CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

 

 

- Bren

When my brother hears the locks release, he immediately enters, barely letting the door open all the way before slipping inside. “I’m sorry to be bothering you. I know it hasn’t been long, but I need to talk to you.” The panic in his voice makes me wonder what is going on now!

Clenching my fists, I try to relax and not jump to any conclusions. “What? Is there more trouble with the council?”

“No, everything is still going as scheduled but…I have a personal issue.” He’s panicking as he slides by me and settles into a chair, dropping his head into his hands.

“Personal issue?” Now I’m baffled.

I’m still clueless as he sits up straight and starts to shrug off his shirt.

“Nice! But I don’t understand?” Hannah’s arm snakes around my waist as she comes to stand by me. But her touch and questions don’t break my stunned stare. “I thought you guys got these naturally from mating? Like we did? Those look like light tattoo outlines.”

“I noticed these this morning. After my daily reflections. During which I had my first vision.”

I can’t help the huge smile that spreads across my face with this announcement. “Congratulations brother! This is wonderful.” I pause. “Tricky but wonderful. Where is she?”

He doesn’t smile or look particularly happy about this. “I have no idea, but she isn’t on this planet. It’s clear that things are not good for her. I have impressions, surprise then fear and now nothing. Almost as if she is not there any longer but the marks are still on me. From what I’ve read, if a mate passes, the marks will fade. She’s out there.” His eyes look tired and haunted as he waves absently into the air.

“But out where? Does this mean she’s human?” Moving to the seating area across from him, I pull Hannah into my lap.

“I’m positive she is human. What are the odds that after three thousand years, within weeks of each other, we find two different species that trigger the mating? No. She’s human.”

My mind is whirling with all the implications. “Travek,” I grit out.

Matthias looks confused, but Hannah is starting to understand.

“Travek must have her! Maybe they are getting close and that is why this happened.” Hannah’s excitement is infectious. I immediately move to contact him, but here is nothing but dead air and no response.

Matthias comes to his feet in anticipation, watching me carefully. When I shake my head no, his face shows defeat. “I know you were planning on taking some time off, maybe even being decommissioned from your station, but I need to go look for my mate.” Starting to pace, his agitation leaks into his hair which is starting to flare around his head.

“Will they let you? Is there anything in the laws about this? The mating urge showing after you have married another?” I think back to what I’ve ever heard but it’s so little.

“No because it’s never happened. When the mating died out, they literally just ended. It wasn’t a sporadic thing. It just ended and it took years before they realized that there would need to be other arrangements made. Our numbers dropped significantly and then by the time births started again, the male births outnumbered female three to one.”

Matthias stops to stand in front of us again. “But, I did find out that when the mating urge came up that you could file a notice with whatever apprenticeship you were involved in for a six month leave to go find your mate and get things finalized. They were always granted and that’s what I want to do. And I was hoping you would take me. What was Travek’s plan? Can we assume he planned to meet up with the Discovery on the next rotation?”

“I don’t think there was a plan.” Hannah shrugs.

“Oh, there was a plan, but he never shared it with us. He and his men took off to go to Earth and see if the mating urge would affect them, or so he said. You know that isn’t our territory and the Ashen are very dangerous when crossed. What I don’t understand is why this is happening now. What are the similarities here now, that make it how Hannah started showing up in visions, that are now making this happen to you?”

“I have an idea.” Hannah cuts me off and shifts on my lap to turn to look at me. “I’ve thought about this a lot and you’d mentioned that you had visions of me for about a year. Basically, the whole time after I’d left Earth. I bet if you have an exact date of when you first felt impressions, it would have been right after I entered space—not that our dates and time match up, so I never bothered to ask and try and see if that was it.”

I’m starting to understand where she is going with this. “Maybe Travek just got your mate off the planet too. Maybe something on Earth is suppressing, not only you—but all Quasarians, from feeling the mating urge but once humans are in the atmosphere, your natural telepathy can pick them up?”

“I think you’re probably right, but it’s interesting that Travek picked up more than just his own mate while he was there! He was supposed to be just going to see if it would happen for him.” I could throttle him and when I see him, I might do that. What was he thinking?

“Even if that is the case and even though I don’t know what kind of a mate I can possibly be, I can’t thank him enough.” Matthias’s voice cuts in and brings my vengeful thoughts to an end. “I’m petrified but if nothing else, it will get me out of the hellish existence here with Vina Likana.”

No one says anything for a few long seconds, but we all look at each other carefully. I know what he’s alluding to. I’ve known things didn’t go well in his relationship with Vina. “I was going to talk to Hannah about leaving the planet this morning.” Wanting to set his mind at ease and get this out in the open as soon as possible, I turn to Hannah.

Her eyes are big as she stares at me. “Really? I thought you were looking forward to being here. At home.” She starts biting her thumb nail like she does when she’s uncertain.

“Yes. At first that was all I could think about. You and I here, starting a family. But now that we are back, I’m scared for you. For us.” Hannah’s eyes get bigger.

Matthias nods. “I understand. They won’t let this go.” He sinks back into the chair across from us. “You are turning their lives upside down.”

“Exactly. They would have been happy to see Hannah die. Maybe that was only the first try. And now with others showing mating marks, they will try to stamp this out quickly. I think the sooner we all get off the planet the better.” It makes me sad to say it but both of them nod soberly.

“Hannah, will you be my sponsor onto the ship to take me as an active crew member?” Hannah acts shocked at Matthias’s request. It still hasn’t sunk in how much power she wields.

“As my mate, you are the head of the household and he is your mates’ brother, so you can act as a sponsor. We have to assume that these mating marks annul any lineage promises or Family Unit Lead commitments. Right?” Matthias nods. “Then this will be the easiest way to get him onto the ship without having a formal technician capacity job.”

She’s nodding enthusiastically. “Of course, I will. But how do I do that?”

I hear the relief in the laugh Matthias spits out. “We can fill out the appropriate documentation together and then get it ready for the confirmation ceremony tonight. They won’t dare to deny us there and it will give everyone else hope. I’m sure you are both as excited as I am about it.”

Hannah rolls her eyes but then gives me a hug with one arm. “As long as this big lug will be there, I’ll survive.” I’m not even sure if she realized there was a formal confirmation ceremony to come but she doesn’t seem surprised. Someone may have let her know while we were separated.

My arms tighten, and I squeeze her gently back. She doesn’t realize it yet, but we will never be apart again. I won’t allow it and I don’t think my heart could handle it. So, I’m relieved to hear she feels the same.

“I love you Hannah Becker from Earth.” Our lips lock and I enjoy her warmth and contentment both physically and through our bond. She’s mine. Forever. A wonderful blessing, I never suspected.