Chapter Three

Mac was still a little surprised at her own temerity at having invited the general to her quarters. She wasn’t blatantly planning to sleep with him, but she hadn’t ruled out the possibility either. Her stomach was a ball of nerves by the time her door chimed at the appointed meeting time. She smoothed her hands down her clothes as she made her way to the door to press the button to open it.

The general wore his black fitted uniform, but he seemed more casual or relaxed for some reason as she examined him. There was nothing tangibly different about his appearance, but he appeared different.

Summoning a smile, she waved a hand for him to cross the doorway. “Please come in.” As he stepped inside, she wondered if perhaps the change was in herself rather than in him. She certainly felt different tonight as well, and it went beyond the surface changes of having left her hair brushed down her back and wearing leggings with a silky top that enhanced her figure. As soon as the door closed, she put her hand on his bicep, which was a bit of a stretch since he was so much taller, and indicated he should have a seat on her sofa. “Do Dazons drink wine?”

He shrugged. “I’m not quite familiar with what it is. My translator tells me it’s a fermented grape beverage.” He looked slightly appalled at the idea.

She barely bit back a grin. “It tastes better than it sounds.” She busied herself in the kitchen for a moment to pour them both a glass of white wine. When she returned, he had taken the seat as suggested, practically swallowing half of the sofa just from his large frame.

She sat down on the other half and handed him a glass, watching with interest as he took a sip. His nose wrinkled, and it was clear he didn’t care for the beverage. She hid her grin in her glass as she took a drink of her own before leaning forward to place it on the coffee table. He did the same with an air that suggested he wouldn’t be reaching for it again. “I thought the wine might help us relax. This is all sort of awkward, isn’t it?”

His brow ridge furrowed. “Awkward? I don’t find it awkward, Mac.”

She arched her brows in surprise. “You don’t? A couple of virgins on the verge of … whatever we’re on the verge of?”

His skin deepened in color, particularly in the facial region, which suggested he was flushing. “Technically, I’m not a virgin.”

She scooted slightly on the couch, turning to be more comfortable and also to see him better. “Really? I thought it was fairly rare to have a mate in your society?”

“Valena was not exactly a mate. It was a temporary arrangement. We both knew that.” He seemed uncomfortable discussing the topic.

She nodded in sympathy. “For me, I simply didn’t have time to get serious about anyone before I got sick. I was one of the lucky ones,” she said with a hint of sarcasm in her tone. “I was struck down early and severely, and Kaiser’s Syndrome dominated my life until the last few months.”

“It’s strange that what Jorvak Ha and his minions did has had both beneficial and malignant repercussions.”

She nodded. “Let’s not talk about him though.”

Instead, they spent the next hour talking about their lives and getting better acquainted. As though an invisible band pulled them together, they seemed to shift naturally toward each other, until she was lying across his lap as they spoke. There was no pressure or demand that she sensed from him, and she was surprisingly relaxed to be cuddled so closely to him.

In fact, she was relaxed enough to make the first move, stretching her neck so that she could touch her lips to his in a coaxing, exploratory kiss. He tolerated her light touch for a moment before a growl emanated from him, one that rumbled through his chest and made her body vibrate, as his fingers twined through her hair and pulled her closer so he could deepen the kiss.

Unfamiliar sensations raced through her body. She had felt attraction before, and of course she’d had a kiss in the past from more than one person, but none had felt like this, as though the entire world was distilled down to this point. She pressed closer to him, eager to feel more of the enthralling sensation sweeping through her, and clutched his shoulders for support as she shifted on his lap to straddle him.

As the kiss deepened in intensity, she allowed her hands to roam over his chest and shoulders, admiring the strength coiled in the frame below her. He was easily capable of breaking her in half, but he handled her with a hint of delicateness, as though she was the most precious thing in the world, and he didn’t want to break her. It was another new sensation, to feel cherished and protected.

As her hands roamed, she accidentally pressed a button on his neck, and they both yelped in surprise when his uniform abruptly disappeared. Her face was hot, and she didn’t know whether to apologize or giggle as she sank against his golden-brown skin, reveling in the heat pouring off of him. “That was … I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.” He said the words gruffly, but with a trace of amusement. “If I had realized you were so eager to get me out of my clothing, I wouldn’t have waited until now.”

She giggled, even as her embarrassment increased, and she hid her face against his chest—his bare, slightly furred chest that only served to remind her he was completely naked underneath her.

She had no idea how far things would have progressed, or if they would have ended up in her bed, but a chirp from Orix’s communication device interrupted them before things could advance. He lifted his wrist to view the screen as she pressed the button on his neck to ensure he was dressed again.

“This is General Monash.”

Commander Darvig filled the small screen a moment later. “Can you come to the medical bay, Orix? There’s an emergency.”

“Of course. I’m on my way.” After disconnecting the line, he carefully set her on the couch beside him, his expression regretful. “I’m sorry to cut things short, but I must leave.”

She nodded her understanding and got to her feet along with him. When he didn’t protest, she followed him out of her quarters, closing the door behind her before following him down the hallway. She was certain if she wasn’t allowed at his meeting, someone would tell her when she showed up behind him. Briefly, she wondered what they would think of her arriving in the general’s company, but decided she didn’t care. Curiosity was stronger than an old-fashioned sense of propriety.

