by Marly Chance
The look in his eyes was completely intimate, and intensely male, as if he was recalling her body in vivid detail. She remembered what had happened the previous night between them and felt warm desire flood her. Her nipples tightened in response.
Suddenly worried that he would read her thoughts, she demanded flatly, “I want your oath that you’ll stay out of my head for this discussion.”
Tair thought about it for a moment. He asked curiously, “Why should I do as you ask?”
Kate lifted her chin. With cool precision, she said, “Because if you don’t, I’m going to scream at you mentally, and I mean constantly. I will give you the worst headache known to science. And you will have gained nothing. Your choice.”
Tair considered her words. She would do it. What she didn’t realize was that he was an expert prober. Eventually, he could get past her surface thoughts and seek the information he wanted. He had done it many times with criminals in his capacity as a Guardian.
However, it might be easier to do as she requested. It would spare both of them a headache. He would appear to be acting very reasonably and making an effort to accommodate her. It was a small concession with potential rewards.
Nodding his head, he said lightly, “Upon my oath I will not scan your thoughts while we have this conversation. However, after this conversation, I promise nothing.”
Kate felt triumph flood her. She was over the first hurdle and it had been a big one. Gesturing at the chair across the table from her, she said, “Okay, then. Why don’t you take a seat and we’ll get started.”
She was trying to control the situation from the beginning. He knew what she was doing and was not in the least surprised. Playing along with her for the moment, he strode across the room and took a seat. Reaching out and grabbing a nidsu from the bowl on the table, he bit into it with a loud crunch.
Kate watched him warily. Chewing it slowly, he swallowed, and then said casually, “I believe you have been quite busy. I see you have managed to find firstmeal and are working already. Was your tech unit in your purse?”
Ignoring the way his tongue came out to get the juice from the fruit off his upper lip, she kept her attention on his eyes. It wasn’t easy. With a brisk nod, she said, “Yes, I had it in my purse. I wasn’t about to leave it on Earth. It’s very useful for organization.”
Tair nodded in agreement. He knew of her fondness for organization already. He was merely easing into the situation cautiously. Leaning back in his chair, he asked, “You have eaten?”
It was time to go to war. Kate said flatly, “Yes, I’ve eaten. I’ve explored the house, pushed nearly every button, and learned quite a few things.”
Tair had a sudden sinking feeling. She had been up for quite some time, obviously. He needed to assess the damage. “How long have you been awake?”
Kate gave him her best glacial smile. “Long enough. About three hours. “Giving him a significant look, she added, “I am no longer fatigued.”
Tair winced mentally. Three hours, it was too long. With studied indifference, he asked, “I suppose you found our home computer?”
Kate’s smile widened. Oh boy, had she found the computer. And what an informative session it had been. She said somewhat smugly, “Why, yes I did. I even realized fairly quickly how to request the English translation. You are very good with preparations and details.”
The situation was getting worse by the moment. Tair felt a sense of dread. She had found the culture tutorial. He knew it. Arching an eyebrow he asked, “And the security password?”
Kate remembered that moment of triumph and flashed him a triumphant look. “It was easy to surmise that my ID card went into the slot. It turned on and gave me a blank screen.”
She sat back in her chair. “Then, I tried typing ‘Tair’, ‘Liken’, ‘Sharon’, ‘Jadik’, ‘Kate’, and ‘sheka’. I had almost given up. “
“Then, I typed ‘Deva’ and I was in.” Her smile was all teeth and she knew it. She could almost forgive the little rat for scaring the hell out of her last night in light of her triumph this morning.
Tair cursed mentally. He knew it was poor security to use a pet’s name as a password, but he had been thinking at the time of making it easier for Kate to remember. He had planned to show her the computer, and at the appropriate time, he would have shown her the cultural tutorial to help her better understand her new home. But she had accessed it now.
He had to know. The time for game-playing was done. With simple directness, he said, “You accessed ‘sexual practices’.”
Kate knew her anger was clear on her face. She had been curious about quite a few things, and that one had been near the top. However, she hadn’t needed to type in “sexual practices.”
She stared at him. “No, actually I was looking at mental abilities when I saw a reference to linking.” Remembering with fresh horror what the tutorial said, she stated with arctic, final emphasis, “I will not link with Jadik or anyone else.”
Tair sighed in frustration. Earth females were so impossible when it came to this subject. Sharon had been very difficult about it, too. He did not understand why it was so upsetting. It was perfectly natural and expected. It was Shimerian law, and a time-honored and important part of their culture. Why did Earth females react so violently to the idea? It was no wonder that Shimerians made sure it was kept a secret from humans. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he said, “I knew you would react in this way.”
Kate remembered the cold weight that had settled over her when she read about linking. Human females were completely defenseless against mind rape by a Shimerian. With merging, apparently Tair had placed a mental shield around her mind. Theoretically, the Shimerian pactmate chose a male friend or relative to “link” with his mate. The ‘link’ used his mental power to add an additional mental shield to protect the female.
