Playing Their Parts: A Kindred Tales Novel

by Anderson, Evangeline

  “Why?” Kat asked, frowning.

  “Because he bit me—multiple times, like I told you. It was the only way to counteract the burning from the stuff they injected me with after he, you know, finished inside me.” She coughed. “And he always said that if he bit me, he would want to do more than bite me.”

  “You mean he was afraid if he bit you, he would want to bond you to him?” Liv asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Exactly.” Cassie nodded. “And he doesn’t want to bond me to him. He wants us to just stay friends.”

  “He does?” Kat’s voice was more skeptical than ever. “Come on, Cassie—you expect us to believe that?”

  “It’s true!” Cassie protested. “He’s said it all along—that we should just stay friends.”

  “But didn’t you also say that he admitted he had always wanted to taste you?” Liv asked, frowning. “Generally a Kindred Warrior who wants to do that to you, wants to do a whole lot more.”

  “Like bonding!” Kat exclaimed.

  “But…but that’s not what he said!” Cassie protested. “And besides, just look at him. He belongs with a super model. Some girl who’s six feet tall and gorgeous and bone thin. Not…” She trailed off but Kat finished for her.

  “Not a curvy girl like you? Is that it, hon?” she asked gently.

  “Exactly.” Cassie nodded. “He’s out of my league.”

  “No, he’s not,” Liv said firmly.

  “Didn’t I tell you that you’re an Elite?” Kat demanded. “Plus, you’re gorgeous! With that long black hair and those big brown eyes—come on, any guy would be lucky to get you, doll!”

  “I have a feeling that maybe your partner keeps saying he only wants to be friends because he thinks that you only want to be friends,” Liv said, frowning thoughtfully. “I bet if you admitted how you really feel, he would admit to feeling the same way.”

  “Do you really think so?” Cassie asked doubtfully. “I just don’t know…” She shook her head. “I would hate to put him on the spot like that only to find out he doesn’t feel the same. It would ruin our friendship for good!”

  “Then the two of you will just be stuck wanting each other the rest of your lives without doing anything about it,” Kat said, frowning. “It sounds to me like all either of you can look forward to is a passionate celibacy.”

  “I just don’t know what to do!” Cassie exclaimed. “I mean, it would be great if he really cared for me the way…”

  “The way you care for him?” Liv asked softly.

  Cassie nodded. “Yes, I…I guess so. I didn’t used to want to admit I had, um, feelings for him, but after what we went through in the palace at Bachanalius…”

  “You can’t hide it from yourself anymore, can you?” Kat asked.

  Cassie nodded again, reluctantly.

  “I’ve been lying to myself for the last two years, I guess. Trying to tell myself that I just liked being with Stone because he was such a good partner. Or that I liked spending time with him because he’s so handsome and he always smells so good.”

  “Wait—what about his smell?” Liv looked at her alertly.

  “I don’t know what it is,” Cassie said. “If it’s some kind of cologne, it’s amazing. But every time we get close it seems to get stronger and it makes me just want to—”

  “Jump his bones?” Kat asked, grinning.

  “Well…yeah,” Cassie admitted.

  “That’s his Bonding Scent! He’s making his Bonding Scent for you!” Kat exclaimed.

  “His what?” Cassie frowned.

  “It’s a type of pheromone that Kindred males make when they’re trying to attract a specific woman to bond with them,” Liv explained. “And it’s actually tailored to the one woman that they want. In this case, Stone’s scent is tailored to attract you.”

  “It pretty much guarantees he wants you as much as you want him—probably more,” Kat assured her. “Otherwise, his body wouldn’t make it for you.”

  “Really?” Cassie asked doubtfully. “Stone never mentioned anything like that to me before.”

  “He might not know he’s making it,” Liv told her. “You know, you don’t usually notice your own smell. And the scent is something a Kindred’s body makes without any conscience effort on his part. It just happens when he finds the woman he wants to be his mate.”

  “If that’s true, why hasn’t he said he wants to bond me to him?” Cassie objected.

