Last Flight of the Ark

by D. L. Jackson

  “You bit her? You’ve got some explaining to do. What the hell was that about and where did that scruff come from?”

  “Remember that bite I took from Sheba?”

  Jessica nodded.

  Kaleb lifted his arm and yanked the sleeve down.

  Jessica stepped back. “What’s going on?”

  “I think I’m some kind of…werewolf.”

  Melissa’s mouth dropped open and her hand slapped over the bandage. “Will I…?”

  He wasn’t sure, but all it took was one bite for him to become infected. There was a good possibility it could be transferred through the blood and saliva. Too early to smell the change in her; he’d have to wait and see. “I haven’t had a chance to look under the scope to see what’s going on. All I know is between Sheba’s bite and the radiation, something changed me.” Not a lie, more like a careful maneuver around the truth.

  “Are you a danger, sir?” Jessica asked.

  That depended on what her definition of danger was. “Put that down. It’s not a good idea to threaten me.” More diversion.

  And she wasn’t buying it. “I asked you a question.” Jessica kept the weapon pointed and leveled her gaze on him. It pushed every aggressive button he had. Damned woman.

  Time for the truth. “I don’t know. For now, I’m okay. I know I won’t let them take your lives with mine. I feel an intense need to protect you, among other things.” Things he’d best keep to himself. “It’s the motivation that helped me get control. That, and Sheba.”

  “Sheba?”

  “She talked to me, calmed me. She’s got the same issues.”

  “Oh, hell. What are we going to do? You’re a wolf-man, talking to the animals in the hold and….”

  “Jessica,” he said in his calmest tone.

  “You might have turned Melissa into a werewolf and….”

  “Jessica.” She still had the damned tranq gun pointed at him. He didn’t need her hysteria and he didn’t need that gun going off. “Could you point that thing somewhere else?”

  The tranq gun didn’t waver even though she shook. Jessica swallowed and glanced at Melissa and then over to the rumpled bed. That conversation would be interesting. Later, when he had time, he’d explore the comment made by Jessica in the corridor about a threesome—but not now. They had bigger issues to deal with.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “For now, we’re going to put on our big-boy and big-girl underpants and march up on deck for a meeting with the command crew of the Genesis II. If we don’t convince them everything is perfect, we’re done,” he said.

  Kaleb pushed the barrel of the tranq gun away. “Play nice and I’ll play nice.” He inhaled her scent. Primitive needs stirred. Oh yeah, interesting didn’t even begin to describe what that future discussion would be. He could smell how wet Jessica was and knew if he wanted, he could have her right there. He smiled and watched the goose bumps erupt across her skin. Yeah, she wanted to play, but something told him it wasn’t going to be nice. That was fine with him.

  ***

  The door to Jessica’s quarters slid shut. She dropped back, leaned against the cold surface, and tried to catch her breath. The look in his eyes had been intense, like he wanted to devour her and every inch of her flesh screamed for him to do it.

  And that was the last thing she should be thinking about. She had less than an hour to get cleaned up, in her dress uniform, and down to the docking bay to escort the command crew of the Genesis II to the upper deck. She had to pull herself together and stop the internal and external quaking before she got them all killed. What was wrong with her? She couldn’t let her personal feelings get involved. Rule number one of survival: keep it professional and don’t get emotional in a crisis. That was exactly what they faced now, a crisis, and she was anything but unemotional. So many thoughts whirled through Jessica’s brain she could hardly catch her breath.

  She unzipped her flight suit and peeled it off, dropping it to the floor. Even the thinnest fabric felt suffocating. Her body still burned from the encounter in Melissa’s quarters. Her nipples ached and her panties were soaked. The minute she’d stepped into her berth, the smell of sex hit her. It was obvious what Melissa and Kaleb had been doing.

  Need assaulted her. She couldn’t get it out of her head. Her body reacted in a way it never had before. She wanted to rip her clothes off and rub skin to skin on him. Her damned mouth watered at the thought of tasting him.

