Authors: Tracy St. John
Tears spilled from Katherine’s eyes. Her mouth opened and a scream unfurled, pealing long and tormented. “Miiiiiv!”
“Yes, my Matara. Come for me.”
His finger tapped the exposed and straining tip of her clitoris. Keyed up to the breaking point, Katherine finally detonated, her whole being flying outward like a bursting star. Each discharge fed into another ignition. She seemed to be the epicenter of the start of creation itself, a churning, heaving expulsion, blasting the components of existence far and wide.
The return from this latest elation took longer than the ones before. By the time Katherine saw the three pairs of purple eyes hovering over her, Miv’s gasps were beginning to taper off. She had not been present in mind for his rapture. She could only see the relaxed fulfillment in his face and the gratitude.
Simdow smiled to see her blinking as reality reasserted itself. He asked, “Are you all right, my Matara?”
Katherine knew how impossibly naive she sounded, but she spoke from the heart anyway. “Now I know my decision was right. That was glorious.”
The three faces around her erupted in broad smiles. They didn’t find her innocence laughable; the expressions were those of delight.
For herself, Katherine didn’t know which emotion was stronger: astonishment over the discovery of sex or joyful fulfillment.
As the clan readied to leave their quarters for the final time, Katherine suddenly had an uncomfortable thought.
She asked, “Simdow? Will there be others on the shuttle? Other nuns?”
“I believe so. Clan Tranis and another will be on board this last craft.” He eyed her, and a shadow passed over his eyes. “You’re worried about how they will react to you, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “I feel like what we did is obvious. It’s like I’m totally different now. How can they not notice?”
Vadef stroked her hair comfortingly. “Perhaps another bite will relax you. It might make you not care so much.”
Katherine considered the idea. The thought of facing any of her fellow nuns or the aspirants that had been taken prisoner made her nervous. She feared their condemnation. More than that, she feared they would think she condemned them, as Mary so obviously had in the dining room.
She nodded her agreement to the plan. With a gentle smile, Vadef gathered her in his arms and nuzzled the side of her throat. She winced in preparation for his bite. It turned out not to be so bad since she knew the pain lasted only an instant. As euphoria dragged her worries away, she sighed contentedly.
Vadef withdrew his fangs, and Katherine smiled to see her three husbands surrounding her, watching her, making sure she was all right. They were so magnificent. She wondered if any of them understood how beautiful they were.
Simdow returned her smile. “Better?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She reached to him and ran her fingertips over his chest.
The men chuckled at her turn of mood. Miv said, “The bite does have that lovely side effect.”
Simdow grabbed Katherine’s hand and pressed her palm to his lips. “Yes, but we must go now. Come along, my Matara.”
“Okay.” Her hand was warm where he’d kissed it, the lovely feeling seeming to sizzle up her arm. She gave the bed a longing look as he tugged her out of the room.
Katherine walked with the men down dim corridors. At one point she remembered Vadef’s upset at leaving the ship, and she gazed at him to see how he was taking the departure. His expression was serene as he guided two of the small hovering containers that held the clan’s belongings. She thought maybe the sex had helped him say goodbye.
Making love might be a good way to hello to their new ship. The idea made Katherine feel glowy inside. She snickered to herself at her brazen turn, knowing the venom in her system had much to do with it. She saw the men look at her in response to the sound of her laughter. They glanced at one another with obvious amusement.
The spyship was rather small, and it didn’t take long before they entered the shuttle bay. One tiny craft like the one that had brought her from Europa waited in the silvery space that might have held two dozen such vehicles. The oblong shuttle sitting on its thin struts looked lonely in all that empty expanse.
Another group of Kalquorians with a woman wearing the white habit of an aspirant had already entered the bay. They marched in a tight knot, having gotten halfway across the bay on their way to the shuttle. They must have heard Simdow’s clan come in because they stopped and turned towards them. Katherine recognized red-haired Tina and her three husbands waiting for them to catch up.
Tina had her own pair of puncture wounds on the side of her neck. She met Katherine’s gaze without a hint of shame. Her expression was an odd mixture of pouty defiance and amusement.
