Divided: Brides of the Kindred 10 (36 page)

“What?
But I
can’t,”
Becca protested. “That’s what got me into this in the
first place. And besides, every time I touch them, especially together, I keep
wanting to…to…” She broke off, blushing.

“Get
down and dirty again?” Kat said sympathetically. “Yeah, I get it. Your body
wants the full bonding experience. In fact, that’s probably what you ought to
do.”

“I
don’t want to,” Becca said stubbornly. “I mean, Truth is on board with it and
Far has always wanted the three of us together. But what happens when I have to
tell my parents?”

“Ask
yourself this—who would you rather spend the rest of your life with?” Kat said.
“Your parents or your guys? If you’d really rather move back home and never see
Truth and Far again…”

“No,
I…” Becca put a hand to her throat. “I couldn’t. That…that would be
awful.”

“See?”
Kat said. “Your heart knows who to choose even if your brain doesn’t. Is what
your parents think
really
what’s holding you back? Or is it the other
thing we talked about—the fear that something bad will happen because you let
yourself off the leash?”

Becca
bit her lip. “I…I don’t know. I just know I’m not ready to be fully bonded to
them yet.”

“Maybe
just give it some time,” Kat advised. “But in the meantime, you really need to
touch them—together if you can stand it without giving in to the urge for naked
time.”

“Why
together?” Becca asked. “Why does it have to be at the same time?”

Kat
shrugged. “It doesn’t but it’ll work better that way. Plus, if their Twin bond
really has come together, it’s going to hurt them to touch you separately. Like
a low level shock running through their bodies when either one of them touches
you without the other also touching.”

“Are
you serious?” Becca shook her head. “I guess you said something like that in
the ‘Twin Bonding 101’ class thingy you guys put together to teach them but I
never thought…”

“That
it would affect your guys?” Kat said. “Honestly, doll, I didn’t either. I never
thought Truth would
ever
come around to being that connected to his
brother.”

“I
didn’t either,” Becca admitted in a low voice. “But he doesn’t do anything
halfway—he’s completely committed to their relationship now and of course, Far
always was. So now I’m the only one holding out and I feel kind of…”

“Outnumbered?”
Kat finished for her. “Yeah, I should have warned you. That can be a thing
sometimes when you’re with Twin Kindred. Luckily, like all Kindred, they always
defer to the lady. So even if it seems like it’s two against one, you’ve still
got the upper hand.”

“It
doesn’t
feel
like that,” Becca said in a small voice.

“No,
but it
is,”
Kat said firmly. “So stick to your guns. Don’t bond with
them fully until
you
feel ready.” She sighed. “And in the meantime, try
not to let yourself get too weak.”

“Weak?”
Becca asked.

“And
if you get a pain in your head—kind of like someone driving a spike through
your eye—don’t freak out. It’s not an aneurysm, just the partial bond,” Kat
went on.

“A
spike in my eye? That’s horrible!” Becca shook her head. “I have to tell you,
Kat, you’re not exactly making me feel better.”

“I’m
just telling you what to expect. I don’t want you freaking out and thinking
you’re dying on a strange planet. Because that is
no fun.
Which I know
from personal experience.”

“Crap.”
Becca sighed. “No, worse than crap—
shit.
This is so
complicated.”

Kat
raised an eyebrow again. “Such language from a nun!”

“I’m
not a nun and I’m never going to be one,” Becca said tartly. “And if I keep on
the way I’m going, I’ll be ashamed to ever enter a church again.”

Kat
shook her head. “You have to stop talking that way, Becca. You can’t help it
you fell for two guys at once and
they
can’t help the way they are. Twin
Kindred
have
to share a female—it’s the only way for them. It’s not
perverted or wrong or evil—it’s a simple matter of biology.”

“I
guess…” Becca twisted her hands in her lap. “It’s just…hard not to feel guilty
considering the way I was raised.”

“Believe
me, I know,” Kat said. “But eventually you’re going to have to get over it and
do what feels right. And if you really love Truth and Far—and I think you
do—the right thing is to complete that bond.”

“Or
I could have it broken when I get back to the Mother Ship,” Becca said in a
small voice. Just saying the words made her feel sick but she forced herself to
continue. “The…the Goddess said she would do that for me if…if I asked her to.”

“You
really think that’s what you want?” Kat asked quietly.

“I
don’t know.” Becca felt ready to cry. “I don’t know anything anymore. I’m
just…just
scared,
Kat.”

