I will not let you pull away from me.
“What is going on?” I asked, seriousness filling my voice.
“It’s just I—“ She tried to speak.
“Tell me what.” I stepped forward, and she stepped back.
“Luke, you need to know that I’m engaged. I’m sorry but—“
She continued to speak, and now I was fading rapidly. I would be gone in any second.
I heard her voice trailing off as if it were miles away.
“I’m engaged to Christian……”
I will be on Earth shortly. At least I’ll be able to kill him.
Candice
I already knew that telling him this might be the biggest mistake I had ever made in my life.
What the hell was I thinking?
I thought that he deserved to know the truth. I wanted to tell him that I was confused by it and having serious doubts. But of course, all of this wasn’t going to be possible because it was visually clear that he was getting pulled through.
My pulse starts racing rapidly, and my mind began to reel with what I could do. But perhaps, he was already too far gone.
Thoughts rushed through my mind as I watched his perfect form vanish before me. The look of anger and confusion in his eyes was indescribable. I put my palm up to touch his, one last time, and sadly, he managed to put his palm up to meet with mine.
My fate changed in a moment. As though time had gone still, I realized what I had to do.
I would give up my home, my life - my very identity - to be with this man.
There had been signs all along that Christian didn’t make me happy. I thought the dusty desert of my childhood could heal my grieving heart, and yet every day I still grieved for my parents and the life I thought that I would have. The diner occupied me - kept my mind off things that were gone, and things that I deeply wanted.
In this one exquisite moment of revelation, I knew that what I truly wanted was the figure fading in front of my very eyes. He had always been my North Star, and for quite some time, I had believed that he was gone, but never gave up hope. And even in the rare moments when the hope would leave me, I still continued to love him.
Here, at this moment was my chance, and the only chance that we both had to set it right - to end the Curse, end the grief and longing, and begin the life we were meant to live - by each other’s side.
At this moment, I decided my own fate.
I leaped forward and almost like in a dream, or some wild fantasy, I pressed my lips against Luke’s just before his image was completely gone - the last ray of sunlight before it set below the horizon.
Our lips were entwined, but not on Hecate, not on Earth. This was a whole other plane of reality that there was no explanation for. We were within the Gate, grasping one another, trying to hold on.
I yelled to him, but my words could barely be heard with the sound of stars and galaxies swirling around us.
“I want to stay here with you, Luke,” I yelled, almost not audible to myself.
“Candice!” He yelled.
“Arias! I want to stay here with you.” I yelled again, but I felt my consciousness leaving me. The effort of trying to communicate in the Gate was draining me of all my energy. I was fading.
Where would I end up?
•••••••••••••••
CHAPTER 7
•••••••••••••••
Luke
I did not know where I was. What happened in the Gate was beyond precedent. There was no way to explain what she had done. It was the most shocking, courageous, and powerful thing I had ever seen, and I had been through many battles.
She was a goddess. There was no doubt about this. Candice said that she would be mine. That she would stay.
So now, she was my Goddess.
My consciousness was back now, and I looked around to see that I was in my tent. The fire had gone out, and it was the pitch black of night. There were no sounds, no movement.
Is she here? Did she go back to Earth?
As was always the case in terms of this dance between Candice and me, I had to question whether or not I was in a dream. Did I only imagine her? was she entirely a fabrication of Grim’s? The way that she moved me and her angelic qualities, these sometimes made me believe so.
And then I hear a movement.
“Candice?” I asked in a hushed tone.
There was no reply. I saw a figure lying in the corner, and I rushd over. I felt the creature below the blanket and knew instantly that it was her. My heart filled with so much joy that I fought back a tear.
“Where…..where are we?” She managed to ask with a whisper.
“We’re back on Hecate,” I said. I was glad that it was dark because I would be almost embarrassed if she saw the enormous, boyish grin on my face. I pulled myself together and clenched my jaw. “Are you alright?” I asked.
“I..I think so.” She replied.
“Come here,” I said, and pulled her onto my lap so that I could feel her for injuries.
“Ahh!” She screamed.
“You have a bruise on your rib,” I said, feeling it clearly.
“How can you tell that?” She asked.
“Because you screamed,” I said with a smile and kissed her. “Did you mean what you said?” I ask.
“I did, Arias.” She replied in the darkness. “We’re ending this game for good.” She said. I could feel that tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“Come, now,” I said, lifting her up off the ground and carrying her to the bed. No more stalling.
“Arias, just do me one favor,” Candice said as I placed her down gently.
