Claimed

“Uh…” Liv didn’t actually want to admit she hadn’t done the deed with him yet. “He’s really focused on my pleasure,” she said carefully. “He seems to be a lot more interested in making me happy than, uh, getting happy himself if you know what I mean.”

  “I do—I know exactly what you mean. My guys are the same way,” Jillian said excitedly.

  “Still?” Liv raised an eyebrow at her. “I guess I just thought, I don’t know, that maybe the whole ‘put your woman’s pleasure first’ routine was only for the, uh, courting stage of the relationship.”

  “Oh no.” Jillian shook her head. “Believe me, the Kindred are devoted to their brides all their lives. Their whole culture reveres women—that’s why they worship a Goddess—the Mother of All Life. I don’t think you could find a single society in all of Earth that’s more into pleasing and protecting their females. It’s really amazing.”

  “I guess so,” Liv said slowly. “Baird is very protective.”

  “My guys too.” Jillian nodded. “And they want to spend hours and hours making me, well, you know…” She blushed and giggled. “But it’s not just that—afterwards we talk—for hours sometimes. That’s how I learned so much about their planet. They miss it, you know. The ship really isn’t home to any of them either but they came here to take part in the new trade and find brides. One of them, Thinks Hard, told me that even if he never saw his home world again he would consider it worth it because he and Sees Much had won me as their bride.” She put a hand to her chest. “Isn’t that romantic?”

  Liv had to admit it was. “Baird seems to feel like we had a connection a long time before we met,” she said cautiously.

  “Because of the dream-sharing, of course. I always say that’s better than a background check any day because let me tell you, dreams don’t lie. What you see is what you get.”

  Liv thought of the dark man she’d seen in her dreams. The way her heart had ached for him, the way she’d wanted to heal him. Then she thought of the gentle way Baird touched her and the despair on his face when he’d asked why she couldn’t admit her feelings for him. Suddenly she felt like crying.

  “Anyway, are you ready for dessert?” Jillian chirped, obviously unaware of her internal struggle.

  Liv glanced at her empty plate, trying to push down the tears that threatened. “I thought we already had it.”

  “Nope.” Jillian hopped up perkily. “Just wait right here.” A moment later she was back with a large clear bowl filled with greenish-blue globe-like fruits that were somewhere between a grape and a plum in size. “These are twin fruits—see?” She picked one up and Liv saw that it was stuck to another one. In fact, all the fruits were doubled and flecked with a light dew of condensation. They looked cold and juicy and absolutely delicious.

  “They look great,” she said, reaching for one of the conjoined fruits and taking a big bite. Her mouth was immediately filled with a sour, bitter taste like lemon juice and aspirin. “Ugh!” It was all Liv could to do not to spit out the bite.

  “Ooo—sorry!” Jillian said anxiously. “I should have warned you right away—you don’t eat the flesh of the twin fruit, you eat the pit.”

  “The pit?” Liv managed to say after choking down the tart, bitter bite. “Really?”

  “Like this.” Jillian picked up one of the fruits and peeled back the blue-green skin and juicy flesh expertly, exposing two rounded pits that looked a little like very large black pearls. She popped them both into her mouth and crunched contentedly before nodding at Liv. “Now you try.”

  Doubtfully, Liv picked up her fruit and peeled away the ripe flesh just as Jillian had done. She decided to start with one of the pits instead of eating both but once she popped the first into her mouth she changed her mind and ate the other as well. “Mmm…” she said, swallowing. “Has a texture like pecans—”

  “And a flavor like spiced peaches,” Jillian finished for her. “And once again, hardly any fat.”

  “It reminds me of my grandma’s peach apple crumble.” Liv helped herself to another double fruit. “Really good.”

  “I know.” Jillian sighed happily and reached into the bowl again. “Oh, look—a three part one!” she exclaimed, pulling out a fruit that had three globes joined together instead of two. “Oh, I have to save this one for my guys. It’s considered very good luck to find one—like finding a four leaf clover on Earth, you know?”

