A little extra incentive for you to discover Matt Larsen's story...Chapter Two! He gets his first look at his new home and Clan Avir gets their first hint their companion-to-be might find it difficult to settle into happily-ever-after.
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Chapter Two
“Still no problems with the new arm and hand then?” Masok had opted to sit on the back bench of Avir’s personal shuttle next to Matt. He leaned forward, gripping Kom’s shoulder.
The long wait to have his Nobek home for good was over. Masok didn’t understand why Kom hadn’t returned to Kalquor as soon as he’d found Matt. His protests the Earther needed time to settle in and feel safe had been ridiculous. Safe on a rough-and-tumble cargo ship where Kom had lost his arm? How could such an environment offer Matt any sense of security?
Nobeks were an odd breed, however. The warrior’s mentality when it came to what constituted danger was far different from a nurturing Imdiko’s.
Kom waved away his concern with a grin. “It’s all good. The prosthetic beats what I had. Do you know the tools, devices, and weapons I can attach in place of my hand? How much is in my savings, Avir?”
Their Dramok laughed, his usually intense features softening. “A couple of cartons labeled ‘hand substitutions’ have already arrived at the home. How many more could you ask for?”
“All of them.”
Masok chuckled and turned to the small figure sitting beside him. Ancestors, he’d never get over how sweet Matt looked. He had to keep reminding himself the Earther was a full-grown man, not a doll to be carried. “I’m so thrilled you two are home. How are you, Matt? Good?”
“I’m okay.” Matt smiled to show how okay he was, and Masok had to resist sitting the beauty on his lap. It was no wonder Kom had driven them crazy by searching for him, though the odds had been stacked so high against tracking him down.
“Did someone else give you these clothes?” He kept from grabbing Matt by tugging on the collar of his shirt instead. The fabric was rough, as if it hadn’t been quite finished. “They’re too big. They look cheap, too. Look, this is unraveling here. Kom, you said you’d bought him a decent wardrobe.”
“I did!”
“I picked them out. I think they’re okay.” Matt sounded defensive, but he didn’t appear embarrassed. Masok guessed he simply refused to allow Kom to take the blame.
Kom had mentioned Matt had issues with feeling undeserving of nice things. Even so, there was no reason for their soon-to-be-official companion to go around looking like a waif.
As if hearing his thoughts, Avir threw a warning glance over his shoulder at Masok. He set the automatic pilot and twisted in his seat to better talk to him. “Earthers probably have a different view of fashion than we do. As far as Kom’s choosing nicer clothes, what did you expect from a Nobek? Especially a Nobek who’s a nudist?”
“Clothes are for those whose bodies are better left unseen,” Kom proclaimed loftily. “Matt and I are walking pieces of art.”
“You’d better put me on a really tall pedestal so I can be appreciated then. Provide a magnifying glass while you’re at it.”
Laughter filled the shuttle at Matt’s rejoinder. Masok had noticed he was always ready to poke fun at his height.
“You and I are going shopping for decent clothes at the soonest opportunity,” Masok promised him.
“I don’t need anything. What I have is fine.” There was a minute hunching of his shoulders.
Masok refused to let the jab of sadness he felt show. Kom had overstated Matt’s emotional state, but there was no doubt he’d been through the wringer.
The Earther had come from a world that refused to accept who he was and would have tortured and killed him had he been discovered. And those terrible stories of what his father Sven had done…
It would be all right, Masok promised himself as he patted Matt’s thigh and received a sweet smile for the attention. Kom loved their new companion unconditionally. Avir cared about him, thanks to their few visits and many coms. Masok adored him and was certain real love was mere weeks, maybe only days away.
Love was the best cure for everything. Matt’s past injuries,
although admittedly severe, would be healed in no time at all.
