A sultry, satisfied chuckle pressed her breasts deeper into his chest. “No, Mikael. I have never felt better in my life.”
Chapter Seventeen
It was past midnight and they lay together in his bed, sweaty and replete after coming together yet again. Mikael was on his back with Mahoney’s head resting on his chest and her leg thrown over his. His breath had begun to deepen, signaling his body’s descent into sleep, but she was too wired to join him.
“Mikael?” she whispered, tracing circles through the dusting of hair on his chest.
He stirred at the sound of her voice and rolled over to pull her into his chest and flush against his body. “Yes, my sweet one?”
“I met your mother today,” she announced, smiling against his chest.
He hummed a sleepy noise and replied, “I assumed as much since your injuries were healed. Did my mina behave herself?”
She nodded her head. “Yes, of course. She was quite wonderful, actually. I was wondering, if you don’t mind my asking, why is her appearance so different from other T’Kalan females I have seen?
His hands moved over the dips and curves of her body while he answered. “That is because she is only half T’Kalan. Her mother, my gamma, is a human female from Earth.”
Mahoney’s head popped up to look him in the eyes in surprise. “What? How is that possible? And you said she is human, not was. She is still alive and living on T’Kala?”
His chest rumbled with laughter. “Of course she is, Katsuko. With the technological advances we gained through The Great Alliance, life spans have been greatly increased, most in part due to cellular regeneration through corrective treatment.”
“How did she get there? Did your grandfather kidnap her, too?” she asked, her voice full of indignation.
He smoothed his hand over her hair and replied, “Calm yourself, little warrior, and I will tell you her tale.” When she reluctantly laid her head back on his chest, he continued. “Humans have been abducted from your planet for thousands of years, and not just by my people. It has been a rarer occurrence of late, thanks to intervention from The Great Alliance, but it still happens from time to time by those willing to risk it. My gamdan was also a captain of a starship, and he had been forced to stop for refueling at a seedy planet known for black market trading. While he was purchasing supplies, he noticed that an illegal slave auction was in progress. His attention was captured by a spirited human female that was fighting her handler as he led her to the platform. Even in the midst of unfamiliar aliens and the threat of being sold as a slave, she cursed and fought like a wild vlarnek. He was immediately taken with her fiery spirit. Though it cost him most of his savings, he purchased the human and brought her back to T’Kala.”
Mahoney’s eyebrows lowered in consternation. “Did your grandfather give her the same deal you offered to me?”
His chest rose and fell with sigh. “As I have explained to you before, that is the law on my world. Whether a captive is taken or purchased, they must be returned to their home world at the end of a month if they so choose it. Thankfully, she did not choose to. My gamma is a wonderful woman and her pannekakers filled with zala berry jam will make you moan louder than I do,” he teased her.
She pinched his chest in payment before asking, “That sounds a lot like pancakes. What country on Earth does your grandmother hail from?”
“She was born and raised in a country called Norway. My siblings and I grew up at her knee listening to tales of the Norse gods and goddesses. My favorite tales were those about the Valkyries, choosers of the slain warriors in battle. They escorted their spirits to the halls of Valhalla where they would serve the warriors mead and help them prepare for Ragnarok. As you can imagine, these stories greatly appealed to a young boy eager to begin his warrior training,” he explained, his tone full of fond memories.
They were silent for a time, but Mikael spoke again, rousing Mahoney out of a pleasant drowse. “Speaking of warrior training, I would like to ask you something,” he announced cautiously.
Knowing she would fall asleep if she continued to snuggle against his warmth, she lifted her body to a sitting position. “What is it?” she asked, curious and suspicious at once.
With his arms now empty of her soft body, Mikael pulled them behind his head to brace himself up. “I was hoping that you would consider working with my warriors until you decide if you will stay or not. Your skills are new to us and we could greatly benefit from your instruction in matters of evasion and speed.”
Her eyebrows climbed up her forehead. “Really? Do you think they would be open to receiving training strategies from a woman? I’d be glad to help, as much as I’m able, but many of these techniques took me years to learn and to master. I’m still learning myself, especially when it comes to Krav Maga and Jui Jitsu.”
His lips twisted into a wry grin. “Since last eve, I have had no less than ten different warriors asking me when you will return for training. Some of the older warriors, like Zandar, may take more convincing, but the young ones are eager to learn and have been begging me for access to the Earth database so they may seek more information and training videos. It will keep them busy for the next 12 days until we arrive at T’Kala, and give them some time to learn new skills. Will you consider this, Katsuko?”
Her heart swelled with pride and excitement. From the moment she met Mikael, he had never belittled or doubted her skills as a honed fighter. His faith in her abilities and the trust he was bestowing on her to teach his warriors was humbling.
Grabbing his hand, she brought it to her mouth for a quick kiss. “I would be honored to work with them and train alongside them. Thank you for this opportunity, Mikael. It means the world to me.”
Reaching out to her, he dragged her down to his chest and bent his head for a fierce, passionate kiss. “It is you who do me the honor, Katsuko. However, I have some moves of my own that I could share with you now, if you like.”
