Inheriting War Read online

  He nodded. “The Rrassic have tried to gain allies and troops from a dozen species. The hybrid program was a grasp at getting the help that we need from within the target races.”

  “So, there are other species on other worlds going through this same process?”

  “Yes, but with every round of copies for the original mother species, we got better at integrating our own genes until the humans were generated.”

  “Why not just clone your entire army?”

  “We do not know how long this war is going to rage. It has not even begun to take the toll that it will. Making the same troops over and over will not gain us an advantage. We needed the uncertainty that is brought on by random genetic lottery.”

  “Basic biology. The ones who are attracted to each other tend to be more genetically favourable.” She thought of her parents and how cute they were when her mother was trying to outwit her father. He liked to track his mate, and she liked to get lost; it was an adorable mix.

  “What are you thinking of?”

  She blinked and chuckled. “My parents. They are a very good mix and were excellent guardians for the other children. I hope the next set of parents on duty do half as good a job.”

  “The overseer has assigned four of the couples to watch over the development and training for the next batch of embryos.”

  “Four? Then, there are more couples than I know about.”

  He chuckled. “There have been a dozen males finding their mates this week alone. It was a slow start, but more and more of the females are becoming receptive, and the males are learning how to court their mates.”

  “My father mentioned that dealing with human females was tricky.” She smiled. “Then, my mother smacked him on the arm and said that Rrassic males only wanted mates so they could get better quarters.”

  He curled his arms around her. “What did he say to that?”

  “That was usually his cue to pick her up and carry her to their better quarters.”

  “It was a game?”

  “It was a way of stopping an argument. It worked very well.” She smiled. “I can hardly wait to see them.”

  “You have great affection for them.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I do. They made sure that I knew how I came into the world and that tests showed I carried my mom’s accelerator genes.”

  “So, when you are receptive, your children will be in the next round to go to the creche.”

  “Eventually. I don’t even know what the hybrids are allowed to breed with yet.”

  He went still. “I had not thought of that. None of the other species mature as rapidly as humans, even with the creches. It has not come up yet.”

  “Ah. Well, I am sure I will be fine.”

  He leaned in and nuzzled her ear. “You don’t believe that we managed to start something tonight?”

  She blinked slowly. “Honestly, that had not occurred to me. I forget that that is the purpose of all the wild hormones and distracting fantasies.”

  “Fantasies? Do tell.”

  “Well, they mostly involve working around the wings. I was under the misapprehension that they were not as flexible as they obviously are.”

  He grinned. “Oh, they are very flexible.”

  “Good. Most of my sex fantasies involve me on top, so as long as you are here, it is good to know that we are on the same page.”

  He laughed and nipped at her ear. “It is a very good thing. I look forward to assisting in your fantasies’ transformations to reality.”

  She grinned and sat in the hot water with him until the moon was high in the sky. When she felt him tense to move, she clambered off his lap and scrambled to the edge of the tub, flexing her legs and enjoying being on her own two feet again.

  “You object to my carrying you?” He got out of the water with a whoosh.

  “No, but I have perfectly sound limbs, and I like to use them.” She bent, stretched, and flexed while he watched.

  “I can see that. Are you done showing off?”

  She had been bending over to stretch her inner thighs. “I believe so.”

  “Good. Stretch later.”

  He caught her around the waist and carried her back into the bedroom where the bots had tidied the bed. He set her down next to the bed, and then, he flopped on his back, his wings easing his transition from vertical to horizontal.

  His smile was genuine. “I am all yours.”

  She rubbed her hands together and tried to decide where to start. There was just so much muscled goodness, she may as well start in the middle and work her way out. She climbed onto him and started working her fantasy into reality. Exploring new territory was definitely a fun occupation.

  Chapter Nine

  The chime at the door brought her head up. She was curled up on Kromir’s wing and effectively pinning him down.

  He was grinning. “So, you forgot about breakfast?”

  She was very glad for her pigmentation because it didn’t show the heat that her face was broadcasting. With care, she got off his wing and looked for her dress from the previous night.

  “Do not worry. They are Saya. They already know.”

  She shot him a dark look.

  The dress was hanging in the wardrobe next to his uniforms.

  “I am going to my quarters for a fast shower and a change of clothing.”

  He grinned. “As you like. Please, let Sarah and Lekorh in.”

  She stalked over to the door and smiled at the telepaths. “Hello, I will return in a moment.”

  Sarah was smiling. “Take your time, dear. Breakfast will be ready when you return.”

  Lekorh looked a little less casual. “It will give us a moment to discuss things with Kromir.”

  Remi was in the lift when she recognized the expression on Lekorh’s face. He was filled with fatherly outrage. She had only seen the expression once before when one of the Nool that was there as a manufacturer had developed into a Regiz, and he had a fascination for her. Her father and brothers had shown him that he was outnumbered and not able to pursue her. When he tried anyway, Remi had kicked his ass, but she recognized the expression on the Saya’s features. He wanted to protect her. How sweet.

