The
official release day of Alien Refuge has arrived! I’d like to welcome our latest addition, Clan
Ospar, to the fold. You can get your
copy at Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. It is also available in print. Without further ado:
All Iris Jenson wants is a safe place to
raise her autistic six-year-old son Thomas.
She thinks she’s found it on Haven, an Earther colony located within the
Kalquorian Empire’s borders. Making a
fresh start under the watchful eyes of Earth’s former enemy has its challenges,
but it also possesses opportunities to live free of fear, something Iris hasn’t
had in a long time. Love is an added
surprise when Haven’s governor Dramok Ospar and his clanmates Nobek Jol and Imdiko
Rivek enter the young widow and child’s lives.
Trouble is brewing on Haven Colony,
however. Insurgent Earthers want to free
themselves of Kalquor’s influence, and Kalquor itself is on the brink of a
revolt, led by the shadowy figure known only as the Basma. Then a violent ghost from Iris’ past
reappears and threatens to snatch Thomas from those who love him. Ospar’s clan races against time to save Haven
from a bloody rebellion and an innocent child from the grasp of a monster.
Mild BDSM, including anal
play/intercourse, bondage, Dom/sub play, forced seduction, and multiple sexual
partners (m/f/m/m).
Chapter 1
The snow blower vibrated hard in
Iris Jenson’s gloved hands. Despite the
quaking, it had been doing an efficient job of clearing a path from the snow
crawler’s shed to her home’s front door.
She was halfway there when it suddenly made a horrible ratcheting
sound. It sounded like an iron monster
chewing on metal screws, a racket fit to make her ears bleed. Iris immediately shut it off.
As fast as she quieted it, she
was still too late. Her six-year-old son
Thomas was already screaming, his hands clapped to the sides of his head. He bounded through the knee-high snow,
running away from her and straight for the travel lane that ran in front of
their dome-shaped house.
Iris dropped the blower and waded
through last night’s snowfall after him.
“Thomas, it’s okay! The noise is
gone!”
He was too panicked to hear. His blue hand-knitted cap came off as he ran,
sending his shaggy dark blond hair to bounce about his head. He sobbed as if his heart might break. “It’s broken!
Hurry! Hurry!”
Under his terrified shrieks, Iris
heard another sound, one that made her heart speed up. It was the low hum of an oncoming shuttle,
heading down the travel lane Thomas blindly galloped for. The quickly growing throb of the vehicle’s
engines warned her it was coming faster than the speed laws dictated.
She started running, moving as
fast as the impeding snow and her heavy boots would allow. “Thomas!
Stop!”
But Thomas almost never stopped
on command. The horrific sound of the
snow blower breaking down had pained and terrified him, sending his senses into
overload. All the boy knew at this
moment was that he had to put as much distance between himself and the source
of the hideous noise that had hurt his hypersensitive ears. The deep snow should have slowed him down,
but he was a strong boy and he was a fast boy.
His boots also had traction soles, unlike Iris’. With funds so low, she’d opted this winter to
get by with her old, worn boots.
Iris shot a panicked glance down
the lane as she fought through the snow to get to her son. The sky over Haven Colony was bright
following last night’s storm, and it glinted off a metal surface racing ever
closer. The oncoming shuttle was a cargo
hauler, flying close to the ground as colony regulations dictated for a vehicle
that size. The glance told her all she needed to know: she’d never get to Thomas before it was on
him. He was already in its path, his
bulky tan coat not nearly enough contrast against the blinding snow. The speeding shuttle pilot would not see him
in time to stop.
She screamed desperately,
“Thomas! Danger! Danger!
Get out of the lane!”
He knew the word danger, but her
shout had been a deadly mistake. Iris
had drilled that word in his head, trying to head off the lack of impulse
control that often had him running right into travel lanes, exactly as he’d
done this time. Instead of getting out
of the lane, he halted immediately. He
turned around and looked at her with wide eyes.
