“Wow, it’s pretty dark in here,” Molly remarked, then she laughed delightedly. “Listen to me—complaining about the darkness when darkness is all I’ve seen for the past twenty years!”
“How much can you see?” Braxx asked, stepping into the dark hut behind her. It was furnished only with a few grass mats for sleeping or sitting on and a clay jug filled with drinking water. The Tal’ossi weren’t much for material possessions.
Molly frowned, the tear-shaped diamond between her eyes glowing like a dim star in the darkness. “In here? Not a whole lot. But probably more than most people could.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“Well, this new sight from the crystal the Wise One gave me seems to work as a kind of heat vision,” Molly explained. “So anything emitting any heat sort of glows. And I guess the hotter it is, the more it glows. I noticed that the plants are very dim but people are bright.” She turned to Braxx. “What about you? Can you see anything in here?”
“I can see quite easily in the dark,” Braxx informed her. “Kindred have excellent night vision.”
“Lucky you. I’m just glad to have any vision at all. God…” She hugged herself, her arms crossed tightly over her full breasts. “I keep thinking I’ll wake up and this will be a dream. I have that dream so often you know—that I can see again. I think because I lost my sight when I was almost an adult and the habit of seeing was so ingrained.”
“It’s no dream,” Braxx assured her. He cleared his throat. “And neither was what happened between us during the feast.”
“Oh, um…” Even in the dim hut he could see her cheeks growing pink. “I…I thought we said that was necessary.”
“It was.” Braxx gave a growling sigh of frustration. “Forget I said it. I don’t know why I brought it up.”
He did know, though. It was because he was aching to finish what he’d started—almost desperate to claim her completely and make her his own. But he couldn’t do that. Couldn’t take what she wasn’t willing to give.
“I know why you brought it up,” Molly said, surprising him. “It’s because we have this…this attraction between us.”
“The attraction we agreed we wouldn’t act on,” Braxx said in a low voice. “Right.”
“And then we went and acted on it—acted on it to the extreme. Listen, Braxx, I want you to know I don’t…don’t have a lot of casual sex. In fact, I never do.”
“I do not have casual encounters either,” Braxx informed her. “What happened between us at the feast, while necessary, was not casual for me.”
“For me either,” Molly whispered. “But Braxx, we can’t…I mean, not while I’m doing a field study. I just—”
“I understand,” he cut her off hastily. “We will…forget it ever happened.
“I don’t think I could forget even if I wanted to—which I don’t.” Molly winced. “You’re really, uh, big—you know that?”
“Are you hurt?” Braxx asked anxiously. “Did our encounter wound you?”
“No, it just, uh, left me a little sore. That’s all.” She winced and shifted again. “I can’t imagine how I’d be feeling if…”She broke off for a moment, nibbling her bottom lip while he looked at her expectantly.
“If what?” he asked at last.
“If…if your, uh, mating fist had slipped all the way…” She cleared her throat. “All the way inside me.”
“Actually, you would be feeling much less sore than you probably are now,” Braxx answered. “Because we had only a partial claiming the chemicals in my precum and come were not able to work on you completely. Ideally I would be able to come inside you at least once if not several times before my mating fist slipped all the way inside you.”
“What? How is that possible?” Molly demanded, and he could see she was blushing again. “I mean, wouldn’t you, uh, go limp?”
Braxx shook his head. “Kindred males are multi-orgasmic. We are able to stay hard for as long as it takes to pleasure and bond with our female.”
“Wow…so I’m guessing a, uh, complete claiming would last a long time then?”
“A complete claiming—what we call bonding sex—can last for hours sometimes.” Braxx could hear the deep, sexual growl creeping into his voice but he couldn’t seem to stop it. “Hours of the two of us, locked together while I filled your sweet pussy with my cock and my come, claiming you as my own, bonding you to me completely…”
“Yup—I get the idea.” Molly cleared her throat, sounding embarrassed. “That’s, uh, definitely food for thought.”
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Braxx said and he was—he was sorry because he’d made both of them uncomfortable. Why couldn’t he stop talking about it? Stop thinking about it?
Because my body won’t let me—it wants to finish the job. Wants to claim her completely.
But Molly didn’t want to be claimed by him—he was only making her miserable with his unwanted desires.
Desperate to change the subject, he asked, “So tell me, you said everything that emits heat, emits light with your new vision—correct? Is it all one uniform glow or are there patches of light and dark on the same object?”
“There are definite patches,” Molly answered quickly, obviously as eager as he was to change the subject. “The plants outside show up as kind of dim purple and blue glows, whereas you’re mostly golden, here…” She reached up to touch his chest. “And here and here…” Her small, soft hand traveled over his shoulders and neck, making Braxx want her desperately. “Basically everywhere except your face.”
“Oh?” His desire suddenly froze within him. “What about my face?”
