by Crystal Dawn
“So does flying and you’ll see what I mean soon.” Romo agreed.
There was still stew left in the kettle cooking. Dragons needed a lot of meat so Dori pulled out a huge roast she had cooked yesterday. She heated it up while Betty fixed a salad. Bree pulled out leftover mashed potatoes and added cheese and bacon. Tomi fixed a dessert which looked like a pudding cake with fresh fruit and whip cream on top. They’d figured out how best to use Romo’s kitchen and the meal would be ready on time.
The table was set by Romo and Selia and all the food was ready when Niku knocked on the door. Romo sent him to wash up and everyone waited on him. “It smells really good in here.” Niku said from the doorway.
“We just wanted to fix a good meal for you.” Bree admitted with a smile.
Betty had to give it to her mom, the woman was never caught completely off guard. They’d had roast yesterday, but who would know her mom cooked an extra one? Dori always expected the unexpected. That probably came from raising four daughters.
They all sat down to eat, but Betty’s eyes strayed to Niku constantly. She tried not to look, really she did. There was just no way to stop herself. Maybe a bond had been formed on the ship coming here. Betty didn’t know, she only knew that she was going to have to find a way to heal so she could let him into her life because he was already in her heart. If she lost him, she would go crazy.
There was little conversation since everyone was hungry and concentrated on eating. Niku was hungrier than any of them, a result of flying while breathing fire. Dori kept passing him meat because Romo had said that was what he’d need the most. The huge walk in cooler Romo had that was always full of meat and other foods was making more sense by the minute.
“How did your meal with Cretia go? I’ve heard she’s a good cook.” Romo commented and Betty’s head jerked up and her eyes met Niku’s.
“I told you we’re just friends.” Niku insisted.
“She came over and fixed you supper. That’s a bit unusual for friends.” Romo observed.
“I didn’t ask her to do that.” Niku declared.
Betty felt a pain in her stomach. Was it too late for her and Niku? Was another female trying to join with him? Was she really just a friend or did he not want to share his personal life with the whole family? Betty stopped eating, she felt like she might hurl. Right now, losing him was the worst thing that could happen to her. Being independent didn’t seem nearly as important as mating Niku. Twenty/twenty hindsight was the saying and hers was perfect once it was too late.
Niku looked at her with a sad expression. Did he feel bad because he knew how much she cared? Betty wanted to escape, but she had too much pride to run. Romo continued to tease Niku. “So she has a crush on you, Brother?”
Romo and Niku weren’t blood brothers but they had been close all their lives. They were the same age, lived near each other, and their parents were friends too until Niku’s mother died. Their relationship was much like brothers including the sometimes vicious teasing but they also would do anything for each other. Romo’s child would be here soon, but if Niku was actively looking to mate, he might have a child close enough that their children could be playmates.
Betty could imagine a little Niku and young Romo running through the fields and flying through the air. Had she made up her mind when she’d had the chance, one of those little boys could have been hers. Now she would be alone because she couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.
“Betty?” Niku asked.
“Yes? Where did everyone else go?” Betty asked as she looked around the empty room.
“Dori took Selia for a bath. Tomi went for a walk and you know Romo and Bree. They went to their room.”
“Okay. Um, why did they all abandon us?” Betty wondered.
“I think they thought we might want to talk alone.” Niku explained. “You seemed thrown for a loop? Is that the right term?”
“No.”
“Not the right term or you’re fine?”
“It’s the term you’re looking for.” Betty sighed. This was her chance to just come out with it. “Things are hard for me right now. New world and all that, you know what I mean?”
“Yes, I had an adjustment on Earth too.”
“It’s also just not me and I have to tell you, my last relationship sucked.”
“I’d heard you were divorced, but not any details.”
“Tom, my ex was a wonderful, romantic, sweet, too good to be true man when I met him. He told me he had a good job and his wallet was always full of money. The man seemed perfect so I was flattered when he rushed me to the altar.”
“That’s get married right?”
“Yes, exactly. He said I was the perfect woman and he didn’t want me to get away. We married and I got pregnant almost immediately. Things began to change. At first, he was just rude or thoughtless. It wasn’t long before he was insulting and hateful. I was sure it would get better once the baby came. He’d told me pregnant women weren’t attractive to him. Tom thought I was ugly, lazy, and fat. It embarrassed him to be seen with me. I had just decided Selia would be an only child. Once she was born, Tom would change back to the man I’d fallen in love with.”
“Those kind of men never change.”
“I kept it from my family. They all had their own life to live and problems to deal with. Finally the day came and my water broke. Family and friends gathered around and Tom was the perfect proud father. That man I’d met before we’d married was back. We were surrounded by his family and mine. Everyone took a turn staying with us to help out until Selia was a month old. It had been like a dream, but then reality returned and so did the Tom I had come to hate.”
“What did he do?” Niku asked.