  She took a quick shower and pulled on one of the tunic and legging combinations with boots. She was comfortable, she had ease of movement, and her hair was in a thick braid down her back. There was nothing sexy about her.

  She got back in the lift and returned to Kromir’s quarters. Lekorh and Kromir were not in the room, and Sarah was shredding cheese.

  “Can you cook?” Sarah looked a little desperate.

  “I can. Omelettes?”

  “Yes. Please. The boys are still talking.”

  Remi got to work and was soon folding one omelette after another, all with different fillings, onto platters. Sarah was excellent at prep work.

  They transferred all the food to the table along with tea and water. Sarah’s face got distant, and she shrugged. “Lekorh is lecturing Kromir about sleeping with you.”

  “Is it an authorization issue?”

  Sarah shook her head. “It is an uncle issue. He saw you born, and you are the closest to Alia that we have been so far.”

  “Ah. I guessed as much. Well, if all goes well, Alia will be here today.”

  Sarah grinned. “I know. I am so excited.”

  “Well, if they don’t want to eat, I worked up an appetite.” Remi winked.

  Sarah chuckled, and her eyes gleamed. “I know how to get him down here, but he is going to be pissed.”

  Remi blinked, and she heard a distant groan followed by cursing.

  “Damn it, Sarah!”

  Remi whispered as she picked up her eating prongs. “What did you do?”

  “A Saya trick. I told his mind he had just had an orgasm. It usually distracts him pretty well.”

  Remi’s eyes widened as Lekorh stalked into the living area. He grabbed Sarah by the shoulders and kissed her before staring into her eyes for a few momen
ts.

  Sarah shook, and Remi knew the dazed look in her eyes. Apparently, Lekorh was taking revenge.

  Kromir stepped into the space, his hair wet and his uniform in place.

  Remi nodded, and then, she returned to the meal. Kromir joined her and sat across from her, his feet bracketing hers under the table.

  Lekorh and Sarah sat down, and Sarah’s cheeks had a definite pink tinge.

  Remi smiled and took another serving of the first cheese omelette, settling it on her palm plate so that the endless cheese string didn’t get weird.

  Sarah explained the contents to the guys while Remi kept eating. She sipped at her tea and then returned to her meal.

  Having used a dozen eggs, Remi was amused to see the food disappear so quickly. “Should I make more?”

  Kromir nodded, and Remi got to her feet. Her head spun for a moment, but she shook it off.

  She got two more omelettes onto the table in five minutes, and then, she had to stop and rest against the counter.

  Sarah looked at her, and her eyes widened. “Remi?”

  Remi was going to say something flippant, but instead, she collapsed on the floor.

  She could feel herself being carried and then the hum and chirp of medical scanners.

  The excited voices of the medical team told her what she had not been thinking about. She was an accelerator with an embryo.

  Kromir’s voice was no-nonsense. “Extract them so that they cease to cause her distress.”

  Remi opened her eyes and looked around. There was a cluster of men at the display units for the scanners. Kromir wasn’t one of them. She glanced down, and he was holding her hand.

  “So, it was pregnancy that knocked me out?”

  “Sarah said it was common in your species.”

  The medic turned to look at her, and there was awe in his expression. “I have never seen so many female embryos at one time.”

  Remi was nervous. “How many?”

  Kromir murmured, “Five. All Mrek-Rrassic.”

  Remi nearly passed out again. She rallied. “How can they tell?”

  “Genetic markers are distinctive even without the wings that emerge during puberty.”

  She exhaled and slid her hand over her abdomen. There was a slight bulge. “How fast are they growing?”

  Kromir scowled. “Too fast for your system. Medics!”

  She was mortified that he was at her side during the embryo retrieval, but holding his hand gave her something to do while she tried to ignore the crowd between her thighs.

  The healing treatment commenced, and the medic stated, “I think, for the sake of her health, that she might want to take an inhibitor.”

  Kromir looked at Remi. “Would you like a break from the hormonal demands?”

  She sighed. “I am going to think about it. I could just not have sex.”

  Kromir looked hurt. “I suppose that is an option.”

  The expression on his face was priceless. She chuckled, and he smiled slightly, lifting her hand to his lips.

  “Shouldn’t you be examining something? This can’t be on your schedule.”

  “No. Until the next portal opening, I am all yours.”

  She smiled. “Lucky me.”

  She paused. “We are going to need names. They will be going out on the next outbound transport.”

  Kromir nodded. “You are correct. What would you suggest?”

  Remi chuckled. “How about, Emi, Mira, Mori, Kirro, and Rommi.”

  He smiled slowly. “You used our names.”

  “I did. Emi Remi-Kromir has a nice ring to it.”

  He nodded and kissed her hand again. “It does.”

  She chuckled and let the med centre do its work to undo the torn tissues and ripped muscle that the little darlings had created. It seemed the only way that her family was going to keep growing would involve the canisters that held their embryos. It was not something that she had hoped for, but at least, she was aligned with the right species to help her out.

