Elenora fumed while watching the trial. She cast a worried gaze at the screen with Jewels' vitals. The telepath wasn't going to last much longer at this rate. Elenora's objections had been overruled by Colonel Manroe, who lounged in a nearby chair. They didn't care about Jewels' health. She was a guinea pig to them. They liked to toy with her, push her to the point of breaking, and then punish Jewels if she tried to fight back. It was sick and twisted, and Elenora hated being a part of that vicious cycle.
"She's remarkable, isn't she?"
Elenora tensed. Manroe made her skin crawl. Dressed all in black, he wore a bored expression. It was his eyes, though, that were creepy. Solid silver, they made people mistakenly believe he was blind. Elenora knew he saw more clearly thanks to his psionic ability and his education as a Parapsychologist.
"Yes, but she is human too. I thought the goal was to give her the best. So far, this batch of telepaths has had the lousiest showing of any group. Excluding the Gatoans, who passed."
Manroe chuckled. "It appears that way, yes. We have our reasons."
Elenora shuddered. It was times like this that she was glad she was not psionic.
"Relax, Doctor. You don't want to scare our guests." He pointedly looked at King Renten and his two guards.
She studied them for any signs of stress. King Renten seemed very composed. Was he that confident of his son's chances? She frowned. She whirled around when an alarm sounded. Jewels' stress level and heart rate were increasing. Elenora glanced out the window and sighed. The Prince's turn had come.
* * *
Dex ran through the open doorway when his turn came. He needed to make sure Jewels was all right. He needed to touch her mind and soothe her pain. He understood what the trial was about. And he cared. He wasn't so sure about the motivations of his competitors. You did not win a female by brute force. You had to fan her desires and win her heart. And, he planned to do just that.
He smelled her, that beautiful honey scent that was hers...and fear. The fear angered him. Who had made his little human afraid? He bared his fangs and stalked into the room. He noticed Jeremy moving into a defensive position in front of Jewels. Dex sought calm. He did not want to frighten her.
"I'm not going to hurt her, Human. I'm sorry. I was reacting to the emotions in the room." He wouldn't have admitted his lack of control, but he wanted her to understand.
And she did. He saw a timid smile, and the sweet aroma of her arousal filled his nose.
"I am ready to try your test," Dex murmured.
Jeremy looked at him and then Jewels. Dex felt their telepathic communication as a low hum in his mind. He wondered if the humans knew that they were loud. He would ask Jewels later. First, he had to win her trust. She gestured to the seat across from hers, and he sat. His eyes never left her face.
"Jeremy, drop it."
Dex saw her flinch and immediately his mind sought hers. With a gentleness he didn't know he possessed, he touched her mind. ::Little human, let me ease your suffering.::
She was surprised. He filed that information away for later consideration. ::Please?::
::I...yes...make it stop.::
::For you, anything, little human.:: Dex blanketed her mind with his, shutting out all thoughts except for his and hers.
::Thank you.::
::You are tired.:: He stared up at the observation window and glowered. ::You need to stop.::
Her laugh touched his heart. ::You sound like Jeremy. Always fussing at me to take it a little easier. That is something you have to learn about us, Dex. Psionics here are treated like outcasts or tools to be used by the highest bidder. And we are feared. If you make it and become my anchor, that is one of the things we would face as partners. Are you sure you want to do that?::
::I am always ready for a battle. I am a warrior and a defender. I will protect you and still let you be your own person. Your human leaders are foolish to harm such treasures.::
::We might do well together.:: Jewels hesitated. ::Can I ask you a question?::
::You may.:: He twitched an ear and focused on her. He knew this moment would help or hurt his chance with her.
::Am I a tool to you and your kind?::
Dex sucked in a breath. Of all the things she could have asked, that was not one he had considered. Jewels was seeking trust, and he wasn't sure how to answer. Was she just a tool? Not to him certainly, but would she believe that when they told her why they had come?
He opted for truth. ::Not to me.::
::I see. Thank you for your honesty. The test is now over. You may drop your shield.::
He bristled. She hadn't liked his answer, Dex could see it in her eyes. ::What if I said no, little human?::
::You wouldn't dare!::
Her incredulous look made him feel dangerous. ::I might, if you continue to tempt me.::
::I'm not tempting anyone. You are imagining things!:: she snapped.
::Am I?:: He leaned back in his chair and regarded her flushed cheeks. Such a becoming shade of pink splashed across olive skin, and the fire of indignation raging in her pretty violet eyes. Dex grinned. The hunt for this one was growing sweeter by the minute.
::Stop staring at me like that!::
::Like what?:: He taunted. She struggled not to squirm, and he took note. Her arousal scent sharpened, and he resisted purring his pleasure.
::Like you're going to eat me in a way that I wouldn't mind,:: Jewels whispered.
::Only if you wish it, my little human. I think, though, for now, we must wait. Your friends are getting upset.::
::What?::
Dex smiled at her confusion. She had been so focused on him, she had forgotten the testing, he thought smugly.
"I am dropping my shield now, Jeremy," he informed the other male. ::Little human, until the next round.:: He wasn't surprised that she didn't respond. He knew desire, and he knew what it felt like to fight against it. Dex was content with the knowledge that he had stirred hers in such a manner. Reluctantly, he released Jewels' mind. He stood, bowed, and quietly left the room.