He gave her a long slow kiss, running his hand along her thigh and up under her shirt. He nuzzled her neck. “You’re wearing too many clothes. You’ve been up for awhile, haven’t you?”
“Not long,” she admitted, arching her neck to give him better access. The man's lips and fingers were magical. “I came to wake you up because we’re going to try deactivating Seara’s bracelet. I need you and Cruncher to monitor the system.”
“Already?” he asked in surprise. When she nodded, he sat up and looked at her in concern. “Are you sure this is safe for you to do? I admit I don’t know much about this, but I know you have to connect with Alec. That worries me.”
Kayla ran her fingers over Carl’s bare chest. It was nice to have someone concerned about her well-being. He wasn't trying to make demands or force her into anything, but he simply shared his reservations and trusted her to make the right decision. It made her respect him even more. “That's why I want you there. I don’t know much about this woo-woo stuff either. But I think I can handle it. Alec’s not a bad guy, he’s just different.”
And he gets in my head and gets me worked up. I probably shouldn't share that though.
Carl frowned. “He wants you to stay in the towers. I suspect he’ll do almost anything to keep you here.”
Kayla shrugged. “I don’t care. I belong on the surface and down in the ruins. You know that.”
Carl considered this for a moment and nodded. “Let me get changed and I’ll grab Cruncher.”
“Just a second.” She pulled him back for another long passionate kiss. “Thanks. I just needed something to hold me over until I get you alone later.”
Carl raised an eyebrow and asked, “You sure you don’t want to wait to do this bracelet thing? I wouldn’t mind taking you back to bed.”
Kayla laughed in delight. “Go get dressed. We can pick up where we left off later. I need to do this for Seara.”
With a nod, he stood up and headed for the lavatory. Kayla watched him go, admiring the yummy view.
Sighing wistfully, Kayla climbed off the bed. She headed back out to the living area where Seara and Alec were sitting. “Carl’s awake,” she announced and swiped a muffin off the table. Even though she'd already eaten, they were calling her name. “He’s going to get Cruncher up in a minute. Can you let me know when they come out?”
Seara nodded and Kayla headed back into the safe room. She sat down and pulled up the code again, studying it line by line to make sure it would work flawlessly. Satisfied it was perfect, she turned on an adjacent terminal and connected her computer to the energy monitoring system.
Munching on her muffin, she wrote a quick script to inject the masking program into the energy monitoring system. Carl and Cruncher came into the room a short time later, followed by Seara and Alec.
“Morning, Kayla,” Cruncher greeted her. “How does it look?”
“It’s ready. It’s a freaking brilliant piece of work. You just have to execute the script when we’re ready. The bracelet will still appear to work. Only those of us in this room will know it’s no longer working.”
Seara looked apprehensive and admitted, “I’m a little nervous about this.”
“It’ll be fine, Seara,” Alec said and pulled out a chair for her. She sat down and put her hands in her lap, anxiously twisting the bracelet around her wrist. Alec turned and held out his hand to Kayla. Carl’s jaw clenched as Kayla took Alec’s hand, but he didn’t say anything. Alec put his other hand on Seara’s wrist. “Whenever you’re ready, Kayla, go ahead and connect to me.”
Kayla nodded and connected her energy to Alec. She was becoming much more comfortable with this intimate connection with him. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Alec turned to Cruncher. “Activate the program now.”
Cruncher nodded, pressed a few keys, and announced, “It’s online.”
Alec gave Kayla an encouraging smile. “When you’re ready, I need you to send me a steady stream of energy. That’s all you need to do. I’ll handle everything else. I’ll let you know when to increase it.”
She concentrated and did what he asked. She felt his desire to match her energy with his own but he struggled to keep his feelings in check. His self-control was admirable. She didn't think she was capable of doing the same, if their situations were reversed.
Alec took a deep breath and forced himself to focus on the bracelet. He located the two target areas and gently probed them with Kayla’s energy. “Increase it now.”
She willed herself to tap into her energy resources. Amazed at the way the energy seemed to flow around her, she gathered it close and directed it toward Alec. It seemed as though the more energy she sent to him, the more loose energy drifted toward her, eager for her to scoop it up. It seemed to be attracted to her. Delighted with the playful energy seeking her out, she focused on the loose strands floating around her and channeled it toward him.
