Venomous Craving

by Mary Auclair

  “Thank you… for this,” she said, reaching up to touch the crystal.

  His face froze and an unreadable expression passed across his face. “It’s tradition for Eok warriors to give such a necklace as a gift after their mating.” When he lifted his gaze to hers, there was a hunger in his eyes that vibrated along Rose’s very essence.

  “I’m coming with you.” Rose lifted her chin. It wasn’t a question or a request. It was a statement.

  A pause followed her words. Karian looked at her, his unreadable alien face closed. “Yes,” he answered. “You’re coming with us.”

  “You’ve changed your mind?” Rose was stunned. She had been bracing for a fight, a potential screaming match, but not this. “But you said it was too dangerous.”

  “You will have to stay by my side at all times.” Karian took a step closer, his hand closing on the naked skin of her upper arm. At the contact, a shiver of unfulfilled want traveled up her body, and when she looked at him, she saw the same need. “You’re not to wander. The Minister’s people will be looking for any opportunity to prevent you from testifying. There cannot be any.”

  “I’ll do everything you say.”

  “Good. Because I’m not going to give you an inch of freedom.”

  “I wouldn’t have thought any differently.” Rose felt a smile spread on her lips. “Thank you.”

  Emotions filled her as she understood how much it had cost Karian to bend his will and bring her with him. It wasn’t only his pride, although Karian was a very proud male. It was that he was putting her need to protect her family before his need to protect her.

  “Is it just going to be the two of us?” Rose asked.

  “I’m coming, too,” Arlen answered. “Father has to stay, as the tribe’s chief, and Arlia too, as his bloodmate. I can’t imagine Maral being much help either, so she’ll stay here.”

  “I’ll come with you, too.” Maral’s crystal voice made everyone turn with a start. “I can persuade a part of the Avonie’s faction to vote for the recognition of the humans.”

  “Maral.” Arlen frowned and looked at his mate with incredulous eyes. “The Avonies are the last faction that will vote for the human’s recognition.”

  “Many families are jealous of the Knut clan,” Maral answered, walking so softly she looked like she was gliding in her long gown. “They just need a push in the right direction. Avonies were doing just fine before they grabbed the Earth’s resources. We’ll do just fine after.”

  Maral locked gazes with Rose, lifting her eyebrows.

  “You want to help me?” Rose was too stunned to say anything else. Not after the way she had accused the other female of trying to get her killed. “Why?”

  “I have not been my best with you. I am sorry if it made you think I wanted harm to come to you.” Maral pursed her lips and her pupils flashed thin, then came back to normal. “I do need the family to be as strong as it can be. Especially now.” Her gaze went back to Arlen and she tilted her head, showing off the lovely curve of her neck. “I am with youngling.”

  “You are?” Arlen’s voice became a whisper, and it was as if his knees were going to give way. “This is the best news I’ve gotten in a decade.”

  Arlen covered the distance between them in a long stride, then lifted Maral in his arms, twirling her around. He laughed, and the sound was so unlike his usual cutting tone that Rose felt her guts twist in knots. Maral smiled demurely, and accepted the congratulations flowing to her in a constant wave of happiness. Arlia and Enlon talked all at once, joy wiping away the former tension. Rose watched the happy family, feelings coiling inside the deepest, most intimate part of herself. For the first time, she wondered what it would feel like to give Karian such a gift. She longed for that happiness in a way she had never suspected.

  “Maral can’t come with us now, brother.” Karian put an arm on Arlen’s shoulder. “You can’t put her at risk.”

  “I won’t be at risk at all.” Maral spoke from under Arlen’s heavy embrace, her voice as sweet as her face. “Avonies look out for each other. Elvira, Willa and Illya are coming with me.”

  Arlen’s eyes widened and a fleeting expression clouded his eyes, but it was gone in an instant. Rose watched as he grabbed Maral and started to fuss over her with all the overbearing attention of an anxious male.

