Arak's Love: A World Beyond Book 2

by Michelle Howard

  ***

  Arak paced in his quarters in an effort to settle. His cat clawed at his insides, wanting out and wanting to look for his woman. He flinched at the thought and paused in the middle of his living room space. His woman? Sylvie didn’t belong to him. She was a mission. Someone he’d rescued as he’d done a number of times in his past. But the thought that she belonged to him niggled at the back of his mind and he blamed his shifter half for that.

  Argorans settled on mates within moments of scenting them. It’s what had happened to his maman and ended his papan’s chance at happiness. Alora had come to Enotia to attend a presentation for a Chosen. She’d selected the gentle Enotian, Garis, and become pregnant during their first year together. Ten years later Alora had traveled alone to Argora for a visit and found her true mate. An Argoran male.

  Alora returned to Enotia weeks later with her new mate in tow and requested severance from her Chosen. The Commission which oversaw the presentation ceremony had been appalled. Arak snorted. The circumstance had been one they’d never encountered but they’d granted her wishes, leaving Garis without the woman of his heart. His maman was the reason for the law banning Argorans from participation in any Enotian presentations, including himself. An Argoran’s muata could not be denied.

  The only good thing to come of his maman’s defection was the fact his father refused to relinquish his rights to a young Arak. His maman agreed in exchange for changing Arak’s surname to hers to give him a piece of his Argoran heritage. But that had been years ago and Arak hadn’t spoken to his maman since she helped him via the communicator when he went through his first shift as a teen. She was well content with her mate and their three daughters, while Arak’s papan remained alone and true to the female who still owned his heart.

  The urge to go to Sylvie beat at him once more until sweat beaded his brow. Arak paced toward his front door. Most times he could fall back on his Enotian genetics and maintain his calm but moments like tonight when the heat of a mission edged him toward his baser nature, Arak found it hard to not let his inner animal take over. And right now, his cat wanted Sylvie. Wanted to check on her and make sure everything was alright with her. The memory of her reaction in the medical center with Dr. Maku had a deep rumble rising from his chest.

  Arak clenched his teeth to stop the sound. No one could mistake the fear that exuded from her pores. Eyes wide and frantic, it had been easy to discern her discomfort with being seen by a medical professional. Something else to blame the Marenians for. The menacing aliens terrorized any held within their sex-slave auctions and the condition of those rescued often mirrored Joni and Sylvie. Sometimes worse. His Unit leader’s Chosen was a prime example. Not long ago Faye had been held by the Marenians for six weeks and tortured during her time there.

  Sylvie’s reaction made Arak wish he could return to the destroyed building and kill her captors all over again. Unfortunately, the enemy had chosen to blow the place sky high and they were lucky to be alive. What a mess.

  His thoughts of Sylvie and how she’d looked once she cleaned up aroused him further. Her hair matched the bright gold glow of Enotians, eyes the same shade of light blue. She could easily pass for one of the natives of his home world. Her body was delicately built but her strength and courage practically flowed from her pores.

  Her small stature reminded Arak of the condition of her feet before Maku had healed the damage. How could she have withstood the pain? And to not complain during the rescue made him admire her all the more. A low growl escaped. He couldn’t go to her. She needed time to recover. With a slump to his shoulders, Arak sat on one of the many pillows throughout his living area.

  His idle gaze traveled around the space he’d made his own. This facility was larger than the one the Jutaks lived in before, which meant each member of the team had their own decent size living quarters. Here, Arak indulged his senses. Body-sized pillows on the floor, rugs piled on top of rugs creating cushion soft spots over every inch of floor space to ease him in cat form. Vibrant colors. Red, green, and splashes of deep purple were everywhere. His cat loved to lounge and his nature demanded space for others to relax with him. Argorans were social and each member of the Unit knew they were welcomed. Would Sylvie like it?

  Arak mentally groaned and grabbed the back of his neck. He had to stop thinking of the female, yet the primal part of him wouldn’t let it go. Maybe if he checked on her he could settle for the night and sleep. His cat purred in agreement and Arak knew he would do it.

