Lord of Capra (11 page)

Chapter Fifteen

“If you two are finished
mating like Frendorian swamp bats, I would like to introduce some of the
species you might encounter on your visit to Taneth.”

Bedcovers exploded
from atop the waterbed as Drake and Evana dove beneath them.

“What the hell?” He
looked at Evana. Huddled next to him, she glared at the ceiling.

“Seriously, Nem?
Swamp bats?” she asked the disembodied voice that had interrupted them.

“Yes. Swamp bats
mate at least six times per day and begin each encounter with oral—”

“Stop! Please, Nem,
no more explaining.” Evana buried her face into his shoulder.

Not as embarrassed
as his mate, Drake chuckled. He wondered if Nemesis had been watching them the
whole time. It’d never occurred to him they might’ve had an audience. Judging
from Evana’s reaction, she hadn’t thought about it either. He could understand
keeping tabs on Evana, especially when she was on a planet, or wherever, but there?
Would Nemesis always monitor their every move? It was enough to give a guy
performance anxiety.

 He nudged Evana
while clearing his throat to get her attention. “Maybe we should shower?” he
managed to whisper.

She peeked at him,
and he nodded up at the ceiling, raising his brows inquiringly. Evana rolled
her eyes in exasperation and sighed.

“Nem, give us a few
minutes to freshen up.”

“Of course. Do you
wish to use the pilot bed?”

Evana glanced at
him shyly. “No. Maybe another time.”

Drake waited for a
cue from Evana while he stayed under the covers, figuring she might be talking
to Nemesis silently now, since she stared at the ceiling intently. Finally, she
sighed and threw off the covers.

“What did she mean
about using the pilot bed?” Drake followed her into his bathroom.

“Well, the
bed…actually the pod, has a function that can…clean,” she faltered and seemed
to consider if she’d given him the right explanation to answer his question.

Drake leaned
against the doorframe, waiting impatiently for her to continue while he watched
her step into the tub and turn on the water. She glanced at him and shrugged.

“So, it can clean?”

“Yes,” she answered
brightly and seemed content to leave that as her final answer before pulling
the curtain shut.

Okay, maybe I don’t
want to know
.
He decided against pressing her for more information. Besides, the idea of
sharing his shower with her was infinitely more appealing at the moment. The
image of Evana all wet and slippery with soap was too tempting to let any other
concerns occupy his mind.

He joined her in
the shower.

* * * *

Fully dressed once
again, Drake sat on his couch, waiting for Evana to join him. He guessed she
was doing whatever it was women did in the bathroom when they have a man
waiting for them. He put his bare feet on the coffee table and relaxed,
thinking if she didn’t hurry he might go back and shower with her again.

Damn. How can I still
be so horny for her?

It was amazing and
frustrating all at the same time. If he didn’t get a grip on his sex drive
pretty soon, it wouldn’t matter if he could recognize any aliens or not. He’d
never be able to go out in public with a permanent hard-on.
Fuck.

Oh, that’s just
great, dumbass,
he lectured himself. The “F” word probably wasn’t the best curse of choice to
use right at the moment.

He tried to
distract himself, and thought about what she’d told him after they’d finished
bathing for the final time. Evana had said she’d “spoken” with Nemesis, as he’d
guessed, and told her ship that in the future they’d like to have privacy when
they were together, as in lovemaking together. Drake crammed a throw pillow on
top his offending erection since his train of thought hadn’t distracted him
enough. Anyway, she’d said Nemesis was cooperative and wouldn’t observe them in
the bedroom anymore, but whenever they weren’t, she’d monitor them constantly.

He didn’t believe
Nemesis was being totally truthful. Evana hadn’t seemed to believe her either.
It had something to do with the fact that she and Nemesis were part of each
other, a pilot and ship thing. He wondered if this “thing” they shared meant he
was making love to Evana alone or Evana/Nemesis together.

Too kinky. Not
helping
…
He grumbled to himself in silence and shifted uncomfortably on the couch.
What’s
wrong with me?

Drake suspected the
reason for his present condition had something to do with the fact he now had
muscles he didn’t even know the names for and his body was ripped all over.
He’d never developed so much definition working out in a gym, and he’d refused
to pop steroids even as a kid in high school. His penis had even grown to
enormous proportions also. It seemed there was no limit on “getting it up”
either.

Plus, his skin
coloring was no longer pale from months spent in a hospital bed. Instead, he
looked as if he’d been surfing all summer, naked. However, he was still
freakish enough due to other changes. Along with his evenly tanned, harder
body, he had fangs and an urge to growl like an animal, especially during sex.
Added to that, he had the roar of a wild lion trapped within his chest. The
most troubling fact of all was that he really enjoyed the taste of his mate’s
blood.

His mate? Yes,
Evana was his mate. It was a strange feeling. He was certain he loved her. And
he was equally certain he belonged with her, or to her. No matter, leaving
Earth with her had been one of the easiest decisions he’d ever made. There was
something more now, and he was aware the feelings for her as his mate slammed
into him at about the same time as her fangs. What happened next had been
purely instinctive on his part. Drake frowned.

Am I a vampire now?
Will I want to bite every alien I see and drink their blood? Do I prefer red
blood? Or green? Or blue? Will I kill them?
He gave his mind a mental shake.
This
is crazy
, he thought and consoled himself
. I’m not even hungry.
He
checked under the pillow to make sure his hunger for other things had waned
also. Yep, better than a cold shower. No matter, he couldn’t get the vampire
concern out of his head.

He took a chance. “Nemesis?”

“Yes, Drake?”

“You knew all along
that, um…I had to ‘bite’ Evana, right?”

“More than bite. You
had to feed.”

