by Viola Grace
Krizt growled. “There will not be a next time.”
“Yes, there will. I mean, eventually. Once you all have found ideal partners. If I am still young enough, I will return to more active duty with the BDC.”
Tycho murmured, “You shouldn’t have said that.”
There was the tearing of fabric, and Arcady turned to look at Krizt. Eight-feet tall, jaw jutting with teeth, his horns gleaming, ears pointed, tail lashing.
He grabbed her and squeezed through the bathroom door. The five-foot width of his shoulders made the transit difficult, but he kept her carefully in his grasp, and he carried her to the bed and put her down. “Stay.”
The deep gravel of the voice made her blink, but the serious expression and his tusks had her staying. He walked to his wardrobe, and he went carefully rummaging. He brought something out, carefully held between two claws.
He crouched next to the bed and pushed the box to her. “Open.”
She picked up the box and opened it. In his hands, it had seemed tiny, but it was about eight inches long and six inches wide. The name of the jeweller was a shop in Aksalla.
She stared at the dark leather and swallowed. “What is it?”
“Open.” He crouched, more beast than he had ever been, and he looked at her with soulful eyes.
She undid the latch and opened the box and nearly dropped it. A necklace, bracelet, earrings, and a ring were all embedded into leather receptacles designed just for them.
Gold, silver, and sapphires were all gleaming and glittering. A huge claw tapped the box. “On.”
“You want me to put it on?”
He nodded slowly. “On.”
“Even the engagement ring?”
He nodded emphatically. “Yes. On.”
She put the necklace on, the bracelet, the earrings, and then, he tapped her ring finger softly. “On.”
“Traditionally, there is supposed to be a proposal before the ring.”
He huffed and growled. “On!”
She scowled. “Don’t you pitch a fit at me. I have had a very fucking trying day. I am not going to just do it because you are threatening to crack the floor with your fist.”
He tapped her finger again and said, “Please?”
Tycho was staring from the doorway, and Corianne was staring at them as well.
Arcady sighed and slipped the ring on. “There. Better?”
He beamed. “Good. Ring stay.”
“Fine. I will wear the ring. It is going to tear right through my med gloves, though.” She leaned forward and kissed him between the tusks. “Thank you. They are lovely. They are going to give folks the idea that we are engaged, though.”
He nodded violently.
“We can’t be. It’s illegal for two obvious actives to get married. You know that.”
He huffed, and she realized he was laughing. He enunciated, “Not in Aksalla.”
Her eyes went wide, and he chuckled, getting closer to normal size. “Is that why you want to go?”
He nodded his head violently once again.
She looked at the ring, and she looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Is this stuff loaded with tech that will activate with the new implants?”
He started chuckling and continued to shrink. “Zera’s idea. Waterproof. Doesn’t come off unless I take it off.”
“That sucks.”
“I will make it up to you, and it means we have an area to bury tech where we won’t bite you.”
“We? There is still a we?”
Tycho walked forward and crouched next to Krizt. “If you still want us.”
Corianne nodded with her head down. “If you still want us.”
She looked at them all in supplication. “I honestly don’t have anything to offer you, Tycho or Corianne. Krizt? I can keep him organized and in a relatively good mood.”
Tycho smiled. “You gave me a chance to be a hero when it mattered. You make me smile, and you have a rocking body. I look forward to your transformation and everything that comes with it.”
Corianne smiled. “You make me feel normal. When we are out, people look at us, and a few of them smile just from watching us talk and hold hands. I feel normal. I feel flickers of being human again, and I just... simply... feel. I have had other escorts, and you are the first one that I actually look forward to seeing, just because I want to hear what you have to say. Every time I see you, I feel more and want to experience more. I thought that Ryma felt the same way, but she would have said and done anything just to get what she wanted. That isn’t what I want. I like the sex, but I love the laughter and the camaraderie that we have crafted with you as the focal point. Without you, it all falls apart.”
Arcady sat there, and then she said, “Can we just pile together and cuddle for a while? I am really not up for much more than that.”
With his roll of a pillow that elevated his head and horns, Krizt lay back; she crawled over him, Tycho on one side and Corianne on the other. It was a nice cuddle, and she fell asleep in seconds.
* * * *
Krizt looked at Arcady and smiled. “Right, so, which one of you is going to order pizza, and no one tells Klauz.”
Corianne laughed and got to her feet. “I’ll do it.”
Tycho chuckled. “Don’t let any fall into her hair this time.”
Corianne paused. “How did you know?”
“Let’s just say she doesn’t let pepperoni go to waste.”
From Krizt’s chest, a mumble came out. “Double pepperoni, double cheese.”
They chuckled, and her even breathing commenced again.
Corianne said, “Our bunny has spoken, and she wants pepperoni.”
“All hail the bunny.” Tycho caressed Arcady’s hair.
