by Pixie Moon
I’m not sure why this is important but I do it because I want to please Ryk. I look up into Din Dax’s eyes. His green and gold irises pulse lightly. My stomach flips. It feels as though he’s reading my soul. The assessing look in his eyes is unnerving. I unconsciously step closer to Ryk.
Din Dax looks pleased as he nods. Whew, that was the opposite of fun. Getting on with it, I look into Din Lor’s silver and blue eyes. He stares intently into my eyes for a long moment and then winks at me as he nods.
I’m so shocked, I gasp like a teenager. That causes Din Lor to laugh.
“Now you know Din Lor is a flirt. So is his brother, Din Fane.” Ryk’s tone is light, no hint of anger or jealousy.
Since everything is all right, I look up into Din Tairin’s gold and dark purple eyes. His eyes are shockingly pretty but intense just like the others. Din Tairin looks into my eyes as though he’s looking for secrets. After a painful minute, the small vents along his nose flare and then he nods.
Dang, dang, dang. All of them probably smell my embarrassment, fear, and shock. I have to admit, taking the time to assess the people around them is smart. And could even save their lives.
“You did well, seema. Now go get us some stros,” Ryk says. Approval is shining in his pretty eyes.
My heart flutters happily as I head to the kitchen to get their drinks. Happiness is not love. Happiness is okay.
Pouring their drinks and preparing to serve them feels good. It reminds me of working at the bakery. I wish they needed food as well. That would have kept me extremely busy.
When I enter the living room with two of their massive glasses, I see that they have the entertainment system on and are settling in. I place the drinks on the low table in front of the couch and then return for the last two glasses. I quickly return and set them on the table as well.
I didn’t hand them their drinks so they couldn’t say I was favoring anyone. Experience has proven that this is the best way to serve a group. The thirstiest ones are free to snag a glass.
I’ll watch their glasses closely. From living with Ryk, I know zaphinians can drink a lot of stros. I don’t mind though.
Ryk pats the seat next to him. It’s a corner seat, thank goodness. Once again my warrior is proving that he is a good guy. I take a seat and then sneak a peek at the males.
They are dressed in body hugging shirts just like Ryk. Din Dax and Din Tairin are wearing hip molding pants that look like jeans. Really soft jeans. Ryk and Din Lor are wearing their regular black multi-pocketed work pants. They are sturdy and form fitting.
I can appreciate both types of pants. The length of cord strapped to Din Lor’s pants has me wondering why he needs cord to watch a game with his friends. Maybe he has to go somewhere else after the game. That would explain it.
As the game progresses, I watch over their glasses quietly refilling them as necessary. It feels good to do this familiar task. Curiously, I watch the giant men. I smile now and then as they fight over what they think the participants of the challenging game should have done.
From what I can tell it looks like the zaphinian males and a few females are trying to run through a course at the fastest time possible. They all seem to be younger than the males here at Ryk’s home but not children.
They are amazing athletes, springing off of rock walls and boulders as they shoot a ball with a bow and arrow. I’ll admit some of the contestants are far better than others. I’d never be able to beat even the worst one. These big boobs would slow me down. My place is on the couch and I’m fine with that.
After checking their glasses and finding them full enough, my gaze is drawn back to the entertainment center. The things the athletes are doing is fascinating. Kicking down barricades while throwing knives at a target, climbing tall walls while being hit by fast moving balls. I feel sorry for each person that fails and elated for the ones that make it through the challenges.
I can see why the guys love to watch this show. As I refill two of the glasses, I wish Earth had shows this entertaining. TV shows there were mostly about news and politics. I guess it really doesn’t matter since not many people can afford TVs anyway.
When the last participant starts moving through the course I notice that Din Lor has just finished his third glass of stros. When I reach out for his glass the cord shoots out and gently wraps around my wrist. I yelp in surprise.
“How did you do that? Does that mean you don’t need any more stros?” I ask in wonder. These people are incredible. I wish my family and friends could see them—could live here.
Din Lor grins with a touch of male pride as he gracefully whips the cord back to his side. “I practice a lot, little seema. And no I don’t need any more stros. You did a good job keeping our glasses full.”
“Thanks.” I smile when I see how his eyes are sparkling. Din Lor is a big flirt and he’s dang good with cord. I’ll have to remember that in the future.
Future.
My heart beats a little faster at the thought of having a future with Ryk and his friends. The cautious heifer in me tries to bring me down with doubt, but I don’t let her. I’m going to latch onto a good thing while I can. I just won’t fall in love with him.
I watch as the guys stand. Din Dax stretches by twisting from side to side. The ripple of his muscles makes me think of Ryk. Both brothers are quite handsome, but I only have eyes for Ryk. Din Tairin and Din Lor are good looking in different ways. The pretty boy and the flirt. I wonder if any of them have a kesdy or a seema at home waiting for them. The foolish romantic in me hopes they do.
