“Perhaps,” he smiled thinking she would have struggled. “My people, when we meet our mate, we know. I know. It’s your scent, your countenance. I know you’re my mate.”
“What if I don’t want to be your mate,” she said, searching his face, his eyes to see how he reacted to her tentative rejection.
Not wanting to frighten her, he said, “I could give you time to get used to the idea.”
“If I didn’t get used to the idea,” she asked.
He picked up her hand, turned it over, kissed her palm. She felt a shiver of desire as his tongue slipped out, teased her hand. He kissed the pulse point on her wrist, heat flushed her cheeks. “I think you would in time get used to the idea,” he said.
“Are you trying to seduce me,” she said pulling her hand out of his.
“No,” he said with a smile. “Mates always require negotiations. It is part of our customs.”
“You went to all this trouble to negotiate with me so I become your mate,” Lydia said incredulous.
“The intended mate’s family is always courted,” Mycos said rubbing his hand over her leg. He enjoyed touching her, watching her react to his hands on her.
She pushed his hands away. “Seriously?” She said, “There are easier ways to ask a girl on a date.”
“The usual negotiation time is seven days,” Mycos said. “I’ll give you that time to decide.”
“Decide what exactly. What are you offering,” she asked.
“You will become my mate and bear my children,” he said.
“And,” she asked.
“I am a high ranking member of my race, you will have status, unlimited funds, and me. What more do you need,” Mycos asked.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Lydia said. She rose to pace to the windows. “Humans don’t… well I guess some of them do. How many children? How soon? What happens when you leave, return home?”
“You will go with me, of course,” he said following her to the windows. “You’re a beautiful woman. I want you now. I will not wait more than the seven days for a decision.”
“You haven’t answered my questions,” she evaded his hands walking behind his desk to get away from him.
“We will start making babies as soon as we finalize the negotiations,” he smiled as she blushed. “As for the number, I see no reason not to continue to have children until you are no longer able.”
“No. I won’t agree to have children immediately,” Lydia said. “I’m only eighteen. I don’t even know what I want from life. I want to figure that out first before I start having babies. I’m sure as hell not having babies until I can’t. It’s unrealistic and unhealthy.”
He pulled her into his arms. “You will enjoy the making of the babies,” he whispered in her ear as he brushed his lips along her jaw. “I will see to it you have great pleasure, hours of pleasure while we make the babies.”
“Stop it,” she pushed against him. Heat flooded her, she wanted to know what that felt like, how he would give her that much pleasure. “Two years. I want two years before I have a child. I’ll agree to two children. More is irresponsible.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “No. You are thinking in human terms. Even here family sizes have exploded since the plagues. People work to repopulate the world. My world has fewer people and fewer women. I want a large family eighteen at least,” he said. “I want to start right away but I could wait three months.”
“I’m not having eighteen children. Are you crazy? How will we keep track of them all? I’m not turning them over to nannies or whatever your equivalent is either. We raise them,” she said. “What happens to the girls in all of this? I can’t just leave them. They rely on me.”
“They are your family,” he said. “I will take them into my household and provide for them. You will never have to worry about them.”
“I need to spend time with them daily,” she said.
“You will not have time for them,” he said. “You will be busy making babies and fulfilling your duties as my lady.”
“No,” she said. “I can tell you no matter how much seduction you come up with, I won’t ever agree to something where I can’t see them daily.”
He saw the earnestness in her words, her determination. “Very well. For now, you may see them daily. I will give you six months to get used to being my lover. Then we will have children.”
“They will not be accosted or forced into any relationships. They will get an education,” she demanded. He nodded, she continued, “I need eighteen months before we start having children. I’ll agree to four spread out so we have time to enjoy each of them.”
“A year,” he said nibbling on her ear lobe. “I will give you a year but I want a dozen children.”
“You agree to all the provisions for the girls,” she asked when he said nothing about them.
“Yes, because I see you will not compromise when it comes to them. You will be allowed to see them daily but when we first become lovers you will be in my bed more than you will be out of it,” he said as he brushed his lips over hers. “You will not have a lot of time or energy left for much of anything.”
“I’ll always make time for them,” she argued. “You can be patient as I need to take care of them.”
“You are my woman,” he said. “You will follow my orders.”
“No,” she stepped out of his arms. “If that’s how you think, we can’t make a deal. You don’t get to order me around. If we’re partners, we’re equals. I won’t be submissive or meek to you.”
He raised his eyebrows enjoying her strength. “We will compromise and discuss,” he conceded. “I still want more children. One year before the first and a minimum of six, after which we will discuss if we have more.”
“How soon do you return,” she asked.
“I am here for at least five years,” he said. “Do we have a deal?”
“I need time to think about the terms,” she said.
“I will give you seven days. I will have the legal documents drawn up in your language,” he said. “You may review them tomorrow.”
“In the meanwhile, what happens to the girls and me,” she asked.
“You are my guests,” he said. “I will provide for you as needed. You may choose where you wish to sleep, in the hall with the girls or with me.”
