Space Orcs and the Investigator

The Last of the Orcqlaneasions

Solar Black

Solar Blackboard Publishing

Copyright © 2024 Solar Blackboard Publishing

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456

Cover design by: Covers by Laiba
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Prologue

Space Orcs and the Investigator

Chapter 1: Chief Elder Illbrien Rezz – Space Orc

Chapter 2: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Chapter 3: Fraebrion Maer – Unbound Space Orc

Chapter 4: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Chapter 5: Rektrion Bryll – Elder Space Orc

Chapter 6: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Chapter 7: Chief Elder Illbrien Rezz – Space Orc

Chapter 8: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Chapter 9: Fraebrion Maer – Unbound Space Orc

Chapter 10: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Chapter 11: Rektrion Bryll – Elder Space Orc

Chapter 12: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Chapter 13: Chief Elder Illbrien Rezz – Space Orc

Epilogue

About The Author

The Last of the Orcqlaneasions

Thank You

Prologue

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Space Orcs and the Investigator

The Last of the Orcqlaneasions

Chapter 1: Chief Elder Illbrien Rezz – Space Orc

As Chief Elder of the Directorate of Orcqlaneasus, I had many responsibilities, none more important than recording the history of my brethren under the mantle of my leadership. In the past several months, we’d undergone a series of changes with the most drastic being the inception of new families.

Family was an unfamiliar concept to Warrior class Orcqlaneasions, and even more so to those of us in the Elder class. We understood brotherhood—our society was built on the unbreakable bonds of unity, balance, and equanimity.

Once, we were a warring people, driven by emotion and violent temperaments. Sons were prized to carry on our feuds; daughters were considered disposable, mere afterthoughts. For generations, our planet rewarded us with more sons and fewer daughters. We grew fiercer, more violent, killing each other ruthlessly without thought for the future. A census from a hundred generations ago recorded our population at nearly a million. But then everything changed. Female births became increasingly rare until they ceased altogether—none having been born in the last hundred years. Yet we continued to battle amongst ourselves, fruitlessly killing ourselves until our numbers were decimated.

A council of Elders called the first convocation nearly five hundred years ago. It was there that the truth of our warfare was revealed.  After centuries of tribal battles, only about 10,000 Warrior class Orcqlaneasions remained, with fewer than a thousand of the Elder class.

In response, the Elders devised a solution to end the feuds and internal conflict.  Using the bulbs of the sacred Orqlanur tree, found in the caverns of Qlanith. Males from scattered tribes converged to participate in a brotherhood bonding ceremony. Each warrior gave a quarter of his blood to a silver cistern. This blood, mixed with the sacred bulbs, formed a fluid that, when consumed, created an unbreakable lifeforce bond among the warriors, binding them to one another. This ritual, established as a rite of passage to adulthood, had continued binding us together even as our numbers dwindled.

Bound by brotherhood and consecrated by blood, we committed ourselves to live and work together as brothers. We pledged to alleviate suffering and to help those in need throughout the galaxy, as penance for the misery we had wrought upon each other and our planet. We vowed to seek willing mates to bear our seed, share our lifeforce, and create the next generation of Orcqlaneasion warriors.

Only death could break the bonds of brotherhood formed in blood. When a bound brother perished in death, the remaining brethren often deteriorated, losing their purpose, sense of self, and ultimately their minds. In an act of compassion, those in the last stages of madness—unbound and dangerous—were often euthanized for the good of the brotherhood.

As the Chief Elder, I knew this history better than most. I frequently consulted the sacred scrolls and laws when making decisions about the future of our planet—a future that, by any measure, seemed bleak until the human females arrived and changed everything, giving us families.

There were now five Earth mothers on our planet, mated to 15 Warrior class and three Elder-class Orcqlaneasions. Most astonishingly, they had produced 36 sons among them, with seemingly more being born every few months. However, this joyous event came at a cost.

Each of these mothers had been duped—no, doped—without consent by the alien Pstoady scientists, Tovak and Torvak. While some of those aware of the situation believed the Pstoadys’ goals were altruistic—intended to ‘help’ the Orcqlaneasions avoid extinction by providing a means to procreate—the reality was far more troubling. Neither species, human nor Orcqlaneasion, had been asked if they wanted or needed this 'help.'

The Pstoady had skillfully evaded every attempt at capture, escaping on several occasions with mere moments to spare. In the most recent incident, involving the newest Earth mother, their method of infection had changed, but the outcome had not, leaving the how, when, and where a mystery—if not necessarily the why.

These thoughts weighed heavily on my mind as I headed to a meeting with the members of the new Orcqlaneasion families. We needed to address these concerns and the myriad of others that came with having off-worlders among us, no matter how welcome they might be.

I entered the designated Directorate conference hall, prepared for today’s meeting. Since some of the mothers would be attending, it meant that the children, especially the babies, would be present as well. I sighed in exasperation. I loved the children as though they were my own—especially, the Elder-born. The first set of Elder-born children were now toddlers, and since their fathers were in the Directorate, they often accompanied them in our halls. I frequently found myself laughing at their antics as they attempted to run from their fathers or were discovered hiding in the offices of unsuspecting Elders. They particularly enjoyed playing in the rows of seats in the grand meeting hall, a place where I had once held their mother in contempt.

Their mother, Vivien Johnson, was a beautiful human with warm brown skin and a mane of hair as white as my own. Her body was voluptuous, having just given birth to a second set of Elder-born sons—this time three, one for each of her mates. I often remembered how I would spy on her as she nursed a babe at her full brown breast. Although I tried to look away, I found it difficult, and were it not for the growls of her mates, I would have continued to stare unabashed. I hoped she would attend today’s meeting, though given that the new babes were still infants, there was a good chance she would not.

As I settled in, members from each of the five families began to arrive. Dr. Nina Bridges and her mate Talix Krynn were the first to enter. They were soon followed by Gorak Malak, who had mated with Thalia Montgomery. Next to arrive was Draenar Breen with his mate Yvonne Adams, along with Lydia Collins-Adler and her mate Parnifh Bral. The last to arrive was Orenik Cyradis, one of Vivien’s mates and my fellow Elder. I was disappointed that Vivien was not present to once again offer my contrition, but after sending her to prison for a year, I knew that earning her forgiveness would be difficult, if not impossible.

I had also summoned four diplomatic Elders from Quadrant 3, as well as four Warrior class brethren, specifically for today’s meeting. As was my right as Chief Elder, I chose to withhold introductions until I deemed it appropriate later in the meeting.

“Greetings, brethren and Earth mothers. I welcome you today to the Directorate’s informal council. Most of you know each other, but I will make introductions as needed,” I stated firmly. I took my place at the head of the conference table, my seat positioned slightly higher than the others, and gestured for everyone to be seated.

I turned first to Orenik and then to Gorak, asking each the same question, “Brothers, will your mates and babes be joining you at today’s meeting?”

Gorak replied, “No, Thalia is in the final stages of pregnancy and finds travel uncomfortable.”

“That is understandable,” I said, feeling a mix of amazement and a twinge of envy that his mate was once again with child. This would mark three sets of sons in the three years they had been mated.

“Vivien did not wish to come,” my Elder brother commented dryly. Elder Orenik was, by all accounts, next in line for my position. He had openly defied my directives regarding his mate and caused dissension in the great assembly hall. Many still whispered about the day Elder Orenik cast aside his elder robes, declaring that he was still a warrior who would fight for his mate. Even in the face of his defiance, I neither capitulated nor rescinded my decision—a move I had come to regret.

“I trust that you both will relay what we discuss here to your mates and brethren not present,” I said, remaining composed. “We have several matters that require immediate attention.”

As I was speaking, another Elder entered the room, causing me to pause. It was my bound brother, Rektrion Bryll. I was dumbfounded to see him here. He rarely left the confines of our home—more specifically, the meditation chamber where he spent most of his time. It was uncommon to see him at all, let alone striding into a meeting. It had been years since I had witnessed this sight.

Rektrion still stood tall, perhaps half a foot above my own seven-foot frame. He wore the same Elder robes as the rest of us, except for Elders Orenik, Maerik, and Auerik. His claws remained as deadly sharp and larger than those of most Warrior class Orcqlaneasions, and his fangs, pointed and sharp, extended slightly below his chin. His skin was still the same shade of polished jade it had been when we first bonded more than seven decades ago, but his eyes were different. They were no longer clear but clouded over as if shrouded in fog. It was evident that he, like me, was unbound.

Rektrion’s presence brought our status to the forefront—our bond had been broken when we lost one of our brethren, Draebrion Maer, more than thirty years ago while we were still Warrior class. Our band of four had been reduced to three, each of us suffering the consequences in his own way.

For my part, I managed to maintain my sanity, though high-stress situations often tested my resolve, especially when life-and-death decisions hung in the balance. The abyss of insanity where anger and violence threatened to overtake reason constantly loomed before me, but I fought against it, never fully losing control.

Rektrion, the fiercest of my brothers, sought peace through meditation, immersing himself in the sacred scrolls in an effort to find balance within a broken bond unit. His personality had been so intertwined with his capacity for havoc and destruction that it took every ounce of his will to focus on calmness. His greatest enemy was sleep; exhaustion would bring nightmares that reminded him of his tenuous grip on reality.

Our remaining bound brother, Fraebrion Maer, had been lost to madness. He was the biological twin of Draebrion and had declined further into insanity with each passing year. To protect him, we kept him in a padded cell in the lower level of our home. Many believed we should have followed established protocols and euthanized him, most thought that we had,  but I feared what the loss of another bound brother would do to Rektrion’s sanity—and my own. As Chief Elder of the Directorate, I had the power to keep Fraebrion alive, sheltered from both himself and others.

Regaining my composure after these brief musings, I gestured for Rektrion to take the seat at the other end of the conference table. I wasn’t sure why he had come, and in my agitation, I felt the madness begin to creep into my clarity—but then it abated. I looked at Rektrion and saw that he had closed his eyes, and I understood why he was here. This meeting would require me to make difficult decisions. Rektrion was lending me his calm, helping me stay focused and sane, at least for today.

“In addition to the Orcqlaneasion-human hybrid families represented here, I have enlisted brethren from Quadrant 3 to assist with the ongoing nuisance of the Pstoadys,” I informed the assembled group.

“I wouldn’t characterize Torvak and Tovak, as a mere nuisance,” Earth Mother Nina responded. It was no surprise—by all accounts, everything the Pstoadys had done was in her name, as they viewed her as some sort of goddess-like figure. It was disconcerting, but Earth Mother Nina was blameless for the havoc they had caused; she had been their first victim in their misguided attempt to aid my brethren’s efforts in procreation.

“Perhaps ‘nuisance’ was a poor choice of words, Earth Mother Nina,” I said with feigned contrition. It was always wiser to acquiesce to the breeding females rather than engage in outright confrontation.

“Elders Nerisch Braedaris, Helvich Dralvion, and Coervich Thaloryn  will take over the responsibilities of Orcqlaneasion Ambassadors in the Galactic Alliance General Assembly vacated by Elders Orenik Cyradis, Maerik Valtorin, and Auerik Zephiron,” I said as a means of introducing the Elders to the others in the meeting. Each in turn greeted the assembled group following which I continued.  “There has been another petition from the General Assembly lodged by the human Ambassador McClain regarding the disappearance of Earth Mother Lydia Collins-Adler.”

“I haven’t disappeared, he’s only angry that I’m no longer financing his political campaign. I’ve messaged him more than once assuring him that I’m fine, but he’s pressing the issue because I’ve had a change of heart,” she said agitatedly.  Her mate placed his claw on her shoulder and squeezed it in a comforting manner. She leaned into him and smiled. Momentarily, I lost my thoughts witnessing the obvious signs of love and devotion between the pair before forging ahead once again.

“There is also the matter of the false communiques that have circulated regarding a network of human females posing a threat to Orcqlaneasus. Although we have issued a retraction, we have not re-issued the original missive outlining the crimes committed by the two Pstoady scientists, Tovak and Torvak. They remain elusive and still pose an imminent threat to our homeworld.”

“They pose much more of a threat to the unsuspecting human women that they dose with their pheromone cocktail. It could be argued that Orcqlaneasus is the beneficiary of their meddling, but calling them a threat indicates that they seek to cause harm and the Pstoadys have in no way ever sought to harm Orcqlaneasions,” Earth Mother Nina remarked.

“I agree with Nina, the harm that they cause is directed toward human women, whether they mean to or not,” Earth Mother Yvonne concurred.

“Exactly, you keep looking at this as an Orcqlaneasion issue instead of a human female issue. And let’s face it, because of their misguided admiration of Nina, they’ve only targeted Black women. I’m not even sure how I was infected, since I never even saw the Pstoadys, but my mate Xarufh believes he saw them on Earth’s moon,” Earth Mother Lydia added.

“Then the moon is where we will begin our search. Brothers Ebanth Vrek, Qorath Dral, Ulveth Brak, and Yaroth Krym, have been tasked with finding the Pstoadys and delivering them to Orcqlaneasus to stand trial for their crimes against Orcqlaneasus and the human females,” I stated.

“We will not let you down Chief Elder Illbrien. My brethren and I vow to find the Pstoady criminals. They will not escape justice!” Qorath said emphatically.

Sighing in exasperation, Earth Mother Nina spoke again. “I’m sure you're very good, but you won’t find them. They are very good at hiding, especially when they don’t want to be found.”

“Right, you have to address this as a human problem with a human solution. What you need is someone like us to find the Pstoadys. On Earth, I worked with an exceptional investigator, whose sole role was to seek out information and people that didn’t want to be found. Evalynne Browne is a former sergeant in the Space Marines and headed the executive security of my former company Lunar Dynamics. If anyone could find the Pstoadys, it’s Evalynne. Plus she fits their target. She’s a Black woman, over 40 without a family. They would see her as a perfect mate for Orcqlaneasion males,” Earth Mother Lydia reasoned.

“Do you dare insult us by indicating a mere human female can more readily neutralize this threat to the homeworld than Orcqlaneasion warriors in our prime? Brethren, is this what comes of mating with human females, to be denigrated as warriors?” Qorath exclaimed.

A series of growls followed by the crash of falling chairs resounded throughout the room as the mated Orcqlaneasion males bounded to their feet in defense of their human mates. I remained calm, since this was not the first time I had been forced to face mated Orcqlaneasions in an uproar. I took a deep breath, bolstered by the calming energies sent by my bound brother deep in a trance; I stood and lifted my claws upward.

“Brothers, regain your composure. Collect your chairs and return to your seats. Nothing can be accomplished with posturing and anger. There have been no insults levied. I have come to know these human females and have learned that being outspoken is in their nature and often an unintended offense is the consequence of it.”  I turned to Earth Mother Lydia, who seemed flustered by the squabble and was seeking to pacify her mate by clasping his face in her hands and placing her forehead against his. Again, I felt a pang of envy, as I watched the mates, oblivious to all, giving each other comfort and solace.

“Earth Mother Lydia, contact your human associate.  I want this matter put to rest immediately. Perhaps she can locate the Pstoadys, perhaps not. In any event, I trust our warrior brethren to apprehend the scientists and bring them to Orcqlaneasus to stand trial for their crimes,” I said to reassure my brethren and still make use of the human’s resources.

Speaking to the Warrior class brethren I said, “They are not to be harmed in any way.  Indeed, for all their misguided efforts, they have uncovered the key to our survival.”

“It usually takes at least a week or two to get a message to Earth. I will contact Evalynne as soon as I return home with my mate.” said, Earth Mother, Lydia.

“That will not be necessary.  Any communication originating from the Directorate council, will arrive immediately,” I said imposingly. I stood and moved to the center communications console that was embedded in our conference table. I beckoned for the female to come with me and she complied along with her mate. I used my access code and allowed the human to input the sequence of numbers needed to make contact. All eyes followed the progress by looking at the view screen awaiting the response to the outgoing communication.

The screen suddenly came to life and the most remarkable creature I had ever seen filled its confines.

“Lydia, I would not have answered for any other person in the world. You caught me in the middle of my VR Krav Maga regimen.  How the hell are you? Where the hell are you? It’s been months since I got a message from you, telling me to stand down and that you were okay.”

“I’m great, Evalynne. I’m actually in the middle of a meeting in the Orcqlaneasus Directorate Council and I suggested you for a delicate, somewhat covert operation,” Earth Mother Lydia said.

“Of course, Lydia, is there any other type of mission that you’ve ever had for me. Okay, you’ve got my attention, give me the gist of it.”

I gestured for Earth Mother Lydia to allow me to step into view so that I could speak directly with the exceptional human female.

“Greetings, Evalynne Browne, Earth Mother Lydia Collins-Adler speaks very highly of you.  We would like to contract your services for a human-Orcqlaneasion problem that you may be uniquely situated to handle.  I would like to invite you to confer with us on our moon base as soon as possible. We will send transport for you immediately.” I said with conviction.  I needed to see her in person, and I would not be deterred.

