Alien Protector: Sci-Fi Alien Invasion Paranormal Romance (13 page)

As if he could read those words on her face, Draco stepped closer. He cupped her face in gentle hands and tipped it up so she was looking at him.

“I don’t want to go,” he admitted softly, and Stephanie gave him a shaky smile in return.

“You have to, though. We both know Plintos isn’t coming here, and even if he was willing, there’s no time.”

Their eyes held for a moment and Draco sighed. “You’re right.” Instead of saying anything else, he leaned in and kissed her hard on the mouth.

It was a kiss that felt like a claim, and it took Steph’s breath away as she kissed him back, bandaged hands braced against his chest as their lips moved together.

When Draco pressed his advantage and pushed her back so she was lying on the bed, Stephanie didn’t fight it. Heat flared in her, and she was well aware that this might well be their last chance to do this.

She blinked away the tears that wanted to fall at the thought and wrapped her arms around Draco’s neck, pulling him down onto her because she wanted to feel him. She wanted his weight on her, solid and real before he went back home and left her life. She wanted to burn the memory of his weight on her, his hands on her, his taste, his mouth on hers into her mind so well that there would never be any doubt whether or not this had really happened.

Draco seemed to have the same idea because he didn’t go with his usual slow, measured movements. He was pulling her clothes off and kissing skin feverishly, dragging his hands down her body and leaving stinging bites in his wake, each kissing and touch seeming to echo his claim:
mine, mine, this is mine.

Protesting that was the last thing she wanted. Because she was his in that moment. Wholly and completely and when he pushed into her, she wrapped her legs around his waist, moving with him as he practically pounded into her.

Her moans were high and loud, and she trembled when he bit her neck and groaned against the skin of it, whispering that he cared for her so much and didn’t want to leave her.

She came hard under him, shaking a bit with the force of it, but found that she was still not completely satisfied. So she took him into her mouth and worked him until he was hard again and then changed their positions so that she could sit astride his lap, hips rolling in undulating waves while his hands gripped her waist and he stared at up at her with adoration in his eyes.

When they’d both come again, they laid together, sweaty and breathing hard, Stephanie’s head pillowed on Draco’s chest while he stroked her hair.

“I should go tonight,” he murmured, and her heart nearly sank.

“Probably,” she replied because she knew he was right.

“They’ll be more concerned with regrouping to try to take the blade from the museum again than thinking I might already have it. They know you’re connected to the blade somehow, but they don’t know you’re connected to me. It’s better if I leave now.”

Stephanie lifted her head to look at him. “I
know
,” she said. “I’ll drive you back to the house.”

Draco nodded, still staring at the ceiling, and neither of them moved for long minutes. They both needed a shower and to get dressed before they could go anywhere, and time wasn’t exactly on their side with this, but Stephanie didn’t really want to move, so she wasn’t going to say anything.

Chapter 9: Leave Taking

The drive back to Presea’s house was silent for the most part. There were a lot of things that Draco wanted to say to Stephanie, but he wasn’t sure any of them were appropriate, and he didn’t know how to begin anyway, so he just kept his mouth shut and tried to focus.

Presea had assured him that when it was time for him to go back, she would make sure that his little shuttle was fueled and ready to go. Apparently part of her duties in being on Earth to help visitors was to make sure they could get home again, and Draco found that he felt bad about assuming the worst of her the first time they’d met.

She was waiting for them when they arrived at the house, standing outside and smiling her terrifying smile. Stephanie had met her a couple of times since Draco had been on Earth, but he could tell that Presea made her nervous.

He held her hand as they walked up to the house, the blade gripped in his other hand.

“Time to go?” Presea asked.

Draco nodded. “Time to go.” He opened his mouth to explain what had happened, but Presea held up a hand to stop him before he could start.

“I already know,” she said and then grinned wider, lifting a finger to tap her head. “My kind are gifted with foresight.”

“You’re a Chelercca,” Draco said, all of a sudden understanding. “That’s amazing.”

Presea inclined her head. “Someone on this planet has to have some sense,” she replied. “The shuttle is fueling now. You might want to pack some food or something for the trip. I don’t do all that.”

“Of course,” Draco replied, and he led Stephanie into the house. She immediately set to work making him sandwiches and fetching bottles of water, and he left her to it, going to his room to get his clothes and call Plintos.

“I’m coming home,” he said as soon as his friend’s face filled the screen. “I’m leaving tonight.”

“It’s too soon,” Plintos protested. “We aren’t ready yet. Can’t you-”

Draco cut him off and shook his head. “No, I can’t. One of the Triptherus attacked Stephanie tonight at the museum. We have the blade now, and it’s only a matter of time before they figure that out. If we want a head start on this, I have to leave now.”

Plintos’ face was grave and paler than usual, but he nodded. “I see. Well. Come home, then. We’ll figure it out together.”

“Like we always do,” Draco said and ended the call. He sighed and began gathering his things, throwing them into his bag before he headed back out into the kitchen.

Stephanie was standing in front of the massive pile of food she’d accumulated on the table, head bowed. When she looked up, he saw that she had tears in her eyes, and he dropped his bag and pulled her to his chest. “Don’t cry,” he whispered. “Please.”

“I don’t want you to go,” she said. “I don’t want to never see you again. I don’t…” she broke off with a little sob, face buried in his shirt.

“I know,” he said, rubbing her back. “I don’t want to go either, but. I have to. I have to be there for my people.”

She nodded, wiping her eyes and giving him a watery smile. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m just going to miss you.” She pulled back and let out a breath, making to pull away. “Let’s get your shuttle packed.”

