PART THIRTEEN

The Suburban turned off the highway onto a gravel driveway, stopping in front of an iron security gate. Riley rolled his window down, and quickly punched in a series of numbers. The large iron gate opened slowly in response, allowing their vehicle entrance.

"This is it," Marco stated, drawing himself up from where he’d been slouching against the side window.

Max stared ahead, trying to see something of this place that would be their new home, at least for a while. The vehicle began its steep climb up a long, rough drive, the headlights cutting a bright path in the darkness ahead. Max could see the dim outline of pine trees and rocks along the driveway’s edge, but little else except pitch darkness, as they angled up the sharp incline. The road was rough, causing them to bump and jostle as they slowly progressed. Then they reached a slight turn, and the road grew even steeper, causing the wheels of the Suburban to grind and hesitate a moment. Marco hadn’t been kidding—apparently they really were headed up the side of a mountain.

Liz jumped beside him nervously when a deer sprung across the road, causing Riley to slam the breaks as it quickly darted in front of them. They were all still on edge, and the incident left Max’s heart pounding heavily.

When it seemed they’d never reach their destination, the vehicle rounded one final bend in the road, and bright lights came into view, illuminating a two story wood cabin. Another Suburban sat parked in the driveway, and Max glimpsed Maria, Michael and Tess, standing on the porch—waiting for them, no doubt.

"Well, that answers one question," Serena said, turning to open her door. "Five in, three still unaccounted for."

Max panicked briefly that Isabel hadn’t arrived yet, but before he could voice his concern, Serena spoke again. "Don’t worry about the others, they’ll be here. Frankly I’m surprised that anyone beat us here at all."

Liz placed her hand on his arm, as Marco opened the back door. "I’m sure everyone is fine, Max," she assured him quietly. And just hearing her say it at that moment alleviated his anxiety…as always, Liz could heal his heart in a mere moment. He smiled softly at her, and nodded, as she moved to crawl out.

Marco helped Liz out, then turned to him, extending his hand. Max eased to the ground, surprised by how stiff his body felt after the cramped ride.

Michael rounded the back, embracing him quickly. "I’m really relieved to see you two, Maxwell," he said, and Max could hear how strained his voice was. "We’ve been really worried."

"Lizzie!" Maria shrieked, pulling her into a tight embrace. "God, these past hours have killed me."

"We were told Khivar sent a team to kill you tonight," Michael announced, his eyes piercing.

Max just nodded, casting his eyes toward the ground. He wasn’t sure he wanted them to know just how close it had really been, but he realized there’d be no hiding the fact, when he saw Michael gaping at the side of the Suburban.

"What the hell is this?" He roared, pointing to a series of scorched craters in the vehicle’s side.

"Well, that would be damage from the enemy’s weaponry," Serena answered matter-of-factly, crouching beside the car to examine it. "K-10 Luminators, I’d say," She assessed evenly, running her fingers over the mangled steel.

Michael frowned in confusion, raising his eyebrows as if to ask who she was.

"Guys, this is Serena," Max explained, and she stood to shake their hands. "She’s our protector."

He almost added that she’d been in the ’47 crash, but thought better of it. He knew the reaction that information would elicit in Michael, and after tonight’s tension, decided to hold off for now.

"It’s nice to meet you, Michael." Serena stated quietly, extending her hand. It was Max’s first close look at her, and he was surprised that she seem look quite young, just as Liz had observed. Michael’s eyes widened in surprise when she addressed him by name, and then Serena quickly turned, taking Tess’s hand, then Maria’s. In each case, she called them by name, and something about her familiarity with them all caused Max to shiver slightly.

Riley walked up the cabin steps, carrying their duffle bags.

"Let’s get inside." Max nodded in the direction of the cabin. "It’s cold out here."

****

Marco watched Tess pace in front of the sofa where he sat, wringing her hands in agitation. Everyone had arrived safely now, except for Kyle, and they’d received no word from Cecilia, although that was to be expected since cell phones posed too much potential threat for a security breach. They’d only used one to call Max tonight because it had been a life-threatening emergency.

Marco was slightly concerned that it had been over an hour since everyone else had arrived, but truthfully, he was more worried about how hard this seemed to be hitting Tess, who continued her anxious pacing. He cast a quick glance at Serena, who sat in front of the fire, studying Tess quietly.

"Maybe she couldn’t find him?" Tess wondered aloud. "He was with Mandy, and…you guys know Kyle. He probably had his cell phone turned off."

Michael rose slowly, and stood in front of her, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Tess, you’ve got to calm down," he admonished softly.

"I can’t calm down, Michael," she cried, and Marco saw tears pool in her eyes. Apparently, Kyle was very special to her, and something about that left him feeling slightly jealous.