“Whoa partner, slow your role. I need to speak with Lydia to get more of the specifics before I can make an informed decision about whether or not to take the job you are offering,” the impressive female responded.

I stepped away from the view screen, leaving Earth Mother Lydia to persuade this female to accept my offer. I would have her here. No—more importantly, I would have her as my mate. The other matings had happened through chance, opportunity, or sheer luck. But this time, I would seize my fate. Not just my fate, but the fate of my brethren. I would not lose them. I would not lose myself.

It made sense why Rektrion was here. He must have been compelled by something greater, drawn to this moment to meet his destiny. I glanced at him. His altered meditative state was gone; his eyes were sharp and clear, focused intently on the fierce human female on the screen.

She was different. Far different from the others. Her countenance had no soft edges. Instead, it was a study of geometric planes and angles with high cheekbones and a square jaw. Her deep brown skin glistened, the sheen of perspiration coated her exposed face and torso, evidence of her aborted training routine. She spoke with a slow deep drawl, elongating her words even through the filter of a standardized translation chip. This female was a warrior. Her body was magnificently scarred, from the deep rivets on the left side of her hairline that were barely covered by her thick white coily hair to the deep angry slash marks apparent above her breasts.  Her breasts–I had no words to articulate their beauty, no their bounty. She wore a sleeveless fitted shirt, also drenched with human perspiration, that perfectly hugged her massive globes of flesh. She was the one. She could save us. She would save my brethren and me and pull us from the abyss of madness.

The communications screen went black jolting me back from my primal thoughts. In my most composed voice I asked. “Have we lost communication?”

“No, brother Illbrien. An agreement was made for Evalynne and Lydia to meet in two weeks time. This will also give us time to answer the petition from the Earth delegation at the next General Assembly of the Galactic Alliance in Quadrant 4. I will lend my assistance to the Elder brethren assigned to replace my bound brothers and me for the upcoming diplomatic meeting,” Elder Orenik said.

Any other time, I would be extremely vexed that he had overstepped by issuing directives that should rightly come from me, but I was lost in thoughts of the human female, so I allowed this show of disrespect from the other Elder.

“Now that we have a tentative course of action. I will send out a detailed memorandum with specific instructions for those gathered today.” I turned to the Warrior class Orcqlaneasions and spoke directly to them.

“I would like you to go to Earth's moon as soon as possible to ascertain whatever information you can about the alien Pstoadys. This will give you a jump start on the human and her efforts to assist.”

“This concludes today’s meeting. Confer with me through digital correspondence if you have any questions about your assigned duties.”

As the group exited the room, Elder Orenik approached me.  “Brother Illbrien, how long has this upgraded communication technology been in place?” he inquired.

“The communications system was updated for ruling parties of the Galactic Alliance in case of urgent matters that needed to be handled immediately. I hope this new system meets with your approval, brother,” I replied, avoiding the question as to how long the system had been in place.

“It does brother, and I look forward to you sharing information about this new technological upgrade with other members of the Directorate,” he said before walking away.

At his departure, I turned and strode toward my bound brother Rektrion who was the only remaining being in the room.

“Using a human female to ferret out the Pstoadys is a sound plan, brother,” he said.

I was distracted having just seen our mate on the vid screen. I debated whether I should share my thoughts with my bound brother

“What did you think of her, brother?” I asked.

“The human, she seems capable, I will review her records if you would like my counsel to be certain she is up to the task,” he said.

“She is more than up to the task,” I said. I was so excited I could no longer conceal my thoughts from him. “She will make an exceptional mate!”

“Mate? Whose mate will she be?” he asked skeptically.

Grasping my brother’s forearm with my claw I said, “It is apparent that she is the one for us.”

“But, she does not know of us. We are unbound. How will you convince her?” He asked.

“In the same manner as the previous matings, only I will take a more direct path,” I said.

I felt my brother look at me quizzically and I sought to reassure him. “It will be fine.  We will soon have a mate, and we will all be healed once again,” I said, hoping my words would become reality.

Chapter 2: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

It had been years since I’d been off planet in any significant manner.  In my youth, I’d enlisted in the Space Marines, caught up in the romanticized notion of outer space travel.  But just like many things in life, it didn’t nearly live up to the hype.  It did, however, teach me essential life skills, including discipline, tenacity, and patience.  I learned how to lead others, identify talent, and most importantly how to tell the difference between the truth and a lie; a skill that came in handy as a military investigator.

I spent thirty years in the Space Marines before retiring to civilian life, where I built a lucrative career putting my skills to work for some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet, securing their interests. I always tried to stay objective with my clients, though most were privileged assholes with more money than sense. Still, I couldn’t be too dismissive—they were the reason I could afford to retire wherever I wanted and live the lifestyle I had once only dreamed of.

I was just easing into my second retirement after being ousted from the now defunct Lunar Dynamics by Ben Adler. Adler was a prime example of most of my clients. He was spoiled, whiny, and rich. The only thing he ever had going for him was his ex-wife Lydia. In fact, Lydia Collins-Adler was the one who had hired me.  Her introductions to others in her circle put my executive security consulting firm on the map. I knew however, the last job she gave me would be the last one for Lunar Dynamics, especially since I’d uncovered the affair and mistress Adler did a poor job of hiding from Lydia.

I owed Lydia a helluva lot. If she needed my help, somewhere in outer space, I’d answer the call. Plus, I couldn’t wait to see her as a mother to hybrid alien babies.  She always had a fixation on Space Orcs, which I found humorous.  Who knew that she’d actually hook up with not one but four and deliver a litter of little green aliens. Yeah, the trip to the moon just outside Orcqlaneasus space would be worth it just to see this new side of Lydia.

It only took me a couple of days to wrap up everything on Earth.  I didn’t have any active client accounts since I was trying my hand at retiring.  So far, it was boring as hell, and I knew it would be just a matter of time before I sought out work. I received the official files from the Directorate of Orcqlaneasus which caused me to have more questions than answers. However, I was waiting to receive a file from Lydia which would give me her personal unfiltered account of what happened to her and possibly more details about the other women. With any luck, it would reach me by the time I got to the moon.

