by Sue Lyndon
“What are you thinking about?” Caylee peered at him, a fatigued but curious glint in her pretty blue eyes. “You, um, look as though you’re a million miles away right now.”
He straightened and stared down at her, debating whether or not to inform her of his apprehension over the trip to Xollnax. Not wishing to cause her worry, he said, “I was just thinking about the days to come. I have much work to complete before we reach planet Xollnax.”
“What kind of work?”
“I cannot tell you everything about my job as an ambassador, little human,” he said, adding a note of warning to his voice.
To his relief, she didn’t seem to take offense. Instead, she grinned at him and snuggled deeper into his arms. “Very well, keep your secrets, Xerr. I won’t pry, but I hope I’ll still be permitted to roam the corridors of the Corrannelia. As you know, I like to walk for exercise.”
“Yes, little human, you may walk the corridors. Just stay off the bridge and out of the engineering room.” Most of the work he needed to complete would be done in those two locations. “Though we have conversed in English this entire time, I assume you know how to speak and read Tarrkuan. You will see signs warning unauthorized personnel to stay off the bridge and out of engineering.”
“Yes, I can speak all twelve dialects of Tarrkuan,” she replied, speaking in his tongue, using the most common dialect spoken in Ashorr, the capital city of Kazzon’s planet.
“I am glad to hear it,” he said, switching back to English.
He reached for a washcloth and dipped it in the water. His cock thickened underneath her bottom, and he watched as her nipples hardened to stiff peaks while she shifted slightly on his lap. Her long hair brushed over his shoulders, tickling him. Settling her deeper into the tub, right between his spread legs, he began washing her, dragging the soapy cloth up and down her slender arms.
“Mm. This feels nice. Thank you, Xerr.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he murmured directly into her ear.
Once he finished with her arms, he worked the cloth over her full breasts, even pausing to tease her nipples with quick pinches that made her gasp. Her legs came next, and he took a particular enjoyment in running the cloth over her inner thighs, cleansing her of the sticky trails left by his seed.
Tender regard for Caylee swelled within him. She relaxed in his arms, allowing him to clean her all over, though she blushed furiously when he dragged the cloth through her nether folds.
After he finished tending to her, he grabbed a fresh cloth and quickly cleansed himself, then he drained the bathtub and turned on the multiple showerheads above them, which caused a gentle patter of warm water to cascade over their bodies.
Caylee sighed and placed her hands on the wall, a look of bliss crossing her face. He noticed a slight tremor in her legs, evidence that she was still weakened in the aftermath of their carnal activities. He kept an eye on her as they both rinsed off, ready to grab onto her and steady her if she happened to slip.
He turned the water off and reached for a large warm towel, which he immediately wrapped around his bride. She hugged the towel to herself and shot him a sweet look of gratitude. After wrapping himself in his own towel, he lifted her from the tub and carried her back to the bedroom.
They dressed in silence, though she occasionally shot him shy glances that made him want to order her to kneel before him and suck his cock all over again. Tonight, he decided. He would spend the day working with his guards on the security protocols on his ship, then a night loving Caylee would be his reward.
He couldn’t fluxxing wait.
Chapter 26
The screen on the video comm glowed blue and the control panel glimmered under Caylee’s fingers while she typed in the password Kazzon had taught her, as well as the proper video comm number. She braced herself, waiting to see if the call to her parents’ home would be answered. She hadn’t spoken to her family since the morning she’d said her goodbyes to them.
She counted the days in her head. About a week and a half ago. That was how long she’d been married to Kazzon, though time seemed to move slower on his ship. If she didn’t make a point of adding another day to her mental tally each morning when she awoke, she would’ve guessed a full month had passed since her marriage to Kazzon and her departure from Earth.
Wilson’s face suddenly filled the screen. When he shot her a warm smile, she almost started crying. He looked happy, the way she remembered him as a little boy, and she wondered what had occurred during her absence.
