Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 110492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110492 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 552(@200wpm)___ 442(@250wpm)___ 368(@300wpm)
I’ll never see her again—never hold her again after this, he thought, his heart aching fiercely. He wished for a moment that he would have at least tried to bond her to him. Be he had been afraid that it would make their parting even harder and he didn’t want to leave her with a broken bond after he went back into stasis, as he knew that he must.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured into her hair, holding her tightly too him. “I’m sorry, I love you. I’ll always love you.”
His words only made Torri cry harder as he held her against his chest.
And then, to make matters worse, the door to the private chamber they had been sharing opened and two Kindred warriors entered.
“VIC Unit,” said one—a Beast Kindred with golden eyes. “I’m afraid we’re here to escort you to the stasis chamber.”
“No!” Torri clung to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, as though she could shield Vic from his fate if only she got close enough.
Vic felt hot tears sting his own eyes as he gently pried her loose.
“I’m sorry but I have to go now.” His voice was low and hoarse with emotion. “Maybe there will be another mission for me in your lifetime and I will see you again,” he added, though without much hope.
Torri only shook her head and buried her face in her hands.
“I…I love you,” she whispered through her fingers. “I always will.”
“I love you, too,” Vic told her, then he couldn’t bear it anymore. Turning to the guards he said, “I’m ready. Take me now while my loyalty protocol still holds me here.”
The second warrior—a Blood Kindred—nodded.
“Come with us, then.” He looked at Torri. “Does she wish to witness your re-entry into stasis?”
Vic looked back at Torri, who had sunk down on the couch they had been sharing earlier and still had her face buried in her hands.
“I do not think that would be a good idea,” he said hoarsely. Even with his loyalty protocol, he wasn’t sure he could make himself re-enter his hyperbaric stasis chamber if the woman he loved was standing there and begging him not to.
“Very well then, Brother.” The Beast Kindred clapped him on the shoulder and gave him a look of sympathy. “Let’s go.”
Silently, Vic went with them.
There was nothing else he could do.
Fifty-Six
The two Kindred warriors—who happened to be half-brothers—watched as the VIC Unit cyborg entered the small stasis chamber and faced front, a miserable look on his face.
“I’m ready,” he said, his voice hoarse with agony. “Please activate the stasis field now so that I need not feel the intense emotions that are tormenting me any longer.”
“I thought you weren’t supposed to have emotions,” the Beast Kindred, whose name was Baird, said.
“I wish I did not.” The VIC Unit shook his head. “But I do. And I can no longer bear them—please, activate the stasis field,” he begged.
“As you wish, Brother,” the Blood Kindred, whose name was Sylvan said. Reaching forward, he pressed a glowing red button on the front panel of the chamber.
At once, a clear pane of glass slid down with a hiss and the chamber filled with fog. When it cleared, the VIC Unit was still clearly visible, the look of agony frozen on his face. The light on the front panel turned green, indicating that the stasis field was in place. The cyborg would not be “defrosted” again unless the Kindred once more had need of his skills.
“Poor bastard!” Baird stared at the cyborg, now frozen in time. “I think he really did have feelings for that little Earth female he left behind.”
“That’s not possible,” Sylvan said, but he sounded uneasy. “But even if he did, he fulfilled his function and it was time for him to re-enter stasis.”
“Have a heart, Sylvan—put yourself in his position,” Baird growled. “What if you found yourself Dream Sharing with one of these Earth females and fell in love with her? But then someone told you that you weren’t allowed to love her and you had to leave her forever instead?”
“That would never happen.” Sylvan frowned. “You know my vow—I have sworn never to call a bride.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve never sworn any such thing,” Baird growled. “We’re going out to fight the Scourge tomorrow but the minute I get back, I’m going to see if I can get permission to go down to Earth and meet some of the females. Maybe I’ll see one in particular…”
Sylvan looked at him in surprise.
“Are you telling me that you’re already Dream Sharing with one of the human females?”
Baird shrugged.
“I don’t know about that. I did have a dream last night of a female with honey-colored hair and silver eyes—so beautiful she made me fucking ache. I don’t think she saw me, but I saw her, all right. And I want to go find her.” He sighed. “Have to get through that battle with the Scourge first, though.”