Protected by the HERO (8 page)

“It wasn’t that at all, from the first time I saw you, walking on the sidewalk you enchanted me Melina. Then when you got hit, I came back to save your life. I couldn’t just let you
die
. Then we spent time together and I fell for you, I love you,” I said desperately. I was just trying to make her understand by that point.

“I don’t—I can’t…I need a break. I need some air,” Melina turned to walk inside and I followed after her as she shrugged on her coat and told Jayden that she’d be right back. I started to panic when I realized she was going out there where it wasn’t safe.

“You can’t be serious Melina. You’re going out on the street after what I just
told you
?” I asked her and she brushed me off.

“I’ll be careful not to go into the street, I don’t even have a scarf with me,” she said before she stormed out. I watched helplessly as she walked out.

*****

I went into the kitchen to set the groceries down on the counter. Jayden walked out of his room with a long, thin, white box that had a red bow on the top.

“Where is Melina? I have something for her that I made,” he said with a small smile on his lips. As I stared at the box I knew exactly what it was. The white scarf she was wearing; it must have been why she had such a happy expression on her face the first time I saw her.

“I’ll go and get her, she just went around the corner,” I said and then hurried out of Jayden’s apartment. By the time I got downstairs and outside there was no sign of Melina anywhere. I couldn’t let this happen to her, she simply
could not
die. The sense of urgency I felt was palpable, it saturated the air around me wherever I walked. I circled Jayden’s block three times before I started to branch out to the surrounding four blocks. I couldn’t find Melina anywhere and I was beginning to get desperate. Especially as time was progressing like a freight train down a steady track.

Even though Melina knew about her fate, no matter how careful she was, a variation of the accident would happen again and she
would
die after all. That was how it went. I wondered if I should go back again and fix things in the past.

When I heard a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning that signaled a new wormhole, I realized that I was too keyed up. I needed to calm down. Creating a pathway into the past would not be helpful at that point. It would more likely just make things more tangled.

I kept walking, my eyes in search for red hair and a red coat. I turned a corner and realized that I was at the sports bar. My eyes glanced over to the other side of the street and I saw her. She was upset this time and walking with heavy feet. I felt a brief sense of relief until I heard the roaring engine of a bright yellow Jaguar as it barreled up the street. The guy in the driver’s seat didn’t seem to be paying attention to the road and he was swerving all over the place.

I acted before I could watch what would happen. I created a portal quicker than I ever have before and jumped over to the other side of the road. Just as the driver veered to the right and jumped the curb, I grabbed Melina and jumped just as quickly to my place in Midtown. We appeared in my foyer and she was frozen against me. Her hands clutched my coat with a death grip and I held onto her tight, my arms wrapped around her as we both recovered from the shock and rush of adrenaline that the near death experience brought us.

“Are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay,” I said and Melina nodded her head woodenly against my chest.

“We just teleported…we teleported and you saved my life,” she gasped with blind shock in her voice.

“Yeah…I told you I was here to save you. But I’m not going to leave you Melina. I love you and I want to be with you,” I said.

Melina pulled back a fraction and she looked up into my eyes with her wide blue ones. She studied my face for a long moment as I looked back at her with sincerity.

“I was just scared that…I was just scared that you would leave me once you managed to save me, that we’d amount to nothing,” she said with a shaky voice. I shook my head no.

“I have never told another woman that I love her before, apart from my mother. I don’t say it to you lightly. I do love you Melina and I want to be with you,” I said earnestly and she gave me a watery smile.

“Good…because I love you too,” she said and I smiled from ear to ear.

“Are you sure?” I asked her and she laughed, but then nodded.

“I’m sure,” she said and then I picked her up and twirled her around in a circle before I set her down and pressed my lips to hers. The reality of my having saved her set in and I grew ecstatic.

“You’re alive! We’re here together!” I said enthusiastically. She giggled as she wiped her eyes of unshed tears.

“We are, all thanks to you…I’m sorry I made it difficult though, I shouldn’t have left Jayden’s apartment. I should have stayed inside,” she said with a sniffle and I hugged her again.

