Berta's Choice (The Soul-Linked Saga)

by Phillips, Laura Jo

  “I have just begun as the supervisor of Arima House,” Berta said. “It is a big responsibility for me, the first I’ve ever had, and I do not want to give it up. Not just yet.”

  “Why should you?” Merrick asked.

  “I thought that if we...got together...you would want me to leave here, move to Berria with you,” Berta said.

  “For one thing, we would never ask you to stop doing something you so clearly love,” Merrick said. “Nor do we care where we live. If we are with you, wherever you are, then we are home. Besides, you surely know that all of the Arimas who have children now live here, on the ranch. There is a reason for that.”

  “Because it is the safest place for them,” Berta said with a nod. “I just wasn’t sure how you would feel about it. You did mention that your home was in Berria, and that your family lives there.”

  “Berta, look at me please,” Merrick said. Berta turned her head and gazed into Merrick’s violet eyes, which somehow soothed her by their intensity. “We want you to be our family, Berta Simms. We will do whatever we must to win your heart. We’ll wait as long as you wish, live wherever you want. Nothing in all of the Thousand Worlds is more important to us than you.”

  “Thank you,” Berta said, hot tears stinging her eyes. “That means very much to me. I think it’s safe to promise that it will not take nearly so long as a hundred years for me to make up my mind.”

  “That’s a relief,” Jerri said with a hefty, exaggerated sigh that broke the tension and made all of them smile.

  Berta checked her watch. “I must go in now,” she said reluctantly. “I would invite you to breakfast, but as this is our first day with a full house, I think it best if you three handsome men are not there to distract the other women.”

  Merrick chuckled softly. “You, Miss Simms, are a flatterer,” he said with a wink. “Fortunately, flattery doesn’t work on me.”

  Tor and Jerri glanced at each other, then looked at Berta. “It works on us!” they said together.

  “Please feel free to flatter us whenever you like,” Jerri added.

  Berta rolled her eyes and stood up. “Thank you for coming this morning,” she said. “I wonder, would you mind if we did this again tomorrow morning? I might even be able to invite you in for breakfast then.”

  “We would be most honored to meet you here tomorrow,” Merrick said as the three of them rose to their feet. “There is no need to feed us, either.”

  “There isn’t?” Jerri asked with an expression of such obvious disappointment that Berta had to laugh.

  “Don’t worry, Jerri,” she said. “I’ll see to it that there’s plenty of food for all of you.”

  “You are not only the most beautiful woman in the Thousand Worlds, you are also the most generous,” Jerri said with a grin.

  Berta turned to walk away, feeling her cheeks heat with pleasure. She didn’t remember having ever blushed before, and wondered if there was some secret to preventing it from happening. She made a mental note to ask Hope about that later.

  She paused before entering the house and looked back over her shoulder to see the Falcorans standing as she’d left them, their eyes still on her. She lifted her hand in a wave, then quickly stepped inside, keeping her face turned away from them. If they had eyesight anywhere near what a Earth falcon had, they would see her face redden even from that distance if she wasn’t careful.

  ***

  After Berta closed the door behind her, Merrick turned to his brothers, his heart filled with pure joy. He knew, as they all did, that Berta would agree to link with them, and truly become their Arima. It might not happen for a time, but it would happen eventually. She had as much as told them so.

  “I truly did not expect to see this day come for us,” Tor said, his orange eyes nearly glowing with happiness.

  “Nor did I,” Merrick admitted. “I feared that the crimes committed against her would prevent her from ever wanting us, or any male. Nor could I find it in my heart to blame her.”

  “Well, I knew it would happen, eventually,” Jerri said. “My concern was that her aged body would not survive the transformation. That was my greatest fear.”

  “I am sorry, Jerri,” Merrick said, wondering why their youngest brother had kept such a horrendous fear to himself. To imagine Berta dying was far worse than imagining her rejection of them. “Why did you not share your worry with us?”

  “I saw no reason to give you a fear you didn’t already have,” Jerri replied. “Now, it doesn’t matter. She is young, healthy, and stunningly beautiful.”

