“I may appear strange to you, but I do assure you, the Krill are surprisingly gentle during mating,” Grim said with a serious look on his face. He got up and moved towards me.
“Well, I promise you that I’m never going to find out,” I said. My heart was pounding out of my chest now, and I was backing away from him, wondering what I was going to do to get out of this.
“And what makes you say that?” He asked, visibly angry.
When he pressed his body close to mine, I decided that my only recourse was to use a move that Luke taught me - in the wrestling ring. With my angry fist, I knocked him hard right in the groin and then brought my foot down on top of his foot.
“Ow!” I yelled and massaged my wounded hand.
My fingers were throbbing, and Grim just stood there with an amused look on his face.
The attempt was a failure, but I thought Luke still would have been proud.
CHAPTER 6
Luke
I was wandering the streets putting all my powers of thought towards what I was going to do. The image of Grim holding Candice’s wrist on the battlefield, the reality that I did not know what his intentions were with her - all of it was filling me with such dreadful pain that my need to return to Hecate was going to be quite a challenge. And how was Candice going to get back to earth?
I was in the middle of the desert. I had no food or water. I was absolutely blind with pain. This wouldn’t do.
I tried to conjure pleasure in my mind, any kind of pleasure. I thought of her lovely face, but that just made me think about what danger she was in and how I might never see her again. I thought about mundane things like my favorite foods, things I liked to do, the thrill of battle. Ridiculous. All of it just brought my mind back to the current situation, which was a sheer pain. And not just pain, but a level of red-blooded anger that I had never even thought possible.
I was now a soldier on the battlefield of my own mind - and emotions.
It occurred to me that being out in the middle of the desert, hyperventilating and dehydrated, was not the best place to find the pleasure that I needed to be propelled through the Gate. I had to change my environment.
I could go to her home, but I automatically foresaw that this would cause pain.
I had to move. I got up and found the closest highway. It was empty and desolate, but finally, a truck was coming down the road, and I put up my thumb to hitch a ride. I had hitchhiked before but often had little success. I was not the most harmless looking human. On this day, the universe was on my side.
The fat, burly driver recognized a tortured soul when he saw one, and pulled over to give me a ride.
“Where you off to, man?” He asked. He was the stereotypical truck driver and had a bit of a drawl in his voice. He lighted a cigarette and offered me one. I gladly accepted.
“What’s the nearest town?” I asked, taking a long, slow drag.
“Arbor Ville.” He replied.
“How far is Sun Valley?” I asked. An idea came to me.
“I beg your pardon?” He said with a laugh.
“How far is Sun Valley,” I asked again. Did he not hear me?
“Oh son, you must have been out in the desert for a long time.” The guy was really chuckling now.
“Why is that?” I asked.
“You’re only a mile away. Where did you think you were?” He asked with a laugh. I had to admit that I had no clue. But if I was sent back to Sun Valley, then I had to be close to whatever I needed to get back through the Gate.
“Just lost somewhere,” I replied. I was feeling hopeful now.
“I’m just on my way to that crazy Carnival that’s in Arbor Ville. You want to come with?” The driver asked.
I turned to him and said nothing. The Carnival of Cursed Souls was in that town, and this truck driver was sent to take me back to it. He was a diversion, to keep me from making it back through the Gate. It was not going to work.
“No, thank you. Drop me off in Sun Valley. There’s a diner there.” I said.
“As you say, sir.” The truck driver gave me a formal salute, and I wondered if this human creature might know more than met the eye.
Candice
If Luke didn’t find a way to get back here soon, I was going to be in some serious trouble. After nearly breaking my hand, Grim decided to let me off the hook for the night. It was a relief, but I would only be safe for so long.
“We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow.” He said, annoyed that my hand was in so much pain and that it wasn’t going to be the proper night for ‘mating.' After all, he informed me that the only way to get pregnant by a Krill alien was for the female to experience intense climax. Without it, there would be no impregnation. Grim said that since I was injured, it decreased the chances. I found the situation so completely ridiculous that I didn’t know how to respond.
At night, when I laid in bed, I indulged in my intense pain in hope that it would send me back to earth. I tried everything. I thought of Luke wounded, captured, even dead, and it had no effect. Why was that? Maybe the same rules didn’t apply to me.
I couldn’t be a part of this anymore.
The pain that I needed to get home was the pain that came from giving up on this journey entirely, and meaning it. Surrendering my cosmic love.
I can already begin to feel it working. I’m fading slightly, but not enough.