"I’m sure he’s fine, Tess," Michael reassured her, dropping his hands from her shoulders. "We all just have to stay calm."

"Honestly, Kyle wouldn’t have been high on Khivar’s list of priorities tonight," Serena interrupted. "The only order was against Max and Liz."

"What about Anna?" Marco questioned, but Riley only shook his head. "I haven’t been able to connect with her yet…but she’d warned me it might be a while."

Tess began pacing again, and then suddenly stopped right in front of Marco, where he sat on the sofa, staring down at him briefly. It was their first real eye contact since the other day in her dorm room, and it unnerved him a bit. He couldn’t look away, and for a moment, they stayed transfixed just like that, their eyes locked. Somehow, in the midst of the swirling emotional hurricane of this night, they’d just found the calm center—and connected powerfully with the simplest of glances.

And then he saw her visibly relax, as she looked away.

He’d calmed her somehow, unintentionally, even as she’d cause fire to leap within his entire body. He shook his head slightly, glancing down at his hands. Tess Harding confused his heart terribly…yet the trouble was, he more than liked her effect on him.

******

Marco shifted in bed, pulling the flannel sheet around him tightly. It was a very cold night, and even with the small space-heater, he was still cold. Everyone except Serena had gone to bed about thirty minutes before, even though Kyle hadn’t arrived yet. She’d waited up to monitor the situation with Cecilia, and Marco sensed she was slightly concerned. But somehow, he knew Kyle was okay…felt it deep inside, and he trusted his intuition on the point.

Tess had still seemed worried as they’d headed to bed, but calmer after their own strange connection. After that moment, her demeanor had changed, becoming much more settled and peaceful. He still didn’t understand what had transpired between the two of them—it had been so electric and arousing, yet calming all at once.

And now in that moment’s wake, he simply couldn’t sleep. Not that he could have anyway, with the memory of tonight’s battle warring within his thoughts. This had been close—too close, and it chilled him to think how they’d nearly lost Max and Liz. He closed his eyes, willing the images of tonight’s sputtering gunfire to vanish from his mind.

Suddenly, he heard a soft rustling in his room, and he quickly opened his eyes to find Tess standing beside his bed. She stood there, chewing her lip, staring at him uncertainly.

"What?" he whispered, sitting up in bed, his heart instantly racing. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head vigorously. "No, I just wanted to…talk to you a minute."

"Okay," he answered softly, noticing the way the moonlight outlined her delicate legs. She wore only a t-shirt, just like the other day, but at least now it was dark. Well, except for the moonlight, and how it shimmered all across her bare skin…her hair.

He sat up, planting his feet on the floor, and she settled beside him on the bed. Suddenly, he remembered his own near-nakedness: he wore only boxers and an old t-shirt. He slipped the flannel sheet across his lap.

"You’re still worried about Kyle," he stated softly.

"Yes, and…well you know Kyle is like a brother to me," she hesitated a moment. "I’m just wondering, if you think everything is okay. What your gut instinct is about this."

He thought a long moment, and considered giving her a variety of answers—the easy kind, meant to assuage her fears. But he decided to opt for the more complicated response.

"Tess, you’re aware that Max and Liz are both very intuitive?" He began, and saw her nod silently in the darkness. "Well, I am too. It’s my primary gift, in fact…and while it’s nothing concrete, I can tell you that I do know Kyle is okay. I think he’ll be here…" He hesitated and pressed harder into his impressions, receiving his answer. "In about an hour."

"Really?" She asked, looking up at him with wide, relieved eyes.

"Yes," he nodded firmly. "Really."

"I just wish I could sleep," she complained, rubbing her eyes. " And I’m sorry I woke you."

"You didn’t, actually," he laughed softly. "I was…too alert after tonight."

"It was bad, wasn’t it?" she asked somberly, and he only nodded in silent reply. She didn’t need to know just how tense things had gotten

"Max told us the back window was shot out, and that you saved them."

Apparently, she already knew. "Well, it was a group effort."

"Thank you. For taking care of them." She touched him lightly on the arm, and he felt an answering shimmer of fire right beneath her fingertips.

"I could never do any less."

"No, I don’t suppose so," she smiled softly. He could see it, even in the half-light of his room. He was glad the moon was full tonight, because it allowed him to study her more closely. She rubbed her eyes wearily again, and suddenly he had an idea.

"You know, there’s something I could do to help you sleep," he offered.

"Yeah?"

He scooted back on the bed, slipping behind her as he crossed his legs. "Just relax, okay?"

