Robert was sputtering, but it was the SecDef who silenced him, his gaze level and all business. “What is the purpose of this call?”
I wanted to punch him in the face for being so damn stubborn, so fucking stupid, but I understood. He was a man trying to do his job, a man who’d spent decades defending his country, and that was a deep, deep well, an engrained way of thinking very difficult to escape. Earth was his problem. Not space. At least not until now.
“Mr. Secretary, I was sent as the first bride to ascertain the extent of the Hive threat to Earth and to discover both the strength and intention of the Interstellar Coalition’s Fleet to either protect or conquer our planet.”
“And what have you discovered?”
“The Hive threat is very real, and would be impossible for us to survive. Without Coalition protection, we would be looking at complete annihilation of the entire human race in a matter of months.”
“And you know this for a fact.”
I nodded once. “Yes, Sir. I do.”
My conviction startled him, and I watched the wheels in his head spin behind the reflective surface of his glasses as he considered the truth of my words, the implications. But I wasn’t finished with him yet.
“What I would like to know, Sir, is how you all could be so damn stubborn as to send me on this mission when what you should be doing is recruiting and training soldiers to help save our planet.”
“We have the strongest military in the world—”
I cut him off before he could spew the usual propaganda. “Yes, in the world, on Earth. You aren’t in Kansas anymore. I know the Coalition presented you with contaminated cadavers, battle recordings, information on the Hive systems and territory. But since you have not responded appropriately to the Coalition’s requests for honesty and cooperation, I have contacted the Planetary Induction team. They will be arriving on Earth in three days’ time to straighten you out.”
The SecDef’s cheeks turned red and I realized he truly didn’t know what I was talking about. His next words confirmed my suspicions. “What cadavers?”
I raised a brow. “Ask Allen.”
Allen, the weasel, slammed his palm down on the table before him. “Damn it. What the fuck are you doing?”
I smiled then, and I hoped it showed my disgust with his petty, small-minded ways. “Saving you from yourself. Your combat team will be transport ready in three hours. And the next batch of soldiers you send us better be honorable warriors, not spies.”
With a wave of my hand I signaled the communications officer to end the transmission.
The screen went blank and I took a deep breath, relief and satisfaction stealing the tension from my limbs. On either side of the screen my mates stood like guardian angels, there to support me, love me, trust me to do what needed to be done, to say what needed to be said to convince Earth’s peoples to join the fight in earnest.
My mates. I’d made my decision, and I’d chosen my men, my future was here. I was a citizen of Prillon Prime, a member of the clan Zakar. Grigg and Rav? Mine. And I wasn’t giving them up.
I spun to face the human soldiers still seated in the room, on their faces a mixture of anger, resignation, confusion. I knew exactly what they were going through. They were trying to come to terms with the fact that they’d been lied to, used. And, like me, they were loyal, honorable servants who’d believed they were truly doing the right thing. The truth we’d shown them in the last few hours was going to take time to digest.
“Gentlemen, when you see Allen, will one of you please punch him in the face and tell him it’s from me?”
A large man near the door grinned at my request. “Consider it done.”
“Thank you. Now, all of you, get out. Go home, and tell everyone the truth.”
* * *
Five hours later…
Conrav
My cock had been hard for so long it hurt, and still Grigg had delayed our claiming ceremony, refusing to perform such a sacred right with traitors and spies among us.
I understood the emotion behind that decision, for standing there listening to
the human men from Earth argue with our Amanda had made me eager to transport to Earth and beat some sense, and a healthy dose of respect for my mate, into their thick skulls. But Amanda had handled them with ease, and the pride I’d felt had been mirrored in Grigg.
She was truly the Lady Zakar now, tales of her compassion for Mara and her defiance of the human leaders making her legend already. Those who had yet to meet her were making up excuses to transport to the battleship, hoping to see her, or speak to her. The increase in transport requests had made Grigg laugh, but as always, Grigg had an answer for everything.
“We’ll announce formal welcoming celebrations aboard each ship. If the crew wants to meet her, we’ll have to take her to them. My battleship won’t hold five thousand curious males.”