Chapter 7

AS EVENING DESCENDED , lights blinked on one by one and twinkled like fireflies in the landscape below. Amy and Remus sat on a blanket, beneath what she swore was a violet maple tree, atop the tallest hill within walking distance of town. As soon as they had settled, he lit a small lantern from the wicker basket at their feet.

"This emits a high-frequency signal that will help keep the biting insects away."

"Good," she replied, much relieved. "The mosquito-like bugs here are enormous and seem to love me as much as the ones we had at home."

"Like me, they're attracted to sweetness, so it's no surprise."

The corny line caught her off guard, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"It's true!" he exclaimed. "If they trouble you at home, put out a bowl of sugar dissolved in vinegar and soapy water. The sweet, pungent aroma will attract them, and they'll get stuck in the soap."

She'd heard of doing that with gnats, not mosquitoes. But Terra Nova was previously Primaria's hunting planet, and he would know. She was about to apologize but saw the twitching of his lips and wasn't sure if he was pulling her leg or not.

Remus had surprised her by arriving unannounced as she was locking up for the day. She should have said no to his invitation, but he'd gone to so much trouble. More so, his dazzling white grin and charming demeanor made him hard to resist. With little effort, he coaxed a "yes" from her lips.

As he took her hand and led her to the secluded romantic spot, guilt consumed her. With feelings toward Tarus building, she shouldn't lead Remus on, but she didn't want to lose him as a friend.She rationalized that the impromptu picnic offered her the privacy she needed to let him down easily, but even she didn't buy her feeble excuse.

Having difficulty finding the words to do what she knew she must, she dove into the basket. The food he'd brought wasn't fancy, but it was tasty—hoagies from the Lunch Counter and two individual bags of Doritos, which had arrived on the last supply ship from Earth in enormous cases among so many other staples she'd missed for months.

Amy ate every crumb. Leaning back against the trunk of the tree they sat beneath, she patted her full stomach. "I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"I almost forgot," Remus announced, as he reclaimed the basket and dug through it. He pulled out what looked like a wine bottle then produced two paper cups. "Allow me to introduce you to vilo ."

He poured them each a glass of the deep-red shimmering liquid. When he passed one to her, she sniffed it warily. "What is it? "

"Fermented fruit juice. It's a sort of spirits and highly regulated on Primaria."

Amy took a sip, and smiled, the flavor reminiscent of berry sangria with a unique twist that danced on her taste buds.

"I can tell from the delighted look on your face that you like it," Remus observed, topping off her glass, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "It's better than the wine served at the Watering Hole, yes?"

"Worlds better," she said, taking another larger sip. "I prefer wine, but that paint thinner masquerading as wine has turned me to Budweiser. This is sweet and fruity and similar to something we had back on Earth."

"Do you miss your home world?" he asked, leaning back on an elbow as he took a healthy sip of what she already suspected from the tingling in her lips and tongue was a spirit more potent than wine.

"Yes and no," she replied. "Things were bad when I left. A day didn't go by without a natural disaster happening—whether a flood or tornado or an earthquake. Although it's lovely here, I miss looking up at a blue sky, seeing a lake that isn't a startling shade of purple or, worse, red, and having spring and fall. Here, it seems to go from the dog days of summer to frigid winter overnight."

"What about family? Are you expecting them to join you here?"

She shook her head. "I didn't leave anyone behind. My mother passed on several years ago, and I never knew my father."

"Has he also passed?"

"No, he left us when I was very young. "

"How is that possible?" he asked, clearly outraged. "A Primarian male would never abandon his offspring."

"Humans don't mate for life, and fathers don't always stick around. Sometimes, the female does the abandoning, and the male raises the child."

"I do not understand such a society," he uttered, truly confounded. "Are there no laws governing parental responsibility?"

"Yes, but it's a long, drawn-out, often-painful process. Often the court has to decide who gets custody and how the child will be provided for. There is usually a monetary component, but it's difficult for the custodial parent to enforce. Which was the case with my father."

"Such an act is criminal. He would have been punished swiftly and severely in Ariad's public square for his neglect."

