Hero's Bride (Alien SciFi Romance) (Celestial Mates Book 7) Page 6

  He spun around to face her, and she blushed that he’d caught her openly admiring his body. He seemed pleased as he held out the tiny hydration pack. “We will be landing at my family home within moments. You slept so soundly, I did not wish to wake you. If you would care to refresh yourself, there are facilities on board for cleansing.”

  “I must smell awful. Too bad I have to put my dirty clothing back on.”

  “There is a clothing cleaner. If you hang your uniform in there, the sonic cleansing should be finished by the time you cleanse yourself. Hit the red button and don’t open it until the light turns green.”

  Looking over his shoulder to the door, she found herself eager to clean up. “Thanks, I’ll be as quick as I can.”

  “Take your time. The drones still need to unload your cargo. I’ll have them load it into our workshop.”

  “Thanks again.”

  Dodging around the tall man, she dove into the cleansing room. After tinkling, she peeled her uniform the rest of the way off, hung it in the space, hit the button and stepped into the misting cleansing unit. Since she found no soap dispenser, she began rubbing her body with her hands. When a nice thick lather sprung up, she realized the soap was built into the mist being sprayed from every direction. Lathering her hair, she was beginning to worry about how the get the bubbles off when they started melting away. The mist coming out smelled slightly different and no longer foamed. The Maruvians had their cleansing timed to perfection. No sooner did she begin looking for a way to switch off the mister than it cycled to a stop. Warm air jetted out instead and she held up her arms and let the system dry her body.

  With a prayer on her lips she pulled open the door and found her uniform perfectly clean. Sniffing it, she couldn’t detect even a faint odor from her day’s labors. Quickly putting it on, she grabbed her clean boots from the bottom of the unit and pulled them on as well. Finger-combing her hair, she had to admit that after a day of mining in the hot sun, she didn’t look horrible.

  Rushing out, she saw that the shuttle had landed and the back door was standing open. She could see Arac supervising the drones as they flew her crates into what humans would call a garage. His home was huge and the garage portion seemed to run down the entire side of his home.

  Stepping out of the shuttle, she found herself appreciating the view. Jax pounced after another golugua. They seemed to be playing some type of game with several drones. Seeing him enjoying the fresh air sent a zing of happiness through her chest.

  Leaning around to see Arac’s face, she queried, “Are you sure you don’t mind helping me?”

  His contented smiled and relaxed posture spoke volumes about how much he enjoyed helping others. Something about his smile really got to her. The man didn’t smile much. But when he did, it was truly transformative.

  Without thinking, she mumbled, “You’re really handsome when you smile. I wish you’d do more of it.”

  Looking embarrassed, he glanced away. “I’ll work on that. Come, you must be famished.”

  Taking her by the hand, he led her inside. “You’ll have to forgive my home. Most domiciles were designed to hold a typical family unit. Mine was designed to hold an extended family.”

  “That’s wonderful. If I had a father like yours I’d want to keep him close too.”

  Beaming at her, he responded playfully. “I’m beginning to think you might have more than a casual interest in my sire.”

  “The man saved my life, twice. I’m loving on him so hard right now, it’s not even funny.”

  When the drone’s face scrunched up into a pensive expression, she clarified. “It means I think he’s a fantastic person. If I have more than a casual interest in anyone right now, it’s you, by the way.”

  “I do not wish to serve another queen.”

  “Nobody said anything about serving. I can be a really good sport when it comes to spending time together and flirting. I’ve been thinking about your sexy self all day long.”

  “I think you tease me.”

  As he held open the door, she breezed through. “It doesn’t make anything I said any less true.”

  “I am familiar with the fact that human queens sometimes have temporary liaisons with males before seeking their permanent mates. Is that perchance what you were referring to?”

  Spinning around, she clapped excitedly. “We can do that? I mean yes, let’s do that. You can be my temporary beginner boyfriend. We’ll hang out and be friends with benefits until one of us hooks up for good. I can learn all about Maruvian culture and you can learn about human women. It’ll be a learning experience for both of us.”

  Arac briefly froze in mid-step with one foot literally off the ground. Settling into a regular stance, he asked curiously. “What kind of benefits could I expect from such a relationship?”

  Taking a step closer, she realized he smelled really good again. Running one finger along the seam of his uniform, she bit her lip. “Why don’t we try something along the lines of hanging out together, and carving out some personal time to get to know each other. We can start out with some light foreplay and see where things go. I have a pleasure stone, and I’m dying to try out.”

  “You wish me to pleasure you with a stone?”

  “I was thinking we could pleasure each other.”

  His dark eyes became perfectly round and his antennas constricted slightly. “My answer to this proposal is yes.”

  Reaching up to touch his antenna, she responded playfully. “It was more of an informal suggestion, but I think you made a good decision there.”

  “Making your suggestion with me instead of another drone was a good decision on your part as well.”

  Leaning forward, she nuzzled the side of his neck, whispering. “Yep, I’m smart that way.”

  Vraden’s voice sounded off from across the room as he entered. “You two look cozy. What kind of good decision are you two congratulating each other on making his evening, my son?”

