by Viola Grace
“Yes. It will take a few weeks to determine the effects of our particular blend of genes, but once we find out how many offspring we are allowed, we can make plans for the future.”
She sighed and relaxed in his arms.
It took a few minutes, and he chuckled. “You are locked up, aren’t you?”
She snorted. “Yes. Could you help me to the massage unit?”
“I will help you.” He eased to the edge of the couch, and with his hands on her hips, he leaned forward and stood up.
Her head spun a little as he walked her into the bedroom and he continued to casually wear her as he lowered the massage bench before settling her on it and withdrawing his cock from inside her.
She blushed at the rush of fluid that left her, and her body bemoaned the heat that she had been stealing from him.
He winked and left her for a moment, returning with wraps that he placed over her and under her. She blinked when she was lifted out of the way, but the fabric was warm and snuggly. He eased her limbs straight and smiled. “Now, I am going to give you a rub down and try to work out some of the strain you put on yourself earlier today.”
“The machine can do it.”
“The machine can’t find the joints and ligaments that you used because it wasn’t watching.”
He left and returned from the bathroom with a bottle of oil. The wrap on her was warming, and she looked down at it. “Why is this wrap warm?”
“It is designed for this purpose. Believe it or not, Rrassic need rubdowns as well. The heat helps our muscles, just like it does yours.”
She nodded, and he folded the wrap up to her waist then he rubbed his hands with the oil. He slicked her up and then began to do long pulls on the front of her thighs.
She grunted as the muscle groups were worked on over the next hour and a half. Niiva had never had a massage so thorough, nor one that had given as much attention to her ass. He had begun on her butt when she flipped over, and he kept returning to it and the curve between waist and hip.
She was exhausted and sweaty, but she asked, “Are you just taking care of your favourite parts?”
He chuckled. “Your figure sends my senses reeling. I love the feel of your hips and the resilience of your flesh under my hands.”
She was going to be bruised from the massage. That much she was aware of. There was no way that the pummelling she had gotten wouldn’t leave a mark, and the massage had been thorough as well.
Chapter Nine
It took all week, but she finally began to make progress on the simulator. It had stopped dying, so that was definitely a good thing.
Niiva stood over the simulation of a Zjin-Rrassic, and it was on the ground, unconscious.
“Match to Niiva. No fatalities.” The computer spoke calmly.
Argo rushed up to her and hugged her. “Well done, Niiva!”
She sighed and removed the wraps from her hands behind his back. “Session concluded.”
The solid projection of the Rrassic opponent was removed.
Applause started from around the edges of the workout arena.
She glanced at the men who had watched her learn how to fight in Rrassic style, and then, she looked up at her mate. “I am very glad that I got the hang of this. I was tired of smashing them.”
He kissed her in front of the watchers without concern. “I know, pet. On the plus side, you have two days off coming.”
She grinned. “I know. Do you?”
He chuckled. “I do. So, what would you like to do?”
A cleared throat near them made her turn her head. Lianne and Sorrok were standing together.
“If you have finished dispatching your opponent, I need to continue my training. I envy you your strength. I just have chronic irritation on my side.” Lianne winked.
Sorrok chuckled. “She really does. It is amazing. It can flare up at any time and burn for hours.”
Lianne elbowed him in the ribs.
“See?” Sorrok’s grin belied his aggrieved tone.
Lianne sighed. “Come on.” She stalked onto the mat with her hands wrapped and her posture indicating that she was in the mood to fight someone.
Sorrok grinned and went to fight with his mate. Lianne was still working toward subduing her mate.
Argo kept his arm around her and walked her back to the changing area. “The computer is registering your capability; now, you need to work on your knowledge of laws governing Imrahl.”
She groaned. “There are so many.”
“I know, and I can’t help you with this. You have passed the physical requirements of the peacekeeper position. Now, you have to work on the legal portion. I have confidence in your intelligence.”
She exhaled sharply and stalked into the ladies’ change area. Education was not her strength. She had gotten through life being enthusiastic and buxom. She wasn’t unintelligent, but learning didn’t come easily.
This was a mountain of work, and she was going to have to find a way to work around her normal thought patterns.
Niiva was excited. She had never been to one of the concerts in the park before.
Argo was carrying a basket in the hand that wasn’t holding hers, and he was shaking his head. “I can’t believe that you haven’t been to one of these events before.”
“I was busy or asleep in my quarters.” She shrugged and looked around at the groups of women gathered on the greens. There were about three hundred women out on their day off, six hundred Rrassic were waiting, and when the ladies picked their spots, the Rrassic moved to settle in between them.
She giggled. “Wow. They are really persistent.”
He walked her to an open spot near a tree and flicked open the blanket. “They need to be. You know what is at stake.”
She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Yes, I read up on Rrassic history last night, as you know. Lianne said that Sorrok showed her vids.”
“I bet he did,” Argo growled, and he set their picnic to one side while he sat and held his hand out to her. “Come on.”
