The Alliance - 12. Awakening

The world was bright beyond Lian’s eyes. The Daknar opened his eyes, staring up into the light that hung from the ceiling above him. He was… alive. Who saved him? That poison should have killed him. Unless…

“Can you sit up?”

That was the voice of his master. He sounded concerned. But hadn’t he poisoned Lian? Why would he be concerned?

The Daknar sat up, his eyes lowered. A soft hand touched his shoulder, another hand raising his chin yet again.

“You don’t need to look down all the time,” his master smiled at him.

He was… happy? Lian was forced to stare into Itumak’s eyes, taking in that beautiful brown as his master held his gaze.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was poisonous?” the two-soul asked gently, his hand stroking the side of Lian’s face. “I would have found you something else to eat.”

“I’m sorry Master.”

It came out as a croak, the Daknar’s throat dry. Itumak looked confused for a moment but seemed to let it go a moment later.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”

Lian understood so much more now. His neck wasn’t hurting anymore, and belatedly the Daknar realized he couldn’t feel his collar.

“I’m free…?”

His hand traced over his throat, his eyes scanning the room cautiously. This was too much. He had always been a slave. What was he supposed to do now? Would they make him leave? Where would he go?

Lian’s breathing increased rapidly, the Daknar panting as he struggled with the questions in his mind.

“Calm down Lian. You’re okay,” Itumak said.

No, he wasn’t okay. He was lost in the universe, without any idea of where to go.

“The collar,” a voice said quietly and Itumak moved away from the Daknar. He returned a moment later with the collar in his hands, frowning uncertainly. Reaching forward, the changer wrapped the collar around Lian’s neck once more, clicking it into place.

“I’ll take it off whenever you ask me to,” he whispered.

Lian gulped, his hand seeking out the material around his neck. He was still a slave. And for a moment, the Daknar wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

Good. He should feel good about it. His master still wanted him. He hadn’t been poisoned on purpose. Lian had done well for his owner so far.

He closed his eyes at the memory of his day on the run, not even making it to the morning before he was taken by another owner. He couldn’t live on his own. He should be grateful beings were willing to care for him, in exchange for a little work.

Itumak handed Lian his loincloth, their hands brushing against each other. The contact sent shivers through the Daknar, though he tried to stop them.

“How did you heal so quickly?”

The Faro stepped up beside Itumak, staring at Lian.

“Merlo is deadly to you. It should have taken you two days to heal, not two hours.”

Lian reached for his stone, feeling the warm solid surface in his chest. He had heard legends of those who developed abilities upon the filling of their gem. But they were just legends, myths. He didn’t know why he healed so quickly. It had never happened before.

A hand rested over Lian’s, and he looked up startled. Itumak gazed into his eyes, a small smile on his face.

“I am happy you are alive,” the alien said gently.

He set his arms under Lian, lifting the Daknar out of the pod.

“Itumak, I want to recheck your DNA,” the Faro said as the changer set Lian onto his feet. “I think you might have some healing abilities you might have given to Lian somehow.”

Lian wrapped the loincloth around himself. The ship seemed warmer than he remembered. But his master, his soul, seemed comfortable with the ship. Lian took it as a good sign. At least he wasn’t feeling sluggish in this heat.

“Mateio, do you have any information on Daknar- Daknars?” Itumak questioned.

“Daknar,” the Faro smiled tightly at Lian’s master. “Reinard should have some information. I want to add you and Aaron to the ship’s roster anyway.”

“You’re in for a treat,” the fox had said after they added his voice imprint to the ship. “Reinard knows the classified version of the galaxy.”

Now Itumak stood in his cabin, Lian behind him. He wasn’t sure exactly what he needed to know about the Daknar, but he supposed he should learn more about everything. His right shoulder hurt from the latest sample of DNA Mateio had taken from him, but he had suffered worse injuries before.

Silently, Lian picked up one of the shirts on the desk, carrying it toward a small dresser.

“What are you doing?”

The Daknar froze, lowering his head with a flinch. Itumak sighed. He would have to teach Lian that he wouldn’t hurt him.

