She shivered at the awful memory of staring down at her own dead face and knowing that the man she’d thought she’d loved had been using her for his own awful purposes.
“You found your own dead body in a drawer?” Lauren exclaimed. “That’s terrible!”
“You have no idea.” Maddy shook her head. “And the worst thing was, it was Calden who cloned me. I thought…thought he loved me but now I think he just…”
Her eyes were suddenly filling with tears and she could barely go on. Why was she telling all this to strangers? Maybe it just needed to come out. At any rate, she couldn’t seem to stop talking.
“I think he must have cloned me more than once,” she confessed. “The way he’s cloned so many other animals like little Snuffy here.” She nodded at the little brantha who burbled sadly and caressed her wet cheek with his trunk, as though sensing her sorrow. “Cloned me over and over so he could have fun with me and then let me die, just like he let all the animals in his lab die with those awful self-termination units in their necks.”
“But that doesn’t really make sense, hon,” Liv said gently. “If he cloned you over and over and didn’t care if you died, why would he rush you here to get the termination unit out of your neck before it killed you?”
“Sylvan told me he was absolutely frantic with fear for you,” Sophie put in quietly. “He told me that Calden admitted when he cloned you he never intended to fall in love but he couldn’t help himself. He said he never would have agreed to have that self-termination thingy implanted in you if he’d had any idea of what being with you would be like or how you would affect him. I think maybe you were supposed to be just another experiment to him but then you kind of stole his heart.”
“Really?” Maddy looked at them uncertainly. “I just thought…he made a big deal out of never, uh, being with a woman before me.” She cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks get hot. “But his technique is so good—I mean he just doesn’t seem that inexperienced, you know? I thought he must have been cloning me over and over so he could play out his little ‘first time’ fantasy more than once.”
“He really doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who would do that,” Liv said.
“And if you’re thinking that his bedroom technique is too good to be true, well, welcome to the world of the Kindred, doll,” Kat said dryly. “They’re completely focused on pleasing their women and they’re very, very good at it—it’s like they have some kind of instinct about how to make you happy in bed.”
“That does seem to be a Kindred trait—no matter what race of Kindred they are,” Sophie said thoughtfully.
“Really?” Maddy was almost ready to forgive Calden for everything but then she closed her eyes for a minute and remembered that horrible moment of realization as she looked down at her own dead body lying in the drawer. “Well, Calden still shouldn’t have cloned me,” she said, frowning stubbornly.
“What? So you’d rather be dead?” Lauren asked, sounding mystified.
“I am dead,” Maddy pointed out.
“Only your first body,” Kat said. “Why don’t you think of this one as a do-over? You know—body 2.0 or something. Like your first body went to sleep and Calden woke you up in this body.”
“I think what’s upsetting Madeline is that Calden didn’t tell her she was a clone,” Liv said gently. “And it does sound like she found out in the worst way possible.”
“Well, I can’t argue with that,” Kat remarked. “Finding your own dead body in a drawer? It’s like something out of a Stephen King novel!”
“It really was,” Maddy agreed and shivered.
“Well, it seems to me that even though Calden is a Kindred, he’s still a guy and guys do stupid things sometimes,” Sophie said tactfully. “I’m sure he didn’t mean for you to find your old body in a drawer. And to hear my guy, Sylvan, tell it, he’s completely head-over-heels in love with you but he’s afraid you’ll never forgive him.”
“He’s been pacing outside your room all night—ever since you got out of surgery,” Liv said. “He asked me to bring in that plant for you…” She pointed at the plant with its delicious-looking ripe fruit. “To make you feel more at home.”
“Did he?” Maddy felt her heart beginning to melt, just a little. “I just don’t know how to feel about him right now.”
“Look, doll—why don’t we leave you alone and let you digest things for a while?” Kat asked tactfully. “You’ve got a lot to think about—not the least of which is if you can forgive the man you love for cloning you and keeping your original body in a drawer.”
Maddy shook her head. “It sounds so surreal when you put it that way.”
“Again—welcome to the world of the Kindred,” Sophie said dryly. “Crazy things happen when you’re with a Kindred guy. The stories we could all tell…”
There were murmurs of general agreement and all the girls were nodding.
“But wonderful things happen too,” Liv said firmly. “I think all of us were so angry with our guys at one time or another we wanted to get rid of them. I tried everything in my power to get away from Baird—my hubby—when he first Claimed me. But now I can’t imagine life without him.”
“So…you think I should give Calden a second chance?” Maddy asked hesitantly.
“I think you should do what feels right for you,” Liv told her. “I won’t push you one way or the other. If you decide you want to see him, let me know and I’ll show him in. If you’d rather see your family, I can track them down for you, too.”
“Oh no—not yet.” Maddy put a hand to her cheek, feeling cold and faint. “I can’t face telling my mom and sisters that I’m not the Madeline who left them yet. And what if…” She bit her lip. “What if something happened to them while I was gone? What if you look for them and…and they’re not there?”
“Don’t go borrowing trouble like that,” Sophie said briskly. “Odds are they’re perfectly fine.”
