by S. E. Smith
“Ta me ja’te, je talli. I love you, my heart,” Mak whispered against Tansy’s skin.
I love you, too, Tansy thought quietly wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him closer.
Chapter 10
Mak glanced at Tansy. She had been unusually quiet since they had mated the second time in the bathing room. After their first round of loving making, he had picked her up and taken her to the bathing room to clean her. She had nuzzled against him quietly. He thought to just bathe and care for her. He cursed when he saw all the fading bruises on her and a few new ones from him. Determined to care for her properly, he had turned the water to as hot as she could stand and picked up a small cloth and a bar of soap where he proceeded to gently wash every inch of her delicate skin. He paused at the sealant patch. Gently removing it, he chuckled at her exclamation of surprise to see the skin completely healed with only a small pink scar.
“How?” Tansy started to say before just shaking her head. “Thank you.”
“It is my pleasure to care for you,” Mak murmured as he ran the cloth up the inside of her leg.
Tansy’s hands fell to his shoulders and she began kneading them as he continued to clean her. Soon, it was her turn to wash him. When she went to her knees in front of him, he fought to keep his cock from swelling at the erotic sight of her kneeling before him. He forced himself to stare straight ahead so he would not upset her with the fact that he wanted her again.
His breath exploded out of him and he found he had to hang onto the long bar above the shower for support when she suddenly wrapped her lips around his hard length and began sucking on him. His eyes widened in disbelief before almost closing in ecstasy at the vision of her beautiful lips bringing him to untold pleasure. He flushed as he remembered how quickly he had found release again and again.
“What is worrying you?” Mak asked coming up behind her where he rested his hands on her slender hips.
Tansy looked over her shoulder at Mak with a frown before turning back around to focus on the rice she was cooking. They were having a strange breakfast of fish, yellow rice, and steamed vegetables. Since Natasha and Helene did not stay here often and were not planning for their visit the only things available were boxed, canned, or frozen.
“It’s not safe for you to be near me. I’ve been thinking about my assignment. From the very beginning I had a bad feeling about it. The only reason I accepted it was because it was a chance to erase Boris Avilov. But, there was something that just didn’t feel right,” Tansy’s voice faded away as she looked out the window at the Maral deer feeding. There were four of them outside now, a stag and three females.
“Why?” Mak asked moving next to her so he could lean against the counter and see her face as she spoke.
He was discovering she had many secrets that she kept hidden deep inside her. He could see them in her eyes. One of those secrets was how she remained untouched. He knew from the little he had talked with Tink that females from this world were not protected by the men within their family group as the Prime females were. He had even seen the holovid of Tink’s description of what Tansy did to him in the bathing room. He did not think such a thing was possible but he had been very, very wrong. It was not only possible but if he had any say in the matter, it would be repeated many, many times. He wanted her to share her secrets. Perhaps then, the dark shadows in them would fade.
He leaned over and brushed a thick strand of hair back from her face that had come loose from where she had braided it after their bath. “Why do you feel this?” He asked again.
Tansy released her breath and focused back on the rice, stirring it slowly. “I usually work for Ted Rogers. I have since I started in the program. He is my exclusive handler. No one else is supposed to know who I am, where I am at, nothing. I am a ghost in the system. I take my assignments from him and I report what happens to him. I received this assignment from his boss, Craig Knapp. Craig is an arrogant pretty boy. He sits on the committees, he looks good in the press, he talks the talk to the politicians but he doesn’t dirty his hands with those of us known as expendable. He wanted to meet with me to give me the dossier on this assignment but I refused. It is out of protocol and there are some things I won’t do even for Ted. Instead there was a drop. I cased the area thoroughly because I was getting really bad vibes from it,” Tansy said glancing at Mak before reaching around him to get a bowl for the rice.
Mak placed his hand on her arm to stop her. “Why did you not talk to this Ted Rogers about your feelings?”
