Dark Empathy Archibald Bradford (best books to read in your 20s TXT) 📖

Christine but just as the older Loskins sister was about to thank her, the Hornet’s antennae began to wiggle and her eyes grew distant.

“Is... something wrong?” Christine asked awkwardly.

Oldeera blinked and shook her head.

“No, but it seems that we have a visitor, a somewhat distraught visitor actually.” She rose to her feet with all the grace of her station and turned to face the pouting Cordelia, now brushing a different Hornet’s hair; “Do you know a Lapine courier by the name of Rebecca?”

The young brunette pursed her lips, momentarily forgetting to sulk.

“Yeah, she’s really nice. I kind of gave her a standing invitation to come and visit us sometime. I figured she would have said something to me earlier though if she was planning on dropping by.”

One of Oldeera’s antennae quirked as she arched an eyebrow.

“We can ask her all about it in a few moments, my sweets are leading her in now.”

__________

Rebecca had torn through her meager collection of clothes, trying to find something, anything, for her date with Carol.

But the mature woman with her cherry red hair always wore nice clothes, even when overseeing her machine shop, it was one of the many things that both fascinated and intimidated the spunky bunny.

Rebecca didn’t have nice clothes to speak off, and the only thing close to ornamentation she ever wore were the simple earrings in her ears and her pink heartstone, a match for her eyes, but even that was hidden in another piercing through her tongue.

It was a somewhat common practice in a city like Algrade; if someone tried to steal her heart, she could quickly use her teeth to work it free and swallow it for safekeeping.

Not a pleasant outcome, but certainly better than the alternative.

And while the Lapine very muchly wanted to use her piercing on Carol, in her mind she couldn’t get there without the proper clothes. For one brief instant she considered trying to borrow something from her roommate, but she dismissed the thought as quickly as it came.

Then she remembered her new friend Cordelia.

Her Hornets were pretty intense, but so was the thought of going out with Carol looking like an ordinary courier.

She was out the door running for the hive almost as soon as she thought about the baker.

The Lapine arrived within minutes and after a breathless moment where Oldeera’s sentries communicated with their queen she was led inside.

Cordelia gave a little wave as the courier entered the room, taking only a moment to introduce her to her sister and bond-mate before diving right in.

“Alright Becks, what’s the trouble?”

“The trouble is I finally got that date I’ve been after but I don’t have any clothes!” She wailed in response.

“Really? You look fully clothed to me. Where’s the guy taking you?” Christine said carefully, having never met the Lapine before.

Rebecca cast her arms down at her attire, before waving one hand at her pierced ears and short dyed hair.

“She’s taking me to someplace fancy in the city proper, where I’ll stick out like a sore thumb!”

“She? Seriously, am I the only one in the world who likes dick?” Christine repeated her earlier complaint to no one in particular.

Ignoring her sister, Cordelia frowned at Rebecca.

“Why wouldn’t she take you someplace you’d be more comfortable? That’s kind of thoughtless of her.”

“Hey!” Becks protested with a whine before flouncing down next to the baker; “I really like her Cordy, she’s so much different than the losers I usually go for.”

Cordelia turned slightly on the comfortable couch, being careful with her freshly painted nails.

“Alright alright, well, I dunno, I have a nice lavender dress that might fit you. We’re about the same size, in the chest area.”

Christine smirked as she arched her back to push out her own breasts.

“One of the advantages of having big healthy tits, my poor flat-chested little sisters never stole any of my clothes.” She teased.

Cordelia rolled her eyes.

“Ha ha.”

Queen Oldeera, largely silent up till that point, sat down next to Christine and arched her own back, all but thrusting her breasts into her face.

“I’m sorry to say princess, but if we go by comparison, you’d hardly able to fill out any of my clothes.”

She had by far the largest bust in the room.

Christine turned pink and Cordelia laughed out loud, while even the agitated Rebecca let out a little giggle.

The baker hobbled to her feet.

“Come on, let’s get you sorted, I’ll need a bit of help though Oldeera, my nails are still wet.”

“Of course honey.”

The queen clapped her hands and several of her Hornets moved to assist the queen-of-their-queen in helping her friend prepare for her date.

__________

Barely an hour after Rebecca arrived at the hive in a panic the Lapine was sitting across from the most intriguing woman she had ever met.

The flickering little candle on the table cast Carol Reindel’s features in an intimate glow, the orange light dancing across her eye-catching cleavage in her low-cut silk blouse.

“I grew up in the slums.” The Lapine’s eyes widened in surprise and Carol was quick to elaborate; “Surprised? My father gave up on prospecting when he was very young and worked hard to keep me and my mother fed. It honestly never felt like we did without. It was thanks to him that I had a shot at more.”

Her eyes twinkled in the candle-light as she reflected on her past.

Mesmerized, Rebecca took another sip from her crystalline glass but then had to fight not to make a face.

Only that night had she discovered that she didn’t care for wine, her date had ordered it for them with their meal though and she was desperate to fit in at the fancy restaurant.

Playing with the lip of her own glass, Carol tilted her head to