Xov’uchtreth stormed from the beach front, hating that he’d gotten involved with the earth-bound demon in the first place. If he wasn’t on the prowl, he might have crushed the insipid leech for wasting his time. Instead, he let him go with a warning.

He brushed his hands on his fine slacks, but the stench of murder wouldn’t be so easily banished. He’d actually touched the thing, and he shouldn’t have. It wasn’t his role to judge on this floating speck zooming through space. He was here to hunt.

But that stench lingered on his human body suit, and he had to rid himself of it.

The ocean strip was aglow with nighttime activity. Bars and restaurants were open and lively with patrons. Xov’uchtreth chose an unassuming white-and-red-striped diner and ducked as he entered, waiting for the hostess to see him, who startled pleasantly when she did.

“Excuse me,” he said. “Do you mind if I use the restroom?”

The hostess’ eyes slid over his formidable human suit, and he sensed that feminine warmth building inside her, that deep, sensuous lust he was always searching for. She dutifully picked up a menu and waved to the sparse booths, displaying a modest wedding ring that sparkled in the florescent lights. “Normally, we’d ask you to order something, but I think I can make an exception.”

“I’m happy to order. I just really need to go, if you know what I mean.” He offered a guilty smile, knowing he wouldn’t touch the human even if the future of his species was at stake. Which it was. “I promise, I’ll be right back.”

She smiled in return, the edges of her mouth turning up. “‘Round the corner.”

He dipped his head in gratitude and slipped into the back, passing several lone patrons nursing coffee and eating the cheap diner food.

One in particular caught his eye.

He saw her, really saw her. She was staring out the window, chin in hand, with tired eyes. Sadness eeked off her in waves. And she was beautiful to Xov’uchtreth. She had a fleshy warmth about her that the hostess didn’t, a heft that would survive his thorough passion.

Her crystalline gray gaze met his, and he nearly paused. Her eyes flared at the sight of him, and he knew what she saw. He’d created his bodysuit well, and for that, he often found these sorts of exchanges effortless, for the women were so willing.

She turned her head away, as if she weren’t permitted to ogle.

Xov’uchtreth did not pause his step, cataloguing the beautiful sad woman in his mind as he paced to the bathroom to rid himself of the stench. On a hunt, it was imperative to be fresh and smell nice, for humans still had a speck of survival instincts, and they could always smell murder.

That damned vampire, he thought to himself, scrubbing beneath his nails, sudsing vigorously. When he was finished, he checked his chiseled self in the mirror and smiled that winning smile of his.

Xov’uchtreth knew tonight would bring success.

Freshened and pleasant once more, he emerged from the restroom and ran clean hands down his buttoned shirt. Beautiful night. Beautiful people.

But when he searched for the particularly beautiful sad woman, she was gone. Her plate of food was uneaten, her coffee hardly touched next to the day’s newspaper. And there was a bill on the table, large enough to cover the cost.

Disappointment seeped in, but he hailed the waitress.

She came as if compelled, looking like she might have applied a fresh layer of lipstick. “Pick wherever seat you’d like.”

He slid into the booth across from the missing woman’s seat. “I’ll have a coffee, please,” he said, accepting the menu.

“Coming right up.” The hostess put a hand on his arm, the ring on her finger mysteriously absent. “Anything you need.”

He offered a genteel nod. “Thank you, kindly.”

And she was off, sashaying into the kitchen without a backwards glance.

Xov’uchtreth glanced over the booth to the vacant one. Nobody had come to take the money or food away, and he wondered if he’d get another glimpse at the gray-eyed beauty, or if she was gone for good. She’d have been a perfect hit.

The coffee came out, and he dutifully ignored the hostess’ gentle hints and advances. She was pretty, sure, but married, and had children, if his sharp nose was any indicator.

No, she would not do.

He swirled a shot of cream into the coffee, half-heartedly panning the menu for something of equal value to a handwashing, and found nothing. He sighed and took a sip of the caramel liquid, finding that it only served to excite the fashioned body’s nervous system.

Xov’uchtreth pushed the mug away. He didn’t need the jitters tonight.

As he was about to set a five on the table, a bus boy came to take the plate of uneaten food from the vacated booth.

“Wait!” came a feminine shout. “I’m still here.”

Xov’uchtreth faltered upon seeing her again as she stopped the bus boy, looking frazzled. Her gaze panned the near-empty diner, freezing when it landed on him. He cocked his head and offered a friendly smile.

