Twin Dragons: Dragon Lords of Valdier Book 7 (11 page)

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 bend
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.”

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.

“I’ll order for Mel,” Cal said briskly. “The
boy doesn’t eat much.”

“He needs to eat more,” Calo bit out
gruffly. “He is too small for his age as it is. How will he become
a strong warrior if he doesn’t start eating. Maybe Cree and I can
work with him on developing his strength and fighting skills.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Cal responded.
“Carmen is going to ask her mate if he will return us to our world.
Mel will be fine the way he is once we get home.”

Calo hoped that Mel would speak up. They had
never approached him about trying to train him before. They had
never had a chance to! Every time they got somewhat close to him,
he would run or throw things at them. Calo hoped mentioning their
desire to work with him might have at least drawn some type of
response to their offer. Instead, they were both met with a stony
silence from the end of the table… again.

The frustration over the last few weeks
finally became more than he could stand. It was as if the Goddess
was laughing at their hope of keeping their sanity. Perhaps this
was just their screwed up desires of wanting to find a true mate.
Whatever it was, he was tired of feeling the overwhelming
hopelessness. How he and Cree ever expected such a relationship to
work out in the first place was ridiculous.

“Perhaps that’s for the best,” Calo finally
said in a quiet tone. “If you don’t mind, I am not hungry. I will
patrol the area outside.”

Cree stood as well. “I will take the back.
We will leave our symbiots with you. If you need anything, just
call out. We will be close.”

*.*.*

Melina’s gaze followed the twins as they
left. She vaguely heard Carmen excuse herself to go to the bathroom
as their food was delivered. Her mind was a rush of confusing
thoughts as she glanced back and forth, hoping to catch a glimpse
of where the men had gone.

Once again, they had surprised her with
their offer. It was the little things that they did that confused
her. Their concern for her welfare and wanting to train her. Their
symbiots bringing her clothing and other items, like the Teddy Bear
and numerous trinkets, and the golden bracelets that connected her
with them.

Today, Calo had been concerned when she had
become distracted and fallen too far behind. He worried that she
would be taken. Then, Cree wanting to know what she wanted to eat.
He didn’t ask Carmen. His eyes had been on her and they had looked…
worried.

This, followed by Calo’s comment about her
being too thin and suggesting again that they work with her, had
her feeling things that made her feel good and scared at the same
time. It was as if they… cared about her, as a person, and not just
as a lost human boy in a strange universe.

Just before Calo left, he had sounded… sad.
It was as if she had hurt him somehow by not speaking up. Melina
bit her lip as tears burned the back of her eyes. She didn’t want
to hurt them. She wanted…

Melina jerked when the two symbiots next to
her suddenly moved closer to her as Zuk called out an order to her
grandfather. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t
understand what was happening. Her head swiveled as Calo came
running in the front as Cree came in through the back entrance.
Harvey, Carmen and Creon’s symbiot, was moving through the tables,
knocking food and drink everywhere.