Stepping back, she replied thoughtfully, “I heard about what Penny’s guardian did to Connor, but he wasn’t the one who beat me. They didn’t want to give up the injured because they were afraid of what your crew would do to them.”
“And now they know how we feel about males who abuse their queens.”
“Maybe. All I know is right before they wheeled me off their ship, the sergeant who beat me whispered in my ear that he would be back for me. It’s one reason I wanted to mine the gemstone, so I could purchase a weapon. I don’t think he would really go to the trouble to travel such vast distances to pursue me, but I’d feel safer with a means of protection.”
Turning, she ambled back over to where she was sitting. A flick of Arac’s hand happened so quickly that she thought she must have imagined it. However, the proof of his action was lying on the counter in front of her. It was a small laser weapon. Her mind flashed images of the weapons going off. She could remember the flashes of light and the scent the discharge left behind. Shaking away the remnants of memories of the great battle, she glanced up at him. “I can’t take your weapon.”
“You will.” Something about his voice was cold and unlike anything she’d heard from him before. “I will not risk losing you to such a male. If there is even a remote chance he might find his way here, I insist you be prepared to defend yourself.” Thinking of her being in danger was clearly churning up dark memories for him, that much was clear to see.
Picking up the weapon, she slid it into the front of her uniform. “I will borrow it, until I purchase my own. Will that put a smile back on your face?”
His terrible scowl smoothed out. “Seeing the male who harmed you die a slow painful death would make me smile for a very long time.”
Leaning over, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “In lieu of killing evil doers, we’ll have to put a smile on your face some other way. Why don’t you let me taste your contribution to the evening meal? You’ve got to explain to me what those things are, because watching you make them has piqued my curiosity.”
Reaching over to the last rack he made, Arac pulled out one of the disks. Holding it up in front of her, he teased, “This is your treat for changing the subject. It is chelva.”
Taking it from him, she noticed the texture was crunchy like a chip. It smelled delicious, so she took a small bite. A strong burst of flavor hit her tongue, tasting a bit like a mix of mashed potatoes, herbs and chicken. Whatever he’d sprinkled on the top made it taste slightly sweet. “It tastes like all the flavors are battling it out in my mouth.” Motioning to her mouth, she murmured, “I think the sweet is winning.”
Arac made a laughing noise as he grabbed his little one who was trying to snatch the chelva from her hands. Turning the child around, he sat him back down amongst the pile of nuts. Apparently miffed, the little one kicked one of the nuts sending it spiraling into the wall.
Ignoring the child’s tantrum, he turned back to Tara. “It is a Maruvian specialty, made from a fast growing plant we cultivate ourselves. All Maruvian vessels have a small seed bank that we can rely upon in emergencies such as getting marooned on a planet.”
“That’s really cool.”
“I’m glad you like the taste. The plant grows to maturity in fifteen days and is quickly overtaking most of the plants in our small garden.”
“Are you kidding, I could live on this stuff.”
“It is healthy because we cook it in a special type of non-saturating oil.”
“Is your son too young to eat it?”
“Not at all. I have no wish to encourage bad behavior by allowing him to take it from you.”
“How about if I chose to share with him, is that permitted?”
“I am certain he would be thrilled.”
Tearing off a large chunk she held it out for the little one. He dropped the nut he was holding and scurried over to her. Taking the chunk gingerly in both hands, he looked at it for a brief moment before literally gobbling it up. The little one looked up and made some type of cute expression before turning and running away.
“He says ‘thank you’.”
“That’s really adorable.”
Before Arac could respond, the little one came running back with huge nut in his hands. Stopping in front of her, he sat the nut down and made some kind of strange noise before throwing his head forward to crack it open.
Tara jerked back, shocked at the aggressive display.
Arac murmured, “He’s showing off for you.”
Watching the little one placing his hands along the opening and jerking repeatedly until the nut popped open, Tara was in awe. “Well, consider me impressed. Doesn’t he hurt his head doing that?”
Bringing his own hand to his forehead, Arac replied tactfully, “We have an exoskeletal plate in this area. Because it blends in with our skin tone, it is difficult to see.”
The little one pranced up to her, holding a large round kernel of nut that he’d pried from the shell. “For me? Why, thank you. You’re such a little gentleman.” Taking the nut between two fingers, she nibbled on it. Meanwhile, he nuzzled his head under her other hand, much like a puppy looking for a cuddle.
Tossing the nut into her mouth, she picked the little one up. “Your son is too much of a good thing. If I’m ever lucky enough to have young, I want him to be just like this one. You never told me his name.”
“I named him after my brother’s queen, because she rescued us. His name is Helec.”
“Well, he’s perfect.”
“I agree.” A feminine voice broke into their conversation.
Tara watched a very pregnant woman enter the room with a drone that looked suspiciously like Arac. She recognized her as the captain of the vessel that rescued them.
“Hello, General Helena. It’s nice to meet you. Arac isn’t your only grateful admirer. You’re my personal hero. God only knows where I’d be if it weren’t for you coming to our rescue.”
