet life for a while,” Lathet said, his eyes on the scene along with everyone else. “Everyone’s been talking about it. But it seems a bit harder than they think.”
“I think it has its own rewards,” Joy said. “Titi’s just a handful.”
Lara and Tristan dragged Titi back to where the adults were sitting, Tristan holding her next to his massive chest and not letting her go, even as she wriggled and squirmed.
“Aww. Sir!” Titi said.
“Your punishment is to stay stuck to me all evening,” he warned.
“But Titi not going to fly!”
“Why were your wings extended, missy?” Lara asked.
“Titi going to peee!”
“On a roof?!” Lara snapped.
“Yesss?”
Joy turned her attention back to Molli and Lathet.
“Maybe since you know the planet,” he said, “you can show some of us around?”
“I’d love to,” Molli squealed. “And you all can tell me about some of the other planets you’ve visited.”
“We’ve lived our lives in space, visiting trading posts mostly. But I can tell you of other species we’ve met.”
“I’m sure I’d find it fascinating,” Molli said, placing her hand on his bicep. Not even she could miss the way his muscles flexed.
“Lathet.” From behind her, Rojan practically spat the name. Next to him, Hekek looked insulted by Molli’s infatuation with the huge warrior. Apparently indifference didn’t count if there was another eligible man around because he suddenly looked possessive over Molli.
“Rojan! Hekek. I didn’t know your crew had docked here,” Lathet said.
“Yes,” Rojan said pointedly. “We were here first.”
“Is that so?” Lathet’s eyes narrowed.
“Oh, we were just making Lathet comfortable. I know what it’s like to be the new kid on the block,” Molli giggled, rubbing her hand up and down his forearm.
“Mollificent, here is your drink,” Hekek snapped, handing her drink across her so she had no choice but to use the hand that was touching Lathet receive it.
“Why, thank you, Hekek.” Her smile was wide.
Son of a galaxy. Molli was playing the men off each other. Her sister was catching up. Joy suddenly felt proud of her.
Molli winked.
Hekek looked more than pleased that Molli’s hand was now removed from Lathet’s arm.
“Molli, would you like to dance?” Hekek asked.
Before she could answer, Lathet cut in. “I was going to ask her to dance!”
Molli giggled. “I’m sure we can all dance together. Hekek in front of me, Lathet at my back. We can coordinate movements…”
Joy couldn’t believe the audacity of her sister, to try to take two men on. And holy stars, the hell if she’d let Molli bypass her in the relationship area. Especially with the other two telling her she’d breached slut area. “Sorry, that won’t work,” she said sweetly. “Whatever will you do with your drink?”
“Yes, I cannot ask you to hold it,” Molli said, with a bit of censure in her voice as if it would be empty upon her return.
Joy gaped. She’d gone from slut to lush.
“I’m sure Lathet wouldn’t mind holding your drink while we dance,” Hekek said smoothly, taking her drink and pushing it at Lathet, who had no choice but to accept it. “After all, I should have first dance, since I came with you.”
“Perhaps I should be the one to take her home,” Lathet growled. “Therefore getting last dance.”
Molli giggled as Hekek pulled her away to get near the speakers to dance. Bajoc and Marcie joined them, their infant daughter strapped to Bajoc’s chest. “May I?” Rojan asked, indicating the baby.
Bajoc nodded eagerly, removing little Lily from her sling and handing her to Rojan. He carefully carried her the few feet over to Joy.
“She’s so perfect,” he cooed. “I can’t believe I have a real, live nutling in my hands.”
Come to think of it, he did carry her rather awkwardly. His large palms more than covered her tiny head and rump, and he held her pushed away from his body like an offering. Poor Lily kicked her scrawny legs out.
“Here, closer to your body. They like warmth.” Joy pushed his arms in, and Lily reached out to touch him.
“She’s so sweet. And her hair is so soft and fuzzy.”
Joy smiled. His face was alight with wonder. Suddenly she felt warm and her heart began to thump in her chest. What would it be like? To be one of the human mothers with a tiny Freijian baby?
Would her baby resemble Lily? But perhaps with golden red hair, instead of the white-blonde.
“Jo? Jo? Are you okay?” Rojan sounded worried.
She shook herself from the ridiculous fantasy. What was she even thinking? She didn’t want kids. Not now. H. E. Double hockey sticks. She had too much life to live, life that she was going to mold as she became the perfect fun loving human woman.
“Sorry, I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
“That you’d make a good father,” she said. “What were your parents like?”
“I did not have parents. On my planet, you are created. There are donations from others, what we would call the parental units. DNA is manipulated for certain traits and the new being that is created is lined up with lifelong goals and careers depending upon which traits they were given. I was chosen, like all the other warriors here, to police the galaxy. But in addition to that, I have sniper skills that were developed. I am an excellent tracker in my field.”
