by M. A. Church
"We need to get you to Dosstkal and have Doc treat you."
"Can that wait for just a minute? I'm fine, really. Besides, I don't want to move just yet."
"Well, I guess so. Just for a minute." Keyno turned me so I faced him. He nuzzled my throat with his cheek, marking me with his scent. The growling turned to contented purrs, a deep rumbling against my chest. His tail lightly massaged my thigh as he hugged me.
"You remind me of a cat." His tail swished as I petted his back. Then I remembered that wall-shaking roar back in the corridor. "A really, really bad-ass cat."
"If you hadn't distracted me, I would've killed all the males who so much as touched you," Keyno said, quietly.
For a long moment I said nothing, but I continued to hold and pet him. He couldn't change what he was, what was inside of him, I understood that. Of course, if they weren't stealing men from planets all over the universe... I closed my eyes and forced myself to put the subversive thoughts away. My own government had lied, and something was very wrong with the group of men down in that corridor. I looked up and met Keyno's eyes.
"Keyno, do you know what gangs are?"
"Yes, we studied your culture before we first arrived. Why are you asking me this?"
"Gang members use tattoos to mark their members, and they use them to... well... advertise, I guess, what that person has done in the gang."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm not positive. Can I hack into Earth's computers from here? I need the papers on those mates, too." I needed to be sure first if what I was afraid of was true. "Can you give me about an hour before you press me for answers?"
Keyno stared at me for a full minute, making me squirm.
"That's all I'll hack into, I promise."
"You really should go see Doc."
"After this, okay? I promise I'll go after this. I'm okay. I took a few hits, but I'm okay."
"Fine. Do this, and then we'll go see Doc and no arguments." Keyno opened up his computer, fiddled with it, and then motioned for me to sit in front of the holo-screen. "Just type in what you need. I've set it to hack into whatever database you need for information."
"Any database on Earth?"
"Yes. There is no firewall on Earth that can keep you out."
"Wow. You guys are that much more advanced?"
"Yes. And take note that this is my personal comp."
It struck me then how close Colt had come to pulling off his escape. If he had taken me hostage, Keyno wouldn't do anything to jeopardize my safety and let them escape. But that was not to say he wouldn't have followed us down to Earth to reclaim me and to hunt down Colt and his gang. Especially if they had hurt me. Any government that stood in his way would have met with force from my mate.
I shuddered. Good God, if some government attacked Keyno or his men while they hunted Colt—and had managed to hurt him or his crew—the Tah'Narians wouldn't think twice about retaliating against Earth. We could have ended up in World War Three over this. And there was no doubt in my mind Earth would have lost. The whole planet could've been destroyed.
"Let's take a quick shower. You have the scent of other males upon you, and I can hardly bear it." Keyno pulled me into the shower. "You can start when we get finished. Then I want answers. And Dale, if you should hack into anything else, well... I wouldn't blame you, and I don't need to know about it, either."
Did he just give me permission to get in touch with Mom and Dad? "An hour should be enough time. Promise me while I'm working you won't do anything about the men who tried to escape, please."
"No promises. The one who attacked you broke one of our highest laws." Keyno pinched the bridge of his nose when I opened my mouth to argue. "Dammit, Dale. Fine, I won't do anything until you finish whatever it is you're doing. That's all I can promise."
"Can you keep everyone away from here?" I asked. The last thing I needed was Chad showing up and talking my ear off while I did this. "Tell them I'm resting or something. I need every minute of that hour, okay?"
"One hour. Then I return and I will want answers."
We showered and Keyno left. The hour was nearly up, and I still didn't know what I was going to tell him. I stared at the rumpled bed, remembering what had taken place there earlier. I knew enough about Keyno's race to understand that he'd reacted normally. And what a reaction it was. His mate was threatened, and he acted accordingly. Our coupling had been frantic and urgent, but I was never afraid of him. He made sure I received pleasure from our coming together. If I had said stop, he would have, no questions asked. His anger was impressive.
