After dinner, they played another board game, but she was convinced they made up the rules as they went. “Do you guys ever go into town, or whatever you call that underground place, and eat at a restaurant or see a movie?”
“We don’t have movies, but if you want, we can watch some television.”
“Sure.”
When Taryn pressed on a wall, a large flat screen appeared. Their remote didn’t look anything like what she’d ever seen. “Why don’t you operate it?” He turned on the TV and a current CBS show was on. “No way.”
“The satellite signal comes from earth through the alignment point. Sometimes the reception is weak, but for the most part we can watch what you do.”
They discussed their favorite shows, but it became obvious that they didn’t spend much time in front of the tube. They did, however, favor the reality shows.
“We like to know what’s going on in your world.”
“I wish you would videotape you guys shifting. We’d love to know about that.”
Taryn smiled. “Maybe someday.”
Even if they did, no one would believe it wasn’t rigged. As her body relaxed, her eyes grew sleepy. She remembered one of them carrying her to bed and then crawling in next to her. The bed bounced hard and woke her up.
“What’s going on?” They were always so quiet in the morning. Light barely streamed in the window.
“The siren has been sounded. We must leave for a while. Don’t worry, no harm will come to you.”
They quickly kissed her good-bye and rushed out, not even bothering with their loincloths.
“What the hell?” She tossed on her shirt, ran out into the living room, and raced to the window. She looked down. “Dear Lord in Heaven.”
About twenty lions were milling around. Two lions were in front. Being so high up, she couldn’t hear anything. “Stupid.” Lions couldn’t talk anyway.
She had no idea what had happened to make the men rush out, but it had to be bad if they were roused out of their beds near dawn. Even if she wanted to go down and ask them, she’d never figure out how to work the damned elevator. She paced in front of the window, waiting for something to happen. It must have been two or three minutes before the animals dispersed. Most headed east while others went north. Perhaps they were going to go around the attackers. She could only assume that some wolves had entered their territory or had attacked someone or something.
Once the animals disappeared from view, she dropped onto the sofa to wait. She might have considered watching the television if she had a clue how to make it appear from the wall or how to use the remote. If only she knew how to get a hold of Henla, perhaps their sister would know what was happening.
“Damn Anterra.”
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted her backpack. She’d been distracted after Taryn brought it back. Perhaps her cell phone was still charged. If the television signal could get through that stupid alignment point, perhaps cell tower reception could, too. She raced to her pack and pulled out her phone. She pressed the button, but it was dead.
Damn
. Not that she’d know who to call anyway. Even if she got ahold of Amy or Krista, what could she say?
Don’t worry, I’m safe in an alternate reality where the men turn into lions and wolves and bears. I’ll be back as soon as I can.
This was worse than she imagined. Her need to get through the point was increasing with each minute that passed. This excursion would be one she’d never forget, but there was no way she wanted to spend her life planting food and walking in the woods full of wolves.
Nope
. She loved her convertible too much, room service any time of day or night, dry cleaners that would take care of her clothes, and movies to keep her entertained. She’d grown up under hardship. That part of her life was over. No sane person would choose hardship over the easy life.
But you love the food, the fresh air, and the simple life. And what about the archeological dig and the men who treat you like a princess?
She covered her ears to stop the stupid voices from driving her mad. Because she needed something to do, she fried some bacon and eggs. They didn’t even have a freaking toaster. She’d have to cook it in the oven. What kind of advanced technology planet was this?
After she ate and cleaned up, she searched the house for something to do. “Don’t you guys read?” Hell, she didn’t even know if they could read. They sounded intelligent, so she guessed they could. She thought they mentioned something about school. Now she wished she’d paid closer attention to everything they’d said.
She paced up and down the hallway until her legs wouldn’t hold her up anymore. She’d never last if she ever landed in jail. Being cooped up was not for her. The sun rose and then the sun set.
“Where are you? See, you’ve reduced me to talking to myself.”
She sat back on the sofa, and her stomach tumbled. What if Taryn and Kellum were killed in the fray? Would Henla come up to tell her? Losing them would send her into a tailspin for sure. Tears brimmed her lashes just as the front door opened and Kellum dragged in Taryn. He was covered from head to toe in blood.
“No!” She raced up to them. “What happened?”
“The wolves attacked.”
She waited a beat for him to elaborate, but it made sense for him not to take the time to give her details. “Is he going to be okay?” Taryn was barely conscious. His eyes were mostly shut and his knees bent. Had Kellum not been holding him, he would have crumpled on the floor.
Kellum, too, was scratched and injured, but seemed in much better shape than his brother.
“I need to put him in the healing pool.”
She stepped to the side and followed Kellum into the bathroom. He placed Taryn on the edge of the wading pool while he searched the cabinets for something. She wanted to touch Taryn and give him comfort, but feared she might do more harm. “Can I get you some water to drink?” He’d need to stay hydrated.
Taryn lifted his chin an inch and nodded. His skin was pale and he looked like he was working hard to keep it together.
“I’ll be right back.”
She raced out and had to look through three cabinets to find a glass. After carefully pouring him the drink, she walked as fast as she could without spilling it. By the time she got inside, Taryn was in the pool and Kellum was carefully running a sponge over his body. The water was a dark pink, and Taryn’s head lolled to the side.
“What can I do?” She placed the glass on the other side of the pool.
“Nothing.” Kellum’s sharp tone cut her deep.
Taryn’s hand reached for the glass and she handed it to him.
