Wherever they touched, he was intensely aware of her, ev-ery hair on his body suddenly sendingmessages rich with sensuality. He ran his hand down her back, coming to rest on her hip, savoring hersmooth alienness with more than his fingers. Gods! He'd forgotten how small she was! Hardly larger thana youngling.
This close her scent was stronger, a sharp, sweet musk unique to her. Her throat was curved toward himnow, a sig-nal to which his body automatically responded. He moved his arm, taking her by the scruff ofthe neck and drawing her head farther backward. With a low growl, his jaws closed over her throat,canines pressing into her flesh as he com-pleted his part in the ritually submissive gesture she had be-gun.
She lay still now, waiting, eyes closed. Against his mouth he could feel her pulse beating in time with hisown. Kusac began to purr, a deep sound of pleasure that made his whole body vibrate. She knew theresponse!
He was done waiting. He'd already waited longer than any other Sholan would have for their Leska. Releasing her, he rolled her onto her back, looming over her momentarily as he pushed her thighs apartwith his knee.
Lowering himself onto her, he remembered he'd wanted to take it slowly with her the first time, let themboth dis-cover the pleasures of a Leska Link, for it was as new to him as her. In giving her the choice,he'd lost it for himself. Now it was too late. The days of Link deprivation and his own need, coupled withthe compulsion to mate was too strong in both of them.
As he matched his larger frame to hers, Carrie's hand came up to ward him off.
Kusac grasped her hand in his, pushing it through the longer fur on his belly till it reached his erection.
She tried to pull back, panic radiating from her, but he forced her hand around him.
Feral eyes, black as night with only the narrowest amber ring, glittered down at her. "No. Not this time,"he said, his voice still hoarse. "You chose to stay."
Carrie, eyes fully dilated with sudden fear, looked up at him, seeing only his animal need.
Her fear battered at his mind until, with an effort, he re-leased her wrist, moving his hand up to touch hercheek gently, the feral glow dimming.
"Why do you still fear me physically?" he asked softly. "You know what I feel for you. I would never hurt
you. Can't you trust me?"
Her answer was immediate and devastating for both of them. Without warning, he felt himself within her,the shock of that final intimate contact making him gasp. Automati-cally, he pushed forward only to bebrought up short by a physical barrier. Confused, he tried to draw back but found Carrie's hands claspedaround his hips. Then as the second-ary phase of his erection was triggered and he felt himself swellinside her, he was lost, his senses and his body explod-ing forward into hers. It was as a fully aroused Sholan male that he took his Human Leska, not hearing her brief cry of pain in that first moment.
His hands moved to clutch her shoulders, claws flexing out as he held onto her.
She responded with an ardor neither of them had antici-pated, her need taking them both to higher and
higher levels of sensuality.
His grip slipped down to her back and as their minds were swept out of their bodies, they finally mergedphysically and mentally, completing their Link.
When it came, their climax of shared sensations was shat-tering. He shuddered, all but spent, but for herit continued. She clutched him close, her need fueling his until he found himself aroused once moredespite his tiredness.
Finally, spent and lightheaded, they lay, limbs entwined, as gradually their minds began to separate.
No female I've ever known could be like you, he thought, lying with his life-mate clasped in his arms.
There could never be anyone else now .
He rolled onto his side, pulling her with him. Putting a hand behind her head for support, he began kissingher, us-ing a mixture of gentle Sholan bites as well as his tongue in the Terran style she had shown himbefore.
"So long I've waited for this," he said releasing her and running a gentle finger along her cheek and down
the curves of breast and hip.
The glow of contentment and love that enfolded him was all the answer he needed.
"You're all the mate I could want, cub," he said.
Carrie touched his mouth with her hand. "After knowing you, I could never want anyone else," shewhispered as he caught her fingers in his mouth and began licking them. While they lay there like this, itwas as if no one else in the world existed, she thought.
Why didn't you tell me you had never paired before? If I'd known how afraid you were, I couldhave helped.
It was against everything I'd been taught to believe, she sent. Stick to your own kind I was told.
But they aren't my own kind. To them I'm as alien as you.
He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. "The Terrans have hurt you for the last time," he said. "Iwon't let it happen again." He stopped talking as she rested her head against his chest.
She could feel him purring again, a low sound of pure pleasure.
"It never occurred to me this would be your first time," he said. "Pairing is something we do from puberty
onward. I
never thought it wouldn't be the same for you. No wonder you were afraid to take an alien lover."
Carrie looked up at him, brown eyes serious. "Kusac, we're Leskas. Nothing about you could be alien tome."
His arms tightened around her for a moment, then relaxed. The last few days were catching up with them. Now the need for urgency had been satisfied, he could feel a warm lassitude begin to spread throughboth of them.
He came to suddenly, the unfamiliar warmth and touch of another body disorienting him, until heremembered. Her head still rested on his chest and her arm curved round his waist. Her smooth skinlooked so frail and vulnerable against his dark fur. He moved his hand to touch her cheek and as he did
so, her eyes flickered and opened.
