“Lia has a marking also?” Mel sent a searching glance at her friend who turned and solemnly nodded. Obviously, the increased sensory perception Prime mates gained with the marking was in effect. “I’m shocked, amazed and genuinely happy for you both. But how? Lia’s one hundred percent Terran.” She shot a quizzical look at Joen. “And why are you telling me now?”
He nodded toward Nadia. “Somehow she overcame a skull fracture, severe wounds, and blood loss to defeat the warrior-class Prime who had her on the ground … helpless.
Her pain decreased while Huw was near, both on the planet and just now. Even in regen sleep, she sensed him near and called out his name as he left the outer room.”
“Shit, just as Wulf and I suspected after the kidnapping—they’re bonding in some way. But we never suspected … how could we?” Mel rubbed a finger over a sharp, nagging ache in the middle of her forehead.
Immediately, Wulf so attuned to her every mood sent her healing warmth. She sighed as the pain lessened and sent him a “thank you.”
“So? You think Nadia is in some stage of a Prime mating with Huw? But where are their marks? A Prime mating…” Mel’s words trailed off; she wasn’t sure what to think or say next.
“Yes. Nadia is showing the same signs Lia experienced in the early stages of our relationship. At first, we were intensely attracted. But unlike Huw, I didn’t fight it. We’ve been seeing each other and keeping it quiet, because we weren’t sure what was happening.” Mel nodded, silently encouraging him to continue. “Kerr knew because Lia wanted an objective medical mind looking over the symptoms she was documenting. As we were around each other more, we noted increasing symptoms of the Prime mating bond.”
“What kind of symptoms?” Mel asked.
“First, it was the attraction. I liked the way Lia looked and smelled. Then I became aware of her emotions and could practically read her thoughts.” He looked over at Lia who nodded and smiled. “Then we found we could communicate telepathically—that happened on Tarn when we were thrown together in a stressful situation, a survival situation.”
“Those types of things happened to me after I met Wulf the first time, but I already had the marking.” Mel absently rubbed her lower abdomen and reassured Wulf mentally she was okay as his worry over her disordered emotions came across their link.
“Yes, it seems backward.” Joen rubbed his chest, and Lia let out a low moan that carried across the room. Kerr startled, but smiled. “We developed the markings after…”
His voice trailed off and he looked at Lia again. His golden eyes glowed with heat.
Mel recognized the look—it was sexual. She’d seen it enough in Wulf’s eyes.
“After what?” Mel asked. No good guessing; she needed Joen to verify what she suspected—the marks appeared after the two—a Terran female and a Prime male—had sex for the first time. This could impact all future such couplings and tests would have to be done to determine if any or all Terran-Prime couplings would produce gemat-gemate couples. The fanatics would go crazier than they already were.
“After we had sexual intercourse.” Joen’s lips turned up in a smile of dominant male satisfaction—another look she saw a lot on her mate’s face.
“And the markings appeared how soon after you two had, um, intercourse?” She damned her red face, but talking about the sex life of two people who were her friends and subordinate crew members wasn’t usually in her job description—the Alliance had counselors for that sort of thing.
But she needed to know. Because if Nadia and Huw were mating, there could be some serious issues, not the least of which would be Huw’s continued denial of the whole process.
Mel recalled the separation from Wulf after she’d first discovered she had a mate.
She’d been not only in physical, but also mental and emotional pain. Nadia was already going through some of that now with Huw’s overt rejection of her.
“The marking appeared immediately, but then darkened with the next couple of intimacies until it looks as it does now. Lia suggested it was as if our bodies were acclimating to one another.”
“That sounds … definitely different … from my process.” Mel had always had her mark, but it had faded and had only come to life when she had first heard Wulf’s voice.
“Lia and Kerr—and the Alliance researcher Dr. Martin—hypothesized some non-Prime women must have a latent Prime gene in their DNA. The doctors believe it exists, because Earth was one of the planets our ancestors used as a way station in their trips around the galaxy.”
Mel nodded. “That makes sense. We knew the Prime intermingled with the native populations and most Prime family lines have mixed DNA. So, this latent DNA lies dormant and then is activated when brought into close proximity to whatever the gene responds to?”
