by L M Lacee
‘Well, you know, she loves these boys.’
‘Oh I see.’ Helen looked at Kerol and Lukkas thoughtfully.
Esther grinned at her two best friends, who were as close as sisters, and shook her head. ‘Really, you two are as bad as Melody and Netta.’
Which made them both laugh. They both had witnessed and been pulled into the wild speculations Melody and Netta indulged in. Especially when they needed to explain something they did not understand or something someone did, that they did not understand.
Esther told them. ‘Peyton loves them like brothers, but that is not fixing the problem.’
‘Oh of course.’ Helen looked at Lukkas and asked. ‘Is she ugly, is that the problem?’
Lukkas almost fell over, he laughed so hard as Brenda and Esther tried and failed to not laugh at her question.
Kerol raised tortured eyes to theirs. ‘She is beautiful, exceptional. Did I say beautiful?’ He waved his hand down his face. ‘I do not know what to do. I am like this.’
He stared off into space again as they all stopped laughing. Except for Lukkas, who with supreme effort got himself under control and tell them.
‘My brother assumes, as she is a beautiful…’
Kerol interrupted. ‘Most beautiful.’
‘I apologize, a most beautiful female. She will not want him as he is scarred and an idiot. I told him she would want him because he is strong and loyal and a good brother, also being an idiot is temporary. He does not think that is enough.’ Lukkas smiled, and they smiled back as they tried not laughing again.
Helen stated. ‘We need tea, Warriors, inside please.’
They all walked into Helen’s cabin, whereby Helen sat the males down as Brenda and Esther made them tea.
Brenda cleared her throat a few minutes later when they were all seated. ‘While all those points Lukkas made are very good and valid, a female likes a male for who he is, for what he says.’
‘How he behaves and how he treats her.’ Helen chipped in.
‘How he loves her. Not how he looks on the outside.’ Esther told them emphatically.
‘Although,’ Brenda said, ‘it does help.’
‘Oh, of course.’ Helen dreamily agreed with her.
Esther declared. ‘Yes, it sure does, and you Kerol have nothing to worry about. You are a handsome male and any female would be proud to call you her mate.’
‘See, I told you so.’ Lukkas stated to his brother, who jumped up saying. ‘Flowers… I must have flowers.’
Esther growled at him. ‘Stop listening to Peyton, she likes flowers. Not all females are won over by them, what you need to do first. Wait a min, what is this female’s name. Who is it?’
Kerol ducked his head as he sat back down. ‘She is the most beautiful Penny Tonne.’
‘Do we know her?’ Brenda asked the other two.
Helen squinted as she thought. ‘I do not recall meeting her.’
Esther smiled. ‘She is teaching classes in English, remember Peyton recommended her. She was the one who help Peyton and all those females escape back on Earth.’
Helen smiled as she remembered. ‘Oh yes, I remember, a wonderful female.’
Brenda agreed. ‘Very brave.’
‘A good match.’ Esther murmured, pleased for Penny and Kerol.
‘What you need is an old-fashioned introduction.’ Helen said thoughtfully.
‘In the old days, way before we were born.’ Brenda told them. ‘Females and males of Earth were introduced to each other by a third person. I think that is what is needed here.’
Esther snapped her link off. ‘She is on her way.’
Kerol popped right off his chair. ‘I must go and prepare; this is most unexpected. I did not know...’
He took a step and stopped and then took one back and stopped.
Lukkas shook his head. ‘An idiot, she will run far, far away.’
Helen hit his arm. ‘Stop that pup, she will not run.’
‘Look at him, he is going to blow.’ Esther told Brenda, who pushed Kerol into his chair and said.
‘Breathe Kerol breathe, all will be well, she is a beautiful strong female and just right for you.’
He turned his worried eyes on her, just as there came a knock on the door. Without thinking his head whipped around to Helen as she moved to answer the summons. Kerol felt every muscle in his body tighten and draw up into their combat ready status.
