Damon stops and makes sure that I’m behind him. He reaches out and grabs my hand, pulling me closer to him, making sure that I was safe and running at his speed. There was a part of me that wanted to pull away from him, but this wasn’t the time or the place. Damon was in protective mode, and there was no way that I could get away from that. Protection is a male instinct, and even though I wasn’t ready to be with him, I knew that he revered me as his, and he was going to do whatever he could to protect me from the threat that was outside the ship right now. Suddenly, we pulled up to a docking station for shuttles. I had no idea where these shuttles went, but this was a way for us to get out of here and to safety, wherever that was. My wish of escaping this ship was coming true, but not the way that I wanted it too.
The shipping dock reminded me of a bus depot. There were hundreds of ships parked in spaces, each with a number on it. This must be how they keep track of all of them. “Each of these ships belongs to one of the families that reside on this ship. These are our emergency escape pods. Each pod is equipped with coordinates to a safe place that can house each family until we can meet up again. This is my pod.” he says walking up to a pod in the very front of the dock. His pod was labeled with the number 1. It would make sense that the numbering system would start with him. Damon pushed a button on the side of the pod and the lid opened up like a car from the Jetsons. He jumped in and indicated that I should get in the pod with him. I looked back for a moment, listening to the plasma fire in the background. If I reached out and took his hand, I am putting myself into his care. And, that still scares me, but what choice do I really have. I can go with him or stay here and die, and I know that I’m not ready to die. I take his hand, and jump inside the pod. He closes the door and turns towards her. Why is he waiting? We need to get out of here.
“Lori, I am sorry that I brought you into this violence. I didn’t think that it would ever get this bad. I felt that we could stop them, but look at how they ambushed us, look at all my people that they killed. Lori, my people may die, and I might be a ruler of an extinct species, but with you here with me, I can live on, my people can live on.” he says taking my hand and staring straight into my eyes. I stare at him intently, and I realize that he is telling me the truth. He would sacrifice everything for me because he believes that we can make it. This touches my heart, and I realize that I want to be with someone like that. I want to be with someone who would give up everything to make me happy, to make a life with me, no matter what it takes.
“Damon, I’m so sorry for my behavior. I was just angry, and hurt, because I felt like you didn’t trust me. But, I know that wasn’t the case. You didn’t tell me because you knew that I wouldn’t comprehend it. You knew that I needed to experience it, so I would understand that this was not just some ruse to get me to procreate with you. You actually love me. You, Damon, the ruler of the Avon race, is in love with me; a mere human.” I lean over and plant a kiss on Damon’s lips. He passionately kisses me back. The kiss is hard and hungry, and I wanted nothing more than to bask in it, to let it take hold of me and fill my body. But, I couldn’t. We couldn’t. There were beings after us. Beings who wanted to kill us “We need to get out of here.” I muster. It took every ounce of my strength to pull away from the warmth of his lips. Damon grabs the wheel of the pod and puts it in gear. A glass door opens and we slowly start to ascend out of the ship and into space. I remember the first date we had on the grass. Damon had told me he would show me the stars if he could. Right here in front of me were more stars than I could have wished for.
Chapter Nine
The pod races into space. The ship is far behind us and all I see in front of me are stars. We are so close that I could touch them. The sky is so beautiful and vast, and I pinch myself to make sure that what I am experiencing is real. I am finally seeing the stars and I can’t help feel a pang in my heart for my father. He would have loved to see the stars. He spent his whole life studying them, but to be able to see them up close would have made him very happy. I put my hand on Damon’s leg. He smiled, and squeezed my hand.
“I can’t believe how beautiful they are.” I said to him.
“You know they are just great big balls of gas.” he said with a chuckle.
“Well, they’re still beautiful.” I said with determination.
“Then I’m glad that I was able to show them to you, except for the extreme circumstances.” We continued to drift past the ship. I had no idea where we were headed, but it didn’t matter to me. I felt safe and protected at the moment, and I was living a fairytale. No one would ever believe me if I told them that I was able to turn around the galaxy in a pod, and not a spaceship.
“What planet is that?” I point to the one that we are coming in contact with.
“Oh, that’s Uranus.” Damon said. All of a sudden, a big, black ship escapes from the other side of Uranus and is on us. Plasma fire escapes from the bottom of the ship, and Damon slams on his brakes and turns around, attempting to dodge the mini fire bullets that are being shot at our pod.
“This is it!” Damon explodes. He slams his fists on the dash, causing the pod to shake. I grab the side and hold on for dear life. What has gotten into him? “This has to stop. This species cannot get away with these atrocities anymore.” Turning his head towards me, “Lori, we need to go back and help them.” he implores me. “I know that I am probably signing our death warrant, but I can’t leave my people to fend for themselves. What kind of leader would I be? “
“A coward.!” I exclaim in earnest.
