STEEL: MC ROMANCE (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 3) (30 page)

9.

When Eli reluctantly rose from the bed and Chantel lazed back and watched him walk across the room naked, before he gathered up a robe and wrapped it around himself, she realized she had no idea how long she had been away from home.

Would people have noticed she was missing?

Would Sarah have alerted the police?

Would her family be looking for her?

Would they think she was dead?

Her mind began to race and she felt the dread creeping up inside of her again. She knew that she couldn’t stay there. She couldn’t give up her life in order to roam around space with her hot alien lover, no matter how much she may want to.

Eli turned to her with a sad smile as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.

“I’ll be reluctant to take you home,” he said. “But I know it wouldn’t be fair to keep you here.”

Chantel wiped a lone tear from the corner of her eye. The last thing she wanted to do was say goodbye.

“You must think about what I said,” Eli said with a smile. “How you respond to all of this once you return home. Remember, I said that you have been given a unique opportunity and set of information.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, growing frustrated with how cryptically he spoke.

“I mean, you have seen things no one of earth has ever seen, and you have knowledge of the universe that not many know. If you wanted to, you could help me, in the future.”

He said it hopefully and raised his eyebrows and Chantel felt a rush of excitement.

“I could help you?” she asked with glee.

“Yes,” he smiled. “Now you know what to look for in the beings of X-11 and of how they try to organize large groups of women together when they are off their guard. Maybe, you could be like a watcher for your planet. I could certainly do with the help.” Eli walked back over to her and took her hand.

“Oh my, Eli.” she gasped. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Please, just say yes,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her softly on the forehead. “I couldn’t bear the thought of taking you back to your planet and never seeing you again.”

“And if I become a watcher?” she asked.

“Then you will have one of these,” he reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a watch similar to the one he had been wearing when he rescued her. “And you’ll be able to contact me whenever you need me.”

He held her hand and looked deep into her eyes. Chantel wasn’t sure if she could handle the responsibility of having to watch over her entire planet, but she knew she didn’t want to lose Eli. Maybe they could have secret space rendezvous and travel together again. Maybe he would show her other planets and tell her much more about the universe. It was sure to blow her mind, but she knew that it was something she was willing to explore and open up to.

“Of course I will,” she smiled as she wrapped her arms around him. “I’d be honored to help you Eli.”

They kissed and she stared into his eyes again. He really was an incredible being, whether he was a man, or an advanced version, he certainly had all of the qualities she wanted and loved and she knew she had found someone special.

“I think it’s time,” he said sadly as he got to his feet and held out his hands.

Chantel stood up beside him and gathered her clothes. As she dressed Eli watched her and she knew what he was thinking because she was thinking the exact same thing. Out of an entire universe, they had been brought together and had shared an amazing, life changing experience. She would love him forever and she would never forget him.

Eli wrapped his arms around her and slipped the watch around her wrist. He fastened it in place and Chantel looked down at it. On first glance it just looked like a plain circular face, but when she looked closer she could see the intricate system of stars glinting within in.

“When you need me,” he whispered. “Just ask.”

He leaned forward and kissed her again.

“I’ll be watching over you Chantel,” he smiled. “And I’ll be back for you soon.”

Chantel kissed him and tried to cling to him as the whole expanse of space around them seemed to begin to disappear. She felt her body jolt and her mind begin to spin. She could see stars. Millions of stars. Shooting past her and swirling, gaining momentum and forming a spiral.

With a crack she was in darkness and when she opened her eyes she realized she was back in her own bed. She sat upright and in the other corner she could see the mound of Sarah’s body, breathing softly beneath her duvet and snoring ever so slightly.

“Sarah?” she croaked.

Sarah groaned and rolled over, rubbing her eyes and peeking out at Chantel through the dark.

“What?” she said sleepily.  

“What happened?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” Sarah leaned up with irritation. “You bailed and left me at the party so I had to come home. You were passed out drunk here.” She rolled her eyes and flopped back down on the bed.

For a moment, Chantel really did think she had imagined it all. Could it have all been a dream? But the small watch that was still strapped tightly to her wrist told her otherwise. She had been somewhere else that night, somewhere she could never, and would never tell anyone about.