  “She certainly is,” Merrick agreed. “Also, for the record, I am no longer missing the sexual response we all lacked the first time we met her. How about you two?”

  “No, me neither,” Tor said. “I think I need new pants in a slightly larger size, though.”

  “Ah, so that’s what that is,” Jerri said in feigned surprise. Tor and Merrick laughed as they turned and headed out of the garden.

  “What shall we do now?” Jerri wondered. “We won’t get to see Berta again until tomorrow morning. That leaves a lot of time to fill.”

  “Since we will certainly need to remain on the ranch while Berta supervises Arima House, I believe we should speak with the Dracons, today if possible, about us living here,” Merrick said.

  “After that, perhaps the Bearens will agree to give us something to do on this side of the world,” Tor suggested. “We cannot sit around all the time. We’ll go mad with boredom.”

  “Agreed,” Jerri said. “Only, let’s ask for something that doesn’t require us to sit at a desk.”

  “Of course,” Merrick said. “But we’ll take whatever is offered to us so long as it allows us to remain near Berta.”

  Jerri nodded in agreement. He would sit a desk for the remainder of eternity if that’s what it took to be near their Arima. He would just prefer something with a bit more action.

  “Shall we contact the Dracons directly, or go through the Lobos?” Tor asked.

  “I think we should speak with the Bearens first, since Berta is under their protection,” Merrick decided.

  Tor nodded as he placed his vox in his ear, then tapped it. A few moments later he removed it and put it into his special pocket to protect it from the effects of magic when they transformed. “Arima Hope said that the Bearens and the Lobos are at the airfield and asked that we join them there if we voxed before they returned. Apparently they have already foreseen our need to remain on the ranch and work, and have plans to discuss with us.”

  “Excellent,” Merrick said. “Let’s not keep them waiting.”

  Chapter 9

  Once again Berta awoke at dawn, only this time she was smiling before her eyes were opened, her first thought that she would see the Falcorans again this morning. The day before had been very busy for her, but she had still thought of the Falcorans almost constantly. She’d finally allowed herself to admit that she thought them to be strikingly handsome with their long, graceful bodies and uniquely colored eyes with the matching streaks in their hair. Unfortunately, once she’d made the admission, she’d been unable to stop thinking about them.

  She’d watched from the window as they transformed into their falcoran alter-forms the previous morning, and she was captivated by their beauty, power, and grace. She’d seen the Lobos, Bearens, Dracons, and even the Katres transform during her months on the ranch, and while all of their alter-forms were certainly magnificent creatures, she hadn’t considered them to be beautiful. Not like the Falcorans.

  The only thing that confused her about them was whether they were mammals, or birds. Except for their coloring and their size, they looked just like Earth falcons. Well, that and the fact that they had fur rather than feathers. She decided to ask them about that the next time she saw them.

  Which would be very soon, she reminded herself as she sat up and stretched. She tossed back the comforter and hopped out of bed, filled with excited energy as she headed for the shower. She was looking forward to m
eeting them so much that she’d actually had a difficult time settling down to sleep the night before. Thankfully, she’d been exhausted from her long, hectic day, and eventually fell asleep.

  After her shower, she left the bathroom and turned on her vid terminal to check her messages while she combed out her hair. There were messages from two male-sets who had identified their Arimas from the pheromone samples. Lobos and Katres. Another message from the garrison commander informed her that both male-sets had arrived overnight and had been assigned a Rami House. They awaited a message from her as to when they could visit.

  She set her comb down and sent a message to both male-sets, welcoming them and offering her congratulations. She informed both of them that she would speak to their respective Arimas at breakfast and inform them what time they could visit afterward.

  She sent her messages just as two more came in. The first one was from Elder Vulpiran of the Jasani Council, so she opened it first. She read it quickly, smiling as she did. Three more male-sets had reacted to the pheromone samples and would be leaving on a Council transport for the ranch in a couple of hours. She wrote back, thanking him, then jotted down the male-sets names, and the women they had identified as their Arimas. Another Lobo male-set, one Bearen, and a Vulpiran.

