Chapter 1
Eliza Blue Halliday held the back of her hand to her lip and winced. She sucked in a quick breath at the sting of pain and touched it tentatively with her tongue.
"Are you even listening to what I'm saying?" her husband asked, his voice cold and measured. Blue looked at the ground and nodded her head. She felt distanced, detached from her body as Tom started enumerating her sins.
"You embarrassed me, Eliza," he reiterated, "I'm a public figure and I walk a delicate balance with my voters and my campaign contributors. I cannot afford for you to voice your opinions. Your opinions reflect on me, they become mine."
Blue nodded her head. Tom reached down and pulled a curl away from Blue's face where it lay across her cheek, stuck in tears and blood.
"Get up," he whispered.
Blue tottered to her feet, following his directions without conscious thought. His fist slammed into her stomach and she hunched over, unable to breathe, unable to stand. Tom caught her slumped body with his shoulder a moment before Blue threw up all over the kitchen. She hadn't eaten anything today, so there wasn't much to throw up. Tom smoothed her hair away from her face with cool hands.
"Why do you make me do this, Eliza?" Tom asked, "Do you think I like this?"
Blue was able to suck in a breath, but she didn't say a word. She knew that whatever she said, whatever she didn't say, would just lead to more pain. Before tonight, Blue Halliday may not have cared whether or not Tom killed her, but now, Blue had hope. She saw a way out of this hell her life had become.
She hadn't wanted to go to the fundraising ball this evening, but Tom expected it of her. As an up-and-coming state senator with his eyes on the governor's mansion, Tom made sure his face was visible at all political functions. The appearance of her smiling face was necessary too, no matter if it was a grimace or teeth-clenched.
Blue had realized early into her marriage to Thomas Halpern that appearances were deceiving. She had thought he was everything she wanted: kind, responsible, serious. A man with plans for the future, and a desire to do good. How could she have let herself be so blindsided?
But the fundraiser tonight had an unexpected benefit. She had run into her father's best friend, someone she hadn't seen since her wedding.
Senator Jacob Hill had seen her across the room, and bee-lined to her. He had grasped her elbow lightly and managed to tug her away from Tom.
"What's happened to you Eliza Blue?" Senator Hill had asked her.
Blue's eyes had widened, but she covered up her surprise by hastily taking a sip of the sparkling water she was holding. She blinked quickly, feeling tears gather at the back of her eyes. Tom would notice if they spilled over.
"Come on, Blue," he coaxed her kindly, "Talk to me. Have you been ill?"
Blue knew how different she looked now; like every other political wife now. Cool, coiffed, untouchable.
Tom even monitored her food. He started by ordering her meals for her on their honeymoon, telling her he wanted them to be healthy together. Now he had a lock on the refrigerator. The curves that he said entranced him while they were dating were evidence of her lack of self-control. She was an embarrassment. The First Lady was spearheading a health and fitness agenda, and how could he show his face when his wife looked like a 1950's pinup?
Blue smoothed a hand over her hip, feeling her hip bone jutting out against the material. She looked up into Senator Hill's face, and thought of her dad; of how sad he would be to see her, how disappointed he would be after trying to shape her into a strong and confident young woman. Who was she now?
Blue took another sip of her water to wet her dry throat and had whispered as the glass covered her lips, "Please help me."
Senator Hill had nodded quickly, but they had been interrupted by Tom before she could talk to him further. He must have noticed her jerk when Tom had slid his hand along her waist. His fingers digging warningly into her side. She couldn't help the wince that came when they pressed into a healing bruise. Hill's eyes had narrowed and he'd looked to her, as if for confirmation of what he thought, and Blue had given a tiny, imperceptible nod. One that she thought had gotten through to him.
But Senator Hill had left early. Pulled away after he had explained that he needed to deal with something related to New Species.
That was where the evening had gone downhill.
The New Species topic was bound to start discussion. Tom's district included Reservation, an area of land that had been bought by the New Species Organization as they had won lawsuit after lawsuit against Mercile Industries, and the companies who had done business with them.
New Species were human animals hybrids. Created in labs to test performance enhancing drugs and pharmaceuticals. New Species had been horribly mistreated, experimented on, and tortured. When the government had gotten wind of the experiments happening, they had stormed the places New Species were held.
Reservation and Homeland were New Species-run areas, separate and independent from the US government. They had their own system of government and justice. Tom had been railing against selling land to New Species, but had done a quick turn around when Justice North, the leader of New Species, had doubled the original asking price and had promised to hire local workers to complete construction. Still, Tom complained about New Species nonstop in their home, even if his public persona supported them.
"Justice North is taking bids on a new construction project," one man had mentioned after the Senator left.
Tom had nodded his head, "They're building a school," he had said knowingly.
This had started a flurry of questions, "Why would they need a school?" one woman had asked, "They can't have children."
She said the last as if the ability to have children somehow endowed one with more humanity.
"They want a vocational school as well as a traditional school," Tom stated, "One that would be for New Species, and one for children, should they choose to adopt."
"Adopt!"
Blue had taken a sip of water and stood up straighter. Tom looked in her direction, giving her a once-over. Blue had mentally checked off Tom's public to-do list to make sure she was completing all requirements: stand up straight, smile, look interested, but don't engage.
"Eliza," someone had said, "You were a teacher. What do you think of a New Species school?"
Blue looked at Tom who was boring holes into her eyes as if to say, politely excuse yourself, don't you dare say anything.
But Blue had: "I think it's a wonderful thing," she said, looking at the person who had spoken, "I think any child would be happy to having a loving family, no matter what that family looked like, and I think that having a school within Reservation is a safe and practical idea."
