The SUV that Martinez and Lysa rented for the trip rumbled down the dirt road, the gravel crunching beneath the heavy vehicle's tires. It was the perfect choice for their needs as it offered plenty of storage space and was more than capable of traversing the potholes of the backwoods.

Despite this, they had to admit the rental was extraordinarily plush and cost them next to nothing. It had heated seats, individual view screens, built-in GPS, automatic tinting windows, and an automatic drive function—that Lysa refused to use.

That was all before the incredibly soft faux leather seats and well-colored gray and white interior tied the luxury vehicle together.

It reminded Martinez of several old Human-designed cars his grandfather restored and owned in Los Angeles.

Being in an excellent vehicle made Martinez question why he had not bought a car since arriving on the planet. Then he looked up the cost of the Pysotric model M and remembered why. With that many zeroes at the end, Martinez expected the damn thing to suck him off and do his taxes while driving him to work.

Martinez surrendered to the fact that he could not afford a car anytime soon, so he turned his attention to the trees on the side of the small dirt road Lysa had just turned down. The scenery changed slightly since they left the shuttle port a few hours ago.

The shuttle port was centered in a wide clearing in one of the valleys and was surrounded by rolling foothills covered in thick green coniferous trees. They had already diverted before they reached Cellna proper, so the town itself was still a mystery to Martinez. But he knew they would visit it soon enough.

Unlike the route toward Cellna, the little road they were on now had no buildings, streetlamps, or signs of sentient life along its borders; it was quite the opposite. The occasional meadow, babbling brook, or small gulley broke up the endless oceans of trees; beyond that, nothing but bountiful nature.

The area was downright gorgeous and put several worlds the Human Navy had sent Martinez to fight on to shame regarding its pure, peaceful vibe.

This place made Verilon look like a piece of shit, but that was not saying much. That desert world offered little to anyone other than the local Faruqua. Those lizards were so well adapted to the heat and dry climates they likely would die being somewhere this lush.

The only place he could think of that came close was Harudeth. The section of that planet he had fought on was a gorgeous mountain range with stunning purplish dirt and blue foliage.

He would not mind returning there someday and taking Lysa on a grand hiking and camping trip. But that was a pipe dream as far as he thought of it. The last he heard, Harudeth was still being restored to its former glory and had many minor guerilla wars raging across its surface. He would never bring Lysa to a warzone. She did not need to see how cruel the universe and GU could be.

After taking in the scenery and feeling, for the first time in months, if not years, like he did not have to keep an eye over his shoulder for a potential threat or IED on the side of the road, Martinez looked over at Lysa. She looked far better after having slept the entire shuttle ride here.

Gone were the bags under her eyes and most of the languid, sluggish movements he had seen earlier in the day. She almost seemed to be back to her usual self—-almost. If not for Martinez knowing his Aviex girlfriend so well, he would miss the slightly blank stare and the white knuckle grip on the steering wheel, a detail that was difficult to see because of her pale white complexion.

But he could not deny that she looked leagues better than this morning. He hoped that was a good sign for the trip.

One thing Martinez could not understand was why Lysa insisted on actually driving. The car could have driven them to her parent's house without issue, and she could have laid back for more rest. He assumed it had something to do with them circumventing Cellna by turning onto this dirt road a kilometer before the town's borders, but she would not give him a straight answer when he asked.

“How much further is your parent's place, anyway?” Martinez asked. “I haven't seen any neighbors, and this seems out of the way.”

“We arrived at their property almost an hour ago,” Lysa replied, turning down the music slightly so they could chat.

“How much land do your parents own?” Martinez inquired.

Lysa pondered the question momentarily, trying to recall the exact answer, but it had been so long since she had lived here that she was unsure. In the past, she was little and only left their property to go to town and school. That and for all she knew, her parents had purchased more land, expanding their dominion greatly. Knowing her father's desire for privacy, that was highly likely.

“I cannot recall the number, but we can ask Mother about that when we arrive. Just know you can walk all day in any direction from the house, and you would still be on their property,” Lysa said assuredly.

That revelation made Martinez wonder something he had not since meeting Lysa: how wealthy was her family? The idea just had never really crossed his mind. Both he and she were well off and could be considered lower middle class in the GU, living comfortably and with little issue on their incomes.

Martinez knew that her Mother was a successful novelist and that her father used to be in the Aviex military before being medically retired and becoming a lumberjack. He had assumed they were middle class, upper middle class at best. But apparently, they were far more affluent than he had ever imagined.

