Unexpected by Pippa Jay

Author:Pippa Jay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: alien romance, scifi romance, first contact, alien contact
Publisher: Pippa Jay
Published: 2017-10-17T04:00:00+00:00

“CAN I ASK YOU SOMETHING?”

Soraya inclined her head. The human gestures were coming more easily the more time she spent in this form and in Yoran’s company. Might she become wholly human? Unable to retake her true form? She shivered. Perhaps it was for the best if he left soon, or perhaps she could never go back to being Soraya. To being herself.

“Why that face? Why...Chevelle?”

He stumbled over the name, and pain came with it. Soraya shuddered.

“It hurts you. I’m sorry.”

Yoran waved it away. “It’s all right. I just wondered...”

“It was the image with the strongest emotions tied to it. I thought it would be the better choice. The form least likely to offend you.”

“It doesn’t offend me.”

“But it does hurt you. I never meant for that. Can you tell me why?”

He blew out a breath. “I’m not sure if I can explain it. If you’ll understand.”

“I’d like to know. “

“Okay.” Yoran busied himself with the stack of broken ship’s components piled between them for a moment. “My parents and Chevelle’s made an arrangement when we were young. They decided the two of us would marry.”

“Marry?”

“Um, be joined? Linked? To unite our families, hopefully with some children.”

“Oh, a bonding.”

“Yeah.” Yoran sighed. “As we got older, I couldn’t wait for the day. She was beautiful, smart, strong.” He gave a short chuckle. “She gave her parents so much trouble. She was everything I wanted in a partner. We’d have achieved so much together, maybe even have escaped our families.” His face shone at the memory, and Soraya felt a pang deep inside that she quickly smothered. At the same moment, the light died in Yoran’s aura, dimmed by shadows. She ached to give him comfort. “But she didn’t feel the same way about me. She was in love with someone else, and it was breaking her heart to be forced to marry me.”

Her ache intensified, partly her own pain, mostly his. He had suffered a loss. “You loved her.”

“More than anything. So, I agreed I’d be the one to break our contract, to preserve her reputation and family name. The shame and embarrassment would prevent her parents arranging another match, due to their daughter being spurned, and she’d be able to follow her heart.” He sighed. “I must have been crazy. Doing something like that...” He waved a hand. “We’re not supposed to put feelings before duty.”

“You’re not?”

“Nope. Even my family motto is ‘Duty before all’. Putting Chevelle’s happiness before everything our families wanted, even what I wanted...” He shrugged again. “Of course, it was a huge black mark against me and humiliating for my family.” Yoran winced, then shook his head. “So I ran. I figured I’d get myself to the other side of the galaxy, buy a new identity and start again. But Chevelle’s three brothers wouldn’t let the insult go. They came after me, shot me down. So here I am.”

“They attacked you?”

“Yes.”

“They would have killed you.” A tiny hope flared inside her, but she tried not to hold onto it too tight.

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