Page 48 of Keran's Dawn

Over the next few days, we settled into a comfortable routine. Keran and his men would go out investigating, while I performed the administrative tasks related to the shelter, including the process of shutting it down. If not for the dark cloud of the unsolved murders and the fear of a new victim popping up soon, this would have been one of the happiest times of my life.

Keran made me feel beautiful, cherished, and above all needed. I loved how he would lose himself in me, seek peace and comfort in my company, and ask for my opinion and advice. My entire life, purebloods had been described to me as misogynistic and sadistic cavemen. Keran and his two guards were shattering all those preconceptions. They treated me with respect and consideration, valued my thoughts, and kept me involved in the process every step of the way. I had feared they’d take over everything and cast me aside with some lame line about how this was a task for men.

While Keran was undeniably dominant, he wasn’t rude or entitled. What I’d first taken for a lack of tact or social skill was proving to be merely him feeling comfortable enough around me to simply be himself. No artifice, no innuendos or hidden meanings, just the blunt truth as he saw it. As much as it had initially shocked me, it was growing on me. Teasing him by using his own terms like my ‘sturdiness’ was also proving to be a lot of fun.

I reviewed the inventory files Melinda had sent me and added a few notes on the additional data I wanted included. As we would return Genxia to the Twelve in the upcoming weeks, we needed to list what we would—and were entitled to—keep and what belonged to the shelter. I also had to plan the takeover of the farming fields on the estate, and either end or transfer the long-standing agreements I had established with the customers purchasing our produce.

To my relief, I felt none of the devastation I’d expected to see this major chapter of my life come to an end. The writing had been on the wall for a long time, I’d just refused to admit it. Melinda had been hinting for a while that she’d be looking for a new job elsewhere as work had significantly dwindled here. My mother had invited me to join her on her new mission. They could use an administrator. Before Keran entered my life, I had seriously considered that option. Even though Mother and I weren’t very close, I loved her, and the project had merit.

But meeting the Braxian Prince had changed everything.

I still didn’t know how things would evolve between Keran and me. We were still much too early in this relationship. The wretched man had me falling hard and fast for him. The way he claimed he was keeping me still had my toes curling. But even if things ended up fizzling off between us—which I hoped it wouldn’t—spearheading a support and integration program for hybrids on Braxia had me beyond excited.

After a quick trip to town to run errands and visit my physician, I raced back to Genxia to prepare for the Veredians’ arrival. Six days had gone by since we’d found Marug’s remains. Our investigation was completely stalled. Keran hoped that, with their far more advanced technology, the Veredian scientists would be able to spot something we had missed while their healers took care of the men.

While helping me set up the food I had brought back from the catering service in town, Melinda buzzed with as much—if not more—excitement than I did. Neither of us had ever met one of the legendary females. The story of their survival, going from the brink of extinction, escaping decades of slavery to then becoming one of the most powerful species in the galaxy still blew my mind.

The hybrids, both males and females, started trickling in well in advance. Their faces displayed the same hope and fear that gnawed at me. What if the Veredians didn’t come? What if they couldn’t truly heal them? And if they did, how would it change their lives? For both the hybrids’ and Keran’s sake, I prayed the healer didn’t let us down.

My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when the Veredian shuttle finally made its approach. The damn thing was gigantic, although smaller than a chaser. The sleek lines hinted at the expert craftsmanship and crazy speeds the vessel could achieve. Entirely made of celesium—the rarest metal in the galaxy—that ship alone could sell for the price of Haven’s entire GDP.

A hush descended over the room as I hurried outside to greet our guests. Keran—who had been talking with Jaek—joined me. Aside from a very discreet hum, the shuttle landed almost soundlessly. With a stealth cloak, it could have flown right next to us, and we’d never have noticed its presence.

The ramp lowered, and the door opened to reveal the most breathtaking females I’d ever beheld. I had seen plenty of images of Veredians. They had all been stunning, but I’d assumed that, as with most marketing material, they’d chosen the prettiest among them. But the four females who stepped out all embodied perfection. They wore short-sleeved, skin-tight, mid-thigh-length, black uniform dresses with knee-high boots, which hid nothing of their flawless hourglass figures or of their beautiful, creamy brown skin.

As was common with Veredians, they kept their hair extremely long. For three of them, it fell to their thighs. On the fourth one, it fell down to her ankles, tied in a single braid, marking her as a Warrior. The difference in the cheetah-like spots that marked the sides of their arms, necks, and legs confirmed my assumption. The first three had similar markings, indicating they were of the Nurturer breed.

Three more females disembarked. Dark celesium armor fully covered these ones. Like the fourth female, their long hair had been bound in a single braid down to their ankles. However, their braid was also covered in celesium armor, a vicious blade dangling at the tip. I had heard what carnage they could inflict with those armored braids.

One of the Nurturers took the lead and approached us with a beaming smile… aimed at Keran. I cast a nervous sideways glance at him, inwardly chastising myself for feeling inadequate and lacking before such perfection. To my relief, despite the warm and friendly smile he was giving her, he showed no sign of being awed or attracted to these beauties.

The Veredian stopped near us, her companions emulating her. She pressed her right palm to her heart before waving her hand towards us in an offering gesture.

“From my heart to yours,” the female said in greeting, her voice sensuously melodic.

Goddess, is there anything about those females that isn’t perfect?

“And from mine to yours, Thesala,” Keran replied, slapping his chest with his fist in the traditional Braxian greeting. “Please meet Dawn Merrick, who runs this shelter. Dawn, this is Thesala, one of the Veredians’ Chief Medical Officers.”

“It’s an honor to meet you,” I said, annoyed with how nervous my voice sounded.

“The honor is ours,” Thesala replied warmly. “Keran has told us about the wonderful work you have been doing here. My sisters and I are happy to help provide further relief to those who you care for.”

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you for anything you can do,” I said, my throat constricting with emotion. “Many of them have suffered horribly. What you are offering is priceless.”

“Then let us get started,” Thesala said gently.

She quickly introduced me to the other healers: Nalia, Chante, and Skye. They then followed us back to the shelter, with four hover stretchers trailing behind. Melinda had herded everyone back inside the former prayer hall now turned into our meeting room. When we entered the room, everyone looked at the Veredians as if the Goddess herself had graced us with her presence.

A part of me wanted to feel annoyed by the way some of the males were openly drooling at our guests. Then again, I’d had been blown away by their beauty as well. If I swung that way, I would undeniably also be lusting after them. Thankfully, there was nothing lurid or disrespectful in the awe plastered on the men’s faces.

But it was the almost timid expression of the Veredians that moved me the most. I had feared that, with their incredible psionic powers and stunning beauty, they would be haughty. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The gentle humility with which they responded to the mesmerized welcome of the hybrids warmed my heart.

With great efficiency, Thesala and the other three healers in dress uniforms took position on the dais with a couple of meters interval between them. Each had a hover stretcher. Thesala and Chante immediately tackled the more grievously injured people, while Nalia and Skye breezed through those with more minor scars.

It felt surreal to me that by merely laying their hands on someone, the Veredian healers could see what was wrong with the patient and heal it. While these four females were healers, other Veredians possessed varying abilities activated by touch, from hacking to telekinesis and everything else in-between.

Were I not seeing scars fading in real time, I never would have believed it. But observing Thesala working on Jaek messed me up the most. He had seemed self-conscious when she’d asked him to remove his shirt. Tears pricked my eyes at the sight of the network of puckered scars on his body, some from burns he’d sustained, and others from cuts and lacerations.

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