“No, someone else did and your father will find that out from the tests the vet did on the animals.” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “You have to believe me. I’m not that kind of alien. I would never do anything to harm defenseless animals.” He pulled a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory bar from his pack and handed it to her. “Eat this. It’ll make you feel better.”
She took the bar and unwrapped it. The taste of a heavenly chocolate melted in her mouth. She closed her eyes wishing she were at home. All this should be easier to handle with chocolate, but it wasn’t. This had to be some kind of nightmare. It couldn’t be real. It just wasn’t feasible. Shortly, she’d awaken and be back in her bed in Sweetwater. That’s what it was. She was having a bizarre nightmare. When she opened her eyes this would’ve all been a bad dream.
“Elle. This isn’t a dream. You’re safe here. I need you to sit and wait for me and get your strength back. We don’t have much time and I have to get something from further in the cave. After you’re rested we’ll talk more.” He reassured her with a smile as he stood. “I promise I’ll be right back. Then we’ll get out of here and I’ll explain everything.”
She felt weak so it didn’t matter where he went. “Okay, I’ll wait here.” After all where could I go? She sat there in the moonlight, digesting what she had seen and heard in the last hour. She pinched her arm and shook her head in disbelief. Sure enough everything Kole had told her was true. She wasn’t dreaming. If only Sara could see me now, out in the caves with an alien and his wolf, friend, guardian or whatever it was. She laughed. And all this time, she’d thought she was the alien.
What would he do with her when he returned? She didn’t think he would harm her. Now that she’d had time to think about it she realized he had been there protecting her since her car broke down that night when all this strange stuff had started happening to her. And the wolf had been around, too. She had seen the magnificent animal many times lately, and had taken it for granted, thinking there were lots of wolves in the area. She should have known when she was the only one seeing it that something was out of whack.
Some kind of psychic she turned out to be. An alien had been stalking her and she wasn’t even aware of it. With soft chuckles, she nearly fell off the rock she sat upon. She composed herself and heard a low whimper coming from above her. Frightened, she glanced upward. The wolf was watching her. Could a wolf grin? It looked like he was smiling at her. She grinned back. “When I get out of here, I’ll scratch behind your ears.” She had a good feeling about the wolf.
He sniffed the air and scampered away, leaving her alone in the moonlight.
She sipped her bottled water and ate some more chocolate. Everything was better with chocolate. A lot of things began to tumble into place. Maybe, this was why he wasn’t attracted to her. Just maybe, his kind didn’t have romance. But when he looked into her eyes, she felt as if they were meant for each other. Psychic blocks or not he couldn’t disguise the emotion, his true feelings shining bright in his gaze. In other circumstances, she thought he would have been her soul mate. This was why he told me in the salon he wasn’t looking for a relationship. He wanted me, but for whatever reason, can’t do anything about it.
An alien and an Earthling just didn’t match up. Talk about conflict in a relationship. She laughed. Her life had gone topsy turvy. Just her luck. The first man she had been attracted to in ages and he was from out of this world. Literally.
Right at this moment, he was in the cave retrieving ancient records from an alien race—his people. Well, that’s okay. She had always believed there were others out there. Now, she knew for sure. Maybe he was trying to get in touch with his roots. She understood all about that. She had to be strong enough to step up to the plate and help him in any way she could. He wasn’t going to harm her. She was attracted to him. In her mind she started making a list of top ten reasons why she shouldn’t date an alien.
The number ten reason. His parents won’t like me and he probably has strange friends. Oh, my goodness, she didn’t even know what he really looks like on his world or if he has family or friends or maybe a wife. Her heart clinched at that thought. She remembered the beautiful tall women from the spacecraft with the white hair and blue eyes she saw when she was a kid. Would he look like them?
Number nine. He dresses funny. In her mind’s eye she was seeing him that first night in the bell bottom jeans, paisley shirt and the long hippy hair tied back with a leather string. No wonder he looked so funny. He actually thought that’s the way we dressed. Unfortunately, he was behind the times a few decades. She laughed and chewed on some more chocolate letting it melt in her mouth helping to calm her nerves.
And the number eight reason. He knows what I’m thinking. All those times she felt like he knew what she was thinking, he did. He was reading her mind. Let’s face it on any planet that would be hard to live with. And not only could he read her mind he could block her memories. Now that was kind of scary.
The number seven reason. I’ve got legs, he’s got . . .? I don’t know anything about what he’s got. What does he really look like? Maybe on his world they have four arms and six legs. Flashes of pictures of tabloids ran through her mind of so called aliens. Big heads and bug eyes would bother her for sure, but that couldn’t be Kole. It just couldn’t be.
And number six is a doosey. He’s from out of this world. I probably couldn’t even live on his planet. He didn’t tell me where he’s from, as if it would matter anyway. There’s no way I’m leaving good old planet Earth.
And the number five reason. He’s strange and mystical, actually, beyond mystical. He has magical powers I can’t even begin to understand. How did he make that bubble with the fresh air appear out of nowhere? If he can do that what could he do to me if we got into a disagreement?
