‘Did you talk about the harem?’ Aled asked. ‘Rough business that.’
Rough didn’t adequately cover the public annihilation of watching hundreds of aliens dedicated to the erotic arts for the sole purpose of pleasing my husband welcoming him home. Were they mad? I couldn’t talk about it. My emotions were damned behind a wall of pride, and the flood levels were rising. I couldn’t risk a fracture in my composure. The whole thing would implode, and I’d explode taking the planet with me.
So although a storm raged inside, I placidly ladled berry compote onto my pastry on the outside. ‘Fine. Everything is fine.’ Lightning flashed, and thunder rolled behind my eyes, but my cloudy expression obscured it. ‘He and Éorik see to their duties.’
They’d been absent longer than expected, so were frightfully busy. Maybe they’re busy with their harems. I bombed that train of thought then buried the ashes. I wasn’t going to think about it. Safer to carpool with my old buddies: denial and self-flagellation. I tried not to panic over the fact I woke alone and hadn’t seen them. I tried not to assume they avoided me because they were confused about our last physical confrontation that ended up with us writhing in a dirty alleyway.
Wasn’t I classing up the place?
‘Tension between him and the Commander has calmed some,’ Patrick said. ‘The fight helped. They seemed better after you went off with them.’
Rowan nudged my shoulder with his. ‘Well? What did you talk about?’
I remembered being sandwiched between them in the alley. Beowyn’s fingers, slick with his spend, pushed past my clenched inner muscles. His rough growls vibrated one ear, and Éorik’s drummed against the other. ‘Didn’t do much talking.’ I hunched over my food and filled my mouth, chewing to delay further speech. I glanced at Fergie then jerked into a straight-backed position.
She imitated my humped back, squint-eyed performance. She then copied my corrected posture and slack-jawed expression. I didn’t know whether to be horrified or delighted at her developing observational skills.
Patrick smirked. ‘Just what did you do to tame the beasties?’
‘Shall I give you a blow by blow as you’re so interested in my sex life?’
‘Alright.’ He threw up his hands. ‘You called my bluff. Spare me the details. I want to be sure you’re good with everything that’s happening.’ Patrick looked at his father. His smile was fond as he watched the wizened man painstakingly pick seeds off a bread roll as if plain ones weren’t available in the basket next to him. ‘It’s important we’re happy, aye, but I don’t want you to believe any of this,’ he flicked a hand at the spread, at the furnishings, ‘means more to us than you.’
I offered a close-mouthed smile. ‘You’re sweet to say it–.’
‘I’m telling you straight. If you want to leave, I’ll find a way for us to survive here.’ His tone was firm. ‘Even if we have to leave the planet and settle elsewhere. Don’t you be forgetting you and the wee bit are no alone.’
I stared at the auburn mess of his hair, his beard scruff and ruddy complexion, swarthy from years of wind and sun. Wrinkles fanned from his eyes and lined his too-wide mouth. His green eyes were clear, his expression loving as he waited for my response.
I blinked at the ceiling and breathed through my teeth.
If I cried, I wouldn’t stop.
Crown mouldings and intricate patterns rendered in alabaster and gold gleamed above our lavish breakfast.
They would give it up for me. The fancy clothes, the expensive apartments, the sumptuous food. I’d uprooted them from the lands of our birth to drag them across the universe, yet if I said the word, they’d up and leave.
I opened my mouth to express my gratitude and love, but what spluttered out was, ‘I had sex with Éorik.’
Nose wrinkling, Patrick covered Fergie’s ears.
‘Called it.’ Rowan jabbed a dripping spoon. ‘Credits. You owe me.’
Aled’s knife clinked against his plate. ‘Couldn’t keep your legs together another week?’ He slouched. ‘I’ll pay you now, in a minute, Rowan.’
‘If I’m no paid by the time the suns go down, you go down.’
‘Beowyn got jealous,’ I said, shrill, ‘so they argued, and then fought, and I think they slept together at some point because I got the feeling they regretted it and wanted to do it again, so when we went off together at Carnival, Beowyn had me up against the wall while Éorik watched, and then we all did stuff.’
‘Truly.’ Patrick winced. ‘I could have been spared the details.’