She tore her focus away and took her seat, her cheeks reddening as she picked up the newspaper. She looked to be hiding, flipping the pages with a rustle as her food remained uneaten. The human only once grabbed her coffee cup and took a sip.

Xov’uchtreth smiled to himself this time, realizing he did not have to come up with another plan for the evening, if she was willing.

He left the five beneath his coffee mug and stood, stretching.

The gesture made her look again, then quickly to the sports section. Was she scared of him? He’d created this suit with the utmost care and consideration. No way the human could have noticed anything out of the ordinary upon first glance.

The hostess was poised to descend on him, so instead of heading towards the exit, he slid into the booth occupied by the beautiful woman, taking up much of the cushion.

The newspaper tilted down, and accusing red-rimmed eyes met his. “This booth is taken.”

He did not shy away, leaning in and tilting the newspaper further, so he could see more of her. She’d been crying, likely the reason she’d left her booth in a hurry. “I know,” he said in return. “Is it okay if I join you? I don’t think a beautiful woman should be out at night all on her own.”

Surprise lit up her face, then her shapely lip rose in disgust and she snatched the newspaper back, hiding behind it once more. “Don’t make fun of me.”

Xov’uchtreth was stunned. Did she not know how radiant she was? “I’m not making fun of you. I’m sorry if it came across that way. Really, I am.”

She did not emerge from hiding, sneaking her hand out to claim her coffee cup, then zooming back behind the newspaper. “Just go away.”

Xov’uchtreth blinked, shocked that he was being rejected by her. Stiffly, he stood from the booth, straightening his shirt to keep his hands busy. “As the lady commands,” he said with the utmost respect. “My apologies for wasting your time.”

He ran a hand through his hair and turned, shellshocked and a little disappointed. Maybe he needed to brush up on human etiquette again. Xov’uchtreth wasn’t entirely sure what he’d done wrong to warrant such a response, but the woman was emotional. And emotional humans tended to do unexpected things.

He resigned himself to deflecting the hostess when that musical voice called out again. “Wait. I’m sorry. That was rude.”

Xov’uchtreth pivoted with a spring in his step. The newspaper was down, and the beautiful woman was swiping a tear from her cheek.

She smiled a miserable smile, eyeing him with fading caution as he returned. “I’m not used to- I don’t know, people caring. I’m kind of having a rough night.”

“Tell me about it,” he said, scooting back into the booth.

Her smile turned down. “You don’t want to know. It’s ridiculous.”

He did not tear his gaze off her, taking in all of her bountiful curves. “Try me.” Xov’uchtreth wanted to reach for her hand, but stayed himself. She didn’t trust him, not yet.

The human’s smile widened as she shook her head, her gaze unfocused. “It’s been a year, I mean, who can’t get over their ex in that time? It’s not like we, you know-” She paused as her cheeks reddened again. “-did it, or anything.” Her face reddened further, so that it crawled down her neck. Then she folded her arms and put her head down, burning with embarrassment. “Oh, god. Just let me die, now.”

He laughed under his breath, then mimicked her folded arm posture to be at her level. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. My name’s Trent.”

She peeked up at him, her expression still miserable, dampened only by curiosity. “If you run now, you won’t have to listen to me moan.”

He rested his head on a shoulder and grinned again. “I don’t think I’d mind hearing you moan.”

The human’s eyes flared again, and he realized she must often be surprised and caught off-guard. Or maybe it was just him. “No, I know what this is.” She sat up, her former familiarity gone as she snatched her newspaper. “This is one of those recruitments, right? A pig party? I’m not an idiot and I refuse to be made a mockery of. Good day, sir.”

She marched out of the diner with her head bowed and the newspaper tucked under one arm.

Xov’uchtreth tore from the booth and pursued. He’d never had to work so hard before. He zoomed past the hostess who was offering him a fading smile and a good evening, trying not to lose sight of the woman. If he couldn’t even get her name, what sort of demon was he?

She’d veered off the sidewalk and was storming down an alley with her head still down. And when he got within earshot, he heard the sobs.

His three oversized hearts ached for her.

She was leaned up against a brick building, muffling the weeping with a fist.

Xov’uchtreth approached carefully, trying his best not to startle her. “I don’t know what this ‘pig party’ thing is, but I had no intentions other than to see you smile. I seem to have a lot to apologize for this evening.”

