Page 6 of A Delicate Conquest
You doubly owe me now, Jerik Garul.
Coming to a sudden realization, he stopped mid-pace.
No amount of walking around like this was going to burn off this frantic energy. No amount of speculating was going to help him organize his thoughts.
Beatrice.
Bea.
A human female who had been completely unafraid of him and almost appeared to share his complete and utter disdain for the human mercs holding him hostage.
She’d even smiled and winked at him.
The audacity.
How could he forget that smile—perfect white teeth between full, luscious lips painted in the most tantalizing shade of red, making her warm human complexion glow.
That human.
Sheglowed.
And she’d seemed perfectly oblivious to the effect she’d had on him.
Mavrel groaned as he turned and walked out the door, heading for the med-bay.
Pacing and ruminating wasn’t going to do shit. He had work to do.
The only solution was to have Zharek pump him full of drugs.
He wouldn’t allow this matter to occupy his mind for a moment longer.
Of course, hecouldjust scan the human Networks and compile every single piece of information on her that existed, but…
No.He shook his head, muttering to himself as he stalked down the dark corridors.That wouldn’t be good. It would ruin everything.
For the time being, he would forget about her.
He had work to do.
He couldn’t afford to get distracted now.
After all, look what had happened to the ruthless Commander Jerik.
So down to the med-bay it was.
Zharek would understand. The medic hadn’t yet succumbed to the perils of the Mating Fever. Surely, he could put a patch on things until Mavrel figured out a plan.
He’d seen how they got—even the mighty and terrifying General Tarak al Akkadian. It was ridiculous. Because of human contact, they’d comesoclose to courting disaster.
Mavrel swore to the Goddess it would not happen to him. He might accept his female with time, but he would not allow the biological changes to overwhelm him. He would not make any stupid or rash decisions.
If he were to enter the mating phase, it would be so onhisterms.
THREE
So this iswhat it feels like, huh?
Mavrel’s horn-buds ached. His body felt strange—as if a low-voltage electric current were running through it.