by Marla Monroe
He nodded and looked over at Kane. “Do you need anything? It will be maybe thirty of your minutes before your group is loaded into a transport.”
“Is it safe for them to sit over there under that tree? They need off their feet for a little while if we’re going to be waiting.” Kane didn’t want to risk letting them sit down anywhere without asking. They knew nothing of this place and there could be hidden dangers.
“Yes. It will be fine,” Veran assured him. “I’ll help you get them settled.”
Veran followed him to settle the women under the tree. They both oohed and ahhed over being able to sit for a change. Kane removed Della’s shoes and massaged her feet. It was something he knew how to do.
“I’ll do yours next, Caro,” he told the other woman.
Veran looked at a loss. “I’m sorry. I do not know how to do that. I am afraid I would hurt you if I tried.”
“It’s okay,” Caro told him. “I can wait for Kane to finish with Della’s.”
Kane realized it was something he could do for Della that Veran couldn’t, but how often did she need her feet or legs massaged? He shook that thought away and enjoyed the moment instead. Her feet were a nice size for her build. Probably most people would have thought them big, but he appreciated sturdiness and liked that they weren’t skinny and bony as he imagined Caro’s would be. He had nothing against smaller women, but they just didn’t appeal to him.
When he’d finished with Della’s, he reluctantly released her feet and turned to Caro. To his surprise, her feet weren’t nearly as small as he’d envisioned them to be. Yes, they were smaller than Della’s, but they weren’t boney and he didn’t worry that he would bruise them with his big hands. He almost laughed at that thought though. His hands were much smaller than Veran or Gressen’s were.
“What will happen to us once we arrive at your city, Veran?” Della asked.
Veran smiled at her. “You will be checked over by a healer first to be sure you really didn’t suffer any damage from the attack. Then you will be settled in one of the empty homes in our city. I would like to offer you and Kane the use of my home for as long as you wish to remain,” he said. As if remembering Caro sitting there and not wanting to appear rude, he smiled at the woman. “I would offer it to you as well, but I know that Gressen plans to offer his home to you and he is right next to me. You and Della would be close to each other that way.”
Caro’s face reddened, but Della seemed comfortable with the idea. It worried him that she was already so relaxed around Veran, then he reminded himself that he’d already settled the issue that she needed Veran more than she needed him.
“Kane? Is that okay with you? I’d like being in the home of someone I was already comfortable with and you would be there, too. With Caro right next door, I wouldn’t feel so alone I don’t think.” Della smiled at him, turning his blood into a heated mass in his veins.
“If you would like to stay with him, then that is what you should do, Della. I want you to be comfortable and relaxed,” he managed to get out.
She frowned. “But how will you feel staying there? Are you comfortable enough being around him? I thought the two of you were getting along fine.”
He cursed to himself before glancing at Veran. “I am and I think we are, but are you sure you want me to stay there, too?”
“Of course I do. Please, Kane.”
He couldn’t resist her plea, nor would he throw away the opportunity for more time being near her. He finished up with massaging Caro’s feet and sat down next to Della.
“If you’re sure you want me there as well then I will stay there, too.” He looked up at where Veran still stood with those strange eyes still fastened on Della. “That is okay with you, Veran?”
The bronzed male started then smiled and nodded. “It is more than okay with me. I would like us all to become friends. I will show you around the city and introduce you to those I consider to be friends. Gressen and I are close, so you will see Caro often, Della.”
As if conjured up by their words, Gressen walked up and crouched next to Caro. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m much better now. Kane massaged my feet so they aren’t hurting as much now,” she said with a smile.
Gressen frowned and glared at Kane, but Veran stepped between them. “He only helped with relieving some of the pain. There was nothing inappropriate in his actions. He is with Della.”
“I apologize,” Gressen said. “I have no right to be angry with you. Caro is a friend of Della’s and she is not my woman. I am oversensitive after the treatment she suffered earlier.”
Kane was still reeling from Veran’s statement that he was with Della. He nodded, clearing his throat. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
On top of Veran saying he was with Della, he’d intervened for him with his friend as if they were just as close. It seemed odd to him, but Kane wasn’t going to question it. It felt good for once to have someone claim him as a friend like that. Normally he was persona non grata in most circles due to his Indian heritage. This felt good, satisfying.
“Kane and Della have agreed to accept my offer of my home for now. I didn’t want Caro to feel rejected by my not offering to her as well, so I’ve already told her that you planned to offer your home to her,” Veran said. “I’m sorry for stepping in like that.”
Gressen shook his head. “It is fine. Caro, I hope you will allow me to host you in my home. If you would feel more comfortable, you may ask another of your group to join you.”
Caro looked over at Della. “Veran said you live next to each other, so Della would be close by. I think I would be fine without asking someone else to move in as well. Um, how far apart are you from each other?”
Gressen smiled. “In our city, we have large family homes where several smaller families live together. I’m not quite sure how to describe it.”
“Like apartments where you have one building and there are individual apartments in the building?” Della asked.
