A Drop of Blood

Pet has existed in a limbo of confinement and pampering as her owners use her for a symbol of their power. During an attack they eject her in a survival pod and she ends up on a habitable world, working to survive. When a group of men arrive and they seem to be looking for her, she fights the urge to run to them for safety, choosing to hide instead. They find her anyway and bring her to their ship, and that is when she finds out that her true identity is not Pet, but it will be found in a single drop of blood.

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. A Drop of Blood Copyright © 2012 Viola Grace Cover art by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.eXtasybooks.com

A Drop of Blood A Trapezium Exclusive By Viola Grace

To everyone who still wants to believe in fairy tales no matter how mature they are ‘supposed’ to be. Happily ever after is a worthy pursuit, I just wish it would stop running.

“W

hat is my name?” Pet thought she had been a child the first time she asked that question. She had simply wanted to know who she was, because everyone around her had a name and she didn’t. The shock collar tingled alarmingly in a warning as her handler brought her to heel. “Pet. Your name is Pet.” She had tried to argue that Pet wasn’t a name, it was a thing. It would be like naming someone cart or ship. The shock had been her answer. She was Pet and there was nothing she could say to prove otherwise, but deep down, she knew it was wrong. She had another name, but she didn’t know what it was and that fact haunted her while she was being groomed, while her jewellery and elaborate collar were being put in place. It was a routine, every day on the spaceship where her owners held court. The ship was kept hot and humid, but Madam didn’t like her to sweat, so Pet’s clothing was comprised of short, brief and metallic wraps in fanciful designs. They weren’t comfortable if she sat directly on them, so she took up a lounging posture at the base of the thrones where Madam 1

Viola Grace and Sir were. Folk seemed impressed when they saw her and the admiration for her acquisition made Madam preen, so Pet spent every day listening to her owners and their guests. She learned Marcovial politics, saw treaties made and broken before her eyes and all she had to do was listen. Madam didn’t like her to fidget, but she was allowed breaks as long as her movements were controlled and slow. Several of the males who were not Marcovial eyed her with intense interest, but Madam would not part with her no matter how much they offered. It was a strange existence that might have continued forever if not for one small thing, the day that the ship exploded. Pet was finishing her grooming cycle and the last of her adornments were being adhered to her body when the ship rocked violently. Her groomer spoke to Madam via the com. “What shall I do with her?” Madam’s face showed her tension. “Put her in a pod. We are near a planet suitable for her. We can pick her up after this is over. No one must find her here.” That was the last time Pet heard Madam’s voice. The groomer bundled her into a pod and forced 2

A Drop of Blood her into a seat. He strapped her in, left her and launched the unit the moment it was sealed. Pet held onto the straps that held her in place as the corkscrew effect spun her away from the ship. Once clear of the artificial gravity, she settled down and waited for the pod to stop moving. It rocked a few times before the roar of an atmosphere echoed in the chamber. When the roar stopped, turbulence took over until the pod struck the ground and skidded in a bone-jarring finale. Shaken and bruised, Pet unbuckled the restraint harness. The supply kit and backpacks were designed for Marcovians. Pet had neither the four arms nor the width of shoulders required to carry them, so she grabbed a water bottle and checked the monitor before moving to the hatch. Everyone on a spacecraft had to know how to use the escape pods, even pets. She should be scared, she should be terrified, but the monitor showed her a habitable world and breathable atmosphere. If she was careful, she could find something to eat and if she was smart, she could find somewhere safe to hide. She blew the hatch open and hung onto the interior supports as the pod rocked from side to side. Pet took a few cautious steps out of the pod and smiled slightly as the grass tickled her feet. A few steps outside of the pod, she turned in a 3

