Arton scanned open his cabin and motioned her inside before answering her question. “I was tethered to a string of instructors until I turned twelve.”
She took two steps into the cabin, but went no farther. “What happened then?”
He seldom thought about his years at Harbinger Academy and never spoke about the abuse he’d endured. But there was too much at stake for him to hide behind his pride. If he could transform her curiosity into cooperation, a few unpleasant memories would be well worth it. “Like you, I accepted that escape was impossible.”
“I haven’t accepted anything,” she warned.
Brushing past her, he walked farther into the room, hoping she’d follow. She didn’t. “Kage doesn’t make idle threats. If you don’t agree to cooperate, he will move on without you in the morning.”
Concern flickered through her gaze, yet her other features remained impassive. “Move on without me?” Challenge threaded through her tone. She still believed she had the upper hand. “That’s not possible. The transformation cannot be stabilized without the formula. If the overlord tries, people will die.”
“We’re well aware.” Arton moved to the sofa and sat, refusing to give in to her stubbornness. If she wanted to stand over there by the door, let her. This was doubtlessly going to be a long, frustrating conversation. “Fortunately for us, you’re not the only geneticist in this star system. Our team is relatively sure they’ve replicated the formula.”
A tall-backed armchair faced the sofa. She moved to stand behind it and rested her hands on top of the back cushion. “‘Relatively sure?’” Her challenging tone sharpened. “He’s willing to risk lives on ‘relatively sure’?”
“So audit their formula.” He crossed his legs and pressed back into the sofa, his voice every bit as challenging as hers. “Tell me where they went wrong or if they got it right.”
“If it’s wrong, I won’t tell you how to fix it,” she warned.
He chuckled. “Then you’ll tell me it’s wrong even if it’s right. I’m not stupid, Lily. But this has to end.” He uncrossed his legs and scooted to the edge of the sofa. “I’m asking you to help me prevent Kage from doing something rash. We’ve been here a month and the men are dangerously restless. If he doesn’t launch the transformation program soon, someone will challenge his right to rule.”
She finger-combed her hair back from her face as she worried her bottom lip. “Let me see it.” She sounded annoyed by her own request.
Pushing to his feet, he crossed the room and picked up his datapad. The formula was already on the screen. He’d been looking at it when Rex notified him that a couple of females had sneaked onto his shuttle. “Translate using human equivalents,” he instructed the handheld computer. Once the translation was complete, he crossed the room and handed her the device.
She studied the complex formula for a moment then shook her head. “It’s surprisingly close, but there are two mistakes. They cannot attempt a transformation with this formula. The result would be uncertain at best.”
He searched her gaze. She stared back at him, her expression open and seemingly honest. “Damn it,” he muttered. “I can’t tell if you’re lying or not.”
“I’m not,” she insisted. “This formula is flawed.”
“Then fix it. The program launches tomorrow with this formula unless you fix it.”
“You must convince them to wait.” She set the datapad down on a nearby table. “Even if the formula is right, the result is still at risk. The transformation cannot be forced. Resistance on the part of either party adversely affects the outcome.”
Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, he advanced. Kage was right. Arton hadn’t been nearly as persuasive as he was capable of being. He hadn’t wanted to frighten her. Well, the time for diplomacy was past. He either convinced Lily to help them or lives could be lost. “The couple came to us. They both want this badly.”
She echoed his movements, retreating as he advanced, until her back pressed against the bulkhead. “I don’t believe you.”
“He was assigned to guard your section, so they were together every day. Others commented on their attraction. Did you honestly not notice?”
“Oh no.” Her hand flew to her throat and color bled from her lovely face. “You’re talking about Jillian and Stront.”
He nodded. “Stront suspected that they were compatible, so Kage saw no reason not to tell him. Not only is Jillian his potential mate, but she has no other matches.”
Lily shook her head, eyes wide with fear. “You can’t let them do this. The results could be disastrous.”
“Then fix it!” He slapped his hand against the bulkhead and leaned in, his nose nearly touching hers. “Their lives are in your hands.”
Chapter Two
Lily’s throat tensed as her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel Arton’s breath on her lips, warm and inviting. For one mad instant, she wanted him to kiss her, longed to lose herself in passion and wish the conflicts of this strange world far away. But lives were at stake and Arton wasn’t interested in her as a woman, just as a scientist. She shook her head, snapping reality back into place.
“I won’t be bullied,” she said firmly. “If Stront wants to risk his life, that’s between him and the overlord. But I want to talk to Jillian. Take me back to my cabin.”
“No.” He moved his other hand to the bulkhead, surrounding her with his body. “If you want to protect your friend, fix the formula.”
Raising both hands to his chest, she shoved with all her might. He wouldn’t budge and the contact only accented his nearness, made her feel trapped and...tingly. She tried to duck under his arm. He caught her upper arms and pressed her back into place.
“Even if I let you go to her, it wouldn’t matter.” His tone deepened and his gaze began to smolder. “She’s experiencing the pull.” He bent and pressed his face against her hair, inhaling deeply. “Do you know what that means?”
