Page 13 of Varro's Human Bride
“Good girl.” He rose up and moved to stand in front of her. He cupped her face in his hands, his calloused palms brushing over her skin. “Your inner thighs are glistening with a mix of your arousal and my seed, little human.”
She swallowed hard and blushed, unsure if he expected a response. Thankfully, he soon grasped her hand and led her out of the bedroom and downstairs to the dining room that was situated next to the kitchen. Breakfast was waiting on the table, a spread fit for a king.
They sat at the table and she helped herself to some fruit and the Tarrkuan equivalent of bread, as well as a thick pasty substance that reminded her of oatmeal. The dining room faced the mountains and Julie couldn’t help but stare when four blue-skinned, black-haired children ran by the window. Technically, they were her nieces and nephews, even if by marriage. She found herself anxious to meet them, as well as their parents.
A black band around Varro’s wrist that looked like an expensive watch suddenly beeped. He hadn’t been wearing it yesterday and she must have missed him putting it on this morning. He pressed a button on it and immediately frowned.
“Yes, Father?”
“Good morning, Varro. I need to speak with you as soon as possible…” The rest of Varro’s father’s words were spoken so quickly, Julie wasn’t able to grasp their meaning.
“I’ll be right there, Father.” Varro’s face filled with concern and he rose from the table. “I apologize, Caylee, but I must attend to some important matters.”
“What’s wrong? Did something bad happen?”
“My family owns several mines in the mountains. Apparently, there was an equipment malfunction and several workers were injured. Thankfully, no one was hurt badly. But I must visit the injured and compensate them for their troubles. It is our custom. Will you be all right here by yourself? Or would you prefer to spend the day with one of my brothers’ wives?”
“I am glad to hear no one was hurt too badly and I understand your obligation to your workers. I do not mind being left alone,Xerr. In fact, I’m rather tired after yesterday and would like some time to rest, if that is all right with you.” She kept her tone as innocent as possible, hoping he had no idea she would rush to use the video comm the moment he left the compound.
He moved to her side and bent down to place a kiss atop her head. She melted at his affectionate gesture and hated the guilt that knotted inside her. She was lying to him. Every second of every day, she would be lying to him—until he learned the awful truth, that was. Her name wasn’t really Caylee and she couldn’t bear his children.
“I’ll be home in time for dinner.”
“I’ll see you then,Xerr.”
He departed the dining room and she listened to his heavy footfalls as he walked down the hall and toward the front door. She counted to sixty and then rose to her feet, practically running out of the dining room. On her way out, she almost collided with Barllist just as the door slid open.
“My apologies, Mistress.”
“No, I’m sorry, it was my fault.” She smiled at the servant, hoping he wasn’t suspicious about her sudden exuberance. She also hoped he stayed away from the library. She didn’t want anyone overhearing her conversation with Nova.
“Are you finished with breakfast?”
“Yes, I am. It was delicious. Thank you.”
“It is my pleasure to serve you, Mistress.”
Julie gave the servant another awkward smile and forced herself to leave the dining room at a normal walk. But once the door slid shut behind her, she broke into a run and hurried for the library. Once inside, she found herself alone with the video comm at last. Her heart pounded in her ears and anxiety waved over her.
Mom and Dad are dead—and now I must tell Nova.
Her spirits plummeted as she sat before the video comm. It appeared similar to the video comms used on Earth, though all the markings on it were in Tarrkuan. She pressed a couple of buttons until the screen glowed blue. Thank goodness she’d learned her Tarrkuan numbers so she could enter Nova’s comm number. She carefully typed the sequence of numbers and waited with bated breath to see if her sister would answer.
Ten long seconds later, Nova’s husband’s face appeared on the screen. Zylonn smiled at her, but soon his expression turned suspicious.
“Julie,” he said in a worried tone. “You are calling from a comm system on Tarrkua, are you not?”
“Hello, Zylonn. Um, it-it’s complicated. Could I please talk to Nova? Is she around?”
His look of concern deepened. “Are you safe?”
“Oh, I’m perfectly safe. Promise.”
“You haven’t called Nova in forty-six days. We’ve both been worried about you and your parents.” His muscles tensed and he leaned closer to the screen. “Something has happened, hasn’t it?”
Tears burned in Julie’s eyes. “Please, Zylonn.” Her voice cracked and she struggled to hold her tears at bay. “Please, just let me talk to Nova. Alone. Don’t let the kids into the room when we’re speaking.”
He leaned back in the chair, a look of understanding dawning on his face. His expression turned sympathetic and he finally nodded. “Very well. I’ll go get Nova.”
