Tempest slumbered fitfully as did Braylon. The boy was terrified he would wake on a strange planet alone. Cy had a suspicion Tempest was worried he’d dump her and take off with the boy.
The thought crossed his mind he was ashamed to admit, Cy could get help while getting the child to safety. The problem was he was unsure of the mother’s powers or if she had any. When pissed, females were unpredictable. Cy shuddered.
Shit, am I afraid of a female?
He thought about it. No, not afraid, wary. Cy didn’t want his brains scrambled. Tempest would have zero idea of what she was capable. They had yet to experience anything different from her. Cy kept a tight rein on his temper, giving her nothing to fear, worried he’d startle her into doing something destructive. They needed a new planet soon. Caged and cramped, she was bound to blow eventually. Worry was eating at her; he could see it in the strained lines on her forehead when she frowned.
There were times the monitor on the console bothered her. At each blip, she would jump and ask him what it was. He was filled with pity for her and angry at himself. Every second she worried over her son. Everything was new and frightening. Her nerves were tight and she kept Braylon close much to the child’s irritation. Anything that moved, Cy downplayed to calm her until his nerves battled. The air was charged.
A throat cleared and Cy spun to see Tempest gazing at him. She was pale and looked wary. She was taking tentative steps toward him before stopping. Her hands shook.
“That spaceship toy you gave Braylon is hovering. It moves when I do.”
Fuck, now she’s afraid of a toy?
Cy felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. The toy she spoke of was directly behind her. Cy had never seen this kind of toy do what it was doing. The spaceship was to come when it was called. Who was calling it? Seeing where his concentrated gaze was, Tempest turned, shrieked, thrust out her hand and the spaceship smashed into a wall.
“Oh no.” She groaned. “It’s broken. I didn’t mean to. It’s Braylon’s favorite. He’ll be so upset he’ll—”
“I’ll replicate another,” Cy was fast to say. “Don’t worry…”
Then before their eyes the toy began to reform. Pieces rolled toward the ship in midair putting itself back together. Little screws twisted into place on tiny squeals. Tempest retreated backward as the toy shuddered and lifted into the air while finishing the last touches. It whirred, the lights flicked on, and it spun in a lazy fashion. It seemed to be studying Tempest. No wonder she was freaked out.
“Cy? What were those aliens called again? Can they really do this shit?”
Cy was inches from her when she turned. She took a small step back to look up at him. He was afraid this might happen. The Angano were sure to follow. Something triggered her fear and now her ability.
“It’s not the alien, the Angano, or the vessel, or magic. Tempest, it’s you. You’re the one controlling the toy. I don’t think it’s any toy anymore.”
The toy rocked as though nodding. Her flesh turned to ice under his hands. Cy had to admit it was pretty creepy. A toy with attitude. Tempest’s mouth gaped open. Her eyebrows narrowed, and the spaceship hovered near her head in a menacing fashion. Not menacing toward her, but if a toy could speak, Cy was certain it was saying it was big and bad and ‘don’t mess with me, fucker’. Cy would have laughed, but one by one the other toys were creeping from the bedroom. Back up.
“Look,” he whispered and pointed.
Tempest turned slowly as though knowing something was going to scare her. She was motionless. Her shoulders began to shake. Her breath became ragged. Cy was worried when the ship rocked. He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him.
“You need to listen. You may have the power to rip this vessel to shreds. I don’t know. You must calm down.” He took a stab in the dark. “Were you dreaming?”
She nodded. “I had a dream we were boarding a small shuttle with Grey. He said the safest place for us was the vessel. We would be taken care of.” She noted the toy ship near her cheek and lifting a hand pushed it to arm’s length. When she released it the toy crept closer, no longer menacing but coaxing.
Cy was digging his fingers into her and noted the white of her soft skin. He took a deep breath. His main and only concern was to calm her. He should have been calming her these last days. The ship might never have appeared if she felt safe with him. Cy was furious with himself. This was his fault.
“I will find us a planet, a safe place. I promise you, Tempest. We need you to get your ability under control.”
“How?”
