She couldn’t judge others, especially since her one-night stand with Xizi had ended up with her getting alien married and kidnapped, forced to start a new life away from everything she knew.
Ashley gently reached out to touch Xizi’s arm, the warmth of his skin calming her. She vowed to herself in that moment to do everything in her power to help him heal from his past and create a better future together, for the both of them.
“Xizi,” she whispered, “I’m here for you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”
He snapped open his eyes, his piercing sea green eyes locking onto hers. “What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “I had no idea that my dream was actually your memories. It must have been so hard for you to relive those moments.”
Xizi looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and pain. “It’s okay,” he said, placing his hand over hers. “I’m just glad that you understand, but I’m sorry that you had to experience what I went through. I would never want my enemies to go through it, and especially not you. I’m supposed to protect you from harm, not inflect it upon you.”
“You don’t have to feel guilty about something you had no control over,” she urged, squeezing his arm. “I haven’t had a repeat experience, and even if I have to go through it every time I go to sleep, I would, to help pay for the sins my people have placed upon you and your clutchmates.”
Ashley looked at Xizi with concern in her eyes. She couldn’t help but feel guilty for what her government had done to him and the other aliens. “I know, but it’s hard not to feel responsible. Your people were taken and experimented on by mine,” she said, her voice laced with sadness.
Xizi reached out and gently took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I don’t blame you, Ashley. You didn’t have anything to do with it,” he said, his voice soft and soothing. “Besides, I’m just happy to be with you now.”
Ashley smiled weakly, still feeling the weight of guilt on her shoulders. “I just wish I could make it up to you somehow,” she said. “I can’t help feeling responsible. If only I could have done something to stop it.”
Xizi pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “You did nothing wrong, Ashley,” he said firmly. “And I don’t blame you for what happened. You are not your government.”
Xizi leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Just being with you is enough,” he whispered. “You’ve given me hope and a reason to keep fighting.”
Ashley felt her heart swell with emotion at his words. She knew she couldn’t undo what had been done to him, but she could be there for him now and make sure he never had to go through something like that again.
Ashley felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes, moved by his words. She buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent as he held her close. In that moment, she felt safe and loved, like she belonged with him.
“Thank you, Xizi,” she murmured. “I’m so lucky to have you.”
Xizi leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I’m the lucky one,” he murmured. “To have found my enax, my fated mate. Perhaps the Stars led me to you as payment for everything that happened to me and my clutchmates.”
Ashley gazed at Xizi and took in his features. She couldn’t deny that he was attractive, and somehow, he appeared fine—better than earlier when they got the announcement. “You know, humans call good things that happen after something bad karma,” she said.
Xizi cocked his head to the side, studying her. “Karma?”
Ashley nodded. “Yeah, it’s like a universal law that says if you do good, good things will happen to you, and if you do bad, bad things will happen to you. It’s a way to balance things out.”
Xizi blinked hard, as if he was processing what she had said. “Interesting. And do you believe in karma?”
Ashley shrugged. “I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like the universe has a way of balancing things out, but other times it feels like bad things just keep happening. What about you?”
Xizi thought for a moment. “I suppose I believe in something similar—the Cosmic Order. The universe has a way of bringing people together, of aligning things. Perhaps it’s Fate, or destiny, or karma, but I believe there’s a reason for everything that happens.”
Ashley smiled at him. “I like that. It’s comforting to think that everything happens for a reason, even the bad stuff.”
Xizi leaned in, kissing her softly. “And sometimes, the bad stuff can lead to the best things.”
“What’s the Cosmic Order?” She tilted her head to the side as she examined him. “Is it some sort of religion?”
“It’s a belief a lot of the species have from my galaxy,” he explained. “The Fates have our life predetermined, written in the stars. It is up to us to use the Stars to guide us to our destiny. Things like who we are supposed to be with, what we are supposed to do with our lives, and everything we experience has already been predetermined.”
“So you are saying that is how you know I am your enax? That it was written in the stars already.” She licked her lips. “Are you saying that the reason why I could never find someone to settle with was because I was meant to be yours all along?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” He nodded, cupping her face and rubbing his thumb along her cheek. “It’s pointless to oppose what has already been planned for us.
“It doesn’t matter that we are two different species; if you want me to look like a human, I can, but based on our first conversation, I believe you prefer me the way I am.”
“What do you mean?” Her brow furrowed in perplexity.
