Page 10 of Tomlin

“If that’s what’s happening, you should be here with your friends and your family.”

Friends. Family.He had longed for both for such a long time, but this was not something that anyone else could assist him with.Except Etta, a traitorous part of his mind whispered.

After promising to return if he could, he rose to leave.

“Goodbye, my… friends.”

The word sounded odd on his tongue, but he knew it was the right word. S’kal extended his hand but he flinched away from it. As much as he would have liked to have exchanged that gesture, his senses were too raw for another sweep of emotion, especially since he could already feel S’kal’s concern pressing against him.

“I am truly sorry, Lord S’kal, but I cannot.”

He did his best to maintain his composure but by the time he entered the flyer his hands were shaking. Ignoring them, he rose smoothly into the air, resisting the impulse to take another look at the farm before heading back to Wainwright. It was lateenough in the day that he would be unable to reach the lab on horseback before dark - and he was returning.

He told himself it was because he still needed to discover the extent of her knowledge, that it was because he’d assured her that he would, but he knew that the urge to seek out his mate was what was truly driving him.

Not that I will ever allow myself to claim her.It was far too dangerous. She was only a human - a fragile, beautiful human - and he couldn’t take the chance of harming her.

In spite of that, he could no more resist returning than a small insect could resist the honeyed lure of the deathtrap plant. If only he weren’t so afraid that he were the predator rather than the prey…

No.He refused to allow himself to become the kind of male his father had been. He would purchase some supplies for Etta and spend the night meditating and strengthening his control. Then he would return, complete his investigation, and somehow find the strength to leave again. Permanently.

CHAPTER 6

The timer signaling the end of the experiment chimed and Etta jumped. Instead of observing as closely as she usually did, she’d been daydreaming about Tomlin. About what had happened when they touched - that spark of electricity between them, the strange blue glow in his eyes. She had more questions than answers, but she also found that she actually missed his presence. Had he meant it when he’d said he would return? And if so, when would he be back?

Stop it, she scolded herself. She’d learned long ago that wishing for someone to return didn’t make it happen. After her parents died she’d spent much of her time alone. Her guardian, one of her father’s business partners, had arranged for her to remain in her home, complete with an army of servants, but their presence hadn’t eased her loneliness.

She’d wanted to live with him, but he hadn’t been married at the time and he didn’t think he was capable of creating a home for her. By the time he did marry - to a kind-hearted if somewhat silly woman - she was focused on her studies and had grown accustomed to her solitude. It still didn’t erase the memory ofthose first few years when she had longed so much for some type of companionship, for a family.

Shaking off her musings, she recorded her results, then collected the pieces of morchev. The separated pieces did in fact retain an attraction, a resonance between the two pieces. It didn’t manifest itself physically in the same way that a magnet would, but it was undoubtedly there.

Just as she was setting up a second test with a greater distance between the pieces, a knock came on the outer door. She immediately flew to answer it, her heart racing. Tomlin stood outside, his powerful frame silhouetted against the landscape, and she found herself smiling foolishly.

“You came back.”

Instead of returning her smile, he frowned at her.

“Where is your weapon this time? You are out here by yourself. You should always be armed when someone approaches.”

“I recognized you through the -.” She gave him a confused look. “Wait a minute. How did you know I was armed last time?”

“I caught a… glimpse of the weapon.”

She was quite sure she’d kept it concealed, but how else could he have known? Before she could question him further, he reached down and picked up two overstuffed saddlebags.

“Have you eaten?”

Now that she thought about it, she realized that she was hungry. But that didn’t prevent her from wanting answers. He hadn’t met her eyes directly but they seemed much as they had when he first arrived. Deciding to bide her time, she followed into theliving area, watching silently as he stowed the contents of his saddlebags in her cupboards with his usual speed and efficiency.

“You didn’t have to bring me more supplies.”

He gave a half-shrug, still not looking at her.

“Since I was in town anyway, it seemed only logical to replenish them. Especially since I have been partaking in them.”

“You didn’t eat that much,” she said dryly as he added yet another stack of cans to the already overflowing cupboard. When he didn’t respond, she sighed and tried another approach. “Did you finish your business?”

There was an almost imperceptible pause before he nodded.