It takes longer making it back to the ship with the two human women with us, but we manage to make it back undetected. The scent of sweaty stress no longer permeates the humid air.
Carrying my mate onto the ship, I head towards the cabin and place her on the bed so she can sleep.
“I promise I won’t let anything ever happen to you again. You have my word, from this moment now, I’ll protect you and take care for you. I’ll make this right, I swear.” I lean in and kiss her on her forehead. I’ve seen my sire doing that to my mother and it always makes her smile. I want this female who’s meant to be mine, to smile as well.
The bridge is my next stop. Rasheed wants to debrief his men. When I reach my destination, his entire crew is there, and they are frowning in disgust. I have a strong feeling that something is serious is going on here and we need to discuss it.
“Aykeetan. I hope your mate is well. What happened down there? You didn’t respond to our comms,” Rasheed gives me a hard look.
“Well, I disarmed a lot of humans. There was one that I think may have been responsible for abducting my mate,” I growl. “But I didn’t have a chance to take him out. By the time I took care of my mate he got away.”
I pause for a moment, looking at each of the males. The contempt manifesting in their eyes could murder.
“I found my mate strapped down to an examination table. She was clothed, but it appeared they were testing her for something. Several blood vials and test tubes lying about. She was screaming and almost inconsolable, but I managed to break through to her. After freeing her, I carried her all the way back without any issues.”
It doesn’t take long for room to become tense again, realization dawning of the faces of the Vo’Sharitah. The occasional growl escaping their mouths as they digest the displeasure of the news.
“Some of my men reported similar instances happening to other men and women. Something is going on here. We’ve left a non-traceable tip with local authorities, they’re on their way, and they will have to sort this out themselves, we can’t be involved. Until they clear out, we need to lay low.”
Captain Rasheed gives his men a hard look, and their aggression simmers.
He looks back at me. “Go take care of your mate. My crew and I will take care of the rest. If someone is going on, we’re going to find out what, and make whoever is responsible pay.”
As I turn around and head back to my cabin, Rasheed speaks up again. “Oh, and one final thing please. Get your ass down to medical and have that taken care of.”
I grunt in acknowledgment. As much as I want to help those people, I need to focus on my mate. She needs me now more than ever and she deserves my full attention. I know Rasheed and his men can handle the situation better than I with their specialized tech. I’m a hunter, not military personnel.
They don’t really need me, but I turn my head to give a knowing look to Rasheed. He nods. He understands that I’ll be here in a minima’s heartbeats if they require assistance.
Chapter Eleven
Jane
I wake up on a soft bed, cocooned in lush blankets and silky soft sheets. I’m so comfortable I don’t want to move. I could stay in my little piece of heaven for just a while longer.
My nose perks up in curiosity. Something smells wonderful in here, reminding me of Aykeetan. The scent surrounds me. Is this his bed?
I peek under the sheets with haste and I’m immediately relieved my clothes haven’t been removed. It’s reassuring that the male who claims to be my mate is also decent, not trying to get into my pants for a quick lay. My respect for him increases.
I peer around my surroundings. The room is dim, but there’s enough light to know that I wasn’t thrown into another shitty cell to do someone else’s bidding. I’m so damn grateful that Aykeetan recused me.
I vaguely remember passing out in Aykeetan's arms after Dr. Shaw revealed his true nature to me.
This is the second time he’s rescued and taken care of me while I was unconscious. He’s never tried to take advantage of me, and I appreciate his integrity.
I don’t know what I would have done had he not come back to rescue me. I think I was only there for maybe a day at most, but when I think of all the other people that were abducted, my body cringes. How some of them, like Kate, survive in such a place, is beyond me.
Leaving the lush warmth of the bed, I’m searching for a light switch. It’s a little too dim in here for my preference. Unfortunately, I have no luck, so instead, I search for a door.
Everything in here is so sleek, metallic and futuristic. Am I on a spaceship? It certainly looks like it could be one, but the design is much different to that of a bedroom or hotel room on Earth. The walls are smooth, not a seam in sight. The flooring is room-temp, but it’s a fabric that I fail to recognize. I lean down to touch it with my fingers.
Holy shit! Is the bed floating?
Yup, it’s definitely a spaceship.
With nothing else to do, I climb back into bed. My body tosses and turns, but I’m just not tired and I can’t fall back asleep. It doesn’t help Aykeetan’s scent keeps filling my nose and it doesn’t escape my notice how much I've become attuned to it. Like this scent was made for me.
Grasping a handful of the sheets, I bring them to my nose and inhale deeply, practically moaning out in pleasure. Why does this smell so damn good?
“Now just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Aykeetan's voice carries across the room.
Oh. My. God. I’m completely mortified. I can’t even formulate a response. Somehow, he managed to sneak in here, escaping my notice when I couldn’t even manage to find the door. And then he caught me sniffing his bed sheets. I can feel my cheeks burn a deep red from my embarrassment.
Our eyes meet, and he looks taller than I remember, as if he’s standing taller with his chest puffed up. He’s relishing the moment. This is when recognize I still haven’t responded to him and that I’m just sitting here with his sheets in my hands rubbing against my face.
