Page 53 of Secretly Abducted
"Ready?" I ask.
"No." But he takes my hand, and together we walk into the main room.
His family has arranged themselves formally—parents seated on cushions, Kar'on standing behind them. It looks like a tribunal.
"Sit," his father—Tav'ik, I remember from Vel'aan's mentions—commands.
We settle across from them. I can feel Vel'aan's anxiety through the bond, so I send back calm confidence. It seems to help.
"Explain," his mother says simply.
"What would you like explained?" I ask.
"How a three-day acquaintance results in a permanent empathic bond."
"It wasn't three days for me," I say. "I've been looking for Vel'aan for ten years. When I finally found him, everything just... clicked."
"Clicked," his father repeats dubiously.
"I know it sounds insane. But it's like my soul recognized his."
Kar'on makes a soft sound. "That's actually romantic."
"That's delusional," his father counters. "Humans don't have soul recognition."
"How would you know?" I ask mildly. "How many humans have you studied?"
His eyes narrow. "You're disrespectful."
"I'm direct. There's a difference." I lean forward. "Look, I understand your concerns. Your son bonds with a virtual stranger from another species after a few days. You're worried I'm taking advantage, or that I'll hurt him, or that this is some weird human fetish thing."
"Is it?" his mother asks bluntly.
"No. I didn't come here looking for a Nereidan partner. I came looking for the specific person who saved my life. The fact that I fell in love with him is... unexpected but not unwelcome."
"Love," his father scoffs. "After three days."
"Creator Father—" Vel'aan starts.
"You barely know each other," his mother interrupts. "What do you know of his life? His work? His past relationships?"
"I know he's kind," Vel'aan says quietly. "I know he crossed space to thank me for something I didn't understand doing. I know he respects my boundaries and pushes me when I need pushing. I know the bond we formed is real and deep."
"Bonds can be broken," his father says.
"No." Vel'aan's voice is firm. "They can't. And I wouldn't want to break this one even if they could."
"You would choose this human over your family's concerns?"
"I would choose not to have to choose," Vel'aan replies. "But if you force me to... yes. I choose Alex."
"Perhaps," Kar'on says into the tense silence, "we could share morning meal and actually get to know the human before making dramatic declarations?"
"I can cook," I offer. "Human food. Unless that would be offensive?"
"You cook?" his mother asks, surprised.
"Quite well, actually. It was one of my hobbies on Earth." I stand. "Let me make breakfast. We can talk while I work."
