Page 62 of Alien Prince Fake Fiancé

The maju paste that transformed Sasha into something not quite human was still a closely guarded secret. Bren was talking about a Lumerian Yielding, she was sure, not what happened to the human woman who’d been exposed to maju pastepriorto the ceremony.

Instead of prompting Ashlyn for more of an explanation, Bren left the room. A few minutes later, he returned with Rachel and Cam, Sasha and Dagan. Judging by their shocked expressions, he’d already filled them in.

The tension grew uncomfortably thick, splashing water the only sound breaking the silence. Rachel and Cam exchanged worried glances as Ashlyn lowered her head to Zade’s chest and stared blindly. “I love him so much.”

"It’s too risky, Ash. You know that, don’t you? There has to be another way," Rachel protested, her voice cracking with emotion.

Cam pulled Rachel close. "We are grateful to Zade for saving you, sister of my mate, and we feel deep sorrow at his present condition, but we do not want you to throw away his sacrifice with one of your own.”

Lytha’s slight form shrank even more with the weight of her sadness. "As much as I love my grandson, I must agree. Such a bond requires a willingness of the heart, mind, and soul, in order to work. Zade’s mind is gone from this world. He drifts in the veil, beyond our reach. He cannot give you what he does not have.”

Nodding in agreement, Rachel added, “You know even the Lumerians rarely bonded that way because once initiated, if they couldn’t fully connect, they would both die. There was no turning back. Even Cam and I haven’t risked it, and we’re totally committed to each other. Please, Ash. Promise you won’t try it.”

Sasha and Dagan looked at one another in silent communication. Dagan nodded, then Sasha offered gently, “And we do not know if it can be done without being genetically altered by maju paste first.”

“What is this? What are you talking about?” Lytha frowned in confusion.

Dagan explained gruffly, “There are four human women, not just Sasha, who have successfully bonded to their mates through a Yielding, and in all three cases, they had already been altered through direct contact with either maju paste or maju water. This could be a coincidence, but I doubt it.”

“Why have I not heard of this? How, exactly, were they altered?”

“The microbes that live inside the maju stones. Human skin is not as thick as Caldorian skin, and so the microbes can burrow deeper. That’s what changed them. The microbes, once in the bloodstream, altered their genetic code.”

Ashlyn shivered with apprehension. The four humans that had survived had gained incredible powers, but there were others, she’d heard, that hadn’t survived. TheVilitos, an evil reptilian species in league with the 'Dark Ones' andA’Nua Na-KI, had been caught experimenting on humans not so long ago. None of the women had lived without a mate to anchor their new power. None.

So, the paste was likely to kill her before she ever had the chance to attempt a Yielding with Zade. Could she survive the maju paste? She loved him with all her heart, but did he truly love her, too? If he didn’t, the Yielding would fail, and they would both die, caught in an incomplete bond forever. Was she willing to risk them both on the chance that he did?If I don’t, he’ll die for sure.

"Ash," Rachel protested, drawing her back to the present. "I can tell what you’re thinking. I won’t let you do it. It’s too dangerous."

"My love, the decision must be hers," Cam said quietly.

Dagan nodded. “The paste took several days to change Sasha. Can Zade survive that much longer?”

Lytha put a hand over her heart, her wise, ancient eyes full of pain. “We were unable to connect to him at all. He’s very far away. I doubt he’ll last through the night. He is ready to let go.”

“Four human women?” Bren began to pace. “I had only heard rumors about you, Queen Sasha. You say there have been four? What if Ashlyn swam in the sacred pool behind the house, where the maju water is more concentrated? Its incredible healing powers are well known, even among my kind. If she immersed herself, perhaps the water might work more quickly.”

“That sounds even more dangerous!” Rachel yelled, breaking away from her mate to shout angrily at Bren, her hands balled into angry fists. “This is my sister we’re talking about!”

“What about a true stasis?” Sasha asked. “Could he survive if we put him in a medically induced stasis, like the Lumerians did with some of their children until it was safe? Could we do that to give him more time?”

“Sasha! How can you encourage this insanity?” Rachel blurted, clearly upset.

Blushing, Sasha made eye contact with each one of them. “Because I’m the only one here who has gone through both the transformation with the maju paste and a Yielding.” She locked eyes with Rachel last, her voice filled with conviction. “If Ashlyn feels for Zade as I feel for Dagan, and as I know you feel for Cam, how can we not support her, if that’s what she wants to do? She could survive, just like I did. I know it. I would do it all over again, every bit of it, to save Dagan.”

“And I would forbid you to do it, little one, just as Zade would forbid Ashlyn, if he were able,” Dagan countered.

Sasha frowned at her mate. “You have no room to talk, as you were the one to do exactly what we’re talking about, when I was dying. You went ballistic. Now, Ashlyn is in the same situation, faced with the same decision.”

Dagan scowled. “This is not the same.”

Cam wrapped his arms around Rachel, pressed her into his comforting embrace, and murmured something into her ear that Ashlyn couldn’t hear. Rachel broke down, tears streaming down her face.

“That does not answer the question.” Bren pressed on, “Would putting him in such a stasis give him more time? Perhaps a Yielding would be unnecessary. We have that type of pod on board the Reaper. We could have it transported in immediately.”

All eyes turned to Lytha. “We could try it, but that would not solve the problem, only delay it. You can force the preservation of his physical body indefinitely. That will not bring his mind back.”

Fear gnawed at Ashlyn’s insides as the conversation droned on without her. They meant well. She’d been so careful not to touch the maju paste, not to go anywhere near it. No one knew the paste, known for its healing powers among the Caldorians, would have the opposite effect on humans, until Dagan used it on Sasha. The microbes that thrived in the paste and made the beautiful markings the Caldorians loved, would burrow deep within humans, altering them forever.If they survived at all.

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