Leah blinked up at him. “I only had a one in a million chance of meeting you?”
He pulled her close and tucked her head into his chest. “It was Tsiran’s will that we would meet, my Leah. Never forget that.” He ran a finger over her metal bracelet and she shivered at the renewed erotic stirrings the move always caused.
“You said we needed to talk or are you working me up for a round two?” she teased and was disappointed when he released her from his embrace.
He stepped out of the cleansing unit and reached for the jeans he’d left on the bed. “I want you to consider coming back to the house.”
“Why? I mean, it’s true I’m going stir-crazy up here but I thought you said that you didn’t want to use the shuttle because it can be detected and that the TIPS system might harm either me or the baby.” She frowned as she stepped into her clothes. “Why the sudden change of plans?”
Rather than immediately answer, Rykhan sat on the edge of the mattress. “Is Dr. Jyrl still asking for your permission to take your ovum?”
“Every time he’s here,” she groused. The doctor’s requests never let up and Leah wished the guy would get a clue that she was never going to give her consent. “Only now he’s calling the procedure a ‘rice-ling’ or something.”
Rykhan quickly twisted and stared at her over his shoulder, his face pale, his lips pressed into a tight line.
“But I’m not the only one he’s asked,” Leah quickly continued. She could tell Rykhan was not happy at her answer. His look was almost fearful even. But that couldn’t be right. “He’s cornered Pam a couple of times, too. She gave him quite an earful about what she thought of his suggestion! I think she even named him as ‘a freaking egg thief’ at one point after he’d called her ‘Wyst’s female’.”
Rykhan still didn’t speak, just continued to stare at her with a look that made her nervous. She adjusted her clothes and went to sit next to him. “What’s wrong, baby?”
Grabbing her hand, Rykhan pulled her back into the cleansing unit and turned on the faucet in the sink until it was on full-blast. Putting his mouth close to her ear, he began to speak quickly and as quietly as possible.
When he spoke, Leah felt an icy coldness steal over her and hung on to the small metal sink tightly. Her reflection showed her face held just as much fear as Rykhan’s had earlier.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Arbrynt glanced at Bronsyn as he took his chair. “How did the meeting with Commander Stege go?” The group had moved their midday meal out onto the largest of the patios on the property as if they could not face the empty chairs Leah and Rykhan had previously occupied.
Bronsyn sighed and reached for the dish of pasta Pam held out to him, a concoction she called ‘spaghetti and meatballs’. The older man just called it ‘delicious’.
“Each of you is now required to give a verbal report to the Committee each day on your activities in joining with a female.” Bronsyn was well aware how his warriors might react, at the shocking way Gwynt attempted to control them from such a distance. It would have been laughable, if it had not been so devious.
“Join?” Gyard dropped his fork onto his plate with a clatter. “I thought we were supposed to be looking for our specific mate, not spreading our life-force around indiscriminately.”
“That was the word he used,” Bronsyn replied with studied calm, even though he was feeling anything but. While he’d never specifically brought up all the information Gwynt had let slip in their late-night meeting after learning the sex of Rykhan’s youngling, Bronsyn believed the other male was aware Bronsyn knew more than he should. Gwynt’s continual berating of Bronsyn’s leadership was now a part of each of their contacts.
Truly, it was wearing on Bronsyn’s last nerve.
“Does this have to anything to do with the problem the Committee is having in getting the writ of Rysling approved?” Tyshar’s question hit Bronsyn hard.
“I didn’t know any of you were aware of that,” Bron replied on a mumble. “Even I can’t seem to obtain all the information on their plan to evoke the old edict and make it into law.”
“My cousin works for President Allwyne. While we don’t often communicate, he did send a message asking what was happening here on Earth since the Committee has been most demanding in their attempts to get the writ passed.” Tyshar sat back in his chair and wiped his hands and mouth. “I gleaned the Galaxian president was most unhappy with the Committee.”