In addition, the link had a “connection,” like a door, that could be opened at will. The door was really a small barrier that would be breeched instantly if the female became severely distressed. In times of great emotion, the female would be more or less “shouting” and the link would mentally hear. It was for the protection of the female.
Linking was not required only of human females either. Even Shimerian females each had a link. Shimerian females had a natural mental shield. However, in a society that treasured and protected females, having a pactmate and a link was a way to ensure the highest protection. Essentially, two male protectors were considered better than one.
The problem was that the “linking” was done at the female’s point of orgasm, when her mental defenses were completely down. Basically, there was a sexual threesome “linking ceremony.” That Tair would even consider sharing her with someone else was insulting. It proved quite effectively that he did not care for her in the least.
She was fine with the notion. If a part of her was cold and empty at the thought, it was merely a leftover sense of emotionalism from the intensity of last night. She didn’t care what the tutorial for Planet Kink explained. She was not participating in a threesome. And Tair was a louse.
Tair watched the emotions play over Kate’s face. She was hurt under all that anger. He knew it, but had no idea how to sooth her. With a great deal more sympathy for Liken’s struggle with Sharon over the topic, he tried to find the words to make her understand.
He began in a gentle voice. “I have no desire to share you with another. Linking is a very natural thing. It is a ceremony of great tradition and honor. Your protection is my uppermost importance. The sexuality of it is a harmless thing. It only occurs once.”
Kate raised a skeptical eyebrow. She said sarcastically, “Let me make sure I understand. You and I have sex with Jadik, but it’s harmless. And, oh, yes, it’s all for my benefit.”
Tair placed both hands on the table and leaned forward earnestly, “Kate, you and I will make love, with Jadik there in the same room. At the point of your orgasm, I will work to lower the shield I have put in place around your mi
nd. Jadik will work to build a pathway from his mind to yours and place his shield over mine. As your link, he needs a way to receive your thoughts if you are in distress.”
Kate rubbed her neck absently in an attempt to ease the ache. He was saying pretty much what the information on the computer had said. The “link” was a kind of backup if the pactmate was injured, dead, or unable to aid in the even of an emergency to the female.
She was smart enough to understand rationally that she was on a different planet and the culture was very different. It didn’t make it any easier for her to understand from her own cultural point of view. She could see the sincerity in Tair. He truly did not believe there was anything wrong with linking.
It was confusing to her emotionally. Uncomfortable with the sensation, she said coolly, “I understand it’s to keep criminals from attempting some kind of mind rape. As a human, I’m especially vulnerable without any natural shields.”
“Now that we’re merged…” She gave him a killing look. “…I have a single shield that could still be breeched. Unlike before, however, the amount of power needed to rip through that shield would do a lot of damage. A second shield is greater protection.”
She rubbed her forehead wearily. She should never have agreed to a merge. She had heard rumors of telepathic powers, but had not considered the full implications. What a big miscalculation on her part it had been to assume it was temporary -- an extra sense that came into play during sex.
The merge was permanent. She’d like to blame Tair for not telling her, but she had not even asked. It was her own fault for allowing it. When she had realized that this morning, her sense of horror had been overwhelming. She had him stuck in her head now. He could withdraw and block her at times, but he would be there always. There was no going back.
Well, what was done was done. No matter how she hated it, there was no changing it. “I’ll concede it makes sense. But I don’t like the thought of you running around in my head, much less someone else I don’t even know.”
Tair felt his shoulders relax. She was trying to understand. It was a start. He thought carefully how to phrase his next point.
In the same earnest tone, he said, “Kate, Jadik is completely trustworthy. He would give his life to protect you. I trust him with my life, with both our lives. He will not intrude on your privacy without good reason. He is my best friend. Other than my brother, there is no one I trust more. That trust is very important when it comes to the shielding process.”
He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “I do not know how to make you understand.”
He reached across the table and gathered one of her hands in his own. “The sexuality of it is completely natural and depends upon the three participants. It will go only as far as the three of us decide it will go. He will need to be there and the less clothing and the more intimacy between the two of you, the easier it is to link. However, it will be done with your full consent. You have nothing to fear.”
Kate swallowed past the huge lump in her throat. He made it all sound so reasonable. In spite of her misgivings she felt a lurking arousal at the thought of a linking ceremony between the three of them. A picture of Jadik flashed into her head, beautiful and dangerous. It scared the hell out of her.
Tair could see the sudden darkening of her eyes and guess at her thoughts. He said softly, “I have been inside your mind. The thought of linking should not be completely abhorrent. You are attracted to Jadik.”
Before she could stop herself, Kate asked, “Doesn’t that bother you?”
Tair looked surprised at the notion. “No. Attraction is a natural thing between two adults. It is not the same as what is between us. You are my pactmate and you will be my pledgemate.”
He could see she did not understand. He tried to think of it in terms of her culture. “In your culture, the sexuality of the linking would be like harmless flirting. It means nothing. Perhaps the equivalent of when various males kiss the bride at her wedding. It is considered fun and harmless, not a threatening or insulting thing.”
A sudden thought occurred to her. “Sharon did this?! I can’t believe it. You’re her link?”
