by Keri Kruspe
“The Chancellor has ordered Miss Lora to be shipped to FiPan,” JR10’s voice continued.
D’zia shrank back with his mouth open. “How is that lucky?”
Oh, crap! She didn’t like that expression of horror on D’zia’s face. FiPan? What was that? If his reaction was anything to go by, it couldn’t be good.
“Hey, no worries! I’ll change the manifest to make sure you’re one of her escorts so you can keep an eye on her,” JR10 answered.
“Why FiPan?” D’zia stood to pace in the small space. “By the way, how far along are you in infiltrating the Chancellor’s computer system? You should already have everything we need.”
The little bot was quiet before he answered. “As for FiPan, it houses the secret lab Dr. Knum’Nz uses.”
Little JR11 gave a small squeak as if the news scared her.
Lora had to admit it scared her too.
“As for the hacking job, well…let’s say it’s proving to be a little harder than I thought,” JR10’s confession came out in a low tone. “Don’t trip! I will triumph over the oppressive ruling regime and come out victorious!”
“Okay, dial it down.” D’zia stopped his pacing. He sat next to Lora, took her hand in his, and kept the conversation with JR10 going. “When are we scheduled to leave?”
“Within the next twelve macroclicks.” JR10 gave a high, metallic squeak. “Quick, dude, orders are coming in.”
D’zia grabbed his helmet and put it back on. He turned and left the room, waving the forcefield back in place. Lora blinked at his abrupt departure.
“Miss Lora,” a soft feminine voice whispered in her head. “Mr. D’zia sends his regrets for having to leave you abruptly, but duty called. He will be in touch with you at the earliest opportunity.”
Well, alrighty then. She was glad she had time alone. She needed to process everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. Plus, she needed to crash.
She sat on her narrow, hard cot and plopped on her back with her feet hanging off the edge. Let’s see, she met the luscious D’zia, (with his sizzling off-the-charts hotness) who turned out to be the alien mate she’d been waiting for. Then she met crazy Dr. Numb Nuts and his various bag of toys. Now, she was supposed to go to some sci-fi planet of horrors to let the maniac continue his experiments on her.
Without warning, her body said enough was enough. It was time for her to go to sleep before it mutinied and shut off without her permission. Giving in, she rolled on her side and put her head on her hands for a makeshift pillow. “Goodnight, JR11,” Lora whispered.
“Goodnight, Miss Lora,” came the quiet reply.
Lora closed her eyes as a soft musical tune from JR11 lulled her into an uneasy sleep.
* * *
D’ZIA
D’zia hated the way he left Lora, but the minute he’d put on his helmet the communication from his squad chief had escalated to an uncomfortable level. He reassured his commander he was at his assigned post and avoided potential disaster.
The next twelve macroclicks flew by in a blur. True to his word, JR10 got D’zia assigned as one of the guards taking Lora to FiPan. In the meantime, he had to prepare to leave, and he learned things weren’t normal in the palace. What made him nervous was the unusual number of unsanctioned alien personnel working in official positions. As head of the Federation Consortium, the palace should have a wide variety of member species in various positions of power. Now nonmember races were outnumbering the member ones.
Especially disturbing was the inordinate number of Erkeks running around. D’zia considered the Erkek race a “borderline” one, not as vile as the exiled Friebbigh species, but by no means sterling citizens. He approved of his uncle’s campaign that resulted in the ban on their rejoining the Federation Consortium. They had extreme patriarchal views on females and an overt disdain for other species. And those were their good traits.
The Erkeks also made it a habit to make war on underdeveloped planetary systems to steal their resources. They didn’t care if the indigenous species of those planets survived or not.
So the main question was why would the Chancellor have so many Erkeks in the palatial offices? It surprised D’zia that there hadn’t been a formal complaint made about nonmembers having access to sensitive government information. How odd no one in the council had yet to make it an issue either. One of the first things JR10 did was catalogue, by type, the positions held by the questionable species. It was something D’zia needed to talk to Qay about later.
