Gyft (Rescued by the Alien)

Chapter Eleven

OLIVIA:

IN A DEEP, guttural voice that sounds inhuman, he uttered my name as he came. And all at once, cold guilt flushed through me, dampening the warmth of the orgasm that still tingled through my arms and legs.

I just slept with my bodyguard. I’m a married woman, albeit in name only, but I just slept with someone... whose name I don’t even know.

And I’m married. Not willingly, but I muttered I do . I made a vow, and broke it. But does it count if it’s not consummated?

Stranded on an alien planet... and married. A legally binding marriage, consummated or not. I agreed to it to save my planet. To save my Yvette from the tragic fate that’s befallen me.

Then he inspected me, holding my legs spread open, watching his cum leak from my body. Humiliating. And... fucking hot.

Maybe he wanted the proof gone before we’re found out? But it doesn’t seem like he cares about that. His face is buried in the crook of my neck and he’s heaving, murmuring sweet things in a language that makes no sense.

I can’t believe I slept with my guard.

What will my new husband—Gyft—think of me?

But, God, it was great. Best sex ever. And as our heartbeats slow, he rolls over and pulls me onto him, not caring that we’re a sticky mess. His breathing deepens and a cocky smile roves over his face as his eyes close. Are his fangs a little longer? They might be. God, it was delicious when he scraped them against my skin. His hair—the spiky, ropy tendrils that twist and take on a life of their own, are limp and replete. He’s just adorable.

He’s sleeping soundly after that wild sex we just had... the massive orgasms. Three for me, two from his tongue. But sleep eludes me. I feel more energized than the night before my wedding when I couldn’t sleep. Than the morning before when I sucked down the double dose of energy drinks.

Moving quietly, I slip downstairs. I turn toward the kitchen but notice a dim glow coming from the living area. The two little kids are sitting on the sofa, staring at a small tree that’s lit with soft, glowing nightlights.

“That’s like a Christmas tree,” I whisper, and both heads turn toward me.

“Can’t sleep either? I feel pretty energized, like I ran a marathon. Is that why you two are up?” Without expecting an answer, I sigh. “But I guess we did run a mile. Probably more, trying to get away from that thing! The mud monster.”

I exaggerate my shudder, trying to act a little silly because the kids both have enormous eyes as they stare, like maybe just seeing me brought back memories of what we’d all been through.

I sink down on the sofa between them, forcing them to scoot so I can fit, and then drop my arms around their skinny shoulders.

“Looks like we all have matching hair now,” I say. “We’re part of the cool kids club.” I can feel their gaze on me, but I stare straight ahead at the tree. “You know, on Earth, we decorate the trees with lights each year. We call it Christmas. It’s a religious holiday and we give gifts during that day. Of course, we also hang pretty things on the tree branches. Sometimes paint the windows to look like snow. Play Christmas songs which are only available that time of year. And during the night, you’ll find more gifts appear under the tree if you’re good girls and boys. Otherwise, Santa Claus will add you to his naughty list and you’ll get something awful, like a lump of coal or canned meat.”

The boy wrinkles his nose and I tap the tip of it, giggling. “Hey, I don’t make the rules. But it’s a huge part of why kids really behave. They want those presents on Christmas morning.”

“What kind of presents?” A deep voice asks from behind us.

I jump, because he’s not whispering like me.

He enters and sits down next to the little girl.

“Well, in the days right before Christmas, kids usually dress up in their finest clothes and go down to the mall, where Santa, that’s the guy who leaves the presents, waits on a big throne-like chair. Sometimes his elves, who are the toy makers, sit around with him. And parents bring their kids to plop in his lap. He’ll ask them what it is they want for Christmas. Parents usually get a picture of their kid on Santa’s lap to remember the moment—”

And then it dawns on me.

“You—you can understand me?”

The kids both nod, distracting me because I’m talking to my guard, but they understand too. “All of you?”

“Your download of our language hit,” the bodyguard says softly. “I’ve been expecting it. You’re talking in our language now. When we return to the castle, they’ll give me yours also.”

“Oh,” I breathe. “We are going to the castle, then?” Even after what we’ve shared, he still wants to take me to this Gyft? And I’m not sure why he’ll get my language... unless he’ll still be my guard? Shame fills me. This could get ugly real fast. I’m going to have to tell him that it can go nowhere. I’m going to have to confess to my husband that I want a divorce.

