Kierce
Page 20
Remembering the afternoon when he’d come upon the herd of antelope and had the desire to be the tiger, he clenched his jaw and, although angry at being forced into a corner, he nodded. Elianna only wants what’s best for me, for us as mates. Deep in his heart he knew she was on his side and he admired the fact she was unafraid to push him in his own best interest. Leaving the makeshift bed, he stepped into the clear space at the front of the hollow and reached deep inside himself for the tiger.
The transformation progressed faster than before, like utilizing a well-learned skill. He wasn’t conscious of the physical changes so much as he reveled in the way his senses sharpened and the world took on new aspects. He held tight to the mind of the man, although the tiger’s savage essence tugged at him, seductively urging him to sink deeper into instinct and run off to explore the night. Firmly, he resisted the siren call, maintaining his grip on the higher thought processes and who he was. Why he was in the tiger form.
To please Elianna.
She crawled off the bed and came to him, framing his head with her hands tangled deep in his fur and gazing deep into his eyes. Without thinking about it, he flicked his tongue in an idle caress and heard the sandpapery surface rasp across her soft skin. She exclaimed in surprise but not pain and stayed where she was.
“I knew you could do it. See how easy that was?” The happiness in her voice was a soothing balm to his ears. She kissed his forehead and scratched behind his ears the way he’d enjoyed in the cell, which seemed like a long time ago.
Defiantly, he changed forms the instant she moved away from him. Staggering, he made his way to the bed and lay on his stomach, breathing hard.
Elianna sat astride his body and massaged his back and shoulders, which were tight and knotted from stress. Having her naked body in direct contact with his was definitely arousing. Her soft curls tickled him and he murmured appreciatively, trying to roll over.
“Not yet.” She resisted his efforts at foreplay and he allowed her to prevail. “How was it to be the tiger?”
He considered as she worked on a particularly challenging knot below his left shoulder blade. Settling for a neutral answer, he said, “Not distasteful.”
Elianna was silent for a minute, kneading the difficult spot with vigor. “Why did you change so fast? Was there a problem?”
“I don’t need to stay in the feline form.” Listening to himself, he cringed a bit inside. He sounded like a sulky cub.
She moved from her perch atop his body and sat cross-legged on the bed next to him, drawing the blanket over her lap but leaving her breasts bare for his appreciative viewing. She was all business though, as indicated by her narrowed eyes and no nonsense tone. “What’s the actual issue here? I suspect there’s a root cause I’m not understanding.”
The phrase was new to him. Tech jargon, or so he assumed with a flash of annoyance at her attempt to reduce his divided nature to mechanical simplicity of the systems she normally worked on. “Root cause?”
“It’s a failure analysis term, means there’s one specific initiating cause for everything which happened later. To solve a process or a system problem, I dig through all the evidence, ask many questions and eventually find what needs to be dealt with or fixed. I annoy people a lot in the process so don’t bother pretending you’re not. I can read the subtle signs.” She flashed a grin. “It’s the kind of analysis I’ve been doing on the damn ship. Chimmer piss poor maintenance is the answer there, other than problems caused during the fight to take over the ship. I don’t have the wherewithal to find out why the aliens are so lazy about maintaining their ships, nor do I care.” She poked him in the side. “You, I care about, enough to upset you in my quest for the truth. We can’t fix the situation until I know the bottom line issue of why you don’t want to accept the amazing abilities the Khagrish gave you.”
As he remained silent, Elianna reached for his hand. Her voice was soft and tender. “If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t push you on this. And I don’t want you to change into the tiger only because it makes me happy. I want you to figure out ways to use the feline gifts, to integrate the tiger into your own ability.”
“The Khagrish gave it to me all right.” He snorted, squeezed her fingers and released them. Sitting up seemed appropriate if he and Elianna were going to have a serious, uncomfortable discussion. Nervously, he ran both hands through his hair and reached for his pants, getting to his feet. Yanking the trousers to his waist, he paced back and forth in front of the cozy bed space, realizing with chagrin he was doing exactly what the tiger would have done.
