The Bond That Consumes Us.
Christine d"Abo.
Chapter One.
Taber enjoyed the silence of early morning. Hands clasped behind his back, he strolled down the corridors, letting the calm of the station relax him. The sun hadn"t risen and he could still see every star in the sky if he were inclined to such an activity.
He wasn"t.
Life had grown and changed into a steady pattern over the past two years here on Eurus. He liked patterns, liked the predictability of knowing what to expect and how to deal with things as they arose. All things considered, he should be content with his situation and station on this planet. It was the perfect way to end his long and distinguished military career.
Which was why he didn"t understand the hollow feeling that seemed to have curled up inside his chest and refused to leave. It had been there, growing, for the last few months. A restlessness he hadn"t felt in forty cycles, not since he"d first enlisted in the Protectorate, was building once again. Only this time he had no way to escape. There was no enemy to fight, no battles to be waged. He was forced to sit by and be content with the uninterrupted pleasantness of his life. Alone.
Turning the corner, he made his way down toward the bazaar to check on the early arrival of the merchants. Most were getting their goods laid out, ready for the first shift of miners who"d be heading out to work. The aroma of food and drinks being freshly prepared floated high on the air and threatened to make his stomach rumble. He hated to admit it, but he"d grown fond of the human beverage, coffee. The bitter flavor agreed with his palate, and he enjoyed the subtle rush of energy it gave him. He hated needing anyone or anything, especially an artificial substance, and preferred to rely on himself in all matters of importance. So he limited his intake of the drink and reminded himself that dependence was another form of weakness.
This morning he would allow himself that small pleasure in the hope that it would improve his mood. It had been several days and it was time to indulge. He was about to make his way over to the human vendor who always seemed to know when he craved the beverage and had his mug waiting, when something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Taber turned in time to see Haylie waddling around the corner, heading in the direction of her office. Somehow he contained his sigh and temporarily forgot his coffee to set out and follow his friend and counterpart.
Haylie moved surprisingly fast for a woman who was fourteen months pregnant.
Even walking at full speed, Taber didn"t catch up to her until they were only a few feet away from her office door. Without saying a word, he fell into step beside her and quickly checked to make sure she was physically well. Kamran wouldn"t forgive him if anything happened to his beloved mate.
4.
"Before you ask, I"m fine," she said, sounding like she was anything but. "I couldn"t sleep and thought a walk might help."
"A walk to your office?"
"And back. It"s about a mile distance from our quarters round trip. I was hoping this d.a.m.n baby would get the hint and decide to pop out."
Kamran had said his wife wasn"t dealing with the longer than normal gestation period for their child. It was all guesswork, and Haylie hated not having all the answers just as much as he did. It was one of the reasons they"d worked so well together-she understood that unknown elements caused problems.
He also respected her for saving Kamran"s life.
"You know Sara told you to rest. It"s likely the baby will come any day now."
Haylie ran her hands over the expanse of her belly. Taber had seen several pregnant Briel women in his time in the Protectorate, but that was different from watching Haylie now. Maybe because he knew her, knew how much this baby meant to both her and Kamran, that his interest was keener. That and the fact he"d always wanted a child of his own.
"I"m just tired of being fat," she sighed.
"You know Kamran thinks you are quite beautiful."
She smiled and he couldn"t help but notice the way her entire face changed at the mention of his friend"s name.
"Yeah, but he"s in love with me. I"m still fat."
She was about to say something else when she winced. When her face suddenly paled, the muscles in the back of his neck and shoulders tightened, antic.i.p.ating the worst. Looking around, he saw there was no one else in the corridor who could a.s.sist them, leaving him on his own to deal with what was happening.
"You"ve been experiencing the back pain again." He kept his voice soft as he spoke.
The last thing he wanted to do was upset her and cause distress to the baby. "Does Kamran know?"
Haylie stopped walking and braced her arm against the wall. Looking up at him, she tucked a strand of her chestnut hair behind her ear. "It doesn"t seem to let up these days. I ache all over from the time I get out of bed to the time I fall back into it. And I try to keep it from him, to be honest. He"s worrying too much as it is."
Taber was far from an expert in pregnancy, but he knew a few things about pain, having spent most of his adult life in the military. Taking a step closer to her, he reached for her back, stopping a few inches away from actually touching her. He could never touch her without permission, no matter how close a friend she was.
"I might be able to help if you"ll permit it?"
Haylie rolled her eyes. "You know I don"t give a rat"s a.s.s if you touch me or not.
And if you can help with the pain even a little, I"ll probably give you a big, wet kiss."
5.
Taber couldn"t stop the small smile that reached his lips. He found himself smiling more and more the longer he spent in the company of Haylie and her best friend Sara.
The two women had an infectious optimism while at the same time possessing the ability to focus on and overcome extreme situations.
Thankfully, they hadn"t needed that particular type of focus in over a year-not since they"d gotten rid of the Ecada who"d been hiding in the mines.
Bracing one hand on her shoulder, Taber pressed the other in the small of her back and began to stroke the muscles. He could feel the tension the extra weight was putting on her frame. While Haylie had been in top physical condition at the time of her pregnancy, things were obviously starting to take their toll.
"I think you missed your calling, Taber."
