The Vulpirans' Honor: The Soul-Linked Saga (4 page)

“Yes, lets,” Maxim said, reaching out to pick her up.  Once she was safe in his arms
he stepped to the side and they disappeared.  Loni picked up Summer’s bag, then he
and Ran followed.

***

Xi-Kung was more than worried.  He was nearly frantic.  A short time earlier he had
been ecstatically happy, but that hadn’t lasted long.  He wondered if the pressure
was getting to him, then discarded the idea.  His current state of manic nervousness
was perfectly normal considering the stress he’d been under of late.

It had been several weeks since Xi-Tarq had been dispatched on his mission to Jasan,
and he’d heard nothing from him or the Messenger since then.  He did have to congratulate
himself for thinking of using a Receiver, though.  It was a stroke of genius, if he
did say so himself.

Unfortunately, coming up with the idea was the easy part.  It had taken days of combing
through useless data from fellow Xanti ships before he found a random Receiver on
its way to Jasan that he could put to use.  Thank the Supreme Mother for the Xanti
procedure of implanting all beings who displayed interest in the Xanti, just in case. 
His current situation was precisely why the procedure had been implemented. 

All he had to do was wait for the Receiver to reach Jasan, then find a way to get
it onto the ranch.  Planning ahead, he’d already prepared several methods of accomplishing
that long before the Receiver’s ship arrived.  Then, much to his shock, the Receiver
had gone directly from the Jasani spaceport to the Dracons’ ranch without any effort
on his part whatsoever.  It had happened so suddenly, and so unexpectedly that Xi-Kung
had barely had the presence of mind to activate the Receiver before it crossed the
barrier.

After that, he’d spent an hour celebrating the results of his excellent strategic
maneuvering.  Then he’d begun to worry whether or not the Receiver would leave the
ranch before it was too late.

What was it about that ranch that seemed to swallow everyone and everything that entered
it?  First Xi-Tarq.  Then the Messenger.  He should have heard from one of them by
now.  He should have heard from one of them several times by now. 

No, he amended to himself.  It was entirely possible that Xi-Tarq had been successful
and was in place, as planned.  Xi-Tarq wouldn’t be able to cross the barrier and leave
the ranch without risking discovery, so obviously he could not send a message himself. 
Which was why a Messenger had been placed on the ranch in the first place. 

The plan had been for Xi-Tarq to transmit messages to the Messenger once he had taken
the place of the woman running Arima House.  When the Messenger left the ranch, the
accumulated messages would automatically be sent to Xi-Kung’s ship via one or more
data-bursts, depending on how much time had passed.  At this point, it would take
hours worth of data bursts to cover all of the days they’d been inside that be-damned
barrier. 

Those data-bursts were the only reason Xi-Kung continued to orbit Jasan, day after
day, week after week, risking discovery by the Jasani patrols at any moment.  That
his ship was equipped with the newest Blind-Sight system wasn’t as comforting as it
once would have been.  The Jasani were fully aware of the existence of Blind-Sight
now, and that made his position more precarious than he liked.  But he had no choice. 
He had to remain, and he had to find out what Xi-Tarq’s status was.

Had he succeeded?  Or had he been discovered?  Destroyed?  Detained?  What of the
Messenger?  Why had he not left the ranch?  Was he even alive?

There was no way for Xi-Kung to know.  Nothing he could do but wait and see if the
Receiver was able to download messages from either the Messenger, Xi-Tarq, or both,
and then leave the ranch so that they could be sent to the ship. 

Unfortunately, the longer he waited, the worse his situation became.  The deadline
for his status transmission to Xaqana-Ti was rapidly approaching, and so far, he had
absolutely nothing to tell her.  And that, he knew, would not do.  No, that would
not do at all.  She’d have his stinger for daring to tell her that, after all this
time, he had no news at all. 