  “Why is that?” Liv asked, taking another fruit for herself. In their own way, the twin fruit were almost as addictive as the Grieza worms.

  “It means happiness between you and your spouses. Anything in threes is considered unusual and lucky in Twin Moons culture. That’s where the Take-me’s originally came from. They domesticated them because of their three eyes on each head, you know?”

  “Mmm.” Liv sighed and sat back some. “No more. I was already full and now I’m just making a pig of myself.”

  “I won’t tell if you won’t.” Jillian giggled again and then glanced at the chronometer she wore on her wrist. cocked her head to one side. “Hang on—I promised my mom I’d call her around this time. You don’t mind, do you?”

  “Uh, no—of course not.” Liv watched, mystified, as her hostess hopped up from the table and fetched a thin silver wire. Placing the wire around her forehead and pressing it against her temples, she closed her eyes and began to murmur in a low voice.

  “Mom? Everything okay down there?” What she heard seemed to reassure her because she smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I know Lucy’s wedding is in a few days and don’t worry—the guys and I will be there. The Council agreed that a mating ceremony was an important enough event to grant a special pass for. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Look, Mom, I kind of have company right now. Can I call you back in a few? Okay, yeah, I promise. Love you too. Bye.”

  Opening her eyes, Jillian slipped the thin sliver wire off her head and laid it carefully on the table. “That was my mom—she’s going nuts trying to plan my little sister’s wedding and she’s constantly wanting to talk about the details. Makes me so glad the Kindred don’t do big ceremonies—although they will if you want them too. They’re really good about being accommodating on a girl’s special day, you know?”

  Liv was less interested in what Jillian’s mother had had to say than she was in exactly how she’d said it. “What is that thing?” she asked, pointing to the circular silver filament. “I mean, how does it work? Are you the only one who can use it? Do only the Twin Kindred have them or what?”

  “What, a Think-me?” Jillian picked it up delicately between thumb and forefinger. “No, of course not. All Kindred households have one. It’s like their version of a cell phone.”

  Liv frowned. “But I thought there was no way to talk to anyone back on Earth. Baird told me the holo-link only worked on board ship.”

  “Oh, it does. That’s because it’s for formal communication, between people who don’t know each other very well. It’s considered very rude to bespeak someone you don’t already have a relationship with.”

  “But you just talked, uh, thought to your mom,” Liv objected. “Or, uh, bespoke her, I guess.”

  “Well, she’s my mom. I mean, of course I know her well enough to bespeak her.”

  “Yes, but I mean, she’s on Earth, right? So how can you contact her?”

  “Well, technically you’re not really supposed to.” Jillian looked a bit guilty. “But I was so sad about never getting to see her that my guys made an exception for me. Honestly, I got the impression that lots of the Kindred are doing that—letting their brides use the Think-me, I mean. It’s kind of an open secret, you know?”

  “Well, it was a closed secret to me.” Liv shook her head. “Baird never said a thing about it.”

  “He can’t during the claiming period. A bride isn’t allowed to have any contact with her family during the entire thirty days,” Jillian explained. “Of course if you have someone you really want to talk to…”

  “I do, I really do,” Liv said eagerly, thinking of S
ophie’s cryptic letter. “My sister—you remember Sophie?”

  “Of course—we were all in that horrible Mrs. Tanner’s home-ec class together, right? Go ahead.” Jillian handed her the wire circlet. “Just put it on and make sure it’s touching your temples. Then think really hard of the person you want to contact. Oh, and be sure you let them know right off the bat they’re not going crazy. I nearly gave my poor mom a stroke the first time I started talking right in her head. She thought she was hearing voices—and not in a good way.” She laughed.

  “You mean it? You don’t mind?” Liv was already fitting the thin silver wire over her head and pressing it against her temples.

  “Of course not—I know what it’s like to be homesick. Just don’t tell anyone or we could get in trouble.” Jillian looked suddenly worried. “Keep it short, okay?”