Viola Grace full circle to get her bearings. The pod had wedged into a huge mushroom field and it was those fungi that had brought her to a safe halt. Two suns glowed in the sky and no moon was visible in the daytime sky. Pet thought about what she should do. If she wanted to be retrieved, she should stay with the pod, but if she wanted freedom, she should run. It took her less than three seconds to make up her mind and without a look back she grabbed her water bottle and hiked directly south of her crash site. Pet scowled as she munched a piece of leaf. She knew it was safe, but she couldn’t say how she knew. She put over two kilometres between herself and her crash site before she stopped to make a shelter. Not knowing when sunset would fall, she needed to make either a shelter or a fire, or both. Pet was shocked at her skills. She hadn’t had a life before the Marcovians and now, she found her hands competent at tasks she had never imagined. While her mind was reeling, her body knew just what to do and it made her a shelter lined with moss and arched with saplings covered with leaves. A few times, she found herself chewing on bugs and while the taste was repugnant, a quick sip of water washed it down. By the time the suns were fading, she had a 4

A Drop of Blood fairly snug place to live for a few days while she worked on surviving and trying to plan for an unforeseeable future. Late in the night, a bright light woke her and she crawled out of her habitat to see the ship exploding outside of the planet’s atmosphere. With relief and not a little nervousness, she tucked herself back into her makeshift bed and slept more deeply than she had in years. **** Over the course of three weeks, she managed to move herself five kilometres south of the pod and felt secure that even if they did come looking for her, they would not find her without her seeing them first. Her skin refused to brown under the suns and to her chagrin, the metalwork that had been adhered to her flesh would not give way no matter how many time she bathed in the nearby lake. Pet had time to think as she foraged for her meals and no matter how hard she tried to remember, she could not bring her life before the ship into her thoughts. She remembered being a child and in training on the ship, but if she racked her brain, she never remembered being small or growing up. The 5

Viola Grace conflict in her memories worried her and she spent a good portion of her day trying to break through the block in her mind. She had gone from being a child to being an adult in moments and Pet knew that it was impossible. When she started to speak to herself, she noted a peculiar side effect in the local fauna. Animals approached her with a dazed expression while she spoke, hummed or sang. After a while, she became used to her company and it gave her practice talking to people. Her own voice had a peculiar quality, a reverberation that she did not recall from her early memories. She was in one such contemplation when she heard the unmistakable thrum of engines in the atmosphere. She crouched along the edge of the treeline and watched the ship land. The people exiting the ship were not Marcovian and had a comforting similarity to her own features. The four men had palm scanners and as their sweeps came her way, Pet huddled in the underbrush. “Over here!” She cringed back as they all started to walk toward her. When she had moved behind the cover of trees, she ran for it, hiding in the backup hole next to her camp. Her fire was still burning and her meal was nearby and untouched. She watched from her hiding spot as they investigated her camp and she remained quiet 6

A Drop of Blood while they touched the few items she had put together. One of them swept past her hiding place with the scanner and when he passed her spot, she exhaled in relief. Her exhalation must have caused a ripple effect in the leaves, because a hand suddenly ripped open the top of her little hidey-hole. Light covered her and the men gasped as she was exposed. They crouched around her and each of them put on a smile that was meant to be reassuring. “Miss, we need to take you in for medical treatment. How long have you been here?” One of them spoke softly to her and she looked up at him. “What is my name?” It was the question that burned in her soul every moment of every day. They jerked visibly as she spoke, her voice rippled over them and their eyes glazed over. She darted past them and was halfway across the clearing before they came out of their stupor. The men were fast on their feet. She had to give them that. She tried to scream when she was lifted in the air, but a hand covered her mouth and she was held against a hard body while it walked back to the ship. The hand stayed firmly clamped against her mouth, but it was thoughtfully positioned so she could breathe. With only her metal bands and small panties covering her skin, she could feel every callous on 7

Viola Grace the hand around her belly as well as the one over her mouth. They were the hands of someone who did more than fly ships for a living. He carried her to the ship and settled her into a seat, giving her an admonition to shush. “We can’t do our jobs if we hear your voice, so please hold all questions until we are on the warship.” She nodded and bit her lip while fiddling with her armbands. She didn’t know who they were or where they were taking her, but a ship this nice meant hot meals and a shower and she could really use both. **** “We found one. After all these years, we found a siren.” Tomas rubbed the back of his neck and grinned at Rejik. Rejik scowled. “We haven’t confirmed that that’s what she is.” Their guest was sitting quietly as requested, her dark hair knotted and her body still dotted with the Marconial marks of possession. Rejik had searched for Edinar survivors his entire adult life and none of the few he had met had ever affected him this way. From the moment he’d pulled the roof off her hiding place, he had seen nothing but her glowing eyes staring into his own. 8

