Ahdan

by Nikki Clarke

  CHAPTER 5

  NIYA

  “It’s soooo beautiful.”

  I peer in awe over the side of the window as we fly across the purple covered mountains.

  “Those are the mountains where we will be camping. There are healing springs nestled all throughout the valleys between them. Some of them are quite private.” Ah’dan says this next to my ear. We’re seated on the most rear bench. His hard thigh touches mine, and one of his hands rests high on my leg, the fingers tucked right where my thighs meet. Until I spotted the mountains, that hand was the only thing I could think about.

  “We are almost there,” Bati says from the front of the pod. He and Tiani are seated in front of us, and at the helm is Leslie. She has been learning how to drive.

  Suddenly, we dip low. “Do not force it, Mrs. Bennet. Ease it down.”

  Leslie sucks her teeth. “I know how to drive. ‘Ease it down.’ I meant to do that.”

  Bati makes a face of disbelief, but sits back and allows Leslie to lower us to a large, empty field where several other pods already hover close to the ground. I still can't believe I’m here. I look excitedly toward Ah’dan, but he seems a little tense. He has a tight grip on my thigh, and I’m not even sure he realizes it. Even though he’s been putting on a brave face, I know something is wrong. I’ve had my suspicions since his first night time episode, but he’s been so careful to make sure I am comfortable and happy that I haven't pushed it. In the short time I’ve known him, I’ve realized that Ah’dan, for all his seemingly nonchalant distance, is a carer. He cares about his brothers, he cares about Tiani and Amina, and he cares about his nieces and nephews. He steps in at just the right time to be a source of support, but I don't know that he has anyone like that in his corner. As we land, I close my hand over his and give it a squeeze. Immediately, his hand relaxes on my thigh, and I hear him release a deep sigh.

  “It seems that many of our family members were able to attend.” Bati hands down another bag from the rear of the pod and passes it off to Ah’dan.

  “It seems so,” he replies.

  As I watch them take out pack after pack, I wonder if I didn't bring too much. By the look on Tiani’s face, I imagine she’s wondering the same thing.

  “Maybe I didn't need that fifth bag,” she mumbles when it takes them both to lower it to the ground.

  “You were welcome to bring whatever you liked, my lehti,” Bati replies easily before leaning in to give her a kiss. My mouth pulls up into a wide grin at the same time as hers. These Lyqa dudes are too sweet.

  “This is going to be a wonderful time!” Quth walks up with his arms spread wide and Mahdi by his side. I turn, shielding my eyes from the blaring sun, and accept his hug when he gets close. “Now, do not feel overwhelmed to remember everyone’s name, my dahnai. Just remember that you are now among family, and no one will treat you unkindly here.”

  “Ah’dan and I will take our packs to the campsite, lehti. You and Niya should go and begin meeting the family.” Bati lifts the heaviest bag over his shoulder like it’s nothing, belying my earlier belief that it was heavy, and strolls off in the direction of an area filled with large, globe-shaped cabins. Ah’dan hesitates.

  “Perhaps, you should wait for me.” He looks uncomfortable. I stop and look at the others, who also pause. Tiani makes a face.

  “What, why? We’re going to be right there. She’ll be fine.” She takes my arm and starts to lead me away, but I resist.

  “No, I’ll wait. I’m really just a guest. You guys should go meet your family first.”

  Quth frowns, Mahdi glares at her son, and Tiani sucks her teeth so hard I think she’s going to swallow them. Ah’dan rushes forward, dropping the bag he was holding, and takes my face in his hands.

  “Saeh’ti, no, that is not what I meant to imply. This is your family, too. M'ah qitah, my heart.” He brushes his cheek against mine and places a kiss just at the corner of my lips. “Please, go. I am overly worried. Of course, you will be fine with our family. Go.” He pushes me in Tiani’s direction. She takes my arm again and shoots him another dirty look before pulling me away.

  “Psh, trying to play my friend,” she mumbles as we head toward the folk gathered across the field. I laugh; it echoes across the open space and ahead I see several heads turn in our direction.

  “Sa’an, it has been too long. Are we even brothers any longer?”

