Chapter 4
They had arrived on the planet at seven and Leader Toro had someone waiting to show Teagan to a room so that she could change. She wasn’t sure about the outfit that was laid out for her. There had been five but this one was the most modest of them.
It was a soft ivory-colored flowing dress with one shoulder strap. It reached down to her feet but was so sheer she worried that it would show too much of her body. Using another much thinner material as a type of slip, she put the white dress on top of it. The shoes were pretty little sandals.
Toro had also sent two females to help her get ready, which she didn’t need. It was weird having someone trying to help her bathe or put on clothes. She shooed them away but did let them help with her hair. The Balar women, like the Katierans, didn’t wear makeup or underclothing. They watched her with avid curiosity as she applied a little of her red lipstick and some of her eyeshadow and blush. Normally she didn’t bother with it but tonight she wanted to look beautiful. The Balar women laughed good-naturedly, calling her a painted beauty. They did find the lipstick particularly pretty so she helped them apply some. It wasn’t like they needed help looking more gorgeous than they already were.
Now, an hour after arriving, she was escorted by the nice women to the banquet hall. Her nerves were getting to her. The women next to her were tall with athletic builds and lighter blue complexions than their male counterparts. To her they were exotic beauties but they assured her that she was the exotic beauty on their planet. Teagan wasn’t sure if she wanted to stick out like a sore thumb.
Two blue warriors stood at the entrance of the banquet and opened the door for her and the other women. She entered and paused to take in the breathtaking view. The banquet area was an open-air room that looked like a huge, wide gazebo. The roof of the gazebo was made out of glass so you could look up and see the stars.
“So beautiful.”
“Yes…you are.”
She shivered hearing LemAN’s deep voice behind her. She turned and gasped at seeing him. He was wearing different clothing. His pants were white and he had on a shirt with no buttons that hung open, exposing his bare chest. Teagan wanted to run her hands up and down that firm, muscular body.
“Hi.”That sounded pathetic.“You look—”Don’t say hot, don’t say hot.“Good.”
“Leader Toro’s people insisted that I change as well. I’m not sure about this. I admit I don’t feel entirely comfortable without my uniform.”
Teagan smiled at his unease. “I bet you have your weapon with you, though.”
“Of course I do. I wouldn’t be a good warrior if I didn’t keep my weapon handy.”
Soft music playing caught her attention. There were people dancing slowly in the center of the room. She looked up at him. “Do you want to dance?”
“No.”
She frowned at his decisiveness. Maybe he didn’t know how. She was about to ask him but caught sight of Toro coming her way.
Teagan had to admit he was a handsome man, even if he was blue. He wore the same type of white clothing as everyone else at the banquet. The only difference was the beautiful blue and gold weaving on his lapels, which she assumed reflected his status. His black hair was pulled back in a man bun and his biceps displayed to his advantage.
Toro smiled at her while giving her appearance his approval. “You look lovely, little Teagan.” He bent and took her hand to bring it up to his lips.
“Thank you. You look handsome.”
He lingered a little longer than necessary. Teagan was surprised when she heard LemAN growl from behind her. Was he feeling okay? He seemed to do that a lot.
“Teagan, my lovely, please dance with me,” Toro asked, pulling her hand and moving toward the dance floor.
“I guess so.” She glanced once more back at LemAN and watched as his face showed anger before it went blank.
“Is your room to your liking?” Toro asked.
“What?”
“Your room, is it to your liking?”
“Yes, but I won’t be in it long. I hope you didn’t go to a lot of trouble.”
“I was hoping that you and the commander would be staying overnight. We have an early morning meeting to discuss what we found.” Toro pulled her around into his arms and swayed with her.
“Oh, well then, I guess I’ll be staying.”
She let him pull her tighter against him. It was nice being held. She hadn’t had that in a long time and, with LemAN pushing her away, it was good to feel a man’s arms around her.
“Are you and the commander together?”