After a brief discussion (ahem, argument) with JR10, they decided the best place to free Lora was while the transport was in space. Rather than stealing a ship at the palace and trying to avoid detection, it would be easier to take an escape pod and disappear in open space. It would also give JR10 time to finish burrowing into the Chancellor’s private computer system.
Even though it made D’zia uneasy, this was the best way to keep Lora safe. There were too many palace guards there, and in space, he’d only have worry about a handful. Even better, it would give D’zia time to educate her on the benefits of being his TrueBond. If she was anything like his cousin’s mate, she didn’t understand what being bound to a Zerin meant. He needed to explain the physical, sensual, and emotional changes both of their bodies would go through. Plus the fervent commitment each would develop for the other. His dick swelled in anticipation of the pleasures he and his TrueBond would share. Holy Goddess, the image made him shudder.
D’zia suspected his cousin Qay had started the TrueBond process with the human Aimee the minute they’d met. He’d watched Qay try to avoid having a human TrueBond so much that D’zia stepped in to help his misguided cousin. That’s why he’d put those VDU glasses in Aimee’s room the night he accidentally met Lora. His only regret was he hadn’t gotten close enough to identify his own TrueBond at the time, to discover what she meant to him. But Qay had gotten close enough to Aimee to know she was his Truebond. How Qay resisted Aimee for so long was a complete mystery to him. Finding and joining with your TrueBond was the dream of every Zerin.
D’zia had no doubt Lora was his TrueBond, and he would be only too glad to claim her as soon as possible. If he’d been in Qay’s position, he’d have grabbed his mate and run away, to hell with the consequences. The family situation could have been figured out later. As for D’zia, that was the way things should be…TrueBond first…everything else second. Well, it wasn’t the first time his pigheaded cousin twisted himself too tight for his own good. Sometimes Qay had trouble figuring out what was important and what wasn’t.
Dumb, misguided ass.
D’zia rocked back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back as he stood waiting for his squad to show up. He mulled over the best way to introduce TrueBond sex to his female. His musings made him uncomfortable, but instead of wallowing in that idea, he ignored his natural reaction as his squad showed up. He fell in line behind them. He followed them to board the small cargo ship taking Lora to FiPan. His assignment was the communication console, which he had no trouble finding on the bridge. He synchronized his helmet’s communicators with the small ship and blinked to give his internal VDU unit a command for JR10 to do the same. Nestled within D’zia’s man bun, JR10 made himself at home within the systems of the ship.
“Lora is being brought on board now. She’s okay,” JR10’s reassuring remark surprised D’zia. Who knew the AI was empathic enough to realize D’zia didn’t like the idea he wasn’t one of the guards bringing her on board? Thank the Goddess the communication between the spybots was working perfectly. If they kept the lines open between them, he might pull off escaping with the evidence while saving the girl.
Yeah, that’d work for him.
The trip to FiPan would take over two solar months, but D’zia didn’t plan to stay on the ship that long. They would escape to the planetoid of Hiigar, home to his co-conspirators, Hayami, and her mate Fylgir. Lora and he only had to survive on board for the first month. Of course, that might be tr
icky since Dr. Knum’Nz was there and might want to continue his experiments. D’zia clenched his teeth in fury. He’d break the doctor’s neck before he let that noxious slug touch her again.
The communicator flashed around his right eye on his helmet’s screen, letting him know Lora was on her way to a small cell at the back of the ship. “JR10,” he mentally connected with his companion. “Make sure JR11 keeps you informed about anything that happens with Lora. I have to be apprised at all times.”
“10-4 good buddy. We’ll take that rice and cook it.” Either JR10 was getting better with Earth slang, or D’zia was losing his edge, because he had no idea what the spybot just said. By the Holy Goddess, when he got back to Zerin, he’d have to punch his cousin for making him put up with this crap. He was tense enough without his AI talking like an imbecile. Working with the bot was exasperating, even at the best of the times.
Of course, maybe he should feel guilty for treating Qay the same way. No, he didn’t care what his cousin said, the two situations couldn’t possibly be the same. Besides, he was sure Qay deserved his fist for something anyway.
