Jason focused on his face. He had full lips that were a slight shade darker than his skin, a wide jaw and wide cheekbones with a strong, regal brow. His horns extended from his head by a foot or more, and they curved gracefully as they extended toward their sharpened tips. His body was massive and covered in muscles, his clothing fitting him like a glove, leaving very little to the imagination.
Jason realized he was being equally examined and met the alien’s eyes.
“Who are you?” the alien asked, in accented English.
“I’m Dr. Jason Cavanaugh. I’ve been caring for Ada Jane while she’s been with us. If I may, who are you?” Jason asked.
“I am Ada Jane’s male. I will be caring for her from now on,” Kol answered.
“And your name is?” Dr. Cavanaugh asked.
“I am Elite Force Commander Kol Ra’ Don Tol. I am currently on assignment as Ambassador of my people to Earth by special request of Chairman Bartholomew of the Unified Consortium Defense. Your services are no longer needed,” Kol said, completely dismissing the doctor. He did refrain from actually growling at Dr. Cavanaugh, but he couldn’t resist displaying his teeth, the second row of which was beginning to reveal itself as his Psi began to react to another male interested in his female.
“You cannot seriously be considering leaving here with this male?” Jason said to Ada Jane.
Kol didn’t resist this time. He let out a rumbling growl.
“Kol, stop. We’re going to have a nice day. There’s no reason for this,” Ada Jane said, looking up into his eyes.
Kol hesitated to break his staring contest with Jason, but he wanted to give Ada Jane his complete attention.
“Are you sure, my Ehlealah?” he asked her, searching her face for any hesitance in her answer.
“I’m positive. Jason is just my friend. He’s been taking care of me and helping me figure out who I need to speak to about what. That’s all. Alright?” she asked.
“Yes,” Kol answered, returning his gaze to Dr. Cavanaugh. “I trust you, Ada Jane,” placing emphasis on the word you.
“And you, stop insulting Kol. He’s the reason I’m standing here today. He and the Sirena Vivian of Cruestace rescued me. They actually with their own hands removed me from the ship I was on and Kol carried me to freedom. There’s no reason for you to insult anyone. I trust him with my life,” she explained to Jason.
“I’m simply concerned about your welfare,” Jason answered.
“I’m fine. And now I’ve been released from observation here, and I’m free to do the things I need to do. Kol’s going to take me to see my parents’ graves. Then we’ll see what I want to do next,” Ada Jane said.
“You are aware that since you’ve been released, I cannot guarantee that you’ll have a room when you come back,” Jason said, hoping to dissuade her from leaving at all.
Ada Jane’s smile fell. She hadn’t realized that. “I was not aware. But that’s fine. I’ll find somewhere else to stay if necessary.”
“If you want to come back here, Ada Jane, all you have to do is let me know. I’ll find a place for you. Even if it’s in my own home, you won’t be without shelter,” Jason promised.
“She does not need shelter from you. I am perfectly capable of providing for my own Ehlealah. She already has a place to live,” Kol snarled.
“You two are going to make me leave you both here alone,” Ada Jane said evenly.
Kol glanced at Dr. Cavanaugh, then Ada Jane. “Apologies for my protectiveness. It is not my intention to threaten you in any way. Thank you for the care and consideration you have given my female while I traveled to your planet. I will now take her to see her parents’ places of burial. I bid you good luck and prosperity in the future.”
Kol didn’t give Jason time to reply. “Are you ready, Ada Jane? We will be away without further delay.”
“I am,” she said excitedly. Then she turned to Jason. “I’ll be in touch soon. Thank you for everything.”
“You always have a place here, Ada Jane. I can hold your room for several days. Don’t think you can’t come back.”
“Thank you, Jason,” she said, following Kol as he lead her from the cafeteria by the hand.
Jason stood in place, grinding his teeth as he heard Kol speaking to Ada Jane. “Did he not just say that he could not hold your room? Why then is he now saying that he can hold it for several days? It makes no sense.”
“Kol… hush, let it go. Please?” Ada Jane asked.
“As you wish, my Ada Jane. Tell me, where is the room you were sleeping in? Do you have belongings you should retrieve?” Kol asked.
They stepped into an elevator at the end of the hallway and Ada Jane pressed the button to go up two floors. “A few things, but, I’m a little afraid to leave here. I have no idea where I’ll be next,” Ada admitted.
“All will be well. Chairman Bartholomew is assisting in securing your own private quarters. But I wish you to live with me. I have an extra bedroom. Well, I did. It is being used by Elisher at the moment, but you can have my bedroom. I will sleep in the sitting room.”
“Can we just see how things go?” Ada Jane asked. “I just got my freedom back, I’m not all that anxious to give it away.”
“I will never steal your freedom. I will only protect you as you enjoy your freedom away from all other males and doctors,” Kol said smiling.
“What is Chairman Bartholomew doing? You said he was securing me private quarters?”
“He is. He has instructed me that I should move slowly and not tell you what choices to make. He said that you will know when you are ready better than me.”
Ada Jane smiled as the elevator doors opened. “He’s a very smart man,” she said.