A small smile tugged at her lips. "My mother would have enjoyed seeing that. But they would have had to find him first." She shrugged. "He wasn't a good man from all accounts, and my childhood wouldn't have been better if he'd hung around."

Remus grunted, as if disagreeing, but dropped that line of questioning. "What about siblings?"

"My mother's philosophy was once bitten, twice shy. She never remarried, so it was only me." Amy took another sip of her vilo before continuing. "As a child, I dreamed of having a sister. And by that, I mean actual nighttime dreams, not simply a longing for one. But it wasn't meant to be." She shrugged again and finished her glass. "I know you and Tarus are twins. Are you close?"

"He is the other half of me. "

She studied him for a moment, uncertain if she should bring up the other night at the Watering Hole. "But you spar with each other, outside of your warriors training."

"When you spend as much time together as we do, arguing occasionally is bound to occur. But we'd defend one another to the death if necessary." He raised his hand to her cheek in a gentle caress as he said, "I'm sorry you never experienced that dedication from a father or a sibling."

She nodded, wondering how a surprise picnic that should have been fun and lighthearted had turned so serious. "My mother was devoted, but she had to work to provide for us and was often gone. I had friends, though, who I miss and hope to see again someday. But I've made many new ones here, too."

"Would you say you're happy on Terra Nova, Amy?" Remus asked, his voice gentle.

With the disturbing dreams that plagued her, she couldn't say happy. To him, she merely stated, "Content might be a better term."

"What about a mate and children? Do you regret not having them in your life?"

Despite the stark differences in their societies, this aspect remained strikingly similar. A single woman in her thirties had to deal with the marriage and motherhood question, and the judgment that frequently accompanied it. And no one seemed to consider how intrusive and sometimes painful it was for those who couldn't achieve either.

She sat up, reached for the bottle, and emptied what remained into her glass. After a hearty sip, she answered him. "Home had become a dismal, scary place. Always wondering when the next catastrophic storm, quake, or wildfire would strike was incredibly stressful. With my future uncertain, marriage and starting a family were the last things on my mind. Enrolling in EPIC and journeying to Primaria to become a stranger's mate were huge leaps for me—also, incredibly scary—but I had hope for a future." She drained her glass before concluding, "I didn't match, however, and have accepted that we don't always get what we want."

For the first time that evening, they fell silent. It wasn't awkward, just quiet, as if they were both lost in thought.

A bird squawked nearby when he next spoke. She thought he said, "That may not be true, this time," but couldn't be sure.

"Pardon me?"

"We never know what fate has planned for us," he said as he set his glass aside and sat up beside her.

Amy nodded, her gaze lingering on his moonlit face. She needed to tell him about Tarus but couldn't bring herself to. She felt at ease with him, whether bantering back and forth or discussing heavier topics, and his disarming smile took her breath away. He brought a lightness to her heart and was a welcome distraction from the darkness that lurked in the corners of her mind. Bonus, as big as he was, she would always be safe in his company.

Damn her fickle heart and traitorous body. She shouldn't string either of them along because she wanted them both but wasn't able to decide.

He ran a finger gently along her cheek then wound it around a curl that had come loose from her ponytail. "Your coloring is vivid," he murmured. "From the red, gold, and orange of your hair to your creamy skin to the brilliant blue of your eyes. None of these colors exist in our world. I find it lovely." His hand curled around the back of her neck, and he drew her in close. "I find you lovely, Amethyst Stone."

Before she could utter a word, whether in agreement or protest, Remus brushed his lips against hers. What started as an innocent, tender touch quickly ignited into an intense and fiery passion. Remus deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping into her mouth to stake his claim.

Amy surrendered to his embrace, as he laid back and pulled her on top of him. Their kisses became more urgent, their desire intensifying with each passing moment. Her fingers entwined in his silky hair as she savored the berry-sweet vilo lingering on his lips and the sensation of his powerful arms holding her close.

