Bren's Blessing

by Pearl Tate

  Atticus just stares at me thoughtfully. He is probably having the same thoughts I am. Tea is set in front of me by Brock and he settles into a chair. “So it wasn’t you who contacted her? We wondered.” Brock takes a sip of his hot drink as his eyes flicker to Atticus.

  “No, of course not. She must have been checking on me. When she called, I was in my room with Hannah. Thankfully, Hannah was in the shower but she heard part of the end of the conversation and now knows about her. She was terribly upset and says she wants to go home. I can understand her disappointment, but it doesn’t change what happened between us. It’s done.”

  “So you were dressed?” Atticus smirks.

  “Yes. Vina didn’t see my mating marks.”

  Brock interjects again. “Does Hannah know what has happened? Have you used the words mating and life long attachment?”

  My mind blanks as I review what we have discussed. It’s not much. I thought I showed her. “No, but we had sex. We’ve had sex multiple times.”

  Brock rolls his eyes and Atticus laughs. “Yes Bren, but most of us have had sex. I understand that you haven’t but most of us have taken the opportunity to get Canasta and have sex. It doesn’t mean we are committed to that person. It’s just sex.” He cracks his knuckles and then leans back in his chair. “Has she said whether she has ever had sex before? With a human man?”

  A growl immediately crawls up my throat and my voice deepens as I answer. “She did allude to previous relationships, but I was so preoccupied with staying calm that I tried not to think about it. I’m now dealing with some uncontrollable rage. That is actually something that I was coming over here about.”

  Lowering my voice, I lean forward. “I can’t explain to you what I’m dealing with, but it seems to be getting worse. I can’t think of anything but her. And I want to kill anyone who wants to see her, let alone does. How am I going to live like this?”

  Atticus looks serious but Brock just barks out a laugh, making fun as he answers. “What? I think part of the reason you probably feel that way right now is because you are separated. Separation anxiety is a classic symptom of being away from one another and it only heightens that mating weakness.”

  “Brock did a study on the biological changes in our society over the last millennium for one of his classes. The mating process was a part of his paper.” Atticus raises his eyebrows and tilts his head towards Brock.

  “Only because we know so little about it. There would be a lot more done on it if we could find information on it. This happening to you is going to bring up a lot of questions. There are many doctors who are going to want to document it.”

  Gods no. The fear must show on my face because Atticus quickly cuts in. “Bren, you must have considered this? You have potentially disrupted our society and reproductive social classes, not to mention the religious implications.”

  Slumping back, I drop my head into my hands. I’m beginning to shake from the realization of what all the repercussions from this could be.

  “Don’t panic. We are here and will step up and take over any studies as your private physicians. We will try to keep a hold of this. We are already on our way back in and I almost think that we should be setting this up and getting everything structured before reaching orbit.”

  What he is saying makes sense. He takes a sip of tea before continuing. “But right now, the most important thing is getting Hannah informed. She needs to know what our society is like. What a phenomenal, ground breaking event this mating is in our world.”

  “Hasn’t she noticed the mating marks?” Brock turns to Atticus quizzically. “Didn’t you tell me she has them on her neck and back?”

  “As far as I know, she hasn’t noticed them. I believe she would have mentioned them if she saw them. She traces mine. She would recognize that they are identical.” I sigh as I consider all the possibilities and consequences this all has.

  “Well, let’s go discuss this with her. Tell her our history and make sure she understands what a miracle this is.” Atticus hesitates. “This is a miracle, right? You are happy about this?”

  “Of course I am! I’m not an idiot. I was about to go back and end up in a marriage with twelve other males, one of them my brother. I have my own woman now. If we end up being compatible, I’ll have my own children conceived without genetic interference or drugs. That is a miracle.”

  “We don’t have any reason to believe that you won’t be compatible. The very fact that you have mated means you are compatible.” Atticus finishes the last of his drink before dropping it unceremoniously.

  I’ve never considered children before except in a vague, abstract way. But now with Hannah, I want them. I can’t help the broad smile that spreads across my face.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  - Hannah

  I’m semi-dressed—in a sheet—when Bren comes back. Sitting on the bed, I’ve been trying to compile a list of questions that make the most sense to ask and contemplating their order. It would be nice to get as many answered as possible before he gets pissed and takes off again but some of the more sensitive ones are the most likely to inspire him to leave!

  He doesn’t come in alone though. At first, I’m petrified. It’s the doctor and another alien who is huge. And when I say huge, I mean fucking way big. He has to be eight feet tall and everything is proportional. Big head, big body, big feet…

  I think you get the general idea.

  The new massive guy immediately sits down in the chair just inside the door while Bren moves to sit by me on the bed. I’m so taken aback by these new circumstances that I don’t even push him away as he wraps his arms around me and tugs me into his lap. “It’s fine, Hannah. Relax.” He kisses my head and squeezes me tighter.

  At once, I feel safer and relieved that he isn’t going to just pass me off. It might only be a short reprieve but I’ll take it. “Don’t worry, Hannah. I know you are worried but we will work this out.” His soft voice in my ear, brings me back down to Earth. I guess that isn’t right though! I’m not on Earth.