  A simple thought and he shifted into his secondary form. As a large, white cat, his senses took on the predatory nature of his kind. He stretched out taut muscles with only a minor twinge in his side. Arak pawed at the door release he’d had customized to let him in and out of his quarters in this body. The door slid closed quietly behind him as he padded through the halls.

  Fortunately, he didn’t run into any of his teammates, though they’d all seen him in this form enough times to recognize him and not shoot first. Using his head, Arak butted the door to the stair way and made his way up the stairs toward the floor where the women had been assigned a place.

  When he reached their floor, he followed Sylvie’s lingering aroma to a room three doors down from the end of the hall. Arak stretched to his hind legs and pawed at the sensor. Nothing. He growled and contemplated shifting when he scented Jaron. Arak stiffened at his team lead’s presence, expecting resistance but Jaron merely glanced at him then the door.

  Blond brows creased. “Not a good idea friend but no one listens to me.”

  His fellow Jutak used his palm to release the door locks and shoved the door open. He waited for Arak to ease through the gap then let it close behind him. Jaron’s footsteps faded down the hall.

  Arak’s ears pricked forward as he sorted through the various smells in the living space. Sylvie’s rich flavor filled his nostrils and Arak followed the enticing trail down the hall and to the opened door on the left. The door on the right was firmly closed and Joni’s essence lay heavy in the air in that direction.

  Arak slowed his steps and entered the darkened room. To his surprise someone slept in each of the narrow beds set directly across from one another. Joni had obviously chosen to share rooms with Sylvie. He didn’t need to wonder why. The courageous females had gone through something together that had forged their friendship in the strongest alloy. Arak walked toward the sheet covered mound closest to him, knowing instinctively who he sought. Light snuffles reached his ears and he would have smiled if on two feet. Sylvie snored.

  Like most females, she probably didn’t know. Now that he was near, contentment erased the anxiety of earlier. Arak stretched out on the floor beside Sylvie’s bed and allowed the soft sound to lull him to sleep.

  Chapter 6

  Sylvie awakened slowly. A low rumble reverberated around the room. Her lids lifted as she raised her head from the soft pillow to track the sound and froze. Stretched out on the floor on its side rested the largest jungle cat of some sort she’d ever seen. The all white animal’s chest rose and fell with the deep sounds which had pulled her from her deep sleep. Short tuft ears tipped in black flicked forward and giant paws twitched occasionally while she stared part in awe and part in fear.

  Afraid to move and trigger the animal into a deadly attack, Sylvie glanced across the room at the other bed where Joni slept, only to come eye to eye with her friend’s amused gaze. Joni placed a finger over her mouth as if to hush Sylvie even as the redhead battled a grin. Confusion added to her fuzzy sleep brain and it took a few seconds of concentration for Sylvie to place why the sight of a dangerous animal in their room would be cause for muted laughter.

  “I think your Jutak came to watch over you,” Joni whispered, gold eyes alight.

  And apparently whispers didn’t work on large cats with paws the size of her head and a tail with spiked barbs on the end. The subject of their interest rolled over to his stomach with a chuff and rose to all four in a slumberous motion. His mouth opened wi
de in a toddler’s version of a yawn. If a toddler had sharp, pointy teeth that looked like they could crush your skull. The cat performed an all out stretch with a low groan that only felines around the world and apparently the universe could manage. Joni snickered but Sylvie refused to take her eyes off the predator as he stalked toward the side of her bed.

  Sylvie leaned up, keeping the covers to her chest. Could Joni be right? She stared into eyes as blue as the sky back home on Earth but darker. “Arak?”

  She hoped this was Arak and not some creature who snuck into their room with the intent to rest before devouring them for breakfast. Fur, soft and thick, grazed the hand she braced on the bed as a large head rubbed against her fingers. Sylvie curled them in reflex and received a lick on the back of her knuckles from a rough, scratchy tongue. She snatched her hand away despite the relief of not losing any body parts. Blue eyes stared into hers and his wide flat nose twitched. His upper lip curled and Sylvie had the distinct feeling he laughed at her. After another head nudge, he turned and lumbered through the doorway.

