Page 73 of The Omega's Unexpected Bounty
Balo’s gaze rolled up. It was cultural osmosis from the Humans. That and the thick chlorine smell conveyed his annoyance. “Ready for your first command?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
My teeth grit together, and I raised my eyebrows. Nothing was said, but I’m sure it conveyed the message. “Don’t overreach brother. First Father did and look where it got him.” He let out a dismissive murmur that almost sounded as if he agreed. I was Volardi, and it meant I had to act like one. Beyond that, I was royalty and had a duty so I said the words. “Yes, my king.”
His smile was full, and he leaned into his seat. His gaze settled into the distance, past me. “As spectacular as I imagined. I had to hear that… at least once.”
I tilted my head in wonder. “Once?”
Balo looked over to Taleen who gently patted their child on the head. His hands went out, and he looked to the orbs that recorded this for the archives. “By Royal Decree, as your king, Iorderyou to…,” his smiled softly. “Rule by my side brother, on a united Argo. There were two potential kings. Augo should have both halves.”
Caan and I both spoke together. “What?” My voice drew out, “What’s going on?”
He patted the throne’s armrest a few times slowly. “I’ll keep this one, but I’ll commission you onealmostas good. He then gestured over to Taleen who nodded in understanding. His chair hovered over, and my eyebrows rose at the black and gold fist-sized shell he carefully handed to me. Balo inhaled deep and gestured for me to take it.
I swallowed hard. We were royalty, but I’ve never held anything so expensive. Its size was large for a shell, but so thin the weight was almost imperceptible. The wrong touch could break it and I stared as if to confirm it was there.
“It’s not the one I took from you when we were children. That’s been lost.” He whispered softly. “How strange that something I wanted so badly from you, I couldn’t keep.” I questioned if he was speaking about the shell or throne. “A forgiveness shell,” he explained in case Caan didn’t want to query his implant. He settled into his seat and stayed silent for several seconds before he spoke. “First Father used to say we were two halves of the perfect son. Your affinity with our people and mine with politics.” He scowled and shook his head. “The man who betrayed his family, presumed to judge us.”
“And yet, there is wisdom in his thoughts,” I finished.
Balo nodded sadly. “In some areas. He wanted our kingdom to leave, and I have to ask myself, do I follow the path of a madman or question his plans?”
For the first time in decades, I didn’t see a potential enemy or a presence to endure; I saw my brother.What’s the real reason?It’s said a good Femeni or Omega brings out a Soturi’s better nature. I wouldn’t expect a Forgiveness Shell from Balo in my hand before meeting our mates, but now it happened.
“First Father isn’t a perfect father oranythinganymore. We will never be his desired sons.”
“But perhaps,” I said, “we can be our people’s desired kings?”
He gestured for a silver orb, and I saw the still image of my father as he lay absolutely still within a circle of medical orbs. “He wanted it all, and now he has nothing.”
“Yet,” I said, “we are Volardi. We shall honor our family, even if he didn’t do the same for us.”
***
Chapter Forty-Two
CAAN
I hefted my sleeping child in my arms while the outside sun glared overhead; already an arm length long and heavier than I expected. I could put him in his hoverchair but found it reassuring to hold him against my chest.
Amid the ocean air was the sweet smell of pastries that wafted from the long single-story multi-color stone house. It wasn’t extravagant but bigger than most and comparable to the cabin Graden replicated for me. Nate stared at the closed wooden door while he breathed heavily. His shoulders were high, and he didn’t have his visible ‘invisible’ aura around him anymore. A cloak of misery and subservience you didn’t see and yet did. A few months ago, my Pa was a nonperson to the Volardi. Just acknowledged enough to punish while he was in the colony.
He held his hands out, and I smiled at the hard muscles thatlookedthe same as before. He reached down and picked up a porous black boulder the size of his head. “I couldn’t pick up a fist-sized one before. Now, look!” He set it back down and flexed his bicep while his bare-chest went out. “I’m not even lifting anything, and I canfeelthe old me.”
That wasn’t entirely true. He was a few inches taller on Earth and couldn’t give birth. I didn’t ask why he didn’t change completely because I think I knew the answer. That body belonged to the old him. Maybe he got used to the parts that weren’t horrific. “You’re still an Omega, and you’re not that guy from twenty years ago.”
He shook his head fast. “I want to forget that man existed.”
So far, he was on his way. The old Nate wouldn’t go to live with two men. My other father’s people were strange. Before the Volardi arrived, male on male relationships – and other things – were frowned upon. Earth was one of the few planets with prejudices against that and Nate was one.And now he’s living as a Volardi Omega… just like me.
He took one step toward the house, then stopped and looked at my son and his grandson. “They grow faster here. He looks like what we’d call a year old back on Earth.” I wondered if he was really that interested or if he was wondering if he would hold his own baby soon.
It was a challenge to keep up with somebody who grew so fast. The empire bred it into their children, and I suppose Omegas. It allowed them to become strong and not as helpless, but not age so quickly that they raced toward old age. Sometimes I think there’s another reason. They adored babies, but they didn’t stay as such for long. There was a practical solution – have another and then so on. I think it was their way to entice you to have more.
He turned toward the dark wooden door, and I made sure to not walk ahead but not so far behind. This was something he had to do himself. He rubbed his hands together and took a few more steps down the stone pathway as his fingers hovered inches away from the crystal, rectangular door panel. It was already keyed to his touch, voice-print, and several other ways. All he had to do was open the door or even do the New Texas thing and knock. Instead, his hand balled into a fist, and he stared up into the bright, cloudless day, before looking at me with shiny eyes. “Why is this scaring me son? After twenty years at the colony and all, they did to me… hell, I fought a king. I knowthose twodon’t hate me. They want me to live with them and be a part of their family,me.” He stayed silent while he thought. “Maybe I don’t deserve this. I was a monster. Both from what I did to Peter… or tried to do.” He looked at me then my son. “Then I tried to give you away.”
