I’m certain he’s using it as an excuse but it does need to be functional, and I do share responsibility, so I can’t really resent the request. Really though, I’ve always deferred to Laz on these matters in the past so it’s a bit disconcerting having to make the initial requests and deal with Titan.
Which is just another asteroid cluster. Titan has been avoiding me - I can feel it. Jasper tells me that he’s just busy with other affairs, but the fact that he has moved our lab closer to his primary residence means we should see more of him, not less. I know it’s unreasonable of me to want his input, especially since Laz and I have been running the lab without him for several yarns now, but there’s something about the situation that disturbs me.
I want him near us, and yet we’re all a bit mystified as to why he was given control of our Team to begin with. It makes no sense to have a Yellow in charge of a lab, although one could argue that the project that Laz and I work on is politically volatile, and needs oversight by someone who can navigate the ethical considerations and questions that come from outsiders.
Knowing that Jasper and Titan are friends seems like a bit of a conflict of interest as well. Really, it should make it a better situation, having someone who would be naturally predisposed to look kindly upon our efforts out of regard for his friend’s bondmates. But it’s more than that, and it all feels very confusing. Energy doesn’t lie; there’s more to the situation than meets the eye.
As for the Counsil, they’ve become a shadow to me - always in the background, but never visible. I haven’t been before them again since the day I arrived, yet, they’ve obviously decided that I belong here. I suppose, when I’m needed, I’ll be called before them again. Until that time, Titan assures me in the few brief moments I’ve seen him, that I am the new Counsil Healer. What that means exactly I’m waiting for someone to explain.
Until then, I need to deal with the two jealous admirers in front of me. Sending waves of calming energy across their auras, I try to dissipate the charge in the atmosphere before it becomes too electric. Suddenly, a new strategy burns into my brain. I’ve been avoiding energy exchange with both of them since Laz returned, since I couldn’t trust them together, and it seemed wrong to just be with one of them. Maybe that was my mistake - I needed to force them together rather than emphasize the separation.
Deciding it was worth testing my theory, I carefully send teasing energy first across Laz’s silica. The look of surprise on his face is quickly replaced with a darker look of desire that I’ve never seen on his face before. Reaching my hand toward his face, I feel jealousy begin to emanate from Jasper as he notes Laz’s expression, and I quickly send a spark against his silica in response,
The flare of energy that quickly flashes in response from Jasper sends a quiver of response through my hand which now rests against Laz’s neck. Red lights begin to flicker in his eyes, but this time, instead of anger, they begin to reflect Jasper’s hunger - which feeds his own.
Pinpricks of Jasper’s energy begin to penetrate my aura, sinking through my silica, to stimulate the peaks of my breasts where his hands have strayed. Jasper’s body eases up behind me, pressing heavily against me, and his twin organs twitch against my lower back, as if to remind me what I now have access to.
Directing some targeted energy to my hands, I drop one behind me to grasp his bulge, escalating the frequency in my hand to simulate heat, feeling him buck against me in response. Leaning forward, I continue to pull Laz’s neck toward me and seal my lips over his, using the directed energy of my tongue to sweep around his, the way Jasper taught me.
The startled flutter of Laz’s tongue quickly finds my rhythm as his eyes slit, trying to watch my expression as he follows my sweeping energy paths, until I send a searing point of heat to my tongue as well. His groan of pleasure is choked off slightly as Jasper begins to pull me more firmly back into his body, his large palms cupped possessively around each of my breasts.
Laz’s tongue chases my own as his mouth follows my head back to where it now rests against Jasper’s chest. Closing the space between us, he backs me up until I’m now firmly sandwiched between them. Glancing over my shoulder, I find Jasper’s dark gaze as one of his hands drifts down my body to cup me between my thighs. I’m wearing my exertion jumpsuit so there is little fabric to inhibit his motion, and heat begins to swirl in the energy from his palms.