“Sophie’s right—you should take one problem at a time,” Lauren told her. “And it sounds to me like your first problem is deciding what to do about your man.”
“Calden isn’t my man,” Maddy said and sighed. “Or, well—I thought I wanted him to be but I’m just…just having a hard time getting over this.”
“Which is completely understandable,” Liv said. “So we’re all going to leave you alone now with Lauren’s excellent cupcakes and let you think things through. Come on, girls—visiting hours are over,” she said, ushering the other three out.
They all came to give Maddy a quick hug and welcome her again to the Mother Ship before leaving.
“Say, do you mind if I try one of these?” Kat asked, pointing to the fruit hanging from the laden branches of the plant. “I’ve never seen bonding fruit like this before—I’m curious about the effects.”
“Sure—help yourself. I haven’t tried any but they look good.” Maddy shrugged. She had no idea what “effects” Kat was talking about but there was plenty of fruit to spare and she was happy to share it.
“Thanks, doll.” Kat took a fruit and squeezed her hand. “You take care of yourself now, Madeline 2.0,” she whispered and winked.
Then, before she knew it, Maddy was left alone in the room with no one but Snuffy and the little plant for company. The former had fallen asleep after eating the rest of her chocolate cupcake and was snoring softly through his trunk. The latter just sat there, filled with delicious-smelling fruit. It seemed to rustle softly…invitingly, when she looked at it. But at the moment, she wasn’t hungry—not even for another luscious cupcake or a piece of the strange, square fruit.
She eyed Snuffy, sleeping so peacefully, and yawned. She would have been worried about giving him chocolate but Calden had informed her that branthas were omnivorous. On their home planet they were scavengers eating anything and everything that came their way—they were even immune to most poisons. So she was certain the remains of the luscious chocolate cupcake wouldn't hurt the little creature. If anything, it ha
d only made him more willing to settle down and sleep.
Maddy was feeling rather in need of rest herself. She still felt groggy from the effects of the anesthesia and her head was spinning from everything she’d learned and everything her new friends had said.
It was nice, she reflected as she closed the box of cupcakes and put it on the stand beside the plant, that they were so understanding about her being a clone. From their blasé reaction to her revelation, it seemed that lots of strange things had happened to them all, just from being involved with the Kindred.
She wondered what stories they could tell—she would have to ask them later. For now, her eyelids felt heavy and she just wanted to rest.
But what about Calden? whispered a little voice in her head. What are you going to do about him?
Maddy didn’t know but she told herself she would decide when she woke up. With a sigh, she relaxed back against the pillow, rested one hand on Snuffy’s soft fur, and let her eyelids drift closed.
* * * * *
“Is she well? Will she see me?” Calden stopped his pacing when the human nurse, Liv, finally came out of Madeline’s recovery room. It was hard to watch the human woman and her friends go in and out of the room so freely and know he couldn’t go in himself to see Madeline. But he didn’t want to intrude until she had forgiven him—at least a little.
“Not yet, big guy, but maybe soon.” Liv looked up at him and shook her head. “I didn’t know there was such a thing as giant Kindred—and I thought my hubby, Baird was big!”
“We are just a different branch of the Kindred tree.” Calden sighed and sank down into a chair beside the door to Madeline’s room. Putting his head in his hands he asked, “Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”
“I think she’s coming around.” Liv sounded thoughtful. “She was mainly upset that you’d kept the fact that she was a clone from her. Oh, and she was sure that you’d cloned her more than once to play out some kind of ‘first time’ fantasy or something.”
“She said something of that kind to me back at the Mentat station,” Calden admitted. “I think because I told her that I had cloned some of my specimens more than once to finish getting the data I needed for my studies. FATHER—the AI who ran the station—would only let them live for so long before the self-termination units would kill them.” He sighed and ran a hand over his braids feeling a deep ache in his heart. “Gods, I don’t think I realized how much I hated that—how terrible it made me feel to watch my specimens die over and over—until I got free of the Mentat station.”
“Well, we’re glad you’re here now,” Liv said, smiling. “And I really think Madeline will come around eventually—she just needs a little time.”
“Thank the Goddess that she has time,” Calden said seriously. “I was certain I would lose her, you know. It was the Goddess who led us here so you could help us.” He shook his head. “I just hope Madeline can find it in her heart to forgive me for what almost happened.”
“Just give her time,” Liv repeated. “And why don’t you go get some rest in the meantime? Didn’t Sylvan assign you a guest suite right by the med station? You could run over there and grab a shower and a bite to eat. I promise I’ll contact you with the Think-me if she asks for you.”
At that point, Calden had been up for well over two standard days and the idea of rest was a welcome one. Still, he hesitated.
“Are you certain it will be all right for me to leave?”
“Positive,” Liv said firmly. “Go get some rest—you look dead on your feet. And I guarantee if you fall over, there’s nobody big enough to catch you.” She grinned at him, making her words a gentle joke. “Just take it easy for a while,” she told Calden. “I’m sure Maddy will be willing to talk to you soon.”
