Chapter 3

“Will you listen to the demands she makes? Does she know who you are and just doesn’t care?” L’oana said.

Her cackling filled the cave.

“Quiet!” Jack snapped.

I spun at L’oana.

“I know he’s a vampire,” I said. “I saw with my own eyes.”

“That doesn’t frighten you?” she asked.

“Of course it frightens me,” I replied, “I’ve been nothing but frightened by one thing or another since those vile, scaly creatures abducted me, but I still need… no… I deserve to know what’s happening.”

“She’s got courage, Jack, I’ll give her that. Who is she?” L’oana purred.

“I told you,” he replied.

“You told her wrong,” I stated firmly.

Jack turned to L’oana and ordered, “Get out.”

“I’m crushed,” she pouted.

“Get out or die,” he said firmly.

With a few hisses for emphasis, L’oana made her departure.

I couldn’t help the sadness that swept over me. In the short time I’d spent with her, I’d enjoyed her company and considered her a new found friend. I’d been lonely for companionship. Meeting her only accentuated the fact. Discovering her to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing was practically devastating.

“Try not to let it bother you. I’ve yet to meet anyone who hasn’t been fooled by that one. Even me,” Jack said in an attempt at comforting.

There was no sense in denying my feelings. It was obvious he had somehow tapped into my emotions. As I forced myself to release the tension that consumed me, my legs were suddenly unable to hold me. When I reached for him to support myself, he swept me into his incredibly strong arms and carried me to the bed. He smelled of musk and spices; clove and cinnamon amongst them. The aroma caused a heady sensation that I found overwhelmingly intoxicating and pleasurable.

“Are all vampires as alluring as you?” I stuttered.

His erotic chuckle would have been enough to tell me all I needed to know, but he took it one step further. Before I knew what was happening, his lips were on mine. At first the kiss was soft, slow, and sweet. It was me that changed the course to something more torrid and frantic. I have no idea what got into me. All I knew was that I wanted to consume him. I wanted to climb inside and become a part of him.

I’d kissed only one man in a way that could be deemed passionate; my fiancé Mark.

We’d kissed often, but in no way was I prepared for a kiss of this caliber. The overwhelming ecstasy threatened to consume me. I wanted more. I had to have more.

I grabbed at the belt of my tunic and tossed it away. His firm hand slid beneath it to cup my barely formed breast. My body jolted as his thumb teased my nipple. A groan purged from deep within my throat. It sounded foreign, yet I knew it was me making it. I needed him inside me with an urgency I’d never experienced before. Under normal circumstances, I would have been incredibly self-conscious about the fact that my body was mostly skin and bones with breasts that barely distinguished me as a woman, but somehow it just didn’t matter.

The only other man I displayed such confidence with was Mark. We’d fooled around, but we hadn’t gone all the way. We’d decided to save the actual act of consummation for our honeymoon. It seemed so romantic to wait. Now, all thoughts of Mark, our engagement, and my virginity disappeared as I focused on one thing and one thing only. I wanted Jack to take me completely. I wanted it in a way I’d never be able to describe.

“Enough,” he said as he pulled away and reached for my belt.

I sat in breathless and amazed disappointment as I watched his strong thighs carry him to the opposite side of the cave. His tight buttocks strained against his leather pants as he bent to tend the fire.

“I don’t understand…” I managed.

“Do you know who you are?” he asked.

“Of course I do,” I replied. “I’m Jessica Turry.”

“Who you really are… Do you know who you really are?” he persisted.

“I’m really Jessica Turry,” I said firmly.

He said nothing.

After a lengthy and uncomfortable silence, I added, “I’m not a vampire.”

“No,” he nodded, “that is something you are not.”

I shivered with a mixture of discomfort and pleasure as his eyes bore into my very core. I shook my head to clear it. Guilt replaced pleasure as Mark’s image emerged in my mind. What was wrong with me? I’d behaved like a wonton woman with this stranger who obviously didn’t want me. No, not just a stranger; a vampire who could kill me at any moment.

