Theron's Hope (Brides of Theron)

by Pond, Rebecca Lorino

  Michael was starting to realize that he was not on Earth anymore. “Is there a window nearby so I can see where I am?” Michael asked as he was coming to his senses. Zane and Brylon lead him to a window next to the work station. He looked out into the deep reaches of space and marveled at what he was seeing. He caught a glimpse of the planet earth behind a sliver of the moon. “How does no one know you are here? I thought we had satellites for this.”

  Brylon answered his question, “You do have satellites for this. We contacted NASA to get permission and in exchange for technology we received permission to obtain females from your planet that met certain guidelines. Our cloaking device is pretty good though. They would have never known we were here if we would have tried to prevent them from finding us. That is what is keeping all the other countries on earth in the dark.”

  Zane looked at his friend, impressed. “You are getting really good at speaking this language. I guess you are really trying for Emma. Way to go, Brylon.” He patted his friend on the back. “We must return immediately. We are already breaking enough rules and I don’t want Brylon to get into any trouble. Michael, are you ready to go back?” Zane looked at Gracie’s cousin with concern but could see that he was starting to believe his story.

  “Y-y-yes, I think I am,” Michael stuttered out. Zane looked at Brylon and told him to beam them back with just a look. They became transparent and disappeared from engineering deck and became solid in Grace’s study. Grace was there when they returned.

  “Zane, what do you think you are doing?” She looked at Michael clearly out of sorts and returned her unyielding gaze to Zane. “What did you do?” Zane put Michael in the nearest chair and when Michael was safe from falling, he went to Grace.

  “My love, I knew how distressed you were to not be able to talk freely with Michael. I talked to Zeb and he gave me permission to tell Michael about the Theron Warriors. However, you know full well that Michael would have never believed me without conclusive evidence. So, after he accused me of putting drugs in his coffee, I had Brylon beam him aboard the ship.” He looked to see how she took that bit of information and then added, “Zeb can never know that Michael was on the ship, but I feel that it was the only way to get through to Michael. It was the only way that he would believe our story.”

  Grace kneeled before the chair Michael was sitting in taking his hands into hers. “Michael, I want you to be clear on this. What I do is my choice. I choose to go with Zane to his planet. My role there is very important. Just think of what I will accomplish or even see. It will be the biggest adventure of my life and I will get to go on it with my soul mate.” She looked over to Zane briefly and returned her gaze to Michael. “Do you see why I have been so secretive? If I told you this before now, I wouldn’t have had any way to prove it to you. You are in a field where evidence and proof trump any explanation. I hope you can understand my situation now and we can work past this and prepare for the future.”

  “I believe you and I understand Grace. As I have promised you all your life, I am in your corner. It is getting late. I have to go.” He still looked off, out of sorts even. He looked to Zane and asked him, “Can Emily know about this or is this to remain between us in this room.”

  “You can tell Emily. Grace trusts the both of you with her life and her secrets. You must both promise to never tell a soul. It could cause us a great amount of difficulty if you do,” Zane said extending his hand as Emily had done to him the night before. Michael took it and gave it a good solid shake.

  “Like anyone would believe this if I did. Thank you, Zane for trusting me with this. I know why you did this tonight. It was obviously for Grace’s sake. You really do love her and I can see that you make her happy. I know that I said you two would have my support this morning, but it was not absolutely sincere. Now, I can honestly say that not only am I in Gracie’s corner, I’m in your corner as well.” He let go of Zane’s hand and started to walk out the study, his head heavy on his shoulders. “I am going to go home to my family. Good night to you both.”

  One question was weighing heavy on him as he was about to quit the room. He turned to Grace, “Grace, I have had this overwhelming feeling since you came home that I was never going to see you again.” She could see the moisture accumulating in his eyes as he said this. “I have to know. Will I ever see you again?” He asked as a tear started rolling down his cheek.

  Grace went over to her cousin and enfolded him in her arms. “Michael, we will be traveling through several worm holes to get back to his planet. We will be moving at or near the speed of light. This will change the way time will affect me. If and when I return, you may be dead and your children might be much older than even me. That is why it is important that we set this up and think of all of the obstacles that could potentially get in the way. That is why I came directly to the best lawyer on the planet to see to my affairs.” She released her hold on him and looked him in the eyes. She saw the pain in them. She kissed him on the cheek and said, “I am going to miss you, Em and the kids so much. I love you all.” She patted him on the shoulder and started to lead him out of the room. “I know that this is a lot for anyone to digest in one sitting. Go home and kiss your family and talk to Emily. We will be just fine here until tomorrow.”

  As they approached the door, Jo came in with one of the doormen and the groceries she went out to buy. Jo could clearly see that Michael was upset. She was about to go to him and see what was the matter when Zane took a bag from the doorman and offered to help her put away the groceries. Michael slipped out before the doorman could get into the elevator and pressed down. She could clearly see he needed a moment alone to gather himself together.