“It’s all about hominid neurochemistry.” Lia joined them along with Kerr. Joen pulled Lia to his side and wrapped one arm around her waist.
Mel shot an anxious glance at Nadia who was now closed into the regen bed.
“She can’t hear us.” Lia had interpreted Mel’s concern and answered the unasked question. “She’s sleeping and will be fine. Actually, the pain alleviation while Huw was in the other room helped a lot. We may have to let him sit with her—it will hasten the healing.”
“And hasten the bonding, if you’re correct.” Mel looked at the three. “You know Huw’s in absolute denial. He’s a stubborn Prime. And when you add to that trait the Caradoc bloodline, it makes him even more muleheaded.”
Joen chuckled. He nuzzled Lia’s neck and sighed. “Her scent is better than a pain blocker. And, yes, Huw will deny. But the more they’re together; the harder it will be for him to continue to deny the mating dance. Prime selection will win out.”
“What about Nadia? Does she know about your markings?” Mel waved a hand to encompass the couple as they leaned into each other. “I’m pretty sure she suspects something is happening between her and Huw. She said something to me when we were kidnapped by the rebels. And she said something again after the Tarn incident.”
Lia nodded. “She suspects something is going on with us, but she hasn’t said anything to me. She doesn’t know about our symptoms or the markings. But we’ll need to tell her. If she has sex with Huw and they develop the marks, I want her to know up front such an action might take the two of them down a path Huw isn’t willing to accept yet.” Lia frowned, sadness in her eyes. “Nadia has been hurt enough by Huw’s rejection—forming the marks and him continuing to deny their bond would crush her.”
Joen murmured soothing nonsense as he cuddled Lia and kissed her cheek. She sighed and visibly relaxed. “Nadia’s open to a relationship with Huw and knows something is happening between them,” Lia continued. “She confirmed as much to the three of us on the way to the space station. They spoke telepathically during the Tarn situation. She heard him calling her name during the attack this evening.”
Lia touched Mel’s arm. “Mel, she told me she received a needed boost of adrenaline and what she called masculine-feeling strength to help her defeat the man who almost raped her. She admitted to getting a smaller dose of that masculine energy on Tarn when fighting the mercenaries.”
“Shit—that’s battle-mate behavior.” Mel sent Wulf a shorthand version of the discussion to that point. He needed to know this. They also needed to make a decision if the Alliance Military Command and Premier Caradoc needed to know.
Wulf’s shock and awe came across their link. “I’ll be there as soon as I can wrap up this planning session with our captains, lubha.”
The quiet in the room was only broken by the sounds from the computers and medical equipment. Then Lia looked at Joen and arched her brows—he shrugged.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Mel frowned.
The other three exchanged looks.
Mel glared at the trio. “Okay, fess up. What’s going on?”
“It’s complicated—but in a good way … and almost unbelievable.” Lia paused.
“Just tell me, Lia.”
“Well, since Joen and I developed our marks, I’ve taken a lot of samples from both of us and have sent them to Dr. Martin. She checked them against Huw and Nadia’s samples. One conclusion she’s reached is Prime/non-Prime matings should be extremely fertile. So, children are a given.”
Mel interrupted. “Not a surprise. That was why the Prime joined the Alliance to build social bridges to get at the much larger pool of fertile females. So, why is that complicated?”
“Bear with me, Mel. I need you to see how Dr. Martin arrived at the conclusions she did.”
Mel waved Lia on.
Lia took a deep breath and let it out. “Dr. Martin has also found the lack of fertility on Cejuru Prime seems to be one-sided and only affects the females. Kerr was able to get a good sampling of Prime male semen during crew physicals. Dr. Martin tested the samples and found the semen across the board was rich with viable sperm.”
Mel opened her mouth to demand what the fuck all this had to do with Nadia and Huw and the unusual complication.
Lia held up her hand. “Patience, I’m getting there.” She coughed and continued.
“Bottom line, a Prime male like most hominid males can smell when a woman is fertile.
