Hero

by Reagan Woods

  “How did they complete your initial intake?” Taver circled around the long, thin oval tabletop and eased a hip against the side.

  Instinctively, Tara backpedaled further, nearly tripping over her own feet in her haste to reestablish the distance he’d closed. “I know there was a lot of poking and prodding that day, but I’m certain they didn’t close me in a pod.”

  “Humm,” Jinlee made a thoughtful sound and headed to a bank of cabinets at the far side of the room. A floating, clear screen popped forward at his approach and he quickly punched a series of glowing alien glyphs.

  After a few minutes, Jinlee gently guided the hoverscreen to the table. Taver’s brow arched as he took in the data. “There’s nothing on her. Even after we’ve been working so hard to re-match all those trashed profiles?”

  “I’d say it’s a good thing we’re all on the lookout for Shirok,” Jinlee’s melodic voice took on the hard, guttural edge she’d come to associate with the Warriors.

  Two pairs of metallic, alien eyes turned on her.

  “What?” She held her hands wide and shrugged. “I don’t have anything to do with your records.”

  “I’ve seen you with Warrior Calyx,” Jinlee began slowly. “Forgive me for asking about such a sensitive topic, but is he going to be your self-selected Protector?”

  Tara nodded emphatically. “That’s the plan. I’m not interested in the open selection process.”

  “And he…believes there is enough valor evident in his service record that he will be granted the Right to Seek Claim for you?” Taver asked, his face and voice neutral.

  The questions, no matter how nicely asked, put Tara’s back up. Calyx might be young, but he’d saved her bacon more than once. Just because he was her hero, though, didn’t mean his bosses shared that view.

  She blew out a heavy sigh. “No,” she answered honestly. “I’m doing this so that one day, in the not-too-distant future – hopefully – we can be together…officially. Because, I’m telling you right now, nothing is going to stop us from being together unofficially.”

  Taver’s broad face looked positively scandalized, but Jinlee laughed delightedly. “I just adore you Earthers and your willingness to disregard tradition.”

  “I’m going to take that as a compliment.” Tara ground her teeth together. Jinlee might like her just fine, but he was the second Corian in a matter of days to basically call her easy.

  He sobered. “Of course it was a compliment. Why would you think otherwise?”

  “I’m a little touchy on the subject of alien men and Earth women,” she admitted with a tight smile. “It seems there are some preconceived notions on both sides of the equation.” That was the most diplomatic statement she could make on the matter.

  “I need to find Calyx,” Taver broke in firmly. He stood tall and looked to Jinlee. The quick nod told her something had been decided between them, but before she could ask, Taver was striding purposefully toward the main hall.

  “So.” She turned expectantly to Jinlee. “What just happened?”

  His face was as inscrutable. “Calyx will want to know about your records.”

  “Why?” She didn’t understand what Calyx had to do with her medical records. “Why would he possibly care about my blood type or whatever’s in those files?”

  “You misunderstand. It’s not just your medical history that is missing. There is no record of you. At all.”

  Chapter 38

  Calyx stood at a discrete distance as Arianna spoke in hushed tones with Peter. Fingers moving quickly over his palm-sized data screen, he ran the tracer program over a multitude of channels. He was too far away to hear what was said, but monitoring the conversation wasn’t his job. His interest lay solely in finding and tracing any transmissions the suspicious pair might be making.

  The afternoon sun shone on the yard and the Earthers, many of whom had yet to return to full duty after the recent issues, seemed to enjoy the leisure time. While they were happy, they were also wary; watching the drama unfold between the newcomers.

  Peter was overacting the part of the long-lost love – Calyx didn’t have to hear their dialogue to see that the idiot was making the female uncomfortable. Arianna had only been in camp for a few short days, but everyone knew she arrived with General Darvan. Another male moving in on the General’s female was, he supposed, terrifying for these people because they had no idea how the General might punish the offender – or if they’d all be collateral damage.

