“And valuable,” Maldost said as he appeared from one end of the room with an armload of bedding. “They are being taken because of that. That’s why it’s illegal to remove them from the Srashiman system.”
“Oh, no. That’s terrible.”
Maldost ducked his head and looked at Cestov from under his eyelashes. “That’s one of the reasons I took her in a trade. I was afraid of what would happen to her if someone else bought her.”
Cestov sighed. “Is there anything else about this transaction that you’re not telling me?”
“No. I think that’s it.” Maldost’s ears perked up and he grinned.
He reminded her so much of one of the young musicians she had played with in New Orleans. She had been there for a month-long festival and had gotten to know the young man quite well. He was a brilliant musician, barely out of high school, but he had the same thoughtless enthusiasm and big, awkward body—although his hadn’t been covered with fur. She had missed him when she moved on.
One of the downsides of the traveling life was how quickly you lost track of people and the connections you made. All you could hope to do was to run into them further down the road. At least she’d had Judith to provide her with a sense of permanence. This past year without her sister had made her only too aware of how lonely life on the road could be when there was no home to visit in between. All of her protests about not wanting to be tied down had sounded shallow when she had no roots at all.
Fighting down the surge of loneliness, she moved a little closer to Cestov and breathed in his spicy scent. Something about him comforted her, made her feel less alone.
He reached over the low fence and deposited Lilat at her mother’s feet. The slonga’s trunk reached out to tuck the calf close to her as she resumed her previous position. Cestov’s tail wrapped around Mariah’s waist in a way that also felt protective, although not in the least bit maternal, and she leaned against him as she watched the other calves scamper closer as they realized it was mealtime. Their coats were in various shades of pink, ranging from a very pale pearly hue to a deep, almost lavender shade.
“They really are adorable,” she said.
“And remarkably adaptable. They seem to be doing just fine on the ship,” Maldost said eagerly.
“They can’t stay here. You know that,” Cestov said firmly and Maldost’s ears drooped. Cestov turned back to her. “I suspect they’re all going to take a nap as soon as they finish eating. Would you like to see the rest of the ship?”
“Yes, very much. I’ve never—” She stopped abruptly and gave him a rueful smile. “I was going to say I’d never been aboard a spaceship before but of course, I was on board the Vedeckian ship.”
His brow ridges drew together. “We should go check and see if the Cire ship has been successful in arresting them.”
“Yes, and I’d like to know what happened with Kwaret.”
“Very well.” He turned towards the stairs and Maldost started to follow them. “Maldost, you need to clean up after the little ones.”
“What? Again?” The big shoulders slumped. “Yes, boss.”
“I guess he’s in charge of cleaning up the poop?” she asked once they were back in the corridor.
“Yes. The responsibility is good for him. It’s somewhat of a punishment for purchasing her in the first place, although I’m sure he was motivated by compassion. He has an unfortunate tendency to pick up any stray animal that he finds, and this is not the life for them. Although…” he looked back at the hold regretfully, “I wish sometimes that it could be.”
“Why did Maldost decide to be a trader?”
“His homeworld was devastated by the Red Death. You are familiar with the plague?”
“Yes, Kwaret told me about it, although I have a hard time imagining that amount of devastation.”
Shadows crossed his face. “It was a terrible time. Many of the planets took drastic measures in an attempt to eliminate it—Maldost’s world was one of them. They burnt much of their land in an attempt to isolate the danger but all it did was destroy most of the natural environment. There was little left for him there.”
Her heart ached for the young male. “I’m so sorry. No wonder he’s so sympathetic to strays.”
“A little too sympathetic, I am afraid. And now I suspect he has bonded with the slonga.”
“And you haven’t?”
His lips twitched. “Perhaps.”
“I know it will be hard for you to return her.”
“Yes. It’s always hard to let something go once you have made a connection.”
From the way he looked at her as he spoke, she suspected he meant more than just the slonga and a lump formed in her throat. She already imagined she would feel the same way about leaving him behind. Judith and Charlie, she reminded herself. You have to find them and get them home.
Once they were on the bridge, he introduced her to Plovac, the navigator. The tall, thin male had pale blue skin, with spiked ridges down his arms and a long hollow face with deeply sunken solid black eyes. Despite his rather creepy appearance, his smile was friendly.
“Welcome aboard, Human Mistress.”
“Uh, thanks. Please call me Mariah.”
“Yes, Mistress Mariah,” he said solemnly, and she hid her smile.
“Have you heard back from the Defiance?” Cestov asked.
“Yes. The ship was taken into custody. Two of the human females and their children are already on their way back to Earth.”
“What about the third woman?” she asked anxiously. “Kwaret said they were going to try and sell her at some kind of auction.”
Plovac made an odd wheezing noise that she eventually decided was laughter.
“It appears that they had some difficulty with that plan. She was not grateful to be recovered by the Cire. After some discussion, it appears that she will be going to Trevelor as well.”
“Going to Trevelor? Why?”
“She is looking for her daughter. They think she was taken during the previous abductions.”