  I try not to stare as a Lyqa who is the spitting image of Ah’dan's father, except where Quth has jet black hair like his oldest son, the dude walking toward us has hair the color of mercury. The silver strands curl heavily along his shoulders in just the way Ah’dan’s do. As he pulls Quth into a tight hug, his piercingly violet eyes shine with warmth.

  “I am sorry, brother. As you can see, it has been an eventful time for my household.” Quth releases his brother and stands to the side, waving his hand at Tiani and me. “Dahnai, this is my brother, Zetii. Brother, this is Bati’s lehti Tiani and Ah’dan’s saeh’ti Niya.”

  When Quth introduces me, his brother’s eyes widen and he gives Quth a quick, confused glance, which Quth returns with a pointed look. When he turns back to me, Zetii has regained his warm smile.

  “It is a pleasure to meet the partners of my dah’san. Welcome to our family. There is much to do during our time together, and I hope you will enjoy yourselves.” He surprises me by stepping forward and pulling me and Tee into a hug. He laughs heartily and me and Tiani exchange a look against his chest.

  “Please do not suffocate my lehti, Zehpa.” We’re released, and I turn to see Bati walking up with a very nervous Ah’dan behind him. When they get close, I skirt around to his side, taking his hand in mine. He squeezes, and it seems like some of his tension settles. Why is he so worried? Maybe this is too much for him. I turn, prepared to ask if he's okay, when someone yells my name out.

  “AH, NIYA!!!”

  I spin around, trying to figure out who the hell could know me on an alien planet, only to find LaShay running full tilt toward me from across the field. I watch her get close, arms thrown wide, and brace myself as she launches herself against my chest.

  “Girl, I missed you so much! I can't believe you’re part of the crew again!” She rocks from side to side before pulling away. “Look, we have so much to talk about. You’re with Ah’dan? Black Jesus, I got questions. You know I had a thing for him before I met my husband, right? I’m just going to be straight and let you know that we kissed once, but I promise that’s all. And I know you probably think it’s weird, but I absolutely need to know what he’s like in the sack.” She says all of this without any regard to those nearby, and I laugh, shaking my head. She’s the same old Shay.

  “I missed you, too, and we’ll talk about those other things later.” I raise my brows and look from side to side to indicate our audience. She looks at them, too, and takes it down a notch.

  “Right. It’s probably better to talk about this when we’re in our cabins. I’m pretty sure they’re discreet.”

  “Why wait, you have already created so much anticipation,” Ah’dan drawls from beside me, and LaShay clamps her mouth shut. He rolls his eyes and steps forward, pulling her into a bear hug. “Hello little sister,” he says lovingly and presses a kiss to the top of her twisted hair. Against his chest, she smiles widely.

  "He knows he loves me," she mouths.

  Do I need to worry about your ongoing affection for this Lyqa?

  I jump when the words float through my head. A big dude has appeared to my right. He’s tall, taller than everyone present, and he’s the same color as Zetii’s hair. Every bit of big, muscled flesh shimmers silver, except for the fan of bright yellow feathers across his chest. He’s intimidating and a major hunk.

  “Isn’t he a hunk? This is my boo, Soluanitiat’ti Somiiti’un. You can call him Sol.” Shay breaks away from Ah’dan and slides her arm around the big dude’s waist to look up at him adoringly.

  “How did you know—”

  “What you
were thinking? He’s a telepath. Boo, no sharing people’s thoughts while we’re here, and no inside talk. Use your words.” She pats the hard plane of his stomach and faces me. Above her head, Sol clears his throat.

  “It is good to meet you, Niya. I apologize for intruding on your thoughts, and I appreciate the compliment.” He nods his head.

  “It’s okay. This is the coolest thing I ever experienced in my life.”

  He smiles, and his bright orange eyes crease at the corners making him look less scary. “This is my cousin, Kyr, and his partner Ebony.” He gestures to another silver dude coming up and the human woman next to him. They are both carrying infants.

  “Good to meet you, Niya,” Kyr says when he’s close.

  “It’s good to meet you, too.” I have to stop myself from staring. These dudes are fine.

  “I will also accept the compliment,” Kyr says with a lopsided grin.

