by S. E. Smith
“Zoran!” Kelan called out. An image of his brother’s warship came into view. His symbiosis was curled up in the shape of a huge golden cat near his chair.
“Kelan.” Zoran paused to clear his throat. He feared he would never see his brothers again. “How long before you intercept?”
“We should be there in seven days time. We have been monitoring communications from this galaxy. They only have one planet in this solar system that is habitable and do not appear to have space travel.” Kelan responded.
“Who else is with you?” Zoran asked.
“Trelon. Mandra remained behind under protest. Creon is gathering intelligence on those who captured you and supervising plans to attack them.”
“I am transmitting my position. It is remote. Come in using caution. This planet is not familiar with other species.” Zoran said sending the information.
“Information received. It is very primitive there. Soon you will be enjoying our home world’s luxuries again.” Kelan said. “It is good to see you are safe, brother. Until we meet in seven days time. V’ager, out.”
Zoran acknowledged he would be at this site in seven days time. He felt a wave of relief at the knowledge he would soon be on his way home. He missed his world and he knew his symbiosis did also. Moving out of the ship, Zoran felt a moment of panic when he did not see Abby at first. He sent a call out to his symbiosis attached to her and felt relief when it replied it was close. He followed the call until he came upon Abby sitting on a large boulder with her eyes closed.
Abby had been sitting for about fifteen minutes when the combination of the warmth of the sun and the relief from the stress of wondering if her visitor was going to be okay swept through her, making her drowsy. She hadn’t had much sleep since the storm blew through three days before. Now, she just wanted to curl up and take a nap. She felt herself drifting, not really asleep but not awake either. She dreamed she was being lifted into Zoran’s strong arms and his lips were brushing against hers. She moaned as she felt the warmth of his body and lips against her. She raised her arm up to wrap around his neck, pulling him further down when he moved away.
It took a moment for Abby to realize it was not a dream but that she was really kissing Zoran. Then, it dawned on her she was no longer on the rock but laying in his arms. Abby’s eyes popped open and she gasped as she stared into Zoran’s golden eyes.
Zoran took advantage of Abby’s startled gasp, letting his tongue slide between her lips. He deepened the kiss as he felt Abby’s fingers thread through his hair and pull him closer. By the time he pulled back, Abby was staring at Zoran with a dazed expression on her face and breathing heavy.
“Wow. I wasn’t expecting that!” Abby whispered unable to look away at first. Then, as she realized what she said, she turned her face into his chest burying it with a groan.
“I can’t believe I just said that. Please let me go. I must have taken a cat-nap.” Abby was mortified by her behavior. She had never behaved so wantonly before.
Pushing against Zoran’s chest, Abby looked everywhere but at him. “Were you able to contact your family?”
Zoran frowned. He had not said anything about his family. How could Abby have known he was contacting them? A dark suspension flashed through his mind at the thought that Abby might be a part of the Curizans’ plans to get more information out of him. He had been unconscious since his arrival. Was it possible they were staging this in an attempt to get him to talk? Or worse, to capture his brothers? Zoran’s arms tightened around Abby to the point of pain. He had no way of asking her unless she really did understand him and was just pretending not to.
“Ow. You’re hurting me.” Abby said struggling to get free. Zoran’s fingers just tightened even more on her arms. “Ouch, Zoran. Please, you’re hurting me.”
Abby looked up into Zoran’s furious face, tears of pain in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Why are you so angry with me?”
Zoran demanded in a harsh voice, “What do you know of my family? Are you working with the Curizans? Tell me now and I will spare your life, if you do not, I will show you no mercy when I kill you.”
Abby just looked at Zoran with a confused and frightened look. “Zoran, please…I don’t understand. What did I do to upset you?”
Zoran felt a wave of frustration flash through him. He did not sense Abby was laying to him but how had she known his family was coming for him? Suddenly, both of the symbiosis on Abby’s wrist moved up under his hands and flashed him a shock that knocked him back off the rock and onto the ground.
Abby looked on in stunned disbelief as the two gold bracelets around her wrists suddenly moved with lightning speed to strike out at Zoran. When she felt the shock reach through him and saw him falling backwards she cried out in alarm. She didn’t understand why he was so mad at her, and yes, he had frightened her, but she didn’t want to see him get hurt.
Crying out, she reached out to him, her gaze moving back and forth between Zoran and the gold bracelets on her wrists. “Please don’t hurt him. He didn’t mean to hurt me. Please.”
Abby turned tear filled eyes to look at Zoran as he stood up, frowning at her as the symbiosis moved back down around her wrists.
“I don’t know why they did that. I didn’t ask them too. I…” Abby brushed a tear from her cheek. “I thought you were trying to see if your people were coming for you. That’s what I would do if I were you. I didn’t mean to make you mad or hurt you.”
Zoran felt a rush of shame flash through his body as he heard the truth of Abby’s words. She had not known what he was doing. She just guessed that he would be contacting his family. He should have known that his symbiosis would never have gone to her, claimed her, if she meant to harm him. It would have known if she was doing anything that would betray him.