She held perfectly still. He was scenting her, absorbing her pheromones to see if his body reacted. She knew all about the pull. The workstation in each cabin had been activated, though the access was limited. The captives could read books, trigger entertainment files, and detailed information about the transformation program. That was how the females explored the profiles of eligible males. The list of matches hadn’t been released yet, but Stront and Jillian weren’t the only compatible couple to find each other on their own.
“I know what it means.” She finally responded to his nearly forgotten question. “Instincts—and body chemistry—draw compatible couples together and urge them to...procreate. The level of compatibility determines the strength of their urges.” Did that explain her fascination with Arton? The pull wouldn’t kick in until he kissed her, but often females had a vague sense that something was different about a potential mate even before they kissed. She’d attributed her interest in Arton to the mystique surrounding his abilities. She’d never met a bonafide psychic before, much less one laser focused on her.
He raised one hand and stroked the side of her face, then gently tilted her head back. Excitement and fear twisted through her and she shook her head. If he kissed her, and if they were compatible, his taste would activate the pull in her. She wasn’t ready for this, wasn’t sure she wanted to find out she was genetically compatible with an alien. But he didn’t kiss her. He turned her head to the side and pressed his face against her throat.
“We’re not compatible,” he whispered. “So why do you smell so damn good?”
She tensed, yet disappointment washed over her in sobering waves. “How do you know if we’re compatible or not? You’re not in the database of eligible males. Did you have our DNA tested on your own?”
A chuckle rumbled through his chest and his lips brushed against the sensitive skin on the side of her neck. Tingles spread out across her flesh and she shivered. Why was he still touching her if they weren’t potential mates? And why in the world was she disappointed about his revelation?
<
br /> He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “Were you researching me?”
She shrugged, feeling anything but indifferent. In four short weeks many of the captives had begun to accept their new reality. They no longer thought about Earth and all they’d left behind. Instead they dreamed of the male who would claim them and anticipated a future on this untamed planet. It was hard not to become swept up in their excitement when she was continually surrounded by it. “It’s basic strategy to know as much as you can about your enemy.”
“Are we enemies?” He feathered kisses along her jawline, moving up toward her ear. “I don’t hate you. Do you hate me?”
He sucked her earlobe into his mouth and all she could do was gasp. The simple contact launched sensation in multiple directions. Tingles branched out across the back of her head while heat spiraled deep into her abdomen. Her nipples tingled and her core ached, responding despite all her mind’s logical objections.
“I need your help, Lily.” He whispered the words into her ear as he brushed her cheek with his knuckles. “Protect Jillian.” His thumb stroked over her lips. “Protect all the females. Keep them safe as they settle into their new lives.”
She narrowed her gaze on his handsome face, recovering enough to recognize his tactic. “I’m not desperate enough to fall for this shit. Stop touching me!” She batted his hand aside and tried again to push him away.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her forward, pressing her body against his from chest to knees. “I’m not sure I can. I’ve never felt this way before.”
Acting on instinct, she drew back her arm and slapped him hard across the face. His head snapped to the side, then he struck like a snake. He grabbed both her wrists and pinned them to the bulkhead on either side of her head. His jaw clenched and fury flashed through his silver-ringed eyes.
“Now you’re pissed off,” she pointed out. “Surely you’ve felt that way before.”
Understanding slowly penetrated his anger and he finally released her. He lowered his arms and reluctantly stepped back. “Hit me again and there will be consequences.”
He was right. She shouldn’t have hit him. That was just as wrong as him attempting to seduce her. She was smart enough to resolve conflicts without resorting to violence. “I want to talk to Jillian.” She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping he wouldn’t notice her beaded nipples. It was irrational to want someone she didn’t even like.
“It won’t make a difference,” he predicted, slipping back behind the brooding mask he wore so often.
“Then what do you have to lose? Don’t I have until morning to make up my mind?”
He raked his hair with one hand, jaw still tight, nostrils flared. “If Jillian changes her mind, Kage will simply find another couple. Your friend isn’t the only female who has already been contacted by her potential mate. In fact couples are being drawn together so fast, we might not need to use the database.”
“I still want to talk to her.” Nothing spread faster than gossip. If she detailed her concerns with Jillian and Sara, they would doubtlessly warn the other females. Even if her warnings didn’t keep all the women from falling under the Outcasts’ spell, she might make them leery enough to slow things down until she figured out another course of action.
“If you aren’t able to convince her to withdraw, will you fix the formula?”
She glared at him. This was so unfair. She was damned either way. If she fixed the formula, she was assisting the Outcasts in carrying out their twisted plan. But if she refused to correct their mistakes, Jillian—or one of the others—would likely be harmed, perhaps killed by the resulting transformation.
She had to do something. “I’ll decide after I’ve spoken with her.”
With a frustrated sigh, he relented. “Fine. Let’s go.”
He escorted her to the cabin she shared with the other three females. With bunkbeds, a corner workstation, and one tiny bathroom, there wasn’t much to recommend the accommodations. She scanned open the door and was pleasantly surprised when Arton remained in the corridor as she stepped inside.
“Oh thank God!” Sara cried, quickly climbing down from her top bunk so she could give Lily a hug.