The woman who had spoken earlier laughed before looking over at Tom, "Do you agree with that State Senator Halpern?"
The woman's tone of voice alerted Blue to the mistake she had just made, and she immediately felt her stomach drop.
Tom smiled and took a sip of wine before answering, "Eliza is soft-hearted," he answered, "She has always acted according to her heart, and not her head," he finished.
He started laughing, "Which is probably why she doesn't teach anymore."
Blue felt her face flush, a wave of embarrassment covered her and she locked her knees in place to keep from running away from the tittering laughter. That was Tom's way, make her look like an idiot, one that was tolerated, but well-loved.
Tom had started scolding her the moment they got into the car. Quietly at first, his anger seething and simmering, but by the time the garage door had closed, he had worked himself into a rage.
And so this was where Blue found herself.
"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your mouth shut!" Tom yelled, "Do you know what's going to be in the papers tomorrow? I have a split constituency! I can't take sides! And if I could, do you think I would allow a dog to adopt a baby?"
Blue concentrated on breathing in and out, "Better a dog that you," she replied before she could stop herself, "New Species are ten times the person you are. I hope to God you never have a child."
The moment the words were out of her mouth, Blue stepped back. What was she thinking? She knew better than to antagonize him.
Tom stared at her, shocked, and then grabbed her arm. Blue screamed out as he tugged and twisted, her shoulder dislocating. He pushed and pulled her into their bedroom, throwing her onto the bed. Blue saw him pulling at his tie and ripping at buttons before kicking off his shoes. She tried to roll from the bed, but he was there, straddling her body. Blue kicked out, but couldn't move her arm enough to get leverage and push him off. She heard her dress tear and felt the air on her legs.
Blue cried out again, but Tom laid an arm across her windpipe, black spots danced in front of her eyes. He didn't let her breathe. Her hand came up to push at him. The last thing Blue saw before she passed out was Tom smiling down at her.
Chapter 2
4 years later
"I have a proposal for you," Senator Jacob Hill told Justice North.
Justice leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow. He waited patiently for his father-in-law to continue.
"You need teachers for the new school you're opening," Hill started, "but they can't leave. You can't chance that they'll tell anyone about the children born to humans and New Species."
This was unexpected. Justice assumed that Hill would be discussing budgets, perhaps a decrease in funding or a bill brought to the Senate floor by anti-Species groups.
He hadn't expected him to bring up the new school being built at Reservation.
The school was built in the guise of a vocational center, but it would also teach the young children of humans and New Species. Their birth was a secret kept from the outside world. Mercile Industries, who had created New Species by splicing together animal and human DNA, hadn't been able to create more New Species after this first generation. The scientist whose work had resulted in New Species, had destroyed her notes, and all of Mercile's attempts to breed New Species had failed. Most humans believed that New Species would eventually die out.
But since New Species had become free, something miraculous had happened.
New Species who had mated with humans were able to have babies. Their dominant genes resulted in babies that were fully New Species, appearing genetically and physically identical to their fathers.
New Species had guarded this secret absolutely. The only reason Jacob Hill knew of this was because his daughter, Jessie, was mated to Justice. Hill knew that should any of the outside world learn this, especially the anti-Species groups who counted on New Species eventually dying out, Reservation and Homeland would be attacked. New Species children would be at-risk, slated for death by human hate groups.
"We have staff who are fully capable of teaching our young," Justice began, "New Species can learn teaching strategies and design a successful system."
"I've no doubt," Hill agreed, "but like you have with your medical center, wouldn't it also be helpful to have an experienced educator to work with? To model and shape your teachers so your children can get the best education possible?"
Justice admitted to himself that Hill was right. The nurses and medical technicians who had been trained directly by human doctors and nurses were extremely skilled. They got hands-on training, but had the benefit of understanding the New Species' psyche and experience.
"What do you have in mind?" Justice asked curiously.
Hill leaned forward, "Her name is Eliza Halliday," he started, "She's a licensed teacher for preschool through twelfth grade. She volunteered with the Peace Corps and taught in Malawi and Burundi. She did something called Teach for America and spent three years in a rural school in Arkansas. Two of those years were spent training other teachers and coaching recent college grads. I think she'd be a great fit."
Justice leaned forward, "What's the catch?"
Hill shook his head and frowned, his hands clenching where they rested on his thighs.
"She needs to be somewhere safe, where no one can get to her."
Justice shook his head, "Jacob," he started, "you can't expect me to agree to this. If she's in danger, why would I ever put her near our children?"
Hill's hand came up to his face, covering his mouth as he rested his elbow on the side of the chair, "She's a family friend, Justice," he explained, "Her father was my best friend and she's like a daughter to me. But despite that, she would be the best person for this job, no matter what her situation."
"And what, exactly, is her situation Jacob?" he asked slowly.
"She needs a place where her ex-husband can't get to her or her son," Hill explained, "He's an abusive asshole who beat her for years before she was able to escape with my help. She disappeared, found out she was pregnant, and has been on the run with her son. I'm the only family she has and I keep in touch. She's trying to find some place safe. At one point, she actually asked me to take him, she thought it was too dangerous for him to stay with her, that her husband would find them and take him."
"I'm sorry, Jacob," Justice said, "I really am. But I can't put our children at risk. And she would be a risk. Can you imagine what would happen if the parents found out I allowed this woman onto Reservation?"
"Why don't you ask them?" Hill asked, "See what they say."
Justice sighed. He knew what they'd say. Every New Species male would agree with him; they wouldn't risk their children. But the women, they were wild cards. He could see this appealing to them, especially since this Eliza Halliday had a child of her own. And then? New Species males would do anything to keep their mates happy, and their protectiveness might just extend to this human woman.