  “What have you got?” Commander Skylan’s voice in his comm broke impatiently into Calyx’s thoughts.

  “I’m not sure,” he mused. “There’s something…but it’s bouncing from channel to channel, like the signal isn’t going out clean.”

  “It’s coded, you mean,” Skylan said drily.

  “I’m sure it is, but it’s more like the bouncing is reactionary,” Calyx replied coolly, making a manual adjustment to the search parameters. “There’s no rhyme or reason to the channel changes – no repeating pattern or anything like that. It’s more like…” He paused. “What did you guys do to stop the energy fluctuation on the western boundary?”

  Skylan came back after a beat, “What’s that got to do with anything?”

  The message came through loud and clear; the energy field was need-to-know, and Calyx didn’t. “I have no idea how he’s doing it, but he’s definitely transmitting,” Calyx confirmed, watching the signal bounce erratically. “But I think whatever you did to the energy field trapped his transmission.”

  “Interesting,” Skylan’s voice went flat. “I’ll expect a full report.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Calyx watched his screen and continued to monitor the situation until Domik escorted a weary Arianna away. Peter attempted to give Silex a hard time, but Silex gave him a little jolt with a crowd control stick. The Earth male clearly wasn’t expecting the electric shock, so Silex was able to herd him toward the prison block – where they were keeping him until they figured out who he was working for - with relative ease.

  The sound of a throat clearing had Calyx turning away from the spectacle. “Taver,” he acknowledged the other male.

  “Calyx, I’d like a private word,” Taver spoke in their native Corian Standard, eyes sweeping the crowd of Earthers with open suspicion. “I left my post to seek you out. I need to get back. Will you walk with me?”

  “Let’s make it quick,” Calyx replied impatiently.

  Working around the Earthers, people much slighter than Doranos or Corians – or any other humanoid race he was aware of, made him leery of overusing his strength. As a result, it took longer than he would have liked to reach the common building. He and the medic finally pushed bodily through the disbursing crowd and entered through the main doors.

  “What’s this about?” He pressed when Taver didn’t say anything.

  Slipping into the small alcove with lockers for weapons and other gear, the other male checked to make sure the space was clear, that they were alone. “I would have simply comm’d you, but your system was on block.”

  “Yes, I’m working on a sensitive matter.”

  “As of a little bit ago, so am I,” Taver replied, clearly worried as his eyes jumped continuously from the main doors to the hall, barely sparing Calyx a glance as he spoke. “Your female, Tara? She came in this afternoon to apply for the Claimed Female Program.”

  As Calyx’s stunned expression began to morph into rage, the medic’s eyes fell on him, and he held up a hand. “She wanted the enrollment process out of the way for when you’ve demonstrated enough valor to Claim her.”

  “Is she alright?” Calyx’s rage rolled into nauseating worry, bile climbing up his throat as he fought for control. “It was Shirok, wasn’t it?” He started angrily away only to spin back around, march into Taver’s personal space. “Has he taken her?”

  To his credit, Taver held his ground, but his expression was one of supreme worry. “Tara is not in immediate danger. I can’t prove that our
culprit is Shirok, but I would say your female is still in play as a potential target for abduction.” Briefly, he outlined what he’d found and what he feared.

  “I understand she might be a target, likely is a target,” he amended at the medic’s snort of disgust. “That simply underscores the sense of unease I have where Shirok is concerned. What concerns me more is that, because she does not exist in our data, she cannot attach her official palm print to her enrolment for the Claimed Female Program.”

  Taver gestured impatiently. “Exactly, so if something happens to her, she isn’t a ward of the CGA, she isn’t the kitchen manager of this work camp, or even a conquered Earther; she is… nobody.”

  “She filed a complaint against Shirok when he initially approached her.” At Taver’s inquiring look, he explained briefly, “Shirok was violent with her until I stepped in. After, I took her to Commander Skylan and asked him to lodge a formal complaint from his office with General Darvan’s.”