Iris had a moment of perfect
clarity as Thomas stood still and waited to get run down. Every detail stood out in that instant: his wild, flyaway hair, rarely cut because he
was too sensitive to cope with the sound of clippers. His perfectly almond-shaped brown eyes. A cherubic Rafael-esque round face, a face so
beautiful that it made people pause and comment. His sturdy little boy’s body made thick by
layers of thermal pants, jeans, snowpants, shirt, sweater, and coat. A perfect, angelic boy lit in the light of
snow-reflected sun.
Iris screamed as the speeding
shuttle bore down on Thomas, who was only now realizing something was coming at
him. Then there was a lightning flash of
white and darkness that swept her child from the travel lane in a blur. The stream of movement halted at the side of
the lane, resolving itself into a tall, ebony-haired Kalquorian in a white
snowsuit. Thomas dangled from the bend
of one of the alien’s arms while the other raised a battle-grade percussion
blaster. The Kalquorian fired on the
shuttle, and the blaster’s shoo-whup
made the air shiver.
The shuttle squalled to a halt,
dipping and rocking violently as it did so.
Then it dropped, falling a couple of feet to the ground with an earthshaking
thud.
Iris was barely interested in the
shuttle. Her eyes were all for her son,
who goggled up at the Kalquorian who held him.
“Thomas. Thomas,” she choked, sobbing his name. He was alive.
Unhurt. Completely secure in the
grip of the man who held him. It was
nothing short of a miracle.
The Kalquorian turned towards her
and watched her stagger to them as he holstered his weapon on his belt. A part of Iris’ stunned brain registered the
man’s long black hair, his large purple eyes, the dimple in his curved
chin. His handsome face had the fierce
set of the warrior Nobek breed. His
body, hugely muscled like all his kind, was clad in a form-fitting armored
snowsuit that blended well with its surroundings. His matching boots reached to just below his
knees. He seemed somehow familiar,
though he shouldn’t. Iris didn’t
socialize with the alien race.
Iris held out her arms. “Please.
Let me have him.”
The Kalquorian looked at her,
then down at Thomas who still stared up at him.
The little boy plucked at the arm holding him and imperiously demanded
in his musical voice, “Here, Mommy. Give
Thomas to Mommy.”
The alien man’s brows drew
together. One end of his mouth twisted
slightly up. Iris could understand his
confusion. Usually, Earther children on
Haven ran and hid from Kalquorians. Most
of them were frightened as much by their parents’ stories of their former
enemies as by the massive size of the aliens.
Any other little boy held by one would probably be screaming his head
off right now.
But then, Thomas Jenson wasn’t
like most children.
The Kalquorian gently set Thomas
on his feet and gave him a little push towards Iris. “Go to your mother, boy.”
Iris shivered at the deep,
slightly accented voice. It was the
voice of quiet thunder, full of command and strength. Thomas seemed just as impressed. He sloshed a single step awkwardly through
the snow towards her, still staring over his shoulder at his rescuer.
Iris dismissed the Kalquorian for
the moment, darting forward to snatch her child close. “Oh dear God, Thomas. Oh my baby, are you all right?” She patted over his body, not quite daring to
trust her eyes that told her he hadn’t been smashed by the shuttle.
He simply blinked at the
Kalquorian looming over them. He stared
up at the Nobek, unafraid. The alien
stared back, seemingly transfixed by Thomas’ blatant wide-eyed curiosity.
There was no sign of injury on
the boy, and Iris managed a trembling smile for the man who had snatched him
away from certain death. “Thank
you. Thank you so much for saving him.”
Before the Kalquorian could
answer, the hatch of the downed shuttle slid open. Blaine Middleton, a local that lived only a
few miles from Iris’ tiny homestead, emerged and stormed towards them. His open coat flapped around his gaunt
frame. Iris tried hard to ignore the
gossip that said Blaine drank most of his calories, but she’d heard plenty
despite all her good intentions. She
could believe it, looking at his bloodshot eyes and unkempt appearance.
The
scarecrow man who made most of his living transporting goods for other
colonists was shouting before he’d taken half a dozen steps in their
direction. “What the hell is wrong with
you, Kalquorian? You fouled up my
forward vision vid feed and my navigation is offline! You coulda got me killed!”
