Luke made one last attempt, halfhearted as it was, to stop what he and Celeste had set in motion. Turning away from her, he took a step toward the door, but she was before him in an instant. He froze, torn between lust and shame. 

Celeste dropped her stare to his obvious erection. When she again extended a hand to touch him, he did nothing to dissuade her. Eagerly, she worked to unbuckle his belt. 

"Celeste." Her name was sharp on his tongue. 

She looked up, searching Luke's face. Gazing down at her, he felt his shame giving way to undeniable need.

Celeste gasped as he seized her arms, backing her up against the wall. Yet he saw the shadow of a smile resting on her lips. Though he was shaking, the task of freeing his cock from his pants proved effortless. Celeste had already lifted her T-shirt, gathering its hem around her waist. Her eyes were large, luminous with her own desire. The flush spreading across her skin could have been mistaken for fever, but Luke knew better.

When he took hold of Celeste's right leg, aiming to spread her wide while supporting her in a standing position, she surprised him by elevating her leg like a graceful dancer so that her ankle rested on his shoulder. Now, she was standing practically in a split, and the heat of her sex radiated against his cock. 

Luke guided himself to her entrance, desperate to slide deep inside. Clinging to him, Celeste nodded emphatically. Words seemed superfluous after all their recriminations and apologies.

He took her with a powerful thrust, and as his hips began their fervent pumping, she let out a moan of such satisfaction that the sound made his balls tighten. This wasn't the kind of lovemaking Luke knew with Vanessa, and that he'd known with Helena. This was fucking, raw and animalistic. He could hear and smell it; looking down, he could easily see it, too. 

Celeste's fingers clawed at his shirt. If this position caused her any discomfort, she gave no sign. Instead, she grabbed Luke's hair and guided his mouth to hers. How completely she gave herself to him, her body accepting his entire length again and again.  

"Is this what you want?" Luke growled against her lips. He knew it was, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"So much!" Celeste cried. Turning her head, she studied the full-length mirror affixed to the wall. Luke followed her stare, groaning as he witnessed their coupling. It made him lose the last shred of his restraint.

Only seconds later, he felt the orgasm shudder through her body. He held her fast, for her grip on him had slackened while she surrendered to her contractions. Already, his shirt was damp with sweat, but he maintained his relentless rhythm. 

Celeste released a scream as another round of spasms made her muscles tighten, and the sight of her coming so hard brought Luke to the brink as well. "I'm close," he revealed, even as he dreaded the moment he'd be forced to withdraw.

Celeste's leg slipped from his shoulder, only to loop around his waist. It was then that Luke realized she had no intention of letting him pull out. In seconds, she was wrapped tightly around him, her arms circling his neck.

He was too far gone to try to loosen her hold. Again, their mouths met, and he yearned for the feel of her tongue sliding over his.

With his hands cupping Celeste's ass, Luke resumed his merciless fucking. She was pinned between his cock and the wall behind her, held aloft as he claimed her cunt. "Come inside me," she whimpered. 

Wild to do just that, Luke felt his cock throb and twitch while buried inside Celeste. Did she feel it, too? Did she realize just how dangerously close he was?

Perhaps that knowledge summoned forth her next climax. Luke reached his own release almost simultaneously; his muscles tensed beneath Celeste's hands while his moan betrayed the visceral satisfaction overtaking him. Celeste's tight pussy seemed determined to siphon every drop of his semen. 

Even as they remained joined, slowly coming down from the height of their bliss, remorse settled over Luke like a filmy residue. Gently, he eased out of Celeste and set her on her feet. If regret troubled her at that moment, it wasn't visible in her eyes. Instead, she beamed up at him, her gaze full of affection.

They shared a final kiss, this one almost chaste in comparison with the others. Already, Luke was worried about the guilt Celeste might later feel. Brushing her hair back from her face, he murmured, "I don't want you to feel ashamed about what just happened between us." He perfectly understood that he should be the one to bear that burden. 

