As he anticipated, Brett shut down at the last moment, preventing the connection to complete. Disappointment of her rejection was fleeting. It was only a matter of time before she accepted him as her other half. Of that he had no doubt.
Smiling again, he reached for his woman, only to find emptiness at his side. The sheets were icy to the touch and his hearts dropped into his stomach. Had the night before been a dream, an illusion caused by the mysterious illness? Please Gods, let it not be so.
He jerked upright, half afraid to find himself alone in his giant bed with only a pillow for company, or worse, alone in Brett’s bed while she was off placing herself in danger.
His eyesight adjusted to the soft light coming from a lamp on the nightstand that was, thankfully, not his. Brett’s room, blessed be. He started to relax then straightened in alarm when he spotted her in the shadows.
The woman sitting in the chair with deceptive casualness was one he was all too familiar with and shouldn’t have been surprised to see again. Yes, it might have been arrogant to think one fiery encounter would shatter all her reservations where they, as a couple, were concerned, but he had hoped that by making love, some of the ice she harbored around her heart would melt. Despite the appearance of the beginnings of his mark, she was still miles away from true acceptance.
Although not in uniform, she was definitely in full sheriff-mode, with her hair pulled in a tight braid and her body clothed from neck to ankles. She was glacier still, and the calm determination he sensed coiled inside her had both his hearts beating in triple time. He wasn’t sure what concerned him more, the purpose he saw in her eyes or the loaded Glock that lay in her lap.
“Hey, there you are.” He flashed what he hoped was his sexiest smile and held out his hand. “Come back to bed, alskata, I’m cold.” Just because he knew there was a storm brewing didn’t mean he had to acknowledge it.
“What are you?”
It was difficult not to flinch at the subtle emphasis placed on the word “what”.
“I’m sleepy and aching for you.” He patted the mattress. “Come back to bed.”
Her hand covered the gun’s grip. “What are you?” she asked again in a smooth, even tone that set him on edge more than if she had shouted.
“What’s with the gun, Brett?”
“I’m being cautious. What are you?”
“Do you honestly think I’m a danger to you?” He battled with the flare of hurt sparked by her fear. “Why did you let me touch you if you thought I would hurt you?”
Her eyes darkened and her throat worked as she swallowed. When she answered, the vulnerability in her voice sliced through his hurt. “I—I wanted to know what it would be like to be with you when you were still just a man.”
“I am just a man.”
“I’m not stupid.” She jumped to her feet with a shout. “What are you?”
Kristos sighed. The time had come. Revealing his true self was a gamble. Not only was he putting his future with Brett in jeopardy, but if his brother had any idea what he was about to do, Lucian would be pounding down the door and demanding his head. But Lucian had never loved another as Kristos did Brett, and some things were worth the risk.
He nodded and tightened his grip on the sheet at his waist. Now he understood why she was completely dressed. He was vulnerable enough, exposing his soul, without the added disadvantage of his cock straining for attention only she could give. “I’ll tell you everything, but may I get dressed first?”
She gestured to the neatly folded pile of clothes at the foot of the bed and turned her gaze to the door. He hid his smile. Clearly this was all the privacy she would afford him.
She couldn’t hide the brief flare of lust that hit him like a flash of heat when he got out of bed and pulled on his jeans. Using that to his advantage, he deliberately left his chest bare. She still hungered for him and he wanted her to remember that.
“You can put the gun away. I’m not going anywhere and you know I would never harm you.”
She glanced at the gun then back at him. He heard her heart race as she carefully set it on the table, and released a deep sigh as she waited for him to begin.
“Brett, I—” He raked a hand through his hair. Damn, this was harder than he anticipated. “I— Can I get you something to drink first?”
Her brow raised as her lips tightened to a thin line.
“Right.” No more dodging. He took a breath and looked her in the eye. “I’m not from here.” Her nostrils flared and he felt her surge of anger before he blurted. “I’m from Saturn.”
Nothing. Not a twitch, not a scream, he couldn’t even read her emotions. It was as if she slammed a door between them, leaving him alone in the cold.
“Explain,” she requested softly.
“Lucian and I are from Skandavia, the second largest moon. The one your people call Titan. We were banished from our home and came to live here a few years ago.”
Her tongue flicked out to wet her lips, but he was too preoccupied to appreciate her natural sex appeal. She motioned for him to sit on the edge of the bed before taking her own seat across from him.
“Explain banishment,” she said in that calm, cool voice that was beginning to scare the shit out of him.
“Lucian and I are Llanos. Our family has been a part of the royal guard for generations. Even though guarding the royal family is a tradition for my ancestors, it is a title that must be earned, and our placement is based on skill, knowledge and ability. I guarded our queen and Lucian our king.”
Brett listened to every word he said with such intensity that the urge to laugh welled in his chest. Only his Brett would learn there’s an alien in her home and wait for all the facts before rendering judgment.
“Over the last few cycles our planet has faced many challenges. The weather has not been kind, and like here, technology and resources divide the haves from the have-nots. When people fall on hard times, there is always a faction who think they can do better and call for revolution.”
