Gay Science Fiction discussion
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Zeus Vondorian woke already sitting upright in bed. He glanced at the digital display and rubbed his eyes. It was the dead of night. Hours before he’d be required at the incoming space dock to greet the twins, his brothers, Azaes and Mestor. Whispered voices of the past prodded his memory, pushing forward things he’d tried hard to forget. Vestiges of the dream clung to him, making the return to sleep impossible.
Weary with fatigue, he swung his long legs over the side of the sleep platform, and leaned his elbows against his knees. His long hair fell to shield his face and wide pale eyes from the automatic floor lights. A fine sheen of sweat covered his nude body, chilling him once he’d moved away from the warmth of the covers. He closed his sensitive eyes against the low light that switched on at the floor level. He’d asked to have them deactivated when he’d arrived fourteen cycles ago. He’d been denied with explanation it was a safety feature required by regulation.
“Horizontals off.” His throat felt dry and his voice rasped, but the program acknowledged his voice command. The room plunged into blessed darkness. His sigh of relief sounded overly loud to his delicate ears.
People expected him to reply on sight, now that he could see. He did sometimes, but the darkness was more comforting at certain times. He’d spent more than half of his life blind but since his visit to the Chtichlians at the age of thirteen he’d learned he was better off placing reliance on his hearing. What he saw in the faces of others at times seemed contrived subterfuge. What his other senses revealed to him held the truths that contradicted what his sight discerned.
Aggravated at his sour thoughts, Zeus scrubbed a work rough hand through his black hair. One of the humans, an engineer called Sam, had told him the blue streaks reminded him of a raven’s wing. He researched the description of the bird but he didn’t see the correlation. The natural highlights of his hair weren’t iridescent like the color of the feathers of the old Earth bird. He would’ve liked to ask Sam more questions. When the man discovered Zeus had been raised on Atlainticia, and he considered himself Mar’Sani, the friendly engineer avoided him. After that, he noticed not one of the handfuls of humans would speak to him beyond a restrained greeting in passing.
How ironic some of the noble houses from his home world sneered at him because he had been born human, and the humans shunned him because he’d been raised Mar’Sani. He found he preferred the sneers—even if it were those very looks he’d been avoiding when he’d accepted the Master Mechanic position on the Imperial Space Station Bashker’Qa. Days away from going back home and he’d just might kiss the first sneer he’d come across when he returned to Atlainticia.
He didn’t know why that particular dream plagued him now. It wasn’t a nightmare but a memory from his youth, an unconscious rehashing of his visit with the Chtichlians when he was thirteen solar years. His parents has sought them out and requested their help because they were widely renowned for their expertise in genetic manipulation.
Zeus had been born blind, the sole survivor of the deep space science vessel Asclepius. The battle scarred ship had been floating dead in deep space by the local Mar’Sani patrol. All life pods had been deployed but with only one life sign on board. The Mar’Sani towed the vessel back to their home space dock orbiting Atlainticia. They searched for a reason why the Terrens had left a two month old child behind. He’d been blind but healthy and free of disease. The ship’s data core had been ejected and the temporary memory banks were viral. All they could find were a few handwritten charts with his first name only and not much else.
The purpose of a human space vessel that far into deep pace had been hotly debated and with good reason. The Terrens had been relegated to their quadrant of the galaxy by the Galactic Imperials for the last fifty cycles. Most of the humans who traveled in space were employed by one of the four major Terren corporations. They operated freely within the Under Earth-Sun Alliance space. The quadrant was made up of a group of colonized planets, terraformed moons, and worlds that were forcibly taken over by the Terrens before the Galactic Imperials received word of the Terren’s activities.
It had been the Terren’s treatment of the GyrFalconi on Aerie 6 that had caused the Galactic Emperors to issue a cease order which the Terrens ignored after they killed the Imperial Ambassador. Later, at the conclusion of the Twenty Year War that had almost bankrupted the four corporations, their representatives claimed a misunderstanding and a truce. They swore they were unaware they’d overstepped the until the Cypress of Neighn Council played back the public executions of the galactic delegates that had been broadcasted on all of the human networks.
Per the treaty they signed they agreed to strict operating guidelines. They weren’t allowed to travel galactic space without authorization. They were made to pay restitution to the GyrFalconi for four hundred cycles. If the Terrens invaded, made war with, or destroyed a sentient planet then the Galactic Imperial Patrol would take over the Terren quadrant and dissolve all offending operating companies.
Finding the Terren research vessel so far from their approved travel course alarmed the Mar’Sani. After a thorough search, no other ships were located but neither were the escape pods. The whole situation was mysterious and no one could produce answers, only more questions, and one of the more pressing had been what to do with the human youngling.
When Zeus had been a small child, his father, Emperor Valdor Vondorian, would recount how the Empress Ashari had been broken hearted over the loss of their young son, Canry. The six lunar months old infant had been tragically lost in the Waters of Poseidon a couple of months before Zeus had been rescued. No one dared to speak of the terrible accident for fear the depression that had gripped the Empress would take to her away to the next life. But when she heard of the abandoned babe called Zeus, she rose from her sick bed announcing it was a sign from the Gods.
He could still hear his father’s deep hissing voice as he told the nighttime fairytale. "She kissed the emperor, gathered the twins, Azaes and Mestor, and together they went to collect their baby brother. From the moment she’d picked up the soft skinned babe, she and her sons fell in love. The emperor, ever indulgent of the love of his life, didn’t comment when she glided in, smiling happily for the first time in months. She boldly suckled the infant at her breast, walking among the Noble Houses, introducing them to her son, Zeus.
“It wasn’t until the emperor had been ready to retire for the evening that he stopped by the nursery to look in on his toddling daughter, Shaneva, who was showing signs of The Longing.” It was explained to Zeus early on that one in every two thousand younglings born would return to the Waters of Poseidon. These children would eventually choose to live in the water over living on land. The reasons for weren’t known but neither were the children discouraged from the choice.
“The emperor knew he’d soon have to give his daughter over to the foster family, and he wished to spend more time with her. Before leaving, he stopped next to the half shell of Canry’s birth-bed. The youngling, Zeus, peered up at the emperor, tiny fists waving defiantly in the air, milky white skin gleamed pearl-esque in the glow of the double moons. Downy blue-black hair lay in fluffy waves around the infant’s head, but it was the eyes with their not quite silver irises staring expressionlessly that held the emperor transfixed. He lost track of all time as he watched the child fall asleep. When he quietly left, he knew his beloved was right. Little Zeus was a gift from the Gods and he was thankful they were given back his fourth child.”
Zeus grinned into the dark, lost in the memories of childhood. His father told the tale, not to remind him that he was different, but to reaffirm he was indeed Mar’Sani. The story had sustained him through his childhood doubts before a series of events made him doubt the loving words of his father and emperor.
Even blind, Zeus had known there were differences between his family and himself. When he touched their cool skin he could feel the delicately fine scales that covered their bodies. They didn’t have hair like him but a single row of triangular barbs that ran from the crown of their heads all the way down the center of their backs to the tip of their thick tails. For years he had been jealous that he didn’t have a tail of his own. Theirs was strong and heavy. His brothers often used it to prop themselves up as the stood. When the twins became of age, they’d learn how to use the appendage in close combat. All of these differences, he was aware of but he still considered himself Mar’Sani.
When the twins turned fifteen solar years, their father brought in the Warlord Sohm’lan to tutor Azaes and Mestor in combat and strategy. Azaes would be the next emperor and Mestor his Chief Warlord. Valdor refused to commit Zeus’s future as a Warlord for his brother, instead bidding his son to wait. He was five years younger than the twins and his talents may lay in another direction.
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Zeus had been desperate to be allowed to fight along with his brothers. He didn’t want to wait to be trained, and took to hiding so he could listen in on the twin’s lessons. Afterwards he begged his brothers to show him what they’d learned. Dogged by his constant pestering, they secretly indulged him the following months until their parents found them out.
Zeus chuckled to himself as he rose from the sleep platform. With sure steps, he walked through the dark room and poured a goblet of water. Azaes and Mestor had become embroiled in a disagreement, Zeus couldn’t remember over what. The argument led to the twins trading blows. Zeus had launched himself off the back of the solarium settee bearing both younglings to the ground under him.
Their sister, Shaneva, who’d been visiting, ran to retrieve Sohm. When the Warlord entered the room, the three of them were rolling around on the floor trading steady blows. The room had been wrecked, furniture broken and heirloom ceramics shattered. Exasperated, Sohm pulled the boys off of each other. Zeus was squashed beneath his larger siblings. He’d been battered but smiling and laughing. Nose bleeding, eye blackened, he stood proudly next to his brothers for he was Mar’Sani, a member of a strong warrior race who proudly displayed courage in battle.
The twins were admonished for quarrelling and reprimanded for teaching Zeus to fight before he’d come of age. They were all given chores in the regiment latrines and mess hall. “There is no honor in battling over frivolous issues. You must think first, then exercise wisdom and restraint when men depend on your command,” Valdor admonished his sons.
That was the first time Zeus heard his parents comment how his frailty would get him killed. Valdor had sent his children off to see the physician but Zeus lingered on the other side of the door, trying to drum up an argument that would change his father’s mind about his combat training.
“He’s brave and brash,” his father said, a hint of pride in his voice. “His blindness doesn’t detour him.”
“But he isn’t built like us, love. If he’d fought with any other than his brothers, he would’ve been more wounded than he was. They may’ve been angry, but they did pull their punches.” The empress didn’t know how prophetic her words would become.
Agitated, Zeus stretched and looked longingly at the rumpled sleep platform. He wouldn’t sleep anytime soon, not with the memories plaguing him. He needed to find some peace and there was only one place on the station where he knew he’d find it.
He pulled on a set of his mechanic cargos, and tied his hair back before he left his quarters. The space station operated around the clock but the hour was still early for there to be much activity in the Conti’Quan section. Stopping in front of a familiar door, he signaled a quiet hale and waited.
He’d accidentally stumbled into the Conti section of the station shortly after he’d arrived. He’d been home sick and thought he’d found a public garden tucked out of the way. The atrium reminded him of his home planet, Atlainticia. He didn’t know he’d entered the private quarters of a sentient species of plant. Cleito had startled Zeus terribly when he’d moved to sit next to Zeus.
Mortified he’d trespassed, he apologized profusely, but Cleito invited Zeus to visit any time. The visits kept Zeus from home sickness while Cleito had become a dear friend. He was in need of the peace of Cleito’s oasis could provide.
The door swished open and the Conti’Quan stood aside, silently inviting Zeus into his sanctuary. “My friend, Zeus,” Cleito greeted.
All sentient plants communicated through a form of telepathy that was comprised of words and images. Communication in the beginning had been difficult until Zeus learned how to decipher Cleito’s language.
He reached out and brushed a hand over one of the vines, sending back, “Friend Cleito, I apologize for the hour.”
The Conti’Quan was roughly humanoid in shape. Zeus always thought of Cleito as male, though he wasn’t really sure. The species height ranged from a couple of centimeters to two meters tall. Cleito was a mature Conti’Quan and almost the full two meters. He had highly flexible roots for locomotion, allowing him to leave the soil and wonder the station. The main stalk of his body was thick and a deep green leaves entwined with several vines of varying shades of red and blue veined with yellow. The crown of his head was covered in delicate and vibrant flower petals flowing in a waterfall down Cleito’s torso. Although Cleito had a head, it took a while to stop looking for eyes. Cleito could see but not in the same way as others.
“Time is irrelevant. Come and sit with me. The garden is singing tonight.” A blue leafed vine wrapped around his hand and led him deeper into the atrium. The humidity in the air instantly clung to his skin. He breathed deeply, easing the ache for home. Normally, he could hold his desire for his native land at bay, but exhaustion, combined with the dream, had opened old wounds, and dredged up childhood memories which brought the soul deep yearning to the surface.
Cleito set Zeus onto the wide quartz bench before kneeling and withdrawing Zeus’s shoes off and setting his bare feet onto the rich, dark soil. Sitting next to him, Cleito took his hand, again, opening up and allowing Zeus to hear the night song. He wished he could listen with his own ears. The chorus of subsonic voice sang in harmony to the star filled sky. Zeus looked up to see the shielding had been retracted and a blanket of glitter shone down on them. That was a view he wouldn’t again see once he was home.
“You should come and visit me at Atlainticia. We’ve extensive forests. There would be much for you to discover and record for the Conti’Quan. You could meet the rest of my family.”
“I would love to visit your home world but you didn’t come to my door to issue an invitation. You’re troubled this night. Are your brothers not coming?”
Zeus grinned; the excitement over their arrival momentarily pushed away his dark musing. “They’re scheduled to arrive in the morning—well, in a few hours.”
“Yes, I can feel your joy at their coming. Tell me what has chased you from your bed so early.”
He leaned his shoulder against his friend. “I have this dream sometimes. Not a dream really, but memories from my youth. You know I was born blind?”
“You’ve explained this to me before and I admit to not understanding. You had your other senses. Where you ever truly blind?”
“I didn’t believe so but my parents worried. Other children heard I’d been instructed in combat before I reached the age of traditional puberty and thought it was unfair. I had been ambushed by some older boys at twelve solar years.” Zeus still remembered how his intuition alerted him to the malignancy around him when he entered the room. It had a certain quiet to the space that lent to the feeling of wicked expectation.
“Mock battle with my brothers is very different than the real thing. The adolescents were probably only attempting to knock me around but I fought back.”
“Why were the offspring jealous? Were they not older and already taking lessons? What did they have to gain by attacking you?”
“There are those who only see me as an orphaned human, not as a true Mar’Sani, and definitely not worthy of the Vondorian name and title. Some believed I was spoiled and indulged too much by my parents. I’m sure there were other reasons but those had been the whispers I heard among the Noble Houses.”
“But you survived the fight. For the Mar’Sani culture your strength was proven.”
“I almost died from the attack. My parents and some of the Noble Houses were horrified that any would assault a member of the imperial family, adopted or not. The four boys and their Houses were banished. They were children and taught not to regard me as the fourth child of the emperor. Father couldn’t forgive the trespass. If I had died he would have decimated the four Noble Houses for the assassination of an imperial prince. Because I lived, he banished them to the edges of the Black Desert.”
“An apt punishment for a species that needs more water to survive than my species does,” Cleito commented.
“They’ve been cut off from the Waters of Poseidon.” Zeus knew how painful it was to be separated from the warm tranquil ocean, to not be able to swim in its depths, or hunt in its waters. “Father worried there’d be another attempt to harm me and he wished for me to be better prepared and able to see the danger coming. He contacted the Chtichlians and requested their assistance.
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“I’ve heard they’re the best in certain areas of science. They provided genetically modified spiders to the Conti’Quan worlds that were experiencing a devastating insect infestation. Their generosity saved many lives.”
“In my dream, I remember bits and pieces of their conversation. They believed I wasn’t born blind but made sightless after birth. They said many confusing things during the procedure that I had been too young to understand but as an adult I do. They said many things about my origins, Cleito, and I feel as if I should do—something—but I’m not sure what.”
The vines slid comfortingly around Zeus. “When the time comes, you will know what to do.”
“I hope so,” Zeus whispered.
He leaned back against Cleito’s support and gazed at the magnificent view of deep space. He let go of the worry caused his dream, and before he knew it, sleep drew him under as the soft voices of the mini paradise serenaded him.
CHAPTER TWO
He woke feeling more rested than he had in the previous weeks. Alone in the quiet atrium, the shielding was closed, and plants dangled over him, almost like they watched over him. Cleito had laid him out on and expanse of thick grass. The rich loamy smell tickled his nose as he opened his eyes. Rolling over, he found his boots, and headed back to his quarters. The excitement of seeing Azaes and Mestor quickened his steps.
He climbed out of the sonic shower, grumbling about the cleansing gel mist. He always felt itchy for a couple of hours afterwards. Polishing his teeth, he searched for the shell box his sister had given him before he’d left for the space station. Two years older than Zeus, Shaneva had been born with The Longing and by the age of three she was fostered by a pod in the Waters of Poseidon. Three days a month she’d spend on land with her family before retreating back to the ocean. When she reached maturity she’d no longer be able to survive on land, never to leave the ocean again.
Those who lived in the waters formed pods of adopted families, never having children of their own, but adopting younglings taken with The Longing. Once the Mar’Sani may have known why this was so but the knowledge had been lost long ago.
Swimming in the Waters of Poseidon was always a special time to spend with Shaneva. Before he’d left for the stars she’d gifted him several worked stones from the oceans floor. The purpose of each held a significance she refused to divulge, but she made him promise to wear them in his hair when the twins came for him. She taught him how to weave them into his hair before they spent the day floating in the water.
With care he wove the multi-colored stones into the locks on each side of his face. He wondered how his sister faired and swallowed around the lump in his throat. The longing for family and home had steadily grown stronger. Once he was planet side, he doubted he would ever leave again.
Checking the time, he put on a burst of sped as he dressed in the Mar’Sani ceremonial uniform of the emperor’s warrior son. He tried not to think about how he’d past all of the tests, and the required rounds of hand to hand combat, only to be denied entrance into the Academy. Instead of fighting for the position he’d rightfully earned, he’d went to the university and gained his degree. The uniform was a harsh reminder of what he couldn’t have. Strapping on his dual swords, the leather creaked with each movement. He had become used to mechanic cargos that were loose and roomy, the stiff leather uniform felt slightly restricting. The dark green scaled hyde of Gerrho’Sauridae, Atlainticia’s Black Sands Desert snake, hugged his body and showed off his new muscular physique. With Cleito as his only constant friend, Zeus had spent a great deal of free time in the station’s requ-center and had put on twenty-three kilos of muscle.
He still had to work later, so he folded a pair of cargos to change into later. He doubted he’d have time to come back to his quarters. A hale sounded at the door. Taking a quick look around, he grabbed his bag and hurried to the door before the hale sounded again.
Hadon, Zeus’s Battion bodyguard stood in the corridor scowling, two of his four arms crossed. “You left your suite without me.” He sniffed the air. “You smell of soil.”
“I didn’t want to wake you. It was early and no one was about. I just walked to Cleito’s.” Zeus knew the explanation wouldn’t appease his bodyguard. The other set of arms crossed.
“And if you were snatched?”
Zeus gave an aggravated Mar’Sani hiss of warning. “I’m not a helpless youngling.”
“And if you came across a psionic who wished the emperor harm?”
Zeus couldn’t maintain his angry scowl. First, Hadon had a point. He was defenseless against the physic machinations of a psionic. Second—well—Hadon was a Battion. Three words to describe his bodyguard—big, furry, and cute—a bulky fur-ball who most races found difficult to take seriously, simply because of his adorable appearance.
Just under three meters tall, Hadon had broad shoulders, a short thick neck, and a domelike head. He was covered head to toe in long, silky black and white spotted fur. The hair on his brow naturally stood straight up revealing wide, blue eyes. The only places not fur covered were his hands and feet. He wore white spyder silk trousers, knee-high laced boots, and a blue vest that matched the vibrant color of his eyes.
Those who employed the Battion knew their merits as bodyguards, including the null field they radiated. They absorbed psionic energy and any psionic in the presence of a Battion was unable to use their skills. The Mar’Sani were nulls like the Battion and not vulnerable to a psionic attack. Zeus’s human physiology made him vulnerable, and therefore, his father had employed the Battion to protect him.
“I’m sorry, Hadon, I was upset and didn’t think to call you.”
A gusty exhale ruffled the dark hair around Hadon’s lips. “We have been lucky so far. I don’t want to invite trouble your last day here because I lacked vigilance.”
Zeus stepped out of his quarters and closed the door. “Nothing will happen because I’m not valuable.”
Hadon smiled, his huge blunt, square teeth taking up half of his face. “You’re priceless to your family.”
“Speaking of which, let’s get to the space dock.” Zeus turned down the corridor with Hadon following one step behind.
The Imperial Space Station Bashker’Qa managed a galactic jump gate by charting courses, and verified coordinates for outgoing hyperspace jumps. The station employed and housed around 800 souls, and could house an additional thousand transients. All ships using the hyper-gate had to go through a thorough inspection. Any repairs or changes could be taken care of at the maintenance docs. As the master mechanic, Zeus was responsible for the overview inspections and repairs. Currently he was the only mechanic certified to repair all space drives. His replacement would arrive at the station in a couple of days.
He stood on the space dock, waiting behind security, and watched for the twins. It had been fourteen cycles, five solar years on Atlainticia, since he’d last seen them. His pulse was racing with excitement, and he thought his stomach would climb out of his throat. He stood perfectly still at parade rest, giving no external indication to his inner exhilaration.
Director Autocthon would’ve met the twins on the ship with station security. It wasn’t often that a royal family traveled off world. With Azaes as the heir apparent, and scheduled to stay for several days until Zeus was released, the Director had added to the prince’s security detail. The twins would hate the restriction extra security would cause but they would be obliged to accept the offer to keep from giving offense.
An itch crept up the back of Zeus’s neck. He almost turned to look but stopped himself. He waited but the sensation persisted. He couldn’t figure out why someone would be watching him. Most people ignored him after a cursory gaze, usually curiosity, and nothing else. Did the watcher have something to do with his brothers?
Body thrumming with silent alarm, his right hand slipped to the hilt of his sword. They may have looked ornamental to the casual eye but he could expertly wield the titanium reinforced ebony blades. Hadon noticed his change in posture and dropped his hands to his utility belt, and hooked a finger next to his pulse baton.
Before Zeus could take a cursory look around, Warlord Sohm’lan walked boldly through the airlock accompanied by two of the station’s security personnel. Zeus’s hand fluttered over his stomach. Sohm’lan's eyes slid over Zeus, looking around the space dock, eye stopping directly behind Zeus for the briefest moment before continuing their circuit of the area. Looking back at Zeus, he gave a slight nod before retreating back into the airlock.
Zeus didn’t relax. The warlord may’ve located the possible threat but he wouldn’t be able to relax until he knew the twins were safe. A brief moment passed after Sohm’lan disappeared from view before he returned followed by a half dozen Monticore, the Elite Honor Guard. The Monticore were the only regiment allowed to guard the members of the imperial house. They were the deadliest of all the regiments, their loyalty above question. Zeus had been escorted by members to this regiment all of his life, their opinion of him, if they had one, never spoken. They had never treated him with anything other than the utmost respect. Mestor stepped out of the airlock ahead of Azaes who walked, head slightly bent as he listened to the Director.
Cleito appeared in Zeus’s periphery, and he smiled at his friend as he made his graceful way to Zeus’s side. He’d invited Cleito to meet his family but was unsure if he would come after he’d woken in the gardens alone.
“Zeus!” Mestor’s voice boomed like a rocket throughout the dock. People paused, drawn by the power behind the shout.
The guard parted as Mestor strode though, Azaes immediately by his side, the Director momentarily forgotten. Zeus gritted his teeth as his eyes stung. The twins’ long legs ate up the space, bodies leaned forward, tails lashing, as they stormed towards him. In a word, they were beautiful. Their fine black scales gleamed like polished steel, sunrise-yellow eyes with their elliptical pupil trained upon him. Their uniforms were exactly like his except for the accommodation for their tails. To those who didn’t know Mar’Sani, they would believe the twins would attack Zeus.
Zeus threw his shoulders back, “Brothers!” he boomed. Leaning forward, his posture mimicking theirs, he stomped towards the twins, and met them half way across the floor. Their foreheads pressed together lightly, hisses, snarls, and low whistles were exchanged between the three. Each tone of the sibilance exchanged was deeply meaningful, speaking of family, home, joy, relief, connections, and everlasting love. Each released breath that whistled, punctuated in an odd musical sound, had come directly from his soul as he stared into the eyes of his siblings. The greeting ended with the three throwing their heads back in a resonating growl until there wasn’t air left in their lungs. The display was followed by the hissing howls of the Honor Guard who’d surrounded the brothers protectively. Caught up in a back breaking embrace and all Zeus could think was he’d come home.
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Dargon Kal-Turak stood in a quiet corner of the space dock. He’d some time to waste as he waited for the inspection of his ship to finish. He knew he wouldn’t pass. They’d come out of hyperspace limping. That last net trap had damaged their portside engines. They barely had enough juice to come out of hyperspace intact. Hopefully they’d shaken the psionic tracker, well, at least until they checked the network. This imperial space station had safe guards against psionic infiltration but as an extra precaution he’d activated the scrambler to make detection harder. It bought them three or four days before they were located—again.
His eyes never rested in one place for long. He thought he’d dodged his tail but he wasn’t one to let his guard down. Expect the unexpected. The station was swarming with additional security. He watched as they assembled in front of an airlock. An Ice Tran in long robes approached the security.
It was strange seeing a species that normally lived in temperatures of negative fifteen to negative one hundred degrees Celsius out of their element. Not quite two meters tall, broad through the shoulders, and well-muscled but not very strong because of their hollow bones. The Ice Tran’s wind-wings were translucent from the wrist to the upper arm, attached to points on the shoulder blades. The large triangular ears twitched as the airlock cycled.
To Dargon’s surprise, a Mar’Sani, probably a warlord, stepped out and greeted the Ice Tran and the security team. Once the group re-boarded the ship, he started scanning the crowd again.
“There is that scent, again. Can you pick it up, Dargon? We could try to find it person it belongs to.”
Dargon grunted in a non-response. An enticing scent kept pulling at his attention. He’d run across the spice several times while he’d roamed the station. As heavy as the odor had been in several places, he could only surmise the person who the natural perfume belonged to was a station resident. It had been a long time since a scent peak his interests much less cause his sex to stir.
He was a Dar Massaga and they were as a very sexual species. Each male and female was paired with a symbiote at puberty. They shared an intimate, sexual, as well as, symbiotic relationship with the completely dissimilar being. The creatures called Alphas bonded with males and Zeta bonded with the females. They were dark green, almost black, marbled with pink striations, and covered the upper chest of the Dar Massaga, starting at the collar bone connecting over the shoulders to the upper back in an embedded torc. Many mistook Alpha as the Dar Massage’s true skin.
