"Yes, it was." Grigg's hands settled over mine atop his abdomen and I squeezed. I didn't completely understand what had just happened, but based on my mates' reactions, it was a good thing, and had been a long time coming.
I wanted to ask but the sound of men speaking-in English!-reached my ears and I released my hold on my mates to battle my own demons.
As we'd planned, I walked to the front of the room where I could be seen by all as the spec-ops soldiers who'd just arrived from Earth. They entered and seated themselves at the tables, their eyes dark, their expressions grim. About what I'd expected. They were SEALS and Rangers, spooks and assassins. But I knew by the cautious look on more than one face that Myntar's mangled body had not been what they'd expected to see in their first hour in deep space.
Welcome to the front lines, boys.
Grigg and Rav moved to the front wall, one on each side of the giant monitor where they offered me their silent support. They were leaving this to me, thank God, because Grigg's idea of diplomacy was torturing each and every man for information before sending them all back to Earth in body bags.
It had taken me nearly half an hour to talk him out of it, but he had a point. Earth was part of the Interstellar Coalition now, and we were either "in" or we were "out". There was no middle ground, not when the Hive threat loomed to destroy us all.
When they were seated and the door closed, I turned to face them and seeing so many human faces again felt strange. They looked … alien.
"Gentlemen, I assume you have questions?"
I spent the next hour telling them exactly who I was, who I worked for, the mission I'd been assigned and everything I'd learned since. They'd watched the recording of Myntar's death, seen his body, watched replays of several battles and been shown video and statistics on Hive movements, numbers, and just how long this war had been going on … over a thousand years.
When I was done, I looked each man in the eye and held his gaze. "I know for a fact that at least two of you were sent here for the same reason I was, under direct orders from the Director to gather intel and get your hands on any weaponry, technology or information the agency might find useful." I tapped my foot as I leaned forward, my palms flat on the table directly in front of me. "But now, like me, you know the truth. You've seen the threat with your own eyes. Care to come forward?"
When the room remained silent, as I'd expected, I nodded at Grigg to let him know I was ready. He ordered comms to patch through my call. Behind me the screen lit up with a scene from home, Robert and Allen seated around a small table with a man I recognized as the Secretary of Defense.
Chapter Fifteen
Amanda
I turned to face them. "Gentlemen."
"Miss Bryant, what's the meaning of this? We've been waiting here for over an hour. Why are you contacting us? We were expecting to speak to an officer of the Zakar battle group."
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, barely. So unladylike, but Robert's false concern, his attempt to play the confused and befuddled official, rubbed me raw. For years I'd believed his every word, now I could see him for what he was. A self-serving bureaucrat that would do anything for personal or professional gain.
"I am Lady Zakar, of the Battle Group Zakar, a proud warrior bride of Prillon Prime. And Robert? I no longer work for you." I spread my hand out behind me in an arc, as if showing off the men seated behind me. "These men know the truth, gentlemen, and they'll be coming home on the next transport. They've seen the bodies, seen what the Hive can do, as have I."
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."
Worse, the number of males who had indicated an interest in bearing witness to our claiming had tripled in the last half hour. Their numbers were a sign of respect for our mating, for the rightness of our union , but I'd shared Amanda with the world enough for one day. Right now, I wanted her naked and eager for my cock. I wanted to watch her eyes glaze as Grigg guided our loving with a heavy hand.
Grigg and I escorted her to the center of the round room, all three of us naked and ready, Grigg on her right as I gently held her left arm. When she'd learned that all claiming ceremonies were witnessed, she'd gaped, then accepted the blindfold and Grigg's promise. "Trust me, love, you won't be aware of anything but our hard cocks filling you up."
When we reached the center of the room, Grigg released her and nodded for the ritual chant to begin. The words were from an ancient language on our world, the cadence odd to my ears. "Bless and protect," was chanted in the ancient tongue.