  “No, head peeking, babe. Hey, I’m Ebony.” The woman beside him holds her hand out, and I shake it, shocked to see another human woman. “Once we get the babies down, we’ll have the whole ‘how’d you end up in space?’ conversation. We all have tales.” She rocks the infant strapped against her chest. “This is Zion.”

  “He’s so cute.” The little boy has a head full of curly, silver-black hair. He looks about eight months old, and he twists to look at me with eyes just as orange as his dad’s. I look at the girl Kyr holds. She looks a bit older. Her similarly colored eyes are keen on my face. Across her chubby, bronze shoulders, bright yellow feathers flutter in the breeze. “Is she yours, too?”

  “Nope,” Shay breaks away from her guy to ease the little girl from Kyr’s arms. “This little wookie is all mine. Can you say hi to your Auntie Ni Ni?”

  The girl turns to me and blinks. Hi Auntie Ni Ni.

  The soft voice sing songs through my head, and my face freezes.

  “Sorry, she hasn't mastered the no talking in people’s head thing, yet.”

  “She has; she is just stubborn,” Sol says with a flick of his eyes to the side, but when his daughter reaches for him, he relieves Shay of the girl and begins to give her smacking kisses that make her giggle. I watch them and wonder what it would be like to have a little one of my own. I look up at Ah’dan to see what he’s doing, but he looks uncomfortable again.

  “And here are my sons!” Zetii’s voice booms out to announce the two Lyqa walking up to us with bags slung over their shoulders. Our little group is getting larger by the minute, and I say the names of those present over and over to make sure I don't forget them.

  The two dudes who stroll toward us are clearly twins as well. I almost think this is strange, but then I remember Tee saying something about Lyqa twins having twins. These twins are—yeah.

  “It is good to meet you. I am E'lii.” The first one’s deep voice slides over me. He goes to Tiani first and pulls her against him. Like she’s used to this kind of overfamiliar affection, she hugs him around the waist and accepts the kiss he gives low on her jaw with a little sigh. When he lets her go, she looks at me with dreamy eyes.

  “I’ll never get used to that shit,” she says to no one in particular. Bati snorts out a laugh behind her, but it’s cut off as Shay’s daughter’s voice pops into my head again.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  “Oh, god. Tami!” Shay admonishes with a stern finger toward her daughter. “That is a no-no word.” She looks at me with a pained expression. “We just got her out of saying the f-word. I totally forgot that saying it in my head didn't mean she couldn't hear me.”

  Tami shrugs up her shoulder and leans into her father’s neck. He tuts and rubs a hand over her back. “It is just a word, Sheh. Do not be harsh with her.”

  Shay rolls her eyes.

  “Softie,” she mutters.

  “Sa’qi, I would greet you.” I turn to find E'lii standing in front of me.

  “Oh, okay.” I stand awkwardly, and his mouth curves before he swoops down to pull me up against him. I gasp, not knowing where to put my hands, and settle them against his pecs. They jump when I make contact, and my body tingles.

  “Relax, sa’qi, I do not bite.” He lowers his face to the side of mine and presses a firm kiss just beneath my ear. I squeeze my eyes shut to stop the tremors rocking my body. If this is how every Lyqa male greets me, I’m not sure I’m going to make it. A second later, he sets me back on my feet. I blink my eyes open to find him watching me intently. “You smell nice,” he says in his deep, rolling voice, and I groan and cover my face because I know exactly what he can smell. I hear him laugh.

  “Za’an, do not embarrass my saeh’ti. She has not been with us for long.”

  The other guy’s eyes widen in surprise at Ah’dan’s comment. He looks down to me and back up behind me where Ah’dan stands. “She is yours?”

  “She is.” Ah’dan’s hand comes around my waist as he answers.

  The guy says something in Lyqa, his confusion intensifying. This must be what Ah’dan was talking about. He’s probably asking about the ex.

  Ah’dan responds, also in Lyqa, and E’lii’s expression immediately softens. He looks back to me, and this time there is tenderness in his gaze.

  “I am glad you are here, za’aih. Welcome to our family.” He nods and steps out of the way to greet Shay, who wastes no time lifting her arms for her hug.

