Feral Series IV: Feral Fallout (29 page)

"Follow me.” Goro shoved onto his feet.

Blood trickled down his cheek.

A minor cut from what I could see. And the other warriors showed nothing more than minor cuts for injuries.

Cassie was on her feet. “Where are the suits, commander?"

"This way.” Goro led her through the hatch into the cargo hold.

Flonn rose with Theone in his arms.

"We have to hurry. Before the females are infected with the micro-organism."

Sol jumped in front of me, glaring. “Alright, little brother. You think you're going to stand around giving orders when you can fix this Gods-be-damned situation. If my D'ena dies, you die too."

How could he think I'd allow Theone to die? “Get out of my way, Solvun."

"You fucking cleanse this planet, and I'll get out of your way."

Would the answer lie in the touch of my hand? Why did we always return to that point? Maybe the solution just made his chores easier.

Solvun grabbed my shoulders, dropping down until his nose brushed mine. “If anything happens to her, you'll never find a safe place in the universe, M'yote,” he ground out through grated teeth. “And forever is an extremely long time to an immortal."

He didn't have to worry. I wouldn't lose Theone. Couldn't live with myself if I did. I have to save her.

With Solvun's help, Flonn rammed Theone's booted feet into the legs of a hanging spacesuit, then sealed the seam of the top, and engaged her sphere-shaped helmet. All the while, Cassie struggled into a second suit with Goro's assistance.

Females sealed and locked away, I turned to the hatch. “Stay with the females.” I didn't turn to see if I received any glares. But they wanted me to do this. And the Gods-damned jest of the universe, I had to. Or Theone could die.

Might be dying right now. There wasn't any time. I had to cleanse the planet now or hope we could find another spacecraft to take her to the moon so I could heal her there. And what would witnessing my saving my mate do for the rest of Prall? I'd be a self-serving vermin. Lower than shit on a boot. I'd have to cleanse the entire world to save my own mate.

Like I'd have been able to postpone the inevitable much longer.

Solvun would have his way. Would have demanded the honor of his mate living in his palace. And I would have eventually buckled to my overbearing sibling. This was just fate bearing down on me. Reality. Who could escape reality?

Not now. Not with Theone facing death. I stepped down the gangplank into warm sunshine.

Prall greeting me with familiarity. Sacred soil. Rejuvenating sunlight. Life-giving air. And the microbes. Not of this world. Foreign.

"It is time, little brother."

I should have known I'd have an audience. “I'm going to do this. I'd prefer without your supervisory chatter."

"Let us bring back the natural order of things,” Solvun said softly. “At least, what we can. With this one change, our families can be whole. That is not so much to ask, is it, M'yote?"

No. “Nor is silence.” I conjured up the tingling force in my arm and focused it down into my fingertips.

For the people. I bent my knees and touched moist dirt between slender green shoots.

A barely audible buzz toyed with my hearing. Or reverberated through my cells of my arm. Of my body. Sounds seemed to fade into nothing as the buzz grew. An annoying drone. Niggling. The irritating resonance. Perhaps the glitch in the planet's ecology? I concentrated my energy into leveling the caustic noise.

Into silence.

Absolute white brightness.

Something had to change. The planet had to sing.

And then the faintest melody whispered.

Harmony, lacking discordance.

"Little brother?” the song sang. “M'yote?"

No. That was Solvun. I tried to open my eyes. Tried to see through the white light.

"Your eyes are open. But I don't think you see me, little brother."

I blinked and blinked. But I couldn't shake the light from my eyes.

"M'yote?” Solvun demanded.

He seemed right before me. And my knees pressed into Prall's hard ground. Why the blinding light.

Someone grabbed my face. “Little brother!"

"I hear you,” I growled.

"Can you see me?"

Must I answer?

"M'yote, are you blind?"

"Yes."

The powerful arms that hugged me almost squeezed the last breath from my body.

Blessed elements, my nanites could deal with that problem. And maybe my vision. “Give me room. Without all my nanites moving to my eyes, I have no chance of recovering my vision, Solvun."

"You fool! How could you listen to me?” Solvun snarled and yanked me up with a grip beneath my armpits.

