by Cara Bristol
That’s what I should do.
But, after meeting her, I couldn’t give her up.
I went to her, stopping an arm’s length away. Already, I was falling for her. I found her Terraness exotic and lovely. She lacked horns, and she was punier than our females, but her hair was sleek and dark, her half-moon-shaped eyes mysterious, and her full pink lips enticed me to try mouth-meshing.
I would work without complaint. I would hunt kel to provide her with food and clothes. I would cook for her. I would keep her warm during the long cold months. I would think before I acted and would not let impulsiveness get the better of me.
“I promise to become worthy of you,” I vowed. “I will become the mate you deserve.”
She shook her head slightly. “I’m the one who needs to become worthy of you.”
“You’re perfect as you are.”
“There’s so much you don’t know about me,” she said.
“We’ll learn about each other, together.” Except for one thing. The secret I couldn’t tell the world, I also couldn’t share with her. I hated we were starting our life together with a lie between us.
I will work harder so it will not matter.
We gazed into each other’s eyes, and warmth suffused me clear down to my loins. Despite my dishonesty, being with her felt right, like the winds had intended us to be together, had chosen us for one another. She was exactly what I had envisioned. Her smile quivered, and my heart swelled.
“Perhaps you would like to eat now?” I asked. Torg had told me not to rush her. Desire and emotion surged through me, but I had to trust my brother’s counsel. Having been mated for two years, he had experience and wisdom.
“That’s a good idea,” she said, staring at the ceiling over the fire pit.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
Then I saw it—a winged insect like the kind that had been in the lodge. Against the gray stone, its mottled-gray body blended in. If not for the motion of its wings, I might not have noticed it.
“I’ll handle it.” I grabbed a slim, but sturdy branch. Acting nonchalantly, I adjusted the burning logs in the pit then stood up and speared the insect with the poker. It fell into the fire. It did not burn or bleed but melted like silver snow.
Sunny covered her mouth with her hand.
“It’s dead,” I said. As I turned away from the fire, I spotted another of the strange insects, and I approached it with the poker. It bobbed up and down and then flew out of the chamber. Two more I hadn’t seen followed it.
“Chu-chu-chu.” My mate’s shoulders shook and laughter bubbled between her fingers. She clapped another hand over her mouth as if trying to contain her mirth but then gave up. She doubled over, hugging her stomach, tears streaming from her eyes.
I didn’t understand the humor, but I loved the sound of her amusement, her smile. I chuckled, too, and then we were laughing together, clutching each other for support. Joy like I’d never known filled me.
* * * *
Almost as if she feared it would bite back, Sunny nibbled at a piece of roasted kel. Her eyes widened. “It’s very tasty!”
Starr giggled. “You don’t sound surprised at all.”
My mate dug into her meal more avidly. “It’s like a cross between beef and venison, a little gamey, but tender.” She looked at me. “You’re a very good cook.”
“Darq got it all ready before he left, but I rotated the spit,” Torg said, trying to steal my credit.
Starr elbowed him. “When you remembered.”
My mate sampled the root vegetables next, her hum of enjoyment letting me know I’d pleased her. I was glad I’d had the foresight to bake a sweet macha for dessert. I’d dispatched the insects, and I’d prepared a meal for her. So far, I was doing well.
Starr rubbed her abdomen, and Torg placed his hand over hers. “Starlet is very active,” he said. They smiled at each other.
I looked around the dinner table, contentment filling me. Once there had only been Torg and me. Now we were four, soon to be five, and hopefully, one day, six. I looked forward to the day Sunny and I would have our own offspring, but I also hoped she or he would not come too soon because I wanted to enjoy our togetherness before we tended to a child.
“Two months, huh?” Sunny eyed Starr.
“More or less.” Starr shrugged. “The gestation period for Dakonians is longer than for humans, so we’ll see.”
“Our daughter will be the first baby born in our tribe in ten years,” Torg said.