"I'll ask them, Jacob," Justice responded tiredly, "but I wish you hadn't asked me."
Hill stood up and reached a hand out. Justice stood as well and clasped it.
"You'll see Justice," he said, "I think this is going to work out for everyone."
Chapter 3
Blue watched her son sleep. The nightlight illuminated his slightly open and pursed lips. She leaned down, her face hovering inches from his and let his breath wash over her face. Her hand came up and gently pushed a curl off his forehead, careful not to wake him up. She sighed, seeing the baby that he was, and the boy he was growing into, in his sleeping face.
Blue straightened and put her hands at the base of her spine and stretched before leaving his room.
"Thank you, Vanessa," she said quietly to the teenage girl who waited for her in the hallway.
"No problem," she answered, "Do you need me Sunday night, too?"
"I don't know yet," Blue answered, "Can I let you know? I'm not scheduled to work, but that might change."
"Sure!" Vanessa answered cheerily, throwing her books in her backpack and slinging it on her back, "Text me."
Blue gave the girl a wave and watched her get into her car and drive away before turning off the porch light and locking the door.
Blue went into the bathroom and surveyed her face in the mirror. She had a successful night bartending, her tips were excellent, and she had enough saved that she and Asher could run if they needed to.
But things were looking good here.
She had risked a move back to California, to this small tourist town, with the hope of laying down some roots for her little family. Asher could start school in the fall, and she wanted him to have a normal life. They had packed up and moved multiple times each year of Asher's short life, and while he was a remarkably flexible kid, Blue knew that continuing to move around wasn't fair to him.
She had kept an eye on Tom. She knew he was campaigning for a Senate position. His role in the state assembly had been a stepping stone. It was lucky for her that his public profile made it easy to keep track of him, to know where he was traveling and avoid those places.
Blue had tried to be smart. She'd never gone back to teaching; she'd changed her name, and had no name listed as Asher's father when he was born. Tom never even knew she was pregnant. Blue leaned forward, tracing a finger over the scar that led from her forehead to arch in her brow. The one she got when Tom threw her across the living room.
Blue's finger lingered on the scar and moved to the next one, a small line from the the end of one nostril to her lip. That one had been deep.
Blue could still see Tom's eyes. The cold blue depths staring down at her. She moved her hands to her shoulders. She could still feel his hand pressing her shoulders down.
Blue shook her head and turned on the shower, trying to clear the unwanted memories from her mind. She washed her hair and body quickly; she was exhausted and she knew Asher would be up with the dawn. She smiled, looking forward to sitting with him and playing action figures, or snuggling while they watched tv.
She pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt and was just about to get into bed when her phone rang. Her heart jumped, and she felt anxiety crash through her when she saw "unknown" flash across the screen. Her first thought went to Tom. She let it go to voicemail, preferring that he hear the automated message and wonder if he had reached her, rather than hear her voice and know for sure.
She watched the phone warily and when "voicemail" signaled, she touched the button and listened.
"Blue? This is Jacob. Please call me back," the voice said, and then a number was recited.
Blue sighed, a wave of relief passing through her and making her shake. She pressed the numbers with trembling fingers and waited for Jacob Hill to answer his phone.
"Thank you for calling me back," Jacob answered right away.
"Hi Jacob," Blue said, his voice wrapping around her and reminding her of safety and comfort, "How are you?"
"I'm good Blue," he answered, "but I'm calling for a reason."
"I assumed as much," Blue answered drily.
Jacob laughed on the other end, "I have a job for you," he said.
"A job?" Blue asked, "What do you mean?"
She was confused. Jacob knew about her life with Tom and knew she needed to stay unknown to him. What job could he possibly be offering her that would allow her to remain hidden?
"You know that I work closely with New Species?" Jacob said.
"Yes," Blue answered.
She unintentionally thought back to the cause of her final fight with Tom, the one that made her finally leave him, and the one that resulted in her pregnancy.
"Well," Jacob started, "They're opening up a school. It's a vocational school, but I thought of you. With your experience overseas and in rural areas, you would be a great fit for teaching other potential educators."
"Jacob," Blue started slowly, "I can't take a job as a teacher. I don't have a license anymore. I can't apply for one either, not with my real name. I can't risk it."
"I know that Blue," Jacob said, "Let me explain."
Blue waited.
"Homeland and Reservation are run by New Species Organization. They are essentially foreign countries. They have an independent government. They are also exceedingly well protected. No one gets on or off NSO territory without being thoroughly vetted and searched."
"They can't vet me, Jacob," Blue replied, "I don't exist."
"I can vouch for you, Blue," Jacob explained, "I have vouched for you. I explained everything to Justice North. You have the experience they need. You have the skills and you loved being a teacher. On top of that, you and Asher can live there. Forever if you wanted. You'll be safe and you'll be protected. You would never need to worry about your ex-husband getting you or Asher."
An unintended gasp left Blue's mouth, "Jacob," she said, "Really?"
She could barely fathom the idea of being safe, of Asher having a place to grow up, to play and be a normal boy.
"But there are no children there," Blue said, "Where would Asher go to school?"
"He'd go there too," Jacob said, "I'll explain more later, but would you go? Would you at least visit and talk to Justice and the other New Species? See if it's a fit?"
A new and peaceful future spread out in front of Blue. A safe place for Asher. The idea kept going around and around in her brain.
"How do I get there? When do we go?" Blue asked.
"Tomorrow," Jacob answered, "As soon as possible. I'll send someone for you. They'll pick up you and Asher and bring you to Reservation. Can you be ready early?"
Blue laughed, a bit giddy, "We're up at first light, we can be ready early."
"Good," Jacob answered, "I'll meet you there. See you tomorrow Blue."
