Passionate Desire (10 page)

“Most of the time a clone will respond like a real sample from a host. Why didn’t it here? If you’re pregnant why can’t the other egg be fertilized? What I would like to do is get a few more samples and see how you could do what he hasn’t been able to do.”

“No.” Storm’s voice was flat.

“We need answers.” Heather looked up at him.

“There is no way I will allow you to do that type of research anywhere where the information could be stolen. Especially since that man could be close.” He looked down at Heather, anger still etched on his face. “You’ll have to come back to Vespia.”

Kuarto didn’t respond. Going to Vespia wasn’t something he wanted to do.

“Can we get back to the fact of why I don’t look like any of you?” Heather pinched her nose. “I’d like to know the answer to that one.”

“You, my dear, are very rare.” He welcomed the change in subject. “What were you told?”

“I was an orphan raised on Earth. When I mated with Storm I learned my parents were from Vespia and they sent me away to keep me safe.” She was able to step away from Storm for the moment. “I’ve been different all my life.”

“Interesting.” He pulled up two DNA strands on the computer screen. “This is Storm’s and his sister. You can see how alike they are. This is typical for DNA from twins. This is ours.” He pulled up another set.

Heather sighed when she noticed the big differences in them. “But I was told I had a percentage of Vespian blood. Was I lied to?”

“No. You do have some Vespian blood, but there isn’t as much as the rest of us. It looks like that blood was inserted into you. It’s not part of your genetic makeup.” Kuarto studied her readings intently. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“Of course not.” She rubbed her forehead again. “I really hate being such an oddity.”

“Oddity?” Kuarto looked up, realizing he could have handled that a little better. “Sorry. I bet you have had your share of tests and requests for samples because of your uniqueness. I didn’t mean to add to that. I sometimes forget my manners when I find something so fascinating.”

“Most doctors get that way so I’m used to it.” Heather stepped up to his computer and studied the information there. “What is that?”

“This?” He pointed to a marker in her DNA. She nodded. “It shows you were created.”

“Excuse me?” Shock filled her voice.

“You weren’t aware?”

“No.” Heather sighed. “Explain what you mean by created.”

“You were genetically engineered.” He watched as she took in the information.

Heather wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m even a bigger freak than I first thought.”

“My heart, you’re not a freak.” Storm pulled her back into his embrace and glared at Kuarto. “It just shows how special you are.”

She looked up at him, gave him a sad smile, and touched his face with soft fingertips. Kuarto found their interaction fascinating. It was like they knew what the other was thinking.

“Why would they say they were my parents?”

“Because I don’t think anyone knew this.” Kuarto found all of this amazing. He brought up his information and put it next to hers. “Look, if I separate your Vespian DNA and put it next to mine, what do you see?”

“They look almost identical.” There was a hopeful sound to her voice.

“Exactly. Just like twins should. It proves we came from the same parents.” He merged her DNA back together. “You just have a whole lot more of what ever blood this is than the rest of us.”

“How could we come from the same parents if I was genetically engineered?”

“That’s the question I need to answer, isn’t it.”

“How could any of this be possible and nobody knew this was being done?” Storm still had his arms wrapped around Heather protectively.

“I know, the mighty Vespian race was manipulated and they didn’t even know it. This is going to take some time to unravel but I will find out what happened.” He received another glare for his comment. “What I’d like to do is get back to the reason he has one of your eggs.”

“I don’t know. I was kidnapped several months ago by him and he tried to manipulate my mind into believing I never mated with Storm.”

“Heather.”

“Storm, he needs to know this.” She turned in his arms so she could place her hand on his heart. “He took me right after we found out I was suddenly fertile. Up to that point I was sterile. In the end, he said I was not what he wanted, but it was our child.”

“Then why did he take the empty egg instead of your embryo?”

“Because I misdirected his computer. I seem to have a talent with my mind and was able to make him think he had gotten what he wanted. I knew it wouldn’t take him long to figure out he had been tricked, but luckily I was rescued before he could try again.”

