Calder

by Allyson James

  The practical side of Katarina’s mind told her that. But every time a Shareem entered the clinic, her heart beat wildly in hope.

  Braden had spread the word that Dr. Katarina d’Arnal was a medic nice to Shareem, and so Shareem had started coming to her.

  Katarina seemed to have a Shareem in every week. Some came for their six-month scans and inoculations, but some returned for her to treat their every minor cut, scrape and bruise. When she pointed out that Shareem were amazingly healthy and didn’t need much medical attention, they said they came because they liked playing doctor with her. They’d laugh—charming, seductive laughter.

  Katarina found that she liked their attention. She met level ones, who smiled lazily and turned every medical exam into a striptease. Level twos liked to tell crude jokes and promise a night of unforgettable fun if she would just come out with them.

  Level threes confused her a bit. They didn’t tease and they weren’t playful. They told her, blatantly, what they envisioned doing with her, not caring when she squirmed.

  She would smile and turn down the offers from all of them. She wondered at herself, knowing she could have night after night of amazing sexual experiences. And foolish Katarina only craved Calder.

  Katarina never saw him. Calder didn’t come in, she never saw him when she walked from her flat to the clinic, and she didn’t see him when she purposely lingered in the market near his warehouse.

  She’d ask the other Shareem, casually, if they’d spoken to him, but they always said they hadn’t. Some of them had never even met him, although they’d heard of him and his pleasure palace.

  Katarina also met a few women who’d become the permanent lovers of Shareem.

  Two Shareem, a level one called Aiden and a level three called Ky, visited for their six-month at the same time, accompanied by a lovely young woman.

  “I have to come in with them because they’re shy,” the woman told Katarina as all three of them squeezed into the exam room. Then she laughed.

  “Right, Brianne, baby,” said the blond one, Aiden. “Ky’s about as shy as a rock.”

  Dark-haired Ky growled, “Fucking level ones.”

  He began stripping off without embarrassment, as though being naked were more comfortable for him than being clothed. Katarina supposed it was, since Shareem body temperature was higher than a normal human’s and Bor Narga was a hot place.

  “Hey, you like fucking level ones,” Aiden said.

  “Asshole.”

  “Exactly. Mine.”

  Katarina kept her face averted during this crude exchange. She’d gotten more used to Shareem, but their casual approach to everything sometimes caught her off-guard.

  “Get on with it,” Brianne said. “Dr. d’Arnal doesn’t have all day.”

  Aiden smoothed Brianne’s hair and gave her a tongue-filled kiss. “Sure thing, sweet baby. I know you like it when we get naked.”

  Brianne blushed rosy red but she didn’t look unhappy. Ky finished stripping his powerfully built body and stood under Katarina’s scanner. He kept muttering about fucking exams, fucking Ministry, fucking clinics.

  Aiden laughed at him as he slowly shed his clothes, conscious of his audience. Katarina kept her eyes averted but Brianne watched with enjoyment.

  Brianne unnerved Katarina even more than did her two Shareem. Brianne d’Aroth was not only a highborn woman but a member of the ruling family of Bor Narga. Last year she’d broken up with her fiancé, forsaken her luxurious lifestyle and moved in with not one, but two Shareem in the slums of Pas City.

  She’d made an official statement that she’d done it to look into the way Shareem were treated on Bor Narga. They were second-class citizens, and she’d set out to disprove some myths about them.

  It had been the scandal of the decade. Brianne d’Aroth’s name wasn’t mentioned anymore in highborn ladies’ circles. Hypocrites, Katarina thought. The same ladies who went to Shareem in secret shunned women who openly sought them.

  Studying Brianne, Katarina decided that the lady hadn’t moved in with her Shareem simply to prove a point. She was besotted with them. Both of them.

  “Braden told me you met Calder,” Brianne said.

  Katarina jumped, nearly dropping the hypo she was preparing for Ky. “Yes. I did.”

  “More than met him,” Aiden said suggestively. “Braden says you spent some time in Calder’s lair and then went back for more. Interesting.”

  “Braden talks too damn much,” Ky said. “Leave her alone.”

