Kenzie (More Worlds Beyond Book 3) (6 page)

    
When Vat started undressing her so she
could shower, she almost panicked.
 
She
would have if he
hadn’t
been treating her more like a
child or sister.
 
There was nothing
sexual about it, no desire in his eyes and it made her feel better.
 
She showered, and when she came out Vat
helped her to dry.
 
He carried her to his
bed and kissed her forehead.
 
She felt
safe as she fell asleep even though it was mid-day according to her internal
time-clock
.

    
Vat found the others in the Galley having
second meal.
 
“How’s
Kam
?”
 
He asked as he gathered his food and took a
seat.

    
“Resting.
 
He looks much better.
 
We owe that female a debt that can
hopefully
be repaid one day. I still
can’t
believe how she just took control of the situation.
 
She’s had to have training.”
 
Saldu
still
couldn’t
believe how confident she worked.
 
“How’s the female?”

    
“She’s resting in my bed.
 
I helped clean the blood off of her, and now
I have to find her new clothes.”
 
Vat
wondered how he ever thought her unattractive.
 
She was trusting, kind, and smart, everything he had ever wanted in a
female.
 
Perhaps one day he would find
one like her.

    
“I received a message from Prince
Pakhi.
 
They are waiting for us at the
Space Station.
 
The female, Kenzie, and
her family are traveling back with them, and they are anxious for her
return.
 
That is all the information they
gave me.”
 

    
“Kenzie, that’s her name?”
 
Vat asked while repeating the name Kenzie
silently.

    
“Yes.
 
I informed them we would be returning in one moon cycle.”
 
Vat actually felt sadden at the thought of
her leaving, and humbled at the absolute trust she had in him.
 

    
“
Kaith
, did you
find anything in
Orian’s
office?”
 
Vat asked while taking another bite of food.

    
“Yes, we can now use the ship’s recording
of her voice to update our translators.”
 
Vat felt exhilarated with that news.
 
He would love to be able to understand the female Kenzie.

    
“Why do you think they attacked us Vat?
 
They have never been hostile toward us
before.”
 
Saldu
wasn’t
with them to witness the attack on Kenzie.
 
He
didn’t
know if he
had seen her torn shirt or not as he was attending
Kam
.

    
“They wanted Kenzie.
 
I
wouldn’t
sell her
so I guess they decided to take her by force.
 
You know how it is on Ketu, if
it’s
unusual,
they will try to sell it for a high price.
 
It
doesn’t
matter if it’s an object or a
person.
 
I truly hate coming here, and
after today, we will not trade with them again.”
 
Vat said with finality.

    
“Kenzie woke about an hour later feeling
much better.
 
When she went to get out of
bed, she found she was naked except for the towel Vat had used to dry her
off
.
 
She looked
around the room, and finally found a shirt.
 
When she put it on, it fell to her mid-thigh.
 
That would have to work.
 
She needed to check on
Kam
,
and then eat.
 
She made her way down the
corridor and found the males at the ship’s controls.
 
As she entered, they turned to look at
her.
 
“Sorry, I don’t mean to disturb
you, but I need to check
Kam’s
wound, and then
eat.”
 
As she stood there, she remembered
they
couldn’t
understand her.
 
“Shit!
 
I forgot that you
can’t
understand a damn thing
I say.
 
This use to be fun, but now it’s
just annoying.”
 
She said to herself and
to them.

    
“I didn’t realize when you were speaking
to us that you enjoyed us not knowing.
 
What else have you said?”
 
Vat
replied with a teasing tone as he raised his odd-looking eyebrow.

    
“You understand me?”
 
She replied with eagerness in her voice.
 

    
“Yes.
 
We took the equipment needed from
Orian’s
office.”
 
At the mention of
Orian
, her face paled, then anger took
it’s
place.

    
“I would love to chain that man to a wall
and then kick him in the balls every time I passed by him.”
 
She hissed through gritted teeth.
 
She looked up to find them gaping at her
words.

    
“Remind us to never get on your bad
side.”
 

    
“Sorry.
 
Thank you for rescuing me.
 
I need
to check on
Kam
.
 
Could someone show me where he is?”
 
Saldu
stood and led her down the
corridor.
 

    
She found
Kam
asleep as she entered the room.
 
She
didn’t
want to wake him, but she needed to make sure the
bleeding had stopped, and it didn’t show signs of infection.
 
“Will he be able to understand me?”
 

    
“Yes.
 
We sent the program to his translator as well.”
 
Saldu
left her
alone with her patient.
 
As she walked to
his side, he startled.