  “And? Did that have any effect?”

  “None,” Calyx answered grimly. “The next day was the mass abduction.”

  “This all begs the question: is Tara the only Earther who our unknown ‘they’ have completely erased?” Taver’s eyes fired. “If not, how can we figure out who else they might have in their sights? Didn’t we just conduct a mass census?”

  Calyx held up a hand, asking for silence. “The other Earthers are, of course, a concern. However, I am a selfish male; I must figure out how to keep Tara safe before this goes any further.”

  A thin smile broke through Taver’s furious expression, and he clapped Calyx on the shoulder with a snort of disbelief. “Don’t be an idiot, Calyx. Just make her stay in your quarters when she isn’t working. A civilian Doranos would certainly stand out in the Warrior barracks.”

  “Tara likes her independence,” Calyx hedged. “Me telling her where to sleep and what to do might not be a wise course of action.”

  The medic waited a beat, his face carefully devoid of expression. “Have you considered making it a request?” His tone added, you idiot. Wisely, he refrained from further comment, and Calyx decided to ignore the implied criticism and focus, instead, on possible ways to employ Taver’s suggestion.

  Chapter 39

  “You look like you could use some sleep.” Tara’s concerned gaze caught on the deep lines of strain around Calyx’s mouth and eyes.

  He bent to drop a quick kiss on her forehead. She did her best to ignore the little thrill that zinged through her at the gesture. The entrance to the common building wasn’t exactly teeming with people this late at night, but that was the first semi-public display of affection between them.

  “It’s been a busy day,” he said, pulling back to study her in turn. “I hear you had an eventful afternoon.”

  Tara mumbled, looking down at her shoes as embarrassed color flooded her face.

  “What’s this?” Calyx asked, lifting her face so their eyes met, locked. “Are you suddenly shy of me, Tara?” The wink of those sinful dimples had her color deepening. God, the man was sexy. “Is this the same female who spread her legs and invited me to feast just last night?”

  Eyes widening, she stood on tip-toes to plaster both hands over his grinning mouth. “Jesus, Calyx, I don’t think they heard you on the Victory.”

  “Mmumph.” He peeled her fingers from his lips and dropped a sultry kiss on each open palm. “Relax, we’re alone. You’re adorable when you’re flustered, though.”

  “You’re a real comedian.” Tara was so relieved to see him, to be near him, that she had to really work to put the snark in her tone.

  “I think it’s sweet that you want to be mine so much that you’re willing to lift your ban on medics,” he told her, looping an arm around her waist and urging her out the door.

  “I wanted to surprise you, to show you that I’m committed to us,” she admitted, conveniently leaving out the part where she nearly cut and ran from the physical exam itself. He didn’t need to know that right now. She could let him ride the high of knowing she loved him for now. “Not that it matters since I don’t really exist,” she finished – only slightly - bitterly.

  “I have plans to get you naked and prove that you’re very real,” he said, dragging her into the chill night. “After that, we can discuss what to do about this issue that’s plaguing us.”

  “There’s only one?”

  He acknowledged a group of Warriors congregating at one end of the path with a wave before answering, “As I see it, Shirok or someone he knows, wants you and will stop at nothing to get you. As I feel strongly that he should not have you, well, that’s going to cause some friction.”

  Tara waited while he made small talk with the Warrior posted at the first security gate between the Earther portion of the compound and the admin buildings. They quickly passed between buildings and approached the gate into the Warrior’s portion of the compound.

  Given the late hour, Tara was surprised to see their yard so well-lit. There was more activity here, too, with Warriors in groups of two or three socializing or, in the case of one group, running some sort of obstacle course.

  When they were cleared through, she brought the subject up again, “And you’re clear that I do not want, and cannot be made to want, Shirok – or anyone else, for that matter?”

  He hesitated, his stride breaking as he turned to face her. They stood at the shadowy edge of the buffer zone between the administration section and the Warrior’s barracks.

