Chapter Two
Earth, Present Day
She stared at a ghost of a woman reflected in the mirror. Long, dark hair was matted to her pale face and her bloodshot eyes were rimmed with dark circles. Her mascara had trailed down her cheeks and her lipstick was smeared. It was an ugly sight. Natalie Donovan knew it then. She was one ugly woman. Ugly and fat. That’s why he had left her for another woman. A much prettier one. She must be a skinny bitch, Natalie thought, fresh tears springing to her eyes. At that moment, she really hated the pathetic sight in front of her. She should have known. At twenty-six, she was twenty pounds overweight, ugly, and unsuccessful. Who would want an ugly woman like her?
Her stomach twisted and her head reeled. Nausea rose up inside her as she bent over and retched in the sink. Her body shuddered and her breathing became labored as she gripped the rim of the sink with trembling hands, steadying herself. She had downed more than a few margaritas and her thoughts were becoming fuzzy. She splashed cold water on her face, wiping it clean with the back of her hand.
She had been trying to reach Matt like crazy, but he hadn’t returned her calls or texts in the past two days. She had tossed and turned at night, wondering why he wouldn’t return her calls. It was very unlike him. Tonight, she had texted him to meet her at the bar. She had been constantly checking her cell, and when it finally beeped, her brown eyes lit up hopefully. Yet, her heart sank when she read his reply. The text clearly stated that he wouldn’t be coming and he was not going to be seeing her again. He was engaged to Tyra.
Tyra? Tears streamed down her cheeks as she blinked. Oh, Tyra. She was the skinny model he was going to be working with in New York on his next photo shoot.
Oh why, why, why, Matt? She furiously texted him back, asking him why he was leaving. Did she do anything wrong? Oh, she had been so careful not to displease him and to take care of his every need. Although he had never said those three magical words, she thought he was happy with her.
Natalie was working at a coffee shop as the assistant manager when she met Matt almost a year back. She thought she had finally found the right man – a man who loved her. At least she had thought he did. He was ruggedly handsome, with blue eyes and dark hair. He’d been sweet to her, and he’d always told her she was good in bed.
That was it, then. He was just having fun. Men didn’t like fat girls, and they definitely didn’t marry them. She had been a fool. Why else would he break up with her and marry that model?
She heard the door to the restroom open, and she quickly applied red lipstick and straightened the hem of her knee-length black dress that clung to her curvy figure. Then, grabbing her clutch, she walked outside.
She blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the fluctuating neon lights. Her head spun as the loud music thrummed in her chest. Staggering, she made her way back through a throng of swaying bodies to the bar on the left. She sat on one of the stools and thought about going for another margarita.
Erdal had frequented this very bar nightly for almost a week without any success. He had a hard time trying to control his rage as he imagined unsheathing his Light-Shard and ripping every human there apart. To add to his frustration, he just couldn’t find the right girl. He was running out of time; tonight was his last chance. He had to go back and report to the King. He didn’t care what punishment Zutaar had in store for him.
He was about to give up when he saw the woman stumble up to the bar. She sat next to him, oblivious to the world around her. His cold, emerald eyes were half hidden under the hood of his cloak, and his piercing gaze took in her full breasts, her waist and her black dress, which clung deliciously to her softly curved hips. But what interested him most was her face. His breath hitched when he saw her big eyes, her lips, her nose... It was all so much like her. For a moment he thought he was seeing a vision and that Kira was there with him. But that was ridiculous. He was far away from home, on an alien planet. This human was not Kira. She was gone. But the resemblance was uncanny. The only difference was her hair color. It was darker. And she was on the chubbier side, but he didn’t mind that. He thought she looked good.
Natalie didn’t notice the stranger who sat next to her, quietly observing her every move. She didn’t even notice the tiny, round translation device he slipped into her ear as he moved up next to her.
“May I buy you a drink?” he asked her, in the way that he had observed other human males do. His voice was deep and had an unusual lilt to it.