The two species started their symbiotic relationship after the inner species war that destroyed the surface of the two primary habitable planets of their system, Hedisa and Hedisa Gamai. The reason for the war had been lost to time but it was between the two primary sexes, the males and females of the Dar Massaga species. Eugenics and biological warfare had been used and both planets were stripped of one sex. The result was a unique situation where each primary sex inhabited a separate planet. As a consequence, to procreate the two species gathered on a regular basis on a moon of Hedisa Gamai to breed, and birth their young, afterwards returning to their respective planets. Once the young mature they are sorted by sex, given their symbiote, and sent to the respective planet.
Members of the Dar Massage participated in an intimate relationship with their Alpha and it was difficult for most offworlders to completely understand. Dargon shared a telepathic bonding with Alpha and he was very protective of his symbiote. He’d been hostile on several occasions when a lover had tried to “pet” Alpha. He shared his symbiote with no one, but today, even Alpha was reacting to the scent, murmuring excitedly in the back of his head. His sex had partially withdrawn from his body responding to the dual assault, from Alpha’s arousal and the unique pheromone.
Dargon adjusted his pleated floor length skirt on his hips, thankful for the heavy hyde. There were thigh high slits that allowed for movement in combat but still hid his burgeoning erection. Alpha’s reaction to the scent increased as the odor grew thicker. He briefly considered covering Alpha with his tunic. Dar Massaga always proudly displayed their torc shaped symbiote, but if the two of them didn’t control their reactions, they would have some very public sex. Even though his species were known for their sexual appetite and public displays, he couldn’t indulge without breaking cover.
“Please, Dargon, we must find him,” Alpha begged.
Adjusting his dark brown tunic of the softest spyder silk, his green eyes scanned the crowd again. Nervously he ran a hand through his copper metallic hair, unconsciously braiding the single line of his mane. His golden skin felt stretched tight and tingled.
“Not now, Alpha. We don’t have time to go hunting.” His retort was sharper than he intended.
If he didn’t know better he’d say he started mating heat. He’d given his offering last time he’d been home without touching a female. None of them had inspired him and left him flaccid, their mating scents dull and barely existent. He knew for a fact there wasn’t a Dar Massaga female on the station.
The fine hairs of his gold fuzz stood up on end, his eyes rested on the creature responsible for the incredible and arousing scent. For a moment he was taken aback as he watched the human followed by a Battion walk across the space dock. Dargon’s lip lifted in a quiet snarl. He didn’t have a use for an arrogant, self-centered, egotistical Terren. His sex immediately went limp and retreated.
“Not all humans are the same, Dargon. Feel how his scent calls to us. This speaks of compatibility. If he was anything other than honorable, he wouldn’t carry such an alluring scent to us.”
Alpha was disgruntled by his distaste, but after what he’d witnessed in the last year, he had no intension to ever be involved with a human. Dargon meant to leave the dock. The mystery pheromone had been identified; there wasn’t a reason for him to stay. The inspectors were probably done with his ship—and his feet wouldn’t move. The human male was attractive, a little over two meters tall. A respectable height, though Dargon was a half meter taller. The Terren had white irises, not a color natural to the species. The shoulder length black hair had some kind of beads woven within it—not that he cared.
Movement at the airlock drew his eye. Mar’Sani entered the space dock along with the security personnel, spreading out, and forming a parameter. Two more Mar’Sani exited the airlock with the Ice Tran. Dargon straightened from his position against the support post. These weren’t just any Mar’Sani. The fiery red tips to their row of barbs proclaimed those two as royalty.
“Imperial Atlainticians, what are they doing here? They don’t leave the Waters of Poseidon lightly.”
“Zeus!” one of them bellowed.
All movement on the space dock stopped as everyone turned to look at the display, a few took caution steps away as the Mar’Sani male bulls snarled, and for all intents and purposes, charged the human.
“Dargon,” Alpha said with apprehension.
The need to protect flared to life within Dargon and he’d taken several steps before he knew he’d done so. He made himself stop. He watched the human issue his own roaring challenge and strode to greet the two large males. They didn’t clash as he’d thought they would. Instead, all three heads were pressed together in a sort of dance, it’s the only way to describe what he witnessed. A chorus of hisses and whistles ensued while the three walked in a circle, foreheads never disengaging until they threw their heads back, and growled—long and loud. The other Mar’Sani guards surrounded the three, responded with their own snarling-hisses.
Those who’d been brave enough to stay on the space dock, fled at the crescendo of Mar’Sani greeting. That left Dargon as the only bystander watching the display. The two bulls snatched up the Terren in a fierce embrace which was returned by the human.
Alpha snarled in disgruntlement. “They dare touch him! Do something! Don’t let them handle our Zeus,” demand Alpha.
He clenched his teeth down on a provoking response, and locked his body into position to keep from striding forward and snatched the human away from the intimate embraces of the Mar’Sani. “He is nothing—you hear me—nothing to us,” Dargon responded woodenly.
One of the bulls met his gaze over the human’s head, lips peeled back over dark gums, flashing a set of intimidating sharp teeth, forked tongue testing the air. Dargon couldn’t stop his responding chuffing-grunt. He took a step back when he realized he truly was in mating heat and had almost issued a challenge over a human. A human!
Even as his mind rebelled, his body was preparing to morph to his true form for battle. He released rutting pheromones. His sex, although hidden by the floor length hyde skirt, was fully extended and weeping lubricant. The Battion moved, blocking his view of the Terren and Mar’Sani. The break of eye contact was like a gust of subzero wind, snapping him back to himself, giving him back self-control. He shoved his instincts down and replaced them with rational thought.
“Wait! What are you doing, Dargon? Challenge them.”
While he struggled with himself, the Mar’Sani started questioning the human. “Where is your security detail? Director! You promised our father Zeus’s safety would be assured!” A hiss of warning punctuated the last sentence.
“Azaes, I have Hadon.” That voice was a siren’s call to Dargon and he took a half step forward.
What was it about the human?
Zeus placed a hand on Azaes’s chest. Dargon spun on his heel. He had to get off the space dock before he morphed and ripped the arms off a Mar’Sani imperial.
“No, you can’t leave now. Go back right now and acquire the human. Dargon, you can’t walk away from him. You know what this means as well as I do.”
His skin prickled and his sex ached for release. No matter how much he wanted to drag the human back to his ship, he wouldn’t lower himself to fornicate with space junk, no matter how alluring the scent or physically appealing.
“Of all the things to think...”
Behind him voices raised in anger. He stumbled and grasped a hand rail to keep from going back to protect the Terren. He was damn glad he’d gone scouting alone; none of his crew had witnessed the freaking debacle.
****
“With all due respect, Prince Azaes, Zeus is only a human, no different than the other Terrens in the employ of this imperial space station.”
Zeus had the childish urge to slap his hands over Azaes’ ears. The Director didn’t understand the insult he’d just inadvertently given. Zeus was used to the indifference and he hadn’t considered how his family would take it.
“You will watch how you speak of the son of Emperor Valdor Vondorian!” The Directors’ thick ruff stood on end, giving him a recently tased look as Azaes’s voice rose in affront.
“Brother,” Zeus reached up and stroked the cool, smooth scales of Azaes’s chin, drawing the prince’s attention to him. “Has anything happened to me? Have I been harmed in anyway? The Director is responsible for the security and safety of the station. I couldn’t in good conscious draw away valuable resources from the whole.”
Mod
“The only reason you haven’t been harmed is because you’re disregarded, not respected as a prince should be. That’s what drove you away from home.” Zeus knew he had much to explain to his brothers but it wouldn’t be here.
“There are many reasons why I took the position here. Besides, there are advantages to invisibility.”
Mestor laughed aloud, pulling Zeus into another hug. “He has a point, brother. The Gerrho’Sauridae is invisible against the black desert sands. When it is detected, most disregard it to their detriment. All it takes is one bite and death follows before they draw the next breath.”
Zeus’s throat burned with suppressed emotions at being so honored by Mestor. In the presence of the future emperor, warlords, and the Elite Honor Guard, Mestor proclaimed Zeus not only dangerous but the embodiment of Atlainticia’s oldest, most respected, and feared creature known simply as Striker. Never before had Zeus been honored with such a compliment.
Azaes looked as if he’d argue and suddenly smiled. “You’re correct. The youngling has a deadly bite.”
Zeus detached himself from his brothers and drew Cleito forward, “Cleito de Conti’Quan, I introduce you to my brothers, Prince Azaes and Prince Mestor.”
“It is my pleasure to meet friend Zeus’s family. He has told me many wonderful stories of you. It would be my honor if you would dine with me this evening.” Cleito’s bow was returned by the twins.
“Fantastic!” the Director nervously exclaimed. “I’ll assist Cleito with readying the suite.” With an arm around the Conti’Quan, the Director left Zeus alone with the twins.
“Come; let me show you to your quarters before I report to work.” Zeus pressed his lips together to hide the smile at the Director’s retreating figure. His family could be intense at times.
Azaes and Mestor fell into step with him. “So tell me about your lover.” Azaes caught Zeus’s elbow.
“I don’t have a lover,” Zeus hissed.
“Then you haven’t been courting the Dar Massaga?” Mestor inquired.
Zeus glanced at their dark faces, surely they were jesting. “I don’t know what you are referring to. I haven’t had a lover since arriving at the station.”
Zeus’s head snapped back and forth as the twins continued the conversation, speaking as if they were one person, one mind.
“He flooded the space dock with mating pheromones.”
“And was staring a hole in the back of your heard.”
“He couldn’t decide if he wanted to fuck you or kill you.”
“He didn’t like us touching you.”
“Nor did he like the raised voices.”
“He was fighting his instinct.”
“Only a fool would fight the truth of his core.”
“There’s more, he was angry too.”
“An explosive combination.”
“A dangerous combination.”
Zeus held up his hand. “I haven’t met a Dar Massaga so I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Warlord Sohm’lan reported you were being watched,” Mestor replied.
“I thought it was because of the two of you.” Zeus rubbed the back of his neck.
“Maybe we should find out why,” Azaes said his face a hard mask. Zeus hoped the poor soul left the station soon. The twins might eat the Dar Massaga if they thought he would harm Zeus.
CHAPTER FOUR
Dargon stormed through the corridors, people quickly moved out of his way once they caught sight of his dark mood. He wanted to kill something or someone, slowly, preferably the human. The Mar’Sani Royal Guard stalked him through the corridors. They dogged his every move, watched his ship, his crew. They were already dealing with the stress of watching for a psionic, and now they had to deal with being tailed because on imperial brat was over protective of his pet Terren. Dargon couldn’t get off the station fast enough.
The inspection had taken longer than he’d anticipated and he worried about the outcome. It wasn’t that he didn’t have the money for the required repairs, he didn’t have the time. The longer they sat in the dock the more likely they would be found. If he could’ve sent a message to Valespia without it being intercepted by the psionic spy, he would’ve done so two weeks ago. But the hypernet wasn’t safe for the information he carried. The sooner he delivered the cargo the better. Without the repairs, they still had another thirty days before they reached their destination.
Storming out onto the maintenance dock, he went to the railing and looked down. On three different levels about twenty Asani were crawling all over a sleek 5T luxury ship. Their long, whip-like bodies were covered in sleek fur in varying shades of brown, grey, black, and white. They were one species that were capable of breathing on both land and water and he could clearly make out the gills on the individuals with the lighter coats. While he’d been in the Terren quadrant, he’d visited one their museums. There was an extinct animal, the otter, which resembled the Asani. The Asani were much larger, one meter tall with longer legs but the resemblance was still there.
A dark gray Asani ran by Dargon, feet ringing on the grating before she stopped, and came back to Dargon. “You’re not allowed on the dock without a yellow slip. Do you have a yellow slip? I don’t see a yellow slip. You have to leave the dock. It is too hazardous. We aren’t responsible if you lose a limb. You don’t have a yellow slip.”
Was it awful that he wanted to snap the cute little girl’s neck? Considering their breeding patterns were as prolific as Terren swamp rats, he doubted she’d be missed. Instead he waved the yellow tag the inspectors had given him. The little bug snatched the tag out of his hand and scampered over to the console and plugged it in.
“Oh! Oh mi, mi, mi. I see.” She whipped the tag out of the slot and handed it back to Dargon so quickly he barely managed to grab it. “Sorry, I can’t help you.” The fur ball turned to go.
“Wait, what do you mean you can’t help me? My ship needs repairs.” Dargon couldn’t believe she was just going to leave him there.
“Of course it does, but not by me,” she said nonchalantly as she tried to step around him.
Dargon caught the Asani by the arm and with exaggerated control asked, “Who can help me?”
The mechanic gave him a bucktooth sneer and tugged on her arm. “You have to see the Master Mechanic.” The way she said it implied that Dargon was daft. “You have fusion issues which take a Master Mechanic to fix. I am not he.”
Narrowing his eyes, Dargon glared at his future dinner. “Who, pray tell, is the Master Mechanic?”
The rodent snapped her teeth at Dargon. That was it. He’d had enough. He shook the pest and stood to his full height. The Asani dangled by his arm in front of Dagon, lips curled back as she huffed and ineffectually kicked at Dargon.
“I’m not the Master Mechanic, moron,” she spat with indignant fury.
Dargon grinned at the fur ball. Late meal was going to be fun tonight. He’d even give the rat a head start. A pleasant and soothing scent wrapped around Dargon.
“I’m the Master Mechanic, what may I do for you?
He turned around and there stood that Terren wearing blue cargos and not the formal uniform. Dargon stared into eyes so white they were almost silver. The iris was encircled by a charcoal gray ring. The human was taller that he’d thought with a strong body. The long legs and well curved ass that was on display that morning was hidden under that shapeless bag. The glossy black hair had deep blue highlights and it was still adorned with beads.
Alpha purred.
Dargon caught his breath. How did this Terren know the language of the stones? Their position, the order they were placed in, and the type of stones told Dargon a story: health, vitality, fertility, sorrow, broken strength, virtue, truth, power, and …chosen.
“I told you,” Alpha’s sing-song words rang in his head as he stared.
The sound of a throat being cleared brought Dargon back to himself. The rodent still dangled in the air, although the mouthy mechanic’s eyes were double their normal size and her hair stood on end. He realized he’d released a rolling chuffing growl, and he wasn’t aware how long he’d been responding to the message of the stones. He dropped the Asani, who fell to the grating and promptly scampered away.
“You weren’t really going to eat her were you?” At Dargon’s questioning look the Terren elaborated. “You had that look about you that said Ton was quickly becoming a menu item. She can be trying at times but I imagine she would be quite gristly and a mouth full of fluffy fur.”
“I don’t smell fear. He’s not afraid of us.”
Against his will, because he of course could never like any Terren, he smiled. “The chase could be the best part of the hunt. I have to keep my skills honed.”
“Oh, so you practice catch and release?” The Terren smile up at him and Dargon released mating pheromones. He widened his stance as his sex was freed from his body.
“Sometimes I keep what I catch. I might want to play with it later.” Alpha rubbed against him, approval rolling over his skin.
“Do you always play with your prey?” The human’s eyes were intent and unwavering on his.
Dargon stepped closer and inhaled the man’s heady scent. He wanted to pick the human up and bury his face in the Terren’s hair and roll his face in it. “No,” he said his voice low, guttural, as he suppressed a calling. There was no way this man would know how to respond—even if he was interested. “I normally eat my prey, but if I found someone worthy of the hunt, when I caught him, I’d keep him, there would be no escape. Once he becomes mine,” he inhaled again, the human’s scent was strong, and intoxicating, “I’d never release him.”
The man swallowed and licked his lips. “What if the prey doesn’t want to be caught?”
Mod
“Given the change, I’m sure I could make a convincing argument.”
A barely audible moan sounded and the human was breathing in small pants, nostrils flaring, pupils dilated. “Be careful on your hunt, your prey might bite back.”
“All the better.”
The Terren stepped forward and Dargon met him half way. There were only a few centimeters between them. Dargon’s dual hearts skip-scotched when the human gave a hiss rolling click.
“Zeus! What keeps you?” The two of them quickly stepped apart, instantly remembering where they were.
“Just a moment, Azaes.” The human, Zeus, looked back to him, the fire in his eyes banked. “You needed a Master Mechanic?”
“That’s what the rat said,” Dargon replied. Zeus took the tag from him without touching. He stamped down on his disappointment.
Zeus sorted the data at the console. “Here is the pass to blue level. Dock your ship this evening at service dock twelve.”
“Will you be the one to work on my ship?” Would he have a chance to bump into the man again?
He was rewarded with a sly smile. “You’ll be my last work order before I leave.”
Dargon frown. “Where are you going?”
“Home.”
Dargon was dismayed and then pissed that he even cared.
“Zeus!” The human moved away leaving him standing there—alone.
“Azaes, you’ll need to wait. Ton! Quit humping Wren. What in ten planets is everyone doing? Orgies are not allowed on paid time! You had better not be doing this to scare off the new master mechanic.”
Dargon was startled by the hiss that sounded in his ear. He’d never—ever—been distracted enough to be caught unaware by another. “You’d better be careful, Dar Massage, your prey has the strike of a snake. Your death will come before he pulls back from the bite.” The Mar’Sani’s eyes narrowed to slits so the irises were just thin yellow slivers against a sea of polished black scales.
“What’s the matter, afraid I’ll steal your pet Terren? I’ve no use for toys, least of all human ones,” Dargon taunted. He knew he shouldn’t poke the angry lizard but he had become a pain in the ass. Every time Dargon had seen the prince, he was met with challenging stares and posturing that invited a fight.
Azaes’s thin lips pulled back to reveal glistening, black gums and sharp, needlepoint teeth. “I could have you killed for the insult you’ve given the House Vondorian.”
Dargon gave a derisive snort. “Over human space junk? I think not Mar’Sani.” Not waiting for a response, he spun on his heal and walked away.
“Zeus, the Dar Massaga is as uncouth and rude as a V’Saar insect much like Rathmar Dib-Amidea at home. You put that lizard in his place before you left. He still bears the scars for his insult. Do you need one of my daggers? You may have need of it dealing with certain people.”
Dargon’s casual stride turned into a stomp as he left the maintenance dock. Who was this Rathmar? He would rip off the lizard’s tale if he touched his chosen. He halted mid-step and staggered, he was so incensed he raised his voice in loud profane cursing and possibly a stomped foot or two. He wouldn’t allow it, he hated humans, despised what they stood for, what they did in the name of progress, and how they killed for the sake of greed. He reviled all of them. He forced himself to breathe slowly through his anger, slowing the double thrum of his hearts until the red haze cleared.
Well, obviously all of them with the exception of one silver eyed paradox.
All the way back to his ship he barked chuffing growls, scaring people out of his path with the thundercloud following him. What did the human mean when he said he was going home?
CHAPTER FIVE
Zeus knew that any other day he would’ve been incensed by the behavior of his crew—if he hadn’t been having problems keeping himself together. Gripping the walkway railing like a man hanging on for dear life, he almost chased after the Dar Massage until he heard the words between his brother and the infuriating male.
He didn’t need to get entangle with someone just as prejudiced as Rathmar. What was it about him that attracted hiders? Rathmar had desired Zeus from the beginning and his lover had hated himself for what he deemed a weakness. After all, Zeus wasn’t even a warlord as a royal son usually was. How could Rathmar lower himself to desire someone too weak to get in the academy much less a human who could never be fully Mar’Sani? Those were the words Rathmar used the last time they had been together.
Zeus could admit he’d been running from the silent public ridicule of certain Noble Houses. None of the whispers had reached the emperor’s ears, for if it had, more Houses would’ve been banished to the wastelands. Zeus couldn’t allow that to happen because of him. Just as he didn’t fight the academy for their faulty test scores, and sending someone to prison, he walked away—again. He knew his own worth, as did his family, and it was all that mattered to him.
“Has he harmed you?” Azaes appeared at his side, a clawed hand placed between his shoulder blades lending Zeus emotional stability.
“No brother, he was here to schedule his ship for repairs. He didn’t touch me.”
Azaes hissed in irritation. “He didn’t have to with the amount of mating pheromones he pumped into the air.”
Zeus hid a smile as he watched the Asani frolic around the space dock. They enjoyed the effects of the pheromones. At least they had kept their clothing on.
“Give me a moment to wrap things up and we’ll leave for late meal.” Azaes stroked him a couple of times. His instinct must’ve told him Zeus needed the contact. Patting his shoulder the prince walked over to wait with his personal guard. Four of the Elite Honor Guard had been assigned to Zeus to add to Hadon’s security detail.
Zeus flagged the work order for the fusion engine on the merchant ship Oethra 7, Captain Dargon Kal-Turak. The Dar Massaga appeared to contemplate eating Ton when he’d approached them. When Dargon had pinned him with those brilliant green eyes he’d been caught in their snare. The pupils were elliptical like the Mar’Sani people but Zeus didn’t read reptilian on the male. That Dargon was dangerous, obviously a predator of some kind was evident, though a little contradicting with the external package. Not to say that Dargon appeared weak, just too pretty, and possibly prone to preening.
The Dar Massaga had a single line of eye catching copper hair, pulled in a single row down the center of his head starting at the brow to the nape of his thick neck. It had been neatly braided, the tip brushing the top of the man’s fine ass. The nose was somewhat flat, the nostrils broad over full plump lips. He had a broad square-ish chin, and when the man spoke he flashed glimpses of sharp teeth. His skin was a gold brown, a sun kissed look, and he was covered with a fine fuzz, not unlike the body hair he notices on some of the humans, just more delicate and almost invisible against his golden skin. Zeus had been mesmerized by Dargon’s ears, tear drop in shape, and lined with rings of stones similar to what Zeus wore in his hair. He thought if he studied them long enough he’d be able to discern their meaning. The sides of the Dar Massaga’s head were tattooed with tantalizing glyphs of stripes that his fingertips itched to trace.
He’d pulled up data on the Dar Massaga race after his brother’s voiced concerns that morning. The species were marsupials. He wondered if the male of the species had pouches as well as the females. He hadn’t had time to do too much research. They also had a symbiotic relationship which they openly displayed. The deep green torc around Dargon’s collar bone didn’t seem out of place on the male. Dar Massagas were fiercely protective of their symbiote but it didn’t stop Zeus from wondering what the creature felt like. When Dargon had walked away, the floor length pleated skirt had revealed flashes of leg up to a muscular thigh with thick soled, knee-high, buckled boot.
Why did the male have such a devastating effect on him? He’d been rock hard the moment he’d looked into those captivating eyes. As tantalizing as the Dar Massaga was, Zeus couldn’t afford to get involved with him. He’d already met his quota for self-abuse when he stayed as Rathmar’s lover. He wasn’t up for another bought of verbal and emotional manipulation. It was bad enough he’d allowed it to happen to begin with. Lesson learned and he had he kept his libido caged. He had a couple of days left. The Dar Massaga would be disappointed if he thought Zeus would just fall into his bed.
The work order completed, he turned the crew over to the evening manager who promptly vented the bay to clear the air. Zeus met Azaes by the exit and they were surrounded by the Manticore Honor Guard. Hadon took his place one step behind Zeus and they headed to his quarters so he could change for late meal.
“I don’t want you around the Dar Massaga. Hid body reacts to your presence but he truly despises humans. He’s too stupid to recognize you as Mar’Sani. If he gives into his instinct and mates with you, he could react poorly once he turns lucid. He may harm you in retaliation.
They waited outside his quarters as two of the honor guards swept in and cleared the area before Azaes and Zeus were allowed to enter. Azaes waited until they were within the privacy of Zeus’s suites before he spoke his mind.
“I know what Rathmar did to you.” Azaes’s voice was low and deadly. “You didn’t come to us. Why?” Zeus could hear the Azaes’s teeth snap together.
His heart had plummeted at his brother’s acknowledgement. He’d been too distracted by Dargon the first time Azaes had mentioned Rathmar’s name. Zeus took down his dress uniform, refusing to look at the prince just yet. He had to claim control of his emotions first.
“How long have you known?”
“The skink was bragging to his little ring of marionettes not even a lunar moon after you left. He disappeared when you did and I hadn’t put the two together until he came back to court baring a scar. I want to see what he did to you.” Zeus could hear his brother’s barely controlled anger.
His shame was so great, he felt like he was standing on the scorching black sands of Inferno. “Does father know?”
Azaes paused. Zeus didn’t hear him approach but suddenly the prince was there next to him. “Why did you not come to us—come to me? You disappeared for a week and then we received a message from the station regarding your safe arrival.”
“I told Shaneva.”
Mod
“But not me!” Zeus flinched; he could hear the pain in Azaes’s voice.
“I’m sorry, brother,” he choked out. “I was ashamed.”
“Why? How much have you kept from us. I don’t understand, Zeus.” Azaes’s words were infused with confusion and heartbreak.
As children he had shared everything with the twins. He had trusted them with everything—until Rathmar. He’d been so desperate for an intimate bond. He wasn’t sure his family could understand. They were so different in some ways, he and them. The twins were never in need of willing or adoring partners. Zeus had been so alone.
“Rathmar didn’t want anyone to know. He was mortified that he was attracted to me. I thought time would allow him to come to terms with how he felt. He could be so loving and sincere, and then go through bouts of guilt. His family would’ve turned him out if they discerned he’d been intimate with me.”
Azaes released angry noise. “He was your friend. You spent all of your spare time together. You’re a son of Emperor Valdor Vondorian. Anyone would be honored to be your Amor!”
A bitter laugh escaped Zeus. “No, there are those who don’t see me as anything other than a human monkey. I will never be more to them.”
“Father will…”
“No!” Zeus barked. “He can’t keep banishing Noble Houses because of me!” He turned and faced Azaes.
His brother grasped his face between his palms. “You are his child! Any,” Azaes’s nostrils flared and his eyes burned with enraged fire, “any who insult you, insult the emperor. Affronts cannot be overlooked or allowed. The rumor of what he did to you goes beyond a mere slight. Show me what he did.”