The alien turned towards
Blaine. He pulled a small handheld
computer off his belt and spoke commands to it, seemingly ignoring the irate
man.
Thomas brightened to see the
portable computer device. “Thomas’
handheld,” he declared, reaching towards the Kalquorian. “Here, Thomas.”
Iris held him back and whispered
in his ear. “No baby, that’s his
handheld. He’s doing work on it. You can’t have it.”
Meanwhile Blaine had drawn near,
and he halted a few feet away. His fists
went to his hips and he stood spraddle-legged, as if bracing himself to remain
upright. He kept yelling at the
Kalquorian. “Hey, you damned oversized
ape! I’m talking to you!”
The Nobek regarded him
coldly. His rolling thunder voice filled
the air despite the low tone. “This
vehicle is registered to Blaine Middleton.
Is that you?”
Blaine glared back with bloodshot
eyes. “Yeah. So?”
“This is your third piloting
offense in six months. I am confiscating
your shuttle.”
“My offense?” Blaine
screeched. “My offense? You’re the one
firing percussion blasters at innocent Earthers!”
“You were flying at an excessive
speed on a travel lane in a dwelling area.
A dwelling area that is also clearly designated as having a child with a
disability on premises.” The Kalquorian
glanced at Iris and Thomas. His gaze
lingered a moment, then he marched past Blaine to the shuttle. He boarded it while its owner stared after
him in shock.
Finally the Earther spluttered in
furious indignation. “Hey! You’ve got no right. That’s my property!” He plowed towards his craft.
The Kalquorian came back out
before Blaine got there. He typed on his
handheld. “The vessel’s warning
mechanism that indicates the need for slower operation on this lane has been
disabled. I’m assuming that was done by
you. That’s another offense. Your pilot’s permit is hereby suspended
pending review. I have locked out all
your pass codes that enable you to use this vehicle.” He looked at Blaine. There was no threat on his expression, but it
was cold enough to make Iris cringe. She
felt glad that stare wasn’t directed at her.
The Kalquorian continued, “You
may return home now, Mr. Middleton. You
will be contacted later with information on how to file any challenge you wish
to make and final judgment on your case.”
Blaine stood there for a few
moments, his mouth hanging open. It took
at least ten seconds before he found the sense to respond. When he did, it was in a shriek.
“And how the hell do you propose
I get home without my shuttle, you stupid shit?”
Iris’ grip on Thomas
tightened. She waited for the alien to
crush Blaine.
Instead, the Kalquorian only
lifted an eyebrow. “You can walk. As it is less than an hour until dark and
your address indicates it will take you about that length of time to reach your
address, I suggest you start now.”
Blaine was shaking with
fury. Iris was afraid he’d say something
else to anger the alien titan, or even worse, attack him. However, it turned out Blaine had a little
bit of self preservation, at least enough not to tangle with a big, muscled
Kalquorian twice his weight. The Earther
turned away from him and leveled a black look at Iris instead.
“When are you going to teach that
damned kid of yours to be normal, Iris?
Or at least put him on a leash!
You and your retard son—”
There was that blurring motion
again, and the Kalquorian suddenly stood right in front of Blaine. His voice came out in a growl. “You are in the wrong here. You will speak with respect to the woman or I
will pull your filthy tongue from your mouth.”
Iris gasped and Thomas laughed,
no doubt delighted by the alien’s amazing feat of speed and not his words. Blaine stumbled back in shock. His gloved hands came up in a defensive
posture. When the Kalquorian only stood
there, not increasing his threat, the Earther walked around him, giving him a
wide berth.
He still couldn’t resist running
his mouth. His voice a grating whine,
Blaine said, “You’d better believe I’m talking to Governor Hoover. You can’t threaten me like that!”
The Kalquorian simply watched as
Blaine stomped away, muttering under his breath. When the man had gotten several yards up the
lane, the alien turned his attention to Iris and Thomas. He approached them carefully, as if concerned
he might frighten them.
“Go fast!” Thomas
encouraged. He watched the nearing alien
with a big smile.
The man offered his own slight
smile at the boy, then bowed slightly to Iris.
“Your child is unharmed, Matara?”
