Kairn Virtual Book Tour

Prologue

Daria at Age 16

Daria scribbled notes in the margins as the teacher highlighted the finer points of calculus. She nibbled absently on the end of her mechanical pencil. The bell rang, sounding the end of the class.

Taking her time, Daria gathered her textbook. She pushed her glasses back up. Her long hair fell into her face. Daria absently pulled her hair back in a high ponytail. The room was emptying quickly of the college freshmen. AP Calc was proving to be a lonely place for a precocious high school junior.

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, she joined the students in the crowded corridor. She saw pretty college girls flirting with attentive frat boys. Daria mused to herself ruefully. How can it be possible to feel so alone in a sea of people?

Daria glanced down at her comfortable jeans, sneakers, and favorite AC/DC T-shirt. She twirled the ends of her ponytail as she looked at the straightened hair, subtle make-up, and body-skimming clothes of the sorority girls. One of the girls shifted her feet, cocking her hip with a flirty kick of her high heeled foot. Her fresh French manicure peeked out provocatively—from the very pretty torture instruments she sported on her abused feet.

Daria shuddered. I don’t think I’m missing much there.

As Daria watched, one of the boys leaned forward. He tucked a few errant curls behind the girl’s ears with careful fingers. The girl stopped flirting, blushing prettily. The boy…young man really…took the book bag the girl passed to him. Her cheeks heating to a soft rose, she flashed him a shy smile. Offering her his crooked elbow, the pair walked down the hall with their heads tilted close together…oblivious to the rest of the world.

Charmed by their obvious sweet chemistry, Daria glanced after the pair with a wistful smile. The bell rang again, shaking her out of her reverie. I don’t have time for this. Focus, girl. Finish high school…then…college…then med school. Time to stop feeling sorry for myself.

She walked down the hall, hurrying to her next AP class. I do get a little lonely…OK…a lot. I wish I had someone…I want to be close to someone…one day. I hope there’s someone out there just for me.

Daria—present day

The soft-pitched drawl fell pleasantly on her ears. 

“I think I’m ready to head home, Ma’am.”

Daria pulled her stethoscope out of her ears. She smiled warmly at the distinguished older gentleman sitting ramrod straight in the bedside chair. 

“You sound clear today, Mr. Clark. I do believe you’re right. I’ll get started on your discharge order. If you drive like you usually do, you should be home with your missus for supper.”

A quick grin flashed across his weathered features. He stood politely and bowed slightly as Daria headed toward the door. “I surely appreciate all you did for me. Have a care going home on those roads. Pet your hoss of a dog for me.”

Daria heard Mr. Clark dialing his cell phone before she even turned for the door. She heard him chuckle. “Sweetheart, they’re cutting me loose outta this popsicle stand. I’ll be home with you soon, darling girl.”

She smiled whimsically to herself as she closed the door gently behind her.

She nodded to the charge nurse Jenny. “Mr. Clark is headed out the door. You’d better hurry if you want to keep up with him.” 

Laughter rang out around the station. “We’d better get on it before he makes a break for it.”

Dalton Clark was one of her favorite people. She always made a point to finish her rounds with him before she left for the day. Barring any emergencies, he was always her last stop if he was in the hospital. Daria smiled to herself. It was always good to end the day on a high note.

Sneakers squeaking, Daria headed down the back stairs and walked to the parking lot. She tucked her wavy brown hair behind her ears. Daria saw Nils Larsen, a good friend and dedicated surgeon. He was talking with Laura, one of the hospital recruiters. He looked up as the stairwell door closed behind Daria. He grinned and gave Daria a chin lift.

Nils leaned closer to Laura with a smile. Her manicured fingers played with the gold necklace laying in the hollow of her throat. Laura wound a lock of black hair around her finger. They laughed softly; Daria heard him murmur. “Meet you there in an hour.”

Nils put a guiding hand in the small of her back as he walked Laura to her car and helped her in. Nils stared after Laura for a few moments as she drove off.

Daria smiled at Nils as he got into his SUV. She could see the sparks of attraction between them. Daria made a shooing motion. “She’s sweet. I like her. What are you waiting for?”