I drop the hand wrapped around Laz’s neck to swirl across his shoulders, and drift downward on a southerly path, noting every vertebrae of his spine, before reaching his firmly muscled glutes and pulling his body against my own. Energy is sparking around the three of us in erratic pulses, not quite able to catch one common rhythm.
Realizing that Jasper’s hand is now trapped between my body and Laz’s, I push my hips forward so that the back of his hand is against Laz’s pleasure organs, and send a wave of energy from my core, through Jasper’s palm, out the back of his hand and into Laz. As one, we all inhale sharply as the combined connection of energy begins to resonate and tune into a rhythm. Laz’s eyes spring open to glare into Jasper’s satisfied smile, as a bolt of energy is directed through my body directly into Laz’s phallus, making him grunt in response, before a groan echoes from his chest and he thrusts against me, trapping Jasper’s hand even more firmly between us.
The confusion in Laz’s aura battles against his pleasure as energy continues to arc and spark around us. I’m suddenly conscious of the fact that we are in the lab, and not my suite, when the doorlock hisses and Titan suddenly enters. We freeze in a tableaux of erotic statues, and I find myself wishing the airlock would open and cast me into deepspace, away from the mortification.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Titan
Zirc! I can’t believe what I’m seeing, as anger wars with hunger, washing through my energy in waves. Do these geodes have no sense, indulging themselves out in the open this way? Still, I’m caught in the pleasure creasing the corners of Tanzy’s eyes, as she’s sandwiched between Laz and Jasper, in proper Venusian fashion.
I can’t help the small burn of rage that fires through my meridians, as this is what I’ve always wanted: a bondmate who is made for pleasure, and not afraid to indulge her males - separately and together. The fact that I am the only other Venusian in the room who is happy to indulge my femme this way fuels the feeling that I’ve been cheated of something that should be mine. I don’t understand how this could happen with the males who resent this part of her nature, and not the male who understands and would happily indulge her.
I’m actually a bit surprised by the embarrassment that lights her face as she begins to struggle between them, as if to pull away and separate herself from the magnificent sight I was just able to witness. I feel like I should reassure her in some way, but judging by her somewhat panicked expression, perhaps I should just leave it alone.
I wait patiently for them all to right themselves, and watch Tanzy scamper to the other end of the lab, as if putting a physical barrier like a table between us will help to ease the jealousy and resignation twisting inside me. Conjuring my blandest expression, I wait for her to speak, but she continues to stare at me mutely.
For Vishna’s sake! We’ve all got enough yarms behind us that we should be able to move past my interruption of their lust-soaked interlude, so I act as if I have no idea what was happening and use my most politically engaging tone.
“Tanzy, Laz, the Counsil has received word that a scouting team has struck a vein of Hemat on a previously uncharted star. They want you to see if it’s viable.”
“Where?” The excitement in Tanzy’s voice strikes amusement in my own. She is nothing if not single-minded when it comes to her research. I’ll have to remember that for the future; the easiest way to redirect her from any topic is to point her back to her research. I would almost enjoy the look of disgruntlement on Laz and Jasper’s faces at being interrupted, if the topic weren’t so important.
“Outside of Lyra. It’s thought that a recent solar
flare opened the vein, bringing it to notice. They want to send a small Mining Team down to survey the terrain. If you think the material is viable, they’ll create a temporary research site and lab, but they don’t want to go through the effort if it’s not viable, or large enough, to create an impact on your research.”
“When can we go?” Laz’s serious face is strained, and so is his jumpsuit, I laugh inwardly, although he’s also clearly focused on my words now rather than his recent activities - even if his body has yet to follow his new focus.
