Chapter Eleven

Tristan carried the rest of the bags into their suite. There was no way one person needed all of this. She was replacing years of clothes that were lost. She looked around and shook her head, there was no excuse for this. She also used Tristan’s money even though she could pay for it herself.

“I need to reimburse you.” That should help to make her feel better.

“No.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to reimburse me. I wanted to spend money on you. I want to spend more on you. My only regret is that I couldn’t be there with you.”

“Tristan you don’t have to butter me up. I’m a sure thing.”

“I’m sorry you think I was trying to do that.” He left the room, and her behind hit the bed.

What just happened? She was trying to make a joke. It was at her expense, but still, it was just a joke. She thought about what Deja said over ice cream.

‘To us, the woman of earth it’s tough to imagine a male like Enzo, Declyn, Tristan or the others being shot down. On the planet they come from its hard for them to imagine a female giving them the time of day.’

She managed to hurt him by offering to pay him back. Just because she slept with him didn’t mean she knew him. She took her time putting her clothes up. Everyone called her his mate, everyone except Tristan. He was smart enough to know that they needed to get to know each other.

How did she feel about him? She liked him. That went without saying. Was there more to it than that? They had been on a roller coaster of problems since they met. Would one evening of just him and her blow up in their faces? She didn’t know the answer to that and so much more.

She showered and changed her clothes. She was happy to have clothes that were all hers. When he didn’t come back to the room, she left in search of him. He was sitting on the back porch on a swing.

“Can I join you?”

“Please do.”

She looked him over. Tristan was a proud male, from his flashing green eyes to the dark hair that spilled down his back. There was a bit of his tat on display as he moved his arm.

“I think to myself; I should feel our differences in the big things. You’re an alien; I'm from earth. Your teeth get sharp, and you become something else; I'm an empath. That’s not where the differences show up. It’s in the little things. For instance, I don’t understand what I did wrong by offering to reimburse you.”

“Stop. Not once have I said anything about your being an empath. Not once have I ever asked you to apologize for being you.”

He was right, but if they didn’t talk, how would they get to know each other? “Tristan I want to get to know you. If you have to hide from me or refuse to tell me what’s wrong, then what’s the point of me being here?”

“The first memory I have is waking up on a battlefield.” He sat back in the swing using his arms to comfort himself. “I’m an old model or maybe just an old soul. They needed a healer, they, being the people in command. They put me together in the middle of a battle. Normally, we are assembled or made in a controlled environment. My first memory is death and learning how to fight it.”

He was an experiment, a Frankenstein. One that had great results, but still someone’s science experiment. She edged closer to him until she could wrap her arms around him.

“Normally, we stay with the same battalion we were created with until we are eradicated. I was constantly moved. There was no place for me. When I was finally assigned to Declyn’s battalion, I was ancient compared to them. I knew it wouldn’t last long it never did. A year came and went with no reassignments. I asked him one day why I was still there. Do you know what he said to me?”

“Tell me.”

“He said that the creators wanted me moved, he told them no. I was part of their battalion, and he wouldn’t let me go. I don’t know how he did it. I know they asked for me over the years. It was the first place I was ever accepted. He knew I was ancient, and he didn’t care.”

“Did my saying I want to reimburse you feel like I was rejecting you?”

“It did.”

She climbed to her knees throwing her body across his. He wrapped his arms around her. They swung back and forth taking comfort in each other.

“We should order food and eat in the room,” she said against his chest.

“I like that idea. I wonder if we have any menu’s?”

She opened her mouth to say that she would find out but closed it and relaxed in his arms.

“Let’s go ask Ven. You know he’s the one that would know.”

She stood, “Ven seems to know a lot to be so young.”

“He’s the only one of us with blue eyes.”

“You make a pair, you’re ancient, and he is a baby. When I see the two of you together, I feel like I’m standing on the edge of an important revelation.”

“I’m not sure I believe that there is a plan to any of this.”

She heard him, but it all felt too strange not to mean something. They found Ven in the living room.

