Hunted & Seduced

by Shelley Munro

  “This is Ellard’s vision.” Niran waved his hand with a flourish.

  Gweneth stared at the austere furnishings and realized he’d imagined his room at the castle. She’d peeked inside one day when he and Jarlath were sparring with the other feline males. The sturdy metallic bars, however, were telling.

  “You hate me that much?” she demanded. “So much you want to keep me incarcerated?” She took satisfaction from the tinge of red that crept into his cheeks. Was she wasting her cycles? Maybe she should grit her teeth through the rest of this visit, return to Viros and retire to her room with the food that closest resembled Earth ice cream. Olivia had told her Earth women did this after disappointment in love.

  “What would you suggest?” Niran asked. “Whatever you choose will remain for as long as you require the item. Once you are no longer in need, the things we conjure disappear. That works for food, drink, clothing or any other object.”

  The kindness in his expression tightened her chest, and she had to swallow twice before she attempted to speak. Part of her wanted to suggest to Niran that she would like a sumptuous bed—large, of course—since Ellard took up a lot of space. Storage units and a clothing replicator. A decadent bathing area. A bath. Candles. Perfumed cleansing tabs. A maid to wash her hair and help her dress. Pretty clothes. She drew a deep breath. No! She was smarter than that. Besides, Ellard would expect her to push her agenda.

  “Are you ready?” Niran prompted.

  “Almost.” She slid a quick glance in Ellard’s direction and intercepted a scowl.

  Blast the man with an explosive. She had no idea why her feline insisted on this grumpy cat. After her initial surprise and rush of hormones during their first meeting, she’d tried to keep her distance. That had worked for all of two mins. Something inside her compelled her to check on him, to speak with him and generally annoy him until he noticed her in return.

  Blatant hadn’t worked, so she needed to tamp down on the urgent instincts coursing through her mind and use subtle. She’d step away—apart from the kiss. She didn’t intend to forgo her kiss because a bet was a bet. A point of pride.

  “I’m ready,” she said.

  Niran smiled in the way Jannike and Camryn smiled at her if she’d done a good job. As she watched, Ellard’s room vanished and a new one appeared in its place.

  “Well?” she demanded of Ellard once he’d surveyed the suite of rooms she’d imagined.

  “I’ll take the room in here,” Ellard said, after checking both of the rooms from the doorways.

  “The bathing facilities are between our rooms,” Gweneth said. “There are locks on the doors so neither of us need to fear a disturbance.”

  Ellard dipped his head in a decisive nod. “Are our bags here yet?”

  “They’re not necessary.” Niran offered another of his approving smiles. “I took the liberty of stocking the clothing replicators. You’ll find everything you require within your rooms.”

  “I’ll use the sanitizer first.” Ellard disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him with a click.

  “Well done, child,” Niran said. “You’ve made your move, made him aware of you. Backing off to give him time to process is a good plan.”

  Her chin jerked upward, but she left the mental barrier in her mind down as she regarded him. “I will be claiming my daily kiss.”

  A delighted chuckle burst from him. “I think that is fair. After all, a bet is a bet.”

  “Exactly.” Gweneth stepped into her suite room, the musical sound of his laughter still ringing in her ears as she closed the door.

  The business center of Narenda was much smaller than that of Viros. It consisted of a main cobblestone street, a central market square with cover from the constant heat and a series of small specialist shops lining the street.

  Gweneth’s heart sank. First impressions didn’t bode well. The shops were so small. What could they sell that would appeal to festival visitors? Her hand tightened on her compad, disappointment a sour taste on her tongue. But, mindful of her duties, she went through the motions and used her compad to record the sights.

  “Ransom, do I have permission to take depictions of the shops, the market area and the goods on sale?”

  He radiated approval. “Thank you for asking. General shots are fine. Please check with each store owner though.”

  “Of course. Can I take a group shot of us in the market place? I would like to send it with my daily report.” Top marks today, scoring endorsement from everyone except the man she desired.

  “I will see your report before you send it,” Ransom ordered.

