Knollig: A Terraneu Novel ( Book 2) Read online

  That caught Mairi’s full attention and she broke in, “What do you mean ‘back on Earth’?”

  Amber stopped in mid sentence. “Oh, that’s right. I need to start at the beginning.” She grasped Mairi’s hand and squeezed, “I don’t know how much of an imagination you have but…Mairi, you are not on Earth anymore. We brought you here to Terraneu…” she waved around the room, “Well, it was a deal we worked out with your grandfather.” Amber was trying to find the words, when Knollig stepped forward.

  “Mairi do you recall that you were gravely ill?” he asked gently and Mairi’s eyes swung to him.

  “Yes.” She answered hesitantly, she would never forget the feeling of helplessness, frustration and pain. The lost hope for a life she hadn’t lived to the fullest. “I remember.”

  “Do you recall your last moments on Earth, thinking maybe it was dream?” Amber asked. So Mairi’s eyes swung back to her.

  “I remember my grandfather saying something about an adventure. Then he was saying good-bye and I felt an awful pulling sensation, then I blacked out. When I woke up, there were strange people around me. You were there Amber, and you Kniam. Some weird, giant, ant person thing.” Mairi looked back to Knollig her voice thickening, “You were also there. I remember you saying something, but I didn’t understand you.”

  “That is because we had yet to perform the medical fix on you. I was speaking my language, not having learned English. With the medical treatment you received you are able to speak and understand my language now. It will seem to you as if you are speaking your native dialect.” He smiled warmly, and her insides melted.

  “We need to explain why you are here, where you are, and what the medical unit has done.” Knollig sat on the other side of her bed. She now had Amber on one side, and him on the other. Mairi just tilted her head slightly to indicate he should continue.

  “First thing is where you are. This is a planet the original fathers named Terraneu. We are actually descended from a very distant Earth civilization. Our original fathers were sent out to search for a planet to colonize. They were given a port pad that connected to Earth and were to use that portal when a suitable planet was found. By the time they tried to reach Earth and bring more people here, there was no answer. We were left on this planet with no way to contact Earth.” Knollig paused and Amber jumped in.

  “What you might have picked up on was the ‘original fathers’ part. When they left Earth, with no idea of how long they would be in space…well they didn’t bring any women! All of the men went through a genetic cleansing so to speak, which turned off their sexual desire. The only thing able to turn the genetic switch back on, is an Earth female’s pheromone. Not just any pheromone though, it has to be strong…and how shall I put this…of a sexual nature.” Amber was blushing again and her mate stepped up against her side.

  “Without females here on Terraneu we had to survive using the only other means at our disposal. The original fathers had been given a limited supply of cloning eggs, for use in an emergency. They had been stripped of all DNA, so we used those eggs to clone ourselves in cycles. We are at the last of our supply.” Kniam gestured to Knollig to continue.

  “Six months ago, a primate was captured on Antilles. That is the place you saw all of us standing around the giant ant thing…his name is complicated to pronounce, Amber calls him Zerxix.” Knollig reached out and gently held her hand. When she didn’t pull away, he continued, “The Antilleans had no need for the primate, and it was bartered to us. Only it was not a primate. It was Amber in winter clothes, we mistook for fur. She had fallen onto the port pad outside your grandfathers B&B in Scotland and activated the port pad. After a misunderstanding…” Knollig eyed Kniam, “Amber was placed in the medical unit, just as you have been. The medical unit will take a genetic blueprint, and create the best possible “you” from it, getting rid of anything considered unnecessary. When Amber was deemed medically fit by the unit, she was released. You can imagine what a female loose on an all male society has been like.”

  Amber, Kniam and Knollig all had a laugh over what she can guess would have been six months of crazy antics. She was more interested in the rest of the answers they had to give. She needed to look at things logically. This was something she always did when faced with a question or problem.