‘I’m falling in love with them, but I’m no sure there’s enough inside me to make them happy.’ Running out of steam, my chest caved as my breath left in a whoosh, body slumped.
Rowan tutted. ‘All that was obvious, cousin. Wipe that look off your face. You can no think we’d judge you for finding happiness?’
I jerked my head left then right.
‘You never once looked at me differently when it was clear I was an odd one, did you?’ He patted my hand. ‘I’d be a dick to act funny towards you because of your unconventional choices as thanks, wouldn’t I?’
I made a squeaky noise.
Patrick shifted in his seat, eyes on his knees. ‘About time you turned to us for advice. That’s what we’re here for.’ His gaze lifted, and he straightened. ‘You’ll be needing to sit them down and talk. Let them know what you’re thinking. Let them ease your worries.’
Aled snorted. ‘No man–alien or not–wants to sit and talk.’
‘You have a suggestion then?’ Patrick asked with a mean curl of the lip.
‘A romantic outing. Dinner and a movie. Dinner and a sports match.’ He made a winding motion. ‘As long as there is dinner and alcohol to relax her inhibitions. Candles.’ He gave me a saucy wink. ‘Sets the mood.’
Rowan grunted. ‘Explains why your dates suffer third-degree burns.’ He and Patrick exchanged a period of speaking glances with wagging eyebrows and round-eyed looks. ‘Much as it kills me dead, it’s no the worst idea.’
Aled’s open lips curved, meat and mashed bread gunk showing between his teeth and gums.
Fergie did the same.
I tapped a finger under her chin, then returned my attention to the meddling men mortifyingly desperate to fix my love life. ‘You think the solution to my problem is to go on a date?’
Patrick pondered his fork. ‘Since we left Earth, you’ve been worried about the wee bit and surviving. Understandable. You’re needing to spend quality time alone with them.’
‘We’ll look after Fergie,’ Rowan said. ‘You get dressed up. We’ll let them know the time and place so it can be a fantastic surprise.’
I didn’t see a downside. This would be my overture. I’d show them I wanted to move forward with both of them at my side. ‘I don’t know Vayhalun yet to pick a good place.’
A chorus of, ‘Leave that to us,’ and, ‘No problem,’ and, ‘Binky?’ and, ‘We’ll sort it, don’t worry yourself,’ crashed against my ears.
Fergus cackled into his seed-free bread.
I had Fergie to myself for the rest of the morning after we parted at breakfast. Choosing our location with care, I sat with her on the soft, linen-draped sleeping platform in the opulent bedroom adjoining mine and Beowyn’s.
It was adjacent to Éorik’s on its other side, and just down the hall from my cousins’ private apartments.
Cupping rosy, chubby cheeks in my palms to ensure I held my daughter’s attention, I told her the long journey brought us far from our old flat, and that our clan would be staying with us in the palace with the Verak. I’d explained the palace was now our home, and the room we sat in was now hers. I told her we’d redecorate it if she wanted.
I told her I loved her, and I wanted her to be happy.
She peered at me with quiet grace through my halting explanations.
It became apparent I told her things she’d cobbled together from snippets she’d overheard or things she’d experienced. Seeing how much she did
comprehend, my eyes leaked, because I realised she wasn’t a baby baby any longer, but a curious, intelligent toddler who gleaned a great deal.
Biting my lip, I wished I’d realised this on Earth. I would have made a point to sit and talk to her before we left, but I’d learnt soon after she was born, hindsight was twenty-twenty when it came to raising a child.
Surrounded by clan and cushioned by the exuberance of youth, she’d adjusted to the radical changes in her life seamlessly. After spending time with the Ra, she accepted the presence of people who looked wildly different to her with aplomb, but when I explained her mother was Queen, therefore she was a Princess, I received a big reaction.
There was a lot of slobber in my hair when she was done bouncing over the bed and kissing my face. Shrieks rang in my ears that she was like Ariel, and Mèrida and Anna, only better because she was an alien princess. Her biggest reaction came when I explained what my new relationship with Beowyn meant for her beyond a royal status.
She trembled with excitement when I explained he was her father, crowing wordless joy, but her young mind hit a snag. ‘Liam is my Da too.’