“Anything,” I replied, kissing her neck.
“Wait to do - this - tomorrow.” She said cautiously. I grunted in dissatisfaction.
Then I paused to consider it out of respect to her.
“No,” I said, and continued about the delicious business. She put her two exquisite hands on my chest and gently pushed me away.
“Arias, tomorrow you’ll be killing Grim, the leader of the Krill aliens, the man you had been hunting for most of your adult life to save the Orion galaxy from tyranny and restore peace.” She said. In the darkness, I could practically hear her smile. “You need your rest.” She added, and gave me another gentle push.
I walked over to the extinguished fire pit, threw a pillow at my head and tried to sleep.
She’s so wise.
Candice
I was in the war room watching the screen. This was the day - what Luke had been waiting for and what I had been waiting for. I was filled with so much anxiety that my hands were shaking.
“Everything is going to be alright, Milady,” Halifax said. I remembered him from the last time that I was here on Hecate, and he didn’t seem to have changed much. He was just more tired, but there was still that warmth in his eyes. It was pretty hilarious that he had called me Milady.
“This is what he has been fighting for for so long,” I said nervously.
“He will triumph.” Halifax went on. “We already know that the strength of Grim’s armor is weaker. One blow and he could be gone for good.”
“We’ve got the footage!” A Corin soldier explained excitedly. “They’re on the hillside.” He was at his control table, zeroing in on the action.
I wanted to cover my eyes but at the same time, I felt the need to see what was happening. Victory or loss, I needed to be there for Luke. Really, I needed to be there for Arias.
Sure enough, on the screen, the image of Arias appeared. He stood strong and sure before Grim, his sword in his hand.
“Where is his quantum firearm?” I heard someone say.
“What?” I asked and looked around from side to side.
“His firearm. He’s supposed to have his quantum firearm or else he cannot penetrate the armor!” The soldier said in terror.
“Oh my God,” I said. My intuition told me why it was that Arias wasn’t carryin
g a firearm. He didn’t believe in it. He didn’t think that real soldiers should use guns. I always knew that Luke stood by had principles but this was absolutely ridiculous. The most important moment of the battle and he let his pride get in the way. I was furious, proud, fearful - 100 different things at one time. My stomach is flipping and turning into knots.
“Quiet! Quiet!” Halifax commanded. “This is our leader before us, and we must trust him.” He added gravely.
There was a hush that came over the war room. I could tell that Halifax had broken a rule by calling Arias their ‘Leader.' He expressly commanded them not to call him that, but at this moment, it wasn’t as though Halifax was making official what had only been tacitly understood before.
“We’re behind you, Arias.” A soldier solemnly said looking at the screen.
“We’re behind you, Arias,” I repeated, touching the screen with my hand. I knew that he couldn’t hear me, but maybe somewhere, deep down, he sensed that I was there with him.
•••••••••••••••
CHAPTER 8
•••••••••••••••
Luke
Her presence was here with me. Sure, I knew that she was watching, but I actually felt her on this hillside.
Of course, I could scold her for that because the thought of her being anywhere near danger drove me mad.
This was the moment that I had spent my entire life waiting for. Grim stood before me. It was as though he knew that he was on his last leg. The majority of his army had been killed, the Argyle’s had sided with the Corin, and his hopes of creating an intergalactic empire were nearly gone.
“Finally, we meet. I’m reminded of how short you are.” Grim said, blue drool coming out of the side of his mouth.
I smiled calmly. Of course to humans, I was enormous, but to a Krill alien, I was short. This low blow from the Krill general made me realize just how much he was on his last leg.
“That’s kind of you to say, Grim. Apparently, height has nothing to do with prowess. I believe that I killed half your army with my own hands.” I said with composure. I saw Grim stiffen and his eyes narrowed. Hard to hear, wasn’t it?
“Haughty human!” He yelled. I had never seen Grim this ill at ease. “You may have killed many in my army, but I have taken things from your life that are much more damaging. You, with your human heart. I have tortured you - played upon your weaknesses. And it has worked, hasn’t it?” Grim said with a twisted smile.
For a moment I was forced to think about it. Yes, I had been robbed of a normal life. One that could possibly had been with Candice. Before, these painful thoughts would sent me through the Gate, and I was sure at this moment there was nothing that Grim would want more, but things were different now. Grim no longer had this power over me. Candice was here. She was mine. I was all-powerful.
“You have not taken anything from me, Grim,” I said, stepping forward. “You have given me a great gift, and for that, I will be forever grateful to you.”
“A gift?” Grim said with a confused smile.
