Chapter 12

Drake wished there was an easier way to convince Jamie that he was telling the truth. In another few minutes it won’t matter, he reminded himself. She’ll see the proof staring her in her beautiful face.

“I’m not lying,” he said after a moment. “And I’m sorry that I had to deceive you for so long. I couldn’t risk exposing myself. I’m fairly certain that the conspiracy goes up to the highest levels. To tell you the truth it already puts my mission in jeopardy.”

“I can’t believe I let you into my house,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “And I kissed you….and I…I let you…Oh God.”

Drake put his hands on her shoulders again, and this time when she tried to pull away, he didn’t let her. Instead, he pulled her in closer, locking her in his arms. He rested his chin on her head and continued to speak.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t plan for any of this to happen. I’ve been tailing you because I thought you represented the safest access point to the restricted areas of NASA. And I would have never approached you, if you hadn’t caught me out yourself.”

“You took advantage of me.”

Those words were like a punch to the gut. “I’m sorry that you feel that way. But I assure you, I never planned to touch you like that. It…it just happened. I saw you and I couldn’t resist.”

“As soon as we get out of here I’m going to report you to the authorities. You need to have your head examined.”

“I can assure you, by the time this door unlocks, you will believe every word I say.”

He heard her sniffle, and his heart seemed to crack in his chest. He hated the thought of causing her pain. “Please, dear heart, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Shut up,” she said, burying her face in his chest while she started to cry. “I hate you.”

Drake wished those words didn’t have the power to rip out his insides. But they did.

“You are a resident of JL-398,” Herman said without warning. “That means you are living evidence of life on other planets.”

Drake laughed. “Yes, at the moment I’m living evidence, although I’m not sure everyone in the room is as thrilled as you are about it.”

“And Dr. Sylvia Cohen is safe in your world?” the robot continued.

“Yes,” he said. “She is the chosen mate of my brother, Xivthar Rasveen, the Supreme Regent of Zanthar.”

“Chosen mate?” Jamie’s head flew up, her eyes filled with fire. “Are you telling me your brother has been having sex with my sister?”

“And quite enjoying it,” Drake said with a smile. He had to dodge quickly before Jamie’s fist connected with his chin.

“Now I know for sure you’re crazy. Sylvie doesn’t even date. There’s no way she’d fall for an alien asshole, even if he is Supreme King or whatever.”

Drake laughed. “You’d be surprised.”

Jamie struggled against his hold, and even though he didn’t want to, he let her go. She took a couple of steps back from him, her eyes narrow, her face a mask of anger. “Why are you making all this up? Why did you even bother to come on this wild goose chase? What are you after?”
“My planet is in danger,” he said with a fierce tone. “And so is yours. The enemy, the Hareema, are infesting planet after planet. Governments are taken over before the people even realize that their leaders have been replaced. Zanthar is the only planet fighting against this scourge. And now they’ve come to Earth.”

Jamie swallowed and Drake thought for a moment that she was beginning to believe him. Then she replied. “I’m going to tell the authorities that you need a padded cell, because you’re a danger to yourself and others.”

Drake wanted to groan with frustration, but at precisely that moment, he felt the shift in his suit. He’d run out of time.

“It’s happening,” he said softly, then felt the first tug of the suit as it began to revert to its gelatinous form.

His face was revealed first, and he locked eyes with Jamie as she watched the transformation. In less than a minute, he was standing before her, entirely naked, his true Zantharian form completely exposed.

He held out his hand. “Nice to finally meet you,” he said.

Jamie’s mouth fell open. Then her eyes rolled up and she started to fall.

Drake caught her before she could hit the floor, then went to his knees and slowly lowered her until she was resting in his lap. He sat quietly stroking her hair, waiting for consciousness to return.

When her eyes slowly opened, he thought for a moment that she might faint again. Instead a shaky hand rose to his forehead, fingers reaching out to grasp one of the dark, agitated tendrils on his head. “So soft,” she whispered.

He worried briefly that she was too dazed. What if her mind has snapped? He wished that he’d never had to reveal himself.

Then again, if he was being honest with himself, he realized that he wanted her to know who he really was. It made things so much more complicated, but he hated lying to her. Now, she would see the real him.

“You look…better,” she said with a slow smile.

The look she was giving him set his heart to racing. “Oh yeah? You like the alien Drake?”

Her face grew puzzled. “Before you just looked…average. But I could tell you weren’t. Now, your features fit the person you are inside.”