“I tried but I couldn’t reach him. That was another red flag. I’ve never had a problem reaching Ted if I needed him. It is his job to always be there if I call. I found out right before this assignment went to hell his daughter had been in a car accident,” Tansy said grabbing the bowl. “Only I don’t think it was an accident. I think they wanted Ted out of the way and the only way to do that was to strike at his daughter. She is the only thing in this world that means more to him than his job.”
“Why would this man, this Craig Knapp, what to harm you? Are you not fighting for the same thing?” Mak asked quietly as he pulled the fish out of the oven and set it on the table next to the rice and plates.
“You would think so but I started doing a little digging using some unconventional help,” Tansy said with a small smirk.
“RITA?” Mak asked with a grin.
Tansy nodded. “RITA. I guess you met her, sort of?”
Mak laughed. “Yes. She not only invaded my brother’s warship after your sister Tink found herself aboard it but she has become a fixture at the palace. She likes to get into our computer systems and ‘tweak’ them as she says.”
“Oh God!” Tansy moaned. “Thank goodness you don’t have my mom and dad there. If you did your world would never be the same. I’ve never met two hornier people in my life,” she groaned out with a shake of her head.
“Well…” Mak chuckled as he came up behind her and bent her over the chair so he could rub the front his pants against her. His chuckle turned to a deep throated laugh as he saw her blush at the feel of his cock straining against the front again. “I am not so sure they are the horniest two people on my world anymore. Your mother has been instructing the women of my world on how to not only please their bond mates but what their bond mates can do to please them.”
Tansy turned in Mak’s arms with a horrified gasp. “You have my mom… on your world?” She squeaked out. “Do you have any idea what she can do? Do you have any idea…”
Mak sealed his mouth over hers in a deep kiss. “Yes, I know. She and your father have already corrupted my father who is the leader of our clans. She is needed. Your sister Tink is breeding something called twins and insisted she needed your mother with her during this time.”
“Twins!” Tansy echoed in shock before smiling brightly up at Mak. “Tink’s having twins?! I’m going to be an aunt!”
Mak’s eyes blazed with desire as Tansy’s face was transformed at the news of her younger sister’s breeding. He wondered if she would be as happy if he were to plant his seed in her womb. The desire to see her swelling with their younglings was almost overwhelming. He wanted to see her rounded and glowing like her sister. He had released the mating chemical into her this morning at least twice, once the first time they mated and again in the bathing room when he took her in the shower. He knew it would normally take several tries before she would become fertile but even Terra was not sure how the mating chemical would work on this species.
Mak cursed as he fought to think rationally. He needed to get her to safety before they even thought of breeding. This was no place for his mate. She was still tired even if she refused to admit it and she definitely needed to be fed regularly. He was not a very good mate at all if he didn’t make sure she was safe, happy, and healthy first.
“Sit, eat and finish telling me what happened,” Mak instructed as he poured them each a glass of water to go with their meal.
“Well, I went to the drop but I
didn’t pick it up. I cased the area pretty damn good and almost missed the assassin sent to take me out. He was good,” Tansy said with a small smile. “But I was better.”
Mak laughed at the bloodthirsty gleam in Tansy’s eyes. “You ‘erased’ him?” Mak asked with a chuckle.
Tansy shook her head. “No, I knew the guy. He had been told I was a double agent. Let’s just say we had a heart to heart. It is one thing to erase someone you know is an infection to the world; it is another to erase one of the good guys using a good guy. He simply delivered a message to Knapp. If he fucked with me again, I would erase his ass.”
“What did this Knapp do?” Mak asked darkly thinking if Tansy didn’t kill him than Mak would not have a problem with it.
“He denied it of course. He accused some lesser office junky of wanting to take his place and make him look bad. He is just an asshole to think I would believe that since not even he should have known about me,” Tansy snorted as she took a bite of her fish.
