Whispers of the Diamond: A Romance of Memory and Desire

Chapter 20 - Terra

My heart raced as I climbed the stairs. The train yard was deserted, not a cop or Hunter in sight—well, except for the one in the office. As I reached the door to the office, I noticed a semi-auto rifle sitting on the desk. Shit, he'd come packing. It seemed he was planning to arrest me again. I sighed and pushed the door open.

"Hey," I said.

His eyes met mine—cool, calm, blue, and beautiful. Alex was as calm as ever, that was the Hunter in him.

"Hello to you too," he replied, a wicked glimmer in his eye. I felt myself relax; he wasn't here to arrest me, which left me curious. Alex had a way of wrapping me up in my own thoughts and keeping me guessing.

"You came," I said, my voice steady but edged with tension.

"Why risk exposing yourself?" His words were sharp and clear, no longer carrying the lightness they once did. I sighed and looked away, my gaze shifting back to the desk.

"They want me to execute you. I said I could bring you to our side, to help us..." My voice trailed off. My mind raced as I opened up, unsure whether his loyalty was genuinely with us or part of a longer game he was playing.

His hand settled on the desk, and for a moment, I feared he might reach for the rifle. I shifted slightly, my muscles coiling, ready to launch me off the desk if he decided to try anything.

"You said it yourself, baby, we're on opposite sides. I won't take you in, but I can't protect you forever," he shrugged softly, his hand running through his long, dark hair. Had he always had long hair? No, it used to be shorter—longer now, but he looked better this way.

My body was generally restored to age 23 now, thanks to the perfection of cloning technology after my original death. It really sucked; I was barely 23 when I was killed. This current body was two years old, replacing the one lost in a botched operation a couple of years ago. So, I was currently in the body of a 25-year-old with the mind of a woman nearing 70. Alex, on the other hand, was 40 when he first died and would be mentally around 90 by now.

"Please, Alex, you can help us so much. You're smarter than half our military personnel; you know things better than we do. You can help us make a real change." I sighed softly, keeping my eyes locked on his as I pleaded my case. If nothing else, I wanted him close to me—I needed him close. I sighed again, then swung my legs over the desk, pushing the rifle aside. I sat on the desk, resting my legs on the arms of the chair he was sitting in.

"They will hunt you down. This way, I can keep them off you. I can protect you," he replied. I knew that tone; he was weighing his options and battling his own desires.

"You can do it better at my side," I said, sliding down into his lap and wrapping my arms around his shoulders. My body pressed against his, and in that moment, I felt at peace. The safest place in the world was Alex's lap; he would protect me with hellfire and brimstone if necessary.

"You're a tease," he chuckled.

"Am I, though?" I replied, kissing his neck. I had missed this moment; he'd let me go so far, then snap away my control. As sure of myself as I was, as strong and competent as I could be, Alex had a way of breezing through all that and turning me into a submissive woman willing to obey his every command. To me, Alex embodied the very best of what a man could be.

His arm locked around my waist, pulling me closer. I could feel him harden beneath me, and the need for him was overwhelming. I held back the moan that threatened to escape as he pinned me against him. His eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, Alex seemed to stare straight into my soul.

"Mhm," he replied, drawing out the sound in a way that both frustrated and aroused me. My body arched into him, pushing harder against his well formed frame, I closed my eyes and felt his breath against my neck.

God, I wanted him to take me. The feeling under his jeans suggested his mind was on the same wavelength. Our heartbeats pulsed in rhythm, as they always had. We were incredible together, and I had never experienced such a connection with anyone else. His body pressed into mine, and I ran my hands over his shoulders, feeling the solid muscle sculpted by his work. The years of carrying weapons had clearly paid off.

"Do you miss me?" I asked, my eyes averting from his as a flood of emotions surged through me. I felt a tear burning at the corner of my eye. The truth was, I had to know.

"There has been no other Terra," he said. Fuck... that hurt. "I hunted down those who hurt you, and then became..." He gestured to the rifle. "This."

I understood what he meant. He had been a Hunter for the last five decades. I'd seen his record; he was as impressive in that role as he had been when we were together and he had a menial job. Everything Alex did, he poured his very soul into. Knowing he had become a weapon for the TG was a painful realisation. The chances were high that he'd sold out to avoid his own execution. Five counts of murder were met with execution—a euphemism for legally sanctioned murder. This world was both cruel and unfair, a reality that cut deeply in moments like these.

"I'm glad we found each other. We have a chance to fix this," I breathed softly, kissing him slowly, tenderly, deeply. His hands crept up my back as he deepened the kiss. In that moment, it felt as if only we existed.