by S. E. Smith
“Has there been any word on the fate of Lady Cara and Lady Trisha?” Calo suddenly asked, as if he was reading Ha’ven’s mind.
“Trelon and Kelan are in pursuit. That is all we know at this time,” Ha’ven replied. “Raffvin and his followers have much to answer for.”
“If the Royal family needs my brother and my assistance, we will help,” Calo volunteered.
“Keeping Creon’s mate safe is more important. Raffvin or any of his followers would love to take him out. He made a lot of enemies when he saw through their plans and united the Valdier, Sarafin, and Curizan,” Ha’ven replied.
“My brother and I will protect Carmen with our lives,” Calo promised even as his dragon snarled at him in denial.
We pledged to protect and serve the Royal family, he reminded his dragon who hissed in anger.
Protect and serve mate, his dragon snapped back. I feel mate. Want… need mate.
That… may be a little difficult, Calo carefully pointed out. Our mate is not exactly what we were expecting.
Care not what expect, his dragon insisted. Want mate.
We have to be able to be in the same room first without being attacked before we can do anything else, Calo reminded his dragon.
Get in room, his dragon retorted. Grab, hold. I do rest.
Yeah, and have Lady Carmen kicking both of our asses and then some, Calo snorted, reaching up and touching the shorter strand of hair on the side of his head.
“Are you and your dragon having an argument?” Ha’ven asked with a knowing grin.
“Yes, I’m reminding him that pissing Lady Carmen off is not a good idea,” Calo said with a rueful smile.
Ha’ven reached up and touched his own shortened strand of hair. He shook his head as he laughed. He couldn’t argue with that.
“Good luck with your mate,” Ha’ven said. “It will be interesting to see how you and Cree win this battle.”
“We have to get close enough to have a battle first,” Calo laughed. “Getting a shovel full of Pactor dung slung at me is not exactly something I look forward to facing again.”
Ha’ven grimaced and looked at the door. “Better you than me,” he snorted as he slapped Calo on the shoulder. “May the Goddess bless that you are swift on your feet.”
Calo watched as Ha’ven turned and walked away. He turned back to the repair bay door and straightened his shoulders. He rolled his head from side to side to ease the tense feeling in his shoulders.
Okay, round two, he thought with determination. Let’s see if we can get the old man to help us.
Just grab, his dragon snorted and rolled over. I bite, problem solved.
You were not the one almost wearing Pactor dung, Calo reminded his dragon. Be careful or I’ll let you deal with it.
Pactor dung stinks, his dragon reluctantly agreed.
Chapter 9
Cal watched in amusement as either Calo or Cree hesitantly called out from the doorway. The warrior nervously glanced around. His eyes paused on the small Pactor who was eating leftovers out of a bucket that Zuk, one of the men who oversaw the kitchens, brought twice a day for Melina to feed the baby animal.
It had taken almost three days for Cal to realize that there were actually two warriors constantly trying to get into the repair bay instead of just the one. He had never seen a set of twins who looked so much alike that he couldn’t tell them apart.
He still couldn’t tell who was Cree and who was Calo until after they started talking. He had been shocked yesterday when he saw Melina standing staring back at the warrior. So far, he had been successful in only allowing Carmen and Zuk into the area even though the other two did their damnedest to try to work their way in, at least he had until the day before.
A sigh escaped him as he remembered how Melina had blushed when she admitted that the two warriors had made it in twice now. Yesterday, when he had caught Calo trying to talk to her and again about a half hour before. Cal had been surprised when he got out of the shower a short time ago and discovered Melina scrubbing Pactor dung off the wall next to the door. She reluctantly admitted she had panicked when the man had walked in on her. She had left her hat on the chair and Hobbler was between her and the crates.
“I tossed a shovel of it at Calo to get him out of here,” she admitted as she placed the soiled rags in the bucket of disinfectant Doc Tandor sent down. “He startled me when he came in while I was mucking out the pen.”
“Startled, huh?” Cal remembered asking Melina as she blushed again and looked down. “You did good, Mel. I’m proud of you.”
He knew it had been more than her being startled. He saw the way the men searched for his granddaughter every time they entered the repair bay with Carmen or for some other excuse. Hell, he would have had to have been blind and deaf yesterday to not see and hear the desperation in the man’s voice and eyes when he tried to talk to Melina.
What worried him was the way Melina searched for them as well. There were just some things in life that found a way around any obstacle. While the men may think Melina was a boy, Melina was all too aware that they were men. He could see the curiosity in her eyes and hear it in her voice when she made casual comments about them.
Right now, Cal lips twisted into an amused grin as he watched the warrior step cautiously into the room. He’d be pretty damn cautious too if someone had just tossed a load of manure at him. He waited until the man turned his gaze back to him before he spoke.
“Do those two gold creatures belong to you?” Cal asked, folding his arms across his chest and jerking his head toward the stack of crates where Melina had reluctantly retreated. “I hope they aren’t stealing the things they keep bringing to Mel. The boy won’t have any room to sleep if they keep fetching him stuff.”
“One… one belongs to me. The other is my brother, Cree’s, symbiot,” Calo said, glancing over to the crates where he could sense his symbiot. “I wished to speak with you today, if I may.”
