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  The gray-and-red, military-designed Feteine stepped forward, pushing Europa back, and bowed. "Captain Kal-Turak, I am called Zian Helia. We apologize for our lack of social manners. Please believe me when I say we mean no harm to Prince Zeus. It has been a very long time since we have had contact with anyone other than the Qrxzl. Among ourselves, we do not need to use our social protocols and typically turn those programs off. Please accept our humblest apologies. I will personally communicate to the rest of the Feteine the necessity of social protocol activation before contact with other species."

  "Why does she stare at Zeus? I cannot believe you would not notice that her behavior caused alarm among us. Why then did you ignore the disruption you—she caused?" Dargon moved to the table. Everyone seemed to take that as the cue to have a seat.

  "My apologies." Europa interrupted. "I can read electromagnetic signatures, and his matches his adoptive family. I was attempting to discover why I could feel Zeus, but not as a human. His physiology is not Mar'Sani, but he reads as a Mar'Sani."

  Zeus pulled out a chair next to Dargon. "That is because I am Mar'Sani."

  Zian leaned forward. "Is that what it means to be a Fal'Amoric? We have databases with histories of all of the races, but that of the Fal'Amoric is very brief."

  "I could not say. I know very little of them myself. The Mar'Sani have been, and will always be, my people. I do not consider myself Fal'Amoric in the slightest."

  "Do you mean to say that all of this time, you have been staring at Zeus because you were attempting to discover the reason for the energy signature? Why did you not ask?" Dargon reclined back in his chair. Alpha's exhaustion seemed to seep into him. He would have stern words for Alpha later about his adventure and soliciting Amlyn's assistance.

  "I thought I would be able to discover the reason for myself. I apologize for not being aware of the discomfort. I did not take into consideration the fact my action would be viewed as aggressive."

  Dargon decided to break the uncomfortable silence. "Why are there only three of you here? Zeus indicated six came aboard. I apologize if the question has already been asked, but my ship is carrying cargo of great value. I must responsibly ascertain if the Feteine are allied with us under the command of the crown princes of Valespia or if I will need to devise a new plan of action."

  "We are to assess the situation and report back to our base," replied Zian. "It would not do for our fleet to arrive in Valespian space when nothing has occurred. If indeed the planet is under siege, we will report our findings to our leaders."

  Dargon found himself stroking a snoozing Alpha, which was a habit of his when he felt unsettled. This was the first time Alpha and he were carrying kits. Was it natural for Alpha to be this worn out? He pulled his attention back to the conversation. This was not a time to be distracted.

  Zeus’s brow furrowed as he frowned. "I do not see what good it would do for you to report back if we come out of hyperspace and are attacked … Oh!" Zeus paused, his gaze jumping between each Feteine. Dargon could see Zeus’s rising excitement. "You can really do that?" The speed at which Zeus spoke revealed his excitement, his words becoming nearly unintelligible. "I have read about that, but no one I spoke with had met a Feteine, or if they had, it was not a subject broached …"

  Dargon had no idea what Zeus was going on about. The Feteine were no help for they merely watched Zeus, his hands becoming even more animated as he spoke. Zeus’s brothers remained silent. Am I the only one who does not know what he is speaking of?

  "Zeus, slow down and explain." Prince Azaes chuckled.

  He laughed and took Dargon's hand. "Sorry, it is a science study I have looked into on my off-time while I was cooped up on the space station. All of the ships throughout the galaxies use propulsion systems, using a series of straight-lines. Quantum leap is a jump from point A to point B, with no line in-between. The only race rumored to use a quantum leap is the Feteine. I have so many questions. How much time passes between leaps? Does distance play a factor? How far can you jump? What are the temperature fluctuations for your drives? How long are the cool-down periods?"

  Dargon was surprised Zeus had not turned blue from lack of oxygen. Did he even breathe between questions?

  "Wait, is your ship following us? How are you going to bring help if you cannot retrieve them? There is no guarantee you will be able to communicate with your fleet once we enter Valespian space. Whoever had the planet under siege has blocked communications. Only some of the private signals seem to be able to get through the communication barrier. Even then we suspect we are being spied upon."

