Alien in the Family

looked up at him. “Maybe he feels sorry, or wishes he’d seen his son’s family, or seen you grow up. You’re the son of the son, the direct line.” I looked into the holding cell. “And unlike the options on the home world, you’re not gutless. You’re brave and strong . . . and a leader. So’s Christopher. Either one of you would be a better choice for ruler than the two in the room in front of us. But you, especially. You’ve been leading the A-Cs here for over ten years.”
    “And they’ve watched you the entire time,” Chuckie added. “Which is why the king, when he was attacked, decided it was time to revive the long-distance relationship. And why your cousins in there decided it was a great idea to hire some assassins to kill you.”
    “Jeff? That tracking thing’s in your pocket. Can you take it out?” He did. “Queen Renata, is this from your world?”
    She came to the glass, and Martini opened the washcloth and showed the feather-leaf thing to her. She nodded. “It is. How did you come by it?”
    “Moira stuck it in my purse after she’d almost killed one of our operatives, that best friend of mine we mentioned earlier. By the way, what’s her mate’s name?”
    “Kyrellis. She is extremely deadly.”
    “We guessed. So, when did the rest of you come on board? Before Moira and Kyrellis killed your leaders or after?” Okay, so I couldn’t shut up and let Chuckie do all the talking.
    “After they killed the head of Alpha Five,” Uma, of all people, answered. “We realized we’d created a monster we couldn’t stop.”
    “Yeah, I figured Greg wasn’t doing this on his own. So you’re all pretty much traitors to your home worlds, is that right? Other than Renata, who is somehow along for the ride.”
    “I am along because the assassins are my responsibility. They killed my mother, first, before they went to Alpha Four. I had to become queen far earlier than I had ever planned . . . or desired.” Queen Renata looked very old and tired for a moment, but then she recovered herself. “These did what they felt was best,” she indicated the others in the room. “Alpha Four is old and powerful. They control the rest of us. Many chafe under their hand.”
    “We can relate.”
    “This council was formed to expand the other planets’ self-determination.”
    I looked back up at Martini. “You come from the bossy stock, I see.”
    He snorted. “You should talk.”
    “So, Alpha Four’s got a battle cruiser after you guys, with good reason. And, of course, they don’t know if we’re with you or against you.”
    “Against,” Martini said dryly. “But, you know, they never listen to what we say.”
    “Figure Alpha Four assumes we started it,” Chuckie added. “Only those of us who know Martini would believe he wasn’t interested in a kingship.”
    “Too freaking true. Meanwhile, Greg there gave Moira and Kyrellis the heads-up that the most potent males in the line were here on Earth. They’re gunning for Jeff, Christopher, Paul, and Michael, for sure. They’ll probably try to wipe out more of the family, just in case.”
    “I doubt Greg talked to them directly,” Chuckie corrected me. “I’d guess Uma had a hand in it. She seems Moira’s type.”
    Uma gave him a dirty look. “Alpha Six has a female-led government, yes.”
    “Which probably saw the benefits of aligning with the fanatics. You know, I’m all for following the Feminist Manifesto , but nowhere in there was the suggestion made that we kill all the men and make do without them.”
    Uma shrugged. “Your world, your rules.”
    “Right. And our rules say you’re a bunch of traitors, to two solar systems.”
    “Your Majesty, we beg for clemency.” Gregory bent onto one knee. Alexander followed him, somewhat unwillingly.
    “I’m not the king. I’m not going to a world that only wants me when it’s convenient. And you can rot in hell for all I care. You’re endangering the world I care about and the people I love on it. You’re lucky I don’t just kill you right now and offer your dead bodies to whoever else shows up.” Martini was furious, but he was calmer than me, which was sort of surprising.
    “Please forgive us,” Alexander said quietly.
    “How much did you have to do with this plan?” I saw his expression and got a funny feeling.
    Alexander shook his head. “I support my brother.”
    “Does your brother know you’re the one who triggered the Royal Proposal light show back on the