by Nena Duran
“You said she was healed. You gave me your word you’d remove the tracker.”
“And we will, but the badlands is no place for her.”
“Why the frackk not?”
“Because she’s pregnant, Lord Bah-Troy,” Ju’nii replied stoically.
Chapter Nine
Conspiracy
Gigi’s mood fluctuated between boundless joy, abject fear or anger. Briq’s rage was child’s play compared to her outbursts. They’d met up with the Fy’kul because Briq wanted the Glaxians to examine her heart. He didn’t trust T’zaal’s claim of healing her.
Her first reaction after learning about Amada had been jealousy, then surprise. Another woman from Earth had been taken by the Kreeh-nosh. Apparently, the girl was mated to the most powerful warrior in Pendo’rah. The shuttle they now traveled in was payment for her safe return.
Meeting the Glaxians was interesting, to say the least. You’d never catch any of them without their handheld scanners. After a brief introduction, they were taken to their med bay. Briq refused to go first, and led her to one of the holo scanners. He wanted her bio-tracker gone, fearing the Kreeh-nosh could track her again.
After what seemed an eternity, the Glaxians turned around. Ju’nii told them her heart had been repaired, but she still needed medical attention. She was pregnant. The look on Briq’s face still confused her. He looked both surprised and fearful.
“Briq?”
“Yes, Mor’u.” There was a catch in his voice.
“Is she telling the truth? I’m having a baby?”
“It. They’re not defined by gender. Glaxians are neither male nor female. But yes, it’s telling the truth.”
“Lady Gigi, I assure you my scans are accurate.”
“Oh, Briq, we’re going to have a child. I’m so happy” She missed half of the conversation after her translator was removed. There’d been tension in the room, something she’d missed. Every time she broached the subject, he’d distract her with sex. It was that good…his tail was frisky.
Her days rushed by in a series of medical scans, mind-blowing sex, more scans and sleep. When she wasn’t in bed, she liked to stroll around both ships. The Glaxians and their ship fascinated her.
They were a race of highly evolved plants whose ship was bio-mechanical. She couldn’t help noticing how beautiful and ethereal they were. Their skin was translucent, varying in colors from pink, yellow and blue.
Two weeks after announcing her pregnancy, they dropped the big one. Briq and Xy came with her to med bay for her daily scans. Ju’nii ran them twice, telling them it wanted to be sure.
“Is there something wrong with the baby, Ju’nii?” She was afraid because Briq wasn’t human. What if the baby wasn’t developing right?
“No, Lady Gigi, everything is progressing along as it should…”
“And?” she asked impatiently when Ju’nii paused in midsentence. Talk about flair for the dramatics.
“We’ve confirmed you’re having what your people refer to as multiple pregnancy.”
“Are you…never mind, of course you’re sure.”
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Briq gave her a confused look.
“Briq, don’t you know what that means?” Gigi thought it was weird he didn’t know anything about babies. He sure knew how to make them.
“No, Mor’u, I’m afraid my knowledge of younglings is limited.”
“It means I’m carrying more than one baby.”
“Actually, you’re carrying two.” Ju’nii interjected matter-of-factly. The only sign of its excitement was the constant adjustments it made to the handheld scanner.
Briq’s loud roar left her ears ringing for hours. The next thing, she was lifted off the floor, his tail curled protectively around her belly. The depth of his feelings humbled her completely. Who needed undying declarations of love when you shared a soul?
* * * *
A couple days later, they received the distress signal. A Kreeh-nosh colony had attacked a Jog’nafan settlement. Many had been taken prisoners and others killed. The survivors had escaped and needed assistance. The Glaxians broke orbit and went to intercept the damaged ship.
Gigi came looking for Briq, sensing how angry he was about the course change. He didn’t want to endanger her or the babies. Who were these Jog’nafans? Why did he consider them so dangerous? He told her to stay away, even asking Rag’mar to seal their quarters. Under normal circumstances Gigi would’ve stayed put, but her pregnancy made her more aggressive.