Zoran stood for a moment unsure of what to do. He wanted to apologize for his behavior but knew Abby wouldn’t understand what he was saying. Running his hand through his long hair, he looked at her with regret in his eyes. Spreading his palms out to show he meant her no harm, he tried to explain.
“I apologize for my behavior. I should have known you meant no harm to me.” Zoran said softly.
Abby didn’t know what Zoran was saying but she could tell he regretted his behavior. She gave him a tentative smile to let him know no harm was done. She couldn’t really blame him for being suspicious. If she had been beaten as badly as him, she would probably be scared and suspicious too.
Reaching out her hand, she gripped his and gave it a squeeze. “It’s okay. I understand. If I would have been in your position, I probably would have reacted the same way. I need to go to town to get my mail and pick up some supplies. Would you like to stay here with your ship or back at the cabin?”
Zoran frowned. He did not want Abby out of his sight. The thought of her traveling to a town made him nervous. He wanted her with him. Shaking his head, he frowned at her and motioned that she should stay with him.
Abby shook her head, “I need to go to town. I go at least once a week, sometimes twice if I have additional packages to mail off. If I don’t go, someone might come looking for me. I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to go with me. You don’t have the right clothes and just the fact you are a stranger is going to cause people to notice you. I won’t be gone long, a few hours. I’ll be back before dark.”
Zoran’s lips thinned at the idea of Abby leaving but he understood what she was saying. If he did not let her go, others of her kind might get suspicious and come looking for her. He needed to remain hidden for the next seven days. With a reluctant nod, he motioned for Abby to walk back to her cabin.
Chapter 6
Abby had been gone for the past five hours. Zoran was frustrated at her insistence to go alone. He walked with her down to a building containing an odd shaped transport. She assured him she would be perfectly safe and asked him to keep an eye on Gloria and Bo for her until she returned. She explained where he could find food and drink, showed him how to opera
te a thing called a microwave, and gave him a remote if he wanted to listen to music. She apologized for not having a thing called a T.V., explaining she didn’t care to watch it but he could look at the computer if he wanted.
Zoran returned to his ship instead to contact his brother Creon. They discussed his captivity and plans for attacking the Curizan military base where he had been held. He also communicated again with Kelan and Mandra about what happened and the trade agreements he finalized before his captivity. They would be trading some of their crystals for women to supplement the needs of the men on his planet.
Abby laughed as she pulled down the driveway for the forty minute ride to town. She was beginning to wonder if Zoran was ever going to let her leave. She went over all the things she could think of in the house to make sure he didn’t starve while she was gone but it took even longer to convince him she didn’t need protection against whatever imaginary creatures he thought she might encounter. He wanted her to take some type of weapon he had with her and was mad as hell when she laughed and said she didn’t need it. Now, she was running even later and would have to stop at the post office first if she wanted to get there before it closed.
Abby rolled down the window after she got on the highway and turned up the CD player singing as she drove. She actually enjoyed the drive to town along the winding roads. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was perfect. She made it to town with a half hour to spare before the post office closed and pulled into a spot right up front. She no sooner turned off the engine to her pickup truck when Clay’s sheriff’s truck pulled in next to her.
Abby let out a frustrated sigh. She swore he had cameras set up to monitor for her arrival in town. There was no way he could know she was headed in otherwise. She really didn’t want to deal with his advances today. She wanted to get her mail, stock up on some food, and get home as soon as possible. It was weird, but she already missed being with Zoran.
“Hey Abby.” Clay said, getting out of his truck and walking over to where Abby was locking her own.
“Hi Clay, how’s it going?” Abby asked as she moved towards the post office.
“Good. I’m glad to see you were able to get out after that storm the other night.” Clay said holding the door open for her.
“Thanks. Yeah, it was pretty bad but it didn’t take long for the electric company to get the power back on. I was expecting it to be much worse than it was.” Abby said moving to her post office box.
“Did you have any damage? I can come up to your place and help you clean up if you need me.” Clay said watching as Abby pulled out her mail, picking out the green notices of boxes to pick up, and stuffing the rest of it in her bag without looking at it.
“No, no damage. A tree fell behind the barn but it didn’t hit anything. There were some smaller branches laying around but it won’t take long to clear those up. I need to pick up some stuff. It was nice seeing you.” Abby said hoping Clay would take the hint and leave.
“I’ll help you. How about going to the diner and getting something to eat when you are done?” Clay asked following Abby to the counter.
Abby let out a soft sigh. Nope, he wasn’t going to leave her be. “Sorry, can’t. I need to get back home before dark. You know I don’t like driving up the drive at night.”
It was the same excuse she had been giving Clay for the past four years. Their conversation could have been recorded since it usually went the same. Clay would ask her out, she would give him an excuse, he would follow her around trying to change her mind, and she would smile and say maybe another time.
“Hi Mrs. Patterson, how is Harry?” Abby said pushing the green notices toward Alicia Patterson. She had been the post master for Shelby probably since the beginning of time and was the number one person to see for any gossip. The woman had to be at least eighty.