“Selia woke up and cried. He threatened to throw her out of the window if she didn’t shut up. I fed her and changed her diaper and she was fine for a while. He seemed to hate her and finally one afternoon he told me he’d never wanted a daughter, he only wanted sons. His suggestion was to give her up for adoption and tell everyone she’d died. I took my daughter and went home to Mom.”
“That wasn’t the end of it?”
“No, he said he’d sue for sole custody. I had no proof of wrongdoing. He begged me to come back and said he’d had been depressed. It was work and money, he’d do better this time.”
“How many chances?”
“Over and over, I tried and each time he was worse until he became physically abusive. He went after Selia, hurt her badly and I got between them and woke up in the hospital. He almost killed me. I never took him back after that, but he found ways to force his way into my life.”
“Why didn’t the law help you?”
“The judge seemed more worried about Tom’s rights. He kept neglecting and even hurting Selia, but until the night he almost killed both of us, the judge just kept giving him visitation. Sometimes he’d go months without bothering us. Then out of the blue my place would get broken into and everything of value stolen. It was Tom or people he owed money to. He was a criminal, the worst kind. Theft, drugs, pimping, and just about anything he could make money at. The judge knew what Tom was and kept letting him have my baby girl.”
“Was he corrupt?”
“Maybe, but I don’t think so. He may have thought Tom would straighten out his life for his kid. The judge may have also been one of those men that believe everything is the wife’s fault. If he hits you, you did something to deserve it.”
“Do men actually believe that in your world?”
“Some do. It’s better than it used to be. At least might doesn’t always make right. I should have done a better job of choosing the father of my child. That’s on me, maybe that is what the judge thought.”
“Your ex’s behavior is all on him. Here he would be stripped of his rights to you and your daughter. If he didn’t stay away, he would be destroyed.”
“What if the female is bad?”
“She would be banished.”
“Harsh justice,
but I prefer that to no justice. So often the victim is the one punished.”
“Not here. We have ways of discovering the truth so justice is swift and sure.”
“I don’t have to worry about my ex anymore. That was what made me decide to come. It’s why I wasn’t mad about being misled like Tomi was. Back home, Tom would have killed me and Selia eventually. I chose life and that meant I had to leave my old life behind.
“I’m glad you decided to come here.”
“Me too. Tell me, how do you feel about me?”
“I want to mate you, Betty. I’ve never wanted anything or anyone the way I want you.”
“Even though I’m broken?”
“You’re not broken, you just need to heal and learn to love again.”
“What will you do while I’m healing?”
“I’ll be helping you heal and showing you what love really is.” At some point Niku had moved closer to her and she’d not even noticed. It was because when Tom was discussed, she always looked at the floor embarrassed she’d been so stupid.
Niku leaned over and kissed her. It was a gentle kiss and it told her he would be there for her. “What about Cretia?”
“Cretia is just a friend who wants to be more. I’ve never misled her or indicated we were anything other than friends. I even told her I wanted to mate you.”
Chapter 4
Moving On
Niku was home and he could scent that his friend Cretia had been by recently. He didn’t want to hurt her, but she needed to understand he wasn’t available to her in a romantic sense. Things were finally starting to look like they might work out with Betty and Cretia visiting constantly could hurt the fledgling relationship. He also suspected she still harbored hopes of something more developing.
His mind, heart, and soul was completely with Betty. There was no room for another female and Cretia needed to find a male to mate. Niku went upstairs and got ready for bed. It was a shame Betty wasn’t here with him now and he thought about what she had shared with him. He knew it had been hard for her to share her story and it showed they had come a long way.
It enraged him that she had gone through so much and that a male could terrorize his family in the way that Tom had. That friends, neighbors, and even those who represented the law had allowed her and Selia to be abused was shocking and would never happen here. He would never allow it because in his mind, Betty and Selia were his. That meant his to care for and his to protect.
He fell asleep and the dream visited him again in all its sensual glory. His dragon roared deep inside him demanding the satisfaction the dream represented. It wouldn’t be wise to press Betty, because that might just push her away. Niku didn’t know much about females since there weren’t many on Draconis. His mother, well she was Ma. Cretia was firmly in the friend category but seemed intent on more, so that relationship wasn’t helpful.
The women he’d met on Earth had been mostly partiers. They wanted sex without attachments. Those experiences would not help him to woo and keep the female he wanted to mate. He’d seen Romo and Bree build a relationship, but theirs had already started with a mating that Bree obviously wanted as much as Romo had.
He needed Betty to want him as desperately as he wanted her, but he didn’t know how to do that. Once he got to work, he would find a way to do something nice and thoughtful for her. Niku would show his female that he only wanted to make her happy. When he got home after work, he would deal with Cretia because her presence upset Betty. Romo was right, friends didn’t come over and cook meals uninvited. They invited you to their house when they were cooking anyway. At least that was what they did around here.
Niku woke in the morning, not fully rested, but determined to get his life in order. There was a lot of work to be done and the tomorrow he would have a day off. It would give him a chance to see Betty and to get work done on his property.
