The next morning comes sooner than expected, the fruit and meat tray sending me straight to sleep as he clicks away at his desk in the corner of the room trying to leave me alone as much as possible. After our hot scene earlier, he found it would be better to keep himself at a distance than try to be near me.

While I try not to find it sweet, I wander around the room looking through everything and staring at all the décor with a new thiun on my body that is a stunning white with a different set of crystal jewels lining the edges.

Guilt eats at me every time I look over at him, how can we share such a passionate moment together and then move on like nothing happened. The earthlier side of me appreciates the 'space' from him, but the other, more intense side of me wishes... well doesn't know what the fuck she wishes.

"So, I have a question?" I finally call out and Vincent turns away from his desk to look at me, a small smile across his face.

"Yes, my love."

"On earth we have same sex relationships, on this planet it seems very much more male and female pairings, is there anything similar in the Cintum galaxies?" My question is off the wall, but the more I study the artwork it always seems like man and woman and never anything else.

"While male and female are more common, it has not been unheard of for females to be paired together, or males to be paired together. One just naturally becomes the dominate to the other and have similar customs as we do."

"Are you telling me there are thiuns to cover ball sacks?" I cover my mouth trying not to laugh to hard at the thought, but he shivers at the idea.

"I assume so. We are all treated equally when it comes to social expectations, even non gendered people of Klataz take the roles between a couple very seriously." He shrugs his shoulders turning back the computer ending the conversation.

"So, is there any food here, or do I get to stare at your back like its T-bone steak all day?" My hangry-ness is starting to show, and Vincent looks back at me with a laughable expression.

"If you are hungry, we can head to the kitchen. I was thinking I could cook for your today some earth style food to make you feel more at home."

"Oh uh... wow," She was too stunned to speak, "That would actually be really nice. Thank you."

"Nice enough to get your real name?"

"No."

Vincent Lyson Point of View

The beautiful woman I have come to cherish sits across from me on a stool successfully dragging me from plans that need to be signed off on. I move through our personal kitchen grabbing the ingredients I had imported here for her so we would be able to have some food that she enjoys.

My personal choice for today is pancakes, it's something that I really enjoyed during my time on earth and loved how much stuff I could put on it and it taste different. Nothing of the sort existing on this side of the galaxy. She watches me quietly while I secretly adore her and her little things. The way she scrunches her nose when she doesn't like something or how her body reacts to my touch in such a way that sends me into a spiral of teenage hormones.

I can barely control myself around her.

If this is what everyone was trying to explain to me when they found their mates, they really undersold it. I would destroy planets for her to look at me in a way of love, or even just to look at me.

The pancakes cooked in the pan, and she laughs at my attempt to flip them gracefully, a nice peace falling over us. While this castle may be my house, I believe that I have finally found the person I want to call my home. Maybe I could be blessed, and she acclimates perfectly so I could just get on with spoiling her.

Crystal Knoll Point of View

Vincent looked deep in thought as he made the pancakes and it made me smile, which is kind of weird. He seems at peace while he cooks failing to flip the cakes and forgetting to check them before tossing them onto a side dish he has. I am almost convinced he is about to feed me uncooked batter with toasted sides.

I could tell he was thinking because his eyebrow raised, and his mouth curved down making him look as if he was scowling at something. His nose lightly flares while he runs through his thoughts, a light tap on the spatula like a calculating movement.

He pulls out our plates from the cabinet and sets the pancakes he made on it, splitting it evenly between us. He slides it over handing me a fork, "I had these brought from earth. Most of Hedium uses a different style utensil, but I figured we could slowly adjust you to things like that."

"You have moments where I don't hate you. This, this is one of them."

My honesty caught both of us off guard, but he smiles looking down at his food his hair messy. I could just lean over and...

No. No you will not do that.

That would indicate you cared and want to preen him.

We don't do that for people that kidnap us and then keep us from orgasming.

His face was still in thinking mood as he slowly chewed each bite and looked at the wall behind me as I sat on the counter and ate my pancakes at a faster pace. To my surprise, the batter was cooked and tasted amazing. Is this fucker a trained chef too?

Vincent looks into my eyes, and I wait for him to say something, knowing the look he was giving me indicated that he had something important to say, is he about to spring on me the weird penis surprise, or even the mating ceremony that somehow, they have and isn't normal, or...

"Earth will soon be under my care, tomorrow in earth days. While you were staring at me like T-bone steak today, I was finalizing plans for earths renovation." His words are carefully said, watching my reaction to every syllable like I might scream or run off at a moment's notice.

He might be right on that.

He takes my plate and puts it into the sink and sets his in also, still leaving me to make weird assumptions about where this is going. The thought of renovating anything on earth is concerning, but the way he is shifting himself and avoiding my gaze tells me there is more to the story that he is willingly sharing, "I know this is not something you want to hear, but renovation mean killing off the planet to make room for alien farmers and families, my group of advisors believes this will be the fastest and safest way to achieve a harmony between the humans and the aliens, only killing off the older generation that is most likely already dead anyways."