Fergie never met Liam in person. She’d only seen old digital photos I’d saved for such a purpose. I’d told her stories of him when she’d asked. Fairytales that painted him as a good man a girl would be proud to have as a parent. Even now I couldn’t find it in me to malign his character. I didn’t want to hurt her by explaining her biological father hadn’t wanted her. What good would it do? When she was older, there was no doubt she’d ask for the truth. It would be hard, but I didn’t have to help her through that pain until she was better equipped to handle it, and wouldn’t internalise his rejection.
‘Liam was your Da on Earth. Beowyn is your Da here on Vayhalun.’
Head pillowed on my stomach, she played with her toes. ‘Wyn is my Da. Ori is my Da.’ She giggled. ‘I have many Da.’ She held up three fingers.
My lips folded into my mouth in surprise. ‘Ori is….’ The male had protected her when I hadn’t. He’d fed her and rocked her to sleep. He’d become the best father she’d known without consciously trying. ‘We can ask Ori if he’d like to be your Da.’
‘He swims wi’ me. Sings tae me.’ She nodded. ‘Ori is my Da.’ The beginning of her sentence had been in English, but the last in rasping Verako.
I blinked then hugged her close.
She didn’t have a translation implant as we adult humans did. My preference was for her to go to school with Verak cubs and integrate naturally. It seemed to have been the right choice.
We spent the early afternoon exploring her swanky room, and making plans about what colours she wanted for her rugs, bed sheets and blinds before her uncles came and whisked her away, giving me time to get ready for my date.
Dressed and killing time, I tried to keep the excitement from my face, but Lumen took one look at me, clutched both hands to her bosom and cooed, ‘Aw.’ She’d helped me get ready, mostly by keeping me from getting nervous with the story of her one and only dating experience with her Ra. ‘You were banned from the restaurant?’ I ran my fingers through my freshly washed curls.
‘They destroyed the place. It was closed for weeks of refurbishment. I felt bad until Deathly assured me the males cause that kind of damage often. The eateries have insurance.’ She circled me, taking in my outfit with a critical eye. She picked off a bit of lint. ‘My point is even if this date goes terribly as long as you have a good time, it’s a win.’
I swallowed audibly.
‘You have no idea what your family have planned?’
‘Aled seemed dead set on there being dinner and candles.’
‘You’re lucky to have them.’
‘Family is what you make of it. Mine are one of a kind. You’re becoming part of us too. Makes it even more special.’ The tight, rocking hug to my middle made me blush. ‘You feeling okay?’
Lumen’s face was shy when she pulled back. ‘I’m going to miss you.’
‘Miss me?’ My smile dimmed. ‘Where are you going?’
‘We head back to Rök next cycle. Ambassadorial duties are calling.’
‘You can no work remotely?’
‘I have been. Some tasks need me there in person.’ Frustration sparked in her hazel eyes. ‘The Senate are obstinate when it comes to offworld trade agreements.’
‘I’m sad you can no stay longer.’ She’d become a central figure in my new life. The thought of losing her guidance made my stomach cramp and my throat burn. ‘I’ll miss you, too, and Fiercely. I know Fergie has grown attached to Brave, and Uncle Fergus has a soft spot for Venomous.’ Goodness knew why. The Rä warrior terrified me still. ‘Aled is going to hate losing Cobra’s cooking tutorials.’ Half my family was tearing away, and I wasn’t ready.
‘It’s not just my job.’ Eyes watering a little in response to my reaction, Lumen rubbed my arm. ‘Venom is becoming uncomfortable with us being so far from the safety of the lair.’ She looked thoughtful for a moment. ‘I think he’s heard something that bothers him, but he won’t talk to me about it yet.’
‘Oh.’ Of course Venomous wanted to leave. He loved his family more than his own life. It was natural to want them in the home he provided. ‘I understand that. He’s a good male. I’m sorry about the disparaging comments I made.’
‘Think nothing of it. I’ll visit during the cold season and comm call often to check you’re settling. Contact me whenever you need, okay? To talk about the royalty situation or rant about the concubines.’ She bit her lip. ‘You can’t visit me yet. Rök is closed to offworlders. I do have high hopes the ban will be repealed in the coming solar.’