“What’s a Rysling?” Pam interrupted. “The word sounds almost oriental to me.”
Wyst took in a long slow breath before glancing towards the small blonde-haired female. “The Rysling was initially a law handed down from hundreds of yons ago. It was redacted before the troubles began.”
“But what does it mean?” Pam’s frustration was clear in both her expression and tone.
“It means that our government can force a female to give up her eggs so they can be freely distributed.” Gyard’s scowl was as hard as his voice. “That the fracking bureaucrats can take a human’s ovum without her fracking permission!”
“And it would be legal?” No male responded to Pam’s question, in fact did not even look at her when she spoke. “But wait! Your laws aren’t valid here on Earth, right?”
“No,” Bronsyn drawled as he used his fork to cut into the ball of seasoned meat. “But every Picari are required to obey our laws no matter where we are stationed.”
“This means that it is possible we could be ordered to obtain your eggs. By force if necessary,” Laxon mumbled. The young male turned to Bronsyn. “We wouldn’t be required to do the procedure though. That would be Dr. Jyrl’s job, correct?”
Bronsyn shook his head before answering. “I don’t know. I am only to advise you of the new requirements regarding your reports. Like Tyshar, I heard of the writ by watching one of the newsfeeds from Galaxia. Commander Stege has not shared any additional information with me.”
“Yeah, well,” Pam started, savagely tearing at the piece of seasoned bread in her hands. “That doc up on the Searcher better keep his ass away from me! I’ve already had it up to here with his insistence that I need a medical exam and at the way he’s always asking me to ‘donate’ my baby-makers to ‘the cause’.”
Wyst swung his head to look at the now fuming human female. “Doctor Jyrl has asked for your ovum as well?”
“Every time I take food up to Leah, that guy finds a way to corner me,” she grumbled. “The ass-hat doesn’t seem to understand that my no actually means no!”
“I don’t like the conclusions my mind is suggesting,” Tyshar growled low and slow.
Arbrynt shook his head. “They can’t be any worse than my own.”
“You mean the ones that are telling you that a Rysling was the plan all along and we were never supposed to find our mates?” The tremor in Wyst’s voice reflected the group’s attitude at the thought of being simple pawns in some kind of political plot.
“It would explain the large med-bay and our small sleeping quarters,” Gyard agreed. “They never intended us to return back to our system with human mates.”
“That commander of yours doesn’t like women,” Pam advised with a rueful sigh. “Or at least those of the human variety.”
Bronsyn lifted shocked eyes to hers, his mind racing. Even when they had been younger, Gwynt never disclosed his personal life easily. Bronsyn had seen him in the company of other males but had never considered his friend had not been attracted to females in the least. In fact, now that he thought about it, the times that Maryll had been in Gwynt’s presence he had acted haughty as if Bronsyn’s mate lacked any form of intelligence and could not understand Gwynt’s condescending remarks. “You could be right. Although I do not know if he is part of a male/male pair bond.”
“But wouldn’t that be a part of it? Is it possible that Stege is arranging it so that those who are paired with another male can have younglings?” Laxon’s question caught them off-guard.
Oh Tsiran
! Bronsyn hated to agree, but Laxon was probably right. Which meant one of his oldest friends fooled everyone with his high and mighty talk about repopulating their planets. Stege had his own agenda, one that had nothing to do with the inclusion of females except to further his narrow-minded and iconoclastic views of a male-only populace!
“I for one cannot participate in such a plan,” Gyard growled. “I like females. I’m attracted to them and only submitted my name for quest because I had a chance to secure a mate.”
“Here, here,” Tyshar agreed.
“But to not fulfill a direct order is…treason.” Laxon spoke in a hesitant whisper.
Pam clapped her hands to gain the attention of everyone at the table. “Hey, that Stege guy hasn’t given you a direct command yet has he? So I say we all put our heads together and come up with our own little plan.”