Kol walked down the hallway with her until she stopped outside a closed door. “This is my room.” She opened the door and they walked in together.
“There is not even a lock on the door, Ada Jane,” Kol chided, looking at the door as they entered the room.
“Well, it’s a hospital basically,” Ada explained.
“This is not secure. Gather your things and we will see to it you have a secure space. Eventually with me.”
“Kol…” Ada Jane said warningly.
“When you decide for yourself to share my space,” he amended, grinning and blinking at her with an animated smile.
Ada just glanced back at him as she gathered the few changes of clothes she’d acquired, her toiletries and her hairbrush. She stood looking around the room. “I guess that’s it.”
“Let us go, then. I’ve been given the coordinates of your family’s burial place. I will take you straight to it.”
Ada Jane nodded. “Okay. I’m ready.”
As they walked down the hallway and eventually out of the lobby of the large medical clinic, Ada Jane thought about the way Kol had been gravitating between his typical ‘mine’ claims, and at the same time liberally sprinkling in words promising to give her the space to make her own choices. It was clear he was trying to be what she needed, rather than insist she be what he needed.
Then she realized he said he’d given his extra bedroom to someone else. “Kol?”
“Yes, my Ada Jane?” Kol answered.
“Who is Elisher? Why is he or she living with you?”
Chapter 9
Zha Quin sat at the table he and Vivi always took their meals at when they decided to dine in the commissary. He looked out over the people who drifted in and out of the commissary as they finished their meals and returned to their duties, those sitting and enjoying their meals and their friends, and realized that he’d have to make a decision soon.
“Quin? You alright?” Vivian asked.
“Yes, my Vivi. I am fine,” Quin answered, smiling lovingly at his Ehlealah.
“You don’t look fine,” she answered. “You look distracted.”
Quin sighed. “I am, a bit. But all will be well.”
“Can I help?” she asked.
Quin shook his head as he wat
ched General Lo’ San approach a table with a tray filled with enough food and drinks for two. Lo’ San unloaded his tray, taking great care to place the small platter of cakes close to the silver-haired female waiting for him at their table. Then he took a seat and smiled lovingly at the female.
“It’s sweet, isn’t it?” Vivi asked.
Quin glanced back at Vivi. “I suppose it is. It is more surprising than anything, though.”
“Why is it surprising?” Vivian asked.
“Lo’ San has never put anything or anyone before his duty. And here he is, placing food before an Earth female as though he was her servant,” Quin said in a grumbly tone.
“Quin?”
Quin continued to watched Lo’ San as he spooned up different foods from his plate and fed them to the female one at a time as she sampled the different foods.
“Quin?!” Vivi said, her voice a little sharper.
“What?” he asked, looking back at her.
“You fed me every single meal, every single day when I first arrived here. You still taste my food first when we’re together — simply out of habit. Why is it so different for Lo’ San to feed his woman?”
Quin’s brows drew down. “It is not different. I’m simply trying to figure out when Lo’ San took a female. I cannot keep up any longer. They are claiming females faster than we can rescue them. It concerns me, Vivi,” Quin confided.
“Why? Don’t you want them to be happy? Besides, a mated male is ten times as fierce when he’s in a battle than one who is not mated. He’s got more to lose,” Vivian said.
“It is not that. But, what if one of them mates a female who is not truly committed to her male. Then leaves him. I am left with a male that is out of control and may very well have to be put down in order to stop his rampaging. Or he charges off on his own and is taken into custody on her world as he lets nothing stop him from finding her and absconding with her. All of my males are important to me. I’ve sworn loyalty to them, just as they’ve sworn loyalty to me, and I would have no choice but to intercede on their behalf, all because a female agreed to be theirs and then changed their mind,” Quin grumbled.
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Vivian answered. “You’re right to be worried. Now I am, too. But, I can tell you that Synclare is not one to worry over.”
“She is the female with the silver hair?” Quin asked, still watching Lo’ San and the silver-haired Earth female.
“She is. When the others returned to Earth, she opted to stay. She has no interest in returning to Earth, and she’s shown every bit as much interest in Lo’ San as he’s shown in her. She’s had all this time to go home, or to go anywhere really, and she chooses to stay here. She’s been helping out in medical and spends all her free time with Lo’ San. I don’t think we have any worries with Lo’ San and Synclare at least.”
Quin nodded. “That is good. I will not worry about them any longer then. The others, though, I will worry.”
“Maybe I could speak to Synclare about coming up with some sort of program or orientation for any female that is brought on board. Whether they plan to stay or not, they will all have to go through a program that explains exactly what it is when a Cruestaci warrior claims them, and what the consequences are. You know, just something that will help educate them, and let them know that they have to expressly let any warrior who seems interested in them know whether they are interested or not. Of course, we also need to explain the difference between a friendly greeting and true interest,” Vivian said.
“That is not a bad idea. And in return, I can force all males aboard this ship to go through a similar presentation explaining that if a female refuses them, they must respect it. It won’t guarantee that we won’t have problems in the future, but, it might prevent some,” Quin said.
“I think it’s a good start. I’ll speak to Synclare later and we’ll see what we can get set up,” Vivian agreed.