  Aiden ignored him. “Calder never lets a woman in twice, I hear. Not even Judith. But he did you.”

  Judith again. Who was this woman?

  Ky growled. “Can we stop talking about Calder and finish my exam before I freeze my balls off?”

  Katarina turned on the full body scanner and watched the readouts to keep from looking at Ky’s muscled torso.

  Brianne regarded Katarina thoughtfully as she finished the scans of Aiden and Ky and inoculated them both. When Katarina went to her cubbyhole of an office to finish the report, Brianne followed her.

  “I’ve met Calder,” Brianne said. Behind her, Aiden and Ky were dressing, their gorgeous Shareem voices rumbling.

  “Have you?”

  “Not as a client,” Brianne said quickly. “He helped me when Ky was in trouble. He didn’t trust me at all, but he was willing to help for Ky’s sake. I have a soft spot for him for that. Calder’s had a difficult time.”

  “How did he get burned?”

  Brianne shook her head. “I don’t know. The only one who knows is Calder himself and a woman named Dr. Laas, who healed him. Dr. Laas is a strange woman but she’s good to the Shareem.”

  “I’m glad someone is.”

  “You’re good to them too.” Brianne put a cool hand on Katarina’s shoulder. “Why do you think Ky came here today? He hates the clinics, but he was willing to come to this one. Your reputation for not treating the Shareem like insects has spread.”

  Katarina felt herself blush. “I just do my job.”

  “No, you treat them like they’re human beings, give them their dignity. I’m trying to change the laws that say they aren’t human, but it’s slowgoing. Fears and prejudices die hard.”

  “I’m not as brave as you are,” Katarina said. “Braden asked me to move in with him, but I told him no.”

  “Courage has nothing to do with it. I live with Aiden and Ky because I love them, and I need to be with them.” Brianne grinned. “Besides, I’ve seen how Braden keeps his rooms. I wouldn’t live there either.”

  After Aiden and Ky left, Brianne sandwiched between them, Katarina felt a bit depressed. Brianne had sacrificed her old life and reputation to be with Shareem, and Aiden and Ky showed every indication of being besotted with her.

  Calder had pushed Katarina away. She hadn’t seen him in weeks. How many “clients” had he entertained since then?

  Katarina’s heart burned.

  Anger and jealousy wasn’t getting her anywhere. She needed to act. She needed help—and she knew just where to get it.

  Chapter Eight

  Calder slammed out of his apartment for his nightly prowl.

  The streets were crowded. Pas City came alive after the heat of the day was done. Lights glared but he could still find shadows to walk in, moving like darkness itself.

  He ached with need. He’d put his services on hold, not wanting to touch another woman, least of all the silly cows who paid to be chased and ravished by The Beast.

  Gods, did they have nothing better to do? After listening to Katarina’s laughter in the artificial rain, he couldn’t stand the thought of letting another woman into the lair.

  Idiot. It will kill you.

  Shareem needed to release every day, several times a day. If they didn’t, their body temperatures rose to unbearable levels, their metabolisms spiraled out of control and they died.

  The ever-resourceful Shareem had invented all kinds of pleasure toys for those days when a woman w
asn’t available. But toys and Calder’s own stroking could only satisfy for so long. He needed relief.

  Judith’s bar was full tonight, with patrons spilling out onto the street around it. Calder strode into the noisy crowd, making his way toward his usual table in a dark corner.

  Someone had already claimed it, another Shareem called Rees. On Rees’ lap was the pretty red-haired woman who had consented to be his lifemate, Talan d’Urvey.

  Calder didn’t mind Rees, the only other Shareem who understood what Calder had gone through at DNAmo. Rees had been created to be the ultimate Shareem, all the levels rolled into one. Unpredictable, uncontrollable. He’d been separated from other Shareem at DNAmo and tested and tortured.

  Rees had been the only Shareem who’d managed to escape DNAmo before the company went under, and some said DNAmo had been shutdown because they’d created Rees. He was smart, resourceful, dangerous and mysterious. The pint-sized redhead on his lap loved him to pieces.

