The Chalice (26 page)

end.”

Curious, she studied the wom an’s face, confused by the com plexities of her

English friend. “What kind of an answer is that?”

Anne fiddled with a stray lock of hair, drawing it across her nose. “Would you

think m e shallow if I told you he was rich?”

Kara burst out laughing. “No. I’d think you were smart.”

A smile peeked at the corners of Anne’s lips. “He was an engineer like me, onlyhe came from  a wealthy family. W hen I m arried him, I’d be a part of society. I’dhave a beautiful hom e, children—the life I always wanted.”

“Sorry.” There was nothing else she could say. They’d all lost something

precious when they’d awoke and found them selves here.

“Don’t be,” Anne said, sighing. “Being here makes me realize I probably would have died of boredom —in my beautiful house with my two children and a husband I didn’t love.”

“Sucks the big one though.”

The tall Swede flew into the cham ber, tawny hair whipping.

“Ve are getting married,” Hanna voiced shrilled over the clatter. “Mordaq and I

vill be joined.”

Aghast, Kara felt her jaw drop—to the floor. “You’re kidding. Right?”

“No. Vy should I kid?” From  the look on Hanna’s face she was dead serious and

thrilled, all at the same time. “Ve know it is right and ve do it.”

“I’m  pretty sure she’s serious,” Anne said. She linked her arm  with the big

woman, sm iling. “I think it’s absolutely wonderful.”

“Are you sure?” Hanna and the huge Warrior had only known each other for a short time, not nearly long enough to get married! For cripes sake! They couldn’t even have a m eaningful conversation yet.

“Ve are very sure,” Hanna stated. “He is the right one for me.”

“W hat’s the big deal,” Dread wheezed through her swollen mouth. “Not like they haven’t been screwing like rabbits since they first met. About time they got legal.”

“Pah!” Hanna snapped, glaring daggers at the black wom an. “Screwing like

rabbits? Ve do not screw like rabbits.”

Anne wiggled her arm . “She’s just teasing you. She’s as excited as we are.”

She leveled a long look on Dread. “Aren’t you excited?”

“Yeah. Excited,” Dread said dryly. “When’s the big moment?”

Hanna clapped her hands together, face alight with happiness. “As soon as ve

can get Lord Tegan’s okay.”

“Okay? W hy do you need his okay?”

Even though the Chiagan-Se society was ruled by a king or whatever Teganwas called, they seem ed to have a democratic slant on their method ofgovernm ent. Every breeder appeared to have the right to voice an opinion. Atleast that’s how she saw it. Not like she could understand much of what was said,but they all seemed to have the right to speak. Tegan listened to every word. Sheknew that.

“Congratulations,” she hugged the big woman. “And as your Queen and one of your best friends, I say the sooner the better. If I must, I’ll approach Lord Tegan and plead your case.”

“You just want to talk to that big old studly hunk of gorgeous m ale,” Dread quipped, a sly grin spread across her blistered lips. “Ain’t fooling me with this plead Hanna’s case shit.”

“Bugger off,” she said, using one of Moira’s favorite epithets. “It’s my duty as

your ruler to advance the cause of the wom en. I do what I m ust,” she added

loftily, chin up. “I am  your Queen after all.”

Her head swiveled as she perused the room . Other than grim -faced Siri, the

women were healthy and maybe not as happy as they could be, but for the most

part not unhappy.

Grandly, as the Queen she pretended to be, she raised her hands. “We’re all

right.”

She pondered the phrase for a moment, her m ind digesting the dignity of the

words. They were all right.

Hanna’s pending nuptials deserved a celebration— even a small one. W hat to

do? Kenny Loggins! Of course!

“ I’m  all right. Don’t nobody worry ‘bout me. You got to gim me a fight. Why

don’t you just let it be,” she burst out.

The room  resounded with the women’s good-natured laughter.

Cheers of “You go girl” and “Sing it!” rang from  the throng.

“Do what you like,” she warbled, throwing herself into the moment, waving her

arms and jigging. “Doing it naturally.”

The women’s voices joined in. This was getting good!

She started clapping her hands, drawing the others in. “But if it’s too easy,

they’re gonna disagree.”

Bending from  the waist, she braced her hands on her knees and shook herbootie, wiggling and gyrating to the m usic. Unfettered by social mores and theconfines of good behavior, she let herself go, energized by the women’s openenjoyment and boisterous encouragement.

Scowling, Siri huffed a string of snarling gibberish, stood up and stomped into

the fem ales’ resting cham ber.

Screw her!

“I’m  all right,” she almost shouted, rolling her pelvis and pumping. Step aside

Michael Jackson!

“I’m  all right. I’m  all right. I’m  all right.”

She never heard the swish of the entryway panel sliding open. The voicesebbed and grew silent, the women’s startled gazes stared past her. Hannasquealed Mordaq’s name and darted towards the door. She froze, her buttsuddenly still.

“He’s right behind m e, isn’t he?” she whispered, heat flushing her face.

Anne nodded, giggling. “Yup, right behind you.”

“Don’t worry,” Dread chuckled. “Big ole hunky boy ain’t looking at nuthin’ but

that cute little fanny you got stuck out there.”

“Help me,” she hissed.

Anne pressed her lips together, but couldn’t hide the humor sparking from  her China blue eyes. “Remem ber this the next time you decide to dance with thestars.”

“Very funny. Ha. Ha. Do you want to take over?” she whispered, turning to

face Tegan and the huge bodyguard.

“Not on your life,” Anne m uttered, bowing to the m ales.

She gulped. Her heart skipped a beat. There he was! The steam ing hotphantom   of her sex-crazed fantasies. Sensual and m asculine, pherom onesliterally wafted from  him  in lust-filled waves. Her womb began ticking. In real life,he was so m uch m ore than the image her love-starved m ind generated.

