Prime Selection (22 page)

“
Ansu bhau
.” Huw snarled and twisted away from his brother’s grip. “I’m going in there.” It was crazy and he had promised himself to stay away from her until after the mission—but everything in him needed to touch her, smell her, listen to her breathing.

“No.” Wulf shoved him toward a chair. “Sit. That’s an order. The doctors don’t need you interrupting. Nadia doesn’t need it, either.”

Sitting next to Huw, Wulf glared. “Now, what’s going on between you and Nadia?

Royce said you insulted her and she left the bar with only Lia and Joen for escorts. Didn’t you get the orders about our female crew members being armed and escorted by at least one warrior-class soldier at all times while dirt-side?”

“No. Plus, Joen is warrior-trained.” Huw hated the defensive tone in his voice, but couldn’t help it. His brother very rarely used the commanding officer card with his brothers. That he chose to do so for the second time within a week meant Wulf was positively pissed.

“Joen is a Communications Officer.” Wulf sighed and ran fingers through his hair.

“
Diew
, Huw. The man hadn’t had updates on his hand-to-hand and weapons training until these past few weeks. And he was
never
rated warrior-class, just warrior-trained. The fact he and Nadia held their own against those men—who
were
warrior-class—is a miracle.”

“Wulf,” Mel touched her
gemat
’s arm, drawing his attention away from Huw and diminishing the tension between the two brothers at the same time. “Cut Huw some slack.”

Wulf lifted her hand and kissed the tips of her fingers. “You are right,
lubha
.” He turned toward Huw. “I am sorry I yelled, brother. But I’m concerned after the incidents on Tarn and this attack that the rebels have infiltrated more of our military than we’d previously thought.”

“Which is why,” Mel turned to Huw, “we’ll move all training to the space station.

Later, if we need on-planet training, we can use the Alliance military facilities at Tooh IV. Right now, we have one standard week to whip the merged crews of Gold into shape before we embark on the mission to find Lost Ones.”

“The time table was moved up. Why?” Huw’s senses went on high alert. Had there been a sighting of some Lost Ones’ ships by the drones sent to check the routes and the planets?

Wulf’s next words dashed that notion to pieces.

“There have been attacks on two Alliance scientific teams in the Iota Persei system.

We’ll be stopping and leaving a battle cruiser at each planet to assist with their protection.”

“I am glad we’re leaving soon.” A combination of anticipation and pain swept through Huw. This trip would end his turmoil; at the end, he would either have a Prime
gemate
or would be free to court Nadia. Not many knew, not even his family, but the only reason he’d followed his brothers into the military was the off chance he might find his mate while policing the galaxy.

A sharp ache had him gasping. He stood and walked toward the window. “Nadia’s in pain. Why aren’t they giving her a bolus?” He turned to catch Mel and Wulf exchanging a pointed look. “What is it? What aren’t you telling me? Is Nadia dying?”

“No, no. She’ll be fine.” Wulf grabbed Huw’s arm and stopped him once again from entering the treatment area. “Let’s find Iolyn and have a drink. We’ll ask Royce and the other captains to join us. We need to put together contingency plans in case the pirate activity in the Iota Persei system is worse than Alliance Military Command has heard.

Melina will stay here and provide updates on Nadia. Okay?”

It wasn’t okay. A primitive feeling in his gut urged him to stay and protect Nadia, but his higher-level reasoning told him she was safe among her crew. He would humor his brother for the time being.

Later, he’d return and sit with her. Anyone telling him nay would get their face punched in.

*

Once Wulf and Huw had left, Mel entered the treatment room and approached Joen.

“You okay?” She swept a hand down his tense back. He’d been cut several times, defensive wounds, and burned by a laser. Like Nadia, he looked as if he’d gone through hell.

“Yeah.” He nodded toward the outer room. “Huw wanted in, didn’t he?”

“Yes. Wulf convinced him it would do Nadia no good at this point for him to be here. They’re going to get a drink with Iolyn and the other captains and discuss the upcoming dual missions.”

