Gateway to HeVan (15 page)

“What did I do?” she asked.

Thors reached around and pulled her into his lap.  “It’s my mating wings.  They are getting ready to break through.  That area of my body is hypersensitive right now and will remain so until they erupt.”

“You have a sad look on your face; does it hurt?  Don’t you want them to break through?  Don’t you want to mate with me?” she asked, getting a sad look of her own.

“Of course I want to mate with you.  But I’m a fourth son and only a Commander.  You’re a princess,” he said.

“Well, if you mate with me, then you’ll be a
duke.  You’ll have to stay here on KowLer, though, and act as Proctor for Clan LucenTio,” she explained.

“I would do anything if it meant I could have you, BianCa.  Your brother won’t object?” he asked.

“I have already wed once to please my family.  I thought I would have to again.  I gave myself to you last night as a gift.  Only now, I realize having experienced what it means to be with someone I care for, I’m not willing to give that up.  I am the Duchess of Clan LucenTio and I choose you as my future husband,” she stated emphatically.  She put her arms around his neck and pulled his head down so she could kiss him.

As he bent over, his wings burst forth and they were both flooded with the pheromones released in the small enclosed space of her bedroom.

“There is no place to fly—which is alright, as long as I can
join
with you.  Will you
join
with me?” he asked in a whisper.

“Yes, Thors, I love you.  Can’t you feel my womb weeping with its emptiness?  I need you to fill me, only you.”

Thors picked her up as he stood. He pressed her back into the wall as he kissed her deeply.  Slowly, he moved his wings back and forth, pushing more pheromones into the room.  Wrapping her legs around his waist, he thrust home.  Then they began the age-old dance.

**
**

Once again, King Ben KowLer was awakened in the middle of the night.  Worried about his sister, he woke suddenly.  He wasn’t going to need to take a dunk in the cold pool this time.  When he answered
the com link, he was confronted with the head of his world’s Health Organization.  After being assured BianCa was doing well―and, in fact, had been healed, he listened carefully to what was being said.  His face grew hard at the implications.  It seemed Duke LucenTio might be causing problems from the grave.

*
***

In the
afternoon, Glynnis went to see her granddaughter to say goodbye.  She didn’t like leaving when she knew there was a crisis on board ship but knew it was more important for her to go.  Addie told her to take Cassandra’s parents with her.  They had tried for so long to get pregnant; she knew it would destroy them to lose the child.  Since they were such a close family, it would work out well and provide a cover for Cassandra being there.  Glynnis promised Addie she would say nothing of Cassie’s abilities.  Instead, she would make a point of having Cassandra meet as many members of the governing Council as she could.  Addie told her to always keep her guardian warriors near.  It was a tearful goodbye; however, Addie knew it was the best way to proceed.  Glynnis wasn’t happy about Addie going into labor without her and made her promise to come to HeVan as soon as she’d dealt with Malpha.

Glynnis walked quickly down the corridor toward the Bridge.  They had been traveling for six days.  She liked this shuttle a lot better than the Explorer.  She didn’t get turned around as much, since this ship was only the size of a three-story office building compared to the larger ship.  She didn’t need people to show her where things were.

As she walked, she worried about her granddaughters a lot and about where she was going only a little.  Some would say she should be more concerned with her upcoming confrontation with Malpha.  She wasn’t; she had her
Ankida
with her.  Her
Ankida
, her three mates—she couldn’t stop smiling, they gave her so much.  She was still surprised at getting this second chance at a life.  Like those characters in the movie Cocoon, she’d had her genes tweaked.  In a way, it was as if she’d taken a bath in the fountain of youth.  Instead of looking all of her 85 years, she now looked like a fit and healthy 55.  She was glad she wouldn’t revert all the way back to her twenties.  It would be uncomfortable to be the same physical age as her grandchildren. She wouldn’t want to deal with all the drama again, anyway. 

She was going to enjoy her golden years all over again.  Only this time, she had three husbands instead
of one and no children to rear.  She blushed, thinking of what they got up to in their bedroom.  She’d never―well―she patted her suddenly hot cheeks.  She needed to get a glass of water. 

Fifteen minutes later, she had herself under control again.  In addition to drinking a glass of water, she’d changed her clothes and splashed water on her face.  She wasn’t having hot flashes; she was having lust flashes.  She hadn’t
had sex since her first husband’s death.  Now―well, she was making up for lost time.  She actually believed she’d had more orgasms in the past three months than she’d had in the last twenty years of her marriage. 

It
was an exaggeration, and unkind,
she thought. 