  “Of course you can,” Gweneth said. “I understand the need for security. King Lynx suggested I discuss my report with you before I sent it to him. He wants allies as his neighbors rather than enemies.”

  “I think a depiction over there would work well,” Ransom said.

  Before she could blink, he had everyone arranged in a grouping in front of a decorative pond surrounded by red-and-white plants. Gweneth set the timer for the remote and her compad floated from her hands to a position in front of them. Secs later, a distinct click and whirr sounded then the compad returned to her.

  “It is perfect. Now the shops. I would like to purchase a pretty outfit to take home to Viros. Sable, where would you suggest?”

  Sable froze—a sort of a cat-spots-prey kind of freeze. “I…I…people stare,” she finished miserably.

  A whoosh of sympathy struck Gweneth. She knew how it felt to have people stare at her, how it felt to be invisible in a crowd and to feel small and insignificant. She’d experienced rejection. She tucked her compad in the satchel she’d discovered in her room and stalked over to Sable.

  “Not today.” She took Sable’s Stores arm. “I think we both deserve a new outfit. What do you think?”

  “I d-don’t have any credits,” Sable whispered.

  “I have plenty of credits,” Ransom offered into the resulting silence.

  Gweneth glanced at each of the three men. Wow! Niran, Ransom and even Ellard were looking at her in approval. A cause for celebration.

  “Should we start at the beginning of this side of the street? If we don’t finish, we can visit the other traders on the morrow.”

  Ellard groaned. “Can’t we go quicker than that?”

  “This is business,” Gweneth chided, although she winked at Sable. “Here, you take charge of my compad. Lynx wants notes of the goods that the traders would be willing to bring to the festival. We’ll need depictions too.” She handed over her compad.

  Ellard stared at her. “I can’t, not with my hand.”

  “Of course you can,” she said. “Ransom will help.”

  Gweneth headed to the first shop and entered, scanning the contents with growing approval. Better than she’d hoped. Much better. Colors—every one of the color palette—filled shelves. Scarves and everything a woman would want to groom or wear in her hair. When she couldn’t hear Sable following her, she turned and gestured for her to hurry. “Come and tell me if I’m imagining things. The colors. They’re gorgeous.”

  Sable entered, her footsteps dragging. She reminded Gweneth of a timid mouse.

  “Look.” Gweneth decided to take charge. “This scarf is the exact shade as your eyes. Such a gorgeous mixture of blue and green. And this…” She plucked a jeweled comb from a shelf and held it against Sable’s long black hair. “This would be perfect in your hair.”

  “I have no experience with combs and such.”

  “I do,” Gweneth said. “I’ll show you, and you can wear it for dinner. Ellard, we need a depiction.”

  An elderly woman—a dragon, judging by her thin golden eyes—bustled through a doorway. She hesitated on seeing Ransom. “Chieftain Ransom.”

  “We are here to do some shopping,” he said. “The ladies have taken a liking to some of your goods. This is Ellard Tetsu and Gweneth Swithin from Viros.” He explained about their mission and obtained agreement for Ellard to take depic
tions along with relevant information about her goods.

  They ambled along the street, the number of packages that Niran and Ransom carried steadily growing.

  “This is one of our shops.” Niran took Gweneth’s arm and guided her to an unimposing building. “We take great pride in setting up a business since we had to learn new skills in order to produce stock for our shop.”

  Gweneth stared at the lackluster window display and tried to think of an encouraging response. “It’s very clean,” she said finally.

  Ransom chuckled. “There, Niran. I told you your people needed a better display to attract customers.”

  “We want intelligent customers and have built up a loyal following. You forget, my friend, we do not require money or material possessions. This enterprise is a way for our people to fit in to the world of other races.”

  Gweneth took a deep breath to center her mind since she thought her tact might get a workout in this instance. “What do you sell?”

  “Ladies’ apparel,” Niran said.

  “I don’t require any clothes,” Sable said. “I’ll stay outside with Ellard.”

