Feral Series IV: Feral Fallout

by Skhye Moncrief

  Shit. Then again, I mated with a Prall who had nanites. “What about Solvun's nanites?"

  He nodded, almost reluctantly. “I hope the separation will be easy for you."

  Will I suffer? Geesh. The things a girl did for the greater good of something. I really needed to throw in the towel and become a stay-at-home wife.

  "You will be ill, Theone. Maybe have stomach pains. Or vomiting. I will be there for you."

  If he still wants me with him. Will he decide otherwise if I don't teach him about flying The Savior? I shoved out of the pilot's chair and walked toward the exterior hatch. “I can't do more. Not now.” I whirled.

  He had to understand. Just to delay with any sort of foolishness he might be able to wrap his mind around. “I can't betray my goddess."

  He rose slowly, the hunky mass of magnificent maleness, and nodded. “The Council has heard. They understand and will allow you more transitional time.” He strode wide steps toward me, his black boots snapping the space up in three steps before he halted to tilt my chin upward with the touch of a single finger.

  My pulse kicked up a notch from his touch.

  So much worry danced in his eyes. Those green gems that sparkled. For me. I could see that much. “Please don't ask me to betray my goddess, Flonn. It would be as horrible as betraying a mate. And I have known her my entire thirty-one years. She gave me life. I owe her more than I owe anyone."

  "And life leads us down paths we never knew existed. To forks in the road. To new realities. To the singular destiny that would make our futures complete."

  Like here where we stand? “Isn't that what I have with you?” Hopefully, his computer brain would take that tidbit and run. At least away from our discussion.

  His palm slid around my waist to my lower back where he pulled me into his washboard abs. “Yes. But you cannot leave me, huv'ria. When you are ready, you will accept this and teach me to pilot this spacecraft."

  So, he challenged me in testing my devotion to him.

  Flonn caught himself drowning in the depths of his huv'ria's eyes where he held her curves against his beating heart beside The Savior's console. The future seemed clearly uncertain. My soul pulled me deeper and deeper into a void of confusion where I tried to grasp at some hair of reason to pull myself free from where I floundered with dealing with tradition and saving my soul. Was caring for her so different that I had to shake free of tradition? Did I truly wish to be free? She tempted me to release my grip on that fragile hair. To just fall into the joy of being part of something new. Experience. Wasn't life about experience beyond helping one's people survive? But this experience led me to question my soul.

  She'd argued to protect her home world.

  Her Goddess.

  But would she understand I could protect her if only she'd provide me with the knowledge to fly her spacecraft? Or at least trust me enough to fly it for me through the Rift. That would obviously take time coming. She just needed to learn to trust me. To realize I wasn't the monster the Pralls made me out to be. And caring for her, adoring her, keeping her close to me would win her trust.

  The way a mother earned the trust of her infant.

  The way a son gained the respect of his father.

  Even the way a warrior earned the respect of his superiors.

  I would earn her trust. And the future would reward me with whatever I was intended to have.

  The pains began two days later. Horrible stomach cramps. I couldn't even crawl off the bed without assistance. Albeit, Flonn happily assisted. He propped my back up against the side of the bed and left me sitting on the shaggy rug to find a barf container.

  "Just a bowl,” I yelled as his black boot stepped through the doorway. “Big bowl!"

  My gut began to roil again.

  Gods. No. I shoved my palms against my abdomen to hold back the churning gas.

  Like pressure would help. I'm going to die. Because Flonn took me away from Solvun. What did that matter? If I had stayed with Solvun, the same thing would have resulted. Damn them both. I was just a piece of ass to them.

  Magma bubbled up my throat, warning of another eruption.

  "I'm going to die,” I groaned. Like it mattered to anyone within earshot.

  My body threw me on all fours, crawling to the edge of the rug.

  Just. Need. To. Get. Out. Of. Here. I spewed stuff as vile as molten ore until the nausea passed and I could balance back on my ass.

  Better.

  Feel better.

  For now.

  Would the symptoms only worsen?

  Was I coming down?

  Would something kick in and wean me from the exposure to my narcotic Sol? Although, he was so entertaining. Finding a man like that wasn't easy. Maybe I'd just die and the nightmare would end. I wouldn't have to think about how to get these damn royals out of the bloody !Dakos pirate brig and off their proverbial ship.

