Sharing the Female from Earth [Lost in Space 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Marla Monroe

  “I think I like your way of handling couples with children,” Della admitted. “But, the fact remains that we can work through most of the pregnancy without it affecting anything. At the very least, we should be allowed to do something until we are confirmed to be pregnant. Like I said, we’d go crazy and become depressed with nothing to do all day every day.”

  Gressen seemed relieved that she’d accepted some of their traditions so easily concerning the pregnancy and birth aspects. He nodded and smiled.

  “I will talk with the council on what you’ve told me. I had heard some of this from your human leader, but he didn’t explain it as well. I had to once again assure him that we were not going to take all of the human females for ourselves and enslave them to work while we mated with you.” He sighed shaking his head. “This Earth you are from sounds like a very disagreeable place to live. I don’t know why you remained there as long as you did.”

  Caro laughed, making both Veran and Gressen seem to relax into their seats and their mouths curve up into broad smiles. For a few seconds, Della had to fight down the jealousy that Caro could affect Veran like that. Then it hit her she was still thinking of him as her man, just as she did of Kane. It also struck her that they hadn’t been exaggerating when they said a woman’s smile and laughter affected them. It really did. Veran’s reaction wasn’t just for Caro, she didn’t think. She had a feeling all the males of Levasso would be affected by the laughter of all the women from Earth just as they would from any child born there.

  Caro was explaining that for the longest time, they hadn’t known that life existed on other planets outside their solar system since they knew it didn’t exist on any besides Earth in theirs.

  “Then once the various governments that knew about life outside of Earth revealed it to us, we were convinced they were all dangerous and would take us over, so no one wanted to explore. It wasn’t until our sun began deteriorating and tearing apart our planet that everyone realized we didn’t have much choice except to locate planets that we could settle on in hopes the human race would be saved,” she told them.

  “Hmmm,” Gressen said. “That Derrick male and a few of the other males have not told us everything when we’ve talked to them about their reasons for crashing here.”

  Caro and Della looked at each other. Della started to ask him what they had been told, but Kane beat her to it.

  “What have you been told? I will give you all the information I have, but truly I was only one of the males chosen to help start a new colony. There could have been other plans that I wasn’t privy to.”

  “They didn’t say anything about your planet becoming uninhabitable, only that you were sent out to colonize other planets without known life,” Gressen began.

  “That part is true. They had discovered three planets that had no intelligent life that they knew of in two different solar systems. The planet they were sending us to colonize had very few animals or creatures at all populating it so they felt it would be safe to send the women with us to set up an initial camp. They would then send shuttles of supplies and more humans every five or six months. It took about eight months to reach the planet from Earth.” Kane waited to see if they had any questions. When they didn’t ask any, he continued talking.

  “The other two planets had more life on it that could prove to be dangerous, so they sent the men ahead to build their homes and get things started before they were going to send the first group of women. I don’t know how they are doing with the other two planets. All I know is that we evidently ended up sucked into a black hole that sent us here to your galaxy and we crashed on your planet.”

  Gressen nodded. “This black hole. Describe it for me.”

  “You would be better off asking one of the crew members that lived, like the Major. I’ve never seen one in person, only on TV and in books. You can’t actually see one, but the gravitational pull is so strong nothing can escape it. Even light and radiation is caught in it. They say that is because a large amount of matter has been squeezed down into a very small size. The only way to detect one is to watch how stars, gasses, and planets react around an area. If you can tell that something is moving toward that area then you can pretty much assume it is a black hole.”

  “That is what we call a star trap,” Gressen said with a nod. “There are actually some species that have mapped many of these and know where they lead. The one you fell through always lands in this solar system though it may be near a different planet each time. We don’t use them to travel, but these other beings do.”

  “Why not, when you are need of females for you planet? I would think you would use every possible way to locate them,” Della said.

  “We have never been able to determine the exact location where they lead to so we would be able to return here. We’ve lost some of our men this way, and can only hope they are safe wherever they ended up,” Gressen told them.

  “How did these others figure it out then?” Kane asked.

  “The ruling powers do not value their subordinates and see them as expendable. If they don’t return within a reasonable amount of time, then they adjust their plans and send out another group. It is barbaric and doesn’t raise our chances of locating compatible females.” Gressen leaned back on his seat.

  “We are now exploring what I believe you call worm tunnels, or is it cracks?” Veran added.

  Caro and Della chuckled before Caro filled him in. “They’re called worm holes.”

  “Ah, yes. Well, we have found safe methods of navigating them without loss of life. The others ignore them since a worm hole takes longer to navigate than a black hole. We see it as saving lives and time isn’t the most important thing. We do not sacrifice some to benefit a few. Life is precious, and we are not in need of anything enough to warrant taking chances on family and friends. We are not animals.” Gressen’s voice had grown louder as he talked. Now he sighed and shook his head.

  “It doesn’t sound like you are friends with them,” Kane noted.

