Chapter 18
They’ve certainly put their hearts into the task.
Tamara
“How are you so…comfortable and serene?” I asked Filbur while crushing his hand with mine.
He shrugged, giving me his most beautiful smile.
“I moved from planet to planet during my healer training.
I visited each species and stayed with them for a couple of months to learn about them.
It was also to help the humans get ready for the Brides.
Learn about each planet's food, risks, each species' anatomy and habits…”
“Wait, so you basically know all of them?”
He arched a brow. “I mean…All the species know about the others. I just know weirdly specific stuff.”
They did? Did they have annual meetings where they all gathered somewhere? Were they all friends? The winged girl and blond guy looked friendly enough when I first met them before flying down to Cancer…
“I met a few,” I said. “Wendy’s husbands first when she came up for her check-up, then—” I paused at Filbur’s wince. “What?”
“Gemins. Some species are…let’s say less friendly than others. Gemins aren’t particularly liked.”
Oh. “They looked kind enough…” Not really, but they looked kind to their bride, which was what mattered most. “Are there others?”
“Others?”
“Species that aren’t liked.”
He didn’t have to give it a lot of thoughts. His eyes fell to the floor and a small grunt escaped his lips. “We are all very different,” he started. “It is not always easy to get along.”
Seriously? “You know that’s not what I asked.”
“Fine. Gemins, Aquaris and Scorpius give me the creeps.”
“You? Or—”
“Must of us. I was safe when I visited their planets but there were some times where I wondered if I would wake up the next day.”
My breath hitched. “Really? But giving them brides, isn’t it—”
“I am mostly worried for the Scorpius bride,” he confessed. “She will have to be strong. Their clan leader, the one who has been chosen for the program, he is not a good man.”
“Have you told Maxwell?” I asked.
Filbur nodded. “There is nothing he can do. They are a secretive species. They do not talk between themselves, just communicate with strange sounds that cannot be translated.”
I frowned. “What? But how do they—”
“They all learned to speak like humans. Like all the other species, too. Not that they use it much because they rarely come here, even when summoned. They just…stay silent and listen. Calculate. Observe.” He shuddered. “They creep me out, and their leader especially.”
“Maybe I should talk to Maxwell about this,” I mused.
“There is nothing he can do. Their leader—Iyukla—is the only one humans have been allowed to interact with. Maxwell is also aware about the situation on Scorpio, but there is not much he can do.”
“The situation?”
Another nod. “There is war. Some are trying to remove Iyukla from power and he is planning on using the bride to keep his opponents at bay. What is better to try and tame the people than to wear the mask of the savior?”
This was messed up. “He wants to use the bride to stay in power?”
“Yes. I believe she will be safe…as long as it works.”
Maxwell couldn’t let this happen. What if it didn’t work and the Scorpius still tried to get rid of him? Would he kill her? Would they kill her?
“And…what’s wrong with Aquaris?” I asked.
Filbur shook his head but the atmosphere didn’t feel as heavy. “Nothing that has me worried about their bride.”
“So what, it’s just a personality thing?” I scoffed.
He shrugged. “Sometimes, yes. I get along best with the Tauris. Me and Ghauro had a stupid argument a while ago and have not been as friendly ever since, but…maybe this will change.”
There was a fondness in his eyes as he talked about his old friend. Some regrets, maybe.
I didn’t know—and didn’t really care about the reason they grew apart. But it seemed my husband wanted to fix things.
I was excited to see if the Zodiac Bride Program could maybe do more than fix their fertility issues. Maybe it could all bring them closer.
“Tamara!” a feminine voice called from the side. I didn’t even have the time to properly turn that two small arms were enveloping me in a tight hug. “You’re here!”
I gave a couple of pats to Wendy’s back, a bit shocked at the sudden display of affection. “Of course I’m here. Aren’t these check-ups…mandatory?”
She partly let go of me and her head pulled back a few inches, just enough so we could properly see each other. “They are, and Maxwell gets all grumpy if we even suggest that we might not attend.”
“Or, he’ll assume you just ran away and call the base on your planet a hundred times,” another woman said from a few feet away.
This corridor was starting to feel cramped.
I looked at the beautiful red-head—and my eyes widened on the huge green horned man following after her.
“I’m Melanie,” she said, holding her hand for me to shake. “Taurus Bride.”
I looked at the man again. Taurus. Was it Filbur’s friend?”
“Ghauro,” my man said, his tone a bit too solemn for my liking.