  I turn my eyes to Atticus. “What did you do to me?” His puzzled look just makes me angrier as he tries to act all innocent in this. “The tattoos on me!” I wave my hands in the air and towards my shoulders, like I’m trying to cool down or something. The fact that I’m close to tears again makes me livid.

  “Tattoos?” Atticus and Bren repeat the word back at the same time. Atticus shrugs acting all confused and looking at Bren over my head. It’s the huge man in the corner who answers. “Tattoos in her language are markings put on the skin with a primitive needle and ink. I’m Brock and work with Atticus. It’s understandable that they’re confused with your words. Tell me, doesn’t getting tattoos hurt?”

  His question makes me smile despite the seriousness of this accusation. “Yes, but the result is usually nice. When people get them done, they plan them out and they always have a meaning.” That might be stretching it a bit, but it works for my purposes. I turn my eye daggers to Bren behind me, twisting in his lap. “I don’t remember agreeing to anything. Are these a sign of ownership? Like a brand?”

  The sputtering laughter from the chair behind me doesn’t make me turn. Bren just looks confused. “Don’t try to look so innocent. I want to know if these mean you own me since they’re the same as the ones you have.” Understanding finally dawns on his face but it’s Brock who answers.

  “Look at me Hannah.” Brock is unbuttoning his gray suit, exposing his muscle-defined but unmarked chest. Bren gives a low growl behind me and his arms tighten. Brock rolls his eyes and continues as he refastens his clothing. “You will see that Atticus doesn’t have any markings either. In fact, no one does. We don’t have tattoos in our culture. We wouldn’t put a primitive paint under our layers of skin just for decoration.”

  Now I’m confused.

  “Those aren’t tattoos and until you showed up, Bren didn’t have them either.” He directs his attention to Bren behind me. “When did you start seeing any markings on
your skin?”

  I turn again to see if this is just some kind of game at my expense but Bren looks thoughtful. “I saw them faintly show up in the week I first saw her in my daily reflections. They darkened in the week before I came across Hannah in the Skylab. I didn’t know what they were until I held her in my arms and they completely darkened. I could feel them, pulsing with our heart beat, in rhythm with each other.”

  I’m shocked and speechless for a moment. Wait. “So, you are telling me that you got these marks when we met? That’s why I got them too? Because we met?” I’m having a hard time keeping the derision out of my voice. This sounds like a bunch of bullshit.

  “Yes, you are what we call nemete, or fated mate. No one owns the other. You’re one and meant to be together.” Holy cow. If what Brock’s saying is true, it kind of makes a bunch of my other questions unnecessary. But could this be a dramatic excuse for what they’ve done to me? But why? And why me?

  “So, if you all have fated mates, why were you supposed to go home to your promised wife and kids?”

  “Kids?” Bren and Atticus are having a tough time following along.

  Brock answers again. “Kids is a human replacement for offspring. They also use the words babies, children, juveniles, and rug rats.”

  “Vina Likana has seven children that I would be a father to. It would also be my responsibility and duty to try to conceive more both naturally and artificially. Many of her husbands have breeding difficulties, so we all have to help and contribute.” Bren’s serious tone belies the disbelief and actual shock I’m feeling at his explanation.

  My mouth is hanging open. I can’t even speak as I run through that again in my head. His fiancée has seven kids and it sounds like she has other husbands. He’s supposed to fuck her but also donate his sperm to try and artificially impregnate her? This is confusing.

  Shaking my head, I just sit for a minute and try to digest this. I need other questions answered to make sense of this. “So, are all the families on your planet structured this way? Multiple husbands with multiple children by different fathers?”

  I slide off his lap and turn around to look at Bren a little more closely. I can’t help feeling like they’re trying to pull the wool over my eyes. It’s so far-fetched.

  “Yes. It’s been this way for thousands of years. Mated couples just stopped occurring. When that slowed down and tapered off, it was blamed on the nano technology integration that happened around the same time. Instead, new family structures were made to keep our people reproducing and our society alive.”

  “I don’t understand why this happened for us then? If it’s been thousands of years, what happened? Is it just because I’m human?” That seems to be the question they all want to know. I can feel their excitement rippling through the room.

  “We don’t know for sure. Maybe it’s because you don’t have nano technology?” Brock shakes his head and continues. “But I’m sure you do now since you’ve been with Bren and this started happening for him quite some time ago.”

  “What does that mean?” I just shake my head and look at Bren in confusion.

  “We don’t know.” Atticus’s confused voice has me turning to look at him. “That is why we all came to talk to you together. I know you don’t understand but really, we don’t either. This is uncharted territory for all of us and even for me as a doctor.”

  Sitting down on the bed next to Bren, he sits forward and looks at us both seriously. “I know some of the effects that we lost when the mating went away. They always touted them as wonderful consequences. Sex with more than one person. No separation anxiety. No more mating fever. But even those things have major trade offs for the males in our society. We can’t naturally get hard. We’ve had to resort to drugs to get and maintain an erection and even though it’s only discussed in hushed whispers, I don’t believe sex is the same.” He waves a hand at us. “Bren wouldn’t know because he doesn’t have anything to compare it with.”

