Angel in the Badlands: space opera sci fi romance (Sons of Amber Book 1) (8 page)

Any visitor to the colony who was not a Son would have to wear full protective gear with its own independent air supply. The risk involved in such a visit was high and Zeke knew it would not be undertaken lightly. Dr. Amber would certainly come, but she would take all possible precautions to prevent contamination of an uninfected human population—the first they had ever found.

Zeke reported all this to Mother Rachel, once the colony returned to a lower threat level. He and Angela had been escorted to a large conference room in a tunnel near the surface and Mother Rachel had joined them a short while later.

As leader of the colony, he had been authorized to answer any and all of her questions. She seemed interested to know that each ship had a crew made up almost entirely of women, and Zeke found himself explaining how the few male survivors of the virus on each world often stayed on their home planets at the request of the medical community.

Established gender roles had changed since the devastating virus attack. Perhaps because Zeke had never known any other way of living, he was equally interested in the more traditional way the colonists divided the workload.

The men of the colony saw mostly to its defense, though occasionally a female would stand sentry duty or train in the hand-to-hand self defense style they favored—or so Angela had told him. The males and females alike had the luxury of choosing to follow their own paths rather than have their roles dictated by the desperate needs of society.

Watching them, Zeke realized he’d never really had any choice in what he would do with his life. He wasn’t complaining. He liked what he did, but it was just a little disconcerting to realize that his choices had been sorely limited by the jits and their despicable virus.

Still, many of the Sons were involved in the military, both because it was in their natures and because of the necessity that they travel quite frequently to the other human planets. Some served in combat posts, some in planning, reconnaissance and strategy, each according to his own specific talents. None were given special treatment, but most of them excelled because it was simply the way they’d been designed. None of the Sons of Amber were mediocre, and all had a drive to succeed in their chosen fields.

Zeke’s brother Michael, for example, was the commander of
Atlantia Base
, not because he had been given the job, but because he had earned it. He commanded all the ships in the sector and did a damned fine job of it. He had a quick, decisive mind, and as a Dominant it was in his nature to command any given situation.

“Tell me about your mother, Ezekiel.” Mother Rachel startled him with her phrasing, but Zeke smiled.

“Dr. Amber isn’t really my mother in the biological sense, ma’am, but she created the program the produced myself and the other Sons. She oversaw our development at every stage and contributed greatly to our make-up.”

“She may not be your biological mother, Ezekiel,” Mother Rachel favored him with a serene smile, “but yet you love her as a son.”

“I guess all the Sons love her in one way or another. She’s…” he hesitated slightly, trying to put his feelings into words. “She’s a very special woman. She encourages us. She taught us from when we were just born. She gives us pep talks when we need them and hope to go on. She has a real, potent vision of the future.”

Mother Rachel’s eyes glistened with approval. “Then she is your mother in the ways that matter most. And Ezekiel,” she placed one small hand on his arm, squeezing slightly to emphasize her words, “her vision will succeed. Never doubt that.”

Mother Rachel went on to ask about the other people who were coming, but asked nothing of what might happen next. Of course, he suspected she knew more about what might occur after his people arrived than he did.

When the older woman left, Zeke asked Angela to give him a little bit of a tour. He wanted to understand how these people defended their home and see if there were any simple ways he could help augment their defenses. He’d taken a few things with him when they’d left the ship that might be of some use.

Finding at least one area he could improve, he spent a few minutes showing the sentries as well as some of the youngsters—a mixed group of young boys and girls—how to operate a small shield generator he’d brought from his ship. With Sven’s permission and oversight, they set it up at the entrance to the underground compound to reinforce the earthworks they already had in place.

With this small, portable shield spanning the entrance, the guards would be able to relax a bit and wouldn’t have to face the daily skirmishes with packs of gaks and worse that tried constantly to get into the human dwelling areas.

