Page 36 of The Alien I Fell in Love with on Walpurgis Night

“Is Axl in trouble?”

“No. Of course not. But he does believe that once you know the truth you’ll want to stay here. Men are such romantics. They are so emotional and never thinking practically when it comes to their hearts.”

I understand everything with complete clarity now thanks to the doctor’s intervention and I feel like a fool for not believing Axl when he told me over and over again that this wasn’t a game. But I can’t deny that I still hold a place in my heart for Axl and that that was one of the major factors in my not wanting to believe he was an alien. I wanted him to be human so that we could really be together. “Am I going to be sent back to Earth now?”

“Not yet. Commander Axl has requested you stay long enough to make a decision about returning to Earth or staying here and being his wife. The Head of House Zu, his mother, has granted his request.”

“Stay for how long?”

“Seven days. Don’t worry he only has courting privileges.”

I remember Axl mentioning courting before. “What does that mean?”

“He can’t kiss you or initiate sex.” Before I can ask another question, the doctor adds, “Axl’s mother dotes on him which is why you have to stay an extra seven days. I told her that I thought it would be best for you and for him if you were allowed to leave immediately.”

“Why would I want to do that? Is there something wrong with Axl?”

“Of course not. Love is a sickness. The longer you say around him, the more difficult it will be for you to leave.”

“Maybe I want to stay. Why do you assume that I want to leave?”

The doctor pats my hand. “Because I’ve been in your mind. I know you’re suffering from love sickness. But I also know that you’re a hard worker and don’t like to be slighted based on circumstances in your life you can’t control.”

“You were in my mind?”

“It was the easiest and healthiest way to sort out the muddle you had gotten yourself into mentally, all the questioning of what was real and what was fake. And you were absolutely stubborn in believing aliens did not exist, so there was no way to help you without entering your mind.”

“And now I’m questioning if this is real or fake. How can you enter someone’s mind?”

“Almost all Alliance doctors use telepathy as part of our skillset. It’s a genetic talent that’s become enhanced through natural selection over several generations. It helps us know how patients are really feeling and get to the root cause of illnesses, especially mental ones. I know you know this is real now. I’ve grounded your thoughts and cut out the confusion.”

“I still feel confused in my heart.”

“I can make you forget Axl if you want? You’ve only known him for a week. It would be an easy thing to do.”

“No. I never want to forget him.”

“That’s good. It’s healthier to suffer through a love lost.”

“What if I don’t leave? What if I stay?”

“Trust me. I’ve been a doctor for over a hundred galactic years, rarely do people surprise me anymore.”

I let that sink in. “Do I have a room to stay in for these seven days or will I be kept here naked?”

“You have a room. I’ll have a slave show you to it. There you will find everything you need for your stay with us.”

“Axl bought me some clothing.”

“Which was illegal. All of that clothing has been returned to him. The Head of House Zu has provided you with new clothing.”

“Where is it? I would like to go to my room.”

“It’s upstairs in the wardrobe.”

I feel like this is a game of twenty questions. “Could someone please bring something down for me to wear?”

“You can walk to your room naked. It’s the Watching. No one is going to care whether or not you are clothed. Others may even be naked themselves.”

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