Thantose: Book Two in the Galaxy Pirates Alien Abduction Romance Series Read online

  Chapter Six

  Brin

  I comm’d Valeria to let her know we have the Meris. T comm’d Tawny and made certain we have time for our getaway before the big auction he has planned. We don’t need to be on Carden II for over two weeks. We have plenty of time to explore Kallion as well as investigate this attraction to each other we’ve admitted.

  I’ve settled down now that Thantose told me he’s interested in me. His words that he doesn’t want either of our hearts to break tell me his emotions are involved. This information makes my heart soar. I wonder if this is what it’s like when the boy you have a crush on in high school asks you to prom.

  I feel expectant and shy and excited. I try to turn off the loop of pornographic pictures that has run constantly in the back of my mind since I met him. Those are the type of thoughts my abusers forced into my head. I wrap all those ideas into a bundle and cast them away out the garbage jettison into the black depths of space.

  I mentally wash myself clean and imagine I’m in high school and Thantose asked me out. I like the idea of a fresh start. If I was sixteen and the boy I’d been crushing on showed interest, I’d be happy and carefree. I’m going to walk onto the soil of Kallion like a happy, carefree sixteen-year-old who wants to get to know the boy she’s dating.

  I remind myself I wouldn’t be sucking his dick or suffering his abuses. I’d be holding his hand and wanting him to wait for me to be ready. That’s who I am—a new Brin in clean, fresh skin.

  ~.~

  “Our family’s plot of land is in deep woods. We have hundreds of rextans of land. There’s a cleared circle not far from the cabin, I’m going to set down there.”

  “I can’t wait.” I press my hands together in my lap, trying to control my excitement.

  As soon as my feet touch Kallion soil, I look around and laugh. T said this was considered the most beautiful planet in the galaxy. I’d been envisioning purple skies, blue trees with pink leaves, a carpet of lavender flowers covering the ground and, I don’t know, rainbow unicorns? But this place looks just like Earth.

  Blue skies, puffy white clouds, and dozens of birds soaring on the air currents. I breathe in deeply and smile—ah, the scent of pines.

  There are small differences. The trees seem larger and the flowers are more fragrant and abundant. But this place could double for rural Michigan. Rolling hills, untouched lakes, and meandering streams.

  “You’re right, T, it’s beautiful. I love it already.”

  He’s carrying both our small bags. We left the kimonos and loathsome loincloths on the ship. We have some food; T says we’ll go into town for provisions later.

  “Could you imagine any place as beautiful as this?” he asks.

  “Yep. Every single day of my captivity.”

  “You’ll love it here.”

  He sets the bags down and opens a rustic door that appears hand-hewn. He looks apprehensive, closely watching the expression on my face as if I’m not going to like the place. It’s amazing. If someone would have said the words, ‘rustic cabin in the woods’, this would have been the picture next to their description.

  The wooden walls are stained the color of rich honey. The furniture is clean and comfy-looking like you might find in your granny’s basement. Absolutely nothing like the fabulous, ornate furniture in Valeria’s living room. There’s even a huge stuffed rocking chair.

  Everything is clean. It doesn’t even smell musty. T comm’d a neighbor and asked him to air the place out.

  “I do love it.”

  “I warned you it’s not fancy,” his tone is apprehensive.

  “I never exactly felt comfortable in your mom’s mansion. Too lavish. This is great.” I inspect the kitchen, then wander down the hallway. “Which bedroom is mine?” I call.

  “You pick.”

  “Which was yours as a boy?”

  “The one with the smaller bed.”

  Standing in the hallway, I peek in. Why does my chest tighten as I think of young TT spending summer nights in here?

  “I want to know what your childhood was like,” I call to him. I want to know everything that made him who he is. I watched him on the Tranquility when I first met him, and then at his ahma’s when we were brought there after our rescue. I used to wonder what it would be like to grow up so happy with yourself, so self-assured. I’ve never felt that way, even when I was back on Earth.

  He comes up behind me in the hallway and surrounds my waist with his hands, laying his chin on my head. “I want to know everything about you, too, BB. I can be a sarcastic dracker, I know. I make too many jokes and don’t take things seriously unless we’re under fire. But I would never make light of anything about your past. I want to hear everything you want to share, yet I promise to never ask, never pry. It will be up to you to divulge or not. My lack of questions doesn’t imply a lack of interest.”

  His arms are warm, his tone is liquid heat. I feel bathed in affection.

  Turning in his embrace I hug him tight. His muscles are so hard beneath my fingertips I can’t help but stroke from his shoulders to his waist.

  “What you just said melts me, T. You’ve given me permission to dole out what I’m ready to share. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to tell you my history. And honestly? I doubt even more that you’d be able to hear it.”

  One hand presses the small of my back closer as his other hand grabs mine, lifts it, and he leads me in a slow dance. My head nestles on his chest and we dance to no music in the tight hallway. We’re shuffling, going nowhere, but it’s the most intimate thing I’ve ever done.

