Adaptation

by Kaitlyn O'Connor

  Her orgasm seemed to light his own powder keg. He tore his mouth from hers, uttering his own animalistic groans of satisfaction and began to mutter to her in his native tongue.

  Jarek's struggle to prevent himself from connecting his mind to Kate's as he was inundated with rapture was only partially successful. The discovery that her mind was as filled with pleasure as his own and that it magnified his own made it even harder to draw back and ignore the urge to voice his pleasure in coupling with her. In the end, it was only the reminder of the effect Noo's probing had had on the woman at the mating place that inspired caution and made him withdraw. He couldn't risk damage when none of them fully understood why the connection had had such a profound effect on that woman when it had never seemed to cause harm before.

  Instead, he found himself struggling with her tongue for a few moments. Giving up the effort when he realized it was nearly impossible to think coherently even in his own language, he told her how pleased he was that she'd accepted him and would carry his off-spring and that he would protect her and their child from harm with his life if necessary. Even knowing she didn't understand, it gave him a sense of peace and pleasure to make the vow to her.

  She smiled, almost as if she understood, when he knew she couldn't possibly understand any of it. She confirmed it when she finally spoke.

  "That was nice … better than nice, actually," Kate murmured and then chuckled. "Now we'll have to bathe again, though, and I'm not sure there'll be enough hot water for your brothers."

  Jarek turned the comments over in his mind as he reluctantly yielded to her urging to disengage his body from hers and release her. "Dey used to cold," he managed to respond after a few moments and was pleased that he had managed it. He needed to practice vocalizing anyway, and in her tongue, he reasoned, since it did not seem entirely safe to try to communicate with her with his mind. It made his chest and throat feel strange to make sounds, though, and he was not entirely certain he liked the vibrations in his chest and throat.

  She sent him a strange look, which made him a little uneasy.

  "No spek right?"

  Her lips trembled on a smile for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure," she responded with a slight chuckle. "Why would they be used to cold water? Or did I misunderstand?"

  Jarek frowned. Moving away from her, he retrieved the small thing she had given him and focused on trying to get the foaming stuff out. "Like cold," he muttered finally when he saw she was still waiting for an answer, and then shrugged.

  She lifted her brows. "But you don't if that sharp gasp I heard before was any indication," she said, amused.

  He grinned at her and shrugged. "Used to cold, too. Like hot better."

  Kate's uneasiness returned to tease her as she dried off and left the bathroom to get dressed. It couldn't be sheer coincidence that she'd met three men who had the same names she'd given the Sirians. The odds were just too astronomical to calculate that that sort of a coincidence was possible.

  So where did that leave her?

  She couldn't believe there was any way, when they could barely speak English, that the brothers could have infiltrated security and learned about her project. It also seemed too farfetched to believe they were some kind of spies. Granted, her project-everything to do with the project-was top level security, but what possible use could spies make of the information?

  Besides, most of the world governments were united in the project and those that weren't were way too poor to make use of any of the technology or discoveries that had come out of the project. Of course their lack of familiarity with so many things she took for granted did point in that direction, and yet that still took her back to why would they?

  One of the lunatic organizations that was trying to prevent colonization?

  The chill that thought produced created a rash of goose bumps.

  Everyone rarely agreed on everything-or even much of anything-despite the fact that they'd formed a world government under the United Nations umbrella. The nations had finally hammered out an agreement, but the people of the various nations certainly hadn't embraced colonization wholeheartedly. She'd figured the protests and complaints were mostly from random kooks and troublemakers, though. She certainly hadn't considered the possibility that there were enough of them out there to organize any sort of resistance to colonization!

  All in all, though, she conceded that it was possible that the factions opposing colonization had managed to organize themselves under a common flag, even if their reasons differed. It seemed unlikely that the religious nuts who opposed colonization on the grounds that it was 'playing god' and the naturalists who believed humans shouldn't sully other worlds with their wasteful ways and the economists who felt like it was an outrage to put money into the project when the money would be better spent in making things better on Earth would agree with each other on any level. However, the fact remained that they certainly had one thing in common! None of them approved of colonization! And all of them wanted to prevent it.

  She studied Jarek surreptitiously as he left the bathroom-already fully dressed although she didn't recall noticing his clothing in the bathroom-trying to decide if he seemed to 'fit' any of the groups.

  She hardly knew anything at all about him, but she decided his comments might indicate a naturalist. Maybe it wasn't that he came from a country too poor to have much in the way of technology. Maybe he was a hardliner who eschewed all technology except what was essential for survival?

  He hadn't actually seemed particularly disapproving of the technology, though, she realized. He'd seemed disconcerted but curious.

  That assessment was supported by the fact that, when she emerged from her room with Jarek, she discovered that Ronan and Dax seemed to be exploring her home thoroughly. It seemed to go way beyond mere curious snooping and they didn't seem the least bit discomfited at being caught in the act. Both of them glanced at her, frowned at Jarek, and then continued their intense scrutiny of her belongings.

