by Bethany Aan
Arianna’s head fell back down on the bed, and she sighed.
“Well, you think I’m nuts now, don’t you?” she asked. Aleah laughed.
“I think you’re pregnant, and I think you’re overwhelmed with meeting us for the first time. And I know that Sean took you quite by surprise with his offer. That boy is rather impulsive at times.”
Ri sat up, making room for her mother-in-law at the edge of the bed. Aleah sat down and took Ri’s hand in her own.
“Let me tell you a little something about our family.” She stopped, gathering her thoughts, then smiled and went on. “When I joined with Sean and Hunter’s fathers, it was much the same way. There were just the two of them, but they were so sweet, so attentive, and they simply swept me off my feet. I fell head over heels in love with them both, and we decided to wed.” She sighed. “Geoff was my mates’ younger brother. He had come home from another battle to rest and heal, and while he was there, we fell in love, as well. But then Hunter’s biological father was killed in action, when Hunter was just a young man. Siae was just a toddler, I’m not sure he even remembers Karl. Sean remembers Kess, his father, though. He was a man grown with Kess died. Shortly after we lost Karl, Kess’s transport reported heavy damage... I had lost two of my mates in one battle, and I had four young children to take care of, since Kale was Geoff’s.”
Ri watched the older woman, listening intently.
“When we got the news about Karl, I was heartbroken and grief stricken. We both were. Me for my mate, Geoff for a beloved older brother. When we heard about Kess, not even a month later, it nearly broke me. Hunter and Siae were Karl’s. Sean was Kess’s, but both men had raised my boys, loved them as their own, because they were. Brother-cousins, we called them when a label was needed. But among our people, that is the way of things. Having Geoff there eased the pain. It didn’t lessen my love for Karl or Kess. It couldn’t possibly. But he took his brothers’ three boys as his own, raised them as he knew his brothers would have, and trained them to be warriors like their fathers, like himself. When he went off to battle, I was left with Sean, Hunter, Siae, and Kale, with Jace on the way.”
Arianna waited, holding her breath, even though she knew that Geoff had been fine.
“To shorten this tale,” Aleah smiled, “I will say that others have been in my life, joined with us for a time, but were lost to us. Geoff has always been there, and I hope to the gods that he always is.”
“Why do you tell me all of this?” Arianna asked, truly curious. Aleah patted her hand.
“Because you seem to have the idea that what Sean is doing is wrong. And perhaps among your people it is. But you do not have to live by your people’s rules, unless you wish to.”
The door had opened at one point, and Hunter was leaning against the jamb, listening to his mother and mate talking.
“Mom, it’s funny that you should say that, since my little warrior is fond of telling her ladies just that very thing.”
“Then perhaps you should take your own advice?” Aleah asked Ri with raised eyebrows.
“Dinner is ready,” Hunter growled, whirling away from the doorway. Ri blinked at his behavior, but Aleah only chuckled.
“He is not happy with Sean’s wish to claim you, child. But it is, ultimately, your choice. And there really is nothing wrong with it, in our eyes. I have a feeling that my younger boys just want to keep you to themselves.”
“Well, there is that,” Arianna said, blushing. “They might have mentioned that at some point, yes.”
“And you don’t have to make up your mind tonight, Ri,” Aleah promised. “But I felt that you were having trouble with the situation. I sense your attraction to Sean, as I’m sure everyone else does, and I wanted to assure you that you are a part of this family. No matter what happens with Sean, by mating with Hunter and Jace you are and will always be my daughter, from this day forward.”
Ri felt tears prickling at her eyes and throat again, but fought them back, offering her new mom a smile.
“Now come,” Aleah said, rising and offering her hand to Arianna. “I believe we should feed you, before you pass out again.”
Having another woman around the house might have been nice, if the woman wasn’t also a Commander, a first officer and a physician. Early the next morning, Geoff and Sean went off with Hunter to learn the lay of the compound and get up to speed with Hunter’s plans for expanding the colony. As they left, they spoke of all the parts that might be salvaged from the three ships currently on planet, to possibly create one working vessel, should they need it.