  “Quick,” Joni said, jumping from the bed to reveal the blue tee strap tank and matching boy shorts she’d slept in.

  Sylvie hesitated.

  Joni hurried to the bedroom door and glanced back over her shoulder, waving. “Come on.”

  Sylvie climbed from the bed and followed Joni as she dashed into the living area. Their visitor sat on his haunches by the front door. Joni beat her to the punch and opened the door for him and their cat visitor casually sauntered through. When the door closed behind him, Joni leaned against the frame and met Sylvie’s gaze across the room. They shared a moment of silence before Joni announced with a smirk. “If that wasn’t your Jutak, I’ll eat their nasty version of alien chocolate.”

  Sylvie groaned and tugged at the hem of her own black boy shorts and matching tank. Exactly what she wanted to hear. The man who rescued her happened to shift into an all white deadly tiger who might be interested in her. She pursed her lips. Okay, definitely showed signs of interest and much to her embarrassment, Sylvie returned the interest. None of it explained what could have possessed him to come into their room during the night but she admitted knowing he’d watched over them gave her a modicum of security.

  ***

  Arak made it to his room before shifting to his human form. Perspiration dotted his skin and his shaft pulsed against his thigh with each step he took toward the cleansing room. The scent of Sylvie taunted him as he adjusted the temperature to icy and stepped into the glass enclosure beneath the spray. He immediately fisted his aching length as he remembered the tempting sight she’d made standing feet away in the skimpy undergarments worn by Enotian females.

  Her lithe figure enticed even as the fear in her blue gaze warned that she wouldn’t be receptive to him if he shifted to explain his presence in their quarters. Add in the fact he would have been nude and Arak knew he’d made the right decision when he left after being discovered. His intent had not been to stay the night. Just reassure himself of Sylvie’s safety. Except the events of the night had caught up with him and he’d allowed his exhaustion and her warm scent to lull him into oblivion.

  Arak gave himself a firm squeeze before removing his hand from temptation. He washed in a hurry, letting the cold water cool his mounting desire. By the time he was dressed in his standard uniform, Arak had managed to get his raging libido under control. He ran a towel over his wet hair then tossed it on the cleansing room counter.

  The communicator on his bed side table blinked and buzzed. Arak slid his boots on then answered. “O’Tir.”

  “Torkel wants everyone involved in the last mission to meet in the Comm Center.”

  At Jaron’s words, Arak tensed. If their Unit Leader called a meeting this early, it meant there was new information from the Commander or the Jutak governing council to be shared.

  “I’m on my way.” Arak hesitated then asked the question on his mind because he couldn’t stop thinking of Sylvie. “Will the Earth females be there?”

  A knowing tone entered Jaron’s voice. “Torkel’s Chosen, Faye, took them down for breakfast. I’ll see you when you arrive.”

  The comm blinked out as Jaron disconnected without further conversation. Arak cursed under his breath and left his quarters to take the elevator to the lower level. As soon as he exited on the appropriate floor for the Comm Center, he spotted Faruk coming from the stairwell at the opposite end of the hall.

  “Any idea what’s going on?” Faruk asked, stepping in line with him.

  “Jaron hinted that Torkel wants to go over the mission details again.”

  Faruk nodded his blond head. “I was on my way to talk with Torkel this morning but he wasn’t in his quarters and Faye said he’d called a meeting so I came on down.”

  “How is Faye?” Many of the Jutak warriors had grown close to the female from Earth and all could appreciate the love she bore for their Unit leader, Torkel Alonson.

  Faruk grinned. “Excited to have women from her world to talk to. She left when I did, racing to have breakfast with them.”

  Arak snorted. He could imagine. The women had a lot in common. All came from Earth through the Singles Program in search of male life partners. All had been held prisoner by the Marenians to be sold as sex slaves. In Faye’s case, she’d been snatched by an Enotian with revenge in mind but his plan failed and she’d been rescued by the teams.

  When they reached the Comm Center, the door opened to reveal a laughing Jaron. Arak tensed since the team leader’s humor was often misplaced. In fact, Jaron’s smile broadened when he and Arak’s gazes met. Inwardly, Arak sighed and tried to prepare himself.

