Page 14 of Tender Captivity (Human Pets of Talin)

Holian was eager to find Jinna and give her the package he’d received, only to have Renalan stop him.

“Commandant, Tarquin is here to see you.”

Those words stopped him in his tracks. “Tarquin?”

“Yes,” Renalan said with a thoughtful rumble. “He’s wearing a Mourning Cloth.”

“Mourning Cloth?” Holian repeated, shocked at this news. “Who died?”

“No one close to him that I know of,” Renalan answered. “But you should ask him yourself.”

Holian finally understood his friend’s strained tone. Renalan had always had a soft spot for strays. More often than not, Renalan brought his attention to a retired soldier struggling to adjust back into Talin society. Holian might talk them into relocating to Kalor but Renalan found them.

And it looked like Renalan thought Tarquin might be another stray. He’d never questioned Renalan’s judgment before, so he wasn’t going to start now.

“I’ll speak with him but only briefly,” Holian allowed. “I have an important gift for Jinna.”

“Oh, it finally came!” Renalan said looking down at the package Holian was cradling gently and sounding a happy rumble. “She’ll be so happy.”

“I hope so,” Holian commented before nodding to the formal meeting room. “Bring him in there. No refreshments. He’s not a guest.”

“Yes, sir. Of course,” Renalan said before striding off. He only heard the sarcasm in those four words because Holian and Renalan had been friends for so long.

Striding into the formal room, he took up position at the far end and didn’t bother sitting.

He wanted to get this meeting over with quickly.

The room wasn’t large, so when Tarquin stepped in, he took up a lot of space.

He was wearing the uncomfortable black Mourning Cloth over his torso and head.

Holian could see it was laced so tightly it might even be restricting his ability to take a full breath.

Tarquin must be suffering some immense guilt to voluntarily wear such a painful garment. Usually Talins wore it because someone close to them had died and they felt either deep pain, responsibly, or both. But it could also be a sign of feeling deep shame.

Whatever the reason, Holian didn’t care. “Why are you here?”

Tarquin was quiet for a moment. Half his face was obscured by the ridiculously oversized hood of the Mourning Cloth. Holian allowed the large Talin a few moments to compose his thoughts, but as the silence stretched, he lost his patience.

“Speak or leave,” he ordered. “Those are your choices.”

Without a word, Tarquin sank to his knees and presented Holian with an Atonement Needle.

Apparently there was a third choice Holian hadn’t thought of.

Snatching the Atonement Needle from the male’s hand, Holian broke it in half and tossed it away. “We don’t do that here,” he growled. “Get off your knees and explain yourself.”

Reluctantly, Tarquin rose to his feet and pulled back the hood of his robe. “Would you not grant me a chance to make amends for my part in the Challenge? The guilt is eating me alive. Please, Commandant Holian, tell me how I can earn your forgiveness.”

“Why do you need my forgiveness?” Holian questioned. “The report I received cleared you of all wrongdoing. What happened was entirely planned and executed by the Lolians, not you.”

“My family believes I was part of the duplicity,” Tarquin admitted with a sad rumble, his voice barely above a whisper. “One moment I had a family, a career, and a home. But now I have nothing.”

Holian had heard the story before. Talin families and clans were quick to disassociate with anyone who might tarnish their reputation.

Even a hint of scandal was enough for some of the older clans to cast out entire families.

Tarquin’s parents had probably disowned him as a preemptive action to keep from even being associated with the Lolian family.

No one’s death had driven Tarquin to wear the Mourning Cloth, but the demise of the life he had did.

“Go to your family and demand your inheritance share,” Holian told him, making a snap decision.

Tarquin sounded a rattle of shock. “My inheritance share? But I’m not old enough, and I’ve been disowned.”

“But I’m adopting you. I have only one son and no daughters; I’m allowed to have a second child.

You will be that child. I’ll file the formal declaration with the Lineage Committee tomorrow, but for now, you will contact your former parents and demand your personal items be delivered here and warn them that I will expect your inheritance share in my account in no more than four rotations. ”

“Commandant Holian!” Tarquin said with a loud rattle most Talins used when they received a painful blow. “You don’t want me. I’m tainted by the events of our Challenge.”

