Blue Alien Prince's Mate: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance (Royally Blue - Celestial Mates Book 3)

by Zara Zenia

  The morning was well underway and quickly turning into the afternoon, and I hadn’t seen or heard from Togtulir since last night after we had sex and fallen asleep. I had no idea where he had run off to. It seemed to be a trend of his, disappearing and then reappearing out of nowhere for hours on end. I wasn’t sure if those hours would turn into days, so I chose to focus my attention on getting the hell off this planet as fast as I could.

  I knew that Drozalia was willing to help me and she seemed animated and excited about the task at hand. She came over in the morning and I explained to her that I was ready to go back to Earth where I belonged.

  I told her I had no idea where Togtulir was. She seemed incredibly bubbly and bounced along on her heels happily most of the morning. I found her to be much easier to get along with today than any of the other days I had spent with her.

  Since she was in such heightened spirits, I thought she may have turned over a new leaf. I trusted her more now that I could see Togtulir might not have really been who he said he was. Not to mention, she was being astonishingly polite and friendly toward me, a complete change from when I first met her when she had seemed dark and threatening.

  “You know, you could always come back with me. I could show you the ropes on Earth and help you adapt to a new environment like you’ve shown me here on Cardalph. We could rent an apartment together and find jobs in the city. I live in Chicago. It snows in the winter months there. Do you get snow here on Cardalph?”

  I looked over at Drozalia as I stuffed some of my belongings back into my shabby suitcase I had brought with me. It seemed like a million years ago that I woke up on the beautiful island and had met Togtulir. I was still so confused about his shift in personality. It didn’t make any sense to me how he could have been so charming and charismatic on the island, and then to come here and realize he’s some kind of scary dictator type of leader who tortures innocent people for sport. I was devastated from the hollows of my soul.

  Drozalia was not listening to me. She was staring out the window and she appeared to be wedged into a deep thought. “Drozalia?” I interrupted her trance and she snapped out of it, turning back to me. “Sorry to break your focus. I just thought it would be fun if you ventured back to Earth with me. If you don’t like it, you could always come home since you know the technology of how to go back and forth.”

  She shook her head violently. “No, absolutely not. I cannot leave here. That won’t work.” She turned back to the window and furrowed her brow as she peered out at something on the horizon. I went to join her and gazed out myself, wondering if she had spotted Togtulir. I saw nothing.

  “Why can’t you leave Cardalph?”

  Drozalia looked at me with a hateful glare that made me draw back. Her demeanor changed like a chameleon. She had so many layers of camouflaged emotions it was becoming hard for me to keep up. “I can’t come with you, Cindy. You don’t understand. Cardalph is my home. I grew up here. I have to stay and help Togtulir defend it.”

  “I thought you said that Togtulir was just holding those people captive for fun? Was he even on that other planet trying to rescue them from invasion?” I had so many unanswered questions and grew more and more frustrated by the minute.

  She dodged my questions, only to provide a different excuse. “I wouldn’t fit in with the people of Earth. You see my blue skin?” She pointed to her arm and tugged at it harshly. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I am not a shifter like Togtulir. I wouldn’t be able to blend in as a human. They wouldn’t understand or accept me with my skin color this way.”

  She walked away from the window and went over to my suitcase, piling more stuff on top of the heap of clothes I had already attempted to stuff in there.

  I sagged onto the side of the bed and watched her for a moment or two. “Perhaps I made a mistake agreeing to become a mail-order bride. I’m not a very strong person. I should have stood up for myself and faced Todd when I had the chance. I suppose I could always go back and fix my mistakes, though.” I trailed off and played with a fraying edge of thread that was coming unraveled from the mattress cover.

  Drozalia just looked at me and nodded. I didn’t think she cared what happened to me. She was back to acting distant again. She was going to stay on her little planet and waltz around ruling the town in her own right. This drama had nothing to do with me. Saving Cardalph was not my responsibility and I was not obligated to stay here or continue to talk to a person who was seemingly a brick wall.