He nods solemnly. “It’s where we’ll live.”

And maybe we can just get away from it all? “I... I kind of thought you might like to explore that city that’s a couple miles away. Hellaya?”

“H’liyio. If you would like a second home there, we can do that. ”

My jaw drops. Do they share women on their planet, then? But with the kids watching, I’m not sure how to ask.

“W-we can?”

“Of course.” He looks puzzled.

“Tell us more about this Santa Claus,” Brisa says. “I like that story.”

Distractedly, I turn back to the kids.

“Well, his hair is snow white.” I reach out and ruffle the weird little alien spikes on their heads. “Much like the color of yours. And... I guess, mine. As a matter of fact, we can probably do an alien version of Santa here! This city, Hellayoyo, does it have a shopping center?”

“Yes,” Kyno says, his eyes round.

“We can start working on all the toys we’ll gather. Some we’ll make. And on December 25 th— we’ll have to use Earth’s calendar, not sure how your days run—we’ll sit in the mall and pass out presents to the little ones.”

Kyno scowls. “But does helping mean we’ll be on the good list so he’ll visit us?”

I giggle. “Pretty sure. You’ll know the next morning when you get presents. We’ll have to decorate a tree!”

“A tree?” My guard asks. I really should ask his name, but that’s probably something we should do in private, not with the little nosy ones listening. Probably going to run all the gossip to their parents.

I nod. “A small one. We chop it down, put the trunk in water, prop it up and make decorations.”

He grunts. “Grekl and I will find a suitable one in the morning.”

I clap my hands. “In the meantime, since we’re all up, we’ll make the decorations!”

“Yay!” the children say simultaneously. Then, like the spontaneous outburst connects them in a soothing way, then reach out and clasp their hands.

Sneaking into the kitchen, we find the equivalent of alien popcorn. It’s not actually food but a packing material, so we dye the little odd shapes of fluff by boiling a red vegetable and letting them soak in the deep maroon brine. While they soak up color, we use toilet paper to make paper snowflakes to string on the tree.

In the meantime, the guard and Brisa start to work on their own project. They make tiny pinholes into a few dozen itty bitty eggs, blow out the innards, and boil the shells in the same red liquid we used earlier. When they dry, they paint green designs on each egg and string them together using the pinholes. They look like decorated eggs on a string.

I don’t have the heart to tell them those decorations are for a different kind of holiday.

We finally head to bed for a few hours of sleep after tucking the twins in.

This time when we get into bed, it’s almost normal. Like there’s no hesitancy over my guard jumping into bed with me. Instead, he wraps me in his arms. I settle in and sink my head to his shoulder.

“It’s so weird that we can actually talk. I haven’t asked you your name,” I whisper shyly.

He freezes.

I turn my head up to see him staring down at me in horror. “I thought—you mentioned my name. I thought you knew. I’m Gyft. Your... husband.”

Relief washes through me. “Oh, God. You’re Gyft? I thought you were telling me that Gyft sent you for me. That you were my guard.”

“You slept with me,” he says flatly.

“I was really torn up about it. I wanted to go to Hellaya to live and see if you could come. If maybe we could explain to Gyft about our feelings for each other.”

He growls. “Nice to know you would have fallen for anyone who rescued you from the woods.”

“You’re kind of blaming me because you’re hot,” I point out reasonably. “A girl gets kind of swoony over that, you know. ”

I settle my head back onto his shoulder. And hear a vague thumping.

His right shoulder.

“Oh! There it is!”

“There is what?” he rumbles, his voice deep.

“Your heartbeat. It’s on the other side of your body.”

“There’s a lot to learn about each other.” His arms tighten around me. “I look forward to exploring you. I can’t wait for our lives to merge together. To make memories and new traditions as a family unit.”

That makes me giddy inside.

And finally, I grow sleepy. It’s in the warmth of his strong, solid chest. The intimacy we shared. The way his gaze grows hooded when he looks at me with his strange alien eyes.

“What’s your hair called?” I ask suddenly.

“Freelig.” He winds a lock of mine around his finger. “Yours is so soft. Does it harden?”

“No,” I whisper. “Yours?”

“Mmm. Hardens into protective spikes.”

Explains how the kids had theirs standing on end.

“Will mine turn back to red?”

“Probably not.” But his rambling voice is so soothing. “You’ll be revered, though. Everyone will know you faced death at the deadlands and lived.”

