by S. E. Smith
Make work, his dragon snorted. You not look close enough. It work.
Maybe for you, Calo replied disgruntledly. Now, be quiet. I need to concentrate on the meeting.
You not look close enough, his dragon grunted out once more before settling down to focus on the symbiots that were with Mel. Mate is beautiful.
Goddess, help me, Calo growled before he tried to shut his dragon off.
Calo grimaced when he felt both his and Cree’s dragons rumble. He glanced at his brother. Cree’s face was blank, but he could feel Cree’s frustration mirroring his own. Maybe they would get a chance to kill something when they got to the Spaceport. He could do with a bit of violence right now.
*.*.*
“Melina, how would you like to get off the ship and see a real, live alien Spaceport?” Cal asked the next morning.
Melina paused from where she was cleaning the bucket from Hobbler’s breakfast to stare in disbelief at her grandfather. She straightened as he walked over to her. She hadn’t seen him this excited in years.
“Zuk needs to pick up a few things and has invited us to accompany him,” Cal said. “I thought it would be a great opportunity to get out and see a bit before we return home.”
“I… do you mean it? What about…?” She paused and touched her hair, which had grown out quite a bit. The dark curls threaded through her fingers. “I won’t have to cut it, will I?”
Cal’s eyes softened at the worried look on Melina’s face. “No, child. Just put it up. Wear some baggy clothes and your hat. You might have to, you know.”
Melina blushed when her grandfather waved at her unbound breasts. She nodded and turned back to her makeshift bedroom. Squeezing between the crates, she reached the center of them where a wide, square space opened up. She had pulled blankets in to make a bed on the floor and had decorated it up with the items the symbiots had brought her. On her pillow was the Teddy Bear.
She reached down to wear some of the clothes that Calo had given her. She fingered the soft material. The dark blue top swallowed her thin frame. She quickly removed the shirt she was wearing and picked up a long piece of fabric.
The material wasn’t as soft and felt rough and unfamiliar against her breasts as she began winding it around her chest. She grimaced as she tightened the material until it pressed her as flat as she could get. Once she was done, she tucked the end under the overlapping material.
Picking up the blue shirt, she slipped it on over her head. It hung almost to her knees. She was wearing a pair of black pants that were rolled up several times at the bottom so she wouldn’t trip over them. The boots she had on were from the mines. The Tiliqua had small feet like her. The boots were wide though, and she had to stuff the sides to make them fit.
She quickly pulled her hair up and knotted it on top of her head before grabbing her floppy hat. It was the one thing she had left from before her capture. It had been her Nana’s gardening hat.
She glanced around to see if there was anything she might have missed. She didn’t want to admit she was a little disappointed that Cree and Calo’s symbiots had left earlier and not returned. She figured the gold circling her right wrist and was surprised when a wave of warmth swept through her along with a vision of the two men.
A blush darkened her cheeks as she realized this was the first time she had seen them as adults in her mind. Cree was frowning, but Calo said something that brought a small smile to his face. She stroked the golden symbiot on her wrist and was startled when Cree’s cheeks flushed and he closed his eyes.
Biting her lip, she closed her eyes and concentrated on his face. She continued to gently rub the gold. A piercing pain swept through her strong enough to make her gasp. Instinctively, she knew it was what Cree was feeling. Her fingers fell away from the symbiot bracelet, breaking the connection.
“Mel, you ready? Zuk is here,” Cal called out.
Melina was glad her grandfather had called out that warning or she would have answered him. Pulling the hat lower over her face, she turned and scooted out between the crates. Taking a deep breath, she gave a short nod.
“Let’s go,” Cal said. “I can’t wait to see my first Spaceport.”
Chapter 11
Cree stood in the back of the lift while Calo stood in the front. The doors could open on either side and they wanted to be prepared if anything should happen, not that it was likely with so many warriors inside. He was still reeling from feeling Mel’s touch earlier.
When he first felt the tentative touch, shock had ricocheted through him. In all honesty, he expected to be repulsed, not feel an intense shaft of pain caused by need. He had never been physically or emotionally drawn to another male before, but there was something about the human that called to him as much as it did to his dragon and symbiot. He wanted to protect and care for him with a driving ache that had turned to a physical pain.
It took a moment for him to realize that Calo had hissed out to him. He glanced up in confusion. That confusion disappeared when he heard what Carmen was saying.
“Mel and Cal are meeting up with us. They both need some supplies, and it will give me a chance to spend some time with them. Mel still won’t come near me. He seems to be curious about me, though. Cal wants to see a real spaceport. They have been locked up for the past four years, then on the Horizon. I think it will be good for the both of them to get out. It might help Mel, too,” Carmen was saying.
“He better not attack anyone, or I’ll leave his ass here...” Creon responded.
We should have left my symbiot with him, Calo snarled. I thought he was going to be safely back on the Horizon.
Carmen said he was meeting up with her. Perhaps this will be our chance to get closer to him, Cree said. I… I felt him reach out to me this morning.
Silence met his statement for a moment before Calo responded. He could hear the touch of uncertainty in his thoughts along with curiosity. He also heard the longing in it.