While Martinez would not say it outright, that they were so rich set a few alarm bells off in his head. He had dealt with plenty of shady politicians and twisted former operators in his day. He did not want to believe it, but with Kryoll's shady and likely well-connected background, he could see the old Aviex leveraging his experience for some kickbacks.

Evidence that Lysa’s parents were firmly in the GU upper class was only made more apparent when the vehicle crested a small hill and entered an open glade, revealing the true grandeur of their property.

From this high vantage, nature's bounty spread from horizon to horizon. Three buildings were plain as day, with glimpses of the rest of the Veringal compound peeking out from the trees.

Two structures looked like houses and had the most area cleared out around them. Both were somewhat rustic in design and reminded Maritnez of log cabins, but neither was small enough to be called one. They were twice the size of Lysa’s home back in Draun and could likely comfortably house six to ten people.

The other building in sight was a detached garage of some kind. That was evident because the road led right up to the large doors in front of it. If it weren’t that, the only other thing Martinez could think it was would be a barn, but with no servant animals in sight, he doubted that was the reason.

After another hour of driving, they parked in front of the garage; the serenity and true isolation of Nelya and Kyroll’s home were only more evident when he stepped out of the car. Martinez could not see it from the top of the hill, but from here, the small stream running along the side of the house was easy to see.

It was gorgeous in the evening sun. The oranges and reds glistened on the crystal clear water and oddly brightly colored rocks. Martinez was not sure what type of geology had caused the kaleidoscope of color, but it was certainly welcome.

Additionally, the blissful sounds of Renoural were all that could be heard. Birds chirped, the brook bubbled, and the wind whistled through the gently swaying bows. Martinez could not fully express the joy of being somewhere the sounds of modern society did not reach.

In his youth, he had dreamed of living somewhere like this, and his time in Los Angeles, and now Draun only galvanized that wish. While he would not deny city living had its appeal, the isolation and tranquility of the woods almost called to him, giving him a sense of warmth.

“Wow, this place is amazing,” Martinez breathed, gesturing at the deep forest on the far riverbank. He let the clear air fill his lungs and invite him in.

“Indeed it is,” Lysa replied somewhat solemnly.

“Oh, my little huntress. Welcome home!” the pair heard shouted from toward the house.

Martinez and Lysa tried to turn to face her excited mother, but Nelya was deceptively quick. Nelya rushed out of the house in a deft, elegant motion and went straight toward Lysa, pulling her into a warm embrace.

“Hello, Mother,” Lysa gasped, barely managing to return a weak hug while Nelya attempted to squeeze the life out of her. “It is marvelous to see you.”

“I missed you so much,” Nelya praised, leaning back and looking Lysa up and down. “Have you been eating well? You look thin.”

“I missed you as well, and yes, I have been. Martinez here has ensured that,” Lysa replied, gesturing at her Ruh'ah.

Nelya let Lysa go and stepped closer toward Martinez. Her four pink eyes scanned him intently as she slowly sauntered closer.

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Martinez was surprised at how Nelya looked. Lysa had told him what to expect, but his Ruh'ah failed to encapsulate it well, likely because it had been years since she had seen her mother.

Unlike Lysa, who dressed like a traditional goth, Nelya wore tight red leggings and an equally revealing tank top. Each fiber of both garments screamed and struggled to contain her nearly overflowing figure.

Martinez was not the most subtle man in the universe, nor was he a man with deep lexicons of words to describe everything around him. Nelya pushed his abilities to the limit as he tried to categorize her looks in his mind.

Every ounce of Nelya oozed confidence, and motherly grace, from the slight pout in her lips to her buxom figure to the way she defiantly popped her hips while walking, and the judgmental narrowing of her eyes.

All those traits, combined with the fact that she looked like Lysa but with a fuller figure and slightly more mature, made Martinez’s dumb grunt brain scream and declare that Nelya was a milf—not that he would ever say that out loud. He was not that stupid.

Despite his horny grunt mind telling him that Nelya was clearly older. Their similar looks were uncanny, enough so that Martinez could believe they were sisters. They would be sisters with different eye colors and drastically different ideas of what fashion was, but sisters nonetheless.

With that similarity in mind, Martinez wondered what Lysa would look like in a few years. If she ended up anything close to Nelya—he had a lot of fun in the bedroom to look forward to, especially with how flexible his Ruh'ah is.

Once Nelya was within arms' reach, she paused and momentarily continued her intent scan of Martinez. Once satisfied with what she saw, a coy smirk crawled onto her blood-red lips.

