“Goodnight, Paige.” Victor turned and disappeared into the house without giving her time to wish him a pleasant evening.
“He’s rather intense.”
“He’s a king. It goes with the territory.”
“Royalty, who would have known. I’m ready for that walk now.”
He held out his hand hoping she would be willing to take it. When she placed hers in his, a rightness settled within. Whatever it took, he would show her she was meant to be with him. His Matra mumbled his agreement. They began to stroll slowly through the yard.
“Can you tell me what your people are called?”
“We call ourselves the Arbrin.”
“How do you turn into the monster I saw?”
“He is not a monster, he’s simply another side of me. I become Matra. The saying goes that a long time ago the world I come from was populated by both the Arbrin and the Matra. We fought each other for dominance of the planet. Neither race was winning and from the way things were going both races would soon be extinct from the severity of our fighting. Then we were attacked by another race, the Sudir, who were determined to take our planet and mine it for our natural resources. It was only through our coming together that we would be able to fight them off.
We fought to no avail until it was discovered that we could physically merge together. That is when the tide began to turn. We would share forms, it made us stronger and faster. We could also swap forms to utilize whichever one of us was best for that situation. The enemy thought they found a weapon that would stop this from happening. They used it planet-wide, bombarding us with it for days. When they turned it off, thinking they had won, the unthinkable happened. The Arbrin and the Matra were truly one. We had one brain that thought like two species giving us the power not only to multitask but to examine problems from angles we never dared look at before. The enemy was defeated quickly and we took to being one race.”
“That’s amazing.” She picked a snowball up and threw it at him. Laughing, she ran towards the road.
“Paige,” he called out, grabbing for her as she went through the barrier.
“What was that?” A feeling of pure warmth hit her body, rapidly followed by intense cold.
“You just left the barrier Vick put up, and Victor and I reinforced tonight. Remember that feeling in the future. It may save you from what’s chasing you.”
“What is that?” her voice trembled as she asked the question. A shadow convulsed to life becoming a living creature in front of them.
“That is the natural predator of the Arbrin and Matra. He too was born that night. The enemy thought they would be unharmed and many stayed on the planet during the bombardment.” Cal pulled her backwards away from the threat.
The predator stood before them with four arms and a multitude of eyes.
“How is it that no one has called the National Guard out on him?” The words trembled as they left her lips in a whisper. Something about this creature tugged at her memory making her want to run screaming into the night. The past whispered in a hazy voice that if she ran it would find her.
“He cast a glamour. One that only the advanced humans can see through.” Cal answered never taking his eyes off of it.
“You came, even though I told you to come alone. Arbrin, I claim this female, she came in response to my call.”
Paige shivered and huddled closer to Cal. She turned her head to look at the porch wondering if she could make it to the house before the creature was on her and would it make a difference if she was inside.
“Sudir, you have no right to any female on this planet.”
“I don’t want them all, Arbrin, I just want your mate. She is the price I demand for peace. Turn her over and we will all depart.”
“You never keep your word, Sudir, you would not keep it this time. Though it matters not, you will never have her regardless of the bargain you make. I will continue to protect my people and you will continue to be defeated.”
“You would choose the female, an earth female at that, over your own people? Not much of a prince, are you?”
The Sudir brought his hands up and little beams of light came out slicing into Paige’s body causing her to cry out in pain. He jerked and she hit the ground.
Cal’s spine tightened and his gut churned.
“I have followed this one since she was young. She is mine and you know what I will do to her. I may consider giving her back as a present after I am finished with her.”
Cal stepped into the path of the light letting it drill into his body. He stiffened, allowing the pain to race through him. He wouldn’t lose Paige, not this way.
“Paige, get back behind the barrier. Move, Sunshine. Now!”
A screech came from the Sudir as he tried to pull Cal with the beams of light. Slowly Cal moved his hands creating a ball of white light. With a flick of his wrist he shot it at the Sudir. Beams emerged from Cal’s eyes that he pointed toward the Sudir.
With a screech the Sudir recoiled. “This isn’t over, she will be mine.”
He turned and disappeared down the road.
“You didn’t kill it.” She sounded like she just ran a marathon, her body shook while her teeth chattered. It planned to kill her and she knew it.
“Killing one isn’t easy and every minute I spend on him he’s draining you.” He scooped her up and ran towards the house. He only wants one thing—your essence, he feeds off of it.”
“He’s killing me, I can feel him.”
“Not tonight, Sunshine.”
Cal kicked the front door closed knowing no one would enter the house who wasn’t invited. He took the stairs two at a time.
Chapter Six
He entered her room quickly stripping her down to her bra and panties. Already the color drained from her face as her skin cooled downed.
Carefully he took his hands and placed them on her abdomen, fingers splayed open for maximum coverage. He murmured a soft chant as light emerged from his hands entering her body. He felt his way around the coils of the Sudir encircling her. Using his essence as a knife he began to cut those cords while creating barbs around himself to keep the Sudir from sucking his essence into itself.
