3013: STOWAWAY (3013: The Series)

by Hayes, Susan

  “Technically, I was dropped into their cargo bay,” Sonja corrected her before taking another sip of the volatile cocktail T’karra had made for her.

  Her hostess grinned, baring her fangs. “So you said earlier. I suspect the story of how you met your bonded is going to get a lot of mileage around here. I’ve learned that places like this run on three things, tasty food, good drinks, and entertaining stories. Your tale will make the rounds quickly, and you might find yourself something of a celebrity.”

  “I hope not. I am looking forward to a few nice, quiet days with no one chasing me. Then I guess we’ll need to figure out what happens next. Do I travel with them, or stay here? Do I get a job? I haven’t thought that far ahead. Hell, we haven’t even had our bonding ceremony yet. I am looking forward to putting my mark on the two of them. Fair is fair, don’t you know?”

  “Ceremony?” T’karra perked up at that. “If there’s a party to be had, then you are welcome to have it here. In fact, I insist. I’ve heard about these bonding ceremonies, though I’ve never been to one. You get them shirtless and tattoo them, yes?”

  “Yes, I tattoo them, we reaffirm our commitment to each other, and then we drink and celebrate. If we were home, it would be a big, fancy affair, but since we’re not…” Sonja grinned. For once, she could have a party her way, without her mother’s interference. “This is going to be fun. Now all I need is for my men to come back to me.”

  “They’ll be back. You keep drinking, I’m going to go get a data pad and we can start planning this celebration of yours. I love a good party.” She eyed Sonja thoughtfully. “I think I even have a few things you could pick from to wear. Krytos have our own traditions for such occasions, if you like, we could incorporate a few, just for fun.”

  “I’d like that very much. It would be fitting, considering we’re having it here and you are currently protecting me.”

  T’karra waved a hand in dismissal. “From what I saw earlier, you can take care of yourself. I’ll be right back.”

  Alone at the bar, Sonja took a long drink of her cocktail, and then looked around her again. There was a sign over the bar that she hadn’t noticed before, and she laughed softly as she read what had been written on it.

  “Welcome to The Black Hole. Break the rules, we break your bones.”

  She liked this place more by the minute.

  People came and went, and every time the door opened Sonja found herself glancing up, hoping to see Trevar or Deke. The longer they were gone, the more concerned she got that something was wrong. Just as she was considering contacting the station’s commander and demanding to know what was going on, the door swung open again and her bonded came striding into the bar, both of them looking determined.

  “There she is,” Trevar said, making a beeline straight for her with Deke only half a step behind him. Sonja was out of her chair and running the moment she saw them, launching herself into Trevar’s arms with a happy cry.

  “You’re okay!”

  “We’re fine, kitten. How about you? I saw what you did to those sons of bitches who tried to haul you out of here.”

  “I’m better now you’re here.”

  Deke spotted the officer who had been left to watch over here and saw red. Leaving his chosen safe with Trevar, he stalked across the floor until he was less than three feet from the other man. “If I were you, I’d find somewhere else to be.”

  “I don’t take my orders from you.”

  Deke took another step forward. “That woman over there is Sonja Wilde-Storm, my chosen. She is mine to protect, not yours. If I see you near her again, I will dropkick you out the nearest fucking airlock. If your orders are to watch over her, then do it from outside this bar.”

  “If you try and take her out of here…”

  “Why would I do that? I’m the one who brought her here, for stars sakes. Talk to Janes, he’ll tell you what’s going on.”

  “Believe me, I’m going to,” the elite muttered and headed for the door, taking the long way around to give Trevar and Sonja plenty of space.

  “I don’t want any of them near you until this is all over and done with,” he said to Sonja as he rejoined them.

  Sonja untangled herself from Trevar and moved into Deke’s embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist as she snuggled into him. “So, this isn’t over yet?”

  “Not quite,” Deke whispered before kissing her, relishing the sensation of having her back in his arms.

  “It’s looking good, though,” Trevar said.

