Passionate Desire

by Barbara Donlon Bradley

  “You think I spent more time with those Vespians than I should have, don’t you?” She probably thought he was acting a lot like her brother.

  “The men were very manly and I do remember you posturing a couple of times against that Storm fellow.” She rested her head against his shoulder.

  “It’s hard to ignore all that testosterone.” He wrapped an arm around her and walked her back to the door of their room. “I guess we should get to work so we can go home.”

  ****

  “What does he mean testosterone?”

  “Storm.” Heather couldn’t help but smile. “He has to maintain the illusion that we never told him she was your sister, and that her amnesia is real.”

  “That kiss sure seemed real.” They sat in the ancient compound watching what was going on with Toki and Kuarto.

  “I noticed that, too. But you know it was all for show, right?”

  “Was it?”

  She knew he wasn’t happy with the fact his sister could be in a relationship. He hadn’t come right out and said it yet and that was what she was waiting for. “What do you think?”

  “Never mind.” He stepped away from the screen. “Have you figured out what the question is you need to ask the computer to unlock the whole system?”

  “Not yet. I keep throwing out one here and there, but haven’t figured out what the computer is looking for.” She gave him a hug, knowing he changed the subject because he wasn’t ready to talk yet. “Don’t worry. I’ll get it.”

  “I’m sure you will.” He grew quiet for a moment.

  “You okay?”

  “Of course.” He gave her one of his heart melting smiles. “Just wondering about how you are doing. I know Kuarto gave you the vitamins to help you but you still seem to tire easily.”

  “I know.”

  “Even now you have a faint hint of darkness under your eyes.”

  “We’ll just tell them you wouldn’t let me get any sleep.”

  “Are you kidding?” He shook his head. “My family would force me to stay away from you if they thought I caused you any trouble.”

  “You know I wouldn’t allow that.” She leaned into him, feeling light headed. Her legs gave way but Storm’s strong arms kept her from hitting the floor.

  ****

  “Heather.” He didn’t know what to do. “Computer, can you help her?”

  “What she is going through is very normal.”

  “What is normal when there is no one else to compare to?” He spoke to the computer. “We haven’t found any records on an ancient pregnancy.”

  “I have all the information you need.” The computer paused as it prepared data for him. “Please put your hand in the receptacle.”

  “And exactly what am I supposed to do with my mate?” he yelled at the system. “She’s still not quite on her feet yet.”

  The computer created a soft chair for him to set her in. “Please put your hand in the receptacle.”

  He placed Heather on the seat, then walked to the spot he thought the computer meant. The indentation in the panel had him wondering about it since the first time he realized it was there. He felt a jolt enter his palm, race up his arm and fill his head. The images were hard to keep up with. The data that followed he just let flow, hoping he would be able to make sense of it all later. He was going to have a massive headache afterward.

  Heather stirred in the chair.

  “My heart.” He crouched beside her. “It seems the vitamins aren’t helping that much.”

  “Sorry.” She touched his face. “I know it frightens you but it’s like I’m being drained all at once.”

  He felt the information fill his brain. “It’s the babies. They’re stretching their mental abilities by trying to contact you. They just don’t know how to not use all their power. That surge makes you shut down. Once you show them how to touch your mind without using every ounce of their being, it should stop.”

  “And how did you become an expert on ancient pregnancies?”

  “The computer.” He helped her to her feet. “It downloaded everything into me.”

  “Downloaded?”

  “I can do the same thing for you, Heather.”

  Storm watched in amazement as the information entered her. She stopped moving while it happened, then blinked and smiled.

  “That was amazing.” He touched her face. “You didn’t have to touch the receptacle. Do you know how to communicate what you need to so the twins won’t short circuit you?”

  “I do.” She rubbed her stomach for a moment before resting her hands there. “It’s nice to know what to expect now. Do you think the children were the culprits of me passing out the first time when we thought it was the sentinel waking up?”

  “I still feel Al had something to do with that, but the second time had to have been them. You shutting down might have frightened them and they wanted to let you know they were okay.” He wrapped his arms around her, placing his hand on hers. “I still can’t believe this. Computer, you mentioned that I have the catalyst that allowed us to have children. Can you explain that?”

  “That information can’t be unlocked until Heather comes up with the right question.”

  “You need to come up with that question.”

  “I know.”

  ****

  Toki hated the whole situation. Kuarto was being belligerent with Al. Something she wasn’t sure he should be doing. She sat near him as he went over some of the research he had already done. She wondered how they were going to get out of this.

  “Can you get me my scanner?”

  She hoped he was teasing. All of Heather’s data was on it. There was no way he would give that info to Al. Would he?

  “Now?” She got up and walked to the table that held his gear. Pulling it out, she hesitated as she held it in her hand, trying to figure out why he would want to give all the data to Al. It didn’t make sense. Kuarto shouldn’t have brought the thing with him. She dropped it into his hand, but not before she gave him a dirty look.