“Yes, a coward. I know that this is a long shot, but we might be able to help save the ship. Are you okay with going back?” I nod in agreement
“What kind of person would I be if I asked you to choose between me and your people? You are their king. You have a responsibility to protect them.” I tell him. “Plus, after all the things I have seen them do in such a short amount of time, I feel that it is our duty to fight back. Not only did they attack me outside my home, but they attacked your ship and killed hundreds of innocent people. I will only feel safe if they are all dead. I don’t want to have to worry about them anymore, and you shouldn’t have to either.” I kiss him and Damon smiles.
“I love you, Lori. You are acting like a real queen.”
“I love you too.” I say. Damon heads closer to the ship. Opening up a separate control panel on the pod, they start to reach the atmosphere outside of the ship. The electromagnetic current of the ship starts to pull them in, and Damon presses a button that releases the plasma core. Nothing seems to happen and we wait in anticipation. Damon pulls me in his arms and holds me protectively. I put my head on his chest and we sit there like this for what seems like forever. I start to shake, knowing that something is going to happen. It is just way too quiet, but I don’t want to break the silence because this moment is so perfect. I start to think about my life in a nutshell. I know that I haven’t lived for very long, but I am glad that I made the decision to meet him in the field that one day, and I am glad that I made the decision to forgive him. I don’t regret anything, and whatever happens I know that I have lived a life of fulfillment. It might have been slow coming in the last few years since my father died, but I found love again, and even it if only lasts for a brief moment, I wouldn’t wish for it to happen any other way.
All of a sudden there is a loud boom coming from the bottom of the ship. The sound is so deafening that it knocks our pod right off its course and we fly backwards for just a moment. The effect of the explosion is so great, that debris flies all around us. Something crashes into the top of our pod, and the force of it makes my head snap back. The cause of the crash knocks me out and all the stories my father told me come flooding back into my consciousness. I remember him telling me fairy tales of an alien race that were far superior than another in everything they did, but they were so humble that all they wanted to do was share their good fortune with others in the galaxy. However, there was another species, a jealous species who want
ed to be better than the other, and they did whatever they could to eradicate them. Destroying their home planet, the humble species fled to earth. Their people lost all hope of creating more of their race when their world was destroyed. A human girl was created in one of their labs, and left on earth to wait for her king. The man she was created to help further the life of their race.
Chapter Ten
There is silence all around me. The quiet is so deafening that I want to hold my ears to make sure that I am still inside my body. That is one of the most important things about space. No one can hear you, and it can be a very frightening thing. Slowly, I open my eyelids. The darkness starts to dissipate from my eyes, and my surroundings start to come into view. As everything comes into focus, I realize that I am standing in the teleportation room again. Everything is pure white as before. I am aware that I am still holding on to Damon, but something is different than the other time I was here. Today, I am not alone with him. There are a ton of Avons and they are surrounding us. As I break away from him, there is a resounding chorus of cheers. We did it. We must have terminated the Malice race, and came out alive. There will be no more innocent lives lost on their account. I manage a smile, and Damon grabs my hand. I don’t let go and lean into him, listening to the Avons continue to cheer our successful mission.
“Your highness,” A young woman bows to Damon. “We have started to prepare a feast in your honor. We would like to celebrate this joyous event: the destruction of the Malice race, and the honoring of our new queen.” She turns and bows to me when she says this. I start to blush because I am not used to this type of treatment
“Thank you Maxine.” Damon says. The woman takes her leave and Damon shows me into the dining room. There is a great table in the room, enough to sit over a hundred people. There are steaming bowls of food ornately laid out in the middle of the table. And, it smells wonderful. My stomach starts growling and I realize that I haven’t had anything to eat since breakfast that morning. Damon walks to the head of the table and pulls a chair out beside him. I take my place next to him and a young Avon with bright bronze hair brings us two bowls. I take another big whiff of the food and start to eat. Avons are shuffling in from outside and are starting to serve themselves buffet style. We eat in silence for a few moments. Damon wipes his mouth with his napkin, clears his throat and stands up. “I want to thank everyone who prepared the food tonight. This is a momentous occasion. Today we were attacked by the Malice and they almost succeeded in exterminating us, but we fought bravely to protect ourselves, and we have defeated them; actually eradicated them. With this being said, I have a request to make of our honored guest.” Damon said turning towards me and taking my hands in his. “Lori, I have known for quite some time that you are the woman for me. There is no one else that I would rather spend my life with than you. Will you make me the happiest Avon in the galaxy and be my bride?” I blush. Damon has left the choice up to me.
“Without a doubt I will marry you.” I answer him. He sweeps me up in his arms and kisses me. A roar goes up from the crowd and I don’t think that I could be any happier than I am at that moment. The banquet ended shortly after that. Everyone was exhausted form the long day and they just wanted to go back to their rooms and spend time with their families. After giving me a tour of my new home, Damon stops in front of the room that I had tried to escape the very first day that I was here. Pushing open the door, he lets me walk in the room before him. Surveying my surroundings, I realize I am no longer that scared person I was four or five months ago. A lot has changed. I sat down on the bed and I patted the seat next to me, beckoning for him to come and sit down beside me. Damon saunters over to me, and gently picks me up and lies me down on the bed. Hovering over the top of me, he passionately kisses my lips. There is a fire that starts to build inside of me, and I hungrily kiss him back. We don’t take our time like we did the first time. There is a need that both of us need to feel at this moment. I need to feel his skin on my skin. I need to feel him inside of me. Pulling his shirt over his head, and yanking his pants to the floor, I shiver as I stare at his perfect naked body. He grins as he rips open my shirt and slides my pants onto the floor. Putting his mouth onto mine, I wrap my legs around his waist and feel him start to enter me. I gasp as I feel his hardness, withering as he starts to ride me harder. I plead for him to thrust faster and to go deeper as the need to feel all of him intensifies. Wave after wave of pleasure builds until we are both crying out in ecstasy. Damon rolls over, but doesn’t pull out of me. Spooning his leg around mine, we lay there peacefully.
