Chapter Six
Lucy:
Skiden stands just inside my bedroom door where he can’t be seen from the living room.
“It’s all right. I’m right here. Nothing will happen to you,” he whispers.
I do feel better with him in the house. It’s not just because I’m no longer alone but because I know he’s strong and protective and I just feel safe with him here.
And I shouldn’t. I should stand on my own two feet.
I take a deep breath and slowly peel back the mini-blinds. The scrape sounds so loud and I freeze, afraid they can hear it on the other side of the window. My heart is pounding and my index finger shakes as I hold the blind, then slide it just the barest millimeter more. I lean forward to peer through the window blinds to see… Samantha’s stupid grinning face.
“You scared the hell out of me!” I yell, opening the door, ushering her inside and closing it behind her. “You should have used the secret knock!”
She’s still grinning from ear to ear. “Why? I know you’re not alone. I saw the vase in the window.”
Oh.
I turn to yank the offending blue glass from the windowsill, never realizing that Skiden steps out of the doorway because Sam said she knows I’m not alone. He has no idea she thinks Isabel is home.
“Holy shit,” Sam says.
Poor Skiden gives her his best smile, but it simply shows his jagged teeth.
Sam quickly pushes me behind her and holds up her fists.
Skiden starts laughing, so I lean up to whisper in her ear, “Samantha Merende, meet Skiden, Isabel’s brother-in-law. Kinda. Isabel was here yesterday with her daughter River and her mother-in-law, Skiden’s mom, but they left this morning. Skiden stayed behind to make sure I’m safe and that no one knew there were visitors here.”
And Sam is stuck staring at my strange alien and all his differences.
So Skiden stares back. “Something’s wrong with your teeth,” he says.
Sam closes her mouth, and the lump of her tongue swells her upper lip and cheek as she runs her tongue over them as if looking for bits of broccoli.
I can’t help but laugh. “He means because they’re smooth.”
She huffs out her breath.
“I meant the weird color. Matches your eyes,” he says, giving me a wink.
“Your teeth match yours,” Sam says, a little insulted.
“So they do.” He holds out his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
Sam hesitates only a split second before shaking his enthusiastically as if she doesn’t want us to notice she paused.
“Okay, that was weird too,” he mumbles. “This is what we do.” He taps her elbow with his opposite hand and when she raises it, he grips it with his right hand and wraps her hand on his forearm, then slides down.
“Oh. Well, uh, nice to meet you, Skiden,” Samantha says.
There’s something to their way of introduction—more touch makes her reservations toward him drop away.
“Samantha is my cousin,” I tell him. “The only person in the world that I have besides Isabel. Except, no one can know about Sam. Her parents—and her uncle—don’t like me much.”
“That’s brave of you,” Skiden says to her, and his voice is rich with warmth. It makes Sam blush.
“Aww. Well, I love her. I loved her the first day I saw her when she was two years old, all alone in the world, sucking her little thumb with those big, dark eyes and those perfect bow lips that must come from her momma.”
“How old were you?” Skiden asks, and he sweeps his arm to invite her to sit on the sofa. Huh, he’s somehow become the host of my home. And silly me, I don’t mind one whit.
“I was ten. A couple of times when I was a teen, I went to see her, but they wouldn’t let a minor visit without a parent. So, I watched her from outside the gates. When I turned eighteen, I was able to visit.”
“Every single month until the day I was released,” I say, smiling at Sam.
She was my lifeline.
“I didn’t know she was stuck being a chauffeur for my biological father, her uncle. She needed a favor, and he was a powerful man. So, she asked him to make sure the gardener of the group home where I lived never worked around children again.”
“It was a little tricky,” she says. “I couldn’t admit that I knew him from the home. They would all know that I visited Lucy. I had to ask the gardener to willingly leave and entice him to work for my family. Then I cried wolf, told everyone how the gardener creeped me out. Truthfully, I was a little old for his tastes. But once he was working for us, I got my uncle to send him to jail. I had to promise I’d work for him for ten years, though.”
“Instead of doing you a favor, he took you up on your offer?” Skiden asks. “Didn’t he assume the gardener was harassing his own niece?”
Samantha shrugs. “It doesn’t matter what he believed because it was worth it. It was through that driving job that I met Isabel. And she and Lucy were perfect for each other.”