A Drop of Blood To Rejik’s eyes, Tomas was being a little too callous to the woman listening to everything that they said. “She is our guest and you need to treat her with respect.” Tomas sobered as he absorbed the tone that Rejik was using. Rejik looked back at the woman as Sorn and Welkin piloted them toward the warship. She seemed to have weathered her time on the surface well. Her small camp had been fairly well stocked for a woman alone in the wilderness. Tomas was probably correct. Only a siren could have stunned them with a soft whisper and if he hadn’t been quick on his feet, he would never have caught her before she made it past them. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel her soft skin under his hands. Her lips had quivered against his palm, but she had remained quiet. The metalwork banding her body pressed into her skin, a harsh contrast against the silken skin that covered her. Rejik hated the sight of that metal on her delicate flesh. She was no one’s property. The Edinar were designed to be creative, artistic and powerful, not tools or display items. Whoever she was, she was certainly a woman with power. He could only hope that her identity had been recorded in the Marcovian archives that they liberated from the blown ship, because she didn’t seem to know who or what she was. 9

Viola Grace

**** The people on the ship were friendly and quite a few of the males were eyeing her in a most unsettling way. She wasn’t offended by the attention, but Pet was slightly confused by it. The team with her surrounded her to keep her from the majority of the prying eyes. The man who had carried her into the shuttle bristled as several of the admiring glances took on a sly look. She moved closer to him to keep the other men away and it seemed to do the trick. She was taken to a medical facility and she twisted her lips as a busy female in a uniform came to her with a brusque manner. “Please hop up on here, miss.” Despite the admonition not to talk, she felt that this woman needed to know she wasn’t an idiot. “All right.” The men froze in place and the woman did the same. Pet walked past them all and took a seat on the cool but comfortable table. The woman came out of the trance first. She picked up a tablet as if she hadn’t just been stuck in place. “That was strange. Now, miss, what is your name?” The man from the shuttle quickly lunged 10

A Drop of Blood forward and covered her mouth. Pet frowned at him. The woman was asking her a question, after all. “Doctor, we suspect that she is a siren. Asking her questions at this point may not be the best thing to do.” “Thank you, Rejik, but I believe that she will try to modulate her tone.” The doctor’s words reminded her of something. Pet remembered that she had been trained to be careful, but she couldn’t remember by whom or for what. She nodded for the doctor and smiled slowly. “I will try.” The men shivered, but the doctor didn’t even blink, instead, she gave Pet a wide smile. “What is your name?” She blinked and a tear tracked down her cheek. “I don’t know. They called me Pet, but that isn’t right.” “I think we can find something else to call you.” The doctor started on the scans and turned to her escort. “You can go, gentlemen.” Pet basked in Rejik’s smile. “I will check in on you later, Pet.” The doctor shooed them out and looked Pet up and down. “I think you look like a Sarah. Maybe a Stella.” “No.” “No?” 11

Viola Grace “I am already wearing a name that isn’t mine. Why would I want a second one? When I find out who I am, I will wear that name, but I am not taking one just to make people forget what the Marcovians did.” The doctor blinked. “I see. That makes sense. Pet it is.” Pet smiled and had to ask. “Now, can you get me out of this metal? It is not exactly designed for comfort.” With a grin, the doctor picked up a sonic cleanser. “That I can do.” With the strategic application of the sonics, the metalwork was soon falling to the floor and Pet was breathing easier. By the time she was naked, there was a sense of freedom that she couldn’t remember feeling before. A quick sonic shower and Pet felt clean and remarkably steady. Her hair was in a long black cloak down her back and surprisingly enough the metal studs between her eyes and trailing down the bridge of her nose were hers and not the addition of the Marcovians. The doctor provided a floor-length tunic that was slit to mid-thigh on either side. It was comfortable and it covered everything. It didn’t feel quite right, but it was definitely an improvement, because the ship was far cooler than the atmosphere she had been used to. 12