I start gathering the dirty glasses as Ryk walks the guys to the door. I hear him thank them for helping with my training. I nearly drop a glass at his words.
I hadn’t realized that this had been a planned out training session. I had envisioned friends just dropping by. Since Ryk is a warrior, I shouldn’t be so surprised.
My heart warms when I see that he was being kind by breaking me into my role here on Zaphin in familiar surroundings. I set the glasses down and go back for the last two. The guys are gone.
Ryk walks up to me with a heart melting smile. “You did well, seema. I’m proud of you.”
By not bringing up my behavior when his friends first showed up, Ryk has once again proven how good he is. His praise and kindness makes my heart take flight. I’m barely able to contain the wild thing in my chest. I’m falling hard for him. This can’t be good. I firm up the cage around my heart. That little bird is staying put.
CHAPTER
21
~ Skyla ~
♥
My hands clutch at the strap of my seatbelt.
I’m still not used to the speed of Ryk’s vehicle. Granted, this is just my second time of riding in it but I don’t see myself ever getting used to speeding through the jungle. We round a turn and I squeak when another vehicle seems to fly over us. The chuckle coming from Ryk has me frowning at him.
“Don’t be mad, seema. I love that sound you just made.” His smile is wide and filled with humor.
My heart flutters at the sight of his beautiful smile. There is no way I can stay mad at him. I look out into the jungle and watch all of the lush plants zoom by. I’m a little nervous about meeting his other brother, Tymor, and his family. I hope they are as nice as Ryk and Dax.
When he slows down I become alert. We enter a clearing. My eyebrows shoot up when I see a few glass and metal buildings. They are tall and joined by stone paths. The sudden break from jungle to shopping center is startling.
Ryk parks the vehicle in a parking lot that has at least thirty other sleek vehicles in a variety of colors. Most are silver but a few are dark blue like the one we are in. I hold on tight as the vehicle lowers to the ground. That is just the strangest feeling. My stomach tilts as we touch down.
The second I open my door, I smell food. Delicious aromatic food. My mind transports back to the bakery where my family and friends are. At this time of day they should be slowing down and eating a meal thems
elves. A part of me wishes I could go back.
Ryk wraps his big hand around mine. I look at our joined hands and the other part of me flares to life. The part that doesn’t want to leave my big guy.
“It’s going to be all right, seema,” he says softly and then leads me to Midday and More.
At the landing, I stop and look at the family crest on it. Crisscrossing weapons—an axe and a sword. The lines to the sides of the weapons add a feeling of energy to the weapons.
The thought of how energetic Ryk is in bed has my face heating up. To cool down, I try to think of other ways his family can be energetic. Any family that can use an axe and a sword can always have food to sell or share. Yes, that thought is much safer.
“I like the way zaphinians put family crests on landings. They are done so artfully.” My words are true but the deeper truth is that I’m stalling. What if these people don’t like me? Will they be able to talk Ryk into selling me? All of the sudden I don’t want to go inside.
A strong arm wraps around my shoulders and pulls me into Ryk’s warm body. His scent soothes me.
“Calm yourself, little seema. It’s just a meal, not an execution. All you have to do is address them properly, including my sister-in-law. You’ll be fine. I won’t let anyone hurt you,” he reassures me in a kind tone.
He’s right, it’s not a big deal. I’m not going to meet them as his girlfriend. I’m just his seema. Discontent floods my chest. I don’t like the thought of being unimportant to him.
As we enter the restaurant my mind shifts. My senses absorb the sounds, sights, and smells. The stone floor is smooth and clean. Plants are all along the floor to ceiling walls of glass and some are sporadically placed around the place.
I fall in love with the gleaming wooden tables. The different hues of tan, blue, and green add a color splash that makes the restaurant feel like home. People are talking and music is lightly playing in the background. This is a nice place.
Ryk winds a path through the tables. He greets a few people but continues heading to the back at a steady pace. At a metal door, Ryk stops. As he looks through the glass in the door it whooshes open. He quickly leads me into the kitchen.
A growl that sounds full of frustration comes from a female holding a young child. She’s tall and sturdy but she’s pointing a finger at a male that is close to Ryk’s height. He has a good six to seven inches on her.
I tense when she shakes her head aggressively. “No, you were supposed to call and have the dish cleaner repaired. Don’t think for a second that I’m taking the blame for this.”
I nervously squeeze Ryk’s hand. Maybe today is a bad day to be here. The female is yelling loud enough for the customers to hear.
Ryk inhales deeply and then looks down at me. “Don’t worry, seema. They fight all the time.” He turns his attention to the couple. “Will you two take a break for a moment?”
The couple stop glaring at each other and look our way. When they see Ryk, they both break out in happy smiles. You’d never know they’d been in a heated conversation a second ago.
I feel Ryk’s gaze on me and remember what I’m supposed to do. I look at the male who has to be Ryk’s brother. His ruggedly handsome features are similar to Ryk’s. A green and gold gaze captures mine. It delves deep. I feel like my soul is being probed. It’s an uncomfortable feeling that I hope to one day overcome. I have nothing to hide. Except for my foolish feelings for my owner. That thought hurts.