“Well, your eyes and nose and mouth are more red than gold. Maybe because more blood flow equals more heat? Anyway, your right cheek is more red too.” She frowned. “But your left cheek is all dark blue for some reason.”
Her hand hovered delicately over his scars but before she could touch him, Braxx grabbed her wrist.
“Braxx?” She looked up at him uncertainly. “I’m sorry—did I do something wrong?”
“Don’t touch me.” The words came out before he could stop them and he saw her shrink away from his harsh tone.
“All right, I won’t. But could you let go of my wrist? You’re…hurting me.”
He realized he’d been squeezing her small wrist so hard he could feel the delicate bones grinding against each other. Abruptly ashamed, he released her at once.
Molly took a step back, rubbing her hurt wrist.
“I’m sorry,” Braxx said awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to…” He tried to think of an explanation for why he hadn’t let her touch his scarred cheek. “I just think if you want to…keep things professional you shouldn’t…shouldn’t touch me like that…”
“I was touching your cheek—not grabbing your cock,” she pointed out and then blushed again at her own rude language. “I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Molly—”
“Look, let’s forget it, okay. Just forget all of it.”
Braxx couldn’t be sure, but he thought she looked like she might cry. Seeing that pain on her face and knowing that he had put it there made him hate himself.
“Molly,” he began again but she shook her head, keeping her chin high, refusing to let the tears he saw glimmering in her eyes fall.
“Is there anyplace to, uh, wash off in the village? I’m all sticky.”
She’s sticky because of me—because we made love and I released all over her belly, instead of deep inside her. And now she wants to wash it off—to wash me off.
Well, could he blame her for wanting to get rid of all traces of their ill-fated encounter?
Braxx thought not.
“There’s a spring on the western perimeter of the village—just a few steps from here,” he said dully. “But you shouldn’t go alone.”
“Why not? I’m not blind anymore, remember?” she shot back. “I can get around by myself now, just fine. I don’t need you to show me the way.”
“Molly—”
“Please, I want to go alone. I just…I need time to think.”
“All right.” He sighed. “Be careful.”
Without answering, Molly turned and left, leaving him alone in the small grass hut, hating himself more than ever.
* * * * *
“Don’t touch me!” The big Kindred’s words rang in her head as Molly stumbled out of the hut, her new vision blurred with tears.
What was wrong with her, touching him in the first place? Liking him? Wanting him again even though they’d just had what was hands-down the best sex she’d ever experienced? She ought to be satisfied but for some reason, her body cried out for more…which was probably why she’d started touching him again in the hut.
Should have kept my hands to myself. But I didn’t think he’d shout at me about it! Was he angry I didn’t let him come in me? But I couldn’t—I barely know him! And we’ve already gone way further than we should. What’s wrong with me, acting so unprofessional and then crying over it when he pushed me away?
Berating herself for being an emotional idiot, she swiped at her eyes and straightened up, looking for the stream Braxx had said was near. She couldn’t see it anywhere—seeing at all still felt strange and wonderful but somewhat disorienting.
From long habit, she closed her eyes and listened, relying on her ears instead of her eyes. After a moment, she heard it—a low gurgling sound somewhere near.
Keeping her eyes closed, Molly felt her way forward, keeping herself oriented by listening. At last, her toes felt something wet and cold and she opened her eyes again and found herself on the banks of a small, fast flowing stream.
No one was around so she took a chance and slipped off her negus—both the top and the bottom. She placed her hand-held recorder carefully on top of the grass garments and waded in.
The Tal’ossi night was hot and humid—almost as sticky as her own native Florida—so the cool water felt good. Molly sighed and waded deeper, feeling the muscular push of the current pressing against first her thighs, then her sex, then her chest.
She’d always been a strong swimmer and had refused to let her blindness keep her from her favorite outdoor activity. At the YMCA back home, she could request that a lane be set up so she could swim laps without fear of bumping into anyone.
I won’t need to do that anymore, she reminded herself. If this crystal really will last like the Wise One promised, I’ll be able to see where I’m going from now on. I won’t need a special lane or a cane or the voiceover feature on my phone and computer or my brail keyboard or…
But the list was too long to name. Her whole life would be different now. She wasn’t sure if this new vision was good enough to drive with—probably not—but just being able to take public transportation and see where she was going was going to be amazing.
Somehow, though, Molly couldn’t feel quite as happy as she had earlier.
It’s because I’m still thinking about Braxx, she thought, and knew it was true. I need to get this out before it makes me completely miserable.
Molly kept a recorded diary—something she’d stared on the advice of her therapist when she was newly blind and had continued, even after she had come to terms with her blindness. Talking about her troubles—even if it was only to a recorder—really helped and she felt the need to write an entry now.