But his reaction to my being attacked and beaten—I shuddered, remembering the sickening sound of that man's neck snapping. I'd never seen anyone killed before and, shit, he'd been killed because of me. Watching that male's body drop, like a puppet whose strings had been cut... Keyno had taken his life without a second thought. No trial, no jury, no appeal—and no chance for me to stop him. God, my fucking head hurts.
As I stared at the computer screen, I tried to think of what to tell Keyno. My government had offloaded their worst criminals and repeat offenders to the Tah'Narians. Twenty of the mates were hardcore gang members who had been on death row when the Harvest took place. Another ten had rap sheets as long as my arm. There was little chance they'd ever change, little hope of them ever adapting. The real issue, though, was Colt. Better known as Colt 45, he'd been the subject of two books, a movie, and an HBO special. I knew he looked familiar.
He was a fucking living legend among the Hispanic gangs. Even I knew part of his story, having watched the special on cable. Once I'd read his rap sheet and started scanning the prison notes on him, I realized exactly who he was: the heart of Keyno's problem. On the streets since the age of six, Colt joined the vicious Gatos Negros, or Black Cats. He ran drugs and supposedly committed his first murder before he turned ten. By the time he was seventeen, he was a lieutenant for the gang, and had been incarcerated in juvenile hall. He was adopted out of the hall and went through a 'clean' period for two years. His I.Q. test scores, aptitude tests, and Scholastic Assessment Test scores were off the charts, so I knew he had to be brilliant. But when he enrolled at UCLA, things went bad.
The gangs wouldn't let him go. His adopted mother and sister were murdered, and Colt went on a killing spree. He'd avenged his dead, and young, new members flocked to him. The gang he started—the Hood—was considered the most dangerous in America. How the police had taken him down is a bit of a mystery. The special I watched claimed the authorities used an undercover cop to gather evidence against him, and then just casually took him in one day, easy as you please.
Somehow, after what I'd seen in the corridor, I didn't entirely believe that. I scanned the reports more slowly, trying to see if I missed anything the first time. Finally, I caught it. Colt's arresting officer had gone for a rapid HIV test three months before the date of Colt's arrest. Aw, hell. Colt had been fucking a cop, who'd turned around and arrested his lover. Gave a new meaning to 'undercover'.
I glanced at the clock. Keyno should be here any moment. I had a few minutes, so I did the one thing I knew would rip my heart out. I hacked into Mom's email.
Mom and Dad,
It's me, Dale. Please don't try to respond to this, okay? You can't. Listen, the Harvest is based on a lie—there is no program that ends in seven years. For this Harvest, some of the Tah'Narians were given the chance to pick a mate, even if the human was under the age limit. That's what happened. Their captain chose me. I am never coming back.
But please try not to worry. Chad is here, too. Isn't that something? Tell his parents he's doing great. As for me... I'm adjusting; my mate is called Keyno and he treats me well. I'm developing feelings for him, too. I've been injected with alien DNA that's mutating my body so I can have a child with him. Isn't that a kick in the head? Jesus, guys... I miss you all so much. I never said good-bye, really. I wish I had one more chance to just see you, hug you, and have you tell me everything is gonna be o
kay—even if it's a lie.
I feel like a part of me has been ripped out, and I won't lie, I'm scared of what's coming. You've always been there for me, and the thought of never talking to you or hearing your voices again causes a pain in my heart that I don't think will ever truly leave. I wish... I wish... Guess it doesn't matter now, right? I love you and Dad; know that you both will always be with me. Don't mourn me, you guys, please. I can do this. You taught me how to handle most anything. Give the whole family my love, especially Susan and her baby. Know that I will always love you guys.
Love you,
Dale
That was one of the hardest things I'd ever done, and now that stupid headache was back full force and had clamped on to the top of my head, trying to drill itself into my brain. My eyes ached and my vision kept blurring on me. I didn't have time for this shit. Keyno had not told me who else had been attacked, and I had a really bad feeling about that. Exactly sixty minutes after he left, Keyno walked back into our quarters and got straight to the point.
