“I didn’t,” I said. “But it’s Braxian cuisine. I think I’ve tried everything in Grav’s stores and none of it is much good. Still…” I sighed. “I didn’t mind so much. It was nice just…being with him.”
“Mm-hmm. So, tell me…” Zoe put down her wine glass and leaned forward to look at me intently. “How long have you been in love with Grav?”
“What?” I nearly choked on my latest bite of hudu cake. I swallowed with some difficulty and looked at her. “What do you mean? You think I love him just because I asked about his culture and said I don’t mind his weird food?”
“Yes and don’t act like you don’t.” Zoe shook her finger at me. “You can’t lie to me—you know I can always tell. Because you’re a terrible liar.”
“All right.” I sighed. “You’re right—I’m in pretty deep. But like I said, he doesn’t return my feelings. Or he does but he doesn’t think he should—at least, I think that’s the problem.”
“What?” Zoe frowned and picked up another pink cracker with gray paste. “Go back. Let’s unpack this a little. Now, what do you mean he returns your feelings but doesn’t think he should?”
I told her everything, up to and including Grav’s confessions at the hands of the Widow—the first where he confessed that he loved me and the second when he said he wasn’t good enough for me because of his past—because he’d killed his father.
“So he really murdered his own father?” Zoe asked in an awed voice. “I mean, I knew he had a dark past but my God—not that dark!”
“It’s pretty grim, all right,” I admitted. “But he did it for a good reason—he was trying to save his mother. I don’t blame him for what he did.”
“So tell him you feel that way,” Zoe urged me.
“I did,” I said. “It didn’t make any difference. He said he’s still a murderer and a bad person and I shouldn’t get mixed up with him.”
“Hmm…so you already talked to him and he still won’t see reason?” Zoe frowned. “That is a problem.”
“Well you’ve known him longer than me,” I pointed out. “Can’t you give me some advice on how to change his mind?”
Zoe made a face. “Unfortunately, Sarden told me Braxians are really stubborn too. So…I don’t really know what to tell you.”
“It’s just…he makes me feel.” I took another sip of bubble wine and let it burst in my mouth before going on. “I never told you or Charlotte this, Zoe,” I said, looking down at my hands. “But, well, I never actually felt anything, sexually I mean, when we were back on Earth. Not with Gerald or anyone else. It was like that part of me was dead…or asleep. But when I left Earth with Grav, well…he made me feel. In fact, I felt so much for a while I thought I was going to go crazy.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Zoe asked. She frowned. “You know, now that I think about it, I never felt much either. I mean, I always just thought it was because I was with the wrong guys. Especially Scott—what a loser that guy was. I don’t know why I stayed with him so long.”
“I never liked him either,” I said. “He wasn’t mean like Gerald—just lazy.”
Zoe made a face. “Lazy is bad enough. I mean, pick your underwear up off the floor once in a while!”
I spread my hands. “And now you live in a palace and have maids and servants to pick up your man’s underwear, right?”
“Wrong.” She grinned. “Sarden doesn’t wear underwear most of the time. Says it just gets in the way of us getting busy.”
“Zoe!” I slapped at her arm and she giggled.
“The point is, I never felt a whole lot until I left Earth either. But when I got with Sarden I couldn’t stop feeling for him—even when I didn’t want to. When I was mad at him or telling myself we shouldn’t be together or couldn’t be together.”
“Why did you think you couldn’t be together?” I asked curiously.
“Well, to start with because he wanted to trade me to get his sister back from this awful mud-monster-gangster guy. And then later, when he realized that was wrong and apologized, I was pretty convinced we couldn’t be together because Sarden said we wouldn’t be able to form a bond.”
“That’s what Grav keeps saying too,” I exclaimed. “He says that since he’s a half-breed, he won’t be able to bond me to him properly—whatever that means.”
“A bond means you have a permanent link to your man. Like right now, I can close my eyes and tell you how Sarden is feeling. And if I tune in really hard, I can tell you why he’s feeling that way and sometimes I even catch his thoughts.”