She nodded and he brushed her long hair away from her shoulders, rubbing his thumbs along her graceful neck. He let them travel slowly, and with each touch, he opened himself to her a bit, allowing peace to flow to her. He wasn’t a healer exactly, but this was something he could offer related to his intuition. His eyes drifted shut, and he formed an image of a meadow, long grass waving slowly in a warm summer breeze…something he’d seen years ago with Serena and fixed on as an image of peace. He willed the image, the sensations to blanket Tess, and somehow he sensed her relax beneath his touch. Relax…yet come alive, a strange, heady mixture of emotions, and they were growing with him, as well.

She sighed softly, her head bowing beneath his touch.

*****

How was it possible to feel someone setting you on fire, and yet become drowsy and peaceful all at once? Yet that was precisely what Marco’s gentle touch was doing to her body. She was awash with desire for him, it was spiraling crazily, but he was doing something to her she didn’t understand. Something alien, that much was certain. Suddenly, she was so very tired…needed to sleep. Had to. So she decided to lie down, only for a moment, and eased herself onto her side.

"I’m just going to close my eyes a minute, okay?" She said, slurring her words slightly, as she nestled her head into his soft pillow.

"Sure," he breathed in the darkness, and she felt him settle beside her in the small bed. Her back was to him, and yet she was so aware of his warm body only a few inches behind her. She wished he’d touch her some more, hold her…but the urge to sleep was so overpowering.

****

Marco exhaled heavily, as he heard Tess’s breathing change, becoming soft and even. He should never have touched her, never should have used his intuition to ease her burdens. It had wiped her out completely, and now he was stuck in an agonizing—and potentially compromising—situation. She was asleep in his bed, and all he had on were his boxers and a t-shirt. And the evidence of how she’d just affected him was pressing urgently against his soft cotton underwear. If she were to move any closer, she’d feel just how strongly she’d aroused him. Carefully, he snaked his hips a bit further back from her, and sighed as he collapsed heavily against his pillow.

This was sheer agony, lying beside Tess in his bed like this, her bare legs nearly grazing against his. Her thick, luminous hair spilled across his pillow, tickling his nose, and her scent was unbelievable. He’d barely caught it the other day in her room, but now it danced across all his senses, awakening something in him.

His reaction to her was insane, but she seemed to perpetually reduce him to this—like the other day, when before he could recall the words, he’d told her that she’d looked gorgeous in her skimpy t-shirt. He’d regretted saying it immediately--and yet honestly he hadn’t, because it was how he’d felt. The problem, though, was that he knew he couldn’t act on this growing attraction, that he was behaving completely inappropriately as a protector.

It wasn’t that they weren’t allowed involvements—though the only ones in their unit who were mated were Anna and Riley—but rather that it was discouraged, silently frowned upon, because the heart had a way of encumbering fast decisions. That’s what made this attraction to Tess so potentially lethal. He literally couldn’t become involved with someone so close to Max and Liz, because it might ultimately jeopardize their lives if he were distracted at a crucial moment.

No, this couldn’t go anywhere at all, he thought with a weary sigh, as he stared at Tess’s lovely hair. It spilled all across his pillow like spun gold, and he wanted to touch it badly, just to know what it would feel like beneath his fingertips. Marco deliberated for a long moment, then very gingerly took a silken lock within his hand. He closed his eyes, just feeling it within his hand, wishing this attraction could actually lead some place. He drew the lock to his lips, kissing the end softly, breathing in the fresh scent. Suddenly, Tess stirred a bit, and rolled to face him in her sleep—and now she was only a breath away from him. Her lips were close enough to kiss, and her thigh was dangerously near his firmness.

He closed his eyes because he could hardly breathe, and yet he was panting heavily at the same time. He’d never been this close to any woman—not like this, in his bed, wearing only his boxers. Sure, he’d kissed a few girls when he was younger, but he’d never let anyone very close for fear of exposure, the threat of their knowing he wasn’t human. He’d certainly never invited any of them into his bed.

Marco exhaled heavily, his eyes fluttering open, and found Tess staring at him. His heart beat even more quickly, because the way she was looking at him left him feeling horridly exposed. Found out. And yet she just kept staring at him, wordlessly in the darkness, the only sound their breathing. Moonlight played across her features, and Marco swore he saw desire dancing in her blue eyes. A throaty sigh escaped her lips as she licked them slowly--and that one gesture was his undoing.

He leaned slowly closer to her, kissing her very tentatively…waiting for her to shove him away. Instead, her lips parted softly, and she returned the kiss with surprising passion. Her tiny hands pulled him closer, welcoming him into her arms. So, he deepened the kiss, and their tongues began to slowly entwine. It was the sweetest taste he’d ever known, and he closed his eyes, savoring it. He slipped his hands around her small waist, drawing her closer up against him, as he took her mouth more hungrily. Their tongues began an erotic dance, flicking together wildly, and in response his whole body grew warmer, as he felt some kind of alien energy building within him.

