“A brisk walk should calm you down.” He took her hand and led her out of the restaurant. “If not, I’ll kiss it out of you.”
He reinforced the playful threat with a wink, but tingles spiraled down her spine. She was feeling the pull again, just in a different way. He’d warned her that the hormones could make her combative. At least she was calm enough to recognize the quality in herself. “If I promise not to say anything until you’ve finished your explanation, will you tell me what changed between then and now? Why are you now willing to pursue a mate?”
His fingers squeezed hers and he didn’t seem offended. “Everything has changed. A new regime is in power and the battle born have a voice in government for the first time ever. Bandar Nox, Garin’s oldest battle born brother, is one of the members of the Triad.”
“And you honestly think this Triad will create sweeping changes on Rodymia?” Again the question was valid, but she still sounded a little bitchy. She took a deep breath and tried to think past the irrational urges. “It usually takes more than a new governing body to bring about real change.”
“The Triad is supported by rebels in every area of our society. I have no doubt whatsoever things are going to change, and change for the better.”
She glanced up at him as they left the commerce district and started down the concourse toward the Intrepid. “I hope you’re right.”
“I’m not completely blinded by ideology. I know change won’t happen overnight, nor will it happen for everyone. But for the first time in my lifetime, we have control over the forces shaping our future.”
“That must be a lot less depressing than coveting your parents’ happy ending.”
“It is.”
They lapsed into tense silence until they reached his cabin. He started to open the door, then placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward him. “What are you feeling exactly? If you’re extremely uncomfortable, certain sedatives can allow you to get some sleep.”
Which meant she’d have to admit that her hormones were raging to one of the medics. She shook her head but avoided his assessing gaze. “I can deal with it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” she snapped. “Ever heard of PMS. I can handle a freaking mood swing.”
A hint of calculation shaped his smile, but he didn’t say anything else. Instead, he scanned open the door and pulled her inside. As soon as the door slid shut behind her, he pulled her into his arms. “Medicinal kisses it is.”
She started to argue, but his lips sealed over hers and his arms pressed her snugly against his warm body. She struggled, repelled by the tenderness, urged on by the same hormonal overdose that had made her quarrelsome in the restaurant. She needed to be away from him, yet she wanted him near, rubbing against her, pushing inside her. His words pissed her off, while his scent soothed her, made her anxious for his taste.
Her emotional tug-of-war continued as his tongue patiently explored her mouth. She twisted the front of his uniform, wanting him naked, yet she wasn’t really returning his kiss, just allowing his tongue to spread his taste.
“Better?” he whispered against her lips. She tried to shove him back and he chuckled. “Guess not.”
His mouth returned to hers, more demanding this time. He angled his head and settled his lips securely over hers. She wiggled and twisted, so he caught the back of her hair and steadied her, preventing her escape.
Long minutes passed as he kissed her, feeding her body what it needed. She panted, drawing his scent deeper with each ragged breath. He nipped her lower lip as he released her mouth. She was still securely locked in his arms.
“Talk to me, love. How are you feeling?”
“Like I can’t decide if I want to kiss you or kill you.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “It will pass more quickly if we get naked.”
It was her turn to chuckle. “Nice try.” When she pushed him back this time, he let her go. “It’s still early. What are we going to do for the next four hours?”
He flashed a wicked smile. “I know what I’d like to do.”
“I’m leaning toward ‘kill you’ at the moment.”
“Fair enough.” Raising both hands to shoulder level, he took another step back. “I actually have a ton of work I need to catch up on. Can you entertain yourself?”
She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “What do you think?”
Rather than engage while she was struggling for civility, he moved to the workstation in the far corner of the room and left her to her own devises.
She found her backpack on one of the dining room chairs and opened the main compartment. She pulled out her camera and her tablet computer. She wanted to go through the pictures she’d taken as well as make notes on everything she’d learned. That should keep her busy for several hours.
Pulling out one of the chairs, she sat sideways so she could take off her boots. She wiggled her toes and sighed at the freedom, then stuffed her stockings down inside her boots. She turned toward the table, scooted in her chair and went to work.
Time passed quickly as she detailed everything she’d seen, drawing floorplans and creating flowcharts as well as compiling standard notes. She tapped in the words “update Amber and Jodi” then looked at Kaden. Would he let her tell them where she was and what they suspected had happened to Libby? There was one easy way to find out.
“Kaden, can I call Libby’s roommates and let them know what’s going on? If I don’t tell them something, they’re going to start worrying about me.”
He looked at her, a contemplative look creasing his brow. “My first instinct was no, but our plans are no longer a secret. I don’t see why you can’t give them at least a vague idea of what you’re doing.”
While he was being so agreeable, she pushed her luck. “And Connie too? I’d been calling her at least once a day, so she has to be wondering where I am.”
“Of course.”
Pleased with his decision and anxious to speak with someone familiar, she pulled out her cell phone, then realized what she was doing. Not a lot of cell service inside the moon. “And how do I go about making a phone call?”
