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emotions to few. Their close relationship allowed him to be completely at ease with her. That was so
special and precious to her, and she was incredibly thankful to have such a wonderful brother. She was
truly blessed to have her family.
The happy meal was disturbed when Tristan strode into the room. Her brother s face lit with happiness
when he saw his old friend. Her parent s faces filled with welcome and caring for their son s friend. He
went around the table, first shaking her brother s hand, then giving her mother a kiss on the cheek and
her father a hug. When he came to her, she had no choice but to accept his greeting. Rising stiffly to her
feet she allowed Tristan to brush his lips against her cheeks.
"Happy birthday, Sa Rah. I brought you something," he said handing her a small red box.
Sa Rah looked up at Tristan warily. They had established boundaries with one another. She knew he
wanted her, and wasn t giving up. He knew she wasn t ready, and avoided him most of the time. So the
gift was a surprise, and an unknown. She debated whether to set it aside and open it later, or do it now.
Her mother made the decision for her.
"Open it now, Sa Rah. I want to see what Tristan brought you from earth," her mother said, anticipation
lighting her eyes.
Sa Rah smiled. Her mother was so vibrant, so full of life when she was with her family. She preferred
this side of her to the side that she offered to the public. The regal queen had to maintain decorum and
poise at all times. Sa Rah opened the box and gasped. A miniature horse, carved from stone was inside.
It was gray and dappled like the Appaloosas she loved so much. They were her favorite type of horse.
The most beautiful and graceful of the breed, in her opinion. Though no horses were indigenous to
Tanviera, Sa Rah had studied them extensively growing up. They were similar to the eborafs on her
planet. Animals she loved above all else.
On her fifteenth birthday, her parents had surprised her with a real eboraf of her own. She had named
her Annabel. She had heard the earth name before and loved it. It made her think of the horses of earth
and of someone with a kind heart and strong will. That was Annabel. A brave and strong eboraf with a
loyal, gentle heart.
Sa Rah s father had secretly built a stable and hired a groomsman to help with her training, and soon she
had learned to ride and care for her pet. It became a passion for her. Annabel and she shared many
wonderful years together before the eboraf died. Sa Rah still rode, she had a whole stable of eboraf now,
but she never had the heart to name another one Annabel.
When she had gone to art school, she had let Annabel s memory slip somewhat. She had devoted most
of her time to her love of art, and riding was temporarily pushed aside. Looking down at the miniature
Tristan gave her, she felt all the love of riding come back to her. She missed it. Holding the miniature in
her hand, she studied it. The artwork was superb. And it made her realize something important. She
could still work at her art and enjoy riding. That realization brought her immense joy.
Looking up into Tristan s face she couldn t hold back her delight as a wide smile spread across her face.
"Thank you, Tristan. You have made me remember my love of riding. For that I can never repay you. It
means so much to me."
Tristan looked down at her with tenderness and understanding.
"The smile that lights your beautiful face is repayment enough, Sa Rah. Happy birthday."
Sa Rah glanced away from Tristan, unable to look at the caring in his eyes without responding. She
steeled herself against him. This moment changed nothing. She still wasn t ready for what he wanted from
her.
Tristan joined them for dessert. As soon as she could do so without offending, Sa Rah excused herself
from the table. She needed some time to think. Tristan s gift had shaken her. Made her unsure if her
chosen course was the right one. The warmth and caring in his eyes had made her want to forget
everything but he and she together, as a man and woman.
The next scene of her dream showed a large room filled with long windows, reaching from floor to
ceiling. They were open and she let the cool breeze brush across her skin. She heard the tinkling of water
and knew that the room she was in had two small waterfalls. Giant trees stood on either side of the room,
like guards watching over her. They grew straight up and out of the house through large circular openings.
Sa Rah reclined in an ottoman chair and stared up at what should have been a ceiling but wasn t. Instead
there were more windows, and sky. A beautifully bright, blue, cloudless sky. The day was cool, but the
warmth of the two suns shone through the windowed ceiling of the atrium, warming her with its rays.
She enjoyed the tranquil setting and the sunshine. It was a place Sa Rah liked to come when she was
troubled about something and needed to find peace. That tranquility didn t last long as a shadow crossed
her vision. Glancing sideways, she saw Tristan standing a several feet away. As she met his gaze, the
intensity of his stare stole the breath from her body.
"You are like the beautiful ishwala of Dihara, lounging in the sun s warmth," Tristan said as he began
slowly circling her where she sat. His voice was low and husky. Its timbre sent shivers down Sa Rah s
spine. She was entangled in the spell of his seductive voice and frozen in place by the hunger in his eyes.
He looked as if he were ready to pounce on her at any moment.
"Do you know of the ishwala, Sa Rah?"
Sa Rah couldn t seem to find her voice. Her body was strung tight with anticipation. She sat up,
propping herself on her elbows. She kept her eyes on him, swiveling her head as he continued to stalk
around her.
Tristan didn t wait for her reply.
"It is a beautiful wild cat that lives in the jungles of my planet. It is sleek and agile, but also has incredible
strength. Its intelligence and hunting skills are renowned among my people, but that s not what makes it
special."
Tristan stopped circling. He moved behind her chair and leaned down so that his lips almost touched her
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