by Rayna Tyler
Thrayn stepped into the doorway, his skeptical gaze disappearing once he saw me. “All is well with your female?”
“Her name is Celeste.” Human females were particular about the use of their name, and I worried that Thrayn would incur some kind of injury if he persisted in addressing them as females. “And yes, she is fine.”
“Then I will wait outside until you are ready.” Thrayn turned to leave.
Things between Celeste and me were going better than I had expected, and I wanted to keep it that way. Though our conversation about the past had eased some of my guilt, I regretted our missed time together. Now that she was back in my life, I planned to utilize every opportunity to make it up to her. “Actually, there is something I need you to do for me first.”
Chapter Thirteen
Celeste
“What do you mean I can’t go?” I slapped my hands on my hips and glared at Khyron, not caring that Vurell and Nayea were sitting at the kitchen table listening to our conversation. “I swear if you…” My irritation with him outweighed my disappointment at not being able to help track down the luzardee.
I didn’t care if Khyron was the drezdarr. He wasn’t going to get away with ordering me around or changing my plans because he wanted to protect me. If he expected to be a part of my life, he needed to understand I was quite capable of making my own decisions and taking care of myself. Both of those things would never change.
“Zadierra.” His tone was low and placating.
“Celeste, the choice was not Khyron’s,” Vurell interrupted, his gaze dropping to my belt when he spoke. He must have thought my hand was too close to my knife and was afraid I might decide to use it. “Your friends decided it was best not to disturb you. Jardun, Laria, and Sloane went with Burke to meet with Marcus and discuss additional training for his males. Garyck and Zaedon left to track the luzardee and hunt for the evening’s meal.”
“Oh.” My anger subsided, and I gave Khyron an apologetic smile.
“I agreed with their decision. I have been concerned about Khyron’s recovery and his need for rest,” Vurell said. “I was glad to hear he was spending more time in bed.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell the doctor his patient probably expended more energy in one night with me than he had during the entire time he’d been here. Vurell might be a few years older than the rest of the ketaurran males, but I didn’t believe he’d never had sex. Either he hadn’t realized what he’d said or it had been some time since he’d spent the night with a female. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t ever remember struggling so hard not to laugh.
Poor Nayea, who’d been quietly listening to our conversation, choked on her freegea. She glanced at Vurell as if there was something wrong with him. “You do realize…”
He held up his hand. “Yes, female, I am quite aware the drezdarr was demonstrating his prowess and exerting his strength to please his ketiorra. My concern was for his emotional health, which seems to have improved greatly.” He wiggled his brows at me, then turned back to Nayea. “I would be happy to discuss the benefits of a sexual encounter with you further if…”
Khyron groaned. “I believe it is time to leave.” He grabbed my hand and rushed to get me out of the building.
Vurell might be a little gruff, but I found his dry sense of humor amusing, and I really wanted to hear the rest of what he had to say.
I waited until we’d stepped off the end of the platform, then pulled Khyron to a stop. “Where are we going?”
With a smile, Khyron slipped his arms around my waist. “Since our plans have changed, I thought you might like to spend some time together, perhaps accompany me on a walk.”
“And if I said no?” I let the challenge hang in the air.
He brushed my jaw with his thumb. “Do you want to say no?”
He’d always been good at using his charm to manipulate a situation to get what he wanted. Now that I knew he was the drezdarr, I wondered if it was a skill he’d learned from his father. I’d heard from quite a few people that the old leader ruled with diplomacy rather than brute strength. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Until you do…” He took my hand and started walking. “If you don’t mind, I would like to stop by Harper’s place first.”
“I don’t mind, but why?” I tensed, worried something had happened to one of the children.
“You had expressed your concern for their welfare earlier, and I thought you might like to check on them.”
“I would, thank you.” His thoughtfulness was touching, but I sensed there was an ulterior motive for the visit. One he wasn’t sharing.
A few minutes later, I felt prickles along my neck as if we were being followed. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Thrayn keeping pace about fifteen feet behind us. I hoped Khyron’s idea of spending time together didn’t include vryndarr supervision. “I see your bodyguard found us.” I didn’t bother to mask my annoyance.
“Do not worry, I am selfish where you are concerned. He will not be with us very long.”
By the time we arrived at Harper’s place, my curiosity had reached its maximum level. I stepped up on the platform and knocked on the door. When no one answered, I led Khyron and Thrayn inside. Since it was midmorning, finding the gathering room and adjoining dining area empty wasn’t uncommon. The children enjoyed being outside. The older ones usually disappeared to hang out with friends from other families, the trader’s market one of their usual hangouts. “Harper, are you here?”
Her voice echoed from the back of the house. “In the kitchen.”
“Good morning.” I found Harper sitting at the table sipping a cup of freegea. With taking care of the children, she rarely got any time to herself, and I hated intruding on her peaceful moment. Or at least I thought it was one of those moments until Draejill popped out from under the table.
“Rawr.” He curled the ends of his fingers, then ran across the floor as fast as his little legs would carry him. When he reached Khyron, he plopped on the floor and grabbed his tail.
