her drink and Bev immediately
handed her another. Despite her outspokenness, Bev was not only a
brilliant researcher but also a good source of advice on all things
Pavlovan. Soreya had already learned that she could ask her
absolutely anything and she’d always get an honest answer.
“ So who’s the most difficult to live
with?” Bev wasn’t giving up.
“ They’re both very nice.”
Bev made a face at Dr. Mayek. “She’s
obviously a born diplomat like Ash. No wonder they got paired
up.”
“ How do you know?” Soreya blurted out.
“How do you know you’ve found the right people?”
“ That’s a good question.” Dr. Mayek
crossed her legs and sat back. “Sometimes at their coming of age
ceremony, the Oracle at the temple tells a Pavlovan who one of
their mates will be.”
Soreya nodded. “That’s how Esca found out
about Ash.”
“ And I found out about Bev.” Dr. Mayek
blew a kiss at her mate. “We’re still waiting for our
third.”
“ But what if the Oracle, or one of the
people involved, is wrong?” Soreya persisted.
“ The Oracle is never wrong and…” Bev
hesitated. “Usually when you meet a mate you just know .”
“ Just by looking at them?” Soreya
gulped down the remainder of her fourth fruity drink and felt it
settle in her stomach like a frothy bomb. She really should’ve
eaten something before she started drinking.
“ No, it’s usually when your minds
click, or you touch them, or something more intimate.”
“ Like when Major Esca kissed
me.”
“ That would do it.” Bev stared at her.
“Why? What’s bugging you?”
“ Because I don’t know the rules.”
Soreya sighed again. “I’ve only kissed two telepaths in my
life.”
“ So?”
“ And I’ve wanted to rip the clothes off
both of them.”
Bev glanced at Dr. Mayek. “We are talking about Senator Ash and
Major Esca here, aren’t we?”
“ Yes.” She swallowed hard. “So what if,
after years of deprivation I’m just hyper-sensitive to being
touched by a male telepath?”
“ You think you’ll want to jump the
bones of any telepath who kisses you?”
“ Maybe.” Soreya stared down at the
table.
“ Maybe you need to try a little
experiment. A selective study—you know, like we do at work when
we’re evaluating the extent of your abilities.” Bev raised her
eyebrows at Dr. Mayek. “We can help her with that, can’t we
May?”
“ Bev—”
Ignoring her mate, Bev stood on her chair and
turned toward the open area of the club where a few couples were
now dancing. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted over
the music.
“ Hey! Who wants to kiss a genuine
Etruscan war hero?”
Soreya groaned and wanted to slide down under
the table. Dr. Mayek was no help—she was laughing too hard. When
Soreya dared look up, a line of hopeful males was already
forming.
Bev bowed to her. “”Here you go, Private
Lang. Enjoy.”
Soreya guessed her face was bright red.
“I can’t just kiss them!”
“ Why not? It’s the quickest way to find
out if you just lucked out and kissed the right men first.” Her
grin was infectious. “You’d better get on with it. Esca said he’d
be by to pick you up soon.”
Soreya took a deep breath and eyed the first
man in the line, who grinned encouragingly back at her.
“ Hey, I saw you on the news,” he said.
“You really are a hero.”
She stood up and walked over to him. “I’m an
idiot, but would you mind doing me a favor and letting me kiss you?
I’m conducting a scientific experiment.”
* * *
From habit, Esca paused at the door and
scanned the crowds of people in the club. The music was loud, the
chatting even louder, and there was some kind of disturbance over
by the bar. His instincts kicked up as he recognized his mate right
in the center of the maelstrom. He pushed his way through the crowd
until someone had the temerity to bar his way.
“ Buddy, if you want a kiss, get in line
like the rest of us.”
“ What?” Esca snapped
handed her another. Despite her outspokenness, Bev was not only a
brilliant researcher but also a good source of advice on all things
Pavlovan. Soreya had already learned that she could ask her
absolutely anything and she’d always get an honest answer.
“ So who’s the most difficult to live
with?” Bev wasn’t giving up.
“ They’re both very nice.”
Bev made a face at Dr. Mayek. “She’s
obviously a born diplomat like Ash. No wonder they got paired
up.”
“ How do you know?” Soreya blurted out.
“How do you know you’ve found the right people?”
“ That’s a good question.” Dr. Mayek
crossed her legs and sat back. “Sometimes at their coming of age
ceremony, the Oracle at the temple tells a Pavlovan who one of
their mates will be.”
Soreya nodded. “That’s how Esca found out
about Ash.”
“ And I found out about Bev.” Dr. Mayek
blew a kiss at her mate. “We’re still waiting for our
third.”
“ But what if the Oracle, or one of the
people involved, is wrong?” Soreya persisted.
“ The Oracle is never wrong and…” Bev
hesitated. “Usually when you meet a mate you just know .”
“ Just by looking at them?” Soreya
gulped down the remainder of her fourth fruity drink and felt it
settle in her stomach like a frothy bomb. She really should’ve
eaten something before she started drinking.
“ No, it’s usually when your minds
click, or you touch them, or something more intimate.”
“ Like when Major Esca kissed
me.”
“ That would do it.” Bev stared at her.
“Why? What’s bugging you?”
“ Because I don’t know the rules.”
Soreya sighed again. “I’ve only kissed two telepaths in my
life.”
“ So?”
“ And I’ve wanted to rip the clothes off
both of them.”
Bev glanced at Dr. Mayek. “We are talking about Senator Ash and
Major Esca here, aren’t we?”
“ Yes.” She swallowed hard. “So what if,
after years of deprivation I’m just hyper-sensitive to being
touched by a male telepath?”
“ You think you’ll want to jump the
bones of any telepath who kisses you?”
“ Maybe.” Soreya stared down at the
table.
“ Maybe you need to try a little
experiment. A selective study—you know, like we do at work when
we’re evaluating the extent of your abilities.” Bev raised her
eyebrows at Dr. Mayek. “We can help her with that, can’t we
May?”
“ Bev—”
Ignoring her mate, Bev stood on her chair and
turned toward the open area of the club where a few couples were
now dancing. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted over
the music.
“ Hey! Who wants to kiss a genuine
Etruscan war hero?”
Soreya groaned and wanted to slide down under
the table. Dr. Mayek was no help—she was laughing too hard. When
Soreya dared look up, a line of hopeful males was already
forming.
Bev bowed to her. “”Here you go, Private
Lang. Enjoy.”
Soreya guessed her face was bright red.
“I can’t just kiss them!”
“ Why not? It’s the quickest way to find
out if you just lucked out and kissed the right men first.” Her
grin was infectious. “You’d better get on with it. Esca said he’d
be by to pick you up soon.”
Soreya took a deep breath and eyed the first
man in the line, who grinned encouragingly back at her.
“ Hey, I saw you on the news,” he said.
“You really are a hero.”
She stood up and walked over to him. “I’m an
idiot, but would you mind doing me a favor and letting me kiss you?
I’m conducting a scientific experiment.”
* * *
From habit, Esca paused at the door and
scanned the crowds of people in the club. The music was loud, the
chatting even louder, and there was some kind of disturbance over
by the bar. His instincts kicked up as he recognized his mate right
in the center of the maelstrom. He pushed his way through the crowd
until someone had the temerity to bar his way.
“ Buddy, if you want a kiss, get in line
like the rest of us.”
“ What?” Esca snapped
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