Chapter 16-2
647 Words
Earth
“Watch your step,” Adalard warned as he held out his hand and steadied Samara when she stepped off the trail. There were still patches of snow and ice along the leaf covered path.
Samara absently nodded and placed her hand in his. They had left the UTV at the top of the cliff and followed the path to the bridge before taking the narrow trail on the other side of the cliff down to the bank of the river.
She walked toward Adalard’s transport with a sense of awe. This was the first time that she had seen it from the outside. Before, her idea of an alien spaceship was influenced by movies and television. The real ship was a slick, bullet-shape design covered in a shimmering tarp.
“How did you conceal it? I didn’t notice anything from above,” she breathed out.
“The Goddess’s gift to my species is the ability to manipulate energy. Each Curizan possesses a different level and skill, but we are all capable of creating basic items from the energy surrounding us,” he explained.
She looked at him with a startled expression. “You can do magic?”
He shrugged and fingered the thin material covering his transport. “I suppose some may call it magic. We Curizans are known more for our technology. For centuries we promoted that idea, but, in actuality, our technology is enhanced by the energy we can harness.”
She ran her fingers along the outer hull of the ship. “So, what can you do with the energy besides create a huge bedsheet and teleport—oh, and heal?” she asked as she looked at him and touched the side of her head.
He chuckled. “As a member of the royal family, I have more power than most,” he said.
She grinned. “What is one power that you have that you are most proud of?” she curiously asked.
His expression softened as he reached out and caressed her cheek. “Finding you,” he confessed.
“What kind of power is that?” she skeptically inquired.
“The most powerful of all,” he softly responded before he kissed her. “I want you, Samara.”
She tangled her fingers in his long hair, their breaths mingled, heightening the rush of desire inside her. She trailed her fingers down his throat before she pulled away and peered up at him.
Her heart skipped a beat as she slid her hands down the column of his neck to his shoulders. There was something about him. He was literally worlds apart from her brothers and every other man she had ever met. Yet, despite all of that, she was still leery of falling into the trap that had captured her mother and grandmother.
She leaned into him and kissed him again. The raw need reflected in his voice and eyes made her fingers curl against his heated flesh. She wanted more, but fear and caution cooled her longing to say to hell with everything and give in to her desires. Her mother’s tired, defeated face flashed through her mind. She took a trembling breath and gave him a shaky smile.
“I’m not ready,” she confessed. “I won’t lie. I’m very attracted to you, but… well, we are literally from different worlds and… one day you’ll go back to yours, and I’ll be left alone.”
He cupped her cheek. “It doesn’t have to be that way, Samara.”
She held his hand, squeezing his fingers in response, unsure of what to say. Her heart wanted to say yes, but her brain was telling her to proceed with caution. The very thought of his leaving left a gaping hole in her heart.
“Let’s look for that device or your leaving might not be an issue,” she finally said.
“You are torturing me,” he groaned.
Laughter swelled inside her at his playful pout. She suspected that this was a side of him that few people saw. It was rather empowering in a feminine way.
“Trust me, you’ll survive,” she teased, pulling him by the arm as she turned away.
- Writer