  Another wave of fire churned in my gut.

  Why, universe? Why? I fight for good. For justice. Always have.

  Acid clawed up my esophagus.

  The door hissed.

  But I heaved backward, contorted, then fell forward, on all fours, and erupted.

  Flonn didn't know what to do standing there, holding the bucket, looking down at his heaving huv'ria. There was a time in !Dakos history when males shared a huv'ria. But rarely had those females sickened when one !Dakos warrior was called to serve away from her bed. Yet, this illness was far worse from what the databanks reported. Perhaps the level of intensity heightened due to her species of origin? Never had !Dakos nanites mingled with Prall nanites before. That had to be the source of the severity of her symptoms. Her fragile body couldn't withstand this type of abuse for long. I had to find a solution.

  Something that allowed me to live with her and the Prall King.

  The Council wouldn't approve of the idea. But my soul was jeopardized. I focused inward and accessed the central !Dakos node. Scanning through files.

  "Don't just stand there. Kill me. You're partly to blame for this,” she groaned.

  Almost finished. “Just a moment.” I had to finish searching for anything that would allow me to argue cohabitating with Solvun.

  "Damn you! You and Solvun. Playing games with my life. And what do I get out of it? To be your fucking sex slave. A goddess? Your soul! Men say the shittiest things. Oh, Gods, it's com-ing a-g-gain.” Her body thumped against the floor.

  Curses from her meant her condition extreme. I blinked and found her braced against the floor on her hands and knees, back arching. She squealed in the most agonizing manner. Vomiting. Her body squeezing her lungs into her groin until there was nothing but a wretched gasping rush of air from her mouth.

  She fell back onto her knees and squeaked pitifully, wiping her brow with the back of a hand. Crying. “How can this be happening? How?” Her eyes locked on mine. “You did this to me. Get out!"

  No. I knelt. “Forgive me, Theone. I didn't know they would take you from me."

  She crumpled back against the bed and sobbed. “Go away. Just leave me to die."

  Thank the Gods her hair was tied back and out of her face. A face smeared with bile. My heart hurt for her. “I won't leave you. You are my responsibility.” My soul. That I cannot live without. Father can help. I turned inward, locking into the central node again, ignoring protocol. “Rom, request a conference with the Council. Immediately. Imperative."

  "What for? You know better than to command me, Flonn. Sons are not immune to punishment."

  "It's my huv'ria, Father. Please, request the Council hear my case. I need help. She is ill."

  "I told you that you were too young for this duty. But would you listen to your senior?"

  So he didn't want anyone to overhear how my mating with Theone was his idea. Agreeing was my only choice. “You were right. Please, call them to Council. Before she dies. Before we lose the only pilot who can operate the slaver's spacecraft."

  "Be ready.” Rom vanished.

&nb
sp; She was on all fours again, heaving wildly.

  I couldn't stand hovering uselessly. If only I could hold her. Attempt to filter Solvun's nanites from her bloodstream. Do anything to help her.

  "Flonn, quickly. The Council is waiting,” Father barked.

  "Just a minute, Theone. I'm going to speak with the Council and find a solution to your illness."

  "I told you to go away,” she growled.

  "Councilors,” I slipped my thoughts back into the central node and jumped right into an explanation. To save Theone. “My huv'ria is sick. Apparently, !Dakos and Prall nanites are incompatible. Or she requires a dose of each to maintain a balance between them based on her health suddenly diminishing days after I've removed her from Solvun's possession."

  "Rom?” Batlad snapped. “This would have been avoidable if you hadn't given Flonn rights to the female before we'd realized how to use the bitter feud between the Prall brothers to coerce the Handler to help us. I told you Flonn was too young to mate."

  Who cares for political bickering? My soul is dying. “Forgive me for my impatience, but my huv'ria may not survive long enough to discuss the solution to her illness if I do not deal with the issue at hand now. And without a solution, we have no leverage with M'yote. Nor do we have a pilot for the Crellon vessel."

  "He's correct,” Skyll said. “What do you suggest, Flonn?"