“Such as?” Bronsyn could not believe it was the feisty female at the table who cut through their worries and gave them something else to consider.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said with a small devious grin. “I think the first order of business is to get my girl off of that damn Searcher. I don’t want to leave her hanging if somehow, someway that freaking writ of yours is made into law.”
Everyone nodded and even a couple of the warriors smiled. The idea they could actually be doing something instead of simply waiting around appealed to them all. They were men of action and seemed to hate political posturing as much as Bronsyn did.
“If you guys will take care of the dishes, I’ll go on up and talk with Leah,” Pam announced, pushing back her chair.
Bronsyn was quick to stop her. She needed more information before proceeding. “Every room on the Searcher is monitored for sound and a recording is made and sent back to the Committee.”
Pam’s eyes narrowed and she drummed her fingers on the back of her chair as she thought. “That’s okay. I know how to bring Leah up to speed without anyone the wiser.”
“I want to give Rykhan an update as well,” Bronsyn continued. “Ask him to return at the soonest opportunity.”
Then the female made the most amazing gesture. With a wide, bright smile, she placed a fist over her heart while her voice rang out. “As you wish.” A move that shocked all the Picari warriors since it was the exact gesture of a Protectorate warrior as he responded to a direct order. For a female to perform the move was stunning and Bronsyn found himself laughing heartily at both it and the saucy wink she delivered at the end.
*.*.*.*.*
“I like the whole, ‘lady lounging around’ look you’ve got going,” Pam muttered, her eyes roaming over the linen tunic and leggings that Leah been given by Captain Pryntal after being released from the med bay.
“You’re just jealous because I’m comfortable while your ass is bitching about the tight jeans you poured yourself into,” Leah shot back as she emptied the cooler Pam had brought with her. Turning to the thermal bag and reaching for its zipper, she let her gaze rest on her friend. “I can’t fit into my regular clothes anymore.”
Pam’s expression appeared shocked. “Seriously? I mean I know I’m bringing you good eats and that you can’t really work out in this place…”
Pulling the tunic tight over her stomach, Leah showed off her baby bump. A sight so startling that it left Pam speechless for more than a few seconds.
“But…but,” Pam took a deep breath, her eyebrows pinched together as she stared. “It’s only been a couple of weeks! So how come you look like you’re already four months along?”
Leah shrugged and turned back to the containers. Every afternoon, Pam brought up both a cooler and thermal case full of what Rykhan called ‘Earth food’. Leah knew he was only teasing since he’d witnessed the many times she tried to consume the food onboard but was unable to stomach it.
Plus having Pam bring it meant that she got to visit with her friend daily. The hour or so they spent together also gave them the opportunity to add to their documentation regarding the warrior’s continuing efforts in their quest to find a mate. Not to mention to engage in the gossip they would never allow the men in the group to overhear.
However, on that visit, her friend seemed nervous, fidgety. “What’s going on Pam?”
Pam took out a spiral notebook and started writing. “Nothing much. The guys are all on-track and a couple of them have even gone on second dates. I don’t know why but I think Ty has a little something-something brewing. At least that’s the impression I get from the teasing the other warriors are piling on him. But he won’t tell me much.”
Turning the notebook around to Leah’s side of the table, the taller woman sat down and began to read her bestie’s familiar scrawl. “The walls have ears so we’ve got to keep chatting about light stuff while I write the serious shit, k?”
Leah nodded and turned the pad of paper back to her friend with a small frown. “I know, right?” She tried to keep her voice light and within normal range but she found herself sputtering as her heart rate increased. Why all the cloak and dagger for a routine visit?
“It’s like we’re trying to pry out state secrets! The more I press, the more closed mouthed they get. Does Rykhan talk to you much?” Leah had to give it to Pam; the woman was able to keep up a stream of babble as her hand whipped over the page.
After turning it her way again, Leah took a moment to skim the words before answering. “Sure he does. But we mostly talk about the baby or what our life on Nutrol will be like when we get there.”