As he talked, the wounds of yesterday reopened and caused his throat to constrict. He never opened up to anyone about what had happened, not even Lucian, who lived through the nightmare with him. So many nights he lay awake and imagined all the scenarios that could have, should have, gone differently. Only thoughts of the future kept him sane. A future with his woman safe at his side.
With Brett sitting so close, he wanted to hold her as he continued his story, but settled for the soft brush of her knee against his.
“Queen Moira was a magnificent woman who was incredibly beautiful, both inside and out.”
Fondness touched his smile as he recalled the grace in her bearing, the generosity of her spirit and her skill at manipulating the men in her life. There wasn’t a one of them who denied her anything, except for Kristos, which was why he was chosen as her personal guard. He gave her just enough freedom to be with the people who were her life’s blood but was firm when required. His respect for her earned her regard as one of her most trusted advisors. She was a mother and friend to him when his position allowed none.
“She loved her people and hurt when they suffered. In the hostile environment, speech is sometimes impossible. Our people communicate through empathy, so the strife caused her physical pain that worsened with each day. The violence escalated and many innocent people were either killed or lost everything. The princess, who was the only heir, disappeared and our queen fell apart. She wanted to meet with the dissidents to talk to them, make them see that the monarchy wanted what was best for all Skandavians. I forbade her from going. Lucian as head of the guard forbade her. The king outright refused to listen to such a plan that involved her being anywhere near the Revolutionaries.”
He paused and fought back the swell of emotion that strangled his throat. He was Llanos. Immovable. Nothing had swayed him from his oath of protecting the queen.
Much like Brett would not be swayed from hers.
He snipped the tether of understanding and foc
used on her sweet face. “Thirty seconds. That’s all it took. I left her alone for thirty seconds so she could partake of her meditations. When the queen sought the solace of our Gods, I always respected her privacy and allowed her to block her emotions.” His hand rested on his stomach as the rolling, sick sensation he remembered from that night returned. “Thirty seconds after she took to her chambers, I knew that all was not as it seemed. With help from her lady’s maid, she had fled from the fortress to meet with the dissidents. I and my fellow guards followed right on her heels, but we were too late. She was killed and put on display as a show of power for the revolutionaries.”
She hadn’t just been killed, she’d been savagely brutalized. The image of his beautiful queen, butchered and hanging in the square as a warning to all, still haunted his dreams.
“The uprising ended soon after that,” he continued, his voice thick with the tears he never shed. “Many felt that the extremists had gone too far in harming the queen, when their real issues had been with the king, and withdrew their backing. The lady’s maid was executed for her involvement. As the queen’s protector, I was just as much to blame for her death as those who slaughtered her. I was given a choice. Execution or banishment.”
For a week he had been publicly stoned and beaten in a ceremony that the entire kingdom had been invited to participate in. The king stripped him of his sword and after heating it in the fire, sliced through the double ring tattoo that marked his status as guard to the queen. It was the cruelest cut of all and one he completely deserved.
Lucian argued for his life to be spared. His brother understood that Kristos would have gladly given his life for Queen Moira to be spared, but King Renauld was bonded to his wife and felt her loss with a depth of grief Kristos only now began to sympathize, while Lucian, ah Lucian…
“When Lucian argued in my defense, he too was relieved of his title and joined me in my fate. As you can see, we chose banishment.”
Kristos kept his attention on a dark spot in the hardwood floor. His brother gave up everything for him and in the process lost himself to guilt and self-recrimination. Perhaps he should have chosen death and spared Lucian so much pain.
But then he wouldn’t have met his Brett.
A knot released in his gut. His brother was in control of his own fate in this world, no matter how much Kristos wanted more for him. Whatever else happened in their future, Kristos couldn’t regret coming to this world and loving this woman.
“Why did you choose Earth?” she asked.
He finally met her gaze and fell a little more in love with her. She leaned forward in her seat, hanging on his every word. There were no accusations in her eyes, no blame for his failures. Her sympathy and compassion wrapped around him like a physical hug filled with sunshine. It gave him hope for them.
“Lucian chose Earth because it was the closet planet similar in ecosystems to our own. On Skandavia our weather is more extreme and rain comes in the form of gases rather than water, but the atmosphere and ecosystems are very close, except where our physical abilities are concerned.”
The mention of his superpowers snapped her spine straight. “What exact powers do you have? You mentioned the empathy part, but do all of your people have powers? Are there more of you here on Earth?”
He couldn’t hold back his chuckle. She was too adorable with the rapid-fire questions, although she would probably kick his ass if he said that out loud.
“While my people have the capability for interstellar travel and often travel from one moon to another, I don’t know if any have come to Earth. As far as my powers, on Skandavia, Lucian and I were normal men. We were warriors who had great physical strength but nothing like we do here. Lucian believes that it is the Earth’s gravity that has heightened our normal physicality. Our power for empathy is greater, as is our speed and strength. I can’t fly or shoot webs out of my wrists, but I can jump a short building in a single bound.” He winked at her and the ball of uncertainty in his chest eased when she smiled in return.