Nils laughed as he started his engine. As he reversed, he stuck his head out of his window. “Hey Morrissey. Good job today. Thanks for your help.”

He paused, a faraway look in his eyes. His voice was soft. “I like her too.”

 Daria took her time on the winding roads home. She had the moonroof open with the cool sea-kissed air blowing through her hair. The stunning views along the mountain curves and the sound of the crashing surf blew the last of the cobwebs from her mind.

* * *

Daria took the nearly invisible turn-off into the winding gravel road leading up to her home. The familiar rumble of her engine brought inquisitive squirrels out to investigate; chittering with excited curiosity, they ran along the crisscrossing branches forming a living archway along the trail.

Excited barks greeted her. The sound of dancing feet on the hardwood floor made her smile and relax even more. Opening the front door, Daria let Molly out for a good run.

With a grin, Daria followed—watching her dog run wind sprints across the meadow as the sun set. She wriggled her toes in the tall grass. With a happy sigh, she headed into her cozy home. She luxuriated in a lovely long as-hot-as-she-could-stand-it bath in the deep old-fashioned copper tub. Fragrant steam filled the bathroom with the relaxing scents of lavender and chocolate. She ate a simple dinner and fed the last of her Reuben sandwich to a hopeful Molly. Who knew dogs would love sauerkraut?

Daria sunk into the comfortably worn sofa, rubbing a lazy foot along Molly’s side. The big shepherd mix wagged her tail lazily in expressive thanks. Leaning back into the soft cushions, Daria cuddled under the over-sized throw. She stared absently into the peaceful room, the soft crackle and pop of the fire lulling her into a light doze.

Daria thought about Nils and Laura. She had a good feeling about them. A sharp pang of loneliness crept over her, foreign and contrary to her usual easygoing happy nature. Her gaze drifted to the large empty spot at the other end of the sofa. Daria let out a wistful sigh. What would it be like to have someone special to share this with?

A soft woof broke the strange spell and drew her eyes to an alert Molly. Once she was sure she was the sole focus of her human’s attention, Molly promptly lolled expectantly onto her back. Daria laughed, sinking down onto the smooth old oak floors to give Molly a world-class belly rub.

Daria was rewarded by a riotous symphony of happy high-pitched yips and whines. She watched with fond amusement as her huge shepherd reverted to puppyhood and crawled into her lap. She teased affectionately. “You spoiled little thing!”

And scratched some more. 

Some hours later…

Daria startled awake out of a fitful sleep. Disoriented, she sat up on her makeshift bed…her pulse pounding loudly in her ears. Nails clicked on the wooden floor as Molly growled in her throat, hackles rising as she planted herself squarely in front of the door.

The dying embers in the fireplace cast eerie flickering shadows as her eyes adjusted to the dark room. Daria listened intently, straining her ears. Nothing except Molly’s continued deep growl broke the silence.

She stroked a gentle hand along Molly’s silky ears. “Easy girl. What’s got you all stirred up?” 

The large dog shook herself and stared fixedly at the door, hackles standing up along her spine. 

Daria didn’t hear anything, but she trusted her dog…implicitly. A shiver ran through her. That was it…they were in her beyond-rustic cabin in the mountains. Secluded and peaceful. But now the usual voices of the night were eerily silent: No owls. No yipping coyotes in the distance. No crickets…It had been a great place to recharge but now it was TOO quiet.

With exaggerated care, Daria swung the heavy door open to avoid its habitual squeak, Molly posting protectively at her side. Easing through the doorway, Daria stared at the red glow highlighting the early dawn sky. Dull menacing booming sounded…repeated…and echoed.

 A brilliant light exploded along the horizon…before subsiding into an angry red glare. As far as she could see, the skies were on fire…in the distance, cities were burning.

Roaring sounded over her head as multiple jet engines roared overhead…Daria thought wildly. Please God, let those be our jets!

The powerful unseen craft flew low and fast toward the cities.