“I’m glad they had each other.”
“I’m sorry I missed her,” Sam says, glancing at me. “Was she doing good?”
“She’s beautiful. And so happy. Getting to know River and she seems to be having a blast with Maman, Skiden’s mom. Oh, and she has a boyfriend. Skiden’s brother, who’s promised to give her babies.”
Sam blinks, shocked, and then a huge smile graces her face. “Well, good for her. But does that mean… she’s not coming back? You wouldn’t want to bring babies back here to live, would you?”
What a horrifying thought. The mood grows somber. “She doesn’t have any plans to return.”
“We’d like to find a way to bring Lucy with us. She told us she can’t enter the Match Program because she’ll be tracked,” Skiden says.
“No, she has to stay hidden,” Sam agrees. “My uncle’s way too powerful now. Besides, haven’t you heard? The program will be suspended soon. Until after the election is settled. I think they might allow one more for this year, if what I remember is correct. The last president had contracted for six.”
“We all keep under the radar,” I say, reminding her that she also has to be careful.
“Well, I have a few hours under the radar,” Sam says. “Mom and dad aren’t due home until ten so they’ll have no idea I’m even gone.”
And it’s a wonderful day with the three of us. The only two people in the world I’d want to meet.
Sam helps us make dinner. She’s in charge of the salad while Skiden and I make the steaks and potatoes along with garlic bread. He’s always by my side, even casually looping my hair into a bun when it starts to loosen.
Teases about how they were all baffled by silk strings that grow out of our head.
As we mix the garlic with the butter for the bread, Skiden explains to us that their “bread” consists of zeppa, and that each clan in Pimeon makes it slightly different, according to which herbs are plentiful in their community.
“Tell Sam how you ended up here,” I say, nudging him with my shoulder.
He winces, making it seem more dramatic than it is. “Isabel is somewhat na?ve, you know. So is River. Both my sisters are. Maman takes full advantage of that and wants to rile up her three sons. She convinced the two ladies to go to a prephouse where females are pampered by males. Tiran was, of course, furious. River’s his mate. But Bronan? While Isabel’s his mate, it’s a secret. You see, the idiot tricks her into believing she is a breeder. That she can have anyone in the clan impregnate her.”
“What?” Samantha’s eyes are wide. “Why?”
“She told him she wanted a ton of kishren. So, my maman talked her into becoming a breeder.”
I chuckle, Skiden gives me secretive smile for just the two of us.
“Bronan was furious but Isabel had decided. Nothing was going to sway her from having ‘tons of babies.’ So, he has to pretend she is a breeder while scaring off other males from sniffing around her. It’s a ton of fun to watch,” he assures her. “My cocky brother has never had it so hard.”
“I almost wish I could see that,” Samantha says longingly and we share a look. I’d love to go too, but we both know it’s impossible. Neither of us will leave the other.
“So, after tricking Isabel into the prephouse, she got her drunk. Bronan had to rescue her and take her home—which she doesn’t even know is her home. She thinks the idiot has opened his home to her temporarily.” He snorts at the ludicrous story Bronan has concocted that somehow works. “And the next day, Maman outsmarted her sons again. We got a call from Mikhail that all three females were here. I was dispatched to keep Maman in line.”
“But Isabel’s in love with Bronan,” I assure Sam. “She just doesn’t want to be tied down. Not after that marriage she had.”
Samantha grows sad. “When her husband died, she visited her father, hoping he would want to mend their relationship. He didn’t. You see, her father is partners with my uncle. And I don’t think he’ll ever see females are worthwhile. Not since becoming friends with him.”
“She’ll never have a proper patron figure back home,” Skiden says. “Because ours sucks too. But our maman will more than make up for it.”
“Oh,” Sam says, jumping a little. “Gad, that reminds me. Luce, here’s a new list of code words.”
She pulls out a sheet of paper and hands it to me. My eyes skim the codes as she explains it to Skiden.
“When I call Isabel’s phone, we speak in code so we can relay messages without someone who may be listening in knowing exactly what we talk about. And sometimes we change the codes, then when Lucy memorizes them, she burns the paper,” Samantha says.
“What does it say?” he asks.