He could feel the Sudir retreating.
“Too easy,” his Matra said. “Sudir’s never retreat without a fight.”
“I know, I’m looking for it.”
The shock of what he found combined with the deadly strike of the Sudir pushed him from her body. The Sudir had coiled a venom snake around her heart, he could end her life when the snake was full grown. Until then he could make her suffer.
Pushing himself up from the floor where he had been thrown, he went to the window to find the Sudir floating outside the barrier. It gave him a small bow before disappearing once again.
“Victor.” He gave a mental call before leaving the room.
He walked up to the next floor where he stayed. The public believed they had several floors they kept for guest. Most of the house was kept for family, the guests were always potential mates. The layout of his room was closely resembled the one Paige occupied. The décor was different; he chose a more masculine palette of black and silver. Those colors represented both earth and his home planet. He wondered if she would like them, or if she would want to redecorate.
One day, twenty-four hours, that was all he had with her. Now there was a possibility she wouldn’t be alive in forty-eight hours. She would be gone as if she was unwanted, unloved, some unfortunate victim of a creature that should never have existed.
He didn’t know her yet not really, but even now he knew he couldn’t lose her.
“Calix.”
Victor walked in the room looking slightly disheveled.
“It’s Paige.”
“I assumed, why else would I leave Selma.”
“The Sudir is wrapped around her heart. He’s not feeding off of her, instead he has a venom snake waiting to strike. At any moment he could command her to have unbearable pain. In fo
rty eight hours he will have the power to kill her. Why hasn’t he made her suffer yet?”
“He wants something, and he believes you can give it to him.”
“So I have to give into his demands or lose my mate to him. Neither are acceptable. If I choose to defy him then I watch as he kills her.”
“We have options, Calix.”
“What options? The only person who can fight a venom snake is the host. She can’t fight the snake unless she develops her talents. Her talents won’t be fully developed until she becomes one with me. In order to become one with me I have to tap into her heart, Victor. Her essence must combine with mine. If that happens and he kills her we both die.”
Calix began to pace. He was starting to understand the fondness some seemed to have for the habit.
“I’m listening, brother. Tell me our choices,” his voice raised on the last word.
“There’s only one choice little brother, in order to carry it through you must be willing to face death if your mate isn’t strong enough to win. Call me when you have made your decision. Calix, you don’t have long.”
Victor left the room never giving his brother another look.
Cal felt the wind leave his body as he walked out the room and descended the steps. He had a decision to make that would not only affect the rest of his life, but the safety of his people. What would happen if he made the wrong choice?
Paige twisted on the bed writhing in pain. The venom snake was now very apparent to him; it undulated beneath her skin tormenting him with the knowledge of its presence.
“Cal,” her weakened voice called out to him.
“Paige, how are you feeling?”
“Tired. You saved me from the Sudir. Sorry I didn’t listen to you. So used to going it alone.” She managed a weak smile and stretched her hand out to him.
He sat next to her taking her hand in his.
“Paige, tell me about the first time you saw the Sudir.”
“Tonight was the first time.”
“No it wasn’t, you have seen him before. It may have been when you were very young. Think, Paige, this is important.”
He ran his thumb over her smooth skin loving the way her pulse jumped from his touch.
“I was seven. I didn’t even remember it before you asked me.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I wanted to find my parents. I couldn’t understand why they would give me up. I was a good girl, I followed all the rules. I just wanted them to know if they came and got me I wouldn’t be bad. Don’t ask me how I thought I would find them, I guess I never thought that far.”
“Did you ever find them?”
“Yeah, when I turned eighteen the person in charge told me where they were buried. I didn’t know they were dead until that moment.”
He lifted his hand to wipe the tears silently streaming down her face.
“I’m sorry, Paige.”
“I thought so many mean and nasty thoughts about them over the years, never understanding how they could send me away. Want to know what’s worse?”
He nodded his head.
“When I was told what happened, for a moment I wondered how they could die and do that to me. How could they die when I needed them so much? Selfish.”
“Not selfish at all. Tell me about when you were seven, Paige.”
“I slipped out of my bed and was making my way down the hall when this form approached me, I started screaming, going on about his arms and eyes. The night mother came to me, running from her room.
She said I was hysterical and sent me to the infirmary. He asked for permission to walk me down, he wanted to assure me he wasn’t a monster. The night mother gave her permission. I fought but he pulled me away and took me to a coat closet.” Her body began to shiver. “All I remember is feeling like something cold and deadly entered my body. When I made it to the infirmary the doctor said I was tired and traumatized. I would be ok soon. That was the last time I saw him before tonight, but I knew I was being watched.”
“He knew what you were, Paige, because you were able to see through his glamour.”
“What happens now? Will I die?”