  Seeing the worried look on the other woman’s face, Liv almost took the silver wire off her head. But the urge to contact her twin and make sure she was all right, not to mention finding out what the letter she’d sent meant was too strong. “I’ll be quick,” she promised. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated. “Sophie? Sophie can you hear me?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Sophie? Can you hear me?”

  Sophia blinked and looked around her studio. It was really just a spare room in their townhouse she’d converted with drop cloths and an easel but the light was good and she’d done some of her best work here. Not that anything was coming out right now, not since Liv had left. Come to think of it, that voice had sounded just like—

  “Sophie?” whispered the voice in her head again. This time Sophie was sure it wasn’t her imagination.

  “Liv?” she asked tentatively. “Uh, where are you? Are you like, invisible or something?” She knew it sounded weird but who knew what was possible with alien technology?

  The voice in her head laughed. “Hardly. I’m just contacting you from the Kindred ship using a Think-me. Like a Kindred cell phone.”

  “Oh. Okay.” Then it really hit her. “Liv! It’s so good to hear from you! I miss you so much!”

  “I miss you too, womb-mate.” Her sister sounded wistful. “How are things on planet Earth?”

  “Horrible,” Sophie said frankly. “The summer is dragging and Kat and I are bored stiff without you. Not to mention my art’s coming out like crap.”

  “What? You do fabulous art—your paintings are gorgeous. What’s the matter? Don’t you have any inspiration?”

  “Too much inspiration is more like it. For some reason I keep painting the same thing over and over again.”

  “What are you painting?”

  “More like who.” Sophia blushed, looking at the half finished canvas in front of her. She really hoped her sister couldn’t see her as well as hear her.

  “Who, then?”

  “Well…” Suddenly Sophie had a horrible thought. “Liv, you’re not, uh, calling me to tell me you’re giving up, are you?” she asked, her heart in her throat.

  The answer was immediate. “No, of course not. You know I’m not a quitter.”

  “So you haven’t, uh, bonded with him?”

  “No…” There was a longish pause and Sophie knew if her sister was right in front of her, she’d be able to see Liv nibbling her bottom lip—a habit she had when she was nervous or indecisive.

  “Liv, what is it?”

  “It’s just…Baird is not so bad when you get to know him. And I have to be honest, I’m finding him er…harder and harder to resist.”

  Sophie slapped herself on the forehead, heedless of the yellow paint on her hand. “Oh my God, that reminds me—I have to warn you.”

  “Warn me of what?”

  “I’m so stupid, just chatting away and not even thinking when I’ve been dying to get in touch with you.”

  “Does this have anything to do with the letter you sent me? ‘A rose by any other name would not smell as sweet.’ What was that all about, anyway?”

  “It’s about Baird. Liv, you can’t trust him!”

  “Why not?” Liv’s tone sounded worried.

  “Well for starters, did you know he was in some kind of horrible Scourge prison camp only three days before he claimed you?”

  “Well, yeah, I knew that. So?”

  “So?” Sophie asked the empty air impatiently, wishing she could grab Liv and shake her. “So, he could have like post traumatic stress disorder. He might attack you at any time!”

  “I really don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Liv said dryly. “For all the Beast Kindred’s scary reputation, he’s one of the most controlled people I’ve ever met. I mean, you wouldn’t believe…uh, never mind. Anyway, he’s very in control of himself. Was that all you wanted to warn me about?”

  “Not nearly.” Sophie waved her brush in the air in agitation. “There’s something else too and it’s really important. What do you know about something called a mating scent?”

  “Mating scent?” Sophie could almost see her sister shrug. “Uh, I may have heard the term. I know the Kindred place a lot of importance on smells.”

  “That’s because they use them to seduce their brides. When a Kindred warrior claims a woman as his own, his body immediately begins making a pheromone that’s specifically tailored to her DNA,” Sophie said rapidly, quoting as well as she could remember from what Sylvan had told her.

  “Well, Baird does smell really good. But…so?”