“If Sam says, ‘How’s work?’ it really means to be careful. That something odd has happened.”
“Maybe I noticed I might have been followed or I heard a strange click on the phone when dialing, which could mean we’re bugged,” Sam says.
“If she says, ‘How’s work been?’ it means to avoid going in. To call in sick because I’m being followed. That happens a lot because Isabel’s father has found out where she lives and assumes I’m her.”
“And if she needs me, she’ll say, ‘I have a cold that won’t go away.’ I’ll be here immediately because that’s a scream for help,” Sam says.
“But if I just want to visit with her and don’t need immediate help, I’ll say, ‘I have the sniffles. Maybe a cold.’ Does that make sense?” I ask.
“You two make these codes all the time?” he asks, aghast.
“It’s safer that way,” Sam says.
“I’m going to mention to Mikhail that I need to come back soon and stay for a few days. Regularly. To make sure everything is okay.”
I look up at Skiden, surprised. He really wants to do that? “I’m sure it’ll be fine. I don’t want to put anyone out.”
“You’re not putting me out. I’ll bring you more stories of the clumsy romance between Isabel and Bronan. Everyone watches. It’s the best Pimeon soap-opera ever.”
I’m almost sad when dinner’s over and we all clean the kitchen, then watch as the sun sinks lower in the sky.
Samantha laughs, then glances down at her watch. “I’ll need to get going. The parents are returning later. I don’t want them to know I’ve been out, especially since I work tomorrow.”
I understand. Frequently she’ll park in the garage early and make sure the engine is cold like she’s been home all day.
“Thanks for stopping by.” I try to suck it up so the phrase sounds casual, but as always, a pang of regret hits my belly. I wish people didn’t have to sneak around to see me. I wish it didn’t put the ones I love at risk.
“I’m glad we had such a cool visit,” Sam says, wrapping me in her arms and looking at Skiden over my shoulder. “Skiden, pleasure meeting you. You’ll keep in touch? Maybe I’ll see you when you next return?”
He nods. “Of course.”
I’m sad that Samantha has to leave, but elated too. She got to meet Skiden and she likes him. I can tell.
It’s important to me that he met her, the only person I have left in the world. Now he knows who I’m talking about when we’re trading stories tomorrow. We walk her to the front door, as usual, looking around to make sure no one’s out. Skiden stays in the darkness of the house, while I remain blocked by the shade of the covered stoop.
Sam makes her way down the front walk.
“Oh, paper’s delivered,” she says, picking up the rolled bundle and tossing it to me.
She’s trying to behave casually; I’m trying to behave casually, but for a moment I’m so frozen I almost don’t catch it.
I can’t catch it, it’s like a snake waiting to jump at me. But Sam’s looking at me with a knowing look and Skiden is just inside the doors and I have to pretend everything’s normal, that my world doesn’t shatter every time the paper is delivered. Which isn’t often, thank God. It’s not like the old days when it used to come out weekly. No, now the paper is delivered when there’s enough news to fill it. Sometimes every ten days. Sometimes every fourteen. Maybe once a month.
Which means I’m always on edge, waiting for it. But I can’t deal with it today. So, I offer Sam a brittle smile. “Thanks.”
That’s probably why she stopped by today. She’s already had it delivered to her house—the more important locations get first priority—and knew it was coming. She thought she’d wait until it arrived here too, and would be my security blanket as I looked through it, but was surprised by Skiden. And now, she has a false sense of security thinking I’ll read it with him. That I’ll be fine.
But I won’t burden him. He’s leaving tomorrow anyway.
“Everything okay?” Skiden asks.
“Fine,” I babble, dropping the paper onto the side table at the entry way.
He takes both my hands and pulls me to him. “It’s not fine. Something’s happened. What’s going on?”
So observant. But I’m too humiliated to tell him how I feel every time that damn paper arrives. How it’s the buzz around the community for days, how the articles are cut out and put up on religious bulletins like the one I have to pass by on my way to work.
“Nothing is wrong,” I snap. “I’m just sad when Samantha has to leave. She’s the only person in the world who has my back.”
“Not the only,” he says carefully.
Later, I’d probably look back and realize that maybe he was trying to point out that Isabel did. That River cares. Maman.
Him.