  “Ah, you’re here. See, I told you they’d be back for you, Sonja. Drinks, gentlemen? I’m sure you could use one after the day you’ve had. And then Sonja and I have to talk to you about the bonding ceremony.”

  “Drinks sound good. And what’s this about a ceremony? We only got released from custody ten minutes ago.”

  “All the more reason to have a party tonight.” T’karra beamed at Sonja. “You chose well, gentlemen. It will be an honor to host this event for you.” With that, she departed, and both men gave Sonja a bemused look. Their chosen hadn’t been idle while she’d been waiting.

  “Tonight? We’re doing this tonight? Here?”

  “Apparently we’re doing it tonight. And yes, here. I can’t leave, remember? And I don’t want to wait. I want the world to know we’re bonded.”

  “If that’s what you want, kitten, then that’s what we’ll do. I think we should invite Commander Janes, too. Seeing you mark us should make it clear to him that this is all legit.” Trevar grinned at his idea, and Deke agreed with him. Having the commander see for himself that this was a love match and not a kidnapping gone awry couldn’t hurt.

  “Please invite him, I have a few things I want to say to him about teaching his officers some manners,” Sonja said, her voice syrupy sweet, a sure sign she was going to give the man a piece of her mind.

  “Believe me, sweetheart, he’s none too happy with those two.”

  “Good.”

  Trevar took her head and tugged her free of Deke’s arms. “Let’s get those drinks T’karra offered, and we’ll fill you in on what happened while you were under bar arrest.”

  Deke snagged her free hand, and the three of them headed over to an empty booth, keeping Sonja carefully placed between them. Things were finally working out for the three of them, and if he had his way, they would never be separated again.

  ***

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Had it really been only this morning he’d said goodbye to Sonja and prepared to dock at X2? Trevar felt like he’d lived a lifetime since that moment, and in a way, he had. No matter what happened next, his old life was gone, and something new was coming. This was the way he had felt the day he had been offered elite training, enhancements, and a chance for a new adventure. His father had been angry that the Alliance was taking away his eldest son, but for Trevar, it had been the beginning of a whole new life.

  His dad had been happy with a single fishing trawler and a ramshackle home near the ocean that he loved. He’d never dreamed of a different life, or anything beyond what he already had. Trevar had only been a boy when he left, but he already wanted more than a lifetime of backbreaking labor that would not end until he died. He was the only one of his kin to be accepted into the elite program, and he had long since lost contact with his family back home. The Arca was his home now, and Deke and Sonja were his family. The night they had claimed Sonja had marked the end of his old life, and the ceremony tonight would be the start of something new, something he’d never expected to find.

  Something he would kill to protect.

  There was nothing in the galaxy he wouldn’t do to keep Sonja safe. She was his joy, and the missing piece of his soul. She was the star he and Deke would encircle forever, a light in dark void they called home.

  “And that’s enough waxing poetic for now,” he muttered to himself as he finished polishing his boots. Tonight, he and Deke were pulling out all the stops. Dress uniforms, flowers, and they had even fo
und a gift for Sonja in one of the station’s boutiques. Deke had spotted it first, and they had known right away it was perfect. It was an oval gem of pale blue almost the exact shade of Sonja’s eyes. Deep in the heart of the stone a pair of twin stars gleamed with a silver-white light. It was crafted into a pendant and hung on a platinum chain that would look perfect against the warm glow of Sonja’s skin.

  There was a knock on the door. “You ready?”

  “Come on in, I’m just putting on my shoes and we’re good to go. You have the pendant?”

  The door opened to reveal Deke standing there in his dress uniform, grinning and patting the breast pocket of his all back uniform. “Got it right here. Flowers?”

  “On the dresser. Looks like we’re ready, let’s go see our chosen about a couple of tattoos.”

  “You know, I’m still waiting to wake up and find out this was all dream. She’s ours. Really ours.”

  “It’s no dream, kid. You know how I know? I’ve had plenty of good ones over the years, and you have never been naked in any of them.”