“I’ll sleep with the girls,” she said embarrassed by their negotiations. She’d just negotiated to become his lover. There was no love between them but if she did this, she would have six children with him. Could she do it?
“I understand,” he said. He would have her before the seven days were up. It would not take her long to submit to his need for her.
“We’re free to do as we please,” she said.
“You must remain on the grounds,” Mycos said. “There have been threats and I do not want you or the girls to be the inadvertent target of those threats.”
“We’re prisoners here then,” she said suspiciously.
“No. You may wander the house and grounds. I have some outings planned with appropriate security,” he said.
“Very well,” she said. “I’d like to return to them now.”
“I will walk you back,” he said. “Will you have breakfast with me?” His arm slid around her waist, shifting her closer to him. He needed the scent of her, the feel of her in his arms.
“With the girls,” she said.
“We will have time alone,” he told her.
“They will wake up in a strange place, in a strange situation,” she said. “I won’t abandon them because you want to seduce me. You can be patient and wait. I’ll have breakfast with you if it includes the girls.”
“You drive a hard bargain,” he said against her hair. He kissed the top of her head. “Breakfast in the morning with all seven of you.”
Chapter 2
In the morning clothes appeared for the seven girls. Gregor brought them pants and shirts in all their sizes. The girls sat at the table waiting to eat
until someone else ate the items they wanted. “Please,” Mycos said. “Nothing is drugged. You are my guests. I want to make you happy and fulfilled. Eat.”
Lydia said, “You can’t expect instant trust.”
“It would not be beneficial for us to drug you,” Gregor said.
“Will this occur for every meal,” Mycos asked impatiently.
“Don’t be mean,” Abby whispered. She crawled into Lydia’s lap. “Don’t be mean,” she whimpered.
“It’s all right,” Lydia soothed the girl. Her chance at breakfast evaporated. Once Abby hit clinging stage, she wouldn’t let Lydia do anything but hold her for an hour or two.
“Look at me, Abby,” Mycos said. He waited until the little girl looked at him as he sat at the head of the table. “I will never hurt you. None of my men will ever hurt you. I am worried about you. You are too little.”
“Am not,” Abby said. “I’m a big girl. Lyd said so when she fixed my arm.”
“You were a brave girl,” Mycos said. “What will it take for you to eat the food on the table? Do I need to take a bite of everything?”
“Yes,” Abby told him.
“If I get sick from eating too much, it will be your fault,” he threatened.
“Take little bites,” Abby said, smiling at him.
She leaned over and thrust a strawberry in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. Suddenly he grabbed his throat, clutched at it, choking noises issued from him. His head dropped to the table. The girls stood shocked. Mycos opened one eye. “You killed me,” he claimed.
“Did not,” Abby laughed, reaching for him. “You faken it.”
“The strawberries are safe,” he said. “Come feed me something else.” He lifted her off Lydia’s lap and sat at the head of the table to allow her to feed him. She would give him a bite and take two or three of her own.
Lydia smiled at how he handled the frightened girl. In between bites, he said, “Justinian is available this morning to see to all your injuries.”
Nic said, “In what way?”
“He can heal them,” Lydia said. “It’s a good thing.”
Stubbornly, Nic said, “What if I don’t want him messing with me?”
“You will continue to be in pain from your bruised ribs,” Gregor said. “This would be unfortunate.”
“You won’t force me,” Nic said.
“Justinian has discovered humans heal better when they are willing to be healed,” Gregor said. “If you do not wish it, you do not have to participate.”
After the meal, they went to the med room. Justinian asked, “Who would like to go first?”
Hannah stepped up, “I’ll do it.”
“Very brave,” he encouraged. “Would you like help to get up on the table?”
She hopped up on her own. The scanner ran, and he placed his device in various spots around her body to aid in the healing. One after another, they were healed. Nic stood petulantly, watching each healing. Hannah, tired from the treatment, fell asleep in one of the chairs.
“Will you take a treatment,” Justinian asked Nic.
“I won’t take any funny business from you,” she growled.
“Of course not,” he agreed.
She lay on the scanner while he ran the same scan. “You have damage to your ribs here,” he pointed but didn’t touch.
“It’s where the cop kicked me,” Nic said.
Mycos said, “He did what?”
“Three of them had me on the ground, face down. I struggled and pissed off one of them. He kicked me and was going to,” Nic stopped, her face a thundercloud of fear and anger.
With a few quick strides he was by her side. “I am sorry,” he said. “I ordered you brought to us, but I made it clear nothing was to happen to you. This is my fault.”
Nic said, “You weren’t the one kicking me.”
“No but I ordered them to bring you here,” he said. “I deeply regret the pain it has caused you.” He took her hand gently in his. Squeezing it, he rubbed her arm to offer comfort.
“It’s okay. Go ahead, do what you gotta do,” she said.
Justinian placed his device on her ribs, careful not to touch her intimately. As with all the others, it hummed as it worked to repair the damage. Justinian treated all the damaged areas. Nic, her face pale, felt tired when he completed healing her. She sat up slowly, swaying slightly when she stood up from the scanning bed. Mycos gently steadied her. “Please lean on me,” he said offering her his arm.