A Drop of Blood “How am I, doctor?” “You are well, a little off on your mineral balance, but a week of good food should straighten that out. Come along, it is almost dinner time and I am sure that those who retrieved you will be happy to see you transformed.” She sighed and nodded. It was stressful to restrain her voice, but if she minimized her speech, it might be possible to socialize with the people on the ship. The doctor smiled and took her hand. “My name is Helain, Pet. You can ask me anything.” Pet blurted out, “What is my name?” Helain froze and Pet waited it out. When the doctor started moving again, they walked the halls in silence. She didn’t tell Helain what she had done, but she thought that the doctor may have suspected. The dining hall was full, but after an eternity at the feet of Madam and Sir, this was orderly, polite and decorous. The food woke her senses and her mouth watered. She wanted to try it all but paced herself with only one tray of food and a large glass of water. Helain sat down at an empty table, but soon, Rejik and the other men who had found her on the surface joined them. Rejik looked at her and then turned to the doctor. “Did you send it?” 13

Viola Grace Pet cocked her head. “Did she send what?” Her throat ached with the effort it took to stop the vibration that came so naturally. Helain smiled. “Rejik called ahead and asked me to send a blood sample out for comparison to those of your race who were on file. We will have to wait for results, but we are hopeful that your physical traits can be combined to confirm a match if we get one.” She blinked. “You can find my name?” Rejik looked at her and he smiled, his features taking on a hazy glow in her vision that none of the other men at the table could match. “We will do our best, lady.” “Thank you.” Her voice vibrated a little and her emotions dipped into it. The men at the table didn’t become stunned. They all took on a fierce look that focussed on her. Rejik cleared his throat and cuffed the male next to him. “Come on, Tomas. Let’s let the lady enjoy her meal and get some rest.” The men shook their heads to clear them as they got to their feet. As they left, Rejik muttered, “Let’s hit the gym. We need to work this off.” “What did that mean?” Helain smiled, looked around to make sure that they were relatively alone and leaned forward. “You are an Edinar and more than that, you are a 14

A Drop of Blood siren.” “A what?” “Your voice directly connects to the nervous system of some species and either freezes or stimulates it. What were you thinking when you spoke to Rejik?” Pet blushed. “I was thinking that he was very handsome and his hair needed to be pushed away from his left eye. I was thankful that he was helping to find me.” “And that little emotional trigger sent arousal through them all with only a few syllables. If I don’t miss my guess, they are in the gym right now fighting for your hand or any other available body parts.” Pet cocked her head and tried to put an image together in her mind. “I don’t really understand. What is an Edinar?” Helain exhaled and leaned back. “Whew. That question surprised me. Well, the Edinar were a race of very creative and highly intelligent people who had genetic predisposition to psychic talents. Several races saw this as a threat and destroyed their colony world with only a few rare stragglers remaining.” “If they knew there were survivors, why didn’t they look for me?” “They didn’t know there were any survivors until a few started popping up recently. We 15

Viola Grace listened to every rumour and finally, we were able to pinpoint that a woman was being held as an exotic treasure by the Marcovians. We tried to send in representatives to buy you, but they wouldn’t part with you and so, we were forced to take additional measures.” “You blew up the ship because of me?” Her voice hummed in shock. Helain paused for a moment. “Um. Yes. Well, no. We didn’t mean for the ship to blow, but they wouldn’t give up your location and things got out of hand.” Pet absorbed that and pushed away the dregs of her meal. “Is there a place where I can sleep?” Helain nodded. “Of course, but the captain would like to meet you first. He will give you your room assignment.” “Where is he?” “I will take you to the bridge.” Pet got to her feet and found herself face to face with an eager crewman. “You are so lovely. I have never seen anyone like you before.” His gaze was admiring, but Pet was too tired for this kind of foolishness. She put her exhaustion into her tone. “What is my name?” He dropped to the floor and snoring ensued. She turned fatigued eyes to Helain. “He is just sleeping. Can we go now?” 16

