Taurex #2
The little girl looked at his enormous palm for a moment, then put her much smaller hand into it with complete confidence.
“I’m Lisa.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Lisa.”
She studied him solemnly for perhaps three seconds. Then she announced,
“I had a dream about you.”
Taurex went very still. So the dreams had gone both ways. That happened sometimes, when a fated mate was found, but he hadn’t been sure it would happen with Terra’s family.
Terra seemed taken aback.
“You what, honey?” she asked her daughter.
“I dreamed about him.” Lisa pointed at Taurex with her free hand. “He was sitting in our yard, and I was climbing on him.”
A strange warmth spread through Taurex’s chest. He’d dreamed the same thing, and it had filled him with longing–longing not only for a mate but for a family. A little brood he could protect and provide for.
“Did you now?” he asked softly.
Lisa nodded vigorously.
“I was holding your horns.”
Before Taurex could respond, Cody stepped forward from behind his mother.
“I did too,” he said. “I dreamed about the Bull-man too.”
Terra looked from one child to the other.
“You both dreamed about Taurex?”
Cody nodded.
“Mine was different, though. We were outside somewhere, and he was showing me stars. Telling me which ones he’d been to.”
Taurex felt the breath catch in his throat–again, the dreams. And this one was a shared dream for hadn’t he also dreamed of looking at the stars with Cody?
He looked at Terra, but she was staring at her children in confusion and clearly had no idea what any of it meant.
Taurex decided not to explain–not yet. It might upset her if he tried to tell her she was his fated mate. Slowly. He had promised himself he would take things slowly.
Cody had come closer now and he was staring openly at Taurex’s horns.
“Can I touch your horns?” he asked curiously.
“Cody!” Terra exclaimed, her embarrassment apparently reaching new heights. “You can’t just ask people if you can touch parts of them. I raised you better than that!”
Taurex raised one hand.
“Do not worry. I am not offended.”
Terra looked at him helplessly.
“Are you sure?”
“Quite sure.”
He turned back to Cody and ducked his head.
“You may touch my horns if you wish.”
The boy’s face brightened.
“Thanks!”
Taurex remained on one knee and lowered his head even more.
Cody approached cautiously and reached out one hand, running his fingertips over the smooth outer curve of Taurex’s left horn. The boy’s eyes widened.
“Cool! Just like a real bull!”
“Cody…” Terra sighed.
“What? It’s cool, Mom. And the Bull-man doesn’t mind.”
Taurex laughed again.
“I am pleased you approve of my horns.”
“Are they heavy?” Cody wanted to know.
Taurex shook his head.
“Not to me.”
“Can you feel it when I touch them?”
“Yes, though not as strongly as you would feel someone touching your skin.”
“Do they grow?”
“They did when I was younger. Now they are as big as they will get.”
“What happens if one breaks?”
“Cody, maybe don't interrogate him,” Terra said.
Taurex shook his head.
“The boy is curious–I don’t mind.”
He answered several more questions about his horns and then finally straightened to his full height. Both children tipped their heads back to continue looking at him.
Lisa gasped.
“You’re really tall.”
“I have been told this,” Taurex told her gravely.
“How tall are you?” she asked.
“A little under eight of your Earth feet.”
Cody let out a low whistle.
“That’s as tall as the tallest basketball player! Do you like to play basketball?”
Terra folded her arms and gave Taurex a “what can you do?” face.
“I'm beginning to think bringing you here was a mistake. They're never going to stop asking questions now.”
“I enjoy questions,” Taurex told her. “And I like younglings.”
The smile she gave him made his chest feel unexpectedly light.
Then he remembered the older woman waiting on the porch and turned toward her.
“And who is this lovely lady?” he asked, nodding to her. “Could this be your sister, Terra?”
Terra’s mother smiled immediately.
“Oh, now I know why my daughter likes working for you.”
“Mom!” Terra exclaimed, but she was trying to hide a grin.
The older woman ignored her and came down the steps.
“I’m Lucy. Terra’s mother,” she said and held out her hand.
Taurex took it carefully, mindful of how fragile she was. Her hand was small and slightly cool inside his and as he looked into Lucy’s eyes, he saw the concern there. It was the same expression she had worn in his dreams–a mother worried for her child.
Taurex understood that instinct perfectly.
“I am honored to meet you,” he told her.
“Well, I’ve heard quite a lot about you,” she said smiling.
“Hopefully some of it favorable,” Taurex said gravely.
Her smile widened.
“Oh, mostly.”
“Mom.” Terra gave her mother a warning look and Taurex found himself amused again. Then he became serious.
“I know you are concerned about Terra traveling so far from Earth.”
Lucy’s smile faded slightly.
“Well…yes. I suppose I am. I know people travel in space all the time since the Kindred came, but Mars still sounds awfully far away.”
“It is far,” Taurex agreed. “But I vow to keep your daughter safe. I know you worry for her safety, but I promise you that I will guard her with my life.”
Lucy’s eyes widened and she put a hand to her chest.
“Oh, my–well, thank you.”
Behind her, Terra made a small, strangled sound.
Taurex glanced at her and saw that her face had gone pink. Had he said something wrong?
Lucy, however, appeared pleased.
“You’re a very gentlemanly man, aren’t you?” she said.
Taurex wasn’t entirely certain what qualified a male as gentlemanly, but he suspected it was a compliment.
“I try to behave honorably,” he said, which was true.
“That’s more than I can say for some men,” Lucy remarked, frowning.
Terra shot her mother a look.
“Mom.”
Lucy shrugged.
“What? I didn’t mention anybody by name.”
Taurex smothered a smile. He had a fairly good idea who she meant. She was speaking of Terra’s ex-mate, Jackson.
His feelings toward Terra’s former mate were becoming increasingly hostile despite the fact that he had never met the male.
Any male who abandoned his younglings and refused to provide for them was dishonorable enough.
A male who also spent years diminishing the female he had pledged to cherish was even worse.
Clearly bored with the adult talk, Lisa had moved past them and was circling the golden shuttle, staring at her reflection in the polished side panel. Cody was right behind her, also completely fascinated.
“Can we see inside?” he called. “I want to see inside the Bull-man’s car!”
Terra gave Taurex an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry–you don’t have to show them.”
He shook his head.
“I do not mind. Younglings are naturally curious.”
He opened the passenger-side door and immediately both children rushed to look.
Cody leaned inside first.
“Whoa! Look at all the instruments!”
The interior was larger than it appeared from the outside because the shuttle used dimensional compression technology—something Taurex had learned that humans found deeply confusing.
The seats were arranged in two rows and adapted automatically to the size and anatomy of the occupant.
The forward control panel curved around the driver’s position and glowed faintly with golden symbols.
Lisa had already climbed halfway inside.
“Where’s the steering wheel?” she wanted to know.
“There is no wheel–there is the steering yoke,” Taurex told her.
Cody pointed.
“That?”
“Yes.” Taurex nodded.
“Can your car really fly?”
“Yes.”
Taurex nodded again.
“How fast?”
Taurex gave him the figure and the boy’s eyes got wide.
“That’s not even possible.”
“It is with my ship and with Monstrum technology,” Taurex told him.
“Can it go into space?” Lisa asked.
“That is its primary purpose.”
Cody looked at his sister.
“This is the coolest thing ever.”
Lisa nodded solemnly.
“Way cooler than Mom’s car.”
Terra put both hands on her hips, her lips twitching with a smile.
“Hey. My car is doing its best.”