Page 29 of Cozy Prisons (Human Pets of Talin: Origins #4)

Utharium

Frustration filled Utharium at the sight of Palathum sitting at her desk, tapping on an information square when she should be downstairs at the evening meal with everyone else. His backplates wanted to sound an angry rattle, but he kept them down, tight against his spine.

“You haven’t left this room all day,” he said, pulling her attention up from the display.

She sounded a soothing rumble. “Utharium, how's the building going for the land-based comms array?”

“No,” Utharium said, walking around the desk.

Palathum sounded a questioning rumble. “No?”

“No,” he repeated, moving to stand behind her. She started to turn in her seat, but he didn’t give her the chance. He grabbed her under the arms and lifted her up.

She let out a rattle of surprise. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Taking charge of my mate,” Utharium declared.

Palathum’s rumbles of amusement filled the room. “Yes, my big tough male!”

If he wasn’t still frustrated with her, he might have added his rumbles to hers. He walked around the desk and then stood her on her feet. Without giving her a chance to move, he turned her around and then picked her up again.

Sitting her on the desk with a thump, he pushed her legs apart and stepped between them. She reached for his belt, but he grabbed her wrists.

He sounded a soothing rumble. “I’m concerned.”

She went still and sounded a questioning rumble. “Concerned about what? Except for a few things, it seems that we’re progressing as expected. Have you noticed something?”

“I’ve noticed you,” he said. “Pushing yourself harder than anyone else.”

With an annoyed jerk, Palathum tried to pull out of his grasp. “I’m in charge here. It’s my duty to see to the comfort and safety of every soul here. I can’t afford to be lax in my duties.”

“I’m not suggesting you neglect anything, but you won’t be able to help anyone if you fall ill.”

Palathum jerked. “Sick? Why would you say that?”

He hesitated, but knew he needed to speak up or risk Palathum’s health. “Your smell has changed.”

They both stared at each other in silence.

There were very few reasons a Talin’s scent might change, and usually it was due to illness.

He’d noticed the change several rotations ago, but kept convincing himself that he was imagining it.

This morning the scent was so pronounced that he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

Palathum finally spoke. “Are you sure?”

He sounded a rumble of agreement. “Yes. It’s unmistakable.”

She tried to argue it away. “No one else has said anything.”

“Who could get close enough to you to notice? You spend all your time in here. You haven’t even been joining everyone for the communal meals in the evening.”

She drew in a deep breath and started up a soothing rumble. “It’s probably nothing. Sometimes scents change and it doesn’t mean anything.”

He sounded a harsh, negative rattle. “You and I both know that’s unlikely.”

This time, when she pulled at her arms, he let go. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face close to hers.

“I'll go see Healer Falkilm tomorrow. There’s no reason to worry until he declares that there’s something wrong.”

Tomorrow felt like too long to wait. “I want you to see him right now.”

He expected an argument, but Palathum was always surprising him. With her hold on his head, she held him still and rubbed her scent glands on his. The smell of their combined scent helped calm his fears and center him.

“Let’s join everyone downstairs,” she suggested. “After dinner, we can go to Falkilm.”

“Will you let me feed you?”

She sounded a rumble of agreement. “I’ll expect it.”

Palathum

“Are there more Talins coming with the next supply ship?” Massium asked.

“Two more,” Palathum told her. “Lorisum of the Sol Family within the Verg clan and Dulcor of the Yig family within the Havir clan.”

Massium made an unhappy sound. “Verg clan? They aren’t trustworthy.”

“We don’t judge someone on family or clan,” Utharium said. “Only on themselves. I expect you to be civil to Lorisum.”

“Fine,” Massium said. “I’ll be civil and let this Lorisum prove themself.”

“That’s all we ask,” Palathum said, then opened her mouth to let Utharium feed her.

“I wish there were more than two coming, but I understand the caution,” Jolfium said, pushing a platter of flatbread closer to Utharium. “Letting the wrong Talin in could cause our downfall.”

Palathum didn’t answer; she didn’t need to. They were all well aware of the danger. If their little paradise were found out, it would be death for most of them and true bondage for the humans. No one wanted that!

“Why are you in such a rush to get more Talins here?” Sima asked. “Aren’t we enough for you?”

Riff lifted a mug. “Yeah! We’re plenty! Who was it that figured out how to chain the domicile's power together so it was a more balanced system? A human!”