“As long as you’re here now, as long as you’re here,” I said.

*****

Melina and I teleported back to Jayden’s place where we had dinner and he gave her the scarf he’d made. Melina absolutely loved it. I respected his ability to make her smile.

After dinner I didn’t want to take any chances. I teleported back to my apartment with her and she sat down in the living room with a ton of questions for me.

“So…how long have you been able to time travel?” she asked curiously. I shrugged.

“I was always able to do it; I just didn’t know how until it just…
happened.
Same thing with teleporting. I was always able to make the little cracks in time, I just didn’t realize it or hone in on it until I was thirteen,” I answered.

“Can your parents do it? Do they know about you?” I shook my head.

“They have no idea…though sometimes when I think back to my childhood I think my grandfather was able to do it. He was always off on ‘business trips’. He always said that I was special, too, that I was just like him,” I said. Melina’s eyes widened a fraction as she took in the information.

“Well not even your parents know, I guess I can’t be too mad at you for not telling me before,” I chuckled.

“I don’t think they would take it well at all. I never told anyone because I was scared of becoming some lab rat, or worse,” I said. Melina nodded thoughtfully and she got up to walk into the kitchen for ice cream.

“So…if we had a baby boy then he’d be able to teleport and time travel like you?” Melina asked cautiously.

“Now that you mention it…my grandfather only had two girls and my mother’s sister only had daughters. And I’m the only child of my parent’s.” I said. “Maybe it’s some weird trait passed on to boys in our family.”

“Interesting,” she said. I watched Melina scoop out some ice cream into a small glass bowl, then put the carton of chocolate ice cream with cookie and brownie dough back into the freezer.

“So what do you think about all this, really?” I asked her. She shook her head.

“I think I’ve overcome the shock and I’m coming to terms with it. After all I’m a little bit stuck with you,” she said as she ate a spoonful of ice cream.

“You’re stuck with me?” I asked and she smirked.

“Well yeah, it’s not like I’m leaving you. I love you, and you did travel back in
time
to save me from dying so we can be together. Right?” I smiled. She was right. Though I hadn’t fully realized it at the time that’s exactly why I went back.

“You read me like a book. What can I say, it was love at first sight for me,” Melina laughed and I watched her finish her ice cream. I wanted to make sure she was done before I threw her over my shoulder and took her to my bedroom. Melina giggled the whole way over and I plopped her down onto the bed.

“I’m so glad it’s Friday, because I don’t think I’ll let you out of here for a long, long time.” I said. She quirked an eyebrow at me.

“Is that a promise?” she said and I smiled devilishly before I attacked her with tickles. Her laughter turned into moans as I pressed the bulge in my pants right against her core and nibbled on her neck. I pushed her sweater up and then kissed the soft skin of her stomach, waist, and hips which were moving restlessly under my hands. I unfastened her jeans and then pulled them slowly down along with her panties. When her clothing hit the floor I spread her legs and then put my mouth against her slick folds.

Melina’s hips moved restlessly as she rubbed herself against my mouth. I flicked my tongue against her clitoris relentlessly and she tangled her fingers in my hair as I worked her towards orgasm. Melina came swiftly and she shuddered as waves of pleasure coursed through her.

We undressed each other quickly. Neither of us could wait to be lost in the other. I spread her legs and then pushed myself into her sweet, warm depths. She clenched and squeezed around me impatiently and I grit my teeth as the pleasure shot through my cock and up from the base of my spine all throughout me.

“Uhh,” I breathed and she squeezed me again. I groaned and began to move, thrusting into her until she was calling out my name. We both came together.

I wasn’t sure how it could have gotten any better with Melina, but it had. As we lay beside each other, spent, I whispered to her.

“So do you want to go to Italy tomorrow after your rehearsal?” I asked and she looked up at me strangely. I gave her a pointed look and realization dawned on her face.

“Wow, this is crazy…we can actually do that,” she said and I laughed at her expression.

