Melisizwe pulled his concerned gaze from Themba and focused on Chikondi’s father. “I’m glad to hear of it. Everything is in place. The palace is brimming with excitement. We can’t remember the last time we held a bonding ceremony here. I hope what we’ve planned meets your expectations.”
I shouldn’t be with anyone but my true lifemate.
“Thank you for accommodating us. We understand that this isn’t the norm for your kingdom and we appreciate the gesture. Did Themba join you yet? I know Chikondi would like to talk to him about tomorrow.”
I want Payton.
“He hasn’t arrived yet. I’ve just received word from his personal secretary that he’s held up. I’ll make sure he calls her when he’s free.”
I need Payton. That thought was so powerful that it repeated on a loop in his head and each time it did, he reaffirmed what must be done.
“Excellent. I’ll tell her to expect his call later.”
Nothing else mattered by Payton. Not the kingdom. Not his brother. Not his planet. Everything was so completely clear now. Themba laughed. It was the best he’d felt in a long time.
Melisizwe hurried and pressed the end communication button. He studied Themba. “Ancients, what has gotten over you? I was told you were sick, but you look absolutely terrible.” He leaned forward and pressed another button. “Send for a medic. Themba needs to return to the infirmary right away.”
Themba straightened. “I don’t need a medic. I need Payton.”
Melisizwe’s eyes darkened. “Who?”
“I’m going back to Cleaprea to claim my true lifemate.”
BRIGHT LIGHT PENETRATING her eyelids pulled her from a dreamless sleep. Payton opened them and stared at the wall.
How long had she slept?
Her stomach grumbled.
Too long.
With a sniffle, she rolled over to her back. Jack whined and snuggled into her side. If the wetness on her face was any indication, she’d been crying in her sleep. Pathetic, she knew. Although she hadn’t known Themba long and they didn’t share history, she had trusted him. He’d broken through the defenses she’d built over the years only to leave her stripped bare and alone.
The hurt she experienced now was on an entirely different level.
She didn’t need anyone to take care of her. She’d proven that to herself a million times over. So why had it been so easy for her to forget that and put all her trust in Themba?
Because I thought...
She closed her eyes against the burning that began again.
She didn’t want to admit how much she loved him.
I wasn’t good enough for him.
“Stop this,” she growled.
She used the heel of her palms to rub and wipe her eyes, then with a grunt she sat up. Jack jumped from the bed and stretched.
The first thing on the agenda was to let Jack outside to relieve himself. Then she would figure out where the kitchen was and how to get food. She blew out a breath. Mainly, she had to figure out how to work her new house.
Easier said than done.
She got up and went to the window to stare outside. At least the sky was blue. It was still very alien though. The other planets hanging overhead made that painfully obvious.
She scanned the neighborhood. The houses were near all the same. There was no accounting for beauty or architectural design. There were sidewalks, at least she thought they were sidewalks. They were painted different colors, and she assumed that meant something.
Just one more thing I don’t know.
There weren’t any roads as far as she could tell. Plenty of trees and plants abounded.
Where is everyone?
Payton glanced to the left. Three children skipped down the street, one in front of the other two. They dressed alike in an orange sac thing. School uniform? Honestly, it could be the fashion here. Again, she had no clue about anything on this planet.
The children came closer. They all had green skin with arms that were longer than any human’s. Their dark brown hair was short and spikey, and as they came closer, she got a good view of their faces. Their eyes were large and took up a healthy portion of their small faces.
When they spotted her, instead of being surprised a stranger watched them, they smiled and waved at her. Not knowing what else to do, she did the same.
These were her new neighbors. She had to get used to them sooner rather than later. If the children’s reaction to her was any indication, she would be welcomed. Themba had said she was safe here.
Safe.
She hiccupped a breath.
He’d plucked her from a dangerous game and dropped her on an alien planet expecting her to learn from scratch, fend for herself and dared to expect she would be safe?
She balled her hands into fists. Anger pushed some of the self-pity to the side.
I have to make this work.
Payton turned from the window and assessed her room. It was like any other bedroom. The furniture and material it was made of were a little different, but the logistics weren’t unfamiliar.
After picking around the room, going through empty drawers and opening doors, she found the bathroom. It had taken trial and error, but she figured out how to use it. She found another room. It mirrored the one she’d fallen asleep in and she assumed it was a guest room.
The discovery made her laugh. Guests? Yeah, right. The only other people she knew were either still running for their lives or were playing house, pretending to be some alien’s mate.
And she would find them. Every one. Somehow.
Jack whimpered. Right. Get you outside.
She made her way to the front door, and nothing happened. She was stumped. There wasn’t a door handle. Hm.
She waved her hands in front of it, hoping for a motion sensor. Nothing.
“Any ideas, Jack?”
He whined again. If she didn’t want pee on her new floor, she had to figure out how to use the door or break the window.
