Rescued by the Cyborg

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “You said I could put a garden out back, right? If we can get anything to grow in planters?”

  He nodded.

  “Then what if I helped other people do the same thing? Maybe they’ll like our garden so much they’ll want one of their own. If everyone is busy working, they won’t have time to set up a garden. But I could do it for them, as long as the plants and dirt were provided for me.”

  She looked so hopeful he didn’t want to tell her no right away. But the decision wasn’t really his to make. It would be up to the commanders if she would be allowed to have a job, and what that job would be. Setting up gardens for people seemed like a simple enough task, if their garden worked out. If the plants couldn’t survive out of the ground, though, it would be a wasted effort, as the areas around their homes had little grass and were mostly rock.

  “We need to see if our garden thrives before you ask if anyone else wants one,” Lathim said. “In a few weeks, we should know if the plants will make it. If they do, we can present your idea to the commanders.”

  “You’ll request the planters I need? And the plants?” she asked.

  “I’ll request both.”

  She smiled and let him lead her out of the house and toward the market. Many of his people waved as they walked past, but none asked for an introduction. By now, they all knew who Maggie was, even if she didn’t know their names. He wanted her to be comfortable in her new home, but if he introduced her to every cyborg they passed, they would never reach the market.

  Telfir stopped them, waving at them with a huge smile. “Lathim, this is your enchanting mate?”

  “Telfir, this is Maggie. Maggie, Telfir is one of my best friends. If I’m not around and you need something, look for Telfir.”

  She smiled and waved at Telfir shyly. “Hi.”

  “Many have wondered if you would show her around today. They were placing bets on how long you would keep her locked in your bedroom,” Telfir said with a good-natured laugh.

  Maggie’s cheeks flushed and Lathim held her closer.

  “Maggie wished to explore her new home. She asked about the market so I thought we’d go there today,” Lathim said.

  “I believe that Balize and Skronle were setting some items aside for your mate, in case she wanted them for your home.” Telfir smiled. “I’d enjoy sharing a meal with the two of you sometime. After Maggie is more settled.”

  “It was nice meeting you,” Maggie said softly.

  “It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Maggie,” Telfir said.

  Lathim guided his mate toward the market, curious what his fellow cyborgs had set aside for her. He liked that everyone was trying to make her feel more at home, and he hoped she appreciated their efforts. The marketplace was bustling when they reached the center of the base. There were tables set up with food, some set with goods, and a third table that was nearly overflowing with miscellaneous items that looked like they mostly came from Earth.

  Balize smiled in greeting. “We’ve been putting things aside for your mate. Others have helped. We thought she might like first choice of anything from Earth. We were going to offer Rorwick’s mate the same, but she isn’t awake yet. The medics are treating her now.”

  “Jillian hasn’t woken?” Maggie asked, her brow furrowed. “Shouldn’t she have woken up by now? Was she sicker than you thought?”

  Balize shrugged. “The medics will determine what’s to be done. I’m sure they will take very good care of her. Rorwick called them in first thing this morning. Although, I worry how Rorwick will handle it if she never wakes up. It’s possible she was too far gone when you rescued her.”

  Balize motioned to the table of human items. “Please pick whatever you want, Maggie. And if there are things you like on the other tables, you may select from those too. We want you to be happy here.”

  Maggie smiled at him and began browsing the items. She selected a few small things from her world and then a Kesphan blanket and an Urian wrap. She fingered the tunics from Kalibras but moved past them. When she’d finished making her selection, Lathim picked up a few fruits to keep at the house in case she wanted a snack. Then he arranged to have the items delivered to his home. He carried the fruits with him in a canvas sack Balize provided.

  Lathim pointed out a few other buildings before they went back home, but Maggie seemed restless. When they entered their home, she sat down and stared out at the garden, or where her garden would go. There was a viewing screen across from her, but she hadn’t asked for entertainment. When he’d mentioned he was bringing home a human, he’d been informed they would download as many videos from her world as possible, to help her feel more at home.

  “Would you like to watch something?” Lathim asked. “We have videos from your world.”

  Her gaze was curious as she looked at him. “Like what?”

  He connected to the viewing screen and pulled up something called a movie. From what he understood, they were meant to entertain humans, like the sex videos they’d discovered. Except they’d thought they were for instructional use. He was glad that Maggie had told him otherwise before his fellow cyborgs used those tactics on other humans as a way to lure them to their beds. He’d passed the word along, especially to those leaving on missions.

  Her eyes lit up when she saw the movie on the screen. There were others, but he didn’t know anything about them. This one seemed to be magical children and weird beasts. Maggie was delighted with the selection and curled up amongst the pillows. Lathim eased down next to her to watch it. While he didn’t understand most of what was happening, he found it entertaining just the same.

  “Do you have others?” she asked when it went off.

  “Many others. The computer can control the viewing screen, so if you wish to see something and I’m not home, simply request a movie to play.” He frowned. “I don’t know that they’re all in your Earth English though. Being a world of many languages, it’s possible some you wouldn’t understand.”

  Maggie nodded.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. “I have fruit, or I could make the afternoon meal for us.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready for lunch yet. I’m still pretty full from breakfast.”