  She leaned back in her chair for a moment as she thought about it. In the last few moments she had learned that five different male-sets had identified their Arimas. Five. It had taken nearly four years for the first five Arimas to be found. This was phenomenal. All Clan Jasani would be rejoicing at this news. She considered sending a message to the Dracons, but realized there was no need. Surely Elder Vulpiran had informed the Princes already. Instead, she sent a quick note to Hope, who would share the information with the Bearens. If the Dracons didn’t already know about it, they soon would.

  Then she opened the second message, uncertain who it was from. She was surprised to see that it was from Aisling. The message was short, but stunning. They were bringing a rather large and varied group of people to Jasan from Earth, aside from the former slaves and potential berezi. Among them was a young woman named Honey Davis who was the great-granddaughter of Berta’s younger brother.

  Berta’s eyes teared up so fast she didn’t realize she was crying until she felt the tears roll down her cheeks. She had family. Real family. The Director had offered to search for any remaining family she might have before she’d left Earth, but he hadn’t been able to find anyone. He’d promised to keep looking, but Berta had assumed there was no family left, or if there was, it was far too late for her to find them.

  Now, here was a long lost niece. Family. Once again she leaned back in her chair as she tried to take it in. She wished that Aisling had given her more details, but the message was very short and hurried. Berta wiped her eyes and saved Aisling’s message in her personal file.

  That done, she quickly wrote a message to the Falcorans, asking if they still wanted to meet her in the garden in one hour. She added the news that five Arimas had been identified, knowing they’d be excited about it too. She sent the message, her hands shaking slightly with anticipation. Then she left the vid-terminal and went to get dressed.

  ***

  “Berta just sent a message to confirm our meeting this morning, and to tell us that five male-sets have identified their Arimas,” Tor said.

  “Five?” Merrick asked, stunned. “That’s astounding!”

  “Yes, it is,” Tor agreed, shaking his head. After three thousand long, difficult years, it was hard to believe that things were changing so quickly for their people. At this rate, Clan Jasani would once again be a real people. And to think, it was in large part due to their Arima, Berta. Tor felt pride fill him.

  “What time does she want to meet?” Jerri asked.

  “Same time as yesterday,” Tor replied.

  “Too bad,” Jerri said with a sigh. “I was hoping she’d let us come earlier.”

  “The sun has barely risen, Jerri,” Merrick pointed out. “Don’t forget, she worked all day yesterday, and with five male-sets on their way or already here, she’ll be working again today.”

  “I know,” Jerri said. “I just want to see her.”

  “As do we all,” Merrick said. “There must be some way to kill an hour besides walking across the ranch again.”

  “I suggest we fly into that little town again, what’s its name?” Tor asked.

  “Granite Falls,” Merrick replied.

  “Yes, Granite Falls. Let’s go buy Berta a gift in appreciation for her invitation,” Tor said.

  “Great idea,” Merrick said. “Do you have anything in mind? I don’t want to get anything too romantic right now. It might seem too pushy.”

  “I saw a market there last time we visited,” Jerri said. “How about we see if they have some sugar peaches? That would be a nice gift, wouldn’t it?”

  “Brilliant idea,” Merrick said with a grin. “Let’s go.”

  The Falcorans stepped outside and, within seconds, they were winging their way toward Granite Falls as quickly as they could fly. They now had only fifty minutes before their meeting with Berta, and they didn’t want to be late.

  ***

  The day before, Berta had been uncertain how the Falcorans would react to her, so she’d dressed neutrally in a pair of jeans and a sweater. But today was different. She felt excited, happy, almost giddy. The Falcorans wanted her, she wanted them, and they were willing to give her the time she’d asked for. She’d never been so optimistic about her future.