  Fact number one, something that was irrefutable she felt great! There was nothing on Earth that could have done it. Her skin was clear of sores, her hair was thick…and long! Her body didn’t ache and her mind wasn’t foggy. She had been cured of the cancer that had ravaged her body, and it wasn’t Earth technology that accomplished it. So was she on another planet?

  That would lead to fact number two. She had never experienced anything like that pulling, falling sensation. The sights she had seen when she woke up on Antilles were something she would never forget. So she could be somewhere that wasn’t Earth and if they called this planet Terraneu, then she would take them at their word.

  As to them being descended from Earth? She had heard theories that Earth had gone through different great civilizations. That there were things found like thousand year old batteries, and places on Earth that were like radiated war zones. So could that part be true also? Yes. She supposed it could be possible.

  Amber could have activated a port pad outside her grandfathers B&B and ended up on Antilles to be traded. So that left the other two questions. Exactly what did the medical unit do to her, and why was she here?

  Chapter Three

  Knollig’s heart was beating heavy in his chest. His palms were wet and he was sweating like he just had a workout with Knaleg. His mind flew to think about his brother. He needed to have a talk with him. Knaleg was as worried as the rest of them about the females coming to Terraneu. He was just putting too much of himself into exercise and security preparations. He didn’t think Knaleg had done anything relaxing in six months.

  Now, here he was with an Earth female named Mairi in the medical unit. They weren’t alone, Amber and Kniam had arrived a few minutes ago. They had been explaining to Mairi what was happening. His mind kept wandering though, to when she had first regained consciousness.

  He had worried that she hadn’t been fixed when she was still talking about being dead, and thinking he was a “Guardian Angel?” As he had leaned in to check her for signs of illness, she had suddenly kissed him. He had heard about this subject from Kniam. Not the details of him and Amber kissing, just the generalities. Sometimes females liked to have their mouths touched by a males, and that if they were really attracted to you, tongues were involved. He would just have to “learn the details from his own female,” his brother had advised.

  Knollig knew that kissing him hadn’t been an invitation from Mairi to be in a relationship. She wasn’t quite herself when she had done it. However, he felt a deep pull for the female and wanted to be the male she chose as her mate. He was the one that had carried her to the port pad to Terraneu. When he had seen her sick and helpless in Kniam’s arms something inside him had flared to life. He saw beyond the sunken cheeks and pale skin. Her almost lifeless eyes held only pain and hopelessness and fear. He vowed to himself to fill them with happiness, hope, and love. The things he saw when his brother Kniam and Amber looked at each other.

  He had brought Mairi to the medical unit and stood over her waiting these past days for all the damage to be fixed. She was so close to death, he wasn’t sure that the medical unit could repair it all. She was now awake, and when she had kissed him, even thinking of him as this “Guardian Angel”, if they hadn’t been interrupted he didn’t know if he would have been able to stop kissing her. He needed to tread very carefully with Mairi. He would have to give her time to adjust to life on Terraneu. His honor dictated that he give the other males a chance to prove their worthiness as mates. If she had an attraction to any other males, he would not interfere with her choice.

  Mairi’s voice broke into his thoughts, “Okay. I believe what you have told me so far. So let’s get the “w
hy” over with…” she looked at Knollig since she couldn’t seem to keep her eyes off him. For some unknown reason she was drawn to him.

  Amber chirped out excitedly, “I know this part best, it was mostly my idea.” She gave her mate a huge smile, and he wrapped his arms around her and carried her to the other bed to sit. She snuggled into his lap, “Thanks, I was getting a kink in my neck from sitting in that position.” She gave him a light kiss on the mouth, his eyes flashed and the next moment they were kissing passionately. Oblivious to the fact that Mairi and himself were even there.

  “Uhhh, should we leave them alone or something?” Mairi asked him in a whisper.

  Knollig rolled his eyes and shouted, “Amber please continue with what you were saying!” His brother and his “little female” jerked apart, surprised at the intrusion.

