The male inserted the lancet into a handheld device. “Hmm. You are not with child. Why are you not with child?”
“None of your damn business.”
“Unfortunate. I hoped to have a specimen.” He waved a second device over her from head to foot. “When the experiment returns, we will inseminate.”
Daisy knocked the scanner away when he approached her. “What are you talking about? Where am I? Why am I here?”
“Hmm. Not the brightest star in the sky but what can you expect from a mutant.”
“Mutant? I’m not—”
The Suhlik darted forward, pricking her again. This time Daisy’s vision swam and her head grew fuzzy. Drugged. Fantastic. This day just—
She slumped to the floor.
Not unconscious, she was aware of everything the Suhlik male did. He picked her up and placed her on the table, strapping her down. Various needles drew blood. Daisy tried to look away, to flinch, to shout the most obscene insults she could muster, but her body refused to comply. She was helpless as the male went about his work.
At some point the realization that the male was a scientist or doctor drifted into her head. It was obvious but her thinker was on the fritz it seemed.
“Now what makes you so special, hmm?” The male removed the paper robe and conducted a physical examination. Starting with her eyes, he shined a bright light and peered in. She tried to turn her head, to blink, anything to impede his progress. Elegant fingers shoved into her mouth, probing. She could bite. She wanted to bite. Her traitorous body did nothing.
The examination progressed from head to toe, his hands lifting and prodding every inch of her. He pried open her thighs and peered at her exposed sex but did not touch, instead promising an internal examining.
“Externally,” the male said, “the subject is unremarkable. Internal scans reveal nothing of note. Perhaps a genetic analysis will divulge the little ape’s secrets.”
Daisy’s voice was a gurgle in her throat.
The Suhlik cocked his head to one side. “Oh look, it speaks. Do you want to know why you are here?” He leaned in, face hovering over hers. “Because you are an aberration, little ape. Why is my wayward experiment able to breed with you? Hmm? I want to rip open those steaming guts of yours and get your eggs but we both know the Mahdfel can’t reproduce in a test tube. Call it a design flaw on our part. So I’ll keep your baby making parts inside you. For now.”
The male spun and disappeared from her view, returning with a new device, a syringe with a very long needle. “I could still take a sampling. You Terrans have so many eggs that go to waste. The trauma would elevate the difficulty of impregnating you but the information I could gleam might be worth the risk. Choices, choices.”
Another gurgle, this one closer to actual words.
“Shhh. Don’t move or you’ll hurt yourself.”
The needle slid in, piercing through the soft layer of fat on her lower abdomen. Pain started a small prick then flared into a burn, growing in intensity. Her body wanted to convulse, to protest the deep invasion, but remained as immobile as ever.
“I had really hoped you’d be pregnant by now. We engineered a strong drive to breed into the Mahdfel. Their two primary functions: to fight and to fuck. So why hasn’t our experiment been fucking you?” A clammy finger skimmed along the curve of mark-free neck. Another peer into her eyes. This times Daisy managed to blink. “No matter. My little experiment has a great deal of self-control. He may have suspected that I would want to study your wonderfully mutated genes so he fought against his base instincts, to protect you.” A chuckle, smooth and golden and thoroughly evil. “How sweet.”
“Know thissa trah-ph,” Daisy slurred.
The male turned to his devices. He hit a button, presumably to increase the dosage. “Hmm. You burned through that sedative rather fast for such a small thing. Interesting. And yes, of course this is a trap. How else am I going to breed more teleporters?”
“Bree—” The sedative hit her, rendering her immobile.
The male shook his head. “Not bright at all. Yes, breed. I’ve been trying to engineer fertile teleporters for… seventy years now? Because engineering teleportation into soldiers individually is slow and expensive. The rejection rate is frightfully high. Imagine if they were simply born that way? But every one of my experiments have been frustratingly infertile. I even tried with a Terran female but I guess I’ll never know how that one will turn out. Imagine my surprise when I learned that my lost experiment had a mate? A genetically compatible female?”