“Have a seat, I’m watching television.”

She looked at the show. Ancient Aliens was on. There was no way she was touching that one.

“We were wondering if you had any menus of places that deliver,” Mira told him.

“I do; they're in the kitchen.”

He handed them to Tristan. “I’m going to go for a walk.”

“Ven,” Tristan growled at him.

“Just a walk Tris nothing else.” He crossed his heart like he was eleven.

Mira smiled there was no way you couldn’t fall a little in love with Ven.

“Be careful.”

“Always, have fun.” He turned and left the kitchen.

“You treat him like he’s a child.”

“To me, he will always be a child. I worry about him; we all do. Being a hybrid isn’t easy.”

“Hybrid?”

“Yeah, Ven’s mother was a natural born. Enzo was created through the enzymes and the hive mind or consciousness that surrounds part of our planet.”

They walked back to their rooms giving her time to think. “So, the people who created you aren’t using their own technology?”

“Correct. They stumbled upon it.”

There had to be more to that story. She could tell that Tristan didn’t want to talk about it. Instead, they focused on the menu ordering from two different places.

“I can’t wait for the food, I’m hungry.”

They went into the sitting room where she pushed the coffee table out of the way and got comfortable on the floor.

“You want to sit on the floor?”

“I do,” she lifted a hand for him to take. Then she pulled him down. “When I would have girl’s night at my house. We’d all get on the floor leaning against the couch or the chairs. Down here you don’t have to worry about saving face. You can be yourself and talk about anything.”

His phone rang.

“The drivers are out front, I’ll be right back.”

She got up and changed into an outfit for lounging.

He set the bags down. “You need to change into something comfortable. I love what those jeans do for your ass, but it’s time to get comfy.”

He left and came back wearing a tee and a pair of joggers. Yes, Lord. Give me a hot male with a sinful tat on his arm. Could she eat him now or did she have to wait until after dinner?

“Tell me what happens when you go to ground. It sounds an awful lot like what happens to a vampire.”

“I’ve read about them, but I never met one.”

She wasn’t going to tell him they didn’t exist. As far as she knew neither of them existed, but they were having dinner together.

“There are a few differences from what I have read. We can’t stop our heart. Our body slows down so much that we can pull the few nutrients we need from the ground to stay alive. Our minds, our thoughts never turn off. We are conscious the whole time we are buried.”

“How many times have you been buried?”

“Enough.”

She pushed her plate away. Any hunger she felt disappearing at the thought of him lying underground knowing the world was going on without him.

“That’s why you were in the crypt.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“The world is changing around me. My Alpha and the others are receiving mates. They deserve this. I’m not upset or jealous; I want what’s best for my people. My people, I wouldn’t have that without Declyn. I won’t stand in the way of their happiness. If they are worried about me how can they continue to find their mates?”

He went silent pushing his food away. He stood and walked over to one of the windows. “I want to see Enigma One with mates, Ven with a mate. I can’t tell you how many times I patched them up, or I fought for their lives. They’re young; they're fresh. They don’t need someone my age holding them back.”

“What if you’re the reason they are here?”

“What do you mean?” He frowned rolling her words around.

“I don’t really know. You and Ven together in the same battalion, it boggles my mind. It’s as strange as the thought that you walk into my club the day I was working. I was off for a week straight before that night.”

“I couldn’t walk past it.”

“Sit, eat.” He sat back down taking the forkful of food she lifted to his lips. He leaned over and kissed her.

“Eventually, you’re going to have to tell me about this mate thing.”

“I’m giving you time to run.”

“Because I look like the running type?”

“If we mate it’s forever.”

“I’ve never had forever before, it sounds intriguing.”

“If you’re as old as I am, you know that it can become your worst nightmare.”

“How do we get out of forever?”

“Death.”

“Life and death with the person you love. People have lived worse lives.”

“Mira you’re so young.

“Young is what you need. Someone to bring spice back into your life.”

“You think?”

“You can now pick me up and ravish me.”