definitely been hanging around with humans,” Rick observed with a chuckle at the earthy expression coming out of this very proper Alvian woman.
Callie smiled. “Are any of your Breed friends telepathic at all?”
“David is. And so is Michael. Ruth too, but she has to be close to someone to hear them, she said.”
“All right,” Callie said, leaning forward, “here’s what we’re going to do.”
After a bit of planning, Callie contacted her brother using a secure crystal. Jaci was warmed by the obvious love in his voice as he talked with his sister and she filled him in on Jaci’s situation. She was growing uncomfortable with how many people were learning her secret, but she realized quickly that she needed them. She needed a support system of some kind if she were to survive, changed as she was.
Hara was in the northern city and took only a moment to seek out David’s mind in the pens beneath. He reported back that David was tired, but otherwise all right. David 45
himself had said he was fine, but Hara could see deeper. He could use his extraordinary gifts to feel the energy levels of the mind he contacted, and he reported the truth back to his sister.
“Dave wants to know how Jaci’s doing. Actually, both he and Mike are a bit irate. They’re worried about her going off with someone they’re calling ‘that scumbag Grady’. Do you think they mean our old pal Grady Prime?” Callie chuckled at her brother’s humor but Jaci was too on edge.
“Tell them I’m fine. Grady Prime would never harm me.”
Apparently he heard that through the communication crystal because he answered her directly. “I think they’re more worried that he’s going to put the move on you. They sound very possessive. Why’s that?”
She didn’t understand all of his words, but the tone was clear. “I don’t want him.”
Callie caught her attention. “You and I both know with a man that highly ranked in your society, it’s not a matter of what you want.”
Jaci shrugged uncomfortably. “Yes, he has asked me to consider having sex with him again, but I don’t think he would force the issue. He seems to think that even with his rank, because he’s a soldier, he’d be insulting me.”
“Again?” It was Rick who caught her guilty flush. “You’ve had sex with him before?”
“Only once,” she admitted uncomfortably, “and only because it was my duty. He’s an elite. I was filling in for the girl who usually services him for sample collection. It was last week, just after the test agent started to change me and he seemed to notice how much I…uh…well…how much I enjoyed having sex with him. He told me he liked it and wanted to do it again, but he gave me the choice to seek him out. I haven’t and I won’t. I don’t want him.”
Two pairs of Breed eyes watched her in shocked silence. It was Hara who came to her rescue, his voice sounding through the room over the communication crystal.
“I can’t tell them that.”
“No!” she shouted in alarm. “You can’t!”
46
“I just said that, didn’t I?” He seemed to chuckle a bit at her vehemence. “I’ll tell them not to worry. I’ve known Grady Prime all my life and I know he wouldn’t force himself on any woman. That’s a truth they can find some comfort in, but if I were you, I’d straighten out this thing with them when you get back.
They are jealous men and they really seem to hate Grady for some reason.”
“He’s the one who finally captured them,” she told him despondently. She wasn’t looking forward to facing her men?her friends, she corrected herself?with the news.
She heard Hara sigh on the other side of the connection. “That explains it then. I’m impressed it took Grady to get them. They only send him out for the hard cases.” He paused just a moment. “Look, Jaci, when you get back I’m going to track you down. Mara 12 won’t suspect anything if I make friends with you now that you’ve met my
Callie smiled. “Are any of your Breed friends telepathic at all?”
“David is. And so is Michael. Ruth too, but she has to be close to someone to hear them, she said.”
“All right,” Callie said, leaning forward, “here’s what we’re going to do.”
After a bit of planning, Callie contacted her brother using a secure crystal. Jaci was warmed by the obvious love in his voice as he talked with his sister and she filled him in on Jaci’s situation. She was growing uncomfortable with how many people were learning her secret, but she realized quickly that she needed them. She needed a support system of some kind if she were to survive, changed as she was.
Hara was in the northern city and took only a moment to seek out David’s mind in the pens beneath. He reported back that David was tired, but otherwise all right. David 45
himself had said he was fine, but Hara could see deeper. He could use his extraordinary gifts to feel the energy levels of the mind he contacted, and he reported the truth back to his sister.
“Dave wants to know how Jaci’s doing. Actually, both he and Mike are a bit irate. They’re worried about her going off with someone they’re calling ‘that scumbag Grady’. Do you think they mean our old pal Grady Prime?” Callie chuckled at her brother’s humor but Jaci was too on edge.
“Tell them I’m fine. Grady Prime would never harm me.”
Apparently he heard that through the communication crystal because he answered her directly. “I think they’re more worried that he’s going to put the move on you. They sound very possessive. Why’s that?”
She didn’t understand all of his words, but the tone was clear. “I don’t want him.”
Callie caught her attention. “You and I both know with a man that highly ranked in your society, it’s not a matter of what you want.”
Jaci shrugged uncomfortably. “Yes, he has asked me to consider having sex with him again, but I don’t think he would force the issue. He seems to think that even with his rank, because he’s a soldier, he’d be insulting me.”
“Again?” It was Rick who caught her guilty flush. “You’ve had sex with him before?”
“Only once,” she admitted uncomfortably, “and only because it was my duty. He’s an elite. I was filling in for the girl who usually services him for sample collection. It was last week, just after the test agent started to change me and he seemed to notice how much I…uh…well…how much I enjoyed having sex with him. He told me he liked it and wanted to do it again, but he gave me the choice to seek him out. I haven’t and I won’t. I don’t want him.”
Two pairs of Breed eyes watched her in shocked silence. It was Hara who came to her rescue, his voice sounding through the room over the communication crystal.
“I can’t tell them that.”
“No!” she shouted in alarm. “You can’t!”
46
“I just said that, didn’t I?” He seemed to chuckle a bit at her vehemence. “I’ll tell them not to worry. I’ve known Grady Prime all my life and I know he wouldn’t force himself on any woman. That’s a truth they can find some comfort in, but if I were you, I’d straighten out this thing with them when you get back.
They are jealous men and they really seem to hate Grady for some reason.”
“He’s the one who finally captured them,” she told him despondently. She wasn’t looking forward to facing her men?her friends, she corrected herself?with the news.
She heard Hara sigh on the other side of the connection. “That explains it then. I’m impressed it took Grady to get them. They only send him out for the hard cases.” He paused just a moment. “Look, Jaci, when you get back I’m going to track you down. Mara 12 won’t suspect anything if I make friends with you now that you’ve met my
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