He was right, I ran. Instead of thinking through an adult response, I booked it from the stool and pushed my legs against the floor to make myself move faster. I had no plan on where I was going, and no real intention of leaving, but getting away from him as fast as possible seemed like a solid goal to start with.

I hear him behind me yelling my name, demanding that I stop and return to him, and if I was smart I would. No Harvard accepted human would continue to run away from an alien that could snap you in half, but apparently space travel kills some brain cells as I push myself harder and cut a corner trying to lose him,

"This is so fucking stupid." I mutter to myself as I hear him gain on me his hands wrapping around my waist to pull me back into him, us both tumbling on the floor in a very ungraceful manner. I feel him cling me to his chest taking in my smells to calm himself down, but the heat of his anger isn't fully gone when he finally calms himself down enough to form words.

"You do not run from me; I am your mate and King. I will kill off everyone on that planet before I let you go." He snarls looking over me as if to check to see if I am hurt. He pulls us up wrapping his arms around me like a monkey and carried me back to his room setting me down the couches and pacing in front of me, the whole walk here being in silence.

"Now speak your side before I lose my head and do something I would regret."

I watch him pace. If he could have lava coming out of his head he would. It almost seems like he is having an inner battle with himself, fighting against a natural response he wants to have and I make note of it, appreciative, "Asking me to be okay with you destroying human life is like me asking you to blow up your entire kingdom."

"I would do it."

"Not the point. I have many people on that planet I care about. Many people that have helped me get to where I am today. Now I don't know all seven billion of them, but I do that among those people, they all have someone they cherish. The people deserve to live, to have their chosen people they are with, to get to love on their grandparents and dogs, and just... live life. I believe that your advisors are selfish and don't understand the positive impact that earth could have on this society, and as your mate I am begging that you keep them alive. My father, friends, teachers, everything I have ever known is down there and I wouldn't forgive you if you took that from me."

"You make a very emotional point. But you have some truth. I will look through the plans again, see what I can do and hopefully find a way to please you, love. But I cannot guarantee a perfect solution between us."

"There is one right way to do this. If you ever want any respect from me, you will do as I ask."

He rubs his hand over his jaw, looking me over and letting out a sigh, "I will speak with the advisors."

"Thank you, Vincent. If you stay this understanding, you might just have a chance with me."

"A chance to know your name?"

"Still no."

Vincent walks over dropping onto the couch next to me wrapping his arm over my shoulders and inhaling.

"Do you have to smell me twenty-four seven?"

"My inner stars desire you. Smelling you calms me, brings me back to center like touching you does. Males tend to be very obsessive over their mates, no matter if it's before or after the mating. We cherish our women and spoil them in hopes they bear us children. Almost a primal need of all things." He waits for a response, and I don't have anything to say in return my mind blown by the idea that he has a separate, or inner, stars that has some say in his day-to-day choices.

Were the smut shifter books I read as a kid, right?

"Gedihim mallopi." Vincent speaks out loud and I just look at him with a what the fuck face.

"I very much don't understand what the fuck you just said."

At that moment a TV like thing came out of the wall in front of the couches almost like when a teacher calls forward their projector, "The room is voice controlled, there is a bunch of things to do, but I only use a couple of the options. This is the Gedihim it is like a TV on your planet, it gives me the updates of what is going on around my planets, but now will have the benefits of net-flix and chill."

The laugh that bubbles out of me cannot be held in as he holds a serious face looking at me, "Do you know what you just said to me?"

"Uh yes, the com-pew-tar told me about the net-flix and chill being something that you do with someone that you enjoy being around."

"It means fucking while you have a show on in the background."

"I would also enjoy that."

"You are such a man."

"Did I ever say I wasn't?" Her eyes are challenging, his closed mouth smile present as he looks at me with an open mouth surprised that he is being so bold.

"Can you not say computer?"

"You caught that huh? For some reason because of my language heritage, I have trouble saying the transition noise between the comp- and -put in a flowing manner making it sound like I can't say it. I have studied your books very heavily and found that this word, and a few others, I am unable to pronounce." He says and watches my smile grow, that is just... so adorable.

I throw my head back and let myself laugh, I really need this, so I just let it all out. I just couldn't stop; I got the point where I could not breath and Vincent joined in with me and we started laughing at each other's face and how loud we were. We were laughing just to laugh. It felt so good. It felt like we have known each other for years and we did something that the other just couldn't process had actually happened. It felt... normal.

Both of us started to calm down, our faces as red as tomatoes, smiles that went ear to ear and hearts that beat loudly between us.

Vincent leans in, and I follow, our breaths mixing again as we move into a slow kiss, the kind of kiss that people with burning passion give each other. His lips move tenderly against mine letting me take the lead as I guide him into a softer movement letting each other enjoy the cackle of energy between us, too soon leading to us pulling away from each other.

"You know mate I have never laughed that hard before, never, and I am hundreds, maybe thousands, of years old." He claimed and I raised my brow.

"Woah, woah, while laughing is a horrible thing not to experience, how old did you say you were?"