Cal relaxed and nodded his head to the chairs sitting out in front of the office. After so many years of being cooped up in the narrow, dark tunnels of the mines it was nice to sit outside in the open area of the repair bay. He could drink the coffee that he replicated and watch Melina as she played with the two symbiots that had become her constant companions or care for Hobbler who liked to join in.
“Would you like some?” Cal asked as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He raised his cup to the warrior who shook his head at the offer. “Before you say what’s on your mind, can you tell me why your symbiots and you and your brother keep coming around so much?”
Calo swallowed. Cree and he decided that they would approach the grandfather and see if perhaps the old man would allow them to work with training his grandson. Since he was the easy going one of the two, Calo suggested it would be best if he talked to the man. They also decided that it would be best if they didn’t mention that Mel was their mate. They were afraid the old man would resist if he knew that.
“I have never formally introduced myself. I am Calo Aryeh. My brother, Cree, and I are from the Northern Mountains of Valdier,” Calo said with a nervous grin as he sat down. “We are known as twins.”
Cal chuckled softly. “I finally figured that one out. Took me a couple of days. We have twins back home.”
“You do?” Calo asked startled. “Then you understand how difficult it is for them.”
“I guess it can be at times,” Cal finally said after thinking it over.
“Yes, yes, it can be,” Calo said, sitting back in the chair across from Cal. “My brother and I were thinking that it might be good if your grandson spent some time with other males.”
Cal rubbed the whiskers on his chin as he thought about it. “Mel don’t care about spending time with others. He’s more comfortable around animals, and those gold creatures,” he added thoughtfully.
Calo leaned forward and spread his hands wide. “Yes, but surely it would help him if he had others to talk to. I mean, I know he can’t talk, bu
t if he were to spend time around others…” Calo’s voice faded as he ground his teeth in frustration. Nothing he was wanting to say was coming out right. “We would like to train the boy.”
Cal’s eyebrows rose at Calo’s sudden statement. It was taking everything in him not to laugh. He knew exactly what was going on. The two young men had no idea that Mel was a girl, but their hormones did. Subconsciously, they must be recognizing the difference.
He knew that Melina was attracted to at least one of the twins. He wasn’t sure which one. Hell, it could be both for all he knew. She was a beautiful young woman and she had never even had a boyfriend… well, except for maybe a puppy love with Stuart that one summer.
“Why would you want to train Mel?” Cal asked.
“Well, he is small… and delicate,” Calo started. “He should build up some muscle and it will help him eat more so he can put on some weight. Every boy should know how to protect himself. It would also be good for him. Cree and I can work with him. It might help him with his… well, with his… mental issues as well.”
“Son, I don’t think Mel is ready for training to be a warrior,” Cal commented. “Besides, we’re hoping to be going home so it won’t be necessary for Mel to learn all those things.”
*.*.*
Melina sat back in the shadows and listened to the conversation between her grandpa and Calo. Leaning her head back, she grinned as Calo offered to train her to become a warrior. She loved the sound of the two men’s voices. Both had deep, rich ones that made her think of fresh made peach ice cream on a hot summer day. One taste just made her crave more. It was as if she couldn’t get enough.
She bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing when she heard Calo comment about her being small and delicate. If only he knew the truth. She moaned silently as she felt her body react to the thought of both men knowing that she was a woman instead of a boy.
She didn’t understand what it was about them. The fact that she responded the same way to both men worried her. Was there something wrong with her? It didn’t make sense for her to be attracted to both of them.
“I wish I had my mom and Nana. They would know what was wrong with me?” Melina whispered to the symbiots lying beside her in the narrow slit between the crates. “Or if I could talk to Carmen. She might understand why I am attracted to them.”
Melina pulled her knees closer to her chest and wrapped her arms around the small Teddy Bear Cree’s symbiot had given her. She instinctively knew the difference between the two symbiots. She didn’t know how or why, she just did. It was very similar to how she could tell the two men apart the moment they walked in. She had changed into the new clothes that Calo’s symbiot had brought her recently. The shirt and pants were too big, but at least they were thicker than the ones she had before.
She listened as Calo tried to convince her grandfather all the reasons he should let the twins train her. She rubbed her cheek along the soft material of the bear in her arms as Calo finally stood to leave. Something told her neither he or his brother would give up on the idea of trying to help her become stronger.
She leaned forward and peeked around the side when she heard the door open. She caught a brief glimpse of Calo as he strode out of the repair bay. A goofy grin spread across her face as she admired his cute butt in the tight, black fabric pants he was wearing. A blush stole up her neck as she stared at it, but she didn’t look away until he was gone. The view had just been too mesmerizing to resist.
Once the door closed behind him, she stood up and walked over to where her grandfather was sipping his coffee. The two symbiots followed her, pressing against her before sitting on the floor next to the chair when she sat down.
“You heard everything?” Cal asked as she pulled her feet up so that her heels rested on the edge of the chair. His eyes immediately went to the Teddy Bear she was cuddling. “Are you okay, honey? I worry about you.”