Over the next couple of standard weeks, D’zia established a tentative routine. His duty confined him to the communication area and frustrated any of his attempts to see Lora in person. Good thing JR10 and JR11’s connection enabled him to talk to her.
Her biggest complaint was boredom. She had nothing to do in her small cell.
He couldn’t help her during the long day, but at night, he would lie in his own sleeping pad and indulge in endless conversations with her. Nothing was off-limits—he shared his hopes and dreams, his past, and the things important to him. She shared hers, even the real reason she left Earth. D’zia’s fists clenched in anger at her description of her ex-husband’s treatment of her and how she ended up afraid for her life. He was thankful the idiot let her go, but a side trip back to Earth might not be out of the question….
JR10 assured him he was getting closer to accessing the Chancellor’s systems. D’zia was glad when the bot sent the information to his contact at the Imperial Forces. It was a relief to know they’d be able to mine through the data at a detailed pace. Even so, they’d better hurry up and find tangible evidence before D’zia did something drastic out of sheer desperation. If he had to, he’d kidnap his TrueBond from this Goddess-forsaken ship before they had the evidence, and disappear from the known galaxy.
Speaking of his TrueBond, D’zia had a rare insight one night during their conversation. He’d be damned if he let Lora remain ignorant like Qay’s TrueBond had been. Watching Qay fumble like a bumbling ignoramus with his human was an object lesson D’zia had no trouble learning. Not wanting to waste any time, D’zia told Lora what she needed to know about the process. How they’d physically take on characteristics of each other. How their mating oils would enhance and magnify their sexual pleasures. To complete the TrueBond, a tattoo called the MalDerVon scroll would show on the sides of their face with the heir crystal nestled in the temple. The crystal would remain clear until Lora carried their child—dark green for a male and light green for a female. It was frustrating that he couldn’t do the explanations in person. Talking about it made everything sound so…clinical. When the TrueBond experience was anything but.
So far, Dr. Knum’Nz left Lora alone. Maybe he was waiting to take her to his lab on FiPan and didn’t want to waste his time before then. No telling what the Erkek hybrid was doing. As long as he stayed away from Lora, D’zia couldn’t care less.
Now, twelve mind-numbing long solar days into their trip, D’zia decided he’d had enough. It was time to see her. Their nightly talks had turned into an exercise in sensual assault…for them both. With a little help from the spybots, everything was in place to sneak into her cell. JR11 muted her room from surveillance for almost sixty clicks, during his off cycle. Maybe it was only a short window of opportunity to become better acquainted, but he’d take it.
He coordinated with JR10 to move the guards away from the front of her cell and slipped in to avoid detection of his disabling the forcefield. He trusted JR10 to close it behind him and replace the normal forcefield with a vid loop, showing anyone passing by Lora asleep in her cot.
And there she was, his TrueBond…so beautiful she took his breath away. She was wide-awake and waiting for him. For a moment, the sight of her sitting on her cot with her legs tucked under her luscious bottom struck him numb. Their gazes met and held in the dim lighting until she gathered a lock of her blonde hair. She twirled it around a delicate finger and gave him a smoldering, demure wink. As she twirled the lock, she tipped her chin in his direction and sent him a challenging, direct stare.
Lust pierced his groin, filling his cock and giving him a slight swagger as he walked over and stood in front of her. Her head tilted back to maintain eye contact. He had told her they couldn’t consummate their TrueBond until they left the ship. It would be too dangerous to allow the MalDerVon scroll to show. Sweat beaded his brow as he kept an ironclad hold on his primitive instincts. He wanted to strip them both, mount her luscious frame, and plunge into her welcoming depths. He clenched his hands into tight fists, driving his fingernails into his palms. Anything to keep his wild emotions under control.
Without a word he gathered her in his arms. Her intoxicating scent enveloped him in a warm blanket of tart and clean citrus mixed with the musky aroma of aroused female. He lifted her onto his lap, pulled her tight, and covered her mouth with his in an impatient, soul-affirming kiss. He poured all of his frustrations into that kiss. At his inability to remove her from danger coupled with not being with her for the past couple of solar weeks. He had to battle his instinct to consummate their TrueBond.
