Soul-Bonded to the Alien (3 page)

“You’ve got a good throwing arm, Paige. A little work and I might have to run and hide from you. As far as you go,” Cal ran his hand over Vick’s head, “you get stronger every time I see you.”

“Aww Uncle Cal! I’m stronger than superman, want me to prove it?”

“Maybe tomorrow, I thought we were building a snowman today.”

“Paige, do you still want to build a snowman?” The note of hope in his voice was her undoing.

“Not any snowman, but the biggest baddest one there is.”

“Yeah!”

They took a small ball of snow and rolled it into a bigger one. Once it stood where it could be seen from all the windows of the living area they continued to add onto it until the base of the snowman stood half as tall as Vick.

“This is going to be the best snowman ever,” Vick yelled as he started on the second ball of snow.

They rolled until the second ball of snow was almost too big to pick up.

“On the count of three were all going to lift it together? One, two, three.” With Cal doing most of the work, they took a couple of steps to the left and placed the ball of the snow on top of the first one.

“This will be as big as the one dad and I made last year.” Vick clapped his hands and started on the head.

“What do you think of the snowman so far?” Cal asked, walking over to where Paige was resting.

She looked it over, it was big. “I think it’s the best one ever.”

“I think Vick agrees with you. Let’s go help him with the head; Selma will be calling dinnertime soon.”

They finished the head off and Vick brought over a small box he called snowman supplies. It was filled with buttons and even the proverbial carrot. The kicker was a scarf that must belong to Selma. He wrapped it around the neck.

“Now she’ll be safe all winter long.”

“It’s a snowwoman?” Paige asked Vick.

“Of course, that’s why I put mom’s scarf on her. Now she’ll be safe all winter long. You’ll be safe too, Paige. Don’t tell mom about the scarf.”

Paige was rather sure Selma had already seen it. She was standing in the door watching them.

“Dinner time,” her voice cut across the yard before she disappeared back into the bed and breakfast.

“Sounds like it’s time to eat, after you Paige,” Cal indicated for her to go first.

*~*~*~*

The table was set for the five of them when Paige walked in. Victor was standing in the kitchen doorway while Selma talked to Vick.

“Vick, have you seen my scarf? The one with red flowers in the black lace, I can’t find it anywhere. I know how it fascinates you every time you see it.”

Selma raised her head and threw Paige a smile and a wink.

“Vick, have you seen it?’

“Yes, Mom.”

“Where was it when you last saw it?”

Vick mumbled something low that almost caused his mother to burst out in laughter. Instead her lips twitched before she schooled her features into a slightly stern mask.

“I didn’t hear that. Say it louder.”

“It’s around Darling’s neck,” he jutted his chin up.

Victor took a quick look at his wife’s neck before focusing on his son.

“Victor, who is Darling?”

“It’s the snowwoman, Dad.”

“Vick are you telling me that you took my scarf and wrapped it around the neck of a snowwoman?” She placed a hand on the hip of her slight frame shaking from repressed laughter.

“I had to Momma!” The small boy that he was came out in his pleading eyes. “She is a guardian and your scarf will make her strong and powerful; she will be able to warn us when the bad man is coming. He wants Paige, Momma and if he can he will hurt you too.” He dashed at a tear rolling down his cheek.

All laughter left the room, every eye on Vick. Selma turned to look for her husband catching his back as he left the room. Cal, who was standing in the doorway, turned to follow Victor. Selma gathered Vick in her arms holding him tight.

Paige stood there not knowing what to do.

“Everything will be fine, Paige. The males have gone to do a perimeter check; it will help to make Vick feel better. They will even add to the power of the scarf,” she said the last in a much lower voice for Vick’s ears only. Ruffling his hair, she suggested he help her with dinner.

“Paige, would you like to come into the kitchen? This way you won’t be left alone in the dining room.”

Not really. She eyed the door for a minute, she was already running from a monster and now it looked like she had fallen into a nest of crazy but nice people. Her luck went from bad to worse.

