Page 62 of Reluctantly Abducted
"Seventy-two hours," I say. "And then what?"
His formal mask slips slightly. "If no bond forms, or if you choose not to return with me permanently after the assessment, then that is the end. There will be no further contact. The Council was explicit about this being the final opportunity."
The finality in his voice makes something twist in my gut. A last chance. Three days to determine our future, with no possibility of revisiting the decision later.
"And if a bond does form?" I ask, my voice lower than I intended.
"Then you would be invited to return to my world permanently," he says. "To become part of our society. To..." he hesitates, scientific vocabulary apparently failing him, "to be with me."
The simple honesty of those last four words hits me harder than any elaborate explanation could have.
"You're asking me to leave Earth behind. Permanently." It's not really a question, but I need to hear him say it.
"Yes." No scientific qualifications, no formal explanations. Just that single syllable, loaded with everything he's not saying.
I should need time to think about this. I should have questions, concerns, practical considerations to work through. Instead, I find myself already calculating what I would need to pack, what arrangements I would need to make. Because the truth is, there's not much holding me here. No family I'm close to, no job I care about, no connections I couldn't leave behind.
And on the other side of the equation: Ry'eth. The chance to explore whatever this is between us. The opportunity to use my medical skills in a way I never could have imagined.
"When do we leave?" I ask.
His bioluminescence explodes in a display so bright it momentarily illuminates the entire apartment like daylight. His eyes widen, and he actually takes a small step backward as if physically impacted by my response.
"You—you—" he tries, then stops, swallows, and tries again. "The assessment. You agree. To participate?" Each phrase comes out as its own separate thought, his usual fluid speech pattern completely disrupted.
I grin at seeing the normally composed scientist so thoroughly rattled. "I agree to the assessment," I confirm, taking another step closer. "The seventy-two hours will tell us if we can form a bond. That's what we're here to find out, right?"
He nods rapidly, clearly trying to regain his composure. "That is... a reasonable approach. Methodologically sound."
I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. Even completely flustered, he defaults to scientific terminology.
"I need to shower," I say, taking a deliberate step toward him rather than the bathroom. The blue glow beneath his skin intensifies, pulsing in a way that tells me exactly how much my proximity is affecting him. "I'm going in now. Are you joining me?"
For a moment, I think he might actually short-circuit. The bioluminescence goes from steady glow to strobing so brightit's almost painful to look at. His mouth opens and closes several times, no sound emerging. When he finally manages to speak, his voice has jumped at least an octave higher.
"I—you—that—not—protocol—assessment—" he stammers, a string of disconnected words that make absolutely no sense together.
I laugh, unable to help myself. "I'll take that as a no. For now." I wink at him, enjoying the fresh wave of blue light that pulses through his skin in response. "Give me fifteen minutes to get cleaned up and pack. Then we can go."
As I turn toward the bathroom, I glance back over my shoulder. "You'll still be here when I get out, right? This isn't going to turn out to be some weird hallucination brought on by heatstroke?"
He swallows visibly, still struggling to compose himself. "I will be here, Owen."
I nod and head to the bathroom, turning on the shower to let the water heat up. I strip off my running shorts, tossing them in the hamper, and step under the spray. The hot water feels good on my tired muscles, washing away the sweat and grime from my run.
I've barely started to soap up when I hear a soft knock on the bathroom door.
"Owen?" Ry's voice is hesitant, almost nervous. "May I... would it be acceptable if I..."
I smile to myself. "Door's unlocked, Ry."
There's a moment of silence, then the door opens slowly. Ry stands in the doorway, his skin glowing with a mix of nervousness and something darker, more primal. His eyes move over me, taking in every inch of my naked, wet body.
"You can come in," I say, "but you might want to take off those clothes first. Unless Nereidan fabric is designed to get wet."
He hesitates only a moment before his hands move to the fastenings of his attire. His movements are precise but hurried, lacking his usual methodical care. The glow beneath his skin intensifies as each piece of clothing is removed, until he stands completely naked in my small bathroom, the blue-green light of his bioluminescence reflecting off the tile walls.
My eyes drop to his cock, already half-hard and impressively sized. The bioluminescence there pulses more intensely than the rest of his body, making it almost hypnotic to watch as it continues to harden under my gaze.