The question in itself was enough to make the cleansing worth every moment life had to offer. “I ask myself that often enough. Why not now?"

Solvun growled and nudged me toward the gangplank. “Prall is cleansed. You shall live the life of a king when the clans hear of your sacrifice."

"Do you think me permanently damaged?"

"Stop thinking, little brother. You're my responsibility."

"Save your responsibility for keeping Theone safe."

"I've done more than my part."

Between her thighs. I snorted.

"I have,” Solvun insisted, guiding me up the solid gangplank.

"As Flonn who affected our escape from the prison to save Theone. Mind you, we would never have accomplished that without Theone mating with Flonn."

"I have not lost my vision, M'yote. And even if I did, I could hear your words. I know what has transpired and will make the effort to accept the !Dakos."

For Solvun, his announcement was a beginning toward peace among his D'ena's mates. Even if we could only have partial peace.

Time passed as Theone slept off her injuries from the crash while Wrank struggled to be patient, leaning against the biting stone edge of Solvun's castle wall in warm sunlight. Standing atop the thick monstrosity gave a wide view of the rolling forest and underlying ground. Pristine. Pure. But all seemed unjust. How could I get Theo back to only lose her again? I had one night with her when she returned to me. We bonded. Shared blood. Filled the syringes Marshals kept on them for emergencies. Syringes filled with mate's blood. Just in case blood mates were separated so they could inject themselves with a mate's blood. Self-medicate to deal with the increasing sexual need indicating the period between transmutation was ending when our bodies would suddenly shape shift into were-form. Unless we blood mates exchanged blood, that is. The blood was key to stopping a transmutation. Or sex curbed our blood hunger.

But Theo wasn't up to sex.

Time to wait for the moment to use the syringe. To stretch out my blood rations until I'd be forced to take more from her sleeping form. Draining her for my medicinal draughts to keep from chasing anything that moved for blood to satiate my blood hunger was my only option if I didn't turn to her for my measure. At least I hadn't experienced horrible blood lust symptoms. Yet. Although, Marshals from some species had a difficult time during the two-day shift interval. My lightheadedness and arousal weren't significant enough yet to force me to seek comfort from the syringe.

But the shift bore down on Solvun's castle nonetheless.

And ripping into innocents without self-control twisted my gut with unrelenting dread.

A presence shoved into my mind to mindspeak. “
Theo isn't sleeping well
.” Solvun strode toward me at my left.

The blood lust most likely. Our biorhythms were on the same schedule. “
I will check on her
.” I met his golden gaze as he claimed a spot a foot away.

Hard eyes. Eyes that challenged everyone to risk defying him. “
M'yote says the child is yours
."

Would the King be upset with the news? “
Yes. We mated before she departed for the prison. But Theo needs me now. It's my duty to care for her
.” I stepped off toward her bedchamber.

Solvun's eyes squinted, and he nodded. “
Very well
.
But don't be surprised if she has a few Prall children as well
.” Solvun's yellow eyebrow arched. “
Prall nanites are geared toward healing and productivity
."

Other Earth females carried multiple younglings during pregnancies back on Luvk. Theo would have to stay in bed and be cared for. “
Brooding females from her planet of origin are more likely to have risky pregnancies when carrying multiple younglings. We must prepare ourselves to battle with her over bed rest. I doubt Theo will be cooperative
."

Solvun's mouth knotted then straightened into a grim line. “We know nothing of her culture. I expect you to tend to Theo until she has awakened.” Solvun pivoted on the heel of his brown boot and walked quietly at my side.

What bothered him from the dangerous pregnancy or Flonn? Maybe he would accept Flonn more soon. Something told me Solvun's tension over the !Dakos warriors living in his quarters wasn't just going to end with apologies. But how could anyone expect that after what the !Dakos did to Prall? Even I could understand the King's anxiety.

By the time we hovered over our sleeping mate, I knew there would be trouble.

Theo tossed atop the white sheets, a fine sheen of sweat glistening her brow like the silver mist on her cheeks and eyelids.

Not nightmares. Nor a fever. Simply blood lust.

"What do you think causes her so much discomfort?” Solvun spoke with his mouth.

What the King would do with the answer would be interesting. “The blood bond."