“We were happy to do it. You’ve done your share of heroic acts. Connor told me how you were injured advocating for the rights of the women he’d abducted. Naturally, he didn’t use the term advocate. I believe his choice term was ringleader.”
“He was a total asshat. I heard he left this world in two pieces and I can’t say I am sorry.”
“I couldn’t agree more. We appreciated you stepping up during the great battle. It was an act of bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.”
“You’re welcome, not that I remember much about the battle. I ended up with a head injury and just get snippets every now and then.”
“Well, she was another that ended badly. I’m just sorry that I didn’t finish her when we ousted her the first time.” Helena’s eyes misted over with regret.
Tara shrugged. “All’s well that ends well, I say. We’re here and they’re dead. See how the ‘verse rights itself?”
Vraden’s soft voice announced, “If you would like to make your way to the dining room, I believe the food is finished.”
Arac scooped up his youngling in one arm and wrapped the other around Tara before guiding her into the adjoining room.
Chapter 10
~ Tara ~
Music Mix
There appeared to be nearly twenty drones sitting around the table,. Vraden and roughly a dozen of them were so similar in appearance they could pass for family. The others were an odd assortment of insectoid males who were different colors. Some had wings but most of them didn’t. She nibbled at the food Arac put on her plate, as she gazed curiously around the room.
She’d noticed some differences between Earth and Maruvian customs. Humans would consider it rude not to introduce people. Maruvians never introduced another person unless they were of special significance, and drones seemed to hate introducing their women to other drones. Since she hadn’t been introduced to anyone other than the little one, the situation left her wondering why. Was it just the way they were? Was it because she was here with Arac and had been tagged as his friend or his wo
man? Was it because the other drones didn’t want to know her? They carefully avoided looking at her, that much she’d noticed. Maybe Arac had his sights set on her and therefore introducing her was opening himself to competition for her affections. Since he’d stated plainly that he didn’t want a queen, she doubted the last was the answer. It was probably just the way their society worked. After all, he hadn’t introduced his little one until she asked.
Glancing over, she saw the little one staring at her. Holding out her hands, she watched him scramble from Arac’s lap into her arms. Catching his handsome father’s eye, she stated quietly, “Don’t worry, I won’t fill him full of bread.”
Smothering back a smile, he murmured quietly, “See that you don’t. He’s tricky, that one.”
Holding the little one up, she gazed into his dark eye. “Don’t listen to him. You’re perfect.” Helec’s face lit up, making her wonder if he knew her language or was responding to the tone of her voice. “Can he understand my words?”
“I would say so. He’s had the translation bacteria. Our young understand much, but their vocal cords are not developed enough for a full range of speech until a solar cycle passes.”
“That makes sense. He’s very advanced. It’s hard not to cuddle him like a baby.”
“Our young enjoy such affections. We all take turns holding him and caressing him. We see no wrong in it.”
“Well, neither do I. I like everything about the little guy and the big guy who spawned him.”
Arac chewed his bottom lip. Tara was certain he had a mischievous response hiding in there somewhere.
Helena cleared her throat. “Have you had an opportunity to source parts for the new shield, Arac?”
He pulled himself from their happy bubble and turned his attention to the rest of the table. Tara noticed everyone was staring at them strangely. Picking up a small bite of food, she brought it to Helec’s lips. He opened his jaws and ate it up.
“I have sent out requests to the Traders Guild. Freighters are arriving in three days, and I plan to inspect the parts to see if they can be retrofitted for our purposes. I have communicated this to Queen Carolyn already and I do not wish to waste my personal time discussing work.”
Tara’s eye flew to his and she was shocked to find him staring down his female visitor with no small amount of irritation.
“I wasn’t trying to insinuate you were lax or anything. My curiosity just got the better of me.”
“If I am to be useful to our world, I must keep a separation between my family life and my professional life.”
“Understood.”
“I do not care for the way you speak to my queen, Arac.”
“Perhaps we can discuss it in private at another time. I see no reason to continue unpleasantness during mealtime.”
The other drones murmured their agreement. Someone passed Tara a round disk. Helec immediately began to reach for it. Tara quickly broke off a piece and handed it to him. Squealing with delight, he gave it a good lick before taking a large bite out of it. Arac turned back to her and they slid back into their happy place. The conversation flowed around them. Vraden regaled them with tales of their home world that captivated everyone’s attention. The meal was over much too soon and Tara groaned. “I’ve never eaten so much in my entire life.”
Drawing her to his side, Arac guided her out of the room. A few steps later, he screeched a command for lights on and the room was flooded with soft lighting. “So this is your workshop.” Glancing around, she saw a droid standing in the corner, surrounded by a bunch of high tech equipment. “Hey, babe, are you building yourself a robotic wife?”
Fluttering his wings in a fashion that indicated indignation, he responded. “Certainly not. My brother, Drale, has it in his mind to build a harvester droid. He wishes it to collect minerals, gemstone, and food from the garden.”
“Let me guess, he’s tech savvy and hates manual labor.”