Celeste's smile morphed into a puzzled expression. "Why would I be ashamed? It was what I wanted, and I'm so glad you gave it to me, Luke."

Drawing her to him, he planted a kiss on the top of her head. "We should get cleaned up, and then we'll eat breakfast, okay?"

She readily nodded her agreement. Once she'd slipped into the main bathroom, Luke retreated to his bedroom, closing the door behind him. He leaned against it for support while viciously berating himself. How the hell could he have lost control like that? A sick dread grew in the pit of his stomach, and with it, the realization that he could never forgive himself for what he'd just done.

But he also knew he couldn't allow Celeste to discern his true feelings. He had to put her mental state before his own.

After quickly washing up, Luke stepped out into the hall. On the way to the kitchen, he passed Celeste, who'd just emerged from the bathroom. She offered him the sweet smile which was already so familiar, and a surge of relief momentarily dampened his self-loathing. 

Rummaging through the cabinets, he called out, "So we've got cornflakes and instant oatmeal. Which would you rather have, Celeste?"

Silence was the only response. Luke frowned and started out of the kitchen. Maybe she'd closed the guest room door and hadn't heard him.

It took just a second for him to see that wasn't the case. "Celeste?" His voice betrayed his growing worry. Rushing toward the bedroom, he looked around and found it empty. Again, he spoke the woman's name, practically shouting it now. And again, he received no answer.

Of course, Luke was well aware of the potential consequences of what he'd done. He'd tried to tell himself that Celeste was no longer plagued by guilt and shame, and so she wouldn't have another episode. But those assurances vanished from his mind as he sank to his knees to peer under the bed.

She wasn't there. 

Still on his hands and knees, Luke glanced at the closet, whose door was open. It was then that he spotted a bare foot, a slender ankle...

Crawling across the floor, he realized he was covered in sweat. Anxiety threatened to render him useless at this critical moment. Shaking off the panic, he reached the closet and found Celeste curled up on its floor, the curve of her spine against the wall. Luke remembered Liam's alarm when he described the way he'd discovered Celeste in the same state. He said she'd burrowed under his bed like an animal.

As Luke gently grasped the unconscious woman and drew her toward him, he also recalled what she'd said the night before. Orion had told her she would enter a dormant state following intercourse, one which would enable cell modification.

It made no fucking sense whatsoever, but Luke felt a chill all the same, for Celeste did seem like an animal who had curled up in a dark, hidden place in order to protect herself while she was utterly helpless. 

Luke carried her to the bed. When he laid her down upon it, her head lulled to the side. He checked her pulse, which was normal, as was her breathing. Realizing she was in no immediate danger, he could only sit next to her and pray she would soon wake.

He leaned forward, holding his head in his hands. Maybe Celeste was right: maybe he was hurting her. Was he any better than Orion? Swearing under his breath, he stood and paced the small room. Thinking back to yesterday and what Liam had shared about his night with Celeste, Luke estimated that she'd been unconscious for less than twenty-four hours during her first episode. Perhaps her second one would be shorter.

Luke came to a stop beside the bed. Caressing Celeste's cheek, he was relieved to find that she wasn't hot to the touch. If anything, her skin was cool. She still wore only his T-shirt. As he set about dressing her in more appropriate clothing, he found it wasn't so easy without Vanessa's help. 

Once Celeste was wearing clean panties, a pair of lounge pants, and one of Helena's old T-shirts, Luke drew the covers up to her waist. Though he knew he'd be practically crawling the walls of this house until she woke, hovering over her would accomplish nothing.

Instead, he took his phone into the living room, where he called Vanessa. Expecting her voicemail, he was surprised when she answered. "How's everything going?" she wanted to know.

Luke closed his eyes and drew in a breath before uttering the lie. "We're fine. How are things at the clinic?"

"Unexpectedly quiet, so I'm outside enjoying an early lunch break." There was a brief pause before Vanessa went on. "Do you feel like Celeste has fully recovered by now? Liam's called twice already."