  “You know what, I think you should go.” I was proud of myself for being so stern all of the sudden. Maybe I had learned a few tricks after all by this little trip of mine. I would go home and wouldn’t speak a word of where I had been, only just to let my sister know I had been on the island with Togtulir, but it didn’t work out. I would try to find a job and a place to stay of my own so I didn’t have to stress Melinda out with having to harbor me on her couch night after night.

  “What do you mean I should go? Don’t you need my help?” Drozalia stopped packing and stood there waiting for an explanation.

  “I don’t need you to hold my hand or walk me through this. I appreciate your assistance up to this point.” I stood up in an effort to let her know I was done talking, and I was ready to escort her from the palace. I wanted some space, and I wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. With Drozalia gone, I would be able to clear my head and collect my thoughts. I needed to fit the missing puzzle pieces together on my own.

  “Good luck getting off the planet by yourself then,” she said smugly as she walked to the bedroom door. She turned and looked back at me and waved as if she were writing me off and casting me aside. I stood there staring stone cold at her. She walked out and once I heard her leave the palace, I flopped back down on the bed and exhaled deeply.

  After a few minutes of lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling, a plan came to me. I felt as if I should write Togtulir a letter explaining all the reasons why I was leaving. I was going to be brutally honest with him, and let him know what Drozalia had told me. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt at least for the remainder of my time on this planet to allow him to defend himself.

  If he really is cruel as she says he is, I will just hide out until I can find some Good Samaritan who was willing to help me escape the island. But I couldn’t just leave in all good conscience without listing out the reasons I was fleeing from him and the marriage I had agreed to participate in.

  I finished packing my suitcase and went downstairs to find a piece of paper and a pen in his office. I sat down at the desk and looked out the window. It was a nice day outside, and the sun was shining brightly on the front lawn. I could see a few blue birds flying around, and I was delighted to see wildlife on other planets outside of Earth.

  “Dear Togtulir,” my hand hit the paper with the pen and just took off. “I wanted to let you know I have decided to return to Earth. I have been frightened by things I have witnessed here in just a few short days. Drozalia took me to see the prisoners who are tortured here on Cardalph. It devastated me to see them caked in dirt and their own excrement, chained up in a dark, damp room day after day. She said that you torture them for fun, and I am not sure I can be married to someone who treats other people that way, regardless of what species they are.”

  I sighed audibly and rubbed my face with my hands. I couldn’t believe it was coming down to this. I went on, “I enjoyed our time on the island together. You were so kind to me and I thank you for all the incredible hospitality you have shown me on your planet. I will go back to Earth with amazing memories stored in my brain to look back upon forever. But I am feeling alone and scared and I am not sure it will work out between us. Please try not to be upset, and try to understand where I am coming from. I came here without knowing what it would be like, under the agreement that I could return home whenever I wanted to. I am not sure I am meant to be here on Cardalph with you. I appreciate the opportunity to meet you and to view your astounding planet. Goodbye and in b
est regards, Cindy.”

  I read and re-read the letter three times before deciding it was good enough to seal inside of an envelope. I slowly licked the sides and sealed it up. I went back upstairs and placed it on his nightstand, so I would be sure he would see it. I walked out of the palace and only looked back once.

  I needed to find a hotel to stay at in town before I decided what move to make next. Togtulir had given me some money in the event I might have wanted to buy anything on my outings with Drozalia, so I would use that on a place to stay tonight. At least I had closure if it came down to leaving here for good.

  Chapter 11

  Togtulir

  I finally decided to wander back home. I was purely exhausted from all the walking I had done through the city for the past day. I needed rest, recuperation, and rejuvenation. The three R’s that I tried to live by in order to improve my quality of life. It was easy for me to remember that way. I hoped Cindy would be willing to forgive me and hear me out for leaving her alone once again.