Chapter One

Kairn

Kairn slowly opened his eyes. He struggled to recall the fading details of his dream. Every night had been like this for the last four hands. Vivid dreams…more like visions. They had started out as snapshots in her life. She had been young and adorably awkward in the first one…still in classes. Later dreams showed her hard at work. Relaxing at home. At play. Eyes bright with laughter. Every dream crackled with her bright energy. It was the same female each time. His female.

The last hand of nights were different. The tone was darker and violent. Of late, the view from her tidy little house had changed. It was the same landscape in the distance, but the hither-to-peaceful background was now being ravaged by flame. Alarms blared in the background. Controlled voices shouted as order was established out of the swirling chaos—but he could hear the undercurrent of fear in their strained tones.

Kairn did not know if these visions were a sign of things that were in her past, present or future. He was desperately hoping for future events he could prevent or ameliorate. He felt a headache throb to life as he pondered the possibilities.

Kairn propped himself against the wall, his tail flicking absently. He frowned as he stared unseeing at the spectacular stars glimmered peace- fully against the background of space, lost in thought. His comm crackled to life—drawing him out of his reverie. “Commander to bridge.”

Kairn arrived on the bridge, drawing the alert attention of his crew. The GUARDIAN was battle proven and the flagship for the battle group; his veteran crew had been with him for many rotations. They had all bonded through a slew of hard-won victories against the Ichori hordes.

His science officer and XO, Darzik, was an old friend. Darzik gave him a sharp knowing glance. Apparently, his lack of sleep was becoming evident on his already lean face. Darzik was succinct as always. “Urgent communique from Central Command. The Ichori have amassed an invasion fleet. We are being dispatched to intercept—and to ensure that the Ichori do not establish a base in this system.”

Kairn nodded his acknowledgment as he scanned the holodata. The Alliance had designated this a closed world; her people had not yet achieved interstellar travel. This planet was fragmented by regional governments, each driven by their own petty selfish objectives. It was fraught with endless wars spurred by religious and meaningless superficial differences in physical traits. The world was blessed with an abundance of natural resources, but its atmosphere and environment was tainted with willful byproducts of blind mass industry. The planet’s land masses were blighted with large depositories of non-biodegradable matter…an eyesore even from the depths of space.

This was a world bitterly divided…in the face of a merciless amoral enemy. They did not stand a chance. Kairn frowned darkly. What could they have that has captured the malignant unwavering interest of the Ichori? 

A vid of the planet shimmered into vivid beguiling life. Kairn stared fixedly at the screen as dark understanding dawned: Her surface was a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors, but most of it was a deep hypnotizing blue.

Countless unsuspecting hapless lives…Kairn snarled. “Plot a course for the battle group at attack speed and calculate coordinates for nearest wormhole exiting into or near that solar system.”

He looked at the hologram of the primitive planet. Gods help the poor bastards. Most of their planet was priceless Water.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Kairn

Kairn helped Daria clean up. She disappeared briefly into the bathroom. 

He heard water running. When she came back, she firmly put Molly up in the bedroom. She looked at him with clear direct eyes. “I’m getting tired. I’m going to take a long bath.”

Kairn nodded slowly, desperately trying to not think of Daria…naked…wet. His voice was hoarse. “I will await you out here.”

She walked toward the bathroom. Her hand on the doorknob, she turned. He heard her take a deep breath. “Remember your tickling debacle. I haven’t forgotten. You owe me a forfeit after your surrender.”

Daria smiled slowly into his eyes. “I’d like you to join me.”

Kairn blinked. Twice. Her expression was shy. It was also hopeful and determined. He leashed his savage flare of hunger. “Whatever you want. Only as far as you want.”

He meant the reminder more for himself. He knew his eyes were glowing, but Daria smiled at his calm words. She looked back at him expectantly. He followed her into the cozy room. His eyes were fixed on the white oval…very inviting tub. It rested on whimsical clawed metal feet. It was unusually deep, high, and long.

Even he would be able to fit in it—though it would be a snug fit. Steam rose gently from the rapidly filling surface. Kairn quashed the tantalizing images flashing in his mind.

