One moment, she had been enveloped in joy and pride as the chosen bride of the Warrior King. And then the next, she was lying on the sandy shores of an unknown island.
She opened her eyes again, revealing their unique beauty and depth. This time, they quickly adjusted to the sunlight that bathed the entire island. She forced herself to a sitting position, just as another wave crashed onto the shore and washed up toward her. Her alertness was back, but not her complete memory.
“Shit, how did I get here on planet Earth?” she whispered with combined fear, shock, and worry as she now recognized the natural elements from photos and videos that she had studied while in the academy.
Apparently, she had somehow come to be on a beautiful beach that looked deserted at the moment. She knew that such natural wonders were currently quite rare on Earth.
Looking down upon her body, she saw that she was still wearing the special dress she had carefully picked for a special occasion. It was a plain, long dress in red with a high slit on one side. It looked like a casual cotton dress for Terrans, but was actually made of a different kind of material that was more suitable for Mars. It’s a good thing the fabric was also waterproof so only her skin had gotten wet.
“Am I just dreaming?” she asked aloud, puzzled. She tried pinching herself and immediately felt the pain. “I guess not…” She figured she had somehow ended up in the water and had just washed up on shore.
She straightened up, trying to focus. She again remembered what she’d considered the happiest moment of her life- the announcement of the bride. How could she get married to the Warrior King if she was on a different planet? Her heart sank as the disappointment and frustration settled within.
“I have to get back to Mars!” she declared, standing up and looking around for any clue as to how she was supposed to return. Perhaps there was some portal that she had accidentally entered.
Her planet was the nearest neighbor of the Earth, so it should be a breeze to get back, right? She walked slowly toward one side of the lengthy stretch of the beach, trying to figure out what to do next. “I need to get back,” she repeated to herself as she walked. “I want to be Queen.”
On her planet, it was always a great honor to be chosen as the next Queen of the Warrior King. Whenever a new decade arrives, the Big Announcement was made. All the young ladies would gather at the central dome, hoping to be picked. Everybody who could fit inside would often flock to witness the event.
Every ten years, after living in power, influence, and wealth, the Queen gets replaced. Nevertheless, she would forever be part of Martian history.
Gem felt her heart constricting as she began to panic. What if she never got back? Would they choose another Queen? She had been overjoyed when she’d finally stood face to face with the King. Rather than thinking of the kind of wedding she would be privileged to decide on, such as what most of the previous queens had been first preoccupied with, she had already started noting down her plans for the planet and for their people.
Her speed did not seem ordinary for a Terran, so she was able to reach one end of the beach in a couple of minutes even without running. Weird, she thought as she remembered that their planet’s gravitational pull was supposedly lighter than that of the Earth. But then she realized that perhaps it was due to her unique body makeup. Maybe it was reacting differently to the Earth’s atmosphere.
She stopped to look around, surveying her surroundings. There were sand dunes with a dense forest behind them. And then there were majestic mountains in the background that she had never seen in actuality before.
For a minute, she paused to admire the scenic view. “Just as I thought, Earth is so beautiful up close,” she whispered. This was nothing compared to mere images.
If only she’d been transported here at another time that did not have any conflict with her life on Mars, she would have been thankful for the opportunity to explore an amazing planet teeming with life for numerous years already! After all, she had always been aware of the existence of Terrans, who were the only known life species similar to Martians in their entire galaxy.
“Woof, woof!”
Gem turned around to find a small, adorable creature with four legs wagging its tail as it ran toward her. She recognized it at once as an Earth canine. It had soft, golden hair and was excitedly bouncing up, trying to lick her hand. She couldn’t help laughing.
Then suddenly, it gave a few barks and turned around moving in the other direction. It seemed to be asking her to follow. And so she did.
As they neared the opposite end of the beach, she was surprised to see that this was the part of the island where there were huts and cottages among the trees. It was obviously a village and she grew excited about meeting actual inhabitants of Earth.
From what she had observed so far, she guessed she had not just been transported to planet Earth, but might have actually gone back in time!
Is it possible? she thought, racking her brain for memories from that evening when she had met up with the King in his palace.
The little dog barked excitedly, disrupting Gem’s thoughts. She turned toward the sea where the dog was facing. Three boats had just arrived. One of the men climbed down from his boat and eagerly jogged to meet the dog midway.
“Hey, there,” he greeted the dog, crouching down and scratching the animal’s head and ears. “How are you? Did you miss me?”
The dog barked and wagged his tail gleefully.
Gem watched them, feeling both amazed and amused by their obvious connection. At the same time, she could not help admiring the strong physique of the man, which was common among Martian Warriors. But this human had tanned skin, unlike the pale color of Martians. And there was something else about him that seemed to grip her heart in a way she could not understand or interpret.
To her astonishment, the dog then appeared to lead him to her. He stood up and that was when she had a good look at his handsome face. He had round brown eyes, moist and reddish lips, and a somewhat pointed nose. There was a dimple on each cheek that made him look even more attractive when he was smiling. Strands of his dark hair fell on one eye, but he immediately brushed them away.
