Chapter 16:

Ana felt like a huge air bubble was stuck in her throat. The room and everything sudden felt hot and suffocating. A quick feeling of dizziness came and went. Looking back to Quinn who looked just as lost as she did before looking back to Phoenix. "So, so-so what? What happens now? What does this really mean like?" "Calm down Ana. I can feel your anxiety just soaring through you." Nix cut her off. "You don't have to be her mate to feel that. Am I right?" Echo said elbowing Quinn who gave him a firm look. "Tough room." Echo mumbled. "You don't have to panic. In fact this is a great thing. Congratulations on getting a mate. See on our planet this is celebrated. It's something most of us can only dream of." Echo continued.

 Everyone gave him a quick glare. "What? To soon. I'm just going to go over there." He eased his was past Ana and Nix to the other side. "When did you guys even get back here. Like how?" Quinn asked looking at the two aliens in front of him. "Easy. We went through the front door." Nix said with a shrug. "The front door. You just. You just waltzed right through the front door in front of everyone through a metal detector and everything." Quinn asked he was using his body to go through the motions as he spoke. "Well yeah we followed through two small old male humans. One got tackled to the floor for having a knife almost bigger than mine in his leg. Have no clue what he was planning to do with that." Nix said with his hands up in surrender.

 "Bet it's ol man Talmon he has dementia now and he always think enemy soldiers are still prowling around." Analeigh said rolling her eyes. "Seriously though Phoenix what does all this mean to me?" Analeigh asked him using her hand to move back and forth between them. "It means what you think. My kind only mates once for life. So in your world terms I guess it means we're married." "Just like that." "Just like that." He answered back quickly. "We will feel when the other one gets sick or like your anxiety once it reaches a dangerous point I will feel it. Things like that. Not like when your hungry unless it's been days since you eaten I would feel it than. If we ever have kids though I can feel everything your going through and can even transfer most pain to myself. That's a plus for being mated to royalty." He said rubbing the back of his head trying to put positive spin on things.

 "Ok so we can sense over powered emotions of each other. Alright not so bad I guess. I mean hell if humans had that maybe more couples would be happier with each other." "There you go that's true." Quinn said snapping his fingers to her with a smile. "What else?" "Well we can directly mind link each other now. You can direct mind link anyone actually since again you mated to royalty and it was a royal blood line who gave you your gift anyway. Technically you're the second princess now. I mean most little girls always wanted to be that right?" He asked looking at her a little scared as she glared at him. "Yeah. No ok. That's right you always wanted to be a soldier." Nix mumbled to himself as he pinched his nose and put a hand on his hip.

 "If we are apart for to long we may get a little sick because the bond and our bodies needs some type of connection every so often so you will have to accompany on any trip that takes longer then three months which isn't that often. You can even run your own squad while on missions when we are away. I promised you before you won't be just a scientist at home and I plan to keep it." "I know." She said smiling softly to him. "Does this mean that our life has to revolve around each other?" She asked a little disappointed. "No. It's not like that. We get to revolve around each other but you can still have your space and independence. You still get to keep your own thoughts. Your feelings are still yours it's only when it's a danger will I check in on you." He told her grabbing her hand.

 "It's no different than an ordinary relationship really. We just will learn how to be with each other as we go and only do what works for us. I will do my best to guide you through certain things. You will teach me how to be what you need me to be with you. We will just communicate when things we don't understand occur. If we can do that honestly and openly I think this will be really great." He told her with a smile that touched her heart. He was really trying to comfort her and he was honest about it. "I guess we wouldn't be in this mess if there wasn't something already deeper here right?" She asked him knowing this was on both of them. Even if it was just one sided the fact that it happened meant she had some feelings for him in that way.