The woman tensed and hiccupped in surprise, then she turned to face him, her gray eyes overflowing with tears, making them almost silver. “You’re still making fun of me.”

Xov’uchtreth sighed with sorrow for this woman who was so jaded against her own kind, she could not see kindness when it was offered. “I swear, I’m not. I guess… I’m used to Europe. People are so friendly out there. I sometimes forget Americans have more stringent boundaries.”

She didn’t look as if she believed him. “You don’t sound European.”

“That’s because I’m not. I just visit sometimes.” He gave a supportive smile and pulled the passport from his back pocket, flipping it open. “See? I just got back last evening. Dulles. And before that, de Gaulle.”

She blinked her tears away as if to see the passport better, her gaze roving over the innumerable stamps which were, in fact, authentic. “You really get around.” It didn’t seem to be a compliment. “But I’m not buying it.”

“Because I am, if you’ll let me.” He drew closer to her, watching her dour look bloom into cautious anticipation. Xov’uchtreth touched her cheek, swiping away a stray tear. “You didn’t eat anything at the diner. Let me take you out.”

The woman seemed rendered mute by the gesture, her cheeks reddening again. Then she glanced away and nodded with resignation. “Okay, but don’t expect me to go to a ‘party’ with your ‘friends’.”

And with that, he was back on track.

“I would never seek to disparage you. On that, you have my word.” He offered her an arm and a smile. “But I never did catch your name.”

She accepted it hesitantly, her warm fingers squeezing the muscle of his forearm. “It’s Melody.”

“Melody,” he echoed, tasting its flavor on his tongue. “A beautiful name.”

xxxxx

Xov’uchtreth found a hidden burger joint not far from the diner that seated them without a wait. Melody clung to her wariness but did not turn down the free food.

At least he had that going for him.

When the burgers arrived, she merely stared at it.

He picked up his own and took a hearty bite, watching her with a raised brow to see if she’d participate or simply spectate. “It’s not going to eat itself,” he said with an easy smile. “Unless you want something else?”

“No, no,” she said, shaking her head and poking the burger. “I just- I’m not all that hungry.”

He set his own down and leaned back to better observe her. “Does this have something to do with the ex-boyfriend you were talking about?”

She glanced at him fleetingly, then back down to her burger. “No- yes. Sort of. It’s- kind of the anniversary of me getting dumped by a faithless jackass, so it’s a bit fresh, you know?”

He remained quiet.

“Of course, you don’t,” she said finally. “I’ll bet no one ever turns you down.”

“Well,” he said, resting his head in his hand. “I did get turned down by a ravishing woman in a diner tonight. Don’t know if that counts.”

Her gaze never rose. “Stop that.”

“What?”

“Calling me beautiful and ravishing and all that. It’s mean.”

Xov’uchtreth caught her hand and squeezed. “When I see a diamond, I’m going to call it a diamond, Melody. And you are, whether or not anyone else has told you so.”

Her eyes flickered up to his, full and reluctant. Then she stole her hand back and covered her face. “Stop it.”

He grabbed those hands back, forcing her to look at him. “Never, never. Not so long as you are beautiful to me. I couldn’t possibly be so disingenuous.”

Melody’s face scrunched adorably, but she squeezed his hands back. “I don’t know what you’re smoking, but I guess I’ll have some, too.”

Xov’uchtreth’s face dropped in surprise. “Well, I mean I don’t smoke, but we could get some.”

“It’s just a joke,” she said with a less-hesitant smile. Then she peered up at him, scrutinizing him hard. “You’re cute when you’re confused.”

“Does that mean you’ll give me a chance to prove I’m not like those other jackasses?”

Redness burned in her cheeks again and she bit her lip. “I suppose.”

“That’s all I need,” he said, leaning in for a kiss. It was closed-mouth, and sweet, ending quickly as Melody burned with embarrassment. But he made sure to meet her eye, holding her gaze hostage with a fiery look. “You won’t regret it.”

xxxxx

She leaned into him, giggling with a mixture of evening fatigue, fullness of stomach, and good company. They’d eaten their fill at the burger joint and found themselves meandering through the tiny costal city.

Xov’uchtreth kept his eye on her, as if she were going to bolt at any moment. But her caution had waned, and he felt he’d actually ensnared this one. Finally.

