The Alien Prince’s Omega by Lorelei M. Hart
Hanson
“I don’t haveanything to eat, really.” I’d spent five minutes staring at the contents of my fridge trying to figure out what to prepare, but all I could think about was Kagin.
Never in my existence had I ever wanted a man the way I wanted this one. But that was the thing, wasn’t it. He wasn’t a man. He was an alien.
Not that I was speciesist. I had thought I might be a shifter mate. I’d always felt more comfortable with them than even my own family. But then again, the shifters I knew were usually connected to my work and love of animals, so we had a bond that way.
My family? They thought I was “wasting my potential” being an animal doctor instead of a real doctor. Even my brother, who spent a couple of summers here before he started his family, thought I was messing up my life giving rabies vaccines and cleaning dogs’ teeth when I could be in the city giving tummy tucks for big bucks. He’d always been much vainer than I and found that not only lucrative, but somehow making the world a better place.
No thanks. I loved my animals and my little tourist village.
“There are many things in your ice box.” Kagin came up behind me, and it was all I could do not to lean into his chest and seek his warmth.
“Refrigerator,” I corrected and shut the door. “Ice box is an old fashioned term people no longer utilize.”
“Refrigerator.” He ran his fingers over the brand name in the corner. “Is that what this says?”
“No. That’s the name of the company that made it. And yes, there are items of food in there, but none that go together easily for a meal. Let’s go out.” I could take him to one of the places along the shore. It would be fun, and with tourists in the mix he might blend in enough. Maybe.
Probably not.
“Let me get you a hat.” I scurried to my closet and fished out two so he wouldn’t feel alone. “Here. It will maybe make you look less… blue.”
“I will not let any of my glamour down.”
Glamour.
That was why his coloring wasn’t always the same. Interesting. I had just as much to learn as he did, and hopefully it would take a long time and he would have to stay with me and get naked again, but this time the entire way.
“Why are you that pink tinge again with your heart beating so fast?” Kagin asked, concern on his face.
“I was just thinking of… things I should not be. Let’s go eat.”
“My grandfathers said that humans join hands while they walk.” He held his out for mine. “They said it was a sign of companionship.”
“It is a sign of courting.” Gods, I sounded like an old fuddy duddy. “Dating. When two people are interested in one another as more than friends.” And my face was burning once again.
“Then I doubly desire that you agree to the hand touching.” Kagin watched my hand and I gave it to him, wanting it more than I should and reading far more into his word than I suspected he intended.
“Shall we walk to town or take the car?” I didn’t want to let go of his hand, but it was a decent walk.
“I prefer to go this way.” We went outside, our hands staying joined, and I locked the door.
“Does your dwelling face danger? Is that why you do that?”
“It’s my house or home. No. I don’t think so. It’s a habit from when I grew up in the city,” I explained. “Would you like to hear about the city on our walk?”
“Very much. I’d especially love to hear about you as a youngster.” And so I told him everything I could in the time it took us to mosey to town.
I told him about my brother and I playing tricks on each other, about my favorite green bicycle that my grandfather gave me for my seventh birthday, about how sad I was to leave there when I went to college in the Midwest, and how it felt different and no longer like home when I returned to visit.
And of course, I explained all about public transportation, skyscrapers, and how different people were there than here.
“Would you like to try clamstrips?” I asked. We’d reached the junction where we were heading to pancakes or seafood. Both would do fine by my belly, but I could do either any time. Kagin couldn’t. I still hadn’t gathered the courage to ask him how long he was staying. I didn’t want to know the answer. I wanted to live in my happy little bubble where he was going to stay and…
Whoa. The realization slammed into me. My blue baby wasn’t Kagin… he was from his world, though.
What was I supposed to do with that information?
“Are they good?” he asked, snapping me to the here and now.
It took me a full thirty seconds to remember what question he was answering. “They are delicious, and if you don’t like them, they come with fries, and everyone loves fries.” I assumed fries were universal in the truest of senses. “And if you don’t enjoy it, we can have ice cream for dinner. The shop is right next door.”
“Then let’s get some strips. You humans sure use that word a great deal.”
Great. And now my cock was stirring and my mind was on his glorious abs.
“It’s this way.” If we stood there any longer, I was going to throw myself at the alien right there in the street, and that was the exact opposite of helping him blend.