Colun's Passion (Alien Mates Book Four 4) by Serena Simpson

about to descend the stairs to the floor Sara was on to knock on her door. He never made it down the stairs. His power had been touched, hijacked for lack of a better word. He could have fought it and killed the attacker, but the softness of the action felt like Sara. He didn’t want to hurt her.
    Sara was such a contrast, and he wanted time to get to know the real her. She was soft and gentle, then strong with a million sharp edges with do not disturb signs all over her heart. He wanted to burn every sign and take up residence inside of her. He grasped at the ends of his hair and pulled. It was a coping mechanism he developed centuries ago to slow him down, keep him calm, but it wasn’t working when he thought of Sara. He stood up, needed a way out in order to find her, help her. His power was too much for her to handle; if no one got to her in time she would die and he might die with her.
    He ran into a clear wall.
    “Damn,” the power Sara lifted from him was blocking his way. Which meant it was still dwelling in her, probably driving her crazy by now, if she was still alive.
    He placed his hands on the wall and started carefully running along it looking for a weak spot or a place where the barrier hadn’t fully formed. It took him hours and he found nothing. Time liked to play mind games. Minutes felt like hours, hours felt like minutes, and days felt like years. He had no real basis of time, so he hoped for the best.
    “You need some help, old timer?”
    Colun couldn’t see him, but he would recognize Joaquin’s voice anywhere. He opened his mouth to call Joaquin what he was; then he bit the words back. Telling him what he was before he was ready to deal with it wouldn’t help either of them.
    “I could get out on my own, but I’d like to see what you have.” He hoped his words riled Joaquin up a little. He was drifting through life, but that had to stop before his demons caught up with him.
    “Of course you can, old timer. Stand back and let the master work.”
    Well at least the boy had faith in himself, he was going to need it pretty soon. Colun stood back as Joaquin punched a hole in the barrier with such precision that it was impressive. He climbed out and looked at Joaquin whose natural form was showing, but they both acted like they didn’t see it.
    “I have to get to Sara. She took my power but it’s way too deadly for her to handle.”
    “She’s dying.”
    The hand gripping his heart squeezed. Not his Sara, please, he begged hoping someone would hear him and help.
    “We have to help her.”
    “She means something to you?”
    He didn’t want to have this conversation after centuries of being alone, especially not with Joaquin who saw way too much. Sara was the only female he ever met who interested both his Arbrin and his Matra. If she died, he might be alone for the rest of his naturally long life.
    “Yes, she means something to me. I know it’s only been a day. I know I should rethink what I’m saying, but she attracts me like never before, and I can’t let her die.”
    Joaquin looked at him, those eyes stared at him, shifting through Colun’s word deciphering the truth.
    “You want her to live even if she doesn’t choose you?”
    Colun shivered the ability to see the truth in words was a rare gift that Joaquin was blessed with, although he was willing to bet the young male felt like it was more of a curse.
    “Yes.”
    “Victor is sending the two of you to the trials.”
    “What! He can’t do that; she doesn’t know who I am.”
    “She’ll also die if we wait for her to wake up and tell her.”
    Colun knew he was right, but this wasn’t how he wanted to go to the trials. He pictured going with a female so in love with him that there would be no chance of them failing. Sara wasn’t in love with him, in lust, yeah, but not in love. In fact, the last time he had seen her she was so prickly and standoffish he almost didn’t give her that peck, but he couldn’t resist. He needed