Snorting a laugh, Arac shook his head. “He has never tried to get out of work. It’s just now that he has a female, he would rather spend all his free time lounging in her arms than doing mundane tasks.”
“I can’t say that I blame him. Building a harvester droid seems like an outstanding idea to me.”
“Do you still wish to know how to open the geodes? It would be my pleasure to teach you this skill.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it more than you can know.”
Picking up a crate, he threw several other items on top of it and looked over his shoulder. “Follow me. There is a work space outside that will more pleasant for this type of task.”
Lifting Helec to her shoulder, Tara followed him, closing the door behind her. Arac stopped at a small table with several chairs. Waving his hand over a scanning plate, system of lights lit up the area. Tara saw Jax still chasing another golugua. He seemed to have lost track of time.
Watching Arac set out his tools, she asked curiously, “How did you learn to do this?”
“Several of my brothers were among the first to visit this planet when our ship arrived. Queen Carolyn asked that they begin gathering personal resources in preparation for taking a queen. The males aboard our vessel separated themselves into family units and followed her orders. Though I have no intention of accepting a queen, I did not participate in either request. The swarm cares for the young of fallen or damaged drones, so I knew that I did not need to worry overly about securing personal wealth.”
“Wow, I envy your ability to trust.”
“I’m sorry to inform you that there are few individuals I trust. However, our society has always been built on providing for the many. It is so deeply rooted in our belief system that I have no fear of being cast out.”
“So I’m guessing that you helped your brothers fortify their stock of gemstone.”
“You are correct. We tried many techniques for cracking them open, and shattered many valuable deposits of gemstone. Then Raec discovered that a family unit had found a solution.” He took out a clear bag of dull grey dust and set it aside. “If you will excuse me, showing would be easier than explaining the process.”
Stepping away, her returned with a large metal bowl of water. Helec immediately put his hand over his nose as a distasteful expression jumped onto his face. Arac smirked, “You might want to follow suit. It doesn’t smell very nice.”
Sprinkling some of the dust into the bowl, steam rose as he stirred it gently with a metal stick. Dropping several geodes into the murky substance, he used a pair of metal tongs to turn them. Spreading out a dingy cloth, he continued to turn the stones.
The concoction smelled like rotten eggs, but she watched as the thin hard shell slowly dissolved, revealing a rubbery black inner hull. He pulled them out, resting them on the cloth and repeated the process several times with more stones. “The silica laden dust creates a mild acidic wash. There’s something about mixing the two that causes a caustic reaction to the exterior of the geodes.”
“Shouldn’t you be wearing gloves?”
“We have found the mixture is not harmful, but it does cause minor skin dryness and some irritation with prolonged submersion. Since no queen has ever wished to participate in the process, I cannot predict the reaction your skin will have to it.”
“I believe we have similar biological tolerances. You father spoke on it at great length when he provided care for me in the medical center.”
“Why don’t you allow me to perform the dipping until we are certain it is safe for you?”
“I don’t want to keep putting you out. Surely you have better things to do than babysit me.”
“I am an intelligent being, capable of making decisions for myself. I also excel at multitasking.”
“If I get to be too much trouble, just say.”
“I promise that I will. However, you must promise that if being around me becomes boring, you will speak to me about it.”
Not able to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside, she let it loose. “Are you kidding m
e? You’re funny, helpful, and hot. You’ll have a hard time getting rid of me.”
Removing the last of the geodes, he reached into the bottom of the box and took out a small bottle. Dropping a tiny bit of its contents into the bowl, he waited for the chemical reaction to stop. Along with it, the smell went away.
“I have to admit something, Arac.”
“What’s that, my queen?”
“You don’t disappoint and I love when you call me your queen. I know that I’m not really a queen but when you say it makes me feel special.”
“You are special and becoming more special to me by the micron.”
“A micron is three minutes, right?”
Leaning forward, he covered her hand with his. “I really like you. Of all the queens I’ve known, you have the nicest way about you.”
“Stop making me want to cuddle. We’re supposed to be working.”
Moving closer, he leaned close enough to whisper in her ear. “I never wanted to set eyes on another queen until I met you. Now I don’t want to look at anything except you and my young.”
Clearing her throat, she moved back. “Speaking of which, we shouldn’t be talking about romance in front of a child.”
A sexy grin jumped onto his face. “I don’t see any young. Do you?”
“Oh, my God, I lost your child.”
Cupping her face in his hands, he spoke. “Calm, my little queen. You did not lose him. He simply flew into the house, as he often does when he becomes bored with such tedious tasks.”
“Are you sure? We should double check.”
“It is unnecessary. I saw him fly over to the door and peck it with his tiny claw. My father opened the door and nodded to me.”
Grabbing her chest, Tara tried to still her thumping heart. “Sorry, I don’t know what got into me.”
Moving a strand of hair back from her face, the other slid to cup her chin. “That you are so protective of my young pleases me greatly.”
Hero's Bride (Alien SciFi Romance) (Celestial Mates Book 7) Page 7