She didn’t like the thought of him dying and that’s what would happen if she married him and she failed. Of course, she didn’t like the thought of him turning those beautiful brown eyes on another woman. There was no other choice she wouldn’t fail.
“I hope so, I agree to become your mate. What do we do next?” Marriages of convenience happened all the time.
Cal stood up and quickly took off his outer garments.
“We sleep until tomorrow, daylight seems to be your time of strength. Tomorrow you and I will complete the bond. Victor and Selma will watch over us while we no longer guard our bodies.”
She curled into his arms. “You can explain that tomorrow.”
Chapter Seven
Paige opened her eyes as daylight crept through her window. With the sun bathing her she felt a little stronger, but the drain on her energy was apparent to her. Some foreign evil entity lived within her sapping her energy. How could her life get any worse than it already was? Oh, she knew it would kill her in two days unless she bonded with a male she didn’t know.
Not just bonded, no that might have been the easy part, but this bonding was marriage and he and the thing that lived inside of him would enjoy her body together. What a nice delicate way of saying they would be having sex, lots of hot, sweating, orgasmic sex in which she would scream in pleasure while begging him to do it again.
She shook her head hoping to make the pictures of him lying over her with his eyes on fire slowly drilling into her body go away. Ok, she didn’t love him, but his body pulled her the first time she saw it in that stupid alley. Spending yesterday with him only made her want to taste, touch and lick him.
Sighing, she tried to turn only to have white hot heat penetrate her everywhere he held her. Was it just him or was it his species, would anyone of them make her hot like this? She was aching for something she never really experienced before. Yeah, she had sex, but it wasn’t earth shattering. She blamed herself for that; she was never able to fully let her guard down with a man.
Allowing her mind to drift to his brother, the heat she felt dwindled the more she thought of Victor. He really stood as tall as his brother and they resembled each other, but nothing about Victor turned her on. It was all the male who held her securely in his arms. She pressed closer to him feeling the ache in her chest lessen. Even in his sleep he kept the pain at bay.
Lifting shaky fingers, she touched his brow smoothing it out. He really was handsome, such a mundane word for a man who could ignite her body with a look. His brown hair sat on his shoulders slightly unruly in sleep. His eyelids covered his gorgeous eyes allowing her to concentrate on his straight nose that had never been broken. She let her fingers caress the surface of it, smiling when he twitched it.
His cheeks were a masterpiece. If she was a painter she’d spend hours trying to do them justice. They curved in just a little giving him the look of a well-defined face, one that could be hard, like the face she had seen in the alley. Now it was relaxed in sleep, giving him a slightly boyish look. Then there was his chin, which looked hard enough to break stone. She ran her fingers over his face memorizing the texture and contour of it.
She knew he was awake when he captured her hand and kissed the palm of it.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” his deep voiced rumbled out making her quiver.
“Good morning.”
“How do you feel?” The question was asked with genuine concern.
Gratitude and anger warred inside of her. Gratitude that he seemed to genuinely care, anger that this happened to her because he and his people came to her planet. Without him and his enemy, she would still be living her dull life in sunny California.
“Not too bad. I can feel the entity moving inside of me. At least now I know I’m not crazy. I was right when I told the doctors my heart hurt, it really wasn’t just in my head.”
“It’s not just in your head. If we knew sooner, we would have brought you here. There seems to be no way for us to identify the women we are looking for until they either trigger us or their talents make themselves known.”
“So the Sudir’s have an unfair advantage over you?”
“Yes, if they run into a female child the fear she has will usually overwhelm her giving her away. We have found that the older the female is the better she is at not betraying the fact that she can obviously see the Sudir is not human.”
“Why does that happen?”
“We believe it’s how you are programmed by society. It has taught you that being different is an action to be avoided. So you will not melt down when you see the Sudir, but you will make a polite get-away.”
“I don’t know…I screamed in that alley when I knew better.”
“You were always safe. Your conscious mind didn’t know it, but the rest of you did. What would you have done if you met the Sudir on the street or in the grocery store?”
“I would have smiled while telling myself I was seeing things, then I would have left as quickly as possible making sure I never accidently came into contact with him.”
“That’s the difference between the child and the adult. Some children seem to have a talent for not giving themselves away. Selma was one of those children, which is why the Sudir’s want her. She spent years living amongst them and never betrayed herself.”
“Oh.”
“Selma grew up in a different time. The ability to hide in plain sight was needed then to stay alive.”
“I don’t think twenty four to thirty years ago can be considered a different world.”
“You’ll have to ask her about her past one day. She may even tell you how she and Victor met.”
She nodded slipping off the bed and heading towards the bathroom. Turning she looked at him.
“This is really happening, isn’t it? I have something -a venomous snake- twisted around my heart and in less than two days it will have the power to kill me.”
“I’m sorry, Paige. Yes, it’s really happening.”