  “How did you sleep, Arak?”

  A flash of his teeth only made Jaron laugh harder. The team leader closed the door and waited until Arak and Faruk joined Torkel and Kyele at the small table in the center of the room. Computers hummed in the background and alarms beeped in a steady rhythm. The Comm Center served as the communication hub for the facility as well as the Jutaks. Jaron controlled everything at the tips of his fingers. For all his joking ways, Arak trusted his team leader for Team One implicitly.

  As soon as they sat, Torkel launched into the reason for their presence. “As we all know, yesterday’s mission did not result in the rescue of the Earth female Lindsey Ferra. While it is never a loss when we save anyone from the cruelty of the Marenians, it has placed us in the unique position of being the center of attention with the Jutak governing council.”

  When he said the last, Torkel grimaced.

  Jaron drummed his fingers on the table top, slouched back in his seat. “The council knows about our efforts. Lindsey isn’t just an assignment. She’s Faye’s friend.”

  “Agreed,” Torkel stated. “Her husbands, however, are adding pressure for any knowledge of her whereabouts.”

  Arak frowned. Not good. “They could make things worse instead of better if they’re not careful.”

  “Exactly,” Jaron chimed in with a firm nod as he rocked back in his chair.

  Torkel sighed and shoved a hand through his shoulder-length brown hair. His dark eyes narrowed. “We all know that but it doesn’t change the facts. She must be found and I’m curious as to why we haven’t tracked her down as of yet. There are alerts all over for her. Keeping such a high profile female hostage can only bring trouble to whoever has her.”

  “It doesn’t make sense. Did Sylvia Forrester and Joni Miller say anything else? Remember anything about another Earth woman?”

  Faruk’s question was a good one and everyone waited for Torkel’s response.

  Torkel shook his head. “They’re pretty adamant about never crossing paths with a female fitting her description. I spoke with them again briefly when Faye introduced herself to them this morning.”

  Torkel opened a file on his electronic tablet and tapped the screen. “I’m sending you all the notes I have after speaking with the Commander. He’s also spoken to the members of the Commission and the rescued fem
ales will be welcome to participate in the next presentation for a Chosen if they’re interested. It’s understandable if both of them preferred to remain single. If they decide to reside on Enotia, they’ll be granted citizenship because of their negative experience through the Singles Program. An asylum should they wish it.”

  Arak straightened in his seat at this bit of important news. “What if they decide not to stay?”

  Torkel raised a brow and laid his tablet on the table. “They’ll be given passage to any planet of their choice, including a return home to Earth if they request.”

  A generous offer. Another growl slipped from his control. Return to Earth? Arak didn’t want Sylvie to return to Earth and didn’t want to observe too closely his reasons why the very idea sent panic surging through his veins. His fellow Jutaks cast curious glances in his direction and Arak’s face heated. He forced himself to lean back in his chair and pretended a lack of concern, which was far from the truth.

  Torkel cleared his throat. “At any rate, the return of Lindsey Ferra is priority one. Anyone have any questions?”

  Kyele, who’d been silent during the conversation, grunted. “One. There’s still the issue of a traitor somewhere along the line. Have we considered sending another Jutak under cover as we did before when Rydak infiltrated their folds? Members of Team Three have maintained their identities better than any of the rest of us.”

  Jaron chuckled. “Because they’re the team no one wants to meet in the dark.”

  Arak agreed. The men on Team Three had a dangerous skill set unmatched by any others on the teams under Torkel’s unit. His gaze strayed to Kyele. With the exception of Kyele and Arak still didn’t have any idea exactly what his friend was.

  A slight grin curled Torkel’s mouth upward. “This has also been a topic of discussion with the Commander. V’Hor has volunteered.”

  Arak winced and from the corner of his eye noticed Jaron’s wide eyes and Faruk’s pale features. Kyele remained stoic save for the twitch of his lips. Their reactions were warranted. V’Hor was serpine. A deadly race with little room for mercy in their hearts. Rumors claimed serpine parents killed inferior children at birth.