Mate for Two [Helan Universe 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Lynn Tyler

Varin growled and forced her to sit in a chair by the desk. She barely suppressed the shudders of revulsion she had for this particular piece of furniture. This was where she had sat for countless lectures about her behavior and how much of a disappointment she had been. “I found her leaning out her window with absolutely no regard for how dangerous it could have been for her.”

  Her father jumped up, his face a mask of fury. “Where were her guards?” he hollered as he reached for his phone.

  The hell if they were going to have this conversation as if she weren’t sitting right there in the room. “Sully went to check on some changes to security that he”—she pointed at Varin accusingly—“wanted. O’Neill was there until that barbarian threw him five feet into some bushes. Of course my guards can’t provide proper security if they’re sent on errands or tossed around.”

  Both the males in the room looked at her as if they had forgotten her presence. Her father dropped his phone with a clatter. Varin’s eyes flashed at her dangerously, but he didn’t enlighten her father on exactly what O’Neill had been doing at the time. “Regardless, she was still hanging out the window, distracting her guard. She will get the translation device now, and will be held in solitary confinement until she signs the damned registry tomorrow night and is chosen as a female mate. She is probably the most important symbol of cooperation that you have.”

  For once in his life, her father looked at her as if he was nothing more than just that, a father. He was pale and sweating, his eyes huge and hands trembling. A knock at the door sounded, breaking the thick silence. “Come,” Varin ordered.

  The door swung open, and a man she’d never seen before walked in, carrying a small metal case. He spoke in a strange language, gesturing toward her as he set the case on her father’s desk. Varin nodded sharply and turned back to her father. “This is our starship’s doctor. He is here to insert the translation device. It is a harmless procedure, though there may be a little pain.”

  Her father held up his hand in an obvious plea for a moment. “What do you hope to accomplish by inserting this device? Your demands for confinement make sense, as she will probably become a target for every zealot in the world, but this seems a little extreme.”

  Varin cocked his head and stared at her father as if he were nothing more than a bug. She would have found it amusing, considering it was fairly similar to the expression her father usually used when he spoke with her, but her eyes had caught on the gigantic syringe the doctor had pulled out of the case.

  “It is to prepare her for her mating. It is unreasonable to expect that she will remain unchosen when you are one of the most powerful men on your planet. This way, she will understand her mate right away.”

  Her father seemed to consider this argument carefully, but she could see he had already come into agreement with the alien. The time to be a father had passed, apparently, and he was back to being the President of the United States. “I see your point. You may proceed.”

  Jacy jumped up from the chair and shrieked with temper and a good dose of terror. “I haven’t given my permission, you imbeciles.”

  Her father’s hands clenched into fists, but he wasn’t the one she was afraid of. He had never hit before, and she strongly doubted he would start now. His tongue was much more painful than his hands ever could be, and she was accustomed to letting his lectures roll off her back like water.

  Varin, on the other hand, looked capable of a great deal of violence. She risked a glance up at his face and was surprised to see that his expression had softened considerably. “Lira, I would never do anything to harm you. But this is something that should be done sooner rather than later.”

  He sat on the chair reached out for her. “Come here, little one. There’s nothing to be scared of. Let me hold you while the doctor inserts the device, and then I’ll walk you back to your room.”

  Totally bewildered by his complete change in attitude, she didn’t protest as he pulled her into his lap and held her head against his shoulder. His hugely muscled body surrounded her, warm and hard. She told herself that she didn’t struggle because she wanted to have what little pride she had left intact and not because he felt so good. He smoothed her hair away from her neck and nodded to the doctor.

  The needle slid into her neck, and the doctor pushed the plunger down, dispensing the liquid inside. It throbbed, as if a bee had stung her. It was almost as if the liquid was slightly corrosive as it travelled through her veins, feeling like it was burning through every obstacle in its path. Panic overwhelmed her, and her heart pounded faster than if she’d just finished the Boston Marathon. Her breathing quickened, trying to keep up with her racing heart, and she vaguely heard the doctor mutter something to Varin.

