Soul-Bonded to the Alien (11 page)

A smile danced over her lips before a scream echoed throughout the room.

Paige woke, clutching her chest, tears of pain rolling down her face. Cal woke gasping for breath.

“Cal!”

“Breathe, Paige. We knew this was going to happen.”

“I’m not ready!”

“You’re ready, Sunshine.”

Clutching at her chest she tried to slow her breathing the way they talked about earlier in the night.

Searing pain speared through her heart. She was an idiot, everything would not be ok. There was no way she was going to breathe through this pain. There was a reason people didn’t survive having their hearts crushed. The snake moved around her heart causing her more pain.

“Cal, help me!” she writhed on the bed looking for relief.

Where was he, why wasn’t he answering her? He left her, of course he left her, everyone left her. Why would he stay when her own parents left her? They left her with a sitter that night to celebrate the new baby they were going to have. It didn’t matter that they died, she reminded herself, they were going to replace her anyway. Probably give her up when the new baby was born. Emotion-filled thoughts that haunted her since childhood came back to torture her.

She twisted again looking for relief, but there was none. She stopped to listen, had she heard Cal’s voice? Nothing but silence and deadly pain greeted her. Turning, she felt herself go airborne. You’re descending into hell a voice whispered in her mind. Cal? She reached out remembering the link she had with him.

“Aren’t you dead yet?”

“What? Cal?”

“Grow up, Paige, no one wants you. All I wanted was your talents. Now that we have a soul bond when you die they will be mine. Do you think you could hurry the process?”

“But you said…” Her body doubled up as another wave of pain hit her, an insidious voice called to her, telling her to give up.

“I thought you might love me one day.”

“Love you? Really? Don’t you know when you’re being used? I followed you here, Paige. I set everything up to get you and I won.”

“No, I don’t believe you!” She tried to fight back to hold off the pain, but it was winning.

“Poor little deceived, Paige. Not even your parents wanted you, remember? They were going to trade you in for a new model.”

The past pulled on her, drawing her back. It had stormed that night, thunder and lightning, there was even a weather advisory, she looked it up. It had cautioned everyone to take their time on the slick roads and flash floods were occurring. Her parents were already out when the bad weather started. On their way home they had been hit by it. No one knew what happened, but the car went over an embankment killing both of them, and leaving her alone, scared, parentless.

Maybe it was time to give up. She should have been in the car with them, she was never meant to live. Yes, a voice that sounded like Cal’s whispered through her mind. If the male she was soul bonded to didn’t care, what hope did she have left? She would die and leave him to live a better life without her.

“I love you, Paige. If you die I will follow you wherever you go, but I will never leave you alone.”

She shook her head, he hated her. He told her so. Did he? Her inner voice spoke up after being quiet for so long. Did he really fool us, Paige? Are our talents really worth that much to him? She questioned herself seeking the truth.

Twisting her body she felt something soft under her. What happened to her long drop to hell?

“You better learn to walk on those feelings, Girly, or they will deceive you.” Voyager’s voice went through her head. The sound of his voice cut through her with the white hot pain of clarity. It lasted long enough for her to get a clear sound of the voice haunting her, before she fell back into the abyss of pain and fear.

She was lost in her feelings, her emotions were being used against her. The struggle to pull out of her own downward spiral was costing her energy she couldn’t afford to expend. She spent it anyway, if she didn’t break free Cal was doomed, she was doomed. With difficulty she opened her eyes to find Cal doubled over her in pain. Still he was caressing her forehead, trying to stop the shivering of her body.

“Come back to me, Paige,” were the words his lips mumbled as he tried to take care of her in the midst of his own pain.

“Cal,” her voice was threadbare.

“Paige, I thought I lost you.” The pain in his voice reached deep inside of her, giving her the extra push she needed to fight.

“I think you almost did, but now I’m ready to fight. He was right you know, I really did need to walk on my feelings. Let’s go stop this snake and show the Sudir we’re in control.”

Chapter Thirteen

Paige moved inside her body determined to make the Sudir suffer the way he made her suffer. Looking around she realized she was alone. It took a minute for the white hot rage she was feeling to dissipate. When it did she was able to reach out and pull Cal in.

“Paige, you need to remember your feelings - anger can be used against you just like sadness, disappointment, or any number of negative feelings.”

“Are you suggesting I be emotionless?”

“I’m suggesting you be in charge of how you feel, Sunshine. Don’t let anything, especially the Sudir, determine what’s happening to you.”

She agreed. She pulled them both into her abdominal cavity. Showing up in the heart without a plan wasn’t working for her.

“Do we have a plan?” she asked Cal, wanting to get it over with.

“Other than winning? No plan. I have no idea how strong the Sudir is, or what it will do.”

“Let’s hope for a weak one.” She sent him a picture of a newborn foal trying to find its legs.

He laughed when he saw the foals coat was the color of her eyes. “Are you ready?”

“As ready as I will ever be.”

“Don’t get too close.”

They materialized in her heart. The venom snake was active, not only was it circling her heart, it was finding a way to move through the chambers causing her more pain. She struggled to stand as searing heat went through her. Her essence burned and cried as she stared at the venom snake fascinated as it undulated around and through her. She took a step towards it before Cal caught her, pulling her back.

“It’s trying to mesmerize you, Paige. Don’t look at it directly.”

How was she going to fight it without looking at it?

“That’s right Paige, don’t look at it. You won’t survive anyway. Right now my snake is preparing your heart for its venom. Soon you will die a painful death, I can make it fast or slow and tedious, it’s really up to you.” The Sudir’s voice tried to caress her ears.