Her eyes danced with amusement. “As you wish, my lord,” she purred before leaning back in for another taste of his lips.
Chapter Eighteen
The next week and a half flew by for Mahoney. When she wasn’t hanging out with Jessica and teaching her self-defense lessons, she was in the training room working with Mikael’s warriors. He had been right about the older warriors being reluctant to learn from her, but the younger ones were not only eager, but begged for individual lessons. With Felonia’s help, she arranged to have Jarvis scan at dozens of different demonstration videos from Earth’s internet and download the techniques into their android training bots. She began by focusing on katas and warm-up exercises for Wing Chun and Krav Maga, rightly guessing that the older warriors would be interested in the brutal Israeli martial art. Some of the warriors were even curious about learning tiger and dragon style Kung Fu, but she had explained that she had not studied those styles and would be of little use to them in their quest.
The warriors challenged her with each lesson, as well. Lieutenant Andreus, the warrior she had stabbed with the broom, introduced her to the T’Kalan art of knife throwing in exchange for lessons on using a bow staff. They quickly became unlikely friends and spent many hours tossing friendly insults as they traded blows with a staff, or hurled knives at a moving practice android. Even Zandar, her first sparring partner, reluctantly agreed to participate when she held a session on evasive maneuvers and counter-attacks with swords. She had made such progress with the warriors that few, if any, even looked at her with lustful eyes when she walked into the training area wearing her sports bra and training pants. Instead, they greeted her with friendly calls and ribald laughter, much as they did with one another.
Of course, the change in attitude had as much to do with their commander’s watchful eyes as it did with their growing respect for the female warrior. When he wasn’t needed on the bridge or for a briefing by one of his officers, he was there in the training room learning alongside his brethren. He took quickly to Krav Maga, and even seemed
to surpass Mahoney’s skills, as he devoured videos and manuals about the art. By the end of the first week, he had already destroyed half a dozen training bots before Mahoney called a halt and refused him the use of the remaining ones that she had earmarked for other training.
The nights, though, were spent in each other’s arms learning how to give each other ultimate pleasure. She thought that their passion would wane soon enough or that his company would lose its appeal, but the exact opposite was true. Even during the day, they would sneak away from the others for a hurried coupling in an empty meeting room or in his quarters. In the evening, they would spend hours talking about their childhoods, family, friends, and accomplishments while they lay in bed naked and illuminated by the stars. She also introduced him to Earth movies, starting with the Thor franchise in deference to his grandmother’s stories, and he was riveted by the action sequences.
One evening, she asked him to watch her favorite movie with her and he readily agreed. They snuggled on the bed and watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with a bowl of popcorn. He was politely interested at first, but when the fight scenes started, he sat up and took greater notice and peppered her with questions.
“Katsuko, can you do this flying over rooftops such as this girl?” he asked incredulously.
She laughed lightly and replied, “I wish! No, that’s all just clever special effects using wires and pulleys.”
An hour later, one of her favorite scenes was on where Jen, the wayward politician’s daughter, runs away and is approached by gangsters at an inn who are looking for a fight. By the time it was over, she had destroyed the inn and defeated dozens of colorfully named fighters with the powerful Green Destiny sword.
His eyes were dancing with merriment when he remarked, “She is very fierce. She reminds me of you when you first trounced my warriors and sent them complaining to the medical ward.”
He was amazed with the fight scene between the young girl and her female opponent, Shu Lien. With each new weapon that Shu Lien picked up, he became more engrossed and fired off questions about each one that was unfamiliar to him. He even ordered the computer to replay the scene several times before she convinced him to finish the movie. At its conclusion, he agreed that it was a wonderful entertainment movie, but was thoroughly disgusted with the hero’s lack of action in claiming the woman he loved until it was too late. When Mahoney tried to explain the Chinese code of honor and religious practices, he still was not convinced. “There is no honor in not fighting for the one you love,” he told her, his words cutting her with their double meaning.
She refused to think about how quickly time was passing before she had to go home. She was determined to make the best of her situation and enjoy what time she had with Mikael. There was no way that she could leave her entire life on Earth behind, not to mention her parents, for an existence on an unknown world with strange customs and people. What if she chose to stay and then her and Mikael drifted apart? What if he grew tired of her when the fascination with her fighting skills was no longer so intriguing? She couldn’t risk it; she couldn’t wager her entire life on such a gamble.
The evening before they were to land on T’Kala, Mahoney found herself in Jessica’s quarters. They worked together to pack up all the replicated clothing, toiletries, and accessories that she had accumulated over the two week journey. They chatted amiably about their experiences over the last few weeks and swapped gossip about the ship’s crew.
Jessica grew quiet when their packing was completed and nervously chewed her thumbnail. “Mahoney, do you ever think about what our family and friends are going through on Earth since our absence?” she blurted, her expressive blue eyes filled with anxiety.
Mahoney collapsed back onto Jessica’s bed and considered her answer carefully. “Honestly, I try not to think about it too much,” she confessed. “There’s nothing we can do to change our situation right now, and we will be returned to Earth at the end of our month. Hopefully, we will have a convincing cover story to account for where we’ve been.”