Feeling clean and refreshed on the outside but still troubled within, she came out of the water. She didn’t have a towel, so she pushed the water off her skin with her hands as well as she could and then put both negus back on. The long grass strands clung to her damp skin but Molly thought that if she sat on the mossy side of the stream for a little while, she would probably dry off.
She settled herself with a sigh and picked up the small hand-held recorder. She didn’t bother to loop the strap over her wrist this time, though. She just pushed the button, mentioned the date, and began recording.
“Private entry—I’ve done a potentially very stupid thing and I’m not very happy about it,” she began. “I had sex with Commander Braxx, the Kindred scout who found Tal’os Trenta and who subsequently agreed to come with me to help on this field mission since Denise couldn’t come.”
She stopped for a moment, an unexpected wave of homesickness coming over her. She didn’t usually mind being away from her apartment but it had been a long, long time since she’d done field work without her best friend and assistant.
I hope she’s all right! I hope Scott pulled through.
Molly felt a stab of guilt. I’ve been so excited getting to know a new planet and then getting some vision back I haven’t even thought of her. What if she needs me? What if Scott isn’t okay?
She could feel herself going into a guilt spiral and had to pull herself firmly back from the edge.
All right—what had happened to Denise’s fiancée wasn’t her fault—it was just really bad timing. And Molly couldn’t miss a once in a lifetime opportunity—Denise hadn’t wanted her to. In fact, she had urged Molly to go to Tal’os Trenta and she did have her mother and sisters for moral support so it wasn’t like Molly had left her all alone.
She’ll be fine, Molly told herself. I’m probably missing her way more than she’s missing me right about now.
The thought calmed her somewhat, although she still felt a bit homesick.
“I’m feeling homesick,” she said, recording the emotion as it came to her, just as her therapist had taught her so many years ago. “I miss Denise and I think I may have really screwed myself here—allowing myself to be, uh, intimate with Braxx.”
“So you regret allowing the off-worlder to pledge to you, do you?”
The deep male voice surprised her so much, Molly dropped the hand-held recorder with a little squeak.
“What…who…” she gasped, looking around wildly.
“It is Drogor—your future mate.” He stepped forward, a huge gold and crimson glowing shape coming up from behind her. Well that answered the question about why she hadn’t seen him coming. He’d been hiding back there for who knew how long watching her and listening to her.
The thought made Molly’s blood run cold.
“I…I thought you were gone,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm and ignoring the ‘future mate’ statement. “Thought you’d left the village, Drogor.”
“I did leave—the smell of that off-worlder Bastard pledging to you, ruining your sweet scent with his own—sickened me.” He spat on the ground, as though to show his disgust. Then he inhaled deeply. “But I don’t smell his scent on you anymore.”
“Only because I took a bath, er, a dip in the stream,” Molly said hastily.
“No.” He shook his head. “No, if he had truly claimed you, his scent would not have washed off so easily. He didn’t, did he? Though he pledged to you, he has yet to claim you completely.”
“I don’t…I mean…”
Molly wasn’t sure what to say. She still felt caught off guard and more than a little uneasy to find herself alone with the huge Deep Dweller. He was every bit as big as Braxx was and he loomed in her new field of vision like a glowing god…or maybe a monster.
“Drogor—” she began but he cut her off.
“Say nothing, Molly from the Stars. For surely this is a sign. I came here wanting only a drink of water before I made my way back to the Depths and instead, I find you here—your body cleansed and your lovely scent washed clean of the off-worlder’s stink.”
“I don’t know what sign you think it is,” Molly began. “But I’m not—”
But before she could finish saying, “I’m not interested in you,” Drogor scooped her up under one arm as one might pick up a small child.
“Hey…hey!” Molly exclaimed, struggling in his grip. “Stop this! Put me down right now!”
“You will be mine, Molly from the Stars,” he declared, taking a firmer grip on her as she tried to wriggle free. “The fates have decreed it will be so.”
“No they haven’t and no I won’t! Let me go! Hel—”
Before she could get the rest of the scream out, his big palm slapped over her face, covering her mouth and part of her nose so that Molly could hardly breathe.
She wiggled and fish-tailed wildly but it didn’t seem to matter to Drogor. He only tucked her more firmly into his big, sweaty armpit and took off at a dead run, despite her wild gyrations.
Oh God, Molly thought desperately as she jounced along under his arm. This is crazy! I can’t believe I’m being kidnapped by one of the natives! I have to get out of here—get away!
But there was no getting out of Drogor’s iron grip. And soon the lack of oxygen made her stop trying. He had all but one nostril covered and her heart was pounding a frantic rhythm, begging her to take in more air, not less. Soon she began to feel dizzy and faint.
No, she thought desperately as they jounced along through the forest, the only sounds the surprisingly soft footfalls of the big Deep Dweller. No, can’t faint…who knows where I’ll wake up?
And then everything was darkness as her new vision flickered and she felt herself go limp.