agony all night long and they tell me it's your fault.” She stabbed a finger into his brawny chest. “Goddess help me, if you don't give me some answers that make sense, I will not be held responsible for what I do to you."
Kol let out a breath and lowered himself to an overstuffed chair. Charity glanced around at the décor, which was palatial and masculine. The dark walls had a rich appearance. Heavy accents of color hung here and there amid the lacquer furniture. On a raised platform sat a huge square bed topped with a tangle of bright white sheets. He'd had a rough night, too, apparently.
"How can just seeing you make the pain go away?"
"The mating bond is controlled by a retrovirus introduced into the Antarean bloodlines ten generations ago.” His reply was stiff and instructional. He didn't meet her gaze.
"So you gave me a virus ?” Her lips clenched. A'Kosu'an had conveniently left that part out.
"Yes, but not intentionally. The mating bond isn't supposed to cross species, or even tribes."
Something about that didn't sit right with Charity, but the joy of being without the persistent pain in her belly dulled her anger a bit. She lowered herself to the edge of the bed and leaned back on her elbows, appraising Kol from across the room. “Well, something went wrong. Now what happens? We get sick every time we're apart?"
"Only in the beginning. The effect grows more manageable over time, but the psychological result is to ingrain in our minds a need to be together to ensure ... propagation."
"Propa ... but we can't get pregnant together. Right?"
"No."
Charity squinted at him in the dimness. “No we can't or no, I'm wrong?"
"No, we can't."
"Well, we weren't supposed to have a mating bond either, were we?"
Kol shook his head. He leaned forward and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands for a moment. Rather than anger, Charity felt sympathy and a deep affection for him. She wanted to go to him and touch him, to run her hands over his shoulders and down the lean lines of his back.
"Ummm. Does this also mean we're going to have sex every time we're alone, too?"
"No.” He rose, his spine stiff, jaw set. “That would solidify the bond. As uncomfortable as it is, we should stay away from each other and hope the effect wears down."
"What? And go through that kind of pain again? I don't think I can. I was shot—” She lifted the hem of her shirt to show off her bandage. “And that pales in comparison."
"We cannot have sex. We can stay in the same area, and just avoid physical contact."
"That's fine with me.” She threw herself back into the soft sheets. “I'm going to avoid you by going back to sleep. I was up all night and I'm exhausted. Why don't you call A'Kosu'an and find out if there's some kind of vaccine we can take to kill this retrovirus before things get really unbearable."
Kol stared at her for a moment as if she were some type of bug in a jar. Finally, he turned on his heel and strode away, tossing a final, biting comment over his shoulder. “Things already are unbearable."
[Back to Table of Contents]
CHAPTER 10
Hot water cascaded over Kol's head, drowning his thoughts and calming his nerves. While his bond mate slept, he'd done as she suggested and searched the medical archives for alternatives to the separation ritual. He'd found nothing useful.
He'd walked around the garden beyond his bedroom, putting as much distance as he dared between them and still he'd ended up at the foot of the bed, contemplating the curve of her thigh that peeked out amid folds of the white sheets. His cock had stirred at the memory of his last vision of her. Or had that been a dream? He couldn't distinguish one from the other anymore. Before his desires got the best of him, he'd locked himself in the shower.
First cold water doused his rising heat, then hot soothed his tired body. When he finished here, he'd wake her and explain the ritual. Charity was strong and she was no stranger to hardship or
Kol let out a breath and lowered himself to an overstuffed chair. Charity glanced around at the décor, which was palatial and masculine. The dark walls had a rich appearance. Heavy accents of color hung here and there amid the lacquer furniture. On a raised platform sat a huge square bed topped with a tangle of bright white sheets. He'd had a rough night, too, apparently.
"How can just seeing you make the pain go away?"
"The mating bond is controlled by a retrovirus introduced into the Antarean bloodlines ten generations ago.” His reply was stiff and instructional. He didn't meet her gaze.
"So you gave me a virus ?” Her lips clenched. A'Kosu'an had conveniently left that part out.
"Yes, but not intentionally. The mating bond isn't supposed to cross species, or even tribes."
Something about that didn't sit right with Charity, but the joy of being without the persistent pain in her belly dulled her anger a bit. She lowered herself to the edge of the bed and leaned back on her elbows, appraising Kol from across the room. “Well, something went wrong. Now what happens? We get sick every time we're apart?"
"Only in the beginning. The effect grows more manageable over time, but the psychological result is to ingrain in our minds a need to be together to ensure ... propagation."
"Propa ... but we can't get pregnant together. Right?"
"No."
Charity squinted at him in the dimness. “No we can't or no, I'm wrong?"
"No, we can't."
"Well, we weren't supposed to have a mating bond either, were we?"
Kol shook his head. He leaned forward and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands for a moment. Rather than anger, Charity felt sympathy and a deep affection for him. She wanted to go to him and touch him, to run her hands over his shoulders and down the lean lines of his back.
"Ummm. Does this also mean we're going to have sex every time we're alone, too?"
"No.” He rose, his spine stiff, jaw set. “That would solidify the bond. As uncomfortable as it is, we should stay away from each other and hope the effect wears down."
"What? And go through that kind of pain again? I don't think I can. I was shot—” She lifted the hem of her shirt to show off her bandage. “And that pales in comparison."
"We cannot have sex. We can stay in the same area, and just avoid physical contact."
"That's fine with me.” She threw herself back into the soft sheets. “I'm going to avoid you by going back to sleep. I was up all night and I'm exhausted. Why don't you call A'Kosu'an and find out if there's some kind of vaccine we can take to kill this retrovirus before things get really unbearable."
Kol stared at her for a moment as if she were some type of bug in a jar. Finally, he turned on his heel and strode away, tossing a final, biting comment over his shoulder. “Things already are unbearable."
[Back to Table of Contents]
CHAPTER 10
Hot water cascaded over Kol's head, drowning his thoughts and calming his nerves. While his bond mate slept, he'd done as she suggested and searched the medical archives for alternatives to the separation ritual. He'd found nothing useful.
He'd walked around the garden beyond his bedroom, putting as much distance as he dared between them and still he'd ended up at the foot of the bed, contemplating the curve of her thigh that peeked out amid folds of the white sheets. His cock had stirred at the memory of his last vision of her. Or had that been a dream? He couldn't distinguish one from the other anymore. Before his desires got the best of him, he'd locked himself in the shower.
First cold water doused his rising heat, then hot soothed his tired body. When he finished here, he'd wake her and explain the ritual. Charity was strong and she was no stranger to hardship or
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