She turned around and disappeared into the bathroom. Taking a good look at herself in the bathroom mirror she could see the lines around her eyes that hadn’t been there a day or two ago. It would be easy to attribute them to stress, but she knew better. There was a tiredness trying to take over her body, slowly sipping at her reserves of strength; it was insidious as it whispered in her head that there was no escape. If she gave up now it would be a nice easy death, if she should dare to bond with Calix the entity would make her suffer while killing Calix first.
It was the use of the name Calix that alerted her to the fact that this wasn’t her voice, but the voice of whatever lived inside of her. It made her straighten her spine and fight however she could. She would live just to prove the Sudir wrong and Cal would live also because he was hers and she would fight for what she wanted. She would live and dare the whole world if necessary to prove her wrong. Slipping out of her panties and bra, she stepped into the shower. She wanted to be clean before she had to fight a battle.
She let herself dissolve into giggles in the shower, the image of herself on a white steed dressed in silver armor that shone brightly as the sun encased her was her undoing. Finally her giggles turned into tears that mingled with the water flowing down her body.
Taking deep breaths, she washed finding more of the apple scented soap sitting in the shower. She really did love the smell of it, she breathed in deeply feeling the knot of fear she refused to acknowledge loosen just a little.
Wrapping herself in a huge towel, she walked into the bedroom to find Cal still lying on the bed.
“Wasn’t my going into the bathroom your cue to leave?”
“And miss your delightfully fresh scented self? I’d be a fool to miss this sight.”
She blushed. How did this male have that power over her?
“Out Cal, I have to get dressed.”
“I’m willing to stay and guard your body, just saying.”
Shaking her head, she tossed a pillow that was lying on the floor at him.
&n
bsp; “Out,” she pointed towards the door. “We have a battle to fight today and you need to be clean. The first rule of going to war is to make yourself ready. That means a shower.”
His laughter drifted through the room making her feel lighthearted for a few precious seconds.
“Yes, Ma’am. A shower, but no food, Paige. An empty stomach is the better way to do this. I will be back shortly, I want to catch as much of the daylight as we can. Victor and Selma will be with me.”
She nodded as she watched him walk out of the room. His long legs eating the small distance between the door and the bed. His ass was taunt and hard sitting on top of his muscular thighs. If she had to have a male declaring he was her mate, she would have picked this male.
Crossing the room to her dresser, she looked for something comfortable to wear. She had no idea what they were going to do, but it stood to reason whatever it was they wouldn’t be going outside to do it. Finally she decided on a comfortable pair of shorts and her favorite spring top. It was warm enough inside to wear them.
There was a knock on the other side of one of the walls in her room.
“Can I come in?” a young voice asked.
“Come in, Vick,” she smiled as the panel opened. This was how Cal got into her room last night.
‘Hi, Paige.”
“Hello Vick, it’s nice to see you today.”
He looked up at her with wide eyes. They were brown reminding her of Selma’s eyes and they were filled with tears.
“Vick?”
“Are you scared, Paige?”
She sat on the floor and opened her arms. Vick rushed into them allowing her to comfort him.
“I would be scared if I didn’t have Cal. Not just Cal, but your mom and dad too. I don’t know them very well, but Victor is a king and your mom, she’s the Queen and I bet they are good at kicking enemy butt.”
He gave a sniffle and a chuckle against her shoulder.
“Dad’s good, but my mom’s the best. She scares all the Sudir’s.” He lowered his voice, “Mom disemboweled one once, and even my dad was impressed. The enemy hates her.” His voice was filled with awe for what his mother had accomplished.
“When I grow up I’m going to be just like the both of them.”
“I know you will be, I can already see it in you.”
“Uncle Cal is really nice and he really likes apples. I asked him and he told me he did. That means he really likes you, Paige. Do you think he is scary? He said you saw his Matra. Mine is still little like me so he can’t come out yet, but we talk every day.”
“I did see his Matra and it scared me the first time I saw it. But I believe your right, Cal is very nice. Vick, I don’t want you to be scared. I know this isn’t going to be easy, but your Uncle Cal and I will work it out. All you have to do is trust us. Remember to stay away from the Sudir. I’m sure your parents tell you that all the time.”
He nodded his head before getting up. “I have to go.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on her cheek.
Paige was still sitting there grinning when a knock sounded on her door.
Chapter Eight
Paige took a seat on the chair in the living area after she opened the door for Calix, Victor, and Selma. Victor and Selma opted for the couch while Cal decided to lean against the mantel.
“Who brought the drinks?” Paige asked, cutting into the silence.
Selma gave her a small smile. “I think you’re going to make it, Paige.
“Thanks, now all I have to know is what am I supposed to be doing?”
“You have agreed to bond with Calix?” Victor’s voice was hard as he directed the question to Paige.
“Yes.”
“Do you understand what this will mean?”
“According to Cal this is like marriage. Our essence, or souls will join in a process that is irreversible. It also means if I fail Cal dies.” She shot him a glance; her gray eyes were cloudy as they looked at him.
