Melina blushed again and shook her head at that. There was no way she could hide the fact that she was a woman if she had a uniform like they wore. She turned slightly in her seat when a movement out of the corner caught her attention.
Both symbiots stepped out from the narrow passage between the crates. They had been waiting for her in the small area she had created between the large metal containers and walked over to her. They knew she normally went to bed around now. Cree’s symbiot had the Teddy Bear in its mouth.
Melina reached for the small bear. Bending forward, she brushed a light kiss across its head. A low groan had her head jerking up in surprise. Cree’s eyes were closed and his lips were pressed tightly together.
Melina started to open her mouth to ask him what was wrong before she remembered she was supposed to be mute. Frustrated, she wrapped her arms tightly around the bear and waited for either Cree or Calo to tell her what was wrong. It didn’t take long.
“This is very difficult for us, Mel,” Calo explained. “We… you are… Dragon’s Balls! Cree?”
“When you brush your lips along my symbiot, I feel them against my skin,” Cree said in a rough voice. He opened his eyes to stare at her. “This is very difficult for me… for us, Mel.”
Joy washed through her before reality did. For just a brief second, hope flared inside her that they might be interested in her as much as she was in them. Then reality crashed through her. They still thought she was a boy and if they did and they thought she was…. Rising out of her seat, pain filled her at the thought that they might find her touch distasteful.
“Mel,” Calo said, standing.
Melina shook her head. She had to escape before she made a huge mistake, like telling them that she was a woman. She glanced toward the office where her granddad was sleeping. Her eyes widened when she saw him standing in the doorway watching them.
His face looked so sad that it broke Melina’s heart. She hugged the bear closer to her chest. He wanted to go home. He had said as much earlier. A wave of guilt struck her hard. He had done so much to care for and protect her and here she was wanting something that was just a dream.
*.*.*
“Mel,” Cree called to her as she slipped around her chair and rushed for the dark passage.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you both together,” Cal said behind them.
Cree and Calo both turned at his voice. Frustration was etched in the lines around their mouths. Cal sighed tiredly and ran a hand down along the back of his neck. He was torn between his granddaughter and wanting to return home.
“You two better sit down,” Cal said gruffly.
“Cal,” both men greeted with a tight voice.
“We wanted to speak with the boy,” Cree said.
“Just to offer to train him, spend some time with him,” Calo added quickly. “We thought he might enjoy it.”
“And it would help him,” Cree inserted.
“Yes, and help him,” Calo agreed with a nod.
Amusement tugged at Cal’s mouth. Both men were looking at him with a nervous expression. He’d never had to deal with a situation like this before. Since he and Buella May only had Hank, they never needed to worry about boys coming around.
“Sit down,” Cal said again.
Both men returned to the seats they had before. Cal sat down heavily in the chair and waited. Both men’s eyes kept moving to the crates.
Yep, boys were definitely much easier to have, Cal thought, wishing for the hundredth time he had a cigar.
“We didn’t wish to frighten the boy,” Calo said.
“It didn’t look like Mel was frightened,” Cal assured them. “I think it is about time I knew a little bit more about you boys. Tell me about yourselves. Where are you from? Do you have family? What are your plans for the future? You should know that it is just me and Mel. That is why I am very protective of he… him. The biggest thing I want you to understand is that I only want Mel to be happy, safe, and loved.”
Having said what he wanted to say, Cal leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. It didn’t take long before both men opened up. Cal knew that Melina was listening. He chuckled at some of the stories they shared. The hours passed as they chatted. The more he learned about the two men, the more he was certain that they were the right men for his granddaughter.
He rubbed his left arm absently as he nodded to something Calo was sharing. He ignored the tingling in it. If it continued, he’d talk to Tandor about it. Instead, he focused on trying to figure out how to deal with transitioning Mel to Melina. First, he needed to make absolutely sure it was the right thing to do.
