Her mouth was suddenly dry. The mug sagged in her fist, forgotten, and spilled some pale blue liquid on the silver coverlet.
“I don’t…I don’t understand,” she heard herself say. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. If we make love in order to prove your ‘teaching techniques’ are good enough for Torella to sell us the second half of the T’lix-Kruthe, we’ll be bound together for life. You’ll never be able to leave me—or I, you.”
“Wait, this is…this is just weird.” Vicky pulled her hand out of his. “Am I still dreaming?”
“Of course not.” He frowned. “What would make you think that?”
Maybe because only in a dream would a hot, much-too-young-for-you Kindred warrior tell you that he’s going to bond you to him for life? whispered the voice of Vicky’s inner snark.
Yeah, that must be it.
“It’s just…I don’t think…I don’t see how…” She shook her head, trying to get her thoughts together. “I just don’t see how it could be possible.”
“It’s more than possible—it’s inevitable if we make love,” he said, frowning. “When my kind of Kindred—an M-Switch—makes love with a woman and comes deep inside her, claiming her completely, a permanent soul-bond is formed. This bond can be broken only by death, so it effectively ties the Kindred and his bride together forever.”
Finally Vicky understood exactly what he was trying to tell her. He was letting her know that if they put on a second, even more explicit sex show (and how drunk had she been to agree to that, by the way?) they would be stuck together forever and there would be no getting out of it. She had heard before that the Kindred had a zero percent divorce rate—this soul-bond he was talking about forming must be the reason why.
And of course he doesn’t want to form a permanent bond with you, the snarky voice in her head informed her. You’re much too old for him. He’s trying to be nice about it and let you know so you can offer him a way out. He’s a sweet enough guy not to want to hurt your feelings, so he’s giving you the chance to say “no way—this isn’t happening” so he doesn’t have to say it himself.
Now that she understood what was going on, Vicky found herself on firmer footing. Of course, she felt sad about having to break things off with the big Kindred—really sad actually, which was surprising considering the short time they had known each other. The idea of losing Chain felt as though she was losing a piece of her heart.
But realistically, she had always known their little adventure was just a fling and it would have to end eventually. It was just what they called a “hook-up” these days—what her generation had called a one-night stand. And you don’t spend the rest of your life with the guy you happened to have a one-night stand with. Right?
Right, Vicky told herself firmly. So end it. Don’t embarrass yourself or Chain for wanting more than you already got. You made some amazing memories and had mind-blowing orgasms—don’t be greedy and ask for more.
“Okay,” she said briskly, lifting her chin. “Clearly we can’t do that—I mean, bond permanently. So what’s Plan B?”
For a moment it seemed as though Chain’s face fell.
“So…you don’t feel that we should bond?” he asked, his deep voice hoarse.
“Well, no—of course not.” Vicky’s heart was aching for some reason as she said the words, but she made herself say them anyway.
“It’s because I’m an M-Switch, isn’t it?” He looked away and there was a bitterness in his tone that was impossible to ignore.
“Because of the kind of Kindred you are? Of course not!” Vicky put a hand on his knee. “It’s like I said before—you should be with a girl your own age. I’m too old for you.”
“You’re beautiful,” he said abruptly, looking back at her. “The most beautiful female I’ve ever met, Victoria and to me that beauty is ageless.”
“Well…that’s sweet of you,” she said, uncertain what else she could say.
“I am not being ‘sweet,’ I mean it,” Chain insisted.
God, he was really trying to let her down easy! Vicky appreciated it, but it hurt her heart to think of leaving him and suddenly she just wanted this little play between them to be over.
“Chain,” she said, “How are we going to do this? To, uh, get the other half of the T’lix-Kruthe without, you know, bonding together for life?”
His face went suddenly blank, the bitterness and disappointment she thought she’d seen wiped away in the blink of an eye. In its place was his usual good humor.
“Don’t worry, beautiful Victoria,” he said a bit too heartily. “Of course I have a ‘Plan B’ as you put it. I wouldn’t be much of a thief if I didn’t.”
“Okay, so what is it?” Vicky asked. “I mean, are we going to fake it or what?”
“I think we’ve done enough faking already, don’t you?” For a moment his mask of good humor seemed to slip and she thought his deep voice was harsh.
“Chain?” she asked. “Do you…is there something else you want to say?”
He shook his head. “We’ve said everything we need to, don’t you think? Do me a favor and watch my body for me—I’ll only be a moment.”
Then he slumped down on the silver beanbag mattress and appeared to go unconscious all at once.
Vicky put a hand to her mouth to stop a little scream from coming out. If she hadn’t seen him do this exact thing back at the Last Call Bar when they had first met, she would have assumed he was having some kind of a seizure or a stroke. But now she knew this was just his way. His…superpower or whatever you wanted to call it. He had left his own body and gone somewhere else—but where?
Her answer appeared soon enough in the form of Professor Torella’s student—the large, muscular brunette—coming towards her. He was still completely nude, as he had been the night before, and he appeared to have something clutched in his big hand.
“Oh, uh…” She scooted back a little as the big student came right up to the bed. She really didn’t need another naked man complicating her life right now!