  Grace walked into the kitchen where Jo and Zane were putting away groceries. Zane was mostly watching and taking things out of the bags and placing them on the counter. When Jo saw Grace she asked, “Is there anything wrong? Are the kids alright? I have never seen Michael so upset.”

  “No Jo, he is fine.” She started to change the subject, “Zane, did I ever tell you how Jo and I first met?” She looked at him, encouraging him to play along with her.

  “No, I don’t believe you have,” he said, inviting her to proceed.

  “Jo had just immigrated to the United States from Cuba. It was not a good time there you see. They have a dictator and our country had a trade embargo on them. Even to this day, many people flee Cuba in small boats or rafts trying to make it to the shores of Florida. All of them come with the hope of starting a life in a country of opportunity and freedom. Jo and Miguel were luckier though. They had family that had made it here several years before and they were able to get them a guest visa. When they arrived they contacted Michael for legal representation to obtain citizenship. Michael would do a certain percentage of cases pro bono for those of the community in need. He had also helped Miguel’s siblings get their citizenship. He had Aunt Marion get her placed with a reputable temporary maid service and Michael hired Miguel to work at the firm cleaning at night. He is still working there and is now the head custodian.” Jo was listening to the story smiling, remembering the kindness Grace’s family had shown her.

  “When I broke the mold and told my aunt my plans for attending Columbia University and majoring in Journalism, she suggested that I moved to this apartment and to hire a maid to take care of me. She gave me the number to a temporary to permanent placement company that hired out domestic workers. I did not know this at the time. Michael had called them to send Jo first. Then he told Jo to prepare one of her best food dishes and bring it with her when she came to interview. He knew that I would need a cook and food was the sure way to win me over.” She smiled over at Jo.

  “That had to be the best food I had eaten all week, hell, all year. The boarding school didn’t offer foods of varying ethnicity. They typically stuck to the American standard bland food. I hired her on the spot and we have been working together ever since. The truth is I love Jo more than I did my mother. It makes me feel bad sometimes, bu
t I know why. She is there for me all the time. I call her and she comes to take care of me. Even now she is sacrificing her weekend to help me out.” She looked at Jo with admiration. “I love you Jo. I want you to know that.”

  Jo looked at her like a proud parent would look at a prized child. “I love you too, Miss Grace.” She smiled and added, “Miguel will be here in two hours and I really need to start cooking dinner. I have planned a wonderful meal.” She looked at Zane giving him a sly smile, “It is my husband’s favorite and Grace loves it as well. It just happens to be what I made her when I first interviewed with her. You two go off and do something and leave me in here to make dinner.”

  Gracie looked at Zane, “How about a walk in the park?”

  “I think that would be a nice diversion from an otherwise exciting day. It will give us time to discuss the board meeting and your Grandmother Agatha.” He walked over to her taking her hand and kissing her palm. They made their way out of the door after Grace put on a light coat. He did not know if tomorrow would be as exciting as today was. He could clearly see that Grace felt less burdened with Michael knowing the whole story. What worried him was how Emily would take the news.

  They spent the next hour walking around the park and watching people. She filled him in on some of Agatha’s most despicable traits as well as some of her more formidable ones. She was quite a woman. She was definitely a woman you should never underestimate. One thing she made clear was that her grandmother was rather hard on her for her decisions and would readily rise to the occasion to call her on it tomorrow with her very critical remarks. It was important for Zane to hold his tongue when it came to Agatha.

  They were on the way back to her apartment when along the trees they heard a loud scream and a man shouting, “Give me your money, Bitch!” Zane took off like a rocket in the direction of the distress while Grace started chasing after him, calling him to stop. She grabbed the nearest person to her and asked him to call 911 as she ran as fast as she could in the hope that she would find Zane unharmed. Who knows if the crazy robber was armed and she knew that he, despite his size and physical strength, was not bullet proof.

  He was out of sight now and she was starting to panic. How could this be happening? She lost her parents and siblings and now after just finding the perfect person to share the rest of her life with, would God see fit to deprive her yet again? She stopped in her tracks to quiet the pounding she heard as her feet struck the ground when she ran. Her heart was pounding and she was scared. She heard it then, over the sound of the beating of her heart, the scream and the sound of flesh hitting flesh. She picked up her pace and ran in the direction of the scream. Right behind the cover of low branches in the trees she found him trying to subdue the robber.

  The woman he threatened was lying on the ground several feet away from them. Her nose was bleeding profusely and she was shaking violently and crying. He has a gun! Oh my God, he has a gun! The man was much smaller and no match for him physically but all he needed was one lucky shot and her life could change forever. Would she be able to overcome the grief of losing Zane? She never wanted to find out. She had never loved anyone like this before.

