Chapter Nine

ARNON

I went over the plan one more time in my head as Danin hand-delivered the special order into my hand. Everything was ready for my next date with Jayne. I stood on my balcony, ready to go. Was I moving too fast? Maybe, but I wanted Jayne to have a chance to select me willingly before she was pressured to advance to round three together.

I wanted us to have some romance in our relationship. I had always imagined asking the woman I loved to be my bond mate, and I wanted to play out that scene with Jayne.

I jumped when I heard someone speak. “Anything exciting happening here?” Ayrie casually came out onto the balcony. His retina was coded to open my door, and he had come into my room without making a sound.

“Have you ever heard of knocking?” I glowered at him. “Even though we’re on another planet, they still have privacy here.”

“You’re not planning to use your wings again, are you?”

“I’m taking Jayne somewhere tonight.” I quickly moved the box behind my back, but I wasn’t fast enough. His eyes darted down and then widened suspiciously.

“That doesn’t mean you have to fly there. Are you going to ask Jayne to be your bond mate?”

I stared out at the city, irritated by the interrogation. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Ayrie had always known me better than anyone else and possessed an unusual ability to know what I was thinking.

“Do you have a problem with that?” I felt defensive. He had no right to meddle in my affairs.

“She has until tomorrow, you know. She doesn’t have to make a decision tonight about moving on with you.”

“I know, but I want to ask her. We don’t have to be cogs in a machine built to save our planet. It’s my life. No one else should dictate its destiny.”

He raised his eyebrows. “You have it bad for her, don’t you?”

I stared moodily out at the cityscape. Ayrie was right. I couldn’t sleep, focus, or think about anything except for Jayne. I longed for her when she wasn’t by my side.

I loved her. My heart beat rapidly at the admission.

“Well, lucky you.” Ayrie seemed oblivious to my internal emotional turbulence. “Do you know something? I found a girl myself. She’s hot and sassy. We fight a lot. I think we’re going to round three, but not because we’re in love.”

He was dragging my attention away from thoughts of Jayne and the proposal. “You’re not seriously thinking about bonding with someone you don’t love, are you? You know that’s not a good idea.”

“There were plenty of loveless marriages before our women passed away.” I could tell he was a little worried by the way he was speaking. “People still bonded and had children.”

“And then they died. Did you forget about Bond Rejection Syndrome? I didn’t think you could be this reckless. You know what happened to Walter and Fallah.”

“Just because it happened to them doesn’t mean it will happen to us. I’m trying to save our world. Get off my case, okay?”

I studied him. I knew every detail of his face. He had a chiseled jaw similar to mine, but he wasn’t as good-looking as me, of course. I still remembered when he was seven and didn’t have any front teeth for a year because they took so long to come in. I remembered all the bruises he got when he was learning to fly. It was the only physical skill we shared that he hadn’t been good at immediately.

“Maybe you like her more than you think.”

“I doubt it.” His face looked impassive. Suddenly he was the one staring at the city.

“What’s this human’s name?”

“Elle.”

Maybe he didn’t care about her. That was certainly possible. He hadn’t liked any women he had fooled around with before. But there was something about the way he said her name that made me wonder about his true feelings.

“Aren’t you supposed to be going somewhere?” He gestured vaguely at the balcony. “Good luck with Jayne. I’m glad you care about your future bond mate. Your lady awaits. Give her a kiss for me.”

I shook my head and smiled, jumping into the air and pumping my wings to lift me. I looked down and nodded my head. Ayrie waved back. As his body grew smaller on the ground, I remembered the sad little boy he had been after our mother died. No matter how I tried, I hadn’t been able to comfort him.

Lifting my head and staring into the horizon, I looked for the long-term hotel where Jayne’s family was staying until they got a new house. I would have the rest of my life to worry about my brother. Tonight would be something to remember. I was going to make sure of it.

I landed lightly on Jayne’s balcony. Her parents were going out tonight, which gave us complete privacy.

My heart stopped when I saw her. She wore forest green pants that looked almost like a skirt because they were loose and flowing, hiding her curvy hips. On her small feet, she wore flats that looked comfortable. My eyes moved up her body. Her white shirt was tight around her breasts. There was embroidery on the shirt in the same green color and the shirt hung long over the pants.

She had her head slightly tilted to the side when I finally got around to looking at her face. I realized it was rude to check her out like that. The look on her face suggested she liked it, giving me a feeling of power. Even so, I owed her an apology. My mother had instilled manners into her children.

“I’m sorry.” Her blonde hair was done up in a bouncing ponytail. Somehow she had managed to look fancy and still wear something practical for flying through the air. Jayne was my kind of woman.