“Of course. Without the Curse, how would I ever have found the most important thing in my life?” I said calmly. And for a moment I realized that it was the truth. My Curse was my Blessing. “Have you ever known anything like that, Grim?”
“Stupid human!” Grim yelled.
“No, Grim. I’m a member of the most intelligent species in the universe.” I said with a smile.
“Is that so? The most intelligent species wouldn’t stand before me with that cheap sword and nothing else to defend himself.” Grim said as I saw him pulling out a laser gun from his hip.
And this was when I did something that I was not proud of.
“You’re correct,” I said, being sure that I waited for the right moment. “And that’s why I brought this.”
Within the blink of an eye, I pulled the quantum firearm from where I had hidden it behind my back. I proceeded to put 5 bullets into Grim’s chest, and he fell to the ground.
I had never seen this much blue ooze. It was as though the leader of the Krill was filled with a greater quantity of entrails than the others because he was pouring out like a fountain. I had to shield my face so that it didn’t get into my eyes.
Once the flooding had slowed, I inspected his carcass to make sure that he was dead. There were still twitches and little movements. A faint word came from his lips.
“Coward…..” He said through his gurgling throat.
I stood above him, sword held high.
“No Grim. I’m not a coward. I’m just ready to begin my life.” I forcefully penetrated him with my laser sword straight through his face. The explosion of ooze ran down the hillside.
The sword pierced him so completely in the skull that I knew I wouldn’t be able to recover my time-trusted weapon. So I left it there, on that hillside, never to be used again.
Candice
Tears were streaming from my eyes. Sounds of crying, cheering, and laughing could be heard throughout the war room. The Corin were embracing one another and embracing me. I had no idea who any of these creatures were, but I was kissing and hugging them as though they were family.
“He’s done it. He’s done it.” Halifax said with his head in his hands, shedding a tear. He sat down, finally resting his old bones after all these eons.
Now I was laughing and crying at the same time, and my heart filled with excitement when I thought that Arias was making his way back to the dome right now. I would see him. Life was now for us to live together.
“He’s here!” I heard a soldier yell.
Sure enough, there he was, covered in blue. It was the first time that I had seen him in this room without a sword in his hand.
“Our hero!” Another soldier yelled.
“Our leader!” Came another.
Arias put up his hands to silence the hollers. This was the most perfect that I had ever seen him. A weary smile of satisfaction was on his face. My breast swelled with pride. He had accomplished everything that he said he would, and he had done everything that he had promised.
“Speech! Speech!” Halifax said with pride.
“Now, now,” Arias said. His eyes were searching anxiously from side to side, and I wondered what as the matter. Finally, his eyes met mine, and he was at ease again. We smiled, looking at one another. “There will be no speeches until this evening when we feast.” He said to the crowd.
There were cheers and cried from the soldiers.
“Allow me the dignity of rinsing this filth from me.” He said humorously, splattering some of it onto the floor with his arm. The crowd laughed. Then Arias’ demeanor became more serious. “And also, I’d like you to celebrate with me tonight.” He pointed in my direction, and the crowd turned toward me. “This woman is to be my wife. Even winning 10 wars isn’t as much of a cause for celebration.”
A flush came upon my cheeks, and I could feel all the Corin’s attention on me. I bashfully looked to the floor.
Arias walked across the room as the soldiers parted to make way. He took both my hands in his and looked into my eyes. Those perfect blues were shining brighter than the best Earthly sky that I had ever seen.
“I realize that I never actually asked,” Arias said, gripping my hands tightly. He brought the back of my palm to his lips and kissed it. “Pardon me, Love. In the coming years, I’ll have to learn how to transition from a Corin soldier to a tender, human man.”
“No need to transition. I’ll take you as you are.” I whisper.
•••••••••••••••
CHAPTER 9
•••••••••••••••
Luke
The feast was sumptuous, and I often gazed over at Candice to make sure that she was enjoying herself. The Corin feasted in a seated position, and I was sure to place her as close as possible on a cushion beside me. Corin food must had been new for her, but it seemed like she was enjoying the lush flavors and texture
s. I had to make sure that I didn’t watch her too much as she ate. The movement of her lips and cheeks was delectable to me.
“This is wonderful.” She said, taking a hearty sip of her Root.
“Are you sad you’ll never have pancakes again?” I asked, leaning in and staring at her neck. She thought about my question for a moment.
Alien Romance Box Set: Alien Cube: The Sci-FI Alien Invasion Romance (Books 1-5) Page 53
