Rylan's Heart (7 page)

She accepted that, if she was in his position she would put the blame on the Sudir also. Whether they caused the last issue or not, they were the ones who lit the fire.

“So there are no females of your race here?”

“No, at first we thought we would simply live our lives and die. We would be the last of our kind. Then one of the older ones met his match. That’s when we knew we all had a chance to not only survive on this planet but thrive. We believe Victor’s parents suspected this which is why they sent us here.”

“All right, I’m ready to hear about mating.”

“Mating is what you call marriage but its unbreakable, no divorce or do overs. There is something called a mating trial. The two of us would lie together like we are sleeping, that part inside of us that makes us who we are would be on trial. Our essence would leave our bodies and meet in a place that the trial deems best for us. There is no way to understand what will be required to pass this trial, we simply show up and do whatever it takes to pass.”

“Why do you have to mate? Why can’t you just have sex?”

He lowered his head as the darkness lashed out around him. “I’m broken.” He finally admitted as he squared those broad shoulders.

“I have tried to use sex to calm my inner demon but it didn’t help. Now that I have met you, I feel myself wanting to latch on. I know that’s not right, so I try to resist. If we have sex, we would form a half bond that may kill me and damage you. We do not have to mate. If I leave, you will be fine within a couple of weeks.”

“So you offer me a relationship, companionship, a father for my daughter, then you try to weasel your way out of it. What do you want?”

He turned on her, his eyes flashing, teeth grinding. He trapped her against the back of the couch.

“What do you want?” He stared her in the eyes. “You said you didn’t want anything but a quick roll. That’s what you were looking for earlier when you decided to give away what is mine. Don’t lecture me when your motives aren’t all that pure.”

He was right and he was hot. Her panties were soaked and still her essence rolled down her thighs. She wanted to strip him and take him to the hilt without the benefit of a condom because she had to feel all of him.

She reached up and kissed him. Forget about everything but getting closer to him. He sucked her tongue in making her weaker than she already was. Yes. Please!

The loud knock at the door brought her back to the present. “Guess our time is up.”

“What’s your decision?”

How could she make a decision to marry him with so little information to go on? But that’s what he was asking. Not that it would be marrying. No, it would be so much more. She should wait. Somewhere was her knight in shining armor, but would he make her feel half as good as Rylan? Would she ever be sure about taking a step like this? All she knew was there was something about him she wanted to get to know better and he would care for Mckayla. In the end, marriages had been built on less.

“As far as marriage proposal goes. That one sucked, but yeah. Call me crazy but I want to mate with you. Anything else I should know?”

“Couple of points I might have missed. This will bind our souls together so we call it soul-bonding and you will be in my mind and I will be in yours. After we mate, also known as bonding. we will always know what the other is thinking or feeling.”

He walked into his room and came out completely dressed. She would have followed him in but she was still in shock from that last little grenade he threw her way. He went to the door and opened it.

“Time’s up,” Victor said. “Selma went to get Vick and Mckayla. What’s the answer?”

“Yes,” Rylan said, looking at her to see if Aviana would protest.

“What about Mckayla when I am going through this trial?”

“We have some friends, the Dares; we were going to ask them to watch Vick and Mckayla. They watched Vick for us during Cal and Paige’s trial.”

“Is one of the Dares, Hale Dare?”

“Do you know him?”

“I just know Selma and even Paige talked highly about him. I have to meet them first.”

Victor lowered his head in agreement. Gabe beamed at her giving her a quick hug before he and Victor walked away.

She walked downstairs just in time to see Mckayla come in.

“Mom!” Mckayla ran to her already telling her what happened in school. Aviana leaned over and picked her up giving her a tight squeeze.

“Too tight, Mom.” Aviana pulled back.

“Go put your things up, Baby,” she called out as Mckayla ran upstairs.

“I took a minute to talk to Mckayla’s teacher since I was talking to Vick’s to let them know they would be away for a couple of days. She gave me her homework and said she was such an intelligent young lady that it should be ok.”

“Thank you. Do you really trust this other family?”

