Chapter Four

Drin elbowed Vikor. “I told you to wash your hands.”

He grinned, and Kritz laughed. Arcady was amused. “He never laughs like that. Well, not when he’s wearing clothing.”

Drin sighed and tried to control her blush. She started shaking, and she checked her com. She was ninety minutes past her lunch break.

Arcady excused herself and came back with two enzyme packs. She brought them to Drin and eased her to a chair while Kritz took Vikor around the lab.

Arcady held the first pack for Drin as her hands shook. “Too long between meals?”

“Unaccustomed activities.” She sucked down the first pack.

Arcady grinned. “I wanted to pursue Kritz, but he finally made his move, and after that, I was head over heels.”

Drin sighed. “If I don’t show up for work tomorrow, I am going to be in jail.”

Arcady laughed. “Are you going to hurt him?”

“Oh, no. Speaking with him breaks a court order. If certain parties hear about it, I am going to jail.”

Arcady snickered. “Noted.”

Drin went to work on a second pack, but they were only going to buy her an hour. “How long do you think that Kritz can keep him busy?”

Arcady grinned. “Hours. Why?”

“I only have an hour until these packs wear off. Thanks, by the way.”

“No problem. That’s the fun of a light precog talent. I know what folks need, and Drin, you need him.”

Drin sipped at the pack and said, “I know. But I don’t know how to get him without losing myself.”

Arcady hugged her, and Drin sighed. “He managed to see my face.”

Arcady froze. “Really?”

“Yeah. I am going to either eat my own arm or fifteen hotdogs.”

Arcady leaned away and laughed. “You don’t like hot dogs.”

“I know, but they are very much on my mind.” Drin blushed. “I have to head back to my office for cash.”

“You just got paid.”

“Um, no. BDC froze my accounts, and Z-Tech pays next week. I have some cash to last me.”

Arcady sighed. “I will transfer you some. The crew just paid me for a three-day weekend.”

Drin smiled. “It’s fine. I have enough to last me. I just have to be careful.”

She got up, swayed, and squeezed Arcady’s hand. “I’m fine. I will be fine. Had to pay for fall semester. It took the wind out of my sails.”

“Ah. Right. Well, the offer stands.”

Drin turned and headed down the hall to her desk, but she was brought up short. “Drin! Where are you going?”

She turned and saw Vikor looking large and furious. “I need to eat. I really need to eat. I will pass out in about an hour if I don’t. After that is a nightmare of crawling to my stash to find food.”

He tensed. “What are the signs?”

Arcady filled him in. “She sways. She turns pink, then white, and finally grey. That is when she is about to pass out. Her skin goes from warm to cold, then warm again as it tries to propel her toward food. She needs to eat right now.”

He grabbed his tablet and walked toward Drin. She shook, and when he offered his arm for support, she nearly cried.

“I have to stop at my desk and get my cash.”

“If you think I will let you pay for lunch after you have supported my nephew for the last six years, you are insane.” He walked her to the elevator.

She shook her head and tried to stop her trembling. “I have a list of places who can get the amounts of food I need in short order.”

“We are going to visit Kritz’s brother’s establishment. He is being warned that we are on the way.”

“How do you know that?”

“Kritz suggested that I take you for lunch immediately. Apparently, he can tell when Arcady is in distress for someone else.”

She felt tears start, and she shook her head. “We can’t go there.”

He stopped the elevator and turned her to look at him. “Why not?”

“It’s too expensive. I eat too much. I told you before, it’s embarrassing. I hate eating at fancy places. People stare.” She looked up at him, and he gave her a calm face in return. “If you pay for this, I will start running a tab in my head and get physically sick when I see you, and I don’t have enough to pay for myself.”

“We are going, and you never owe me for feeding you when I have depleted your reserves or did you not think I figured that out.” He pressed the button, and the elevator continued downward. “Now dry your tears, and let’s try to have a nice conversation over lunch.”

Vikor thought of something. “What is Vaken having?”

“He has my cafeteria card. He can have whatever he wants. Umther has already taken him and returned him to the study room we keep in the behavioural research lab for when he comes in.”

“Does he come in often?”

“When Shisha can’t get away from work. I am also a lot closer than she is. Twenty minutes round trip, he’s in a safe environment, and Umther helps him with his homework. She uses him for passive developmental scans, and Zera doesn’t mind him coming when he has to. I am her problem child, so to speak.”

