by Regine Abel
Amalia’s back suddenly arched off the bed, her hands fisting the bed sheet, as she screamed her release. Her orgasm caused a chain reaction. I felt her walls squeeze Lhor and the blinding bliss that ripped through him as he fell over the edge. The intensity of his climax crashed over me like a tsunami. With a roar, I welcomed my own rapture. I tried to pull out of Amalia’s mouth, worried I might choke her with my seed, lost as she was in her own blissful oblivion. But she clasped her hands on my hips, sucking every last drop from me while her body still shuddered with pleasure.
The three of us crawled up the bed, Amalia in the middle. This time, she rested her head on Lhor’s shoulder and I spooned behind her, my arm wrapped around her waist. She lifted her wrist in front of Lhor’s face and tilted her head, exposing her neck for me.
“Drink, my mates,” she whispered.
Lhor held her hand and our eyes met above her. My Gem… My smile echoed his and we sank our fangs into our mate at the same time.
* * *
In the following weeks, Lhor’s ability to feel my emotions and share his became both a blessing and a curse. When he and Amalia felt I’d been working too long or just to spite me, they’d come close enough for Lhor’s ability to work. She’d fondle him to break my concentration or force me to stop. The worst was when she sucked him off during my vidcom with the First Officer of the Xelhen base.
They were compensating for their terrible childhoods – at my expense. But they were so damn adorable together…
To my sorrow, Amalia had taken a serious liking to the law. I had hoped she would embrace her hacking skills. She wanted to specialize in Family Law and People’s Law. After having been deprived of her family and of any kind of rights, she was determined to champion these causes. Lhor was over the moon with her decision. Her knowledge and passion would be instrumental in helping him get some of his reforms through. Both their little speeches outside the Fastening Hall had rallied the population behind them. While Norms and especially nobles heavily pushed back, they were massively outnumbered by the masses of Tainted clamoring for change.
Amalia had a particularly devoted following among the Tainted males. Her impassioned plea that females at least look at the Tainted during the Selection was bearing fruit. That same day, one Tainted male had been chosen. Last week, another as well. Every district was now reporting the odd confirmed second mating. The numbers were extremely low, and there was quite a bit of grumbling from some people. Change didn’t come easily, but it was a start.
Lhor and Amalia were a breathtaking couple. They graced the cover of every electronic journal. It didn’t bother me. I got more than my fair share of fame, not that I actually cared for any of it. Lhor was thriving. His poise, elegance, and eloquence had the Council, the people and the media purring like an overfed neption. He’d been born for this. The blatant admiration and naked lust his appearance now stirred still unsettled him, but he was slowly settling into his new skin.
Amalia’s own confidence had steadily built since the first time we met her. She still occasionally tortured her hair when her nerves got the best of her, but the behavior was now rare. We stopped her swimming lessons. Amalia was proficient enough to enjoy the pond safely, but not good enough to push further. She was relentless with fighting, though. The morning after our Confirmation, Lhor and I also received a celesium sword, courtesy of the Admiral. They were priceless gifts. The Tuurean female, Kamala, occasionally gave Amalia extra training.
The battle outside the Fastening Hall gave us far more visibility than I’d expected. The population had been outraged that anyone should attack their sweetheart. That Lhor and I hadn’t hesitated to shield her with our bodies earned us many praises, as had our combat skills. Lhor had been masterful in his swordplay. I couldn’t help but feel proud of my pupil. However, we didn’t meet unanimous approval. Many Norms, and especially Primes, didn’t see our mating in a good light. The population accepted us because we were ‘famous’ and celebrities were known to be eccentric. But the other family units that had since availed themselves of a second mating were facing a great deal of ostracism.
The large number of Guldans that had attacked us had put their government in an even bigger bind than the Blood House raids. A complete embargo was called on Guldan ships, merchant or otherwise, on Xelix Prime, Avea, Terra and all Terran colonies. This was a huge blow to the Guldan economy. Their government was scrambling to resolve the situation. What concerned me was that the Guldans who had attacked us had been sleeper agents on Xelix Prime this entire time.