“There is no ‘we’. Just Tanzy.” I immediately hold up my hand, already anticipating his protest. “We can’t just have you stop the current research happening here. And since you have primary control of the lab, Laz, it only makes sense that we send Tanzy. Besides, her empathic abilities give her an edge under these circumstances. She can sense more subtle changes in a being’s energy and emotion. If the Hemat is viable, she’ll feel it in the energy of the team on the surface.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Jasper regards me intently before speaking. “I’ll be going with her.” Tanzy’s head turns toward him, a tremulous smile on her face, and I wish, just once, that she would direct a smile like that my way.
“Of course, as her bondmate, you would be expected to travel as her protector.” I nod at him significantly, letting him know I have no intention of allowing her to travel alone without one of us as a guardian.
“Perhaps you and I should go discuss the travel plans and accommodations on the planet surface.” Jasper stares at me steadily, and I know he wants more information which can’t be discussed in front of the others.
“Of course. Tanzy, you and Laz should start ordering and packing any initial materials that you think will be needed. I would say expect to need supplies for at least six sunphases. By that time, you should be able to determine whether there’s enough Hemat to work with, in which case we either abandon, or send for a full back-up team and supplies. You leave in two moonsphases.”
“Two! Vishna, that’s barely any time to get ready. Laz, grab the research data we have for Hemat and let’s see what test runs I can do in six sunphases.” She’s already dismissed us in her mind and settled into research mode, as Laz frowns briefly, concern creasing the space between his brows, before following her lead and tapping notes of necessary supplies on his tablet. I head for the exit knowing that Jasper will be hot on my heels.
We’re barely out of the lab before Jasper begins to speak, and I cut him off with my own grievance. “That was quite a display. What if someone else walked in and saw that? What if a Counsil member walked in?”
Jasper’s cocky expression makes me want to shoot him again, just for fun. “What? We’re all bonded, and she started it. Who am I to deny my bondmate anything she desires?”
At my sour look, he backs down and looks away before acknowledging my grievance. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to grind it on you.” We walk in silence until entering my suite, where I pour us both a hydrogen shot, before telling him my reservations.
“I don’t like this, Jasper. It came from out of the void. I don’t know who brought the intelligence, or put it before the Counsil. My father is playing politics on this one and won’t reveal what’s happening, but something’s off.”
“You realize she’s never been off-planet before? She’s going to be totally disoriented, I’m going to have to stick to her like moss.” Jasper doesn’t sound as concerned about that as he should, which irritates me even more.
“Focus, geode! This is not an opportunity for an illicit energy exchange. You need to pay attention; they’re only allowing you to take a small team. I’m told there’s no one on the star now, but there are no guarantees someone else won’t land—especially if it’s rumored that there’s a vein of Hemat there. I won’t be there to watch your back.”
“I’m aware of that, Titan. I am a Warlord, am I not?” He throws back his drink and pours another before responding further. “I do know how to protect myself—at least until a friend shoots me unexpectedly.”
I can’t help wincing at that one. You make one small mistake and, Vishna knows, I’m never going to live it down. “I get it, Jasper. I’m just telling you, every instinct is telling me something is wrong here. Someone targeted Amet, and now they’re targeting Tanzy, and we don’t know why. Until we figure it out, you need to be the biggest predator in the room.”
“I’ve been teaching her self-defense,” he assures me, adding, “She’s not a bad shot with an energybolt, and I’ve been forcing her to build her speed and stamina. I’m trying to ensure she’s not completely defenseless without us, but I don’t intend to leave her alone, you can be sure.”
“Ok, well, stay close and keep in communication. I don’t have to tell you that being down there with just a Science Team makes me uneasy. Maybe you can convince your father to send a few additional guards.”
Jasper nods, heading for the door, turning as it swishes open. “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.” Giving me a piercing look, he continues, “When we come back, you should stop hiding and spend some more time with us. You never know…”
Never know what, I wonder? Is he trying to pacify me or does he also feel something in the charge every time Tanzy and I are together? Once more, I tamp down the small seed of hope that sprouts in the back of my mind—knowing how small the odds are—but then, so were the odds of finding a vein of Hemat.