  He winked at her. The scanner information loaded onto the screen and she watched, waiting to see if he would stop Heather’s info from going into Al’s system but there was no file on Heather on his scanner. What was going on?

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The information I had on the clone is gone.”

  “Those Vespians erased all of Heather’s files from my scanner which included any info I had on that egg.”

  Al walked in just as Kuarto spoke.

  “That egg belongs to Heather.” Kuarto confronted him.

  “Yes.” He was so nonchalant about it. “I believe I can unlock the information you need, if you let me have that for a few minutes.”

  Toki wanted to grab the thing and go running, but could only watch in frustration as Kuarto handed it over. He had a stupid smile on his face. One she wanted to knock off. Why was he putting Heather in danger like this?

  “I thought you said you came by that egg honestly. She didn’t strike me as one who would share easily.”

  “I was owed and that was my payment.” He placed the scanner in a small alcove and moved to the computer. He pressed a few buttons. “I can pull up your old data before you went to Vespia but it looks like I can’t access anything you recorded on the Vespian planet.”

  “The research on the egg is all I need anyway.” He held out his hand for his scanner. “Just download it to the station I’m working at.”

  Al hesitated for an instant before dropping the little device into his hand. Toki thought he was going to keep it for a minute.

  Kuarto put it into his pocket and walked back to his computer. He looked to make sure she followed him. “Oh, if you want me to continue my work you need to do a few things for me.”

  “You really don’t have room to negotiate.”

  “Really?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Who do you have who can do this if I don’t? Isn’t that why you
kidnapped my bride?”

  His lip thinned when he realized Kuarto did have the upper hand. “What do you want?”

  “Take that stupid device off my wife and remove your security equipment from our room. Once that is done to my satisfaction I will continue with the work you want me to do.” He waited.

  Toki couldn’t believe he would be so bold.

  Al walked up to her and ripped the device off her neck. It hurt like hell, and brought tears to her eyes, but she didn’t make a sound. To have control of her own body again was worth any pain she had to withstand.

  Kuarto was at her side as soon as Al left, giving her a shot to help the damaged tissue heal. He also sprayed a topical on the area. “I’m sorry. I should have expected him to be a bit mean in removing that. I gave you what I could to help take the edge off. The spray will work like a Band-Aid, covering it from your hair and clothes so you won’t be irritating it when you move. Don’t know if it will help you. I’ve also put an accelerant into the dose to make the tissue heal faster.”

  “Thanks.” She leaned into him for a moment. “What can I do to help you?”

  He pointed to the screen where the data from his scanner was. “I’m sure the information that he was able to save is a jumbled mess. You think you could work your way through it so we can reorganize the info for easier access?”

  “Sure.” She still wasn’t sure about what was going on. “Can I access it from a different terminal?”

  “I’ll make sure you can.” He sent the information to the screen she sat in front of and they went to work. Kuarto had been working on his computer for a while before he looked at the information and sat back. “What I need is the real thing.”

  “Excuse me?” Toki asked.

  “What?” He looked at her and smiled. “Sorry. I have a tendency to talk out loud to myself. I wish I could work on the real egg. Just having the data doesn’t really help me.” He started moving different files around until he was satisfied. “Let’s go for a walk. I need to let my mind digest everything.”

  “You sure they’ll let us?” She stood when he did.

  “What is Al going to do? We can’t leave this planet. In fact, I have no idea where we are anyway. Do you?”

  “No. I was out until we arrived.”

  “And do you know where the spaceport is?”

  “No.” Confusion filled her voice. “What are you getting at?”

  “We don’t know how to escape, so a nice walk won’t hurt us.” He took her hand and led her to the door. Two guards stood there, blocking their way. “I need to think.”

  “Think in your room, Doctor.”

  “Can’t. Get Al.” He crossed his arms over his chest, mocking the guards’ stance. When they didn’t move he spoke again. “Look, you either let us go out for a walk, or I’ll knock you out, and go for my walk anyway. I don’t care if you feel you must follow us because you’re not sure. Call Al and ask for permission. But I’m staying right here until we get to go for a walk.”

  “I’m only following orders.”

  “I’m warning you.” He pulled out a hypo.

  The guard he threatened touched his ear as he got a command. “You have permission to take your walk, but stay near the buildings. The perimeter security is programmed to fry anyone who tries to cross it.”

  “Like I’m going to go anywhere.” He took Toki’s hand and started walking. The air was cool, but the bright sunlight kept them warm. “You don’t see too many of those.”

  “What?” She looked where he was pointing.

  “Binary stars.” They took their time. He seemed to be waiting for something.

  “You are as crazy as Storm is. You know that?” She chose her words carefully, not knowing if what they said could be picked up by the security system.

  “Yes.” He smiled at her. She felt her heart skip a beat. “I’ve been around a little too long to put up with people trying to push me around. I proved that with Mr. Overprotective and will prove it to Al as well.”

  “I am sorry.”

  “About what?”