  Rees looked up as Calder slid onto his stool in the corner. Rees had blond hair, which he wore gathered into a ponytail at the base of his neck. His irises were wide and blue, a Shareem aroused. After nodding once at Calder, he went back to nibbling on Talan’s neck.

  Talan gently elbowed Rees. “Be civil, we have company.”

  “Calder likes to be ignored,” Rees said, transferring his teeth to Talan’s earlobe.

  Rees was right, but Calder made himself nod to Talan. “Lady d’Urvey.”

  “How are you?” Talan asked him.

  “Thirsty.” Calder signaled a harassed-looking waitress and tapped the empty table in front of him. The waitress jumped when she saw who he was, then faded back toward the bar.

  Talan continued to study Calder with her warm brown eyes, a little smile hovering on her mouth. Calder tried to ignore her but it was like being stared at by a puppy. A determined puppy.

  “What?” he growled.

  “You haven’t heard, then.”

  “Talan,” Rees said in a very soft voice.

  Talan ignored him. “Your medic, Dr. d’Arnal. She’s moved in with Braden.”

  “What? Like hell.”

  “A couple of days ago. He’s been pestering her to do it for a while, and she finally gave in.”

  Calder’s heart pounded, fury making him hot. At that moment, a dripping metal mug of ale slid in front of him, placed there by Judith, the bar’s owner.

  Judith also had red hair, a common color for Bor Nargan females. Her eyes were deep brown, and she revealed luscious curves by wearing her one-piece pantsuit open to the navel.

  “Long time since you’ve darkened my corner, Calder.”

  Once, about a year ago, Calder had given Judith a taste of what he did in his pleasure palace. He’d made her close the bar and they’d done it here—on the floor, on the tables, on the bar itself. He hadn’t made her make an appointment or sign the consent form. He’d done it as a favor for a woman who was good to Shareem.

  Every time Calder had come to the bar since, Judith had given him a hopeful look. She wanted it again, but Calder never capitulated.

  Now, with his fury mounting and his need too long unfulfilled, he wanted to grab Judith by the hair and drag her upstairs.

  He caught her eye. Judith arched her brows, understanding what he meant.

  Fuck, what have I just done? He didn’t want Judith, he wanted Katarina, damn her cute little ass.

  Judith studied Calder a moment then she smiled and shook her head. “Thanks, but no thanks.”

  Rees jerked his head up. “Did I hear right? Judith turned down Calder? Have the desert sands turned to water?”

  Judith skimmed her hand across Calder’s shoulders. “He has someone else on his mind. I don’t want to be a substitute.”

  “I just told him that Katarina moved in with Braden,” Talan said.

  Rees leaned into her. “Talan, baby, I need to take you home and make your ass cherry red.”

  Talan didn’t seem intimidated by his threat. “He needs to know.”

  Calder poured cold ale into his mouth but it didn’t cool him down. Judith gave him a wink and a smile and sashayed away. Another Shareem slid his arm around her and Judith fell happily into his embrace.

  “Leave him alone, sweetheart,” Rees told Talan in a soft voice.

  Gods, they pitied him. Calder drank more ale, pretending he didn’t care. Why should he care about what Katarina did? He’d told her to go away, and she’d gone.

  Rees understood. His blue eyes were shrewd, but at least Rees knew when to shut the fuck up.

  Talan didn’t. “When I fell in love with Rees, he didn’t believe me. He thought I was responding to Shareem pheromones, nothing more. It took me a while to convince him that I meant it.”

  Rees gave Calder a look that said, Humor her.

  Calder took another nonchalant drink of ale. “Yeah?”

  “I did mean it. I fell in love with him. With him, not just because he was Shareem. Not just because he was an experimental model. I love Rees, the man.”

  “Lucky Rees.”

  “Lucky me that he finally believed me,” Talan said. “Think on it.”

  Calder switched his gaze to Rees. He wore a tight tunic that bared his arms and emphasized his broad shoulders and strong chest. His skin was whole and smooth, normal. No wreck of a man lingered beneath his clothes.