The targets of my investigation were two Pstoady scientists Tovak and Torvak.  They’d worked in Med-Space 7 during the Distant Wars under the direction of Dr. Nina Bridges.  At the conclusion of the war, they’d developed a pheromone treatment to assist Dr. Bridges with her infertility issues. It caused her to go into human estrus, or the equivalent of heat, causing increased libido, high temperature, uterine cramping, and migraines. The only resolution for the heat was copulation with Orcqlaneasion males. A species that happened to be near extinction due to their low population and lack of females.  The Pstoadys developed the pheromone specifically to work with human women and Orcqlaneasion males. Not only that, the women infected to date were all Black women.  So far there had been five women exposed to Pstoady pheromone treatment, most by way of doctored hyposprays, after directly encountering the scientists. In Lydia’s case she had not made direct contact with the Pstoadys, but she had been dosed as well.   Using the information she sent me, I planned to travel to the moon first before heading to Outpost 4.  I would meet with our diplomats there before finally traveling to Orcqlaneasus space.

~~~

The previous times I had been to the moon as a soldier, it had been a desolate, cold place where my unit quickly transferred from one ship to another.  I’d been back a few times as a civilian, but even then it was just a relay station to access transport to Outpost 4. Now however, it was different.  Business interests and government entities had worked to change it from a  transport relay station to a communication hub for the Galactic Alliance. They’d constructed a  titanium-alloy dome that housed quantum communicators that connected us to distant worlds and maintained an Earth-like atmosphere complete with oxygen, artificial gravity, water, regulated temperature, and simulated sunlight cycles.  This made the once mysterious dark side of the moon of my youth, just another tourist trap, with vendors hawking goods and services to space tourists and transitional colonists.

Pushing aside my annoyance at the commercialization of the moon, I was assaulted with sights and sounds upon exiting my transport along with other moon travelers.

“Hey Sis, I’ve got just the place for you if you are world-weary and want to release some stress.”

Amidst the chaos, I heard the unexpected sales pitch and turned to locate its source. I was surprised to see a smiling, short Black woman about 15 years my junior. My first thought was to dismiss her and whatever she was selling, but since I came here looking for information, she might prove useful.  I fixed my usual resting bitch face into a hesitant smile before starting the conversation with my new source.

“I don’t know, what are you selling?” I asked as though I was interested. The woman immediately perked up even more, if that was possible.  She was one of those effervescent, bubbly, personalities, probably a born optimist.  Generally, all that positivity rubbed me the wrong way, but since I was on a case, I played nice.

“My name is Sunni, and I’m the new manager of Moon Dust Spa and Salon. We are a full service spa and beauty service catering to the needs of melanated skin and hair,” she said breathlessly.

This was a promising turn of events. A full-service spa was exactly the kind of place Lydia would frequent. Her files hadn’t fully downloaded yet, leaving me operating blind about what had happened on the moon, but this was as good a place as any to start. I decided to befriend the overly friendly woman and purchase a few unnecessary spa treatments to gather information that might aid in my search for the Pstoadys.

Using my friendliest tone I said, “I didn’t know hair could be melanated.”

Sunni–that couldn’t really be her name could it–replied with light, lilting, laughter.

“Sis, you know what I mean,” she said.

I smiled and replied, “Yeah, I know.”

She walked over to a small white transport vehicle, the moon equivalent of a golf cart, with the name “Moon Dust Spa and Salon” emblazoned on its side with equally cheesy artwork. I had to fold my six-foot frame almost in half to squeeze into the vehicle. Luckily, it was a short trip to reach our destination.

Sunni gave instructions as we approached the entrance. “Okay, the doors will close first, and then you’ll get a quick body scan. It’s completely harmless, I promise! It’s just to customize your treatment options and make you feel amazing!” she gushed, her voice full of lively excitement.

I nodded and stepped inside. Sure enough, the doors slid shut behind me, and a soft hum signaled the start of the body scan. A fine mist of compressed air followed, brushing against my skin. I guessed it was meant to give me a quick energy boost. Moments later, the doors opened, revealing the spa’s serene main interior.

Sunni followed close behind, her cheerful presence filling the room just as a small pink loveseat rolled in, its pastel color adding a whimsical touch to the sleek surroundings.

“Go ahead and have a seat,” she said as she sat next to me. “This part is great, all you have to do is sit back, enjoy the ride and take a look at all the services available to you.” She handed me a small tablet and continued. “If there’s anything you like or have any question about you can stop the ride and get more information by pressing the heart on the tablet, or you can just ask me, she said smiling.”

Here was my chance to start grilling her for information. As soon as I started to ask my first question, the screens embedded in the pink walls lit up to show a view screen with information.

“Welcome, Evalynne Browne, independent security consultant and executive security specialist, formerly of Lunar Dynamics, now retired. Formerly a sergeant in the military investigations unit of the Space Marines, retired… we thank you for your service. Many retirees look to the moon and stars to give them their next grand adventure, allow us to offer you an array of products and services to transition to your new life.”

I was both impressed and unsettled that the brief body scan had given the salon’s A.I. so much information about me, but I shook it off and got to work.

“So Sunni, is that really your name, because it does seem to fit your personality,” I said to break the ice.

“Yes, I mean no, it’s actually Sunnitha, but everybody has called me Sunni all my life,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“How long have you worked here? It seems like a really nice facility—though a bit isolated, being on the moon and all,” I said.

“I’ve only been here a few weeks. Originally, I was trying to get a spot in one of the new human colonies, but I didn’t make the cut,” she said with a shrug. “I stayed subscribed to all the news and updates about space travel, though, and one day I saw an ad for a manager position at a high-tech, full-service salon and spa on the moon. Since I used to run my own salon back in Memphis and had the right credentials, I decided to apply. I was interviewed online, and before I knew it, I had this amazing job on the moon! It’s almost like a fairytale—too good to be true!” she added, her voice bubbling with excitement.

On the surface, it seemed like a nice story, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more beneath it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to unravel yet another mystery—I only had a couple of days to make my next connection to Outpost 4 before continuing on to Orcqlaneasus’s moon.

“I’m glad you’ve had this opportunity,” I said, maintaining a friendly tone. “How long do you plan on staying?” I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“That’s the best part! They’re planning to open more spa-salons on the colonies as they get up and running, so I’ll still get my chance at a new life on a new world,” she said, her voice full of hope.

“I’m really happy for you if that’s what you want,” I replied, then added, “But don’t you have family or friends back on Earth?”

“No,” she said, her tone softening just slightly. “My fiancé and I both wanted a new life as colonists, but he got accepted into the program and I didn’t. I sold my salon—the one I owned with my best friend—and even convinced her to apply. She got in too, but she didn’t want to go alone,” she paused, and I already knew where this story was headed before she could finish. “Anyway, they decided to go together, and honestly, it’s fine. I needed a fresh start, and this opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time.”

I felt a pang of guilt for bringing it up, sensing there was more beneath her words than she was letting on. Sunni’s quick dismissal seemed almost too smooth, as if rehearsed, and the bright smile she wore didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Before I could fumble through an apology, she brushed it off entirely and grinned, her energy shifting again.

“Life happens, right? You never know what’s around the corner,” she said optimistically, her cheerfulness almost too perfect. “I’m just excited to be here, meeting new people like you and working in this beautiful place. So, enough about me! There are so many choices—what looks good to you?”

I selected a massage, facial, and nails—not because I wanted anything on the menu, but because I wanted to make amends for bringing up a sore subject. No one who knew me would ever believe I had stepped foot in a fancy spa and salon, let alone paid for its services. My trips to the barber were strictly once a month to keep my fade sharp, with my curly, snow-white Afro standing out boldly against my dark skin.

Sunni set me up in the first treatment room for a pedicure, and I opened my tablet to see if I had finally received the information from Lydia. I had asked her for a detailed account of her time on the moon, hoping it would provide some leads. For some reason, she had chosen not to send the information using the Directorate’s communication channel, and it had taken much longer for me to receive it.

“Shit!” I exclaimed loudly, kicking away the small android that had been working on my feet.

Sunni burst into the room moments later, completely out of breath. “Is everything okay? What happened?” she asked, her eyes wide with concern.

“Sunni, I just found out my friend Lydia Collins-Adler was here. Do you have any records of her time here?” I asked urgently.

Sunni froze for a moment, her expression uncertain. “No, I don’t. I mean, I just started,” she said haltingly. Then, sensing my growing agitation, she quickly added, “Let’s ask the computer.”

She turned to the console and began typing, but as my impatience became palpable, she abandoned the keyboard and spoke directly. “Computer, do you have any records of Lydia Collins-Adler being here?”

“Lydia Collins-Adler was our first guest, arriving on stardate 224901051246.36,” the computerized voice replied smoothly.

I leaned forward, my urgency spilling over. “Do you have any record of her meeting anyone here?” I asked impatiently.

“Lydia Collins-Adler met four Orcqlaneasion males: Xarufh Jex, Parnifh Bral, Jaraefh Drak, and Veltrufh Grend, who are now her mates,” the computerized voice responded.

I frowned. It was strange that the system would know such detailed information about Lydia, especially since very few people were aware of her situation.

“Computer, what else can you tell me about Lydia Collins-Adler?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

“Lydia Collins-Adler is the mate of Xarufh Jex, Parnifh Bral, Jaraefh Drak, and Veltrufh Grend. She is also the mother of four human-Orcqlaneasion hybrid children. She currently resides on the planet Orcqlaneasus with her mates and children. She is one of five human females living on Orcqlaneasus with their mates and children,” the computerized voice intoned smoothly.

“Computer, do you have information on all the human women who reside on Orcqlaneasus?”

“Yes, I have information on all human-Orcqlaneasion matings and offspring,” the computerized voice responded evenly.

Something about that didn’t sit right. Why would a computer in a beauty spa on the moon have detailed records about humans mated to Orcqlaneasions and their children? On the surface, it made no sense. There had to be a reason.

“Computer, why do you have this information?” I asked, cutting straight to the point. Deep down, I knew this was somehow connected to the alien scientists I’d been tracking, even if I couldn’t quite piece it together yet.

“It is part of my programming to keep an up-to-date account of all the human females on Orcqlaneasus,” the voice replied, its tone unnervingly neutral.

I stiffened. “Computer, who programmed you with this information, and what is its purpose?”

“That information is confidential. You do not have access to it,” the computerized voice replied, as cold and unyielding as the chill that suddenly crawled down my spine.

I felt a shiver run from my neck to my back, immobilizing me for a moment as the full weight of the situation began to sink in.

“I’m sorry,” I heard Sunni say as my vision began to blur.

I struggled to stay conscious, to make sense of what was happening, but whatever drug she had hyposprayed me with was powerful. My limbs felt heavy, my thoughts sluggish, and the edges of my sight darkened.

Just before everything went black, I caught a glimpse of two blurry figures—Pstoady scientists in long white lab coats.

Well, I’d found them at last, for all the good it had done me.

Chapter 3: Fraebrion Maer – Unbound Space Orc

Shards of light pierce through my mind, splintering shapes. I won’t let them wake me. Here, I am free from the shadows that chase me endlessly, clawing under my skin, screaming in my ears. I see myself, though younger, more than once. There are two of me, laughing and playing. Then shadows take over and I’m dueling with myself, and sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. I look somewhat different now.  I can see that it’s not two of me rather it is my blood brother, my twin. Draebrion, but he fades away all too soon. A shower of red clouds my vision and I see nothing.  I am blind. Slowly the world comes back into focus, but it is still askew.  It has not settled and Draebrion has disappeared again.  My dreams fade, and the perennial noise in my brain begins again.  I desperately want to be free of the pain. I scream but no one hears me.  I cannot cry, that is not the warrior’s way, plus all my tears were wrenched from my being by Draebrion’s loss. In lucid moments I question why my bound brothers let me live this way, in constant torment, unbound from reality and any semblance of life. I should have died with Draebrion instead of existing in this state of ennui for decades.

I squeeze my massive body into the corner of my dwelling. Sometimes it’s my bedroom, sometimes my cell. It changes constantly, and I can’t tell where I am, so I huddle in a corner to brace myself to the onslaught of terror, madness, and grief that is my life. I rock to comfort myself, the rhythm softens the angry voices in my head that make me want to destroy, kill, hurt.

“Brother, I’m not sure if you can hear me or not,” my bound brother Illbrien says. I hear him through the other voices, but I can’t let them know. I trick them by ignoring him and not listening. I rock steadily back and forth. The voices get angry if I stop. I want Illbrien to leave, but he stays and keeps talking, moving closer to me.

“I have found our salvation. I know how to help you; how to help all of us repair our bond. I have found a mate for us. She is human, beautiful, strong, a true warrior’s mate. She will give us strong sons and you will come back to us. This I vow, brother.”

The words are jumbled coming from his lips. I don’t understand.  I grunt in pain, wanting him to leave. Nothing could be worse than having him here, speaking words half-heard.  I want to attack him, claw out his eyes. I growl menacingly, I have no words to make him leave.

“Why are you here, Illbrien?”

No, no, Rektrion is here now too. Too many warriors, we should battle. I struggle to keep my battle rage contained. But I remember they are my bound so I continue to rock myself and focus on the sensation of the movement. I repeat the soothing mantra over and over in my mind ‘they are my bound, they are my bound’ I hear the words from my brothers but they don’t make sense to me. I listen only to the voices, arguing with each other inside my head, pushing me to fight, destroy, kill.

“I am taking Fraebrion with me to collect our mate.”

“This is a fool’s errand. The human has not agreed to mate with us. She has never even met us.”

“She will be our mate, whether you agree or not. It is our only hope. I will not lose another brother. I will not become unbound.”

“You are unbound, the very idea that you would force a human female to become a mate without her consent.”

“She will consent.”

“Only because you have stolen the hyposprays the Pstoadys used.”

“How could you know that?”

“I found them in your office. Do you know what would happen if anyone knew they were missing from the science lab? Dr. Bridges needs them to discover a cure.”

“We don’t need a cure. We need more, we need those damn little toad scientists to create more, much more, enough for all our brethren to have mates.”

“Brother, you have become completely unbound if you do not see the catastrophic error in your reasoning. Forcing human females to become mates without their permission would put us at odds with the people of Earth.”

“I don’t care about angering Earthlings. What can they do? They depend on us for security throughout the galaxy. I will not continue to argue with you. It’s upsetting Fraebrion even more. I’m taking my brother and seeking out our mate. Either you can come with us or tell the brethren of the Directorate. It’s your choice, brother.”

“We both know I have no choice. If you are set on this path there is nothing more to do than to make sure that it is as smooth as possible.”

“Brother, you will not regret this decision.  Help me secure Fraebrion for the journey.”

I see my brothers through glassy eyes.  They have been arguing and now their words have stopped and they turn to me.  Fight, now is the time.  The voices all push me forward and I stand to my full height, ready to take on two male Orcqlaneasion elders. They are not in their prime. I will kill them!

They rush at me, holding me down.  I feel the sting of hypospray in my neck. Everything gets dark and quiet. Peace at last.

Chapter 4: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Every part of my body ached as I struggled to break through to consciousness. I felt like my body was on fire. I couldn’t move. I knew this feeling, well not exactly this feeling, but I’d felt something similar.  I was pretty sure I was in a stasis pod, and not one designed by humans.

Human stasis pods looked like coffins with a clear lid displaying health stats—heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen levels, and neural activity. Inside, the dark, rigid frame held the body in place, and a faint blue glow of the screen flickered above the chest. The lights around the edges pulsed slowly, matching a heartbeat, while small indicators warned of any vital issues. Simple controls on the side allowed adjustments or emergency wake-ups if needed. As a space marine, I’d often been tasked in securing my unit in pods on our ingress to or egress from a mission.

Whatever I was in was completely alien. Standard alien stasis pods were radically different from human designs, immersing the occupant naked in a thick fluid that gradually turned spongy, forcing the mind to remember how to breathe as though back in the womb. The alien interface displayed unreadable symbols, and waking from stasis was a brutal experience—the mind jolting awake first, followed by the body in slow, staggered phases. Panic was deadly; if a human struggled, they could easily suffocate or drown in the thickened fluid. Yet the pods had clear advantages: missile-shaped and durable, they could double as escape capsules if a ship came under attack, and with an incredible shelf life, they could keep an occupant alive for up to 10 years, slowing heart rate and vitals to near-death to conserve life.

I tried to logically assess my environment and remain calm as my body struggled to catch up with my racing mind.  My first job was to survive the awakening, and then figure out what the hell had happened. The last thing I remembered was getting hypo-sprayed by the over friendly spa manager, Sunni. That bitch had it coming. Once I got out of this predicament, whatever the hell this was, I would find her. There would be no place in any galaxy where she could hide from me after knocking me out and locking me in an alien pod.  I grappled with the obvious contradiction—how could a seemingly attentive beauty spa worker turn out to be someone who assaults and confines another human against her will? Something was off, or maybe I was off, since my usual bullshit detector hadn’t picked up any red flags about her. Maybe it was the Pstoadys. I recalled seeing them enter as I fell into unconsciousness. This was yet another reminder that they weren’t the harmless creatures they were supposed to be—either something more sinister was at play, or I was missing a much bigger picture. Whatever the truth, I’d get to the bottom of it as soon as I was out of this alien death crypt.

A faint, scratching sound echoed from outside the pod—a sound that could only mean one thing: I was no longer on the moon, nor within the safety of a spaceship. The realization slammed into me—I could be anywhere in the vast stretch of space, marooned on a hostile planet, with unknown alien creatures clawing to tear their way into the life pod. My heart thundered, each scrape on the metal sparking a new wave of dread. My addled brain, still groggy from stasis, was slowly coming online; fever burned through my body, screaming one thing—Don’t wake up. The moment I fully came to, the pod would open, exposing me to whatever lay outside. In this unknown hell, the safest option was to remain in stasis. It wasn’t without risk, but at least it bought me time. I couldn’t fight, and fleeing wasn’t an option. Forcing my mind to stop racing, I matched my breathing to the slow, steady beat of my heart, feeling myself drift again, slipping back into unconsciousness.

Chapter 5: Rektrion Bryll – Elder Space Orc

Starting each day in a deep meditative state galled me, though I knew it was necessary. Somehow, I had become the fragile calm within our fractured brotherhood, the one thin thread holding us back from complete madness. The irony of this would be obvious only to those who had known us as we once were, nearly thirty years ago, when we were whole. Back then, I was the reckless one, quick to act, never giving a damn about consequences. Even in my youth, before the binding, I couldn’t sit still long enough to absorb the meditative lessons every warrior was supposed to master, meant to tame the fierce flame within.

Illbrien had always been our anchor, steady and unflinching, balancing my impatience with his logical calm. Fraebrion and Draebrion, the twin brethren, were the light and laughter of our unit. Draebrion, the eternal optimist, believed we could survive anything as long as we fought together. Fraebrion, sharp-witted and clever, could see solutions no one else could, laughing each day as we reveled in our role as protectors of our little slice of the universe. The only shadow then was the relentless search for a mate—a quest that haunted our generation of Orcqlaneasion warriors, though even that seemed distant, a cloud on an otherwise bright horizon.

If only I had known then what I know now, perhaps I would have seen those days for what they were, glorious in their simplicity, even without a mate. And now here I was, chasing a final misadventure, following my brethren on a fool’s errand. Illbrien believed, with every fiber of his being, that he had found our salvation—our missing mate, the one to make us whole. He even dragged our shattered brother, Fraebrion, into this madness, all for the sake of a human female he glimpsed once on a vid screen.

I had made my choice. I would stand beside my brethren and see this journey through to the end, but I had already set our final course. I’d humor Illbrien, meet this human female, and then send her on her way. There would be no more false hopes, no more desperate quests. After this, the search would end, one way or another. Our final journey was set.

“Rektrion, come to the bridge immediately. We’re approaching Earth’s moon!” Illbrien called through the ship’s comm unit.

I took a deep breath, finishing my final meditative cycle, and left my stateroom to check on Fraebrion before heading to the bridge. He was still sleeping, likely sedated by the surplus of drugs Illbrien had given him to keep him calm during the journey.

“Rektrion, I need you on the bridge now!” Illbrien’s voice came through the comm again, more agitated.

Securing the locks on Fraebrion’s unit, I made my way to the bridge, where I found my most distraught brother already in a heated conversation with someone on the viewscreen.

“What do you mean, she’s not there? When last we spoke, you told me she was on the moon, that you’d located the Pstoadys,” Illbrien was nearly shouting, his voice strained.

“Elder, we tracked Evalynne Browne as she entered the Moon Dust Spa and Salon at 22:00 hours Galactic Standard,” reported the Orcqlaneasion on screen, whom I recognized as Qorath Dral. “But she never exited. Upon further investigation, we found the spa had been abandoned, with no occupants left behind. We scanned the moon’s perimeter, and her life signals were no longer present.”

“No life signals? What are you implying? Is she dead? She can’t be dead!” Illbrien’s voice trembled, bordering on hysteria.

I quickly moved to his side, sensing his tenuous hold on sanity slipping. “Illbrien, they’ve likely left the planet. That’s probably why her life signature isn’t registering on the moon.”

“Precisely, Elder,” Qorath continued in his steady tone. “We tracked them once they departed the moon. They exited Quadrant 4 and entered Quadrant 3.”

“Then why are you here, in Earth’s space, instead of pursuing them?” Illbrien demanded, his voice sharp.

“We couldn’t risk them intercepting our communication with you. We have tracking devices in place in case they move again,” Qorath explained.

I interjected, giving Illbrien a moment to collect himself. “That’s a sound strategy, given their history of intercepting messages between Orcqlaneasions.”

Qorath nodded, his gaze steady on the screen. “When we closed in on them and deployed a tractor beam, they jettisoned a stasis pod. The human female, Evalynne Browne, was in the pod.”

“Where is she? Do you have her on your ship?” Illbrien demanded, his composure barely intact.

“No, Elder. They sent her pod to the sulfur planetoid, Zholtum. As you know, our vessel cannot filter the particulates from Zholtum’s sulfur pools and geysers. We couldn’t approach without compromising the ship and our mission.”

“She is your mission!” Illbrien screamed, his control shattering.

Qorath’s voice remained calm. “Our mission, as you outlined, Chief Elder Illbrien, was to monitor the human, Evalynne Browne, in order to assist with the capture of the Pstoady scientists, Torvak and Tovak.”

Realizing Illbrien’s rationality was fading, I stepped forward with a plan. “Send us the coordinates for her pod. We’ll reach Zholtum and devise a way to extract her safely. You return to where you tracked the Pstoadys and apprehend them. They need to be taken to Orcqlaneasus to answer for their crimes.”

“And what of the other human female traveling with them?” Qorath asked.

“The other human is a victim, like all the others. She is not to be harmed. If she’s uninfected, she may return to Earth. If she has been infected, she’ll need to find mates quickly,” I responded.

“If the Pstoadys jettison another pod to an inhospitable location, should we pursue the pod or stay on the Pstoadys?” Qorath asked.

“Let’s hope they don’t repeat that strategy, but if they do, your first priority is to secure the human and then capture the Pstoadys,” I said, my patience thinning.

I knew that few species could tolerate the toxic atmosphere of Zholtum, with its sulfurous pools and acrid geysers. I felt a fierce urgency to rescue the human—whether or not she proved to be our mate. This would indeed be our last great adventure as brothers.

~~~

Illbrien pushed the engines of our diplomatic spaceship far beyond their intended limits in his frantic desire to reach the human female. The journey should have taken at least two weeks Galactic Standard, but with the hyperspeed engaged, we arrived at our destination in less than 72 hours.

For the first time in several decades, I shed my Elder robes for my warrior’s armor once again. Strapped across my back were two swords in worn leather scabbards, their hilts angled just within reach, each blade honed to a deadly edge. The swords, forged from Orcqlaneasion steel, gleamed faintly, a testament to battles long past yet ready for any new fight. On either side of my belt rested twin daggers, compact but lethal, perfect for close combat.

I collected the other supplies that I’d need for this rescue of the human. The terrain and air were hostile to humans, so I packed a reinforced jacket and pants to protect against the abrasive landscape, along with rugged boots designed for rough footing. I included a respirator to filter out sulfurous particles if we encountered toxic gas pockets, and a utility belt stocked with essentials—a few water capsules, a compact weapon for close encounters, and a med-kit.

Evalynne was supposed to be a former space marine; with any luck, she’d be capable and wouldn’t lose her head under pressure. If she was even half the soldier her reputation suggested, she’d be able to handle herself in the harsh alien environment.

I walked past Fraebrion’s cabin for a final check before departure, but he wasn’t there. The cabin was empty, and a sense of dread knotted up in my stomach. I continued toward the bridge, bracing myself, though I already had an inkling of what was coming. Still, facing the reality was too much—Fraebrion stood there, fully dressed in battle regalia. What was Illbrien thinking? Our brother was barely coherent, yet here he was, outfitted head to toe for combat.

Equally shocking was the sight of Illbrien, Chief Elder of all Orcqlaneasus, decked out in battle armor rather than his revered white and gold robes. Rage bubbled to the surface at this outlandish display.

“Brothers, why are you girded for battle? We agreed that I would find the human and return with her,” I said, struggling to keep my composure.

“I’ve been reviewing the tracking footage from the cams our brethren left near the stasis pod,” Illbrien replied. “The indigenous sulfur beasts grow more frenzied at night, gathering in packs around the pod, scratching and clawing to get inside. You’ll have better odds if two of us fight them off while the third releases our mate from the pod.”

“Fraebrion is not fit for this, brother,” I replied through clenched teeth.

“Of course he is,” Illbrien snapped. “Every day and night, he battles countless enemies in his mind. Give him this chance to purge his rage on something real.”

“And the ship?” I pressed. “Illbrien, you must remain to pilot us out of the atmosphere. If we get too close, the ship will crash, and we’ll be stranded here.”

“I can secure the ship,” Illbrien answered. “I’ve scouted the planet and found a landing zone on the eastern mountainside—the only area with minimal sulfurous emissions. But it’s far from the pod, and with the terrain, a tractor beam is useless. We won’t have any method to communicate or gain assistance. Our best chance is to go together, fight our way through, and free our mate.”

I glanced at the coordinates Illbrien had mapped out. The plan was sound, like something the Illbrien of old might have devised. Yet this Illbrien was unbound, and there could be flaws I couldn’t yet see.

“How long will it take us to reach her if we land on the mountain?” I asked, beginning to accept the plan.

“If we hike, around thirty hours. Running, we can make it in half that time,” he replied.

I looked from him to Fraebrion. The last time Fraebrion had seen battle, he’d been warrior class—not an elder. I wondered if he even realized he’d aged into elderhood.

“Elders hike; warriors run,” I said, recalling the playful taunts of our youth. I clasped both my bound brothers’ arms. “It’s a good plan. We go together.”

Chapter 6: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

This was my third cycle into consciousness, and this time, I would face whatever waited outside. On one hand, it seemed foolhardy; on the other, I couldn’t keep waking and slipping back into stasis like some tragic Sleeping Beauty. A lifetime of hard living had taught me there was no such thing as Prince Charming. Since chivalry was dead and buried, I knew there’d be no knight in shining armor coming to save me.

If I was going to get out of this, I’d have to figure it out on my own. The only good thing was that I’d finally learned how to bring my body fully awake in one go—no more emerging as a helpless puddle when the pod opened. Now if only I could turn down the inferno raging inside me. Each moment of wakefulness brought searing heat, and I honestly felt like I might spontaneously combust. On top of that, I was wracked with painful cramps in my uterus, a sensation I hadn’t felt in over a decade.

