“Good, because I want to kiss you too,” Justin said. They stopped and Emily looked up at Justin, who gently leaned down as they kissed. She thought it was the gentlest kiss she had ever had, which neither of them let go until Josh cleared his throat.
“As touching as this is, we need to get you home and we need to get back to the shop to help Mark.”
Justin smacked Josh on the arm, but he took Emily’s hand before continuing to walk towards her apartment. “Let me take you to dinner tomorrow,” he said as they got to her building, walking up the stairs.
“Okay,” Emily agreed easily. She didn’t want to hold back any longer, and if it didn’t work it didn’t work but she wanted to give it all she had. She didn’t want to be alone any more, and she hoped that after a year of grieving he was finally over the devastating loss he had apparently had.
Chapter 4
Dinner had been everything Emily had hoped for and then some, and as they walked down the street in the cool evening air, she relished feeling his arm around her shoulder as they walked arm in arm. She wasn’t sure where they were going, but she didn’t really care as she felt comfortable around Justin. They had talked comfortably all evening and she didn’t want it to end. “Mark is out for the night, he won’t be back until late. Want to head back and just hang out where it’s a bit warmer?” Justin asked.
“Sure,” Emily smiled. She hoped they would do more than just hang out, but that would require Mark to truly stay away. The last thing she wanted was to get caught by Mark.
As the streets became a little more familiar, she started walking a little bit faster, knowing that soon they would be inside. She had put on a dress and heels and her feet were getting tired from all the walking, and her legs were starting to get cold. Apparently Justin took the hint as he sped up a little bit as well and soon they were inside, getting comfortable on the couch. Emily kicked off her heels and put her feet up on the couch as she snuggled into Justin’s side, while his arm tightened around her. “Much better,” Emily sighed and Justin chuckled.
“Don’t ever feel you have to wear those shoes for me. You are sexy in anything.”
“Well thank you,” Emily said with a smile. “But they make me feel good.”
Justin didn’t respond but his hand slid up her thigh and under her skirt and she had absolutely no intention of stopping him. She leaned her head up and he leaned down to kiss her as his hand had reached her inner thigh, sliding up and sending shivers down her spine. She knew she was likely already dripping wet, and as she turned slightly to lean into the kiss she saw he was already hard. Justin stopped and pulled his hand back, smiled at her pout and pulled her up off the couch. “My bed is more comfortable.”
Emily followed him into his room and he closed the door behind him, before pulling her close again and continuing to kiss her. His hand went up under her dress and grabbed her butt, giving it a light slap which caused her to giggle. Soon his hands reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it up and over her head, leaving her standing there in nothing but her panties as she had not put on a bra. Apparently Justin approved as he let out a moan, much to her delight, and took one of her breasts in his hand and letting his thumb run over her nipple. She quickly pulled his shirt up over his head, moaning herself at the sight of his muscular chest that was littered with tattoos. One day she’d find out what each meant but right now she just wanted to run her hands over it and feel it. She did exactly that before running them down and undoing his jeans.
In one swift movement she pushed them down his legs, his boxers going down with them, and returned to kissing him back. His hands returned to her butt, pushing her close to him and she felt his erection pressing into her belly. She wanted him and she wanted him bad, and when he pulled back to look at her for approval, she nodded almost eagerly. He slid his hands into her panties and slid them down her legs, kissing a trail down her belly as he kneeled down to take them off completely. He kissed just above her clit and she almost buckled under the sensation. He took his opportunity and pushed her down onto his bed, where she almost involuntarily had her legs fall open.
Justin kneeled in between them and leaned forward to return to kissing her. She felt him nudge at her entrance and she spread her legs a little bit wider, which had him sliding in smoothly. She moaned at feeling his full length fill her, and suddenly his gentle demeanor was gone and he started moving in hard, fast thrusts. She loved it a bit rougher and he was definitely doing that. She wrapped her legs around his back, which allowed him to get deeper and soon she felt herself get close to her release. She didn’t want to come so soon, but when his mouth moved to her breast and his tongue started running around her nipple she screamed her release as she exploded around him, feeling him continuing to move as he found his own release minutes later.
He slipped out of her before falling down next to her on the bed, both of them panting hard at what had turned into quick sex, though they both knew they had wanted to take it slower. Emily knew that when the situation was right, the passion would not let her take it slow and she wanted it fast and hard, and she was glad he was the same way. Justin pulled the covers over both of them, and she felt her eyes starting to close as exhaustion took over. She had to go back to work the following morning but for now she could relax in Justin’s arms.
They must have both fallen asleep at some point because a loud thumping on Justin’s door woke them both up, looking startled at one another. “Justin, I’m back.”
“Coming,” Justin replied as they both scrambled out of bed and threw their clothes back on. Emily looked at Justin in worry but he just smiled at her and kissed her. “It’s fine, he won’t say anything.”
As they both came out of the bedroom, Mark just looked at them both before nodding towards the clock. “You should walk her back, it’s getting late and you both have work tomorrow.”