She patted the mattress beside her invitingly, and he moved to sit before she changed her mind. Staring straight ahead, he said, “The Khagrish created us from bits and pieces of DNA, including segments from the animals.”
“And from the original Badari warriors.”
He nodded. “Yes, but to the Khagrish we’re animals, lower creatures, in no way equal to them, or humans. Not to any higher sentient really. They grind their hateful message into our ears constantly, from the moment we each first become aware in the lab.”
“You’re not mere animals,” she said, her voice sharp. She grabbed his hand. “You’re every bit as sentient as me, or as they are. More, in fact, because you Badari try so hard to protect others.”
“We believe they’re actually that egotistical.” He grinned fleetingly. “The Khagrish don’t have a high opinion of humans either, you know.”
“I saw their attitude in the lab.” Visibly reviewing her memories of the time there, she shuddered.
“But we also feel they have to believe their own lies in order to be able to mistreat us and use us as experimental animals in their horrendous protocols. One of the most fiercely held beliefs among the Badari is of our own worth, our personhood, I guess you’d call it. A fundamental faith about the Great Mother bestowing souls on each of us despite our origin in a lab.” Now he swallowed hard. “Don’t you see? Innimarrg literally made me the animal he claims us to be. And I cannot go along with what he did.”
Blinking, she considered his declaration, then asked hesitantly, “You think if you use the tiger form you’re admitting on some level that the Khagrish are right to think Badari are animals?”
Hearing her give voice to his innermost fear, he took a deep breath. “Don’t you see it the connection?”
“No, I do not. You’re Kierce, the man I love. Occasionally you’re a tiger. A big, deadly, gorgeous cat. But you’re still you.” She tapped his chest over his heart. “Innimarrg could never touch your soul. His damn drugs and tortures may have driven you to wrap yourself more tightly in the predator attributes temporarily but, consider this, the tiger comes when you summon it, not the other way around.”
Struck by her insight, he scrubbed a hand over his face.
“And Aydarr and his enforcers accepted you with no question, no hesitation,” she said. “All of you have the talons and fangs you can call on in a heartbeat. You simply have more of that…magic, let’s call it, since I’ll probably never understand the mechanism.” Clearly searching for the right words to help, she added, “If you accept the tiger form and use it to your advantage, you haven’t given the Khagrish a victory. You’ll have defeated them by using the abilities against them.”
The idea of his employing the tiger form in ways totally opposite to what the Khagrish intended was appealing. He wouldn’t be giving in to what Innimarrg had tried to do—he’d seize the mutation the same way he’d grab a pulse rifle and kill any Khagrish in the vicinity. He felt a lightening of his burden, but there were other concerns. Now he exposed his next most agonizing fear. “What if this mutation is stable enough to be passed to our cubs?”
Elianna’s eyes widened for an instant and his heart sank, but then she said, “You’ll teach them how to control the transformation and how to be good tigers and good men or women.” She hugged him hard. “I think you’ve made huge strides with your anxiety over the flashbacks since we came to the island. I t
Now she smiled, and he bore her to the soft mattress, lying on top of her, taking his weight on his elbows, and kissed her with fervor. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me in my entire life. I wouldn’t be alive if not for you and your love. Or I’d be an insane tiger in a cage in the valley.”
His weight against her body was comforting, his rising cock prodded her belly with promise for more pleasure soon to come. Elianna ran her hand over his back and down to his taut butt and took a deep breath. “I’d like to claim you as my mate tonight—would that be all right? Despite what you said earlier, I know you wanted to wait until you were sure about the flashbacks and the tiger, but the more I think about it, the more I believe we need to be a team, right down to the mate bond.” He opened his lips to answer, and she laid a finger across them to forestall whatever he was going to say. “Life here is so uncertain and chancy yet we found each other, whether because of your goddess or fate or dumb luck, and I don’t want to waste any more time. I want the bond, the link between our hearts.” Her pulse pounded because she was putting herself out there and, if he rejected her proposal, she wasn’t sure what she’d do.