My mind searched my memory bank for all I’d seen in movies, read in books, and listened in conversation about vampires. Had he put me under his spell or something? If I recalled correctly, they were able to hypnotize their victims with their eyes. Is that what happened? No, it couldn’t have been. If he’d hypnotized me to act the slut, then he wouldn’t have stopped me like he had.

How embarrassing. I was mortified. I could look at him no longer. I could be near him no longer. I wanted to find a hole to crawl into or a corner to hide in or something. Damn him for putting me in a round cave with no place to hide and double damn him for standing in front of the only exit! My mind raced. What had L’oana used to disguise her whereabouts? I could see nothing that would work. Then I remembered she’d appeared from a globe of light. She hadn’t hidden behind a thing. Damn! It was frustrating to be a mere human amongst mythical and magical beings.

“The time will come when you will know who you truly are. When that time comes we will see if we should continue this… and more,” he said as he started out the entrance. “I am your guardian. Get used to it,” he tossed over his shoulder without looking back.

I threw myself face down on the mattress and pounded it until I’d released enough humiliated frustration to allow my body to relax and sleep. It wasn’t long before the dreaming began.

I was wearing my dream wedding dress. It was cream colored; full skirted chiffon with silk capped shoulders, and the most intricate beading on the bodice one could ever imagine. James looked incredibly handsome and distinguished in a dark tuxedo and silver silk tie as he walked me proudly toward Mark, who stood waiting in the same dark tuxedo and silver tie. Mark looked sexy, calm, and poised like a model from a GQ magazine. My heart swelled with love, pride, and joy at the sight of the two men that meant the most in the world to me looking so handsome and happy.

Unaccustomed to the three inch stilettos I’d foolishly strapped onto my sneaker favoring feet, I stumbled. James was quick to catch me and set me aright. I’d waited so long for this moment I could hardly believe it was finally happening. It would have been perfect except for one thing… my parents. I’d have given anything in the world to have them be there with me on this, the most wonderful day of my life. Tears welled up as James finally deposited me next to Mark and the preacher began the ceremony. My mascara mixed with my eyes’ salty fluid and I could hardly see a thing. I relied on my ears to keep me abreast of the ceremony’s progress.

Mark said his vows and the preacher turned to me. It was my turn to vow to be his and his alone ‘til death do us part. Just as I said “I do” my eyes cleared up enough for me to see the man standing preparing to seal our vows with a kiss. Mark was gone. Jack’s hot lips consumed mine in a kiss that tingled down to my very toes.

I sat up with a start. What a nightmare! Moisture beaded my brow and trickled down the back of my neck. I was sweating, yet chilled to the bone. I spoke into the emptiness of the cave, assuring myself that I was engaged to Mark and I would find a way to get home to him so that we could marry. Hearing the words aloud brought a sense of comfort and I pulled the thick quilt up to my chin and closed my eyes. Willing myself back to sleep, I prayed for it to be a dreamless one.

It seemed like only a matter of minutes before I was sitting up in bed feeling rested and refreshed. Jack was tending the fire and stirring the pot of stew that I just couldn’t seem to get enough of. After eating the same thing for so long, it was a wonder I could even look at it, let alone salivate for it like I was.

“I wasn’t going to tell you I was your guardian,” Jack said without turning around.

“I’m not who you think I am,” I mumbled, “Whoever that might be.”

Jack stood up and stretched his back in a cat-like manner. Once again I wondered where he stayed since I’d taken over his cave.

“Is your back bothering you?” I asked softly.

“It’s tight, that’s all,” he replied, matter-of-factly.

“I have your bed, don’t I?” I asked meekly.

“That you do,” he said with a smile.

“Vampires sleep and get sore backs,” I mused aloud.

“I need to read some of the books you’ve read,” he chuckled.

