by Eden Ember
When he came over the crest, down into the valley and back towards her cabin, he broke into a trot. It had been a while since he had left. A soft glow came through the windows and when he reached the porch, he shifted back into his manly form. Piper had at least left his clothes sitting on the swing on the front porch beside the woodpile. He shrugged into them, thankful to have something to cover himself before he went inside.
After a soft rap on the door he waited for Piper to open it. When she did, she had the same strange look in her eyes that she had earlier when he had left her to chase the wolf.
“I suppose you want the truth now, huh?” he asked.
“You think? Yeah, please tell me I was hallucinating or something and that it just didn’t happen. Please shake me so that I wake up and realize that it was just an odd dream.” Piper stared at him with her eyes wide.
Elzarr told her the truth about who he was, and he left nothing out. It was a lot for her to digest as she stared at him with her mouth agape.
“I guess I am having a hard time believing that you’re an alien from another planet. And not only an alien, but a shifter too.”
“My people are the Rodii. We have been coming here for centuries since we are compatible with your atmosphere and we are able to blend in with both of our forms. Not too many places in the galaxy allows for this, I assure you,” Elzarr said. A nervous laugh came forth as he wanted to impress the woman, but she didn’t seem impressed at all.
Piper seemed to struggle with processing this. She stayed quiet. Elzarr realized this was the point at which he needed to take his leave. Perhaps she would think it over and invite him back. Perhaps she wouldn’t. Denial made it easy to ignore things hard to understand. He at least had to give some room to do that if she so chose.
“Look, I realize that everything you see from me is a lot to take in. It would be best if I left and let you have your thoughts. It doesn’t matter about the snowstorm. I guess I used it as an excuse because of my attraction to you,” Elzarr told her.
Piper didn’t resist as Elzarr prepared to leave. He’d already stepped out of the clothes and she averted her eyes as he turned toward the door. She said nothing but understood that he had to shift back into his reindeer form and couldn’t take the clothes with him. “Thank you for your kindness and for giving me clothes and food and warmth,” he said. Elzarr turned and walked out through the door before shifting into his reindeer form. As he did, he realized that the wolf had come back and brought with it the pack who stood at the trees, their eyes glowing. Behind him, Piper screamed.
Elzarr reared back on his hind legs and thrust his large hooves forward toward the wolf. Here they go again, as he took off chasing the wolf away from Piper’s cabin. The pack turned and followed. Sure enough, when he chased the one wolf away three others circled around the cabin. With his eyes glowing menacingly, Elzarr meant to drive away the other wolves. He charged towards them to chase them off as well. This was not to be an easy task. The wolves were determined to get to Piper, and they were indigenous creatures to the area. They were hungry, and they thought she might prove to be an easy target. He wished that she would come outside and shoot her gun to scare more of them away. The chase sent them back to the pack while they called to one another. Elzarr trotted towards them, baring his teeth and huffing all the way. They turned and ran, and he hoped that it would be enough. Turning back, he headed toward the cabin where he could hear Piper calling to him.
“Elzarr! Please come back!” Piper’s pleas reached him, and it compelled him to quickly go back to her. She stood at the edge of her porch while looking around and craning her neck to listen. She heard nothing but the sound of the heavy snow falling. The wolves by now were miles away. Elzarr shifted back into his human form as she handed him his clothes and opened the door for him.
Piper didn’t seem to care that he was naked in front of her again. She paced the floor in front of the wood stove as her eyes swung to look at him. “Are these wolves shifters like you? Are they enemies of yours?” she asked.
Elzarr buttoned the top of the flannel shirt and sat down on the couch where he could put on the socks. He chuckled. “They’re more like your enemy. They don’t like me either, though. While I bring a calmness to your kind, I bring dread to them. I saw at least four wolves,” he told her.
Piper sat down beside him on the couch as her eyes looked over at him with worry. Her hand touched his forearm, and he looked down, feeling the warmth of her touch and wishing he could pull the human woman to him and do so much more. “Please, please don’t leave me. You have a life out there, I know, but right now I have no way of leaving this cabin. I’m a little afraid of the wolves coming back and I’m not strong enough to handle it on my own. I don’t know, maybe you could teach me what to do to get rid of them? But for now, please don’t leave. I’m trying not to freak out about who you are and what you are. But I know that when you’re around, I feel safe and warm,” Piper said as her hand closed around his arm.
Chapter 9
Piper held her breath for a split second, waiting for Elzarr to answer. She couldn’t resist him.
“I won’t leave you defenseless. Don’t worry, I will not abandon you,” he replied.
Piper breathed a deep sigh of relief. She thought her little cabin was protection enough, but the wolves of the Arctic were large and when they caught the aroma of prey, they were like dogs with a bone. She took him in as her eyes brimmed with tears.
“I’m trying to understand who you are, and what you are. I mean, life as I ever knew it says that this kind of thing is impossible. My father believed in some myths and fairytales. He said nothing to me about reindeer that could change into human form. Whatever you are,” she said.
