Yolanda Sfetsos: Alex Wales: Promise

He’d listened to them for most of his life, until falling in love had caused his life to unwind and brought him to the place where it all began.

Everything he’d achieved had been for nothing.

So, taking the person responsible for giving birth to him seemed just. This woman-Aleena-had evil plans, and he refused to let her follow through with them. He wouldn’t let her kill Alex, which she obviously had every intention of doing. By taking Aleena into the abyss, he’d also managed to help others. At least he could move onto the next phase knowing he’d done some good in a fucked up situation.

I hope you don’t forget me, Alex. I’m sure I’ll never forget you.

He also hoped his shapeshifting condition would never affect her.

Even without a physical shape, the light of the moon still managed to caress him. For the first time since feeling the satellite’s call, he opened up his awareness to it, allowing it to grab a complete hold of his very essence.

I don’t care what I become, now. Take me.

Instead of continuing down into the mouth of the abyss with Aleena, he felt his spirit rise as if it were being pulled by the moon.

Now, he would finally become one with someone. The moon loved him the way Alex couldn’t.

Before he ceased to exist completely, Ulric couldn’t help but mentally smile, trying to imagine what Alex would do when she saw what he’d left for her. Of course, the credits he’d uploaded onto the bracelet would be nothing compared to the inheritance coming her way.

Goodbye, Alex. It was good while it lasted.

The sun beat against Alex’s back. In spite of the many trees, the sun still managed to find them as they trudged through the uneven terrain of the jungle. Is this what the moon did to Ulric? Had it chased him around until it caressed the fur out of him, and he had no choice but to surrender? The thought roused a shiver, because in a sense, that’s what he’d tried to do to her.

Ulric-the man she thought she knew-had turned out to be a complete stranger. Not even entirely a man, either. She found it amazing that even after spending so much time in bed with him, she still hadn’t known a damn thing about him. She’d only skimmed the surface of Ulric Cale and hadn’t thought to dig deeper. Even after all of their exclusive intimacy, she’d never cared enough about him to bother. Why hadn’t she realized this before?

I just hope his being half-animal doesn’t affect me. She’d have to check with her physician and ensure her microchip covered her against every transmittable disease.

“Are you all right?” Damon casually rubbed small circles on the back of her hand.

As good as it felt, she pulled it away. “I thought we spoke about this.”

“We’re alone,” he whispered.

He might be technically correct, but Levi and Milo were just up ahead. They’d left the fortress as soon as day broke, lugging a huge cart with parts and tools to fix her ship. They’d looked so professional and efficient. She couldn’t remember seeing either of the boys so relaxed before.

Less than twenty minutes ago, Levi contacted them to let them know they were almost finished. Code for: your ship is almost ready to leave this horrible planet.

She turned to glance at Damon. His dark hair glowed in the sun, the dreadlocks hardly swaying as they continued forward between the trees and vines in their way. Although he smiled back when he caught her eye, she could feel the tension inside him. The blaster wound might have completely healed, but his world had been turned upside down. How much would knowing the truth about his parents and about Aleena change him?

“How are you? ” The weight of her blaster felt heavy against her thigh. After reclaiming it, the weapon felt tainted. It had wounded Damon and helped kill Ulric. Still, if she remembered why she carried it in the first place, everything else would soon fade.

“Now that I’m leaving Eden with you, I’m fine,” Damon said.

She sighed. He’d told her of his decision as soon as they’d left the cave the night before. “Are you sure? With Aleena gone, everyone’s going to be lost. They’ll need someone to help them get back on track.”

“That’s what Levi and Milo will do. They’ll lead them into a fair society with a chance at democracy. They don’t need me. I don’t really belong with them.”

“Where do you belong?” Her heart skipped a beat while she waited for his answer. What did she want to hear, anyway? After what happened with Ulric, she wasn’t sure.

He shrugged. “Wherever life leads me, I suppose. As long as I follow the magic, I’ll be okay.”

She smiled. “Just promise me something, okay?”

“What’s that?” His gaze met hers, and it was a little darker than usual. As if the weight of what had gone on around them had taken a toll on his spirit.

“From now on, we’ll be honest with each other.” Of course, she meant it more for her sake than his. After all, she was the one who’d kept things from him , not the other way around. Though, he did tell her one big fib. “Since you’ve already lied to me, I thought we should agree to honesty from now on. Forget about everything that’s happened and move on.”

Damon nodded, but said, “When did I lie to you about anything?”

“Well, you told me you didn’t have any mechanics on your planet. Yet, there are two. One of them also happens to be an electrician!”

“I didn’t know about Levi and Milo. It was as much a surprise to me as it was to you,” he said with a smile.

“So, you’re really going to be part of my crew, huh?” A worm of anxiety wove its way tightly inside her stomach. After taking charge of the ship, she’d never had anyone on Promise with her. She stuck her hand in her pocket and touched the bronze key for comfort. Did she have to keep from wearing it now, since Damon would be nearby most of the time?

“Of course, unless you’ve changed your mind,” he said. His thumb ran crazy circles around the back of her hand.

She clenched her thighs together, trying to walk as casually as she could but bit down on her bottom lip when the ecstasy raced through her. Her cheeks heated.

She opened her mouth to answer but didn’t get the chance.

“We’re done!” Levi called from the height of the tree where her ship was still lodged.

She hadn’t even realized they’d reached the spot. “Excellent.” I really can’t wait to get out of here.

Alex pulled her hand from Damon’s grip. With the surge of the orgasm slowly fading, she started to scratch her hand. During all the commotion, she’d forgotten to replace or even remove the bandage, and it had been bugging her since they’d stepped out of the relative safety of the fortress. She didn’t want to alarm Damon, so she’d kept quiet.

Now, it was too unbearable to stop. She scratched it, wanting to tug the bandage off.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been doing that a lot.”

“It’s just getting a bit itchy. That’s all,” she said between gritted teeth.

The concerned look on Damon’s face made her feel self-conscious.

Levi and Milo landed simultaneously on the ground beside them. They each dumped their tool bags into the waiting cart, which appeared to be a little less full than when they’d taken off. Their long hair was matted with sweat and grease, and their faces were covered in it.

“Is it all fixed?” she asked. Excitement bubbled up inside her. Until she’d caught a glimpse of Promise, she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her ship. It might be a rust bucket and not so great to look at, but it was her home. The only real home she’d ever known.