And then there was the scratching—endless, nerve-grating, relentless. Whatever was out there was trying to get to me, and this time, I would face it. But as I prepared, I noticed something odd: the scratching had stopped. That couldn’t be good, could it? I couldn’t stay in this half-awake state any longer. With every fiber of my being, I screamed inside my mind, WAKE UP!

~~~

A rush of acrid air hit me as the pod’s top panel slid open, and the spongy liquid surrounding me instantly dissipated. I braced myself to see a ferocious creature with claws to match the scratching that had haunted me, expecting to fight for survival, to be torn apart. But what I didn’t expect was to look up and see the white-haired, green-skinned Chief Elder of the Orcqlaneasus Directorate, struggling to free me from my alien crypt.

I tried to speak, but my lungs were still thick with the remnants of the stasis fluid, making it impossible. I sat up too quickly, gagged, and ended up hurling over the side of the pod. I inhaled a deep breath, but the air was caustic, burning all the way down to my lungs.

As my vision steadied, I took in the hellscape around me—the jagged, desolate landscape of Zholtum, reeking of sulfur and haze. I knew I’d need a respirator soon or I’d be passing out again.

“Here, take this—it’ll help you breathe,” Elder Illbrien said, handing me a small breathing device.

I secured it over my face, relief flooding through me as cool, filtered air filled my lungs. Scanning the area, I realized just how precarious our situation was: two other Orcqlaneasion warriors stood in the open, surrounded by a massive pack of sulfur beasts. They were monstrous creatures, reptilian in form, with hulking, bear-sized bodies covered in thick, yellow-grey scales that looked more like hardened shell than skin. There had to be more than fifty of them, their cratered hides blending eerily with the sulfurous terrain as they encircled us, snarling and lunging at the Orcs and the pod.

I lifted the respirator slightly, just enough to speak. “Give me a weapon so we can get the hell out of here!”

Illbrien’s gaze met mine—though it lingered a second too long on my bare chest. I shot him a look. “Really? Now is so not the time.” Despite the danger, I felt a strange mix of exasperation, adrenaline, and a thrill I couldn’t quite shake before pressing the mask firmly back over my face.

He tossed me a bag with swift precision. “Clothes, armor—get suited up. Quickly.”

I tore the bag open, realizing he’d packed everything from reinforced pants to sturdy boots, clearly anticipating the brutal terrain. I hurriedly pulled on the jacket and pants, all the while listening to Illbrien’s blade slicing through the air as he held off the sulfur beasts swarming closer.

Midway through lacing up my boots, I caught sight of something behind him—a sulfur beast creeping in from his blind spot, its claws raised. Without hesitating, I lunged forward, yanking a knife from the scabbard at his side and driving it into the creature’s neck just before it could strike.

Illbrien glanced back, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as he registered the fallen creature. I finished lacing the last boot, catching my breath. He gave me a quick nod, something almost like respect in his eyes.

“Sleeping Beauty, my ass,” I muttered, gripping the knife tightly as I prepared for whatever came next.

“Stay close, Evalynne!” Illbrien barked, positioning himself beside me. “Rektrion, lead us out of here!”

Rektrion, his jade-green skin etched with battle scars and long white hair flowing behind him, fought with deadly precision, every move deliberate. He scouted a path through the chaos, his blade slashing through the beasts that dared approach. “This way!” he shouted, carving a way forward.

The huge sulfur beasts swarmed around us, their fanged maws snapping as they lunged. I swung the sword, slicing through the neck of a creature that had strayed too close, its sulfurous blood splattering across the terrain. The beast screeched, retreating for a brief moment before another charged in its place.

The third Space Orc with rich emerald-green skin and short, spiked white hair fought with a ferocity I’d never seen. His eyes were unfocused, as if seeing something beyond the battlefield, yet his movements were deadly and precise. He tore through the beasts with terrifying efficiency, his blade moving in a ruthless rhythm. He was a warrior possessed, lost in a fury that seemed almost otherworldly.

Another beast lunged at me, but I sidestepped, bringing my blade down hard across its spine. It let out a guttural scream, collapsing as I kicked it aside. I was fighting back-to-back with Illbrien, who wielded his sword with calm, calculated power, striking down each creature with unerring precision.

“Rektrion! We need an exit!” Illbrien called over his shoulder.

Rektrion’s sharp eyes scanned the perimeter, and with a quick twist of his wrist, he threw a dagger into the skull of a beast blocking a narrow path to the left. “This way!” he shouted, clearing a path forward.

“Move!” Illbrien commanded, and we pressed forward, hacking our way through the snarling beasts. Another creature lunged for me, but I swung the sword with every ounce of strength I had, cleaving through its armored hide. My arm ached, and my breath came in sharp gasps, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.

The silent, unknown Orc was a blur of deadly movement beside me, his face a mask of focused rage as he tore into the creatures that dared approach. One beast lunged, and he met it head-on, driving his blade into its skull with brutal force. He was relentless, his bright green skin and spiked hair gleaming with the creatures’ blood, as if he were locked in a war from another time, another life.

“To the left, follow Rektrion!” Illbrien commanded, pulling me along as he carved through another creature. I kept pace, my blade swinging in rhythm with the Orcs, fending off anything that tried to block our escape.

We finally broke free from the pack, stumbling onto a clearer stretch of sulfurous soil. Rektrion quickly scanned the area and spotted a dark opening nestled in the side of a cliff. “There—into the cave!” he ordered, waving us forward.

We sprinted across the rocky terrain and ducked into the cave, the sulfur beasts’ roars fading as we left them behind. Inside, the silence was almost jarring. I pressed my back against the cool stone wall, chest heaving as I caught my breath.

The distant Orc stood closest to the entrance, his gaze far away, as if he hadn’t yet left the battlefield. His presence radiated raw, barely restrained violence, his vivid green skin streaked with sulfuric blood, his grip still tight on his weapon. Even in the quiet of the cave, he seemed ready to unleash that fury again at a moment’s notice.

Illbrien moved near me, finally offering a calm introduction. “You’ve met Rektrion,” he said, nodding toward the jade-skinned Orc with the flowing white hair and scars. “And this,” he added, his gaze shifting to the intense figure by the entrance, “is Fraebrion.”

Fraebrion’s unfocused eyes met mine briefly, his expression unreadable, before he looked away, still gripping his blade as if expecting another attack.

I lifted the breathing device and noticed that I could actually breathe without pain in the cave.

“Thank you—for helping me out there,” I managed, glancing between them. “How did you find me?”

“A team of Warrior class Orcqlaneasions was tasked with finding the Pstoadys,” Illbrien explained, “and they were closing in when they saw the Pstoadys jettison your stasis pod to avoid capture.”

“So, did you finally catch them?” I asked, glancing between them.

“Not yet, but we’re close,” Rektrion replied.

Illbrien met my gaze, his expression taut, barely concealing the intensity beneath. “Remain close, Evalynne,” he said, his voice firm yet edged with restraint.  “We’re safe here for now. Let’s assess any injuries and prepare for what comes next. We’ll need a plan to get back to the ship.”

Miraculously, no one was seriously hurt beyond a few cuts and bruises. Later, Illbrien passed out the Galactic Standard version of military MREs. They tasted as bland as the government-issued food staples I’d eaten for years on missions in the space marines. I managed a few bites despite the cramps and overwhelming waves of heat making me feel too agitated to eat. I didn’t want to complain in front of my alien rescuers, though.

Illbrien noticed my discomfort and leaned in, his voice low but commanding. “Try to get some rest, Evalynne,” he said, eyes scanning the cave’s shadows. “Rektrion and I are going out to scout a path back to the ship. Fraebrion will stay here to guard the cave.”

I nodded, feeling too high-strung to truly sleep, but without any better options. I found a spot near the cool cave walls, lay back, and closed my eyes, willing myself to rest.

~~~

The heat was unbearable. I squirmed against the rough cave walls, desperate for any hint of coolness, but it was no use—the temperature only seemed to rise, as if I were being swallowed by flames. Images of towering, white-haired Space Orcs flooded my mind, their presence both haunting and magnetic, sending unexpected shivers down my spine despite the oppressive warmth.

Then, a sharp pain snapped me fully awake as cramps seized my body, powerful and disorienting. I’d faced down enemies, withstood injuries, pushed through extremes—but this was different, something I couldn’t anticipate or power through. It was a feeling unlike anything I’d ever faced, something beyond the reach of my usual strength.

My body was slick with sweat from the intense heat, and I struggled to strip off the protective garments I had put on in the pod. Feeling much less encumbered, I touched myself.  I realized I must have climaxed multiple times in my brief erratic sleep, but my body still ached for release.  I couldn't resist the urge any longer, so I slipped my fingers inside myself in a desperate attempt for some relief. But it was no use. My body craved more. As I pushed my fingers deeper, I sensed someone watching me. It was Fraebrion, silently observing my actions. For the first time, his eyes were fixed on me instead of in the distance. His full attention was on me, and I couldn't help but wonder what he would do with it.

But I didn't have to wait long to find out. He strode towards me with his impressive seven-foot frame, his chiseled abs glistening like marble in the dim light. Just watching him approach was enough to make me climax. It had been years since a male had aroused me this much, or maybe ever.

As he reached me, he began removing his armor and leggings, revealing a body that was even more tempting than I could have imagined. I knew nothing about this alien, but I needed him inside me immediately. Without hesitation, I beckoned him forward and offered myself to him. Would he accept or would he see me as an old butch soldier, not feminine enough, not woman enough, not young enough. All the ugly words I'd heard over the years playing over and over like a broken vinyl from generations past.

He leaned over and grabbed my massive breasts with his sharp claws before bringing my nipple to his mouth and teasing it with his fangs. The pain mixed with pleasure was enough to send me over the edge again. In anticipation of him joining with me, I spread my legs wide open, but he paused, and another wave of insecurities and doubt rushed to the forefront of my mind.

"Be my mate," he said simply, his gaze locked onto mine with a fierce intensity that made my heart pound. In my investigation to locate the Pstoadys, I had read the accounts of the human women mated to Orcqlaneasions. They’d shared details about the bond, the devotion of their Orc mates, and the powerful connection that defied simple explanation. But reading their stories hadn’t prepared me for this moment.

He was a lost warrior, haunted by battles replaying endlessly in his fractured mind. But now, his gaze was steady, filled with a certainty that cut through all the chaos. He wanted me, and in that moment, I realized how deeply I wanted to be wanted. Here he was, asking me to be his mate—his need raw and undeniable. Despite knowing so little of what this would truly mean, I felt an overwhelming pull, a compulsion that rendered logic meaningless. I hadn’t anticipated the intensity of this moment, but the choice felt predestined, as though fate itself had already decided.

“Yes,” I said, meeting his gaze directly.

With an intensity that bordered on primal, he pushed his weight onto my body and plunged into me in a rush of passion and heat. I could feel every inch of his massive cock inside me, and for a moment, I feared he would rip me in half. But I was a warrior's woman and I knew I could take him. He pumped into me relentlessly, his forceful thrusts plundering my body as if it were a battlefield to conquer. Our slick, wet bodies collided with each other, creating a symphony of slapping sounds. My skin, dark brown and his, a brilliant emerald green, glistened with sweat and desire.

As he fucked me with wild abandon, I lost count of how many times I came undone beneath him. His dangerous claws dug into my flesh, temporary battle scars from our fierce mating. But in this moment, all that mattered was the pleasure coursing through my body as he claimed it as his own. The world had shrunk to just us two in the universe – a powerful alien using my body to make me his in every way imaginable. But we were not alone.

In the midst of our primal mating, I could feel the presence of his brothers returning to the cave. They stood at the entrance, watching as their brother ravished my body completely and mated me for all to see.

My mind raced with thoughts of their alien custom of sharing one mate. I could feel my body burning with anticipation, wondering which of them would claim me next. But for now, I belonged to Fraebrion.  As his brothers watched he intensified his thrusts, hitting a new angle that sent a sensual chill down my spine. My legs wrapped tightly around him as he delved deeper into my core, filling me with his hot seed. The intensity of his release triggered another orgasm within me, leaving me weak and trembling beneath him.

All too soon Fraebrion left my heated body only to be replaced by his bound brother Rektrion. He positioned his massive jade body between my still quivering thighs, turning us at the last moment so that I was on top, his massive cock poised at my entrance.

“I can’t believe Illbrien was right about you,” the hardened warrior said, his words rousing my analytical brain from its sex-induced stupor.

“Right about what?” I demanded, although I knew I was quite literally in no position to demand anything other than to be fucked hard, with my legs spread, dripping cum over his impending cock.

He pressed me into a kiss and I felt his cock nudge inside me.

“Evalynne, will you take my seed, be my mate, bear my sons and share my life force?”

His raw words struck something deep within me, instantly dissolving any hesitation. My question that had seemed to matter so much just moments before faded, overwhelmed by a desire I could no longer deny. I wanted—no, craved—to be his mate, with the same certainty and intensity that had guided me before. Every part of me knew it, felt it, an instinctive pull that left no room for doubt or second-guessing. My response once more was inevitable.

“Yes.”

He pulled me down onto his leaking cock, his arms strong and steady around me, and my body opened for him. It was fierce and unyielding in intensity. As he thrust into me the world around us faded. I was filled with a passion that seemed to flow from him and wrap around me like a current. He cradled me in his arms, holding me close as if he couldn’t bear to let go, each deep stroke and movement deliberate and all consuming. In that moment, everything felt electric, raw, and breathtakingly alive.

He let me set the pace as I rode my scarred alien warrior. It sent a thrill through me, a warmth that blossomed from my core and spread outward. I climaxed multiple times and my shaking legs struggled to hold his slick body. His claws traced along my breasts, a gentle contrast to the intensity of his cock, grinding into me. My hands found their way to his shoulders, feeling the strength beneath them, anchoring myself to him as if he were the only solid thing in a shifting world.

Time seemed to stretch, each heartbeat echoing louder as we lost ourselves in each other. The raw emotion in this mating told me things words never could—of longing, of loss, of hope, and of the certainty that we were bound to each other in a way that felt as natural as breathing.

I felt him release inside me, which set off my own orgasm. Slowly, he lifted me from his body, his gaze holding mine with an intensity that left me breathless. The silence between us was thick with meaning, the air charged with everything we’d left unsaid between two strangers that had come together from two different worlds. In that quiet, the connection between us settled, profound and undeniable, as if some unseen thread had woven us together in that moment.

"You’re mine," he murmured, a simple statement that felt as much like a vow as any words could.

I held his gaze, a deep sense of belonging settling within me, as if every path I’d walked had converged here—with him and his bound brothers. I was his, theirs, and they were mine, bound together in a way that made everything else fade away.

Chapter 7: Chief Elder Illbrien Rezz – Space Orc

I watched my bound brothers with our mate, and a profound sense of rightness washed over me. I had made countless decisions to reach this moment—choices that some would consider unethical, morally gray at best. But now, with her among us, the end result was justified.

Evalynne had consented to be our mate, just as I had anticipated. Had I given her a choice? Yes… although perhaps it hadn’t been a true one. Time was slipping away for us, and without a strong mate to solidify our bond, we would face a slow, unraveling end. Rektrion had come to the same conclusion, albeit with a different approach. I’d discovered the explosives he had smuggled onto the ship after reluctantly agreeing to join us. He had no faith in my plans but had determined that we could not keep careening toward insanity. I harbored no anger toward him. In his place, I might have made the same choice—were it not for the certainty I felt that Evalynne would be our salvation.

She was brilliant, perceptive, and I knew she’d likely pieced together my role in orchestrating this mating, thanks to the brief, heated words spoken by Rektrion. And yet, she had accepted him into her body, embraced our bond, despite the questions that must still linger in her mind. Her willingness, even with the knowledge she must now have, felt like proof that she was destiny-sent.

And now, here I was at the very moment I had worked for, hesitating. I could not shake a single, unnerving thought—would she look upon me and see the deceiver, the one who had guided her path to this point without fully revealing what lay ahead? Would she reject me, deny me the one thing I wanted most—her?

Standing in the shadows, I watched her first with Fraebrion and then with Rektrion. She was a spectacular, passionate creature, and she was ours. But as I prepared to step forward, trepidation seeped into the cracks of my confidence, reminding me that even the most certain plans carry risks.

She was surrounded by both my brethren on either side of her, their bodies glistened with the sweat of their intense mating. Her gaze, steady and unyielding, locked onto mine.

"Illbrien, have you suddenly changed your mind about mating me?" she asked, her tone direct. "We both know you orchestrated this outcome, if not this exact setting." Her words left no room for doubt—she wanted me to know she had uncovered what I’d done.

I stood rooted to the ground, torn between the urge to rush forward and claim her as my brethren had, and the weight of what I knew must come first. I needed to explain, but how could I? No one knew the depths I would sink to in order to save my brethren—and myself—from the imminent madness and certain death awaiting us, even at the cost of reshaping others’ lives, including hers.

