by Brenda Trim
Rayna had heard there were several presidents in the Complex at the time of the explosion. Thankfully, none of them were injured. Each of them were running investigations and delivering sententious speeches regarding the attack.
“I could use one that’s got it for a change,” Shell replied with a laugh. “I’m tired of soft-spoken and gentle. I always seem to end up with Mr. Nice Guy with zero personality. Sometimes a woman needs to be man-handled the right way if you know what I mean.”
“I swear I’m part squirrel with all the nuts I attract. I’d rather sit with a box of chocolate truffles and watch a movie all by myself,” Rayna replied. She wasn’t willing to admit how lonely she’d been to Shell. She liked her well enough but she wasn’t about to share such intimate details for fear Shell might use it against her.
Besides, thinking of males brought Zaid to mind. The few moments she’d spent with him had been terrifying, which was expected given his nature, but she had sensed more. He refused to leave her mind and she acknowledged when he wasn’t wearing the skeletal mask, he seemed genuinely concerned for her. Not that she planned on seeing him again, but she wondered what would happen if she did.
Nothing about the male made sense to her. The Buruburu was noble, had a job protecting others and had followed her to make sure she was alright. It threw everything she knew about his kind into question.
“Well, I’m going to grab a bite at the pub a few blocks over and see if I can’t meet Mr. Got It over a cold beer. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ray. Later, Jonas,” Shell said before she headed out the front door to the nearest zipper. The remaining employees took that as a cue and started grabbing their things so they could leave, as well.
“Good luck,” Rayna called out to the retreating female.
Rayna hurried to the back to grab her things. She quickly shut off the lights and locked the back door then retrieved her purse. The robots continued to paint and Jonas sat against a wall, filling out a stack of paperwork.
Walking over to her boss, she cleared her throat, grabbing his attention. “So, I’m heading out now unless there’s something else you need me to do,” she offered but silently prayed he didn’t take her up on it. She was ready to go home and pass out from exhaustion.
“No, you go on home and rest. Thank you for all your help. See you tomorrow,” Jonas replied. She could see the strain in his dark brown eyes. The restaurant was his livelihood and he’d almost lost it.
“You need rest, too. Don’t stay here all night,” she ordered as she offered a slight smile. His responding grunt told her he would probably sleep there, if necessary.
Rayna walked out into the cool night air and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Her body ached from head to toe and she felt she might collapse. Hopefully, the next zipper wasn’t far and the wait wouldn’t be too long. She needed a hot meal and a warm bed. She wondered if Charlotte was still asleep at her house. If so, they’d be sharing her small bed because no way was she sleeping on the hard couch in her living room.
Rayne hadn’t made it more than ten feet before she froze in place. The Buruburu hovered on the other side of the street, staring at her. The skeletal mask was gone and his image was a much paler blue than she’d seen before. His face was drawn tight as if in pain. Before, it was apparent that her fear energized him. Now, he looked like he could barely remain afloat.
The thought that maybe he’d lose the ability to hold his shape crossed her mind. The idea of him disappearing should elate her, given the immobilizing fear trapping her in place, but oddly enough, the idea was unsettling.
“Just the Meta I was thinking of,” Zaid murmured. “Can I get your name before you run off?” One corner of his mouth lifted in a smile and he winked at her.
If she wasn’t mistaken, Zaid was flirting with her. It may have been too long since she’d been with a male, but she recognized the signs of interest. Curiosity peaked at the thought. He didn’t have a body, for one. Could he even have sex? Surely, it was impossible for him to perform such activities. Or, maybe this was how his kind lured their victims to their death. Flirt until the prey relaxed, then whammo, scare the ever-loving shit out of them until they died.
“Why do you want to know my name?” Why she withheld such information, she had no idea. As Intra, he could easily find out her name, or, anything else he wanted to know. Fear kept her wary. She didn’t trust the conflicting thoughts she had about this male.
“I’ve already told you that your fear draws me, but you saved me from a lot of pain this afternoon and I want a name to put with your face,” he told her.
“What? I wasn’t anywhere near you this afternoon. How could I have saved you from pain?” she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Her heart echoed in her eardrums and she wanted to run, but her legs were glued to the sidewalk. Her mind struggled to follow the conversation as it bounced from thoughts of how interesting Zaid was to how frightened she felt being in his presence. It was like a ping-pong match in her head and she was the psycho with the paddle, hitting it back and forth.
“True, you weren’t near, but I took your advice and got a treatment. The filet they serve is terrible, by the way. Very dry and hard to chew. I prefer mine moist and tender,” he replied and his voice caused a shiver to run the length of her spine.
Was she that frightened or was her body responding to him for other reasons? It was hard to discern what was going on with the turmoil raging through her mind.
When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Treatments are very painful. Today, when I fought it, the pain tripled. An image of you came to mind and instantly the pain receded. Because of you, I managed to get through the rest of it,” he admitted.
“My name is Rayna,” she let out before she could stop the words. She needed to keep a lid on how much she shared. “The treatments are painful?” she asked, surprised to hear that. She assumed if it were supposed to help, it wouldn’t be a situation to suffer through.
