by Lizzy Ford
She reached Evelyn and Romas and forced herself not to crowd them. She kept her eyes on the couple instead of the crowd. People stare at her with varying looks of curiosity and intensity. Her face warmed and reddened beneath the scrutiny. Evelyn was the queen of handling crowds, but Kiera could think of nothing more than ducking into a safe corner and staying there with her back to the wall.
The warriors with her closed around her, blocking some of the crowd from sight.
The couple before her stopped, and she brought her gaze back to them. They stood in front of an airy, light tent resembling a silk sheet suspended in midair over a table. A man and a woman in their prime stood before them, and the light murmuring of the crowd hushed. They were a handsome couple, the elegant woman’s hair so fine and blonde it resembled white silk. The man beside her had dark blond hair, serious brown eyes in a chiseled face, and a form as fit as his son’s.
Evelyn’s in-laws. Kiera held her breath for her friend as Evelyn stepped forward. Her friend was sure-footed and confident, but Kiera knew she was nervous. Evelyn’s words were too quiet for Kiera to hear.
The scent of real food wafted towards her. Her mouth watered, and her eyes dropped to the source. It was not the chewy ship food. It looked like real food packed on the low tables with meat, gravies, and tons of dishes of what might have been casseroles of varying colors. Pillows passed as chairs, and bowls as cups.
She leaned to see past Romas and saw that the tent before her was only the head tent. Tables and pillows stretched as far as she could see to create a massive circle she assumed was large enough to seat the crowd. Her eyes caught movement at the edge of the crowd. Three massive warriors escorted a fourth whose hands were bound. They moved out of sight at her blink, and she wondered how criminals were treated on such a planet.
Evelyn turned, motioning her forward. Kiera went.
“My friend, Kiera.” Evelyn’s voice was quiet and respectful.
Kiera felt she should have curtseyed or saluted or something. Uncertainly, she remained where she was and gazed at the man and woman before her. They looked her over curiously. The woman appeared bright-eyed and pleasant, the warrior-husband unreadable.
“Kiera, this is Romas’s mother, Lishana, and his father, Mison,” Evelyn said.
A slight smile drew up one side of Lishana’s mouth, and Kiera felt the urge to smile as well. There was a gentle air around the woman, and her large brown eyes lacked the rigid stoniness of her husband’s. At first glance, Lishana did not seem the kind of mother-in-law that might cause Evelyn problems.
“You are welcome, Kiera.” Lishana’s voice was as soft as her features. “May the suns long grace you.”
“Thank you,” Kiera responded.
“Will you join us?” The invitation was addressed to all three of them. As if on cue, the crowd began to break up, with cheerful groups moving to various positions around the circle. Kiera watched them, somewhat relieved not to be the center of attention any longer. She trailed the two couples up shallow stairs and took the seat beside Evelyn not occupied by Romas. Her gaze dropped to the feast before them.
Did any of the animals on the table look like spiders while alive?
She stared at a tray of meat for a long moment. Several giants with Romas’s shade of blond hair and similar blue eyes seated themselves across from them. She knew by their similar facial features they were brothers, and Romas’s threat of hooking her up with one made her more self-conscious.
Mison motioned for those at his table to eat, and she reached for the plate of meat before her before Romas or any of his brothers could assist her. She tapped the ear piece as the conversation around picked up but the words faded in and out of translation. Even an elite, advanced society as Romas’s had technical difficulties. She removed the ear piece and replaced it. The translator hummed once more.
“Romas had all the cats corralled and kept elsewhere for this feast, just for you,” Evelyn leaned over to whisper. “Isn’t he just awesome?”
“He’s awesome if he keeps them corralled for my entire visit, which hopefully won’t be long,” Kiera replied. Evelyn frowned and shifted away. Kiera almost apologized, but the approach and introduction of two pre-teen boys with white-blond hair and bright blue eyes distracted her.
“My brothers, Lilan and Hilan,” Romas announced.