“No, father will-”
“I won’t tell father,” Azaes vowed.
Zeus searched Azaes’s face. “Swear—swear to me you won’t do anything ill advised.”
“Why do you think Mestor isn’t here? He couldn’t promise not to kill Rathmar so he stayed behind.”
“And you can make that promise?”
“Yes.”
Zeus released a suffering breath. He’d carried this burden for a long time. He’d refrained from taking another lover because of it. He’d run instead of leaning on his family, an action he’d regretted as soon as he’d left orbit.
Laying the uniform out on the sleep platform, Zeus released the clasps of the mechanic’s cargo with shaking fingers, and withdrew his arms form the sleeves before he let it drop over his wide shoulders to his waist.
“Zeus…” Azaes whispered in shock. Cool fingers traced the jagged lines as if he were counting them. There weren’t many but the scars were deep.
A guttural noise rolled out of Azaes, long and low, a signal of danger that ended on a note closed to a whine. Azaes was hurting. He took his duties of protector seriously. Zeus hadn’t allowed his family to protect him and that action had hurt them.
“I apologize, brother. I couldn’t explain how this happened to you. A friend took me in and cared for me. I knew everyone would smell the blood on me, and I couldn’t hide what had happened. I went to see Shaneva. I swear she’d been expecting me because she’d these beads waiting for me.”
Azaes gripped his shoulder and they stood that was for a moment. Zeus let go of the burden that secret had yoked to him. So far, his brother had acted with restraint. He knew what that cost Azaes.
“Brother,” Azaes whispered, emotion choking his words. “Please…never withhold from us again. You don’t have to stand alone. I never want to wonder why I’m not worthy of your trust again.”
Zeus looked over his shoulder, eyes luminous with unshed tears. “I didn’t want to bring shame upon Father’s house.”
“You’ve been listening to the wrong Noble Houses. You’re stronger than any of us. I hope one day you’ll come to know the power you have.” His grip on Zeus’s shoulder tightened. “You’ve always brought honor to the House of Vondorian and more worthy of the title of Prince, than I am.”
CHAPTER SIX
Dargon made it back to his ship without murdering anyone. It was close though, he’d run into a group of Terren coming of the cantina. They had run into Dargon without a word of apology as they continued on their way. He sniffed them as they went by and scented only sour sweat, chemicals, and sickness on one. They appeared dull and unremarkable when he compared them to Zeus, and he couldn’t understand why there was such a contrasting difference. On the bridge the GyrFalconi, Axis de la Rynch, worked the navigation charts. Axis was almost as tall as Dargon with dark brown skin and a plume of red tipped gray feathers instead of hair. The GyrFalconi’s round eyes were black with an outer ring of yellow, a wide, bone-plated nose which made him appear flat faced.
Axis looked up from the charts when Dargon stomped onto the bridge. “This is the second time today you’ve stormed onto the ship in a foul mood. Have we been found already by the psi-tracker?” Axis was immune to psi attacks, sensing, and probes. They slid off him like water but he wouldn’t be able to detect a psionic.
“No—we’re safe for now. How much longer until we arrive at our destination?” Dargon knew the answer before he’d asked but he needed a safe topic to allow his boiling blood to cool.
“If we get the fusion engine fixed then it will be thirty standard days to arrive at headquarters, another two to Valespia. If the engine can’t be fixed we’ll have to use jump gates and it will be closer to sixty days. If we use the gates they’ll be able to track and intercept us easier.”
“The station has a master mechanic, a human called Zeus, who’ll start working on the engine tomorrow.” There were several crew members who despised humans just as much as he did. Axis being one of them.
“I’ll let the crew know. No use harassing the only person who can get us running again,” Axis smirked.
Dargon handed over the maintenance docking information and codes. “Make sure you let everyone know not to harass the mechanic.”
The navigator regarded Dargon. “Captain, is he the reason why you’ve been cranky?”
Dargon’s mouth worked as he disregarded a half a dozen replies. “He’s not like the other humans. I don’t want him hurt.”
“I’ll pass on the word but I can’t promise what the others will do.” Axis said with an air of boredom.
“It wasn’t a request. It’s an order,” Dargon snapped. “Just because we’ve been operating as a merchant ship for the last two standard years doesn’t mean they can do whatever they want when not on duty. The assignment is far from over and this crew still reports to me. I’ll deal harshly with anyone who harms him. Do I make myself clear?”
Axis’ black eyes narrowed at Dargon. “Got it.” He swiveled his chair back around to the navcharts, ignoring the Captain.
He couldn’t blame Axis for his hatred of the Terrens. His people were genetically altered by the humans, skipping their natural evolutionary process so they could use the GryFalconi as slaves to work the mines. His species lost their wings, their ability for personal flight, because of the forced alterations. Most of Aries 7 still remembered their winged ancestors or they were like Axis who had his wings when he was young. Dargon had seen the scars.
Regardless of everyone’s prejudices against the Terrens, they had a job to do and they couldn’t—he couldn’t—be sidetracked by a human. While the repairs were being made to the engines, Dargon needed to make sure the mechanic wouldn’t accidentally discover their cargo. In the mess hall he found two people who’d help him.
Madux Manx was the ship’s Chi-Lin psi-healer. The tall feline race looked remarkably human with blue eyes; his humanoid hands and feet had strong retractable claws. Though his body wasn’t covered in fur, his skin was black with gold rosette spots. The lion’s mane grew much like human hair, dark, soft, and flowing down his back.
Eighty percent of the Chi-Lin species were psionic which kept them from using magic. Their use of the M’Karin crystals, a gem that held high psionic charge, protected them against hostel forms of magic. They were a secretly engineered species, although by who was unknown, even to the Chi-Lin.
Sitting with Madux was the Catalani assassin, Amlyn. Barely one and a half meters tall, she was half as tall as Madux. Although humanoid in body shape with hand and feet, her face was more feline in appearance with swirled brown and white short fur over red-brown skin. Her russet eyes watch him approach, tail flicking back and forth.
“Axis sent us the message about the human. Why can’t we mess with him?” She flashed a mischievous hint of fang.
“How are our guests?” Amlyn’s eyes broke away, reminded they had a purpose.
“Better than they were,” Madux replied. “My psionics aren’t compatible with the Fal’Amorics so I’ve been assisting Mayra as an assistant medic. There are a couple who are still in critical condition but the others were able to help with medicine and a restricted diet.”
“The station has the one master mechanic to work on the fusion engine. If he’s accidentally hurt then we’ll have to use the jump gates, and we all know how easy it would be for them to track us down that way. We need him but while he’s on board, make sure he doesn’t wonder into restricted areas, or for the Fal’Amoric to come onto the common level. Amlyn set the Orions at the doors. Madux, you or Mayra need to stay with our guest. We don’t need to blow our cover. I’ll have Abechan scout for the tracker while I make sure we are restocked. I don’t want to stop again until we’ve reached out destination.”
Madux and Amlyn asked a few questions before they left to make their arrangements. He hoped the human wouldn’t be more trouble than he was worth.
Mod
The Oethra 7 was supposed to be a merchant class ship. Zeus held back an ugly snort. This was a Tradeline 3.2 modified long range scout ship. The beauty was a streamlined, wingless body equipped with vectored thrust and if lightly loaded, able to take off and land vertically. He’d noticed the turret bay door underneath the body.
Were the crew scouts, Imperial Patrol, or pirates? The moment he’d come aboard he’d been watched. They were good, sly even, but he listened to his other senses and not what his eyes told him. He’d counted a least six Orion troopers. He’d never met an Orion before. They were bigger than he’d thought they’d be. There wasn’t anything slightly humanoid about them. The mantle included the head and body, as tall as he was with a single row of black eyes circling the crown. They had nine tentacles, currently tucked into the mantle, only displaying the three short walking limbs. In combat they had nine tentacles that extend four to five meters. The end of each appendage held a diamond shaped pad with small retractable, triangular claws covering the surface that could shred through most armor in seconds. This small troop had the same blue skin coloring with blue and yellow scales on the armor plating indicating they were from the same familial clan.
Hadon followed behind Zeus as the little L’Eema, who introduced himself as Otho, lead them to the engine room. Hadon’s posture changed when they boarded and he walked closer to Zeus when they approached the biggest Chi-Lin psionic Zeus had ever seen. The guy was massive, a half meter below three meters tall. There were so many dangerous species on the ship that he leaned toward pirates. He needed to be vigilant. He couldn’t be positive about his assessment but he’d rather error on the side of caution than be caught off guard.
“Any tools or equipment you need let me know and I’ll have someone fetch them,” said Otho oblivious to the rising tension of the two people following them.
The L’Eema was smaller than the Asani who worked for Zeus. He had black short fur, violet eyes, and a tail twice as long as his body curled over the top of his head.
“Sure,” he replied hesitantly. “If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you?”
Otho looked over his shoulder and flashed Zeus a reassuring smile. “I don’t mind, I’m twelve, just turned.”
Zeus was relieved. L’Eemas were brilliant but at the age of twenty they were driven by an overwhelming urge to destroy themselves in the most spectacular way possible, with no regard to those around them. Most L’Eemas travelled back to their home world to hurdle themselves into their sun.
Otho laughed at him. “You’re safe human. No beautiful explosions scheduled for the near future.”
The engine room was pristine. Zeus had seen some poorly kept engines before, but this one, he was almost positive he could eat off the floor. It only pushed him to his first assessment of the reason for the fusion assessment.
Ignoring Otho, Zeus started climbing up the fusion cylinder covering to the exhaust piping. “We have retractable scaffolding for that,” Otho shouted.
Zeus examined the electromagnetic burns on the ceiling around the pipe. The engine had been targeted specifically. The most of the galaxies used electromagnetic weapons. Projectiles were more effective against planets than space ships. For those who weren’t familiar with skirmishes in space, like the Terrens, they quickly figured out that projectile and energy weapons were practically useless when targeting another ship. It was hard to pin down a trajectory in the vast distances between ships. The ability to accurately target a moving ship with unknown capabilities was less than five percent. It was expensive in equipment and ammo. Not only were destroyed ships costly and difficult to replace in short order, there was nothing to take back to recuperate the cost.
The use of electromagnetic cannons made the loss of life minimal and the ships could be commandeered by the winning fleet adding capital to their bottom line. Someone had tried to capture the scout ship and the incident hadn’t been reported to Galactic Patrol when the Oethra 7 docked with the station.
“Otho, you’ll want to have someone check your outer plating. I see E.M. netting marks,” he called down.
The L’Eema squeaked and chittered so fast Zeus had a hard time keeping up as he climbed down. Before his feet touched the floor, Otho had darted excitedly out of the engine room, leaving him alone with Hadon.
“It’s not safe here, Zeus. I tried to contact Azaes and the communicator is being jammed.”
He opened his equipment box as he listened to Hadon. “Yeah, I got that.” He took out a long knife and belted it to his calf before pulling on a bio suit. He doubted he’d need it but who knew what was caught in the fusion exhaust.
“I’m not comfortable with you being here. You saw what I did coming in. This crew is up to something and the longer you’re around the more likely you’ll be hurt by them.”
He swung his utility belt around his waist and clasped it. “Then I had better work fast and get them out of the port.”
“Prince…”
“I understand, Hadon, but if I’m in danger then so is this station. I’ve an obligation to get them up and going so they can leave.” The Battion crossed his arms. “Just give Otho this list of parts that I’ll need and make sure the case with my dress uniform doesn’t wonder away.”
“I got it. Do you think Azaes is going to announce his engagement to Ariafella tonight?”
Zeus laughed. “I expect so, he’s so love sick. Mestor let it slip that father will step down and retire to Valespia and take his place on the Galactic Council once the prince has bonded. Father’s there now visiting the Haven’s royals at the Imperial Palace to make arrangements. I’m sure mother’s enjoying her time at home making arrangements for the commitment ceremony.”
Zeus pulled on the gloves and secured the face plate. “I’m sure once we’re home we’ll be busy following the directions of the women. It’s been a long time since mother had a party of this magnitude to plan.”
After he ignited the internal flame, he swung the strap for the throw-torch over his shoulder, and then grabbed a light. He swiftly climbed back up to the fusion exhaust and opened the access panel and crawled in, securing the panel behind him. Inspecting the exhaust was simple but tedious and gave him time to plan a celebration of his own for his brother. He slid through the tunnel thinking about possible gifts he could give Azaes and Ariafella when he heard the voices. Normally he would’ve ignored the conversation. He’d repaired a convertor and currently headed back to the engine room. If Otho had retrieved the items on the list, then he could replace the shorted panels and be done.
But it was one word that made him pause. “I say he’s seen too much. We kill him before he leaves.”
Kill? Zeus’s heart sped up.
“Of course, after he’s fixed the engine. I don’t care what Dargon says. Did you see how the human moved? He’s not just a mechanic. We jammed his communicator on board but once he’s off the ship he’ll report our location.”
“All the data on him collaborates what we know of him. He was raised on Atlainticia and had been the master mechanic on the station for the last fourteen cycles. He doesn’t even associate with the other humans.”
“He’s a spy. A pet to the Mar’Sani princes, he doesn’t move like a sex toy for the royal house. He moves like an assassin. I should know.”
“You had better talk to Dargon before you do anything.”
“He’s not going to care if I take out that piece of space junk. He hates the humans, probably more than I or Axis. He’s been furious and in a fighting mood every time he comes in from dealing with the Terren.”
Zeus didn’t wait around to hear more. He tried to quietly retreat out of the exhaust and eventually gave up stealth for speed. He had a feeling if he and Hadon didn’t get out soon he would be exiting the ship through an airlock. They needed to leave now before the crazy female came looking for him, and hopefully without running into Dargon.
Opening the hatch, he slithered out. Sealing the tunnel Zeus started down, stopping to pry a small black disk out of a panel, placing the piece in an internal pouch on his utility belt. Dropping the last few meters to the floor, Zeus pulled off his face plate, calling for Hadon. Kneeling next to the case he dropped the helmet in and shed the gloves. When Hadon didn’t answer, warning bells went off in his head. Glancing around, his bodyguard nowhere in sight, and he knew Hadon would never leave him alone.
“So, have you identified our problem with the engine?” Dargon stood in the doorway to the engine room, brilliant green eyes trailed lazily over Zeus as he knelt in front of the open case.
Time's up. Zeus licked his dry lips and rested his hand over the hilt of the knife hidden under the thin bio suit. He ignored the burn in his chest at the feline’s words about Dargon’s hatred of him. The man hid his feelings well. It shouldn’t matter. No. What mattered now was getting his ass off the ship in one piece.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Are you sure?” Dargon asked Abechan. He’d sent out the Shia’Marr to watch for the psionic tracker. As a ritual magician he wasn’t susceptible to psionic machinations.
“They docked but they aren’t aware we are here yet. It helps with the Battion bodyguard on board with the human. He’s widened his shielding range to protect his charge which benefits us all at the moment because it also blocks their scans.”
Dargon’s mind worked fast, making plans. The engine wasn’t repaired. Otho had retrieved all the parts the mechanic had requested but there wouldn’t be time to wait for him to finish in dock. It looked like the human would be going for a ride with them.
“Find Gaex and Axis. We’re leaving now. We’ll have to use the imperial by-pass codes to be approved for the hyper jump without the required repairs. Have them use the coordinates to location Beta Three. Make sure they throw a scrambler onto the station’s psi-net before we go through the gate. It’ll make tracking us impossible. I’ll make sure the human and Battion have been secured.”
Abechan hurried away and Dargon went in search of the two Ursids. He found them in the training room. Huge, shaggy bearlike humanoids, taller that Dargon and rotund, the Ursids were surprisingly agile and fast. They would be ideal to deal with the bodyguard. He would take care of Zeus himself.
Dargon stood back and let Al’haska and his brother restrained Hadon. The Battion pup was more of a fighter than he’d anticipated.
“The prince is going to have your hyde,” Hadon snarled as Al’haska bound him.
Dargon had to laugh. “Not over a pet he won’t. He’ll find another human to warm his bed.”
Hadon regarded Dargon as if he was the densest species on the station. “I hope I get to watch the prince eat you alive. You’ve no idea what you’re doing.” The Battion stated, laughing deep, low chuckles. “Beware the sting of the Striker, Dar Massaga. His bite is deadly.”
Mod
Dargon watched Hadon taken away, puzzled over the rambling of the bodyguard. He wasn’t aware the Mar’Sani Prince Azaes was referred to as one of his planets deadliest creatures, a nearly invisible snake that killed everyone who unknowingly came across it. That was an appropriate scare tactic for a prince who would be the planet’s next emperor. The Mar’Sani valued the deadliness in their rulers. He would have to be careful if he came face to face with the prince, especially if he lived up to the title.
The maintenance hatch to the fusion exhaust came open and the human slithered out, hanging by one hand until he found foot and hand holds. Dargon admired how Zeus moved fluidly down the pipe and then dropping to the floor.
The mechanic seemed distracted as he took off pieces of his bio-suit. The body language turned to alarm when Hadon didn’t answer his call. He couldn’t have the man upset. Dargon had other ideas.
He stepped from the shadows. “So, have you identified our problem with the engine?”
Zeus stilled, the alarm didn’t diminish but ratcheted up a notch. The human faced him with a calm face but his body told another story. Fear rolled off the male in waves so thick that Dargon choked on them. Zeus had shown interest in him before, the lust and desire easy to see and smell. What had changed?
The Terren licked his lips nervously. “An E.M. net shorted out several of the panels. I already gave a list to Otho. Once they are replaced you’ll be ready to go.” Zeus broke the seal on the bio-suit and took it off, placing the garment back into his kit.
“There’s been a change of plans; I’d like to hire you for this trip.”
“To where?” Zeus asked cautiously.
“Valespia. I have cargo I need to drop off. We seem to keep having complications with the engine. Otho can do everything else but he can’t work on a fusion reactor.”
The Terren’s brows made a hard V in the middle of his head. “You’re going to the Imperial home world?”
“It’s our final destination. If it goes well, we’ll get there in about thirty standard days. I can have you back here in forty-five days after that.” Dargon would do his best to convince the human to leave the Mar’Sani prince and stay with him in that allotted time.
Before Zeus could reply, Madux walked into the engine room, frantic. “Dargon you have to stop Amlyn.”
Alarmed Dargon asked, “What’s wrong?”
A hiss of warning distracted Dargon and he was surprised to see Zeus had hopped up on a surface over their heads. He was crouched, looking feral, as his vocalized a warning. He recognized the sound as a typical Mar’Sani signal for people to get the hell out of their way.
“Zeus, what are you doing?” He went to step forward; his instinct to comfort the human, when Madux snagged his arm. “What are you picking up?”
Madux’s psi-healing made him strong in empathy. “Oh, great havens, I think he may have overheard Amlyn. I’m so sorry, Dargon, any move you make towards him will make things worse.”
“What do you mean worse? What are you talking about? What has Amlyn done?” The continued vocalized warning from Zeus, and Madux’s guilt ridden look, gave him a sense of foreboding he couldn’t shake.
“Amlyn was talking about killing the human,” Madux explained.
The barely perceptible movement of the ship taking off and leaving the maintenance bay interrupted Dargon’s questions. A noise, part challenge and part defeat, made Dargon glance back at Zeus who wore a look of utter betrayal on his face that crumpled his features before it disappeared and replaced by a cold mask of indifference.
“What the hell is going on here!” he bellowed to no effect.
Zeus issued an ear-piercing cry and launched himself off of his perch at Dargon. If Madux hadn’t been there to knock him out of the way, he was sure that the long knife Zeus wielded would have skewered him. By the time they had rolled to their feet, Zeus was gone.
“I can’t apologize enough, Dargon. I think he may have overheard Amlyn.” Madux rose to his feet.
“What are you talking about?” He couldn’t believe how out of control the last fifteen minutes had been.
“Amlyn planned on killing the human after he fixed the engines. She’s convinced he’s a spy. I thought I felt him close by when she spoke about it. He must’ve been in the exhaust pipe. Dargon, she said you hated him, and you wanted him dead.”
He swore a blue streak. “If she harms him I’ll have her court marshaled and put to death! How dare she!”
Madux took a couple of steps back, staggered at the force of Dargon’s rage. “Haven help us, you’re bonding with him!”
He didn’t know what to make of Madux’s exclamation and he wasn’t sure he cared. “You find Amlyn and…”
“Captain Kal-Turak, your presence is needed on the bridge.” Axis sounded overly stressed on the com.
“Be right there,” Dargon replied. He didn’t need more complications.
“Madux, find the human, and you make sure Amlyn doesn’t touch him. I don’t care what you have to do to protect him.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Dargon hurried to the bridge. Over the view screen, Axis was talking to a very pissed off Prince Azaes Vondorian. “If you don’t deliver the prince to me unharmed in the next ten microns I will hunt you down. I will wear your feathers on my coat on my Commitment Day after I deliver your head to Emperor Valdor Vondorian.”
Dargon stepped behind Axis. “Prince Azaes, I can guarantee you we do not have any Mar’Sani on board. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from threatening my crew.”
“You,” Azaes spat, “I should have known you would kidnap him. If he has been harmed, all of Atlainticia will scour the galaxies for you.”
“I assure you, Prince, I don’t know what you speak of.”
If Azaes had been human, Dargon thought the prince would’ve been red-faced with anger. As it was, he trembled visibly with rage. “You will release Zeus!”
Dargon snorted. “Come now, Prince, you expect me to believe that your whole planet will comb the universe for one human pet?” He laughed aloud. “He deserves more than that and by the time this trip is over, it will be me he chooses, and you can find someone else to warm your bed.” Dargon ludely rubbed himself thought his skirt.
The prince reared back as if Dargon had physically slapped him. Dargon thought it an overreaction. Prince Azaes leaned in close to the screen until only his face was visible. “This is your last chance to deliver Prince Zeus Vondorian to me, or I swear on all I hold holy, I will hunt down you and every last member of your crew, and you’ll beg for death long before I’m done with you.”
Everyone on the bridge had gone silent. “He’s a Terren,” Dargon argued.
“He’s Mar’Sani,” the prince ground out, “the third son of Emperor Valdo Vondorian of the planet Altainticia. You’ve kidnapped an imperial son, Captain—not a human—not a sex toy—but my brother.”
The sound of pounding feet pulled Dargon’s gaze to the bridge entrance. Zeus pursued by Amlyn, ran onto the bridge. He had blood on him, Dargon couldn’t tell if it was his own or someone else’s. Madux came up behind the Catalani and grabbed her around the waist. Upon seeing the Zeus, the Mar’Sani prince roared. Both brothers were visible on the screen, and they fired questions at Zeus. The man had his back to a wall, long knife in front of him.
Madux struggled to hold on to the ship’s assassin. “Stand down, Amlyn,” Dargon commanded.
“Captain,” Axis called, “The gate is active, coordinate are set, do we have a go.”
Everything had gone to hellion in a hand-basket. “You have a go, Axis, deploy scrambler.”
“No!” Zeus roared. He leapt forward but was snagged by a set of blue tentacles. The Orion was suctioned to the ceiling of the bridge. A high screech scorched Dargon’s sensitive ears. Three separated tentacles writhed on the floor. Zeus hung upside down retrained by three Orion troopers.
“Dargon Kal-Turak, you will release him,” Prince Azaes growled.
“Scrambler deployed, Captain.”
“Azaes,” Zeus’ eyes were trained on the screen. The Mar’Sani’s expression softened. “I’ll be fine. I’ll meet you in a moon at father’s retirement retreat.”
“Spy!” Amlyn screeched, wrenching from Madux’s grip.
“Orion, restrain her!” Dargon commanded.
“Captain, gate approach is a count of twenty.”
Amlyn kicked Zeus in the head before the Orion had her, too, confined. Both princes erupted on the screen at sight of her actions.
“Prince Azaes if you wish for Zeus to stay safe…”
“And we enter in ten…”
“Then you will stop the psi-trackers who are following us. If they catch us, he will die along with us.”
“Four…three…scrambler activated…one and enter.”
The vid screen went black when they hit the horizon of the hypergate and lost signal. The bridge was quiet as they waited for the jump to begin. Dargon knew this would be the only quiet moment for a while.
“Hyperspace achieved,” Axis announced.
Turning to Amlyn, Dargon snarled, “Take her to the brig.”
“What? Wait!”
“You disobeyed my orders. You are under arrest for insubordination and the attempt to assassinate an imperial prince.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Zeus’s head pounded like a war-drum. He didn’t want to move a muscle but self-preservation wouldn’t let him roll over and show his belly to his enemies. Cracking an eye open he looked around the cell, very white and sterile. No wonder his head hurt, the lights bounced off all that white and blinded him.
He tried to roll over but his arms wouldn’t co-operate, strapped to his chest as they were. They had him trussed up good and tight, but he wasn’t dead—yet. That had to be a plus. He worried about Hadon, his bodyguard. There hadn’t been any blood in the engine room, trace or otherwise, if there had been, he would’ve detected it.
With care, he maneuvered into a sitting position, his back wedged into the corner facing the door way. His head swam and he felt a little nauseous but he’d suffered worse. He wore some kind of jacket that held his arms crossed in front of him. The bindings seemed to be in the back. Maybe with sometime he’d be able to get loose of the contraption, he didn’t know how much time he had before they came to interrogate him.
The door swished open and Zeus tensed. Standing in the doorway but not entering was a Gaziniti female. Working at the station had taught him many things about people from other worlds. He’d enjoyed the diversity in shapes and forms and cultures. Gazinitis were small and the essential, universes pacifist. They would allow themselves to be killed before harming another, unless it was in the defense of a child. A little over two meters tall, thick brown fur, and big chocolate colored eyes, she had the appearance of a feline but was more closely related to primates. The fur around her head thicker, longer, resembled a lion’s man of hair and strangely gave her a fragile, friendly look.
“My name is Mayra. I’m the ships medic. If you’ll allow me, I’d like to take a look at your head wound.”