They exited on the main floor, and he wrapped an arm around her back with his fingers gripping her waist.

They walked half a block and then entered a building where they were greeted by name.

The private elevator took them to the restaurant, and they were greeted by a woman with blue and green skin and escorted to a table that did not face the restaurant.

Arcady had explained what Kritz’s brother’s activation was. She tried to buckle down her hunger, and when Kraus came around to greet them, he looked at her and touched her hand. “It’s okay, miss. Arcady explained. You don’t have to hold back. I can take it.” He grinned.

She looked at him, exhaled slowly, and showed him her hunger.

His eyes widened, and he nodded. “I can satisfy that with three dishes. I hope you like cream.”

She smiled hopefully. “I love cream.”

“Then you shall have it.” He kissed her cheek and nodded.

She smiled shyly and sat with her hands in her lap.

Vikor looked at her and said, “You don’t even know that you are doing it, do you?”

She paused. “What?”

“Some women wheedle when they want something. You go helpless, and the men in power trip over themselves to make you smile.”

She swallowed. “I don’t mean to.”

He stroked her cheek. “I know. I don’t mind it one bit, nor would Klauz.” He smiled, “On a different note, Ekron wants a bit of revenge for that moment when you kneed him in the nuts, but nothing violent. He would settle for a kiss in public at the club.”

“Wait. Go back to Hell?”

He chuckled. “I plan to have you there frequently. Take that in every sense of the words.”

Her cheeks went hot.

He stroked what she knew was hot pink skin. “This is exactly what I mean. I want to restrain you so that you simply feel. No thinking, no worries, just feel. I think you need a break, and I think you should find that break in my bed.”

She muttered, “Why do you always reference tying me up?”

He smiled. “Because that is what I like, and you have shouldered quite a bit in your life, so I think the submission will agree with you. We will start slow.”

She really liked that idea, but it also freaked her out. Why did she like that idea? Her body was putting a lot of energy into telling her how much she liked that idea.

Vikor grinned and pulled her further into the booth, away from the walkway that stood between them and the window overlooking the beauty of Aksalla.

She looked at him and tried something. She cuddled up against him and settled her head on his arm. She breathed slowly and tried to stop her constant state of panic. Now that he had pointed it out, she realized it. She had been panicking since she activated. Her entire life was about trying to impose control.

He stroked her cheek. “That little move made me feel nine feet tall.”

She froze. “Should I have asked? I am not really cognizant of the rules.”

He smiled. “No need to ask. Never need to ask. If you want to touch me, touch me. We are going to have to take you shopping.”

She stiffened. “No, my clothes are fine for work. I checked.”

“They don’t suit you. No pun intended.”

The panic started rising, and she wanted to flap her hands.

He kissed her, and the panic started fading. She held his wrist, and when she heard a sound on the table, she turned her head to look, and Vikor turned her head back to him as he deepened the kiss while pulling her against him.

She moaned and pulled away. “Hungry.”

He chuckled. “I was just trying to see if you would assert yourself. We should eat.”

She smiled, and when he looked at her, she could see the bright reflection in his eyes from hers. She looked at her hands, and they were a soft gold. She could also feel her ears projecting upward. Her second face was showing.

The food looked great. She got to start with a shrimp cocktail, and it was huge. It looked small, but there were layers of shrimp in the cocktail sauce. She ate happily and glanced at Vikor and his bone marrow with toast. She nearly drooled at the smell of his food, and he must have caught her looking. He slathered a toast point and held it out to her, pulling it back until she was draped over him before he let her have it.

She moaned as she ate it. It was really good and made her body come alive like nothing else ever had. That or the half pound of shrimp for her starter. Either way, she was feeling really good.

He stroked her back under her jacket and held her close until she went looking for more, and it was gone. She made a sad whimpering noise, and he kissed her, holding her with hands at her hips and his fingers flexing rhythmically against her.

Drin tasted his appetizer, and she tasted him, and she wanted more.

Klauz cleared his throat, and Drin was embarrassed as she backed off Vikor, but her victim looked delighted.

She sat down and looked down. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to misbehave in public.”

Klauz grinned. “How was the first course?”

She looked up at him and purred, “Very satisfying.”

His eyes went wide, and his skin darkened to a darker purple.

