Chapter 6

Traze had his back to the wall of the dinner hall. With the door open, he could hear everything being said, but he was not seen. He listened intently to the conversations inside, however. Every time Veda spoke, he felt a chill run through his body.

He hung on her every word. She seemed to have a lot of questions about the Aterans, and the other humans were very kind when explaining how life worked on Atera. Traze was doing his best to try and understand Veda's tone to assess how she felt about these answers and Atera in general. But without seeing her facial expressions, he found it hard to do.

He so badly wished to know how Veda was feeling. He should have just entered the dining hall, and he kept considering doing exactly that… but he was doing his best to keep a distance from Veda.

He was very obviously failing to do so, though. Despite not sleeping by her side, he was trying to get through the data given to him by the seers and was too busy to sleep. He had been studying in the room across from his bedroom suite so he would be aware when she woke up. Traze had heard Veda leave the room and followed her here. Now that she was awake, he found it impossible to focus on anything but her.

Traze had believed when Veda awakened, he would not feel the need to be so near to her. He just wanted to know she would wake safely, and now that he knew, he should have returned to his work. But despite knowing she was okay, he could not control his infatuation with her.

He was already infatuated with her when she was in a coma, but it was different now. She was so lively, so full of curiosity, and Traze felt his body react to her every word.

It took every ounce of willpower Traze had not to waltz into the dinner hall and announce himself as Veda's mate. But he knew once he did that, she would have even more questions and would likely require more of his attention. He simply could not give her that attention while the healing sands were continuing to fail. He had to make sure his tribe survived, and he feared if another pandemic hit them while the healing sands were failing to work, they would not make it as a population.

Veda seemed skeptical of what the other human women were telling her.

"I'm an intergalactic biologist, and I've never heard of a species that was bound to one person and unable to procreate with someone besides their monogamous mate," she said.

A biologist? Is that some kind of scientist?Traze wondered. Perhaps. If so, she had the intellect to help Traze determine what was wrong with the healing sands.

He continued to listen intently, hoping to find out what Veda thought of the women who had mated with the Ateran men. Did she judge them? Did she see the Ateran men as suitable partners? Would she be open to Traze as a mate, or was she upset that she crash-landed on Atera? Even though Traze did not want to focus on his kode right now, he could not control his curiosity and his hopes that she would desire to be with him as he desired to be with her.

This question was soon answered for Traze when he heard Veda ask quietly if there was any way to return to Earth.

Traze's heart sank. This was not what he wanted to hear. He wanted his kode to be happy here, to wish to stay, even if he could not give her his attention right now. Perhaps that was selfish of Traze, but he hated the idea that Veda was wishing she could find another man to be with… like the man that she was supposed to meet. All the human women had other mates they were en route to, but they all seemed happy to be here on Atera and had forgotten about the other men. Perhaps Veda would not be that way. Perhaps she would reject Traze.

The thought pained him, but he tried to put his feelings aside. Veda might be a scientist. She might be smart. If he could not speak with her as a mate now, he would still speak with her about the healing sands. In the back of Traze's mind, he knew she could surely not know anything more than his seers did. This was just a way for him to rationalize speaking to her. But he continued to lie to himself that the conversation could be helpful.

Traze entered the dining hall, and immediately his men placed their hands on their chests to salute his entry. The women tipped their heads toward him with a smile of acknowledgment. Traze walked directly toward Veda.

"Hello, Veda. You seem tired," he observed. "Perhaps this meal should come to an end so you may get some rest."

Without any word of opposition, the Aterans and humans began to get up from their chairs and exit. The women waved goodbye to Veda, and she waved goodbye back before looking at Traze with confusion.

"You're… You're the one who was holding me when I woke up. Right? When I was in the mud?"

"The healing sands," Traze corrected. "But, yes, I was."

"Are you… my…" She let the question trail off.

"Am I your what?" Traze asked.

"Are you… Who are you?" She changed the phrasing quickly.

"I am Traze, Warlord of the Living Sands."

"Warlord… Is that like… a leader of some kind?" she asked.

"Yes, I am the leader of my people."

"Ahh… That explains why you commanded so much authority as soon as you walked into the room… And why you'd be reaching out to me. I thought maybe you were… never mind."

Traze did not question her further about who she thought he was, though he wanted to.

"I have heard that you are something called a biologist," Traze said, not wanting to admit he'd eavesdropped. "What does this mean? Is it a type of scientist?"

She seemed surprised to be asked this. "Yes, actually. I am a scientist of… the body, I suppose you would say. I am a scientist of life."

"Of human life?"

"Well, not only human life," Veda clarified. "I have studied alien life as well. Though, I have to admit, I've never seen any aliens similar to your species. You guys are very… strange to me."

Traze looked down at her curiously. "Why don't we take this conversation to the balcony?"

"Um, okay," she said, a little warily. She reached down to pick up her plate, presumably to clean it up.

Traze put his hand on hers. "You may leave that. Staff will come and retrieve it."

Traze felt something when he put his hand on hers. His craving for her intensified greatly. He wanted to touch more than just her hand.

Veda looked at him nervously but did not pull her hand back. She cleared her throat. "Where is the balcony?"

"Right this way." Traze led with his hand.

She followed him, and when Traze opened the doors, Veda's eyes grew wide.

"Oh my… It's so… beautiful out here. It's like a tropical rainforest."

"You like it?" Traze asked hopefully.

"Yes, absolutely. It's gorgeous."

Traze was relieved to know she enjoyed something about Atera.

"So, what about the Aterans do you find confusing?" Traze asked, though he could hardly get out the question. His mind still lingered on how her hand felt against his, her soft, supple skin against his rough scales…

"Everything, really. Why don't you tell me more about your species? Tell me more about… the Living Sands, did you call it?"

"Yes, I am of the Living Sands. That is my tribe. Aterans make up several different tribes, and they are all in different locations. But our tribes live independently. We do trade with the other tribes from time to time, but we are responsible for ourselves."

"And as the leader of the Living Sands, you are responsible for everyone else. Is that right?"

"Yes, that is right."

Veda nodded. "Look, I know what the women told me, but they seem kind of infatuated with your people, so I have to ask… What am I to you guys? Am I supposed to be some kind of sex slave for one of your men?"

Traze furrowed his brow. "What? No! Of course not! How could you ask me this?" He was obviously offended.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just trying to assess my situation. You have to understand this is weird for me. I don't really know what to expect here."

Traze forced himself to calm down. "No, you will not be a sex slave to anyone. We respect the human women. All of those women are in love with my men because they were fated to them. The Goddess Eana brought them all together, and now they are happy."

"And you believe that?" Veda asked.

"Of course I do," Traze said incredulously. "And as Eana's gift, we will never harm you. You are free to go wherever you please, do whatever you wish."

Veda nodded, but her eyes drifted toward the forest. She was watching some of the warriors train, swinging from vines, scuffling on the ground.

She moved toward them on the balcony, staring down, and Traze was frozen as he waited to see how she would react to the warriors below.