11
Drake in space was one thing, but Drake on Earth was a whole different ballgame. Ruby leaned against the counter at Outdoor Emporium. The sign outside proclaimed If you can kill it, we sell the stuff to get it! No joke.
They had barely had time for her to get a few necessities from her apartment and check her messages – her best friend April had called three times - before they were off on the road in a car that Drake had somehow managed to rent himself. Because he had a credit card. A credit card. One so fancy even Ruby didn’t qualify for it.
They were almost to their destination, but Ruby had insisted he pull over. Eventually he was going to need clean clothes and he needed some of his own if he wanted to fit in. But she had serious doubts about this place.
The owner Jedediah – again, no joke – said he could fix Drake up with whatever he needed and hauled him off to the clothing section. It wasn’t winter, thank goodness, so it shouldn’t be too bad in the mountains. But fall in the Smokies could be cool, so she was thankful that she managed to stuff a jacket in her bag.
An old TV with foil rabbit ears sat on the counter, displaying the news that she had missed out on in her intergalactic travels. Ironically enough they were talking about the Da’Nesh and recent talks with them. It made her blood boil in a slow simmer.
Jedediah smacked his hand on the counter, making Ruby jump. “You know what?”
Her eyes darted around to the empty space around them. “What?”
He leaned closer to her, and she smelled the distinct stench of tobacco and dirt. “I think those aliens are trying to kill us.”
Ruby arched a brow. “You don’t say?”
He nods and gives a conspiratorial grin, showing his missing teeth. “Yes, m’am. Oh not all of ‘em are bad. We’ve even had the odd stop over by visitors with one of those special passes. Nice folks, kind. But these Da’Nesh people… something’s fishy about them. With all their rules and treaties and strangers pokin’ about our business. They’re after somethin’ if you ask me.”
Ruby sighed inwardly. Oh honey, if you only knew.
“Hmmm… interesting.”
Jedediah pointed at her. “You and the Mister be careful now. Not that I think you need to worry. Your Mister looks like he could take down a bear in one fell swoop.”
“Don’t worry,” Drake drawled as he came up behind them. “She’s been known to take down a beast herself.”
Ruby turned and her mouth went dry. Oh my. Drake in his Alium uniform was heart stopping, but Drake in dark wash jeans and a red plaid shirt was… delicious. Now if their cabin just had an axe and woodpiles her lumberjack fantasy would be complete. Warmth flooded her cheeks at the thought.
Drake smiled knowingly as he slid a card across the counter at their newfound friend. But he couldn’t possibly know what she was thinking. Could he? Oh dear what if people from Alium could read minds as well as see in the dark?
“Ready?” He asked, clearly amused.
For that and so much more.
He carried their several bags of supplies out to the car and she hoped by the time she was driving again her brain would return from the mush it became whenever he was near.
Thankfully when the car went into gear and they headed up the mountain she was at least able to think coherently once more. Driving had always calmed her and this view was certainly something she hadn’t expected to see. She followed the little blip on the GPS towards their destination and turned onto a bumpy mountain road. Trees surrounded them now as they ambled their way up the mountainside.
After about twenty minutes the cabin appeared before them, taking her breath away. It was a beautiful A-frame one story log cabin perched on the side of the mountain. The leaves were turning and it was a sea of orange and red as far as the eye could see.
She was itching to go inside and was nearly jumping in excitement when Drake entered the access code and the door swung open. He held out an arm, blocking her entrance. Ruby gave him a questioning look and then gasped when he swung her deftly into his arms.
Her arms went around his neck, unable to break the intense gaze. Drake walked across the threshold into the cabin and the smell of Cedar surrounded them.
He smiled and slowly set her down, very aware that his hands slid against her body and stayed at her waist when she was on her feet again. Lucky for her, because she was so dazed she’d probably have fallen flat on her butt otherwise.
“I saw that in an Earth movie once,” he said, his voice husky. “Kala enjoys forcing Zane and I to watch those. I’m thankful now that I did.”
Carrying her over the threshold? Ruby swallowed hard. Surely he couldn’t know the symbolism behind it. The fire in his eyes told her that he did though.
“I’ll put these things away and see to the security system,” he said quietly.
Ruby nodded and took the bag of groceries. “I’ll fix us something for dinner.”
He brushed a hand down her cheek, and then pulled her close to touch their foreheads. As always her heart rate skyrocketed at his touch. His breathing matched her own and she realized she could stay like this forever. He touched his lips to her forehead and with one last smoldering look he pulled away and got down to business.
Which is exactly what I need to do, Ruby told herself. First, dinner. Second, talk. A major talk. With the alien love of her life.
Because, God help her, she was head over heels.
◆◆◆
Ruby pushed her empty plate back. Drake did the same, letting out a satisfied sigh. “So, what did you think of your first Earth meal?”
“It’s the best meal I’ve ever had,” he answered.
Ruby warmed at his praise and looked away. “It was just lasagna.”
His chair scratched on the floor as he stood up and extended a hand towards her. She took it and was pulled up to her feet.
“The best,” he whispered.
He led her out the sliding glass door onto the balcony. The sun had set and the sky was awash with brilliant stars. Funny to think that just hours ago she had been traveling amongst them.
“What is this? Some sort of archaic defense system?” Drake asked as he pushed a piece of cloth hanging from the roof trusses.
Ruby smothered a laugh. “Defense system? Are you kidding me?” She raised an eyebrow, but he looked genuinely confused. “It’s a hammock. You’ve never seen one before?”