"Goodbye Jacob," Blue replied, "Thank you."
Chapter 4
Vengeance loved the Wild Zone. It had healed him and brought him a measure of peace and serenity he hadn't been able to find anywhere else. It made him a different type of male.
When Vengeance was first released from Mercile, being surrounded by other New Species had been too hard. The females reminded him of his dead mate, the males reminded him of his captivity, of attachments he'd made only to have them severed violently.
And the humans reminded him of Mercile. He couldn't look at them without thinking of the doctors and technicians who had tortured him and his mate. It didn't matter that they were friendly, that they cared about and protected New Species. All around him were memories waiting to be triggered, and he was a weapon waiting to be fired.
He was too aggressive, too volatile, and finally, he went too far. He had tried to force mate a human female. He still couldn't think of that time without shame and guilt. He had been a step away from being put down, for being slated too dangerous to live. So he had chosen to come to the Wild Zone, to contain himself, to hopefully, save himself.
And the Wild Zone had saved him. He met other New Species and their stories horrified him. They had been classified "failures" by Mercile, and as a result, had undergone tests that even he couldn't fathom, and he had seen some terrifying things. They were closer to their animal sides than most New Species, and for some reason, the rage that had fueled Vengeance for so long, appealed to these wild New Species. They felt he understood him and they trusted him. When Justice North had asked for ideas about ways to improve relationships between New Species at Reservation and Homeland and New Species in the Wild Zone, Vengeance answered. He returned to Reservation and engaged in conversation. He was calmer and he was more focused, because he felt like he had a purpose. The Wild Zone residents were important to him.
Now he had an official sounding title, Wild Zone Advocate. He was successfully straddling two different worlds, and though he still wasn't comfortable around humans, he could function politely.
Vengeance thought about his journey as he stood knee deep in icy cold water. He watched fish weave through his legs in the pool in front of him. He waited for a burst of sunlight to come through the clouds and reflect off the water, before reaching in with two hands and grabbing one. He threw it behind him onto the grass. Tonight he was grilling fish and speaking with residents, so he had to catch a lot.
"Ven?" a voice called through the forest.
Brass.
Vengeance knew that when Brass called out his name, it was more a courtesy than a question.
"Yeah?" he called over his shoulder, "Why don't you get in here and help me catch some fish?"
He heard Brass moving through the grass, the sound a whisper, before he splashed in next to him, spraying him with droplets of water and scaring away the fish.
"Damn it Brass," he growled.
"Your camp-out kumbaya is cancelled, Ven," Brass replied, ignoring the growl, "You're invited to Reservation tonight."
"I cannot just cancel on the residents," Ven told Brass, while pushing him up and out of the water, "They are expecting to meet with me."
Brass sat on the grassy bank, pulled his knees up and rested his elbows on them, "That's why I'm here," he replied, "They'll scent me and they'll ask me where you are, or they'll understand that you had to go away. Either way, they'll know you didn't forget about them, that you take them seriously."
Vengeance stood in the water, watching the pool again. A slow shadow moved toward him, a wary fish, soon he saw other shadows at the other end of the pool.
"Tell me why I need to go to Reservation, and I will think about it," Vengeance said. He bent down quickly and caught the fish, and threw it toward Brass, "Throw it under those coals over there, some of the residents are trying cooked food."
Brass nodded and stood, doing as Vengeance directed before answering his question, "They're touring the new school tonight," he called over his shoulder, "The vocational section at least, and Justice thought other New Species would be interested in your story about working here. They may choose to become educators to New Species young or they may choose to learn how to better serve New Species as counselors, like you."
Vengenance ignored him. Once it would have enraged him to be compared to the human head shrinks who had been assigned to help the New Species adjust to freedom, but now, he understood a little better their goals, and while he knew Brass used the term "counselor" to tease him, he didn't rise to the bait.
"Justice requested that I go?" he clarified.
"Yes," Brass answered, "There are other New Species who wish to work in the Wild Zone, perhaps there is potential you could explain."
Vengeance nodded. New Species in the Wild Zone would benefit from interaction with more socialized New Species.
"I will go," he answered, "You stay here and continue to catch fish. The residents will appear or not. Feed the ones that do and explain my absence. How long must I be gone?"
Brass shrugged, "It depends whether you meet a female, I imagine."
Vengeance hiked out of the water and punched Brass as he walked by. Brass fell over, before he jumped to his feet, tackled him, and returned the punch.
Chapter 5
Asher was in complete awe of New Species.
"Hello small human," the New Species who checked them into Reservation said to him.
"Hello," Asher said quietly, holding tightly to Blue's hand, while looking up shyly under his eyelashes at the New Species.
"My name is Flame," he told Asher.
Asher looked up at Blue, who nodded her permission before he replied, "I'm Asher," he said.
"It is nice to meet you Asher," Flame said.
Asher peered around Flame at the other New Species, most of whom were holding weapons, "Are those lasers?" Asher asked.
Oh no, Blue thought, not wanting to explain to Asher why the New Species were carrying weapons.
"A laser would be an awesome weapon, wouldn't it Asher," Flame said, deflecting the question.
"Yeah," Asher answered, "or a light saber."
"Or a blaster, like Han Solo," Flame replied.
Asher nodded his head solemnly, lasers and light sabers were serious business.
Flame touched the communication link in his ear before looking at Blue, "Your belongings have been searched and cleared. I'll escort you to the human sector of Reservation where you'll stay." Flame pointed to a golf cart parked nearby.
"Can I ride in front, Mommy?" Asher started jumping up and down, "Can I drive the go-cart?"
Blue shook her head, "No, you can't drive," she said, "But if it's all right with Flame, you can sit in front."
