“Whatever it is called, it is poorly designed. The technology is primitive.” I added. If the Corin had been given the task of designing a better tool, my pancakes on this morning would have been the best in the galaxy.
“Come on, they look good!” She said, and seated herself at the kitchen table. “If only Grim could see you now. The greatest warrior in the galaxy, fretting over pancakes.”
“Grim would not have a chance to comment on this situation. My anger over these pancakes is such that, were he to appear, he’d perish by this measly spatula.” I replied in grave earnestness.
CHAPTER 6
Candice
Ok, so I was in domestic bliss. After the dream where I made love to Luke, in his fully human form, I was pretty convinced that if he did manage to win the war and return to me without his Curse, the rest of my life could quite possibly be perfect. Of course, this was what my heart was saying this morning. My head knew that life was never perfect.
The pancakes were certainly not perfect, but they were the best that I had ever had. How did that make sense? I guessed it was because he made them with so much affection.
“More orange juice?” He asked.
I smiled and nodded my head. Luke had been on Earth for so long, but every once in a while he said these things that made him sound like an alien. I loved it.
“You know, you can’t keep this up forever,” I said.
Luke arched his brow and poured my orange juice. He gave no reply. I knew why this was. It was the truth.
At heart, Luke was a warrior, and I knew that he was putting on this whole show to prove to me that he could be a normal man. But the foundation of all of this was that I had to send him back to Hecate for this bliss to be possible. My awareness returned to my Curse. I must send him into danger. And it was the kind of danger that he thrived on.
“I can do this forever if it’s with you.” He said with assurance.
“If you win the war, and that’s a big IF, then you’re probably going to land here as a human and join the military or something,” I said, taking a big bite of pancakes.
“I will not join the human military.” He said without looking up from his plate.
“You’d probably win every war on this planet if you did,” I said. “You could be a weapon for democracy and freedom.” Thinking about it, it was really the truth.
“I could fight for all those things. And win. But I promised you that I’d be here with you, and that’s what I plan to do.” He said with finality.
“You know, it’s not my intention to domesticate you. I just don’t want to see you in danger all the time.” I said. “Can you really give up on all that danger? I know that you love it.” I added.
Luke put down his fork and appeared to be frustrated. He didn’t like that I was pursuing this line of questioning. Maybe he didn’t want to face it himself. The dissolution of his identity.
“I’m going for a walk,” Luke said and got up from the table without awaiting my reply.
“Luke?” I said, and got up from the table to follow him. “I’m sorry if I was asking too many questions,” I said, reaching the door just as he walked out onto the porch.
“I said—“ He slowly turned around to face me at the top of the stairs. “I’m going for a walk.”
I watched him walk out into the desert. Oh my God, I really pushed his buttons. I felt terrible. I could see him walking along in deep contemplation, and slightly angry. This wasn’t how this morning was supposed to go.
But then it dawned on me - I don’t know that Luke is completely sure that he can do this either. The whole human thing. Maybe he’s just playing along to try and win me over, but regarding the future, even he is uncertain.
Am I demanding too much from him?
I supposed I was just asking for what I needed, which was for him to be safe. But if he was safe all the time, then could he really be himself?
I went back into the house and began to clean the mess from the pancakes. I laughd a little when I saw the spatula. I picked up his retracted light sword, which yes, he used to stir the pancake batter.
My thoughts were brought back again to my dream, and I felt that heat in my lower belly when I thought of it. His touch was so tender, and it was like there was an electricity in our bodies that I had never felt before. I thought about the last time that Luke and I made love. It had to have been weeks and weeks ago. I sighed a little and for a moment, I felt a deep loneliness.
Having him here was divine, but it was still just a portion of the beauty that we had experienced together. A portion of the contact. Deep down, we felt the need to avoid each other physically and not get too close. The great boundaries that had been built between us were tenuous, though like they were made of paper. I felt I could give in, at any moment, just to feel his touch and to experience 100% intimacy. Not just physical, but also spiritual and emotional.
I had given Luke the ultimatum that for us to come together as one, he had to be whole. He had to be cured. But by doing this, was I perhaps keeping Luke and I apart forever? Would I be able to live with that?
I contemplated all of this as I washed the dishes and looked out the window. I could see him now, off in the distance. He was sitting on a boulder. His posture was immaculate. He sat tall and proud, his large shoulders resting perfectly on his wide, ripped torso. How had I managed to have this man in my house all these days without allowing him to touch me? I had to be out of my mind.
Crazy human female.
Luke
She had a point. I would always be a warrior. The thrill of the battle, the feeling of my sword in my hand, the satisfaction of victory, I couldn’t give these things up. But I needed Candice by my side. I would never be able to sacrifice that. Maybe being a human was going to present more problems than I thought.
