“You mean we don’t have our own private pods, like in the movies?” Val asked.
Between Valerie’s sudden panic and Steven struggling not to laugh, Gerri shook her head. “Dual chambers. I think that’s a great idea for tonight. I have communiques that need to be sent in route, so best I have my own space.”
Alone in a space capsule with two men who looked at her like she’s a piece of cheesecake. Maybe this transport thingy was more Dr. Who and not Hot Tub Time Machine. Standing room only.
Valerie followed behind Steven as he led them toward the far corner of the building near the back end. A quick press of a button later, and a hidden door slid open from a nondescript wall.
Steven waited for Gerri and Valerie to step over the metal lip before he and the guys filed through.
“Mrs. Wilder, you’re in elevator one. You three,” he turned to Valerie and the guys. “You are in elevator two. I need to secure the luggage before we do anything else, so get settled as quickly as you can.”
He reached for Arin’s backpack and the dragon alpha growled. “Hands off, little man.”
Steven jerked his fingers back, and Valerie shot tall, dark and scary a dirty look. “Hey! Do you always have to be such a jerk?”
Arin shifted his gaze to her and he pressed his lips together. “Sorry, dude. Precious cargo, man.” He patted the backpack.
“No problem,” Steven replied, before slipping through a different side panel, leaving them in an anteroom that was almost completely oval.
“If there are no more theatrics, let’s get on with it.” Mrs. Wilder pressed her hand to one of the curved metallic walls and a biometric scanner slid from a concealed place.
“Permission required,” a voice prompted.
Gerri faced the scanner and linear beams coalesced for facial recognition, the same as they did with her laptop communicator.
“Mapping complete. Access granted.”
Two more doors slid open, and it was obvious they were separate elevator shafts.
“Guess that’s our ride,” Arin said. He looked at Valerie and gave a chin pop toward the empty interior. “Ladies first.”
She hesitated, and then looked to Gerri. “It’s okay, honey. I’ll be at the wheel. Just strap in and don’t touch anything unless I say.” She stepped through to her lift and the door slid shut.
“Just us chickens, I guess,” Xavier grinned.
Valerie hesitated and he slipped his arm around her shoulder. “C’mon, slick. You got this.”
The two joined Arin and no sooner had they stepped through the entrance than the door slid shut behind them.
“Descent in ten seconds,” the same digitized voice announced.
Anxiety cascaded through Valerie’s veins, and she whirled, looking for seatbelts. “Gerri said strap in, but where? There are no seats.”
“Nine.”
“Eight.”
“Seven.”
Arin reached for her hand, but she jerked back, startled.
“It’s okay, love. I’m just going to help you secure your harness.” He pointed to the barely perceptible silver belts along the wall. “If you’re not a shifter, they can be hard to distinguish.”
She squinted at the wall, but shook her head. “I’ll have to take your word for it. Sorry I’m so jumpy.”
When he reached for her hand again, she took it. His skin was warm, and the same subtle electricity she felt when Xavier brush her lips at the townhouse skimmed across her flesh.
Her nose was in Arin’s chest as he pulled the harness over her head. She turned her head so her cheek pressed between his hard pecs.
She closed her eyes and inhaled.
Holy Heaven Scent!
Arin might be an irritating jerk, but his clean masculine trace made her want to lick him from lips to cock and everywhere in between.
Annoying or not, this close she didn’t care. She itched to run her fingers over the hard rope muscles along his back. She skimmed her hands around his sculpted torso, and the moment her palms glided over his hips, his eyes found hers and her knees went weak.
“Easy there, killer.” Arin grinned, catching her under her arms. “I haven’t got you strapped in yet. Plummeting uncontrolled in this contraption is not a good idea. There’s time enough for hyper speed.”
She gulped. “Hyper speed?”
“Yes, love,” he answered. “We need the jolt to pierce the wormhole at just the right velocity. Mrs. Wilder has travelled so often the membrane is pretty elastic, but we’re double the weight and double the transport tonight.”