“Do you own a shirt?” I teased.

Jack caressed his chest as he asked in a mocking tone, “You don’t like?”

My heart skipped a beat as he flashed his brilliant white and perfectly straight teeth in a genuine smile. Damn, he was handsome, and then some. Too many more smiles like that and being faithful to Mark would prove completely impossible.

I suddenly remembered my behavior the night before and blushed. I cleared my throat for lack of something to say to ease my humiliation. Jack seemed not to notice my condition as he continued to stir the stew.

“It smells pretty tasty. I’d say it’s ready. Are you hungry?” he cooed.

“I’m starving,” I blurted as I rushed to join him near the fire.

I reached for my bowl from the roughhewn board that was mounted into the stone wall with spikes and acted as the kitchen self. As I extended my hand toward the pot of stew, my arm brushed against his. The hairs on my flesh stood to attention, as if electrified. I’d never experienced something of this nature before. It both thrilled and confused me. I jumped back involuntarily.

“I won’t hurt you,” he assured me.

“You confuse me,” I stammered. “Why did you save me? Why haven’t you killed me?”

“Don’t believe everything you read and hear about vampires. We’re not killers run rampant. Killing isn’t my nature,” he said curtly. After a short silence he continued, “I told you why you’re here.”

His eyes locked mine as if to emphasize his last statement. I felt my body being pulled to him like a nail to a magnet. What was it about him that I found so difficult to resist?

“I’m engaged to be married,” I stammered.

“Congratulations,” he replied gently. He cupped my chin momentarily before dropping his hand and heading out of the cave. “We’re leaving this place tomorrow. Rest up while you can,” he tossed over his shoulder before disappearing.

I spent the remainder of the day resting and going over in my head how I came to be captured by the Dragos in the first place. It didn’t make sense.

There was nothing on the news or in the gossip chain to indicate that they were raiding in my area. If there had been, then precautions would have been taken like they had twenty-two years earlier when people were disappearing without a trace.

That was also when my parents died in a car crash. I was very young at the time and couldn’t remember it, but people told me a curfew was enforced for quite some time. We were only allowed out of our homes between the hours of eleven o’clock in the morning and four o’clock in the afternoon. During this time, the streets were packed with military enforcing martial law and protecting our parameters. It prevented people from traveling to my parent’s funeral. In fact, more than once over the years I’d questioned if we’d even had a funeral for them because, as hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember one. I relied on my memory for so much with them because there were no pictures of them to keep their image alive. Other than my vague memories, the only evidence that my parents existed was a grave site for me to adorn with flowers.

I’d been to see a movie with Mark and then gone out for a few drinks afterward. He’d driven. He’d also had, in my opinion, too many drinks to be considered sober enough to drive home. Of course he disagreed. When I refused to get in the car with him as the driver, he hopped behind the wheel and sped off; leaving me to find my own way home. Since I didn’t live more than a few miles from the bar, I just started walking.

There was a stretch of road that was fairly rural and lonely; especially at one o’clock in the morning. To add to the ambiance, the moon was barely visible and a fog had settled. It was while navigating this stretch of road and contemplating on how surprisingly thick the fog was that I felt myself being grabbed, dragged, and then trussed up like some wild beast.

I was tossed into some type of craft -that silently hovered a few feet above ground- and landed on top of a mound of other unfortunates who were trussed just as I was. I remember being barely able to breathe as they continued to stack us like a pile of pancakes, with little to no regard for our wellbeing. When it seemed like the craft was too full to continue to hover above ground as it was, several lizard men hopped in and the door closed.

The stench was almost unbearable. It would have been bad enough to have to endure the stench of the dragos in those tight quarters, but there was also the odor of feces and urine from frightened humans -as well as perspiration and halitosis- to deal with. I don’t know when it all became so intense that my body shut down, but it did. When I awoke, I was naked and trussed upside down on some conveyer system awaiting my turn to become their dinner. I’d always been self-conscious about my scrawny body. This was the first time I was grateful for it! I’d never long for voluptuous curves again.