“You fought bravely for those who would use you. Now I ask you to fight bravely for a family who will support you. What do you say?”

Tarquin stood perfectly still for several submarks, but then, with a loud rattle of triumph, he ripped off the Mourning Cloth and bowed his head. “I pledge myself to you, Commandant Holian, as a loyal follower and member of your household.”

As he spoke, Renalan walked in carrying canisters of drinks. He didn’t sound a shocked rattle or surprised rumble. Instead, he handed Holian both drinks and gestured Tarquin to follow him.

“I’ll show you which display to use to contact your former family,” he said as he led Tarquin out.

“You’re going to need to sit because I want them to see a wall full of Commandant Holian’s awards and his lineage banners behind you.

You should point to them when you tell them what’s happening so they really understand who Commandant Holian is. That will make them more cooperative.”

Sneaky Renalan, he’d had this whole thing planned out. Holian sounded a soft amused rumble. If he’d done one thing right in his life, it was surrounding himself with good individuals like Renalan.

Unlike when he’d first arrived, Tarquin stood tall and walked with confidence as he followed Renalan out of the room.

Eventually he’d need to trust Tarquin with all the secrets about the humans on Kalor Colony and the true purpose of Sorana Colony, but for now he’d let the young Talin find his feet. One thing he was sure of was this male would make a good second son.

Jinna glanced up to find Holian searching the garden for her. She’d made herself comfortable on a patch of soft, spongy moss and was reading on an information square. She was a little hidden, so she lifted an arm to wave. He sounded a rumble of joy when he spotted her and made his way over.

As he drew closer, she noted he was carrying a standard small shipping package in one hand and two canisters of drinks in the other. The moment he stood next to her, he sank to the ground and sat all the items on the moss between them.

Getting to her knees, she gave their surroundings a quick glance before daring to bring her lips to his.

“I missed you all morning,” she murmured as she rubbed her cheek against his. The smell of apples filled the air and made her pull in a deep lungful through her nose. She’d never get tired of his bonding oil scent.

Picking her up, Holian sat back and settled her in his lap. “I missed you as well,” he said with a purring rumble. “But I’m done with meetings and reports. We will be leaving for Kalor at seventh mark.”

“That soon?” she said, feeling a bit of anxiety rise up. Kalor was Holian’s home. He’d told her stories of all the humans and Talins who lived there, his voice warm and affectionate. She was both eager and intimidated to meet so many people he held dear to his heart.

“If it hadn’t been for all the investigation surrounding the Challenge, we would have left rotations ago,” he pointed out.

“Don’t remind me,” she said with a grimace. “You guys have a really fucked-up system. You know that, right?”

“Perhaps,” Holian said with a rumble of amusement. “And I might have adopted the male who fought in the Challenge.”

Jinna stared at him, going still from shock. Then she threw up her hands with a laugh. “You’re certifiably crazy!” she declared. “But that’s probably why I love you so much.”

“We can speak about Tarquin later,” Holian insisted as he held up the package he’d brought out. “I got this for you.”

Curious, Jinna took it and started undoing the clasp. “You don’t need to get me things,” she said as she wiggled the clasp open.

“It’s important,” Holian insisted and watched her intensely. He was worried, she realized. No matter what, she’d make sure to react with pleasure.

But when she finally got the contents out of the box, she was too shocked to speak. Tears welled in her eyes, and her voice froze in her throat.

Somehow Holian found Mateo and Lind’s funerary crystals.

“Are you well?” Holian asked softly as he wiped a tear from her face. She met his gaze and hugged the green and purple crystals to her chest.

“You’ve given me everything,” she whispered. “You saved my life and my sanity. You showed me I can love again, and now you’ve brought my son and husband back to me. I’ll never be able to pay you back.”

Holian hugged her to his chest, the crystals cradled between them. “You already have.”