Completely immersed in the game she made up, scooping up lost energy and giving it a home, Kayla closed her eyes to get a better sense of the energy around her. Fairly humming with the power flowing through her, she stopped paying attention to Alec’s reaction to the increased energy she was feeding him.
Instead, she became intrigued at the path of energy he was channeling through the bracelet. Kayla followed its path and was surprised when she found herself in an enormous hub of energy. It pressed against her, swarming her senses and threatening to overwhelm her. She tried to pull back and was surprised when the pooled energy seemed to gather around her, not willing to let her leave.
Panic set in and she reacted instinctively, trying to channel the entire flow of energy. It was too much. Nothing in her experience had prepared her to handle something of this magnitude. She screamed Alec's name in her head, desperate to find their shared connection amidst the onslaught of energy threatening to drown her.
* * * *
The inactivity was driving Carl crazy. His gaze kept shifting from the monitor Cruncher was watching to the three motionless individuals in front of him. He'd get a sense of something happening almost peripherally, but it wasn't anything tangible he could describe. His fingers flexed and he had to keep resisting the urge to tap his foot.
Seara's sudden gasp brought him to full alertness. She stared in shock down at the bracelet and whispered, “It worked. It's been deactivated.”
Cruncher looked up in alarm. “I think we’ve got a problem.”
Carl jerked his head up to stare at the fluctuations on the screen. They were going haywire. “What the hell is going on?”
“The energy levels are still masked for now, but there’s been a huge increase in energy in the pool. I don’t know what this means.”
Carl turned back to look at Kayla and Alec, still motionless. Seara's hands flew to her mouth, her gaze darted back and forth between them. Carl wasn't sure what she saw that he didn't, but he didn't care much for the growing sense of unease in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong.
At Seara’s panicked expression, Carl looked back at Alec and Kayla. They were both standing still with their eyes closed. Without taking his eyes away from them, he asked Seara, “What’s going on?”
Seara shook her head, visibly shaken. “I think Kayla and Alec may have somehow tapped into the energy pool directly. I don’t know what’s happening.”
That didn't sound good. “Kayla?”
Whether it was the sound of his voice or something else he didn't know, but Kayla suddenly staggered. Alec’s eyes flew open and he caught her when she started to collapse. He lowered himself to the floor with Kayla still in his arms.
“Alec, what’s happening?” Seara asked fearfully.
He ignored her, bending his head over Kayla. He traced his fingers over her face and closed his eyes again.
“What the hell is he doing to her?” Carl demanded, stepping forward to intervene.
Seara held up her hand to stop him. “I don’t know, but he won’t hurt her. They’re connected right now. He can feel everything she feels and vice versa. They’re sharing thoughts, emotions, everything.”
Carl reared back as though stung. “That’s what it means when they’re connected?”
Seara nodded. “It’s similar to telepathy, but it goes much deeper.”
He resisted the urge to tear Alec away from her. Until he learned more, he couldn't risk putting her in more danger. “You can’t tell what’s going on?”
Seara hesitated. “Not exactly, no. Now that the bracelet is deactivated, I can try to see. I can’t connect with them, though, unless they agree to it.”
She knelt down and put one hand on Kayla and the other on Alec’s arm. She closed her eyes and remained quiet for what seemed an eternity to Carl. When her eyes flew open, she stared at Alec in horror. Shoving at him, she yelled, “Alec, stop! You can’t do this.”
“What is he doing?” Carl demanded.
Alec looked up, suddenly aware of his surroundings. He shook Seara away. “Seara, I have to do this. She channeled too much. She somehow followed the energy through to the pool and tried to reverse the flow. When the bracelet deactivated, she lost control of the flow. I had no idea this could happen.” He looked down at her and whispered, “I should have never let her do this.”
“Then let me do it,” Seara demanded.
“She can’t forge another connection,” Alec said angrily, bringing his fist down on the desk. “She knows what’s going on but she can’t find her way out of there. If I don’t do this, what happens to her then? Are you prepared to lose your daughter again?”
