Jailmates

by Lesli Richardson

  And that’s about it. Cloohdlin seems to be the only Pfahrn in Mohrn’s immediate orbit who doesn’t seem to care that he’s ishblane.

  I’m still not regretting signing the contract, even though I jumped into it without educating myself (my fault) and without learning all the facts (again, my fault). I also can’t deny I’m…eager to see Mohrn more often.

  Because let’s face it, I’m fucking horny. Pulling a train with the Guyardiens wasn’t a fraction as satisfying to me as one stint with Mohrn. I get it, I could go to one of the orbital space stations and probably find me a woman—hell, or a man—to scratch my itch with. Or even visit one of the holo brothels, or a real one.

  Except I don’t want to.

  I don’t want to go through another emotionally sour stint like I did after the Guyardiens. It takes some of the sting out of it that it was for Mohrn, to help him, to protect him and keep him safe. As big as he is, emotionally he’s barely an adult in many ways. Sure, he’s older than me physically, but emotionally, not so much.

  I’ve seen a lot more, done a lot more.

  Nearly died a hell of a lot more.

  Knowing there was something I could do to help him, something that didn’t violate our contract, I couldn’t not do it.

  Right?

  I mean, it wasn’t cheating, because it was in the contract.

  Yet it’s not an experience I want to repeat. Emotionally…

  I still don’t care if it’s the medical intervention or what, but I feel bonded to Mohrn. I don’t want to seek outside pleasure when he’s locked up.

  I also am no closer to understanding why he’s locked up, either. Looking at the circumstances of the accident, it was an accident. Yyallohrn’s kids said it was an accident. If anything, Wrohlyyn was at fault for fucking around while they were driving. Tragic and sad, yes. Stupid? Absolutely.

  Worthy of incarceration?

  Not so much. The more I learn about Pfahrn laws, the more I see Mohrn is serving a sentence that is way harsher than others have received for similar situations. I’m not sure if it’s because Mohrn’s ishblane or not.

  A lawsuit? Okay, yeah, I could see that. A payment? Sure. Even with humans, they’d probably go after insurance first, and then personal assets. Mohrn’s parent is loaded, from what I gather.

  Honesty is first. Honestly?

  I think this planet’s laws are fucking stupid. I know I don’t get a say in them, but once Mohrn’s made it through this whole situation, I’m going to ask him to come with me back to Axind 5. If he doesn’t want to have a relationship with me, well, okay, fine.

  But he can live with us. There are nonhumans on Axind 5, lots of them. It’s a trade hub. He’d fit in.

  I’ll need a bigger bed, but he could share with me. I don’t mind if he doesn’t.

  I hope he won’t mind.

  Mom and Helleia would welcome him in, I’m sure.

  We could be his family.

  I don’t know how he’s going to feel about me by the end of the contract, though, and I’m no dummy. I don’t want to get hurt, or put him in a weird position if he doesn’t have feelings for me once this is all over and H’looder undoes whatever he did.

  Meanwhile, since it’s obvious Mohrn’s family prefers I don’t tag along with them, and being annoying to them is now annoying me more than it is them, I make use of my full access to the estate’s computer system to check out the mapping software. I can go anywhere on the planet in full VR, if I want.

  So I bite the bullet, put on the goggles, and start trying to find Mohrn’s special place. I know I’m going to cry, and maybe that’s for the best.

  I want to feel closer to him.

  Takes me less than an hour to locate it. It looks like it won’t take me long to reach it on foot, either. I plug the data into my personal com unit and change clothes for a hike. There’s nothing predatory, venomous, or poisonous on this planet I have to worry about, except some plants that would kill me if I ate them, and there are none of those in this region, anyway.

  I think it’s safe to say I could control myself even if there were.

  I pull on the tac boots I haven’t had to wear since my last time on the ground, but as my mind starts to spin up bad memories of incoming live fire, my com unit goes off with a loud blare, scaring the fricking crap out of me.

  I answer it to find an alert from H’looder, but before I can read it, another alert blasts in, this time from the prison.

  A vid call.