“Draejill, no,” Harper scolded. “I’m so sorry.” She shot Khyron a worried look as if she still wasn’t sure how to act around the drezdarr. “We’re trying to break him of the habit because he does it to Nayea all the time.”
“It is all right.” Khyron picked him up, holding him under both arms out in front of him to prevent Draejill from grabbing his hair. “You are very fierce for one so small.”
Draejill growled and giggled. “Look. Same.” He swished his own tail, then pointed at Khyron’s.
“Yes, they are the same.”
Thrayn remained in the entryway, staring suspiciously at Draejill as if he was a creature he’d never encountered before, one that planned to attack his drezdarr. Was it possible he’d never see any children from a human and ketaurran couple?
“Can I get you anything to drink?” Harper asked. “Thrayn, how about you?” She’d sensed his unease and used his name to draw his attention away from Draejill.
“I am fine, but thank you.” His gaze never left Draejill, but some of his wariness lessened.
The door leading from the kitchen to the area behind the house burst open, and Ben, with Gabe following on his heels, rushed into the room. “Celeste!” he yelled, then stopped, causing Gabe to slam into his back. “Why is he here?” He huffed and gave Khyron a scathing glare. “Is he your boyfriend now?”
Khyron smirked and directed a curious glance in my direction. The arrogant male knew exactly what the word meant. “Something like that.”
“Does that mean you’re not going to use him for knife-throwing practice anymore?” Gabe snickered.
“What?” Harper asked, her face paling.
I should have known the two miscreants would eventually tell Harper what they’d seen. “It was a misunderstanding, and nobody got hurt.” I glared first at the boys for saying anything, then at Khyron, whose smirk widened into a grin.
Thrayn pursed his lips. “It was not a misunderstanding. She…”
<
br /> “Thrayn.” Khyron’s scowl made the younger male take a step backward.
“Okay, then.” Harper got up from her seat. She’d had plenty of experience refereeing squabbles between the children and didn’t have any problem stepping between the two males. “Why don’t you guys go back outside and play?” She gave Ben and Gabe one of her insistent, no-arguing glares until they turned and raced from the room.
To Khyron, she said, “I have what you asked for ready to go.” She motioned to a bag sitting on the counter behind her.
“Thank you, Harper. It is greatly appreciated.” Khyron held Draejill out to Thrayn. “I need some time alone with my ketiorra and insist you stay here to protect Harper and the young ones.”
Reluctantly, Thrayn took Draejill. I tried not to laugh at the way he wrinkled his nose and held the child away from his body.
The bag was large and bulky, but Khyron had no problem lifting it and slipping the strap over his shoulder. He reached for my hand. “Come, Zadierra. I believe I promised you a walk.”
***
“Aren’t you worried there might be a luzardee or two lurking around somewhere?” I asked when Khyron led me into the wooded area behind Harper’s place.
“We are both armed, and I have you to protect me.” He might have been teasing, but I’d battled luzardees before and wouldn’t hesitate to fight one if it meant keeping Khyron alive.
Since Vurell had mentioned that Garyck and Zaedon were doing more tracking, I was a little more assured that we would be okay. I’d expected him to take me to the area where I trained with Ben and Gabe, but he took a different route, one I didn’t normally use. One that ended in my favorite clearing, the place I came when I needed time to myself.
I stepped over a stream that emptied into a secluded pool of water. When I was troubled, staring at its lavender hue rippling across its translucent surface always had a calming effect. “How did you find this place?” The clearing was hidden from view, and I didn’t think Khyron had just happened upon it the day he arrived.
He walked up behind me and pulled me back against his chest, then unhooked the bag Harper had given him and let it slide to the ground next to us. “I had help from a young female who is very wise.”
Being this close to him always felt right, natural, perfect. I turned in his arms and asked, “Are you talking about Melissa?” She was the only young female I knew he’d interacted with when Fuzzball attacked his tail.
“I am.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“But how? When?”
“She found me in the clearing not long after you left. Since you were angry with me, she suggested I find a way to apologize and brought me here.”
“Where you picked the chirayka you left on my nightstand.” I glanced at the wild vines covering the boulders bordering one side of the pool. Each spiraling tendril contained numerous deep purple blossoms.
“Not until the next morning, but yes,” he said.
He tucked some strands that had escaped my braid behind my ear. “Did you know Melissa hopes one day to be a great warrior like you?”
The warmth from his touch combined with the compliment sent heat surging through me. “I don’t know about the great warrior part, but Melissa and I have talked about me teaching her how to handle a blade.”
His smile faded. “With the uncertainty of her future, I believe it is a good idea.” A hint of regret laced his words, and I sensed the burden of being responsible for the lives of so many weighed heavily on his mind.
Moments where he didn’t have to worry about the problems we faced would be rare, and I wanted to make sure this was one of them. “So”—I nudged the bag near his feet with the tip of my boot—“are you going to tell me what’s inside?” Khyron had always been resourceful, but I was curious when he’d found the time to coax Harper into helping him.