  “I -.” Calyx ran a big hand over his face before bending down, so they were eye to eye. “I love you, Tara. That means I must trust you just as I would have to learn to trust a Corian female. They’re possessed of far more guile than you. In fact,” he paused to smile tiredly. “My mother is the sneakiest, most demanding female I’ve ever met. And I adore her, in case you’re wondering. My point is that nothing is guaranteed in this life. I’d rather lose you after making a genuine effort than continue to hold back because I’m afraid you’ll betray me - on purpose or otherwise.”

  Her heart twisted at his vulnerability. “Oh, Calyx, I love you, too,” she sighed, placing a hand on either side of his handsome face and staring earnestly into his gorgeous eyes. “But I will cut you if you even think about looking at another woman, female, whatever.”

  His smile was sweet and genuine. “I didn’t know you’d be the jealous sort,” he teased. “I like it.” Then, he sobered. “Corians, we’re very possessive, very competitive for our female’s attention. You and I don’t have the Claimed/Protector contract between us or a bonding contract, so please be lenient while we sort out a life that works for both of us.”

  “I’m fine if you want to be jealous over me – it’s kind of flattering, but we do have to have trust between us,” she placed a gentle kiss on his mouth. Pulling back, she grinned. “Now, how are we going to get through that hoard of Warriors without drawing attention?”

  “Oh, my sweet, naïve little Earther,” Calyx’s tone turned devilish as he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “I’m not hiding our relationship from my brother Warriors. No, love, it’s time to make a statement.”

  His thick arm pressed across her thighs, holding her steady, as Tara pushed up against his back. “Well, that’s one way to do it,” she commented dryly as he strode across the yard.

  Stunned silence flowed out before them and Calyx’s hand slid up possessively to cover her wiggling bum. She couldn’t control the wild flush of embarrassment as she imagined the scandalized faces of his friends and comrades. Part of her wanted to hide her face against his back, but her practical side demanded she show how happy and willing she was to be with Calyx. She didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about him using his position to gain power over her like Keble had the night before.

  Tara’s limited vantage point showed her, not the shocked and appalled Warriors she thought she’d see, but grinning aliens making an odd gesture – a raised palm, like someone waiting to answer a question.
>
  “What are they doing?” She hissed.

  Calyx laughed and discretely patted her bottom. “That’s the Corian equivalent of a thumbs-up. They think you’re a good choice and I am a lucky male.”

  “I’m the lucky one.” She reached down and gave his very fine ass a not-so-discreet pat to the raucous amusement of their onlookers. And she was about to get lucky. Finally. That seemed a fine ending to her day.

  Chapter 40

  For all his posturing, Calyx was nervous. He wanted Tara to like sex, wanted her to like it so much she wanted to do it often. Then, maybe she wouldn’t argue about moving into his cramped room permanently or about staying there when he helped Silex chase down his errant female, but he knew this first time wasn’t likely to be easy for either of them.

  He palmed into his barrack, smile wide and confident, eyes cold and challenging as he dared anyone to stop him from claiming what was his. As a rule, Corian males didn’t copulate unless they were bonded. General Darvan had been the only person in his acquaintance to have done so, and the General was royalty. No right-minded female would hold a little dalliance against him, not when being his bond mate would make her the second most powerful female in Corian Space.

  Calyx was one of a handful that knew Darvan had entered into a bonding contract with Arianna that very evening. It gave Calyx hope that one day he and Tara could have that.

  He met no backlash and soon stood in front of his own door. He had to wipe his damp hand on his pants, so the palm reader would take his print.

  With care, he sat Tara on her feet. The door snicked shut and he secured it.

  “If you want to postpone,” he began.

  Those deep blue eyes danced under the harsh light. “Oh no you don’t,” she chided, slipping her shirt over her head before toeing off her shoes and shimmying out of her pants. “This is happening tonight. I have been looking forward to feeling every inch of your body against mine for the longest time. So.” She snapped her fingers demandingly. “Strip!”