Joen nodded and his gaze traveled back to Lia as she hovered around the regen bed tending to Nadia. “You know I’m more than attracted to Lia?” His voice was pitched low so only Mel would hear.

She nodded, but noted Lia’s head had jerked at Joen’s words as if she’d heard him clearly.

“What you don’t know is—Lia and I are fully mated—in the Prime way.” He pulled up the hospital shirt and showed a marking over his heart. “Lia and I weren’t going to share this until she’d gotten some test results back from Dr. Martin. She sent our blood and tissue samples when she sent Huw and Nadia’s. No matter what the test results say, the markings are positive proof.”

“Lia has a marking also?” Mel sent a searching glance at her friend who turned and solemnly nodded. Obviously, the increased sensory perception Prime mates gained with the marking was in effect. “I’m shocked, amazed and genuinely happy for you both. But how? Lia’s one hundred percent Terran.” She shot a quizzical look at Joen. “And why
are
you telling me now?”

He nodded toward Nadia. “Somehow she overcame a skull fracture, severe wounds, and blood loss to defeat the warrior-class Prime who had her on the ground … helpless.

Her pain decreased while Huw was near, both on the planet and just now. Even in regen sleep, she sensed him near and called out his name as he left the outer room.”

“Shit, just as Wulf and I suspected after the kidnapping—they’re bonding in some way. But we never suspected … how could we?” Mel rubbed a finger over a sharp, nagging ache in the middle of her forehead.

Immediately, Wulf so attuned to her every mood sent her healing warmth. She sighed as the pain lessened and sent him a “thank you.”

“So? You think Nadia is in some stage of a Prime mating with Huw? But where are their marks? A Prime mating…” Mel’s words trailed off; she wasn’t sure what to think or say next.

“Yes. Nadia is showing the same signs Lia experienced in the early stages of our relationship. At first, we were intensely attracted. But unlike Huw, I didn’t fight it. We’ve been seeing each other and keeping it quiet, because we weren’t sure what was happening.” Mel nodded, silently encouraging him to continue. “Kerr knew because Lia wanted an objective medical mind looking over the symptoms she was documenting. As we were around each other more, we noted increasing symptoms of the Prime mating bond.”

“What kind of symptoms?” Mel asked.

“First, it was the attraction. I liked the way Lia looked and smelled. Then I became aware of her emotions and could practically read her thoughts.” He looked over at Lia who nodded and smiled. “Then we found we could communicate telepathically—that happened on Tarn when we were thrown together in a stressful situation, a survival situation.”

“Those types of things happened to me
after
I met Wulf the first time, but I already had the marking.” Mel absently rubbed her lower abdomen and reassured Wulf mentally she was okay as his worry over her disordered emotions came across their link.

“Yes, it seems backward.” Joen rubbed his chest, and Lia let out a low moan that carried across the room. Kerr startled, but smiled. “We developed the markings after…”

His voice trailed off and he looked at Lia again. His golden eyes glowed with heat.

Mel recognized the look—it was sexual. She’d seen it enough in Wulf’s eyes.

“After what?” Mel asked. No good guessing; she needed Joen to verify what she suspected—the marks appeared after the two—a Terran female and a Prime male—had sex for the first time. This could impact all future such couplings and tests would have to be done to determine if any or all Terran-Prime couplings would produce
gemat-gemate
couples. The fanatics would go crazier than they already were.

“After we had sexual intercourse.” Joen’s lips turned up in a smile of dominant male satisfaction—another look she saw a lot on her mate’s face.

“And the markings appeared how soon after you two had, um, intercourse?” She damned her red face, but talking about the sex life of two people who were her friends and subordinate crew members wasn’t usually in her job description—the Alliance had counselors for that sort of thing.

But she needed to know. Because if Nadia and Huw were mating, there could be some serious issues, not the least of which would be Huw’s continued denial of the whole process.

Mel recalled the separation from Wulf after she’d first discovered she had a mate.

She’d been not only in physical, but also mental and emotional pain. Nadia was already going through some of that now with Huw’s overt rejection of her.