“Thanks, although I am used to being alone.”

“Then maybe it’s time for that to change. Come on in.”

The feel of the kitchen floored her. It stretched out and wrapped its arms around her. A subtle warmth invaded her causing her shoulders to relax and her heart-beat to slow.

“This is amazing. I love the modern conveniences paired with an old time feel. I used to dream of a kitchen like this when I was younger. The kind I used to see on commercials a long time ago.”

Selma stopped and looked around her kitchen. “This is one of my favorite kitchen’s, I’m glad it’s back for Christmas.” The kitchen had a mind and a will of its own, Selma never knew what she would walk into but it was part of the house’s charm.

Paige stared at Selma before deciding her son raving about people coming must have thrown her off. She was probably concerned about him and talking without thinking.

“Where did Victor and Cal go?”

“They went to check the grounds; it will put Vick at ease. Although we are on the edge of our small town, we own so much land here it feels like we are isolated.”

Paige smiled, her last guarded thought put at ease by Selma’s response. “What are we having for dinner?”

“Good question. Victor cooked, I suggested pasta, but he said not everyone wanted that.”

Paige cringed at the thought of pasta. It had been days since she ate Thanksgiving dinner alone. Day old pasta and water, still the memory of it made her cringe.

Selma opened the oven. “Smothered pork chops, can you smell that, Paige?”

Paige’s stomach gurgled with hunger. She had never smelled anything that good before. Cal smelled good. She clamped down on that thought. She had refused to think of him when they were outside wanting to have some privacy to examine her body’s reaction.

“It smells delicious, if it tastes as good as it smells I’ll be in heaven.”

“Dad’s the best cook, you’ll love his food.”

“Darling, we’re back. There was no sign of anything remiss,” Victors voice came from the dining room.

“We’re bringing dinner out, have a seat.”

There was a flurry of activity as Selma directed Paige and Vick. Soon all the food was on the table. Victor came and took a seat, Cal leaned against the door jamb with his sunglasses still on.

“Are you coming to the table?” Paige asked, watching him. He drew her in; his gentleness with Vick amazed her. It was not something she got to see too often. The way he smelled made the secret parts of her come alive, but more than that—the way he treated her made her feel special and all they did was throw snowballs and make a snow woman. She wanted to see his face to give his body a complete picture in her head.

Cal watched her, hating what he knew was coming next. Her beautiful gray eyes were lit with an internal fire that beckoned him closer. Her pouty bow shaped lips made his groin tighten every time he looked at her. And her body, he wanted to touch every soft curvaceous inch of her. She was thick in all the right places and he wanted to worship between her legs. His sigh was internal.

“Just trying to decide if I should take the glasses off or leave them on until you eat.”

“Ok, I’ll bite, why?”

“Because when I take them off I’m going to scare you, you’re going to scream, then run. Then I’ll have to run after you. You’ll be out of your mind with fear and truthfully I’d like to eat before I calm you down. Victor and I just expended a lot of energy reinforcing the fields.”

“Calix,” Selma said in a low voice.

“She’s going to have to know before the nights over. No taking it slow with her.” He sat down at the table taking the seat across from her.

So much for dinner, she wouldn’t be able to eat until she knew what he was talking about. A warning bell was going off telling her she didn’t want to know. Ignorance was bliss.

“Maybe it would just be better for me to find a different place to stay.” She wasn’t stupid, she learned long ago to heed the warning bell in her soul.

“Sorry,” Cal said softly, “You don’t get to run away this time.”

He raised his hands to the wraparounds and pulled them down until she was looking into the face of the hottie from the alley, the hottie who had turned into a monster.

She screamed and bolted from the table.

Cal looked longingly at the pork chops before meeting Selma’s glare. There would be no food for him until this was taken care off. With a put upon expression, he left the table to look for the frightened female after one last longing look at the pork chops.

Chapter Four

She ran straight to her room, where else could she go? This time she made sure the big lock on the main door was actually locked. How did she end up in the house of the monster’s brother of all places?