 "Why am I feeling so upset in my stomach like I can't explain its weird. Is it you because I know I'm calm right now." She took one hand and placed it on her stomach. "It's me." He said looking down real quick and than back to her. "I am nervous. I fear you will think of me like your fate human mate and think I am trying to take away choices in your life from you also like your father. I don't wan you to feel that way it would hurt me. I also have to warn you my kind gets possessive and I will try not be overbearing on you. It is a me issue and I will do my best to cope it out. I am new to all this as well and I too will be learning as I go. I never had how you say a crush before so to go from not feeling emotions to being over protective mode is difficult but we will get through it." He said making her realize that this is like a slap in the face for him.

 Not only is going through brand new emotions he never felt before he's even going through it with someone of a different species. He could only go to handful of people for advice even if he wanted to. The cultural difference alone would take some time. She knew once she got to his home planet there would be a cultural shift learning experience for all of them but now it just dipped down to a more difficult learning curve. "Would she have to learn or do anything different now that she's a princess on your planet?" Quinn asked loudly making her heart skip. "Well she's going to be known as the Princess General, General Princess, Commander Princess or Princess Commander. Her job would be related to mine. She would have to know how to run squad or army. Strategies things of that nature." Nix told her as he started laughing.

 "She is already trained and qualified. Denarius already even gave her make shift tests for her when he was talking to her. DO you remember your soldier entry exam you ranked very high even for a D'marlian. We were all impressed. You don't need to worry about etiquette or anything like that. You can learn certain things as you go. Don't worry about offending anyone you will adjust very well over time. My family already loves you and knows you well. There is nothing to worry about there. It actually will be a lot easier than what you fearing it to be. The whole planet already sees you as a savior. They'll love you even more now for taking over the care of their beloved General. I swear you will never have to be Queen." Nix told her squeezing her hand gently.

 "Thank you for that." She told him sincerely. "Does. Does Sienna and them know?" She asked in awkward tone. "Yes. I told my brother everything and they were present when I did so. I informed them how you were and they are waiting to hear and see from you later. I will call back in two days and let them know what the new plan is I think we need to lay low for a couple days but it is also very certain now that we need to leave the soonest we can." Nix told her firmly in a way that left no room for argument. "I need to go home. I need to recover. I have to go out there my dad maybe throwing a fit since I snuck out. I will keep in touch I don't know when I will be back down her exactly so just reach out if there is any problem." She told both of them as they nodded to her.

 Quinn took her back up the lift. Once the doors opened she saw him looking panicked and frazzled. Dragging her into his arms tightly. "Oh thank God. I've been looking everywhere for you." "You're hurting me Jaxon." "Sorry baby. I just my mind was racing. You didn't tell nobody you just up and left. The doctor cleared you out by the way. I have your things. Let me take you home." Jaxon told her as he sweetly put an arm around her waist. "It's ok Jax I can take care of my sister." Quinn told him as he went to grab the bag of her things. "Quinn I know you mean well. I know how close y'all are but I really need this for my own sanity. I need to get my fiancé home and settled before I go nuts it was a horrible day we need this." He told him flatly. Quinn was in no position to argue he was still her husband to be.

 "Ok. I can respect that. If you need anything you call me." He said giving Ana a look. "Will do." She said waving him off as they went to the parking lot. Helping her in she was shocked by the amount of car he was taking in with her. She shouldn't have been but she was. They talked about everything the doctors said, did and recommended on the drive home. He helped her inside minding her arm. He went and looked all over the kitchen and the bathroom. "What are you doing?" She asked him form the living room couch as she could see everything he was doing. "You're running around with your head cut off. Would just sit down please you're making me dizzy." Tah t snapped his attention to her.

 "Are you alright. Are you still dizzy. You just had surgery. Do you need to check your temperature?" "JAXON! Will you please calm down. If I'm not stressing out I really need you to jump on that chill train with me." "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! I just spent an afternoon shooting at a bunch of twisted evil black listed men to keep them from killing you. Watched you float in mid air to get shot twice. Saw you in the arms of some…Then you get into surgery and just fucking vanish and you want me to be calm?" "Yes. I do that would be useful. Getting all worked up is not going to solve anything any better is it?" Taking a deep breath because he knew she was right.

