Niail’s tension eased. It would only be a matter of hours before he was connected again. Kimi’s house was isolated. He would be safe here until they could go to town. He might be on his own, but he was well trained. If a situation developed he would take care of it then.
“You kids need to eat.” Kimi put the pancakes in front of the children.
Wil grinned and Peta’s eyes sparkled. “Our favourite,” they sang out in unison.
Niail leaned against the counter and observed the children. A surge of warmth spread through him. This must be how it felt to be part of a family. Unlike the Kaladin and Holman, humans were still connected with their children. The love between Kimi and the children was tangible and comforting.
When the pancakes were done, Wil and Peta took their plates to the counter. Kimi filled a kettle with water from a hand pump at the sink and put it on stove to heat. She started to clear the table, but Niail stopped her.
“I can put this away. You need to sit.”
He gathered the syrup and butter and put it in the fridge and then cleared the rest of the dishes. He stacked them in the sink and when the kettle had heated he started washing.
“I understand you want to keep your traditions, but why do you live without running water and electricity?” Niail looked over his shoulder. “Would it not be quicker to have some conveniences?”
“Mom doesn’t want us to have the internet or video games.” Peta rested her chin on the table. “She thinks it will corrupt us.”
“That’s not true.” Kimi’s voice was indignant. “You get the computer at school, and I know you play games when you visit your friends.”
Niail frowned. “Why would these games hurt them?”
He had learned his techniques through hand to hand demonstrations and multi-media interactions. All his military strategies and manoeuvers had been burned into his memory during video sessions when he was barely Wil’s age.
“I don’t want them focusing on violence. The Blackfeet believe all living creatures are sacred.”
“So these games go against your traditions.” Niail took a seat at the table. “Are all games violent?”
“No.” Peta shook her head. “My friend and I bowl on her game console.”
“You play with dishes?”
Wil giggled. “It’s a game with a ball and pins.”
“Your language is confusing.”
“Not for me.” Wil pushed back from the table. “Peta and I are going back to our fort. Niail, come and help us. We could use someone who is strong to lift stuff.”
“I will join you later.”
Niail watched the two children run out of the house with a sense of wonder. They were carefree and happy. He had never been either of these things. He would like to spend time with them, but he knew his first priority was getting in touch with Partlan.
“How did you learn English?” Kimi’s voice made him turn back to her. “Is it very different from your language?”
“We do not have words that have two meanings.” Niail grinned. “It makes things easier to understand.”
“So you didn’t know English when you crashed?”
“No. At that time we were connected with our translating devices. The language was sent directly to our brain. Now of course we would not be able to do that.”
“That’s because you removed your implants.” Kimi nodded. “So they were more than tracking devices.”
“They were also enhancers.” Niail leaned back in his chair. “Most things have more than one use. What is good for one may be bad for another.”
“Not being tracked is more important.” Kimi sighed. “Living without the conveniences of the rest of the world means I have total privacy. Except for my cellphone, there is no way for us to be found through electronic devices. Someone has to physically locate us.”
“You worry about people knowing where you are?” Niail frowned. “Is this a problem in your country?”
“Not for me.” Kimi leaned toward Niail. “Jake thinks I’m crazy, but he’s not the best person to listen to. He’s always in trouble.”
“He does not accept easily.”
“That’s an understatement.” Kimi laughed. “Right now he’s on suspension from the Bureau. He’s supposed to stay away from investigations, but I bet he’s following someone that will get him in trouble again.”
“He has a strong sense of what is just.”
“Yes.” Kimi sighed. “I just wish he could see that it’s okay to be Blackfeet.”
“He must find his own path.”
Niail touched Kimi’s hand that rested on the table. A jolt of pleasure traveled up his arm and lodged in his lower gut. This woman affected him. He saw an answering response in her eyes. She was aware of him also.
With his brain muddled, he could only rely on his body’s reactions. Ardal had told them that as his bonding grew stronger with his mate, he had known her thoughts and feelings. Niail couldn’t mind connect, but he knew what he felt.
Desire coursed through his veins.
She was as aware of him, as he was of her. Her fingers fluttered under his hand and his body hardened. Never had that happened before. He inhaled and relished the sensation.
He wanted more.
Hesitation and fear lurked in Kimi’s eyes. She wasn’t ready to surrender to their bonding. She needed time. Niail straightened his shoulders. He would prove her wrong. Deep in his bones he knew that she was his pair bond. With or without the mind connection, he would be linked to her always.
No matter what she wanted from life, he would be there for her. He would never interfere in her choices or plans. He would protect and care for her. One day she would see that they were bonded as one, and hopefully, she would chose him as her mate.
Before that could happen, Kimi had to learn to trust him. The best way to do that was to support her.
“The children asked for help.” Niail released her hand. “Where can I find them?”
Kimi stood. “I’ll take you up there. I want to look at my water pressure tank and cistern. All that rain last night, means everything should be full.”