  “Another movie then?”

  “What do you do when you’re here alone?” she asked.

  “I mostly work, even when I’m on my home planet.”

  “I meant here in the house,” Maggie said.

  He felt his cheeks warm. “I used to pleasure myself instead of using the sex bots. I got tired of them.”

  Maggie bit her lip but it looked like she was trying not to smile. He didn’t understand why that would amuse her. Maggie moved closer to him, placing her hand on his thigh. His cock jumped at the contact, and he wished they didn’t have clothes separating them. Was she trying to tell him that she was ready to go back to bed? Was she not tender from last night?

  Maggie slowly unfastened his pants before reaching inside to stroke his cock. He hissed in a breath at the contact of her small, soft hand against his hard shaft. Lathim wanted to reach for her, to strip her bare and lavish attention on her, but he held back, not knowing what she wanted from him. Her hand on his cock gave him an idea, but what if she was just playing and didn’t intend to follow through? She was bound to be curious, and he would let her explore his body as much as she wanted.

  Maggie pulled at his pants until he lifted his hips and helped her slide them down. They pooled around his boots, not letting him spread his legs very far. He tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, giving her as much access to his body as possible without stripping completely bare. Her hands were warm and soft as they coasted over his skin. His cock pulsed in time with his heartbeat, a bit of pre-cum beading on the tip.

  She reached for him again, but hesitated.

  “You can touch me wherever you want,” Lathim said.

  Her cheeks warmed as her hand closed around his cock again, giving it a slow stroke. Maggie licked her lips and with her
gaze fastened on his, she leaned forward and flicked her tongue against the head of his cock. He fought to remain still as she explored his length with her lips and tongue, teasing him.

  Her lips closed around him, sliding down his shaft, as her tongue flicked along the underside of his cock. Lathim groaned and fisted his hands at his sides to keep from reaching for her. He let Maggie taste and explore as much as she wanted, his need growing with every suck, and every sweep of her tongue. His transmitters willed his cock into submission, but the harder she sucked, the closer he was to exploding in her sweet mouth, his body ignoring his commands.

  “Maggie, if you don’t stop, I’m going to come,” he warned. “I can’t hold on much longer.”

  Her cheeks hollowed as she sucked him harder than before and with a cry, his hips bucked and he came, filling her mouth with his cum. Maggie drank it down and then licked her lips as she stared at him. His breaths came out ragged and harsh as he reached for her, smoothing her cheek with his fingertips. No one had ever done that for him before, except the sex bots, and he didn’t count those. He reached for Maggie, pulling her down onto his lap and kissing her fiercely. Already, his cock was hardening again, eager to be inside of her, if she’d allow it. She might be his mate, but he would never force himself on her. If she accepted him into her body, it would be because she wanted him as much as he wanted her, and never because he’d forced her to take him.

  “I want you, Maggie, but tell me and this stops right now.”

  “I want you too,” she said softly before pressing her lips to his once more.

  Lathim kicked off his boots and pants, then rose, lifting Maggie into his arms. He carried her through their home and to their bedroom, where he eased her down on the soft bedding. She had on too many damn clothes and it took him only minutes to strip her bare, tossing her boots and clothes onto the floor. The curls between her legs were already damp with desire, and he groaned, needing to feel her wet heat wrapped around him.

  “I want to go slow, to make it wonderful for you,” he said, as he leaned down to kiss her again.

  “I don’t want slow,” she said.

  “Maggie… you don’t know what you’re asking for. You should tell me to be careful with you, to take my time. You should remind me that you’re fragile.”

  She snorted. “I’m not fragile, Lathim. I managed to escape the pirates on my dad’s ship. If I were some delicate flower, I’d have been screaming for help while they did whatever the hell they wanted to me. Instead, I fought back and I got away.”

  “And I’m grateful for that,” Lathim said. “But compared to my people, compared to the sex bots I’ve been using, you are fragile. I love that you fought back against the pirates, and I’m glad you remained safe until I found you, but you deserve to be treated with the utmost care.”

  “Lathim?”

  “What is it, my precious mate?”

  She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down. “If you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to take care of myself.”

  His eyes widened at her coarse language and the image of her pleasuring herself. It was something he wouldn’t mind seeing in the future, but not right now. No, right now he wanted inside of her, desperately. Her hips cradled his as his body settled over her and with one sure thrust, he entered her. Maggie gasped and her nails bit into his shoulders. Lathim groaned from the sheer pleasure of being inside of her.

  “Let me know if I hurt you,” Lathim said.

  Maggie nodded, looking up at him with complete trust. The way she so easily placed herself in his care humbled him, and made him even more grateful that she was his. He’d always dreamed of a mate, and now he had the perfect one. Lathim drew back and slammed his hips forward, entering her hard and deep. Maggie cried out, but her eyes were glazed with pleasure and not pain.

