Breal’s eyes widened, her gaze shooting to Erzo.
Erzo stared at his brother, who could only be trusted with the truth about fifty percent of the time. “You’re out of your mind.”
Tellis chuckled. “You’re going to mate with Breal. That’s what they’re doing. They’re making the arrangements. You’re both worthless to your clans, otherwise.”
Those words had stung Erzo more than he had admitted, cutting deeper than any blaster shot. Worthless. The notion that their value to their clans hinged solely on an arranged marriage was a bitter pill. He remembered the flush of anger and humiliation, the way Breal’s eyes had widened in shock and disgust.
“We’re not worthless,” Erzo snapped.
“You’re the baby. She’s a girl. Neither of you matters,” Tellis stated matter-of-factly.
“Why would I mate with my friend?” Erzo had protested, his youthful voice tinged with confusion. The idea had seemed ludicrous, an insult to their friendship.
The memory of Breal pushing him playfully. Her retort of “He stinks!” brought a sad smile to his face. They had been so innocent, so unaware of the gravity of the situation. But Tellis’s words had been like a cold splash of reality. “You won’t have a choice,” he had said, a prophecy that now, years later, was coming to fruition.
Snapped back to the present, Erzo looked at Breal’s face on the screen, now lined with the weight of years and responsibility. The playful girl he had known was now a woman, caught in the grip of clan politics.
“We can’t let them control us, Breal,” Erzo said, his voice firm. “We’re not pawns in their game. What do I do? Run?”
His first thought still seemed the most logical.
“Or find your own mate,” Breal whispered.
He shook his head. “And what good would that do?”
“You can’t mate me if you’re already mated to someone else.” There was a tone in her voice, something different.
He stared at her. “You have someone, don’t you?”
She nodded.
“Someone that would not be approved of, I take it.”
“Oh, yeah.”
He raised his eyebrow. “You gonna tell me who?”
Breal’s expression was resolute, yet Erzo could see the underlying fear. “Listen, I just wanted to give you a warning. They’re coming, and they won’t be nice about it.”
“But we can’t let them dictate our lives,” Erzo argued, the memory of Tellis’s words fueling his defiance.
Breal sighed—a weary sound that spoke volumes. “I know, Erzo. I know.”
“Is it that bad?”
Charro are always all about the deal. The profit. They will bring it as strong as any warrior species if pushed to physicality. They don’t back down from a fight, especially one that affects the bottom line.
“Yeah. It’s that bad. You know how they can be.”
He knew. He’d dealt with enough of the clan garbage in his life. He left because of it. Didn’t want to deal with it.
“I’ll do what I can,” Erzo said.
“What are you going to do? Mate with a random humanoid?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
Erzo’s thoughts raced, the echoes of their childhood games mingling with the harsh realities of their adult lives. They had once dodged blaster shots in a ship’s corridor, laughing and carefree. Now, they were escaping the expectations and demands of their clans, a game with no clear path to victory.
