emerald eyes were the same.
Be vigilant, human.
Like icy daggers, words stabbed into his mind. He groaned and pressed his palm against his temple and translator chip.
The cat glanced at Shyanne, then whirled and left the room. Tails high, the other cats fol owed.
Reeling from pain, Greyson looked at Shyanne. “Who or what was that? I’m familiar with every C.O.I.L. planet and their native inhabitants.” Or at least he’d thought he was. Maybe he’d missed a few; there were thousands. “I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that creature.”
Seemingly unconcerned about the cat-thing, her nakedness or the fact that they’d made love, Shyanne sat up. The sight of her body drove the pounding blood from his head lower into his body. He tugged the sheet over his hips to hide the reaction.
“We’re not sure what Silky is,” Shyanne admitted. “I found her in a bar on Tartala a couple of years ago. The owner had bought her off a passing trader to help keep down the local rat population.”
“She’s a bit big to be chasing rats.”
Shyanne grinned. “You haven’t seen the rats on Tartala. Besides, back then Silky wasn’t quite as large as she is now. Apparently, the idea didn’t work out the way the bar owner hoped. When he made the deal, Silky was drugged. After the drugs wore off, Silky became less wil ing to do his bidding. He chained her and stuck her in a cage, charged his patrons to watch her fight. By the time we came along, she was near dead from starvation and fighting. The bar owner was happy to let me take her off his hands.”
“How did you tame her?”
“Tame her?” Shyanne chuckled again. “I don’t think so. Silky isn’t an animal.
She’s a member of my crew. Also, just so you know, we refer to Silky as a she for convenience. We’re not sure of her sex.”
“Did you ask her?”
“Sure, but either she doesn’t know or doesn’t care to answer. Eldin took care of her injuries, but he hasn’t been able to figure out her gender—or if she even has one.”
Greyson rubbed his aching head. “What did she do to me?” Shyanne touched his temple with her fingertips. Warmth coursed through him.
“She’s telepathic. Translator chips amplify her thoughts. If she likes you, she whispers so it doesn’t hurt so bad. If she’s angry or doesn’t like you, she shouts.”
“Makes sense.” He didn’t understand the microtechnology involved, but he knew TCs translated the electrical impulses of thoughts, so telepathic messages would definitely be picked up.
Residual pain flared behind his eyes, and he groaned and asked, “How do I get her to like me?” Shyanne’s tril of laughter caused his head to pound. He closed his eyes and waited to die.
If Shyanne felt anything about what had transpired between them, he couldn’t tel . Calm and col ected, she rose from the bed, dressed and requested him to accompany her. Stil reeling from Silky’s mental assault, and from the bizarre queasiness brought on by watching the cat-thing’s body morph, he complied without protest. At some point he’d have to ask about the creature’s shifting ability and his reaction to it. He dressed and fol owed Shyanne out of the room.
Greyson’s ability to separate his personal and business lives had made him an excel ent field agent and an even better administrator. Now, with Shyanne, he found he didn’t have that balance. She didn’t seem to be having the same problem. Her manner had been one of distant courtesy, as if they hadn’t just made love. It gave him an odd twinge: If she and her crew decided to reject his deal, would they real y space him?
He couldn’t say he didn’t deserve it.
Verus’s fifth moon came into view on the main screen, and Shy nodded. Though little more than an oversized rock caught in Verus’s gravity wel , the satel ite had a dense metal composition that would block Independence from detection.
Terle and Able manned the controls. Greyson stood to one side,
Be vigilant, human.
Like icy daggers, words stabbed into his mind. He groaned and pressed his palm against his temple and translator chip.
The cat glanced at Shyanne, then whirled and left the room. Tails high, the other cats fol owed.
Reeling from pain, Greyson looked at Shyanne. “Who or what was that? I’m familiar with every C.O.I.L. planet and their native inhabitants.” Or at least he’d thought he was. Maybe he’d missed a few; there were thousands. “I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that creature.”
Seemingly unconcerned about the cat-thing, her nakedness or the fact that they’d made love, Shyanne sat up. The sight of her body drove the pounding blood from his head lower into his body. He tugged the sheet over his hips to hide the reaction.
“We’re not sure what Silky is,” Shyanne admitted. “I found her in a bar on Tartala a couple of years ago. The owner had bought her off a passing trader to help keep down the local rat population.”
“She’s a bit big to be chasing rats.”
Shyanne grinned. “You haven’t seen the rats on Tartala. Besides, back then Silky wasn’t quite as large as she is now. Apparently, the idea didn’t work out the way the bar owner hoped. When he made the deal, Silky was drugged. After the drugs wore off, Silky became less wil ing to do his bidding. He chained her and stuck her in a cage, charged his patrons to watch her fight. By the time we came along, she was near dead from starvation and fighting. The bar owner was happy to let me take her off his hands.”
“How did you tame her?”
“Tame her?” Shyanne chuckled again. “I don’t think so. Silky isn’t an animal.
She’s a member of my crew. Also, just so you know, we refer to Silky as a she for convenience. We’re not sure of her sex.”
“Did you ask her?”
“Sure, but either she doesn’t know or doesn’t care to answer. Eldin took care of her injuries, but he hasn’t been able to figure out her gender—or if she even has one.”
Greyson rubbed his aching head. “What did she do to me?” Shyanne touched his temple with her fingertips. Warmth coursed through him.
“She’s telepathic. Translator chips amplify her thoughts. If she likes you, she whispers so it doesn’t hurt so bad. If she’s angry or doesn’t like you, she shouts.”
“Makes sense.” He didn’t understand the microtechnology involved, but he knew TCs translated the electrical impulses of thoughts, so telepathic messages would definitely be picked up.
Residual pain flared behind his eyes, and he groaned and asked, “How do I get her to like me?” Shyanne’s tril of laughter caused his head to pound. He closed his eyes and waited to die.
If Shyanne felt anything about what had transpired between them, he couldn’t tel . Calm and col ected, she rose from the bed, dressed and requested him to accompany her. Stil reeling from Silky’s mental assault, and from the bizarre queasiness brought on by watching the cat-thing’s body morph, he complied without protest. At some point he’d have to ask about the creature’s shifting ability and his reaction to it. He dressed and fol owed Shyanne out of the room.
Greyson’s ability to separate his personal and business lives had made him an excel ent field agent and an even better administrator. Now, with Shyanne, he found he didn’t have that balance. She didn’t seem to be having the same problem. Her manner had been one of distant courtesy, as if they hadn’t just made love. It gave him an odd twinge: If she and her crew decided to reject his deal, would they real y space him?
He couldn’t say he didn’t deserve it.
Verus’s fifth moon came into view on the main screen, and Shy nodded. Though little more than an oversized rock caught in Verus’s gravity wel , the satel ite had a dense metal composition that would block Independence from detection.
Terle and Able manned the controls. Greyson stood to one side,
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