Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Not that Cade will probably want to touch me or help me after I confess everything to him, she told herself. But she couldn’t help hoping that maybe the big Hybrid would take pity on her. She wasn’t close enough with any other male on the ship to ask for that kind of intimate help and she didn’t really want to—she only wanted Cade.
“I can go now, right?” she asked again, since Liv was just sitting there, frowning at her.
“Not quite yet.” Liv drew in a deep breath. “Andi…I don’t know how to say this but Cade, your Protector, has requested that you be examined and treated for sexual assault.”
“What?” At last Andi stopped her restless shifting. She felt frozen in place by the other woman’s words.
“He says he assaulted you while you were on Zo’rath Three together,” Liv said in a low voice. “From what I understand, he wasn’t completely in his right mind but if you want to press charges—”
“Press charges? No! Of course I don’t!” Andi exclaimed. “What happened wasn’t his fault—it was mine! All my fault!”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Liv asked gravely. “I’m here to listen to anything you need to say.”
Andi bit her lip.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but the only person I want to talk to is Cade. I need to explain to him what happened…how things got so out of hand. I didn’t do a very good job of it last time, but I need to try harder to get him to listen.”
“Well, I’m afraid you might be too late to do that,” Liv said doubtfully. “My understanding is that he’s requested a change of assignment. He’s moving to an outpost of the Kent’er’mein—they’re former Dark Kindred who have left their past behind and become monks.”
“Monks? What does that even mean? Can I go to him there?” Andi demanded. She was beginning to feel panicky.
“I’m afraid not—it’s a males only facility,” Liv said apologetically. “The males there have sworn off females completely—they wish to live their lives in silence and solitude. In fact, they won’t even receive calls from the outside world. It’s located inside an asteroid and it’s a very insular community,” she added.
“What?” Andi jumped up and began pacing. “But this is awful! I have to talk to him—I have to explain!” She rounded on Liv. “Has he already gone?”
“Well, he was released from decontamination some time ahead of you—earlier today,” Liv told her. “And from what I understand, his plan was to pack up his things and go immediately.”
“Crap!” Andi exclaimed. “I have to go—I have to try and stop him!”
“Go then.” Liv jumped up as well. Fishing in her pocket, she pulled out a badge and slapped it on Andi’s chest. “There—I’m officially clearing you as decontaminated—if you run, you might catch him!”
“Thank you!” Andi gave her a quick hug and then rushed through the all-white decontamination suite where she’d been living for the past week. She had to catch Cade before he left—she had to tell him everything that had happened on Zo’rath Three and make him understand he hadn’t assaulted her—that in fact, she was the one who had invited his attention when he was a Manimal.
She just prayed she could make him understand…and that she could catch him before he left.
59
ANDI
“Hybrid named Cade? I’m afraid he took off a short while ago.” The Twin Kindred who was in charge of landings and departures in the Docking Bay shook his head. “You only missed him by a few minutes, though.”
“Can…can you call him then?” Andi panted. She had run all the way from Cade’s suite, which she had gone to check first. Now she realized she should have come straight to the Docking Bay, but she’d been hoping to catch him while he was still packing.
The Twin Kindred shook his head.
“I’m sorry, but those who go to live with the Kent’er’mein take a vow of silence the moment they start their journey. Even if I call, he won’t answer. And to be honest, even if he did come back for some reason, he probably wouldn’t speak to you. The monks of the Kent’er’mein swear off all contact with females for the rest of their lives.”
“Are you serious?” Andi felt her eyes beginning to fill with tears. “So there’s no hope? Even if I was able to reach him and ask him to come back, he wouldn’t even talk to me?”
“Afraid not.” The Twin Kindred—he must be a Light Twin, because he had sandy blond hair and sympathetic blue eyes—shook his head. “I’m very sorry, I can tell you’ve had a loss, but Commander Cade has gone beyond our reach now.”
“All…all right.” Andi blinked, trying to keep the tears from falling. They were burning her eyes and inside she felt like she was crumbling to pieces. Cade was gone—she was too late. There was no getting him back—ever.