Iris swallowed to see those
cat-slitted eyes trained on her. “I – I
think so.” Mostly to get away from that
intense gaze, she gave her attention to her son. “Thomas, are you hurt?”
“All better,” he said. Since the Kalquorian was apparently not going
to run fast again, the boy’s attention turned to the inoperable vehicle resting
on the lane. “Shuttle broken. Fix shuttle, Mommy.”
Iris buried her face in Thomas’
overlong hair, smelling the sweet shampoo scent of it. “Don’t worry.
Someone will fix the shuttle,” she whispered.
The Kalquorian still stood there,
watching them. Iris slowly straightened
to her full height. Heavens, she only
came up to the man’s chest. A throb that
felt more like anticipation than fear spilled in her stomach. “I’m sorry you had to rescue him. My snow blower broke down and made an awful
noise. It scared him and he ran and I
couldn’t catch him.”
All at once, the vision of the
shuttle bearing down on Thomas assaulted Iris.
She remembered the terrible knowledge that she was about to lose him and
there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Caught by surprise, she sobbed.
Thomas looked at her, his
expression startled. Then his little
face crumpled, and he began to wail.
“Don’t cry, Mommy! Don’t cry!”
Iris tried to get herself under
control. Thomas couldn’t handle it when
she cried, becoming so upset that sometimes he vomited from the stress. But the realization that he’d been within a
second of dying, her baby had almost been
killed, was too much. She shook all
over, hot tears cascading down her frozen cheeks, burning trails that dripped
off her chin.
A band of iron wrapped around her
waist and gently turned her towards her home.
Through tears that trebled her vision, Iris saw the Kalquorian pick up
Thomas in the crook of his other arm, simultaneously guiding her to her front
door.
That voice of gentle thunder
accompanied the strong arms holding them.
“You both need to go inside and warm up.
Come.”
Iris didn’t question the
order. It never even occurred to her to
resist letting the Kalquorian push her and Thomas into their tiny home.
Stumbling into the domed dwelling
was like entering safety. As soon as
they crossed the threshold, Thomas wriggled from the Kalquorian’s arm and ran
through the den to the kitchen. It was
all one big open space, shared with a small dining area. Closed doors led to Iris and Thomas’ bedrooms
and the bath facility.
The Kalquorian guided Iris to the
main room’s battered lounger, a long sofa-like seating piece. Iris had picked it up in the warehouse when
she’d first gotten to Haven a year prior.
It had been donated, along with other furnishings, by the planet Plasius
to be used by Earthers displaced by Armageddon. At the time it had appeared brand new, its velvety chocolate brown
surface showing no signs of wear at all.
Nothing stayed new looking in the Jenson household, however. Iris felt the habitual flush of embarrassment
over her belongings’ shabby appearance and how it must look to a stranger. Thomas was rough on furniture, climbing and
bouncing all over it with neverending energy.
Her brain was still mostly
focused on the close call they’d had.
She would have fallen to the lounger if Thomas’ rescuer hadn’t carefully
lowered her onto it instead. Her whole
body continued to shake, and her knees were wobbliest of all.
Thomas shoved past the Kalquorian
with a dish towel in his hand. He
scrubbed at Iris’ cheeks, his lower lip protruding out and tears streaming down
his own face. “All better. Wipe eyes.
Mommy all better,” he sobbed.
Iris forced herself to stop
crying though she felt an ocean of terror waiting to flood from her eyes. She stretched a weak smile across her
face. “Yes, sweetie. Thank you.
I’m all better now. See? Mommy’s
smiling. All better.”
Thomas wiped his own eyes dry
with the towel and then dropped it on the floor. His expression abruptly placid, he walked
off. His gaze darted over the room as if
seeing it for the first time in his life.
He worked at the fasteners of his coat.
Iris lifted her gaze to the
silent Kalquorian who watched her. She
couldn’t even imagine what he thought of them, of the whole situation. She said, “I’m sorry.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “I do not believe you have anything to
apologize for, Matara.” He took his
handheld off his belt again and consulted it.
“You are Ear-is Jenson?”
