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  The man identified as Hrakin leaned forward. “What was the issue with D’sekin?”

  “He lacked patience and empathy. I was in a tank, getting the ordered alterations and re-growing a kidney. I needed a little bit of a distraction, and he was unwilling to help me get a tablet in for me to learn on. He would bring one out, hold it for an hour and then stop. I would have to wait until he felt like bringing out the tablet. Not great behaviour for someone pretending to be a bot. I had nothing else to do. Since he wouldn’t help me, I ignored him from the moment I could walk on my own again.”

  Hrakin rubbed his forehead. “You need a Familiar. It is an urgent matter.”

  She crossed her arms. “Why?”

  He blinked and smiled slowly. His brilliant silver eyes gleamed with amusement. “Because we say so.”

  “I am too old for that bullshit.”

  He barked a laugh. “Leko, take her outside while we discuss this.”

  Lynni gave her a thumbs-up and waved farewell.

  Leko waved for her to precede him, and the door to the chamber was closed behind them.

  “Now what?” she asked her escort.

  “Now, we wait.”

  She nodded and started to pace. She was not used to inactivity. She needed to be doing something.

  “How do you like being partnered to a Terran?”

  He was leaning against the wall. “She is a Lrrko now, but it has been fun and challenging. I would not trade a day of it.”

  “Did you two get along right from the start?”

  He nodded. “There was trust when we began, but she would have done anything to get here because her sister was already here. You didn’t have any inducement to come here, so you were less inclined to accept D’sekin’s behaviour.”

  “Do you know him?”

  “Yes. He did not seem a good candidate to be a Familiar, but he has the right genetics and an impressive infiltration history. He fought his way to the top of the lists but was a little too smug about it.”

  “Smug. That is the word. If he had a face, I would have smacked the hell out of him.”

  “I suppose that he thought his true face would convince you eventually.”

  Mila snorted. “I have seen a lot of men who thought their looks could explain their behaviour. I didn’t fall for it then, and I won’t fall for it now.”

  “What did you do on Terra?”

  She chuckled. “I served food and drink to men and some women who were on long-haul journeys, delivering goods and equipment across the continent.”

  “So, you have seen what your people are capable of when they think no one is watching.”

  “Oh, yeah. Even when they think there are no consequences.” She snorted. “To use a human phrase, I had to defend my honour on numerous occasions.”

  “What did that entail?”

  “Hot coffee and then the glass coffeepot upside the head of my attacker. It is amazing the reflexes that you can have in a stressful situation.”

  Leko was highly amused. “You defended yourself with cookware?”

  “No. Serving ware. Cookware would have been easier. I am a master with a cast iron frying pan.” She smirked.

  He laughed and shook his head. “You seem very calm and competent for a woman in your position.”

  “What position is that? Alone on an alien world, stuck without a caregiver, trapped and at the mercy of folks who want me for medical purposes? I have been in that situation before.”

  Leko shook his head. “And yet, here you are. Wait a moment and I will be back.”

  He turned and entered the council chamber where a heated debate could be heard the moment the door was opened.

  He came back a moment later. “Elder Lynni has asked me to take you in for your arrival scans. Normally, your Familiar would, but that is a discussion for another time.”

  “The discussion is going to take a while?”

  “It looks like it. Lynni is waving a data pad in the air and screaming that none of the men are suitable for a woman who actually has life experience.” He made a face. “She is using a tone that indicates she will not back down.”

  “You are familiar with that tone?”

  “Very. Shall we?”

  She nodded, and together, they headed to the roof. He settled her in front of him, and his arms acted as a safety cage as he took off on the vehicle.

  It was a much smoother ride over to the building with the Lrrko medical logo carved into the stone.

  He escorted her past surprised medics and guards in the hallways.

  When they ended up at their destination, he introduced her. “Medic Alveck, this is Bride Mila of Terra. She is here for her initial scans.”

  “Where is her Familiar?”

  She smiled tightly, “He is a self-important jerk who abandoned me when we landed.”

  Alveck scowled. “Really? We assessed them for stability.”

  “He didn’t like it when I didn’t fall into his arms, or perhaps, he got bored. I don’t know. He didn’t say. I am a little relieved he is gone. He liked to stare at me while I slept. It was creepy.”

  “Well, um, all right. This will be a little uncomfortable at points, so feel free to cry out.”

  Leko nodded. “I will leave you with Alveck. Do not worry. It is a simple exam.”

  Mila smiled tightly and followed Alveck into the exam room. It was time to get it over with.

  Chapter Three

  There was pain when the cellular exam got a little personal. She didn’t scream, but she grabbed the metal sides of the exam bed and heard them creak before they snapped off in her hands.

  Alarms sounded, but Medic Alveck finished his scans and patted the back of her hand. “Almost done.”

  The pain in her lower abdomen was intense, but he continued to take his time. When he finally pulled away, he smiled and set down the instrument and sample dishes he had been working with.

  “You had a dozen ripe follicles. I am sorry I didn’t warn you, but I didn’t want to waste time or risk frightening you.”

