Talson's Test

by Marie Harte

Roarke nodded. “You should. I’m getting a bad feeling they’re going to make a run at Port Watch. The bastards don’t care who they step on to try to one-up us. Not that there’s a chance in hell—ah, heck, they can.”

  “Roarke has a point.” Jamie discussed a few options she’d proposed to secure Port Watch’s shipping lanes. Smart girl. Z approved, especially when he saw the warm look in his brother’s eyes as he regarded her.

  “I’ve a couple ideas about that.” Their father frowned. “I think—”

  “That’s enough,” Shea said firmly. “Roarke and Jamie are going to be married tomorrow. And you all want to discuss shipping?”

  She glared, and even Jamie flushed.

  “I’m sorry, Shea, it’s just—”

  “No, dear. I’m not upset with you.” Shea smiled at Jamie. “You’re the daughter I’ve always wanted. And I told you to call me Mom, just like my boys do.”

  Jamie beamed. “Okay, Mom.”

  “Suck up,” Val whispered under his breath.

  Romy laughed, and their father coughed to muffle his obvious amusement.

  Shea would not be deterred. “I want the rest of you to focus solely on tomorrow. My baby boy is getting married.”

  “Mom.” Roarke rolled his eyes.

  “Hush, Roarke.” Jamie put a finger over his lips. “Your mother deserves this. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a bunch of boys after raising my sisters.”

  “You will,” Z couldn’t help teasing.

  Roarke swore, and Jamie frowned in confusion.

  “Oh, that’s wonderful.” Shea laughed, then explained. “Zaret sees the future, Jamie. So you’re going to have boys, hmm? How many, Z? When?”

  Jamie paled, and Z decided to put her mind at ease. “I was just teasing, Mom.”

  “Asshole.” Roarke’s epithet reached him at the same time Jamie’s wide eyes settled on him.

  Roarke had found a keeper with his human mate. Her coloring intrigued Z, the light brown of her eyes as unusual as her flame-colored hair. She was pretty and exotic, so human. Z had detected a hint of psychei within her, surprising him. She and his brother suited each other, without a doubt. Their children would be well loved, and handsome as well.

  A sudden flash of pale skin and blond hair, of purple, almost black eyes burned through him. Dream walking, a bridge of fire. Flesh mingled and lovers caressed, audible grunts and groans of raw sex filled his senses. Two men, one woman, joining to share in unimaginable pleasure…

  “Zaret!”

  He blinked to find everyone staring at him. “What?”

  His father glanced pointedly at the fiery tablecloth in front of him, and he hastily dumped his juice over it. Jamie’s eyes were huge. Shea looked concerned. The others stared at him in shock, all except for Romy, who nodded.

  Fuck.

  “Son, we need to talk.”

  Z flushed, extremely embarrassed he’d lost control. He’d been dealing with the dreams for months, and the last two weeks had been the hardest. But he’d never come so close to losing it, and in front of his family, no less. What the hell was wrong with him? He was far from ready for The Testing, wasn’t he?

  Panicked at the thought, he blurted, “It’s nothing. I haven’t been getting much sleep and I—”

  His father’s gaze narrowed, and Z wished he had Romy’s strength to block out the psychic intrusion. Unfortunately, his talents laid elsewhere. Like in foolish flashes of the future. Creeping tendrils of energy sifted through his mind, like invading ants prickling his skin. He itched, but he couldn’t scratch the areas of his brain his father burrowed through.

  After what felt like forever, his father retreated.

  Z glared. “I hate that.”

  His father glared back. “How long has this been going on?”

  “For at least two weeks,” Romy said before he could even try to avoid answering.

  “Traitor,” Z pushed the thought.

  As usual, Romy ignored him.

  “Longer than that,” Val added, ignoring Z’s anger. “He brought me into a few of his dreams as far as a month ago.”

  Rhenec’s eyes narrowed. “You should have told me, Zaret.” He turned to Roarke and Jamie. “I need to talk to my idiot son for a moment. I’ll rejoin the festivities soon enough. Please excuse us, but this can’t wait. Z, come with me.”