 "In the arms of some what?" She asked him. "What?" He asked looking at her sitting next to her at an angle to see her better. "You said you saw me floating in mid air to be in the arms of some and then cut yourself off what were you going to say?" "It was nothing." "Really trying to keep secrets again from me because it went so well the first time." "No. I am not keeping." He put his hands in his hair and pulled lightly. Looking at her with said eyes. "The D'marlian that was to take over for the one alien that imprinted on your aunt was there. He I think saved you from falling from the trees and gave you to me to get you back to get help. He grabbed your arms I think it was hard I couldn't see anything but you too well. There was a familiar glow and a little roar that brought chills up everyone's body. It was almost like when the others imprinted on others." He took a deep breath and ran a hand down his face.

 "For a moment I thought he was worried he imprinted on you but he checked your neck and arms and there was nothing. I was worked up over it this whole time because he has been here this whole time some where. I don't know how many are also here. I was worried about you getting shot but I think since you look so much like your mom that he helped you. I remember he promised your mom he would always look after and take care of you should he ever meet you. Since your mother did so much for them. Plus your dad is crazy and he hates your dad. When your dad checked you over and found nothing. My heart never felt more at ease in my life." He said with a smile grabbing her hand.

 "I was so worried I lost you to a rogue alien. If he was to imprint on you there would be no getting you back unless we went into that aliens mind and disconnect a part of his mind that connect to his heart and soul it is odd procedure but they showed us how. Once we cut that link inside them the mate bond is broken. Sometimes though the male doesn't make it. But the human females do. They get reported of slight depression later in life but they are back to us in the way they were meant to be." He said kissing the back of her hand. "What do you mean the alien males never made it?" She asked in fear of what they meant. "They all died. Once we took their mate away their body gave up. I guess it depends on the bond and the rank of the alien the higher up you go the more risker it is. If it was a basic soldier or butcher it wouldn't affect them as much if the bond wasn't that deep. The higher then rank or the deeper the bond the males just died they lost the only thing they living for, so they stopped living." He said simply like he was talking about the weather. 

 "And the D'marlians just taught you how to do this. You don't think that's a little odd?" "Well they promised to share all mating information and they did. Your dad went a little too over board and did the procedures on over half the aliens who imprinted on human females. Ellie did too she was the one mostly in charge of that little research I stayed far away from it." He told her putting his hands in the air. "That's so cruel." She said whispered softly. "Yeah it really was." "You wouldn't do anything that would you?" She asked leaning back in to the couch.

"I don't think I would but I don't know. When I thought he might have imprinted on you as you were unconscious. I felt all kinds of things. Like I was being cheated of you. You are my woman what right did he have to just come take you away from me. What about everything we have. The life we are building. Someone else just comes and snatches that without consent. I mean you didn't even know this dude. He just came out of nowhere. In order for him to imprint you have to have the same feeling s for it. Come to think of it I don't know why I was so worried before. I guess I am just over protective of you. I know what they are capable of as well. I have no idea if they have any resentment to your dad to the point of wanting to retaliate against you. However I doubt it. They are a prideful species if they make promises they keep their word no matter what they don't make promises lightly." He told her.

"I was checking your fridge and your bathroom supplies making sure you had everything you need for a few days. I was wondering if I needed to run to the store. I can just text Quinn anything we would need though. I don't want things to be weird between us. I also don't want to step on any toes and make it uncomfortable. I guess I kind of did back there at work though right? It's just I felt like I was in the right. You know boundary wise." "It's ok. He knows where you were coming from. No judgement, no grudges. He's not like that. He would have told you to your face if had an issue with you." She told him taking her hand back getting comfortable.

"Was what he said true? About the car and everything." Jaxon asked. "From our perspective that is what happened." Looking at him as he was acting weird now. "Let me ask you something that is weighing me down here." "Ask me anything." He said with a wink. "Why were you with her? Why did you have a gun in the mountain shooting away and those men when you looked like you were supposed to be the one in the lead of them? I'm not stupid Jaxon I was trained in this. I know the lead when I see one. After all she has done to my family why were you with her with them?" She felt betrayed as she was asking this question.