  "I have scoured the database. Nothing has been experienced of this sort. I believe the only way to ensure my soul survives to teach us about her spacecraft and to encourage M'yote to work with us is for my huvria, Solvun, and I to co-habitat—"

  "Ludicrous! You would have to live in the dungeon, Flonn, with a prisoner. No !Dakos warrior will be lowered to that type of humiliation for the sake of a huv'ria. Think beyond mating, Flonn,” Batlad blurted.

  But Solvun lived in opulence. Kept in one of the nicest cells to honor his status even though other prisoners had very little comforts. I would be living like a king as well in his quarters verses life in my simple warrior quarters.

  "Listen to Batlad, Flonn,” Father added.

  They would talk all afternoon, and Theone would die. “Enough. I will save her however I must. I'm taking her to Solvun's quarters.” They can punish me if they like. I'm not abandoning my huv'ria. I snatched up her panting body and ran through the corridors.

  "He's lost his ability to reason,” Batlad rattled on as if I wasn't en route to the resolution. “I told you he was too young to mate."

  "Maybe his way of thinking will provide the solution we need. You're too rigidly set in the past, Batlad.” With Skyll's thoughts, the council meeting silenced.

  Good. Because I was almost to Solvun's door.

  What ass is kicking my door? Solvun leapt from his bed and stopped a hair shy of the metal slab. “Whoever's beating down my door better have a few weapons on hand when I open it.” I yanked the squeaking metal wide.

  Flonn stood holding a vomiting bundle.

  My D'ena. Spewing.

  Her eyes barely opened, but she saw me. “Sol?” She reached a slimy hand toward me.

  "What did you do to her, you abomination?” I spat through grated teeth.

  Flonn exhaled slowly. “She's ill from the mixture of both !Dakos and Prall nanites. Step aside."

  Of all the ridiculous problems to have developed. My D'ena gets something shy of venereal disease minus the disease. “Shit. Don't put her on the bed. I don't get laundry service for three more days."

  Flonn knelt with her on the floor. “Don't worry about amenities anymore, Solvun.” He locked those bright green eyes on me. “Since I'll be residing here now too, you should be able to get your bedding washed if our mate soils the sheets."

  What?

  "Sol?” She reached toward me again. “Gods, make it stop. Please. Make it stop.” Her back arched.

  And the insanity of her illness gripped her.

  I grabbed her shoulders and held her thrashing body while she crouched, heaving at the floor.

  And Rom agreed to Flonn's plan? I shot the young !Dakos warrior a questioning mask. “You're kidding? You and I co-habitat? What does your father say about that?"

  "It is my choice. I want to help my huv'ria."

  Love remains blind even among the youth of murdering cyborgs. “Do you mind telling me about your little therapeutic theory?"

  "I think she requires a balance of each of our nanites. She's having issues since yours have become a minority."

  "Fine. Help me get her in the shower. I want to clean her up."

  Stripping her out of her soaked leather wasn't easy when she kept gagging and bowing in her death throes. “Curse you, Flonn. You just couldn't keep your cock in your pants for another fucking fifteen microns. Could you?"

  Theone started crying. “Stop. Stop. Just let me die. Fuck it all. Kill me."

  Flonn growled at me. “I was given permission to claim Theone by Rom."

  Not an acceptable answer. “You morons have computers for brains. How could Rom confuse giving her to you with giving her to me?” I hoisted Theone in my arms and dashed into the shower. “Come on, Flonn. You're playing helpful assistant. I'm the doctor."

  We squeezed into the stall. Flonn last. I shoved her quaking body into his arms. “Hold her.” Once he'd taken her weight, I turned on the warm water.

  Like a switch flipped, she disgorged another round of putrid bile. Jolting. Flinching. Painfully jerking until nothing was left inside her. She crumpled forward and sobbed in the shower's spray.

  Gods damn, I couldn't be the cause of her suffering. “I'm sorry, Theo. So sorry. I didn't know. What do I do?"

  "Give her nanites,” Flonn said.

  Now? “Like this? She's not up for sex."

  "It doesn't matter, Sol.” She managed to lock a determined gaze on me. “Fuck me or kill me. Just make this end."