  Spinning around to face the older man, Tara answered for him. “He’s happy that I’m stirring up a little romance between the two of us. I hope you don’t object.”

  Vraden jostled a little bundle on his shoulder, and Tara couldn’t tell what it was at first. “I would be thrilled to have you in our family, little queen.”

  “I don’t think either of us are ready for a commitment. Umm, do you mind if I ask what you have there?”

  Pulling back a thin piece of cloth, Vraden brought the child down from his shoulder. The little guy was really cute.

  Running the back of her finger down the child’s soft cheek, she smiled. “Arac mentioned having a child. What he failed to mention was that he’s the most adorable kid on the planet.”

  Vraden responded proudly, “All my sons are queen makers. That makes them excellent breeders.”

  “Just another of the cool things you learn in casual conversation. Mind if I hold him?”

  Vraden shot Arac a questioning look. With a slight nod of his head, the younger drone spoke. “Enjoy yourself with my young. Be careful, he bites. I will refresh myself and return shortly.”

  “Yes, my son, that is a good idea. Though I’m glad you are interested in romance with a human queen, your scent is quite repugnant.”

  Taking the child from the healer’s hand, she cradled him on her shoulder. “I don’t know if I agree with that statement. I think Arac smells phenomenal.”

  “I’m not surprised. You are not very good at following my discharge instructions. I expressly said to stay away from dangerous situations and you spent your first day out of my care mining for gemstone.”

  “Calm down, Arac and Jax were with me. I basically sat in a pit picking up geodes all day. I barely broke a sweat since Jax did most of the work. Arac was even kind enough to move the crates for us. Honestly, I’ve never had it so good in my whole life.”

  “I saw the amount of gemstone you harvested. It will take days to open them all, even with help. I would consider it an honor if you stayed with us
until the job was done.”

  “Thanks for the invite. I will have to think it over.”

  “You do not like it here?”

  “You have a beautiful home and I really like you and Arac. I just don’t want to be a burden. The two of you have already done enough.”

  “As if a beautiful queen like yourself could ever be considered a burden. You will be a true blessing for whichever family unit ends up with you as their queen.”

  “I don’t think I’m very good at being a queen.”

  “It matters not, because you are good at being a nice person. In the end, that is all that really matters in the ‘verse.”

  “You make it sound so easy, Vraden.”

  “I believe that life is difficult enough without making easy things hard.”

  Looking down into the child’s sleepy face, she murmured, “Your son really does make beautiful babies.”

  Chapter 9

  ~ Tara ~

  Music Mix

  Arac’s voice sounded off from the doorway. “Yes, I do. And why don’t you let us be the judge of how much trouble we think you are, my queen?”

  “I would take so very little coxing to do the bidding of such a handsome drone.”

  “You have promised me flirting and tenderness. I wish you to stay so that we might enjoy these pursuits. Our home may not be as luxurious as the accommodations my people have built for the unattached queens, but I will ensure the other benefits make it worth your time.”

  Unable to keep the happiness off her face for anything, Tara responded warmly, “I wish to know kind of benefits I should expect if I stay.”

  Watching an element of heat light up his expression, she forgot for a moment that they were not alone.

  As he drew closer, she noticed that his hair was damp and he’d changed clothing yet again. “Perhaps I could introduce you to Maruvian mating customs. The halabow is the most sacred of these rites.”

  Pulling the child down from her shoulder, she looked into his tiny face. “You make gorgeous babies, I’ll give you that much.”

  Glancing up at Arac, she watched him swell with pride. “Breeding makes a drone feel useful. Most drones never thought they would get the opportunity to breed. It fills my soul with happiness to see so many of my brethren with young.”

  “Well, from our perspective it’s great to have men who are nice and accommodating. The men back on Earth are spoiled for choice and sometimes they can be demanding and not very loyal.”

  “Where did my father go?”

  Looking around, Tara felt her face heating. “He was here just a minute ago.”

  The little one jumped in her hands, unfurling his tiny wings against each of her palms. He yawned as he stretched one arm above his head in a gesture that was so human it took her breath away. His dark eyes stared up at her and his tiny antenna moved around as if trying to pick up a signal.

  Rubbing his naked little belly, she murmured soothingly, “Easy little one, you just woke up.”

  He blinked up at her and tried to nip at her hand. Moving deftly out of his way, she had to laugh. “He’s an active little guy.”

  “Do you like small ones?”

  “Of course. I’d have million if I could. Kids are great. Spending time with them lets me see the world through their innocent eyes again.”

  “Your enthusiasm is endearing. Come, my father is cooking and I wish to help.”

  “Cooking real food? I thought we all ate resequenced food.”

  “Resequenced food is necessary on a battleship. Now that we are on a planet, we have the luxury of growing and preparing real food.”

  “I haven’t cooked in so long, I don’t think I remember how to prepare a meal.”

  “We are fortunate that our father remembers such things very well.”