The Prime being one of the longest surviving races in the universe, their neurochemical process had mutated to where the male could scent his most optimal match, defined as the match that would have less chances of genetic defects. This scenting affects both the male and female and a neurochemical process produces the mark. With me so far?”
Mel nodded. “The Prime male can smell his mate, and he and his mate develop marks indicating a prime selection.”
“Exactly. In light of my and Joen’s mating and marking, albeit backward—and in light of Huw and Nadia’s also backward bonding process we asked Dr. Martin to look at your and Wulf’s DNA samples…”
“Whoa, wait a parsec. Mine and Wulf’s? Why would you send her ours? I’m Prime and Wulf is Prime and we mated the normal Prime way.”
“Well, for one, because of the fertility issue of Prime women. You, my dear Prime friend, are very fertile. Dr. Martin has concluded, and Kerr and I concur, something on the planet has mutated the Prime female’s fertility. Also, whatever is hurting the Prime female’s ability to get pregnant and carry to term isn’t carried across the whole spectrum of Prime females since a few are getting marks and carrying healthy babies to term. We want to figure out what’s causing the infertility in the majority of Prime women and how it can be fixed.”
“Okay, I can see that.” Mel frowned. “But wouldn’t you need to test a variety of Prime women and see what’s going on with their DNA?
“We did that,” Lia said. “We sent Dr. Martin samples from some of the sex surrogates Kerr is acquainted with. Other samples came from women with no markings, and some from those who’d mated, but then lost their mates.”
“And what did she find?” Mel was interested in spite of the long way around Lia was taking.
“She found that many of the women who acted as sex surrogates and the others who had lost mates were fertile,” Kerr said.
“So, in theory, they should be able to conceive and carry a baby … if they had a compatible Prime male,” Mel said.
“Exactly!” Lia almost bounced she was so excited. “We asked Dr. Martin to determine if the women who were fertile could mate with non-Prime males—or even a different Prime male. Remember I said the marking happened on the most optimal match—I didn’t say the only possible match.”
Mel groaned and sent an urgent call to Wulf. “Are you getting this?”
“Yes. I am coming, Melina. My father has listened to similar hypotheses from our genetic researchers. This is another reason we allied with your Alliance. You have more research capability in your Astrobiology research labs. We needed an objective observer and test results before we upset the whole of Prime society.”
“Thanks for not telling me.”
“I would have … we’ve been busy, lubha.”
“Not that busy.”
Lia continued, “No marked Prime female who has been widowed has tried to mate with another Prime. No one has ever demonstrated the women couldn’t mate again. It was just ingrained culturally that they couldn’t. Dr. Martin’s conclusion is the Prime population crisis was propagated by not only a low fertility rate in some women, but also by a societal bias ingrained over thousands of years.”
“Jesus Christ, Lia. Open a can of worms, would you? If it can be shown a Prime woman could mate with a non-Prime or another Prime male, you’d upset the whole cultural order of their mating ritual.” Mel shook her head. “The Pure Blood fanatics will go wild.”
“Captain…” Kerr drew her attention. “Dr. Martin wants to help the Prime have a future. I, for one, am thrilled she is dedicated to solving our problems. My sister is one of the women who lost her mate. Her gemate mark is fading.”
Mel gasped and rubbed her mark.
Kerr nodded. “Yes, it is heart-breaking. She not only lost her mate, but is losing what made her his. When her gemat died, she had two choices: live a celibate life or become a sex surrogate. She chose celibacy. She is only twenty-nine standard years old. According to the tests, my sister is one of the lucky ones who are fertile. She should be able to conceive and carry a baby to term. I want this chance for her and other Prime women like her—and for the sex surrogates.”
“I have no problem with any of that, Kerr. None. I merely stated a fact. The rebels will throw the planet into civil war over this if it’s not presented properly.”
“We agree, Mel.” Lia smiled. “Which is why you—and I suspect now Wulf,” Mel nodded, “are the only persons who know what is going on outside of the people in this room and Dr. Martin.”