They sent a pacifist to tend to him—he wasn’t going to be tortured—yet. Behind her stood a Shia’Marr, two meters tall with leathery hairless pale green skin. His electric-blue, bony plated ridge was highly polished. Sharp golden eyes stared at him, small spindly arms clasped together over pristine red robes. The Shia’Marr were the oldest, longest lived species in the galaxies. No one knew how old they were because the Shia’Marr quit counting after 300 years. They were also known to be the least sexual being, going a hundred years or more before they felt the urge to mate.
Mod
“This is Abechan, he would like to observe. He won’t touch you,” Mayra promised.
“Is there any possibility that you’re going to me out of here?” Zeus thought he knew the answer but it didn’t hurt to ask.
Mayra smiled softly at him, “I only handle medical care. The Captain will be by later to talk to you about your stay.”
Zeus had a vision of being sucked into space out of the airlock and gave a bitter laugh. The insanely large psionic walked in behind Mayra and Abechan. He scowled at Zeus.
“Prince Zeus, you don’t need to fear us or our Captain.” He hadn’t said anything about but the large man-cat seemed to be able to read him. “I know you overheard Amlyn. She acted against the Captain’s orders.”
“Don’t lie to me,” he snarled. “Once I outlive my usefulness your Captain would’ve gotten rid of me. His behavior with me was all a ruse. He hates humans. My brother read his body language and I didn’t want to believe him. Look where it got me. Deny that he hates the Terrens. Tell me he wouldn’t rather kill a human than deal with them?”
“But you’re not human. You are Mar’Sani,” Mayra countered.
He searched her face and saw no mocking in her unwavering gaze. He considered himself Mar’Sani, so did a large portion of the Noble Houses but there are those who look at him and seen a soft-skinned human. “On the space station, everyone looked at me and saw a Terren. Why would any of you be any different? Dargon isn’t. All he sees is a human pet to a Mar’Sani prince. Not good enough for a committed relationship with a man of stature, but a sexual plaything, a pet used for recreation and amusement.”
A growl came from the door. Fantastic. Dargon stood there glaring at Zeus. “I’m sorry we’re all full here. You’ll have to come back and beat on me later. You wouldn’t want to upset the Gaziniti.” Zeus gave a tight smile, just short of baring his teeth. There’s nothing like poking at the top predator in the room.
Crouched, and creeping behind Dargon, was the murderous bitch that chased him all over the ship. Disobeying Captains order his ass. Zeus eased up on the balls of his feet. There were too many people in the room for him to be able to move well. They had fooled him by sending the supposed pacifist in first. They were just yanking on his nobb. They planned to allow the Catalani to slice him to pieces with his own knife.
Zeus released a growling hiss, never taking his eyes off the Catalani behind Dargon.
“Zeus,” Dargon snapped. “What are you…?”
The feline rolled between Dargon’s legs and launched herself at Zeus. Timing his jump, his legs wrapped around the Catalani’s head, and rolled in the air. They fell to the floor, his thighs wrapped like a vice around her throat. He braced himself for the blows. It didn’t matter what they didn’t to him, he wouldn’t let her go until she died.
“Zeus! Let Amlyn go!” Hands pried at his legs. He was sorry that Mayra had to witness the brutality, her sobs seemed loud to his ears.
“Zeus, she’s not going to hurt you anymore.” Dargon appeared in his line of sight, “You need to let her go.”
“You agree with her, sent her to kill me.” Zeus grunted. Something was wrong. He felt himself weakening. His legs loosened and he clamped them harder in panic. Hot pain took his breath away.
Dargon looked worried. “Please, Zeus, she cut you and we can’t treat you until you release.”
Gods, he wanted to believe Dargon. The thought that this male wanted him dead had hurt more than he’d been willing to admit. There was no reason for this attachment he felt towards the Dar Massaga.
“Please,” Dargon begged softly.
The psionic leaned over him. “You have imprinted on him. You have to try,” he urged.
Zeus had no idea what they were talking about. Dargon stroked his hair and then purred. That broad chest thrummed and something in Zeus responded, loosened, and strained towards Dargon.
He hadn’t realized he had loosened his legs enough for the Catalani to be pulled out. Panic shot thought him like a cannon and he started to struggle but he was so tired, and weak, and trussed up unable to protect himself.
“He’s panicking,” the psionic said.
“I can see that,” Dargon snapped. “Do something about it.”
“I can’t. He’s blocking me.”
Dargon grabbed Zeus’s face between his warm palms, green eyes catching him, “You have to calm down. You’re bleeding too much. You have to slow your heart beat down,” Dargon cooed.
It was the cooing that gave Zeus pause. The Dar Massaga chest started rumbling again and for some reason it calmed him enough for him to become aware that the medic was working furiously on his leg. He could smell blood, his blood and finally realized—no one was trying to kill him.
“Slow down my heart?” Zeus frowned when he heard his words slur.
“Yes, please stay calm. Mayra will fix your leg and then we’re going to have a long talk.”
“Sure,” Zeus answered as his eyes closed. He needed to slow his heart down enough to give the medic time to fix him. Slowly, he hummed the Mar’Sani hymn of balance taught to his people. The first song sung by Poseidon himself. The soft notes left his lips and his heart’s thump slowed to an intermittent but steady thump, as his spirit was gathered to float on the Waters of Poseidon, in the protective arms of his sister, Shaneva.
CHAPTER NINE
“What just happened? Is he dying?” Dargon watched Zeus’s eyes fall closed, a small tune escaped his lips, and his body went limp in Dargon’s hands. Alpha’s scrambling panic only added to his own. His instincts demanded that he morph into his true form to be better able to protect his charge. Amlyn was coughing over in the corner while they waited for one of the Ursids to come and take her back to the brig. As much as he would like to jettison her into space, her fate lay in the hands of the Imperial United Galactic Defense, she would be court-martialed for her infractions.
“The Mar’Sani,” Abechan said, “Are a reptilian race and it was rumored that under duress they are able to place themselves into stasis. I thought it was just speculation.”
“He’s an adopted human. He isn’t like them.” Dargon argued. How could a human do something that was biologically impossible for his species?
“That is where you are wrong, Captain,” Abechan replied haughtily. “He was raised as one of them and he identifies himself as Mar’Sani.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Dargon snapped. “He’s a human!”
“Why have I chosen to surround myself with imbeciles?” Abechan sighed in exasperation. “Am I the only one who’s noticed that he doesn’t have a translator scar? Madux’s psionics are useless with him. My magic can’t touch him. That male is not wholly human. It’s a wonder we haven’t been caught and killed before now. The level of incompetence is sometimes astounding. From his hair, to the way he moves, to his ability with languages, and especially his eyes should’ve signaled to you what he is and isn’t.” Abechan snorted haughtily with disgust before holding up his robes and walked out of the room.
Mayra finished sealing the puncture in Zeus’s calf and gave him an injection of reparation nanites. “He’s lost a lot blood. I’ll need to run a sample through an identifier if we need to treat him again.”
Dargon nodded numbly. “Do it. Madux, make sure Amlyn is returned to the holding cells. I want to know how she was able to escape, and while you are at it, make sure she’s secured with the four-link magnetic cuffs. I’m finished playing nice. If she gets out again, I will jettison her without the court martial. Who in the hell put a winding jacket on the prince?” Dargon ripped the material off of Zeus.
“Touch him so I can make sure nothing was missed in Mayra’s evaluation,” Alpha demanded. “I told you to kill her when she kicked him in the head. She deliberately disobeyed your orders. If he is permanently harmed I will demand retribution!”
Dargon just listened to Alpha rant. He had other things he had to attend to and had come as soon as he could. They both were upset Zeus had gone from acceptance and easy banter, to wariness and fear. Now Abechan had brought Dargon’s assumptions into question. He knew better than to presume anything without proof.
He tenderly ran his hands over Zeus while Alpha conducted an internal examination. They projected calm into Zeus, hoping he would come out of his self-induced stasis. They both needed to talk to him to clear up the misconceptions, and try to set things right with the prince.
“What are you going to do, Dargon?” Madux closely watched the way Dargon’s hands caressed Zeus. “You’ve imprinted on him. I didn’t think it could happen outside your species. What will happen to you if he doesn’t want you?”
His lips pursed into a thin line. “I’ll worry about it when—if—it happens. Amlyn hasn’t done me any favors. I just hope he’ll listen to me once he wakes.”
“It may not matter. Prince Azaes will kill you on sight after witnessing Zeus's treatment on the bridge,” Madux mumbled.
He didn’t reply. He’d deal with the Mar’Sani prince later. His first concern now was Zeus and getting him safe and secure. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep from morphing into his true form.
Tenderly he lifted Zeus and carried him out of the room. He turned the bridge over to the pilot, Gaex. It would take them two standard days to reach the first drop point. Otho was working to install the panels Zeus had ordered. He wouldn’t be needed back on the bridge for at least a day.
The muted colors of the different corridors passed by unnoticed, the trip to his quarters was automatic. The captain’s rooms were the nicest on board the ship but for him, unusual. He had the ceiling heightened up to the next deck level and a walkway installed. Potted plants from his home world were added to give a wild feel to the apartment.
He tucked the prince into his bed, the last of his control seeped away with Zeus safely tucked away. He barely had time to put a verbal lock on the doors and tear off his uniform before he was overcome and the change started to morph his body into the form of his birth.
****
Zeus floated on the Waters of Poseidon. The night sky was bedecked with bright constellations of home, the silver stars twinkling on a blanket of midnight blue. The twin moons were both full and glowing, a rare occasion that the Mar’Sani celebrated by turning out all the lights and dancing under the night sky. Many younglings were conceived under such a sign.
Shaneva floated with him, humming a childhood nursery rhythm, holding his hand in a loose grip. He missed his home and family. He’d been so close to coming back before he’d been kidnapped.
“It feels so real here,” he murmured. The warm salty water lapped at his nude body.
“Because it is real,” his sister replied with a small melodious laugh.
His heart leapt. “Can I go home from here?”
“No, little brother. If you left me and the waters your spirit would be lost and unable to return to your body.” Shaneva kicked and pulled him along. “It will be time for you to go back soon.”
He paddled his feet to glide next to her. He missed swimming. “I don’t want to go back.”
“You must.”
His heart was heavy in his chest. “Then why am I here. I don’t understand how I’m able to be here.”
“You’re here because you have been away too long and needed the stable waters of Poseidon. It happens when Mar’Sani travel for long periods away from Atlainticia. This is where they come in their dreams. You needed time to think, to wash away the lies, and to find your resolve.”
Mod
Shaneva’s eyes glowed golden, the elliptical pupils a sharp slash against the luminosity. “What are the lies? I’m on a ship that is taking me further from home by people who hate how I look. Am I deluding myself? Am I just a human—pretending to be something and someone I’m not? Why does it hurt so much to think the Dar Massaga despises me and would rather see me dead? How can I even care?”
“Do you think you could come here in stasis if you weren’t Mar’Sani? Poseidon recognizes you and calls you son. Children who don’t belong to Poseidon cannot swim in these waters.”
Zeus’s eyes pricked with relief. He had begun to doubt.
“Does the Dar Massaga wish to kill you? Think about it. You know the truth of it. As for the other, you’ll have to figure out on your own. Choose carefully with an open and clear mind, little brother; do not allow your fear and doubts to choose for you.”
His body was beginning to feel heavy. He had become aware that they weren’t the only ones who were floating in the calming waters. Dark silhouettes bobbed around them in pairs, too far away to make out details.
“Zeus!”
He smiled wide at the sound of that voice. Turning to look, two shapes were moving towards him. Mestor and Azaes slithered like missiles in the water towards him.
“It’s not yet time for you to be reunited with them. You’ll see them soon, once your task is done.” Shaneva pushed Zeus away so he floated alone in the waters. “Open your eyes and wake, brother.”
Zeus opened his eyes to a bright green canopy of broad leaves. The wonderful scent enveloped him and before he knew what he was doing, he rolled over and buried his nose in the pillow. The covers were warm against his nude body, cocooning him. The sense of safety enveloped him.
He smiled into the pillow thinking about his sister and the calming Waters of Poseidon. He felt renewed, energized. The fear and confusion washed away leaving him able to think rationally.
It was then he knew the Dar Massaga didn’t want to kill him. The Catalani assassin did and he was determined to find out why, but the important piece—Dargon meant him no harm. The male put out too many mating pheromones to want to harm him. Fuck him, yes. He was too jealous of Azaes, goading his brother to anger as if he wanted to challenge Azaes for mating rights.
Zeus’s whole body flushed at the thought. It happened in some cultures when someone had too many suitors and the one who was being courted hadn’t declared a choice. Dargon acted like Azaes was his competition.
He could see it plainly now. The way the Dar Massaga watched him, exuding pheromones whenever he was near. That much attention directed towards him had frightened him. Dargon was direct and intense. Zeus hadn’t allowed anyone close since Rathmar. He had been afraid of making the same mistakes again.
The desire to be loved and to be able to openly and freely return that love was strong. He hadn’t dared to hope that someone wanted that with him. He had let Rathmar’s cruel words affect him more than they should have.
To be honest, he’d wanted Dargon the moment he saw the male in the maintenance bay. He hadn’t known then that Dargon was the same person who’d watched him at Azaes’s and Mestor’s reception. He would’ve asked more questions if he had. He did wonder if the vessel was a pirate ship. From what he’d seen while trying to find a way off the ship had led him to believe he may have read the situation wrong.
A soft scratching sound above him had him rolling over searching for the source. The height of the room comprised two deck levels. A walking platform about a meter wide followed along the walls at what should have been the natural ceiling for the level.
There were plants everywhere, he counted twelve different species. It was through the leaves of the florae that he discovered the vibrant green eyes looking back at him. Strangely he wasn’t frightened. He could make out the nose and mouth, the copper metallic ridge on the crest of the animal’s head. The animal seemed familiar though Zeus knew he’d never seen anything like it.
The creature pushed forward revealing more of its head, giving Zeus a chuff. Smiling broadly, he sat up, the sheet pooling around his waist. He had the urge to invite the cat onto the sleeping platform so he could touch it, run his fingers through the thick fur.
The cat leaned forward, stretching his nose towards Zeus snuffling. When it did, he noticed the deep green almost black—not a collar—it was too wide by fifteen to twenty centimeters but what resembled a torc around the cat’s neck. Puzzled, Zeus looked the cat over again. Light golden fur, the copper ridge was a thick, familiar braid, and rings pierced the teardrop shaped ears. He looked back up to Dargon’s eyes in surprise.
Dar Massaga was a race of marsupials with pouches that carried their young. He’d heard that their humanoid body was the form they used off world but there were no written accounts to what they looked like when on their home planet. The Dar Massaga male and females didn’t even live together on the same planet. They met on a moon to mate. Depending on the sex of the off spring, which the symbiote chose, determined who would carry the child. Female to female, male to male.
Dargon chuffed again bringing Zeus back from his ruminations. “Come here, Dargon.” He patted the bedding.
The teardrop ears swiveled comically before the cat jumped on to the platform and promptly tried to lay in Zeus’s lap. He found himself laughing and pushing at the one hundred and thirty kilogram lion. The only stripes on the coat started at the base of Dargon’s neck and moved vertically across the spine to the tip of the tail. Zeus couldn’t help but to run his hands down the spine. The shoulders were broad and strong, the back legs shorter and narrow hips. He ran his hands along the thick tail feeling chevrons on the underside were the tail would have contact with the ground. It could be used to support the lion when on his hind legs.
A rumble started in the cat’s chest, not a purr, but a low vibration more like the sound a child’s rattle made. He rolled over and begged with big round eyes for a belly rub.
Zeus cackled as he obliged, “You’re not as fierce as you make yourself to be,” his hand slowed as he thought. “Or maybe just with me?” Zeus took a big paw in his hands. The claws were retracted, a unique trait among marsupials. The first digit was semi-opposable and bore an enlarged claw. “I don’t believe you are this docile with anyone so it begs the question why me?” The lion’s head pushed at his hand.
Zeus started rubbing the stomach, the skin golden under the short fur. The animal’s balls, all four, were large and heavy, penis hidden within its sheath. The back legs cycled in the air when Zeus scratched a sensitive spot. He found this form beautiful but he wanted to talk to Dargon. He had questions and he wanted answers, preferably sooner than later.
“Are you able to change back?” Zeus hid a smile when the lion huffed and looked away from him. Pretending not to understand. “What? You think that by being cute and cuddly in this form will soften me up. Look at me, Dargon.” Zeus waited unto their eyes met. “Do I appear upset? It won’t change if you alter forms, besides, how am I going to kiss you if you stay this way?”
The rumbling increased causing him to laugh. Very slowly, Dargon’s body started to change; his humanoid body was similar in size and shape to his lion’s body. The bones didn’t appear to melt and reform, but to move from one position to another, to reshape the purpose of the limbs and muscles. It was like watching someone double jointed being repositioned.
The fur didn’t retracted but deflated like a balloon, thinned, leaving a light fuzz behind. Muscles moved and found other positions in Dargon’s hands and feet. Zeus notice the pouch, answering his question regarding male carriers, it stayed in place on his stomach. The Dar Massaga’s face changed, the lips plumped, though the teeth stayed the same, cheeks hollowed, the color of his nose lightened. The copper braid stayed and Zeus wondered how Dargon dealt with the length since the tip brushed the top of the man’s ass in human form.
The transformation had taken about an hour and left Dargon covered in sweat and panting. The process didn’t appear painful but difficult. Zeus’s gaze perused over the exposed muscle of the Dar Massaga’s chest. There weren’t nipples on his pectorals but he had a double navel. His legs were long and muscular. Four heavy oblong shaped balls sat at the apex of his thighs. Fascinated, he couldn’t look away when Dargon’s sex began to unsheathe—long, heavy, and glistening. The head was a tapered round point with a small flair around the crown and ridges encircled the girth of the shaft at about one centimeter intervals.
Dargon’s breaths were coming in fast pants, his pheromones flooding the room with his arousal. Zeus’s body reacted to the heady scent, his cock hardening quickly. A clear fluid glistened and dripped from Dargon’s sex onto his firm abdomen. Curiously, Zeus ran the tip of his finger through the substance.
“My home world is all male. Over time our bodies evolved to produce a natural lubricant,” Dargon gasped, the muscles of his stomach fluttering under Zeus’s touch.
His eyes snapped up to Dargon’s face as he realized what he’d done. “Sorry,” he stammered.
“Don’t be. You like to look at me—and it pleases us.” The Dar Massaga struggled to breathe normally.
“Why does it please you?” Zeus regarded him, expression open and compelling, mixed with a bit of hope. He felt vulnerable. The answer to the question was important.
CHAPTER TEN
Zeus knelt next to Dargon, all of the alabaster skin exposed, the sheet pooled around his groin barely disguising his erection. Arousal was rolling off of the man and Dargon wanted to roll in the scent.
“Focus, Dargon, tell him we want him. He needs to know what he means to us,” Alpha prodded impatiently.
Dargon rose up on an elbow and ran a hand over his face. “Dar Massage will go home every five cycles to the moon of Hedisa Gamai to breed. At one time, we had our own females but the war between Hedisa and Hedisa Gamai targeted the gender and they were massacred by a bio eugenic weapon. Hedisa Gamai thought they were safe from their own armament but they couldn’t have been more arrogant. They lost their male population.”
“You are going to bore him to death and he is going to think we don’t want him,” groused his symbiote.
Dargon ignored Alpha. He needed to explain everything to Zeus so he would understand the full extent of what would happen and what was still to come. “Now we meet on the moon to breed so that our species may continue. Some will copulate and others will give a donation for artificial insemination. We find it hard to tolerate the females and they us for any length of time. After conception we part ways and go to our respective planets. Then the Alphas and Zetas found our planets and initiated the symbiotic relationship, copulations and conception became easier. But there are times when we and our Alphas will both find someone with whom we are both attracted to and compatible with. This normally happens with our own species, never with a female, and occasionally with a species not of our planet. One in one hundred of us will find someone that’s compatible and when we do, both of us will imprint on that person.”
Zeus was silent of a moment, “Does this mean that I have to be attracted to you?”
Mod
“No. Sometimes we imprint on someone who we don’t have a sexual relationship with. But…we won’t be able to stay away from the one we imprint upon for long. There have been Dar Massaga who have imprinted and been separated from the marked one and have fallen into deep depression. If not reunited in time, the Dar Massaga will waste away and die.
Zeus’s eyes widened, “Oh,” he replied weakly, his voice slightly panicked.
“Alpha and I would like to pursue a relationship with you and we hoped,” Dargon looked down at Zeus’s arousal, “that you would want to reciprocate.”
Zeus looked at him owlishly, “Are you a pirate?”
He laughed, “No, we aren’t pirates.”
“Then you’re not trafficking in slaves?” Zeus’s eyes narrowed as he waited for Dargon to respond.
“No!” he replied emphatically. “We would never traffic in slavery.”
“Then why does your crew despise humans so, and why do you carry a group of humans two levels down?”
He was shocked that Zeus knew so much. The man was constantly surprising him. His protracted silence caused Zeus to try and move past him to crawl off the sleeping platform.
“We are undercover.” Dargon caught his arms. “You cannot reveal what I’m about to tell you. If you give your word, I’ll believe you.”
He waited as Zeus mulled everything over. He wanted Zeus to trust him. The last couple of days hadn’t inspired that kind of confidence. He wouldn’t be reprimanded by his superiors for divulging the mission to Zeus. One—because who Zeus’s father was. Two—because Zeus was Dargon’s Marked. There was possibly a third reason but he’d wait and see.
“You have my word as a royal prince of House Vondorian of Atlainticia,” Zeus said quietly.
Dargon was ecstatic and wanted to snatch Zeus up into his arms and share his joy. “Come then, I’ll explain as we go.”
He went to rise when Zeus caught his hand. When he looked back questioningly, Zeus stood on his knees next to him, so close that Zeus’s warm breath feathered across his face. He stilled afraid of making a wrong move as Zeus boldly leaned into him and brushed their lips together.
“I almost forgot your promised kiss,” Zeus said against his lips before a warm soft tongue darted out and ran over Dargon’s plump bottom lip.
He instantly opened his mouth. He’d never been kissed before, by any of his lovers, and he marveled at the feel of the deft tongue against his. Zeus tasted like nothing he’d ever encountered and he shared the experience with Alpha. Zeus moved his lips against Dargon's and he tried to mimic the action.
Hands cupped and stroked his face, pulled on his braid, traced the line of his outer ears. His back arched with the feathered touches over such sensitive places, the thrumming started up in his chest, and he before he knew it he was laying on his back, his sex trapped in the cleft of Zeus’s bare ass. Zeus was consuming him with the one kiss that seemed to go on forever. Dargon didn’t want it to stop, Alpha moved against his skin sharing in his pleasure. Zeus’s hands were everywhere, touching, exploring. He pushed against Zeus, his slick cock riding in the perfect space—like Zeus’s body had been made for him.
Zeus grabbed Dargon’s hands, placed them on his hips, “Touch me, please,” Zeus begged in a low voice.
Dargon grasped him, pushed his sex against Zeus as the man bore down, and rubbed against him. Oh haven, he wanted to be buried inside Zeus’s tight heat, he wanted Zeus to feel good, and to come apart under his hands, but now wasn’t the time— maybe.
The little brown nipples drew him and he lightly ran his fingertips over the pebbled nubs. Zeus caught his breath. Dargon did it again, more firmly and Zeus moaned and swiveled his hips pressing against Dargon’s trapped cock. He couldn’t stop the moan when Zeus fell forward and began to devour Dargon’s mouth with urgent heat.
He ran his hand over Zeus’s abs, across the shoulder blades, down the valley of his spine, over the firm round butt cheeks. He encouraged Zeus to grind against him as their tongues dueled. He lightly bit Zeus’s bottom lip, careful of his mouth full of sharp teeth, and Zeus gasped returning the nip.
Both of them moaned together and looked down between their bodies. Alpha had moved between them and wrapped around both of their cocks. This was not an unusual situation for Dargon but for Zeus…
Looking into the man’s face he only saw amazement and then bliss as Alpha squeezed and undulated around the two of them. Gasping with need Dargon pulled Zeus back down for another kiss, a hand cupped to the back of his head while the other one explored the cleft of Zeus’s ass that was slick with the natural lubricant.
Zeus broke the kiss, his head thrown back as he pushed against Dargon’s hand and then lunged into Alpha’s grip. “Please, Dargon,” he gasped as he pushed back again.
“It is okay for me to touch you there?” he wouldn’t without permission.
“Haven’s yes, let me feel you,” Zeus groaned.
Dargon’s fingertips massaged the puckered entrance before he pressed a single digit slowly into Zeus’s gripping heat. The air whooshed out of Zeus’s lungs, a soft keening followed, words spilling almost incoherently out of the man’s mouth.
“Oh haven help me…your touch…I need you deeper…don’t stop—don t…”
Dargon’s eyes ate up Zeus. The arch of his back, the ecstasy on his face, the fall of his blue streaked hair, the curve of his neck, all of it, all of it was the most spectacular sight he’d ever seen in his life. And when he actually pressed against a bump inside Zeus, the man went wild, his hips thrusting, a keening cry leaving his lips as his entrance clamped down on his finger and Zeus thrust erratically into Alpha’s sheath. Dargon watched the beauty of Zeus coming apart before his testicles drew up and his own thrusts became sharper, his hips snapping until he came too, calling out for his lover with joy.
Zeus collapsed onto him, loose and tension free. Dargon stroked his hands lightly down Zeus’s back so content he didn’t realize he was rumbling again. Zeus pressed a soft snicker into Dargon’s neck.
“I’m sorry I attacked you.” A light blush infused the skin all over Zeus’s body.
Dargon grinned. “I’m not. You’re welcome to attack me at any time.”
“It’s been so long since someone has looked at me the way you do.” Zeus confessed.
“How long has it been?” Alpha languidly slid up Dargon’s torso, sated and content. Zeus chuckled when Alpha brushed his cheek, but then quickly sat up to star at the symbiote.
“He spoke to me,” Zeus whispered in awe.