He smiled. “Yes. That would be close to what I’m talking about. Only where we live is one house with several um, wings I think is the right word. I have a wing. My brother has a wing, and Veran has a wing. There is an empty wing as well where my parents once lived.”
“It sounds much like when my people lived in large pole lodges. Entire families lived in one pole lodge,” Kane said.
“Your people? I don’t understand,” Gressen said. “I thought you were human like the others.”
“I am, but I am of a different culture. On Earth there were many different cultures,” he explained.
Gressen nodded but clearly still didn’t quite understand. Caro changed the subject back to their homes.
“I’ve never heard of anything like that before,” Caro said. “It sounds interesting. Do you and your brother get along?” she asked.
“Yes. We are very close. My oldest brother died many years ago when we were invaded by another culture. Sabin and I are very close now. He is only a few cycles older than I am,” Gressen told her.
“Sabin is a good male to have at your back and is a healer. You will like him and feel comfortable around him as well, Caro,” Veran said. “Do you think he will be with the transports so that he could look at Della’s throat? Kane is worried about it.”
“Yes, he is here. I will ask him to come now and check her.” He spoke softly into the device at his shoulder. “He will be here shortly.”
“Thank you,” Kane told him. That did make him feel better, knowing she would be looked at sooner rather than later.
“I will find you once we arrive in our city. Stay with Veran, Kane, and Della even if they return to Veran’s home. I will find you once we have everything taken care of with the others.”
“Okay. Thank you for letting me stay with you,” Caro said with a smile.
Kane could tell Gressen was more than happy she was going to stay with him. It was so obvious that he was smitten with the blonde-haired female. As for him. He would wait
and see what Veran was doing. He felt as if he were being maneuvered into some special position by Veran. Normally he wouldn’t allow someone to play him like this, but Kane was a patient man and Della meant a lot to him despite it only having been a few days. He would watch and be sure she was going to be fine while he stayed in the Levassian’s home.
Chapter Seven
The city was nothing like what she would have expected. As Della rode in the rounded transport shaped a lot like an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, they approached the most amazing sight. Rounded domes formed a massive circle surrounded by wide open areas of what looked like tended fields. No far from the city lay an enormous body of water that shimmered under the two suns just beginning their downward slide in the afternoon.
As they drew closer, she could see that each cluster of domed homes had a larger central dome with two, three, and four smaller domes connected to it. The assemblage spoke of family to her, the way they were connected just as Veran and Gressen had said. Every unit was a different vivid color, making the entire city look like a vibrant bouquet of flowers.
“Wow!” Caro murmured, from her seat next to her. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is. I’ve never seen anything like it,” she admitted.
“I wonder why they settled on rounded roofs,” Caro said.
“It keeps the rain from penetrating and making a mess,” Veran said from behind them.
The transport drove into the center of the city where it finally stopped in front of a much larger domed building with a cluster of smaller domes surrounding it.
“This is our health facility, where we will care for the injured and check everyone first,” Veran told them. “They will come for us in a few minutes. First they will attend to the injured. See how each of the transports have pulled up to a different smaller dome?”
Sure enough, they had circled the building where the staff was even now helping to transfer the injured inside. Everything appeared so orderly and practiced, as if they did this every day.
Soon their turn came and the fifteen or so humans on the transport were herded into the smaller domed complex. Inside, everything was immaculate and empty looking outside of divided areas with stretcher-like beds in each section. Where were all the supplies and medical implements? It didn’t make sense.
“What’s wrong, Della? I can feel your anxiety,” Veran said from where he stood next to her.
“Um, nothing. I just never did like hospitals.” She followed the male alien in a yellow cape-like jacket to one of the partitioned-off areas, where he indicated she should sit on the stretcher. She quickly looked around and could no longer see Caro or Kane.
Veran lifted her up to the stretcher before she knew what he was going to do. He quickly stepped back so that the other Levassian could get to her. She expected to have to undress and pull on a gown but the male just ran an odd-looking wand that was about seven inches long and two inches wide up and down her without actually touching her.
“Don’t be afraid,” Veran said. “It is used to determine where you are injured and how badly. Pay close attention to her neck and throat area. My brother says she has a bruised esophagus but nothing was damaged.”
The Levassian nodded and spent a good amount of time running the thing over and around her neck on all sides. Then he stepped back and walked over to one wall where he touched it and a drawer appeared, sliding forward. He pulled something from it and the drawer disappeared back into the white wall again.
He returned to her side and wrapped a shiny cold metal object around her throat, making her panic. She tried to pull away, but Veran stopped her from grabbing at it.
“Easy, little one. It isn’t going to hurt you. It will only be on there for a few seconds to heal the bruised tissues. I’m sorry. We should have explained it to you before he placed it on your neck.” Veran held her close to his warm body and Della became aware of a soft tingling in her neck and throat.
“It’s not staying on,” she affirmed.
“Shh, no. It won’t. Don’t talk while it works. Just a few seconds more.”
