by M. K. Eidem
"You will pay for that!" Ull growled, spinning around to face her. He felt a moment of remorse when he saw her defensive position until he realized it wasn't because of him. It was because of Veron, who was standing there, blocking the door. She found the Captain more menacing than him.
Trisha changed the angle of her retreat when the rose-colored guy turned and growled at her.
"What… what are you?" She stuttered, backing away from both of them until a wall stopped her. Damn it! She knew better than to back herself into a corner.
Veron bumped Ull's arm with something, and when he glanced down, Ull saw it was the tablet containing the memory crystal with the Queen's message. Knowing they would get nowhere until they could communicate with her, Ull powered it up then turned the tablet to face the female, as the Queen's face filled the screen.
"Trisha? Trisha, it's me, Lisa," she said in English.
Ull stopped the recording. The Queen had instructed him to replay this part again and again until Trisha was listening, then to let it run. He replayed it and watched her facial expressions. She went from being terrified and trying to hide it, to shocked, disbelieving, hopeful, and then suspicious. When she finally looked up from the tablet to him meeting his gaze, he knew it was time to continue the recording.
"Trisha? Trisha, it's me, Lisa." Lisa's image gave her a shaky smile. "God, I wish I was with you right now so I could explain this face-to-face, but as you can see…" The video that had just shown Lisa from the chest up zoomed out, indicating she was obviously pregnant. "Traveling isn't an option for me right now. I know this is a shock. It surprised me too, but never doubt I'm thrilled about this pregnancy." She ran a gentle hand over her distended belly as she continued. "So are the girls. We are all safe and happy. Happier than we've been in a very long time. If we weren't, I'd give you our code word. Girls, say hi to Trisha."
Trisha's breath caught as Miki and Carly's smiling faces came into the screen and the heavy weight she'd been carrying, that her friend and children had been harmed because of her, fell away.
"Hi, Trisha," the girls chorused.
"We miss you," Carly said.
"When are you going to come to Luda and visit us?" Miki demanded. "We miss you."
"That's enough, girls," Lisa smiled down at them. "Now, tell Trisha goodbye. Cook is waiting for you to help him bake cookies."
"Yea! Bye, Trisha," they said together.
There was a pause in the recording, and Trisha watched as Lisa's eyes followed the girls out of the room before turning back to the screen, her eyes turning serious.
"While we are safe and happy, there are those that aren't, and even more that are going to be in danger if you don't help us. I know that statement raises more questions than it answers, so I'll try to answer them, but first I need to make introductions. If everything went as planned, two males are standing before you. The green one is Captain Veron, and the rosy white one is Warrior Ull. They are both fit and worthy males."
Trisha's eyes went to each male as Lisa described him.
"They are called Tornians, and as I'm sure you've guessed by now, they're aliens." Lisa gave her a small smile. "Yes, there really are aliens. They are the ones that took the girls and me from Earth. Not these two specific ones, but it was the Tornians. The most simplistic version of all this is that the Tornian race is dying out because they have so few females, and as you can see," she gently rubbed her baby bump again, "Earth females are compatible with them. So, when the Tornians found this out, they came to Earth to get some." Lisa shot an angry gaze off-screen. "It's something I don't approve of but haven't been able to put a stop to." Lisa's gaze returned to her. "But you can."
"What? Me? How?" Trisha questioned then remembered she and Lisa weren't actually having a conversation.
"I know you're sitting there asking questions, Trisha, and I'm trying to anticipate them. But in all honesty, that would take days, and there is a faster way. I was knocked out and woke up with something over my eyes. God, I'm glad you don't have to go through any of that. It was terrifying."
Trisha's gaze shot to the one holding the tablet. Ull, Lisa had said his name was Ull.
"The thing over my eyes was called an educator. They developed it, so non-Tornians could quickly learn the Tornian language, culture, history, and laws. I'm asking you to trust me, Trisha. I need you to put on the educator I sent to Earth with Veron. It's perfectly safe. My male, man," Lisa's gaze went to someone Trisha couldn't see, "Grim, personally programmed it. I also had him add how the girls and I got here and what we need from you and why. It's sealed in this box." She reached out and took something that was handed to her by a muscular bronze-colored arm. She showed it to Trisha then tapped the black emblem of some bird on the front. "This is the royal seal of House Luanda. Make sure it’s intact when Veron gives it to you. I'm asking, no, I'm begging, Trisha. Let Ull put the educator on you."
Chapter Two
As the recording ended, Trisha looked to the green male Lisa called Veron and saw that he was now holding a closed wooden box with a large black seal on the front, just like Lisa had shown her. Lifting a hand, she rubbed her throbbing temple and tried to take it all in. Could this really be happening? Maybe she was having some strange reaction to the medication her doctor had prescribed. A bizarre reaction. Was this her subconscious trying to absolve her of her guilt for what happened to Lisa and her girls?
There weren't aliens standing in front of her. Were there?
They weren't actually kidnapping women so they could breed with them. Were they?
But the two standing in front of her seemed so real.
Not sure if she wanted him to be real or not, she slowly reached out to touch the one closest to her. Ull.
