The Chalice (31 page)

minim um . The tiniest error could draw the hybrid’s attention and Siri wasn’t the type to forgive what she’d consider an intrusion on her privacy. Wasn’t hard to figure out that if she were discovered, Siri’d make sure she never spied on her again. If she survived the encounter that is!

After several moments, satisfied she was alone, Siri waved her long fingersacross the access panel. One m ore quick look around before the hybrid duckedinto the entryway, long dark hair swinging.

Ume gnashed her teeth in frustration, dam ning her inability to get a clearerview of the alien’s activities. She needed a better angle but there was too muchopen space between her position and the small spacecraft.

Her eyes flicked, assessing the options. If she stayed put, the only thing she’dlearn from  the experience was that Siri’d been here again. But if the hybrid

discovered her, any future pursuit was com prom ised. W hatever she did, she’d better do it now. If she could just get closer! Drawing a deep breath, she eased down, heart racing in her chest. Veiled by the maze of containers stacked haphazardly along the curved gap between the outer wall and the storage bins, she crawled towards the Deg’Nara ship. A hint of a sm ile wreathed her lips. Neither Hanna nor even Dread could’ve fit in the miniscule opening, but she slid through with ease.

Stirred by her stealth-like m ovements, dust and debris attacked sensitiveolfactory nerves, causing her eyes to water and her nose to twitch. Sweatdampened her palm s and beaded on her upper lip. It was so hot in here! Thoughcool air circulated through the docking port, the confined crawl space acted as asauna, trapping heated air from  the engine room  below. The filmy drape glued toher perspiration-soaked skin adding to her overall discomfort. But no matter! Uncomfortable or not, she had a purpose.

She continued inching forward, each m ovement a bare whisper in the gloomychannel. Pausing, she took time to calculate the remaining distance. By herestimate, she was within eight feet of the entrance to the Deg’Nara ship. Straining, ears perked, she caught bits and pieces of Siri’s m uffled voice, butbetween the language barrier and the hushed quality of the hybrid’s lowmurmurs, she couldn’t understand a single word. But it was obvious she wasconversing with someone or something. Should I try to get closer or remainwhere I am  and avoid detection? Indecision held her im mobile.

Siri stepped from  the doorway, giving the area a quick perusal. A quick flick ofher hand and the panel slid shut with a soft whoosh. She brushed her hair back,took a deep breath and then…spun, staring in Ume’s general direction, the alertdark eyes piercing the shadows.

Ume’s stomach flipped. If she so much as moved a hair, the hybrid would spother and the rest would be history. Frozen in place, she awaited discovery and theexpected reprisals of Siri’s explosive wrath.

The seconds ticked by. Sweat ran in rivulets down her face, plopping onto herchest and pooling between her breasts. It took every ounce of concentration toremain completely immobile when her survival instincts told her to flee.

The hybrid’s head tilted, eyes narrowed, lips com pressed in a thin line. A giantcobra poising posed to strike. She started towards Um e’s hiding place, one slowagonizing step at a time, the long boned hands clenching and unclenching withspasm odic   irregularity.   Um e   envisioned   them  wrapped   around   her   neck,squeezing until life ceased. Trapped as she was, she had no chance of escape.

“W hy are you here?” The breeder Shagal strode into view. He glared down at the hybrid. Grabbing her arm, he shook her. “You belong in the fem ales’ quarters.”

“Bah!” Siri snarled, flipping her head as she struggled against him . “The

humans fill me with revulsion.”

“Go back,” Shagal growled, unmoved by her resistance. “Or face Tegan’s fury.”

The hybrid stilled. Her lips curved in a winsome sm ile. She ran her fingers

lightly up the breeder’s chest. “Perhaps we could keep each other com pany.”

He nodded. “In the comm unal chamber.”

“Someplace quiet. Away from  the others.” Purring like a feline, she rubbed against his brawny torso, the movements sensuous and bold. She nuzzled his neck, nipping at his cheek and then lapping at a dim ple in his square chin.

Shagal’s stern look eased.