  I answer it, my pulse pounding and me forgetting I’m a civvie and not a sergeant. “Quigley.”

  Bob the Shalfin wears a grave expression. “There’s been an…incident. We need to transport you to the prison complex immediately.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I’ve already changed clothes and am standing outside, impatiently waiting, when the ground transport arrives. I don’t even let the driver get out before I’m jumping in and we’re racing back to town. I haven’t seen Dohrn, Stohrn, or Allhrn to let them know what’s going on.

  Fuck them. Once I have answers and put eyes on Mohrn myself and make sure he’s okay, then I’ll tell them.

  Turns out the message from H’looder was a notification that they’re sending the skiff for me, because the prison notified those fucks first before they even contacted me.

  That pisses me off.

  By the time I reach the transport facility, there’s a human wearing an MC security uniform awaiting my arrival by the front entrance. He escorts me almost at a dead run through the cavernous transport facility and to a private gate where we get into the small landing skiff. We’re already in the air before I even take my seat and strap in.

  Mohrn is…bad, apparently. I don’t have details, but I’m pissed the fucking hell off at the Guyardiens for allowing anything to happen to him in the first place. The deal was they would protect him.

  Why the hell did I go through that if they weren’t going to keep their end of the bargain? What about their personal honor and never welching on a damn deal?

  Maybe I can sue them.

  At the very least I’ll be reporting this to H’looder and seeing what the weight of the MC can do to right this wrong.

  If Mohrn survives.

  It takes an hour to travel to the prison. By the time I arrive I’m feeling both enraged and terrified, because I’m not receiving any updates about Mohrn’s condition. Just that he’s injured, and it’s critical.

  There are four Guyardiens awaiting my arrival in the secure transport bay, including the Alpha, Dehnzen.

  He actually takes a step back from me when I start toward him upon seeing him. Three humans, who were crew on the skiff, have to grab my arms and pull me back.

  “What the fuck?” I scream at him. “We had a fucking deal!”

  To his credit, Dehnzen looks…distraught? Definitely looks upset, like he knows he done fucked up. I didn’t know the big cocky assholes could look like that. The other three with him also look suitably chastised.

  He bows his head as he speaks. “I know. My sincere apologies. There was a large uprising on the other side of the complex, and my crew were all there. We believed Mohrn was in a safe place and under watch. They will never be left unsupervised by my crew from this point on. We are in your debt.”

  I shake free of the guys holding me—something I’m well aware I wouldn’t have been able to do pre-augmentations—and I shock myself when a low, deep growl erupts from somewhere around my ankles. “If Mohrn dies, you become my hobby, asshole. I’ll get every augmentation I can and I will pay every last cent I have to buy your work contracts and take you all apart piece by fucking piece.”

  It’s a little satisfying to see the big guy actually cringe, and the eyes of the men behind him widen in fear.

  I don’t have time for this though. Mohrn doesn’t have time for it. I’m rushed through security scanning and, at a dead run, we make our way through a dizzying maze of corridors and more secure checkpoints to reach their medical area. I
see no other guards or inmates during our journey, so I’m assuming they’ve blocked access to allow me to literally run straight through.

  They escort me to a door outside a small…well, room isn’t the right word, although there’s a damn bed in it. It’s not exactly a cell, but it’s fucking small. I guess it’s what passes for patient rooms. I can see through a small observation window that Mohrn’s strapped down to the bed and straining, his skin is almost deep red from the exertion of trying to get free, and his face looks bruised, cut, battered, and—

  “The attack triggered their cycle early,” the human doctor on duty tells me. “Not just their cycle, but a mating heat rage.”

  “Gee, ya fuckin’ think?” I take a deep breath. “Is he okay? Besides that?” Mohrn looks like he’s been beat to hell and back. I know I should use they/them but I can’t help but think of him as he, and fuck.

