Silence fell between us, the painful sort that fostered secrets and nurtured unspoken disagreement.

  Cyderial began to pet my arm, a low rumble offered gently.

  Uneasy, I asked Aegir, who seemed most reasonable, “Is it true many mated female hybrids refuse to bear young?”

  Nodding, he said, “Yes.”

  “Tonight, strangers begged me to give one of you my daughter, in the hope you might make the world a safer place. So that they too might know their daughters would not be abused or neglected. They will not give hybrids natural-born children until changes are made.”

  Arms over his chest, General Aegir remained unsmiling. “State in specifics what it is you desire.”

  Forcing a smile, I said, “Support me in allowing older unmated females of age to learn about their anatomy, the expectations of mating, the male’s ability to influence them, and the physical act itself.”

  With unblinking, fixated stares, all three males kept their silence.

  The fact that female education was so threatening… it was madness.

  A far deeper fear began to take hold of me. “If the humans did not demand females be trained to serve, would we even be allowed education? Do you think so little of us?”

  Aegir held up his hands as if to gentle me. “You misunderstand.”

  Blood running cold, I would have backed away if not for Cyderial’s mass at my back. “Can you explain it to me? Right now, I’m starting to fear that hybrid males are a terrible threat to our kind.”

  “I would give my mate anything she asked for.”

  “But only after she was unwillingly in your control.” I had never really thought on it much in the past, but now I wanted to know. “Why are there no female generals? This corruption in thought is due to an imbalance. You have ignored women for so long that you do not think their opinions have value.”

  “We are muddying the waters of this conversation by reaching outside of the original point. These are complex topics⁠—”

  “I disagree. I am finding a great deal of clarity. Equality is simple. These issues are so much deeper than males’ desire for control. Without a mate, you have had no reason to consider females at all. If they do not sing, they are an afterthought.” It all began to make sense, and it was so very sad. “The women here tonight are begging me to give you a reason to care, because you have power but no consideration. This is so much deeper than manipulating females’ access to information. Are we purely ornamental to you?”

  Cyderial did enjoy dressing me, styling my hair, demanding I arrive with a large belly so his friends might see. Would he have supported another female had she made reasonable suggestions? Without a mate’s opinion, he may not have been capable of it.

  Leaving males in power was dangerous for us all.

  But giving them my daughters might mean my girls could suffer. Cyderial claimed they were worthy, but I was not so sure.

  It was an impossible position to be in.

  “You may have some point that we do not consider other males’ mates. It is not in our nature, nor is it our place to do so. Not unless something can be learned that may be beneficial to the keeping of a woman of our own. It is the mated male’s duty to ensure his female is content. Unmated males serve, we work, we bleed, and we do this year after year—alone.”

  So, we were not ornamental. It was worse. We did not exist to them. Not without a song. “This would be beneficial to all unmated females. Such benefits would pass to you through happy mates that may grow to love you without violence and manipulation.”

  And that was the key to tempting these males’ attention.

  They did not care about the greater good of females. They cared only about their female.

  With everything to lose, I made a wager. “Let me prove it. General Thayer has heard the song of my exceptional friend. She will graduate in two weeks. If the three of you and Thayer agree, I will teach her, personally, what to expect when he comes for her. Together, we can all observe the outcome. You may be surprised how a female will act if she has not been abused by a man who believes his violence comes from a place of love.”

  Unexpectedly, it was stoic General Boreal who instantly offered me his hand. “I will agree only if you are pregnant first. The details will be worked out later, but at least one of us will have a mate born within a year.”

  His caveat made my hackles rise. “Agree to which part?”

  Husky-voiced and serious as the grave, he said, “Your friend will receive private instruction, and we will observe the outcome. Should it go well, all females of age may be educated in this manner. If they disappoint us, the privilege will be retracted.”

  Privilege? How I held my tongue, I could not say.

  Jaw clenched, I looked to the other two.

  The eldest seemed the most reasonable, but he did not reach out a hand. Aegir frowned deeply. “I will agree to the terms as well, so long as you are pregnant before speaking with your friend. But, should things fail with your exceptional friend and General Thayer, I will consider it proof that education on sexual topics for women is impractical. I believe you are the exception, not the rule.”

  General Murdoch smiled, arm outstretched, voice velvet, as he said, “I demand twins.”

  How could they possibly ask me to make such an impetuous decision with less than two weeks to deliberate? A baby was a serious consideration! This was not patience or compassion for females. It was force, with no promise of real follow-through.

  They were demanding I go against my core beliefs.

  I wanted to change things for women, but I would not sell my daughter for a handshake and halfhearted promise. Not to men who would not care about her concerns if she didn’t sing for them.

  General Aegir, General Boreal, and General Murdoch… not one of them was worthy. This problem was too big for me to fix.

  Devastated our kind could be so callous, I drew away. “I refuse your terms.”

  Looking at males through new eyes, I felt a great weight come over me. “Not one of you cares about the improvement education could have on females’ lives. Your focus is only on your own selfish motivations to have a mate. How can you properly care for a woman you refuse to create a better world for?”

