by Octavia Kore
“Are you cold, human? Get me a blanket, Tachin,” Xuvri ordered as he placed her onto a table.
“Why does she need a blanket?” the Tachin sneered. His feet didn’t even touch the floor as he floated over to them. “She will be uncovered during the examination.”
“She is carrying offspring,” Xuvri said matter-of-factly.
“Already?” The alien turned toward her, and she felt the weight of his gaze.
Amanda looked away, scanning the room as she tried to block out their conversation, but their voices rose as they began to argue.
“And the ship is still not ready for travel. Why is that?” Xuvri was demanding.
She felt herself sag in relief. If it wasn’t ready for travel then at least they would be staying put for a little bit longer.
“I cannot produce supplies from thin air, Grutex.”
“Then find them. Remember, I am not the only one risking everything here.”
When her eyes fell on the large tank filled with liquid across the room, Amanda gasped, her mouth dropping open in horror. The woman she had seen Xuvri take six years ago floated within. Her long blonde hair had been shorn, but the choppy ends of it drifted softly around her face. Bile rose in her throat when she saw that the woman’s limbs had been replaced with ones that were clearly alien, most likely Grutex.
Was this what Xuvri had planned for her? Were they going to Frankenstein her together until they made her the way they wanted?
She didn’t even know if the woman was still alive, but there were no wires or tubes connected to her, and Amanda feared that she was merely a specimen in a jar at this point.
“She was weak, but you are not.”
She turned to stare at Xuvri, whose eyes were on the woman. “You killed her?”
The male’s voice was detached, like he was lost somewhere in his mind and not with them at all. “You are going to live.” He touched her stomach, caressing the bump. “You will bring me strong offspring.” He looked back at her, his eyes clouded. “Where she failed, you will succeed.”
“You did this to her? You mutilated her.” Amanda could feel the tears choke her as guilt swarmed her. She and Jun had run that day. They hadn’t even made an attempt to save the woman. What if I could have prevented this?
Xuvri shook his head, his vines falling forward as he leaned toward her. “You are perfect.”
A tear slid down her cheek as the Grutex moved to cover the tank with a thin sheet, hiding the woman from her view.
“Bring me the scanner,” he told the insect-alien.
The fly pulled a small sphere from a drawer that sank back into the wall before he flew over to them, his feet gliding just above the floor. He reached out his free hand to touch the tips of her hair but recoiled when a roar filled the room. Xuvri grasped the arm of the other alien and his tail thrashed behind him as he forced the male away from her.
“Do not touch her!” he snarled as he yanked the sphere from his thin hands. “She is mine!”
The walls felt as if they were beginning to press in on her, and Amanda struggled to draw air into her lungs as shadows crept into the edges of her vision. Too much, her mind screamed. A soft, rumbling purr began to fill the space and her eyes flew around the room. Zar? Large hands pulled her into a warm, firm chest as the purr grew louder and she began to calm down.
This wasn’t Zar though. She looked up into Xuvri’s face and his six red eyes stared back at her. There was a softness there she had never seen. He seemed almost lucid, like the madness that was normally there had vanished, and she felt like she was actually seeing him for the first time.
Just as quickly as it had gone, however, the madness returned, hardening his features as he stopped his purring. Xuvri laid her back on the table, pressing her shoulders down as he took the sphere from the insect alien. She watched as he moved it slowly over the material that covered her stomach. A moment later, a projection lit up against the wall opposite them and she felt her heart clench in wonder.
Two perfect little beings were curled around one another. Twins! They were going to have twins. The little ones looked somewhat human, but with tiny tails extending from the base of their spines and delicate pointed ears, it was obvious these babies were Venium. Amanda felt tears roll down into her hair as she tried to memorize every detail of her babies.
“A fine specimen indeed. The other female never achieved this,” the Tachin whispered as he stared at the image.
Above her, Xuvri stiffened, glaring at the other male. There was something between these two that she wasn’t sure she would ever want to find out about. She turned her eyes back to the images of her babies and she felt her jaw set.
These aliens would never get their hands on them, and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure of it.
Chapter 29
Oshen
By the goddess, his mate was going to be the death of him. Never in his life had he met someone who caused his protective instincts to nearly take over, even over his need to create peace.
Oshen shook his head, rubbing his hands over his face as he tried to come to terms with what had just happened to him. He had transformed into a beast, something from the old tales. He had wanted to scream when he felt his bones snapping and his skin ripping, but nothing had come out. His thoughts had barely been his own, but the monster had responded to Zar as if it knew him.
“Oshen?”
His eyes snapped up to the other male’s worried face. “I’m fine.” Oshen stood, steadying himself against one of the wooden chairs they had placed in the room. The shredded remains of his clothing littered the floor beneath his feet and he sighed. Nudity wasn’t something that bothered him, or any of the Venium, but that was his second uniform lost in such a short period of time.
A gasp caught his attention, and both he and Zar turned to see the female staring at his body, lingering unabashed on his closed slit. He growled low in his throat as he felt his skin ripple uncomfortably.
“Enough, Ky. Find him some clothing,” Zar hissed, shoving the female gently.