Daisy’s memory spun back to conversations with Mylo, about how he expected to be alone, his surprise at finding her and his fear of rejection. He expected to be alone because all the other foundlings, the survivors of Suhlik experiments, were alone. The experiments fundamentally changed their genetic make-up.
“And I know my experiment is nothing special. He’s not even the most gifted. He’s just the one that got away. So you must be the special one in this equation.”
Her. They wanted her.
“Why are you different? I will find out your secret. Mutation? Environmental factor? Don’t worry. We’re going to have a long time to get to know each other and thoroughly explore the subject. Now I’m going to implant a small device. I won’t explain it because you wouldn’t understand. Let’s just say that if you leave this room, the device explodes. You’re not going to like this.”
Another tap of the device, a surge of a new drug, and Daisy blacked out.
Mylomon
He ran through the night. He left the supplies, only carrying his rifle, knife, and enough water and ration bars to fuel him. When dawn touched the horizon, he continued to run, only pausing for water and food. He ran past exhaustion but he was still not fast enough. Finally, near dusk, he arrived at the mountain.
His instinct told him to dash in, rip the beating heart out of every Suhlik unfortunate enough to encounter him and find his mate.
That was a foolish plan. They knew he would come. What choice did he have? His Daisy remained inside their stronghold. He would be overwhelmed with superior numbers. He would fail his mate. Unacceptable.
Devise another plan.
He could slip in. No door or wall could keep him out. Then, silent as a shadow and deadly as righteous vengeance, he could slit their throats and free his mate.
But these were the monsters who created him. Surely hellstone lined every wall in the facility, creating a cage for the those within and a barrier to those without.
There might be a gap in the hellstone. But that would be an obvious path to lead him into a trap. No. He would fail his mate and get himself killed in his foolishness.
He needed to devise a good plan and not run in on instinct. Daisy had a tactical mind. She remained calm and assessed all available information. A pang of longing for his mate stabbed at his gut. It was more than her being useful. It was more than him needing to possess her, to stroke her hair and reassure himself of her safety.
He missed her and her chattering and her jokes and the way she sang softly when she walked.
What would Daisy recommend?
He closed his eyes and visualized her, hands on hips and giving him a look that implied he was an idiot. And he was being one, she’d say, because he thought he had to do this on his own.
His eyes flew open.
He was not alone.
He touched his communicator and hoped the Judgment was in range.
Chapter Nineteen
Daisy
The cold did not wake her. The cold never stopped and she never fell into a true sleep. Straps held her to the table. Wiggling her arms and legs, she determined there were straps at her feet, just above the knees, across her abdomen, which also caught her hands, and across her upper chest. She wasn’t going anywhere.
Her neck hurt. Stiff, she attempted to turn her head. The muscles protested. Nope. Not moving today.
The bright overhead lights blinded her. The only relief was to clo
se her eyes, as poor a solution as that was.
Thunder rumbled.
No, scratch that. Not exactly thunder but definitely a rumble. Her table vibrated. Thunder didn’t do that. Something was happening.
“Hey! Assholes! I’m freezing in here.” She wiggled her fingers, trying to catch the edge of the straps. Maybe if she could free a hand…
Daisy didn’t have a plan beyond irritating her captors, not that she expected them to set her free to get rid of a pest. Still, if she could extract some annoyance that would be a small measure of justice.
A dark shadow fell over her.
Crap. Now she’d done it.
She didn’t want to open her eyes. All her resolve to be a thorn in the Suhlik’s side vanished. They were here and they were going to hurt her.
What was she going to do? Lay there with her eyes closed, whimpering in fear?
Screw that and screw them.
Daisy opened her eyes.
A dark face hovered over hers. The beloved sharp profile and aggressive horns warmed her heart. Mylomon.
“Female, remain still. You are safe.” His deep, rich voice surrounded her as he undid the straps.