  She winced at the throbbing pain in her pelvis. “Next time, risk it.”

  He helped her sit up.

  “I will be right back.”

  She sat with the medical sheet tucked over her breasts and waited for Alveck to return.

  The pain hadn’t been agonizing, but her ability to snap the metal was definitely new. Perhaps if she had been training on her trip to Lrrko, she would have discovered it earlier. If there was one thing she had learned in her nearly four decades, it was that wallowing in time that had passed served no purpose. Accept what the past taught you and move on. She had just been taught that the alterations had made her very strong.

  The door opened, and she was amused to see Leko, Lynni and Elder Hrakin. The Elder looked very ill at ease.

  Lynni smiled. “We have solved the problem.”

  By problem, she meant Mila. Mila raised her brows. “Have we?”

  “Elder Hrakin will take over as your Familiar. He is in the same genome class as D’sekin was but considerably more mature.”

  Mila smirked. “Let me guess, D’sekin has a lover in the city somewhere.”

  Hrakin looked astonished, but Leko looked amused.

  Hrakin asked, “How did you know?”

  Mila shrugged. “I was naked in front of him for a few weeks. He tried to get interested, but I am not his type.”

  Lynni blinked. “Oh. Okay. I haven’t run into that yet.”

  Hrakin rubbed the back of his neck. “It crops up in our line every few generations. They are fine as warriors and make excellent team workers, but their personal drives are not motivated to species expansion.”

  Mila shrugged. “Not everyone has to be. As long as the majority of a population moves to reproduce itself, you don’t have an issue.”

  She wrapped the sheet around her and hopped off the med table. She tucked it in completely and walked over to Hrakin. His black tunic with silver piping was snug, and though he w
as older than Leko, he hadn’t lost any of the muscle mass.

  “What are you doing?” he looked down at her, and she saw the gleam of amusement in his eyes.

  “Taking your measure. I consider myself a good judge of character, and I am examining you for suitability.”

  He blinked, and to her amusement, he put his hands on his hips. She stepped back and looked him up and down. She raised her hand and gestured for him to turn. From front to back and then front again, she enjoyed the view.

  Lynni was laughing so hard she was doubled over.

  Medic Alveck was back and staring in astonishment.

  Mila quirked her lips. “You will do.”

  “I am so relieved.” He smiled and rotated his finger in the air.

  Mila turned slowly before facing him again.

  Hrakin scowled. “Medic Alveck, why is she bleeding?”

  She looked down at the sheet and pulled the back around, and that is when she noticed her hands. She had cut herself, and the bloodstains were wherever she had touched the sheet.

  “Oops.”

  Medic Alveck moved to touch her, but Hrakin intervened, put his hands on her waist and settled her back on the med table.

  Alveck was a little nervous. “She broke the table, Elder Hrakin. She has the hallmarks of a strangler.”

  “I will take appropriate measures.”

  The medic was confused. “Pardon, Elder?”

  Mila smiled. “He is my new Familiar.”

  The medical tray Alveck had prepared wobbled wildly.

  Mila continued. “Apparently, he is in the same gene group as D’sekin, but he doesn’t have an aversion to me.”

  Hrakin grinned. “Now, now. Don’t exaggerate. Knowing you are a strangler is another thing entirely.”

  She looked at her hands and saw the fine cut that had opened in her skin. It ran from the webbing of her thumb across to the other side of her palm. It would certainly screw up a palm reading.

  Alveck held her hand and sterilized it before spraying a sealing compound over the narrow wound.

  “Oh, by way, you had a total of eighteen viable eggs.”

  Mila chuckled. “That is what it felt like.”

  Lynni whistled. “That is quite the haul. Your hormone levels must be off the charts.”

  Mila wrinkled her nose. “Usually. That is why they pulled my ovaries back home. My levels were up and down the charts, not to mention the multiple follicles. They tested me for hormone supplements seven times. They were sure I was selling my eggs.”

  “And taking hormones to do it. Right.” Lynni nodded.

  Alveck muttered something about amateurs.

  Mina flexed her hand and looked at the medic. “Can I put my clothing on now?”

  “Yes. Just a moment.” He crossed the room to the bundle he had originally returned with. He extended it to her. “Here you are.”

  The clothing was black and red. “Cool.”

  She hopped down off the med bed and shuffled behind the privacy screen. She flipped the sheet over the edge of the screen and pulled on the snug leggings with built-in shoes and figured out the closure for the sleeveless top. When she was covered front and back, she stuck her head around the edge of the barrier and smiled. “I think it fits.”

  Lynni chuckled. “It is a standard outfit for the Brides. When he has ordered them, you will end up wearing the same colours as Hrakin.”

  Mila scowled. “Why?”

  Hrakin smirked. “I outrank you.”

  Lynni sighed. “He is right. I outrank Leko, so he wears my colours. Same with Ty and Brex. He wears the colours of a Familiar to a Bride. Leko is wearing clothing as Familiar to an Elder. You are going to be the Bride of an Elder, so his rank takes precedence.”

  Mila shrugged. “Fine. We can figure out who is actually in charge later.”