As they drew near her clan, the former aspirant said, “So you were clanned too.”
Katherine nodded. “Yes, I was.”
With a definite note of challenge, Tina said, “Well, I’m glad it happened. I’m glad and I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks about it.”
Katherine shrugged. “It’s not anyone else’s place to judge. If you’re happy, then that’s good enough for me.”
Tina’s eyes widened. “But what about God’s judgment, Sister? The Church taught we’re condemned for such actions. You always said he was forgiving and would love us no matter what. Which is it?”
“My mind hasn’t changed a bit on that. We’ve been good girls for a long time. Maybe this is our reward.”
Katherine looked at her clan. Simdow, Miv, and Vadef grinned at her. She glanced at the men who Tina had ended up with to see the same exchange of smiles happening between them.
She and Tina met gazes once more. They broke out in simultaneous laughter.
With the tension between the two women evaporated, the two clans boarded the shuttle. Katherine was aware of another clan with a young woman sitting at the front of the vessel, but another sight caught and held her attention. Amazed, she stared at the elderly Earther man sitting at the back of the shuttle.
He looked vaguely familiar to her but her shock kept her from immediately figuring out who he was. Her startled reaction had little to do with the venom in her system. The bald, stern-visaged man was surrounded by armed and scary-looking Kalquorians. The Earther was stark naked.
Katherine and Tina looked at each other. Laughter, feeling like effervescent bubbles in the nun’s stomach, simmered upward and escaped in giggles. She couldn’t help it. A naked Earther male was on the shuttle, and the sight struck her as so shockingly ludicrous that she had to laugh. It didn’t help that Tina was every bit as overcome by mirth, adding her titters to the absurdity.
The six men with them shushed them gently, guiding them to seats and making them sit down. Katherine ended up in the front row across the aisle from the already seated clan she’d taken little note of.
Still astounded by the fact there was a nude Earther man on board the shuttle, Katherine found herself comparing his spare frame to those of her mates. He’d not been in bad shape, certainly in very good form for a man of his obviously advanced years. Yet the elderly man had seemed so insubstantial compared to the Kalquorians, particularly Miv. She decided she much preferred her bulkier husbands to the lean whipcord frame of that example of her own kind.
She glanced over at the clan seated across the aisle as the shuttle lifted up, preparing to exit the spyship. The platinum blond hair of the curvy woman seated among the Kalquorians could only belong to Cassidy Hamilton. With a start, Katherine remembered who the nude man under guard was: General Patrick Hamilton, Cassidy’s grandfather, the very man who the Kalquorians had chased to Europa.
A hint of shame for laughing at Cassidy’s relative wove through the greater sense of well-being the intoxicant in Katherine’s system provided. Good heavens, what must the poor girl be feeling right now, sitting in the company of alien men in the view of her grandfather, a member of Earth’s military leadership?
Katherine saw how Cassidy held tightly to the hands of the men on either side of her. One of those men was Dr. Degorsk. She caught his eyes, and he nodded and smiled at her. Cassidy looked to see who he acknowledged. Her eyes, not glazed at all by the effects of a Kalquorian bite, met Katherine’s.
The younger woman’s face paled and a line of worry appeared between her brows. Katherine’s heart throbbed with love and sympathy. Cassidy had been through so much with the death of her father and the imprisonment and execution of her mother, who had been convicted for being raped. Katherine could only hope Degorsk’s clan provided her the love and understanding she desperately needed.
Katherine smiled at her former protégé. She took Simdow and Vadef’s hands to show Cassidy she was not alone in her struggle to come to terms with their new lives.
Cassidy smiled back, her expression relieved and drifting towards something Katherine didn’t remember ever seeing on the girl’s face … true happiness. Having gained her mentor’s sanction, Cassidy leaned her face against the wide shoulder of her Dramok, Captain Tranis. He looked down at her and they smiled at each other. The expression softened the stern and bruised features of the clan leader.
It looked as if the tormented Cassidy Hamilton was in good hands. Katherine reflected that if Cassidy could be brave enough to show her acceptance with being clanned right in front of her grandfather, then Katherine could do the same.