"She pulled aside and said she needed me to go on recon mission to retrieve something for an experiment. I know she was acting weird for awhile so I thought if I went with her to see what she is really up to. I had no idea what was going on until she started screaming not to let them leave. Everyone assumed it was you and Quinn and when they started to shoot at you I just started shooting at them I couldn't let anything happen to you. It wasn't until I say that alien I understood what she meant." He said hanging his head down. "There was no way for you to know what was going on so please don't worry to much when your father starts his question just tell the truth and he will understand." He said rubbing a hand on her thigh to her knee.

"Jaxon promise one thing." "Anything for you honey." "You leave that alien alone that D'marlian you leave him alone pretend like you never saw him. Don't tell anyone about him." Looking at her shocked. "Why would I do that?" He was confused. "My mother gave her life to help save them. He blew his chances of secretly surviving to save me. If he was truly dangerous he would have done something years ago. He is clearly no threat. If he is no threat and you know deep in your soul he is not then why out him? What has he done over the last few years other then get lied to by my father and have his people butchered by us? There is no motive of evil intent or it would have happened by now right? I owe him my life. So give him his." She told him flatly. This wasn't a request and he knew it.

"I will promise not to out the alien as long as he can keep hidden and not show any sign he is a threat in any way shape or form. That is the best I can do." "Deal?" She asked with her pinky out. "Deal. I also told your dad I had you home. He ordered food to be brought out. He said call if you need anything and he will be calling you into work for some questions in a few days. Since you also need a check up." "Alright. That's fine. What about Ellie?" "She is confined in the military basement of work no one who isn't your dad or like Quinn or someone on his service is allowed in there. She is in there are basically traitor charges. It's crazy. You're father is having a trained shrink talk with her to see if she is crazy or not. It's one from when the D'marlians were around. So at least he will be able to make some since of what she is saying." Getting up to grab drinks.

"What will happen to her?" "Well you know how your dad basically runs this country even the president bends to his will. She is crossing a bunch of lines. I wouldn't be surprised if he personally took her out." "You think he would actually kill her? Now after everything. Seems a little weird. He clearly blamed her for parts of my mothers death wonder why he just didn't kill her then?" She asked him taking the drink from him. "I'm not to sure maybe someone spoke up for her then. There was so much going on then. So many people involved. There is no saving her now though. Unless she can come up with a D'marlian or alien species she will just look like a crazy nut case. Personally speaking I will not vouge for her. After everything she did to you. Let them think she's crazy." He said angrily

"Well thank you for the love. She really is crazy though I mean all her scheming never worked and she killed a lot of innocent lives. Maybe she deserves what she got coming." "You are condemning her to death than? Is it a grudge or justice in your eyes. Is it for the sins she committed, or just the sins she committed against you?" He asked her being the voice of reason. "The sins she committed in general it's not that I'm mad at her for what she's done. It's for what she has done. There is a line between right and wrong. No matter how much hatred I have towards a person I know that well enough to see the difference. I'm not that big of a monster."

"Do you think by holding back the truth that there is an alien she's claiming out is crossing that line?" "Not when we owe that alien race more than what happened don't you think?" Shaking his head. "OK you are right. Moral compass is spinning on this one and that's ok. So much has happened between us and them that we need to repent a little ourselves you are right. We owe them." Sitting back he put his arm around her. "Well thank you for everything." She told him as he looked at her confused. "Are you kicking me out? Do you really think I was just going to leave after what happened? Ana I was worried sick." "I know I appreciate it. It's just weird you being here." "Well we going to spending the night together soon eventually. I won't get no sleep at home worrying about you here." He told her wondering why it was such a big deal.