  Zane wrestled with the robber and the gun in the robber’s hand was pointed straight up. She heard the loud report of the gun fire up into the trees followed by the sound of birds flying away in frenzy, chirping madly and bark flying from where the bullet struck the tree branch. “Please God, please, don’t take him from me,” she pleaded. Just then she heard a crack as Zane broke the arm that was holding the gun. The gun fell to the ground with a clunk. That was when she made her move and picked up the gun and pointed it directly at the men. She shouted, “Freeze! Don’t move a muscle or I swear I will shoot!” She checked the chambers in the cylinder of the revolver and saw that the gun was loaded. “Zane, are you alright?”

  Zane had his full attention on the attacker and worked to subdue him further. “I am fine Grace, please check on the woman.” She bent over the woman and asked her if she was alright, never letting Zane out of her line of sight. The victim was quite shaken but otherwise alright. Her nose looked like it was broken but she was a really lucky girl that Grace’s warrior chose to respond to her distress call. Most of the people in the park would have ignored it and maybe just called the police and by then she might have been dead. She heard the woman say her thanks to God for sending someone to help her.

  Just as Zane had the man contained the police broke through the trees. They looked towards Grace with the gun and told her to drop the gun. She carefully and slowly placed the gun on the ground and backed away from it sitting next to the victim and began to explain to the policeman what her and Zane interrupted. The cops took their statements and contact information while Zane checked the woman, setting the bones of her broken nose, and he continued to stay with her until the paramedics arrived on the scene. The victim hugged her savior and thanked him for saving her as she was being loaded onto a stretcher for transport to the nearest hospital. When they were released from questioning they made their way back to the apartment.

  “You could have been killed!” Grace said with a hint of anger.

  “To ignore her screams would have been equivalent to murdering her myself Grace. I could not live with that on my conscience.” He stopped and turned to look at her in the eyes. He said softly, “You are crying. Why?” He wiped away the tears that were lining her cheek with his large fingers.

  “I thought that maybe it was just my luck to lose the most important person in my life just after I finally found you. It would have been even more tragic than losing my whole family in a burning building.” She put her arms around him. “I couldn’t bear to lose you Zane. I don’t think that I would have wanted to live a life without you in it.”

  “Don’t you worry, my love, I see a long and happy life for us. I am sorry that I have upset you this much but I knew with my training, the criminal did not have a chance in hell,” he smiled at her and this did little to comfort her.

  “All he needed was one lucky shot and you could have died. I feel bad for the woman right now. We will not be able to testify and the creep will probably walk away for this. Hopefully, they can get him for something that will stick. Let’s go home,” she said as they walked back to her apartment building. When they entered they smelled the mouthwatering aroma of Cuban cuisine.

  Dinner was fabulous and Miguel instantly liked Zane after finding that his intimidating size was no match for his humbling nature. This is how she wanted to spend the rest of her day. She wanted Jo to know how much she meant to her, how much Miguel meant to her. This way maybe after she left and Jo was given the keys to the apartment, she would accept this act of kindness from someone who truly wanted to pay it forward to a woman she could honestly say took care of her in the toughest of times. Jo was a woman that she truly admired.

  Chapter 18

  Zane woke up early that morning. He had been sleeping longer than usual lately and by 4am he was fully awake and could no longer sleep. He watched Grace for a little while as she lay on the bed, naked but for the sheet that covered her. The last two days had been amazing. She was adventurous in the bed and willing to try anything. Like putty in his hands she would mold herself into any shape he wished. He hoped it would always be like this.

  He carefully got out of the bed, trying his hardest not to wake her as he slipped on his jeans and the long sleeve thick Henley shirt, socks and running shoes he brought down from the ship. The tailor had come through and all the remaining suits and clothes he owed her were accounted for so he would be well dressed for the board meeting this morning. He went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee and brought it out to the balcony. It was a bit cold outside so he went in and grabbed a thick fleece blanket from the living room and wrapped it around his shoulders.

  His thoughts kept drifting to the activities of last night. He thought about the softness of her inner thighs as he tasted her. How she cried out when he brought her great pleasure.
The way her toes curled when she had an orgasm. The way it felt when she returned the favor by taking him into her mouth and letting him spill his seed all over her breasts. He thought about the bath that they enjoyed together after, and how the water was getting cold before they made any attempt to get out.

  He made love to her again after the bath and she wanted it harder, rougher. He held her hands above her head and she liked that. Most of all, he really enjoyed the way they slept last night. He laid behind her with his arms around her in a spoon fashion. She fit so perfectly in his arms, so warm and so right. How he lived his life all this time without her, he had no clue. Clearly, the Gods meant for him to find her here because they were truly meant for one another. He sat out there for hours enjoying the fresh air mixed with the smells of breakfast being prepared in the local businesses and homes around him. He listened to the sounds of the waking birds in the park and the swooshing sound of the wind blowing between the buildings. The sound of the car tires on the pavement made it up to the terrace as it echoed bouncing from building to building as the city woke up. At about 7 in the morning he heard the sound of the door opening behind him on the terrace. He looked back and saw Grace standing there wrapped in the comforter from the bed. He wondered if she even bothered to get dressed.