  A large, rough hand stroked over her cheek before long fingers tugged slightly on the strands of hair at her temple. She found the action oddly soothing, and her panic receded a little, though not enough to calm her heart or slow her breathing. Varin continued to tug lightly on her hair, sending tingles through her scalp as he began to murmur into her ear. “The device travels in the liquid, which is just slightly acidic. It won’t harm you, lira. I won’t let anything harm you. Just breathe deeply, little one. It will be over soon.”

  True to Varin’s word, the pain left as quickly as it had flared. She panted for oxygen, although she was no longer in danger of hyperventilating. Every muscle in her body was tense, aching with strain, and she concentrated on relaxing them as she listened to Varin’s constant whispers. Finally she raised her head from his shoulder and glared at the doctor. “You sadistic bastard. A little pain medication would have been appreciated.”

  A laugh burst from deep in Varin’s chest. “You are feisty, little one, I’ll give you that.”

  The doctor shook his head, clearly amused himself. “Pain medication slows the process. It seems more humane to do it this way.”

  Jacy jerked in surprise. She heard the strange language Varin and the doctor spoke in, but after a very slight delay, her brain translated the jumble of syllables into English. It was actually slightly disconcerting. She felt her eyes widen in her amazement, and she touched her neck. There was only a small bump, tiny really, maybe the size of a mosquito bite.

  Her father knelt in front of her with concern shining in his eyes, something she rarely saw. “How are you, Jacy?”

  The English words were immediately translated into…English. It was almost like an echo and was very distracting. She nodded but turned to look at the doctor instead of verbally answering her father, afraid of what she might hear in her head when she decided to speak. The doctor smiled sympathetically and shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing is perfect. The device will translate anything into your own language, even your own language. It’s like an echo, right?” he said in his own language.

  Jacy nodded again, relieved that at least the device wasn’t acting strange with just her. It wasn’t so distracting when the device was translating the Helan language into English for her. It just sounded as if she had an earpiece in and was listening to someone else translate the words for her. She looked questioningly at the doctor, hoping he would understand her reluctance to speak out loud. When she didn’t say a word, her father began getting irritated. “Answer me, Jacy.”

  She rubbed fretfully at her forehead. That echo was extremely annoying, and she resented having to hear her father’s orders twice. Varin, still tugging gently on her hair, spoke in English for the first time since the device had been injected. “The one flaw with the translator is that it translates all languages into your mother tongue, even your mother tongue. When you speak English, it comes across as an echo. It is very disconcerting. That’s why we’ve been speaking Helan to her. It just sounds as if someone is translating for you doesn’t it, little one?”

  She nodded again, her head starting to pound. It was easier when the men spoke in Helan. It was almost more natural than hearing the same English phrase repeated after a millisecond delay. Varin continued to play with her hair, pett
ing her and soothing her almost absently. She was far too overwhelmed to refuse the comfort, and she leaned her head into the hollow of his throat as he continued to speak with her father. “I would guess that she’s afraid of what will happen when she tries to speak. You don’t need to be. You’ve already spoken, remember?”

  Feeling like a complete idiot, she raised her head and shot him what she hoped was a quelling look. He stared back at her flatly, although she thought she could detect a hint of amused sparkle in his eyes. “How is it that you can speak English? Will I be able to speak Helan now, too?”

  The doctor looked up from packing away his metal case. “No, not right away. The device doesn’t translate our thoughts into other languages. But the very fact that you can understand us will help you learn the language much faster. We can speak English because we’ve been studying your culture for months now.”

  That made sense. “I’d like to go to my room now,” she said quietly. The translator device was blessedly silent.

  The doctor squatted in front of her and flashed a light into her eyes. He took her pulse and probed the injection site lightly. “You may feel a little headachy for a while as your brain begins to process the new information. The best way to treat that is to go into a quiet room and let your body relax.”