“The twins too,” I mumble.

“Yes, the twin souls match. They’ll forever be tied to you.” He pauses a second. “Sorry it couldn’t have been a more honorable match. They’re kind of an unruly lot.” He sighs. “Elderly parents who let them run the household. We should have ours before we grow old and tired.”

I snicker softly. This male—my new husband— is snarky and matches me perfectly. And the thought of babies with him makes my heart sing. When I close my eyes to sleep, soft thoughts flutter around in my head .

By the time I wake up, the bed is empty. I lean over to find a Gyft-sized dent in the pillow next to mine.

Like a lovesick fool, I press my face into the indentation and breathe deeply. His scent, citrus and sandalwood. So delicious.

“Good morning, Bride,” a gruff voice says.

I yelp, then choke, looking toward the door as he enters carrying a tray. There’s a fangy little grin on his face because he caught me sniffing his pillow.

“It’s a human tradition,” I snap.

He leans forward and smooths my bangs from my forehead, looking into my eyes as he sets the breakfast tray on my lap. “You like me.”

Then he crawls back into bed next to me, his big shoulder butted up against mine.

“Well, you like me too.”

“Yeah, I do.”

Something skitters in my belly. If only Yvette could see me now.

“I like you. A lot.”

I think he knows what I mean by the silence. I can almost hear his heart pound. “Same. A lot.” He growls and leans over to nip my earlobe. “So much.”

“Glad we’re married. To each other.”

“I chose well,” he brags.

I take a piece of meat from the plate and slowly chew it. It’s smoky and tender, not quite jerky but close.

“My people recognize marriage—not quite like your Earth ceremony—but it’s a contract between couples. Temporary, though renewable when the contract expires. There’s also mating, which is permanent.”

“How do you mate?” I ask, pretending it’s just curiosity but also wanting to know if he feels like we’d ever get there.

“A female is marked. On her neck. With my fangs. I’ll taste you during our lovemaking, if we’re both agreeable. The scar is permanent and shows you belong to someone. ”

I make a giant gasp. “I knew it! Vampire!”

He raises his brow bone, the darker shade of skin there like eyebrow replacements. His lashes look long and thick, but I know it’s because it’s not hair. They’re freelig, the same spiky tendrils that he has on his head, but smaller and thinner. Unmoving. “What is this term? It doesn’t translate.”

I giggle. “It’s a monster. An Earth legend. An undead person who bites his victims and sucks their blood.” Then I lean in to whisper. “Undeniably sexy. Women tend to beg for his bite. It gives great orgasms.”

“Can’t deny that then.” He leans over to kiss my shoulder and I bring a piece of the smoky meat up to his lips.

“What’s on the agenda for today?”

“Grekl and I were already out chopping down a tree. It’s set up in the living room. When the twin souls wake, we’ll put up your decorations. Menga found some old jewelry to put on it. She even found old pictures the seedlings drew for her that she thought she would decorate the tree with.”

The smile stretches out on my face as I imagine children’s scribbled posters poked onto the tree branches. One way to get rid of the countless untalented drawings, I imagine. “Very unorthodox tree, but I like it.”

“Get showered, gorgeous. Come down and see the decorations you inspired. We have a special day planned.”

“We do? What is it?”

“We’re going to the city you wanted to visit. H’liyio.”

After I finish eating, I shower and dress and head downstairs.

“Oh-Livv-yeh-ya.” The farm woman throws her arms around me. “Your freelig! It’s completely colorless, like our twin souls.”

She starts sobbing and I awkwardly pat her back. “Yes, well, it’s a new look,” I agree. “Now I match my husband.” Those words give me a giddy feeling .

Monesse doesn’t even hear me. “Thank you so much! Thank you for going after our seedlings. We will be forever in your debt.”

“It’s quite all right. Anyone would have done it.”

She sobs harder. “No, not many would have risked their lives.”

“Well,” I consider carefully. “I am pretty magnanimous. An influencer on my planet, but not just decorative. My best friend Yvette and I were becoming more humanitarian. A conscious decision between us.” I don’t mention that my marriage cut our careers short.

Gyft frowns as he studies a small, round disk that he’s pulled from his pocket.

“I have an incoming call from the castle. Eat your breakfast, Bride. I’ll head into our suite to take it and meet you and the twin souls outside.”