Her sex drive was off the charts. She was always horny. Briq was already gone when she woke up, struggling to breathe. She had the overpowering urge to tear up the place until she realized it was Briq’s emotions. That’s how she found out the truth about his chemical addiction.
What she attributed to hormones was in fact the bond between them. His feelings were now hers and vice versa. When the Glaxians decided to help the Jog’nafans, Briq’s rage threatened to overtake him. He’d protected her as best he could by doubling the amount of inhibitor he usually took. Seeing him maglocked to the wall was so upsetting she screamed her head off.
* * * *
Briq tried to keep calm when the Jog’nafan came on board. Nothing worked against the surge of protectiveness he felt. Xy tried to help by engaging him in battle practice. They battled until they couldn’t stand on their feet.
Other times he avoided Mor’u, taking a shuttle to scout for danger. He tried to put distance between them, afraid the arousal she felt would overpower what little control he had. He couldn’t risk her or the babies by getting too rough. When nothing worked, he resorted to the inhibitor.
The Glaxians left him no choice but to help the survivors. He warned them to keep them on their ship. He didn’t want their kind near her. He’d returned from a scouting run to find a Jog’nafan male close to his quarters. His rage erupted like a living thing. He sliced the male open in one single plunge of a spike. The reality of what he’d done so close to their quarters was too much. He stumbled blindly into the Fy’kul’s med bay with Xy close behind.
“Lord Bah-Troy, is there something wrong with Lady Gigi?” Ju’nii asked, approaching them with concern.
“Don’t call me that. My name is Briq.” He growled, barely aware of Xy handing him the inhibitor. The restrains came next. Xy knew without them Briq would attack. Ju’nii activated the scanners, protesting against them, stating they weren’t necessary.
Briq allowed it to take a sample of the inhibitor to run a detailed analysis. His skin felt like molten lava. The inhibitor barely contained his rage. The Glaxians stopped Xy from giving him another dose, claiming it’d do more harm.
“We have the preliminary results. Your body is flooded by the hormone that causes a defense response. Did something happen to provoke your current state?”
“Mate in danger…” He gasped, pain lacing through his body. “Must not allow Jog’nafan close…he was too close…she’s mine!”
“Briq what did you do?” Ju’nii asked.
“Kill…Jog’nafan, must die…too close to mate,” he ranted “I took her…she’s mine.”
Briq told them how he came back from the scout mission eager to see his mate. He’d felt her pain and confusion. He hated deceit of any kind. His mate deserved to know the truth. Coming clean about his addiction was the right thing to do. He owed her that and much more.
Every nerve ending had tingled. He’d sensed the threat of looming danger. A male Jog’nafan had sniffed the air near his quarters. He’d tried to stay calm by breathing deeply. He hadn’t wanted to alarm Mor’u. He’d felt her slumbering behind the doors.
“You must leave this ship at once. You’re not authorized to be on board.”
“I don’t take orders from you, mutant freak.” The male Jog’nafan had snorted derisively.
“This is my ship. I’m ordering you to leave now.”
“I smell a female. Her scent is very rich. I’ve never scented her kind bef
ore. Is she for sale?”
“She’s not your concern. Leave now.”
The Jog’nafan had ignored his warnings and had headed for the door. The rage had been instant. It hadn’t had its usual slow build up. He’d just sliced him up, forgetting his mate rested on the other side of the door. After recovering enough sense, he’d called Xy for help.
After disposing of the body, Xy had brought him to med bay. Talking about it triggered his rage anew. The Glaxians refused to give him more of the inhibitor, fearing it’d do more harm. He knew Mor’u was close by. Briq didn’t want her to see him like this. Too late to warn them, he heard her horrified scream.
“What the hell are you doing to him? Let him go right now,” she demanded and rushed to his side.
“Mor’u, you shouldn’t be here. Xy, please take her back to our quarters.”
“If you touch me, so help me god, I’ll cut your head off.”