  Varin scooped her up in his arms and looked her dead in the eye. “You are looking peaked,” he declared. “I will escort you back to your room.” He placed her carefully on her feet and gently steered her toward the door.

  They left without another word as the doctor was offering to inject the device into her father. She smirked at the thought of her father, who was practically phobic about needles, squirming in his seat. She knew he wouldn’t want to reveal a weakness in front of these giant aliens, but he would do just about anything to get out of having a needle.

  To her surprise, Varin escorted her to her bedroom and not an inner, more isolated room. “I have posted my own guards,” he explained at her questioning look. “Until things settle down, you must be extra careful about your safety. As your father said, you will become a target for any zealot in the country.”

  He raised his eyebrow at her when she didn’t protest. “I can be reasonable,” she insisted.

  When they arrived at her door, he stepped inside first and looked around carefully, even under the bed. Apparently satisfied that she was safe, he turned to leave. “Sleep well, Jacy Townsend. And don’t hang out any windows again. It’s not safe, and my men will simply force you back in anyway.”

  God, she should be angry at that arrogant statement, but fatigue was hitting her fast as her adrenaline began to wash away. She covered her mouth with a yawn and waved a hand at him, dismissing him from the room wordlessly. He left with a chuckle as she climbed into her bed and fell into a deep sleep.

  Chapter 7

  D’Arik watched his consort fidget restlessly as people of both species began filling the reception room in the White House. Varin had been acting strange since he had come back to the ship after confirming security arrangements. He had been distant and brooding and completely uninterested in anything their ambassador had to say, which was totally out of character for him. In fact, he had forced the meeting to an end and had practically dragged him to their quarters. The sex had been aggressive, as if he’d been aroused all day with no relief.

  Dragging his attention away from his distracted consort and back to Ambassador Thantos and the ambassador’s mate, Communications Officer Kerek, he focused on what the two men were saying. “The reports coming in suggest that the majority of humans are, if not thrilled, at least willing to accept our offers in exchange for helping to save our species.”

  D’Arik suppressed a sigh and fought the urge to rub his tired eyes. “Let’s just call it what it is, gentlemen. We’re trading our services and protection for their females. Quite frankly, I’m surprised the humans are taking it as well as they are.”

  Kerek shook his head slightly and glared at his mate. “Thantos hasn’t told you the entire story, Your Majesty. The human males are much more receptive to the idea. While many of the females sympathize with our situation, they are not nearly as happy with being traded, as you say. Many are fleeing.”

  Of course they were. Why would they do anything else? Gods, D’Arik wished that one of his brothers was dealing with this. Better yet, he wished he wasn’t the high king at all. He hated the idea of having to force females into something they didn’t want for any reason. He, like all Helan males, had been raised to treasure and cherish females. They were held in the highest of esteem. Women in their society were pampered and waited on, granted their every whim and given whatever they wanted. It went against his every fiber to do anything other than cater to women, and here he was, forcing them to do something they didn’t want to do. “Keep an eye on how many females are fleeing and how many sign the registry. If enough women sign the registry, then leave the others alone.”

  Kerek looked like he wanted to argue but closed his mouth when Thantos laid a soothing hand on his shoulder. “Of course, Your Majesty. We understand how hard this must be for you,” the ambassador murmured. He would understand, too. All Helan males felt the same way about females. This treatment of them must grate on all of them. He nodded once and gestured for them to mingle with Earth’s most powerful people.

  Wandering over to a more secluded corner, D’Arik waited for Varin to join him, knowing that the other man wouldn’t let him out of his sight for very long. Sure enough, D’Arik hadn’t even been in the corner for five seconds before Varin was excusing himself from whatever military officer he was talking to and made his way over. “Your Majesty?” he inquired.

