He was right. I did need time to think. I had forgotten how pretty he was and all I wanted to do was lick every inch of him. Which would create all sorts of problems andDad would probably ship me off to Alaska.“Are you really three hundred years old?”
Kaelen’s voice lowered melodramatically,“I am three hundred and twenty-five years old.”
“You look really good for an old guy.”I added a dramatic sigh.“And boy, are you a babe magnet.”
Ghostly lips brushed over my mouth.“You are my soulmate, Lexi. For three hundred years I have waited for you, and I will love you to the end of time.”
“To the end of time?”Tears welled in my eyes.How utterly romantic or was it just drivel?
Kaelen kissed me hungrily.“Search your heart. You know it is true.”
Something clicked in my mind. Fate had brought us together and I couldn’t deny the bond between us. I pressed my lips against his, and Kaelen slowly, thoroughly ravaged my mouth.
“Enough Battle Commander,”Zarek snapped.
Bristling, I blurted out,“We’re not done yet.”
“Yes, you are. You are not yet twenty-one,”Zarek replied.
I threw my hands up in the air.“Fine. Whatever. So, explain to me why I must be converted.”
“Tell her, Battle Commander,”Zarek ordered.
A phantom hand cupped my chin.“To keep you safe.”
“Safe? Are you kidding me? I’m a cop and our world is under attack by murderous aliens. Safe is a fairy tale.”
His hand massaged the back of my neck.“As a full-blooded Coletti you can live to be one thousand years old. Human diseases will no longer affect you; you will heal faster and be harder to kill. The ability to teleport is a great asset in combat.”
“No mangy half-breeds allowed in the Empire, huh?I yelped when a hand smacked my bottom.
“Enough!”Zarek snarled.“You are blood of my blood. Most of my family was killed in the Great War. To have found you is a blessing. But know this; my enemies will try to kill you. To survive what is to come, you need to be a full-blooded Coletti.”
“Gotcha. It’s like being inducted into the Mafia and you’re the Godfather.”
Kaelen groaned.
There was a long silence and then Zarek said,“The Coletti Empire is not a criminal organization.”
“You take people and things that don’t belong to you. That’s considered to be a criminal act,”I shot back.
“You and Detja are much alike.”
“Detja?”
“My mate.”
“I look forward to meeting her.”
On our private link, Kaelen scolded,“You cannot talk to the Overlord in such a manner.”
“Sure, I can. He’s family.”
“I think porting all over the known universe has addled your brain.”
“Major Zan is demanding a meeting. Keep searching the star charts,”Zarek commanded.
Kaelen mentally bowed.“Yes, my lord.”