“… oh, you have no idea how bad it was,” she went on, telling him the story of her ex. “My family loved him. Loved him, even as they tolerated me. When he broke up with me, they offered him my place in the family.” She threw her gaze skywards, eyes glittering with tears. “That’s when I blacklisted the lot of them. They deserve each other.”

“That’s cruel of them to say about one of their own. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that,” he said, looping an arm easily over her shoulder.

“Don’t be. Best decision I ever made.”

He thought back on earlier in the evening, when he’d found her crying at the diner. He hesitated to mention it, deciding instead to change the subject. “You never told me where you wanted to go, after this.”

Melody nestled under his arm and linked her hand in his, clearly leading him somewhere. “I’m not very good at this sort of thing. I thought- maybe, we could, go back to my place?”

Xov’uchtreth reveled in the rush of victory, thrilled that she needed no convincing. “Only if you’re comfortable with it. I wouldn’t want to impose.”

She squeezed his hand tighter. “Stop being so perfect.”

He chuckled and allowed her to lead him through the winding streets, under a land bridge, and into waterfront territory. They came to a squat cement building a few blocks from the ocean.

“It’s not much,” she said, punching in a door code. “But unless you have somewhere nearby, it’s all I’ve got.”
Melody dragged him in by the hand, leading him up the stairs. He was mesmerized by the sway of her hips and the sensuous curve of her spine. Xov’uchtreth wanted to claim her right here on the stairs, but he did have rules.

At the very least, he owed her an explanation.

When they entered her cozy little studio, she turned on him and ran her hands over his chest. He thought it had already begun, surprised that she was so forward after admitting she’d never actually had been with a man.

He leaned in to kiss her when her searching went to his waist.

“No,” she said, brushing away the kiss. “I’m checking you for wires. Or cameras.”

Xov’uchtreth smiled, stayed her hands, then ripped his shirt open to reveal his dense chest, bare save for a small patch of fair hair between his pectorals, a touch he’d thoughtfully added. “See?” he asked a speechless Melody. “No wires.”

She gaped at him, looking ready to retreat again.

He grabbed her hands and pulled her into him, so she was forced to look up or kiss chest. He also stroked her cheek, tracing the line of her full lips before craning down and kissing her again. “I have- a confession to make, Melody. It’s only fair you know before.”

She was suddenly drunk off the kiss and his irresistible musk. “What? Do you have an STD? Because I’ve got a box of condoms. Don’t ask why.”

“No, it’s not that.” He pulled her to a well-used couch, smiling at her sweet and generous whimsy. “I’m not- exactly what I seem to be. Not at all, in fact.”

She mounted him with some awkwardness, settling herself on his lap as she explored his vast chest. “You’ve tried all evening to convince me of your pure intentions. And now that I get you back to my place, you’ve got to confess? You’d better cough it up right now.”

Xov’uchtreth ran his hands down her soft arms, nudging her for another kiss, maybe their last, depending on how she took the news. “If I’d have told you in the diner, you would have thought I was insane. These things, they can’t be spoken without at least some trust between parties.”

She pulled back and scrutinized him again. “What are you talking about?”

Melody was on the defense again. He could feel her body closing up, that chance narrowing with every second he held back. “I had every intention of telling you before anything happened. It’s your decision.”
“What is?”

“My- species, is dying,” he said, his voice heavy. “On our world, there are no females. We come to planets like your earth to find strong women who can bear our hybrid offspring in hopes that our genetic material doesn’t fizzle out with the last of our race.”

Melody’s suspicion was frozen on her face, as if she were holding in what she really thought.

“What you see here.” He caught her hands and made her feel his chest. “What you feel, it’s not real. This is not my body, but I am inside it. I created it to traverse this world undetected.”

She took her hands back slowly. “If this is some sort of messed-up role-playing fantasy, you can leave it at the door.” She got off his lap and paced to the kitchenette.

Even from here, Xov’uchtreth felt her heat rising again, though not from carnal desire. Embarrassment? Anger, maybe. Whatever it was, it was certainly misguided.

“Melody, wait.” He levered off the couch and stood, frozen to the spot. “I’m not lying. I can prove it.”

“Right,” she said with a strained laugh. “I get one good guy, and he turns out to be a body-snatching breeder of women.” She pivoted to face him, her cheeks burning hot. “Just get out. I’ve had enough of shit men to last a lifetime.”

