Fractured Chances Read online

  “It does. This is my world, these are my customs, and you agreed to surrender your life to me. That requires trust. Your ability to adapt to life on a Hmrain world is what is in question here.”

  The way he phrased it stiffened her spine. It was being thrown out as a challenge. “You are just phrasing it that way to gain my cooperation.”

  He nodded. “Yes. I will always be honest with you, but there is only one bed in the house, and I do intend to occupy it every night, whether you are with me or not.”

  Nan stared at his face from a few inches away, trying not to cross her eyes as she attempted to focus. “So, sleep with you or sleep on the floor?”

  “No, there is a bunk in the enclosure, but the khitans use it.” He ran his hand up and down her spine.

  She brightened. “Oh. Okay.”

  He closed his eyes. “You are going to actually sleep with the creatures.”

  “Yup.”

  “They are fairly nocturnal. You might not get much sleep.”

  “I am being offered an option, and I want to take it.” She shrugged. “I may change my mind in the future, but right now, it feels good to make one conscious choice.”

  He nodded. “What is the mark on your shoulder?”

  She blinked. “Oh. That’s a bear. It’s a depiction of an animal that has attributes I admire. I got it a decade ago, and I forget that it is there most of the time.”

  He turned her around, and his fingers traced over the tattoo. “It is under your skin.”

  “It is. The ink was inserted by a motorized needle.”

  “Didn’t it hurt?”

  “Oh, yeah. Definitely, but it felt like putting some part of me from the inside onto the outside. It confirmed what I imagine myself to be.”

  “What is that?”

  “Strong, independent, and a good caregiver.” She chuckled. “If no one rescued them, I am guessing that the bears are dead now.”

  He continued tracing the tattoo carefully, and he mentioned, “There are Hmrain who need to populate their worlds with salvaged species. I have a shipment of some of the species from your world coming in a few weeks. This is a predator species?”

  “It is. It is called a bear.”

  “Unclothed?”

  “No, it just sounds like that. Wait. You can speak Earth languages?”

  “A few. I had time to learn yours while you were travelling. I know the languages of all beings who set foot on this world.”

  “Abix is a colony world?”

  He chuckled. “Yes. We even have a spaceport, but it is on the Bright continent.”

  “Wait, there is a port?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why were we headed here?”

  “You were supposed to be deposited at the colony, and then, the shuttle would be refuelled at the port and returned to the space station.”

  She felt heat against her back, and then, his tongue was tracing the outline of her tattoo. “Um, what are you doing?”

  “Trying to see if it tastes different than the rest of you. It is slightly bitter. I am guessing that is the pigment.”

  She waited until there was a lull in the licking, and she eased away. “Well, my skin is getting all wrinkled, so I am going to call this soak done.”

  He sighed. “That wasn’t what I was hoping. I believe you promised to help me scrub my back.”

  She glanced back at him while she exited. He was leaning back with his arms out, his wings folded neatly behind him. She sighed. “Do you have a cloth?” She splashed back into the round bathing tub and stalked up to him.

  “I will settle for a rub between the wings. I have difficulty reaching that on my own.”

  Nan sighed. “Fine. Turn around.”

  He turned his back to her, and she stepped into the space between his wings. She wet her hands and spread some of the water across his shoulders. She started there and rubbed his back and shoulders, moving down slowly. He grunted and murmured something unintelligible while she reached under the water and continued to rub his skin and the thick muscle beneath. The attachments were strange, but they made sense considering the wings.

  She ran her thumbs up his spine, digging deep as she moved upward, finishing by kneading his shoulders. When Nan realized her breasts were pressed against his back, she straightened and patted his shoulders. “Right. So is that sufficient?”

  He turned slowly, and his eyes were hot. “What do you think?”

  “I think I am going to finish washing my suit and then see if the others that I requested have been finished.” She backed away and got out of the water as if that would help.

  She could feel his gaze following her as she rinsed her suit clear and took the wet fabric with her. Wandering around naked wasn’t really something she did often and never with a male like Varix. The idea that someone could design a species like that and then give them a high sex drive was ludicrous. It was not a comfortable combination if you were a compatible species, even worse if you were compatible on the companion level.

  She heard the khitans getting excited as she rounded the corner and headed into the house. Nan did what women had done since laundry had been invented, she hung her suit up in the bathroom.

  Once the black suit was taken care of, she claimed the other suit, cleaned her feet, and had gotten it to her hips when Varix entered his home. She paused with her arms stuck in the sleeves, and a slight struggle ensued that he watched with interest until she got the suit up onto her shoulders and got it closed. She felt like gasping for air at that moment, but since he was still naked, it didn’t seem like a good idea. She didn’t want him to think she was staring because she was.

  The red colouration that started under his arms ran down the exterior of his legs. The central column of colouring was black. He looked like a sports car, complete with wings. She tried not to stare. Also, there was a stick shift.

  “I can turn around if you would like to continue your assessment.”

  She blushed and looked away. “I am good. Thank you.”

  He shrugged. “I will only make the offer a few dozen more times.”

  Nan laughed. “Thank you for the offer. I have had a lot of new exposures for today.”