“Thank you, my Vivi,” he said, returning his attention to his meal and his mate.
“Have you heard from Kol?” Vivian asked.
“Not exactly. I have heard from Bart. He has requested a team of two to go to Earth and act as Kol’s support team.”
“Really? Who are you planning to send?” Vivian asked.
“I am considering sending one who is gifted with computer technology, and another who is attuned to security measures. He would have the research support Bart advises he needs as well as another for additional security.”
“Great idea. Who are we sending?” Vivian asked.
“I’m considering Ba Re’, and my instincts say Kron should go as well. But, that would leave Kol’s Elite Force Team without a leader.”
“Is there someone you could promote to temporarily oversee the team until both Kron and Kol return?” Vivian asked.
Quin pursed his lips and thought about it. “Not at the moment,” Quin answered. “They must have the natural ability to lead as well as possess the skills that Kol and Kron have both spent a lifetime developing. Perhaps I should choose another male to send to Kol… but then I think, I do not want Kol with less security than he should have,” Quin said as his mind raced.
Vivian didn’t answer, just smiled at Quin as she took a bite of whatever fried beast they’d cooked for her today.
Quin glanced at her, and his forehead wrinkled as he took in her smile as she waited for him to arrive at some conclusion. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.
Vivian shook her head and took a bite of her potatoes, or at least she liked to call whatever the white goo was potatoes — it tasted like potatoes. She offered him a smile again. “It’s a shame we don’t know anyone like that,” she answered.
“It is. The team is very gifted, but promotion would take an in depth evaluation, and it wouldn’t be fair to promote them, give them the responsibility, then yank it all away when Kron, or Kol, or both return. Kron volunteered to take over the team until Kol returns, it would be different if we promoted. It would be unfair to expect the male to simply return to being an Elite Force Team member.
“It would be more convenient if we knew a male who had spent his life polishing his skills and fighting any and all the multi-verse over honing those skills into instinct. Someone who has familiarity with most any world and any peoples we may encounter. Someone who is equally familiar with the Cruestaci and also has loyalty to us. Someone who you've yourself remarked is a natural born leader,” Vivian said, raising one of her eyebrows as she waited for Quin to catch on to where she was leading him.
Quin focused on his mate, smiling when he realized what she was suggesting. “He will be quite unimpressed,” Quin said.
“Probably. But he will also be proud that you believe he can handle the job. You and I both know Kol said that only his Elite Force Team was strong enough to battle against him. And Kol and Kron both said how impressed they were with him.”
“I shall demand he returns to Command Warship 1. It is the perfect solution,” Quin said, grinning at Vivian.
“I believe it is,” Vivi agreed. “And if he accepts, Rosie would return with him, and she could help me and Synclare.”
Quin glanced up as Ba Re’ and Kron entered the commissary. “I shall go ask if either has issue with joining Kol on Earth,” he said, getting to his feet.
“I will be right here,” Vivian said, smiling as he dropped a kiss on her lips. “You are very astute my Vivi,” he said.
“Did you ever doubt it?” she asked, chuckling.
“Not for one moment, my Ehlealah,” he answered. Quin walked away from their table heading directly toward Ba Re’ and Kron where they’d joined the line to choose their meals.
“I have a question to ask,” Quin said, standing beside them in line.
“For me?” Ba Re’ asked, looking between himself and Kron.
“For both of you,” Quin responded.
“Okay,” Kron answered. “What is it?”
“What do you think about a trip to Earth?” Qui
n asked.
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Quin sat at the head of his conference table in the smaller of his conference rooms aboard Command Warship 1. He was flanked on his left side by Ba Re’ and Kron. Bart was on the holovid and all of them awaited their last attendee as they waited to address the agenda of the day. There were several guards that had been assigned to this meeting as well, and they stood on either side of the door, waiting for the final attendee.
Finally, the door whooshed open and Rokai ahl stepped into the room with a worried look on his face. “I’m here, I came as quickly as I could. What’s wrong? Is it Mother, or Father? Is Vivian safe?” he asked, looking at the faces staring back at him. His expression became one of confusion and suspicion instead of one of worry and concern. “Why are you all smirking? If this were truly a matter of life and death, you would not be so happy. What is happening here?” Rokai snapped.
“I need your assistance, Rokai. The only way to get you back to the ship was to tell you it is a matter of life and death,” Zha Quin explained.
Rokai glared at him for a moment. “So, everyone is safe. There is no immediate threat to family, life or limb, and you just decided to use my new commitment to this family to bring me running back here?” he surmised.
Quin nodded. “Exactly.”
Rokai snarled and spun on his heel, moving toward the door.
Just as quickly as he turned, both guards stepped in front of the door to prevent him from leaving the conference room.
Rokai growled at them before returning his attention to his brother. “You do realize I could fight my way through them with little effort,” he said.
“I do. Which is exactly why you are here. I need your help, Rokai. I have no one else to turn to. Won’t you please help me? Help Kol?” Quin asked, knowing that despite Rokai’s affinity for causing trouble, he’d always spoken highly of Kol.
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