“What?”Charlie stared at him. “So in order to survive after drinking that third drinkshe has to let him…”

“Havesex with her and fill her with his seed. Yes.” Stav nodded gravely. “Otherwiseshe will suffer an excruciating death.”

“That’shorrible!” Charlie ran a hand throughher hair distractedly. “That poor girl! So now she had to let Two…Ugh!” Sheshivered. “You know, I never thought he was the type to do anything like this.Anything sexual I mean. Horrible andmurderous and disgusting, yes but sexual…not so much.”

“Hedidn’t do it for himself—he drugged her for the creature he was working for,”Stav said. “A Lud’om, I think. At least, he looked like one.”

“What’sa Lud’om? No, never mind.” Charlie raised her hand to stop him answering.“First tell me if that poor girl is all right.”

“Ithink she is.” Stav frowned. “Anothermale came in and stopped her from drinking too much of the drugged wine. Sheonly took the first sip.”

“ThankGod!” Charlie nearly sagged with relief—she really felt for this unknown girl,whoever she was. “But…what will the first sip do to her? Will it hurt her?”

“She’llhave some side effects but nothing that will kill her,” Stav assured her.

“Sowho saved her? Another Lud…Ludo…whatever it was?”

“No…helooked like a Kindred. But he spoke to Two of his home world on Xander Prime.So he must be Havoc.”

“Really?Havoc?” Charlie was intrigued. When she and Stav had gone undercover at thecouple’s resort, J’lorgon’s Mind, he had pretended to be a Havoc because theywere genetic cousins to the Kindred. As far as she knew, the two kinds of maleswere almost exactly alike in every way except the Havoc didn’t call brides likethe Kindred or bond with them. Though of course, for the purpose of theircover, they had pretended that Stav was one of the rare few who had, in fact,found a bride. Charlie, of course, had been that bride—a deception that hadbecome a reality once they fell in love.

“TheHavoc seemed to be taking care of the girl fairly well.” Stav frowned. “But Twodistracted him long enough for others to interfere. The last I saw, the two ofthem were surrounded.”

“Oh,no!” Charlie put a hand to her mouth. “Do you think they’ll be okay? Can wehelp them?”

“Idon’t see how.” Stav shook his head. “Even if we could fold space to theirexact spot, I have a feeling the fight is already over.” He sighed. “At leastthe Havoc male seemed to know what he was doing. And I could tell he wouldprotect the female with his own life if necessary.”

“Justlike a Kindred would,” Charlie murmured. Though she had once considered thealien race her enemies, Stavros had changed her mind with his love and devotionas well as his willingness to sacrifice himself for others. He was trulynoble—and that wasn’t a word she could apply to hardly anyone else she knew.

“Justlike a Kindred,” her lover agreed, smiling a little. “We love our females todistraction and we would die to keep them safe.”

“Iknow you would, sweetheart.” Charlie stroked his hair again and leaned down togive him a lingering kiss. “So…they were a couple, then?”

Hefrowned. “I don’t think so. Two said something else to him at the end…somethingabout him being protective of her even though she didn’t allow him to penetrateher. Very strange.”

“Well,aren’t there some cultures that don’t allowthat?” Charlie asked. Her new friend Kat and several of the other Kindred wiveshad told her tales of Yonnie Six, the planet where the females were superiorand the males were all sex slaves.

Stavnodded. “That’s true. But until he said that, I assumed the girl was from Earthsomehow. Now it’s clear she can’t be.”

“Whywould you assume that?” Charlie asked.

“Shehas the same brown skin tones that Lauren and Becca have,” he explained. “It’slovely but I thought it was only found on Earth.”

“Hmmm,I don’t know.” Charlie frowned. “Well, whoever she is and wherever she’s from,I hope she’s okay. Although I think it’s kind of sad that he loves her enoughto risk his life for her and she won’t let him…you know.”

“Penetrateher?” Stav raised an eyebrow at her and bared his double set of fangsmeaningfully. As a Blood Kindred, he looked a little like a vampire and like avampire, he loved to bite. But the Blood Kindred didn’t really drink blood—theybit to inject their essence—the pale blue liquid secreted by their fangs. Theessence helped bind their mates to them and it could also facilitate healing ifa Blood Kindred’s bride was ill.

Italso caused multiple orgasms, as Charlie knew from delicious experience.

Suddenlyshe felt the need to have Stavros in her—to feel both his fangs and his shaftdeep inside her, filling her with himself in every possible way. But she felt alittle awkward about asking. After all, he’d just endured a weird mentalconnection with the Dark Kindred who had almost killed him. It seemed like heneeded comfort right now…not sex.

Sheshifted uncertainly and felt the sharp stab of a muscle cramp in her innerthigh.

“Ow!”she gasped, stepping back from Stav. “Damn it, that hurts!”

“What?What’s wrong?” Stavros was instantly worried. He had spent most of his lifefeeling the pain of others and though being freed from that curse was ablessing for the most part, it still seemed to bother him when he couldn’t tellexactly what was wrong with Charlie the minute anything hurt her.

“Oh,just my thigh.” She sighed and started to stretch it out. “I tried some newmachine at the Exercise Arena today.” Which was what the Kindred called theiron-ship gyms. “Must have pulled something because it hurts like H E doublehockey sticks when I move a certain way.”

“Ithurts like what?” Stav looked more concerned than ever. “I have seen the Earthsport Hockey. Does it feel like someone is beating you with those curvingsticks they use?”

“No.”Charlie had to keep herself from laughing. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s anice way to say it hurts like hell—that’s all. It’s bound to get better after Istretch it out some.” She moved her leg again experimentally and winced. “Butfor now it’s still sore.”

“Letme see,” Stavros said, motioning for her to sit on the bed beside him.

“Why?”There’s nothing to see—I pulled a muscle, that’s all.”

“Letme see anyway.” He frowned. “Remember, I have some training as a medic. What ifit’s more serious than you know? It’s better that I examine you.”

“Well…allright.” Charlie shrugged. “But I’m telling you, there’s nothing to see.”

Despitefeeling like it was no big deal, she couldn’t help the way her heart sped upwhen she settled on the bed and lifted the hem of her deep red nighty to lethim look. The color was almost burgundy and it looked good with her blonde hairand pale skin. It also had a small pair of silky burgundy panties to go withit.

“Hmm…”Stav slipped off the bed and knelt before her, insinuating his broad shoulderright between her thighs. It reminded Charlie of the way he liked to taste herand she could feel herself getting hot and bothered at the thought.

Comfort, he needs comfort right now, shereminded herself. But when he ran his big, warm hands up and down her barethighs, she had to bite her lip. God, that felt amazing. And when he leaned forward to get a closer look at herthigh, she could feel his hot breath blowing over the crotch of her panties,making her pussy feel wet and swollen.

Thenhis big fingers brushed over the tender spot in her thigh and she gasped.

“Hurtshere?” He looked up at her questioningly.

Charlienodded. “That…that’s the spot,” she said rather breathlessly. “But I’ve triedmassaging it and stretching it already—I think it’ll just have to wear itselfout.”

“OrI could bite you,” Stav murmured, stroking the sore spot on her thigh. “I knowyou’re tender, Falinda, so Ipromise I’ll be careful. You’ll barely feel it as I slide my fangs into yourflesh.”