AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The smile on Thorn’s gruesome face somehow appears so normal I can’t help but smile back at him in return. He looks so handsome with that tray in his hands. “Thank you,” I say as I step aside and let him move past. “In fact, thank you for everything you’ve done for me today. You saved my life earlier. The first thing I should have said back in the med lab when I woke up was thank you for saving my life. I’m sorry for being so rude and not saying that right away. I’m kind of a mess, I’ve been through so much.”
He enters and I close the door behind him. “Do not be concerned. Right now, I want you to eat and sleep. And then you’ll start to feel normal.”
“That smells so good. What is it?”
“Sit on the bed and I’ll hand this to you so you can taste.”
I do as he says, feeling spoiled. How did I get so lucky to meet someone like Thorn Flagstone? Why couldn’t I have met him first when I arrived on the planet instead of the others?
I sit fully on the bed with my back propped against the pillows.
Thorn places the tray on my lap. “I want you to eat this,” he orders. “This is all Hyrrokin food, but I know that humans have very blunt teeth. I got you the tenderest meat, the meat we feed children.”
I laugh. “This is a children’s meal?”
“Yes. You must be thirsty, so I also brought you water.” He places a very large container of water and a cup on the nightstand. “When you’re done place this tray outside your door and the cleaning bot will come and get it. Sleep for as long as you need.”
“I will,” I yawn. “Thank you.”
“Try it,” he insists. “I want to confirm before I leave that this is acceptable to you, because if it is not, I’ll go back and get you something else that is.”
I pick up a meat stick and take a tentative bite. I’ve eaten lots of Hyrrokin food since my arrival and have found most of it burnt and not to my liking. But this meat is much different. It’s soft and flavorful. “Oh, it’s really good,” I say honestly. “I can definitely finish this. This is literally the best meat I’ve ever eaten.”
“Good.” He nods. “I will leave you now to finish in peace. I want to warn you that my brothers are coming later. I told them earlier to wait because you need to rest. But when you waken there might be two other males here and I don’t want you to be surprised.”
My brow furrows.
“Do not worry,” he says and steps closer. “I will not let any harm come to you, and my brothers, once they meet you, will vow the same. You will have two more Flagstones on your side,” he grins.
I take a deep breath. My stomach growls again. “Stay with me,” I offer, “while I eat. You don’t have to leave. We can share this meal and eat together.”
His eyes soften. “No, female. You are more tired than you realize. Eat,” he says gently. “Eat and rest.”
And then he exits the room.
Chapter 5
Thorn
Mica Roberts is fed and sleeping in my guest room.
A long, deep sleep is exactly what she needs. The female could barely keep her eyes open.
A few hours ago, I left her in the guest room to clean and change because her torn clothing was making her uncomfortable.
I went to the barracks to prepare her lunch. The rest of the males who’d arrived for midday meal wanted to help but I shoved them aside with a snarl and a puff of smoke. Newl offered to fix a meal for her and bring it across to her room. “No,” I snarled. “Only I will prepare Mica’s food and cut it for her. No one else.” They all looked at me strangely but left me alone, which is all I really wanted.
I rarely use the brand-new kitchen in my own newly built home because I can’t cook and the only food dispenser is in the barracks. This wasn’t a hardship when Contica was the head cook because she made amazing hot meals and desserts for all of us and the dispenser was rarely needed. But now that I have to live off Newl’s barely edible grub, I use it much more.
I lived with the males in the barracks when I first arrived on the ranch after I inherited this section of Flagstone land. Theoutbuildings and barn were built first and my domicile was the last thing to be constructed. I shared a cabin with Burl for many months until my dream home was finally finished.
My brothers tease because my domicile is much larger than either of theirs.
Sten lives in the house that our ancestors built on the original Flagstone Ranch. He’s the younger brother and inherited the large and comfortable ranch house we all grew up in, the one my parents lived in until recently. They retired and bought a small house in town that they both enjoy. I tease Sten and tell him he inherited the easiest portion because he’s the spoiled youngest offspring. But in reality, neither Rake nor I are jealous. Being in charge of the ancestral ranch also means he’s in charge of the yearly Flagstone family reunion held on the property. Bound ceremonies of other family members often take place there. Basically, there is a lot of socializing that happens with the ancestral ranch and I want none of that. But Sten doesn’t mind in the least—he thrives in social situations. Therefore, he’s a perfect fit as the proprietor of the main ranch.
Rake built his ranch house by hand because he enjoys that kind of thing. He is quiet and ten years my senior and only speaks when directly spoken to, or when relaying important information. Rake was given a parcel long ago to work, and he lived on a small cabin amongst his crew for most of those years. He only recently created his own domicile, as if readying for a female. I didn’t realize mine was that big compared to theirs until it was complete. I didn’t desire to build it by hand myself. I thought it’d be a good idea to have craftsman come in. Rake wanted to help but I figured he was too busy with his own house. And I enjoyed working with an architect and figuring out exactly what would be where.
Sten’s future family will live amongst our ancestry in his home. And if Rake ever takes a bound and starts a line, hisfamily will live in a domicile he created with his own two claws. But I did it my way and I feel it is complete.
