She writhed with frustration and anger. He seemed to have her nicely trapped with his concern for his people and for her. But she couldn't allow herself to be caged bit by bit. What she'd told Kleet earlier was true. She was the future and they had let her in. They couldn't close the door after the fact.
"Then I'll have my babies with my USP group and my parents can stay with them. As I will. And if you won't give my parents permission to be on the planet, I'll go up to a USP ship. Our doctors know how to handle mixed species births."
Kelfer's face mottled with anger. "No! That's unacceptable!"
Kleet grabbed her hand. "I forbid it!"
She looked from her mate to her father-in-law. Kelfer held the power here, so she concentrated on him. "Family is important to you, isn't it?"
"Very. That's why you'll remain with us when my grandchildren are born."
Oh, nicely done. He believed her question underscored his point. "I love my parents and they love me." She addressed Lefair with her next statement. "My mother has wanted grandchildren for years. She's begged me to find a man. She's hinted, she's shown me the grandchildren of her lady friends. There isn't a time when I talk to her now that she doesn't mention grandchildren." Lefair nodded as Sheleigh spoke.
"I have two younger brothers, but she doesn't encourage them to have grandchildren as hard as she encourages me. They're sons. A daughter is different. A daughter's children mean more to a mother. A daughter needs you and needs your advice. Daughters who are your son's mates will ask advice of their own mothers. Even if you're the most wonderful mother of their mate, you still didn't give birth to her. She wants the woman who birthed her when she's ready to birth her own. It's natural. You understand don't you, Lefair?"
"Yes, dear. I wanted my own mother when my children were born."
"And I want mine."
"The circumstances are entirely different," Kelfer blustered.
"No, they're not. We share a societal trait, that women want their mothers during pregnancy and birth. A similarity. Would you deny me what you didn't deny your own mate? What you wouldn't deny your own daughter? If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me."
Kelfer stared intently at her. She decided she'd said enough for the moment. Besides, she was feeling less alien. She wanted to savor the feeling.
She actually enjoyed the rest of dinner. It was educational watching Kelfer and Lefair together in the comfort of their own home. Kelfer was reserved in his role as Avatier, but he melted with Lefair. They touched hands and exchanged gentle glances. They spoke in intimate voices. It was obvious to her that they loved one another and weren't afraid to show it in front of family.
His parents treated Kleet with indulgent affection. He treated them with loving respect. He seemed younger and freer here at home than he was in public. The three of them were comfortable to be with. She slowly relaxed her guard. Despite being an alien, they accepted her into their inner circle because she was Kleet's mate.
Then it was time for her first night of sleeping next to Kleet. She thought there'd probably be mating, too, although she wasn't sure she could. She'd taken him four times already today.
She glanced at him as they walked the hall to their room. He was a stranger in many ways. They'd gone from intimately casual encounters straight to mating. They'd spent little time in one another's company. They hadn't spent very much time discussing ideological differences. What they'd shared before marriage was a brief prelude to mating. Earth history was full of arranged or mail-order marriages where the couples barely knew one another. Many of those marriages lasted. The participants learned to love one another. Her marriage to Kleet would have to be like that.
She would get to know him, and somewhere down the road she would grow to love him. Their initial and continued attraction to each other would make certain of it. They could have a good marriage.
In the privacy of their room Kleet slid a possessive hand up her arm. She answered the call of their mate bond. She gave herself over to him, her husband, to do with as he wished. It was what she wanted as well.
Chapter Eleven
An insistent buzzing awoke Sheleigh from an exhausted sleep. A heavy arm lifted from around her waist. Kleet learned over her and felt around on the bedside stand. The buzzing stopped.
"Yes, what is it?" he answered in a thick voice.
"It's Harrier. Sorry to bother you, my lord, but there's an issue you need to deal with. One of the humans is here searching for Dr. O'Brien."
"Which human?"
"The head of the group, Dr. Barazi."
"Put him on the com."
There was a pause during which she sat up on the side of the bed. Kleet sat up next to her. She had a sinking feeling she knew what the call was about.
"My lord?"
"Dr. Barazi?"
"Yes. One of my group is missing." Sheleigh groaned. "Dr. O'Brien hasn't been home since the day before yesterday. I fear something may have happened to her."
"I'm here, Dr. Barazi," she spoke without thinking. There was a long pause, during which Kleet's arm gripped hers to indicate silence.
"I see. You should have notified someone, Sheleigh."
"Dr. Barazi," Kleet intoned, "I'm sorry that word wasn't brought to you. I claimed Sheleigh as my mate yesterday."
There was another short silence. "Claimed, my lord? What does that mean?"
"It means that she is my mate. She lives with me now. She'll bear my children. You understand what a mate is?"
"Yes, I do. I'd like to speak to Sheleigh, please." His voice was strained.
"Yes, Dr. Barazi?" Sheleigh answered.
He dropped into English. "Are you being forced against your will?"
She answered in Averan, because Kleet had stiffened at the sound of English. "I'm here of my own free will. We were married by Averan custom yesterday morning." The word 'married' had to be in English since there was no Averan equivalent. "I forgot to contact you yesterday, the day was so hectic."
