Enduring (Valos of Sonhadra Book 8) Read online

  I looked up at Ilena’s cold crystal face again. The only similarity I could see between us was the hair, nothing else.

  “She promised to create female mates in her likeness for us. When Rock brought you in that night, I thought that Ilena had somehow fulfilled that promise from beyond the grave,” he finished quietly.

  “Are you . . . disappointed, I was not created by her?”

  “What? Never. No, Zoya. I will always praise the higher powers that sent you our way.” His tone was strong with conviction. “You may look like her, but you are so wonderfully different in many ways—”

  Caught in the moment, fully absorbed by our conversation, I didn’t immediately hear the sound of Rock’s footsteps behind me. The skilled hunter that he was, he managed to silence the steps of his hard soles even on the cobblestones of the plaza.

  “You’re not supposed to be up for so long yet.” I heard his voice behind me a second before his strong arms grabbed me and lifted me up.

  “Rock! Oh, God, you scared me!” I cried, arms flailing in the air.

  “Rock? What rock?” He looked confused, and my face slowly flushed with heat once again.

  “She calls you Rock, you pebble brain.” Vlunn explained cheerfully. His smile so wide, it threatened to split his face in two.

  “Why?” Rock seemed to be only more puzzled.

  “You don’t get it? Well, maybe that’s why. Because you’re as dumb as a boulder!” Vlunn erupted in a hearty belly laugh that only grew louder as he caught the mortified expression on my face.

  “No!” I protested. “That’s not why! It’s not because you’re dumb . . . I mean, you are not dumb, Qlara ... Kral ...” If there ever was the time I could possibly get his name right, this was not it. Embarrassment tied my tongue.

  Frustrated, I gave up trying. “I’m so sorry! It’s just that your name is so, so difficult. I can roll Russian r’s with no problem. I get every subtle nuance of voice intonation in Mandarin. I imitate animal noises well enough to make rats understand me . . . but for the life of me, I cannot get your name right!”

  I had no equivalent for Russian, Mandarin and rats in their language, but I hoped they understood my point nevertheless.

  Vlunn continued to laugh his head off so hard tears sprang to his eyes. Still holding me in his arms, Rock tilted his head to catch my eye and lifted a brow ridge in question.

  “I call you Rock, because you can sort of turn into a rock,” I continued hesitantly, clutching the fur blanket to my chest. “Remember, in the valley? When you killed the brualdak . . . And then here too . . .” my voice trailed off.

  Finally, he grinned. “Rock?”

  I gave him a small smile in return, relieved that he didn’t appear offended or angry. I was not afraid of him, not anymore, but I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings.

  “You can call me anything you like, Zoya, even brualdak.” Holding me in his arms, he turned around suddenly, swinging me in the air.

  “I can’t call you that. You’re not furry enough!” I wrapped my arms around his neck and giggled, which only made him spin around faster until I pressed my head to his shoulder and broke into a full-on laugh myself.

  Vlunn was almost hysterical by now, guffawing with snorting noises that made it even funnier and extremely contagious.

  “Well, Rock it is then.” Rock’s deep chuckle above my ear joined in our joy.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so happy and carefree, laughing until my belly hurt. I was surprised I still knew how to laugh at all.

  Chapter 13

  Over the next several days, I visited Corfoha every chance I got and kept exploring the deserted streets. With the structures perfectly preserved, it felt like all inhabitants of the once thriving city just got up and left one day, even though I knew that it was not how it happened. They didn’t all leave at once. Instead, they died off one by one during the past millennium.

  Vlunn and Rock’s time was running out. I just hoped they had enough left to last my own lifetime.

  Every day I felt closer to them. If it weren’t for them, the idea of being away from civilization, from Earth, from everything I knew would have been terrifying. With them, my life on an alien planet was not only manageable, it was becoming enjoyable. As my body recovered from everything I’d been through, my soul also healed under the watchful, caring attention of my two aliens.

