Page 2 of Jewel of the Alien Bandit
My mother sighed, waving off the advisers that were gathered in the assembly. All except Loric left. “This is not the time for word play, My Jewel. You are well aware that we have another Moon Ceremony coming up, and it’s time you join the others in a show of support, and to hopefully one day provide our clan with another heir.”
I gulped heavily, this was not the conversation I wanted to get into. Every Moon Ceremony was always the same, she’d ask if I felt any ‘tingles’ in my shoulders to signal my readiness, and then I’d say, ‘no’, and then she’d smile, pat me on the head and say, ‘One day, my daughter.’ And that was that. There was no serious conversation about joining, or that I should join.
One day couldn’t be today, couldn’t be now.
And she was the only person that could make me.
Not just as my mother, but as the leader of the Estreldez. The leader of our clan.
My Almder.
“I do not feel any—“
She cut me off. “Not all feel the urge until they meet a compatible mate, and even then participation increases the odds of that happening. How do you think it looks to our clan that you have been of age for many cycles and have not shown your support but to watch?”
“You watch,” I countered accusingly.
Narrowing her eyes at me she continued, “I’m much too old to participate any longer. I was blessed to have secured a femaleas an heir, and it is my burden that I was not able to provide you with siblings.” The irritation faded from her, replaced with a sadness that made my stomach clench. I did not want to remind her of the loss she had endured with my siblings.
For every one of them she lost, she had plucked a jewel from her back and displayed them on the crown she wore. Offworlders would think my mother was displaying her wealth, but it was her greatest loss that she clung to in mourning. No other Almder had ever worn anything more than a simple crown of tarnpul, which for us was displaying our power. The jewels, they are remembrances of her children. That was why I am her favorite jewel, the one that survived.
The one she was now sentencing to join the Moon Ceremony.
I shook my head, unbelieving that she would force this upon me.
“I’m not ready…” I choked out.
“Jewel of Estreldez, it is not if we are ready to serve but that we are able. I do not wish to burden you with this task, but our clan needs hope. And seeing you participate will give them that. Will you deny them that small kindness?”
Pressing my lips together I glanced over to see Loric staring at me, and even his blue eyes were watching me with a sense of hopefulness. Was that what our planet has come to? The mating games were all voluntary, my mother never demanded anyone participate. But she was asking it of me?
There was no denying her request.
I was participating in the next cycle’s Moon Ceremony, and I could only pray that my eggs remained fully attached at all times. It would be embarrassing to have them release, and my wings sprout for all to see. That’s what happened when a female Estreldez was fertile, and there would be no backing out of the games if that happened. My mother wouldn’t hear of it, I wouldhave to choose one of the mates provided, and if they weren’t from our planet…
I would never see the mates again.
Never see my mate again, if I had one.
Sometimes, I wondered if the reason I never wanted to participate was because as long as I only watched, I couldn’t be hurt. As long as I never knew if my mate was out there… I wouldn’t have to give them up.
CHAPTER TWO
Vareo
I RUBBED MYface in disbelief, re-reading the transmission once again. I’d heard of rich psychopaths before, but this was too good to be true. Being a system pirate wasn’t always easy work, most of the bounties were extremely illegal to the Lunar Administration, but they were spread pretty thin these days, and the pay was better than the regular bounty fare. Whoever this rich fucker was, they were offering enough credit to make me tattoo their face on my left asscheek if that’s what they wanted.
“What’s the job?” Carmen asked from behind me, slinking her arm around my neck. Her tongue licked at my ear, and I grinned thinking about all the other things that tongue could be capable of. We’d never gone that far, but that never stopped her from teasing. She was the one that got me into this career path to begin with, and I knew she’d sooner shoot my nuts off than let me touch her.
That was fine by me, but the long cycles alone had my mind addled with urges that were tough to ignore, and that’s exactly why Carmen did it. I ignored her, and pinched her cheeks to focus her on the screen.
She would have tried to kick my ass, but she was just as stunned as I was at the price tag on this black market lister.
“That has to be a glitch,” she finally said.
“You could leave me the fuck alone with that kind of credit.” The offer was enticing, the only problem was whether it was legit or not.
“With that kind of credit, you’ll have paid off your debt, and have credit left over to buy your own small planet.” I swiveled in my chair to see the glitter of profit in her eyes. She could finally get off my heap of metal, and tell her bosses, the necia of Necias Delta Fal, I’m a free agent.