“The boys and I agree we need to get you off this bucket of bolts and back on terra firma. They think there’s a plot in place and none of them wants to be a part of it. But they may not have any choice if it comes down as an order.”
“Sounds better than my conversations with the others,” Pam mumbled, taking the pad back and continuing. “I swear if Laxon doesn’t grow a pair soon, he’ll never get a second date.”
“I wonder why he’s so insecure? I mean, he’s just as attractive as the other men.” Leah took back the pad to read the next words.
“Bronsyn is filling Rykhan in on all that’s going down even as we speak. But I think it might be smarter for you and me to be the ones to come up with a plan and get you gone. That way, the boys can’t be blamed.”
“He is kind of shy though, don’t you think?” Pam paused and then Leah saw the next batch of words scratched were in a hand that shook.
“And from what I understand, he’s younger too. Maybe that accounts for it. Not enough life experience yet.” Leah felt herself beginning to tremble just watching as Pam turned the paper back her way.
“The way I see it, we just have to come up with a valid reason that you need to return to Earth and race our sweet asses to the TIPS room.”
“Do you know what his job was before he joined the academy?” Leah wondered what was going on that had everyone up in arms. Rykhan had been very cryptic when he’d told her to stay as far away from Dr. Jyrl unless Rykhan was around to oversee the daily visit.
“I’m thinking we could concoct some story about needing a notary to witness your signature or something. Maybe to close out your bank accounts?”
To Leah’s confused mind, one excuse was as good as another but at least that one seemed plausible. She just wished she knew the whole of what was brewing. Just as she was about to nod her agreement the door chimed. Making her way to the portal, she hit the button to open the door. “Hello, doc.” Did he hear the quaver in her voice? His arrival was somehow suspect since he’d already visited her once that morning. “What’s going on?”
“I was passing by and thought I heard the lovely voice of Wyst’s female,” the Picari doctor replied smoothly looking beyond Leah to where Pam sat glowering.
“For the fiftieth time, I’m not his or anyone else’s, okay?” There was no missing the anger in Pam’s face. “What’s it going to take to keep you away from me anyway? A garlic necklace? Holy water? A weapon?”
The doctor stepped through the door so forcefully, Leah t
ook a step back. It was a case of move or be run over. He took the same chair at the table Leah had just vacated. Although the doctor’s face was smiling, she saw his eyes drop to the pad of paper covered in Pam’s writing. “Ah, you are teasing me with your Earth humor, are you not? What is that?”
Yep, he was more than interested in what Pam had written but Leah didn’t think he’d be able to read it. First because it was in English and secondly due to Pam’s severe lack of penmanship.
“Just some notes,” Leah mumbled.
Pam was more forthcoming. “Yeah, we were just coming up with ideas for curing cancer, solving the world food crisis and finalizing our plans for world domination. What’s it to you?”
He tilted his head and studied Leah’s friend. “You seem angry, even more than any of the other times we’ve met. Perhaps you’ll allow me to examine you to determine if there are any underlying medical issues that are causing you to be uncomfortable.”
“Who said I wasn’t comfortable?”
“Your heartbeat is erratic and you are breathing heavily,” he replied calmly taking out his hand-held med-scan. “And I believe your behavior is beginning to distress Rykhan’s mate.”
“I’m not distressed,” Leah affirmed quickly but willed herself to still her movements, especially the trembling of her arms and legs.
Pam stood her ground though and narrowing her gaze, she directed all her attention at the medical alien. “You come near me with that thing and you’ll lose an arm. Or at least a finger. Is that what you want?”
He instantly pulled back at Pam’s threat and Leah thought the shocked expression looked good on him. Although she wished she’d been the one to put it there. “I think you need to go, doctor.”
His gaze came to hers and she felt like he was measuring her in some way, looking for some kind of weakness he could use to his advantage. Fortunately, the man seemed to realize he wouldn’t be getting his way in that particular meeting and soon left.
Rykhan (Book 1 of Mate Search Series) Page 25
