Their Defiant Human

by Ivy Barrett

  She nodded, scrambling for a stall tactic or a demand that would make her easier to find. One thing was certain. She would do nothing to help this man. From her government’s betrayal, to her spiked libido, the Protarians were behind it all.

  Don’t react to my voice. No one else can hear me.

  Mal Ton! Thank god. She pressed her lips together and consciously kept her expression from reflecting her relief.

  If you can hear me, ask for a glass of water.

  “May I have something to drink?”

  “Of course. Nehalem, find Ms. Raynier a suitable beverage.” With a stiff nod, the other woman left the room. Howyn rubbed the bridge of his nose. “My research team is anxious to move forward but we have a slight complication.”

  “RENA is in the lab on Stilox.” And without her stabilizing compound, she was just another scientist.

  Don’t be afraid. You’re not alone.

  Howyn nodded. “Action is being taken to rectify this complication, but—”

  The door burst open and four black-garbed soldiers barged into the room. Andrea automatically dropped to her knees and covered her head with her hands.

  “So much as twitch and you’re dead,” one of the soldiers snapped.

  Andrea had no idea who the threat was meant for and she didn’t raise her head to find out. Her heart beat frantically as she waited for the other shoe to drop. Was this what Mal Ton had meant or was she being kidnapped yet again?

  Gentle fingers curled around her upper arm and the same voice asked, “Are you all right, ma’am?”

  Unable to force a verbal response past her dry throat, she managed a shaky nod. He pulled with progressively more pressure until she looked up. Amber eyes glowed all around her, the only feature visible behind their black masks. The mutant cavalry? Two had conventional weapons but one stood on either side of Keller encasing him in an energy field.

  “We have to move,” the leader said. He helped her to her feet and they started for the door. One of his men fell in behind her while the other two poured energy into Keller’s containment field. They made it to the door before she remembered the extractor.

  “Wait! I have to do this before we leave.”

  “There’s no time,” the leader insisted.

  “There’s no point in any of this, if I don’t take time.” She rushed back to the chancellor, her escorts at her side. “Hold out your arm.”

  “What is that?” he demanded.

  “Your peace offering. Hold out your arm or they’ll shoot out your knees.” Their weapons immediately lowered to the appropriate target.

  “What’s in the injector?” he tried again.

  “This is not a negotiation.”

  One of the soldiers grabbed Howyn’s arm and extended it for him. The other centered his rifle on the chancellor’s face. Andrea pushed up his sleeve and pressed the extractor to the bend of his elbow. He flinched as the device withdrew its sample then put it back in her pocket.

  She turned to the mutant leader with a tentative smile. “Now get me out of here.”

  Howyn’s guard lay unconscious in the corridor. At least Andrea hoped he was unconscious. The mutants rushed her past him and into a barren stairwell obviously meant for utility personnel. She didn’t ask questions or hesitate. Mal Ton had to have sent them. This couldn’t be a coincidence.

  She lost count of the levels they descended. Three times guards were pounding on the access doors as they hustled past. Her head was spinning and she panted hard by the time they reached the bottom. The leader motioned to the right with his rifle. Like the stairwell, this corridor was utilitarian and close with exposed pipes and various conduits.

  They turned a corner and a pulse blast sailed over their heads.

  “Get down!” The leader shoved her behind him as he returned fire. The mutant beside him fell but the leader didn’t stop. Andrea instinctively reached for the fallen man, but the leader grabbed her arm and dragged her back the way they’d come. They had no choice, but it didn’t ease the tension gripping her gut or slow her thundering heart. A man had just died because of her.

  Sprinting now, the leader half led, half dragged her along behind him. Footfalls echoed, the rhythm different from their frantic strides. He stopped suddenly and reached up behind a wire housing. A narrow section of the wall slid inward then to the side. Andrea ducked into the dank passageway and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the dark. The door slid closed behind them and her heart gave a sickening lurch. Inky blackness surrounded them.