When they broke apart, gasping for breath, he gazed up at her, his eyes filled with longing. "I'm a warrior and have a warrior's control, but I want you more than I've wanted anything or anyone in my life," he whispered, his voice husky with desire. "If we're going to stop, it must be now."

She had to make a choice, but at that moment, her body burned for him. It was a stroke of luck, or maybe a stroke of misfortune, that she somehow kept her wits about her. "We should probably stop."

Remus nodded, rolling away and getting to his feet. As he pulled her up next to him, she could see both frustration and determination to honor her wishes, in his eyes.

Tenderly, his hands framed her face. "There is passion's fire between us, and more, that I'd like to explore further."

She frowned, reminded immediately of Tarus who'd said nearly the same thing the night before. What was wrong with her, dallying with two brothers ?

With indecision clouding her thoughts, she watched him neatly fold the blanket and pack the basket. Then, with her hand in his, also like his brother, and leaving her more confused than before their impromptu picnic, he walked her home.

THE DOORS TO HIS STATEROOM on the Odyssey opened with a swish when he entered. He stopped mid-stride because the lights were on. The on-board computer system would not allow that if the suite was unoccupied. Looking around, he found Tarus, who appeared lost in thought as he stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the colorful planet below.

When the doors behind him closed with another swish, his brother turned to face him. "You're much later than I expected."

Remus shrugged. "We talked, and time got away from us."

"What else did you do besides talk?" Tarus asked as he moved closer.

"I spent time alone with her to see if things progressed like we discussed."

His brother crossed his arms over his chest and demanded with a scowl, "Stop being evasive."

"We kissed," he admitted.

"And how did that go?"

"She responded, of course. Like I said, she is my mate."

"Then we're no further along than when we started."

Remus bristled as jealousy, a foreign emotion involving his brother, sparked to life. "Are you saying you kissed her, too? "

"I did what we discussed," Tarus replied, giving him back his own vague words. "Although I was honorable and didn't take it further than she was ready for."

"Are you suggesting I am not honorable? From anyone else, those words would result in a challenge."

Remus glared at his brother, his anger simmering beneath the surface. A warrior prided himself on more than strength and cunning and skill. The insinuation from his own brother that he lacked honor stung deeply. But he knew his brother as well as himself. In other circumstances, he wouldn't deliberately provoke him. They were both vying for the affections of the same woman, and it was tearing them apart.

Tarus' arms dropped to his sides, and his shoulders slumped with fatigue. "I apologize. Knowing Amy is my mate and not being able to claim her has me on edge."

"Believe me, Brother, I know the feeling, which is why you aren't flat on your back on the floor bleeding right now."

Tarus' snort of laughter suggested they were back on good terms. "The question is how to proceed."

"My vote is we claim her, breach and transform her, and live happily ever after."

Tarus grunted, apparently skeptical of his plan. "That might work on a Primarian female, although it's doubtful, but you've met enough human females to know that isn't likely to work."

"It did for Max Kerr with the prima."

"And nearly killed him when she escaped with the human females who protested being claimed!" Tarus replied.

"Yes," he drawled. "That was a problem. "

"As is the treaty that states a human female must enter into a match willingly," his brother reminded him. "Amy is desirous of us both, but would she be amenable to being mated to both of us—together?"

"Should we come right out and ask her?"

"We may have to." Tarus frowned as he began to pace. "Maybe we haven't given her enough time to decide."

"We will continue, then," Remus declared. "Being with her is no hardship. Which brings up a concern. When I arrived to escort her home, it was growing dark. I don't like the idea of her walking home without a male's protection."

"I don't like the idea of her walking anywhere around the colony alone," Tarus replied. "We'll alternate morning and night accompanying her, which will give her time to get to know us better."

"To know and love us better," Remus corrected.

Coming to a halt, his brother turned to face him. "How long do you think that will take?"

Dumbfounded that he had to ask, he glared at him. "This is your strategy, Tarus. You're asking me?"

"I never claimed it was a brilliant strategy, but it's our only option unless you have something better."

Remus shook his head. "We're both charming and skilled warriors. Surely we can convince a small female to see what exceptional mates we would be."