“I...uh, am doing nothing,” I say, ignoring my guilt and shame.
“Females, you’re all the same. Trying to steal the scent out of a male’s bed sheets and lying about it.” He turns towards a fan that’s lying on his desk and turns it on. He then adjusts it so it blows only in my direction, and then stands in front of it, so more of his musk hits me.
I’m practically salivating, the liquid pooling in my mouth as if I'm ready to eat a delicious meal. My mouth is gaping wide open and I'm unable to tear my eyes off him. My heart is hammering in my chest. He must know how turned on I’m becoming. Between his musky lemongrass aroma, his hard rock abdominals sculpted to perfection, and the way he swoops in for my rescue, I can’t help but see him in a new light.
I’m starving and it’s not for food. How is it possible to be this damn sexy? He takes one of his fingers and slides it, into the side of his...loincloth? At least he's clothed now, for a while there I was concerned that his people didn't wear clothes. I giggle and continue to watch the show.
He loops a finger secure on the side of his loincloth. I think he’s about to lower it slowly over his incredible hips. Like a stripper, not that I’ve ever seen one in person, but I decide this is much better anyways. My body is burning up and a tingling sensation pulses through my core. I squeeze my legs together for relief, but it causes the tingling to turn into a burning ache.
He’s grinning. “Now you should see the look on your face. A female in need of her mate, who can’t help but tease her like she teased him earlier.”
I'm unable to recall what he’s talking about, but I decide that if I ever want something out of this, I’m not going to tease him. This is torturous. He’s lit a fire inside my body and then turned off the heat source, leaving me to burn alone.
He turns the fan off and plops down next to me. I can tell the mood is over, it’s time to be serious right now. There’s a lot to discuss. Better now than later.
“There’s some things I nee
d to get off my chest, then I would very much like to use the bathroom and take a shower, which by the way, you will need to show me how you snuck in here. I couldn’t find the damn door.”
“Of course, I’m always here to listen and provide what you need,” he says as he straightens himself and looks at me with an intensity I’ve never known before. Like I’m the most important person in the world to him, and he’d do anything for me. It’s sweet and endearing.
“First of all, I’m upset. Had you not come crashing into my life, I would have been down on the beach enjoying myself. No bear, no anxiety attacks, no crazy thoughts, and no abductions.”
“Jane,” he says, interrupting me. “I’m so sorry. You’re right. This is all my fault. I should have been a better...”
“Stop,” I say. The look he gives me just breaks my heart. I can tell he feels responsible for everything that has happened, but in truth he's not. “I’m mad that you came crashing into my life calling me your mate, and as soon as I tell you that I’m sick, you walk out like I wasn’t worth anything to you. And I know I was the one that sent you away, so I can’t really blame you for leaving. But it still hurt, because for a moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, life was giving me the one last thing to cherish before I die.”
“Die? I know the wood beast was my fault and I shouldn’t have scared you...I’m not worthy of you.” His face becomes somber and he looks away, before standing up and heading for the door.
“Wait! I’m not finished. I need you to hear me out.” I plead him with my eyes, and he retraces his steps. “Wood beast? If you are talking about the incident in the forest that really isn’t what I want to discuss right now.
“Anyways. Telling you to leave was a mistake. I honestly thought I was dying, and after losing my family, I didn’t think it was fair to be in a relationship with someone, just so they could watch me leave them.”
I sigh. Sometimes I find it hard to discuss my feelings, especially with newer people, but I feel like I owe him.
“I’m mad because you implied, I was your soul mate several times, and then you left after I told you I was sick. Which again, I have conflicting feelings about because essentially, I’m the one to blame for you leaving. This is just such a complicated mess and I wish we could just start over.”
I can see understanding dawn on his face. His eyes soften, and his body relaxes some, no longer coiled tight. He takes a seat beside me so we’re facing each other. I should just tell him everything. Lay it all bare, if he doesn’t like what I have to say, too bad, but at least I’ll know for sure what he thinks.
“Many months ago, I started having really bad symptoms, deep aching in my body, headaches, stomach pain, etc. No one could tell me what was wrong, other than I was dying and didn’t have long to live. After being cooped up in the hospital trying to get through that ordeal, I decided it was better to live the rest of my days at home, but then you popped out of nowhere.”
The more I tell him, the better I feel. It’s like peeling a band-aid off a healing wound. You’re unsure if you should keep it on for just a little bit longer, but the fresh air feelings great, so you rip it off anyways.
“I know you think you are responsible for everything, but you’re not. I freaked out when I first saw you because I thought I was hallucinating, so I ran away from you. It's not your fault and neither is the incident with the bear. You aren’t responsible for my actions.
“Thank you for rescuing me by the way. If you hadn’t come after me, I would have been in real danger.” I squeeze his arm. “After you sent me away, Dr. Shaw came and abducted me. He could have done so at any time and nothing would have stopped him. I called him mid freak out, and because I was so hysterical, he came to collect me.”
I still for a moment, shuddering as I recall the fear that coiled through my body as my life spiraled out of control.