She smiled up at him, blinking innocently as her fushori glowed. “Forgive me. I have never witnessed the transformation. It was … exciting.”
“He belongs to Amanda.”
“I have no intentions of trying to lure him away.” She looked back over her shoulder with a smirk as she turned to leave the room. “I was just curious.”
The female laughed as she raced down the hall, leaving him alone in the small room with Zar. He began to pace, his long legs eating up the floor as he tried to figure out just how Amanda had managed to disappear in a village full of people.
“How did this happen?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as he turned to look at Zar.
Oshen felt his fushori pulse self-consciously as the other male’s gaze lingered on his body in the same way Ky’s had before all four of his eyes snapped up to his face. He frowned as his mating glands swelled painfully, threatening to extrude as he stood there unclothed within the room.
Stay in the slit. Stay in the slit. Don’t come out!
Why was he having this reaction now? Couldn’t this have happened in the woods where no one else would have been around to witness him behaving like a pup? They had been so focused on keeping Amanda safe that they hadn’t actually noticed one another. His mind drifted to the stories of the goddess and her mates, and for the first time, he realized that it hadn’t just been Una who Nem and Ven loved. They had loved one another as well. Zar stepped forward, his mouth opening as if he were trying to find the right words.
Ky cleared her throat from the doorway, a grin tugging at her lips as she looked on. “Have I interrupted? I could come back later.”
“Quiet,” Gulzar grumbled, snatching the pile of clothing from her hands before giving them to Oshen.
The garment was soft and white, but the shape confused him. He turned it this way and that, trying to figure out which side he was supposed to step into.
“Let me he
lp you.” Zar stepped forward, taking the garment from him and slipping it over Oshen’s head.
He cinched the middle around his hips, and Oshen tried not to laugh when he looked down at himself. While Zar managed to look intimidating in his tunic, Oshen had somehow come out looking like one of his younger siblings playing dress up in his dam’s clothing. It wasn’t that different from the Venium’s more traditional clothing, but this one was rather ill fitting.
“If you become hot, these unclasp at the shoulders.” He pointed to the small metal pieces on the tops of the straps. The hanging vines around his head moved gently as the tips of his protrusions began to turn a deeper shade of black. “You can just allow it to hang as mine does.”
Oshen nodded, clearing his throat as he brushed his hand over the cloth on his torso. “Thank you for this.” His mind felt clouded, and he drew in the scent of Zar’s pheromones.
Goddess help them, they needed Amanda.
“If you are ready…” Zar gestured toward the open door.
The three of them rushed down the hall, encountering no interference, but when they reached the steps that descended out into the street, Oshen recognized one of the raised voices in the distance. When they reached the courtyard, he caught sight of the familiar red glow of his sire’s fushori. Calder was speaking agitatedly in their native tongue, his finger jabbing against the plated chest of the chief. He had never seen his sire lose his calm before and he stared for a moment in surprise.
“Thank the goddess!” his sire shouted when he turned and saw them approaching. “I have been trying to explain to them that I am your sire and that you are being held illegally, but they don’t seem to know any of the common languages.”
“They’ve learned English, one of the human languages.” Oshen frowned, glancing at the chief. “I’m not entirely sure how.”
As far as he knew, these people had little tech, and the idea that they had all learned the language so quickly just by listening to Amanda was something he couldn’t imagine.
“Well then,” Calder sighed as he turned back toward the rainbow-colored male. “I am Ambassador Calder and I come here on behalf of the Venium. This male is my son, Oshen.” He gestured at him. “You have kept him and his mate here in your village and I have come to retrieve them.”
“Yes. The female is also my mate,” the chief smiled.
MINE.
A snarl was ripped from Oshen’s throat and he found himself crossing the courtyard, his clawed hand wrapping around the throat of the other male as he struggled to contain his fury. He heard Zar’s low, threatening growl behind him.
“Listen to me closely: you are not and will never be our third.”
The male squirmed in his grasp, his lips pulling back from his teeth as he clutched at Oshen’s arm.
“Zar is mine. Amanda is mine. I belong to them and you are not welcome.”
The chief fell to the ground with a thud, gasping for air as he scrambled backward.
Kill him, he heard the beast whisper in his mind.
“Gulzar the Damned is not worthy of a triad,” one of the elder males growled as they stepped between them.
Kill them all.
“Why don’t we take a moment to talk this out?” His sire placed a calming hand on Oshen’s shoulder. Oshen watched as the other elders assisted the chief, pulling him to his feet and leading him back toward the place they had kept him during his time here. He felt his sire’s arms wrap around him and relaxed into the comforting embrace, letting the rage of the beast slip just enough to clear his mind. “Your siblings are waiting for you outside the village gates. Slip out while I speak to those in charge and go after your mate.”
As he stepped back, Oshen struggled to remain in control, to not lose his temper and destroy something. Amanda was gone. He had done what he thought was best, thought that she would be safe here among others, but he had been wrong. Not only was he worrying about her, but now he had to worry about controlling the monster that felt as if it were trying to take him over. He looked down at his hands as they began to morph, his claws extending and his skin darkening.