  “If I hadn’t been feeling sorry for myself that day I wouldn’t have been anywhere near the gardens, and given him the opportunity to kidnap me.”

  “I have a feeling he was waiting. If it hadn’t been then it would have been another time.” He wrapped an arm around her. “It’s not your fault, so don’t blame yourself.”

  They noticed someone walking toward them.

  “Is that him?”

  “No. Too short and the clothing is female.”

  “I haven’t seen any women on this planet.” She continued to watch as the figure grew closer. “It can’t be.”

  “What?”

  “It looks like Heather.” She wanted to run to see if it was her, warn her of the danger, but Kuarto kept her in his grip.

  “Trust no one and nothing you see.” His voice was soft, so soft she barely heard it, but it kept her at his side.

  The figure was female and as it grew closer her features were visible. “Why would Heather be here?”

  He hadn’t responded, but she knew he was focused on the woman approaching them. His trusty scanner came out.

  “That’s an automatic reflex for you, isn’t it?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Every time you feel you need to question something, you whip that out.”

  “I created this little gismo, and it has been very handy.”

  “Why are you using it now?”

  “Because that can’t be Heather. Look at the way she moves. It’s too precise.” He took the scanner activated it and palmed it. “I think it’s an android.”

  “What?” She found herself staring at it. “Really?”

  “This will tell me for sure.”

  Heather stood in front of them. She was Heather, right down to the elder looking outfit she had on. She smiled at them. “Doctor, Toki, how are you today?”

  “Fine, Heather. And you?”

  She saw the device give a quick glow then shut back off. He looked at the readings and smiled at her. It might look and talk like Heather but it was a machine. Toki didn’t think her brother would allow his mate to be in harm’s way while she carried their children. He wouldn’t allow her to be in harm’s way period.

  “I am fine. Al wishes to speak to you.” She stepped aside and waited for them to move.

  “I see our walk has been interrupted.” He still had his arm around Toki, so she had to move with him. “I thought Al gave us permission to walk.”

  “He did, but he does have a few things he wishes to go over.”

  “Like where we’re allowed to walk? I would think he has the whole compound under surveillance.”

  “The whole compound is under surveillance.” The android led them to another building while she answered them.

  “Miked and videoed?”

  “No. Most of the outside is just video.” She opened a door for them to enter. “But close to the buildings where the cameras are clustered can be given sound. They can scan your face so dialog can be added when needed.”

  “At least I know I can have some privacy with my bride as long as I’m not near the buildings.”

  “As long as you clear it through Ialog first.” Heather escorted them to the main computer section. Toki had never seen anything like it. She looked around in awe.

  “Doctor, why do you continue to push me?” Al was waiting for them.

  “Because you think bullying will work on me and it won’t. Why do you think you found me on that out of the way planet? I have had my share of people trying to tell me what to do.”

  “Maybe we should renegotiate.”

  “I never negotiated with you in the first place. You wouldn’t take no for an answer.” He had kept his arm around Toki the whole time. She felt the slightest tightening of his hold as he waited for Al to respond.

  “Perhaps I did overstep my boundaries. Why don’t the two of you join me for dinner and maybe we can work things out bet
ween us.”

  ****

  Heather came down to the main room of the compound once she finished her time with the elders. She and Storm had been spending as much time as they could watching what was going on with Kuarto and Toki. They hadn’t been gone that long yet, but with their own workloads Heather and Storm didn’t want to fall too far behind in the recordings.

  Storm hadn’t come down yet.

  “How are you feeling, Heather?” asked the computer.

  “Why?” She knew the computer was detecting something.

  “You’re slightly anemic. I’m also detecting a lower than normal blood pressure and your metabolism is a little sluggish.”

  “Thanks. All I need is for Storm to hear that and he won’t let me leave our room.”

  “What is it you don’t want me to know about?” He walked into the room and wrapped his arms around her.

  “The computer is pointing out a few things my vitamins haven’t fixed.”

  “Thought so. You still have those darkened areas under your eyes.” He brought her to the chair and sat her down. “Stay there.”

  “Please don’t treat me like a child. I’m fine.” She stood and glared at him.

  “Computer can you give us a bigger chair? One I can sit in with her so she won’t escape so easily. It might be a good idea to allow it to recline so she can rest when need be.”

  It didn’t take the system long to create something they could be comfortable in.

  “Storm.” He gave her one of his devilish smiles and started to stalk her. She darted away from him, but knew there was nowhere to go. Turning to face him, she continued to back up as he came at her. “I am a full grown woman.”

  “I know you are. You’re my full grown woman.” The gaze in his eyes intensified as he spoke. “You are also the mother of my children. Something you know is rare and precious here.”

  “I can still function on my own.”

  “And I’m not saying you can’t.” He reached her then and scooped her up in his arms. “But you are as stubborn as your mate, and don’t always do what is best for you.”

  He was right. He sat her in the newly formed chair, then joined her. “Computer, how about a light cover? My mate likes to snuggle.”