“Father,” Rask said and went to him. His shield dropped.
To Grace he looked spent. Thankfully, in the horizon, the suns were beginning to rise.
The two men clasped hands.
Chapter 6
“That was very good timing, Father,” Rask said.
His body was sweating and Rask never remembered a time in his life when he felt so tired. It would take time for his shield to regenerate. His father placed a hand on Rask’s shoulder.
“I had feared this,” Cobra said.
“What?”
“You’re exhausted. It occurred to me almost too late to tell you that your shield cannot fight long while protecting two,” his father said.
“But what were we to do?” Rask asked. “We had to protect our mates.”
“You do what you just did. Castians fight back-to-back not only for their warrior mate’s protection, but for their female mate’s protection as well. Castians move too quickly to allow anything to come between them. Your shield cannot regulate your core temperature and your mate’s terror while engaged in such heated battle. For short periods of time, yes. Not forever.”
“Is that why Mother died?”
“I couldn’t shield her forever, even if we had been mated,” he said somewhat evasively.
Rask turned to look at Grace by the tree line. She and Stacie were standing side-by-side breathing heavily. Grace was shifting from foot to foot, an arm over her bare breasts while trying to look brave. The morning suns caught her white hair making it shine. She looked so small. Her fear when he battled was almost his undoing. His shield could no longer regulate both heartbeats. Rask was unable to produce any secretions to calm her, since his shield wouldn’t allow it. Even though a short distance separated them, he could feel her worry. It was the same feeling when he knew Tosk was battling and needed him.
“I need to comfort her, but I feel so weak, Father,” Rask said mournfully.
“Your arms around her will be the best thing for her. She knows you are safe now. I feel her worry, too. She is concerned for you, not herself. She’s a brave little thing.”
Rask nodded and moved to go to her. Then, above the tree line a sleek gray object decloaked. It hovered near the women. Rask was running, shouting. Tosk was yelling for the women to run. Rask’s shield stayed down, try as he might to lift it. His father was shielded and moving like lightning on all fours. Cobra’s talons and claws gripped the ground to propel him further faster. It was too late. A fire ball blasted toward Grace and Stacie. Rask saw Grace look up. He was close enough to see her face pale. With a burst of energy she shoved Stacie as hard as she could, sending the woman flying to safety into Tosk’s embrace. Tosk’s shield went up; he dropped down on one knee and curled into a ball. Stacie was so tiny Rask could only guess her body had taken less from Tosk’s shield. It was too late for Grace. His father didn’t make it in time. Grace ducked and screamed. The blast hit his father as well and sent him flying backwards. Cobra rolled up onto his feet in an instant moving forward. The fire engulfed Grace. Still Rask ran to her.
The fire blazed around her, over her. She was gone from his vision. Rask’s father had stopped, his head bowed as his daughter-in-law went up in flames. When Rask reached him, his father grabbed him and held him. Rask was crushed to his chest. His father hadn’t held him like that since his mother died. Then Rask realized he was about to die. His father was saying goodbye. Rask felt his heart break. He didn’t want to leave his dad. He could now put his shield up, even though it was still regenerating, but how could he? He couldn’t live without his Grace.
The fire died down, and smoke swirled. On the ground there she lay, blackness all around her. Rask blinked hard then blinked again. Her body was perfectly intact. She hadn’t been charred to death. Rask swallowed hard. He forced himself from his father’s grasp and went to her. Carefully and with great tenderness, he turned her in his arms. She was still breathing but unconscious. Stunned Rask looked up at his father. His father was grinning from ear-to-ear and threw back his head and howled. Tosk and Stacie moved forwards.
“Father, she’s alive,” Rask said in awe.
His father squatted next to him. He inhaled deeply and chuckled. He clapped Rask on the back.
“You’ve bred with your little mate.”
“Huh?”
“She’s carrying your baby,” his father explained. “A Castian male doesn’t decide the sex of a baby, instead the female does. A male’s gift is protection to its offspring. No wonder you were so tired, as you have literally given a piece of yourself. The babe has its own shield. By far the greatest shield of all. A Castian baby can never be miscarried. Once it’s conceived, it is indestructible while being carried and for the three and a half years it nurses. Your mate is now indestructible and will be until her milk dries.”
“That’s why Mother went away. Her milk dried up,” Rask said.
“Yes. You couldn’t nurse forever, son. It wasn’t your fault.”
Grace began to stir in his arms. Her eyes fluttered and she looked up at him with confusion. Rask smiled at her and pulled her close.
“It’s all right, Grace. You’re safe,” he soothed.
“I saw it hit me. I don’t remember anything after that.”
“Your daughter is very strong,” Cobra said.
“My what?” Grace asked and began scrambling to her feet. She looked down, blinked, and realized her chest was bare. Her hands went up to cover herself and her face flamed red.
“A female?” Rask asked. “How is it possible?”
“You men have hit your prime. It’s time for females to be born,” Cobra explained.
Rask shook his head in confusion. “But won’t it take females four hundred years to come of age?”
“No. By the time they are twenty-one, they are mature enough for a Castian male. Everyone knows girls mature faster than boys,” his father said and chuckled.