  Murdoch looked to my mate. “You must convince her.”

  Cyderial shook his head. “No. Lorieyn is correct. Expand your consideration and accept that we are discussing my offspring as well. For ten years, I have had reason to view the world through the eyes of a mate. This is something you must do as well, song or not, or you may never have what you want. Lorieyn has the power to deny you indefinitely… or only bear sons, who would be further competition should another genetic anomaly occur.”

  My attention flashed to the man who held me, who had taken me from the world to keep me for himself. And the strangest sensation came over me.

  Never would I have thought I might appreciate what he had done. But in that moment, I thanked God Cyderial found me first. That he’d been wise enough to keep me far away from all of them. Horrible as he was, these men would have made me miserable.

  And then my mate edified them further. “Do you not think I have made difficult decisions regarding the keeping of females at the academy? The results of my work are clear; their survival rate is higher than it has been in a century. Less are assaulted or stolen by lower-ranked boys. This required me to earn recruits’ animosity, including the dislike of my Lorieyn here. But it was done to benefit them all, not for my advantage. Lorieyn may be affectionate, but there is a hardness in her hearts and good reason for it to be there. That was my sacrifice for the greater good. I could have taken her at twelve and groomed her as I pleased, but instead, she was left to endure the same as the rest. Because it was best for her, not for me. Think on that in the upcoming years of your solitude.”

  Something flipped in my belly, my insides going liquid to hear him speak such perfect words.

  Where was the general who allowed children to be beaten by instructors, and sisters to be lonely for their brothers? Who was this man, who assured I was educated and prepared, who had kept me safe?

  He did not seem at all the same as the person I hated and feared for so long.

  How would I reconcile the sentiment knocking at my breast? Awed, I looked at him with gratitude. “Thank you.”

  Dignified and tender, he cupped my cheek. “You never need to thank me for taking care of you.” To his friends, he said, “You will respect my mate’s decision. Do not trouble her on this topic again.”

  “Wait!” The voice was Thayer’s, my attention pulled from warm green eyes to find the massive general stepping out of the shadows.

  I could not fathom how a man so large could have possibly concealed himself so well, but he emerged from the dark, clearly having been eavesdropping.

  Golden and eager, he wasted no time rushing forward to be heard. “I do agree to your terms, Lorieyn. Tell Maeve anything you wish her to know. When I come for her after graduation, I want her to appreciate that her happiness is my greatest concern.”

  If that were fully true, he would wait until Maeve chose him in return. But one small victory was better than two great failures. It might be the best I could ever do for my friend.

  Relief that not everything had been shot to hell, I quickly nodded my agreement. “Thank you, General Thayer. I will tell her that you were willing to do what is best for her. Unlike these men, who would only consider your mate’s wellbeing if they were paid for it.”

  General Boreal was unhappy with the insult, frowning as he looked me over. “Lorieyn, you are asking us to go against thousands of males and five hundred years of custom, with no assurances it will not cause a great deal of trouble. We do not know if this would improve the lives of women at all.”

  I was not a fan of confrontation; I never had been. But I was more than willing to stand up for what was right. “Afraid the women will refuse the list if they learn there is no freedom, no matter their sufferings through academy life? If you cannot entice a female without tricks, you do not deserve one. Things have been too easy for males for too long. All the while, females were trapped with the burden of your inattention. I will not let my children suffer the same.”

  Hands before him as if that might cool my temper, Aegir said, “Let’s be reasonable.”

  I had been reasonable. I had even been hopeful. Now, I was just exhausted. “What makes you think you are better than the humans who created us to die for them? Why do you think hybrid women refuse to produce children? The expectations you impose on them are cruel. Even once during this conversation, did you consider what it would mean for my child to be born simply for your gratification? Any daughter I bear will suffer the loss of her mother. She will suffer the academy. She will suffer three men who desperately want her song to soothe their own urges. Men who will stalk her days and control her life as much as they are able. She will suffer one of you stealing her away. How could you expect me to do that to my own baby? Speak to the women here. Let them hold up a mirror and show you what you are. Until you take a good, hard look, don’t speak to me on this topic again.”

  General Murdoch went from smirk to sneer. “And do not expect one of us will be moved without a female child growing in your womb.”

  12

  It was not until the door closed, locking us away in Cyderial’s home, that I finally felt free to state my failure. “That did not go well at all.”

  Three generals demanded I birth a female child. Thayer irritated I had been carted off before he might pepper me with questions about Maeve. As it was, the golden general could change his mind at any moment.

  My irritation at the outcome was now pointed at the man who escorted me away.

  At my scowl, he caught my chin, pressing a kiss to my frown. “Peace, Lorieyn. It went far better than you think. You’re practically a child compared to their years, and you stood up to each of them. You earned their respect, even if you have yet to realize it.”

  “I’m in an impossible position!” And now that we were alone, I was ashamed to feel my lips tremble. “Everyone wants something from me I can’t give, even you.”

  He didn’t deny it. “This night was a victory, my love. Wait and see.”

  “Will you let me talk to Maeve? We could go to the academy now,” I pled, eyes wide and hopeful.

