Kahm

by T. J. Quinn

  She guessed he was right. You couldn’t miss what you never had.

  “What about you?” he asked her, tilting his head to look at her.

  The vehicle practically drove itself so he could concentrate on the woman next to her.

  She cleared her throat. “I’m an only child too, and my parents are still alive, and still on planet Earth,” she explained. It wasn’t the moment to ask him to help them escape from there, but she had to make a huge effort not to beg him to. “I was trained as a nurse, and I was working at the general hospital when I decided to participate in the Mail Order Bride project.”

  “Why did you? I’m sure there must be enough single males left on your planet,” he asked, curious.

  “Yes, I’m sure of that, but the planet is destroyed, it’s not a place you would consider to form a new family. There’s a shortage of food and medicines. Violence explodes in every corner of the city, all the time, and chaos still reigns all over the place,” she explained.

  He remembered the Cetian female saying they were using the Mail Order Bride as an escape route and Selena’s words confirmed that assumption.

  “It must be terrible living like that.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  They had left the city behind them, and now they were on some sort of highway, with two lanes each way, but there weren’t many vehicles traveling on it. So far, she had only seen a couple of vehicles, quite similar to trucks, probably carrying food produce to the docking bay.

  On both sides of the highway, there were extensive areas cultivated with vegetables that she was unable to identify. The landscape soon proved to be quite boring, since all they were able to see was the cultivated fields.

  “Are there any wild areas on this planet?” she asked, curious.

  “Yes, there are. This planet only has two continents: the one we’re in, called Terrion, and another one, a lot smaller, called Sumitera, where most of the native inhabitants of this planet live. Sumitera is mainly wild, with vast woods and high mountains, wild Terrion is the best land around this side of the universe to grow vegetables and raise cattle.”

  “How come the Sumirions aren’t the ones growing the produce?”

  “It’s not in their nature. They prefer to live in small villages and hunt whatever they need. So, when asked, they sold Terrion to whoever paid the highest bid and moved to Sumitera,” he explained.

  “Is it possible to visit Sumitera?” she asked, intrigued with all she was learning about the planet.

  “You need a special permit to enter Sumitera. They prefer to stay away from the other species living here, alleging they don’t want to have their culture contaminated by the foreigners’ cultures.”

  “I guess it’s fair enough.”

  He nodded. “It’s their choice. Sumitera is too wild and primitive for most of the species living here. I’m sure you wouldn’t like it. Only a few members of their people have left the planet, and they don’t even own a spaceship or the technology to build one, for that matter. They don’t care about those things.”

  “They sound like an interesting people.”

  He tilted his head to look at her. “Yes, I believe they are too,” he agreed. “Most people here in Terrion think they are too primitive for their taste.”

  She shrugged. Most people didn’t have the patience for people that were different. That seemed to be a universal rule.

  After a few hours, he left the main road and took a smaller road, up some fields of tall trees. It wasn’t a wild forest, the trees were clearly farmed, being in perfect lines, showed the intervention.

  After a few minutes, they reached a two-story building surrounded by small cabins all over the place. Selena counted at least ten cabins.

  “We’re staying here tonight,” he announced, helping her out of the vehicle.

  Selena trembled a bit when their hands touched but did her best to hide her reaction to him.

  “Will you need all your luggage?” he asked.

  “No, just the smallest bag.” She had prepared a small bag just in case she might need one.

  He took out the bag she mentioned and guided her to the main building. She didn’t want to go in. She wasn’t ready to be with him. A simple signed document didn’t make him her husband, right? She needed more time, time to get to know him.

  Oblivious of the raging storm of doubts going on inside her, he entered the building and asked for a cabin. The female behind the desk almost melted to serve him, and her subservient attitude made Selena cringe with scorn and an emotion she wasn’t ready to recognize.

  “Would you like us to send dinner up to your cabin?” the woman asked, her eyes solely in Kahm.

  He opened his mouth to answer the woman’s question, but Selena jumped ahead and answered her question first. “No. We would like to have dinner here, in the restaurant.”

  The woman looked at her as if she was a worm that had just crawled from underneath a rock. “Restaurant? What’s that?” she didn’t know the word.

  “The place you serve food to your customers,” she explained, in a cold tone.

  “Ah, you mean the refectory,” she ignored her again and looked at Kahm. “I’m sure you would prefer the privacy of your cabin. There are no extra charges for sending you the meals to the cabin.”

  Kahm tilted his head to look at Selena.

  “I would really prefer to have dinner here if it’s alright with you,” she insisted. She wasn’t ready to be alone in a room with him. She needed time.

  He seemed to consider her request and finally rejected the other woman’s suggestion. “We’ll have our meal in the refectory.”

  “Of course. It will be a pleasure to serve you there.”

  She handed him a key card and showed him on a map where to locate their cabin. She had given them one of the furthest ones.