She turned toward him and looked up. Her red-rimmed eyes were bright and he saw that she was drunk.
“Y-yeah. I would love that,” she slurred, giving him a crooked smile. She saw the way he looked at her, and his cold, piercing gaze made her shudder.
He ordered a cosmopolitan for her.
“So, what do they call you?” he asked, gazing at her with those piercing eyes.
She giggled, unable to wipe that stupid smile off her face. He sounded funny, she thought.
“I’m Natalie. And you are...?” she asked him as she bent forward, gazing into his penetrating emerald-green eyes. He seemed thirty-five or thirty-six, maybe? She couldn’t see his face properly. What was it? He seemed different and he didn’t seem to like her. No, she was being stupid. Why would he buy her a drink if he didn’t like her?
“Erdal,” he said, in his deep voice. He took a swig of his beer, his eyes still locked upon hers, as she sipped her cosmopolitan.
“C’mon, dance with me,” she said, slipping off her stool. She grabbed his hand and led him onto the dance floor as the music changed to a slow number.
Natalie leaned in on him, resting her head on his shoulder and slowly beginning to sway. He stood rooted to the spot. He didn’t understand why these humans were moving like crazy – sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly – to the noisy beat. To him, it seemed like some sort of weird mating ritual… or maybe more of a prelude to the ritual.
“We should get going,” he said in a sober tone. He was growing a bit uncomfortable with her body against his, her scent unnerving him – her sweet, intoxicating scent ensnaring his senses. His breath hitched and he felt like getting out of there.
What was it with this woman? He would have to find out later.
“Umm, okay...” Natalie said as he led her outside into the warm, balmy night. I should spend the night with this handsome stranger, she thought. It would get her mind off of Matt. She might regret it later, but she didn’t care at the moment.
Erdal opened the door to his Ford Mustang and she got in. He came around the other side and got in, then quickly revved up the engine. He quietly drove out onto the street and into the night. He still wore the hood on his head. Why won’t he remove it? Natalie wondered. It seemed as if he were hiding something.
Her mind drifted to Matt once more as she stared out the window. Just before he had left for New York, she had been making plans for his upcoming birthday. He hadn’t said anything – just smiled and went away. Tears welled in her eyes and streamed down her face at the memory.
“Oh, I miss him so much!” she cried. She couldn’t take the silence in the car anymore and she didn’t care what the stranger thought about her.
Erdal gave her a sidelong glance as she sobbed uncontrollably.
“I thought we were happyyy... I-I... was hoping h-he would propose! B-but why would he want to marry me? I-I’m ugly, you see?” she stammered. “He is m-marrying Tyra... because she’s pretty.” Her breath came in gasps as she heaved shuddering sighs.
Erdal wished the woman would shut up. Her sobs were incredibly distracting. What was she talking about? It seemed that her lover had left her for another woman – big deal. So, she definitely wasn’t a virgin, but he didn’t care. He wanted to get this thing over with.
He turned onto a dirt road away from the freeway and drove down a few miles toward the open fields.
“I’m stupid. I-I should have known...” she said quietly. “He didn’t love me,” she whispered. Then, turning toward him, she asked, “You... Would you dump an ugly woman like me?”
“Please be quiet,” he said, as his jaw clenched. This woman was so confused. She didn’t make sense. Her lover might have left her for some other reason, but she was far from ugly. She was beautiful.
He drove on for a while and parked the car near the edge of a grove.
“Follow me,” he said curtly as he got out and opened the door for her.
He took her hand as she steadied herself. Still holding her hand, he led her toward the thicket. They walked among the trees and came to a clearing on the other side. Then he stopped and, turning, he wrapped his arms around her, crushing her body against his. She gasped as she stared into his emerald eyes. He tapped the band on his wrist a few times, and soon small, white, glowing particles appeared to surround them, their bodies vanishing into thin air.
