Page 60 of Claimed By Brothers

“I agree with the human women,” Izzo says, loud enough for everyone to hear. “We can work together and prevent this nonsense from reaching a scale our planet cannot handle. The last thing we need is for the people of Earth to sense our weakness. Alicia said something in that sense, something which I found to be rather sobering but also troubling,” he adds, then looks to my friend.

“If the Sunnaites were able to find a precious resource on Earth, rest assured the humans will certainly find precious resources on Sunna, too,” Alicia says. “All it takes is for one Sunna starship to go down while attempting to harvest more women. Our scientists will reverse-engineer the hell out of that thing until we’re able to build our own. And then, they will come for Sunna. Like I said, you neither possess the defensive infrastructure nor the military resources to handle an earthly invasion. And rest assured, as Jewel can also confirm, if Sunna keeps coming for Earth’s women… Earth will respond.”

“And then the Sky Tribe and the plague will be the least of your worries,” Jewel adds.

Kai stands up, stretching his arms out. I can’t help but notice the way Cynthia keeps stealing glances at him and his brother. Now that the madness and the violence have died down, I suppose each of us is starting to come to terms with our predicament and with the fate that lies ahead. Our feelings have begun making marks of their own, affecting our judgment and our decisions.

“Sounds like something we definitely wish to avoid,” Kai says, while his brother Maur nods in agreement. “We’re better off destroying the starships and rebuilding Sunna on our own first. And then, when the future generations come of age, they will have the knowledge and the wisdom to build new starships, better vessels that will carry them across galaxies.”

“And they will do so on missions of peace and exploration,” Binzen says. “Not to abduct and destroy the lives of other people.”

Yossul, a well-built Sunnaite with broad, muscled shoulders and swirling black tattoos covering his arms and massive chest, slowly stands up. His crimson eyes never leave Jewel. “Do you truly believe we wouldn’t stand a chance against Earth’s military?”

“Not with your planet and resources currently ravaged by the plague and a war you people have been fighting for decades,” she replies, her chin up.

“Then we will do as you say,” Yossul says, and Fadai agrees with him. “We will focus our fighters on defense and on destroying the Sky Tribe’s starships. Perhaps in the meantime, your medicine woman will make some progress with finding a cure for the plague.”

“I will do my best,” Cynthia says. “I could use a better laboratory, though. Helios says you have those in the cities. Entire research and development centers with high-tech equipment for me to use, way better than what I’ve had to work with so far.”

Binzen lets a smile slit his handsome face. “Well, yes. But the cities belong to the Sky Tribe.”

“For now,” Helios shoots back. “It’s time for us to take them back, don’t you think?”

Murmurs of approval and excitement rumble through the council as the orange flames crackle and continue to consume the logs in the middle of our camp. The food has begun working its way through me, filling my stomach and taking most of the edge off. Exhaustion will soon follow. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good night’s sleep, but it’s hard for me to move away from this conversation, especially since the whole of the Fire Tribe leadership seems to have begun moving in the same direction. We may truly have better results by staying on Sunna than we ever would by going back to Earth, and I think the girls can see that, too.

Cynthia gives me a playful wink. “We do need to become more involved,” she says. “I mean us, girls. You, Amber, you’ve got the Mal clan to work with and a baby on the way. But Jewel, Alicia, and I have spoken about this over the past couple of hours, and we think we’d be of better use if we each moved to one of the other clans.”

“Wait, what?” I blurt out, genuinely surprised if not a little confused. “What do you mean?”

“The majority of the medical and bio equipment is just across the river with the Hadana clan,” she says. “I’ve already spent enough time there to know that I would be well looked after. Besides, I still have patients there to take care of, and it’s a bit of a nuisance to keep jumping on a barge every day in order to get stuff done. So, if Kai and Maur will have me, I’d like to move there.”

Alicia takes a deep breath as she moves toward Helios. “And I find I would benefit greatly from having access to the Tallas clan’s historical archives,” she says. “I would like to study your history and official documents. I know it would help us devise not only a better strategy but also a better future once we either vanquish the Sky Tribe or convince them to renounce the civil war altogether so that they may join the Fire Tribe in peace. If Helios will have me, I would be open to living among his people so I may have easier access to the archives.”

“Beats rowing up and down the river for it,” Kharo says to the Tallas leader. His eyes twinkle with muted excitement, though. I’m beginning to think there is more brewing between these three, but as Binzen and Izzo have said before, it’s only a matter of when not if. The bonds are powerful and last a lifetime. Sooner or later, my friends will likely find mates here, too. “I say we go for it,” Kharo adds.

Helios grins, giving Alicia a naughty wink. “Maybe you’ll enjoy more than just our archives.”

“Let’s start with the archives,” she chuckles cautiously.

The anthropologist within her advises great care in setting the terms and conditions of this agreement, but even Alicia knows the Fire Tribe men will treat her with nothing but respect and admiration. Jewel takes a seat between Yossul and Fadai, friends and leaders of the Kreek clan—yet neither of the two expected her to join them. Both stare at her with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.

“What?” Jewel mutters upon noticing the confusion of everyone around her. “The Kreek clan has the best fighters,” she says shrugging. “And better weapon capabilities. Of course I’ll go with the strongest and savviest in matters of war. Or should I just stay here and wash robes down by the river?”

“No, by all means,” Izzo agrees, prompting Binzen to stifle a dry chuckle. “I’m sure the Kreek clan will only grow stronger with you by their side.”

“Provided they don’t end up tying her to a pole behind the barracks,” Binzen comments jokingly.

Yossul lets out a sharp whistle to stop the other clan leaders from chuckling. “Enough. Jewel is, of course, a fine addition to our clan,” he says. “She is more than welcome to come live and train with us.”

“That being said, the four of us should definitely meet up,” I say to my friends. “Maybe once a week? I would miss the three of you terribly, and we still have so much work to do together.”

“Obviously,” Alicia says. “You’re not getting rid of us that easily.”

“Besides, you do need medical care,” Cynthia replies, giving me a worried look. “And a lot of it, given how little we know about hybrid pregnancies here.”

“Do you sense danger for the baby or the mother?” Maur asks, his gaze bouncing curiously between us.

He’s not the only one who wants to know, either. Every single clan leader is watching and listening closely. With three more women like me, I can tell that the Tallas, the Hadana, and the Kreek clans are particularly interested in this subject.

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