A split second later, something occurred to him. “Come with me,” Draco said, catching one of Stephanie’s hands in his before she could pull away completely.

“W-what? What do you mean?” she asked, eyes wide.

“I mean that it’s not going to be safe here. They know who you are and they’re going to figure out that I’m taking the blade back to Aldara. Sure they’ll follow, but probably not before they vent their frustration at the blade slipping right out of their grasp. They might not know that you’re connected to me, but you’ll still be in danger.”

“And so you want me to go with you?” Stephanie demanded. “To
space
?”

“Just for a little while,” Draco promised. “I’ll bring you home when it’s over.” And he would. It wouldn’t be a permanent solution, but it would give them more time together and keep her safe.

Stephanie seemed to be wavering a bit, hesitation warring with excitement in her eyes. “But...Nate and the others. They’ll be in danger in the same way, won’t they?”

Draco didn’t have the heart to tell her that he couldn’t care less about them. It was
her
that he would drive himself crazy worrying about, for reasons that he didn’t exactly have time to examine at the moment. If the Triptherus got their clammy hands on her and hurt her while he got away, he’d never be able to forgive himself.

“
Please,
Stephanie,” he said. “Please. I know it’s a lot to ask for you to just up and leave everything to come with me, but the second you say you’re ready to come back once it’s all done, I’ll bring you right back here. I swear it.”

Time was running out, and Draco needed to go if he was going to keep his head start and get back to Aldara before they figured out he was gone, but he had to try.

“But I don’t have any of my things, I… I don’t know anything about space.” Stephanie looked at him and then let out a messy breath, seeming to make a decision. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s go to Aldara.”

They changed their plan on the fly. Stephanie got in her car and raced back to her house to pack the things she couldn’t be without, and Draco loaded the shuttle. He packed practically all of the food in the house under Presea’s watchful gaze, noticing that she was smiling in a satisfied way now.

Maybe she’d foreseen that this would happen, maybe she was just pleased for him. Either way, she was clearly keeping her mouth shut about it.

Plintos wasn’t going to be happy when they got back and he found out that Draco had a human in tow, but he’d deal with that when they got there. Even at the fastest speed the shuttle could fly they had at least a week to wait before they would get to Aldara. He’d come up with something to soothe his prickly friend’s ire.

As it turned out, that, like so many of his other plans, was mostly wishful thinking. The week that it took them to get back to Aldara was mostly spent
not
thinking about Plintos or how he would react to Stephanie’s presence.

Instead, it was spent checking the radar to make sure that they weren’t being followed and showing Stephanie the sights. He pointed out stars and planets to her, telling her tales of the places he’d been and the things he’d seen while enjoying the way her face lit up as she ask him questions and devoured the information he gave.

Unlike the trip to Earth, which had been lonely and full of anxiety for him, this trip was light and fun, and he wasn’t looking forward to getting back to Aldara at this rate.

But of course, as soon as his home planet was in sight, he called Plintos to let him know, carefully keeping Stephanie’s face out of the view of the comm device. There wasn’t much Plintos could do once they got there and he found out, so he wasn’t going to worry about it overly much.

Stephanie, on the other hand, seemed to be vibrating with a mixture of anxiety and excitement and she kept looking out of the windows with her hands pressed to the glass.

“It’s just so amazing,” she said over and over again, looking out at the approaching planet and then back at him. “And beautiful.”

“It’s home,” Draco replied, and there it was. There was that pleasant rush of well being that always accompanied coming home, and he was pleased to see that the predicament they were in hadn’t done anything to take that away.

All too soon they were landing, and Draco sighed, hefting his bag and the blade and letting down the hatch. Through the window he could see his crew assembled, ready to clean and take the shuttle back to its spot, and he felt a rush of affection for all of them. It had really been too long since he’d been back.

As soon as his feet were on the ground, a cheer went up from the assembled people. Some of them called questions to him, but they all fell silent after a few seconds, and Draco didn’t even have to turn around to know that Stephanie had just gotten out of the shuttle.

It was probably the quietest he had ever heard his people be, and he drew in a deep breath and stepped forward. He could explain later. For now, he needed to get the blade to Plintos and they needed to find somewhere to keep it where it would be safe.

“Follow me,” he said over his shoulder to Stephanie, and he wished he could take her hand, but both of his were full, and he needed to see how she was going to react to this.

“Right,” she said, tentatively waving at some of the people staring at her before hurrying after him. “I don’t think they like me.”

“They don’t know you,” Draco corrected. “And they’re surprised. There hasn’t been a human here...well, maybe ever.”

“Well, that’s good to know. I love being a trendsetter,” she muttered.

They made it as far as the marketplace before someone said something about Stephanie being there, and it was hardly a surprise that it was the ever outspoken Canna, grinning at them as they approached her stall.

“Well, well,” she cackled. “Seems like someone had fun on Earth.”

Draco sighed. “Canna, could you please not?” he said. “It’s going to be hard enough to explain this to Plintos without you making jokes.”

She grinned and leaned around him to look at Stephanie, basically ignoring him. “Hello there, lovely. Welcome to Aldara.”

“Oh,” Steph said, clearly surprised. “Thank you. It’s...it’s good to be here.”

“Here,” Canna said, holding out a thick pastry to her. “Ask your boy here. They’re best in the market, and if I know Draco and the king, it’s going to be some time before you get a proper meal.”

“It’s just meat and spices,” Draco said, accepting a pastry of his own. “Kind of like that food we got on our first date.”

He’d said it without thinking, and Canna cackled. “I knew you’d like it there.”

“Thank you,” Stephanie said taking the hot pastry in her hands.