A.N. Telepathic conversations, before it was in italics but I found were so much easier.

Chapter 4

On the road

The group of four has been on the road for almost three hours, Zan and Ava are busy making out in the back seat while Dakeri stares out the window watching the scenery go by and thinking about her mother/protector Francesca Star. It's not often, now anyway, that she thinks about her, since finding Rath the hole that was in her heart has been, mostly, filled. However there's still and always will be a small part of her that will never be whole now that her mother is dead.

Rath turns his head and notices a depressed expression gracing his lover's face. Without saying a word he takes his right hand off the wheel and caresses her smooth cheek. What's wrong.

Dakeri smiles at him but the grin doesn't quite meet her eyes. Thinking about my mother. Rath nods understanding why she's depressed.

As they continue on the road Dakeri feels hunger knawing at Rath, it's weird being that deeply embedded in someone, but in a way it's comforting. You know that you're not alone. Reaching into the fast food bag she pulls out a burger, heating it with her powers she unwraps it partly and hands it to him.

"Are you two hungry?" Ava pulls her lips away from Zan.

"Yea, I'm starvin' Dak." She watches as she heats it and then hands it to her. "Thanks."

Zan stares at Dakeri as she closes the bag and shoves it back at her feet, he's upset that she didn't heat up a cheeseburger for him, he's da man. "Yo Dak what bout me babe?"

Clenching her jaw Dakeri lets out an irritated breath. Not only is she tired of Zan's holier-than-thou attitude, she hates being called 'babe' by anyone but Rath. "Well Zan you never asked for one so I assumed you didn't want one." She growls.

Smartly Zan dropped it, he remembered stories from Antar about Dakerina, and it was said that if she found her soulmate and bonded with him her power would increase 10-fold. It would be almost impossible to stop her if her full powers were awakened.

This was why on Antar and on Earth he tried to keep her away from Rath, it was obvious that his second is her soulmate. Of course he never told either Dakeri or Rath about any of this, he didn't want them to try to force him to leave the group.

"Do you think Lonnie's going to be goin' to Roswell?" Dakeri questions Rath, a couple days before they left Lonnie took off saying she needed to go somewhere, didn't give any specifics just left.

"My guess is that she's there already, she heard bout them before I did." Zan tells her fully aware that she wasn't talking to him.

"Did it sound like she was talking to you Duke." Rath glares at the king in the backseat.

"I'm da man Rath, I can do whatever I want and there's not a god damn thing you can do about it." He sneers.

"Yea? Well, I can still kick your ass outta this car and outta Dak, Av, and my apartment. Here on Earth you're not exactly needed in the group." Rath threatens, his fingers clench around the steering wheel.

Dakeri watches as Rath's knuckles turn white from gripping the wheel to hard. She rests her hand on his thigh squeezing gently. Turning his gaze to her he slowly releases his fingers from the steering wheel. He knows that Dak can't stand it when he and Zan fight especially when she assumes that it was something she did to cause it. It makes her feel guilty, an emotion she hates to feel.

Don't worry baby, nothing that happens between Zan and me is your fault.

You and Zan weren't this bad until you met me. Her eyes apologetic.

Zan and I were on the rocks and fighting like this before you came into my life. Who told you that everything went to shit when you arrived? Rath feels her answer Lonnie.

Yea, I know I know I shouldn't listen to what she said, I mean she was pissed when she told me these things, she was pissed for me taking you away from her but…

First off baby, you didn't take me away from her. I left her willingly. Second like I said before, Zan and I were fighting before you came into my life, so don't believe what Lonnie told you about everything being great with Zan and me. My anger just intensified when I found out what he did to you back on Antar… Ava speaking up interrupted Rath's thought to Dakeri.

"Hey you two stop leavin' us out of the conversation. It's rude." Ava laughs so we know she's not really mad at us for excluding her.

"Sorry Ava. I just can't resist touching every part of Rath. No matter what part it is." Dakeri moves closer to Rath at the stoplight and gives him a soft kiss on the lips. She gently licks his bottom lip.

Ever since they became a couple it's been difficult to leave each other's sides. They do of course, when Dakeri and Ava want to shop or hang out, or when Rath goes out of town or shoots pool with the guys at the local pool hall. He hardly ever hangs out with Zan anymore simply because he can't stand the 'King'. Lonnie never hung out with anybody as long as Dakeri was there; there were times of course when she would have too but if Lonnie could avoid spending time with her she would.

From what Dakeri remembers of one of the many fairy tales her mother told her of her life on Antar was that from the moment Dakerina and Rath mated they had to stay in close proximity with each other until they bonded. The bonding ceremony took place on Dakerina's eighteenth birthday and Rath's twenty-first, it was then the need to be near each other constantly would diminish, however it would always be there in the background.

The constant need to be with each other was a way for the couples and their families to know whether the couples were truly soulmates. Many would say they were but after they became mated their life went to hell.

Some mated couples would get so disgusted or exasperated at their mate that if an enemy tried to kill them they wouldn't lift a finger to help. However none of the mated pairs were killed it was just a test given by the religious leaders to see if their bond had stayed true.

If the pair failed the test, their memory would be wiped clean and a ceremony was held to annul the mated pair. But if they passed the religious leaders would give their blessing and begin to discuss the bonding ceremony.

"Come on Rath step on it, we gotta make it to Roswell by the end of the week." Zan commands.

"You know Duke that offer to kick your sorry ass outta this car still stands. Don't like how I'm drivin' then you shouldn't have come." He grinds out through clenched teeth. For once Zan keeps his trap shut, he may be an asshole but he's not an idiot, Rath will do what he says if he provokes him any further.

TBC