by Bianca D'Arc
“I thought there was only supposed to be one true mate for every person,” Sinclair Prime stated. “Why are they mating in multiples?”
“The working theory is that because of the shortage of females on this planet, nature—or God, if you prefer¾” he looked directly at Gina, since she seemed to believe in the deity of the humans strongly, “¾intervened to allow more than one male to be true mate to one female. There is evidence in the ancient records of multiple matings in situations where the ratio of females to males was severely deficient. I discussed this with Callie and Davin when I was trying to decide whether or not to participate in the experiment. I wanted to know more about resonance and I knew that if anyone had studied the topic it would be the Chief Engineer. He’d compiled data from ancient records—particularly in reference to multi-partner matings. He even documented such among his human charges in the Southern Engineering Facility and Callie O’Hara’s parents have such a mating. I have witnessed all three O’Hara brothers Humming with their wife Jane. They are all human, but they also fulfill the tests of resonance.”
“This is interesting news. I will endeavor to learn more of the Chief Engineer’s studies.” The Patriarch looked pensive.
“Davin is a good man,” Grady Prime felt the need to add. “He will talk to you if you approach him directly. If you wish, I could introduce you as a friend. Callie is a very strong empath. She will discern your intent. If she senses you are truly interested and have no malice in your heart, she will more than likely tell Davin and he will speak freely.”
“An empath?” The Patriarch sat back and regarded Grady Prime, but he got the impression the other man was seeing well beyond him as his eyes focused on some goal only he could see.
“As is her mother, Jane O’Hara. The psychic talents in that family are very potent and nearly infallible. Caleb, the eldest O’Hara brother, can see the future.”
“I am familiar with foresight,” the Patriarch said, refocusing on Grady Prime. “I didn’t know how closely these people were interconnected or that you were so well acquainted with them all.”
“I traveled to their home many times in the course of my duties and had a chance to watch their children—Callie and Harry in particular—grow from infant to young adult. It was an enriching experience and one that helped me decide to follow my present course. Even before I could feel, I enjoyed observing the youngsters as they thrived in a caring environment. It gave me a glimpse into what life must have been like on this planet and even on Alvia Prime, before the geneticists began to change our people.”
Grady Prime noted that everyone around the table was looking at him. He’d captured all their attention with his unguarded words and observations. He had one further revelation—if they didn’t know it already. From everything he’d seen so far, it was entirely possible they didn’t know.
“It’s been conclusively proven that all three O’Hara brothers and all their children are descendants of a common Alvian ancestor.” This, more than anything, would guarantee the safety of his human friends from all but the most cutthroat of his Alvian brethren.
“I was aware that Mara 12 was working on a theory that our ancestors may have intermixed with the native population. I did not know they could trace their ancestry.”
Grady Prime sat back in his chair, regarding the Patriarch with a measuring gaze. Best he could tell, the powerful Zxerah leader truly didn’t know. This could get interesting.
“Her so-called theory was proven many years ago though it has been kept secret in the scientific community until recently. It is true that our most revered ancestors settled on this planet long ago. Caleb, Justin, Mick and all of the O’Hara clan carry a large amount of Hara DNA.” The shocked silence was deafening. Hara had been the greatest of them, the most revered, the savior of their people when all hope had been lost. That alone would guarantee the O’Hara clan’s safety and status, but there was more. “Mara 12 confirmed her discovery by personally breeding with Justin O’Hara nearly twenty years ago. The resulting child is called simply Hara by the scientific team. He is known as Harry to his human family.”
“She had a baby with a human man?” Gina seemed scandalized.
“She did. Harry spends most of his time these days in the Northern City where his uncle, Caleb O’Hara, is currently being confined for study. I have long suspected that Harry acts as a conduit between his imprisoned uncle and the rest of the family. They have strong bonds—emotional bonds that Mara 12 does not understand. I did not understand it myself until just recently. Caleb and Harry have been of great help to me and the other test subjects as we progressed through the emotional changes and upheavals of those first few weeks. Without their help, I don’t know how successful our test group would have been.”
The Patriarch sat back and steepled his fingers, deep in thought as his gaze drifted around the table, finally settling back on Grady Prime. Everyone else was silent, each contemplating his revelations in their own way, and waiting to see what their leader would have to say.
Finally, he lowered his hands and leaned forward, his gaze intense. “This is excellent news. Astounding news.”
Chapter Three
The Patriarch was as animated as Gina had ever seen him. If she didn’t know better, she would think he was having an emotional reaction to Grady’s words. But she’d been around him long enough to know that was impossible. He was better than most Alvians, but he didn’t truly feel anything. Nothing worth mentioning, anyway. She’d watched him struggle with faint echoes from time to time over the years, and her heart had gone out to him.
Compassion was the emotion that came most often when she was in his presence. He wanted to understand, yet he could not. She believed he wanted only what was best for his people, yet he was convinced they had been on the wrong path for many centuries. He worked hard to change all of that, but was hampered by the need for secrecy.
