Davin's Quest (26 page)

“I can’t believe it.” Callie’s whisper reached Davin’s ears and he tried and failed to suppress a grin. It wasn’t total victory, but it was a definite step forward. Humans would have at least a chance now, to live under better conditions and prove their worth. Alvian society moved in slow increments since emotion had been drained from the people. Slow, deliberation marked almost every decision, unlike the hotheaded—and often disastrous—decisions made by their ancestors.

But they were moving forward, and in a direction that looked hopeful for humanity. That was something.

The Council meeting broke up after that, the level of conversation rising in the chamber as vid commentators repeated the startling revelations of the past hour. Davin, for one, was relieved it was over.

He didn’t want or need this kind of excitement in his everyday life. Political intrigue was not something he enjoyed, though he’d been sucked into it many times since he’d gained the position of Chief Engineer.

All he wanted now was to go home with Callie and Rick, and begin to build a new, happier, more secure life for the three of them. It would take some getting used to, but now that Rick had very publicly proven himself an even more powerful crystallographer than Davin, he hoped things would be better for them all.

There was a calmness to Rick now that hadn’t been there before he wrestled with the crystal. Davin didn’t know quite what to make of it. Perhaps it was only fatigue after using his psychic gifts. Davin wasn’t sure, but he hoped it meant Rick was finally coming to terms with what must be. The three of them had to share their lives in order for them all to be happy. He knew full well that Callie’s happiness dictated his own—and Rick’s too.

Davin was ready to join his new family when Mara 12 caught up with him. Harry stood silently behind her, his expression suitably calm, but his eyes sparkled with triumph.

“You have my compliments, Chief Engineer. I didn’t anticipate these events and the more subtle game you were playing beneath the surface. Congratulations.”

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“You may see it as a game, Mara 12,” Davin said, trying to keep hold of his temper, “but I can assure you, to the humans in my program, their lives and living conditions are a very serious matter, indeed.”

Mara 12 waved away his words. To her, he knew, they meant less than nothing. She simply did not understand the emotion behind such serious circumstances.

“I cede your point, but my admiration of your political prowess stands. I will be more cautious next time we deal together. Your actions may have just cost me a large number of my test subjects. That is not something I welcome, nor was it a possible outcome I had anticipated. If I had known this would happen, I would rethink my willingness to help you.”

“I understand, Mara 12, but I will let you in on a secret. None of this was planned. I had no idea the Council Crystal was so badly damaged. Please remember, I was on the run with no access to news for many days. When you said there were power fluctuations, I expected the normal grid interruptions that would happen should my facility go off-line. I had no idea this crystal had cracked. Everything that happened as a result of Rick’s healing the crystal was serendipitous.”

Mara 12 cocked her head to the side, thinking. “Intriguing,” she finally answered. “No doubt, you consider this good fortune. I, on the other hand, could wish it had never happened. Now that the general populace has some idea of what the Breeds actually are, there will be many questions to answer and I have not yet had sufficient time to come up with definitive answers. I could wish for more time to study them and their effects on Alvian DNA, but will instead, have to speed up my plans.”

Davin wondered if she was talking about the top secret project in which Sinclair had participated. If so, he counted it as yet another blessing on this day of miracles. If more Alvians gained emotion, it could only be for the better as far as he was concerned. Mara 12 would bear close watching from here on out and Davin knew just the man for the job. Davin held Harry’s gaze as Mara 12 turned to go.

“Don’t worry,”
Harry said into his mind.
“I’ll keep a close watch on her experiments. Now that I
know what to look for, it should be easy enough. I’ll be in touch soon.”

Davin wished he could speak freely, but there were too many watching. He nodded to Harry as he turned to go, but Harry surprised them all by stopping to hug his sister. Alvians all over the room perked up in question at his very un-Alvian demonstration.

“Love you, sis.”

“Love you too, big brother.”

Davin heard their whispered words before they parted, though only Rick was close enough to overhear.

Murmurs followed Harry as he turned to go, but he only grinned at the questioning looks thrown his way.