“Wow…” I looked at her uncertainly. “And he has the same link to you? That seems…kind of invasive.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” Zoe smiled serenely. “But it’s not—it’s wonderful. You’re always in tune with each other and it makes the sex just unbelievable.”
I sighed. “I wouldn’t know about that. Grav and I have, uh, done some things but we haven’t actually…you know.”
“Made the beast with two backs? Well you need to get after that because that’s how you bond. At least, that’s how Sarden and I bonded.”
“Really? But Grav says we can’t bond because he’s a hybrid—half Vorn and half Braxian.”
“Sarden is half Vorn and half Eloim,” Zoe said promptly. “We didn’t have any trouble bonding. Sarden thinks it’s because I have such pure DNA—from being from a closed planet. Or maybe it has something to do with me being a La-ti-zal.”
“Grav says I’m one too,” I said. “I, uh, healed him and someone else too—the little girl we have with us, Teeny.”
“Oh, she’s adorable—I wish we could keep her here on Eloim.” Zoe sighed. “But that’s amazing, Leah—you must be a Healer. I’m an Opener.” She frowned. “I wonder what Charlotte is?”
“You think she’s a La-ti-zal too?”
“I know she is,” Zoe said seriously. “Both of you are and, well, it’s kind of my fault.”
“What? How?” I frowned.
“Well, as far as I can figure out, any Earth girl has the potential to become a La-ti-zal.” Zoe sounded thoughtful. “Because our DNA from the Ancient Ones is so pure. But then something happens to trigger it—like a tragedy in your past.”
“Your sister!” I said, putting a hand to my mouth. Zoe’s sister had drowned when she was just a little girl and it had affected her deeply.
“Exactly.” She nodded. “And then when one person is a La-ti-zal her friends can kind of catch it from her. I think you and Charlotte caught it from me.”
“How?” I asked blankly.
“Actually, the same way you catch a sickness. You know—sharing food and drinks and that kind of thing.” Zoe shrugged. “Weird, huh?”
“It sure is.” I frowned. “Who knew you could catch special powers as easily as catching the common cold?”
“Well, I don’t know if it’s that easy…but it might be.” Zoe shrugged. “The whole thing is still kind of a mystery to me. All I know is when I left Earth’s atmosphere, I was suddenly able to open and unlock things I shouldn’t have been able to. That seems to be the trigger—leaving Earth. As long as you’re in its atmosphere you’re normal. But the minute you get into space…bam!” She snapped her fingers. “You’re special.”
“Well, that would certainly explain why that awful Count Doloroso was after me and Charlotte,” I remarked.
“And I am so sorry about that.” Zoe looked genuinely remorseful. “We thought Grav had killed him but I had a bad feeling he would come back somehow.”
“He did,’ I said grimly. “He came back in another body—an Earth body this time. He paid the Commercians to get one for him. But you’ll never guess which one he picked.”
“Who? Who?” Zoe leaned forward eagerly, her bubble wine forgotten. “Is it somebody I know? Somebody famous?”
“More like infamous,” I said. I told her and her eyes got so wide they looked like they would swallow her face.
> “No.” She shook her head. “I mean, you’ve got to be kidding, right?”
“Nope.” I shook my head solemnly. “It’s absolutely true and it was awful.”
“Hmm.” She looked thoughtful. “You know, I always thought that guy looked like an alien.”
“I know, right?” I exclaimed. “That’s what I said too! Anyway, Doloroso’s dead again—this time for good.”
“Grav took care of him again?” she asked hopefully.
“Actually, this time he sort of took care of himself. Remember that story Charlotte told us about the guy in the ER who overdosed on Viagra and got that hard-on that wouldn’t go down?”
“Oh my God…” Zoe grabbed my arm. “You have to tell me everything.”
We talked long into the night since it was the only one we had before Grav had to take Teeny back to her home planet. Zoe wanted me to stay with her for a longer visit but I had several reasons for going.
