Page 25 of Possessed By the Leonid King

“I didn’t expect you two to seize on it with such alacrity. Not that I’m judging.”

“You must be, to mention it. You’re the one who told her to ‘stretch.’”

“Why should sexual activities cause the human pain?”

“They don’t! I mean, I won’t let them! That is, as far as I know, they haven’t.” The tail went into a full metronome pulse, guilt nipping him on every swing. He had been far too vigorous. His body and mind were confused by Layla. Feral instincts he’d thought long dead came out around her. Not to mention, it had been over six years since he’d made love. “Enough about me! Layla and I have signed a contract and I registered it yesterday. The receipt is already recorded in this morning’s communications. Credits are already transferred to her account.”

Marcus said nothing, simply stared at him.

Rupex groaned. That made it sound as though it was all right to cause her pain since she was paid for it. “I’m very fond of her. Speak to her yourself if you wish. I... I satisfy her. In many ways.”

Marcus raised one eyebrow slowly. “Many ways, hm?”

The leering tone was too much. “All right, if we’re prying into one another’s private affairs, how is a Servali Queen only a decade older than yourself your mother?”

Marcus didn’t answer, and that nettled him. Why should his medical officer be so calm and cool while he was tying himself in knots over the complicated feelings he’d developed for Layla in the space of two days? “Don’t tell me. Your father has remarried.”

“My mother and father have both passed and you know it.”

Did he know it? “Oh. I’m sorry. I... There were so many that...”

The graying Leonid waved his paw. “That was Kaya’s mother. Kaya was my wife.”

Rupex hoped his surprise was masked. Surely, he should have known that his longest-serving crew member had a wife?

“Don’t bother to hide it, Ru. You can be shocked. You didn’t know because we didn’t tell any of my family. We got married six months before the first outbreak. I took my two-week planet leave and didn’t bother to tell anyone I was going to marry a gorgeous Servali waitress half my age. She worked in her mother’s cafe. Best salmon en croute I’ve ever had, rubbed in curry.” Marcus kissed the tips of one paw. “A work of art, made by an angel, served by a goddess. She was pregnant with four cubs.”

Rupex sat, his stomach falling. Marcus never applied for spousal or dependent pay raises. “Was?”

Marcus busied himself on his computer. “She was in a high-contact position. She got the fever right away. She was still working, only in the second-fifth. They tried the hormone treatment on her. It made her lose the litter. Then she died a week later.”

“Why didn’t you—” But Rupex knew why he didn’t tell him. Alana had died during the first outbreak, too.

“I did tell you that I wanted bereavement leave. You signed the papers. But there wasn’t anywhere we could go, confined to the ship. You mourned in your quarters. I wept in mine. You talked to your brother-in-law and parents. I talked to Kaya’s mother and her little brothers. Thank God, Kaya’s mother was just old enough that the fever didn’t kill her, just put her in the hospital for a few months.”

“Marcus, I’m sorry. I never asked. I never thought to ask. You didn’t say anything, not a word. Why?”

“Because there are a lot of bigots in the Leonid community. Purity of the Pride dungheads and the rest. Of course, they all changed their tune when Leonid Queens became few and far between. No one would look twice at Kaya and me if we walked down the streets of Leonid-One today. But we won’t get that chance.”

What could he say to that? The world was different six years ago, with species being more selective. His sister and her Canid husband had been a rarity of rarities, but they’d been raised on starcrafts, seeing every combination of couple, thruple, and interspecies mix. Except one.

“That’s why you decided to see if humans could have cubs? Because you know that Felix Orbus is—”

“About to have a massive population crisis that even super-sized litters won’t fix in time? Yes. And Leonids, with their stupid bigotry, will be the hardest hit unless people like you set an example. A King, a captain... people will listen to you. Especially if you stop taking on all-Leonid crews.” Marcus glared at him.

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” Rupex protested, but maybe some small part of him had preferred to work with his own species. He knew what to expect from them—sometimes. “Last night, I even suggested that Layla’s old littermates come aboard. Well, technically they weren’t littermates, but near enough.”

“Good. What about Tigerites?”

“They don’t like to stay off-world for so long.”

“Leopardines?”

“Too used to luxury.”

“Servalis?”

“Small.”

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