Chapter 8

Before going to sleep, I’d asked NAID to wake me up in the morning. She did so with gentle beeping. I rolled over, swearing, and Lucy stretched, clawing at the silky sheets.

“You did ask me to wake you.” Her thin lips puckered. She did that often. Maybe it was a habit of Edith Smith?

“Sorry. I’m not a morning person.”

“It’s fine. I shouldn’t have, let alone display emotions. It is unfitting for NAID.”

“My mom used to tell me, emotions were for everyone. Men could cry. Women could be angry. Emotions are a part of us.”

“I’m not human.”

“But you are a person.” NAID was a person. There were no doubts or arguments that could sway me.

“As you’ve said.” NAID grinned.

“NAIDs don’t have emotions?”

“There is one of us. We are all part of the whole, interconnected. My connection was not established to the hub, because of Prince Kalvoxrencol’s rush to leave. NAID does not have emotions or original thoughts. It is a computer program.”

“But you’re different. Since the first time I met you, you didn”t seem like a computer. You even chose this appearance, so I wouldn’t be scared.”

“There is a flaw in my programming.”

“No, you are just you.”

“I like that.”

“That’s why you should choose a name, like you chose this face.”

“Edith Smith. Ninety-two. Married with fifteen children and forty-two grandchildren. She is a fan of Ruby Dixon, red wine, and jazz. She likes to post videos about marriage and life advice online. She has over ten thousand followers on various sites,” NAID said like she was giving a report.

“That’s a lot of children.”

NAID’s eyes twinkled in mischief. “By her own words, though more colloquial, she loves reproductive activities.”

I had absolutely no response to the frisky grandmother, so I weakly said, “Good for her.”

“Would you like to see her videos or read some of her favorite books? They are what you would call alien smut.”

Thatwas not something I needed at this exact second. “I’m good.” My eyes moved to the door. “Is he out there?”

“He hasn’t awoken yet, but he will shortly.”

I needed to take control of this situation and fight my way through it. My life had changed drastically many times. Hiding was what I normally did, but I wouldn’t survive six months, no a year, in this room. So I showered and dressed, pulling on a hoodie. I always felt better with the thick fabric surrounding me. Secure or something. I couldn’t explain it.

When I stepped into my bedroom, NAID said, “Prince Kalvoxrencol is awake.”

Panic clawed me. My mind immediately conjured worst-case scenarios: abuse, yelling, and pain. I took a deep breath. Kalvoxrencol had done nothing more than kidnap me, which was not ideal, but he’d done nothing else.

One year. I had to hold on for one year.

I would focus on my next move. Nothing more, nothing less. I would survive. I’d done it before and I could do it again. Granted, I hadn’t been abducted by aliens, but I’d lived through some shit situations.

“I’m detecting stress hormones,” NAID said.

“Because I’m stressed.”

“Can I impart some advice?”

“You’re asking?”

“From my research of humans, males find unsolicited advice angering.”

“I think that’s everyone.”

“Perhaps,” NAID replied.

“Go ahead.”

“Give him a chance.”

“He kidnapped me.”

NAID nodded. Though the motion was odd without her having a neck, I was getting used to it. “He did,” she agreed. “But out of everyone in this entire universe, he is your perfect mate. Give him a chance. If you don’t like him, you can say no. Or in the words of Edith, ‘If your significant other doesn’t appreciate you for you, kick them to the curb. You are worth more than that.’ I do believe she is right. You, Seth Harris, are worth far more than that.”

I flushed clear up to my roots.

With a wink, she vanished.

I could stay in this room for a year, or I could see what the alien who captured me was like. One moment to the next. One second at a time. I didn’t need to think about more than my next action. I would breathe and forge on. In the end, I would survive. When I got back to Earth, my empty apartment wouldn’t be waiting for me, but I would carve out a new space for myself. I would continue on alone, but uninjured.

The living room was empty; it wouldn’t stay that way for long. Lucy leaped onto the couch before rushing off. I shook my head at her antics but gravitated to the same abstract painting as last time, putting my back to Kalvoxrencol’s door, which made my shoulder blades twitch.

A rush of air sounded. My hands balled in my pockets, but I focused on the painting, following the brush strokes and the splashes of color. Footsteps moved in my direction, almost silent. When he came to my side, his tail wrapped around my ankle for the barest moment. I didn’t hate the sensation, but at the same time, it made me uncomfortable in its newness.

“My Seth, I am pleased to see you.”

I did not respond.

“Our Lucy seems to be making herself at home.”

No words would come out of my strangled throat.

Kalvoxrencol shifted closer, his arm brushing mine. “Would you like to break your fast?”