“A hammock?” He tried out the word like it tasted bad. “What does it do? What is its function?”
A light bulb went on in Ruby’s head. Oh, this was going to be wonderful. She stretched out the side and gestured.
“Lie down.”
“On this?” He looked doubtful.
“Trust me,” Ruby smiled. “Just lie down.”
He climbed into the hammock awkwardly, lying back as rigid as a corpse. It swayed under his weight. “I do not understand the purpose of this.”
Ruby’s heart beat wildly, and she slowly brought a leg up to place it by him. She didn’t fail to notice his eyes widen when she gingerly laid herself down beside him, her head resting on his shoulder and one leg hooking over his. One arm stretched across his hard stomach and settled. She felt his arm wrap around her, bringing her even closer. His scent consumed her as she breathed it in deep.
“Ruby,” her name a whisper from his lips. She tilted her head to look at him and found his eyes blazing with heat. “We will have these, hammocks, on every terrace of each one of our homes.”
Ruby felt her cheeks warm. “How many homes do you have?”
“We,” he corrected firmly, tightening his grip around her middle to emphasize his point, “have five homes. The grand palace on Alium, the royal retreat on Altrias, and estates on the other three outlying planets: Allyrias, Altendeen, and Aleryns. I must admit that they may be in complete disrepair by now. The Da’Nesh have set up a blockade and no one has been able to penetrate it in nearly ten years. The grand palace received extreme damage during the attack. There may be nothing of it left.”
Sadness clung to his words. Ruby traced the outline of his shirt with her finger, hoping her peace would somehow get into his soul. “And you have The Journey.”
He chuckled ruefully. “Yes, we mustn’t forget that mass of life-saving metal.”
“I like the ship,” Ruby smiled against his chest. “Besides I don’t really know what I would do with four estates and a palace. I can barely manage my tiny apartment here on Earth.”
“You will learn, Beloved,” his lips caressed the top of her head. “When the Da’Nesh are defeated it will bring about a great change for us all. You will not be alone in your newfound role. Trust me. All of us will be adjusting to a new life, a better life. And it is all because of you.”
Ruby tilted her head back, her eyes wide. “Because of me? But what have I even done? You, and everyone on the ship, have been fighting every day just to live. You’re fighting to get your lives back. I haven’t done anything.”
He brought a hand up to gently raise her chin. “Ruby… you’ve changed everything. You’ve given us all something that we haven’t had in a very long time. When you killed that beast in the arena to get to me… you can’t imagine what that felt like. After what happened to my parents on Alium, the thought of a soul match became like a dream to me. An unattainable dream. I didn’t think it could happen. But it did. In front of the Da’Nesh, God, and everyone you proclaimed it. You are fresh water for my soul, Ruby. You gave us hope that day. And for that, we all will be eternally grateful.”
Ruby tasted the salt of her tears, and did so even more when his lips brushed against hers.
“I love you, Ruby Collins,” he whispered, his voice husky. “Thank you for saving me. For saving my people. My mother was right about you. She had foreseen my soul match would be a woman of extraordinary power and heart. She was right.”
Ruby trembled at his words. His love was like a tangible caress that latched itself onto her soul in an unbreakable bond. “Drake, I love you, too. So much.”
They held each other for many minutes, possibly hours. Time meant nothing to Ruby. His kisses and touch reaffirmed his words and Ruby found herself in complete wonder. She had never known it was possible to be this close to someone else. The longer they were together the stronger their bond seemed to become.
Of course, as Drake had put it as gentlemanly as possible, their relationship still had one boundary left. At least, until the proper ceremonies were performed, which in this case was after the Da’Nesh were defeated. So in an effort to make things easier on the both of them Ruby acquiesced and vacated her deliciously comfortable position on the hammock in exchange for the comfortable, but decidedly emptier, bed inside the house.
She felt his eyes on her as she crawled into the bed wearing her silk plum colored pajamas that she had cleverly packed. He was just outside the window on the hammock, keeping sentry over the house while she slept. He insisted it was safer this way. He would be able to hear anyone approaching from any direction, an Alium trait no doubt, and there would also be some kind of a barrier between them and their… impulses. Although Ruby seriously doubted a little glass and cedar would hinder his advances. They might not even hinder hers.
But she dutifully attempted to sleep, which was a very difficult task as he was staring at her longingly from the porch. But eventually her breathing evened out and the events of the day weighed down her eyes so much that she had to succumb to slumber, a smile playing at her lips.
Drake watched from outside as her face relaxed into a peaceful sleep. The sound of the wildlife was peaceful in a way he never imagined. He hadn’t been surrounded by this much life in so long it felt foreign. Another part of his humanity waking up again after a long slumber. Just another miracle brought to him by Ruby. Before long he felt his owns eyes slide to a close. The house was secure, and nothing would approach without him knowing about it, even in his sleep. He looked once more at Ruby, tucked safely into bed, and felt his body relax.
The night passed by without a sound. The next morning when the sun rose up over the mountains Ruby smiled before she opened her eyes. Her limbs stretched out leisurely, her soul still basking in last night’s revelations. It was a new, glorious, beautiful day.
But when she opened her eyes the hammock was empty; swaying idly in the wind. A creeping feeling filled her stomach. She tried not to panic as she searched the house. Then she searched the yard. Then she got in the car and searched the roads to town. But no amount of searching or screaming made him appear.
Drake was gone.