  “In the morning.” His look warned me not to press him. “You need to eat and rest first. Trying to encourage her to submit to Thayer when you are frantic will fail. With that wager you made, everything rides on your ability to persuade her. The generals might be angered you refused them, but they will pay close attention. Eat, sleep, submit, and obey, then go to your friend with a clear mind.”

  I cocked a brow, stomach dropping. “Obey?”

  He seemed surprised at my reticence. “Your orders. You are now an academy instructor and must behave as one.”

  No, he wanted me to obey in another way. Suspicious, I pressed, “You want me to grow pregnant, don’t you?”

  He failed to mask his expression before I might notice his obvious desire to see me bred. Looking away, as if it might hide his intentions, he moved toward the kitchen. “Don’t ask me to lie to you.”

  This man had sworn he loved me, but such an aspiration was not one of love. It was one of greed. Following him, I vented my frustration. “You would put your mate and child in a position that would cause them both pain? The academy will take her from me!”

  “Sit.” Pointing at a seat overlooking his food preparation space, he did not wait to see if I might follow orders. Circling to the other side, he grabbed a knife and some unknown bulb, chopping away while I crept closer.

  How he could mince that thing with such finesse, how he seemed so undisturbed, irritated me. “You are my mate; do I not deserve an answer? How am I supposed to survive having my baby taken from my arms? How am I supposed to live here with you, knowing she is crying at night, wanting her mother?”

  My temper brought the smallest smirk to his cruel mouth, green eyes darting up from his work to watch me settle into the chair. But still, he said nothing.

  Grating silence stretched.

  Settling my weight, I found I was not ready to give up my anxiety. “You let me lie to them.”

  He made a noncommittal noise.

  “It was a lie, Cyderial. I didn’t really understand what sex was. ‘A man pours himself inside a woman, and that’s were babies come from.’”

  Actual laughter came from the man, tossing himself another bulb to catch with a flourish and set down on his slicing board. “I gave you a bit more detail than that.”

  Maybe a little, but not by much. “You failed to mention there was a whole other opening. Or the process of opening. Imagine what I thought. What other girls must think. It’s not funny at all; it’s sad.”

  Devious smirk on his face, he began working the papery outer layers off his bulb. “It was the most uncomfortable conversation of my life. Forgive me for laughing, but I’ve had years of nightmares over what took place that night.”

  Good. I was glad he suffered a little. I had been mortified. “I guarantee I was more uncomfortable than you.”

  Dicing the food, he shot me a wink. “Your face was very red, but you remained at attention. I think I fell even more in love with you watching you maintain such composure.”

  Elbow to the counter, I could not believe he was trying to be cute when I was so mad. “You had to have known I did not fornicate with the boy, if you could still hear my song.”

  “My head was not right that evening. The hair looked like yours, the room full of your scent, male fluids everywhere. He had been unable to set a knot, so I wasn’t sure if that meant you might have been unbonded.”

  How different my life might have been if some academy boy had fumbled through my first real sexual experience. It was an embarrassing question, and I could not meet his eyes, but I asked it all the same. “How common is it for males to open their females the way you opened me?”

  All playfulness was replaced by a velvet purr. “How did I open you?”

  He was going to make me pay, wasn’t he? For my temper and my denunciations. “You took your time. You showed me my reflection and made it feel good.”

  All warmth and sultry hunger, he said, “Tell the tale, and more males might seek to try.”

  Why was it my burden to teach males something they should already seek to know?

  “Hybrid laws should require males to do it properly.” God, I could not stop thinking of huge Thayer and how tiny Maeve was. Face in my hands, I sighed. “That giant is going to hurt my friend.”

  “I will talk to him, and I will talk to the other men. And you—” The unblinking stare was back, the kind that warned he was getting ready to corner me. “—will cease your accusations that I would harm my mate or child in any way.”

  Frustrated, I felt a tear fall. “But you are failing to give me answers.”

  “Words will not fix what you fear.” He reached forward to thumb the offensive tear from my cheek. “Only time can do that.”

  I couldn’t win. Maybe it would have been better had I been locked away for years on end. Then none of this would have happened. “The mated females won’t forgive me for spoiling their plan.”

  That got a reaction out of him, one of cold disdain. “The women you spoke with tonight have failed to produce children. Why should they expect you to do something they refuse?”

  But there was so much more to it, wasn’t there? “Why did Miranda say you would be our king? Why not one of the other generals?”

  “My love, I am about two seconds away from dragging you into the bedroom and fucking you into a silent stupor.”

  My spinning thoughts collided into a mess of loudly ringing silence my shock was so great. Never had he spoken to me that way. And to my utter humiliation, slick was already gathering between my thighs, my insides choking down on the plug.

  And he could smell it, the flare of his nostrils leaving me to press my lips into a line.

  “I will give you what you want, precious girl. But first you will eat, and while you do, you will listen.” He straightened, going back to his chopping. “Do not fault the generals for coveting what I have. They have not encountered a twelve-year-old they wanted to fuck and cannot image the price that exacted.”