My actions, though born from necessity, now left me in a precarious situation. I was the leader of my people, and in desperation, I’d once again made decisions that could bring devastation just as easily as salvation.

This wasn’t the first time my tenuous grip on sanity had driven me to make questionable choices. Not long ago, I had condemned the Earth Mother, Vivien Johnson to death for defying our laws regarding outsiders on Orcqlaneasus. At her niece Dr. Nina Bridges’ pleading, I had relented just enough to spare her life and instead banished her to the prison planet Rhizor for a year. None of us had known that Vivien was pregnant by my elder brethren, nor that she would spend her pregnancy alone, separated from her mates in isolation. Once I struck a course, I did not veer from it easily, and even at her parole hearing, I would not grant her clemency. My refusal had nearly shattered my rule in the Directorate, sparking a revolt led by Elder Orenik himself, who defied me to save his mate.

And here I stood now, facing Evalynne with an uncharacteristic uncertainty—my mind clouded, teetering between certainty and doubt, pulled by my own need for control and the fragility of what little clarity remained.

Fraebrion broke the impasse. “Brother, go to your mate,” he said simply, his words clearer than any he had said in the last two decades.

My feet moved forward of their own volition. I closed the distance between us, drawn to her with a need I could no longer deny.

When our lips met, the kiss was searing and insatiable, holding everything I’d ever hidden, everything I could never say aloud. My claws clutched her breasts, my sharp nails brushing against her nipples, feeling the warmth of her deep brown skin beneath my touch. Her presence rooted me, as if she were the tether holding me back from the abyss I’d come so close to falling into.

And still, I didn’t want to ask; some part of me feared her answer more than I feared the madness creeping into my mind. But in the end, it was our custom—and the last fragments of clarity I still clung to—that compelled me to seek her consent. I took a steadying breath, focusing on her, the anchor I so desperately needed.

“Evalynne Browne, beautiful human from Earth,” I began, my voice low and strained, each word fought to escape. “We both know I am undeserving of you, of this chance at something beyond survival. But I am bound by honor, by necessity, and by forces beyond my control to ask for your forgiveness, your acceptance—your salvation.” I paused, my gaze locked on hers. “Will you take my seed, accept me as your mate, complete our bond, and bear my sons?”

My words were sharp, edged with the urgency of a mind hovering on the brink. I waited, the weight of her answer pressing down, knowing that whatever she said would decide my fate.

Evalynne’s gaze held mine, a fire still smoldering in her eyes from our kiss, tempered by something harder—something conflicted. She took a slow breath, steadying herself, before she spoke, her voice low and unyielding.

“Illbrien,” she began, her tone soft but edged with frustration, “I can’t deny what’s between us. I feel it… stronger than anything I could have imagined. And I know it’s not just about you and me—this bond affects all of us. But don’t think I don’t see what you’ve done to bring me here.”

She looked away briefly, as if gathering her thoughts, her fingers tightening around my claws, before locking her eyes on mine. “You changed my life without giving me the full truth. You manipulated everything to get what you wanted, and I’m not blind to that.” She paused, her features hardening with restrained emotion. “I’m drawn to you—I can’t deny that. But I’m just as angry that you guided me here without letting me make my own choice.”

She glanced toward Fraebrion and Rektrion, a flicker of warmth softening her features, before her gaze returned to me. Her eyes were clear and determined, though shadowed with the weight of unspoken truths. “And yet… I’ll stay. Not because you forced my hand, though you did, but because I choose to. I feel the bond, the connection to each of you, even if I don’t fully understand it yet. I thought chances like this—whatever it might lead to—were far behind me. But it’s here now, and I won’t turn my back on it.”

Her hand moved to rest on my chest, her touch a lifeline as her words struck with undeniable force. “I’m accepting this—accepting all of you. But if we’re to move forward, I need more than a bond shaped by half-truths and deception. I need honesty. I need you to trust me as much as you expect me to trust you.”

She held my gaze, a smoldering intensity in her eyes. “If you can give me the truth, Illbrien,” she murmured, her voice soft but firm, “then, yes—I’ll be your mate. I will take your seed, share your life force, bear your sons, and I will stand beside you as an equal partner in all things.”

Her hand slipped to the back of my neck, pulling me close, and in that moment, words faded. I claimed her mouth with mine, the heat between us reigniting, fierce and consuming. The kiss deepened, our lips locked in a passionate embrace. I pushed myself into her wet, warm pussy with a sense of urgency and longing that had been building inside me for so long. She held me tight, her body molded to mine as I stretched and filled her. She was the missing piece to my soul, to our bound, completing us in ways I never thought possible.

Every second felt like an eternity as we moved together. Time seemed to stand still, allowing me to feel every heartbeat, every shift of her body against mine. I ravaged her without mercy, giving her no reprieve as I claimed her body as my own. This was my right after all the machinations and schemes I had orchestrated to make her mine, ours. And now that she was, I would enjoy every moment of fucking her. Relentless in my pursuit of pleasure, I showed her no mercy as I scored her body with my claws, leaving my mark on her dark skin.

She was mine now, and I would make sure she never forgot it. With each thrust, I staked my claim on her body and soul. My desires consumed me as I realized how much I wanted and needed this human female. She was my destiny, our destiny.

Breathless and lost in a haze of passion, I knew deep down that I didn't deserve her or this chance at happiness. But I couldn't let those thoughts consume me now as I fucked her harder, determined to make this moment truly ours.

I had worked tirelessly to get here, going to lengths that no one else could even imagine. And now, at last, she was my mate. She would carry my sons and those of my brothers—binding us all in a shared legacy, our futures forever connected.

Chapter 8: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Morning on this godforsaken planet was as bleak as any other time of day. For three days—at least by my best estimate—we’d been stuck in this cave, surrounded by sulfurous beasts that left us no clear path back to the spaceship perched on the mountainside. Supplies were fading fast, and through my bond with my mates, I could feel the strain. The uncertainty of our escape weighed on them, and they weren’t just anxious about our dwindling rations. They were worried about me.

Illbrien had everyone convinced—except me—that I was pregnant with their sons. Orcqlaneasion-human matings always seemed to end in pregnancy, but those women weren’t in their sixties. Vivien had borne Orcqlaneasion sons in her mid-fifties, and at least that seemed plausible. I refused to believe that I’d be a mother at sixty, regardless of how earnestly Illbrien argued otherwise.

Illbrien. My feelings for him pulled me in every direction. There was no denying the attraction, and I’d accepted him as my mate. But I couldn’t ignore his position—Chief Elder, leader of the Orcqlaneasus Directorate. As a former soldier, I had a deep-seated distrust of politicos, and Illbrien fit the bill far too well. Politicos, in my experience, saw the world as a game of chess, moving pieces on a board without ever acknowledging the violence and suffering their moves left in their wake. It was warriors like Fraebrion, Rektrion, and me who were forced to clean up after their decisions, usually in blood. And Illbrien had played me as strategically as any political asset. He’d seen me as the ideal mate and engineered every detail of this journey until I was left with no means of refusal.

“You’re brooding again,” Rektrion’s voice cut through my thoughts, his gaze sharp as he sat near the mouth of the cave, ever-watchful. Illbrien was across from him, watching our exchange with that unreadable expression he often wore, as if deciding whether to step in or let things play out.

I managed a dry laugh. "Can’t help it. He’s persuasive enough to make me believe just about anything… but I’m not buying the idea that I’m about to be a mother in my sixties."

Rektrion smirked. “Stubborn as ever,” he said, glancing toward Illbrien, who gave a slight nod, as if silently acknowledging my resistance. Rektrion returned his gaze to me, his voice lowering, “But I suppose it’s one of the things I like about you,” he said teasingly.

Illbrien’s eyes narrowed slightly, though he remained silent, clearly absorbing the interaction between Rektrion and me. It was in moments like these that I was reminded of the sheer authority he wielded—the leader of a planet, accustomed to making life-and-death decisions on behalf of countless others. He observed and calculated, weighing every detail with that inscrutable expression. And even now, I couldn’t help but wonder what thoughts churned behind that stoic expression.

Rektrion, meanwhile, continued his routine with disciplined resolve. Each morning, he forced himself into meditation despite his obvious distaste for it, calling it his “necessary burden.” And after that, he threw himself into physical training, practicing stretches, lifting, and hand-to-hand combat with Fraebrion, who moved with a quiet, lethal grace. The sight of my mates sparring together, muscles flexing and sweat glistening, distracted me more than I cared to admit. No matter how I tried to keep my thoughts focused, they always drifted back to Rektrion’s raw power and Fraebrion’s silent strength.

Each day, Rektrion ventured outside to scout a path to the ship, but the sulfurous creatures had blocked nearly every viable route. When he wasn’t outside, he explored the depths of the cave, searching the dark, twisting passages for another escape route. I missed him when he was gone, his absence pulling at the edges of my thoughts.

Fraebrion, for his part, was nearly wordless. The presence of his brothers was making him whole again, restoring him piece by piece from the years spent in a fractured state. His strength was returning, though he still spoke sparingly, his thoughts seemingly locked away in some inner fortress. Yet I felt his bond just as strongly as I did with the others.

Sometimes, I questioned where I truly fit in with them, but then he would pull me into his arms without warning—a comforting embrace, sometimes filled with quiet passion, other times not. He was a beautiful, caring soul, and while I’d never needed anyone to make me feel secure, I found myself treasuring those moments held close to him.

Fraebrion’s meditation, unlike Rektrion’s, wasn’t an obligation; it was his lifeline, a connection to the present. Just like Rektrion, he ventured out to scout when he could, his determination unwavering despite every setback.

One afternoon, after Rektrion returned from a particularly long excursion into the cave’s depths, I approached him, determined. “Tomorrow, I’m coming with you,” I said, meeting his gaze head-on.

“Evalynne, the caverns are dangerous,” he replied, concern lacing his words. “The beasts outside might be down there along with others we haven’t yet encountered.” Illbrien’s eyes flicked over to us, a spark of curiosity or perhaps disapproval in his gaze, but he remained silent, observing.

I crossed my arms, meeting Rektrion’s intense gaze. “I’m not asking for permission, Rektrion. We’re in this together, and I need to know every option we have. Besides,” I added with a smirk, “I could use a break from sitting here, waiting for someone to find a way out.”

Rektrion studied me for a moment, his own smirk softening the seriousness of his expression. “Fine,” he conceded, casting a glance at Illbrien as if daring him to disagree. “Tomorrow we explore together. But you stay close. This isn’t a place to take risks.”

I felt Illbrien’s eyes on me, his intensity almost palpable, but he said nothing. Instead, he inclined his head slightly, a gesture that felt like reluctant approval, as though I needed his consent.

Fraebrion’s hand settled briefly on my shoulder, his silent touch reassuring. I looked to him, then to Rektrion, and finally back to Illbrien. Whatever our differences, I was bound to them, and they to me. Together, we’d find a way out, or we’d fight to the end—together.

Chapter 9: Fraebrion Maer – Unbound Space Orc

Rektrion’s voice pulled me from the quiet depth of my morning meditation, the sound of his footsteps light but distinct as he approached. I opened my eyes, feeling the weight of his stare on me, searching, as if testing my readiness. We hadn’t exchanged many words since my return to myself, but in his eyes, I saw a glimmer of something familiar—a bond formed long before my mind fractured.

“Fraebrion,” he said, his voice low but clear, “I’m heading deeper into the tunnels. Evalynne’s coming along this time. It would be good to have you with us.”

He didn’t need to say more. I could feel his tension, even his apprehension, but more than that, I could sense his purpose. Evalynne’s presence was… different. She steadied us in a way I couldn’t explain, and even now, just the thought of her stirred something that had been dormant within me. I gave a single nod.

“I’ll be ready,” I replied, my voice rough from disuse, but steadier than it had been in years.

When we were assembled and ready, Illbrien stepped forward, casting a brief, unreadable glance my way before he addressed Rektrion.

“If Evalynne’s joining you both, then I’ll come along as well,” he said, his tone as measured as ever, but I could see a flicker of tension in his gaze. His protective instinct was always strongest with her—something that had grown since we’d bonded.

None of us argued, and within minutes, we were on our way.

The caves were narrow, forcing us to move in a single file with Rektrion leading the way, Evalynne behind him, and me following close, with Illbrien bringing up the rear. The air was thick, heavy with the smell of sulfur and wet stone, and each step felt like it echoed through the earth, drawing attention we didn’t need.

Rektrion paused every few minutes, checking for signs of the creatures that lurked somewhere in the tunnels. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder, meeting my eyes briefly before nodding.

“Keep close,” he muttered, more to Evalynne than to me. “I don’t want any surprises if we have to move fast.”

Evalynne raised a brow, her usual fire flashing in her eyes as she looked up at him. “I can handle myself, Rektrion.”

Rektrion gave a faint smirk, though his eyes were serious. “I know that, but some of these cave creatures fight in swarms. It’s better if we’re ready.”

She nodded, and we pressed on. I could feel Illbrien’s presence behind us, his silence heavy, watchful. He hadn’t spoken since we’d started, but I could almost feel the calculations in his mind as he weighed each step, each glance, with that measured restraint of his. If he had concerns about this journey, he kept them to himself.

As we delved deeper, the tunnels grew tighter, the air more stifling. A layer of sweat slicked across my skin, and my focus sharpened as I felt a faint rumble beneath my feet. Ancient stone, barely holding together, a maze designed to trap intruders rather than lead them to freedom.

A few steps later, Rektrion held up a hand, signaling for silence. My body tensed as I heard it—the faint chittering of creatures somewhere ahead. Sulfur-adapted scavengers, small but lethal in their numbers, armored with shells as thick as stone.

“Fraebrion,” Rektrion murmured, his eyes flicking back to me. “I’ll take the front. You cover Evalynne.”

I nodded, positioning myself beside her as Rektrion advanced, his movements silent and deliberate.

“Be ready,” I said to her, my voice barely above a whisper, rough and raw. She met my eyes, steady and unflinching, and I saw in her a resilience that went beyond our bond—a warrior’s strength.

As if sensing our presence, the creatures began to stir, their movement sending a shiver through the walls. Rektrion was the first to strike, his movements fluid and precise as he dispatched the first two creatures with a swift slice. I could feel the surge of battle instinct rising within me, and I joined him, my blade slicing through another creature as it lunged toward Evalynne.

Illbrien moved forward, joining the fray with a cold, controlled precision that marked every decision he made. Together, we fought off the swarm, our movements synchronized as though the bond between us drove our blades. Evalynne was holding her own, dispatching creatures with a sharp focus that matched any warrior. For a moment, there was no past, no fractured memories—only the rhythm of survival.

When the last creature fell, the silence returned, heavy and ominous. Rektrion gave a final nod of approval, though his gaze flicked to Illbrien, who remained vigilant.

“We’re not out of this yet,” Illbrien said, his voice low and calm, though I could hear the strain beneath it. “This tunnel is unstable. We must move quickly.”

He led the way, this time at a faster pace, the steady leader once again. We continued forward, moving through narrow passages that forced us to press close, each step testing the limits of the crumbling rock around us.

At one point, a low rumble shook the tunnel, sending loose rocks scattering. Evalynne adjusted her stance with ease, regaining balance almost instantly. I moved closer, not to steady her but to match her readiness. She glanced my way, her eyes sharp and focused, a silent acknowledgment passing between us before she pressed forward without hesitation.

When we finally reached the end of the tunnel, we emerged onto a ledge overlooking a distant mountain ridge. The air, though still thick with sulfur, felt fresher out here, and we could finally see our ship, perched on the mountainside.

Rektrion let out a slow breath, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Well, it seems we’ve finally found our way out.”

Evalynne stepped forward, taking in the view with a quiet determination. “Now we just have to make it to the ship,” she said, as if she was already planning our next move.

Illbrien stepped up beside her, his eyes fixed on the terrain ahead. “We’ll make it,” he said, his voice calm and assured. A shared understanding passed between us, a quiet certainty that we could reach the ship and escape this planet. I moved to stand with my mates, no longer weighed down by the fractured thoughts of the past. For the first time in decades, my mind was clear, and I was whole. We weren’t free yet, but we were bound together as one, and nothing would stop us—no matter how treacherous the path ahead.

Chapter 10: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

Away from the cave and on the mountain, the air was thinner, thankfully, but the sulfur stench clung to everything, reminding me that we were still very much on this inhospitable rock. Ahead, the ship perched on a jagged mountainside, tantalizingly close yet far enough that the path looked anything but easy.

Rektrion was in the lead, with Fraebrion and Illbrien flanking me. As we approached the steeper part of the incline, I could feel the earth shifting underfoot—loose gravel and sharp rocks, unstable with every step.

Illbrien turned to us, his expression set. “Watch your footing. These tremors seem to be getting worse.”

Rektrion nodded and glanced back at me. “If anything shifts, we’ll need to move fast.”