    
“What are you doing in here?”
 
His voice broke and she noted his cracked
lips.
 
She rushed to get him some
water.
 
As she brought it to him, she
gently lifted his head as he sipped the much-needed liquid.
 
“Thank you.”
 
His voice sounded better.

    
“Your welcome.
 
I just came to check your wound and make sure
you’re
doing Ok.
 
Is that alright with you?”
 

    
“Yes.”
 
She lifted the dressing and found it clean as the bleeding had
stopped.
 
It
didn’t
appear to be infected, and as she felt his forehead, he wasn’t burning up with
fever.
 
Not that she knew their usual
body temperature.
 

    
“I think you’re going to be alright as
long as your wound doesn’t get infected.
 
You should rest and then when you feel like it, you should eat and drink
plenty of water.”

    
“Thank you Kenzie.
 
I would not be here now if it
wasn’t
for you.
 
I
don’t
know how to ever repay you.
 
If you ever need anything, anything at all,
please just let me know.”
 
Tears filled
her eyes at his sincerity.
 

    
“You don’t owe me anything
Kam
.
 
You have all
been so nice to me even though you
didn’t
have
to.
 
If anything, I owe you and the other
males.”
 
She could tell he
didn’t
believe her.
 
“Rest now so you can get better.”
 
She turned and headed for the door.
 
Before she left, she heard his whispered words.

    
“Thank you Kenzie.”
 
As she entered the Galley, she found
Saldu
gathering food.

    
“Hi
Saldu
, are
you eating with me?”
 
She said as she
went to get her own.

    
“No, this is for you.
 
I know
you’ve
had a
hard day, and I just wanted to do this for you.
 
I also wanted to thank you for what you did for
Kam
.
 
I don’t know what we would have done if we
had lost him.”

    
“I was just doing my job.
 
That’s kind of what I did back on Earth.”

    
“Earth, is that where you’re from?
 
I have never heard of that planet.”
 
About that time, Vat and
Kaith
came in to eat third meal.
 
They had
heard
Saldu
ask about Earth, so she now had all their
attention.

    
“Yes.
 
We
didn’t
even know other life existed in
space.
 
The Agrarians accidently found
our planet and kidnapped my sister and our friend.
 
Long story short, someone betrayed her and she
once again found herself on an Agrarian ship.
 
She escaped only to find herself back on Earth.
 
Prince Pakhi is her mate, so he traveled to
Earth to retrieve her and their daughter.
 
Some of us decided to come back with them.”

    
“How did you end up on our vessel?”
 
Vat asked with curiosity.
 

    
“Tolan and I were touring the new space
station when we were ambushed by yellow men.
 
Two of them tried to kidnap me while the others fought with Tolan.
 
When I got loose, I ran until I rounded a
corner, found an empty doorway, and then hid in a closet praying they
wouldn’t
find me.
 
It
worked!
 
I felt so afraid; I actually
waited for hours to come out.”

    
“I think I can figure out what hours are,
but what are men?”

    
“Sorry, I mean males.
 
On Earth, males
are called
men, and females are called women.
 
His
confusion cleared as understanding took its place.
 
They talked a while longer.
 
They asked about Earth, and she asked about
their planet.

    
When Vat had satisfied his curiosity about
her and her planet, he changed the subject back to the present.
 
“I notified Prince Pakhi that you are with
us.
 
They are waiting for us to return,
which will be before you wake in the morning.”
 
She nodded her understanding.

    
Later when she was ready for sleep, she
dressed in just a tee shirt and climbed into Vats bed.
 
He changed, and after kissing her forehead,
headed out the door.
 
Kenzie laid there
in the dark and all she could see was
Orian
, and how
he had her pushed against the wall.
 
She
finally climbed out of bed and went in search of Vat.
 
She found him lying on a couch.
 
At her approach, he sat up.

    
“Kenzie?
 
What’s wrong?”
 
He asked with concern.

    
“Every time I close my eyes I see
Orian
and what he tried to do.”
 
She hesitated.
 
“Will you sleep with me?
 
I feel safe with you.”

    
“Are you sure Kenzie?”
 
At her nod, he led her back to his room.
 
He wondered how he ever thought her
unattractive.
 
She was the kindest, most
caring female he had encountered, and that alone made her beautiful.
 
They crawled into bed, she snuggled up to
him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

    
“Thank you Vat.”
 
She truly cared for him and his crew.
 
They had been nothing but nice to her.
 
She thanked God she
didn’t
judge them because they looked like scary vampires.
 
As his heat seeped into her, she fell fast
asleep.