Chapter 34 #2
“I would expect nothing less. And the laws that the Coalition require all its members and protectorates to adhere to?”
“Laws against murder, slavery, and fraud are all already in place here. As is rape and abuse – so I’m not sure why you specified those two so strongly.”
Survii wasn’t sure why they didn’t understand when, clearly, their planet had a problem with protecting their females. But they were agreeing, so he wasn’t arguing.
“I believe, then, that’s everything settled. We can draw up the documents and have the formal agreements prepared. How long will that take for you on paper? I’m afraid I’m not used to the medium.”
Secretary General Lie’s expression was still shuttered, putting Survii on alert. There was something else or he wouldn’t look like that.
“Was there something we missed, secretary general?” He asked cautiously. Though he knew there wasn’t. They had covered every topic and detail to exhaustion. Which meant that this had to be something new.
“We, of course, are eager to make these agreements final,” Lie said slowly in a tone that only set Survii further on edge. “Your people have proven yourself true to your word thus far and Earth is looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”
Well, krik. That was a very long-winded way of opening up for another demand. The fact that it was only coming up now made Survii wonder what he could possibly be about to ask.
“We are as well,” Survii said easily, keeping his voice neutral and calm. “And I know our females will be happy that they get to come home whenever they desire.”
“Of course. Coming home is important. Seeing family is important. There is nothing quite so valuable as family to us as humans.”
“That is a trait we share, secretary general. There is nothing more important to the domini than the bond between mates, and the clan that results from it.”
“That is very good to hear,” Lie smiled like he had just won some kind of victory, which immediately put Survii on alert because he did not know what that admission could gain the male, and he didn’t like not knowing something.
“Why are we discussing families, if I may ask? Not that I don’t enjoy talking about my Alanna at any given chance, but it does seem an odd time to bring it up.”
His attempt to make Alanna smile as she translated only made Lie grin. Not what he intended, and he was getting more uneasy.
“Family is important to us,” he said. “And the bonds of family are made and expanded through the bonds of marriage.”
“Marriage.” Survii frowned thoughtfully. “This is the human concept of mate bonding, is it not?”
“Correct. You could say that the bonds of marriage are as sacred to us as mate bonds are to your people. It represents the coming together of two families. Not just of bridging a divide, but of making something whole that was once separate.”
That was not at all what a mate bond represented. Except maybe in the strictly technical sense, but to render the concept of the love and absolute devotion that existed between mates down to merely the bureaucratic idea of combining two things was offensive somehow.
But he kept that thought to himself as he waited for Lie to continue. The very nature of their translated conversation meant there was a lot of pausing while they spoke as Alanna finished, and while she conveyed his words, Lie just sat there. Smiling. Waiting.
Survii did not like it.
When he did not reply, waiting for the point of this build up, Lie continued.
“We, the leaders of Earth, have decided that we want some kind of reassurance of the truth of your words. We need to know that you mean what you say. That we are being welcomed into the universal family. That it is a bond that won’t break.”
Survii’s gut curdled, his claws reflexively emerging to dig into the leather of his chair. Because he had an idea of where this was going, and he hated it.
But his calm smile remained in place.
“Our laws are absolute, and the agreement we sign shall be binding. I don’t know what further reassurance we can give you other than the adherence to our word over the passing of time. It requires trust, of course, but it must come from both sides.”
“We are not asking something from you that you are not, likely, already willing to give.”
Oh, he highly doubted that.
“You say that you have taken Alanna as your mate. That the others have done the same. But this mate bond is not something that humans have. It’s an alien concept to us. Therefore, difficult for us to understand and accept on a certain level.”
“Well,” Survii smiled, “with the option of matehood being opened to humanity, I’m sure it’s one you’ll come to understand soon enough.”
“Indeed. And this shall speed up that process.”
“Secretary General Lie, please, just tell me.”
“Very well. It is the wish of the Earth governments that you, to prove your word and the strength of your conviction, show us that you are truly willing to treat us equals. That you consider your mate bond as serious as we take our marriage. Become, in the easiest way possible, a part of humanity – in a way. Let the common people have that trust in you. Let them see the truth of your conviction and the depth of your love for your woman.”
He wasn’t coming out and saying it, but he was saying enough. Survii’s claws were shredding into the padding of the leather chair as the other domini males began glaring. No doubt finally picking up on what the secretary general was alluding to.
And hating it just as much as he did.
“What exactly are you asking of me?” He asked, unable to keep a slight growl from his voice.
“Nothing you wouldn’t do anyway. Take Alanna as your wife. Join yourselves in matrimony and become, through your marriage, a citizen of Earth as Alanna has become of your planet Turv.”
“And this proves what, Secretary General Lie?” Survii asked, doing his best to keep a leash on his temper and not quite succeeding.
“It proves that you are not lying about your devotion to Alanna and, through her, to Earth. After all, you can hardly betray her family when they are yours as well. It makes you a citizen of Earth, giving you ties and rights here that you cannot turn your back on. And it will show the people that you are not so different from us.”
Nothing he said was incorrect, but it was all still completely wrong.
Because as diplomatic and political as all that sounded, what he was really doing was offering Alanna as a prize. As an object to be sold. He was turning their mating into a tool to be used as though she were unimportant.
As though this marriage concept was nothing but a sale between people.
The very idea made him snarl. He couldn’t keep the displeasure from his face. Lie finally seemed to realize how angry Survii had become because he stilled just a second before his expression became placating.
“Yours would be the wedding of the century. Of the millennia! The entire planet would celebrate with you.”
“You are selling my mate to me!” Survii snapped, slamming his claws into the table, cutting into the finely polished wood with a crack.
“Perish the very idea,” Lie turned up his nose as though offended.
“We’re offering you the chance to prove yourselves to our people.
Marriage is important to us. You can ask the women with you if you don’t believe me.
And you claimed to love her already. If becoming her family, her clan, was already your intention, why should the idea of marriage now bother you? ”
A consummate politician. He was twisting the abhorrent idea around so that it seemed like Survii was somehow in the wrong for not wanting to do it.
And while he would not mind going through with this human ceremony for his mate, doing it for the sake of others benefit, like she was something to be traded, made him violent.
He couldn’t maintain his calm as Lie continued to describe how so many countries had offered to host the wedding.
How many designers were fighting for the right to make Alanna’s dress.
They had offers because this was something they had been discussing behind closed doors. They had already been making plans to offer her up to him like this.
A quick glance at the human females made him growl, because none of them seemed surprised. Or even offended.
He looked at Alanna and she was gazing at him curiously. Her head cocked. Studying him and his reaction like she didn’t understand it.
They were selling her to him, and she didn’t appear at all upset.
“Secretary general,” Survii cut him off in the middle of the explanation of how much Alanna was sure to love having an unlimited budget for her wedding and how he would, essentially, be agreeing to this for her.
Such a clever lie. Such a devious reframing.
“You pay me great insult through this,” he said, refusing to be diplomatic about something so distasteful. “Alanna is not yours to give away. She is not a possession to be traded! I’m tempted to leave your disgusting backwards planet for even daring to suggest such a thing!”
He was snapping at the human male, but Alanna wasn’t translating. She remained quiet in her seat for a long moment before saying something to the male. He couldn’t understand her human words, but he did know that her tone wasn’t at all appropriate to convey his anger and insult.
The human male nodded his head and said something that Alanna didn’t bother to translate before severing their connection.
Survii continued to growl as Alanna shared a look with the other females.
He waited for her to explain herself, absolutely hating what the human leaders were doing.