  Outside the port, she thought about the visit to the gestation centre two hours earlier. Their babies were already visible blobs and growing fast. They were probably going to have to start some kind of gene therapy to stop the Bree-Arix line from spreading wide enough to take over other worlds, but for now, the Rrassic doctors and researchers were delighted.

  Kromir was wearing his official posture, and she was standing as near to the portal as she could get. Lekorh and Sarah were there to wait for their daughter, as well as monitor the parade that was about to emerge. Medics were standing by for the stabilization shots.

  Remi watched as the port controller opened their end of the tunnel between dimensions, and then, she waited.

  The first one of her siblings to walk through the portal was Brer. He grinned and kept walking toward the waiting medics. The children that she had watched grow up were now adults through their Nool phase, and they came through at a steady pace until there was a pause.

  Remi tensed. There shouldn’t be a pause.

  Lekorh straightened. “Remi, Alia says you need to sing.”

  Remi moved as close to the portal as she could be, and she sang. Every pop song from her mother’s homeworld that she could remember came out of her mouth and the extra vocal cords that she rarely used vibrated as she commanded the Rrassic to come to her.

  She sang and ignored what was going on around her. The first Rrassic to step through had a dazed expression, and she turned him toward the medics. The same with the woman after him. She would hug them all when this was over, but there were three faces she was longing to see.

  When Bree stumbled through, she smiled at Remi and then headed for the medics. Alia was next, and Sarah gasped. Remi’s father came through last, and Remi’s voice broke. She hugged him as he cleared the portal, and he squeezed her tight.

  “You have pulled quite the audience, Remi.”

  She focused on the spot where the portal used to be. “I am not looking.”

  Arix turned her, and she saw that every Rrassic in the port had come to her call. The overseer was scowling at her; Isabella looked confused. Remi’s gaze went to Kromir, and he was staring at her in shock.

  She swallowed, and her throat throbbed. “Dad. Go and get your shot.”

  He nodded and walked over to where the other members of the first generation were hugging each other and clapping shoulders in relief.

  Alia was standing in front of her parents, and her third eye was open. It was the same lovely gold as her father’s.

  They moved as one, and their hug was so sweet, it moved Remi to tears.

  “So, you also have a siren’s call.” Kromir was standing in front of her.

  “A what?”

  “You can summon folk at will.”

  She shook her head. “No. Only Rrassic and hybrids.”

  He stared at her in shock. “You know about this?”

  “Of course. They are my extra vocal cords, but you can’t see them on a scan unless I turn my head.”

  He gripped her shoulders. “You should have told me.”

  “Why? I thought you would learn about it eventually.”

  “Because it makes you more than a hybrid. You now have a weapon. A weapon that can be used against the Rrassic.”

  “Or for it. I don’t know who you are, but why are you holding my daughter?” Bree was scowling, and Arix matched her expression.

  Remi hadn’t heard them approach.

  “Examiner Kromir, these are my parents. Bree and Arix. Mom, Dad, this is Kromir. He is the one who did the assessments on the hybrids and pronounced them successful.”

  Arix let out a deep breath. “It still does not explain why he is touching you.”

  Kromir released her and bowed. “I greet you as the current mate to your daughter and father of her children.”

  Bree brightened. “Children?”

  Kromir nodded. “Five. They were extracted this morning and have dramatically increased their developmental pace.”


  Bree swayed. “Five? I thought three at a time was rough.”

  Arix frowned. “Why did you let her conceive so many?”

  Kromir was being faced with an angry father who was rippling with colour.

  “I did not know she was capable of being receptive to stimulation.”

  Remi blushed. Her father and Kromir argued, saying that he was responsible for her multiple issue without verifying that she was pregnant or not. In Arix’s eyes, Kromir should have had a portable scanner on standby so that they would have stopped at one.

  Bree and Arix had it down to a fine art after their first eight children. The second set of triplets was enough of a scare to make Arix take it very seriously.

  He was now passing that knowledge to Kromir.

  “And what is this about current mate? You either are, or you aren’t.”

  “Dad, he works for the council. He doesn’t live on Imrahl, and I don’t know where I will end up either.”

  Her father scowled. He was good at scowling. “Mates should remain together.”

  Bree put her hand on his arm. “Yes, they should. Now, let’s go get everyone settled. Lianne and Sorrok want to meet their first batch before they have to head out with the next ones.”

  Niiva and Argo arrived to greet their children. Their daughter distracted Iktabi and Isabella. And Lianne and Sorrok had to listen to their entire brood trying to talk at once.

  Remi hugged her parents, and then, she did what she used to do when she used her voice in front of strangers. She bolted.

  Chapter Ten

  Remi needed some time to think about the shock on Kromir’s face. When she passed the gathered Rrassic outside the port, she told them, “As you were.”

  They followed her command and returned to their daily assignments. She used their movement to get lost in the crowd, shifting her colouration to make her appear to be a human woman. She was a tall human woman but still human, nonetheless.

  The scent of pastries pulled her into the market. She just needed a moment to think, and sweets were right up her alley.