They had taken her child? She couldn’t imagine anything worse. One of the few things she had consoled herself with over the past year was the hope that Judith and Charlie were together, even though she was now alone. How much worse it must have been to know your child was out there alone.
“I thought the Defiance intercepted that abduction. Why was the child not returned?” Cestov asked, his brows furrowing.
“I don’t know. Perhaps they did not know where to take her?”
“From what Kwaret said, Trevelor seems like a peaceful place,” she said. “I hope they found a good home for the baby.”
And possibly for Judith and Charlie. Kwaret seemed doubtful that they had ended up on the planet, but he didn’t really know. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful surprise if she found them so quickly?
“If there is a Cire colony on Trevelor, the baby would have been more than welcome,” Cestov assured her. “But I think most races now know to value all children.”
After spending a few more minutes with Plovac, Cestov showed her around the rest of the ship. The main level held the bridge, along with the crew quarters and living areas, plus additional storage. The engine room was at the far end, above the actual engines. He introduced her to Servisa, the mechanic, a short, stocky male with dark red skin and two sets of horns. He reminded her a little too much of her childhood image of the devil but like Plovac, he was extremely polite.
Cestov showed her a large workout room, then pointed out a small medical lab with a grim look on his face.
“Do you have a doctor on board?” she asked curiously.
“Of a kind. I found him on one of the inner planets, being attacked by a group of ruffians. I stopped the fight and dragged him back to the Wanderer.”
Looking at that massive body, she could easily imagine him putting a rapid end to any kind of fight and the thought sent an unexpected thrill through her. She forced her mind back to his words.
“A
pparently, Maldost isn’t the only one who takes in strays,” she said dryly.
He shook his head. “Not always with the best judgment, I’m afraid. He is more interested in drinking than healing.”
“I’ve worked with more than a few musicians like that. Some of them manage to handle it. With others, it just takes over their lives and they end up losing their careers.”
“You said you were a singer. Will you sing for me?”
A completely unexpected shyness swept over her. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had been intimidated by a request to sing, but somehow this was different.
“Maybe later,” she said, trying not to blush.
After the tour, he took her back to his cabin and they tried, not very successfully, to make her another outfit. In the end, he took a bedsheet and they cut it into two rectangles. He fastened the sides and shoulders together using some type of seaming device and she dropped it over her head. With the sash pulling in the waist, it actually wasn’t too bad. It reminded her of something an ancient Greek maiden would wear. The thin material felt soft and comfortable against her skin—although she discovered some unexpected consequences when she went to show it to him.
“What do you think?”
The obvious hunger in his eyes made her own body respond. The clothing attempt had put them in constant close proximity, especially during some awkward attempts to measure her, and she hadn’t been able to avoid noticing that he seemed to maintain an almost continuous erection. Her nipples stiffened and his eyes dropped to her breasts. When she looked down, the stiff peaks were clearly visible through the thin fabric. Oops.
“I think this will work,” she said quickly. “Now what should we do?”
The hunger in his eyes increased and she realized what she had said.
He stalked towards her—there was no other way to put it—and she waited breathlessly, her knees trembling just a little.
“I have a suggestion,” he purred as he reached her. His tail wrapped around her waist and pulled her snuggly against that big body. She could feel the rigid line of his erection—his very large erection—against her stomach.
“I…”
Even though speaking her mind had never been a problem before, this time she found herself speechless. A very large part of her just wanted to give in to her impulses and test out the promise in those dark eyes, but she could almost hear her sister’s cautionary voice in her head. He was an alien and she really didn’t know him, no matter how much she felt as if she did. No matter how safe he made her feel with the heat of his body surrounding her and his spicy scent filling her senses…
“Do not be afraid, Mariah,” he assured her, taking in her confusion. His voice softened. “I would never urge you to do anything you do not wish to do.”
“I know that.” She truly believed it. “It’s just that…”
“Yes?”
“I can’t stay!” she burst out. “I have to find my sister and her little boy. I have to take them home so we can be a family again.”
He didn’t move away, but she felt him stiffen. When she looked up at him, he didn’t look angry, he looked devastated.
“What is it?” she asked softly.
“That’s what my brother wanted,” he said quietly. “A family. I told him that we were already a family, but he wanted more. He wanted a mate, a child. No matter how impossible his dream.”
“I’m so sorry.” She leaned into him and put her arms around him. His tail tightened around her waist at the same time that his arms enclosed her. Despite his still obvious erection, this felt more like comfort than desire and she nestled against him, unexpectedly content.
Chapter Eleven
Cestov finally stepped back and she fought the urge to cling to him. It was for the best, she reminded herself, even though her body ached with frustrated desire.
“Since you have so callously refused my advances,” he said solemnly, “perhaps we should go and visit the slonga before my little Lilat escapes again.”
“I wasn’t being callous,” she started to protest, then saw the smile in those big dark eyes and shook her head. “Never mind. Yes, I would love to see them again.”
