The Human Bearer - 6 - Teaser

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He took his place at one of the empty tables, wondering how he wasn’t going to get bored out of his mind. When Tasha sat across from him, he smirked.

 

“Look what stranger is back in town,” he commented.

 

Tasha grimaced. “I got scolded enough by Marn, thank you very much. He removed my right to make calls, can you believe the guy?”

 

The redhead was trying to sound carefree, but he was stealing glances in all directions and he was biting his bottom lip.

 

“What happened to you?” Riordan asked. “It’s not like I’ve known you since forever, but you look like you’re about to make a run for the door.”

 

“Am I that obvious?” Tasha fiddled with his drink.

 

“Yeah, to me, at least,” Riordan said.

 

“Well, I... Ahem,” Tasha mumbled something.

 

“What?” Riordan leaned forward.

 

“I am... pregnant, if I can say so.”

 

“Fuck me sideways,” Riordan murmured. “So Marn finally decided to put his egg inside you?”

 

Tasha’s eyes flicked away. He seemed paler than before, his eyes a bit sunken in his head.

 

“It’s not his,” the redhead said quickly and linked his fingers together in desperation.

 

Riordan stopped midday from putting fingers in his ears.

 

“You gotta be kidding me,” he replied in the same hushed to tone. “It’s Xer’s, isn’t it?”

 

Tasha looked surprised as their eyes met. “How do you know?”

 

“Just putting two and two together,” Riordan replied.

 

“You’re smarter than me, that’s for sure.”

 

“How the hell that happened?” Riordan asked, trying hard to keep his voice down. “Does Marn even know?”

 

Tasha snorted, but mostly in self defeat. “It would be hard for him not to, since he kept me down so his son could put his egg inside me.”

 

Riordan could feel the earth moving under his feet.

 

“Yeah,” Tasha continued, “here go my stupid dreams that Marn saw someone special in me. He just groomed me so Xer could mount me like a frigging cow,” he added, looking down.

 

Riordan touched the other man’s hands. “But how about compatibility? Did you have sex with Xer?”

 

“Not except for that time, no. And now I’m like a ticking bomb because if my body rejects the egg, well, I guess I will be the one rejected.”

 

“How on earth did Xer have an egg? He’s like what? 18?”

 

“His daddy took care of putting it into his head that as soon as he reached adulthood, he won’t have to wait for mundane things like that. At least, this is what I suspect.”

 

“And does everyone else know?”

 

“No. And I shouldn’t have told you. I’m putting you in danger again.”

 

“What kind of friend would I be? And danger is all around us if you haven’t noticed.”

 

“Things don’t look up on your part of the universe either?” Tasha looked at him, as he linked hands with Riordan.

 

“Yeah, kind of. But don’t worry. Your situation is much more severe. Isn’t it a way to report this bastard?”

 

“Who should I tell? He’s the High Chancellor.”

 

“How can he be so stupid to believe that this would work?”

 

“He’s calm about it. He says research shows I can carry his son’s egg without a problem. But it’s not his life on the line, now, is it?”

 

“So why didn’t he put you together with his son from the start?”

 

“For the sake of his experiments, apparently. Now I’m the guinea pig.”

 

“Damn,” Riordan whispered.

 

“You two,” someone called for them.

 

Riordan saw one of the silicone dolls approaching, a hand on his hip.

 

“The party starts. Get ready,” the doll added.

 

“Take that tone and shove it up your ass,” Riordan said gruffly. “We stay here.”

 

“If I let your owners know…” The intruder left the threat hanging in the air.

 

“What? Do you want a foot in your ass?” Riordan stood up and the other took a step back, frightened.

 

The doll scurried away. Tasha rose with a sigh.

 

“We should go. Get ready to witness a bit of an orgy.”

 

“What? With bearers? And you have the egg, what the hell?”

 

“I suppose they will leave me alone. But you should put on that don’t fuck with me face if you want to go through this evening unscathed.”

 

“What the fuck? Weren’t we precious and shit?”

 

“You won’t necessarily be fucked. That’s something used as a political tool. But expect to get groped a lot. Of course, if your owner allows it. I haven’t seen him at all lately. And he’s not at the party, either.”

 

It was strange how vulnerable he suddenly felt. Xana had taken his side the last time, but now things were different. Maybe he could fake being sick.

 

“I think I don’t feel too good,” he rubbed his belly in an exaggerated gesture.

 

A bot appeared out of nowhere and started scanning him.

 

“It doesn’t work,” Tasha grimaced.

 

“Fuck,” Riordan said through his teeth.

 

“Stay with me. They now know I have an egg, and, by association, they might think you do, too. At least, there’s a chance.”

 

Tasha. Always the optimist. And look where that got him.

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