Gabe's Destiny (Alien Mates Book Three) (15 page)

“I know you’re awake.” His voice was laced with a gentleness that touched her.

She rolled over one last time to snuggle close to him like she had the right. Inhaling deeply, she breathed him in committing his scent to memory. How could life be so cruel to give her what she dreamed of since she was a child only to snatch it back?

“I’m up.” Slowly she pulled away from him allowing her normal shield to fall back in place. He could hurt her, again who was she kidding? He would hurt her the minute he walked away.

“Are you okay?”

She looked into his eyes and for a moment the desire to say no was on her tongue but she knew better. It was bad enough she was hurting, there was no reason he should have to join her.

“I’m fine, simply wondering what’s on the agenda for today.”

“I was hoping more of the same. It would be nice to stay in this little spot for a while and just get to know each other.”

She nodded even as she slipped out of bed knowing that wouldn’t happen. Taking a look at her body, she remembered it was nude. What did it matter, he’d seen every inch of her last night. With her head held high, she walked into the bathroom. Once the door was closed she sank against the wall.

Pushing up, she went to stand in front of his full length mirror. Her eyes said she didn’t look any different but her mind disagreed. The woman who looked back at her was beautiful. This was the first time she ever saw herself that way. She was pretty or passable but never beautiful. Her lips were amazing; they looked kissable and her grey eyes sparked with an emotion she couldn’t name. Her legs appeared longer, her breasts perkier; overall she was pleased with what she saw in the mirror. More importantly, she felt love for the woman who stared back at her.

Refusing to cry at the revelation, she hopped in the shower because everyone knew that in the shower there were no tears just water from the rainfall showerhead. She really did love Gabe’s style.

Grabbing a towel, she dried off and walked into the bedroom to find clothes draped over the bed waiting for her. She didn’t question, this was the trials, and it must provide what you need. The face of the woman she met earlier drifted through her mind before she shook her head and got dressed.

She was wearing a simple pair of light weight jeans that hugged her ass and fit perfectly around her waist. They showed off her legs making them look great. The top she wore was fitted at her breast and flowed loose around her stomach. She’s always loved tops like this, but couldn’t remember the last time she gave into the indulgence of buying one. There were shoes for her, flat baby doll shoes that were a brilliant purple to match the top.

Color coordinated! If only she could send a pic to her mom. She’d be overjoyed to see Taya taking care in what she was wearing. Her straight black hair hit her at chin length and actually did what it was supposed to do so it looked great. The last time she remembered looking this great was high school graduation. The Taya she used to be smiled at her and she was so happy to have her back that she embraced herself with both arms.

“Breakfast is done.’’ Gabe’s voice brought her out of her self-hug and made her smile.

She left the room and walked towards the side of the cabin where the kitchen was.

“Mmm, forget about breakfast; you look good enough to eat.” His eyes glowed warming her up.

A smile came out of nowhere as she put a little more switch in her step before going to sit down.

“Remember that when I swat that ass.”

“Promises, promises tell me anything.”

“That’s more than a promise.” He walked over to her gathering her up in his arms and kissed her until her head spun. His hand slid down and pinched her backside before placing her back in her chair.

“Hope you’re hungry.”

“I’m starving,” and she meant it.

He placed food in front of her and they ate silently until she lifted her hands to stare at them. They were covered in flames.

“Playtime is over.” She heard the woman’s voice in her head before she was wrenched out of the cabin and thrown far away. Gabe’s scream was still ringing in her ears.

Where was she? It was dark, almost pitch black, and she was amazed that she had a little visibility in the darkness.

“It’s because you’re connected to the Arbrin. If you were soul-bonded you would have much more visibility.”

She stumbled to a stop to see Voyager standing in front of her.

“How did you know what I was thinking? Why are you here? Where’s Gabe? Why can’t we just be divorced and get it over with?” Her heart bled as she asked the last question, not that she would ever let him know.

“Are you really that interested in cutting him lose? Aliens not your thing? You have some sort of species xenophobia?”

“What?”