The engineering facility was in chaos when Davin, Callie and Rick returned. A number of problems had arisen that needed Davin’s personal attention.

“I’m sorry.” He pulled Callie in for a quick kiss. “I need to get things back online.”

“I can help,” she was quick to volunteer, but he knew she was worried about Rick. He was still very shaky on his feet after healing the Council Crystal.

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“No, my love. Take care of Rick. He needs you now. Though I do appreciate the offer.” He kissed her again and she went back to Rick, supporting him under one arm as she led him off down the corridor toward the suite of rooms Davin and Callie had shared. Davin had plans to move them all to a larger, more secure suite, but the old set of rooms would do until the larger accommodations could be readied.

With a resigned sigh, he turned to the small platoon of lesser crystallographers, each of whom had a different problem to which only Davin could supply the answer. It would be a long night.

Rick woke to warmth. He was in a luxurious bed and this time, a soft female form was snuggled close.

She was naked, as was he, and Rick knew immediately she was his dream come true. Callie. In his arms.

“Where’s Davin?” he asked around a yawn as he felt Callie stir in his arms.

“Probably still heading off disaster on the grid.”

“Poor guy.” Rick’s tone was obviously unsympathetic in a teasing way. “I guess that means I have you all to myself.”

“Are you feeling better? You were kind of wiped after that magic you did on the Council Crystal.” Her drawn brows communicated her worry for him and he was touched.

“I feel fine, Callie. Good as new. But there is one thing that would make me feel even better.” He stroked her back, ending by cupping her curvy ass.

She smiled up at him. “Oh? Whatever do you mean, Mr. St. John? Tell me and I’ll do my best to see that you get…some.”

“You’ll give me some?” He rolled her onto her back, leaning over her prone form.

“If that’s what you really want,” she teased.

“You know I do, baby. I want some of this.” He made her gasp by sliding one hand between her legs.

Exploring fingers found her slit and pushed deep inside. She was wet and ready for him, as she always seemed to be. “Damn, girl. You must want it bad.”

“I want you bad.” She blinked up at him. “Does that count?”

“Oh, yeah,” he agreed. “In the best possible way. Now spread those legs and show me your pussy. I want to taste it before I come inside you.”

She gasped as he lowered his head, kissing his way down her body. He stopped off at her breasts, taking his time there while she writhed beneath him. He loved how responsive she was to his every touch.

Leaving her nipples hard and wanting, he moved lower, helping her spread her already-wide legs, pushing up and out so she was totally exposed to his gaze. The glistening pink of her made him want to lap at her like a cat, but his eager cock pushed him faster. Rick bent to take her swollen clit between his lips, worrying it with his tongue while she squirmed, almost out of control on the cushy bed.

“Rick!” she moaned as she reached a hard completion, but it wasn’t as high as he would push her. No,
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he’d have her screaming the house down before he let her come the final time and followed her over the edge. This was only the beginning.

Touching her, he could sense when she was nearing another edge and he played with her, letting her come close, only to pull back. He knew the pleasure would be greater for it and he wanted to drive her as high as possible before joining with her. This would be the first time they made love alone, in a bed.

He wanted to do it right and give her an experience she would never forget.

For once, he wasn’t holding back his emotions from her. Exposed by the energy drain of healing the crystal, his empathic sense—weaker than hers, but still present whenever he touched someone—seemed to call out to and connect with hers. There was a communion of sorts as their power meshed and melded, amplified and strengthened each other’s feelings. The passion increased along with the desire and it wasn’t long before Rick was on fire for her, unable to wait any longer.

“Callie, baby, tell me you’re ready for me.” His voice sounded like a plea to his own ears. He cleared his throat, lifting up to look into her eyes as he tried again. “Do you want me now, sweetheart? Do you want me as much as I want you?”

Callie smiled a slow, sexy smile that drove him up another notch. “Can’t you feel it, Rick? You’re burning me alive with your feelings.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I can’t hold them back. Healing the crystal did a number on me.”