“Understood,” I replied, my voice steady. My heart was pounding, but I wasn’t about to show any hesitation—not now. We’d made it this far, and there was no way I’d falter here.

As we climbed, the ground suddenly shook beneath us, a low rumble echoing up from the core of the mountain. A crack splintered along the slope, sending a cascade of rocks tumbling down the path we’d just crossed. I pressed myself flat against the mountainside, gripping the rock as best I could, while Fraebrion steadied me with a hand on my shoulder.

“Move!” Illbrien shouted, motioning us to a higher path. “We’re too exposed here.”

We adjusted our course, following a narrower trail that hugged the mountain’s side. Every step was a delicate balance between speed and caution as loose rocks skittered beneath our feet. Just as I found a stable foothold, another tremor hit, sending a section of the trail crumbling away below me.

I stumbled, barely catching myself, when Rektrion’s claw shot out, gripping my arm firmly.

“I’ve got you,” he said, his tone calm despite the tension in his gaze. I nodded, steadying myself before we continued up the slope.

We climbed in silence, each of us focused on the rocky path ahead, when a larger tremor shook the mountainside, sending a minor landslide of rocks and dirt down toward us.

“Get down!” Illbrien barked.

We dropped low, covering our heads as the debris tumbled past, narrowly missing us. Fraebrion moved in front of me, his body a shield as he pressed his back against the mountain wall.

When the last of the rocks settled, I looked up and met Illbrien’s gaze. “We need to keep moving,” I said, feeling the weight of the unstable ground beneath us.

He gave a tight nod, leading us forward again. The final stretch was a steep incline, covered in loose gravel that made each step feel like a gamble. Rektrion reached back to help me, his claw steady as I climbed beside him, matching his pace. Fraebrion brought up the rear, his gaze scanning the area as if expecting the mountain itself to attack.

As we neared the top, a final tremor hit, the largest yet. The earth beneath us split open, and a jagged crack ran down the slope, cutting us off from the path below. Rocks tumbled down toward the ship’s landing point.

“Now or never!” Illbrien shouted, motioning us forward. He moved swiftly, leaping across the gap as it widened, landing just on the other side. Rektrion followed, his movements agile as he crossed, and then it was my turn.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. The crack was getting wider, the rocks beneath me threatening to give way. With one last push, I jumped, Illbrien’s clawed hand reaching out to grip mine as I made it across.

Fraebrion was the last to jump, landing with a solid thud beside us just as the crack expanded, sending a section of the mountainside tumbling into the jagged valley far below.

We didn’t wait to catch our breath. Rektrion reached the ship’s hatch first, slamming his clawed hand onto the control panel to open the door. We scrambled inside, each of us panting, bruised, and covered in dust, but intact.

Illbrien hit the controls, and the ship’s engines roared to life. As we lifted off, I caught a final glimpse of the sulfurous landscape below, the beasts prowling the mountain’s base, snarling in frustration as we left them behind.

“Everyone all right?” Rektrion asked, his voice steady but lined with relief.

“Better than I thought we’d be,” I replied, glancing at each of them. My heart was still pounding, the adrenaline thrumming in my veins.

Illbrien turned to me, his usual sternness softened just slightly. “You did well, Evalynne.”

I smirked, meeting his gaze with a spark of defiance. “I told you, I’m not some Sleeping Beauty just waiting around for knights or Space Orcs in shimmering armor to rescue me.”

A rare smile flickered across his face. “No. You’re far more than that.”

As the ship broke through the planet’s atmosphere, I settled back, feeling the tension of the past few days begin to loosen its hold. We’d made it, but the future was uncertain, an unfamiliar path stretching out ahead of us. I didn’t know what would come next, and I wasn’t one to trust easily, but as I glanced at my mates, I couldn’t deny a quiet sense of possibility. Perhaps, for now, that was enough.

~~~

Before I could even begin to process the chaos of my new reality or the tangled threads of my relationships, one overwhelming need consumed me—I had to get clean. I’d been trapped in stasis goo for who knows how long, dragged through the sulfurous hellscape of that planet, its harsh air and abrasive surface gnawing at my skin even through my jacket and pants. Add to that the sweaty nights with my mates, and there was no denying it: I was beyond filthy.

“I need to get cleaned up!” I blurted out, pulling at my heavy jacket, which seemed stuck to my skin. My voice came out louder than I intended, drawing startled looks from all three of my mates.

Fraebrion’s voice was gentle. “Are you alright?”

I immediately felt a pang of guilt for causing a stir, my need for space clashing with the bond we now shared. “I just… I just need a shower.”

Rektrion stood up from his station. “I’ll take you to your cabin. There’s a shower there.”

“No,” I said quickly, stepping back. “Just… just point me in the right direction.” I didn’t want to be escorted or managed—I needed space. My world had been turned upside down in the past week, and I couldn’t handle another moment of this crowded, unfamiliar closeness.

Without waiting for a reply, I turned and bolted from the bridge, rushing down the corridor with no idea where I was heading. My chest tightened as I stumbled forward, shoving against one door, then another, until I heard footsteps behind me. One of them had followed—I knew it—but I didn’t look back.

Panic clawed its way up my throat as I half-ran, half-stumbled down the hall, my breathing erratic. I reached another door and slammed my hand against the panel, willing it to open. When it didn’t, I pounded on it again, my frustration spiraling out of control. The door refused to budge, and my knees buckled as I crumbled to the floor, shaking and crying over something as inconsequential as a locked door.

What was wrong with me?

Strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me into an unyielding embrace, but I twisted away, shame burning through me. I was filthy. I was falling apart. I was old, unwanted—an outsider in a strange world, trapped in a life that didn’t feel like my own. I struggled against him, but his arms only tightened, holding me in place.

Tears streamed down my face; the sensation felt foreign, impossible. I was a soldier, a steely-eyed private investigator who didn’t cry—ever.

“What did you do to me?” I choked, the words breaking in my throat. “I don’t cry. I’m not weak. I don’t want this. What did you do to me?” I repeated the words like a mantra, trying to force myself to make sense of what was happening.

The door finally slid open, and another pair of arms lifted me up. I didn’t look to see who it was; it didn’t matter. I was carried into the bathroom, my defenses shattered.

The sound of running water filled the space as I was lowered into the shower, clawed hands working through the grime in my hair. I watched golden-yellow streaks of sulfur swirl around the drain, each rivulet carrying away a layer of the days I’d spent fighting to survive. He cleaned my face and body with a touch that was almost reverent, as though handling something fragile, something precious—something I’d forgotten I could be, or perhaps never realized I was. It was confusing. It was new. I didn’t want it—or maybe I did. And so, I cried, unsure of what I felt or why.

He wrapped me in a towel, lifting me effortlessly. Another set of arms took over, carrying me back to the bed. I was still trembling, still unable to control the tears that kept slipping down my cheeks.

I was placed on the bed, and warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me close. The steady heartbeat against my ear was a soft reassurance, a reminder that I was safe, even if I couldn’t yet feel it.

As I lay there, my tears slowly subsiding, I let myself be held, cocooned in the quiet strength of my mate’s embrace. For the first time in a long time, I allowed myself to break, knowing someone would be there to hold me together. And eventually, wrapped in the warmth of my alien mate’s arms, I cried myself to sleep.

Chapter 11: Rektrion Bryll – Elder Space Orc

My mate was broken—and we had broken her. More precisely, Illbrien had broken her. She had made us whole, yet we had torn her apart, selfishly used her, all of us complicit in his manipulations. I should have destroyed the ship the moment we left Orcqlaneasus space, putting an end to the turmoil we’d been enduring—clinging to a purposeless life while our minds unraveled.

I thought I’d been keeping the madness at bay, but I hadn’t. This entire scheme had been madness.

Illbrien, standing on the other side of Evalynne’s resting form, looked down at her with an unreadable expression. His arms crossed, he didn’t meet our eyes, but I could feel Fraebrion’s simmering anger beside me. It was a quiet rage, held back only by his concern for Evalynne lying between us.

“You took a brilliant, accomplished female,” I said in a low voice, barely restrained, “and forced her into this by creating a scenario where she had no choice. We all went along with it.” My gaze didn’t leave Evalynne, her beautiful dark skin dulled by exhaustion, her breathing too shallow.

llbrien’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. Fraebrion’s fists clenched, and when he spoke, his voice was tight with restrained anger. “She’s broken because of us. I vow she will wake.”

Illbrien finally met my gaze, his expression a mix of guilt and determination. “She will,” he said, though there was a hint of desperation there.

I looked down at Evalynne as she lay motionless, her breaths faint, her body too still. She’d been through so much, and now she was caught in this unresponsive state. I leaned close to her, inhaling her scent, and noticed something bitter, something that clung to her skin—a sulfurous, sharp odor. My heart sank as the realization hit me.

“The planet wasn’t just sulfurous. She’s been exposed to hydrogen sulfide,” I said, the pieces falling into place. “It’s keeping her under.”

“That’s why she’s not waking?” Fraebrion asked, his eyes narrowing with grim understanding.

I nodded. “We need to flush it from her system fast.”

Illbrien straightened, his guilt tempered by urgency. “Then let’s get her to the med bay.”

Fraebrion shot him a glare, his voice cold with fury. “You forced her into this—you forced us all.”

Illbrien’s gaze remained steady, his expression held no remorse.

Fraebrion and I exchanged a look, silently agreeing that there was no time to settle our grievances now. Carefully, we lifted Evalynne’s limp form, her breathing shallow, her body fragile in our arms, as the faint stench of hydrogen sulfide clung to her.

As we moved through the corridors toward the med bay, our anger simmered beneath the surface. Illbrien led the way, but each step reminded us of the fracture he had caused—not only in Evalynne, but in all of us.

~~~

My bound brothers and I took turns sitting with Evalynne as her body gradually purged the remaining chemicals. We had placed her in a medical pod, monitoring her vitals closely. Though the detoxification process was slow, she remained stable. We were concerned she might wake up disoriented, mistaking the pod for the stasis chamber on Zholtum, where she had previously been encased.

Our escape from Zholtum had also presented a new complication. As soon as we boarded the ship, Illbrien set a course to return to our homeworld, Orcqlaneasus. However, our vessel had been compromised by prolonged exposure to the gaseous particulates emitted by the planet’s atmosphere. The interference had disabled our hyperdrive engines, rendering them completely offline and forcing us to travel at sub-Galactic Standard speed.