"I don't understand. I didn't know you planned to marry the heir." His voice went up at the end in agitation.
"It's done, doctor," Kleet interjected. "It doesn't matter if it was planned or not. It can't be undone. Sheleigh lives with me now. She'll work out of the government center for the next few months. You'll have access to her there."
"You're separating her from our group?"
"She has to remain near me for the next few months. It won't interfere with her work, I assure you. She worked most of yesterday."
"I didn't know. Sheleigh, I'll stop in later today to see you. Where is your office?"
"I'm sharing Harrier's office." At that moment she realized that it was Harrier who'd initiated the call. Why hadn't he just told Dr. Barazi where she was?
There was another short silence. Perhaps Dr. Barazi was wondering the same thing she just had. "I'll see you later."
"Yes."
When the transmission ended, Kleet turned to her. "What does 'married' mean?"
"It's what the people in USP call the taking of a mate, but without a physical bond like you and I share. It's a commitment a man and woman make to each other to live together and have children. It has legal and often religious meaning."
"Your people take a mate legally, but not with a physical bond." He gave her a piercing look. "The union is held together only by words?"
"Yes." What was he digging for?
"Do these unions hold together?" She groaned inwardly. She didn't want to discuss the principal of divorce with him.
"Many of them do. Many species in USP marry for life: Bonwee, Petrosians, Carisi and Grimari, to name a few."
"You didn't name your own species."
"Kleet, I don't want to discuss this topic."
His look sharpened even more. "Do any humans marry for life?"
"Yes, many do. They marry because they love each other deeply and they stay married all their lives."
"What about the rest?"
She gave an exasper
ated sigh. "They legally end the union. They go their separate ways. Many of them marry again. Some have better luck the second time. Some don't."
There was a look of distaste on his face. "Each time you tell me about your society I like it less and less."
"That's unfair. We have beauty, love and many wonderful things among humans. We have qualities that make us proud. We try. Humans try over and over to find a marriage that will last. We don't give up just because the first one didn't work out. We try again. Our whole history is full of people struggling and striving and never giving up. We hope and we dream. That keeps us trying.
"Don't disparage my society for failing and trying again. Your society failed once and you never made another attempt."
He stiffened. "What are you talking about?"
"You had a bad experience with aliens hundreds of years ago. Now you hide what you are. You cower in fear. You're afraid to try again with us, even though we're more like the first species who came to you than the second. But you don't want to give us a chance."
"I married you, didn't I?"
"You certainly did. But how much of a chance was it, really? You checked me out thoroughly, including the other night in my apartment."
"I had to make sure I could mate with you."
She gave him a withering look. "You discussed it with your parents before you married me. As I said, not a big chance at all."
"But not unlike your humans who try a second time at marriage."
She sighed. "Yes, it was like that."
He gathered her in his arms and she went eagerly. She tilted her face for a morning kiss. When the kiss ended, his eyes had darkened. "Are you still sore? It wasn't too much for you last night?"
"No. I like being joined with you. You can do whatever you want to me as long as we're joined together."
"I can think of a few things I'd like to do." He pushed her back on the bed and came over her.
* * * *
Dr. Barazi arrived in Harrier's office mid morning. "Sheleigh, will you walk with me?" He looked pointedly at Harrier, indicating he wanted privacy.
She went with him to the hydrolift. "The reception hall should be empty right now."
They stood in the room where she had made her fateful decision only days ago. Now she explained to her superior the permanent repercussions of that decision.
"So you're confined to Avera for life?"
"I believe so. I'm told the mate bond relinquishes its constricting hold after several months. But I don't think it will allow space travel or extended separations of time and distance."
"That's unfortunate, especially since you didn't become his mate voluntarily."
"I'm resigned to it, Dr. Barazi. Kleet's a good man. He loves me and I care for him. There's something else you need to know." Her hand slid to her lower belly. His eyes tracked the movement and widened.
"You're pregnant?"
"Yes. The family doctor believes it's twins. I'm to be tested in a few days to verify the number of babies."
"So soon?"
"I'm told Averan mate-claiming custom is extremely fertile."
Dr. Barazi's face grew ruddy. He cleared his throat. "Then it's irrevocable. I'm sorry to lose you."
"I'll still work with you while you're on Avera. I want to send a message to my parents, but the Avatier hasn't decided if he'll allow them to visit for the babies' birth. Oh, that reminds me. The Averans are afraid of strangers because they were attacked by Malchovists."
"Malchovists! Here? Are we in danger?" He looked around as though searching for their enemy.
"It was eight to ten generations ago, but thousands of people died. They still teach their children to fear strangers."
"We need to notify USP."
"I agree. But the Averans won't allow anyone else on their planet. Kleet was adamant about that. There's something else you need to know." She told him about the lone stranger who taught the Averans about technology."
"So you were right, Sheleigh."
"It had to be the answer. It's too bad the Malchovists came and ruined everything. They froze the Averans in time, in a way."
