“Hurt me? You won’t hurt me, Pilan. How could you? You’ve given me something that has long been lost for me. You have given me hope.”
“Hope?”
She reached her hands up and rested them on my shoulders. “Yes. Hope that there is more for me than a life spent alone. You can stay here as long as you like. All I ask is for you to be honest with me and accept the feelings I have for you. Can’t you see that I love you?”
Love.
Something I’d never thought about. My entire lifespan was based on lust and sex. Love had never been a part of it. Or had it? These feelings I now had inside and how emotions dictated my actions—how I ached when I was away from Kelly. The way her simple smile brightened my day. Was this love?
I couldn’t resist her anymore. My heart was pounding and I wanted her so fiercely that it scared me. I grabbed around her waist and pulled her to me. In a breathtaking kiss, I was overwhelmed at how powerful a single touch of the lips could be. I hadn’t ever felt that way before nor have I since.
For the first time, I made love to a woman.
Everything took on a new meaning to me. It was like my first time. All my senses were awoken by the smallest details. The caress of a breast had a new appreciation. The smoothness of a woman’s skin felt like a rose petal against my fingertips. The taste of a woman’s pussy was more succulent than a ripened fruit.
I became an explorer with Kelly and she was my guide on the journey. She would moan and with each thrust, I merged with her spiritually. As she lay beneath me, I really saw how the act of sex releases emotional and physical tensions.
We made love all the time and it brought us closer than ever.
Days turned to weeks—weeks to months. My affections were now deeper, more real than anything I could ever have imagined. Each night she’d give me a kiss and whisper “I love you” into my ear. I had a hard time saying it back. Love wasn’t something I understood, but my feelings grew stronger for her with each moment. And so did Kelly’s.
The doctors had told her it was only a matter of time before she’d go blind. Nothing helped and she grew more dependent on me. I supported her and helped her however I could. I even tried cooking. But there are only so many ways to make macaroni and cheese.
I had found my soul mate. Everything finally made sense to me. What I learned in the time I spent with Kelly was an appreciation for the now. Live for each moment and cherish what you have.
Everything since that time has had more meaning. It changed my beliefs, it changed who I am and mainly made me appreciate life more. The pleasure I can give is only momentary. The expression of emotions and desires can be forever.
Women are more in tune with their emotions than men. They grasp and seek things differently. Not everything given is for gain. My love for women is boundless. This is probably the reason why I get such personal gratification in giving pleasure. Now, my life had meaning and for whatever reason, I felt whole. I was happy. I was fulfilled.
Kelly came to me one night as I sat looking into the fire raging in the fireplace. “It’s late, I’m going to bed.” She kissed my forehead and whispered, “I love you.”
When she turned, I said the words she had longed to hear. “I love you too.” There weren’t any fireworks, nothing electric. It was simply my feelings in four words. “Did you hear me?” I asked.
She stopped and smiled. “I know.” Quietly, she walked away.
Then the elders came for me.
It had been a year since the night I was stripped of my powers. I couldn’t sleep, something was unsettling in the air. Kelly was lying peacefully asleep in the bed. It soothed the uneasiness in me.
But I still had to get up, so I went into our small living room. While I stood there, drinking milk from the carton, I felt a steady pulse of energy from outside.
I knew who it was.
With a crushing burst of sensation, I fell to my knees, dropping the carton. The voice filled my head in a deafening tone. “Pilan, it is time.”
“I don’t want to go back. Not now.” I fought the inevitable.
“There is no choice. You have served your time as a mortal. Now there is a final test. You must leave someone you have cared for.”
“I can’t.” My heart hurt. “I love her.” I couldn’t leave Kelly. She needed me. I needed her.
“It is the full moon. We have come for you, Pilan. Your time of penance has passed. Your new quest will begin.”
“Quest? What quest?” As I spoke, they faded away. All I could hear was the pattering of rain on the roof and the splash of the drips as they fell to the street. Just like the night I came to Kelly.
He stopped, dropping her hand. “I can’t go on, Alyson. The memories are too painful.”
“I have to know what happened.” She took the dark man’s hand once more. “Show me what happened so I can understand.”