  "In fact," Prince Azaes interjected, "our father has not made our last two meetings. It would seem our frequency has been discovered and jammed." The sudden spasm of Zeus’s hand indicated his lover had been unaware of this fact.

  "I will start working on getting the system back up." Zeus promised. He turned his attention back to Europa. "How are you going to contact your fleet without communications?"

  "If we confirm Valespia is under siege—please do not be offended. You would be compelled to also verify another's intelligence." Next to Dargon, Prince Azaes nodded his agreement with Zian's statement. "If you are correct and communications have been blocked, then one of us will jump to our fleet and report in."

  Dargon thought Zeus would vibrate out of his chair with excitement. "You can leap individually for long distances?" He squinted as if he attempted to see through Zian's metal casing.

  Europa smiled. "Yes, any one of us can leap where we want to go. Each of us has the drive, navigation system, and the energy necessary to jump. Until then, the fleet will assemble close to Valespian space without drawing attention. There is no way to hide such a large number of vessels successfully, so we will be split to four locations. Have no worries. We will fulfill our obligations.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Zeus patiently waited as Dargon slept deeply next to him. Since he could not nest as his instincts demanded, he, Dargon, and Alpha had devised a system that worked for them. The duties Dargon could perform with the aid of his vidscreen, he took care of from their quarters. If he needed to leave–something the whole crew worked to minimize–he would return before Zeus and take a sonic shower to rid his body of all scents. Although not ideal, it did help Zeus keep his aggression under control.

  As the days passed, Zeus noticed the burden of the pregnancy seemed to sap Dargon's and Alpha's endurance. As time progressed, Alpha's coloring changed from dark green to almost white, the pink veins barely darker than the rest of his pale skin. Alpha slept much of the time, and when he was awake, the exhaustion was apparent in his slurred speech.

  Slowly, Alpha began to tell them stories of when he was young. In the beginning, he and Zeta lived and gave birth in space. They had not split themselves down, but were massive in size and able to glean nutrients from space. Carrying offspring and giving birth in the weightless environment had been much easier on them. Now Alpha and Zeta gave a small part of themselves to the Dar Massaga as symbiotes. Their size, gravity, and the nutrient-deficient atmosphere made the birthing process harder for Alpha, requiring him to seek Dargon's help to bear the burden.

  Zeus often found himself running his fingers through Dargon's loose copper mohawk as his Mahte'lan both slept, kicking himself for the hundredth time for not being more observant.

  The days flew by. A dozen issues claimed his attention, needing to be accomplished in the twenty-five days before they reached their destination. He worked hard to locate a frequency they could use to contact Haven. He updated the Oethra 7's defense shields to withstand entry burn if they had to use the vessel to enter Valespia's atmosphere. He worked long hours, and even though he worried about leaving his bondmates alone for such long periods during the day, Dargon and Alpha both insisted all was well. Zeus did not question their reassurance until he stopped by the cabin in the middle of the day and caught Dargon napping when he was supposed to be working.

  After a couple of inquiries, he dis
covered Dargon spent more and more time resting. And apparently, the extended naps had been a daily occurrence for quite some time. Dargon hid it well: he rose with Zeus in the morn and prepared for work only to turn around and go back to bed after Zeus departed for the day. He was too caught up with what needed to be accomplished. Zeus hated himself—just a little bit—for his inattention to his partners.

  After discovering Dargon and Alpha's ruse, Zeus had cut back on his work, delegating what he could to other crew members so he could stay with them for as long as possible every day. When he could not sit with the pair, he arranged for Mayra or Amlyn to visit with them.

  "You are still here." Dargon's eyes fluttered open. Zeus felt Alpha sleeping in the background. Nowadays, he rarely woke for more than two or three hours a day. "You have too much work to do to be watching over us."

  He stroked Dargon's hair, fingertips pressing out the worry lines on Dargon's forehead. "This, here, is my most important job. I am not going anywhere for a while."

