Chapter Five

The sun burned into my eyes as it came through my bedroom window, searing into me as if teaming up with my alarm clock to try to get me out of bed. It was the second morning I had woken up in my own bed, but I still didn't feel like I was really at home. There was something missing that made me feel like I was visiting my own life, and I knew exactly what it was.

"How are you doing this morning?" I asked Samira as I padded into the kitchen.

I picked up a mug and poured a cup of coffee from the machine set in the corner of the counter. The first sip brought the same thought that it always did: thank the universe for automatic brewing.

"I'm feeling a little better," she said, looking up from the book in her lap.

"That's good. Did you have anything that you would like to do today? I still have… well, technically like six months off, but I'm planning on giving myself about another week before I go back to the university and try to blend back in."

"I can't really think of anything." She sighed and I saw a look of nervousness flood over her face, "I know at some point I'm going to have to go back to my mom's house and get my stuff. They said I needed to be completely moved out by the end of the week."

Her voice sounded so defeated it made me angry, but I didn't show it. This was a girl who had seen enough anger and aggression in her life turned toward her when she didn't deserve it. She deserved gentleness and compassion now.

"I'll go with you," I offered, pouring another cup of coffee now that I was starting to feel a bit more awake.

"Thank you," she let out a tremulous-sounding breath, "I'm way too scared to go by myself."

"Is your stepfather going to be there?"

She nodded.

"He's not working anymore. He doesn't have anything to do but sit around the house and terrorize whoever gets in his way."

"He won't terrorize me."

The mug slipped out of my hands and shattered on the floor at my feet, sending a wave of coffee splattering across my legs. I gasped and jumped out of the way before I looked up to make sure that my eyes weren't deceiving me. Ero was standing in my kitchen.

Samira looked shell-shocked and didn't move from her seat, but stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Ero!" I managed to gasp.

"Who is she talking about?" he demanded, pointing at Samira.

I blinked at him, not sure what I was supposed to be thinking in that moment. Was he seriously standing there, in my kitchen, on Earth, asking me about Samira?

"Ero?" I repeated, "What are you doing here?"

Finally it seemed that his attention returned to me and he crossed the room toward me in two long strides.

"I came for you. I left two days after you did," he said, then looked down at my coffee-soaked legs, "Oh. I'm sorry."

That's when it hit me that I was still in pajamas, no makeup, and hadn't even brushed my hair yet. Embarrassment flooded over me and I pushed past him to rush toward my bedroom. I heard him following me and I tried to shut the door so that he couldn't get inside, but he was too fast and too strong for me to hold him back.

"What are you doing?" I asked, spinning around to face him.

Ero grabbed me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him for a kiss that took my breath away. When his mouth lifted off of mine, I looked up into his eyes and saw that there was no longer a hint of green, only intense orange.

"Your eyes," I said, not letting go of my grip on his shoulders, "They changed."

"They changed because of you. That's why I'm here. I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. You are my mate."

I pushed out of his arms and stepped away, combing my fingers back through my hair.

"I heard what you said about me, Ero."

"I know, and I am so, so sorry. I don't know what I can say to you to make you understand that, but please, tell me and I will say it. I will do anything you need me to do to convince you that I didn't mean to hurt you and that I would never, ever do it again."

"I have spent too much of my life feeling bad about myself and being told that that's how I should feel because of the way I look."

"I don't want you to feel that way," he said, closing the space between us and pulling me into his arms again, "I want to spend every day of the rest of my life making you feel as beautiful as I see you. I know that you don't trust me yet, but please, just give me the chance to show you. Come back with me. Everyone on Uoria misses you so much already."

"I was only there for a day."

Ero laughed softly.

"They must just realize how wonderful you are." He nuzzled me with his nose and kissed me gently, "I'm sorry it took so long for me to get here. No one from Uoria has ever travelled off of it before, especially to Earth, and it took a couple of days for us to arrange transport."

"At least you're here."

"Does that mean you're willing to come back with me? Give me another chance?"

"I will come back, but only on a trial basis. Like you said, I don't trust you yet. I can't just let myself get swept away by you."

"Thank you," he said, sounding so relieved and happy it made my lips finally curve up in a smile, "And definitely don't forget your books. I've only been here for a day and what I went through trying to find you and navigating this ridiculous planet tells me that there is a lot more to learn about Earth than we ever expected."

I laughed and he met the sound with another kiss, pressing his body to mine so that I could feel him getting hard beneath his clothes. My knees weakened a bit, but I forced myself to resist the aching of my body and gently eased him away from me.

"Not so fast. I told you I'll go back with you. That's all you get for now."

He gave a sigh, but nodded.

"I'll accept that. Now… tell me who is terrorizing that woman in the kitchen."