“Iris,” she absently corrected,
noticing what her son was busy doing.
“Thomas, please leave your clothes on.
We have a guest.”
Thomas had dropped his coat and
sweater on the floor, and was working to add his shirt to the pile. Ignoring Iris, he let that drift down too. He sat down and yanked his boots off.
Iris took a breath. This was Thomas’ home, his sanctuary where
she let him relax and be himself. She
offered the Kalquorian an apologetic smile.
“He won’t wear anything more than his underwear in the house. Clothes are uncomfortable for him. He’s very sensitive to touch.”
The alien’s face betrayed no
emotion as Thomas peeled off socks and snowpants. The boy began fumbling with the snaps of his
jeans.
His tone as noncommittal as his
expression, the Kalquorian said, “This is the child with the difficulties?”
Iris nodded. “Autism.
It’s why the noise of the snow blower made him run from me and put him
in the path of that shuttle. Did I thank
you for saving him?”
The alien looked at her. He smiled, and Iris forgot to breathe for a
moment. The man’s ferocity didn’t
disappear, but it was tremendously lessened.
He looked approachable. Warm. Even friendly. And damned handsome.
He dipped a nod. “You did thank me. You are most certainly welcome, Matara Iris.”
Thomas had finally stripped down
to his underpants. He ran to one side of
the room where his toys were, contained to one area for a change rather than
scattered all over the floor. He picked
up a small vehicle, a toy train. Trains
were long gone, of course, a form of Earth conveyance that had disappeared
before Iris had been born. Thomas loved
them, however. He had been obsessed with
trains since he first saw one in a museum.
Unfortunately for the little boy, Earther train museums were gone too, thanks
to Armageddon.
Thomas set the toy on a track and
began pushing it around. “Train rolls
down the hill. Train rolls down the
hill. Train rolls down the hill,” he
chanted.
The Kalquorian watched the child,
seemingly fascinated. Iris rushed to
explain, “He’s not slow, intelligence-wise.
He’s actually above average intelligence. His speech, social, and sensory issues hold
him back. And he has no impulse
control.”
Even as she babbled, Iris
wondered why she was explaining so much to the daunting Kalquorian. Surely he didn’t care about an Earther
child’s problems. And why should she
care what he thought about Thomas? Her
son was wonderful, and those who didn’t take the time to get to know him and
understand him were not important anyway.
It was something she reminded herself of every time people edged away
from Thomas, when they got those uncomfortable looks on their faces.
The Kalquorian didn’t seem
uncomfortable in the least. Instead, he
gave Iris that transforming smile again.
“What a fascinating child. May I
sit down?” He waved his hand at a
scarred chair with a sagging seat.
Iris blinked at him, startled by
the request. Why would the alien want to
stay for a visit? Unless ... oh heavens,
he didn’t think she was looking to join a clan, did he?
Not quite sure how to handle the
situation, she stammered, “Um, sure. Can
I get you anything, uh...?”
“Nobek Jol. I am head of Kalquorian security here on
Haven.” He bowed his head to her as he
settled carefully on the chair. It
creaked alarmingly, but somehow managed not to break under his large
frame. “Thank you for the offer, but I
require no refreshment, Matara Iris.”
Iris regarded him with wide
eyes. Nobek Jol was not just the head of
Haven’s Kalquorian security. He was also
clanmate to the Kalquorian governor of the colony, Dramok Ospar.
She blinked. “I’ve heard your name before.”
The Earther colony of Haven had
been founded on a once uninhabitied planet within the Kalquorian Empire’s
space. That meant it had two governors,
Dramok Ospar and Earther George Hoover.
Most Earther refugees, still hurting from the war with Kalquor and the
resulting destruction of Earth, did not opt to live on Haven. Other colonies held the majority of
survivors, many going to the older settlements from when Earth was still a
viable planet. A large number had also
settled on the colonies the Galactic Council of Planets had established after
Armageddon.
