The Vulpirans' Honor: The Soul-Linked Saga (34 page)

The Vulpirans got along fantastically with Nica, and were never impatient with her. 
Nica was a bright and curious child, and could be annoying to some people with her
constant stream of questions.  But Vikter, Lance, and Hunt seemed to thoroughly enjoy
her no matter how many questions she asked them.  Honey loved that about them.

The only problem she had at the moment was her own impatience.  She realized that
three days wasn’t very long, but they were all meant to be together, and she was ready
to get on with it already.  She was in a constant state of arousal whenever she was
with them, and she couldn’t stop thinking about them when she was away from them. 

Unfortunately, the Vulpirans were taking their time, holding back, restraining themselves
in an effort to give her time to get to know them.  She appreciated their efforts,
but she was ready for more.  She just wasn’t sure how to go about telling them that.

She parked the ground-car in the garage and got out, glad that the Vulpirans had brought
their long-time housekeeper, Adori, over from Berria.  After a long day at the clinic,
just the thought of cooking a meal for all of them was exhausting. 

Adori was a smiling, round woman of middle years with a light smattering of gray in
her dark hair and bright, light brown eyes.  She and Nica had taken to each other
at once, which made Honey very happy.  No more secrets, no more worries, no more fear. 
It was a nice way to live.

As she stepped onto the front porch and reached for the doorknob, the door swung open,
revealing all three of the Vulpirans waiting to greet her.  She smiled and stepped
inside.

“Hi, guys,” she said as Hunt took her bag and set it on the table next to the door. 
“This is a nice surprise.”

“We are glad you think so,” Vikter said, placing one hand lightly at the small of
her back and guiding her into the living room. 

“Where’s Nica?” Honey asked.

“She is spending the night with the Falcorans at Arima House,” Lance replied.  “We
have things we wish to speak with you about in private.”

“And we wanted an evening alone with you,” Hunt said.  “We hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Honey replied, a quick thrill of excitement racing through her.  Maybe
tonight would be the night, she thought, taking a seat on the sofa and accepting a
drink from Vikter.  Or, maybe there was a problem.  “Is there something wrong?”

“No, there is nothing wrong,” Vikter said, taking the seat beside her.  Lance sat
on her other side, and Hunt pulled a chair up to the sofa so that they were all close
to each other.  “We know that you have learned much about Jasani physiology from Doc. 
However, there are things that even Doc doesn’t know about us.  Things that we share
only with our Arimas.  We felt that the time was right to share those things with
you.”

“What sort of things?” Honey asked, struggling to hide her disappointment. 

“The history of our people,” Lance replied. 

“You keep the history of your people a secret?” Honey asked.

“Yes, for several reasons,” Vikter replied.  “We cannot fully make you our Arima until
you know our history.  It would not be fair, otherwise.”

“I thought that I was your Arima?” Honey asked, her heart skipping a beat in sudden
fear.  “Are you telling me that I’m not?”

“You are our Arima,” Hunt said.  “It is complicated,
ahora
, which is why we need to tell you our history.”

“All right,” Honey said.  “But only on one condition.”

“What’s that?” Vikter asked.

“You tell me what
ahora
mean
s
.”

“That’s easy,” Hunt said with a smile that lit up his entire face and nearly took
her breath away.  “I like your true name very much, but as you prefer to go by
Honey,
I shall call you
Honor
in our ancient language. 
Ahora
.  If you do not mind, of course.”

“No, I don’t mind,” Honey replied.  “
What about
zetia
?
” 

“
Zetia
means
honey
,” Vikter replied.  “Will you listen now?”

“Yep, go ahead,” she said.

“Jasan is not our native world,” Vikter began, surprising her.  “We came here as refugees
when our home world, Ugaztun, was destroyed.”

Honey listened intently as Vikter told her the story of Clan Jasan.  He told her of
the Narrasti, their mortal enemies, and the war that had culminated in the destruction
of both worlds.  Their first years on Jasan, the reason why there were no women among
them, the search for compatible females and the first human women who agreed to leave
Earth and travel to Jasan to help them continue their race.  The method that was developed
to allow human women to bear male children, but no females.  The sharing of a single
soul between each male-set, and the need for an Arima to link them all together as
they were meant to be. 

Vikter did not have to go into detail concerning the biology of human women versus
Jasani as she’d learned all of that from Doc.  There was more than one element of
magic involved, but even though she was a doctor, she accepted that readily.  It was
the history behind all of it that fascinated her.  And the linking.

When Vikter was finished she sipped her drink, thinking of all that he’d told her. 
“If I link with you three, I’ll change, is that correct?” she asked.

“Yes,” Vikter replied.  “You will become fully Clan Vulpiran, and will be capable
of shifting into a vulpin.  Your body’s regeneration ability will become such that
you will no longer age, and you will be able to heal almost instantly from most injuries. 
You will also be able to bear both daughters and sons.”

“Sounds like I get a lot of benefits from the linking,” Honey said.  “What about you
guys?  What do you get?”

“Once we are linked, our souls become rejoined with each other, and with yours, as
they are meant to be,” Vikter said.  “Besides that, our magic will become many times
stronger than it is now.  But you, Honey, are our most important gift, and will remain
so whether we link or not.”

For a moment Honey wondered how they would feel if she decided against linking.  Changing
from human to Jasani with the ability to shift was a big step.  But she felt Vikter’s
sincerity and knew that what he said, he truly meant.  She, herself, mattered the
most to them.  They would accept her as she was whether she linked with them or not.

“Why does your magic grow stronger?” she wondered.

“That has long been a mystery to us, but not long ago Princess Lariah gave us the
answer to that question,” Lance said.  “The magic that we use comes from the world
around us.  We are able to draw on that which is floating free, to put it simply. 
Once we are linked with our Arima, she becomes a direct conduit between us and the
real power held within the world itself.”