  “What…oh!” she lightly punched her mate on the arm…”Kniam! I am supposed to be explaining to Mairi why she is here! Behave yourself…until later.” Knollig didn’t want to embarrass her with the knowledge that she wasn’t as quiet as she thought when she whispered the “until later” part. Everyone in the room knew what they were going to be doing. Although he had to laugh, when weren’t they getting caught in each other’s arms? The members of the Council had even joked about making the couple a portable sex bubble, so they would stop interrupting meetings.

  When he looked back at Mairi she wasn’t staring at the couple, she was staring at him! That must be a good sign. Her face burned red, and he almost laughed at catching her looking at him. He pumped up his chest and twisted just a little to show her that his body was fit.

  Amber rushed into her explanation, “Where was I?” When Kniam went to say something she just put her hand on his thigh, he drew in a shaky breath and snapped his mouth shut.

  “Oh yes. Long story short…I met your grandfather when I was staying at the B&B, before I fell through the portal. He owns the land that the port pad sits on, so when we came up with the plan to find females and bring them here to Terraneu, we needed his help.”

  Amber shifted on Kniam’s lap, and he groaned under his breath, “Amber”. She ignored him and continued, “Kneus, Kniam and I went through the portal a few days ago, since it only works every six months and only then for ten hours. You haven’t met Kneus, he was left behind with your grandfather to make plans for the other females we are hoping to bring here.” Amber moved her hands on Kniam’s thigh absently, while he turned an interesting shade of red.

  It was nothing Knollig hadn’t seen before, the female had no idea what she did to his brother sometimes. It was amusing to watch.

  Amber continued, “Anyway, your grandfather agreed to let us use his land as an ‘Earth to Terraneu Grand Station’ type arrangement and help Kneus to fit in on Earth. In exchange, he will come to Terraneu in six months and go through the medical treatment.” Amber’s hand traveled a little further up Kniam’s thighs, and Knollig knew it was a matter of time before his brother snapped.

  He just kept waiting, his laughter barely contained. “The only reason your grandfather helped us really is you, Mairi. He didn’t agree to any of our terms until we added you to the offer. Bringing you here first and getting you well…that was the only thing he really wanted.” Her hand had reached very close to a personal part of Kniam’s anatomy, and Knollig started counting down in his head.

  (…5…) ”We got you out of the assisted living center you were at…which believe me was a close one. We almost ran out of time.” Amber kept talking, “When we got you to the B&B it was a quick run to the port pad…”

  (…4…) ”Once on Antilles I took your necklace to send back, I hope you don’t mind.”

  Mairi interrupted, “My thistle pendent? I vaguely remember you taking that.”

  “Was that what it was? Thistle? I thought it was a Celtic trinity design. It was a very beautiful piece of jewelry. We used it as the sign that all was well, so your grandfather wouldn’t worry for the next six months.”

  (…3…) “Then Knollig snatched you up and brought you here for treatment.”

  (…2…) Amber continued on, oblivious to where her hand was massaging, “Knollig has been at your side the entire time. It was touch and go for a couple of days, we weren’t sure you were going to make it.” Amber’s eyes twinkled merrily at him, and he just laughed because he had been watching his brother.

  (…1…) Kniam couldn’t take it anymore!

  With a growl he jerked to standing, threw Amber over his shoulder. She shrieked at being suddenly upside down, her hair flowing down Kniams back. “What in the…” They had made it to the door, and there were a lot of whispered promises as he reached for the lock, and on a breathy sigh Amber laughed, “Well really Kniam!” Then the two disappeared.

  Chapter Four

  Mairi was listening to Amber describe what had taken place to get her here. Her grandfather had bargained to save her life. He had stayed behind to help this other brother Kneus on Earth. One minute Amber was talking away, the next thing Mairi knew her mate had stood up, thrown Amber over his shoulder and hurried out the door. It wasn’t hard to miss the bulge in his pants, and their whispered words of affection at the door. Mairi had averted her eyes from the lovers, because it was obvious to anyone with even half a brain cell that those two were deeply in love…and couldn’t keep their hands off each other!

