“Our place, ” he corrected.
“Yes, our place, ” she repeated , looking up at him. His arms were crisscrossed behind , supporting his neck, afraid to touch her, too afraid of not being able to control himself once he did.
Michael finally gave in to the temptation and ran his hand through her hair, making her sleepy. Even after she fell asleep, he stayed, watching her sleep. As he interweaved her left hand into his, he removed the ring and slipped it over to the ring finger . How wonderful it would be if they could have this kind of human life together, to get married , and have children of their own. But would she ever want to , and could they even attempt to was the question. For now, they had to take it one day at a time.
Adoringly, he gazed at the being beside him who ha d changed so much. She wasn ’t the only one. He had changed too. For all the right reason s he wouldn ’t want to be a human, like he did before . They say life experiences lead you to where you are , to what you become. Learning from his past —every wrong turn, every mistake and every time he lost his way fighting alongside Aden —everything he was be fore had come to this moment, and he wouldn ’t change a thing.
Though she was sleeping in his arms, he couldn’t believe she was here with him , and more so , he couldn ’t believe she loved him back. With her, he could see the light. With her, all dreams were possible. With her, he loved who he was. With her, his heart was so full he thought it would burst from happiness he never thought he deserved ; all the more reason to never let her go.
After several days Michael took Claudia to see Patty , who was working at Fashion Wear , and her m om in New York City. Claudia wanted to make sure they were fine and to say her goodbyes. They h ad no memories of her , and though it hurt her deeply, she knew in her heart that there was no other way. After what Aliah almost did to Patty, she knew this was the best for her human friends and family. Though she would keep her distance, she swore to herself she would make sure no harm would come to them because of her.
It was clearer now why Gamma had kept this secret life from her. Gamma was keeping her safe, keeping her away from the darkness that would have hunted her since she was a child. Afterward, Michael took Claudia to her graduation. Though she didn ’t wear the red cap and gown, she blended in with the crowd , cheering for her friends Kristina, Maggie and the others. She felt sad for missing this part of her human life, but when gaz ing up at Michael, she knew she wanted this new life with him even more.
Alkin and venator friends had come and gone, but Austin never came. At one point, Michael even brought Alexa Rose. Though she didn ’t like living in a separate dimensio n from Michael, she understood. Claudia and Michael promised to visit often.
As expected, Michael showed Claudia beyond the forest of their home. Just like in her dreams , she saw the purple mountains, endless miles of wild flowers , and the gentle waterfalls. How happy the last several weeks had been for both of them as they adjust ed to their new home and to each other.
Claudia added more furniture and bouquets of wild flowers throughout the house. With plenty of organic , fresh fruit trees surrounding her home, she enjoyed picking them. Though she needed to eat less, being partly human, and by Gamma ’s doing, she needed it occasionally. None the less, she enjoyed taking care of Michael and their home.
Finally, Michael and Claudia were able to have some time alone. Visitor after visitor kept them occupied, but they had a blast partying the night away with the alkins and sometimes the venators , danc ing and eating chips and salsa that Davin brought almost every day.
After their friends finally left, Claudia and Michael said their goodnights and headed to their separate rooms. The routine was the same —Michael would read his books while Claudia would spend her time in her room or sle ep from exhaustion, mostly from entertaining their friends, but tonight was different. Claudia tossed and turned , thinking how ridiculous it was to have Michael under the same roof , but not be ing with him. No one forb a d e them , so why were they apart?
Claudia dropped herself down to the floor below hers and placed her hand on the door as if she could touch him. Thinking perhaps it wasn ’t a good idea after all , she turned and gauged her distance back to her f l oor. When she looked back down, the door was wide open and Michael stood in front of her. He wore black cotton shorts, but that was all. All muscular and shirtless, Claudia lost her thought s and her tongue. She had seen him that way before, but it had been a while.
“Did you ring ?” He grinned. His eyes were sparkly and playful .