When night came around I was surprised at how quickly and deeply I fell into sleep. I’d gotten used to the little cave with its minimal comforts. Even the bed seemed to have conformed to my body, as if claiming it.

I wondered where we were going. Jack said we were leaving. Leaving where? He’d yet to tell me where we were and I had no clue. I originally thought it was somewhere in the wilderness not far from my upstate New York home -maybe Canada-, but then L’oana popped up with this story about Kurr and I was totally mixed up.

I made it a point to push my humiliation aside and question Jack –who arrived fully dressed in shirt, beaches, and shoes- about where we were and where we were going as soon as he entered the cave the following morning. He took my abrupt questioning in stride and was more than willing to oblige me with answers.

To my shock and dismay, we were not in the wilderness of New York State. Nor were we anywhere near Canada. L’oana had spoken truth. I’d been teleported to a distant planet called Kurr by lizard humanoids called Dragos, who found humans to be their favorite cuisine. I would have denied the truth of it, had I not remembered that the reason I lived was because I was “unsuitable as food for any Dragos table”.

My heart sank.

I questioned him on where he planned on taking me and was relieved when he quite willingly informed me it was his intention to return me to earth. He enlightened me on the ways of time bending, something I had very little knowledge of. According to Jack, Mark wasn’t even aware I’d been taken because in earth-time only a matter of minutes had transpired. I couldn’t imagine how weeks on Kurr would only equal up to minutes on earth, but who was I to question it? Instead, I nodded my acceptance of the fact and allowed him to continue speaking.

“I’ve kept my distance from you for a reason… and it’s not what you think,” Jack said as he moved around the cave collecting a few things and placing them in a sack he’d slung over his shoulder. “I’m a vampire, true, but I drink the blood of animals, not humans.”

“You’ve never drank human blood?” I asked with surprise.

“I didn’t say that. I said I drink animal blood. I’m not a killer of animals either. I take only what I need to get by on, nothing more. If the animal is large enough, what I take has no more effect on him than a human donating blood to a blood bank. As for humans… there has been an occasion or two where I’ve been placed in a position that required I partake in their blood, but they have been far and few between. In truth, I dislike not only the taste of human blood, but the notion of it.”

“Okay, now I’m confused,” I interjected. “Why would a vampire be repelled by human blood? I thought you were meant to drink it.”

“A lot of people think that, but it’s not true. We aren’t naturally meant to drink human blood. We have human DNA in us after all. It’s an act that’s far too close to cannibalism. It’s only the perverted or the desperate who do it.”

“Wow, that’s a new twist on vampirism I never expected,” I said.

“Isn’t it?” he said as he smiled that alluring smile. “I guess the truth isn’t nearly as big a sell for the movies, novels, and scary campfire stories.”

“I guess not,” I replied.

I watched Jack continue to select items to place in his sack and then asked, “Were you born a vampire?”

“No. Vampire babies exist, but it’s rare to be born vampire. The majority are made,” he replied. “It’s an affliction that consumes you after are bitten by another vampire. We look at vampirism is a type of disease.”

“I had no idea,” I muttered.

“Very few do,” Jack replied. “I was bitten when I was very young.”

“So you continued to grow then. You didn’t just stay the same age as you were when you became a vampire,” I stated excitedly.

“Do you mean like Kirsten Dunst in Interview with a Vampire?” he chuckled. “I’m afraid not. I’ve been growing and aging right along. Though, I’ll admit the aging process is incredibly slow and my strength is triple that of a human.” He shrugged, “So there are some perks to vampirism.”

“How old are you?” I blurted out.

“How old are you?” he chortled.

“I’m twenty-four,” I replied without hesitation.

