by S. E. Smith
Hannah’s hands trembled as she slowly extended them until they lay palm down in Cosmos’ huge ones. Cosmos squeezed them briefly before turning them over so he could see her palms. Sure enough, she had a series of intricate circles forming a pattern in the center of her left palm. Cosmos knew that when he scanned it, it would match perfectly with the one on Borj’s left palm. They were bond mates.
“I’m a what?” Hannah whispered in disbelief.
Cosmos flushed when he realized he had spoken aloud. “You are Borj’s bond mate. He said in his world when a male and a female are compatible for reproducing they are bond mates.” Cosmos ran his hand through his hair again before he frowned. “No, that’s not exactly right. Let me try this again. All males and females go through a mating rite’s ceremony to determine who they will mate with. If the mating mark, the circles on your palm, appear then the match is good and they can reproduce. If no mark appears, they wait and do it again at the next ceremony unless they happen to meet before which is rare as the females are not let out of their ‘houses’ alone often as a way of protecting them from any males who may have become more aggressive due to not having a mate. Is this making any sense?” Cosmos asked looking at Hannah for the first time since he saw the patterns on her palm.
Hannah’s horror at what Cosmos was saying was growing beyond anything thing she had ever felt before. This alien guy thought she was his mate because a bunch of circles had appeared on her hand? The circles were a get straight to the baby making stage? Is this what happened to Tink? She was kidnapped so she could become a breeding mare? He expected her to be caged in some ‘house’ all the time and just be there whenever he…whenever he…Hannah’s mind revolted at the next step.
“Hannah, are you okay?” Cosmos was saying.
Cosmos saw Hannah pull back away from him and sway slightly as if she had just received a huge shock. He was concerned as the color slowly faded from her face leaving her very pale and shaken. He quickly pulled the tray off the bed and set in on the floor before turning back to gather Hannah tightly in his arms.
“I can’t do it.” Hannah was saying softly under her breath over and over. “Get it off me, Cosmos. I can’t have it on me.”
Cosmos was concerned as Hannah’s voice started to get louder and sounded more than a little hysterical. “Get it off of me, Cosmos. NOW! Get it off of me!”
“Hannah…I’ll try.” Cosmos said quietly realizing Hannah was on the verge of a total meltdown.
Hannah turned her blank stare to him. “You have to do it, Cosmos. I won’t be his or anyone else’s. It would kill me to be locked up. I…I don’t want anyone touching me like that…like they did those other women…I…I can’t do it. You have to help me, Cosmos.” Hannah whispered faintly.
It took Cosmos another ten minutes to get Hannah to believe his promise to try to undo the mating mark. He walked down the steps slowly. Hannah had finally gone into the bathroom to get cleaned up. He hoped she would be in a better mood when she was done. Cosmos hadn’t been there when Hannah had been kidnapped but he knew it had been bad…very bad. From what Tink told him, Hannah didn’t talk much after the incident. Tink told him Hannah would just sit and stare out the window for hours, not moving from the seat as they rode down the road, not talking, not doing anything. When they would stop, she would often go off alone. Tink really didn’t know what happened just that Hannah had escaped the kidnappers and spent ten days in the jungle. Her parents never talked about it with her or Tansy. They said it was at Hannah’s request that they didn’t.
“She is awake?” Borj asked looking up from the magazine he was looking through.
Cosmos couldn’t help the small grin that curved his lips. In order to get a few minutes alone with Hannah, Cosmos had dug out his teenage collection of Penthouse, Playboy, and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition magazines. He may have been shy around the girls but that didn’t mean he didn’t like to look at them. Borj had never seen anything like them and Cosmos couldn’t help but laugh as he eyes got bigger and bigger with each edition. Borj didn’t even realize Cosmos was gone until he came back down.
Borj was frowning as he looked at one centerfold. “My Hannah is not in any of these, is she? I would have to kill you and every male who looked at her otherwise.” Borj said holding the picture of Miss November up.
Cosmos bit back a laugh. “No, I really don’t think you will find Hannah in any of those types of magazines. I do have a few magazines that you will find her in, though.” Cosmos added mischievously.