Flame nodded quickly, "You can be my navigator," he told Asher.
Asher ran ahead of them and jumped into go-cart. His little body practically vibrating with excitement, "No seatbelts Mommy! No car seat!"
Blue laughed, "That's pretty special."
She sat behind Asher and looked around her curiously as Flame drove. They had been driven to a different entrance, not the one she had seen on tv, where hoards of angry protestors gathered, and for that, she was grateful. She hadn't wanted Asher to be scared or confused by what he saw. Asher wasn't scared of New Species. Blue had given him a basic understanding of their story. To Asher, New Species were just people, albeit taller and more interesting looking people, but Blue could see that now, after meeting Flame, Asher was rating New Species up with firefighters and Avengers, the pinnacle of cool for any four year-old.
Blue saw construction vehicles and temporary buildings on their drive. Humans milled about in hard hats, this was obviously a place in transition: mounds of dirt, concrete barracks, tractors. She looked forward to Asher and saw his face lit up. She giggled and bit her lip, his little head was going to explode, first New Species and lasers, now construction vehicles? Not even Christmas would top a day like today.
"Mommy!" he squealed, "A bucket loader!"
"I see it," she said.
"Mommy!" he yelled again, "An excavator!"
She followed the point of his chubby finger and leaned forward to kiss his head, "I see it!"
Flame laughed, "This is a very fun ride," he told her, "I would like to drive you and Asher everywhere."
Blue smiled as he gazed back at her, "This is a very exciting day," she told him.
Flame turned the golf cart into what was clearly a more residential area. Small ranch style houses lined the street, each with a postage stamp lawn. He turned into the driveway of a bright yellow house with robin's egg blue shutters. Shrubs lined the front of the house and were blooming. Asher had jumped out of the cart before Blue could even stand.
He ran to the house and up the steps, "Is this our house? Is this where we're staying?" He ran back down the stairs, and around the yard, "Is this my lawn?" He ran around the back of the house. Blue could hear his small voice yell, "Is this my backyard?"
Blue felt pain catch in her throat. She had tried so hard to give Asher a normal childhood, but she had never been able to give him space like this. A green lawn, a tidy house. They never went on vacation, never stayed at hotels. She put a shaky hand up to her mouth, her little boy's excitement suddenly making clear how much she hadn't been able to give him.
"Are you alright, Ms. Halliday?" Flame asked, his nostrils flaring.
Blue realized that he could smell her distress, "Yes," she reassured him, "It's a mom thing. When our babies are happy, we get a little weepy."
Flame nodded, but continued to look at her. Blue remembered that New Species could also scent dishonesty, and while Blue wasn't exactly lying, she wasn't being completely honest. If she was going to build relationships with New Species, she would have to be transparent, so she took a deep breath, "I'm also a little sad because I've never been able to give Asher anything like this before. I guess I'm feeling a little bit like a failure."
Flame's eyes opened wider, clearly sensing her honesty, "I'm glad that we could make him happy."
Blue smiled and bit her lip, "Me too."
"Mommy!" Asher yelled, running to her and jumping at her, "There's a slide in the back! Come and see!"
Blue gave him a squeeze before putting him down and following him to the backyard. Sure enough, there was a swingset and slide set up in the backyard. A climbing wall attached to the slide, and Asher was halfway up it before Blue could take it all in. Flame followed behind them and when Blue looked back, she saw his face looked as excited as Asher's.
"Thank you," she said to him.
"You're welcome Ms. Halliday," he answered.
"Please," Blue told him, "Call me Blue."
"Blue?" he asked, "That sounds like a New Species' name."
Blue smiled, "My name is Eliza Blue Halliday. I'm named after my mother and a character from the book Gone with the Wind. My dad called me Blue to distinguish between us."
"Can I call you Blue, Mommy?" Asher asked from the top of the slide. His cheeks were rosy and his hair was sticking to his forehead. He must have made it up climbing wall and down the slide ten times since she'd come back here.
"You can call me Mommy," she said.
He frowned for a second, but then jumped onto the slide, his upset clearly forgotten.
"Someone will pick you up at 5:00 this evening," Flame told her, "We are touring the new school and would like for you to attend."
Blue nodded, "It's alright if Asher attends as well?"
"Of course," Flame said, "I know many other New Species who would enjoy meeting Asher."
Blue smiled, "Okay. I'll be ready."
"Goodbye!" Flame called to Asher.
Asher jumped from the top of the climbing wall and ran to Flame, jumping at him as he did earlier at Blue, "Bye Flame!" he said, and kissed his cheek noisily, wrapping his sweaty arms around his neck.
Blue took in Flame's surprise. She saw him squeeze Asher gently before lowering him to the ground, "Goodbye Ms..." he started, "Blue," he corrected.
"Goodbye," she said to him, following Asher to the climbing wall to watch him.
Flame gave them one last glance before going back to the golf cart and Blue heard him drive away.
"Okay, bud," she said to Asher, "Ten more minutes and then we go explore the inside."
Chapter 6
"Well?" Justice asked Flame, "What did you think?"
Flame smiled broadly, "I like them both. I want them both to stay."
Justice laughed and went back to watching his mate float in their pool, her belly big with their unborn child. She spent much of her time in the pool, so uncomfortable with the combination of weight and heat.
Flame took a sip of soda, "She is sad, though," he started, "and that may distress some Species."
Justice looked at him sharply, and Flame quickly explained, "It was just a moment. Her child was very happy with the house we provided and she became very sad. It was almost painful to scent. It didn't last long, but it was sharp."
Justice nodded and leaned back against the deck chair, "That makes sense. Do you think it will interfere with what we want to accomplish?"