Kierce’s eyes gleamed in the dark. “I’d be honored to claim you here and now, if you’re sure.”
“Hey, we were already talking about babies,” she said with a soft laugh. “I think it’s time to formalize this arrangement.” Giving him a hug, she added, “I’ve never been in love before. It’s you or no one for me, there couldn’t be anyone else, not after being with you. Nothing’s going to change how I feel.”
“I’ve been in love with you since the first night I transformed to the man in the cell.” His voice was firm.
“Well then.” Elianna wriggled a bit, allowing his arousal to push against her already wet channel. With a quick thrust of his hips, he slid in the first few inches, the ridges on his manhood stretching and massaging her. She blinked, trying to keep her focus while the movements of his body fanned the sensuous flames rampaging her nervous system higher and higher. “What’s involved in claiming a mate?”
“We’ll figure it out.” He lowered his head to kiss her again, his tongue licking her lips in a delicious caress causing her to open to him with a moan. He caressed her breast with one hand, teasing the tightly budded nipple then switched his attention to her clit, massaging as he moved his body with hers.
Elianna nipped at his soft ear lobe, holding him as tightly as she could. His rhythm sped up and she felt the climax building in herself as she answered the passion Kierce expressed. When he drove deep in a final, massive burst of energy, she gave herself to the waves of sensation spreading through her body and, moved by the intense passion, clamped down on his shoulder with her teeth. Even as she wondered what had gotten into her, a bit giddy with the wild abandon of the moment, she tasted the slightly metallic flavor of his blood on her tongue, and Kierce purred against her. “Mine,” she said, licking her lips and resisting his attempts to withdraw. “All mine.”
Whispering into her ear, he said, “And proud to be so claimed. My turn now.”
She realized either his climax hadn’t been as complete as hers or else he was already rising to the next occasion with a fully erect shaft. He pulled away from her despite her protest and clinging arms and moved her onto her stomach. Unafraid, because this was the man she loved and deeply desired, she let him guide her into the position he seemed to want. Elianna took in deep breaths of the fragrant flowers he’d decorated their love nest with, enjoying the way the perfume notes combined with the smell of man and sex. This was going to be engraved in her memories until the day she died. No ceremony could ever bind her more closely to Kierce than this.
He raised her hips slightly and sheathed himself in her softness again, holding onto her as he pumped in and out, bringing her to the edge of orgasm as if they hadn’t already pleasured each other earlier. “Not yet,” he said with effort. “Wait for me. I’ll make it so good for both of us.”
Elianna concentrated on resisting the intense sensations coursing through her in response to his lovemaking, until she knew he was going over the edge then she too released her control. As they locked against each other, seeking every last iota of the incredible pleasure, he grazed the tender spot where her neck connected to her shoulders with his fangs. The slight electric tingle of the bite pushed her into a second climax even stronger than the first.
“My mate,” he said, holding her close and sheltered.
Limp from the overload of pleasure and the thrill of claiming and being claimed, she collapsed on the bed. Tenderly, Kierce covered her with the blankets and drew her close. “No one can ever put us asunder now.”
“It was incredible, an out of body experience,” she whispered.
“The same for me. Sleep now, if you’d like. I’ll be on guard.” He stroked her hair in a soothing gesture.
“Will Camron be worried? I’d hate for him to send out a search party.” She had a hard time keeping her eyes open. Blissful exhaustion had taken over every muscle in her body.
“He knows we’re together, and I’d die before allowing any harm come to you. I can message him later if you’re truly concerned.”
Elianna chuckled. “It’s going to be a little embarrassing walking into the hut in the morning.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
When he entered the living quarters at breakfast time with his new mate, however, nothing was said by anyone. Lorrali and Sam greeted Elianna with an update on the work they’d been doing, she told them her solution to the problem which had been plaguing her the day before, and the three of them hastened off to the ship right after breakfast.
