Atticus's Angel Read online

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  About This Book

  CHAPTER ONE - Atticus

  CHAPTER TWO - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER THREE - Atticus

  CHAPTER FOUR - Atticus

  CHAPTER FIVE - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER SIX - Atticus

  CHAPTER SEVEN - Atticus

  CHAPTER EIGHT - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER NINE - Atticus

  CHAPTER TEN - Atticus

  CHAPTER ELEVEN - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER TWELVE - Atticus

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Atticu

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Atticus

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER NINETEEN - Atticus

  CHAPTER TWENTY - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Atticus

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE - Ashyln

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - Atticus

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - Atticus

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN - Atticus

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - Atticus

  CHAPTER THIRTY - Ashlyn

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE - Atticus

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO - Ashlyn

  About the Author

  ATTICUS'S ANGEL

  By Pearl Tate

  Copyright © 2019 Pearl Tate

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Book Cover Design by Alena Marie

  Website: http://pearltate.com/BookCovers

  Instagram Account: http://pearltate.com/covers

  This book is dedicated to my “alpha beta reader” Virginia.

  Thanks for all your help!

  ATTICUS'S ANGEL

  Atticus

  As the medical doctor on the Discovery, I’m exposed to the human females regularly. In addition to monitoring their health, I’ve documented and logged all the mating changes.

  Of course, I long for a mate of my own. But I can’t imagine it’ll happen before I’m obligated to return and complete my family commitment.

  Many of the males on the Discovery have similar family agreements, so imagine our surprise when mating marks appear on all of us—all at once!

  Ashlyn

  My entire life is controlled by my mother and the genetic disease I was born with that robs me of so much, including the ability to have a baby. As if the special schools and special classes weren’t enough, now my mother is considering a special home!

  So, when I’m offered another life—one that sounds too good to be true—I jump at the chance to be healed and have a family.

  Of course, no one mentioned the danger. Someone isn’t happy about the Earth women. They’re discovering spies who not only plan to report back to their planet, but also have orders to kill us all…

  ATTICUS’S ANGEL is the sequel to BREN'S BLESSING (Book One of the Quasar Lineage) and MATTHIAS'S MIRACLE (Book Two of the Quasar Lineage) and AMARI’S ADORED (Book Three of the Quasar Lineage) and DEVLIN’S DARLING (Book Four of the Quasar Lineage) and CALLIM’S CHALLENGE (Book Five of the Quasar Lineage) and TRAVEK’S TREASURE (Book Six of the Quasar Lineage) and REMUS’S REVELATION (Book Seven of the Quasar Lineage) and SELAS’S SALVATION (Book Eight of the Quasar Lineage).

  You don't have to read Bren's Blessing, Matthias’s Miracle, Amari’s Adored, Devlin’s Darling, Callim’s Challenge, Travek’s Treasure, Remus’s Revelation or Selas’s Salvation in order to understand the plot, but the story will be more well-rounded if you do!

  CHAPTER ONE

  - Atticus

  SEVEN WEEKS AGO

  My heart leaps as I run the handheld scanner over Hannah. Her body’s outline lights up in numerous colors as the information is processed. Incredible!

  My voice is choked as I look up at her sitting on the edge of the exam bed where Bren placed her. “You’re with child.” When Bren, who’s standing next to her stays frozen in place as she slowly moves her hands to her stomach, I add for his benefit, “You’ve a viable, living child growing inside your mate.”

  The last twenty rotations have been the most exciting of my life. Never did I think that I—Atticus Fluen, would be documenting the medical find of the millennium—and this is it.

  We’ve found mates compatible with our species. Not only chemically compatible and capable of tripping our males into hormonal mating, but now we’ve proof that offspring are a possibility. Now we can only wait to see how successfully human females can complete a gestation cycle with our sperm.

  “You can tell already?” Hannah’s still touching her stomach lightly. “For sure?” Her eyebrows rise toward her hairline as her large, blue eyes stare at me.

  “Oh yes, for sure.” I begin flipping through the chemical and hormonal changes that the handheld device shows me. It’s fascinating the shift in her chemistry already. They’ve only allowed me to do so many scans on her, but I can flip back to each one, overlapping them to compare and track the changes on graphs.

  Glancing up, I see Hannah looking at Bren concerned. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Bren’s still staring straight at me with a blank look on his face.

  Hm. Maybe not at me.

  Waving my hand in front of his face, I pull my study light and briefly flick it across his pupil. Fixed.

  Bren jolts as his gaze focuses on me, widening before he turns to Hannah. “You’re carrying our child?”

  “Yes, if Atticus is correct, than I’m pregnant.” Her tone is still incredulous.

  I turn slightly, shaking my head. It’s not me that’s decided. I only read what’s clearly in front of me. Gathering the facts and data to study and share.

