“I know. It reminds me of home.”
“Yeah…” she says in a distant voice. Memories of home surface once again, along with all her insecurities. She pushes them aside and tries to concentrate on the here and now. Not what might happen… She needs to take things one day at a time.
The next morning, she wakes to the sound of light snoring. Rolling over onto her back, she turns in Alan’s direction and smiles. He’s lying on his back, lips slightly parted, resting in a deep sleep. His newly trimmed beard, compliments of a pair of scissors, transforms his face from rugged to handsome.
The hair that once drooped in front of his eyes and curled around his neck and ears has been cut, adding to his extreme makeover.
In his sleep, he snorts and smacks his lips together before opening his eyes. When he turns in her direction, their eyes lock and a sleepy half-grin makes an appearance. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” she reciprocates. “Sleep well?”
Using his left hand, he rubs his eyes before looking back at her again. “That’s an understatement. Another month and I may be caught up on sleep.”
“I know. Of all the things to miss from home, I never thought sleep would be one of them.” Catalina throws her legs over the side of the bed. Looking back over her shoulder, she says, “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Don’t use all the hot water.”
Both showered and dressed, they are sitting on the couch when the door chimes. Before either one can say anything, Toran walks in.
“Good morning. I trust you slept well?”
Catalina notices the way he always sounds professional, a bit stilted. Not that she has spoken to many of them. Maybe he sounds that way because he is the captain?
Alan stands and faces Toran. “We did, thank you.”
Not wanting to be the only one sitting, she jumps to her feet and folds her arms. “The bed is so soft.”
“Good.” He inclines his head. “Shall we head to first meal?”
“Yeah, I’m starving.” Catalina’s stomach picks that moment to rumble loudly. Heat stains her cheeks while she quickly fans her face. Embarrassed, she glances up at Toran and can tell he is trying hard not to smile. Alan has no problem showing his toothy grin.
As Toran leads the way, Catalina playfully punches Alan’s shoulder as she passes him, muttering, “Shut up.” His answering laughter follows her out the door.
As they enter the dining hall, Catalina’s nerves flare at the number of aliens present. When every set of eyes turns in their direction, she wrings her hands together. You can do this, Catalina. She takes a huge breath and slowly lets it out before plastering a smile on her face. They are just people, she reassures herself. Huge, blue people…
“Are you okay?” Alan whispers in her ear.
Without looking, she gives a curt nod. Toran leads them to a table, and when she nears, she spots Sans with food halfway to his mouth. Relief is instant as she blows out the breath she was holding in her lungs.
“Sit there and I will get you some food.” Toran points to some vacant chairs near Sans.
“I’ll go with you,” Alan replies, leaving Catalina to slide into a chair across from Sans.
“You look rested,” he says, just before he takes a bite of food.
“I slept well last night.” She folds her hands in her lap, looking around at everyone at the table. There are three others sitting around the table next to them.
“You remember Jarek?” She nods as Sans gestures with his head toward Jarek. He points to the one on his right. “That is Iam, and the other one is Gath.”
“Nice to meet you both,” she says politely.
Iam quickly swallows his bite of breakfast so he can talk to her. “Is it true that there is one female for every male on your planet?”
“It is. Or at least it was before the invasion.” She can’t help but feel sorry for them after what Sans has told her.
“Can you even imagine such a thing?” Gath says with awe in his voice.
“No, I cannot.”
She sits listening to Iam and Gath as they speculate about a world filled with both males and females, as they call them. When she glances over at Sans, he smiles at her before shoving another bite of food into his mouth.
Toran and Alan return, carrying trays of food, and with all the chitchatting and light back-and-forth banter, Catalina’s shoulders relax, and she eats her fill.
Alan’s eyes shift between Toran and Sans when he asks, “If it’s okay, I would like to see the training room, maybe watch how your men, I mean males, train.”
“That can be arranged. Sans can show you the way.”
“Thank you, Toran.”
At mid-day, or so it feels, Sans escorts both Alan and Catalina to the training room to see the same display she saw the day before. Alan watches intently, but Catalina quickly loses interest.
“I’m going to head back. I’ll see you later.”
“Can you find your way, or do you need an escort?” Sans asks, standing.
“No thanks. I think I can find it myself.”
“See you later,” Alan says absently, never pulling his eyes away from the training, or rather, the bare-fisted fight.
Heading down the hall, looking at everything and nothing, Catalina’s mind wanders. It’s been happening more and more as she thinks about the future. Not watching where she walks, she stumbles into a room with many windows. The expanse of space draws her over, and she stares mesmerized at the blackness.
Feeling insignificant in this huge universe, she doesn’t hear the big blue alien walk up behind her.
“Can I help you with something?” A deep voice vibrates behind her.
Surprisingly, she doesn’t jump, and his presence doesn’t scare her. How quickly she’s become used to the Curazin people!
Never looking at him, just staring out the window, she waves her hand in a dismissive gesture. “No, just looking.”
“Something troubles you.”
