by Lynnea Lee
“You think so?” Lettie wasn’t sure, but she did know one certain Tallean male who had shown excessive interest.
“For sure! You are interested in them, right? I know some women from Earth who just refuse to touch them. And they’re missing out!” Angie gave her hair one last rinse. “Okay, all done.”
“Thanks, Angie.” Then she turned back to their conversation as they made their way out of the river. “I am interested in them. And besides, they say that Tallean men don’t cheat once they form a mating bond. They can’t cheat.”
“It’s true! If the bond develops, you’re set for life!” Angie threw her a thin but super absorbent towel.
“So I’ve decided I’m looking for a Tallean to be my prince charming. But he can’t be too charming. Because I’m not looking for a player.”
“Something tells me you were thinking of someone in particular when you said that. As I said, all Tallean males play the field. And sometimes the biggest players are the ones looking hardest for a mate because the only way to find her is to spend time with her.”
Lettie squeezed the water out of her lengthy hair, glad for the technologically advanced fibers in the towel. Could that be true? Could Vore be driven to play the field because he wanted to find his mate?
“You know how you can have sex with Holden and just be friends? I don’t think I can do that. I don’t think I can separate love and sex.” Lettie leaned back against the large mat Holden had laid out for them earlier. It amused her to think that she was sunning herself naked with her friend out in the wilderness after a bath in the river.
“That’s going to be tough if you want to find a mate.” Angie came to lie next to her. “Mating bonds can start without sex, but they rarely solidify without it. And, well, as Holden and I clearly illustrate, sexual chemistry doesn’t necessarily lead to a mating bond.”
That was a problem. Lettie had figured as much but hadn’t quite worked it all out in her head yet.
“I’ll figure out something.” She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince. “Let’s do a date at the bathhouse when we get back. I think it’s time I flaunted this ass!”
“That’s the spirit!”
Vore hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. But when the females started talking, he found it was impossible to leave his location without giving himself away and looking very guiltily as if he was eavesdropping. So he stayed put. He had to suppress a growl upon learning about Lettie’s former lover. That asshole was the reason Lettie would not give him a chance now.
He stayed on the ground a little longer after the females left the water, then walked around to Holden.
“I’m going to head out to check the traps I set yesterday,” Vore told his friend.
“Go. This area is ripe with berries, and we are well ahead of quota. Maybe we will have some fresh meat tonight instead of packed rations. Anything is better than nutrition bars.”
Even though many Talleans had left their predator past far behind once they reached the stars, they still required a substantial amount of animal fat and protein. It was especially crucial for males with Vore’s physique who tended towards fights and violence.
Vore made his way to the traps he had set yesterday while setting up the perimeter. The first trap was empty. As he approached the second, he knew he was in luck.
Wishing for the first time that he was as skilled as Arus in the kitchen, he killed and dressed the animal. Arus had impressed Mia with his fantastic cooking skills, among other things. His friend had genuine talent. What did Vore have to impress Lettie? All he had ever done was fight and fuck, two things that Lettie did not appreciate.
Dinner in hand, Vore made his way slowly back to camp. He walked in a broad arc, checking each sensor to the perimeter alarm as he passed. Vore wanted to make sure Lettie was safe from attack. As much as he had enjoyed fighting the coilbeast this morning, he couldn’t stop the image of the creature lunging for Lettie from repeatedly playing in his head.
By the time he reached camp, the sun was starting to set. The two females were up in the trees, chatting as they worked, and Vore wondered if they were talking about him. He forced himself to ignore their chatter and started the evening fire.
The ground-dwelling bird he had caught wasn’t large but would make a decent meal for four if they supplemented with rations and berries. He got to work setting up the spit to start the bird roasting. Soon, the smell of roasting meat filled the campsite, bringing the two hungry females down from the trees. Holden followed after, carrying a full bin of berries.
“Wow, that smells amazing! I had no idea I was so hungry.” Lettie’s grin was contagious. Vore smiled back at her.
“My cooking skills are the bare minimum. I spent too much time with Arus. He’s the chef in the outfit.” He didn’t want her to expect too much.
Holden spoke then. “It was your idea for Arus to cook for Mia. I believe your words were, ‘Food and sex are sure bets. Unless you are no good with sex, then I can’t help you.’ I guess you were right. They are happily mated now.”
They sat around the fire as they had last night. But unlike last night, Vore did not have the confidence to sit next to Lettie and pull her close. The cocky, self-assured demeanor he’d always drew upon was nowhere to be found.
“Arus is very lucky he found someone to be his mate. I am happy for him. Maybe even envious. Life on the Defiant will never be the same with Mia and Ashe on board.”
Ashe was his captain, Zeylum’s, new mate. They had worked together to escape a Dominion slave ship and, in the process, also free everyone on board. Lettie had been on board that ship.
While Vore was truly happy for his friend, he did not look forward to witnessing their happiness if he had to leave Lettie on Reka 5. Would Lettie have found someone else the next time the Defiant returned to Reka 5? He did not understand his obsession with the little female. They had not yet shared sex with each other, so this could not be the legendary mating bond.