“About what?” She had an amused glint in her eye.

“For appreciating your body.”

“What did you think about it?”

Well, that wasn’t what I had expected her to say. “To tell you the truth, I’m speechless.”

“In a good way or a bad way?” I got the feeling she was joking with me.

“It’s definitely good.” I moved toward her as her eyes strayed to my wings.

“I love the way they look.” She caressed one as I came close enough for her to reach me.

I winced at first, then froze.

“What’s the problem?” she asked quickly. “Should I avoid touching them?”

“Oh, no. Go ahead. Nothing’s the matter.”

Jayne frowned for a moment. “It’s hard to have strangers touch your wings, isn’t it?” She withdrew her hand.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s uncomfortable with people I don’t know.” It was only a half-truth. “That’s not the issue with you, though. I have a relationship with you. Having you touch me is more...”

“What?” She tilted her head to the side.

“Intimate, I suppose.”

“Oh.” The sassy expression disappeared from her face. We locked eyes until she spoke again. “I do like them, though. A lot.” She reached out tentatively. When I didn’t stop her, she brushed her hands along the outer portion of my wings.

It felt incredible. If Jayne was making me this crazy by merely touching my wings, what would it be like when we fucked? I thought I might explode from the thought alone.

I needed to calm myself. Flying might help. “We should go.” I turned away from her and felt some of the desire leave my body. Great. All I needed to do was avoid looking at the sexy body next to me all night long. I was going to have an erection for the entire evening. I hoped it would be a pleasurable torture.

I crouched down, and she climbed onto my back. It felt familiar, because she had done it before, but something about it was new at the same time.

My heart skipped a beat as I took off and flew above the light barrier where no one could see us. Big things were going to happen tonight. I couldn’t wait to get started.

JAYNE

I clasped Arnon tightly as we flew past the light barrier, revealing the darkness of the natural night sky. I gazed up at the stars and marveled that someone had come lightyears to find me. It seemed unbelievable that his entire life and all his searching had ended up with him here on Earth. It didn’t feel logical.

Of course, he had said that logic had nothing to do with anything, and he was right. This evening would help us figure out if we wanted to advance to round three. All I could remember about round three was that we were allowed to experiment and see if we were sexually compatible.

My skin heated at the thought.

We weren’t supposed to fuck each other, but we could fool around. Round three only lasted for twenty-four hours. In the end, we would decide if we wanted to be bond mates. The Auxem representatives didn’t want to give couples longer than that.

Arnon had mentioned something about the risks inherent in unmarried bond mates. I wasn’t sure if he was speaking about a cultural taboo or if there was something dangerous behind their requests. Either way, our time together was going to be limited.

Even though my mother held the data close to her chest, I knew she was keeping meticulous notes on each couple’s progress. When I asked about the details, all she would say was that things looked promising. She was a genius at predicting compatibility between two people. It was one of the reasons TerraMates was so successful. I trusted her, but living through the experience was nerve-racking.

I remembered that I had promised Arnon tonight would be about us. I shouldn’t let any thoughts of the world around us intrude on our evening together. I gave him a squeeze and gazed at the stars.

We flew on through the night, and I let my mind wander, enjoying nature’s beauty and being close to Arnon without needing to talk or worry about the future. I remembered how I had wanted to fly as a child. This was as close as I would ever get to fulfilling my dream, and it was more than I had ever hoped.

When we landed, after I slid off of Arnon’s back I was so flabbergasted by the view that I stood slack-jawed and eyes wide. I couldn’t believe it.

We stood on a cliff that overlooked a beautiful moonlit vista. We were somewhere in the middle of a vast national park north of the city. But the rest of the scene was what took my breath away.

A small waterfall trickled daintily into a pool before the water made its way down the cliff face. Red rose petals floated on top of the lake. Around the cliff were dozens of candles, lighting it in a scene that screamed romance. A blanket covered a large, flat rock and looked perfect to sit on. Whoever had worked this magic had brought in a table and a picnic basket too.

I looked at everything in surprise and ended up staring at his face. “What is all this?”

“I did some research on what Earth women think is romantic. Is it?”

“Definitely. I’d say that’s the understatement of the century.”

He smiled. “So you like it?”

“Anyone would like it. But why would you do something like this?”

“I wanted to treat you to something special because you deserve it.”

I felt like my heart was melting. Arnon had done all this just to please me. He made me feel like a queen. Come to think of it, if this relationship continued, I might become a queen soon. I didn’t think I was royal material.

“What’s the matter?”