Swallowing my drink, I send a secure message to my friend on the inside, to see if he has any better intelligence than I do.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Tanzy
The last two sunphases have been a rush of strategy, packing, and research. I’ve been trying to find out everything I possibly can about this small star that they have christened Hema, in honor of what we hope to find there. The atmospheric conditions are not optimal for our species so we will be outfitted in containment suits to regulate our breathing, silica, and natural functions.
With repeated exposure to the atmosphere, it’s possible that we may be able to discard the containment suits once we get there, but that’s more likely a long-range goal if we find enough to keep us there more than six cycles. I am so excited by the thought of exploring a world other than Krysalis that my silica is practically sparking with impatience. We’re still close enough to our solar system that it shouldn’t affect the strength of our silica, so I’m not as excited as I would be if we were going to an anchored world. Jasper continues to promise me that we will visit another solar system one day.
Laz has gone from excited, to concerned, to frustrated. I know he’s unhappy about the disruption in the exploration of our bond, especially with what was happening to us as a Triad. But, honestly, we have yarns to get that under control. It might benefit us to add some separation back into the mix, but it’s obvious that he wishes that he was the one to have this dedicated time with me, rather than allowing Jasper to reap the benefit.
Which brings me to my self-defense training. In light of everything we needed to finish before our journey, it seemed obvious that there was no time for self-defense; but apparently Jasper disagrees. He’s been training me even harder, and insisting that I practice my shooting. My protests have fallen on deaf ears, and he even had a standard energybolt issued to me as an official weapon. It’s a bit ridiculous, a Healer with an energybolt, but sometimes it’s just easier not to argue.
The room has been cleared of my travel bags and supplies as I do a mental inventory of everything I packed, when I hear the airlock swish and Jasper enters with Laz and Titan.
“Are you ready?” Jasper asks a bit impatiently, but I’m not the one that has been delaying our departure. It’s his endless security checks that have been keeping everyone waiting. At my nod, he clasps hands with Titan, then with Laz, before telling me he’ll meet me on the ship.
Laz takes this opportunity to embrace me fully, and despite our audience, wrap my aura in his energy before whispering in my ear. “I’ll see you soon. W
e have energy to explore and enjoy, even if it has to include the Boulder.” I can’t stop the helpless laughter that erupts from my lips at Laz’s newest nickname for Jasper. Oddly, it fits, and even more ridiculous, Jasper doesn’t seem to mind. Not that Laz has actually called him that directly, but it’s obvious that he knows and doesn’t care.
Backing away, Laz releases me, vowing that he will keep our Lab Rats productive and on track while I’m gone. I know he’s hoping that the research on Hema will continue, if only because it will give him a reason to also be able to explore a world outside of Krysalis. I hope, for his sake, that this becomes a reality for us all.
Finally, Titan and I are alone in the silent chamber as I make a last good-bye to Karma, knowing that, as always, Laz will watch over her while I’m gone. I don’t know why her presence is so reassuring, but oddly, I really miss her when she’s not around.
I turn to find Titan staring at me, and I’m unnerved by the intensity of his energy. Once again, I feel the hunger of his desire pushing at my energy, even though he doesn’t say anything about it, focusing instead on the research.
“Tanzy, as your Team Leader, I’m telling you to stay close to Jasper.” He immediately cuts off my protest as if anticipating it.
“I know you’re excited about being off-planet, but this is an unknown star, anything can happen there. You’ll have a small security squad, but I need you to pay as much attention to what is happening around you as you do your research.”
His eyes search mine as if trying to imbed some knowledge into my brain. “Are you with me?” He waits for my nod and frowns when I don’t immediately bob my head in assent. “Please don’t make me pull you from this mission.”
“You wouldn’t!” I gasp, horrified at the thought, although I’m pretty certain that despite his threat, it’s too late for even him to pull that off.
Spectral Vibrations Page 21
