She froze, her dark eyes hidden as she blinked slowly, shock and relief bombarding me through the collar in equal measure. “What?”
“You heard me, mate.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I rolled my shoulders. “I see you desire another spanking.”
“No!” Her denial was sharp and immediate.
“Lies, Amanda. No more lies. What have you sent home to your precious agency?”
Her shoulders shuddered and I wanted to pump my fist with victory as I felt her make the decision to talk to me. “Nothing.”
“Why are you here?”
“Look, this whole Interstellar Coalition thing is new to us. We’ve never seen any evidence of the supposed Hive attack on Earth. Hell, we’ve never seen any evidence of the Hive’s existence at all. You come to Earth and demand women and soldiers for protection.” She lifted her hands, the first two fingers of each making a strange curling motion as she said the word. “It’s all just a bit far-fetched and convenient for the Coalition forces. It’s like a mafia shakedown for protection money.”
I had no idea what half of her words referred to, but I’d caught the meaning behind her words. Earth did not believe us. “The Hive is very real, Amanda. I’ve been fighting them almost all my life.”
She drew her knees up toward her chin and rested her bent arms atop them, her cheek resting on top as she turned her head to study me. “So you say, Grigg. But if the threat were real, why not give Earth weapons to defend itself? At the very least, share some of the healing technology I’ve seen here. The ReGen technology alone could save millions of lives.”
Amanda’s dark eyes were so serious, so contemplative, and I realized I enjoyed this side of her as much as I enjoyed the wild seductress who submitted to my sexual needs so beautifully. This was the leader I needed for my people, the true Lady Zakar I had begun to worry she might never be.
My hand shook as I lifted my fingers to stroke the delicate arch of her cheekbone, trace the fine line of her face. She did not pull away or deny me, simply watched me with the quiet intelligence I had begun to both expect and admire.
“Our Regeneration technology could save millions of lives, love, but it could be used to murder millions more. That is why we do not think it wise to share with the leaders of your world. They squabble over land and religion, fighting wars and killing tens of thousands while they already possess the technology to feed the hungry, heal their sick, care for all the citizens of Earth. They do not respect each other equally, do not educate their people, do not honor or protect their women. We would be fools to give such a powerful weapon to such primitive minds.”
I watched her as she considered my words, weighed them for truth and accepted what I said. I did not lie, and our collars would transmit my sincerity to her as clearly as it sent her doubts back to me.
“What about the Hive?”
My thumb found her bottom lip and stayed, teasing the plump softness until she opened, letting me in just enough to nip at me with her teeth. “I do not want you anywhere near those ev
il bastards. But if you require proof, I will take you to the command deck with me in the morning. Our warriors are scheduled to destroy one of their Integration Units. I will show you what you want to see, Amanda, but you will not find what you seek.”
“And what is that?”
“Confirmation of Earth’s hope that the threat was fabricated. The Hive are dangerous and terrifying. Our warriors prefer death to capture. They consume all life they encounter with a ruthlessness that can only be created by the mind of a machine. You are suspicious now, love. But tomorrow you will be terrified.”
She lifted her chin, my finger falling away. “At least I’ll know the truth.”
I shook my head and pulled her back into my arms, where she belonged. “No. You already know the truth. You already know what I tell you is accurate. The world you came from, those people you worked for—who think you still work for them—are no longer yours. You are Prillon now. You are a warrior bride of Prillon Prime, the Lady Zakar. I am telling you the truth. We are the truth. You are living the truth here, now, with us. You just don’t want to accept it.”
She didn’t respond, for what could she say? She couldn’t debate further, for her data was one sided. Tomorrow, when I took her to the command deck, when she had all the information she needed to make a qualified judgment, then we could discuss further.
Amanda drifted to sleep in my arms and I stared at the ceiling until Rav returned from working his shift. He took one look at us, the forgotten toys still laying on the floor, and chuckled. “You wear her out?”
“She told me the truth,” I replied, my voice dipped low as not to wake her.
That got Rav’s attention. “She admitted to being a spy?”
“Yes. I’m taking her to the command deck in the morning so she can watch the battle wings hit their closest Integration Unit.”
Rav grimaced and shucked his clothes. “That’ll turn her stomach. We lost an entire wing last week.”
I felt Rav’s anger through the collar and Amanda stirred. Perhaps she sensed it, too, even in sleep.
“I know. But she demands the truth, our human mate. And I promised to give it to her. The sooner she can see that, the sooner she will be ours. Completely.”