It’s pointless to think about it, she scolded herself. He would take them to this Patrol and somehow they would find their way back to Earth. Although right now, her cozy cottage had never seemed as far away.
“What about jurj fruit?” he asked, presenting her with a misshapen orange blob. It didn’t look remotely appealing, but then again, fruit would make a nice change.
“I don’t know. What does it taste like?” She laughed as she realized the absurdity of the question. “I guess we don’t really have any basis for comparison. Is it sweet?”
He regarded it a little doubtfully. “Not exactly. Here. I’ll let you try it.”
He deftly cut it open to reveal dark reddish flesh around a center stone, then handed her a small piece. She sniffed it cautiously and it had a faint, almost floral aroma. She took a cautious bite, and the taste exploded across her tongue, sweet and tart at the same time with a refreshing tang.
“Oh I like that.”
He silently handed her the rest of the fruit, watching as she avidly consumed it, licking her fingers to get it all. Their eyes met as she sucked the last drop of juice from her fingers, and the tension flared between them. She could see the hunger in his eyes and felt an answering heat in her own body. Her breasts felt swollen and heavy, her nipples aching. Almost unconsciously, she started to reach for him…
“Davy’s hungry.” Darla’s voice interrupted the moment, and she glared suspiciously from Wanda to Mganak. “What’s going on?”
“I’m playing guinea pig to test out the food Mganak is preparing,” Wanda said as calmly as possible, sure that she was blushing.
“Hmm.” Darla looked skeptical but then she saw the remains of the fruit. Despite her attempt to maintain her disinterested air, Wanda saw her lick her lips. Even with the uninteresting wafers the Vedeckians had given them, the girl had managed to put on a little weight. She was still far too thin, in Wanda’s opinion, but she no longer looked quite as waiflike as she had when she had first been abducted.
“Would you like to try one?”
Darla shook her head, despite a longing glance at the bowl of fruit. “I should go get Davy first.”
“There is plenty for both of you,” Mganak assured her.
She nodded and disappeared.
“She acts more like a mother than a sister,” Mganak observed.
“Apparently their mother died while Davy was still very young. She’s been watching out for her brother since not long after he was born. She’s too young to have that much responsibility.”
“It does her great honor.”
“I know, but I wish she had the chance to be a child as well. I’m hoping that when we get back to Earth I can arrange to have both of them come and live with me.”
“You would assume the care of two other children with a child on the way? Without a male to provide for you?”
She glared at him. “I already told you I don’t need a male to provide for me.”
“And I suspect that the young female would assure me that she does not need help either.” Mganak frowned at her, then sighed and reached for her hand. “I mean no insult, mishka. I simply meant that it would be a difficult task with the approaching birth of your own child. But perhaps there are others who will help you?”
The question struck a nerve. She had lots of friends in town, and while she knew they would do what they could, they had their own lives and their own responsibilities. But she had known that when she made the decision to become a single parent. She forced a smile. “Yes,” she said shortly.
From the way he was studying her face, she wasn’t entirely sure that he believed her.
Darla reappeared, tugging Davy along behind her, and Mganak dropped the subject. Davy scowled suspiciously at the fruit. He was not a fan of anything new. But then Mganak showed him how to use the tool he had given him to cut the soft flesh into small cubes. After meticulously arranging the cubes by size, Davy actually ate his entire fruit.
In the meantime, Darla had consumed two more.
“Well, that was a success.” Wanda smiled at him. “What’s next on the menu?”
“I am making shol. It consists of meat and grain in a flavored broth.”
The children wandered off to the seating area, and Sagat followed them. Wanda remained where she was, watching as Mganak assembled their meal. He moved with deft efficiency, appearing relaxed and at ease in the kitchen.
“You enjoy cooking?” she asked
“I enjoy eating.” He flashed her a smile, and she realized it was the first time she had seen him look so carefree. “But yes, I also enjoy cooking. The ship has a replicator, of course, and a variety of prepared foods but whenever I am in port, I pick up fresh food. Do you like to cook?”
“I enjoy baking treats to take to the library for the children, but I’m guilty of picking up something fast and easy for most of my meals.”
“The library?”
“That was my job.” He nodded encouragingly, and she found herself telling him more about her life than she anticipated. He didn’t say much, but he listened attentively and asked more questions whenever she paused. By the time the words ran down, the meal was ready and she felt oddly lighter. It had helped to talk about her old life and how much she had enjoyed it.
“Everything is ready,” he said. “I will ask the other females to join us.”
“Perhaps you’d better let me do that.” She climbed a little awkwardly down from her stool. “Kareena is very shy.”
He frowned but didn’t say anything.
“Don’t tell me you have a problem with her because she’s a Vedeckian.”
“No,” he said slowly. “They do not have a good reputation, but I have never encountered any of their females before.”
“She’s a good person and has suffered just as much at their hands as we have.”
He nodded but didn’t look entirely convinced. She decided it wasn’t worth arguing about. It would only take a short time in Kareena’s company for him to realize how innocent she was.
When she knocked gently on the Vedeckian’s door, she found the other woman sitting perfectly still in the middle of her small bed.
“Mganak has prepared a meal for us,” Wanda said cheerfully. “It will be a nice change from protein bars.”
Kareena nodded but didn’t get up.
“Aren’t you going to join us?”
“It is allowed?”
“Of course it is. Why would you think anything else?”
Kareena raised a shoulder in a slight shrug. “My people are not often welcome.”
“Well you are welcome and you need to eat. You have to think about your baby.”
A wistful smile curved Kareena’s lips as she rose to her feet with an enviable amount of grace. “I do think about her. All the time. I just hope I get to keep her.”
Wanda’s heart ached but she forced herself to smile. “I’m sure this Patrol won’t let anyone take your baby away.”
“Perhaps. They don’t think much of Vedeckians either.”
“Then we’ll just have to convince them that you’re different,” she said firmly. “The lounge is at the end of the hall. I’m going to get Alicia and then I’ll join you.”