“Caylee!” He straightened in his chair and leaned forward. “I didn’t recognize the comm number you were calling from and almost didn’t answer. I’m glad I did though. It’s nice to see you.”
She returned his grin, joy filling her. Whatever the cause for his good mood, she was grateful for it. “Hey, Wilson. It’s nice to see you too. What’s been going on? You look happier than I’ve seen you in years.”
“I skipped another grade,” he said, “which means I’ll graduate next month.”
“That’s fantastic. Congratulations! Must’ve gotten your brains from your big sister.”
They both laughed, and most of the tension drained from her body.
“After graduation, I’m being sent to an engineering school in Collumbra. I applied a while ago but never told any of you. I wanted to wait and see if I got in first. Anyway, I won’t have to work in the Trade Office now. Instead, I’ll get to travel from dome-city to dome-city, helping to maintain the TEC600 reactors with the Tarrkuans.”
“Oh, Wilson, that is wonderful news. Congratulations.” She grinned as a vast wave of relief spread through her. Maybe getting away from their parents was just what Wilson needed, particularly if he got to embark upon a career that he was more excited about than a job in the Trade Office.
“I need to get away from them,” Wilson confirmed, lowering his voice. “Mom and Dad. I can’t stand it here anymore. I was jealous you got to leave and live somewhere else. Now I can do the same thing.” He paused and gave her an apologetic look. “That’s why I couldn’t skip school to spend time with you on your last day on Earth. I was scheduled to take one last admissions test for the school in Collumbra. Sorry about that. I hope you understand.”
“You don’t have to apologize, Wilson. I understand completely. Gosh, I’m so happy for you. I must be honest with you—I’ve been really worried about you lately. You almost never come out of your room. I get why you spend so much time alone when Mom and Dad are always fighting, but I was starting to really worry about your mental health. It’s nice to see you so excited about something. I’m certain the engineering program will be a perfect fit. I’m so proud of you.”
His face reddened and she giggled to see him blushing. Even the tips of his ears turned pink. “Thanks, Caylee. I wish Mom and Dad felt the same way, but they can’t stop me from leaving. One of my teachers at school suspected they would object, so she asked the Leaders to intervene. They officially emancipated me from our parents. Can you believe that?” He chuckled. “I’m a fucking adult. On paper, anyway.”
“Language,” she said in a teasing tone even as her mind reeled with all he’d just told her. Emancipated. Holy shit. She couldn’t imagine a better outcome for a kid like Wilson. As gifted and conscientious as he was, she had no doubt he would succeed in this new endeavor.
The problems her mom and dad faced seemed to pale as she listened to Wilson chatter on about the engineering program. They were adults—real adults—and logically she knew they ought to be able to take care of themselves. And truthfully, the biggest reason she’d always tried to help them keep peace with one another was for Wilson’s sake—because she’d been so worried about him. But, as he continued talking, she discovered he’d been studying nonstop, in secret, for his various admissions tests for over a year now, which explained why he’d been so quick to hide in his room lately. He couldn’t concentrate anywhere else in the house with all the yelling.
Finally, Wilson ran out of
steam and a guilty look crossed his face.
“Oh shit, we’ve been talking about me this whole time and I didn’t ask about you yet. I’m sorry. How-how are you, Caylee?” His eyes darted behind her, as if he were searching for any sign of Kazzon.
“I’m doing well. Oh, and he’s not here right now. He’s on the bridge talking to the pilots.”
Wilson’s eyes sharpened. “How has he been treating you?”
“Kazzon is surprisingly kind,” she admitted, grateful she didn’t have to lie to her brother about her new husband. “I have to be honest—for the first time in forever, I feel like I’m at peace. The constant worry I felt in New Leesburg that I would be caught really took a toll on me. I thought for sure that being married to a Tarrkuan would be an awful fate, but I couldn’t live on Earth and feel normal, or be truly happy.”
She paused, considering how much she ought to divulge to her younger brother.