Just being near him  sent ripples of awareness trickling through her psyche. Heexuded so m uch tangible energy, it was like standing next to a furnace calibratedto the highest setting. She felt flushed, over-heated, slavering with expectation.

She cast surreptitious glances at the other wom en, checking to see if theywere sim ilarly affected. They all appeared interested, respectful, but that wasabout the sum  total. Unless they were better at hiding it!

He dipped his head, acknowledging her. Then he sm iled— really sm iled for thefirst time. Dim ples— he had dimples— big deep ones dancing in his cheeks! Sheloved dim ples! Although somewhere she’d read dim ples were considered a birthdefect— but who gives a shit! She loved dim ples and his were drop-dead killers. She wanted to grab handfuls of his silky white hair and lick the indentations forpure pleasure.

“Kara,” he began in the husky, melodic rhythms of his people. “Happy?” His

shoulders lifted, hands splayed, a quizzical look crossed his features.

I guess it does look like we’re happy, she adm itted. Like we’re having a partyor celebrating. Everyone was dancing and laughing, having fun for a change. Butthen Hanna’s news was cause for a celebration. Women and weddings—a joyousoccasion even here.

His brows drew together, the sm ile faded. “Kara,” he tried again, “happy?”

“Answer him  shit-for-brains,” Dread muttered, nudging her. “He’s trying to

communicate.”

She squared her shoulders, chin lifting. “Greetings, Lord Tegan,” she said inthe language of the Chiagan-Se. She mentally skim med through her lim ited

vocabulary. “You good?”

The dim ples cam e back into play. His silvery blue eyes sparkled, deepening to

glittering aqua. She could drown in those eyes.

“Good,” he said in English.

Her gaze lowered, mesmerized by his fingertips as they pressed against his

magnificent chest em bellished by a scattering of intricate tattoos.

O…kay! Her gaze dropped lower, salivating over the washboard abs—and then

lower. She licked her lips, heat level rising.

“Kara,” Anne hissed. “For God’s sake, pay attention.”

To what?

Tegan drew Mordaq and Hanna forward, clasping their hands together, resting

his atop. “Join,” he said, looking to her for approval.

She pretended to consider. It was a momentous decision after all. W hat would Queen Elizabeth do? Would she confer with her counselors or offer consentoutright? Would she make a grand gesture or sim ply acknowledge the union? Being a Queen certainly had its own special set of problems.

Yes, she nodded, adding a sm ile. “Join.”

He   exhaled,   clearly   relieved   by   her   protracted   consent.   He   murm ured

something to the huge Warrior, the spate of words too fast for her to follow.

Hanna squealed, throwing her arms around Kara and planted a smacking kisson the top of her head. Sm othered against the tall woman’s am ple bosom , headlodged between the humongous globes, she was suffocating— buried so deep, shecould barely hear. Crikey! Som ebody help me!

She struggled to break free. The asphyxiating em brace lasted several momentsmore and then Hanna’s arms relaxed as she threw herself on Dread, the nextvictim . Kara choked, sucking in air.

“Tryin’ to boob me to death?” Dread grouched, rubbing her swollen lips,

nostrils distended. “Bout died down there.”

A rumbling laugh echoed from  Tegan’s chest. The sound of his hearty laughter

sent chills zinging up her spine.

He thinks it’s funny! But in his place, she’d probably laugh too. Her head came

up, lips pressed together to keep from  giggling.

“Chiagan-Se.” She could feel her grin widening. “Talk.”

Recognition sparked in his eyes. Good. He knows that one!

She strolled to a table and sat down, patting the stool next to her. “Sit,” she

coaxed, tilting her head and sm iling. This avoiding thing was beginning to get on

her nerves.

He said som ething to the big Warrior who m urmured to Hanna.

“He cannot stay,” Hanna explained. “He m ust go back to the bridge. They are

expecting him .”

“And you understood that how?”

Hanna’s round eyes swerved to the bodyguard. “Ve understand each udder. Ve

talk all da time.”

“And you understand him .”

Hanna nodded, eyes shining. “Vith practice, it is easier.”

Of course it is. If she could just hogtie the big guy and spend som e tim e withhim, her language skills would expand exponentially. These endless sessionsrepeating words over and over helped, but a one-on-one conversation m ade moresense.

“Ask him  if he and I can get together—in his quarters, to…discuss the pending

nuptials.”

Hanna chattered to Mordaq. Mordaq m urm ured to Tegan.

Intent, he listened, the pleased expression fading. He looked startled, uneasy. The glittering eyes narrowed. Muttered words flashed between the threesome. Tegan shook his head, the white locks bouncing.

Hanna glanced over her shoulder, brows drawn together. She looked confused —troubled. The big wom an turned, took a deep breath and clasped her handsacross her breast.

“Lord Tegan says he cannot be alone vith you.”

“W hy ever not?”

“He only came here to find out if you approved of our joining.”

“He didn’t have to come here for that. Not like I have a say in the matter.”

Anne touched her arm . “He’s showing respect for you as our Queen. He wouldnever agree to a union with another power without the foreign ruler’s approval. I’m  sure he’d demand the same consideration under similar circum stances.”

“This Queen thing sucks,” she snapped, irritated. “W hy can’t I be like the rest

of you? Sit on my butt and do nothing.”

Anne heaved a sigh. “I know, but if it’s any consolation, you’re doing a greatjob. You came out of the travel pod clear-minded, gathered us all together andgave us hope. Your humor and strength have kept us sane and focused. I know

you don’t want the job, but from  my point of view, you’re perfect for it.”

“Thank you Dr. Ruth,” she growled.

Tegan backed towards the entry panel, bowed one last time and then exited