  “Come on.” Her escort intensified the glowing of his eyes. Still, she could barely see beyond the end of his rifle.

  He led her deeper into the darkness. Her apprehension grew with each uneven step. She covered her nose with one hand unsure if the cloying stench of decay was real or a product of her fear-riddled imagination. The air grew colder and her feet slid across unseen slime.

  A second pair of amber eyes erupted in the distance. Friend or foe? She still wasn’t sure if her rescuer had rescued her or…

  “Thank you, Sean. Please tell Fane I’m in his debt.”

  Mal Ton! She twisted free of Sean’s grasp and flung herself against Mal Ton. His arms closed around her and he chuckled.

  “She better be worth it, Commander,” the other man sneered. “I just lost two men.”

  “Two?” She turned around, but her rescuer had disappeared into the dark.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine and I got a sample of the chancellor’s blood.”

  “We’re not in the clear yet. Wrap your arms around me.” She faced him again and pressed against his rock-hard body. His arms pulled her closer still. “Take a deep breath and don’t let go.”

  She inhaled and he backed up, pulling her with him. Pressure intensified all around them as if—they were passing through a wall! She clutched him and closed her eyes until the pressure dissipated. Cool air wafted across her face and she gasped in a breath.

  “You can relax now.”

  The amusement in his tone soothed her more than his words. She opened her eyes and gasped again. They were outside the complex, surrounded by leafy trees and immaculate landscaping. A cloud-dotted sky peeked through the tree cover and she inhaled deeply of the cool, fresh air.

  “Let’s go. The scramble shield makes my ship hard to detect, not impossible.”

  He took her hand and they ran toward a small grassy clearing. An alarm echoed in the distance, a repeating sequence of beeps. Pulses arced toward them, falling well short of their mark.

  “Go!” Mal Ton shouted, propelling her into the clearing.

  As they left the relative safety of the trees, she questioned his sanity. Then a set of stairs unfolded directly in front of her. She flew up the stairs and into Roark’s waiting arms. Her breath escaped in a relieved shudder.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she waited for Mal Ton to follow but the hatch began to close. “You can’t just leave him here!” Panic tore through her and she jerked out of Roark’s arms.

  He caught her wrist before she could activate the hatch release and tugged her toward the nearest viewport. “We’re not deserting him. He has work to do here.”

  She looked out the port and spotted Mal Ton darting back into the trees. His body flexed, legs extended then his image blurred. For an instant he remained out of phase, unfocused and transparent, then energy rippled along the length of his body and he transformed.

  Pressing her hands over her pounding heart, she blinked and blinked again. The creature leapt into one of the trees with a powerful burst of strength. His long, lean body was sleek and powerful, his head distinctly feline.

  “He’s a shapeshifter,” she whispered the word, trying to accept what she had just seen.

  “Launch, Vi Pone,” Roark ordered. “Mal Ton will distract them as long as he can but we need to get out of here.” They were still fastening their safety restraints when Vi Pone obeyed. The ship lifted into the air then shuddered with a burst of acceleration.
<
br />   Andrea rested her head against the back of her seat and closed her eyes. “Is this ever going to end? How will Mal Ton get off the planet? We have his ship.”

  “Mal Ton can take care of himself.” Roark didn’t sound dismissive. He was just stating fact. “Mal Ton spends nearly as much time on Protaria as he does on Stilox.”

  “Can he take on any shape he wants?” She opened her eyes and looked at Roark, her pulse gradually returning to normal. “Is there a name for what he just turned into?”

  “Mal Ton.” Roark smiled. “He’s able to sample DNA and temporarily incorporate it into his genetic code. It’s a fascinating ability. He can take on the outward appearance of other people, but looking like someone doesn’t mean you become them.”

  She nodded in stunned disbelief. If she hadn’t just seen it for herself, she never would have believed Roark. “Are we going back for him or was this more than a diversion?”

  “Fane made a deal with Mal Ton. If we can’t arrest the mutation before it claims Fane’s life, Mal Ton will lead the Underground.”