He had to come here. He had to be in front of me, and I needed to tell him I was not strong enough. That was the level of pain I needed.
I resolve myself. This was the only way that I could return home for good. I would have my life back, and perhaps, just perhaps, it would keep Luke safe as well.
CHAPTER 7
Luke
“Iris,” I said as I burst into the diner.
“Luke?” She said with a baffled expression on her face. It seemed like the diner was near closing time because she was wiping off the empty tables and straightening the chairs. “You came back?” She said.
“Yes, for Candice.” I didn’t know why Iris was going to be the key to this, but I felt certainty in my chest. She was going to assist me through the Gate.
“She’s not here. Didn’t come into work today. I’m worried, I’ve been calling—“ Iris looked panicked.
“Listen to me, Iris,” I said placing my hands on her shoulders to calm her. “Candice is going to be alright, but I’m going to need your help with something.”
A confused expression crossed her face.
“Okay?”
“I’m trying to solve a kind of - riddle,” I said, sitting down and speaking slowly so that she should take it all in. I motioned for Iris to join me in sitting on the opposite side of the booth.
“What riddle?” She asked.
“Candice is a woman that I’m drawn to. I have strong feelings for her.” I explained. “But there’s something about her - something that I don’t know. I sense that you can share this with me.” I said. This thing that I didn’t know was what was going to give me pleasure. Some secret about her. Something unseen.
I could tell that Iris found all of this quite strange, but she was willing to go with me on it. Dares I say, there was a romantic aspect to what I was asking for, and Iris was compelled by it. I folded my hands on the table in front of me.
“Well, you’re smart. She’s a great girl.” Iris said.
“I know,” I said. It brought a smile to my face.
Iris joins me by leaning in and folding her hands in front of her on the table. There, I saw the answer.
On Iris’ left hand was an engagement ring, sparkling in the soft light of dusk. Something stirred within me.
Two people coming together as one.
For a moment, I imagined that Candice was home right now, waiting for me. We would watch a movie, talk and laugh, perhaps we would make love and I would hold her close. I imagined a world where there was no Curse, no war, no Gate, just her. I was beginning to feel intense pleasure.
“Is the
re a jeweler around town?” I asked.
“If you want to buy me a ring, I’m taken already.” She said with a giggle, holding up her hand. Turned out Iris was quite funny.
“It’s for Candice,” I said.
“Oh. My. God.” She replied, and jumped up from the booth to grab her car keys.
Having the ring in my hand, ready to make Candice my wife, it was going to give me enough pleasure to send me through the Gate. It had got to be a reality. I needed to feel it in my hand so that the moment I got back on Hecate I could ask for her hand. I would tell Grim that I was done with the war. If the Curse was lifted and I was a free man, then I would hang up my armor forever.
“This is my cousin Mickey’s shop. It’s only open for another 20 minutes or so. He’s got a few nice pieces.” Iris said enthusiastically. “It’s not the best, but it will work in a pinch.”
“Thank you, Iris,” I said, stepping out of her truck. It was all falling into place.
“Can I help you?” Mickey asked. He was a burly, Italian-looking man with gold chains around his neck.
“I need a ring. A wedding ring.” I said. I thought that holding it would be enough to send me through the Gate.
“We got a few pieces over here.” Mickey opened a case and took out a board that had about 10 rings on it. They all shimmered under the light.
“You know how much you want to spend?” He asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, inspecting the rings. There was one ring in particular that stood out from the rest. Tiny diamonds were strung in the shape of a knot.
“Oh, that’s the best one.” He said.
“What’s this symbol?” I asked.
“That, I believe, is a Celtic knot. It symbolizes ‘being as one',” Mickey said.
“Being as one,” I said aloud, holding the ring up to the light.
The ring, and my hand, gently faded before me. Within moments, I was gone.
Being as one.
Candice
“You cannot resist me anymore.” Grim growled. His blue, venomous spit hit me in the face. He had been more forceful all day, but finally tonight, he would wait no longer.
“Please, please don’t do this!” I begged. I was so terrified I felt like my heart was pounding out of my chest.
“It’s time to submit to your fate.” He said. Grim was looming over me now, and I was pretty sure that that was it. I had no defenses.
“It’s funny you should mention fate.” I heard a voice from behind Grim say.
“Ah!” Grim screamed, his six arms clutching his back. He had been stabbed, and his blue ooze was pouring all over the room. He rolled off of me to reveal, standing there strong and triumphant, Arias the Angry.
“Did you miss me?” Luke asked, picking me up off the bed with one arm.