And the number four reason. If this should turn serious what about the children? I’ve always wanted a family and children of my own. I don’t even know if he could have sex with me let alone children. She sighed. Even though I have all these pent up feelings for him he might not be able to make love. Maybe this incredible attraction I have for him is just coming at me from left field. Maybe it’s all in my head. After all he’s never done more than hold my hand.
And the number three reason. I’m a Baptist, he’s a . . . not that I’m really that religious, but in the scheme of things I do believe in God or a superior being. What if he doesn’t believe in anything? What if he can live forever?
And the number two reason. In the throes of passion, he might turn into some gooey slobbering scary monster. She shivered. Just thinking that if he could have sex maybe a climax might change him into whatever it is that he really is. So far all she’d seen him as was the wolf, a golden boy and as Kole, but what if she was wrong? A chill ran up her spine. What if in his natural state he was some drooling slimy organism?
And the number one reason on her list. Once I’ve had one, I can’t go back. She cringed inwardly. What if after making passionate love with him he just leaves me alone on planet Earth? Then I have to go through the rest of my life craving what I can’t have, alone with my alien children. This whole situation was just plain old confusing. An Earthling and an alien, the two just shouldn’t mix.
She sighed. But there was no more denying it. Alien or not, she cared about Kole and longed to be with him in each and every way. She’d just have to take her chances. She capped her bottled water decisively. She was safe here, but someone was out there in the caves trying to kill him. She couldn’t sit here and just wait. Somehow, she needed to help him do what he had come here to do. She picked up the flashlight and started after him.
Chapter Twelve
“Kole, where are you?” Elle whispered under her breath. Being alone in the pitch black with her bizarre thoughts was unnerving. She stepped lightly near the cavern wall with the loud sound of broken shale crunching under her feet. The noise vibrated against her eardrums like cannons booming in the still air. With each wave of h
er flashlight she became increasingly fearful that something or someone was going to jump out of the shadows and grab her. She shivered and took slow deep breaths trying to get her nerves under control. It didn’t matter. She had to get to Kole. Slowly she inched her way down the tunnel.
The chill in the deep cavern sunk through her thin clothes and into her bones. Where could he be? It was as if he had disappeared. Maybe he already found what he came for and went back to his planet. I could be stranded down here all alone. No, she wouldn’t go there. Her stomach lurched at the thought. She had to see him one more time. Fate wouldn’t be that cruel.
And in her heart of hearts, she knew he wouldn’t leave her in trouble. She refused to accept those negative thoughts and moved on through the darkness.
“Kole,” she whispered, “where are you?”
“Over here, Elle. I’m over here.” His low voice sounded from the depths of the cavern as if coming from the stones themselves. From out of the solid rock, a crevice appeared. She could see into a bright lit space.
“Come on down,” Kole called.
Barely believing what was in front of her, she stepped through the cavern wall. It closed behind her. “What is this?” she asked as she climbed down some oddly shaped steps into the open area.
“One of our starships.” He said it with a matter of fact voice as if they were talking about the weather. His gaze was magnetic. “I’ve retrieved the information and my ancestor’s ashes. This ship is in bad shape and I have orders to destroy the craft so it will never be found.”
She looked around the interior in awe. The sleek lines and colorful consoles with large dials and unfathomable mechanisms astounded her. Everything was molded, no sharp edges, everything was round. The lights were a bizarre bluish color like the lights on the newer car headlights. Star systems glowed on the ceiling. Maybe that’s some kind of starmap. It seems such a waste to destroy this wonderful vessel.
“It’s beautiful and doesn’t look like it’s in bad shape.” She sat in one of the chairs close to the console and rubbed her hand across the fine detail of the images etched in the silver metalwork. She could only imagine the worlds the craft had seen and what the etching meant.
“It’s part of my mission.” He glanced around the starship. “I don’t think the ship would ever make it back so I have to fix it so nobody can find it.”
“Your mission?” she repeated. She didn’t want to think about him leaving Earth, but she needed answers. Was he a person, an android, a clone or what? But first things first, she wanted to know if he had told her the truth. “You told Dad and me you were an undercover agent for the government. Is that true? Does our government know about you and your people?”
He hesitated for the blink of an eyelash. With a gentle hand he brushed a stray hair away from her temple. “There’s so much to tell you. I am undercover for the Intergalactic Tribunal Counsel—my government.” His lips curved into a sensuous smile. “When I was talking with your father, I couldn’t say I was an agent from a galaxy far, far away. He would’ve locked me up and thrown away the key. As it is, I’m risking my life by telling you.”
His touch spread warmth through her body. It made her heart race and she knew. She knew without a doubt in her mind that she was in love with an alien. The truth hit her hard. “I . . . I wouldn’t say anything to anybody. I know what it’s like to be the outsider. Please, tell me more.”
Something in the gleam in his eyes and the jutting angle of his chin made him appear innocent, but was he? After all, what did she know about him? Confusion spread like rising water in a spring flood through her cluttered mind.
“As to your question, yes, some people in the higher offices of your government do know about us.” He ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration. “However, they prefer to keep the information from the rest of you.”
