“I know.” And so, they understood each other.
“Will you help her?”
“Yes.”
Ron studied Kristor. Kristor didn’t look away, but having Rianna’s father study him was uncomfortable. He’d never really met any of the fathers of the women he had mated with in the past. He didn’t like the feeling.
“Do you love her?”
“I think we are destined to be together. A Symtarian mates for life.”
“Have you convinced Ria of that fact?”
He frowned. “No. She is very willful.”
“That she is. Just like her mother. Has a mind of her own. It took me many a month to convince Maggie to marry me.” He smiled.
“Are they all this emotional?” Kristor had stayed in the outlying areas on New Symtaria so hadn’t been around women for any real length of time. He was finding they were quite confusing.
“This isn’t anything, boy. You should be around them when their hormones are raging.” He shook his head. “Scary. You want to stay away from them as much as you can. They can heat a pot of water with one scorching look, believe you me.”
Kristor glanced toward the house. Not one of his brothers had mentioned this. He would have a long talk with them when he returned. He only hoped it wouldn’t be long before he could convince Rianna to leave. He didn’t want to resort to force.
Ria handed her mother fresh tissues.
“I’ll be okay,” her mother said. “I must be almost out of tears.” She sniffed again.
“Mom, it will be all right once you have time to think about it.”
“I always knew you were special.” She suddenly hugged Ria. “My little alien princess. I didn’t even know aliens existed, and here I’ve raised one. I wonder if we’ll ever see you again after you leave.”
“Mom, I’m not going anywhere.”
“But you have to, dear. Kristor said you were in danger. I would rather you go to another planet than to be in danger. Damned rogues! If they touch one hair on your head, I’ll give them what for.”
Ria laughed. She couldn’t help it. Her mother had such a fierce look in her eyes. “I don’t have to leave. Not with you and Dad in my corner.”
Just as quickly her mother deflated. “But we can’t save you from these rogue aliens. We’re just not strong enough.” She drew in a deep, shuddering breath, then her face paled. “Oh, no, Vickie Jo.” She looked at the plate of cookies scattered on the carpet. “She’ll tell everyone in town. Then they’ll find you and Kristor. I can’t let that happen.” She grabbed the phone and dialed her friend.
Ria went to the cookies and started cleaning up the mess, but listened as her mother tried to explain that Kristor was actually a magician, a very famous one, and he was trying to keep a low profile.
Ria hoped her mother’s lies worked. She carried the plate to the kitchen, dumping the cookies into the trash. She set the plate on the counter and hurried back.
They were still talking. It was another five minutes before her mother hung up. Maggie slumped against the back of the sofa.
“I’ve never lied in my life. Well, at least, not intentionally.”
“Do you think she bought your story?”
“The only alternative is to believe in aliens and that would make her as crazy as—” A guilty flush stole over her cheeks.
“As crazy as me.”
“You know I didn’t mean it like that. But you have to admit some of the things that have happened over the years have made you seem a little…different from others.”
“It’s okay, Mom. There for a while I thought I was crazy, too.”
“It must have been terrible living with that burden. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you more.”
“You’ve always been there for me, Mom, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Hurt?”
“Shifting into a horse.”
“It’s strange. Very uncomfortable. It burns, and it’s hard to breathe.”
“I always wanted to be a horse,” her mother said with a dreamy expression.
Ria couldn’t help it, she laughed. “You would make a great shapeshifting alien, Mom.”
“Do you think we would ever get to visit your planet? Your father and I had planned on taking a trip next year. Of course, we had been thinking more along the lines of a cruise or a trip to an exotic island.”
Ria should’ve known it would make no difference to her parents that she was part alien. Their love had always been unwavering. She only hoped Carly would feel the same way when she finally told her.
Ria had a feeling it wouldn’t be quite so easy with her friend. Maybe if she took things just a little slower, Carly would be more accepting.
Cutting short their movie night hadn’t been good. Carly might not be ready to listen to anything Ria said that might remotely have to do with Kristor. But Ria had to try. She didn’t have a choice.
Carly had been searching for a place called New Symtaria until her eyes were starting to cross. She had even called in sick today so she could keep looking. But so far, she’d gotten nowhere.
Her legs trembled when she pushed away from the computer. She stumbled into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, and heat a danish in the microwave.
She had to face facts: There was no New Symtaria. Kristor was an alien all right. An illegal alien.
She grabbed the counter for support when she realized exactly what was happening. Kristor needed a green card so he could stay in the country. That had to be it. That’s why he was seducing Ria.
Not that Ria wasn’t a catch. Her friend was hot.
But Kristor was using Ria’s vulnerability. Really, Ria would believe anything. She was too gullible, too trusting. Hadn’t she told everyone that Kristor was an alien from another planet?
Aliens did not exist. Scams existed. Carly was constantly reading about them on the Internet. How many times a day did she get e-mails to enlarge her penis? Uh, yeah, whatever. Or the ones where she had won a lottery. Like that was ever going to happen. No, Kristor was scamming her friend and Carly was about to put a stop to it.
But how? She wasn’t a detective. She didn’t even read mysteries. Nor had she ever played the game of Clue.
She looked at the phone. She hesitated, then went over to it and picked it up. Her stomach churned. God, she really hated doing this, but there was one person who would know what to do. She wanted to puke.
She looked up the number, then called Donald.
“Hello,” he said after the third ring.
“Donald, this is Carly. I have a problem.” If Ria ever found out, she would kill her.
“So? I’m not a therapist. Call your parents or someone who cares.”
“It’s not about me.”
“Then who is it about? Not that it will make much difference.”
“Ria. It’s about Ria and Kristor.”
Silence.
Then, “What kind of problem?” he asked, a hard edge creeping into his voice.
“There is no New Symtaria. That’s where Kristor said he was from. I was up all night long searching on the Internet. I even contacted others in the travel business. They’ve never heard of it, either. It doesn’t exist.”
“It still has nothing to do with me, and maybe it’ll teach her a valuable lesson. Good-bye.”
“No, don’t hang up!”
“Damn, did you have to yell in my ear?”
“Kristor said he was from New Symtaria. Don’t you see? He’s lying. He’s only after her money or a green card or something. She doesn’t deserve this and you know it, dammit!”
The silence was different this time. Carly waited.
“You’re sure he said he was from this New Symtaria place?” he finally asked.
“Positive. And there’s more.” She bit her bottom lip, wondering how much she should tell Donald.
“How much more?” His words came across hard, steely.
She said a quick silent prayer for forgiveness. “They’re sleeping together. I think he’s scamming Ria.” She could almost feel Donald’s grip getting tighter and tighter on the phone.
“They’re sleeping together?”
Carly knew Donald had dated Ria for a few months and had to settle for kisses. Now here was Kristor, and they had only known each other for a short time, yet they were already sleeping together.