Venus heard the knock at the door and for the briefest moment thought she’d returned home. Stiff muscles, which constricted her body, reminded her otherwise. Her shin, where Tawny had kicked her, was still sore. The bed was not comfortable, especially when she couldn’t move about as she usually did. If she’d been on her journey, she would’ve slept on the ground or the back of Sadraden and still been more comfortable than she was right now, on this horrible, lumpy bed. With a sharp laugh, which wasn’t happy at all, she realized her journey would’ve been over by now, had she gone as planned.
Three. Two. One. “What is it?” Venus growled.
“Phone’s for you.” Dervinias hollered from the hallway, way too chipper. “Cheverly wants to know if you want to hang out.” He opened the door. Venus hastily pulled the covers up to her chin.
“Dervinias. Leave!”
Ignoring her, he strolled in and sat on the edge of her bed with a bounce. “Really she wants to know how you feel about Michael. If you’re trying to put the moves on her guy. She hopes not because she likes you, but she’s willing to kick serious . . . butt—”
Venus raised her eyebrows at his distinct choice of word.
He chuckled. “I’m quoting her thoughts, V.”
She glared, trying to kick at him through the covers.
He shrugged and continued, “. . . if you put your scrawny paws on her man.” He watched Venus intently. She gave him her best crustie until he stuck out his tongue.
“Helker,” she swore, which lifted her spirits some. “You’re impossible. Give me that thing—cellular telephone.” She scrunched her face, unable to stop herself from cracking a tiny grin. “And stop calling me V.”
“It’s a cell or a phone. Don’t call it a cellular telephone. Makes you sound like you’re eighty-five.” He chuckled.
“Fine, give me the phone.”
“Oh, and you’d better be nice to Chev . . . V. She’s starting to get impatient. Beginning to wonder if you think you’re all that.” He pulled the phone from his pocket, pushed a button, and handed the phone to her with a smirk.
“Seriously?” She reached out and grabbed the phone from his hand, putting it to her ear at the same time.
“Retaliation,” he mouthed.
“Seriously what? Is this V?” Cheverly asked with a tone which sounded confused.
Holy Cret, what is the deal with V? Ugh! Into the phone, she said, “Yes, this is Venus. Sorry about that. I was talking to the crazy alie—Vinny. He’s such a—he’s weird.” She waved him out of her room, but he wouldn’t leave, and the doof had a big ol’ grin on his face. Probably still reading whatever Cheverly was thinking. “Hang on a sec, Chev.” Venus put her hand over the phone and said to Dervinias, “Get out of my room. I mean it and stay out of—other places as well.” He finally left, closing the door behind him. “Hey, I’m back. So what’s up?”
“Vinny told me you like to ride. I have lots of horses and wondered if you wanted to join me?”
Venus’s heart lurched at the idea. She’d never ridden a horse before. Kelari had animals which were similar, four-legged. Of course nothing could compare to flying with an irrihunter, but it’d be nice.
“Cheese, V.” Cheverly sounded edgy. She heard a tap-tapping in the background.
Was she stomping her foot? She secretly laughed at that, and the cheese comment. “Um, yeah, that sounds like fun. I’d love to.”
“Awesome. I thought we’d invite your brother and Vinny to come too. Is that cool?” She seemed hopeful. Venus wouldn’t mind having Zaren join them, but it wouldn’t be good to have Cheverly flirting with him. Obviously she had a little crush. Venus had a task to accomplish. Help Michael and Chev fall in love. Now was the time. Chev didn’t need further distractions, namely Zaren.
“Sounds great.” Venus paused a moment, gathering her courage. “Hey, what about inviting Michael?” She tried to sound casual, but knew it’d come out forced. Venus was beginning to understand why Zaren had been so worried that day on the mountain.
Focus, Princess, she shouted internally, repeating Zaren’s words to herself.
Then she put a smile on her face figuring that would help. “Don’t you two have a thing going?”