"No," Flame answered thoughtfully, "I don't. It was just a moment. It was very human."
Justice narrowed his eyes before standing quickly as his mate, Jessie began to exit the pool. He moved to her and grasped her arm, steadying her, "Is she here?" Jessie asked him excitedly.
Justice sighed, "Yes, she is here. Flame delivered her and her son to their home. We will see them tonight at the tour."
Jessie smiled broadly, "I can't wait to see her. It's been years. How does she look?" She looked at Flame expectantly.
"She is very pretty," Flame answered, " but small."
Jessie rolled her eyes, "We are all small compared to you."
"Yes," Flame replied, "but she is even smaller than you, and you are barely adult sized."
"Hey!" Jessie said, eyes narrowed.
"She is small and has dark hair that is long and straight and brown eyes. Her son looks very different. He has blonde hair that curls and blue eyes. He is very adorable and I had to stop myself from squeezing him tightly."
Jessie laughed, "They are pretty cute at that age," she responded, looking at Justice knowingly. He put an arm around her waist and curved his body around her protectively, placing a hand on her belly and kissing her hair.
"We will see you tonight, Flame," Justice said, not looking at him, "My mate needs to rest."
Flame nodded and left them. Jessie took Justice's hand as he led her inside, "I hope she's alright," Jessie said to him quietly as they entered the cool house, "I hope that she'll stay."
"I admit to having mixed feelings, Jessie," he said to her, "Having her here feels like an unnecessary risk."
Jessie hiked herself onto the bed and leaned back against the pillows.
"It's the right thing to do," Jessie answered, "For her and for us."
Justice sighed before he climbed onto the bed next to her and gathered her into his arms. She tucked her head underneath his chin and waited for him to talk.
"There are so many unknowns, what if she tells the world about New Species children?"
Jessie pulled away and took Justice's chin in her hand so she could look into his eyes. The blue was piercing and serious, she could see how worried he was.
"She won't tell anyone," Jessie reassured him, "It's been years since I've seen Blue, but if there's one thing I remember, it's that she loved children. All children. And she'd never do anything to hurt one."
Justice nodded and leaned forward to kiss her. He moved back a second later, confusion clouding his eyes, "Blue? I thought her name was Eliza."
Jessie laughed, "It is," she replied, "but everyone calls her by her middle name."
"It's a very Species-type name," Justice said thoughtfully.
"See?" Jessie said, not looking away from him, "It was meant to be."
Chapter 7
Crowds made Vengeance antsy, especially crowds of New Species interspersed with humans. He entered the school with a wave of other people, glancing around impressed. The brick building was modern and bright, but he could see the security that had been seamlessly added. The glass was thick paned, obviously bullet proof. It allowed light into the entryway, but from the outside, it merely showed a reflection of the landscaping. Looking at the ceiling, Vengeance could see hidden gates and barriers, probably ones that could be lowered immediately both from a panic button or remotely. Various sets of entrances to different wings of the school added even more protection and could be locked down at a moment's notice. Cameras were placed at various angles and corners, getting pictures that he was sure security would be watching.
Justice North stood in the center of the entryway pavilion. Vengeance saw other human and New Species couples, Ellie and Fury, Trisha and Slade, Lauren and Wrath. He winced inwardly when he saw them and stepped back, not wanting to make Lauren nervous. Even though she had graciously accepted his apology, Vengeance knew that Wrath would be on edge when he saw that he was here, and doubly protective of Lauren.
A flurry of movement at knee level caught Vengeance's eye, followed by a New Species ducking around other people.
It was Flame and he was chasing something.
Vengeance was confused. First, he thought it was an animal of some type, but then he noticed it was a small human, a male who looked younger than Ellie and Fury's son, Salvation. Sal was about five now. Vengeance didn't have a lot of experience with human children so he assumed this one must be two or three.
The child shrieked as Flame caught him up and Vengeance found himself moving toward them without conscious thought.
"Flame!" Vengeance said loudly, "That is not prey. That is a human!"
Flame stopped where he had the child lifted over his shoulder. A small face peeked up at Vengeance and two bright blue eyes regarded him curiously. A second later the child broke into a wide smile and pointed at Vengeance, "Throw me to him!" He ordered Flame.
"Wha..?" Vengeance barely had time to formulate the word before the child launched himself off of Flame in a move he'd seen Salvation and Forest execute a million times.
Chubby arms stretched out to him and without thinking, Vengeance caught him midair. The child smiled up at him, clearly comfortable, and with no doubt that Vengeance would catch him.
"Flame!" the child called, "I found Captain America!"
Their audience began to laugh, chuckles from both New Species and humans, as Vengeance lowered him to the ground. A moment later, Vengeance saw a swath of pale blue and caught the faint scent of lavender.
"Asher!" a soft, high voice said, "You have to warn people before you jump!"
Vengeance found himself amused despite himself, but his amusement disappeared a second later when he took in the body that belonged to the voice.
First, he noticed how small the female was. She would barely reach the middle of his chest. Her hair was straight and brown, but when the light filtered through the glass, he saw that it had shades of blonde that made it shimmer. She wore a pale blue sundress, wide at the neck and showing delicate collarbones. It hit above her knee and was tucked in at the waist with a black belt. She bent down to talk to the child, and Vengeance found himself entranced by her heart shaped bottom.
"Mommy, did you see?" the child asked, pointing up at Vengeance.
Brown eyes looked up at Vengeance and her pink lips opened, "I saw," she answered. Vengeance felt anger suffuse his body, and jealousy. This female would have a male. She had his child. The rage that Vengeance had believed he'd eliminated suddenly gripped him again. He heard a growl next to him and Flame moved into his line of vision, standing between him and the female.