“I know,” he said soberly. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

I looked at him, puzzled. It felt right and natural to be in his company, but I attributed that to the fact that we’d been together for almost two months.

“We’ve met before?” I asked hesitantly.

“You sat on my knee when you were just a babe. I was visiting your home. It was just before your parents… died,” he said sadly.

“You knew my parents?” I said hopefully. “How? How did you know them? Were you a vampire when you knew them?”

He stopped collecting items and stood looking at me. His handsome face looked so sad. I wanted to stroke it and tell him all would be well. When he walked over and sat next to me on the bed, I couldn’t resist placing my palm on his strong cheek.

Again, I marveled at how warm to the touch he was.

Again, I remembered the stories of vampires being ice cold.

He pulled my hand from his cheek and held it in his own as he drew a deep breath, “What I’m about to tell you might be difficult for you to believe or even understand, but it is true. One thing I want to assure you is that you will always be told truth by me, no matter whether you want to hear it or not.”

I nodded, but said nothing. Since that night I’d argued with Mark and done something as innocent as walk home, rather than put my life in the hands of a drunk, I’d discovered there were aliens that looked like lizards teleporting people to an alien planet as food, vampires that were repelled by human blood, and creatures that shape shifted from humanoid to reptilian. It all seemed surreal. What was one more bit of information to add to the fairy tale mix?

After a moment’s hesitation he continued, “The people you knew as your parents were wonderful people. They were loving and kind and generous almost to a fault. I knew your mother, Sara, all of my life. We were siblings.”

“But, you’re a vampire!” I squealed.

“As was she,” he replied.

A loud gasp escaped my lips.

I opted to bypass the comment that my mother was a vampire as I stammered, “You’re my uncle? But, you …. we… we … you know!”

He raised his hand to stop me from saying anything more.

“Wait,” he said patiently. “Let me finish before you say anything else, please. Can you do that?”

I nodded and fidgeted to put a little more distance between him and me on the mattress. I was mortified at what occurred between us the night before. It was no wonder he stopped. The fact that I was still aroused by his presence filled me with shame.

“I’m not your uncle,” he continued.

My head shot up and I was immediately on the alert. If he was my mother’s brother, then why wasn’t he my uncle? I may have been confused, but I was also overwhelmed with relief. I hadn’t almost committed incest after all.

“I’m not your uncle because Sara isn’t your real mother,” he explained. “Remember, I told you it is rare for a vampire to have a child and, if it did happen, the child would be vampire. You are not a vampire.”

He’d spoken quickly, as if anticipating the reaction that came next.

“What the hell? Are you on crack?” I demanded. “Of course she was my mother. I look just like her. Everyone says so.”

“You had her coloring and you were young,” he replied.

He shifted his body to face me more squarely and took my face between his hands. I had no choice but to look at him. His eyes were filled with a mixture of concern, sadness, sympathy and something else… passion?

“Please listen to me very carefully. How you grasp and accept what I’m about to tell you will make all the difference on whether we make it back to earth safely… or even at all,” he said with quiet firmness.

I could feel his body relax as I my expression changed from one of rebellious disbelief to that of an interested and eager listener. If what he had to say meant I could be home again, then I was all for whatever it was; even if it meant him telling me I was some alien creature.

“I was born in the year twelve-hundred and three. I was the youngest son in a family of six children. My parents weren’t wealthy by any means, but we managed to enjoy life and live in comfort. I was ten years old when my parents took all of us on a hunting trip along the Canadian border.

“It was off season, but, even if it wasn’t, it was such a wild and baron place I could imagine we’d be hard pressed to stumble into another hunter unless we’d searched for him. We were the only humans for miles around that fateful weekend.

“My parents fashioned a hut out of greenery, branches, and some burlap we’d brought with us. The hut looked out onto an enormous lake. My father took my two eldest brothers, Walter and Samuel, downstream for late night fishing. I have no idea what they were trying to catch. I was too young to know the difference and, quite frankly, it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that because they were a distance from our hut, they were spared the horror of what happened in their absence.