Colum MacTavish and she had
had a wonderful sixty years together.  If the last twenty years had been more living in companionship than hot sheets, she was as equally to blame as he.  She was thinking about her past life and trying hard not to compare it to the life she was living now as she left her quarters and headed back in the direction of the Bridge.

They were going to be landing on HeVan today and she was making plans on how she was going to deal with this Malpha person.  She had some ideas.

****

Malpha was alone in her private quarters.  It had been another long day and she was beginning to worry.  Based on the high-speed transmission she’d received from the KowLer
people, the Venger and the Explorer should have arrived weeks ago.  She couldn’t understand what was causing the delay.  The landing facility had strict orders to contact her as soon as the ships entered orbit.  She was thinking about the men soon to be her mates and wondered why it no longer caused her to feel flushed and aroused.

Drinking her brandy, she walked over to a door which led to her bedroom suite.  Walking through, she put down her glass and began to remove her clothing.  Nude, she picked up her glass again and continued on into the bathroom.

She was so tired.  She had been holding this world together since the death of her own mother three hundred years ago. 

I won’t have much longer to wait.  Arjun, Kylan
, and Rune will join with me and the Goddess will surely bless the union.  Then everything will start to go right again,
she thought.

She was starting to finally relax,
revising the plans for her upcoming
joining
in her head, when her emergency communicator went off.  Reaching over, she picked it up from the chair she’d placed it on next to her bathing pool.  Blocking the video portion, she answered.

“What could be so important I’m not even allowed a proper bath without interruption?” she questioned her assistant. 

When she got her answer, she dropped her communicator into the water.  She didn’t bother looking for it.  Instead, she leapt from the water and grabbed a drying cloth.  Dressing quickly, she left her rooms, and strode hurriedly down the hall to the main audience chamber.

“I understand my great uncles have returned and they’ve brought some others with them?” she asked Bren, her main assistant, along with his brother, Glen.

“Yes, their shuttle landed twenty minutes ago.  There are three women and one man with them.  One of the women is with child,” he said excitedly in a rush.

“Pregnant!
Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes, it’s been verified.  They’ve arranged transport and are on their way here.  The hover-cars are expected at any moment, Lady Malpha,” he said.

“The man―is he one of the HeVanian brothers?” she wanted to know.

“No, he appears to be mated to the pregnant female.  What’s more, one of the other two women is an older child of the
joined
pair.  I’m afraid I wasn’t able to get any more information,” he said. 

Malpha was surprised and a little worried.  Where were the ships?  Her musings were cut off when the outer door to the chamber opened and a group of people entered.

Malpha watched her Great Uncle Rale stride into the room with an older woman by his side.  She was the youngest female HeVan-born, so all women were older than she―but this woman looked older.  Rale’s brothers, Rufan and Recca, walked just behind them with another shorter man, a woman and a young girl.  Two warriors flanked the girl―and well they should, as she was of an age to find her
joins
.

“Uncles, you have news for me?” she asked, trying not to show the nerves jumping underneath her skin.  All of a sudden, she had a very bad feeling.

“We would like to introduce you to our
join
.  She is of HeVanian descent; her name is Glynnis.  However, rather than having us follow her to her House, she has decided to stay here in our House,” he explained.

“This isn’t the custom of our people.  It contravenes the laws of our culture,” she said.

“Nevertheless, it is the culture of my people.  I’ve made as many changes as I’m going to make, young lady.  Now, this discussion needs to be moved to a less public location.  Before we do, let me introduce Sergio and Michelle Olivetti and their daughter, Cassandra.  I’d appreciate it if you could arrange a meal and rooms for them,” said Glynnis.

Malpha immediately saw the implications of what the woman―Glynnis―was saying. 
She was being replaced.  The person, an off-worlder, was planning on taking her place as regent.  Outwardly calm while inwardly in turmoil, she gave the instructions.

“Bren can make those arrangements, if your guests will go with him.  The rest of us can go into my office to speak,” she said, before turning to lead the way
to the office adjacent to her private quarters.  She was going to need another glass of brandy. 

As she walked down the hall, she
continued to hide the shock and anger at what was occurring.  All her years of service to her people and it looked as if she were going to be usurped.  She vowed to not go down without a fight.  But she knew better than to jump in without all the facts.  She would wait and hear what they had to tell her.

Reversing her earlier steps, it didn’t take long for them to reach her office.  She saw the
surprise in the eyes of the guards at her office door before they blanked their expressions.  She knew it was the presence of the woman with her uncles, which had broken their composure.