  The handheld device has detected the chemical changes and life inside her. The odds of it being incorrect are almost minuscule. If the device were to malfunction, it’s much more likely there would be no changes calculated at all.

  From looking at Hannah, I’d say I’m more excited about this than she is. Bren and Hannah are embracing, but she’s looking at me over his shoulder. From the expression on her face, she’s just shocked. Maybe still disbelieving?

  I move away, unconcerned with their feelings on the matter. I’m fascinated by the idea of studying this. What it could mean long term for us all…

  When I entered the medical field as a study, I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to continue it long term. Only a small percentage of the population, particularly males, are able to proceed. Only the endorsement of my Ermada enabled me to enter the field.

  The year I began, the lottery was huge for positions. It’s totally luck that enabled me to continue in my studies. Those studies landed me in this position on the Discovery.

  But I kept believing. In myself, in my skills, and in my ability to learn the material. Only the top ten percent of males entering the lottery get to continue on. Now, to be involved in this huge change in our species’ future—it’s a miracle of epic proportions. Mating with the human females will change our existence forever.

  Brock enters the medical center as I’m transferring the information upload into the long-term logs. We have so
much to do. To date, I’ve only been comparing Hannah’s differences to Quasar females. Even though they’re similar, there are many differences.

  “Brock! I’m going to be a father!” Bren’s booming voice echoes through the room, and I look up to see Brock and Bren embracing.

  Brock’s large body springs away from him and turns to me with excitement. In three long steps, he’s reached my side, throwing an arm around me to squeeze me uncomfortably as he peers at the screen I’m studying. “It feels as if we’ve had a part in this. As if we’re the ones making the huge difference.”

  “I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet for me.” Hannah’s hands are over her mouth and her eyes are wide as she moves to my other side, and we all peer at the elevated hormonal changes flowing across the screen.

  “But do you know what this means?” Bren’s dancing in front of us on the other side of the device. “What this will mean for everyone?”

  His voice is full of wonder. My own gut churns with exhilaration too. He’s right.

  When I first went to Bren’s dwelling after he’d hidden Hannah there, almost twenty rotations ago, I was disbelieving as he answered the door with mating marks. It was… unheard of. Practically a myth at this point in our evolution.

  But now, we’ve not only one male with mating marks—we now have two! Bren’s brother, Matthias, is settling in as we speak on the Discovery. He’s been granted the petition for mate location leave, and now he’s flying through space with us toward what—I’m hoping—will be Earth. We’re supposed to stay on our normal rotation through the zone, but at this point, we’re going in the right direction at least.

  What if we get closer to Earth and I develop mating marks? What an answer to my prayers to the Sacred Mother that would be…

  I’ve only two, maybe three more cycles out on the Discovery before I’ll be petitioned to return to fulfill my family commitment. I know many males consider me lucky to have a family commitment at all, but that’s not how I see it. I won’t be as unfortunate as Brock, but there will be no love and most certainly no offspring with my Ermada. If, by some slight chance she’s able to reproduce, it’d be a small miracle based on her age.

  But we still keep trying. Our entire species keeps trying, and trying… to do something that Hannah was able to do in only twenty rotations! Our females try—some for their entire life—with no results. Are Earth females just more fertile? Is it something environmentally on our planet—or theirs?

  Study after study has been done with no answer… or not with an answer they’re sharing with the general scientific community or the public. I’m sure if this kind of scientific study had occurred on Quasar, if I wasn’t intrinsically involved, I’d have never known about it.

  “You’re so blessed, Bren.” Brock circles the desk to clap him on the back again.

  “And now, Matthias too.” Bren grasps both of Brock’s arms, still vibrating on his feet as every hair on his head dances with excitement. “But your turn will come. I’m sure of it. This is just the beginning.”

  His words makes my own heart accelerate uncomfortably. I want that—so much. If it doesn’t happen soon though, I’m afraid I’ll be called back to Quasar before it does. Remembering my sexual interactions with Kaleen, I shiver as my body shudders with distaste.

  No.

  Don’t think about it. Think about the mate I want. A tiny one like Hannah. Kind and smart.

  Not Kaleen. Not like that again. If only I didn’t feel like time’s running out…

  CHAPTER TWO

  - Ashlyn

  “Oh, doctor! I’ve been waiting for your call!” My mother’s high-pitched voice screeches from the next room as she answers the phone. Pausing the game on my hand-held device, I continue to stare at the screen of the app I was playing. Despite the way she treats me, I’m not stupid. I know that the outcome of this phone call is something I’ll want to hear.

  Today we went to Hope Intermediate Care Facility for our formal application to be finalized. Now that I’m twenty-three, the program I’ve been attending at the local school has become unavailable. My mother was referred to Hope Intermediate by my favorite caregiver, Sheila.

  “And they’re confident that will pass through?” My mother’s voice has dropped in volume, which means she’s calming down. Everything’s going her way, then.