A grim smile formed on Luke's lips. "He's certainly persistent, isn't he? If Celeste continues showing no sign of illness, I'll feel comfortable bringing her back to the clinic tomorrow." Deception was like an acrid pill on his tongue, one he'd be forced to swallow for some time. His intuition told him Celeste would soon wake, and when she did, he wouldn't try to stop her from returning to Liam. The young man would take good care of her out at the Hall place. Maybe he could convince her to stay clear of the mountains. 

And clear of Orion.

Vanessa's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "You sound a little strange," she said.

Tension made Luke bristle. "How so?"

"You sound... on edge. Are you sure everything's okay?"

Her ability to read him, even over the phone, bordered on uncanny. How would he ever be able to look into her eyes and convince her nothing had happened between him and his patient? 

"I'm fine, really," he quietly insisted. "And if all goes well today and tonight, Celeste can leave our care. Of course, I'll need a way to reach her when I get the results of her bloodwork—"

"Sorry, Luke, I have to go," Vanessa spoke in a rush. "Graham's gesturing me back inside; a patient must be out front. Call me later, okay?"

She was gone before he had a chance to say goodbye. 

Luke returned to the guest room, where he found Celeste's condition unchanged. If his intuition was wrong, and she didn't wake by tomorrow, he'd have no choice but to take her back to the clinic in this state. He feared Vanessa would instantly see through his lies. 

Luke sat in the chair by the window, as he should have done the night before. Every so often, he rose to check Celeste's pulse, temperature, and blood pressure. All the while, he repeated their past conversations in his mind, trying to work out the puzzle she presented to him. 

By the time the late afternoon shadows grew heavier on the bedroom floor, Luke realized he hadn't yet eaten anything that day. In the kitchen, he microwaved leftover spaghetti and forced himself to clean his plate. Afterward, he tried to read an article in a medical journal, but his ability to concentrate was gutted. He kept listening for Celeste's voice, for any sound from her at all.

It was almost dark when Luke stood and went to his bedroom to change into the sweats and T-shirt he'd worn last night. He'd stay in the guest room again, but in the chair this time. He'd slept in far less comfortable places.

Yet his resolve weakened the moment he saw Celeste's face. In the soft lamplight, she looked at peace, her brow unfurrowed. Whatever was taking place within her caused no outward distress. 

Before Luke was able to talk himself out of it, he climbed into bed next to her, then turned off the light. The sound of her steady breathing made the tension slowly drain from his muscles.

He soon found it difficult to keep his eyes open; the full night's sleep he'd just gotten couldn't make up for all the ones before when he'd mostly lain awake. Beneath the covers, he sought out Celeste's hand. Though he was almost sure she couldn't hear him, he still whispered, "I'm sorry."

*****

It was Celeste who eventually woke him. "Luke, are you alright?" Her voice was low but urgent.

Opening his eyes, he felt her grasping his arm. "I'm okay," he replied, the words thick on his tongue. The room was still dark, but he could discern Celeste's form, silhouetted by moonlight.

"You were making a wheezing noise," she told him. "I was afraid you couldn't breathe."

Luke extended a hand toward the bedside lamp, fumbling for its switch. The sudden illumination made him squint. "When I got sick earlier this year, the virus took a toll on my lungs." The explanation was an afterthought, for it was Celeste he was concerned about. Turning toward her again, he grew weak with relief. She appeared absolutely fine, just as she had yesterday evening at the clinic. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm okay, too," she assured him. "I'm guessing I lost consciousness again?"

"You were completely unresponsive. I found you curled up in the closet."

Celeste considered his words for a long moment. "I knew the risk," she finally said, "but it was what I wanted." Her eyes locked with his. "I wanted you to become a part of me."

Luke sensed he wouldn't be able to shake her of that belief. Not tonight, at least. Instead, he told her, "You need to eat."