As soon as the other male had removed the metal from her neck, she breathed easier. For a horrible few moments, she’d thought they planned to collar her and keep her chained somewhere like a slave or pet. The frightening feeling had nearly sent her off the deep end.
“How does your throat feel now?” Veran asked.
She swallowed, then spoke. “I think it’s fine now.” The raspy quality of her voice after the attack was gone now. “Wow! It really healed me. Will it be able to do that for the ones from the shuttle?”
He frowned. “It will help and speed up their recovery, but serious injuries still take much longer and there are always some things that can’t be fixed. We will do our best to heal them.”
She smiled and touched the back of his hand. “I know you will. Your people have been so generous and accepting of us. I, for one, am greatly appreciative of everything you’ve done.”
He smiled a much broader smile than she’d seen on him yet. “I’m very happy to have found you. I believe that you can be very happy here.”
After thanking the healer who’d attended to her, Della followed Veran as he led her to where Kane waited outside of the partitioned area where Caro had been taken. It was then that she realized that those areas with people inside were no longer visible from the outside. She didn’t understand. The flimsy curtains that surrounded each room appeared completely see through from the outside unless someone was inside.
Even as she watched, Caro stepped out of the room with a healer and the walls of the small area became transparent once more. She shook her head and planned to ask about it later. Right now she wanted to be sure Caro and Kane were both fine.
“Was everything okay?” She asked Caro first.
“He said I had a pulled ligament in my left ankle that was causing my foot to hurt so much, but he put something around it and it tingled, then it was fine.” She smiled and flexed her foot for everyone to see.
“Kane?” They turned to him.
“I am well. I had some bruises from hitting the tree, but the healer took care of them as well. I no longer feel any discomfort,” he said.
“He actually had a small fracture on his spine, but no longer,” a male voice said from behind them.
Gressen’s brother, Sabin, walked up with a broad smile on a face so like his brother’s that they could be twins were it not for the fact that Sabin’s skin seemed more golden than Gressen’s was. They had the same dark green eyes with the golden circle around their pupils.
“Thank you, Sabin, for taking care of him,” Veran said.
Sabin merely nodded. “Please inform my brother that I will be late returning home. There are many that need attention.”
“Understood. Be well. I will make sure he knows, though I’m sure he already expects it.” Veran turned to them when Sabin left them to enter another area. “We will continue on to my home. Gressen will join us once everyone is situated.”
They followed Veran through the facility and out a different door. Della couldn’t help but admire his body as they walked through the immaculate streets to his home. She loved how his ass filed out the uniform pants he wore. When she compared him to Kane, she realized both men were just too hot to ignore. Kane’s ass was just a little more tapered than Veran’s but Kane’s shoulders were a bit wider compared to the Levassian. Yes, Veran was nearly a foot taller than the other man but both were equally ripped in the muscle department.
They stopped beside a large dwelling with four other domed structures attached. All of them were painted the same vivid green that reminded her of a lime. Veran opened the door by placing his hand to the side, and it slid into the wall. On entering, she and Caro gasped at the sense of space inside and the warm feel that probably came from how much it resembled some of their homes on earth on the inside.
Instead of the sterile, plain look they’d expected after seeing the health facility, the main dome had couch-lik
e seating with something like a flood lamp hanging from the ceiling by a pole. She assumed it was a light, but when Veran had entered the home, light flooded the interior with no apparent fixtures to be seen. The room just seemed to glow with it.
Veran showed them to his section of the home and Della immediately fell in love with it. The small living area was decorated in golds and oranges with the walls holding various tapestries in those colors. He too had one of the couch-appearing pieces of furniture and the same odd metal lamp hanging from the ceiling in front of it.
“What is that?” Caro asked. “It looks like a light fixture, but that wasn’t where the light is coming from. There was another one just like it in the first room.”
“It’s our communication center. Every room has one with the exception of the bedroom. There, the only communication would be through our personal devices.” He indicated the one attached to his uniform top.
“Oh,” was all she said, but she lifted her brow at Della as if to say she still didn’t see. Della could commiserate. It didn’t make sense to her either.
The fixture was pointing down. Did they stand under them and talk into them? Maybe you grabbed it and held it to you ear. She just shrugged and continued to follow the male as he showed them the rest of his home.
“This is my meal prep area,” he told them, standing behind a bar-like appendage that jutted off one side of an empty wall behind where Veran stood.
He turned and pressed a hand to a spot on the wall and a door opened, revealing what looked like a strange fridge. There were lines of boxes along opening from just above Veran’s head to just below his knees. He pulled several containers out and closed the door. Then he placed his hand on another spot and something that looked much like a combination of a microwave and a child’s old Easy Bake Oven popped out of the wall of white. He programed something on the screen, then popped in the containers and returned his attention to them.
“I’m sure you are all hungry. We will have a light meal in a few minutes. First I want to show you where you will be staying.” Veran took Della’s hand and led her, with the others following behind down a short hall where there were several closed doors on either side of the hall.