The Tuureans, secretive as always, didn’t give much information about their findings on that net blaster. With its very long recharge time, it was a one-time use weapon. That explained why the Guldans hadn’t used them on Amalia and Lhor, they had been saving them to incapacitate the bigger threat instead. The Tuureans were quick to confirm that those nets could no longer best their suits’ bio-nanites.
I was happily settling back into what I knew and loved; being a general and leading my army. In fact, I was preparing to ship out. After a month of hard work, we pinpointed Gruuk’s location. Zalgar was a desolate, inhospitable rock. The constant ion storms made travel there hazardous, and scanning devices all but useless. We would rendezvous with the Tuureans one parsec from that moon, twenty-four hours from now.
We had dinner with Ghan, then I made love to Amalia before getting ready for the mission. This would be my first time off-world since my mating. I never expected it to be this hard parting from Amalia. There were no more threats or attacks on her life since the Fastening Hall. If this mission went to plan, Gruuk would die. Then Lhor and I would celebrate our birthday, his twenty-ninth and my thirtieth birthday, the day after my return, forever eliminating the looming Property Law threat to my lands.
* * *
The Admiral was already waiting for us when we reached the rendezvous coordinates. We met onboard the Tuurean battlecruiser. I drooled so badly, I could have drowned us all. The technological advances of that vessel were insane. I’d give my left nut to own one like this.
There were at least two dozen Veredians on the ship. We didn’t visit every room so there were likely more. To my relief, they all seemed happy and well-treated. This alliance was still fragile. The Tuureans were formidable allies. They’d saved my mate and I was growing fond of the Admiral – as was Ghan. Lee was a smaller version of Ghan – small being a relative term. Everyone looked scrawny in comparison to Ghan.
We went over the battle plan a final time before I headed back to my ship, not without a slight pang of regret. They should give me one of these babies for my birthday.
I wish…
We warped into the Sarkesian Sector and took position near Zalgar. The Tuureans extended their cloaking shields over our fleet. No one had ever managed to break through their cloaking technology.
The Specter was orbiting exactly where we expected. It was cloaked but the Tuureans could see right through it, just as they saw through ours. They would prevent the Specter’s escape by shackling it with their tractor beams. Scans of the ship revealed only a skeleton crew on board. No Veredians. So either Amalia’s Nana was on the surface or Gruuk had left her somewhere else. I hoped it was the former since I was determined to reunite her with Amalia.
The strong ionic front on the moon made our surface scan useless, even using Tuurean technology. We’d go in blind, but that also meant they wouldn’t see us coming. We would hit both fronts simultaneously though the ship was unlikely to flee without Gruuk.
On my signal, five warships – three Xelixian and two Tuurean – landed on the moon less than a mile from the stronghold. Ideally, we would have moved on foot, but extended exposure to the ion storm was too risky. We used the hybrid rovers in stealth mode to reach the outer walls.
A Tuurean adjusted a disruptor to the stronghold radio frequency. Once out of the rover, it would disrupt their security system. With the disrupter in place, we ran out of the rovers, up to the side wall. The proximity scan,
while a little shaky, confirmed the room on the other side of the wall was empty. When Admiral Lee told me they had a way to breach the wall, I never would have guessed what it turned out to be.
One of his warriors placed a force field protected by a de-ionizing frame against the side of the structure. It would prevent the base from losing oxygen and pressure once we broke through. Lee stepped through the field and placed both his hands against the wall. The armor around him blurred, the nanites meshed into the metal reshaping themselves in a disk around his splayed hands. A tremor shook the wall then the Admiral slid his hands sideways as if opening a set of sliding doors. The wall parted like a vertical gaping mouth.
I nearly fell on my ass in shock. Ghan and I exchanged a bewildered look. Lee moved out of the way so our warriors could file into the base. He entered last, resealing the wall behind us. This tech was way overpowered! And I fucking wanted it. Something about it nagged at me though, and I couldn’t figure out what.