Xi-Kung paced his quarters endlessly as he struggled to think of a solution to his
dilemma aside from this infernal waiting, but nothing came to him.  He should have
remained on Onddo, he admonished himself repeatedly, though of course he’d never had
a choice.  When one’s Ruling Female tells one what to do, one obeys.  Just as his
brothers Za-Linq and Za-Queg had obeyed.  He shuddered at the thought of following
in their wake. 

Tired of pacing, he climbed the wall to his favorite corner and tucked his legs beneath
him.  He reminded himself that so long as he was in orbit around Jasan with Blind
Sight engaged, he was ordered to high-range transmission silence.  Even the low range
transmissions from the Receiver would be risky, if they were lucky enough to get any. 
They’d have to begin scanning the moment they began receiving. 

The only good thing about his situation was that he could not contact Xaqana-Ti even
should he want to.  Nor could she contact him.  Not until the deadline, when he would
leave Jasani space to report.  Until then, he had time.  Plenty of time.  Days even. 

***

Honey bent down to kiss Nica lightly on the forehead, then walked quietly across the
room and closed the door carefully behind her.  She stood outside in the hall for
a few moments, listening, before deciding that Nica was well and truly asleep.  She
sighed tiredly and walked up the hall to the bedroom that she and Michael would share
during their visit.

They’d had a very nice afternoon and evening with the Falcorans, and she was happy
that she and Aunt Berta had been able to spend some time alone together.  She wished
that her mother were still alive.  She would have dearly loved knowing Aunt Berta. 

The only thing that bothered her was the Vulpirans.  For some reason she couldn’t
seem to get them out of her mind.  Nor could she banish the ache in her heart that
seemed to flare up every time she thought of them.  Why she felt anything regarding
those three men she did not know, and it was beginning to worry her.

She opened the bedroom door and peeked in, not wanting to awaken Michael if he was
sleeping.  She smiled to see him sitting up in bed with a book.  Typical Michael,
always had his nose in a book.

“Is your headache better?” she asked as she closed the door and went to one of the
two dressers in the room.  She opened a drawer, took out a pair of cotton pajamas,
then closed it and went to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Yes,” he replied.  “It’s completely gone now.  How’s the imp?” he asked

“She’s sound asleep, finally,” she said.  “I didn’t think she was ever going to wind
down.”

“She had a very busy day today,” Michael said.  “I’m not sure who had more fun though,
Nica or the Falcorans.”

“Yes, I noticed they seemed to truly enjoy her,” Honey agreed.  She studied Michael
for a moment, noting the way his eyes seemed half closed in a squint.  He always did
that when he was worried. 

“What’s wrong, Michael?” she asked.

“I don’t understand the Vulpirans’ behavior this afternoon,” he said.  “I asked the
Falcorans about it, but they had no answers for me.  I wonder if they’ve changed their
minds about inviting me here.”

“I don’t think they would have brought a ground-car to the airfield if they had,”
Honey said.  “They apologized for intruding, so maybe they were just embarrassed. 
They didn’t realize that I was Berta’s niece.”

“Yes, maybe you’re right,” Michael said, though he didn’t sound convinced.  “Did you
have a good time with your Aunt Berta?”

“I’m not sure I would call it a
good
time,” she said.  “I understand now why Aisling didn’t want to tell me about Berta’s
life.  It was truly horrific, and I’m sure she left out the worst of it.  I’m happy
that she has the Falcorans now, and a second chance at a full life.  But aside from
that, yes, I enjoyed our visit very much.  I think that she and I are going to get
on very well together.”

“So what is it that’s bothering you?” Michael asked.

“You know me too well.”

“Yes, as you know me,” Michael said, flashing the smile that always melted female
hearts.  That, and those big, soulful brown eyes of his made him irresistible to most
women.  The blond hair and classic good looks didn’t hurt either. 

“She asked me if I had any psychic abilities,” Honey said. 

“Really?” Michael asked, closing his book with a frown.  “Why would she ask you that
of all things?”

“That’s what I wanted to know,” Honey replied.  “She was very matter-of-fact about
it.  She told me that women who are genetically predisposed to become mates to Jasani
males, like herself, always have psychic abilities.” 