“I appreciate everything, I really do. But you’re treating me like something I’m not.”

“You promised you wouldn’t think about everything tonight.” He looked worried as he approached me.

“I didn’t before, but this is overwhelming now. I’m not ready to be a queen, Arnon. I’m just a regular girl from Earth. I’m nobody. I’m a psychologist, for goodness sake.”

“Look at me.” I raised my eyes and what I saw in his face made me stop worrying. “Tonight is for us. There’s no one else here. You don’t need to think about the future.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay.”

He smiled at me. “Take a seat. Are you hungry?”

Arnon led me to the blanket-covered rock, pulling out food from the picnic basket. He produced a tray of vegetables with different kinds of dip. I saw my favorite kinds of crackers, cheeses, and an array of meat. The last plate he pulled out contained dainties and included my favorite kind of date bar.

“This is what I like to eat.” I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “But how did you know?”

“Your mother revealed everything when I asked her about your preferences.”

“She told you what my favorite foods were?”

“As a matter of fact, she gave me a detailed list.” He winced. “Is that a problem?”

“Of course not. I just can’t believe you went to all this trouble for me.”

“You’re worth it, Jayne.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it, but you don’t have to impress me.”

“I didn’t do it to make you think highly of me. I wanted you to remember this night. Let’s eat now.”

I reached out to try a cracker with cheese. “It tastes fantastic.”

Arnon tentatively tasted a piece of meat and made a face.

“Is something the matter?”

“I’ve never had food prepared like this before.” He chewed thoughtfully, as if he regretted putting the meat in his mouth. “Usually we have a chef that makes the same food for us no matter where we travel in the galaxy.”

“For someone who has done so much space travel, it sounds like you haven’t experienced a lot.”

“We’re typically not subject to culture shock because we keep to ourselves.”

I watched him carefully. He still hadn’t swallowed. “You can spit it out if you want. Nobody’s watching.”

He picked up a napkin. “Sorry.” He dug out another bag from the picnic basket.

“It’s okay. What’s that?”

“Food for me. I like to be prepared.”

“No worries.” I started laughing. “You eat what you like, and I’ll eat what I like.”

We ate, talked about our childhoods, and the night passed quickly. Arnon picked up the picnic basket when we were done and brought out a bottle of wine, pouring us each a glass.

“Your alcohol is something I could get used to.”

“You don’t have red wine on Auxem?”

“We don’t have anything like this.” I was surprised at how quickly he was drinking.

“You still have to metabolize the alcohol, right? Slow down or you’re going to get drunk.”

He set his wine glass down on the table. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

There was something about the way he spoke that made me nervous and excited at the same time. My mind immediately jumped to conclusions. “Are you dumping me?” I stood up and set my wine glass beside his. “You didn’t have to butter me up before you did it.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Whatever they call it on Auxem. Breaking up with me?” He stared at me blankly. “Telling me you don’t want to become bond mates?” I couldn’t understand the source of the tension in the air between us.

“Of course not.” He frowned. “Settle down. This might not come out right, but try to listen to everything I have to say.”

I took a breath and tried to relax. My heart was racing in my chest. I didn’t know what was happening, but something felt significant.

“Jayne, we haven’t known each other very long.” He looked up at the stars, then down at me, making me feel pinned by his beautiful brown eyes. “Ever since I saw you the first time, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. You’re smart, beautiful, and have a great sense of humor. You bring fun into my life.”

He scanned my face quickly. I sat frozen, wondering what was happening.

“When I’m not with you, I want to find you. I have an ache inside of me.” He put his hand over his heart. “I don’t usually say things like this. If my brothers saw me right now, they would be hysterical.” He dropped his gaze, staring at his hands as if he felt embarrassed.

I reached out to touch his hand. “Your brothers aren’t here. I am. I would never laugh at you.”

He pulled out something he had kept hidden behind him. It looked like a jewelry box. He opened it and pulled out an unusually sized silver band that looked too big to be a bracelet, but too small to be a necklace. It was beautiful, gleaming in the candlelight. A rainbow of colors reflected off the metal.

“What’s that?”

His hands were shaking. “It’s a titanium arm band.”

“We don’t have those on Earth. What’s it for?”

He looked down at the band in his hands. “It’s something given to women on my planet when a man asks the woman he loves to become his bond mate.”

I stared at him for a moment, then down at the band. He stood up and spread his wings. Was he going to propose to me?

Arnon held the band in his hands in front of him, and I stared at six feet of regal angel before me, unable to speak.

“Will you do me the honor of becoming my bond mate?”

Would I?