  KARIAN WAS STANDING SLIGHTLY behind Rose as she studied the wonders of the Ring’s main base. The mind-boggling size of it, hovering in the pitiless cold of space, made her feel slightly dizzy. The metallic alloy superstructure was larger than most medium-sized planets, and the glow of the tens of thousands of lights shining on its surface was enough to cast a glow on the nearby string of small planets used by the Ring Ministers as personal estates. It was beyond impressive. It left Rose feeling like an ant on the trunk of one of the sequoia trees back home.

  She was nothing. She was small and insignificant. She didn’t matter.

  “It’s beautiful and terrible at the same time.” Rose shivered despite the warmth. “All that power. Nobody’s going to care about the fate of a few humans.”

  “There are good and bad people in every species. Many will be sensitive to your cause.” Karian’s hand closed on her own and she intertwined her fingers with his. “Two centuries ago, a very delicate and peaceful race called the Algoic was completely annihilated by the same greed that almost wiped out the humans. It created widespread outrage of such magnitude that a Genetic Preservation Board was created to make sure no other race ever met the same fate.” Karian paused, his thumb tracing gentle circles inside her palm. “You have public opinion on your side.”

  “That’s all they need?” Rose rested her head on Karian’s shoulder, seeking the comfort of his strong male body. “To see me?”

  “All you really have to do is prove that you were never a slave. If humans can survive without the protection of the Genetic Preservation Board, then they will be freed and will be given back their home planet.” A soft kiss landed on the curve of her shoulder, just inside the side of her neck. “It’s the law, and even one as powerful as Minister Knut can’t change it. If not every species is protected from extinction, then all are at risk.”

  Rose swallowed. So much depended on her and what would happen in the next few hours.

  “How can you be sure it’s safe to go there?”

  All the Minister had to do to make his problems go away was to destroy the Eok contingent. If she died before the session, then there was no motion. The problem was, if she died, there was a good chance Karian might die with her, along with a number of good Eok warriors. Warriors with families and younglings. She couldn’t allow that, not even for her family’s sake.

  “We have a full contingent of Eok warriors to protect us,” Karian answered, recovering his authoritative military seriousness. “But what truly guarantees our safety is that we are on board a Ring’s diplomatic vessel. No one would dare attack us here, not even Minister Knut. He would get obliterated, along with his entire family.”

  “So we made it.” The knot in her guts was still there, refusing to go away. “Nothing can stop me from going to that session?”

  “Nothing.”

  But as she stared at the ever-growing sphere, she didn’t feel safe. Behind them, the door slid open with a clean whooshing sound. Arlen stepped in, his face set in serious lines.

  “We’re ready to board the Ring’s main base. All authorizations have been given. The warriors are ready.”

  CHAPTER 27

  ROSE

  Rose stood still as the round hovering device brought herself, Karian and Arlen into the center of the assembly. Looking around at the number of people looking down on her made her vision slightly blurry, like her mind was refusing to deal with the reality. Thousands upon thousands, that was how many envoys of every nation were sitting, gazing upon her like she was an exotic animal.

  The noise of thousands of voices all talking at once in the assembly was creating a buzz deep in her chest, like drums beating
ten thousand times too strong. She was fighting the urge to press her palms to her eardrums to drown it out, knowing the gesture would betray weakness, and that this crowd, as curious as it was, was also cruel and ruthless. All they wanted was to see how small and vulnerable she was. They hungered for her failure.

  Suddenly, the ruckus died down to a trickle, then stopped altogether.

  A large hovering device shaped like an ancient throne was floating in the middle of the open space. On it sat a creature sent straight from Rose’s deepest, darkest nightmares. It looked like an insect, as tall as two men standing on each other, with long, deceptively fragile looking limbs of a green so deep it was almost blue. Its head was like a mantis, with two orbs for eyes as black as the void of space, and a pointy snout flanked by a set of mandibles. The two orbs focused on Rose, full of cold calculation. No mercy, no salvation was to be expected there.

  This is Prime Councilor Aarv. She’s the one who has our fate in her hands.

  A deep-set shiver traveled through Rose’s bones, chilling the marrow within.