  He took Selena there and opened the door before he invited her in. The room was elegant and not that different from a hotel suite back on her planet. It had a comfortable living room with a small table for two, and through the inner door, she could see a bedroom with a massive bed in its center. She guessed a man like him required a huge bed, and she would be more than happy to give it all to him.

  She looked around looking for another room, or even a couch, but there wasn’t anything.

  Nervous, she looked around again, trying to gain the courage to tell him she wanted another room.

  “Do you like the room?” he asked, closing the door behind them.

  “Yes…yes…it looks fine, but…” she stopped, took a deep breath and continued, wringing her hands nervously. “I know we’re legally married, but do you think we could sleep in separate rooms tonight?” she finally asked, a bit scared, unknowing how he would react to her request.

  His face changed immediately. Any sign of cordiality disappeared, wiped entirely out of his expression. “I can’t ask for another room. Everybody knows who we are and that you’ve just arrived as my wife. We are a small community,” he pointed out in a cold tone.

  She rubbed her forehead, trying to appease a sudden headache. “I’m sorry. I understand your position, I truly do, but please, try to understand mine: today was the first time I have ever met you. I need more than a few hours to get to know you and accept you’re my husband,” she struggled to explain.

  “You already accepted me as your husband, there’s no doubt about that,” he said, his tone even colder than before.

  “Yes, of course, it was a poor choice of words, just give me a bit more time.”

  “You can have all the time you need, but you’ll share my room and my bed. I won’t become the planet’s laughing stock,” he conceded, his tone now ice-cold. “I’ve never imposed myself on a woman and I sure as hell won’t start with my wife.”

  She let out her breath, unconscious she had been holding it. “It was never my intention to insinuate that, this has been a huge change for me, I just need more time to assimilate it all.”

  He nodded and strode to the door.
“Use the bathing room. I’ll go for a walk.” He walked out of the room and slammed the door shut.

  Selena shuddered and shook her head in dismay. This wasn’t the way she wanted to start her marriage. She should have understood what asking for another room would mean for him. She had been told the planet’s population was quite small, so it wasn’t surprising they all knew each other, to a certain degree.

  The news of his marriage inevitably spread like fire on a dry prairie, and she allowed fear to control her mind, and the result was a total disaster.

  Now, she had enraged her new husband on the very first day. Covering her face with both her hands, she let her body fall to her knees and stayed there for a few moments trying to control her overwhelming desire to crawl into bed and hide there until the sun came up.

  Chapter Six

  Kahm walked away from the cabin and into the woods. He needed some time alone. His wife’s words haunted him and enraged him at the same time. How could she think he would jump on her the minute they were alone in a room?

  Not that he didn’t want to. He did, much more than he had expected to. Selena’s picture had sparked his interest, and he had sensed an attraction far stronger than he had ever felt. But that didn’t turn him into a sex-driven monster. He wanted things to happen naturally between them, but his wife seemed to think he was going to force her into his bed.

  Furious, he slammed his fist into the nearest tree, making an indentation in the trunk struggling to control himself.

  She was scared. Kahm knew his appearance was quite impressive, especially for someone so small and defenseless like his wife. He needed to understand that and give her enough time to get to know him and accept him the way he was.

  But patience had never been one of his strengths.

  With a deep sigh, he walked through the woods for a long while before he returned to the cabin. Selena was sitting in the main room of the cabin. She seemed to have taken a bath and changed her clothes.

  She jumped out of the chair she was sitting on the moment he entered the room. “I’m terribly sorry, it wasn’t my intention to offend you in any way,” she said, taking a couple of steps closer to him. “I’ve never been in a situation like this before, and I let my fears control my actions.”

  He let out a deep sigh. “We’re both new at this, and if you add that to the natural anxiety of a first meeting, I guess it’s understandable you were scared,” he said, with a faint smile. “I could have been more understanding instead of acting on my hurt pride.”

  She let out a nervous giggle, immediately covering her lips with her hand.

  He closed the distance between them and gently removed her hand. “Don’t hide your reactions from me. I want to know all about you, Selena.”

  She nodded. “I want to know all about you too.”

  “We have all our lives ahead of us, there’s no need to rush things.”

  She nodded again. After he had left, she had put herself together and decided to face whatever came her way. She could be facing a far worse destiny than being married to Kahm. Despite the differences between their species, she found him very attractive she knew she wouldn’t have any trouble at all being his wife.

  She had allowed her nerves to get the best of her and create a problem where obviously there wasn’t any.

  “Correct.”

  “I’ll take a bath, and we’ll be able to get something to eat,” he announced, heading to the bathing room.

  Selena watched him leave and sighed. She had to calm herself, or she would end up turning her marriage into a royal disaster.

  Feeling a bit restless, she left the cabin and wandered the small garden around it, examining the strange flowers and insects. They were completely different from those on her home planet. The colors seemed brighter, and the flowers were larger. For instance, the red flower she was looking at the moment, looked like a rose, but it was as big as a sunflower.

  The petals looked as smooth as silk, but when she touched them, it stung, as if it had a million of tiny thorns. That would teach her not to touch anything without knowing if it was safe.