  Restarting the game, my body works on autopilot continuing to move through the necessary motions to get to the next level. Then the next. Then the next.

  If only real life was this easy. Hope Intermediate is the opposite of its name. There’s no hope there. If anything, it’s despondent within its walls.

  Drugged, catatonic, and depressed adults are all there. Some actually live there full-time. That’s one of my biggest fears. My mother finally deciding that I need to get out on my own, and her permanently moving me into that facility.

  But she’s struggling just to qualify for the funding for me to attend there during the day, so it won’t be this year at least. It’ll be bad enough having to attend there all day, though. They don’t allow you to bring any of your own items with you. They say it’s to avoid issues with others taking them, or to prevent breakdowns and fights. That means no games, no blanket, and no stuffies. All the items that make life tolerable!

  “When will they review the extended application?” Mother’s hopeful voice echoes in my head.

  Extended application. That’s what they call the additional funding she’d need to get me in there full time. Overnight. Out of her hair for good.

  “So, only then, huh?” She blows out an exasperated breath before I hear her straighten and look in my direction from where she’s sitting at the kitchen table. “You’ll keep me updated on our placement in the wait?”

  It’s only a matter of time then. My mother always acts like everything she’s doing is totally for my benefit. All the shuttling around, phone calls, applications—all for me. Because my life can be so much better.

  Any time I’ve tried to express that I’m unhappy with anything, I’m locked in my room until I can “settle down.” It’s not my fault that it’s hard to communicate, and my body betrays me when I try.

  FXS, FXS, FXS. That’s all I ever hear about.

  Fragile X syndrome is genetic, and I’ve lived with it my entire life. By adolescence, I was hearing doctors adding on the words attention deficit disorder and autism spectrum disorder, which opened up a realm of other programs for me to attend. Like Hope Intermediate Care Center… where it appears I’ll be spending at least some of my days for the rest of my adult life.

  Ironic really considering the facility is stripping away any hope I may have had left. My mother keeps saying I’ll meet new people, new friends, and develop new skills… but I’m so shy, I can barely look around me—let alone look at strangers. From what I did see when we visited, anyone who does have the capability to look around, really isn’t looking at anyone. They’re talking to themselves or to someone inside them.

  I do it too. It’s a coping mechanism. Soothing. The repetitive behaviors with our hands and mouths.

  It’s interesting, because I think just like everyone else, but my body… it isn’t like everyone else’s. I’m trapped in here and at the mercy of my guardian. My mother.

  “… it seems like such a long time. Especially since they won’t even review it until our place in line comes up. Isn’t there a way to find out if we’ve qualified before then?”

  I know she loves me. Of course, she does. She’s just tired. I’ve heard other caregivers discussing this.

  Nobody signs on to having a child live at home their entire life, right?

  But at least she has a child. What I wouldn’t give to be normal and have a baby. My own baby. A girl baby.

  I talked to my mother about having a baby once. It was a difficult thing for me to bring up and discuss. But she said no. No babies.

  She didn’t explain much, just said that having babies is for other people who don’t get taken care of. That
if I can’t take care of myself, how could I take care of a baby? I think I can take care of myself, but she says if I can’t remember to eat, let alone take my medicine, how would I remember to feed a baby?

  We didn’t talk about how to make a baby, but I learned that a long time ago. I understand that it’d take a man to put it inside me. I didn’t have anyone in mind, but I considered a few options.

  But my mother also said there’s a good chance that I wouldn’t even be able to get pregnant with a baby. That due to my disease, I may not be able to carry it long enough. Just thinking about it makes me sad. Everything makes me sad these days, though.

  “Okay, well, I can call back next week—No?” My mother pauses, “Alright. That’s fine… certainly. Thank you, doctor, and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

  The chair creaks ominously as my mother moves toward me. “Ashlyn! We’re all set for tomorrow.”

  I don’t look up as she moves into the room in front of me. Two more levels and I’ll have the bonus I want. She’s going to make me shut it down.

  “You need to go get ready for bed. It’ll be a big day tomorrow.” As she yanks the game from my hands, I stare ahead in defeat. “Come on, now. I know you know it’s time. Let’s go up.”

  Standing, I move slowly toward the stairs of the only home I’ve ever known. Rounding the corner, I walk directly into the small bathroom we share. The face staring back at me looks like a stranger’s, even though I see it every day. My black hair is parted in the middle around my narrow face.

  My braids are the one thing I do myself every morning. I enjoy braiding my hair although my mother sometimes undoes it and fixes the part in the back before making me do it again. I don’t mind. When I’m worked up about something, she’ll unwrap my braids and let me redo them. The repetitive motions calm me.

  I wish she had long hair, but her style has been short and curly my entire life. “Your application is under review along with all the financial information we submitted today, but it doesn’t look like you’ll be going full-time this year.” My mother leans against the door frame of the bathroom like she does two times a day, every day, while I brush my teeth. “Get the top right, honey.”