What was it like? Calo asked.
Incredible, Cree thought before he focused back on what Carmen was telling her mate.
“He won’t. He’s always kept his distance when I visit with Cal. I know he understands what is going on as he listens in to our conversations. I think he is just young and scared.” Carmen was saying. “Don’t worry. I’ll have Harvey and the Bobbsey Twins with me.”
“One of these days,” Cree muttered under his breath from behind her.
Low laughter filled the lift as it began to slow. Cree and Calo scanned the corridor of the Spaceport. It was busy with traders, scouts and whatever else the star system could spit out. Shops and traders lined each side of a winding corridor that encompassed several layers both up and down.
They spent the next hour exploring the different vendors. Both he and Calo kept scanning for Zuk, Cal and Mel. They hoped they found them soon. Both were beginning to worry as they climbed upward to the next level. It wasn’t until they turned onto another corridor, two floors up, that they felt a wave of relief. They both sensed they were getting closer to their mate.
Cree glanced at Calo. Both of their symbiots had transformed into large Werecats earlier and were trotting beside them. The beasts were extremely dangerous and intimidating with their long, sharp gold fangs and flowing manes that shifted and changed with their movements. In the face of the group of massive warriors known for their ability to shift into dragon, skills in fighting matched by few in the star systems, and with the added opponents of the deadly symbiots, a living metal that harnessed tremendous power, few dared to stand up to them.
Except for a small human with a shovel full of Pactor dung, Calo chuckled.
Cree’s lips twitched at his brother’s observation. He couldn’t deny that. He had run when Mel had lifted the damn stuff at him, too. He had to give their mate credit for being resourceful.
Harvey, Creon’s symbiot, saw Cal and Mel before they did. The huge gold symbiot bounced up to their mate, circling Mel over and over, before sitting down so he could be
nd down and rub on him.
Cree watched as his and Calo’s symbiots suddenly rushed Mel as he knelt. This was the first time they had actually seen their symbiots with their mate. Surprise, pride, and a sense of envy swept through him as the two symbiots pushed Creon’s aside. Cree wished he could see Mel’s face, but he kept it down and the large hat shielded his face.
I wish… Calo started to say as he watched Mel affectionately rub his hands up and down both symbiots.
“Carmen, it is good to see you.” Cal interrupted his thoughts, pulling his attention back to the others in the small group. “Zuk has been showing us around. We left the ship as soon as it docked so we could get a few things Mel and I needed. Have you eaten? Zuk was saying there is a good place not far from here.”
“No. We’ve been exploring. Isn’t this just totally mind-blowing? I mean, I saw alien movies back home, but to see them in real life is like… so different than I was expecting!” Carmen commented.
“If you permit me, my lady, it would be a pleasure to escort you, Cal, and Mel to grab a bite to eat,” Zuk said, glancing at Cree and Calo to make sure that it was alright with the warriors.
“Thank you, Zuk,” Carmen replied warmly. She glanced over to where Mel was kneeling on the ground, surrounded by the three large symbiots. “Cal, do you think Mel would mind if we joined you?”
Cal turned to look hesitantly down at Melina before he glanced at Cree and Calo. A small, amused smile played around his lips. This might be interesting and give him a better chance to study the twins and Melina together.
“Yeah, Mel will be fine. Just make sure that those two stay back or it might spook him. He doesn’t like being out here and is jumpy as hell as it is. Maybe your gold friends there can sit with him. They seem to have a calming effect on the boy,” he replied with a raised eyebrow as he looked at the stubborn lines on both men’s faces at his reply.
“That would be fine,” Carmen agreed with a grin.
*.*.*
Melina scowled as she pet each of the symbiots. She didn’t know what her grandfather was up to, but she was going to have a word with him when they got back to Horizon. If she had been jumpy it was because she was excited to see all the amazing things on the Spaceport, not because of two hot alien hunks!
The variety of other species in the universe had surprised her. She hadn’t watched much television growing up. She hadn’t even heard of some of the movies the kids at school talked about. Life was too short to spend it watching things on a television when she could be out running around the farm exploring.
She followed the others as they slowly walked through the marketplace. She enjoyed having the symbiots with her. She had always felt more at home with animals than people. Plus, it gave her an opportunity to observe the two warriors walking ahead of her.
Okay, watch their butts, she thought with a silent giggle. They really do have cute ones.
She made sure she kept a wide distance from Cree and Calo. They kept turning around and frowning back at her when she got too far behind them. She half wondered if their butts were burning since she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off of them.
The black, form-fitting uniforms they wore didn’t help. All she could think about was stripping them down and seeing if they looked as good in the buff as they did with their clothes on. She had never really thought about a guy’s rear-end being sexy before, but watching as they walked, she decided she was definitely going to have to rethink that.
She knew that Carmen was talking to her Gramps about her. She could only hear a few of the words, but it was enough to piece together what was being said. At first a wave of frustration swept through her. She was so tired of having to act like a deranged kid. She would have loved to ask questions, talk about some of the things she had seen, and have an intellectual conversation with someone other than her grandfather or a Pactor.