Borj’s head jerked up and his face darkened threateningly. “Show me!” He gritted out between his teeth.
Cosmos opened a cabinet that contained Tink’s collection of her sister’s work. Wildlife, Times, National Geographic, WWW, and others contained pictures and articles about Hannah from the time she was six until her most recent interview last year after she was wounded when one of the countries she was in exploded with violence. She won international recognition with her depiction of the damage done to humans, wildlife, and the environment.
Cosmos set the magazines down in front of Borj and watched him carefully as he opened each magazine. He wanted to see Borj’s reaction to Hannah’s work. It was obvious her love of the outdoors and her compassion for the things she photographed.
Borj felt a wave of fury flood him when Cosmos first told him Hannah was in a ‘magazine’. Since the documents Cosmos gave him first were his only experience with human media, he thought they would all be the same. But, the images he was looking at now took his breath away. He looked at the pictures Cosmos explained Hannah took. There was a family of huge, black hair creatures grouped together in what looked like a dense jungle. One creature had a blaze of silver across its back and was studying the smaller group. Another showed large herds of another creature jumping through water while huge predators grabbed for them. Each was more spectacular than the next. When Cosmos handed him another article, he saw Hannah and a dark-skinned male standing next to each other smiling.
“That’s Abasi. He works with Hannah when she does her African shoots.” Cosmos was saying.
Borj nodded not feeling threatened as he could see the love in the male’s eyes but nothing stating he was possessive of Hannah. Borj made a choked sound when he came to the pictures of some of the atrocities Hannah photographed. The next few photographs on the opposite page were not Hannah’s but of Hannah. The male, Abasi, had his arms around her and she was covered in blood.
“Tell me what this says.” Borj choked out as he ran his finger over the photograph of Hannah’s face lined in pain. He let his finger run down to the image of her shirt, torn with blood coating the front.
Cosmos cleared his throat as he read the caption under the photograph.
Internationally Renowned Wildlife Photographer Wounded
Hannah Bell, an internationally award winning wildlife photographer was wounded during a recent revolution in Chad. Bell, known more for her photographs of endangered species, brought world-wide attention to the atrocities of certain rebel groups. The photograph above shows Bell, with her guide, being helped after rebel groups wounded her.
Borj looked at the photograph but his mind was elsewhere. This was a very dangerous world for females. How could the males let the females do anything so dangerous? Why did her family not prevent her from going to these places unprotected?
“Females are different here, Borj. You can’t cage a girl like Hannah up. If you do, it would kill her.” Cosmos said responding to the questions Borj muttered under his breath. He knew he had to get Borj to understand this or it could have devastating effects on both of them. “She is like the wild creatures she photographs. They need the freedom to roam. Hannah…Hannah’s been through more than any girl should ever go through. When she was fifteen something really bad happened to her that changed her life. She…” Cosmos’ voice faded when Borj suddenly jerked up off the couch heading for the stairs.
Borj felt a shiver of apprehension go through him. He was
listening intently to what Cosmos was saying when a sudden shaft of pain flashed through his left palm. Borj drew in a deep breath and clenched his fist against the pain as it spread up his arm. He focused inward briefly and Hannah’s image rose before him.
Borj jerked off the couch and moved rapidly up the stairs taking them three at a time. He burst into the upper living area and continued through until he was in front of the bathroom. Borj didn’t pause as he hit the door with his hand, breaking the latch. He stood breathing heavily through his nose in an effort to push the pain radiating up through his left arm away. He stared in horror at Hannah who was leaning over the edge of the bathroom sink, a sharp cutting tool in her hand. His gaze followed the tiny flow of blood down the sink from where her left hand lay against the edge.
Hannah stood under the flow of the hot water as long as she could letting all the things Cosmos told her run through her mind over and over. It wasn’t until she was shaving her legs that she got the idea that maybe she could scrape the circles off of her hand. After all, it didn’t look like it was that deep. It was worth a try. It was ridiculous to think a bunch of circles popping up on someone’s hand meant you were mated to them. Yes, she had seen some of the mating rituals of different tribes around the world that used unusual ways to bind a couple but she personally didn’t believe in it. Hell, even wedding rings were a ritual but you could still take them off. There had to be a way to remove them. The first thing she tried was scrubbing it with a fingernail brush and soap. All that did was cause it to become more sensitive.