  How fucked-up was that? How the hell was she supposed to keep her personal feelings out of this when she couldn’t even control her damned libido for five seconds?

  And it wasn’t just that she was horny that bothered her. She couldn’t get it out of her head who he’d been with and what they’d been doing.

  Adrenaline still pumped through her body from the standoff. It had taken every bit of her strength to hold the tranq gun on him and not let it shake, or go off. She’d been angry, turned on, and afraid. What a flipping combination!

  The minute she discovered he’d bitten Melissa, that he’d mutated, she couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen if it couldn’t be stopped. Something about the look on Kaleb’s face told her that was the case. When he didn’t give Melissa a straight answer about infecting her, she knew he wasn’t telling them everything. He’d maneuvered around the question rather tactfully, but his eyes didn’t lie. He wasn’t convinced he hadn’t infected her.

  Jessica had grown up alone, without a family of her own. Now that she had one, she couldn’t bear to lose them. And lose them she would. It was as clear to her as her vision of the planet below.

  The thought nearly crippled her. Even now, she could barely stand. She wanted to scream and throw things. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry. Strangest of all, she wanted to fuck.

  She really needed to fuck.

  Jessica strode across the room, yanked open a drawer beside her bed, and stared down at a large vibrator. Something needed to take the edge off. If she had to be in the same room with him for another second, she’d melt into a puddle.

  She’d never experienced need like this, not to the extent she did now. If other wolflike symptoms had set in, it would make sense he secreted kind of pheromone that made her hormones go haywire. Whatever it was, she needed relief. Jessica reached toward the toy and her com beeped. She slammed the drawer shut. Now what?

  “Do you have a moment to talk?” Melissa. Not her, not now. Jessica was still pissed that she’d had him in her room, doing what she’d been doing, without her. They’d talked about this and decided they’d have him together. No, right now wasn’t a good time.

  “About what?” Jessica snarled.

  The door to her room slid open and Jessica whipped around. Her heart leaped. Male—female, her body didn’t care which, either would do. She fought the urge to run into Melissa’s arms and rip her uniform off. Instead, she stiffened her resolve and curled her hands into fists at her sides. Sex with Melissa, no matter how enticing, was out of the question.

  “About what happened,” Melissa said.

  Jessica tore her headset off and tossed it on the bed. “Did I invite you in here?”

  Melissa let her gaze travel up and down and she smiled. “Damn, you’re gorgeous.”

  Jessica’s breath caught and her panties got a little bit wetter. Horny or not, she wasn’t having make-up sex. Melissa had fucked up and she was going to pay for it. “Get out.” She pointed at the door.

  “I need to talk to you about why.”

  Talking? No, that wasn’t what it looked like she had in mind. Melissa reached behind her and hit the lock. The bolt slid shut.

  “There’s nothing to talk about.” Jessica crossed her arms over her breasts and then uncrossed them. Try as hard as she might, she couldn’t seem to pull off the ice-cold, iron-spine posture she needed to back Melissa out of her room. Any defensive stance she took would look asinine while she stood there in her panties. “Just leave.”

  Melissa took a ste
p closer and Jessica swallowed. She had the same hunger in her eyes Kaleb had when he’d told her to play nice. Melissa’s gaze swept over her body again.

  “Give me a chance to apologize.”

  Soft like velvet and sex. It stroked her to the core and stoked the fire. The flames exploded, rolling through her body and setting her blood to boil. Jessica sucked in a breath. “No.”

  “Please,” Melissa whispered.

  Jessica’s nipples tingled and more heat flooded between her thighs. She needed to escape. Get away. Run. She couldn’t think, she couldn’t breathe. She wanted her. No. Not now. Jessica spun on her heel and made a dash for the bathroom. Melissa caught her before she hit the privy door. She snagged her arm and backed her against the wall.

  “Listen to me, damn it.” Melissa’s chest rose and fell with heavy breaths. Her eyes were dilated and fixed on her. She leaned in. “I can’t lose you. I can’t breathe without you. God, Jessica, I’m in love with you. Please. Please don’t shut me out.”