There was a step in the room. She turned to see Kleet coming toward them. He looked dashing in his cream shirt and dark brown trousers. Her heart sped up. He came right to her and slid his arm around her. Before she quite realized what he was doing, he had leaned down and kissed her possessively. It was as he was addressing Dr. Barazi afterwards that she realized he'd made a statement to her superior with that kiss.
"Dr. Barazi, are you satisfied that Sheleigh is well? She's made an excellent match with me." Kleet appeared much larger than Dr. Barazi to her eyes, but that was only because he was so much more virile than the studious Amin was.
"Sheleigh says you love her. That doesn't make up for you claiming her as your mate without asking her first. But it prevents me from calling in USP."
Kleet stiffened. "Your USP has no say on Avera."
"We protect our own. If I thought you were trying to hold Sheleigh against her will, I'd call USP for help."
"So USP will use force against a lesser society to take what it wants?" His tone as he looked at her was accusatory.
"No. That's not what Dr. Barazi said. USP will use force to reclaim what belongs to it. I belong to USP, Kleet."
"You're Averan first now." He drew her flush against him. "I have to go back to work." His voice was husky and his eyes had darkened. He leaned down to claim her lips again. It was longer than a customary good-bye kiss. Passion soon coursed through her, making her wish they were alone.
He lifted his head. "Later." She took it for the promise it was. "Good-bye Dr. Barazi." He turned and left the hall. His cape flowing out behind him seemed to bounce happily with his stride.
"He's possessive of you." Dr. Barazi reclaimed her attention. His gaze was sharply intent.
"Yes. I can't tell if it's a result of the newness of the mate bond, the fact that I'm not Averan, or just Kleet's personality. He pursued me rather single-mindedly before we married."
"The physical attraction between you is almost palpable. You're sure it's more than that?"
Sheleigh explained how the mate bond felt, how it recognized Kleet's touch, how they didn't want to be separated. She tried to give a strictly scientific explanation of how she was joined to Kleet, but the wonder of it kept slipping into her words.
What she said must have convinced Amin, because he nodded. "Averans will be the fourth species in USP who bond to permanent mates."
"If they join USP. They might not," she cautioned.
"You're a member of the ruling family now. Use your influence with them."
"I can't even get the Avatier to agree to let my parents come for the birth of my babies. The Averans are just too afraid. Allowing us here is an anomaly they don't wish to repeat."
"But why? They're intelligent, technologically advanced beings. Surely they can see we're not a threat."
"I don't think they're as advanced as they appear. Yes, they know how to use technology, but they're steeped in their old ways. They wear natural fibers for clothing. They eat natural foods grown in the earth or on trees, and animals cultivated for eating. Their gods are the sun and the moon, even though they know they're not gods. They walk from wherever their transport sets them down to wherever they're going because they don't have wheeled vehicles. They're like children playing dress-up."
Dr. Barazi peered at her. "I'm not sure about your analogy, but now that you mention these things, I believe you're right."
"They need for something to happen to blow them out of their suspended animation before they agree to join USP. I just wish I knew what that something was."
* * * *
The medical facility was modern, if she ignored the caves, and pristine. The machines weren't the latest technology, but the Averans had been cut off from outside influences for ten generations. It was modern enough for her needs.
The invasive cell count hurt only as much as a hard pinch.
The diagnostic scan didn't hurt at all. Then she got dressed and waited with Kleet for the results. He held her hand while they sat side by side.
"Are you feeling more agreeable about the pregnancy, Shel?"
She looked at him. His light eyes were warm gray today, reflecting his shirt. It was hard to be angry with him while the mate-bond surged through their connected hands.
"I'm resigned to it. It doesn't seem real yet anyway because I'm not round in the middle."
"You'll get that way soon enough with multiple babies. I can't wait."
"I don't think I can handle more than two babies at once." Panic fluttered in her like a trapped bird.
"We'll have help if there are more than two." He paused and when he began again he spoke tentatively. "Shel, tomorrow morning will you fly the mating flight with me again?"
Her heart jolted. "But we're already mated."
"I want to fly you again tomorrow. You've already flown it once, so you shouldn't be afraid next time."
She licked her dry lips. "There won't be more babies, will there?"
"No, that part's already done. I just thought it would help to bring us closer."
She frowned. "Closer how?"
His chest expanded on a breath, and then he breathed out. He'd never been hesitant before. "The mating flight is such a powerful bonding. I thought it might help you to love me."
Her breath whooshed out at the unexpected words. "Kleet, love doesn't come from mating flights."
"It can on Avera. Won't you let me try?"
What could it hurt? Their first flight had bound them physically. Maybe the intimacy of the flight could help emotional intimacy to grow between them. "All right. We can try."
He squeezed her hand and leaned over to kiss her. He lingered until they heard the room door open. Dr. Rotairn came into the room bursting with suppressed energy. He smiled.
Sheleigh gripped Kleet's hand. Please don't let there be more than two babies, she prayed.
Dr. Rotairn sat in the chair facing them. "It's twins." Sheleigh let out a huge breath. Kleet whooped. "Identical twins--there's almost identical DNA and one egg sac. Congratulations."
Mating Flight Page 10