“I have a dream you know.” I snuggle closer to him, wanting to feel closer to his warmth. “It is a pity that the human race can only look at the stars from down below. I want to give them the gift of seeing the stars and the planets up close. I want them to experience the wonders for themselves.” I listen intently.
“I think that is a great idea. I think that the human race needs to see the beauty that is out there. We have missed so much watching it all from a distance. I want to be by your side while you bring your world to mine. I don’t ever want to leave your side.” I tell him; knowing that my dreams have finally come true.
.
Promised To The Beast
~ Bonus Story ~
A Werewolf Shifter Paranormal Romance
Shya was young when the profit of the small, West Bengal town of Amalpur foretold her marriage. Then, she moved to America. At school, she sabotaged her grades in an attempt to display rebellion against her betrothal, in an attempt to feel like she had a sliver of control over her future.
Now, at twenty years old, Shya is a theatre student in college, and an art hobbyist obsessed with painting the man and beast that haunts her dreams. But, she’s ripped away from that life when she’s handed a ticket back to India. At the airport to greet her is Berht, grandson of the prophet who quite possible ruined Shya’s life.
As they drive from the airport to Amalpur, the reality of the prophecy begins to hit her. Little does Shya know that there is more to her lifelong fiancé than anyone is willing to tell her.
* * *
ONE
Shya was alone in her studio. She stood before a blank canvas, mounted on an easel, clad in tattered, blue, paint-stained overalls atop a shirt so yellow that it nearly glowed against her dark brown skin. Her long, black hair was pulled back into a thick bun atop her head, but strands of it hung loosely around her face, fluttering up as she breathed. Her hand was poised in the air, a paint brush between her worn, artist’s fingers, its bristles coated in peachy paint.
Shya began to paint. She made a wide arch with her hand, a downwards stroke, dots. She swirled her brush in water and dipped it into pink, brown, black. Before she knew it, it was a man. His hair was dark, shining, reflecting the light from an unseen source. His eyes, shadowed by neat, dark eyebrows, were hazel and bright. His shoulders were wide and bare, muscled and toned. He was beautiful.
With a sigh, Shya set down her brush and wiped the paint from her hands. She gave the painting one last glance before leaving the room, leaving it to dry.
There was barely any bare space left on the walls of Shya’s room. Canvases hung on pegs jammed deep into the plaster. Some large, some small, some of nature, some of the city. But more than anything, there were portraits of a man-beast, hung chronologically. The first painting was of a terrible monster. It was like a man, and clothes hung off of it, shredded and ruined. But its mouth was pulled back into a snarl, revealing sharp fangs. The surface of its skin was covered in fur, and its eyes were cruel and cold. But it was still a man.
The paintings after it were different. They were losing their animalistic features, becoming warmer, more human. She had been dreaming of that creature for months. It haunted her by night and day, floating in her head as she slept, lingering in the corners of her mind in the waking day. It had ever since she was a child. So she had begun painting it. And as beast turned to man and she kept painting, she clung to the notion that she sho
uld not have been thinking about—it—at all. Even if it hadn’t been human at first, she knew she shouldn’t have been dreaming of it. She had a man waiting for her in her parents’ home country.
She thought about the man sometimes. Wondered what he looked like, what his voice sounded like, if he was kind or cruel, if he listened to rock music, if he got water all over the floor when he showered. If he’d like what he found in her.
Before Shya had even learned to talk, the prophet of her village had foretold her marriage to the man, that they were meant to be. But had never met him, knew nothing of him, and still, her parents maintained that she not break the engagement. They took the prophet’s words as gospel, that if she did break the engagement, there would be dire consequences. Shya took it with a grain of salt. She often speculated that these alleged dire consequences were a scare tactic but nonetheless, she heeded their words.
Five years later, Shya’s father landed a job in the west. America. First-world country. So he left with the promise of summoning his wife and daughter at the first opportunity. Though working, he put himself through higher education, striving to take his passion and skill as a satellite technologist and let it flourish under the wings of PhDs, to learn the mystery of the stars. When his summons came, many years of saving later, Shya reunited with her father.
She was older, then. She understood things better. The weight of her future, the fact that she was bound to someone whose name she didn’t even know. There was a spark of defiance in her that thrived in her new environment. The people around her had bright streaks in their hair, rebellion in their hearts, and hearts on their sleeves. They inspired Shya. She wanted to control her life the way her friends could.
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