“Um, sort of.” Venus heard Cheverly take a huge breath and blow it out. “I’ll give him a call. Great idea.”
“Fabu! When do you want to get together?” Venus tucked the phone against her ear and shoulder and started to braid a portion of her hair. Organize and reorganize. Braid and unbraid, anything to keep her fingers busy.
“Fabu? L.O.L., V. What? Were you born in like, 1968?”
Venus let out a nervous chuckle. She’d seen humans use the word. It hadn’t been that long ago, a few years. Lots of young kels had picked up on the word and used it often. “Nooooo,” she laughed.
“K, well anyway, can you be ready around one?”
“I can, but I’m not too sure about the pretty boys. I’ll force them to hurry.” Her neck started to kink, so she stopped braiding and held the phone, pulling all her hair away from her shoulders.
Cheverly giggled.
A grunt came from the other side of the door. Dervinias.
“Yeah, tell them they’d better.”
“I will.”
“Rockin. I mean, fabu!” She giggled again.
Before Chev hung up, she gave Venus directions. She didn’t worry about writing them down since Venus figured at least one other alien listened in on their conversation. Bolting off the bed, she ran to the door. Dervinias was on the other side, waiting.
“How do you turn this thing off?”
He grabbed it from her. “Push the button with E.N.D. on it.” He shook his head in exasperation.
“Well, what’re you doing? Snoop.” Venus punched him in the arm.
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” Dervinias asked.
She was about to give him an arrogant retort when she realized he wasn’t joking. For the first time Venus really thought about it.
I’ve no idea what I’m doing. And, in five days I’ll be dead.
Formytians were trained with longswords and broadswords. She suddenly felt as though one of each had been shoved into her gut and twisted slowly, painfully and with fervor.
“Maybe you—”
“Where’s Zaren?” A nervous hiccup escaped. Venus wanted to cry, sob, sulk—be utterly sad. And she needed her Formytian. Where was he? “Zaren,” she yelled. “Zaren.”
Venus started running down the hall, but her foot caught on a ripped portion of the carpet. She ended up face planted. “Zaren,” she whispered. Fear. A word she’d heard, but hadn’t ever, before now, experienced. It gripped at her. Tore away all confidence and made her feel like a child—not a woman at all. Her body shook, incapable of pushing herself off the floor.
This wasn’t possible. None of it. She’d never find out who’d done this to her. Never see her parents or her sister. She’d never see her home again. Some treacherous kelarian had sent her to this world. The Gods had given her a task so basic and yet completely impossible to accomplish. In that moment, she knew she’d fail. And in the next she wanted to kill the kelarian who’d done this to her—to those she loved. Hate consumed her, burned her insides. How she longed to find those who’d framed her and make them pay.
“Venus. Princess, I’m here.” Zaren lifted her into his arms, firm skin pressed against hers. With the touch of his body, her hate subsided.
“I can’t do this. It’s too much. I won’t succeed. Whoever did this to me, they’ve won.”
Tears poured from her eyes, down her cheeks. Even if she wanted to be embarrassed it would’ve been no use. The defeat, crushing. All she could do was sob. Venus didn’t want to try anymore.
Maybe I should give up and let myself die. Despair filled every ounce and crevice of her being.
Zaren carried her into the bedroom he and Dervinias shared, then turned and kicked the door closed with one of his bare feet. His u
sually benevolent eyes bore into hers. Venus noticed his jaw clenched.
“Are you finished?” He walked over to his bed and dropped her . . . like a sack of potatoes.
Venus scrambled into a sitting position, gazed at his face, searching for answers. “Zaren?” His name was all she could think to say while she waited. Venus blinked away her tears, incredulous. She wasn’t accustomed to his displeasure being directed at her—so forceful.
“I’ve been trying to stay out of your mind, be respectful, but I can’t take any more of this wallowing. You want to give up and die?! Ridiculous. The past couple of days I’ve watched you move from one bad decision to another, waiting for you to come and talk to me, wondering when you’d ask me for direction. I’ve been your Formytian nearly all your life. I’ve kept you safe. Yet I’ve felt honor bound to wait and watch in silence. No more.”