  “Nothing permanent,” the doctor says. “Superficial. They’ve already healed a lot from the bionanotech. Fortunately, guards arrived to intercede.” He points at Mohrn through the window. “But we barely got them in there and restrained before the worst of the rage set in. Took six Guyardiens to do it. Frankly, if you ask me, this is your chance to be free. We can just close the window and forget they’re in there until it’s too late, say you didn’t reach them in time—

  I don’t remember attacking the guy. I’m standing there staring at Mohrn one second, and the next second, three of the Guyardiens are trying to peel my hands off the guy’s throat, where I have him pinned against the wall with the soles of his shoes hovering a good foot off the ground.

  Damn.

  I finally release the guy before his face totally turns purple and let him collapse to the floor. Then I shake the Guyardiens off me—again, something I never could’ve done before augmentations.

  “Open the fucking door,” I growl. “Let me in there.”

  The doctor is still coughing where he landed. “What the hell you think you’re going to do, asshole? That fucker will kill you! None of the tranquilizers we have work, and believe me, we tried! We pumped enough drugs into them to knock down twenty Guyardiens and it didn’t faze them!”

  “I’m his mate. He won’t hurt me.”

  Oh, fuck. I don’t have the shirt with me.

  Little late to think about that though. I know I’ll heal quickly with the bionanotech in me, so the actual bite wound isn’t a problem as long as I keep him away from my jugular.

  “You’re fucking crazy!” the doctor tells me.

  He starts to get up and one of the Guyardiens plants a foot on his chest, pinning him down, glaring at him. “Stay.”

  The Alpha watches Mohrn. “We tried to get them to call for you sooner, as soon as the attack happened, and that one refused.” He points at the doctor, who’s still pinned by the Guyardien’s boot.

  The Alpha reaches over to a panel and punches in an access code, which makes the lock beep and a light on it turn green. “We have to monitor, in case we must retrieve you. We will activate one-way mode on the window for a semblance of privacy for you.”

  “Thanks.” I open the door and the smell hits me first—blood, sweat, and pheromones, an intoxicating mix that makes my cock harden immediately.

  I pull the door shut behind me as Mohrn’s head snaps toward the sound and his gaze falls on me.

  Right now, his eyes are wide, deep violet, maybe seeing—I doubt it—but I can tell his brain isn’t processing anything.

  This is definitely a worst-case scenario, what H’looder warned me about if the mating heat rage was triggered hard.

  This is soo, sooooo bad.

  In this moment, I’m not scared for me—I’m scared for Mohrn.

  I force a smile. “Hey, you big pink bastard,” I softly say. “It’s me. It’s okay. Your slippery human’s here now. I’m going to take care of you.”

  A blood-curdling roar escapes him, making my cock and balls shrivel and try to crawl up inside my body for protection. It takes every last ounce of willpower I have not to turn and beat on the door and beg them to let me out.

  Maybe they’re right that he’ll kill me, but I don’t think so.

  I don’t want to think so. He—they—knows who I am, even if their brain isn’t firing on all cylinders.

  I hope.

  I immediately yank off my jacket and shirt and drop them to the floor. As I toe off my shoes I see Mohrn’s nostrils flare, their chest heaving as they stop struggling for a moment and breathe in my scent.

  “Yeah, that’s it, buddy. It’s me. Your Mohrn-mohr. Just breathe for me.” I realize my hands are trembling as I unfasten the belt for my kilt and shove it down and off. A shiver races through me in the cool air, and I look for a control panel but don’t see one. “Temperature up ten degrees, please,” I call out.

  I immediately feel a warm breeze and the gooseflesh rippling over my skin goes away.

  “Okay, buddy. It’s all right.” I struggle to keep my voice calm and low as I step over to the bed. I’m not going to be able to get his jumpsuit completely off him without releasing him from all his restraints, but fuck it.

  I avoid his teeth for now and manage to unfasten the front of the jumpsuit. Parting the opening all the way down, I work my hands under the chest and waist straps holding Mohrn in place to pull the fastener down, until I can fully expose his groin.

  This will definitely have to be a bottoming session for me. Mohrn’s too far gone and in full rage.

  Inside his pouch I see the swelling meaning his—their, goddamnit—cock is hard.

  Thank alllll the fricking gods I do not believe in for the bionanotech swimming through me. My own body is already responding, I can feel it. I’m beyond the gee, this is weird phase of this arrangement now.