  Then he hums, his deep tone rising and falling, drifting and then stopping. Tears prick my eyes at the way this gentle male is touching me as if I’m the finest porcelain. My thoughts arrow to the bed on the other side of this wall. I haul them back to this moment, right now.

  I’m sixteen and at my prom and handsome Thantose is dancing with me. My thoughts don’t jump ahead to sexual antics. My thoughts stay right here. I allow myself the pleasure of enjoying being wrapped in his solid arms.

  He kisses the top of my head, then separates us by inches.

  “I wanted to take you on a walk tomorrow, but I realize you don’t have the right shoes. Let’s see if what’s in ahma’s closet will fit.”

  The bedroom is so dissimilar to Valeria’s room on Primus it’s as if she’s two different people. On Primus, her room was all elegant satins and silks. Here her spread is a colorful patchwork quilt. Pictures of Thantose line the walls.

  “Looking at all those, you’d think she loves me,” he quips as he shrugs.

  Rummaging through her closet, I notice even her clothes are different on this planet. Gone are the fancy, flowing kimonos. On Kallion, she wears functional slacks and buttoned shirts.

  “The shoes fit,” I announce after trying on a pair of sturdy walking shoes.

  “Let me show you the grounds tonight. We’ll walk to the waterfall tomorrow.”

  Thantose

  Something’s changed, and I like it. Brin’s more comfortable here, calmer. Which makes her more open. Her face is even prettier when she smiles. I don’t know half of what was done to her in captivity, but I know it was bad, and I know it went on for annums.

  I’d kill the motherdracker if I ever saw him. I’ve never killed anyone. I’m a pirate. We do sneaky, nefarious things. We scheme and plot and bilk people out of their credits and goods. If their goods are ill-gotten, so much the better. But if I see that male, Amrus, I’ll kill him where he stands and gladly pay the consequences.

  I loosen my jaw, unclench my hands, and force myself to smile. Brin picks up on my moods. I don’t want her to wonder why I’m mad.

  “Look.” She’s pointing at a tree trunk. “What is that?”

  “We call them drams.” I watch the little mammal as it scurries to the ground, rummages for a nut, then carries it back to his hole in the tree. “They’re adorable until they sneak into your house when you’re gone. They got in one annum t
hrough a broken window. When we returned, it took days to clean the mayhem, disarray, and feces they spread in every room.”

  “Yuck.”

  “Yeah, so enjoy the little dram from afar.”

  “I’ve never seen a mushroom that big,” she says as she grabs my hand and pulls me toward a mallan about one fierto around.

  “You have these on your Earth?”

  “It looks like a mushroom. On my planet some of these are delicious and some are poisonous. How about here?”

  “Same. I’d never eat one in the wild.”

  My parents owned this place before I was born. I grew up spending summers here. I guess I took the beauty for granted. I’m watching through her eyes and appreciating everything in a new way.

  “I remember this feeling,” she calls to me. She’s standing tall under a tree, her face tilted to the sky. “I remember doing this as a child. I’d tip my head back and feel the sun pour down on my face. I’d feel the breeze. Come here, T.”

  I step closer and she grabs my hand.

  “If you just stand here you notice everything. The whisper of the wind, the rustle of the leaves, the way the sunshine and shadows play across your face. It’s magical.”

  I follow her directions for a moment, then slide my eyes toward her. I find her much more fascinating than the gentle breeze. She’s beautiful. It’s obvious now. I can’t imagine how I was blind to it at first—now it’s all I can see when I look at her.

  I love this childlike part of her; I’ve never witnessed it before. She’s letting down barriers. It’s good to see.

  “The sun’s setting, BB. Let’s go back. We’ll explore more tomorrow,” I say reluctantly. Her transformation out here in nature is magical.

  We eat a meal of shelf-stable foods we keep at the cabin for days like today when we arrive too late to get to the store. They’re bland but nutritious.

  “We’ve got a big day tomorrow. There’s a lot to show you. Ready for bed?” I tried to keep it light, but my voice came out low and sensual. “Let me help you change the sheets. We put them on clean before we leave, but they get musty. It’s been annums since we’ve been here.”

  There’s something intimate about stripping the bed and making it together. Brin got quiet. She feels it, too. For a moment I thought she was going to invite me to join her, but she clamped her lips together and walked me to her door.

  Brin

  “No way, T.” I shake my head. “No, I’m not ready.”

  “Yes way, BB. You’ll never be more ready than right now.”

  “I’ll crash, kill us both. The last thing I drove was a two-wheeled bicycle over ten years ago. This is a bad idea.” I might act like I’m joking, but my heart is hammering in fear.

  “You’re scared, I get that. But who would be a better teacher than me, B? I’m a pirate pilot. I’ll go slow, but you’ve got to start somewhere.”

  “No. I don’t want to kill you and I don’t want to die.”