“The marking appeared immediately, but then darkened with the next couple of intimacies until it looks as it does now. Lia suggested it was as if our bodies were acclimating to one another.”

“That sounds … definitely different … from my process.” Mel had always had her mark, but it had faded and had only come to life when she had first heard Wulf’s voice.

“Lia and Kerr—and the Alliance researcher Dr. Martin—hypothesized some non-Prime women must have a latent Prime gene in their DNA. The doctors believe it exists, because Earth was one of the planets our ancestors used as a way station in their trips around the galaxy.”

Mel nodded. “That makes sense. We knew the Prime intermingled with the native populations and most Prime family lines have mixed DNA. So, this latent DNA lies dormant and then is activated when brought into close proximity to whatever the gene responds to?”

“It’s all about hominid neurochemistry.” Lia joined them along with Kerr. Joen pulled Lia to his side and wrapped one arm around her waist.

Mel shot an anxious glance at Nadia who was now closed into the regen bed.

“She can’t hear us.” Lia had interpreted Mel’s concern and answered the unasked question. “She’s sleeping and will be fine. Actually, the pain alleviation while Huw was in the other room helped a lot. We may have to let him sit with her—it will hasten the healing.”

“And hasten the bonding, if you’re correct.” Mel looked at the three. “You know Huw’s in absolute denial. He’s a stubborn Prime. And when you add to that trait the Caradoc bloodline, it makes him even more muleheaded.”

Joen chuckled. He nuzzled Lia’s neck and sighed. “Her scent is better than a pain blocker. And, yes, Huw will deny. But the more they’re together; the harder it will be for him to continue to deny the mating dance. Prime selection will win out.”

“What about Nadia? Does she know about your markings?” Mel waved a hand to encompass the couple as they leaned into each other. “I’m pretty sure she suspects something is happening between her and Huw. She said something to me when we were kidnapped by the rebels. And she said something again after the Tarn incident.”

Lia nodded. “She suspects something is going on with us, but she hasn’t said anything to me. She doesn’t know about our symptoms or the markings. But we’ll need to tell her. If she has sex with Huw and they develop the marks, I want her to know up front such an action
might
take the two of them down a path Huw isn’t willing to accept yet.” Lia frowned, sadness in her eyes. “Nadia has been hurt enough by Huw’s rejection—forming the marks and him continuing to deny their bond would crush her.”

Joen murmured soothing nonsense as he cuddled Lia and kissed her cheek. She sighed and visibly relaxed. “Nadia’s open to a relationship with Huw and knows something is happening between them,” Lia continued. “She confirmed as much to the three of us on the way to the space station. They spoke telepathically during the Tarn situation. She heard him calling her name during the attack this evening.”

Lia touched Mel’s arm. “Mel, she told me she received a needed boost of adrenaline and what she called masculine-feeling strength to help her defeat the man who almost raped her. She admitted to getting a smaller dose of that masculine energy on Tarn when fighting the mercenaries.”

“Shit—that’s battle-mate behavior.” Mel sent Wulf a shorthand version of the discussion to that point. He needed to know this. They also needed to make a decision if the Alliance Military Command and Premier Caradoc needed to know.

Wulf’s shock and awe came across their link.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can wrap up
this planning session with our captains,
lubha.”

The quiet in the room was only broken by the sounds from the computers and medical equipment. Then Lia looked at Joen and arched her brows—he shrugged.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Mel frowned.

The other three exchanged looks.

Mel glared at the trio. “Okay, fess up. What’s going on?”

“It’s complicated—but in a good way … and almost unbelievable.” Lia paused.

“Just tell me, Lia.”

“Well, since Joen and I developed our marks, I’ve taken a lot of samples from both of us and have sent them to Dr. Martin. She checked them against Huw and Nadia’s samples. One conclusion she’s reached is Prime/non-Prime matings should be extremely fertile. So, children are a given.”

Mel interrupted. “Not a surprise. That was why the Prime joined the Alliance to build social bridges to get at the much larger pool of fertile females. So, why is that complicated?”