Soul-Bonded to the Alien(51)
“You’re talking about the customs of a lifetime although we know many of your people use artificial trees for the reason you just said,” Gabe replied drawing her eyes away from Cal.
Paige looked around seeing a fleeting emotion in the eyes of the males around her. Turning, she looked at Cal.
“When your planet no longer exists you take better care of the second one you’re given.”
She nodded and looked at the women. Each one held a look of pride in the males around them. Her eyes shone with the same pride. A woman could do worse than ending up with one of them. Well Cal was off the market, no woman better be looking at him.
The thought of someone thinking they could have him set her teeth on edge. The grinding sound she thought she heard in the air was actually her. Relaxing her jaw, she followed them back to their SUV’s as the tree was placed on the roof of one.
She pondered her possessive thoughts on the way back to the house. She wanted to blame them on the soul bond. Of course she was possessive, they were bound together for life, however long that might be. If one dies, the other dies. Although there was no reason to doubt this, she still wasn’t sold on that reality.
Yet in the end she knew it wasn’t any of those things that made her want to turn bloody at the thought of Cal with someone else. It was the secret part of her again, the part she buried so long ago. Like a rose it was opening one petal at a time, for the first time she became concerned that her heart may be in danger.
The scene at the house could only be described as beautiful exhilarating chaos, the kind families enjoyed at Christmas time. Vick and Mckayla ran ahead with Vick promising to show her where the best ornaments were kept. Rylan and Gabe ran after them shouting, “Wait you don’t want anything to break.” Victor and Cal were setting up the tree. Selma went to the kitchen because what was decorating the tree without hot chocolate, cookies and of course milk. Joaquin stood in the corner blending in with the shadows, even his lips were upturned. They were one loving but unlikely family. Paige loved it.
This was how she thought Christmas should be.
“What do you think, Paige?” Cal asked as both he and Victor turned to look at her.
“It’s amazing, I love how tall and full it is. I can’t wait to see it all decorated.”
“Well you won’t have to wait long,” Rylan replied as he and Gabe walked into the room carry several boxes apiece. Vick and Mckayla trailed behind them carrying one child size box each.
“I could have carried a bigger box,” he said looking at his father, “But Uncle Ry and Uncle Gabe wouldn’t let me.”
“They know your strong, Vick,” his father said, placing a huge box in his hands before lowering himself to his knees whispering, “They also know if they made you do all the work I would have to get after them.”
Rylan and Gabe gave an exaggerated shudder of mock fear that caused both Vick and Mckayla to laugh.
Selma came out of the kitchen holding a serving tray full of food.
“Allow me to help you.” Joaquin took the tray from her hands placing it on the table before following her into the kitchen for the drinks.
They had a lively debate of what went on first the lights or the decorations. Lights won and soon the tree was covered in them with Vick and Mckayla showing off the decorations they placed on the tree. With hot chocolate in one hand, Paige helped to decorate the middle of the tree while the males took the top. The laughter and sheer joy of tree trimming had the word home slowly seeping into her pores.
*~*~*~*
“Dinner…but what did I do to deserve this?”
Cal shook his head before answering. “You don’t have to do anything to deserve it. I just wanted to take you out on a date.”
“A date?”
He nodded his head yes looking at her in the passenger seat.
“Everything happened so quickly. You met me and realized you had a ticking time bomb in your chest. Then you made the decision to soul bond with me allowing me to touch, kiss, and love your beautiful body and still we haven’t gone out.”
“Sounds like a lot,” she answered, her voice soft and low.
“Are you regretting soul bonding with me?”
She shook her head. “Not at all, it is one of the best decisions I ever made, even if I die.”
“You’re not going to die.”
“How do you know?”
He opened his mouth then closed it, opened it again and then snapped it shut rattling his teeth. He didn’t know.
“No matter what happens, Paige, we will be together.”
“Why should I have to die because I gave myself away to the Sudir?”
“That’s like asking why the kettle is blue.”