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.”
As they left the city, they picked up speed in a dome-covered the vehicle. It was too bad; she missed the new scents carried in on the wind.
“Why aren’t we staying in the city?”
“Do you want the polite answer or the truth?”
“Truth, please.”
He shrugged. “Stranglers are dangerous. If your ability just surfaced, you will grow exponentially stronger with every emotional outburst. When you peak, you will be able to crush rocks with your hands. It isn’t something that is easy to handle in a facility with delicate plumbing and walls that can shatter.”
Mila looked at her hands. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. I have a secure compound that is only accessible via air and walls of rock on all sides. You will have plenty of material to experiment with, and it will give me time to sort out your meal situation.”
She chuckled. “That would be nice. I have been eating the same three items for the last two weeks. I can keep them down, even if I am not a fan of the flavour.”
“I can do better. I had a food delivery sent to my compound the moment that Lynni pulled up the genetic match.”
“Why are you guys so eager to grab one of the Brides?”
He set the coordinates into the vehicle and turned to her. “Who would not want the chance to be with a female of their own kind and see their own genes added to the next generation without tampering?”
She twisted her lips. “I never gave the next generation much thought. I always thought I would know when I met a guy that I could even consider having a child with. I had seen love and loss and knew what it would take to make me risk either.”
“And you never found someone.”
“No. When the recruiter basically told me that if I didn’t go voluntarily, someone would come and get me, I thought he was exaggerating. I could not imagine that anyone would need me. Damaged and closed-off me.”
“And when you got into the files, you learned that we had a plan in place to come and remove those carrying the Lrrko genes.”
“Yes.”
“What did you think about it?”
“I didn’t really understand until I learned about your history and how all current generations have been grown in the same building we just left.”
“So, you knew all that and still took on a Familiar without hesitation.”
“Yes. I just don’t know why I would be in danger.”
He sighed and took her right hand in his own. “Not only will you need to adjust to the changes made to your physiology, but you are a highly desirable source of new genetic material. On the open market, you would be worth millions if not more.”
She blinked. “So, that is what the Familiars are for.”
“Partially. They are mostly for keeping the Brides healthy and fit by whatever means.”
Mila watched the world skim by under them in a blinding blur. “As long as you get me up to the peak of my physical capability, I can take care of myself.”
Hrakin lifted her hand to his lips. “I am afraid that that is not an option.”
The vehicle slowed, and they wove their way through a series of low, rocky hills that led into the beginning of a mountain range. The house inside the rocky shield was not the creepy cabin that part of her mind had been dreading.
There was a small, neat farm attached to a large, sprawling ranch house. The entire space was immaculate and obviously well tended.
“Who takes care of this place when you are not here?”
He chuckled and took over the controls. “There are automated systems and bots that keep up with the domestic issues.”
“So, they did the shopping?”
“No, there was a drop delivery for the food required. Most of my food is on site. I have frozen meat stores, as well as eggs and any cooking fats.”
“You sound like someone who likes to plan ahead.”
“When you live away from the city and enjoy not seeing people for months on end, it is prudent to plan ahead.”
“How does that work out with your position as an Elder?”
He grimaced. “It has grown taxing.”
She watched the ground as the landing pad loomed. “I can only imagine.”
Her room was a bit of a surprise. Instead of an oasis of privacy, she had a large man in it.
“Don’t I ever get any time alone?” She frowned at him.
“You get half an hour in the lav. The rest of the time you are either next to me or learning from me.”
She blinked. “I didn’t agree to that.”
“Actually, you did. I am your Familiar. There is much that the title entails. For now, we will share a bed, meals and your training time. The only privacy you will have is when I am called on for council duties.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I am thinking that if I ever get back to Terra, I am going to kick that Ontex’s butt.”
He raised his brows. “The recruiter?”
“Yeah. He and I made a pact, but I forgot to include any personal-space requirements. It was an oversight on my part.” She rubbed her face and yawned.
He looked her over. “When did you last sleep?”
“My estimate is thirty-two hours ago. With the bot features staring at me when I slept, I slept as infrequently as possible.”
He growled. “Get into bed. I will prepare a meal for you when you wake.”
“Are you going to join me?”
“No, I am old enough to not require naps, but I will remain nearby if you need me. Would you like me to put on my bot?”
She shuddered. “No. I have had enough of those cameras staring at me.”
“Fair enough, but if I had been in the shuttle with you, you would have been used to me by now. That was the intent on having you picked up by your Familiar.”
Mila chuckled and headed for the bed, unsealing her top before pulling it free of her. “That makes sense.”
She removed the fitted trousers with a little more difficulty and pried the covers off the bed, crawling under the sheet.
Hrakin was staring at her.
She snorted. “If you want to look, just say so. I am so used to the litany of medical procedures that my body doesn’t hold any mystery for me anymore. It is what it is.”
“I was startled by your sudden nudity. You were more circumspect at the medical building.”
“I was in a room with four other people. It tends to make me a little more socially aware.” She yawned and nestled herself into the bedding. The scent was unfamiliar, but it was comforting. A few deep breaths and she sailed away on a cushion of relaxation and safety.
* * * *
Hrakin watched her even breathing before heading into the kitchen. If he had D’sekin in front of him, he would beat him until he was a crushed pile of bone and tissue.