* * * *
"They seemed so … gentle! I still can't believe they … did that!" Sissy shivered although it was a warm night. "To think I've been going in and out of that habitat for months! They could've …. I need a drink."
Kate was still in a state of shock herself, but Sissy's comments spawned a surge of anger. "Anybody-any animal is capable of killing given the right circumstances and I'd say survival would bring that out. I heard once about this rabbit that killed a rattlesnake. They'd put the rabbit in the cage with it to feed the snake and the snake chased the poor thing around and around until it finally got it cornered and then the rabbit leapt on the snake and killed it."
Sissy stared at her, blinking a little owlishly. "Seriously?"
"The guy that told me said it was true. He'd paid to watch the snake feed and then he started feeling sorry for the rabbit and told the guy he'd pay him more if he'd take the rabbit out, but the guy refused.
"So you're saying maybe we weren't wrong and maybe they are gentle?"
Kate sucked at her lower lip. The truth was they had shaken her up and she didn't know what to think anymore. She struggled with her thoughts for a moment. "I just don't know. All I'm saying is we can't necessarily judge them as violently aggressive by that incident. Clearly they felt threatened and you and I both know that it wasn't their imagination."
Sissy studied her for a long moment. "But you think they're a lot smarter than we gave them credit for-which means they could've been playing us the whole time, just waiting for a chance to escape. I seriously need a drink. I'm going to the Stargate Lounge. Want to come?"
Kate considered it. Ordinarily, she didn't particularly care for the club scene, but it had been a hell of a week. She struggled with the temptation. "I don't know. I was thinking about heading out to my place to think."
"I don't want to think anymore! We've been cooped up in that damned holding cell for damned near a week-and on station for more than a year! I don't know about you, but I've been doing way too much thinking lately. I need some down time. I seriously need to unwind before I lose it. You're sure you don't want to go with me?"
Put that way, Kate decided it might not be such a bad idea after all. She'd been having nightmares ever since the incident and it certainly hadn't helped her stress level to be left kicking her heels in a cell wondering if she was going to be sitting in jail for months-or years. "You have a point," she said wryly. "I could use a little down time to unwind myself. Maybe a couple of drinks would help me sleep."
Sissy managed a smile. "Great! I really hate drinking alone!"
The club Sissy had mentioned wasn't far from the space port. Leaving their cars, they took a shuttle over to the club with the intention of getting soused enough that they wouldn't be in any shape to drive home afterwards.
"Hot damn!" Sissy exclaimed when they climbed from the shuttle and paid the driver. She pointed at the marquee. "It's dance night!"
Kate smiled. "I don't know that I feel like dancing. I might after a couple of drinks …."
Sissy laughed. "I mean male dance night! Strippers!"
Kate's belly knotted. "Are you serious? I didn't know they had strip shows here."
"Boy are you out of the loop! You've been serious way too long. This is really going to be fun!"
Grabbing Kate's arm, she hurried toward the entrance.
The music was so loud, it was impossible to talk even at the entrance and the level rose several decibels as they passed through the foyer and into the club. Despite Kate's initial reluctance, she felt a surge of excitement swell inside of her as the sound of women screaming with excitement rolled over them. Sissy, who'd paused near the entrance and rose to her tiptoes to crane for a look, bellowed at her. "Let's grab a drink at the bar first. I think we'll have to stand up. I didn't see any place to sit."
Despite her rising enthusiasm, Kate wasn't convinced that she wanted to get in the middle of the mob of women screaming their heads off, but she didn't object when Sissy tugged her toward the bar to grab a drink. As a distraction, she didn't think they could've stumbled upon anything more guaranteed to divert them from their worries, with or without an alcoholic chaser.
* * * *
Noo settled into the deep shadows at the rear edge of the parking lot, folding his wings. Dae and Rak settled just behind and to either side of him, but he was only peripherally aware of them as he focused on the building Kate had disappeared inside, trying to decide what sort of place it was.
We are liable to be seen here and I have not seen that they have birds as large as we are, Dae pointed out after a moment.
Their eyes are not made for seeing in the dark, Noo said dismissively. Why do you suppose they are screaming? They do not seem to be frightened or in any sort of distress. All I can detect is excitement.
Rak dragged in a deep breath, struggling for a moment to decipher the scents. "They are aroused … this must be a mating place."
Noo and Dae both sent him a sharp look.
Noo's first impulse was to refute the comment, but he had detected the faint scent, as well. Fury welled inside him. For days they had hidden themselves in the Earth forest, taking on the forms of the first beasts they had seen that were large enough to accommodate their mass-some sort of grazing beast-searching for a way back inside so that they might free Kate and take her. And now that she apparently was free, she had immediately headed toward a mating place!