Esther watched as his face ran through a gauntlet of expressions, finally settling on resigned. As though he knew his mate was going to take one look at him and run for the hills. She wanted to wrap him up in her arms and tell him it would be alright but she could not, she did not know if it would be.
Although she supposed it should be, their mating as with other matings was fated. It seemed that when a Warrior found his mate, a chemical reaction triggered at their basic genetic level. That same chemical stimulated and triggered a reaction in the females who were their match. It was as though they were calling to each other. The scientists were puzzled as to why this happened. Brenda called it love but as she said time and again, she was not a scientist.
Esther had seen the reaction happen when couples found each other, as with Amelia and Jorge. Looking at Kerol now, she thought over the little hints Peyton dropped about the bonding process the couples went through. Again she thought that Peyton honestly believed the Star Child had somehow manipulated the females and Warriors so they could find each other.
When she had questioned her on this, Peyton had just smiled and said she did not really know, and if she did, it would not be her secret to tell.
Esther hoped Penny would have the same feelings for Kerol, so the mating heat could take effect. She crossed her fingers and hissed at Kerol. ‘Relax, you are not going into battle. You are just meeting a very nice female.’
Lukkas whispered. ‘It sort of is.’
Esther whispered to him. ‘I know but don’t tell him that.’
Helen opened the door and there she was, the female he had been dreaming about ever since he first saw her. Kerol stared at everything he wanted in the world as she spoke to Brenda. He had first seen her when she was teaching the Warriors. She had stood near a Warrior and it had taken all of his immense self-control not to have pummeled the poor hapless male to death at the sight.
He had spent the last few days not eating, short-tempered and with virtually no sleep. Until Lukkas had dragged his sorry butt here to the ladies for advice, and now she stood in the doorway. A vision of beauty and grace. Kerol dropped like a sack of stones, the thump of his body hitting the floor vibrated against their feet. No one moved as everyone looked at the crumpled male and then at Penny, who rushed into the cabin issuing orders.
‘Don’t just stand there, do something, call Patty. Oh, my stars, you poor male what happened?’ In a voice that promised vengeance, she whipped her head around, while her hands stroked over his face and hair.
‘Who hurt him?’
Esther looked at the other three. ‘Well, that answers that.’
Heather arrived within minutes of being called and still Kerol had not come around. She rushed in and skidded to a halt, dropping to her knees beside him and Penny. She snapped out. ‘What happened, who did this?’
Penny laid over Kerol and snarled. ‘Back off Lady.’
Heather leaned back and eyed her. ‘Umm… Okay, why are you all over our Kerol?’
‘Not yours, mine.’ Penny snarled back.
Laughing Esther bent over as Lukkas walked out the door with his shoulders shaking. Brenda put her head in her hands while Helen said with laughter in her voice.
‘Heather, Penny is Kerol’s mate to, he collapsed when she entered the room. Penny luv, you are going to have to let Heather examine him. She is our healer remember?’
Penny straightened up and blushed bright red. ‘Oh dearle, I am so very sorry. I was... hayda I don’t know what it was.’ She ran her hands through her strawberry blonde hair asking. ‘He is alright, isn’t he?’
Penny smiled as she bent her head near his ear and whispered. ‘Kerol… my Kerol.’
His eyes snapped open, and he jerked upright, causing both females to jump away. Leaping to his feet, he dragged Penny behind his back and stared around, danger pulsing from him.
Lukkas walked carefully back into the cabin, motioning for the females to remain still. Unlike the Kerol of before, this Kerol was dangerous, if he perceived a threat to his mate he would kill them all and cry later.
‘Brother,’ Lukkas called softly, ‘there is no threat here. Your mate is safe, look around Kerol, only family is here. We mean no harm to you or yours.’
Whether it was his words or the soft touch of Penny’s hands on his arms caressing him, something made his body softened and the danger passed. He took a breath then said. ‘I apologize.’
Penny slipped around and smiled up at him. ‘There is no need to apologize. We understand.’