  “Good phrase. I will dress and then return to make you lunch.”

  She nodded, and while he was gone, she fixed the seal on her suit. Nan had to admit, the clothing generators were great. Getting anything to fit over her bust had been a challenge for her entire life. Now, she just had to stand for a scan and tweak the requirements for support, and she had a suit that kept her ladies confined and supported.

  She was flicking through her other options at the terminal and didn’t find anything. It was plain bodysuits for her, and she was sure that it was a default setting.

  Varix came down the steps, and he headed for the kitchen. She walked behind him and tried to get an idea of the flavours he was dealing with. Nan darted around and tried to get a feel for the food, and when he seasoned it to taste and nodded, she wondered what was going to be coming out of that pan.

  “Set the table. It is almost ready.”

  She didn’t know what it would be classified as, but she suspected it was some kind of shepherd’s pie.

  Nan set the table, and Varix dished out servings before sitting down. She poured him a glass of water and poured herself a double. If it tasted like it smelled, it wasn’t going to go down easy.

  Twenty minutes later, she finished her third glass of water in an effort to get the taste out of her mouth. Varix was laughing. “I can’t believe you ate it.”

  She looked at him grimly. “I had options?”

  “I could have prepared something else, or you could have tried to cook something.”

  “You said you would cook, Lord Varix. You did. The end result is for me to deal with.”

  He winced. “Ah, I did say that. Well, you are welcome to try and find something for dinner.”

  She
heard a screech, a crash, and then a small fuzzy body was hurtling through the window and landing on her neck. Yes, the new suit was much thinner than the first one.

  The little khitan wrapped its tails around Nan’s neck and curled up on her shoulder, purring. Nan took care of the dishes, and she asked, “If I make food, will you eat it?”

  He nodded. “I will try to.”

  She snorted. When the dishes were done, she took a paring knife. She went into the chiller, tasting different foods in tiny increments, making mental notes, and then, she went through the spice cupboard. After that, she looked for any kind of flour and came up with an idea for dinner that wouldn’t make her hate her tastebuds but would have plenty of flavour.

  Fajitas were about to make their appearance on Abix.

  The afternoon went quickly, and lunch only tried to escape twice. Her little companion was completely content to ride along on her shoulder, and the other khitans rubbed up against her as she walked through the enclosures. She had always gotten along well with felines.

  She got the bones and put them into the reclamation grinder that would turn them into bone meal for gardening.

  At the urging of the khitans, she followed them around the corner and into the huge outdoor enclosure where they had fifty feet of headspace and hundreds of feet to exercise in. The astonishing thing was that they could all fly. She stroked her shoulder buddy, and the creature eventually took flight to show off.

  What had seemed to be grey and black had a muted rainbow that ran across every hair of their fur. All of the khitans were little flying rainbows, dark and light.

  She found a rock and sat watching them, weaving and dipping, their landing and pouncing on the ground. Nan laughed and smiled as the beasts romped around and played as kittens back on Earth did.

  When the sun had crept a little further, she got up and was about to head back to the house when she heard music.

  The khitans landed; they sat with their tails lashing, and eyes closed happily.

  Nan listened and heard the strains of a stringed instrument that had a strangely unfamiliar sound. Her shoulder buddy landed again, and it started to purr in rhythm to the music. “Ah, you like this stuff, huh?”

  The beast opened her wings and looked over toward one of the other buildings that Nan hadn’t seen yet. Well, Varix did say that he had hobbies. Apparently, he was musical. Nan grinned. While she loved music, she couldn’t play a note. She did like to dance, though.

  She stepped, turned, and twisted as she danced along to his performance, heading back to the house. It was time to start dinner. The meat should have been marinated by now, and the wraps should be ready to roll out from the dough ball. Time to get to work.

  Chapter Six

  Varix eyed the rollup of food suspiciously. “You eat this?”

  She leaned into hers and took a bite. It was odd, but the flavours were more familiar to her. Nan chewed and swallowed. She exhaled as the spices did a bit of a burn. “Yes, I eat this.”

  He took a bite and nodded after he swallowed. “So, you like a spice profile. Less bitterness.”

  “Correct. I used to have hot sauces, different spices, there was a constant drive to create the world’s hottest pepper. It was part food, part entertainment, and a bit of sport all mixed in.”

  She continued to eat and asked, “Would you like another?”

  He blinked. “Is there more?”

  “Yes, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

  He handed her his plate.

  Five minutes later, she was sitting with him, and she had gone through half of her seconds. “So, you play an instrument?”

  “I play every stringed instrument that I can get my hands on. I have a collection from two dozen worlds. There were even some items from your world that were on the shuttle. I haven’t had a chance to reclaim them, though.”

  She nodded. “So, that is a task for tomorrow?”

  “If you like. I will carry you, though. The winds are unpredictable in that area.”

  Nan chuckled. “I recall that. Vividly.”

  “So, how did you manage to fly the shuttle?”

  “Pilot Krenon showed me how the controls worked during the flight down. I remembered everything, but he never covered landing in a ship with no controls.”