Krizt kissed the top of her head. “All hail the bunny.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Shopping for houses was strange. She had never thought to own a house, but they needed a spot for Tycho to have a small aircraft to get to the shuttle for missions. He was commuting.
Corianne just needed a solid satellite connection for her work, and the agent was only showing them homes that had everything on their list. Aksalla really was a nice place.
They passed a drive that was familiar. Krizt said, “You know that drive?”
“Just from a picture I saw a while ago. Khytten and Salat live there.”
Corianne grinned. “I will call them and see. Pull over.”
They waited while Corianne had a silent conversation, and then, she grinned. “They have invited us for tea.”
Arcady pressed her head to Tycho’s shoulder. “I am rather nervous. Khytten is rapidly becoming legendary. For her ability to deal with Salat if nothing else.”
Their vehicle turned around, and they went to have tea with Salat and his Khytten.
The snuffling of a set of twins got Arcady’s attention. Their nanny was on duty, and they had just been fed and changed. Khytten noticed Arcady looking and said, “If you want to hold one, feel free. It will be a break for Tigel.”
Arcady smiled and picked up the one who was whimpering, and she held him, singing softly in nearly a whisper. The baby calmed and shoved his fists into the air while giggling.
Khytten looked at her. “Can you move really close?”
Corianne was sitting with Torenne, and she said, “We were looking at the manor down the road.”
Salat sat and played tea party. “The Morrows moved when the resort came in.”
“The resort is that close?”
Khytten nodded and got up, her belly large with three percolating babies. “Arcady, care to take a walk?”
“Uh, sure. Do I...”
“If you can carry him, bring him along.” Khytten grinned. “Ciro likes a good walk.”
She smiled. “I think you might need a hand more than the baby does.”
“Damn it. Thwarted again.”
Arcady put the baby back in the bassinet, stroking his chubby arms and legs before offering her arm to Khyt
ten.
They were fifty metres from the patio when Khytten started talking. “So, Zera told me that you don’t want kids.”
“No. I have seen what a lot of kids can do to a person; it drains them of their soul.”
Khytten laughed. “What a load of horseshit. Selfish parenting does that, but give the kid everything you have, and they give you everything in return. I am not saying that you have to have kids, but the gestation modules here are great. You can even hook up an audio feed, and you can talk to them while you aren’t in the room. They can hear your heartbeat, and when delivery day comes, you get to hold them in your arms right away. No sweating, no grunting.”
Arcady chuckled. “You haven’t spent much time with Doctor Krizt. He gets emotional and he’s eight-feet tall with tusks.”
“Wow. That is something.”
“It really is. Do you keep in touch with Five at all?”
“No, she has family in the capitol. We just talk in chats.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“No, way.”
“Yeah, about four months, and if I recall, her last date was about four months ago.”
Khytten paused, “Do you think she...”
“Took advantage of a client? It isn’t like her, especially with her speciality.”
Khytten smiled. “She used to leave me cookies in my changing area, after dates. I mean, I only had three patrons, but it was super nice of her.”
“She sounds nice. I remember coming back from my first dates terrified and panicked. I had managed to keep myself together until I got home, but it was a near thing.”
“Why panicked?”
“They needed so much, took so much. It was hard to deal with for someone with very limited experience, but it got easier over time.” She paused. “Until...”
“Until your doctor got taken on as a patron. After that, all bets were off.”
“Something like that. He was so blue and normal. And then, I get knocked cold, and the next thing I remember, I am in hospital.”
“How did you feel about Krizt when you arrived in hospital?”
“Same as I did before I got hit. He was the one I wanted. Out of all the guys that I was paired with, he was the one. I knew that from the day that I met him.”
“But, you knew it before, didn’t you? You have a touch of precognition, don’t you?”
“What, are you saying that I knew that I would end up sleeping on top of him every night? Yeah, I sensed that. I knew his touch before he touched me, the sound of his rare laugh, the frown when he is working on a problem. The frown when he isn’t. It came to me in a rush and overwhelmed me.”
“And the others?”
“I knew them by taste and touch, caress and kiss. It is not a reliable way to greet people.”
Khytten laughed. “Socially awkward at best.”
“Yeah. I know his beast wants kids if this is what the conversation is about.”
“Am I that transparent?”
“Yeah. You are.” She sighed. “First, I was a nanny to the younger ones, and then, my parents got them hating me because I activated. Parents and children are something I don’t have good experiences with.”
Khytten nodded. “My parents were supportive, helpful, energetic, and when I got this embarrassing activation, there was an incident, and then, they kicked me out and left me to fend for myself. When I was just about to finish peacekeeper training, my sister called me and told me that my parents had been in an accident. I could have given them milk and they would have been healed in a moment, but they didn’t want any of my filthy offerings, so I snuck it into their tea and coffee. It took longer, but I healed them, and I left. My sister tried to get me shot on the way out of Aksalla. And I was shot on the way out then deported and banned.”