The last clip engaged with an audible click and Arin ran his fingers over her cheek. “I’m sorry if I scared you yesterday,” he paused, offering a sheepish smile, “and annoyed you tonight. Not the best way for an alpha to impress a girl, but I promise, it wasn’t my intention.”
“Unless your intention is to be a live ping pong ball yourself, you’d better get with the program and strap in.” Xavier raised an eyebrow, as the countdown continued.
“Six.”
“Five.”
“Four.”
Arin slipped in beside Valerie and pulled his harness over his head, clipping in as well.
“Three.”
“Two.”
“One.”
“Descent commencing.”
The elevator dropped like its cables were cut, plunging at top speed and Valerie’s eyes bugged.
The interior lights flickered as they fell and she screamed. “Holy shit! I want off this fucking ride!”
Valerie squeezed her eyes closed. The sheer velocity pulled with such force, she choked against the sensation of her heart exploding. Teeth clenched, her fingers balled tight at her stomach
“Take my hand,” Arin yelled over the din, but she shook her head. He reached out, prying her fingers loose. “Hold my hand. We’ll be at the launch site soon!”
Her eyes flew open. “You mean this isn’t it?”
“No, love,” Xavier chuckled, “but this is the worst part.”
The elevator slowed, and to Valerie’s surprise it stopped on a dime. Not a single bump. The doors slid open and Gerri was there on the opposite side.
“Hey, look at that. You survived!” She grinned. “One down. One to go.” At the look on Valerie’s face, she burst out laughing. “Oh, Val! You’re as green as a Gemini’s eyes.”
They followed her down a long passageway ending with a narrow egress marked with the same symbol as her laptop. Gerri leaned in for another facial recognition map, and the entry snicked open.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Xavier asked with a wink.
“Trust me, boys. That’s nothing,” Gerri replied. “It’s been a while since you jumped, so I suggest the three of you pay attention to what I have to tell. The floor is our portal. Right now it’s solid, but the closer we get to the jump point, the more the membrane will thin. You have to jump when I tell you or you’ll miss our window. The wormhole is only thin enough to accommodate travelers for a short time.”
She eyed both Geminis. “I trust you two not to scare the hell out of Valerie. I’m leaving her in your care, so don’t fuck it up. No cannonballs, no throwing her over your shoulder and yelling ‘Geronimo!’ If she needs comfort, give it to her. If she needs someone to hold her and jump, do it. Understood?”
“Wait, are we jumping into water or something?” Valerie asked.
Looking at Valerie, she shook her head. “No. Think Stargate, except this isn’t a random portal and we’re not warriors.”
Xavier cleared his throat with a chuckle. “Speak for yourself, Mrs. Wilder.”
Gerri ignored him. “Just remember, Valerie. Open mind.”
“I’m a little freaked out, but still, this is cool.” Val giggled a little.
Arin laughed. “Says the woman who screamed to get off this ride the whole way down to the transport bay.”
“Hey, I scream on roller coasters, too, but my arms are always in the air, so shut up.”
Xavier grinne
d. “She’s a tough cookie, bro. Score…Valerie, one…tall, dark and scary, zip.”
“What’s this?” Gerri looked from one to the other.
Xavier gave his friend a chin pop. “Valerie’s nickname for Arin. He went all dragon-warrior at the townhouse. We’ve settled it since, but Valerie wasn’t prepared for his more growly side.”
“So I heard,” Gerri replied with knowing smirk.
Valerie shot both guys a dirty look. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Wilder. I may have a pussy, but that doesn’t mean I am one. If they can do this, then so can I.”
Gerri smiled. “Good girl.”
She beckoned for them to follow her again, but this time it was through the narrow egress to an even smaller pod room.
“I have to scoot because my pod is on the opposite end.” She hooked her thumb toward the exit “I wanted to make sure you were settled, first.” She looked at Valerie and raised an eyebrow. “You okay, dear?”
Valerie nodded, but her mouth went dry. “I get a little claustrophobic sometimes, but I can deal.”
Xavier circled her shoulders the way he did before the drop. “You got us, love. Nothing’s going to happen to you.”
