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  Truth frowned. “That would be a problem. Every life is precious to the Kindred—especially female life. You would not be allowed to kill and eat several virgins on your first turning as is the normal way among the Rai’ku.”

  “Nor should I be,” Garron said. “The entire process is sickening—I have always thought so. But you and I both know the dr’gin is a mindless beast when it first emerges and the older it grows, the hungrier it gets. If mine should come out now after all this time, it would be ravenous. I might…” He shook his head.

  “You might cause all kinds of destruction,” Truth finished for him.

  Garron snorted. “That’s a nice way of saying I’d kill and eat every unmated female in my path, Brother.” He ran a hand through his hair. “My name day is coming up very soon—what am I to do?”

  “I don’t know.” Truth frowned. “I don’t—”

  “Why not use one of the Pairing Puppets?” The new voice came from Far, who had come back into the food prep area.

  “Far! This is a private matter.” Truth frowned. “Although actually, that is not a bad idea…”

  “Yes, I know. I’m sorry for invading your privacy—just had to make sure my sauce wasn’t sticking.” The light twin gestured to a pot he had set up on an Earth style cooking top which was very different from the Kindred Wave appliance most used aboard the Mother Ship. Perhaps Becca had requested it specially.

  Garron waited uncomfortably for the light twin to finish tending his cooking. At last, when he showed no signs of leaving, he could stand it no more.

  “What is a Pairing Puppet?” he demanded.

  Far looked at him, clearing surprised.

  “You don’t know? But you live in the Unmated Males area.”

  “I haven’t been there that long,” Garron defended. “I am still finding my way around the Mother Ship.”

  “Well in your tours, I am certain you must have noticed the small pink building near the back of the Unmated Males area?” Truth raised an eyebrow at him. “The one with females coming and going out of it occasionally.”

  “Oh, I did notice that place. I thought it was some kind of exclusive club,” Garron said.

  Far snorted. “It is. The club for males in need of release.”

  Garron frowned.

  “What are you saying? That it is a house of ill repute? I thought the Kindred didn’t hold with such things.”

  “They don’t. But the females that stay in the Pairing House aren’t technically females,” Truth said.

  “What he means is that they aren’t really alive,” Far explained. “They’re robots.”

  “Robots? As in machines?” Garron was disgusted. “I have no wish to have relations with a machine.”

  “They’re more like…like what the humans call cyborgs in their fictional science tales,” Truth said. “They have soft, supple skin and real flesh but it is grown over a metal skeleton. They can understand simple commands and carry on extremely limited conversations but mostly they are made for…”

  “For relieving the needs of unmated males,” Far said. “For those who have yet to align with a female mind on Earth.”

  “I see…” Garron frowned. “And they are…accommodating to any Kindred male?”

  “That is their sole purpose. Without them, the Unmated Males area would be a much more tense and unhappy place,” Far said.

  “But the important thing for you is that they are artificial,” Truth said. “They don’t think, they feel no pain. And they do not judge. You could explore your new…Kindred urges…” He cleared his throat. “And if your dr’gin did manifest itself, you wouldn’t have to worry about hurting a real female.”

  Garron shook his head.

  “I don’t know, brother. As badly as my desires ride me, I have no wish to copulate with some soulless, mechanical puppet. It just seems…wrong.”

  “Well, as I see it, that is your only option,” Truth said matter-of-factly. “Unless you wish to take your chances back on pax among the Rai’ku.”

  “Out of the question. T’lar told me never to even make orbit around the planet again.”

  “T’lar is an overbearing fool,” Truth said shortly. “You shouldn’t let me keep you from going home if you want to.”

  “No.” Garron looked away. “Now that Nella is gone I cannot imagine mating with another. I have no wish to go back to Pax.”

  “Then you should really consider the Pairing Puppets,” Far said gently. “If you have needs that are too dangerous to relieve with a real female and you cannot bring yourself to form a relationship with a real female, then a false one is your best choice.”

  “I…will think on it.” Garron sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to push back the headache that was threatening. Gods, if only he could control these urges better! If only he could push them down, push them back inside where they belonged…

  The way you’ve been pushing them down for years? The way you buried them each time the virgins were called for you because you feared to hurt Nella? whispered a little voice in the back of his head. The way you—

  “…stay and eat with us when Rebecca returns?”

  Garron looked up, realizing that his brother was asking him a question.

  “I’m sorry—what?”

  “I said the food is almost ready. It’s an Earth specialty Far and I learned to cook just for Rebecca.”

  “You’re welcome to stay if you want,” Far added. “You’re always welcome here, Garron—you know that.”

  “Thank you.” Garron smiled at his brother’s mate or tried to anyway—the desires inside him were growing worse again which made it hard to think. “But I think there is something I must do. Not go to the Pairing House, though,” he added quickly. “Something…else.”

  “Of course.” Truth nodded gravely. “Be well, Brother. And please don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything that Far and Rebecca and I can provide.”

  “Thank you,” Garron said again and bowed. Truth returned the gesture as did Far, though less expertly. “I take my leave of you,” he said and headed for the door as fast as he could.

  He needed to be alone for awhile and think.

  Chapter Three

  “So this is the perfect place you have for me?” Tess looked up at the little pink house with its spotless white trim skeptically. “What is it, anyway—some kind of boarding house for unmarried girls?”

  Di snorted. “In the middle of the Unmated Males area? Hardly.”

  “Well then, what is it?” Tess insisted.

  “Just come inside and I’ll tell you. Hurry up!” Di hissed. “I think I see some Kindred on their way.”

  The two women ducked into the little house with Tess still protesting under her breath, and found themselves in a very neat, old-timey looking parlor. There were floral print couches lining the walls as well as some large, comfortable looking chairs. Vases of fresh flowers were scattered throughout the room on little tables and there was even a bookcase on one end which held an assortment of real old fashioned paper books.

  “Wow…” Tess, who was a complete bibliophile, wandered over to caress the spines of the displayed books. “Look at this—they have all the classics. Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Wide Sargasso Sea—”

  Before she could go on, a girl came into the room. She had long, blonde hair and wide blue eyes and she was wearing a very pretty light blue dress which fit her slender figure to a T.

  Tess tried desperately to think of an excuse—any excuse—as to why they were trespassing on what appeared to be private property.

  “Oh, hi! Uh, we wandered in her by mistake and then I saw you had real old fashioned books and we just…”

  But the girl didn’t pay any attention to her. Instead, she went and took a book from the shelf, seemingly at random, and went to sit on one of the many couches. Then she opened the book—again, completely at random—and stared down at the page. But Tess could tell she wasn’t reading because her eyes didn’t move.