I could win the war, and then force Candice to be with me on Hecate. She wouldn’t agree to it, but I could simply take her and not let her leave. I would make her my prisoner bride. She might hated me for eons, but eventually, she would know that it was the right thing to do. Candice would learn to give in to my desires, and all would be settled.
The problem with this, even though it could easily be accomplished, was that Candice was a strong-willed human female, and that gave me pleasure. I could pick a Corin bride who would concede to my every wish. She would take care of every task that I told her to take care of, she would give her body to me whenever I wanted to take it, and she would obey my every wish. But this was not the kind of female that filled my body and heart with longing. It was a woman like Candice who did this. She had her own life, she had her own needs, and I took satisfaction from seeing her happy and protected.
This was a riddle that had no answer. Similar to my Curse.
I was sitting on a large boulder, looking out to the desert horizon. I needed to be alone because I did not have the satisfactory answers to her questions, and I did not want to tell her something that would make her upset.
Never in a million eons had I ever thought that one day there would be a battle raging in my heart that would be as challenging and fierce and any battle on Hecate.
I looked down to see a desert snake staring up at me, its long thin body swirling in the dirt. For some reason, the snake interested me greatly, and I leaned over to pick it up. I knew that humans were fearful of such creatures on their planet, but these things had never been intimidating to me. The snake did not fight me in my hand but went stiff. It continued to look me straight in the eye, its forked tongue dancing outside of its mouth.
“Aren’t you clever?” I said to the snake. He had given me an idea, and I was grateful to the creature for that.
I dropped the snake and began walking towards the lot where the Carnival should now stand. This was the very day that Merv said they would be returning to Sun Valley, and the person that I needed to talk to was the Snake Queen.
Her Carnival name was Medusa, for obvious reasons, and her body was completely covered with tattoos of snakes. She was
also the most talented Fortune Teller among the Cursed Souls. Her counsel was needed at this time.
Once I reached the lot, it was near a hot afternoon, and the Carnival was being set up.
“Thank God you’re here,” Merv said, already sweating in the bright sun. “We need you to perform tonight.”
“I’m on vacation,” I said, walking past him without looking at him. “Where is Medusa?”
“In her tent, of course,” Merv said. “You can’t be on vacation!” He protested.
“Yes, I can,” I replied, looking from left to right for Medusa’s tent. It was a small tent made from embroidered fabrics. It was not the showiest attraction of the Carnival, but for those who knew all the Cursed Souls, they were aware that Medusa was perhaps the most powerful. Finally, I spotted her tent and lifted up the flap to step inside.
Medusa was reading cards at her little table. The woman was quite old, regarding human years, and she had been stranded with the Carnival for many Earth decades, barred from returning to her home planet by her own Curse, which perhaps would never be lifted.
“Luke!” Her old, crackly voice said. She held her cards within her sinewy and spotted hands. Her skin was as thin as parchment paper. “I have not seen you in a while.” She said with a crinkly smile.
“Many things have changed for me here on this planet,” I said, and sat down across from her. “I need your keen vision.”
“You’ve never asked me for my counsel before. You must feel quite serious about this woman.” Medusa said, looking down at her cards.
And this was where Medusa excelled. I hadn’t even told her about Candice and already she was getting to business.
“You’re too controlling, Luke. I have told you this before.” Medusa looked directly at me. Her eyes were so light blue that they were practically gray. “You have chosen a special woman.”
“I did not choose her. We came together by fate.” I said stubbornly.
“Perhaps. But you don’t control fate. You want to be Luke for her. But you are Arias.”
“That is correct,” I said. She was spot-on.
“You’re doing everything in your power to make this woman comfortable with your situation.” She added.
Also correct.
“But you don’t control destiny, Luke. Even if you believe that you can.”
“I can control many things,” I said with assurance.
“You cannot control this woman, Luke. You want to. You’re afraid of your own nature that you might just seize her and turn her into something that you possess completely, but it’s not possible. Not with this woman.” Medusa said.
“You’re not telling me what I want to hear, Medusa,” I said with a stubborn grin.
“Of course not. That’s why you came to me. Others won’t tell you the truth because you’re too intimidating. But let me say this.” Medusa said and leaned across the table towards me. “If you want this woman, completely and fully, then you must let her go.”
I leaned back and folded my arms, rolling my eyes. Didn’t Leona tell me the same thing?
“Hear what I’m saying, Luke. Tonight, you are to sleep in the desert. Give her the space that she needs. Your fate will be answered, but only when you let her go.”
“There will be no letting her go,” I said, clenching my jaw.
“Just for tonight, Luke. Let her be free, and your destiny will be revealed.” Medusa’s eyes turned from gray to white.