***
Natalie’s heart raced. What was happening to her? Within the next few seconds, she was standing close to him again, but the field was gone. She found herself in a dimly lit cabin resembling the inside of an elevator. The glass doors opened and she clung to Erdal. He had to pry her hands off of him before leading her outside into a narrow hallway, yet he kept hold of her hand.
W-where are we?” she asked, a bit dazed, as her head spun.
“No more talking, woman,” he said, teeth clenched.
“My name is Natalie!” she said, tears pooling in her eyes.
Natalie couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t tell her where they were headed. They strode down the hall until they came to a door. He tapped the figures on the wall panel and the door slid open. He dragged her inside and let go of her hand, walking over to the console and keying in more commands there. She stood there, gazing at his back. They were in a circular room with huge windows on one side and a large console with an array of panels lining the center. There was a chair, too. It seemed like some kind of control room. This wasn’t real. Oh, she must be dreaming. She would wake up soon, she thought, giggling.
There was a distant humming around them. The ship went into warp drive, streaming across the universe. He came back toward her and she saw that his hood was down. She gasped as her eye caught the subtle ridges at his temples. What was wrong with him? But before she could ask, he grabbed her by the arm and took her outside into the hallway.
“Where are you taking me?” she implored, tears streaming down her face.
“To your quarters,” he said.
Quarters? He meant a room, right? What was going on? She had a feeling that something wasn’t right – this would be a very strange hotel.
He stopped by another door and entered another code so that it gave way. He stepped in, pulling her along with him as the door closed.
He turned her in his arms and gazed deeply into her eyes. He has long dark hair and his ears are pointed, she observed. She gasped as she took in his intense gaze, dark brow with its subtle ridges, straight chiseled nose, and strong jawline.
“Wh-what happened to you?” she whispered, reaching to touch the ridges on his temples. He grabbed her wrist gently but firmly as he stared at her. He caught her heady scent again, now mixed with the scent of her arousal. His breath hitched, and his intense eyes pierced her very soul. She looked dazed and he saw that she still hadn’t grasped that he wasn’t human. She clung to him, seemingly afraid to let go, showing him how vulnerable she was. Her brown eyes were clear as day. For a moment, he forgot everything and thought he held Kira in his arms.
Natalie leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his lips. A dark shadow flitted across his eyes as he felt her silky lips on his own.
“Kiss me, Erdal... Kiss me now...” she implored, murmuring against his lips, gazing at him, as she bared her soul to him.
Natalie didn’t care who he was. She wanted him. She needed him so she could numb the pain in her broken heart. She didn’t care anymore.
No. No. No... Get away from her. She is not Kira. The king won’t like it! He will kill you! A dark voice inside his head screamed.
Fuck him, Erdal thought. He grabbed the nape of her neck, tilting her head back, and bent his head to claim her mouth with his own at a perfect angle. His other hand caressed her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers entangled in his hair. She was eager, demanding as she slid her tongue into his mouth. He gasped, pulling back, surprised by her fiery passion. Her eyes were glazed – she clearly wanted more.
Desire raged through his blood as his eyes darkened and he fiercely claimed her mouth again. His tongue slid inside her mouth and grazed hers, urgent, demanding. She matched his dark passion as desire pooled deep down in her belly. His hand grabbed her behind and pulled her closer, his hips grinding against hers. They pulled apart to catch their breath as he peeled her dress off and admired her full breasts. Silly woman... How could she think she was ugly? He picked her up and roughly dropped her on the flat gray mattress, then took off his shirt and stepped out of his pants. His alabaster-white skin glowed in the dim, white light of the room, and his long, dark hair fell on his shoulders as she gazed at him. He bent down and peeled off her panties. In one swift movement, he was on top of her.
She loved the feel of his hard body on top of her, him cupping her breasts and claiming her mouth with a fervent longing.
Time froze for them as they were soon lost to the rhythm of consuming passion.