“It is nice to meet you—” Martinez started, realizing he was standing there like a dunce. He offered a hand for Nelya to shake, knowing the gesture was relatively similar between Humans and Aviex.

Nelya had other plans for her future family member and her daughter’s Gra'hu; The older Aveix grabbed Martinez’s hand and tugged him into a tight, well-meaning hug.

“By the stars, dear, there is no need to be so formal,” Nelya gushed, “If Lysa brought you along, there is no way you are getting off without giving me a hug.”

After a brief moment of being surprised by Nelya’s strength and speed, Martinez returned the gesture, going with the mentality of ‘when in Rome do as the Romans do’ and not wanting to set himself up for an incredibly awkward start to their stay with Lysa’s parents.

“Thanks for having us over—mam,” Martinez said, slightly unsure how formally he should refer to her.

Martinez knew that her name was Nelya; Lysa had told him that much, but he also knew that Aviex had a plethora of terms and titles to refer to others in and out of your direct family. Because of that, his mind defaulted to the training the Human Navy had ingrained in him. Namely being extremely formal.

Nelya leaned back slightly and looked between Martinez and Lysa, looking to Lysa for confirmation if Martinez was genuinely like this. Lysa responded by simply shrugging, knowing that Martinez was willing to touch others but was often uncomfortable if he did not engage them on his terms.

In retrospect, she should have informed Nelya of that particular quirk, but that ship had sailed.

“Oh, Henry, please don’t be that way,” Nelya giggled, looking back at him. “Calling me mam makes me feel like more of a biddy than I am.”

Martinez stepped back and awkwardly scratched behind his head, looking to Lysa for some assistance with what he was finding to be an awkward introduction to her mother. Thank God Lysa’s usual sharpness came to his rescue.

“I am terribly sorry, Mother, I neglected to inform you—Henry is uncomfortable touching people he does not know. He likely feels somewhat taken aback by your hug,” Lysa explained.

That was not the most elegant way of phrasing one of the issues Martinez had developed after dozens of combat tours, but who was he to argue with putting it out there? At least that made the reason he felt bolshie known.

Nelya stepped back, and now it was her turn to blush. In an almost childish way, she averted her eyes and brushed her hair behind her shoulders. “Oh—I did not mean to make you feel—well, I am sorry either way.”

“It’s alright,” Martinez assured, waving the event away with a hand.

“Thank you for the forgiveness. But for now, you two are likely exhausted from the trip. Let me show you two to the guest house,” Nelya nodded before turning around but pausing before she stepped off. “Do you need any help with your luggage?”

“No need, I got it,” Martinez said, opening the trunk to the SUV and pulling out their bags, quickly taking all four of them in hand.

“Thank you, Ruh'ah,” Lysa nodded while following her mother around the side of the house, toward the backyard.

Following the mother and daughter, Martinez kept an eye open, scanning the area for Lysa’s father. He spotted several deer-like animals grazing on the far side of the river and a few dozen birds watching them from a closed porch on the main house, but there was no sign of Kyroll.

“Where is Kyroll?” Martinez questioned as they entered the guest house. A deep part of his lizard brain was uncomfortable with not having tabs on someone he knows, is incredibly well-trained, and has shown negative feelings towards Lysa’s past relationships.

“Gra’hu won’t be back for a few days. He got caught up at work.” Nelya replied. “Don’t worry, he will be on his best behavior.”

“The past makes me doubt that,” Lysa quipped.

If it wasn’t for Nelya having solid pink eyes, you would have been able to see her roll them. She and Lysa must have talked about how Kyroll acted many times over the years. The tension between the two was palpable. It was not hostile by any means. It was more of a reserved understanding, with both willing to end that conversation there.

Nelya believed her dear husband would do better than he had in the past, whereas Lysa was firmly in the camp of she would believe it when she saw it.

“Either way, we can still have an enjoyable time while he is out,” Nelya assured. “Tomorrow, we can go out in town. Some people would love to see what a beautiful woman you have become. Miss Numla would adore seeing you after all these years.”

Miss Numla was a name Lysa had not heard in years. Honestly, she had forgotten about her former tutor, assuming the older Hyltra woman would have done the same. But if Mother says Numla wants to see her, perhaps she was mistaken.

“That does sound lovely,” Lysa said, looking around the simple guest house. “When did you build this?”

While not lavish, the guest house was pleasant. Guests were in a central foyer and could easily see an attached living room and the kitchen. The living room had a davenport and a lovely wooden coffee table. Additionally, paintings of animals grazing along the side of lakes and grand vistas adorned the walls.