  Entering a large room, Tara saw several drones moving about. Vraden dipped a large spoon into a pot and stirred something that looked like pasta only it was brightly colored. Another drone appeared to be washing fresh produce in a large shallow sink. It was difficult to tell whether the items were fruits or vegetables since none were recognizable. Yet another drone stood at a counter cutting something that looked almost like a potato.

  Arac washed his hands and removed two huge bowls from a refrigeration unit. Sitting down at the end of the long counter, he dusted the counter with a flour-like substance and turned out what might have been some sort of Maruvian bread product. It was bright green and smelled like herbs. Tara dropped down into a seat beside him and played with the little one as she watched him roll the dough into round balls.

  He quickly grabbed a metal press from under the counter and made flat round disks by pressing the dough balls between two large metal disks. After making fifty or sixty of the rounds, he stepped over to what appeared to be cooking unit which consisted of a huge sunken metal cooking surface. Pressing some buttons, steaming oil flooded the surface. He quickly dropped each disk side by side on the surface. After a very short interval he flipped each one with a pair of long tongs.

  Turning, he wheeled over a rack and began removing the rounds and sitting them on end, one after another until the entire rack was filled. She could see the excess oil dripping own into a reserve tray on the bottom. Shoving the rack aside, he repeated the process again. This time, when loaded them into the rack, he sprinkled them with something that smelled sweet.

  Within moments, the cooking surface was drained, and he wiped it down with a large cloth, spraying it every now and then with a bottle from a nearby shelf. The entire process took less than twenty minutes from start to finish. Coming to sit beside her, he took the little one and sat him on the counter.

  She quipped, “That was impressive, and really fast.”

  Dipping his head in acknowledgement of her kind words, he responded shyly, “It is my main contribution to our food prep. Every morning I mix the dough and every evening I cook it. We all do something different to contribute. Everything we do is faster and better when we all work together. Drones do most work in groups.”

  “I’d like to help out while I’m here. Maybe I could help clean up after we eat.”

  “That is not necessary. You are a guest in our home. We would not consider it polite to put you to work just yet.”

  They watch his little one get up and roam around, looking like an insectoid version of a cherub, though his plump little body was thinner and strung tight with muscles, and his wings appeared more like bat wings than bird wings. He was adorable none the less. Tottering around, he was sure footed and didn’t hesitate to use his wings to help him reach stuff. At one point he grasped onto the edge of the counter with both tiny hands and, nearly turned himself upside down to stare underneath. It was strange to see a being the size of a newborn, acting like an inquisitive two-year-old.

  “You seem fascinated by my young. Is he so different from human young?”

  “Are you kidding? He’s twice as adorable as any kid I’ve ever seen. Your son is all over the place. My best guess is that he’s going to grow up to be a great explorer.”

  Arac made a noise she associated with laughter. “He is only six lunars old.”

  “Human babies don’t usually begin crawling until they’re six or seven months old. Your little one is running already. At six months our babies are just beginning to cut their teeth, yet your little one has a full set of sharp teeth.”

  Several of the drones made the laughing noises again. Arac tried to keep the smile off his face as he explained. “I believe the development timeline must differ greatly between our species. Our young do most of the cognitive and physical development during the first year. My little one will be talking soon. He will be functional adult member of our society by the time three solars have passed.”

  Shocked, she jerked backwards for a brief second. “Wait, let me get this straight. This little fellow is going to be a full grown drone in two and a half more years?”

  Nodding, Arac spoke quietly, “Drones were bred to develop quickly since
so many of us were expended in battle.” His eyes drifted over to his son, who was busy sorting a pile of mixed nuts into different piles according to type and size. “I have always found it strange that we rush the process of maturing, only to bump headlong into an almost endless adulthood.”

  “How long is your lifespan?”

  “My father is over four hundred Earth years in age. I am over a hundred, and my youngest brother is over sixty. Our medical care is advanced, enabling us to stay healthy for a very long time.”

  Vraden spoke up. “Do not worry, little queen. I dosed you with our strongest longevity serum. Your own personal lifeline will decelerate as well.”

  “Jesus, how long will I live?”

  “The oldest drone I ever met was well over a thousand Earth years old. I suspect you will live several hundred years as your body responded very well to the serum. I tested you three days after your last dose and the longevity markers were exceptionally high.”

  Bringing her hand to her chest, she swallowed thickly. “Thank you, Vraden. Your generosity is overwhelming and I have little to repay your many kindnesses.”

  “Knowing you are strong and healthy is thanks enough.”

  “May I hug you?”

  The beaming man opened his arms and she flew to his side. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him tight. “I honestly couldn’t love you more if you were my own father.”

  She felt the older man jerk in her arms. “Thank you, little queen. Your words draw emotions out of me that I scarcely knew I had. To my great shame, I was never fortunate enough to spawn a queen.”

  Looking up into his shimmering eyes, she pulled herself together. “I can’t say that I was very thrilled about being head butted with the end of battle rifle or catching a boot the face, but let me on record as saying that meeting you and your lovely family made the trip worth it for me.”

  Suddenly, the room filled with the sounds of disgruntled drones. Vraden spoke woodenly, “Do not fear, little queen. Armon removed the offending male’s head from his shoulders. He will never harm another queen.”