“Dr. Martin is all that is good,” Kerr said. “She’s running all the early tests herself, keeping the results under tightest security, until we give her the go-ahead to bring in more assistance. She is eager to travel to Cejuru Prime and set up a research lab here to garner more samples for her genetic and environmental testing and to set up a fertility clinic. She wishes to help the Prime women who are currently miscarrying and to assist the non-Prime women who mate with Prime males if their pregnancies run into problems.”
“And I’m totally in agreement with all of that. So is Wulf and from what he told me, his father has had these same types of discussions with Prime geneticists.” Kerr looked shocked, but pleased. Lia smiled. “But I still don’t understand what this all has to do with Huw and Nadia, you two, and the gemat-gemate marking. What is the damn complication?”
“It’s what Dr. Martin found in my and Nadia’s DNA.” Lia smiled at Joen who squeezed her waist. “I’m Joen’s battle-mate. Nadia will be Huw’s—once their marks appear.”
“How can this be?” Stunned, Mel looked from Lia to Joen to Kerr.
“This is where your DNA sample comes into play. Dr. Martin isolated a gene in my and Nadia’s DNA which is similar to one in yours—a Prime gene. On that gene, Nadia and I have alleles identical to ones you have. Dr. Martin then looked at Joen’s, Huw’s, and Wulf’s DNA and found comparable alleles in their DNA. These alleles are what make us battle-mates.”
“Are you saying all non-Prime women who carry this Prime gene with these certain alleles will form a battle-mate connection with a Prime male?” Mel asked.
“Yes, if the male carries the same set of alleles.” Lia’s eyes glittered with her excitement. “Joen has told me the history of his people. At the time they explored Earth and Volusia and several other similar planets—all Prime females were warriors and most were battle-mates to their gemats. Thus, the males having sexual relations with non-Prime women on the visited planets and impregnating them would pass both their maternal and paternal sets of DNA to the non-Prime woman. The battle-mate allele would be passed through the mitochondrial DNA, or MtDNA, the Prime male received from his mother.” Lia laughed. “Isn’t that amazing?”
> “Amazing. Nadia has definitely shown battle-mate behavior.” Mel frowned and eyed Joen and Lia. “Have you had such incidences?”
“Yes.” Joen nuzzled Lia’s ear. “We mind-talk all the time and shared energy on Tarn. Lia’s touch alleviates my pain. We need the contact even if it is just mental— though physical is better. Don’t you do that with Wulf?”
“Yes.” Mel thought for a second and swore. “Huw could barely accept the telepathy.
He keeps rationalizing it—saying Nadia has to be a strong telepath. But his feeding her energy—hell, he’ll just deny it.”
“Then he’ll be fooling himself,” Joen said. “Nadia definitely found extra strength in the fight on the docks. I saw her go limp. I couldn’t get to her; my man was giving me fits. She struggled to get the bastard off her and then nothing. The next time I looked she had shot him and tossed him off her. She had to be drawing on Huw’s strength.”
Joen raised Lia’s hand to his lips and nibbled her knuckles. “Huw will come around.
Give him time, Mel. I’m not sure how I even existed prior to mating with Lia. I feel so …
so…”
“Whole,” Mel said. “Complete. Fully sensate for the first time in your life.”
“Yes.” Joen smiled. “All of those things—and loved. So very loved.”
“And that, too.” Mel shook her head. “Damn, this is an explosive situation. We can keep your marking to ourselves until Huw and Nadia become marked, but at that point, Premier Caradoc will have to know. He’ll want to announce the discovery to the Prime population.” She looked first at Lia and then Kerr. “For the time being, you two will need to keep an eye out for symptoms among our female crew dating Prime males.”
“I know you are concerned about the fanatics, Mel, but the majority of my people will be elated,” Kerr said. “It is only a few malcontents who’ll be unhappy. The rebels behind those fanatics only want power. They could care less about pure blood.” He snorted. “I can find non-Prime DNA, much of it Terran, in all Prime family lines. Lots of those early Prime travelers didn’t just impregnate the native women, they brought them and the resulting children home to Cejuru Prime. Not one person on my planet is pure blood, not even the Pure Bloods. We wouldn’t have survived all these millennia without fresh DNA in our gene pool.”
Prime Selection Page 17