  “I see you’ve met our simias,” his voice sounded amused, behind her.

  “Yes, it will teach me to be more careful.”

  “You have to, at least while you learn which plants as safe and which aren’t. The simias will sting you, but others might kill you. Of course, no one keeps a poisonous plant in their gardens, but you should be careful anyway,” Kahm warned her.

  “I will believe me,” she said, looking at her finger with a frown. The tip was red and swollen proving the reaction for her might not be the same as in Kahm.

  “I’ll take you to visit Melanie one of these days. She’s human, like you and she will be able to tell you about her own experience on this planet,” he said, taking her hand and examining her finger thoroughly.

  His touch felt hot, and again, she felt a jolt of energy rushing through her whole body.

  “Yes, that would be nice. Was she a Mail Order Bride?” she asked curiously.

  “Yes, she was. Her husband is a very good friend of mine, and he was the one that insisted I should order a bride for myself,” he explained, keeping her hand in his.

  “Oh, I see, is he of your own species?” she asked, curious, as she tried to ignore the heat produced by his touch, but she could feel it spreading through her body.

  “No, he isn’t. As far as I know, I’m the only Arghearian in Sumirion,” he replied in a stern tone. “Raye is from Hyadea, in the third quadrant. We became friends when I fought alongside his people to destroy their invaders.”

  “Do you miss your people?” she asked, with a slight frown.

  “No.” The answer was short and brusque. It certainly didn’t invite further questions on the subject. “Let’s get some food. I’m starving.”

  She nodded and followed him when he headed towards the main building. It was apparent she was married to a very complicated man, and it would take her some time to get to know him well if she ever did.

  Once at the refectory, they were presented with a vast buffet, and despite her expectations, the place was crowded.

  “How come there are so many people here?” she asked him, looking around.

  “This place is used by all travelers. It’s conveniently located to suit most travelers’ needs,” he explained. “Are you familiar with the food from Sumirion?” he asked, changing the subject.

  He apparently had no intention to explain why most of the people there were couples. Hiding a smile, she nodded. “Yes, on the trip here, we were served the typical food of the planets we were going to,” she explained.

  “How many women were on the trip with you?”

  “Not sure, but at least two dozen. I was the last one to leave the ship.”

  “Sumirion is quite far from your home planet.”

  “So I was told.” And that worried her a bit. Surely bringing her parents that far would cost a lot of money. Money she didn’t have.

  They chose their food and headed to a table near one of the giant windows. The sun was long gone and the night sky was filled with bright stars. It was quite breathtaking, especially when she hadn't seen a sky like that on Earth in years.

  “Do you have moons on this planet?” she asked, not seeing any.

  “Yes, we have two, but they won’t come out tonight,” he explained. “They are exactly the same size, and they swirl around the planet at the same speed, so when we can’t see one, we can’t see the other.”

  “How interesting. Are they inhabited?”

  “No, they aren’t. They are quite inhospitable, and there’s no breathing air on them.”

  “Our moon is inhospitable too. I guess that saved it from being destroyed as well,” she stated with a scowl.

  They chatted throughout the meal, mostly about the planet but Selena couldn’t help noticing all people around them seemed to be having a romantic dinner. She wanted to comment on it. But after the discussion they had had earl
ier, she decided not. Now she understood even better why asking for another room would have been the start of much gossiping.

  When they finished eating, they returned to their cabin, and Kahm gently offered her to get to bed first.

  “I’ll go for a walk first. I promise I won’t wake you up when I return.”

  He was giving her the chance to get into bed and fall asleep before he did the same and she appreciated the gesture.

  “Thank you.”

  Once he was gone, she changed into her pajamas and slid under the sheets. The bed was as comfortable as it looked and despite her concern, she fell asleep the minute her head touched the pillow.

  It had been a long day, filled with too many emotions.

  When she opened her eyes again, the sun was starting to come up in the skies, lighting it all with its soft pink light, allowing her to see Kahm lying right next to her.

  She hadn't felt him coming to bed, but at some point, during the night she had reached for him. Embarrassed, she realized one of her legs was over his, and her hands were resting on his chest.

  Fortunately, he was wearing some kind of shorts that clung to his body like a second skin.

  With heat coloring her cheeks, she tried to move away from him as gently as possible, trying not to wake him up. But the minute she looked up to his face, she realized he was already awake.

  “Good morning, Selena, did you have a good night?” he asked with a naughty grin.

  Blushing even more, if that was possible, she mumbled: “Yes, yes, I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

  She tried to move her leg, but he stopped her, putting his big hand on it. “It was an eventful day,” he agreed.

  She looked at his hand on her leg, feeling its heat go through the material and then looked at him, questioning his intentions. After all, he said they were taking things slowly.

  “Yes, it was,” she agreed, her eyes on his, challenging him to take the next step. For some reason, most of her nervousness from the previous night had disappeared. She felt safe in his arms, which was insane, considering she barely knew the man.