This connection they shared had the potential of working out. She was still there, unafraid and apparently fascinated by his tale. Euphoria didn’t begin to describe the relief he felt at her interest. He wanted to pull her into his arms, stretch beside her on the bed and answer any question she had while he ran his hands over her body. Acceptance was the first hurdle. Once that passed she would become his mate and their life together could begin.
“I want to tell you everything about my world.” He held out his hand, encouraging her to join him.
Hesitation clouded her features and the consideration she gave his outstretched hand gave pause to his inner celebration.
Patience. It wasn’t his best quality, but when what he wanted was worth his life, no obstacle was too great.
He held his breath until he almost passed out before she slowly lifted her hand. The heat of her skin hovered over his upturned palm when the rattle of metal on wood erupted from the dresser.
Brett jerked back with a gasp and reached for her phone, breaking their tentative connection.
“Briggs.”
“Sheriff, its Reutgers.” Kristos could hear the deputy shout over the line even without his super hearing. “There’s been another cave-in at the National Park. It’s about a half mile south of the last one.”
She jumped to her feet and reached for her gun, pushing it into the waistband of her pants. “Anyone injured?”
“Not that we can tell.”
“Who called it in?”
“Rangers thought it was an earthquake, but then a dust cloud rolled in that obscured everything. When they went to investigate, they found the trench.”
“I’m on my way.”
Kristos jumped in her path as she raced for the door. It took all of his considerable strength not to shove her back in her chair and tie her down. “Where are you going?”
“There’s been another cave-in.” She pushed him aside on her way to the door.
“You’re not going. It’s not safe.”
She froze with her shoes in hand and leveled a glare at him that was icier than a Skandavian glacier in mid-winter. “You did not just say that.”
“You are in no condition to travel. You’ve been in a cave-in, you haven’t slept, and it’s not safe.”
“This is my job, Kilsgaard. The people of Cedar count on me to protect them. It’s my duty and you, of all people, should understand that.”
“Of course I understand, don’t you get it?” he shouted after her as she stalked to the living room, hopping from one foot to the other as she slipped on her boots. “My queen was doing her duty and was slaughtered for it. I will not let you suffer the same fate.”
She choked and sputtered as she turned to face him with fire in her eyes. “Let me? Who do you think you are? Just because you fucked me does not give you any control over my actions.”
“Don’t say that. We made love. It meant something to me. You mean something to me.”
“That still does not give you the right.”
“I forbid you to leave this house.”
In one fluid motion she pulled the Taser from her belt and leveled it at his chest. “Are you faster than a Taser probe?”
Anger and pure feminine fury lashed out at him like a cat-o-nine-tails. With her valor he almost believed she was strong enough to handle any obstacle thrown at her, but he knew better. Still he found her fervor incredibly arousing. As fear for her soured his stomach, his cock reared to attention, ready to claim that passion as his own.
“Please. Alskata, my hearts, I beg you, don’t go.”
“Fuck you, Kilsgaard. I would never tell you how to attack a class five rapid, because I trust in your ability to do your job. Why can’t you trust in mine? If I see you at the site, if I even think you are at the site, I will have you arrested and throw away the key. Do you understand that, E.T.?”
She snatched her sheriff’s coat off the rack and jerked open the door. “Do not be here when I return. Y
ou broke in, I assume you can lock up behind you.”
A painting of a mountain crashed to the floor as the door slammed on his gloriously infuriating tempest.
He gritted his teeth and fully prepared to chase after his woman then skidded to a stop at the door. Yes, no woman on Skandavia was like Brett. He had no doubt that if he followed her, she would shoot him without hesitation.
He pulled at his hair, and then bellowed in frustration. The front window rattled under the pressure.
Borrowing Brett’s favorite expletive, he shouted, “Well, fuck!”
Chapter Six
“No way will that son of a bitch alien tell me what to do,” Brett fumed as she pushed her Jeep Cherokee past sixty on the twisting dirt road.
Tires skidded on the soft embankment as the truth of what she said sank in and her mind disconnected from her body for a brief moment.
Alien. Kristos was an alien.
She jerked the car back on the road and placed a hand over her racing heart. Kristos was an alien. As inconceivable as it might be, there was no reason to doubt his tale.
That’s probably why he’s an out-of-this-world lover.
She groaned at her own joke and pounded her head on the steering wheel a few times before sitting upright and drawing a deep breath.
His fear for her safety stemmed from the past, that she understood. He loved his queen and it was obvious her death continued to haunt him. It was exactly why she wanted to avoid a serious relationship while she was still on the force. She couldn’t promise to spend eternity loving a man if every day she willingly placed her life before others. It wasn’t fair and just too cruel. Knowing there was a family waiting to love her when she came home each night would always make her second-guess her choices, and as a cop the slightest hesitation would most certainly get her killed.
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