  She decided to dress to fit her mood, selecting a red skirt and top that she never would have considered wearing a few short weeks earlier. In fact, she hadn’t even owned such clothing until Hope, Talinka, and Saige Lobo dragged her into Granite Falls and all but forced her to select a new wardrobe. It was the only time she’d left the ranch since moving there with the Bearens, and she would never have agreed to it if the Lobos hadn’t accompanied them. They maintained a barrier around the women that, like the barrier around the ranch, would prevent any Xanti from reaching them.

  The a-line skirt was short, though not scandalously so, and the blouse appeared to be simple, but was cut in a very flattering manner that emphasized her figure. It had long sleeves, of course, as all of her clothes did, but it was so pretty that, for once, she barely gave the necessity a second thought. She added a pair of sandals to complete the look, leaving her legs bare. She’d had a few lessons in the application of cosmetics over the past weeks as well, so it was easy for her to add just enough to give herself a fresh, finished look. She left her hair down and fifteen minutes later, she was ready.

  She left her room and exited the house through the side door, then walked around to the garden, wishing she had told the Falcorans half an hour instead of an hour. She hoped they might have come early, but one quick look around proved that they hadn’t. She was just getting ready to sit down on a bench near a small water fountain to wait when she heard rapid footsteps approaching. She turned around and grimaced slightly when she saw Sergio Farnswaite trotting toward her.

  “Miss Simms,” he panted, not shouting, but his voice frantic nonetheless.

  Berta frowned as she took a step toward him. She was not a big fan of Sergio, either as a person, or a decorator, but even she had to admit that he’d worked hard to help them get Arima House and the Rami Houses finished on time. As he stumbled toward her, she noted that his face was red and sweaty, his hair flat rather than the carefully spiked style he usually sported, and his clothes were dusty.

  “What’s the matter, Mr. Farnswaite?” she asked worriedly.

  “I just saw one of those ladies of yours, the one with the short dark hair, I don’t know her name,” he said, speaking quickly as he stopped a few feet from her on the garden path.

  “Saw her?” Berta asked, confused.

  “Yes, she was running down the road, crying,” he said, waving his hand in the air. “I saw her and asked her if she was all right, but she just yelled at me, knocked me down,
and started running. She said she didn’t want to live any more. I didn’t know what to do, so I came here to get you.”

  Berta’s eyes widened in alarm. The woman he described sounded like Erika, since she was the only one of the eight berezi with short dark hair. But Erika had seemed very quiet and sweet to her. Well, it didn’t matter. She was responsible for these women, and clearly one of them was in distress.

  “I’ll go after her,” Berta said, already heading for the garage. She glanced over her shoulder, happy to see that Sergio was following her. “Can you tell me where you saw her exactly?”

  “No, I’m sorry, I just don’t know this place well enough,” Sergio said. “But if you let me drive, I’m sure I can find her.”

  “All right,” Berta agreed easily since she’d only had a couple of driving lessons herself. She reached up to her ear and realized she hadn’t even brought a vox out with her. She’d been too busy getting ready for the Falcorans. Well, she’d try to find Erika first, she decided. Then, if she didn’t find her quickly, she’d go straight to the Bearens for help.

  She hurried into the garage, Sergio at her heels, and opened the front passenger door of the ground-car. As she bent to get in she felt a small pinch on her shoulder. She turned her head in time to see Sergio withdraw an injection device. He caught her as she started to slump down, opened the rear door and pushed her in with a hard shove. She landed across the seat, fighting to stay awake, but it was no good. Darkness settled over her, silencing the terrified screams in her mind.

  Sergio slammed the door and paused a moment to take a deep, calming breath. He knew that the people who lived on the ranch arose early, but this far away from the garrison and the other houses it was unlikely anyone would be out and about at this time of morning. He checked his watch and winced. He was quickly running out of time. He’d been ordered to enter the house and force Miss Simms out at knife point, but the security wouldn’t let him in because he was unauthorized for after-hours entry. He’d then tried all of the doors and windows on the building, but they’d all been locked. He’d given up when suddenly she’d walked out into the garden. He didn’t know why, nor did he care. Her early morning visit to the garden was going to save his life, and his mother’s life. That’s was all he cared about.