"As I told you on the transport ship, I fought my way to the top and hold immortality, that means that I naturally have lived close to a thousand years."

"Does that mean you have been waiting that long to come across me?"

"Very much so. I have been looking for you since I turned eighteen, and now I am blessed to have you with me."

"You're a cradle robber."

"I have no idea what that means."

"You steal a woman who is much younger than you to have her for yourself." I remark and he rolls his eyes.

"The only woman I have stolen is the woman that I am destined to be with, written in the stars if I must say so. While you might call me that, you are very much of age on earth and in Cintum."

"It's a joke Vincent."

"I do not like the jokes."

"You act like an old man."

"I am an older man." He tosses his hand at me, tired of my antics and speaks to the TV.

Vincent spoke in his people's tongue until the TV came on a show that looked like a weird version of Friends. Apparently, the main character was about to have a baby and her mate was carrying her to the hospital. Vincent made sure to toss the English subtitles on that he had programed into the TV for me, but I still had trouble following with the translations being very rough.

"Pregnancy looks so painful..." I remark and continue to watch the show as the woman sighs in relief at the babies face when she finds out there is another. Her face pales.

"It will be us one day, which I hope is sooner rather than later." Vincent says and I pale with the actor.

He is right one day, if I stay with him, I will bear his kids and be a mother who is something that I am nowhere near ready for. I feel my stomach start to roll at the thought of getting pregnant so young, and the male sitting next to me starts to notice my green complexion.

Vincent looks at me, "Was it me or the show?"

I nod my head.

He sighs pulling me into his side. "You, as I have said many times, are my mate and part of that is you are the only person that can give me children. I am sterile to every other woman, so I could not leave you and have kids with someone else. It is an honor to have a kid in my world, and I hope that you will be gracious enough to bestow that honor upon me."

"I am the only one that can give you kids?"

"Yes. Part of the reason that we evolved to have mates was the genetic benefits. You are perfectly compatible; our bloodline will be strong and the chance of any problems during pregnancy are next to none."

"Is this what you were talking about on the ship? About the kids having to demonstrate they have immortality."

"While we are going to always be blessed with life forever, from my scientist studies I can only pass down the gene so many times to my children and per the written law by the advisors only a child that has the same or comparable abilities as me, hence immortality, will be able to take over the throne. Our children while they will be healthy, might not live forever."

"How could you ask me to do that as a mother? Watch my kids die while I continue living?"

Vincent thinks through my question, his thoughtful expression surprising me as he turns to me and pulls me into a hug, "While we might not know if our kids have the gene or not, we will love them as much as we can while they live. If the stars decide we might even get lucky that they all have it, or even worse none, but I still selfishly ask you for a large family that we can love and spoil till the end of our long days."

He places a kiss on my head the show ending in the background. A light buzz comes from his desk, and he pull away from me looking over to the light blue light flashing, "I must return to my main office, something requires my attention."

He looks into his dresser and pulls out something that looks like a remote. "This is an English version of the remote I have; the TV is also set with the subtitles so you can watch what you choose. I will see you soon Mate. Please be good."

Vincent stands up pecking my lips as he leaves the room locking the door behind him leaving a very confused and conflicted mate on the couch. Things seem so confusing between us; I don't fight him as much as I know I should, and he keeps surprising me with this care that I have never seen before. d

Gathering my wits, I walk to the closet looking through the thiuns trying to find one that covers a little more than normal, a purple one standing out from the others with a slightly longer sheer skirt. No shoes are found in the closet, but a bandage wrap is tucked away in what looks like first aid kit. I pull the wraps out pulling them tightly over my feet to mimic a cover of shoes.

Slowly maneuvering my body, I look around the room for cameras or anything that might record what I am doing, but not seeing anything, I pray it is clear and move to the bathroom. While him and I have had our good moments, I have to take matters into my own hands and get back home to my father incase Vincent decides to just torch the whole planet.

I also can't let the small part of me win that just wants to let me love me and I love him. That isn't how this works. I don't get the king, or the prince, or a happy ever after. Why would someone with a dead mother deserve that? Someone who is almost as suicidal as her father?

Why would I ever think I could allow myself joy and happiness with a man that has it all?

Exactly.

And children? What kind of fucked up mother would I be to agree to raise children when my own mother left me. I am nowhere, and will never be near, ready to raise children in a way that is successful. Or whatever is deemed as successful.

A small window had found its place above the toilet, and I couldn't be happier, glad that not everything here is the weird style walls that look almost like they could handle a nuke. I walk over to it and climb on the toilet looking out to see how high I was. I might be three stories up, but I see a nice ledge and a fire escape that I can use to get out of here. Whoever is watching me, I thank you for so much kindness.

Maybe I did share enough on the social media for me to be blessed with such an easy find, especially when having a window in the bathroom is fucking weird.

Prying open the window is easy and I step out of the warm air of the room on the shelf that the wall makes in the fresh outside air. Very carefully my feet touched the ledge and I pull my other leg