“A small group of vampires stumbled upon us while out hunting for food. They weren’t the good kind of vampires. They’d been tainted by evil. We call them black vampires. They killed everyone but Sara and me.

“I loved to swim and explore underwater. I’d trained myself to hold my breath for an incredibly long duration of time so I wouldn’t have to surface often. I used this skill to still my body and convince them I’d died. It’s how I survived the attack.”

“By holding your breath,” I said in wonder.

“By holding my breath,” he confirmed.

“Wow,” I said with admiration, “and mom… err Sara? How did she survive?”

“She didn’t actually. She died, but I’ll get to that in a minute,” he continued. “When my father returned, he took my two brothers and set off to hunt down our murders and kill them. I suspect by the wounds on our necks he knew they were vampires, but I couldn’t be sure since our paths have never crossed since then. I assume the vampires killed them.

“I lay amongst my dead family for quite some time wondering why my father wouldn’t have cared for our bodies before leaving for his vampire hunt. Of course, now that I’m older, I understand the urgency in catching up with them was too great to take the time, but back then I didn’t understand. I decided to bury them myself. When I got to Sara, I could see that she was still alive; although barely. The vampire virus had already taken hold of my body and I instinctively knew what to do to preserve her. I sliced my wrist and forced her to take some of my blood and then I snapped her neck.”

“You killed her?” I gasped.

“I guess you’d say that. You see, if you are so near death like Sara was, the only way to prevent it would be to die with the infection in your body and some blood still intact. My killer was sloppy and somehow managed to get cut or something and his blood got into my wound. That was not the case for Sara. She had simply been fed upon. At the rate the blood was seeping from her wounds, she was going to be dead in minutes with no chance of living, even if it was as a vampire. I made the choice to preserve her and I have never regretted it… nor does she.

“We waited a week for my father to return before going to our aunt Alice, my mother’s sister, for help. Alice was a kindly soul, much like my mother, and took us in. I don’t know exactly how she explained the deaths and disappearance of my family, but she somehow managed. Her home was in an isolated part of the state of Maine -similar to the way your aunt’s farm is isolated, but even more so- and she was a bit of a nature child. Her knowledge of herbs and their uses for remedies and spells far surpassed that of the average person. She also had knowledge of the occult, which included vampirism. It was with Aunt Alice’s assistance that we learned to deal with the vampire affliction and not let it interfere too heavily with our lives. We kept it a secret, of course, which wasn’t all that easy. On more than one occasion someone was able to see the differences in us, but when they discovered who our aunt was, they attributed it to her weird and witchy ways. Being able to go to her for assistance was a true stroke of luck.”

“Yes, but it still doesn’t explain why you say I’m not who I think I am,” I said impatiently.

He looked at me with surprise and said, “I see I’ve rambled… my apologies.”

“No… no, it’s not that at all. I mean… I want to know more about you and err… Sara. I do. Your story is fascinating. It’s just… I guess I’m just a little impatient to find out…,” I stammered.

“Why I say you’re not my niece?” he interjected.

“Well, yes.” I said.

“I’m getting to that,” he said, before filling his lungs with air. “When my sister met the man you knew as your father it was love at first sight for both of them. He tried to fight his feelings for her and she him. She was a vampire after all. As hard as they tried, they could not escape the love they had for each other. When she broke down and confided her secret to him, he decided to take a chance and entrust her with his most precious secret. He was not of earth. He was from the planet Kurr; this very planet that we now hide in a cave on.”

“Are you saying I’m part alien?” I wailed.

“No, I’m saying that you’re entirely alien. You were born here on Kurr. More than that, you are of royal blood. The man you knew as your father was actually a captain of your true parent’s guard. He was sent to earth with you in tow. You were nothing more than a babe in arms. You lived quietly for some time, but eventually your whereabouts was discovered by a band of soldiers sent to search for you. When it was clear he would be unable to protect you, he asked me to take over. Not long after I accepted the responsibility of your welfare, he was killed in a heated battle. He died, but not before he wiped out the band of soldiers and you were once again safe.”