“Damn, but I’m a good cook sometimes,” she moaned as it hit her stomach. “Enough about me, though, I want to hear about you. Tell me about your world.”
Over the next hour, Mak described his home world to Tansy. He talked about his home in the mountains away from the city and the palace. He told her about some of the different worlds he had traveled to and the different species who inhabited those worlds. He explained how some were humanoid like the Prime and those from Earth and how others were not. Throughout the meal they laughed and joked. He liked seeing this side of Tansy. She was relaxed and the dark shadows in her eyes lightened at his tales of his and his brothers’ adventures as they were growing up. He talked about some of the different clans and the problems they had finding females who could be their bond mates. They had just finished cleaning the kitchen when the satellite phone in Mak’s pocket vibrated.
“Speak,” Mak said opening the phone.
“You and Tansy need to get out of there immediately,” Helene’s quiet voice came over the phone. “Take the Land Rover through the trail in the woods. It will take you over the mountain. There is a cave hidden in the side of the mountain just to the north of the fork in the road. Leave the Land Rover off to the side of the road and take the vehicle in the cave. Head north toward Ramenskoe, it is a little over 50 km from there. Natasha and I will meet you there. There is a small pub called Krylom. I have to go.”
Mak smothered a curse as he glanced at Tansy’s blank face. She was trying to shut him out. He slipped the satellite phone back in his pocket and reached for her hand, frowning at her when she pulled back a step.
“What is it?” She asked tightly.
“Helene says we need to leave immediately,” Mak replied tersely.
Tansy nodded pulling on her jacket over the sweater she was wearing. She pulled the dark cap out of the pocket of the jacket where she had stuck it earlier and quickly pulled her hair up into a bun and covered it. She walked over to the pantry. Pulling the hidden panel open, she grabbed several automatic pistols, an MT116 sniper rifle, and an AEK918G. She took several boxes of ammo as well before closing the panel. She turned just as Mak came back into the room strapping on a cross belt over his chest. He frowned when he saw the stag suddenly lurch into action and take off followed by the females. His mouth tightened.
“Get to the transport. I will follow you shortly,” he snarled in a low dangerous voice.
Tansy’s mouth flattened out. “Don’t get your ass killed. I’ll be really pissed at you if you do,” she said quietly before turning on her heel and moving to the door leading to the basement.
Mak’s smile turned from tender to savage. He would not be the one dying. He moved over to the window and peered out at the dark shapes. He had no problems seeing in the dimmer light of the woods. He moved into the living area and up the stairs. He would not wait for them to come to him.
Chapter 11
Tansy fought the urge to turn around and charge out of the house, guns blazing. She would do anything to protect the huge alien male who had captured her heart. She hadn’t admitted to him out loud that she loved his stupid, arrogant, ornery ass but he had heard her thoughts. She froze as she moved through the narrow tunnel lit only by a connected series of rope lighting. Their link…
Shit a gold brick! Tansy thought as it occurred to her they could use their link to take the sons-of-bitches out.
That seems like a very painful thing to do. I am not sure it is even possible, Mak’s serious reply sounded in her mind.
What do you think isn’t possible? Tansy asked in confusion as she walked toward the trap door in the shed.
‘Shitting a gold brick’. I do not think such as thing is physically possible, even for someone as large as myself, came the calm reply.
Tansy bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. He was going to get them both killed if he came up with comments like that at times like this. She was about to tell him that it was just an expression when his silent laugh echoed through her mind letting her know he had understood her meaning.
And the answer to your thoughts is ‘no’. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger. Stay out of sight until I can join you, Mak’s determined order came through loud and clear.
I seem to remember telling you I don’t take orders from anyone… ever. I’m going to circle around behind them, Tansy replied just as calmly as he had a moment ago. I’ll meet you in the middle.
I am going to whip your ass if you do, Mak growled out. You will do what I tell you.