  “We open this session with a special motion by the Eok nation.” The creature spoke with a voice made of grating metal. “The motion is put forth that the human species no longer needs to be protected under the Genetic Protection Board and be given back its rightful natural habitat of Earth.”

  The ruckus started again, but a single motion of her long-fingered hand silenced the assembly. Rose’s and Karian’s hovering device floated to the center of the space, in front of the terrible creature.

  “Commander in Chief Karian of the Erynian Tribe, you have the first words.”

  All eyes fastened on Karian. Rose watched, mesmerized, as her bloodmate stood tall and confident under the scrutiny of the crowd. He truly was a magnificent male, proud and strong. Pride churned her insides, warming the chill of her previous fears.

  “We all know the decision to protect the last few human specimens was taken over a century ago. It was motivated by a desire to prevent the same tragedy that befell the Algoic nation from happening to the humans.” Karian’s voice was calm and strong, carrying to the far reaches of the large assembly. “The decision was a good one, and it saved the few humans who remained on Earth for the ages to come. But now, humans live free again on their homeland, they do not need the help of the Genetic Preservation Board anymore.”

  “Commander Karian, you will have to provide proof of the allegations.” The tall, insect-looking creature leaned forward, her round, completely black eyes reflecting the light like a kaleidoscope. “Can you assure the Council that the humans can not only survive, but thrive on their homeland without the protection of the Genetic Preservation Board?”

  “Yes, Prime Councilor Aarv.” Karian circled Rose’s shoulders. “This human female is my bloodmate. She is living proof that humans are thriving on Earth without the protection of the board.”

  Another ruckus shook the crowd—the news of a bloodmating, and a high profile one, causing an even greater disruption. This time it took the furious metallic hissing of Prime Councilor Aarv to silence the excited audience.

  “Since her relatives are living on the free human settlement on Earth, they are protected under Eokian law. I am merely here to ask that you include all humans in the same protection.”

  A flurry of whispers greeted Karian’s words, but tapered down quickly. A number of faces were closed off or downright hostile, but an even greater number seemed genuinely in agreement with Karian. Hope, stubborn and instantaneous, came up inside Rose, and she found herself standing straight beside her bloodmate. Let them see humans weren’t weak. Let them see humans deserved freedom.

  “Commander Karian speaks the truth.” A familiar voice ripped the air, and Minister Knut floated to the center of the assembly. His clean demeanor had a cutting edge, and Rose knew instantly he was going to be a formidable adversary. This was an old politician, as attuned to the arena of words as Karian was to a sword. “The human female you see before you is indeed bloodmate to the Commander in Chief, but that is where the truth stops. His words, no doubt motivated by a righteous desire to protect his mate, are misleading. The specimen is property of the Human Preservation laboratories.” Minister Knut sent a slow gaze around the assembly to make sure he had their full attention. “This only proves that humans are still in great danger of poaching and need the Genetic Preservation Board to protect their females, lest they become extinct.”

  “Minister Knut.” Prime Councilor Aarv’s mandible clicked and clacked a staccato beat like shears of steel ripping. “You are proposing the specimen is a stolen slave, and not a free born human, as Commander Karian swears?”

  A rumble traveled through the crowd. Rose spotted a group of Avonies, elegant and composed, smiling at her with predatory satisfaction. Karian’s earlier words had a new, less appealing light under the Minister’s lies.

  “The specimen was born in the facility. She has been marked.” Minister Knut’s smile grew chillingly satisfied. “All subjects born are numbered for tracking purposes.”

  “So, you have proof. If the mark is there, the subject was born in the facility.” Prime Councilor Aarv turned to Karian. “Is the mark present on your mate?”

  Karian appeared confused for a fraction of a second, then it was gone. Rose’s mind ran in circles, wondering what the Minister’s mark was.

  “My mate bears no such mark,” Karian answered, his voice assured and strong.