Tair smiled. “Yes, I am her link.”
Kate wasn’t sure how she felt about it. This was all so weird. The thought of Sharon and Tair… She felt a little tug of jealousy. “The three of you…”
Tair raised an eyebrow, although he could not help being pleased at the flash of jealousy that had been obvious. He asked calmly, “Yes?”
Kate knew she shouldn’t ask, but she had to know. “Did you have sex with her?”
Tair asked, “Why should it matter? You and I had taken no oaths with each other at the time.”
Kate felt angry at the evasion. “Just tell me.”
He leaned back in the chair. “What happens at the ceremony is usually kept between the participants. However, I will be honest and tell you that I did not have sex with her. Only kissing and some touching were involved. Beyond that, I will not share details.”
Kate felt a sense of relief. It shouldn’t matter, but it did. She knew how much Liken and Sharon loved each other. It was obvious to her, too, that Tair and Sharon had a warm affection between them, nothing more. Still, she felt better knowing they hadn’t slept together.
Tair broke her thoughts. “Kate, linking is perfectly natural and harmless. It is necessary for protection and it is an important part of our culture. Because it is different from your own culture does not mean it is wrong.”
He made a certain bizarre sense from an intellectual standpoint. It was a cultural difference, but she could understand the reasoning. Unfortunately, she couldn’t shake her discomfort. She and Tair and Jadik… She wasn’t Shimerian and she wasn’t raised to believe this kind of stuff. She felt confused and scared. She hated feeling this way. It really pissed her off.
She said flatly, “I don’t care if you’ve been training to focus and search for a pactmate telepathically your whole life. I don’t believe this idiotic destined mate business. It’s just a way to convince women to stay.”
Tair watched the ice return to Kate’s expression and knew he had pushed her far enough for the moment. She was highly intelligent and would need time to deal with the information. It was time to distract her.
It was time for some fun. Deliberately goading her, he said, “I believe this conversation is over.” His voice was a mocking echo of her usual statement.
When her eyes flashed in response, he smiled. “It is time for us to explore your new home.”
Giving him a lethal look, she said, “This is not my home. This is my temporary housing unit until I return to my home.”
“Not true, sheka,” he denied, grinning wider.
He added, “However, because I am such a wonderful louse of an alien I am willing to show you Shimeria. Unless your encounters with the portal and Deva have scared you too much to explore.”
Kate felt her temper boil, and struggled to control it. He was provoking her on purpose. In a tone of pure ice, she said, “In spite of your pathetically obvious attempt to goad me into doing what you want, I would like to see more of your planet than just this house.”
Tair stood up and looked down at her. She raised a resentful eyebrow at his position. His expression changed abruptly to one she recognized instantly. He was about to get sexual and in a big way.
He said in a voice brooking no argument, “I believe it is time for us to establish some rules. When we are alone together in this temporary housing unit you will remain nude at all times unless I tell you otherwise. I will touch you with my hands and my mouth any time I desire.”
Kate could feel her blood heating at his words. It was infuriating to know that he could get to her with one simple statement. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak.
Tair held his hand up and watched as her mouth closed in response. Good. She was off-balance already. Smiling coolly, he said calmly, “I know your fantasies, Kate. I know what you want an
d how you want it. It is my goal to give you exactly those things. In return, you will not argue with every sexual order, especially when you know very well you desire it as much as I. You enjoy it when I talk to you in this way. It arouses you. You will enjoy a great many other things as well.”
She stood up, thinking frantically. Things were moving fast. She should protest at his high-handed orders, but at the same time he was doing it in response to her own fantasies. It was confusing. Then, grimly, she wondered if he was reading her thoughts.
Tair shrugged. “Yes, I am scanning you. In return for your cooperation, I will give you privacy at certain times. I will try to tell you when I block you, although you will probably be able to feel it.”
Searching through her mind, he stopped at one particular idea. With a sudden wide grin, he said, “Kate, how very intriguing. What an interesting fantasy life you have inside that beautiful mind.”
Kate could feel his satisfaction and growing desire. Whatever he had found out, he was feeling enthusiastic. Kate Carson did not blush, not ever. She reminded herself of that fact, even as she felt her face heat. The damn man was so infuriating. Walking past him, she said regally, “If you’re reading my mind, you know damn well how I feel about it.”
She looked over her shoulder and exclaimed, “Are we going or not?”
Tair made a swift decision. They were going, but not quite yet. He said firmly, “Kate.”
She stopped in the archway and turned to face him. With an arched brow and a furious look, she asked, “What now?”
Tair said coolly, “You will precede me to our sleeping chamber. I must retrieve something.”
Her heart began beating faster. The bedroom was dangerous territory. Shrugging and acting nonchalant, she said, “Whatever. Let’s go.” She turned and walked away.
Walking down the hallway, she plotted quickly. She was no coward and she intended to make that point crystal clear. If he wanted to engage in sexual game-playing, she would start the game with a play of her own. Entering the bedroom, she walked straight to the bed and laid down. Rolling until she was on her side facing the doorway, she propped her head in her hand in a familiar pose.