Page 20 of Kenan's Mate
Like hell they do. I shake my head in a show of disagreement.
“Only a handful of the females you saw had been beaten recently, and, yes, those who were took a hard beating. When one of our mates errs or disobeys in some way, the honorable thing to do is punish the female. To leave her unpunished, would mean the male cares nothing for her behavior. The recently punished females you saw today were not unhappy in the least. Most of them chose not to wear clothing in town because it’s honorable to publicly admit their mistakes to make atonement for their transgressions. I doubt any of the males forced them to walk about without their clothes. Rather, it’s the female’s choice.”
I feel sick. How can this be the world and the culture I’m now part of? I glance away from Kenan and focus on the water rippling by the boat. A group of tiny fish flits across the surface and tickles my hand still dangling in the water. I gasp and cradle my hand in my lap, ever aware while tiny fish on Earth aren’t usually dangerous, that might not be the case on Tallia.
Kenan scoots closer and reaches for my hand. He stokes the water droplets off my palm and smiles at me. When he’s smiling, he looks ten years younger than…however old he is.
“Relax. Those are callednovostos, and they are completely harmless.”
Compared to mine, his hand is huge and so very red. Sweat trickles down my temples, and for a moment, I fear I might burn out in the middle of the lake where I’m unprotected from the sun’s rays, but then I recall the ozone of Tallia is thick. The brochures said most people never got a tan, let alone suffered a burn, even if they spent day after day in the sun.
The breeze picks up and I inhale the salty air that holds a hint of seaweed and a fresh, fragrant aroma reminiscent of tulips. Most of the lakes on Tallia are salt lakes and contain as great a variety of life as an Earth ocean.
Had my life gone according to plan, three years from now I would be helping to catalog hundreds, if not thousands, of new species. While I hadn’t been terribly excited by the prospect of such tedious work, I had looked forward to making Tallia my home. Now I must rely on tidbits of information from Kenan regarding the plant and animal life of this world.
He guides the boat toward the shore on the other side of the lake, still keeping my hand in his. He rubs soft circles on my palm, eliciting little shivers from me despite the blazing heat and humidity.
If he hadn’t stolen my voice, I would ask what the large blue birds soaring overhead are called. I might also ask more about his station as a prince on this mountain. Compared to the last remaining royal families on Earth, he seems quite hands-on and approachable to his people. Rather than call a dressmaker to his home, he visited the market himself, and he strides through the town without any kind of entourage.
The shore grows closer and I squint as a new dock comes into sight. Smaller than the first one, it also isn’t as crowded. Only about a dozen Kleaxian males are walking to and fro, hauling large nets of fish and other lake creatures over their shoulders, off the waiting boats. I shoot Kenan a surprised look when we pass the dock.
“We’re having lunch at a lakefront restaurant owned by my friend, Marsalit,” he explains.
An excited flutter stirs in my stomach when he squeezes my hand before releasing it to carefully guide our boat to a tiny dock in front of the restaurant. A young Kleaxian boy runs up to secure our boat to a post, and Kenan rises with the end of my leash in his hand. Kindness gleams in his eyes and he gives the length a playful tug.
“The sooner you accept Kleaxian ways, Laylah, the happier you will be.”
I want to believe him, but I also don’t want to surrender to a way of life I find fundamentally wrong.
He helps me onto the dock and then steps in front of me, once again guiding me by the leash. After all I’ve seen in the town, I’m not as sullen and outraged as I was several hours ago, when he’d first pulled the leash from his pocket. At least I don’t have to wear it at home, and though I’ve only been with Kenan for two days, it appears I’m allowed to have the run of the house.
“Come, my mate, and I’ll take you to my usual table.”
Chapter Nine
By the time we return to Kenan’s house, night has fallen.
Stars sparkle across the velvet black sky, the two orange moons making a grand appearance on the horizon before rising overhead. The forest buzzes with the activity of nocturnal animals and insects, but I feel completely safe at Kenan’s side. Given his size and strength, I have no doubt he could defeat any predatory creature who calls this planet home, and I don’t even flinch when an occasional growl rumbles out from the trees.
He’ll protect me from every danger except himself.
As we cross the patio, I reflect on our day. After lunch in the lakeside restaurant, he’d taken me on a long tour of the waters of Carmuit. There were several large islands, all thick with vegetation but with inviting beaches. Several times, Kenan paused to speak with the occupants of passing boats, even introducing me to some of his warriors who were apparently patrolling the lake. He patiently translated the words of his men, not making me feel stupid in the least for not understanding his tongue. To my astonishment, the soldiers had smiled at me and welcomed me to Tallia. None of them seemed surprised when I didn’t give an audible reply and simply nodded in response to their salutations.
Had I been a human male, they would have slaughtered me on the spot. But I’m a female, and lucky me, instead of being taken as a slave—as Kenan mentioned some of the females would be used for—I’ve been taken as a mate. I don’t ask why some human females will be taken as slaves rather than mates, but I suspect those who are past the point of bearing children will be forced to serve the Kleaxians in other ways.
This thought saddens me, but the battle is over and the humans have lost. There’s nothing to be done now, but hope and pray and try to obey our new masters.
Kenan removes the leash before we enter his house, and I rub my neck, grateful to be free of the slight weight reminding me of his ownership. He tucks the leash in his pocket and guides me into a sitting room, where he gestures for me to sit on a large, plush velvet couch.
“Dinner will be served shortly,” he declares, standing over me. “You will wait here until I return for you. Do you like music?”
His question catches me by surprise.
“Music,” he repeats when I take too long to respond. “Do you enjoy listening to music?”
Since I can’t yet speak, I nod, then think of the latest albums I’d downloaded on my phone on Earth and wonder what kind of music a Kleaxian enjoys. I haven’t the faintest idea.
He strides to a table against the far wall and touches a small clear box that glows to life. From my spot on the couch, I think I glimpse symbols on the box, or perhaps it’s his language. After tapping the object a dozen times, a soothing melody fills the room, the acoustics surrounding me, though I don’t see speakers anywhere in the walls.
