by Kali Argent
“She’s safe with me.”
No matter his current size, trying to stare down an armed male while buck-ass naked was ridiculous and not remotely intimidating. Still, when Xi met his gaze and sneered, Luke refused to look away. If he and Jael truly were destined for one another, there wasn’t a hell of a lot her brother could do about it.
They might as well get all their posturing out of the way now.
“I’ll leave you.” His tone made it clear he’d rather chew glass than leave them alone together. “Call if you need me.” His stormy gaze turned on Luke once again, and a pulse of dark energy charged the air. “If you hurt her, you won’t live long enough to regret it.”
Then, he was gone. Just poof! Vanished.
Massaging the knotted muscles in his neck, Luke dropped down on the sofa and sighed. “That’s going to take a while to get used to.”
Jael echoed his sigh as she stared into the darkened fireplace. “I’m sorry. I wish I could say that he’s not usually so combative, but that would be a lie.”
At least she was honest.
“He’s protective.” Luke liked Tariq well enough, but if the Helios ever hurt his sister, he wouldn’t hesitate to eviscerate him. “I get it.”
“Yes, I suppose he is.” Lowering herself onto the other end of the sofa, she folded her hands in her lap and looked up at him with a forced smile. “You must have many questions.”
“Just a few.” He wanted to say more, to reassure her that he wasn’t going to freak out again, but Cami chose that moment to sashay back into the room. “Hold that thought.” He chuckled when Jael scrunched her brow and hesitantly touched her fingers to her temple. “I just mean this is a conversation that needs to wait until I’m a lot less naked.”
“Oh, yes. Right.” Her lavender eyes flickered toward his chest, and that sweet blush returned to her cheeks. “Of course.”
“Here,” Cami said as she dumped an armful of clothes into his lap. “Nothing fancy, but they should fit.”
Grabbing the first shirt in the pile—a simple black tee with a V-neck collar—Luke pulled it on over his head and tugged the hem down his torso. “Thanks, chipmunk. Tell Tariq I appreciate it.” Next, he selected a pair of well-worn, gray sweatpants, but paused when he realized she and Jael were still staring at him. “Turn around.”
Dutifully, they both averted their eyes, giving him a measure of privacy so he could finish dressing. The shirt molded to his chest and squeezed his biceps, emphasizing every hard bulge of his new physique. The sweats were at least two inches too short, and the fabric stretched tight across his massive thighs, straining at the seams, but at least he was covered.
“Okay,” he announced. “You can look now.”
Cami turned and immediately doubled over in laughter. “You look like an idiot.”
Twenty-five years old, and she was still a damn brat. “Weren’t you going to bed?”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved her hand in a weird, vague motion that looked more like a fish flopping around on her wrist. “I’m going. I’ll even let Daisy stay in my room tonight.” She wiggled her fingers at him as she backed away. “See you in the morning.”
Her laughter followed her out of the room and continued to echo down the hallway long after she was gone.
“Who is Daisy?”
Facing Jael, he grinned at the unmistakable edge of jealousy in her tone. “She’s my puppy.”
A golden fluffball with floppy ears and a tongue that never seemed to stay in her mouth, to be exact. In the two-ish weeks since she’d moved into the house, he’d discovered that she liked belly rubs, treats, and peeing in his shoes. She’d destroyed two wrist units, murdered Cami’s flowers in the back garden, and she cried every night if she didn’t get to sleep in his bed.
She was a monster, and he kind of adored her.
Not that he’d ever tell Cami that. He could just picture the smug gleam in those too-innocent eyes.
“Puppy,” Jael repeated slowly, then shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
“A puppy. You know, a little dog.” When she continued to look confused, he settled onto the sofa beside her and chuckled. “No?” He scratched the hair growth on his jaw. “Daisy is an animal.”
Instantly, her expression cleared, and her eyes sparkled with warmth. “And she is your companion?”
He didn’t know if he’d go that far. “She’s my pet.”
“Like the bekshin on Xenthian?”
“Exactly.” Leave it to Ivy to declare the planet’s most sought-after delicacy a protected species, then proceed to adopt them out as if they were beloved family members. “I don’t understand why anyone would want to keep a pig as a pet, but Cami loves the damn things.”
Jael’s eyes gleamed even brighter. “Your sister? She has a bekshin here on Earth?”
It hadn’t occurred to him that the female might find a familiar sight from home comforting, but it should have. “Yeah, she spoils it rotten. I’m sure she’d love for you to meet Olive.”
“And your Daisy?”
Luke shrugged. “Sure. We’ll take them both down by the lake in the morning. Daisy likes chasing the birds, and Olive likes chasing Daisy.”
Clearly satisfied that he wasn’t harboring another female in his bedroom, she stared up at him expectantly and smiled. “I have held my thoughts as you requested. Now, I believe you wanted answers.”
“I do.”
“Then ask your questions.”
There were so many he didn’t know where to start. It took a few seconds to gather his racing thoughts into something more manageable. Finally, he started with the basics.
“So, we’re mates?”
“Soulmates, yes.”
