Alien Instinct

by Tracy Lauren

  “What?” My brain can’t even process all this.

  “We know, right?” Reagan says.

  “That doesn’t make any sense. Vivian wouldn’t have run off like that,” I say, completely sure she wouldn’t ever do something so risky on her own accord. Especially not without letting anyone know. And taking off in our only usable means of transportation? She wouldn’t have done that unless someone forced her to. Everyone exchanges meaningful glances.

  “So, he kidnapped her?” I say, almost disbelieving. “How do we find her? Is he capable of hurting her?” I’m frantic again with worry for poor, fragile Vivian.

  “No,” Kellen states firmly. “Dax would never harm anyone, let alone a female. We do not know why he took her, or where for that matter, but with Dax she is safe.”

  “Oh bullshit! He might be your friend and all, but he just kidnapped someone! What’s the plan to find them?” I demand.

  “Come with me Kate. All will be resolved, but for now your friend’s disappearance is not the only pressing matter,” Tennir tells me gently as possible.

  “Disappearance my ass, it’s called an abduction and it’s the second one she has had in as many months. This is unacceptable, if she is hurt--emotionally or otherwise there is going to be hell to pay,” I say angrily.

  “On that matter we can all agree,” he says calmly. I take a few deep breaths and agree to follow him. He’s right, we have a lot to discuss and sitting around being angry won’t move us forward.

  “Okay, what now then?” I ask.

  “It is time for you to meet Madreed.”

  Chapter 50

  Kate

  Tennir brings me inside the massive hovering ship and leads me through a labyrinth of corridors until we finally get to a medical bay. Off the main section are what I assume to be recovery or treatment rooms. A door whooshes open and inside on a bed lays Rennek. He is sitting up now and the color on his face is already beginning to return to normal. A doctor is working on his shoulder, but it appears to be causing him no pain or discomfort. I have to look away as the doctor does indeed stitch the wound up.

  I hurry to his side. He immediately brings his large hand up to my face, caressing me.

  “You look better already,” I tell him and I have to blink tears back.

  “I was already feeling well, I keep telling them this isn’t necessary,” he motions toward the doctor stitching up the nasty wound right near his neck.

  “Riiight, I’m starting to question your better judgment buddy,” I laugh though, happy to see him joking again.

  “Kate, I have to give you my deepest apologies. What I did was dangerous, I felt we were low on options at the time… but now looking back I put you in danger. I should have tried to think of another option.”

  “There was no way of knowing--” I start, but he interrupts.

  “There are things I could have done differently, we could have scouted the den first. Perhaps seen what we were up against before attacking.”

  “How? The thing could… could smell me, or whatever.” I glance at Tennir, not trying to put my period on blast. Rennek just gives a fussy little grunt.

  “I should have thought of something else. You were dependent on me to protect you and I failed you, I left you alone.”

  “Look at me Rennek,” I say holding his hand to my heart. “You did everything you could, you did your best with the information we had and you killed every last one of those spiders. You made sure I was safe. You did not fail me and you did not leave me alone. You’re here right now aren’t you? I don’t even want to think about the alternative.”

  “Nor do I,” he tells me.

  “Plus, this is a partnership, remember? I don’t mind taking care of you once in a while. Just next time, let’s make it a bubble bath or a foot rub or something okay?”

  “You have my promise,” he says while his hands roam over my arms, as if he can’t bear the idea of not touching me. I can’t say I mind in the least, after days of him being in and out of consciousness it feels so damned good to have him here with me, really here with me.

  Just as the doctor finishes up and begins to leave, the door whooshes open and Madreed, Gorrard and Da’vi join us in the room.

  “Madreed, this is Kate…” Rennek begins to introduce me to this alien woman towering above me.

  “Yes, I am aware,” she says gesturing an alien greeting in my direction. “My goodness, my sons are right, you and your people are surprisingly similar to the images of the Goddesses. While this is obviously quite intriguing on an anthropological level, I suspect it is also in part what makes humans so popular on the black market,” she says.

  “Tennir has sent me much information on the humans since the discovery of the trafficking ring. I am very much aware of the hardships you and your people have faced, Kate. I have been working day and night to learn everything I can to uncover all guilty parties and right this wrong that has been committed against your race. Trafficking is a violation I hold very dear to my core and I promise you, I will continue to fight for the justice and recovery of your people.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate that.” I tell her, humbled by her clear passion.

  “As I understand it, there is now more to this story than the rescue of the humans,” she says, looking at Gorrard.

  I see a look go over Rennek’s face that breaks my heart for him. We are here on Elysia to uncover the secrets of his past, but in doing so we are dredging up the memories of his mother’s rape. Though our hands are intertwined, I move closer to support him in what’s about to be discussed. I just pray Madreed can offer some of the compassion I see in her to Rennek in this moment.