“Rodii. But we are very much like humans. Our DNA is very similar,” Elzarr told her.
“Does this mean Rodiis can mate with humans?” Piper asked. Then she slapped her hand over her face as her eyes widened. She could not believe that she had asked such a question. “Did I just ask that?”
Elzarr chuckled. “I am afraid so.”
Piper breathed another sigh of relief. this time from a desire she had since she met the man or Rodii. The physical attraction she had for him was undeniable. But humans could not mate with aliens, could they? Considering the stories of old and the angel like beings that mated with the daughters of men, it seemed to Piper that it could be within the realm of possibilities.
“I’d like to hear your story. I mean I’ve seen you change twice now. No one would believe me anyway, so your secret is safe with me,” Piper said.
Elzarr nodded. “Yes, I owe you that much,” he replied as he sat down on the couch. Piper took to the recliner and gazed into his eyes, mesmerized by the warmth about him. She didn’t fear him. In fact, she felt quite the opposite. Elzarr made her warm and happy.
Piper listened on pins and needles to his story about being from another planet. Elzarr laughed. “Part of my persona, or the persona of my people, is if we like someone, we make them cheery or happy, as you said.”
“What if you don’t like them?” Piper’s eyes widened.
“Like the wolves, we instill fear. We have a red glow about our eyes when provoked, and it brings trembling in the nastiest of beasts.”
“Wow. I hope I never see that side of you,” she answered.
As he spoke of his people and planet, Piper kept thinking about how attracted she was to Elzarr. Yet, she doubted it would ever be possible to have that sort of relationship with someone who was an alien to Earth. She kept her thoughts to herself, wishing that he would make another move on her, because then she would feel compelled to allow it happen.
“Good cheer. Are Santa’s reindeer related to your people?” Piper asked as she laughed.
His eyes grew serious as he gazed upon her.
“You know the tale of Santa Claus and his reindeer?”
“Oh yes, that I know. And it’s not a tale.” He gave her a half grin.
Piper s
at forward as tiny flutters sailed through her body. Her childhood had been one of belief in Santa and the flying reindeer. One year she even swore she had heard the sleigh bells ringing on Santa’s sleigh. “Tell me. I was a big believer as a child.”
Elzarr’s smile warmed her heart. “Centuries ago a group of my people landed here because of the land and climate which provided a perfect place for us to blend into the environment in whatever form we took. The good cheer brought the townsfolk to us. It happened on Christmas, when the children’s innocence and sweetness touched Claus. He wanted to surprise the tots with gifts that year. He stayed in his human-like form while the others shifted into reindeer form. With a land hovercraft, which looked like a sleigh to the humans, he loaded toys they had collected and brought them around the village and the surrounding area. Overnight, Claus became very popular as the children saw him and his eight reindeer. Then every year, they expected it, and it continued to occur.”
“So, there’s truth to him. Santa was real, and he was an alien,” Piper said. It seemed like a truly fantastic tale that could never be based on fact, and yet she had seen Elzarr shift from his human form into a reindeer. So why not?
Elzarr chuckled. “Yes, Santa was an alien and so were his eight reindeer. All ancestors of mine,” he said. He continued laughing. “And what’s so funny is that this is something that we have by coincidence. It caused the entire world to adopt this story and to continue the myth even today, at Christmas.”
“Did you realize your people had such influence on earthlings?”
“Why do you think I’m here? I feel at home on this planet.”
“Are there as many here today?”
Elzarr shook his head. “No, we never came here in large numbers. The Rodii work with your government. There may be a few here like me to get away from Azanie, but most of our population is in a star system far from here,” he told her.
Piper scooted closer as she peered into his eyes. “You sound so sad when you say that. Do you not like your own planet?” she asked.
“I enjoy my solitude. My planet is densely populated and yet the Rodii females are waning in numbers. I guess I had some pressure placed upon me there to figure things out, so I’d rather be here in this beautiful place,” he said.
Piper smiled when she glanced up at him. He was leaning in and it seemed that he wanted the woman, at least by the look of his body language, as much as she wanted him. She lifted her chin and gazed into his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re here. Aside from the wolves trying to kill me, I’m glad I met you even before I knew what you are,” Piper said as she began to laugh.
Elzarr searched her eyes. He leaned in a bit more and she lifted her chin as they closed the gap between them. His lips touched hers in a warm and soft kiss. It wasn’t like kissing an alien, but it felt like kissing a very attractive man. Everything inside her awoke as her body responded to the nearness of him. He seemed like such a perfect human man, even though Piper has come to understand that he wasn’t a man at all. They leaned back and peered into one another’s eyes again.
Elzarr reached up and caressed her cheek. “You are such a beautiful woman. I wonder if destiny compelled me to come here to meet you, Piper. You know the myth of Santa Claus and the reindeer, so you must realize that my people believe in fate,” he told her.
