“OR WHAT?” I raged. Was he threatening me?
He turned away looking at the stars again. “Or, I just will have to walk away knowing that you’re here for some undefinable reason have to live with the idea that you send me into shocks or something alien altogether. But mostly, I don’t won’t to walk away not knowing. I know this is some kind of sign. I don’t know why, but my whole life has been some kind of strange happening after another. I don’t know why I’m even telling you all this.” He sat up throwing me over.
I didn’t know what overcame me. I sat up, rotated towards him, and reached to pull my shirt up. I don’t know what compelled me, but I knew I couldn’t let him walk away.
He got the wrong impression and sat up with his hands flying, “Hey, I’m not rushing anything.”
Oh, my! What did he think of me? That, I cannot do. “Just watch. It’s not that.”
His eyes wide now. His tongue racked across his bottom lip.
I raised my shirt to show my abdomen. Thank goodness for a flat stomach. I also registered at that moment that the feeling in my stomach never left since coming to the woods. A combination of fluttering and uneasiness in one. I had no idea why, but I glanced back at the treeline where I’d seen the rabbit earlier. A sadness filled me like the darkness didn't want me to reveal myself to Calum.
I outlined it for him in our silence. There, across the center where my navel lay, were three black dots angled directly left centered above it. The sun, as I called it, circled the navel and from there Calum could name the rest.
He just stared. He didn’t mean to, but fascination hit him and he touched the inside spot of my naval saying, “That’s Rigel.” The current zapped us making us both jump a bit.
Staring at each other in a combination of awe and completely terrified expressions, he raised himself up to his knees and lifted his shirt out of his belted jeans. The sight of his stomach and chest alone was mesmerizing. I’d never been close enough to see or touch a man, boy, guy, whatever. I wanted to touch where his ribs shown.
He was unbuckling his pants. “What are you doing?” my voice cracked, getting scared.
“Just trust me.” His eyes stayed on mine the entire time. He unfastened the top button of his jeans and yanked them down just so. On his knees as I was now, I saw the most unbelievable sight I’d ever seen in my entire life. There, on his navel, or rather below it, were three black dots angled sideways, just like mine. I noted the absence of the sunburst.
He pulled my finger down to his navel. My body was throwing signals to places I’d never explored before. When my finger reached contact with his skin, the same jolt of fire shot through me and I heard him saying, “Betelgeuse.” He moved my fingers down more. “His belt.” And more. “Rigel.”
We stayed that way for what felt like forever, except he’d taken my hands in his and we both let the electricity jolt through and through purposefully, neither pulling away.
More confusion set in since an unusual amount of aimed distress was coming from the wood line of trees and outweighed the amount coming from Calum across from me. It held me like a paralysis until I let out a breath and begged for it to stop. A second later, it was gone. Just like that. That was new.
He refastened and buckled his pants. That was a relief. I didn’t think I could sit here and not stare for too long.
Neither one of us knew what to say. To spend my whole life with this part of me that no one else knows and all in a matter of minutes, I find someone exactly like me. What are the odds?
“What are the odds?”
Whoa! Just thinking that.
“Um, I’m thinking that may be the point. It wasn’t the odds here, more like the gods.”
He had to laugh. It was funny. We both enjoyed a second of laughter to ease the tension. What does it mean? I have a pretty good idea I know, but does he?
He spoke next. “I don’t think the electric currents running through my body every time we touch is a coincidence either.”
I didn’t answer but decided right then to risk everything. He would find out anyway. “I know something.”
“Is it your secret? Because this,” Calum gestured to our stomachs, “is a pretty damn wow factor.”
“No, not the secret. But one that may cost me losing someone else either way.” Oops! Why did I say that? I would love someone to know my secrets and not hate me or judge me, but I had to shut up to do that. He has the same freaking birth defect I do!
“Lose me. Babe, you have me hook, line, and sinker right now.”
I smiled nervously, “Your turn, remember. Before I say this, I have never really shared any of this with anyone. I don’t know how all this date stuff works, or kissing…”
His cheeks filled with color. Score!
“…or kissing protection Liz talked about, or flirting, or compliments, but I do know you are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I can’t lose you, but sometimes the gods,” I looked up at Orion, “are against me.”
He didn’t get the last part. “Amazing, huh?”
“Cocky, ever?”
“Not at all. Just stunned by you.” He was telling the truth there.
“Likewise. Here goes.”
I took my shoulder bag off and laid it down beside me. I went back to my knees and began to undo my belt.
His hand went out to protest, but I clicked my tongue at him, “Just…trust…me.” He watched my stomach again taking a turn tracing the dots to the place he’d just termed Rigel. Even though I’d always named it that, it seemed so much more amazing coming from him.
I laid the belt down beside my bag but didn't want to overwhelm him. Untying it, I dropped the patch and throwing knife out before him.
“This is my brother’s patch. He plays, or played polo and was wearing this on the day he disappeared. I am looking for him. And this is my throwing knife.”
