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Authors: Annabel Wolfe
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a life
form with increased intelligence and physical strength had kicked the
sex drive up to the next level also. Without physical relief, the
Under His Command
55
aggression surfaced in other ways. She said wryly, “Yes, well, their
hands are the least of my worries.”
Her visitor actually blushed. “I wasn’t referring to…I mean—”
Tara took pity on him and interrupted, “Actually, I’m not worried.
They aren’t going to mistreat her, I know that. They are both
attractive, and neither of them could rise so high in rank if they
weren’t intelligent and even-tempered, so that’s not the problem. The
issue is, as usual, that I got her into this mess. I don’t really want to
wait a month to apologize.”
It was impossible to keep the self-recrimination out of her voice
so didn’t even try.
“I don’t see how this is your fault,” Will argued. “Your job
brought you to Epsilon. At the request of the Universal Council, no
less. How could you predict how fast the situation would
degenerate?”
“That was exactly what my job was supposed to be. I guess my
only excuse is I’ve never seen anything like it. I don’t think anyone
has. But that’s beside the point. What happened is the usual simple
equation. I do something—sometimes impulsive—and Peyton has to
rush to the rescue. I’m three years older than she is. If it has to be one
of us helping the other out of a potential disaster, shouldn’t it be the
other way around?”
It was true. Visions of both of them being punished because Tara
had these wild ideas: the volcano experiment that erupted all over the
main living area of their home and lit the building on fire, the sailing
without permission that actually sank their father’s boat in the inner
lake of the First City—if Peyton hadn’t been such a good swimmer
they both would have drown that time—and there were other
incidents. It made her wince to think of how many.
“I don’t think there’s a formula for the dynamics of sibling
interaction. Look at me.” Her companion shook his head and a lock of
unruly hair fell over his brow. “My younger brother is in the
diplomatic ranks and rising fast. He’ll follow in my father’s footsteps
56
Annabel Wolfe
without a doubt. He already is. I’ve always envied both of them their
easy confidence.” Will shrugged. “I just don’t have it. I’m much more
comfortable with numbers and abstract aspects of economic systems.
It’s boring, I know, to most people.”
“You’re obviously good at what you do or you wouldn’t have
been appointed.”
“Good at something boring is still boring.” His smile was rueful.
And that same smile was attractive. She really couldn’t
understand it. Oh, he was handsome because most S-species males
were good looking—the genetic engineering made sure of that over
the past generations—but he just wasn’t her type. Her life was
dangerous fault lines between tectonic plates, volcanic explosions,
and shifts in sun orbits.
There was little doubt she was rash, liked things unsettled, and
often spoke without thinking. The male sitting across from her was
meticulous, cautious, and liked his worlds ordered.
Yet…he had stayed on Epsilon even after the tremors started, the
cities began to collapse in piles of rubble, and noxious gases made
breathing both dangerous and almost impossible. His quiet courage
and calm had helped the small band of survivors send off the beacon
that had led Peyton through the storm and chaos so she could find
them.
Maybe they weren’t that different.
“Boring is hardly the right word to describe you.”
Did I just say that? What the hell? What a stupid time for a
flirtation.
A startled look spread over Will Janssen’s face at her tone of
voice, not so much the words.
“Anyway,” she went on quickly, “whether I meant to or not, I did
put my sister on the line.”
“On behalf of those of us who are still here
form with increased intelligence and physical strength had kicked the
sex drive up to the next level also. Without physical relief, the
Under His Command
55
aggression surfaced in other ways. She said wryly, “Yes, well, their
hands are the least of my worries.”
Her visitor actually blushed. “I wasn’t referring to…I mean—”
Tara took pity on him and interrupted, “Actually, I’m not worried.
They aren’t going to mistreat her, I know that. They are both
attractive, and neither of them could rise so high in rank if they
weren’t intelligent and even-tempered, so that’s not the problem. The
issue is, as usual, that I got her into this mess. I don’t really want to
wait a month to apologize.”
It was impossible to keep the self-recrimination out of her voice
so didn’t even try.
“I don’t see how this is your fault,” Will argued. “Your job
brought you to Epsilon. At the request of the Universal Council, no
less. How could you predict how fast the situation would
degenerate?”
“That was exactly what my job was supposed to be. I guess my
only excuse is I’ve never seen anything like it. I don’t think anyone
has. But that’s beside the point. What happened is the usual simple
equation. I do something—sometimes impulsive—and Peyton has to
rush to the rescue. I’m three years older than she is. If it has to be one
of us helping the other out of a potential disaster, shouldn’t it be the
other way around?”
It was true. Visions of both of them being punished because Tara
had these wild ideas: the volcano experiment that erupted all over the
main living area of their home and lit the building on fire, the sailing
without permission that actually sank their father’s boat in the inner
lake of the First City—if Peyton hadn’t been such a good swimmer
they both would have drown that time—and there were other
incidents. It made her wince to think of how many.
“I don’t think there’s a formula for the dynamics of sibling
interaction. Look at me.” Her companion shook his head and a lock of
unruly hair fell over his brow. “My younger brother is in the
diplomatic ranks and rising fast. He’ll follow in my father’s footsteps
56
Annabel Wolfe
without a doubt. He already is. I’ve always envied both of them their
easy confidence.” Will shrugged. “I just don’t have it. I’m much more
comfortable with numbers and abstract aspects of economic systems.
It’s boring, I know, to most people.”
“You’re obviously good at what you do or you wouldn’t have
been appointed.”
“Good at something boring is still boring.” His smile was rueful.
And that same smile was attractive. She really couldn’t
understand it. Oh, he was handsome because most S-species males
were good looking—the genetic engineering made sure of that over
the past generations—but he just wasn’t her type. Her life was
dangerous fault lines between tectonic plates, volcanic explosions,
and shifts in sun orbits.
There was little doubt she was rash, liked things unsettled, and
often spoke without thinking. The male sitting across from her was
meticulous, cautious, and liked his worlds ordered.
Yet…he had stayed on Epsilon even after the tremors started, the
cities began to collapse in piles of rubble, and noxious gases made
breathing both dangerous and almost impossible. His quiet courage
and calm had helped the small band of survivors send off the beacon
that had led Peyton through the storm and chaos so she could find
them.
Maybe they weren’t that different.
“Boring is hardly the right word to describe you.”
Did I just say that? What the hell? What a stupid time for a
flirtation.
A startled look spread over Will Janssen’s face at her tone of
voice, not so much the words.
“Anyway,” she went on quickly, “whether I meant to or not, I did
put my sister on the line.”
“On behalf of those of us who are still here
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