A mauve-colored hand covered his, and Oshen looked up to see Zar watching his face intently. “Do not let it consume you.”
“This rage belongs to the beast, Oshen. Use it, but do not allow it to use you,” his sire whispered as he stepped away to follow one of the guards into the building.
“Allasso is a gift,” Ky murmured as she watched his hands change back slowly. “This must be a sign of your blessing.”
At that moment, it felt more like a curse. He felt the gentle tug of Zar’s hand as he turned him.
“Oshen, focus whatever the beast has given you and use it to find our mate. She and both of your young are in danger.”
“Both?” He frowned at the other male.
“Yes.”
Two pups.
Goddess help them. Mikra. Little ones.
“We need to leave.” Oshen took Zar’s hand, pulling him along down the street as a crowd began to form at the doors his father had walked through. No one paid them any mind. “My family is here to help us.”
“I know a less obvious way out of the village. Follow me.” Zar ducked into the shadows, moving between the houses until they came upon a section of the outside wall that seemed to have been neglected over the solars. It was uneven, part of it sinking into the softer ground. “We used to climb it when we were younger. It is not as tall here.”
Oshen jerked his chin toward the barrier. “You first.”
“You are worse than our mate,” Zar scoffed, shaking his head as he crouched down.
With more grace than most beings half his size, the other male leaped into the air, landing with ease on the top of the wall.
Mine, the beast within him growled as Oshen watched Zar steady himself and then spin back toward him.
“Are you coming?”
I braxing wish. “Yes.” His feet dug into the stone as he propelled himself up and over to the other side. It was getting harder and harder to ignore the instinct to bond.
“Mouni, locate Evafyn and set route,” he said to his AI as he scanned the woods in front of them.
“Gladly, Meatface. Offering you as a sacrifice to the more worthy sibling would be my pleasure.”
As soon as he was within the dome, he was going to find someone to wipe Mouni’s programing and then he would murder Brin.
The pair followed the AI’s directions to a large stone shelter, much like the one Oshen had found Zar and Amanda in. A loud, ominous rumble shook the ground, sending some of the small animals running. The sky above them swirled with dark clouds, and Oshen cursed as they stepped inside just as a bright bolt of lightning lit up the dim interior. A second crack of thunder followed closely and he looked up to see three of his siblings standing in the corner, staring at them curiously.
“Just in time,” Evafyn said.
“Braxing storms,” he grumbled. The weather on the surface was unpredictable at times, which was one of the reasons his people preferred to make their homes in the water.
Big, fat drops of liquid began to pour from the sky as the wind picked up speed, howling angrily through the trees. If he were quick enough, he might be able to catch up to whoever had taken their mate. They had less than a day on him.
“Let’s go. We can push through.” Oshen turned to head into the rain, but Luz caught his arm.
“Brother, stop. These surface storms can turn deadly.” He looked to his siblings for backup. “We will need to wait this one out.”
“Wait it out?” Oshen shook off his brother’s hand with a growl, the light-colored male stepping back as he advanced on him. “My mate and my pups are out there somewhere! They could be caught in this.”
Luz’s purple fushori pulsed as he clenched his jaw. “We do not wish to leave them out there either—”
“Then why would you even suggest it?” A snarl of pure frustration left his mouth as he scrubbed his hands down his face.
“She was taken by someone, yes? I doubt whoever has her is just sitting out in the woods with no shelter at all.” Evafyn snorted. “That’s assuming she was taken and didn’t wander off on her own.”
The golden light of his fushori reflected off of the walls. “Are you really suggesting my female would do that? That she would willingly leave the safety of the village knowing who waited for her?” He glared at his sister, not amused in the least by her comment, but she only crossed her arms over her chest.
“I was not suggesting that. I was merely—”
“It’s what you said!” Evafyn’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he yelled.
“She is not familiar with whatever danger our mate is in, Oshen. None of us truly are,” Zar spoke softly.
“You were not even supposed to exist!” The words were out of his mouth before he could even think to stop them. Regret slammed into him at the look of shock on the other male’s face and the way his eyes lowered in shame.
“What an awful thing to say to a mate!” Evafyn gasped, her claws extending as her golden fushori flashed. “He is your third. You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“That’s enough from all of you!” A frazzled Luz glared, wedging himself between his angry siblings before they could come to blows. Although he was naturally a peacekeeper, Luz stood at least a hand taller than Oshen and he was positive his younger brother outweighed him by a decent amount. Oshen had no doubt the male could have easily subdued them if he felt it was necessary. “Are you going to help me?” he asked Lief, who was standing propped against the far wall.
“I thought I might just let them kill one another, honestly.”
“That’s very helpful.” Luz sighed. Lief shrugged a dark shoulder, his bright green eyes roaming the faces within the shelter. “Listen to me. We do not have mates so we cannot say that we know what you are feeling at this moment, but we all care for Amanda and the pups she is carrying. We want them home with everyone else. Fighting amongst ourselves will do nothing to help.”
It took everything inside of him to step back and take a deep calming breath. “Has Brin sent any word?” Oshen turned to his sister.