  “We will inspect the specimen.” Prime Councilor Aarv motioned, and a hovering device floated towards Karian and Rose, carrying two white-skinned creatures wearing what could only be described as lab coats. Beside Rose, Karian’s entire body tensed and a deep growl escaped his throat. His arm around Rose tightened, and she had the sickening premonition that this was exactly what Minister Knut’s plan was. He intended for Karian to lose his temper. In a flash, Rose was certain that to respond with violence inside the Ring’s assembly meant certain death. Yes, this was the Minister’s plan. Then he would be free to reclaim Rose and all the humans back on Earth.

  “Medical examiners, proceed.”

  Karian’s growl deepened and the tips of his fangs showed. Rose’s stare locked with Minister Knut’s, and she saw a faint glint in his eyes. Satisfaction, that was what it was. Reacting, she gripped Karian’s upper arm. The muscles were taut like bowstrings under her fingers.

  “Don’t,” she whispered. “That’s what he wants.”

  Karian turned his blazing eyes her way and he slowly, consciously, relaxed his jaws, and soon his shoulders followed. Reassured that Karian wasn’t going to rip open some Ring medical staffer’s throat and sign his own death certificate at the same time, Rose watched the creatures approach. The medical examiners were of a species she had never seen or heard of before, with long, fine limbs that appeared frail and supple, with skin so white it looked transparent. Their oval, black eyes were shining under the light above lipless mouths. Their long, spidery fingers hung at their sides, moving restlessly. Revulsion and fury met side by side in her mind at the idea of those insect-like fingers running along her skin.

  Rose stood still as the two creatures stepped onto the hovering device. The first one produced a rectangular device emitting a faint white light, then motioned for her to come closer and hold her arms out. After a second, Rose nodded.

  “The mark is a serial number engraved in the specimen’s radius bone with uranianite composite. The engraving is done in utero, a few hours before birth. It’s a perfect tracking process.” Minister Knut’s smile turned into a sneer. “It is only visible under short wave rays.”

  A specimen. Not a person. An animal, to be owned and tagged.

  Revulsion tapered down, to be fully replaced by the burning sensation of an all-consuming anger. The words Knut used came back and back, twirling in her mind like trapped animals.

  The first creature extended its arm to touch Rose, but a vicious growl made it stop.

  “I’ll do the scanning.” Karian extended hi
s hand. “No one touches Rose.”

  “The specimen is afraid of a simple scan.” Minister Knut spoke, his voice a soft, poisonous caress. “Humans can’t fend for themselves. Just look at this one.”

  The anger broke and drowned everything, throwing Rose’s caution to the wind. In a huff, Rose stepped between Karian and the creature, then yanked the device out of its hands. After she had fidgeted with it for an embarrassingly long time, the device vibrated slightly and the white light started to glow alternatively stronger and fainter. A scanning device.

  Without thinking, Rose used it to swipe up and down her left arm, making a show of it for the crowd, but more importantly for Prime Councilor Aarv. She had an intuition she was powerful enough to be the real force behind most rulings. Rose squared her shoulders, then tossed her head, turning to Minister Knut. Slowly, without taking her stare off the male Avonie, Rose scanned her second arm. As she swiped the device close to her elbow, an exclamation ran through the crowd. Minister Knut’s face split into a slow, hateful smirk. Karian growled, then snarled. Rose stared at him, but he wasn’t looking into her eyes. No, his gaze was fastened to her arm.

  “There.” Minister Knut spoke, a despicable, triumphant smile on his lips. “Specimen number 35 890.”

  Rose’s face grew numb. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the two creatures stepping back on their hovering devices, then quickly retreating. From somewhere else, a growl erupted and strong hands closed around her shoulders, pulling her to a hard, warm chest.

  Rose’s eyes tore from Minister Knut’s face…

  And landed on the outlines of a serial number, shining through her skin under the short-wave rays. Her serial number was engraved deep in the bones of her forearm.

  Rose stared at the serial number, unblinking. Her mind was a gray slate, void of thoughts. She should have known. She had left the breeding facility at three years of age, when her father and several others had orchestrated the massive escape that gave her family and several others their freedom.