She clapped her hands over her mouth. “I am sorry. That just came out.”

Klauz grinned at her. “Main course is coming in a few moments. Don’t peak too soon.”

She covered her head in her hands and pressed her forehead to the table. He reached out, stroked her neck, and said quietly, “Enjoy yourself, Miss Drin. I have not enjoyed a guest this much in a very long time.”

She looked up at him with miserable eyes, and he touched her cheek like Vikor did. She could see satisfaction in his gaze.

Drin stared after him when he left, and then, she looked at Vikor. “What just happened?”

He chuckled and lifted one of her hands. “You are waking up. It’s lovely to watch. I want to see more.” He kissed her palm and swirled the split portion of his tongue over her skin.

The female server brought the tray and served a thick steak smothered in cream gravy and black peppercorns onto her plate with a side of creamed spinach. Vikor got a porterhouse and some mashed potatoes in a variety of colours.

The woman smiled. “Enjoy.”

She refilled their water glasses, and she left.

Drin started slowly and then with more enthusiasm when the meat was like butter, the cream was heavy and rich with the light flavour of alcohol of some kind running through it, and the spinach just melted away on her tongue.

It was perfect.

Vikor enjoyed his meal, but Drin was nearly crying. She had never tasted anything as good and knew she wouldn’t again.

She finished her food and sat quietly.

Klauz returned to their table, and he frowned. “What’s wrong?”

She scooted out of her seat and hugged him. He rocked back a little and stroked her shoulders. He held her.

She finally leaned back. “It was the best thing I have tasted and the most satisfying I have ever eaten.”

His eyes gleamed. “Oh, that is only so far. I have many things planned for you for the next time you come.”

Vikor chuckled. “I don’t think he is thinking about food. For an artist like him, it is nice to be appreciated for your efforts and skill.”

“I very much appreciate him, but I know I am not alone in that.”

He smiled, stroked her cheek, and to her shock, he kissed her.

A thousand flavours spilled across her tongue. Everything he had taste-tested for lunch was there for the entire restaurant.

She moaned and curled close to him as the kiss continued, and she felt her power trickle out and into him. He jolted and lifted his head. “I didn’t kiss you to take from you, pet.”

She blushed. “I wanted to give you something. It’s the only currency I have readily available. Few folks have ever tried to find out what I wanted. I tried to pay you for the effort.”

He frowned and ran his hands down her arms. “You don’t need to pay me for that. It was my pleasure and a lot of fun to focus on you. How do you normally satisfy yourself?”

She leaned back in his arms. “You mean food, right?”

His eyes gleamed. “For now.”

“If I have had a bad day, I eat a pound of butter followed by a nacho platter.”

Klauz’s eyes widened in horror. “You are joking.”

“Nope. A lot of calories fast. That is the way I do things. I have to. There is no time for anything else.”

“That is going to change. With your patron’s permission, I would like you in here at least twice a week for dinner. No charge. You will have to dress a little more formally, but I am sure Zera’s wardrobe can fix that.”

She stiffened. “That’s a nice offer, but I can’t. I am suspended from the BDC right now. I have no access to anything.” She smiled weakly. “But I do appreciate the offer.”

“It’s an order, not an offer, and arrangements will just have to be made.” He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Especially if you are not protected by the BDC. A sweet pet like you needs protection and care.”

She shivered. “I do okay on my own.”

“Ah, but you should never be on your own.” His kiss grew more intense, and the server came around, stared, and cleared the dishes for the last course.

Drin clutched the front of Klauz’s chef’s whites when he lifted his head. He was breathing hard, and so was she. He smiled. “That’s better. Pleasure for pleasure and nothing else exchanged. Good girl, Drin. Enjoy dessert.”

She sat down when he guided her back to the booth and knew one thing for certain. Her panties were trashed for the rest of the day.

A huge chunk of butter sponge cake topped with three types of ice cream and whipping cream with fruit and small wafers of nutty golden crispy wonderfulness. It was good. Really good. She had to blot away tears from the feeling of care that had gone into it. It was literally all her favourite things, and she was just having them for dessert.

When Vikor paid the bill and left, she was subdued. The best meal of her life, and there was no way she could go back.

The price of the water in that place would have tapped her out. Every penny she made went to Vaken. Maybe she could have a block of cheese and dream of lunch for dinner.