But I’m so riled from wondering what I’m going to face, I can’t see past the rolled object, the cheap rubber band barely holding it in place like it taunts me.
“I would do anything for her. Anything.”
He nods his head, trying to be understanding but a little wary, too. “I get it. We all want to keep you safe—both of you safe. Which is why we thought—”
“I know. I can’t join the stupid Match program,” I hiss. “Even if one spot is left.”
An idea comes to me.
Oh, my God.
Sam can be safe.
“Skiden,” I say, looking at him with wide eyes. “You can do it.”
“Do what?”
“You can enter your name in the Match. Along with Samantha.”
He freezes.
At the look of horror on his face, I hurry to explain. “You know Mikhail personally. Maybe you can tell him you need to be matched to her, that it’s not just for compatibility, but to get her off this planet—”
“Mating is forever for my people,” he grits out.
But River was able to take Isabel. Maybe… just maybe, Sam would be able to claim me? Wait, how would that even work? If my name flags me, can a relationship between us be proven? The adoption records have been destroyed. If not, then I’ll be left here, exposed—but at least she will be safe.
I’m not prepared for the hissing sound that comes from Skiden. I gape, watching his body somehow grow in size, his tentacles thickening as they undulate across the floor, taking up the space. The air feels heavier and it’s harder to breathe suddenly.
I’m not sure what’s happening, but I know this—alien, who made love to me so tenderly, my first lover ever, is terrifying. That perhaps that tenderness was a fa?ade and maybe they are these vicious, dangerous creatures that everyone claims.
Because right now my pulse is racing and limbs are tingling with the urge to flee.
Lucy stares at me, white-faced. She’s terrified.
Of me.
That angers me even more, so I’m on a constant wheel of rushing, white-hot emotions. It’s impossible to keep my posturing at bay. I may not get angry often but when I do? I think it surprises people that the easygoing son can reach that level. Like the true warriors we are, our bodies grow, our teeth elongate. Venom fills in my glands. I could easily spit a poisoned dart at an enemy from ten feet away.
She’s looking at me with horror. And regret. I don’t miss the way her eyes skim over my tentacles, the reach slowly taking over the living room floor.
She’s thinking about how I pleasured her with my appendages just last night. And now I’m a monster to her. A dangerous predator she had no idea existed.
A red haze covers my vision. “Let me get this straight. After making love to me, you want me to mate your cousin?” I barely recognize my own voice. I sound like my patron.
Lucy looks down at the floor. “You need to understand… I owe Sam everything. She’s the only person on this entire planet who has my back. Now they’re after her and I want her to be safe.”
“And leave yourself here to die alone?” My voice is harsh, but I can’t help it. I’m so incredulous that she’d throw us away.
Does she realize that we mate for life? That agreeing to mate with humans was a huge sacrifice on our part because the humans had a choice after six months to take our offspring and leave?
Leaving a male utterly gutted and tortured for the rest of his life?
“I-I’m used to taking care of myself—”
Not doing a good job. She barely lives and is willing to let our one chance at love and happiness slip from her fingers. It makes me sneer out, “And yet Sam has taken care of you your whole life.”
“Which is why I want to do this for her!” she snaps.
“I can’t mate your cousin.” I shake my head, bile rising in my throat. “I don’t feel that way about her. I feel that way about you.”
“I’m not looking for love, especially not in all the wrong places—” Again she eyes my roving appendages, distress making them jerk continuously against their hard, foreign flooring.
“Who’s looking for love?” I sneer, my heart crushed. “Sometimes a good virginal fuck is all we need.”
Her face pales. “Get out.”
“What’s wrong, Lucy? Afraid your cousin will find out you fucked the alien? And that you want him to fuck her too? Was it really that good?”
I know the answer to that. We were that good, together.
“Get out. I would rather be alone. I would rather face my enemies than look at you for one more minute.”
She flinches when I brush her leg with a tentacle, backing away from me.
But that one touch was all I needed. She tasted of… disgust. Regret.
I was the only male she’d ever had. It wasn’t a gift she gave me. She used me, she feels nothing for me.
She regretted that I was the only male ever available to her, but she took the one opportunity she ever had.
With that, I flee out the back door, the glass doors, leaving them wide open as I flee into the shadows.
Good thing it’s night.