  When I entered the palace doors, all was quiet, and there were no lights on. I decided not to disturb Cindy if she had already fallen asleep, so I stayed downstairs in one of the guest suites. My head hit the pillow and I zonked out, fully clothed.

  I woke up sometime in the early morning because the sun was peeking through the shut drapes on the windows. I massaged my throbbing head and rubbed my tired eyes. I walked upstairs to see if Cindy was still asleep. When I got to my bedroom, panic set in as I noticed that she was not in the room, and the sheets did not look slept in. I called out her name, running from room to room. I came up empty everywhere I went.

  Before I become too frantic, I thought that she might just be with Drozalia or perhaps wandering the palace grounds. She liked to explore and be outdoors, it wasn’t too farfetched to believe.

  I ran back upstairs just in case she had left any clues behind for me. I had a gut feeling gnawing at me that I needed to go back in the bedroom one more time before I went outside of the palace walls to extend my search. A destructive worry was ripping me apart as I began to notice none of her belongings were in the room anymore. I couldn’t find her suitcase either.

  My eyes searched around and then I saw something, an envelope on the nightstand. My feet felt like lead balloons and my throat was dry as I walked slowly over and sat on the edge of the bed. I tore open the envelope frantically and scanned each word, each line of Cindy’s ink tore at my soul. She was leaving, and I had ruined everything.

  At the end of the letter, she had let me know she was going to find a hotel in the city to stay in overnight before she decided how to leave the planet. Without thinking, I raced downstairs and out the door and got into my car. My wheels spun and I left the palace in a wake of dust as I sped off toward the center of the city. I was bound and determined to find Cindy.

  Every fiber of my body was ready to convince her to stay with me. I had no idea why Drozalia had placed those lies in Cindy’s mind and I was raging mad. I didn’t have time to deal with Drozalia at the moment though. Finding Cindy and telling her the truth was my first mission. I would confront Drozalia only after I had fixed this current issue. I only wished she hadn’t meddled in business she had no reason tampering with.

  After an extended search, fate brought me to Cindy. I caught a glimpse of her having coffee outside of a quaint little shop that served various blends of drinks and scone type desserts. I approached her carefully, as not to make her skittish and run away from me.

  “Cindy,” I went up to her with my arms raised, letting her know by my gesture that I meant no harm to her and that I only wanted to talk. “I have an idea. Please go back to the island with me. I promise I will explain everything once we are there.” I patted myself down so that she could see I had no weapons.

  She looked at me warily but I could see a glimmer in her eye that led me to believe she was willing to break down her barriers and follow me. I had kept the island without destroying it because that is where I had intended to marry her before everything went wrong.

  “Just hear me out,” I pleaded with my arms still raised slightly. I stood next to her but didn’t attempt to sit down just yet. “We had a great time on the island; you felt a solace and peacefulness there. If you allow me to bring you back to where you feel most comfortable on Cardalph, I can explain everything. Drozalia has been lying to you.” At that statement, a little glimpse of recognition dawned on Cindy’s face. My heart leaped in my chest.

  “Okay, I will go back to the island with you to give you a chance to explain, but only under one condition. If I still want to go home after we discuss our issues, then you have to let me.” She looked at me with a hard expression, but I could still see the soft and melty side of her escaping through the shadows.

  “Yes, of course, you have my word. Thank you so much for allowing me a second chance.” I leaned in to hug her but she remained stiff and didn’t hug me back. Even still, I had a hard time containing my excitement that I had found her against all the odds stacked against us.

  Later that evening, we arrived at the island but I couldn’t help but feel the wedge of distance between us. I tried to assist Cindy from out of the shuttle, but she wouldn’t take my hand and tried to be independent as we walked toward the same beach house where we had first met and connected.

  I refused to release the glimmer of hope I held, that she would come around and that we would be able to rekindle that first spark we had for one another. “Cindy, let me show you something,” I took her hand and to my surprise, she allowed me to walk her out to the back deck.