  She cleared her throat nervously, “Uh…okay then.” She could feel her face burning, “So…my grandfather will be coming through the portal when it opens in six months that is the deal he made? It doesn’t surprise me that he would stay to help, he is such a bighearted person like that.” Mairi tended to babble when she was nervous, and she was suddenly nervous being alone with Knollig. She looked around and found him staring intently at her.

  “Yes. In exchange for bringing you to Terraneu, your grandfather will help my brother Kneus. They are working on the plans to find women to bring here as mates. You would consider a “mate” as a husband and wife, or partners. A couple that is dedicated to staying together.” He looked confused for a second, then said “May I ask you something of a personal nature?”

  Mairi wasn’t sure that was a good idea, but couldn’t think of a reason to deny him so agreed. “Yes. You can ask me anything.”

  He smiled and heat pooled in her belly, “I was wondering why someone as beautiful and intelligent as you are did not have a mate back on Earth?”

  That question hit home, and some of her lightheartedness drifted away. Her face must have shown her thoughts, because he hurried to say, “I am sorry. I have said something wrong and I did not mean to pry. Sometimes our words get mixed up and I say things that I don’t mean too.” He gently put his fingers against her cheek. Mairi unconsciously leaned into his fingertips.

  “It’s not anything you said. It is just that you think me beautiful now…but you should have seen me on Earth. There wasn’t a lot of interest in me from the men there. That is why I put so much time into my work. I had control over my professional life. In my personal life, I felt like I didn’t have any say in how people saw me, or reacted to me.”

  “I saw you when you came though the portal, I thought you just as beautiful then. I will not lie and say that you were not physically frail.” Knollig stated, “However, I find the strength you showed in fighting your illness, and the love and loyalty you show for your grandfather to be very appealing traits.”

  Mairi’s eyes brimmed with tears at the compliment he was giving her, if only she felt like it were true.

  “I have said words that have hurt you again...We have covered everything except what the medical unit has done.” Knollig announced suddenly, obviously upset about the tears he was seeing in her eyes.

  “Knollig…” she said his name softly, grabbing his hand. “That was a wonderful compliment. I am just not used to men talking to me like that.”

  Now she had said something wrong, he got a shuttered look on his face. “What is the matter, what did I say?” She tried to get him to sta
y on the medical bed by grabbing his hand, but he stood up.

  “You are right, there will be many men here telling you nice things.” Knollig paced to a console on one wall and was pushing buttons. “The men will tell you that your hair is the color of the Hu’lani flower that Amber insists on planting, only you smell sweeter.” He stopped pushing buttons, then walked over to the other bed and sat down. “They will say that your eyes are a deeper green than the fen plant around the oasis in the first morning light. Your skin is softer than kliss, begging to be touched.”

  Mairi was stunned, she had only known Knollig for a few hours and he had given her more compliments, and touched her more deeply than anyone on Earth! They had told her that the men here on Terraneu were without “mates”. Women were to be taken from Earth, she would have to hope voluntarily…to try to find partners for them.

  “I have to tell you about the rest Mairi. I know we only just met, that you have been through a terrible ordeal. There is so much that is going to change for you, and has already changed.” He gestured at her body, “The medical unit has repaired all the damage you endured on Earth. You are a very beautiful woman, a very desirable mate for any male here. They will be vying for the chance to be the one you choose.”

  “I know I’ve been cured of the disease I had Knollig. I remember what being healthy feels like!” She swung her legs over the side of her bed. “I saw my hair when you put my head between my legs, ok it’s long…and thick. That isn’t important to me.” She waved a hand, “Looks can go away and all that is left is the kind of character you have.” Mairi bit her lip, thinking about her grandfather staying on Earth and what a great person he was. Her eyes filled with unshed tears at how she had failed him.