  “Again, he probably thinks you don’t want him to bond you, for some reason,” Liv said.

  “He’s probably afraid of losing you if he asks you to be his mate and you say no,” Kat pointed out.

  “And now he thinks he’s hurt you,” Liv said frowning. “Which means his guilt will be through the roof and he’ll feel like he doesn’t deserve you.”

  “You’re going to have to find a way around that, doll and I’m afraid it won’t be easy,” Kat said.

  Liv nodded. “Kindred take their honor very seriously.”

  Kat frowned, then her blue eyes widened in excitement as she turned to Cassie.

  “I know! You could ask him to heal you. Blood Kindred can do that—they can heal their mates or the women they want to become their mates!”

  “Heal me how?” Cassie said uncertainly. She thought Stone might have said something about this but she wasn’t sure.

  “With his essence—the blue liquid that comes from his fangs. The same stuff he injected you with to heal the burning pain you were having,” Liv told her.

  “Oh, I don’t know…” Cassie tried to move again and winced. “Ow! The places I’m hurting…”

  “Are probably exactly the places he’d want to lick you to spread his essence,” Kat finished for her, grinning. “Just ask him, doll. And see where it goes from there.”

  Cassie still wasn’t sure about the idea of asking her partner to “heal” her at all.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said firmly. “But that’s all for now.”

  “Of course.” Liv smiled at her. “Would you like to soak in a nice hot bath and drink a glass of wine and think it over? It might help you get your head on straight if you could just relax and process some of the craziness you’ve been through.”

  Cassie smiled back.

  “I’ve never heard of a doctor who proscribed a hot bath and a glass of wine as a treatment.”

  “Best treatment there is for almost anything,” Liv said, grinning. “So—what do you say?”

  “I say yes,” Cassie said gratefully. “Um…” She looked around the Med Center room she was in. It was much nicer than a hospital room down on Earth, but it still looked kind of medical. “Do you have a bathtub around here?”

  “We can get you into one of the guest suites—there will be a nice deep bathing pool in there,” Liv told her.

  “What? You’re already discharging me?” Cassie asked, surprised.

  “I don’t see why not.” Liv shrugged. “Your blood work showed a lot of chemicals, but all of them have been neutralized. And you’re kind of bruised and sore but you don’t have any injuries that time—or a Blood Kindred—can’t heal.” She winked.

  “I still don’t think she ought to be by herself,” Kat objected.

  “She won’t be,” Liv said. “I’m going to release her into the care of her partner. Which means they’ll have to spend time together and sort everything out.”

  “But—” Cassie started to protest but Liv fixed her with a stern look.

  “Doctor’s orders,” she declared. “I prescribe a hot bath, a glass of wine, and a night to work things out with your partner. If you have any problems, you can call me in the morning.”

  “I doubt that.” Kat winked at her. “Have fun, doll. We’ll be rooting for the two of you.”

  Then they both left the room, leaving Cassie to wonder exactly how awkward following her new doctor’s orders was going to be.

  Fifty-Nine

  “I, um, hope you don’t mind staying here with me,” Cassie said lamely as
Stone helped her get settled on the large, overstuffed couch in front of the fireplace. She liked the cozy, romantic atmosphere of the guest suite they had been assigned, but it made her miserable to see how unhappy Stone looked.

  Her partner’s mouth was set in a grim line and he hadn’t said two words to her since he had come to pick her up from the Med Center and bring her here. He had been completely silent, only nodding when Liv gave her discharge orders that Cassie was to have a warm bath and some wine to calm her nerves and that she wasn’t to be left alone for any reason.

  “She still has some chemical residue in her bloodstream, so I’ll want you to keep a close eye on your partner, Commander Stonev,” she’d said sternly. “Please stay by her and give me a call if any problems arise.”

  Stone had nodded his agreement and then picked Cassie up and carried her silently and stoically to the guest suite, which was close to the Med Center. And now, here they were and what was she going to do if her partner never spoke to her again Cassie wondered? He was just standing there, staring into the flickering blue and gold flames of the fireplace, as though lost in some private remorse.