“Filbur.”
They shook hands. At least they’re talking?
“I’m Tamara, but please call me Tammy.”
“I can’t believe there’s already three of us,” Wendy sing-songed, clapping her hands excitedly. “We should open a club so we can meet and gossip.”
“What would we even gossip about?” I wondered.
She gave me a mutinous look. “Our previous life, our current life…Our infuriating but sexy men.”
Ghauro grunted. “What is gossip?”
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Melanie said, turning to stroke his cheek. Then, she gave Wendy and I a look. “But yes. I would absolutely love this.”
“Come!” Wendy said, grabbing both our hands. “Let’s get some coffee and food. I’m famished.”
“Kadhasse—” Filbur pleaded at the same time that Ghauro said “Assa Perti—”
“You guys can catch up!” Melanie answered, unbothered, and pulled us with her toward the little cafeteria I had spent a lot of time in before heading for Cancer. “We can use some girls' time.”
The desserts were just as good as I remembered, but I was pained to realize that it was a far cry from the taste of the food in my new world.
I still ate every blissful crumbs of my chocolate brownie.
“Are you not here with your man?” Melanie asked Wendy. “I met…hum, I don’t remember his name. The day I was supposed to meet you, there was this giant white winged man threatening Maxwell. He was not happy about the situation.”
Wendy smiled. “Baelor, yes. Can you believe that he’s the diplomat between the two of them? Nitochi would have made a mess.”
Melanie looked confused. “What?”
I leaned closer. “She’s the Gemini bride and she has not one but two men.”
Her light green eyes widened. “Two?” Wendy nodded, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. “Dear lord. Do you get any sleep?”
Wendy sighed. “I do now. I didn’t at first.” Then, to our questioning looks, she added. “I’m pregnant. They’ve been overbearing ever since I told them.”
Melanie’s smile widened but her eyes dimmed. “That’s awesome! Congratulations!”
“The doctors said it happened this fast because of the hormones I’ve been forced to take for a long time in my colony, paired with the fact that I’ve been freshly taken off my birth control.”
“Plus, there are two of them,” I cackled. “I mean, it has to increase the chances, doesn’t it?”
Wendy muffled a laugh. “They’ve certainly put their hearts into the task.”
“What about you?” I asked Melanie.
And I regretted my question when I saw her face fall. “Well…Not yet. But we still have some time, right?” Wendy placed her hand over hers. “I mean…We’ve had a pretty rough start, in a way.”
“You did?” I asked.
“Sort of…Long story short, it took us some time to actually start trying,” Melanie explained. “So, we’ve only been trying for a little over two months. The docs aren’t worried,” she quickly added. “So I guess we’re not either.”
“It’ll work,” Wendy said, holding her hand now. “I mean, you wouldn’t be here if the tests hadn’t been promising, right?”
Melanie forced a smile. “I know. It’s just—”
“Don’t worry about it for now,” Wendy cut her off. “You should definitely enjoy your alone time with your green man instead…You won’t have much once a baby is born, right?”
“I guess you’re right.” Melanie’s smile wasn’t as forced anymore.
“Trust me, once you get pregnant, it’s ten times less sex, and you’re suddenly treated like a precious child.”
I winced. “Bummer. Hopefully Filbur and I will have a bit more time too,” I said, grabbing Melanie’s other hand.
On the other hand, I didn’t see any scenario that didn’t end up with me doing the next migration either heavily pregnant or with a newborn in my arms, and that was if I was already pregnant and the summer was long.
Which was the worst? At least, with the second option, Filbur could also carry our child.
Walking weeks with swollen feet? Not something I was eager to try.
“Where are your men, by the way?” I asked Wendy and Melanie seemed grateful for the change in subject.
“Held by security.” She rolled her eyes. “Nitochi promised he’d behave but he still freaked out everyone when he grabbed the doctor’s wrist to prevent him from leading me away.”
My eyes widened. “By security?”
“I mean…One was scary, so two of them?” Melanie chimed in.
“You saw Baelor,” Wendy pointed out. “Nitochi is his mirror, but in black. Without any social skills and a taste for violence.”
Melanie winced. “Not terrifying at all…”
“They definitely are,” I confirmed.
“But they’re not this bad.” Wendy waved her hand in dismissal. “They’re secretly big softies.”
“I’d say security doesn’t agree with you, Miss Winsbur.
” The door slid fully open to let Maxwell in the room.
He was followed by another woman wearing some sort of black elegant dress.
