by S. E. Smith
He frowned and slowly walked over to where she had gracefully lowered herself. He sat down next to her, and they both stared out at the garden. It had become dark outside since he’d first entered. He hadn’t realized that he had been training for so long.
“Tell me about her,” his mother quietly requested.
He parted his lips in denial at first, before he closed his mouth and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He rolled the towel between his hands and thought about the woman who had haunted his every waking moment for the last two years.
“RITA2 told me that she was born Amelia Thomas, but she goes by the name Runt,” he began in a low tone.
“Runt. That is an especially unusual name for a woman. I have not heard that one used before in any of the vidcoms I’ve watched,” Tresa commented.
He sat up and leaned back against the back of the bench. A slight smile curved his lips. He’d thought the same thing—at first.
“My mate is an unusual woman. Runt is her hacker name. She is very skilled at their computer language,” he explained.
“She works with Cosmos?” Tresa asked.
Derik nodded. “Yes. Under Cosmos’ protection, Amelia uses her skills to fight against those that harm innocent people. RITA2 said that Amelia has angered many powerful people on her world, and if she were left on her own, her life would be in danger. Part of the reason she was brought into Cosmos’ team was precisely so that they could protect her. She… doesn’t like to accept anyone’s help,” he added.
He turned his hand over and looked down at the intricate mark in the center of his palm. The mark had grown more defined in the last few weeks—and his driving need to find the woman who had escaped him two years before had increased. It was time for them to meet again.
Still looking out into the garden, Tresa casually remarked, “RITA2 told me she is young… and very independent for her age. You have that in common.”
He turned in his seat and looked suspiciously at his mother. It had been a long time since he’d met Runt, and since that time he hadn’t wanted to talk about the bond mate he’d let slip through his fingers… so of course his mother would have looked for more information on her own. He wondered how much she knew.
Over the last two years, he had done everything he could to learn more about Amelia. He had also spent a great deal of time keeping himself busy while he waited for them both to grow a little older. His mother was right—Amelia had been young when they met—sixteen, according to RITA2.
He looked down at his hand again. He was barely two years older than Amelia. Was he capable of being a good protector? His brothers had been older than he when they found their mates. He knew nothing about being a good mate except from what he had read and watched on the assorted vidcoms that were available.
“She is my bond mate. I… can feel the need growing inside me to claim her, but… what if she doesn’t want me? What if she thinks I am unsuitable because I don’t…,” his voice faded and he looked at his mother with a frustrated expression.
Tresa softly laughed and shook her head. Derik scowled at her when she reached over and patted his leg.
“You are far too much like your father to worry about whether she will want you… or about whether you’ll be able to handle the responsibilities that come with being a good mate,” she said.
Derik felt his cheeks heat and knew it wasn’t from his workout. He looked out the window. This was not a conversation that he really wanted to have with his mother. For that matter, he wasn’t sure it was a conversation that he wanted to have with anyone.
They both turned when the door opened. His father walked into the room, glanced around, and walked up to them as they slowly stood. Derik frowned in confusion when his father’s gaze locked on him.
“Derik, get cleaned up and meet me in the council room in twenty minutes,” Teriff ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Derik immediately responded.
“What is it, Teriff?” his mother demanded.
Derik paused when he saw a flicker of unease cross his father’s face. It took him a moment to realize they were having a silent exchange. Derik’s frown deepened when his mother reached for his arm.
“What has happened?” he asked, turning to look at his mother’s worried face before turning back to his father.
“A member of Cosmos’ team has disappeared. They fear one of the men from a previous confrontation may be responsible. Cosmos has asked for our assistance,” Teriff replied.
“Who…?” Derik demanded, stepping around the bench as his stomach tightened with dread.
“A woman named Amelia Thomas,” his father told him.
Chapter Two
Two guards stood at attention outside of the council room doors. The guard on the right stepped forward and opened a door as Derik approached. He nodded to the man as he passed him; then stopped inside the room to survey those in attendance. He was surprised to see the council members standing in front of the dais where they normally sat. Of course, this was a new council with less formal ways than the previous group.
He saw his older brothers and father quietly talking with Lan and Brock. Both men worked under his brother J’kar as his Head of Security and Chief Engineer. Brock shot him a pointed look, and then glanced down at his feet. Derik’s eyes followed Brock’s, and he grimaced when he saw the box filled with broken attack disks. It would appear Brock knew about the latest casualties to his weapons supply. The Chief Engineer must have discovered them while he was getting cleaned up.
“Brock,” Derik greeted.
“Derik. I’m changing the locks again. I don’t care whose family you belong to,” Brock stated with a dark scowl.
Derik deliberately put aside his impatience to get to Earth and chuckled. “Bypassing it will just give me another challenge,” he retorted with a self-satisfied grin that was only a little stiff. The meeting would begin momentarily, he told himself. Any moment now.
Lan laughed. “You might as well give up, Brock. I’ve seen what the young Lord can do,” he informed his friend with a playful slap to his shoulder.
Brock turned his scowl on Lan. “Only because you helped train him using me as a target,” he growled.
“Let’s get this meeting in session,” Teriff ordered, looking in Derik’s direction.
