Read Online Parallel Fire by Deidre Knight - Free Book Online

their lifemating. This was her own twin sister, after all, the only other person on the planet that she shared an intense connection with.
    But Nevin said nothing—didn’t so much as comment on their compromising position—while the rescue party gathered their meager belongings from beside the lake.
    Anika glanced at her, confusion obvious, but Anna gave her head a light shake. It would be up to Nevin how they handled this; as much as it irritated her, she did understand that he would be cautious about sharing their news. Most likely they would have to return to base first, and then the news would become common knowledge.
    Anika extended a hand to her, grinning conspiratorially. “Come now, sis, let’s go board the craft. I have a warm breakfast waiting for you both. You can tell me all about”—Anika cut her eyes sideways subtly—“your adventures.”
    Â 
    Â 
    Â 
    Nevin sat impatiently in the medical area, ruing like hell his actions of the past hours. Returning to the compound had disconcerted him—especially his commander’s concern about their well-being. There’d been one key moment when he should have confessed everything to their commander, Jared Bennett, let him know the truth about Anna and their lifebonding. But that moment had slid past, and he’d kept his mouth shut. Afterward Anna had gazed at him with such raw pain in her gorgeous black eyes that he’d been rendered speechless.
    â€œYou don’t intend to have anyone know,” she’d said, clutching at his arm.
    Waving her to the far corner of the main room, he’d whispered, “Not now, Anna. Give it time.”
    â€œWe can’t keep this secret—you do know that.”
    He’d given her a stern look. “Lieutenant, our first duties are within this military. Not to each other.”
    Mouth agape, she’d backed away from him, saying nothing.
    â€œAnna!” he’d called, but she had kept on walking.
    Shortly after that, she vacated the main compound, and he’d not seen her since. When it became apparent that she wasn’t returning, he finally decided to visit his personal doctor down on the base. The least he could do was learn the truth about the situation between he and Anna—the biological truth, that was.
    The doctor appeared in the waiting room. “Lieutenant Daniels,” he said with a pleasant smile, “please come with me.”
    Â 
    Â 
    Â 
    Nevin rolled down his shirt sleeve, arm aching from the blood sample the doctor had just drawn. “So you’ll be able to tell me today?” he asked the doctor who had already injected his sample into the diagnostic computer.
    â€œI’ll be able to tell you within moments—just have to let the data upload.”
    Nevin raked both hands through his hair. “I don’t get it,” he complained, “Look at me—silver-haired and totally mature by every outward sign. And yet you’re saying I might still be fertile?”
    â€œIt’s not common, but it does happen on rare occasions,” the man explained, studying the computer screen. Nevin’s heart began to pound; if he was still fertile, that could mean… “Of course, if you aren’t actually mature, then you need to be thinking about any unprotected sex you might have had recently.”
    Inwardly, Nevin groaned. Unprotected sex? Oh, yes indeed he’d had it; he should have taken precautions it now seemed, but more than that, he should have done a better job of protecting his heart too.
    The computer screen changed hue, a data trail scrolling downward, and the doctor let out a whistle. “Good grief, Lieutenant, you’re not just fertile—you’re as fertile as a gnangat’ai in springtime.”
    â€œWh-what?” Nevin stammered.
    The doctor spun to face him, grinning like a school boy. “You’re what we deem ‘dynamically fertile’, sir.