He ground his teeth as though he were holding back more. The whole time he paced in front of her in only a pair of green and white striped pajama pants.
As he walked he’d squeeze and then stretch out his hands, causing his sleek biceps, triceps and peck muscles to flex. Venus couldn’t help but be captivated by him. Magnificent. He was right though. She hadn’t gone to him. She’d done what she wanted, when she felt like it.
“I’m s—”
He came over to the bed and sat next to her, placing a finger to her lips. Fresh lemons and honey—the fragrance on his fingers. Venus imagined tasting those flavors on his lips. He loved tea, like an old man. How old was he in kelarian years? One hundred? Maybe not that old.
He chortled. “I’m seventy-eight. Hardly an old man.”
His intense green eyes locked on hers. Once again a stirring tugged at her. Zaren was hers! All mine! Her body sang with the physical desires of a human. She’d never understood, before coming to Earth, what humans went through. Now, with all of the physical needs she experienced, she’d begun to appreciate, to some degree, why they did the crazy things they did. Problem was, she knew most of the time it wasn’t love, though obviously humans used that as an excuse. Everything she’d felt in the past two days appeared to be purely physical.
What is true love? Venus had no idea. Perhaps she should find out. See what it looked like. At least read up on it.
Zaren shook his head.
“Were you following that?” She laughed, nervous, hoping he’d read her mind this time.
He nodded. “Yes. Sorry, I’ll try harder not too.”
Venus shook her head. It didn’t matter.
“I want to show you something that I think—hope—will help. May I?” He appeared to be anxious, but determined to demonstrate.
Venus kept her eyes on his face. “Yes.” The word came out a throaty whisper. She had on only a light blue cotton tank and matching boy shorts, but she wasn’t cold. Quite the contrary, she felt warm.
“Lie down and close your eyes.” Venus did as he commanded. Excitement raced through her veins.
The bed squeaked with the pressure of his body. He drew near causing her heart to beat hard, fast—it drowned out everything else . . . until his lips touched her wrist.
It was as though he’d struck a match. Zaren placed a hand under her arm and moved his lips, gently grazing his teeth against her skin. Slowly, he moved up her inner arm until he reached the crease at her elbow. Her body shuddered. As he moved, with each touch, like kindling, the fire in her body grew stronger with need. Venus wanted to sit up and touch him, but he had his other arm across her body, holding her in place, stroking her face, her hair. Finally she couldn’t take it anymore, thought she’d burst with pleasure.
“Zaren.”
He stopped, his eyes raking hers.
Venus sat up, grasping his shoulders and then moved her hands down his arms.
“Princess.” The word came out ragged with hunger, need.
Venus shifted to her knees so her face was above his, her long hair a curtain surrounding them. His eyes kept shifting back and forth, searching hers, looking for what, she wasn’t sure. All she could think about was his lips on hers, her body touching his and his arms around her.
She stroked his full lips with her fingers, felt his breath against them. Venus lowered her mouth over his . . . and he slid away.
“Zaren,” she whispered, feeling her heart wrench in pain. He held her at arm’s length, as though she were poisonous. Her heart wrenched again.
“Why?”
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to toy with you. I . . . need you to understand the difference between physical attraction and emotional connection.” He rubbed a hand over his face. When he moved it away, he appeared calmer.
She sank back onto the bed, her body still throbbing. Aching. But she was also annoyed. “I see. So what you’re saying is that any guy can make me feel this way given the right circumstances? And, that I don’t feel anything but physically attracted to you?”
He gazed at her, steady. Strong. A reminder of the Formytian she’d come to rely upon over the years. Unwavering. It angered her further. Slapping his perfect face crossed her mind. How’s that for strong? Before she could, he turned and picked up a t-shirt from the floor and put it on. The shamrock green shirt appeared worn and was probably dirty. Venus stared openmouthed. That was so not Zaren.