There were tears forming at the corners of her incredibly blue eyes. Compassion overwhelmed him. In a tender gesture he pulled her into his arms and rocked her. His hand stroked her long dark hair. He felt her small shudders. She reached for him and held tight. It was foreign to Cy, a female allowing this closeness. He liked it.
“Everything will be fine.”
“What if I hurt my own son?”
“That won’t happen. The Angano aren’t the Gorgano, but the females who mind battled the aliens never harmed anyone—unless it was warranted.”
“You don’t know what I can do?”
“No. The beings are different even though they both mind battle. I’ve never met a female who has battled the Angano. You are a wonderful mother. You are brave and kind. I never should have gotten angry with you. I never should have frightened you. Please forgive me.”
“I’m sorry.” She wept.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Cy took a calming breath, her tensed shoulders drooped. He continued with soft soothing words and sounds. “Look.” Cy lifted her chin with a finger. Her face had been buried in his chest. When she turned slightly, she could see the toys had stopped moving and the toy ship was on the ground.
Cy smiled. At least he knew how to calm her down. For a second, she continued to cling to him then her face reddened. She released him and stepped back. Cy was awash with some confusion, missing her touch. He hadn’t wanted her to let go. Zargonnii females only clung to a male for submission. Tempest was hugging, needing comfort, from him.
“Are you going to abandon us on the planet you find? Please tell me so I can prepare myself and my son.”
“To be truthful, I thought about it. Not to abandon you but to get help. There are human females who might be of assistance. But, you are my responsibility. I won’t take off and let you face the unknown. I did this. You are my fault.”
“I’m not a fault, I make toys creepy,” she wailed.
“I kinda thought it was cool. I’ve never had my hair stand on end when not in battle mode.”
“I’m tired, but what if I dream about the end of the world? What if I dream I’m having sex with my husband? Oh my God, will he come back to life? Or be a zombie?”
The toy ship began to rock. Cy picked her up into his arms and headed for the bedroom. Braylon was curled up on a small cot surrounded in blankets. Cy headed for the larger bed and sat with her on his lap.
“I’m going to hold you while you sleep. If any zombies come for you I can beat them off,” he declared in a gentle tone, though he had no idea what a zombie was.
As he rocked her, a small tone began in his throat. He was surprised at first. The tone was meant to soothe a child. Tempest was no child. Her rounded ass was pressed against his cock. It had been a long time since he had the scent of a female fill him. It was a good thing she was a human female and he wasn’t interested.
As his tone deepened, he cuddled her closer. She was warm and pleasing in his arms. Arms that would never hold a son or any child. Cy wasn’t angry. Sadness washed over him. His fingers smoothed down her cheek as she drifted off. Cy wondered if walking toys would be the extent of their problems.
A tiny creak to his left turned his head. The spaceship was creeping into the room mere inches off the ground. The toy flew higher to settle hovering near his hip as though keeping an eye on him.
Tempest craved safety. Cy was cer
tain. He pulled her closer and rested his chin on her head. The toy craft lowered until it rested on the blanket. The idea to Holiday was strangely absent in his thoughts even this close to a female. He inhaled her sweet scent as well as her vulnerability.
“Nothing will hurt you,” he crooned.
The female was asleep in his arms.
* * * *
Tempest yawned and stretched. Sometime while she slept, Cy put her down and covered her with a fluffy blanket. The spaceship lay on the edge of her bed. Braylon was sleeping under his own cubby of blankets. Hungry, she went to the replicator for breakfast. Cy noticed, but only gave her a passing glance.
“Bacon is programmed in,” he tossed over his shoulder.
“Sweet.”
The bacon she asked for was crisp and perfect. Her coffee was hot and creamy. She munched on a strip of bacon and cradling her mug in a hand, she went to stand beside Cy.
“If you cleaned some of the alien blood why didn’t it effect you?” Tempest asked.
“I didn’t touch it skin on skin.”
“Do you think I’m dangerous?”
Cy choked for a second, no doubt trying to conceal a laugh.
“Well, I sure as hell don’t want a toy spaceship flown up my ass.”