She paced back and forth in the living area until finally deciding the only thing do was to sneak out. She would leave a note saying she would never tell a living soul anything she saw that night in the alley. Then she would hop the first Greyhound coming through and try to disappear once more. With her plan in mind, she dragged her suitcases out and started to pack.

Once done, she took a seat on the bed. She would have to wait until they all went to sleep. Images of Cal waiting to tear her apart as she snuck from the room haunted her. It was just her luck to meet a man hotter than sin, only to find out he was sin. Maybe he was Lucifer himself?

Stop it, she scolded himself. There was no way he was evil incarnated. He played with Vick having a good time. He spent the time helping them roll that snowwoman, he even went and checked the perimeter with his brother to make them feel safer. No, he wasn’t evil, just a monster.

She rose and went to stand beside the door with the fire-place poker in her hand just in case he managed to bust through the main door and break the flimsy lock on this one. The longer she stood the less she believed he was coming for her, then she would remember the alley and tense up again.

Her body was beginning to tire; she glanced at the bed with longing and a startled scream tore from her throat.

Cal was lying on her bed. He rested on his side with one leg cocked up. If he wasn’t a monster she would be tempted to join him. She turned frantic fingers to the lock.

“Stop,” he called out even as his hands went around hers.

“How did you get over here that fast?”

“It’s not that far.”

Alien, her mind whispered back, or at least not human.

“Are you going to kill me now?”

“No and could you stop with the tears and the trying to escape?” Her hands were still frantically twisting the lock that refused to budge

“Well excuse me!” She turned to face him down. “Sorry for wanting to live while trying to escape the big bad monster!”

“Do you really think I look like a big bad monster?” He was absolutely preening like it was a compliment.

“That’s not a compliment.”

“Paige, I pelted you with snowballs. Then I helped you make a snowwoman, we laughed together and talked and even now, we are in a room alone and I haven’t laid a hand on you. Have I given you any indication I want to kill you?”

“You’re a monster!”

“Am I? Maybe we should talk about it because I’ve seen real monsters who were human and what you would refer to as aliens. They kill for sport, greed or simply pleasure. I can truthfully say I do not do any of those things. Yes, I would kill to protect myself or someone else, but Paige, if you needed to so would you. Let’s go into your living area. That may make you feel a little safer.”

The lock turned by itself and the door opened. She shot him a look before quickly walking through it. Opting to sit on one of the single chairs, she wrapped her arms around her raised legs for comfort.

“I saw you in the alley-way.” Cal stood by the mantel watching her.

“I know.”

“You knew I was there?” She looked at him with a tiny frown marring her lips.

“I knew the minute you stepped in, and so did the others.”

“Why didn’t you stop me or…”

“Or kill you?”

She nodded her head vigorously.

“First, we don’t kill people. At least we don’t kill them for sport. The male you saw was with a group that has sworn to take out all the members of my family. They took the fiancé of one of my people, they were days away from getting married. That male and his friends kill for sport, so although this female was still very much human, they intended to kill her by taking her apart one piece at a time.”

Pushing himself away from the mantel he was leaning against, he came to sit on the couch facing her.

“I have personally seen what they do to those they believe to be associated with us, or to those who may be a potential mate for one of our males. They destroy females they deem to be less than human.”

“What does less than human mean? How is it possible to be less than human, you either are or you aren’t?”

“Are you human?”

“Of course I am!”

“Then how did you walk through the shield I put up at the end of the alley. No human should have been able to penetrate it.”

“Look, I don’t know what type of game you’re playing, but I assure you I am fully human. Believe me if I weren’t I’d be in some government lab since I was raised in an orphanage. No one would have missed me.” The words came out a little bitterer than she would’ve liked, but the truth was the truth.

“No game, I secured that alley personally. No one should have been able to walk down it, but you did.”

“Are you saying that because I walked into that alley I’m not human?”

“No. I’m saying you did something you’re not supposed to be able to do as a human, that makes you more.”