“Are you feeling okay?”
He turned back to her. The shirt he’d put on said Lucky across the chest. She resisted the temptation to snicker and searched his face, waiting.
His features softened. “I’ve been better.” He gave her a half grin, which she found irresistible and continued, “To answer your questions, I don’t think any guy could make you feel that way. Take, for instance, Dervinias. Would he be able to come in here and do what I did to you and have the same results?”
No way. If he ever tried to touch me that way, I’d kill him. To Zaren, she snapped, “I don’t know, you tell me.”
He chuckled.
Meddling mind reader. “This is ridiculous. Tell me what you’re getting at.” Venus sat back on the bed, her shoulders slumping.
He sat next to her. The closeness of his body increased her need to touch him. She reached over to grab his hands, but he moved them. With one hand he slowly pushed a piece of her hair out of her face. Embers of longing seemed to chase his fingers. Each place he touched—her forehead, down her cheek—waited for the fire to re-start. Venus felt her pulse quicken, her breathing jagged gasps again. She touched his face. “I feel more—”
He seized her hand and set them back in her lap.
“Cret,” she cursed, watching her hands tremble. She knew her face had bloomed red.
He placed a finger on her chin and lifted her face. Without a doubt, he reciprocated what she felt. But, determination rested in his serious eyes as well. There was a point to all of this. He’d said so. Impatience coursed through her.
Get to it already. She huffed irritably.
After a moment, he cleared his throat. “We can be attracted to someone for many different reasons. Humans are more sensitive than most. They have good reason, which is this; they don’t have the luxury of immortality. Physical attraction helps continue their species. This is a guess, but with you, I think part of the reason you’re feeling physical attraction with such force, is because you haven’t become immortal yet.”
That was probably true. She hadn’t experienced anything like this before. “Okay. So how do humans sift through all of the physical attraction and get to the emotional connection?”
“The attraction is a very small part of the big picture. Again, take Dervinius. Before you got to know him—his charming personality—you found him physically good looking. Now that some time has passed and you’ve spent time in his company, he makes you crazy. You tolerate him.”
A snort came from the other room.
Loudly, to make sure Dervinias heard her with his ears, and not just his perverted mind, she said, “You can say that again.”
“You
also hold an attraction for the human, Michael.”
He knew what’d happened at Michael’s house. Ah helker, mind-reading was annoying. “I guess. Maybe. I don’t know. It was strange. Out of my control.” Venus had been trying to avoid all recollection of what’d happened. At the mention of Michael’s name, though, a bud of hunger for him entered her belly. More dancing butterflies. Great, I really am an emotional wreck.
“Many humans claim the same reasoning all of the time.” He studied her until she looked away.
After a few minutes, he went on. “A human can also become attracted to a person for who they are. Their likes and dislikes. Their personalities and views, the way they treat others. That connection is usually much bigger and lasts longer. It sustains the physical attraction, compliments it.”
That made sense, she supposed.
“Can I share one more thing with you?” He appeared unsure, but resolute. Evidently it was important.
“Yes, as long as you aren’t going to kiss my skin again and then back away.” She’d said the words in mock severity, but they both knew she meant it. Her body still vibrated with longing.
He tenderly pulled her around to face him. “Venus, if or when that happens, it’ll be because you instigate it. And be prepared, because I won’t be able to hold back again.” His beautiful eyes bore into hers with such intensity she wished the next time was right this minute.
Did that mean Zaren felt attracted to her? Could physical attraction be as strong, as pleasurable, on Kelari once she’d become a kelvieri? Did Zaren have those types of feelings even though he was immortal? What about an emotional connection? Obviously he did. She knew he read her mind. Venus watched his face, trying to gauge his answers without asking the questions aloud. Truthfully, deep down she didn’t know if she was ready for the answers.
Venus nodded. “Go ahead.”
Chapter 29
Still Love You