“I see,” Lauren murmured. She watched in fascination as all eight of the aforementioned hands flew over a touch-pad, changing the colored blocks until they were a rainbow blur on the screen.
“Ahh, hmmm.” Slk nodded and sat back at last. “There we have it.” He pressed a button and two new vials popped out of the slot he’d deposited the blood in moments before. “Xairn first,” he said beckoning.
Xairn came forward and held out his arm stoically while Slk injected the contents of the first vial into his arm with a needle roughly the size of a harpoon. Lauren watched, biting her lip. She didn’t have a problem with needles in general but this thing was huge. Why did it have to be so much bigger than the one he’d used to draw their blood in the first place?
“I know what you’re thinking, my dear,” Slk said, finishing with Xairn and motioning her to come forward. “But I must use a larger needle this time. The size of the altered molecules makes this liquid much more viscous and difficult to inject.”
“All right.” Taking a deep breath, Lauren moved forward. Slk hovered over her arm with the giant needle for a moment and then looked up at Xairn. “Hold her while I do this. She needs comfort.”
“Hold her?” Xairn sounded uncertain but he came forward willingly enough. Awkwardly, he put an arm around Lauren’s shoulders. “Like this?”
“No, like this.” Lauren leaned against him, glad of the warmth of his big body at her back. Then she reached up to wrap his other arm around her waist. “There.” Tilting her head, she looked up to give him a smile.
Xairn looked back at her quizzically. “And this makes you feel…better?”
“Yes.” She squeezed his arm. “Much.” Then she held out her arm to Slk. “Okay—hit me.”
“Very well,” Slk murmured, leaning over her arm again.
At the last moment Lauren squeezed her eyes shut and pressed back hard against Xairn. She felt him shift uneasily but then the giant needle bit into her arm and all she could think of was how much it hurt. Not just the sharp hollow tip of the needle but the liquid being injected—it was cold. So cold it burned, sending a line of ice and fire shooting up her arm.
Though she tried not to make a noise, a little squeak of pain escaped Lauren’s lips. Behind her, she felt Xairn’s big body stiffen instantly and his arm tightened protectively around her waist.
“Are you all right?” His deep voice in her ear was filled with concern.
“Fine,” Lauren managed to say. “It…it just stings a little. That’s all.”
“It is over now.” Slk withdrew the needle as he spoke, which hurt almost as much as when he’d stuck it in. Lauren muffled another moan and was relieved to feel Slk using some kind of glue to close the wound. So at least she wouldn’t bleed out from the gaping hole.
She sighed with relief. “I’m so glad that’s over.” Turning in Xairn’s arms, she gave him a brief, impulsive hug. “Thanks.”
He frowned. “No thanks are necessary. I did nothing—I could not even alleviate your pain.”
“But you helped me get through it.” Lauren smiled up into his red-on-black eyes. Really, when you got over their color they were quite striking. Xairn was extremely attractive in his own exotic, alien way.
“I would prefer it if you performed your mating rituals in the guest quarters,” Slk said dryly.
Xairn frowned and stepped away from her. “I think you misunderstand the situation. Lauren and I are not carnally involved, nor do we plan to become so at any time in the future.”
Slk made the burbling laughter again. “You had better inform your female of that. She is feeling arousal for you at this moment.”
“She is?” Xairn’s eyes widened.
This was too much for Lauren. “Hey, I thought you could only read thoughts—not emotions.”
“I read and understand many things,” Slk said mysteriously. “But as amusing as this is, I do have work to do. If the two of you would please follow the lighted trail to your room, I would be forever grateful.”
“What lighted trail?” Lauren said but even as she spoke a series of brilliant white spots appeared on the purple-brown flagstones as her feet. They curved around to include Xairn and led out of the throne room/laboratory in a different direction from the one they’d come in.
“Come.” Xairn nodded stiffly at her but Lauren noticed that he didn’t take her hand. Feeling hurt, she crossed her arms over her chest and followed him.
“Good night and thank you,” she told Slk as they left.