  Over her dead body. “Remember, we’re splurging and both purchasing something to wear tonight,” Gweneth said. On seeing Sable’s frown, she added, “Word-of-mouth advertising is crucial to any business. We would be helping the owners of this business by showcasing their clothing tonight.” Gweneth peered inside the very white shop and prayed she wouldn’t live to regret this spur-of-the-moment strategy.

  “My allowance is spent,” Sable protested.

  Gweneth wanted to stomp her feet and shake the other woman. She did neither and managed a strained smile instead.

  Ransom winked at Gweneth. “I will purchase a gown for you, Sable. Go inside with Gweneth. Ellard and I will discuss business out here while Niran introduces you both.” He cloaked his words in an order.

  A tiny crease of stubbornness etched into Sable’s forehead.

  Gweneth shrugged and maintained her strained smile as she entered the shop with Niran. Camryn and Jannike would tell her competition was good for her. Personally, she didn’t like it one bit.

  Inside, a single rack of garments claimed her attention. The fabric shimmered and made her long to caress the jewel-bright colors.

  Two women shimmered into focus. Both possessed long, straight white hair, their faces were pale with prominent rosy cheeks while their white eyes held pinpricks of glacier-blue. Their dresses reminded Gweneth of the ones she’d seen in Earth history books during her quest for knowledge. Vintage period with full skirts, fitted bodices and nipped-in waists. Pretty.

  Niran beamed. “May I present my wife, Aurora, and my oldest daughter, Patrice? This is Gweneth who is visiting from the planet, Viros. And of course, you know Sable.”

  Gweneth offered a polite smile of greeting. “I am very pleased to meet you. Did you make your gowns?”

  “We plucked them from your mind,” Patrice said.

  “Patrice!” Niran said.

  “They’re beautiful,” Gweneth said, starting to rebuild the mental brick wall. “They’re Earth designs.” She needed to keep that wall intact all the time. She’d grown sloppy with her mental defenses since Ry lost the ability to read her mind.

  A silent Sable stood beside her, and Gweneth decided to work on her plan.

  “Sable and I wish to purchase something new to wear this evening. Is that possible? Do you have suitable garments?”

  Patrice rounded the counter and glided toward them. “I think I have the perfect gowns for you both. Come with me, and we’ll get started. Mama will organize refreshments for the men.”

  She led them into a separate room, which boasted small cubicles for privacy and a large reflective wall. Not a mirror but something similar. Patrice slid another door open to reveal an entire wall of completed gowns.

  “Normally we use wish fulfilment to dress ourselves or satisfy our needs,” she explained. “We’re capable to doing that as long as we have enough sensual energy to feed us. Making apparel for others has been a challenge since we needed to find a way for the individual garments to retain their physical presence even if their owner no longer requires them. My mother developed a way of spinning the thread from the fibrous worm and combining it with a secret Incorporeal technology. The fibrous worm thread makes the garments permanently visible. Don’t ask me the particulars because they’re top secret, but that is the basic explanation.”

  “What you’re trying to say is that we won’t find ourselves naked during an important function,” Sable said in a dry tone. “I am relieved.”

  Gweneth nodded. “I’m with Sable. Strangers shouldn’t get to see my assets.” Not unless they’re Ellard, she added silently.

  Patrice grinned, and Gweneth realized she’d forgotten to screen again. Must remember.

  “Now which colors would you like to try?” Patrice asked.

  Sable glanced at the profusion of colors and that tiny crease appeared again on her forehead.

  Red, Gweneth thought. “I would like to try one of your gowns in that gorgeous blue-green color. I think it will make my eyes pop.”

  “Pardon?” Sable gaped at Gweneth. “Nothing should pop! I suffer enough trouble with a Stores arm.”

  “Sorry. Earth-speak,” Gweneth said. “I meant that the color will match and highlight my eyes. It will attract attention.”

  Sable shuddered. “I don’t want to do that.”

  “I’ll choose several styles and bring them in for you,” Patrice said.

  “I can’t wear these gowns,” Sable said. “People will look at me.”

  “Do you want to find a mate, and maybe have your own dwelling? Have children?” Gweneth asked.