“I need to get things settled at home,” I said when she begged me again to stay. “I need to divorce Gerald for one thing and explain to my employers what happened to me. Well—I need to make up a good excuse anyway—obviously I’m not going to tell them I was abducted by aliens.”
Zoe giggled. “Not unless you want to sound crazy. It’s amazing, isn’t it, that all this…” She waved her hands around, almost spilling her wine, “Is out here and yet people on Earth don’t know about any of it? They’d try to have you committed if you started telling your story when actually they’re the delusional ones!”
“Let’s hope it stays that way,” I said. “I don’t know if Earth is ready to know about the big, bad universe just yet.”
“Well, some of them are finding out,” she said darkly. “The girls getting taken by the Alien Mate Index, anyway. Sarden is planning to petition the Goddess Empress to stop the Commercians from abducting Earth girls but he says that even if the Commercians get booted out, someone else will take their place. Now that we have a big hole in our ozone layer, the Earth is fair game.”
“The Goddess Empress is dead, though,” I said. “Didn’t you know? And—I can’t believe I didn’t tell you this yet—the head of her guards thinks that Charlotte is supposed to be her replacement. That’s the second reason I need to go back to Earth—I want to make sure she’s okay.”
“Oh my God!” Zoe put a hand over her mouth. “Well then, of course you have to go! Wow…” She shook her head. “Well, if anyone could rule the Universe it would be Charlotte—she’s so organized. Did you ever see her notes in college? She knew more than most of her professors.”
“I said the same thing.” I grinned at her and then sighed. “I wish she was here now. I wish we were all safe and happy together like in the old days.”
“I wish it too, hon, but you can’t go back.” Zoe squeezed my arm. “And honestly, except for being close to the two of you, I wouldn’t want to go back. I was miserable working at Lauder, Lauder, and Associates. I was getting staplers thrown at my head and here…”
“You’re wearing a crown on your head. It’s a big difference.” I smiled at her. “Zoe, I can’t tell you how happy I am for you. And how happy I am that you’re alive and well. Maybe you and I and Charlotte will all be together again someday soon.”
“From your lips to the Goddess of Mercy’s ears.” She smiled. “I just want to see the two of you as happy as I am.”
“Well, I don’t think I’m destined to rule a planet or an entire galaxy like the two of you,” I said. “But I wouldn’t really want to, anyway.”
“No, you’ll just be happy when you get your man. And you will get him—wait and see.” She winked at me.
“But…how? He doesn’t want me. Or at least, he doesn’t want to want me,” I pointed out.
“But you’ve still got that fire between you—that attraction, right?” She eyed me shrewdly. “Don’t say you don’t—I can tell when the two of you are together.”
I thought of how I had never stopped yearning for Grav’s arms around me—how I had never stopped burning for his touch. The sexual desire that had tormented me had died down a little but only because I was trying so hard to keep it at bay. I knew it could spring back to life at any moment, like a banked fire can suddenly become a roaring blaze when it’s poked with a stick.
“All right,” I admitted. “He still makes me feel—I still want him and I think he still wants me. But he won’t do anything about it.”
“So then, you do something about it,” Zoe said, poking me in the arm.
“Do what exactly?” I asked.
“Seduce him. Or find some kind of reason to get him going. Didn’t you say that Braxians have a point of no return—not just in battle but in sex?”
“Yes, but what do you suggest—that I push him until he reaches that point and just snaps?”
“Exactly.” She put down her wine with a thump on the tray beside the beanbag chair and smiled triumphantly. “Do that. Absolutely do that.”
“But…that’s so sneaky. I don’t want to trick him into a relationship,” I protested.
“You’re not tricking him—you’re helping him. Helping both of you, really. Look, didn’t you say he admitted to loving you?” Zoe asked.
“Well, yes, but—”
“And you love him too.”
“Like crazy,” I admitted. “I can’t help it.”