Jessica sucked her lip for a thoughtful moment. “Do you think the commander would let one of us send an email through Kitt for our parents? At least they would know that we’re alive and well and will return home soon.”
Mahoney smacked herself upside the head and exclaimed, “God! Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll talk to him about it tonight. If he refuses to allow it, then I can use some leverage against him.”
Jessica laughed lightly, but sobered again quickly. “You do realize that my month of captivity doesn’t even begin until we reach T’Kala, right?” Jessica clarified. “Mikael explained that since the king was the one who ordered me taken, that the law doesn’t go into effect until I’m actually under his protection physically.”
Mahoney’s eyes darkened, but she jerked her head in the affirmative. “Yes, Mikael explained that to me the day after our date. He had to make another trip to see his mother in the medical ward afterwards.”
Jessica grasped her friend’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “I want you to know that I won’t blame you if want to go back early. The commander has assured me that I’ll want for nothing and will be treated like royalty, so there’s no need for you to stay longer just because I have to.”
Mahoney sprang up into a sitting position and turned her friend to face her. “Jessica MacGregor, if you think for one minute that I will leave you behind, then you don’t know me as well as I thought you did. I will not leave you alone on a strange planet among beings you don’t know. I will be right there beside you every step of the way and watching your back. That’s what friends do for each other.”
Hot, salty tears streamed down the young woman’s face and she threw her arms around Mahoney for an impromptu hug. “Thank you, Mahoney. I am so sorry that you got dragged into this because of me, but I don’t know how I would have survived this without you.”
Mahoney patted her back awkwardly, making soothing noises until her friend calmed and her tears dried. As was usual for the mercurial redhead, though, she was smiling and teasing her friend mercilessly about her and the commander within minutes of blowing her nose.
“Who would have thought that big, bad Mahoney would finally meet her match with an alien, of all things?” she crowed. “If someone had told me a month ago that you would be in a relationship with a muscled warrior from outer space, I would have called Bruce to escort them from the property!”
Mahoney frowned as she picked up Jessica’s bags to move them closer to the door for a crew member to pick up. “We aren’t in a relationship,” she scowled.
Jessica’s deep auburn eyebrow arched at her tone. “Oh, really? What do you call it when you spend all your time with someone fighting during the day, and having hot monkey sex at night?”
“Stockholm Syndrome,” Mahoney snapped.
“Riiiight,” her friend drawled. “You may be able to fool yourself, but you can’t fool me, or the rest of the crew for that matter. That man is head over heels in love with you, and you’re not that far behind him. Even the crew has noticed the change in him since you boarded. They say they’ve never seen him laugh until you came along and he smiles all the time. His mom is amazed by the change in him and says that she hasn’t seen him this happy since his father died. That’s all because of you, Mahoney.”
The athletic woman shifted her feet and fidgeted nervously. “It’s all because of the regular sex he’s been getting, nothing more. You can’t fall in love with someone in less than two weeks’ time. It’s ridiculous. He only wants me to stay because he’s fascinated by a woman that knows how to fight. The novelty will wear off eventually, and then where would I be? Stuck on a strange planet with no family, no friends, and no way to get back home. Fuck. That.”
Jessica studied her shrewdly. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much. I’ve been watching you with him, too, you know. You get this sparkle in your eyes when he walks into a room and your face softens with a smile when he speaks to you. Not to menti
on that you two spend so much time with your legs wrapped around his waist that I’m surprised that you aren’t walking bow-legged. Why do you think that you can just up and walk away from all that without even a memory to keep you warm at night?”
Mahoney’s face hardened into determined lines. “Because I don’t have a choice.”
Chapter Nineteen
Her conversation with Jessica haunted her all the way back to Mikael’s quarters. She had given up all pretense of keeping her own room days ago and he was more than thrilled to have her in his bed every night. Now that she had heard what Jessica had to say, though, she wasn’t so sure it was a good idea anymore. The closer she got to him, the harder it would be for both of them to say goodbye when the time came. And it would come, she had no doubt about that. She didn’t belong here, and these weren’t her people. Real life was not a fairytale, and no one knew that better than Mahoney. She had traveled the world as an Army brat first, and a competitor and stuntwoman after that. She had seen enough of life to know that happy endings didn’t exist, and even the couples that remained together had to work hard and struggle just to make it through life together without divorcing or ending up hating each other.
Even her own parents, though they were still married, had been through hell together. The constant moving and being away from her native country had made her mother resentful and bitter. Her parents had fought constantly, when he was actually home on leave, and teetered on the brink of divorce for years. It wasn’t until he retired from the service and agreed to move back to Japan with her mother that their lives had gained some measure of peace. She didn’t see them often, usually about twice a year, but she kept in contact with them regularly through phone calls and email. While she loved her parents dearly, she wasn’t especially close to them thanks to the years of her father’s absence while serving on active duty and her mother’s vocal disapproval over her only daughter’s desire to learn to fight, and later, her career path as a stunt double.
Fighting Chance Page 10