Xov’uchtreth stilled his mind, standing relaxed, with his knees bent slightly. And he let the carefully prepared façade fall away.

Melody’s gasp was the first indicator he’d been successful.

In this form, he was even taller than the lanky, athletic ‘Trent’, his weighty horns nearly scraping the roof of the studio. His skin was that pitch once again, and the fire in his eyes danced. His teeth had become sharp points of midnight glass, and his claws were free from the confining skin of a human.

Melody’s eyes were wide, her pupils dilated as she stood petrified.

Xov’uchtreth knew it was unnerving for most humans, but Melody was such a non-believer, it was the only way he could prove it. “Don’t,” he said in his deep, rumbling voice, putting his hands up defensively. “Please, don’t scream.”

She took in a breath as if to do so, then held it, her burning cheeks swelling with air. And she let the breath out, whispering, “you were telling the truth.”

He closed his eyes, conceding. “Yes.”

“I guess…” She trailed off, never tearing her gaze from him. “I can see why you wouldn’t have any wires on you.”

Xov’uchtreth chuckled at her observation, remaining stationary so as not to excite a flight response from her. “No wires, beautiful.”

Melody’s eyes glazed over in disbelief or humor. And she laughed, but it was strained and tired. She held herself up against the counter, as if her knees were giving out. “Is your name really Trent?”

“It’s Xov’uchtreth. Trent on earth.” He yearned to be back in the body suit, so she might see him as an equal, not a monster. “Do you trust me, Melody?”

Her mouth opened, and she gaped for words, finding none. She snapped her jaw shut with worried eyes, but nodded slightly.

“Turn around.”

That gray gaze remained on him as Melody remained petrified despite the request.

“Please,” he said. “I would never hurt you.”

Her breath came faster, and the color drained from her face, but she turned, slowly, slowly, as if he’d strike the moment she stopped looking.

When she was faced away from him, he allowed the suit to envelop his form once again. It wasn’t painful, but it was uncomfortable, like fitting a hand in a glove too small. He didn’t want her to see the transition as it might make her tender resolve break.

And he was ‘Trent’ again.

Both of Melody’s hands were gripping the counter, and she was breathing fast and hard. When he approached, she flinched, bur remained steady. “Get it over with, then,” she said on a quiet breath. “It’s what you came here for, right?”

Ah, how this beautiful woman could break his hearts.

Xov’uchtreth caught her shoulders gently, his voice of the human variety once more. “You’ve nothing to fear from me. In fact, there’s much I can offer a woman in your position.” His words sounded cold, even to him, so he spoke again. “What I mean to say, is that there are benefits to accepting my company for the evening.”

She did not flinch away, but she was tense beneath him. “There’s whores on the street. You could have chosen one of them.”

“But I chose you.” He wanted to gather her up in his arms now more than ever, an impulse he’d been mastering since the moment he laid eyes on her. “Melody, I want you to bear my child. You have so much love to give, and I know you’d make a wonderful mother.”

“They’d be-”

“Human. Mostly.” He did not want her to get the wrong idea. “Descendant children often grow horns that are shed when they hit puberty. They may have a secondary form, but they can learn to control it. If you accept me, you will bear a son.”

Melody seemed chill beneath his touch, as if the blood were running out of her as he spoke. She whipped around, and her eyes widened as she stared at his human suit. “How can you-” Her face scrunched in that adorable way as she touched his face, squeezing his cheek as if it were plastic, but it held. “I saw you… the other you, and now you’re just-”

“Me,” he said, catching her hand and kissing the palm. “In whatever form I take, I’m still me.”

She allowed him the kiss, staring perplexed. “But you’re warm. Your skin- that ‘suit’.”

“We’ve mastered the art of cellular convergence, so anything you do to this suit, you do to me.” His gaze softened as he watched her struggle to understand. “Melody, I know it’s a lot. Believe me, it is not prime conditions with which we seek human surrogates.”

“You- you said, your women, they-”

“They were killed by a virus that ravaged our population.” Absently, he stroked her wild strands into place that had loosed themselves from her ponytail. Only when she winced did he realize he hadn’t quite earned back her trust. Xov’uchtreth withdrew, though he didn’t want to. “Of course, it’s- entirely your decision. You’re under no obligation to accept.”

Her gray eyes narrowed. “What will happen if I don’t?”

“Then I will leave and never bother you again.”

