by Kit Tunstall
Ysaak tightened his arm around Embeth when she swayed slightly, his concern for her rising even as his anger reached a boiling point. His brother had initiated a chain of events that would lead to loss and destruction on both sides, and it was all completely unnecessary if his brother had only been willing to compromise and work together with the humans to reach a solution.
When she started to sway, he placed the pulser in his holster and lifted Embeth into his arms. He passed Taleeza in the hallway, a large medical kit in her arms. “Get him secured, because we’re taking off, and we’ll fold as soon as we’re the minimum safe distance from the planet.”
“Yes, Ysaak,” she said, dipping her head in acknowledgment as she hurried on to fulfill her task.
Ysaak held his curvy mate in his arms, relishing the warmth of her skin and her intoxicating scent, though the tears seeping from her eyes and onto his neck detracted from his pleasure. He hated her to feel pain, and she was suffering. He hated it even more because his family was to blame. His brother had been the catalyst, but he and Talek shared a portion of the blame.
They had been naïve in overestimating the time they had. Neither had expected Aryk to move so quickly, and it seemed obvious now that his brother had already formed a contingency plan for such an outcome, though perhaps Aryk hadn’t anticipated Talek passing succession to Ysaak instead.
More likely, he had simply anticipated what he would do if his father aligned with the humans, and he had planned to overthrow their father the entire time. He felt foolish for not having foreseen the possibility or accounting for it. Rather than letting Aryk storm out of the meeting earlier that morning, they should have arrested him and placed him under guard. They also should have rounded up Jorvak Ha and all of his followers to pack them on a ship and send them to banishment on a distant colony.
The should-haves offered no solution for the present, and he tried to dismiss the thoughts as he stopped by one of the sleeping quarters and laid her carefully on the bed. “I must speak with the pilot, and then I’ll return to you, Embeth.”
She nodded, making no protest, which worried him. He didn’t think she was any sicker than she had been. In fact, she looked to be in better health than she had even a little while ago, but she was clearly weighed down with fear and grief at the loss of her team members. Though he didn’t think he would have the right words, he would talk with her about her feelings once he saw the pilot.
She watched him go with a heavy heart, understanding the need for him to leave her for the moment, but wanting to call him back. She was unaccustomed to feeling so bonded to someone and finding another’s presence reassuring and soothing. She wiped her eyes as more tears tried to leak out, determined to suppress the weak reaction until she had time to properly dissect her emotions.
She was sad for Lt. Powell and the others in the team—men and women to whom she had gotten close over the past weeks—but her sadness encompassed far more than the five troops that had been lost during the fighting—or deliberately targeted by Aryk’s men.
Her sadness was for the entire human race, because she knew they faced the possibility of great grief and suffering with no idea how they would escape it. Technologically, the humans were no match for the Dazon Empire, and though she was certain humans would fight, particularly men and women who wouldn’t want to be parted from their families or have them torn apart, she didn’t know if resistance would serve any purpose other than hastening the extinction of the human race.
When Ysaak returned to her a few moments later, she held out her arms. “Help me forget about this for a while.”
He seemed to know exactly what she wanted and needed, and his mouth was soon over hers, his tongue exploring hers as she nipped his lower lip. His fingers were urgent as they removed her dress, and she felt clumsy as she pressed the button on his neck, taking three attempts to get the correct angle to make his suit disappear.
She started crying as he kissed her breasts, and he lifted his head, bringing his mouth to her cheek to lick away her tears. He didn’t admonish her not to cry, nor did he stop his fingers from delving into her wet folds to tease her clitoris. He simply brought her pleasure as he soothed her pain, seeming to understand she was crying for everything, but she still wanted him and needed the physical expression of their love.
As he stroked her before parting her thighs and aligning their bodies, the tears dried up, and the sadness receded in the face of joy. When Ysaak thrust into her, joining their bodies, she saw hope in the situation, and the reason why they would continue to fight, even if it proved futile. Love was worth fighting for, and others surely felt this intense connection. They would also die to preserve it, just as she and Ysaak would, rather than yield to someone who tried to separate them.
His thrusts were deep and hard, and they were both clearly feeling the urgent need to join together and find blissful release. She dug her fingernails into his buttocks, dragging him tighter against her as she met each of his rapid thrusts. He continued to stroke her clit as he thrust in and out of her, and her channel spasmed a few moments later, making his smooth cock twitch inside her as he also attained release.
She whimpered and cried out when his hot seed filled her, locking her legs around him while she wrapped her arms tightly around Ysaak. “You’re my mate,” she said with a sob, though this one was more of happiness than the previous sadness that had weighed on her. “How quickly it’s happened is absolutely insane, but you belong to me, Ysaak.”
He laughed softly before pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. “Yes, I do, Embeth, just as you belong to me. You’re my mate.”
She no longer had any doubts of that as she snuggled against him, allowing the aftermath to lull her into a contented state for the time being. Fear, anger, and sorrow would come again soon enough. For the moment, she was content just to have Ysaak in her arms as they made their way back to Earth.