Alpha settled himself back onto his place, taking the shape of a torc again. “He likes you very much,” Dargon replied, holding his breath as waited for Zeus’s reaction.
“I could tell. Does he speak to you? Sorry, of course he speaks to you. Is that why Dar Massaga’s don’t like people touching your Alpha? Does he have a name other than Alpha? I’ve only heard them referred to as Alpha.”
Dargon laughed at the boyish curiosity Zeus exuded. “Alphas are individuals, not pets, or animals. They invite the touch, if they so desire. He’s always referred to himself as Alpha, nothing more. And before you ask, yes, Alpha and I have a sexual relationship. All Dar Massaga do with their symbiotes. Although this is the first time he’s taken part in love play. Normally he only touches me.”
Dargon worried about Zeus’s reaction once the man registered what happened between the three of them.
“It was amazing.” Zeus replied regarding Dargon intently. “I’m not making any promises but I’m willing to see where this attraction takes us. What I will promise you is no matter where this goes I won’t leave you alone.”
Dargon cracked a smile wanting to jump for joy, not sure why he was this happy, but he didn’t question it.
“A chance is all we ask,” he replied watching Zeus rise off the sleep platform and go into the lavatory. There wasn’t any semen to clean up because Alpha had collected it all but he’d released a good amount of natural lubrication that had slicked both of their bodies.
“So is your cat,” his dark head stuck through the doorway, “wait, aren’t you a marsupial?”
“I’m a lion. On my home world the form we are born in is called Thylakos.”
Zeus came back to Dargon carrying a sanitary cloth. “You’re born in your lion form? When do you become like you are now, humanoid?” He carefully wiped Dargon’s abdomen.
“After our first standard year, we venture out of the pouch.”
He watched Zeus’s hand stroke slowly over his stomach. Zeus halted his ministrations. “How does that work? Do you have children at home?” The man scowled. “Do you have a partner, someone you are committed to?”
Dargon place his hand over Zeus’s and sat up. “Those of us who leave the surface are single.”
Zeus chewed on his lip, lines of deep thought marring his forehead. “So you don’t have children?”
“No, I’ve given an offering of semen the last three visits. I’ve never mated with a female. They never appealed to me.”
Zeus cupped a hand to Dargon’s cheek, he and Alpha rejoiced at the touch, leaning into it. “Tell me truthfully, do you wish to have kits one day?”
He trained his eyes on Zeus’s silvery-white gaze. “Yes. Do you?”
Zeus appeared to hold his breath, cheeks turning pink, “If you have children, could you raise them somewhere other than Hedisa Prime?”
“I suppose so. We usually settle on our home world because that is where our chosen partner is.” Dargon couldn’t recall any regulations forbidding it.
“So—if you were to reside—with me on another planet?”
“Yes, we could raise our kit wherever you wanted us to be.” Dargon placed his other hand over Zeus’s. He knew they'd have to leave his quarters very soon. A wave of possessiveness washed over him and he tackled Zeus to the platform.
Zeus looked up at him with lust filled eyes. “Our kit? You’d share your offspring with me.”
Dargon buried his nose in the crook of Zeus’s neck, “I would share everything with you,” he whispered.
“And this mating heat you go through? Does it cause me to want to have sex with you?” The man’s voice had gone hard, making him raise his head.
“The mating heat is my body gearing up to produce viable sperm for mating or an offering. The pheromone signals that I’m fertile, like an invitation. You can reject us and walk away if that is your wish. The heat only happens around those who could be compatible partners, those who we’re attracted to. I gave my offering not long ago but when we came to the station, your scent was all over. Both Alpha and I were attracted to it. That’s never happened to us before.”
“So you started the heat when you scented me. You were like that against your will?” The lust in Zeus’s eyes dampened with his question.
“No, not against my will. Look at it like a signal for compatibility between you, me, and Alpha.” Dargon didn’t know how to explain it for Zeus to understand. This was more instinctual, his people automatically understood what was happening, and it wasn't easily explained.
“Dargon,” Zeus said to bring his attention back to the conversation. “I don’t want you to be coerced into and certainly not wanting me because of hormones. You despise humans.”
Mod
He understood the man’s concern but at the same time he couldn’t take his eyes off of Zeus’s mouth. Zeus was the first to kiss him and would be the last now that Dargon had allowed himself to imprint. He would be whatever Zeus would allow him to be, a friend, confidant, bodyguard, or lover. His loyalty would be to his marked. Their relationship didn’t have to be sexual. He knew of others who were no more than buddies, good friends but he wanted more than a close relationship. He and Alpha wanted to be everything to Zeus. The lust and desire was strong between them but so was the potential for great affection, something he’d never thought he would have in his life because there had never been anyone who had inspired him to want more or to be more.
Zeus had said he’d like to see where this relationship between them would go, but just in case the man changed his mind after Dargon revealed their purpose, he wanted another kiss. He thought he might like kissing.
Tenderly he brushed his lips across Zeus’s already kiss swollen ones. For a second, the man stiffened under him and right when he thought to pull away, Zeus opened his mouth, and moaned his pleasure. Dargon didn’t hesitate, he needed to taste, and he lapped lightly at Zeus’s mouth. A tongue came out to duel with his and soon the exploration turned into a burning melding of mouths.
Eventually, Dargon pulled away breathing hard. Zeus stared at him with half lidded eyes, red swollen lips, and slick with saliva. What a stunning sight.
“If we stay here much longer, I’ll beg you to mate me. First, I want to answer your questions.”
Zeus gradually came back to himself, although he still vibrated with suppressed desire, he agreed with Dargon and they rose from the sleeping platform. He showed Zeus where the clothing Hadon had been carrying was stored. It was presumptuous on Dargon’s part, to hang them next to his uniforms, but Zeus didn’t comment about it. He had to admit the man looked fine in the green Mar’Sani dress uniform.
“I trust you didn’t hurt Hadon.” The tone implied there would be dire consequences if the answer was displeasing.
“Your bodyguard is fine. He put up a hell of a fight. The Ursid brothers have taken an interest in him.” He smiled as he remembered Al’haska’s behavior when he had went to check on the Battion. “We’ll stop by so you can see him.”
Fastening the buckles on his boots Zeus asked, “If you are not a pirate—I know you aren’t a merchant—what you are then?”
“I’m Captain Dargon Kal-Turak of the Imperial United Galactic Defense, director of the personal guard to Crown Prince Malek tut de Luuk.”
Zeus stilled and looked at him, eyes narrowed. “You mean the Prince Malek, heir to one half of the United Galaxies, combined under the Haven Anihellic Pact, betrothed to Crown Prince Vipre des de Vorn, heir to the other half of the galaxies?”
“Yes. The people on this ship were personally handpicked by both Prince Malek and Prince Vipre. We were sent in search of the Fal’Amoric.”
Zeus started braiding his dark hair into on plate from the base of his neck leaving the strands woven with the beads free. “Aren’t the Fal’Amoric the people who bind the two imperial houses together according to the pact? They’re essential in order to defend against V’Saar?”
Dargon fingered the beads in Zeus’s hair making a mental note to change two and add one. “Yes, they must form the circle in order to protect the allied galaxies against the insect horde. Over the last thirty years whole Fal’Amoric communities have been disappearing leaving not traces to where they have gone. Some of the communities show signs of conflict. We were not sure if the Fal’Amoric were being systematically massacred, enslaved, or went into hiding. If they were hiding, then the question became—from what? Why didn’t they contact the royal houses?
“With the Fal’Amoric vanishing, the imperial betrothal was delayed. The current emperors are old and the time is swiftly approaching to hand the power to the next generation but they can’t without the Fal’Amoric Bespoken. If they don’t find the Fal’Amoric prince, the Bespoken, who was promised to them, and wedded by the time the next blue sun rises on Valespia, the Imperial Defense Grid will start to come down and the galaxies will be invaded by the V’Saar.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Zeus watched the air about Dargon change as he donned his Captains uniform, buckling a wide hyde belt at the waist of the floor length plaited skirt, and with each piece of clothing, his voracious lover transformed into a male of strength and power. The softness he’d shown in bed was put aside and buried under his responsibility. Zeus found the change titillating and had to crush the desire to drag the Dar Massaga back to bed.
“The blue sun rises over Valespia in about two standard years. They’re cutting it close.” He observed aloud.
Dargon was handling the beads in his hair and a wave of possessiveness rocked Zeus. He was embarrassed that he’d mauled the Dar Massaga earlier but he couldn’t make himself regret the encounter. The attraction between the two of them was strong and he’d allowed himself to be swept away by it. Dargon had been ready to give him time but he’d wanted to taste the male.
No, he didn’t regret it but he'd have to consider his next move carefully. The Dar Massaga had imprinted on him and had made Zeus his Mark. It was considered an honor to become a Dar Massaga’s companion. If what Dargon had told him was true, it didn’t require a sexual relationship, but the desire that bounced between then two of them would ease the way for them if that was what both of them truly wanted. Zeus wasn’t sure what he wanted, he knew it was too early to form that kind of commitment. What he wouldn’t do was lead Dragon on. He would have to refrain from sex until he made up his mind.
“They've been searching and investigating for the last fifteen years. They always seemed to be one step behind and arriving too late. They could only assume someone close to one of the princes turned traitor. Two years ago my team was assembled and we were sent undercover to the Milky Way as merchants to trade with the human colonies.
“We had a Chi-Lin psi-tracker who could trail the last known abducted clan. Every man, woman, and child had been taken.”
Zeus followed Dargon to the lift that took them two decks down. The scout ship had been refurbished to give the appearance of a merchant ship. He could see past the façade to the military influence. Hidden cameras were everywhere and the security system appeared to be top of the line.
“A couple of the companies that run the human society and governments had been kidnapping the Fal’Amoric. We found large facilities on a penal colony where the people had been experimented on. The Terrens started a breeding program and a DNA genome program. They were trying to isolate certain strains of Fal’Amoric DNA and map it over to the human DNA. They hadn’t been successful when we found the facilities.
“We had freed a Chtichlian who had been abducted. The humans were trying to coerce the Chtichlian to share their genetic knowledge. On that one planet there were close to ten million Fal’Amoric captives. We had to wait six months for the Imperial Legion to arrive with an evacuation armada.
“When we went in, we killed the humans who resisted and arrested those who surrendered. All Fal’Amoric were transported to the armada and hyper-jumped to the Haven system.
“We were delayed when we found a pocket of the Fal’Amoric royal family. We barely retrieved them from the planet before the human’s Planet Killer arrived and destroyed the penal colony. All that was left was a debris belt of rock.
“Unfortunately, they had a psi-tracker of their own and they’ve been chasing us across the galaxies. We have to get these people to the princes. They may know where the Bespoken is.”
Typing in the security code, the door chimed before it opened with a soft swish. A dry goods cargo bay had been repurposed with over fifty beds, a couple of seating areas and a dining area with a low table surrounded by colorful cushions.
Some people lay in bed, obviously ill or injured, attended by the diminutive Gaziniti. Some beds had sheets used for privacy curtains. The humans looked over as Dargon and Zeus entered.
“I don’t understand.” Zeus scanned the faces. “Where are the Fal’Amoric?”
Dargon chuckled. “They are the Fal’Amoric.”
He scowled at the Dar Massaga for jesting with him. The people stilled. In ones and two’s they drifted closer to Zeus and Dargon. All of them were visually similar, dark hair running to the deepest of blacks, pale rosy complexions, and eyes in various shades of blue ranging from the color of dark sapphires to glacial ice. One or two people sported eyes almost white like his own, but not quite.
“Dargon, this is obviously a family of humans.” He was starting to become upset that he had let the male lead him on a merry chase.
“No, Zeus, these people are the Fal’Amoric. They may look human but their DNA is not. When the Ancients created them, they were fashioned as the species that encompassed all the species. They are—blenders. They are Asani, and Battion, and Catalani, and Chi-Lin, and L’Eema, and Orion, and Polaria, and Keygan…” Dargon sighed, “Do you understand? The Haven Imperials are the building blocks of the universe personified, and it takes the three of them to defend and protect us.”
The people moved closer and began to murmur as they stared at Zeus.
“Because they are all the species, they have the gift of language. They don’t have need for a translator.” Dargon reached up and brushed his fingers behind Zeus’s ear that had never been scarred by a surgically implanted translator chip. He’d forgotten to get one before he’d left Atlainticia and when he reached the station, he’d realized he didn’t need one. He never thought anything about it.
“They look like humans,” he whispered.
“In their oral history, the Ancients went to the human race and asked for volunteers so they could create blenders. One hundred and fifty thousand came forward, half of whom were shunned by the humans because they were of the third sex the humans called hermaphrodites. The Fal’Amoric are more than human now.”
A man twice Zeus's age approached. “Prometheus?”
Zeus smiled hesitantly, “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know Prometheus. I’m the Mar’Sani Prince, Zeus Vondorian.”
Further back in the crowd a woman gave a soft cry. “Zeus? Oh, thank Haven, Zeus has returned to us!” The woman pushed her way through the crowd, not stopping until she broke free of them and flung herself at Zeus. He had no choice but to catch her. “Haven has smiled on us and sent you back to us!” she sobbed into his ear.
He untangled the woman, who was about ten years older from him, and held her at arm’s length. Long dark hair spilled around a beautiful heart shaped face, high cheekbones and eyes the color of glaciers.
Zeus didn’t know what to do, but obviously, the young woman was someone of importance. “Please honored one, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have lived my whole life on Atlainticia. I don’t know who you are.”
Her wide smile of joy dimmed. “I am your sister, Athena. You and Prometheus were evacuated before our home world was attacked. No one ever heard of you two again. We had hoped you weren’t captured. Where is Prometheus? He was supposed to take care of you?”
Numbness crept into Zeus and he swayed on his feet. “No, I’m not your brother. I am sorry for your loss.”
“But you look exactly like…”
Mod
“Dargon!” Zeus called sharply. Immediately the Dar Massaga was at his side, and arm wrapped protectively around him right before his legs went weak from shock.
The people pulled Athena back to them, still watching Zeus carefully while they consoled the woman. He couldn’t be there. The walls were closing in on him.
“Please,” he begged Dargon.
The Dar Massaga didn’t need any other words. He steered Zeus out of the room. Zeus didn’t want to think about the Fal’Amoric or about the woman who was almost the mirror image of himself. Dargon whispered into his ear but he couldn’t make out the words.
He blinked and they were naked, laying on the sleeping platform, Dargon encircled around him, chest thrumming soothingly. Zeus missed his brothers beyond mere words at that moment. What he wouldn’t give to hear his mother’s laughter or to feel his father’s heavy hand rest on his shoulder.
The Mar’Sani were his family, not the strangers who’d been abused by a distant human greed. Growing up he’d never wonder where he’d come from, had never wished for another family. Even with the animosity from a couple of the Noble Houses because of his appearance, he’d been happy and content. He may have wished at times to appear and to be more Mar’Sani, but he loved his planet, and adored his people.
He didn’t want to belong to a strange people he didn’t know or understand. He didn’t want to be responsible for them. Dargon said they were the ruling family, which the Bespoken belonged to them but they didn’t act like a people with a leader. None among them had stepped forward and took charge.
Dargon’s fingers followed the lines of the deep scars on his back. One was a brand, place on him by Rathmar’s father, Timsah Gadrius of House Cordyl. He’d caught them together. Accused Zeus of bewitching Rathmar with his monkey blood and had branded Zeus like an animal with no purpose than to eat, sleep, and die. The other marks were from the implements of torture that Timsah had used on Zeus before Rathmar had snuck in and set him free, spitting in his hair even as he’d done so. He wouldn’t have his father killed by the Emperor for treason because of Zeus.
He found himself telling Dargon the story of how he’d left Atlainticia. The need to unburden himself overwhelmed him. He hoped that by letting go the memory of that night would help him to find some closure and allow him to move forward. For the first time since Rathmar he wanted to take a lover. He wanted to take control of his life back. He refused to let his choices be taken from him because he was frozen with indecision and fear.
A hale sounded at the door and Dargon rose and donned a spyder robe before answering. The Gaziniti female, Mayra the medic, stepped in.
“Is he okay? I heard he wasn’t feeling well. Is it because of the blood loss?” Mayra whispered lower, trying not to disturb Zeus. He almost told them he could hear them.
“He’s fine; a little shocked after meeting the Fal’Amoric. I shouldn’t have been dragging him all over the ship so soon after he healed from his injury.” Dargon stroked the length of his copper braid that lay over his shoulder.
“That’s why I came. The test came back.” Mayra paused seeming to searching for words. “Zeus is almost an exact match to the Bespoken; I would say they’re siblings. You realize—if they cannot find the brother, he would have to step into the Bespoken’s place.”
The air grew thick with tension. “Are you positive he’s related?”
“I’m sorry, Dargon.” Mayra squeezed his hand in silent sympathy before she left.
The Dar Massaga stood staring at the closed door, head bowed, shoulders hunched in a look of defeat.
“Dargon,” Zeus called. Seeing this strong man visibly struggle with the news pulled at him. The male stood straight and squared his shoulders, appearing to call on who he was. When he turned towards Zeus, despair reflected in his eyes but determination in his stance.
Crawling into the platform, Zeus gathered Dargon into his arms. Choices. There were many to be made, and he wasn’t going to idly give up, and allow someone else to choose for him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dargon had the insane urge to have Axis plot a new course away from Valespia. At that very moment, he didn’t care where as long as Zeus stayed with him.
Alpha writhed against him in agitation. “We have to do something. We've just found him and we can’t let him be taken away. What are we going to do?”
In reality, there wasn’t much they could do. The Bespoken was required to protect the Galaxies or they would be overrun by the insect horde. If the V’Saar had a foot hold in the galaxies beyond the barrier, then the races would fall like dominos to the invading forces. The Grid was their only protection against a mass invasion.
With the weakening of the current Emperors, because of their advanced age, small pockets of the V’Saar were getting through the Grid. So far, the Imperial Legion had been able to track and kill them but it wasn’t without a cost. Before being reassigned to find the Bespoken he had been deployed to Sanaili 4, a scout had tracked a rogue pod to the planet surface.
The V’Saar had thick armored plating over most of their bodies, three sets of eyes, and an extendable lower jaw of razor sharp teeth. They secreted gelatinous mucus from pores in their exoskeleton that allowed them to be dropped from orbit into the planetary atmosphere without burning up on entry. The underside of their scorpion like tale was covered with tiny hairs that could detect movement, allowing them to attach in absolute darkness.
The sting of the V’Saar had a compound that when injected, converted the victim into another V’Saar. The converted hybrids were sterile and only able to survive about 40 hours. Whatever abilities the victims had before the effect of the venom changed them—magic or psionic—they kept them after the sting of the V'Saar.
The insects weren’t stupid, working as an elite strike force or assassins. They were able to control their victim hybrids and used them to operate machinery and weapons not made for the V’Saar physiology. They were deadly and Dargon had witnessed what they could do in person. The Galactic troops had won using battle mechs and foot troops. They had lost a devastating sixty percent of the foot and twenty percent of the mechs. If the V’Saar were able to come through the Barrier in greater forces, the galaxies would be quickly ravaged.
Dargon pulled Zeus closer, wrapping himself around the man until they were fully entwined from head to toe.
“We can’t just let him go,” Alpha argued.
“When the Mar’Sani found me on an abandoned spaceship, I was barely two moons old and blind. It wasn’t until I was thirteen that my parents contracted the Chtichlians to see if they could fix my sight or give me artificial sight. It was the first time someone had spoken about my heritage in front of me. I don’t think they knew I could understand them until later.
“It had been from their idle conversation where I learned I wasn’t born blind, but made that way at birth. They called me the decoy and argued about correcting my sight until they discovered my age. The Bespoken is born blind and only gains sight between the age of five and ten. Fixing my sight wasn’t the only thing they did to me that day. I didn’t understand until I had matured what they had stolen from me.”
Zeus fingered Dargon’s copper braid, bringing the hair to his nose and inhaling. “They changed something about my body to make me resemble the Bespoken – but not. If I understand correctly, the men in my family line actually have both male and female reproductive systems. We are born to look and be fully and completely male but from the age of fifteen we start to develop the female reproductive system and are able to breed and reproduce viable offspring by the age of twenty-five.
“The Chtichlian took that away from me—for the most part. My body will release an egg every cycle but it’s useless since I don’t have a womb for the child.”
Zeus went silent. Dargon wasn’t sure what to say. The injustice of what had been done to Zeus was overwhelmingly horrifying.
“Today, I've come to understand that I was a decoy to protect this Prometheus. The only problem is the Mar’Sani found me first. I’ve always and will always think of myself as Mar’Sani. They are my family, my people. Shaneva reminded me that Poseidon accepted me as Mar’Sani and I have swum in his waters without harm. I may’ve been born to Fal’Amoric parents but I'm not one of them.
“My question to you, Captain Dargon Kal-Turak, once we hand the Fal’Amoric over to the imperial princes, will you help me to locate the Chtichlians? They are the ones who hid the Bespoken and I intend to get him back.”
Dargon stared. Had he heard Zeus correctly? “They know where the Bespoken is?”
“The ones who corrected my eyesight did. They spoke of him and debated his safety. If we can find them, they can tell us where he is. I refuse be a substitute Bespoken to the crown princes. I won’t roll over and accept that as my fate.”
“We must be careful with this information. We both suspect that someone in the prince’s circle has betrayed them,” Alpha whispered.
Zeus frowned and looked at Alpha. Dargon wondered if the man could hear Alpha or just suspected.
“Is it possible the Chtichlians are working against the imperials? Did they kidnap the prince, maybe work with the humans?” Dargon asked. He needed more information. They would be coming out of hyperspace to their first jump location. The ship’s engines and the hull plating would require at least two hours to cycle through the heat before they could jump again. The fusion reactor and the shielding algorithm had to cycle and reset so they could hop back into hyperspace.
“Their conversation was along the lines of protecting him, not using him,” Zeus verified.
A sharp snarl started deep in Dargon’s throat, clawing its way out of him. It pulled him out of his ruminations as he realized the sound had come from him. “No—they set you up to be a decoy, probably for the humans who were gathering all the Fal’Amoric clans together. If the Terren’s goal was to kill the Bespoken, and they had found you, they would’ve mistaken you for him.”
Zeus said nothing. They lay there, cradled in each other’s arms, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts. Dargon was trying to control his libido. Alpha had been quiet for a while too. He wasn’t sure what to make of the symbiote’s silence.
Having a lead on the Bespoken eased his worries. He would go to the farthest reaches of the universe to retrieve the male in order to keep the imperial princes from Zeus. Even if he had nothing but friendship from the man, he would be everything in his power to protect his prince.
He knew that Zeus was uncomfortable being his Marked and he wouldn’t have pursued Zeus if he wasn’t sure the two of them worked together. Yes, in the beginning he was upset that he had been attracted to Zeus. Alpha had convinced him to look deeper. When he’d spoken to the man in the maintenance bay, he knew before walking away, that human or not, he’d wanted more.
Between both his and Alpha’s attraction, he had allowed himself to start the imprinting process. He could have stopped it; there were always the possibility that they'd come across another who'd be well-suited to them. But they'd chosen Zeus. He hoped that Zeus would come to understand that their attraction was separated from Dargon’s imprinting. He intended to woo Zeus, and one by one, get rid of the man’s reservation.
Mod
For a time they dozed together until the hail from the door woke them. The both of them rose and dressed before answering. Otho waited on the other side, hopping side to side in agitation.
“What is it?” he asked in alarm.
“I’ve installed all the panels and the fusion engine won’t initiate. I don’t know what to do. We have to jump in less than an hour.” The L’Eema’s violet eyes were wide, his body vibrated with worry and agitation. The long tail twitched above his head, the short black fur stood on end.
Zeus coughed, his cheeks tinged pink. “Well, actually, that would be a very easy fix. Otho, if you would retrieve my utility belt, I’ll meet you in the engine room.”
Looking relieved, Otho’s black fur smoothed out and he hurried away. Zeus hurried to finished dressing, avoiding Dargon’s gaze.
“You sabotaged my ship?” he asked in disbelief.
Zeus’s shoulders sagged, “I thought you were pirates and I did overhear the assassin graphically planning up my demise. If I had to endure death by way of an airlock, I ensured your ship would be caught.”
Coming out of his momentary of shock, Dargon laughed aloud and swooped Zeus up in a crushing embrace. “That was brilliant!”
Zeus huffed in agitation. “That was just disturbing. What I did was fueled by fear. What if something had happened to me? The Fal’Amorics could’ve been in grave danger and it would’ve been my fault.”
“For one,” Dargon replied as he pulled on his vest, “nothing happened to you and no one was hurt. Two, if you had been right then your actions would’ve brought justice, and rightly so.”
He handed Zeus a communicator. Zeus clipped the device to his chest as he eyed Dargon. “You’re a strange male. I think I like it.” Giving a saucy grin, the man left the cabin.
On the bridge, Axis verified the next jump coordinates and Gaex recited the preflight checklist. Abechan sat at communications, monitoring the information feeds for the galaxy. They had to be careful to keep out of local skirmishes or watch out for pirates. Gaex had put them in orbit of a moon of a gas giant.
“We have thirty minutes to our next jump,” Axis reported. “Otho was worried. Are we going to be able to jump or should we find an alternate course?”
“Zeus is fixing the problem as we speak.” The bridge was unnaturally quiet. The crew normally talked freely, bickered most of the time, like young siblings intent on annoying each other. “You know he’s not a human?” Dargon knew his crew had picked up an extreme dislike for the humans on this mission. After witnessing the atrocities they had while evacuation the prison planet, forming a negative opinion had been inevitable.
“Mayra told us,” Axis replied. “Madux also let it slip that you allowed yourself to imprint on him. Is that true?”
He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “If it is?”
Axis turned to face him, his red and gray feathers on his crow raised, dark eyes over the orange-yellow bone plated nose pinned him with a disbelieving look. “If the crown princes don’t find their Bespoken they’ll have to take him. Where does that leave you, my friend? You’ve been a grouchy nobb ever since you met him, releasing mating pheromones every time you’re around the mechanic. We all have noticed it. Are you going to be content as his friend or bodyguard if that happens?”
