Bonded by Accident Read online

  On the way down from the Mother Ship, he had been planning to confront her. She was a little tease, he’d thought grimly. A female who had probably gone into the Puppet House on a dare or just for fun to catch some unsuspecting male unawares. He was going to give her a tongue-lashing she wouldn’t soon forget.

  She hadn’t made it easy to find her—she’d given the wrong name which had led to a female relative of hers—the same one who had apparently been with her on the Mother Ship. One look at her artificially blonde hair and too-skinny body let him know it wasn’t Brandi and he didn’t even speak to the girl.

  Slade had left but the bond he shared with Brandi let him know he wasn’t far off the mark. It drew him to her until he was close enough to follow his nose to her exact location.

  But long before he got to her, he had begun getting her thoughts, loud and clear—as though she was broadcasting them right into his head. He listened in to her worries about him but also her feelings for her daughter, whom she loved with all her heart. Though he’d tried not to let it sway him, Slade couldn’t help softening towards her just for that.

  She’s a good mother, he thought with grudging approval. And she seems to be a decent person. Maybe she didn’t have any malicious intentions when she came to the Puppet House.

  But then…why had she come? Slade had to know. He had parked the Kindred shuttle he was flying—which turned into a land vehicle on Earth—outside a community of long, metal domiciles, many rusted or in bad condition. There was a verdant wilderness located on one boundary of it and the heat and humidity reminded him he was in a tropical climate. Slade was glad he’d traded the Kindred uniform shirt he’d been given for the lightweight cotton t-shirt, which the owner of the shop he had visited had informed him was an article of clothing many humans wore.

  As he continued on foot, Slade had heard the roar of a combustion engine and then Brandi’s frantic thoughts when she realized her vehicle wasn’t working. She’d been worried because of something about her supervisor. Mr. Grabbit? Grabbem? Slade hadn’t quite gotten that part—he only knew that she was afraid being unable to get to work would be a bad thing.

  Of course, his first instinct was to help her at once—but if he gave her a mode to get away, he was sure she would. He wanted to talk to her for a minute—at least learn her name.

  That was when he’d gotten the biggest surprise—when her young one had jumped out of the rusted vehicle and launched herself at him. Slade had caught her out of instinct more than anything else but the minute the little girl had thrown her arms around his neck, Slade’s heart had melted. He didn’t even know her name—he’d heard Brandi calling her several names, “Emmie-bear,” and “sweetpea” among them—but the little girl had him wrapped around her little finger the moment she jumped in his arms.

  Brandi, of course, was worried and upset about Emmie’s instant affection for a strange male—he picked up from her thoughts that her daughter never acted this way around strangers. Slade had always wished for young ones and he didn’t blame her for being protective of her daughter—it only raised her in his estimation. He also had no idea what to make of the little girl’s claim that she had dreamed of him. Could it be some kind of coincidence? But she’d acted like she knew him. It was very strange.

  He had begun to feel confused as to his purpose. He still needed to confront Brandi but he could no longer feel as angry and upset as he had. He didn’t see her as a temptress anymore but as a single parent leading a hard and stressful life and doing the best she could to make a good life for her daughter. As to why she had done what she had in the Puppet House, he could still hear her words in his head.

  “I just hadn’t had sex in three years and sometimes I just get so hungry to have a man touch me…”

  Another little bit of the anger he’d carried like a burning torch down from the Mother Ship fizzled out. He understood the hunger for touch—for sexual love—who better than he? He’d been tormented for fucking years by the eroto-lust enhancer his old mistress had given him. And he had to admit, Brandi had helped cure him of that. No matter what the consequences, at least he wasn’t tormented by sexual desire anymore.

  Except when he was close to Brandi.

  Standing so near her, listening to her thoughts about how much she wanted him, hearing her heart pound, and smelling her sweet, feminine fragrance nearly did him in. He had been so close to kissing her again—to taking her behind a nearby tree, pulling down her panties and lapping her sweet pussy, as he hadn’t gotten to do during their first encounter.

  Only the fact that her young daughter was watching and it would be completely inappropriate stopped him. Instead, he had let her go—though he really didn’t want to—with a promise to talk later.

  But when is later? Slade asked himself. Should he give her a few days? A few weeks as a cooling off period?

  Every instinct he had rebelled at the idea.

  Now, whispered a dark, possessive voice in his head. I want to be with her now—she’s bonded to me which makes her MINE. We ought to be together!

  Slade shook his head, trying to push the crazy, possessive thoughts away. They had bonded by accident, he reminded himself—and neither of them actually wanted to be bonded to the other. It would really be better to try and ignore the bond, rather than coming down here to confront her about it as he had.

  I have to leave her alone, he told himself grimly. Go back and concentrate on my new life on the Mother Ship. He had been given a job in the mech-bay, fixing the fleet of ships and shuttles the Kindred maintained for getting around. It was work he enjoyed—he’d always been good with his hands, as he had told Brandi—and it paid well since much of it was technical.

  Of course all Kindred were paid a living wage and had access to free health care—that was as it should be. But it was nice to have a job he was good at—even though he hadn’t been at it long.

  I should get back to it now, Slade told himself. My shift starts in an hour. I’ll give Brandi some time and then maybe I’ll come back…or maybe I won’t. Maybe if we stay away from each other the bond will wither and die.

  But that thought brought such a grim feeling of unease with it, that Slade had to pace back and forth in front of Brandi’s domicile several times before he could calm down.

  As he walked back to his shuttle, he was more confused and had more questions than when he’d come from the Mother Ship in the first place. Part of him whispered that he should leave Brandi and her little girl alone but another, stronger instinct urged him to go find the two and hold them close—to protect them and guard them with his life.

  Slade tried without success to push the strong emotions away. He told himself he had no claim on their little family. Brandi and her daughter were doing just fine without him. Well, if not exactly just fine, they were at least getting by.

  But what if you got her pregnant? whispered a little voice in his head. What if she suddenly has another mouth to feed when you heard her thinking she can barely afford to clothe and feed herself and her daughter now? You need to provide for them, Slade—you need to protect them and care for them!

  It was such an overwhelming urge that he had to force himself to fly back to the Mother Ship at once. Because he knew if he didn’t, he would seek Brandi out when clearly all she wanted was to be left alone.

  Goddess, what a mess! He promised himself grimly that he wouldn’t ever bother her again.

  It was a promise that lasted all of one entire day.

  Chapter Eight

  “Oh, Brandi! Well you came and you gave what I’m takin’—but I sent you away! Oh, Brandi…”

  Mr. Grabbar’s singing was off-key and very flat. The first time he’d trotted out the old Manilow song in reference to her name, Brandi was new on the job and wanted her boss to like her. So she had laughed and pretended to think it was charming.

  Big mistake.

  Now Mr. Grabbar—Grabass, she thought resentfully—sang the song whenever he was in the mood to try something.