He walked toward her, his smile fading a bit as the relaxed, happy expression on his face changed into one of bemusement.
Suddenly, everything else seemed to fade into the background as she was transfixed by the good-looking man in front of her. They were about the same height, although his muscular body definitely shadowed over her lean one.
“Hi,” he said uncertainly. “Are you… lost?”
Hearing his voice made her heart flutter a bit, which was baffling. For some reason, she was at a loss for words. She knew their language very well, but the way he was making her feel at that very moment was something she had never experienced before.
*****
“Hello,” was all she could utter as her eyes drank him in.
“Only a few of us live around here, and I don’t think I’ve seen you before,” he said. He extended his hand toward her then. “I’m Cliff. You are…?”
“My name is Gemini,” she replied, shaking his hand as she had seen done in videos of Earth when she was in school.
“That’s a nice name,” he said with a smile, the sides of his eyes crinkling. “Quite rare. Where are you from?”
Planet Mars, she answered silently. But aloud she said, “I’m from the city. But to be honest, I don’t know how I came to be here.”
He cocked his head to one side, giving her a strange look. Her features were very human, but her eyes were a deep shade of purple with twinkling specks of silver. And her very fine hair in mixed tones of brown and orange, braided to her waist, must be odd too even for someone from the city.
“Well, for your information, you are here at Moonrock Beach right now. What’s the last thing you remember?” he asked, still in a friendly tone despite her apparent out-of-this-world appearance.
“I woke up on the shore and I was soaking wet,” Gem t
old him honestly. “But I took a walk along the beach, so the sun has dried me up already. That’s when I met your dog.”
His tiny pet barked and then leaped to lick her hand. She smiled down at him.
“He likes you,” Cliff said.
Gem just smiled at him.
“I think we might have to jog your memory a bit,” Cliff told her, his voice laced with concern. “But in the meantime, you can stay at our house. We might have to alert the police too, in case they get a report for some accident in the sea or for a missing person…”
“Oh, no, don’t do that,” Gem said quickly. “I mean, I actually do remember something now…”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you sure?”
“Yes!” she said. “I just, I wasn’t sure at first… But I believe I was sent here by someone who didn’t want me around.”
“Why? What happened?”
Gem was just inventing a story, but saying what she just said did seem to shake something in her recollection of that night at the palace.
After her meeting with the Warrior King, Eman, she had been led to her bedroom by one of the servants. But upon entering, she’d been surprised to find another woman inside.
“Hello, Madame,” the woman had greeted her. “I just delivered the King’s gift for you. Congratulations.” She had left in a hurry, and that was when Gem had noticed the gift-wrapped package on the bed.
Cliff’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. “Are you okay, Gemini? If it’s difficult for you to talk about it, it’s fine. I understand.”
Gem’s eyes focused on him again. “I’m sorry,” she muttered, looking down.
“Hey, it’s alright,” he said, sounding cheerful again. “No worries. Come on, I think you need to change into something more comfortable. You’re probably hungry too.”
“Not really,” she said. “But thank you for your kindness.”
She followed him quietly to the nearby village. He lived in one of the bigger cottages that had a nice, artsy shop in front. She couldn’t help appreciating the display of handcrafted items made of shells, wood, dried leaves, and other natural materials. There was also a handful of framed paintings that depicted scenes of the beach.
“You like art?” he asked when he noticed how she had stopped to admire the items on display.
She nodded, picking up a tiny wooden sculpture of a dog. “Did you make this?” she asked.
“Yes,” Cliff said, approaching.
She didn’t realize he was standing right behind her. Surprised by his answer, she turned around at once and was taken aback by his closeness. She caught a whiff of his salty scent mixed with a hint of his musky aftershave. It was invigorating.
“I, uh… think… it’s really beautiful,” Gem said, finding it hard to construct her sentence because of their proximity. She couldn’t really understand why her heart was pounding wildly and her thoughts seemed to have gotten jumbled up.
“Thank you,” Cliff said. “You can have it.”
“What? No!” Gem said, shaking her head. “I want to pay for it.” She realized then that she didn’t have anything to pay with. She was, however, wearing a necklace that had a real diamond pendant. She took it off and handed it over.
Cliff chuckled. “Sorry, but I can’t accept that.”
“But it’s a real diamond!” Gem protested.
“That’s why I can’t take it,” Cliff said, laughing. “I’m selling the sculpture for just five bucks, actually. Your necklace must be worth, what? A thousand bucks? Or maybe even more.”
Gem looked surprised. “Oh, I thought this kind of sculpture would be worth that much. You should price it higher, definitely. It’s so detailed and well-crafted.”
“Thanks, I’m flattered,” Cliff said, his brown eyes twinkling in amusement. “But if I do that, I’ll never be able to sell it to the few tourists who come over.”
“Well, okay,” Gem finally conceded. “But I can’t let you give it away for free. You’re even letting me stay here for free. You’ve been so kind, so I must pay you back in some way.”
“Sure, no problem,” Cliff answered. “We would certainly appreciate help in the kitchen. Can you cook?”