Aleah left with Jace to inspect her son’s work at the med center, eager to look through his notes on the aborted psychic space projection experiments. She was incredibly intrigued by the differences between human and Thorsani brain patterns and psychic abilities, and could barely contain herself from begging Ri to come with them, so they could continue the research with new Readers available. Hunter and Jace had both put their feet down and firmly informed their mother that they had called a halt to the official experiments, at least for several more weeks.
The morning meal had been fast and frenetic, with conversation spinning around Arianna so quickly that all she could do was eat and listen. She didn’t stand a chance of actually joining the conversations right now, but the noise and the bustle reminded her so much of her own lost family that she felt a wonderful warmth spreading through her.
And when they left, the living quarters were much as they had been when her family was alive… noisy and frantic and crowded one moment, silent and empty the next. Arianna sank onto the couch on the balcony with a cup of tea, sipping it and looking out over the courtyard, gathering herself before she got up to clean.
So many people were here now!
She was trying to get used to having the extra mental energy around her, but it was hard. And there were some problems already. Bev and her family had come over the evening before so that Trey, Rom, and Erik could reunite with their aunt, uncle, and Sean. They had been heart-broken when they learned that their parents hadn’t been on the Adelphae, but had perked back up at the news that all of their families were aboard the other transport from near their territories. Hunter’s sister, Dasha, was the Commander of that ship. Ri furrowed her brow, wondering if she could bring that ship home, as well. Hunter, Sean, Aleah, and Geoff had all glared at her and said ‘No!’ at the exact same time. She sat back, in a bit of a huff, but slowly realized that it was because they cared about her, not because they were trying to dictate her life.
Ri chose to focus on other issues now.
Bev was not the only woman who had been blind-sided by the appearance of long-lost mates and children. Salaiya was beautiful, gracious, and patient with Bev’s many questions and rapidly changing emotions, but Ri sensed growing unrest among the other women.
She hurried to clean her kitchen and get down to the courtyard to be available for her girls, should they need her. But before she could finish cleaning, she was taken by surprise when Kim stopped by. Seeing that Arianna was working, Kim immediately joined in to help, talking about her situation the whole time.
“What am I going to do?” she wailed after spilling the story of the woman that her team had thought dead but now wanted them back. Kim was pregnant and the men truly cared for her. The other woman, Selie, was apparently very understanding, but Kim didn’t know how to approach the situation. “I mean, when it was just me and the guys, it was one thing. But this… I mean… how do we share them? Are we going to have schedules or something, for when we want to be with them?”
Arianna barely had time to brace before Kim threw herself into her mentor’s arms and wept. Ri hugged her, stroking her back and sending soothing thoughts and energy her way. The kitchen cleaned, Ri sent Kim out to the balcony with a cup of calming tea and put a kettle on for more. When there was another knock on the door from another bewildered and confused young woman, Arianna sighed and filled a bigger pot with water. She only hoped she had enough t
ea.
“Come in, Chelsea,” she said, offering a comforting, maternal smile as the girl collapsed against her and wept her heart out.
It was going to be a long day.
Hunter felt Arianna’s distress from the command center. He was talking to his parents, showing them the various systems his computer folks had cobbled together. Trey and Bev were eagerly explaining how they had been working to translate each others’ databases, so that information was available to everyone, whether they could read or write the other’s language or not. When Hunter sensed Arianna’s dilemma, he was a bit surprised that his mother and Sean stiffened, as well. They looked at each other and excused themselves.
“What do you suppose is wrong?” Aleah asked, linking her arm with Hunter’s as they headed for the suite. Sean followed, his eyes constantly moving, taking note of his surroundings, as well as the mental energies within the group.
“You couldn’t Read the issue?” Sean asked, surprised. Aleah shook her head.
