If there were any questions about the fitness of any admission to the community, they would call Calan to read them telepathically. He could usually tell immediately if a person was honest and sincere in their reasons they wanted to join the Refuge.
For the time being, they were calling the place Farringay Refuge or the Refuge. There was still no consensus as to what the permanent name of the growing community should be.
“I’m sorry that we can’t offer you a flat right now,” Rax told her. “But I’m sure that Calan and Ajha will be happy to loan you their guest room.”
“It’ll be okay for the time being, but they need privacy,” Mikki said.
“I have two extra bedrooms in my flat,” Rax offered.
“Oh, that would be convenient,” she said with a touch of irony.
“For you to know me better,” he concluded.
“I don’t doubt that,” she said with a soft chuckle. “That would be way too tempting.”
“For what?”
For me to wander into your room and fall on to your manhood.
Mikki sighed. “For me.” She shook her head, wondering why she even bothered to resist. As she glanced up at him while they walked, she knew that she had to be sure of her feelings before she acted on her attraction to him. He was so damn sexy without even trying. But inexperienced. Rax was not someone to have a fling with.
“Mikki? Is that you?” a familiar voice called.
Mikki stopped and turned. “Julie! Julie Oaker!” Mikki exclaimed and hurried toward the woman with open arms. “I’m so glad to see you here.”
“We love it here,” Julie said, hugging her friend. “It’s been so long, I thought you were dead.”
“Did Ajha tell you I was taken by overlord thugs?” Mikki asked, stepping back.
“Yes. I kept hoping you would get away.”
“Well, I finally did---thanks to Ajha and Calan,” Mikki explained.
“So, are you staying here now?”
“I am, but no flats are available, and people are waiting ahead of me,” Mikki explained. “I’m staying with Ajha and Calan for now.”
“Gotcha. Why not come to stay with Bridge and me? Calan and Ajha need their privacy.” Julie said. “We don’t have those issues.”
Bridge was her seven-year-old son. He was the result of a coercive sexual encounter. Julie had no man in her life.
“I might take you up on it,” Mikki told her. “I’ll come to talk to you later. Rax is showing me around.”
“Okay, I’ll see you later. It’s great to have you here.”
She could have taken that opportunity to ditch Rax, but she really didn’t want to, she realized. He was not at all what she expected in a cyborg. But then she had never met one before Rax. She’d only heard stories about their fierceness in battle and their killer instinct.
Rax was fierce looking, but he had been nothing but kind. Or was that just because he was attracted to her? No, it was more than that. She could bet it was Calan’s influence.
“I can’t get over this place,” Mikki said as they came to the end of the empty wing of the complex. “He just came here and decided to build it and let people live here! What does he get out of it?”
“He’s a psion. When people are suffering like these people have suffered, he feels their pain and despair. He knew before he even came here he couldn’t just come to find Ajha and leave. It’s one of the reasons why his father couldn’t stay when he came for Calan’s mother. When Calan learned what it was like for his mother living here, he wanted to make things better.”
“I guess little Ajha did all right for herself,” Mikki said it with pride. “She seems really happy with him. He’s a good-looking guy, and he’s so nice. It’s just awful that he got shot like that.”
“But you didn’t see where it came from?”
“No.” Mikki shook her head. “I heard the shot, but it didn’t seem that close.”