He looked deeply into her eyes and saw hope and happiness and blurted out. ‘I am scarred.’
They heard Lukkas groan and the ladies quiet laughs. Penny shrugged. ‘So am I. Yours are just on the outside. Mine are on the inside and still if you can bear mine, I will adore yours.’
She reached up and pulled his head down and proceeded to show him what she meant by kissing every inch of his scar, she whispered. ‘You need to take me to my cabin now.’
Kerol looked bewildered as he stared at the other females and asked. ‘What did I do wrong?’
Before they could answer, Penny laughed, a kind, sweet sound. ‘Nothing my Kerol, but if you play your cards right, those sex lessons you all took, may come in handy.’
Kerol stood perfectly still as Heather rose from her crouched position. ‘Are we good?’
Penny nodded her head and asked in return. ‘Is he good?’
‘Yes, just a reaction. There is always something new to learn each time a Warrior finds his mate. I will record it and... Oh my!’
She stopped speaking as Kerol suddenly sprang into action. ‘I understand now, cards an expression. Lukkas I am taking the next few days off, tell someone and Penny is too.’
He swept her up into his arms and rushed from the cabin. They could hear Penny screeching. ‘What do you mean days?’
They did not hear his answer, but all heard her delighted laughter. Lukkas stared after the couple and his heart ached until he felt arms surrounded him. He looked down to see the three ladies wrapping their arms around him, and for the first time his body did not stiffen in reaction. Instead, he leaned down and placed his head on Helen’s shoulder. ‘I will miss him.’
‘Silly boy.’ Esther crooned. ‘You have not lost him. You have gained a wonderful sister.’
He agreed as he said. ‘Yes she is, we will not be able to share a residence together now.’
Brenda smiled and ruffled his hair. ‘Of course you will, if you want too. I am positive Penny will be unhappy to think you are alone, I know whatever else is happening in Kerol’s life you are important to him. He will not want you anywhere else. Wait and see, I swear it will work out.’
If not, she vowed she would speak to the couple and make sure he was not forgotten.
SEVENTY-SIX:
Hawk sat beside his friend Dinas’s bed. He had been decanted only moments ago and was due to wake in the next thirty minutes. At which time, he would purge his body of the chemicals they pumped into the stasis tubes to keep the Warriors alive for extended periods of time.
Scientists on the ships were combing over the information and technology from the tubes, hoping to discover what drugs had been used to keep the Warriors alive. The healer’s hope was the information obtained would make the process of reviving the Warriors quicker and less stressful. So far decanting hadn’t been going well. Some males needed extensive medical help when they were revived.
Dinas was an Elite and Hawk along with Heather were unsure of his reaction when he was revived. The records they found named him as Dinas Serapera. It appeared his friend had taken a new name, as he had threatened to do so many yentas ago.
He had been Hawk’s friend since they had crawled out of their incubators at the age of five yentas old. Dinas was handsome, as all Warriors were, although even Hawk would say his friend had something extra, which made him more appealing to most females.
Normally he was well-muscled, even though it appeared as though he had loss some body mass, he was still a large Warrior. This, of course, could be because he was an Elite.
As he sat and waited, he wondered how the humans would receive Dinas and felt a twinge of something twitch across his needar. He chased it down and realized with some surprise it was jealousy, delving further into the feeling. An occupation he never thought to do before, he realized he was worried the humans would like and admire Dinas more than him. He was well aware Dinas, and he were, or had been, as different in nature as day was to night. Where he tended to be an introvert, Dinas had been an extrovert and was easy to be around. He found humor in most things, unlike himself, who had a more sombre and cynical outlook on life and people. He knew at times he was not an easy person to talk to. Sometimes he thought that if he could relax inside where it mattered, he would be like Dinas.
Although, it occurred to him he was no longer that cynical, sombre male. Some parts of him were more open and trusting, and he did see humor in situations around him now. He admitted his needar and heart were lighter than he remembered them ever being before. He hoped that this had the effect of making him more approachable.