  “So? So, it’s irresistible. I mean, it makes him irresistible to you. Remember how we were wondering why nobody ever turned the Kindred down and came back to Earth? This is why, Liv—they can’t help themselves. His mating scent is like a drug and you’re being subjected to it every minute you’re with him!”

  Sophie was panting she was so upset but on the other end of whatever strange connection they had there was a lengthy silence. It went on for so long that she began to wonder if her twin had hung up on her. “Liv?” she asked at last, looking up in the air as though she could see her floating there. “Liv, are you still there?”

  “I’m here.” Liv’s voice was flat. “Are you sure about this? I mean, how did you get this information?”

  “Sylvan told me. You know, Baird’s brother?”

  “Yes, I know.” There was another lengthy silence and then Liv muttered, “Son of a bitch.”

  “Liv, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay. You’re absolutely certain this is right?”

  “Positive. He didn’t try to hide it or anything. He said that even if you knew, you wouldn’t be able to fight it—it’s that strong. Your body will react to his mating scent—”

  “Whether I want it to or not,” Liv said, finishing her sentence in the familiar way they had.

  “Exactly.” Sophie sighed. “Didn’t Baird tell you any of this?”

  “He talked about smells being important and said I would find that I wanted him more and more but no. He never told me he was using biological warfare on me.” Now Liv sounded really upset and Sophie felt her heart twist.

  “Look, Liv, I’m sorry, really I am. I feel horrible now—were you beginning to like him?”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve been fighting what I felt so hard but I didn’t even know what I was fighting—just that I couldn’t, uh, help myself when I was close to him. And all this time he was lying to me. God…it’s Mitch all over again.”

  “Oh honey, no.” Sophie wished that her sister was there in person so she could give her a hug. “It’s not like you caught him with another woman.”

  “No—it’s worse. At least Mitch didn’t drug me to force me to stay with him.” Sophie could tell that Liv’s hurt was rapidly turning to anger. “Damn it, all this time I’ve been wondering why I was so out of control, why I couldn’t bring myself not to want him. The lousy, lying—” She broke off for a moment and when she came back she sounded a little calmer. “Sophie? I need to go. Someone else wants to use the phone …er, Think-me.”

  “Do you really have to go
? I’ve been missing you so much! Kat and I have been out of our minds with worry.”

  “I’m sorry but I’m with Jillian Holms and one of her husbands is trying to get in touch with her. If he finds out she let me use this thing we could both get in trouble.”

  “But will you be okay?” Sophie asked desperately. “I mean, what will you do?”

  “Whatever I have to in order to get back to Earth.” Liv sounded grim. “Don’t worry, Sis, I’ll be back before you know it. Now that I know what I’m up against, there’s no way I’m going down.”

  “But—”

  “I love you, Sophie but I’ve really got to go. Give my love to Kat too and tell her I said the first pitcher of margaritas is still on her.”

  “Okay. Love you,” Sophie said helplessly and suddenly the sense of having her sister in her head was gone.

  She sank to the floor feeling suddenly bereft. After such a long absence, the conversation had been terribly brief but at least she’d been able to convey what she needed to. Now that Liv knew what was going on she could at least be on her guard. But she’d sounded so upset and betrayed when Sophie had told her…

  Sophie shook her head and stared at the paintbrush she still clutched in one hand. “I hope I did the right thing by telling you, Liv,” she murmured even though she knew her sister could no longer hear. “I really hope I did.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Jillian asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  “Fine, just fine,” Liv assured her tightly. She knew her hostess could tell she was upset but she wasn’t about to confide in Jillian over what had upset her. And to think I was feeling guilty for not giving his culture a chance. For not giving him a chance. While all the time he was just waiting for me to succumb to his freaking mating scent so he could keep me here forever.

  Deep down she knew she was probably being overly harsh. After all, Baird had warned her in so many words that she would find him irresistible over time. Yeah, but I thought he was just being arrogant! Who knew he meant it literally?