“I got the feeling that she needed some support and guidance, but not what for.”
“Ri and I have a very special bond, I think. I don’t remember ever being able to Read someone’s mind as clearly as with her.” Hunter smiled, then met Sean’s eyes. “Though Sean is able to think words to her.”
“I was like that with your father,” Aleah smiled wistfully up at Hunter. “And I am, to a lesser degree with Geoff. But with your father, it was as though I could smell what he was smelling, see what he was seeing, and feel every heartbeat when our passions were high.”
“Mother!” Hunter stopped, gaping at her.
“Oh, don’t be a prude,” she laughed. “There are all kinds of passions, many reasons for elevated heart rate. You know that. That’s what I meant. The other thing, too, of course. But you know what I mean.”
She chuckled at his chagrin, but didn’t tease him further, as they were already at the suite.
“Oh my!” Aleah breathed, staring aghast at the door. The mental energy emanating from the apartment was intense. Hunter, knowing that Arianna would be overwhelmed by it all, since he was himself and she didn’t have nearly the years of experience or training that he or his mother had, hurried into the quarters and marched right over to Arianna’s side.
All around her, half of her girls were arguing, wailing, yelling, or just plain weeping as though their hearts were breaking. Lost in the emotional tsunami, Hunter just stood at Ri’s side and blinked. His mother, though, immediately took charge of the situation. She clapped loudly, getting their attention, though only the Readers knew that the clap was merely a physical signal that accompanied her mental command for them to be still and pay attention.
“Now, what in the world is going on in here? There’s enough mental angst coming from here to stop a whole battalion of Readers!”
Hunter grinned at the quip, but the girls didn’t seem to get it. At a mental pull, he looked down at his mate. Ri’s tortured eyes very clearly said, “Get me out of here!”
He helped her up and went with her out to the balcony as his mother gathered the girls into the living room and had them all sit down so she could sort out the problem. Sean watched Hunter and Ri, wanting so badly to be with them, but he sensed that Arianna needed the mate she knew better right now. Instead, he took stock of the feel of the room, gently looking into the women’s minds to figure out what was wrong. Frowning at what he found, he went into Counselor mode, as Ri would call it.
Ri, now at a bit of a distance from it all, was finally able to take a deep breath. Hunter knelt before her, his hands rubbing her temples. He was concerned at how badly her head was aching, and added his energy to hers, bolstering her mental shields. She rewarded him with a small smile as the throbbing in her head eased and she was able to concentrate just on him. For a long moment, she leaned her forehead against his, breathing in his scent and his presence, fortifying herself. His love washed over her, strengthening every part of her, and she sighed in relief.
“I really wasn’t prepared for that!” she breathed softly, looking into their quarters at the women arranged around Aleah. “They just started showing up this morning, crying like they were dying or something! I understand that they’re worried about their mates’ mates showing up, but really… I’m the one they come to?”
“Well, yes,” he chuckled. “You’re their leader, their friend, and their mentor. Naturally, they came to you when they were scared and hurt.”
“Your warriors don’t do that to you,” she pointed out. He shook his head with a rueful grin.
“They do it all the time, little one. Especially since the arrival of a certain crashed slaver ship and its surprising cargo.”
She stared at him in surprise. He grinned at her and moved to sit beside her, his arm around her shoulders, holding her to him. “An officer’s job, a leader’s job, is not just to lead, but also to guide.”
Arianna nodded to show that she recognized the difference.
“The men have fears and doubts, just as we do. When those doubts get the best of them, they know that I am there to help them past the mental blocks. It is my job, but I also enjoy it. I like being their mentor, a brother- and sometimes father-figure. I never imagined that I would become that for them for such an extended period, but I have. Just as you have, whether you like it or not.”
“I don’t mind it so much anymore,” she admitted, threading her fingers with his over her shoulder. “I actually kind of like it sometimes, now that I’ve gotten to know them all. Some of them feel like sisters or cousins or even daughters, even though I’m not old enough for that. It’s nice to be needed, to have wisdom and knowledge that you can pass on to help someone else. But today…”
She sighed, leaning her head on his chest. He kissed her forehead.
