Their Rebel Mate [Helan Universe 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (4 page)

Luckily for him, no one questioned the intimate details of his relationship with Kerek. Having to explain that was hard enough, but having to explain in front of his mate was a whole different animal.

He took question after question, answering them with as much detail as possible. Yes, their scientists were working on cures for even more diseases. No, they had no plans to help Earth police their societies. Yes, their long-range sensors had detected other exploratory ships on the outer fringes of their quadrant.

The questions started to wind down, and Thantos started to wonder if he would get away without a peep from his nemesis.

Of course, as soon as the thought entered his head, Kim McManus stood up and nodded to the technician manning the camera.

The man swung the camera around until she was the focus. She started speaking about women being bartered away, pseudoscience and bullying at its worst.

Crap. This was exactly what he’d hoped to avoid when Kim had walked into the room. Thantos glanced at the security guards and found them all staring back at him stonily. Well, the guards had probably been in on this from the beginning. If they didn’t sympathize with Kim, they’d probably been bribed.

Kerek was whispering into the cell phone he’d purchased a couple of weeks ago. His face was flushed, his eyes glittered dangerously, and the emotions he could feel pouring through their mate bond told Thantos just how angry Kerek really was.
“I’ll explain in a second, talan.”

Thank gods for their telepathic bond.

He angled his head so that he was still facing the cameras but was looking at Kim McManus directly. “If you remember correctly,” he said in his clipped, perfect English, “signing the registry is completely voluntary.”

The woman had the nerve to snort at him.
Snort
. “That was not the original agreement, was it, Ambassador?” she asked. Derision dripped from her voice. God, he felt like he was an inch tall.

She continued without missing a beat. “It was only after Jacy Townsend talked some sense into you all.”

He pursed his lips at the statement. His queen being referred to by her given name grated on his nerves. Humans had a love for titles, especially Americans. Hell, presidents were still addressed as such, even when their time in office was up. Why did they have such difficulty addressing his queen properly?

Before he could respond to any of the accusations Kim was sending his way, Kerek’s voice nudged its way into his brain.
“Somehow, that camera has been put on a live feed. The entire world is now watching you.”

Well, this sucked big, hairy
sorcan
balls. And of course, Kim just had to touch on the one thing that Thantos couldn’t respond to. “We have been manipulated into believing that we are the answer to all their problems, but we have yet to see any proof of their claims.”

A feeling of resignation swept through him, and Thantos knew it was Kerek’s realization that he would have to make his announcement sooner than planned. There was no help for it though. If they didn’t show the humans that they did have the power to save the Helan species, the number of women willing to sign the registry and become mates with Helans might fall drastically.

Kerek rose from his chair and joined Thantos at the podium
. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Chief of Communications, Kerek —”
It was an improvised title, but it sounded better than Communications Officer Kerek, which was far too militarized for most humans’ comfort. “And he has a press conference scheduled for next week, but since we’ve been transferred to a live feed, he will make his announcement now.”

Much to Thantos’s amusement, Kim blanched and sat down again. Clearly, she hadn’t thought they would pick up on the fact that she had somehow hacked into the signal and forced it to go public, and she was expecting some kind of reprimand. He had to give her credit, though. She could have made a break for it and could have disappeared from the room before he or Kerek had the chance to confront her, but she held her ground.

Smiling charmingly, Kerek looked into the camera and spoke confidently. “I am very happy to announce that I have just recently received word that Her Majesty, High Queen Jacy, is expecting the birth of her first child. The joyous event is expected in approximately thirty Earth weeks. There is finally hope for the Helan people.”

Thantos could practically hear the gasps around the world.

A deep silence settled around the room. Kim jumped to her feet. “One child. How can you expect one child to save the Helan species? And what if the child is a girl? Will she be bartered off to the highest bidding male couple to squeeze out twelve babies for them, too?”

Kerek’s face had grown tight, and Thantos touched his wrist. Kerek was a typical Helan male, unlike Thantos. Kerek was aggressive and protective of those he cared about, and he’d come to like the queen a great deal in the short time they’d known each other. Kerek’s response might be a little harsh if Thantos didn’t calm him down.

Flipping his arm over, Kerek threaded his fingers with Thantos’s and gave them a gentle squeeze. It was then that Thantos realized the underlying emotions and sensations that he should have been aware of all along. Kerek was aroused by the little blonde. The fact that she was challenging him gave Kerek a thrill that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. Instead of feeling jealous by the desire his mate was feeling for this human, he was elated.

“We do not expect our female mates to squeeze out a dozen babies,” Kerek answered, managing to keep a straight face. Thantos was glad Kerek had taken over. He could feel his tongue beginning to glue itself to the roof of his mouth. The desire Kerek was feeling began to pound through Thantos, and it was becoming increasingly harder to stay still.

Kerek was still talking when the doors opened again. Thantos was relieved to see Helan soldiers slipping in, ready to step in if they needed to. Not that Thantos expected there to be violence, but the males would be able to waylay the female he knew would become his mate before she managed to give them the slip.

He tilted his chin fractionally, indicating that he wanted Kim to be detained when the talk was finished. He received an acknowledging nod and turned back to Kerek. “Women are precious in our society, and we would never force them to do something they didn’t want to do.”

Thantos cleared his throat and nudged Kerek out of the way a little, which was extremely hard for him. He’d never challenged Kerek before, not really, and it was in his nature to do anything he could to please his mate. But he needed to make something clear. “While we would never force a female to bear countless young, we do ask that only those women interested in having children sign the registry. As a mated group, males will always have the best interest of their woman in mind, but as Helans, we need to think about ways to keep our species from dying out.”

With that said, he stepped back and let Kerek continue. Kerek’s fingers, which had never let go of his, squeezed again, letting him know Kerek wasn’t upset with his interruption.

