Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

RAVEN

H e falls silent, this mystery man that I’m still holding onto as we walk, in the right direction, too. I recognize the smell of pumpkin spice coffee coming from the corner market on Pierrepont and Willow. Given the sounds of trick-or-treating kids, I figure I’m on Pierrepont since no one lives on Willow.

“Did you think I wouldn’t smell you when you got close to me?” I ask.

“You must be mistaken. I haven’t been following you. We only just met.”

“Cedar and cloves.”

“What of them?” he asks, his voice rising a notch. He’s worried.

“That’s how I think of you every time the wind carries your scent to me.”

“Drekk,” he mumbles.

“What’s drekk?”

“A curse in my language.” He stops walking. “Why aren’t you scared of me?”

“You could have harmed me by now if that was your intent.”

“I would never harm you.”

Good to know, but I need answers. “Why are you following me?”

He’s quiet again.

“I hate when a person falls silent. It’s unsettling.”

“I will try to remember that. And I haven’t been following you. I’m in law enforcement. I patrol to keep this area safe.”

I’m not sure I believe him, but it would explain things.

“So, you know all about me?”

“Basics. You like to walk and spend time in the park, listening to the younglings laugh and run, but you do not have employment. You are Raven, named after a predatory bird. And you like to whistle when you walk in the rain. ”

That’s a lot right there.

“Though I do not think your name fits you. You are not predatory, but gentle and kind.”

Do I have a stalker? He doesn’t sound crazy or dangerous. In fact, I feel rather safe with him.

I loop my arm back through his and continue walking. Clearly, my instincts have checked out, leaving it up to me to figure out what I’m doing here with this man who’s been watching me and keeping his distance without introducing himself. For months .

“It almost sounds like you have a crush on me,” I say in all seriousness, mixed with an ounce of playfulness. I want to know more about Renikk.

“I find you fascinating and brave,” he says in that deep, sultry voice of his.

This is not how I expected this evening to go, but I’m ecstatic to meet the man who I started believing was a figment of my imagination.

“I swore an oath that I would keep you safe, Raven.”

“What? Why?”

“You have a lot of questions.”

“And do you have the answers, or will I have to guess?”

He inhales long and slowly. “You wandered into a dangerous area. I had to turn you around. I didn’t want to lie to you, but it was the best way.”

“Meaning you had no intention of revealing your presence?”

“Correct.”

“For how long?”

“I don’t know.”

There’s sadness in those words which only raises more questions about Ren.

“Would you like me to finish escorting you to your cousin’s, or do you prefer to proceed alone from here?”

“Why do I have a feeling that even if I go alone, you’ll be nearby watching me?”

RENIKK

My efforts to remain hidden have failed. I’m not sure what that will mean after I report in tonight. I wish nothing more than to tell her the truth, but I cannot. Not if I hope to salvage my mission.

“I will keep you safe. Always,” I tell her. Because it’s the truth. Despite what happens later tonight, protecting her remains paramount above all else.

“That’s very sweet of you, Ren, but I’m not sure what to say. You’ve been stalking me for months, and I only just met you.”

“You are right, but it doesn’t change my mission.”

“Mission?”

“To watch over you.”

“Like a guardian angel?” A smile crosses her face. My female—Drekk, I should not think of her thus—has many beautiful smiles, all unique, but this one is the best I’ve ever seen, because it’s for me.

My horns rise as I realize the danger of becoming more involved with her than I already am. I should keep my distance, walk away.

Except this unrelenting pull to her won’t allow me to.

And, of course, I have my orders.

“Since you’re already here, you might as well escort me to Noah’s. And perhaps stay for a while. I’d like to get to know you better.”

“Spending time with you would please me. Very much.”

“Great! Then let’s start over. Maybe if I’m clever enough, I’ll get you to reveal some of those answers you’re so cagey about.”

She is clever enough. Which worries me.

“My name’s Raven,” she begins, placing her hand on my forearm. I’m memorizing the sensation of her delicate touch, so I may relive this moment over and over after tonight.

“Yeah, I know Raven’s an unusual name, but I was born a few days before Halloween and Dad thought it would be cool to give me a name that reflects the holiday. That, and Mom’s a poetry buff who loves The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe.”

I can’t help myself. I let my fingers sift through the dark, silky strands of her hair. “It’s quite fitting, given how black your hair is.”

I snatch my hand away, remembering my place. I’m not to touch her, despite my body’s urges. She’s an addictive drug; if I’m not careful, I’ll endanger her.

“That felt nice. Why did you stop?” she asks.

“You did not grant me permission.”

“That’s so gentlemanly of you. Most of the males I grew up with feel entitled to take what they want from a woman.”

“That is not the worst of the Coalition’s legacy.”

“True. I heard of women kidnapped and sold off to aliens. I can’t imagine that horror.”

My horns rise. “You fear aliens?” Her opinions matter to me, but I cannot change who I am, even for her.

“I misspoke. I only meant being sold off is horrible. To a human or alien doesn’t really matter. But those women were taken from Earth, to strange new worlds with no hope of returning.”

“Then you do not oppose matings between humans and aliens?”

She reflects for a moment. “There are many good aliens out there, like the ones who are helping Earth build up its defenses. The Galactic Alliance is filled with them, or my father wouldn’t deal with them. If the guy were good to me… good for me… then, yes, I could see myself with an alien. Though going to another planet… the very thought terrifies me. My father won’t let me explore my own city alone, but at least here I speak the language, know the customs, and the history. How would I survive on another planet where I’d know nothing?”

“You would not be alone. The male would protect and see to your needs. He would help you acclimate and cherish you.”

“A partner, even an alien one, who truly cares about me, sounds fabulous. I guess when it comes down to it, aliens and humans have more similarities than differences, at least where it counts. I mean, we all want the same thing, right? Peace. Happiness. Family.”

Raven’s innocent in so many ways, but I’m pleased to hear she doesn’t hate aliens. “Some aliens only care about power. Or satisfying their pleasures.”

She sighs. “That only proves how similar to humans they are.”

Innocent, yes, but not na?ve. I suspect she’s been spying at her father’s office doors in their home again.

“What else do you know of aliens? And which ones?”

“Hmm, let me see…” She taps her finger against her lips, drawing my eyes to their fullness. I snap my eyes away before my cocks rise. Even though she would not notice, it would not be proper.

“My father employs several aliens, though I’m not sure for what exactly. He’s in the government, so everything is always a big secret.”

“You have a leaf in your hair,” I say. “May I remove it?”

Her smile brightens, shining more brilliantly than this system’s sun. “Of course. Oh, that permission thing. Right… I give you permission to touch me.”

The way she says the word touch, my horns rise, as do other parts of me, making it harder than usual to will them to relax.