The youngsters were bright, and Zeke enjoyed their questions. He had never been around young humans much at all, and found himself enchanted by the little ones with such open, growing minds. The male sentries were hardened, fighting men, and they reminded him of the camaraderie he had only known to this point with his brothers.

Angela showed him around a bit more, taking him to a cafeteria where they were able to have a hot meal. Sven accompanied them and asked all sorts of questions about the broader galaxy while they ate. Zeke was impressed with the astuteness of his questions and the quick way in which his mind worked. If he didn’t know better, Zeke would think he was talking with one of his brothers, which was high praise to Zeke’s way of thinking.

After they ate, Sven left them while Angela showed Zeke some of the underground farming areas. These people had taken hydro- and aero-ponics to a whole new level, he was amazed to see. With the judicious use of lighting in very specific spectrums, they were able to grow vast amounts of food to feed the colony.

They also had a green area, deep underground, with bushes, ornamental statues, benches and even trees. Zeke realized they were all fruit-bearing trees, but they were still trees—
thriving
—underground. He was amazed by it.

Angela led him to a small water feature. A fountain in a secluded grotto with a bench in one dark corner. She sat and patted the stone bench next to her in clear invitation. Zeke didn’t have to be asked twice. He sat, angling his body toward hers, so he could watch her expression for any hint of what was going on in her mind.

“I didn’t ask before…” she began in a hesitant voice, as if unsure of what she intended to say, “…but you aren’t…
committed
to anyone. Are you?”

The way she emphasized the word
committed
made him think of what her words might mean. Was she asking if he was sworn to some other person for some task? Or was she talking about emotional commitments? That seemed more likely.

“If you’re asking if I am romantically involved with another woman, the answer is no. I would not have kissed you if I were. In fact, I never have been. It’s not something Sons are encouraged to do. We were raised with the expectation of living our lives as bachelors, performing our duties and not binding ourselves to anyone or anything except the survival of the human species.” He noted the look of relief on her face and then another thought struck him. “Are you committed to someone?” The thought made his heart skip a beat.

Angela looked down, but he saw her smile. “No. I’m not involved with anyone right now.”

It was the
right now
that got him. It made him think she had been involved with someone at some point in the past, but was free of such encumbrances now. That any man would be fool enough to let her go stunned him, but at the same time, he was pleased as a cat with a bucket of cream that she was free to… To what? Commit to him? When he wasn’t supposed to be thinking along those lines at all?

Damn. This was a mess.

“The thing is…” She edged closer to him on the stone bench. “I think you must realize by now that I’m very attracted to you.” He was floored by her candor. He wouldn’t have pegged her for an aggressive female at all. He found he liked the contradiction between her usual quiet demeanor and the femme fatale that was just starting to appear. He couldn’t wait to see what she would do next.

He moved closer, meeting her in the middle of the bench. “I don’t think it’s any secret that I feel the same, Angel.” He moved closer still, whispering against her temple as he drew her into his arms.

“Well, then.” Her small hand stroked up his chest and came to rest on his shoulder. He loved the feel of her touching him, even in such an innocent way. “Since we’re both free, I’d like to explore this attraction between us. What do you say to that?”

Just like that, he was ready to go. He’d follow her anywhere. Do anything she wanted. He was her slave. And he wanted to be her master. Give and take. Male and female. Yin and yang.

It was as basic as breathing and as complicated as anything in his overly-complicated life.

But he couldn’t deny her. Not a single thing.

“I say, what are we waiting for?” He lowered his mouth then, to claim hers. The kiss was tempestuous. They were the center of a raging fire in the dark garden.

And then someone cleared their throat, breaking the spell.

Angela jumped back and looked around, seeing her youngest brother peering at her from over the hedge.

“Go away, Harald,” she muttered threateningly.

“Can’t. Dad sent me to find you. Now I see why he didn’t just ’path you. He didn’t want to disturb you and the stranger.” Harald came out from behind the hedge and stood watching them from the other side of the fountain. “Wait ’til I tell him what you were doing.”