  Lynni grinned, and Leko covered his smirk.

  Hrakin gave her a wry look.

  “Well, Mila, as you are still in need of an Elder interview, we will be heading there next.” Hrakin offered her his hand.

  She stepped forward, and with everyone watching her, she put her hand in his. He drew her close and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. Medic Alveck had not given her clearance, but she left anyway. If he needed anything else, he could have asked.

  Hrakin’s vehicle was larger than the riot runner. There were four seats arranged on a wide platform. He settled her in the front passenger seat, and he took the position behind the controls and lifted off.

  “So, where am I going to live?”

  Hrakin looked toward her and then back toward their destination. “The Brides live with their Familiars in the Bride quarters under heavy security. That is not acceptable for me. I have a home outside the city limits near one of the farms. We will live there.”

  “Oh.” She frowned. She had been looking forward to exploring the city.

  “Your training will be easier without the constant distraction of running to and from the med station. My home is appropriate for your training and recovery.”

  “Leko didn’t mention anything.”

  “He didn’t know. We are now going to speak to the Elders to let them know, and from there, I will take you to safety so you can begin to grasp the changes that your body has been through.”

  Mila frowned at him. “What do you mean? It feels the same.”

  “It shouldn’t. Lrrko females are stronger, faster and have more aggressive tendencies. You should already have basic battle skills. You do not. It indicates that D’sekin sorely neglected his duties.”

  She shrugged. “I am guessing he wasn’t comfortable rejecting an assignment that would have been seen as a prime posting for others.”

  “It is. The Familiar gets to—”

  “See his own genetics in action as the first use of the eggs of his Bride. I read all of the files.”

  They landed on the roof of the council building.

  “How could you have read those files? They were sealed. Even the Familiars don’t have access to the files containing the details. Yes, they were briefed, but they can’t see the files.”

  She got out of the vehicle and walked with him to the lift. Lynni and Leko were already inside.

  “Oh, I managed to creep into the Lrrko master computers. Don’t worry, I kept all the security protocols in place, but I needed something else to read. It was a very boring trip.”

  He muttered something that she didn’t catch. She wanted to ask him what he had said, but they entered the council room and the silence that she faced was a little daunting.

  Hrakin put his hand at the base of her spine and coaxed her forward.

  Lynni was as solemn as the others, and Leko was stationed next to the door. He nodded to her and winked as she looked around at the serious gathering.

  One of the other Elders leaned forward and nodded. “Greetings, Bride Mila Carter. We understand that you have been losing weight since you were in the tank. Are you unwell?”

  Mila shook her head. “No. I have just been having a hard time finding the right combination of foods. The first couple of days, I threw up about two-thirds of what I consumed, and it has only gotten marginally better since.”

  Hrakin looked at her. “That wasn’t in any of the reports.”

  “He wasn’t really paying attention. Anyway, I have managed to figure out what I can keep down, but it isn’t enough to return me to my initial weight.” She shrugged. She had simply looked at it as a research opportunity.

  The Elder speaking to her frowned and asked, “Are you well enough to contribute to our genetic pool?”

  She smiled. “I certainly hope so. Alveck has already gotten eighteen of the little suckers out of my lower abdomen. I am physically fit by Terran standards, even if I am not quite up to the Lrrko benchmark.”

  The Elder chuckled and then got serious again. “Well, that is good. Now, are you willing to accept Elder Hrakin as your Familiar?”

  She glanced at her companion, and his warm hand
on her back had the familiarity of someone who had known her for more than a day. He looked at her with calm and accepting eyes, and it was his gaze that confirmed it. “I accept him.”

  Even Hrakin relaxed a little.

  “Well, Elder Familiar Hrakin, when do you take up residence in the Bride complex?”

  He lifted his head, stiffening his jaw. “I will not. We will not. We will retire to my compound in the hills, and she will be trained there. When she has been fully trained to use the abilities that activating her dormant genes awoke, I will see about resuming a residence in the city.”

  “What about council business?”

  “I will commute via video conference. I have every confidence in Mila’s ability to learn quickly, and once she is no longer in danger, we will revisit the location issue.”

  Mila blinked at the word danger.

  “Is there no way to convince you to stay in an area with security?”

  Hrakin chuckled. “How long have we known each other, Dimrol? She is a strangler and needs time away from folks to come to terms with what she can do.”

  The council murmured again.

  Lynni piped up. “She snapped chunks off a med table.”

  Mila blushed. “It was just a pain reaction.”

  The Elders suddenly agreed. “Elder Familiar Hrakin, please take your charge for training. Keep us apprised of her status, and if she cycles again, bring her in to medical immediately.”

  Hrakin nodded. “I thought you would see it my way.”

  They turned to leave when Dimrol called out, “Oh, Hrakin.”

  Her companion turned and looked at the council. “Yes?”

  They all shouted. “Congratulations!”

  Mila chuckled at Lynni and the genuine delight and vague jealousy in the faces of the men sitting in the council chairs.

  Hrakin put his hand on her back again, and they left the building.

  “Where are we headed?”

  He smiled, and his shoulders relaxed. “Home.”