“A human who thinks aliens shouldn’t intermingle with the human race. They’re good enough to be friends with, maybe, but not good enough to love or soul-bond with.”

“You take that back! You’re talking about Gabe, he’s not an alien he’s just Gabe. I mean he is an alien but…you know what I mean. Just take it back!”

“I take it back.” His lips quirked up in a smile. “I guess we should find Gabe the alien who’s not an alien.”

“Where is he?”

“Knowing Gabe he’s somewhere being tortured for all the things he thinks he’s failed at. You can now add yourself to the list.”

Her feet stood rooted to the ground even as he turned to walk away.

“Explain. I need to know what’s happening. Nothing can happen to him.” She would tear her heart out and hold it mangled and bloody in her hands as long as he was okay. One of them needed to be fine and she was choosing him.

Voyager looked at her as if he were examining every facet of her being to see if she was worthy of an explanation, worthy of Gabe.

“Like you, Gabe didn’t have an easy life. He lost his parents and was sent to this planet at a young age. Then his brother was taken by a Sudir. No one knew at first that the link between him and his brother was as powerful as it was. Rylan was tortured and Gabe felt it until their link became so strong that whatever was done to Rylan’s body was done to Gabe’s. He doesn’t talk about it, most days he doesn’t acknowledge it, but it’s killing him. This is where he will die…unless.”

“Unless what!” she screamed at him. Why was he talking in riddles?

Just tell her what she needed to do to make sure Gabe lived.

Voyager shrugged his shoulders.

“Gabe is in that direction.” He pointed behind her back. “I suggest you avoid it; there’s a Sudir waiting for you there. You should come with me, I know a shortcut to get you out of here and then you’ll be a free woman, able to live your life away from him.”

She looked behind her and shivered. Voyager was offering what she wanted. A quick divorce, but if she left Gabe would be in danger. How could she leave him that way? How could she face a Sudir? Her fears rose up to attack her, encouraging her to leave. She wouldn’t do it; there was no way she would ever leave him in danger.

“Will you come with me?”

“Me?” His eyebrows reached for the moon. “A snotty rich kid against a Sudir? It would be a massacre. You should let me show you the way out of here.”

She shook her head. Gabe needed her and she wasn’t leaving him alone. Turning her back on Voyager, she started in the direction he pointed out.

“What if you die?” His voice sounded different to her ears but she didn’t turn around.

“Some people, beings, aliens are worth the sacrifice.”

“You’re correct, young one. Allow me to tell you a secret.”

She inclined her head to the side and waited.

“I have faith in you. Your courage is extraordinary.” His voice wasn’t young and bratty, it was powerful and she swung around on her heels, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Squaring her shoulders, she took off with a firmer step and more faith in her abilities. There was a feeling about Voyager that communicated with her. It wouldn’t be easy, but at least she had a chance.

The longer she walked, the sharper her eyesight became. Deep within her, she wished she couldn’t see this well. The grass around her feet was black. Just that little detail sent chills up her spine. The trees looked like weeping willows, if willows had dagger-like projectiles coming from their branches. At any moment she expected to be surrounded by the projectiles and hauled up against the tree unable to break free. The light of the blood red moon became eerie, and an evil glow covered the land.

This is not what she signed up for and still she couldn’t make herself turn around. The thought of Gabe in trouble made her want to throw caution to the wind. An itch started in the palm of her hand, looking down she noticed a flame, barely there but comforting in its presence.

“Welcome.” Where had he come from? One minute she was alone, now he hovered in the air closer to her than was comfortable.

She looked the Sudir over, they all looked the same to her but she could tell this one wasn’t Zuhun. There was no way to tell if that was good or not.

“Umm thanks.” Her mom always told her to try being nice first. She turned away from him deciding to walk around him.

“Well, that was rude.” He placed himself right in front of her. “You came to visit and now you’re trying to leave.”

“I’m looking for someone.” She gave a pleasant but disinterested smile.

“I know but he’s presently marinating. I could go for an appetizer before dinner and you showed up.”

“I rather sure you don’t want me. Too fatty.”

