was no match for
his strength. He rammed into her all the way, savoring the hot blood
that flowed out of her when he ruptured the membrane.

She screamed his name, winning her life--though Shannon took pleasure
in the certainty that she'd rather die. She shivered under him, her
screams gradually subsiding to sobs, until she was close to passing out
with pain and horror. Shannon could have kept her conscious, but he'd
be having her again later, and there were the troopers to play with; he
finished in a series of rapid, violent thrusts, then kissed her roughly
and pulled out.

* * * * *

"One more before we go, sweet Piety." Shannon's voice was almost
gentle; over the last six days, he'd developed an unusual--and, he
thought, delightfully perverse--fondness for the nun. It was nothing
like his feelings for Sara, his mistress; those were totally
unprecedented, not simply unusual. He couldn't pinpoint the reason he
had taken to Piety, though it probably had something to do with the
fact that she managed not to hate him. Fear, disgust, revulsion--he
could read all of those and more, even pity. But there was no hatred.

"Please," she said tiredly. "Not again . . ."

"One last time, then we will part." It was unfortunate that she no
longer fought him physically, but he'd learned to get the same
excitement from her emotional upheavals; when he picked her up and they
began to boil, he came to his full size almost immediately. "I'm
afraid there won't be a show to entertain us this time, though. Your
former companions and patients are beyond even my power to revive."
Not precisely true--it was more accurate to say he no longer thought
them worth the effort--but it was close enough for her. "Still, the
act itself should be entertaining enough."

He put her on the floor, and was starting to mount her when an
intriguing idea occurred to him. He smiled slowly and stood, picking
her up again, and carried her outside to a sweet-smelling grassy area
surrounded by peonies. He put her down again and this time lay beside
her, gently caressing, using his powers to soothe her.

There was still fear when she stared at him. "What . . . what are you
doing?"

"Making sure, sweet Piety, that this time it's you who enjoys me." Yes,
that revolted her very nicely. He stilled her beginning objection with
a long kiss, then smiled down at her, continuing both his physical
caresses and mental pressure