Boy, are these boys in for a shock, Cal thought silently as their eyes flickered for the millionth time to Melina’s hiding space.
Chapter 14
Melina sat next to Carmen listening to her, her granddad, and another human who had been brought on board the Horizon, talk. They had all been woken up early by the shuddering of the warship. She had found herself pinned to her bed by Cree and Calo’s symbiots that were shuddering and hissing.
“Gramps,” she had called out in fear as she struggled to get up. “Gramps!”
“Stay there, Melina. I’ll find out what is going on,” Cal had called back.
She didn’t have much choice as neither symbiot would move off of her. She didn’t know when they came back to the repair bay, but she had to admit that she was glad they were there. She listened as Cree’s deep voice asked anxiously where she was and if she was alright.
“Yeah, Meli… Mel is fine. Your two gold creatures are with him. What the hell is going on?” Cal asked.
“We are under attack. It is nothing to worry about. The Horizon is more than capable of handling the situation. Just… just keep the boy safe. Our symbiots will stay with you both,” Cree ordered.
“Who the hell would be stupid enough to attack a warship filled with you guys?” Cal asked in an incredulous voice.
“The Marastin Dow,” Cree growled. “I have to go. Either myself or Calo will monitor you both to make sure you are unharmed. In the unlikely event the Marastin Dow do board us, one of us will come to you.”
The ‘battle’ hadn’t lasted very long at all. Melina grinned as the new human, Riley St. Claire from Denver, Colorado, gave a colorful account of what happened. She couldn’t stop the giggles that escaped as Riley related her encounter with the Antrox and Vox.
“So, who is the scarecrow?” Riley had asked loud enough for Melina to hear.
Melina bit her lip when she heard her granddad act like he wasn’t sure what Riley was talking about. “Scarecrow?”
“Yeah, little Miss Priss. Does she think I have cooties or something?” Riley drawled in a Midwestern twang that was right out of the movies.
“Granddaughter,” Carmen said softly. “That is why she stays hidden and doesn’t talk.”
Melina heard her grandfather’s heavy sigh before he called to her. “Melina, come here. It’s okay, honey. They won’t tell anyone,” he said in his gruff voice.
Melina froze for a moment before she slowly rose from where she was sitting near the entrance of the crates. The fingers of her left hand tightened around the brim of her floppy hat. She twisted one of the ragged edges of her oversized shirt nervously between the fingers of her right hand as she stepped out from her hiding place.
She walked toward her grandfather with slow, cautious steps before kneeling on the floor next to him. She smiled nervously at Carmen before she turned her gaze to Riley. She relaxed back when she felt her granddad tenderly brush a hand over her hair.
“You can speak, girl. They won’t tell on us,” Cal murmured.
“Hey,” Melina whispered before she cleared her voice. “It’s nice to finally get to talk to you.”
Carmen leaned forward. “Hello, Melina. If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?” She asked.
“I was twenty-one last week,” Melina replied, looking up at her granddad. “Gramps and I have been coun
ting the days since we were taken so we could keep track of how long it’s been.”
“Why?” Carmen asked in a husky voice filled with concern.
“The Antrox use women as a way of controlling the men. They don’t give them much choice. If they knew my granddaughter was a woman, there’s no telling what would have happened to her. It was easier passing her off as a boy. The trader who sold us to the Antrox couldn’t tell the difference, and those insect creatures just accepted Mel as being a young boy, not old enough for the heavy work in the mines yet but old enough to keep for other duties,” Cal explained.
“I saw some of the other women being sold to traders who would come to drop things off at the mines,” Melina said quietly. “We were afraid they would sell me, especially if they knew I was a woman. I worked with horses at a farm near our home and was always good with animals, so I worked with the Pactors. They aren’t much different from mules in the way they act. Gramps thought it would be good if I acted like I couldn’t speak and was not all there in the head,” she continued, touching her temple with the tips of her fingers.
