“The exact same thing you brought me here for, but for someone different. It doesn’t matter to me what I have to do if I get to be with Kol and away from you and this dreadful house for a while.”
Dru mentally shared with her sister what had transpired between herself and Mir through telepathy. She had no reason to keep any of this a secret and reckoned that Jesse would need to know as much as possible, as there was some danger involved for her as well. After she had shared the information, she added out loud, “You’re not staying with Kol. You must return here until our deal is done. I bound you to me. If you leave the solar system without doing what I require of you, you’ll stop breathing,” Dru said nastily and snapped her fingers, “Just like that.”
“Such sisterly love,” Jesse replied ironically as she closed her bag. “Send the special envoy pass to Kol’s IC or to the Ora. And don’t worry your little heart, sister, I’ll return, do your bidding and then I’m never going to have to look at you or live in this house ever again.”
Dru turned and left without another word.
Jesse picked up her small bag, the same one she took from Earth, but now filled with Alliance clothing and headed in the opposite way as her sister. She went further down into the house, to the kitchens on the lowest floor.
Kol was eating a Granny Smith apple from Earth that had been grown in a greenhouse here on the Alliance Capital Planet. He was enjoying the sweet taste of the juice combined with the crunchiness of it. When Jesse entered, he said to her, “Have you ever tried this fruit before? It’s amazing.”
Jesse looked at what Kol had in his hand, “It’s an apple. Yes, I’ve had one before. Now let’s go. I want to get out of here as quickly as possible. You can take your apple with you.” However, as she got closer to him, she felt strange, like she was only half of herself, “You have the blocker on? That’s not part of the deal.”
Kol smiled at her beautiful petite face and brushed her long, wavy, dark blonde hair back, “Now that I know what you’re capable of, I’m not allowing you on my ship without it. What’s to say you wouldn’t just take the ship and head back to Earth? My crew is no match for you.”
“I don’t know the way back to Earth to begin with.”
“No, but it’s not difficult to program the computer,” Kol replied casually taking another bite of the apple. “Even if it’s true your…” he left off not knowing how to describe her other worldly gifts, “talents might disrupt technology, I’ve little doubt you could find a way, especially now that you have learned to control some of those gifts when working with tech. So yes, the whole ship has been dampened and all the crew.”
Jesse was annoyed with these restraints that would be put on her. She wanted to tell Kol that she would never leave him, and that she might do anything for him, but she couldn’t find those words. “You don’t need to worry about my taking the Ora and leaving the galaxy. My sister has an Alliance blood binding on me that prevents me from leaving the solar system,” Jesse explained and held up her wrist showing her the bracelet usually only reserved for prisoners.
“Oh,” Kol replied feeling guilty about his part in all of this.
“Will you take that necklace off now? I want to feel all of you,” Jesse replied. She longed for him to hold her again. To feel his cool strong body next to hers and know everything he felt and thought. To look up into his sharp grey eyes dark with desire and that want to spark her own needs. To pull on his short black hair, to suck on his pierced earlobes and bite when she felt like she couldn’t derive any more pleasure from him. They had had a few trysts at Fire in the Capital City, but those precious few hours were never enough. Now she wanted to be with him completely and not in a cold artificial hotel room rented by the hour. In his own space where the presence of him was on everything and she could surround herself with it all like a blanket, but to derive that comfort she would need access to all her senses.
Kol looked into Jesse’s green eyes and thought, I’m so sorry, but I cannot trust you yet. Kol’s IC chimed then. He looked at it automatically, pleased he didn’t have to answer her question. He held up his IC and showed Jesse the exclusive permit from House Vo for her to go to Alliance Planet Four. Kol lost all interest in his apple, put it down and picked Jesse up easily, she was small, “Come on, let’s go.”
“You get a kick out of abducting me?” Jesse asked remembering the first time he chased her down in a forest on Earth.
Kol smiled, “I think I do. Think of it as how things maybe should have gone the first time we met.”
“That I should have fallen into your alien arms and just been thrilled to be abducted from Earth?” she asked disbelievingly, but not struggling in his arms.
“Yes, of course,” he answered jokingly. “It’s a fantasy that’s in my head now. I’m going to have to tie you to my bed. My human captive.” Kol put her in the transport and fastened her seatbelt then got in the pilot’s seat next to her.
“Do we need to pass through Space Port One?” Jesse asked seriously as the transport took off, remembering the terrible time the last time she was there.
“No,” Kol said as he bypassed all the normal protocols. “I’m from an Imperial House and so are you. There’s no need for that nonsense now.”
“Good,” Jesse replied. “I want you all to myself as soon as possible. I hope your crew can manage to get us to Alliance Planet Four without you on the bridge.”
“With their eyes closed,” Kol said confidently and pushed the transport to go even faster.
On board the Ora, Kol picked up Jesse again and carried her to his quarters. As they passed members of his crew, they didn’t even bother to look surprised. They knew that Jesse had cursed their captain and that now he was going to get some pleasure from the pain he had endured.
The only one that said anything was his first officer, who said plainly as they passed in the corridor, “Please at least pretend to come to the bridge at least once on this short journey, Captain.”
Kol just grinned at his first officer in reply.
Once in his quarters he set Jesse on the bed and began kissing her. Playing with her bottom lip as she began to undress him and at the same time tried to remove his blocking necklace.
“No,” he pulled away. “And just so you are aware that’s not the only thing. My quarters are heaving with telepathic blockers.” Kol smiled down at her.
Jesse frowned, “Oh Koala.” She said it because she knew he hated that nickname.
Just then a miniature black kitten jumped up on the bed and began meowing. Jesse looked over and then asked, “Do you see a kitten?” She half wondered if the blockers were making her hallucinate.
“Yes, I see it. It’s a baby cat,” he clarified. As the Alliance had very few animals left, they did not use the ancient terms for younger animals. “I acquired it for you for lots of UCs and a lot of haggling. I was told that human women from the Exterior like cats, like a friend or companion.”
“You mean like it will be my familiar?” Jesse asked, barely able to keep a straight face. She wished fervently in this moment that they didn’t have to use translators and that he spoke her language. Everything was always slightly delayed and a bit off with translators. She mentally added it to her list to teach Kol English.