“There’s more to it than that. You will always sense him, know where he is and what he is doing. If you want him you will be able to find him, you can never hide from each other. You will be able to communicate with each other no matter where you are. Also you will not be able to live apart. The moment you bond, you seal two halves of one whole. Your life will change. Both your lives will change, if you survive the next couple of weeks.”
“Victor, do you doubt my desire to live?”
“Paige, I know even the strongest female with the most amazing talents can be defeated. I would not claim your victory early.” Victor turned to look at his brother before continuing. “The Sudir chose to fight inside your mind, soul, or other side. You humans have many names to call your inner space. You will have to travel where the battle is being waged.”
“I won’t lose, there is more than my life on the line.”
“Paige, in order to do this you will have to travel within yourself. I will stand guard over your body.” Selma spoke completing the instructions. “Victor will stand over Cal’s body to keep it safe.”
“Why wouldn’t I be safe in my room, and what about Vick?” She couldn’t take his parents away.
“He’s with a friend having the time of his life,” Selma said with a rueful smile. “Trying to calm him down later will take real skill.”
“The reason Victor and Selma will look over our bodies is because we know the earth is filled with many entities that did not originate here. Anything can happen to an unprotected body.”
Of course there were other aliens on her planet. One race of aliens came and now the rest of them think its open season on earth.
“Paige?”
“Nothing, it all seems so surreal. I’m ready if you are.”
“Let’s go into the bedroom where the two of you can lie down.” Victor ushered them into the other room and waited for them to settle. Cal and Paige were side by side on their backs.
“Cal, if there’s a problem there will be a guide. I asked a friend to keep an eye on you.”
“We’ll be fine, Victor, thank you.” Cal reached over and took Paige’s hand. “Paige, it’s easier than you think. Since this is your first time I will reach out for you. Your physical body will remain on the bed but your essence, the part of you which makes you uniquely you, will come with me. Your talents will allow this to happen.”
Having no other choice, Paige closed her eyes and sank down into her memories. She could see herself crying on her bed wishing her parents would come for her. Then she was at her high school graduation watching all the parents take pictures with the graduates. She watched the happy families even as she knew she would soon have to leave the only home she knew.
She survived, adaptability became her middle name. No matter what life threw at her she conquered it and she would conquer this too. She was ready. Reaching out mentally she felt a hand grab hers.
“Cal?”
“I got you, Sunshine.”
“You look different.” He stood taller than she remembered, his tanned skin held a more golden appearance with bronze lines dissecting it making her want to trace each one.
“You look different too.”
She looked down to see she was radiant, almost as bright as the sun.
“I was right, the sun is your power.”
“What does that mean?”
“You have the potential to be powerful, if you can tap into that you may be unstoppable in the light of day.”
“So all I have to do is fight him during the daytime. Seems simple enough.”
“Nothing’s ever that easy, Paige.”
“How are we talking?” Although she felt like she was in her body she knew it was just an illusion. So how was she communicating with him? Was he reading her mind?
“In this space we can’t speak words but we don’t need to. Your desire to communicate with me allows me to hear what you’re saying or more correctly want to say. It’s not mind reading because only what you want to say comes to me.”
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�How does it work?”
“I have no idea, Paige. I just know it does.”
She nodded her head, she would take him to task about not knowing as soon as she figured out how her cell phone worked.
“Where are we?”
“Right now we are inside your body, we’re standing in your abdomen. I am going to take you to see your heart but I don’t want you to materialize there.”
“I’m not sure I like the thought of us playing with my internal organs. Where to next?”
“Your heart, take my hands. Paige, this is important, one wrong move and you will die.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything stupid.”
There was no real movement, one moment they were standing in a large cavity, the next she was watching her heart pumping blood.
“What is that?”
There was a black cord wrapped around her heart. It looked more like thick metal than a snake she might see slithering across the ground. There were little tendrils that came from it and expanded and compress with each heartbeat.
“That’s the venom snake. The slivers of darkness you see tunneling through your heart is where the venom will be released. It’s not sentient, simply a tool of the Sudir. It’s more like a plague they devised to use against humans.”
“How do we stop something like that? There are hundreds of those black strands drilling into me.”
“For now we only have to stop this one.”
The strand he showed her was larger than the rest. It throbbed with a substance inside that made her cringe.
“What’s that one?”
“It controls all the other strands. They will be dormant until this one starts to function. Once that happens there is no way that we know of to stop the others.”
“How do you know all of this?”
“We are taught from a young age the tricks of the enemy, how to spot them, avoid them, and deal with them.”
“You’re not making this sound easy, Cal.”
“I don’t want to lie to you, Paige. It won’t be easy.”
“Explain to me what bonding is again.”
“The venom snake has bonded with you. I want my bond to be everywhere his is. In order to do that I need your bond to run through my heart. If it is done correctly the three of us will be connected. I can’t connect to you without being connected to whatever is affecting you.
Soul-Bonded to the Alien Page 5