  Kate was more than a little irritated. She was accustomed to her privacy-paid dearly for it! She dismissed it with an effort, however, and decided to play hostess. "You guys hungry?"

  That caught their interest. "Yes," Ronan agreed for all of them.

  They followed her into her tiny kitchen. Kate's irritation and her uneasiness increased, but she did her best to ignore their rapt attention as she went about the business of preparing food for the four of them.

  It struck her as she settled at the eating bar to share a meal with them that there was one possible explanation for the 'coincidence' of their names that she might have dismissed far too quickly.

  They might actually be Ronan, Dax, and Jarek-the Sirian beasts that had slaughtered an entire squad of well trained security guards without much, apparent, effort!

  Chapter Six

  That thought occurred to Kate forcefully when she realized that the intent scrutiny of the men coupled with the fact that they seemed to be going to great effort to mimic her could easily add up to a complete lack of familiarity with human behavior.

  She dismissed it again.

  Like a boomerang, the suspicion returned more forcefully when she met Ronan's gaze across the counter as she got up to clear away the clutter from their meal. Trying to behave nonchalantly with that thought riding her was next to impossible, but she made the attempt purely out of reflex.

  "Kat 'fraid. Why?"

  Kate sucked in a sharp breath and dropped the dish she'd been rinsing. She'd been too focused on the thoughts colliding in her brain and trying to behave as if nothing was wrong to actually notice what the men were doing. She sent Ronan a startled hare look, trying to force her brain to function.

  His own gaze became shuttered. He seemed about to speak and then apparently thought better of it. "We go now."

  All the starch seemed to flow out of her and puddle on the floor beneath her feet as Kate watched Ronan, Dax, and Jarek file out of her kitchen, cross the living area and disappear through her front do
or. A wave of dizziness followed it. She gripped the edge of the sink for several moments and finally decided she might be able to make it to the closest stool. Her muscles were uncooperative and it was all she could do to plant her ass on the stool once she'd reached it.

  She lay her head on her arms on the countertop, focusing for some moments on calming herself and pushing the fear back that was creating havoc with her attempts to assert reason and sort things out. Even when she'd beat the fear into abeyance, though, she found herself struggling.

  Was it possible that she was right?

  She laughed a little hysterically and then clamped a hand over her mouth as the sound of her own laughter gave rise to a horde of pebbled flesh along her arms and back.

  Not in her world, but the Sirians weren't of her world.

  How could they change themselves to look human, though?

  She pondered that for a few moments, summoning the results of the test after test that they'd conducted on the Sirians and realized she wasn't getting anywhere at all. The tests had shown that the Sirians had almost preternatural abilities to regenerate cells and yet … could that extend to an entire body? And, even if it did-which, granted was actually probable-how could that extend to altering their natural structure to something completely different?

  As bizarre and completely unbelievable as that thought was, could it possibly explain how the Sirians had managed their disappearing act aboard the space station? Because, as of the last report, they still hadn't been located.

  Of course it could! But did it?

  She found she simply couldn't accept it, but neither could she completely dismiss it. It calmed her to ponder the situation and try to find another explanation. It didn't seem any more improbable, she finally decided, that they'd managed, somehow, to sneak out and hide themselves on one of the shuttles heading for the surface than the insane idea she'd had that they'd 'disguised' themselves as humans and managed it. If she dismissed everything except the fact that they were animals and had the keen sense of smell most animals had, then they could have used those natural abilities with the canniness she'd already attributed to them to make their escape. They would've sensed danger. No one had ever figured out exactly what the process was that animals used to do that, but they were rarely caught off guard. It took a great deal of effort on the part of humans to trick them when they weren't nearly as intelligent.

  The idea comforted her, but only briefly. Not only did she realized that, as crazy as it sounded, even to her, that she did believe that her Sirians had escaped and then tracked her down, she realized she had to assume that the possibility/threat was real.

  The question was, what should she do about it?

  Or maybe the real question was, did they realize that she suspected and what sort of danger did that put her in?

  * * * *

  Ronan struggled with his reluctance to leave Kate as he led his pod mates to a safe distance from Kate's living pod to consider the situation. When he had found a place surrounded by dense vegetation that would allow him to watch her pod without being seen, he stopped.

  What is this about? Dax demanded angrily as soon as they had settled to watch Kate's pod.

  Ronan glanced at him angrily, his lips tightening at the demand.

  He needs to think, stupid! Jarek answered testily.

  Dax punched him, sending him reeling backward several steps.

  We cannot afford to draw attention to ourselves! Ronan snapped when he saw Jarek right himself and tense for retaliation.

  You do not think he already did! Jarek said indignantly. Tell him! He punched me in the face! I think he may have loosened a tooth!

  Tighten it, Ronan advised coolly.

  Yes, but ….

  As you pointed out, I need to think, Ronan snapped. I do not need a distraction.

  You deserved it for calling me stupid, Dax said coolly.