The male nods, releasing me. I look over at the female. She’s close to a foot taller than me. I feel like a short freak. Do they put people like me in shows around here?
Sympathy softens the female’s gold and blue eyes. She nods and a sense of relief fills me. These people are so intense. The baby makes a noise. I look at him and find that he’s staring at me just as powerfully as his parents just did. Dang, zaphinians start being commanding at a very young age. This little fella can’t even be two years old.
Movement to my side has me glancing over and up. Din Dax WavTe is grinning down at me. When his gaze rakes over my green fitted blouse and hip hugging tan pants I can’t help but wonder if he likes me in this or my uniform better. Since he’s Ryk’s brother, I have to believe that he appreciates me covered up.
After seeing that other females in the restaurant are dressed similarly to me I’m thankful to Ryk for ordering me these clothes. I just received them a couple of days ago. Just in time for this visit. I now have a few sets of clothes in our closet. That makes me feel good. Real good.
A low growl from Ryk has me snapping to attention. Dang, I forgot to hold Din Dax’s gaze. “I’m sorry,” I say to his brother. I apprehensively look into his green and gold eyes.
Dax’s piercing gaze searches mine for a long moment. I sigh in relief when he nods. I can’t wait to get used to being soul searched. It’s a scary feeling. What if they find me lacking? Before the panic rising in me can totally take over, Ryk squeezes my hand comfortingly.
“Din Tymor, Din Zima, little Sakmor, this is my seema, Skyla Burgin,” Ryk announces proudly. I swallow hard and hope I can live up to that pride.
“She has an interesting scent. I can see why you are drawn to her,” Zima says as she passes the cute baby over to his father and then gets busy grabbing some plates.
I stand there for a second in stunned silence. I wasn’t really introduced to them and nobody greeted me. I feel the sting of it all as Ryk releases my hand and helps Dax get glasses and utensils.
My temporarily scrambled brain clears enough for me to understand that they are getting what’s needed for us to eat. I help with the glasses and then follow them to a large tan colored wooden table that is just outside the kitchen door. The others efficiently set the table.
I watch and do as they do. It’s just like on Earth, but they don’t speak. Feeling like a fish out of water, a smelly one that nobody wants, I keep my gaze lowered as I follow Ryk back into the kitchen.
He suddenly stops and inhales deeply. His laser like gaze focuses on me. I give him a pain filled smile and then look back down. He shouldn’t have brought me here. I’m nobody to him. His family can’t even talk in front of me. I just want to go back to his house.
Strong arms wrap around me. I squeak in surprise. I have to stop getting so lost in thought. Dang it, did he need something? Did I miss an order? My stomach aches and my heart pounds. Suddenly the restaurant doesn’t seem so homey. I long for my old life…for my family and friends.
Ryk nuzzles my neck. A shiver runs down my spine. “Calm yourself, seema.” His hand gently grips and then tugs my hair until my face is looking up into his. “What’s wrong?”
The concern in his blue and silver eyes makes my foolish heart flutter and the truth pour from my lips. “I don’t think I should be here.” I cut my gaze to his busy family and then back to his. I whisper, “This is your family time. I think me being here will stop them from talking to you and each other. I’m just your—”
A snort comes from Zima. I look over and see that’s she’s closer to me than I thought she was. Dang, light-footed aliens. Zima stares me down. “You are not causing us to be quiet. Hunger is causing that.” She waves toward a stone counter. “Now grab some food and bring it to the table, short human.”
A chuckle rumbles up Ryk’s chest. “We don’t like to talk until after we’ve eaten most of our meal.” His gaze hardens as his hands slide up my body and cup my face. “Never doubt me again, seema. I brought you here because I wanted to. Now grab a platter. It’s time to eat.”
He releases me and I jump when his hand swats my ass. I hurry to help bring food to the table. A part of me is sagging with relief. I could never comfortably come between family members.
Eight platters of food are on our table. Each half of the table has a platter of meat, veggies, muffins, and fruit. Sitting back, I watch them dig in. Even the baby is shoveling in the food his father gave him. His highchair lets him eat at the table. I think of Molly. Her chair helps her eat like a big
girl. Some things are the same everywhere.
“Eat,” Ryk orders.
Not wanting to stir him up, I quickly get some food and start eating. I close my eyes and savor the nayhew steak. “Mmm, this is exceptional.”
“No, it’s average.” Zima points her utensil at Tymor. “He didn’t put enough seasoning on it.”
Tymor swallows his food and glares at Zima. “No, the human is right. The steak is exceptional.” He points his utensil at Zima. “You always over season the steak.”
As the couple continue to bicker, I feel like sliding under the table and slinking away. Ryk’s warm hand covers mine. A thrill courses through me. His touch is addicting. It’s dangerous but I’m inexplicably drawn to it.