Page 40 of Forced to Mate By the Mad Scientist

“Let’s do it then.” Sylvan nodded. “Get everybody in the shuttles and we’ll fold space and get back to the Mother Ship as soon as possible.”

“Wait, Commander.” Kross put out a hand. “Those women…they can’t fold space. They need to be transported via wormholes back to the Mother Ship.”

“I see.” Commander Sylvan’s face went tight. “It’s like that, is it? They might be pregnant?”

“Yes, they might—any of them might be filled with new life that is half-plant!” Dr. Barbarous exclaimed, struggling against the warriors who were holding him. “Any one of them may be the mother of a whole new race—a superior race of plant-based beings!”

“Shut up, you sick fuck!” Baird growled at him. “I don’t know what you did to those poor women and I don’t fucking want to know! But Idoknow where you’re going—to stand trial for all your fuckery.”

“You can’t take me now! I’m so close to a breakthrough!” The mad scientist struggled in vain against the strong hands holding him. “Let me go! Let me finish my work!”

“I don’t think so,” Baird growled. “You’re coming with us.” He looked at Sylvan. “How about if I take him on ahead in my ship and you bring the women along via the wormhole route in yours?”

Sylvan nodded.

“Yes, that sounds good.”

“I’ll come with you,” Kross said, getting off the bed.

“Then I guess I will too.” Sylvie started to follow him, but he put a hand out to stop her.

“No, Princess,” he said in a low voice. “You’d better ride with the other women.”

Sylvie felt her stomach drop.

“You mean because you think I might be…” She couldn’t finish the sentence—couldn’t bring herself to say the word “pregnant.”

“Would it really be that bad if you had my baby in you?”Kross sent through their mental link.

“What do you mean would it be that bad? I’m a scientist! I never signed up to get pregnant!”Sylvie sent back in a rush of irritation.“How the hell am I going to handle a baby when I go out on missions?”

“I’m sorry you feel that way.”Kross’s mental voice was stiff.“And I’m sorry for what I did—more sorry than I can say.”

“You don’t have to—”Sylvie began but he was already turning away. And when she tried to send him something else, she found that the big Kindred had erected some kind of mental barrier between them.

“Kross? Kross!”she sent but no matter how much she shouted and screamed mentally, he didn’t answer.

It was almost like they had never formed the Soul Bond in the first place and though Sylvie was still irritated with her Protector, she couldn’t help feeling bereft by the deep silence that now existed between them.

22

KROSS

Kross fucking hated himself. He’d hurt her—forced her. He’d done the worst thing a male could do to any woman and he’d done it to his Fated Mate. No wonder Sylvia didn’t want anything to do with him or any baby he might have planted in her belly! No wonder she’d been so eager to get him out of her!

The thought of what he’d done to the woman he loved stabbed him like a dagger in the heart. He wanted to go back to the Mother Ship where he could be punished properly.

And he knew after the punishment was done, he would leave and never see Sylvia again. How could he face her after what he’d done? Even if he hadn’t been in his right mind, nothing could excuse the way he’d forced her. She would never be able to forgive him.

And he knew, sure as all the Seven Hells, he would never be able to forgive himself.

23

SYLVIE

Sylvie tried several times in the days after she got back to the Mother Ship to make contact with her Protector, but the mental block Kross had put between them remained firmly in place. It was frustrating to feel him in the back of her mind and not be able to contact him.

Several times she thought about going to his suite to talk to him…but if he didn’t want to communicate mentally, it seemed reasonable to assume he didn’t want to talk face-to-face either.

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