“Why? Why would they do that?” It was as she had always suspected. With her sixth sense and inner knowledge, she had always known there were other people or beings out there in the universe. And Earth’s leaders were keeping mum about it. The more she thought about it the angrier she became.
He shook his head. “Your world is currently broken. The only way to fix it is to change it.” He sighed. Unfortunately, some people on Earth are more concerned with making money. They are working hard at it, depleting the planet, which in turn is destroying the environment, which in the long run will ruin your world and others.” His eyes grew a darker blue and nearly sparked. They matched the intensity in his voice. “This is what first drew us to watch over you. In our way, we must protect Earth from itself. You’re on a path of destruction.”
That he cared about her world touched her deeply. The thought stunned her and when she probed it for truth it stood the test. Here he was an alien from another world and yet he believed in his responsibility to Earth. He was such an unknown, she didn’t know how to react anymore, but she trusted her instinct when it came to Kole. In all races of people, there were good and bad, and Kole–alien or not–was one of the good guys. For the first time, she was unsure how to proceed or what her next step should be. “What’s your world like?” She wanted to know everything about him and if he knew anything about her past. Could it be that she was one of his race left behind by others. Were her people here to protect the environment? Was that why there was this deep physical attraction to him, one that she couldn’t explain? Was that why she had fallen for him so hard and fast? Then it came to her. He is an alien.
He sighed and sat in the chair next to her. “I’m a Martian and at one time Mars was a lot like Earth. We ruined our environment eons ago. Now we live underground in what you would think of as a dome with fake skies, sun, trees, grass, waterfalls, similar to the things you have on Earth.” Moisture shimmered in his eyes. “It’s a poor substitute. They dim in comparison once I’ve seen the real thing here on Earth.” He frowned and swallowed hard. Without our protective shield, we would be lifeless on a huge red rock floating through the universe.”
“I’m so sorry. I’ve heard that’s what will happen to us if we don’t take control of our situation.”
He touched her arm. “They’re right. My world is much further advanced than yours with mental abilities and technologies. We know what will happen because it’s happened to us and others.”
“Our planet needs your help.” Elle sighed deeply. She was at the heart of something vital to civilization as she had always known it.
“There are citizens from many colonies sent to talk with powerful people of your world, but they aren’t hearing what is being said. And the sad thing is that what is happening to Earth affects other worlds as well.” He hit his hand against the console. “We want to help save your dying race. And that’s what you are. You’re a dying race unless your people change their ways.”
A lump settled in the middle of her heart. She noted his eyes were more troubled. “I appreciate your honesty, but it’s hard to believe this is going on and the government won’t do something to stop it.” She shivered as the helpless feeling exploded across her chest. What could she, a small town hairdresser, do about saving the world?
He took her hand in his as if he knew what she was thinking. “This is one of the reasons we’re here. We want people to see us and realize we mean no harm. We are here to help. We want to prepare everyone for when we do land on your planet.”
“This is almost too much to digest. All this technology, you being a Martian, and my government’s conspiracy. I’m feeling overwhelmed.” She didn’t speak for a long moment then she shifted. “I need to think about this.”
“Of course you do, that’s only natural,” he said. He continued to hold her hand. “Take your time. There’s so much more I have to tell you. When we get out of here we’ll have time to talk. I knew you were a believer and I planned to tell you everything before I left Earth.”
Leave Earth, it was true, just as I thought, he would have to go. An empty space opened in her heart. “It’s all right,
but I have so many questions.” She pulled her hand away and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Start with what’s most important to you.” His eyes shone with an unusual intensity as if he were probing her soul.
“Am I an alien?” She almost choked on the words, but had to know. Her psychic abilities had forewarned her that Kole held the key to her future. Maybe he was the keeper of her secrets.
He gazed into her eyes for the longest time then took her hand in his. “The answers you seek are within your heart.” He pressed her hand against her chest. “You know what you are.”
“I’ve always felt different. I’m drawn to the stars.” Don’t go there, she told herself. Just don’t. “Earth is my home. I belong here,” she said, with her determination growing stronger with each word. “Today, I’m not the outcast child that somebody left behind. I’m a woman in my own right making my way in this world. I’m an Earthling. I am human.”
He visibly relaxed. She could see the tension leave his face. “Yes, you are all those things and much more.” His eyes spoke volumes as he smiled. “Elle, when I look into your eyes I see the past, the present and the future. And to ease your mind, yes, you are human. But not only human, you are very special indeed. You are a descendant from the Lemerian Star people.”
“Who are they?” The name tugged at the far corners of her mind. Then it dawned on her. Somewhere, she had heard of those people or dreamed of them when she was a child.
Her heart nearly skipped a beat as she realized after all this time she would have the answers she had been searching for her entire life. Thanks to Kole. She squeezed his fingertips. “Please tell me about my past. I need to know.”
“The Star people were an advanced race of people who also happen to be descendants from my star system.” He smiled. “And yes, if you are wondering, I am a human Starseed like you. Starseeds, that’s what they call us, half human and half alien.” He cleared his throat. “You see, we are sprinkled throughout the galaxy. To some degree, we are all related, all aliens.”
Starseed Page 14