Emily looked at the clock and quickly put her shoes back on. “Good idea, I really do need to get home. You don’t have to walk me back.”
“Nice try,” Justin said as he put his shoes on as well and followed her out the door. As they walked to her apartment, he once again had his arm around her. “I’d like to make this official, and call you my girlfriend if that is alright by you?”
“If you think you are ready, I’d really like that,” Emily smiled.
“There is something I must tell you though, so would you mind if I came over tomorrow evening?”
“That’s fine, I’ll be home around five thirty.”
“I’ll be there at six,” Justin said before kissing her goodnight at her front door. Emily wondered what it was that he had to tell her, but she couldn’t imagine it being anything she couldn’t live with. She was fairly certain if it was, she would have noticed something by now and since she hadn’t, she thought she’d be fine. She couldn’t believe he had actually asked her to be his girlfriend, and the thought made her smile as she got ready for bed that night. She had someone to share her life with, and she couldn’t be happier.
Chapter 5
Emily was nervous when it was time for Justin to get there that evening. After having a full day to think it over, she knew it all had to be too good to be true and there had to be something seriously wrong with him to not only want her but to be that amazing. When Justin finally showed up, she was a bundle of nerves and it must have shown as he immediately pulled her into a hug to comfort her. “Hey, it’s not that bad.”
Justin led her over to the couch and they both sat down, with Justin never letting go of her hand as they did. “What I’m going to tell you is just hard for me to talk about so I wanted to make sure we had the time. If you still choose to be with me after this I will take you to get some food. Mark said to come back home for dinner if we want, he is making steaks. When I was younger I was kidnapped from my hometown. The people I lived with were awful and my family never found me. They appeared to have a mission in this world, and that was to make me and the two other kids just like them. Emily, they were al
iens. I know it sounds unbelievable but I will show you in a minute. Once we turned eighteen they allowed us to leave and I went as far as I could, but this is something I will always have to live with. It does not affect my normal life, but it does mean I can’t have biological kids. Mark knows and Josh knows, but nobody else does. I don’t want to be what I am but it’s part of me. I will show you, but I’d rather not do it again.”
Emily just nodded, not believing what she was hearing. How could someone possibly be an alien and look like a normal person on the outside, and even act normally? That was soon answered as he changed right in front of her eyes and she stared at him wide eyed, shocked by what she was seeing and suddenly realizing that everything she had ever believed was apparently not true. When Justin changed back and sat down next to her again she was still staring at him with wide eyes while he patiently waited for her to say something. She shook her head as if to shake off something and then smiled softly. “That is the weirdest thing I have ever seen or heard. I’d rather not see it again or at least not often but it’s not a deal breaker. You mentioned steaks?”
“Yes. I’ll let Mark know we are coming. He knew I was telling you. You are taking this very easily.”
“I’m a bit in shock but I’m sure when I’m alone I’ll think on it more. It messes with everything I ever knew, or thought I knew. It’s clear you aren’t too happy about it, and I haven’t noticed anything different about you so it’s something you can hide which is fine by me. Let’s go eat, I’m really hungry.”
Justin helped her stand and soon they were back in the same kitchen they had been in the night before, talking to Mark as he cooked. Josh walked in and ruffled Justin’s hair, before doing the same to Emily and sitting down across from Justin. Emily smacked him upside the head, which caused Justin and Mark to laugh. “Don’t touch my hair.”
“Oh that’s only reserved for Justin?”
“Exactly right,” Emily said firmly, before sending a sweet smile to Justin. She loved this banter and she loved how easily she had fit in. She never wanted to let that go and she knew that coming to LA had been the best decision she had ever made. She had several cities to choose from, and LA had not been high on the list but now she was glad she had just gone for it and stuck it out. She had never expected that something as simple as getting lost could lead to this.
“And don’t you go forgetting it,” Justin replied firmly, squeezing Emily’s thigh under the table.
“Good luck with those two,” Mark said as he put something on the table, motioning towards Justin and Josh. “They are a handful but I think you can handle them. Welcome to the group.”
“We’ll have to initiate her properly,” Josh said with a glint in his eye that Emily couldn’t quite place. Looking at Justin she saw him looking thoughtful.
“We do need to do that, but I’ll think of how. The normal initiation won’t work, Mark actually likes her.”
“True, we’ll have to get creative.”
“I’m sorry, what is your normal initiation?” Emily asked, not sure if she wanted to know.
“Ahh now that is something we can’t tell you. I’m thinking maybe she needs to create some of her own art under that overpass,” Justin said with a grin.
“Don’t get caught,” Mark warned sternly, giving all three of them stern looks.
“I think that’s fitting,” Josh nodded. “It has been decided. You are to create your own art. Make your official mark on this city.”
“Easy enough,” Emily said with a smile.
“Young lady, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mark said, now putting the steaks on the table and sitting down as well.
“Oh come on,” Justin said easily. “You never interfere.”
“Like you said, I like her.”