“There’s a possibility you might die. That night he put a venom snake in your body; it attached to your heart. I believe it has grown as you have. It is almost full grown. You have maybe forty-eight hours, after that the Sudir will be able to command it to kill you if he chooses.
Coming across you at such a young age must have been a celebratory moment for him. You would become a future food supply he could tap once you came into your talents. That he put a venom snake around your heart meant he thought he may not be able to control you on his own. He must have seen something in you, Paige. Whatever it was scared him. Hopefully we can use that to our advantage.”
“You’re not making sense, Cal. I’m going to die. Isn’t there anything I can do? Anyway I can get this out of me? Don’t the Arbrin and the Matra’s have doctors? What about the light that came from your hands? I don’t want to die just because that disgusting Sudir feels he has a right to suck my soul out. It’s mine and he can’t have it.” She slumped into the pillow, her spurt of energy used up.
“You would be willing to fight for your life?”
“Of course I would, it’s my life.”
“What if it were our life?” He let his eyes bore into hers.
Her desire to fight resonated within him. Watching her fight the snake as she declared her desire to live fascinated him. The snake hadn’t been able to gain the upper hand until she was finished. It also wasn’t at full power yet.
She would have to be strong enough to prevent the snake from releasing its venom into her system in forty-eight hours. After that she would have maybe two weeks to learn how to defeat the snake or she would die and if he was connected to her so would he. He would have to make his decision tonight. Tomorrow they would have to put it into action.
“You have two chances at life. I say two chances but in reality only one will work and even then that one depends on you. First option...”
“Is this the one that won’t work?” her voice held wry amusement as she asked.
His lips twitched, “It’s the one that won’t work. I can teach you everything you need to know about fighting a venom snake in two days. After that all you have to do is keep it from releasing its venom into your heart.”
“How long does it normally take to teach someone what they need to know?”
“Two days to two weeks if they are mated to an Arbrin. It’s never been done on an unmated female. The prevailing thought is that it would take years, but it is possible.”
“I will take that one under consideration. You said there was another way.”
“We develop a soul bond. Sounds simple but it’s not. Also it has a deep implication. You would be required to make a life decision that is irreversible. You may prefer death.”
“Whatever you just said doesn’t sound simple but it does sound scary. I need more information before I say yes.”
“Paige, you and I were meant to be mates. When mates accept each other they form a soul bond. Your word would be marriage, but once a soul bond is formed there can be no divorce. You will also find that mates cannot survive apart. We will physically become one in two bodies. Our hearts will beat in synch, we will breathe in synch, we will be one. If I die, you will die and if you die I will die. Once we become one, I will teach you how to keep the snake from releasing the venom. After that you will have two weeks give or take, to learn how to defeat the venom snake and the Sudir who will come for you. The decision is yours.”
“I always thought I would get taken out to dinner, have such great sex that it would make me think I couldn’t live without him, and then the guy would drop to his knee and asked me to marry him with a ring so big it would make my eyes pop.” She eyed him laughing, her voice sounded a little stronger. “Just kidding, I never expected to marry. So if I can’t learn what you teach me then we will both die?”
“Yes.”
“You’re willing to tie your fate to mine?”
“Yes.”
“You unclothed me.”
He gave a loud throaty chuckle. “You just noticed that, Sunshine.”
“I have been watching how you avoid looking at my body.”
He turned to look at her, slowly moving his eyes over every inch of her. A heat rose inside of him, the desire to touch her, to place his hand on her abdomen again followed by his lips and his tongue.
“How do you expect me to concentrate when you’re lying there looking like the goddess of desire tempting me to kiss you, touch you and take you?”
“You like what you see?”
How could she ask him such a question? Already he felt her invading his heart. Victor told him it would be this way when he met his fated mate. He found it hard to believe, now he knew his brother was right again. No words would ever explain how important she was after just one short day.
He leaned over and kissed her. A spark jumped from his body to hers as she opened her mouth to accept his tongue.
She tasted of apples, the sweetest nectar he ever tasted. He plunged his tongue deeper meeting her dueling tongue. His body hardened from the taste of her. A groan of need was pulled from him as his Matra tasted deeply of her.
He pulled back, she had to not only accept him, but his Matra also.
“Paige, if you agree to this you will not only be my mate but the mate of my Matra. We are a package deal.”
“Will your Matra want to…”
“He will enjoy you through my body. Will that displease you?”
“I don’t think so. Does he like me?”
“Yes, Sunshine, he likes you very much.”
“How can I agree to become your mate when I’m not in love with you?” She might not love him but she was definitely suffering from a bad case of lust. She wanted to stroke his body, make it hers.
She smiled feeling safe and warm as she thought of him protecting her, stepping in front of the Sudir, then picking her up and bringing her upstairs to fight for her life.
“I believe in time you will.”
Soul-Bonded to the Alien Page 4
