“I think they’re both friends of Wheaton’s so I would hopethey’re on our side. I know Dathrow a little more than Thorne but overall Idon’t know. They’re both polite to me and haven’t said anything outright aboutmy being here. If I had to assume, Dathrow is more trustworthy than Thorne butthat’s only because he has talked to me more. I think I make Thorne a littlenervous. He admitted I was the first human he has ever met so it could just bethat.”
“Well let’s go lay our cards on the table and see whatreaction we get from those big guys. Their faces should tell us whose side theyare on.” Valerie strode toward the door, her walk determined.
“Val?” Rushing to catch her before she opened the door,Poppy reached out.
“Yes?”
Poppy pulled her into a massive hug.
“Oomph,” Valerie puffed out, the squeeze of Poppy’s hugtaking the breath out of her.
“Thank you so much. You’re a lifesaver,” Poppy whisperedinto Val’s shoulder.
Smiling, Val hugged her, patting her on her back. “Poppy, Iam here for you and only you. No matter what.”
“Well then, let’s go. Time to see who our friends are.” Wavingher wrist over the sensor, Poppy went to share their news with Wheaton, who hadhopefully been able to weasel some info out of the other two while she and Valhad been planning.
* * ** *
Wheaton stood immediately when Poppy and Val reentered theroom. Tugging Poppy into a hug, he breathed her in as if he had been separatedfrom her for days instead of minutes. Talking to his friends, he had realizedthe situation was indeed more serious than he had originally thought. Knowingthat he would not let Poppy go, he was prepared to fight no matter what ittook. Dathrow and Thorne had said they would stand by his side when he wentagainst the Council. They both admitted that he had indeed been actingdifferently since the arrival of his bride. But instead of viewing his changein demeanor as detrimental to his work, they considered it a benefit to theirchanging society. For too long, the Phaeton race had been in an emotionlesscycle. Simply cloning new warriors so they did not die out but not making anyadvances in their own society. Existing just to simply exist had become theirdaily lives. Wheaton saw nothing wrong with his change and neither did the menwho were here to help him.
“Thorne and Dathrow are on our side but there are Councilmembers who oppose our union,” he whispered into her hair.
Hugging him back and resting her cheek on his chest, shewhispered back, “I think Val has found a loophole. Don’t worry, big guy. I’mnot going back without a fight either, and she’s in our corner.”
Leaning back from the hug, he cast a glance at Val inconfusion.
“She’s not in the corner, Poppy. She is standing in thecenter of the room,” he said very matter-of-factly.
“It’s a figure of speech, you goof. I meant that she’s onour side and she’ll help me stay,” she said, her words coming with a smile.
Still holding her to his chest, he turned his head toaddress Val. “Thank you for covering our corner, Valerie. It is muchappreciated. We will not let them take her.” He had only met Valerie a fewtimes but if she was willing to fight for them then he would owe her for therest of his life.
Valerie tried to hide a smile at his words and nodded.
“Okay, fellas, here’s the game plan.” She had the contractin her hand and sat on the couch while setting it on the table in front of her.“I’ll go over with you what I proposed to Poppy. I think we have a shot atmaking this work.”
The men crowded around Valerie to see what she was pointingto. Going over the fine print of the contract with the warriors, Valerie seemedto make allies out of both Thorne and Dathrow. After listening to herexplaining the ins and outs, they all leaned back except Thorne.
“Let’s not discount the sway that Demascus has upon theCouncil just yet. He is starting to lean toward the Verge in ideals lately whenit comes to Council voting. He was completely against the Bridal Pact when itwas originally proposed and has since been hunting for ways to make humans seeminferior to the rest of the other Council members,” Thorne said with a sigh.
Poppy glanced around the room and asked, “Who is thisDemascus guy, and what the hell is a Verge?”
Thorne and Dathrow nodded to Wheaton as if he needed to bethe one explaining things. Wheaton now regretted his decision not to discusshis work with his bride. Like it or not, Poppy was going to get a crash coursein Phaeton politics.
“First, Demascus is what you would call an ‘asshole’.”Wheaton paused to make sure he had used the word correctly. At Poppy’s nod hecontinued. “He opposed Council policy to establish our breeding program. Itwill help if I explain the Verge first though. The Verge are warriors whodecided that cloning was the best solution to our dwindling numbers. They arenot only anti-human but anti-breeding with anyone outside the Phaeton races.Years ago, the Council decided to search for species that were compatible andfrom the onset the Verge has been very vocal against it. Verge warriors believethat our species should not be diluted with lesser traits and remain pure.”
Thorne decided to take that moment to chip in. “According toyour history channels, they would be like the man named Hitler and his Naziwarriors, but without the mass murder. The Verge believe our race should bekept pure to the point of insanity. Our science has shown that any additionalcloning at this point would be detrimental to our genetics. There is only somuch cloning a culture can sustain before negative effects start happening. We havewarriors who are smaller than our predecessors. We also noted a loss of ournatural abilities and strength. Let us not forget that a race without womencauses problems among male warriors for obvious reasons.” He coughed into hisfist, seeming embarrassed. A quick glance around the room showed that everyonegot the gist.
“The Verge still trade with the Pleasure