  Together, we explored some of the adjacent caves, which were somewhat smaller than the main one. Still, they all were spacious enough to accommodate several streets with a number of houses each.

  One afternoon, on a day when Rock didn’t need to go hunting, they took me to the cave with a huge, warm waterfall.

  The pool at the bottom was the one where they had bathed me while I was sick. It was deep, especially right under the waterfall. Large rocks lined the edge. Several of them were submerged in the water, making them perfect to sit on while taking a relaxing bath.

  “Oh, this is heaven,” I moaned, sitting on one of the flat rocks, my body fully submerged in the water, my arms spread wide along the edge of the pool. The water was a little warmer than a regular bath would be, heating my weary muscles thoroughly.

  Afterwards, I asked Vlunn and Rock to help me “take a shower.” I stood on a rock under the waterfall as the two of them held on to my arms, one on each side of me, making sure I didn’t get washed into the pool by the current rushing over me.

  I held my breath then spattered and gasped in the torrent. The strong stream hit my back and shoulders with power strong enough to make the impact almost painful, but I found something comforting and even soul-cleansing in the warm streams running down my skin.

  When they finally pulled me out of the waterfall, and I sat breathless, relaxed and elated on one of the rocks by the edge, they took a seat on each side of me. Their warm thighs touched my ankles as I hugged my legs up to my chest again, waiting for my skin to dry off a little.

  I smiled. “Thank you, guys. That was amazing. I’ll be coming here every day now.”

  “Any time you want,” replied Rock. “It’s your city. Just make sure at least one of us is with you if you want to do the waterfall shower again, to hold you.”

  “My city?”

  “We have no one else to leave it to.” Vlunn shrugged. “Corfoha has accepted you—she is yours.”

  “Leave it? Are you going somewhere?”

  “No.” Rock’s voice was firm. “No one is going anywhere. We’re all staying here.”

  “Do you miss your home?” Vlunn asked unexpectedly.

  I had thought less and less about Earth. The more I got used to the valos and this place the less I missed anything from back home at all.

  “I have no one to miss, Vlunn. My parents didn’t have any contact with me since I was very little. My aunt, who raised me, disowned me after my arrest. Sometimes I get homesick just for the place itself. I miss our apartment complex, my room, some foods, the way of life just a little, but I like being here with you now. Even if there was a possibility for me to return to Earth, I’m not sure I would want to do it. Besides,” I exhaled a short sad laugh, “I would be arrested again as soon as I set my foot back on Earth. There I’m still a criminal.” It didn’t matter that Jeremy was caught not long after my arrest. The fact that most of the money was found with him didn’t shorten my sentence and didn’t stop my transfer to the Concord.

  The water had quickly cooled on my skin, and I hugged myself tighter, shivering.

  “You’re cold.” Rock got up and fetched my fur blanket. As much as I loved it, it didn’t work well as a towel, the fur plastered against my still wet skin, without absorbing any moisture.

  “You never part with it,” noted Vlunn.

  “Yeah, well, if there is anything I miss from back home, it’s clothes.” I laughed on a sigh.

  “Really?” Vlunn looked outright shocked. “I don’t miss wearing clothes at all.”

  “You used to wear clothing?” Now it was my turn to
be surprised.

  “Until a few decades ago,” he nodded. “Clothes are a nuisance. They kept getting ripped to pieces every time we took our fighting form, and then you ended up running around naked anyway. After a while we wore them less and less and stopped making them. Now that it’s just Rock and I, it doesn’t matter if we’re dressed or not. We don’t feel cold, you know. Does it bother you that we’re naked?” he asked looking as if the thought had never entered his mind until now.

  Honestly? I inwardly rolled my eyes. Well, he hadn’t seen a woman for a thousand years. I could forgive him growing accustomed to strutting his stuff in the nude. The fact that I found his stuff so alluring was my problem, not his.