“I know I am. You’re here.” He found her. Relief flooded Daisy. She knew he knew find her. The worry replaced relief. “This is a trap. They’re expecting you.”
“I know. The clan is here keeping them occupied.”
He moved to lift her off the table. She laid a hand on his arm to stop him. “The male in charge, he knew you. You. From when you were a child.”
Mylomon growled. “I remember him. My brother will take care of him.”
“Don’t you want vengeance or something? Confront your Darth Vader?”
“You are more important. He is the past. You are my future.”
It could have been stress or hormones but at that moment, she loved him completely.
He lifted her, cradling him to her chest.
“Ouch!”
Mylomon frozen. “Female?”
“They put something in me. A bomb. I can’t leave the room, he told me, or it will detonate.”
He returned her to the table. “We do not have much time. Tell me what I must do.”
“You bring a surgeon? Kalen?”
“No. I brought no medics and I do not believe there is time for one to arrive.”
“Okay.” She took a deep breath. “I’m going to talk you through this. First, we need to determine if he actually put something in me. That might have been just talk. Get that scanner,” she pointed to a shelf.
She turned on the device and instructed Mylomon on how to use it. There was a device, implanted on a vertebra just below the base of her skull. Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Any idea the type of detonation it uses?” she asked.
“Proximity.”
“Can you reach in a pluck it out?” Yay for mutant powers.
He studied the image. “I fear damaging a nerve. I could cripple you.”
“Hmm.” Daisy enlarged the image. “Humans keep their nerves inside the vertebra. Our bones aren’t as… sturdy as yours but it works the same way. The device seems to be located on the cervical spine. C2. In the facet joint, which explains why I can’t turn my head.” She looked up at him, a smile on her face. His expression was blank. He did not follow. “That’s good. That’s the cartilage between.” His expression remained blank. “It’s miles away from the nerves. Even if we do a sloppy job, I’ll be fine. Movement might not be so great but it’s not great now.” She hoped Kalen would be able to repair any significant damage from extraction.
“I am unsure, female.”
Daisy patted his arm. “I know this is a tough call, but I can’t leave here if this thing is in me.”
“I do not know what—”
She squeezed his hand and smiled reassuringly at him. “You got this. I trust you.”
He huffed. “I can sink my fingers in and root around. You will not like the sensation. And I will not be able to see what I am touching.” He could teleport through object, not see through them.
“We’ll set up the scanner so you can see what you’re touching.” She shivered at the idea. He would be touching her. Inside her. “I’ll need something to block the pain but not put me under. Can you read Suhlik?” He nodded. She rattled off what drug she would prefer and what would suffice. He found it quickly.
“I might not be able to speak after I take this. Do you know what to do?”
He pressed his lips to hers. “You are my heart, wife. I will bring you through this.”
She filled a hypospray and injected herself on the side of her neck. Immediately a numbing sensation spread, separating her head from her body. So curious.
She either fell to the table or he pushed her down. Daisy wasn’t sure. She was horizontal on her stomach. Mylomon adjusted the scanner above. “Are you ready?” he asked.
Unable to reply, a warm, tingling sensation spread at the back of her head but otherwise she felt nothing. She knew she’d feel it in the morning.
Seconds ticked by. She counted his breaths. Slow. Measure. Calm. No panic. The steady rhythm of his breathing gave her confidence.
“Finished.” He pushed away the scanner and helped her sit up. The room swam and she was unable to keep herself from tipping over. Next to her on the table was a small chip, not bigger than a fingernail, coated in blood. Her blood.
Wrapped in a sheet, Mylomon cradled her in his arms, the safest spot in the universe. She wanted to tell him that but her throat refused to cooperate. At least her respiration remained normal.
Outside the operating theater, warriors filled the halls with shouts and blaster fire. Smoke burned her eyes. She needed to cough but could not, a terrible tickling sensation grew at the base of her throat. Seeran spotted Mylomon and provided cover, allowing him to exit the corridor. Having obtained their objective, the clan fell back as a unit and exited the building.
