Zorban's Destiny

by T. J. Quinn

  “Thank you.”

  “Have you decided what to do? There’s no reason for you to stay here anymore. Thalia needs you, my friend,” Krad said, in a serious tone.

  “I’m not sure that’s the people’s feeling, Krad. I still haven’t found a soul mate,” Zorban explained, with a slight frown.

  Too many things had happened in a very short period. For a moment, out there, he had feared he would lose Leah, divided between the feelings he had for her and his loyalty to his people and his family.

  He had done everything in his power to convince his uncle he didn’t care about Leah, but he had taken a chance. The price could have been way too high. When Jharb had hurt her, Zorban’s vision darkened and his self-control hung by a thin thread.

  He wasn’t sure he could leave her again but how could he take her to Thalia? Would his people accept her as his mate, even though she wasn’t Thalian and certainly not his soul mate? Would she agree to come with him? There were too many questions, and he only had one answer: he didn’t want to lose her again.

  He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

  “Well, it’s time your father changes that ridiculous law. You can rule us for many years, and when the time comes, I’m sure you’ll be able to choose your successor wisely,” Krad said.

  They had talked about it several times in the past, but Zorban’s father had always refused to repeal the law that forced him to be mated to take his place at the throne.

  “Things have changed now. I’m sure he will change his mind,” Krad insisted.

  “Well, if he does, he knows where I am,” he replied in a cold tone. “I want you to go back to Thalia with the prisoners and the evidence of Jharb’s attack. But for now, I’m staying here.”

  “Zorban…”

  “First of all, I can’t simply disappear. I have a life here with people that depend on me, and I can’t simply abandon it all, even if I wanted, which I don’t,” he pointed out. “Second of all, nothing has really changed for me, Krad. Despite your hopes, I’m sure my father won’t change his mind, and I won’t go up against him in this. With Jharb out of the picture, he’s free to choose any of my cousins to inherit the throne, and that’s fine by me.”

  “You're as stubborn as your father,” his friend grumbled.

  “Well, I am his son, after all.”

  “Are you sure I can’t convince you?”

  “Yes, I am.” He leaned over and picked Leah up in his arms. It was time to take her home.

  “Is it because of her?” Krad asked, with a slight frown.

  “Only partly,” he admitted, walking out of the room.

  “What do you think Jharb meant when he said you didn’t even know who she was?” Krad asked, following him.

  “I have no idea, and I really don’t care. It was probably one way for him to poke me, that’s all,” Zorban said, shrugging.

  “I believe there’s something more, cousin,” Iannis said. She had followed them out of the infirmary.

  Zorban stopped and turned to look at his cousin. “What do you mean?”

  “My father almost had a stroke when he saw the pictures of you with her,” she continued. “It was as if you being with her was the worst thing that could happen.”

  “Perhaps he thought I had found my soul mate,” he ventured, trying to make sense of what she was telling him.

  “And is she?” Krad asked, with a frown.

  “No, she isn’t. She’s important to me, I can tell you that, but she’s not my soul mate,” he assured them.

  Krad nodded, but it was obvious he was disappointed.

  They headed back to where Zorban had hidden his flying pod. He put Leah in it, still worried about her unconsciousness.

  “Your mother won’t be happy,” Iannis said with a sad smile.

  “She’ll be too busy celebrating your mating to Krad to worry much about me,” he assured her, hugging the woman. “Don’t allow your brothers to give you a bad time about your part in all this.”

  “I won’t. Despite what you think, only Jonus supported my father’s plans. The rest of us only played along, to have some peace. My father didn’t accept any dissent in his family,” her cousin confessed.

  “Make sure you tell my mother that. With proofs of Jharb’s betrayal, things might get rough for you and your siblings,” he warned her.

  “I’m well aware of that, but your mother promised to help us,” she told him with a smile. “So, don’t worry about us.”

  “Let me know if I can be of help. Krad knows how to contact me,” he told her before he turned to face his friend. “Take care of my little cousin, and now that I don’t have to hide, you can visit me more often.”

  “I will.” The friends hugged, and Zorban finally jumped into the pilot seat. He wanted to get to Leah’s place as fast as possible.

  A few moments later, he was up in the sky and flying directly there. At some point, a low moan from her seat warned him she was coming to herself.

  Checking there were no anomalies ahead, he got up from his seat and went to where she was.

  “Hi, sleeping beauty, how are you feeling?” he asked, in a low tone, cradling her face with his hand.

  She frowned. “What happened?” she asked, avoiding meeting his gaze as blurred images of the events rushed through her mind.

  “My uncle hit you in the head with his gun,” he explained, grazing the gauze that covered the small cut on her head.

  “That maniac is your uncle?” she asked, looking around, her frown getting deeper as she wasn’t able to recognize the vehicle, she was in. “He traveled in a spaceship.”

  “How’s that even possible?” she asked, rubbing her forehead.

  “He was what you call an alien,” he explained, in a soft tone.

  That was enough to make her look at him. “But… but that would mean you… you are an alien… too,” she mumbled, too astonished.

