by Linda Mooney
“Think he’ll come looking for me?” Hannah whispered. Even with no one around to eavesdrop, her fear of the man forced her to drop her voice anyway.
The older woman made another rude noise. “Don’t see how. Ain’t no one here to tell him where you went, even if they knew. And you know me. It would take the devil himself to get me to tell. Look, I gotta go. We’re getting more customers in, and Peggy gets squeamish if there’s more than two to a booth. Hannah, you get all the loving you can from Jeb, you hear me? And you love him right back. You’ve waited a long time for that kind of happiness. Don’t ever think you don’t deserve it.”
“I promise I won’t.”
“Call me back soon?”
“Yeah. I’ll keep you up-to-date on what we’re doing.”
“‘Atta girl. Talk to you soon. On second thought, call me after he proposes!”
Hannah laughed again. “It’s a deal! Bye, Barb!”
“Bye, Hannah girl. God bless ya.”
Her smile seemed permanently pasted on her face, she felt that good. Hanging up the receiver, Hannah sighed and stared out at the intersection near where the telephone box was located.
Barb was right. It was time she had someone to love who loved her right back. Loved her enough never to hurt her. Never to raise a fist to her. Never to do anything except make her as happy as possible.
She recalled something Jeb had said to her last night. Was it after my third or fourth orgasm?
“Okay. Now that you’ve had me, now what?” Every atom in her body tingled from this last release. She couldn’t tell if she was tired or still ringing with adrenaline. Although she was sore, there was no way she would ever turn away his advances.
Jeb lowered her down beside him on the bed. The moment he pulled out of her, she was already regretting the loss of feeling him thick and pulsing inside her tight channel. Good heavens! Even spent and limp his member was a sight to behold!
“Now that I’ve claimed you, I will spend the rest of my life loving you, protecting you, and making sure our future is safe and secure for our children.” He sealed his vow with a kiss. When he pulled back, he could see her wide-eyed look of disbelief. “Do you doubt my word?” he teased, but half-serious.
“No. I believe you mean everything you said. Except for the children part.”
He understood, and cuddled her firmly in his embrace. “There may not be any children,” he conceded. “Our anatomies may be too different. Still, that won’t stop me from taking you.”
“And loving me?”
“And loving you.”
“What if I do something that irritates you? Or what if I make you mad?”
His rich brown eyes caught her blue ones and held them fast. “There will be those times. We’re two distinct individuals. That alone guarantees we’ll have disagreements. Plus we’re also two separate species. Our life together won’t be perfect. We’ll see our share of rough spots, too.” His stare intensified until she felt as if she were swimming in twin pools of warm chocolate. His voice deepened until it sounded like torn velvet. “I won’t hurt you, Hannah. Ever. It’s against everything in me. Your life is now part of mine. I know you’re having a hard time believing me, but maybe after fifty years of being together you’ll finally wake up one morning and realize I’ve told you the truth.”
The truth.
The truth was she already believed him. No man who took such pains to make her happy, and who was willing to risk his own safety and change his entire way of life to rescue and defend a woman caught up in her situation—that kind of man would not come home from work one evening and begin beating her with his belt. Or whatever object he could immediately get his hands on.
Smiling languidly, Hannah leaned against the booth’s plexiglass wall. God, she was getting all mopey-eyed for the man. Not to mention horny.
Me. Hannah Michelle Pitt. Horny ex-waitress and lover of an alien from another world.
No, wait. Scratch that. Not his lover, his life partner. His blood mate. His fated other half.
Yeah. That sounded a whole lot better.
She opened her purse to check to make sure she had her wallet. Jeb had given her some money to go buy groceries. He’d been surprised to learn she could cook. What he didn’t know was that her personal menu was quite brief. There hadn’t been much need to cook when she had been living with Carl, since he usually took her tips and headed for Buster’s as soon as she got home.
But she swore to herself that she would work on her skills. And buy a vegetarian cookbook. That was at the top of her list.
She left the phone booth and walked over to the corner where she punched the crosswalk button on the light pole. It was past noon. She had to think about grabbing some lunch. In all honesty she wasn’t that hungry, but it would catch up with her around two or three if she didn’t put something in her stomach.
The smile was still on her face. Jeb said there was a little hamburger shack near the mill that a lot of the guys patronized. They had a black bean soup he had enjoyed Monday. But she couldn’t expect him to eat out everyday. Maybe she could pick up something at the market she could use to make lunches for him to take along. Like one of those ready-made salads. Or a fruit tray.
She paid little attention to the traffic coming and going as her mind drifted along another path. The light turned, giving her permission to cross the street. Lighthearted, she stepped off the curb when the grill on a pickup sitting on the other side of the intersection caught her attention. Last August Carl had run their truck into a light pole after a night of heavy drinking. They didn’t have insurance at the time, but thankfully the truck still ran. It was just near impossible to raise and lower the hood now.
How odd. That truck had the same dent in the front like theirs did.
And it was a brown truck, too.
Like theirs.