She bit her lip in consideration, then she met his gaze. “I don’t know that I can raise a child. I’ve never even considered- no,” she said, interrupting herself. “That’s not true. I’ve always wanted it, but I never thought…” Melody shook her head. “I was good enough.”

Xov’uchtreth found himself smiling again. “As I said, I think you’d make a wonderful mother.”

“And you would-” she began, her cheeks reddening again. “-take the child?”

“We know the detriment of living without a mother. No, I would not think to remove him from you. But your government might. That is why you would have certain protections.”

“What sort of protections?”

He didn’t know how far he should go with it, not while she sat on the fence. But she wanted to know, and he would not keep the truth from her. “We have contacts here on earth, a network that will provide you with whatever you need. There are thousands of women with descendant children on earth. You would be far from alone. And, of course, you’d be compensated well. Well enough not to worry for the rest of your life.”

Melody reached for him. Xov’uchtreth remained still, allowing her to find him, and she pressed her hands to his stomach, as if she couldn’t believe he were real. When she looked up, her eyes were already sad. “Would I- ever see you again?”

Xov’uchtreth’s hearts stalled slightly, and he nearly fell to his knees with the weight of his regret. “Melody,” he said, gathering her miserable face in his hands. “I- can’t answer that.”

Tears sprang in her eyes, and he hated himself for being responsible for them. “Why?”

“Because-” He lowered his face to hers. “Time works differently where I’m from. There is no guarantee the timeline will remain stable when I do return. But you would have our child, who will need all the love you can give. Can you do this for me?”

She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his, her face still scrunched in pain. Tears cascaded down her cheeks and she didn’t bother to swipe them away. “I find one good man,” she whispered, a dour smile on her lips, “and he just happens to be an interdimensional demon-”

“Who would cherish every moment with you,” he finished.

Her eyes opened as if she realized something horrid. “Do I have to- make love to… your other form?”

Xov’uchtreth laughed before he mastered himself, then thumbed her cheek. “Not if you don’t want to. Cellular convergence works with my entire anatomy. Including…” He glanced down with one eyebrow raised, as if to make his point. “It would be a normal, human coupling.”

“Right,” she said, looking more than a little shell-shocked. She shook her head, as if dismissing something internal. “Trent- ah, Xavu-che-”

He smiled. “Trent is fine.”

“Trent,” she said again, licking her lips nervously. “I’ve never- had a normal ‘coupling’. What I said earlier was true.” She glanced up at him, her gaze steady. “But I’m not- afraid of being a mother, or of fighting uphill battles. Believe me, I’ve spent my entire life fighting just to earn my place. Someone like me, we don’t get the breaks pretty women do. We have to prove ourselves constantly.”

Xov’uchtreth frowned at her dismissal. “Melody-”

“Please,” she said, putting two fingers to his lips. “I’m not finished.”

He kissed her fingers and waited for her to continue.

“But, I think, maybe, this is my break.” She shook her head, averting her eyes. “And- if I can see you again someday, even just for a moment, I think- I could live with this.”

Xov’uchtreth’s eyes flared at her admission. She’d been trembling and begging him to ‘get it over with’ not ten minutes before, and now, she was willing to dedicate her life to a cause she didn’t know about until this evening. “You accept?”

Her gaze was downcast, but she nodded. “Just, be gentle please.”

And with that, his hearts swelled.

He tilted her chin up and planted the smallest kiss on her lips. “By the time we’re finished, we’ll have redefined the word ‘gentle’.”

xxxxx

She led him to a tiny bedroom, sparse and perfectly organized. But she seemed hesitant, unable to initiate any form of intimacy. So, he sat at the foot of the bed and caught her around the waist, drawing her in. “It’s just me, Melody.”

Melody allowed herself to be pulled in, holding his arms cautiously. “Says the most interesting person I’ve ever met. Well, not exactly a person, I guess…”

“Close enough.” He found her mouth, and for the first time, breached her lips with his human tongue, sampling her warmth and sweetness.

She crooned into the kiss, her body responding to his artificial hormones. Her tongue was awkward and untrained, but he caught it with his own, swirling in a deliberate gesture until hers danced with his in a slow, sensuous exchange.

Xov’uchtreth felt up her generous form, one hand resting on her hip, the other catching a soft breast and rolling it around his palm.