  Flonn didn't argue. Rather, his unflinching green gaze communicated one thing. Save her. Shit. “Alright, turn her around and hold her tight. You drop her. I'll kill you, Flonn. Gods know she's in enough pain already.” I yanked out my cock and focused on making her well.

  I couldn't even think about what I was doing aside from imagining how it would feel ramming my cock down her throat in order to get off. The image managed to distract me from thoughts of worrying I hurt her even more. I just kept my eyes closed and worked her from the back. Pumped. Thrust into her tight little warm pussy. Closed my eyes and imagined her lips stretched around my vein-encrusted shaft. Pretended she moaned as she swallowed it deeply down her throat.

  The world exploded.

  Gods, it was over. I pumped and plunged, wringing every blessed drop of nanite-loaded semen into her womb until my hips refused to move.

  "No,” she cried at the ceiling. “It didn't work.” Her body jolted. She heaved.

  Poor tick. I grabbed her, sank to the floor, held her tight, and just let her heave her guts out all over me in the steady water stream while my erection faded. “What in the fucking universe have we done to her?” I glared at the squatting Flonn dowsed in the shower's spray.

  He watched me pet her. “It should have worked. Something's wrong."

  More like my brother had lied. He'd taken her before arriving here. “M'yote. We need M'yote."

  Flonn slowly nodded in understanding. “I'll get him."

  Before the big cyborg disappeared, she looped her arms around my neck and cried into my jugular. “Help me, Sol. Please, help me."

  "I will, D'ena.” I kissed her wet temple and petted her shoulders. “M'yote's coming. If a Handler can't fix you, nobody can.” Especially one who'd had his way with her. Those little blue nanites had to be the problem.

  M'yote couldn't keep up with Flonn's longer stride. But something akin to the end of the universe was going down. Something so ridiculous I'd been summoned to end the catastrophe. So, I ran my balls off, as Solvun would say. And wound up standing in the doorway of his shower.

  "She's sick, little brother.” Solvun petted her wet hair, ho
lding her naked body. “She needs your nanites."

  Flonn flinched. “M'yote's?

  Solvun nodded. “That's got to be the solution. He's been separated from her the longest."

  "What are you two talking about? My nanites aren't contagious."

  "Surely, you're old enough to know how a D'ena acquires nanites, little brother."

  Solvun could really be a patronizing ass. “Listen, what do you mean she needs mine?"

  "!Dakos and Prall nanites don't mix well. She's having withdrawals. She's been away from you longest. You're the answer."

  He's lost his mind. I flicked a glance between Flonn and Solvun. “I told you we never mated."

  Solvun scowled. “You will do as your King commands."

  Had he gotten into some bad Bidrien rum and launched on some journey between here and another plane of existence? “Are you seeing lights? Red or green? If not, you have lost your mind."

  "You will do as he says,” Flonn growled, snatched me by the scruff of the neck, and shoved me closer to face my brother where he sat in a downpour.

  I could kill them both. Just give me a moment to conjure the power in my hand.

  Theone shook, bolted upright off of Solvun, jackknifed onto her hands and knees, and retched into the water sheeting across the shower's floor.

  "There's no end to this, M'yote,” Flonn said. “She's been doing this for hours. You've got to make this stop."

  Everything quieted except the shower's hush.

  Theone gurgled into a sob where she crumpled as water rushed around her splayed fingers on the shower's floor.

  Pitiful. Heart wrenching. Maybe she didn't really need my nanites. But these two idiots weren't going to listen in thinking I had mated with her. I was her mate by right and Prall law. Making love to her wouldn't break any laws. I just couldn't see how she could lie still. Unless, I used my Handler powers to ease her pain. Bring her joy. Yes. Such a thing might help. “Dry her."

  With one man wiping her down and the other holding her, I was free to undress. Nobody paid me any attention. All eyes were on Theone. Concerned with her.

  Obviously in love with her.

  After only a few days in this death pit, I couldn't imagine anyone not falling in love with something as beautiful and intelligent as this Earth female. But I hadn't had the luxury of living here deficient of female interaction for centuries. Although, isolation from something as common as female companionship had been my life when I chose not to take a D'ena until the Prall's King could share her with me. To allow him first rights to creating an heir. Even now, Solvun's nanites had already made her body produce at least one egg and worked to nurture it within her womb.