Chapter Seven
They arrived at the Moon consulate a little over an hour later. Folding took little time, but it required being out of the range of any nearby planets or gravitational fields, along with taking time to plot the safest route. It wouldn’t do to fold into the middle of a black hole. They crossed the last forty million miles on engine propulsion after folding near Mars and far from the asteroid belt.
As soon as they landed, Ysaak took her to Dr. Wy in the medical facility, and Damon was right beside her to receive treatment at Taleeza’s tearful insistence. “Honestly, I feel fine now,” she said as he led her into an exam room with Dr. Wy following behind them.
“It doesn’t matter if you do. We need to make sure he didn’t do anything else to you.”
With a sigh, she accepted the wisdom of Ysaak’s words, though she was anxious to meet with the leaders of Earth and deliver the bad news, hoping someone would have a plan that would help give them an edge over the Dazon Empire.
Dr. Wy took several readings via multiple tests, including a full body scan, and the exam lasted for ten excruciating minutes of silence. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest as the minutes ticked past, and Dr. Wy’s expression grew grimmer, though he refused to answer any of the questions she asked. All he said was, “Wait for all the results please, Ambassador Williams.”
Finally, he gestured for them to follow him from the exam room back to his office, which was equipped with myriad Dazon technology for which she had no name. When they were seated across from him at the desk, the doctor collapsed into his chair, looking wan. “I don’t believe it. I thought it was impossible.”
“That what was impossible?” asked Ysaak before she could.
Dr. Wy looked directly at her. “I’m not sure how he did it, but Ha appears to have recoded your DNA. You now have the genetic anomaly that causes Kaiser’s Syndrome and makes you a genetic pairing for Dazon males.”
She gasped softly, her head whirling. “No, that can’t be.”
“It’s impossible. He was only with her for a few minutes, and all he did was give her an
injection of nanotechnology,” added Ysaak.
A ragged gasp escaped her, and she clapped her hand over her mouth for a moment to regain control. “The dream, Ysaak.”
He turned his head to look at her with a small frown. “What dream?”
She looked up at him, feeling a bit shy in front of the doctor. “That night…when you…when I called you after I had the terrible nightmares. Do you remember that?”
The confusion faded from his expression, and anger took its place. “You dreamed Jorvak Ha was in your room.”
“At the time, I assumed it was simply an old night terror with a new face, but now I think he must have actually been there, and that was when he experimented on me or initiated the treatment—whatever he did to make me have Kaiser’s Syndrome. It all fits. I fell ill the next morning, and I had symptoms of Kaiser’s Syndrome. I was weak and shaky, and my legs didn’t function properly. For a while, they didn’t work at all… Not until he gave me the nanotechnology.”
Dr. Wy looked upset. “If he hadn’t given you the nanotechnology, the disease would have ravaged you. Being genetically induced, it appears your body had no time to adapt to the symptoms, so it caused a rapid progression of the disease. It didn’t do minor damage to your body over a period of years as it does to women born with Kaiser’s Syndrome. The process he initiated was like flipping on a switch, and your body couldn’t handle the overload.”
She scrunched her brow in concentration. “I remember something about a retro…”
“Retrovirus?” asked Wy, looking troubled.
“Yes, I think so.”
He sighed. “That was the delivery system he used to introduce the changes to your genetic code. The nanotechnology would have to be administered separately. They’re using two different technologies.”
Her stomach churned with nausea at the knowledge of what Ha had done to her. “You’re saying I have Kaiser’s Syndrome?”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, but the nanotechnology is keeping you in a homeostatic state.”
“Unless he shuts off the nanotechnology by tracing its unique signature and suppressing it,” she said bitterly, recalling Ha had threatened Jada Washington with that, according to the woman’s debriefing of events Embeth had practically memorized in preparation for her mission.
Dr. Wy nodded, but gave her a small smile. “However, the nanotechnology can be reprogrammed to emit a new signal. It’s not as simple as he makes it seem to shut off the healing technology. It requires constant modification to elude the suppression signal, but it can be done, and in fact, the nanobots can be programmed to change their signature on a predetermined, cyclic, or random basis. There’s a solution to Ha’s threat.”
“So Embeth won’t fall ill again as long as no one tampers with her nanotechnology signature? Is that correct, Dr. Wy?”
The doctor nodded. “Yes, though there is one more issue we must address.”
The doctor sounded concerned, but also seemed to feel something else she couldn’t quite place. In fear, she reached for Ysaak’s hand, squeezing it tightly as she prepared herself to hear something even worse than the news he had already revealed. “What is it, doctor?”
“You’re in the beginning stages of pregnancy, Ambassador.” He pressed a button on his tablet device, and a large three-dimensional scan appeared in front of them. He tightened the focus to show them a tiny growth in her uterus. She could barely make out anything, even with their advanced technology. “Are you sure? It doesn’t look like anything at all really.”
The doctor laughed. “That’s how most pregnancies began, Ambassador, but I’m positive you’re expecting. The blastocyst is approximately five or six days into development, so it’s a very recent pregnancy.” His eyes sparkled with happiness and a hint of speculation as his gaze darted to their joined hands before returning to hers. “Perhaps within the last day?” he suggested in a neutral voice. “Conception had to have occurred after Ha administered the retrovirus.”
