Cavas shook his head, not surprised by his brother’s confession. “I’m sorry about Jill…but I am highly drawn to her, Crath. I want to see if bonding to her is possible.” Then he reached out and pulled his brother into his embrace. “I’ll help you find another human. Don’t spill your seed thinking about mine, though. I won’t break your bones, but I would make you regret it.”
Crath hugged him back and chuckled. “Just help me find a human.”
“Recover first. You’ve lost too much weight.”
“We need to deal with Father first. He’s a threat to any females we care about.”
Cavas nodded against him. “Yes, we do.”
Chapter Nine
“First meal will be served in the dining hall in half an hour, Jillian.”
Jill stared at the ceiling as the robotic voice made the announcement in her cabin. Her head throbbed a little as she sat up, pushing the bed covers down to her lap. The slight hangover had probably come from drinking three of the cudda drinks before going to sleep.
She scooted to the edge of the comfortable mattress and swung her legs over the side. Standing, she headed into the bathroom. It was a nice one, albeit a bit too fancy. Alien technology was something that would take a while to adjust to. She used the toilet that came out of the wall, and then stripped off the shirt she’d slept in, stepping into a spray of warm water.
The shower helped alleviate her headache and wake her more. She dressed in stretchy pants and an oversized shirt, wishing for undergarments. It was odd to not be wearing them. She’d ask Sara or Nara about that when she saw them next. The only shoes she had were the ones from playing a slave. She put them on and exited her cabin, coming to a halt, since she didn’t remember how to get to the dining hall.
Raff had visited her last night, giving her advice on that very thing. “Um, computer?”
“How may I help you, Jillian?”
“It’s just Jill, please. Can you light up the floor or whatever and show me where the dining hall is?”
“Of course, Jill.”
Lights along the edges of the hallway lit up next to her and ran in the direction of the lift. She took a few steps before the next door down the hall opened. Cavas stepped out but didn’t see her. She stopped, watching him reading his data pad as he walked toward the lift.
“Good morning,” she called.
He turned. “Jill. You’re awake.”
“The computer woke me.”
“How did you sleep?”
“Great. I had a few drinks before bed.”
He lowered the pad and slowly approached. “You should have told me you planned to celebrate more. I would have stayed.”
She debated for a few seconds before telling him the truth. “I got a bit drunk, figuring I’d sleep better. New place, new bed and all that. Otherwise, I may have not slept much at all.”
“You’re safe here.”
“I logically get that, but it’s going to take some time for it to sink in. You know?”
“I do. I’m right next door to you,” he motioned to the room he’d just come from, “feel free to come to me if you need anything. Even if it’s to talk or just to be with someone.”
That was considerate. “Thank you. I don’t want to bother you, though.”
“I would always welcome your company.” A sexy smile curved his lips. “Anytime.”
She stared into his golden eyes. Was he giving her the green light? It was tough to tell. Maybe he was just being nice. It was going to take her time to figure out alien men…at least his kind.
“Are you going to the dining hall for first meal?”
“Yes. Is that what you call breakfast?”
He nodded, motioning for her to walk with him. She liked the way he smelled. He’d obviously taken a shower, because his mane was a little damp, and he wore form-fitting black pants with boots. His shirt was long-sleeved, a dark blue, and much better than his slaver outfit. She did miss seeing his mostly bared chest, though.
They entered the lift together. It was a short ride before it opened again. The hallway on that floor was a bit wider. A few doors down, one slid open at their approach and they entered the dining hall. No one had arrived yet. He led her to one of the tables, where she took a seat. He took the one next to her, placing his pad on the table.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Do they have anything like coffee?”
Midgel came out of a door at the back of the room. “I have it.” She hurried to a machine and touched it. “One Rust. One claw.”
The replicator hummed, two drinks appearing in big mugs. The small alien woman grabbed them, placing them down on their table. “Food will be in ten minutes.” Then she fled.
“Rust and claw?” Jill leaned forward, peering at the dark substance in her mug.
“Not appealing Earth names? Rust is a warm energy drink. Claw is the same, but more bitter.” He lifted his mug. “I’ve seen other humans drink rust.”
She lifted the warm mug, took a sniff, and smiled. “It smells like coffee.” She took a sip. “Tastes almost like it, too. To drink rust on Earth would be bad. It’s a residue left on metal that has broken down due to exposure to dampness. It would make you really sick, if not kill you.”
“Cathian will have removed anything that could have harmed a human from our food stores. It’s the same word but different meanings.”
“Got it.” She took another sip before setting it down. “Seems we’re early.”
“I like to get here before the others to catch up.” He glanced at his pad.
“Go ahead. We have devices like that on Earth. It’s how we keep in touch with everyone, read the news, or find something to entertain us.”
“What kind of entertainment?”
“Movies. Shows. Some people live stream their lives for others to watch.”
He scowled. “Why would they do that?”
“To earn money. I watch one live stream of someone who travels a lot. It was the only way I was going to see other countries.”
“You don’t travel on your planet?”
“It’s expensive. I never left the city I lived in until I was arrested and sold to aliens.” She cringed. “I always dreamed of seeing new places…but that wasn’t what I had in mind.”
He reached over, surprising her by taking her hand in his much larger one. “You will get to see amazing, beautiful places now. Safely. I’ll make sure of it.”
She kept hold of his hand, smiling shyly. “That sounds nice.”
“We might have to make a short visit to Tryleskian. You’ll love seeing my home world. It’s beautiful.”
“Do you have a house there?”
He shook his head. “I always stayed at one of our family estates. We own many. My favorite is our North Coastal one. The fourth litter lives there year-round. Three of the four are females. My sisters spoil me a bit.” He grinned. “You’ll like them, and they will love you. I’ll take you to meet them.”
“Are they married?”
He nodded. “They are.”
“And they all live together?”
“Yes. Some litters decide to share residences. The estates are large. They have their own private living areas. It’s not like they share rooms, unless they wish to dine or spend time together.”
“I guess they would have to have a ton of bedrooms with your people having so many children.”
He chuckled. “To have many litters is a blessing.”
“Not necessarily for your women. They must be always pregnant!”
“Only every three years, when males go into heat. Some life-locked couples decide to stop after a few litters. It depends on if they can afford to feed and house that many. We do have medication for our females to take, to avoid becoming fertile. I wish it were so easy for males. They’ve tried, but our seed is very resilient.”
She quickly glanced up and down his body. “Your men are too masculine, huh? I believe that.”