“I never put stock in fate before. It resigned me to living my life alone, like the rest of the world just wasn’t a place for me. I came here too, seeking solitude. But now that I’ve gotten to know you, I can’t help but wonder if this has been destiny to meet each other,” she agreed.
Piper reached up this time and slid her hand around his neck, pulling Elzarr to her as they kissed again. He did everything right, as he moved his lips over hers. She wanted him and he wanted her. How would it work with him being an alien and her being a human, though? Her father might have believed all of this. Her mother would never know because they were estranged. Piper and Elzarr were both at the perfect place at the perfect time. They were so right for each other.
Elzarr exhaled as he put his arm around her and pulled her to him. They sat back and watched the fire flickering through the glass door, while outside the wind blew the snow as it grew colder. Hopefully the wolves have moved on to other prey and would leave her alone. Piper looked at Elzarr and could not even fathom how fierce he had been with the wolves because of his protection over her. He brought a great deal of cheer to her heart.
Chapter 10
Elzarr rested better that night than he had in a very long time. He was always comfortable in Piper’s cabin, but now that she knew the truth, he felt such a great sigh of relief within him. Keeping his identity secret was something he could do and was something he had to continue to do while being on earth. But knowing he had a beautiful human being in his corner helped him tremendously to relax and let his guard down a little. Piper continued to hold back a little, perhaps because she was still a little uncertain about him.
Piper flipped several pancakes onto a plate and added a big plop of butter to the top. Elzarr had taken oranges he found in the cellar and was squeezing fresh orange juice. He liked a nice glass of orange juice. Piper was curious, and her questions were endless as they sat down together.
“You came to earth to get away from your overpopulated planet?” Piper asked.
Elzarr wiped his mouth with a napkin and nodded. “Yes, it is overpopulated with males and there are not enough females. I hadn’t met nor formed a bond with anyone else there. I figured something destined me for a life alone and that’s why I came here. I knew that here I could be myself in both forms and no one would notice,” he said.
Piper laughed. “Unless you see someone falling off the roof, or if the wolves try to come in and kill me,” she replied.
“I admit, I never had intentions to reveal the truth until you saw it in action. Many people can’t handle this kind of knowledge.”
Piper reached out and placed her hand on his arm. It warmed where she touched him as he looked down at it and smiled. “I’m glad you shared this with me. I don’t like that the wolf came along, but I’d like to thank him for helping me to see the truth about you. Admittedly, it is a weird thing and I keep having to remind myself that this is all real and not some medicated hallucination. But I’m so glad you’re here, Elzarr.”
Elzarr peered into Piper’s eyes, soon getting lost in her mesmerizing stare. This female Terran was so warm and friendly and everything within him wanted to draw her into his arms. In a momentary lapse of sensibility, he leaned forward while looking at her lips. He still wasn’t sure what she thought of the possibility of and two of them together. He couldn’t help being drawn to her, though. It was almost as if a magnetic force were compelling him to stay by her side. Elzarr wanted to taste her lips; he wanted her hands on his body. He wanted Piper to sleep in his arms and to wake up every morning by his side, naked. She leaned forward too as he came back to his senses and shook his head while leaning back in his chair.
“This was a good breakfast. Thank you so much for taking care of me,” he told her as he smiled at the young woman.
“Thank you for taking care of me as well,” she whispered. Her voice was soothing to Elzarr, like an angel singing into his ear. She took his breath away, but he needed to get up and go outside. The chair scraped along the wooden floor.
“I, I um, I need some air. I also need to stretch my legs,” Elzarr said as he grinned at her.
Piper smiled back as she bounced up and down. “Are you going to shift back into your reindeer form?” she asked.
Elzarr felt peculiar about it but he nodded. “Yes, but you understand how I have to do it, right? I have to remove my clothes to keep from shredding the fabric,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Did you fly to earth as a reindeer?” she asked.
Elzarr chuckled. “I flew in a pod all the way from Azanie. I was in this form when I flew, while wearing a flight suit. When I landed, I hid the pod and the flight suit
and shifted into reindeer form. I was in reindeer form for most of the time here until I met you,” he replied.
“Is it better for you to be in reindeer form? Are you in reindeer form more than in human form?” she asked.
“My people stay in whatever form they prefer. We need more exercise in our animal form because we have larger muscles in that form. Communication is easier for us in human form, though. Recently, I haven’t been getting as much exercise as I need,” he said as he blushed.
“Then don’t let me stop you. Do you mind if I watch?”
Elzarr shook his head. There was an ancient means of communication for his kind when they are speaking with another. It only occurred if a bond existed between them. Elzarr was interested in finding out whether there would be such a bond between him and Piper. “When I shift, allow me to try something with you. I want to see if I can communicate with you from mind to mind,” he said.
Piper’s eyes widened in surprise. She grinned big. “Nothing surprises me anymore. This sounds cool to me,” she replied.
Elzarr chuckled as they walked outside onto the porch. He turned to her and took a deep breath. “I have to take my clothes off now. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Piper’s eyes traveled up and down his body. She grinned as she shook her head. “Not at all.”