What if it was the mating bond? What if he formed a bond with Lettie, but she never gave him a shot? He imagined her finding a male at the baths with Angie and choosing him instead. Suddenly, Vore lost his appetite.
“Are you okay, Vore?” Lettie looked at him with concern. “You look pale, and I’ve never seen a Tallean go pale.” She shuffled closer, looking him over as if trying to find what was wrong. “Were you hurt today fighting the monster?”
He was hurt today, but not by the coilbeast. But Lettie could never know.
“I’m just tired. Nothing a good meal, and a good sleep won’t fix.” Vore didn’t lie often. He got up. “I should probably head to bed.”
“We all should.” Angie yawned. “It’s been an eventful day.”
Handing Lettie a lantern, Angie got up as Holden put out their fire. Then the two walked towards their tent.
Lettie got up too, the soft glow of the lantern illuminating her face. She walked a few steps before turning back to look at him, concern etched in her face. “You coming?”
Unable to do anything to disappoint the female in front of him, Vore stood and walked with her into their tent.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Lettie tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. Vore hadn’t been the same since the incident with the coilbeast, and it bothered her. He wasn’t asleep, either. Sure, he pretended to sleep, but Lettie was not fooled. After just one night sleeping next to him, her body had gotten used to his breathing.
Lettie closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest. It sounded like any other forest on Earth, and it smelled like an Earth forest too. If she tried hard enough, she could almost convince herself that she was back on Earth on a camping trip with her family.
Memories of childhood camping trips with her family flooded her head. She thought of the time when Brad, the middle child, had cannonballed off the pier, and Danny, the baby of the family, had followed suit, mimicking his older brother. Except Danny was only three and hadn'
t learned how to swim. Lettie had jumped in right after him, intent on saving her little brother. Their poor mother must have lost a few years from the stress that day.
Lettie missed her family. Lettie’s two younger brothers had been nightmares growing up, but it meant there was never a dull summer. Or Christmas. Or Thanksgiving. Or any day, really. They were always up to mischief, and Lettie, ever the older sister, was always ready to bail them out. What trouble were they up to now?
“Are you okay, little Lettie?” Vore’s soft voice broke through her remembrance, and Lettie realized that she was crying.
Vore’s hands, rough from years of use, caressed her cheek. He wiped away a tear with his thumb and leaned in to kiss her on the top of her head.
“I miss my family,” she whispered, not trusting herself to speak.
Brawny arms pulled her towards his warm body. Lettie closed her eyes and snuggled in, suddenly too tired to push him away or discourage his advances. But hold her was all he did. He stroked her back, calming her.
“Do you want to talk about them?”
The words rushed out of Lettie’s mouth. She told him about her brothers and how it was growing up as the oldest. She talked about how her daddy loved to go hiking, but her mom hated it. But she went along anyway, just to be close to him.
“It’s okay to miss them.”
“What about you? Do you know where your family is?”
“I only had my father growing up. My mother was not his mate; they had a partnership of convenience. She left when I was young. My father died when I was away at school. I had no siblings. Arus and the crew of the Defiant are as close as I have to family.”
Lettie didn’t know what to say. It sounded like a lonely existence.
“My crew are good males. They are all my brothers.”
“I’m glad you found them.”
He rubbed her back, and she closed her eyes. The last thought in Lettie’s head before she fell asleep was, “Maybe I was wrong about him.”
Lettie wiped the sticky juices onto her pants, frustrated that she had grabbed yet another handful of overripe, half-fermented berries. This branch was not offering a suitable selection, and she was beyond ready to try another. She took one last look at Vore’s broad back; she had the perfect view of it from her position. He was in a nearby tree, while Holden and Angie were off harvesting from the far side of their patch.
In the distance, Holden and Angie ambled back towards them. Something didn’t look right. Lettie kept her eyes on the pair while she made her way to the ladder. She climbed down and headed towards them. Vore joined her.
Once in camp, Holden went into their packs and took out their handheld medical device while Angie approached them awkwardly.
“What’s the matter?” Lettie asked. Then she noticed it. “What’s wrong with your legs?” She gasped. “And your arms! Angie, you are covered in hives.”
“I think we found this planet’s equivalent to poison ivy,” Angie answered drolly.
“Wow! You are completely covered. Isn’t poison ivy contact only? Did you fall in it?”
“Yeah, umm, about that.” Angie's face turned red. It was the first time Lettie had seen her embarrassed about anything. “Holden and I had a little roll in the hay, but it wasn’t hay. It looked so soft, and we thought it was a good place to do it.” She wrung her hands before looking over worriedly at Holden. “Holden has it worse. He was on the bottom, and well, his entire back is covered with hives. And they look much worse than mine. And his face is all swollen too.”
Holden approached, holding the portable medical device. “I don’t think this is going to help. It’s designed for injuries and infections. It has a few doses of antihistamines. I took one, but it’s not enough. My face is swelling up, and it’s getting harder to breathe.” He held the device up to Angie’s arm to give her a dose.
“We need to get him back to the colony.” Vore decided.
“No need for everyone to go, I’m not reacting as badly. I’ll drive us back, and we will both get treatment. But it will leave you two here without a vehicle.”