If he wasn't real, then she could relax and enjoy the fact that he was a prime specimen of a male. After all, he was a great deal taller than her five foot eleven inches, and that was a rare thing for her. Oh, there were guys taller than her, but not by this much. Ull had to be at least six foot six. He was wearing black pants that clung to his thickly muscled legs, with his calves encased in knee-high black boots.
But if he was real. Trisha's eyes widened when she found warmth as she flattened her hand against the massive chest the vest he wore had no chance of covering.
"Oh my God," she whispered. "You're real."
Ull didn't move when she spun away from him. He couldn't. She'd touched him. Voluntarily. Outside of Joining. Why? Why would she do that? It had only been for a moment, but that soft touch had his heart pounding as if he'd just finished an extensive round of sparring. It had affected her, too, if the way her eyes widened was any indication. Was she interested in him? When she turned back to him and reached out, he thought she was going to touch him again. Instead, she slowly ran a finger along the Queen's face still displayed on the tablet he held. He found himself jealous of the emotion he saw on her face for the other female. When she glanced up at him, he watched that soft emotion become determination before she stepped around him and moved toward Veron.
Veron watched the female approach him, unsure of what she was going to do. Lisa had told him what she would be asking of her friend and had made him vow he wouldn't force the educator on her. They needed an alliance with Earth, a friendly one, one that benefited everyone. Based on earned trust and mutual respect, especially as the Tornians had already stolen females that they wouldn't be returning.
He remained utterly still when she reached out and gently traced the raptor on the seal. He wasn't sure if Lisa had explained how to break it.
Trisha was amazed by the detail on the seal. It was a beautiful bird. It was a shame she had to break it. Slipping a nail under the edge of the seal, she braced her thumb in its center and pulled up, breaking it in half. Opening the hinged top, she found the device inside that Lisa called an 'educator.' It was a curved band made from some black material she couldn't identify. Lifting it out, she could see how it would curve around her head. The narrower ends would rest behind her
ears while the wider center covered her eyes.
Lisa had said she needed to let Ull put it on her. Lisa was her friend, and Trisha trusted her. Lisa wouldn't ask her to do anything that might harm her. Turning back to Ull, she extended the educator out to him.
Ull couldn't believe the courage of this little female. She didn't know either of them, hadn't even known they existed until a few minutes ago. Yet here she was, willingly handing him the educator. Trusting him, all because another female had asked her. No Tornian female would do such a thing. He was beginning to believe these Earth females indeed were different.
For the first time, he let himself look at her. She was a great deal shorter than him but taller than any other Earth female he had encountered, with the top of her head coming up to his shoulders. Her hair was short, only coming down to just below her jawline. While the length displeased him, the varying shades of brown fascinated him. While she'd been watching the recording, he'd been closely watching her. Her facial expression had relaxed slightly, revealing the fullness of the lips that were now in a thin straight line beneath a tipped-up nose and prominent cheekbones. Her skin was a great deal darker than his, but not nearly as dark as Grim’s or Wray's. It made her blue eyes that much more startling.
Slowly, so not to frighten her, Ull reached out and took the educator from her then gestured to the couch, and realized this female wasn't only brave, but she was smart. She understood what he wanted without understanding his language. By the time he handed the tablet to Veron and turned back to her, she was lying on her back.
Moving to the couch, he sat down near her waist, then reaching out, let the tips of his fingers rest along her eyebrows before he brushed them down along her nose, closing her eyes. Once they were closed, he carefully slipped the educator over her eyes, then activated it and forced himself to rise and step away.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
"I can't believe she allowed you to do that," Veron said quietly as Ull stepped to his side.
"She's a truly courageous female," Ull couldn't help but admit.
Veron's eyebrows shot up in surprise. It was an unusual thing for a Tornian male to express, especially Ull, who had yet to accept the changes that were happening within their Empire. Changes that allowed a female to choose any male she wanted, regardless of whether he had accumulated the credits necessary to provide for her or not, as previously demanded. That decree by the Emperor had rocked the Empire and completely changed the landscape of Tornian society.
"I have yet to encounter an Earth female that wasn't," Veron finally replied. "They all seem to have the capacity to care about more than just themselves and are willing to reach out and help others, even if it puts them at risk. I know of no females, from any species, that do that."
"It's a miracle their species has survived," Ull said gruffly.
"But they have," Veron reminded him quietly. "Even flourished, if truth be told."
Sometime later, movement from the couch had Veron glancing at it, but Ull was already there. He carefully sat down, and after checking the educator, he found it had nearly completed the program. Ull couldn't explain the eagerness that filled him waiting for it to finish. He wanted to be able to talk to Trisha and to be able to understand what she was saying. He wanted to explain to her what was happening. Not Grim's female.
He heard the low beep that indicated the educator had shut down. Reaching out, he carefully removed the device, then set it aside and waited. This educator had contained a great deal more information than a normal one, so it was natural for it to take her longer to wake. Still, as the minutes passed, he began to feel the slightest hint of anxiety. Had something gone wrong? Had she been harmed? None of the other Earth females had experienced any problems using the educator. Not even the ones the Kaliszians had discovered.