“The DNA modifications I received make me… a certain way. It causes me to have a preference for a certain kind of relationship,” she said, a bit vaguely. “Let’s just say I could never be happy with a human man. And I never realized how incredibly lonely I was until I met Kazzon.”
Wilson nodded, a look of immense relief taking over his features. “That’s good to hear. I’ve been worried about you. Mom and Dad have been worried too. Last night, Mom started going on and on about how Tarrkuans are violent and claimed they are prone to killing their females in a fit of rage.”
Caylee felt her eyes widen. It was nice to hear their parents were actually worried about her—maybe they truly did care—but her mother’s claims about Tarrkuans killing their mates didn’t sit right with her. Not because it scared her, but because she didn’t think there was an ounce of truth to it.
“Why would Tarrkuans kill their females?” she asked with a slight shake of her head. “That would defeat the whole purpose of risking their lives in the space mines just to finally obtain a human female they could marry and procreate with. Kazzon has told me the males of his kind treasure their females. He’s very dominant, and possessive of me, protective too, as I believe all Tarrkuans are toward their mates, but he wouldn’t hurt me, let alone kill me. Where on Earth did Mom get that idea?”
“She didn’t say, but you know how she likes to gossip.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll be sure to tell both Mom and Dad that you’re doing well. They have to work late at the Trade Office tonight. They took a day off work yesterday and have to make the hours up.”
“A day off work?” She thought about how they’d refused to take time off on her last day on Earth and pushed down the familiar disappointment. “Why did they do that?”
“To pack up the house.” His face fell. “They’re splitting up, and since I’m about to leave New Leesburg, the Housing Authority has assigned each of them to live in an apartment. Don’t worry—it’ll be in separate apartment buildings that are several streets apart.”
“My house, er, Julie’s house, is still sitting empty. Why can’t one of them just live there?” Even as she asked the question, she realized it probably wasn’t possible. There were many rules governing housing in her dome-city. Though divorce was perfectly legal in New Leesburg, when a married couple split up, unless they had a small child, they usually lost their house in order to make room for another family who was on a waiting list to receive a house.
In addition, widows and widowers were allowed to remain in their house for one year after the death of their spouse. The same rules applied to adult children who still lived with their parents—Caylee had known she only had about six months left in Julie’s old house, since Julie’s parents had died six months ago.
“Wait a second,” she said. “Does Mom blame you for her losing the house? Since you’re no longer considered a minor and you’re leaving New Leesburg, she can’t try to keep the house.”
Wilson wore a hesitant look. “Yes, she does blame me. Under normal circumstances, either she or Dad could apply to keep the house until I’m eighteen. Obviously, since there was proof of infidelity on Dad’s part, Mom would’ve probably been the one to get the house. In fact, she tried to use this evidence to convince the Housing Authority to give her another full year in the house, like a widow would get, but they rejected her request.”
“I’m sorry, Wilson. I hope she comes to her senses. Don’t you feel guilty for a second about what’s happening with them or the house. And wait a second… what evidence?” A horrid thought struck her. What if Mom expected her to testify that she’d witnessed Dad climbing out an upper window of Amelia’s house one morning? Her stomach roiled at the prospect.
“Apparently, Mom’s been taking videos of Dad climbing out the windows in the neighborhood in the morning and doing the walk of shame home. Videos of him crawling out of Amelia and Carol’s windows, to be specific. Quite the neighborhood love triangle going on.”
Caylee shook her head slowly, once again trying to process all Wilson had told her. Much had happened in her absence, but perhaps it was only the inevitable that had occurred. A sense of peace started to fall over her. Maybe this was all for the best. Her parents would probably be a lot happier now.
“I’m sorry, Caylee,” Wilson said. “I know you always tried to keep them together, you always managed to get them talking to one another again. But this time, there is no fixing it, I’m afraid.”