The destruction of Earth’s major
cities and the resulting death of the planet itself had come about through both
Earth and Kalquorian actions. The
Kalquorians’ part in it had been an accident, even though the two species had
been at war. Horrified and remorseful,
the Empire had created Haven for the Earthers who wanted a fresh start. They had set up the colony and offered
healthcare, land, and homes for any who wished to farm the verdant planet. Haven was different from other colonies in
that no one who came to live there was expected to pay back their benefactors
in any way. One simply applied to
Kalquor for a homestead, agreed to abide by the laws of the Empire, and got to
work.
Iris and Thomas had come to the
colony only a year before with nothing but a few changes of clothes. It had represented a fresh start. A new life with none of the horrors of the
old. Iris had left behind everything
without a qualm, even though the work on Haven was difficult. She welcomed it.
Freedom from fear and pain was
worth every ounce of hard work that greeted her from the moment she got up in
the morning until she collapsed into bed at night. Her life before Armageddon, lived in a fine
home with every material comfort she could wish for, had been a nightmare. One she was grateful to have awakened from.
The heater clicked on, rumbling
like an angry beast deep within the home’s guts beneath the floor. Jol frowned for a moment before turning his
attention to Iris’ son.
“Your child is named
Thomas?” He consulted his handheld
again.
“Yes,” Iris confirmed.
“The difficulties he has, they
cannot be corrected through medical means?” Jol’s question seemed merely
interested, not judgmental. Not rife
with the usual rabid curiosity masked as sappy concern. It was a nice change.
Iris answered easily. “His brain works differently from most
others. He’s not neural-typical. He could take drugs to calm some of his behaviors,
but I don’t like for him to. Medications
make him feel tired and out of it. His
thinking becomes sluggish.” She added
defensively, “I think he’s perfect.”
Jol kept his gaze on the playing
boy. “He is certainly empathetic. Your tears worried him greatly. It is good for someone so young to feel
concern for others.”
Thomas was locked in his own
world at the moment, not noticing them.
“Train climbs up the hill. Train
climbs up the hill,” he singsonged, pushing his toy.
Jol looked at the scattered
blocks and building toys. He seemed
particularly fascinated by the myriad of trains; some were only rudimentary
assemblies, but quite a few were intricate pieces that had been put together
from all sorts of materials. One vision
of a steam engine had the tines of a fork as its cowcatcher. Everything Thomas came across was fair game
to be converted into his passion.
The Kalquorian gave the little
boy an appraising stare. “How old is
he?”
“Six.”
Jol’s eyebrows shot high. “He built those toy conveyances himself?”
Iris snorted. “Don’t look at me. I can barely put together a jigsaw
puzzle. Thomas?”
Thomas kept playing, completely
submerged in his own world. Whatever
universe had been conjured in his head didn’t include Iris, Jol, or anything
else. It consisted of just his train and
the hill it endlessly climbed and descended.
Iris spoke a little louder with
more firmness, working to yank the boy back into an often unkind reality. “Thomas?
Thomas, look at me.”
Her voice broke through. He came out of his happy fantasy to look at
her expectantly.
She smiled at him and motioned to
the large man sitting across from her.
“Thomas, this is Nobek Jol. Say,
‘hello Nobek Jol’.”
Mimicking her tone exactly,
Thomas looked down at his train. “Hello,
Nobek Jol.”
“Hello, Thomas. What are you playing with?” Jol leaned slightly forward, as if
interested.
Thomas held up the locomotive
made of castoff bits of wood, screws, and metal pieces. His eyes never left the piece. “Train.
Train rolls down the hill.”
Jol cocked his head to one side,
peering at the toy. “I saw it roll down
the hill. Will you let me hold your train?”
When the boy hesitated, Iris
urged, “Thomas, give Nobek Jol your train.
Let him see it.”
She half-expected him to tell her
no and return to his play. Instead, he
stood and walked over to Jol. When the
Kalquorian held out his hand, Thomas carefully placed the train in his
grip. His gaze never left the toy.
Iris looked at how tiny her son
looked next to the mammoth alien. Thomas
was tall for his age, his body strong and sturdy. Yet he looked too vulnerable at Jol’s side. A momentary stab of panic went through her
heart. It subsided almost immediately,
washed away by a sudden, instinctual knowledge that there was nothing to fear
from Jol.