“I
know you are, doll.” Kat sighed. “I wish I was there to give you a hug—you look
like you could use one.”

“I
could. I
really
could.” Becca wrapped her arms around herself and
thought of the kind of hug she really wanted. One where Far and Truth
surrounded her with their big male bodies and held her close between them. But
she was certain hugging would lead to other things if she gave in to that urge.

“If
you
should
decide to dissolve the partial bond…uh-oh.” Kat’s eyes went
wide.

“What?”
Becca turned quickly to see that Far was standing in the doorway, looking at
the viewscreeen. His face was blank and it was impossible to tell if he’d heard
what she and Kat had been saying.

“Truth
sent me to see if you’re ready to go,” he said quietly. “Should I tell him
you’ll be a minute more?”

“I…um…”
Becca bit her lip. “Far, I just—”

“I’ll
tell him you need another moment to say goodbye to Lady Kat,” the light twin
said. He turned quickly away before Becca could say anything else.

“Crap,”
Becca sighed again.

“Don’t
you mean ‘shit?’” Kat asked.

“As
in deep,
deep
shit once the guys start talking,” Becca said morosely.
“Yes, I guess that about sums it up.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I have
to go, Kat. Hopefully I’ll see you soon. We’re just going to dig up this
truthonium necklace thing and come right back to the Mother Ship.”

“Good,
I’ll be waiting. And I might even save you a brownie if I can keep from eating
them all.”

Becca
raised an eyebrow. “Is this a brownie from the same batch you had when I left?”

“Of
course not! Lauren brought some more this morning but I can’t promise not to
eat them all though—these have peanut butter swirled through them.” Kat rolled
her eyes. “They’re
sooo
good.”

Despite
her worry, Becca couldn’t help smiling. “You’re too much, Kat. I wish you were
here. I don’t know what I’m going to do once I go down to Pax and I’m on my
own.”

Kat
winked at her. “You’ll be fine. Just remember—follow your heart, not your head.
And don’t give in to fear.”

“I…I’ll
try not to,” Becca promised. She blew her friend a kiss and clicked off the
viewscreen.

It
was time to go down to Pax.

Chapter Thirty-four

“So
this is where you grew up, Brother.” Far looked around with considerable
interest at the vast, snow covered trees that surrounded them. Each of the
massive conifers rose hundreds of feet in the air and it would have taken
twenty males at least to encircle a single trunk with their arms. Truth had
landed the shuttle in the middle of small clearing and the gigantic forest
surrounding them made Far feel very small and insignificant.

“It
is,” Truth said shortly. He shot Far a look that was mingled affection and
exasperation. “Ask your questions—I can feel you dying to know more.”

“Does
my interest in your home really come through our bond so strongly?” Far smiled at
his brother. “Forgive me. I’m just curious but I know curiosity is taboo here
on Pax.”

“I
have broken a great many taboos already,” Truth said shortly. “I hardly think
one more will matter.”

Far
felt a surge of affection for his brother. Now that the wall that had separated
them had come down, it was amazing how much he was willing to share of himself.
The light twin knew that personal privacy was of the utmost importance to his
brother’s people—and to Truth too. So the fact that he was offering to answer
questions about himself and his past was a major concession on his part.

“These
trees are amazing.” Becca, clad in an ankle length crimson coat, was looking up
in awe. “They remind me of the Redwoods out in California. So
huge.”

“These
are the elder trees,” Truth said, gesturing at them. “My people consider them
sacred.”

“And
do you live in them?” Far asked. “I understood the Rai’ku lived in domiciles
built in the treetops but I don’t see any here.”

“That
is because this is the Hallowed Glade, consecrated to
Cha’don,
the
Father of Flight. He is the deity most Rai’ku revere because his form is that
of the
dr’gin,
or animal form they take,” Truth said. “We live in
boadab
trees,
slightly
smaller and with wider branches—ideal for building in.”

“Is
it always this cold here?” Becca shivered. “I’m really glad I have these warm
weather clothes Kat made for me but this is
ridiculous.”

Far
wished he could suggest that he and Truth warm her up but it was clear the
suggestion would be unwelcome. He thought again of the conversation he’d
accidentally overheard earlier. Did Becca really want to dissolve the bond the
three of them had so recently formed? Should he talk to her about it? Or talk
to Truth?

I
should have known she had reservations about forming a permanent bond,
he
thought.
Her anxiety comes clearly through the partial link we seem to have
formed. I wonder if Truth feels it as well. Is he as worried as I am?

