Page 2 of Tamed By Her Touch

“What are you doing in my lab?” he demanded in a deep, rumbling voice. “Do I not have a ‘do not disturb’ sign by the door?”

Actually, he did. Clair glanced at the silver panel beside the door and saw a small glowing sign that said “Do not Disturb” in English and another alien language she couldn’t read—though she assumed it was the Kindred Mother Tongue and probably said the same thing. She was going to have to get a shot of translation bacteria, she thought to herself, so she could read and understand alien dialects.

“Yes, you have a sign but that shouldn’t apply to your lab mate,” Commander Sylvan said, frowning.

“My lab mate? What are you talking about? This lab is mine.” The possessive growl in the big Hybrid’s voice was unmistakable.

“It was yours—now you’re sharing it with Doctor Clair Donovan.” Commander Sylvan had nodded at her and Clair had nodded doubtfully at the huge Kindred scientist who was scowling at her.

His golden eyes raked over her, taking her in from her messy, fly-away curls which she’d done her best to tame for her first day aboard the Mother Ship, down past her overlarge breasts, wide hips, and thick thighs.

“So you have brought me an Elite to derail my concentration and ruin my research,” he growled at Sylvan.

An Elite? What the hell is that?

But Clair didn’t get a chance to ask because Sylvan was already speaking.

“I’ve done no such thing, Kaelus,” he said frowning. “I’ve brought a well-respected Xenobotanist to share your lab since it’s one of the largest ones on the ship and we’re running low on lab space at the moment. This is Doctor Clair Donovan. And Dr Donovan, this is Doctor Kaelus,” he said, making the introductions. “Now, is this going to be a problem?”

“In all probability, yes,” Kaelus growled. “However, since I am unable to change your mind, you might as well come in.”

They entered the lab, and Clair was immediately impressed by how neat and orderly it looked. There were test tubes and samples in precisely placed rows as well as a large and expensive looking electron microscope and several other pieces of top-of-the-line scientific equipment.

The walls were lined with shelves, all of which had neat labels that told exactly what was on them. And every shelf was filled—it didn’t actually look like there was room for her at all. But apparently Commander Sylvan intended for her new lab-mate to make room—which was probably going to be a problem.

Sylvan seemed to be thinking the same thing because he pointed a finger at Doctor Kaelus and frowned.

“I’ll give you until tomorrow morning, Kaelus,” he told him. “You need to clear your equipment out of half of this lab so Doctor Donovan has a place to work and store her equipment. Do you understand?”

“With perfect clarity,” Dr. Kaelus had rumbled, frowning ominously at Clair. Then he rudely turned his back and said not another word until they left.

Later, when Commander Sylvan had handed Clair off to a friendly woman named Kat to show her the rest of the ship, she’d gotten a better idea of what made her new work colleague and lab-mate tick.

“Oh, Kaelus is always grumpy,” Kat had told her over a plate of blue pasta at a local Kindred café.

She had gorgeous auburn hair and full curves, just like Clair and also excellent taste in food—she had ordered for both of them after quizzing Clair about what kinds of Earth foods she liked to eat.

“He is?” Clair had asked, taking a bite of her own dark blue pasta, which tasted remarkably like spicy chicken curry—one of her favorite foods.

“Oh, yes.” Kat nodded. “Personally, I think it’s because he’s a Hybrid and they can almost never Bond with a woman so they can never find a mate,” she added.

“Well, if that’s what makes him grumpy, he doesn’t have to worry about me,” Clair told her. “After my divorce I have zero interest in being with a man ever again.”

“Yes, human men will do that to a girl,” Kat remarked, taking a sip of her bright blue liquor which, she had told Clair, was called “Woo.” “They’re just one big disappointment after another, aren’t they?”

“You sound like you speak from experience.” Clair laughed.

“Oh, I do.” Kat nodded. “I dated plenty of human jerks before I got with my Kindred husbands.”

“Excuse me—husbands? As in, plural?” Clair asked, forgetting the forkful of pasta halfway to her mouth.

Kat nodded again.

“Yes, I’m mated to Twin Kindred and I have three boys at home. Talk about being outnumbered!” She laughed. “But I don’t mind. Kindred are different from human men—they actually care about whether you’re having a good time in bed, for one thing. And they worship their women—they believe each and every woman has a little piece of the Goddess inside her.”

“Well, I doubt Doctor Kaelus feels that way about me,” Clair said doubtfully. “He said the weirdest thing when Commander Sylvan introduced us—something about how Sylvan had brought an ‘Elite to ruin his concentration’ or something like that.” She shook her head. “What does that even mean?”

“Hmm…I think it means your new lab-mate thinks you’re pretty.” Kat winked at her. “You see, the term ‘Elite’ is what the Kindred use to describe a full-figured woman like you or me. Let me tell you, my husbands love my curves—they can’t keep their hands off me.”