  “Yes, I am. I come from a planet called Thalia, very far from here. I chose this planet when I was forced to leave my home because we’re not so different from humans,” he said, caressing her hand, gently.

  “That’s why your cock… is different,” she pointed out, blushing as soon as the words came out.

  He chuckled. “Yes, that’s one of the small differences between us,” he agreed. “There are a few others that you shall discover in time.”

  She cleared her throat and pulled her hand from his. “What happened after I lost consciousness?” she asked, looking out the window.

  “My uncle and I had a fight, and he tried to kill me.”

  “I guess he lost the fight since you’re here,” she stated.

  “Yes, he did. My uncle had been causing many problems for my family and me, and I guess this was bound to end the way it did,” he explained.

  “So, are you going back to your home planet?” she asked before she could hold back the words.

  Whether he left or not, was none of her business. He had been blatantly clear in that few moments before his uncle hit her.

  “No. Earth is my home now. I have a life here and no reason to leave it,” he replied, surprising her.

  “Oh… well, good for you. I’m sure Matthew will appreciate that.”

  “Just Matthew? Won’t you?” he asked, grasping her chin with his fingers and gently forcing her to look at him.

  A sudden beep coming from the main controls saved her from having to answer his question. They had arrived at their destination.

  Cursing his luck, Zorban landed the pod and helped Leah to hop out of it.

  “Thank you for bringing me home. Have a safe trip back to Seattle,” she said, with a cold smile, before she turned around and headed towards the house.

  “We need to talk, Leah,” he said, in a serious tone.

  She stopped and turned to look at him. “About what? If you’re afraid I might expose you, don’t be. No one would believe me anyway,” she assured him.

  “I know you wouldn’t expose me.”

 
“Then, I really don’t see what else we might have left to discuss,” she concluded in a tone as cold as the snow and ice that surrounded them.

  “I know that I hurt you…”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Why do you assume that Zorban?” she interrupted him. “Believe me, you didn’t hurt me. I knew whatever we had between us was just a fling, that was all that I wanted too,” she assured him. “It might have ended a bit earlier than I thought, but I could tell you were busy, and I certainly understand that.”

  Zorban closed the distance between them. “Why do I have trouble believing you?”

  “Wishful thinking?” she asked in a sarcastic tone. “Listen, I really don’t have time for this. I have to work on my book, and ever since I met you, you have been a huge distraction. I’m sure you’ll find someone else to entertain you,” she said, turning around to head towards her house.

  But Zorban couldn’t let her go that easily. His heart refused to believe she didn’t want to be with him. Despite her words, he knew he had hurt her, not only when he practically threw her out of his life but also when he had told his uncle he couldn’t care less about her.

  He took her by the arm and pulled her against him. “I don’t believe you don’t want me, as much as I want you,” he said, cradling her face and stealing a passionate, mind-blowing kiss from her cherry red lips.

  She pulled away. “I never said I didn’t want you, I simply have other priorities,” she said, in a cold tone, through ragged gasps. Denying the obvious was a futile exercise.

  “Leah… please, give me another chance,” he asked, pulling her closer to him again and kissing her a few times, melting the ice wall she had built around her heart. “I need you in my life.”

  She pulled away from him furious. “How can you say that when you admitted our relationship was nothing but a flirtation you had already ended?” she hissed, every word oozing the pain she had experienced. She covered her mouth and closed her eyes for a moment, regretting her words immediately. “Please, forget I just asked you that. You were only telling the truth, and that’s why I really don’t understand why you’re still here.”

  “I wasn’t telling the truth. My uncle had spent all my life looking for a way to hurt me. Letting him know you meant something to me, would have endangered your life even more. I couldn’t let that happen,” he explained.

  “Oh, please… you would have let him kill me before you signed over the throne to him,” she blurted disdainfully.

  “I would have killed him before he was able to put his finger on the trigger,” he assured her. “And if I had failed, my men wouldn’t have, believe me.”

  “Why should I? Why go through all this just for a few more days of passion?” she asked

  “I want more than just a few days with you, Leah. I want the rest of our lives,” he assured her, and the moment the words came out his lips he knew he was talking from his heart.

  So what she wasn’t his alleged soul mate, chosen by the Gods of Thalia and fate? She was the woman his heart and soul had chosen to love, and that mattered more to him than anything.

  Now, all he had to do was convince her he meant every word he was saying.

  She snorted, with disbelief. “You watched me leave your life and did nothing to stop me. Why should I believe you?”

  “I wanted you safe, away from the confrontation I was about to have with my uncle,” he explained. “Sending you away didn’t work, and you were still dragged into the mess, but I always intended to come back for you.”

  “Listen… this is too much for me to take. As you said, too many things happened in a short period, and I can’t think straight…”

  “I know. But all I’m asking right now is for you not to kick me out of your life. Let me stay with you. I promise I’ll give you all the time you need to trust in me again,” he begged her, pulling her closer and covering her lips with many tiny kisses. “I also promise I’ll do everything in my power to convince you of how much I love you.”

  She gasped, astonished. “You what?” she mumbled.