Entering the office, she turned and told the guards they were not to be interrupted.  After closing the door, she turned back to face her future, whatever it may be.

“I take it the
Nam-Nin
has been found?” she asked.

“Yes.  We have some memory savers for you to view.  I suggest you watch them before we speak,” said Glynnis
, in a matter-of-fact tone that brooked no argument.

“Alright,” said Malpha, taking the memory savers from her.  She went
behind her desk and put them into her viewer.  Glynnis and her
Ankida
found chairs and sat quietly while Malpha learned of the treachery of her grandmother.  When she had finished viewing them all, her anger was gone.  She passed a shaky hand over her face. 

“What sentence has the
Nam-Nin
passed on the House of Purgat?” she asked, wanting to know how she would pay for her ancestor’s sins.

“
Aditya―or Addie, as we call her―is perfectly aware of the backlash against this House which will occur when this becomes public knowledge.  And it
will
become public knowledge now.  We won’t allow it to be buried the way the Council did when it happened.  There were reasons for it at the time, which are no longer of any concern now.  All the Houses were represented on the ship you sent out.  They have all seen these recordings,” Glynnis said, pausing before she gave Malpha the real blow. “Addie thinks your future lies away from HeVan.”

Even though Glynnis believed Malpha to be a manipulative and scheming woman, she had been holding this planet together for
hundreds of years.  She could easily see how pale and shaken Malpha was.  And if her feelings were what she was showing, she could only imagine what she was holding back.  Taking a closer look at the woman, Glynnis could tell that her years of service were wearing on her; she was too thin and seemed brittle.

Malpha paled even more
on finding out she was to be banished. 

“You made an agreement with
King Ben KowLer.  Addie feels, since she cannot, you should fulfill the role, which was arranged for her,” Glynnis quickly spit out the last of the message.

“You mean I am to be―?”

“Queen of the KowLer?  Yes.  It won’t be easy.  They are a male-dominated society.  They feel women are without enough intelligence to make decisions harder than what they are going to wear.  I think you’re just the one to teach them of the error of their ways.  At the same time, you can recruit women to emigrate to HeVan if they so wish.  While we have some three hundred women on their way, all of whom are pregnant with baby girls, the men of HeVan deserve women now and not in twenty years,” said Glynnis.

Malpha took a few deep breaths to
compose herself.  Standing up, she walked over to her wine cabinet.  Bringing over a tray holding glasses and a decanter, she poured for everyone, giving herself a few minutes before she spoke. 

“You should be aware we are on the verge of a civil war.  It’s likely the
Nam-Nin
’s arrival can prevent this war from happening.  Two months ago, there was a rape―the first in recorded history.  There is a growing movement of hatred against women on HeVan.  Many, of the male populace, blame the women for the way things are now.  As you’ve so clearly pointed out to me, my House
is
to blame for our current situation.  I concur with the
Nam-Nin
’s assessment.  There is no longer a place for me on HeVan.  It would only exacerbate the situation.  When do I leave?  I presume the queen has changed the law on females leaving the planet?” she asked.

“Yes, as the women who are arriving will need to visit their families back on Earth from time to time.  We have a base there as well and are finding more and more
descendants of the Nephilim.  We have a vision matcher who can use images of the Nephilim here to find their matches back on Earth.  We have plans to encourage other women to come.  Earth has an abundance of women; they outnumber the men by a large margin.  Addie has requested you leave immediately.  Can you be packed by tomorrow?” Glynnis asked.

“It seems you have everything well in hand.  Let me write down the codes you will need to access my personal files.  Yes, I can be packed by tomorrow.  I don’t plan to take much with me.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s quite late and I need my rest if I’m going to be packing and leaving in the morning,” Malpha said
in a cold, stiff voice.

Standing,
she left the room. She realized her last words showed she hadn’t rid herself of all her anger, after all.  Saying nothing more, she moved to the door separating her office from her own quarters and left.  She knew she should have seen to it they were given a meal.  But this was their home now; they would find their way easily enough.

Locking the door
and not really seeing the room around her, she walked toward her bed.  Then, after standing still for a moment, threw herself down and burst into tears.  Her world, the only one she knew, had just come crashing down around her.  There was no one left there for her—no one.

**
**

Glynnis looked at the door
through which Malpha had left and then looked back at her
Ankida
.

“It seems Arjun and his brothers have made a mistake of large proportions.  I’m not surprised; they are men, after all.  Well, we’ll tackle all of this in the morning.  Right now, I’d like you to show me where I’m going to be living.  Tomorrow, we’re going to start straightening out this mess.”