  “I don't embarrass easily,” she says, prompting another laugh from E'lii before he lifts her into a big bear hug and kisses her soundly on the cheek.

  From behind him, his twin steps forward. He hugs Tiani, sliding a hand beneath her nape and giving her a sweet kiss on the forehead. He turns to me next and tilts his head.

  “I am Q’rai. I do not wish to alarm you, but I would greet you properly.” He waits, and I shrug.

  “It’s fine. I’m going to have to get used to it eventually.”

  “You never get used to it, girl,” Tiani offers as Q’rai fits his hand to my waist and kisses first one of my cheeks then the other. When he lifts his head, his golden eyes twinkle down at me.

  “My brother is right. You smell wonderful.”

  “Thanks,” I sigh out and quickly clear my throat.

  “You may as well meet the rest of the family now,” Quth announces, and I look past the twins to see a line of about two dozen Lyqa men and women waiting to say hello. I turn a horrified look on Tiani who laughs.

  “You never get used to it,” she says again before turning to greet the next Lyqa.

  ***

  What feels like an hour later, I plop down on the bench where all of the human girls have settled and fan at my face.

  “How the hell am I supposed to spend the entire day not having orgasms?” My skin is hot. I’ve had more tall, fine dudes basically take me to first base than I ever had in my life. I will the riot happening in my body to calm down. I’m a mess.

  Beside me, Shay sighs. “Girl, please. I live for this shit. I just take all this excitement and pounce the fuck out of my man later on. It’s like extra foreplay, and the best part is, it’s not cheating because they genuinely do not mean it in a sexual way. We’re the hornballs.”

  Tiani cackles. Amina walks up and drops down onto the end of the bench with a loud groan.

  “WHHHYYY do I have so many babies???” she shouts in frustration, and we all burst out laughing.

  “I mean, after getting hugged by nearly two dozen of those dudes, I can see exactly why you have so many babies. Me and Ah’dan might have to go back to pulling out.” I clamp my mouth shut the second after I say it, but all eyes are already on me.

  “You’re not on birth control?” Tiani says, and I shake my head.

  “Uh, do you want babies because you know those Legroes have super, Mount Olympus sperm, right?” Shay provides.

  I frown. “What?”

  Amina looks away and back again. “Uh, well, their bodies are super advanced, and they can kind of get you pregnant instantaneously. Like really instantaneously. Like immediately. Like one
minute you’re sitting in your studio apartment and the next you’re puking over a toilet two seconds after having sex with an alien you met on a bus.”

  “I think she’s got it, Mina.” Tee says dryly before turning a patient gaze on me. “You haven't spontaneously puked your brains out right after sleeping with him, have you?”

  I recoil, turning up my nose. “Um, no?”

  Amina and Shay sigh back in relief, and Tiani shrugs. “Oh, well then, you’re fine. If you ever do puke your brains out after you fuck him, you’re knocked.” Her sisters nod in agreement.

  “My saeh’ti does not have need to worry about unplanned procreation. I am taking precautions.” We all jump when Ah’dan appears in front of us. He looks down at me and holds out a hand. “I thought you might like to bathe before the afternoon meal.”

  I reach out and let him pull me up from the bench. I turn back to the others to find them watching me with amusement.

  “See you, girl,” Tiani teases as Ah’dan leads me away.

  He takes me to one of the large globes on the other side of where I was sitting with the girls. It looks to be made of tightly woven branches, but in between the warps and wefts, a thin, blue electric barrier flickers.

  Inside is large and open. There is a big bed situated in the far back of the globe, a small kitchen to the left, a seating area to the right just inside, and what looks like a large pool in the middle of the room. I walk forward as Ah’dan leaves me to head to an area beside the bed that looks like a closet. When I get to the pool, I’m shocked to see fairly deep purple waters dancing steam up from its swirling surface.

  “It is a bathing pool. It will help relax you from the trip and the overwhelming nature of our greeting customs.” Ah’dan’s mouth lifts at one corner as he grips the skirt of my dress and begins to inch it up. When he’s gathered the material at my waist, he nudges his head. “Up.”