* * * *
Matt bit his lips together to keep from laughing. They were in the housing complex’s confusing corridor, a few feet from Clan Avir’s door, and Kom was already pulling his clothes off. His tank top went first, displaying a torso crisscrossed with scars. They enhanced his muscular build. A couple steps later, the Nobek paused long enough to pull off a slip-on shoe. Another step, and the second shoe was in his prosthetic hand.
“Kom.” If Avir was rebuking him, it was lost in the chuckles rolling from his lips.
The handsome clan leader wore a crisp shirt. His well-cut trousers were neatly pressed. He looked every inch the successful business executive, even on his day off. Matt had been impressed with Avir from the moment he’d set eyes on him.
“I’ll keep the shorts on until I’m inside.” The door to the clan’s home opened before Kom, and he took a step. “I’m inside.” Shorts flew at Avir’s face. Displaying amusement, the Dramok snatched them out of the air and gestured to Matt and Masok to precede him.
Matt had never been to the clan’s home. He hadn’t been to Kalquor until that day. The Rogue had kept busy carrying cargo between planets, colonies, and space stations, but rarely had it scored shipments to Kalquor. Most of its work had been supplying Earth II, created for the displaced people of Matt’s shattered world.
He was curious about how wealthy Kalquorians lived, but he had to acknowledge Kom’s incredible physique first. How could he not? Kom, though possibly too scarred and craggy for most to consider handsome, was gorgeous to Matt. He couldn’t get his fill of looking at the man.
One side of the Nobek’s lips lifted in acknowledgment of Matt’s appreciation, and secret fire lit in his eyes. It was the sort of heat that said they’d appreciate a hell of a lot more of each other as soon as possible.
Warmth in his groin warned Matt. It was no longer just the two of them, and he hadn’t attempted any intimacies with Avir and Masok yet. He reluctantly pulled his gaze from Kom to take in his surroundings.
He gaped. They lived in no mere apartment. It was a palace.
Everything was shiny. The polished floor appeared to be inlaid marble, beige with dark blue rectangles, sectioning off a pair of non-identical but complementary conversation areas, as did the leaf-cutout divider. Inside the rectangles, thick rugs with matching abstract designs invited bare feet.
Overhead, chandeliers hung over each area. The closest was a swirl of intersecting circular patterns, gleaming a mellow gold in the soft light. The second was a design similar to what Matt had seen in pictures of mansions on Earth, golden arms dripping crystals and pinpoints of light.
Huge vid-windows adorned by taupe draperies beamed in views of the pink-sanded beach and green-tinged ocean. They rightly took the place of paintings or photos, leaving the partitions of white walls bare. The wall on the end closest to Matt boasted a massive fireplace of rounded white rocks. A bar with sparkling mirrors and glassware twinkled at the opposite end.
An ivory sectional lounger, easily capable of seating half a dozen, curled around a sleek table on one side of the divider. A chocolate twin paired with a pair of metal and carved wood tables on the other. Various flowering plants dotted the area, adding splashes of stunning color to the regal space.
Matt’s heart slammed into overdrive. He was to live here?
“I guess it’s a little luxurious compared to the Rogue?” Avir’s tone was teasing. He beamed proudly to have impressed Matt.
“It’s beautiful,” he croaked. His gaze once again swept over the greeting room, where the clan would entertain guests. He noted the length and width of the drapes, the lushness of a potted tree and how much room there was between it and the wall. The loungers sat several inches off the ground on sturdy legs…room for someone his size to crawl under and hide.
Searching for areas to retreat was second nature. While he recognized he was doing so, Matt didn’t deny the urge. He’d be okay with Kom’s clan, he knew it for a fact, but it was good to be aware of where the nooks and crannies were if the need arose.
“Your suite won’t be quite so overwhelming.” The Nobek’s voice roused him from his scrutiny of the room and its options for asylum.
His suite?
Matt recalled himself and realized Avir’s and Masok’s warm gazes had grown concerned. Kom looked resigned. Matt hurriedly slapped on a smile he hoped said “wow” instead of the desperate urge to find safety. He shoved aside the sick feeling he had no business moving into such a manor to live with such a wonderful clan.