“You said you were taking us to a different planet to see if the Angano connected with me. I can’t help but wonder if there’s more to it. After last night…”
“Humans use little of their brain capacity. There is far more to access when an Angano is involved. You displayed a new, um, talent. While we wait to see if the Angano find us, or try to, we can gage your ability.”
“I don’t want to hurt Braylon. If you think I might please tell me.”
Cy turned and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I have never witnessed a human female injure her own child. I know there are humans who have on Earth, but mothers like you, good ones, will not. Zargonnii females never hurt their children, it’s unheard of, they couldn’t begin to comprehend an action of violence toward a child. And they are physically powerful. They can’t mind battle either, but their world is centered on their offspring, nothing is as important. You remind me of Zargonnii mothers. Nothing is as important to you as Braylon.”
For a second, she saw tenderness cross his features. Tempest and the warrior gazed at one another with raw emotions. He was right. Nothing would make her hurt her son, she’d die first. The idea gave her a semblance of peace.
“What planet are we going to?”
“We’ll be there later today. I just came from it and realized it’s perfect. I wasn’t there long, a couple of days. The inhabitants are afraid of me but harmless. I’m so tired of fear. They read as human type forms on a console so if we are detected, we will also blend in as a heat source. Nothing amiss.”
There was sadness in his tone. When she looked at Cy, she saw a powerful, proud male. Except for the one time he lost control for brief seconds, he was a gentle giant, capable of humane acts of kindness. She and Braylon would be dead if not for Cy. He left the planet because of the inhabitants’ fear. He was returning to keep his planet safe. She hoped they wouldn’t bring the wrath of the Angano onto these beings.
“Then what?”
“Then we wait.”
“Mom, my spaceship is pissed.”
Both turned to see a tousle headed Braylon being followed by a ship. The toy was nudging him. Braylon turned to glare at the vessel.
“What’s the matter, Lassie? There ain’t no well here.”
Tempest howled with laughter. She didn’t realize Braylon remembered watching the old television show with her years ago. The ship continued to hover near the boy.
“Aww, a boy and his spaceship,” she said.
“Did you program it to follow me?” Braylon asked Cy.
Tempest thought about it. “Maybe I did,” she muttered. She couldn’t help but remember she felt it was time Braylon was up and having his breakfast. The toy ship was nudging him toward the replicator.
Braylon growled and followed the toy’s lead. He downed two glasses of chocolate milk. Tempest asked the machine for bacon, eggs, and toast for him. Braylon sat on the floor, the toy beside him. Tempest sat with him trying to will the spaceship onto the ground. After a while, she gave up.
The planet that came into view sometime later was enormous. Like Earth had been, it was a blue marble from space but twice the size of her home planet. Tempest and Braylon stood for a better look. Cy glanced back at them.
“Go back to the bedroom and hang onto the bed. I’ve never landed a vessel like this.”
“Come on, Mom. He wants us to go kiss our butts goodbye.”
Tempest was tempted to agree. She grabbed Braylon’s hand and headed for the bedroom. Braylon curled up in her lap. The toy ship flew in to hover close by. Tempest was worried and had no doubt she was relaying her fears.
“Mom the spaceship followed us.”
“I can see that.”
The alien vessel jumped, forcing Tempest to hang onto the bed and her son. They spun to one side and then to the other. A hard jolt lifted them off the bed for a mere second. Tilting, weaving, she thought she might puke.
“Mom didn’t we go on a ride like this once?”
“Yeah, the tilt and hurl as I recall, and you were so young but begged me to go on. It was right before the Earth died. That must have made an impression on you.”
“Oh yeah, you barfed. It was so gross, and everybody was staring at us.”
Braylon gazed up at her, eyes wide, and tried to move away as he paled. Tempest hauled him closer.
“If I spew, I’ll warn you beforehand, okay?”
“All right,” he conceded, but skepticism was written all over his face.