“I thought you might enjoy a picnic and had her prepare us a lunch.” He bent down to pick up the bag, then clasped my hand and led me to a flat area underneath a group of thorny trees.
“Where did you learn about picnics?” I couldn’t remember ever discussing the topic with him. It was possible that Laria and Sloane, with their devious tendencies, had something to do with our outing.
“From the history data books the human leaders gave my sire shortly after your ship arrived on Ketaurrios.” He opened the bag and pulled out a blanket, then spread it on the ground. “Is a picnic not used as a human ritual to gain a female’s affections?”
I’d never read any of the history books the exploration team had assembled for the trip from Earth. From conversations I’d had with other ketaurrans, I sometimes wondered if the information was a little outdated or if something got misconstrued during the translation.
I didn’t want to spoil his surprise by telling him he didn’t need to gain my affections because he already possessed my heart. If it took performing romantic gestures to ease his past guilt and bring us closer together, then I had no objections and would play along. “Are you trying to tell me you want to date?”
“I do not know what dating is, but if it assists with proving my worth as a mate, to keep you as my ketiorra, then yes, I wish to date you.” He sat on the blanket and pulled me onto his lap so I straddled his legs.
Khyron had amazed me more than once in the last couple of days, and I was touched by the fierce ketaurran leader’s attempt at romance. We’d both been hurt, suffered loss, and used blame to relieve the resulting pain. It would take time to reinforce the bond we’d shared before the war ripped it apart.
I’d been in several relationships, all of them before I’d met Khyron. None of them amounted to anything, and they certainly didn’t involve any real dating. So the idea of seeing what creative things he came up with to win me over seemed very intriguing. “I guess if you put it that way, how can I resist?”
Chapter Fourteen
Khyron
Elated did not describe my exhilaration at having Celeste agree to the human tradition of dating. The harsh realities of my world prevented continual happiness for its inhabitants. I enjoyed seeing the rare and radiant smile on her face and decided I would give her more picnics and whatever else I could devise to keep it there. So far, Laria and Sloane had proved to be excellent allies. Perhaps a conversation with them would provide me with the additional information I needed.
My body’s response to her sitting on my lap was immediate, and though we had already shared one night of passion, I knew I would never get enough of my ketiorra. I would have loved nothing more than to make love to her out here in the wilderness, but I had no idea where Garyck and Zaedon’s hunt would lead them and did not want to risk them seeing her naked.
“Then I will do my best not to disappoint you.” I slipped a hand behind her nape and urged her closer, then brushed my lips softly across hers. During the hours we’d spent pleasuring each other the night before, I discovered that gentleness was not something she desired. She took control of the kiss with an eagerness that had me moaning.
With great reluctance, I ended the kiss and reached for the bag. “Shall we see what Harper has packed for us?”
“You know most males like to take advantage of a female during a date.” Celeste wiggled her hips, an action that made my erection even more uncomfortable. “Aren’t you at least going to try?”
“Later, zadierra.” I grabbed her hips to halt her movements. “When we are alone in my sleeping chambers, I plan to take advantage of you often.”
“Promise.”
“Of course.” I opened the first container and found it filled with pyteinna.
“Harper is a great cook. I don’t know what she uses to flavor her food, but the pancakes she makes always taste good.” Celeste snagged one off the top, broke it in half, then held out a portion for me to sample.
I took a bite and had to admit the cakes were well prepared. “If I remember correctly, cooking was not a skill you had any interest in learning. Has that changed?”
“The b
est I can do is grill meat. Sloane is the cook in our group.” She frowned and lowered her cake before taking another bite. “Why, were you looking for a female with home-keeping capabilities?”
“No, my preference is females who can wield very sharp blades, specifically a particular one who has a firm yet squeezable backside.” I grinned and snatched the remainder of the cake from her hand, then quickly popped it into my mouth.
“Hey, this blade-wielding female with the nice backside wasn’t done with that.”
Celeste was not impressed when I chuckled, or with my attempt to keep the rest of the cakes away from her. I soon found myself shoved on my back with an annoyed female sitting astride my midsection. With a prideful sneer, she grabbed another cake from the container. “Never steal my food.”
Before she could reach her mouth, I rolled her over, pinning her wrists above her head. “Or…”
“Or I will…” Concern filled her dark gaze and she jerked her head to the side, trying to see past the wall of blue-thorned trees.
“What is wrong?” I asked.
“I thought I heard something. I don’t think we’re alone.”
All playful thoughts disappeared, replaced by the need to keep Celeste safe. I immediately helped her to her feet, then drew my blade, and strained to listen. The rustling coming from my left started off low and grew gradually stronger. Celeste slowly unsheathed her knife, then pointed at a gap in the trees. We left the blanket and bag in the clearing, then simultaneously moved in the direction she had designated.
We hadn’t gone far when Melissa burst into view, hair pulled loose from her braids, dirt clinging to her tear-stained face. She stumbled to a stop when she saw us, then put her hands on her knees, panting to catch her breath.
“Sweetie, what are you doing out here?” Celeste’s concerned tone lacked any harshness.