“If it does come down to that—yes—but neither he nor I will lay around and wait and see what happens,” he replied. Dargon didn’t want to say anything just yet about the Chtichlians.
“What Axis is trying to say,” Abechan sounded exasperated. “Whatever you plan to do, we’ll back you up. If you want to retire as a companion, decide to run and hide, or if you have another plan, count us in.”
Dargon was more than a little surprised. The Shia’Marr didn’t condone committed relationships. This vote of loyalty from Abechan was as close as he would ever get to it.
“We appreciate your support.”
Abechan sniffed and turned his back to the bridge. Axis smirked as he studied the navigation chards. Dargon hadn’t bargained on the help from his crew. They had been handpicked and assembled for this mission as complete strangers. The last two years had forged a bond he’d failed to see until now. They were his friends and family. He would’ve done anything for them, and apparently, the sentiment was returned to him.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
After climbing up to the panel and replacing the chip he’d stolen earlier, he and Otho worked in tandem to get the fusion engine online. The warming cycle would take another ten minutes until the reactor was up to capacity and ready to be fired, sending the ship into hyperspace.
“Bridge to Engine Room.” The com-link squawked. Zeus didn’t recognize the voice. “Engine Room, we have in coming hostiles. How much longer before we can engage the drive?”
“Eight minutes and counting down. I’ll see what I can to speed it up,” he responded already climbing up to the ignition panel.
If he could bypass the safety protocols they would be able to jump without waiting the extra time on the clock. Normally he wouldn’t attempt it but he knew the engine was secure. The shorted panels were replaced and the core stable. If he had thought it was unsafe he would have told them run and hide.
The alarm sounded over the ships internal com. “All hands on deck. All hands on deck. Prepare for enemy fire. Al’haska man the turret. Brace for evasive maneuvers.”
Zeus scowled when the lights dimmed when power was diverted to their shielding. He would have to work on that. The switch over shouldn’t be noticeable. Taking a firm handhold in front of the ignition panel, he freed his right hand to open the housing. Abruptly, the ship shifted and Zeus found himself hanging by his left hand. Otho gave a shriek below were all of the unsecured tools were tossed about.
Zeus growled. There was something wrong with the inertial compensation. If they had been working properly the passengers would feel nothing. If they entered hyperspace with the compensators down, everyone would turn to sludge. The way it was now, they were going to be battered to a pulp every sudden move the pilot made.
He opened a com-link to the bridge. “Engine Room to Bridge, your evasive maneuvers are going to kill us. Is there any way you can cool it until I fix the dampeners? We cannot engage the drive until I repair it.”
“Zeus,” Dargon’s voice sounded over the link, “We can’t go easy because the psi-tracker had found us. If they catch us, the Fal’Amoric will be lost. I don’t think they would be trying this hard if we didn’t have someone they wanted.”
Zeus immediately thought of the woman, Athena. The ship rumbled and Zeus lost his tenuous hold and fell. The floor which was now the ceiling looked awfully far away. Cobalt blue tentacles wrapped around Zeus bringing his descent to an abrupt halt. His stomach lurched at the motion. One of the Orion was suctioned above him and at the moment he couldn’t think of a better looking view.
“Many thanks,” he croaked.
Dargon was screaming for him over the link. “Keep your pants on,” he gasped. “One of the Orion,” he looked up again when a name was pushed at him, “Rhee just gave me a hand. We will fix the dampener. Those who aren’t already buckled in should do so now. I have to turn off the gravity.”
“Hurry, Zeus, we don’t have much time. Bridge out.”
Zeus pointed to an orange panel. “Rhee, can you take me there.” A couple of tentacles wrapped around his legs, giving him more support and taking pressure off his ribcage. He’s left hand and shoulder throbbed from the strain of being jerked around. Tomorrow he would be sore.
Rhee took him from section to section as he worked madly to fix the inertial compensators. He sent a warning over the com before he engaged them. Rhee carried him over to the board that housed the manual switches for bypassing the safety protocols. He worked swiftly to put a bypass in place when Dargon called for him over the com-link again while he was elbow deep in conduits and wires Rhee activated the link for him.
“I’m really busy right now, Dargon. I almost have the fusion drive up.”
“Explain yourself.”
Zeus paused, his heart lifting at the sound of the raspy and familiar voice. “Mestor tell me you blasted that skink psi-tracking ship into deep space.”
“The cowards retreated once we arrive. I take it that you are well, brother?”
He breathed a sigh of relief and leaned his forehead again the cool metal of the panel box. “Yes, I am. It’s so—good—to hear your voice.”
“Prince Mestor Vondorian,” Dargon cut in. “The open com channels are not safe at this time. You’re invited to come aboard the Oethra.”
Zeus started refitting the connections while they waited for Mestor’s response.
“Zeus?” the prince asked.
“Come have evening meal with us. There is much to talk about, brother.”
There was another pause before Mestor said, “I will require a satisfactory explanation to stay my hand.”
Zeus laughed when the com-link went silent. His brothers were in for a surprise.
Finally on his feet, he started to thank Rhee and had a thought. “The one I injured, is he recovering?” He knew Orion were able to regenerate severed tentacles but that didn’t mean he had survived.
“We are honored by your concern, Prince Zeus. Lothar is recovering well,” Rhee replied telepathically. Zeus could feel the Orion’s excitement.
“What is it, Rhee?” They walked together to the airlock. The Orion’s body was as tall a Zeus. The tentacles were tucked and curled against the underside, only the three appendages used for locomotion were active and visible. The armor plating was a camouflage of blue and yellow around the mantle.
“We've never come across another who can speak to us telepathically. It is a novelty. My apologies if I've given offense.” Rhee’s dark eyes darted around.
Zeus laughed. “None given. A friend of mine, a Conti’Quan by the name of Cleito, helped me hone my telepathic speech.”
The airlock cycled and pressurized. The lift at the end of the corridor opened and Dargon, the Chi-Lin psionic Madux, one of the Ursids, and the Shia’Marr magician Abechan stepped off. When the airlock doors slid open, Mestor wasn’t the one standing there to greet him. Before he could demand an identity of the Dire D’Noss, a Quell hound stepped out from behind him and Rhee reacted quicker than Zeus did.
Four tentacles lashed out, diamond shaped pads covered in triangular claws, dealt deadly damage to the four occupants of the pass thru. Zeus was pushed to the floor where Rhee curled over him with armor plating facing the enemy.
His name was called, the sound muffled by the screaming and snarling coming from the airlock. Mere moments felt like hours before Rhee rolled off of him. Dargon’s strong arms wrapped around him, lifting him from the floor and ushered him further down the corridor.
“Are you injured?” Dargon demanded, pawing at him.
He didn’t get the chance to answer before Dargon descended, engulfing his mouth in a hard, hot kiss that had his heart thudding. The beating a quick tattoo for an altogether different reason. When Dargon pulled away his vibrant green eyes roved over Zeus’s face, the elliptical pupils longer and wider than normal.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again. I don’t think I can handle you injured.”
He mastered his ragged breathe, stroking Dargon’s golden cheek, one hand reached up to trace the line of the metallic copper-braided Mohawk, while the other stroked the edge of Alpha. “I won’t make a promise I can’t keep but I will try…for you.”
Mod
“Captain, situation yellow. We have a few minutes before these intruders will be expected to give an update. They had thought to catch us unaware or they had limited personnel,” Madux called from the other end of the corridor.
“I have to see about my brothers.” Zeus knew something serious had kept Mestor from meeting him at the airlock. Even if his ship was under siege, Mestor’s first thought would be to his safety.
“I have to safeguard the Fal’Amoric.” Dargon cursed long and loud before crushing Zeus to him.
Zeus nodded his head in understanding. “Give me two people. Rhee and that assassin who kicked my ass, Amlyn.”
“No.” Dargon’s voice was firm.
Zeus ignored him. “Find a shadow in a moon or cover in a debris field.”
“No,” Dargon barked.
“Give me an hour. If I don’t contact you before the time is up, then you go on, take the Fal’Amoric to Valespia where they will be safe.”
“Zeus, you cannot ask that of me.” Dargon’s tone was hushed, pleading.
Zeus reminded himself that Dargon was a soldier; he knew what must be done. He ignored the plea and pushed ahead. “The fusion engine is working, and the inertial compensators have been repaired. You’ll be able to make it there without any problems.”
Dargon cupped his face with trembling hands. “You cannot ask me to leave you. I don’t know how you’ve come to mean so much to us.” He pressed his forehead into Dargon’s, their faces closed enough that they breathed in each other’s exhalation. He imagined that a part of the Dar Massaga’s essence was blending with his own; soaking into him so that wherever he was Dargon would be there with him.
“Your first priority is to the people on this ship. I will do my best to get back before you jump but if I don’t I promise I will meet you on Valespia.”
Dargon’s lips thinned in displeasure. “If you don’t I will come for you.”
Zeus kissed him roughly to keep Dargon from saying more. He would do everything in his power to come back. Dargon needed to see to the safety of the Fal’Amoric. For that reason alone, he had to follow through, and deliver the people to the crown princes. Zeus may not want to claim them as his people but it didn’t take away from the fact they were probably related to him. If his sibling was indeed the Bespoken, as the DNS indicated, then he was currently the highest ranking person among them until the Bespoken was returned to them. He stole one last kiss, not yet ready to verbally admit to the real reason he wanted to come back to the Oethra.
When Dargon stepped away, he began to bark orders to his crew. Zeus ran back to the engine room and knelt by his mechanic’s case. Moving some tools to the side revealed a green knob disguised as a screw cap. Once activated the case began to hum and the false top popped up and rolled back to reveal his weapons stash.
He had left his uniform jacket in Dargon’s quarters. It may be look prestigious but the material was made from was a type of lightweight armor. His case held another jacket of a lighter hyde. It didn’t offer as much protection but it was more than what he currently wore.
Belting on two swords, a couple of boot knives, a high voltage Taser, and he was ready to go. He tied his hair back, pulled on a pair of second-skin gloves, and strapped a couple of flash cannons to his belt.
Waiting at the airlock stood Hadon and the two growly Ursids. He had spoken to his bodyguard earlier for a brief period to make sure he’d been treated well. The Battion wasn’t going to like his instructions. Zeus mentally prepared for the argument he knew was coming.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“My responsibility is to you!” Hadon bellowed. His agitation had the Ursids bumping lightly into him. The bear-like brothers crowded him protectively.
“Yes, it is,” Zeus agreed, “and my currently responsibility is to the Galactic Imperials and the Fal’Amoric. Whoever has been trailing them across the universe has a psi-tracker. I need you to stay and shield them so their trail disappears. We are in a race to get them to Valespia, preferably without being caught first,” he reasoned.
“Who will to protect you from the psionics,” Hadon asked in desperation. The two of them had been together fourteen cycles which equaled five solar years on Atlainticia. He and Hadon had become friends. What he asked of the Battion went against what the male deemed to be his job. Hadon’s loyalty lay with Zeus. He had been protecting Zeus for a long time, and now, Zeus asked him to safeguard others then Zeus headed into danger.
“Madux,” he called to the psi-healer. The tall lion’s black skin tone with gold rosette spotted skin stood out starkly against the gray corridor walls. The dark main of hair was raised in agitation. The large blue eyes took in the stand-off between Zeus and Hadon. “Does your psionics affect me?”
“You are immune,” Madux confirmed. “You’re safe from the influence unless it is telekinetic.”
“Zeus,” Hadon pleaded, “You cannot go over there alone.”
“Rhee will be with me and I have requested Amlyn.”
“You did what?” Hadon exploded; all four arms waved in the air, silken waves of hair billowed around him. “She'd rather slit your throat than help you! What were you thinking?”
Two Orion escorted the diminutive Catalani off the lift, magnetic cuffs locked her wrist in front of her to a receiver belt strapped around her waist. Matching anklets ensured she couldn’t separate her feet far, inhibited any running, jumping, and kicking. Hadon stood behind Zeus, his breathe was noisily blowing like a bull lizard ready to charge as they waited for her to be escorted to him. Amlyn cautiously regarded him, eyes flicking behind him to the highly agitated Battion. The last time Zeus had seen her, she had tried to skewer him with his own blade.
“Do you know who I am?” He watched her carefully waiting for her reply.
“I have been told you are the Mar’Sani Prince Zeus Vondorian.” She looked squarely back at him. No fidgeting. No remorse.
“What is the penalty for an officer of the Galactic Imperial Legion who attempts to purposely harm a member of one of the galactic royal houses?”
She paused before saying, “Death, your highness.”
“Then tell me, Amlyn, why did you try to take my life.”
The Catalani stared at him, seeming to weigh her answer. “I believed you to be human and a spy. When you stumbled on the Fal’Amoric while we were leaving Space Station Bashker’Qa, I thought you were gathering information to send back to the humans,” she replied. She didn’t bow her head or cower in front of him.
“You disobeyed a direct order,” he prodded.
“I believed the Captain’s judgment was impaired by his attraction for you. I knew he had no love of humans and yet he tolerated you. I could only surmise he’d been compromised.”
Hadon snarled behind him, the Ursids answered with trilling coos. Zeus resisted the urge to turn to see what was happening. He trusted Hadon to restrain himself. “Why didn’t you wait and see if I was truly a spy?”
“The Fal’Amoric royal clan is too important to the crown princes to gamble on possibilities. I made a judgment call to put them ahead of captain and crew.”
“Amlyn, where is your pride, your family?” The question cracked her tough façade and he glimpsed a deep sorrow edged with vulnerability. He considered what he knew and had been told. The Catalani didn’t break eye contact, proud and sure.
“Are you willing to fight by my side? I believe my brothers’ vessel to be under siege, possibly by the people who have been tracking this ship. Rhee and I are going over to assist my family in any way we can. If luck is with us, kick some ass. What says you?”
Amlyn looked at the five bodies laid out in the corridor. They would be jettisoned into space when the Oethra disengaged from Mestor’s warship. One Dire D’Noss and four deadly Quell hounds had been dispatched by Rhee. The Dire D’Noss was two and a half meters tall, powder white with long green and red antennae protruding from his brow. Extra-large luminous yellow eyes stared blankly into space and his mouth of razorblade teeth lay slack in death. He carried two huge blades, one gripped in a three-fingered hand, too late to draw before Rhee rained down death.
The Quell hounds were a more distressing than the Dire D’Noss. They were the lavender of an early dawn; four legged with humanoid eight fingered hands instead of hooves or paws for hands and feet. A yellow-plated exoskeleton covered the face, with deep set red eyes; an extended snout and needle-thin teeth. Despite being called hounds, the Quell were not animals but psionics adept at creating illusions. Zeus suspected they were to act as imposters for his brothers and he couldn’t have been happier he was immune.
“What is your answer, Amlyn?”
She held out her hands, her face set with steely resolve. “I would serve a Mar’Sani prince in the destruction of our mutual enemy.”
With a nod of his head, the Orion unshackled Amlyn. Zeus quickly donned his jacket of chimera scales, tested the straps on his dual swords, and checked to make sure the Taser would slide easily from his knee-high boots. He watched Amlyn equip. Her skills were too valuable to be locked away but even with the truce, he would be wary around her. Dargon stepped in front of him, holding a pair of soft grip-gloves used for securely grasping surfaces when climbing. Zeus tucked them into his belt.
“I expect you back within the hour.” Dargon’s lip lifted slightly in challenge, baring a sharp hooked fang.
“I will if I can.” Zeus didn’t reach up to kiss the male. Leaving the Dar Massaga and the Oethra was hard enough without enduring physical contact that would only serve to distract him. Their eyes held, silent words bouncing back and forward between them. He didn’t know what would happen once he stepped through the airlock. He was walking blind into the hostile situation. He worried for his brothers, for his lover, and the Fal’Amoric. Holding the gaze of those vibrant green orbs, he knew he would do whatever it took to get back to the male, and see the mission through to the end. Breaking eye contact, his pursed lips kept him from making promises he couldn’t keep.
Dargon grabbed his hand as he turned to walk away. The Dar Massaga loomed large over Zeus, his countenance formidable. “I’ll track you across the universe if you don’t come back.”
“I’m counting on it,” Zeus whispered, voice full of gravel. Straightening his shoulders he walked over to the airlock. “Rhee, Amlyn, it’s time,” he barked.
The three of them walked into the compartment. Zeus didn’t look back before the doors closed. He let all of his thoughts and emotion fall away, centering his mind. Years of discipline allowed him to slip into the warrior’s headspace, his body naturally taking up the stance of loose-kneed defense. His hands automatically checked the ties and latches to make sure all was secure.
Mod
The airlock cycled down, the all clear chimed before the door opened to a vacant corridor. He had been on the Mestor’s warship the Gorgon before. As heir apparent, when Azaes travelled off world protection was number one priority. Designed for the royal family, the interior of the Gorgon had the appearance fitting their station. His father used the ship to meet ambassadors and for long range travel. Equipped with a host of safety measures for protection, the ship also provided a higher level of comfort for guest. The legion’s star crafts for the warlords were more stark and plain in the common areas. The comfort saved for personal quarters. The corridor looked normal. The murals of scenes from home would have lent a calming quality, but for the fact, the ship was too quiet.
Stepping off the airlock, Amlyn disengaged the plank so the Oethra could safely pull away. Zeus closed his eyes, lifted his nose, and inhaled. The sea air and scale scent of the Mar’Sani was strong and predominate. Overlaying it was the more recent additions of three, no four other species. Two of the scents identified the Dire D’Noss and Quell hounds but the other two he couldn’t identify.
He laid his palm flat on the interior wall, letting all senses, with the acceptation of touch, to become muted for the moment. He focused on the cool surface under his hand. He trusted Rhee and Amlyn to safeguard him while he read the vibrations. He looked for echoes of conflict. He waded through and disregarded the noise of the ships engines and other vibrations that were common to the normal operation. The filtering didn’t come as easy as it once had when he’d been blind. When he found what he needed he pulled back, opening his eyes. Rhee and Amlyn were facing away from him tense and ready for action.
“Most of the movement is towards the bridge. I hope that means the ship isn’t under another’s command yet.” The game plan would change to rescue and retreat if that happened.
Silently the three of them ghosted down the corridor. He and Amlyn hugged the wall and Rhee slinked across the ceiling. The closer to the bridge the more activity could be heard. They hid the bodies of those who were unfortunate enough to cross their path, picking up a handful of Mar’Sani soldiers along the way. Rhee’s overhead attach was more deadly than Zeus had hoped for. The enemy targets focused on him or those with him, oblivious to the danger lurking overhead.
At the cross corridor, the sounds of conflict had become a roar to Zeus’s sensitive ears. Peering around the corner, the hallway was a jumble of bodies of the wounded and dying. Mestor and Warlord Sohm’lan, along with a dozen soldiers, stood in front of the bridge doors, denying the intruders easy access to control of the ship and the Mar’Sani heir apparent.
Zeus counted the number of the opposing force. Three times that of his brother’s. He didn’t think his contribution would do much damage but it would divide the enemy and disrupt their attack. Pulling back, Amlyn took his place and peeked at the melee combat. Zeus’s face was a mask of grim determination as he looked at his small rag-tag band of fighters. The assassin double checked her own weapons.
Zeus drew both swords. “Stealth and surprised is our only advantage,” he whispered. “Strength to you sword arm.” He and the Mar’Sani hissed a soft warrior’s prayer in the old tongue. The soldiers saluted him before he turned the corner and sprinted away on quiet feet.
Sprinting up and off the wall, he vaulted over the heads of the Dire D’Noss and Quell hounds, landing crouched in their midst. He attacked before they could comprehend his presence. The deadly whir of his blade, the only noise that could be heard accompanied the sound of bodies hitting the floor.
The defending Mar’Sani sent up a short battle cry of, “Striker,” that rallied their flagging strength. Zeus didn’t dare look for Mestor. His presence had been identified and the enemy pressed in on him from all side. He lost a sword and pulled knife from his boot top. Sweat stung his eyes, his arms burned with exertion, and his lungs gasped for precious air. No thought disturbed the calm waters of his mind; only the ingrained reactions honed from years of training occupied him as Zeus fought for his life.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Zeus was so focused on the battle that when the last combatant fell, and he was suddenly without a target, he twirled a couple of times looking for the next enemy to engage. There were none standing. He slowly straightened to his full height, to stand tall and alone in his section of the corridor. Adrenaline zipped thought his veins making his body vibrate for an outlet.
Amlyn leaned again the wall, injured and panting hard. Rhee was between them still hanging from above with two of his tentacles laying among the bodies. Small grayish puddles of the Orion’s aluminum blood surrounded the severed limbs. Their blood clotted extremely fast so he didn’t worry about Rhee dying from blood loss.
By the bridge entryway, the Mar’Sani were giving cries of victory, alternating between chanting, “Vondorian,” and “Striker.” Zeus would have joined them had he not caught movement from his periphery that drew his attention.
Turning just in time he sighted a flutter of crimson robes retreating around the corner. Without conscious thought, he gave pursuit, jogging down the hall to the intersection. Whoever it was, moved quickly, darting down another corridor. He ran full out, feet light even though he was pushing himself past exhaustion. When he rounded the corner, he slammed into a large thick metal rod, doubling over in half as all the air left his body from the force of the blow.
He couldn’t dodge the swing of the baton. A swift resounding crack from his upper arm and he knew the bone was broken. He reflexively dropped the sword as everything went numb from the shoulder down. An explosion of pain bloomed on the back of his skull pulling a curtain of black over his sight.
Blinded by the pain, he wasn’t sure how long he’d been unconscious but it couldn’t have been long. A hand twisted painfully in his hair, pulling some out of the orderly braid, as they were dragging his limp body along behind them. He took a precious moment to push the pain down so he could concentrate on what had happened.
“All of this time,” a clicking voice intoned behind him. “All of this time we were looking in the wrong place for the Bespoken.” Sharp, angry clicks tattooed a peculiar rhythm. “How were we to know they would have hidden him among the lizards?”
The chittering sounded again but he quit listening. Cracking his lids open, he tried to figure out his exact location. One eye wouldn’t cooperate but the view revealed they were entering the shuttle hanger.
“We have him now. We will control the Galactic Assemblage when the Imperial Houses fall without their Bespoken.”
Abruptly he was released and his head hit the launch platform. Stars burst across his vision and he desperately clung to consciousness. He couldn’t let them take him away. If they did, then he had a feeling he wouldn’t see his family again.
Glancing through a slitted lid, he studied the person in the crimson robes. He recognized a T’Sali. At just over two meters tall, he had a thick armored orange hide spotted with blue. Heavy jewelry adorned his neck and the hem of his robes. His feet were decorated with delicate spyder silk slippers. In agitation the T’Sali used all four of his arms to gesture wildly, the three clawed fingers clicking together in a rata-tat-tat-tat. The chest was small with a distended abdomen arching backward onto two sets of hind legs. The T’Sali’s eyes were huge, green and protruded from the side of his skull above a face that formed a sharp V tipped with mandibles instead of a chin and mouth.
It wasn’t the sight of the T’Sali that had startled Zeus, but the V’Saar who accompanied him. He hadn’t been paying attention but the two argued heatedly as they moved towards one of the half dozen shuttles that haphazardly littered the bay floor. He could only guess that these were the ships they had used to board the warship, which implied they somehow had the Gorgon’s access codes. If they had arrived without setting off the alarm then they would be able to leave without the bridge’s knowledge.
Taking a quick inventory of his injuries, he knew the arm had been broken, and possibly a couple of his ribs considering how it hurt to breath. He wasn’t sure he could move without making noise but the vibrations through the floor told him help was on the way if he could stall them long enough.
Glancing back at the V’Saar and the T’Sali, he made sure they were occupied. Zeus clamped his teeth together, rolled to his knees and his one good hand. His broken arm hung uselessly, the knuckles striking the launch platform. He couldn’t hold back the whimper as his vision blurred to a hazy white, the pain pinging through his body. Gorge rose in his throat, perspiration broke out across his body as he quickly swallowed several times to push down the bile. In the end he was left panting in quick short breaths as he rose to his feet.
“Where do you think you are going Bespoken?” The T’Sali walked back towards him, the bug skittering alongside him.
Zeus laughed, “You, my friend, are mistaken. I am Prince Zeus Vondorian of the Mar’Sani planet of Atlainticia. If you kidnap me, my brothers will hunt you down and kill you.”
“No even your brothers would venture into V’Saar territory.”
The two were almost upon him. Zeus had palmed the Taser from his boot top, hiding it in the cradle of his broken arm. Whichever one touched him first would be lucky one to experience the Taser’s kiss. He knew he would be helpless against the retribution from the other, for he barely stood. He gambled on the hope they wanted to take him alive.
“You don’t know my brothers. They are quite protective,” Zeus taunted as he swayed on his feet.
The large unblinking eyes of the T’Sali held his gaze. He didn’t watch the male’s hands. He stared defiantly back and when the T’Sali grabbed his broken arm, he jabbed the Taser into the joint between the exoskeletons and into the soft skin of the wrist. Without blinking he squeezed the trigger and shot the electrical bolt into the soft tissue.
The T’Sali convulsed and screeched. The tone so high pitched Zeus thought his ear drums had bled. Zeus was backhanded; the force of the blow sent him stumbling backwards several meters before he crashed onto the platform. The V’Saar bug tried to touch his companion and experienced a jolt. The electroshock would have skittered harmlessly off the exoskeleton if he had tased the armor. Instead, he was able to get up under the exoskeleton, thereby trapping the current within the body. There were very few places for the current to escape.
The bug tried to rouse the male without touching him, its stinger that curved over its head twitched in distress, venom dripped from it's raze sharp tip. Three sets of eyes rolled when the T’Sali’s only gurgled a wail of pain. The bug chittered and swayed over the limp form, the extendable lower jaw snapped open and closed until all sets of eyes pinned Zeus with a deadly stare.