“I do. They have a son, Alexei; he and Vick are the same age, and the youngest brother has a girl just six years older than Vick and Mckayla.

“How will we meet them?”

“Dante is sending Mick in a hover craft to pick us up. We can eat dinner with them.”

“I’d like that. I’m not sure about this Rylan. I’ve never left her with anyone before. It almost feels like everything is spinning out of control and Mckayla is my heart.”

“I know. If you’re not comfortable by the time we’re ready to leave we’ll think of something else.”

She nodded agreement.

*~*~*~*

Selma meant an actual alien hover craft. Both Mckayla and Vick were trying to explore every inch of it while Mick, the male captaining it, answered every question. Mick was Dante’s brother and Dante was someone they all seemed to respect a lot.

Rylan sat close to Aviana and kept an eye on Mckayla. Paige and Cal were wrapped up in their own world. Victor and Selma were staring out the view screen. Gabe had decided to stay home with Joaquin, another member at the bed and breakfast, who had returned tonight just before they left.

“Mom, can I have one of these when I turn sixteen?” Mckayla looked at her with her bright eyes.

“Why don’t we wait until you get sixteen, then we’ll talk about it.”

“Mr. Mick, Aunt Selma told me about another girl named Amber. Is she nice?”

“She is and you’ll love her.” Mckayla gave him a smile and went back to staring out the view screen with Vick.

The hovercraft was set down not far from a house she could see. It was a wide, rambling two story house that took up a lot of the surrounding property.

“We’re at Aran’s and his mate, Rena’s house.”

They walked the short distance from the hovercraft to the back of the house.

A tall man waited to greet them.

“This is Aran.” Victor said before turning to them. “Aran, this is Aviana and her daughter, Mckayla.”

He held out a hand and greeted them. “It is nice to meet you, Aviana. You as well, Mckayla.”

“Vick,” Aran said, shaking his hand in hello. “Alexei and Amber are in the house.”

“Let’s go, Mckayla.” Two excited kids ran into the house seeking the other children.

“Come in. Everyone’s here. Dante is cooking and Rena is looking over his shoulder trying to pick up tips.

Rylan took Aviana’s hand before saying hello to Aran. They walked into the warm house, the smell of good food welcomed them.

She walked into controlled chaos and met the rest of Aran’s brothers as well as Mick’s. Finally, she entered the kitchen to meet Dante and Rena.

Rena broke off and immediately came to hug her. “Aviana, I’m so glad to finally meet you and I hear you have an absolute doll for a child.”

Dante gave a deep chuckle at the word doll.

“No comment from you,” Rena said with a hug as she greeted Rylan. “So glad all of you could come. We don’t get to see you near enough.”

“Hello,” Dante said, leaving the stove.

He stared deeply into Aviana’s eyes before he looked into Rylan’s. Dante’s eyes flared wide, changing color, and Rylan fell into his arms. Aviana gave a shocked gasp and moved towards him.

“He’s fine, don’t touch him.”

Rena put a hand on her arm to stop her. “Trust Dante, he would never hurt him.”

He laid Rylan on the floor and placed his hand over his heart. Rylan’s body arched up into his hand and convulsed. Dante did it again like he held a paddle over his chest shocking his heart back to life. Finally, he took his hands away, letting Rylan settle before he picked him up.

“He needs sleep. Eat; he will be ready when it’s time to leave.”

Paige walked in as Dante was leaving. “Nice to see you again, Girly,” he said in passing.

Paige stopped making Cal run into her. “Did you hear that, Cal?”

“I sort of suspected that the old man might have been Dante but I wasn’t sure.”

Paige gave a rich peal of laughter before coming all the way into the kitchen. Glad it’s your turn at the trial, Aviana.”

Aviana stared at the door and moved to follow Dante out, but Victor placed his hand on her arm.

“I promise you he will be fine. I would never let anyone under me come to harm.” He looked her in her eyes as his dilated and she felt a warmth come over her.

“Are you sure?”

He gave her a swift hug. “I’m sure.”