“What about Arimas?” she asked.  “Do they wield magic as well?”

“No, Arimas do not wield magic,” Vikter replied.  “But the stronger the Arima is,
the more magic she is able to send to her Rami.”

“Well, since we all have a psychic gift or two, I guess that’s fair,” she said with
a grin.  “Will you be able to speed-travel?  Cause that’s pretty nifty.”

“Nifty?” Lance asked.  “Is that good?”

“Yes, nifty is good,” she said with a laugh.  “So will you?  Speed travel I mean?”

“No, our strength is not in Air,” Hunt said. 

“Air?”

“There are four magics,” Vikter explained.  “Earth, Fire, Air, and Water.  Each male-set
is strongest in one, and weaker in a second.  The other two they may have some small
ability in, but never very much.  Our strength is in Earth, with Fire our second.”

“So, Air is needed for speed traveling,” she said.  “What does Water do?  I haven’t
seen that much water around here.”

“Water Magic does give the user control of water, but its main use is in healing,”
Hunt said. 

Honey was surprised by that, but after thinking about it for a second she understood. 
“Our bodies are made up mostly of water,” she said. 

Vikter, Lance and Hunt all grinned, pleased, but not surprised, with how quickly she’d
worked that out.  She was a doctor, after all.

“So is that all of it?” she asked. 

“Not quite,” Vikter replied.  “There are other things we need to tell you concerning
our more recent history, and a prophecy.  But it is not necessary to go into those
things right now.”

“Have you decided when you want to do the linking?” she asked nervously.  She wasn’t
ready for that just yet, and hoped they wouldn’t insist on it.

“No,” Vikter replied.  “That is a decision that you must make, in your own time, in
your own way.  We only want you to be aware of the facts, and your options.”

“What’s the procedure for it?” she asked, trying to hide her relief.

“It’s a sexual joining,” Vikter replied. 

Honey felt her face heat, a reaction that embarrassed her, which made her cheeks even
redder.  “Having sex with you will cause the linking?” she asked, trying to pretend
she wasn’t as red as a beet.

“No,” Vikter replied.  “It is a specific ritual that must be performed.  We would
never begin it, or anything of such importance, without your full consent.”

“I see,” she said, feeling unaccountably disappointed.  She felt their desire for
her, as she’d been feeling it for days now.  But if they were waiting for her to make
the first move, they were all in trouble since she had no idea how to go about it. 
If she knew, she’d have done it already.  She stared at her hands for a moment, wishing
she had more courage, then stood up.  “If that’s it, I guess I’ll go take a bath.”

“Wait,” Hunt said, standing up just as she did so that they were face to face with
only an inch or two between them.  “That is not all,
ahora
.”

Honey looked into his eyes which seemed darker now than usual.  “What else?” she asked,
her voice barely a whisper.

“You have spent five years married to a man whom you did not love,” Hunt said.  “You
were forced to pretend to be a wife and a mother.  You are now free, and may act as
you please, choose what you want.  You are our Arima, but we would have you know that
you may choose elsewhere, if that is your wish.”

“Why would I want to do that?” Honey asked, still gazing into Hunt’s eyes.  She swallowed
hard and said the words she’d been too afraid to say seconds earlier.  “I feel your
emotions, and I know that you want me.  I believe that the three of you are my best
chance of experiencing real love.  As much as I want to be a real wife, and a real
mother, I won’t do either without real love first and foremost.”

“In that case, you need not look further,” Hunt said, raising one hand to cup her
face gently in his palm.  “There is no one in this galaxy, or any other, who could
possibly love you more than we do.”

“Love?” Honey asked, surprised.  “Are you saying that you already love me?”

“Yes, that is what I’m saying,” Hunt said.  “How could we not?  You are strong, intelligent,
and more courageous than any woman we have ever even heard of, let alone met.  Even
were you not made for us, we could not help but love you.”

While Hunt spoke, Vikter and Lance stood up, one on either side of her.  She turned
to look into their eyes and saw the same depth of feeling as she’d seen in Hunt’s. 
More than that, she felt their emotions, and knew that Hunt had not exaggerated.

Honey smiled as she raised herself up on her toes so she could wrap her arms around
Vikter’s neck.  His eyes smoldered as he lowered his mouth to hers.  She opened her
mouth, his lips soft and warm against hers, the taste and scent of him filling her
senses.   When she boldly slipped her tongue into his mouth, his deep groan caused
her skin to pebble as she shivered with pleasure. 

She became swept up in the dark, hot passion of his kiss, forgetting everything but
the feel of his mouth on hers, their tongues tangling gently with each other.  When
Vikter lifted his mouth from hers, they were both panting.  She felt hands at her
waist, turning her, and suddenly Hunt’s mouth was on hers.  His kiss was different
than Vikter’s, hotter, deeper, more demanding, but just as arousing. 

She barely noticed when gentle hands began slipping the pins from her hair that held
her heavy braid in place.  When Hunt raised his head, she felt the tug of her braid
as it was released to hang freely down her back. 

“Do you mind?” Vikter asked in a whisper as he lifted the end of her braid and removed
the elastic band that held it. 

“No, I don’t mind,” she said just before Lance’s lips claimed hers.  She forgot about
her hair as she let herself get lost in his kiss, his unique taste and scent.  When
he ended the kiss she leaned her head against his chest, panting partly from lack
of air, and partly from the intense arousal flooding her body. 

She felt herself lifted into someone’s arms and looked up to see Hunt gazing down
at her as he carried her from the living room.  She turned her head and saw Vikter
leading the way, Lance right behind them, and relaxed with the knowledge that they
were all together.