“Damn straight. This is nothing, babe. Think slip and slide, only better.” Arin nodded with a wink. “Personally, I can’t wait to see the Ice Mountains again.” He lifted the backpack he wouldn’t let Steven stow and gave it a possessive pat. “Gemini medallions are ready to roll, and so am I.”
“Medallions?” Valerie questioned.
Xavier nodded. “They open a crystal chamber sacred to the Gemini. It’s at the heart of the Ice Mountains.”
“I’m not a big fan of the cold, but anything that’s called Ice Mountains sounds wonderful,” Valerie replied. “Caving is an adventure I’ve always wanted to try. Maybe we can check it out together.”
“Maybe,” Xavier eyed her. “It’s a place only the alpha and omega can enter with their mate.”
Valerie swallowed at the intensity of the dragon shifter’s stare, but Gerri clapped her hands and they all turned.
“Arin’s right. None of us will be going anywhere or doing anything if we don’t get a move on.” She checked her watch.
“Valerie,” she signaled, pointing toward the floor. “The bottom’s surface is going to change. It’s going to look fluid at one point, but like I said, it is not water. It’s an illusion that happens as the membrane thins. Don’t be alarmed.”
Gerri patted her arm. “I’ll control the jump timing from my end. Listen for the go/no go. Steven will be monitoring us from base.” She nodded once and then left for her own launch pod.
“Ready, beautiful?” Xavier asked.
Valerie nodded, taking a quick breath. “I don’t know if it’s fear or insanity or my claustrophobia manifesting in head-to-toe hives, but I’m tingly all over.”
“It’s me,” Arin shrugged. “I can’t help it. It’s a curse.” A gorgeous, teasing smile broke across his face. “I have that effect on women. They go all tingly with hives anytime I’m near.”
Valerie had to laugh, meeting his smile with one of her own. “You know, you’re so much easier to like when you’re charming and funny. Think it might last this time?”
Arin moved like lightning in the small enclosure, his lips a breath away from hers as if moving in for a kiss. “If you want something of mine that lasts, just ask. I can certainly accommodate you, love.”
Valerie swallowed, taking a step back only to find the smooth, metallic wall.
“Okay kiddies,” Gerri’s voice funneled through a pod speaker. “It’s time to rock and roll. Places, please.”
Chapter Seven
They stood shoulder to shoulder in the narrow pod. The oval wasn’t very big to begin with, but sharing it with two oversized dragons made it tight quarters indeed.
The lights dimmed and a dull hum like faulty fluorescent lighting filled the chamber. A flicker of blue light at the center of the pod caught their attention, and a holograph of a silver egg manifested at the center of the space.
Gerri’s voice murmured over the intercom in a language Valerie had never heard. The egg shimmered, its translucent surface a beautiful, glowing blue.
The holographic oval hung suspended in the air between them, its incandescence flooding the floor in opaque blue.
“Uhm, maybe we should holds hands,” Valerie said, her voice cracking. “You know. Just to be safe.”
A corner of Xavier’s mouth curled, but he nodded. “Sure, honey. Just to be safe.”
“Okay, people, this goes out to Valerie Ross!” Seconds later the 80s classic “Jump” by Van Halen played over the inter-pod intercom.
Valerie grinned, and some of her anxiety faded with the familiar beat. “Gerri Wilder, you rock!”
“Heads up, everyone. Listen for my go/no go,” Gerri said. “We’re close.”
The opaque blue shimmered and the illusion spread across the floor, lightening in shades of seafoam and turquoise. The glistening tones rippled in soft waves.
“You sure this isn’t water?” Valerie asked. “I know I said I wanted to go caving, but not like this.”
“It’s not water, Valerie. It’s the entrance to a wormhole. A portal for moving between dimensions. Between galaxies,” Xavier assured.
The shimmering stilled until the illusion of water faded. All that remained was a clear chasm and on the opposite side was the same odd landscape she saw when she spoke with Camille.
“Okay, people.” Gerri’s voice crackled. “Go! JUMP!”
Valerie sucked in a breath, squelching the urge to plug her nose. She squeezed Arin and Xavier’s hands, but fear gripped her last minute and she balked.
