Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 224(@300wpm)
“And we want to have our Joining Ceremony here in the Mother Ship—in the Sacred Grove,” Kara put in quickly.
“Oh, well…of course, I guess.” Sophia looked flustered. “We’ll have to ask Kat to plan it, I suppose. I mean, there’s so much to do…”
Kaleb was still frowning at Raak distrustfully, however.
“Kara,” he growled, “How do we know the two of you are really bonded and not just pretending?”
“Kaleb! How can you even say that?” She gave her twin brother a little shove, just as she had back when they were kids and he was being a pain.
“I’m saying it because this ‘mate’ of yours is supposed to be Unbondable.” Kaleb frowned stubbornly. “Which means he shouldn’t be able to bond!”
“I know what Unbondable means,” Kara snapped. “Honestly, Kaleb! What do you want me to do—prove it?”
“Exactly.” He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. “Come with me and I’ll whisper something in your ear—something only I could know. If you can send it by your bond-link to your new ‘mate’ over there, I’ll believe you’re really bonded.”
“Honestly, Kaleb—I don’t believe you!” Kara bristled but Raak squeezed her shoulders gently.
“It’s all right, baby—I don’t blame your family for doubting and this is as good a way as any to prove ourselves. Go on—go over there with your brother and then send me what he tells you.”
The echoing Docking Bay was suddenly silent as her family waited to see what would happen. Furious with her twin for doubting, Kara grabbed Kaleb by the arm and towed him behind one of the parked ships where they could be alone. She didn’t want her brother to accuse Raak of lip-reading to find out what he was saying to her when they spoke. Things were crazy enough as it was.
“All right,” she snapped in a low voice. “Speak! Tell me something and you’d better make it good.”
Kaleb scowled back.
“I’m trying to think of something—you already know almost everything I do because we’re twins. And twins tell each other everything—especially when they’re planning to run off and leave the ship!”
Kara felt herself melting a little. Of course her brother was mad—he’d been worried about her and had rightfully thought that she ought to have included him in her plans.
“Okay…” she sighed. “I know—I’m sorry. I should have told you I was going but I was afraid you would try and stop me. And Kaleb, I had to go.”
He frowned. “You could have told me. I wouldn’t have betrayed your trust.”
“Unless you thought I was in danger,” Kara pointed out. “In which case you would have told Mom and Dad in a hot minute.”
It was Kaleb’s turn to look uncomfortable.
“I would have come with you,” he finally said. “If you thought it was so important to go, you should have taken me with you.”
“If I had, I never would have ended up bonded to Raak,” Kara pointed out. “You would have run him off because you don’t like him.”
“I don’t like him because I don’t trust him,” Kaleb hissed. “And you shouldn’t either, Kara—he’s got you fooled somehow, I just know it.”
“How dare you?” Kara exclaimed. “I’ll have you know—”
“Raak gave his life for your sister. Yes he did, yes he did.”
The squeaky voice stopped them both and Kara looked down and saw Silki standing there, her furry ears tilted forward as though she had been listening to everything they said.
“What?” she and Kaleb said at the same time.
“I said that he gave his life to get your essence flowing the right way again.” the little Tolleg doctor looked up at Kara seriously. “He didn’t want me to tell you but the only way to cure you and save your life was to allow you to bite him and inject an overdose of your essence into his blood. The overload is what stopped his heart and killed him. Yes it did, yes it did.”
“Oh my Goddess…” Kara felt suddenly weak. So that was what Raak had been hiding from her! “He…he never told me,” she whispered faintly. “He told me he died growing a soul so that the two of us could bond!”
“Wait a minute—he died when the two of you, uh, bonded?” Kaleb demanded.
“Yes—but only for a few minutes,” Kara said distractedly. “Then the Goddess sent him back.” She put a hand to her forehead. “And I’ve been biting him over and over ever since then every time we…oh my Goddess!”
“The same Goddess who sent your mate back to you. Yes she did, yes she did,” Silki said helpfully.
“I don’t believe this—he should have told me!” Kara’s voice was still a hoarse, horrified whisper. “I never would have bitten him again! Oh, I feel terrible!”
“That’s what I was afraid of, baby girl—that’s why I didn’t tell you. Didn’t want you to feel guilty.” Raak was suddenly by her side, putting an arm around her shoulders. “Kara,” he said earnestly. “I can tell how upset you are but please forgive me—I didn’t mean to keep secrets from you.”