  Bren shrugs but I don’t understand. “What do you mean? He doesn’t have anything to compare it with?”

  “I’ve never had sex before you.” His voice is casual and even. “I’ve been promised since I was a child and most women don’t like to find out that their promised has illegally obtained the drugs to try out sex with someone else. In my case, she could have had me killed. Banished for sure. It wasn’t worth it. There are too many people that could report me and would report me just to get a chance at my position as captain.”

  Wow! So, all this time I was feeling sorry for myself, thinking he was using me and that I was just convenient and now I’m finding out I’ve had sex with a virgin. I’m such an asshole.

  “This entire situation has put Bren in a somewhat dangerous situation right now. His promised is on the council and must have a spy on the ship. Less than a day after you came on board, she contacted him and now we have been ordered back early. That is highly unusual.”

  Great! I’ve pissed off one of the heads of their planet’s council by stealing one of her men. I look at Atticus in shock. “So, you are saying that she’s really fucking pissed?”

  Bren laughs as Atticus and Brock both just nod. “Yes, she’s really fucking pissed.” Wrapping his arms around me, he pulls me onto his lap again. “This is worth it. It wasn’t intentional and it’s a miracle, for all of us. I don’t know exactly what she knows but she is probably just figuring that I have a slave on board, that I’m planning on having sex with. Hard to say. Maybe she knows I’ve had sex and figures that I was able to get some Canasta.” He shrugs as if it’s no big deal.

  “How can you be so casual about this when you said she could banish you or kill you?” My voice is shrill as I think about this crazy society that kills people over infidelity! “What the hell is going on with her and now what are we going to do?”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  - Bren

  Brock stands and starts to pace in the small area in front of Attticus and me as I answer her question. “It’s hard to say what is going through her head but this is just the way it is. We don’t have any choice in what is going on and really, no one actually gets killed. Banishment is usually a three to five-year sentence, either in space serving on a ship identical to this one or on a planet somewhere, learning a trade. We really are a very civilized society.” I don’t want her to get the wrong idea. I’ve been trying to convince her that she is going to enjoy living with me and this entire conversation isn’t helping.

  “That was Chevepak.” Brock stops his pacing right in front of us. His voice is grave. “Your brother Matthias has been sent into isolation.”

  “For what?” Bren’s arms tighten in agitation as Brock lowers himself across from us, folding his too big frame into the chair.

  “Nobody knows why. My guess is that this is all about you right now. Her way of controlling you. Everyone is aware you could just disappear—not go back. There are places that you could disappear to. It wouldn’t be easy, but it has happened. You haven’t considered that at all?” Brock seems surprised that Bren hasn’t considered it.

  “Yes,” Atticus adds, “I’m a bit surprised we haven’t discussed it yet either but I’m assuming this has more to do with your brother than anything else.”

  “Yes, of course. He hasn’t handled his family joining well. The only positive outcome was he could continue his studies in what he wants but he hates just about everything else.” Brock nods but Atticus just considers me with his arms crossed. If there is anyone that I can confide in, it is them. “Don’t repeat this, but Matthias considers his family joining as a kind of slavery.” My voice drops lower although if anyone is listening we are already caught. Everything we are saying can be considered treason in some way. “I never really agreed until I met Hannah. She expresses her views on the control of her life in the same way that Matthias has. Because I care so much for her, I have to agree. But my brother is family and I told him when he was younger I wouldn’t abandon him. I can’t. I have to go back and deal
with this. I can’t let her make his life miserable because of me. Somehow, I have to show that this was out of my hands.”

  Hannah’s face is darkening as I speak and I feel her agitation through our bond. At first, I think it’s because she feels empathy for me and my brother, but she cuts in as soon as I finish. “Please tell me you don’t view this as another form of slavery too. I mean, I’m scared about the position we are in but I do want to get to know you. I don’t want you to feel trapped with me either.”

  All of us laugh. I just can’t help it. My mate is frustrated and hops up to go into the prep area, filling a glass with water. “I don’t know what’s so funny. I don’t think any of this is humorous!” I watch her throat flex and markings dance with her agitation as she drinks.

  “You just don’t understand how much this is going to change things. You are a miracle to me. And if human women are compatible with our males, you will be a miracle to our world. I’m blessed.”

  Slamming the glass down, she looks at me seriously. “I’m really confused. I just feel like a burden. This is messing up your life and your brother’s life. Aren’t you worried?”

  I can’t be away from her. There is a pull between us that keeps drawing me back. Springing up, I pull her hair from her neck and inhale her scent. She is mine and perfect for me. She shivers and her nipples harden. I wish we were alone so I could pinch and suck on them, making her call out my name over and over. “I’ve never had anything that was mine alone. We grow up in large families with many brothers. Our sisters are separated from us at a young age and we go to different schools. We’re groomed to be perfect house mates and know that we will always share. But you…you are mine.”

  She doesn’t say anything. Instead, she turns in my arms to press her lips to mine softly. Startled, I enjoy the plush feeling of them pressing on mine. Wrapping her arms around me, she lets me pull her close and up into my arms. “I’m sorry.” She sounds like she is crying which makes no sense.