Sunny stopped eating. Her eyes grew round. “I didn’t realize how serious the situation was.”
“We faced extinction,” Torg said. “Our survival is still not guaranteed, but we have hope.”
“Does Dakon have a hospital?” Sunny resumed eating.
“There is now; there wasn’t when I came,” Starr replied. “Terra built a clinic with modern equipment and helped to train their healers. However, I’m going to have a home birth. A woman from another tribe who used to be a nurse midwife on Terra will assist me. Our tribe has a healer—Stovak—but he hasn’t delivered any babies.”
“If you need it, is the clinic far away?” Sunny asked.
“Two tripta,” Starr replied. “It’s near the meeting place where you got off the ship.”
“I would have expected it to be in a town.”
“Uh, that is the town,” Starr said. “The meeting place is what they call their village, and there is only the one. It’s the center of civilization. The camps or clans are located within walking distance of the meeting place.”
Sunny’s jaw dropped. “Those few buildings—that’s it?”
She looked so shocked, my heart sank. “You’re disappointed,” I said.
“No,” she denied, but I suspected she attempted to spare my feelings. “How many people live here?”
“About five thousand,” Torg answered.
“Well, that’s a decent size for the greater village area.”
“No, that’s the whole planet,” Torg corrected her.
“You’re kidding?” Sunny glanced between the three of us.
“Does it make a difference?” I asked. To whether you want to go or stay? I hesitated to voice the rest.
“No.” She placed her hand on mine, and maybe because I desired it to be so, I imagined her touch lingering for a moment. “It’s hard for me to imagine an entire planet with a population of five thousand. Terra has so many people, it’s hard to find a place where you can be alone.”
Starr nodded. “That’s true.”
“There may be people on the other side of the planet,” I said. “Enoki—our leader—intends to send an expedition one day to find out. It’s possible others survived the asteroid strike, and their descendants are alive.”
“But you don’t know?” Sunny asked.
“No,” Torg replied. “We’ve never encountered anyone who wasn’t from one of the fifteen tribes. Our population has diminished over the generations as our birth rate has dropped due to the lack of females.”
“Let’s not be so serious tonight, okay?” Starr said. “Did you get a chance to look around the meeting place while you were there?” she asked Sunny.
“I saw a little bit from the ship, but when we disembarked, it was so cold, we ran for the lodge building.”
Starr twisted her mouth. “I remember that part like it was yesterday.”
“It was getting dark, so we came straight here,” I added. I could imagine Romando’s ire when he was left without a mate. Enoki would have been furious also when he realized somebody had wrongfully claimed a female.
Everyone had finished eating, so I removed the wooden platters and brought over the sweetened macha and a jar of preserved berries. Starr dug into it with gusto, slathering the fruit over the macha.
“You need to try this.” Starr waved her biscuit. “Darq bakes the best macha. But if anyone else brings you macha as a mating gift—d
on’t eat it.”
“Why not?”
Torg shook his head chidingly. “You were only poisoned once, and Icha is gone now.” He made light, but I’d never seen Torg so frantic as when Starr had become ill.
“Once was enough.” Starr tossed her head. “Icha got jealous when Torg and I mated, so she brought me some tainted macha. I’d never been so ill in my entire life.” She rubbed her abdomen and twisted her mouth. “Well, not until I got pregnant with Starlet,” she whispered, as if the baby might hear and take offense.
Torg leaned back and grinned.
“What?” Starr looked at him.
“You called her Starlet.”
Starr scowled. “Slip of the tongue.” Her expression lightened as she looked at me. “You should take Sunny back to the meeting place and show her the trading post, the tavern, the modern hospital, the computer setup in the lodge. If there is someone on Terra you would like to contact, my friend Andrea can help you.”
“Yes! I’d like to see that.” She reached for a macha and spread the berry mixture on it.
“I will bring you sometime,” I hedged. I had to avoid it as long as I could. What if Andrea remembered?