Gregor picked up a sleeping Hannah. When the girls were settled in bed, Mycos asked, “Lydia, Abby, will you come for a walk with me? The side garden is quite nice. There is a swing set there.”
Mycos held Abby’s hand as he led them to the side garden. A large play center, including swings, sat in the yard. Abby stopped suddenly. She tugged on Mycos’ hand. “Can I? Can I play on that,” she whispered.
“I do not know,” Mycos said. “Do you not think it would be boring to climb and swing and play on it?”
“No. Oh, please,” Abby begged. Lydia smiled, knowing he only teased her to encourage her interest.
“Very well,” Mycos said. “But do not blame me if you become bored.”
“Will you push me on the swings,” Abby asked tugging on his arm. His eyes widened with surprise. He hadn’t expected her to want him to play with her.
“I think I might manage to push you,” Mycos said. Lydia sat on the swing next to Abby. She pushed gently as Mycos pushed Abby. Higher and higher, he pushed until she squealed with delight. “Do you want a push, too,” Mycos asked.
“No. I’m fine,” Lydia said. “Why does it surprise you she goes to you? You encourage it.”
“With the difficulties she has had, I thought she would be more cautious of men,” Mycos said.
“She’s young,” Lydia said. “Nightmares still haunt her but she’s not been hurt so badly she isn’t willing to trust again.”
“What about you,” Mycos asked. “Have you been hurt too much to trust again?”
“I have a lot to consider. I have to think about how my actions affect each of them,” Lydia said. “I can’t keep feed them, let alone see to it they get educated. The older ones have the basics but she doesn’t.”
“You are not their parent,” Mycos said. Abby jumped off the swing and climbed up the slide. Lydia watched her, thought about stopping her. “Let her go,” Mycos said.
“Their parents opted out or died,” Lydia said as Abby swept down the slide with her hands up, squealing and giggling. Lydia smiled, pleased to see her acting like a normal six-year-old.
“That does not mean you have to be,” Mycos said, standing behind her.
“I survived six years on the streets. I think I can manage to take care of a few smaller ones who have less experience,” Lydia said.
“Who has been with you the longest, Nic,” he asked.
“Yes. I was mostly on my own for three years before Nic came to me. We were together a while before we got Dani and Rachel. Hannah joined us about two years ago and Heidi shortly after her,” Lydia said.
“Why were you on the streets,” Mycos asked touching her shoulders.
She looked up at him, “Why do you want to know?”
“How else do we get to know each other,” he asked.
“Will you answer questions about yourself, your world, why you’re here,” she grilled him.
“Yes,” he said. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything,” she said, she looked back at Abby climbing a tower designed to look like an ancient castle.
“You need to narrow it down for me,” Mycos smiled. “My whole life and my whole world are a lot to explain in a morning.”
“How old are you,” Lydia asked.
“In earth years, I am twenty-eight,” Mycos said hoping the age difference didn’t bother her.
“Why are there so few women on your world,” Lydia asked.
“We made the mistake of valuing males,” Mycos said. “By the time o
ur ancestors realized there were not enough women being born, it was too late. Now for every five males born there is one female. It means we have to look elsewhere for biological diversity. Why were you on the streets?”
“My parents died in the plagues,” Lydia said. “The government put me in a group home, but the man in charge raped the girls in the home so I ran away. On my own, I survived without injuries. I tried not to steal but that isn’t always possible on the streets. Do you have a large family?”
“I have eight older brothers and two older sisters,” Mycos said. “How did you survive on your own for three years?”
“At first the older street people helped me. They’d tell me how to manage with food and good places to hide. Later I got a sense of what was safe and what wasn’t. For a long time, I disguised my gender by wearing baggy clothes. That’s a lot of family,” Lydia said. “If you’re the youngest, how come you ended up with the title?”
Abby played on the tower, climbing and crawling around the jungle gym. “Succession is not chosen until the female decides who will take over the family responsibilities,” he said touching her hands.
“The women decide? I would have expected the men,” Lydia said. “Why the woman?”
“Long ago, our foremothers determined women settled things without violence; therefore, the woman of the household decides who succeeds the family responsibilities. I thought my mother would choose one of my sisters but they both married into prominent families and have their own families to contend with,” Mycos said. “What was your life like before your parents died?”
Her face closed up, every emotion washed away, a pale stony look stole across her face. “What’s your world like,” she asked without answering his question.
“It is very similar to your world though we have little pollution,” he said. “You won’t tell me about your family.”
“No,” she said.
He tipped her chin up. “Why not,” he asked. “I want to know all about you.”
“I want to go back to the factory where we were picked up,” Lydia stood from the swing stepping away from him. “There are personal items hidden there.”
“I will add it to our schedule this week,” Mycos said. He knew she wouldn’t answer his question but didn’t understand why. “This afternoon I thought we would go clothes shopping.”
Seven Sisters Page 4