  Fighting the urge to reach out and tug playfully on one of Varin’s war braids, D’Arik sighed. He wanted to touch his mate so badly. Wanted to run his hands down the other man’s abdomen, to be able to kiss him, even if it was only on the cheek like Varin always insisted upon when they were in public. Varin was a stickler for protocol. It was one of the things that endeared him so much to D’Arik. But even those small public intimacies Varin allowed were not appropriate here, mainly because they hadn’t actually told the humans that most Helan males took another male for a mate.

  Kerek, who had been in charge of studying the different cultures of this planet, had made it known that most societies on this planet absolutely did not approve of ménage relationships. Those that did at least tolerate it tended to condone one man with multiple women, not the other way around, as it was in his own society. So that meant that D’Arik was not free to touch his consort as he would like. He busied his hands with the appetizers a waiter offered him instead. Varin’s deep voice broke in again, waking him from his reverie. “Your Majesty?” he asked again.

  “Will you please call me by my name, Varin? At least when no one is around to hear us speak.” He purposely kept his voice low.

  Varin’s expression softened, and his hand twitched, as if he, too, was fighting the urge to reach out and touch. “What’s the matter, D’Arik?”

  D’Arik shoved his hands through his hair and suppressed the urge to growl with frustration. He could feel himself spinning out of control, random thoughts and emotions swirling around in his head making rational thought difficult. Varin’s distracted moodiness and aloof demeanor wasn’t helping in the least. “I’m just having a hard time reconciling with the fact that we are bartering our services for people. In the end, it’s no better than slavery.”

  Varin gripped him by both shoulders, completely surprising him. It wasn’t a particularly intimate touch by any means, but it did the trick. He calmed instantly, and his heart, which had been beating as if he’d run a marathon, slowed. “I know, liro,” Varin said gruffly. “But we are out of choices.”

  This time it was D’Arik’s time to agree. “I know.”

  Men and women milled around, pretending to have a good time. D’Arik plastered on a smile and tried to look like the confident high king he usually was. Varin’s hands dropped from h
is shoulders, and he mourned the loss of their physical contact until Varin moved to stand beside him, just close enough so that their shoulders barely touched. “Have you heard from your brothers?” Varin asked, glowering at anyone who got too close to them.

  This time, D’Arik’s smile was genuine. Varin’s possessiveness and protectiveness never failed to warm him. Add to that the thought of his younger brothers, who always amused him, and it was enough to make him grin from ear to ear. “Yes. Jaron and R’oan had actually left the moment the news came in that the Earth population looked to be a compatible species. They should be here within a month or so.”

  Varin’s stony expression melted into a small smile of his own. D’Arik’s brother, Jaron, never failed to make anyone smile. He had been a magnet for trouble growing up. D’Arik, and later Varin, spent much of their time extracting his middle brother from one situation or another. Jaron just had so much energy that he almost always moved at top speed, never stopping to think about the consequences. Luckily, Jaron had chosen the stable, steady R’oan at his own Choosing Ceremony. The other man’s contemplative, deliberate nature complimented Jaron’s rather manic nature. With just one touch, R’oan could calm Jaron like no other. “Well, I see that King Jaron was in charge of that decision. You know that R’oan would never have just charged off the second he heard about a potential match.”

  “Yes, well, sometimes even R’oan can’t calm our Jaron. Besides, it helps us out. I’ll make them stay and oversee the choosings here, while we go home. Gods, I’m sick of the tiny bed.” D’Arik rubbed at his low back. As soon as they chose their female mate and Jaron arrived, they would be on the next ship back home.

  Varin’s small smile grew. “And leave these poor people at his mercy? He would probably blow up the planet by accident.”

  A laugh burst from D’Arik’s chest, causing people to jump and stare at him. He didn’t care, though. It was the first time he had genuinely laughed in days. “R’oan will be with him to supervise him. And we’ll send Nalan and whomever he chooses to mate as soon as possible.” D’Arik felt a little sad that he was probably going to miss his youngest brother’s Choosing Ceremony, but it couldn’t really be helped.