  Dargon licked his dry lips and Zeus grabbed the drink the medic had delivered. Pressing the canna reed between Dargon's lips, he held the container while Dargon sipped his fill. He repressed a grin as Dargon pulled a face. He was cute when he complained—sometimes. "This tastes like swamp water."

  "Since you neglected to discuss with me or Mayra what you needed to prepare for the birth, she researched information on Dar Massaga pregnancies and ensured the drink held all the nutrients your body demands." Zeus made sure his disappointment in his mates was clear in his voice. "I, at least, should have been told what you would require, but neither of you deigned to confide in me. So, if the flavor is barely this side of foul, you can only blame yourself." It hurt that they did not trust him enough to share their needs with him, to have the confidence he would be able to look after them.

  Dargon reached up, cupping his cheek. Needing the reassurance, Zeus leaned into the touch. "Are you still upset I did not tell you we needed more rest?"

  Zeus pulled Dargon's hand from his face, clasping it between both of his. "Yes. Yes, I am. You neglected to tell me what would happen during the pregnancy. I am angry at myself for not asking—hounding—you for answers, for not realizing you were putting up a front. I am hurt you did not share your needs with me." Zeus clenched his teeth to keep from saying more. The medic had explained that Dargon's environment needed to be as stress-free as possible; harping on the subject would not help anyone.

  Dargon rolled over and threw an arm over Zeus’s hips possessively. "I apologize. We thought it best for you to concentrate on what needed to be done. Everything you have accomplished has been essential. You and I, we are responsible for more than ourselves, and right or wrong, Alpha and I ensured you were able to do your job without distraction."

  "I would not have abandoned my duties," Zeus groused, mollified slightly.

  "But would you have been able to focus? There is no room for mistakes, Zeus. Too much depends on you getting the job done right. Worrying about us would have disrupted your focus, possibly preventing our safe arrival."

  Zeus refused to argue with Dargon. "Regardless of your reasoning, the two of you are not to deceive me again. You need to have confidence in my abilities. We are still coming to know each other, so please do not make assumptions ..." He trailed off, realizing he probably caused them distress when he meant to soothe them. Maybe he was more affected by their lack of trust than he originally thought. He wanted to believe they had faith in him, but he could not see any other reason for their silence.

  "Zeus." His name was said so softly he almost did not hear it.

  Glancing down, Dargon's large, green eyes gazed back. Their liquid sheen caused him to slide from the sitting position against the wall to lie on the bed facing Dargon.

  "We were wrong. Our intention was to help, not hurt you."

  His anger slipped away at the regret he saw in Dargon's face. He sighed deeply. "I know. I understand you were trying to help. I am more frustrated with myself for not realizing you were hiding something from me sooner," he breathed, leaning in to softly brush his lips against Dargon's.

  When he pulled away, Dargon licked his lips and grinned, some of the lines of weariness smoothing out. "I will never become tired of your kisses."

  "Good, because I plan to give you many, many more." He lightly caressed Alpha, who slept undisturbed by their conversation. "How is he?"

  "Tired. Carrying one kit is exhausting—apparently. Having twins is rare among the females of my species. Everything we have been able to read on the hypernet indicates that the eggs do not divide for identical twins. Fraternal twins are rare, but not unheard of. The symbiote carrying the kits exhibits the same symptoms Alpha has experienced. As far as we can see, everything is normal. But the one thing we need to remember is that the egg was not provided by Dar Massaga. There is very little information regarding Fal'Amoric pregnancies to be found. Since our kits are of mixed race, Alpha is not positive this pregnancy will be the same as it would if the kits were fully Dar Massaga."

  As insane as it seemed, even with the questions Dargon raised, knowing Alpha's pregnancy was progressing as an Alpha-Zetamite’s typically did when bearing twins eased some of his worries.

  "Tell me what happened while we rested."

  That would not be a good idea. He barely suppressed his vehement protest. "You are supposed to stay stress-free."

  "If you do not tell me, I will lie here worrying. How is that for stress?"

  Zeus scowled at Dargon. "You play dirty."

  Dargon's lips twisted in a mischievous grin. "You love me that way."