“Eyli Master,” the reptile said quietly, his body tensed as though expecting a blow.

Itumak stepped up behind the Daknar, resting his hands on Lian’s shoulders. The Daknar jumped at the contact, a quiet hiss of fear escaping him.

“Claim him…”

Itumak growled quietly at his wolf. He would do no such thing. What had happened earlier was bad enough. But he couldn’t deny the electric joy of the thought. He could take Lian, make him his in a way no one else could.

Shaking his head, Itumak squeezed the Daknar’s shoulders, trying to massage the tension out of them. The motions just seemed to make things worse, and he quickly stopped, not wanting to worry Lian.

“I can put those away myself. I just haven’t had the chance yet.”

The Daknar bowed slightly, stepping back against a wall. Itumak sighed, studying his mate.

“Look, Lian, I don’t need a slave. I don’t want a slave.”

Lian dropped to his knees, staring at Itumak’s stomach.

“Orei Master. I can do anything you need me to do. Don’t release me. I have nowhere to go,” he pleaded.

He didn’t want to be free? It didn’t make sense. Why would Lian want to be a slave? At least Itumak’s translator was working. He could understand the Daknar now.

“Do you know what I am Lian?” the werewolf asked.

The slave nodded.

“You are two soul. A changer.”

“I am a werewolf. Do you know what would happen if I were to be with you? I would make you a werewolf like me. I don’t want to do that to you, but you are my mate. My wolf wants you and I can’t let him have you. I don’t want to hurt you, but I am not good for you.”

“I would take your… wolf… gladly, Master.”

Itumak growled in frustration. He removed his clothes, calling his wolf to the front of his mind. It wasn’t hard to do; his other self was constantly present when Lian was near. With a loud crunching of bones, he took on that cursed form that was somehow between a wolf and a neko.

“You would become this abomination willingly?” he growled, stalking toward the Daknar.

The reptile stared up at him, fear and lust present in his gaze in equal measure. Itumak was afraid of that look. He had done so much damage already and if Lian kept giving him that look, the werewolf was done for.

A knock sounded at the door and Itumak took a step away from the Daknar.

“Enter,” he called, his body melting back into his neko form.

The door opened and Mateio froze in the doorway.

“I… I’m not interrupting anything am I?” the Faro asked.

“No,” Itumak replied quickly, pulling on a pair of pants. “I’m sorry. I am rather comfortable with nudity.”

“I noticed,” Mateio smiled tightly. “I need to talk to you.”

Itumak nodded.

“Lian, stay here,” he said.

The werewolf needed to be kept separate from Lian. He could not turn the Daknar.

“The Daknar are a bonded race, each member containing a bond stone, what they refer to as their soul. It colours in the presence of the being most beneficial for them to mate with. For most species, this would be strictly physical, yet for the Daknar, their stones respond emotionally as well. Thus, it is not unheard of for a Daknar to have a mate of the same sex or even multiple mates. Many Daknar attribute the presence of the stones to a Maker.”

Aaron sighed as he listened to the ship explain the alien race to him. There was little chance of Itumak and the Daknar parting ways. They were connected firmly to each other.

But what about Mateio and himself? The last thing Aaron wanted to do was hurt the fox, and he wasn’t sure being with Mateio was a wise choice.

“Reinard, describe Faro culture.”

He sat on his bed as the ship began relaying the information he requested.

“The Faro are a peaceful race from the third planet orbiting the star Oyhaf B. Small in stature, their kind is known for their conviction. Faro take a single mate for life, viewing the bond between mates as sacred. Often a Faro will not pursue a mate unless he is sure they would be good for each other.”

Aaron stared out the cabin’s window, taking in the stars in the distance. Mateio must feel strongly about him. And the fox was obviously willing to help Aaron and Astara, enough that he had put his safety at risk to save the werewolf when the Daknar attacked.

And there was the minor detail of Aaron’s wolf claiming the fox.