“Imagine being struck by lightning on steroids and then skinned and burned alive at the same time. And, yes, I see the irony…I’ve never actually had skin, but it’s the only way I can describe it.”
“You’ve never had skin?” she asked, curious to how he became a demon of fear.
“No. I came to be when someone died in a terrifying manner. And, no, I did not cause the death,” he answered before she could ask her next question. He floated even closer and she recoiled, making him stop.
A million questions whirled through her mind. “Is that why you came to the Complex? To get the treatment? I don’t imagine you had many job opportunities outside the Complex.”
“No, I have only one purpose. No one wanted me when my very nature incites terror. I found work guarding a graveyard, of all places, but when they announced the Complex, I signed up right away. I figured it would be a way to pay for the treatments and make enough money to continue after I left.”
She glanced around and realized that they were all alone. There was a dinosaur stomping through her chest as adrenaline dumped into her system. So much for feeling like she was going to pass out from tiredness. Now, she was confident she could run a marathon and take first place.
She saw he had regained his deep shade of blue and seemed more substantial. He floated beside her and she backed up until her back hit the cement wall of the building. She wondered if Jonas would hear her if she screamed for help.
She rubbed her rune and chanted a spell, needing the boost so she could get her feet moving. The rune was weak and barely a trickle of courage met her efforts, which caused her to panic.
With ragged breaths and sweaty palms, she glanced down to a rune that was nothing but a faint line. What the hell was she going to do now? He was close enough to sink claws into her skin and suck the fear from her body until her beating heart stopped.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to get to know you,” Zaid soothed.
Was this another ploy? Try and earn her trust
so he could pounce at the last minute?
“Stay back,” she warned as she opened herself up to access every ounce of power.
“Calm down. I only want to talk,” he promised her.
She focused on the center of her magic and called power to her tattoos. Her arms began glowing and she knew she’d lose the rest of her fear rune when she threw this spell at him, but she didn’t have any choice. She needed him to back off because he’d trapped her. It was her only chance of escaping. When she felt the magic at its full potential, she lifted her hands and released it.
Purple light flew from her palms and slammed into Zaid. His entire body lit up like the noonday sun and an agonizing scream left his throat. Squinting against the blinding light, she shoved him away then began running as fast as she could.
Spotting a nearby zipper, she started in its direction but stopped when she realized he was still screaming. Her power had never felt like that before and she had no idea what she’d done to him. What if he’d been telling the truth and she had caused him horrendous pain for no reason.
Against better judgment, she turned around and headed back towards the Buruburu. She felt when her magic had run its course and when the blazing light subsided, her mouth fell open in disbelief.
“What the hell?” she blurted.
8
“Fuck. What was that?” Zaid asked as he lay flat on his back.
He’d never actually lain down before, just like he’d never slept. As a spirit, he didn’t need to, but whatever Rayna had hit him with had knocked him on his ass. Now, pain engulfed his entire being, but it was different from what he experienced with his treatments.
“My ma…magic,” Rayna stammered.
She sounded shaken and terrified, but he sensed no fear coming from her. That was odd. He’d never been around her and not felt her terror.
Cracking his eye, he saw the dark sky above. The Complex simulated sunshine during the day and moonlight at night while keeping a consistent temperature year ‘round. Whatever she’d done to him, the sky appeared much more vibrant than usual.
It was then he realized he hadn’t moved. He lifted his arms to get his spirit to hover. “Holy shit! What the hell did you do to me?” he barked when tanned flesh waved above his head.
He ran his hands over his face, feeling skin beneath his fingertips. Pushing to a seated position, he glanced down. His heart hammered in his chest and the sensation made him dizzy in a way he’d never experienced. Adrenaline dumped into his system and he sprang to his feet.
Stumbling and nearly falling flat on his face, he ran hands over long legs, muscular arms and a flat stomach, all solid flesh. His wildest dream had come true. He had a body. He could walk, run, skip, and jump if he wanted. He would finally be able to eat and swim in a pool and kiss beautiful females, he thought, looking to Rayna.
She stood frozen, green eyes wide and mouth agape. Yeah, they were both shocked by the change.
The reasoning behind his new body suddenly overshadowed elation.
“You’re my mate,” they blurted simultaneously.
Only when he heard her echoed words did he realize she had undergone a transformation, as well. The tattoos that had been faded lines on her arms were now deep in color and glowing brightly.
“How is this possible?” she asked. “I’ve used my magic a million times and this has never happened.” Her eyes frantically searched the sidewalk and she was rubbing her arms. He hated the way her shoulders hunched and her face fell.
He wanted to go to her and wrap her in his arms, but he held back, knowing it wouldn’t be welcomed. Not only was he naked, but also they had discovered they were mates. This was fucking huge.
He’d heard the myth about Buruburu obtaining a flesh and blood body when touched by a mate’s power. But, it had never been more than a myth to him. No one he knew had seen or experienced it to make it the truth.
“Your magic threw me into a physical body, that’s what happened. And, it happened because you’re my mate. For Buruburu, this only happens when touched by a mate’s power. I just never believed it,” he said, explaining the thoughts that had been racing through his mind. “What made you say we’re mates? I figured you’d run from me.”
