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  “The Scarlet Plague…” Six shut his eyes briefly. Blood leaking from their eyes and ears…oozing in crimson rivulets from Kaylee’s nose, the corners of her mouth. “Kill me, Jax. I want you to kill me…it hurts so bad…”

  “…Claiming Period here.”

  “What?” Six’s eyes flew open. “Forgive me—I did not quite hear your words.”

  “Which is why you should get an acoustic implant—at least on one side.” One frowned disapprovingly. “I said that you can spend your Claiming Period here on Zeaga Four.”

  “But I don’t know what a Claiming Period entails,” Six protested. “And the girl is completely unenhanced—I can see that much in the dreams. Also, she is a Feeler.”

  “You can study the rules of the Claiming Period as you journey to claim her,” One said. “As for enhancements, she can get one or two simple ones aboard one of the medical barges before you come to the surface.”

  “And her emotions?” Six asked. “What if she does not choose to get an emotion damper as one of her enhancements? What then?”

  One sighed. “A special dispensation will be granted. Though if you keep her and she stays here for the long term, an emotion damper will become necessary.”

  “Of course,” Six said numbly. He stood up. “But…why? Why do you want me to do this, One?”

  The older organic, which Six had come to regard as his mentor, sighed and rubbed one hand over the smooth, see-through skull cap.

  “Officially I will say only that it is the will of the Collective. Unofficially, I will tell you that events are in play that can affect all of Zeaga Prime. I cannot tell you more than that.”

  Six frowned. “I will do it if you ask it of me, of course. But I still do not understand.”

  One looked up at him. “I know you don’t and I know this is a risk for you, Six, but I believe you can do it. Your character is strong, your logic unimpeachable. You will not allow yourself to fall into Feel-crime, no matter what influence this human female has on you.”

  “She has no influence,” Six said, frowning again. “None at all.”

  But against his will he remembered the sheer, silky white garment which showed her small, perfect breasts…the fear in her eyes…her soft, sweet voice when she begged him not to hurt her… Someone needs to protect her, a voice whispered in his head. She’s too tiny, too delicate—defenseless.

  “I know she doesn’t. And I know you will stay strong.” One’s voice broke the strange reverie he had somehow fallen into.

  “Oh, of course. Of course, I will, One.” Six nodded.

  “Good.” His mentor stood so Six did as well. “When you have her, bring her back to me and let me inspect her enhancements. I will grant you a personal dispensation for her emotions so you won’t have any problems.”

  “Thank you.” Six made a formal bow which One returned with a nod of his head. “I will do as you ask.”

  “See that you go at once,” One said. “Take your fastest shuttle and have the tertiary medical barge fold space for you. Its energy source is the strongest.”

  “Of course.” Six nodded again and turned to go.

  “Six?”

  “Yes?” He turned back to see a strange, unreadable expression on One’s face. Then again, it was odd to see any expression on the normally blank countenance of his mentor.

  “May Fortune favor you,” One said formally. “Now go. I will see you next when you have the girl with you.”

  Six nodded again and left. But as he stepped from One’s domicile into the dim daylight of Prime, he wondered what reason his mentor could possibly have for him to claim the human girl.

  And what would Six do with her once he had, in fact claimed her? What did one do with any female? A quick vision of tiny, perfect breasts and huge, lovely eyes flashed before his mind’s eye and was gone just as quickly.

  He lifted his chin and headed for the shuttle docks. There was much to do and much to learn.

  It was time to claim his bride.

  Chapter Two

  Mei-Li Hastings rolled over with a groan and slapped at her phone to make it stop its incessant beeping. Ugh, why had she set her alarm so early? Oh, right—to try and get a jump start on her day. She had a mound of paperwork and a two o’ clock shelter hearing in court—not to mention the various clients she had to visit today. She was going to be running from the moment she hit the office.

  Rubbing sleep from her eyes, she fumbled her glasses onto her face and forced herself to get up and stagger to the shower. Normally the crushing work-load of a CPI or Child Protection Investigator didn’t get her down. She had excellent organizational and time management skills which allowed her to juggle even the most difficult day’s schedule—but that was much easier when she’d had a full night’s sleep. And she hadn’t had any decent rest in ages.

  Mei-Li sighed as she turned the shower on full blast, allowing the water to heat until the little bathroom was filled with steam. Her glasses fogged over and she took them off and folded them carefully on the ledge beside the towel rack. Maybe a hot shower would make her feel better.

  But even the stinging, heated needles of water raining down on her skull wouldn’t wipe out the details of her dream. As she shampooed her hair, Mei-Li wondered again why she couldn’t stop having it. She had been told personally by Commander Sylvan of the Kindred High Council that the Dark Kindred warrior she was dream sharing with didn’t intend to claim her. But if he wasn’t coming for her, then why did she keep dreaming of him? And why were the dreams lasting longer and including more details?

  “What is your designation? I am Six.”

  Mei-Li shivered as she remembered his deep voice, so flat and devoid of emotion. His one normal eye had flickered over her body, as though he was studying her. It made her feel like he could see right through her thin, white lace nightgown.

  Not that there’s much to see, she thought ruefully as she soaped her flat chest. Her breasts were two little apricot sized buds and her hips were barely rounded. No wonder the Dark Kindred had decided not to claim her. Looking down at her too-slender, naked body, Mei-Li could see why he’d decided it wasn’t worth the effort of coming light years across the universe to make her his bride.

  Not that she minded—the dreams had been scaring her to death. Six was absolutely terrifying so she was much more relieved than insulted that he wasn’t coming to get her.

  As she scrubbed herself, Mei-Li reflected that this was the first and only time her lack of curves had worked in her favor. Her flat figure had been a sore point for her since high school. For awhile she’d hoped that her chest and hips might eventually fill out, but she was twenty-seven and well past puberty—it didn’t look like anything was going to change.

  “Yup, twenty-seven and still buying my clothes in the junior’s department,” Mei-Li muttered, reaching for the shampoo. Because in addition to her flat chest and nonexistent hips, she was also petite—barely five feet tall in her stocking feet. Her tiny stature made her look like an adorable little China doll—or so Clem, the guy she’d dated in college, had claimed. Then he had left her for a blonde, busty cheerleader type so Mei-Li guessed the delicate doll look wasn’t as attractive as he had claimed. But she was stuck with it and her almond shaped black eyes, long black hair and porcelain pale complexion only added to the look.

  Mei-Li hated how tiny she was—it meant she was scarcely bigger than some of the clients she served and made it hard to get respect from their parents. She also wished she was a little better endowed—was a B cup too much to ask? Apparently so. Of course, she could have scraped and saved to get a boob job but she was extremely wary of elective surgery—or any surgery for that matter.

  Her adopted mother had died during what was supposed to be a routine liposuction ten years before. Though they had never been close, Mei-Li still missed her—she was, after all, the only mom she had ever known. She could still remember getting that awful phone call from her father, telling her they had to get down to the hospital