  “No, they are the ones that attacked us years ago in an effort to take over our planet. They wanted our natural resources and to enslave our males. They tempted us to allow them access to a planet with females that looked much like we did, but we quickly figured out they were not real,” Veran said.

  “Robots? Androids?” Della asked.

  “I don’t believe they were as you called them. These were real in that they were of flesh, but had been manufactured to appear like us. They were programed to react as they thought our females would react. They were very wrong, and because they looked so much like us, we were immediately suspicious. The council discovered their subterfuge and cut all contact with them. That is when they changed tactics and the females they had sent to us turned on us, trying to disable our defenses that monitor our planet. That is how we knew you’d crashed. We studied the craft and once we were sure it wasn’t one of them, we set out to see if you were friendly and if you needed help,” Gressen told them.

  “They were cyborgs,” Della said out of the blue.

  Chapter Nine

  “Cyborgs?” Veran and Gressen asked in unison, their deep voices plucking at places inside of her that she really needed to get control of.

  “Yes. They are cybernetic organisms, or cyborgs for short. I used to read a lot of Sci-Fi when I was on Earth and got interested in them, so I did a lot of research about them. I bet that is what they made. It’s technology married with the organic.” She shook her head. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I think Mike told you the truth but just left out parts. They probably aren’t going to give you a lot of information since they are typical military and are suspicious of everything.”

  Kane shook his head, catching Della’s attention in the process. She had forgotten that he had been in the marines. She winced.

  “Kane, I wasn’t talking about you.” It was lame and she knew it.

  “No, you were, but I know it wasn’t personal. It was the one thing I didn’t like about the military,
yet in that context, it was very true. If I hadn’t been suspicious of everything, I would have ended up dead more times than I care to remember.” Kane let out a slow breath.

  “I will keep that in mind, Della. I can even understand it in a small way, since we’ve been tricked on several occasions. Right now, though,” Gressen stood up. “I believe it is best that we all take our rest. It has been a very long day for all of us.”

  As he picked up his plate and spork, the rest of them did the same. Veran took the dishes from them and put them in a rack that then disappeared into the wall, as did everything in the house.

  “Caro would you like to stay with me on my side or do you wish to remain with Della and Kane?” Gressen asked.

  Anyone who looked at him probably would have seen the tension in his stance and in the lines at his temples near his eyes, but Della had always been adept at reading people and it looked as if the Levassians were no different once you knew their tells. Gressen wanted Caro as much as she sensed that Veran and Kane wanted her.

  Caro turned to Della with a smile holding a hint of nervousness. “Will you be okay with Kane here? I know Veran will take good care of you both.”

  “We’re fine. If you change your mind, you know which room is mine. Night, Caro.” Della hugged the other woman then turned to Kane and Veran. “I’m about ready to drop.”

  To everyone’s amusement, Veran took her literally and rushed over to pick her up in his arms. Even Kane chuckled despite them sort of being in competition for her favor.

  “What?” Veran asked.

  Kane just shook his head and led the way toward the hall where the sleeping rooms were.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Veran asked again.

  Della decided to let him off the hook. “No. I didn’t mean that I was really about to drop. It was a saying that indicated I was very tired. I’m sorry. We shouldn’t be laughing at you, but I think they are laughing at me as well.”

  Veran smiled down at her. “It’s okay. I have a feeling there are going to be many miscommunications between our races. Some will be amusing and some not. We have a lot to learn about each other.”

  He reached out and opened her door, setting her down on her feet once inside. He looked around the room with a soft smile, then took a step back, nearly stepping on Kane’s feet in the process.

  “Rest well, little one. I will knock on your door in the morning when the morning meal is ready.” He started to turn away, but Della quickly grabbed his shirt and went up on tiptoe.

  Veran must have thought she wanted to tell him something since he bent down presenting her with his ear. She used one hand to turn his face toward her and kissed him lightly on the lips.

  “Good night, Veran. Thank you for taking us in and caring about us.” Then she turned to Kane and reached up with both hands to hold his face in her palms before she kissed him as well.

  Without another word, she stepped back inside her room and touched the spot on the edge of the door that was still nearly over her head, and the door slid quietly closed.

  * * * *

  Veran looked over at Kane and caught the look of happiness on the human’s face before he hid it from him. It was obvious that the male cared deeply for the female and she returned his feelings, but it was also obvious that she had feelings for Veran as well.

  “Good night, Kane. If you need anything, my room is just on the other side of Della’s.” He walked to his door but stopped when he realized the other male still stood outside of Della’s room and watched him.

  “Veran. We need to talk,” Kane said with a sigh.

  He frowned, not wanting to argue with the human male the first night. They should give the female time to relax before their strife began, but he could see the determination in Kane’s face. He merely nodded and headed back toward the gathering room. There he took a seat at one end of the couch to alleviate their height differences some. He didn’t want the other male to feel threatened by anything other than his interest in the female.