Zeus tried to rise but his equilibrium was off. He couldn’t seem to get to his feet under him. He knew if he didn’t move he'd die. The V’Saar screeched in feral rage above the body of its companion and charged Zeus. Knowing there was nothing more he could do, he curled into the smallest target possible and watched the bug barrel towards him.
Mod
From overhead a huge blue and yellow mass dropped in between Zeus and the V’Saar. He could make out the Orion’s two stubbed tentacles as Rhee presented the bug its armor plating and he backed up to where Zeus lay.
“Prince Zeus, are you still with us?”
He signed with relief. “Your timing is impeccable.”
“It could be improved. You are injured,” Rhee chastised like he could have prevented it.
The strike of the bug’s scorpion-like stinger struck Rhee’s armor with considerable vehemence.
“This may hurt” Rhee warned before several tentacles wrapped around Zeus and drew him protectively under the Orion. The V’Saar screeched and battered ferociously against Rhee. Zeus could feel the Orion’s body shudder around him with the force of the resounding blows.
“Rhee,” Zeus beseeched, “You have to leave before you’re hurt.”
“Not without you.”
The Orion drew his appendages up and tucked them under his body, protected by his natural body armor. Suddenly Zeus felt his world turn and twirl as few times as Rhee rolled away from bug. Before his stomach could revolt, the movement stopped, and he was heaved upwards. It felt like his abdomen dropped to his feet, like the time he and his brothers had went cliff diving. He clutched one of the appendages to his chest with his good arm. It didn’t have the suction cups the other tentacles had, telling him he effectively held onto one of Rhee’s three legs. The other two wrapped around him as his sluggish mind worked to catch up.
The bug chittered below them, and crashed around the shuttle bay in a rage. Blinking to clear his one good eye he discovered Rhee had them situated high on the ceiling. The V’Saar scampered in angry circles below. The T’Sali climbed to his hands and knees, trying to shake off the lingering effects of the Taser.
Mar’Sani soldiers erupted from every entrance leading into the shuttle bay. Mestor and Azaes led the charge. Battle cries were shouted as the soldiers engaged the bug. It took six warriors to dispense with the one V’Saar. The T’Sali weakness made him easy to apprehend.
Zeus moaned in pain as Rhee lowered him into the waiting arms of Warlord Sohm’lan. He struggled to stay conscious. With his brothers safe and the threat eliminated, it was time he headed back to Oethra.
“Zeus!” the twins frantically called.
“Put me down, Sohm, before my brothers overreact.” Zeus whispered. The warlord paused, his luminous blue eyes stark against the dark brown scales.
Setting Zeus on his feet, the Mar’Sani didn’t move away but made Zeus lean back into him. He didn’t fight the firm hand. He was grateful for the support when the wave of vertigo didn’t subside. Mestor and Azaes stalked towards him, bellowing for a medic.
“Zeus! If you weren’t already hurt I would…what were you thinking? You had no one to guard your back!”
“I had Rhee,” he interrupted. “I’m not dead, merely injured, and even though I've missed these conversations with you I need to get back to the Oethra. If you will, please let us borrow a shuttle. I would appreciate it.”
Azaes crossed his arms, his biceps stretching the fabric of his uniform highlighting the well-formed muscle underneath. “There is no need for you to return to the Oethra.”
His heart thumped painfully in his chest. Was he too late? Had he run out of time and they left?
“We need to get to Valespia. The Oethra is not safe. They are being tracked by psi. The imperial crown princes need the information that ship carries. We have to make sure they are protected.” Zeus knew he was babbling. Two sets of twin swam in his vision and he felt nauseous. He had to convince them to help Dargon before he passed out.
Mestor frowned. “Where’s the medic?” he yelled over his shoulder.
“Does this have anything to do with captain of the Oethra?” Azaes questioned.
The denial was on the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn’t give it. Would his brother understand the connection he felt for the Dar Massaga? Whether or not he chose to pursue a relationship he still had a responsibility to Dargon as the male's Marked.
“The mission the crown princes’ sent the Oethra on is important and I've committed myself to seeing their assignment through to the end.”
The twin wore identical smirks. His prolonged silence before his answer spoke volumes. If he’d felt well he would’ve found a shuttle without their permission and blasted his way out. The need to get to Dargon and verify that he was free and unharmed was almost unbearable.
“I guess the fact the Oethra docked in scout bay four would please you then?” Mestor grinned.
“What do you mean? They’re here? Dargon promised to jump if I hadn’t made it back within the allotted hour. What was he thinking?” Warlord Sohm’lan gripped his good shoulder to steady him as he took a step forward.
Azaes held up his hands in a placating gesture. “It seems they are as committed to you as you are to them. Captain Kal-Turak contacted us when you hadn’t returned. I offered an armed escort which he readily accepted.”
“Zeus!” Dargon entered the shuttle bay followed by the Chi-Lin, Madux, who towered over everyone, Oethra’s medic Mayra, and two Orion. Dargon scanned the immediate area, nose scenting the air until his eyes fell on the V’Saar bug. The Dar Massaga roared Zeus’s name again, the single word almost unintelligible. The male’s muscles rippled under his skin with his need to transform.
Zeus could feel Dargon’s distress. He started a wobbly trek across the platform, Warlord Sohm keeping a steadying hand on him. Rhee walked to his right and his brother’s followed on the left. When Dargon spied Zeus, his long powerful legs ate the distance between them with their feline swiftness and grace. Surprised at how relieved he felt to see the male, the knot in his chest released its strangling grip as his devoured the sight of the captain of the Oethra 7.
Dragon’s face was stony as he studied Zeus. “Mayra! Zeus is injured,” the Dar Massaga bellowed.
The only thing keeping Zeus from collapsing had been the need to find a way back to the Oethra and her crew. Seeing Dargon, and knowing he was safe, stole Zeus’s remaining strength. His limbs crumpling in upon themselves, the Dar Massaga surged forward to catch him as he crumpled to the floor. Darkness engulfed him in a tidal wave. Distantly he wished so many people hadn’t witnessed his fragility before the darkness swept him away in its wake.
CHAPTER SISXTEEN
Dargon leapt forward and caught Zeus as the man’s eyes rolled up in the back of his head. He snarled at the warlord who reached out to take Zeus from him. As far as he was concerned he wouldn’t let the male out of his sight again if he could help it. In his periphery, Prince Azaes laid a restraining hand on the warlord’s arm.
He called again for Mayra, his voice breaking as spoke Zeus’s name.
“You must be calm, Dargon. He is vulnerable now and we must see to his safety,” Alpha softly admonished. He reached through Zeus to try and ascertain the extent of the Mark’s injuries.
Mayra arrived pulling a hydraulic stretcher. Gently they laid Zeus on the pallet. The medic stated working before they could pull away. They caressed and cupped the impossibly pale face. Zeus had flawless alabaster skin but the pallor he wore now was that of sickness and injury. Oily sweat covered him, tinged with the bitter odor of pain. His own golden color against the unnatural chalky complexion was stark. He wished Zeus would open those silvery white eyes, just once so he could be reassured the man would live.
Alpha didn’t help as he recited a catalog of injuries Zeus had sustained. Dargon’s pulse thrummed faster as Mayra worked to cut away Zeus’s uniform revealing visually what he knew from Alpha’s growing recitation. The black material camouflaged the blood from the numerous wounds. The Mar’Sani soldiers gathered around, grim and somber as they looked on.
Mayra ran the bio-scanner from head to toe, the feminine electronic voice sounded tinny in the quiet, cavernous shuttle bay. “Subject: male of unknown species. Iron based blood AB-. Contusion on the posterior of the cranium with minor swelling of the brain. Cracked right cheek bone. Broken clavicle. Dislocated left shoulder. Compound fracture of the humerus. Six cracked ribs. Suggest stitching to the 10 centimeter long laceration to the upper right back above the shoulder blade and the fourteen centimeter laceration to front right thigh…”
The scanner continued the assessment in that infuriating monotone. Mayra had started treatment, injecting the anti-shock serum, antibiotics, and set up an IV while the Orions cleaned and field bandaged Zeus’s various minor wounds.
“Dargon, it was amazing he was standing much less having a logical conversation,” Mayra commented as she worked.
“He is Mar’Sani,” Mestor replied, making it plain nothing less was expected of a prince of the people.
“He is the Striker,” Warlord Sohm’lan whispered with deep respect. The gathered soldiers murmured their agreement. As Dargon regarded the burnish scaled warlord, the male bowed reverently to Zeus. A brief moment passed before the gesture was repeated by the soldiers present. The twins looked on proud and grim.
A scuffle drew Dargon’s attention to the captured T’Sali and V’Saar bug. Alpha’s anger spiked at the sight. Running his hand one more time through Zeus’s dark hair, he left his Marked in Mayra’s care.
Alpha rippled against his skin. “It is time we spoke to the V’Saar.”
Dargon’s darkening mood mirrored Alpha’s rage. They had grown close over their years together, separating the emotions of the two them at times was impossible. Aggression bounced back and forth between him and Alpha, building a raging fire of retribution. Stalking across the bay platform, he grabbed the bug by its spindly throat. The fragility was a deception that had led to the fall of many of an inexperienced soldier.
“Who sent you!” Dragon growled, the responding noise from Alpha echoed in his head.
The V’Saar cackled as Dargon shook him. The bug bled from the various wounds delivered by the Mar’Sani warriors, the venomous stinger had been severed from the body, twitching a meter away. He’d seen these things in battle and knew it wasn’t close to dying yet and still dangerous.
Alpha roiled at the touch of the bug, memories not his own flashed in quick succession before his eyes. A tale of war, blood, and profound loss made his catch his breath. Age old suppressed sorrow engulfed Alpha, and for a slow heartbeat the symbiote was overcome by that which he blocked from himself and Dargon. The thought that Zeus could have been taken and consumed by the bug shook Alpha to his very core.
An ancient bloodlust shoved the grief aside and Alpha rode the wave of fury. “Kill the V’Saar,” Alpha sneered. “Those of his kind only know violence and hate. They manipulate and cannibalize, leaving only carnage and destruction in their wake. They live to create havoc and then swoop in to swallow down the despair. There is no rehabilitating them. They devour the worlds in their path, stamping out any semblance of life and enslaving those they can use until that use is gone.”
Dargon’s attention was snagged when the bug answered Alpha. “You will not win against us.” The translator worked hard to convert the V’Saar’s chittering. “We are many. You are broken with your opinions and debates. We are one in our resolve. We are one in our actions. While you scramble in your confusion, we will subjugate you. Some will be made our pets and others our cattle.”
Mod
“Let me,” Alpha hissed. Without warning, Alpha’s dark green form flowed down Dargon’s arm, engulfing the hand that clutched the V’Saar neck. The symbiote molded and hardened part of his body around the bug’s neck, stretching up towards its face. The dark green, pink veined body eerily oozed over the extendable jaw and up the harp angles of the oblong face. Three sets of eyes rolled in abject fear as Alpha completely covered the bug’s head.
Alpha nudged Dargon and he gave over to his symbiote, allowing him the freedom to use his body. “Has it been so long that you have forgotten us,” Alpha hissed aloud to the bug. “I am surprised the outcome of the Arthro War was so easily forgotten by your people, to even dare to come here. Maybe it is time I should remind you what has escaped V’Saar memory. You were warned we would kill your queen if you tried again to take what was ours.”
The bug wailed and thrashed weakly against Dargon’s grip. He knew the creature was stronger than that but his link with Alpha let him see the pressure the symbiote was placing on the V’Saar’s mind. Alpha’s hatred for the species was overpowering. Confusing clips of Alpha’s memory bled through to Dargon. He didn’t understand what he was seeing; only knew that Alpha was deeply affected by the state Zeus was in.
The bug went limp in Dargon’s hand, and Alpha withdrew to settle back in his place on Dargon’s collar bone in the semblance of the wide arcing torc. The V’Saar wasn’t dead but had become submissive, compliant. Dargon had never seen or heard of such a thing from a bug. He had become aware that they were surrounded by the Mar’Sani soldiers. Princes Azaes and Mestor regarded him with new respect as he released the bug to kneel at his feet.
“When he is ready, we hope that Alpha will share the story of this war his species had with the V’Saar,” Prince Azaes stated.
Dargon nodded, listening to Alpha. “He says he will gladly speak of it after he sees to Zeus. He says to tell you the bug will cooperate with you now. When you are finished, have it dropped at the grid. The V’Saar has a message to deliver to his queen.”
He barely waited for the prince’s acknowledgement before leaving to seek out his Marked. When he boarded the Oethra, Madux was waiting for him.
“Amlyn is in the infirmary. Mayra sedated her while the nanites repair her injuries. She thought Zeus would be more comfortable in your quarters. He awakened and asked for you when he was settled.”
Dargon squeezed Madux’s arm as he passed by. There were things he needed to do but first he would check on his prince. His paused for a moment outside his quarters, even though Alpha urged him to go in.
“We need to talk.” He rested his forehead against the cool metal of the door.
Alpha was silent a moment before he replied. “I’m sorry I didn’t confide in you earlier.”
“Would you have—given time?”
“We've tried hard to forget where we came from, what we endured to reach a sort of peace. I didn’t want to tell you, in hopes the V’Saar would continue to be kept behind the barrier. I should've shared it with you after Nesius One. If I had suspected they had expanded their influence and had reached the humans, I would've done things differently.”
Dargon concentrated on take deep even breaths. Alpha was his confidant, an intimate lover, and friend. He had believed Alpha was as open to him as he had been to the symbiote. A relationship such as theirs relied on complete trust because the Dar Massaga were vulnerable to their alphas. Dargon felt raw at the moment knowing that the faith, the same assurance wasn’t returned to him.
“Dargon, you know I love you, have always loved you.”
He shivered as Alpha caressed his skin. “You didn’t tell me you had lived so many life times or that you'd out live me. You didn’t tell me you were incomplete with just me. Is my reaction, the mating heat I experience around Zeus something you caused?” He closed his eyes. “Do you want Zeus instead of me?”
He wished he could pull back the words as soon as they tumbled from him. If the answer was yes, he didn’t want to know. He and Alpha had been together since he reached puberty. He could barely remember the time before, when he'd been alone, and the thought that Alpha would leave, terrified him. He would be broken.
“I’m sorry my reticence has made you distrust me.” Dargon felt Alpha’s sorrow. “I only wished to keep you from enduring my pain. The society, the culture we were originally born in, where what you, I, and Zeus could be was normal. It was the blending of three races that born the ancients. The genocide the V’Saar enacted on our planet killed everyone in our families except the Zeta’s and us. After the war, we travelled the galaxies and discovered the Dar Massaga. Your species was so like…we couldn’t pass you by and not offer ourselves to you. We—I've been happy and would never give you up. This attraction between us and Zeus, I thought I'd never find…would never be complete like that again.” Alpha opened himself and Dargon’s knees buckled under the emotions and the memories shared with him—and he understood. His worries were for naught. “If Zeus only wants our platonic companionship, then that will be enough for me. I don’t want one without the other. The mating heat, the marking, I didn’t influence that nor could I. You chose Zeus. I was merely pleased we both agreed.”
“We'll need to discuss your warning to the bug. You'll also need to explain to Zeus what happened when we had sex earlier.” Dargon let out an unsteady breath and rose to his feet. “If he doesn’t understand and runs from us, I won’t survive.”
Alpha didn’t reply and it was just as well. Dargon wasn’t sure how he felt—certainly numb, and confused. He needed time to process what he’d seen through Alpha. He could deal with one issue at a time which meant Zeus came first, ensuring his health and safety. The others would have to wait.
The door swished opened and he stepped into the dimly lit cabin. He briefly considered transforming into his Thylakos form but discarded the idea. It took time and energy. He didn’t have an abundance of either. Zeus laid on the sleeping platform, the thick burgundy spyder douppioni silk pulled up to his hips. The man had a powerful body. It wasn’t difficult to see his injuries. But when Zeus opened those colorless eyes, Dargon was captured by their silvery gaze and pulled him forward.
“Don’t look at me so,” Zeus muttered. “I’m not that hurt. Mayra said I heal faster than normal and with the help of the nanites I'll be up and about in a couple of hours, with the exception of the arm which will take a couple of days.”
He sat on the edge of the sleeping platform and picked up the nutrient mix and held the canna reed to Zeus’s lips for him to drink. The solution gave the nanites the materials they needed to repair Zeus’s already taxed body.
“I never want to know what you'd consider a serious injury. Watching you collapse took years off of my life. I'd prefer you never do that again.”
Zeus cracked a smile but held his tongue only because Dargon kept shoving the reed against his lips and didn’t stop until all the liquid had been consumed. The prince’s eyes drooped with weariness. Dargon leaned in and kissed Zeus lightly on the forehead.
“When you are better, Alpha has something to discuss with you.” Zeus mumbled in response but sleep snatched his words away.
Dargon sat and guarded the prince, at a loss at what to do. He’d been confident when he’d met the brilliant mechanic. The right question in the right circles let him know Zeus was a genius who was competitively sought after by other space stations for his expertise. He’d liked that the man had a mind but it had confused him when he’d believed Zeus to be a Mar’Sani pet. Little did he know the young prince was such a warrior as well.
Zeus was more than his unequal in many ways but in Dar Massaga culture the pairing for mates and partners was always with one physically stronger. He’d always imagined himself to be the dominant partner, the protector of a fragile male, and Zeus was anything but. There were set roles his people lived by, and Zeus was so far outside the social guidelines that Dargon didn’t know where he’d fit. Dargon’s physical size, his military record, his success in battle was a testament to his power and virility. If he’d gone home, he would’ve had suitors clamoring for his attentions.
None of it mattered.
He had planned to spend the journey to Valespia wooing the man but he’d begun to wonder if he’d be able to. Watching Zeus and learning about him, Dargon realized he’d never cared for the standards of his culture. It was the reason why he’d left to roam the universe. He’d found something—someone—he wanted, and he didn’t know how to proceed. If he currently had resided on his home world, he would herd Zeus to his lair, and bring home a large kill as evidence that he could provide, and then seduce the male. Dargon was pretty sure Zeus wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. He thought about asking the twins about Mar’Sani customs and immediately discarded the idea.
Thinking about the Mar’Sani twins made Dargon check the time. He had to meet with Prince Azaes soon. The warship would cut five days off their trip but he needed to disclose information regarding the group who pursued them. Maybe the brothers would have ideas how to get the Fal’Amoric to Valespia without another altercation. There had only been the one bug with the incursion on Gorgon. If more were sent, victory couldn't be assured.
Brushing a kiss against Zeus lips, Dargon rose to leave. There was much to accomplish before he could come back to Zeus’s side. Outside the cabin door, Hadon stood defiantly with arms crossed. He only nodded his gratitude to the Battion leaving Zeus in the bodyguard’s care. If he was swift, he could be back in time to have late meal with Zeus.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Zeus was elbows deep in the control panel for the scout ship’s shields. He’d been up and out of bed, without his cast, for a week. He’d barely seen the Captain of the Oethra 7. He knew the male had sat with him while he slept and recovered. Since he left the bed, they had been doing a dance, of sorts, around each other with the both of them unsure how to proceed. Dargon tried to make late meal; where they shared stories, but that was the only time they were able to spend together.
Dargon was either paged by one of the crew, or the Fal’Amorics, even his own brothers took up the Dar Massaga’s time. The male only slept a few hours at a time, and if he hadn’t seen the burning look Dargon gave him, he’d thought he was being avoided. Even though he enjoyed coming to know Dargon and was fascinated by the male’s past, he wanted more than this budding friendship between them.
A jolt of electricity zapped the end of his fingers causing him to curse and shake the pain out of his hand. At least he found the short. Otho scampered up the wall where Zeus’s harness was tethered. The tool kit dangling from his grip as Zeus pulled out the offending wires.
“Do you mind if I ask you a question?” Otho watched Zeus examine the wires.
“Sure. What do you want to know?”
The L’Eema pulled out the saudering kit and assembled it for Zeus. “Why do you not spend time with the Fal’Amorics? Well, you do but you don’t.”
Zeus’s hands slowed. He thought Otho would ask more questions about fusion and physics. The L’Eema had a voracious appetite for knowledge.
Mod
“They are like you, are they not? Some say you’re related but they are like strangers to you.” Otho’s tail wrapped around a pipe for stability while he assembled the kit. The L’Eema had four double jointed fingers and two opposable thumbs per hand. Watching them move fascinated Zeus.
“We are the same species, but they are not my people, or my family. They are strangers because I don’t know them,” Zeus replied.
“But they wish for you to be more.”
Zeus accepted the tool and began working on the wires. “We are different, they and I. I know they desire a deeper connection. Right now, they need a leader, and I can be that person for them. Maybe someday, we can be friends, but they cannot be my family.”
A horrified gasp sounded from below. Athena stood inside the engine room door, a hand covering her mouth as she stared at Zeus with watery eyes. Spinning on her heal she fled. He signed heavily. He didn’t regret how he felt, only that she’d been hurt by the admission. The woman who claimed to be his older sister was a mixture of fierce and fragile. From what he’d deduced, the colony had been captured five years ago. The experiments by the humans had cut their number in half. They were not aware that other clans were held on the prison planet because they had been isolated. The scientists tried to breed the women with human men, with no success. The human male sperm was too weak to fertilize the eggs, even when they tried artificial insemination. The embryos always aborted within a few short weeks.
He knew Athena had been extensively experimented on since she was of the royal line and sister to the Bespoken promised to the crown princes. Zeus suspected they wanted a Bespoken they could control. The reason why was a mystery.
Otho took over the repairs so Zeus could find Athena. She hadn’t made it very far. He found her sitting in an alcove crying. Zeus felt for her, but he couldn’t be who she needed. Gently he helped her to her feet. She immediately clutched him to her, crying harder while he held her. She smelled of delicate flowers which contrasted with her athletic physique. Once he had gotten over his shock, he could see their resemblance. The shape of the face, the color of the hair, the curve of the nose, the likeness was there for everyone to see.
“All these years, I held onto the hope that you and Prometheus would be returned to us, and we would be a family again. The two of you are all I have left.” Athena sniffled into his shoulder.
“That’s not true. You have people who've been with you all of this time, who love you, look up to you, and admire your strength.”
“I am no leader,” she murmured, regarding me with water filled eyes.
“Some of the best rulers in history didn’t think of themselves as leaders either.” Zeus turned her and led them down the hall towards the Fal’Amoric quarters. Azaes had offered them rooms on the warship but the clan wasn’t ready to be separated.
“We won’t be more than friends, will we?” she asked, staring straight ahead.
“I don’t know,” he honestly replied. “I have a family whom I dearly love. I had never wondered about my origins. I see myself as Mar’Sani and I don’t desire to be more. But I would have you as my friend, if my presence doesn’t cause you too much distress. I know you want more but I can’t fill that role for you. I hope you understand.”
Athena patted his hand. “I do and I know with time I'll adjust. What is important is you are safe. I just wish I knew if Prometheus was safe as well.”
“I have an idea how to find him. If I am right, he’ll be returned to you in no time.”
Athena wiped away a stray tear, and whispered a watery thanks, before retreating into the Fal’Amoric quarters. He watched her go and wished she had someone who'd be there to support her when she needed a shoulder. He felt they could be friend in time but at the moment, all he felt was awkward around her.
She hadn’t walked far before she was joined by a silver-haired man, Altan. The male watched Athena with adoring eyes. Maybe she wasn’t as alone as she believed herself to be.
With the repairs finished, he was disappointed when Dargon didn’t make late meal. He crawled under the covers, trying to decide on a plan of action. He drifted off to sleep with some new found resolve. No more dancing around Dargon.
Zeus sat up gasping for air, the nightmare making the scars burn. He didn’t realize he was clawing at this back until his hands firmly restrained him.
“…answer me.”
He blinked rapidly as he came fully awake. “Dargon?”
“Ah, you are awake.”
There was an odd quality to Dargon’s voice that caught his attention. “You sound different.”
The room lights rose to a faint glow. Dargon sat next to him but he wasn’t completely Dargon. Alpha had moved to cover the Dar Massaga’s face and head; the pink veins changed the features and gave him a completely different appearance. It was like he was a transformed person and maybe he was.
“It was just a nightmare—I didn’t know you could that. Does he know—aware?”
A startling beautiful smile crossed Alpha’s lips and he couldn’t help but stare. “He’s asleep right now but he’ll remember the moment he wakes.” Dargon’s eyes were normally a vibrant green but now they were the amber of aged liquor. “Does it bother you to speak to me as I am now?”
“No,” he replied truthfully. “You're a part of Dargon. I know the two of you are close and I'd hoped to be able to speak to you.”
Alpha shyly lowered his eyes. “You did?”
“Why does that surprise you?”
“You are attracted to Dargon. You interact with and touch him.”
Zeus reached up and placed his palm on Alpha’s cheek, the dark green blunt against his own alabaster. “I don’t touch you because I was taught it was rude. Dar Massagas are protective of their Alphas.” He watched Alpha’s lids flutter closed in unbidden bliss. When he stroked his thumb over the cheek bone, Alpha made a small noise of pleasure.
“Yes, I'd like for you to caress and interact with me too.”
Rising up to his knees, he took Alpha’s face between his palms and brushed their lips together. Alpha’s eyes snapped open.
“Again, you are surprised. Talk to me.”
“You see me as something more than an object or pet.” He didn’t sound like he believed the words. “You—like me?”
Zeus smiled and cast his eyes down. He probably should've said something before now. “When I touch Dargon, if you’re talking I can hear it. I don’t know what he says in return. I don’t mean to intrude…”
Alpha looked pleased. “You have telepathy?”
“Not really, I was taught how to listen for it. With a friend of mine, Cleito, I’m able to reply back. I wish I could hear and speak to you like Dargon does.”
Alpha licked his lips. Zeus followed the course of the dark tongue over the plump lips. “You like what you’ve heard?” Alpha prodded.
