Taunting Krell Read online

  “No table?”

  “Do you see one? There’s no point in sitting to enjoy a meal. I don’t cook and packaged food isn’t a joy to eat. It’s a physical requirement.”

  “I cook.” She glanced around his so-called kitchen. “Where is your stove?”

  “I didn’t have one installed. It would have been wasted here.”

  “Too bad. I could have made you a wonderful dinner and maybe taught you the joys of eating. It’s spectacular if you’re dealing with tasty stuff.”

  He started to hand her a fork but paused, glancing at her and then it, and back. Wariness narrowed his eyes.

  “For real? Seriously?” She held out her hand, palm up. “What do you think? I’m going to try to prong you to death? I don’t know who that would be more embarrassing for—you dying by fork or me needing to use something so silly to take you out. I just want to eat, Krell. I could use my fingers if you insist on being paranoid.”

  “Don’t try anything.” He handed it over.

  Cyan grinned and shook her head. “I’d try to give you a heart attack if I wanted you dead. That would be more fun. Death by sex sounds less humiliating.” She stuck her fork into the paste-like substance. It didn’t smell bad but it looked horrible. She detected an artificial meat scent, probably want-to-be beef, and yellison, a space alternative to Earth’s tofu. It was cheap, it lasted forever, and stuck together for low- to no-gravity eating. “This stuff is going to be nasty, isn’t it?”

  “You adjust.”

  “I saw the outside. Don’t you grow veggies and stuff? Livestock? Doesn’t the planet hold any life forms that are tasty? It reminds me of Earth.”

  “We don’t eat the planet’s inhabitants. We consider that rude. We do grow vegetables. That’s what we make the yellison with. It’s not from Earth.”

  She laughed, glancing at him as she stuck a warm bite of the food in her mouth. She chewed, made a face and swallowed. “Bland. Do you at least have salt? Some seasoning? They fed me good food at Medical.”

  “No.”

  “Figures. You know this stuff is made of unpopular veggies, right? They blend them all up until it’s a tasteless mass of crap and just add whatever flavor they think will sell. You’d think you’d one-up Earth and at least be original.”

  “Food production is not my job nor is the choice of what they do with the vegetation we grow. I could allow you to send a complaint to them if you wish or to make suggestions. They welcome them.”

  “That’s at least new. Companies on Earth don’t care. It’s cheap enough in bulk for people to buy it regardless of what it tastes like.” She forced another bite into her mouth. The stuff would sustain her body but it sure wouldn’t be something she’d eat by choice. “You need better food if I stay here. Don’t make me beg. It’s not pretty.”

  “I could arrange delivery of food.”

  “I don’t want to put you out if it’s costly.”

  “We don’t use a monetary system the way Earth does.”

  That got her attention. “What do you use?”

  “We don’t. We don’t ask for more than we need and we all contribute to our society.”

  “I like that.” She smiled at him. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard so far about what you’ve done with your lives.”

  “I heard you didn’t agree with breeding pacts.”

  “It’s barbaric!” She ate more, swallowed, and decided she wasn’t nearly as hungry as she’d thought. She turned away from the food to watch him instead. “I’m not a baby machine to churn out little cyborgs and the whole ‘being assigned to strangers’ is creepy and just wrong.”

  “Cyborg women choose their males when they join a family unit. You’re unique. The council felt the need to assign you into one.”

  “Thanks but no thanks. I pick who I go to bed with and nobody else. They better not assign me to anyone or the cyborgs who get me are going to be eunuchs if they try to touch me.”

  His mouth tightened into a grim line. “It’s a good thing they sent you to me. I would never force you.”

  Worry ate at her and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Is that what they are planning to do once I settle into this planet? Send men to come get me and drag me somewhere to form some kind of messed-up family unit?”

  “Not currently. You’re safe from other males.”

  “But it could happen?”

  “They assigned you into my custody. I wouldn’t force you to accept males into your bed. I’m in charge of you.”

  She grinned. “Lucky you. What is on today’s agenda? Are we going to stare at each other all day or do you plan to give me a tour of the planet? I admit I’m curious. I’d love to see more of it.”

  “We’re staying here. I thought we could talk and get to—”

  A loud beep sounded and Krell jerked his head toward the living area. He moved swiftly out of the room. Cyan followed him to the front door. He pressed his palm on the scanner and the door slid open. A grimfaced cyborg she’d never seen before stood there in a black uniform. She tensed, hoping he wasn’t there to try to talk her in to checking out his sex skills.

  “What is it?” The annoyance sounded strongly in Krell’s snarled tone.

  “You weren’t hooked into your monitoring system. There’s been an urgent development.” The cyborg craned his neck to stare at Cyan for long seconds before he met Krell’s gaze. “Open a link. The entire council has been trying to reach you. They need an immediate assessment.”

  “Thank you.” The door closed, sealing the guy out, and Krell closed his eyes. He kept hold of the wall pad.

  Cyan watched him, assumed he was linking to other cyborgs and wondered what kind of urgent development had occurred. She inched to the side to get a better look at Krell’s face and felt alarm when she saw him pale, anger tensed his features next, and a soft growl rumbled from his throat. His jaw clenched.

  “What’s wrong?” she whispered, not sure if linking meant someone else could hear her or if it was just inside his mind.

  “Quiet,” he ordered gruffly.

  She leaned against the wall, trying to remember exactly what he did for a living. He’d said he analyzed data and something about threat assessments. She hugged her chest harder, praying she wasn’t the topic. Had they decided it was too risky to allow her to live? Krell was convinced she was some kind of spy. Maybe they would believe she was too much of a danger to them. Fear inched up her spine. She’d hate to be killed by the people she’d once died to save. That would totally bite ass.

  Time passed, Krell stood there with his eyes closed. He finally snapped them open. His hand left the wall scanner and he spun, nearly walked into her where she leaned against the wall, and shot her a frown.

  “I’ve assigned two cyborg females to collect you. They will protect you from other males and keep an eye on you while I’m gone.” He moved fast, striding away.

  Leave? She darted after him, having to jog to catch up to his longer stride. “Where are you going? What is wrong? Is it about me?” She grabbed at his arm, forcing him to spin around and come to a halt. She nearly slammed into him. “Where are you going? What is going on?”

  “I don’t have time for this. I need to pack a bag. You will be safe. I assigned two females to guard you at a safe location.”

  Her hold tightened. “Is it about me?”

  He blew out a deep breath. “One of our ships has been attacked by the Markus Models.”

  He jerked his arm out of her hold and spun away, rushing for his room. Cyan stood there shocked before rushing after him again. She practically ran into his bedroom and jerked to a stop to avoid slamming into him as he bent to pull a bag out of a lower drawer.

  “Are there casualties? Are they still under attack? Did those bastards board it? What classification of ship do your people have?”

  “They took damage and there are injuries but no deaths.” He threw clothes in the bag, not glancing at her. “They managed to escape but they are being pursued. We’re se