“Don’t you dare, Har! If you do, I’ll tell mom what you and the Jenkins girl were up to last week. Don’t think I won’t!” Angela stalked around the fountain to face her youngest brother.

Harald’s face scrunched up in that stubborn way that she hated. “Well, what do you expect me to tell him then? I have to say something.”

“Just tell him I was showing Zeke the ’ponics section. That’ll satisfy him.”

Angela was very much afraid that her father had probably tried to reach her via telepathy while she was too wrapped up in Zeke to notice. He had probably realized what they were doing and sent Harald out to break it up. Her father could be a little overprotective at times, but she loved him anyway.

She didn’t dare speak to him right now though. She was embarrassed at being caught and he probably realized it.

“You can also tell him I’m going to take Zeke back to the healing center so his leg injury can be checked,” she said firmly. “Now shoo. You’ve done your duty and you are dismissed.”

“You can’t dismiss me,” the brat protested. “You’re just a healer.”

“There is no
just
about it,” Zeke said, coming up behind her unexpectedly. “If you were older, or perhaps a little wiser, you would realize the value healers have to every society. They try to help where many others just sit and do nothing. They keep the warriors fit to protect their way of life. An army cannot function without healers and we value each and every one. As should you, young man.”

Duly chastened, Harald’s eyes widened to saucer size as Zeke towered over him. Without a word, he fled, running back the way he’d come, through the garden.

Zeke looked amused. “Sorry. I guess I frightened him.”

“Don’t worry. He had it coming.” She turned to find Zeke standing very close. Giving into temptation, she stepped into his arms, and smiled up at him. “Thank you for defending me. Harald doesn’t really understand yet why I switched from defense to healing. He thinks I lack courage.” She lowered her gaze and felt the disappointment she always felt after one of these run-ins with Harald.

“My Angel has the heart of a lion,” Zeke said softly, caressing her hair. “And I’ll tell that to anyone who’ll listen. A woman with no courage would not go out in the midday suns to investigate a smoke cloud, then save the life of a stranger. A woman with no courage wouldn’t know how to shoot at gaks on one of the most hair-raising buggy rides of my life. And a woman with no courage wouldn’t have had the ability to pull the trigger on the shuttle that threatened every single one of her people and her entire way of life. Sweetheart, you’re the most courageous woman I’ve ever met. And I’ve met quite a few woman warriors who have been tempered in battle and have wills of hardened steel. Let me be the judge of your character, not a boy who hasn’t lived enough to know of what he speaks.”

She cupped his cheek, looking up at him. “Is that truly the way you see me?” she asked, feeling wonder in her soul.

“That’s just one fascinating part of the beautiful soul I see in you, Angel. Your compassion and tenderness are what I noticed first, but the more I am around you, the more I see to admire.”

His head dipped and she rose on tiptoe to meet his kiss. It was a lighter kiss this time. One of deep emotion and beauty. He held her for long moments before they broke apart—naturally this time. But she didn’t want it to end there.

Taking his hand, she led him out of the garden and down the corridor.

Since becoming a senior student healer a year ago, Angela had earned the right to live near the infirmary in which she worked. Because the younger healers often worked the night shift, they kept separate living units available for them. Angela had moved into one of them, and it was on the way. Maybe, she thought, they could finally get some time alone.

She looked both ways down the corridor before opening her doorway and leading him inside. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him. He was looking around the small chamber with keen interest.

“I like your décor,” he said, meeting her gaze, the amused glint in his eyes reassuring her. “And I like it when you take the initiative.” He stalked closer, backing her right up against the wall, one of his arms braced above her head against the stone, the other snaking its way around her waist as his head dipped.

This kiss picked up where the one in the garden had left off. He pressed against her and she squirmed against him, wanting everything he had to give. She was lost in the pleasure of his possession when a loud knock on her door broke them apart once more.

Zeke sighed and rested his forehead against hers. “Maybe this just isn’t meant to be right now.”