Broken Heart Tails (8 page)

Ralph looked up from nuzzling my breasts; his eyes were glazed. I imagine his delirious expression matched my own.

              “Do you hear that, Libby?”

              “Yes,” I breathed, drawing him down again. “It’s my heart. It’s trying to beat out of my chest.”

             
Thump. Thump. Thump.

He looked up again and frowned. “No. I think it’s the door.”

We both sat up. I groaned in frustration. “Can’t you make them go away?”

“I’ll try,” he said. “Just in case I can’t, you better at least put on your shirt.”

He used his fingers to comb through his hair then went to answer the door.

I stuffed my bra between the couch cushions then buttoned up my shirt. My hair wasn’t easily mussed, but I combed through it as best I could. I just hoped whoever it was went away and fast.

“Libby?” called Ralph, his voice grave. “Can you come here?”

My heart jumped. Had the vampires figured out that I didn’t leave? Maybe Patsy had sent her minions to physically toss me out.

With trepidation, I went to the front door and peeked over Ralph’s shoulder.

Four people stood on the front porch, but only recognized two. I gripped Ralph’s shoulder and stared. Oh. My. God.

“Happy birthday, Liberty!” said my mother, beaming at me. “We have a big surprise for you!”

*  *  *  *  *

While Ralph took a quick shower and got dressed, I settled with my parents and their friends in the living room. Mom and Dad hugged me until I couldn’t breathe. I had to admit, it felt really good to see them again.

I pulled in extra chairs from the kitchen and sat in one; my parents took the others. The two silent fellows sat on the couch. They had the unnerving habit of staring at me without blinking. Meeting their gazes made my eyes water.

“This is Cullen,” said Mom, pointing to the taller one. “And this is Zane. Actually, I named them because their real names are far too complex to pronounce.”

“Hello,” I said politely. “Did you just join PRIS?”

They looked at each other then at Mom. She laughed. “No, dear. I met them in New Mexico.”

Suspicious now, I studied them more closely. They refused to discard their coats and gloves; both wore the same style Levis and sneakers. They had shaved heads and were on the lean side. Their brown eyes were large and almond-shaped. Their skin appeared as if it had been stretched too tightly against their skulls. It reminded me of that scene in
Men in Black
, where the farmer’s wife claimed the alien was wearing “an Edgar suit.” I saw wisps of blue tattoos on their necks, too.

Oh jeez. Bikers? Ex-convicts?

My mother believed everyone was good-hearted. It was one of the reasons Theodora Monroe didn’t feel the slings and arrows of cynics and snobs. She regularly befriended people who didn’t always have the best intentions. And if they stole from her or conned her or insulted her, she treated them just the same as if they’d been kind to her. I had never mastered this way of dealing with people.

“You didn’t drink peyote again?” I asked. “You know what happened last time.”

Mom grinned.

“Can I get you anything?” asked Ralph from the doorway. His hair was still damp and he was, unfortunately, fully clothed. I thought about what was under those clothes, and my pulse stuttered. Ralph’s blue eyes found mine and he raised one eyebrow. Ah. He heard my heart race and had figured out what I was thinking.

“We’re fine,” I said finally. “Sit down and introduce yourself.”

Ralph sat in the only vacant seat, the one next to me. “I’m Ralph Genessa.”

Mom held out her hand, which Ralph took. “Theodora Monroe and this is my husband, Elmore.”

Dad shook hands with Ralph, and I could see that my father was sizing him up. Elmore Monroe was the strong, silent type, with emphasis on the silent part. Ralph must’ve met his approval because he allowed a rare smile. “Nice to meet you, son.”

“You, too, sir.”

Cullen and Zane observed this ritual then both of them held out their hands. “Nice to meet you.”

“In stereo,” said Ralph, shaking Cullen’s and then Zane’s outstretched hands. “I’m Ralph.”

“Yes,” said the taller one. “We know. Is there a reason you said so again?”

Ralph’s mouth dropped open. He slid a glance at me and I shrugged. Maybe these two had a bit of the peyote. 

“Uh … Mom? How did you find me?”

“It’s the most marvelous thing,” she said. “You apparently have a tracking device.”

“A tracking device,” I repeated.

“It’s organic,” she went on, “which is why we never discovered it. That, and we wouldn’t let doctors near you. For good reason, too. Doctors! Poo!”

I held up my hand. “Let’s stop there. Before we all board the train to Crazyville, I’d like to tell you what it’s been like here, in Cuckoo Town.”

I told my parents, and by proximity, the strange Cullen and Zane, everything that had happened (with certain Ralph-sized omissions) since I stepped foot in Broken Heart. The melon-heads didn’t appear to care one way or the other, but Mom nearly swooned.

“I knew it! I knew it!” She popped out of her chair and did the Boogie Woogie. “Can we meet them? Oh, please! This is as good as our news.”

I didn’t really want to hear Mom’s news. Warning bells were whooping madly in my mind. Instead, I tried to change the subject. “Aren’t you surprised about Archie? Well, Stanley.”

“Oh, you can’t hold his nature against him,” Mom said softly. “He’s a curious man with a wonderful intellect. I’m sure he meant you no harm.”

Gah! My Mom lived in the World of Good Intentions. “What about the fact he faked his death?”

“Well,” she said, her eyebrows drawing down. “I suppose we should’ve appreciated him more.”

“Mom. Really?”

Ralph’s cell phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and looked at the display. “I better take this.”

My gaze followed him as he walked out of the living room. Hm-mmm. Look at that ass. I caught myself and straightened. Until I could talk to my parents in private about Ralph, I needed to keep make my affection for him a little less obvious. As soon as Ralph was gone, I grasped Mom’s arm and looked her straight in the eyes.