Her words amazed him. Maybe her mind had snapped.

He stood slowly, being careful not to shift her too quickly. After he settled her on her feet, he took a step back. Although he was nude, he didn’t feel nervous. In fact, he was surprised at how comfortable he felt.

Jamie’s eyes traveled up his body slowly, from his feet to his head and back again. “Wow,” she said, after a moment. “You’re huge.”

She was correct. In his proper form, he dwarfed her. Her head barely came up past his waist.

“And your skin…it’s a funny color.”

Drake peered down at himself. His skin was currently a light green, although there were striations of red that had worked their way into it because of the anxiety he’d felt. “We Zantharians have skin that changes color with our moods.”

Her eyes widened. “Color-changing skin. Now that would be the season’s hottest accessory.”

Drake laughed and barely stopped himself from picking her up and twirling her around. She was taking his exposure better than he could have hoped.

“So it was all true then,” she said after a moment. “You’re an alien and my sister is on your planet and…and she’s hooked up with your brother.”

Drake nodded. “My brother has taken her as his mate.”

“Is that like…they’re dating or…?”

“It’s a bit more serious than that. I suppose the closest thing would be your human marriage, but that even pales in comparison. Zantharians mate for life.”

“Wow,” Jamie said, looking dazed. “I can’t even remember the last time my sister went out with a guy, let alone got serious with one. That happened fast.”

Drake smiled. “We Zantharians know what we like.” He gave her a look that he hoped communicated his own liking for her.

Jamie’s cheeks flushed and he realized she’d caught his look. “So humans and Zantharians, huh? They’re…umm…compatible?”

“Oh yes,” he said, barely stopping himself from offering to show her just how compatible they could be.

He caught her looking below his waist and then averting her eyes. “Are you sure, because you guys look to be…umm…a little on the large size.”

“I’m sure.”

“Oh Lordy,” Jamie replied, fanning her face with her hand. She looked down at the puddle of red jelly on the floor. “And if you’re real, that means those things are real too?”

“Yes,” he replied, becoming serious. “The Hareema are the biggest threat to the galaxy there is. And I’m here to try and stop them from taking over Earth and Zanthar.”

“So those things could be anything. Or anybody?”

Drake nodded, watching the wheels turning in her head.

“Oh my God. And you think it goes up to the highest levels. So people here at NASA are aliens.”

“I think so, yes. I can’t figure out a way they could have sabotaged the two missions Earth had sent to Zanthar without being involved in NASA administration.” He didn’t tell her about Danner Thompson, how he’d seen three Danners on the Hareema prison planet. And he also didn’t share his suspicions about her fiancé.

But she seemed to arrive at the same conclusion rather quickly. “Lance,” she whispered, her hand rising to her mouth. “That’s why he’s been so polite but unwilling to--“ She stopped speaking, slamming a hand over her mouth.

Unwilling to what? he wondered. He hesitated, but in a rush of jealousy he decided he needed to know. “What was Cargraves unwilling to do?”

Jamie looked at him, her cheeks on fire. She shook her head, and he narrowed his eyes, his anger rising. What was she hiding from him?

“Your skin, it’s getting lighter.”

She was right. Yellow spots of anger were mixing with the green. “Tell me,” he ground out between clenched teeth.

“You already know,” she sputtered. “He wouldn’t make a move, remember? He’s never made a move. The most he’s given me is a chaste kiss on the lips.”

His anger already high, Drake found it difficult to get a handle on his emotions. He surged forward, grabbing her and pulling her close. “And you wanted more, didn’t you? That’s why you dressed in that little white number, because you wanted his body writhing next to yours?”

Jamie stared up at him, her eyes wide. “I was trying to get the security badge, remember? Besides, he turned me down.”
“But still you wanted him.” Drake’s mind was ablaze with the heat of jealousy. He couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth. “And when I took you, were you thinking of him then? Your precious Lance?”

Her face broadcast her shock. “No! I—“

“I’m going to do everything I can to drive the thought of that man out of your mind for good,” he growled, then he seized her lips in a passionate kiss.

Drake could hear the tiny part of his mind screaming that he was overreacting, but it was too late. Being in such close proximity to her, knowing she hadn’t reacted negatively to his genuine form, had made him want her more. And then the mention of her fiancé, of the body she had offered him, drove him mad with envy and the desire to claim her.

And now he gave into that desire, whatever the consequences.