“Amazing. Are you sure you aren’t royalty? A king or queen would be at home in this room.”
Avir relaxed, his strong, handsome features brightening as he chuckled. “It’s meant to impress. We’ve made a lot of important deals here with compatible business leaders and clients.”
“How many businesses do you own?” Matt flailed for stable ground, mundane conversation. Anything to slow the rapid thudding of his heart.
“We have seven, which seems to be the limit on how much two men can successfully oversee and still manage a little downtime.”
“If we weren’t so hands-on, we could own more. I think we’re doing enough,” Masok agreed. “We invest in a number of companies, however, so we’re well-diversified.”
Seven successful companies. Matt’s mind boggled.
“Let’s have a look at your rooms. I hope you won’t be let down after seeing the greeting room. They’re nowhere near as fancy,” Masok urged, his voice betraying excitement. “And there’s plenty of opportunity for you to make them your own. In fact, if you want to toss everything in the trash and start from scratch, don’t be shy.”
Breathing was becoming an effort, but Matt kept his smile in place. “I don’t need much. You could have put me on a closet shelf, and it would have been plenty. I fit in most small spaces.”
He earned a round of laughter. He noticed Kom’s sounded forced. The Nobek had noticed Matt was struggling.
I’m okay. For him, I’ll be okay.
Doors bracketed the large bar at the opposite end of the room. They took the opening to the right. “The other door leads to the formal dining room,” Masok explained as he led the way down a long corridor. The marble flooring continued, and landscape paintings taller than Avir lined the walls. He was the biggest of the clan, around a foot and a half taller than Matt.
Matt was used to being the shortest person in the room, but he felt very small in this home, a scurrying mouse who didn’t belong. At least Kom gave him a sense of not being so out of his element as the nude Nobek strode confidently. He looked as strange in the posh surroundings as Matt felt. It helped.
The corridor was long. The apartment, if it could be called that, was huge. Matt had lost count of the doors and rooms they’d passed. Fuck, he was already lost. Lost in an apartment, of all things.
“This is what would be your office, or sitting room, or just ‘get me the hell away from those guys’ space,” Masok said as he slowed before a door, which slid soundlessly into the wall. “I went for the vibe of comfort and fun, but again, whatever doesn’t work, pitch it. You won’t hurt my feelings.”
Matt followed him in, trying to quiet the shaking that had begun. His first reaction to the room was relief. It was nothing like the opulent greeting room or the endless hallway.
It resembled a cozy but well-appointed den. He blinked at an entire wall that was taken up by a vid screen.
“The entertainment system is the same each of us has in our suites,” Avir explained. “Gaming, shows, music, live broadcasted events…all accessible by voice command, and in your native language. Go on, give it a try.”
Matt stared at the vast blackness of the vid monitor. “Um. I don’t…I’m not sure…”
“System, play last year’s Sick Creation concert on Dulzee Four,” Kom said.
The screen glowed to life, and Matt was suddenly in front of the four-man Earther rock group as they blasted “Terrible to be Here.” He stepped back as pyros and lasers blasted.
“Whoa.” His eyes were wide. The picture was as crisp as if he were there on stage among the band, the sound perfectly live. His grin was real as he glanced at Kom in delight.
“Better than being there in person, right?” The Nobek laughed.
“Amazing! This is supernova. I never want to watch shows on my handheld again!”
“Yeah, you’ll absolutely be spoiled for viewing after this. System, off.”
Masok was beaming at his success. Matt hesitated, then hedged toward him, carefully wrapping his arms around the Imdiko’s waist to show his gratitude for the excellent room. Masok’s return hug contained no tentativeness, and he kiss the top of Matt’s head too.
“How about the rest of it?” he enthused. “Is the furniture okay?”