“You do not get your water from the kitchen?”
Kimi grabbed a light jacket and waited for Niail to leave the house before shutting the door. “The kitchen’s pump is attached to the well. That’s mainly for drinking water. I use rainwater to supplement our washing.”
“This system sounds complicated.”
“I’m used to it.” Kimi pointed to the home that was built of logs. “My family and friends helped build the house and set up the alternative energy system, but I’ve had to learn how to maintain it.”
“This is how your people used to live?”
Kimi shook her head. “Not even close. This just allows me to control the things that enter our house from the modern world. In the summer, when school is closed, the children and I move into a tipi and try our best to live off the land.”
Niail frowned. “That is an unusual thing to do.”
“I know.” Kimi sighed. “I want them to know the best of both worlds. There are some traditions I could never accept, but it is important to remember where we came from.”
“I can understand.” Niail looked around at the forested landscape, and the mountains with their snow-caps in the distance. He took a deep breath of the fresh pine scent. Humans were fortunate that their planet was still alive.
“We had nothing like this on Cygnus. The water and atmosphere had been destroyed eons ago. Everyone lived within giant pods that had artificial atmosphere and scenery.”
“How horrible.” Kimi shuddered. “It would be claustrophobic. I need space.”
“People do what they must to survive.”
“True.” Kimi rubbed her arms. “Heritage is more than where you come from. It’s also the customs and language.”
“I am a Hunter. We do not know where we come from, only that we exist to serve and obey. We are warriors and protectors.”
“That’s
sad.” Kimi stopped. They were several feet higher than the house and a large tank was perched beside them. “You have no sense of your heritage.”
“My fellow Hunters and the Sacred Code are all I know.”
“I understand why it’s so important for you to contact them.” Kimi’s hand rested on his arm. “This afternoon I’ll drive you into Browning. My computer is at the school. You can use it to contact them.”
Gratitude filled Niail. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” Kimi turned and examined the tank. “Everything looks fine here. Let’s go and play with the kids.”
Play?
It sounded intriguing.
He had never done it before.
The rest of the morning was spent building a fort. It started out as an outline and when they were finished they had taken fallen logs and branches and made walls. It was one room with an entranceway. Wil and Peta were pleased.
After lunch Kimi tried the battery in her cellphone, but it wouldn’t work. Niail watched as she bit her lip and then heaved a sigh. She grabbed her purse from the sideboard and headed to the door.
“Come on kids. We’re going into town.”
Niail followed them out of the house. Kimi was already behind the wheel by the time he sat in her truck. She turned the key and nothing happened. She tried it a second time and still nothing. The engine was not starting.
“The battery’s dead.” She hit her hand against the steering wheel. “Did you notice anything when you got the phone Wil?”
“The door was open a bit.” Wil was in the rear seat.
Kimi exhaled. “The door light drained the battery.”
Niail sensed her frustration. “How far to Browning?”
“It’s several miles away.” Kimi looked over at him. “You can’t walk there.”
“I am used to walking distances.” Niail opened the truck door.
“Not after the injuries you sustained.”
“I have had worse.”
Niail stepped out of the truck and started down the drive. He had to reach the other Hunters before they gave him up for dead. He might never be able to mind connect again. It was imperative that he find them.
“Wait.” Kimi ran up behind him. “You don’t have to walk. Someone usually stops by to check on me during the weekend.”
Niail hesitated. He could see that Kimi was worried. He had been trained to obey women. Since crashing on earth, they had learned that women on this planet often made decisions based on emotions. This wasn’t logical. Uncertainty about whether Kimi was ordering him to stay or making a suggestion made him question her further.
“I can reach the town. Just tell me which direction.”
“It’s too dangerous.” Kimi clasped his arm. “You’re injured. Bobby was insistent you stay hidden here.”
“That was when I was unconscious.” He turned toward Kimi and put his hands on her shoulders. “I will not be captured again.”
“It’s getting late. The sun will be down soon. I would feel better if you stayed.”
Niail’s eyes roamed over Kimi’s face. Her brow was creased and she was biting her lips. She was sincere in her concern. His response was immediate. His body jolted with purpose. The last thing he wanted was to upset her. He would honor her wishes.
“Then I will remain here until tomorrow.”
Kimi smiled. “Great. We could even try to use one of the batteries I have for the solar system.”
“No.” Niail started back to the house. “Tomorrow is soon enough for me to leave.”
His fellow Hunters might not understand, but there was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep Kimi happy. Her desires were the only thing that he cared about. His pair bonding was growing stronger. He would contact the others when he could. Until then, he would stay.
The rest of the day was spent outside. The kids played and Niail stayed near Kimi. She worked on the gardens. She weeded the flowerbeds while Niail turned the earth in the vegetable patch at the rear of the house.
“Is this how your people would have lived traditionally?” Niail wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
Kimi laughed. “They followed the buffalo. They didn’t stay in one place long enough to grow food.”
