She saw when things had quieted down once more that the reason for all the shouting and clapping seemed to be an infant. Reuel and Dalia were standing on the platform at the front of the room, proudly displaying the first child born to cyborg parents.
Amaryllis thought for several awful moments that she would burst into tears. She tamped the urge with an effort as the head of the council stood and began to speak.
He welcomed the hunters as full citizens. He told them they were free to come and go within the colony as they pleased and encouraged to become a part of it.
Amaryllis was waiting for the ‘but’. It came. They would be expected to make an effort to join the colony. If, after a full year, they still wanted to return, they would be taken to one of the colonies of man and left.
A year.
She didn’t have a year to spare. She didn’t even have months.
She was still reeling from that news when the president made an announcement that was even more stunning. In order to try to keep peace among themselves, and because the males outnumbered the females by five or six to one, each female was expected to contract with at least two, and no more than four, males to form a family unit.
Amaryllis was so stunned she couldn’t seem to take it in. Two? Four? What kind of family unit was he talking about for God’s sake? The men would kill each other!
Minutes passed before Amaryllis realized the roaring in her ears wasn’t the rush of blood pounding in her veins. The entire auditorium was in an uproar and rioting seemed imminent.
Unnerved, Amaryllis began trying to work her way toward the exit. She’d almost reached it when a hand clamped around either arm. She looked up to discover Reese and Dante standing on either side of her. Without a word, they plowed through the crowd and through a pair of double doors that led outside, ignoring Amaryllis’ efforts to pull free.
They released her once they were outside.
“You said you weren’t coming,” Reese said tightly.
She glared at him sullenly. “I changed my mind.”
“You should not have come alone. It is not safe, especially not now.”
“And exactly how was I supposed to know they were going to make such an insane announcement?”
Reese and Dante exchanged a look. “No one knew. Nevertheless, it is the law. The situation has already been debated to exhaustion and no better plan was set forth. No one is completely satisfied, but they could not be, given the situation … and the law has merit.”
“It has merit?” Amaryllis echoed, staring at Dante as if he’d lost his mind.
“There will be two to protect you.”
“Three.”
Everyone froze as Cain strolled up to the group.
“She need only choose two,” Reese growled threateningly.
“But I’ve no intention of leaving her at your tender mercies,” Cain retorted coldly.
Amaryllis felt a little faint as she stared up at the three men towering over her, all of them scowling at each other. Insanely, she remembered something her mother was prone to say. ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ She’d wavered between them, unable to decide which she cared for the most. She hadn’t wanted to have to make a choice.
Now, she wouldn’t have to, but it would not make things easier, for any of them, and it certainly wouldn’t change the most important reason she had for not wishing to form a contract with anyone. “I can’t,” she said a little weakly.
That effectively claimed their attention and all three looked down at her assessingly. “You heard the proclamation. You do not have a choice,” Dante pointed out. “We will not allow you to choose someone else.”
Amaryllis tried to summon anger, but failed to ignite more than a spark. The truth was, she wasn’t about to choose anyone else and she didn’t particularly like the idea of appearing to be free for the taking. It was far more frightening to imagine what her life might become without them than with them. “This won’t work,” she said a little desperately. “You will do nothing but fight.”
Reese, Dante, and Cain exchanged speculative looks. “We’ll work it out,” Cain said finally. “Right now, I think it’ll be best just to get you away from here. The barracks is out. Neanderthal took that door out like it was made of cloth. Even if we barricaded it, you wouldn’t be safe.”
For several moments, Amaryllis thought a fight would erupt between Cain and Reese again. “You said you’d work it out,” she said accusingly. “Quit calling him that.”
Cain studied her a moment. “Fine. What’s his name?”
She gave him a look. She didn’t believe for a moment that he didn’t know, or had forgotten.