Briq was so proud when she took a protective stance in front of him, her arms wide open. He was humbled by her selfless love and vowed to beat this addiction with everything he had.
“It’s not what you think. They’re trying to help me. You need to return to our quarters. I’ll explain later.”
“Do you actually think I’m going to leave you like this? I can feel your agony to the very core of my soul. Putting distance between us doesn’t ease the pain.”
“I think you should tell your mate everything, my friend. She’s stronger than you think.”
Briq turned his gaze from Gigi to Xy and back. His friend was right. She had the right to know all about him. He closed his eyes he and told her the truth, even who he really was. From his days as a warrior to his capture and torture at the hands of T’zaal. He told her everything and felt a heavy weight lift off his soul.
She wrapped her arms around him as she sang softly. Her hands were a warm balm on his skin. A soft rumble escaped his lips as gentle fingers traced the brand around his waist. Briq knew what the markings were. Their mating didn’t follow Pendo’rahn tradition, but the goddess had still branded them. Even with his altered DNA, even if the brand was in an unusual place, the symbols were those of his family.
“These readings are incredible,” the Glaxian exclaimed.
“What are you talking about, Ju’nii?” Briq slurred as he relaxed under Gigi’s gentle caress.
“According to the bio-scan, Gigi’s presence has a calming effect on your rage.”
“I suspected as much, but didn’t dare hope.” He recounted how her voice had resonated inside him. Every time he heard it, a feeling of peace spread over him. He hadn’t thought about it at the time. Getting her away had been more important.
Looking back, he remembered other creatures’ similar reactions. Some had even fallen asleep. When he’d fought T’zaal after her recapture, he’d lost all restraint. The rage had been so intense it’d triggered another mutation. He would’ve been lost. Her voice had brought him back.
Briq rumbled a warning when the Glaxians asked to sample her voice. He didn’t want to share her with anyone. He relented in the end, because she’d asked him to trust her. He’d do anything for her.
Since his physiology had been transformed it was uncertain if his reaction was typical. Her voice stimulated the production of calming hormones. His brain was literally susceptible to the different pitches in it. In the end, he promised Mor’u never to use the inhibitor.
She’d been mad at him for hiding his dependency. His fear redoubled when she asked the Glaxians if the inhibitor had any effect on the babies. He’d never thought about adverse reactions because the possibility of having younglings had never occurred to him. Ju’nii performed another scan and put their fears to rest. The babies were developing normally. Their DNA didn’t show traces of the inhibitor or the primitive creature.
* * * *
They altered their course for a star system deep in the O’nuryan Galaxy where another group of Jog’nafan had established a successful settlement. The Fy’kul stayed behind to negotiate the new group’s integration. Ju’nii remained on board the Rag’mar, refusing to leave Gigi. Their journey back to the A’nuryan Galaxy would be full of risks.
If Gigi’s information was right, it verified what his spies on K’luk had reported. Traitors were conspiring inside Pendo’rah to take over the government. Staying on the sidelines was no longer an option. He was about to take an active role in the conflict tearing the twin galaxies apart. With the help of his friends, Briq would put an end to the Kreeh-noshian terror.
For months, they followed in the wake of destruction left behind by T’zaal. Things were worse than Birq had thought. Talk of dissention spread through the outposts. The Kreeh-noshians doubled their use of Jog’nafan mercenaries, cutting them off from the Protectorate.
Glaxians, Pendo’rahns and Trac’xians became the primary targets. Entire settlements were destroyed, and its inhabitants taken as slaves. Some of the attacks were so violent Briq prevented Gigi from visiting the sites. Thank the goddess Ju’nii had sided with him on those instances.
Outpost 0255 was the sector’s commerce hub under the jurisdiction of the merchant house. Located right in the middle, it was one of House of Mal’cious’ most successful ventures that rivaled the commerce planet, K’luk. The outpost’s high official was an inept civilian whose position had obviously been bought.