“I can’t do this.” She looked from one to the other. “I can’t. What was I thinking?”
Arin grabbed both her shoulders. “Look at me, love. Keep your eyes on me.”
She nodded. “Do it. Drill that wormhole.”
“Ooh, baby!” He grinned and slipped his arms around her waist. Xavier did the same, locking her between them. “Making it dirty! I love it.”
She chuckled. “That’s all you, big guy. Tall, dark and dirty!”
She tucked her head into the hollow at Arin’s throat, squeezing her eyes closed as they jumped. Gravity kicked in and the temperature plummeted as a dense force pulled them into the mouth of the wormhole. The transport seemed to disappear, simply vanishing around them.
There was no sound, only the dim sensation of being held suspended. “This isn’t as bad as I thought,” she said, snuggling in deeper between them.
“Hold that thought, love,” Xavier whispered. “You’re gonna need it.”
That vague feeling of hanging weightless shifted as the air thickened. It whooshed suddenly, swirling in mini-cyclones, hurtling them faster and faster.
“Slip and slide. Remember?”
“Not funny, Arin,” she ground out.
The air thickened more and more until the pressure made it hard to breath. Panic raced through her veins, suffocating her even more.
“Heavy. Crushing,” Valerie choked out.
Arin tightened his grip as they hurtled faster and faster. “That’s my huge dick, love. I can’t help it. Not with you all up on me like this.”
“Ha! Liar. It’s my giant balls. The pressure makes them even bigger and you can’t stand that mine are better.”
Valerie burst out laughing and the crushing pressure eased almost immediately despite the intense speed.
“How much longer?” she asked, feeling a little sick.
Before either could answer, the wormhole shook, rattling their bones as they hurtled through the last of it. They slowed, and the air thinned gradually, as did her feeling of vertigo.
When the atmosphere stabilized, the whirlpools and eddies disappeared until they were perfectly still and the ground solidified beneath their feet.
Valerie lifted her head as the transport materialized around them again. She blinked, dragging in a quick breath as she to
ok inventory of her body.
“That was one crazy ass ride!” Arin said, loosening his grip around her waist, but not letting go.
Xavier chuckled, and the feeling against her back made her want to relax into his chest.
“You in one piece?” he asked.
She nodded, craning around to look at him. “I think so. You?”
“Oh, love. There are parts of me that have never been better.” He chuckled again, flattening his palms against her belly and pulling her back against the hard bar of his erection.
She laughed. “Oh my God. And I thought you were trying to stop me from panicking.”
“We were,” Arin replied. “Think of it as a fringe benefit.”
She nodded, suddenly aware of how small she was compared to them. “Uhm, you can let me go now. Gerri’s probably going to open the doors any second.”
“Actually, no.” Gerri’s voice chimed in over the intercom. “Apparently, the gate apparatus damaged the transport capsule upon arrival. Unfortunately, you three are going to be stuck for a little while.”
Valerie blinked, her chest suddenly tight. “How long is a little while?”
“Just breathe, dear. You’re not alone. There’s plenty of oxygen piped in, so there’s nothing to worry about. Think of it as forced together time. Use it wisely.”
An audible click told them she had turned the intercom off. Arin and Xavier both took a step back.
“It’s okay, Valerie. Really.” Arin peeled his backpack from his shoulders. “I packed provisions.”
He put the pack on the floor and knelt to unzip the top. Reaching in, he pulled out handfuls of individual-sized Nutty Buddies, Oreos, chocolate chip cookies, potato chips, Fritos and six bottle of water.
“All my favs,” he said with a grin.
Xavier slipped off his jacket and spread it on the floor, and nodding, Arin did the same. “What’s better than a junk food picnic while stuck in an elevator?” Xavier teased.
She gave them a close-lipped smile and unzipped her sweat jacket, adding it to their makeshift picnic blanket.
“Well, at least it’s not stifling in here,” she said, adjusting the straps to her camisole.
Xavier licked his lips as his eyes moved from her face to the soft swell of her breasts inside her tiny shirt. “You’re beautiful, Valerie,” he murmured.
Paranormal Dating Agency: Taming Their Talons (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5
