Page 10 of ReBOrB

Carefully, she scooted one foot in front of the other. Focused on the dirt under her socks. Making sure she didn’t step on a rock or in a hole. Afraid she’d trip or collapse on the ground. She certainly didn’t move fast. Thankfully, Reb was nearby when she passed through the shelter of the trees.

She held on to a sturdy branch and watched him for a moment. He faced away from her, looking toward the hover and out to the lake. Cameron frowned at the hover for a moment. Wondering why it seemed familiar.

Her eyes widened and Cam smiled when she realized it looked like all the cartoons of flying saucers she’d ever seen. The base was round and flatter on the edges, with a raised bubble in the middle. When the door swung down, it created a ramp they used to exit the vehicle. The raised bubble was clear on three sides. That was their window. She could only see a corner from here, reflecting the moonlight. On the back side, where the door was located, the hover was solid gray. It wasn’t shiny metal, but a matte black… plastic? Maybe. The shell of the small ship was probably created from an alien substance.

Her gaze shifted. Away from her little grove of trees, there were several large boulders the size of a two-story building. Reb had nestled the hover in-between those boulders and the trees, with an open view of the lake. He explained that with the hover door shut—the ship was cloaked. Invisible. No one could see it or be able to trace its electronic signature.

With the door open, they were vulnerable. So, he chose a resting spot that kept them hidden on three sides. The boulders sheltered them on one side, and the forest hid them on two others. Someone would have to be on the water to notice the ship.

Cam looked up at the moon, noticing for the first time how many stars were visible. Wow! She could sit out here all night and be happy just watching the alien night sky.

“Viant has two moons,” Reb told her. He turned to face her. “This is the smaller of the two. In another few hours, the second will fill the sky and there will be more reflected light. I want to use the added visibility to do a bit of exploring. Let me get you settled in the hover.”

He still had on the robe. The dark blue fabric lost all color in the moonlight and appeared gray. The hood lay on his broad shoulders, exposing what seemed a mass of dark hair. She could see his eyes, and when he moved closer, recognized the guarded expression in them.

Cam raised her eyebrows but didn’t comment. The man was incredibly handsome. She was having all sorts of inappropriate thoughts about her rescuer. Thoughts she planned to keep to herself. But she could tell that something bothered him.

When Reb offered his arm, she took it. Relying on his strength and steadiness to get her back in the hover. She refused to poke and prod into his thoughts. For one thing, she didn’t have the strength to do more than put one foot in front of the other. He could keep his secrets, at least, until she felt better. That thought made her smile. She looked forward to having enough strength to tangle with him. In more ways than one.

She was relieved to sit on the mattress. The trip outside wore her out.

“I’ll sleep outside,” Reb blurted.

Cam shook her head. Her heart pounded in fear. No way could he leave her alone right now. Before he could say anything else, she held out her hand. “No, I realize I can’t go with you when you go exploring, but you can’t leave me now. I’m hurting, scared, and won’t be able to fall asleep if you’re outside. I need you, Reb. Come, lie down and rest. We don’t have to talk.” Patting the mattress beside her, she felt her breath hitch, so afraid he’d tell her no.

ReBOrB

He couldn’t deny her. For one thing, he didn’t want to. But he kept the Viant robe on, so his marking bands couldn’t reach her.

ReBOrB thought about that. How all his life he believed those bands had one purpose—to provide a way to identify him. It was one of two things that separated him from his brothers. His color, and his marking bands.

Only they weren’t marking bands—they were mating bands. And he was certain those bands decided Cameron was his mate. They itched. They throbbed. And they moved. Continually. He was afraid to take off the robe and his shirt, to see what they’d become. Because he was pretty sure he would no longer recognize the mark Reb had since birth. It felt as if it had shifted. Broken apart. Multiplied.

And it was driving him crazy. Siluthien Hell.

As he positioned himself on the bed beside Cammy, his marks vibrated. His right arm was on fire. Rolling to face her, he put pressure on that arm, calming the burn. It also gave him a bit more room. On his back, it pressed his body along hers, with just their clothing separating them from being flesh to flesh. Laying on his side gave him a few inches of separation. It was better this way.

Only now he could see her.

All the lights were off in the hover, but he hadn’t put the shields up on the window, so moonlight poured into the small space. In a few hours, when the larger moon took over the sky, the increase in light would wake him.

Reb wanted to close his eyes. His body needed rest. Instead, he watched how the moonlight caressed Cammy’s pale flesh. How it touched the few spots across her face and drew his gaze.

Freckles. Reb and his brothers shared a portion of their minds. When one of them learned something important, this was how they all learned. BrOdByc had shared much about Casey with all his brothers. One thing he shared was the Earther’s term for those spots—they were called freckles.

Cammy rolled onto her side and faced him. “I can’t sleep. I’m tired, but there is too much going on in my mind. Tell me something about you.”

Reb blinked. He took a deep breath and considered. That breath pulled her scent into his lungs. He needed to speak about nonpersonal things. Things that would keep his mind off of touching her. He couldn’t come up with a topic. So, he let her choose. “What would you like to know?”

“So, many things. But if we talk about Casey, or you and your brothers… I won’t want to fall asleep. I just need to listen to your voice. Tell me something about this planet. About the fruit in the field, maybe. Or about what you plan to do when you leave me to explore. Can you tell me that?”

He grinned. It was the perfect subject. Reb kept his voice whisper soft, hoping he could lull her into sleep. “The vines in the nearby field hold yama. This is a green, knobby fruit. They often pick and store the fruit early, so it will ripen off the vine. It is the perfect crop to take to market and for space travel. You eat it when it is soft. The translator says that it is like an Earth banana.”

He noticed her eyes were now closed. But she grinned and whispered, “I love bananas.”

He closed his eyes and quietly promised. “I’ll look for some ripe yama and leave it in the hover before I leave. You’ll need to cut it open and eat the fruit inside the thick, protective skin. So I’ll leave a knife, too.”

Taking several deep breaths, Reb willed his muscles to relax. His mind to quiet. Cammy’s breathing deepened. Just that easy she’d fallen asleep. Now it was his turn. He would need to leave her soon. Better if his body rested. So, he would be alert and physically at his best.

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