He led her to the door and his tail curled around her wrist. She rubbed it gently, exploring the small nubs that covered the surface, and heard him catch his breath.
“I’m sorry. Is it sensitive?”
“Very much so. When you caress it like that, it is almost as if you are stroking my cock.”
The image made her clit throb, but she resolutely ignored it, even as she started to pull her hand away. He immediately placed his hand over hers.
“Please do not stop touching me. I’ve never felt such pleasure before.”
“No other woman has ever stroked your tail?” she tried to joke, attempting a smile despite a sudden pang of jealousy.
“No,” he said seriously. “My tail has never shown an interest in a female before.”
“Really?” She couldn’t help feeling oddly flattered, especially considering that his tail had pretty much been touching her continuously since the moment they met. “Is that unusual?”
“If you were a Cire female, then I would take it as a sign that we were destined mates.” Her heart skipped a beat before he continued. “But unfortunately, that is no longer possible since all of our females died during the Red Death.”
“And there’s no chance of you finding a destined mate with a female of another race?” Why was she even pursuing this?
“No. My father was quite clear. And without a destined mate, we also cannot father children.”
“You mean your, umm, equipment doesn’t work?” she asked, shooting a discreet glance at the seemingly ever-present bulge of his cock. She certainly hadn’t seen any signs that it was deficient in any way.
“No.” He laughed. “I assure you that my cock is quite functional, but my seed is not fertile. I have never even knotted inside a female.”
“Knotted?”
“The base of my shaft swells, to lock me inside my mate while my seed takes root.”
Oh my. The thought aroused her a lot more than she thought it should and she could feel the damp heat between her legs. His thin nostrils flared.
“You are aroused.”
“Yes,” she admitted. “But it doesn’t change anything.”
“Of course not, my miri.”
“What did you call me?”
“My miri. It is a rare yellow flower that grows on Osvet, blooming only once every five years. Our ship landed there during the bloom period and I have never forgotten. The flower had long yellow petals with pink streaks.” He stroked a finger down her hair. “And the sweetest fragrance I have ever encountered. Until now, that is.”
She knew her cheeks were bright red again, but she leaned into him. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“I speak only the truth.”
He stopped and she realized that he was about to kiss her again. Her good sense had abandoned her—she wanted his kiss. But as his head lowered, Maldost appeared in the open doorway.
“Boss! Am I glad to see you!”
Cestov sighed and raised his head. “What is it, Maldost?”
“Your little Lilat is leading a revolution.” Maldost sounded exceptionally frazzled. “All of the calves are out of the pen now.”
“All right. Let’s see if we can calm them down.”
Together, the three of them tried to corral the four little slonga, who seemed to be having the time of their lives as they squealed with glee and darted through the maze of containers. The mother watched with surprising calm.
Cestov captured Lilat first because she ran to him as soon as she saw him. He handed her to Mariah.
“Perhaps you could hold her and stay with Tajka while I help Maldost?” He looked at the pen, then shook his head. “Never mind. You don’t want to go in there.”
“I don’t mind, as long as it’s fairly clean.”
; “But your dress…”
“You’ll just have to help me make another one.” She couldn’t resist. “Unless you want me to run around naked.”
Ignoring the flare of heat in his eyes, she turned and sashayed over to the pen, conscious of his eyes on her the whole time. She climbed over the fence and went to sit in the sweet-smelling bedding next to Tajka with Lilat in her lap.
“He’s certainly good for a girl’s ego,” she whispered to the slonga. A moment later, Tajka’s trunk curled around her shoulders and she laughed. “And so are you.”
They all watched as Cestov and Maldost chased the other calves. When Cestov finally caught one, he brought it over to her as well. The little male was by no means as calm as his sister and squirmed restlessly.
“What’s his name?”
“Tomat.”
“Hush now, Tomat,” she whispered.
Without consciously thinking about it, she began singing a soft lullaby. It seemed to work, and he settled down in her lap as well.
“This is Hari.” Maldost handed her another calf.
Her singing worked on him as well and it wasn’t long before Cestov handed her the third male and collapsed next to her.
“And finally, Dickan.”
She added him to the pile, continuing to sing until all four of the infants dozed peacefully. When she brought the song to a close, she looked up to see both Maldost and Cestov staring at her.
“What? Did I do something wrong?”
“You have a beautiful voice, my miri,” Cestov said, his eyes warm and appreciative.
“Thank you.” The compliment felt more significant than any review she had ever received, and she fought to hide her pleasure, focusing on the sleeping calves instead. “Should we get out of here before they wake up?”
She tucked Lilat against her mother’s side and Cestov lifted her easily to her feet. Tajka’s trunk patted her arm, then she used it to rearrange the calves to her satisfaction before lowering her own head.
“Thank you,” Maldost said. “I didn’t think they were ever going to calm down.”
“I’m guessing they needed some exercise.” She looked around the big cargo bay. “Is there anything in here that they can hurt? Or that can hurt them?”
A Son for the Alien Warrior (Treasured by the Alien Book 2) Page 6