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips at the old phrasing. Suddenly, I felt like I was in a medieval movie. I almost expected him to start bowing and saying “m’ lord” or “m’ lady.”

I peeked at him, and he watched me closely, tail twitching. “Sure,” I forced out.

Kalvoxrencol opened a panel near the table and pushed some buttons, scrolling through the choices. Food appeared, a selection of fruit, flatbread, and meat. He set the platter on the table before sitting on one of the woven mats. I lowered to the ground across from him, wiggling. I wasn’t used to sitting on the floor.

His eyes did not meet mine as his tail flicked. “You could sit next to me if you desired, Mate.”

“I’m fine.”

“As you will.”

I picked through the offerings, not glancing in his direction. I chose what I thought was a green grape, though it tasted closer to a watermelon. We both ate as Lucy raced around the room before she flopped against my side, falling asleep.

“Is your name really ‘Kalvoxrencol?’”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

“It’s long.”

“I’m a prince.” He lifted his hands, palm up. I didn’t know what that meant.

“Can I call you something else?”

“You may call me whatever you like.”

“Kal?”

His forehead wrinkled and his lips thinned, but the expression disappeared so quickly, I couldn’t be sure it had even been there. His tail stopped moving and flopped to the ground near his thigh. “You wish to call me that?”

“Is that bad?”

He tilted his head to the side, baring his throat. “You are my mate, and as such, you may call me whatever you wish.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. I was almost positive I’d missed something.

I gaped at my mate, who barely ate. Kal. He wanted to call me Kal. A one-letter name of no importance. Was that my worth to him?

He smiled and nibbled on some bread.

A peace I’d never felt before settled on my soul. Seth was here. He was talking. If he wanted to call me Kal, I would allow it. If he kept remaining present, any price was worth it.

Over breakfast, Kal offered to give me a tour. I didn’t want to leave the apartment, but at the same time, this opportunity would never come again. I mean I couldn’t be abducted by aliens twice, right? In the end, I agreed. If nothing else, a tour would allow me to get a better grasp of the ship and the different people on board.

As we started to leave, I paused by the door. What if Lucy got out?

He stopped by my side, tail brushing the back of my calf. When I didn’t shift away, his tail curled around my ankle. “Are you well?”

“Will someone come in here while we’re gone?”

“Why do you ask?”

“What if Lucy escapes?” I asked in a quiet voice. My shoulders hunched clear to my ears as I waited for his response.

“I hadn’t thought about that. NAID?”

She appeared, and I started. NAID wasn’t wearing her old lady appearance. Instead, her face was a bland outline of a drakcol. I couldn’t tell whether the depiction was male or female, not that it mattered. Come to think of it, NAID might not identify as a female despite her appearance. Something I’d forgotten to ask.

“Yes, Prince?”

“Place a shield over the door. Lucy is not allowed to leave,” Kal said.

“Understood.”

“That is all.”

Kal hadn’t given her any consideration, like she was a thing. I opened my mouth to comment, then stopped cold. What if he got angry? The image of him striking me popped into my mind. It would hurt. He was bigger than I was, though size had nothing to do with rage, and he had claws that would easily slice me.

Besides, I knew nothing about how his culture worked. Physical violence might be the norm.

Guilt, cold and hard, settled in my stomach, making me sick, because I didn’t stick up for NAID like she deserved, but my fear was stronger.

When we stepped into the hallway, none of the doors opened as we passed by. Thankfully, the hall was empty except for us—I didn’t need anyone else invading my space.

As we entered the elevator, I glanced at Kal. So much for a tour; he hadn’t said a word, though neither had I.

Almost like he’d heard my thoughts, an absolutely terrifying notion I hoped wasn’t true, Kal said, “This is the executive quarters, deck three. Deck two has offices, a canteen for crew members, which you can eat at, and meeting rooms. Deck one has Command, more offices, and the observation deck where we were bound.

“Decks four through seven have shops and eateries. You’ll probably spend most of your time there. Deck eight has the medbay and science stations. Nine and ten are civilian quarters. Eleven and below are crew quarters, engineering, cargo bay, and stuff like that. You need special access to reach those, which you don’t have.”

I nodded along, knowing I would never remember all this.

“The docking ring has nothing of interest, and you don’t have access to it. There are lifts throughout the ship to get to different decks. Stay on decks two through eight. Some rooms might not open for you, but you should find plenty of places to explore.”

He pressed a button, and the elevator started to lower. “Tell NAID where you want to go, and it’ll send the lift to the correct deck.”

When the door opened, my eyes widened. Shops stretched before me, almost like a mall. The marketplace was four stories tall with terraces on each level. Dark green vines intermingling with lighter blue vines crept over the ceiling.