  “How does Mal Ton feel about that arrangement?”

  “He’s wanted to create an alliance with the Underground since Fane came to power, but I don’t think this is exactly what Mal Ton had in mind.”

  “Then we’ll have to save Fane.” She pulled the extractor from her pocket and cupped it loosely in her fingers. “Compliments of Chancellor Howyn.”

  “That’s Howyn’s blood?” She grinned. “How the hell did you pull that off in the middle of your rescue?”

  “Priorities. I knew we wouldn’t get another chance and I wasn’t about to squander the opportunity.”

  “You are amazing.” He gave her other hand a firm squeeze and a twinkle appeared in his eyes. “Does this mean you’re throwing in with the savage Stilox?”

  Her smile broadened then faded as determination settled over her expression. “I’ll work my ass off to replicate the Protarians’ treatment but you have to promise me we’ll find the other humans.”

  “That’s the main reason Mal Ton stayed behind. Fane is in bad shape and his people have come up empty. We all know how important it is to keep those women away from the Protarians so Mal Ton is going to take over the hunt.”

  “Good. A couple of the women have military experience, but most of them are…”

  He squeezed her fingers again. “Mal Ton will find them. We need to concentrate on replicating the cure.”

  “Replicate.” The word sent a jolt of realization through her mind. “The chancellor told me the endocrine nanites they gave me weren’t replicating nanites. Do Mal Ton’s nano-immunites replicate?”

  “You’re talking about nanites that can build other nanites?” She nodded. “No, that’s not how his work. They’re produced in his body, but each has an internal power store.”

  “And each stops working as soon as the energy is exhausted?”

  “Yes. Why the sudden interest in nanites?”

  “That’s why the inhibitor failed. It was based on non-replicating nanites. As soon as the nanites run out of power, the mutations resume.” She put the extractor back into her pocket. “How long will it take to reach Stilox? I can’t wait to analyze this. They had to use something other than nanite technology to permanently arrest the mutations. My mind is buzzing with the possibilities.”

  “We’ve moved everything to the new complex. I think you’ll be pleased with the upgrades,” he said with a secretive smile.

  “What new complex?”

  “Keller’s little surprise is forcing us to streamline our schedule, but we’ve been concerned about security for some time.”

  “The chancellor sent people to raid our lab.”

  “As soon as Keller teleported away with you, we knew it was only a matter of time before the Protarians came for RENA. Everything has already been moved.”

  “What a day.” She shook her head. “I’m really starting to dislike spaceships.”

  After a suspiciously long silence, Roark grumbled, “Mal Ton managed to find a way to make you enjoy the trip.”

  Amused by his lingering jealousy, she chuckled. “Yeah, he drugged me so he didn’t have to bother with me.”

  He lowered his voice so Vi Pone couldn’t hear his question. “Do you still want both of us?”

  “There will always be a part of me that is fascinated by Mal Ton, but what I feel for you is so much deeper. You never need to worry about Mal Ton.” His entire body seemed to relax and she smiled. “Will I have private quarters at the new complex?”

  He looked into her eyes, clearly confused by the question. “Do you want your own quarters?”

  “Hell, no.” She laughed as joy bubbled up within her. “I want you at my disposal whenever I feel the need. All contracts are verbal on Stilox, you know. I want to hear you say it.”

  “Say what?”

  “That you’ll do whatever it takes to keep me satisfied.”

  His fingers curved around her chin and he turned her face toward him. Looking deep into her eyes, he said, “I will do whatever it takes to keep you satisfied. I’ll protect you and appreciate you and withhold nothing of myself from you.”

  “That’s quite a contract.” She licked her lips, unable to look away. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you satisfied and withhold nothing of myself from you.”

  He grinned and nipped her lower lip. “You won’t protect me?”

  “I’m pretty worthless in a fight. I do my best work in the lab.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Epilogue

  Roark rushed into the spacious lab in the new complex, his heart thundering in his chest. “It works! I just received word from the Underground. Fane is responding with amazing speed.”

