by Viola Grace
She frowned, and one of the Nool who was watching her scans called out a warning. She punched out, and Argo staggered backward, clutching his jaw.
Iktabi and Isabella were staring in shock.
Argo looked to them and said, “Combat training first and then the gestation centre. I want her calmed down before she is around all those canisters.”
Niiva’s fury faded and she cracked a smile. “It might not be a bad idea.”
Argo exhaled. “Okay. So, you have a flash temper. Good to know.”
The Nool with the canisters came back into the room, and he looked around cautiously. “What happened?”
Niiva smiled. “I was celebrating being pregnant. If you canister my little ones, I look forward to doing the same again at a later date.”
Argo looked wary, and she smirked. “Serves you right.”
Isabella chuckled.
Niiva looked at her. “Have you had this done?”
“Yes, my little girl is about this big now.” Isabella held her hands about two inches apart. “My son is smaller than my fingernail.”
Iktabi put his arms around his mate, and Isabella stroked his arm.
The Nool prepared a sterile tray and the canisters at her side. Niiva babbled a little. “Are yours the oldest?”
Isabella shook her head. “No, Lianne and Sorrok’s triplets are the oldest. Two boys and a girl, but the one that will be first decanted belong to Bree and Arix. She’s another one with unusual characteristics.”
Argo came over and took her hand. She held onto it with a lot of focus.
There was a slight twinge as the extraction procedure began, and in six minutes, it was over.
The canisters began to glow the moment that the tissue struck them. Signs of life or, at least, an energetic chemical reaction.
She exhaled slowly, and a cellular regenerator was pressed to her abdomen. “Is that it?”
The Nool nodded. “That is it. You likely won’t cycle again for two months, but you will need to come in for scans every two weeks.”
She frowned. “Why?”
Isabella cleared her throat. “The Rrassic part of the equation grow very quickly and are draining to maintain. This isn’t a human pregnancy. The best place for the little ones and for us is to have them in the canisters, growing up to be big and healthy.”
“How dangerous could it be?”
“Bree nearly died. Her system was being drained of every mineral and fat needed to build a body. She had an accelerated pregnancy, but it was a very good example of how bad things could go if not properly taken care of. We aren’t human, our babies aren’t human. Once you get your head around that, it is the best solution.”
Niiva sighed and looked at the solution in the canisters. She couldn’t even see the specks that were hers and Argo’s.
“I can go visit them?”
“As often as your peacekeeper training allows,” Argo whispered in her ear.
She nodded. “That starts tomorrow?”
“It does. They will come for you in the morning.” Argo smiled.
Iktabi muttered something in High Rrassic. “Right. Argo, you are assigned to her as her mate and her trainer. Make sure that she doesn’t hurt anyone too badly.”
Isabella winked and left the room; Iktabi followed. The Nool took the hint, and as the overseer of Imrahl left the room, they gathered their things up and evacuated.
The Saya-Rrassic was the last one to leave. He paused and turned to them. “You are very well suited to each other in every way. Remember that when you drive each other crazy.”
He bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him with a definite click.
Argo was standing with his arms around her, and she didn’t remember when she had gone into his embrace. He exhaled. “This is not the way I thought my day was going to go.”
She smiled slightly. “Regrets?”
“A few, but I will get over it.”
She leaned back and rubbed her head against his collarbone. “I think I need a bath and a nap. I seem to recall that there is a rather large bathroom off the bedroom.”
He squeezed her. “Lead the way.”
Five minutes later the bath that seemed large enough for four was taken up with Niiva and Argo. She breathed in deeply, supported by his arms around her. “This was not how I thought my day was going to go either.”
He slowly ran his hand down her thigh and back up again. “Regrets?”
She moved and sat across his lap, looking into his eyes. “A few, but I will get over it.”
He leaned in to kiss her, and she met him halfway. Acrobatics could wait for another day. Tonight, she just wanted to relax. It had been quite the eventful afternoon.
Chapter Six
After a night in Argo’s arms, they got up, had breakfast, and then went to the gym that had been set aside for training the human peacekeepers. So far, she was the second.
Lianne and Sorrok met them in the front hall, and when Niiva had collected her workout gear, they headed for the change room.
“It is so nice to see another woman in the peacekeepers. Are you excited to be training?”
Niiva was standing naked with the breast band in her hands trying to figure it out. “Um, I was sort of assigned this position. Don’t worry. I can do the job.”
Lianne took the band from her and turned it around. “When you have it settled, I will help you with the straps. That is the hardest part.”
Niiva got the breast band settled and put on the wide-legged trousers that tied snugly around her waist.
Lianne held the straps in one hand. “May I?”
Niiva nodded. “Please.”
Lianne clipped one side of the band and wrapped the strap to the opposite side on Niiva’s back. Then, she ran another set of straps beneath the band to hold it against her ribs.
“How is that?”
