schedule for the next few days.”
“Who the fuck is ‘we’ and why does my schedule need to be free?”
“Such language.” Grayson stepped out from behind the dressing screen and grinned at her.
“What the hell is going on?” Why would Director Darman help Grayson? She wasn’t even sure what Grayson was trying to do. Had all this been set in motion so he could see her again? That seemed unlikely. “Is there even a virus?”
“No, but it’s vital that everyone else believe there is,” Grayson said.
“I would like to examine you and run some tests, but it has nothing to do with a rogue virus,” Darman explained.
“What does it have to do with, and why is he here?” She motioned toward Grayson, unsure how to deal with his presence. She was thrilled to see him, had nearly thrown herself into his arms when he stepped out from behind the screen. But if their indiscretion was still a secret, she had no intention of blowing it now.
Darman smiled, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. “Grayson is my grandson and his happiness means more to me than anything.”
Her jaw dropped. She couldn’t help it. Did Hidaka know about this? Shame washed over her in the wake of her astonishment. Why had the general been her first concern? That was so disloyal to Grayson.
“It’s not some deep, dark secret,” Darman assured her with an enigmatic smile. “We don’t go out of our way to make sure everyone knows, but we’ve never denied the connection.”
“All right, even if you are his grandfather, why am I really here?”
“You’ve triggered… a biological instinct in Grayson that he shouldn’t be feeling for a human.”
“Mating fever?” She looked at Grayson directly. “Is that what happened last night? Why you sent me away so suddenly?”
“To fully understand this, you’re going to need a crash course in morph biology,” Darman said. “Hop up on the table so I can check your vital signs.”
Grayson sank into one of the two chairs as she slipped off her rifle’s harness. She handed the weapon to him along with her helmet and sat on the edge of the exam table. A screen inset in the wall behind her activated automatically, displaying her vital signs for the director.
“Humans are taught that having sex with a morph is dangerous, that their semen is potentially toxic. This is a bit of fabrication.”
Her gaze shot toward Grayson. He’d told her the truth. All he’d been worried about last night was another male detecting his scent. He’d known he wouldn’t hurt her if he’d come inside her.
“Why the scare tactic?”
“It’s the general’s preference that there be no fraternization at all between his troops and my cats, so he’s used the complication to his advantage.”
“What complication? You just said there is no danger.”
“No, I said their semen isn’t toxic. Certain females are at risk from morph males.” Darman made an adjustment to the scanner, then went on. “When a female has dormant aptitudes in her physiology, sexual interaction with a morph male can trigger a dramatic metamorphosis.”
“Fucking a morph turns some women into a morph?” She had to make sure she understood what he meant.
“It’s not that simple. If the female is pure human, there is no danger.”
“You don’t think I’m human? Is that where this is going?”
“In a word, yes. But if you’d be a little less impatient, I’ll explain how I came to this supposition.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just not every day you’re told you’re not human.”
“I’m not human,” Darman admitted cheerfully. “Or not purely human. It’s my understanding that you know how morphs came into being.”
Just like that, the Executive Director of Alpha Colony admitted he was part of a global cover-up? “Then it’s true? Morphs aren’t evolutionary anomalies?”
Darman looked at Grayson and shook his head. “It still astonishes me every time I realize someone actually
“Who the fuck is ‘we’ and why does my schedule need to be free?”
“Such language.” Grayson stepped out from behind the dressing screen and grinned at her.
“What the hell is going on?” Why would Director Darman help Grayson? She wasn’t even sure what Grayson was trying to do. Had all this been set in motion so he could see her again? That seemed unlikely. “Is there even a virus?”
“No, but it’s vital that everyone else believe there is,” Grayson said.
“I would like to examine you and run some tests, but it has nothing to do with a rogue virus,” Darman explained.
“What does it have to do with, and why is he here?” She motioned toward Grayson, unsure how to deal with his presence. She was thrilled to see him, had nearly thrown herself into his arms when he stepped out from behind the screen. But if their indiscretion was still a secret, she had no intention of blowing it now.
Darman smiled, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. “Grayson is my grandson and his happiness means more to me than anything.”
Her jaw dropped. She couldn’t help it. Did Hidaka know about this? Shame washed over her in the wake of her astonishment. Why had the general been her first concern? That was so disloyal to Grayson.
“It’s not some deep, dark secret,” Darman assured her with an enigmatic smile. “We don’t go out of our way to make sure everyone knows, but we’ve never denied the connection.”
“All right, even if you are his grandfather, why am I really here?”
“You’ve triggered… a biological instinct in Grayson that he shouldn’t be feeling for a human.”
“Mating fever?” She looked at Grayson directly. “Is that what happened last night? Why you sent me away so suddenly?”
“To fully understand this, you’re going to need a crash course in morph biology,” Darman said. “Hop up on the table so I can check your vital signs.”
Grayson sank into one of the two chairs as she slipped off her rifle’s harness. She handed the weapon to him along with her helmet and sat on the edge of the exam table. A screen inset in the wall behind her activated automatically, displaying her vital signs for the director.
“Humans are taught that having sex with a morph is dangerous, that their semen is potentially toxic. This is a bit of fabrication.”
Her gaze shot toward Grayson. He’d told her the truth. All he’d been worried about last night was another male detecting his scent. He’d known he wouldn’t hurt her if he’d come inside her.
“Why the scare tactic?”
“It’s the general’s preference that there be no fraternization at all between his troops and my cats, so he’s used the complication to his advantage.”
“What complication? You just said there is no danger.”
“No, I said their semen isn’t toxic. Certain females are at risk from morph males.” Darman made an adjustment to the scanner, then went on. “When a female has dormant aptitudes in her physiology, sexual interaction with a morph male can trigger a dramatic metamorphosis.”
“Fucking a morph turns some women into a morph?” She had to make sure she understood what he meant.
“It’s not that simple. If the female is pure human, there is no danger.”
“You don’t think I’m human? Is that where this is going?”
“In a word, yes. But if you’d be a little less impatient, I’ll explain how I came to this supposition.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just not every day you’re told you’re not human.”
“I’m not human,” Darman admitted cheerfully. “Or not purely human. It’s my understanding that you know how morphs came into being.”
Just like that, the Executive Director of Alpha Colony admitted he was part of a global cover-up? “Then it’s true? Morphs aren’t evolutionary anomalies?”
Darman looked at Grayson and shook his head. “It still astonishes me every time I realize someone actually
Similar Books