“So why are you doing it?”
Kimi shrugged. “With this much space, it would be silly not to live off the land a bit. I don’t have any animals, but in the summer, it isn’t a problem to tend the garden.”
“I would have preferred to move around like your ancestors.”
“You have itchy feet like my ex-husband.” Kimi shrugged. “I always wanted a stable home. My parents died when I was young and my grandfather raised Jake and me.”
“So that means living in one place?” Niail frowned. “I can understand, but if you are bonded to each other, does it matter if one of you moves around?”
Kimi stood. “I don’t think Sam and I considered how long we would be together. We were young and foolish.”
“You and Sam are no longer mates.” Niail didn’t miss the flicker of pain in Kimi’s eyes.
Kimi took off her gardening gloves. “Sam has a new wife and son now.”
“And this is why Jake was upset the first morning?”
Kimi turned back to the house. “Jake is angry at everything.”
Niail followed her into the house. The longer he spent with Kimi the more he was able to sense her feelings. The subject of Sam had upset her. Trying to understand without being able to connect fully was a challenge. One he had never had to deal with before.
In the past he followed commands. He took the position he was told to. He killed when he was ordered to. He obeyed. He never contemplated strategy. It was automatic; part of his training. He had relied on his commander to decipher their enemies’ motives and emotions.
“I do not want to distress you with my questions.” Niail stood behind Kimi as she washed her hands in the sink. “I am trying to understand why you deny what you feel.”
Kimi shook the water from her hands and reached for a towel. When she had finished she turned to face Niail. She was within a few inches of him and his stomach tightened. The scent of her filled his nostrils and it took all his strength not to pull her into his arms.
“This attraction between us is crazy.” Kimi’s gaze seemed to penetrate to his soul. “You’re not right for me. I need a man who understands my goals and people.”
“My bond grows stronger each minute I spend with you.” Niail’s fingers caressed her face. “My injury is preventing you from understanding the depth of our connection.”
Kimi shook her head. “It has no future.”
“I will honor whatever you decide.” Niail’s kept his voice steady, even though it felt as if he were breaking in two.
Kimi’s eyes widened and he was lost. Surely she would not deny him one kiss. He leaned close and waited. She didn’t disappoint. Her hands clasped around his neck and she pulled him in close.
Niail wrapped his arms around her waist.
He brushed his lips across hers and felt his heart thundering in his chest. The world spun as his tongue slid across the crease of her mouth. She sighed and opened for him. All thought vanished as he was swept into a maelstrom of sensations and feelings.
His body hardened.
He pulled her closer, feeling the frantic beat of her heart against his own. Reality disappeared and in its place was paradise. How could he ever let her go? He was bonded to her. His very existence depended on keeping her near.
Kimi twisted her head away and ended the kiss. Her eyes were glazed with passion as she struggled for breath.
“That can never happen again.”
Chapter 6
Kimi bit her lip and turned back to the stove. Niail was helping Wil with his coloring and Peta was supervising. Peta was sitting on her knees and leaning against Niail. She was trying to teach him the finer points of using crayons.
“You have to stay in the lines.” Peta pointed at Niail’
s picture. “Didn’t you ever color before?”
“No.” Niail leaned closer to the book. “Our training was the only thing we had time for.”
“You must have taken a break?”
“We changed from one educator to another. There was too much to learn. We couldn’t waste the precious time we had. Knowledge could mean the difference between living and dying.”
“It’s not easy being a superhero.” Peta’s voice was low. “You don’t have to worry. I can teach you coloring.”
“All kids learn to color.” Wil’s voice was encouraging. “You will learn fast.”
Niail grunted. “I do not seem to be coordinated.”
“It’s okay to be messy at the start.” Peta picked up a yellow crayon. “Try this color on the moon.”
Kimi closed her eyes for a brief second. How could her children be so accepting of Niail? They had only known him since yesterday, yet they believed in him totally. They wanted to be near him. She wanted the same thing, but she couldn’t risk getting hurt. There was a strong attraction between them. That didn’t mean it was meant to be. She had learned her lesson with Sam, and she wasn’t going to mistake sexual attraction for love everlasting.
That kiss they had shared had been amazing. Never had she experienced anything like it; certainly not with Sam. There had been a total connection between her and Niail. They had become one and for a few seconds, she had allowed herself to be lost in the sensation. Then fear had taken over.
He was a stranger.
Worse, he was an alien.
She shouldn’t have let her children near him, but there was no stopping it now. They adored and worshiped Niail. Not just because they thought he was a superhero, but because they liked him. Watching them together, she knew the feeling was mutual. Niail would do anything for her children.
So why was she hesitant to accept him into their lives? Niail swore there was a bond between them. One he said that was permanent and lasting. He’s also said he liked to move around. Her life was here on the reservation. That meant any kind of relationship between them would be long distance. She had tried that with Sam and it had been a disaster.
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