Solvun waited quietly.

Very well. I'll tend to her. “Where are her boots?"

"Here,” Flonn called from across the large shadowy room.

My !Dakos warrior was tremendously helpful. Good. Solvun could see for himself Flonn wasn't dangerous to have around. Flonn just wanted to be with his soul. “Thank you.” I laid the boots on the bed and patted both shafts until locating a hard cylinder.

"What's that?” Solvun asked.

Was Theo about to miss a fight? “My blood."

Solvun exhaled loudly.

A little lesson would clarify the problem at hand. I held up the shiny silver cylinder and met their gazes. “This is the one thing your nanites can't give her. My essence. She's a Marshal. A psychic bonded with me by blood. And my essence carried within these precious drops is the only thing that will keep her in the female form you've grown to love. Without a dose of my blood every forty-eight hours, she will shape shift into a were-creature that seeks blood to end her craving for mine. Only my blood will turn her back into her human form."

Neither warrior reacted.

Excellent. They both listened attentively. Side by side. Accepting the truth that neither could live without my blood to ensure their mate's health. Finally, I had found the leverage to force Solvun's acceptance of Flonn. Theo needed both types of nanites and my blood. And we'd all be one big happy mated brood. Whether Solvun liked it or not. Besides, Flonn could kill the King with one swing of his razor-sharp sword.

Now, if only the cure for M'yote's vision were as simple. Having him for an intelligent ally when his brother vaulted into a rage against the !Dakos would make my future easier. Besides, M'yote's pleasant conversation always brightened the day.

Theone bolted upright into a gentle breeze upon a soft bed and stared at pale gauzy white curtains fluttering from the sides of a long wide window between a vaulted ceiling and stone floor. The ceiling's beautiful masonry lines of spider webbing were perfectly spaced ribs cutting through dark shadow. Where is everyone?

"
Huv'ria
?"

Footsteps whispered, heels grinding grit into the floor.

Flonn crossed the enormous shadowy bedchamber.

"Where are we?” I asked.

He sat on the bed beside me and ran the back of an index finger down my cheek. “In Solvun's castle."

But it's dangerous for women. The microbes!

"Don't worry, Theone. M'yote cleansed the planet. You've slept for almost two days.” He smiled, those sweet dimples tempting me to kiss him.

"Cleansed?"

He nodded.

I dropped my gaze to his brown leather pants. “You're not wearing crazy spaceman pants anymore."

"No, huv'ria, I've adopted traditional Prall dress. It seems to please Solvun."

Yes. We must please the King. All but the Queen. But I'd keep that to myself. And those pants. They were as revealing as his silver stretchy ones. I could see his arousal had bumped from park into one of its three extra settings.

Oh. No. I couldn't just latch onto that ribeye mouth and lock and load. I just woke up!

"Goro wishes to speak with you. He's leaving later today."

"He's still here?” He hadn't jumped ship yet? “Where is he going?"

"To end the war between the !Dakos and Pralls."

Good. Because your mate's frisky mode is cranking into ready. I'm trapped. Growling for a chew toy. But a Queen had to maintain the peace. Keep her squabbling consorts devoted to harmony. That's about as much as warriors could live harmoniously. But I wasn't one to gravitate toward the geeky or wimpy. No, space had done one thing for me, given me a harem of strapping warrior mates. Who's complaining?

"
Huv'ria
,” Flonn's fingertip turned my chin until his emerald gaze locked onto mine.

"What?"

"There is something you must know."

Why did my gut swallow my heart? Intuition wasn't playing games. “I don't want to know."

His smile barely turned down as it straight-lined. “M'yote is blind."

When? What happened? Two days! I'd been unconscious two days and Solvun beat M'yote blind. “What happened?"

"It is best if you speak with him yourself."

When my big s warrior took my hand and led me into a dark hallway lined with large painted portraiture, I knew something was terribly wrong. Albeit Flonn had feelings and expressed himself like most humans, he put a lot of energy into trying to make me calm. But my intuition didn't want to play his pheromone game.

He stopped outside a large dark wooden door and shot me a genuine smile.

"You're not helping. Is he inside?” I pointed at the door.