But when the student spoke, his voice sounded strangely familiar.
“Here,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “Take this quickly—I managed to get into this body while the owner was still in deep sleep but if he wakes up, we’ll be in trouble.”
Vicky held out her hand automatically and the big student dropped something small and heavy into her palm.
“Be right back,” he told her. “Get dressed and be ready to go.”
Then he walked back the way he had come, presumably to wherever Professor Torella was sleeping in this strange, alien house.
Vicky stared after him for a moment, then registered what he’d said. Get dressed—she had to get dressed.
She scrabbled among the silvery covers until she found the somewhat crumpled green goddess gown Kat had made for her the day before. God, was it really only a day ago? She felt like she’d lived a lifetime in one night! Anyway, it was time to get ready to go.
She put down the mug of now-cold caffeine brew on a side table and had just finished pulling the dress over her head when Chain took a deep breath and sat up in bed again.
“Oh good,” he said, looking at her. “You’re ready. Let’s go before the rest of the household starts waking up.”
“What, just like that? We’re, uh, stealing this?” Vicky looked down at the heavy golden object in her hand. It appeared to be fluted at one end and was much longer and thinner than the golf-ball-sized bottom of the T’lix-Kruthe. But it had the same flowing script inscribed on it and the same tiny jewels imbedded in its sides. It was clear the two haves would fit together.
“I’m a thief, remember? A Snatcher. That’s what it means to be an M-Switch Kindred,” Chain growled.
Then he seemed to make an effort to control his temper because he took a deep breath and smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, beautiful Victoria, I left a note informing them that we had an emergency at home and couldn’t st
ay. I also included the number of an interstellar bank account—I’ll send Professor Torella more than enough to cover the price of her artifact. She’ll probably be able to afford to add a whole new wing to her collection.”
“Well…that’s okay, I guess,” Vicky said uncertainly, though it still felt like stealing to her. Still, he was right—she had known he was a thief right from the start of their short-lived relationship. And it wasn’t really surprising that he was willing to commit larceny to get out of bonding with the wrong woman permanently. Hell, lots of men had done worse things than that to get out of a bad relationship!
But was it bad? whispered a little voice in her head. Because I kind of thought it was pretty good—great actually.
Vicky sighed. Yes, it had been great while it lasted. Chain was a wonderful guy and he’d given her the most erotic sexual experience of her life. So at least she had that memory to treasure.
“I guess we’d better go, huh?” she asked him.
He nodded. “Yes—but quietly. Come on.”
They snuck out of Professor Torella’s house like a couple of criminals—which Vicky supposed they were—and got quietly into Chain’s ship.
“Well,” he said, as they finished buckling themselves in. “Time to get back to the Mother Ship. Commander Sylvan will be wanting the other half of the T’lix-Kruthe.”
“Yes.” Vicky sighed. “I guess the adventure is over and it’s time to go home—back to normal life.”
“Home,” he echoed but he didn’t sound very happy about it. “Yes, let’s get you back to your home, Victoria. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your life any longer.”
Then, without another word, he started the engines and the little ship rose into the air and flew into the blackness of space.
Chapter Thirty-three
She didn’t want you, whispered the little voice in Chain’s brain. Didn’t want you, didn’t want you, didn’t want you. It was like a chant that wouldn’t stop.
Well, who could blame her for not wanting him? He was, after all, one of the notorious M-Switch Kindred and a thief into the bargain. Was it really such a shock that his beautiful Victoria didn’t want to bind her life to his permanently?
Not a shock at all, Chain told himself. But it still hurt. Somehow he had allowed himself to fall in love with her, despite the fact that they’d been together such a short time. And knowing that she didn’t feel the same way hurt in a way he’d never experienced. Maybe because he’d never allowed himself to truly love a female before.
I didn’t allow it this time, either, Chain told himself. It just…happened.
He wished he could make it un-happen, but of course he couldn’t. So there was nothing to do but take her back to her home planet and leave her where he’d found her on Earth.
Nothing to do but let her go and never see her again.
That was a thought with sharp teeth—it chewed on his heart until he could hardly breathe for the pain it caused. He could barely look at Victoria, sitting in the seat beside him. The ride back to her planet was silent and, for Chain at least, completely miserable.
* * * * *
When they got back to her house—landing in the early twilight in her back yard—Vicky felt strangely reluctant to let him leave. Which was completely ridiculous, she knew, but somehow she just couldn’t stand the thought of watching Chain fly away, never to return.
To put it off a little while longer she said,
“Would you mind coming in and checking the house with me? Just to be sure no more, uh, lizard guys are hiding anywhere?”
“Of course.” He had been unusually silent all the way home, but now he seemed to come alive. “There shouldn’t be any Varians though—we towed their ship out of orbit so there should be no way for any of them to track you. But if it would make you feel better, I’ll come with you to look.”
“It would make me feel better,” Vicky said. “Especially since it’s going to be dark soon.” She looked around the dim backyard and shivered.
“Come on, then.” Chain went with her into the house and they made a thorough check of everything and everywhere an alien lizard guy might be hiding. They found nothing, though, except the broken bathroom window—which Chain had patched for her with plywood from the garage—the shredded drapes, and the greasy black spot where the second Varian had been incinerated.