“You and Dargon care very much about me. You do know I adore both of you too?” Again Zeus noted Alpha’s disbelief. “If I had objected, I would've said something after we were together.” Those amber eyes widened before they glanced down. Zeus grinned at the shy embarrassment.
“You did have sex with us. It was the most freeing, astounding experience I’ve had in a very long time.” A wistful smile pulled at the corners of Alpha’s mouth.
“I know you are a separate entity. By pursuing a relationship with Dargon I knew I would also seek one with you too.”
That caught the symbiote’s attention. “It sounds as if you’ve made up your mind. You want more than a companionship from Dargon?”
“From you both. I’m working on designing a translator I could use to hear you without touching Dargon. I'd enjoy having conversations with you.”
Alpha bit his bottom lip, mesmerizing Zeus with the sharp indentions. “Sometimes there are those who we wish to be able to communicate with, without outside assistance. In times of heightened emotions our telepathy is so strong that our voice is broadcasted to those closest to us. As you can see, I can speak to you using Dargon’s body. For those we choose an enduring intimate relationship with, I can give a piece of myself. We would be able to speak directly to each other, the three of us, without vocalization.”
Zeus understood it was an offer that wasn’t given lightly. This would tie them together in the most intimate way. “I would be honored by your trust.”
An agonized expression crossed Alpha’s face. “Before you do, I must tell you what I've done. Dargon was not aware until recently and he has been quite upset with me because he’s afraid of how you will react.”
“I don’t see how you could've done anything that would upset me that much,” Zeus said soothingly.
Alpha gave a bitter laugh. “It wasn’t intentional and by the time I realized what I'd done, it was too late.”
“Alpha?”
“We are pregnant.” Alpha’s voice was emotionless but his eyes were slightly wild with fear and vulnerability.
Zeus couldn’t speak. When he was thirteen and had overheard the Chtichlians talk about how one of them had altered his body, taking away his ability to procreate, he'd not fully understood the implications. The Mar’Sani had males and females; they didn’t have the third sex, like other species, that encompassed both male and female reproduction. He'd been too young to understand exactly what it meant but at the time he was happy. He was different even as it was and didn’t want something else added to the things that set him apart.
As he’d grown older, he became acutely aware of what had been stolen from him when he was set up as a decoy. The Chtichlians had noted that they couldn’t change him completely because he had to have the DNS chromosome structure to fool those who sought the Bespoken.
“How?” Something warm bloomed within Zeus’s chest. He held his breath, eyes searching Alpha’s face and only seeing earnest chagrin mixed with a dawning hope.
“When your physical structure had been manipulated by the Chtichlians, they redirected the eggs you'd ovulate to be expelled when your ejaculated. When your sperm was released onto Dargon, there was an egg within your essence.”
“I thought a Fal’Amoric egg had to have two separate sperm donors to start the fertilization process?”
“That is true and in this case there was Dargon’s and mine.”
“Yours?” It hadn’t occurred to him that Alpha would find enjoyment in their sexual interaction. Nor did he believe he'd be able to have children. After he turned twenty summers, he had begun to desire offspring and ached doubly so knowing the ability had been robbed from him.
Alpha made a pained noise. A single tear escaped down his cheek. “Please don’t be upset. It wasn’t intentional.”
Zeus had no words for the elation he felt and he did the first thing that came to mine. He kissed Alpha, fully and without reservation. He took advantage of the startled gasp and delved into the warm cavernous mouth, tasting the sweetness inside as euphoria bubble up within him bloomed.
He was going to be a father.
After his initial shock, Alpha responded with hunger. The intensity made Zeus believe Alpha starved for the intimacy. He cupped his hand at the back of Alpha’s head; his other hand stroked the warm, dark-green skin. That his caress was enjoyed was evident in the soft sounds of pleasure that were expelled. He swallowed them, greedily devoured the delicious noises as he delved deeper taking everything Alpha gave him. Reluctantly, he pulled back and rested his forehead against Alpha’s. He loathed the distance between their bodies but first he had to make a few things clear.
Mod
They panted together, exchanging breath. “I'd never be upset over the promise of a child,” Zeus promised. “Granted, the situation is backwards from what I would’ve desired, but I'd already decided I wanted more from you two. I believe we have something special.”
Amber eyes roamed over Zeus’s face. “Special—yes. When we laid eyes on you, we both knew we could've something magnificent with you. We wanted to court you, convince you to be our spouse.”
“We’ll need more time before deciding a permanent union is right for us but I think we are on course. What do I need to be able to speak to you?” Zeus knew the time was approaching for Dargon to wake. He wanted to be free to communicate with Alpha before they started the day.
Alpha touched the tip of his finger to his cheek and it came away with a small dot. “If I do this, others of my kind will know what you are to us.”
“And what would that be?”
Alpha gave him another shy smile. He tried to memorize it because he didn’t know how soon he'd get to see it again. “They would know you are our beloved, our intimate, not to be poached or pursued. I won't be able to undo this if we proceed, so make sure this is what you want.”
Zeus leaned in and chastely kissed Alpha again. This time it was slow and sweet. When he pulled back, Alpha pressed the dot between Zeus’s brows. The skin warned and tingled with the electric contact. Something light feathered across his mind and he heard his name whispered.
“I can hear you.” He opened his eyes. He didn’t know he'd feel relieved at the connection that became stronger by the moment.
Alpha’s sharply indrawn breath was the only warning Zeus had before his mouth was attacked with unbridled eagerness. He was bore to the mattress and covered with Dargon’s large body as Alpha made love to Zeus with his mouth. He couldn’t remember ever being kissed with such tender passion before. He lost himself to the loving caress, time holding no meaning.
A warm hand encased his hard length. “Alpha,” he moaned under his breath.
“Do you like how I touch you?” His cock was squeezed and he choked out an affirmative.
“Don’t forget my touch and how I made you feel. Tell me.” Zeus’s ear was nipped, giving it a biting sting when he didn’t answer the plea quickly enough.
“Your touch…it’s your touch…Alpha…oh, haven help me.” Alpha chuckled against the nape of his neck and he trembled.
“I think it is time to wake Dargon so he can greet the morn properly.” After a last quick kiss Alpha pulled back.
In fascination Zeus watched the symbiote flow down Dargon’s face revealing the same but different features. The amber-colored eyes bled away to a vibrant green. A very awake Dargon peered down at Zeus, his eyes getting a slightly distant look. Zeus wondered if he was remembering the conversation with Alpha.
His suspicion was confirmed when Dargon gave a jolt, green eyes snapped to his, filled with hope and joy. “You aren't angry with us. You want us,” he whispered.
“Yes,” Zeus growled and lifted up, pressing his hard length into Dargon’s hard stomach. “Is this what you want?” he asked watching Dargon’s reaction.
“You know it is. It’s what we both want.” Dargon was beginning to breathe heavily. Zeus felt Dargon’s cock unsheathe.
“Good. I needed to make sure because I'm done talking.”
His lips glided down Dargon’s neck, sucking and nipping his way down the muscled column. Dargon breathed his name, a litany, a prayer whispered across taunt skin. Strong arms encircled him drawing their bodies together. Zeus arched into Dargon, needing so much more.
“Dargon, Alpha, please….oh, haven, please make love to me…”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
From the moment he had awakened hovering over Zeus, he'd felt the stab of the man’s erection as the memory of Alpha’s recent conversation was processed. Zeus wasn’t upset and wanted a relationship. Dargon couldn’t believe it. He’s thought they wouldn’t be more than companions and friends. But this—they’d have something more than a platonic relationship. They’d be able to touch Zeus as he'd desired from the beginning. Dargon thought he’d burst with joy.
Silky soft lips moved over his throat, leaving a trail of tingling desire in their wake. Zeus. Their courageous and insane prince, arched into them, asking—begging for—Dargon growled. His hand fisted in the long, black tresses. The beads around Zeus’s face clacked together when he pulled Zeus’s head back.
Large liquid eyes gazed up at him, pupils blown so wide from desire that the silvery white was swallowed until a small sliver was barely discernible. Between Zeus’s brows was a deep green dot, a symbol of Zeus’s commitment, and a sign to others he was a part of an Alpha Trine. He wasn’t completely theirs yet but—close.
“Dargon.” Zeus writhed under him.
“Zeus, if you don’t stop I’ll lose control and I don’t want to hurt you.” He was holding on by a thread. His cat instincts so close to the surface, pushing at his rational mind. He’d never forgive himself if he inadvertently injured Zeus because the mating heat made him forget the man’s fragility.
As if sensing his thoughts, Zeus pulled against Dargon’s grip and sharply bit into the meat of his shoulder. Dargon snapped. The thrumming vibrated his chest. He rutted against Zeus as one hand squeezed the firm cheek of Zeus’s ass.
“Yes, like that.” In that moment, Zeus sounded like his Mar’Sani brothers, his nails dug into Dargon’s back, urging him on.
“Dammit, Zeus.” Dargon nipped Zeus’s collar bone, pulling free of the grasping arms. He licked his way down the center of Zeus’s chest. He wasn’t going to be side tracked by the small, ruddy nipples that were pebbled to nice points. By the way Zeus was pushing him down, he didn’t want Dargon to be detoured either. They were one in their desired destination. His tongue dipped into Zeus’s navel and Zeus wrapped his fingers around the edges of his thick copper braid.
“Don’t stop there,” Zeus panted.
Dargon chuckled listening to Alpha verbally tease Zeus.
“I don’t know, Dargon, he seems to be really sensitive right here.”
“No, you can’t,” Zeus panted and pushed ineffectually on the top of Dargon’s head.
“But he can,” Alpha purred.
Zeus hissed in frustration and pleasure as Dargon raked his teeth lightly over the juncture of Zeus’s hip and groin. He inhaled the intoxicating scent trapped by the wiry hair at the base of Zeus’s hard cock.
Dargon marveled at the similarities and the differences between the two of them. His cock had a sheath, Zeus had something called foreskin. He had four testicles, two of which produced his natural lubricant. Zeus had two large balls that fit nicely into the palm of his hand and made Zeus suck in his breath when he rolled them in his hand. A heady, clear spice pearled at the tip of Zeus’s cock.
The shaft had a thick pulsing vein on the underside that went all the way up the column. The darker purpled head peaked out of the foreskin, eyes trained on the drop of fluid that slowly slid down the hard column. Dargon’s tongue snaked out and caught it. The heady scent of the essence was nothing next to the potent taste that filled his mouth. Salty and just slightly bitter, the flavor burst across his mouth flooding his senses.
Groaning, he licked up Zeus’s dick, following the liquid trail left behind by the droplet. Pulling the foreskin back he lapped at the head, gathering fluid, tongue delved into the eye of Zeus’s cock. The man below him gasped and moaned, eyes watching every move Dargon made.
“Have you ever sucked cock?” Zeus managed to groan out.
He gave a low dark chuckle. “You mean like this?”
His lips pressed again the head of Zeus’s dick, following the sloped down over the rim. He stopped and suckled, tongue swirling around and around. Zeus’s head thrashed back and forth, his chest heaved with each bellowed breath. Dargon kept a firm hand on Zeus’s hip as the man tried to buck up into his mouth.
Careful of his teeth, he slowly slid down the silky hard column, easing all the way to the root where the wiry hair tickled his nose. Coming back up, he fisted the thick rod and pumped the shaft as he lavished attention on the head.
Alpha moved until he drifted around Zeus’s balls, rolling and squeezing.
“Oh, haven—Alpha—Dargon, I need more.” Zeus gripped the sheets in rigged fists, head lifted to watch the sensual torture.
Dargon reached down and fisted his own throbbing erection, giving himself a loose pump to collect lubrication. Pressing slick fingers against Zeus’s taint, he trailed slick down to where he would breach the man. Grabbing his knees, Zeus pulled them to his chest, opening himself to Dargon’s administrations.
He massaged Zeus’s rim, eyes taking in every nuance of his lover’s face. His strong features softened by passion sweet noises of pleasure rang throughout the cabin as his fingers sank into the fiery heat. Zeus’s back bowed, lids fluttered close, and his dark nipples puckered to hard tips. He’d never had a lover as stunning as Zeus.
Dargon pulled off of Zeus’s dick and the man’s eyes popped open, a protest perched on his lips. Before he could utter a word, Alpha gripped Zeus’s erection causing a garbled sound to escape instead. Lapping and nipping, Dargon made his way up Zeus’s torso, fingers pumping slowly in and out. Their lover was approaching climax but Dargon wanted to be inside when Zeus did.
Rising up on one arm, he looked down at the stunning display of ecstasy. “Zeus,” he called voice low and husky.
Dazed silver eyes opened.
“I’m going to take you now. I’ll spill my seed in you. Anyone who comes near you will know we're lovers. Is this what you want?”
Zeus focused on Dargon, no hesitancy, no doubt. “I want the two of you to smell like me as well. Can we do that? Is it possible? I don’t want there to be any doubt who you belong with.”
Dargon gave a feral grin, “With?”
“You’re not my possession. You and Alpha are my partners. I want you covered in my scent so there is no doubt you are not in need of a lover.”
Dargon swooped down and claimed Zeus’s tender lips. Arms slipped under the man, lifting Zeus onto Dargon’s thighs. Powerful legs slid around his hips squeezing as Zeus drew himself closer to Dargon until their chests were flush. Dargon gripped the firm globes of Zeus’s ass, spreading his own knees wide for stability.
His lube slick cock rode the cleft of Zeus’s butt cheeks. He dropped his head back, when Zeus reached between them and grabbed Dargon’s ribbed cock and positioned the tip at his entrance. Dargon was the one gasping when Zeus bore down and he slid into the molten furnace, enveloped by Zeus who watched Dargon’s expressions as if that moment was all that mattered.
Fully seated on Dargon’s cock, Zeus gave him a brilliant smile. “Each ridge of your cock caressed me all the way down. That felt fantastic.” Zeus’s eyes widened before they fluttered closed and moaned. Looking between them, Alpha flexed over Zeus’s shaft.
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The position he had place them in didn't allow for him to pull out far, but he didn’t need much to give Zeus maximum pleasure. Disjointed words fell from Zeus’s lips as slowly moved in and out. Dargon held on to him tightly as Zeus’s back bowed, body contorting and the tension driven higher by the dual stimulation between he and Alpha. He pumped; Zeus sliding over his cock like the man was made specifically for him. Harsh breathing sounded throughout the room, sweat slicked their heated skin. The twisted moans spurred him on. Hips sharply pistoned meeting Zeus’s bottom with every upward thrust, breaths short and ragged, Dargon tried to hold back the coming orgasm that barreled down on him.
“Zeus!” he cried, “Can’t stop, can’t…”
“Do it!” Zeus shouted before smashing his mouth onto Dargon’s in a sloppy, heated kiss.
His muscles locked and he buried himself as deep as he could as he came hard, his cock pumping his seed deep within Zeus. He wasn’t prepared for the strangling grip of Zeus’s channel as Zeus threw his head back and came, growling-grunts emanating from the man, neck muscles flushed and corded. They fell back to the platform, their bodies drenched in sweat. The room smelled strongly of sex and sweet pheromones, a trait of his species that acted as a ‘do not disturb’ sign.
Dargon didn’t withdraw from Zeus, not yet. He liked feeling connected. Zeus must have enjoyed it too because he didn’t move away. Alpha was humming to himself as he drunkenly and slowly made his way back to Dargon’s collar. Both he and Zeus watched and listened to the symbiote speak random thoughts, happy and sluggish. It seemed Zeus’s seed had a slight drugging effect on the symbiote.
Taking pity on Alpha, who meandered in a lost fashion on Zeus’s chest, Dargon slid a hand under Alpha and picked him up. Once back in place, Alpha hummed a couple of notes and promptly fell asleep.
As they laughed, Dargon’s dick resheathed. Instead of pulling away, Zeus moved closer, propping his head up on a hand. They were silent, studying each other. Dargon knew he should get ready for his shift but he didn’t want to move just yet.
“No.” Zeus raised an eyebrow at Dargon’s questioning look. “You've been working too much. You have others who can help out. You can’t exhaust yourself in your condition.”
Dargon grinned. “Technically, Alpha is the one pregnant.”
“Yes, and he relies on you for his needs.”
Dargon immediately felt chagrinned. Zeus was correct.
“How does this work? What can I expect? I want to be able to contribute in any way I can.” Zeus’s silver eyes searched Dargon’s face, worry puckering his pale brow.
Dargon touched the beads in Zeus’s hair. “In about thirty days or so, Alpha will give birth.” He leaned back and indicated a small bump in Alpha at the base of his throat. “Our offspring will have to travel unaided to my pouch.” He slid his finger across the external lip of his pouch below his double navel. “It will take him twenty-three to thirty-one hours to travel down my torso into the pouch and latch onto a nipple. I’ll have to remain stationary; otherwise, the child will be lost. Once in the pouch, he'll stay there until he is about one year old. He will be born in his beast form and stay in that form until after he leaves the pouch. I'll hold my human form for six standard months until I have to transform and spend the rest of the time in Thylakos form—my cat form—and I’ll stay that way until the kit ventures out of the pouch.”
“I know your species settle on Hedisa when you have your children but I was wondering if you and Alpha would consider coming back to Altainticia with me. If it doesn’t work out then we can go wherever you want. My family would love to have us and mother would be over the moon to have a grandchild around.” Zeus’s eyes widened. “Unless you have a family waiting for your return, parents, or siblings?”
“No, no family. It has been just Alpha and me for a while. We should discuss this with Alpha when he wakes but I think he’ll agree with me on this. Wherever you want to go, we will follow.”
Zeus gave Dargon an arresting smile before kissing Dargon thoroughly. Snuggling down together, he didn’t see why they couldn’t sleep in for a while. Everything could wait a little longer. He pulled Zeus closer, pulling in their combined scent, feeling more sated and satisfied than he had in a long time. He'd need to face the princeling twins and break the news to everyone on the forthcoming birth. They were still pursued across the universe by those who would steal the Fal’Amoric from the Imperials of Valespia. The V’Saar bugs were using the imperial’s current weakness and crossing the barrier. Prince Prometheus was missing but the Chtichlians knew where to find him.
But at this very moment, he would allow the crazy world to pause, and for once, wait on him as held the beautiful man in his arms. The Mar’Sani prince, Zeus Vondorian of the planet Atlainticia, stared at him with liquid silver eyes. The princes’ lips quirked in a mischievous grin, his hand gliding down Dargon’s chest. Yes—the world outside could wait for them because he wasn’t leaving his cabin anytime soon.
Oh wow! I haven't read this yet, gimme a minute, I'll be back....
Thanks to Kim for getting this started, thanks to Lexi Ander for lending serious talent! Thanks Ravon!Great story! A bit confusing at first, it took a few catch on. The relationship between Zeus and his siblings really did it for me, got me engaged and fully invested. I loved the history and world building, complicated with so many different "species".
Some very sexy stuff going on too! *whew*
Definitely interested in seeing this as a series!
;P
****WARNING, POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD****I don't know the tag to hide potential spoilers and the iPad Goodreads app is not being friendly in figuring that out. I will try not to say too much too bad in case you read it before realizing I said too much but I have to gush now. Go read the story. It's worth it. Make sure you set enough time to read all of it at once. You won't want to put your electronic reader down until you finish.Lexi: THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Perfect! You have done wonders with my prompt, and went above and beyond what I had thought about. It's great! I couldn't step away from the story until I finished it. it grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go. I love the universe and I must know more...please... :) A cliffhanger ending with a wonderfully complex storyline. You have taken it in twists and turns I would not have thought. The twisty "humans" and the multi-dimentional "aliens" was brilliant. And I love the Greek pantheon names for the "uber" race. I see shades of "The Fifth Element", "Starship Troopers", and a little bit of potential space opera like the Honor Harrington series. All wonderful stories and are high on my favorites list. I really really love that this story seems to incorporate bits and pieces and you made it fluid and beautiful.
*dances arounds* End gushing...for now.
This has brightened my day, week, and the month. It has been a time of significant change for me right now and this is just...perfect. Thank you Lexi. If you need help (beta reading, reviewing, literary slave) with this, or future books - any books or stories you have, let me know. :)
Thank you very much for this amazing story Lexi!You've built an amazing world.
But now the waiting for the sequel is going to kill me slowly.. * sigh*
Love the cover too. Waiting for sequels are killers but so much fun once they are here. :)
Well, this story is kind of hot. Most [good] sex is mental. And this is good.
KimE wrote: "****WARNING, POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD****I don't know the tag to hide potential spoilers and the iPad Goodreads app is not being friendly in figuring that out. I will try not to say too much too ba..."KimE, I cannot expressed how relieved I am that you loved this. I was really worried that I didn't give your prompt justice. So, so happy. That just made my week. Thank you for all your kind words!
Just so that you know I am working on part two. I simply ran out of time. About the time I am ready for beta reading on part two, I will send Alpha Trine to an editor to help me clean it up. Part two will be a freebie as well. If you don't mind I will take you up on your offer when I need a beta to go over it. I hope to have it finished before April 2013.
Thank you so much!
Lexi
Syfy wrote: "Thanks to Kim for getting this started, thanks to Lexi Ander for lending serious talent! Thanks Ravon!Great story! A bit confusing at first, it took a few catch on. The relationship between Zeus ..."
Thank you Syfy! I loved Zeus's twin borthers. LOL! I am such a creature of detail and I knew I got carried away. Hopefully, all the kinks will be worked when I have an editor look at this. Thank you for reading!
Best Wishes,
Lexi
Alex wrote: "Thank you very much for this amazing story Lexi!You've built an amazing world.
But now the waiting for the sequel is going to kill me slowly.. * sigh*"
I'm so glad you enjoyed this Alex. I'm working on it the sequel! I'll try to put you out of your misery soon. :)
Best Wishes,
Lexi
John wrote: "Well, this story is kind of hot. Most [good] sex is mental. And this is good."Thank you, John! I worried about the alien sex. LOL! I wanted it to be hot without the yuck in after thought, ya' know?
Best Wishes!
Lexi
Lexi wrote: "Alex wrote: "Thank you very much for this amazing story Lexi!You've built an amazing world.
But now the waiting for the sequel is going to kill me slowly.. * sigh*"
I'm so glad you enjoyed this ..."
Ah, no worry, take all the time you need. Good story is worth waiting for :)
cheers,
Alex
Lexi: I will be glad to help you with beta reading the 2nd part. You did wonderfully with the prompt and you have no worries on my end. I love the detail so hopefully you won't have to change too much. I can't wait to see the new part.
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Hey you guys! Just wanted to let you know that Alpha Trine went through some significant editorial changes (that added another 7k to the story) in anticipation of this summer's release of book 2, Striker, Lord of Thunder. The new version is ready for download with three ebook formats available here on GoodReads here --> Alpha Trine. I hope you enjoy what I did to smooth it out. :)Cheers!
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Ravon, what do think about adding that link to the first post?
Wonderful. I just downloaded it. I will read it again.
KimE wrote: "Wonderful. I just downloaded it. I will read it again."Hope you like it Kim! *bites nails* :)
Lexi wrote: "Hey you guys! Just wanted to let you know that Alpha Trine went through some significant editorial changes (that added another 7k to the story) in anticipation of this summer's release of book 2, ..."Thanks for the update Lexi! Now, to read immediately or wait for book two and do a marathon... decisions decisions....
;P
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Oh, good. Thanks.
Ravon wrote: "I've added the updated link to the first post :)"Thanks!
Lexi, are you ever going to write any more about Zeus, Dargon and Alpha? I would love to read more about them if you do :D
Ilona wrote: "Lexi, are you ever going to write any more about Zeus, Dargon and Alpha? I would love to read more about them if you do :D"I'm glad you like the guys, Ilona. I'm currently writing book two of the Valespian Pact. I plan for a summer release. I'll make sure to put up a notice when it's ready.
Thanks!
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Less Than Three Press has picked up Alpha Trine and the sequel, Striker. The re-release of Alpha Trine is September 25th. Woot!!
Congratulations!
Lexi wrote: "KimE wrote: "Wonderful. I just downloaded it. I will read it again."Hope you like it Kim! *bites nails* :)"
I thought I had commented on this but apparently I hadn't. I re-read the new version and I love the changes. I think you did a great job explaining a few things in the beginning. :)
I've been wondering when the second one would be coming out too. :) Do you have a publish date for Striker?
Charming wrote: "Comment from Lexi: Updated 7/18/2013Less Than Three Press has picked up Alpha Trine and the sequel, Striker. The re-release of Alpha Trine is September 25th. Woot!!
Congratulations!"
Thanks, Charming!
Gay Science Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
Alpha Trine (other topics)Alpha Trine (other topics)
Alpha Trine (other topics)
Intergalactic mm romance between a human space mechanic genius and an alien that morphs to be "human" when they mate. Have a way for the "alien" to be able to reproduce despite being male without the aid of technology for the pregnancy itself. Maybe technology was involved in the past and they "evolved" to be able to continue the alien species? HEA of course. Maybe a start of a series? Up to the author. I like series.
And the blurb from the author:
Zeus was two months old and the sole survivor on a science vessel in deep space found by the Mar’Sani. The blind infant was swept up by the grieving Empress Ashari and adopted by Emperor Valdor Vondorian as their fourth child. Zeus grew up in a loving home but his frailty as the only human among his strong reptilian brothers caused his parents to seek the help of the Chtichlians, the expert arachnid geneticists, to fix their son’s sight.
Zeus discovers that having his sight is harder than being blind and he learns to not trust his eyes. His family believes he is the reincarnation of their lost child Canry, but there are those Mar’Sani nobles who only see him as the orphaned human, and not worth of the Emperor’s family name.
Dargon Kal-Turak is a Dar Massaga, he and his symbiote, Alpha; command a ship of manned by members of some of the most dangerous races. After narrowly escaping a trap, Dargon and his crew dock at the spaceport for repairs. It isn’t long before the Psonics have their location. Dargon snatches the Master Mechanic and limps out of port not realizing he has bought more trouble…and maybe the answer to salvaging the Valespian Pact.
We also have a link to an edited version of story now, right here: Alpha Trine