"What have you found?"
"Twenty of the new mates are gang members from some of the roughest gangs in the United States." I looked him in the eye. "They were on Death Row in prison, awaiting execution, when the Harvest took place. The other ten are also criminals and were in prison. They'd received so many consecutive sentences, they weren't ever going to see the light of day again. Not in this lifetime, anyway."
"They never should have made it through testing!" Keyno snapped, pacing behind me, anger in every step.
"Yeah, I know. I guess my government slipped them in. The Harvest was a perfect way to get rid of them."
"So their problem becomes my problem?" Keyno stomped over to me to stare at the computer scene.
"Pretty much, yeah." I rubbed my neck, hoping the muscles would loosen up. "Look. I want to talk with you about this, but before we do, there's something else. The one you... The one who died... It's on his papers in the system that he was killed for attacking someone of royal blood." My eyes bored into Keyno. "Anyone I happen to know?"
Keyno took a deep breath as he stared at me, the look on his face telling me all I needed. I started to shake as anger flooded me. I had a pretty good idea who they were talking about, but I damn well wanted to hear him admit it.
"My uncle is the ruler of our planet," Keyno said simply as he took another deep breath. "That makes me part of the royal family. Because you are my mate, that makes you part of the royal family, too. I'm not in line to rule, though, Dale."
Dammit to hell and back, I knew it! "I asked you... asked you if you had any more hidden surprises." I fought to keep my voice low as my anger peaked. "Remember? It was when you told me about your barb. Did you not think this qualified as a 'surprise' I might need to fucking know about? What the hell else have you not told me?"
"The law states that any harm, such as striking a member of the royal family, is punishable by death," Keyno stated plainly.
"Oh, hell, no. Nobody else is dying on my account, Keyno!" My voice rose sharply as anger and shock consumed me. "I won't have it. Do you hear me? I won't have you killing another human for doing exactly what I would've done if I'd had twenty other guys willing to help me try to escape, the know-how to pull it off—and God help me—the brass balls to do it!"
There. I said it. It was out. Keyno's jaw dropped open in shock and a pained mewl slipped from him that just about cut me in two. I took a step toward him. That might have been true then, but not now. He needed to see that.
"Look, try to understand—that was then. Now I feel—" My words were cut off as my vision wavered and blurred. Pain suddenly exploded in my head, sharp knives aimed straight at my eyes. The lights in the room faded out, then came rushing back, brighter than before. The pain was hideous in its severity, a living thing trying to tunnel into my head.
"Oh, God!" I screamed, grabbing my head and squeezing hard. "Oh, God, my head!"
Keyno grabbed my hands, kept them from yanking my hair out. The pain blossomed in my head and focused behind my eyes. My head felt like it was going to explode.
"Fuck, make it stop!" I shrieked, as another wave of pain swept through me. "Keyno, help me!"
He buzzed Doc and had him transported to our quarters immediately. Lights swirled and blinked as the pain ate me alive. The pressure behind my eyes built until I begged Keyno to knock me out. Doc injected me with the strongest pain medication he had, and the world went mercifully black.
When I next opened my eyes, I was in Dosstkal. Keyno was sitting in a chair close to me, asleep. My hand was clutched in his, our fingers intertwined. I turned my head to see John walking up to the bed. My vision seemed fine now.
"Hey." He smiled at me. "How do you feel?"
"I'm not hurting, thank the Lord."
"I don't think you'll have that problem anymore," John said, as Keyno stirred next to me. "Your mate is awake. He can explain what happened. I'll leave you two alone."
"Dale?" Keyno kissed my fingers as he gently smoothed my hair away from my face.
"What's going on with me now?" I asked, heaving a sigh.
"Everything is fine, but yes, something did change." Keyno stood up and went to get a small handheld mirror.