I picked it up and showed him the side of the hilt. Centered was the constellation, Orion. Rigel was the brightest star in Orion and it glowed in the moonlight on the knife. “I lost this when I was twelve. Or so I thought.”
I watched him process all this. I told myself I could let this end without him knowing what I really am. I could. “How old are you, Calum?”
“Seventeen.” As I figured. I’d lost my knife at twelve like his letter. These weren't coincidences. I sighed heavily still facing him on my knees. “I have a very bad or good feeling I know the answer to my next question.” I don’t know how I know, I just do.
“What?” he was whispering now. It’s all too much. He’s going to break.
I closed my eyes. “On the count of three, say your birthday.”
“One,” I barely whispered. I felt the fear rolling heavily between us.
“Two. Three.”
Chapter Eleven This above all…
“February 29th.” At the same time.
Bodies frozen with absolute fear and nothing else to describe it, we were petrified. His mouth collided into mine giving off sparks and waking up my first reaction. And not the kind of sparks I imagined coming from my first kiss.
Sparks, currents, electricity! It all went through us like someone had stuck a rod in our hands and the storm was colliding within us. The initial pain turned to a soft tingle and subsided as the taste of him stayed on my lips. My mind swirled to the rhythm of him. He bit playfully on my bottom lip and I felt something urging my lips to open more. This was more than I could have ever imagined. This was the gods in the heaven’s reaching to make the earth shatter into a thousand pieces and then find their way back together at the first taste. An intriguing and utterly surprising experience I can truly say I’d do again. I wish I could say the sparks were an indication that it was true love or something like that, but it was really nothing more than a kiss to me. He didn’t seem to act the same, but I wasn’t sure. It was obvious it wasn’t his first time.
“Eh, um.”
Pulling apart, I fell sideways and down, my eyes still half closed.
&nbs
p; “Dr. Quinn. Sir.” Calum found his speech faster than I did.
“Eh, you two seemed to have hit it off well I see. Not being a spy…but just wanted to remind you…we are on display here. Just being the teacher role, I would caution you to slow it down a bit. Hormones can be a strong influence and not all of us are destined for the other.”
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
I wanted to scream because the first thing that came to my head was to please not tell my father. Then I remembered his little powwow in the darkness of night before today. He didn’t know what I knew which made his words stranger than ever.
As the doc disappeared back around the gym wall into the shadows, I couldn’t help but let the thoughts in the back of my mind wonder how long he stood there.
Calum and didn’t look at each other just that second, whether embarrassed or in shock or both. I panicked suddenly at remembering the items that would be sitting between us for Dr. Quinn to have seen and was comforted somewhat at the fact that I was now sitting on them. Had the doc been there, spying just before and knew I had them? This was bad, if so.
I gathered them back into my little bag since we couldn’t seem to find any words. He just watched for a second. I didn’t know what to do next. When the pouch was back on, he watched me like he didn't know how to go forward either.
“Why did you take off your belt?”
The letter. He hadn’t seen it yet. The Doc. What will Calum think when he finds out I was snooping in his father’s office? I’m reasonably sure after a couple minutes of thought that the Doc said the word spying in his spill a moment ago. And that was intended for me I’m betting.
“Oh, I will show only you another time. I don’t…want to go showing the D—Dr. Quinn all my secrets just yet.” I smiled. He hasn’t asked where the other two items came from and I’m hoping he doesn’t.
“Why don’t we snack for a minute.”
“That sounds great!” I was starting to wonder now why the Doc came out and if he did that often. I wasn’t sure how often Calum did this kind of thing or if the Doc was “chaperoning” so to speak. I had to know, so here I go. “Do you,” eating a bite of the yummy cookies he’d brought, “do this a lot?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, bring a girl out here and kiss and stuff. Liz said—
“Ignore everything she has to say. She’ll fill your head with nonsense. No, I don’t do this,” he waved his hands around, “I’ve never done this. I couldn’t even find a basket, remember. And…I’ve never kissed anyone like that before. That was…” Now he really was blushing but not looking at me.
This seemed to be a huge confession for him. I smiled. “Me too.”
He looked up now. Relief seemed to hit him seconds later, so I wondered if he was thinking long about what I just said or just about the kiss. I didn’t mean heavy feelings like his face seem to say. Just that it was my first kiss.
He spread his palm out to smooth the blanket where we'd bundled it up in our haste, “I’ve never wanted to do all this before. Well…I have…but no one was really—
“I know what you mean, I think. No other male has ever appealed to me like you do. I just never really had the opportunity.” I finished my cookie and patted the crumbs off my hands.
“You talk funny sometimes, male?” He shook his head side to side finishing his own cookie. He handed a mint to me and popped one in his mouth. The soft peppermint taste was really good.
I hit his chest. I seemed to like doing that. And I wanted another mint. “You know I like chocolate?”
“Studied up!” He was fast enough he caught my hand and kept it there. “Stace, I…”
He leaned in. Our lips met. And just stayed there for about five seconds and broke apart again. I could just do this all night.