A Drop of Blood Helain immediately got to her feet and escorted Pet to the captain. Every crewman who thought to stop and chat was met with the same question, “What is my name?” Helain was a little perplexed. “Why would you ask them that question when you know they don’t know the answer?” Pet smiled grimly, “Why would they try to start a seduction when they don’t know my name?” Helain nodded. “Good point. Very good point.” The bridge of the ship was sparsely occupied, but the man in the central chair was obviously the one they were looking for. “Captain Harrir, this is Pet.” Helain was standing stiffly and she inclined her head slightly toward Pet as she spoke. “Hello, Pet, is it?” The man turned to her and smiled slightly. He was old, much older than any of the others she had seen on the ship so far. Something familiar flared in his eyes and she could almost place him in the missing part of her mind. “Until my name is returned to me, I will be Pet.” “You can call me Captain or Harrir or Sofalic if you wish.” She smiled. “It must be nice.” He stood and approached her. “What is?” “To have a name that you know is yours.” She knew she was wistful, but she couldn’t help it. 17

Viola Grace The moment that the words left her mouth, the crew started sobbing. Captain Harrir nodded. “I will take you to your quarters so that you can rest. Are you aware of what we are?” “You are not Coalition forces, so I am guessing that you are from a world that was not hostile to the Edinar.” He smiled and took her arm. “That is correct. We are all from the world of Reska and our sole mission has been to find surviving Edinar and make sure that they are safe and comfortable. We buy the survivors, steal them or fight for them, whatever is needed to bring them freedom.” “Why do you care so much for the freedom of another species?” He didn’t answer her until she was standing in the VIP quarters. As he stood next to the door, he smiled, “As long as there are Edinar, there is hope that we can become something more, something better. The Reska were a sister species to yours, but you went one way evolutionarily and we went ours. This is our chance to bring a little of what your folk became to our folk, not for us, but for future generations.” He left her with that while she sat on the edge of the bed. Pet peeled off her tunic and crawled between 18

A Drop of Blood the sheets with nothing sticking her or prodding her from any angle. It was hard to sleep while comfortable, but she was going to give it her best shot. A knock on her door woke her from a troubled sleep of people screaming and panicking while she could not see the threat. “Pet, are you awake yet?” Helain was smiling and she had an armload of clothing with her. “Yes. Come in.” She sat up with the bedding wadded around her in a nest. “I brought you some clothing and underclothing that should fit. We also have a few names that match your blood type and if we can run some specific scans, we might be able to confirm your identity today.” Pet flipped the bedding back and lunged for the clothing. “What are we waiting for?” In less than three minutes, she had run herself through a cleaning cycle, brushed her hair and was tugging up the closure of the jumpsuit that Helain had brought. With the suit on, she felt almost like a crewmember. Exiting the lav, she stopped short when Rejik was standing and watching her. “Hello, lady. You look lovely today.” She swallowed and controlled her voice, which she found difficult, as he looked lovely today. His 19

Viola Grace dark hair waved over one eye again and the other piercing blue eye was crinkled as he smiled. His jaw was still chiselled and she could see the one spot he had missed while shaving. Her fingers itched to touch it. Helain watched them both and cleared her throat. “We should get some breakfast and then run those scans. Rejik, will you join us?” His smile changed to something slow and the glow that Pet always saw when she looked at him intensified into something with a pulse that made its home in her belly. “I believe that joining you is high on my priorities today.” He smiled. “Escorting the two loveliest ladies on the ship, I will be the envy of every officer.” Blushing was her response and it remained high on her cheeks while they ate. She really wanted to simply run to medical and take whatever scans were needed, but Helain needed to eat as well. “Rejik, what do you do when you are not digging women out of holes on strange worlds?” She managed to modulate her tone enough to stop any spill over, but her body was still aroused, her senses desperate for additional input. “I am a ship’s officer. I fill in at the helm and where I am needed.” Helain snorted. “He is the second in command but hates it when folks call him Commander.” 20