“Well, about that,”
he said, realizing he was going to have to ask out right as it didn’t seem
Nemesis was about to offer any information just for the hell of it. “I’ve got
fangs. I drink Evana’s blood. Am I a vampire now?”

“As long as Evana
is alive you will never turn vampire.”

“That’s a little
vague, Nemesis.” Damn, she was so frustrating at times. “What do you mean I
won’t turn vampire?”

“You have completed
a blood transformation. A pilot’s blood contains markers that permanently
enhance DNA. The changes you have experienced are the result. Instant cell
regeneration, increased strength and stamina, heightened senses are just a few
of the benefits. You are a living immortal. As long as you do not lose your
head, burn in fire, have your molecules blown apart in an explosion or
suffocate, your body will repair itself.

“However, only
Evana’s blood will completely satisfy your hunger. If she were to die, then you
would eventually need to find another blood source to sustain you. It would
never completely satisfy you. Only then would you be what you think of as a
vampire. Do not worry. If I live, I will give you a choice.”

Drake didn’t want
to know, really. He just couldn’t help himself. “What are my choices?”

“You could live on
as a vampire or I could end your existence. I would strongly recommend that you
not live.” Her voice was cold and unfeeling. A chill raced up and down his
spine.

“Well then, I’ll
just have to die protecting her, if that’s okay with you?”

“You are a wise
mate. My pilot is fortunate to have you at her side.”

Don’t mention it,
he thought
silently.
Please.

He wondered if
there were any more downsides to his existence that might be waiting to bite
him in the ass. His thoughts turned to Evana and he found the idea of her
biting him, even there, was worth exploring. Hell, they’d already bitten each
other in the most unexpected places of all. So if she presented him with the
opportunity, he wouldn’t hesitate to sink his fangs into her lovely…

He felt a breeze
and Evana appeared beside him, cuddling up to him. He pulled her closer, and was
grateful to see she was fully clothed. His hard-on had returned with a
vengeance. He chanced a quick kiss to welcome her, thinking the whole time that
Nemesis had better hurry and start teaching before he grabbed Evana and took
her back to the bedroom.

As if on cue,
Nemesis spoke
.
“I will display some examples of the species you should
become familiar with in this quadrant of the galaxy.”

The wall facing his
couch swirled with colors and a view screen formed, exactly like the one he’d
seen before in the control room. A picture of a group of humanoid types with
long tails came into focus. Drake stared hard at the images.

“These are
Mendorans, a highly-evolved, peaceful space-faring species. They are the
original architects for the Alliance, which is the governing influence for this
quadrant. Your Earth lies within their borders. The Mendorans are touch
telepaths. The most talented are selected for service in their high court, and
most planets in the Alliance have several Mendoran vicars available for legal
purposes. If you must greet one, do not attempt to shake their hands. It is
considered very rude to touch them. However, if you must be rude, they regard
it as permission to read your thoughts.”
Nemesis paused in her lecture. “Drake?”

The question
brought him back to reality. “Uh…” he stammered, staring at the view screen
skeptically. Shrugging, he offered, “Lizard people?” He glanced at Evana, who
was obviously trying to choke back her laughter. She hid her face in her hands.
“Really?” he whispered, not sure if he should believe anything Nemesis told
him. She nodded, apparently unable to speak.

“Lizard people.”
Nemesis
repeated his words back to him. “I see.”

Losing control,
Evana’s laughter escaped and Drake chuckled.

He gained control, and
said, “Sorry, Nemesis. I was just trying to associate them with something I
could use to help me remember.” He hoped his weak explanation would convince
Nemesis. “You know. Lizard people equal Mendorans, you see?”

“Perhaps.”
She didn’t sound
very convinced, but she continued anyway. “Mendorans have reptilian features,
as your lizard people description implies. They are vegetarians and never eat
meat, except during certain religious ceremonies. Their culture is peaceful,
and they abhor war. Even though they are reluctant to fight, they can and will
defend themselves if necessary.” She paused again.

“Got it. Mendorans,
reptilian, rabbit food, peaceful and don’t touch,” Drake listed, trying to
prove to his teacher he was paying attention.

“The next species
is also part of the Alliance.”
The view screen changed to a different view
and to another group of humanoid-shaped, bushy-tailed aliens. “They call
themselves the Novyr. Do not refer to them as Novyrians to their faces or
within hearing distance. It is an insult and you will be in a fight. In my
opinion, the Novyr are the most human-acting of all the Alliance. Like
Mendorans, they are star faring and peaceful. They will fight and kill if given
enough cause. Do you have an association to share?”

Drake grinned at
Evana. Oh, yeah. He had an association all right. “Lemurs, really tall ones. Do
they all have red eyes and ringed tails?”

“Yes, red eyes. No,
all these are males. The females are generally very shy and secretive. Their
males do not trust them.”

“Interesting,”
Drake muttered, wondering why he would ever trust any of them. “Okay. The
Novyr.” The name sounded like a prescription drug to him. “Very human acting, untrustworthy,
shy girls,” Drake paused, trying to think of any other descriptions. “Is that
all?”

“No, the Novyr are
very prevalent throughout the quadrant. It is rare to see a Mendoran on Taneth,
but the Novyr will be there in great numbers. Try not to step on their tails.
They have sharp teeth and claws.”
Before Drake could mention that he and
Evana weren’t in any danger from being bitten or scratched, Nemesis added, “It
will appear odd to everyone if you engage in a fight and suffer no visible
wounds.”

Evana spoke up. “We
must try to blend in, no obvious use of power.”

Drake nodded his
understanding. It wouldn’t be good to show up all god-like and freak out the
natives, even if they were advanced.