Gem’s eyes lit up. She was actually a chef. That was her profession on Mars. It would be awesome to come up with new, delicious concoctions made out of ingredients on Earth.
Cliff was gazing into her eyes. “You have… unique… eyes… I’ve never seen anything quite like them!”
“Uh, yeah,” Gem said, afraid he might suddenly doubt that she’s human like him. She quickly changed back the subject to cooking. “You know, I’m actually a chef. That’s my job.”
“Wow, really?” Cliff said, sounding excited. “Just my luck! You see, we run a little bed and breakfast here and we want to jack it up for tourists, give them something more special, you know.”
“Bed and breakfast?” Gem repeated, trying to recall her lessons about Earth.
“Like a small hotel or inn,” he explained. If he found it weird that she did not know what it was, he did not show it.
“I see,” Gem said in a surprised tone of voice. “I thought you were a fisherman.”
“Well, I go fishing sometimes too,” he said with a grin. He motioned to the sack of fish he was carrying. “What’s the point of living near the sea if you can’t catch, eat, and sell fish, right?”
Gem grinned back, beginning to feel very much at ease with him. “Right,” she agreed. “So… lead me to the kitchen and let me show you what I can do!”
Gem took a deep breath, hoping that her Martian body would still give her the extraordinary speed she had experienced earlier. She went to work immediately. To her great joy, she was able to come up with three different dishes in less than an hour. They were all made of fish. She’d even included a salad and a soup. As she was preparing the meal, she thought this was definitely a great opportunity for her to enjoy her adventure on Earth and have a job while she tried to find a way to get back to her world.
She had just finished setting up the mini feast on the blue-painted wooden table in the dining area when she smelled something fresh and fragrant. She looked up to see Cliff who seemed to have just come out of the shower. He was drying his dark hair with a towel and was clad only in a pair of shorts. His exposed torso and chest made her stop and stare.
“Cliffy!” a girl’s voice screamed. They both turned toward the door, where a pretty blonde-haired woman was standing with her arms outstretched. “I’m back!”
Cliff’s face broke into a huge smile. He went to her and took her in his arms. She embraced him tightly, which he returned. They seemed to have missed each other a lot.
Gem frowned as she watched them. She wasn’t excited to present her dishes anymore. Instead, she felt like she wanted to get out of there… fast.
*****
Attraction. The word came to Gem as she was deciding whether to slip away or not. It was something that she had learned was a common feeling among humans. It was one of the things that a lot of Martians did not understand nor want to acknowledge. Their people had been brought up in a society where physical attraction was very rare and it was considered a sign of weakness.
On her world, relationships between men and women were purely business. Couples came together for specific purposes and never because there was attraction. Love was even more taboo, and was never discussed or understood.
Take control of your feelings, Gem, she told herself silently. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. She hated the fact that she’d only been on Earth a few hours and she was already succumbing to weakness.
“Gemini,” Cliff said, walking over to her. The blonde woman stood beside him with a big, friendly smile on her face. “I’d like you to meet my sister Chelsea. She just came back from a week-long trip to the city.”
“Sister?” Gem said awkwardly, feeling stupid.
“Hi, Gemini!” Chelsea said brightly. “I don’t know how Cliff here found you, but ju
st the smell of the food tells me you’re a real gem!”
That made Gem laugh. Chelsea seemed to be a nice person like her brother. Suddenly, she wasn’t a threat anymore. She was someone Gem looked forward to knowing better and perhaps being friends with. “People back home actually call me Gem,” she said.
“See? I knew it!” Chelsea exclaimed.
Cliff laughed, pulling back chairs for the two women. “Shall we eat then, ladies?”
“Definitely,” Chelsea said, putting down her bags. “I’m famished!”
As the three of them enjoyed lunch, Gem found out that they had grown up in that village, but their parents had died a few years ago. They had started the bed and breakfast to add more income to what they already earned from their artworks in the shop. The cozy, artsy cottage was actually popular among tourists.
After the sumptuous lunch, they welcomed Gem as their official cook. “That was totally amazing!” Chelsea gushed. “Where’d you learn to cook like that?”
“My mom taught me,” Gem said. Suddenly, she thought of how worried her mother might be about her. The old woman was one of those female Martians who were considered weak because of how much she cared about her family. Although she didn’t really care much about their father who had already moved on to another stage of his life, she believed that the human in her allowed her to love her children the way she did.
Maybe that’s why I’ve got this tendency to succumb to such emotions too, Gem thought. I got it from my mother.
Chelsea was light and bubbly, chatting about her recent trip. She brought Gem to her room where there were two single beds. Gem glanced at Cliff before following Chelsea, and that was when she saw that he was gazing at her too.
He smiled when their eyes met. Gem flushed, but she smiled back too. He pointed at his sister and then gave a helpless shrug. It’s okay, Gem mouthed to him. He gave her a thumbs up sign before disappearing into his own room. In that instant, she felt a bond developing between them even though they had not yet spent much time together.
Alien Mate Page 141
