boyfriend or was just too dam n ugly to find a man. Ain’t met a man yet who wasn’t willing if I m ade the offer.”
“Well, I never did before either,” Kara sputtered, feeling her face heat up
again. “At least not until now. Sheesh! Talk about embarrassing. I was so hot, I
didn’t care who was watching.”
Dread kicked the object with her toe, sending it spinning across the room . “Maybe I need one of these. Whole lot better’n White Fang and his flock of creepybloodsucking ghouls.”
“You don’t know they’re bloodsuckers,” Kara sniffed, puzzled by her irritated reaction. “They were eating food just like we do.” At least they acted like they were eating. “The female breeders— or whatever they’re called—m ust have the constitution of horses. The erotic sensations that thing set off were…um m …really stimulating,” she finished lamely. “I’m still sweating.”
****
The image screen caught the Chalices’ interactions with the device—theshocked reactions of the onlookers and the response of his Chalice to the energysurges em itted by the stim ulator. Light danced across her som nolent features. The glazed eyes and moist, parted lips were blatant in their sexual invitation. Observing his Chalice in the throes of passion, his blood heated to the boilingpoint.
Jolted from his musings, Tegan flexed his purpled fingers, easing the aftermathof tensed fists gripping the table edge. Around him , the fascinated breeders staredat the screen, their concerted gazes fixated on his Chalice. Jealousy and blindpossession swelled in a churning rage. They had no right to see her thus! Butthey did, he admitted, suffering a brief spasm of anguish. He’d relinquished hisright to claim her, asking that the others do the same. His m ind understood andagreed, but even so, his heart refused to accept. For the short span of time he’dbelieved she belonged to him, he’d forged an emotional bond, one that was hardto deny. Closing his eyes, he rotated his neck, breathing with slow measuredinhalations, relieving the pressure of adrenalin pum ped m uscles. To allow his
emotions to spin out of control was unsettling and discouraging. He prided himself on clear thinking and structured decision-making. But they have no right, his heart argued. She belongs to m e! Burdened by unruly thoughts and unwarranted spurts of anger, he stood up, flicking off the viewing screen.
“We have things to do. Vaux tells me we’ll be within scanning distance of the Deg’Nara’s outpost soon and we need to prepare. If fortune flies with us, we’ll pass by without their sensors tracking our anti-m atter, but if not…” His fingers splayed across the entrance panel.
“You all have your duties. See to them .” He stalked into the communal room
,
half expecting to encounter the fem ales, but the room had em ptied and only a few
small pieces of waste remained. Som eday, he prom ised himself, someday she’ll
accept me.
Chapter Seven
Lost in thought, Tegan made his way up through the various levels of the ship,stopping for short intervals to acknowledge the handiwork of the crew or to giveencouragem ent. Desiring solitude, he at last reached the observation deck,gratified to find himself alone. He opened the viewing port and gazed into theendless blackness of space, broken by flickering shards of silver light. Thevastness overwhelmed him as it always did, evidence of his miniscule role in theworkings of the universe. He’d not joined the sky warriors in the dark times,opting instead to stay and defend the home planet. Maybe if I’d joined them,things m ight be different now. But perhaps not! W hat was gone would never bereturned and second-guessing past failures was a lesson in futility. He closed theviewing port, vowing to spend more time up here, away from the demands ofleadership.
Vaux’s broad back was bent over the m ain console. Absorbed with
“Well, I never did before either,” Kara sputtered, feeling her face heat up
again. “At least not until now. Sheesh! Talk about embarrassing. I was so hot, I
didn’t care who was watching.”
Dread kicked the object with her toe, sending it spinning across the room . “Maybe I need one of these. Whole lot better’n White Fang and his flock of creepybloodsucking ghouls.”
“You don’t know they’re bloodsuckers,” Kara sniffed, puzzled by her irritated reaction. “They were eating food just like we do.” At least they acted like they were eating. “The female breeders— or whatever they’re called—m ust have the constitution of horses. The erotic sensations that thing set off were…um m …really stimulating,” she finished lamely. “I’m still sweating.”
****
The image screen caught the Chalices’ interactions with the device—theshocked reactions of the onlookers and the response of his Chalice to the energysurges em itted by the stim ulator. Light danced across her som nolent features. The glazed eyes and moist, parted lips were blatant in their sexual invitation. Observing his Chalice in the throes of passion, his blood heated to the boilingpoint.
Jolted from his musings, Tegan flexed his purpled fingers, easing the aftermathof tensed fists gripping the table edge. Around him , the fascinated breeders staredat the screen, their concerted gazes fixated on his Chalice. Jealousy and blindpossession swelled in a churning rage. They had no right to see her thus! Butthey did, he admitted, suffering a brief spasm of anguish. He’d relinquished hisright to claim her, asking that the others do the same. His m ind understood andagreed, but even so, his heart refused to accept. For the short span of time he’dbelieved she belonged to him, he’d forged an emotional bond, one that was hardto deny. Closing his eyes, he rotated his neck, breathing with slow measuredinhalations, relieving the pressure of adrenalin pum ped m uscles. To allow his
emotions to spin out of control was unsettling and discouraging. He prided himself on clear thinking and structured decision-making. But they have no right, his heart argued. She belongs to m e! Burdened by unruly thoughts and unwarranted spurts of anger, he stood up, flicking off the viewing screen.
“We have things to do. Vaux tells me we’ll be within scanning distance of the Deg’Nara’s outpost soon and we need to prepare. If fortune flies with us, we’ll pass by without their sensors tracking our anti-m atter, but if not…” His fingers splayed across the entrance panel.
“You all have your duties. See to them .” He stalked into the communal room
,
half expecting to encounter the fem ales, but the room had em ptied and only a few
small pieces of waste remained. Som eday, he prom ised himself, someday she’ll
accept me.
Chapter Seven
Lost in thought, Tegan made his way up through the various levels of the ship,stopping for short intervals to acknowledge the handiwork of the crew or to giveencouragem ent. Desiring solitude, he at last reached the observation deck,gratified to find himself alone. He opened the viewing port and gazed into theendless blackness of space, broken by flickering shards of silver light. Thevastness overwhelmed him as it always did, evidence of his miniscule role in theworkings of the universe. He’d not joined the sky warriors in the dark times,opting instead to stay and defend the home planet. Maybe if I’d joined them,things m ight be different now. But perhaps not! W hat was gone would never bereturned and second-guessing past failures was a lesson in futility. He closed theviewing port, vowing to spend more time up here, away from the demands ofleadership.
Vaux’s broad back was bent over the m ain console. Absorbed with
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