“Yeah, we can go wherever you want to go, you name it,” I said and she grinned.

“Then let’s go to Italy tomorrow, I’ve always wanted to see Rome,” she said just before she pulled my head to hers for a scorching kiss. I groaned and she broke the kiss to look at me questioningly.

“Kissing me like that won’t get us to Italy; we might have to sleep in tomorrow instead,” I said, and she smacked my lightly on the chest.

“You know, this means I get to pull out my bucket list of places to visit and you have to take me to each one,” she said. I smiled.

“Yes,” I said.

The End

Bonus Story 2 of 20

With slightly trembling hands, 30-year-old Freya Reece tapped on her front door’s digital mailbox screen to check her mail. Immediately, the inbox came to life with a list of final warning letters from her creditors. Her face fell and her heart thumped as she went through them one by one. She couldn’t ignore her debts anymore.

After going through them, she threw herself on her old-fashioned couch in frustration and misery.
What am I going to do?
she wailed in her mind.

Her only source of income, her yoga studio, was on the verge of closing down. She had tried multiple marketing strategies already and had desperately held on to the studio that had been passed on to her by her mom. Both of them were dedicated yogis, and she hated the thought of even considering her last option—to sell the studio and pay off her debts. But there seemed to be no other choice.

“I’m so sorry, Mom,” she whispered with closed eyes, conjuring up the image of her loving mother who had passed away just a year ago. She knew her mom would understand, though, but it truly hurt to let go of the business that she loved with all her heart. Yoga was not just a business to her, after all. It was her passion, her spiritual rock, and her daily dose of joy and relaxation.

She contacted her real estate agent Fran, who began the arrangements to sell the yoga studio. Fran said there were even a couple of interested potential buyers that she knew of.

She tried to calm down then, slowly breathing in and out. She did not have time for meditation, though, as she had to get dressed for a surprise party that her best friend Lia was throwing for his alien husband Bonx.

With a heavy sigh, she forced herself to get up and head over to her small bedroom. On one wall was the only modern furniture that she had inside this room—her closet. It was made of steel with a digital screen where she could navigate through the inventory of clothes she had and mix and match them for her chosen outfit. The wardrobe technology even allowed her to just voice in the occasion and a range of suggested ensembles would appear on the screen. It even made use of an image of her in her underwear which she had uploaded before and could be dressed up digitally, hence allowing her to easily picture how she would look like wearing a particular getup.

Apart from this closet which had actually cost a fortune, the rest of her apartment interior was made up of ordinary furniture, appliances, and décor from ten years ago. Recently, however, her landlady had installed digital mailboxes on all doors of the building.

After browsing through a couple of outfits, she finally settled on a white blouse with cutout shoulders and a short printed skirt that showed her long tanned legs. The clothes suited her slender figure perfectly and made her look a little bit taller. Pulling her shoulder-length chocolate brown locks up in a stylish messy bun and putting on some makeup made her look radiantly beautiful despite her chaotic emotions.

She went back to the kitchen and opened her fridge to take out the cupcakes she herself had baked and decorated. This was her contribution to the party food, which she knew Lia and Bonx were crazy about. Most people ate supplements in capsules and instant food concoctions for their daily nutrition, it was definitely a refreshing, exciting change to actually prepare “real” food when there was a special occasion. After all, parties will never be complete without actual appetizing, mouthwatering snacks and dishes.

A honk sounded outside her first floor apartment. She rushed outside and quickly got into the small electric car of her long-time friend Billy.

“Hey, looking good,” Billy immediately said, giving her an appreciative look. He’d always had a thing for her, but she always managed to dodge his advances. She just didn’t see him that way.

“Thanks,” Freya said, smiling. At least he never failed to make her feel good. “And thank you for the ride.”

“No problem,” Billy replied as he drove off. “Anything for you.”

Freya ignored his flirtatious remark and tone and quickly changed the subject. “I can’t believe it’s already been two years since Lia and Bonx got married!”