Something was amiss. He felt it at the edge of his consciousness. Someone had been following him for a while. The fool had a death wish, and Briq was more than happy to fulfill it. He’d walked in circles for the past ten minutes and finally entered a dark alley. He shed his cloak and blended right into the building’s blackened wall. He waited until the last minute before he sprang out and grabbed the Trac’xian by its neck.
“Before I kill you, mind telling me why you’ve been following me for the past hour?” Briq growled at the Trac’xian and slammed him hard on the floor.
“I…arrgh…I mean you no harm. I just want to speak with you.” He was surprised to find a well-dressed merchant and not the thieve he expected.
“You have ten seconds.”
“I know who you are. I recognize you from the pits. I’ve come to warn you of danger.”
“Is that so?” Briq growled as he squeezed his throat again. “Let’s have a drink.” He hissed and dragged him by the scruff of his neck.
The Trac’xian merchant was full of information on the sector’s activities. According to him, a loose confederation was taking shape. Merchants, mining consortiums and freight lines were coerced into joining. Accidents would happen to those who didn’t go along. A lost freighter here, a mining explosion there, sometimes family members would vanish without a trace.
Before scurrying away, the Trac’xian gave him a data module full of intel. Rag’mar analyzed it while Xy kept an eye on the locals. Meanwhile, it was time Briq took Mor’u to meet with the outpost high official. Word of her voice had reached him, and he’d requested a public performance.
The moment Briq escorted Mor’u inside the gathering chambers, all gazes were on her. His mood didn’t improve when the official took a special interest in her. He fawned over her like a love sick heqriu’l beast. He wasn’t very smart if he thought he could lure his mate away from him.
He would have thought he was used to the attention she sparked by now. It happened on each planet, outpost or station they went. Every male they came across desired her, some offering absurd amounts of credits or goods for her. Once he was even offered his own palace with over two hundred surrogates. Didn’t they understand no amount of riches could replace his branded mate?
“Briq, stop it,” Mor’u gently scolded with a smile. “We’re trying to help, not create more problems.”
“I’ll not stand by and allow some overconfident official think he can steal you from me.”
“Sweetie, you already know what I feel. I don’t know why you’re so upset.”
“I don’t like the way he looks at you.”
“How
does he look at me? I’m huge and my face is swollen.”
“He looks at you as if he owns you. You’re mine, Mor’u, only mine.”
“And you’re my champion, my Briq. Stop sulking. The show must go on.”
The explosion detonated ten minutes into the show. Briq asked Xy to follow the official just as he left the settlement. Why was he sneaking out in the middle of Gigi’s performance?
Briq barely reached her when a second explosion rocked the structure. He ran to her side, using his tail to propel himself through the air. His suspicions paid off hours later when Xy dragged back the bloody official.
Mor’u entered the room right in the middle of the interrogation. Briq stopped beating the traitor. He was embarrassed by what she’d witnessed. It was at that moment he knew he’d underestimated her.
His mate walked right up to the man shackled to the wall, her expression full of concern and sadness. What was she up to? He felt her rage and contempt for the official, but her face showed nothing but caring and compassion.
“Briq, please stop hitting this poor man,” she admonished in a stern voice.
“Mor’u, this is no place for you. Xy, please escort her out.” He felt a fresh spark of determination coming from her.
“I’m not leaving this poor soul. He’s bleeding and needs medical care,” she replied tenderly as she touched the official’s cheek.
What game was she playing? She knew he felt her barely contained anger. Why was she pretending concern? Briq almost killed the official the minute she reached out with a towel and gently wiped the blood off his face.
She appeared to purposely lean over as she offered him water. The cold gleam in her eyes took Briq by surprise. She looked like an emissary from the goddess with her sweet smile. It didn’t fool him. She could barely hide her hate.
“Gigi, I won’t ask you again. Leave.” He reached for her arm, but she moved away.
“Please, can’t you see he’ll kill you if you don’t tell him what he wants to know? I almost died during the explosion. He’s very protective of me. He thinks you meant to harm me.”