  “Tennir tells me that you have been asking about your father?” She asks, turning her focus on Rennek. He takes a deep breath and I worry for a split second that he is going to retreat in an effort to protect his mother.

  “I have. Certain instincts have been… activated recently and I was hoping to learn more about my sire’s species and what to expect within myself. Then, in protecting Kate and her people we met Gorrard--which was an obvious surprise.”

  “Yes, I can imagine,” Madreed responds, smiling “I did not know you ever had an interest in learning more of your father, I will be happy to share with you all that I know.”

  At this point in the conversation I have to actively remember to shut my mouth. This isn’t a soap opera, I remind myself. This is real life… no matter how juicy the details are. So, I try to put a calm and composed look on my face and hope my acting skills are up to par.

  “You are aware of The Invasion obviously. I was working at the council building when it happened. Luckily, the children on planet were all placed in emergency modules, so young Tennir and Kahreen were taken to safety,” she reaches a hand out to Tennir with tears in her eyes.

  “The occupancy lasted months, there was no way to contact them or hear of their safety. It was terrible on the Mother Planet. Many died. Many were tortured, beaten… raped. Many were not as lucky as I.” At that, Rennek begins to interrupt her, shame showing in the lines of his face, but she puts a hand up to stop him.

  “I was lucky because the males sent to take our building were led by your father and some of his men. Not long before The Invasion they had been captured and forced to be mercenaries for the Invaders, but they were not capable of such evil deeds. Instead, they risked themselves to gather us and hide us in the catacombs below the council.”

  “For months, they were forced to act as if they were one with the Invaders, all the while bringing us food, caring for us, helping to rescue more of our people and bringing them to the safety of the catacombs. I became close to Urrek over those months,” a sad smile crosses her lips. “He was brave and selfless… to a fault,” she laughs ruefully, blinking away tears. “He helped me get messages to the UPC and organize the counterattack and we fell in love. I never thought there would be another for me beyond Tennir and Kahreen’s father, but Urrek awoke something in me,” she says holdi
ng her hand over her heart. “And I was not the only one,” she says with a nostalgic laugh. Your father’s companions were… very popular as you can tell by the existence of not only you, but your friends.”

  “After much planning, the counterattack was working and the Invaders were making their escape. That was not enough for Urrek though. There were many others still on the Invader’s ship--captive… unwilling slaves. He and his men, some Vendari--some not,” she says shooting a meaningful glance at Da’vi, “refused to let them leave with all those poor souls on board. They wanted to make a rescue attempt. Urrek also feared the Invaders might have information that could cause harm to other Vendari. He could not let that be so.”

  “I wanted to beg him not to go, I wanted to tell him that we had a fledgling growing within my womb, but I knew I could not give him such a choice. It was his nature to love and protect--his instinct. I could not make him choose between all those souls and his fledgling. So, I let him go. I planned to tell him of you when he returned. He made his friend stay with me to protect me until he returned, but he never did. The Invader’s ship left and he and his men were never seen again,” she stares at a blank spot on the wall and it takes her a moment before she can continue.

  “After that, Urrek’s friend, Za’an refused to leave my side for many yets. He pledged a life debt to me. He was so saddened by my loss and ashamed he had not been on the ship to aid his friends. It was many yets before I could convince Za’an to stop guarding me like a golden fledgling,” she laughs, looking at Da’vi.

  “He still looks in on me from time to time, even in his old age. It was only recently he suggested his son come to watch over you and I had been so worried about you in the UPC and then with the prospect of crossing paths with pirates while working with your brother, so I agreed,” she says causing Rennek to finally break his silence.

  “Da’vi? Madreed hired you to watch over me? Did you know of all this since the start?” He chokes out, in shock.

  “No, I knew of nothing but the fact that my sire claimed a life debt to Madreed--I was unaware of the circumstances. He charged me with taking over that debt and so I found you. Before I could explain my role, you offered me a position on your crew and it seemed the obvious choice to take it.” Da’vi shrugs.

  “You never thought to tell me?” He asks, still surprised but with more understanding in his tone than I would offer him.

  “It did not arise,” Da’vi says simply. With wide eyes I look to Rennek, surprised he is taking all this so calmly. He turns back to Madreed and she continues.

  “In my search for you and Tennir I found Gorrard who told me of this place and the beacon,” Madreed gives her son a warm smile. “It seems you and your friends are now at the beginning of your journey to discovering who you are, I hope this information will help you. And I have this,” she pulls a small round disk that looks strikingly similar to Gorrard’s pendant. “This was Urrek’s. It is the only thing I had to remember him by, besides you of course. He told me it was a key of some sort, perhaps it may have some meaning among your people?” Rennek takes the disk.

  “Now, get some rest and later we can further discuss all that surrounds the trafficking ring,” Madreed tells us and she stands to leave.