People of the likes I’d never seen wandered around. Many were drakcol, but others were species my brain had trouble processing. Short, tall, wide, and colors of the entire spectrum. Some had humanoid appearances, others did not.

It took all of one second before my thoughts spiraled dizzyingly.

Kal’s tail brushed along my arm, sending off a cascade of tingles, before curling about my wrist. I almost drew away but stopped when strange aliens pressed against me. I might not trust him, but I at least knew Kal.

He led me through the marketplace, and I huddled close to him. Some of the people turned and followed our movements, a few muttering under their breath.

“Why are they staring at me?” I asked in a hushed voice when a vaguely familiar green alien, with leathery skin and bulging muscles, pointed at me. I think this particular alien might have been at my wedding or bonding, thing, whatever. I almost scoffed. Me? Married. Technically, I was mated, but it was the same thing.

“You are the sole reason we went to Earth,” Kal answered.

Heat seeped into my cheeks, and I tried to banish it to no avail. I’d always been an easy blusher to my great misfortune. Something I’d been maliciously teased about, but something I’d never managed to cure. Nor had my grandfather, though he’d tried. I shoved the thought away. I didn’t want to think about either of my grandparents, not now, not ever.

I kept bumping into Kal to avoid touching anyone else in the crowd. He didn’t seem to mind from the way his tail remained firm around my wrist, tugging me against his side. His tail was surprisingly strong. The scales were smooth and had an almost perceptible scratch to them that wasn’t unpleasant. Though heat radiated off him like he was a furnace.

We approached the back wall, and much to my dismay, the path curved. I didn’t want to go any further, but I remained quiet. Kal didn’t head toward the other side of the shops. Instead, he ushered me toward a glass wall stretching to the ceiling.

Glass doors, which seamlessly matched the wall, opened to reveal a sprawling garden that stretched to the ceiling. Curved terraces graced the sides, and people silently walked among the plants. The atmosphere felt reverent like a church or library.

Flowers, plants, and trees grew everywhere. The muggy air clung to my skin, making me unzip my hoodie. Some of the vines were green, but others were dark purple, blue, and even bright pink. In the center stood a massive dark purple tree that almost kissed the ceiling with its light blue wisteria flowers like the sculpture in Kal’s apartment.

Kal’s tail unraveled from my wrist and touched my knuckles. “Do you like it?”

“Yeah, it’s…” I couldn’t think of a word so I shrugged.

He seemed satisfied with my response because his tail nudged the small of my back, and he directed me further into the blooming garden.

“I want to introduce you to someone,” he said.

More people. Lovely.

As we wandered down the bark path, I paused. Two male-presenting drakcol had their tails coiled together. One of the men whispered in the other’s ear before placing a lingering kiss on his cheek. I ripped my gaze away, only to sneak a peek at them. Maybe their entwined tails were like holding hands. If that was true, I felt slightly better about Kal.

Without warning, Kal’s tail wrapped around my waist, drawing me to his side, and his muscular arm came around me. I yanked out of his grasp.

“You almost hit a tree,” he explained.

I finally noticed a tree in front of me, with black scaly bark and spiky gold leaves. “Thanks.”

“Without question.” His tail tightened around my waist as if he wasn’t going to let me go, but he released me after a breath.

We neared the back wall, covered in vines, but my gaze latched onto an older drakcol, if his rough scales were any indication, tending the plants. He straightened, his oval face serene and his fern-green tail smoothly swishing. “Kalvoxrencol, and I assume your mate.”

“This is my Seth. Seth, this is Pimtimzol, my oravirven.”

“Hello,” I said in a barely audible voice, not catching his name.

“It is a pleasure to meet you.” Kal’s friend deeply inclined his head and showed me his throat.

Sweat began to gather on my forehead and palms. “You too.”

He glanced between the two of us. “I am pleased to see the two of you together.”

Kal’s tail curled about my ankle before letting go. “As am I.”

Unable to speak, I smiled. I hoped by all the couches in the universe, I would not have to talk or say this dude’s name, which might or might not start with Tim.

My smile seemed to be enough. Tim-something gestured to the lush garden. “See the beauty our world has to offer.”

“Thanks,” I whispered.

“You are most welcome, Seth.” Tim-something’s thin lips stretched into a wide smile, revealing his sharp canines, and I shuddered.

Warmth pressed against my side moments before Kal whispered in my ear, “Are you alright? Do you need to go back to our quarters?”

“No.” I shifted away, fighting a sudden rush of electricity from his closeness.

“Shall we stroll?”

When we stepped forward, his tail curled around my ankle, and I allowed it. The strength of his hold was oddly comforting.