Iris frowned. She didn’t know the Kalquorian. There was no reason to trust him. Yet as the boy and alien studied the
locomotive, their heads close together, the feeling that Thomas was utterly
safe with the Nobek persisted.
Jol turned the locomotive over in
his hands, inspecting the homemade toy.
It was one of Thomas’ better constructions, his most recent.
The child pointed at the pieces
jutting from the metal tube that made up the main body of the engine. “Funnel,” he informed Jol.
“Funnel. What does it do?”
“Smoke.” Thomas pointed to a screw that stuck up. “Whistle.”
“What does the whistle sound
like?”
“Woo-woo!”
Jol chuckled. “Did you build this train, Thomas?”
Thomas at last looked into the
big man’s face. “Yes. Thomas builds toy trains!” He smiled, pleased with himself.
Jol nodded, returning the
smile. “It is a well-built train. You
did an excellent job. Thank you for letting me see it.”
He handed the engine back. Thomas took it back to his little track and
started pushing it, going back to his ‘train rolls down the hill’ chant.
Jol gazed at the boy with open
admiration before turning his cat-pupil eyes to Iris. “A brilliant mind for engineering is in
there.”
Iris couldn’t help the pride that
swelled in her voice. “He reads,
too. I started teaching him letters and
sounds when he was three, though he didn’t speak until he was four. When he did speak, he could already read his
story vids.” She knew she bragged, but
it wasn’t often people looked beneath Thomas’ behavior issues to appreciate the
feats he was capable of.
“You have been blessed,
Matara.” Jol frowned then. “But his lack of impulse control worries me
greatly. My biggest concern is how he
ended up in the middle of the travel lane.
That would not have ended well for him if I hadn’t happened by, doing a
routine check on the area.”
Iris swallowed. Thomas could have so easily died only minutes
ago. The miracle of Jol’s rescue brought
fresh tears to her eyes, which she resolutely blinked back.
She told the Nobek, “He doesn’t
understand danger. He simply has no
concept of it. I try to keep him close
when we’re outside. This time when he
panicked, he got away from me.” She
shuddered. “I can usually catch him, but
it only takes once to be too late, doesn’t it?”
Jol nodded, watching her
carefully. “You need a boundary shield
between your land and the lane.”
Iris bowed her head. “I’m only a homesteader, Nobek Jol. Because Thomas requires so much of my time, I
farm just enough to keep us fed and clothed.
I can’t take him to the community fields and work for extra funds
because keeping after him doesn’t allow me to.”
Not to mention Thomas had a bad habit of crashing through and wrecking
crops. She’d end up owing Haven’s
Earther government money rather than earning any.
“I see.” Jol glanced at Thomas and pursed his
lips. The line between his eyebrows
deepened. He nodded his head and
stood.
Iris stood too. Jol eased his stern expression to offer her a
small smile. “The safety and security of
Haven and its colonists ultimately falls on my shoulders. I will see to getting you a boundary shield.”
Iris stared at him. She couldn’t afford it, but Thomas always
came first. She’d find a way. “Do I make payments or is there work I can do
to offset the cost?”
Jol shook his head. “That will not be required, Matara Iris. Should you leave this property or not need
the shield any longer for whatever reason, simply give it back to us. This way, you will not have to worry about
Thomas running into the lane anymore.”
He was giving them the
shield? For free? Iris gaped at him and finally managed to
blurt, “Thank you, Nobek Jol.”
The Kalquorian bowed to her and
looked over at Thomas. “Goodbye,
Thomas.”
Thomas didn’t look up, but he
responded without any coaching from Iris.
“Goodbye. Woo-woo!”
Jol’s smile trembled as if he
held back laughter. He bowed to Iris
again. “Good day, Matara.”
He left, and Iris stared at the
door long after it had closed behind him.
It took several minutes for her stunned consciousness to kick in. When it did, she realized two things: that she had not come close to expressing
enough appreciation to Jol, and that she had worn her coat and hat the entire
time he’d been there.
Shaking her head, still trying to
wrap it around the events of the last hour, Iris finally took her outerwear
off.