“Let’s get dinner on the table.” Rena started directing her guests, smiling as her dining room slowly increased its size to accommodate everyone. It was good to have a mate who knew other aliens.

Aviana looked out her window. It had been strange not having Mckayla around last night. She tossed and turned; this was the first time she ever trusted anyone with her care. Taking a deep breath, she reassured herself that she was fine.

Mckayla had run with Vick, Alexei and Amber as if she had grown up with them. She would stop periodically, come back to her, and give her the newest update on what she learned, and then skip off to play again.

Everything had gone well until Aviana asked her if she wanted to stay a few days and keep playing with them. Excitement had touched her brown eyes making them an eerie green that Aviana pretended not to notice. Rylan noticed; he pointed it out to Dante, asking him softly whispered questions that she couldn’t hear.

She chewed on her bottom lip before she said she wanted to go home with her. Aviana could see the desire to stay on her face. After several minutes, Mckayla confessed to being worried about her.

That’s when Rylan stepped in. “Mckayla, who protects your mom?”

Her eerie green eyes looked into his, “You.”

“Then I won’t let you down. Your mom has to do something and she needs to know you’re safe while she’s doing it. Can you stay here and have a good time while she fights for what’s right?”

“I can.”

“I’m so proud of your strength, Mckayla.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on.

Aviana blinked back tears. Rylan would make a great father. With a last hug for her daughter they left. They decided to get started in the morning, now all she had to do was wait for Selma and Victor.

She had questioned him about what would happen, but he simply turned confused eyes to her. His mouth opened and closed several times before he admitted he wasn’t sure.

*~*~*~*

She was wearing a pair of comfortable shorts and a loose top. She paced in front of the fireplace, her heart in her stomach and she had no idea where her stomach was. Selma told her not to eat in the morning. That was appreciated—if she ate she might be losing her food right about now.

The knock on the door caused her to jump. It was her last chance to call this thing off. She didn’t love Rylan or at least she thought she didn’t. His body definitely turned her on. His story made her heart ache, but there should be more to love. She enjoyed his company. He made her laugh with his weird sense of humor. Then there was that feeling deep in her chest she refused to name. Could that mean something?

So she didn’t love him, but she couldn’t let him go. The thought of living without him made her ache inside. Just the image of something happening to him ripped her apart. She didn’t know what this was, but whatever it was she was going to hold it close.

“Come in.” She crossed to the door and let them in.

Rylan walked in with a smile on his face. He backed her up against the wall as she tried to retreat from him. Then he pulled her into his arms. She really needed that. The strength and the warmth of him began to settle her nerves. What was it that made being held by him feel so right?

She lifted her head to look up. Victor and Selma were standing in the room, big grins on their faces. No one else came in.

“It’ll just be the two of us watching over your body as you go through the trial.”

She shivered. The need to have someone watch over her body amazed her. How come they couldn’t just go to city hall like the rest of us? Alien. Right. Duh. Still, where was the human part of this pairing? Advanced human. Right. Duh.

Hugging Rylan tighter, she tried to bury her fears. Nope, wasn’t happening. She looked up at him meeting those sky blue eyes that seemed so peaceful.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Nodding, she pulled back a little.

“Can we go over the ground rules one more time to make sure I have them?” She hoped her voice sounded strong and confident to them. It sounded a little weak to her.

“Sure,” Selma said with a smile. “Let’s get you situated and we’ll tell you both what to expect.”

Victor and Selma led them into Aviana’s bedroom. They were instructed to lie on their backs and hold hands after they got comfortable. The holding of the hands should help their connection on the other side.

“You’re going to a different plane outside both your body and your mind,” Victor said, directing their attention to him. “It exists and what happens there affects you here also.”

“So if I die there?” Aviana asked.

“Don’t die there,” Selma said, with no room for discussion on her face.

Aviana nodded, feeling her stomach jump up into her throat. Did she really want to do this? It was the warm hand holding hers that calmed her down. She couldn’t explain this crazy feeling in her heart even if you asked her to, but she needed to be with Rylan. It felt like a compulsion, something she could not walk away from.