He rubbed the back of his neck as he said, “Tell me their numbers and then go in the bedroom. I’ll set up the call in there.”
“Why do I need to go into the bedroom?”
He shook his head, looking tired. “I thought you’d appreciate a little privacy.”
Still a bit unsure of his motivation, she reluctantly told him the numbers she wanted him to connect, then left her things spread out on the table and went to the bedroom. She heard him speaking to the computer, but couldn’t make out the specific words. Nothing happened for a few seconds, then she heard the call connect and looked at the ceiling. There were no visible speakers, but the sound was definitely coming from above her head.
“Hey, Lex. Where have you been? I’ve been trying your phone all day and it kept going to voice mail.”
The weary frustration in Connie’s voice made Lexie feel terrible. It shouldn’t have taken her this long to think about her other sister. “I’m sorry. Things got really weird really fast.”
“Weird how?” After the briefest pause, she said, “You know. I don’t care right now. I’ve had a really shitty day. Have you learned anything new? If not, just call me tomorrow.”
Connie sounded so dejected that Lexie couldn’t bring herself to add to her aggravation. All they really had at this point were suspicions and possibilities, so Lexie just left it alone. “Nothing concrete yet. I have a couple of new leads, but it will take a day or two to determine if anything comes from them.”
“Okay. If you don’t call tomorrow, I won’t panic, but call me the day after that.”
“I will. And if I learn anything definitive sooner, I’ll let you know immediately.”
“Perfect. Love you.”
“Love you too.” The connection ended and Lexie sighed. She hadn’t actually lied to Connie. She’d just left out a det
ail or two.
“Are you ready for the roommates now?” Kaden called from the other room.
She wasn’t sure if the computer told him the call had ended or if he just heard her stop talking. “Yes.”
“Do you want an audio conference call or each one separately?”
“Conference call, please.” They were hollering at each other when all she needed to do was walk over and open the door. The realization made her smile.
“Lexie, is that you?” Jodi’s phone connected first.
“Hello?” Amber’s voice overlapped with Jodi’s.
“Yeah it’s me. And hello, Amber. I thought it would be easier if I updated you both at the same time.”
“Do you finally have something to report?” Jodi sounded defeated before the conversation even began.
“I’m hanging up, Lex,” Amber told her. “We’re in the same room. I’ll just have Jodi put you on speaker.”
A soft click announced Amber’s departure and then she heard, “Is this loud enough?”
“Barely.”
“Well, scoot closer. I have the volume pegged.”
She didn’t try to sort out who said what. She had too much to tell them and she wasn’t sure how long Kaden would let them talk.
“Good news, I hope?” Amber prompted when no one said anything for a few moments.
“Potentially good. We think we know where she is.”
“We?” Jodi was the more curious of the two, to the point of irritating with her incessant questions at times. “Who is we?”
“I’ll come back to that,” Lexie promised. “Do you guys remember General Nox?” The question made Lexie smile. Amber and Jodi had been obsessed with aliens ever since they saw Garin’s first message.
“The alien general?” Amber’s voice was hushed and hesitant. “Were we right? Did your investigation lead you to one of their ships?”
“You could say that.” Lexie pictured Amber’s wide-eyed expression. She was likely hanging on every word. “I stowed away aboard one of their shuttles and one of the Rodytes flew me to Lunar Nine. The trip took less than an hour, by the way.”
Dead silence. Then Jodi muttered, “She doesn’t believe a word of it. She’s mocking us.” Then louder, “I know you think we’re naive fools. You’re much too sensible to believe in aliens, but this is really cruel.”
“I’m not joking, Jodi. General Nox is for real. There’s an alien base inside the moon. I know because that’s where I am right now.”
“Seriously,” Jodi snapped. “This isn’t funny.”
“It’s not meant to be.” She paused, wondering if there was some way to convince them without returning to Earth.
“Call back when you sober up or stop being a total bitch.” Then Jodi hung up on her.
Lexie sighed. That hadn’t gone well at all. She started for the door, ready to ask Kaden to reconnect the call, but realized it would be a waste of time. Until she could present them with tangible proof, they weren’t going to believe her. Besides, she didn’t know much more than she’d told them already, so she let it go. They knew she was alive and working toward Libby’s rescue. That would have to do for now.
She took another step toward the door when Kaden opened it and joined her in the bedroom.
“We’ve both done enough work for tonight,” he told her as he sauntered across the room. He looked relaxed and comfortable, a black panther deep in his own territory. “How’d the calls go?”
“Not well. Connie was too tired to talk and Jodi thought I was making fun of her.”
His brow collided over his nose. “Are humans always so suspicious?”
“When it comes to aliens we are.” The irritability had settled into a sort of defused restlessness. Having him focused on her again was intensifying the sensation, making her anxious as well as restless. “We’re like an only child that resists the idea that Mom and Dad might have other babies.”
He smiled. “They’ll know you’re a believer when I land on their front lawn in a Phantom and Libby gets out.”