  Deke snorted with laughter before making an elaborate bow and gesturing for Trevar to join him in the corridor. “Our lady awaits. Though I will never understand what she sees in you. Now me…I’m a catch.”

  “You’re delusion is what you are. I’m the catch in this relationship. Rank, good looks, experience, charm--.”

  “You just keep telling yourself that, old man.”

  They bickered all the way back to the bar, only stopping when they walked inside and found themselves in a completely different place then the one they’d been shooed out of only a few hours ago.

  The tables had been rearranged so that they formed a semicircle around a small platform that had been set up by the windows. Thousands of stars gleamed in the darkness beyond the glass, and inside the bar hundreds of tiny lights had been lit to mimic the scene outside. Each table had been draped in dark red tablecloth that flowed nearly to the floor, and the bar was laden down with trays of delicacies, each carefully arranged. Some of the guests had already arrived, and the ceremony wasn’t set to begin for a while yet.

  It was going to be a hell of a party.

  “Holy shit, what the hell happened to this place?” Deke muttered, looking around in a daze.

  “Women happened. It doesn’t matter what species they are, they’re all the same when it comes to decorating for a party.” Trevar gestured around them. “Leave them alone for a few hours and poof, this is what you come back to. You wait and see. Within a month the Arca will be de-bachelored. There will be rugs, and fresh paint, and the droids will probably end up painted pink.”

  “I don’t care if she paints the whole ship pink.”

  Trevar grinned. “Me either.”

  “You know we still haven’t figured how we’re going to fit the three of us on a ship designed for two.”

  “Let’s see if the Alliance approves our claim first. If they do, we could request a transfer to a bigger ship, or have ours refitted. One thing I know for sure, our chosen comes with us. There’s no way I’m leaving her here, or anywhere else. That girl is a trouble magnet.”

  “Which is why she’s perfect for us. Come on, old man, it’s time we found our chosen and got this ceremony started.”

  ****

  Sonja was almost finished getting ready. T’karra had offered her a room of her own while she was their guest, and then led her to it after her bonded had gone back to the ship to change. It turned out there were several rooms available to the bar’s clients, each of them simply furnished with a bed, chair, a small table, and a small but complete bathroom. Sonja assumed they were for people like her, protected by the Krytos and unable to leave the sanctuary.

  T’karra hadn’t stopped at providing her with a place to relax and get ready. While she had cleaned up, the other woman had vanished on an errand and returned a short time later with an armload of clothes and other items Sonja might need. Then she had set about helping Sonja prepare for the ceremony.

  “I still think you must have some of our blood in your veins, little sister. Our ways suit you.” T’karra touched a hand to Sonja’s freshly brushed and braided hair, causing the tiny bells fastened to the ends of the braided strands to chime softly as walked a slow circle around her, admiring their handiwork.

  “I’m starting to think you’re right,” Sonja said, smoothing her hands over the form fitting bodice of her borrowed outfit. The skirt was crimson trimmed in black, which T’karra explained were her family’s colors. Above the skirt was a bodice of black lace and leather that left her shoulders and arms bare. While it hugged her curves, the garment also stretched and gave so that she didn’t feel constricted.

  “One last detail, and then you will be ready,” T’karra said and lifted something off the bed, offering it to Sonja. It was sash made from the same material as the skirt, and hanging from it was dagger, sheathed in black leather.

  “You wear a knife to a bonding ceremony?” she asked.

  T’karra patted her hip, drawing attention to the slender blade that was barely visible against the black skirt she now wore. “We wear them everywhere. Not much of a fashion statement, but they have their uses. Every Krytos wears one to represent our readiness to defend ourselves, and our homes. The damned bugs nearly destroyed us once. We’re not going to let it happen again. As an added bonus, it helps deter the occasional idiot who decides that I am in dire need of mates to keep me safe and make me happy.”

  Sonja grinned. “So, you’re not looking for a nice couple of Krytos males to complete you?”