Hannah turned off the shower and quickly dried and dressed in a pair of loose fitting cargo pants and a forest green t-shirt. She didn’t bother with putting on any shoes. She flipped her head over and brushed the long length out before she divided it into three sections and braided it. Looking in the mirror, she could still see the dark shadows under her eyes from not getting enough rest. Hannah shrugged. Rest could come later. Right now, get rid of the circles then find Tink.
Hannah pulled a new razor blade out of the cartridge container and carefully pulled it apart so she had just one of the super sharp blades. Bending of the sink, she gently began scrapping a small section of her left palm where the edge of the circles began. She frowned when nothing seemed to happen. Maybe it was a little deeper than she thought. She knew some parasites burrowed under the skin. Hannah decided she would try to cut a small section out.
Hannah bit her lip as she felt the first slice break through the skin. It wasn’t like she had never needed to cut on herself before. She was used to having to remove thorns or lance areas where some type of critter had bitten her so she could release the poison. The moment she sliced through the first circle pain exploded throughout her arm and down through her body. Hannah bit back the surprised cry at how much it hurt. Blood welded up from the small cut and began dripping down through her fingers. Hannah laid her palm over the edge of the sink so the blood would drain down it. Holding her breath, she moved the razorblade in her trembling right hand back over the circle to try again when the door to the bathroom suddenly exploded inward.
Hannah stared in shock as an enraged Borj looked from her bleeding palm to the razor in her right hand. “What in the hockta balmas, are you doing?” Borj asked furiously.
“What?” Hannah asked dazed as her palm pulsed. “What are you doing in here?”
“Hannah?” Cosmos asked from behind Borj. Hannah heard his gasp as he saw what she was doing. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I…I wanted to see if I could scrape the circles off.” Hannah explained looking back and forth between the two men. Why were they acting like she had done something horrific? It was her stupid hand.
Borj growled out and stomped forward gripping her right wrist hard enough to make her drop the razorblade. Hannah’s protest died on her lips when he grabbed her left wrist and raised her palm to his mouth. He gently ran his tongue over the small cut. Hannah immediately noticed the pain faded and warmth began seeping up through her arm into the rest of her body. She moan softly as Borj continued to lap at the tiny wound.
Borj closed his eyes as the sweet taste of Hannah flowed over his tongue. Hockta balmas, hell’s balls but she tasted delicious. He opened his eyes to stare down into the beautiful dark green eyes of his mate. He pulled both of her arms up and around his neck before he grasped her around her slim waist lifting her until she was sitting on the edge of the counter by the sink. He refused to release her gaze as he slowly lowered his head. He paused for just a moment to see if she would pull away and gave a small sigh of thanks when instead, she leaned forward touching his lips tentatively with her own.
Chapter 6
Hannah trembled as she pressed her lips lightly against Borj’s firm ones. It was the last thing she could ever have imagined herself doing but it just felt right. She remembered her mom telling her once after one of her panic attacks that when the right guy came along her body might recognize him before her mind did. Right now, her mind was lost in a haze of desire. Hannah let her fingers slowly move over Borj’s broad shoulders to skim lightly along the back of his neck before she let her fingers bury themselves in his short hair. Hannah felt the slight increase in pressure against her lips as Borj pressed deeper wanting her to open for him. Her arms tightened around him and her hands gripped the back of his head preventing him from pulling away as she opened her mouth enough to let the tip of her tongue trace along his.
Borj felt a wave of tenderness flood him at the tentative touch of Hannah’s lips. She reminded him of some of the Ta’caras, a small furry creature found deep in the forest of their world. It was extremely rare to see one for they were very shy and cautious. Their fur was extremely soft and warm. They were hunted almost to extinction many generations ago. Hunting them became unlawful after the ruling council determined there was no longer a need for their fur. Even so, the cost of those times still weighed on the creatures and they seldom came out in the open, preferring the dense forests instead.