"We've been asleep," she said, her voice blurry.
"So we have," he agreed. "I think we should get up."
She made a small noise of denial and closed her eyes firmly, snuggling closer and holding him tightly.
"I need a shower," he said. "I'm itching all over." There was no response. He reached down to her ribs
and began to tickle her.
"Hey! Stop that!" she squealed, moving quickly away from him. "That's unfair!"
Kusac grinned, canines flashing against his dark fur. He sat up and reached across for her. "A shower,"he said, haul-ing her to her feet, "we both need one, and something to eat would be a good idea."
Keeping hold of her hand, he towed Carrie toward the shower room, opening the cubicle door.
It wasn't unlike the ones she vaguely remembered from Earth, but instead of only an overhead faucet, thewater also came from jets set into the walls.
They stood in the water, enjoying its invigorating warmth until Kusac picked up a container of soap.
Hold out your hands , he sent, squeezing some of the liq-uid onto them when she did. Much more funhaving someone scrub you, he added as he began to smooth the soap over her shoulders.
In a short space of time, they found themselves once more locked in each other's arms sharing a kiss. This time it was Kusac who bared his throat to his life-mate. Water sluiced unnoticed over fur and fleshas they joined again, this time with no fears to conquer.
Both half-drowned, Kusac helped Carrie to her feet then turned the shower off. He shook himself,sending droplets of water flying everywhere. Reaching out of the cubicle for a towel, he wrapped itaround Carrie, ignoring her protesta-tions and began rubbing her vigorously before getting a sec-ondtowel for himself.
He sensed her giggles before he heard them and sent a questioning thought toward her.
A hand came out from the depths of her towel to smooth the hair between his ears.
He grinned back and flicked a switch set into the outer wall, sending hot air blowing round them.
Carrie raised her eyeb
rows.
"Fur takes longer to dry than your skin," he said, throw-ing his damp towel on the floor outside.
Carrie let her towel fall and stepping forward, ran her hands across his chest, her eyes becomingheavy-lidded again.
Kusac put his hands on top of hers. "I think you like my fur," he said, stopping her gently.
"Mm," she said, trying to move her hands again. "It's so soft, and so much a part of you."
This time he caught both of her hands in one of his and planted a fair approximation of a kiss on herforehead.
"Later. We need to eat and sleep," he purred quietly. "If you continue, we'll be awake all night."
Carrie sighed as he released her hands. "I suppose you're right. We have a lifetime ahead of us."
She bent to pick up the towel, giving her hair a quick rub before letting the warm air finish the job for her.
Kusac meanwhile had disposed of the wet towels and was checking the saturated bandage round histhigh. He undid it, surprised to see his wound had healed to the point where there was only a bright pinkscar showing through the shaved fur surrounding it. He tossed the dressing in the dis-posal unit andobtained fresh bedding from another cup-board.
"Now whose hair is sticking up on end?" he teased as she lifted her head up, letting her hair cascade
around her shoul-ders.
As he went through to the other room, Carrie looked around for a mirror. Finding one above the basin,she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing the longer strands back from her fringe. Her hand stilled asshe looked at her face in the mirror. Dark brows arched beneath her hair, brown eyes looking back atherself calmly. The slightly upturned nose was unchanged, so was her mouth. She still looked the same,nothing had outwardly altered.
She'd just shared lovemaking with an alien. Didn't it show? Couldn't everyone tell just by looking at her? She turned her face this way and that. On her neck she could see something, a little bruise and teethmarks. She put her fin-gers up to it. Apart from that, nothing had changed—except how she felt inside. Perhaps that was worse, that she'd en-joyed it and she loved him. Yes, she'd had her choice, and she'dchosen to live—with her alien lover. It would hurt her father, but then his reaction would hurt her. Sheshied away from that thought. She'd chosen her life, now she meant to live it to the full among the Sholans.
She became aware of Kusac's image in the mirror and dropped her hand.
"Is it so important to you that no one knows?" he asked in her language. His mind felt still, sadness
hovering on its edges.
"Here on the Khalossa, among your people, no, it doesn't matter," she said slowly. "Those who know us—Vanna, the others from the Sirroki, as well as Rhian and Askad— couldn't understand why we weren't already lovers. They see nothing strange or wrong between us."
His next question hung in the air, louder because it was unasked.
/ see only you, she sent.
"What of your people?"
She hesitated. "I don't know," she said at length, looking down at where her hands rested on the basin.
"Need they know?" Raising her hand, she looked at him again in the mirror.
This time he looked away.
"It depends on you," he said quietly in Sholan, leaning back against the wall. "I told you that the choice was yours. Our Link places certain restrictions on us, but within those you're free to lead your own life, one separate from me should you wish. You could take a partner from your own kind and let others see us only as friends and colleagues."
She digested this for a moment, trying to sense what he felt, but his thoughts were still firmly undercontrol. Hers were not.
"What do you want, Kusac?"
He looked back, startled by her question. "Me?" He took a deep breath, slowly shaking his head. "Cub,my wishes would cloud your choice."