Her skin was darker than mine and her extremely long, red butterfly locks reached under her ass.
Where Filbur had woven some seashells into my braids, her locks were filled with dozens of golden rings.
She looked regal. In her appearance, but also in the way she held herself.
“Miss Matossi, Miss Traynor,” he said to me and Melanie, nodding in salutation.
“Your…men told me you were reuniting for ‘beverages, food, and gossip’. I assumed I would find you here.” He placed a hand on Wendy’s shoulder.
“Still going for the lemon cakes I see?” She blushed, looking at her nearly immaculate plate—she didn’t lick it, but I’d seen the restraint in her eyes.
Then to me he said, “I told the kitchen crew to keep you the last piece of brownie. Did they listen?”
This was…actually really sweet. “They did, thank you.”
“Good.” He smiled. “Let me introduce you to Miss Luna Atkins,” he said, stepping aside and turning to the gorgeous new woman. “The Leo bride.”
“Nice to meet you,” she said simply. A bit cold.
Her eyes met each one of us and held. There was something about her; like she quietly judged every single micro-expression and stored it. The room had fallen silent, pausing in time. Waiting for something.
“Please, do not let me disturb your meal.” She waved at our empty plates and mostly empty drinks. Somehow, her words made the room resume its activities.
“You’re not disturbing anything.” Melanie was the first one to speak. The first one to find her voice back. “Please, come join us.”
Luna looked around warily but ultimately obliged, pulling a seat with a bit of disgust before sitting. “Fine.” A pause, another look around the room. “Do I…call for a waiter to bring me something?”
The three of us exchanged confused glances. Was she for real? “Oh, no…You need to go and pick what you want from the buffet over there,” I said, pointing at the small refrigerated box at the back of the room.
Luna reeled back, positively appalled.
“I’ll get it for you,” Maxwell added in a hurry. “What would you like?”
She stared at our empty plates with not much excitement. “Something sweet, but nothing with vanilla.”
And Maxwell was off. No please. Not even a thank you when he came back and placed a slice of apple pie in front of her.
This was odd.
“So…” Melanie started. “Are you excited to meet your husband?”
Luna looked up from her plate and blinked. “Should I be?”
What?
“I mean, yes, kind of?” Wendy added. “This is the beginning of your new life.”
She looked…bored. “Is it? Oh. Well, I guess we can see it that way. I wouldn’t say…excited, but I’m ready to make things work. It can hardly be worse than my old life.”
Was she another victim of abuse? Was she fleeing from something—someone, too?
“Did we all have a stupid life before?” Melanie chuckled. “I mean, is it some sort of criteria to recruit us?”
I looked away. I wasn’t yet ready to discuss this with a group of girls that were still basically strangers. Wendy didn’t seem eager to add anything either.
“My life wasn’t stupid,” Luna corrected, her tone something between anger and annoyance. “I was betrayed. By my partner and my own family. My own blood.”
Maxwell cleared his throat and turned around, heading back to where the food was displayed. We all waited in silence, unsure what to say.
“I was a queen,” she continued. “As it was decided by my parents when I was born. I was placed on the throne when I came of age and they retired, but the minute they died, my brother decided that he didn’t agree with the decision.
There was a coup and I was forced to flee my kingdom. My whole colony.”
Melanie cursed. Wendy was really interested in her fingers, playing on her lap. I was still out of words.
“I got hurt during my escape and required medical assistance when I reached the nearest neighboring colony. That’s where they tested me and sent my results to this…program.”
Maxwell sat at another table, pretending not to hear us.
“So no, I am not really excited. I am merely grateful for the opportunity to live without fearing an assassin coming after me.”
Okay, I guessed her situation couldn’t get worse. And I had seen the Lionus…He was far from being difficult to look at.
She picked a tiny piece of her pie and brought it to her lips. She winced, but still chewed slowly until her throat worked to swallow. It seemed to have been enough as she pushed the plate away.
“Apologies for the rant,” she said, standing up. “It was nice meeting you ladies, and I am looking forward to joining you next month in your next…gossip meeting.”
“We wish you a happy marriage and a happy life,” I said softly and she looked my way.
Her face softened. “Thank you. You are kind. I wish you the same.”
Her being a queen made a lot of sense. It explained her posture. Her attitude. It must not have been long since her throne was stolen from her…
Maxwell hurried to follow her as she left, giving us an apologetic look as he did.
Well…I bet her and the Lionus were going to have a challenging life.