  “I wouldn’t want you to change your ways just because I’m here.” At the end of the day, having two tall, muscular, naked men to stare at all day was not the worse thing in the world. I imagined the sexual attraction I felt for them would have been easier to deal with if they were dressed, but I wasn’t going to dictate to them what to do in this case.

  “Your preference for nudity is your own business, Vlunn. I was thinking about asking Rock to keep the fur of whatever beast he brings in next. Maybe I could try making some clothes for myself.”

  “Would these work?” Rock held out several multicolored, bejeweled pieces of cloth. I hadn’t even noticed that he had stepped away while I was talking to Vlunn.

  “Where did you get these?” I took a large, dark-purple shawl out of his hands. It was soft and velvety, with scalloped edges and delicate gold thread embroidery in all four corners. I dropped my fur blanket to the floor and draped the soft velvet over my shoulders. It fell down to my knees, enveloping my whole body in luxurious comfort.

  “Ceremonial clothing.” Rock’s voice rumbled gruffly. “Not much survived the time. Just the rock around us and—these.” He pointed at the precious fabrics draped over his arm.

  “Corfoha belongs to you. So does everything inside it.” Vlunn’s tone was adamant.

  “I don’t have to have it. I can do without . . . ” I said hesitantly.

  The velvet felt wonderful against my body, but I sensed that ceremonial clothing must have held some special meaning for them. The last thing I wanted to do was to desecrate something sacred.

  “No, it’s all yours. There is a lot more in the vault at the temple. Robes, tunics, footwear, headpieces, combs.” Rock stroked my wet, tangled hair.

  I had been finger-brushing it ever since I got here. Having a real comb would definitely make things easier.

  “Ilena’s?” I asked, remembering that she, unlike valos, had hair.

  “Some of it was hers, but most are the items created by our artisans and used during celebrations and public ceremonies.” Vlunn fingered the shawl at my shoulder.

  “We’ll take you there. So you can look and choose for yourself.” Rock threw something to Vlunn. “These are for you.”

  Vlunn caught the piece in the air and held up a pair of loose, silk pants in a delicate shade of coffee-and-cream.

  “Pants?” He made a face that reminded me of a kid forced to eat his vegetables.

  “It’s no longer just you and I, is it?” Rock replied, his tone not allowing any arguments, and pulled on an identical pair of pants himself.

  Clutching the velvet shawl to my chest, I stared at the soft shimmering silk hanging low from his hips and flowing down his tree-trunk thighs like melted caramel, accentuating every well-defined muscle. How was it even possible that covering his nudity made his body only more tantalizingly appealing to me?

  I swallowed hard and peeled my gaze away from the creamy silk draped over the bulge between his legs.

  “You look . . . um . . . dashing.” I cleared my throat and pushed a small rock on the ground with my toe. “Let’s go see the vault?”

  The room was inside one of the largest buildings at the plaza. According to my valos, the entrance had been sealed since shortly after Ilena’s death. Whatever technology she had used to preserve the things inside, along with the lack of light and oxygen in the room, kept everything intact.

  The clothes were gorgeous. Rich colors, luxurious fabrics. Most were heavily embroidered and bejeweled, and all were way too big for me.

  I was very excited to have clothes again, even though after spending so much time in my birthday suit, the touch of the cloth against my skin felt rather foreign to me now.

  “We’ll have to alter them to fit you better.” Vlunn pinched in the gold silk of the tunic I tried on. “But they would do.”

  “These are beautiful. Thank you so much!” I smiled and twirled around once, looking at myself in a large mirror hanging on the wall.

  The clothes were undeniably beautiful. My own reflection, on the other hand, seemed strange and barely familiar. This was the first time I had a chance to take a good look at myself.

  Despite being fed regularly, I still appeared rather malnourished, with sunken cheeks and deep shadows under my eyes. The thin fabric of the tunic I had on clung to my protruding hip bones and exposed my sharp collarbones. My red hair looked pale and dull, just like my skin. Still, I imagined I looked better now, after all this time recovering with the valos. My appearance on the day of the crash must have been outright ghastly.