She was wearing one of her new outfits, and while it wasn’t a ballgown, it was a pair of boots and a wrap dress. It exaggerated her figure ridiculously, but Argo stopped talking whenever he saw it. She made sure she wasn’t going to get it dirty before she crouched and settled against her chosen mate.
He leaned back against the tree, and she settled against him, kissing him occasionally when he leaned toward her.
Some of the humans in their area were glaring at her, and she simply smiled and ran her hand down Argo’s thigh. Their blush and averted eyes were enough of a result.
“Don’t tease them, Niiva.”
She chuckled. “I am just giving their minds another path to follow.”
He sighed. “Fine, then don’t tease me.”
She looked down, and her hand was so far up his thigh she could feel the ridge of his erection. “Oops. Sorry.”
She got up and shifted her position to sit across his thighs. “There. Better?”
He wrapped one arm around her hip and slid the other into the fold of her dress until he touched skin. “Much.”
The concert began, and the alien songstresses sent their voices soaring through the crowd and wrapping around their minds.
Niiva watched as the gathered folk looked at the stage with hypnotic fascination. “What the heck? It sounds nice, but it isn’t something I would fixate on.”
Argo lowered his head until his lips were against her ear, and he explained the purpose of the concerts.
Limura singers activated the libido in both humans and Rrassic. The concerts were designed to get more physical interaction between the two species.
She whispered for his ears only. “So, why isn’t it working on me?”
His hand moved under her dress, and he cupped her breast. “Isn’t it?”
She chuckled. “It really isn’t.”
“Ah, you are always in that state. There is no repression to work with.”
She nodde
d and leaned up to kiss him as the songs swirled out and left her behind. Ah well, they were still lovely to listen to.
Niiva cuddled with Argo while the attendants of the concert filed out. They had finished their picnic during intermission, but sitting in his lap had been the best seat in the house, so she was still on his lap when they found themselves nearly alone.
Niiva smiled and got to her feet, freeing Argo. She watched him bend over and admired the view.
When he had tidied it all up and they turned to leave, a group of a half-dozen Rrassic moved to block their way. There was a girl with a dazed expression being held up between a Luthin and Zjin-Rrassic, and that looked suspicious. The Luthin didn’t tend to go for group scenes.
Niiva blinked, and Argo moved to her side.
One of the Regiz called out. “You are not taking care of your mate, brother. I can smell her heat from here.”
Niiva frowned. “Rude.”
Argo spoke softly. “As you stated, she is my mate. You have no say in what we do or don’t do.”
Niiva looked at the men and took in their stance, their mixed grouping, and finally, she looked for their ident bands. She glanced at Argo. He nodded slightly. He had seen what she had.
Argo followed up with, “Just as I have no say over what she does.”
With that sentence, she knew he was encouraging her to do whatever it took.
She took a few steps toward the men. “Why are her pupils dilated, and why are you holding her up?”
“Why do you have the aura of a woman in heat?” The Regiz moved toward her.
Two of the men were moving toward Argo, and two were backing up the friend that was coming for her.
“Oh, that? That is natural. It is just part of the joy of being me.”
She felt the air change behind her. A Luthin must be ambushing her. She pulled out a memory of a bar fight and focused on getting out of this in one piece, her mate alive, with the lady who had definitely been drugged.
Niiva might not be a peacekeeper yet, but there was no time like the present to practice.
Time slowed, and hands grabbed her from behind, lifting her off her feet. The Regiz in front of her flicked out a hypo, and that was not something that Niiva was interested in.
She kicked back at the Luthin with all her strength and felt his knee go sideways. The wet popping sound came after the impact.
He dropped, and she ducked under the arm of the Regiz, snapping her hand upward. She pulled her hit enough that she was pretty sure she hadn’t broken his neck.
The two men behind him grabbed at her while their companion dropped. They were two feet away from her when there was a rush of Hunters from every shadow.
Argo yelled out, “Niiva, hold. Don’t hurt them.”
She backed away from the men and ran to intercept the two who were escaping with their prisoner. They stuffed her into a small vehicle and took off.
Grabbing one of the cycles that appeared to have been waiting for one of the kidnappers, she fired it up and took off after the vehicle, not letting it out of her view.
She shot past them and cut them off, dropping the cycle in front of their vehicle before jumping to safety.
The vehicle struck the cycle and careened into a storefront. Niiva approached the vehicle, and hands grabbed her again. A hypo hissed against her neck, and she went down.
* * * *
Argo clutched his side and moved to follow his mate. They were going to try and get her off world if they could subdue her.
“Go to medical, Argo. We have already shut down the portal. Your mate won’t be taken anywhere.” Heronik helped him to his feet.
“No, you don’t understand what she is. I have to get to her.”
Heronik caught him. “She will be fine. The men were right on her tail.”
“This feels wrong. I have to go after her.” He got up and staggered.
Heronik sighed. “Fine. Guys, a little help.”
Argo felt his side burn as he was supported to a vehicle, and they followed the path that Niiva had taken.