  “I love you, Leah, more than I thought possible to love someone,” he assured her.

  “But… but…”

  “It’s alright if you don’t love me yet…” he said, misinterpreting the doubt in her mumbles. “I can wait, and meanwhile, I’ll conquer your heart, the way you conquered mine.”

  She took a deep breath, slapping his chest. “Oh, please… I’m sure I fell in love with you way before you knew what love was,” she mocked him.

  His smile was now broad. “You love me.” It wasn’t a question.

  She smiled back. “I love you,” she confirmed, feeling as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart.

  “And I love you… what else could we ask for?” he asked, picking her up in his arms and carrying her to the house, eager to show her just how much he loved her.

  They never made it to the bedroom. The raw hunger that rushed through them was so powerful, they made love at the entrance, against the main door, on the wooden floor, and on the fluffy carpet in front of the fireplace, before they finally decided to go to her bedroom.

  “You do realize you have a lot to explain, right?” she told him when she was resting in his arms, as they watched the sun rising in the horizon.

  He chuckled. “Yes, I know, and I’ll tell you all you want to know.”

  “Then, by all means, start,” she invited him.

  And he did. He told her everything. Even about Leena, the small angel that had been ripped away from his life, so many years ago.

  Leah wasn’t sure how she felt about that part of his life. She understood whatever he had felt for the little baby had been a spiritual love, that had nothing to do with the feelings they shared, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous of his first love.

  “What would happen if you suddenly found your soul mate?” she asked, a bit troubled with the mere idea of that ever happening.

  “I’m sure it won’t happen, Leah, not when my heart is already taken by you,” he said, with conviction.

  “So… I guess we won’t have children,” she concluded, when he finished explaining.

  “I don’t know for sure. No Thalians have ever mated females from other species,” he replied, with a slight frown. “Is that very important to you?” he asked, not hiding his concern.

  “Not more important than you, that’s for sure. We can always adopt. There are too many abandoned children in this world we can bring into our lives,” she said, with a smile.

  He kissed her, printing all his love in that kiss. “Thank you.”

  “So, you don’t have plans to return to Thalia?” she asked a bit curious. She would go with him if he asked her to.

  “Not for good. My mother will want to know you, I’m sure, so we might go for a visit,” he explained.

  “Are you sure she’ll accept me?” she asked, a bit concerned.

  “Yes, she will, eventually. She still hasn’t lost hope I’ll find my soul mate and take my place on the throne, but in the end, she wants me to be happy, and when she understands you’re the one that makes me happy, she will welcome you.”

  She nodded and hoped he was right.

  They made arrangements for the chickens and sheep to go to a sanctuary, but Leah couldn’t bear to leave her beloved dogs. Zorban called ahead to have the necessary gear needed to keep them in the city delivered to his penthouse.

  Two days later, they left for Seattle. His life was established there, and she could work wherever she wanted. He promised her they would go back to her place regularly and that was enough for her.

  When they arrived at his apartment, they took the dogs for a walk, then upstairs.

  Leah put the dogs into the utility room where they would be quartered until they adjusted to city life. When she returned from her task, Mrs. Benson was presenting Zorban with a pile of urgent messages from his mother, as she welcomed them.

  “Come, it’s time you meet your mother in la
w,” Zorban said, with a teasing smile.

  “Are you sure this is a good idea? She wants to talk to you, not to me,” she said, furrowing her brows.

  “Krad must have told her about you, so believe me, she wants to see you,” he assured her, as he opened his office and set up the video call with his mother.

  Leah stood a few steps back, away from the camera.

  “Hello, mother,” he greeted the queen.

  “Zorban, why aren’t you on your way to Thalia?” she ranted. “And what nonsense is this I hear from Krad that you have mated a human female?”

  Well, the woman’s words showed her utter dismay.

  “How are you mother? How’s my father?” Zorban asked, ignoring her rant.

  “Zorban!” she yelled at him.

  “Mother!” he replied, in a calm tone. “Nothing has changed for me, mother. You know my father will never change things.”

  “You can’t know that. If you talked to him, you could convince him…” she retorted.

  “No, mother. I’ve said and done enough. Besides, my life is nowhere, but with the woman, I chose to share my life with,” he explained.

  “How can you say that? She’s not your soul mate…”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “No, but she’s the love of my life, mother and believe me, it feels as good, if not better, to love her. She brought life back to me.”

  “You’re making a huge mistake, Zorban,” she warned him.

  “No, mother, I’m not. I’ve never been so sure, in my life.”

  “Where is she? When can I meet her?” she asked, though her tone showed she hadn’t changed her mind on the subject.

  “Right here.” Zorban pulled Leah closer to him and made her take a seat next to him. “Mother, meet Leah. Leah, she is my mother, Queen Mayala.”

  The look on his mother’s face would have been comical if it wasn’t so strange. She was in shock as if she had seen a ghost from the past.

  “And you say she is human?” the queen finally uttered the words.

  “Yes, mother, she is,” he assured her.

  “I have to go.”

  The queen ended the call abruptly, startling her son and Leah.