Camron sent a discreet message to Kierce as he escorted the trio, trying not to roll his eyes at their excited tech talk, most of which was gibberish to him. Congratulations on your mate bond. You’re blessed to have the goddess send you a mate. Apologies we have no separate accommodations for mates.
I understand, and we won’t be here that much longer. Elianna is confident she can finish the upgrade on schedule. As long as we can disappear on our own in the evenings, we’ll manage.
Monumental as being mated was to him, he didn’t expect the world to realign itself to his convenience. Badari were eminently practical. He had ideas about how to improve the secret hideaway he’d created and would tackle the tasks on his off duty time, but the team probably only had another week or so on the island.
The comms burst from the valley last night indicated Walt and Gabe would be coming today or tomorrow to do systems testing with Elianna. Camron’s tone was matter of fact. They might stay overnight.
Which will be crowded. Kierce was in too much of a good mood to be concerned with the man he’d formerly regarded as a rival. Now he and Elianna had claimed each other, nothing could ever come between them. The Badari bond was heart to heart and unbreakable according to oral tradition. The connection was rooted deep in his heart and soul now, impossible to sever.
“Walt and Gabe are coming either today or tomorrow,” he said out loud for his mate’s benefit.
“I need them to try out a few enhancements I’ve made,” Elianna said.
He left Elianna at the foot of the Chimmer ship’s ramp, exchanging kisses and a promise to bring lunch for the three later. Kierce jogged off to do his patrol of the island’s perimeter, making sure to be prompt with the noon meal when he was done.
Lorrali and Sam were outside, taking a break when he arrived. “Elianna’s in the control chamber right now,” Lorrali said. “You may have to drag her outside to get her to take a break. We’ve had a couple of pieces of good luck today and made huge progress.” Lorrali winked at him. “Almost as if she found new energy or fresh inspiration or something last night when you two were gone.”
“Or something,” he said, not bothering to hide his good mood.
“Congratulations on being mates,” the woman said. “Elianna was so happy she couldn’t stop herself from telling us.”
“Thank you.” Feeling awkward but knowing the two humans meant well, he shook the hand Sam offered and let Lorrali kiss his cheek before he proceeded inside.
Elianna was in the control chamber as promised but not in the incandescent good mood he’d expected. Brow furrowed, she glanced at the two MARL units and said, “Let’s eat outside, shall we?”
Puzzled, he took her elbow and escorted her through the ship. Once outside, Elianna waved at her two co-workers and kept walking so he followed, growing more concerned. She finally paused in the shade of a large tree where a number of small to medium rocks offered seating. “Here is probably far enough.”
He remained on his feet as she unwrapped the sandwich he’d brought and sipped her drink. She seemed to be in deep thought.
Uneasiness in his gut, he decided to break the silence. “What’s wrong? Your co-workers congratulated me on our mate bond—”
Elianna sighed. “It’s nothing to do with us. Sorry, I’m a teeny bit shook.”
He sat in the grass next to her, keeping his situational awareness amped up, alarmed by her attitude. “Tell me.”
“I was working in the engine room this morning and had to walk to the control chamber to verify a relay issue. When I walked in, both MARL units were on the deck, dead.”
Kierce considered the information. “Define dead.”
“Lying there totally inert. I fiddled with both of them and nothing happened. After about five minutes there was a spark of color from MARL17 to the smaller unit and they floated into the air like normal. I asked MARL17 what happened and at first he denied there’d been anything out of the ordinary. As if he was genuinely unaware he’d been nonfunctional.” She chewed for a moment, swallowed and continued. “I refused to let him get away with that, I’d timed the outage from when I first set foot in the chamber so I gave him the data. Then he said possibly there’d been an interruption in the link to MARL primary, acted like it was nothing and resumed interfacing with the other, smaller unit. I don’t like it. Who knows how long they were offline before I got there? And why did it happen?”
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