  T’karra bared her fangs and laughed. “Do I look like I need a male or three to complete me? It pains my brothers, but they know better than to push me. I am the eldest, which means I rule this family. I will pick my own mates when I am ready.”

  “Three males?” Sonja hadn’t known that about the Krytos. Each woman took three of those big men as mates? She had enough on her plate keeping up with two.

  “Three mates is the standard, though it’s not a law like it is with your people. Can you imagine me with three males to look after as well as this place? Stars save me from that fate.”

  “Good luck. I left my planet to get away from being bonded and look what it got me.”

  T’karra laughed and tweaked one of Sonja’s whip thin braids, setting the bells chiming again. “Judging from the smile on your face right now, I’d say you got exactly what you dreamed off.”

  “I really did.”

  “Then I think it’s time you put your mark on your men, little sister. I have never been to a human bonding ceremony. I’m looking forward to seeing you claim what’s yours.”

  Sonja bounded over to T’karra and hugged her. “Thank you for all of this. You have been incredibly nice to me, and I can never thank you enough.”

  “You’re welcome,” T’karra replied and awkwardly patted her back. When the hug ended, Sonja was surprised to see the Krytos woman was blushing.

  “Sorry, I should have warned you, I’m a hugger.”

  “Little sister, you can hug me again any time you like. Most human women aren’t too keen to get that close to me. Apparently I’m scary.” She snapped her teeth and curled her hands into claws, laughing all the while.

  “Not to me.” Sonja helped T’karra straighten out her skirt and then gave the other woman a grin. “Let’s go see what my bonded think of my new look.”

  “They are going to trip over their own tongues when they see you,” T’karra declared. They took a moment to tidy up the room, and then Sonja found herself following her hostess back up to the main level of the sanctuary.

  Despite her protests, T’karra had insisted on closing the bar for the ceremony, so the place seemed quieter than when they had left it, thought it was far from empty. Sonja felt everyone’s eyes on her as she stepped through the door, but she didn’t see anyone but her bonded. They were standing by the raised platform, and the sight of them in their dress uniforms was enough to make her body hum
in approval. When they turned to look at her, lust flared in both their eyes and her panties were instantly soaked. It was the way they looked at her, possessive and loving at the same time. Heat bloomed deep in her core as they prowled toward her, covering the distance between them in seconds.

  “You look…fuck, I don’t have words for how hot you look right now,” Trevar said, spinning her into his arms for a brazen kiss. Deke pressed in behind her, his mouth at her ear as he whispered to her.

  “You look incredible, sweetheart. Gloriously, breathtakingly beautiful.”

  “Show off,” Trevar growled at Deke before kissing her again. Deke swept away her hair, sending the bells chiming loudly as he kissed his way down her newly bared throat, while Trevar’s tongue danced and twined with hers. Sandwiched between two powerful bodies, their thick cocks hard and pressed against her, Sonja felt like she might go up in flames at any moment. She knew the others were watching, and that awareness was like pouring rocket fuel into the heart of a star.

  “You three are going melt a hole in the floor if you keep that up. I told you they were going to like your outfit, little sister,” T’karra said, her voice lilting with barely repressed laughter.

  “Hell yes, we like it. I like the bells, too. We’re going to keep them ringing all fucking night, kitten.” Trevar lifted his head, touching his lips to her brow before turning to look at their hostess. “This place, and our chosen, look absolutely perfect. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Perhaps you would like to let go of your mate and actually perform the ceremony now? The sooner it is done, the sooner you can escape to her room downstairs. Just remember, if you break the bed, I’ll add it to your tab.”

  “Fair enough,” Deke said, taking half a step back so that Sonja was no longer trapped between them.

  Once T’karra was out of earshot, Trevar grinned at them both. “That bed is about to meet with a violent end.”

  “Not until later. First I get to have you both you shirtless so I can mark those sexy bodies of yours. Speaking of which, I need the marking device.” She held out her hand and then laughed when Trevar started patting down his pockets.