As the Water level rose swiftly, Kairn suppressed a wince as he realized the sheer volume of Water needed to fill the tub. Daria had a chastened look on her face. She turned the faucet off. It was nearly a third full. “I know it looks awful. It is a lot of water. It’s collected rainwater filtered from my cisterns. It won’t go to waste. It will be processed after we use it. It’s stored and re-purposed into the beds of lavender.”

Kairn felt his cock twitch uncontrollably when she said “rain.” He grimaced and shook his head firmly, “You do not need to justify water for a bath. I do not mean to sound critical. Old habits. Space travel dictates careful water usage. In space, Water is a priceless commodity.”

Daria said quietly, “It is here too. Humans, at least in America, are a bit spoiled. We have taken it for granted.”

Their eyes met as they both considered the devastating events which had brought the Guardian to Earth. She lay her hand gently over his hearts and added, “Things may never get back to where they were, but they are improving. Some things on Earth may even be better. Because of you.”

Daria leaned into his left side. “Let’s enjoy our bath.”

His hearts stopped, then thundered in his chest. Daria opened a glass jar and shook something into her hand. She sprinkled it into the water. 

Dried blue flower buds floated on the water, the distinctive scent of lavender filling the steamy air. She lifted her fingers to his lips. “Taste…”

Kairn opened his mouth without hesitation. He felt her fingers brush ever so gently over his lips, grazing his tongue. He slowly licked a flower bud off her fingertips. A bright herbal flavor accented the taste of her skin. Meeting his glowing eyes, she lifted her same fingers. With a shy determined smile, she touched them to her lips, licking lightly. “This is lavender.”

Her eyes fluttered. Warm rosy color swept upwards from her neck to her cheeks. “And you.”

She slowly slid her pants off, baring her legs. All those curves. Kairn stared. He felt his canines start to lengthen. She took off some ridiculously small flimsy undergarment. Still staring, Kairn could smell a hint of her arousal in the air. She was now clad only in his shirt.

Daria paused with her fingers on the fastening. Kairn became aware of a constant low growling. He realized distantly that it was emanating from him. Daria looked into his eyes for long moments. Kairn saw trust and a growing…matching hunger in her steady gaze.

Her fingers slid the fastener down. Kairn saw the material loosen and swing open. Daria shrugged slightly. In slow motion, his shirt dropped to the floor. Revealing all that amazing smooth bare skin. Kairn struggled vainly to form a sentence.

Daria stood quietly with her shoulders back. He could see her pulse beating madly in her throat. Her breasts moved gently with her quick breaths; her nipples tight. The wicked curve of her hips, the scent of her arousal was now rich in the air.

With effort, Kairn subdued most of his growling. He reluctantly forced his eyes up. Met her shyly confident stare. He ground out, “Lovely. Truly.”

Slowly, she eased closer and nestled her head into his chest. Into her spot. Kairn curved his arms around her. He could feel her breath warm his skin under the fine thin layer of his chest fur. She rubbed her head against him slowly. He felt shivers run through them both.

Kairn took a deep fortifying breath. He could count his pulse in the demanding ache of his cock. Sternly, he reminded himself that he had to leave the next morning. He wrestled for hard won control. He rumbled softly. “I have to be back at base camp in the morning.”

He saw the uneasy questions in her eyes. Kairn knew he needed to explain how he felt to her. Even to his ears, it sounded jarring and awkward. For once, he wished he had the gift of eloquence. Kairn could not keep the growl out of his voice. “Never think this is a rejection. I will treasure this. You command every bit of my attention.”

Kairn bared his hearts. “I wish to always serve you well. I want nothing more than to have us indulge in long lazy hours sharing the gift of ourselves with each other. Your first…our first time will not be under any time constraint. It is a celebration…And I cannot…I will not insult you by leaving mere hours after we share our bodies.”

Kairn felt Daria press closer. Her voice was rich with tenderness, “You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this.”

Kairn laughed, low and intimate. “In wonderful aching detail. Drawn out anticipation…Pleasure will be all the better for it.”

Daria was quiet. Her smile was touched with regret, “So…Either I’m under dressed, or you have some catching up to do.”

Kairn hugged her close, dropping soft kisses on her nose and endearing pout. “Trust me Molindri.”