Now protected from the ionic interference, we scanned the base. There were very few people; two Veredians, five Terran males and fourteen Guldans. This would be easier than anticipated. A couple of rooms seem to contain a large number of crates and containers, but no bio-signatures – likely merchandise. This was no slave hold, meaning chances of one of the females being Amalia’s Nana were very high. My heart soared.
We split our troops into three teams and spread out. The orders: secure the Veredians. I wanted Gruuk alive. All others were expendable. Lee and I both messaged our orbiting fleet to decloak and board the Specter. Using his breaching tech, Lee and a small contingent of warriors made a beeline for the room where the Veredians were held. Ghan and I, with a handful of troops, headed for what looked like the command center, hoping to find Gruuk. The remaining units would clear the rest of the rooms.
We were halfway to the command center when the alarm blared. Rushing forward, we tried to cut off any escape route. Blaster fire ahead slowed us down. Under different circumstances, I’d toy with my opponents, herding them patiently into a corner until I was ready for the kill. There was nothing like the thrill of the hunt. Right now though, I had other priorities. Keeping low, out of their line of fire, I lobbed two concussion grenades, back to back. Silence. We resumed pursuit. The command center was sealed with a blast door. Cutting through it would take longer than I cared for but we had no choice. Where was Lee when you needed his overpowered gadgets?
There must be a secondary exit in the command center because the three Guldans that occupied it no longer showed on the scanner. There was no other room beyond so we could only assume there was a lift. We were halfway through the door when we received an incoming transmission from the warriors guarding our ships outside. The ionic storm prevented direct communication. The delay, though short, was highly inconvenient.
“General, a shuttle bay door just opened on the north-northwest side of the base. Two shuttles have lifted off, each with a single passenger. Moving to intercept.”
Two shuttles, two males… Someone got left behind or deliberately stayed. Somehow, I doubted it was Gruuk. He knew we would find him if he tried to hide. He had to be on one of the two shuttles.
“Damage the ships but don’t destroy them. I want Gruuk alive. Do you copy?”
“Message received loud and clear,” the ensign said, after the transmission delay. “The first ship crash-landed. Three units are on the move for recovery. The second ship has cleared the stratosphere. The orbiting ships are on an intercept course.”
This could get ugly quickly. We couldn’t let him slip away now. But there was nothing I could do in my current position. I moved forward to find the male who had been left behind.
The wretched door opened and we raced to the lift in the far corner. The doors opened, revealing the prone form of a barely breathing Guldan male. Like Amalia said, Gruuk was a practical male, and this poor bastard had exceeded his usefulness.
The base secured, I headed for the room where the Veredians were held. An incoming message confirmed my troops had apprehended the second ship; Gruuk wasn’t onboard. That meant his ship was the one that had crash-landed shortly after takeoff. A feral grin stretched across my face; the bastard was mine.
Two Tuureans stood guard when I reached the room. They blocked my path as I made for the door.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“Sorry, General,” one of the Tuureans said with a stiff bow. “We’ve been given strict orders not to let anyone in without the Admiral’s permission.”
Cold dread swept over me. What was he doing in there to Amalia’s Nana? “I don’t give a shit what he said,” I snarled. “Open that door or we’re about to have a serious problem.”
The Tuureans tensed. Ghan lowered his hand near his sword.
“This is unnecessary,” the Tuurean’s robotic voice said. “We’re allies.”
“Allies? Then why the fuck are you keeping us out? What are you hiding?”
“Nothing. We wouldn’t harm Veredians. There’s no reason for concern. The Admiral will be out shortly.”
“No, he’s going to be out now,” I said, drawing my sword.
The door opened at that moment, revealing the Admiral. “Calm down, General,” he said impassively. “Put that weapon away, Ghan. All this drama is unnecessary. Come in.”
“What were you doing?” I asked, my tone forbidding.
“Talking.”
“You had to lock the door and forbid us access to talk?”
“It was private.” Lee shrugged. “All this fuss to get in and now you won’t?”