A Drop of Blood Pet raised her brows. “I have become very aware of names recently, for some reason. To reject one that you can wear and know it is yours is strange to my current mindset.” “I suppose that it would be. I am Commander Rejik Eslir Harrir of Reska, at your service.” He smiled at her, his gaze sparkling. Pet tried not to shake her head. No matter how he looked physically, her mind was painting him with a perfection that spun her senses wild. Her mind was trying to tell her something and her body wanted her to follow through. When Helain finished her food, she wiped her mouth on her napkin and smiled. “Well, Pet, if you are not going to eat, we may as well get the scans done.” Pet was out of her chair in a second. They all entered medical together and Pet sat down while Helain readied her instruments. “We have the files here, but because the Edinar didn’t use genetic scans, we need a more involved blood typing as well as the records that were salvaged. For the first scan, I just need a drop of blood.” Pet extended her hand eagerly and Rejik held it still while Helain pierced the palm of her hand. “How long until we know?” “Two minutes or so. I have to tell you that those nasal implants were a little confusing until I 21

Viola Grace realized that the sirens might have a caste system. Some research that Rejik did provided the answer.” Helain wandered off with the sample to run the test. Rejik stood next to her, his hand still supporting hers. She whispered, “Thank you.” “For what?” “For not calling me Pet. I may not have a name, but I appreciate being a lady.” He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “You have always been a lady, but I would be very happy if you were my lady.” “That is very straightforward.” “I thought it best to avoid confusion. Even if you don’t learn your identity, if you wish to, we can live on Reska and start a new life.” “You don’t know my name.” “You don’t either.” She smiled. “You have got me there.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips and she lifted her head to increase the pressure. She let out a sigh into his mouth and he stiffened against her with a groan. “That is cheating, lady.” “I am learning as I go here. What happened to you?” “Nothing that a few hours in a bedchamber wouldn’t cure.” He took one of her hands and 22

A Drop of Blood gently pressed it against the crotch of his suit. The column of heat that she felt called to her fingers and she curled them around it as best she could. Rejik kissed her again as she stroked him and with that one kiss his features burned into her memory. He was hers. Her perfect man. For any other women, he might be a good match, but for her, he was perfect. She quivered with eagerness to be alone with him, but Helain’s voice reminded her that this was not the time. “We have a match. It is ninety-nine percent on the blood typing and your nose piercing makes it a perfect match.” Helain smiled. Instead of reading the name out loud, the doctor handed the readout to Pet. With trembling hands, she read her own name for the first time since it had been taken from her. “Bronwyn Undermark, Siren of the Silver Clan.” Hearing her own name unlocked the life that she had lost and something surprised her. It had not been the Marcovians who took her memories. Looking up at Rejik, she smiled. “Bronwyn. That is my name.” He caressed her face. “It is a lovely name, Bronwyn.” Helain looked between the two of them. “What happened while I was running that test?” 23

Viola Grace She looked up at her true match and smiled. “Nothing happened, but a few things became clear.” “I see. Well, if you wish, the file has an estimated account of how you came under Marcovial control.” Helain smiled. “I would be fascinated to see it. My name was the block that I needed lifted and now, I can actually start to see a fair amount of my life before I became Pet.” “It is sealed and in the possession of the captain.” Rejik sighed at the mention of the captain. “I will take her.” Helain looked from one to the other again. “Yes, I think you will.” Bronwyn grinned. “Let’s see this file. I want to compare it with everything that is coming back to me.” Rejik took the hand that had been tapped for the sample, pressed the tiny mark to his lips and threaded his fingers through hers to lead her to the captain. Bronwyn looked from their hands to the clear-cut features of his face. “You seem very sure that I will choose you.” He grinned and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “Reska and Edinar came from the same parent species. We know our mates when we see 24

A Drop of Blood them. I knew the moment I tore that hole open to find you that you were the perfect woman for me.” She chuckled. “Yeah, you glow when I look at you.” The captain smiled when he saw them. “Welcome, Bronwyn Undermark, Siren of the Silver Clan.” “Thank you Captain Harrir.” “Rejik, what are you doing here?” Bronwyn smiled. “I wanted him here. We are a good match and we are getting to know each other.” Captain Harrir’s eyes widened in shock. “Rejik? He is your match? Well, hell.” Rejik chuckled. “Thank you for your enthusiasm, Father. Your happiness is touching.” “I am just surprised. I thought she would wait until on the planet surface before she made her choice.” Bronwyn chuckled. “It isn’t that kind of choice. When I see Rejik, he glows. I can’t stop staring at him. Even you must know what that means.” Captain Harrir nodded. “I do. Wow. An Edinar in the family. Who would have guessed?” Bronwyn raised a brow. “Are you pleased?” Harrir grinned. “Very. Now, let’s try and piece your last day on your world together.” In reflex, Bronwyn clutched at Rejik’s hand. From what she remembered, it had not been a 25