Her cheeks felt warm as she remembered how much she had needed Ysaak on the journey back to Earth, and it was almost impossible to believe the sex they’d had two hours ago had resulted in a pregnancy, one that was already detectable via alien technology. “It’s amazing,” she said, gaze glued to the image of the blastocyst in front of her. The doctor zoomed in further, and she could make out what looked like several dozen cells encased inside the zona pellicuda, which still protected the cells. If she remembered biology class properly, the cells inside would break through the zona once they embedded into the lining of her uterus.
“Do you wish to continue?” asked Ysaak, sounding choked.
She looked at him with surprise. “With the pregnancy, you mean?” At his nod, she didn’t have to think about her response. “Of course I do.” Apprehension sent acid up her esophagus. “Don’t you?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “I do. Of course I do. I’m just concerned about the future, and your safety, along with his or her safety.”
Dr. Wy interjected, “I can tell you the gender, if you’d like to know?”
“Yes,” said Embeth and Ysaak simultaneously.
“The genetic profile indicates he is male.”
Though she was afraid of the future too, she couldn’t deny a surge of joy filled her. “Do you hear that, Ysaak? We’re having a little boy.”
Though he still seemed concerned, his gaze was soft, and a smile touched his lips. “Yes, our own little First Prince.” His gaze clouded. “Though I don’t know what the future holds for him now, or what title, if any, he’ll hold—not that it matters.”
“We can’t know anything for certain at the moment, but we can’t let the looming specter completely suck all the joy out of us, my love.” She squeezed his hand as she said the words, finding she believed them on a deep and instinctive level. There was fear, pain, and suffering coming, but there was still joy and love to balance it. “Are you happy at this moment?”
His gaze was firmly on the scan of their little blastocyst, and he seemed to have acquired new cells in just the last few minutes. “Yes, of course I am, my mate.”
“Then cling to it.” For the moment, they allowed themselves to focus on the happiness and release the fear.
Chapter Eight
The fear returned a thousand-fold later that evening. They were in the cafeteria of the consulate, having dinner as they discussed their future plans. They had just decided they would hold off for a bit before undergoing the bonding ceremony, but Ysaak would come live with her in the interim. Once she was done with her ambassadorial duties, and the humans had settled on a course of action, they would get married the human way, along with undertaking a bonding ceremony to make their union legal on both planets.
“I look forward to having you bound to me for a full Dazon day and night by the kursti, belisa,” he murmured with a hungry look in his eyes—one that had nothing to do with the pasta and garlic bread they were consuming.
She smiled in return, familiar with the ornate strap that bound mates for the first Dazon day and was a symbol of their union. “I wonder what we’ll do with all that time, forced to be with each other for thirty-one hours in close proximity.” Her voice was a deliberate purr.
He threw back his head and laughed. “I’m sure we’ll think of something, Embeth.”
Before she could reply, there was a brilliant flash of gold, so bright that it blinded her temporarily. She shielded her eyes with her hand as she looked out the observation window that provided a stunning view of Earth below. As her eyes adjusted to the intense brightness, she realized the glow was coming from Earth rather than the consulate or the moon. She couldn’t imagine how much more blinding it would be on the planet at that moment.
The intense flash burned for several seconds before fading away, and then chaos ensued. She grasped Ysaak’s hand as they rushed back to the command center, keeping near him because his presence was reassuring even in the confusion, though her mate had no answers either.
Commander Da
rvig was at the helm, and he was barking orders as Dazons scurried around with data analysis.
Dr. Wy broke into the chaos a moment later, just in time for Darvig to hand him the tablet filled with data.
“Preliminary reports suggest it was a dispersal system for some kind of gas, Dr. Wy. Do you have any clue what it might be?”
Dr. Wy let out a sound of distress after reading for almost a minute before responding. “The women are already falling ill.”
Commander Darvig looked over his shoulder, a fierce frown on his face. “Dizziness, vomiting, loss of coordination… What is it, Dr. Wy? Have our people unleashed a biological weapon on the Earthlings?” He looked ill at the idea.
The doctor sighed. “Yes, of a sort, anyway. It’s not a weapon of destruction, per se, but if I had to guess based on what I’m seeing now, coupled with what was done to the ambassador, I assume they just infected Earth with the retrovirus that modifies the genetic code of humans to add an additional fragment to the ninth chromosome.”
Darvig rubbed his gold-brown eyes. “You’re talking about Kaiser’s Syndrome, aren’t you?”
Dr. Wy nodded. “Yes, Commander. It appears First Prince Aryk and his cohorts have made it so that every Earth woman exposed to this retrovirus will be a compatible genetic match for Dazon males. He appears to have engineered it to exclude human males.”
The commander cursed in the Dazon language.
“And he didn’t deploy the nanotechnology, did he?” Embeth asked Dr. Wy.
The commander looked over at her. “Nanotechnology?”
Embeth nodded. “During my mission to Dazonia Major, it appears he infected me with the retrovirus, and then he administered the nanotechnology the next day to keep the symptoms in check. I doubt it was for altruistic purposes. I would guess he just didn’t want us to know yet what he was doing, until this horrible act was completed.”