This Alien Soul

Chapter 16

Alek

"Where were you last night?"

"Keeping tabs on me now?" I replied to Zeena, who confronted me as soon as I made it back to my Pod door. Maybe if I played it casual she wouldn't smell the blood in the water and attack.

"You never don't come home." Zeena's pod was directly across from my own, so she was normally the first person I saw in the morning and the last at night. "So where were you?" .

"Not that it's any of your business, mom." I replied, sarcastically as I stashed my pack in my closet. "But I fell asleep in the tree house."

"Is that why you smell like the human?" Zeena wrinkled her nose in distaste.

I couldn't help it, I pulled my shirt up to my nose and inhaled her sweet cinnamon smell. I had never spent the night with anyone before, but I had never sleep better in my life. I had woken completely content with her still snuggled up again my chest, her slender leg thrown over my own and the blankets twisted up around us.

It had been so peaceful, with the birds waking up in song around us and the soft rays of light shielded by the leaves.

That was, until she opened her blue eyes.

Then things had turned awkward fast.

It was clear, in the light of day, she wasn't as happy about her decision to cuddle up to an alien. Any fear of heights had disappeared in her need to get away from me. She had been down the tree before I could even get the blankets back in my pack.

I wondered if she reacted the same when she woke up next to Brad. Just the thought of her with that human had me wanting to punch something. My fist clenched at my side, my nails biting into the flesh of my palms so hard I wouldn't be surprised if I drew blood.

"She stopped by the beach. It was nothing." I attempted to shrug it off.

"Why are you lying to me?" Zeena snapped. "I saw you together, leading her up to the cliffs. The two of you looked mighty flirty."

"That was you in the woods?" I had sensed that something was off, that someone was near. It had been the only thing that had kept me from claiming her lips. "You were spying on me!"

"Someone has to keep you sane." Zeena slammed a hand against the lone table I kept in the middle of my pod. The vase of wilted flowers my mother insisted of keeping there rattled, threatening to topple over. I grabbed it up placing the whole vase in my sink to be discarded later. "She's not your mate. You can't be doing this."

As a Zionian, we were all fated to have one mate. That one person who was your perfect soul mate. When you locked eyes for the first time you would know that person was for you and a bond would form. Almost like the human version of 'love at first sight', just on steroids. Most stayed loyal to that mate even before meeting them. I had stayed loyal....until now.

"I can't believe you cheated on your mate." Zeena reflected my thoughts. Her disappointment in me was rolling off her in waves.

"It wasn't like that." I didn't know how to explain to her that being with Amber just felt so right. Like coming home after a long day. She made me feel so comfortable yet excited at the same time. She was like a drug to me. Even when I had her right beside me it wasn't enough. I wanted her closer. I wanted more with her. Now, after just leaving her side I couldn't wait to see her again.

"Would your mate agree with you on that?"

I don't know if it was the disappointment or accusation in her voice that cause me to snap. But I found myself raising my voice. Something I rarely did to Zeena. "It doesn't matter if my mate would agree with me or not because she is dead, I'm never going to get the chance to have a mate."