Chapter 7

Veda was in awe of the men who were swinging from the vines in front of her. Her eyes were glued to the Ateran men as they soared through the air. She couldn't believe how much strength they had! A human could work out eight hours a day every day of their life and still not be so fit.

"What are you thinking?" Traze asked.

Veda decided she would be completely honest with him. In the short time they'd spent together, she felt like she could trust him though, admittedly, she was disappointed to find out he wasn't her mate and instead was the tribe leader.

But she still appreciated that, as the leader of the Living Sands, he was going out of his way to make sure she was okay. Everything he and the other women had told her intrigued her deeply.

"I was just thinking that you all seem so strong."

"Does that… intimidate you?" Traze asked.

"No, not really, actually." Though this gave Veda pause. Should she be intimidated? They could certainly overpower her in any way.

But, no, the Aterans all seemed fairly docile, and she was comfortable.

"I am glad to hear that. I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable."

Veda stepped closer to the edge of the balcony and looked down. While doing so, an Ateran man leaped off the roof before her to spar with another Ateran man below. He rolled off the roof effortlessly, and Veda let out an audible, "Wow!"

"You seem very intrigued by all of this," Traze observed.

"I really am!"

"Well, in that case, would you like to go explore?"

Veda realized that, yes, she definitely did want to explore. She was thirsting for some adventure, and it seemed that exploring would help satisfy that. The scientist within her was also eager to learn as much as she could about the environment she'd now be living in.

"Yes, I think that would be nice," she replied.

Suddenly, without warning, Traze wrapped his arm around Veda's waist and leaped off the balcony. She instinctively wrapped her legs and arms around him as tightly as she possibly could. He grabbed a thick green vine and began to swing into the forest, holding her tightly.

It startled her for a moment, but soon she was yelling out in excitement. The wind whipped her hair around, and she felt like she was on a rollercoaster! She stared down at the forest floor below them as it seemed to zoom by. She wondered how fast they were going.

She closed her eyes for a moment and enjoyed the feeling of the wind against her face.

It was calming, and Veda felt a lot of her stress melt away in that moment. She could have swung from the vines with Traze all day. It was odd… She expected to be more fearful, especially with how high up from the ground they were, but in Traze's arms, she felt like she was at home in this rainforest. A girl could get used to this place… if only she could find the man she was supposed to belong to.

Traze landed on a wooden platform that had been built into a tree. As soon as they stopped, Veda slipped down his leg and screamed out into the forest.

"That was amazing!" she yelled and giggled like a schoolgirl.

She'd never felt so alive, and she wondered how she could possibly feel so good when just a day ago, she was in a coma.

She turned to Traze. "Tell me… What kind of technology do you have that one day I can be comatose and the next I can fly through the forest and feel fine?"

"It is our healing sands. We use the miracles of this planet to heal us. We work as one with our planet, and it rewards us for it." Traze paused. "Would you like to take a walk in the rainforest?"

Veda smiled. "That sounds lovely."

He picked her up once more and slid down a vine to the forest floor.

They began to walk around, and Veda observed the city around her. It was beautiful, really. All of the homes of the Aterans blended in perfectly with the forest. She could understand what Traze meant about living with the planet. Atera and the Ateran community appeared to be one and the same.

Ateran couples walked by them, and little Ateran children trailed behind their parents. Veda couldn't help but think about how happy everyone seemed. Atera felt like some kind of utopia to her. She was certainly coming around to the idea of staying on this planet. It was beautiful, serene, and being in the rainforest felt like being on a tropical vacation.

They continued to walk until they reached a fairly large lake. It was beautiful, but Veda couldn't help notice how low the water levels were. Perhaps it was the drought season on Atera. She didn't ask about it, though, just took in the view of the crystal-clear water and smiled to herself.

She walked toward the edge of the lake, and because of the low water levels, it was like she was standing on a mini cliff.

She felt Traze's arms around her waist and looked up at him curiously.

"I do not want you to fall in," he said nonchalantly.

But the way he had his arms around her sparked something in her. It felt oddly romantic. She felt the warmth of his hand begin to flow throughout her entire body and really liked it, really enjoyed his touch. It had been so long since anyone even hugged Veda let alone held her like that.

She wanted to confront Traze and ask him if this truly was to make sure she wouldn't fall, or if something romantic was going on between them.

But then she looked across the lake at other Ateran couples and was reminded of the truth. Aterans could only have one mate, and they recognized those mates immediately. Traze could not be her mate. He would already know, which meant he truly was holding her for safety reasons.

All the same, Veda tried to enjoy his arms around her. If she didn't have a mate on Atera, who knew when she would get this feeling again? And if she did have a mate here, she only hoped it felt as good to be held by him as it did by Traze.

Veda at least was grateful that she felt genuine attraction to the Ateran men. Despite how different they looked from humans with their flat noses and scaly skin, she found their muscular bodies incredibly desirable. She only hoped she'd find the Ateran man who was to be hers… if there were was one.

Veda wished it could be Traze, though. She wondered if he had anyone in his life, if he'd met his kode already.

She was about to open her mouth to ask this very question but was interrupted by an Ateran man who had walked up behind them.

"My warlord, I must speak with you," the man said to Traze.

Traze looked down at Veda seriously. "Excuse me for a moment, Veda."

They stepped off to the side and Veda watched as Traze's expression grew worried. She wondered what they could be discussing that would have him looking so bothered.

Traze walked back to her. "Veda, I am sending you back to the hold. Please follow Najol." Traze motioned to the Ateran man he'd been speaking with.

Veda didn't argue. She followed Najol back to the building where she had woken up earlier, though she wanted nothing more than to continue exploring with Traze.