“So the two of you need a push to get together. And if he’s too stubborn, well, you’re going to have to be the one to do the pushing.” She poked me in the arm again. “Come on, Leah—I know you were never very aggressive back on Earth but you’ve changed. I can sense it.”
“I have.” I lifted my chin. “I’m not the same girl who let Gerald run all over her. Even if Grav and I never get together, I’m not going back to being that girl. I’m different now—stronger.”
“I know you are.” Zoe gave me a spontaneous hug. “I’m so proud of you!” She pulled back and looked me in the eye. “And you’re going to have to be strong and determined now, to get what you want.”
“I don’t know…” I bit my lip. “I don’t know anything about seducing anybody. And I still feel like I don’t want to trick Grav into something he’ll regret.”
Zoe frowned. “Well, have it your way. But I think you’re both going to regret it if you let him slip away. There’s a reason he’s the one who woke you up, Leah—woke up that part of you that you thought was dead. He’s the one—your fated mate. Don’t let him go!”
“I’ll try not to,” I said. “But I have to find a way that isn’t dishonest. I don’t want to found a relationship on lies. That was half the problem with Gerald—I was lying when I pretended he did anything for me sexually and he knew it. Deep down, I think he really knew it.”
“Good,” Zoe said promptly. “He was a jerk—he deserves to know you faked every single orgasm you ever had with him. And he deserves to be divorced. In fact…you can call my friend, Rylee Hale at Lauder, Lauder, and Associates. She’s a paralegal there too but she prepares paperwork on the side. It’s way cheaper than using a lawyer if you just want a quick and dirty no contest divorce. She might even do it for free if you drop my name. Oh—and tell her I’m okay.”
“That sounds good,” I said gratefully. “I don’t know what shape my bank account is going to be in when I get back. I guess it depends on if Gerald has cleaned it out or not.”
“That jerk.” She frowned. “You should have let Grav break him, the way he did Doloroso.”
“Well, that was a very specific kind of break,” I said, trying not to laugh. “And Grav did say he wanted to break Gerald’s spine. Or at least his arms, so he couldn’t hurt a female ever again.”
“Next time let him,” Zoe advised.
I sighed. “I will. If there is a next time.”
“There will be.” She smiled enigmatically. “You’ll see, Leah—something’s going to happen. You and Grav were meant to be together—and you will be.”
“Do that. The communication isn’t great because Earth is so far from Eloim. Sometimes you can get a message through the Commercians with a boosted signal and sometimes not.” She shrugged. “But try. And let me know how Charlotte is doing, too.”
“I will,” I promised. “You know I will.”
“Of course.” She pulled me close again and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Be well, Leah. Be safe and be happy and most of all be brave.”
“Hey…” For some reason I felt tears stinging my eyes. “Why does it feel like you’re saying goodbye? I’m not leaving until tomorrow.”
“Because I’ll probably be bawling too hard to say it then.” Zoe sniffed. “I can’t believe you just got here and now you have to go.”
“I’ll be back,” I reminded her. “You said yourself you’ll send a ship for me in a couple of months if you don’t hear from me.”
She sighed. “I know. I just miss you and Charlotte so much.”
“We miss you too, sweetie,” I told her, giving her a hug. “And we’ll all be together before you know it.”
Little did I know how wrong I was…but that’s a story for another time. For now, I was content just to be close to my best friend again and feel comforted and secure…even if it was just for a little while.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Grav
The next morning there was a lot of crying and hugging and kissing between Leah and Zoe. A very emotional scene.
Sarden and I stood by and watched—Teeny was already in the hopper. I was a little worried about her—she seemed tired and she was extremely quiet. But I told myself the poor little female had been through a lot. No wonder she wanted to be alone—she needed to rest and get over her recent ordeal.
“So we’ll see you again soon, I hope?” Sarden asked. “You didn’t stay long at all—I thought you were going to settle here on Eloim and help me run this place.”
“You don’t need my help,” I told him, grinning a little. “Anybody can see you’re doing a hell of a job. The Eloim certainly seem to think so.”
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