“That’s a different way of doing things. I guess I can see why the Helian Six crew broke the mold.”
“Yes. To have created their own offspring is unheard of. And to actually care for them, to nurture them naturally instead of being grown to adulthood before waking their consciousness.”
“Perhaps your whole planet will make change.”
He snorted. “If change is coming, it won’t be done swiftly enough for my generation to ever see it. We have evolved this way over countless generations. We certainly won’t see the change coming during our lifetime. Now tell me about your childhood.”
Joy caught herself just before spilling the beans. She had to change the story up a bit at the last minute. “I was born to a prestigious human family on Ea-Urth. The reason why my family was prestigious? Good looks, and we have a ton of money. Not that it was earned over the generations. Well, in a way, I guess you could say it was earned. You see, my family is known as a breeder.”
His hand turned sharply toward her, but she continued to look straight ahead.
“Every generation, a beautiful child is born. She’s considered sweet, meaning she doesn’t display any of the normal infant traits. Colic, illness, etc. So this special girl is given to others to raise. She has a special education and is reared to be of service to others. In return, the family gets a ton of new wealth. And in the next generation, it
is done all over again.”
“You?” he asked, his voice strangled.
“Of course not! She laughed it off. “Would I be standing here telling you about it if it were me? No, of course it is a sister I never met. But that means that someone in the next generation will have a child borne that someone can step in and take away. Either me, or one of my remaining siblings. I was more than ready to take this trip. I’m not even sure if I wish to return to Ear-th. I know I should be grateful to have been raised with such wealth, but I can’t help but feel sorrow for the way it was earned.”
“So Marcie? Her family was one of these breeders?”
“No, it was mine. But she took pity on me and allowed me to visit her on this planet to decide whether or not I wished to return to the life…I was born to.”
“Can’t you just refuse to sell the child if it is born to you?”
“No. We have a generational contract. If a child is determined sweet, she is automatically taken. The parent is actually proud to give her up. It is pointed out how we have all lived so fruitfully with the benefit of extra money. And how the child will have a much better life. But unless you are that child…no one really knows, do they?” She was so caught up in the lie…yet it was real. She was that child, the Puritan given up to ensure she would be pure. Her family had already received a huge sum of money and would receive even more when she married the Quaker who held the most status within the community. She would be obligated to give her parents another payout so they may continue living their lives in the wealthy role they’d gotten used to.
Whether she wanted a marriage or not. Whether she wanted to service a man’s fantasies…or not.
“No.” His voice sounded thoughtful, but Joy was so lost in her own thoughts she could hardly think about why.
“Jo!” Virginia squealed, from where she stood with Lara. “Did you hear? Pariah’s coming home. Tomorrow!”
Pariah! She would know what to do. She would understand Joy’s dilemma of wanting the sexy Freijian, but not wanting to be a slut by sleeping with the same man who’d kill her. A smile broke out across her face before she could control it.
“How do you know the Madonna of the Puritans?” Rojan’s voice was cold. “I thought you were human?” In his arms, Lily began to scream.
Chapter Six
Rojan:
“Captain Rojan, report.”
Rojan—dressed in full uniform—stood at his captain’s chair for the voice-log recording.
“The Helian Six crew reports the kidnapping of the four women referred to as Puritans during the night of the reception of Supreme Commander Pritchard, formerly known as Supreme Commander Kriekjan. Echo Nine reports the kidnapping is likely affirmative according to video clips of one of the abductions caught on tape.”
Rojan mentally winced. Watch that tape a bit further, and one would see a bag being tossed over her head as she fell backward. But the lighting was bad and the Puritan sat outside on a bench, where he’d left her. Technically, it could be anyone. It didn’t necessarily mean Jo had been Joy. And everyone had all but stated the Puritans were short, hairy, demure women. So opposite his sexy, kitty-cat Josie. Who—with all the sheer fabrics she wore—didn’t look like she possessed an ounce of hair past the glorious golden red mane of her head.
The sexy, kitty-cat he’d run off with his paranoid assumptions during their date.
“Any leads as to where they have been taken?” The voice of the superior on the other end sounded bored.
“None. The Herbasnuts deny claim. Our next move is to search the planet to see if they are being held here despite the assurances otherwise.”
Rojan disconnected the call and leaned back in the chair, the tips of his fingers tapping together.
“You did not report that we suspect the human cousins of being the Puritans.”
“Nope. We will be the laughingstock of the federation if they are not.”
“But if they are, we look like lovesick puppies who were fooled by beautiful females,” Baub said.
“Who here believes the cousins are the Puritans?”
No one was able to raise his arm. Instead, his normally opinionated men squirmed.
“Truth is, I just can’t tell. I mean, I’ve tried to get Virginia into the sack, but so far nothing,” Baub admitted.
Hekek harrumphed. “It’s not like we’re experienced in seduction. Maybe we’re doing it wrong.”