  He took her hard and fast, their bodies slapping together. He surged inside of her, only to pull back and slam home again. His grip on his control was slipping, his release getting closer and closer. Maggie gripped him tight, her channel pulsing around his shaft. She cried out as the wet heat of her orgasm slicked his cock even more. Lathim growled and let loose of his control, snarling as he powered into her, driving every bit of his cum as deep as it would go. Despite Maggie’s talk of waiting for babies, he couldn’t wait to see her round with their child.

  He thrust deep one last time and pressed tight against her. Maggie lay panting for breath under him, her skin dewy with sweat. Her hands absently stroked his arms, almost as if she were petting him. Lathim pressed a kiss to her lips before rolling and taking her with him. Their bodies still joined, he wrapped his arms around her and just held her close. As much as he didn’t want to tell her the truth, he couldn’t keep it from her any longer. She needed to know they might have created a baby. It wasn’t right for him to keep something like from her, no matter how much he wanted her.

  “Maggie, I need to tell you something,” he said.

  She cuddled closer. “Is it bad news?”

  He hesitated.

  “You paused which means it could be bad news,” she said. “I don’t want to ruin the mood.”

  “But it’s important,” he said. “I should have told you before now.”

  Maggie sighed and looked up at him. “Then tell me now and get it out of the way.”

  “Remember when I said I was going to get the injection that prohibits sperm production?” he asked.

  She bolted upright. “You lied to me?”

  “Not exactly. I did go to get the injection, but the medic wouldn’t give it to me. He said there was still some serum in my system and he didn’t want to double dose me. There’s a slight chance I could get your pregnant anytime between now and when my next injection is due.”

  “You had to have known that before we had sex for the first time,” she said.

  “I did. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It was wrong of me, and…”

  Her hand cracked across his cheek. Lathim worked his jaw to make sure she hadn’t broken anything, then reached for her hand to make sure she hadn’t injured herself. Her palm was red and her fingers looked a little puffy. She tried to pull away from him.

  “Maggie, stop. My bones are made of metal and you could have broken your hand.”

  She stilled and let him examine her hand, but she glared at him the entire time. When he finished examining her fingers, she ripped her hand out of his and stormed into the bathroom. He heard the water turn on a minute later and he sighed, realizing he’d screwed up. He should have told her from the beginning that he couldn’t get the injection, but he hadn’t and now he’d have to pay the price. He only hoped she wasn’t mad enough to renounce their mating and find another bed to warm.

  Despite their short amount of time together, he truly did care for her. He just hadn’t been thinking when he’d kept the truth from her. He’d known it was wrong and yet he’d done it anyway. It wasn’t a logical thing to do and he had to wonder if maybe his circuits were malfunctioning. He did a quick assessment of his systems and determined that everything seemed to be in proper working order. It had been a very illogical, male response to mate with her and not tell her there could be consequences, because he’d known she would probably tell him to wait. And he hadn’t wanted to. Perhaps if Liroz hadn’t told him to lie… No, he couldn’t completely blame Liroz. He’d gone along with it.

  What was that human term he’d heard before? Asshole. Yeah, he was an asshole, and he needed to make it up to her somehow. Lathim pulled on his clothes and hesitated only a moment before leaving. It was obvious his mate didn’t want to speak to him right now, and he didn’t blame her. He linked to the base’s main computer to access the human files that had been downloaded once he’d notified them two human women were coming to Xpashta. He scanned through them, hoping to find something about how to soothe his mate’s hurt feelings, and came up empty.

  He changed course and went to Rorwick’s home, hoping that perhaps Jillian had woken and mi
ght be of some help. He rang the chime outside Rorwick’s home and waited for his friend to answer. The scowl on Rorwick’s face told him that he’d come at a bad time, but he was desperate to win his mate’s affection once more. He’d thought they were growing close, before he’d gone and ruined it.

  “Is Jillian awake?” Lathim asked.

  Rorwick snorted. “She’s awake. If your mate wants to visit, now might not be a good time.”

  “I was actually hoping that Jillian could help me with something. I made a mistake with Maggie and I don’t know how to fix it. None of the files we’ve downloaded were any help.”

  Rorwick stepped back. “You can see if she’ll talk to you. So far, she just likes throwing things at my head.”

  Maybe it was a good thing he hadn’t brought Maggie to visit. She may have decided to follow Jillian’s example and thrown things at him when he made her mad today. As it was, her angry glares were bad enough. Rorwick motioned for Lathim to follow him and he led him straight to Jillian.

  “You’re back?” a sharp voice said. “If you’re hoping I’m out of things to throw, guess again.”

  Something shattered against the wall and Rorwick winced. “I brought company. Remember that I told you one of your kind mated one of my kind? He’s come to talk to you about his human mate.”

  Jillian snorted. “Like I want to help any of you assholes.”

  Lathim stepped into the room and noticed how pale Jillian was. She might be well enough to throw things, but it was obvious she was not at full strength yet. He decided to keep his visit short so he wouldn’t tax her any more than necessary. She eyed him with a hostile gaze and he settled on the stool across from her.

  “My name is Lathim, and I’m afraid I’ve done something very wrong and I don’t know how to fix it.”

  “So, your mate’s pissed at you too?” Jillian asked. “Good. Serves you assholes right for kidnapping human women.”

  “I didn’t kidnap Maggie.”