“I don’t really understand what is happening, but this,” he pointed to our abdomens, “there is a reason, I’m sure. The jolts of fire running through my body right now, it’s all crazy meant to be kind of stuff even if it is utter pain." He paused and said, “We will find out, but just know how happy I am you came into my life.”
I felt nausea coming on. And not from the food.
“Your middle name is Rigel?”
“Yeah! What is yours?”
“Anastacia Anat…Rohkea. My full name that is.” Oh, I probably just compromised the entire freaking mission if he mentions this to anyone. I didn’t tell him my real last name. He’s bound to recognize that. He’d surely recognize Hathown, so my name for the mission was Rohkea.
“Anat was the ancient Battle-Goddess who fell in love with Aqhat, Orion, but was double crossed by her and ended in his death,” he clipped his tongue and raised an eyebrow, “Any evil plans Anastacia Anat?”
I nodded back and forth real slow. “You do read!”
“So shocked,” he continued before I could offer an honest answer. He just didn’t play himself off as the scholarly type.
“Both the same birthday, names related to Orion, electric touch powers that only work on each other, and,” he pointed to my stomach first and then his. “This all means something, don’t ya think?”
I’ll not keep everything, I thought. “I did some research after realizing the voltage sparks weren’t going away.”
“How?”
“Google!”
“And?”
He will laugh. “A folktale really. A Hunter,” not mentioning the mate’s true identity, “creates an alliance with another who will be filled with a surge beyond physical comfort and unites all in one. And…” I tried to make it sound like it’s a farce, but deep down, I knew he wouldn’t. I tried rolling my eyes to look less serious about it. His eyes were taking it in without revealing how he felt. “And he would bear the mark of Orion.”
He was still silent.
“And so would she. But it has to all be coincidental. It’s just mythology and folklore kind of stuff,” I added.
His head went sideways, “I wouldn’t rule it out in a world where vampires and werewolves run free.”
In addition, a super, very nice Valkyrie girl who accidentally falls over every time a certain Hunter boy comes near in a crazy kind of world like I’ve seen recently. “Either way, it sounds like some kind of save the world project that will lead us to be poked and prodded by strange doctors because our alien appearances seem too otherworldly.”
“Agreed.” He laughed. “Either way, we need to know more. I can ask my father?”
“NO! I mean,” taking my voice to a lower octave, “I think we should keep this between us for now. I don’t won’t any doctors poking me, much less people finding out about our differences.”
“I’m not ashamed, nor ashamed to show it.”
“That’s not what I mean. No..yes…I’ve hidden this from everyone but my father and brother for seventeen years,” signaling our navels, “I don’t want to get poked for want of seeing the simple or not reasons for this, and I...I just think we need to think this through some more.”
“Okay. It’s okay.” He pulled me too him and held me against his warm chest. I kept my hands in between us.
“I really don’t know what to think of all this. It’s just a lot, really quick.”
“You know what’s odd?”
I was a little scared to find out.
“I’ve always just been me. Standoffish. Tough guy. But you…you did this to me.”
“What?”
“Soft.”
He just gave me my first kiss and he thinks he is soft? I am the one turned to mush. I laughed. I l laughed and sat back. “Funny, that. All the girls around here say you are,” I ticked off on my fingers, “allusive, hard to get, not interested in anyone around here, brave, smug, cocky, hot, gorgeous, sexy—
“And what do they say about you back at your home?”
“Well, I can’t speak for them and yes, I forgot to add, moody.”
“Pretend.”
“Pretend what?”
“What would they say ab
out you?”
“Oh, I guess, shy, secluded, bookwormish.”
“Beautiful, brave, strong, smart, kind, unique,” he continued.
“Unique?”
“How many girls, guys, people do you meet that make you buzz all over at their touch, share the same birthmark and birth date, and have a similar reference in names to the constellation Orion?”
“Well, put that way, we must be the oddest two people in the universe.”
“Really kind of cool though. I’ve always hidden my stomach. I didn’t want anyone to know. It’s nice someone does now.”
“Me too.” I think. I hope. No one had ever seen his mark. “No other girl has seen your mark?”
“No! Just my father. Too afraid to say I was born with it and didn’t want to lie in that kind of...situation.”
Confessions flowing freely. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.”
“Really?”
“Really.” That was rhetorical, but what really could I say? He smiled. He leaned in. I knew what was coming this time. His eyes open, he touched his lips to mine and back away. I shivered.
“That was your third kiss."
"Can I ask you something?” I asked.
Calum nodded, smiling wider letting me get a shot of his wonderful dimples.
“Is this date like something married people do? I’ve only ever watched people who married actually go places like on TV. At home, we don’t choose who we marry and no one ever dated.”
“Seriously?”
I nodded.
“Where are you from?” Calum asked incredulously.
I froze.
“Never mind,” he grumbled.
“No, it’s just my father really. He’s, I’m finding out since coming here, very overprotective and dominating over others." I hated to stretch truths, but what alternative did I have? “I didn’t mean anything. I’m sorry. Let’s pick up. It’s late.”
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