Martinez was unsure if there was food in the kitchen but could see hanging pots and pans over an island in its center. But he would have plenty of time to figure that out later. He did not doubt they would cook at least a few times during their stay.

“Kyroll and I had this commissioned a few years ago; we needed it when a few of his old squad mates were moving into town and needed somewhere to sleep while they house-hunted. Having them around was so good for his well-being,” Nelya smiled.

But her smile quickly faded as if she had just said something she should not have. “That is not me implying his friends at the lumberyard aren’t good people; it was just different,” she corrected with a more assured tone.

That sudden shift in tone caught Martinez’s attention. Not because it seemed like Nelya was afraid or anything like that. No, it seemed like she was trying to respect her husband's feelings even though he was not here.

If he was correct, it told much about her mentality and beliefs about being in a relationship.

Before Martinez had much time to consider the meaning of her tone, Nelya continued her grand tour.

“Here, let me show you your rooms, and then we can relax. I ensured the sauna was clean and ready for us all, and I got a bottle of my favorite wine. Assuming you all would like to,” Nelya said, walking them down the hallway.

“Of course we would, Mother. Would we not, Ruh'ah?” Lysa asked, passing the buck to him.

“Sure, it's no hot tub, but it sounds nice,” Martinez shrugged, having been in more than one sauna in his days.

As they went down the hall, Nelya showed them the bathroom laundry room and finished by showing them the room they would call home for their stay.

Their bedroom was very basic. It had a king-sized bed with posh covers and a walk-in closet against the far wall that was open and empty. But the most fantastic part of the room was the view. Just over a wooden desk was a double wide window, beyond which were rows upon rows of trees and the river.

It was a sight any of them could see on a postcard advertising a rentable bed and breakfast. Or, to be frank, Martinez’s dream home.

Lysa walked in and took in the entire room. Martinez scanned it from the fatal funnel, having paused inside it, letting the women lead. Lysa ran her hand on the bedspread and grimaced slightly, feeling the coarse material. It had nothing on the elegant silken bedding Martinez had in his apartment but was still softer than most would ever own. But after having spent months sleeping in them—she was spoiled.

“Thank you ma— Nelya,” Martinez said, dropping their bags next to the door, having noticed Lysa’s slight scowl.

While he understood Lysa’s reservations about returning to her parent's home, he suggested she make a little bit more of an effort to enjoy it. Her father was not here at the moment, souring the mood. Hopefully, this was just some initial nerves.

“We are glad to have you here,” Nelya said, “I will see you two shortly; don’t forget to grab towels from the bathroom.”

“We shall not, Mother,” Lysa smiled somewhat blankly.

After Nelya had left, Martinez and Lysa began to unpack. As they did, Martinez looked at Lysa and saw she was still somewhat scowling.

He set down his shirt and walked over, pulling her into a hug. “I know it’s difficult, but your mother is trying t—”

“I am aware Ruh'ah—please forgive me if I’m a bit dour,” Lysa replied, hugging him back.

“I will, but your mother clearly noticed your scowling,” Martinez replied.

Lysa released a deep breath and looked down and away, thinking back to a few minutes ago. “I suppose I should attempt to loosen up before the truly uncomfortable part of these—events comes to pass.”

Martinez smiled and let her go, believing in his Ruh'ah. She would do her best here, even if some of it sucked. To try and lighten her mood slightly, Martinez decided to tease her just a little bit, nothing harsh, but a firm pat on her rump, causing her to giggle and return the gesture.

“Now you just are not playing fair,” Lysa stuck her tongue out at Martinez.

That was more like it. Lysa, being a coy, somewhat snarky woman, was far more enjoyable. A mood she kept throughout the rest of the time they were unpacking.

Once they were ready, Lysa grabbed towels and waited for Martinez at the door.

“Should I bring my swim trunks?” Martinez questioned.

Instead of outright telling Martinez no, Lysa gave him a snide grin, grabbed his hand, and led him out the guest house door toward a small shack attached to the main building. Steam and smoke billowed out from the chimney, and the slightest glimpse of Nelya undressing from the window in the door could be seen.

Initially, he thought nothing of it until Nelya hung her shirt on a hook. He looked at Lysa, who picked up on what he noticed.

“What is wrong Ruh'ah? It’s not like you haven’t seen me naked before,” Lysa chuckled, reveling in the deep blush on Martinez’s face.

As the distance narrowed, Martinez had one question roaring in his mind. What the fuck did he just agree to?