I wiped a hand under my now wet chin. ‘Aye.’ I was fairly pale and shaky when my chatty cousin came to get me. The melancholy passed when I thought of spending alone time with my Verak.
Rowan took us on a brisk walk through the extensive palace gardens. A distance great enough to have my breath laboured and my colour high.
Singing a love song under her breath, Lumen danced along beside us. If I didn’t know her, I’d have thought she hadn’t a care in the world.
‘My bonny Queen.’ Rowan swept his arm out with a bend at his waist. He waggled his eyebrows. ‘A romantic extravaganza awaits.’
Chapter 26
The grassy clearing ended in a cliff. Crisp, salty wind sighed over the moonlit darkness of Vayhalun’s black sea. The mountainous, distant waves appeared as calm as the shallow causeways between the atolls, the peaks of land themselves speckled by torchlight. A round table covered in white cloth was surrounded by three high-backed chairs. One of the decorative horns I’d seen scattered about the palace had been used for rustic contrast against willowy bunches of burnt yellow and dusky red flowers. A single candle completed the centrepiece.
The arrangement was a splash of luxury in the midst of wilderness.
Placed off to the side was a covered dish trolley. Aled flitted around it. He popped something into his mouth, chewing and nodding satisfaction.
Arms and legs akimbo, supervising, Patrick noticed my arrival and saluted. ‘Looks good, aye? Wee bit helped us choose the gewgaws.’
Speechless, I nodded.
‘This is beautiful.’ Lumen caught my clammy hand and shook it. ‘Magical.’ She focused on my family. ‘Need help with the final preparations?’
‘I could use a hand with the rest of these sodding candles.’ Rowan knelt on the bluish grasses, lighting dozens of teardrop candles in glass jars, pricks of burning brightness in the velvet dark.
More of the decorative horns flanked them to add to the effect and section off the intimate setting.
‘Where’s Fergie?’ I asked.
Patrick hooked a thumb over his shoulder. ‘Napping under the hedge with Da. She’s been a wee angel.’
‘Under the hedge?’ I rubbed my forehead. I remembered her manners during breakfast. ‘We need to discuss things that are no appropriate.’
Lumen got on her hands and knees to peek under
a sweeping fan of leaves. There came a rumbling snore followed by a quieter, squeaky one. She sat back on her heels. ‘It does look cosy.’
Rowan stalked past and pushed a lighter into her hand. ‘I’ll throw my back out with all this bending over.’
‘I thought you liked bending over.’
‘Cheeky, lass.’ Rowan hauled her up by the waist, and they ambled off together, falling down laughing to crawl along the ground lighting candles.
Shaking my head, I laughed too. It turned into a scandalised gasp when I saw Patrick’s eyes on Lumen’s arse, a goofy male look on his face.
‘Oh, my God.’ I categorised the subtle looks he’d cast her way since she shook his hand on the jungle planet. ‘You like Lu–.’
Patrick’s fingers clamped my lips together. ‘What I like is my head attached to the rest of my body, which it would no longer be if those man-crushers she calls her mates hear I even accidentally thought about her in a context even remotely sexual.’
Eyes round, I nodded.
‘Besides, there’s a difference between kenning a lass, appreciating her good looks, intelligence and wanting to be her friend than there is desiring her for your own. I’m no in the habit of coveting things that are no mine, so don’t get the wrong impression or be giving anyone else one.’ He let my mouth go to bump me under the chin. ‘Are we clear, mo chridhe?’
He might have pursued her had she been unattached but was uninterested because she was. ‘I hear you.’
Mind returning to the matter at hand, Patrick reeled off the particulars as the others gathered around him. ‘Right. We’re going to hide behind those bushes there and take off when they arrive. Your meal is prepared and under the dishes on the trolley. You have two small casks of nectar.’
Lumen lifted a hand. ‘No music?’
‘We thought the sound of the sea would be sexier.’
‘Ooh, you’re good at this.’
‘Thanking you.’ He winked. ‘Bráthair, your candles are done?’
Rowan arched his back. ‘Crippled for life but they’re lit.’
ThunderClaw: Science Fiction Romance (Alien Warrior Book 2) Page 32