  “I won’t turn on the motor. I’ll just familiarize you with the instruments.”

  I’m so terrified my brain has seized up. It takes a full minute for his words to register.

  “This isn’t a trick? The hover won’t even be turned on?”

  He looks at me like I just grabbed his cock. I wonder if my statement translated as something dirty. Lord help me, that molten look he’s giving me flipped my horny switch from off to on.

  “The hover?” I bring us both back to the present moment. “We won’t even start it?”

  “Right. Just sit in the captain’s seat.”

  “Seriously? I get to be captain when I’m sitting there? Maybe I’ll like this after all.” Sure, I’m full of bold talk if I don’t have to drive this thing.

  The little hover is low to the ground. I’m in the captain’s seat and Thantose is on the ground outside the door. His huge, muscled shoulders block the doorway as he leans in and points to dials and switches. How does he expect me to concentrate when he’s so close and smells so good?

  “Repeat them back,” he orders, and I do. He explains what everything does, and somehow I catch on. I thought it would be way too complicated, but it’s like my brain was hungry for this information.

  “What’s next?”

  “That’s it for today. You can scoot into the passenger seat and I’ll fly to town.”

  “I’m ready for tomorrow’s lesson,” I say confidently.

  He quirks one eyebrow. “Now?”

  “Yeah, right now. Before I get cold feet and change my mind.”

  “Your feet are cold?”

  I laugh, loving how the translator goofs up sometimes. “Next lesson,” I order as I point at the control panel. A bolt of fear blasts through me and I freeze. The tone I just used would have earned me a backhand or worse in my previous life. I’m paralyzed for a moment as pictures of past punishments flick through my mind.

  Then I firm my jaw, ground my hands on the steering wheel, and order myself to stay in the present. I chant a little mantra in the back of my mind: I’m safe, I’m here with T, it will be okay.

  T’s brows crash down as he eyes me. He noticed my mood change. Can’t I hide anything from him?

  “Lesson 2.” I point at the controls, doubling down on my last order.

  He shoulders into the small space, points to the ‘on’ switch, and tells me to push it. The motor, or engine, or whatever it’s called is so quiet I can’t hear it. Twenty minutes of instruction later, he tells me I’m ready to fly.

  “No. Tomorrow I’ll be ready for my third lesson.”

  “No, B. There are only two lessons, and they’re both complete. I grant you the power of flight,” he intones as if it’s a benediction. “Let’s get breakfast in town.” He closes my door, walks around, and climbs into the passenger seat.

  “I’m not ready.” My hands are sweating so badly they almost slip off the small steering wheel.

  “Come on Brin, let’s go. What’s the worst that could happen?”

  “Did you really ask that? The worst that could happen is we could crash and burn and die.”

  “Well, besides that.” He slashes me a rakish grin. “I’ll be right here. I can take over if something goes wrong, but nothing will. You’ve got this.”

  “Really?”

  “Really, harden’s honor.” He crosses his heart with his finger and bestows me with a serious stare.

  “What’s a harden?”

  “Young Primians can join. We do activities. That’s part of the harden pledge.”

  “Scout’s honor you’ll keep us safe?”

  He nods, and I put the little hover into gear. I’m so scared I don’t really get to appreciate how beautiful the scenery is. It’s quiet and tense inside the cabin, but pretty soon my hands are moving of their own accord as if I was born to fly. I even touch down with barely a bump.

  “Fantastic,” he crows. “I’ve never seen anyone learn so quickly. You did terrific.”

  His face is beaming; he’s so proud of me.

  “This calls for a high five,” I tell him.

  I put up my palm and tell him to slap it. He raises a questioning eyebrow, then complies. “High five,” I explain. “It’s like wow and congratulations all rolled into one.”

  He high fives me again. “Well done. Let’s eat first, then get groceries.”

  We touched down about a block away from the stores and restaurants in the little town. It reminds me of nothing I’ve seen in my galactic travels. Amrus always brought me to fancy clubs in huge cities of metal and glass.

  This little town reminds me of the type of towns you see on Hallmark Christmas Specials where Main Street is a block long and everyone calls each other by name. It’s small and quaint and inviting.

  I’m not surprised when the only choices on the menu are four different types of sumra, the ubiquitous intergalactic breakfast of champions. It’s noodles in a sweet, milky concoction. I order mine with an outer space version of raisins and nuts.

  “Yum. Your
mom taught me how to make this.”

  He raises a questioning eyebrow.

  “Yeah, she said I’d be moving out eventually and should know how to cook. She taught me how to make drumma sul and frendgrum. A lesson in martun han was slated for after my return.” Now his eyebrows are pulled low as he puckers his lips. I curb the urge to reach over and bite those plump lips, but I can’t control my question, asking, “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He shrugs. “Ahma hasn’t cooked anything other than her anathen cake in annums. She leaves it to the cook. I’m having trouble picturing her spending time with you in the kitchen.”