  “Thank you, Madreed,” Rennek tells her solemnly and that’s all I can take.

  “Thank you? Thank you?” My gaze shoots from Rennek to Madreed. “Let me get this straight you’re thanking her for telling you some pertinent ass shit that she should have been telling you your entire fucking life?”

  Then I turn to Madreed, “I’m sorry, why are you only just now finding it relevant to inform your son that his father didn’t rape you? That he himself isn’t a product of rape? You say that Rennek is only just now beginning this journey to discover who he is, but he’s been searching his entire life no thanks to you. How dare you stroll in here as if you’re doing him a favor, you should be begging his forgiveness for all you’ve put him through. All this time he could have been proud of who he is and instead he was living with shame that not only didn’t belong to him, but was based on events that never even occurred! And you sent him off to boarding school or whatever on Javan because he was a ‘product of war’? He wasn’t a product of war, he was a product of love! Seriously, what the hell?”

  Madreed looks utterly taken aback and when I look to Rennek his face conveys his… surprise at how I have spoken to his mother.

  “Kate, please don’t…” Rennek begins.

  “No, wait,” I tell Rennek and turn back to Madreed, “Did you know that Urrek was a king to his people? Just answer that for me.”

  “I did,” she says, still with more shock than remorse.

  “So, you raised Rennek to think he was the bastard son of a rapist when you knew he was a hero and a king that you loved?”

  I take in this woman before me. I see she is undoubtedly strong, a woman who has worked hard her entire life and earned every bit of power she has at her disposal. I see a woman who gets her way and is not easily shaken and... I see her struggling to find the words to justify her crimes against her son.

  “I wanted to keep him. I did keep him, two yets longer than I should have. But emotions were still high surrounding The Invasion. There was much prejudice. I thought it would be better for him to grow up with the other fledglings like him and if he entered internment he wouldn’t face such harsh judgement by society,” she explains. “He never asked,” she finally says lamely. I shake my head at her and kiss Rennek’s hand that still holds mine--although the grasp is loose.

  “I’ll let you rest, call me if you need me. I’ll be with the others,” I tell him and head for the door. When I find Reagan and the others still outside the ship and poking around the ruins I bring them back to mine and Rennek’s room. Only, I worry that after my outburst it won’t be mine and Rennek’s room anymore.

  Rennek has spent his whole life tip toeing around that woman and I just stomped on her. I don’t know if he’ll forgive me for that one. So, I show the girls around a bit and tell them of my adventures on Elysia, all while desperately trying not to cry.

  Chapter 51

  Rennek

  “I… I’m…” I try to begin, but can’t seem to find the words. I want to apologize to Madreed, but something inside me tells me that isn’t right… something inside me tells me that Kate is right. But I don’t know how to say this to Madreed. My mother’s story has stripped away all the shame I carried, there is nothing I need to protect her from. Indeed, why did she not think to tell me this sooner?

  “We will give the two of you some space,” Tennir says and the others leave the room.

  “She is your mate then?” Madreed asks, “I saw her press a kiss to your hand before she left. But I suppose I would have been able to tell by her passion alone.”

  “She is my mate, she too has awakened something within me,” I tell my mother, placing my hand over my heart as she had done earlier.

  “That is good. I like her Rennek, she reminds me of myself. She speaks truth and she speaks from her core no matter what the reactions of others will be. Which is perhaps something I should have practiced not only on the council, but with you as well.”

  I grunt in agreement, I still cannot bring myself to fully express my feelings with Madreed. Her omission has caused me much pain over the yets.

  “People do not speak of The Invasion. It was a painful and frightening time for all who lived through it. It was doubly painful to me because that is when I lost my Urrek. It is still difficult for me to discuss. I spent many yets searching for any trace of him, hoping against hope that he was still alive and being held prisoner by the Invaders… perhaps waiting for me to rescue him.” She blinks and tears spill from her eyes.

  “I held my pain above yours, my son, and it blinded me to what your experience must have been. There are not words enough to apologize for this. I sent you to Javan because ultimately, I thought you should be with other Vendari. I wanted to raise you on my own in our
home, but the prejudice left over from The Invasion was great. I tried to keep you with me as long as I could, but eventually I could see and hear the comments and the fear from other families and I knew it was time. But please know that I did not send you away because I did not want or love you with all my core. You are my son, Rennek. No matter what.” She takes my hands in hers and for the first time since I was a mere fledgling, I hang my head and weep.

  “I forgive you mother,” I tell her and she weeps alongside me.

  ***

  The doctors tell me I must remain in this room so they may monitor my healing, so I send Tennir to bring my mate to me.

  “Hi,” she says sheepishly as she enters my room. My heart still soars at the sight of her, but my mate appears nervous and standoffish in a way I have not seen from her in much time.