Species Traitor: A Science Fiction Dystopian Novel by Kate Mary (universal ebook reader .TXT) 📗

“Dean,” I began, “do you think it should be illegal for humans and Veilorians to get married?”

He sat up straighter. “Do you really want to get into this?”

“Yes,” I said firmly.

He held my gaze for a moment as if trying to decide how to respond, then let out a deep sigh. “Okay. If you’re going to twist my arm, I’ll be honest. Illegal? No. Do I like it? No, I don’t. They’re not human, and we don’t know the long-term effects of interbreeding.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means humans are already on the verge of extinction. Do I think Veronica Waters is right about Veilorians purposefully trying to breed us out? No. But the birthrate of humans has decreased as our overall living conditions have gone downhill. Disease is up, lifespans are down, and we’re struggling. Every human who mates with a Veilorian is putting us one step closer to the end. I’m sorry,” Dean sat back, shaking his head, “I just can’t support it.”

We stared at one another in silence for a moment, each of us lost in our thoughts. Like everything else he’d said, he had a point, and I knew it, but I couldn’t help thinking that just maybe the Veilorians had been sent here to save us. I hadn’t grown up in a religious home—it was something that had pretty much gone out of style as the old world slipped away—but I wasn’t convinced a higher power didn’t exist. What if the Veilorians had been sent here to help us repopulate? They were stronger and had more immunities than humans. They were even immune to what little radiation was left in the wastelands. While half-human children hadn’t been studied thus far—it was just too taboo—it was possible they were the answer we’d been searching for. They could be what we needed to survive.

We didn’t talk again until after the pizza arrived. It was tense and awkward, but Dean stayed quiet, allowing me to think about the things he’d said.

The food came, and we started eating in silence, and it was my first bite of pizza that helped thaw the atmosphere.

“Oh, my God,” I said through a mouthful of cheesy goodness. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

Dean gave me a hesitant smile. “This was a yearly treat when I was growing up. My mom died when I was five, leaving my dad to raise us on his own.”

“Us?” The word caught me off guard, distracting me from the pizza and his story. “Do you have a sibling?”

With the low birthrates in the city, it was rare but possible. Lena and I were proof of that.

Dean frowned like he hadn’t realized he’d said it, but after a moment replied in a quiet voice that sounded nothing like him. “A sister, but she’s dead now.”

“Oh, Dean.” I put my pizza down and reached out to cover his hand with mine. “I’m sorry.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed, then he cleared his throat and made it obvious he had no desire to discuss his sister by saying, “Anyway, my dad always made a point of putting a little money aside every check so he could bring us here on Christmas Day as a treat.”

I was curious, but since it was clear the subject was off limits, chose not to ask. It wasn’t like I’d want to discuss Lena if she suddenly died.

Just thinking it made my heart ache. Tears welled in my eyes, and I took a second bite of pizza to try to cover the sudden rush of emotions, chewing slowly so I had time to collect myself.

Once I’d swallowed, I said, “It sounds nice.”

“It was.” Dean took a bite and chewed, watching me thoughtfully as he did. His body was still rigid, but his expression hadn’t changed much. After swallowing, he said, “I get the impression you didn’t have support like that from your parents.”

“You could say that,” I replied, realizing my tone wasn’t the least bit bitter. It was shocking, considering how abandoned I felt most of the time. “Thankfully, I have an amazing cousin and a great little sister.”

“You want to tell me about it?”

“Not much to tell, really. My dad left when I was around five. I don’t know why, exactly, but I only saw him once or twice after he moved out.”

“Where is he now?”

“Who knows?” I pointed to a man on the other side of the room who was slumped in a booth, either asleep or dead. It was tough to tell, and impossible to gauge how old he was. “That could be him, for all I know.”

“You don’t know what happened to him?” Dean seemed surprised.

“Nope.” I popped the P like a bubble as I separated a pepperoni from the cheese that had entrapped it. “And I don’t care.”

I stuck the little slice of meat in my mouth to emphasize how little it bothered me. I had Lena and Ione in my life, and that was enough for me.

Dean nodded, frowning, but said nothing.

We ate a little longer in silence, each of us enjoying the food like it was our last meal. Every time I thought about Veronica Waters, it felt that way, so I worked hard to push her out of my head and focus instead on the man across from me and the pizza. It may have been selfish, but the break was nice and welcome, and something I desperately needed.

When we’d finished, I once again allowed Dean to take my hand as we headed to his motobike, and when he stopped beside it and turned to face me, the desire in his blue eyes made his intentions obvious. The evening had been nice for the most part, and the things he’d said had been reasonable and logical even if they hadn’t been what I’d wanted to hear, so when he leaned closer, I didn’t pull away from the kiss.

His lips were soft and warm, moving