"The ship will add more rooms for our children."

His eyes were as soft as his voice when he said those words. It made my breath catch in my throat. He could have said something to the effect of "The ship will add more room in the event of children," but instead he'd made it personal. He'd said, "for our children". How he could be so bold was beyond me, but it was obvious that it was something he wanted from his expression.

The fact that I'd told him to tell me so that I could get used to the idea haunted me. Would I ever get used to the idea of having children? Not even with him, but just in general?

If I even so much as thought about children that would lead me straight to topics of making children and then back to that singular bed and that's all unexplored territory that I just don't know how to navigate. He was right. The idea did stress me. I wouldn't ever tell him that just for a moment I wondered what our children would look like.

I hoped they looked like him. I shoved that thought down and smothered it. I was 23 and nowhere near prepared to be a mother. You should also take into account that you are both literally not the same race. You are from completely different areas in the known universe. For all you know you can't even actually have children. "We may look similar, but we're completely different races. It might not even be possible to have children."

"It is."

"How would you know?"

"Despite the fact that historically there have been many a Temani Bercari with other different races throughout the galaxy?"

"There have been?"

"Yes. Likely hundreds, though we've lost count now. There are many Val'Dornn ships throughout the universe likely engaging in their own Temani Bercari's as we speak. Once our populations expand to a certain point we will separate into --usually, three-- ships and those ships will embark on their own searching, lead by one Prince with the sight and the guidance of our deities. This history is why our race boasts so many different bloodlines that are influenced by the abilities of our ancestors."

"What?"

"What do you need me to explain?"

"No...it's more a matter of just genuine disbelief. We'll have to readdress this topic later when I'm...I don't know...able to fathom that concept."

"Yes, I had wanted to discuss my ancestry with you and what consequences it will have on our mating."

"I'm sorry what?"

"Is this disbelief or do you want an explanation this time?"

I wasn't entirely certain myself. All I knew was that I didn't like the use of the word consequences when talking about our mating. "Both. What consequences and what could possibly be strange about your ancestry?"

"From my parents back 3 generations all of my ancestors have been Val'Dornn born. My closest non-Val'Dornn ancestor was 4 generations back. She was from a Temani Bercari on the planet we called Fwaelar." Esayr stepped back and retraced his steps back to that entertainment room. He searched the bookcase for a moment before pulling free a small leatherbound book just slightly larger than my own hand, "It was a small planet with a close-knit populace that called themselves the Fie'lali. They were emotionally in tune and so connected to each other to such an extent that they could communicate via their emotions. Because of their joining, I inherited some of those traits. I'm considered an Empath here on this ships. I can feel others emotions as acutely as my own, and if I concentrate I can make others feel mine as well," He handed me the book, "You can't read it yet, but that details Val'Dornn genetics and some of the more common bloodlines and ancestries that males on this ship might have. It's not all-inclusive, but it is a good basis to start."

"I'm sorry what?"

He squinted at me, trying to interpret my meaning, "You are...disbelieving?"

"Yes. I find it hard to believe that you have some kind of power."

"Not power, just an innate ability to sense emotions acutely and to project mine if I put enough concentration into the task."

"You have to understand that, that's completely unbelievable from a human standpoint."

"Is it? Some humans have presented a higher capacity for empathy than others. From a purely biological standpoint, you are a remarkably empathetic race. Of all of the Val'Dornn abilities, I would have thought mine would be one of the easiest to reconcile."

"So, there are more?"

"Yes, many."

Suddenly, I remember Sian the male that looked human and said he could manipulate what others saw. It had felt like a fever dream and had seemed almost been buried beneath all the other misfortunes of the day, "Sian. Down in the Tampa Lab. He can make other see different things."

"Yes, that's Kylosk ancestry. He is remarkably Kyloski in appearance for a Val'Dornn."

"The onyx black skin and lighter patches?"

Esayr nodded, almost thoughtful, "The Val'Dornn ancestry is always dominate, but it's a gradual change like the degeneration of the arm of the X chromosome. Over generations, we will regain our original appearance, but the underlying abilities tend to persist along with a few small appearance changes."

"What are some others? Your friends?"

It seemed to please him that I asked about his friends.

"My Riniere? We specialize in intelligence gathering. Addric and Kados both have Urland blood. It allows them to physically switch their appearance with another of the same ancestry. They can appear as the other or both can appear as some medium in between. They also have very slight Laoirian ancestry, which likely gave them the ability to alter very small aspects of their appearance outside of their natural range. But, that takes extreme concentration. It is lucky that they have a soulbond or else I would think that neither would really have gained that ability."

"They're bonded to each other?"

"They were born in the same breath clinging to each other. Their souls were knit from the same weave and they will likely claim the same female."

"Will they fight over her?" I found the idea revolting.

Esayr looked even more horrified, "Of course not. One couldn't destroy another part of their soul. They'll bond her to the both of them most likely," he shrugged as if the idea wasn't kinky, "double births are uncommon, but when they do happen that is usually the outcome."

"That's just accepted?"

"A bonding is a bonding why would anyone question the will of two souls?"

I was silent for a moment, I'd asked myself similar questions on my own planet and it didn't feel right to start questioning it now just because I wasn't interested in a relationship with more than one partner. You aren't even looking for a relationship with one partner, Addison. One voice whispered in my mind and another one answered, "Well you got one, bitch"

"Ok Addric and Kados can change the way they look. What about the other two?"

"Laene and Kayle? Kayle can read thoughts and rifle through them. It takes coaxing and isn't instant. You can build up barriers to block him. His job is simply to coax you into letting him past those barriers. He can also manipulate your thoughts to some degree, but that's a harder feat. Laene is Kayle's counterbalance. He is completely immune to all powers that invade the mind and the being. I cannot feel his emotions and Kayle cannot read his mind. He is our shield."

"And their ancestry? Their bloodlines?"

"Kayle's from a strong Ionina bloodline. His abilities are par for the course. Laene is...unconventional. There was a Temani Bercari that was not completed. The bond snapped into place, but it failed to tether the psychic and mental connection between mates. We didn't realize it was because the Ryshkare were immune to those kinds of abilities. While some matings worked out in their own way. Some were..unhappy. Laene came from one such mating," Esayr dragged a hand through his dark hair causing it to stick up on end, "I think he fears to match with a female. He doesn't want to find out he will miss out on the same bond his parents did. I don't think he wants to condemn a female to that kind of fate. We've tried to reassure him in our own ways, but he doesn't like to speak of it."

"You care deeply for your friends."

"They are my Riniere. While we are not soul bonded we have frown together and sworn ourselves to each other's company. There is a bond of kinship between us. I feel what they feel and I hurt when they hurt even if it is not through my own abilities. Surely you feel the same for your Riniere?"

"My Riniere?"

"The five other females you live with."

Realization dawned on me. I certainly cared deeply for my friends, but I couldn't say I knew everything about them. Some of them I'd only known since we'd moved into the same apartment. I'd known Gabby the longest out of all of them. "I do care for them a lot, but I feel like you're misinterpreting our friendship. I would die for those girls on my best days but we really haven't been together forever like you and your friends."

Esayr studied me a moment, "They've been fighting for you. Forgive me I thought you had all taken a similar bond of kinship as well."

"They're fighting for me?"

He nodded almost reluctantly, "There is an uproar planet-side that your friends are fueling. They are fighting for your release. They're insinuating you are being mistreated. It is troublesome"

They're fighting to get you back. They're really going to battle for you.