Viola Grace good day. They went to the captain’s office and sat down as snippets of transmissions, reports and images were displayed outlining the fall of Edinar. Bronwyn lived out the last day on her world with Rejik’s hand as her only lifeline to reality. Her memories overwhelmed her and she remembered it all. She had been running an evacuation, using her voice for crowd control, and was trying to get a shuttle past the incoming forces when a panicked mind wiper broke from the queue and ran into her, her talent surging out of control. Bronwyn tried to fight the woman’s talent, but fear gave the talent extra power and Bronwyn was lost, a blank slate on the planet of the Edinar. The next memory was asking her name and being told it was Pet, over and over. She had no idea how she got from the surface to the Marconian ship. The images of tiny ships making forays to the surface explained how she had ended up on display. The invading force blew several up, but dozens made it past the attack and into the space beyond. She had been on one of those ships. “Whew. That does explain a few things. How long was I with the Marcovians?” She tilted her head. Harrir cleared his throat. “We estimate that it 26

A Drop of Blood was close to nine years.” “Ah. Well, I am thankful for the mind wiper then. I would never have made it otherwise.” Bronwyn sighed and smiled softly. A soft feminine voice spoke. “I am very glad to hear it, Bronwyn. It was a bad day for all of us.” Bronwyn turned in her chair and saw the mind wiper from almost a decade in her past. “Ro-shah-na, if I recall. It is good that you made it.” She got to her feet and hugged the woman, feeling the tight embrace returned and sobs broke out of the woman’s throat. “I am so sorry, so very sorry.” “It all turned out well. Don’t worry. I am hale and whole.” Bronwyn pulled back and smiled brightly. “But all the others you could have helped onto the ships. Perhaps more could have survived if I hadn’t panicked.” “The past is fixed, we can control our future. That is where you need to focus your energies now. Do you have a family? Friends?” She sniffed. “I do. Two little girls and a community who cares for me.” “Then put your energies there and let them be your mark on the world. Don’t let one moment of fear destroy everything you could become.” Tears formed in the woman’s face. “You were 27

Viola Grace kind back then, too.” Bronwyn stroked Ro-shah-na’s face. “There is never a good reason to be cruel.” Harrir cleared his throat. “Rejik and Bronwyn have declared themselves. I believe it would be best if their union were formalized before we land.” The mind wiper nodded with wide eyes. “Definitely. The colony would be pissed if she went elsewhere after she landed. Ratifying it on the ship is the safer option.” Bronwyn was confused. “What?” Ro-shah-na explained. “Because there are so few of us, the colony that the Reska helped us organize is very concerned with our bloodlines continuing. While you declaring for each other is traditional, the colony will want to arrange a suitable match when you land.” “Fuck that.” Bronwyn crossed her arms and scowled. “Rejik, are you amenable to a consummation?” He raised a brow, walked to her and pressed a kiss to her throat. His lips moved against her skin. “Yes, I am amenable and quite a bit more. Father?” Harrir had tears in his eyes, but he cleared his throat. “Stand two feet apart and face each other with your hands touching, palm to palm. Bronwyn stood and followed the instructions, her neck still tingling from the kiss. She was 28

