matter how offended she was, it was true. No friends, nowhere to go.
The desolation of her situation weighed so heavily on her that just putting one foot in front of the other was almost asking too much. All she wanted to do was fall to the ground and cry.
There was no hope for her, no options. No way out. Even now they were probably chasing her. They’d find her, take her back, and drug her.
A wolf’s cry cut through the night, banishing all other thoughts in that moment. No, that couldn’t be right. Now, of all times? Was the cry meant for her, to announce it’d found a meal?
Gloria stopped to listen. The air was frozen in terrified silence following the wolf howl. Scared to move but scared to stay still, Gloria convinced herself to take a step. Then another.
A sound in the distance startled her. She was so ramped up in fear that she didn’t even realize she was running. Branches brushed by her, scraping against her arms.
Her heavy footsteps pounded along the soft forest floor as she ran for her life. The light patter of paws beat a deceptively gentle song along the leaves.
The growl gave away the wolf’s position before she could see it. When she turned her head to look behind her, the dark form of the wolf was charging her.
Something took her hand, warm firm fingers wrapping around her own, and she startled. At first she thought it was her stepfather or his friend, but when she looked beside her, a tall form was running beside her.
The wolf snarled before leaping.
Chapter 2
Gloria turned to see, and threw up her free arm in front of her in defense. Suddenly, the wolf was gone.
The forest, her house—gone.
A wind blew her hair into her face, the smell of salt flowing into her nostrils. She took a step and her foot sank an inch. Startled, she jumped and looked down. Sand. She was standing in sand.
All her life she’d spent in that house. She knew that forest better than anywhere. There wasn’t any sand.
Turning her head up to the night sky, she’d never seen so many stars. It was as though someone had taken a black sheet and poked millions of holes in it before holding it up against the lamp.
A sound she’d been hearing clicked in her brain. Waves. Those were the crashing waves of the ocean.
Gloria turned around and saw the vastness of the ocean spread out before her. In all her life, she’d never seen the ocean.
“Do you like it?” the mysterious man asked.
She nodded, and then felt him squeeze her hand. They were still holding hands?
“Where are we?”
“The loneliest island on your planet. I’ve chosen this location as my base while I research your planet.”
“My planet?” she asked, looking up at him. Already she’d forgotten all about her stepfather and his terrible plan. Now her mind was awash in the magic of what was taking place.
“I’ve come for you. Your voice called to me from across the galaxy.”
“The galaxy?”
This was a dream, she realized. Aliens didn’t exist. Sure, the scientists and movies all talked about them, but everyone knew that was all just fiction or speculation. The man standing next to her was a man. Gorgeous and strong, but a man all the same.
“Where I come from, the one you’re meant to be with is destined. There is no choice. When I heard your heart cry out, I knew you were my destiny. I’ve come and studied your people to understand you. When you were in danger tonight, I knew it was my time to fetch you. We’re to be together.”
The certainty in his tone was what did it. Her system had had too much excitement for one night, and this last piece of information was the last straw. Black crawled in from the edges of her vision seconds before it all went dark.
Chapter 3
The next thing she knew, her eyes were fluttering open. All around her were metal walls. She was on a surprisingly comfortable bed, the man knelt beside her.
“I fainted?” she asked him, a little confused.
He gave a single nod of
The desolation of her situation weighed so heavily on her that just putting one foot in front of the other was almost asking too much. All she wanted to do was fall to the ground and cry.
There was no hope for her, no options. No way out. Even now they were probably chasing her. They’d find her, take her back, and drug her.
A wolf’s cry cut through the night, banishing all other thoughts in that moment. No, that couldn’t be right. Now, of all times? Was the cry meant for her, to announce it’d found a meal?
Gloria stopped to listen. The air was frozen in terrified silence following the wolf howl. Scared to move but scared to stay still, Gloria convinced herself to take a step. Then another.
A sound in the distance startled her. She was so ramped up in fear that she didn’t even realize she was running. Branches brushed by her, scraping against her arms.
Her heavy footsteps pounded along the soft forest floor as she ran for her life. The light patter of paws beat a deceptively gentle song along the leaves.
The growl gave away the wolf’s position before she could see it. When she turned her head to look behind her, the dark form of the wolf was charging her.
Something took her hand, warm firm fingers wrapping around her own, and she startled. At first she thought it was her stepfather or his friend, but when she looked beside her, a tall form was running beside her.
The wolf snarled before leaping.
Chapter 2
Gloria turned to see, and threw up her free arm in front of her in defense. Suddenly, the wolf was gone.
The forest, her house—gone.
A wind blew her hair into her face, the smell of salt flowing into her nostrils. She took a step and her foot sank an inch. Startled, she jumped and looked down. Sand. She was standing in sand.
All her life she’d spent in that house. She knew that forest better than anywhere. There wasn’t any sand.
Turning her head up to the night sky, she’d never seen so many stars. It was as though someone had taken a black sheet and poked millions of holes in it before holding it up against the lamp.
A sound she’d been hearing clicked in her brain. Waves. Those were the crashing waves of the ocean.
Gloria turned around and saw the vastness of the ocean spread out before her. In all her life, she’d never seen the ocean.
“Do you like it?” the mysterious man asked.
She nodded, and then felt him squeeze her hand. They were still holding hands?
“Where are we?”
“The loneliest island on your planet. I’ve chosen this location as my base while I research your planet.”
“My planet?” she asked, looking up at him. Already she’d forgotten all about her stepfather and his terrible plan. Now her mind was awash in the magic of what was taking place.
“I’ve come for you. Your voice called to me from across the galaxy.”
“The galaxy?”
This was a dream, she realized. Aliens didn’t exist. Sure, the scientists and movies all talked about them, but everyone knew that was all just fiction or speculation. The man standing next to her was a man. Gorgeous and strong, but a man all the same.
“Where I come from, the one you’re meant to be with is destined. There is no choice. When I heard your heart cry out, I knew you were my destiny. I’ve come and studied your people to understand you. When you were in danger tonight, I knew it was my time to fetch you. We’re to be together.”
The certainty in his tone was what did it. Her system had had too much excitement for one night, and this last piece of information was the last straw. Black crawled in from the edges of her vision seconds before it all went dark.
Chapter 3
The next thing she knew, her eyes were fluttering open. All around her were metal walls. She was on a surprisingly comfortable bed, the man knelt beside her.
“I fainted?” she asked him, a little confused.
He gave a single nod of
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