She lay back down in bed and turned towards the window. The stars above her twinkled brightly in the night sky and she smiled. For the first time ever, she had a very special secret and it felt good. Now every time she looked up at the heavens she would only think of one person. Because now she knew what was out there, and she couldn’t wait to experience it again.

THE END

Samantha Leal

Copyright ©2015 by Samantha Leal. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic of mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Thank you so much for your interest in my work!

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 1

Freya stood and stared at herself in the mirror. It was still early morning, but she couldn’t sleep. She had far too much on her mind. She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. Her eyes were glistening back at her, azure blue and piercing white, and she wished that the bags beneath them would disappear before her first day but knew she was out of luck.

Behind her the clock ticked and flashed 6:00 am. She hadn’t set the alarm for another hour at least, but there was no way she could go back to bed now. She looked over at her closet and at the outfit she had chosen. It was hung up on the outside and looming over her. A pair of jeans ripped at the knee, a tight white t-shirt and little flats. It wasn’t anything special, but she’d needed to keep her mind clear and know what she was going to be wearing in advance. She had so much riding on her college experience, and she didn’t want to ruin her first day by stressing last minute about what she should wear.

Somewhere outside a bird began singing. The sun had yet to rise, but the dawn chorus started up across the quad, making her feel better. She was a college girl now and she had all the freedom she could ever want. She needed to embrace it, not fear it.

Freya had always been a timid girl and kept to herself. Growing up, she had a select, loyal set of friends and feared that leaving her hometown security and being away from her family would be difficult. She had now been at college a week and found herself settling in. She had made acquaintances, and even though they weren’t the sort of people she would generally choose to hang out with, they seemed nice and had been fun for a few nights out. She just knew there wasn’t going to be a lasting friendship there. Everything was so new and exciting, and she had to keep her feet on the ground as to not get swept up in it all. She didn’t want to be one of those people who completely changed the second they went off to college and ended up screwing up their future with a lack of commitment to the real reason they were there in the first place. She was going to ace all of her classes and exams, and she was going to go places. No matter what happened or who she met, she would always put her education first.

The sound of the trash men filtered up from the street and Freya walked over to the window. The sun was beginning to rise and she decided to open it and let in a cool blast of air. It helped her feel more awake, and as she stretched her arms over her head, she knew it was the right time to stop pacing her dorm room and finally get showered, dressed and out there, ready to start the day.

“I’m so glad I didn’t have to share,” she smiled to herself as she looked around at the double room she had all to herself. “Imagine having to work around someone else all full of nerves!”

The idea of sharing a room with a complete stranger had never appealed to her. Freya knew that no matter how strange and alien a place was, she would always prefer to have her own space, somewhere she could unwind and have some privacy. Though this had also meant she was at a disadvantage. She saw roomies who had bonded quickly, and Freya felt slightly out on a limb, as if she was going to be denied a close girlfriend that she so really wanted.

She pulled her towel from the back of the door, and as she made her way into the corridor, she was very aware that not one other person was stirring.

Maybe I’m going to have to lighten up
, she thought.
I should probably party more and worry less.

She giggled to herself as she pushed open the door to the communal girls’ showers and turned on the light. To her complete surprise, there was another girl in there, wrapped in a towel and about to go into one of the cubicles. They stood staring at each other for a moment before Freya smiled and shrugged.

“I guess you couldn’t sleep, either?” she asked.

“Nope,” the girl replied, seeming nervous too.

“I’m Freya,” she held out her hand and the girl shook it.

“I’m Julie,” the girl nodded. “It’s good to know I’m not the only one who wasn’t out partying all night.”

“Yeah,” Freya laughed. “I want to make a good impression, you know?”

“Sure,” she said, flicking her long black hair over her shoulder. “I would have hated to be hungover on my first day in classes… For some reason, I just feel like it would set me on the course to fail!” she laughed.

“I felt exactly the same,” Freya grinned. “I don’t think I’m cut out for the binge drinking, hard partying side college has to offer.”

“I know what you mean,” Julie said as she took another step inside the shower before turning back and smiling again. “I’m in room 5C, we should hang out sometime… if you want…?”

“I’d like that,” Freya smiled, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

The girl nodded and waved before she ducked into the shower and closed the door. She was the first person Freya had met who seemed like the type of person she would have been friends with back home. She could see herself striking up a friendship with Julie. After Freya showered and left the bathroom, she called “Bye!” over the sound of the water jets.