  “I can’t have any of that.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m flawed. I’m half dragon. I can’t fly and I have an artificial arm. None of the males take a second look at me.”

  “Rubbish,” Gweneth said. “The male dragons on Narenda must be blind. I have an idea. If Ransom agrees to participate in the festival on Viros, you should attend. Come and stay with me at the castle. King Lynx won’t mind. You can meet my friends and the males our age. At the very least, you’ll have a holiday and make friends.”

  “I hadn’t thought of leaving Narenda.”

  Gweneth strove for patience and tact when she ached to rescind her impulsive offer. She did not need the competition of a beautiful woman. Sable possessed the raw materials to eclipse her—if she took more care with her appearance and started raising her gaze instead of studying the ground so much. “Think about it now. Ah, here’s Patrice.”

  Patrice handed three gowns of various shades of blue-green over to Gweneth. “Will you be all right on your own? I thought I’d help Sable. I can call Mama if you want help.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Gweneth eyed one gown with doubt. “Are you sure these are the right size? They look roomy.”

  “Don’t worry. Put on that one. It’s my favorite.” Patrice nodded. “You’ll see.”

  “Call me when Sable is ready. I want to see her in the gowns.”

  Gweneth whipped her comfortable pale blue tunic off and discarded the rest of her clothing. She picked a gown at random and slid it over her head. The second the fabric touched her skin, it shrank to drape perfectly. The short sleeves felt restricting and she tugged at them. Immediately, the fabric gave. The second she ceased yanking on the fabric the growth of the fabric halted. Gweneth stared at her reflection in the reflecting wall. It needed to be shorter. She tugged it up and the fabric disappeared until it hovered about six inches above her knee.

  “Wow!” she said, spinning to observe the gown from the rear. It dipped to show the curve of her spine, the fabric starting again at the small of her back. “What is this fabric?”

  Patrice opened the door of a cubicle and poked out her head. “We call it shrinkton.”

  “Will it reshape and go longer or looser again?”

  “Yes, although the garment ma
intains the basic style in which you purchase it, you can resize and drape to your heart’s content. Come out, Sable. Show Gweneth your dress.”

  “I…I…” Sable hesitated. “It’s different from what I normally wear.”

  “That is the idea,” Patrice disappeared and came back out, shunting an unwilling Sable in front of her.

  The red gown did things for Sable. It brought color to her face and clung to stunning curves. One arm remained bare while a sleeve covered her Stores arm.

  “No, you’re right,” Gweneth said. “Take that dress off right now. I can’t face having such tough opposition.”

  Sable sidled back in to the cubicle then halted, obviously replaying Gweneth’s words.

  Patrice laughed. “Look in the reflecting wall, Sable. I dare you.”

  Sable lifted her shoulders and marched into the middle of the room. “Is that…is that me?”

  “I told you so,” Gweneth said while inside she railed at fate. Sable looked stunning and once she updated her hair and makeup, Gweneth would face stiff competition. Ellard would love Sable…maybe more than he liked her. She swallowed and turned to Patrice. “Do you sell lingerie? We might as well get the works.”

  Ransom’s residence, later that eve

  Sable touched her face with her real fingers, an expression of wonder on her face. “Is that me?”

  Despite her sour mood, the sense of impending doom that stalked her mind, Gweneth managed a sincere smile. “You look beautiful. The dragon males won’t know what hit them when you enter the room.”

  Sable gasped. “Please, I can’t walk in alone.” She turned on the small stool, which sat in front of the reflecting wall and grasped Gweneth’s hands. The Stores hand felt degrees cooler than her real hand. “Promise you’ll walk in with me.”

  “I promise.” Gweneth disengaged and whipped off the coverall she’d used to protect her gown. “I believe we should go or we’ll miss dinner.”

  A tap sounded on the door, and Gweneth opened it to find a smiling Patrice. “Ransom sent me to tell you the visitors have started to arrive.” She beamed at Sable. “I love the way Gweneth has done your hair. You look beautiful.”