D’zia sank his tongue into Lora’s willing mouth as he gathered her unique flavors to mix with his and create a blend all their own. Together they produced something new, something never experienced before in the galaxy. They joined…they merged into a single unit, complete with their own sensual tastes and overwhelming emotions.
He held her head between his hands. Their lips fused together, plunging them into their special world, unseen, and untouched by others. She reached up to caress his hair gathered at the top of his head. Her clever fingers kneaded and stroked as she pulled closer to him; her eager tongue stroked his in abandon. A sense of satisfaction engulfed him when his hair fell from the confined bun to settle into a warm cocoon around them.
As with all Zerins, D’zia’s hair took care of itself. He suspected Lora enjoyed what she was feeling, so he kept it loose and unbraided for her. His warrior braid remained intact, woven against his right temple and looped behind his ear per Zerin custom.
Much too soon, Lora pulled back and gazed at him with half-lidded eyes. “D’zia.”
Her breathless whisper tightened his cock further. Damn, if his dick got any fuller it would pop. Not a good way to impress a new mate.
“I’ve really missed you.” She finished her sentence as she wiggled on his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her nose and lips nuzzled his ultra-sensitive skin.
The friction of her luscious bottom made him close his eyes, and he groaned in appreciation. Damn the Goddess and all her saints, it would be impossible not to make her his TrueBond if she kept doing that. Already his palms and torso were producing the body oils made during the mating process.
Why waste what nature so thoughtfully provided? Bringing her head around for another kiss, he moved his palm from the side of her face to caress the skin under her tunic. Soft, smooth flesh met his eager hand as he massaged and stroked the chill bumps along her quivering stomach. He took his time to let the warm oils soak into her. Going up further, he encountered another garment, this one covering the prize he sought…her breasts.
D’zia loved a challenge, but he didn’t have time to figure out why she had this binding garment on. He was too impatient and this thing had to go. Her warm globes were calling, begging to get acquainted with him on a more personal level.
With
deft fingers, he pushed up the cloth and enfolded the soft globe in his palm. He plucked the nipple peeking through his fingers.
Her breath careened into his mouth as she proclaimed her eagerness for his touch.
Yes, let’s see how sensitive his new TrueBond was there. He pinched the creased nipple and caused her to squirm when the tip beaded tighter. In reaction, she ground her ass into his full cock. He broke off their kiss with a flash of triumph. He reached down to slip off her tunic. His mouth watered at what the hard little button would taste like. Was she salty smooth or musky sharp?
Ahhh—a sweet combination of both. His tongue drew on the nipple and his cheeks hollowed as his mouth enveloped the soft flesh around the hard tip. He enjoyed the soft rumblings in her chest when she moaned and writhed with each stroke. He alternated between breasts, as each swipe pinked her nipples that glistened from his eager attention. Their points remained straight, hard, and proud.
With his eyes closed, he concentrated on her warm, soft skin. Without warning a blinding, hot flash of sexual peak sizzled and released through his hardened body. The stiff nipple plopped out of his mouth at his shout of surprise. At first, he couldn’t understand why he let go, much less how he’d spilled in his pants like an untried youth. He took in a few deep breaths before it dawned on him what happened. Thank the Goddess the physical evidence wouldn’t be noticeable in the uniform.
His unfulfilled system had overloaded when she squeezed the tip of his ear. D’zia groaned in exquisite pleasure as he pulled his head back from her questing fingers. He had to force a protective space between them. Goddess, he doubted she understood what she did, not with her eyes closed and her wet, open mouth chasing him.
“Lora,” he rasped. He twisted his head to avoid her seeking lips. It shook him how he lost control so quickly. He’d better stop this for both their sakes. But, son of a sacrilege slug, this was embarrassing! He growled…and not because he was happy. “Lora, please look at me,” he tried again.