The ship jolted and bounced almost ripping Braylon from her arms. Horrific squeals sounded. It was obvious Cy was battling to bring the alien ship down without crashing. If he couldn’t, they wouldn’t have to worry about the Angano—they’d be dead. Tempest cried out with worry as they pitched sideways almost sending them both to the floor. Terror for her son consumed her. She couldn’t lose him. Her mind began screaming her fear. The toy spaceship lit up and a huge ball of white light surrounded the pair. They hovered a foot off the bed. In their inner circle, there were no bumps or jarring.
“Wow,” Braylon exclaimed. “Toys replicated from a Zargonnii vessel are better than anything.”
Tempest didn’t dispute his theory, but she wondered now that she’d turned on a force field how was she to turn it off? The pounding in her heart distracted her. She was worried for Braylon. Just what were her powers? There were times she wished she could bubble wrap him—but not literally.
The shield continued to keep them from spinning or from any jostling motion. The alien vessel settled. They saw a small bump, the rise and fall of the blankets on the bed, as the alien ship connected to the ground. Cy came into the room and stopped, mouth gaping.
“I’d ask you how you are, but I see you have a new dilemma.”
“Cy?” Tempest said.
“Don’t panic.”
“Oh, my mom doesn’t panic. She gets pissed.”
Cy strode forward and touched the white light. His hand slipped through. “This is good.” Tempest heard him mutter.
The huge warrior proceeded to battle with the force field and pushed his head inside. He shoved a shoulder in and slipped and arm through, then the other. His breath came faster.
“Holy fuck being born déjà vu or what,” he said snarling.
“Cy’s pissed,” Braylon said grinning.
“You,” Tempest said pointing to Braylon. “Don’t say pissed. And you,” she pointed to Cy. “Don’t say fuck.”
“Arg…”
Cy was waist deep. There was no more room in the shielded zone. He sighed and pulled Tempest into his arms. The force field wouldn’t let him retreat with her. Bent over, ass in the air, Cy cradled the pair to his chest.
“I am suddenly very happy there are no other
warriors around,” Cy grumbled.
The deep rumblings of his hypnotic soothing tone began. His wild white hair settled to wrap around mother and child. His face contorted into a grimace as he scooted uncomfortably beneath them. Tempest noted when Cy began stroking her hair. His fingers were large. They had to have been the biggest fingers on any male she’d ever noticed. Those same hands had ripped apart animals—for me and my son.
Her heart rate slowed. The tense pressure in her muscles relaxed. She was safe, more importantly her son was safe. She let her head rest against Cy as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. His tone was beautiful melodic and sweet. It was funny anything about this massive warrior could be considered unthreatening—but Cy was.
“Look,” Cy whispered.
The force field crept down, misting away inch by inch. Cy had calmed her again. The toy ship hovered over the bed before dropping to land at Cy’s hip. He stood up and walked them to the shuttle door. In battle form, he held them. When the door slid open, both she and Braylon gasped. Before her was a sight she had never seen.
For miles stretched mountains made of pure diamond. The lush foliage was in sharp contrast. The deepest of blues, hunter green, purples. Tempest fed her hungry eyes a smorgasbord of delight. Paradise. Cy brought them to paradise.
Chapter 6
Cy gazed out at the scene before him. The corners of his lips turned down. The female and child in his arms were weightless, small, and vulnerable. The beautiful plants he had originally smiled at suddenly looked a little too big. Were the flower heads always so massive? His frown deepened. The mountains in the distance were filled with chasms—dangerous deep chasms. Rain, when it came, was fierce to tender skin. The inhabitants were puny—to him. Concern grew as he tallied the threats.
He had never thought of this planet as dangerous, until now. He was, after all, a massive warrior. The female and child he held were not. They had zero protection, except for him. He clutched them a little harder as his deeper understanding of responsibility set in. They were his to take care of until he went home. He needed them in one piece. His protective streak had nothing to do with the way he watched Braylon’s eager expression with pride. The boy was brave. Cy’s emotions also had nothing to do with the way he had wanted to rip through the force field and gather Tempest into his arms. Cy wasn’t afraid for her—just concerned.
Tempest And The Warrior (Unearthly World Book Book 7) Page 6