Outside, cold air hit her face, bringing tears to her eyes. She coughed, throat heaving. Mylomon rubbed her back while her chest burned to expel the smoke.
“I want this mountain leveled,” Paax shouted. “Not a single stone standing. Make it happen.”
Mylomon hustled her onto a shuttle. The comforting sound of engines replaced the cacophony of battle. A fresh set of flex-armor replaced the bedsheet.
“Ready to go home?” he asked.
“Home is with you,” she managed to croak out.
Chapter Twenty
Daisy
Medical was the first, non-negotiable stop. While Kalen gave her a full scan, Mylomon paced and growled. He was no help at all.
“I’m fine,” she said. The local anesthesia had worn off. Movement returned to her neck. She was a little stiff but that was nothing unexpected.
“That is for me to say, Nurse Vargas,” Kalen said in a bored tone. Bored had to be good, right? Bored meant everything was fine. If she picked up a parasite or an alien virus, he’d sound mildly concerned? Maybe peeved. She studied her brother-in-law’s scowling face. Definitely peeved.
“Ankle tendonitis. Levator scapula is inflamed. Surface abrasions on the epidermis,” Kalen finally concluded, applying a warm gel to the scrapes. “Your mate did a poor job of protecting you.”
“I think he did fine,” Daisy said, totally not admiring the way Mylomon’s muscular form stalked through Medical. Totally not checking him out.
Kalen pressed a hypospray to her arm. “What’s that?” she asked.
“A stimulant.”
“I don’t need a stimulant. I’m half asleep.”
“Exactly.”
Meridan arrived before Daisy could tear in Kalen about his brusk bedside manner. Her sister had a child in tow.
That was new.
The girl, aged somewhere between the age of six and seven, had a stuffed bear on each arm. Her head was shaved but starting to grow out. A dark fuzz covered her scalp. She dashed around medical like she was being chased. Kalen and Meridan both ignored the
running and occasionally prompted her not to climb the delicate equipment.
The sisters exchanged hugs and tears. Finally, Meridan pulled away and said, “You stink. Like really stink. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“I will leave you with your sister,” Mylomon said. “I have duties I must see to.”
The smile fell from Daisy’s face. Nothing changed after all. Duty to the clan came before everything, even her. Would she love her warrior if he was any less dedicated? Mylo wouldn’t be Mylo if he had the inclination to play hooky from work. Still, it hurt to know she was always second. “Oh. Okay. When will you be home?”
Mylomon lifted her chin and searched her eyes. Sometimes it felt like he could read her mind. “You are my home and I am never far. I shall return soon.”
Meridan waited until they were in the corridor before the questioning began. “So?”
Her sister was devastating in her simplicity. She knew Daisy would be unable to resist such a broad prompt.
“So yourself,” she replied.
“Don’t give me that. Where are your questions? I know you’re bursting to get them out,” Meridan said. Which meant Merri was dying to get the scoop from Daisy.
“Oh my god, Merri. Where did the kid come from? She’s cute, don’t get me wrong. What happened on the planet surface? You won’t believe what happened to us! I have so many things to tell you.”
“The kid is Estella. She’s our foundling. Our daughter, now.”
They arrived at her quarters, which gave Daisy time to formulate a response. A foundling. Just like Mylomon. “She was in that research facility?”
“Yes.”
“And Kalen accepts—”
“He didn’t have a choice.”
“I can’t believe you found a kid and just adopted her.”
“She adopted us, not the other way around.”
Daisy laughed. Her sister, who never expected to have children, now had a hyperactive six-year-old. “That sounds so fantastic. I’m an aunt! I hope she likes meddling because I have a feeling that I’m the meddling kind of auntie. How does that sound, Estella?” The child in question climbed onto the sofa and started to bounce. “Did she lose her shoes somewhere?”
Mylomon: Warlord Brides (Warriors of Sangrin Book 3) Page 14