Though she claimed she wasn't hungry, he convinced her to eat some oatmeal. To appease him, she also drank two large glasses of water. "Can we go back to bed now?" she asked when he finished washing the few dirty dishes. "I still feel tired."

Luke was so relieved that Celeste was awake and responsive that he would have done almost anything she asked. He also figured that once he returned to his regular schedule at the clinic, sleep would again evade him, so he should take the opportunity to rest now. 

In the guest room, he offered to stay in the chair, but Celeste wouldn't hear of it. Once they lay side by side in the dark room, with the covers pulled up close to their chins, she nestled against him. Without hesitation, he slipped an arm around her. 

"I promise I won't tell anyone about what we shared today, Luke," she whispered. "I know it needs to stay a secret."

Instead of making him feel better, her promise only served to resurrect his shame. It was his fault that she was forced to keep such a secret. He should have been stronger. 

"If you'd like," Celeste went on, "I'll tell you another secret."

Luke was instantly alert. "You can tell me anything."

Her silence led him to believe she'd changed her mind. Luke didn't try to push her; instead, he merely held her and waited.

"I wasn't being truthful when I told you I didn't know what happened to the men in my community," she revealed. "I do know what happened to them and my aunts." He heard her draw in a shaky breath. "And to my mom."

Luke lay completely still; his own breath was bottled up in his lungs. 

"You remember I said there were other helpers before Orion." Celeste grazed Luke's bare arm with her fingertips. "They were the reason my grandmother moved her family into the mountains to begin with."

"I remember," Luke dared to reply.

"When they made themselves known not only to Grandma, but to the rest of my family, everyone welcomed them at first. They proved that Grandma's visions were real, and that my family members had made the right decision by leaving their old lives behind."

"What changed?" he asked softly.

"One by one, those helpers made their intentions clear. Each wanted a woman in our community for himself. Even my aunts who were already married." 

Luke's eyes widened in the dark. He'd pondered many possibilities as to what led to the sudden departure of the men, but this wasn't one of them. "I imagine that caused quite a conflict," he managed to say.

"From what my grandmother told me not long before she died, it led to the community splintering. You see, everyone could accept that these helpers were from another world; for a time, they were treated like divine beings, here to help our family usher in a new era of peace." 

Celeste moved even closer, though Luke hadn't believed it possible for her to do so. It was as if she was trying to burrow into him, to hide from the truth of her words.

"That wasn't their plan at all, though, was it?" He stroked Celeste's hair, trying to comfort her. 

"No. What they really wanted was to take my aunts, and my mother, to their own world. They described it as a glorious place, without cold or hunger. Without all the strife that defines life on this planet." She let out a sigh. "My grandmother knew of this plan all along. And in time, my aunts fell in love with these beings. They stopped being intimate with their husbands, who were of course furious. And the young men who'd recently joined our community were angry as well, for they realized if they stayed, they'd never have a romantic relationship with any of the unmarried women."

Luke could easily picture the resentment among those men as their friends, wives, and sisters-in-law were seduced, one by one, by the interlopers. "What about your mother? Did she want to leave?"

"Not then. After she fell in love with one of the helpers, she became pregnant with me. That's when the human men decided to abandon the community. They said they wouldn't raise the children of such evil creatures." Celeste's voice dropped, as though she was ashamed to confess these things. "I was the reason the community split apart."

"You weren't," Luke hurriedly said. "Even if your mother hadn't gotten pregnant, the men wouldn't have tolerated that situation much longer. None of that was your fault in any way." When she didn't answer, he gently pressed on. "How did your grandmother react to the men leaving?"

"She wasn't worried; she knew the helpers would take care of us. And they did, for years." Celeste lay with her face just inches from Luke's. He could feel her warm breath on his lips. "Grandma was willing to let my aunts leave, one by one, but she made Mama promise to wait until I was grown."

"So you believe..." Luke hesitated, afraid the wrong words would upset her. "You believe your father isn't human?"