  Andrea threw her arms around him and laughed as he spun her in a tight circle. “I knew we could do it.”

  The Protarians had stayed with what they knew best, engineering a second lentavirus to wipe out the first. Roark and Andrea had meticulously extracted the virus from the chancellor’s blood and ensured that it did nothing other than attack the original microorganism.

  The Stilox volunteers responded almost immediately so they had sent the first shipment to the Mutant Underground. Roark was nearly breathless with hope. It had been years since he’d felt so alive!

  Nehalem had been arrested for trading state secrets to the enemy. Her protests that the chancellor himself had arranged the exchange hadn’t convinced anyone of her innocence. Keller had disappeared. Roark suspected Keller had grown too ambitious and the chancellor had silenced him, but it was likely they would never know for sure.

  If they had received confirmation that Mal Ton had located the human females, the moment would have been perfect. Roark didn’t let the tiny lack taint their triumph however. He hugged Andrea to his chest and covered her mouth with his.

  They had been inseparable since returning to Stilox. The absorption of the endocrine nanites hadn’t made her any less passionate. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, returning his kiss with equal fervor.

  He set her on the long counter in between the molecular scanner and the computer terminal. She tasted rich and sweet, evocative—coffee with cinnamon cream. He smiled against her parted lips. She tasted like coffee when they worked and him when they played. Her fascination with oral sex had his complete support. He enjoyed licking her pussy every bit as much as she craved his cock in her mouth.

  And her need for discipline was even hotter than her oral fixation. Every time he had her bent over the bed or on her hands and knees, he got so hard he could barely think past the pressure in his cock. They were perfectly matched, perfectly suited for a long and lasting relationship.

  With predictable determination, she slipped off the counter and pushed him back so she could kneel in front of him. Her fingers parted his lab coat and unfastened his pants, freeing his erection in record time. He stared into her eyes as she stroked him with her hands, her lips rosy
from their feverish kisses.

  “My hormone levels have returned to normal, so why do I still want you all the time?” She circled the tip of his cock with her tongue, her gaze luminous with desire and affection.

  “I’m addictive.” He pushed into her mouth then pulled all the way out. “But only to you.”

  “More.” She pulled his hips toward her and sucked him back into her mouth.

  Gods, she was good at this. Her lips created a firm circle while her tongue flicked and swirled. He moved his legs farther apart as one of her hands cupped his balls. She rolled him carefully between her fingers and her thumb then pulled with gradual pressure until he groaned. All the while her mouth moved up and down his shaft and her tongue… How he loved her tongue!

  With a muffled cry, he pulled out of her warm, willing mouth. She muttered a protest as he dragged her to her feet and went to work on her pants. “We have to get the lentavirus into full production. This is just a quick celebration.”

  “I hate quickies.” She produced a playful pout but her gaze smoldered with eagerness. “They just make me hungry for more.”

  He yanked her pants to her knees then turned her around. “Bend over. I want your ass nice and hot while I fuck you.”

  Without hesitation or pretense, she bent over and presented him with her naked ass. He swatted her hard and fast, alternating sides until her pale skin flushed a deep rose. “So pretty.” He stroked her silky cheeks, then rained spanks down the backs of her thighs.

  Unable to resist her any longer, he carefully placed her on the counter and finished taking off her pants. Then he spread her legs wide and held her open as his gaze moved over her sex. Her folds were deeply flushed and creamy, her rosy ass cheeks just visible below. He traced her slit, thrilled by her responsiveness. “Have you ever come while I did nothing but spank you?”

  She bit her lower lip to hide her smile. “I’ll never tell.”

  Watching her eyes go hazy, he pushed two fingers into her hot core. So incredibly soft. She gripped him firmly and rested her head against the wall. He rubbed his thumb over her clit and she shivered. He savored each needy sound and her breathless murmurs. When had she become so precious to him? His heart leapt at the thought.