“What, I’m like some princess or something?” I practically screeched. This was way too farfetched to even remotely be taken seriously.

“You are indeed like some princess. You are next in line for the throne of Kurr, which is why your safety is so vital.”

“This is ridiculous,” I said as I stood up.

I needed to get some air and clear my head. Things were getting far too weird.

He grabbed my wrist.

“I’m not finished. Sit down,” he said in a tone that was far more authoritative than he’d displayed since our conversation began.

It was clear I was wearing on his nerves. Well good. His wild stories were wearing on mine, so good… good… good. Maybe he’d think twice before spinning such wild fantasies again.

“Just like time is different on earth than in Kurr, so is the growth process. Yours was stunted by earth’s atmosphere. You’re twenty-four, but you have the body of a fourteen-year-old.” At my burst of outrage and indignation over his comment, he waved his hand and continued, “If you stay on Kurr much longer, your body will catch up with your age. We can’t have that happen if we want to return you to earth as if nothing happened. It’d be rather difficult to explain; don’t you think?”

“Mark would accept me no matter how I looked,” I said boldly.

“What about the rest of society?” he asked.

I shrugged.

“I’ve been monitoring you from afar since you were a young babe,” he said. “It’s true, you were a task at first, but after watching you grow and become the lovely creature you are today, you ceased to be a task and became a pleasure. Caring for you brings sheer joy into my life.”

“I don’t understand how you cared for me. I never saw you…. Never,” I said.

“The woman you call Aunt Jenny at one time was Sara’s best friend. When Sara was no longer able to care for you, Jenny gladly took over the responsibility of raising you; but always with me in the background watching over. She knows who you are and what you must eventually do. She knows and understands. When we get back to earth, we’ll pay her a visit and she can tell you for herself,” he said calmly.

Panic welled up inside me. Could Jack’s story be true? Was I really an alien princess?

I decided to change the subject.

“Tell me about what happened to you when you became a vampire,” I said.

“I took on some of the genetic traits of the vampire that created me. I absorbed DNA from him,” he said matter-of-factly.

I looked at him closely. He really did look human. Had I not seen his fangs for myself, I would have never guessed him to be a vampire. It was confusing; especially since he was also coming and going in broad daylight and was warm and supple. Nothing added up to the monsters of lore.

Something deep inside me told me Jack was telling the truth about everything, including me being an alien. It would take some time to absorb.

For some crazy reason, my thoughts traveled from me being an alien to me kissing Jack. Maybe it was because we were in such close proximity of each other. I remembered our kiss. It still had me reeling. How could that be when I loved and was to marry another man?

Actually, Mark never really said he loved me and I’d never said I loved him. It was just understood that we loved each other. When we decided to get married, it was during a conversation about how bonded we were as buddies and it just made sense to tie the knot. After all, if friendship is at the base of a relationship it stands a much better chance of lasting. We’d heard it on a television show. Maybe Dr. Phil, but I couldn’t be sure.

Before I knew what was happening, I was wrapped in his strong arms with his lips consuming my own. How did that happen? Had I initiated it or had he? I felt like I was dreaming and would wake up any time now. It was a wild tale that was definitely more suitable for a dream than for real life. In some ways, I much preferred it.

I soon stopped worrying about who initiated what and fell into his kiss with passion that equaled his own. There was something about him that brought out a side of me that was foreign, yet exciting. When we finally found the wherewithal to separate, I sat breathlessly still and waited to wake up. After a few seconds, it was clear that this was really happening.

It was also clear that he was just as affected by our kiss as I was. The silence between us was unsettling. Neither knew what to say.

I finally popped out with, “You’re wearing a shirt.”