Page 2 of Forever

“Abliadorians? From?” I looked at the handsome alien, feeling completely at ease.

“Abliador. They are Koliam’s pirates.”

We stepped out the door onto a giant veranda stretching across the back of the

palace. The gardens spread before us, luscious bushes, colorful flowers, fountains, little pools, and trails leading to gazebos.

“Isn’t there a Koliam Guard?” I grabbed his held out hand when we step from the veranda. My heart thumps hard as if I was trying to impress him. I hadn’t felt this way since I was a young adult. Even Jefferson didn’t bring this out of me. But D’Thortn is an alien and I shouldn’t think along these lines.

“There is. It’s a mixture of Zorloxians and Abliadorians. They seem to think there isn’t a pirate problem. It’s becoming more of a nuisance.”

I walked ahead of him trying to wrap my head around these odd feelings surfacing. It’s not right, I’m here with him on official visit.

We paused at a gazebo overlooking a small pond with a fountain. Beautiful purple, blue, and yellow flowers line the pond. Benches line the gazebo and we took a seat, watching the fountain. Little blue fish jump up as the spray hit the surface. I could sit here beside him for hours, just enjoying being in his presence.

CHAPTER 2

Do’Thortn

Flustered beyond imagination, I have trouble maintaining the correct composure in front of this terran from Earth. The moment I met her, my twin hearts synchronized. It struck me by such surprise, I had to leave her. Never before my twin hearts beat out of sync until the moment we locked eyes.

Her hand touched my arm briefly. “We should get to business.” She sighed, her heart racing. The urge to take her into my arms and lay on a kiss hit strong. So strongly, I couldn’t think straight.

“Of course.” We walked back to the palace in silence. It’s as if we both want to talk, but didn’t have the courage to say it.

Inside, we set adjacent to each other at the conference table in the palace offices. The heads of intergalactic travel and exchange fill the other chairs. I paid them no mind because Moxy consumed my senses. Sitting next to her in the enclosed space enabled me to breathe in her scent. A mixture of earth flowers and her raw essence caused my hearts to pound in unison. Ifelt the blood pumping through my veins leaving me in a sense of euphoria. Intoxicating and delicious, Moxy’s pulse quickened whenever her eyes met with mine, making it all the harder to sit still.

I scarcely heard the conversations about this very important meeting. Moxy took the lead and I agreed with everything she suggested. My hearts dominated the meeting for me, such an odd thing. Hyperventilation nearly got me. My eyes closed for a second while I brought my breathing under control again.

The meeting concluded and Moxy stared at me. Her hand rested on my arm, burning through my skin. “Are you okay? You seem out of sorts.”

My body trembled. The longer her hand rested on my arm, the more I shook.Ahem. “I, I can’t be close to you, Moxy. I’m sorry.” I get up and rushed away from her.

“Okay,” she said, her voice trailing as I walked away.

The door latched behind me as I rushed into my apartment. My hand brushed the hair from my eyes. All these years, I’ve lived without an inkling or an urge to be with a female anything. Dealing with my father, and then his death, took all my time and energy. It never even entered my mind that I’d find my fated mate and how I’d react. Many of my brothers have found their mates within the alien populations of other planets. My father saw to it that evolution would eventually kill off all the Zorloxian females because of his unnatural intentions to be the father to every child on Zorlox. He even shipped his semen around our planet and killed off any competition for his procreation decree. He thought himself invincible and took on every single female on Zorlox, and murdered every male that stood in his way. Hecreated a mass offspring of males, all of whom now flounder looking for their mates.

I don’t know how long I sat there before someone knocked. Thinking it was one of the palace servants, I bellowed. “Enter.”

“I’m sorry. Do’Thortn? I don’t mean to bother you, but your servants won’t allow me to leave without your escort.” Moxy thumbs to the door behind her. Beautiful creature who the moment she’s in my sight caused my hearts to thump heartily in unison.

It’s not fair to her that I’m being reclusive. “Please, come in and have a seat,” I said as I waved at my seating arroangement. She took a seat nearest the door and perched on the edge, her shapely legs crossing and her foot dancing to an unheard melody. Distracting. I turned away, sucking in a deep breath, I turned back to her.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I just want to get my business done and head back to Earth. I have a daughter there.”

I sunk to the sofa, her words hitting me like a bolt of lightning straight from Tarka. I didn’t know much about her prior to her arrival, other than she’s the liaison from Earth.

“Oh. You’re married?” The question slipped out before I could filter my words. Not exactly something one asked on an official visit like this.

Her eyes focus straight ahead, looking at some situation in my mind. “I am, but I am in the process of divorce.” She shook her head and gave nervous laughter.

A divorce?Ahem. “I’m sorry to hear that Moxy. It must be difficult to have a child with a man and then divorce him.”

She winced and then smiled. “Honestly, Jefferson and I should have never married. It was more of a means to climb the career ladder. We’re both political in a way, on a galactic scale. I don’t know.”

It’s hard for me to understand. “But you have a child.”

She laughed. “Do’thortn, you don’t have to be married to have a child. And as a married couple, well, Kenna was a sweet surprise. I wouldn’t trade her for the world. It’s the only good thing to come out of the marriage.”

---