Chapter 6

~ Arac ~

Guiding Queen Tara towards the exit, Arac marveled at how quickly he’d embraced the idea of working with her. Unlike the horrible Maruvian queen who had filled his life with misery, Queen Tara seemed sweet and innocent. Her small soft body felt nice against his. Her warmth under his wing felt right in a way Kabelda never did. Having the little queen under his wing made him feel a surge of possessiveness that was totally inappropriate to the situation.

As they left, Queen Tara’s golugua took up a protective pose behind them. Arac had noticed that her creature had been quiet during her visit with Queen Carolyn. Armon had been whispering in the creature’s oddly shaped ear. Penny’s golugua was older and wiser than Jax. Arac hoped he was giving his younger peer sound advice.

“Your queen is nothing like what I imagined.”

“Our queen,” Arac corrected her, as she was still referring to herself as an outsider.

Shooting him a nervous glance, she nodded. “This whole situation has got to be just about as weird for you as it is for us. I mean, not so long ago you only had one female and now you’ve got hundreds of us all roaming around and demanding things.”

“Queens command and drones obey. Such is the natural order of things among our people.”

“I’m trying to get on board with that, I really am.”

“I will guide you for as long as you need a friend.”

“I’d love to have someone to talk to when things confuse me. I get the feeling that’s going to happen a lot until I get acclimated to your ways.”

“Would you like me to show you the accommodation we’ve created for our unbound females?”

“Vraden was kind enough to do that already.”

“My father is considerate, especially when it comes to the needs of our queens.”

Her eyes flew up to his. “He’s your father?”

Tilting his head slightly, Arac responded, “He’s our best healer. You must have selected him to provide your care. It was a wise choice.”

“I don’t remember anything about the great battle, or of choosing a healer. Your father is wonderful. He saved my life. Though I can never properly repay that kind of service, I’d like to purchase him a small thank you gift.”

“Though that is unnecessary, I would be happy to assist you in selecting something if it is your custom.”

“God, it’s so nice to be with someone who doesn’t argue constantly.”

Arac smiled down at the pretty queen, certain she was referring to her young sentinel. “Would you like to visit the storehouse and look for supplies and a gift?”

Shaking her head, she responded assertively, “I’d like to go to the mines and gather up gemstone to trade. I understand that’s probably not necessary, but there’s something about getting my own that makes me feel like I’ve worked for it.”

“You are very independent.”

“I am, but I don’t think that’s what’s driving my behavior on this issue. Back on Earth everything was in short supply, including food. When you go without food, it changes you. I feel a deep seated need to create a safety net, in order to ensure that doesn’t happen again.”

“You are with us now. I guarantee you will never want for anything again.”

“That’s real sweet of you to say, and I know you probably believe that. The thing is, life can be unpredictable. Fifteen years ago, I never expected my parents would die and leave me an orphan. Four years ago, I never thought Earth would get hit by a sun flare and turn into a dust bowl. A few lunars ago I was scrambling around on Earth, trying to survive. The next thing I know, I’m snatched off the street, and held captive by a bunch of asshats intent on selling me to aliens. I managed to get rescued and now I’m here where the guys are hot and gemstone is apparently free for the taking. However, I just can’t bring myself to accept that some other hardship won’t come along when I least expect it. I feel like I need to be smart and do something to make sure Jax and I aren’t doing without at some point in the future. I don’t want to be cold and hungry again. I know you probably can’t understand where I’m coming from on this one.”

Arac’s throat tightened up and his antennas twisted painfully. “Actually I can well understand, Queen Tara. I have experienced deprivation as well. My former queen would often make me do without food and drink for days as punishment. I know those days are behind me, but still I carry a hydration packet on me at all times and stock my home with enough of them to carry me and my young for at least a lunar because I do not wish to ever feel helpless and at the mercy of another for sustenance again.”

Turning under his wing, she wrapped both arms around his body and gently squeezed. At first he was shocked, and then he remembered this was what the humans call a hug. It was a sign of affection. It felt nice and accepting.

“I’m sorry that happened to you. No one deserves to be treated like that.”

“It seems we have much in common and much that sets us apart, little queen. Thank you for sharing your feelings and thoughts with me.”

Releasing him, she stepped back. “Why did you stop walking?”

Gesturing to his hovercycle, he asked. “Will you ride with me or shall I call a shuttle?”

“We won’t be able to carry much gemstone on your… I’m going to say hovering motorcycle.”

“The human women call it a hovercycle, so we have as well. If you are not afraid of riding, we can go to the mine and catch a shuttle back. The shuttles have space enough for us, my hovercycle and whatever gemstone we gather.”

Running her hand along the metal, the little queen looked intrigued. “We used to have something like this on Earth, only on wheels. Earth Gov outlawed them when biofuel became scarce.”

“You will not transport my queen in such a manner. I will not see her beautiful curves mangled in that machine.”

Tara’s soothing voice was a sound Arac was coming to adore. “I’m going to ride on this contraption and I’m counting on you to keep up in case anything goes wrong.”

“It looks dangerous, my queen.”

Laughing, she swung one leg over the seat. “Most things in life usually are, my friend.”

Arac climbed on and punched the power pack to life. There was something liberating about zooming along on the drone transport unit. Seeing the landscape go flying by and feeling the wind in his hair was a freedom he’d never dreamed of when he was trapped under Kabelda’s claw. Now, he was intent on enjoying it as much as possible.

Feeling the lush female’s legs wrapped around him was enough to make him think dirty thoughts. Arac found that he was shocked at himself for longing for the very thing he’d forsworn. He turned the idea over in his mind during the long ride to the mining site.