Niiva looked at herself in the mirror, and she blinked. “It is really comfortable. Thanks.”
She jumped up and down, and her breasts moved but didn’t jolt or jiggle. “Very nice. I might get this to wear under my clothing.”
Lianne grinned. “I have to admit, I am impressed that it provides that much containment. You have a lot of curves and even more muscle.”
Niiva smiled. “I work physically for a living.”
“That would do it.”
“What is your occupation?”
Lianne wrinkled her nose. “I drive lifts at the port.”
“Wow. That is a lot of fine-motor control.”
“Thank you. Yes, it is.” Lianne chuckled.
They left the change room and walked down the hall to the area where the arena was. Argo had briefed her on the way in. All the equipment that they needed to assess her was for Hunter use. That meant going into the open space where the Rrassic were and showing them what she could do.
“They are going to be watching, but don’t worry. Argo will keep them in check.”
“He won’t have to. If I get my blood up, I can stop any of them that get grabby.”
Lianne bit her lip. “Are you sure? The Rrassic are pretty strong.”
The door opened in front of them, and they walked into the arena. “So am I.”
Argo was standing wearing the same style of trousers that she was and nothing else. It was just the thing she needed to get her blood flowing.
He grinned and came toward her, extending his hand to her. “This way, Niiva. Your audience awaits.”
He wasn’t kidding. There were at least thirty Hunters at the edge of the arena, some seated, some standing, but all watching.
Niiva shrugged. She would do her job. That was why she was here.
Argo smiled. “Are you ready for this?”
“Let’s start and see how far I get before I try and find a way out of these clothes.” Her smile was wry, and his eyes flared in surprise.
“Right. Calibration for the combat simulator is first up.”
Argo gestured to the machine that she
was already slightly familiar with. Niiva settled her feet in the marked positions, and Argo lowered the bar onto her shoulders to the amused murmurs of her audience. This machine was going to determine the pushing strength in her legs. The readout was in front of her.
She lowered into a high crouch with the bar across her shoulders when Argo said, “Go!”
She pushed upward. It was too easy. “More.”
She went down again, and the bar settled heavily against her.
“Go!”
She pushed up, and it was more difficult but not at her limit.
She looked to Argo and smiled. “A little bit more.”
“I will never turn you down asking for more.” He set the equipment, and when she was straining to stand up, he called, “Go!”
She pushed up and then dropped to the ground. The bar stopped a foot above her. She looked at the readout and grinned. They must have done something to her genes because lifting five hundred pounds should not have been possible.
Argo helped her to her feet, and he smiled. “Next, punching.”
Lianne and Sorrok were engaged in some light warmups, but occasionally, they glanced her way as she was tested for punching, pulling, pushing, and kicking.
She leaned against Argo, drinking her water and watching the computer analyze her physical specs. “So, no living contact, huh?”
“Not until you learn to pull your punches, pet.” He rubbed the back of her neck.
“Right, so simulations?”
“And form practice. You will be doing a lot of practice with form for combat poses.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Okay. When do I start?”
“Now if you are not too tired.”
Niiva put her water jug next to the dispenser. “I am ready if you are.”
He extended his hand and led her to the mat where the other two were sparring. He showed her the first position and urged her to follow him.
After forty-five minutes of moving slowly and deliberately, she was shaking, covered in sweat, and still not sure she was doing it right.
Argo looked at her and smiled. “We are going to call it a day.”
She bent over with her hands on her knees. “Good call.”
All of her major muscle groups were trembling. The fine-motor control needed for martial art was new to her.
Her mate wrapped his arm around her waist and helped her back to the gender barrier that kept him out of the ladies’ changing area. “I will be waiting for you in the front entryway.”
She grunted. “I may be some time.”
He grinned at her. “Take your time. There are hot showers, and they may help.”
She made a face at him, and then, she straightened herself to walk into the change room. The top she was wearing was surprisingly easy to get off. She simply unsnapped the straps and pushed the tube down and off her body. It snagged on the trousers, so she untied them and pushed them away as well. Getting naked took a minute and a half, and when she had the bundle of clothing under her arm, she walked to the showers and set the temperature up as high as it would go.
Her skin was hot pink when she finally stepped out of the stall, but she felt like she was in control of her limbs again.
Her clothing was gone. Darn. She wanted to keep that top.
She returned to her locker and used her wristband to open it. Her clothing was just as she had left it. She pulled her underwear and then her clothing on, sliding her feet into her low shoes.
Her limbs were humming, and she had no idea when Lianne and Sorrok had left, but she didn’t remember seeing them on the way out. She wished she could have observed their workout. It might have helped her with her positioning.
With a groan, she exited the change room, and true to his word, Argo was waiting for her.
He offered her his arm, and she took it. “You did well today, Niiva.”
“Thanks. I probably shouldn’t have shown off during the weightlifting.”
“We will go and get something to eat, and I can tell you what I observed.”