A Drop of Blood breathing more rapidly than normal. Rejik’s blue eyes stared into hers and they waited for Harrir to speak. “Bronwyn Undermark, Siren of the Silver Clan of Edinar, do you take Commander Rejik Eslir Harrir of Reska as your bonded mate?” She smiled. “I do.” “Commander Rejik Eslir Harrir of Reska, do you take Bronwyn Undermark, Siren of the Silver Clan of the Edinar as your bonded mate?” He smiled. “Gladly and freely.” Harrir exhaled. “As captain of this vessel, I am authorized to formalize your bond. Do you wish to say any other words to each other for the records?” Bronwyn nodded. “Rejik, I knew the moment that I saw you that you were my mate. While I did not know myself, I knew you. Whatever is brought to us in the future in terms of life, family or children, I will meet them with you gladly and happily.” He blinked rapidly to clear his vision and she smiled as he prepared to speak. “Bronwyn, you were mine from the moment I ripped your shelter away. While there were others with us, you looked only at me and that kind of focus in the face of the unknown is something I want with me for the rest of our lives. I will offer you my wealth, my life and my love if you will take me as your bonded mate and mate of your soul.” 29

Viola Grace She teared up and would have kissed him, but Harrir’s hand separated them. “I now pronounce you bonded mates and by the witness and my own eyes, we bless what we have seen. You may now kiss your partner.” He removed his hand and they met half way. His lips filled her with heat and she moaned into his mouth, her control wavering and causing a cascade of lust to run through him. He shook and his muscles tightened under her sonic caress. Harrir cleared his throat. “Permission granted to seek privacy.” Bronwyn squeaked as Rejik lifted her to carry her to her quarters. They passed a few folk in the halls, but Bronwyn only noted them absently. Watching Rejik’s aura flare wildly as his arousal grew was hypnotic. She wanted to stare at it all day. Inside her quarters, she tore at his clothing and he ripped at hers. When they finally were naked, she took in every inch of him and hummed her approval. As he closed his eyes, she leaned forward and blew a stream of sound across his flesh. He groaned and she pressed her advantage, using her mouth and hands to direct him to the bed. Rejik fell back and she followed him onto the bed. 30

A Drop of Blood Rejik ran his hands over her skin and she shivered while trailing lower and lower. With her mind restored, she knew all about her talent and just how to use it in this kind of situation. When she hummed across his pressure points, his hands gripped her shoulders and as she neared the straining stalk of his cock, she changed her pitch. Precum was slowly coursing out of him. She flicked at his cock with her tongue, learning his taste and running her lips over him with a special song just for his shaft. “Bronwyn, please.” She looked up at him through heavily lidded eyes. “What is my name?” Her tone vibrated with the desire that was coursing through her and he grabbed her and flipped her to her back. He whispered her name against her flesh as he sucked at her breasts, trailed kisses down her belly and nestled his mouth against her core. She arched into the stroke of his tongue, the caress of his fingers and the heady sound of her name coming from his lips, over and over. When she was on the edge of release, he surged up her body and between her trembling thighs. He pressed a kiss to her lips and whispered her name as he pushed against her opening, widening her by tiny increments. 31

Viola Grace She repeated his name as he rocked into her and when he was firmly seated, she moaned, wrapping her legs around him. He slid against her, sweat easing the slick rock of his hips against her. They surged and thrust together until their voices let out the other’s name on a moan. With Rejik still inside her, she started to whisper to him in a wordless mantra. He looked down at her with surprise when his cock jerked inside her again. “You could have asked.” He shifted and slowly rocked back and forth in a relaxed rhythm. “You might have said no and I have always dreamed of having a man of my own.” She circled her hips against him, luxuriating in the feel of him moving inside her. He smiled and pinned her hands above her head, causing her breasts to press against his chest. “You only ever have to ask.” She twisted against him and leaned up, whispering, “I will remember that, Rejik.” She put all of her seduction into her voice. “But move a little harder now, I want this to be a night we both remember.” His laughter and the full shudder as her voice stroked his nerves from the inside out warmed her. Her lover, her life, her future was here in his arms. Hours later, she woke covered in cold sweat. 32

A Drop of Blood She turned to him and asked him desperately, “What is my name?” He stroked her spine and murmured, “Bronwyn, my love, my heart,” until it was written on her soul and then she returned to sleep secure in the knowledge that he would always know her name…even when she didn’t. She would never have to doubt that she had a name and that she had a man and that both were hers until she died.

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About the Author Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis. In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales. Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush. Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.