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Sylvan frowned.
“Explain, please. Do the Rigellens require special treatment? Do they have some cultural beliefs we should be aware of when choosing who we send to bargain with them?”
“It’s not so much a cultural belief as a physical reality. The Rigellens are exceptionally close to their mates and they believe in the unity of male and female taken to a somewhat extreme degree. Therefore, they refuse to negotiate with any ambassador without a mate.”
Sylvan’s face cleared.
“I see. So we need to send a mated pair of ambassadors. That shouldn’t be a problem—I have several couples here on the Mother Ship that can do the job.”
Rarev shook his head.
“I am afraid they will only deal with the Monstrum Kindred,” he told the other male. “We contacted them first and so it was to my kind that they extended an invitation to their upcoming summit, where the mineral rights for the planet will be decided.”
Sylvan frowned.
“But…I thought there were no females among you? I thought it was one of the reasons the Monstrum Kindred were about to die out.”
“You thought correctly.” Rarev nodded. “It is a problem we will have to solve and very soon.”
Sylvan frowned.
“I suppose you could send Captain Storn and his new bride, Mia—they are a mated pair and hasn’t Storn been trained in diplomacy?”
“He has.” Rarev acknowledged. “I will be speaking to him soon, though I hate to send him on a diplomatic mission while he and his new mate are still on what the humans call their ‘honeymoon’.”
Sylvan shook his head.
“It can’t be helped. We have to get that Yillium and they’re the only ones who can bargain for it.”
“Agreed.” Rarev nodded. “I’ll speak to Storn and get them ready to go. But first, I feel that the Earthlings must be apprised of the situation. They are depending on the Monstrum Kindred to keep them safe from the Darklings—they need to know that until we get more Yillium to load the Darkling Shot cannons on our ships, their protection is by no means certain.”
Sylvan frowned.
“I agree that they need to know there are risks, but you should be careful how you word your warning. The humans are fickle people and the only reason they have agreed to allow the Monstrum to call brides from Earth is because you are protecting the planet. If you admit you can’t protect it anymore…”
“I see where you’re going.” Rarev nodded gravely. “Nevertheless, they need to know. They must be ready for another attack, in case we don’t get the Yillium in time.”
“Fine.” Sylvan nodded. “But it might be better coming from another human rather than a Kindred—we need to choose someone who can cushion the blow.”
“What about Minister Emilia Oxley?” Rarev suggested, as casually as he could.
You ought to stay away from her, whispered a little warning voice in his head. If you want to keep your vow never to call a bride, that is. She smells too damn delicious…too tempting…
Rarev pushed the voice away. The Minister from the UK has been invaluable in helping the Monstrum Kindred gain the right to call brides from Earth. She had basically forced the vote, overruling the Secretary-General of the World Council—who was a disgusting bigot—by the force of her personality alone. She was a formidable female—strong and self-assured, which Rarev couldn’t deny was damned attractive. He was a Lionus Monstrum and his kind were very dominant which meant they were naturally attracted to strong, self-confident females.
What about her scent, isn’t that what you really find attractive? the voice in his head whispered again. The scent of a mature Elite entering her second Mating Season? Not to mention her lush curves and her long silver mane…
No! He pushed the thought away again. What right had he to call a bride when the rest of the Monstrum were still waiting so patiently, hoping to avoid problems when they came to Claim the Earth females their minds were aligned with?
Already several of his people had come to tell him they were Dream-Sharing with potential mates. But the situation on Earth was tense—many humans were angry at the idea that “animals” were now allowed to call brides from among them. There were cries of “bestiality” and “depravity” and protests had been cropping up all over the small blue and green planet.
Rarev wished he could explain to them that the Monstrum were people too. Just because some of them looked a bit like animals, didn’t mean they were mindless beasts. They were sentient, intelligent beings who only wanted to be seen and treated as equals.
But that seemed to be too much to ask from many humans…
“Yes, I think she’s an excellent choice,” Commander Sylvan said, interrupting Rarev’s dark thoughts. “We can run the information by her and ask her advice on what to disclose to the rest of the World Council.”