Kerek finished up his announcement, assuring everyone that High Queen Jacy, High King D’Arik, and Consort Varin were happily looking forward to their little one’s arrival. He stepped aside and motioned for Thantos to wrap things up.

“On that final happy note, we will finish up here. If any of you would like to learn about a new culture, travel to new worlds, or simply find males who will cherish you for the rest of their lives, please feel free to sign the registry. Locations are listed in the pamphlets that were handed out earlier.”

The scowling camera crew cut the signal, and the screens went blank. Thantos let out a deep breath and restrained himself from reaching for his mate and seeking comfort. Things had gone well, exceedingly so, but his heart still raced, and the hair on his arms kept trying to stand up.

All around him, he could hear Helan soldiers questioning the staff. Thantos didn’t have to ask where they’d come from. Kerek had probably requested their presence the second he’d been notified that their lecture had gone public. One man was upset that his sister had signed the registry and had left the planet with the first ship back to Helan. Another had needed the money he’d been offered to look the other way.

Thantos tuned it all out, focusing all his attention on the woman the Helan soldiers were preventing from leaving the room. “Ms. McManus,” he called over the din. “I think it’s clear that you need some clarification on the details of our culture. If you would follow Kerek and me, we would be happy to answer any of your questions or concerns in private.”

And that was why he was the ambassador and not Kerek. Kerek probably would have kissed her senseless before carrying her into the conference room that had been provided for them.

Kim sighed and shook the soldier’s grip off her arm. “I don’t suppose I have much of a choice, do I?”

This time Thantos didn’t hesitate. He reached out and ran a comforting hand down Kerek’s arm. “I think after the accusations you made earlier, you owe us this much.”

Crap
. Kim’s stomach dropped. She knew this was a bad idea, but once again, she’d jumped in with both feet and didn’t have a way out.

The Helan soldier’s grip wasn’t painful, just firm. She succeeded at shaking his hand off but suspected that he was only humoring her.

Ambassador Thantos was standing at the front of the room, staring at her expectantly and waiting for her to speak. By his side, the Chief of Communications stood next to him.

Her eyes widened when the ambassador reached out and ran his hand down the other man’s arm. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that they were mates. The action was so intimate and affectionate and private, she felt as if she was spying on them.

Heat pooled low in her belly, those darned butterflies doing a tap dance in her gut. She wasn’t nervous. Far from it. The idea of those two large males entwined together on burgundy silk sheets was the hottest thing she had ever envisioned. She’d always been of the idea that if one hot man was good, two were even better.

There was really no graceful way to get out of speaking with them, but maybe things could go in her favor. Perhaps she could get them to contradict themselves or something. If only she had one of those mini cameras or microphones or some other gizmo that could record their conversation.

The ambassador gestured for her to follow him and then walked through the door and down the hall without bothering to look back, as if he didn’t care whether she followed or not. Then again, he must have known that Kerek and the soldiers would ensure that she didn’t take off.

A gust of dry, cool air brushed over her face when they entered the room that she knew had been assigned to the men. One of the soldiers muttered something in that strange, lyrical language, and Kerek cracked a smile.

A chair was pushed gently against the back of her legs, and she sat gratefully. Most women would have remained standing to try and keep the upper hand, but she figured she looked more relaxed and more confident if she was seated.

Ambassador Thantos dismissed the soldiers, and she was left alone with him and Kerek. Thantos sat in a chair opposite her while Kerek stood behind him. “Well, Ms. McManus, why don’t we just lay our cards out on the table. What is it that you object to so much? Signing the registry is entirely voluntary. Who are you to summarily decide for all women that signing our registry is a bad thing?”

She stared at Thantos’s mouth for a few seconds, taken aback for the second time by that velvety voice. She’d heard him speak on the television before, but the cameras didn’t do his voice any justice. She could just imagine that voice murmuring sweet nothings in her ear or moaning low, deep, and husky at the critical moment.

The damn heat that had gathered in her belly moved even lower, settling between her legs and making the folds of her pussy plump up. Her eyes nearly crossed when she shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. The seam of her slacks was riding directly on her now fully aroused clit, and if she just wiggled her hips around a few times, she was pretty sure she could come right then and there.

Another voice growled. “Do you have something you want to tell us,
lira
? Do you like the sound of Thantos’s voice?”

Kim jerked her gaze away from the guy's lips and risked a glance down. Sure enough, her nipples were pebbled and pressed against the thin material of her cotton blouse. It was the summer in the middle of a heat wave, and, being a member of the itty-bitty titty committee, as her mother said, she had decided to forgo a bra that morning. She instantly regretted the decision and just barely stopped herself from crossing her arms over her breasts.

Deciding to ignore Kerek’s question, she answered Thantos’s instead. “You’re bartering your services for the use of our women. Holding thousands of lives over our heads does not make signing the registry voluntary.”

Kerek pursed his lips and looked like he wanted to say something, but Thantos simply reached up and tugged gently on Kerek’s hand, bringing the man closer. Thantos instantly seemed more at ease, which was funny since she hadn’t noticed him to be tense before.

That velvet voice began talking again. “We have vowed not to remove our technology or our support and protection, should the females of Earth not sign the registry, so I fail to see how we are holding the lives of thousands over your heads.”

Okay, that was true, now anyway. “That wasn’t always the way it was. Not too long ago you threatened to remove your support if our women didn’t come out of hiding.”

Kerek’s hand clenched, and Thantos’s head twitched like he wanted to rub against those knuckles, but he didn’t do anything further.

Too bad. Kim would have loved to have seen some intimate, private touches between the two of them. There was something so raw about love between two men, something so honest, and she really couldn’t get enough of it.