* * * *
At first glance, Katherine thought their new quarters on board the Earther transport rather spacious. Upon walking in the door, the clan found a small seating area of a sofa and two upholstered chairs around a table directly in front, a dinette suitable for two or three people, and a tiny kitchenette. It was a pleasant, soothing space, done in shades of blue and gray. Then Katherine looked at Simdow and Miv and realized the chairs were going to problematic for the pair. She’d gotten used to the Kalquorians’ size in the last few days, and it jarred her anew to realize just how big they were.
The miniscule bedroom with its double bed was also an issue. At only six feet tall, even Vadef looked chagrined.
“By the ancestors. The sleeping mat I used before I was clanned was bigger than this. How are we supposed to sleep?”
Simdow looked disappointed as well. “One or two at a time, I suspect.”
Miv shook his head. “There is always the floor and that lounger in the greeting room. No clan should have to sleep apart though.”
“It’s only temporary until our mission is done and we’re re-assigned.” Simdow tried his best to put a good face on the situation.
Vadef began looking through closets and drawers, apparently looking for a place to stow their belongings. The previous occupant’s things filled up the small spaces.
The Imdiko said, “I’ll have to pack up this person’s property for them to claim later after they’ve been released. Hmm.” He pulled a uniform out of the closet and held the tunic and pants up to Katherine. “This is nearly the right length for you. You could wear it.”
She eyed it doubtfully. “A fleet uniform? It’s got pants.” She hadn’t worn trousers in years.
Simdow took the pants from Vadef and compared the width to Katherine’s waist. “These are quite small, but they will still probably fall right off you.” He shook his head. “Eat all you can manage, my love. You are entirely too thin.”
Vadef pulled the trousers out of Simdow’s hands. He told Katherine, “You need something besides the one gown. Try this on and let’s see how it does.”
Katherine did so with trepidation. She was used to her long, concealing habit and voluminous gown. This outfit seemed a bit revealing after years in a nun’s frocks.
The uniform actually didn’t fit too badly; the trousers drooped over her hips but it was obvious the man who wore it was slight. Katherine thought some pinning would make it workable.
Vadef agreed. “This person’s clothes will do with a belt and some adjustments. I have some small skill in alterations.”
Simdow’s com went off. He answered it in his language, talking back and forth for a few minutes. As he did so, Vadef scowled and looked at Katherine. He glanced at Miv, who shrugged.
Rather than telling Katherine what was going on, Vadef took the uniform trousers from her and got to the task of taking in the waist with a mechanical hand sewing device. He made quick work of the project. By the time Simdow stopped chattering with whoever had commed, the Imdiko had managed to alter the pants enough that Katherine could wear them without fearing them falling to her ankles. She had to admit that as exposed as the outfit made her feel, it was psychologically better than roaming about in her nightgown.
Simdow clicked off his com, looking decidedly glum. “We’re all needed to report for duty.”
Miv’s face went dark. “I hate having to leave our Matara alone. Surely one of us can be spared?”
Katherine saw an opportunity. Fairly bouncing on her toes in excitement, she grabbed Simdow’s hands. “Why don’t I stay with the children while you work? Oh please, Simdow. I miss them so much.”
The Dramok seemed relieved by her idea. “I think that would be an excellent solution. It will make you happy and keep you occupied.”
Miv grinned, his temper restored. “Not to mention it will give the younglings something to make them feel better. Tell my little fierce one it was I who allowed you to go to her.”
Katherine laughed at the twinkle in his eyes. Marci would be thrilled to know she had impressed the Nobek. With a bright smile of her own, she told him, “It might go a long way to winning her approval of you.”
* * * *
The transport had a crew recreation room, which the Kalquorians had delegated for the use of the children and nuns caring for them. Simdow accompanied Katherine to its door, which was guarded by two Nobeks.
Simdow smiled at Katherine. He had already given her a kiss goodbye back at their quarters. He’d told her, “I do not want to appear unseemly to the crew nor make those who could not clan Mataras jealous.”