Maybe the werewolf just needed to accept his fate. He and Mateio were meant to be together. If he was going to keep fighting this, he needed to stop kissing the Faro at the very least.

Standing with a sigh, Aaron left his cabin. He needed to talk with Mateio. Again.

Mateio pointed to a line on the console, Itumak squinting at the markings.

“It’s different,” the Faro said. “Not by much, but that isn’t the DNA you had when you went into the medical pod.”

“Are you saying my DNA changed? That’s why my wolf is messed up?” Itumak frowned.

“It’s more than that. Reinard pointed out another anomaly. I did a bit of comparing between you and Aaron. It appears the wolf disease acts like a virus, in that it strives to breed, to replicate itself. However, the markers that give the disease its ability to transfer between hosts… that seems to have vanished in your body.”

“So… I cannot make another wolf?” Itumak whispered.

“It seems that way. There are traces of Daknar DNA in your body. I assume you have been with him?”

“Neither of us penetrated the other. There should be nothing of him in me.”

“Yet there is. It appears there is more to your mate than we originally thought. I’ll do some research on Daknar and see if I can find some more information. If you can get him to talk, that would be even better.”

Mateio shut off the console, studying the werewolf in front of him.

“Itumak, there is a chance you might be sterile. Whatever happened to you, I highly doubt it picked and chose what it wanted to keep.”

“That’s unfortunate, not that I was going to make children anyway. There’s too much risk of passing on the wolf to any children I have.”

He didn’t want kites… Mateio knew it was none of his business, but still, the thought of anyone going through life without young running around was difficult for the Faro. A terrifying thought struck him. What if Aaron didn’t want kites? Mateio knew they could have young together, Elias had impregnated Reinard when they were together. But Aaron already had a daughter, a neko daughter.

It was a conversation they needed to have at some point. If Aaron even wanted to be with him. As quickly as they changed their minds about staying together, it was by no means a foregone conclusion.

“Excuse me please,” the Faro said quietly, leaving Itumak in the med bay.

He hurried to… where? Mateio wanted to talk to Aaron, but what would it accomplish. Maybe he should let the elf come around in his own time. He had to remember the elf was dealing with the occupation of his planet. Next to Aaron. Mateio’s actions seemed positively selfish.

Shaking his head, Mateio turned around, heading for the cockpit. He needed to get this ship to Asla.

Aaron walked through the ship, the silence of space feeling oppressive around him. He had been unable to find Mateio, but not from a lack of trying.

Passing the kitchen, the elf saw Itumak and the Daknar eating together, successfully this time. Aaron chuckled quietly as he walked past. Food zero, people one.

His mind turned back to Mateio. Where had that fox gone? An idea struck the elf.

“Reinard, tell me the location of Mateio.”

“Commander Mateio is in his cabin.”

He had checked the cabin not more than five minutes ago…

Sighing, Aaron set his feet in motion, walking down the stairs to reach the stern cabin. Pausing in front of the door, the elf hesitated. They had all been awake for a long time. Mateio needed his sleep.

At the thought, a yawn escaped Aaron’s mouth. He could use some sleep before they reached their destination in…

“Reinard, how long until we reach our destination?”

“The ship is twelve hours from the orbital station in Asla at the current speed. Fuel upon arrival will allow for an additional six days of travel at the current speed.”

He would wait then. Chances are his mind would have changed by the time he woke up anyway.

Aaron walked back up the stairs, stepping into his cabin. The door closed behind him, sealing him in the room. The elf walked toward the blackened window, laying in the bed under it. Now that he had nothing to distract him, Aaron’s mind turned back to those he had left behind.

Darren was dead. There was no saving him. Aaron was grateful for the human’s actions; he had saved Adara, but for what? Was his daughter still alive? Was she dead, or worse, was she being tortured by the beasts who had invaded the planet?

His eyes closed, his entire being exhausted. When had he last slept? The day of the invasion, not counting being knocked unconscious by the alien doctors. Two days ago, at least. Not even the horrific visions in his head could keep him awake any longer, and Aaron was soon asleep, nightmares playing in his mind.