  “She’s a medic,” Calder said to Talan. “Medics always want to study me. Not me, but this hunk of ruined flesh. It happens every time I meet a new one. They all think they’re unsung geniuses. If they fix me, they rise to prominence. Sorry, I’m tired of being an insect under a scope.”

  “I can’t blame him,” Rees said.

  “You aren’t helping, my love. I think Dr. d’Arnal’s interest goes beyond insects.”

  “Women find me fascinating,” Calder said. “They all do, even you.” He didn’t boast—it was true, and he hated that it was true.

  “Well, yes, because you’re different.”

  “Because I’m like Rees. The scientists at DNAmo fucked Rees up on the inside and fucked me up on the outside. That’s irresistible to women who want to fix everything, to make it all better.”

  Talan started to answer but Rees interrupted.

  “He’s right, baby. Don’t shove him at Dr. d’Arnal before you know what she really wants. It hurts when you realize they don’t really care.”

  “I care.”

  “That’s because you’re a special lady. You convinced me. Calder has to work this out for himself.”

  Talan scowled. “Men.”

  “You mean Shareem,” Calder rumbled.

  “Males, then. I don’t care what you call yourselves. I’m sure female tortoises get just as pissed off at male tortoises.”

  Rees rocked with laughter. He turned Talan to him and gave her a long kiss.

  Calder watched them in envy. They were so easy together, a Shareem and his lady, friends, lovers, lifemates.

  And now Braden had made his move on Katarina. Why? To make her a lifemate?

  Braden liked women, every woman. Katarina had a soft heart—obviously, or she’d have reported Calder the day he’d swatted her ass in the clinic, not to mention doing it more thoroughly in his lair.

  Braden would make Katarina believe he liked her. Then he’d move on to the next woman he passed, leaving Katarina bereft and hurt.

  Calder should be glad of that. Katarina needed to learn to leave Shareem alone. Nice that she wanted to help them at the clinics, but in her personal life, she needed to back off.

  Gladness was not what he felt. He wanted to break Braden’s neck.

  He got to his feet. Talan and Rees looked up at him. “You going?” Rees asked.

  “Have things to do.” Calder tossed a credit strip on the table. “Tell Judith to keep the change.”

  He strode out. He couldn’t help noticing that as he left the table, Rees’ look turned cautious, Talan’s smug.

  * * * * *

  “Cald
er.”

  Katarina’s pulse raced with delight as she opened Braden’s door to find Calder on the doorstep.

  He’d muffled himself all in black again, sun-blocking cloth covering the left side of his face, even though it was dark outside. He pushed his way in, brushing Katarina’s body as he passed.

  “Where’s Braden?”

  “Out.” Katarina tried to keep the disappointment from her voice. Calder hadn’t come to see her.

  Calder swung around. The apartment on d’Enela Street was tiny, and Calder’s presence dwarfed the front room. “Out where?”

  “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”

  Calder slammed open the door to Braden’s bedroom and looked inside. He swung to the opposite door and opened it too.

  Katarina stepped in front of him before he could enter the second room. “Do you mind? I know I sneaked into your apartment, but I never invaded your bedroom.”

  “Lights on,” Calder said to the bedroom. He studied the neatly made bed, the clean hand sterilizer, the bare wall that concealed storage. “This is your room?”

  “Yes. Braden’s is much messier. Did you think I was sleeping in there with him?”

  “Yes.” Calder turned his half-masked face to her. “He’s Shareem.”

  “And Shareem are irresistible?”

  “Shareem are horny.” Calder’s voice went harsh. “He’ll try to seduce you every second.”

  “Yes, but Shareem can’t touch a woman if she says no. That’s probably why he’s out. I keep saying no.”

  Calder’s visible eye narrowed. “So he has tried to seduce you.”

  “Like you said, he’s Shareem. He has to have sex, or at least release, or he’ll die.” Katarina had learned to talk about it without blushing. “He goes out for that.”

  Calder’s stare pinned her. She shivered, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “Why do you wear that?” she asked.

  His scowl deepened. “Wear what?”

  “The facecloth. I know what you look like. I didn’t run away screaming before and I probably won’t now.”