“Well, I can’t believe she fell for that alien!” Billy said, guffawing. “Remember how Lia used to detest aliens in general since they had invaded the earth and had become a permanent part of our society?”

“Yeah,” Freya agreed with a grin. “But apparently, only aliens like Bonx actually have the patience to put up with her stubbornness.”

They both laughed, recalling how the two had gotten together and had quickly fallen in love with each other.

“So what about you, Freya?” Billy suddenly asked. “When are you going to give me a chance? Or are you also waiting for an alien to come along and sweep you off your feet?”

Freya laughed a little nervously, unsure what he was getting at but certain it wasn’t a conversation she was ready for. “I haven’t got time for those things at the moment,” she answered truthfully. “I’ve got a tons to sort out in my own life first. Anyway, I’m not in a hurry. The right one will come along at the right time.”

“Okay,” he said, shrugging. “But what’s your preference, human or alien?”

“Nothing, really,” Freya said. “What I need right now is a buyer to save my ass from all my debt.”

“But you already sold your car, right?”

Freya wrinkled her nose and frowned at the memory of her good old car, which she had sold a few weeks ago. “I’ve put the studio up for sale.”

Billy suddenly reached out to give her a quick shoulder squeeze. “Sorry, Freya… I would have loved to help you out but I’m kind of short too.”

“No worries,” Freya quickly said. “It’s not your problem. You’ve got a lot of younger brothers and sisters to worry about already, so don’t add me to the list anymore. And even if you had extra money, I wouldn’t want you spending it on me.”

The party was in full swing when they arrived at Lia and Bonx’s humble two-story residence. It was a simple home that they were still in the process of filling up with furniture and appliances, but nevertheless it was already looking good. There was a mini garden up front and a quaint patio painted in white that led to the front door. The entire house had been done in white and light blue, painted by none other than Lia’s alien husband. He did not just have super strength, after all, but also had the ability to jump onto roofs and leap from tree to tree if he wanted to.

Freya knew most of the people present. Billy mingled a bit with them while she went straight to the kitchen to put down her cupcakes. Lia was there, busy supervising the food preparations. Dinner was about to be served.

“Freya, you’re here!” Lia greeted with relief. “Now you can help me with all this.”

“Sure,” Freya said with a smile. She immediately helped her carry out the trays of food and set up the dessert table under the “Happy Birthday” banner. As the guests milled about, chatted, danced to the music, and munched on chips and nuts, Freya and Lia worked together.

“Whew,” Lia breathed when they were done. Even with a sweaty face and hardly any makeup, she was still beautifully glowing. Her flawless skin was evident and her tiny, pretty face was always very welcoming. She had her wavy black hair tied up in a ponytail and was wearing a simple knitted sweater with jeans.

In a few minutes, the guests had all gathered around in the living room. The curtains had all been arranged so that Bonx wouldn’t be suspicious as he approached the house. He was a scientist who closely worked with the government and that day, he was scheduled to work a bit later than usual. He was home right on time.

“Surprise!” everybody screamed as soon as Bonx entered the house. He literally froze on the spot. Then recovering at once, his eyes scanned the crowd and lingered on his wife. Lia bounded over to him and they met in a sweet, tight embrace. Looking at them, Freya was truly happy for her best friend. They made the perfect couple. Nevertheless, a tinge of envy fluttered in her heart as she silently wondered when she would actually find her own husband.

In the next hour, their little startup house seemed to rock with raucous fun and brim with love and friendship. Bonx looked happy too and seemed to get along really well with Lia’s family and relatives. He also enjoyed the company of their human friends. There were of course several aliens in the crowd too, mostly his colleagues who had left work earlier than him to join the surprise.

“Seems like the Earth really suits you now, Bonx,” Freya remarked when the two of them got a chance to talk. “Aren’t you planning to visit your own planet ever again?”

“You know, over the past two years, I’ve actually still been in contact with some of my old friends from Tryptin,” Bonx said thoughtfully. “And now that you reminded me… I just heard that the royal palace has been looking for an event manager. You might be interested.”

