Free Untrained Fascination by Viola Grace Page B

families under threat isn’t exactly endearing.”
    “It was decided by the overlords and the Saya that it was the fastest way to get you here. It has worked.”
    She knew he didn’t have anything to do with it, so she settled against him. “Have you been to Earth?”
    “I have. It is very busy. Many people.”
    She chuckled. “What were you doing there?”
    “Scouting. I was looking for humans who would fit our needs.”
    “Oh. Which cities?”
    He chuckled. “I don’t know. They all blurred together. I found my targets, marked them and was on to the next city.”
    “So, you were tagging men and women for the Rrassic?”
    “I was. It was my job to select those who would be close to compatible with us, as did others of my kind, all wearing camo projectors.”
    “How did you do that? I am pretty sure that folks would notice you, even disguised.”
    “No. As long as no one came into contact with us, we looked just like everyone else on the street.”
    He was running his hands up and down her back, and she heard a weird rumble vibrating in his chest.
    She leaned back and asked, “Are you purring?”
    His expression was slightly embarrassed. “You feel good.”
    She blushed hot, pressed her forehead to his chest for a moment and then stepped out of his arms. “That is a little quicker than I want to move.”
    His happy sound stopped, and he let her go. “Well, I still have to watch you and keep you awake for another five hours. So, what would you like to do?”
    Lianne looked at him and considered her options. “Sit on the couch, eat and watch documentary vids.”
    Sorrok blinked. “That sounds interesting.”
    “So, let’s get to it.”
    She found the container he had brought in and set it on her counter. “You get plates or bowls or whatever is needed.”
    He chuckled. “Nothing is needed. It is all finger food. All you need to do is wash your hands and you have all the utensils you need.”
    She smiled and went to the sink, washing her hands. He followed her and washed his striped hands by surrounding her at her back and reaching around.
    If he was wearing her down by proximity, it was working. She wanted nothing more than to lean back against him.
    She dried off her hands and handed him the towel, ducking under his arm. To her surprise, he popped his claws and scrubbed them as well.
    “Are you planning to use those?”
    He chuckled. “Maybe. Some of the food gets slippery.”
    She wasn’t sure how she felt about slippery food, but when he was done flossing the sharp claws, she handed him the towel.
    He dried his hands, folded the towel and draped it over the rack next to the sink where it had come from.
    Sorrok went around her, grabbed the pack he had come in with and carried it to the living area, settling on the centre of the couch, triggering the vid menu.
    Lianne trailed after him and settled six inches away from him, watching the small packs that he was pulling out with alarming speed.
    “How many dishes are in there?”
    “Forty small bites. You mentioned that you were unfamiliar with Rrassic food, so I brought you some.” He smiled.
    She looked at the vids queued up and blinked. “I don’t have those on my old system.”
    He grinned. “New rank equals new access.”
    He explained the first line of small containers as appetisers and gave her their names. Most of it blurred together, but when she ate the first small shredded mushroom ball, she had to admit that the Rrassic knew food.
    The first documentary started, and she watched the developmental path of the Zjin-Rrassic.
    “How coincidental.” She chuckled and leaned past him. “What is this one?”
    “Cold noodles with a spiced dressing. Srebak.”
    She pinched a tangle off the pile and carried it to her mouth, tilting her head back like a baby bird. She ignored Sorrok’s fascinated gaze.
    The narrator was discussing the early life of a Zjin as a Nool. They gravitated toward occupations of action and confrontation.
    The