Seara blanched. Alarmed at Alec's words, Carl demanded, “What are you talking about?”
Alec ignored him, his gaze focused once more on Kayla. Seara looked up at Carl, her expression one of sympathy. “He wants to exchange energy with her. Her energy is chaotic and she’s only partially channeling it. If he reaches for her with his own energy, he can stabilize her. The allure of sharing energy is strong enough that she’ll be able to find her way back.”
Fury lit through him and his insides churned like dark angry skies ready to erupt. “Exchanging energy? As in claiming her? Isn’t that what almost happened yesterday?”
Alec gritted his teeth. “I won’t do it if I can help it. Seara, get them out of here for a few minutes.”
“Like hell,” Carl declared. “I’m not leaving and you’re not doing this to her.”
Alec’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have a choice. If I don’t do this, there’s a good chance she’ll remain this way.”
Seara put her hand on Carl’s arm. “I don’t like it either, but he’s right. We shouldn’t have tried this without giving her more training. This is my fault as much as it is Alec’s fault.”
It wasn't what he wanted to hear. He might doubt Alec's intentions, but Seara's sincerity was indisputable. Seara's voice was soft as she added, “I know you care about her. This is necessary though. Do you want to wait outside?”
Carl shook his head. He might not be able to do anything to help her, but he wasn't going to leave the woman he'd grown to care so much about in the hands of someone like Alec.
Alec looked up at him, clearly irritated with his continued presence. “Fine. Stay if you want. Maybe a first-hand view of what you’re dealing with will clear up some of your illusions.”
Carl’s jaw clenched in anger as Alec effectively dismissed him, turning his attention back to Kayla while Carl was helpless except to watch.
* * * *
Kayla floundered in the darkness and gasped as the lifeline reached her. Alec’s energy poured over her and she felt the strong pull toward him. She instinctively channeled her energy back toward him. The moment it reached him, she felt herself once more aware of her surroundings.
She opened her eyes to see his concerned face. Feeling as though she could get lost in the blue depths of his eyes, she reached up to touch his face tenderly. His energy ran through her and she sent her own flow of energy back to him. He gave her an encouraging smile as he felt her energy become less chaotic and more purposeful.
“It’s working,” Seara whispered.
Kayla leaned forward and put her arms around Alec, wanting to be closer to him. The energy flow increased and she washed her energy over him. He pulled back slightly and withdrew some of his energy. Alarmed, she increased her energy and felt him hesitate with longing for her.
“I don’t understand. I know you want me,”
she thought toward him in confusion.
“I do,”
he admitted regretfully. “
I want to complete the connection with you more than anything else. But not like this. As it is, I believe we’ve already formed a small permanent bond.”
She smiled at the thought. “
Then we should complete it.”
He shook his head and told her,
“Kayla, you have no idea how hard this is for me. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. But we can’t do this under these conditions. I want you to be fully aware and willing when we finally claim one another.”
He took a deep breath and withdrew the last of his energy from her. She whimpered at the lapse. He pulled her onto his lap and held her tightly.
She continued channeling energy over him. He struggled against the nearly irresistible desire to return her energy. He thought toward her,
“Kayla, you need to pull back on your energy.”
“No,”
she refused, her eyes pleading with him. “
I know you want me as much as I want you. I’m aware and willing. I don’t understand why you won’t join with me.”
Kayla recognized Seara's voice in the background but ignored it, intent on convincing Alec to join with her.
“Kayla won’t break the connection. I don’t know how much longer Alec can resist.”
“Why won’t she break it?” Carl asked in concern.
“It’s instinctual,” Seara explained in a hushed voice. “She hasn’t grown up learning our ways, so she hasn’t learned temperance. Alec is able to harness her energy. I suspect he’s one of the few people who can. If he weren’t as talented, she wouldn’t have any hesitation in breaking the connection. But the fact he can match her strength is appealing to her.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You could try talking to her,” Seara suggested. “I don’t know if she’ll even be aware of you, but it’s worth a try. Just don’t touch her. I’m not sure how that will affect their connection.”