Eating a sandwich for breakfast, he was surprised to see Cretia waiting in the yard. “What’s up?” He asked.
“I was worried because you didn’t come home last night.”
“Cretia, I don’t know what you consider friendship, but to me this isn’t it. My mate is coming around and I’m sure I’ll be mated soon. Romo is my best friend and he doesn’t come here as much as you do. This has got to stop.”
She looked shocked and then tears began to roll down her cheeks. “I thought, I-I thought you would change your mind.” Cretia said before she turned and ran away. Niku hoped that she finally understood. He saw no way to explain that was clearer.
He changed and took off flying to the landing area of the castle. With all the upset he was dealing with, he hoped for an easy day. It seemed nothing was going to be easy for him. Niku read the missive for the tenth time. There was no way to judge what the king or the emperor would say.
Niku,
I have given much thought to your invitation for clemency. As sweet as the offer sounds in many ways, the root of the problem still exists and giving in will only encourage it to grow. In an attempt to be fair to my people, I told them about the offer to see if any were tired of the hard and lonely path we have chosen. Four males, including my youngest brother who was not old enough at the time this began to make his choice, want to accept the generous offer.
Please advise me as to what is decided about these four males. They will meet you wherever you determine. I know that we are on opposite sides of this matter, but once we were friends. I ask you to remember that and take care of my brother should he be allowed to return. He has no one and nowhere to go.
Best regards,
Kenley
Damn, double damn! Another complication when he needed to settle his dragon. He immediately sent unedited copies to both the king and his emperor. Niku added his opinion.
My emperor and king,
My initial response was to refuse him thinking what right did a rogue have to change the terms of our agreement since it was all or none. After further thought, I saw positive possibilities for us in granting this boon. There will be four less males to fight and those left behind will see we are not as we have been made out to be. We can forgive even when it doesn’t benefit us personally. Goodness and kindness do exist in the kingdom even for those that chose to reject us, those some would call traitors.
It is a chance to rise above petty personal differences and show a character few possess. That also takes away any chance at Kenley making this public and using it against us to show we are too rigid in our ways to forgive anyone, not even a child who had no choice at the time.
The decision of course is completely in your hands and I will enforce whatever you decide with my life if necessary.
Forever in your service,
Niku
What would they decide? Niku wasn’t prepared to guess so he put the matter out of his head and concentrated on other tasks. The emails would go to the king and his emperor quickly, but the answer to Kenley would take time. Kenley and his followers had no access to computers or other technology and no access to possible mates. They lived in the primitive way of dragons from the dark ages. Why anyone would choose to live like that evaded Niku.
There were many changes in their society that had opened it up to the outside world and Niku had a feeling these Earthers would bring more changes with them. Education had been improved and higher education was now available to everyone. They were working to have medical care more available to the public. In the last hundred years, the rights of females had improved to make them equal in most ways. Some change was needed like giving the average person some say in government, he would be the first to admit that. It was more effective to make those changes from the inside legally. Some of the changes Kenley wanted, Niku was opposed to. They would destroy the planet in the same ways Earth was being destroyed. Rampant industrialization was one of those things Niku heavily opposed.
Niku looked at the planet as a living thing. It gave them what they needed to survive and they took care not to take too much or change th
e good things into poisonous things. Kenley and his group worried about what they all wanted in the present and gave no consideration to future needs. Maybe Kenley should see the havoc wrought on Earth to truly understand what he was asking for.
Somehow, he had worked through lunch and the day was done. It was no surprise that neither the king nor the emperor had answered his emails. This was a serious issue and they would both think hard on this matter. They would also talk to their advisors and take their counsel into consideration. Niku was glad the decision wasn’t his to make.
He took his time shutting everything down and putting all his paperwork up. Gazo had already left and the outer office and the halls seemed deserted even though it was just fifteen minutes past quitting time, but it was the start of their two day off period. Many had family or friends to go home to so it made sense that they were anxious to get gone.
The line of dragons leaving was short and he got on his way fast. He felt the same rush, the same excitement of being in the sky as he always did. Added to it today was determination to work on the relationship he had with Betty. He stopped in town at the herbalists and bought her a gift. It was not just any gift, but something he thought she would like.
Romo approved of his pursuit of Betty and all but admitted to mentioning Cretia to see if she would be jealous. It was clear that she had been. It gave him hope that they would mate in the future. Patience, something he’d never had much of, was what he needed now. Once he picked up her gift, he flew to his house. Thankfully, there was no hint of Cretia’s scent. Maybe he’d finally gotten through to her.
Niku had carefully taken note of the plants Betty had selected for Romo’s yard. He’d ordered similar ones for his yard and had them delivered. His yard would have a pattern much like the one in Rom’s yard. While he didn’t have the help to get the job done, he was stronger and could work longer without rest. By the time he was ready to stop, he had a good amount of work done. The yard was beginning to look impressive. When Betty saw it, he hoped she would like it.