"Do you think Sara could use my services in med bay?"
Haylie laughed. "s.h.i.t, she could keep you busy for months."
"Haylie!"
Taber s.n.a.t.c.hed his hand away at the sound of Kamran"s voice. Straightening, he watched his friend stalk down the corridor toward them. Guilt washed through him and he took a step away. By the G.o.ddess, he knew better than to touch a bonded Briel"s mate, even if his intention was only to help.
When Kamran finally reached them, he glared momentarily at Taber before turning his attention to his wife. "I woke up and you weren"t there. I was worried."
"You couldn"t just pop into my mind to check?"
"You"re blocking me."
Haylie smiled and reached up to caress her husband"s cheek. "Sorry, I forgot. I needed to get up and move. Taber was helping me with the muscle pain in my back."
Meeting Kamran"s gaze almost made him flinch. The possessive anger that overcame his friend now that Haylie was nearing the end of her pregnancy was a natural biological reaction. But it didn"t make it any easier to be on the receiving end of it. Kamran"s fists were clenched at his sides, the muscles in his jaw twitched. He prayed Kamran wouldn"t actually hit him, forcing him to test his ability to not react to a direct attack. Is defenses had been so ingrained into him being a Protectorate, they were impossible for Taber to hold back. The only way to ease matters lay with their traditional customs.
Dropping his gaze to the floor, Taber bowed his head and spread his arms wide.
"Forgive me, Administrator. I shouldn"t have approached your mate without asking."
He stayed that way, silently waiting for an acknowledgement from Kamran. In the tradition of their people, Kamran could punish Taber for what he"d done, but it was highly unlikely. Despite the power of biology, there was still Kamran"s strong will, the amba.s.sador inside, that refused to let him take things too far. Instead, he reacted exactly how Taber expected.
6.
Kamran sighed and after a moment, placed his hand on Taber"s shoulder. "I"m sorry, my friend. I don"t know what comes over me these days."
"It"s the bond." He looked up and nodded his thanks. "And I know better. My apologies to you both."
"Oh, enough with the Briel drama. My back was aching, for f.u.c.k"s sake and you helped," Haylie said, clearly having had enough. "Now if you two talking trees will move, I"m going to continue my walk."
As Taber pushed past them, he felt the urge to smile again. A quick glance at Kamran caught his friend rolling his eyes. Not for the first time Taber was amazed at how many traits the couple now shared.
It hadn"t been the case for him when he"d been bonded.
"Ah!" Haylie moaned and clutched her stomach.
Kamran pushed past Taber to reach her side. "Haylie? Are you okay, shallen?"
"It"s the amda," she whispered.
The baby.
"Are you sure?" Kamran said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "You"ve felt like this before."
"Ahh!" She cried out even louder. Panting, she looked down at then over to Kamran. "I think my water just broke."
Taber could see a small puddle of fluid on the pristine floor around her feet.
Without another thought, Taber jumped into action. He ran to the closest communicator panel and pressed the sensors to call med bay. "Doctor Fergus, please report to med bay. Medical emergency."
Kamran was half holding Haylie up. "Can you walk?"
"I...don"t think so," she gasped out.
"This is med bay. Doctor Fergus isn"t on call tonight. One of the other doctor"s can-"
Taber flipped off the communicator. "I"ll stop by her quarters and get her."
Without another word Kamran scooped Haylie into his arms. Leading the way, Taber made sure the corridor was clear, which was considerably easier than it could have been thanks to the time of day. Despite his calm exterior, his heart was pounding madly in his chest knowing what his friends were about to go through. After the conversation he"d had with Sara and Davin about keeping an extra close eye on Haylie, he knew the chances of a problem arising were greater than normal. This was the first recorded birth of a Briel and human child, and they had to be ready for anything.
Even the possibility of death.
"Taber, run, get Sara. I"ll take her straight to med bay," Kamran said, his voice full of concern.
"Tell her to move her a.s.s," Haylie managed to grind out in between pants.
7.
Not looking back, Taber broke into a full run, heading straight for the residential section of the station. With no one in the way, he made it to Sara and Davin"s quarters in record time. Barely out of breath, he leaned on the door chime and waited.
The door quietly whooshed open to reveal a mostly naked Davin. His brown hair hung down around his face and reptilian gold eyes glared out at him.
"What the f.u.c.k-" Davin started and just as suddenly stopped when he saw Taber.
"What?"
"Haylie," he said and nodded.
"s.h.i.t. I"ll get Sara."
"I"m up," Sara"s voice drifted through the door. "She in med bay?"
"Kamran is taking her there now."
Davin looked back over his shoulder at his wife. "Want me to come?"
For the longest time, Taber hadn"t trusted the Raqulian captain. But since Davin had begun working as a trade negotiator for the colony, Taber had seen a change in the man. And he was hopelessly in love with Sara-he"d do anything to help her. That fact alone made it easier for Taber to accept him.
Davin still didn"t use his healing powers on a regular basis, so the fact that he was offering to help with Haylie meant a lot.
"I know the administrator would appreciate your a.s.sistance."
"Don"t think I can handle a little birthing, husband?" Sara pushed past them wearing her doctor"s uniform, a med kit slung over her shoulder. "I"m not waiting, so you better hurry and get dressed."