“Thanks.” She barely heard him, his voice so weak.
Her stomach nearly revolted at the atrocity of what the wolves had done. She had to grab onto the cabinet to keep from collapsing. Neither man spoke though they were probably communicating telepathically. Being shut out made her feel more of an outsider than Melan had. Or did it take less energy for Taryn to
talk
to Kellum that way?
When it was clear she wasn’t needed or wanted, she left them. Perhaps Taryn wished to shift into a lion to better clean and heal his wounds, but he didn’t want to show his weakness in front of her. She certainly didn’t want to be the one to interfere.
Back in the living room, she paced. She felt lost and alone. By now, the sky had turned black and no outside sounds entered through the windows. In a way, she wished she could hear the forest. At least if the crickets chirped or the birds squawked, she’d know something was out there and alive.
At least ten times she debated going back into the bathroom, but Kellum seemed to know what needed to be done. As the weight of what had happened to her finally registered, she gave in to self-pity. These men might be the hottest creatures in bed, and at times the sweetest, but their livelihood sucked. If she wanted to worry for the rest of her life that they might not come home at night, she’d have hooked up with a policeman, a sniper, or a man who reenlisted time after time.
No, she wanted someone safe, someone who was there for her when she needed him and didn’t endanger his life all the time. If that wasn’t bad enough, this whole telepathy thing drove her crazy. Anytime they wanted to discuss something her without her knowledge they could. Talk about being shut out from their lives.
Jeez
.
She finally gave in to the grief that had been building inside her ever since she got separated from Krista. Sobs wracked her body. She sprawled out on the sofa and covered her face with her hands. By the time she ran out of tears, she wasn’t sure what she was crying about, just that she wanted to leave.
She must have fallen asleep on the sofa because a ray of sunshine speared her eye. She sat up and looked around. Neither Kellum nor Taryn were there. If Taryn had had a setback, Kellum surely would have woken her.
Tiptoeing, she headed toward Taryn’s bedroom since it was the closest. Inside, he was stretched on the bed, his chest rising and falling in a slow rhythm, with Kellum, or rather the lion version of Kellum, on the floor beside him.
She stood there watching them. The healing bath must have done wonders for him because his gashes didn’t look as severe as before. Convinced they’d be starving as soon as they woke up, she scurried to the kitchen.
As quietly as she could be, she scrambled some eggs and put them on the stove to cook while she heated the bacon. After setting the table and pouring them tall glasses of juice, she went back to the bedroom. Kellum had shifted into a man and was standing over the bed. He held his finger to his mouth and motioned they leave.
“I’m awake,” Taryn said.
She was never so glad to hear his voice sound so strong. “How are you feeling?”
“As you humans say, like shit.”
A laugh bubbled up. “I’m glad to hear it. I made some scrambled eggs and bacon. If I bring in a plate, will you eat something?”
He pushed himself up to a seated position. “I’ll come out. Let me get ready.”
“Sure.” Both she and Kellum exited the room. “His recovery seems remarkable.”
She expected him to smile, but his somber face almost made the tears reappear. “He almost died.”
All the more reason for her to leave. “What happened?”
“It’s better if you don’t know.”
Be like that
. For a moment, she’d hoped they’d treat her like they had before, but if they did, their actions might undermine her resolve to leave.
“Have a seat. I’ll serve you for a change.”
Kellum hesitated, as if men were supposed to do the serving. She had just assumed the roles of the male and female were the same here as they’d been for all other cultures she’d studied. She fixed the plates for Kellum and Taryn and placed them on the table.
Now came for the most difficult conversation in her life. “I’d like you to see about the location of the alignment point. It’s time for me to return home.”
He lowered his head. “I understand.”
She blew out a silent breath. The fact that he didn’t argue with her confirmed that her time here was up. Taryn came out of the hallway walking with not only a limp, but he was partially bent over. She raced to his side.
“You should stay in bed.”
With his head slightly forward, he raised a brow and managed to brush off her helping hand. “I’m fine. I’ll be back on patrol in a few days’ time. There’s nothing to worry about.”
She figured he’d be in denial. There was a lot to be said for positive thinking. “Sure you will. Your breakfast is on the table.”
She ate with them, but there was no verbal communication. From the way Taryn stiffened, Kellum had told him about her wish to leave. This meal had been the most difficult and strained time that had ever occurred between them. Gone were the loving men. In its place were two guys wanting to get on with their lives—without her.
She said she’d clean up. Kellum left and Taryn went back to bed. She should have asked one of them for some reading material or a tutorial on how to use the television. At the very least, she would have liked to know how to get the hell out of the damned tree house.
Kellum returned a half hour later. “The alignment point is too high. If it behaves in a normal fashion, we should find it close enough to the ground in three days.”
She inwardly groaned. Three days would be an eternity.
* * * *
The last three days had been hell. The men were polite, but there was no more kidding or taking her out on excursions. She was fine with that since she didn’t want to get any more attached to this new world, nor did she want Taryn to overtax himself. She’d thought about going back to the cave, but that would require one of the men to be with her. Taryn was still healing, and Kellum appeared distant. In truth, she wouldn’t be able to get much done in three days anyway.
While his wounds were healing, his energy level wasn’t what it had been, and she worried about him. But every time she went in to ask how he was or if he needed anything, he told her he didn’t need her pity.
Pity wasn’t what she was offering. Since Kellum and Taryn seemed so family oriented, she wanted to give them both some other type of comfort, only they didn’t want it.