Haven 4 AVOW - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,51

Lar. As will I. We will welcome her to our family, encourage her in her attempt to provide Lo'San with young ones, and all the while make it clear that you are able to provide him the same at will each time she is away from us,” Mee'ta insisted.

“How will we do that without him defending her?” Ph’eel asked.

“Leave it to me,” Mee'ta answered with a sinister smile. “I shall take care of it. Then when he is back on Eschina, you will take care of the rest.”

Mee'ta and Ph’eel watched as Lo'San continued to visit with the boys, calling them out into the corridor to run back and forth.

“Tomorrow we will go to the exercise facility. We have a large track that we will race upon!” Lo'San promised.

Both boys began jumping and cheering.

After about ten minutes of them running from one end of the corridor to the other, Ko'San finally wrangled them back into their room with their nanny. “Please keep them quiet for the remainder of the night, Au’revele,” Ph’eel called out from where she stood with Mee'ta.

Lo'San clearly bristled at Ph’eel’s words, and watched both boys immediately quiet down at her demand for them to stop making noise. He took Synclare’s hand in his. “Are you ready to go?” he asked her.

“I am,” Synclare answered.

“We shall return tomorrow to accompany you and your young ones to our exercise facility,” Lo'San said to Ko'San. Then he spoke to Au'revele. “Perhaps you could take the opportunity to see a bit of the ship. You are welcome to explore,” Lo'San said kindly.

“She must stay with our sons,” Ph’eel interrupted. “It is her sole responsibility!”

Synclare started backing down the corridor still holding tightly to Lo’San’s hand. She was trying to get him away from his family before he lost his temper. “I’m getting very tired, Lo'San.”

“Let us go, then,” he said, allowing her to pull him away. “I shall see you tomorrow, Ko'San.”

“Rest well!” Mee'ta called out.

“Perhaps we can tour the ship the following day!” Lau’San called after Lo'San.

Chapter 14

The next day found Synclare, Lo'San, Ko'San, Au’revele, both Ko'San’s sons, Lau'San, Mee'ta and Ph’eel in the exercise facility. Both boys jumped and skipped their way through the exercise equipment as they held fast to Au’revele’s hands and followed Lo'San and Ko'San as they walked with their father and spoke and laughed remembering their times as young ones themselves. Lo'San was dressed in exercise clothes, as were Lau'San and Ko'San. Lo'San had offered them similar attire and both had readily agreed.

Synclare was dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple teeshirt as opposed to the females of Lo’San’s family and even Au'revele who wore long, heavy skirts. Synclare chatted with Mee'ta and Ph’eel as they followed along, doing their best to be good sports at finding themselves in the midst of many a large warrior involved in everything from exercise machinery to weight training.

“There are quite a few already here,” Mee'ta commented, pulling her skirts tightly around her as she made sure not to brush against any equipment.

“There are thousands aboard the ship,” Synclare explained. There is always someone on duty, and someone else on recreation.”

“I see,” Mee'ta said. “Are you sure they’re safe?”

Synclare laughed. “Absolutely. They look scary, but they’re some of the most honorable males you will ever encounter.”

“I should hope so,” Mee'ta mumbled.

“Is that it? Is that where we’re going to race?” the oldest boy cried out excitedly.

“It is!” Lo'San answered, jogging past them and tearing his shirt off over his head to drop on a bench beside the track as they stepped out onto it.

Both boys let go of Au'revele’s hands and chased after Lo'San as he took off down the circular track that ran the perimeter of the very large exercise facility. It was raised a couple of feet above the main level where all the equipment and weights were located.

Synclare laughed happily as she watched Lo'San and the boys chasing one another. She was startled to notice Ko'San glaring at Ph’eel when her gaze landed on him. She quickly turned to find Ph’eel watching Lo'San with a hunger in her eyes that was almost embarrassing it was so blatant.

Ko'San continued to glare at Ph’eel until she realized he was watching her, then, he removed his own shirt and turned to run as quickly as he could to catch up with Lo'San, determined to show he was the better athlete.

Ph’eel smiled at Synclare, realizing she’d seen her staring at Lo'San. “It always gives me such great