Well if she is ready to mate, all the better, Dae pointed out as if he had been following Noo's thoughts.
All we need do now is separate her from the others.
We will have to take a form that appeals to her before that, Rak said.
Dae sent him an irritated look. I did not think she would want us as we look now, he said testily. We could not mate with her in this form if she was interested!
I do not hear anything inside but females, Noo growled. Maybe this is not a mating place?
If that is not a mating frenzy I hear I cannot imagine what it would be! Dae snapped irritably, angry that Noo had dismissed his assessment of the situation, particularly when he was becoming aroused from the faint scents he could detect.
I think we will have to go inside and see what is happening there.
They immediately hit a roadblock when they tried to enter through the same portal that Kate and Sissy had used.
"Women only until the show is over. You guys will have to come back in an hour," the woman at the front yelled at them.
Noo, Dae, and Rak retreated to their observation point once more, more puzzled than they had been.
Clearly you were both wrong and this is not a mating place, Noo said, disgusted.
There are males inside, gods damn it! Dae growled. I caught the scent of many males and beyond that I heard the voice of a male!
Do you think the female realized we were not really human males, Rak asked worriedly?
Noo stared at him blankly for a moment before it sank in what Rak was asking, too wrapped up in his thoughts to assimilate the question at first. He considered it briefly. She did not seem alarmed in any way. I do not think she suspects anything. They do not have a very keen sense of smell either. I think we will have to take the form of females to get inside.
Dae immediately balked at the suggestion. We cannot mate with Kate as females! And I do not want to be a female, if it comes to that!
Noo glared at him. I want to know what is happening inside! I believe they have males inside already and that we have only been excluded … for some reason. I am not going to wait here and discover that Kate has already been bred when she leaves this place!
They have strange mating practices, Rak observed.
Noo shrugged a little uncomfortably. It is not that unusual. The dirg and the mybi gather to mate once a year on Ra.
Yes, but they are solitary creatures most times. If they did not gather during the mating season they would have no one to mate with!
These are alien creatures, Dae pointed out. We cannot expect them to behave as Mother Ra's creatures do!
We are wasting time here, Noo said impatiently. You two stay here. I will make myself appear as a female and discover what I can.
Dae and Rak exchanged a look.
I suppose you expect us to believe you will not seize the opportunity to mate with Kate if it presents itself, Dae said sarcastically?
Noo narrowed his eyes. I am the alpha. I will mate first in any case.
We will go with you, Rak said hurriedly. Closing his eyes, he summoned an image of the female form and struggled to conform his mass into that shape. He discovered when he had managed the transformation that both Noo and Dae were looking at him strangely. He looked down at himself, but he thought that he had managed the shape well enough. What?
Noo and Dae exchanged a look.
You are a very tall female, Noo said finally.
Rak frowned at him. If I am not tall, then I will have to be wide and I do not want to be wide!
You are an ugly female, Dae said tightly. You might just as well be wide also! And it is not a bad thing.
You do not want the males inside to try to mate with you.
They hit another snag when they tried to go in the second time.
"The show is nearly over-I'll let you go in for ten credits," the woman at the front told them.
The three exchanged uneasy looks, trying to recall some reference to credits that would explain what the woman wanted. Angry when he could not, Noo focused on the woman and searched her mind. A blank look crossed her features after a moment. Surprised, Noo sent a questioning look at Dae.
Dae shrugged. Her mind has gone blank. What do you suppose caused that?
She is not accustomed to speaking with her mind. Perhaps it is that?
I think we should go before anyone notices that you have fucked up her mind, Rak said uneasily.
I have not fucked up her mind, Noo snapped, but he turned and strode briskly toward the entrance to the mating hall.
Rak had turned to leave, but when he saw that Noo and Dae were hurrying inside, he followed them. All three of them jolted to a halt once they were inside, stunned at the teaming, screaming mass of females.
Gods! There are so many, Rak exclaimed!
It is just as I suspected, Noo growled, scanning the room. There are males in here!
Those are for security, Dae said dismissivly, and then froze when he spied the males that seemed to have captured the attention of all of the females. Those are performing … a mating dance!
Noo studied them for several moments. Gods! There are only six of them and there are hundreds of females here! They cannot all expect to mate with those few, he said angrily, far more worried that Kate had come here to be part of the mating ritual than he had been before he had seen the males.
Dae was studying the reaction of the females to the gyrating males on the platform. We could imitate them, he said doubtfully.
Why are they stripping off their protective skins, Rak asked doubtfully?
To incite the interest of the females, clearly, Noo retorted tightly. Do you not see the way they scream and jump up and down with excitement each time the males take another piece of the skins off?
