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  A garden had begun. Kevna had pulled out all the stops to apologize for hijacking Naka’s body. The plants required little water but produced plenty of oxygen.

  The gravity on Kevna was three quarters of Resicor. It was easy enough for Naka to move around, and when the dust turned to dirt and greenery started to sprout, Naka had finally realized that Kevna had just been waiting for someone to see her for what she was.

  Carefully, Naka settled in her garden and let the mask go. She breathed in a few times and grinned. Well done, Kevna. It is indeed breathable. How are the workers treating you?

  They work with respect and care. It is refreshing. Those first ones were unpleasant.

  There had been a hiccup at the beginning. The crews had decided to blast without bothering to tell Naka or Kevna. Naka had cracked nine panes of the greenhouse when she powered straight up.

  The blasters had been shocked by her presence, her lack of EVA suit and the power that she shot from her hands. Their equipment had been rendered unusable in seconds.

  After stopping the work, she had stalked inside and given the foreman a piece of her mind. He had cringed, called security and been used as a living shield while Naka helped Kevna work into his mind.

  He was a bundle of tears when she released him, and Kevna felt her point had been made.

  The crew left and was replaced by one that acknowledged that the moon was alive and needed to be kept informed. They called Naka, and she translated for Kevna.

  The garden is amazing. Is that the tea blend that Viiko created?

  I am not allowed to say. Kevna was indeed coming along. Another planet named Balen sent a satellite that allowed other planets easy access to speak with Kevna and allowed her to use the data stream to further her education. Her speech improved, her intellect grew and finally, she was able to comprehend the worlds around her.

  Keeping secrets from your Avatar. You are getting smarter. Naka smiled.

  Kevna’s mind giggled. Every day. Last night was quite educational. I finally understand pair bonding.

  I am born to a species that does it, and I still don’t understand it. Technically, there were four of us in bed last night. Don’t think I didn’t notice you peeking.

  I was curious. You kept away from him so long. Why didn’t you just bond?

  Societal restrictions. Both mine and his. I wanted to make sure that he wanted me for me, and he wanted to see if he could drive me insane with foreplay every night.

  That is the thing that made your heart race.

  That is the one.

  And your—

  That is the one. Shutting up a moon was not easy.

  Kevna laughed in her mind again.

  They talked, bantered and giggled together for hours. At last, Naka sighed. I promised him that I would be home early.

  Then you had better get going. Early is passing quickly.

  Have a good day, and tell me if you need anything.

  Naka lifted off and did a quick pass of the growing base. All was in order, so she checked on the large ship-repair dock that was coming together in a matching orbit with Kevna.

  When she was sure that everything was proceeding according to plan, she returned home.

  Petals marked the path to their quarters. The scent was heady and warmed her skin each time she inhaled.

  Their quarters were filled with flowers, and Viiko was standing next to the bed with a smile on his face and nothing more on his body.

  She touched the fiery blossoms, enjoying the silky feel on her fingers and breathing deeply of the intoxicating scent. “What are these?”

  He came around the bed and wrapped his arms around her from behind, cupping the flower that she was inhaling. “Flora NakaKevna. A flower born on the moon and grown here on Piq. There is nothing like it in the universe.”

  Her clothing receded, leaving her naked in his arms, and he took full advantage of the access.

  “This is the surprise that Kevna wouldn’t tell me about.”

  He turned her in his arms and grinned down at her. “She made them for you but designed them to be grown in this soil. They will grow nowhere else in the universe. Anywhere else, they are simply a tea bush. I have tried it on nine soil samples.”

  She went up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, “I love the flowers, but I am fixated on my bond mate. According to Kevna after watching us last night, she knows why pairs bond. I want to confirm her findings.”

  He lifted her to the bed and crushed her into the petals covering the sheets. The perfume of the flowers made only for her swirled around them, and as they started to move together, it became clear to Naka that the flowers were only half the scent that made her head spin. Viiko was the other half of her soul, her mind, and the only man to have supported her when a moon grabbed her body. If that wasn’t love, it was close enough for her.

  After all, they had hundreds of years to get it right.

  About the Author

  Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

  Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.