  “Stone,” she said. “Did you hear me? I said I hope you don’t mind staying with me for a while.”

  “Of course I do not mind,” he said stiffly. “Though I should not be here—I ought to be locked in a secure cell.”

  “Why? Because of what we did on Bachanalius?” Cassie demanded.

  He turned to look at her.

  “Maybe you should say what was done to you. You certainly were not a willing participant.”

  “What? What makes you say that?” Cassie demanded, frowning.

  “Because you were tied up and helpless,” Stone shot back, his voice harsh. “And then you were drugged, making you unable to consent to what I did to you in any meaningful way.”

  “What you did to me saved my life,” Cassie pointed out. “We both know that drug was the serum from the Amaryllis Fatalis plant that Dr. Sslwx told us about in the lab! If you hadn’t, uh, done what you did, I’d be dead right now!”

  “I used you roughly.” Stone looked down at the fire again. “I bruised you, Cassandra. I hurt you.”

  “You had to,” Cassie said gently. She patted the couch cushion beside her. “Look, Stone, won’t you come over here and sit so we can talk this out?”

  He shook his head stiffly.

  “There is nothing to say.”

  “Yes, there is, damn it!” Cassie exclaimed. Forgetting her injuries, she tried to jump up to go shake some sense into him. But the bruising pain inside made her gasp and nearly stumble to her knees.

  “Cassandra!” Stone was there in a flash, scooping her into his arms. “Don’t try to move!” he said earnestly. “You’re hurt inside—I know because I hurt you,” he added, his voice going low and miserable.

  “Oh, Stone…” Cassie sighed and cupped her partner’s cheek. He was wearing his Kindred uniform—black trousers with a satiny pale blue shirt that made his pale eyes stand out gorgeously. But when she looked into those eyes, Cassie saw they were suspiciously bright.

  The sight shook her. She had never seen Stone cry over anything or anybody. He was as stoic as they came. But now his pain over having hurt her seemed to have overcome his emotional barriers and he looked close to breaking down.

  “Stone,” she said again and kissed him gently on the cheek. “How about if you help me take that bath, Dr. Liv ordered? She said it would help with the pain and soreness.”

  “Of course.” Stone nodded at once. “I believe the fresher should be just through here.”

  He carried her through a bedroom that had a perfectly enormous bed with a champagne-colored spread on it and into a bathroom with what looked like a small swimming pool set into the floor. Scented steam was rising from it and there were stacks of fresh towels and some soap and sponges beside it. Someone had even thoughtfully provided a bottle of chilled white wine and two slender wine glasses.

  “Wow, this is nice,” Cassie exclaimed. “This whole apartment is set up like a honeymoon suite.”

  “I believe the suites aboard the Mother Ship were built to please the human females we Kindred wished to Claim as mates,” Stone remarked. “So it is not surprising that you like it.”

  It was on the tip of Cassie’s tongue to ask if Stone wanted to Claim her as his mate, but shyness stopped her. What if he said “no,” or looked at her like she was crazy? And anyway, right now, she had to work on convincing her partner that he was not to blame for her injuries.

  “This bathtub-pool thing looks perfect,” she remarked. “Um, would you mind helping me in?”

  “Of course not. Let us get you undressed,” Stone said.

  It wasn’t hard to do, since she was only wearing a Med Center gown. After all the times he had seen her naked on Bachanalius, Cassie was no longer ashamed of her body around her partner. But she did feel bad when he winced in shame as he saw the finger-shaped bruises he had left on her hips and thighs.

  “Stone,” she said softly, when he would have simply held her hand to help her into the water. “Would…would you mind coming in with me?”

  He frowned. “You wouldn’t mind that? The two of us…naked together?”

  “Of course not!” Cassie said, frowning. “Do you think I’m afraid you’re going to attack me or something? Give me some credit, Stone—I know you better than that.”

  “I just thought after what happened…” He shook his head. “I just don’t know if it’s a good idea.”