Freya’s mouth dropped open.
I might be interested? Are you crazy?
she screamed in her mind.
This is the sign I’d been waiting for!

“Our planet is much smaller than the Earth,” Bonx explained. “It’s actually like one country only, governed by the royal palace. My friend Patrix is one of the head warriors so he’s in close contact with the king.”

Lia, who had overheard the whole conversation, bounced over to them and threw an arm around Freya’s shoulders. “I believe Freya here is more than qualified for that kind of job. However, the question is— are you willing to live there?” she asked her friend.

Freya’s heart beat faster. She was eager to take on the challenge and had always been quite adventurous too. Since she was single with no parents and had only a few relatives who lived far away, and since she was selling her studio already anyway, the opportunity sounded just perfect. “How much is the pay?” she bluntly asked. She wanted to know if it would be worth the move to a strange planet.

“Well, you’ll be working for royalty so the pay and benefits will be considerable,” Bonx said. “Apart from the free lodging and food, you’ll likely receive the salary similar to that of a CEO here.”

“Wow…” Lia inhaled. “Tryptin must be a really rich country. Why didn’t we choose to live there again, Sweetheart?”

Bonx smiled at his wife. “Because you wanted to stay close to your family.”

“Oh, right.” Lia grinned before turning to her friend again. “Well?”

Freya took a deep breath and made a decision right then and there. “I’m in.”

*****

Within just a week, Freya found herself dressed like an astronaut, trapped inside a single flying pod that served as a miniature space shuttle from Earth to Tryptin. According to Bonx, travel time was just a little more than an hour. But she never realized she would have to travel all by herself!

Shit, what did I get myself into?
she thought in desperation, closing her eyes fearfully as the pod began to shake and glide across the atmosphere. She wasn’t claustrophobic but her rising panic was making the cramped space and her worn helmet too much for her to handle. Suddenly, she felt woozy and just plain frightened.

“Ms. Freya Reece,” a booming voice suddenly sounded, making her jump in alarm. A few seconds of static followed, before the screen in front of her came to life, showing an alien warrior in a navy blue uniform who looked about her age.

“Uh, yes?” she said softly, opening her eyes and trying to control her growing anxiety.

“Are you alright?” he asked, looking concerned. “My name is Patrix, a warrior general from the Tryptin Palace. Bonx probably told you about me.”

“Yes,” Freya answered hesitantly, looking really relieved that she at least had someone to talk to. “I’m a little anxious in here all by myself. Could you stay with me throughout the journey?”

“That’s not possible, sorry,” Patrix replied in an apologetic tone. “However, if you wish, I can tune in your video screen to a channel of your choice—from Earth, of course. That should keep you entertained and relaxed for the rest of the journey.”

“Thanks,” Freya breathed with a weak smile.

“Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and make sure you’re okay,” Patrix said. “Don’t worry, because the pod will bring you straight to the palace grounds. I will personally pick you up and escort you to your quarters.”

“Okay, thank you!” Freya said.

Patrix gave a curt nod before the live feed disappeared and was replaced by a listing of popular cable networks. Freya figured the monitor in front of her made use of touchscreen technology since there were no buttons to click anywhere. She tapped on a channel and quickly relaxed when a movie came on.

Before she knew it, an hour had already passed. She felt the pod slowing and then descending until it came to a full stop. “Thank God,” she whispered, immediately taking off her helmet and trying to fix her flattened hair with her fingers. There was no mirror anywhere so she just hoped she looked at least decent enough to make a good first impression.

A beep sounded and the wall on her right suddenly began to divide, letting in a stream of bright sunlight. She squinted, letting her eyes adjust to the glare.

When the door had completely opened and her vision finally cleared, she was shocked to find about ten alien warriors positioned in front of her, all wearing army green uniforms. In front of them was Patrix in his navy blue garb, looking manly and regal.

“Welcome to Planet Tryptin, Ms. Freya Reece,” Patrix greeted, his face and voice both expressionless. “Follow me, please.”