Forstaken by Kerri Nelson Page B

and why two consenting adults couldn’t choose
to have a relationship wasn’t entirely clear to him.
    He’d chosen this job here because it gave him
insight into closely studying the human body without seeming like either a
pervert or a psycho. Curing illnesses and lifting curses was the way of his
people, so it was a fitting form of employment for him while on land. Faking
the paperwork had required more than a little help from Kuu. But the moon
goddess always came through for him in a pinch. For a moment he foolishly
wondered if she’d consider delaying the moonrise tonight, but he knew that was
merely wishful thinking.
    He’d spent his weekdays interacting with young,
nubile human bodies of both sexes, and he’d learned a lot in these past couple
of years on land. Being a human who could live on land had been his dream since
childhood. Only now his dream was going to end – and end badly.
    When he had first seen Nadia, arms draped around
the shoulders of two other cheerleaders, limping into the clinic, he’d been
jolted with a sense of ownership. It was almost like one of the ancient mating
calls he’d learned about all his life. In his real world, you were destined to
be with only one other, and there was no freedom in your choice of mate. His
mother had once told him that when he saw her, he’d know.
    That was what he’d felt when he had seen Nadia
that day. She belonged to him.
    The heart feels what the heart feels, but his
heart was currently breaking into a million pieces as he watched Nadia now. Long,
lean torso scrubbing the bug-covered windshield of the neon blue hatchback. He
forced his eyes away from her lest he be driven to scoop her into his arms and
cart her back to bed yet again.
    He’d opted to work the money table rather than
do the hands on work with the suds and hoses. It was better if he stay away
from water this close to his flux.
    “I saw that kiss.”
    A male voice taunted him from nearby. He looked
up to see a young male looming above him sporting a toothy grin and a cowboy
hat. A small warning tinged at the base of his spine putting Byron on
semi-alert, but scanning the man’s face revealed no trace of recognition.
    Quickly brushing off the man’s taunt and moving
on with business, Byron asked, “Here for a car wash?”
    The cowboy emitted a throaty chuckle and then
leaned in so close to Byron’s face he got an unpleasant whiff of bitter
coffee-laced breath.
    “I’ll bet you’re a little more than just
friends, huh?”
    Byron had the sudden urge to knock the little
fiend square in the nose, whipping that sneer out into oblivion with his
stronger than human might. But he managed to regain composure by slowly
releasing his pent-up breath through his mouth.
    “There’s a short wait, but if you’d like to get
your car in line, now’s the time to do it.”
    Again, he attempted to refocus the annoying
cowboy.
    The hat-wearing-doofus didn’t take the hint and
continued standing there, shifting back on his heels and bobbing up and down, his
grin widening.
    “What, say, do you reckon my chances are of
having a little alone time with that
fine piece of ass?”
    Snickering commenced behind the cowboy. Byron’s
fist clenched beneath the table. He doubted this little shit would even know
what to do with any woman, much less a woman the caliber of his Nadia.
    And he’d had enough of the chorus of giggling
males. Clearly, he’d attracted his own little fan section now.
    “How about in the neighborhood of never?” Byron
crossed his arms over his chest and pinned him with a death stare.
    The cowboy’s smile fell from his face, and his
fans now gave whoops of laughter at his rejection. He looked like he might lose
his cool. His eyes seemed to darken a shade, and Byron leaned forward a notch
but by then the cowboy had managed to regain his composure. He smiled again and
waved off the hostility, but as he turned to leave he mumbled beneath his
breath. “I know who you are. I know what