Page 12 of Close Encounters of the Sexy Kind
Chapter Six
Tiberius paced thelength of his posh office, pausing only to glance at the screens displaying every floor, every room. All was well.
Bait was having another banner night. Beneath him, the pounding bass pulsated almost subliminally, a throbbing heartbeat to which humans danced, drank, and enjoyed one another amongst the undersea décor so reminiscent of his homeland. The marine theme provided a small measure of familiarity in a still unfamiliar world.
“Have you seen the night’s receipts?” Quintus asked, appearing in the doorway with a huge smile on his face. “Every time I think we cannot possibly surpass our intake, the humans prove me wrong. Veni, vidi, vici, indeed.”
Tiberius answered him with a grunt.
Quintus plopped down in the ergonomically designed, supple leather chair, his long, muscled limbs flowing over it in a very human-like pose. Unlike him, Quintus had taken to their new home like a fish to water and had had no difficulties immersing himself in the local culture.
“This does not please you?” Quintus asked.
“It pleases me.”
“I sense ahowever.”
“There is nohowever.”
Quintus sat up, a frown now creasing his features. “Now Iknowsomething is amiss. There is always ahoweverwith you.”
Tiberius felt slightly affronted. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Quintus clarified, “that you do not allow yourself to be happy. You have done well, my friend. Accept this.Enjoyit.”
Tiberius turned toward him. “Wehave done well, Quintus. And I do. I am.”
Quintus snorted inelegantly. “Yes, so I see. Is that why you continue to imprison yourself alone in your office when there is so much to experience and relish just beyond the threshold? These people are at your beck and call. They would do anything their beloved Shark asked of them and be happy for the privilege.”
The Shark. That was the name by which the humans referred to him. Sugar had told him it was because the animal was high up on the aquatic food chain, a ruthless predator and protector that instilled fear in the bottom feeders around him. What had begun as a term of teasing affection had become the name by which he was known to outsiders.
Quintus found it amusing. The humans, entertaining. Tiberius supposed that, in a way, it did demonstrate a measure of respect. And Quintus was right—heshouldbe happy.
Yet, he wasn’t. For all intents and purposes, he had everything a male could want. So, how could he begin to explain the persistent uneasiness that had been growing within him over these last few months? This sense of impendingfatum,what the humans called destiny, looming just beyond reach?
“I do not wish to appear malcontent. We have accomplished a great deal.”
“And yet it is not enough,” Quintus said softly, “because what you really desire is a princess with which to share it.”
That was one of the things Tiberius appreciated about his friend. Despite his enthusiasm for hedonistic pursuits, deep down, Quintus was exceedingly thoughtful and insightful. He would have made some fortunate female a good mate.
Once again, the heavy mantle of guilt weighing upon Tiberius’s broad shoulders grew heavier.
“Stop feeling guilty,” Quintus admonished him, as though reading his mind. “I made my choice. You did not make it for me. I am quite happy to partake of that which is so willingly offered. Unlike you, the thought of being shackled to a single female for eternity horrifies me.”
Tiberius smiled, but his heart remained heavy. This was a discussion they’d had often over the years, and each time, Quintus vehemently rejected the idea of a mate, insisting that such devotion and faithfulness was not in his nature. Tiberius believed that part of Quintus’s staunch anti-monogamous stance was rooted in his humble beginnings, and that deep down, Quintus didn’t see himself as worthy of such a gift. Tiberius would never insult him by saying so, however, and instead countered that it was only because he had not met the right female. Finding one’s destined mate changedeverything.
“Do not forsake all hope, my friend,” Quintus continued. “You have only to look to our ancestors to know all is not lost.”
Tiberius raised his brows, causing Quintus to laugh.
“Ah, so you were not simply pretending to sleep during our mandatory intergalactic history lessons. No, my liege, we are not the first Aequorians to visit Earth, nor are you the first prince to be exiled here. The last was approximately three millennia ago and gave rise to what the humans refer to as Ancient Rome.”
A tiny spark of hope lit in his chest. “Verily?”
Quintus smirked. “I thought that, with all the hours you spend watching History Channel, this would not come as a surprise to you. Your namesake played quite a role in human history.”
It was true that Tiberius had developed a fondness for the network, eager to learn what he could about his new home and the people who inhabited it. He found the series theorizing the contributions of alien civilizations particularly interesting. Though most of the claims were ridiculous, sometimes the so-called experts managed to edge remarkably close to the truth. Once they moved beyond conjecture and discovered what was and was not real ... well, the universe wasn’t ready for that.