Melina smiled at her grandfather. “I heard everything. It is sort of funny when you think of the fact that I’ve been able to survive for four years without having to know how to ‘fight’. Still, it was sweet of them to ask you and to worry about me.”
“You’ve done a good job, especially when you have a shovel full of Pactor dung,” Cal reflected dryly.
Melina giggled and nodded. “Who needs a sword or blaster thingy when you can have a pile of poop?”
Cal chuckled before he sobered. “You didn’t answer my second question,” he pointed out. “How are you doing with all of this?”
Melina’s gaze dropped as she thought about the question. Before they were rescued, all she thought about was trying to stay alive. Now, all she felt was confused. A part of her wanted to go home, yet there was another part of her that wanted to explore this new world. In many ways, she was afraid that if she returned to Earth she wouldn’t fit in there any more than she did here.
“What will we do when we get home?” She asked softly. “What are we going to tell everyone?”
“We’ll go back to the farm. If anyone asks us where we’ve been, well, we’ll just say we’ve been exploring the universe a little,” he replied with an easy grin. “They don’t have to know that it is true.”
“People... Won’t people think it strange that we just disappeared?” She insisted. “I mean, isn’t it unusual for me to be in school one minute and gone the next?”
Cal set his cup on the small table next to his chair and rubbed his chin. “It might, but there had been a lot going on. The farm was paid for and I had set up the bills to be paid automatically. Your Nana and I had a bit saved up and with the life insurance policies and settlement from the accident, there was more than enough to cover all the expenses for the last four years. We don’t have to explain anything to anyone, Mel. I’ll just tell them that I thought it best to take you away for a bit. No one needs to know anything else. The less said the better.”
“Okay,” she said, glancing at the door and thinking of the two men. “So, they want to muscle me up?”
Cal’s laugh echoed around the small bay. “Yep, they think you are too delicate and fragile for a boy.”
Melina’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. “I bet they’d be surprised if they knew the truth.”
Chapter 10
“Well?” Cree demanded the moment Calo walked out of the doors. “What did he say?”
“He said he didn’t think Mel was ready to be trained to be a warrior,” Calo said glumly, watching as his brother straightened from where he had been leaning against the wall. “He also said that they were hoping to return to their world.”
“Dragon’s Balls!” Cree hissed, glaring at the closed door. “My dragon is getting impatient.”
“Yours? Mine wanted to tear the crates apart where Mel was hiding,” Calo retorted. “It isn’t helping having our symbiots in there rubbing up against him. I swear every time he touches them it is like he is stroking my skin. I think the damn thing is enjoying torturing me and my dragon.”
“Mine, too,” Cree muttered. “Try talking to the old man again. If he still doesn’t agree, I’ll talk to him.”
“You mean threaten?” Calo said with a shake of his head. “All that will do is get you a face full of Pactor dung from our mate.”
“Then, we’ll just take him,” Cree said. “You distract the old man, I’ll grab Mel.”
“And have Carmen and Creon both trying to kick our asses? Ha’ven did offer to have Bahadur send us a warship,” Calo replied. “We could always take Mel back to our home in the mountains.”
“There is just one problem with that,” Cree mumbled, discouraged.
“What?” Calo asked in exasperation.
Cree leaned back against the wall again and stared at the door. “We’ve promised to protect Creon’s mate. With the recent attacks on the Royal House, we cannot leave,” he said.
Calo opened his mouth to argue when his comlink chimed. “Speak,” he growled.
“I need you and Cree in the conference room,” Creon sn
apped.
Carmen, they both thought at the same time with a grin.
It is good to know we are not the only ones having issues with our mate, Calo thought with a grin.
Yes, but at least she has accepted him, Cree replied dryly.
“We are on our way,” Calo responded into his comlink.
*.*.*
Creon looked up as Cree and Calo walked into the conference room off the bridge of the Horizon. Ha’ven turned and nodded grimly to them both. They bowed their heads in acknowledgement and moved to each side of the door.
“We will be arriving on Kardosa soon. Carmen wants to see the Spaceport,” Creon stated, glancing at where Cree and Calo stood near the door. “I promised her she could. Ha’ven and I are going to speak with some informants that we have previously dealt with. I need both of you to make sure that she is protected at all times.”
“Always, my lord,” Cree said, bowing his head. “Has there been any word of the other women?”
“Not yet,” Creon replied quietly. “We do know that they live. My brothers would know if… if their mates had been assassinated.”
“We are at your service should you need our help in tracking them,” Cree stated.
I won’t leave our mate unprotected, Calo growled. If we are sent, my symbiot stays by his side.
Agreed, Cree responded, glancing briefly at Calo’s stubborn, tight face. Are you alright?
It is my dragon, Calo admitted. It is getting harder to control him and he is being very vocal.
Mine as well, Cree sighed. After we get back from the Spaceport, we will try to see Mel again. This time, we go together.
Calo nodded his head. A sense of determination settled over him and his dragon. It was time to push the issue. They were running out of time. He had always been the easier going of the two of them, but now his own dragon was refusing to wait any longer.
Long enough, his dragon snarled. I wait no longer.
You are not the only one who is impatient, Calo admitted. I’m just not sure how this is going to work.