“I’ll be fine Mark,” Emily smiled, before squeezing Justin’s thigh under the table. As soon as dinner was over she stood up confidently. “Josh, you got the dishes, right? Justin is going with me so I can go make my mark on the city.”
As they walked out of the kitchen with grins on their face they heard Josh sputtering behind them, while Mark outright laughed. Justin grabbed a backpack, which she knew held the spray paint, and together they walked to the overpass. “Well done. I rarely get to see Josh so shocked. He will get you back, you know that right?”
“I’d like to see him try. Alright, I think I know what I’m going to make,” Emily said as she took two cans of spray paint and started drawing something. She knew Justin was keeping a look out for cops while also watching what she created. It turned out to be an outline of California, and on the inside she wrote ‘when two worlds collide’.
“Nicely used song lyric. I like it,” Justin said with a smile. “We need to go, I see people coming and I can’t tell if they are cops.”
They quickly started walking and when they did they saw a shimmer in the street light that indicated that they weren’t cops but they definitely had guns. They took off at a run, hearing running behind them. Emily felt her heart beating faster as she let Justin pull her down alleys and up streets. Through some back way they made it back to the shop, and when they walked in completely out of breath, Mark sighed while Josh looked up as well. “No cops, but some guys with guns,” Justin grumbled as he grabbed two bottles of water and handed one to Emily.
“This is why we don’t like you walking alone Emily,” Mark said easily.
“I know. I have never felt so scared, and that is saying a lot. Thank you for knowing where to run to Justin.”
“You’re welcome. And welcome to the group.”
“She succeeded?” Josh asked, looking impressed.
“Yes, just in time. She’s good,” Justin said with a proud smile. “We’ll make a troublemaker out of her yet.”
“Hmm. You still owe me a bike ride. I expect that soon,” Emily said, though her eyes were shining in happiness.
“I will make it happen,” Justin nodded with a grin.
That night as she was lying in her bed, Emily thought back to Justin’s revelation earlier that night. She still couldn’t quite wrap her head around it but he had also proven that it didn’t change anything. She wasn’t upset that they couldn’t have children, as reproducing had never really been something she had wanted, and she would rather do something like what Mark had done and take in those who needed a place to go. She knew if she told anyone she had seen an alien they wouldn’t believe her, just like she had never believed others. Thinking back she started wondering how many of those people had truly seen an alien and nobody believed them and simply thought they were crazy, when they really weren’t. She was glad that he wouldn’t be changing often as she wasn’t sure if she could handle that, but it was fascinating either way and some part of her wanted to find out more about how that really worked on the inside. Did he have normal human organs and all that?
It didn’t matter in the end as she was happy and she had smiled and laughed more than she ever had before. She knew they would cause plenty of trouble together, and she somehow knew that no matter what she did, Mark would never treat her like he did Justin and Josh when they got in serious trouble. She had already seen that she was special in his eyes, and she was going to work hard to keep his approval. He meant a lot to Justin and he had taken her in without any questions asked. Justin was still a bad boy who loved pushing the limits, and soon she would get to see him as the biker he really was. She was looking forward to it, and hoped that he would teach her how to ride one at some point. It seemed fun, and it was clearly a big part of his life if the bikes towards the back of the shop were any indication. They would have fun, and together they would no longer be two lost souls. They would have found happiness again, and they would have found a purpose in life again. They were surrounded by people who cared, and they could make it through just about anything even if it wasn’t in the conventional way.
For now, she had to get some sleep so she could get to work the next day. She wanted to do something for Justin at some point,
and give him back something for the way he had already helped her. With thoughts swimming through her mind, she finally fell asleep, ready to continue life with Justin and whatever would come their way.
The End
Extended Epilogue
A fire crackled in the fireplace, sending orange flames high and filling the room with heat that wasn’t necessary. The flames soothed me though, soothed the ache between my shoulder blades and between my eyes. What the flames didn’t soothe, a glass of bourbon eased away.
My brother Kane, always a loner, always defiant, had got his way. With a sigh I watched the flames, noting the way they jumped and danced around each other, almost erotic as they twisted together and became a new, bigger flame. Slamming the tumbler down on my desk in the dimly lit room, I cursed out loud. I was frustrated, I needed a woman.
I picked the glass back up after a moment; the contents danced in ambers swirls, and I took a swig. I knew a woman was the last thing I was going to get. Or needed really, just look at what had happened with Kane. We Alexanders weren’t supposed to marry outside of our clan; it had been forbidden, though not written. Human mates could be turned into a shifter with a scratch or a bite and that was dangerous for all of us because we never knew how a human was going to react to becoming a shifter. With that came the danger of our secret being revealed. Then there was the danger of divorce. Divorces could turn ugly, secrets could be told, and our whole way of life, our lives, could be endangered.
No, it had always been the rule: never marry outside of the clan. Kane had broken that rule though, that tradition. Of course, Damesha was herself a magical, and she was soul-mated to Kane. That meant if she left Kane she committed suicide. Those that are soul-mated cannot be apart for long, as we all well knew. Death stalked separated soul-mates.
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