Callie raised herself to a sitting position and touched his cheek. She held his gaze with a serious expression. “I love feeling what you feel. I’ve been waiting for this moment, Rick, since the day I met you. Don’t hold your emotions in check from me. Let them wash over me.” Her eyes closed as her head lolled back. He let a wave of passion flow from him experimentally and she shivered. “Can’t you feel what your emotions do to me? It’s like an aphrodisiac and I want more.” Callie raised her head and pulled him in for a long, wet kiss. He began to understand what she meant as her emotions bathed his weaker empathy with desire, passion and a fire unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

“I can’t wait, Callie.”

“I don’t want you to wait, Rick.” She gasped as he positioned her on the bed, spread before him as he knelt between her legs. “Come into me now. Let me feel you filling me.”

Rick guided his cock to the place it most wanted to go, watching every last flutter of her nether lips as he approached. He loved the way she stretched around him, accepting his girth. He pulled back and pushed in once more, going a little deeper.

“Yes!” she cried, spurring him on as a wave of ecstasy broke over him. It was a mixture of his own and Callie’s emotions, driving them both higher. Her warm wetness surrounded him, accepting him, taking his length in a welcoming slide that left him gasping as he seated himself fully within her tight depths. “Oh, Rick, it feels so good.
You
feel so good.”

“I love the way you take me, baby. I love the tight stretch of your body around me. You were made for me.”

“I was.” Her whisper, combined with the waves of empathic passion crashing over them both drove him to move. Rick lowered his torso to rub over hers as he began a driving rhythm that left her gasping. He watched her beautiful eyes glaze with pleasure as he stroked deep and high, reaching for that secret spot
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that would make her come like nothing else. “Rick!” she cried when he found it. He knew then just how to fuck to bring her the most sensation on every stroke.

Callie came three times in succession as Rick congratulated himself on holding off his own orgasm. He wanted this to be special, but his strength was fast running out and when she went over for the fourth time, he went with her, shouting her name as he pulsed deep within her. Dimly, he heard her chanting his name along with her love as they crested and came down slowly on the other side of the most amazing experience he’d ever shared with another being.

“I love you, Rick,” he heard her whisper before unconsciousness claimed her. He didn’t answer aloud, but his heart repeated the words over and over as he followed her into sleep.

Callie woke a few hours later. Rick was still with her, already awake.

“That was beautiful, darlin’,” Rick said, kissing her hair as he snuggled her close at his side.

“Perfect in every way,” she agreed, “except…”

“Yeah, I know. That damned Alvian wasn’t here to watch. The pervert.” Rick’s chuckle reassured her, as did the emotion he now let her feel freely.

“I think you’re getting used to him.”

“That I am. Frightening as that thought is.” Rick scratched his chin, the rasp of his beard stubble making scraping sounds. “He kind of grows on you.”

Callie chuckled and reached to pull him down for a quick kiss that turned into a languorous exploration of his mouth. When she finally came up for air, she noted the worry that had crept into Rick’s expression.

“The thing is,” he spoke without her even having to ask him what was wrong. “I’m not sure if he’s as okay with this proposed arrangement as you seem to think he is. I don’t know. If the shoe was on the other foot…if I—”

“While I appreciate the sentiment, I have to remind you who the stronger empath is here.” Callie cut him off. “Don’t you think I’d know if he wasn’t comfortable with our relationship? Sure, he was hesitant at first, but he’s the one who made a study of resonance mating, and he’s known my parents for a long time. He knew more about what to expect than you did. Let me ask you this—you seem almost resigned to sharing me with him now. What I want to know is, are you? Will you stay with us? Will you be my mate, just like he is?”

Rick looked skeptical, then folded under the pressure of her gaze. “I can’t say no to you, sweetheart.

You should know that by now. I still believe this kind of thing isn’t right for most women, but with you, even the impossible suddenly becomes possible.” He pulled her close, holding her gaze with his own. “I never dreamed I’d be a free man living among Alvians. I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you. And I never believed I could be completely happy ever again.”