I snarled at him and shoved my way past the guards into the room. A beautiful elderly lady sat on a bunk bed, an adorable little girl maybe eight years old, curled up by her side. There was no question the elder female was Maheva. I could see how gracefully my mate would age. I approached cautiously. Maheva looked at me with a serene smile, while the child observed with curiosity.
“Great Mother Maheva,” I said unable to mask the emotion in my voice, “we have long searched for you. Are you well?” I cast a suspicious glance at the Admiral.
Maheva’s laughter echoed through the room. “Yes, my son. I’m well. Forgive the Admiral for not letting you in sooner. Nothing inappropriate occurred. We simply had a few important things to discuss that were for our ears only. Approach. Let me look at you.” She extended two delicate hands toward me.
I came to her obediently. Taking her hands in mine, I knelt so she wouldn’t strain her neck looking up at me. After giving them a gentle squeeze, she let go of my hands to cup my face with both of hers, drinking in every detail of my features.
“So it’s you. My Amalia’s chosen.”
“Yes, Great Mother.”
“Do you care for her?” she asked, her eyes searching.
“She’s my heart,” I said. “I’d do anything for her.
“Is she well?”
I smiled fondly, thinking of my mate. “Yes. She’s studying law. She wants to fight for the protection of families and civil rights. She’s also training in combat and self-defense.”
“She’s done all that in such a short time?” Maheva exclaimed, delighted.
“All that, and she still has the energy to cause mischief.”
She burst out laughing. “She dreamt of you, you know?” Maheva said. “For so many years, she dreamt of her Xelixian warrior who would set her free and keep her safe. I’m so glad she found you.”
“I’m glad she found me.” I squeezed her wizened hands. “She’ll be glad to know we found you. Not a day has gone by since her escape that she hasn’t prayed for your reunion.”
I glanced at the little girl then at the Admiral.
“Yes. The Admiral has told me,” she answered. She placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before letting go and embracing the little girl besides her. “Talisa was born in one of Gruuk’s strongholds. She has an ability similar to Amalia’s. Gruuk realized he would never get Amalia back so Talisa was to replace her, and I was to care
for her. But now, she has many sisters with the Tuureans to look after her. And I wish to go to my Amalia.”
My heart rejoiced and I made no effort to hide my grin. I’d feared the Admiral had brainwashed her into going with them. I felt a little guilty about my earlier aggressive stance, but my gut told me the Tuureans weren’t quite honest with us. Still, although my fleet outnumbered theirs, I wasn’t sure we could defeat them.
Lee extended a hand to Talisa. After a quick glance at Maheva, she went willingly to him and took his hand. Lithe and androgynous, the Admiral’s dark armor-clad figure and unnatural voice were intimidating. Yet, little Alleria and now Talisa, both reacted to him as if with a trusted friend or relative. It was… intriguing.
“The storm is getting stronger, General. While you deal with Gruuk, we can escort the Veredians back to our ships or we can leave Mother Maheva to your care.”
My instinctive reaction was to say we’d take care of Maheva. But my earlier outburst had fractured our fledgling alliance. He was offering me an out to keep the peace, whichever way my answer went. I wanted to mend things between us. This alliance was far too important, not only for Amalia’s people but for Xelix Prime.
“If it isn’t too much inconvenience, then we gladly accept your offer to escort them,” I accepted graciously, bowing. “Ghan, my warriors and I have a date with Gruuk.”
His stance relaxed almost imperceptibly, suggesting he hadn’t expected that response. His synthetic voice was less clipped when he replied, “It would be our honor.”
“See you soon, Great Mother.” With one last bow, I set off after Gruuk.
* * *
After crash-landing, Gruuk had fled the site on his ship’s hover-rover. He probably hoped to lose us in the ionic disturbance which made tracking difficult. It took us a while to find him. His transport’s engine, already damaged by the forced landing, succumbed to the storm. We found him stranded five clicks southwest of the crash site. Our shuttles surrounded him, a few feet away to ensure the best communication despite the ionic interference. I hailed him.