“Twenty-one!” Rask almost howled. “No male here is going to touch my baby.”
“Son,” Cobra said kindly. “A male learns to control his bite in time. We will keep a close eye on her. Rask, she needs to mate to live longer. A female isn’t born with virtual immortality; she must mate to gain it. Also when she is weaned, she will no longer have a shield. Ours is an important task to keep your mate and child safe. The nice part is it takes a village to raise a child. Until she is of age, she will remain a child. Any Castian male can shield her until she goes into heat. After that, well let’s just say I have a lot to teach you about females.”
“But I thought every four hundred years a woman gives birth to a male child,” Grace said in confusion.
“You will have a male child soon enough. Now that we know Earth is dying, I think many women will agree to accompany us here. Our race isn’t doomed after all. And neither are humans,” Cobra said.
“I hope it isn’t all ready too late,” Grace said sadly. “Earth is falling apart. So many die every day.”
Cobra hugged her. “The Tonans have retreated for now. Rask, you will remain in charge of this planet. We have people working on the water now that we know there is hope. I’m taking one of our battleships to Earth. Others have been sent to the planet the humans call Ulsy to try and save our men and the human females. Another three ships will be here for your use if the Tonans come back. I will leave you with your own force.”
“Can Tonans be killed if their ship explodes?” Grace asked curiously.
“Not exactly,” Cobra replied. “When the ship explodes, the Tonans can put their shields up or choose to die with their shields down.”
“Why would they choose to leave their shields down?” she asked.
“Sometimes it is better to die than spin in space until your armor gives up. We need the sun to regenerate our shields, as do the Tonans. There is no sun in space. At best they could float aimlessly for a month. But during that time their shield works to keep them hydrated and alive. It’s only a matter of time before it runs out of energy.”
Rask felt Grace shudder. He could feel her sympathy. He was amazed. The bastards had tried to kill her and she had enough compassion to feel their pain. He then had a thought.
“Father? If Grace now has the baby’s shield, does that mean I don’t need to shield her?”
“No. You can, but you don’t need to worry about her as much. It will take you some time to regenerate the piece of shield you gave to your child.”
“I feel strong again. I can feel my shield has its energy back.”
“You’ll need your strength,” his father said and clapped him on the back. “When carrying, females are highly emotional. The baby’s shield won’t protect her from emotions. Your mother was a nightmare while she was carrying you.”
Grace scowled at Cobra and crossed her arms tighter over her chest when both men laughed. Rask pulled her close and kissed her forehead.
“Looks like I’m not done saving you from nightmares,” Rask said and chuckled.
Chapter 7
“Grace, I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Rask said.
Grace turned and smiled at him. Rask took her hand. Grace was dreaming, only she knew she was dreaming and she knew Rask was real. When Grace had fallen asleep then opened her eyes, she thought to find herself at Rask’s special place. Instead, she found herself at her own. Curiously, she had moved in the dream toward her little pond. As a child, her parents had rented a cottage. There was a beautiful lake down a small path. One day she had veered from the path and had gotten lost and come across this pond. No one had been around and Grace had been too enchanted to be afraid. She had found her way home on her own and left a trail so she could visit again. She had ventured back each time they had vacationed until the brutal storms came.
“It must be the baby,” Grace said. “I’ve been talking to her. When I do, I envision beautiful places. I don’t want to think about the horrible mess my planet has become so I’m remembering the way it was.”
Rask went on his knees before her. He pressed his lips to her belly. “Listen to your father, little one. I need to know where your mother is at all times. Never shield either of you from me.”
“I don’t think she understands,” Grace said dryly.
“Of course she does,” Rask said surprised, then rolled his eyes. “I forget you can’t sense emotions the way I do.”
“You’re telling me this baby can sense you?” She was incredulous.
“Sure. She has to. It’s a built-in defense. A power shield will go up around you if she senses a male not her father around you.”
“Any male?”
“Not my father or Tosk. Cobra told me your pheromones will increase during pregnancy. It will make you very desirable to other males. Remember we are still very young, even though we are almost four hundred years old. Also the males on this planet are just discovering females. Your smell alone is an aphrodisiac.
“Great,” Grace said and groaned.
Rask took her in his arms and began stripping off her clothes. “Other males can’t physically get near you. A male that is in must is dangerous. Our baby can sense this. Her shield will go up and you can plow through the horny bastards without so much as blinking an eye.”
“What about when I nurse her?” Grace asked. His culture was fascinating.
“You give off another scent. Father said it’s one of nurturing. Males will find it sweet and calming. They would no more harm you than they would their own mother. During the baby’s first year, you will never be more than few feet from her. As she grows and becomes stronger, she will want to explore and will eventually go farther on her own. By then the milk you produce will have regulated. Because your milk is necessary for the child’s survival, you will be protected by a new shield.”
“My milk is my shield?”
“That’s one way to look at it.”
“That is so weird.”
“Strange but true.”
“What else did you father tell you about women?”
“He sat me down and explained the facts of life in great detail,” Rask said and winked.