The ditched cycle was twisted and warped, but the vehicle in the building showed them why.
“See? No one got away.”
The human woman inside the vehicle groaned and clutched her head. The Zjin at her side was bleeding badly, and the Luthin driver appeared to have not survived the crash.
The woman called out. “I need to get out of here. She’s still nearby, but she can’t talk.”
Argo grunted and staggered out of the vehicle. “You saw her?”
“No, but she is here. She is close. She needs help.”
He nodded and saw the far-off look in her eyes. He had seen that once before, and while he didn’t think humans had Trackers, he wasn’t about to argue. “Where? Show me.”
The other Hunters argued with him, but he walked with the swaying woman, and she took him down an alley with six men in tow.
The edge of Niiva’s boot was behind a stack of boxes. The woman went quiet, and she pointed.
There was a rush as the Hunters followed the silent command, and when the Luthin was subdued, one of the Regiz carried an unconscious Niiva out from the spot behind the boxes. Argo’s knees buckled.
“Is she all right?”
“She is. She has been given a paralytic.”
The woman next to Argo nodded. “That is why I could hear her. She was screaming.”
Heronik cleared his throat. “You were right; now, let’s get your knowledgeable ass over to the medical centre. You are bleeding out.”
Argo watched his mate carried off and surrendered to his friend and the other Hunters’ assistance. The human woman was walking with one of the others, and Argo was content to have Niiva near him as they were transported to the med centre so she could wake up and he could make it through the night.
This was not a proper first date from what he had learned about human mating behaviours, but Niiva did seem to do her own thing with alarming regularity.
He had better work on his own combat training if he was going to keep up with his mate.
Chapter Ten
Niiva came out of the sedation with a gasp. She bolted upright, but the medic next to her held her to the bed.
“Stay still, Peacekeeper Niiva. The medication they gave you was a little unusual.”
The woman at the side of the bed was familiar. “He isn’t kidding. That shit was nasty.”
Niiva looked over at her, and she blinked. “You were the one that they were holding.”
“Yeah. I was also the one in the car you crashed. Nice work, by the way.” The woman touched the bruise on her forehead.
“Can’t they fix that?” Niiva eased herself to a sitting position, pausing as her head spun.
The medic muttered and gave her a hypo that helped her head clear slightly. “But stay in bed. When your mate has finished his treatment, I will send him in.”
She went cold. “Treatment?”
“Yes, he was injured in the sting operation yesterday.” The medic offered the information casually.
“Wait, it was a sting?”
She was seething, and the woman next to her reached out and patted her hand. “Calm down, Niiva. You are cursing really loudly.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
The woman smiled. “I know. Seriously. Argo is fine. I can feel him through your connection. He is irritated and worried about you and also worried that you are going to start looking for another mate with one of the guys here in the med centre.”
“How do you know all this?”
The woman smiled and shrugged. “I have no idea. My brain just came online two days ago. One day I was working at a delivery service, and the next, I was hearing thoughts at close range.”
“You are kidding.”
“I wish I was. It really sucks.” The woman smirked and then blinked. “Oh, right. Sorry. I am Sarah Wilkerson.”
Niiva was taken aback. She had been wondering who the woman was, and now, she h
ad the answer.
“Argo is on his way here, so I should leave you two alone.” Sarah got to her feet with a smile.
“Wait, are you going to the Breeders compound?”
Sarah shrugged. “I don’t know. I am not receptive, I am just telepathic. They are going to have to find somewhere to keep me.”
Niiva’s eyes widened. “How much of my mind did you read?”
“Oh, I knew that part already. I walked past the overseer and his mate, and she was concerned about more of the humans waking to the realization. I am cool with it, and it does explain the change from the mild empathy that I remember to this.” She tapped her forehead.
Sarah winked. “I will see you later. I am fairly sure of it.”
“Thank you, it was nice to wake up to a familiar face, Sarah.”
“It wasn’t a problem. You were so concerned about my survival that I thought you should see that your actions had a positive result. I will see you soon, Peacekeeper Niiva. I am sure of it.”
Sarah left the room, and through the frosted wall, Niiva saw two guards take up position on either side of her while two more positioned themselves outside Niiva’s room.
Niiva waited, and in twenty heartbeats, Argo walked in. He looked drawn and pale under his golden hide, but aside from the bloody gash on his side, he looked fine.
Niiva extended her hand out to him, and he walked to her, bowing carefully, turning her hand over and placing a kiss in her palm. “You are awake.”
The medic at her side sighed. “And she is refusing the bedrest that she needs. Her physiology did not agree with that paralytic. She will be dizzy and lightheaded for a few days.”
“How long do you need her here?” Argo was serious.
The medic looked at him. “At least overnight.”
“Is there a larger bed?”
Niiva caught on and turned to her side, scooting to one edge of the bed that had been sized for a prone Rrassic. “Hop on carefully, Argo.”
The bed moved slightly, and her mate wrapped himself around her.
“Were you badly injured?” She pulled his arm around her waist and held his hand.