Instead of reaching Orcqlaneasus within the usual four days, our journey would now take an estimated two to three weeks. Once we entered Quadrant 4 space, we planned to send out an emergency beacon, hoping to secure assistance to expedite our return.

~~~

A week into our slow journey home, our mate woke up. Fraebrion had been sitting near her and immediately called us when she roused. Both Illbrien and I rushed from our stations to the med bay.

When we arrived, Fraebrion was running the handheld med scanner over Evalynne, her eyes fixed solely on him, focused on what he might find. The sides of the med pod had retracted, returning to a standard medical bed.

“I don’t believe you,” Evalynne said, her eyes never leaving Fraebrion’s. “Do it again.”

Fraebrion’s tone was steady as he replied, “I can reset the medical pod for a thorough scan if you don’t trust this one.”

She shook her head firmly. “I’m not getting back in any more alien sleeping crypts, thank you.”

Curious about the exchange, I was about to ask when Illbrien stepped forward, looking relieved. “It’s good to see you awake,” he said.

Without a word of warning, Evalynne leapt from the bed and punched Illbrien square in the midsection. He staggered back, stunned, while she immediately clutched her hand, grimacing in pain.

Fraebrion was at her side instantly, running the scanner over her bruised hand and wrist. “It’s broken,” he said calmly. “You’ll need to get back in the med bay to heal it.”

“Fine,” she muttered, wincing. “But keep him away from me,” she added, glaring at Illbrien. “And  don’t close it. I hate being confined in those things.”

Confused by her reaction, I glanced at Fraebrion, hoping for an explanation, but he only gave me a subtle shake of his head, signaling that we’d talk later. Illbrien, however, didn’t seem to catch the hint. Recovering, he moved toward Evalynne as Fraebrion worked on healing her hand. Gently, he placed his clawed hand on her stomach.

“Are you… carrying our sons, mate?” he asked, his voice full of wonder.

Evalynne pushed his hand off, eyes narrowing. “Of course I am—just as you planned.”

I looked at Fraebrion, who confirmed her words with a nod. A smile broke across my face as I stepped closer, trying to find something diplomatic to say.

“I know this might be a lot to take in,” I began, a smile breaking across my face. “But I’m overjoyed.”

Evalynne’s gaze softened slightly as she sighed. “I don’t know what I feel yet,” she admitted. “It’s… a lot to process. By human standards, I’m well past the age of childbearing, so all of this is… incredible.”

Fraebrion moved closer, placing a reassuring claw on her shoulder. “Evalynne,” he said gently, “we’re here, however you need us.”

Illbrien, however, remained undeterred, his expression unwavering. “I prepared you for this outcome,” he said with a cool, almost dismissive confidence. “I told you from the beginning that this would be the result of bonding with us. Our sons were created in the caves of Zholtum—just as I hoped,” he added, his eyes fixed on her, entirely focused on his victory.

Evalynne’s jaw tightened, but she held Fraebrion’s steady look, her frustration clear. Fraebrion shot Illbrien a glance, silently urging him to hold back, but Illbrien ignored it, crossing his arms, his satisfaction practically radiating off him. He had orchestrated everything to secure her as our mate and to ensure the continuation of our lineage. In his mind, he had won, and her response didn’t matter.

My own joy felt suddenly shadowed by guilt. The prospect of progeny thrilled me, but it was impossible to ignore the cost to Evalynne, who had been pushed into a role she hadn’t chosen and burdened with a responsibility she hadn’t sought.

I took her hand gently. “Evalynne,” I said, meeting her gaze, “I know none of this was your choice. Whatever you feel, whatever you need—we’re here for you.”

Fraebrion nodded, his voice soft but firm. “We owe you that much.”

Evalynne looked between us, her eyes a mixture of resilience and resignation. “I just need time,” she murmured, her voice heavy with exhaustion. “Time to understand what this means for me… and for us.”

Fraebrion gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll have it. And we’ll stand by you.”

Illbrien, meanwhile, simply stood back, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He had engineered this future and, to him, that was enough. Our feelings were secondary; he had accomplished exactly what he’d intended.

“I don’t like med bays, and I really hate pods,” Evalynne said, her voice tense. “Is there someplace else I can go?”

Illbrien, as always, spoke first. “Of course. Follow me; my stateroom is ready for you.” He gestured down the corridor, his voice carrying a hint of satisfaction, as though the very act of inviting us into his private domain reinforced his authority.

We walked in silence, the echo of our footsteps bouncing off the narrow passageway. When we reached the stateroom, Illbrien keyed the door open, and we all stepped inside. I’d been in this room before, but it never failed to impress. Every detail—from the solid craftsmanship to the subtle touches of luxury—reflected Illbrien’s authority as the leader of our planet. This wasn’t just a stateroom; it was a reminder of his power and the weight of the decisions made here.

Illbrien followed her scan of the room with a sense of pride. “I believe you’ll find it to your liking—it’s luxurious by human standards, with everything you’ll need for the journey back to Orcqlaneasus.”

“Orcqlaneasus?” Evalynne echoed, her voice sharp with disbelief. “You’ve decided my future without even asking? You think I’ll just abandon my life on Earth, never go back, and spend the rest of my days having little Orc babies?” She looked at Illbrien with barely contained fury. “Is that really what you expect of me?”

“Why me, Illbrien? Why not someone else—anyone else?” she demanded, her tone challenging.

“When I saw you on the vid screen,” he replied, “I sensed your strength, your fire. Your life force was powerful enough to bind us back together. I knew a strong, capable fighter like you would give us the next generation of warriors.” For the first time, he laid bare his intentions.

Evalynne’s eyes flashed. “How could you be so certain I’d fall in with your plans? You couldn’t have known I’d encounter the Pstoadys. What if I hadn’t? This couldn’t all have been left to chance. Tell me the truth,” she pressed, her piercing stare unyielding.

“I have told you the truth,” Illbrien replied, his expression closed.

I stepped forward, my voice firm. “Tell her the whole truth, Illbrien. If we have any hope of forging a future together as one unit, she deserves to know everything.”

He glared at me, eyes blazing, his pride warring with the challenge of revealing his scheming. Would he admit the full extent of his machinations or continue to cloak his actions in half-truths? I held my breath, knowing that his choice now would determine our lives together.

At last, Fraebrion spoke, his voice steady yet compassionate. “Illbrien,” he said, “I know the difficult choices you made, especially the one that kept me alive when custom and law would have dictated otherwise. I understand that whatever you did, you believed it was for our sake. I don’t blame you. I only regret that my condition forced you to feel there was no choice but to do whatever it took to keep us whole.”

Illbrien’s expression softened as he turned to Evalynne, finally reaching out to take her hand in his clawed one. “I have led my people for fifteen years,” he began, his voice low but unwavering. “But I’ve been unbound for nearly thirty. During that time, I’ve hidden my bouts of paranoia, my fear, and my declining sanity from the Directorate and my Orc brothers. Rektrion’s strict meditation rituals sustained me as a leader, hiding the madness creeping in. But I made grave missteps… mistakes in my dealings with Elders Orenik, Maerik, Auerik, and their mate, Vivien Johnson. It caused several members of the Directorate to question my leadership.”

He paused, his grip tightening slightly. “But more importantly, I watched my brother, Fraebrion, slip further into decline each day. The brethren of Orcqlaneasus believe he was euthanized a decade ago. They have no idea he survived, hidden away in a cell deep beneath our home, becoming increasingly feral, his mind fragmented. I feared the day would come when I’d have no choice but to take his life myself.”

His voice grew colder, more intense. “But if I did that, I wouldn’t only be ending his life—I’d be condemning Rektrion and myself to insanity as well, unbound and spiraling the moment of his death.”

He looked back at Evalynne, a glimmer of triumph in his eyes. “When I saw you on that vid screen, everything changed. I knew, if you became our mate, we could be whole again.”

Evalynne’s face tightened. “So you forced this,” she said, accusation in her voice. “You maneuvered me into this position.”

He didn’t deny it. “I retrieved a hypospray—one the Pstoadys had given an Earth mother—and brought it with me. My plan was to inject you, forcing your body into heat so you would need us, your Orcqlaneasion mates.” He paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. “But when we found you on Zholtum, it was apparent that you had already been infected by the Pstoadys. All I had to do was wait.”

Evalynne’s expression was a mixture of shock and anger, but Illbrien continued, his tone unrepentant. “I didn’t expect you’d choose Fraebrion first. But in the end, it doesn’t matter how it began. I regret nothing,” he finished, his voice filled with pride, “because you are our perfect mate. We are once again whole, and you will give us the strong sons I could only dare to imagine.”

Evalynne snatched her hand from his grasp, her eyes widening as she processed his words, his plans. Her gaze shifted from him to me, seeking some answer or reassurance.

“I’m here, Evalynne,” I said softly.

But Illbrien stood close, triumphant, his plans complete, his single-minded focus never wavering. For him, this was victory, whether she acknowledged it or not.

Evalynne turned to me, her eyes piercing. “Did you know about his plan? Were you a part of this, Rektrion?”

Shame washed over me, and I wanted to look away, to hide from the disappointment and accusation in her gaze. I hadn’t conceived Illbrien’s plan, but I hadn’t stopped it either. Part of me wondered if I should confess my own intentions—to end all our lives at the end of this mission, doubting that Illbrien’s scheme would actually succeed. I stood in silence, knowing that revealing the full truth would only confirm what she must already suspect—that we were unredeemable.

Taking a deep breath, I decided she deserved to know. “I discovered that Illbrien had taken the hyposprays when I was in his office looking for him,” I admitted. “He told me he planned to go to Earth’s moon with Fraebrion, and I realized exactly what he was planning. At that point, I should have contacted the Directorate. But my bond wouldn’t allow it… so I crafted my own plan.”

Evalynne’s expression remained steady, and I continued. “I brought explosives onto the ship. My plan was to detonate them once we’d freed you and sent you safely back to Earth. I never intended for Illbrien to infect you. I wanted to let you go… and after that, end the misery of being unbound, for all of us.”

I braced for the anger or fear I was sure I’d see on her face. But instead, Evalynne stepped forward and embraced me, her touch steady and forgiving in a way I hadn’t anticipated. Then, she held out her hand to Fraebrion, drawing him into our circle. The three of us stood there, finding solace in each other’s presence.

Illbrien hovered on the edge of our embrace, watching with a surly expression, yet unmoved. His face betrayed neither regret nor contrition. In his mind, he had done what needed to be done, and he was immovable in his belief that his actions had been justified. He had won, after all, and he knew it. We were bound together, each of us shaped by choices that couldn’t be undone. I looked at Evalynne, and I saw something beyond the pain and doubt—a quiet acceptance, a willingness to move forward and shape something new from what was now ours.

She took a step back, breaking our embrace and then shrugged off the med gown that she was wearing, her eyes meeting mine with a warmth that made my heart ache. Her hand came to rest on my cheek, fingers tracing softly along my jaw. The distance between us vanished as she leaned in, her lips finding mine in a kiss that was both tender and searing. Her mouth was warm, and I wrapped my claws around her large firm breasts. Her kiss was full of forgiveness and the quiet assurance that she saw me for who I was—all my flaws and regrets—and still chose to be with me. I freed my cock and surged into her body. I was overcome by emotion for this female as I pressed deeper inside her dark warm body. This was more than mere fucking, she was mine, she had given herself to me knowing everything we had done. I poured  all my gratitude and hope into that single, shared moment our bodies entwined, nothing separating her from me. The feel of her wrapped around me, my cock deep in her womb, where my seed had taken root and my sons were growing pushed me to spill my seed again, deep inside her trembling body. When we pulled apart, her forehead rested against mine for a heartbeat, acceptance in a way I’d never felt before.

Then, with a soft smile, she turned to Fraebrion, who had been watching with a mixture of hope and hesitation. She reached out, her hand curling around his claw. He pressed her face down on the massive bed in the stateroom and pushed her ass up. I watched him line his cock up to her dripping pussy before pushing in. Evalynne moaned and Fraebrion growled as he pummeled into her fertile pussy from behind.  Watching my bound brother fuck our mate, hardened my cock once more and I moved toward my mate. She was in rapture as Fraebrion fucked into her. My cock dripping, I walked to my beautiful mate and placed my cockhead in her mouth. She eagerly sucked me in as I pressed deep into her throat. I felt her scream on my cock as she and Fraebrion climaxed together from his relentless fucking. Her chokehold on my cock was too perfect and I spilled my seed down her heated throat. The three of us collapsed on the bed. Fraebrion crawled up holding her as though he feared letting go might shatter the fragile bond we were forming. She kissed him deeply in affection and acceptance and wrapped her legs around him. He melted into her kiss, a glimmer of peace softening his face. When they finally parted, he held her gaze, as if she embodied a future he’d never allowed himself to imagine.

Finally, Evalynne’s gaze moved to Illbrien, who had kept his distance, his expression caught between pride and uncertainty. He had been watching our sensual union, his usual confidence tempered by an uncharacteristic vulnerability. For a brief moment, he seemed almost hesitant, as though unsure if his place was truly by her side and in her body. But Evalynne’s expression softened, and she extended her hand to him, her fingers beckoning him closer. “Illbrien,” she whispered, her voice filled with quiet invitation.

He stepped forward, and she reached up, her hands resting on his shoulders as she pulled him close and pushed him onto the bed. She climbed over his cock and their eyes met. Illbrien’s gaze burned with intensity as she took control and rode her deceptive, manipulative mate, his raw power simmering just beneath the surface, restrained but unmistakable. In all things, he commanded control, but now she had seized it, turning their struggle into a test of wills neither was willing to lose. She slid up and down Illbrien’s cock leaving him trembling as he grasped her large brown breasts for leverage. The intensity of their mating was different from ours. It was a battle of unspoken words and thrusting bodies. Who would be the victor of this sexual onslaught? She leaned in, their lips meeting in a charged kiss filled with passion, spurring each to orgasm. They fell back onto the bed, the room quiet except for the sound of steady breathing. Fraebrion and I moved to join them, cocooning Evalynne—me on her right, Fraebrion on her left.

Evalynne clasped our clawed hands to her heart. “Whatever has happened before, whatever lies ahead—we’ll face it together,” she said, her tired voice filled with conviction. Despite everything Evalynne had chosen us, and in that choice, she had solidified our bond making it stronger than it had ever been.

Chapter 12: Evalynne Browne – Private Investigator

I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I’d set foot on Orcqlaneasus. It was a closed society, off-limits to offworlders. The fact that they’d granted me special authorization to meet my former boss, Lydia Collins-Adler, on their furthest moon was surprising enough. But discovering it had all been a ruse, orchestrated by Illbrien—my mate—was something I was still struggling to accept.

I knew what he’d done and why he’d done it, but deep down I was still pissed. He felt no remorse for his actions—in fact, he seemed almost proud of them. It only reinforced my distrust. He was, at his core, a fucking politico. And just because he was now my mate and the father of my babies didn’t strengthen my faith in him one damn bit. If anything, it weakened it.

Every day, my affection for Rektrion grew stronger—my equal in all things—and for Fraebrion, my fierce warrior with a gentle heart. Illbrien, however, was a different story entirely. We shared an undeniable passion, but that was all. I craved him in bed as much as my other mates, yet his personality—his arrogance and the cunning way he wielded power—was utterly detestable. Even more frustrating was his complete obliviousness to my feelings. He’d achieved his objectives, and nothing else mattered. He epitomized everything I despised in a leader, and yet I was inextricably bound to him.

When we arrived on Orcqlaneasus, I was immediately escorted to their science and medical facility. The directive came straight from Chief Elder Illbrien Rezz—my mate and the absolute authority on Orcqlaneasus. On this planet, his word was law. It was a reality that I had to accept whether I wanted to or not.

At the facility, I was introduced to Dr. Nina Bridges. “Chief Elder Illbrien insisted on a full physical exam,” she explained, her tone professional but firm. “He wants to ensure there are no lingering effects from your exposure to hydrogen sulfide on Zholtum.”

Under ordinary circumstances, such concern might have seemed reasonable, even caring. But here it felt anything but normal. This wasn’t about me—it was about control, his control, as always.

Dr. Bridges—or Nina, as she insisted I call her—conducted the exam quickly and efficiently, asking the usual questions. She confirmed I was indeed pregnant, a fact that still boggled my mind. As she wrapped up, she asked, “Are you up for meeting a couple of the other women who now call Orcqlaneasus home?”

“Absolutely,” I replied. “I’d like that.”

Nina smiled and glanced at the comm system. “Good. I’ll see what I can arrange. But just so you know, the Chief Elder ordered that you be escorted back home once the exam concluded.”

The high-handedness of it made my blood boil, even though I knew I shouldn’t have been surprised. He had no qualms about arranging my life without so much as consulting me. That needed to stop—immediately.

“I’m eager to meet the other women,” I said firmly. “If they’re available, I’d love to meet them in person.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Nina’s excitement was palpable as she sent a message over the med center’s comm system.

Moments later, the door opened, and a familiar face rushed in, tears streaming as she hugged me tightly. “I’m so happy to see you! I mean, I never imagined you’d be here like this—mated to Orcqlaneasions, elders no less—but I’m thrilled all the same,” Lydia Collins said in a rush of emotions.

I hugged her back, equally overwhelmed. “I was hoping to see you at your new base of operations on Orcqlaneasus’s moon. No one is more surprised by this turn of events than me.”

Another woman entered, her presence commanding yet warm. I recognized her immediately—Ambassador Vivien Johnson, Lydia’s former mentor and Nina’s aunt.

“Welcome to Orcqlaneasus,” she said. “I know this situation can be a lot to adjust to, but we’re here to help however we can. I’m Vivien.”

“Ambassador Johnson,” I said, shaking her hand. “Lydia has always spoken highly of you. It’s good to finally meet you.”

“The feeling’s mutual,” she replied with a nod.

The atmosphere shifted, and I sensed there was more to this meeting than a simple introduction. Getting straight to the point, I said, “Ladies, as much as I appreciate the warm welcome, I feel like there’s something else going on here.”

Vivien chuckled. “Lydia said you had a keen BS detector.”

“In my line of work, it’s a necessity,” I said dryly.

“Then I imagine it’s in overdrive with your mate, Chief Elder Illbrien,” Vivien said, her tone sharp.

I understood her meaning. Illbrien was a scheming bastard—but he was my scheming bastard. As much as I didn’t want to defend him, I felt a strange obligation as his mate.

“I know you and Illbrien have a difficult history,” I began cautiously.

Vivien raised an eyebrow. “If by ‘difficult’ you mean he sentenced me to death before downgrading it to a year of isolation on the prison planet Rhizor, then yes, some might call that difficult.” Her voice dripped with mockery.

I met her gaze. “He told me what he’d done. For what it’s worth, he regrets that decision.”

“Perhaps,” she said with measured calm. “But that doesn’t explain his more recent actions—especially concerning you.”

I knew instantly that they were aware Illbrien had taken the hyposprays from the science lab. Perhaps their show of sisterly concern came from believing Illbrien had infected me rather than the Pstoadys. Of course, they’d figured out his deception—each of these women was brilliant in her own right. I had to think fast. I couldn’t outright lie to defend Illbrien, but I also didn’t want them to believe I’d been tricked into this bond, even if that was technically the truth.

Lydia, with her usual insight, came over and placed her hand on mine. “It’s okay. This isn’t really about him or your other mates—it’s about you and, of course, the babies. With the pregnancy, it’s practically impossible for you to leave, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay with your mates,” she said.

“When I came to Orcqlaneasus, I knew nothing about the aliens I’d mated, except that we didn’t trust each other. Vivien gave me a safe space in her home to get to know them. Later, with the help of our mates, we set up a house where any woman could live independently of her mates for as long as she wants,” she said.

Clasping both my hands in hers, she said, “We believe Illbrien took a confiscated hypospray from the science lab and deliberately dosed you to force you into mating with him and his bound brothers.”

“That’s not what happened. I was shot with a hypospray while making inquiries at the Moon Dust Spa and Salon—by a female employee.”

“What? It wasn’t the Pstoadys?” Nina asked, her voice sharp with surprise.