  “It’s no big deal, Dad.” Z smiled at Jamie, who looked as confused as the rest of them. “So, Roarke, where are you taking her for—”

  Rhenec stood and grabbed Z by the arm, forcibly reminding him his father was still a power to be reckoned with, one who refused to be ignored. At his size, Z rarely had anyone forcing him to do anything. “This shouldn’t take long. We’ll be in my study, not to be disturbed,” he warned, directing his attention to Val and Romy, the family troublemakers.

  Romy shrugged. “Good luck, Z. Dad has that look in his eye. You’re in it deep.”

  Val grinned. “Better you than me. I told you to talk to him.”

  “Rhenec, what’s going on? Is the boy all right?” Shea looked worried.

  He sighed. “I’ll tell you about it later, veyu. Just, let me deal with this for now.”

  Shea glowered and promised Rhenec a look that said we’ll talk discuss this later. “Fine. Jamie, Roarke, let’s talk about tomorrow. Boys, you’ll stay right here with me. I have a few things I need you to do.”

  Val and Romy groaned. Trapped, like rats on a sinking ship. Z tried to look smug as he was dragged from the kitchen by a man three times his senior. He followed, resigned to the fact his father knew about his problems and curious as to what Rhenec might know about his dreams.

  The moment the study door closed the two in privacy, Rhenec shoved Z into a chair with so much force, Z instinctively braced for battle. Not a weak Otra by any means, Z found himself unable to move from under his father’s psychei. Caught by eyes that had turned molten silver, Z fought his father’s burning stare. But in his struggle to control the sudden maelstrom of his thoughts, he faltered.

  Purple eyes burning with heat, white-blond hair shrouding a body made for sin, Val, a ship on fire, metal burning, floating in space, naked breasts, a spark of life balanced, waiting, the future unleashed like a supernova about to explode. Images flashed and a dark, oppressive force pushed him down. The pressure squeezed the breath out of him.

  “Zaret, breathe. Breathe deeply, Son.”

  When he finally caught his breath, he saw his father staring down at him with an odd expression on his face. Rhenec appeared pleased, worried and in awe. “The good news is that you’re experiencing something completely normal, though extremely rare.”

  “I…am?” What the hell just happened?

  “Very few Otra experience the tranzwal, so I never thought to mention it. It’s so unique as to be almost forgotten.” Rhenec stared at Z thoughtfully. “The last occurrence of a tranzwal in our family happened over seven hundred years ago.”

  “Seven hundred?” Z blinked. “What the hell is a tranzwal?”

  “Think of it as destiny’s guiding hand. The visions, dreams, you’ve been encountering involve someone very close to your true path. The blond.” His father cleared his throat. “She, ah, you had a keen interest in her, I couldn’t help noticing. Not that I blame you.” He grinned. “She’s the key to your future. Whether that means as a partner in life bond or not, I can’t say for sure. She may in fact be the one who introduces you to your mate, or to a future you’re meant to live.”

  Rhenec grew serious. “The fires you’ve seen and the ability to draw fire while asleep, that troubles me.”

  “Why? All Otra control the energy within our bodies. I could burn those papers on your desk now if I wanted to.”

  “With a massive amount of concentration, yes, because it’s not as strong in you as your ability to foresee the future. But the flames from your dream aren’t from within you. They come from someone else. That encounter with the ship bothers me.”

  “Piracy,” Z off
ered. He’d been thinking about the battle he’d envisioned since he’d begun having the dreams. “The space explosions are results of battle. It’s piracy, Dad. I know it.”

  Rhenec frowned. “That’s not good news, especially with the reports I’ve been getting about our rivals.” He shook his head. “But that’s not the point. I don’t think you recognized it, but I did. The port you saw the woman in, the one where you first see her? It’s the site of our newest acquisition in New Hattan. I was thinking about placing you on the next freighter heading there, but now I know I will.”

  “New Hattan? I don’t know. Roarke’s wedding is tomorrow, and after that I have pressing matters at the docs on Port Nule.”

  “Of course you’ll attend the wedding.” His father spoke over him as if Z didn’t have an option on what to do. “After that, you’re going to New Hattan. I want you there to look into things.”