He’d never kissed an alien before, only humans…and this was decidedly different.

Tess was different, and she affected him unbelievably.

He had to stop. Had to…but instead, he deepened the kiss, brushing his fingers through her hair, pulling her more tightly against him. She pressed her small hips up against his, and he moaned softly at the intimate contact. She had to feel his arousal—and his cheeks flushed deeply at the knowledge.

*****

Tess could hardly breathe. In fact, she might have stopped breathing altogether the moment he’d first kissed her. She’d been so surprised at how gentle and soft his lips had been against hers, that it had literally brought tears to her eyes. How was it possible that someone like Marco—who’d been firing out of the back window of the Suburban just hours ago—could now kiss her so shyly? And the kiss was so beautiful because of its tentativeness. She could feel how aroused he was, and yet…this strong man was so very gentle with her.

She slipped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer, wanting so much more of him. His lips were soft and warm as they parted, his tongue tenderly exploring her mouth. She pressed her hips up against him in response, and he slipped his hands lower on her waist, drawing her even closer. She felt him pressing hard against her thigh, and she shivered at the intimate contact.

She knew already that she could fall in love with Marco. Deeply. Felt her heart plummeting hard…just from this first kiss. From the way he slipped his large hands beneath her shirt, splaying his palms against her ribs, pulling her closer. She felt so small in his arms, so delicate.

He made her feel beautiful. He stroked her back with his fingers, and she couldn’t suppress a soft moan, but was instantly sorry when his hands stilled against her skin. He broke the kiss, gasping a bit. "I’m sorry," he murmured, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I’m really sorry, Tess."

"I’m not," she whispered fiercely, because she wasn’t. Not even remotely.

"This can’t happen…between us," he explained quietly through uneven breaths, and their eyes met in the darkness. They stared silently at one another for what felt an eternity and Tess could only swallow hard. Such sadness shadowed his features now, as he frowned, drawing his dark eyebrows together.

"I wish that it could, but it can’t," he continued, shaking his head.

Finally she found her voice, unsteady as it was. "Why not?"

He stroked her hair out of her eyes, and was thoughtful for a moment. "Because it’s too dangerous…for all of you. I have to stay focused…I can’t get involved with anyone, especially not you."

"Oh," she answered dully, as his hands slipped from around her. Her body instantly cooled from the fever he’d ignited within her so easily.

"But it’s not that I don’t want this," he whispered throatily. "You."

She nodded, avoiding his eyes, though she knew he was staring at her—wanted her to meet his gaze. Finally, after a long moment, she looked up at him, and couldn’t miss how melancholy his dark eyes had become. She traced her finger along his lower lip, and thought how full and beautiful his mouth was.

"Just hold me then," she whispered, more quietly than she’d intended. "Tonight." She hadn’t even really meant to utter the words, but they’d formed in her mind, and then somehow she’d spoken them aloud.

Silently, he drew her into his arms, pulling her right up against his chest, and she could feel his quickly beating heart. She closed her eyes and savored this stolen pleasure, because she knew he was right…understood. An involvement between the two of them would be too distracting, and with Max and Liz in such danger right now, she didn’t want that either. She loved them both too much to put them in needless jeopardy.

She sighed heavily, knowing this would be their only moment like this. And because of that, there was something she wanted—no needed-- to say.

"Marco," she began hesitantly. "You know the other day…what you said in my dorm room?"

"Yes," he answered huskily.

"There’s something I want to say…about that."

He nodded silently, and she felt his soft hair brush her cheek.

"I think…you’re really beautiful."

Her words were met with silence, and for a moment, she wished she could retrieve them, pull them from the air where they hung suspended. But then she felt his heart race against her, knew the effect they’d had on him.

"Not like you," he murmured against the top of her head. "Nothing like you."

Then they lay just like that, holding one another silently, and she wished this night would never end. Unbelievably, a night that had cost them all so much, had just become something lovely that she’d treasure for the rest of her life.

******

Serena opened Marco’s door quietly, pleased to report that Cecilia had arrived with Kyle just moments before. Apparently, Tess’s assessment had been correct: he’d been on a date with his girlfriend, and had forgotten to turn on his cell phone.

She stepped softly across the moon-lit floor, and stopped in her tracks when she was met by an unbelievable sight. Marco held Tess tightly within his arms, protectively against him. They lay sleeping, completely entwined, his arm thrust around her, her face nestled firmly against his chest.

And she could only stare in amazement.

How was it possible that they’d already found one another this quickly--especially since she knew neither of them remembered their previous lives.

Yet here they were, drawn together by memories they didn’t even recall, by something they couldn’t possibly understand yet.

Serena turned softly, closing Marco’s door behind her.