Borj wrapped his arms tighter around Hannah as she pressed closer to him. Instinctively, he knew she needed to be the one in control right now. He needed to let her set the pace if she was to begin to trust him. It about killed him to not take her, possess her like his instincts told him too. He wanted to bite her, to seal her to him both physically and emotionally but he knew to do so now would have devastating consequences if she did not learn to trust him first.
Borj shuddered at the first touch of Hannah’s tongue against his lips. Borj press deeper letting Hannah’s tongue bridge the gap between them making them one. His arms tightened even more, crushing her breasts against his chest and causing a painful groan to escape as the need to claim her filled his cock until it was straining against the confines of his pants. Is this what his brother felt when he was with his bond mate? To have a female respond without the need for stimulus from the chemicals in his bite was more arousing than anything he had ever experienced before. Never in all his years did he ever expect for a female to respond with unrestrained passion.
The sound of a throat clearing behind them finally filtered through Hannah’s brain. Pulling back, she let her hands drop to Borj’s shoulders. Hannah let her head drop until her forehead rested against his right shoulder. She used the brief respite from looking at Borj to attempt to get her raging hormones back under control.
“Wow.” Hannah murmured just soft enough for Borj to hear.
Borj chuckled as he wrapped his arms tighter around Hannah drawing her close against the warm strength of his body. “I do not know this word but I think I agree.”
Hannah looked up puzzled at Borj not understanding what he said. “Huh?”
Borj closed his eyes in frustration. He needed to implant the translator he brought with him. Borj turned to Cosmos who was staring at Hannah with a bemused expression on his face.
“I have a translator I brought for Hannah. Can you ask her if it would be permissible to her to implant it so she may understand what I am saying?”
Borj asked Cosmos.
“Uh, sure. Hannah?” Cosmos said from the doorway. “Borj has a translator like they put in me. He wants to know if he can implant one in you so you can understand him. It doesn’t hurt. Hell, I didn’t even know they did it. It takes a little while though to get used to the words coming out of their mouths and the words forming in your head to sync, though.”
Hannah looked at Cosmos doubtfully for a moment before nodding. It would help if she could understand everything that was going on and not have to rely on Cosmos to translate. After all, some things do get lost in translation. She had learned that the hard way more than once.
“Okay.” Hannah said looking at Borj for the first time since kissing him.
Borj smiled tenderly and brushed a stray strand of hair back behind her ear. He loved the way her cheeks warmed to a light pink color at his touch. He reached into the front pocket of his pants and pulled out a small square container about the size of a dime. Hannah watched as he pushed a small button and the box transformed into a long, skinny cylinder with a tiny dot that shimmered like a diamond in the bathroom light. Borj gently cupped Hannah’s chin turning it so he could place the device in her ear. Hannah felt a brief rush of air then nothing. Borj turned her head the other way and did the same thing to her other ear.
“Having a translator in both ears will make it easier for you, Ku Lei.” Borj said softly against her ear.
Hannah’s eyes widened as she gasped. She understood what he just said. He called her ‘my beloved’.
“So, tell me about your world?” Hannah asked several hours later as she sat curled up on Cosmos couch. Borj was sitting next to her while they waited for Cosmos to come back upstairs. He was checking some updates in his lab.
After Borj implanted the translator into Hannah’s ears RITA came over the intercom system to let them know they had a visitor at the door. RITA ran a security check and informed Cosmos and Hannah the visitor was a private detective hired by Senator Bachman. By the time Cosmos got to the downstairs entrance way, he knew the man’s life history. Borj listened in, impressed with RITA’s thoroughness and her somewhat amusing suggestions should the man become less than pleasant. Cosmos refused to let the man beyond the entrance foyer. He answered all the man’s questions, repeating verbatim the same answers he gave the FBI and local police. Hannah had to hold Borj back when the man threatened Cosmos if he refused to let him look around the warehouse. Since neither the FBI nor the police could obtain a search warrant due to lack of evidence, Cosmos was not concerned. Even if they were able to get one, they wouldn’t have found anything. Cosmos had set up safety protocols with RITA to delete all files and erase the programming for the gateway should anyone try to access it without his authorization. That was one of the reasons RITA had been offline when Borj showed up.