The grinning boys were between ten and twelve, already tall and lanky. The two scuffled for a seat next to one of their older brothers across from Kiera before a look from Mison quieted them. They sat dutifully, sharing the pillow, and were calm for several moments before a discreet elbow match broke out between them. She was grateful to see even alien kids behaved like typical kids.
She took her first bite of what looked like beef. It certainly tasted like beef, though the tangy spices were unfamiliar. Evelyn poured clear, steaming broth into a bowl beside her plate.
“This is good. You can dip anything in this,” she said.
Kiera tried it. The clear broth held a tangy, rich flavor, like spiced butter. As a fan of good food, Kiera found Evelyn’s words to be quite true. She dipped everything she tried— from meat to casseroles with odd textures— in the clear broth. They even had a version of bread; it was unleavened and came in large, round, flat ears.
She ate until full, then pushed her plate from the edge of the table. The two boys across from her had managed to make messes of themselves and the table in what might have been a competition. They cast several glances her way and appeared as interested in her as they were in looking past her. Romas’s eldest brother, who sat across and down the table from her, rose, a look of anger on his face. She watched him circle the table and twisted to see where he went.
Behind the tent and its low, shallow steps was a small group of blond warriors surrounding a fifth man with darker skin and hair. Romas’s brother spoke to the group. The boys across from Kiera began giggling. Uninterested in watching people talk, she glanced again at the boys and nudged Evelyn.
“Evelyn, I need to use the little girls’ room,” she said.
Evelyn leaned to whisper to Romas, whose response was a tad too long for Kiera’s impatient bladder.
“He says to enter the main house by the first entrance you find. Your bracelet— ”
The translator cut out on her, and Evelyn’s next foreign words were incomprehensible. Kiera removed the translator from her ear. Evelyn did the same.
“Enter the main house using the nearest entrance. Your bracelet acts as a sort of master key, so you can go anywhere in the whole house. There should be a servant or someone posted near the entrance who can guide you to the restroom. If not, it’s along the same hallway as the door. Just go four or five doors, and it’ll be on your right.”
Something splashed Kiera, and she pushed the droplets from her face, concentrating on Evelyn.
“Is it four or five?” she asked. “If it’s four and I go five and interrupt someone’s conference or walk into a room full of tarantulas, I’m going to go crazy.”
“No, no. I think he said four,” Evelyn said. “I’m sure there will be someone— oh, hell, don’t look down!”
Something furry dropped into Kiera’s lap. The two pre-teen boys laughed.
Kiera’s eyes dropped to her lap, and she stared at the mass of furry legs, freezing in place for a long moment. The cats’ fur was matted from a bath in her dipping soup. She gave a startled cry, shot up from her seat, and swiped the creatures from her lap in one movement. Two of the cats, young and small enough to be kittens or perfectly sized adult tarantulas, detangled and darted from her pillow to the table.
Kiera took two steps back, shuddering in disgust and fear. God, she hated spiders. Hated them, hated them, hated them! A sharp word from Romas, and the two boys looked suddenly abashed. One of the kittens dashed toward Kiera, moving sideways like a spider on its flexible legs, and she skittered farther away.
Romas leaned back and snatched the kitten trotting toward her, and Evelyn rose to her knees, loo
king both surprised and dismayed. Suddenly, Kiera really, really wanted to go home.
“I’m going … to the restroom,” she said, heart thudding in her ears.
“I’m so sorry, K. I’ll go with you,” Evelyn offered.
“No. I’m okay. I’ll go and we can talk about going home when I get back!”
Romas tossed the kitten, which darted for her again. She took another hasty step back as he grabbed it once more. Her left foot found the first shallow step, and she took another step back, her eyes pinned on the second kitten running along the table. She’d just made a complete fool of herself and Evelyn … how would she react if someone were as terrified of kittens on earth?
Embarrassed, she didn’t notice her right foot reaching nothing but air until she toppled backwards. She gasped, waiting to feel the impact of the hard ground. Two hands caught her. An unexpected heat jarred her to her core, and the earth beneath her feet shook violently enough to rattle her teeth. The strange spell left her breathing hard and confused as to whether she’d had a heart attack or worse. The strange fever remained, making her feel as if she’d been sitting in a sauna for hours. Her head hurt and her body ached from the inside out, like she had the flu.