“We’re not doing anything wrong, warrior!” If Rojan’s voice was practically a feminine scream, so be it. “One of us needs to get his female in the sack. Only then will we be able to tell if they are virgins or not.”
Rojan left out the fact that his men were virgins also.
“How are you doing with Jo?” Baub narrowed his eyes.
“She’s still upset with me right now,” he admitted. “She saw me outside earlier and ran back indoors until she was sure I was gone.”
“Well you did practically accuse her of being a Puritan in front of the Citrine Seven males at the party last night,” Viktel said.
“At least Ginny Ann doesn’t avoid me,” Baub muttered. “Hard to seduce them from a distance.”
“I can’t apologize to her if she turns the other way every time she sees me,” Rojan said, and his voice sounded miserable instead of the snarl he’d meant it to be. Damn female had him all twisted up inside. He needed silence while he pondered these strange feelings running rampant.
“Dismissed, warriors.”
His men scattered quickly, and it suddenly dawned on him who could help. He rushed out of the ship almost as fast as his warriors had, and headed into the Helian Six vessel instead.
“Captain Tristan.”
“Captain Rojan. How goes the search for the Puritans?”
“Slow. But there is something I wanted to talk to you about.” The tone of his voice let Tristan know this was serious. “Do you remember when you discovered the Barlesquyins?”
Tristan cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “It was not our fault they decided to pursue that line of work for money.”
“Of course not,” Rojan agreed.
“The women were obviously enthralled with us and wanted to do it daily with others to see if anyone else was as good as us.”
“They were always searching for what they could not have.”
“And we could not stay. We were in the middle of our careers,” Tristan barked.
Rojan leaned in, ready for the kill. “But my men, you see, while they like to think they are experienced, they need some help. Now that they are interested in your cousins…it is a fragile situation…one that we cannot mention to the humans in order to gain their help.”
Tristan looked around, his eyes darting back and forth. He looked much like his daughter, Titi, in that moment. “Never mention it to our humans,” he stated clearly.
“Of course not,” Rojan assured the paranoid leader of the planet. “But I simply must ask for my men, you understand. They are not quite sure of exactly what to do. I mean, I know, but I cannot cross the lines of professionalism and let them know that I know while they do not know. Instead, I thought it would be easier if your men perhaps helped them out. Without naming names.”
“Yes, yes,” Tristan agreed. “We can do this. For the men. Let me gather my guys while you call yours and we’ll have a…what do they mates call it? A boy slumber party. It is where males bond.”
It took just a few minutes to call his warriors to the ship. Rojan’s crew sat in the center of the room, scowling. They did not like to be the center of attention, especially with such a personal matter.
“Now, warriors, we’re not going to call out any names or point out any fingers as to which of our brothers needs information on snagging a female. We will keep this session neutral. Let me start on sharing what I know about the female species. Deep down inside, women like to be told what to do,” Tristan began.
Bajoc snorted. “Then why were you bawling like a sissy when Lara was pissed that
you knew their language all along?”
“I did not like fooling her,” Tristan growled, standing and clenching his fists. “It was necessary to learn about them.”
Bajoc stood, too, narrowing his eyes and balling his fists.
“Oh, I have a good one,” Kresna said, his gaze on fight about to break out. “These females are frail and do not like growls and fights. They call us uncouth.”
Both Tristan and Bajoc immediately sat down.
“Uncouth? What is that?” Baubles asked, interested suddenly. Did he perhaps get called that by one of the human cousins?
“Uncouth. It means scary and manly. And while they know we are, they do not like it pointed out. On their planet, males must pretend to be delicate.”
“Not delicate. Well-mannered,” Bajoc ground out. “Of which I have clearly mastered.” He passed out several small cards, his pinky extended out. “I am teaching tea at 1 p.m. tomorrow.”
“This weekend? I am watching my offspring for Raine. She is having her crochet class that the cousins are teaching.”
“Yes. That is why we are doing the tea at the same time. Our mates will be busy and never know the importance of what we discuss.”
Chastien scratched his head. “Are we bringing the older offspring?”
“Of course. They will play quietly. The mates will have the nutlings because they can feed them easily, but the older children may be more distracting.”
“Tea? Why would we want to learn tea?” Pulmar scoffed.
“Because I took his class and Anita kept me well pleasured for two weeks straight,” Kamau said, a goofy grin on his face. “She loved that I was so well mannered.”
“She did? Is that why the ugliest of the lot are the happiest? Kamau is so pale he looks ghostly. I never thought any of the females would look at him.” Chautles scratched his head, and then sailed to the floor when Kamau pitched himself at him. The rest of the men let them hammer each other for a couple of minutes before pulling them apart.
“Don’t get distracted,” Tristan snarled to Chautles. “Look at Bajoc. He has two offspring, and you do not.”