"I know he isn't," she insisted. "And he came back for my mother last fall. She left with him."

"Which left you as the last young woman in the community." He tried and failed to keep the anger from his words. "And it was Orion who arrived to claim you for himself. Is that it?"

"He didn't claim me," Celeste argued. "We fell in love."

"And you want to leave with him?"

"I have no reason to stay, now that Grandma's gone." A sob caught in her throat, and her swallow was audible as she forced it back down. "I don't belong in your world, Luke."

A fierce ache began in his chest, but he managed to keep his voice steady. "Will you promise me one thing, sweetheart?"

"I'll try."

"Promise me that when I take you back to the clinic tomorrow, you'll go home with Liam. Promise me you'll stay with him until I can talk to you about the results of your bloodwork. Okay?" When Celeste didn't answer, he pressed a hand against her cheek. "If Orion comes back, tell him you need to wait just a bit longer."

"I don't know if—"

"If you made it across the ridge, Orion can, too. He'll know where you are, and after you and I talk again, you can leave with him if you still want to. But I need you to promise you'll wait until you hear from me."

Seconds passed, stretching toward a minute. "I promise," she finally said. 

Luke held Celeste tight, reluctant to let her go. Somehow, he had to convince her that her grandmother had filled her head with delusions. He had to make her see that Orion and those other "beings" were merely men. 

Luke had no idea what had happened to Celeste's aunts, or her mother, but he refused to let her suffer the same fate. 

*****

The two of them slept soundly that night, and in the morning, Luke called Vanessa to let her know Celeste appeared to be fully well. "Try to get hold of Liam," he said, "and we'll arrange to meet him at the clinic."

It was a little after two that afternoon when Luke and Celeste left his house. Glancing over at her in the passenger seat, he discovered she was studying him closely. 

"Everything alright?" he asked with a smile. 

"I'm fine," she responded, then briefly placed her hand on his lower thigh. It was a gesture of affection rather than lust, and Luke couldn't help but be relieved. Unlike him, Celeste didn't seem to regret what they'd done, yet she hadn't pushed for more. He hoped she would now focus on her budding relationship with Liam.  

When they reached the clinic parking lot, Vanessa and Liam were waiting for them. The sight of Vanessa sent a deluge of guilt crashing through Luke, souring his stomach. Her bright smile and friendly wave only added to his shame. Liam wore a huge grin, making no attempt to hide his happiness at being reunited with Celeste.

Celeste waited until Luke had parked the car and cut the engine before she unbuckled her seatbelt. Already, Liam was at the passenger door, ready to open it for her. Luke was slow to get out; even now, he sensed the reckoning in store for him.

Finally, he had no choice but to join the small group. With a smile pasted on his face, he glanced at Vanessa, then quickly averted his eyes. 

"Look what Vanessa gave us!" Liam opened a paper bag to show Celeste the fresh vegetables inside. "They came from someone's garden. It's been ages since I've eaten a carrot."

Listening to Liam, Luke felt a pang in his chest. So many things they'd once taken for granted, they now cherished: a raw carrot, a breath of fresh air not filtered through a mask. 

Vanessa placed a hand on his arm. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

Still avoiding her gaze, he nodded. Celeste turned toward him then, as if she could discern his turmoil. Her eyes held a message Luke immediately understood: your secret's safe.

But Luke realized it wasn't. Not when the guilt was eating him alive right where he stood. 

The young woman stepped forward, and he opened his arms to her. "Thanks again for taking care of me," she whispered while they embraced.

Luke could feel Vanessa's stare on him. "Remember what you promised," he told Celeste.

She nodded before returning to Liam's side. Luke and Vanessa watched the couple leave; everyone waved and called out their goodbyes. Through the passenger window of Liam's SUV, Celeste regarded Luke. He knew she was searching his face, trying to read him. He managed another smile in order to put her at ease.

Only when the SUV disappeared from sight did Vanessa look over at Luke. "We need to talk," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. "Right now."