She spotted a panel off to the side. It was the same color as the wall, white. She pushed and re-pushed some of the buttons. The door opened and closed. Lights outside flickered on and off, as did lights inside. One button caused the entire structure to glow like a beacon. There was also a button that made the walls see-through. That had been heart-stopping. She’d thought everyone would be able to see her, but a quick peek out the door, and she saw that while she could see out, no one could see in.
Jack whined.
“I almost forgot. You have to pee.” She took a deep breath. There was no stalling it any longer. She had to go out there with Jack.
Safe.
Payton took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold. There wasn’t a porch. All the houses were flat against the ground. She couldn’t tell what the ground was made of. Not dirt, cement, or asphalt. The air smelled clean and fresh. An alien couple walked on a purple path across from her, and some kind of vehicle hoovered a few feet from the ground on an orange path.
So purple is for sidewalks and orange are the streets. Got it.
Alien children ran down an orange path. Okay, so she didn’t have it.
She led Jack to an area where bushes and trees were. He sniffed around but did his business quickly.
Crap. She didn’t have anything to pick up his business with.
Great. Now she was going to be that neighbor.
She groaned and led him back toward their house.
A few aliens passed her on the way. They weren’t like any she’d encountered in The Hunt. She was glad for that. She didn’t know what she would’ve done if she ran into a lizard alien or someone who looked like the blue guy. She kept her head down, and as soon as she and Jack reached her door, her heart fell to her stomach.
How do I get back inside?
The aliens came toward her and Payton pressed herself closer to her door. These weren’t happy children she could watch from the comforts of her room. They were aliens who were unmistakably coming her way.
/> Jack growled and barked. She slipped her hand around his collar. “Stand down.”
“Greetings!”
Sweat prickled her skin. She raised her head and turned around, resting her back against the door. The aliens looked like a bigger version of the children. Their eyes were much too large for their faces and their mouths too small.
They watched her quizzically then exchanged glances.
“Greetings?” the other asked.
“Um, hello.”
The aliens’ tiny mouths curved into smiles. “Are you new to Cleaprea or just new to our neighborhood?”
“Um, new to Cleaprea.”
They exchanged excited glances. “Wonderful! We can show you around. Where did you come from?”
“I’m not familiar with your kind.” The other one said.
Should she tell them she’s human? “I-I’m having trouble getting back into my house. I don’t have a key?”
One of the aliens frowned at her. “It isn’t registered to your hand?”
Payton pulled her brows together. The alien put her hand on Payton’s door, and nothing happened. She nodded toward Payton. “Now, you try.”
Payton did as the other had, and the door opened. Relief washed through her. She stepped through the door. “Thank you!”
“Your kind?” one asked.
The door closed in their faces. She leaned over, steadying her hands on her thighs. Her first meeting with the neighbors and she looked stupid and rude.
“Great.”
But until she figured out how they reacted to her being human, she had to keep the nosey neighbors at bay. These aliens might decide to kidnap her again, but this time she might be sold as a mate because humans were rare.
That thought brought a fresh round of panic that made her chest heavy and tight.
Safe.
She made her way to the kitchen and pressed every button there was and opened every drawer she found. There were plates and cups, but missing were pots and pans. She thought it odd until she found the buttons that when pushed, food appeared from a dispensary. She wasn’t sure if the food had come from a hidden refrigerator or if it was made from some kind of replicator like in sci-fi movies.
Something else to figure out. Her list was getting longer and longer.
She took a deep breath. She could do this.
Did it really matter, at this very moment, where the food came from? No.
She pushed every button on the food console. By the time she was done, she had a plethora of food lining the counters, and she and Jack taste tested each one. There were some buttons she would never—ever—press again, and some she would get a lot of use out of.
After her belly was full and Jack was in a food coma, Payton found a clear spot on the counter and hopped up to sit next to a bowl of fruit.
She could cry about her situation, be overwhelmed, or take control of her life.
I’m taking control.
She pulled the computer tablet file card from her comlink. Using the stylus attached, she tapped the screen bringing the tablet to life. The first thing that came up were the notes she’d started on her way to Cleaprea, to what she’d thought was her new life with Themba.
Her heart sank at seeing the words.
Most of the stuff she’d written was still applicable.
She had to learn the culture on Cleaprea, had to buy new clothes, etc. She started a new line.
Find everyone else.
Become a photographer and make money to survive.
A chime sounded.
Payton lifted her head, and Jack went from lounging under her feet to standing with his ears perked. Payton glanced around. Had she inadvertently pressed something?
The chime sounded again.
“Well, this is going to be annoying until we find the source,” she said to Jack.
She stored her tablet and hunted around her kitchen, searching for the source of the noise.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
She glanced toward the door and frowned. Jack erupted in a series of barks.
Dang, it. She should’ve left the see-through wall on.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Are those nosey neighbors back? They must really want to know my species really bad.