When they arrived at Wy’s clinic a few moments later, she held her breath for a minute while she waited for someone to tell her to leave. No one seemed to pay any attention to her at all as she slipped carefully behind Orix, allowing his larger frame to shield her from view, for the most part.

“What’s going on?” asked Orix as the commander approached him.

“It’s Ms. Saunders. She’s come down with an illness, and Dr. Wy has identified it as the retrovirus that causes ROMKS.”

She stiffened even as Orix took a step forward. “How’s that possible? The weapon was dissipated days ago, and I thought she was taking precautions as she traveled between the consulate and the White House?”

Dr. Wy shrugged. “It must have gone airborne.”

Orix turned his attention to the doctor, who had just joined them. “I read your debriefings, Doctor. You had ruled out airborne transmission.”

“At that time, I had ruled it out. However, it’s a retrovirus, and it has been enhanced to adapt quickly. In general, viruses are resourceful and adaptive, and Dr. Ha knew what he was doing when he created this mess.”

Thinking of her friends prompted her to step from behind Orix. “Does that mean Ms. Saunders has infected the other women here on the consulate, those who were in quarantine and hadn’t returned to Earth after the weapon’s deployment?”

The doctor hesitated, clearly without a good answer. “It depends on how many people she’s interacted with, and how hardy the retrovirus is. Clearly, it can survive for days at a time in Earth’s atmosphere, though I must confirm those readings. The last time I checked, the parts per billion had fallen dramatically.”

She was already so in tuned to Orix, strange as it was on their short acquaintance, that she could sense his tension even before his shoulders straightened, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Or perhaps we’re only meant to believe the virus has gone airborne? Could it be someone here in the consulate has released the retrovirus to infect the women who weren’t previously infected? The president’s daughter would be a valuable target, and the fact that she has moved back and forth freely between the Moon and Earth for debriefings makes it logical to assume she caught the virus that way, rather than as an act of sabotage.”

The commander looked disconcerted. “That would mean we have a traitor here in the consulate.”

Orix nodded, his expression impassive, though he seemed to be vibrating with anger. “If we have a traitor, he’s likely among the group of defectors I brought here. Of course I considered the idea that Aryk might embed some of his people with us when he realized we were breaking away from the main armada, but I would have expected a traitor to act on other fronts first and not worry about infecting a few human women who’d remained clear of the retrovirus.”

Dr. Wy looked fretful. “Allow me to determine if the virus has mutated to become airborne, and if they are still sufficient quantities in Earth’s atmosphere to allow infection. Perhaps there’s no traitor.”

Orix nodded, though he looked pessimistic. “Perhaps,” was all he would concede.

The meeting ended shortly after that, and she was painfully aware of her lack of belonging, aware enough for it to keep her from asking about the nanotechnology until she and Orix were on their way back to her quarters. “Do you know if Dr. Wy has produced enough supply to treat Ms. Saunders and any other women at the consulate who might come down with ROMKS?”

Orix nodded. “I believe there are several hundred thousand doses produced each day, but we’re still years away from having enough supply to treat all the women who’ve been affected. Still, I’m certain the president’s daughter will get a dose, if she hasn’t already. I’m sure your friends will as well, since they’re here at the consulate.”

“It’s only the women on Earth who might not get the treatment as quickly as they need it,” she said with a hint of bitterness. “At least not the unimportant ones.”

He frowned at her. “I’m surprised you hold such an opinion. It’s my view that all your women are important.”

She reached out to take his hand in hers, squeezing in a tender gesture. “I’m glad to hear you say that. I was simply being sarcastic. Humanity still suffers from an inability to separate itself from caste systems, and though they aren’t formally recognized in most cultures, they still exist. I’m thinking of all the women like me, who aren’t rich or politically positioned to receive treatment as quickly as possible. I’m concerned about the number of women who will succumb to the rapid onset, since the retrovirus has produced an aggressive version of Kaiser’s Syndrome. It also leaves them more vulnerable to the Emperor’s plan to harvest them if they can’t defend themselves.”

He nodded either to indicate he had heard her words, or else he agreed with them as well. “I know Dr. Wy and his team are working as quickly as possible. We have enough supplies between the ships in the armada that we were able to outfit another lab, so production has doubled since our arrival.”

“But it will still be years before you can treat everyone.” She let out a sigh as they reached her quarters and hesitated for a moment in front of the door. “Would you like to come in again?”

He wavered for a moment before shaking his head. “I’d like nothing more, but I’m due on duty again in less than an hour, and I doubt I’ll have even that much time with the newest crisis. I hope to have another chance soon though.”

She nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. She understood his obligations, but it was frustrating to have him so close but know he was inaccessible to her, at least for the time being. “As soon as we both have free time together again, we’ll get together.” It sounded like the kind of throwaway comment one made to a date they had no intention of phoning again, but she meant every word.

He kissed her briefly before turning and walking away. She watched him go until he disappeared around the bend in the hallway before letting herself into her quarters. A heavy sense of disappointment filled her as she cleaned up the wine glasses, dumping the leftovers down the sink and hand washing the glasses before preparing for bed.

It was only as she slid in between the sheets that she admitted to herself she had anticipated the night ending far differently than it had. Once again, she was going to bed alone, but having caught a glimpse of what she’d been missing, it was a thousand times worse than usual.

Sleep was a long time coming.