  He was startled, not by Dargon's words, but by the fact that they were true. "Yes. Yes, I do. I do love both you and Alpha. I would do anything and everything in my power to protect you. Spend every waking moment to ensure your happiness."

  Dargon's grin broadened into one of pure joy. The deep thrumming Zeus so loved started, Dargon pulling him nearer to kiss him hungrily. Zeus’s body molded to Dargon's, his arms sliding around his lover to hold him close. When they finally broke for air, they both laughed with giddy elation.

  "We will love you until the end of our lives and beyond." Dargon swallowed visibly.

  He could not help but to taste Dargon's firm lips again. The slow, lazy exploration seemed just as strongly affirming as any before and maybe more so. Zeus could have sworn he was somehow being bound, molded and shaped, to emerge from the kiss someone different in a way none could perceive, save for Dargon and Alpha.

  When they parted, Dargon appeared more relaxed than he had been for the last week or so. Zeus watched Dargon's heavy eyelids close and continued to hold Dargon close as he fell into a light doze. His fingertips lovingly traced Alpha's pink veins, determined to stay awake and watch over them.

  If need be, he would die to protect the two people he had come to love above all else.

  *~*~*

  Dargon woke, his head in Zeus’s lap, with Zeus’s nimble fingers threading through his mane. Rolling onto his back, he glanced up to see Zeus reading something on the vidscreen.

  "You trickster," he teased.

  Zeus put the vidscreen down. "What do you mean?" The sparkle in Zeus’s eyes told a different story.

  "You are going to update me on our mission."

  "I am?" Zeus’s lips twitched as he attempted to hide a grin.

  "Yes, you are," he growled in good humor. "Do you want your Mahte'Lan stressed because he worried he kept you from your duties?"

  Zeus stifled a laugh. "All right! I give. Let me see ..." Zeus continued to run his fingers through Dargon's hair. He loved how Zeus stroked him, as if he were precious. "The Feteine have not been able to get through to Valespia. Their theory is that a satellite network in, on, or around the planet is jamming or diverting the signals. The first thing we have to do when we come out of hyperspace is identify and destroy the devices being used. If there is something waiting for us, as we suspect, then Azaes and Mestor will use The Gorgon to distract the
enemy while we and the Oethra 7 slip onto the planet. If Haven is aware they are under siege, they will have the shields up around Valespia."

  "I have the security codes that will allow us access through Valespia's shields," said Dargon.

  "Your pilot, Gaex, told me you would. He also pinpointed a place we could land outside Haven, in an older, unused platform, if we could not land at Haven. The Oethra 7 is light enough for us to use the vertical thrusters to set down. From there, it should be easy to get the Fal'Amorics inside the city limits."

  Dargon grasped Zeus’s hand, tangling their fingers. The soft caresses through his hair made him drowsy. "What are the Feteine going to do?"

  "They will be split into three teams. Two will stay on The Gorgon with my brothers. Once they pinpoint what is jamming the transmissions, two more will jump to the location and dismantle the device. The third team will report back to their fleet and bring reinforcements." A wrinkle formed in Zeus’s brow.

  "Tell me," Dargon prodded. Something unsaid worried his lover. Dargon refused to be excluded.

  "We have not been able to contact father. Meme on the other hand—she refuses to wait. She is pushing to arrive in Valespian space at the same time we do."

  "How close are we to arriving?"

  Zeus glanced at his vidscreen. "About two hours."

  "I had better get up and start getting ready then." Dargon moved to rise, but Zeus’s hand on his shoulder caused him to halt.

  "I do not think so." Zeus’s stern expression told Dargon he would have a fight on his hands if he insisted.

  "I need to be at the helm when we come out of hyperspace—"

  "And we could be dropping into the middle of a war. You are in no shape to be on the bridge now."

  Dargon's temper flared. "I am tired, not judgment-impaired!"

  Zeus stared pointedly at him. "That is not what I mean and you know it. You and Alpha are too close to giving birth. If you are on the bridge when Alpha goes into labor, your crew’s attention will be split between your welfare and whatever chaos awaits us."