“I…mmm….I….was just wondering .…” Battling impure thoughts , she tried to look away.
Michael raked his eyes up and down her skimpy white nightgown and couldn ’t control his urge. Befor e Claudia could finish, he swept her up . “I was waiting for you.”
Claudia gasped sharply at the sudden pull , and a feeling of rapture erupted through her entire body.
“I like what you ’re wearing. I believe I picked it out .” Michael w inked, tingling every single nerve in her body , and she couldn ’t move.
“So…you went wind ow shopping. Vivian told me that you two went .” She managed to peer up and look ed into his intoxicating eyes, calling out for her.
“Yes , ” he said , and release d her.
“Did you have fun?”
“Looking at what you ’re wearing, I ’m sure glad I did , and yes , I had tons of fun .” He twitched his brows playfully.
Flushed with redness, Claudia looked away, but ke pt in mind that he was shirtless. Wanting to make him blush too, she said “Ummm…I like what you ’re not wearing .” Then she lightly giggled.
“Do you now?” Michael grinned .
It didn’t work. Claudia blushed even more and gasped lightly when Michael embraced her again. “Let ’s not talk anymore.”
“What should we do then?”
“What I ’ve been needing to do.” He pr essed his lips softly to her s and pulled away .
That one luring kiss was enough to make Claudia breathless and wanting more. He snapped his fingers and their song filled the room. He swayed her to the music with her in his arms. “You never did finish telling me why you were here.”
“Uhhh…I….”
“Perhaps I can help you remember, ” he continued “Did you come here for this?” He twirled her around.
“No, ” sh e shook her h ead, smiling shyly .
He nibbled her ears. “Then…perhaps this?”
“No, ” she shook again, giggling lightly.
He ran his tongue down her neck , making her moan with pleasure. “Maybe this?”
“Maybe , ” she mumbled, trying to contain herself.
Softly, he brushed his lips from her neck to the base of her breast. She yelped a little pleasurable cry. “How about this?”
Panting, she could hardly speak. Her whole body was about to burst. She wanted and needed him in ways she thought would never be possible. The candlelights glowed around him , making him appea r like a vision in her dream s . This was her Michael standing in front of her, the angel that saved her many times before, the angel that loved her like nothing in this world.
“I came for you, ” Claudia said, gazing into his eyes , glow ing with passion and desire.
“Are you sure?”
She nodded her head and ran her hands across the firm ness of his bare chest, so smooth and perfect. Unable to stop, her hand s trembled slightl y, outlin in g his broad shoulders , and molding down to the curves of his biceps .
Michael shivered from her touch and brushed her hair back to expose her shoulder. “Then per haps you don ’t need this.” He hooked his finger on to the spaghetti straps of her nightgown and slipped them off her shoulder s . He watched the gown fall, pooling around her feet , leaving her bare besides her necklace.
Claudia quiver ed nervously and blushe d , for tonight was the first time he had ever seen her this way. Though she was unsure of herself, in Michael ’s eye s , she was flawless and beautiful in every way. Fr
om the color of her hair down to the cuteness of her small feet, he only saw the beauty of h is Claudia. Tenderly he wrapped his arms around her like a warm blanket and swept her into his hold . “I ’m going to make up for all the time lost, ” he winked, giving her the sexy, irresistible smile , and whisk ing her to his king size bed. “I love the feeling of being in love with you, ” he muttered. “You are completel y, utterly , wholly at last mine , forever and then some. I ’m never letting you go.”
“Don ’t ever let me go ,” Claudia said , looking deeply into his blazing eyes that showed how much he loved and cared for her . She quivered from the blissful feeling that radiated through her body, mind and soul , for she knew unequivocally —he was her home, her sense of security, her soul mate and her forever.
He took his time kissing, nipping, tasting and caressing every inch of her. His body covering her s was warm and so right. Gingerly , their fingers intertwine d , m elting into each other. Their bodies moved in unison like the gentle waves in the ocean. Finally and long awaited, their heart s and souls unite d to become one.