  The only thing that was full of life was the expression in my eyes. Almost too large for my emaciated face, my eyes were lit up from the inside by the huge smile I had.

  “You’re beautiful.” Vlunn wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.

  “You make these things look gorgeous.” Rock stroked my arm.

  These guys are delusional!

  Yet a warm blush of pleasure heated my cheeks all the same.

  Chapter 14

  During the next few days, Vlunn helped me alter and remodel several tunics, robes and pants to fit my size, and we ended up putting together a small wardrobe of things for me to wear. I had to get used to having something against my skin again, but the luxurious satin and velvet definitely made it easier.

  The luscious colors of my new clothes, combined with the rich embroidery and gemstone decorations, made them the most beautiful things I had ever owned. I marveled at the high level of valo craftsmanship, admiring the intricate details.

  I hoped that all of us wearing clothes would also add a little more formality between the valos and I, helping me to steer my thoughts back into the friendship zone.

  My hopes were dashed pretty quickly. I found my valos extremely attractive, and no amount of clothing on them could change that for me. The silk pants that they both now wore through the day suited them well and only added more exotic appeal for me.

  I loved the picture that the two of them created, lounging in the furs by the fire after dinner. The soft silk of their loose, harem-style pants draped artfully around their strong thighs, tapering at their shins. The gem-embroidered waistbands sat low on their hips, exposing the hard muscles of their midsections.

  They reminded me of two proud sultans in some wild, alien fantasy of the Orient. And I struggled with the mess of my romantic feelings and sexual attraction for them more than ever. As much as my heart and soul felt at peace around them, my body craved more.

  Spending day after day with Vlunn made me grow strongly attached to him, way beyond mere physical attraction. His presence comforted me. He’d become my home. If he was near me, it meant that everything was right in the world, and when he happened to step away, I couldn’t help feeling restless until the moment he came back.

  And then, there was Rock, who was still a mystery to me. Between his frequent absences and generally more taciturn nature, I still hardly knew him. He’d been nothing but courteous to me, just as attentive to my needs as Vlunn, if not more so at times, but instead of the warm familiarity I enjoyed with Vlunn, I felt tension combined with a strong sexual pull whenever Rock was around.

  The heated looks from his red glowing eyes under the heavy brow made me tingle all over. I waited with impatience and nervous anticipation
for his return from the hunt in the evenings. I loved the male smell of sweat, fresh air, and adventure that lingered on his skin when he came back. I cherished the look of pure pleasure that melted his harsh features the moment his gaze fell on me upon his return.

  I had assumed that because I wasn’t the valo mate created for one of them, their initial excitement around me would wane eventually. Now, I wasn’t sure what to think when I caught the heavy looks of gold and crimson cast my way.

  The interest from both men felt exciting, and at the same time it confused and even worried me.

  What did it mean? The two were a couple, without a doubt. I witnessed their unwavering commitment in the way they behaved towards each other every day. Yet it didn’t seem to stop their interest in me.

  True, their signs of attention hadn’t gone far past those looks for now. Still, I wondered how they expected me to behave. If I returned the affection of one, provided I could even choose which one—a huge dilemma on its own—how would it make the other one feel? I couldn’t bear even the slightest possibility of hurting either one of them.

  Would they expect me to choose, though? Or would they let me have them both? From what they had told me, each Stone Valo—not a couple—was meant to be mated to one woman.

  Well, they had already broken that rule by pairing with each other. Hadn’t they? Would they be fine with including me in their union, without breaking it?

  Was that what I wanted? To be shared between them?

  I loved spending time with both of them. The desire and the affection I felt for both were real. However, I severely lacked not only personal experience, but even having a proper frame of reference to use in this case.

  Obviously, the rules on morals and ethics drilled into me by Aunt Judie most of my life were not helping here. Maybe there was a reason why most of relationships on Earth were between two people only? Was it possible to have a relationship with two men where everyone felt equal and happy?