  “I know you are attracted to Della and she seems to be comfortable around you. From what I’ve heard, your people treat women with respect and are careful of them. I care about her very much. It is possible I even love her already, but she needs more than I can provide. I’m not strong enough in this world to assure her safety.” Kane looked utterly defeated, though he stood straight and tall near the back of the room.

  “I do care for her very much. She’s a delightful female who makes me smile and my heart sing. And you’re right. She would be well taken care of in my hands, but her happiness means much more to me than how much I want her as my mate. Yes, I can probably keep her safer than you can solely due to my size compared to yours, but I have no doubt you would die fighting for her,” Veran said. “Are you telling me you are relinquishing your prior claim to allow me to go forward with courting her?”

  He watched as Kane’s face tightened almost enough that he thought to see it break apart, but then he relaxed and nodded. His pain was palpable in the small room as he seemed to be saying good-bye to all chance at happiness. Veran could not in good conscience allow the male to continue, but Kane spoke again.

  “I would ask that I be allowed to remain here with her until it’s obvious she’s comfortable and happy in her place with you. Then I would like a place on the other side of the city to live and work.”

  Veran almost felt his own heart break at this male’s attempt at doing what he felt was best for Della. He’d already decided that it would kill something inside of her to choose between them. Kane didn’t know it, but if he just backed off and allowed Veran to court her, Della would feel that she’d somehow hurt the other man or angered him. No, he needed to set things straight now, before any misunderstandings began.

  “Sit down, Kane. We need to talk about this.”

  Kane looked at him for a few long seconds before he final walked over and sat down on the opposite end of the curved seating. In this way they were almost across from each other.

  “Della would never choose between us. I think you know this, right?” At the other male’s nod, Veran continued. “You should also know that you can’t give her to me and expect her to stand by your decision that I should be the male to mate her.”

  Kane opened his mouth, thought about it, then closed it once again and sighed. “It would look that way, and I have no right to give her away since she’s not mine in the first place.”

  “I don’t have the right to accept her from you either. It is a decision that only she should and can make. We care about her, though, and are trying to make her decisions for her so she doesn’t have to feel as if she’s hurt someone’s feelings. Our hearts are in the right place, but still misguided.” Veran looked down at his hands, wondering how they would look against Della’s lighter-colored skin. She was a few shades lighter than Kane but entirely different from his own bronzed color.

  “It leaves us stuck in the middle as well. I don’t think I could stand watching her choose another that I didn’t know or trust. I do trust you, Veran.” Kane looked Veran in the eyes.

  Veran nodded. “Thank you for that honor. I trust you as well. I don’t trust most of the other males of your race yet. I may never fully trust them, but your willingness to die for her today and your attempt at doing what you perceived to be best for her now tells me that you are indeed an honorable male. It is why I propose this between us.”

  Kane stilled to listen. It was obvious in the way he sat on the edge of the couch that Veran had his full attention. The poor male was grasping at straws, as was Veran for that matter.

  “When the Eros Scourge sickened our people and our children and females died, we realized that those few females who were left were even more precious to us. I was a young male of only twelve cycles when the decision was made that all females would be shared by two males per household to ensure they were cared for and safe at all times. The males took turns working and taking care of the females so that they were never alone. That rule
was never changed, even when most of the females had lost the battle with the sickness. Even now, there are but ten females left alive and they all have two males as mates who see to their every need.” He stopped and watched Kane for any sign that he understood what Veran was leading up to. This male, unlike most of the other human males, was nearly impossible to read. He had complete control over his emotions and facial expressions.

  Except for when Della is around. Then he relaxes and allows his thoughts to show. I feel that I do the same when I’m around her. I want that for always.

  “I believe that the council is going to suggest that this still be the rule and that all who live on Levasso adhere to it. I’m sure that if the females completely refuse to take two mates, they will back down in fear they would refuse to mate at all. I’m in hopes the females will accept it, though, as I think it would be the perfect solution for everyone, especially if a female would take one human and one Levassian mate.”

  Finally Kane’s expression changed a bit. His eyes narrowed a bit before he leaned back in the seating. It was obvious to Veran that he was thinking it over before saying anything.

  “I believe it is the human males you will have the most trouble with. They do not share wives, um, mates, well. The females will not fuss, really, since one of the things I don’t think the Major planned to tell you was that there were two husbands for every wife for the colonies. It was the belief of the rulers on Earth that it would take two males to provide and keep a female safe, especially when children came around.”

  Veran felt stunned at his news. No, the other human males had not said anything. Now that he’d thought about it though, he remembered Della mentioning something about losing her husbands, not husband, at some point. He’d not really paid close attention at the time since he wasn’t exactly sure what husbands meant.

  “Then would you agree to share Della with me? I will be very careful with her and take excellent care of her. I will teach you about the planet and the dangers here and help you train to keep her safe.” Veran almost held his breath for Kane to answer him.