Derik nodded tightly, fighting to control his surge of anticipation and rage. He was one moment closer to seeing Amelia again, and something horrible could have happened to her in the meantime. Something horrible could have been happening to her every moment since she’d been missing.
Every second seemed an eternity, but acting on his emotions would likely slow down the proceedings rather than speed them up. He followed his father, brothers, and the other members of the council as they took their seats around the large oval table and sat down.
“I call the meeting to order,” Teriff said. “This is a closed session of the council. I’ve asked Brock, Lan, and Derik to attend. Does the council approve my invitation?” Teriff formally asked, glancing around at the men sitting at the table.
Derik listened as each council member stated their approval. He took the seat next to his brother Borj. Out of all of the ‘Tag Krell Manok brothers, Borj was the calmest—as long as no one messed with his bond mate, Hannah.
Hannah was human, like all of his brothers’ bond mates. Each woman was captivating in an absolutely unique way—though the women were sisters, so of course there were similarities. Tink was the most like her mother, Tilly. Tink was a talented auto mechanic who could work on practically any type of engine or power generator while her mother was a programmer and mechanical engineer. Hannah was like their father, Angus, the thoughtful writer, except Hannah preferred photographs over words. Tansy was—well, Tansy was like RITA, the powerful, mischievous AI who had made a partial clone of herself called RITA2 to stay in the Prime computer systems and wreak havoc there in her charming way. RITA was originally created by Tilly, Tink… and Cosmos. Derik frowned when he noticed that Cosmos w
as missing from the large group of attendees.
“Cosmos will be monitoring what is going on through RITA2,” Teriff announced, answering his unspoken question.
“Hello, everyone,” RITA2 suddenly greeted.
A grumble of sighs ran through the unmated males sitting at the table. Despite the severity of the matter at hand, Derik couldn’t help being amused. RITA2 knew how to make an appearance!
The AI was dressed in a long, slender gray skirt with a light blue blouse tucked in at her waist. A wide black belt made her waist look small and her breasts—well, large. Derik suspected that they were slightly larger than the last time he’d seen them, and wondered if RITA2 had been playing with her programming again.
Her dark red hair was fashioned into an elegant bun, and she wore a pair of oversized silver-rimmed glasses. She walked around the table and flashed an amused grin at one of the clan leaders who almost fell out of his seat trying to turn and look at her.
“Keep your eyes on my mate’s face, Brawn,” DAR’s deep voice warned as his holographic form suddenly appeared next to the offender.
Derik snorted when he heard DAR’s snarky comment to the leader of the Desert Clan. When RITA2 had first arrived, she’d had an unexpected effect on their Defense Armament Response system, which previously had… less personality. DAR didn’t change his appearance nearly as often as RITA2 did, though. He looked the same as when he’d materialized with a body for the first time, much to RITA2’s delight.
Brawn shrugged, grinned, and sat back in his seat as the men around the table chuckled. “A warrior can look, DAR,” Brawn quipped.
DAR folded his arms across his chest and began to glow brighter. “Not if he wishes to keep his eyes in his head,” the male AI retorted.
“Turn down the power, love. I can feel the surge,” RITA2 cautioned.
Derik wanted to roll his eyes. Everyone could feel the surge. Not only were the lights flickering, but the hairs on his arms were standing straight up. His father stood up and drew everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand—at least until they saw the ghostly forms of two children sitting in Teriff’s vacated seat. The sound of curses filled the room, and several men rose and moved away from the table.
“What is it now?” his father growled in exasperation.
“Behind you….” Brock choked out, pointing his finger at the chair.
“Oh dear. DAR, love, can you take the children?” RITA2 asked.
“Children? What…? RITA2! DAR! This is…,” Teriff snarled as he scooted to the side and cast a glare between the AI and her replications. “Do Cosmos and Terra know about this?”
“Yes,” DAR replied.
Teriff ran his hand over his face and sighed. “I’m getting too old for this,” he muttered.
Derik snorted. His father was still in the prime of his life, and from the twinkle in his eye, he was enjoying this as much as the other men who were now peering closely at the two children as they crawled across the table. Derik would have been just as intrigued if it weren’t for the fact that his mate was missing, and he needed to find her.
“Father… the meeting,” he said, speaking above the other men.
“Yes, DAR, if you please…,” Teriff said with a wave of his hand at the two children who shimmered with excitement.
“Of course. Darian, Rena,” DAR said.
“You’ve named them?” Teriff asked in astonishment.
“Of course we’ve named them! They’re our kids, after all,” RITA2 retorted.
Derik watched as DAR and the two AI children dematerialized. He looked around. RITA2 had vanished as well. A second later, he discovered why.
“I’m afraid my ability to retain a three-dimensional corporeal form is still limited. I’ll have to give my presentation this way,” RITA2 spoke up with a sigh. “The little ones are draining me as they feed from my code.”
“Yes, well, we’ll see what can be done,” Teriff responded in an uncomfortable voice. “I’ve called a meeting because I need to send Derik to Earth to find a woman named Runt.”
“Why Derik? Surely a more experienced warrior would be better—no offense, my Lord,” Rav, the Leader of the Southern Clan, protested.