  I’m also beyond the this is only a job episode of my awakening.

  I cup my palm over the front of his pouch and slowly massage as I stare into his eyes. Mohrn’s gaze goes glassy and a soft whimper escapes him as he strains against the straps. Heat radiates off his body and I wish I could just curl up next to him and snuggle.

  Well, I can—after.

  I climb onto the bed, keeping eye contact, softly talking to him. “It’s okay, buddy. I’m going to take care of you. I’m sorry this happened. I promise I’m going to find out who’s responsible, okay? You’re going to be fine here shortly.”

  I start massaging him again and I feel his flesh loosen, grow slippery as his body responds. I ease my fingers inside, working his cock free as fire flares in his gaze once more. I flinch but don’t retreat when another terrifying, bellowing roar escapes him, followed by renewed struggles as I expose his erection and it finally grows to its full size.

  I know I can take him, yet I still give my own cock a few tugs, milking myself and using that to slick him, mindful of H’looder encouraging fluid-bonding as much as possible. Mohrn tries to fuck my fist and I have to hold him still while I straddle him and slowly mount.

  His body goes rigid, another of those howls filling the room and bouncing off the walls as I breathe and rock and struggle not to nut right there. H’looder wasn’t lying when he promised I’d enjoy this. Whether I’m enjoying it because it turns out I like butt stuff far more than I ever anticipated, or it’s because of the bionanotech, or because of the way they’ve synced our DNA, I don’t care.

  I do enjoy it.

  I’d be enjoying it a lot more if Mohrn wasn’t lying there bleeding and struggling and in a rage.

  And if the fuckers weren’t watching us.

  Once I’m fully seated I feel the physical connection take hold deep inside me and a tremor jolts through Mohrn’s body, drawing another pained moan from him.

  I gasp in pleasure and the good kind of pain as we’re now literally joined. I know Mohrn can’t help it, not in the mental state he’s in. I hope the bionanotech is up for the challenge and I don’t get ripped apart inside. I don’t know if there will be an egg this time or not, not that it matters at this point.

  �
�Shhh, breathe, buddy.”

  This is going to fucking hurt in more ways than one, I know it, but it can’t be helped. I can’t hope to reverse this if I don’t let him bite me. He’s too far gone.

  He’s panting now, growling, chuffing, trying to rock his hips but he can’t get traction the way he’s strapped down. I’m not stupid enough to release all of his restraints yet, but I undo the chest and waist ones and he immediately tries to sit up.

  I shove him back down onto the bed with all my weight and lean forward, positioning myself to present the top of my left shoulder. I glance over to my right, at the window next to the door. It looks dark, but I know Alpha and his men and the doctor are out there watching.

  Fricking perverts.

  Well, I hope they enjoy the goddamned show, especially Alpha and the Guyardiens, because they’re never getting a piece of this ass again.

  I cup my left hand under Mohrn’s head and pull his mouth to my shoulder. Almost immediately he bears his teeth and clamps down, hard, making me scream louder than the loud growl he lets loose at the same time.

  Fire sears my nerves as his teeth pierce my skin and I immediately feel the hot venom pumping into me. I’m vaguely aware that my cock has just erupted all over me and him, and with trembling fingers I reach down with my right hand and unfasten his left arm.

  Mohrn sits up, his arm curling around me as he’s chewing on my shoulder. I think I’m bleeding—I’m vaguely aware I’m still screaming.

  When the room’s door flies open my head snaps around and I roar, “GET OUT!” at Alpha as I put up my right hand to ward them off.

  I’ll fucking kill anyone who tries to stop this.

  No, literally.

  He and his men slowly back out and the door closes again while another scream erupts from me.

  It’s…the sensation is like nothing I’ve ever felt before. The closest analogy I can use to describe it is when you’ve thrown back a couple of shots of really good bourbon and it’s burning all the way down. Like that, only white-hot, and with it feeling like your balls are ripping your spinal column out at the same time and wringing the largest orgasm you’ve ever experienced, times one thousand, from you.