“Thank you,” Sima said. “It was more complicated than I expected.”

Riff gave Sima a solemn nod. “And you did a great job.” She looked over at Decard. “And who did all the base layers for the domiciles?”

“A human!” Decard said, holding up his own mug with a grin. “Those base layers weren’t easy, and I deserve a beer!”

There was some laughter and grumbling from the humans.

Although they repeatedly asked, Palathum refused to allow alcohol in the colony.

Talins didn’t drink much, and alcohol was toxic to humans, even if they did enjoy its effects.

Thankfully, they weren’t resentful yet, but she worried they might become more upset once the colony was further along.

Riff wasn’t finished. “Who debugged the satellite receiver and has patched the code on almost every bot to keep it going?”

On the opposite side of the table, Nataly was sitting in Daxus’s lap in a mirror image of her and Utharium.

“Happy to do it,” she said with a laugh.

Riff looked over at Palathum. “With all this talent and skill, why’s it so important that there’s more Talins here?”

She’d long since swallowed the bite Utharium fed her, so answering was easy. “It’s a safety issue. Right now, there are thirty humans and only sixteen Talins.”

Riff waved a finger around to indicate all the humans present. “Afraid we’ll revolt and take over the colony? Maybe make you guys wear the collars?”

Massium scoffed at the idea, but Palathum knew better than to underestimate humans. If Massium wasn’t careful, she’d find herself the target of the practical jokes the humans loved to arrange.

Actually, Palathum might encourage it. Massium needed to learn to respect human ingenuity.

“When’s the next ship arriving?” Rami asked.

Palathum explained the ship's potential arrival times between bites of food. That kicked off a playful debate among the humans about something Palathum didn’t understand.

Utharium had been right; it felt good to sit down with everyone and talk. Unlike how she was taught and trained to use communal mealtimes for information exchange, the humans used it as a time to bond and enjoy each other’s company.

Listening to them talk and laugh made a lot of the tension she was carrying in her neck ease.

If she was honest, she knew something was wrong with her even before Utharium said anything.

She’d been battling fatigue and experiencing strange twinges in her lower back.

It was easy to push those symptoms to the back of her mind as simply a result of a busy schedule and too much time sitting.

Now she couldn’t ignore them anymore. It made her want to sound a mournful rumble. She didn’t want to die. Not just because no one wants to die, but because there was so much left to do. The thought of joining the ancestors before the colony was finished being built made her feel panicked.

Even worse was the knowledge that Utharium would die soon after she did. When scent-bonded partners were separated for too long, they suffered from Ending. It was a horribly painful death, and his agony would be her fault also.

Yes, she knew there was no morality to disease, even if Talin culture believed some diseases were caused by weak genetics. Still, she couldn’t help but feel personally responsible for whatever was happening to her.

“Stop,” Utharium ordered in a quiet voice that didn’t go past her earhole.

She sounded a questioning rumble. “I thought I was supposed to eat my fill?”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. I can feel your body getting stiffer. It can only mean that you’re thinking of unpleasant things.”

“It’s hard not to,” she admitted.

Utharium wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. “We’ll get an answer from Falkilm tonight. Then we’ll know what to do to prepare.”

“I don’t want you to die,” she whispered.

“I don’t want to live in a world without you.”

His words made her feel both loved and guilty. Before she could respond, Falkilm stood up from another table and quietly left the room. He would be going back to the medical building.

Utharium lifted her off his lap and set her on her feet. “It’s time.”

“Palathum!”

They both looked over to see Kamie and Kiran rushing toward her. They were obviously upset, but Palathum still found herself wondering if the couple ever did anything separately. She wasn’t sure she could recall a single moment when she saw one without the other.

“What’s wrong?” she asked the two as they came to a stop in front of her and Utharium.

“Hale and Cassius are fighting,” Kiran explained. That’s when she noticed a little blood at the corner of his lip. “I tried to break them up but got an elbow to the face.”

“Lead me to them,” she ordered, but Utharium grabbed her arm before she could move.

“I’ll deal with Cassius and Hale, you go see to what we talked about earlier.”

She wanted to argue, but knew that it wouldn’t take two of them to deal with the fight.

“I can help,” Massium said.

Utharium turned her to the side door that would exit closer to the medical building. “Go, Massium and I have this. I’ll join you as soon as we’ve sorted it out.”