She blinked back tears. “I-I did it for you,” she found herself saying. “You became so withdrawn after they fought… I worried about you. I didn’t want the family to split up right after I left Earth. And even after I switched places with Julie and thought I would get to stay, I wanted to make things better for you. But now I worry I prolonged what was always going to happen, though. Maybe if I hadn’t intervened all those times, they would’ve split up long ago and you would be much happier.”
“Don’t say that, Caylee.” Wilson shot her a warm smile. “I turned out okay, and to be honest, I probably wouldn’t have spent so much time in my room studying if I didn’t have a reason to avoid them. I might not have passed all my admissions exams and gotten into the engineering program.” He gave a visible shudder. “I might have had to work in the boring Trade Office with Mom and Dad for the rest of my life.”
His words filled her with relief and helped alleviate some of her guilt. She couldn’t deny that he had a good point.
“Speaking of the Trade Office, Dad is being relocated to a separate floor of the building. They won’t have to see one another every day.” He grinned and shook his head. “Mom showed her videos to one of their supervisors and demanded he be moved. She claimed it would be a hostile work environment if Dad remained working in her department.”
“Why are you smiling?”
Wilson chuckled. “Because it’s kind of funny. Can you picture Mom, who is always so serious, showing up at the Trade Office, demanding to see her supervisor, only to show him a video compilation of Dad crawling out of various windows?” He shrugged. “Well, I thought it was kind of funny.”
Caylee gave him a warm smile. When he put it that way, it did sound rather humorous. And if she couldn’t laugh about it, she very well might break down and start crying. She supposed it was the same for Wilson.
“You know, you’re a lot stronger than I ever gave you credit for,” she said. “I know I already said it once, but I’ll say it again—I’m so proud of you, Wilson.”
She giggled when another blush stole over him.
“Oh, I meant to ask you. Did some Tarrkuan guards show up to collect the materials you used to create the palm print for Julie? Kazzon said they would be stopping by soon and promised me you wouldn’t get in any trouble.”
“Yes, they came by and they searched the house, but they didn’t take anything.” Mischief twinkled in his eyes. “I destroyed the printer I built, as well as the scanning program, before Julie even attempted to board the Zenallia. Seemed like the smart thing to do, just in case it didn’t work. I didn’t want any of
us to end up in jail at the time.”
“Ah, a smart criminal,” Caylee said with a laugh.
They chatted for a few more minutes, before he checked the time and claimed he needed to finish packing. Moving day was tomorrow. He’d been given his own apartment to live in while he completed his last month of school.
After ending the call, she wiped a few tears away.
Her little brother was all grown up, and he was going to be okay.
We’re all going to be okay, she told herself. Eventually.
A weight of worry lifted from her. Suddenly, she felt lighter than she had in ages.
Chapter 27
“We’ll reach Xollnax in a few days,” Kazzon announced. He stared at Caylee from across the table. It was early morning and a servant had just delivered breakfast, and he watched as his mate stirred a utensil through her food, appearing lost in thought. “Caylee, did you hear me?”
Her head shot up. “Sorry, Xerr. What did you say?”
“I said we’ll reach Xollnax in a few days He regarded her with curiosity, as well as a bit of worry. She wasn’t acting like her usual self this morning. “What were you thinking about, little human?”
“Oh, just my most recent conversation with Wilson. I talked to him again last night.” She continued playing with her food.
“What did he say?”
“Apparently it got back to the Leaders that you’d taken a human female with you when you departed New Leesburg. I suppose some of the people who saw us walking in the streets reported it and the Leaders started an investigation into what happened. Anyway, my mother ended up giving a long, rather dramatic interview to the New Leesburg Times and it made the front page. Wilson showed me the paper—it shows pictures of me and Julie side by side and describes how we pulled off the switch.”
Kazzon studied her, unsure of why she appeared so troubled. He’d known the residents of her dome-city would eventually discover what had happened—certainly, someone would notice Julie’s house sitting empty after a while and start to ask questions—but he didn’t understand why this event caused her sadness. Yes, he decided, she looked almost heartbroken, but he couldn’t fathom why this sudden news upset her.