“Catch you later, Freya!” Julie called back.

Freya smiled. She had officially made her first real college friend. 

Chapter 2

At the end of a long day of navigating her way around campus, meeting her new teachers and trying to keep on top of all of her work and ever-expanding reading list, Freya staggered back to her dorm room, opened the door and collapsed on the bed.

It was only 4:00 pm, but she felt like it was the middle of the night. She reached over and pulled her cell phone out of her bag. The only message was from her mother, asking her how her first day had gone. She smiled and texted a quick reply.

She was already overwhelmed with the amount of work, but she wasn’t going to let it deter her. She knew she could handle it. She opened up her diary and looked at the scrawled reading list. There were at least thirty books on it, and even though she knew she would never be able to read all of them, she would have to try to read at least half.

She was about to crawl under her duvet and try to sleep when there was a light knock at the door. She silently debated ignoring it, but when the tap came again, she slid from the bed and dragged her feet across to the door. She opened it and was instantly glad that she had.

“Hey,” Julie smiled with a wave. “I thought I’d come and see how you did today.”

“Oh, hi,” Freya smiled, stepping back so the door hung open. “Do you want to come in?”

Julie didn’t answer her but smiled and walked past her into the room. She sat down at the chair next to Freya’s desk and rested her hands on her knees.

“So, how did you find my room?” Freya asked with an impressed laugh.

“Oh, I just asked a couple of people,” Julie smiled. “It’s not exactly hard to find anyone in this building, especially with a name like yours… pretty unique!”

“I guess,” Freya sat down on the bed next to her and looked around the room, unsure of what to say next.

“Listen,” Julie said, as if she could tell there was a slight tension in the air. “I was just wondering really if you felt like getting off campus tonight and going for something to eat… Sort of like a celebrate the first day at college type of thing?”

“Sure,” Freya sat forward. “That would be great.”

Julie smiled back at her, and Freya had the feeling there was something else on her mind that she was holding back.

“Is everything okay?” she asked her finally.

Julie shrugged and smiled. She was staring at Freya, taking in every feature on her face and sizing her up.

“Everything’s fine,” she said. “You just remind me of someone, that’s all.”

“Oh?” Freya asked, but Julie waved her hand as if to bat away the conversation.

“So, tell me all about how you did,” she said instead. “I’ve got a mountain of books to buy. What about you?”

“Oh, totally the same,” Freya laughed, “I think I’m going to be glued to books for the foreseeable future.”

“Yes!” Julie laughed. “Me too! Good job we’re not into partying, huh?”

“Well, I guess we’ll have to let our hair down at some point,” Freya shrugged. “All work and no play makes Freya a dull girl… or something.”

Julie threw her head back and laughed. “I’m glad you said that before I did,” she grinned. “Everything in moderation, I guess.”

“Definitely,” Freya nodded.

“What are the other people like?” Julie gestured to the rest of Freya’s corridor.

“Wild,” she rolled her eyes. “I went out with them last week, but to be honest I didn’t really gel with any of them.”

“I don’t think I’ve even really met anybody else apart from you…” Julie said quietly. “To be honest, I’m pretty selective about my friends.”

Freya nodded, knowing exactly what that felt like.

“So,” Julie jumped to her feet. “Can I come back around seven?”

“Sure,” Freya stood up to and walked over to the door with her. It hung open still and they could see other girls and guys coming back from their own lectures and seminars. “I’ll be ready!”

“Great,” Julie smiled as she started on down the hallway and turned back and waved.

As she walked away, Freya had a suspicious feeling. There was something in Julie’s eyes that Freya couldn’t put her finger on… It was as if she wanted something from her, but didn’t dare ask. She shook out her shoulders and told herself to stop being paranoid. Both the girls obviously had trouble making friends, and they had found each other and instantly clicked. Maybe Julie just couldn’t believe her luck that she’d found someone in the craziest dorm on campus who liked spending her evenings more chilled out than girls gone wild. But as she started to get ready and curled her hair, she couldn’t shake the feeling. When Julie came back for her later, she was determined to find out what was going on. She would just have to tread carefully.