While he was glad for the confirmation, that didn’t really tell him anything. “What exactly does that mean?”
This time, she seemed confused, because she started and stopped several times, then finally slumped back against the cushions with a cute frown. “It means we belong together.”
He knew little about the Xenon, but Cami had warned him that they could be quite literal. It had caused some frustration for her, as well as others she knew, but he actually found it endearing. He also thought it was refreshing to speak with someone who didn’t mince words, purposely skew intentions, or try to manipulate the conversation.
Still, if he wanted information, he’d have to be more careful with his phrasing.
“Why am I…” Trailing off, he motioned to his overgrown body. “Is this part of it?”
Jael nodded, then spent the next ten minutes telling him a fantastical tale of the gods they called ancestors, the origination of soulmates, ancient magic, and a hauntingly tragic love story.
“Now, I believe that soulmates are two parts of one soul who have found each other,” she concluded. “As for the reason males grow so large, I don’t have an answer for you, but I think that part of the legend is just that. Myth.”
He’d been coming to that conclusion himself, but the scientist in him was intrigued. “Why do you think it happens?”
Instead of the excitement he’d expected, she shook her head and glanced down at her hands where she’d folded them in her lap. “I honestly don’t know, but I can’t accept that it’s because our ancestors viewed females as weak or in need of protection.”
Considering that Xenon females had magic just as powerful as their male counterparts, he was inclined to agree with her. Jael didn’t need his protection. In fact, she was far stronger than him in many ways, and they both knew it.
She’d just told him that they shared a soul. If he could get behind that, he doubted there was much that would shock him at this point. “You must have a theory,” he coaxed. “Just one?”
“Well.” She paused, inhaled sharply, then released it with a huff. “I believe the physical transformation of the males is…what is the human word? Insurance?”
Luke thought it over for a moment, then nodded. “Like a failsafe, so a female would know for sure that
he was truly her mate. He couldn’t manipulate her for his own gain.” He could see that. “What about the males?” he countered. “What assurance do they have that the female is really their soulmate?”
He had posed the question as nothing more than a scientific inquiry. If Jael was going to increase in size, turn purple, or suddenly sprout horns, he kind of wanted to know about it. When her face paled, and she looked away from him, however, he realized how his words had probably sounded to her.
“Hey.” He pinched a lock of her hair and tugged gently until she finally faced him. “I wasn’t accusing you of anything. I’m just trying to understand all of this.”
Her stiff posture relaxed, and a bit of color returned to her cheeks. “Well, I think the male’s extreme alteration would be proof enough for both parties. Don’t you think?”
Okay, she had him on that one. “Why only the males, though?”
“The priestess, Nolani, was betrayed by a male who claimed to love her. I imagine she might have held some resentment toward the gender, and that’s why the transformation is so…difficult.”
That was putting it mildly, to say the least. He’d never felt that kind of agony before, and he hoped to never experience it again. What she hypothesized did make a strange sort of sense, though. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
“Plus, we need someone to lift all the heavy things.”
Luke’s mouth fell open and stayed that way for several heartbeats before he slouched back against the sofa and laughed. “Did you just make a joke?”
“Obviously. I could lift anything I wished with magic.”
Ah, there was the literalism again, but it was nice to know that she had a sense of humor in there somewhere.
Stars, she was beautiful, with a smile that could illuminate the darkest of nights. From their brief interactions, it was clear where she placed herself on her list of priorities. Luke didn’t like that she put everyone else’s well-being before her own—especially his—but they’d work on that.
He knew barely anything about her, but she enchanted him. He’d always had a thing for smart women, and he had a feeling he could listen to her talk for hours and never grow bored.
“Tell me more,” he insisted.
“About soulmates?” She tilted her head, causing her hair to fall over her left eye. “About Xenthian? I’m afraid I need you to be more specific.”
Yes, he wanted to learn everything he could about both of those things, but later. “Tell me about you.” Settling in for what he hoped would be a long conversation, he pulled her closer and brushed the tousled tresses back from her face. “Tell me about your life.”
She laughed, and she didn’t try to move away when he tucked her against his side. “What is it you want to know, neelum?”
The warmth of her tiny body enveloped him, and he sighed with satisfaction when she rested her head on his shoulder. She fit so perfectly next to him, as if he’d been missing some vital part of himself that had now been made whole.
He wanted to know what made her happy. What she liked and disliked. He wanted to know her favorite color, the foods she preferred, and what she liked to read. If she woke up early in the mornings, or if she liked to sleep until well after the sun had crested, he wanted that information.
Mostly, he just wanted to hear her voice.
“Everything,” he mumbled as he rested his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. “Tell me everything.”
So, she did.
She told him about growing up on Xenthian. She talked about her other siblings, all royal sentries on the Southern Isle. There was a suspicious lack of details on the topic of her parents, but Luke knew from experience that all families had their secrets. They discussed literature and food, science and magic, and she’d told him all about her first journey away from her home world.
Some things were frivolous, some important, but he found everything she said equally fascinating.