“I’m too shocked to run. Maybe when it wears off,” Rayna said with a half smile. “And, I said that because I have all of my magic now. See,” she indicated as she lifted her arms. The glow was dissipating, but the ink remained dark and indelible.
“They were faded before,” he remarked.
“Yes. Before this little episode, I was running out of power in some of my runes, namely the fear one. For Druids, our power is limited unless we find our mate. My parents tattooed my skin when I was a kid and every time I used one, I lost a little of its magic. Most Druids lose half of their ink before they find their mate.”
“Have you lost any?” He didn’t like the idea of her losing anything. He wanted her to be whole as he was now.
“I nearly lost the fear rune. I’ve used that one the most throughout my life. My avoidance of conflict is what brought me to the Complex and…” she trailed off.
“Me. It brought you to me,” Zaid declared as a peace settled in his soul. That unending empty feeling was gone, replaced with so much emotion he was overwhelmed.
“Yes, it did. But, we can’t actually…you know,” she murmured and waved a hand from his head to his feet.
“Why not? I have a body now,” he explained and ran hands over his firm torso.
Much to his surprise, his tanned skin was smooth, unblemished, and muscular. His eyes traveled back to Rayna and he watched as she nibbled on her lower lip. She was the sexiest sight he’d ever seen and so much more vibrant and full of life through his new eyes. And for the first time, there was a stirring in his groin and he was helpless to stop it.
Unsure what it was, he glanced away from Rayna’s soulful green eyes and down at his body. From a thatch of hair between his legs, his cock was hardening and rising.
He felt blood rush to the area, feeding it more life. A feminine gasp had his head snapping up. Rayna had her hand over her mouth and her eyes glued to his erection.
Sensing her panic, but unable to stop his body’s reaction, he rushed out, “Please don’t be frightened. I won’t hurt you. I don’t know why this is happening. I’ve never had a body before.”
To his surprise, she laughed. “That,” she replied, pointing to his shaft, “is happening because you’re a male. All male, I might add. Plus, I’ve heard that a stiff wind can excite you, so don’t worry too much about it.”
She seemed to be pacifying him, but he didn’t miss how she kept looking at his crotch. Unfortunately, her gaze only worsened the situation because damned if it didn’t harden further, causing pain of a very different kind.
“How do I take care of it?” he asked, his voice husky with need. He sensed Rayna’s attraction, but fear still lingered. Only it was different now. She was afraid of what this meant for her life. He, on the other hand, was anything but terrified.
The unknown of what he was facing invigorated him and had him looking forward to the future. There was so much he wanted to discover and he wanted it to be with this female, but he’d have to be careful. Rayna was skittish and would bolt if he made one wrong move.
“Don’t ask me how to take care of it. I’m not helping with that,” she denied. That lip was back between her teeth and Zaid had the urge to walk up to her and tug it free so he could nibble it between his own.
“I’ve never experienced any physical pleasure,” he admitted. He instantly wanted to shove his new foot in his big fat mouth as soon as the words formed.
He’d overheard enough conversations to know that females wanted a male with experience and that knew how to pleasure them. The complaints about too many males not knowing what to do or being selfish lovers were so commonplace he’d sworn very few males knew anything about sex and females, despite their years of practice.
“I never considered t
hat,” Rayna admitted. “How you’ve never had sex or done normal things like eating and drinking. This must be a huge shock to you.”
He liked that she wasn’t immune to him. He had to mate with her soon. Not doing so wasn’t an option. Besides, he wanted Rayna from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. It all made sense now. Why she affected him the way she had and why he couldn’t forget about or ignore her.
“I don’t know how to begin processing my feelings. It’s a lot to sort through; but, I would have to agree, a stiff breeze is arousing. Just the feel of it over my flesh is indescribable. I finally understand why most beings are locked in a quest to couple with another. I never grasped the true allure of sex. I still don’t know it all, but if it feels half as good as the wind touching my skin…” he trailed off, sensing that he’d frightened her more with his words.
He was impressed with his mate. Despite her discomfort, she didn’t run. “That’s because you’re naked,” she teased with a roll of her eyes. Her shoulders picked up and she stood taller. Dirt smudged her face and her long silver hair was coming out of the braid at the back of her neck, but she was stunning.
“Yes, I guess I am. Good thing I have a job so I can buy some clothing. Although, I don’t have the communication device to access my S-Co. Luckily, I still have my Intra badge on my shoulder though,” he said with a chuckle. “Can you help me with the clothing issue and loan me some money? I’ll pay you back.”
She eyed him and, once again, her teeth bit down on her lower lip. If she weren’t careful, she’d start bleeding and he’d happily lick it clean. “You don’t need my help,” she denied.
He saw the battle she waged with herself over walking away from him and staying. Staying carried numerous ramifications. So did leaving, for that matter. If the myths surrounding his kind were true, there was one more he wished was false. He kept his mouth shut about that because he didn’t want to tell her that if she left, he’d pay dearly.
