Playing Their Parts

But the big Kindred didn’t even crack a smile. If anything, his expression became even more troubled.

“You know it would be. No Kindred would ever hurt a female—let alone kill one. It would be sacrilege.”

“Sacrilege?” Cassie arched an eyebrow as she whipped around a semi that was bumbling along in the slow lane. “Isn’t that a pretty strong word?”

“Not at all.” Stone shook his head. “I don’t think you understand how deeply we Kindred feel about protecting our females.”

“After working dozens of Rage-kills with you, you think I don’t get it?” Cassie said flatly. “You guys think women are special because they’re so scarce in your society—which is nice. Honestly, I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” He sighed and ran a hand through his thick, dark blond hair, somehow managing to make it look sexy-messy rather than completely messed up. “You see,” he began, “We believe that there is a little bit of the Goddess in every female—a small spark of divinity that makes her worthy of devotion and worship. The idea of any male harming or killing a female, well…” He shook his head. “It turns my stomach. I would rather die myself that hurt a female—especially one I loved.”

“Wow…” Cassie shot him a sidelong glance. Stone was often quiet to the point of being taciturn and sometimes displayed so little emotion he seemed almost like a robot. But every once in a while her partner surprised her by opening up and sharing a new side of himself she hadn’t even known was there. This was definitely one of those times.

“I suppose it’s difficult for you to understand because human males murder human females all the time.” His face twisted as he spoke the words, as though they tasted bitter. “But among my people, for a male to hurt or kill a female is…it’s unthinkable. Revolting. Blasphemous.”

“I’m sorry, Stone.” Cassie squeezed his knee again, trying to be comforting. “Look, we don’t know for certain that the Kindred last seen with the victim is the killer. Maybe it’s some kind of misunderstanding—an accidental death or something. We won’t know until we look at the crime scene.”

“I hope you’re right.” Stone’s deep voice was grim. “Because if this is an actual murder of a female by a Kindred warrior…” He shook his head, apparently at a loss for words.

“It’ll be okay,” Cassie told him. “We’ll figure it out, all right?”

Stone nodded, but the troubled look refused to leave his face. If anything, it grew.

Four

Stone appreciated that his partner was trying to make him feel better, but honestly, her soft hand on his knee was more of a reminder of what he couldn’t have than a comfort.

He had loved Cassandra from the moment they met. Well, honestly, from before they met. He had dreamed of her for weeks before making the move from the Mother Ship to Earth and the first minute he saw her, he had recognized her as the female of his dreams.

So he had been bitterly disappointed to learn that she was, at that time, Joined to another.

“Why, Goddess?” he remembered asking when he had met her mate—a puny, unworthy male who thought of nothing but himself and often said cruel things to her to make her cry. “Why would you let me love a female who has already been Claimed? And by a male so deeply unworthy of her?”

Stone hadn’t known about the unworthy part on their first meeting, of course, but he had learned it during his first visit to their domicile. Cassandra and her then-mate, Keith, had engaged in a verbal conflict in their food prep area while he was in the fresher, washing his hands.

Humans always underestimated the sharpness of Kindred hearing. Even over the running water, he’d been able to hear their words. Keith had been angry about the fact that Cassandra had invited Stone to their domicile in the first place. Angry and jealous, it seemed, if his words were anything to go by.

“You want to fuck him, don’t deny it!” he’d snarled at Cassandra. “I see the way you look at him. I know what you want! You act like butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth but inside you’re a slut—just a fat slut!”

“Baby, please…” Cassandra’s voice had been shaking—on the edge of tears. “How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t look at him like that? Stone is just my partner—that’s all! I don’t feel anything but friendship for him—I could never love him the way I love you.”

Her words had been like a spike to Stone’s heart. Though he had promised himself he would leave her strictly alone as long as she was another male’s mate, he had hoped that Cassandra at least found him somewhat attractive. To hear that she didn’t—that she felt nothing for him—was a blow.

Of course, part of him realized that she was just trying to appease her jealous husband, but her words were burned into his brain anyway, making him doubt himself. He had assumed after all the dreams he’d had of her, that he and Cassandra were Dream Sharing and would eventually come together somehow—maybe years and years down the road if her husband died. But hearing her speak that way—saying she felt only friendship for him—made Stone realize that she’d never said anything about having a dream of him.