“Where is this so-called tracker?” I asked. “Did you put it there?”

Mom looked at me, confused. “Why in the world would I do that?”

“It’s not an embedded object,” said Cullen. “It’s a natural part of your biology. Do you often share blood? I was not aware of this ritualistic need.”

“Vampires drink blood. It’s not something regular people do,” I pointed out. “And how do
you
know about the tracking situation?”

Cullen opened his mouth to answer, but Ralph appeared in the entry way.

“We have to go,” he said. “Ruadan is missing, Patsy has new information about the dragon, and … Stan knows what’s wrong with Libby.”

“There’s something wrong with Liberty?” Mom put her hand against my forehead and peered into my eyes. Why do mothers always do that? I sighed. “I’m not sick, Mom. I’m never sick.”

“Well, then … what’s wrong with you?”

* * * * *

Much to my relief, the meeting was held at the Old Sass Café. We introduced my parents and their friends to Patsy, Gabriel, and Stan. We settled around a large booth: I was in the middle between my parents; Cullen and Zane took the right side; and Patsy and Gabriel took the left side. Ralph pulled up a chair from another table and sat in it. Stan stood nearby, pacing in a little circle.

I was glad that we didn’t have to go to the mansion or sit through another meeting with the Consortium. All the same, I didn’t really want to be here, either.

“I’m so pleased to meet all of you,” said Mom. “I have so many questions, but first … I’d like to know what the problem is with my daughter.”

“She’s an alien!” Stan shouted. “And I have the proof!” He held up a sheaf of papers.

Mom stared at him, her eyes wide. No one lied to Mom. Or one-upped her. “Well, of course she’s an alien, Archibald. That’s hardly news.”

Everyone turned to stare at her.

“I was taken by Cullen’s people,” she said. “They fertilized one of my eggs with the sperm from one of their males and implanted it in my womb. Nine months later, Liberty was born. A miracle.” Mom shared a look with Dad, and then they both looked at me with pride.

I thought I was going to throw up.

“Disease ravaged our females. Nearly eight-percent became infertile,” said Cullen. “Government officials and some of our top scientists conspired to create hybrids. The human beings on Earth were the most compatible with our DNA. Several hundred experiments were done over the course of forty Earth years.”

“Wait a minute,” interrupted Ralph. “Aliens really did crash in Roswell?”

“One of the first scientific teams that arrived,” said Cullen. “They were killed in the crash, and your government took their ship. Why do you think so many advances in aviation were made?

“To continue … when the hybridization plot was revealed to our people, the experimentation was stopped.”

“There are hundreds of hybrids?” I asked.
“Hundreds?”

“No,” said Cullen. “Only fifty-six were successful, and those only in the last twenty-five years. I’m an emissary from my planet. My job is to offer compensation to the affected families.”

“So you just pop by their house and say, ‘Here’s some money for bearing a half-alien baby. Thanks.’” Patsy sounded incredulous. “Honey, I’ve seen some really weird shit, but I have to tell you, this beats all.”

“Cullen usually works undercover,” said Mom. “People think the money comes from inheritances or lottery wins.”

“Your mother is open-minded,” said Cullen. It was the first time his inflection showed any kind of warmth. “I do not like to lie.”

“What about the wacky powers?” I asked. “How do you explain the ability to create energy bubbles and blow up rooms?”

“No other hybrid exhibited the kind of power you have. Our people reach full maturity at twenty-five in Earth years. That’s when our mental and physical abilities become fully active. You … bloomed early. But I can implant an inhibitor.”

“Can you give it to me?” I asked. “Does it work forever?”

“It will work so long as it’s part of you. It can be removed.”

“I want it,” I said. “Please.”

“If that is what you wish.” He reached inside his pocket and removed a small cylindrical object. He leaned across the table and pressed it against my neck. I felt a slight sting and then it was over.

“How long does it take?” I asked.

“It works immediately.”

I was grateful to lose the ol’ electric powers. It made me feel like a regular person. Or rather, a regular alien-human. Sheesh. I was an alien. I couldn’t believe it. Okay, it explained a lot. All the same, I felt like such a freak. I looked around at the vampires. Well, okay, maybe I didn’t feel out of place in this company, but still. As a half-alien, I totally trumped blood-suckers.

“Mom, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I did, honey.”

“Uh … no. I think I would remember the ‘you are an alien’ talk.”

“I told you when you were thirteen,” she said softly. “And that night, you … well, as you so aptly put it, blew up your room.”

“I blocked it out?” Oh, my God. I was going to need so much therapy.

“Your father and I decided not to broach the subject again until you were ready.”

“That’s why you kept going back to Roswell? Hoping they’d find you again?”

“Yes.”

Everyone was quiet. I couldn’t look at Ralph. I didn’t want to know what he thought about all of this. He probably couldn’t wait to walk away … no, to run away.

“So, that’s why men never wanted to date me. I had some sort of … alien repellant.” My throat knotted, but I refused to cry.

“Our people mate for life,” said Cullen. “Our genes are dominant in you, and so it’s only logical that you should be more attractive to our males.”

“Thank you, Mr. Spock,” I said. “Look, I don’t want to be mated to one of your males. I already…”

I trailed off. I thought I’d found the one. But how could Ralph be the one if my biology determined who I was supposed to be with? I dared a glance at Ralph. His expression was carefully blank, his gaze filled with nothing more than idle curiosity. My stomach clenched. I bet he regretted hooking up with me. Probably didn’t want his sons to be around a crazy alien half-breed.

“So … the alien part of Libby’s blood poisoned Patrick?” asked Stan. He’d discarded the paperwork. He was avidly studying Cullen and Zane. Probably was trying to figure out a way to get them under the knife, I thought morosely.