Unable to understand or control the strange sensations, she tried to help right herself as the hands gripping her ribcage steadied her. The hot energy circulating through her body came from the large, olive-hued hands touching her. She looked up, wondering who she now owed an apology for her embarrassing scene.
Her gaze was immediately riveted to that of an alien unlike those of Romas’s clan. His skin was darker, the color of honey as opposed to alabaster, his eyes a rich, dark brown, and his features lacking the delicate, chiseled beauty of Romas’s family. This man’s features were scarred and masculine with a crooked nose that had been broken more than once. Long, dark hair was held in place at the base of his neck by a thick band of rose gold.
His gaze was so direct it seemed to sear through her. The heat of his large hands made her feel as if she wore no clothing. He held her against him, his dark, spicy-sweet scent seizing her senses. Inexplicable scenes tore through her mind too fast for her to focus on any one of them.
A blue planet, two thrones, a hacienda-style dwelling, an older man and woman, fire in the sky, a red planet, war. The emotions behind the scenes were hot and angry before one more scene emerged— this one lingering for what felt like minutes.
She held the hand of the man before her, walking on a dead planet of nothing but rocky hills, dried streams, and cracked earth. The planet’s energy warmed her, ran through her and into him, and grass grew beneath her feet. She smiled up at him, content to be with her mate.
Another hand clamped around her arm and snatched her away. She blinked out of the spell and saw Romas’s oldest brother, his eyes glittering with anger. Her gaze fell to the bound hands of the man who’d caught her. Given his guard of four warriors and his unfriendly gaze, maybe she should be grateful someone wrenched her arm off to get her away from him. And yet, she still felt his hands on her body, smelled his scent, saw the vision from their touch.
Fate. The sense was fleeting and overwhelming. She didn’t know the honey-hued man before her, but she couldn’t help but feel their paths were entwined.
The idea scared her. She was going home, not staying on some dead planet with some hunky stranger!
The hunky stranger spoke to Romas’s oldest brother. The translator was dead and picked up none of the men’s terse discussion. She tried not to stare at the man staring at her. He was the most stunning man she’d ever seen despite his crooked nose. Whatever they discussed, Romas’s brother was getting more pissed; his grip on her tightened until she gave a verbal, “Let me go!”
Whether or not it translated or whether her voice was enough to alert him, all eyes fell to her before the conversation resumed. It was Romas— the man responsible for dragging her across the universe— who rescued her. He took her free arm and drew her away from his brother. Kiera went more than willingly, near the emergency point for reaching the bathroom. He pushed her past him and joined in the conversation. Evelyn smiled tightly from her position a couple of feet away, her attention riveted to the situation before her. Kiera looked at her arm, where a bruise was already forming from Kisolm’s grip.
Whatever the men were squabbling about, it wasn’t worth hurting her. Kiera looked at them all, her gaze settling on the prisoner. The thrum of warm energy coursed through her again, and she felt again her destiny was tied with his.
He still watched her. He was shorter than the seven-foot giants around him, standing right at Romas’s height. His clothing was styled differently, with a dark V-neck tunic, dark pants, and a thick belt around his lower abdomen. He wore a rose gold bracelet very similar to Romas’s in all but color, and soft, dark boots. He was, without a doubt, a warrior. His frame was thick beneath the snug clothing, with a tucked waist and flared upper body extending from the tucked waist to his wide, broad shoulders. His brow was low and his eyebrows dark, making his unwavering gaze even more intense.
Heat flared within her body, and her imagination painted an image of the warrior before her without the clothing. Kiera rubbed her arm with a small wince and forced herself to turn away. She wanted nothing to do with this world or its inhabitants, despite that unexpected, intimate connection with the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. She hadn’t felt instant attraction to a man since high school.
She was going home, sexy alien be damned. She turned to face Evelyn but still felt him watch her. Evelyn was upset at what was being said, emotions crossing her face quickly. Her look turned to anger, then softened into concern. By the end of the conversation, she appeared relieved.