“I thank you again, Grady Prime, for all that you have revealed to us tonight. I sense this could not have been an easy decision for you. After all, you have only just met us. By contrast, we have followed your career from afar for many years. You have always been a credit to our race, and I now believe you may be a conduit to a better future.” The Patriarch sat forward, his energy palpable to everyone around him. “Hara DNA on Earth! Proven and tested. Do you know what this means?”
“It means we can move forward with our plans,” Sinclair Prime said in a low, almost excited tone.
“We can, indeed,” the Patriarch replied before turning back to Grady Prime. “What is he like, this young man called Hara?”
Although Gina had no idea what this particular strain of DNA meant to her Alvian friends, she could tell by looking at the faces of all those around her that this was something very significant to them. She wondered what the child of an Alvian scientist and a human male would be like. Would he take after his emotionless mother? Or would he be more human? Would he have psychic gifts? The idea was tantalizing.
“Harry was raised for the most part by his human family. Mara 12 was ill equipped to handle the demands of an infant, and brought him to the O’Haras soon after his birth. As I recall from their discussions at the time, the child was already a strong telepath. He communicated his needs in images to Mara 12 even before he could speak.”
“He could communicate telepathically with his mother when she had no psychic ability?” one of the others asked, incredulous.
Grady Prime nodded. “He sent very specific images to her. After some confusion on Mara 12’s part, she finally comprehended what he wanted. As a result, she allowed him to stay with his human family as he requested. That’s why I spent so much time at their home. I provided security for Mara 12 when she visited him for study purposes.”
“Is he still such a strong telepath or was that something unique due to his close relationship with his mother?” Sinclair Prime wanted to know.
“I am unsure exactly how the humans measure such things. From what I understand, his ab
ilities rival and even exceed those of his father and uncles. From all accounts, the three O’Hara brothers have superior psychic abilities. Caleb is a seer with a near perfect record of accuracy, documented by Mara 12 and her staff over the past few years. Justin is primarily telekinetic, and Mick is a powerful telepath.”
“Hara manifested his uncle’s power of telepathy very young,” the Patriarch mused. “Does he share his father’s telekinetic gift as well?”
“I believe so, but I don’t think he’s told his mother everything he can do. Harry is a cagey young man, who I suspect has his own agenda. He feels. He identifies with his human family. He seems to respect his mother, but Mara 12 has never really had an active role in his life other than as a scientist monitoring his progress. Jane O’Hara is the one who mothered him in the fullest sense of the word. He calls her Mama Jane and has always exhibited high levels of care, compassion and protectiveness toward her.”
“I want to meet him,” the Patriarch said suddenly. “This changes things and yet… Things could not be more perfect. Gina,” he snapped out, clearly thinking fast and plotting his next moves. “I want you to prepare for departure. You’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow, as will I. Sinclair Prime, I’ll need you and your squad to run interference when we go in order to avoid Mara Prime. The less he knows of our movements, the better.”
Gina was disconcerted to know that their carefully laid plans had just been accelerated to a considerable degree, but she was ready. She’d spent a lot of time in preparation for her mission since the Patriarch had first approached her with the idea. She wanted to do this. At the same time she felt conflicted. The emotion was a new one that had arrived on the scene at exactly the same moment she first saw Grady Prime.
She recognized him. Or thought she did. She could almost swear he was one of the men from her dreams. She’d never seen his face clearly. She’d felt his emotion and recognized him as Alvian. She’d felt his body, knew his height and size. All those things matched with what she now saw in Grady Prime.
She’d nearly stopped short when she walked into the courtyard and saw him for the first time. An instant of recognition, followed by an hour of careful watching, measuring and digging back into her memory for clues about her dream lover. Even if she hadn’t dreamed of him, this warrior would have intrigued her. He bedeviled her. With a single glance, he piqued her interest. And he was just plain hot.
A more gorgeous specimen of Alvian manhood she had never seen. A golden god with that extra spark of life in his gorgeous blue eyes—that quintessential something that was missing from every other Alvian she’d ever met. He could feel.
Emotions were new to him. There was little doubt he had some trouble interpreting the impulses that must have been so confusing to him at first. Gina admired the fact that he’d taken such a dangerous chance and joined the experiment. Not only that, but he’d overcome what had to be poor odds to succeed in his quest to understand and experience emotion firsthand. She gave him credit for that.
Most warriors she knew—most men of either race, for that matter—didn’t spend a lot of time pondering their existence. To have undertaken such a drastic step, she knew Grady Prime had searched his own soul, long and hard. It was an attractive thought.
Almost as attractive as she found him. The attraction grew with each breath, each word from his mouth, each moment in his presence.
Now she was being sent away.
The mission was one she had eagerly accepted and had looked forward to implementing for some time, but things had changed in the space of mere minutes. Why she found Grady Prime so compelling, she had no idea. She wished things could be different and that she could have just a little more time to discover the answer.
But it was not meant to be. Sooner than she’d expected, she would leave here—leave him—and move on to the next part of her mission, the next part of her life. If she was successful, it would be some time before she could return to the protective fold of the Zxerah Brotherhood. Even then, there was no guarantee she would ever cross paths with Grady Prime again. These few minutes were probably all they would ever have.