"I never had man who wasn't Quinn, Jace or squad member stay with me. It's different with you. It's weird." She said looking away from him. "I am not going to try anything ok I promise I just want to be here for you just in case for my own piece of mind. Look if you are that worried I will sleep right here on the couch. But I have no intention of leaving you tonight. I swear I will not do anything crossing any lines that make you uncomfortable." He told her lifting his hand up. "One night. That's all you get. You ride the couch as well." "Thank you babe." He went to lean in for a hug when she got up. "I'm not hungry. When the food gets here please help yourself and put the rest in the fridge. I am going to change and go to sleep." She told him walking to her room.

"Do you need help changing with the arm. You should really eat something what about your medicine?" "It's fine. She said giving him a pillow and sheets from the hall closet. Good night Jax and thanks for everything." "I-." He was cut off by the door shutting and the lock going in place. "Alrighty then." He said a little disappointed as he went to collect the food from the driver. It was a long night that Analeigh thought would never end. "I can feel you being troubled are you ok?" The voice in her head made her jump quickly luckily it wasn't loud enough to get attention.

"You scared the crap out of me." "Sorry little one, you just very restless it was making me worried especially after your surgery and all. Can you not find comfort spot to find sleep? Does your wound bother you?" "Kind of. I'm fine. Jaxon took it upon himself tonight to sleep here on the couch. If I would have pushed him to go home he would have been suspicious and the last thing I need is any more fuel to the dad fire." "Who is Jaxon?" "Oh right um… the one you call fake mate." She felt even more tension crawl up her back. "Are you ok. What is this? What's going on?" "I'm sorry Ana it was my discomfort. I don't like the fake mate being with you. But I know he is still a friend of your past and I know he is genuinely concerned for you and will take care of you. I still don't like it." Laughing to herself.

"Guess you are more possessive than I thought you were. I mean you play so cool in person." "The teasing, really?" "Sorry. I'll quit. I will also calm down don't worry. I didn't mean to alert you." "It's not a bother to me Analeigh. Next time let me know fake mate is staying with you though." "Ugh. Yeah ok. I can do that. It's still a little strange to be in a relationship with you like this. I mean the only other person I really dated is the person on the couch and I the whole time I've been planning on running away from him with you. So it's still throwing me for a loop." "I guess its going to take time to adjust to complicated surroundings. The fake mate bothers me. There is something about him that just triggers something inside me. Not because of you. It's a past issue I just can't place my mind on it."

"Don't worry maybe you can read his mind at some point. He told me he saw you. He doesn't believe we have any contact he has agreed to stay quiet about your existence and he thinks you reside in the mountains and forest. He promised to keep silent about you though. We'll have to keep an eye out for him to be sure." "I am not scared of him outing me. I am worried what will happen to you and Quinn should such an issue really occur. Denarius said he can come collect us on Friday next week. It gives us time to cool down and just enough to still make it out of here." "Ok that's smart. Seems a little far though. Since it's tomorrow is Monday." "It will do. Get some sleep little one. Lock your door. Mind link me should anything happen." "Goodnight Nix."

After talking to Nix she found comfort she felt he pushed through to her which helped her sleep. Changing and walking into her kitchen she saw waffles, bacon and eggs. "Good morning beautiful." He said after making sure everything was on the table and coming to kiss the her cheek. "Wow thank you. Didn't know you could cook so well." "I have been practicing. I swear I was catching my cereal on fire first. I didn't want to get married without knowing I could at least help make a proper meal. I love your food though babe." He winked to her as they finished there meals. "Let's go." She said to him as he finished washing the dishes.

"Go? Where we going?" Raising an eyebrow to her. "Well I need the doctor to look me over real quick and then I am going to speak to my father. Better to get it done now while everything is still fresh in the mind." Grabbing her things they went out quickly and made their way there filled with conversation and laughter it was nice being with a friend through this. Meanwhile down in the lab basement Quinn was standing with some men in silence in the corner as Ellie was still making a loud scene when the door opened and shut the look he gave her made fear for the first time seep into her soul. Gabriel lifeless amused eyes were enough to make anyone's blood run cold. "Oh dear Ellie. Look at the mess you made. Well let's not waste anymore time shall we. Let's begin."