THE SPACE COUGAR’S
CADET
Cassandra Pierce
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
Layla Kosajh stood on the
catwalk, looking through the transparent dome at the dozen or so young men and
women practicing their routines. With final exams only twenty-three solar hours
away, the gravity gym was filled with cadets practicing for their physical certification
tests or simply working off tension and stress.
Of
them all, only one cadet held her attention. His lean body split the air like a
hypersonic missile as he vaulted off the training bar, executed a perfect
double flip and landed with his feet on the underside of the dome’s ceiling. He
stood upside down for a few moments, his arms extended as if to embrace all
that lay below him, his face composed and his eyes half-closed in
concentration. Then he became airborne again, reversing his direction and
flipping his way back to the floor. The crisp precision of his moves stretched
his blue bodysuit taut, outlining the sleek curves of his chest and hips and
emphasizing the swell of his muscles.
Absorbed
in his performance, Layla failed to notice her friend,
Provost Xath , coming up behind her on the catwalk.
His catlike eyes followed hers and settled on the same cadet who had returned
to the high bar and begun a series of rigorous circular moves. Sweat streamed
from his close-cropped hair and darkened the front of his bodysuit as he
shifted his balance from one hand to the other.
“Magnificent,
isn’t he?” Xath observed with interest. “Is he one of
your students?”
“I
taught him last term,” Layla said, nodding.
“Interplanetary Diplomatic History. I probably don’t have to tell you that his
mind is as extraordinary as his body.”
Xath bent closer to the rail, squinting. “Indeed. Who is
he?”
“ Jaret Thek .” Her voice caught
when she said his name and Layla’s cheeks grew warm
with embarrassment.
“Ah,
the Emperor Zoeg’s seventh son. I suppose his
superiority comes as no surprise, given the royal blood flowing through him.
The Zaraxians are most particular about the genetics
of their ruling class. I realize you Earth people are philosophically opposed
to such things, but when I look at him I am inclined to respect their elitist
principles.”
“We
have plenty of common-born cadets who are excellent students, too,” Layla shot back. Xath laughed and
she realized her old friend had been teasing her.
“Perhaps,
but I notice you are not watching any of them. Are you quite sure he prefers
women? If not, I wouldn’t mind getting to know him myself after all these
tedious graduation formalities are done with.” Reaching up, Xath rubbed the bulbous, flesh-covered horns that adorned his wide forehead. “Would
he find these attractive? I wonder. On my planet, you know, firm, thick horns
are a sign of—”
“I
feel confident that he does—prefer women, I mean,” Layla interrupted, her blush deepening. Actually, she did not. She had no right even
to think about such things. Perhaps Prince Jaret did
desire men. What of it? Still, for some irrational reason, she hoped he did
not. She hoped he dreamed of women—perhaps even women who resembled her. In
either case, as long as they were both at the prestigious Starforce Institute, there could be nothing more between them save the formal
relationship of cadet and instructor.
Below them, Jaret’s movements on the bars were slowing as the heavy
pull of the gym’s specially engineered gravitational fields began to take its
toll. As his narrow hips turned in their final circle atop the bar, he looked
up at her and their eyes met. The directness of his silvery-blue gaze startled Layla . He seemed only an arm’s length in front of her,
though in reality the distance had to be thirty times that.
The
Provost noticed, too. He pushed back from the rail and turned to look at her
with interest. “Well, well. This may turn out to be an interesting week after
all. In any case, I must run along. Another
CADET
Cassandra Pierce
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
Layla Kosajh stood on the
catwalk, looking through the transparent dome at the dozen or so young men and
women practicing their routines. With final exams only twenty-three solar hours
away, the gravity gym was filled with cadets practicing for their physical certification
tests or simply working off tension and stress.
Of
them all, only one cadet held her attention. His lean body split the air like a
hypersonic missile as he vaulted off the training bar, executed a perfect
double flip and landed with his feet on the underside of the dome’s ceiling. He
stood upside down for a few moments, his arms extended as if to embrace all
that lay below him, his face composed and his eyes half-closed in
concentration. Then he became airborne again, reversing his direction and
flipping his way back to the floor. The crisp precision of his moves stretched
his blue bodysuit taut, outlining the sleek curves of his chest and hips and
emphasizing the swell of his muscles.
Absorbed
in his performance, Layla failed to notice her friend,
Provost Xath , coming up behind her on the catwalk.
His catlike eyes followed hers and settled on the same cadet who had returned
to the high bar and begun a series of rigorous circular moves. Sweat streamed
from his close-cropped hair and darkened the front of his bodysuit as he
shifted his balance from one hand to the other.
“Magnificent,
isn’t he?” Xath observed with interest. “Is he one of
your students?”
“I
taught him last term,” Layla said, nodding.
“Interplanetary Diplomatic History. I probably don’t have to tell you that his
mind is as extraordinary as his body.”
Xath bent closer to the rail, squinting. “Indeed. Who is
he?”
“ Jaret Thek .” Her voice caught
when she said his name and Layla’s cheeks grew warm
with embarrassment.
“Ah,
the Emperor Zoeg’s seventh son. I suppose his
superiority comes as no surprise, given the royal blood flowing through him.
The Zaraxians are most particular about the genetics
of their ruling class. I realize you Earth people are philosophically opposed
to such things, but when I look at him I am inclined to respect their elitist
principles.”
“We
have plenty of common-born cadets who are excellent students, too,” Layla shot back. Xath laughed and
she realized her old friend had been teasing her.
“Perhaps,
but I notice you are not watching any of them. Are you quite sure he prefers
women? If not, I wouldn’t mind getting to know him myself after all these
tedious graduation formalities are done with.” Reaching up, Xath rubbed the bulbous, flesh-covered horns that adorned his wide forehead. “Would
he find these attractive? I wonder. On my planet, you know, firm, thick horns
are a sign of—”
“I
feel confident that he does—prefer women, I mean,” Layla interrupted, her blush deepening. Actually, she did not. She had no right even
to think about such things. Perhaps Prince Jaret did
desire men. What of it? Still, for some irrational reason, she hoped he did
not. She hoped he dreamed of women—perhaps even women who resembled her. In
either case, as long as they were both at the prestigious Starforce Institute, there could be nothing more between them save the formal
relationship of cadet and instructor.
Below them, Jaret’s movements on the bars were slowing as the heavy
pull of the gym’s specially engineered gravitational fields began to take its
toll. As his narrow hips turned in their final circle atop the bar, he looked
up at her and their eyes met. The directness of his silvery-blue gaze startled Layla . He seemed only an arm’s length in front of her,
though in reality the distance had to be thirty times that.
The
Provost noticed, too. He pushed back from the rail and turned to look at her
with interest. “Well, well. This may turn out to be an interesting week after
all. In any case, I must run along. Another
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