The sage green couch and chairs were Earth-style, but big and roomy enough to accommodate Kalquorians. Matt thought they were perfect for cozying up on to watch the vid or read or whatever else he wished. Colorful throws and blankets were slung over the backs in fashionable cascades. The tables were simple but well-constructed, as was the desk where a computer waited. A hover chair floated next to it. There was a cooling unit filled with a number of Earther snacks, water, juices, and bottles of kloq, a low-alcohol drink. The floor was carpeted in a blue Matt suspected matched his eyes. A few large vid frames on the walls displayed his favorite bands and art depicting musical instruments.
“Those can be switched to show whatever you wish, including live feeds of the beach,” Masok told him. “I didn’t get anything else decorative. Such items should be personal to you.”
“It’s perfect.” It was simpler than the greeting room, which was a relief, but nothing in the room was cheap. Matt quailed to think how much Masok must have spent on him. He swallowed a sudden lump in his throat and blinked his blurring vision clear.
He saw nowhere to hide. Maybe there was a closet in the room he could fit in.
“Okay, okay, you have to see the next room now.” Avir had quietly watched the unveiling, but he was fairly bouncing as he stood next to another doorway. He gave Masok a mock glare. “I was allowed a little input when it came to decorating this one.”
“I’ll give you your due. Avir did all the research for the second room and coordinated with Kom on specific items he knew you’d prefer.” Masok gave Matt a gentle push toward the Dramok. “My efforts will be forgotten the moment you see it. Go ahead and be amazed.”
Matt felt more dread than anticipation as he approached Avir and the doorway. They’d gone too far in fashioning the luxurious den. Why would they go to such lengths for him? Avir and Masok barely knew him. He hadn’t earned the gifts they so eagerly offered.
He went into the next room and gasped. It was a music room.
The walls were adorned with acoustic padding, the sort used in professional recording facilities. The padding was interrupted by lighting strips, which managed to look decorative as well as functional. There was a ledge extending from a wall, ample space to accommodate a number of recording devices. At the moment, there were only two sets of speakers on its surface.
What grabbed and held Matt’s attention were the instruments: a baby grand piano, gleaming black, sat in the corner. On the wall, objects of art themselves, hung a violin, a mandolin, and several guitars, electric and acoustic. He stopped breathing when he saw the Martin hanging on his right.
He glanced at Kom, who watched him closely. “Is that the D-45? The one we saw—”
“In the Earther salvage shop on the Adraf station. I told Avir, and he had them ship it here.”
“If there’s a better instrument, I can send out feelers for it,” Avir said. “Kom said you were pretty excited about this one, though.”
“It’s…it’s…” Matt couldn’t vocalize the beautiful instrument was a holy grail. He drifted close, staring at the spruce and rosewood body, the mahogany neck, the gloss finish that hadn’t faded with the decades of its existence. The gold tuners showed some wear, and the strings would have to be replaced, but there’d been no signs of warping. When he’d been allowed to strum it in the shop where he’d seen it, the incredible deep tone had resounded straight to his soul.
It drew him. He reached trembling fingers toward it, this hallowed beacon of music, his being aching to make it sing. At the last second, he stopped.
He burst into sobs.
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His past demons have returned, and only a Kalquorian clan can save him.
Matthew Larsen should be happy.
Reunited with the Nobek he fell in love with years ago, welcomed into a clan
determined to give him a better life, he has everything he never imagined
possible. However, he’s haunted by the hellish past and certainty it will
reclaim him.
Nobek
Kom spent years searching for Matt. Their reunion and his clanmates’ acceptance
of the troubled Earther seemed to be all that stood in the way of the perfect
future. His Earther love isn’t so easily rescued, however. Even a warrior can’t
protect someone against his nightmares.
Dramok Avir and Imdiko Masok are devoted to the beautiful Earther Kom brought home. Loving such a gentle soul isn’t a problem. Saving him from monsters, real and imagined, is another matter when Matt’s worst fears come true and the terrors of the past rise once again to drag him into the abyss.
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