Ume’s blood pressure rose, angered by the blatant sexual display. The femalewas using the oldest of ploys to gain the advantage and it appeared the breederwas susceptible to her overtures. How like the male of the species!

Shagal pushed the fem ale back. He laughed. “I’ve no interest in you, hybrid.

Save your guile for a less discrim inating breeder.”

Maybe not! Ume grinned, encouraged by his actions. This breeder m ight be

smarter than he looked— m ore than just a pretty face.

Livid, Siri’s hand flashed, landing with a solid smack on the breeder’s cheek. Ared palm  print blossomed on the injured flesh. “Chiagan-Se,” she screeched theepithet, spinning from  Um e’s sight. “You’ll regret this. All of you!”

The sound of running feet thrum med against the m etal floor.

“You can come out now,” Shagal murm ured. “She’s gone.”

Ume started, surprised by his awareness.

“I know you’re in there. Come out.”

She scram bled back, until she found an opening. Pushing herself up, she faced

the breeder. “How’d you know?”

His silver blue eyes sparkled with am usement. “You followed her. The Chalices

sent me after you.” His countenance grew wary. “W hat is your purpose?”

“The sam e as yours I suspect.”

“And that is…?”

Ume edged around a wide container and into the open space. “She’s a spy. Iknow she is. I’ve been following her for awhile and she always ends up here,inside the alien ship.” She waved at the Deg’Nara craft. “She’s comm unicatingwith someone. I just don’t know who.”

He ran his hand over the control panel. “It’s program med to her biologics. I

can’t access it.”

“You m ean it’s locked?”

“Something like that,” he admitted. “It’s based on the sam e concept as the Tar. A bond is forged between the pilot, in this case Siri, and the vehicle. Sort of a symbiotic joining.” He fisted his hand and pounded the metal exterior of the ship. “The Chiagan-Se call these Stingers. The frontal attack of the predatory Deg’Nara. They’re not meant to return to the collective.”

“So if you hadn’t picked her up, she would’ve died in space?”

He nodded, lips spreading in a nasty grin. “Exactly. I for one believe she should

have perished. She’s not what she appears to be.”

“I agree.” So she had a cohort in the breeders’ cam p. “Maybe we should join

forces. Help each other out.” She held out her hand in the human fashion.

He regarded her with a wary curiosity, the sparkling silver eyes drilling intoher psyche with lum inous intensity. And then his large hand covered hers. “Maybewe should.”

Chapter Nineteen

Hanna rushed into the com munal cham ber and seated herself at the tableacross from  Kara. The expression on the statuesque woman’s face boded ill. Nervous energy oozed from  her pores as she fiddled with various objects sittingon the table. She squirmed on the stool, drumm ing her heels on the floor.

“You got ants in your pants?” Dread growled, watching the big Swede. “You’re

making m e tense.”

Caramel eyes slid sideways. “I haf sometink to tell you,” she m urm ured.

“Mordaq said to not tell but you haf a right to know.”

Kara’s stom ach flipped. I hate it when a conversation starts this way!

“Well, spit it out.” Face skewed in annoyance, Dread flipped back a curling

tress of dark hair. “We ain’t got all day.”

From  the corner of her eye, Kara glim psed the breeder Shagal and tiny Umeenter the cafeteria and sit down, appearing locked in deep conversation. On theother side of the room , Siri caught sight of the two, lurched to her feet with theusual huff of disdain and flounced into the sleeping cham ber. Good riddance!

“Dis is hard to say,” Hanna stam mered, “but you need to hear.” She wiped a hand across her glowing forehead. “Ven ve ver first taken, the kidnappers decided who should be mated. I vas to be the m ate of Vaux.”

“You were?” Anne said, sounding som ewhat disgruntled. “W ith Vaux!”

“The breeders thought ve cam e of our own free will. They didn’t know ve had

been kidnapped.”

“That’s a great story,” Kara grum bled. “I almost believe it.”

“No,” Hanna cried. “It is true. The seekers ver supposed to ask us first, but

time vas short, so they just took us.”