She waited, her eyes holding his in the reflection. Could she bear being only his friend? Was that what hewanted? What did love mean to him anyway, the same as it did for her? Was there someone else?
"What do I mean to you, Kusac? Tell me what you want," she whispered.
"There's no one else, only you. I want you beside me al-ways." His voice was low, almost a growl. "I want you as my life-mate, not just my Leska. That's my choice!" He stepped forward, his hands curling round the sides of her shoulders as he held her close, his cheek against hers.
Blonde hair lay against black, skin against fur, a mingling of peoples and minds. She turned round to facehim.
"Are you sure? Think of what you may have to give up for me." She searched his face, reading his
expression, the set of his ears.
His eyes began to glow, taking on a luminous quality. "Anything I have to give up isn't worth having if youaren't beside me."
The love she felt now was fierce and protective.
"Then let them all know we're one," she said as he held her close.
"We're one," he echoed, ears flicking in startlement at her unconscious use of the phrase. He damped the
thought firmly.
As she moved her head, he saw the bruise. Reaching out, he touched it, then her cheek with hisfingertips.
"I'm sorry I was rough, cub, but you made me wait so long," he said ruefully. "I'm afraid I also scratched your back and shoulders. I checked them when we showered. They should be all right, but we'll get Vanna to look at them in the morning."
"No!"
"You don't need to worry, it's me she'll scold," he said. "I felt your fear… but I thought it was because
I'm Sholan, not a human like you."
"That least of all," she said with a chuckle. "I probably shouldn't admit it, but the fact you're Sholan only
made me more curious!"
He laughed, holding her closer till she winced in pain as he pressed against the scratches.
"I promise to take it slowly next time," he said, bending down to gently bite at her lips before progressing
to one of his kisses. "You use Sholan body language, so I responded instinctively."
"Is it a problem?"
"No, I wouldn't say so, would you?" he asked, his voice soft as liquid velvet. His hand strayed down to
her breast. "I'll show you what I like, and learn what pleases you."
"I thought you wanted to sleep," she murmured, relaxing against him.
"Did I?" She found herself swung into his arms as if she weighed nothing.
He grinned down at her. "Now why did I say that? I think we've both spent enough time asleep over thelast few days, don't you? Besides, it'll be fun to start those lessons now," he said, carrying her through tothe bedroom.
"Oh? Wasn't I good enough for you, then?" she asked as he pulled back the cover, laying her down in
the central bowl of the bed.
He climbed in beside her, passing his hand over the bed-side light sensor, dimming it to an intimate faintglow.
Leaning across her, he began to run his tongue across her cheek.
"Cub, the first time was more than I dared hope it would be." He could feel her starting to remember it
with as much pleasure.
"The second was fun—and wet!" she laughed.
"This time we'll enjoy each other slowly," he purred, his eyes glinting with mischief as his tail curled
around her leg.
Chapter 4
Vanna stirred, opening her eyes and looking blearily around the unfamiliar room. Where the hell was she? She ought to know, the smell was familiar. Uncurling, she instantly re-gretted it as her vision swam. Shegroaned, triggering off the headache.
A glass of frothing liquid swam into view and gratefully she grabbed it, swallowing the contents. It hit herstomach, instantly settling the incipient nausea.
"Better?" asked Garras, sitting down beside her.
She handed him the glass, remaining still for a moment till the drug dealt with the rest of her hangover.
"Thanks," she mumbled. "How'd I get here?"
"We came back together," he said. "Y
ou were sitting drinking in the rec bar on your own last night, and I
thought you needed company."
"What did we do?"
"Talked mostly."
"I'm afraid I don't really remember anything," she said ruefully. "I think I overdid it."
"Just a little," he said with a grin, reaching down to touch her cheek. "I didn't expect you to remember
much."
"That bad, huh?" Her headache had dulled to a vague ache by now so she risked sitting up.
Garras' arm was there to support her. "You'll feel better when you've eaten."
"No food yet," she said with a shudder. "I'll have a c'shar, though."
He got up and went over to the dispenser, returning with two faintly steaming mugs. He handed one toher before get-ting back into bed.
She took several large mouthfuls before her thirst was quenched. "Whatever was I drinking last night,
Garras?"
"Would you believe Terran coffee?"
"You're kidding!" she said. "It's had this effect on me?"
"They make it too strong in the rec bar."
"Oh. And it made me talkative?" she asked, giving him a sidelong glance.
"Moderately," he replied, taking a drink himself.
Vanna checked her wrist unit. "Gods, is that the time? I've got to go!" she said, finishing her drink with agulp. Putting the mug down on the bedside unit, she swung her legs over the side and began scrabblingamong the clothes on the floor for her uniform.
As she fastened her belt, she was aware of Garras watch-ing her. She risked a glance in his direction. Hewas getting up. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, she headed for the door.
"Bye," she said, putting her hand on the sensor.
Garras' hand closed over hers, preventing her from acti-vating it.
"Vanna, wait. You aren't in that much of a hurry. I'd be surprised if our two friends go anywhere today,"
he said, turning her around to face him.
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