“Then I was right, he wants to fertilize this egg.” That explained their behavior around each other too. Their minds were connected in some way.

“Why?”

“That is a really good question.”

Chapter 5

Storm watched his mate interact with her brother and found he was jealous of the attention she gave him. He never had to share her attention before, and he didn’t like it.

“It’s her brother.” His sister leaned close, her voice soft.

“I know, doesn’t make it any better.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Spoiled much?” She looked up at him.

“Go away, pain.”

An alarm went off. Storm’s first thought was to protect his mate.

“We’re about to have company,” said Kuarto. “You two need to make yourselves scarce until I figure out a way to explain you.”

Storm nodded and led Heather out the back door. He kept out of sight, but did peek so he could see who was coming. His blood went cold when he recognized the man as the love interest in Heather’s fantasy. So Ialog hadn’t disguised himself when he tried to make his mate think her life with Storm was a coma induced dream. He tightened his hold on her.

Heather tapped him on the arm. “Can I breathe?” she whispered.

He relaxed his hold on her, but made sure she couldn’t be spotted by shielding her with his body.

“I’m surprised to see you,” said Kuarto. Storm could hear a chair scrape against the floor. Kuarto probably stood up.

“Yes, well. That was an unfortunate accident.” There was a pause, making Storm wish he could see what was going on easily. He would peek when he felt it was safe.

“Unfortunate.” Kuarto’s voice held a flat note. “It is fortunate that I don’t put a hole through you for what you did.”

“What did I do?” He could hear the feigned surprised in Ialog’s voice.

“So are you saying you didn’t tell Guapo to take care of my bride? Which made him try to kill her last night?”

Bride? Storm looked down at the surprised face of his mate. He didn’t remember his sister mentioning anything about being the man’s bride.

“Like I said, an unfortunate accident, but I have made sure Guapo will not cause you any more trouble.” There was a pause in the conversation. “I hope no one was harmed.”

“I’d like you to get off my property now.”

“Doctor, I need your help. No one else can do what you can.”

“It can’t be done. That egg is sterile. I read the research and know you have cloned it, but the clone can’t be fertilized and if you have already tried to fertilize the real one before you started working with clones you’ve destroyed whatever chances I might have had.”

“I never touched the real egg. I was very careful with it because it is a one of a kind and I don’t think I could replace it.”

Storm would make sure he never got his hands on his mate or anything of theirs again. If he had gotten his way the first time it would have never happened.

“Good luck finding someone to help you.”

Storm could hear more movement.

“Doctor, I could make it worth your while.”

“Doubt it.”

Storm wished he could see into the room, so he knew what they were doing, but he was afraid he’d be spotted if he tried.

“Please think about it. I would welcome you and your bride with open arms.”

“Let me put it this way. Don’t hold your breath. After the stunt you just pulled, you’re lucky I haven’t just shot you then asked questions.”

Storm felt something sweep over him just before Heather slumped in his arms.

“Anyone else here, Doctor?”

Did Ialog feel that weird pulse as well? To be on the safe side, Storm moved away from where he had been standing, cradling Heather against him.

“Why? You planning on making sure there’s no witnesses so you can finish the job Guapo couldn’t?”

Storm tried to focus on what they were saying, but he was worried about Heather. She lay lifeless in his arms. What just happened?

****

Kuarto felt a strange shift in the air around him just as the man asked if there was anyone else around. He didn’t need the man snooping around. “You know, I don’t even know your name if I wanted to get back in touch with you.” Anything to get his attention off of looking for other people, afraid he’d find Storm and Heather.

“The name is Ialog. But I’m learning a lot find my name hard to pronounce so most people have been calling me Al.”

“Okay, Al. If you want me to even think about doing this for you then I recommend you leave now. The longer you stay the quicker I will say no.”

“Then I’ll look forward to hearing from you.” He smiled like Kuarto had already said yes.

“And how will I find you if I want to.”