“Anyways, it didn’t matter that you left me. He was going to abduct me sooner or later and you being here wouldn’t have changed that. So please don’t blame yourself. I’m upset that you left me, but I’m incredibly grateful that you came back. I can never make that up to you.
“There was a medical study a long time ago that I was a part of. They were using the study as a means to do DNA alterations on humans for alien breeding purposes. It’s messed up.”
His face turns to disgust, clearly unhappy about the mistreatment and abuse. It’s probably the same face I had when I too became aware of what was really happening to my life, and those other people.
It’s freeing to have the air cleared between us and I’m relieved that someone else knows about what happened. He listened to every word I had to say, and he didn’t interrupt me or try to make my feelings insignificant. It feels good to have someone to listen, it helps to lessen the trauma.
We're still sitting here, and he hasn’t responded to what I’ve told him. I’m assuming he’s not sure what to say at this point. “So, how about that bathroom?”
Standing up, he walks over to one of the walls and places his hand on it. A door opens.
What just happened? I still don’t quite see where I’m supposed to place my hands, but the need to use the bathroom is so great I forget about it. I guess I should have gone before our chat, but I felt it was more important at the time to wait.
“Thanks,” is all I say as I rush past him to the toilet. I’m about to shimmy out of my pajamas, but he’s still standing at the door. “A little privacy please.”
“Of course, sorry.” The door closes behind him.
“Wait,” I yell at the wall, not knowing how well sound carries. “Do you have any spare clothing I can wear? I’d like to put something clean on please.”
His grunt echoes through the wall. Guess that’s a yes to spare clothes. I do my business and wash my hands before figuring out how to start the shower. It takes me a moment, but I finally manage to get it working.
Undressing first, I step into the shower. I take a moment to really let everything sink in. What do I do with my life now? I’ve been given a new lease on life just when I thought it was nearing the end. It’s such a strange feeling.
I borrow Aykeetan’s cleansing products. I’m sure he won’t mind.
The door creaks as it’s opened and closed rapidly. Peeking out of the shower, I see some towels and clothing for me.
“Thank you,” I yell out, hoping he heard me.
I didn’t even think to ask for a towel and he brought some to me anyways. Smiling, I think of how thoughtful he is, never asking for anything in return.
Maybe later we can enjoy something to eat together and talk about this mating business. I’m not opposed to it, and he certainly seems like husband material, not that I’m ready to get married or anything at this current moment. I need some time to figure things out, but I’d like to know what my options are.
Chapter Twelve
Aykeetan
I grab the spare clothing she requested and quickly slip into the cleansing unit and place it on the counter along with some towels. I struggle not to peek at her delicate, wet body as she’s cleaning, but I need her to know that I respect her. I’m an honorable male. I’d never take something she didn’t willingly give me, so I leave immediately.
My mind is clustered, swirling with conflicting thoughts. I feel responsible for what has happened, and while she claims it’s not my fault, I can’t help the direction my emotions run towards.
She thinks I abandoned her that night.
Vrakk.
Her words ring in my head as I replay them over in my head. My gut is twisting against an invisible knife that’s thrust deep inside me. I didn’t leave her; I would never do such a thing. Now it’s something else I must prove to her. I don’t mind earning my mate’s trust and proving how worthy I can be, but I wish they were under different circumstances. It’s unacceptable the level of danger she has been put through.
When she said that she was sick, I had no idea she meant death. Had I understood what she meant I would have c
omm’d Rasheed immediately and demanded medical attention for her. She’s going to medical after her shower and she has a hot meal. There’s no choice in the matter. I need to be absolutely sure of her health now. Dr. Dushaad can confirm that nothing else was done during her captivity.
When she told me about the medical testing, the DNA altering, and the abduction plot, I was furious. It was challenging to keep calm and not lash out like I did to her home, but she needed to speak her mind in a safe environment. Had the tiny hold on my emotions let loose I may have broken the trust I’ve already gained from her. I refuse to allow that to happen.
I’m going to go to talk to Rasheed. They need to know what happened to my mate and what’s going on with the others. I’m not sure if they managed to hack their systems fully yet, but this is one small piece of the puzzle I can deliver to them personally. It makes me feel useful. The thought of others going through what my mate when through is unacceptable. These people need to be stopped.
As soon as I enter the bridge, Rasheed spots me immediately. I can tell by the look on his face that he knows something is up and I want to talk. We haven’t known each other for very long, being that we met for the first time a few weeks ago when I paid him for his services. However, living close quarters with others, you tend to figure them out quickly.
“I have a feeling I’m not going to like what you have to tell me,” he grunts. “Please, have a seat.” He motions to one of the few remaining chairs.
I squat down in the chair next to him. “You’re right. You’re not going to like this. My mate just woke up not long ago, and we had a small conversation about what went on during her abduction.”
His grunt, erect posture, and eyes are focused completely on me, indicating that I have one hundred percent of his attention right now.
“The humans got their hands in some serious vrakk’n shit. Reproductive modifications. Sounds like some sort of illegal breeding program the way my mate describes it. They did something to her body many Earth years ago, and it’s affecting her now. The worst part, is that they are definitely involved with other species, non-humans, but she doesn’t know the specifics.”
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