“When the mines ran out, the Antrox decided I was too old to do much. Mel overheard them and hid in the tunnels where they couldn’t find her. She knew the tunnels backward and forward from the years of running errands. They couldn’t find her so they left us behind,” Cal said. “When the men on board the Horizon showed up, I had to take a chance. We were down to less than a week’s worth of food and water. Mel and I decided it would be best if we continued pretending she was my grandson with a handicap. It’s kept the men on board from looking at her,” he added, deciding it best not to mention all except two.
“I don’t want them looking at me,” Melina muttered, refusing to think of Cree and Calo, who came by several times a day to check on her. “I saw what the males did to some of those women. No offense, ma’am.” She bit her lip and blushed as she looked at Riley.
“Darling, those insects didn’t know what to do with me! I had those bastards shaking in their long underwear!” Riley said with a wink.
Melina listened as Riley continued to banter back and forth with her granddad and Carmen. It was so nice to finally be able to talk and be herself. Riley’s vibrant personality was such a contrast to Carmen’s more reserved humor. She loved listening to them.
This is what I’ve been missing for the last four years, she thought depressed as she studied each woman.
She jerked when the door to the repair bay suddenly opened and Cree walked in. Panic swept through Melina as she scrambled to put her hat on. She rolled to her feet and took off for the crates, her heart pounding in her chest. She pressed her back against the crate and bit her lip. Tears burned her eyes and she angrily wiped at them.
Being around Carmen and Riley showed her how stupid she had been to think that one, much less two, men that were like Cree and Calo could really be interested in her. Heck, they still thought she was a boy so how could they ‘think’ of her at all? Gramps was wrong.
Even if they were interested, I’m nothing like Carmen and Riley, she thought dejectedly. I don’t know the first thing about being a woman.
She glanced down at her tattered, ill-fitting clothing. Just looking at the way she was dressed, it was impossible for anyone to guess that was anything remotely feminine or attractive about her. She pressed her fist to her mouth to keep the sob escaping as self-doubt and the realization that yet again, she didn’t fit into this world any better than she had back at the mine or on the farm. Even Stuart had laughed at the fumbling attempt of her first kiss. Of course, she had bit him, which hadn’t helped.
She leaned her head back and listened to Cree’s deep voice as he talked to Carmen and Riley. A moment later Carmen called out a farewell to her, even though she knew Melina wouldn’t reply. Melina listened as the door to the repair bay opened and closed again. She knew immediately that Cree had left the area.
Turning toward her makeshift bedroom, she walked over to the bed and laid down. She rolled over onto her side, pulling the Teddy Bear closer to her chest, and curled into a ball as pain swept through her. Silent tears ran down her cheeks as she felt the desolation of being alone again wash over her.
*.*.*
The muscle in Cree’s cheek throbbed as he watched Mel disappear between the crates. Mel couldn’t even stand being in the same room with him. Instead of things getting better, something told him that they were getting worse. That he was slowly losing the thin thread of connection they had begun to develop with Mel. He searched the darkness between the huge metal boxes before he turned and escorted Carmen out of the repair bay.
Pain radiated through him at the rejection. This time, not even his dragon rose up to complain or threaten him. It appeared that it too realize the hopelessness of the situation at last.
He stiffened when Carmen laid a gentle hand on his arm to stop him. He was surprised at the compassion he saw in her eyes. It was like she wanted to tell him something, but was unsure if she should.
“We Earthlings are not always what we appear to be,” she said compassionately. “We don’t give up our hope of returning home easily. Cal and Mel want to return to Earth.”
“Why should I or Calo care if the old man and the boy want to return? It would be better off for all if they did,” he replied stiffly before turning away.
Want mate, his dragon muttered quietly.
Just as I do, but some things are not meant to be, Cree replied cruelly. It is time to accept that we were not meant to have a mate.