She tip-toed to the door and pressed the see-through wall button. Standing on the other side was Themba.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Payton!” Themba knew she couldn’t hear him yelling, but he did it in vain.
At first, he’d thought to buy a structure on the outskirts of the bustling city. He’d been afraid that in the thick of the city, with the different alien species as her neighbors, she would be too scared to acclimate into the society. It also meant she would need a hovercar to get around. The thought of her killed in a horrible accident because she didn’t know how to drive made his anxiety flare. So he’d purchased a soundproof structure in a livelier part of the city. She would be able to walk wherever she wanted. Problem solved.
Themba banged on the door and rang the doorbell again.
What if she didn’t know how to open it? Had she been trapped in the house since yesterday?
He’d been so distraught. He’d intended to give her a more in-depth tour of her new house and show her how to use the controls as well as the security system.
Themba raised his fists to pound the door again. It opened with a silent whoosh. He caught his breath at the sight of her. She had on the same clothes she’d worn yesterday, they were rumpled and obviously slept in. Her hair was disheveled, and parts of it had come out of the binding she’d tied it back with. Her eyes were red and swollen, and dried tear tracks lined her puffy face.
He’d known she would be upset with him. He had abandoned her. But he didn’t expect the stare she gave him.
Flat. Uncaring. Dead.
He could almost see the wall she’d thrown up between them. She hated him now, and he didn’t blame her one single bit.
Jack wagged his tail and pushed his nose against Themba’s hand. At least one of them was happy to see him. He scratched the top of Jack’s head.
Payton broke the impassive look to scowl at Jack. Then she used her leg to push him back.
“What are you doing here?” She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “You made it perfectly clear that you had a life to get back to. A life that didn’t include me.”
Themba swallowed the lump in his throat. Had he said that so callously?
“I couldn’t,” was all he could say.
She pulled her eyebrows together. “You couldn’t what?”
“Live without you.”
She finally raised her head to stare at him. He didn’t like the hurt reflecting back. He wanted to gather her in his arms and tell her how sorry he was, but first, he needed to lay bare his soul to make this right.
“I thought I could go back to the way my life was before I met you. Everything I’ve ever done was for my family and kingdom. Who I am, including my duties, have been ingrained in me since I was born. Nothing was above the kingdom. Not even my own wants and desires. I returned home because I thought that was my only option. But when I returned home I couldn’t assimilate back to the way things were. I’d found my true lifemate. There’s no way I could pretend I never met you or that my heart doesn’t belong to you. It’s not fair to Chikondi. I couldn’t imagine caring for her like I do for you. You, Payton, have ruined me.”
She blinked a few times, as if unable to understand his words. “I ruined you?”
“I know what it’s like to love and there’s no going back from that. I want to spend every waking moment with you. I want to live in this house with you and make it our home. I want to be by your side while you explore this new world. I want to witness your wonderment. I want to be here to quell your fears. I want to wrap my arms around you and hold you tight at night. I want to be your protector, your lover, your one and only.”
Her face flushed and her mouth dropped open. She murmured something he couldn’t hear.
/>
Was that a no?
He’d ruined it. His one chance to beg for forgiveness, and he didn’t do it right. Maybe human females didn’t want their males as open about their feelings as he was? He’d convinced himself telling her the truth would make her understand what was in his heart.
He’d failed.
Themba dropped his chin. “That is, if you’ll have me.”
“What about your wedding, bonding, or whatever?”
“I called it off.”
“So you’re here to stay?”
“I won’t ever leave you again.”
“Yes,” she said in a whisper.
Had he heard her correctly? He lifted his head. “Yes, you’ll have me?”
“Yes, to all of it.”
Themba crossed the threshold and gathered her into his arms. Ancients, he’d missed the feel of her body. She sighed and melted against him. Themba walked her away from the door and the air he felt at his back told him the door had closed. He scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. After laying her on the bed, she found his mouth and kissed him fervently.
He’d thought to make love to her slowly. To worship her body as she deserved. But he’d spent their time away missing every delectable line and curve. He yanked at her clothes, and she did the same to him. Their hands were fast and seeking. Their lovemaking consisted of slamming pelvis’, rough kissing and whispered promises.
When they were done, they lay sweaty and content, holding each other tight.
“So what happens now?” she asked.
“For the first time in my life, I don’t have a solid plan or itinerary laid out for me. It’s just you and I. Our time is our own.”
“I’m not going to have a crazy ex-girlfriend after me, am I?”
“No. Chikondi might be upset or maybe not. I’ve just freed her from a lifetime of complicity and an arrangement devoid of true love. I wasn’t able to talk to her about it. If I thought it would make a difference, I would’ve told her myself, but that’s not the way of things on my planet. My brother negotiated the bonding contract, so he would be the one to relay the change to her family.”
“Is your brother upset? Is he going to come after us?”
Hunted by the Alien Prince Page 21