Ull was about to call the Healer when her eyelashes began to flutter, and her startling blue eyes stared directly up into his. They seemed cloudy and unfocused at first, then they cleared and sharpened.
"Do you know my name?" he asked her quietly.
"Of course, Lisa told me. It's Ull," she immediately responded as if it were obvious.
He just waited and saw her eyes widen when she realized she hadn't responded in English.
"How," she paused, then shook her head slightly as if to get everything back where it belonged. "Okay, so the educator worked."
"So it would seem," Veron said, moving to the side of the couch, picking up the educator and returning it to its box.
"And you are Veron, Emperor Wray Vasteri's Captain and trusted friend."
"Yes," he acknowledged, and when she moved to sit up, both males stepped back.
Trisha swung her legs over the edge of the couch, resting her elbows on her knees as she rubbed her temples.
"Are you alright?" Ull couldn't stop himself from asking. He'd never been concerned about a female's condition before. He'd never had reason to be. If a female felt the need, she contacted a Healer. It was something Tornian females regularly did. If the Healer found a severe problem, he then contacted the female's male. But with Trisha, he found he needed to know from her.
"I'm fine," she said as she continued to try and rub away the faint headache she felt starting. "Just trying to process all the new information rattling around in my head."
"Rattling around?" Ull's concern deepened.
She smiled slightly then looked to where both of them stood. "It’s just slang. It just means I need a minute." And she did. There had been so much in that educator, more than language, more than history. Lisa had included the basics of what was currently happening along with the complexity of it.
One. A species called Ganglians, whose large hairy size resembled the legendary Big Foot, were coming to Earth and kidnapping women, correction females, and either raping them or selling them as sex slaves.
Two. A species called Zaludians, who were a smaller scavenger species, were coming to Earth and stealing food to sell to the Kaliszians.
Three. A species called the Kaliszians, who resembled humans except they were a great deal taller, had hair only down the middle of their heads, and their eyes glowed. They were slowly starving to death because they could no longer produce the food necessary to feed their people.
Four. A species called Tornians, who also resembled humans, except that their skin tones were more metal- and jewel-toned. They were also slowly dying, but for them, it was because they were producing fewer and fewer females.
And that was the basics.
The complicated part was that entirely by accident, the Tornians had discovered they were compatible with human females when they'd saved one from the Ganglians. Because of this, the Tornians had sought out Earth, then done as the Ganglians had and kidnapped some. One being Lisa along with her daughters.
The Kaliszians also learned that they were compatible with human females when they discovered Mac and Jen on one of their planets. They later found more humans on Ganglian ships. The Kaliszians didn't need the males or the females, but as they hadn't known Earth's location, they couldn't return them. Only when they discovered a ship full of food from Earth did they reach out to the Tornians for Earth's location.
Both species hoped to gain something by contacting Earth. Kaliszians wanted food. Tornians wanted access to females. In return, they were both offering to protect Earth from the Ganglians and Zaludians.
God, what a cluster fuck! Why had Lisa thought she could help with this? Sure, she had a master's degree in Law, but it was international, not interplanetary. Yes, her tío was the President of the United States, but that didn't mean Trisha could get them in to see him. Hell, there were days when even she couldn't get in to see him. And that didn't even cover the fact that the Tornians weren't going to be returning the females they'd kidnapped.
Oh yeah, that was going to go over really well.
"You guys couldn't have fucked this up more if you'd tried, could you?" she muttered, pushing herself up to her feet.
"What do
you mean?" Veron asked.
"You kidnap women. Force them to Join with one of you. Then come to Earth and expect us to let you have more?" She gave them both a disbelieving look. "Seriously? Are you out of your mind? You'll be lucky if you don't get lynched."
"They are being taken whether you like it or not," Ull growled, "By the Ganglians. We chose only unprotected females that carried no male's scent."
"Right. Like that's going to win you any points," Trisha snapped back. "People are going to be pissed. The only ones that have a chance of coming out of this clean are the Kaliszians because they are returning all the people they've found."
"Not all of them are returning," Ull reminded her, and that dark anger began to grow again at the thought she could believe the Kaliszians were more honorable, more worthy than the Tornians.
"Yes, the two that wished to stay behind with their True Mates. Lisa included that in the educator," she told Ull at his disbelieving look. "But that was their choice. A choice you aren’t giving the women you kidnapped."
"Our males need them," Veron said quietly, and while he knew this was still truth, he no longer supported it as strongly as he had when they'd first taken the females. Grim had been right. They hadn't been given a choice and gone willingly. "One has already willingly chosen a male and is extremely happy. She is already with offspring."
"Lucky her," Trisha muttered.
"I believe Lady Abby does consider herself lucky. As does Lord Ynyr," Veron told her.
She saw the look that crossed Ull's face at Veron's last comment. "What? You don't believe Abby is happy?"
"It is not for me to say," Ull growled.
"Ull! That is unworthy of you. You must let it go. He is your brother."
Trisha's eyes went from one male to the other. "Okay, what am I missing here? Is Abby not happy?" Both males just continued to glare at each other until she demanded. "Ull?"