"Flame, move!" the child said imperiously, "Mommy has to meet Captain America."
Flame didn't move and Vengeance found himself angry that another male stood between him and the human.
"He does look like Captain America," he heard the female say, "you're right buddy."
Chapter 8
Blue tried not to stare at the New Species male who had just caught Asher. But Asher was right, he did look like Captain America. A really tall, really buff Captain America.
Unlike most New Species, he had shorter hair. It was slightly long on top, and a beautiful honey brown. His eyes were blue, almost as blue as Asher's. He had the slightly flattened nose and wide cheekbones that were common among New Species. Probably canine, Blue thought to herself.
Despite his gentle handling of Asher, he did not look friendly and was staring at her with barely controlled distaste. Blue saw his nose flare and mentally reviewed whether she may have used a soap or deodorant that was too pungent. She didn't think so.
"Thanks for catching Asher," she said to him, giving him a small smile, "He loves to practice sneak attacks."
She peered around Flame's shoulder before stepping around him. The male's eyes widened as she moved closer. Flame moved back between them and Blue frowned slightly before realizing that he was trying to protect her.
"Move," the male told Flame.
"Calm," Flame answered.
"I am calm," the male answered.
Blue realized that Asher may have upset the male, so she leaned down to him and said, "Asher, honey, can you go to Jacob?"
Asher's eyes moved between the male and Flame before he nodded and scampered off.
"I'm very sorry my son upset you," Blue apologized, "He thinks you're someone he saw in a movie, someone with superpowers. He's still too young to really work out consequences before he acts." Blue lowered her eyes as the New Species continued to stare at her almost without blinking.
She wanted to continue to watch him, to take him in. The distaste that had shown in his eyes disappeared. Blue thought he looked mostly curious now. Her vision was suddenly obscured again when she peeked up. Another large body, a New Species male she had met earlier named Wrath, stood next to Flame.
"Move on, Vengeance," Wrath said to the male.
Blue processed his name and began to rethink the emotions she'd assigned to him. She didn't feel scared of him, but his name suggested perhaps she should be. In the years since leaving Tom, Blue had come to listen to her gut more; the voice inside her that told her someone could be trusted, a place would be safe, or it was time to run. Everything inside her said, "safety," when she looked at Vengeance, despite the scariness of his name.
"I am not a danger to the female," Blue heard Vengeance say, "I am in control of myself."
Vengeance's voice was calm and measured. Blue wasn't sure what was going on, and she appreciated that Flame and Wrath wanted to protect her, but if Blue was going to work here, she needed to stand on her own two feet.
She took a deep breath and sidled quickly around the males.
"It's nice to meet you Vengeance," she said, "My name is Blue."
Vengeance stepped forward, closer to her body than a human would be, "It is nice to meet you as well, Blue," he answered, and held out his hand.
Blue looked up into his eyes, and felt her heart pounding. Though she never blushed, she could feel heat rushing up her neck and into her face. She didn't take her eyes off of him as she put her hand into Vengeance's much larger one.
Chapter 9
Blue's hand was cool and smooth. Vengeance allowed his thumb to trace hers and was rewarded when he saw her give a small shiver.
Then he remembered, "Where is your mate?" He asked bluntly.
Blue blinked rapidly, surprised at the harshness of his tone, "I.." She pulled herself together, "I don't have a husband," she said quietly, "I'm divorced."
Vengeance felt relief, and nodded to himself. That was good.
Blue narrowed her eyes, "Where is your mate?"
Vengeance's mouth opened once and closed, then opened again before he said, "I don't have a mate anymore."
Oh dear, Blue thought, I've really stepped in it. She knew that New Species mated for life, and Vengeance said he wasn't mated anymore, that meant his mate was probably dead.
"I'm sorry about your mate," Blue said contritely, "And I'm sorry for being unthoughtful."
Vengeance stepped closer. Blue's chest brushed his, and she went to step back, but he moved with her. This night was not going the way Blue had expected.
"I appreciate bluntness," Vengeance replied, shrugging.
"Blue!" a voice said.
Blue saw Jacob heading her way, a concerned look on his face. Right beside him was Jake, his son, who looked ready to murder someone.
She gave them a wave and moved to stand next to Vengeance, "Thanks for watching Asher," she said when they got closer, "This is Vengeance."
She waved toward the men before looking up at Vengeance, "Vengeance, this is Jacob and Jake Hill. They are like family to me." Blue could tell that the men were worried for her, but she was more worried about Vengeance. For some reason, both humans and New Species seemed ill at ease around him. She could see he was gruff and tended to stand too close, but he didn't seem dangerous.
"Hello," first Jake and then Jacob said to Vengeance after a moment.
Jacob held out a hand to Blue, which she took, "There are some people who would like to ask you questions," he told her, glancing up warily at Vengeance.
Jake stood with his arms crossed and waited for his father to lead Blue away before following.
"It was nice to meet you Vengeance," Blue called out as she was led away.
She saw him nod tightly before turning around and walking in the other direction.
Chapter 10
Vengeance knew that the Hill's were only looking out for Blue. When she said they were like family, he knew it was her way of reassuring him. How Vengeance knew this, he wasn't sure, but he sensed a protectiveness about Blue, and he felt it extending to him. It was a new sensation, and if it hadn't been followed by them taking her away, he would have actually enjoyed the feeling.
Silence descended as Justice began speaking from the center of the room. He described the goal of the vocational center, and introduced some of the human instructors who would be running classes: first responders, auto technicians, health, social work. Vengeance looked around for Blue, and saw her standing with Jacob Hill. She held her son in her arms, the length of his body nearly as long as hers, and rocked from side to side. He could see the boy's head resting on her shoulder, and though the boy's eyes were open, they were drooping lower and lower until his small mouth opened and his eyes remained closed. He saw Blue pull her head back to look at his face and then saw her smile. All the while she continued rocking back and forth.