“Oh. Good. Make sure I am fed before you get too critical.”
She grinned at him, and he gave her a wary smile. Keeping him on his toes was nice. From what the ladies used to talk about at the harvest centre, the Regiz were obsessed with curves and beauty. Argo had just hooked himself to a bit of a beast. She wondered how long it would be before he ran.
She felt her expression flicker as she thought about all the boyfriends that her energy and her libido had sent running. Having a girlfriend with a huge sexual appetite seemed like a man’s dream, but when she could also pull a physical advantage, it was rather frightening. She wore them out, and they left.
They walked to the restaurant that was full of Rrassic. She paused. “Are you sure you want me in here?”
“Your biology is rather sedate today. I will risk it.” He winked.
He held the door open for her, and she stepped inside. The entire restaurant went silent. Argo put his arm around her waist, and the server came over, bowing and escorting them to a booth.
Niiva groaned as her buttocks protested. “Okay, I definitely overdid it this morning.”
He laughed, and when the server came up to them, he placed his order in High Rrassic. The Nool smiled, inclined his head, and headed off.
“What did you order?” She tried to get comfortable, but it was like her clothing was abrading her.
“Something to help you with muscle growth, and it has an analgesic effect on your species. That tuber that you were harvesting, it is the base of most of our meals, and it is a very useful item.”
“Well, that explains why half of Imrahl’s farms contain those tubers.”
He smiled, and tea arrived. It was always tea on Imrahl. She had heard that there was coffee to be had in some of the human-run shops, but she had never been to one that served it. It was too bad. She missed coffee.
Argo poured the tea in tall tumblers and handed hers over. “Well, I have to say that I am extremely impressed with your workout today.”
She blew on the tea. “Thank you. I know it was a disaster.”
“It was not a disaster. Not everyone has the finesse for the moves of our combat practice. You do.”
The last two words caught her by surprise. “I do? I fell down a lot.”
“But you stayed up more and kept your strength in all your moves. That is key. If you do the moves without the power, it is just dancing.” He smiled again.
She felt better. “Well, power is the one thing I can bring.”
He nodded and reached out to squeeze her hand. “So I saw.”
She nodded. “Does that bother you?” The words rushed out before she could stop them.
“Bother me?”
“Yes. With humans, it is common that the men are not precisely enamoured with physically intimidating women.”
Argo blinked, and a slow smile crept over his lips. “You think I am intimidated?”
She sighed and sat back. “I don’t know what to think, so I am drawing on my memory. Men used to be very enthusiastic at the beginning, but as the demands on them continued, they found other partners.”
“You mean sex.”
She felt her cheeks pink. “Yes.”
“Your demanding nature is part of you. So far, you have indicated your interest and allowed me to choose the form that interest would take. It was a delightful dance, and I look forward to the music when it comes.”
Niiva stared at him, looking for any nuance of deception in his features. There was nothing but some light amusement and a hint of memories of the day before.
She was still blushing when the food arrived, and while she felt like she was sitting at the kids’ table, she reached out and took the eating prongs from the too-tall table.
Suddenly, the food that she had helped bring to the city took on a new nature as she began to eat. It was now a tool that was going to help her do her job, and if she were lucky, she would get to see the small specks that she an
d Argo had created so carefully the day before.
The gestation centre was the next thing on her list to make sure that the entire procedure hadn’t just been a weird dream.
Chapter Seven
In the secure vehicle on the way to the gestation centre, Argo murmured to Niiva, “The only other human who knows is Isabella. Remember that.”
She nodded and swallowed. “So, the reason for the accelerated development has to do with us as well as you.”
“Correct.”
“So, what happens when the children are born?”
“We raise them, or we hand them over to a creche. It is up to you.”
A sense of panic filled her. “I never thought of being a mother.”
“Do not worry. It has come on you suddenly, and no one will judge you for your lack of maternal feelings right now.”
“Did you have a mother?”
He blinked, and their driver glanced back toward them. “No. I was raised in a creche, educated as a Nool, was given a position at a variety of establishments, and completed my evolution into a Regiz six years ago.”
She blinked. “I never think of the Nool as becoming something else.”
“We all started that way. There are only three branches of the Rrassic that do not evolve from the Nool form. None of them are here. They are all high status.”
She nodded. “So, do they ever occur in the population at large?”
“Only when the Sthik lay eggs. They are a one-in-five-thousand appearance.”
“How many Rrassic is Saya?”
“One in three thousand. They are unexpected when they evolve, but they are welcome if they can remain sane.”
“Is that a concern?”
“One in five is overwhelmed by the minds around them, but there is no one better for watching the overall health of a colony if they manage to make it through their training.”
Niiva sighed. “That sucks.”
“It does indeed. Ah, here we are.”
The vehicle paused at three checkpoints, and they had to produce their identification at each one.
The gestation centre looked like an average medical centre if you didn’t notice all the protection that surrounded it.