  “Why did you do it?” Jessica’s stomach fluttered as Melissa ran her hand up and down her arm. No, this was more than normal attraction. Something else was going on. Something had tripped primitive needs. Perhaps it wasn’t her fault? Was that what happened to Melissa? This painful lust? Jessica bit her lip to regain focus of her wandering thoughts. She controlled herself now; Melissa could have done the same or at the very least, called her to join. She needed to be punished. Not rewarded.

  “He needed me. I knew he wouldn’t make it through the meeting without getting rid of some of the energy. It’s hard to explain.”

  “So you had sex so he could keep himself under control? What kind of moron do you think I am? You enjoyed it. That wasn’t some rescue mission. You fucked him. Without me.”

  “I’m sorry, Jess.” She kissed her neck. Thousands of jolts raced from the tips of her toes to the ends of her fingers and zinged through her body. The fire escalated. “Forgive me, baby.”

  Oh, how she hated when Melissa called her that. It made her feel weak, helpless. Like mush, and Melissa knew it. Melissa’s breath tickled her neck. Jessica wanted to collapse in her arms and forgive her.

  But she also wanted to punish her. Not because she’d fucked him, but because she didn’t do it with her. Because if he’d infected Melissa, she’d be alone again. She wanted to forgive her, needed to forgive her, but Melissa had betrayed her and that hurt. Kaleb had bit her, marked her, and there was a good possibility he’d changed her.

  “Stop.” Jessica ducked under her arm and went into the bathroom. “I need space. I’m angry at you.”

  “Fair enough. But what I said is true. I love you. Please don’t shut me out because of this.”

  Jessica turned around, her eyes tearing. “Why?”

  “Because I love him, too.” Melissa released the lock. “And I think you’re angry because you feel the same way. Don’t deny it, Jessica. I’ve seen the way you watch him.”

  And she did. She wanted him. Cared for him. Wanted him to care about her, but he’d chosen Melissa instead. “Just leave.”

  “We need to talk about this. These feelings aren’t going to go away and I’m not going to let jealousy tear us apart. If I feel this way, you feel this way, why can’t we share him—each other, as it should be?” She stepped through the door and it slid shut behind her.

  Jessica grabbed her brush and winged it at the door. “That was the plan!” she screamed. She strode to the drawer and yanked it open again.

  ***

  Kaleb straightened the collar on his uniform and rubbed his chin. Except for his freaky-looking eyes, he looked normal, military, and surprisingly respectable. What they didn’t know…. He slipped his headset on. “Status on the arrival of the envoy?”

  “They’ve docked and they’re on the lift. ETA in five minutes,” Melissa said.

  “I’ll meet you in the main corridor in three. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

  “Roger. I’m on my way.”

  “Jessica?”

  “At the lift. I’ll escort them to the deck—sir.”

  She sounded cold. If ever he’d heard ice in a voice it was Jessica’s just then. They’d better have that conversation sooner than later. If Jessica were to let her anger build, it would be ugly when she detonated. She didn’t let things go, and she wasn’t quick to forgive. The longer he waited, the worse the confrontation would be.

  He left his quarters and started toward the deck. As he walked by Melissa’s room, her door slid open. She stepped up and walked alongside. He hadn’t seen her in her dress uniform since they’d first boarded the Ark. In a skirt and heeled boots, her legs seemed even longer. He’d forgotten how hot she looked in it. “You clean up nice.”

  “Not too shabby yourself, sir.” Melissa glanced sideways at his rank and medals and smiled. “Love the bling. Always makes me hot.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Call it military GQ. Gotta look the part.”

  “I’ll call it something.” She mimicked his throaty growl. “Can you smell my panties?”

  Understatement. “Ease off, Melissa. I don’t need a hard-on for this meeting.” The first difference he’d picked up was her scent. It beckoned to him. No. Demanded he take her, fuck her, ride her. Pheromones rolled off her body like steam, encouraging the blood to rush to his dick. Damned little vixen. No question now. He’d infected her.

  “Then you probably don’t want to know that I’m not wearing any.”