He
could certainly feel concern coming through the bond he now shared with his
twin, but he had an idea it was mostly about being back on Truth’s home planet.
Would his Rai’ku relations really disown and hate him as Becca seemed to fear
her parents would if they learned about the bond between the three of them?

I
suppose we’re about to find out,
he thought warily. Because coming toward
them over the snowy ground, was a small group of people—two males and one
female.

“Heads
up,” Becca murmured. “It looks like we have company, guys.”

“Who
are they?” Far asked under his breath. “Is there anything we should know before
we meet them?”

“They
are my second mother, her brother T’lar, who is one of the elders of our pack,
and my younger half brother, Garron,” Truth said. “And the only thing you need
to know is that they will probably hate you.”

“What?
You don’t even think they’ll give us a
chance?
” Becca looked upset but
Truth only shook his head.

“Never
mind. Just let me do the speaking.”

The
approaching figures didn’t seem to be in a hurry so Far had plenty of time to
study them. Truth’s second mother and her brother were both tiny—built on an
even smaller scale than Becca’s people, the humans. His brother, however, had
the size of a true Kindred—six foot seven at least, if not more. He towered
over the other two and yet managed to look unassuming despite his stature. He
must not have been much younger than Truth—maybe only a year—because Far could
see beard shadow on his jaw.

All
three of them were dressed in flowing red robe-like garments that stood out
like drops of blood in the snow and they all had straight, glossy black hair
and black eyes—or so Far thought. But when the younger brother looked up, Far
saw that he had eyes that were a peculiar shade of pure, piercing turquoise
with no other color blended into them at all. Beside him, he heard Becca give a
low gasp and he had to agree—the strange eyes, fringed thickly with black
lashes, were arresting to say the least.

“Your
brother’s eyes,” she murmured to Truth. “What—?”

“They’re
known as sky eyes,” the dark twin answered in a murmur. “Supposedly they denote
a male whose
dr’gin
will be especially powerful. But as of the last time
I saw my brother, he still had not—never mind, I will tell you later.”

Truth’s
family members were within earshot now so the three of them fell silent and
waited. They stopped some distance away—further, Far thought, than would have
been normal for his own people but still within speaking distance—and all three
of them made a formal bow. Truth’s mother and her brother bowed only from the
neck but his younger brother bowed from the waist.

Truth
returned the bow, also bowing from the waist but not quite as deeply as his
brother. Far tried to copy his twin’s movements exactly and he saw that Becca
was doing the same. Then they all waited.

Truth’s
second mother spoke first.

“My
son,” she said in a light, high voice that nevertheless managed to sound stern.
“You have returned.”

“Yes,
Ama,” Truth replied. “I have, but I will not stay.” He gestured at Far and
Becca who were standing a little behind him. “These are Rebecca and Far, my—”

“We
can tell what they are to you.” The older male Truth had named as T'lar
wrinkled his nose. “And what you have been doing with them. How dare you bring
such as these to the Hallowed Glade among the elder trees?”

“Apologies,
brother of my mother. It was the only place I could land the shuttle,” Truth
said shortly.

“Son,
please tell me there is some error here,” his second mother said, her small,
delicate nose quivering. “My senses tell me you have taken both a male and
female as mates. This…cannot be right.”

“Far
is my lost twin brother—the male I was meant to grow up with and be bonded to
from the first,” Truth answered steadily. “Our bond has recently been restored
and I will not apologize for that. Becca is the female which we both love—which
is right and natural for Twin Kindred.”

“The
female you
share,
you mean,” Truth’s uncle spat. “Disgusting.”

Truth
lifted his chin. “Again, I offer no apologies for doing what comes naturally to
my people.”

“Your
people are the
Rai’ku.”
His mother’s voice trembled. “How could you so
diverge from all I tried to teach you growing up? And why would you bring
these…people home with you, knowing how we would feel?”

“It
is a slap in the face—an insult!” his uncle declared. “How dare you?”

Far
couldn’t ignore the angry words directed at his brother any longer.

“Truth
didn’t bring us here as a personal insult to you—we are on a quest that leads
us to Pax,” he said, frowning at the older male. “When we find what we have
come for, we will leave and return to the Mother Ship. In the meantime, we will
try not to bother you but you shouldn’t berate Truth for following the dictates
of biology. You, of all people, with your second natures, should understand
having a biological urge you cannot help giving in to.”

Truth’s
uncle squinted at him suspiciously.

