Page 91 of Kissed By the Alien
When Lutan doesn’t answer, fear rolls through me. Have I been creating a fantasy in my head about him, like I did with Devlin? I shake my head and hold back the tears. Lutan is nothing like Devlin. He’s everything good that life has to offer.
Lutan wipes the tear that escaped me. “You are unsure about me. About us?”
“You’re the one who’s unsure,” I bite back without thinking. I go on the offense too easily as a defense mechanism.
“I have no doubts about us together, sholani. We are heartmates. But I’m not sure how to tell you I will not be here when you return. The males I fought this morning were not humans, but og’dals. I must leave in the morning, while this lead is fresh. But Iwillreturn, Lexi.”
I feel better understanding the reason for his hesitation. It’s about work, not me.
“I can’t believe you found them. Moses spoke as if the og’dals weren’t returning to Earth.”
“Moses only knew what the og’dals wanted him to know. It serves their interest as there is money to be made here, both in credits and in human trafficking. These og’dals seize females each time they deliver blasters to the Brotherhood. It’s a detail I should have figured out earlier. I’ve learned much from the prisoners I captured this morning and need to coordinate with GI5, that’s the division of Galactic Intelligence that seeks out and rescues females abducted from Earth and other worlds the Coalition ruled. I cannot relay the details of what I’ve learned over the comm system.”
“You think the comms are compromised?”
“Given the information I have, I cannot take the risk. I would tell you more, sholani, but that would put you at risk and that is something I will never do again.”
“Just be careful, okay?”
He leans his forehead against mine.
“I love this, Lutan, but what does it mean?”
“It’s a zyanthan custom. A welcome after a long separation and a farewell when family parts.” He cups the back of my head, holding us together. “I will return for you, sholani. I need you to believe in that. To believe in me.”
“I do.” A tingle moves through me as I picture myself in a white dress, committing myself to my handsome warrior. But I’m getting ahead of myself. We’ll wait, do this properly, according to his traditions. I don’t need a formal wedding, just the fabulous warrior who holds me like I’m his treasure.
“These quarters in this embassy will remain mine. Ours. I will ensure your access, so you may come and go at will. You will be safe in the embassy and can request anything you need from the quartermaster. Your family and friends may visit you here as well.. I’ll make the arrangements before I leave. Should you need anything else, seek out Hunzu. He is as a brother to me, no different than Narzan.”
Lutan swallows hard at the mention of his brother, but I see the truth in his eyes, his face, and the way he holds me tighter. Heneedsme, as much as I need him.
I crash my lips to his. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”
His arms wrap around me and hold me tight. “I think we have much to learn about one another still, but I will enjoy every minute.”
I love his confidence, and he’s right. “When I get back from my trip, after I’ve spoken with my parents and smoothed things over with them, I want you to claim me. Fully, and forever.”
“That, my sweet sholani, is an excellent plan.”
“And…” I grab my coat and withdraw a small box. I hand it to him.
He opens it and holds up two necklaces, each with the interior edge cut in a zig zag. “I don’t understand.”
I hold the silver pieces together. “A heart. Rather, the symbol humans use to represent love.”
“I saw this shape at the Valentine’s Day Ball. I did not realize it held meaning. Why is it broken in two?”
“To represent two halves of a whole. Us. Heartmates. Only together are we complete.”
After I place the right half of the heart around my neck, I pick the second half up for Lutan. “Damn, the edge in the middle is rough. The jeweler didn’t smooth it out. I’ll have to take this back to him.”
Lutan’s hand covers mine. “One never refuses a gift from a heartmate.”
“You might get cut.”
He runs his thumb over the sharp edge. “Apart as heartmates we are rough… not our best selves. We need our mate to smooth out the rough edges. To enable us to grow and become better. I will think of you each time this brushes against my skin, so the time away from you will not feel as long.”
Lutan places the necklace on. With his thick neck, it doesn’t hang as low as it does on me. In fact, it’s high enough to be seen above his t-shirt, almost like a choker.
