head.
Her hair fell forward, screening her face as she gazed down at the final exam paper in front of her. For the past two hours, she had been having a silent argument in her head with the man she saw last night.
Merrick, he insisted. Say my name.
Correction, I’ve been listening to him constantly try to boss me around for the past two hours, she grimaced when he repeated his name… for the hundredth time.
I know your name! She snapped back when his chuckle echoed through her mind again. I have to finish this test. Once it is done, I promise I’ll talk to you, okay? Now, will you just shut up for a little while? This is important and I can’t concentrate with you growling and snarling at me.
You should not have shut me out, Merrick retorted in irritation. I am your bond mate. You should never close me off.
I wasn’t the one who shut you out first, remember? Besides, I was driving and didn’t want to get myself killed. Traffic is brutal in the mid-mornings. And for goodness sake, will you quit calling me that! I am NOT your bond mate, Addie responded forcefully. Now, will you just let me finish my test? It is my last class. Once I’m done, I’ll talk to you again.
Only if you promise me that you will give up your ludicrous plan! Merrick insisted. You must not come here.
I’m supposed to work tonight. If I don’t, they will get suspicious. Listen, my plan will work. You’ll see, Addie insisted, glancing up at her teacher again, who was frowning at her. I’ve got to go. My teacher is giving me a nasty look. I swear, I’ll be back in a few.
No, Addie, Merrick repeated. Please… I cannot protect you yet.
Don’t you worry about me… Merrick, Addie said, trying to ease his mind. I’ve got a plan and I can help you. I know I can do this.
Addie sighed and blinked several times when she felt him pull away from her. Tears burned her eyes when she thought of the tiredness and pain in his voice. She suspected he had no idea that she could hear or feel it, but she could. Whatever had happened to him earlier when he cut her off must have been bad.
Releasing her breath, she focused on the paper in front of her. She pushed everything away, except for what she had to do at this moment. It didn’t take her long to finish the test. She had been studying like crazy for it for weeks and Anatomy was one of her favorite classes so she felt fairly confident when she stood up twenty minutes later to hand it to her teacher.
Sighing her thanks, she quickly left the room. The moment she was out the door, she picked up speed until she was practically running. Waving her hand at a car that stopped to let her pass, she crossed to the car park and to her car. Pressing the remote, she climbed in and quickly started it. She had a lot to do before she showed up for work tonight.
*.*.*
“Merrick, are you there?” Addie thought anxiously as she opened the door to her apartment.
Tossing her keys onto the counter, she glanced at the clock. Ted would be leaving for Keiser soon. She would need to get the set of lock picks from him before he left.
Yes, Merrick finally replied. You have finished your exam?
“Yeah,” Addie replied with a sigh.
You did well? He asked.
Addie rolled her eyes. After so many years with nothing but her own thoughts in her head, it was kind of weird to be having a conversation with someone else in it. If talking to an alien in her head wasn’t freaky enough, the fact that he was asking how her final exam went just added to the unreality of the situation.
“I’m pretty sure I aced it,” she replied. “It was my favorite class.”
What are you learning? He murmured.
“Anatomy,” Addie responded as she stepped out of her apartment and across the hall to Pam and Ted’s. Knocking, she waited impatiently for Ted to answer. “Listen, do you swear you won’t hurt me and that your people aren’t here to take over the Earth and all that?”
The deep laughter that echoed through her was filled with
Her hair fell forward, screening her face as she gazed down at the final exam paper in front of her. For the past two hours, she had been having a silent argument in her head with the man she saw last night.
Merrick, he insisted. Say my name.
Correction, I’ve been listening to him constantly try to boss me around for the past two hours, she grimaced when he repeated his name… for the hundredth time.
I know your name! She snapped back when his chuckle echoed through her mind again. I have to finish this test. Once it is done, I promise I’ll talk to you, okay? Now, will you just shut up for a little while? This is important and I can’t concentrate with you growling and snarling at me.
You should not have shut me out, Merrick retorted in irritation. I am your bond mate. You should never close me off.
I wasn’t the one who shut you out first, remember? Besides, I was driving and didn’t want to get myself killed. Traffic is brutal in the mid-mornings. And for goodness sake, will you quit calling me that! I am NOT your bond mate, Addie responded forcefully. Now, will you just let me finish my test? It is my last class. Once I’m done, I’ll talk to you again.
Only if you promise me that you will give up your ludicrous plan! Merrick insisted. You must not come here.
I’m supposed to work tonight. If I don’t, they will get suspicious. Listen, my plan will work. You’ll see, Addie insisted, glancing up at her teacher again, who was frowning at her. I’ve got to go. My teacher is giving me a nasty look. I swear, I’ll be back in a few.
No, Addie, Merrick repeated. Please… I cannot protect you yet.
Don’t you worry about me… Merrick, Addie said, trying to ease his mind. I’ve got a plan and I can help you. I know I can do this.
Addie sighed and blinked several times when she felt him pull away from her. Tears burned her eyes when she thought of the tiredness and pain in his voice. She suspected he had no idea that she could hear or feel it, but she could. Whatever had happened to him earlier when he cut her off must have been bad.
Releasing her breath, she focused on the paper in front of her. She pushed everything away, except for what she had to do at this moment. It didn’t take her long to finish the test. She had been studying like crazy for it for weeks and Anatomy was one of her favorite classes so she felt fairly confident when she stood up twenty minutes later to hand it to her teacher.
Sighing her thanks, she quickly left the room. The moment she was out the door, she picked up speed until she was practically running. Waving her hand at a car that stopped to let her pass, she crossed to the car park and to her car. Pressing the remote, she climbed in and quickly started it. She had a lot to do before she showed up for work tonight.
*.*.*
“Merrick, are you there?” Addie thought anxiously as she opened the door to her apartment.
Tossing her keys onto the counter, she glanced at the clock. Ted would be leaving for Keiser soon. She would need to get the set of lock picks from him before he left.
Yes, Merrick finally replied. You have finished your exam?
“Yeah,” Addie replied with a sigh.
You did well? He asked.
Addie rolled her eyes. After so many years with nothing but her own thoughts in her head, it was kind of weird to be having a conversation with someone else in it. If talking to an alien in her head wasn’t freaky enough, the fact that he was asking how her final exam went just added to the unreality of the situation.
“I’m pretty sure I aced it,” she replied. “It was my favorite class.”
What are you learning? He murmured.
“Anatomy,” Addie responded as she stepped out of her apartment and across the hall to Pam and Ted’s. Knocking, she waited impatiently for Ted to answer. “Listen, do you swear you won’t hurt me and that your people aren’t here to take over the Earth and all that?”
The deep laughter that echoed through her was filled with
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