Read Online Guardian of the Storm by Kaitlyn O'Connor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kaitlyn O'Connor
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yes, other young of the star people. The Zoeans took them in to raise with their own young.”
Tempest tried to quell her disappointment. It wasn’t actually that she was completely disappointed. She was still tremendously relieved to realize she wasn’t the only survivor, but it had instantly leapt into her mind when he’d mentioned the others that she had might have a chance of finding a companion among them. “My age?”
He shrugged. “I do not know. Perhaps. I cannot judge the age of Earthlings well. They are far smaller than Niahians.”
“Males?” Tempest persisted, trying to keep the hopeful note out of her voice.
Kiran frowned, looked away, and finally shrugged. His belly tightened, a chaotic tangle of emotions gnawing uncomfortably at his gut as it sank in that Tempest had leapt immediately to thoughts of finding a mate for herself among the star children. He didn’t know why that angered him, but it did—or why it relieved him when he’d scanned his memory and could think of none who seemed near manhood. “Young males.”
Try though she might, Tempest couldn’t contain the thrill of hopefulness and relief that surged through her. In all the time since she’d left, she hadn’t dared even to allow herself to dream there might be others of her own kind, that she might find people she’d known. The colony hadn’t been so large, though, that she hadn’t learned most of the faces, even though she hadn’t really known everyone. She firmly tamped the hope that any of her friends might have made it out alive. It was enough just to know she wasn’t alone, she assured herself, and that there was some possibility, at least, that she had hope of finding a companion among them. If nothing else, she’d have friends of her own kind, people who thought the way she did.
Overwhelmed with joy, she rushed to Kiran and flung her arms around him, hugging him. “Thank you! Thank you!” she cried, laughing and kissing him all over the face with enthusiasm.
Kiran caught her arms, pushing her gently away, and Tempest sat back on her heels, embarrassed now at her impulsive affection, but too happy to feel much discomfort over it. She smiled up at him. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy,” she added, feeling a surge of tears from out of nowhere.
Kiran’s hands tightened on her forearms. She hadn’t even realized that he’d never released her until that moment. Lifting her arms, she placed her palms on his chest for balance. To her surprise, when she tried to push away to rise, Kiran pulled her closer instead. She looked up at him, both the laughter and the tears of relief abruptly dying. An odd sort of breathless tension took its place as she stared into his eyes.
His expression was harsh, his eyes gleaming with some heated emotion that she was both drawn to and afraid of. He seemed at war with his own emotions and desires, as uncertain as she was. After a moment, however, he closed the distance between them, angling his head slightly and brushing his lips lightly across hers.
Tempest gasped at the strange sensations that poured through her, felt her heart gallop painfully against her chest wall, felt a tingling rush of heat that made her skin prickle all over. Her fingers curled into his flesh as if they had a mind of their own. Her entire body abruptly seemed strangely alien to her.
A tremor went through him as he brushed his lips lightly back and forth against hers. He lifted his head after only a moment, pulled a little away from her.
“They will not make you feel as I can,” he said harshly.
Tempest stared at him blankly. “They won’t?” she asked, having no idea who he might be referring to.
“Were I not bound by my vows, I would show you,” he murmured, his voice husky with promise.
Tempest merely stared at him, unable to jog her sluggish brain into making any sense of what he’d said. She couldn’t, in fact, get beyond anything but disappointment that he had only given her the barest
Tempest tried to quell her disappointment. It wasn’t actually that she was completely disappointed. She was still tremendously relieved to realize she wasn’t the only survivor, but it had instantly leapt into her mind when he’d mentioned the others that she had might have a chance of finding a companion among them. “My age?”
He shrugged. “I do not know. Perhaps. I cannot judge the age of Earthlings well. They are far smaller than Niahians.”
“Males?” Tempest persisted, trying to keep the hopeful note out of her voice.
Kiran frowned, looked away, and finally shrugged. His belly tightened, a chaotic tangle of emotions gnawing uncomfortably at his gut as it sank in that Tempest had leapt immediately to thoughts of finding a mate for herself among the star children. He didn’t know why that angered him, but it did—or why it relieved him when he’d scanned his memory and could think of none who seemed near manhood. “Young males.”
Try though she might, Tempest couldn’t contain the thrill of hopefulness and relief that surged through her. In all the time since she’d left, she hadn’t dared even to allow herself to dream there might be others of her own kind, that she might find people she’d known. The colony hadn’t been so large, though, that she hadn’t learned most of the faces, even though she hadn’t really known everyone. She firmly tamped the hope that any of her friends might have made it out alive. It was enough just to know she wasn’t alone, she assured herself, and that there was some possibility, at least, that she had hope of finding a companion among them. If nothing else, she’d have friends of her own kind, people who thought the way she did.
Overwhelmed with joy, she rushed to Kiran and flung her arms around him, hugging him. “Thank you! Thank you!” she cried, laughing and kissing him all over the face with enthusiasm.
Kiran caught her arms, pushing her gently away, and Tempest sat back on her heels, embarrassed now at her impulsive affection, but too happy to feel much discomfort over it. She smiled up at him. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy,” she added, feeling a surge of tears from out of nowhere.
Kiran’s hands tightened on her forearms. She hadn’t even realized that he’d never released her until that moment. Lifting her arms, she placed her palms on his chest for balance. To her surprise, when she tried to push away to rise, Kiran pulled her closer instead. She looked up at him, both the laughter and the tears of relief abruptly dying. An odd sort of breathless tension took its place as she stared into his eyes.
His expression was harsh, his eyes gleaming with some heated emotion that she was both drawn to and afraid of. He seemed at war with his own emotions and desires, as uncertain as she was. After a moment, however, he closed the distance between them, angling his head slightly and brushing his lips lightly across hers.
Tempest gasped at the strange sensations that poured through her, felt her heart gallop painfully against her chest wall, felt a tingling rush of heat that made her skin prickle all over. Her fingers curled into his flesh as if they had a mind of their own. Her entire body abruptly seemed strangely alien to her.
A tremor went through him as he brushed his lips lightly back and forth against hers. He lifted his head after only a moment, pulled a little away from her.
“They will not make you feel as I can,” he said harshly.
Tempest stared at him blankly. “They won’t?” she asked, having no idea who he might be referring to.
“Were I not bound by my vows, I would show you,” he murmured, his voice husky with promise.
Tempest merely stared at him, unable to jog her sluggish brain into making any sense of what he’d said. She couldn’t, in fact, get beyond anything but disappointment that he had only given her the barest
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