Chapter 15
“What are we going to do?” Calo asked as he leaned back from the blow aimed at his jaw. “We can’t just let Mel go.”
“What else can we do?” Cree snapped as he lunged again, wrapping his arms around his brother’s waist. “Kidnap him?”
Cree grunted when Calo suddenly rolled and pinned him on the floor. He stared up into his brother’s dark gold eyes. The thoughtful expression and determination in them made his stomach clench in anticipation. Calo was getting another hair-brain idea.
“No,” Cree started to argue.
“Why not?” Calo asked as he shifted to sit next to where Cree was lying. “It is perfect.”
“What about the old man?” Cree asked. “He isn’t going to allow us to just take Mel without a fight.”
“We’ll approach him, explain the situation,” Calo said.
Cree sat up and ran his hands through his hair. “What makes you think he would agree to it?”
“Cree, we’ve done everything we can to get close to Mel,” Calo said quietly. “We’ve talked with Cal. He is worried about Mel, too. You know that they don’t have any other family and that he knows he won’t live forever.”
“That doesn’t mean he’ll agree with us taking Mel,” Cree argued, looking at Calo in frustration.
“But it doesn’t mean he won’t either,” Calo pointed out. “I think… I think we should talk to him again, Cree. I’ve talked to him more, but he needs to know how you feel as well. The last six weeks you haven’t tried to spend any time with either one of them.”
“What was the use?” Cree muttered, looking away. “Mel hides every time I walk through the door.”
Calo nodded. “He does the same with me, but I know he is close. He never retreats all the way. You know that. Our symbiots stay at the entrance to the crates. Something is bothering him. He wants to come out, but it is as if he is… afraid.”
“I know,” Cree sighed. “I want to connect with our symbiot on him, but… I’m afraid too. After what happened when he brushed a kiss against it. Goddess, Calo. I almost came in my pants! I haven’t done that since my first time with a female.”
Calo gave a dry laugh. “I know what you mean. I haven’t connected with them since I first realized that they had claimed him as well. I don’t think I could stand it if… well, if he didn’t accept us. It is the one hope that has kept my dragon from losing control.”
“Mine as well,” Cree agreed. “But even that
hope is not helping anymore.”
*.*.*
Cree couldn’t contain the snicker that escaped him as he followed Carmen down to the repair bay later that morning. She was beginning to waddle and he couldn’t help, but tease her. He silently admitted that he had come to truly respect and care about Carmen over the past few months.
She was an extraordinary female. Slowly, small pieces of her life had been revealed as they talked, joked and sparred with each other. She had also been surprisingly supportive of his and his brother’s desire to understand and get closer to Mel.
He didn’t understand some of her comments sometimes. Her favorite seemed to be for him to look beyond the outer clothing Mel wore to the person underneath. He still wasn’t comfortable with the idea of doing that.
It was bad enough that every time he thought of Mel or even got a whiff of his scent, his body would develop a raging hard-on. He refused to think of the number of times he had to relieve the ache. That was another reason why he had started staying away from the repair bay. In fact, it had been almost four weeks since he had last been inside.
“I’ll wait for you outside the door should you need me,” Cree said quietly as they came to a stop outside the doors.
“Cree,” Carmen started to say.
“I will wait here, Lady Carmen,” Cree replied in a clipped voice.
“Fine!” She said, but he heard her muttered addition. “Hard-headed male! Can’t see the forest for the trees. Cal?” Carmen called out as she entered the repair bay.
“I’m in here, Carmen,” Cal responded.
Cree listened as the two started talking before their voices were cut off by the thick doors. He leaned back against the wall with a sigh. His mind ran through his and Calo’s conversation earlier. They would reach Earth in a little over a week. Time was running out with a vengeance.
He clenched his hands as he thought of his options.
“There really aren’t any,” he whispered, studying the scales rippling over the back of his hands. “Either Mel accepts us or we end this once and for all. It is time for Cal… and Mel, to understand the situation.”