  He grimaced. “I thought Roarke was handling the Earth-bound freight.”

  “In Port Watch, yes. But in New Hattan, I want one of our own.”

  “Dad—”

  “No. You’re going.”

  Though he was a grown man, a warrior and independent businessman in his own right, Z still answered to someone higher. Rhenec Talson ‘Or Fal was still the head of the household, as well as his boss. “Shit.”

  “Exactly. You have to make this right. The Testing is upon you.”

  Z blanched. He didn’t want a mate, and certainly not one from an alien species. He needed a female capable of sating his psychei as well as his lusts, a woman to understand Otra needs. One with dark hair and dark eyes that would turn silver when she accessed her full psychei, someone to match him in every way. Much as he loved Shea, he knew what she and his father shared was a far cry from the bond Rhenec and his birth mother once had.

  “This can’t be The Testing. The woman is blond. She’s not our kind.”

  “She’s Otra,” his father disagreed.

  Z didn’t believe him. “Since when?”

  “There is one very sheltered, extremely private clan on the outer skirts of civilization. The ‘San Fal. Those barbarians I mentioned earlier? Your blond is one of the most unique females of our species. I’d almost say I envy you.” A large grin appeared on his father’s face, and he began laughing.

  3

  “What’s so funny?”

  “Oh, Zaret. Blessings upon you, Son. The ‘San Fal are known for their hostility, ferocity and sheer stubbornness. Their women are warriors in their own right, pyrokinetics.”

  “Great.” Unnerved that his father might actually be correct about The Testing, Z tried to ignore his instinctual excitement at thoughts of a woman tough enough to handle him. An Otra who could manipulate fire?

  “If you’re facing her fire, prepare to get burned.” Rhenec’s eyes flashed.

  Z thought to the woman and breathed deeply to still the echoes of hunger. “I’m not going through The Testing.”

  “Oh yes you are,” his father said with satisfaction. “And it’s about time. I’m tired of you playing around.”

  “Dad, I’m a hell of a lot younger than you were before you met my mother.”

  “Times are different now. We’re no longer at war. There’s no need to put off a family, to sacrifice your happiness for the good of the colonies.” Rhenec frowned. “The Testing is a gift, Zaret. It paired me with Isira, a great life bond I’ll never forget. Even now a part of her lives on in me and Shea.” At Z’s surprise, his father nodded. “Of course your mother approved. It was her spirit that guided me to Shea in the first place.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “Yes.” Rhenec smiled warmly. “But don’t change the subject. Your Testing is an important part of who you are. The fact you’re pulling this woman’s fire through the tranzwal tells me she’s most likely yours. Embrace it.”

  Z scowled. “You just told me she’s part of a bunch of aggressive barbarians, that I should prepare to get burned.”

  “But a burn can be a good thing, especially coming from a woman like that.” His father grinned. “I may be older than you, but I know beauty and strength when I see it. That one will handle you.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of,” he muttered.

  His father laughed. They rose and headed toward the door. Rhenec clapped him on the back. “Oh, one other thing.”

  “Hell. What now?”

  “Val has to go with you. I think you know that.”

  The fucking Testing. “Please tell me you’re not saying what I think you’re saying.” Two men to prepare the woman for mating. Sexual intimacy to broaden the match, to ensure the way for the future to begin.

  His father looked pleased. “You couldn’t ask for a better eda than Val.”

  “Yeah.” Z’s already sour mood grew worse. His brother would tease the shit out of him about this mess. He knew it. “He’s more than ready to find the blond and get started.” More than I am. Of course, Val doesn’t have to life bond with her. He just has to align her psychei with mine and enjoy her sweet body. “So if she bonds with him and me, then there’ll be no mistake, right?” The potential to be wrong about his future existed. Maybe his father was right; the blond would lead him on his true path. She didn’t necessarily need to be a part of it.

  He had a hard time thinking about no more sex with other women. No more partying, no more fun. A mate and children were sure to follow. Shit. Not now. He was in the prime of his life.

  His father nodded. “Don’t fight it, Son. Look at Roarke. He’s happy with Jamie.”

