Factor Read Free Page A

frame. “These buttons are small. They are not meant for big hands. Can we get the security feed from the mainframe?”
    Cowl smiled. “I already have.”
    He stepped forward, and with his smallest finger, he pressed the buttons one by one. There was a click, and the portrait swung outward to reveal a tunnel sloping away.
    He stepped into it. “This is a surprise.”
    The others piled in behind him, and Flare took point, his hand extended to give light to the well-paved expanse.
    Twist grinned, “Why do I feel like a teenage girl?”
    Cowl chuckled. “Possibly because we are three grown men and Roil sneaking through a tunnel after sunset.”
    Roil growled while Flare and Twist laughed.
    Cowl was enjoying himself aside from the time running out. The image of the woman in the portrait was striking in her direct confidence in facing him. He had been shocked to see the image of a woman who could look him in the eye, but the moment that Dispatch told him that she had a cybernetic implant, it all made sense. The digital input could be the key to seeing him without having the standard reaction that his race caused.
    Mah-Duh-Sai had the distinct ability to freeze any prey that they chose. Their skin gave off enough pheromonal toxin to stun, and the reflection of light off their body dazzled their prey into a rigor that lasted from hours to days. A mate that could be locked in place would not be a desirable match, but their species were so rare that all unmatched males and females left home and went to the stars in search of a match before their mating season kicked in.
    Cowl grinned within his hood as the end of the tunnel loomed ahead of him. He hoped that he was right about Dispatch, because they were about to give her the shock of her life.
     
    * * * *
     
    Jianne watched the stars come out through her little slice of sky. She set down her cup and was about to stand up when the internal sensors for her home went off. She moved inside her living room, but it was too late.
    She blinked at the huge males sharing her space. “I suppose that privacy was too much to ask?”
    Flare laughed. “If you didn’t want us to come, you shouldn’t have left a trail.”
    Jianne wrinkled her nose. “Fine. Can I get you something? Caf or tea?”
    Cowl stepped forward. “I believe that introductions are in order. I am Cowl. You are?”
    She extended her hand to his, and to her surprise, he stripped off his glove before taking it. Her head spun briefly, but she smiled. “Call me Dispatch.”
    “You don’t have a proper name?”
    “Well, you don’t, so neither do I.” She grinned brightly. “I am a fan of fair play.”
    Flare edged Cowl out of the way. “I am Flare, but you can call me Gelor.”
    “Dispatch but you can call me Jianne.”
    She went through the other two, but they both introduced themselves by their given names, Herkikel for Roil and Vhorlon for Twist.
    Cowl stepped forward. “May I try this again?”
    She grinned up at the darkness that filled his hood. “If you think that it will help.”
    “Sarnvil Makthoth.” He extended his hand again.
    She took it, but this time, instead of dizziness, there was a tingle. “Jianne Theevin of the Alliance Protectorate of Terra, your dispatcher. Pleased to meet you, Commander Cowl.”
    He lifted her hand to the darkness of his cowl, and she felt the distinct warm pressure of his lips on the back of her knuckles. “Pleased to meet you, Dispatcher Jianne.”
    Her stomach flipped with something that she hadn’t felt in a while. Desire caught her by surprise. Sure, he was built like a truck, but then, most of the Guardians were structured on the sturdy side, male or female. She was usually a woman who melted when a man met her eyes, and with him, it didn’t seem like an option, but her body didn’t care. Her pulse fluttered and her skin warmed as she waited for him to release her hand. She felt the flick of a tongue across her knuckles, and the light touch caused her belly to