The heat was welling inside her again, the fright of his true form nearly forgotten. He smiled into the kiss and hoisted her onto his leg, so she was straddling him. The heat of her crotch burned him through to his true form, and he felt himself respond in kind.

Melody’s lingering hesitation wore off as she pushed him to the bed, so she was sitting atop him. Feverishly, she kept up with his kisses, moaning as if they were already in the act. He squeezed her tighter against himself with a final kiss, then drew back to look at her. “Are you ready?”

Her cheeks were bright red, already, no room for any more pigment. “I think so.”

Xov’uchtreth rolled her over, so he was on top. He stroked a line down her cheek, her neck, her chest, grabbing the buttons of her blouse and opening them one-by-one until her front was bare for him, with the exception of her troublesome bra. When he reached around to fix it, she wrapped her arms around him and held still, her neck pressed against his cheek.

He released her from the inhibiting garment, and she finished the task, discarding the pieces to the floor while trying to conceal her breasts. Xov’uchtreth caught her wrists and rose them high, so he had full access to her beautiful body. “Don’t be shy, Melody,” he said, capturing one of her hard nipples and pulling it into his mouth.

She gasped, watching him with rapt attention.

He did it to the other, then kissed a line down her stomach to the seam of her jeans.

Melody was holding her breath when he sank lower and tugged her pants and underwear down to reveal a closely trimmed muff of brown curls. First, though, he massaged her thighs, sensitizing her to his touch. She gasped when he ran a hand over those curls, as if she’d never been touched before.

From the look on her face, it appeared she was telling the truth.

Melody was a virgin.

He grinned up at her, spreading her legs wider. “You’re beautiful, Melody. Don’t let anyone ever tell you differently.”

Before she responded, he slid his tongue along her slit, then delved in. She caught his head as he worked, urging him to the task and bucked when he hit that throbbing nub. He caught it between his teeth, gingerly sucking it before releasing and teasing it.

Her body bucked again, her core tightening.

Xov’uchtreth released the clit and licked the whole of her inner lips, reveling in that sweet indulgence. She moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair, her breath coming hard, and he knew she was ready. He nosed her nub and offered it a farewell kiss that made her tremble. Then he rose to find that tender mouth of hers, capturing it and claiming it as his own.

Her hips bucked into his, making him smile.

“If you don’t do it,” she said on a hot breath, “you best believe I’m going to hunt you down.”

“Beautiful woman,” he whispered. “I’d never leave you unrequited.” In one motion, Xov’uchtreth unbuttoned his pants and allowed his human cock to spring out. It pressed itself against her leg, navigating to that deep warmth.

Her eyes were open wide, her face frozen as if she were anticipating the worst. But the race of her heart beneath those beautiful breasts was enough for him to continue.

Xov’uchtreth slid his hands up her back to catch her shoulders, even as he angled his hips.

Her fingers were digging into his back as she hyperventilated at the loss of her virginity. “Is it- going to hurt?”

“I can’t promise it won’t,” he said into her hair. “But it will feel good, too.”

The tip of his cock brushed through the second set of lips, and he hesitated before easing into her. Her toes curled into the sheets when he did, and she let out a surprised cry. When he hesitated again, she hissed out, “no- don’t stop now.”

He smiled at her determination, and continued to ease in, one nanometer at a time. When his tip breached fully, she was panting with the effort. He wanted so badly to close in to the hilt, but he’d promised her gentle, and on that, he would deliver.

Another inch in, and her knees were quaking.

Xov’uchtreth stroked back her unruly hair and kissed her on her open mouth. “It’s okay,” he said, “I’ve got you.”

She refocused on him, her fear gone, replaced with a desperate passion that made her skin glow. Her nails squeezed tighter into his back, and if he were human, they might have broken the skin.

He readjusted his grip on her shoulders and offered another inch, then another, until they were both wide-eyed, silent, and joined. Beautiful Melody, he thought, even as her tightness made him weak, I think I love you. “How are you holding up?”

She swallowed, nodding silently.

His gaze dropped to her mouth. “Good,” he said, reclaiming those moist lips as he withdrew from her core, then eased in again.

This time was smoother, and her body surged beneath him to accommodate. She tore her mouth free and threw her head back with a cry, granting him access to her tender throat, which he covered in kisses even as he worked.

She silently demanded more, so he gave her more, drawing out and sliding to the hilt with expert practice. Melody’s body provided the natural lubricant for his smooth entrance, and he felt her forming to him. Xov’uchtreth silently cursed the human race at large for ostracizing such a magnificent creature. But he also had to be grateful, as she was his because of it.