“If you start looking for me I’ll know it.”

****

The moment Storm felt it safe he came in with Heather in his arms. He looked like a frightened child. “Help her.”

Kuarto pointed to his bed while he grabbed his scanner. “I felt something. I think we all did. Is that when she lost consciousness?”

“Yes. She just went limp in my arms.”

He sat on the bed and checked her vitals. “She’s fine. Just in a deep place in her head. Not sure what happened yet, but it won’t take me too long to figure out.” He stood to grab another piece of equipment and found Storm in his way. “I know you’re worried about your mate but I can’t do my job if you keep blocking my movements.”

Toki grabbed Storm’s arm and pulled him aside. “Let him do his job. He’s very good at it.”

Kuarto lifted Heather’s lids to find her eyes rolled back in her head. What was going on inside? He checked a few other things before he noticed a change in the readings. Wherever she was she was coming back from. He waited for her to regain consciousness.

Heather’s eyes fluttered open to find everyone staring at her.

“Hello?” She looked at the three faces watching her. “Why is everyone staring at me like I’m some sort of freak again?” She sat up on her elbows. “What did I do now?”

Storm crowded past Kuarto to be next to her. He touched her face. “You didn’t do anything more than scare me to death. You passed out in my arms and I have no clue what caused it.”

“Great.” She looked at her brother this time. “I have this ability to just draw the oddity to myself. Do you know what happened?

“Sorry, but none of us do. There was an event. I can’t think of any other way to describe it. I felt it here.” He touched his head. “Storm was outside with you. When he came in you were unconscious.”

“Storm?” She looked at him. “What did you see?”

“You were in front of me so I couldn’t see your face. I was listening to the conversation your brother was having with Al. I wasn’t focusing on you. You went boneless in my arms.”

“What do you remember?” asked Kuarto.

“You trying to squeeze the air out of me.” She looked at Storm. “Then all of you staring at me.”

“Nothing in between?”

“No.”

“The children?”

“They’re fine.” She placed her hand on her stomach and smiled.

Toki took Kuarto’s spot on the bed and spoke softly to her so Storm could talk to him.

“What happened to her?” Storm was quiet in his words, but Kuarto knew he wasn’t happy with what he had heard so far.

“I have no answer.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You want to take my head off because I have no answer?”

He was gifted with another glare from Heather’s mate.

“Storm.” All she had to do was say his name and she pulled his attention from Kuarto. He went to her side in an instant. “Was it him?”

“Yes.” He knew what she was talking about without her having to mention Al’s name. “Do you not remember anything about him?”

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I try but he always seems to be looking away from me.” She tried to stand and found her balance off. “Whoa!”

“Hey.” Kuarto was at her side in seconds. Using his scanner, he checked her vitals. Why was her equilibrium off? “I didn’t give you permission to get up yet. I’m still running tests.”

“We’re going to have to work on your bedside manner.” Heather took Storm’s hand and stood. This time she didn’t lose her balance. “Wow, that’s a little strange.” Her eyes glazed over and she fell back onto the bed.

Kuarto grabbed another piece of equipment, shouldered Storm out of the way, and placed it on her forehead. It beeped when a large spike of energy raced through her mind.

“Doctor?”

“Give me a minute.” He checked to see what the energy spike was.

“I want to know what is going on now!”

Kuarto stood and faced Storm, who was inches away from him. He could dish out the same type of treatment Storm was giving. “Just because you’re my sister’s mate doesn’t mean I have to like you. Right now you’re getting in the way of me trying to treat her. If you keep that up I will ban you from this house.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Gentlemen,” Heather’s voice came out soft and slightly strained. “While I’m flattered you’re fighting over me, can we stop with the male posturing for the moment? Kuarto, he’s used to having people jump when he uses that tone so please forgive him. Storm, perhaps it would help him if you gave him my medical history. I know you always carry the chip with you. It would explain a lot.”

Storm glared at him before turning over the chip she spoke about.