“I’m sorry about all this damage to your domicile,” Chain said, frowning, as they ended up in the living room where the stained carpet was. “I promise you’ll get more than enough from your half of the fee for our mission to repair and replace everything. I’ll be sure to ask Commander Sylvan to see to it personally.”
“Thanks,” Vicky said nodding, though at this point she wasn’t really thinking about the damage to her house. Instead, she was dreading the moment when Chain would have to leave. “Um, would you like a cup of coffee?” she asked, hoping to prolong their time together. “It’s kind of like the caffeine brew you made me—only brown instead of light blue,” she added, seeing his confusion.
“Thank you but…I’d better not.” Chain shook his head regretfully. “Commander Sylvan will be wanting the other half of the T’lix-Kruthe.”
“Oh, uh…sure. I guess he will.” Vicky nodded and sighed, feeling unutterably sad. “Well, I guess this is goodbye then?” she asked and was surprised to feel that her eyes were actually stinging. God, she was going to miss him! She knew it was ridiculous—they hadn’t known each other more than a few days. But she couldn’t help it—she really cared for the big Kindred, even if they were mis-matched due to their age difference.
The heart wants what the heart wants, she thought sadly to herself. Only in this case, it can’t have what it wants. Which was Chain, of course.
“Yes, I guess this is goodbye,” he echoed and Vicky thought he didn’t sound any happier about it than she felt.
Still, they walked to the front door together and he opened it and then they just stood there, staring out into the deepening twilight together. The soft gray light reminded Vicky of the morning light on Priima Belle where she had woken up not so long ago. It all seemed like a dream now—their trip to the other planet, the crazy food lecture she’d given, and everything that had happened afterwards…
All just a dream, Vicky thought sadly. One that would never be repeated.
Chain started to go and she heard herself blurt,
“What? You’re leaving without even hugging me goodbye?”
He turned to her at once and gathered her into his arms.
Vicky gave a little surprised gasp as he pulled her close and buried his face in her hair. His arms were around her tight and he inhaled deeply, as though he was trying to fix the scent of her hair in his memory forever
For a moment she was frozen—then she hugged him back, pressing every inch of herself against his hard, muscular body. God, he felt so good against her! And his spicy, masculine scent seemed to fill her senses, making her feel she was drowning in him.
They clung together for what seemed an eternity, neither wanting to let the other go. At last Chain whispered in her ear,
“Goodbye, beautiful Victoria. You will live in my heart forever.”
Then he tore himself away from her and hurried out the door, not looking back once.
Vicky watched him go and felt as though a cat with very sharp claws was using her heart a scratching post. God, why did it hurt so badly to watch him leave when they’d been together such a short time? And why did she have the urge to run after him and beg him to stay?
But no—she couldn’t do that. It would only drag out an already painful process. She had to let the big Kindred go.
Sadly, she watched the sky as his sleek, silver ship took off and flew quietly away. Then she went back to the living room, sat down and cried.
Chain was gone and she would probably never see him again. And at that moment, it didn’t seem to matter that he was younger than her or that they hadn’t known each other very long—it felt like
a piece of Vicky’s soul was being ripped away.
A piece she would never get back.
Chapter Thirty-four
“Oh, Commander Chainor—what are you doing back here so quickly?” Kat asked, looking at the M-Switch Kindred in surprise as he left the Docking Bay.
“Completing my mission. I have the second half of the T’lix-Kruthe,” he said shortly and opened his palm to show a shiny golden object. “I’m bringing it to Commander Sylvan now.”
“I’ll come with you,” Kat said. She’d been on her way to go see Sophie and Liv, who were at Sophie’s suite, so she fell into step beside the big Kindred and they continued down the long silver corridor together.
Chainor seemed inclined to be quiet, which was rather unlike him, Kat thought. While she didn’t know the M-Switch Kindred well, her few interactions with him had shown him to be extremely gregarious. He wore his title of thief and “Snatcher” like a badge of honor and came across as a lovable rogue—a male who was always willing to charm the ladies and laugh at the fact that his people were mostly outcasts in the larger Kindred society.
“You certainly completed your mission in record time,” she remarked, hoping to make some small talk and find out what was going on with him. “Where’s Vicky at? Is she waiting in the ship for you?”
“She’s back on Earth,” Chainor said shortly. “Where she belongs.”
“What?” Kat frowned at his frosty tone. From the way those two had been acting around each other and the look in Vicky’s eyes when she talked about the big Kindred, Kat had been certain she and Chainor were a match made by the Goddess herself. In fact, she’d fully expected the two of them to come back bonded. So what was going on?
“Why do you say she belongs back on Earth?” she asked Chainor, trying to feel him out.
“Because that is her home, of course.” He continued to stare straight ahead as he spoke but she thought she saw a little wince of pain on his handsome face.
“And…had you considered making it your home too?” Kat asked carefully. “I mean, I thought maybe the two of you had a future together. I know you had just met each other when we got to know Vicky, but the two of you had amazing chemistry. I, uh…” She cleared her throat. “I kind of thought the two of you might be bonded when you came back.”
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