Not that long ago he would have analyzed these feelings, then tried to determine where and what caused him to feel this way. But as he felt a hand on his shoulder, he knew the answer as to why he was the male he was now, and she stood next to him.
Peyton moved to the other side of the bed and quietly said. ‘So Heather says he is gonna puke and spew from everywhere. Are you sure you want to sit this close to him? I know he is your brother and all, but I have to say, if it was Melody. I would be over there by the door.’
Before he could answer her, Melody announced as she walked into the room. ‘I heard that Star girl, and I know you would sit and cry tears of joy at my side as I puked all over you.’
‘The hayda I would, Armee girl.’ Peyton surreptitiously placed her last two fingers on Dinas’s arm and let a trickle of power flow into him as she told her. ‘I would be out the door so fast, if I thought you would spew stuff. That is just disgusting!’
Hawk could see Melody working up a reply when he asked. ‘What is puke and spew? These are words I do not know.’
Peyton said. ‘Ask Heather.’
Melody gave him what they called the stink eye. It was a look the females gave to anyone they thought was diverting an argument, which in truth was what he had done.
Peyton felt the male under her touch move. She withdrew her fingers just as his eyes opened and he grabbed her arm snarling. ‘You dare to touch me, female.’
Then he looked around and saw another female standing at the end of his bed. With a blaster in one hand and a long knife in the other, an angry expression clouding her face.
Heather came running. ‘The monitor said he was awake… Oh, I see listen…’
Hawk held his hand up and quietly said. ‘Dinas, release the female please.’
Dinas snorted and looked over at the Commander beside him, his hand tightened on Peyton’s arm. She made no move and did not change her expression, knowing Melody would blast him where he lay. He was strong she worried one shot would not incapacitate him.
He snarled menacing as he said. ‘You sound like my brother, you look somewhat like him, although you are older than he. I do not recognize this place or these strange beings. They are pale imitations of people. What magic is this?’
Peyton’s eyes narrowed at that comment, and Heather hoped sh
e remembered where she was. His eyes landed on Heather. ‘Who are you female?’
Before she could answer, his eyes lit on Melody and her weapons again and his smile turn predatory as he growled low in his throat. ‘You best know how to use those weapons female, or I will make sure you never hold them again.’
Melody raised an eyebrow and said. ‘Hawk, are you sure he is your brother? I mean, he is a bit of an asshole.’
Hawk sighed. ‘I swear he is my friend and brother; he is disorientated, he will be his usual self soon.’ He looked at his brother and ordered. ‘Dinas Serapera, release the Star Daughter before she kills you. NOW!’
Dinas dropped Peyton’s arm and fell back onto the bed and groaned. ‘Where the hayda am I?’
Peyton leaned over him and said. ‘Alive, without all the puking and spewing, it is a miracle.’
Heather asked. ‘How is it he is not reacting the way the others have?’
Melody said. ‘The healer wonders as she looks at Peyton?’
‘What did you do?’ Heather demanded as they all looked at her.
She put her hands up as she backed away from the bed. ‘I am just a vessel. I keep telling you that, but you will not believe me.’
As they still looked at her with disbelief, she said piously. ‘Do not judge me?’ Then stomped from the room, yelling. ‘A vessel I say!’
She hurried down the hall into the lift a wide smile on her face. Sometimes it was good to be the Star Daughter.
Heather said. ‘She is so lying.’
Melody returned her eyes to the now quietly watching Warrior, as she replied while re-holstering her weapons. ‘Yep, she is.’
Heather moved to where Peyton had been and said. ‘Warrior.’
‘Commander.’ Hawk corrected softly.
Dinas smiled. ‘Now I know it is you, Hawk.’
Hawk inclined his head. ‘Who else.’
Heather grinned at the exchange. ‘Commander, may I examine you? I am a healer.’
‘As am I dearle lady, and I have run an internal diagnostic. I am a little dehydrated and hungry and my body is underweight. My muscle tone is diminished but some days of food and training and I will be in optimum condition again.’