“The saying is ‘lost your head’,” Terra corrected automatically, but she could feel the corners of her mouth twitching a little. There was no denying that the blue warrior was charming. “But I still think you must have mistaken me for someone else. I mean, I’m not royalty back on Earth. I don’t rule a country or anything.”
“I think you may have mistaken what these Colony Warriors mean when they call you a ‘Queen,’” Dra’vik rumbled. “They don’t mean you’re a queen in the geo-political sense—they’re talking about the female ruler of a hive or colony.”
Sudden understanding broke over Terra as she remembered how she’d wondered if the huge warriors were part insect.
“Like…a beehive or an ant colony?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
“That is exactly what we mean,” the blue warrior said helpfully. “You see, the males of our society band together to form a colony and serve a single Queen. She is the center of their life—the one they all adore and strive to protect and care for all their days.”
“And you’re our Queen,” the red warrior rumbled, speaking for the first time. He and the green warrior were standing behind the blue one, who was still on one knee and when Terra looked up into his face, she couldn’t help shuddering at the sight of those black, insectile compound eyes staring back at her.
“Look, I’m not your anything,” she said sharply. “I don’t even know your names!”
“Forgive us for not introducing ourselves,” the blue warrior said swiftly, throwing a warning glance over his shoulder at the red one. “I am Tem’blx, though my colony-mates call me Tem. And this is V’rone…” He nodded at the red warrior. “He’s the Brawn—the leader and protector of our colony. And this is Rive…” He nodded at the green warrior, whose eyes were unreadable behind the strange, organic glasses he was wearing. “He is the Brain or intellect of our group.”
“If, uh, Rive is the Brain and V’rone is the Brawn, what does that make you, Tem?” Terra asked, hoping she’d gotten everyone’s names right.
The blue warrior smiled at her—a smile that could melt your heart if you let it, Terra couldn’t help thinking.
“Why, my Lady, I am the Soul of our little colony. I deal in emotions much more than my two colony-mates do. I am the peacemaker and the caretaker, I suppose you could say.”
His warm, soft voice seemed to melt something inside Terra and she found herself leaning towards him, wanting to get closer for some reason. His scent was soothing and warm. It made her think of clothes fresh from the dryer for some reason, with just a hint of sexy, masculine spice thrown in.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Tem. And, um, V’rone and Rive too, of course,” she added, nodding at the other two warriors. “But now that you’ve seen me in the light, you must realize that I can’t be your ‘Queen.’ I mean, I’m at least ten years older than all three of you—if not more!”
“We know we are not worthy of the attentions of a Mature Elite such as yourself,” the green warrior—Rive said. And was there a touch of bitterness in his deep voice? Terra thought there was. “But the fact remains that you set off the Heart-finder arch, which means that you are suited to become our Queen and complete our colony.”
Terra shook her head.
“I don’t understand. You think I’m somehow the person you’ve all been waiting for to, er, complete your group—your colony?”
“The Queen is the Heart of any colony,” Tem said softly. “The rest of the colony—the Brawn, the Brain, the Soul—are nothing until she comes to them and makes them hers.”
The way he was talking—and looking at her so soulfully—almost swayed Terra. But then she came to her senses. Her divorce had only been finalized last month. There was no freaking way she could suddenly jump into another relationship so quickly! Especially not some freaky alien four-way relationship, like V’rone and Tem and Rive seemed to want.
“Look, guys, I’m really sorry,” she said as gently as she could. “Because you’re all extremely handsome and you seem really sweet, but I just don’t think I’m the one for you. I’m too old for you for one thing and even if I wasn’t, I just got out of a long-term relationship that didn’t end on the best terms. I’m just not ready to get involved with anyone else—especially not three someone elses.”
“You do not want us because we come together and cannot be separated?” the red warrior—V’rone—demanded.
“I just don’t think I’m the one you’re looking for,” Terra repeated, frowning up at him. “Though believe me, I’m extremely flattered you think I am. But I’m pretty sure you’re mistaken.”
“Let us make a test, then,” Rive, the green warrior said, speaking up.
Terra frowned.