Page 12 of Loaned to the Leonid Knight

He tried to answer and found his lips were too dry to unstick from his teeth.

“You have an electrolyte patch on you, and we’ve got a fluid cocktail ready as soon as you can sit up,” the kind voice urged, slowly elevating his head.

Gideon ran his tongue around his mouth. “Hello.”

“Do you know where you are and why you’re here?”

He blinked. Yes, he knew. He was here for work.

Breeding.

No surrogacy, a noble gift.

With a carnal twist.

He blinked the confusion away. “Comet Stalker.Coordinates from autonav worked?”

“They did, indeed. In a day or two, you’ll be ready to get up and move to your own quarters. We’ll start the screening now so you can leave quarantine. I have your labs from Bastet Mercy. Everything looks right.”

Another nod. Another slow blink. “Days?”

“Most people adjust from hypersleep in a few days, yes. A week is not unheard of. Skyla, bring me a second patch? I’m Dr. Marcus. This is my assistant, Skyla. That’s Dax.”

Gideon saw a Dholian Canid and a blonde, curly-haired male human slide into view. A second electrolyte patch was pasted onto his paw.

“It’s good to have you on board!” Dax grinned.

“You already had someone come and check on you. Miss Cordovair. Sasha. The surrogate.”

“Oh.” He managed a soft sound.

“You were still under, but she did try to visit.” Dr. Marcus’ kind face turned stern. “Your employer was very rude to her. I hope you will learn from his mistake.”

“Always polite,” he croaked, trying to wet his lips.

Dax held a large cup up to his lips. “Sip on that. It’ll help with the talking.”

In minutes, Gideon had drained the cup, and he started to feel more alert, struggling to sit up. Dr. Marcus raised the bed further and patted his shoulder. “You and Miss Cordovair have something in common. Both of you shake off hypersleep like a champ.”

“Have I missed the window? The window where her injections...”

Marcus frowned. “No, no. We haven’t started them yet. We won’t, either, until you two see if you’re compatible.”

Gideon hesitated.Emotionally compatible? Physically?He was too tired to have a physical reaction, and yet he was starting to feel a questionable urge in his lower half. The thought ofactually being intimate with someone, with anyone, of knowing what it was like... “My employer—”

“I should make it very clear to you, Gideon, that on board theComet Stalker, and while you’re under my care, I am the boss of the medical protocol, but you and Miss Cordovair are partners in the endeavor. Farhet has no say in anything from this point on. If he tries to push or rush you, I will have his communications blocked. Now. You rest.”

Gideon smiled. Freedom was starting early. His head lolled back, and he sighed.

Chapter Five

Sasha stopped tossing and turning. For two days, she hadn’t felt like eating, had barely been persuaded to go to the dining area with Wendy or Layla, and had to force herself to act nonchalant in front of the people who were watching her, making sure she was a good fit for the program. Gideon would be cleared to move into his own quarters in a few days, they said. Things could start from there, they said.

She heard the noise of voices in the wide hall outside her quarters that morning, and the ship’s computerized voice granting access to the room next door. Farhet’s quarters. Now Gideon’s.

Sasha kicked her legs over the bed and sat up.

Shower. Protein drink. Go see him. Get this over with—or get this started.