CHAPTER 7
Candice
He had been gone all day, and I was starting to worry. The sun was coming down, and the sky was a rich splash of pinks, oranges, and yellows.
I finally went back down to the kitchen to look out the window, and sure enough, Luke was lying on the rock that I saw him on earlier. What was he doing out there? Had he gone crazy?
He didn’t look nearly as deep in contemplation as he was earlier. In fact, he’s staring up at the sky with his hands lounging behind his head, as though he didn’t have a care in the world. I was jealous, I had been full of cares and fears all day long since this morning’s event. I cleaned the entire house, did the laundry, watered the plants, and I still didn’t feel calm and secure.
It occurred to me that he looked positively fantastic out there with his strong arms behind his hand and his legs crossed.
Maybe I should bring him some water, or food? Perhaps a blanket would be a smart idea if he plans to stay out there all night.
After a few minutes, I realized that I had been staring at him through that window for a long time. I thought about my dream again, which had been floating in and out of my thoughts this entire day. Was I stubborn enough to only accept the future, human Luke? Or was I strong enough to accept his duality?
I could see a storm cloud rolling in from the West. There were definitely going to be some showers tonight. I read it in the newspaper. He couldn’t stay out there like that. He was so reckless that he often didn’t pay attention to any kind of danger or elements that weren’t good for human frailty.
I waited until it was completely dark out. There were no stars in the sky because they were clouded over, and a gentle rain could be heard beating on the porch.
He was still lying out there, and I was going to retrieve him. I brought a blanket because I knew that he must have been soaked by now. I also brought a bottle of water because there was a chance that he was dehydrated.
I stepped out into the rain without an umbrella. It wasn’t raining hard, but just a gentle drizzle. However, within moments, I could already feel my clothing clinging to my skin.
“Luke?” I called out. I couldn’t see him on the rock, and I was instantly filled with fear. Where did he go? Is he hurt? This man could fight off a wild bear if he had to and yet still I was filled with dread.
“Luke?” I called out again. I looked on top of the boulder, I looked all around it, and off into the distance.
Then, as if appearing out of nowhere, I felt him grab me quickly, and pull me to shelter. There was a small section underneath the boulder that protruded out over the ground and created a kind of overhang. This was where Luke had been.
His man cave.
“You came.” He said holding onto me tightly. He was completely soaked, and I could see his tank top clinging to his enormous chest so perfectly.
I was pinned to the ground, and Luke loomed over me. The water from his hair dripped onto me.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “About everything. I’m sorry that I’ve been so stubborn.”
Luke stopped my mouth with his hand. His fingers were damp and cool to the touch.
“Don’t speak.” He said softly. “I’m just happy you’re here.”
His hands were moving up and down my torso. I should stop him. I should prevent this, but the feeling of his hands on my body is just too right, too perfect. I gave in.
His warm mouth was on my neck, and I squirmed with ticklish, blissful delight.
“Are you comfortable?” He asked. I nodded my head, not wanting to speak because I feared that words would ruin the perfection of what I was feeling in this moment. Every cell in my body was pulsing with pleasure, with warmth and excitement, and the feeling that I was, in some strange sense, home.
I felt Luke’s hand reach gently between my legs, and he made an animal-like sound. I moved my hips against his hand, delighting in the sensation of him touching such a private, intimate place.
Luke laid the blanket that I had brought out. The gentle patter of rain could be heard on the hard desert dirt and stone.
“You’re the most perfect woman in the galaxy,” Luke said in my ear as he moved his hand up my body and towards my shirt. “May I?” He asked, referring to my top.
“Please,” I responded with a smile.
Luke undressed me piece by piece. He took his time, moved slowly, and gazed at each new naked part of me like he was unwrapping some precious gift.
I then undressed him and marveled at his heroic form. Calling him a Greek God might even be
an understatement. He was chiseled and crafted from years of harsh battle, and yet at the same time, he was so responsive to touch. Under all those pounds of hard muscles, there was a human being, after all.
We were completely naked now. I could feel the cool rain on my skin and the soft blanket below. Those two sensations combined with the warmth of Luke’s body made this moment what I thought might be the most euphoric, quiet, and intimate that I had ever known.
Luke moved to place himself above me, but I decided on something different. To see him fully, I placed myself on top of him so that I could put my hands on his chest, and feel his fingers on my breasts and stomach.
Sitting above him like this, gently riding him, and seeing the twist of rapture in his face was profound. I wished I could paint a picture of his expression at this moment. We were moving in perfect rhythm with one another, and I felt deep within me that we were aligned. We were both going to come in a few moments.
Alien Romance Box Set: Alien Former: Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Books 1-5) Page 118