It isn’t a question. One side of her mouth curls up, but it doesn’t erase the sadness from her eyes or her voice.
Catalina stands with her arms folded across her chest, just staring at the vastness beyond. After a brief silence, she inhales deeply and lets it out slowly. “On my planet, I was all alone. Looking out there,” she nods toward the window, “and how endless it is, I feel even more alone. If that makes sense.”
“Why are you alone?”
Shaking her head, she makes light of his question. “It doesn’t matter.” Turning, she faces the blue alien. “What will happen to me now? Where will I go?”
He gestures over to some chairs. After she lowers herself into one, he sits in the other.
“You are welcome to live with us on Curaz.”
“Do you live there?”
A smile teases his lips. “No.”
Catalina’s smile reaches her eyes for the first time while talking to him. “Let me get this straight. You don’t live on your own planet, but you’re inviting me to?”
He laughs at the absurdity of the statement. “Yes, I guess I am.”
Slowly losing her smile, Catalina sighs loudly. “So, tell me… I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
“Ukan.”
“So, tell me, Ukan, why don’t you live there?”
“It’s either travel the stars or live on the planet. One cannot do both.”
Catalina furrows her brows. That statement doesn’t make any sense. Can they never go back to their planet? There is just so much she doesn’t understand. Instead of asking for him to clarify, she simply says, “Okay.”
6
____________________
Catalina
When Alan comes back to the room, she can see the excitement on his face. “Have fun?”
“Yes, I did,” he grins. “I’ve got to get back in shape. Sans said he would train with me when I’m ready.”
“Is that a good idea? They’re huge.”
“What? You don’t think I c
an take them?” he jokes in a teasing, light-hearted manner.
Shrugging one shoulder, she watches as he heads to the shower with more enthusiasm, more happiness than she’s ever witnessed before. She dreads the conversation, but she knows it’s time to start separating even more. She can’t and won’t be a burden he has to protect. Giving him freedom is the least she can do for all he has done for her.
Catalina sits on the couch with her legs curled underneath her. Alan sits opposite, a grin transforming his face, at least until he sees her expression.
His face is full of concern. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.”
“Bullshit.” He moves over to the couch next to her and tugs on her calves until she stretches her legs across his lap. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”
“I love you like a brother.” She gives him a sad smile.
“I know. I love you too.”
“It’s hard to say this, but I think we need to live in separate rooms.” His face falls, and she instantly regrets saying anything. But instead of taking it back, she presses on. “It’s just that one day you’re going to leave to go find your sister, and I don’t know… I just think we should do it slowly instead of all at once.”
He swallows hard and slowly nods his head. “Okay.”
“Please don’t be mad at me,” she begs as she reaches for his hand.
“I’m not mad, and you’re right. It’s just hard.”
“I know.”
That night, Alan moves into his own room, and every day Catalina see less and less of him, except during mealtimes.
Two days turn into three, then four, and before she knows it, two weeks have passed.
Sitting around the table, sharing a meal with everyone, she notices Alan picking at his food and not really eating. A knot of dread curls inside her belly.
“What’s wrong?” she asks quietly, trying not to let the others hear.
Sighing loudly, he glances her way, and she can see the sadness shining in his warm brown eyes. The room falls silent, waiting for him to speak.
He reaches for her hand, clutching it tight. “Cat…” he squeezes her hand again, trying to get the words out. “These past weeks, I’ve been talking with Toran…and giving you some space to make sure you will be all right.”
Tears spring forward, and she knows it’s goodbye. This is the day she’s been dreading for a long time, but she’s known it was coming.
“Toran has agreed to help me look for my sister, and…” He swallows hard and averts his eyes momentarily. “Since we don’t know how to find Earth, he has agreed to take you to their planet.”
“Alan…” She swipes the tears from her eyes.
“Catalina,” she could hear the tears in his voice. “You deserve so much happiness, and I have to do this.”
“I know. I’m just scared.”
Toran, who heard everything, speaks up. “You will be treated very well and if for some reason you don’t like Curaz, I will take you somewhere else.”
Her eyes bounce between Alan and Toran, and needing to be brave for him and for herself, she swallows hard. She knew this day would come, and that when it did, she would let him go. He’d helped her so much, and she owed him everything. With a smile on her face, she swipes at the tears as she says, “I hope you find your sister.”
He squeezes her hand gently before dropping it and wrapping her in a hug. “Thank you.”
Putting on a brave face and trying not to sob like a baby, she takes a deep, calming breath and asks, “When do we arrive?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
~~~~
The next morning, Catalina and Alan sit somberly on the couch, waiting for Toran to fetch her.
Alan turns his body around, clutching her hands tightly in his. “Cat…” He tilts his head slightly, a pained look on his face.
“I know.” She lets go of his hands and throws her arms around his neck. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Don’t talk like we’ll never see each other again.” She lets go, tears streaming down her face. Cupping her cheeks, he uses his thumbs to wipe away the tears. “I know where to find you.”
Nodding, she smiles through the tears, knowing he’s right. Sniffing, she admits, “I’m just scared. I don’t know what to expect.”