His kind could carry on because of what she’d suffered.

Soon, her body wanted more than ‘gentle’, and he gladly gave it, finding himself curled over her back, with his arms laced tight around her stomach. She was on all-fours, crying with satisfaction upon each thrust. He did not sweat, but reveled in the salty liquid that condensed on her skin, tasting it with a quick tongue.

And then she was on his lap, using her own momentum to skewer herself.

Melody’s embarrassment had vanished after the first breach, and her body seemed to have fantastic natural instincts. Xov’uchtreth wasn’t complaining as he assisted her in bouncing, holding her bottom with careful hands.

She kissed him feverishly, her tongue lashing his into submission.

He closed his eyes and let her ride him, knowing he’d soon come if this persisted. He allowed her take over until his own body grew tight in anticipation, then he sat up and leaned over her, so her head overshot the bed. He held it so she didn’t strain her neck, and caught her hip. “Are you ready?”

Sadness burned in her eyes, but her body was humming with contentment. “Yes.”

Xov’uchtreth kissed her neck and nuzzled into the collarbone. “Don’t look so sad,” he said as his core tightened further, forcing his legs straight. “Tonight, I’m yours.”

She went limp with resignation, distracted by the uptick in pace. Her cries came again with each thrust, and her own core rioted against him, adding to the tightness of her womanhood.

His eyes rolled back, helpless in the throes of climax as he hammered into Melody as gently as his powerful body allowed. It didn’t stop them from crying out together at the very end, as he loosed that precious material into her marvelous body, sealing their bond.

Xov’uchtreth’s human cock shuddered as it finished, depositing the last of his seed into her. He still held her steady beneath him as their bodies cooled, both of them panting in shared appreciation of a pristine coupling that would create strong offspring.

When he levered up to look at her, she was smiling whimsically, her pain and sadness all but forgotten. “You could have just said you were awesome in bed.”

He pecked her lips with his own. “I doubt that would’ve convinced you to lie with me. You’d have just thought me a jackass.”

She offered a coy smile. “I guess you’re right.”

“I know I am,” he said, kissing her forehead endearingly, taking in her scent. “You were so sad in that diner, celebrating your year of loneliness. But you don’t have to be lonely anymore.” He put a hand on her stomach. “This can be a new anniversary for you.”

She cupped his hand, her cheeks reddening again. “It won’t be the same without you.”

“Don’t think of that.” He brushed his nose against hers. “I will do all that I can to come back to you again, and like I said: tonight, belongs to you.”

Her silver eyes met his. “What does that mean?”

“It means,” he said, tracing her lip. “-that I am yours until the sun rises. Whatever you’d like to do, we’ll do it. I am not one to ‘dine and dip’, as they put it.”

“I think it’s ‘fuck and duck’,” she said guiltily, running her knuckles over his chest.

“What a crude phrase,” he said to himself, enjoying the tender flesh beneath his touch. “What would you like to do, Melody?”

“Maybe,” she said, catching his hand and kissing the tips of each finger. “-you could tell me about your world.”

Xov’uchtreth beamed down at her, proud of his beautiful surrogate for her strength and resolve, as well as her grace in an otherwise unbelievable circumstance. And he told her all the things he knew, while she watched him with pure, undiluted trust.

xxxxx

When dawn eventually came, she was asleep in his arms, cradled against his chest. He’d almost fallen asleep himself, but mastered his basest nature and rose, doing his best not to disturb her.

She was still glowing, her skin radiant in the filtered dawn.

They’d long since kicked the sheets off during sex. He drew the fabric over her sensuous form so she didn’t go cold without him to warm her. The next nine months wouldn’t be easy for Melody, but she would be greatly rewarded for her contribution.

Xov’uchtreth knelt at her side, watching the slow inlet of breaths, and her sighing exhales as she dreamt beautiful human dreams. He stroked her face, leaning in to kiss those rosy cheeks, then that tender mouth one last time. “If only we weren’t worlds apart.”

His three oversized hearts were heavy as he rose from her side and pulled out his cell phone to make a call. Someone answered on the second ring.

“Yes, I’d like to add another name to the register. Melody Roche.” He paused, listening. “Yes. Maine, Eastport. And please, make sure she has everything she needs.”

THE END