His eyes blazed red and his body started to hum.

Well, mom did stress kindness, her dad on the other hand always said just kill the… Mom wouldn’t let him cuss so he ended it there but when she got older she knew what he meant.

She dropped to the ground, raised a shield, and rolled away. How did she just do that? Her limited ability to fight evil hadn’t taught her much. It was the caress against her mind that let her know where the knowledge was coming from. Gabe was sacrificing himself in order to help her. Didn’t he know he was the one who had to live? She’d yell at him later.

The Sudir threw a dagger at her that was aimed at her heart. Her shield wasn’t going to protect her from that. She jumped in the air. Her mind screamed stupid even as she did it. How high did she think she would go? Rather high, when she looked down she realized she was standing on air. How was she doing it? She wasn’t, someone was doing it for her.

A dark pair of feminine eyes flashed through her mind. Now wasn’t the time to ask or argue. She said a fervent thank you and threw the dagger that appeared in her hand right through the Sudir’s heart. He disappeared like he was never there.

She had to find Gabe, the knowledge pressed on every cell of her body making her feet move faster, causing her to be clumsy as she stumbled over roots she swore weren’t there a minute ago. Her body screamed she would be too late while it also urged her to caution. The need to find him suffocated her and for the first time since college she prayed, pleading in earnest that she would find him in time.

It was his blood curdling scream that held her in place, before her feet moved to a run. She crashed through the branches like a crazed bull that had just seen a red flag. Gabe! The howl of pain in her mind made her want to fall to her knees in tears but she continued to move forward, one-minute running, the next stumbling until she fell into an open field.

Voyager hadn’t lied. Gabe was being tortured. Behind him stood a figure dressed all in black who wielded a whip against his back leaving him raw and bloody. In front of him stood another figure dressed like the first with a huge knife in his hand. He was cutting the skin of his chest open. Gabe stood between them immobilized.

How could she help him? Taking a step, she inched her way forward until she was standing in front of him. Neither of the figures moved or even seemed to acknowledge she was there. What was happening?

“Torture happens in so many forms but the worse is mental. The woman who lives the abuse over and over never being able to forgive herself for something that was never her fault. Never being able to move on to enjoy what life has in store for her.” Voyage’s words ripped into her soul showing her another picture of herself.

“The male who blames himself because he was the one left behind even though nothing he could have done would have changed that fact. There is always but if I had done this. Although the truth is ‘this’ doesn’t guarantee things would have been better or different. Gabe’s abuse is not physical, not this time. It is mental. He can’t get past what happened to him as a child and because of that one small fact he will die a very painful death.”

“Why are you here?” He wasn’t helping her. It was like he was doom and gloom come to tell her to stop thinking Gabe had a chance at a real life.

“I feel responsible for tossing you into the trials. Anyway, I am here to lead you out. Him.” He pointed towards Gabe. “He ran in here after you like some love sick boy. Whatever he gets he deserves.”

“How do I save him?”

“You don’t, you save yourself. This is your time to prove to the world that you are smart and witty. You go home to your parents and live forever after with them because you were smart enough to leave him behind. You came to the trials, you redeemed yourself. Now the world will know you are not what they labeled you so long ago.”

The words had hurt, to be called a whore and slut cut her to her core. If they had stopped there, maybe she could have walked away with her pride, her dignity. But they didn’t. They insinuated she cheated on her tests, the ones she spent days and nights studying for. The school made her take an IQ test which she flunked. It said she was extremely low. She had been kept up for two weeks straight but the school classified that as a minor detail. It was the last straw, she walked out of there broken.

“All you have to do is walk away to prove to the world just how intelligent you are.”

“No.” She turned her back on him and watched Gabe as he cried out in pain. When she turned back to Voyager, the tears in her eyes were running down her cheeks. “I don’t care what the world thinks about me. I don’t even care what you think about me. I’ve walked under a cloud of shame for too long. I once heard that sticks and stones could hurt you but words couldn’t. They lied; words hurt more than any beating because they burrow into your brain and they don’t let you go no matter how you try to shake free.”