Hannah came to a standstill in the middle of the road as she raised her eyes to look at the person sitting behind the wheel. Carl stared back at her in disbelief, his mouth hanging open. Then he gunned the engine.
Sheer terror ripped her feet from the pavement. Panic-stricken, Hannah began running back toward the motel. Behind her a horn blared and kept blaring.
She knew he would follow her, but she had nowhere else to go. Nowhere else but straight to the motel office where she could see Mrs. Newburg sitting in the backroom eating a sandwich and watching her soaps.
“Mrs. Newburg!”
“Hannah?” The woman came out into the office to find her hunched behind the partition where she had the computer. “Hannah! My God, what’s wrong?”
“It’s Carl! Can I hide in your backroom please?”
“Jesus, child, you’re as white as snow! Of course. Come on back and tell me what happened.”
The woman led Hannah into the rear where her own accommodations were located and helped Hannah to sit on the overstuffed couch.
She wasn’t safe. She knew he would have seen her come here. It was only a matter of time before he would stomp into the office and demand to know where she was.
Her body felt like ice. Her hands were so numb they wouldn’t stop shaking.
Mrs. Newburg sat next to her and took one of her hands. “Tell me what happened. Did you say you saw Carl?”
Hannah nodded, her head bobbing like she had palsy. “H-he must’ve found out we came here. I don’t know how, but I just saw him.”
“Where?”
“At the intersection. I w-was going over to the market, and I was crossing the street, and he saw me.”
Fear clutched her heart with bloodied hands and squeezed. She burst into tears from the pain. “What am I going to do? He’s going to kill me!”
“Where’s your young man, Mr. Morr? He at work?”
Hannah could only manage a nod.
“At the mill?”
Another nod. Her voice had given out.
Hannah watched as Mrs. Newburg got up from the couch and walked over to the phone on the wall. Stern-faced, th
e motel owner punched in a number, all the while never taking her eyes away from the young woman shaking in terror.
“Hello, Carla? It’s me, Wendy Newburg at the Harvest Moon. Can you get somebody over here as soon as possible? I think there’s a domestic disturbance brewing, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.” There was a moment’s pause, then Mrs. Newburg grinned. “Okay. Fine. Thanks, Carla. See you at church.” She hung up and started to walk back over to the couch when the office phone began to ring.
“Sheriff’s office is sending someone over. Shouldn’t take them no more than five or ten minutes to get here. Hold on. Let me answer that.” She went into the outer office to answer the business phone, leaving the connecting door open.
“Harvest Moon Motor Lodge. Can I help you?” A pause was followed by Mrs. Newburg surprised reply. “Yes, she’s right here. Do you want to speak with her?”
Stark black terror washed over Hannah, nearly making her faint, until the older woman stuck her head around the doorjamb and said, “Mr. Morr’s on the phone. He wants to talk to you.”
Hannah swallowed. “Jeb?”
“Yeah.” She held out the phone. “He’s still at the mill.”
Getting unsteadily to her feet, she made it over to take the phone and pressed her back against the wall, out of sight from anyone entering the front office. “H-hello?”
“Hannah, what’s wrong?” The sound of his voice slammed down around her like a steel cage, protecting her even from a distance. She could feel her legs threatening to give way with relief.
“How did—”
“I’ll explain later,” Jeb snapped. His voice was cold, controlled, but still it managed to convey comfort to her. “What happened?”
“It’s Carl. He’s here.”
“In town?”
“Yes! I was crossing the street to go to the market when I saw him.”
“Did he see you?”
“Yes. I know he saw me running over here. He’ll be here any moment. Oh, Jeb, I’m so scared!” She couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering. It was like a bucket of ice water had been thrown over her, drenching her down to her bones.
The receiver was jerked out of her hands as Mrs. Newburg took over the phone. “Mr. Morr? I’ve called the sheriff’s department. They should be here shortly. Don’t you worry none. I’ll help keep her safe.” The woman nodded. “All right. If you say so. Here.” She thrust the receiver back in Hannah’s cold hands. “He wants to talk to you again. I’m going to lock the door in the meantime.”
Uncomprehending, Hannah lifted the phone back to her ear. “Jeb?”
“Mrs. Newburg is going to lock down the office until the sheriff gets there. I’m on my way over as soon as I hang up.”
“Jeb, no! Won’t they fire you for leaving work?”
“Don’t worry, t’korra. I’ll be fine. Just stay put until I get there.”
He hung up, leaving her to stare at the white cordless receiver in her hands. Jeb was coming to save her, just as he had promised. All she had to do was remain where she was.
Carl wouldn’t be able to touch her. He would never be able to raise his hand against her again. Jeb had promised her, and his word was good.
She started, remembering. He called her t’korra. It was a word he had never used before. What did it mean?
Somehow the smile had come back to her face. Did it really matter when he had spoken it with such tenderness?
Slowly Hannah walked over and sat back down on the couch. It wouldn’t be a long wait.
Chapter 17
Revenge
Jebaral had been devastated when their joining had produced nothing. He had just turned fourteen, and his body had finally developed his third sac. His reproductive sac. The ultimate sign of Ruinos manhood.