  “Yeah, but they fit. And he’s different than we are.”

  “Yes, but he’s not that different. He’ll live a good two to three hundred years. His psychei’s strong.”

  “And Jamie?”

  “Her too. As long as the love is there, the bond will see them joined. The only difference between Roarke’s mate and yours will be the lack of an eda. And of course their young may or may not have a full psychei.”

  An eda, so that when the time came to produce young, the female would be fertile, her womb receptive to Otra offspring. Hell, there went his mind again. Kids.

  “I envy you the journey, Zaret. Such fun in the hunting.” Only a bonded male would think of hunting down a mate as fun.

  “Thanks a lot.” But thinking about finally slaking his hunger for the lusty blond had Z’s body humming with anticipation, despite his desire to remain free of an Otra wife. “Now let’s focus on happier things. Like Roarke’s wedding.”

  New Hattan, Earth

  Adri ‘San Fal, or Adrienne Sanfal, as she called herself when in New Hattan among the humans, pulled a visor down over her eyes to catch the fly strands of hair obscuring her vision. She had a hard enough time trying to navigate on a hovercycle at low speed, but in the splattering wind and rain blowing around her face, her hair added yet another impairment to driving safely.

  As she buzzed through the busy streets, she let the exhilaration of freedom overtake her. Just her against the elements, a woman in charge of her destiny and her destination as she made several turns to join her best friend for a drink.

  No men telling her what to do. No arranged mating, forced life bond, or that dreaded Selection—a time in an Otra woman’s life to be dreaded. Females only entered Selection at certain periods in their lives—when psychically mature and ready to mate, or when ready to procreate. Neither of which she intended to do anytime soon.

  The only drawback of New Hattan, and Earth, that she could see were the humans’ intolerance of her kind. Progress had been made in the last decade. Otra were no longer hunted down for sport, and laws had been passed adding their species to the American Constitution, at least. Other parts of the world had different stands on an alien presence in their midst, but the northeastern states were the most liberal. Hence her sojourn to New Hattan.

  Revving her bike into an open parking space a block from the bar, she parked and removed her helmet. A few minutes later, she spotted Sheila standing ou
tside the noisy place.

  “Finally.” Sheila sighed with exasperation. “I’ve been waiting for ten minutes. I had to turn down three offers for a blowjob and two cops wanting to haul my ass downtown for soliciting.”

  Adri laughed. “Maybe if you dressed a little more conservatively, that wouldn’t be an issue.” Sheila’s skirt cupped her ass. The low cut of her blouse called attention to her breasts, barely covered by a lacy demibra, and her fuck-me pumps gave her an added few inches, putting her chest at eye level with most men. Her overdone mascara and intense makeup only added to her problems.

  “Suck it, Sanfal. You know I was on a story.”

  “Did you get what you needed?”

  “I sure the hell did. First drink’s on me.”

  The pair entered the bar after being waved through by Miguel, the bouncer. Though more an Irish Pub than club, the bar attracted a diverse crowd, especially on a Friday night. Criminals, cops, straight, gay, human, and Otra, all were welcome. O’Malley’s catered to a good time had by one and all, where people could come to forget about their problems for a while. A strict no-fighting rule was enforced by the many bouncers in the place, which accounted for the high number of Otra normally in attendance.

  Adri didn’t mind it so much. She kept an ear out about the new Otra in town, careful to steer clear of anyone who even sounded like a ‘San Fal while listening for news from home. And with her looks, no one ever associated her with the aliens. Blond hair, violet eyes she tried to pass off as dark blue, and a normal, even temperament made her seem human enough.

  After they passed Miguel, Sheila glanced over her shoulder at him before pulling Adri with her toward their usual spot at the end of the bar. Bless Tony, but he’d kept their seats open for them.

  “Don’t think I haven’t forgiven you for breaking Miguel’s heart,” Sheila reminded her.

  Not this again. “Sheila, I told you not to set me up on any more blind dates. I don’t want a man right now.” At least, not that man. I want the one with dark hair and wickedly bright eyes, the one who knows how to give me what I need. Her screwed-up libido went crazy when she remembered her vivid dreams. He does not exist.