“We heard you and Thea had been arrested,” Jillian explained. She sat cross-legged on the middle of the bunk beneath Sara’s. “Did you really try to steal a shuttle?”
Sara moved aside, so Lily sat on the foot of Jillian’s bunk. At twenty-three, Jillian was the youngest of the four roommates, and her freckled complexion made her appear even younger. She had short blonde hair, baby-blue eyes, and a smile that lit up her face. Lily, and even more so Thea, felt very protective of the younger woman. Jillian’s naiveté was the primary reason they’d both been so concerned when her attraction to Stront became obvious.
“We were looking for weapons, not trying to escape,” Lily told them, “but the result was the same. Thea’s down in detention and I’m now tethered to the harbinger.” She held up her wrist, displaying the alien bracelet. “If I get too far away from him, it zaps me.”
“How long is your leash?” Sara wanted to know. She was a pretty Latina with long dark hair and even darker eyes.
“Ten feet. He’s out in the hallway.”
“What are they going to do to Thea?” Sara digressed, worry creasing he bow.
“They’re hoping her mate will settle her down,” Lily grumbled, unable to hide her dislike of the idea.
Jillian scoffed. “They obviously don’t know Thea. Any man that tries to control her will have a wildcat on his hands.” Admiration made her words sound almost wistful.
“It’s only been a few months since she lost her whole family.” Sara shook her head, clearly upset by the suggestion. “How can they expect her to... It’s just not right.”
“Who knows.” Jillian scooted back and leaned against the bulkhead. “A loving man could be exactly what she needs.”
Lily hadn’t been sure how to bring up the transformation program, but Jillian had just given her an opening. “Is a loving man exactly what you need? I thought we’d all agreed to defy them.”
Jillian stilled. Her thick-lashed gaze darted toward Sara, then returned to Lily’s face. “Stront is different than any man I’ve ever met.”
“Could be because he’s not a man at all,” Sara chimed in, disapproval clear in her dark eyes. “He’s an alien, an alien that kidnapped you and is holding you against your will.”
“Is it still ‘against your will’?” Lily challenged. “Did you honestly volunteer to go first?”
Sara gasped. “She did what?”
“Stront and Jillian went to the overlord and asked if they could go first.” Lily shifted her gaze back to Jillian, who had drawn her legs up in front of her and was refusing to look at either Sara or her. “Did Stront put you up to it, or was it your idea?”
Her only response was a one-shouldered shrug.
“Have you had sex with him?” Sara’s question sounded more like an accusation.
“By Bill Clinton’s definition of sex or my mother’s?” A faint smile quirked the corners of Jillian’s mouth.
Lily didn’t even want to know the distinction. “Sexual contact of any kind will make the cravings stronger.”
She finally looked up. “Yeah, we figured that out. If Stront doesn’t claim me soon, we’ll both go insane!”
“I can’t believe this.” Sara tossed back her long dark hair, too agitated to stand still. “Did you not hear one word Lily told us? Transformation is dangerous under the best of circumstances. The Outcasts don’t even know what the hell they’re doing.”
“That’s not true!” Jillian unfolded her legs and swung her feet to the floor, apparently ready for a verbal battle. “We met with Dr. Foran. He answered all of our questions, so he has to be familiar with the process.”
“Did you ask him how many transformations he has overseen?” Lily challenged. “To my knowledge, the only successful transformations took place on battle born s
hips, so I’m relatively sure the answer is zero.”
Jillian’s shrug was slightly more convincing this time. “Someone has to go first. It might as well be me.”
“That’s so ignorant.” Sara turned her back. “I can’t even look at you right now.”
Lily tried not to smile, but failed. Sara was passionate about everything. She was also loving and often selfless, which made her volatility easier to tolerate. Challenging Jillian directly was only making her more determined, so Lily changed strategy. She pushed to her feet and let confusion fill her tone. “I thought you loved him.”
“Of course I love him.” She sounded horribly affronted. “Why would you say that?”
“If you love him, why are you encouraging him to do something that will likely cause him harm, maybe even end his life?”
Jillian’s mouth opened then closed. She licked her lips, then squared her shoulders. “If it’s so dangerous and Dr. Foran is so incompetent, why don’t you direct the program? That’s why they brought you along.”
“They didn’t just bring me along,” Lily snapped, but the barb found its mark. Not being compatible with anyone was especially annoying after Arton’s careless comment about the same damn thing.
Jillian’s tone softened and regret sparked in her big blue eyes. “I didn’t mean it like that. You know how the transformation works and you’ve overseen many of them. Why won’t you help us?”
“‘Help us’?” Sara spun back around, eyes wide with disbelief. “You’re siding with the Outcasts now?”
Lily had reacted similarly. Sara just beat her to the reply. Jillian didn’t respond, so Lily tried to drive her point home. “If I help them now, it puts us all in danger. Are you really selfish enough to make this decision for everyone?”
Jillian shook her head, her gaze defiant again. “It doesn’t work that way. The transformation can’t be forced. Dr. Foran said the result is always flawed if there is any sort of resistance. Every female has to choose for themselves.”
“Every female will be ruthlessly seduced by a male whose kiss is a sexual stimulant,” Lily argued.
Heretic Page 3