  “Doctor Liv said I shouldn’t be left alone at any time for any reason,” Cassie reminded him. “Besides…” She put a hand on his chest. “Do you remember the way you, uh, took care of me after we filmed Forbidden One?”

  “Of course I do.” His eyes softened. “It was my pleasure to do so.”

  “Then…would you do it again?” Cassie asked softly. “Please, Stone? I could really use some TLC right about now.”

  “TLC?” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Is that like BDSM?”

  “Hey, you got it right that time!” Cassie laughed delightedly. “No, TLC stands for ‘tender loving care.’”

  Stone’s expression relaxed.

  “In that case, I would be pleased to offer you some ‘TLC’ Cassandra. If you truly want me to.”

  “I do. Please, Stone…” She looked up at him appealingly.

  “All right. If you think you can stand on your own for a moment so I can undress.”

  “I’ll be all right,” Cassie promised eagerly.

  She couldn’t help watching as her partner stripped down. He looked amazing, she thought as his broad chest and tight ass were revealed. So handsome—it was difficult to believe Kat and Liv’s assurances that he was truly as in love with her as she was with him. Could they really be right?

  Maybe it’s time to find out, Cassie thought.

  Maybe it was.

  Sixty

  Stone winced as he saw the purpling bruises his hands had left on his partner’s tender flesh. How could he have done that to her? He knew she didn’t blame him for it, but Stone blamed himself. He would rather die than hurt the female he loved so desperately—loved but didn’t deserve, he reminded himself ruthlessly.

  It twisted his heart to see how trustingly Cassandra held out her arms to him to be picked up when he had finished undressing. She had no fear of him, it seemed, even after everything they had been through.

  “Come on, Stone,” she murmured in her sweet voice. “Let’s take a bath. We’ll both feel better after a long, hot soak.”

  Stone doubted that, but he did hope that the warm water would ease some of her aches and pains.

  “Of course,” he murmured, swinging her up into his arms. Holding her soft, curvy body close to his chest, he stepped carefully down into the bathing pool, which was a deep one.

  “Mmm, this is nice,” Cassandra sighed as they sank into the steaming water. “Doctor Liv was right—this is exactly what I needed.”

  “What about
the second part of her prescription?” Stone asked, nodding at the wine bottle which someone had thoughtfully provided. “Would you like a glass of soothing alcohol?”

  Cassandra laughed, as she did when he spoke sometimes, even though Stone was reasonably certain he was using the words properly. English was a strange language, however, so maybe he was wrong.

  “Yes,” she said, when she finished giggling. “I would like a glass of ‘soothing alcohol.’”

  “Then I will pour you one. Will you be all right if I put you down?” Stone asked her.

  She nodded. “I’ll just relax here on the edge of the tub.” She leaned back, her arms along the rim of the bathing-pool, and closed her eyes while Stone reached for the wine bottle and poured them both a glass.

  “Mmm, good vintage,” Cassandra remarked, after taking a sip.

  Stone nodded and took a sip himself. Kindred metabolized alcohol quickly and so were less likely to get inebriated than humans, but he appreciated the calming quality that sipping a good vintage could have on the nerves.

  His partner drained her glass and then put it down and looked at him.

  “Stone,” she murmured, “What are you doing all the way on the other side of the tub? Why don’t you come over here?”

  Stone wasn’t sure if he should. He wanted to be with her—wanted to hold her. But he didn’t deserve to do that. And also, he was afraid he might want to do more. He had, after all, bitten her to inject his essence multiple times. Having marked her as his own, his body wanted to do more—to bond her to him forever. But of course, that was impossible. Even if Cassandra could forgive what had happened in the throne room—and it seemed that she had—she still only wanted his friendship, not his love.

  But then she called him again.

  “Stone, please…you’re leaving me alone and you know you’re not supposed to. Doctor’s orders, remember?”

  “Right. Doctor’s orders,” Stone murmured. Giving in to his desire, he went to his partner and scooped her up in his arms. “Better?”