Gina felt a pang for what could never be. She knew her duty was not only to the Patriarch, but to her own race. If things went well, all life on this planet could change for the better. It was the goal she had dedicated her life to, and the only thing that should really matter. The only thing she could let matter.
“I’ll start with the Chief Engineer,” the Patriarch continued his fast-paced decision-making. “Grady Prime, would you be kind enough to record an introductory message I could deliver to Davin and his mate? I would take you with me to perform the introductions in person, but your mission here is too high profile in certain quarters and I cannot interfere with it to that extent. Under no circumstances do I want the Council aware of my movements at this critical time.”
Grady Prime answered in the affirmative and Gina’s eyes were drawn once again to his firm jaw, his sparkling eyes and the sheer strength of the man. He was appealing on a visceral level that was hard to resist.
The Patriarch went on with his plans. Gina didn’t really listen. The others were all talking now as he stirred them up. Only Grady Prime and she sat in relative silence and watched. He watched everyone, and she watched him. At least, she thought he’d been watching everyone, but after a while, she realized he was covertly scrutinizing her.
And then he wasn’t being so covert.
They stared into each other’s eyes as the conversation and planning went on around them, each unblinking, unsure what the rapt attention of the other signified. Gina felt it. Her empathic abilities were low key, but Grady Prime was close enough for her to read and he wasn’t adept at hiding his emotions yet. They were still too new.
After a while, the conversation died and the dinner was over. Some of the men had already been dispatched to get the ball rolling on the Patriarch’s plans. The rest followed quickly after. Only Sinclair Prime and the Patriarch remained as she and Grady walked with them toward the exit.
The Patriarch thanked Grady once more before leaving the group just outside the building. Sinclair Prime gave them a speculative glance before saying goodnight himself and leaping into the air to fly away.
“May I walk you to your accommodations?” Grady Prime asked politely.
“That would be nice. Thank you.”
They walked together down the dark pathway toward the main area of the compound. Neither of them seemed to want to move very quickly. Instead, they set a leisurely pace to maximize the amount of time they could spend together.
“I confess…” Gina spoke hesitantly, trying to make conversation. “I’m intrigued by this guy Harry you talked about at dinner. You sure got the Patriarch hopping, though I don’t understand exactly why.”
“Harry’s DNA is important to our people. You may have noticed the significance of bloodlines to us. Well, Hara—the progenitor of Harry’s line—was one of our greatest explorers and leaders. He was believed lost to us, as was the rest of his exploration party. Finding residual evidence of them here on Earth is an amazing discovery that will affect every Alvian.”
“This young man is really that important?”
“Not him per se, but his genetic code could spell great changes for Alvians and humans alike. The Alvian population would no longer be able to believe themselves superior genetically if the native humans were proven to share not only Alvian DNA but that from one of the most highly respected of our ancestors. It would change things—most likely for the better for humans.”
“Which is probably why your Council has hidden this for so long. What you did tonight, by telling the Patriarch the truth, was a good thing, Grady.”
She tried to see him in the darkness, but her night vision wasn’t up to Alvian standards. Instead, she reached for his hand, gratified when he seemed startled for just a moment, then interlaced his fingers with hers. She squeezed his hand, hoping to convey the very real admiration she had for him. It was
a simple gesture, but she knew how rare it was for Alvians to touch, even in friendship.
She suspected that since gaining emotions, Grady needed to be touched. Like an infant, he needed reassurance from other feeling beings and she liked that he’d taken her hand and seemed unlikely and unwilling to let it go.
“Harry is a good man,” he said with genuine warmth in his tone. “I read a human book once called The Once and Future King by T.S. Elliot. Mick O’Hara loaned it to me when I asked why they referred to Harry as the second coming of Merlin.”
“You mean Merlin like in Camelot and King Arthur?”
“The very one.” She could hear the approving smile in his voice. “Apparently Harry’s gifts were so many and so strong even his gifted family thought he was a magician of some kind.”
“That’s cool.”
His warm chuckle sent a river of warm lava down her spine. “It also indicates to me—although I am no expert on the genetic intricacies—that the mixture of human and Alvian DNA might very well produce more beings like Harry. The humans we’ve encountered are many generations removed from their original Alvian progenitors. It could be that a fresh infusion of Alvian DNA into the human race, or human DNA into Alvians, would produce the next evolution of both races. Psychically gifted beings that can be stronger than either one of our races are alone.”
“I bet your Council would consider your words as treason. Aren’t you concerned by their reaction should your candor with us be discovered?”
“At this point there’s very little they can do to me. I gave up my occupation and most of what had been important to me in order to participate in Mara 12’s study. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but it’s put me in a unique position. I can take risks now that I wouldn’t have before.”
She turned to him on the darkened path. A shaft of moonlight filtered through the trees, lighting his face enough for her to read his expression. She found her own desire mirrored there, and her breath caught.