She had never known pleasure like she did that night . It was magi cal, so perfect, like two souls finally finding each other against all odds. Under the dazzl ing stars , they held each other, bearing no secrets, no pain, no sorrow, but holding onto love, hope, happiness and the blissful future they long ed to have, their own version of happily ever after.
Epilogue
Crying out loud like Tarzan, Davin sw un g on a rope across to the first leve l. He plop ped right in front of Claudia, startling her as she held flowers in her hands. “I ’ve always wanted to do that. That was so much fun, ” Davin sa id with exhilaration.
Claudia laugh ed and watched Vivi a n and Caleb race across the bridge.
The three of them g ave Claudia a startl ed look. It had been about a month since they last saw each other. The alkins had been assigned on a nother mission with the venators , to help the small town s get back on their feet after all that had happened.
Davin focused on Claudia , who was wearing a mid-thigh summer dress with hues of orange and purple. “Claudia...you ’re…kind of…fat, ” Davin said , arching his brows in confusion .
Vivian slap ped Davin on the back. “You don ’t ever say that to anyone, especially females.”
Davin slap ped his hand over his mouth and g ave Claudia an apologetic look.
“It ’s okay. Michael and I are happily surprised, ” she said , res ting her hands on the line of Davin’s gaze , though it was just a little bump. She couldn ’t believe it herself. Her faced glowed and she looked happy.
They continued to stare in disbelief till Michael snapped them out of it when he entered. “Hey…you ’re back?”
Davin gave Michael a disapproving look. Michael raked his hair back. “Hmmm…we were going to tell you guys….”
“You don ’t need to tell us. We can clearly see, ” Davin sounded unhappy, his tone almost apprehen sive . “You could have waited. We were planning a wedding.”
Vivian nudge d Davin. “Great…now you ’ve told them our plan.”
Claudia gaped between Davin and Vivian. “You do know that a wedding requires the man asking the woman before the wedding part happens , right?”
“That ’s what I ’ve been trying to tell them, ” Caleb said, throwing up his hands. “Thanks for clarifying it , because according to them, it ’s a group decision.” He turned to his friends. “Do you believe me now?”
Claudia couldn’t help but giggle. They were so cute. She had forgotten there were so many things they didn ’t know , especially when it came to traditions. “Davin and Caleb, both of you are going to be uncle s , ” Claudia smil e d . “And Vivian will be an aunt.”
Davin smiled from ear to ear, perking up a bit, taking in the news. “I am . Uncle Davin. I like the sound of that. So…does this mean we need to keep this information from the Twelve?”
“I ’m not sure…I mean…we ’re not sure. Let ’s just keep this under the radar for now, ” Michael suggest ed , placing his arms around Claudia, giving her a kiss on the forehead to let her know everything w ould be fine.
“I think that w ould be a good idea for now , especially since we think….” Claudia blinked.
“Yes….” Davin waited , anticipating her words.
Claudia held out two fingers.
They gasped in surprise.
“Two?” Davin gulped. “Did…you …say …two? Because two is more than one.”
Claudia and Michael didn’t answer. They just smiled.
“Two?” Davin shook his head. “Double trouble…y ikes.” Then he fainted.
Crossroads Chapter 3—Michael ’s point of view Bonus Chapter
I heard her from the distance. My heart pounded out of my chest. Knowing she was here again made my stomach quiver with nervousness. I didn ’t understand why I was feeling this way, only that it happened when she was around , or when thoughts of her consumed my mind. As I peered through the only thing between us —endless tall, thick grass —to see her, a feeling of ecstasy shot through me. I gasped hard. It was as if she wrapped herself around my soul, and I knew at that moment I was completely spellbound by her. But would she finally find a way to cross over? And if she did, what should I do?