“The word is kidnapped,” Dread reminded her. “We were kidnapped.”

“But…but the breeders did not know,” Hanna faltered. “They thought ve had

come of our own free vill. And then the picture man,” she looked around helplessly, waving at the ceiling, “the floating picture Kormak man decided who voud be vith who. But my Mordaq decided different,” she ended with a satisfied sigh, a sm ile wreathing her m outh.

“So which female was Mordaq’s?”

“He voud not tell me,” Hanna said, the sm ile fading. “He said it vas better that

I did not know.”

“Well, who am  I supposed to be with?” Dread’s tone took on a speculative

slant.

Hanna’s eyes focused on the white knuckles of her clenched hands. “You voud

not like his choice.”

“Oh, great,” the black wom an groaned. “I probably got the old geezer Kormak

—and now he’s dead!”

Kara’s curiosity blossomed. “W ho did she get?”

Hanna’s eyes slid sideways. She hesitated and then leaned forward whispering.

“She vas to be Shagal’s.”

“Shagal’s?” Dread’s brow furrowed as she glanced in the young breeder’s

direction. “The short guy?”

“He’s not short,” Kara giggled. “He’s six foot three if he’s an inch.”

“Compared to the others, he’s on the short side,” Dread reiterated, staring hard at Shagal as though assessing his outward attributes. “And he’s more delicate. Refined. Not so testosterone charged like the bigger guys.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“I didn’t say that. I just said he wasn’t so big.” She stood up, running hands

down her slim  hips as her chin lifted. “I’m  going over there.”

Shagal glanced up, caught Dread’s look, stiffened and fell backwards off hisstool. A look akin to fear crossed his stricken features. He scram bled to his feetand barreled out the door with Dread hot on his heels.

“He looks happy,” Kara com mented wryly. “Or maybe not.” She drummed her fingers on the table, myriad thoughts skipping through her m ind. “So who was I mated with?”

Hanna’s face paled, her full lips trem bled. “I vas not to tell you. Mordaq voud

be so angry. You must prom ise not to say I told you.”

“Okay,” she groaned. “I prom ise. W ho is it?”

“You vas chosen for Lord Tegan.”

“Tegan! I’m  supposed to be mated with Tegan?”

Her heart swelled with ecstatic bliss. She could think of a thousand reasonswhy that was a good thing. If the wom en were stuck in this reality for the

remainder of their natural lives, why not Tegan? He was a prim e cut of m asculine

meat wrapped in a gorgeous package. Fangs or no fangs! Besides being a luscious piece of eye candy, he had all the qualities she found so important. Strong, courageous and confident. One of those males trusted and respected by everyone. A born leader.

But it didn’t make sense. If he was to be her mate, why was he treating her

like she had the plague or something?

“I think you’re wrong on that one. If I was chosen for him , why’s he acting so

weird. He practically runs every time I get near him .”

“Ven Lord Tegan found out ve hadn’t com e freely, he vas horrified. He told the breeders they had to step back and let us decide who ve vanted. He said ve should be given the right to choose from  now on. He gave up his claim  to you and asked the other breeders to do the sam e.”

Im m ediate irritation caused Kara’s lips to press together. Oh, he did, did he?

We’ll just see about that! “Does that mean if I choose him , he’s mine?”

Hanna grinned slyly. “I tink he vants you even if he says othervise.”

“Well, okay then.”

She hurried to the resting cham ber and into the cleansing room . As luck wouldhave it, Siri stepped out of the dryer, the lean m uscles of her bare form  enhancedby the stark lighting. Observing Kara’s headlong rush, a sneer twisted her lips.

“Get out,” she growled in Chiagan-Se, tossing a drying cloth in Kara’s face.

“Get out yourself. Bitch!” She swept past the hybrid and into the showering chamber, fully expecting Siri to follow and pick a fight. Just what I don’t want right now— a brawl with a naked fem ale! Her breath exhaled in one long thankful sigh as the hybrid stormed from  the room  muttering angrily.