“Geez.”
“Yeah. I know all about sucky families. But, I also know that you can choose the life you live to a certain extent. You can choose your friends and those that you surround yourself with. Choose your community and choose your children’s school. You can choose to work or choose to study. I am working at getting into studying, the twins and triplets don’t help, but they were my choice... mostly.”
“Mostly?”
“Salat knew that I wanted a houseful of kids, and so, he coaxed me into designing a milk for hyper ovulation. The next thing I know... three.” Khytten chuckled. “He hadn’t counted on how dangerous multiples can be, and he is still apologizing.”
“How far are you?”
“Seven months. I am in the safe zone, and now, whatever weight the babies put on just gives them a better chance of developing normally.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you, but my little ones really need more company. No pressure.”
Arcady barked a laugh, and Khytten had been looking toward the group a few hundred feet away. “Let me guess. All the predator heads turned.”
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“The same vocals that I used on Ciro come out when I laugh. It attracts every predator.”
Khytten winced. “It must be rough.”
They were near a tree. “Yeah, good thing I can do this.” She stepped into the shadow and disappeared. She waited for a count of ten and then stepped out to support Khytten again. “A handy thing for a bunny.”
“Wow. That is... why don’t you use that?”
“For what?”
Khytten paused. “Right. I guess you don’t have any means of attack.”
Arcady looked around. “I sort of do. It’s new. Krizt has only seen it once, and the other two just know that I can activate it.”
“Activate what?”
Arcady let her go and took two steps away, manifesting her wings and shooting straight up fifty feet. She zapped in a straight line to the table and then returned to Khytten’s side. She landed, and the wings disappeared.
“I can only fly short bursts and mostly straight lines. It isn’t useful yet, but I think it could be.”
Khytten’s eyes gleamed, and she clapped her hands. “That’s amazing. Who designed it?”
“Krizt and Zera.” She ran her hand through her hair.
Khytten grabbed her hand. “You and Krizt are engaged?”
“Yeah. Another funny story where I nearly died.”
“Bad habit.”
“Trying to break it.”
“Did you have a party?”
“No, we have been busy prepping for the move to Aksalla. It’s only been a month since the event and the engagement.” Arcady nodded. That was what it was called, what she and Krizt had going on.
“So, how do you deal with being surrounded by predators?”
Arcady looked at Khytten, “The same way you do. You find ways to get what you want while still giving them what they need, so you can get what you need.” She looked to Khytten. “Can I?”
Khytten stuck out her huge belly. “Go for it.”
Arcady touched the belly and smiled. Two young women and one hugely strong boy. They were going to activate at fourteen and do what they did best, take care of people.
Khytten looked at her. “You saw something, didn’t you? You know what they will be.”
“You have picked names for both sexes?”
“We have.”
“Good, have a few multiples on hand.”
“What will they be?”
Arcady smiled. “Tall, strong, loved, and they take care of others.”
Khytten awkwardly hugged her. “Thank you. I worry, but then, I see Salat’s family, and I realize that with the right outlook, it is possible to have power and generosity of spirit.”
They turned back to the others and walked slowly. “By the way, Khytten, your son is exceedingly attractive. You are going to be beating off interested parties with a stick.”
“Oh, great. He has his father’s features. If Salat wasn’t velvety black, you would see that he has perfect cheekbones.”
They giggled as they returned to the table and their pa
rtners. Khytten was settled in her chair with the utmost care, and when Arcady turned to resume her chair, she found that it was gone. She put her fists on her hips. “Where did the chair go?”
Tycho grinned. “Show us the wings. We didn’t know that they worked.”
Corianne held her hand. “Show us.”
Krizt sipped at his tea. “I have already seen it. You are very fast, though.”
She leaned against Krizt’s shoulder and manifested the wings. She buzzed them, and Tycho whistled.
“How do you take off?”
The wings moved faster, and she lifted off, her legs relaxed, and she put her hands over her head. She hovered about four feet off the ground, and then, she descended.
Khytten stared. “What is the power source?”
“Me.”
Tycho chuckled.
“Us. The nodes collect heat, and the heat is stored as energy and accessed by me.”
Khytten’s eyes were wide. “Can I see?”
“Salat offered up a design, so he has already seen it.”
Salat kissed Khytten’s hand. “That was a simulation. Having it real is different.”
Krizt shrugged. “They are curious.”
She huffed, straightened, and untied her wrap dress, pulling it open like a flasher and then sliding it down her arms.
Khytten stared and then smiled. “Wow. That’s stunning.”
The vines started at the greaves and wrapped around her in even bands, weaving back and forth up her body and then down her arms. It was basket weaving on a human body. Around the vines, there were butterflies, roses and daisies, thorns and leaves.
Khytten blinked. “Can you take off the dress and let me see the wings.”