AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s all right—I had some credits put by for a special purchase,” he assured her. “And it costs nothing to live in the Monstrum Mother Ship, you know. So I can afford a little extravagance.”
“Well, if you say so. It’s so perfect, but I don’t know?—”
“All you have to know is that I love you,” he said firmly. “Will you wear that ring and be my wife, Abbey?”
“Oh, Solon…” She wasn’t sure what to say. “I thought we were just going to Bond. But…you want to get married too?”
“I want to tie you to me in every way I can,” he murmured. “I want to Bond with you and Join with you and marry you and anything else you can think of. I want forever with you. What do you say?”
Abbey was crying at this point, but they were tears of joy. She knew the big Monstrum would understand because he could feel her emotions when they touched.
“Yes,” she whispered brokenly. “Yes, Solon—yes!”
“You’ve made me so happy, lelka.”
Taking her hands in his, he slipped the ring on her finger. Then he rose and gathered her into his arms. “We’ll plan the wedding as soon as we get back to the Monstrum Mother Ship.”
“Yes—right after my high school reunion,” Abbey agreed. “I can’t believe I have you and a gorgeous ring to show off to all my friends! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world—no, in the universe.”
“I’m the lucky one,” Solon rumbled, hugging her tight. “I feel so blessed that the Goddess put us together.”
Abbey felt blessed too. Though she was sad to be leaving Tengula Five, she was excited to attend her reunion. She wanted to show off her hot Monstrum fiancé and her gorgeous new speaking engagement ring. And then after that, she got to plan her wedding! It seemed like her life was absolutely perfect right now.
She had no idea that everything was about to go terribly wrong.
34
ABBEY
“Oh my God, that ring is gorgeous! What kind of gem did you say it was again? And where have you been? We were afraid you weren’t showing up!” Abbey’s friend Krista exclaimed all in one breath. She and Maria and Janelle had been waiting for Abbey at the entrance to the reunion—which was being held in their old high school gym.
The space was still as big and full of echoes as Abbey remembered and the retro music from the year they had all graduated was bouncing off the walls. She could picture it in her mind—she’d been too nerdy to get asked to Prom her junior year and the extra thick glasses she’d been wearing hadn’t helped. But she had blossomed a bit in her senior year and had gone to Prom with a boy on the chess team.
Of course, all that had been before the attack, which had happened near the end of her senior year. For a long time, Abbey had believed it had ruined all of her happy school memories but tonight she was determined to reclaim the joy she’d had attending high school with her friends.
“We were just walking around the school—I was showing my fiancé, Solon, all our old favorite places to hang out,” she explained to Kristen, who was still waiting for an explanation.
“So this is the hot and hunky Monstrum fiancé we’ve been hearing all about!” Maria exclaimed.
“He’s a big guy,” Janelle remarked approvingly. “Come on, girl—introduce us!”
Blushing and smiling, Abbey introduced them all to Solon, who bowed to them and kissed all their hands in a way that made her friends giggle. She was really glad she’d come to the reunion now—though she’d had an attack of nerves right before they left Aunt Rose’s house and almost stayed home. But apparently Chris Brander was nowhere to be found in the milling crowds and she felt safe on Solon’s arm.
I made the right decision, she thought as she and her friends reminded each other of old jokes and laughed and shared about their plans for the future. All three of them agreed to come be in the wedding as bridesmaids and Maria promised to be the Matron of Honor.
“Or maybe just ‘Maid of Honor’ since Jeff and I broke up,” she sighed. “Maybe I’ll meet a hot Monstrum warrior at your wedding who won’t mind helping me raise my three kids,” she added, clearly not believing it.
“That’s possible,” Solon said unexpectedly. “We Monstrum like young ones—we don’t consider them a burden. And of course, there are many warriors who would be happy to Bond with a lovely Elite such as yourself.”
“Oh, my!” Maria laughed and nudged Abbey. “He’s a keeper, girl—better hold on to him!”
They spent a long time talking and then Abbey decided it was time to dance a little and maybe get some champagne. The DJ was playing a slow song she remembered from her Senior Prom and she asked Solon if he could dance.
“From what I can see, most of the couples on the dance floor are simply holding each other and swaying,” he rumbled. “I believe I can manage that.”
“Good—because I want to dance,” Abbey told him. “Come on—take me to the dance floor.”
“As my Lady wishes. I love how ‘bossy’ you get when you’re excited to do something.” He sounded like he was laughing and Abbey grinned up at him.