“That’s not entirely correct. The Pstoadys were involved—I saw them as I was passing out. Apparently, in a desperate attempt to evade a team of Spac Orc warriors, the Pstoadys jettisoned my stasis pod to the nearest planet, Zholtum. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in the pod on that sulfurous planet,” I said. “Illbrien and his bound brothers risked their lives—and their ship—to rescue me. We fought through dozens of indigenous sulfur beasts, sheltered in a cave, and escaped by climbing the side of a crumbling volcanic mountain,” I said proud of our accomplishments.

“Oh my God, I had no idea you went through all that. No wonder Chief Elder Illbrien sent you straight to the med lab,” Lydia said.

“That explains the hydrogen sulfide poisoning he mentioned, but he didn’t give me any details. Thankfully, there’s no trace of it in your system,” Nina said.

“And you’re sure it won’t affect the babies?” I asked again, even though she’d already answered the question.

“There’s no way to know with 100% accuracy, but this planet has unique healing properties for expectant mothers and their babies,” Nina said.

“That’s why you need to stay on the planet—for your health and the sake of the babies,” Lydia added.

“So why did Illbrien take the hypospray from the science lab if he didn’t use it on you? I swear, that male’s reasoning is so convoluted it’s impossible to make sense of,” Vivien said in frustration.

“Vivien, I understand why you may have misgivings about Illbrien given your history. But every decision he’s ever made has been driven by fear and desperation, and because of that, I’m able to forgive his many faults. Illbrien did take the hypospray to infect me so I would become his mate. He admitted this to his brethren and me, but since things played out the way they did with the Pstoadys, he didn’t have to use it.”

“You forgave him, even knowing what he planned to do?” Vivien asked, her voice filled with amazement.

“Yes, because I saw Fraebrion—completely gone—fighting those beasts as though possessed. I’m not even sure he knew what he was doing, but he was consumed by a lethal battle rage. There was no hope for him to keep going. In fact, Rektrion had planned to blow up the ship, killing them all after they rescued me.”

“I had no idea Illbrien was so unbound. My mates told me they believed Fraebrion had been euthanized a decade ago, and they were shocked to see him alive,” Vivien said.

“I’m sorry that any of this happened to you. I feel responsible—if I hadn’t contacted you, you’d never have gone through such a harrowing ordeal,” Lydia said, her voice filled with remorse.

I sought to console my friend and former colleague. “Absolutely none of this is your fault, so you have nothing to apologize for. I’ve chosen to follow this new life path and forgive Illbrien for his actions, for the sake of his brothers and our unborn children.”

“We’ll follow your lead on this,” Vivien said, her tone steady. “As much as I believe Illbrien should face consequences for his actions and step down as Chief Elder, I know I’m in the minority—even in my own household. Most of the Directorate would back my mate, Orenik, for ascension, but he’s perfectly content being, quote, ‘a devoted mate and father.’” She added air quotes with a touch of humor, lightening the otherwise tense conversation.

I appreciated her honesty. Despite Vivien and her mates’ backgrounds as political diplomats, they didn’t seem to have an agenda—a refreshing change compared to my own mate.

“So, what happens next?” Nina asked. “The comm is ablaze with messages from the Chief Elder, wondering what’s taking so long. I think he’s figured out you’re talking to us.”

Her statement confused me. “What does that even mean?” I asked.

“When I heard you’d arrived, we tried contacting you directly,” Lydia explained. “But we had to go through Chief Elder Illbrien. He told us you were recuperating and not accepting visitors.”

“He also sent me a detailed itinerary of your schedule,” Nina added. “Right down to the exact time I was allowed to conduct your exam and return you to the supreme dwelling.”

“And he called in another team of Warrior class Orcqlaneasions from Quadrant 3 to act as your security detail,” Vivien said.

“Damn, I thought that was standard protocol—even if it did seem excessive,” I replied, amazed.

“No offense, Evalynne, but your mate is a piece of work,” Lydia said with a knowing smirk.

“I agree with you a hundred percent,” I said, shaking my head. “But he’s got the right one. I’m looking forward to whipping his ass into shape—figuratively speaking, of course.”

Vivien burst out laughing. “I think you and I could be best friends.”

In fact, we were all laughing when the med lab doors suddenly slid open, despite the privacy lock being engaged, and Illbrien stormed in. For once, he looked genuinely flustered, his commanding presence faltering as he took in the sight of me laughing with the other women. That only made us laugh harder.

Sensing the tension in the room and the reckoning brewing between me and Illbrien, the other women began to take their leave. Each offered a hug and words of support before departing.

“You’ve got this,” Lydia whispered, her tone encouraging.

Nina gave me a warm smile. “We’re here if you need us,” she said gently.

Vivien was the last to linger, her expression sharp. “Don’t let him control you,” she said bluntly. “Illbrien’s used to getting his way, but you’re stronger than he thinks. Don’t let him forget it.”

Once the door closed behind them, I turned to Illbrien, who was standing stiffly, his eyes locked on me. Without speaking, we left the med facility, heading back to our dwelling.

The Warrior class Orcqlaneasion security team immediately fell into formation around us. I stopped, turning to face them. “That won’t be necessary,” I said firmly.

Illbrien’s gaze darkened. “They’re here to protect you and the children.”

I folded my arms and raised an eyebrow. “I can keep myself and our babies safe. The real question is, can you? Or do you need them to do it for you?”

His jaw tightened, his pride clearly stung. Without breaking eye contact, he turned to the guards and snapped, “Leave us. Now.”

As the security team dispersed, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of triumph. He’d taken the bait, and it was one small step in asserting myself. The real battle to manage his dominance was only beginning, but I knew I wasn’t in it alone. With Rektrion and Fraebrion by my side, I had allies in this fight—and maybe, just maybe, we could put Illbrien in check.

Chapter 13: Chief Elder Illbrien Rezz – Space Orc

As we entered our dwelling, Rektrion and Fraebrion were already waiting, their postures tense. Rektrion stepped forward, his gaze locked on mine. “What happened?” he asked, his tone calm but weighted with concern.

Fraebrion, standing slightly behind him, frowned. “Illbrien, what’s going on? There’s something you’re not saying.”

Evalynne didn’t hesitate. “Your leader,” she began, her voice sharp as a blade, “has been pulling the strings again.” The other women wanted to meet me, but Illbrien blocked their messages and made sure it didn’t happen. He’s still trying to control my life, and it’s going to stop.”

I stiffened, meeting her fire with steel. “I did what I thought was necessary,” I said firmly. “Their concerns were distractions. You’re carrying my children and need to focus on your health.”

Evalynne’s eyes narrowed. “Distractions? You mean connections. You didn’t want me to meet them because it’s something you couldn’t control. Admit it, Illbrien—you want me focused on you, not them.”

I squared my shoulders, unwilling to bend. “Yes,” I said bluntly. “You’re my mate. You’re carrying my children—our sons. You should be focused on me, on Rektrion and Fraebrion. On us. Not on outsiders who don’t share this bond, no matter how much they think they can help.”

She blinked, caught off guard for only a moment, but I pressed forward. “You’re new to this, Evalynne, but I’m not. Do you think I don’t carry the weight of everything we’ve faced—and everything still ahead of us? Hydrogen sulfide poisoning, the Pstoadys’ schemes, the battles we fought to get you back—you’ve lived it, but I’ve been responsible for it. Every second of it.”

I exhaled sharply, my voice hard but steady. “I’m responsible for you. For Rektrion. For Fraebrion. For this planet. For every member of the Directorate. For every Warrior class Orcqlaneasion I send across the galaxy as peacekeepers. For the human mothers who’ve given us a future. For every son born—the next generation of Orcqlaneasus. If I misstep, even once, the consequences ripple far beyond me. They could cost us everything. The survival of our planet, our people.”

The room fell silent, tension hanging heavy in the air.

Fraebrion stepped forward, his expression sharp and unyielding. “You’re right. You’ve carried it all, Illbrien, but you didn’t do it alone—not entirely. Rektrion kept you steady when you were close to breaking. And now I’m back. I’ve had enough time being lost. I’m here to do my part.”

I met his gaze, the fierce determination in his eyes unmistakable. “You’re whole now, brother. That’s all I wanted. You don’t have to do anything more than that.”

Fraebrion’s voice was firm. “It’s not about what I have to do—it’s about what I will do. You’re not the only one in this unit who can bear weight, Illbrien. I’ve fought with you before, and I’ll fight with you again.”

Rektrion added, his voice steady and sure. “You won’t find a stronger foundation than the four of us together. Evalynne is part of this unit now, too. We’ve been bound for a reason, Illbrien. It’s time you stopped acting like you’re the only one who can lead us forward.”

The truth of their words settled over me, undeniable. I carried everything for so long, but they were right—this wasn’t something I could or should do alone anymore.

Evalynne, watching the exchange, stepped forward with the same fire that always burned in her. “And stop seeing everyone as a threat, Illbrien. That includes Orenik. I spoke with Vivien—he doesn’t want your position. He wants what’s best for Orcqlaneasus, and for him, that means being a father and mate. He could be your ally if you let him.”

Her words gave me pause. Orenik had always been a shadow, a potential rival waiting to strike. But now… perhaps I had misjudged him. “Perhaps,” I said finally, my voice guarded. “I’ll consider it.”

Evalynne didn’t let up. “You should, because we have bigger problems to deal with. The Pstoadys are still out there, and the human female at the Moon Dust Spa wasn’t their victim—she was their accomplice. And we’ll need to handle her, too.”

Rektrion nodded. “The team from Quadrant 3 has been tracking the Pstoadys. They’re close to apprehending them, and we’ll know more soon. I’ve been in contact with them to coordinate.”

I exhaled slowly, tension coiling in my chest but easing slightly. “Then we handle it. One step at a time. Together.”

The word felt foreign, but no longer uncomfortable. We had been a unit—a functional group bound by necessity and survival. But now, standing here with Rektrion, Fraebrion, and Evalynne, I began to sense that this was something more.

Family. The concept had been meaningless to me, an abstraction without relevance to my life. But now it held weight. Rektrion’s steadying presence. Fraebrion’s determination to rebuild and stand strong. Evalynne’s fire and will. They weren’t just part of a unit—they were part of something deeper, something lasting.

I exhaled again. “Family is an unfamiliar concept to us,” I said quietly, more to myself than anyone else. “But perhaps it’s something we can learn.”

Evalynne placed her hand on my clawed one, a silent declaration of her strength and determination. “We already are,” she said softly.

I didn’t reply, but I didn’t pull away either. For the first time, I allowed myself to see it. We weren’t just a unit. We were becoming a family. And for now, that was enough.

Epilogue

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Solar Black is a passionate writer who masterfully blends her love for romance, fantasy, and science fiction in the "The Last of the Orcqlaneasions" series. Her stories feature diverse female leads, including strong Black women who embody resilience, determination, and fortitude, offering readers powerful, relatable characters who navigate complex worlds with unwavering strength. Known for her hot, spicy scenes that incite desire, Solar crafts compelling tales filled with galactic adventure, thrilling intrigue, and enduring love. Fans of Orcs will be captivated by her unique portrayal of these massive, formidable warriors, highlighting their strength, vulnerability, and desperate quest for survival. She brings together the epic scale of fantasy with the intimate intensity of romance, making her series a must-read for fans of both genres.

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The Last of the Orcqlaneasions

In a distant galaxy, the Last of the Orcqlaneasions series follows the struggle of a dying race of massive, battle-hardened warriors. Once feared by enemies and revered by allies, these formidable beings are bound by unbreakable brotherhoods, each unit of three or four warriors on a desperate search for the mates who can carry their young and share their life force. Without them, their species faces extinction. As their numbers dwindle, hope seems lost—until an unlikely intervention reveals a surprising solution. Human women, particularly mature women of color, may hold the key to their survival. Now, these fierce warriors must risk everything, navigating the challenges of forging bonds with their human mates. Can they overcome the vast differences between their worlds and find the love that will save their race?

Space Orcs and the Director

At the end of the Distant Wars, Med-Space Gamma-7 is set to close. Dr. Nina Bridges, the human director from Earth, faces an uncertain future alongside her security team, four fierce Orcqlaneasions—the last of their dwindling species. Kaelix Voss, Talix Krynn, Zephix Jorin, and Aerix Thorne, each a towering warrior with a powerful presence, find themselves drawn to Nina in a bond fueled by overwhelming passion and a desperate desire to ensure the survival of their kind. As they navigate the aftermath of the wars, will they overcome their differences and find lasting love, or will their turbulent pasts and ingrained distrust keep them apart? In this tale of desire and destiny, the stakes are higher than ever.

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Space Orcs and the Thief

Thalia Montgomery, a former space marine turned mercenary, is stranded and fighting for survival on the dangerous moon of KX-7. In the midst of chaos, she comes across two Pstoadys scientists in desperate need of help. Their solution? A daring heist from a damaged ship.

But this isn't just any ship; it belongs to three fierce Orcqlaneasion warriors, Gorak Malak, Thargok Vorr, and Varnok Zenn. These bound brothers are not only skilled fighters but also the last hope for their dying civilization. They seek a female mate to complete their unit and ensure the survival of their race.

Undeterred by rumors of their ferocity, Thalia successfully steals what she needs. However, when the warriors review their surveillance footage, they become captivated by the daring human woman. Could Thalia be the missing piece they've been searching for, or is she just a desperate criminal willing to risk everything?

In a world where courage and cunning intersect, Thalia must navigate a treacherous path where the line between predator and prey blurs. Will she become the savior of a dying race or the ultimate fugitive on this lawless moon?

Immerse yourself in the thrilling and passionate sci-fi adventure, "Space Orcs and the Thief," the second installment of "The Last of the Orcqlaneasions” series.

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Space Orcs and the Pilot

In the vast expanse of the cosmos, Yvonne Adams, a striking ebony-skinned woman, stands as a testament to survival and resilience. Once a pioneering spirit on the fledgling planet of Nu-Terra, Yvonne's life was irrevocably shattered by a brutal alien attack that claimed her young family, leaving her the sole survivor.

With nothing left on Earth to anchor her, Yvonne carves out a living as a salvage ship operator, seeking solace in the solitude of space. Yet, peace remains elusive, haunted by the memory of the four Orcqlaneasion warriors who failed to protect her family and the colony. Their abandonment during the planet's darkest hour has festered into a wound of bitterness and blame.

Six years have passed, and destiny brings Yvonne face-to-face with the very warriors she holds responsible. Can she find it within herself to forgive these mighty protectors for their failure? Can they come to terms with their own guilt and seek redemption?

"Space Orcs and the Pilot" is a gripping tale of heartache, resilience, strength, and smoldering passion. Journey with Yvonne as she confronts her past, battles inner demons, and discovers that sometimes, the path to healing lies in the unlikeliest of alliances. As tensions rise and passions ignite, Yvonne and the Orcqlaneasion warriors must navigate a treacherous path toward forgiveness, understanding, and unexpected love.

Immerse yourself in the captivating saga of resilience and redemption with "Space Orcs and the Pilot," the thrilling third installment in "The Last of the Orcqlaneasions" series.
Trigger Warning: This science fiction work, set in another galaxy, contains references to the death of a child, late-term miscarriage, and alien abduction. Reader discretion is advised. Ultimately, it is a story about a woman's resilience and her journey to rebuild her life.

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Space Orcs and the Diplomat

Vivien Johnson: A Brilliant Diplomat's Downfall
Ambassador Vivien Johnson, a brilliant and accomplished African American woman, once celebrated as Earth's foremost representative to the Galactic Alliance, now bears the burden of the devastating massacre on Nu Terra. Forced into retirement at 55, she sought refuge in seclusion, grappling with the abrupt end of her illustrious career. After a year of silence, a new urgency pulls her from hiding: her beloved niece, Dr. Nina Bridges, has vanished. The last information Vivien received mentioned Nina being united with her four Orcqlaneasion mates and expecting a child, but since then, there has been no word.

Determined to uncover the truth, Vivien embarks on a daring quest, infiltrating the Orcqlaneasus Directorate's space and planet. Along the way, she faces numerous obstacles, including the wary Directorate Elders. In her relentless search for Nina, Vivien must navigate treacherous political landscapes, face her own past, and fight for the love and family she refuses to lose.

The Directorate: Warriors Past Their Prime
The Directorate, once formidable warriors, now serve as Elders, providing counsel on all matters of security and survival for their species. These giants, renowned as the toughest beings in all the galaxies, have traded their weapons for wisdom, guiding their people through an era of decline. When Vivien Johnson, an alien ambassador, invades their space, the Elders are immediately on high alert. Her unauthorized presence poses a significant threat, and they must determine her true intentions. Does she seek to infiltrate their homeworld for some dark purpose, or are her motives sincere and urgent? Will her actions restore lost hope or destroy centuries of customs and traditions that have kept their society intact?

As Vivien's quest intensifies, the Directorate's Elders must decide whether to ally with her or stand as formidable obstacles. Will they become her greatest allies or her ultimate downfall? The Elders must balance their instinct to protect their own with the possibility of a brighter future for their people.

Immerse yourself in this passionate sci-fi adventure of love past its prime and undaunted courage with "Space Orcs and the Diplomat," the fourth installment of "The Last of the Orcqlaneasions” series.

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Space Orcs and the CEO

Lydia Collins-Adler was once the brilliant CEO of Lunar Dynamics, a spacecraft design company with exclusive government contracts and deep connections within the Galactic Alliance. But after nearly twenty years of marriage, a painful divorce leaves her life in shambles. Bankrupt and barred from starting a new company on Earth, Lydia is forced to seek a fresh start in the distant galaxies.

Her immediate concern, however, isn’t just rebuilding her life—it’s finding Vivien Johnson, her mentor and the former Earth Ambassador, who mysteriously vanished over a year ago. Driven by a desperate need for answers, Lydia embarks on a perilous journey across the stars.

But Lydia isn't the only one searching for answers. Orcqlaneasion warriors Xarufh Jex, Parnifh Bral, Jaraefh Drak, and Veltrufh Grend are on a mission of their own: uncovering the truth behind a rumored human conspiracy that threatens their race’s future. When their investigation leads them to Lydia, they are confronted with a woman who is as much a mystery as she is a potential threat.

Passion ignites, but so do doubts. Can Lydia be trusted, or is she hiding something that could destroy them all? In a universe where love and betrayal often blur together, Lydia and the Orcqlaneasions find themselves entangled in a dangerous dance of desire and suspicion.

Immerse yourself in the fifth installment of the Last of the Orcqlaneasions series, Space Orcs and the CEO, where the lines between love and deception blur, and the stakes are as high as the passion that burns among the stars.

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Space Orcs and the Investigator

Chief Elder Illbrien Rezz is a leader on the edge. His rule is crumbling, his brotherhood shattered, and the specter of madness looms ever closer. The Orcqlaneasions face a precarious future, balancing the promise of salvation through human mates with the ongoing nuisance of the meddlesome Pstoady scientists, Torvak and Tovak. Their constant interference disrupts the Orcqlaneasion way of life, sowing chaos and threatening fragile alliances.

When the Directorate calls in former military investigator Evalynne Browne to track down the Pstoadys, they’re placing their faith in a woman with a fierce reputation. A decorated space marine turned Executive Security Director, Browne has seen it all—and retirement hasn’t dulled her edge. But what starts as a covert mission to bring the Pstoadys to justice quickly spirals into something more when Illbrien sets his sights on her.

For Illbrien, Evalynne represents more than the key to saving his people—she’s the one who can restore his rule, mend his broken brotherhood, and anchor his sanity. Consumed by obsession, the Chief Elder is determined to claim her as his mate. But Evalynne is no ordinary human; she’s a soldier, a strategist, and a woman who bows to no one.

As their wills clash in a battle for dominance, alliances are tested, secrets come to light, and the fate of two species hangs in the balance. Will Evalynne uncover the Pstoadys' disruptive plans before it’s too late, or will Illbrien’s relentless pursuit of her jeopardize everything?

In this explosive installment of the Last of the Orcqlaneasions series, love and survival collide in a high-stakes game where victory is the only option.

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See you in the stars!! Solar Black