Page 22
“It’s delicious.” She took a few more bites before giving him a curious look. “Did your mother make this when you were a child?”
His mood started to darken, as it usually did when he was reminded of his childhood and his lack of parents. His lack of any family. It was unusual for a Vaxxlian orphan to end up in a group home, though not entirely unheard of. But he tried to summon an aura of calm as he held Holly’s gaze. It wasn’t her fault he’d had no one but the caretaker of the group home growing up. It wasn’t her fault he’d never known what it was like to have caring parents.
He took a deep breath. “I never knew my mother, or my father for that matter. But the caretaker at the orphanage where I was raised used to make this dish. Sometimes I would help her pick the vegetables from the garden.”
Her face fell. “Oh. Oh, Errik. I-I am sorry for asking about your mother. I didn’t realize…” Her voice trailed off, and she gave him a compassionate look that thankfully wasn’t pitying.
He didn’t want anyone’s pity, not even his mate’s.
“It is all right,” he said, deciding it might be best to get this subject out of the way. “My parents died not long after I was born. I don’t remember them. And since both my parents were only children, both sets of my grandparents were already dead, and no one else in my hometown was willing to take me in, I was sent to a group home. The caretaker, an elderly female named Florez, was a kind woman. I lived there until the age of eight, at which point I began warrior training, so I went to live at the local barracks.”
Her eyes widened. “Eight years old? You left to go live in the barracks and start warrior training when you were only eight years old?”
“Yes, I did.”
Her expression quickly became troubled. “If we ever have a son, will he be expected to leave home to begin warrior training at such an early age?”
“Yes, but we would be able to visit him, just as he would be able to visit us and even spend the night at home on occasion. It is important that we grow our numbers and train the next generation of warriors to be skilled and fearsome in battle. It is our way. All Vaxxlian males are expected to complete warrior training.”
“Hmm,” was all she said.
She pushed the food on her plate around with the utensil, peeking up at him from beneath her thick, dark eyelashes. He sensed her displeasure with his statement, but he would not allow her to keep their sons at home beyond the age of eight. Warrior training was an important part of life.
He spared a thought for his destroyed homeworld of Vaxxlia. More than ever, training the next generation of warriors was vital to the protection of New Vaxx.
He cleared his throat. “Tell me about your upbringing.”
“Well, I grew up in a small town on the East Coast of the United States. I had loving parents and an older brother who always looked out for me… but…”
“But what?” He leaned forward, eager for every little piece of information she might divulge about herself.
“It was a perfectly nice town. I had friends, good neighbors, and I attended an excellent school. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve always felt restless. I always tried to convince my parents to take us on exotic vacations but settled on short road trips because that was all we could afford. Eventually, once I graduated high school and saved up some money working as a waitress, I was able to purchase my RV.”
He stared at her, utterly shocked by her mention of restlessness.
Perhaps they had something in common.
But what would he do if she felt restless in their new home in Starzzia? What if she wished she could hop in her silver abode and drive away from him? Never mind that she’d left the RV on Earth…
He tried to push his worries away, striving for a neutral expression so she wouldn’t think anything was amiss. The last thing he wanted was for her to shut down and stop talking about herself. He still wanted to know all there was to know about her. Her likes and dislikes. Her favorite everything.
“How long did you spend traveling around North America in your RV?” he asked.
“About five years. The last two years especially have been rough. You know, with the war and all. I tried keeping to rural areas to avoid the fighting as much as possible. But as you already know, that didn’t quite work out.”
“New Vaxx is a beautiful planet that contains many exotic locations we can visit together,” he found himself saying, desperate to please her. Desperate to make her want to stay. “We can take my cruiser into the mountains and go exploring. We can visit every continent on the planet if you wish.” Of course, he would need to schedule those trips around his warrior training. He fully intended to join Commander Draevan’s unit upon his return to New Vaxx.
“That sounds great, Errik. Thank you. I can’t wait.” She smiled. “But we don’t have to take off immediately. I kind of like the idea of getting settled in Starzzia first. It’s been a long time since I’ve stayed in one place. As much as I like exploring… well, making a home on a new planet is its own sort of adventure.”
It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t told her exactly where they would live in the main settlement on New Vaxx.
“I purchased a large, fully furnished home on the edge of Starzzia that I hope you will like,” he said. “It has a view of the forest and the snow-capped mountains, and there are several shopping districts within easy walking distance.”
“That sounds perfect. I can’t wait to see it.”
Another thought abruptly occurred to him. “Your parents. Your brother. Are they….” He let his words fade when her eyes filled with sadness. “Oh, my darling mate. I am sorry.”
“It’s okay. It happened a while ago.” She shrugged one shoulder. “My hometown got caught in the crossfire when the rebels clashed with government forces. Hardly anyone survived. My parents’ bodies were pulled from the rubble.”