  “Damn.” They turned the corner and came face to face with Jessica and the envoy. Jessica’s gaze landed on him for a heartbeat, then traveled over to Melissa, where she held it. She opened her mouth as if she had something to say, then snapped it shut and looked away.

  What Jessica did to her uniform made him commit every carnal sin known to mankind in his head. Damn good thing she wasn’t a mind reader. He reached over and pressed his hand into a gel pad that opened the conference room.

  “After you.” He swept his hand toward the door. A tall woman in a black uniform decked out with twice the medals he wore, strode toward the door, followed by two giants, who wore arrays of medals just as impressive. “Commander.”

  She nodded and brushed past.

  He walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. She continued by and took one at the head of the table. This’ll be fun. He groaned internally. Like tap-dancing barefoot in a nest of scorpions.

  “You’ll have to excuse the informality of this meeting. I wasn’t expecting you for a week, Colonel.”

  She raised a brow. “You’ve had eight months to prepare.”

  Be-yotch. Kaleb leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. He laced his fingers together and stared over them. “I’ve had eight months to manage a large ship with more than eight hundred cryo-cells and only two staff members to help. Please excuse me, Colonel, if I didn’t spend every waking moment preparing your brief.” He waited for her to look away.

  She didn’t. He inhaled. Something wasn’t right. Her smell was all wrong. He couldn’t pinpoint what, but one other thing really bugged him. He’d expected a man. He’d been briefed that the commander of the Genesis II was male and Kaleb retained information like a computer processor. He seriously doubted he could put it down to bad memory or the accident.

  “Do you have the drop schedule prepared?” Her mouth drew up tight in displeasure. Pale hair, light blue eyes. An attractive woman; however, a bit cold, impersonal, and not very military. Not once had she addressed him by his rank or recognized him as her equal, which he was.

  “I had it prepared before I left Earth.” The hair at the back of his neck stood on end. If she was the true commander of the Genesis II, she would’ve had that schedule before she disembarked on the mission. He’d transmitted it before launch. Nothing was making sense. Her scent permeated his nostrils and it hit him. Predator.

  “Excuse me while I retrieve it.” He rose from his seat and shot Melissa and Jessica a look of warning. He prayed silently they could read the body l
anguage. Melissa rose from her seat.

  “I locked the drop schedule in the vault, sir. You’ll need my assistance.” Her face gave nothing away. She sincerely looked like she’d locked it in a vault.

  Jessica silently mouthed the word “vault” back to him and gave him a confused look. Kaleb nodded. They didn’t have a vault on this ship. It was a stock hauler. There wasn’t anything of significant value to lock up. The envoys might claim to be from the Genesis II, and they might have flown the ship here, but they sure as hell weren’t from Earth.

  They were encroachers.

  Chapter Five

  Melissa stepped through the door and Kaleb followed. As soon as it closed, he pulled her down the hall. “They’re not who they appear to be.” What the hell had happened to the crew of the Genesis II? Were they being held hostage? Dead? Whatever it was, he needed to find out.

  “Sir?”

  “They smell wrong. They’re not from Earth.”

  “What do you think they want?”

  “Our planet and stock.” He tugged her around the corner. “That’s the only feasible thing I can think of. You need to get on board the Genesis II and find out what happened to the crew. If they’re being held captive, try to free them. I have a feeling we’re going to need all the help we can get.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’ll stall them. If I’ve learned anything from the military, it’s hurry up and wait. I can drag a meeting out so long my posterity will be in the history books by the time it’s done.”

  She nodded and spun to head for the bay. Kaleb snagged her wrist and brought her back into his arms. He pushed her against the wall. “One other thing.” He lowered his mouth and kissed her, wishing he had hours to take it further. But duty called.

  Slowly he pulled back and pressed his forehead to hers. “I have to stay here. They expect my presence and I can’t let them see anything is off. It’s why I’m asking you to do this. I don’t like sending you over there, so be careful.” He pressed a laser into her hands. “Keep it set to kill, and shoot at the first sign of aggression.”