the guards at the facility or by Major Esca?”
“ Abused?” Soreya searched the doctor’s
mind, but could find no trace of amusement. “The guards manhandled
me in a deliberately crude way and Esca…” She paused. “Actually, I
think I propositioned him.”
Relief flashed across the doctor’s mind. “I’m
glad he didn’t take advantage of his superior rank. That would’ve
been quite unlike him.”
“ If any advantage was taken it was by
me. I’ve never met an adult male telepath before. The temptation
was too much to resist.”
“ That does change matters slightly, but
he is still your superior officer. If you wish to press charges, I
will support you.”
“ Why would I want to do that?” Soreya
smiled. “It was my first and last opportunity to have sex with one
of my own kind.”
Dr. Mayek frowned. “There are no adult males
in your society?”
“ Not telepathic ones. We’re not allowed
to breed.” Soreya stood up, her smile easy. “So, are we done
here?”
A sense of bleakness settled over her as she
strengthened her shields. Not that anyone on the ship thought she
had any power or the potential to be useful. He’d be furious that
she’d taken the blame for their sexual encounter. But whether Esca
liked it or not, she was going to save his ass and his career. It
was the least she could do. He’d given her more than she’d ever
expected in her life.
“ I’d like you to remain in sick bay
until I’ve written my final report. We’ll be arriving at Sub
Station Rouge in the next day or so, where we will liaise with the
Etruscan authorities.”
“ Oh great.” Soreya pushed in her chair.
”Is it okay if I go and sit with Esca?”
The doctor stood, too. “To be honest, I
wouldn’t recommend it.”
“ Why?”
“ It might just be better in the long
run, don’t you think?” Dr. Mayek patted her arm, her voice
sympathetic. “He’s from one of the first families in Pavlovan, and
you’re unlikely to see him again.”
Soreya caught all the doctor wasn’t saying.
They thought she was infatuated with Esca, that she was a silly
little girl on a hero-worshipping kick. Her stomach tightened with
self-disgust. She really was just like her mother, an object of
pity, a female who’d given up everything for the excitement of a
quick fuck.
“ Sure, whatever you think. You wouldn’t
want me getting all sentimental and emotional, would you? I’ll be
more than happy to go back to my sterile home planet with this
wonderful memory of Major Esca to sustain me through the rest of my
barren and lonely life.”
“ Soreya…”
Pity .
She hated it. “Doc.”
She escaped into her room and shut the door.
Lying down on the bed, she stared up at the ceiling and allowed
herself to cry.
Stupid.
What had she expected? That they’d suddenly
see her true worth and rush to unite her with her one true
love?
“ Private
Lang? ”
“ Captain
Trenx .”
“ Would you come to my
quarters please? ”
“ Yes
sir. ”
She hastily wiped her eyes. No doubt the good
doctor had called in reinforcements to make sure their precious
Major escaped unscathed from her unwanted crush on him. Her
despised uniform was in the closet so she put it on. A security
guard waited in the main sick bay and accompanied her through the
upper floors of the ship to the captain’s door. She knocked and
went in.
He was sitting at his desk, his blond hair
disheveled as though he’d been pulling it out, his uniform shirt
open at the neck and his jacket discarded over a chair.
“ Lang, come in.” He pointed at the
chair opposite him. “Sit down.”
She saluted him and took the seat. She felt
his mind press against hers in a tentative exploration.
“ Sir ?”
“ We have a situation.” He studied her
face. “When we reach Sub Station Rouge we’ve been ordered to
offload all the Etruscan members of our team, including you and
Captain Wassain.”
Soreya kept her expression neutral, and after
a second he continued.
“ Abused?” Soreya searched the doctor’s
mind, but could find no trace of amusement. “The guards manhandled
me in a deliberately crude way and Esca…” She paused. “Actually, I
think I propositioned him.”
Relief flashed across the doctor’s mind. “I’m
glad he didn’t take advantage of his superior rank. That would’ve
been quite unlike him.”
“ If any advantage was taken it was by
me. I’ve never met an adult male telepath before. The temptation
was too much to resist.”
“ That does change matters slightly, but
he is still your superior officer. If you wish to press charges, I
will support you.”
“ Why would I want to do that?” Soreya
smiled. “It was my first and last opportunity to have sex with one
of my own kind.”
Dr. Mayek frowned. “There are no adult males
in your society?”
“ Not telepathic ones. We’re not allowed
to breed.” Soreya stood up, her smile easy. “So, are we done
here?”
A sense of bleakness settled over her as she
strengthened her shields. Not that anyone on the ship thought she
had any power or the potential to be useful. He’d be furious that
she’d taken the blame for their sexual encounter. But whether Esca
liked it or not, she was going to save his ass and his career. It
was the least she could do. He’d given her more than she’d ever
expected in her life.
“ I’d like you to remain in sick bay
until I’ve written my final report. We’ll be arriving at Sub
Station Rouge in the next day or so, where we will liaise with the
Etruscan authorities.”
“ Oh great.” Soreya pushed in her chair.
”Is it okay if I go and sit with Esca?”
The doctor stood, too. “To be honest, I
wouldn’t recommend it.”
“ Why?”
“ It might just be better in the long
run, don’t you think?” Dr. Mayek patted her arm, her voice
sympathetic. “He’s from one of the first families in Pavlovan, and
you’re unlikely to see him again.”
Soreya caught all the doctor wasn’t saying.
They thought she was infatuated with Esca, that she was a silly
little girl on a hero-worshipping kick. Her stomach tightened with
self-disgust. She really was just like her mother, an object of
pity, a female who’d given up everything for the excitement of a
quick fuck.
“ Sure, whatever you think. You wouldn’t
want me getting all sentimental and emotional, would you? I’ll be
more than happy to go back to my sterile home planet with this
wonderful memory of Major Esca to sustain me through the rest of my
barren and lonely life.”
“ Soreya…”
Pity .
She hated it. “Doc.”
She escaped into her room and shut the door.
Lying down on the bed, she stared up at the ceiling and allowed
herself to cry.
Stupid.
What had she expected? That they’d suddenly
see her true worth and rush to unite her with her one true
love?
“ Private
Lang? ”
“ Captain
Trenx .”
“ Would you come to my
quarters please? ”
“ Yes
sir. ”
She hastily wiped her eyes. No doubt the good
doctor had called in reinforcements to make sure their precious
Major escaped unscathed from her unwanted crush on him. Her
despised uniform was in the closet so she put it on. A security
guard waited in the main sick bay and accompanied her through the
upper floors of the ship to the captain’s door. She knocked and
went in.
He was sitting at his desk, his blond hair
disheveled as though he’d been pulling it out, his uniform shirt
open at the neck and his jacket discarded over a chair.
“ Lang, come in.” He pointed at the
chair opposite him. “Sit down.”
She saluted him and took the seat. She felt
his mind press against hers in a tentative exploration.
“ Sir ?”
“ We have a situation.” He studied her
face. “When we reach Sub Station Rouge we’ve been ordered to
offload all the Etruscan members of our team, including you and
Captain Wassain.”
Soreya kept her expression neutral, and after
a second he continued.
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