Vengeance felt a rush of affection flood him for the female and her child. He wanted to go to them. To take the boy's limp body from hers and hold it. To feel the weight of him and take Blue's hand in his own.
Whoa.
Vengeance halted his thoughts. He was making Blue and Asher his family. They were not his family. They were human and didn't belong to him. But he wanted them to. He tried to slow himself down. He knew that he could get carried away, especially when it came to mating.
He continued to stare at Blue, listening with half an ear to Justice. He looked away for a moment and caught the curious stare of Flame. He nodded at him.
He would talk to Justice North, be available to New Species who wished to speak about the Wild Zone, and then he needed to leave. He could smell Blue on his clothing and on his hand. It was becoming overwhelming. He didn't want to spiral out of control and into a fantasy that would just end up disappointing him.
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully. He spoke with different New Species who asked about his work in the Wild Zone. They spoke about offering more natural opportunities for socialization. He felt there was potential to introduce Wild Zone residents to unfamiliar New Species.
At the back of his mind, however, was Blue. He saw her leave briefly with her son and then return without him. He worried about who was watching the boy, was it someone responsible and strong? He saw that Flame and the Hills were still present so it wasn't them. He wanted to pace back and forth, follow Blue's scent and check on him. Guard them both while they slept.
He saw Blue talking to Justice and finally, he couldn't wait any longer.
"Who is with your son?" he interrupted, "Is he protected?"
Justice looked surprised, "I asked Breeze to watch over the boy. He met her this afternoon and has assigned her a name. What was it, Blue?"
"Wonder Woman," Blue answered, smiling at Justice.
Breeze was strong and she loved children. She would do as a protector. She was, when Vengeance thought about it, better than a male. Just the thought of a male where Blue slept made him agitated.
"Blue is a teacher," Justice started to explain, "She's going to be an educator instructor; she just let me know, actually, that she would stay on."
"Explain," Vengeance said, looking at Blue.
"I'm a teacher who teaches people to be teachers," Blue said, "But I can teach anyone really. I taught science to high schoolers, and I taught preschool for a while. Then when I was in Malawi
I taught a multi-age classroom. When I'm here I'm going to teach New Species who want to become teachers."
Vengeance looked at Justice sharply. He was starting to understand Blue's presence, and her son's as well.
"Has Blue seen Jessie?" he asked, wondering if he was right.
"Not yet," Justice answered, his voice low and deep, a warning to Vengeance, "She's still at Homeland. She'll probably be back in a week or so."
Vengeance understood. Justice didn't want Blue to know about the New Species children, and if she saw Jessie, she would know. Blue probably wouldn't see Jessie until Justice felt he could truly trust her.
"Eliza Halpern?" a voice called across the room.
Blue's demeanor changed immediately. Vengeance could smell her fear and panic, her desire to flee. It triggered something in him and he growled warningly. He took her arm and gently moved her behind him. He continued to hold onto her arm, stroking his thumb along the inside of her wrist, trying to calm her pounding heart.
A tall man, almost as tall as Vengeance stopped in front of him. His dark haired was styled perfectly, and he wore a suit. He raised an eyebrow when Vengeance narrowed his eyes at him.
"Excuse me," he said to Vengeance, "I was just saying hello to someone I know."
He felt Blue's other hand wrap around his forearm, her fingers trembling before she squeezed him, but she didn't try to move him, merely gripped him tighter as if he lent her comfort. His protective instincts roared to the forefront.
He felt a rumble build in his chest, "Go away," he said, "You will not speak to her."
Justice moved in from the side, "State Senator Vaughn," he said, moving forward and placing a hand on the man's shoulder and steering him away, "Perhaps you can say hello later. There are some things I want to talk to you about anyway."
The man nodded, tipped his chin at Vengeance and walked away with Justice without saying another word.
Vengeance felt an outrush of breath against his back and then Blue's head touched his back, as if she could barely hold herself up. Vengeance turned himself quickly and before he could stop himself, wrapped his arms around Blue, pulling her into his chest and breathing in deeply. He could smell the adrenaline she had released, the fear and sudden relief when the danger passed. He didn't know what the danger was, but he was going to protect her from it.
Blue's hands came up slowly and he felt them grasp his waist. Her hands balled into fists around his shirt as she pressed her body into his.
He dropped his head to the top of hers and breathed in deeply.
Blue was his mate.
He had no doubt. He felt his heart go out to her and wrap around her. He felt it extend out further to her son and he was filled with a deep desire to go to him, to watch him sleep and make sure he was safe.
"Oh shh…heck," Vengeance heard Flame say.
He looked up and narrowed his eyes at him, "I am taking Blue home. Where is she staying?" he asked.
"Ummm," Flame paused, "I'm not sure I can tell you."
Blue answered for him, "I'm in a human area near a construction zone."
Vengeance nodded, "I know where that is. Come. I will take you."
"Thank you for everything, Flame," Blue called, as Vengeance led her away, "I'll see you later."
Vengeance growled. He didn't like the idea of Flame seeing Blue. He felt Blue squeeze his hand, reassuring, as if she could sense his jealousy.
"I apologize," Vengeance said, "I am feeling very protective right now so my instincts are harder to control."
"That's okay," Blue said as Vengeance walked her to a golf cart and waited for her to get in before getting in himself, "I find that I appreciate it."
Vengeance felt himself smile before he could stop, a wide cheek splitting smile. This was his mate. She understood him.