“Did you tell her?”

“Yes, I did,” Honey admitted.  “I don’t want to start off my relationship with her
with any more lies than absolutely necessary.”

“What did she say?  Was she angry?”

“No, not at all,” Honey replied.  “They see such things far differently here than
on Terien, apparently.  She asked Nica and I to come to Arima House for lunch and
meet the
berezi
.”

“
Berezi
?” Michael asked.

“That’s a word for women who are genetically able to become Arimas, but aren’t yet,”
Honey replied. 

“I see,” Michael said.  “That’s the house she runs here on the ranch, right?  The
one for future mates of Jasani males?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Honey replied.

“So did you agree?”

“Yes, how could I refuse?” Honey replied.

“I’m glad you won’t be sitting around here all day,” Michael said.  “Honey, do you
think she suspects you’re a...what was that word?”

“
Berezi
,” she said.  “And I don’t know.  She’s one, or rather, she was one.  Now that she’s
linked with the Falcorans, she’s an Arima.  Since it’s a genetic attribute, I assume
she thinks that it’s possible I’m one as well.”

“Do you want to take the test to determine whether or not you are?” Michael asked.

Honey shook her head.  “No, I don’t.  Why would I want to do that?”

“You never know what could happen,” Michael said.  “All of the Jasani we’ve met so
far are good people.  Plus, your aunt lives here.  Maybe we could have a future here. 
I don’t think we should rule anything out just yet.”

“We’ve only been here for a few hours,” she replied.  “I don’t think we should start
making plans just yet, either.”

Michael sighed.  “I only mean we should keep open minds, Honey.”

“I know,” she said.  I just want to be careful, that’s all.” 

“Agreed,” Michael said.  “Are you coming to bed now?”

“Not just yet,” Honey replied, standing up.  “I think I’ll take a hot shower first.”

“Good idea,” Michael said.  “I’ll be done here and ready to turn off the light when
you’re finished.”

“Thanks,” Honey said as she walked to the bathroom.  She closed the door, marveling
at the room’s size.  She’d never seen one so large.  Nor had she ever seen such a
large bathtub, or shower.  Considering that the Jasani mated three brothers to one
woman, it made sense.  Which was a subject she most definitely did not want to think
about.

She reached in and flipped on the shower taps, then kicked off her shoes, an image
of the Vulpiran brothers filling her mind despite her best efforts to prevent it. 
She admitted to herself that she found them extremely appealing.  More so than any
man, or men, she’d ever seen before.  They weren’t classically good looking like Michael,
but they were big, strong, and very striking.  Even so, her real attraction was to
something deeper than their appearance.  She already knew that they were very intelligent,
but somehow she sensed that they were also thoughtful, considerate, and honorable
men.  She didn’t understand how she knew that.  Just like she didn’t understand their
behavior.

Why had they been so stunned to learn that she was married to Michael?  Michael had
to get special permission from the Terien Scientific Federation to bring his family
to Jasan, which was granted only after the Jasani Council agreed to it.  So the Vulpirans
could not have been surprised at her presence.  Besides, they’d exhibited no surprise
when they’d met Nica.  No, they’d been surprised that Michael was married to
her
specifically.  But why? 

Honey finished undressing, pulled the pins from her hair and uncoiled her long, thick
braid before stepping into the shower.  She stood beneath the spray and let the hot
water pour over her, sighing with pleasure.  It felt so good she just stood there
for a few minutes before stepping back and reaching for the shampoo.  As she poured
a healthy dollop of it into her hand, her thoughts returned to the Vulpirans. 

Why had she sensed their emotions?  How had she known they were shocked and, a few
minutes later, how had she known they were hurt, and angry?  She didn’t doubt herself,
even though such a thing had never happened to her before.  Her feelings had been
far too intense and distinct for her to have imagined them.  What bothered her most
was that she had any feelings concerning the Vulpirans at all.