  The moon and the stars shined brightly and gave us a spectacular view of the open universe. I wanted Cindy to understand how lucky we were to have found each other across the galaxy. It wasn’t every day that species from different planets were able to come together and find love.

  I sat down on one of my porch swings. “Please sit. Join me out here. I have so much to show you and explain if you are willing to give me the chance.”

  “I’m here aren’t I?” Cindy’s voice was curt, but she sat down beside me regardless of how she felt emotionally toward me at the moment. I was prepared and determined to change her mind tonight.

  I whipped out a transceiver that I had been holding in my pocket. It was a handheld device my father had used to keep tabs on the other planets as well as to document events that happened on them. A few months before he died, he had given me the password.

  In retrospect, I thought that he must have expected the battle with the Daklins would claim his life at some point. I hated that ominous feeling that the same fate might swallow me as well one day, so I wanted to live life to the fullest and count each breath I took as a blessing. Cindy was the best place to start fresh for me. Even though I was gaining more support and respect with the people on Cardalph, I still had a long way to go in reshaping my image.

  I handed Cindy the device. “This is a transceiver.” She took it from me, feeling it’s smooth round surface. It was the same shape as a baseball, only slightly larger. It was a dark metallic color, and in the center was a screen.

  Cindy looked up at me, curiously. “What’s a transceiver?” She glanced back down at the screen and touched it lightly.

  “This is a device that my father used to record life on other planets. It connects to a base and a satellite back at the palace.” I gave her a shy smile, hoping this would be a good way to engage her into opening back up to me.

  “What’s the little screen for?” She began to rock us back and forth on the swing. I turned the screen on, and it started to glow a bright blue color, bringing more light to the dark porch.

  “Let me show you how it works.” I carefully took the transceiver back from her and hit play right in the place I had wanted the recording to show.

  “That looks like Earth!” Cindy exclaimed and pointed to the screen.

  “Yes, it is Earth. It was a riot in Los Angeles. People there were disgruntled over taxes that the mayor had spiked.
This was probably forty years ago.”

  Cindy questioned me. “I don’t understand. Why do you have a video of something that happened so long ago and not on Cardalph?”

  “Because I wanted to show you what happens next.” I pointed to the left side of the screen. “You see that man? That was my father’s best friend. He went to Earth and helped to stop the riot before it got out of control.”

  “Oh, because you guys are able to shift yourselves to appear like another species,” Cindy whispered, the light bulb dawning in her mind.

  “Exactly,” I whispered back, thankful that she was not only willing to listen but to also understand.

  I showed her how people on Earth have not only tried to destroy one another but their own planet with pollution and litter. I showed her dozens of examples of how the people of Cardalph took care of the planet they lived on and tried to do the best they could to keep peace and eliminate threats within the galaxy.

  “Humans have no idea how good they have it, and Cardalph is part of that reason.” I nodded at her and shrugged humbly.

  Cindy looked up at me as if she were pondering a thought on the edge of her mind.

  “You know, I have the best example of how humans are cruel.” She took the transceiver back from me and stared at it.

  “What’s that, sweetie?” I took a strand of her brown hair off her face and waited for her to explain.

  “My own family turned their back on me. They wouldn’t take me in; they refused to help me in my darkest hour.” She laughed mockingly. “My parents even went as far as to tell me I was the reason that it didn’t work out with Todd. They actually told me it was my fault.” At this statement, she broke. Heavy tears flooded and poured from her eyes, and I could see the weight of the world she had been carrying reflected in them.

  I pulled her close to me, burrowed her into my arm where she shook with her sobs. I held her there until she finally had exhausted all the tears she had left. She pulled up and looked at me with wet eyelashes and sad eyes. “I’ve been through a lot. I don’t want to take any chances to screw my life up anymore. I have nowhere else to go, nowhere else to turn to. You’re my last chance.”