I stared at my reflection. My eyes were the same color as Keyno's now. I remembered thinking when I first met him that he had eyes like a cat, and now so did I. I dropped the mirror back on the bed. At least I knew why my damn head had hurt so much.
"Are you upset?" He worried the sheet next to his hand. "I don't want you to be upset about this. I think you look gorgeous, chosen."
I picked up the mirror and looked again.
"I'm not really upset, and they do look pretty cool." I smiled at him, surprised I wasn't more upset over the change. But compared to having a baby, my eye color changing was small potatoes. It just wasn't high on the list of things to get freaked out over. Keyno, on the other hand, looked very unsure with the situation. "Tell you what—if I start growing a tail, then I'll get upset."
Keyno didn't laugh like I'd hoped.
"I was worried. You were so mad earlier. Then the pain hit, and—I'm sorry, Dale." Keyno looked so cute, all flustered. "I did plan to tell you about my family ties, but there's been all these problems with those mates, us trying to get to know one another, then you were attacked, and, well... I just wanted to be able to share some quiet time with you before I told you who I was. But things blew up again, and you figured it out. That was a mistake on my part. I should've told you."
"Yes, you should've, but I'm not mad anymore. I can kinda see your point, but you can't keep me in the dark about you and your life. Not if you expect me to be part of that life. Now, is there anything else I need to know about?"
"Doc checked you while you were asleep. All the internal changes are done." Keyno patted my hand. "You have a surculas and semita, but you won't go into estrus for a few months yet."
I stared at him. "I have a what and a what?"
He rubbed my hand. "I've mentioned them, remember? Um, I think the closest thing I could compare the organs to would be your human females' uterus. The surculas would be the growing environment for the young. The semita is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the surculas' wall, allowing nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange. I believe it resembles what humans call the placenta. The young is delivered by incisions made through the abdomen. If you really want to learn about how everything functions, I'm sure John would be happy to teach you. Doc says he's been a very eager and apt pupil."
I shook my head. "Maybe another day. As long as everything... um... functions right in there, I guess that's all I need to—" I broke off as I remembered the other part of what he'd said. "Wait. How long before I go into—what did you call it?"
Keyno's face was carefully blank. "Estrus. A few months. Don't panic."
"I'm not going to panic. Actually, I'm calmer now than I've been since I was brought here." Maybe those damn hormones have finally stopped rampag
ing.
Keyno inhaled deeply, his purring getting louder by the second. "You smell different, too. More like a Tah'Narian. A ripe one, ready for mating."
"Down, boy," I murmured, watching that tail of his twitch. "So, when can I get out of here?"
"Doc said you could leave when you woke up."
"Good. There's still the question about what to do with those mates." I sat up, waiting to see if everything stayed where the hell it was supposed to stay. "I don't want another death on my conscience, Keyno."
"The law is very clear. If a royal family member is struck, then—"
"Okay, wait. Colt never hit me. He pointed a stunner at me and he threatened me, but he never hit me," I pointed out. "Actually, I kicked him. The only one who hit me was the one you killed, so justice has been served."
"Still—" Keyno began.
He was not going to wiggle out of this. I thought I had just found the way to get what I wanted—no more bloodshed. "You said hit, and I was never hit. So, moving right along. What other options are there?"
Keyno rolled his eyes. "You're not going to like the other two choices any better."
"You haven't told me what the other options are, so how do I know?"Anything was better than death.
"We can try to counsel them—change their behavior. That may make them more amenable to being mates." Keyno shook his head, as if he was unsure how well that would work. "If that doesn't work, the only option left is sell them as slaves to other planets."
Shit. Did I say anything was better than death? The horror must have shown clearly on my face. Slavery was only one step up from death, in my opinion. "There must—"
"Death, counseling, or slavery. Those are the only options." Keyno tapped my lips when I started to speak. "I cannot let them be auctioned as they are now. There will be a record of the attack, and the escape, which they all were involved in. I can't cover this up, not even for you."