“It doesn’t take long on the skimmers,” Starr said.
Sunny took a bite of the macha. “Umm…” she said. “This is wonderful.”
My chest swelled with pride and pleasure.
“Perhaps I should call a tribe meeting, and all the men can introduce their new mates.” Torg reached for a macha. “Yes, I should have thought of it sooner.”
“No!” Sunny burst out then said in a calmer tone, “Please, this is all so much.” She looked at me apologetically. “Could we take it one day at a time, one person at a time?”
Relief shot through me. “I must honor my mate’s request,” I said.
The tribe had been informed of the “error” and the correction—that our clan had been awarded a fourth chit, and that my name had been selected. However, Torg had only relayed what I’d told him. If everyone got together, the men who’d been at the drawing might start asking questions. That wouldn’t be good.
Starr elbowed Torg again. “Let them handle it. This is their life now. You paraded me in front of the whole tribe, but it is overwhelming to be new to Dakon. Let Darq and Sunny proceed at their own pace.”
“I was only trying to help,” Torg replied, “but you are right.” He leaned over and meshed his mouth to Starr’s. “You had berries on your lip,” he explained, although I did not recall noticing that.
Yearning to try mouth-meshing with my mate coiled inside me. Sunny had no berries on her face, but she dabbed at her mouth with a cloth napkin.
How would she respond if I tried to kiss her? Torg had counseled me to “go slow.” Did that apply to mouth-meshing? Maybe she was wiping her mouth because she feared I would try to kiss berries off her face and didn’t want me to?
I’d already made a bold move by keeping the chit. Why should I shrink back now? It wasn’t like I could undo what I had done. I couldn’t give Sunny back—well, I could, but I wouldn’t—so I should march forward on the course I’d set.
As soon as we were alone again, I would try mouth-meshing.
Chapter Seven
Sunny
Darq wanted to kiss me. His arousal was written all over his handsome alien face. His chocolate eyes turned molten, and I swear his horns pulsed.
A kiss could not happen. No. No. No. Not because I didn’t want to kiss him, but because I did. One would lead to another then another, and then he’d fall in love with me, and I’d leave and break his heart.
Gee, conceited much?
Scared. He had the ability to break my heart. His vulnerability, his open, honest emotion threatened to undermine my resolve. No man had ever sought to please me the way he did. Terran men didn’t do that. Maybe a long time ago, but it didn’t happen anymore. Chivalry and monogamy were relics of the past like rotary-dial telephones, slide rules, and clocks with hands. Men had evolved into arrogant assholes who didn’t commit because they didn’t have to. But Darq was chivalrous and committed.
The meal he’d prepared was a culinary, gastronomical wonder. He’d given me his coat. Gotten me a trunk. He’d slain an “insect” for me. I’d catch hell for that later, but of all the things he’d done, that tickled me the most.
On further thought, it was the food. The cambot going down placed second.
No, it was Darq himself. The way he smelled, his rough voice. His earnest expression. His eagerness to please.
There wasn’t a deceptive, dishonest bone in his entire body.
I had to minimize his public humiliation. I couldn’t let him parade me around camp and introduce me to his clan. Thanks to Starr’s intervention, tribe leader Torg had agreed to respect my wishes. I don’t know how long I could forestall introductions, but hopefully I could hold them off until I could get him away from the cameras and bring him up to speed.
But I worried I’d cave to the urge to kiss him, so I dragged out dinner. Every time the conversation started to wind down, I’d kick-start it with more questions.
Starr blinked and covered a yawn. I was keeping a pregnant woman up past her bedtime to avoid temptation.
Just one kiss…
I’d never kissed an alien before.
I couldn’t kiss this one, either. I had to keep my hands to myself and off those cute little pulsing horns.
Yeah, I feared being alone with Darq because of what I might do. Kiss him, touch him, get him to kill more insects. Two of them watched from the corner of the room. Much as I’d like to destroy them all, I wouldn’t. I could get away with the loss of one, but if all of them were to crash and burn, I’d be in serious trouble. Devon would be in serious trouble.
