Shadowed Read online

  Sophia and Olivia started laughing.

  “Being pregnant by Twin Kindred makes you crave sweets,” Lissa explained to Nina.

  “Speaking of Twin Kindred,” Lauren said, frowning. “I just went to visit Becca Malone.”

  “Becca Malone? Who’s that?” Kat frowned.

  “The sweetest little thing you’d ever want to meet,” Lauren said. “She crashed your wedding by mistake—I guess she thought the reception was just a free buffet for visitors to the Mother Ship. Unfortunately, she got hold of a piece of the bonding fruit layer of the cake.”

  “Oh, no!” Kat groaned. “What happened? Did she attack some poor unwilling man?”

  “Hardly,” Lauren said. “She ate the cake and left the reception before we knew what was going on. Once she got out into the park area past the sacred grove, she started to feel the effects.”

  “That’s terrible—she could have died.” Sophie’s eyes were wide.

  “Yes, she could have because I let someone talk me into making that stupid cake in the first place.” Lauren put a hand on her hip and turned a stern gaze on Kat.

  Kat shook her head. “Don’t look at me, doll. How was I to know I was ordering up the horny cake from hell? None of us knew that cooking the bonding fruit would intensify it so much. So what happened to the girl?”

  “Luckily, Becca was…ahem…rescued by a pair of unmated Twin Kindred who just happened to be visiting from Twin Moons, touring the Mother Ship.”

  “Whew…” Olivia mimed wiping sweat from her brow. “Disaster averted.”

  “Not quite.” Lauren frowned. “You see, Becca was a novice at a convent in Sarasota, Florida. The Servants of the Pierced Hearts.”

  “Oh my God—she was a nun?” Sophie gasped.

  “Not quite but she was about to take her vows to become one.” Lauren shook her head. “Now the poor girl is all mixed up and confused. She didn’t actually bond with the Twin Kindred—they held back from that since none of them knew each other from Adam when they found her in the park. But she did get a little more frisky that your average nun is supposed to get.”

  “I thought your average nun wasn’t supposed to frisky at all,” Kat said dryly.

  “Exactly.” Lauren sighed. “She’s still not sure what to do, and I didn’t know what to tell her.”

  “I’d say tell her nuns don’t get much nookie,” Kat murmured, licking chocolate frosting from her fingers. “That would be the end of that argument right there for me.”

  “Kat, it’s not funny,” Lauren said severely. “And what’s more, I told Becca you would come and talk to her. After all, you’re bonded to Deep and Lock—maybe you can give her some perspective on it.”

  “You’re right,” Kat said, sobering. “I’m sorry, Lauren. I know you feel responsible because of making the cake. I never should have asked for it in the first place.”

  Maggie stood up suddenly on wobbly legs. “It’s not your fault, Lauren—or yours either, Kat,” she said in a shaky voice. “It’s mine. I mixed up the signs on the layers.”

  “Oh come on now, Maggie,” Nina objected. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. After all, those two cake layers looked an awful lot alike. How could you know?”

  Maggie shook her head. “Don’t try to excuse it or make it sound like a harmless mistake, Nina. I made a mess just like I always do.”

  “Maggie—” Nina started.

  “It’s true!” Maggie shoved her honey-blonde curls off her forehead and pulled off her thick glasses to clean them on her blouse. “It’s a good thing I’m leaving tomorrow for a deserted planet no one has ever been to before,” she muttered, polishing her glasses with quick, savage movements. “There won’t be anyone’s life there for me to ruin.”

  “Oh, hon…” Olivia got up and put an arm around the other girl’s shoulders. “Come on now, everyone makes mistakes now and then.”

  “Not me.” Maggie sniffed and swiped at her eyes. “I make them all the time. Honestly, it’s no wonder my fiancé, Kurt, gets so irritated with me. He always says I’m an accident waiting to happen.”

  “Sounds like a real charmer,” Kat said dryly. “Bet you’re not going to miss hearing that on Planet X or wherever it is you’re going.”

  “It’s Gaia—they’re calling it Gaia.” Maggie sighed. “Of course, we have to stop off on Yonnie Six first, but that should only take a day or two, and then we’re off to the unknown.”

  “Wait a minute…” Lissa sat forward suddenly, looking anxious. “Did you say Yonnie Six?”

  “Yes—we have to deliver some kind of collar or something.” Maggie shrugged. “I’ll probably just stay in the ship and let Ferna and Ratner—the two Kindred scientists I’ll be with—handle it.”

  “You be sure you do that,” Lissa said, frowning. “Yonnie Six is a dangerous place. And the people there…” She shook her head and shivered. “Let’s just say you’re safer in the ship.”

  “Oh…okay.” Maggie’s big brown eyes were wide behind her glasses. “Thanks for the warning.”

  “You’re welcome.” Lissa still looked troubled. “I just want you to be safe. You’re a very sweet girl, but you do seem to be a little bit…accident prone.”

  “You mean clumsy.” Maggie sighed. “I swear I do better when I’m not nervous. It’s just that I usually am nervous. Unless I’m doing research—then I get into the zone, and I’m almost a normal person. Almost.”

  “You’re fine, and everything is going to be okay,” Nina assured her though she couldn’t suppress a shiver of unease when she thought of the accident prone Maggie anywhere near a life threatening situation. “Just stay in the ship like Lissa said and don’t get off it until you get to Gaia.”

  “Right.” Maggie sighed. “I really am excited about going, you know. But first I think I should go with Kat and apologize to that poor Becca girl.”

  “If it’ll make you feel better,” Kat said quietly. “Though I still don’t think you’re to blame.”

  “Thanks, Kat.” Maggie smiled at her gratefully. “Should we go now?”

  Kat sighed. “Just let me finish my cupcake, doll. It would be a shame to let any of Lauren’s baking go to waste. Just because it doesn’t make me horny out of my mind doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste freaking delicious.”

  Lauren laughed. “Okay, Kat—you know what flattery will get you.”

  “Another cupcake for the road?” Kat asked hopefully. “Because honestly, Lauren, the twins are begging for more.” She patted her belly which was just barely beginning to show.

  Lauren answered something, but just at that moment, Nina got the feeling that someone was trying to speak to her.

  “Yes, baby?” she sent, opening herself to the communication. The mental link between herself and Reddix was still so new she hadn’t quiet gotten used to it yet, but it gave her a little thrill every time she heard his deep, harsh voice speaking inside her head.

  “Just wanted to know how much longer you’re going to be ‘out with the girls’ sweetheart,” he sent back to her. “I’m beginning to miss you so much I can’t fucking stand it.”

  Nina stifled a chuckle. “It’s only been a few hours since the last time we made love. Going into withdrawal already?”

  “Absolutely. I can’t get enough of you, sweetheart. Come back to the suite soon, okay?”

  “I promise I will. I think things are about to break up here anyway. Do you want me to bring you a cupcake?”

  “I don’t care what you bring as long as you bring yourself,” he growled softly through their link. “Love you, Nina.”

  “I love you too—I’ll be there soon.”

  She broke the link just in time to hear everyone wishing Maggie a safe trip the next day. Nina went to wish her new friend well too.

  “You’re going to do fine,” she murmured, hugging the shorter girl. “Just be careful and stay in the ship on Yonnie Six like Lissa said.”

  “Of course.” Maggie smiled and hugged her back. “And don’t worry about m