“Harry’s fine, dear. Thanks for asking. Are you going to be in town for the festival this year? We so look forward to listening to you sing.” Mrs. Patterson said as she reached under the counter to pull out the boxes. “Strange to be getting men’s clothing in the mail. Haven’t seen any of this since your grandfather passed on. Are you seeing someone, dear?’
Abby gritted her teeth. She should have known Mrs. Patterson would have noticed where the items were coming from. Now everyone in town would know Abby was ordering men’s clothing.
“I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it this year. I have quite a bit of work to do.” Abby said ignoring Mrs. Patterson’s inquisition.
Abby moved to pick up the boxes but before she could Clay grabbed them off the counter, reading the names on them. A dark flush colored his cheeks and his eyes flashed with anger as he moved towards the door leaving Abby no choice but to follow.
Abby unlocked the door to her truck and opened the extended cab portion so she could slide the packages into it. Clay didn’t say anything until she was done.
“Who are you buying men’s clothes for, Abby?” Clay demanded softly.
Abby frowned at Clay before answering, “That’s really none of your business, Clay.”
Clay grabbed Abby’s arm as she moved to get into her truck. “I think it is. I’ve been asking you out for the past four years and you will hardly give me the time of day. Who are you buying clothes for?”
Abby sighed, “Clay, I like you as a friend, nothing more. You should know that by now. Please, just leave it as that and find someone else.”
“I don’t want someone else, Abby. I want you. You live up on that damn mountain all alone. It’s not safe. You should move into town.” Clay moved closer to Abby trapping her between his body and her truck seat. He twirled a long piece of her hair that had come loose between his fingers. “You know I’m attracted to you. Why won’t you give me a chance?”
Abby swallowed hard. Clay had never come on to her quite this aggressively. Before, it was almost a teasing game between them. One Abby had never really taken serious.
“Clay…” Abby began but was silenced as Clay wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her into him, kissing her deeply.
Abby was so startled by the kiss she didn’t even think to resist. Clay had never tried to kiss her before. Now he was not only kissing her, he was doing it in the middle of the parking lot of the post office. A soft cough behind them caused both of them to jump.
Abby looked over Clay’s shoulder to see Mrs. Patterson grinning as she locked up the post office. Abby blushed. Now, everyone in Shelby and every county within a fifty mile radius would know the Sheriff of Shelby got caught kissing in the parking lot. Abby felt like a teenager getting caught making out.
“I have to go.” Abby muttered, pulling herself into the driver’s seat of her truck. “I still have to get groceries.”
Clay backed up with a grin on his face, tipping his hat to Abby as she pulled out of the parking lot. He had staked his claim on Ms. Abigail Tanner and he knew Mrs. Patterson would help let everyone know it. Whistling, he walked over to his truck. Abby may not have said she would go out with him but she had not resisted him when he kissed her. He was off tomorrow so he might just make a trip up into the mountains.
Abby had forgotten all about the incident with Clay by the time she was winding her way back up her driveway. She was thinking about Zoran and his golden ship. She couldn’t believe out of all the places in the world for an alien to land, it was in her own backyard. She wondered what her grandparents would have thought about him. Abby absently reached up and rubbed the gold around her neck. She could feel the thin gold chain warm under her touch. She knew the creature, or whatever it was, enjoyed it when she rubbed it. It would often try to wrap around her fingers, moving in and out. She was amazed at how fast she had gotten used to it. She wondered what it was like where Zoran and the gold creature came from.
As Abby rubbed the gold necklace around her neck flashes of images poured into her mind. She saw huge trees and flying creatures that resembled dragons in Earth’s mythology flying through the air, gold armor covering their
bodies. She saw a city of white rising out of the dense forests surrounded by huge walls that towered high into the sky. Large crowds of men and women were strolling about what looked like a market with the gold creatures taking all kinds of shapes and sizes. She saw what looked like space ships flying over the city and landing while others took off. She saw Zoran naked and surrounded by lots of females who were rubbing on him. The gold necklace around her neck seemed to realize it shouldn’t have shown her that image and it quickly faded away.
“Hey! No fair.” Abby said sucking in her breath as her heart beat wildly.
She didn’t even realize she was stopped in the middle of the driveway until the last image faded. She felt a wave of pain around her heart at the sight of Zoran naked with so many females. Obviously, he didn’t lack for female attention. She would be damned if she would be one of his harem girls! It wasn’t like it was likely to happen anyway. After all, he wouldn’t be here much longer. She got the impression his family was on their way to get him. It would be better for the both of them if she kept a distance between them. The kiss they shared this morning wasn’t a big deal. Hell, Clay had kissed her too and it didn’t mean anything to her. She would just have to make sure it didn’t happen again – with either one of them.
Abby finished the drive up the mountain. Try as much as she could, the image of all those women rubbing on Zoran wouldn’t fade from her mind. Abby bit her bottom lip as she prepared herself to face him. She wouldn’t let him know she found him attractive. She would concentrate on her work. She found if she did that it helped. It helped when her grandmother died and it helped when her grandfather passed on. It would save her from making a fool of herself now.