“Don’t worry about us. You just get yourselves back safely.”
Holden’s eyes were almost swollen shut. He stood stoic, but it must have felt horrible.
“I sent the area I marked on the map to Vore’s comm. I also took a photo of the plant so that you two can avoid it.”
“Thanks, Angie.”
Vore unloaded their supplies from the back of the vehicle into Holden and Angie’s tent as the two climbed into the vehicle and got ready to leave. Lettie caught a glimpse of Holden’s face. It didn’t look good. His left eye was swollen shut, and it looked like he was having trouble breathing. It reminded her of the time one of her friends reacted to shellfish. She hoped that the two made it back to the colony safely.
The last words she heard from Angie were, “I’ve never driven one of these things before!” Then she peeled out of the clearing, going much too fast.
Vore came out of the tent, holding a roll of neon orange tape. Was he planning on heading over to the area to mark it off?
“Wait! You don’t need to mark the area off. We can just avoid it!” Lettie didn’t want him anywhere near the poisonous plants.
But he checked the screen of his comm unit and started towards the circled area on the screen. “It’s safer if we do.”
“What if the irritant is already airborne? What if you breathe it in?” Lettie hurried after him. “We should at least wait a bit longer for things to settle down.”
She hoped that was enough to sway him. It wasn’t. He continued towards the patch. Lettie continued to follow him and grabbed him by the forearm. He finally stopped and turned to look at her. His face softened immediately.
“You are worried about me.” He sounded almost smug when he said it. “That means you care.”
Heat rose to Lettie’s cheeks, but she didn’t back down. “If the plants get you too, who will get you back to the colony? And what if something attacks while you are gone?” After the run-in with the coilbeast, Lettie had a new-found respect for the beasts in the woods.
Vore took her hand in his. “Then come along with me so you will be close if there is an attack. And I will mark the area off with a wide berth.” He started towards the marked area again, still holding Lettie’s hand.
Lettie did not complain.
“Excuse me?” Lettie stared at Vore like he had grown another arm. “I don’t think I heard you.”
“I said, I think we’ve picked enough,” he repeated. “It’s hot today. We should get out of the sun.”
Lettie’s brows furrowed, and if she didn’t look so concerned, Vore would have thought it the cutest thing. She put her hand on her ear and frowned.
“I, I think my translator just crapped out,” she explained.
Vore motioned for her to get down from the branch. She reached for him instinctively instead of going for the ladder. He slid her down his body, enjoying the press of her curves against his chest. When she was on her feet, he reached for her right ear to check the translator. It looked to be in correctly. Then again on the left. Everything looked good on the outside.
“What are you doing?” She squeaked.
Unable to resist, Vore leaned in and nibbled on the shell of her ears. Her body reacted immediately. Instead of pushing him away, she made a mewing noise and closed her eyes. He growled next to her ear, and her body shuddered at the sound.
“Vore?” Her voice was breathy. “I didn’t catch that. All your words sound like growls to me, and, well, I can’t understand anything.”
“So, you won’t understand it if I told you I want to bend you over and fuck you?” Vore said the words in a low rasp.
Lettie looked confused, but her body reacted to the tone of his voice. She bit her lip.
“You smell good enough to eat, little Lettie. Should I do that, Lettie? Will you let me taste you?” Vore licked his lips.
<
br /> She inhaled sharply. “Stop!” Lettie smacked him hard on his chest with her palm in protest. “I don’t understand your words. But your intent comes through loud and clear. We can’t! I can’t.” She looked disappointed. Pushing away from him, she turned towards the ladder.
“No, Lettie. You’ve worked enough. The midday sun is strong. You are burning.” He gestured to the redness starting to show on her face, chest, and shoulders. “Rest now. Pick later.”
“Oh, I’m getting a sunburn. I didn’t even realize it. I guess we should rest.”
Taking her hand, Vore led her to their tent. He rummaged through his pack. Holden had been holding the medical device when he left, so that was no longer an option. But Vore had packed a salve for burns and cuts in his personal bag. After a quick search, he found it.
He showed it to Lettie and motioned for her to remove her shirt. She narrowed her eyes at him. Vore reached for her tank top and pulled it off.
“Hey!” She put her hands on her hips.
The sun had been in front of her, and while her chest and face were burnt, her back was still unblemished and smooth. He positioned himself behind her and pulled her back against his chest.
“Quit manhandling me! I can do it myself.”
But when he reached around and smoothed the cooling salve on her skin, she calmed.
“Oooh, that’s nice.” She hummed in appreciation.
Glad that she was enjoying their moment together, Vore continued applying the salve to her chest and shoulders. Then for her face, he tilted her head so that she rested back against his chest. With gentle fingers, he smoothed the healing salve over her skin.
Vore felt guilty for letting her stay in the sun for so long. Lettie’s skin was pale and thin. Vore should have been paying attention. He should have taken her into the shade before she burned.
He didn’t want to move from their intimate position, but there were no more places to apply the salve.
“Thank you for looking after me, Vore.” But Lettie didn’t get up. And Vore didn’t move. “Maybe I was wrong about you.”