She wasn’t smiling like the last time; instead, her eyes lit up with determination. As she pushed and shoved to find a way to enter, a gust of wind swept through her long and lustrous aubu rn hair. It shimmered in the light, tousled from the gentle breeze and brush ed softly against her delicate face. She was striking in her simplicity, yet she took my breath away. A flawless painting was what I saw, and I couldn ’t believe she was here again putting me under her trance.
A part of me wanted her to give up, but another part of me couldn ’t wait for her to find a way through. She never knew I had seen her grow up, and she would never know that I existed if I didn ’t make it happen. Who knew how much time would pass until her next visit? As I continued to watch her struggle, I thought how easy it would be for me to reach out and touch her fragile small hands. It took every ounce of my willpower to hold back the urge.
When it seemed as though all her energy had been spent, I couldn ’t hold back any longer. She ’d won. That was when I parted the grass and walked out. Our eyes locked, and I felt myself float above the ground. Time stood still as she continued to stare back at me. What was she thinking at that moment? I had to know: most likely she was in shock at finding someone coming out through the field. I wasn ’t sure of the reason, but I would like to think she felt the same connection that I did. Hello my sweet angel . I had waited for this moment. I wanted to reach out and take her in my arms, but that was not what you did when you first met. She would think I was crazy, and then I would have really blown it.
Suddenly, I realized I had put her in danger of others finding out about her. What had I done?! Extremely angered at myself for being careless and putting my wants over her needs, I had to react quickly and fix the situation. “Don ’t you ever give up?” I said.
She continued to just stare at me. I chuckled to myself. I hoped it was because she thought I was good-looking and not otherwise.
“Ummm….” she finally said.
At th at point, I didn ’t know what to do anymore. I had crossed the line and I couldn ’t undo what I had done. I was also afraid Davin could hear us. He was most likely spying on me and hiding somewhere nearby. “What are you doing here? Do you want to be sent back like before?” I asked, but I thought , w hat a stupid question.
“First of all, who are you? And what are you doing in my dream?” she huffed.
I felt amused by her spunkiness. She had no clue what I was. She didn ’t even know that what appeared to be her dream was not. I had to refocus and send her back quickly. The only way I thought it might work was if I was rude to her.
“Your dream? You think this is a dream? Think again, ” I said with a condescending tone. The rudeness in my tone seemed to make her angry. Perhaps
my plan wasn ’t working. She looked more upset, like she did not want to leave. Maybe I needed to try harder. “Can ’t think fast enough? The answer is not on my face.”
She turned away and dropped her jaw. She looked even more furious.
I was doing it all wrong. It just wasn’t working.
“I ’m dreaming, and you are not real, ” she fired back.
“I ’m real. There is no doubt about that. And you may think you are dreaming, but you are actually at the Crossroads, somewhere between Heaven and Earth, or between life and death, whichever you prefer.”
“That ’s not true!” she argued. “There is no such thing, and this is my dream…perhaps a nightmare after meeting you!”
I gave her a cold stare. Maybe that would work. But now she thought I was her nightmare. Th is situation wasn ’t good at all, and it wasn ’t going anywhere. What to do? Maybe if I told her that I was leaving, she ’d leave too. “I see; perhaps I ’ll just disappear.”
“No! Please! Wait! Don ’t go. I don ’t understand what is happening. Could you at least tell me how I got here?”
I arched my brows. “If you don ’t know, how am I supposed to know?”
“Well, I thought…thought , because you seem to live here.”
“Don ’t assume anything!” I said sharply. I heard some shuffling through the grass. Davin, I know you ’re there, I said telepathically to him.
“She ’s cute, ” Davin whispered, but only I could hear. “Wai t a minute…she ’s not suppose to be here. Who is she? You f ou nd an actual human? Can I join in?”
Be quiet and go away. I got this handled.
“It sure doesn ’t look like it to me, ” Davin chuckled. “It looks like she got right under your skin. Michael, you ’re under her spell. I ’ve never seen you like this before.”
I ignored Davin.
“Is there anyone else I can talk to that may give me some answers? Perhaps someone...nicer ?”