Tansy chuckled before replying. Before you think of whipping my ass, may I remind you that you will have to go to sleep sometime in your life and I will be ready for that day.
Fine! But don’t think I won’t tell your mother what you are doing! Mak threatened in a dark voice.
You wouldn’t dare! Tansy hissed back but her footsteps slowed as she neared the end of the tunnel. Mak? You wouldn’t, would you? Not really? Mak? MAK!
Mak didn’t answer. He knew deep down that Tansy would do anything to spare her mother and father any grief. He was not above using that threat and following through with it if it kept her safe. She didn’t realize she was still weak from blood loss, was not thinking clearly from lack of sleep, and still run down from not having enough to eat for too long a period of time. He had seen the same thing in warriors back home during a time when their people had been at war. He had watched too many warriors fall to lesser adversaries because they had not had time or not stopped to regain their strength before entering a battle. He would not watch the same thing happen to his mate when he was able to prevent it.
You don’t fight fair, Tansy’s soft voice came through in reproach. But, I know you are right. I would be a liability right now, not an asset. Please be careful… for me.
Mak’s heart melted at the hesitant request at the end. He could feel the fear and pain behind the words. It wasn’t what she said but what she didn’t that he heard. She had lost someone she cared about before. It was that someone who put the shadows in her eyes.
Branson, Tansy’s soft voice whispered before it faded away.
*.*.*
Mak slipped into the master bedroom and moved toward the window that overlooked the front of the house. He watched from behind the curtains as two men came up out of the woods along the drive toward the front porch. He waited until he was sure they couldn’t see him before he quietly opened the window and stepped through it onto the roof over the porch. He crept silently down the slope of the roof waiting patiently as the men came up under him. He pulled his two short swords from the sheaths on his back, gripping them tightly. He would only have one chance to take them out without alerting the other men coming up in the woods behind the wood frame house. With practiced ease, he dropped down behind the men before they could even step up onto the porch, slicing through their backs into their hearts killing them instantly. He turned and sprinted for the woods before the bodies even had a chance to hit the ground.
He had counted four separ
ate shadows in the woods behind the house but suspected there might be more hidden. He focused for a split second on Tansy, making sure she was where she promised she would be. He did not want to take a chance of her being found.
I’m fine. Stay focused on what you are doing and don’t you dare shut me out or I will be the one doing the ass whipping, came her calm voice.
Mak bit back a grin that his mate would even dare to think of whipping him. He marveled at the fact she was so different from all the other females he had known. She was smaller, more fragile in many ways but yet seemed stronger and fearless in others.
I’ll show you fearless if you start thinking of other women, Tansy growled back. Now keep your head in the fucking game. I wasn’t kidding about being pissed if you got hurt.
Has anyone ever told you that you are very bossy? Mak asked as he moved into the darker shadows of the woods.
Bite me! Tansy snapped back.
With pleasure, Mak murmured as he entered the woods.
He knelt down, glancing around him as his eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. He listened carefully. There to the right, the slight sound of leaves being crushed. He rose and took off through the woods moving with the speed and skill of a Prime Warrior. He could see the shadow moving to the left of him. Jumping, he grabbed the branch of a tree about ten feet up and swung up landing on the thick limb with ease.
I can do that, Tansy murmured softly in his head.
There will be no need for you to have to once I get you to my home, Mak growled back darkly.
*.*.*
Tansy pulled back until she was just a shadow in Mak's mind. She would follow along with him in case he needed some assistance but she would not distract him. A shiver went through her at the dark promise in his voice. It disturbed her. She would cherish the time she had with him but there could never be anything permanent. His life was back in his world and hers was here. She had been thinking about her current assignment. Not all of the pieces were clear yet but the picture was beginning to form. She had been sold out. The only thing she needed to know was how far up the sale had gone. The first place she was going to start looking was back in Washington. A visit with Craig Knapp was in order. Perhaps it was time for Craig to discover just how well the government trained their operatives.