“Your timing is impeccable,” I said.
Grim was writhing on the ground for a few moments until he managed to pull himself to his feet.
Luke stood in front of me and held up his light sword, pointing it towards Grim.
“Would you like me to run you through again, or have you had enough?” He asked. Luke was fearless, and my heart soared to have him here again. And then I remembered the resolution that I had already made.
To end this chaos.
“You always impress me, Arias,” Grim said, holding his wound. There was no more blue ooze pouring out, but you should tell that he was in a lot of pain. I guessed aliens felt things, after all.
“Let the two of us leave here, and I won’t harm you again,” Luke said with determination.
“I don’t believe that. You love the fight too much, Arias.” Grim replied.
“I’m done with the fight,” Luke said, and turned to look at me, his sword still aloft. He took my hand in his.
“If you let us go, open the Gate so we can get back to earth, then I will not come back here to fight again. But the Curse must be lifted.” Luke said.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This wasn’t like Luke at all. If he were no longer the warrior Arias, he would be stripped of his identity.
“Luke, please don’t,” I said, trying to stop him from doing something that he would regret.
“No, I’ve decided once and for all what is important to me.” He said. Luke grasped my hand more tightly.
“Luke, there’s something I have to tell you,” I said.
“You’re telling me that if I lift your curse and send you back to earth, you’ll give up the battle? You’ll give me control of Orion?” Grim said with a little smile on his face.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Luke said without even giving it another thought.
“That’s very intriguing,” Grim said.
“Luke, don’t do it. You have to keep fighting. He wants to take over other galaxies, Luke. He wants to take over Earth. He told me.” I said, pleading with him.
“What?” Luke said.
“You’d end up having to face him again, no matter what.”
“Why don’t you tell your stupid little human whore to hold her tongue!” Grim growled.
I saw instantly that every muscle in Luke’s body tensed. He gently released my hand.
“Cover your eyes,” Luke said to me.
He stabbed Grim again, and again, and once more until there was so much blue ooze spouting from him that he was like a fountain. Grim screamed, and collapsed onto the floor. Finally, he scurried from the room, running for his life.
“Is this it? Have you won?” I asked with a hushed voice. Had he single-handedly ended all of it?
“No. I’m afraid not. Grim will recover. He always does.” Luke said, looking down at the blue puddle of entrails on the floor. “He’s not like the other Krill.”
“You have to keep fighting. It’s what needs to be done.” I said. “The things that he told me—“
“No, Candice. I meant what I said. I don’t want to fight anymore.” He stepped towards me, resolved. His powerful chest was still heaving from the stabbing. “This war could go on forever. But you and I don’t have that much time.”
I backed away from him. There were no words for what I needed to tell to him.
“What is the matter?” He said.
“Luke, I—“ Nothing came.
“You’re backing away from me. What’s wrong?”
“I—“ I put my hands up into the air, claiming defeat.
“Talk to me. I demand it.” Luke said, throwing down his sword.
Then, as if in a dream, I saw him reach into his pocket and pull out a small, glittering object. Even in the faint light, it glowed as if it were embedded with thousands of holographic prisms.
It was a ring.
“Be mine. Forever. I believe that it is our fate.” Luke said, staring at me intently. He did not take a knee. “It would bring me happiness.”
I did not take the ring that he was offering.
“This is never going to end, Luke. I see that now. Not only is Orion in danger, but every galaxy is in danger. Giving up your identity and moving to earth is no way to escape it, and…..” I felt as though I couldn’t breathe. “I can’t marry you. It’s the wrong thing for us both.”
Luke did not speak but continued to stare me down, waiting for a different answer, one that he would approve of.
“I’m sorry, Luke. I need my life back, and you need yours.” I said, and tears started to fall from my eyes. My heart was absolutely breaking. This was the man I loved the most in the whole universe. He was a warrior, and he was giving it all up for me. I simply believed that it was the wrong choice.
“You have suffered a great deal. You don’t know what you’re saying. I want to make it better.” His eyes were turning red.
“I need to make this decision for us.”
“Come closer.” He said, stepping towards me.
I backed away again. Physical proximity would make this much more difficult.
“We must be together. You understand this.” He said.
At t
his moment, I knew what I had to do. To get myself back to earth safely, I had to create that pain. It was the pain I was beginning to feel in the night, but it wasn’t strong enough to send me home. Would it cause Luke to come back with me? Would he be able to remain on Hecate? There was no telling what the result of my choice would be.
Alien Romance Box Set: Alien Former: Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Books 1-5) Page 113