  Varix’s plate was clean. “So, was he trying to seduce you?”

  She snorted. “A single woman with eighteen children? No. He wanted to get home to his own family.”

  She finished her fajita and nodded.

  “Aren’t you worried about being so far from your charges?”

  Nan sighed. “Yes and no. I am not happy about being so far, but they have legal standing based on their education bond. They will be fed, clothed, and housed. That was all I was trying to do. After I settle in here, I would like to be able to check on them once a week.”

  “Once a large moon’s lunar cycle. Forty-two days.”

  She blinked. “Why so long?”

  “This place isn’t just for them; it is for you as well. You are starting over, and you need time to truly understand that.”

  She nodded. “Got it.”

  “No, you don’t. Not yet. But you will.” He got to his feet. “You cooked; I will do the dishes.”

  She looked at the darkness outside and felt deep fatigue. The little khitan had headed back to the enclosure when Nan was cutting onions.

  “Right, well, I am going to head out. Have a nice night.”

  He chuckled. “You are really going to stay out there?”

  “It is my decision.” She smiled. “Good night.”

  Nan crossed the yard and opened the enclosure, heading for the shed in back and checking out the bedding that she had arranged on the flat pallet where the khitans would normally have slept. She curled up and tried to leave room for them. They curled up around her and started to purr in unison.

  Nan kept her body tight with small warm bodies pressed against her, and she tried to sleep. She was intermittently hot and cold as the creatures left and returned. When one of the larger khitans crawled onto her, straddling her and going limp, she realized that she wasn’t going to get any rest. She settled in and waited for dawn.

  It must have been around three in the morning when she heard soft footsteps, and Varix made a low growling noise that caused the khitans to leave the area. Nan opened her eyes, and Varix picked her up. “You can have your moment of decision another day.”

  She leaned against him as he carried her out and nodded off before they cleared the enclosure.

  She woke up warm, snuggled against Varix. His arm was around her waist and resting between her breasts, and his thighs were pressed against the back of hers. She was still wearing her suit, so that was something.

  The sun was well above dawn, so she jolted, and he pulled her close. “I fed them. Go back to sleep.”

  His breath coasted along the ridge of her ear as he spoke.

  She muttered, “I thought that was my job.”

  “It can be your job later. Right now, I like the feel of you against me.” He chuckled. “You have been scent marked by every khitan in the enclosure, but your own scent comes through wonderfully well.”

  She yawned. “So, you were sniffing me. Nice to know I wasn’t imagining that.”

  He chuckled, and she could feel it through her entire body. He was not dressed. “Scent, taste, these are the easiest ways to find a compatible companion. After that, we go with reaction to our touch and do they produce emissions on the psychic spectrum that we can consume. If they meet those criteria, we can consider them companions.”

  She tensed. “Can you? How lucky for you.”

  He nuzzled her ear with his lips. “It is. So, what hesitations do you have to becoming my lover?”

  She swallowed. Part of her wanted to jump right into it, but part of her was very afraid of being actually hurt.

  “I am a little nervous about your claws
.” She was surprised at herself that it was her primary concern. “I saw them cut through the plexi, and it makes me very nervous regarding certain activities.”

  He paused and leaned up so he could look at her. She turned her head. He looked surprised. “That’s it?”

  She thought about it and what made her nervous, and it was definitely his hands. “Yeah, that’s it.”

  “The claws don’t come out unless I need them.”

  “Oh, I understand that, but understanding something and believing it are completely different.”

  He smiled slightly. “So, if I could demonstrate that we can be lovers without you suffering injury?”

  She licked her lips. “It would be a start.”

  “Do you mind if I start now?”

  She was about to answer when he kissed her, and he opened her suit, sliding his hand into her suit and cupping her breast. His hand felt like velvet wrapped around wood.

  She turned her shoulders, and his hand leisurely moved from right to left breast while his tongue teased her. The taste of him was strange. It wasn’t unpleasant, but she was getting lightheaded, and her heart was pounding faster. It was similar to the early stages of intoxication.

  Nan tilted her head and returned the kiss. When his thumb grazed over her nipple, she moaned, and he shivered against her. He lifted his head from hers, and he whispered, “I want to hear that again.”

  She blushed. The light was bright, and he was looking at her face, neck, and the exposed skin that he was fondling. He bent his head, and his mouth replaced his thumb, and she gave him the vocal response he was looking for.

  Cool air hit her ribs and belly, replaced by heat from his breath as he moved lower.

  He slid his hands into the suit and jerked it past the closure, splitting it and making the front opening part nearly to her butt.

  She got nervous as he got close, and she could feel his exhalation on her slick skin. “Um, Varix?”

  He didn’t look up. His focus was elsewhere. “If I can’t use my fingers, I will use my tongue. Any objections?”

  “A bunch.”

  He smiled. “Objections denied.”

  He applied his mouth to her sex, and she arched and hissed as his tongue flicked at her clit before sliding inside. He got surprisingly deep with every thrust, and she gasped and moaned as her hips started rocking against his mouth. The tension built, and she shook as her lungs locked and her opening gripped him with soft pulses.