“I know. But I believe everything will work out.”
The tears finally slow when she asks, “How can you be so sure?”
“The Curazins are a dying race, and after my medical exam, they suspect you may be compatible with them.” She pulls her hands away from his, but he grabs them again and tightens his grip. “Toran said you can live with them in peace, but I really hope you find someone and have your happily-ever-after.”
“Why?” she sniffs, then swallows hard, trying to understand.
“Because they can’t find Earth, and I want more for you than living on a space ship. Toran assured me that women, or females as they prefer to call them, are treated like queens.”
“And if I don’t like it?”
“Toran said he would take you somewhere else, but I’d like for you to give it a try. You may like living there, and you might find they are just like us.”
“And once I live among them, they may be nothing like us.”
“They might be better.” Alan raises his eyebrows.
She smiles. “They may be worse.”
“Try to think glass half full.” His playful tone makes her smile even wider.
“I can’t,” She lets out an exaggerated sigh. “I spilled the entire glass yesterday at lunch.”
He chuckles and then pulls her into his arms one last time for a bear hug. “I love you, Cat.”
“I love you too,” and it’s true. They have a brother-sister relationship. Bonded as prisoners on a Turei ship.
7
____________________
Planet Curaz
Theon
“Come on! Is that all you have?” Theon circles his opponent, Odias, a wild grin spreading across his fierce face.
Both males are dressed in loose-fitting white trousers, bare-chested, with sweat dripping from their brows.
“Fine, you asked for it,” Odias replies with a glint sparkling in his eye.
Odias races toward Theon, arms wide, and when he is only a few steps away, he leaps into the air and tackles Theon. The two of them crash hard against the ground. They roll wildly, each taking their turn on top until Theon pins Odias’ shoulders to the ground.
“Nice try, friend.” Theon leaps to his feet and reaches down and offers his friend a hand.
They clasp hands as Theon helps Odias to a standing position. “One day…” Odias grins and shakes his head as the two of them walk shoulder to shoulder over to the edge of the training field.
“Keep dreaming,” Theon jests as he cups his hands and dips water from the barrel, drinking a few handfuls before whipping his long hair away from his face.
Odias lets out a hearty laugh and smacks Theon on the shoulder.
Both turn and, with their arms folded across their chests, they watch the six others pair off to train.
“Who is the newcomer?” Odias asks as he watches the impressive male throw a punch.
“That’s Kiad, he’s from the Kii Clan. I invited him here to test his skills.”
The Kii Clan, one of the four clans of the South, resides along the eastern border. The Moark Clan resides against the western border, leaving the Cava and the Lusta Clans to border the north and south edges of the Southern Clan boundaries.
“He shows great promise.” Odias sounds impressed, which doesn’t happen often.
“Yes, he does. I knew he would be an asset the first time I laid eyes on him.” Theon watches for a little longer then claps his friend on the back. “I need to ready the supplies for our patrol. See you at the stables.”
Theon hasn’t made it but a few steps before he hears someone calling his name. Turning, he spots Tarra heading his direction with a wide smile.
<
br /> He sighs silently; he doesn’t want to talk to her. There is just something about her that repels him, but he can’t explain what. All he knows is that if there is trouble with the females, Tarra is always involved…somehow.
Her eyes seductively roam his sweaty torso before meeting his eyes. “Your fighting skills are still as impressive as ever.”
He folds his arms across his chest and tries to sound respectful. “Thank you.”
Tarra, dressed in a long black gown that dips low in the front, flutters around, giving him a look at her ample breasts. “Would you like to share a meal with me tonight?”
Theon inclines his head and politely refuses. “I am leaving for patrol and will not be here.”
Her smile slips for a mere second. “Some other time then,” and he watches as she strolls away with a smile on her face.
~~~~
When Theon arrives at the stables, Odias is already there, packing his own supplies and readying the gamel.
Theon walks up to Coliea, his gamel, and pats the side of her wide, short face. “Hi there, Coliea,” he says in a soft voice, giving her some tender care.
Coliea, hand-raised by Theon since birth, has a true friendship with him built on trust and respect. Black in color with a blue stripe running down her back, she is as wild as Theon and just as daring.
Theon grabs some supplies, knowing it will be a moon cycle or two before he returns, and loads his panniers before mounting Coliea.
“Ready?” he asks Odias, who has already mounted his own gamel.
“Yes.” Taking the reins, the two of them head away from the stable, setting out on border patrol.
They never patrol the entire border; it’s done in sections.
They ride most of the day, the gamels going over rock and mushy grassland until they reach the camping grounds. It is routine, and each patrol has stopping points where they camp before continuing at first light.
The last rays of the sun start to fade when Theon grabs his long hunting knife. Just as he heads away from the camp, he throws a quick “I’ll be back!” over his shoulder.
Not knowing if Theon can even hear him, Odias still calls out, “I’ll gather the wood and get the fire roaring.”
Theon Untamed_First Contact Page 4