Tamed by a Goddess's Touch
1. Clair
CLAIR
“I know the two of you don’t like each other very much, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to work together on this mission.” Commander Sylvan leaned across his desk, a serious look on his face. “It’s critical that we find a cure for the Savage Syndrome as soon as possible.”
Doctor Clair Donovan threw a glance at the huge Kindred male sitting beside her and muffled a sigh of frustration.
Doctor Kaelus shared a lab with her—or rather, she shared a lab with him—and he never missed a chance to let her know how much she irritated and annoyed him.
And now they were supposed to go on a scientific mission together? Please.
Great, just great, she thought as she studied her Kindred colleague. Now how is this going to work?
Kaelus, for his part, remained silent though his face was creased into a heavy frown. His dark brows drew low over golden eyes that proved the Beast Kindred part of his heritage. But when he opened his mouth to speak, she could see his fangs—which showed the Blood Kindred part of him.
Her colleague was what the Kindred called a “Hybrid”—a mixture of two different branches of the Kindred family tree. This mixture of Beast and Blood Kindred genetics made him even bigger than a regular Kindred warrior, which was saying something since almost all of them were seven feet tall.
Now, he raked a hand through his thick, black hair and glared at their boss, who was still looking anxiously at the two of them.
“Unacceptable,” he rumbled, frowning at Commander Sylvan. “First you force me to share a lab with the human and now you want me to go on a mission with her? I refuse.”
Sylvan’s own brows drew low over his ice-blue eyes.
“I’m sorry, Doctor Kaelus but you’re not allowed to refuse this particular mission.
And as for sharing a lab, it makes sense.
We have limited lab space on the Mother Ship right now and Doctor Donovan is a Xenobotanist while you’re a Xenopharmacologist. It seems natural to assume that your work might overlap some.
It makes more sense than putting her in with someone studying geology, for instance. ”
“She has made a mess of my lab and broken all my rules,” Kaelus growled. “As for the mission, I will go without her. There will be less confusion and irritation that way.”
“Irritation for who?” Clair put a hand on her hip. “Because you get on my nerves too, you know, big fella.”
He shot her a glare, a growl rumbling in his throat and Commander Sylvan gave him an alarmed look.
“Doctor Kaelus, please contain yourself,” he said, frowning.
“Oh, don’t worry.” Clair patted her colleague’s arm, which was rock hard with muscle under her touch. “He just hates it when I call him nicknames—that’s all.”
But she couldn’t help thinking back six months ago when she’d first moved up to the Mother Ship and been assigned her new lab space…