He cared for Tiron. For years he had watched the Arra abuse her but were unable to bend her indomitable spirit to their will. Because she always fought back, they kept punishing her. Punished her in cruel, agonizing ways. But never with the adjac. The adjac was for those Ruinos who were believed to be a danger to the other slaves and to themselves.
Tiron cared for him, although she was almost two years older. Because she was female, the Arra had not put her in the auction grid. They remained hopeful they could get the remaining unpaired females somehow mated and then pregnant. Or else the Ruinos would become a species headed for extinction within a few short years.
Over the years, there were fewer and fewer females available who could procreate. The Arra had created an imbalance in the ecosystem when they had first begun netting the shapeshifting race for sale and profit … and food. Their lack of foresight in randomly grabbing from the populace soon had them worried they would run out of the species. The strong, green-skinned beings netted them more profit and wealth than any metal or jewel in the universe. But it had taken the Arra decades to realize there was no way they could change Ruinos physiology when it came to repopulating the race. No matter what type of torture they used to force the Ruinos otherwise.
There were Three Rules of Creation that held true for the Ruinos race. Rules that held fast and were unbreakable.
The first was that a female could not be raped or forcibly impregnated, whether she was bonded or not. It simply wasn’t physically feasible. Still, every now and then, the Arra would capture a male from a race of beings who were similar in build and appearance, and force him to join with a Ruinos woman. Sometimes these forced matings ended in the death of the male. Sometimes not. But every time their experiment ended in failure.
The second rule declared that a Ruinos female could not conceive until she found her life mate, and blood lines formed between the pair. Until that happened, her body would not allow fertilization. And even if a life bond was formed, it was still up to the female to decide whether or not she was ready to bear a child. Ruinos decided when they were ready to start a family. It was the only part of creation they could control.
Rule three was once a male and female bonded as life mates, they could not be forced to bond with another. Even after the death of a mate, the survivor would never be able to bond again. Life mates were just that—mated for life. They were bonded by blood and something far deeper and more permanent than most races could ever hope to understand.
When Jebaral had not sensed the change in him, nor seen a blood line form after he and Tiron had been made to join under the watchful eyes of the Arra, he had promised Tiron he would try to protect her anyway. It was the least he could do.
He soon discovered it was a promise he could not keep.
Morr had tried to soothe his son. He had told Jebaral that, in most cases, the male and female would know they were destined for each other before a joining ever took place. “You will know, Jebaral. Trust me. It will become very clear to you. Your body and mind will reach out to her long before you claim her. And afterwards, you will be inseparable from her, even if you are far apart.”
He still hadn’t understood, but his father had smiled and told Jebaral he would in time. Tiron wasn’t meant to be his blood mate. Yes, Jebaral cared for her, but all Ruinos men cared for their females, whether they were bonded to them or not. The instinctive need to protect their species ran through their veins as thick as blood. Protect and care for them. That was what made them strong. Forceful. And feared.
Of all the cruelties inflicted by the Arra, there was one atrocity they finally ceased doing. They never again tried to separate a mated pair. In the past whenever the Arra tried, the results were always catastrophic, and often ended in the deaths of both Ruinos. The financial loss of two healthy Ruinos was not a mistake they wanted to continue making.
Not long after his joining with Tiron had come up fruitless, Jebaral had been sold to a race of V’harettin. It would be the last time he would see his parents alive.
He spent years digging for korokian ore on the heavy gravity world. The demanding physical labor toned him and shaped him. So that by the time the planet had been leached of all its minerals, the Arra had
offered to buy him back. By reselling him they could get four, maybe five times the asking price for the now prime Ruinos male.
There were a little over two hundred captive Ruinos on the small transport ship when Jebaral was hauled aboard. All of them were stuffed into small cages where they were expected to live without any kind of privacy until they reached the Arran mother ship.
Jebaral had been thrown into a tiny four-by-four-by-six-foot cell that already held another male. It only took the two men seconds before they realized what miracle had occurred, but they waited until the enemy had left the hold before they rejoiced.
That other male was Simolif, Jebaral’s elder brother, and the only other surviving member of his family. Like him, Simolif had no idea what had happened to their parents. As to why they were on the transport, rumor was that the Jor Pil’ Rak had offered untold wealth for a dozen Ruinos males. Once the transport delivered the rest of its cargo to the mother ship, it would head for Iili Pil’ Sokk to finish the transaction. There was no avoiding the certainty that both Jebaral and Simolif would be among that dozen.
This time, however, there would be no buy-back from the Jor Pil’ Rak. It would be a life far worse than what they were made to endure under the Arra. It would also be a short life.
Which was why Jebaral and Simolif felt they had no other choice but to attempt an escape.
Jeb gunned the truck down Mill Road toward town. So much of what his father had told him about knowing his life mate long before joining with her made sense now. He realized Hannah was meant to be his blood mate even before he claimed her. His father had been right; his body had reached for her whenever she came near. His blood sang in his veins whenever he caught her scent.
