It was him.
“Luke,” I said inaudibly.
Then the lights went out, and I fell to the ground.
•••••••••••••••
CHAPTER 5
•••••••••••••••
Luke
Candice stood before me. My heart was racing, and my sword was frozen in my hand. She must be a vision. A dream.
Just then she collapsed to the ground, and I knew for sure that I did not imagine this. She was here, and she was in danger.
I ran towards her at a speed that I didn’t know that I was capable of and swooped her from the ground with one hand. I took her into my arms and looked up to the hillside off in the distance. The haze was clearing now, and I could see clearly that that was where Grim stood, and I could even tell that he was looking this way.
“Did you plan this?” I said aloud, my eyes narrowing to a laser sharpness. Somehow I could even sense that he probably heard me, saw me, and knew everything.
I could go up there and kill him right now for all that he had done. The best years of my life were spent fighting this corrupt alien general, and for many eons he even got me to believe that I would never see again the exquisite creature that was now resting in my arms.
“It can wait,” I said under my breath. There was nothing that would be more pleasing than to finish him off but it was much more pressing that Candice got taken to safety. I looked down at her beautiful face and put a hand on her cheek. She was still breathing, and her pulse was strong, so I knew that she simply fainted. I could see blood coming from her hand, and there was a gash on her forehead.
“Candice? Can you hear me?” I asked. It was strange, switching from the ferocious animal that I had been for so long and immediately feeling the need to be gentle, reverential, and soothing, even as I still stood on my battlefield.
She was groggy and disoriented, but she managed to open her eyes. Candice looked at me with disbelief, and I felt the need to reassure her.
“Is that really you, Luke?” She said, putting a hand on my forearm. I had not heard someone call me by that name in quite some time, and it was strange to me.
“It’s me,” I said, still stroking her cheek. “I am going to get you out of here.”
I began walking with her in my arms. The terrain was rough with so many dead bodies on the ground, but luckily the haze continued to clear, and I could see the dome off in the distance.
“You’re bleeding.” I heard her say, trying to put her hand over my wound. I stopped her with my own hand. “It’s nothing. Just a scratch.” I said.
I heard a tearing sound and saw that she had pulled off some fabric from the material that she had around her body.
“Let me wrap this around your torso.” She said with concern. How was it still that no one else’s concerns meant anything to me but hers?
“Leave it, Candice. There will be medical assistance at the dome. We’re almost there. We’ll get you some proper clothes.” I said. Even bloodied and gashed, I could still make out her beautiful skin being exposed through the fabric. It was making me angry to see something so beautiful in a place that was so ugly.
“I feel so weak.” She said, letting her hand fall to her side.
“We’re almost there. Please stay strong.” I said.
“Will you hold my hand?” She asked. I looked down and saw the fear in her eyes. She was like a little girl and her vulnerability was something that I would never forget at this moment.
“For as long as you wish,” I replied, taking her hand in mine and grasping it firmly.
Within minutes we had reached the dome unscathed. Relief filled my chest as I thought about how she could now be cared for.
“Arias! You are back.” Halifax said, looking down at Candice with concern. “What on Hecate—?“
“She was pulled through the Gate. The fact that she landed on the battlefield must be Grim’s doing.” I said angrily. “Get the doctor up here, now,” I commanded.
“Yes, Arias.” Halifax motioned to an attendant who left the room to fetch the doctor. I laid Candice down upon a cushioned bench and felt her forehead.
“How are you?” I asked. She opened her eyes again and even managed to smile a little.
“How am I? I’m not the one with a gaping wound in my side.” She replied.
I looked down and saw that, indeed, the blood was still pooling below me.
“The doctor is coming now. He’ll be able to take care of it.” I said confidently.
“I never thought that I would see you again, Luke. I thought that you were dead.” She said, a tear falling from her eye.
“I was always focused on returning to you,” I said, and cradled her to my bare chest. The feeling was indescribable, knowing that she was here and safe in my arms at last.
“You did promise that you would.” She said, letting the tears consume her now.
“And I always keep my promises. You were unwise to doubt me.” I said while rocking her back and forth.
The doctor came and bandaged Candice’s wound. He tried to bandage mine first, but I utterly refused. Once she had been taken care of, then he inspected me.
“This is bad, Arias. I’m surprised that you’re still standing.” The old doctor said.
“I don’t feel it much, really,” I said, gazing at Candice with a bandage on her forehead. It was endearing.