The prisoner was led away. Kiera relaxed, no longer feeling his gaze on her. Evelyn spoke to her, her words foreign. Kiera tapped her translator and shook her head. Evelyn removed hers.
“You didn’t understand anything?” Evelyn asked.
“I have to pee, now,” Kiera answered.
“Oh. Sorry. I’ll go, too.”
Evelyn made a motion to Romas, who looked grimmer than usual. He nodded and returned to the tent. Kiera followed as Evelyn turned toward the main house, a sprawling, single-story compound made of brilliant white stone and dotted with hundreds of glass-less windows. It was open and airy, bright and cheerful. They walked across the open field before it, the bright sun and solid ground beneath her easing some of her anxiety about the day.
“You didn’t understand anything?” Evelyn asked again.
“Nope. Evelyn, I’m so sorry I’ve totally embarrassed you today,” Kiera said. “I wanted it to be special for you and managed to mortify both of us.”
“Oh, no, K-K!” Evelyn said. “They know we’re from another place. His family has been very understanding.”
“Except those boys,” Kiera muttered. “Stupid kids.”
“Just kids, though, K-K. I’m sorry they upset you.”
Kiera shrugged.
“Are you really ready to go home so soon?” Evelyn asked.
“Yeah, I think so.”
Evelyn sighed in disappointment. Kiera looked at her friend, guilty for hurting her feelings despite her need to return to her own world. Her thoughts went to the prisoner, and she wondered if she’d see him again if she stayed a little longer.
“If you want, I’ll stay for a few more days,” she offered half-heartedly. “As your wedding present. I’m not overly anxious to get back on that depressing ship.”
“Thanks, Kiera,” Evelyn said. “It really would mean a lot to me. The next few days will be nothing but feasts and parties in celebration of our marriage!”
“So then you’ll be very happy.”
“Even happier because I didn’t have to plan them,” Evelyn said. “And you’ll have fun, too, Kiera. I promise.”
Kiera shook tension from her shoulders. Evelyn did have a way of making even the most gruesome day of spring cleaning fun. Perhaps, if Romas kept the spiders
away and Evelyn could make the days pass quickly, she might survive her visit. She may go so far as not to be disappointed with it if she saw the handsome man again.
“What did that guy do to be arrested?” she asked. “Steal something? Kill someone?”
“He’s more of a prisoner of war,” Evelyn said. “A lippy one at that. We need to get you a new translator.”
“I thought there weren’t any wars right now.”
“I guess he’s not a war prisoner in the traditional sense,” Evelyn replied. “I’m not always sure about things here either. I think there’s no openly declared war, but there’s lots of unrest and skirmishes among the clans. From what I understood, that guy and Romas’s eldest brother have personal issues with each other and are constantly hazing each other. I guess the other guy just got caught this time.”
“Typical male ego,” Kiera said. “Probably fighting over who stole whose cat when they were five.”
“Something like that.”
“You looked really upset for a while though.”
“Just stupid traditions and stuff,” Evelyn said a little too casually. “They’re fighting over a woman, and I really don’t take to the way they do things here in that regard.”
Satisfied to find the sexy man wasn’t a serial killer or worse, Kiera’s attention shifted to the main house as they approached. The house was as brilliant white on the inside as it was outside. There were no traditional decorations such as pictures or mirrors on the walls, but colorful cords and streams of what might have been silk edging the corners and dangling from high ceilings. The wide hallways were lit by skylights and lined with inset doors whose access pads glowed to the right of each door.
The women counted four doors, and Kiera held out her bracelet to the access pad. The door slid open. Evelyn waited outside while Kiera entered the massive bathroom. She removed the translator and replaced it, satisfied at the faint hum indicating it was working once more.
She went about her business and was about to leave when the door opened and two beautiful, tall women entered. One looked her over with disdain, and the other whispered to the first, “She could not possibly ally to the dhjan family, sister. She is too small and khorj to bear warriors.”