She couldn’t think about Libby right now, so she latched on to the unfamiliar name. “The Phantom? Is that what you call Zilor’s ship?”
“There’s more than one of them and they’re used by whoever needs them.” Without further explanation, he bent down and tugged off his boots. Then he pressed something on the inside of his neckband and a seam appeared down the front of his uniform top. Starting at the bottom he parted the seam and shrugged out of the garment.
“I take it you’re ready for bed.” She always became talkative when she was nervous and his perfect body made her intensely nervous. He was sculpted and lean, all golden skin and corded muscles. Not at all the sort of man who should have been interested in her. But he was. Time after time he’d proven that she was what he wanted, what he was determined to have. “I’ll go work in the other room.” She darted for the door, but he caught her upper arm and didn’t let her retreat.
“We’re going to talk about this skittishness.” He bent his arm and pulled her toward him, moved her entire body with just the flexing of his arm.
“I’m not skittish.” Her voice broke, ruining the claim.
He managed not to smile, but humor gleamed in his night-black eyes. “You take on the world without batting an eye, run toward danger when you should run away. So why does your confidence shatter whenever we’re alone?”
“I told you why.” Her voice grew more tense. “I’m not comfortable with…” she motioned around them, “this.”
“Well, let’s explore the underlying reasons. Are you afraid of me?”
“No.” She made the one word sound convincing.
“I know you’re physically attracted to me, so it must be the idea of sharing pleasure that rattles you.”
She gritted her teeth. Did they really have to do this all over again? “It’s not ‘sharing pleasure’ that upsets me.” The phrase was particularly appropriate when she was in his arms. “It’s doing so with someone I hardly know.”
“All right.” He released her arm and slid his hand down to circle her wrist. “On Earth, how would you become better acquainted with a potential lover?”
“We’d do the sorts of things we did tonight. Take a walk around town, have dinner together.” He led her to the bed and he sat, but instead of having her sit beside him, he spread his legs and pulled her in between his thighs. “But it would take more than one night. It would take weeks, perhaps months before I knew him well enough to even consider sex.”
“We don’t have weeks, much less months. The pull makes long courtships impossible.” He placed his hands on her waist as he considered the options. “A memory transfer would allow you to—”
“I don’t want to watch a bunch of your memories. I know enough about your past to know I wouldn’t like them.” That was more or less true, but mainly she was just being obstinate. Anything she agreed to would bring her one step closer to surrender.
“All right. But forming a transfer link will give you access to my mind. You can slip beyond the man I project to the world and know the man inside. There are no lies mind to mind, no pretending.”
“Would this link allow you to do the same with me?”
After a brief hesitation he nodded. “Transfer links are interactive. In fact, most Rodyte links are interactive.”
“Are there a bunch of different kinds?”
“It’s more like varying degrees of the same basic link. The transfer link is the least invasive, while the mating bond gives each partner access to everything.”
She shivered and dragged her gaze away from his. “And this mating bond is what you really want to form with me?”
“Eventually. But I’m willing to take it one step at a time.” He ran his hands up her sides and into her armpits, then he effortlessly lifted her off the deck and brought her toward him. She folded her legs, so she could straddle his lap, knees resting on the bed. Her hands lifted of their own volition and came to rest on his broad shou
lders. “Once the link is formed, I’ll let you control it. You can decide how much or how little you want to experience.”
She had no idea how to control a mind link, but reminding him would only make her feel inferior. Besides, during both visits Indigo had mentioned how intimate and incredible it was to be mind-linked with Zilor, so there must be something to it.
“What do I need to do?” She settled her weight more comfortably on her knees, undeniably aware of his warm body between her thighs. With her skirt pooled around her legs, it was easy to pretend they were about to join more than their minds. Her core came alive at the thought, aching with unfulfilled need.
“Relax and just… In fact, I better distract you or you’re going to fight me every step of the way.” It was the only warning she got. One minute he was looking into her eyes, patient yet hopeful. The next, his hand tangled in the back of her hair and he was devouring her mouth.
She tensed, shocked by his sudden aggression. But passion quickly melted the hesitation, leaving her restless and nearly as aggressive as him. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss with equal fervor. Their tongues slid and curled, moving from her mouth to his and back.
The kiss was consuming, and distracting. She didn’t realize how distracting until a stinging pulse erupted in her brain. She gasped against his mouth and tried to twist away. His fingers tightened in her hair, not pulling yet preventing her from moving.
Then a stream of energy flowed into her mind. She could almost see the rippling currents as they wove through her thoughts and emotions. It felt odd, not threatening, just strange. Moments passed as the energy threaded through her being, weaving a tangible connection between his mind and hers. Another sharp sting announced the end of the construction and then thoughts and emotions formed in the distance, available yet remote, still separate from her mind.
She pushed him back just far enough to separate their mouths, then opened her eyes. “What do I do? How do I join you?” She stumbled over the word “join”, knowing it could mean so much more than she was ready to allow.
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