“Now, I want you to go back to your tent for the night and just relax. You need to rest up so that you can get your strength back.” The doctor said, finishing bandaging me up. “Sleep in separate tents if you have to.” He added, lifting his brow.
I was immediately offended that the doctor would bring up such a thing in this instance and wanted to scold him for it, but I looked over at Candice who had a bashful smile on her face, and I softedn.
“We’ll sleep with a sword between us,” I said.
It might kill me to do so.
Candice
Amazingly, I thought that both of us couldn’t speak. His large tent was beautifully appointed, even though it was just the tent of a warrior. There were soft cushions and rugs, and a warm fire was burning in the middle. I felt comforted for the first time in…a day? A week? Who knew how much time had passed on Earth since I had been here.
I realized that not once on the battlefield or in this tent had I thought about Christian. Where he thought I may had gone didn’t worry me in the slightest. This was odd.
Luke walked around the tent, cleaning his sword, taking a cup of Root, while finding linens for me to wear. He examined my wounds, handed me something to drink, all of this was done in silence.
We just looked at each other, taking each other in and trying to get a sense of what once was, what had happened, and what was to come.
Luke was still shirtless, his hefty torso only covered by the thick bandage that the doctor wrapped around his solar plexus.
He walked over and wrapped a large blanket around me.
“Thank you for saving my life today.” I finally said to break the silence. It was not the most sophisticated thing I could think of at this moment, but it was the truth. He had saved my life.
“You knew that I would do anything for you.” He said from across the tent, his back turned. “I hope that you have always known that.”
“So much has happened in the last 10 years,” I said, hoping to hear more about what he had gone through in this time, as well. In fact, I wanted to know everything - every battle that he had faced, the highs and lows which he had met, what victories he cherished the most.
“Yes.” He replied curtly. Something seemed to be the matter. He was not turning towards me, and he seemed agitated.
“We have so much catching up to do!” I said with excitement.
“Of course.” He said.
“Is something the matter?” I asked, leaning in and awaiting his reply.
He turned to me and stared me down with those electric blue eyes and I felt butter
flies in my stomach. Even after 10 years he still had the same effect on me.
“Nothing is the matter.” He said. His words said one thing, and his behavior said something else. I had to talk to him about it.
“Your demeanor has changed since we….came to your tent,” I said. It was the truth, on the battlefield, in the dome, he was so caring and protective, now it was as though he had drifted away completely.
“I’m just resting. Regaining my strength.” He said and turned away. I could sense again that this wasn’t the truth. I didn’t want to push him, but this man had been the driving force of my life for the past decade and—
Wait. Not Christian?
“Well, why don’t you come sit by the fire then?” I said. He walked over almost reluctantly. As he approached, I got to marvel at how the stout V-shape of his torso had become more pronounced in the years that had passed. He did not look older, per se, but just bigger, stronger, more distinguished.
“You’re still the greatest warrior in the galaxy after a decade or eons - whatever it has been,” I said with a smile.
“Ha.” He said with a little laugh, sitting on the other side of the fire from me. “I’m no longer a warrior.” He said.
“What?” I asked in disbelief.
“I’m the Corin leader.” He said, finally meeting my eyes again.
“Like, the general? Or the leader?” I asked. He smiled, and I felt like melting.
“The leader leader.” He confirmed.
“Wow,” I said, incredibly impressed and almost shy all of a sudden. I looked down to the ground. “But you still fight?”
“I cannot send Corin into battle without being by their side. They’re forbidden from referring to me as Your Highness. They all call me Arias.” He says casually as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
“That’s very noble of you,” I said.
“I did not like becoming the leader in the first place. I’m just a soldier.” He said.
Then Luke’s demeanor rapidly changed again. He sat and thought for a moment and finally sprang to his feet and paced about the room like a caged lion.
“I’m angry, Candice.” The veins were popping from his arms, almost as though his blood had fully returned to him, after all, that was lost on this day.
“What…what’s wrong?” I asked with a sheepish voice. This new change in demeanor was slightly frightening.
Luke pulled a hand through his hair, which was shorter than it was when I knew him last. It was more of a military cut now, and more distinguished.
“I’m angry at myself, Candice.” He said, still not making eye contact with me.
“Why?” I asked gently, not wanting to upset him further.
“Eons ago I made a choice. I decided that no matter what, I would stay to finish this war. Kill Grim. Restore Peace. I’ve never been able to stay on Hecate for this long before.”
“You made the….right choice—“ I cut in.
“Candice.” He said forcefully and looked directly at me, stopping his pacing. “The only thing that has kept me here this long is the thought of you.”