I had to evade them somehow. My only hope of retaining my integrity was to confess. Then Darq wouldn’t want me anymore, and temptation wouldn’t be an issue. He’d no longer be looking at me with puppy-dog alien eyes, doing nice things for me…
“So you’ve never been to the other side of the planet?” I asked.
“No, I haven’t. No one has,” Torg replied. “I will be happy to answer more of your questions tomorrow. My mate needs rest.” He stood and helped Starr to her feet. “We are retiring to our chamber.”
Darq leaped up. “That’s a good idea.”
“Sorry.” Starr covered another yawn.
“I’m sorry for keeping you.” Right off the bat, I was wearing out my welcome.
“It’s okay.” She smiled. “Trust me, I understand your curiosity.”
My entire body buzzed with awareness as we entered our private chamber. My skin tingled, my breath came faster, and the air buzzed with sexual tension. “Thank you for dinner. It-it was wonderful.” My mouth had dried.
“You’re welcome. I enjoy taking care of my mate,” he said.
“You don’t need to take care of me.” I’d taken care of myself for as long as I could remember. What if I leaned on someone else? The idea beckoned with insidious seductiveness. Even if I had wanted to rely on a Terran man, I could never trust he would be dependable. He’d vanish when I needed him most. I sensed Darq wouldn’t do that.
He looked surprised. “Of course I do. It is my job—but also my pleasure. It’s only natural.”
“Well, thank you.”
He cocked his head, and a glint of understanding lit his gaze. “Men on Terra do not tend to their mates?”
I snorted. “Uh no.”
“Why not?”
“It isn’t their way.” Women had become expendable commodities. When I got back to Earth, I could look forward to one-night stands—at best, a short-term “relationship” that would fade with the guy’s waning interest. “You’re a special man. A good man,” I said.
He averted his gaze and muttered, “Not always so good.”
The fire had burned down to embers. He stalked over to it, tossed a few logs on top, poked around, and stoke
d it to a full flame. All traces of the cambot had vanished, melting away to disappear among the ash.
Surveying the ceiling, I located three cameras. Where were the other two? Taking location shots? Secretly recording other couples? Scouting for ways to introduce conflict into the show and make my life miserable? My shoulders slumped in resignation. It was foolish to hope I could outwit, outlast, or outplay the producers.
My secret felt like the mastodon in the cave.
Darq continued to poke at the logs. Fire required a surprising amount of tending.
“Um…I don’t suppose there’s a facility close by?” I said.
On his haunches, he turned. “Facility?”
“Bathroom?”
“There are hot springs in another cave. You wish to bathe now?”
That sounded wonderful, and I jotted a mental note to check that out another time. “No, I mean, like, to…relieve myself.”
“Oh!” He stood and dusted his hands on his leggings. Of course, my gaze went straight to his crotch.
I gulped, my body responding to his arousal with a heightening of my own libido.
“We used to have to leave the cave to use the lean-to, but Starr got us a waste recycler. It’s in another chamber. I’ll show you.”
It was nice not to have to leave the warmth and shelter of the cave to do my business, but on the other hand, a brisk romp through the snow might be what I needed to tamp down my lust. “Let me get…some things.”
From the trunk, I extracted my robe to use as a nightgown. With emotions and hormones on overdrive, I should be donning more clothes, not removing them, but it had been a hell of a long day, and I wanted to get comfortable.
He escorted me to an alcove hidden behind a Chinese screen. Starr’s touch again. “Would you like me to wait?” he asked.
“Uh…no thank you. I’ll find my way back.” I pulled aside the screen and entered the alcove. A cambot zipped inside. “Oh, hell no! Get out!” I yelled and swung my robe at it. I did not do nude scenes. I would not allow all of Terra to watch me undress, even if I was millions of miles away.
