They were near a small town. Ella didn’t recognize the name, but the hint of trees on their crest gave way to a tourist town. What was even more interesting to Ella was the scent of food.
“We have to go down there.”
“There are too many humans.”
“Exactly, tourists, we’ll blend.” She looked at the three men who appeared doubtful. “Just, try to be human. You’ve all studied our culture, our ways. Put it to the test.”
Without waiting for an answer, she took Dhiro’s hand and led the way out of the forest. “Remember to smile. We’d just been on a wonderful hike. You think you can do that?” Ella asked, glancing back.
All three men smiled at her, and Dhiro’s was breathtaking.
Oh, dear.
A couple of human women were going to struggle with Trenu Zel men. Bronn and Kaalen were devastatingly handsome, just like her mate.
Coming through the clearing, she held Dhiro’s hand tightly, aware of the curious stares.
“I can’t believe how amazing that walk was. It’s everything you promised it would be,” she said, turning toward Dhiro. “Go along with me, okay?”
“Yes.” His hand had already gone to her ass and had pulled her close.
She leaned into his touch, pressing her lips to his, kissing him.
Bronn and Kaalen cleared their throats.
“Sorry,” she said.
“You’re on your honeymoon. Do not mind us,” Bronn said. He gave her a smile, and his gaze went past her shoulder.
Glancing in the direction he was looking, she saw a sign for newlyweds.
Great cover.
“Well, I don’t want my wife to starve any more than I’ve already made her.” Dhiro held her hand, and together, they moved toward the diner.
On the way there, a group of men stopped them.
“We saw you coming out of the forest. This is our third time here, and there are rumors there is a fountain of youth, have you seen it?” the blonde of the group asked.
She was about to open her mouth when Dhiro shook his head. “No, man, we couldn’t find it. My woman here wants to be young forever.”
Ella slapped him on the chest. “Oh, please, you wanted to get a picture of it to add to your increasing collection of natural beauties. It was a shame your camera dropped in the lake.”
Her heart raced. Dhiro looked so natural, like he’d been studying to be a human.
Of course, he had. It’s why he got you.
But before, he’d been stilted in his approach. Something was different now. She couldn’t exactly put her finger on what it was, but it was there.
They traded some of their priceless gems for cash, then the men shook their hands and promised to meet up if they were still in town. They took off into the forest.
Their broken ship was well concealed and a lot further than the town outskirts.
Natural was what they needed to be in order to survive.
Once they’d entered the diner, the scents rushed over, and she felt her mouth water. She was so hungry. They found a table for the four of them and slid into the chairs. Dhiro held hers out for her, kissing her on the temple before taking a seat.
“So, what’s the plan?” Kaalen asked. “It’s not like we can leave our … beauty to the natural forces.”
“We can’t be seen entering the forest with equipment either. Our ship is going to take a little more loving care than that.”
She sighed. “We’re going to have to find a private place to stay and move the … beauty to where we need it. It’s the only way.”
Glancing around the diner, she noticed a few women were looking toward her table, which was to be expected. Kaalen and Bronn were good-looking men, but Dhiro was so very taken. Her gaze landed on the view outside of the window, and she saw there was a pharmacy, the neon red sign calling to her.
A pregnancy test awaited her.
Chapter Nine
Dhiro counted his money as he walked down the street. His brothers weren’t far behind. They were able to trade their priceless rocks, so plentiful and common on Trenu Zel, for large amounts of Earth currency. Humans valued diamonds, emeralds, and just about every other gem he had on hand. Now his mission was to find a home for them to live in. If he had to spend his life on Earth to be with his mate, he wanted her comfortable.
It unnerved him, having all the humans staring at them. He kept thinking they knew too much, but they were likely just curious. Although they appeared human-like in appearance, there were differences, remarkably their size. There were many females, but none of them compared to Ella. She was the first human female he’d seen in the flesh and the only one he wanted for his mate.
“Hand it over!”
Dhiro turned to the left. A human male held a primitive handgun in his direction. “What are you saying? Hand what over?”
“The cash. All of it.”
A thief. Dhiro nodded to himself in thought. He had read about the rampant crime on Earth, including humans who stole from others. The entire idea perplexed him. “Why don’t you earn your own cash? This belongs to me.”
The gunman lunged forward, waving the gun at Dhiro’s face while attempting to snatch his handful of bills away from him. Dhiro did a quick peripheral check before moving into action, grabbing the weapon and turning it on the man with ease. He could break the human’s neck in two seconds flat. Instead, he unloaded the gun of bullets and tossed it into the brush.
As the man started to run off, Kaalen grabbed him by the scruff of the shirt, his feet dangling above the ground. “You’re going to let this miscreant free?”
Dhiro shrugged. “I don’t have time to deal with every criminal I come across. Calling the authorities is not an option, if you recall. It will only rouse attention. I will deal with each problem as it comes.”
Kaalen growled his displeasure before tossing the male aside like a sack of yiero peels.
They continued on their walk to the local drug store where Ella was shopping for supplies. He was grateful they’d landed near some of her modern conveniences rather than that unrelenting heat and scarcity of the red desert. He would get used to living here. There was no other choice in the matter.
She was already standing at the entrance when they arrived, a white paper bag in her arms. The sun highlighted her blonde hair and the beauty of her blue eyes. He couldn’t believe she belonged to him.
“Did you purchase what you required?” he asked.
Ella nodded. “Any luck on the house search?”
“We were distracted by a gunman trying to take our Earth currency.”
“First of all, don’t call it that. It’s money or cash. Secondly, you can’t flash money around. Not everyone has good intentions. In fact, most don’t, unfortunately. This is a tourist town, so it’ll be rife with criminals looking for easy opportunities.”
“Duly noted,” he said. “We will have to find temporary lodging for the night and continue our search for long-term quarters come morning.”
“Sounds good. My feet are killing me. I saw a few hotels at the end of this street. We can book for a couple of nights to be safe,” she said.
They continued onward, registering two rooms at a tourist hotel. The steward behind the desk said there was a pool, steam room, and gym. He wasn’t one hundred percent certain what they all were, but glad they had numerous amenities.