“Cal, has Mel always been this way?” Carmen asked quietly.
“Naw, just since we were taken,” he replied gruffly. “It’s been especially hard on him. Being taken away from his world at such a young age. The only thing he found comfort in is taking care of those damn mine creatures.”
“Maybe I can talk to Creon about taking you back to Earth,” Carmen said, glancing over her shoulder at Mel. “I can’t promise anything, but he might agree when all this is over to return you and your grandson. If not, you are both welcome on Valdier. It is truly an incredible world, and I’m sure you would be welcomed.”
Melina saw her granddad glance back at her. She acted like she couldn’t hear the conversation going on. She wondered if hearing Carmen suggest that they be returned to Earth would help.
She started when she saw Calo walking toward her. Panic overwhelmed her when she realized he wasn’t stopping at a safe distance this time. She scooted backwards until all three symbiots were between them. Pulling on the brim of her hat, she lowered her head so that it concealed her face and refused to look beyond his feet when he started speaking to her.
“You need to stay closer to the group,” Calo ordered. “Do you understand? Mel, look at me. I need to know that you understand that it is dangerous on a Spaceport like this. If you became separated, a slave trader could grab you. Can’t you look at me, at least? I need to know you understand what I am telling you.” His voice softened as he spoke the last part.
Melina trembled as she waited for him to realize that she wouldn’t respond. She had to act like she wasn’t capable of understanding what he was saying. She didn’t know what would happen if the other warriors on board the Horizon found out she was a woman. While Carmen appeared to be okay, she was also married to one of them.
Her biggest fear was that they might treat an available female differently. That was what the Antrox had done. They had used the females to control the males. The females had been given to the males who did what they wanted to them, including exchanging and sharing between them. She jerked backwards when he took a step toward her. Her mind still on what had happened while she had been held captive at the Antrox mines.
She flinched when he muttered a low curse under his breath before he turned sharply on his heel. Lifting her head slightly, she watched as he walked away in stiff silence. A part of her hurt for making him mad while another part realized that she had no other choice.
No matter how attracted I am to him and Cree, nothing could ever come of it anyway, she thought as she glanced back at her grandfather.
She had no idea that he could see the confusion, sadness, and longing in her eyes as they darted back and forth between him and the twins. She shook her head and lowered it again as her hands dropped to touch the two Werecats at her side. There were some things that were better left to dream of, especially when it came to things she didn’t understand and could never have.
“We would appreciate anything you can do,” Cal replied in a voice filled with sadness. “Mel and I both will never forget your kindness.”
Chapter 12
Melina followed the group as they continued down to another level. This one had more eating establishments than the others. It was surprising that the layout of the Spaceport reminded her a little of the mall in Atlanta that she had gone to when she was younger.
Unfortunately, the excitement of being on the Spaceport had lost its appeal. All she could think about was the frustration and hurt in Calo’s eyes as he walked away. She hesitated at the entrance to the small pub, staring at Calo’s stiff back with regret.
She wished she could explain to him why she was behaving the way she was, but it was impossible. Like Carmen mentioned earlier, there was an excellent chance she and Gramps would be going home before too much longer anyway. It would be stupid to want him and Cree to know she was a girl when there was nothing that could come of it but more heartache.
No, she thought dejectedly. It is better for them to think I’m a boy and have them mad at me than to know the truth.
A strange looking waitress greeted them as they entered the dim area.
They were escorted to a large rectangular table near the door of the small bar. The waitress was a bizarre looking female almost four feet wide and six feet tall. She wore sheer scarves over what looked like a two piece that barely covered her multiple breasts and lower region.
Melina blushed and peeked over to see if the twins were staring at the woman. Her grandfather sure was! A sense of relief washed through her when she noticed that neither Calo nor Cree gave the woman a second glance.
She glanced up in confusion when a series of strange pictures suddenly appeared in front of her. She had no idea what most of the stuff was and didn’t want to know either. It looked worse than the scraps Hobbler ate. She was so fascinated by the menu, she forgot where she was for a moment and leaned forward to scroll through the selection.
“If you wish to order anything just touch the image,” Zuk said with a reassuring smile. “If you are not sure what something is, I can help you.”
*.*.*
Cree glanced down at the far end of the table where Mel sat. He frowned when he saw the twin bands of gold briefly peeking out from around Mel’s slender wrists. He released a silent curse when Mel felt his gaze and quickly pulled his jacket down over his hands again.
“What do you want to eat, boy?” Cree asked in a tone sharper than he realized.
Dark green eyes, framed by coal black lashes, peeked up at him briefly before Mel lowered his head and slumped in his seat. Cree swore Mel was trying to disappear into his seat. His jaw clenched and he looked at Calo, who was staring in stony silence at Mel as well. Cree shook his head briefly at his brother when he turned to look at him.
At least he looked at you, Calo mumbled. It is more of a response than I received earlier.
Why do I feel the need to rip that damn hat off of his head? Cree asked in frustration. I want to really see what he looks like. It might not matter to my dragon or my symbiot, but I’d at least like to know what my mate’s face looks like.