Dae studied the females for a while and transferred his attention to the males again. I did not think they would look like that without the skins. I am certain the males on the space station did not-not just as these do, at any rate. These are more muscular and undoubtedly far stronger. Maybe the security guards, he added doubtfully.
Obviously this is why the females are here, Noo responded tightly. These must be mating males and the others are only for … whatever it is that they do on the space station.
The males are moving from the dance area to choose females, Rak observed. He had no sooner pointed that out than Noo began to force his way through the crowd, searching. Where are we going?
Noo flicked him an impatient glance. To guard Kate from the mating males, he growled.
Like this?
Noo halted abruptly and looked down at himself, then surveyed the crowded room. There is no place to transform ... and no time when the males are choosing!
They all spied Kate and Sissy at almost the same moment and the male moving steadily in Kate's direction. Galvanized by the certainty that the male would home in on their prize, they hurried to reach her first and surround her. Noo blocked the male's advance, fixing him with a challenging stare. The smile the male had pasted on his face began to look a little strained as he surveyed Noo.
"You want a private dance, baby?"
Noo narrowed his eyes at the male, sorting the sounds he had learned in an effort to grasp the meaning.
"No," he enunciated finally.
He had failed to grasp the precise meaning of the question, but he thought the male's intention was fairly clear. Anger and disgust flickered through him that the human male's senses were so poor that, even in mating fever, he could not tell that he was also a male, but then it had not taken long to discover that none of the humans had very keen senses.
Looking relieved, the male tried to step around him. Dae moved to intercept him and the male looked Dae over as he had Noo.
"I want a lap dance!" Sissy called out from behind them.
Noo stiffened as the male grinned and tried to push between him and Dae. He did not particularly care if Sissy mated with the male, but he was damned if he would let the male that close to Kate! He gripped the male's arm and jutted his head forward threateningly until he was almost nose to nose with the male. "Mine woman!"
he said in a low growl. "Fuck off!"
The male sent him a startled look. "Hey! No problem."
A little surprised that the male had yielded so easily but satisfied, Noo released him.
"Fucking bull dike," the male muttered under his breath as he turned and surveyed the immediate area for a likely female.
Anger flickered through Noo at the insult. He was not certain what the fuck it meant, but the tone was enough to assure him it was an insult. He tamped his anger with an effort. Fighting over females suitable for mating was not unusual once the fever had the males in its grip, but he was not so focused on his own female that he had failed to notice that there had not been a single challenge. He supposed, with some disgust, that it was due to the fact that these mating males had so many females to choose from. They merely moved from one female to the next, hovered long enough to mate and moved to another.
They are very quick to seed the females, Dae said thoughtfully, his voice carefully neutral.
Yes, but how are they seeding them, Rak asked? I cannot see that they do more than rub against them and I do not see any exchange of fluids.
They are pumping the seed into them. See the movement of the lower body, Noo said dismissively, far more interested in guarding Kate at the moment than the process of human mating.
I cannot see that they inserted anything, Rak said testily. How could they pump it into the female if they did not?
That comment effectively caught Noo's attention, but when he looked around he saw that the males were now moving away from the females. Why would they pump if not to eject seed?
I am not disputing the logic of that, only saying I did not see them actually seed any of the females, Rak said somewhat indignantly. Maybe they impregnate the females differently than we have ever encountered?
We have not impregnated any females, Dae said dryly. That would not be difficult.
Rak glared at him. In the memory, he said tightly. The fathers before us always inserted their member into the female to impregnate them.
Dae rolled his eyes. There is nothing wrong with my memory! I know that! But the fathers before us never mated with any creatures like these!
Frustration emanated from Rak. I know that, gods damn it! You are missing the point! The point is that they must mate differently and how are we to manage it when they do and we do not know how they do? Maybe we should ask one of the females to explain the process?
Noo frowned. Too dangerous. We should know. If we give away the fact that we do not then they will know that we are not actually one of them.
There is no reason for them to think that. Their senses are not keen enough to detect the difference and, as far as we know, there are none here able to transform their appearance. Why would it occur to them that we had?
Noo flicked an impatient glance at Dae. You do not think they will be wondering by now how we managed to escape? Their senses may be pathetically inadequate, but they are intelligent and inquisitive. They will be trying to figure it out and they know that we are very different from them. We do not want to behave in any way that might alert them.
I believe that I will follow the mating males and see if I can find out what we need to know. There are so many voices here that I cannot focus on the minds of the males.
Should I stay to guard Kate, Rak asked?
Noo glanced around and shook his head. She should be safe for now from mating minded males. They have all gone that way and if there are three of us searching, I believe we will find out what we need to know more quickly.