Page 36 of Their Shared Mate
She watched him with rapt interest, her eyes wide, emotions too conflicted to interpret. All raptor hybrids were empathic to some extent. To understand her reactions completely he would need to scan her, and Raphael wasn’t willing to enter her mind without permission.
“Did each pattern result in a consistent set of abilities?” she asked.
He pulled the toast out of the oven, then took the eggs off the stove. Lastly, he grabbed the steaming kettle and madetwo mugs of tea. The sooner he satisfied her curiosity, the sooner they could move on to pleasant topics. “I’m not sure if the patterns are responsible or if the people had different aptitudes, but there are myriad abilities in our village. Some are extraordinary, others are little more than curiosities.” While the tea steeped, he slathered butter on the toast and dished up the eggs. When he looked up again, she was smiling at him. “Is something funny?”
“It’s just easier to picture you commanding troops or interrogating prisoners than making tea and toast.”
He returned her smile, but a fresh surge of pain threatened his composure. When the hybrids were exiled here four years ago, they’d had no choice but to develop new skills. They could learn to hunt, fish, and cook or they could starve. They’d wanted shelter from the harsh weather, so they’d been forced to learn how to build cabins and clear roads. Automation on Earth made such skills all but obsolete. On Rydaria you either adapted or you died. There was nothing in between.
“Can everyone in this village manifest wings?” she asked after a long pause.
“Partial shifts are tricky. About sixty percent of us can shift into birds, but only twenty-five percent of those can maintain their human shape while manifesting wings.” He handed her the plates piled high with food then carried the mugs to the nearby table and motioned for her to join him.
She set down the plates and slipped onto one of the chairs. “Is healing your primary ability? I know Kyle’s isn’t the only life you’ve saved.”
He waved away the praise. “I’m not sure Kyle’s life was in danger. He was in for a long, miserable recovery if I hadn’t intervened, but the cats could have treated him just as easily. And yes, healing is my primary ability.” He waited for her to take a bite then shifted the focus of their retrospective. “While we’re talking about Nuevo, what did you do for them?”
“Genetic research,” she said once she’d cleared her mouth.
“Really?” He set down his mug as tension drew up his shoulders. He’d been told that all the females who were part of the alliance had not actively participated in any of the experiments. “Then how did you remain unaware of what they were doing?”
The question fell just short of an accusation, but her guilt was implied. She set down her tea and took a deep breath. “We were given a predefined hypothesis and told to prove or disprove it. Once that was done to our supervisor’s satisfaction, we were given another hypothesis. We all signed strict NDAs that prevented us from discussing our assignments with the other researchers. It seemed odd, even paranoid, but they were good at answering just enough of our questions to make us shrug off the rest.”
He studied her closely, orange eyes narrowed. He wanted to believe her, needed to believe that his mate had never been part of his season in hell. “You never saw the cages where we were kept, or the operating rooms where we were strapped down and tortured?”
“No,” she stressed, and her emotions supported her claim. “The building I worked in had labs and offices. That’s all. Not counting the residential towers, the off-world complex had eleven buildings. I have no idea where the experim—treatments took place.”
“Experiments was more accurate,” he grumbled. “We weren’t beingtreatedfor anything.”
“I didn’t know, Raphael. I swear to God, I knew nothing about any of it.”
He cleared his throat and stood up then walked over and set his plate and mug in the sink. “This is why I avoid thinking about the past. We’re powerless to change it, so I’d rather spend my time and energy on the future.”
“I agree.” She followed his example and brought her dishes to the sink. “Thank you for indulging my curiosity and I’ll try very hard to avoid the subject from now on.”
He nodded, but emotion still gripped his throat, making it hard to speak. Once the door to the past was cracked open, the memories were nearly impossible to resist. He’d spent seven agonizing years as Nuevo Biotech’s captive. He’d undergone eleven surgeries and countless medical procedures. His first transformation had been so painful and violent that he had six broken bones when he reverted to his human form.
“What are your plans for the day?” Her voice trembled and the compassion in her gaze gave him the strength he needed to slam the door shut again. The past was behind him. He would not be controlled by his demons!
“I thought I’d take you on a tour of the village,” he told her, relaxing enough to smile. “Once word spreads that Victor and I are courting you, the others should back off. It will give you more freedom.” He’d been debating her options with Victor for the past few days. Claire was used to staying busy, to being challenged and contributing to a team. She would never be satisfied as a homemaker. They hadn’t been sure what she wouldenjoy, but learning that she was a genetic researcher gave him an idea.
“A tour sounds great,” she assured him. “All I’ve seen of the village so far is this cabin and the bunkhouse.”
They paused by the door to don outerwear. Claire pulled on her trusty stadium-length coat while Raphael slipped on his synth-leather jacket. As was often the case on Rydaria, the day appeared much warmer than it felt. The sun shone brightly, giving their surroundings a cheerful glow. Yet the air stung his nose each time he inhaled.
“How did you and Gabriel become joint leaders?” she asked as they strolled along the main walkway. The dwellings had been built in neat rows, but trees were interspersed with the cabins providing shade and protection from the wind. “Was it something you guys insisted on or was there some sort of election?”
“There was an election. In fact, there have been two.” He gave her a sidelong glance and asked, “Do I seem like a dictator?”
“Sometimes,” she bandied with a smile. “But only with me.”
He stopped walking and turned toward her. “Does my aggression bother you? It didn’t seem like it last night.”
Clearly embarrassed by his candor, she cleared her throat and lowered her eyes. “No one was more surprised by my reactions than me. I don’t understand why I turn into a blushing schoolgirl whenever you boss me around, but it’s pointless to deny that it happens.”
Cupping her chin, he tilted her head back until their eyes met. “I’m your mate, Claire. And so is Victor. That’s why you respond to us and always will.”
She eased away from his light hold and started walking again. “For the sake of this discussion, let’s say that’s true. What would I do all day while you and Victor are off running the village?”