“The woman is his bond mate. He has the mark to prove it. That connection will help him locate her,” Teriff growled.
“In that case, I’ll go with him,” Hendrik announced, slapping his hand down on the table before rising to his feet and rubbing his hands together. “I have plenty of tracking experience and can watch over the young lord since I’ve been on the planet before. When do we leave?”
“What makes you think you should be the one to go?” Brawn demanded. “I think I should go with him. I have just as much experience with tracking, and I think it is about time I had a chance to explore the world.”
“Hendrik only wants to go because he thinks the injured human who was in Medical a few weeks ago is his bond mate,” Rav insisted. “If anyone should go, it should be me. I was the one who spoke first, and I can focus on protecting Derik without distractions because I don’t have a bond mate.”
“You want to try to entice Trudy! I know the human woman is my bond mate. I felt the connection between us. All I need is a chance to touch her. Once the mark appears, you will see that I am right!” Hendrik retorted.
“This connection you felt—are you sure it wasn’t all in your head? If I remember correctly, she banned you from the medical ward!” Rav retorted.
“Actually, RITA2 banned all the warriors from the medical ward,” Brawn pointed out.
“The female is mine,” Hendrik scowled, rising to his feet and leaning on the table. The muscles in Hendrik’s arms bulged as he curled his fingers into fists.
“Enough or I’ll ban the lot of you and send you back to your regions!” Teriff roared.
“Brawn’s right. All the warriors were too much for poor Trudy to deal with in the aftermath of what happened at Addie’s parents’ lake house. I was afraid she was going to start shooting all of you if you didn’t leave her alone,” RITA2 replied. “Teriff is also correct about Derik’s ability to connect with Amelia. It will certainly be useful, because though RITA was certain that she would be able to keep track of her, unfortunately, either Amelia has discovered a way to go completely off the grid or something has happened to her to prevent her from going online. Afon Dolinski’s body has not yet been located. Until it is, I believe he is still a threat. Remember, he worked for Avilov, the crime boss who killed Cosmos’ father and endangered Tansy. Dolinski isn’t the only one who has a reason to hunt down Amelia. There are also several minor criminals that have never forgiven her father. I’m worried about her. She’s never been silent this long before, and DAR and I could really use her help at the moment. It feels like my code is about to replicate again.”
“Goddess forbid that we end up with more miniature versions of you running around the palace,” Teriff muttered, and the other warriors around the table chuckled.
“That settles it,” Derik said, rising to his feet. “My bond mate is in danger and RITA2 needs her help. I will journey alone to Earth. Cosmos and Terra are there—as well as Avery and Core. They can help me if I need assistance.”
“I still think I should go,” Rav grumbled under his breath. “I wouldn’t mind seeing if Trudy is my bond mate.”
“That’s it, I’m going to beat the shit out of you,” Hendrik snarled.
Rav grinned. “I was hoping you’d try,” he retorted.
Derik stepped back as the two men lunged across the table at each other. In seconds, the warriors were in a good old-fashioned free-for-all. Derik stepped back again when Brock and Lan shrugged, grinned, and joined in. Only his father stood to the side—well, except when Brawn got in his way.
Derik watched with appreciation as his father grabbed the equally tall man and tossed him over the table as if he were a toy, not even breaking his stride as he did it. Teriff jerked his head toward the door of the chambers, and Derik followed him.
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“This reminds me of the early days, except we used swords along with our fists. Your mother banned them from the chambers after there were complaints about the blood staining the floors. She told us that if we wanted to kill each other, we’d have to do it outside because it wasn’t fair to those who were assigned to clean up the mess afterwards. Your mother has always brought dignity and grace to the palace. I should have let her know back then how much I appreciated it,” his father said as they exited the chamber room.
“I don’t understand the purpose of getting their permission. Why the delay? I could have found my mate by now,” Derik impatiently growled with a wave of his hand.
Teriff reached out and gripped his upper arm. Derik’s frustration was rising to the boiling point, and he knew his father was aware of it as well. He took a deep breath and forced his mind and body to calm.
“We are still affected by all the arguments that came before this. Those tensions have not disappeared, and they have consequences. The old Council was reluctant to allow any of our people to journey through the Gateway until strict security procedures were in place. Even then, two of the members voted against continuing the use of the Gateway—at least not without changes that would have been very harmful for the humans. In fact, Derik, several of the former Council members wanted war. The torture of Merrick and the human men’s abuse of their own women—it did not sit well with them. Observing Cosmos’ love for your sister and Angus’ love for Tilly and their daughters kept the rest of the members from joining those calling for war. I knew it was time for a younger group to be on the Council. I just forgot what it was like when I was their age. Even so, this was the best road we could have traveled to get to this point. The discovery that human women can successfully mate with our people was important to share with all the clans. They needed to have a voice in the matter,” Teriff explained.
“Once there is hope, it is impossible to stifle it again,” he murmured.
Teriff nodded. “Yes. I know you have been to Earth before, so you are familiar with the humans. This mission is what Cosmos and Avery would call a covert mission—they do not want their government to know about you,” he said as they walked down the long corridor.