“What
do you know of our second nature?” He looked at Truth. “What have you told him?
How much of our privacy have you violated?”

Truth’s
second mother leaned forward, staring at Far. “Do I know you?” she asked. “Your
voice sounds familiar to my ears.”

Far
had a brief moment of intense relief that the “interview” he had conducted with
Truth’s second mother had been done over an audio wavelength only when his twin
spoiled everything by saying,

“You
did
speak to Far a little while back, Ama. He called to get information
about me and about my father, Feels Pain, who was his father as well.”

“What?
But he claimed to be from the Kindred Council. He never said—”

Far
realized there was no going back.

“I
wanted to know more about Truth and his childhood but I couldn’t think of a
graceful way to ask you. Forgive me for my fabrication. I so much wanted to
reach my brother and I thought—” He stopped abruptly when he saw the looks on
their faces.

“So
you lied about your true intentions in order to invade Truth’s privacy?”
Truth’s uncle demanded. He looked at Truth. “And you
forgave
this
despicable spying?”

“I
did forgive it, yes.” Truth nodded shortly.

All
this time, Becca had been standing silently though Far could feel her getting
more and more agitated through their link. Apparently this attack on his
character was too much for her to take.

“But
you don’t understand!” she suddenly burst out. “Far and Truth
belong
together
and Far always knew it but Truth didn’t. Far was just trying to find some way
to get
closer
to him.”

“Well
it appears he found it,” Truth’s second mother snapped tartly. She gave Becca a
cold look and her nose wrinkled. “And he found a way to get close to you,
too—didn’t he? What self-respecting female would allow herself to be shared by
two males at once?
Wrex!”

“Oh!”
Becca took a step back, as though she’d been slapped, a wounded look in her
eyes.

Far
didn’t need translation bacteria to know that Truth’s second mother had just
called Becca a whore. By the way Truth’s face darkened, he was well aware of it
too.

“Ama,”
he said in a low, clipped voice. “Apologies if my choices have disappointed
you. But I will
not
stand by and allow you to insult my mates—I love
both Becca and Far too much to allow it. We will stay out of your way in our
shuttle until our mission here is done. All I ask is that you leave us alone
and we will do the same for you.”

“Well,
you cannot keep your craft here in the Hallowed Glade,” Truth’s uncle declared.
“Your very presence defiles it.”

“This
is close to where we need to be,” Truth objected. “The nearest other spot I
could place the shuttle is in the Forgotten Hollow—over fifty clicks from
here.”

“You
must move it or the pack will
make
you move it,” his uncle said,
frowning. “I will see to that myself. And you must
not
bring it back.
You can walk from your new spot to wherever it is you need to go.”

Truth
sighed. “All right, we will move the shuttle. But walking is impractical—Becca
comes from a land where the sun is always shining and it almost never gets
cold. She cannot walk fifty clicks in the snow every day.”

“That
is not our problem,” his mother sniffed.

Truth
frowned. “It is if I invoke the pack laws of succession and inheritance. My
father may be dead but as his oldest son, the house you are living in is
technically mine, Ama. So I will ask you again—if we are forced to move the
shuttle, where are we to sleep for the night?”

“They
can stay with me.” Truth’s younger brother spoke up unexpectedly. Up until now
he had been completely silent.

“No!
They must
not!”
Truth’s mother declared. “Think of your reputation, son!
What will the pack think if they learn—”

“If
they learn what, Ama—that I followed the precepts of hospitality as they were dictated
by the Father of Flight himself?” His voice was deep and quiet and tinged with
some private bitterness that Far could not interpret. “That I gave your oldest
son a place to stay when you would not?”

“Enough!”
Turning, Truth’s uncle struck the young warrior in the face. He had to reach up
to do it but he managed it just the same. Truth’s brother made no move to
either deflect or avoid the blow. “That is for disrespecting your elders!” the
older male declared.

“I
meant no disrespect,” Truths’ brother said quietly. “I simply spoke the truth
of my heart.”

“Then
I will speak the truth of mine,” his mother said stiffly. “Once word gets
out—and it
will
get out—that you are hosting your brother and his
‘mates’ no self respecting female within a thousand click radius will consent
to be your bride.”

“It
wouldn’t matter if I hosted the Father of Flight himself, no female would
consent to be my bride anyway. Having Truth and his dear ones can’t make any
difference there.” The bitterness was back in his voice and his deep turquoise
eyes flashed with repressed anger.