“Are you going to allow this savage to speak to you like that?” a silver Quaaw male shrilled.
I turned toward the voice and shouted, “It’s the truth!”
“She isn’t natural. She is an abomination! Untamed! She should have no say in the matter. She should be locked up and experimented on,” a muddy-colored reptilian female hissed—reminding me of the male who tried to take me when I tried to escape the Yaarkins ship.
Their comments cut deep, but I refused to allow them to see how it affected me. Dark memories from my time on the Yaarkins’ ship flashed before me. My past threatened to drown me, swelling up from the hidden corners of my mind, only to hurt me at a time like this. My vision started to blur. Images of being tied down to a table with a bright light blinding flashed by.
“Selena! Snap out of it!”
I blinked and shook my head.
Voices flooded the room. Arguments between members of the same species and their neighbors exploded.
Breathing deeply, I willed myself to filter out the banter and stop the tears threatening to drop. Getting upset in front of everyone would only make everything worse.
“This was what I tried to warn you about,” Mwe remarked.
I jerked my head his direction, and his subdued gaze met mine.
“What’s in it for me? Why would I want to help?”
“Because you have a kind soul and deserve better.”
“Being good or kind doesn’t cut it,” I paused, trying to hold myself together. “Why?”
Sadness filled his eyes, and he frowned. “Because my daughter is the last of her generation. My bond-mate sacrificed herself for my species’ future, experimenting on herself in hopes of solving the problem. She died while pregnant with our son. My daughter has been working hard, continuing her mother’s research, and finishing what she started.”
Guilt stabbed my heart at his story. I felt for him—being the last of my species—but I didn’t want to subject my offspring to the same life I had. I refused to.
“What do you suggest?”
Did I have to sacrifice my newfound freedom after all? When would enough be enough?
“Allow my daughter to lead a team in studying you and—”
“You are going to leave my offspring alone. I will NOT allow them to be touched. This is my sacrifice and a gift to them to have a normal life,” I demanded.
“But what if we set limitations?” His eyes lit up in hope.
“No. It is just me or nothing. Also, I am putting my nestmate, Master Scholar Xylo, and his team in charge of building the research team. No offense, but I don’t trust you or your daughter. They have been with me since they found me and know everything about me.”
“But my daughter—”
“Will still have to be vetted. If approved, she can aid my current team with finding any other team members they may want.”
“Deal.”
Our telepathic conversation lasted a few blinks of an eye.
“SILENCE!” Chamber Master Mwe shouted both mentally and out loud, slamming his hands on his desk.
The noise in dome instantly ceased. Members rushed back to their seats.
“First. How dare you mock the one being who may be our answer. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Selena spoke the truth. It was our fault the humans were left unprotected, and pure humans are extinct.” His eyes roamed the politicians before meeting mine once more. “Selena, if we gave you your freedom, would you allow us to create a research team to study only you? We would leave your offspring in peace. By doing this, you would be able to travel the stars whenever you wanted—but I hope you would allow one team member to travel with you. Does that sound reasonable?” Mentally, he added, “Just state everything we agreed on to make it official.”
“This better not be a setup. I am already angry at a group of males, grouping you with them wouldn’t be hard,” I said, studying the Assembly representatives.
“Why would I ruin potentially the only chance I have to assist my daughter in finishing my deceased bond-mate’s research?” he asked, his voice laced with irritation.
“Because I am used to others—especially males—taking without asking. Pardon me if I feel a little defensive about this deal,” I said, peering at the Circuli representatives. There was a female and male pair for both Circuli species, and all four watched me with stern expressions.
Why would they be angry at me?
I jerked my head away to prevent the members in the room wondering why I had stopped speaking. Mwe nodded when I returned my gaze to his.
“Chamber Master Mwe and the Assembly… I don’t believe I should be forced into experiments and treated as a product—an object—once again,” I paused at the rumblings of the representatives. I held my hand up the way I saw Mwe do earlier, and he mimicked my action. Once the room fell silent again, I lowered my hand and continued.
“I understand the significance of the research that is needed to solve fertility problems with multiple species in the CEG. Because of this, I would allow a research team to be created; but I want my nestmate, Master Scholar Xylo, and his team to be in charge of assembling and leading it. They know my limits and would respect them without hesitation. By agreeing to this, I want all of my offspring—current and future—to be protected from any experimentation or research, unless accepted by either me or them.” I sighed. “I understand why you want a team member to accompany me; I don’t fully agree with it, but I hope they will respect my privacy when I want it.”
“Thank you, Selena,” Master Mwe smiled. “Is there anything else you want to add?”
Gathering the capped anger I felt toward the group of males behind me and the raw freshness