“Wait, hold on.” Sitting up, he shifted around on the sofa so he could look at her. “You’re telling me that you’ve never had pancakes for breakfast?”
“I’ve never had a pancake for any meal.”
“How is that even possible?” In his not so humble opinion, they were the ultimate breakfast food, dinner, and late-night snack. “Then, what do you eat in the mornings on Xenthian?”
“Porridge or dianut bread.” One slender shoulder arched toward her ear. “Sometimes fresh berries.”
It sounded nutritious…and utterly boring. So, he decided right then and there that they were having pancakes come sunrise.
Setting back against the cushions, he pulled her into his arms again. “Tell me more about magic.”
According to her, once they were bonded, he’d be able to share her magic. While he wouldn’t be as powerful or skilled as her, he could wield the gift if he desired. Part of him feared the unknown, but a deeper, more primitive part of him wanted the ability to protect her against any threat.
“You should also know that soulmates can’t be apart for long periods of time, not without consequences.”
Luke tensed. “What kind of consequences?”
She explained that since Xenons had long thought their mates could only be of their own race, there wasn’t a wealth of information on the subject. She couldn’t say exactly what would happen to him—if anything—but the picture she painted of what the separation would do to her sounded horrific.
So, Luke had made another decision. No matter what, he would never let that happen.
Next to him, she looked so small, so very delicate, and he wanted to wrap her in his arms and protect her from every threat in the universe, both real and imagined. When she turned her face into his shoulder to hide a yawn, he had the insane urge to carry her up to his bed.
“Would you like me to show you to your room?” Yes, he wanted her in his bed, but it had to be her choice.
Jael shook her head and looked up at him with sleep-heavy eyes as she curled in closer to his side. “I’d like to stay here with you for a while longer, if that’s okay.”
It was more than okay with him. “I’d like that. What else should we talk about?”
“Anything you want,” she murmured softly. “You can…ask…anything.”
She was asleep within seconds.
Luke didn’t even think to move. Having her pressed against him while he listened to her even breaths centered him in ways he didn’t think possible. Even when his arm fell asleep and his bladder had protested, he didn’t move. By her side, watching over her, protecting her—that was where he was meant to be, and he felt it with irrefutable conviction.
While she rested, he used the time to process everything he had learned. Some things made sense. Others would take a little more time to wrap his mind around, but by the time the sun peeked over the horizon, he knew he’d follow her to the ends of the universe and back.
If she wanted to return to Xenthian, that was where they’d go. If she wanted to travel the stars and never settle anywhere, he’d find a way to make that happen. Whatever she wanted, whatever made her smile, he would provide.
Like pancakes.
The fact that she didn’t know the absolute euphoria of each sticky, sweet bite was a grave misfortune he intended to remedy.
Sliding out from under his mate, he moved slowly, careful not to wake her. Then, he left her on the sofa in the den with a warm blanket and her head resting comfortably on a pillow as he made his way to the kitchen.
It had probably been a decade since he’d cooked anything for himself. Living on bases and space stations, he had either picked up food from different restaurants or made quick meals in the food console in his quarters. Well, when he remembered to stock it.
The sprawling mansion had once employed an around-the-clock staff of nearly two dozen. Those who hadn’t perished in the attack on the city, however, had fled to parts unknown, and Luke hadn’t seen or heard from them since he’d been back. When Cami and Tariq
had returned, she’d taken over preparing their meals, although he had a sneaking suspicion most of it was catered.
He’d never made pancakes before, but it couldn’t be that hard. At its core, cooking wasn’t much different than mixing formulas in the lab. Both followed a recipe of specific ingredients with precise measurement and optimal temperatures.
A quick search on his wrist unit had provided plenty of recipes and suggested techniques for optimal results. Since they all looked exactly the same to him, he just chose one at random. Now, he just had to figure out where they kept the ingredients.
And a griddle. Whatever the hell that was.
First, he pulled out bowls and spoons from the cabinets and drawers. Those had been easy enough to find. The flour and sugar—not the real stuff, but synthetic versions close enough for his purposes—had been in the pantry. A logical location, he supposed.
They didn’t have fresh eggs, but he figured he could just add more water to the mix. Surely, eggs couldn’t be that important. They didn’t have butter, either, but they had oil. Same thing, right?
Twenty minutes and one bowl of goop later, he wasn’t so sure.
“Good morning,” Cami sang as she strolled into the kitchen. “Oooh, are you making breakfast?”
“Pancakes,” he grunted as he continued to stir the batter. “Jael’s never had them.”
“Where is she anyway?”
“Sleeping in the den.”
“That’s sweet. I take it you two worked things out?”
“Yep.” He didn’t feel the need to offer any more than that. “Hey, do we have a griddle?”
“I think so.” Wandering around the center island, Cami sidled up beside him with a frown. “Uh, Luke, why do you have a bag of salt on the counter?”
Looking up from his task, he eyed the blue bag with a frown. “It’s sugar.”
“No, I’m really sure it’s not.” She leaned against him and peered down into the bowl. “Oh. Wow. Umm, I’m not eating that.”