“Today it was too much, too quickly,” he filled in. She nodded.
“Thank you for coming, love,” she whispered. With a sigh, she sat forward, steeling herself. “I think I can handle it now, especially since your mom is here. But Hunter, we have a serious problem. We need to get these women talking to each other, not to me or your mother. And I don’t know how to help them with this. It’s completely out of my realm of experience.”
“We’ll handle it as a family,” he assured her, then hesitated, thoughtful. “I think that, while your ladies are getting used to the idea, we should have every Reader possible on hand to help them.”
She sat up straighter, glaring down at him.
“If this is an effort to get me to spend time with your brother…” she warned.
He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her against him for a firm, sweet kiss. “I would like for you to get to know him, not as a potential mate, but just as my brother. But that’s not why I say that he should be involved. Sean is… he has a special touch with young women and helping them get past inhibitions. Back home, he was actually sought after when girls were having serious self-image problems or had been attacked in some way and needed help getting past that. I think that he would be very useful in this case. It wouldn’t hurt to try. And I need to get Geoff in here to help, as well. He is definitely a father-figure and should be able to help.”
Ri sighed and looked at him with a bit of exasperation.
“Hunter? My love? Have you noticed that the men of your race don’t age badly?” she asked him. He blinked at her, not following. She groaned. “Look at Gust. He’s a century older than you, but still handsome, sexy, and looks like he’s only a few years older. And you look younger than me, dammit. You see Geoff as a father figure, but the girls are going to see him as just another handsome, virile warrior.”
Hunter pondered that, then shrugged.
“Either way, he’s a fully trained and incredibly gifted Reader, and he’s raised several daughters successfully into adulthood, so his insight will be invaluable. Now come,” Hunter helped her off his lap and onto her feet. “Let’s go figure this latest crisis out.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
They also ended up calling on Bev and Salaiya for help, when Bev stopped by to talk to Ri about the exact issue their friends were having. When she realized that not everyone had been fortunate enough to have mates who knew how to help the issue, Bev had hurried back to get Salaiya to help sort the situation out. Some of the girls had actually been consoled, but most of them were still stuck in the Bible-belt mentality they’d been raised with, and though they had accepted having more than one ‘husband’, they couldn’t seem to wrap their brains around sharing those men with their original mates.
Bev and Salaiya moved the group of women willing to talk to their mates and the other woman off to the great hall, acting as intermediaries between the old mates and the new. The Readers had their hands full with the remaining girls, who wouldn’t even face their problems, but were talking about finding a way back to Earth, creating a new compound for the forsaken women, or some other such nonsense.
Hunter assured the women that it would take centuries to return to Earth in one of the current ships, considering none of them had a working warp drive any longer. He also reminded them of the many dangers that lurked in the forest, and the fact that though it was a warm afternoon, autumn was coming quickly, with winter too close behind for the men to help the girls build a settlement. He showed them videos of the first winter the men had endured, and that shut the women up very quickly. Watching how fast and thick the snow fell, without warning, and how many men had been caught outside of the compound and died… that was sobering.
The women left that afternoon, thoughtful and quiet.
“That was… different,” Sean said, many hours later, as he sank wearily into one of the chairs across from the couch. Hunter rolled his eyes, then groaned when that small action brought his headache back. Ri whimpered weakly from her face-plant sprawl over Jace’s lap, and Aleah looked up at Jace, begging him for a drug powerful enough to let her sleep through this particular problem. Geoff just chuckled and poured wine for them all. It was the last of a vintage from their family winery back on Thorsan, but he deemed it appropriate for the occasion. Arianna took a glass and sipped cautiously until she was sure it was palatable. Finding it cold, sweet and refreshing, she happily settled back to sip on it. Hunter held his glass to his throbbing head.