Ignoring the Sudir, she began to walk around her heart until she spotted the black coil she needed to freeze. It was now covered in a metal shell; she would have to find a way to get through it if she wanted to live.

“Did you think you could actually beat me? The Arbrin and the Matra live only because I need them to find the right humans to live off. Which will it be?”

“Why, I wonder, do you want to kill me?”

She watched as Cal moved around to the opposite side, across from her. He was looking for a way to peel the protective barrier from the coil they needed.

“If I can’t have you, Paige, neither can he.”

“You’ll let me live if I agree to go with you?”

“Maybe?”

“So you’re playing games? You’re going to kill me no matter what I do.”

“If you really want to live there’s something you can bargain with.”

“What’s that?”

“Your soul bond.”

“Cal?”

“I will take him and spare your life.”

“If he dies I will die.”

“Then it’s good I have no plans to kill him. He has something I need, it will guarantee his life forever, thus guaranteeing your life forever. It’s a win win. You save his life as well as your own.”

“No.”

“Give him to me!”

The snake crushed her heart slowing the beats. She fell to her knees dizzy as she watched Cal fall also.

“It won’t take much to get rid of you, Paige. Then he will be all mine. It would be much simpler if you turned your soul bond over to me. It can be done, simply betray him. He’ll never know.”

He would know; it was the one thing that couldn’t be hidden in a soul bond. Did a Sudir convince the other two to betray their soul bond? What happened to those who choose to betray the ones they swore to be with forever?

“I’ve made my decision.”

The Sudir smiled. He wasn’t physically there, but she could feel him through the snake. Right now she felt his satisfaction. Whatever Cal represented he wanted it desperately.

“Tell me.”

“I was thinking of giving you Cal.” She hoped Cal would be able to forgive the white lie. “What do I really need him for if I can live forever? Then I remembered something. Cal and I have plans after we kick you back to wherever you came from. So I am going to have to say no. Maybe if it was a different day.”

She shrugged her shoulders refusing to look at Cal.

The Sudir roared his anger, allowing the venom snake to lash out at Cal. She never saw the attack on Cal as she stared at the Sudir, who manifested. He stood there with his face covered with multiple eyes reminding her of an insect. His four arms and legs made her think of an evolutionary mistake. She shivered in disgust as she looked at him.

“He knows you were willing to betray him. Do you think he will want you back now? Look at him! I have him clutched by my venom snake, give him to me or you will both die.”

“What do you want with him? Why are you willing to kill for him? I thought I was the important one!”

“You are just food. I could live forever on your talents, but your mate. He’s the key to everything. Give him to me!” The Sudir roared his demand.

“No!” She wouldn’t give Cal up. They would both die before that happened.

“Die. His death will serve my needs just as well.”

She stared into the eyes of the Sudir as the venom snake began to slowly crush her heart. She refused to fall; she would die on her feet if possible.

“What happened to filling my heart with venom?”

“Watching you suffer this way meets my needs.”

The snake contracted around her heart slowly making her breathing come in pants as her legs shook under the need to keep her upright. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead as she fought. Slowly she built a white light around her hands.

“What do you think you are going to do with that? I’m just a manifestation.”

She continued to build the light until it was glowing brightly, red hot to the touch.

“Now, Paige.”

She shot the light at Cal who was being covered in the material that used to cover the main coil. She never turned as she froze the coil, stopping the contractions of the snake. With the snake immobilized they were able to make it release her heart enough that it found its normal rhythm after several false starts.

The Sudir screamed his rage before disappearing.

She slumped back, “We did it, Cal. We did this together.”

The venom snake was temporarily defeated. Hopefully it would give her enough time to learn how to kill it once and for all. If not…

She took his hand as he appeared by her side together they left her body having bought themselves a little time.

His lips covered her celebrating their victory.

“Paige, you’re amazing. I almost fell for the guilty feelings you were projecting.”

“I kept thinking if my feelings are being used against me, how can I use them for me.”

He kissed the side of her face while he caressed her neck.

“If I remember we had plans?”

She smiled at him as her hands ran up and down his arms. “We did have plans.”

“But you’re exhausted.”

“No Cal, I want to, I need to…”

He placed a finger over her lips. “You lie back and rest. Let me take care of everything.”

His nose flared as her desire reached him ramping up the need he had for her. Victory was sweet, but being able to touch Paige’s body, to luxuriate in the softness of her skin and the cries of need coming from her was sweeter than that.

He kissed the side of her neck drawing her smell into himself. “I love the way you smell. I want to smell it first thing in the morning and the last thing at night before I fall asleep. Mmm apples and heat, makes me think all sorts of decadent things, like eating apple pie and ice cream off your delicious body.”

She giggled at the image until his hand rubbed over her hard nipple. A groan of need came out instead.

“Cal?”

“Relax, Paige. I have you.”

As if she could relax when he rolled her nipple between his fingers. She thrust her hips upward as her nipples hardened to the point of pain. She tried to take her bra off but he stopped her pulling it taunt against her breasts.

He wrapped his lips around a nipple and sucked as his hand rolled the other one. Pleasure shot through her making her keen with need. Hot desire slid through her. Then his desires hit her.

Slowly he peeled her bra down exposing her rosy nipples for the first time. They pointed upwards begging to be kissed. He ran the palm of his hand over one making her ache more as he teased her when all she wanted was his hot mouth on her.

Swooping down, he took a nipple in his mouth sucking her in deep. She squeezed her thighs together as pleasure pelted her.

She could feel his need which drove her higher. He loved the taste of her; she could feel herself flowing over his tastes bud. The desire to devour her was in his mind. He rocked himself against her as he hardened.