Zero to Infinity

After dinner, the two shifters headed back to the hotel room. That night, Jenny thought about all the things that zero shared with her. He was more fascinating than she could have ever imagined. He seems so brute and uptight at times that she didn’t think he could truly be humanlike.

The next day they woke. Driving for hours, she continued to ask questions and he continued to wonder more. There seem to be a small connection blossoming between the two.

“So zero... Have you ever had a girlfriend?” Jenny couldn’t believe she jumped straight to that question. But she wanted to know.

“On Mount pioneer, we don’t have boyfriends and girlfriends. We have mates. We become betrothed?“.

“Oh yeah that’s right...“, Jenny replied feeling that hint of immaturity and stupidity. Jenny didn’t remember zero telling her about being betrothed to anyone. Was she supposed to be betrothed to someone?

“But you guys don’t ever like, have crushes or like someone?”

“No... I guess not,” zero replied as if he had never thought about it..

“So tell me about the matriarch. Is she a queen or your leader?”

“The matriarch is one of the first of our people to leave our home planet. They established base at other planets for us to explore. It is her job to make sure we collect as much information as possible. She’s amazing. Stern but amazing. She would be what I called a mother”

“Awww, that’s sweet”.

“Each location is made up with one matriarch and three councilman. We are what you humans would probably call knights.”

“Ohh, like king Arthur, how Noble” Jenny said with a little snicker in her voice. ” I always like a man in uniform”.

Looking at her from the corner of his eyes and not actually getting annoyed, Zero lifted a small smile. Catching it just at the tail end, Jenny realized that zero did not have a scowl on his face.

Jenny reached for her cup of coffee in the cup holder just as zero reach for the gear shift. It was in that moment that they locked hands. Both freezing in the physical interaction that they had, time seem to stand still.

The last time Jenny was touched by zero, it was in the form of an animal grabbing her to get away from Gordon. Something about his touch sent her over the moon. Jenny looked down at her hands and then looked up at zero. He was looking at her. Forgetting he was driving, and with a deer rushing across the road, zero swerved a bit and pulled off on the side.

Jenny thought it would be a good idea to sit and take a break. They did have a lot of driving to do and the tension was boiling between them. She wanted to fall into his lips and kiss him. They seem sweet. But he also didn’t seem like the type to break the rules of the betrothed. She had no idea who she would be patrolled to but zero was starting to grow on her.

As Jenny start taking a break, she began to think about what life might be like on Mount pioneer. She started to wonder how possible it would be for her to become the new matriarch. Understanding things the way zero explained, it was her understanding that she would have three councilman to work for her. This was exciting as she would have three men to her back and call but also intimidating as they would be more mature and older than she would be.

Zero could see her thinking extremely hard. He wanted to ease her mind from the tension of the hands in the car and whatever she was thinking about. Because he knew something that she did not.

“What are you thinking about over there?” He asked.

“You said Theorians would be betrothed. That means like they’re required to be with someone.” Jenny asked hesitantly.

“Yes. But don’t worry about that”. Zero didn’t want to have that conversation at all. And that was clear.

“Why not? Do you know who you’re betrothed to?” Jenny asked with such curiosity.

“Yes.”

“Oh is she pretty?” Jenny asked. Recognizing the same face of angst and annoyance about his betrothed would cause him to become more upset with her. He just seemed to start to like her so she was afraid that probing anymore questions would just make him mad.

“She beautiful. Amazing even. But she doesn’t know she’s my betrothed yet”

“Awww”, Jenny sighed. ” How come she doesn’t know yet?”

“As a councilman, we end up knowing a lot more than we want sometimes. So I know, and she doesn’t yet.”

“And when do you think you’re going to tell her?”

“I’m not sure she’s ready to know yet!” He said with almost a sad hint in his eyes. It was at that moment that Jenny realized they should probably drop the subject.

Zero insisted on changing the topic. Zero asks what Jenny thinks of when she shape-shifts into an animal?

Jenny replies, “A bird because they have wings to fly and fly in the sky. They can go anywhere they want. Sometimes, I imagine I can fly for hours. My wings get tired after about 2 hours. But oh the wonder of being able to fly around the world. Or from sun up to sun down. Magical, don’t you think?”

Zero starts to reply and says that he shares her passion, except on the ground. The two share a few more exchanges and bask in the sun.

Heading back to the car, Jenny wonders who her betrothed is going to be.

“I hope mine is that November guy. I’m sure he’s just as handsome as the rest of you. I mean with a name is like...” She thought about it before she finished her statement. She knew things like that would bother Zero, so she tried to refrain from it. It didn’t stop her from thinking it though. And she sure thought it. How cool it could be promised to November.

She remembered seeing his chiseled frame on the hallway walls heading to dinner the night before they left. There were three portraits following the one of a beautiful poised woman. The first picture was a bronze skinned, brown haired and light brown eyes chiseled man, the second was non other than Zero, and the third was that of a less significantly looking man with similar features as the first.

They hop back on the road and proceeded to the second location. When they arrive, the door had been open. One stepping in, they saw the room trashed. Lamps were tossed on the floor as well as small items. I items I seem unnecessary to throw around. There are books and shattered pieces of glass everywhere. In the kitchen, you could hear the tea kettle hissing. Someone was in the middle of making themselves coffee when they were interrupted.

“We’re too late”, sighed. Jenny

“Damnit” Zero said in frustration as he realized they needed to hurry back on the road. “Gordon must have gotten here before we did.”

“Yeah no kidding smart guy. What are we going to do?”

Feeling the blood beneath his skin begin to boil, Zero snapped out of his isolation.

" Grab anything that looks like it can be a weapon. We’re going to need some food also.” He noted as he calmed his speech and began to rationalize.

“So what’s the deal with this Gordon guy?“, Jenny ask says she was gathering food out of the kitchen.

" The Gordon I knew, the Gordon I grew up with, was one of the coolest guys you’d ever meet. He was Smart as a whip and knew how to have a good time. Nothing like this one. This Gordon wants to wipe us out.” Zero said as he recalled their childhood memories.

“Hurry up, lets get going”, Zero said, seeming to cut himself off from recollections.

“Got plenty of food. Are you ready to go?“, Jenny said realizing that this too was going to be a conversation they would not be able to have. With so much going on, the last thing she wanted to do was irritate Zero. Because at this point, he was all she had. And she was all he had. And until the matriarch was rescued, they would have to learn to get along. She couldn’t wait to learn everything she needed to know.