“I pray to the Goddess you’re right.” Wearily, he levered himself off the slightly too-small chair and rose with a sigh. Everything aboard this Kindred Mother Ship was a little too small but it didn’t bother him—it was built along about the same dimensions the Mentat station had been, so he actually felt right at home.
Thanking Liv again, he went off to find the guest quarters he had been assigned. He just hoped that when he woke up, Madeline would be willing to see him—and forgive him—for all that had happened.
Chapter Nineteen
“Wow, this fits perfectly—thank you, Liv!” Maddy looked down at the soft green wrap-gown she was wearing. It had flowing sleeves and a deep V neckline which showed a generous amount of cleavage. There was an inner tie on the right and a pretty sash on the left that tied the dress together. Under it, she was wearing a perfectly sized black lace bra and panty set that fit her to a T.
“See? I told you a shower and a change of clothes would make you feel better. As for the clothes, you can thank Kat when you see her again,” Liv said, looking at Maddy approvingly. “She whipped them up on her clothing pattern replicator for you.”
“But how did she know my size?” Maddy asked.
“She’s really good at guestimating that kind of thing,” Liv said, smiling. “She makes clothes for all of us—we’re really getting spoiled, you know. It’s kind of her hobby but she’s thinking of opening her own tailor-made shop.”
“She really should!” Maddy looked down at herself with a smile again. The green gown was so much better than the hospital johnny she’d been in since surgery or the shirt-dress she’d worn at the Mentat station.
But thinking of the shirt-dress made her think of Calden, which filled her with conflicted emotions.
“What’s wrong, hon?” Liv looked concerned. “You were all smiles and now you look like somebody stomped your puppy. No offense,” she told Snuffy, who burbled up at her through his trunk. He was getting along really well here at the Kindred Mother Ship and he was even using the litter pan Liv had brought in for him and placed in the bathroom. But he still preferred to stay close to Maddy.
I know someone else who would like to be close to you, whispered a little voice in her head. God, Calden…what should she do?
“I was just thinking,” she said slowly, finally answering Liv’s question. “About…Calden. About what I should do about him.”
“Well, what about talking to him for starters?” Liv asked gently. “I think he’s genuinely sorry for everything that happened. Why don’t you let him apologize and then see how you feel?”
“Well…I guess so.” Maddy took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. After all, she would have to see Calden again at some point and right now she was washed and dressed in pretty clothes and feeling like herself again. There was no point in putting the meeting off any longer.
“So you’ll see him?” Liv lifted an eyebrow. “I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
“No, I’m fine.” Maddy nodded decisively. “I can handle it. You can send him in.”
“I’ll have to get him down here first,” Liv said. “The poor guy was dead on his feet—I sent him to his guest suite to sleep a little. But he’ll come rushing back the minute you call, I’m sure.”
“Okay, then.” Feeling a sudden flutter of nerves in her stomach, Maddy perched on the edge of the bed. “I’ll just…just wait here then.”
“You do that.” Liv gave her a warm smile. “I have a feeling this is all going to work out—you’ll see.”
Then she left and Maddy didn’t know what to do with herself. She felt the flutter of nerves again and realized that she wasn’t just nervous—she was hungry. Well, she still had plenty of cupcakes left, so that was all right.
But it wasn’t the cupcakes that caught her eye when she looked at the little table to the right of her bed. It was the golden, peachy-pink cube fruits that seemed to call her name.
As though it sensed her looking at it, the little plant’s silvery-green leaves rustled and the sweet scent of the fruit intensified.
God, those really do look amazing, Maddy thought. But should she eat a fruit from Calden’s home world? Would it be safe? Well, Kat had certainly seemed to think
so. She’d picked one of the fruits and taken it home to try, Maddy reasoned with herself. And besides, it smelled so good.
She put out a hand, only meaning to caress the little plant’s leaves and was surprised when one of the cube fruits fell directly into her palm.
“Oh!” Maddy looked at it in surprise. It was soft and warm, as though the little plant was growing in warm sunlight instead of the temperature-controlled environment of the Mother Ship. Intrigued, she brought it to her nose to smell and was overwhelmed by the sweet-tart aroma, something like a cross between ripe peaches and fresh mangos with a little hint of strawberry thrown in.
Before she knew what she was doing, Maddy had taken a bite, right out of one strangely rounded corner of the fruit. Flavor exploded across her tongue—even better than the luscious chocolate cupcake Lauren had made her. The fruit tasted like it smelled—a mixture of peaches, mangos, and strawberries—with just a hint of something salty mixed in. Maddy frowned. Was that…buttered popcorn? That was crazy, right? But that was what it tasted like and the little bit of buttery-salty flavor seemed to enhance the sweet juiciness of the fruit.
It was so good that Maddy ate it down to the seeds and stem—which she wrapped neatly in a napkin—and then reached for another…and then another. She was about to grab her fourth when the door opened and Kat came bursting into her room.
Awakened by the Giant: Brides of the Kindred Page 20