“Oh,” I replied, my cheeks turning pink.
“The pleasure that I’m able to experience by just thinking of you — I’ve used it as a tool. Even like a weapon.”
“Don’t say weapon, please,” I said.
“It’s true. And in so doing, I was taking advantage of my Curse. But all this time—“ He stops speaking and looks down.
“What?” I asked gently. I wanted to go to him, but everything in his body language suggested that he required distance and I didn’t want to push it.
“I thought I was outsmarting the Curse, but it was outsmarting me. I lost what matters most in this galaxy.” He said. His eyes had turned darker, and the whites were turning red. I couldn’t tell if it was from fury or tears.
“It’s okay,” I said, understanding what he was referring to and feeling the tears coming to my eyes now.
“It’s not okay. I didn’t even realize it till you appeared today. Even after I kill Grim tomorrow - and there is no doubt in my mind I will.” He said with fury. “He still won. The years that you were not by my side, I can never get back.”
•••••••••••••••
CHAPTER 6
•••••••••••••••
Luke
I was enraged, which was the last thing that I expected to feel with Candice here, finally, in my tent. We were alone, a warm fire glowed across her face, and I had bundled her up in a blanket. Why am I consumed with anger? I feel like I want to punch my fist through the wall.
I stopped myself for a couple of reasons. First of all, we were in a tent, and the effect would be less than heroic. The next issue was that I’d much rather turn my focus to Candice so that I could savor her presence, as opposed to dwelling on my anger towards the past which couldn’t be reclaimed.
I saw her get up and walk towards me. I hoped that my anger had not frightened her, but I was relieved that she felt comfortable enough to approach. She placed a delicate hand on my shoulder, and I was soothed. The cool feel of her hand on my burning skin sent a tremor throughout my body.
“But we’re here together, now. Finally.” She said. Her warm smile was a balm for my fury, and she had a point. We were here. Now. I wanted to embrace her but was immediately struck by how it was as though time had never passed. But I had to acknowledge that it had, and it would be inappropriate of me to act as though we hadn’t been apart for so much time. However, my body wanted to pick up where we left off - feeling her against me, kissing her, holding and caressing her.
But, what if this was not something that she wanted anymore? What if—
My racing thoughts had shot more pain through me than I had felt in many years. How ironic that now that Candice was in front of me, after waiting so long, that was when I felt the most pain.
I had been operating as a soldier. I had been using my soldier’s brain, but with Candice I used my male human brain, and it was possessive, greedy, desirous—
I could feel myself fading. You had to be joking with me. Not here. Not now. Candice saw it too, and fear filled her eyes.
“Hey, hey. Calm down. Look at me.” She said. I tried to focus and look into her eyes, forcing the pain from my veins. “Whatever is going on inside of you, it couldn’t possibly be worth leaving right now. Let it go. Breath and let it go.” She counseled me.
This woman was beyond amazing. The softness of her voice and words instantly soothed me and brought me back to the present. My hands and arms began to return to their solid state. She had kept me from going through the Gate.
“What were you thinking about?” She asked.
“God, no more talking,” I said, and forcefully pull her into my arms and kissed her on the mouth. The kiss was more fiery and hungry than I intended for it to be but at this point, I couldn’t stop myself any longer. She may slapped me across the face, but at least I could be prevented from being pulled away for a few more moments.
“I missed this so much.” She said with a soft moan. Her delicious words provoked me even further, and I came in to kiss her again, grabbing her by the waist. I could feel her heart pounding against my chest. Every muscle in my body wanted to clutch her and keep her there, where she would be safe till the end of time.
“I can’t catch my breath.” She said with a smile.
“Oh God, I’m sorry,” I said, releasing some of the pressure. We both shared a little laugh.
“I want to make love to you,” I saysaid touching her lower lip with my finger, inches away from her perfect face.
“I’m afraid you might kill me.” She said, whispering back.
“Me too.” We both smiled at one another.
This was exactly as I had remembered it only better, having had to wait so long. Each day my feelings intensified and now that this was happening I felt like my chest might burst.
“You’re still injured. I’
ll sleep on the floor tonight so—“ She tried to say.
I physically stopped her mouth with my hand. “I won’t even let you finish that sentence.”
“But, it’s going to be hard to stay away from each other - physically - otherwise.”
“And why do we have to?” I asked, taking her head in my hands and kissing her forehead.
I saw her expression change, and she pulled away.
Alien Romance Box Set: Alien Cube: The Sci-FI Alien Invasion Romance (Books 1-5) Page 52