  You have called me stupid many times! Have I punched you?

  No, because you know you are stupid, Dax responded indifferently.

  Jarek looked like he might explode for several moments. I did not because I am not stupid, he countered after a lengthy pause. I know we cannot afford to draw attention to ourselves and so I ignore your stupid taunts!

  Dax shrugged.

  Jarek clenched his hands into fists and relaxed them several times, as if debating whether to throttle Dax or not.

  Ronan glared at Jarek until he subsided.

  Maybe it would help to share your thoughts so that we could help figure out the problem? Dax suggested in a neutral voice after a few moments.

  Ronan glared at him for a long moment but finally capitulated. She is afraid of us. I believe she may have figured out that we are those they call the Sirians.

  Dax stared at him in disbelief. Well! We know that she is not stupid! You did not think she was bound to figure it out when you gave her the name that she had given you?

  Ronan flattened him with a punch to the face.

  Jarek grinned down at Dax smugly as he lay on the ground. Before Dax could leap to his feet and beat the shit out of Jarek for gloating, Ronan planted a foot in the middle of his chest. I said no fighting, he growled.

  There is no one around! Dax snapped indignantly.

  That does not mean they do not have the long seeing eyes here. They did not just use them to watch us. They used them to watch each other. They were everywhere on the space station. Why would they not have them here, as well?

  Dax was about to argue with that assessment when he recalled that he had seen things in the mating place that were very like the long seeing eyes on the space station. We do not know that she was afraid because she knows who we are, he countered. In any case, she accepted us as mates. She cannot undo that now.

  Ronan's lips tightened in annoyance. She is human! They are not like us! They are not like any of the creatures in the memory! How do we know she cannot reject us? It is almost certain that the other creatures that we have taken gifts from would have if they had sensed the difference! We do not make the change only to align with the chosen for the purpose of breeding! They must believe we are the same or they will not allow it!

  Beyond that, we have only begun the mating process. I do not know that we have successfully bred on her and you do not know it!

  I was actually hoping that we had not, Jarek volunteered. I would not mind at all if we found that we had to seed her many times before it takes.

  Ronan and Dax exchanged a speaking glance.

  We will not get that chance if we are dead, Ronan said dryly.

  Both Jarek and Dax sent him a sharp look at that. Dax frowned. You think they will believe her if she tells the others?

  That is what I am trying to decide and also if she feels threatened enough to tell at all. I could smell her fear. It was not merely anxiety. She has guessed. I am certain of it. What I am not certain of is how likely it is that she will tell the others so that they can finish what they had planned.

  Dax studied Ronan for a long moment when he fell silent. You are thinking that we may not survive to complete the breeding cycle, he said bluntly.

  Ronan stared at Kate's place grimly. That was always a possibility.

  Jarek frowned, thinking hard. After a moment, his brow cleared. She had fondness for us when we were little more than hatchlings. She had fondness for us when we were in her care even as we matured. Why would she not still have fondness when we have a mating bond now?

  Ronan and Dax both stared at him blankly.

  She thought we were dumb beasts! Ronan and Dax both said at almost the same time and with nearly the same degree of disgust.

  She thought that she was nurturing, Ronan said dryly. It was no more than that and not the sort of bond that a female would feel for her own off-spring at that! She will not feel the same even that she did then because we are not the same to her mind.

  It was not just that, Jarek said indignantly. The humans develop affection for the creatures they nurture. They call it love o
r fondness or liking. She felt pleasure whenever she was with us. I smelled it. It was not the same as the pleasure in the mating bond, not as strong, but the same.

  You do not understand humans any more than we do, Dax said with disgust.

  I did not say that I did! Jarek snapped. But I have studied them just as you and Ronan have and I detected the shift in her scent and the way she behaved. She liked the female she calls Sissy. She would smile and relax whenever she was around Sissy and often feel amusement. As we matured, I often detected wariness and sometimes a little fear, but mostly pleasure. Around the others that came to the lab, her scent and her behavior was different. And she often thought that she was too fond of us. I did not completely understand at the time. I am not certain I completely understand now, but this body feels emotions. I feel them. And I think that I feel fondness for her and if it is the same then she would not want to harm us or do anything to cause harm to come to us.

  Ronan frowned thoughtfully but finally shook his head. Now that you mention it, I also detected the shift in her scent when she thought about feeling affection for us, but that will not matter now. She associated the way we appeared to her then with affection. We are different to her now and she was not just afraid that we would be destroyed or worried about the punishment to her for trying to prevent that. She was afraid when she learned that we had killed to survive. I do not think this affection you speak of will make a difference because I do not think she feels it now.

  * * * *

  It shouldn't have taken Kate five seconds to arrive at a decision once she'd reached the conclusion that the men she'd just had a wild night of fabulous sex with weren't men at all, but the 'missing' Sirians her government wanted to get hold of so badly. It no sooner popped into her mind to call security, however, than she was filled with dismay and reluctance.