by S. E. Smith
J’kar glanced at Zariff as he turned. “Call me the moment she awakens.”
“I will.” Zariff said trying not to smile.
It felt good for one of their males to have found a bond mate, especially J’kar. As the next leader, it was feared he would not have an heir to carry on the bloodline. Out of the four males and one female birthed to the ’Tag Krell Manok family, none had found their bond mate until now, not even the female who came of age a full planet cycle ago.
J’kar left the medical unit suddenly feeling the weight of what happened upon his shoulders. Weariness made him stagger slightly as he moved down the corridor to the lift. As he approached, the door opened and his brother, Borj, started to exit. Seeing J’kar, Borj stepped aside so he could enter next to him.
“Level 5.” J’kar said before looking at Borj. “All is well?”
“Yes, all repairs have been finished. The men are concerned about your bond mate.” Borj responded quietly. “How is she?”
“Zariff says she will be fine. She rests still. Zariff hopes to release her in a few sleep cycles. My thanks for your concern.” J’kar ran a tired hand through his hair.
“J’kar.” Borj paused, unsure how to continue. “I am concerned about this world your bond mate comes from. If there is a possibility of our males finding our bond mates among them but they are in danger, I wonder if we should be more aggressive about bringing females to our world…for their safety as well as for the future for our own race.”
J’kar turned to Borj tiredly. “I understand your concern, Borj, but we do not know enough about my bond mate’s species to make such a decision on such limited knowledge. I would like to explore more about their culture and bring it before the council before a decision is made. I know, though,” J’kar paused briefly, a dark look crossing his face, “I will not let my Tink return to her world. I will not lose her.” He finished harshly. Letting out a deep sigh, he added. “I will take your concern under consideration.”
The doors opened and J’kar exited. He needed a drink and rest.
Chapter 16
Tink stretched. She had to get up. Not only was she sore from lying around, she needed to use the bathroom and would kill for a shower. Sitting up and dragging the thin material of covering with her she swung her legs over the side. Holding the covers with one hand and sliding her other hand over her stomach and side where she remembered Bachman pushing the knife into her she felt for the wound. Surprise flickered across her face when all she felt was smooth skin. Sliding off the bed, Tink held onto the side as she adjusted to being in an upright position. Her head swam a little and her legs felt like wet noodles! She supposed this must be what it felt like to have a major hang-over. If it was, this was one thing in life she wouldn’t mind passing up. She moved slightly, testing her head and legs before letting go of the side of the bed. Moving gingerly, she walked towards a door leading off to the side of the room she was in. Peeking inside, she let out a huge sigh when she saw it was a bathroom.
“Now, if I can just figure out how to close the door on the damn thing.” Tink muttered under her breath.
“Not a problem, dear.” RITA chimed in activating the automatic door and sliding it close. “Do you need anything else?”
“Oh, hey RITA.” Tink looked around at the strange devices in the room. She could probably figure everything out if her head didn’t feel like it was filled with cotton. “How about a run down on how everything works in here. Oh, and some clothes. Where are my clothes?” Tink asked.
“Your clothes are in the bottom shelf. The doc had them cleaned but they didn’t know what to do with them so he put them in here for now.”
“Cool. One problem down, one to go. Can you turn on the shower for me?” Tink asked looking at what appeared to be a stall with no on-off levers or covering to prevent water from going everywhere.
“It uses a sanitizer. Just stand in the cubicle. After a few seconds, the sanitizer will come on and you are clean.” RITA explained. “It really is a wonderful device. Do you realize how much water would be conserved if…” RITA continued with her account of how useful such a device would be with water conservation being such a concern on Earth.
Tink tuned her out while she dropped the thin shirt she was wearing and stepped into the cubicle. Within a few seconds, a light appeared around her and a dry, soft heated wind blew, lifting her hair and making her giggle. Looking down, she was amazed when she looked at her stomach. There wasn’t even a mark to show she had been stabbed. Looking in the reflective glass across from the cubicle, she turned from side to side to see if she could see anything. Nothing! It could only have happened a couple of days ago. There is no way she should have survived the attack much less not even having a mark to show it. Stepping out of the cubicle, she was just reaching for her shirt when RITA piped out a warning.
“Honey, the boss man just came into your room. From his respiration, I don’t think he is happy you are not in bed. He’s heading for the bathroom.” RITA warned.
Tink squeaked out a frantic cry. “Lock the door! Don’t let him in. I need to get dressed.”
“Done. But, I don’t think he is going to be happy…” RITA continued.
“I don’t give a damn if he’s happy or not.” Tink snapped. “Just don’t open that damn door unless I tell you too.” Tink said as she pulled her bra around in place and shoved her head through the opening of her shirt. Hopping on one foot she fell over when a loud thump hit the outside of the bathroom door.
“Open up this door.” J’kar’s voice thundered.
“Ouch!” Tink let out a loud expletive as she bumped her head on the counter. Flipping over, she shimmied into her pants as another loud thump sounded on the door. Tink was just buttoning up her pants when the door opened.
J’kar was furious. He had slept longer than he intended. After hurrying through his shower he rushed down to medical. He was furious with himself for having slept so long. When he walked into medical and discovered Tink’s bed empty he was overcome with a sense of panic. Had something happened to her? Why hadn’t he been told? Where was she? When Zariff walked in he turned on the poor healer like a mad man. Zariff was confused as he had just checked on Tink and she had been there. She couldn’t have gotten far, he reasoned. J’kar was beyond reason at the moment. When they noticed the door to the cleansing room closed, J’kar tried to enter it only to find it locked. Furious, he demanded it open. RITA informed him Tink demanded it be locked until she gave her permission for it to be opened. J’kar pounded on the door demanding Tink to open it. When he heard what sounded like her falling he panic all over again and used a by-pass code to force the door open. Now, as he stood looking in the room he was filled with rage again to discover his bond mate lying on the floor.
“Uh, hi?” Tink said looking up at a rather furious alien.
“What do you think you are doing? You should not be up. Why did you lock the door?” J’kar bent and scooped Tink up into his arms ignoring her squeal of protest.
“What do you think you are doing, you big oaf! Put me down.” Tink let out a groan of frustration. Damn, he was strong. She doubted he even felt her pushing on his chest. When he sat in a chair with her on his lap she tried again to push her way out of his arms.
“Let. Me. Go.” She said again pushing as hard as she could.
“No.”
“No. No? What the hell do you mean, no?” Tink was beginning to panic. She needed to get away from him. She had to find Cosmos. She needed to go home. She had to wake up from this nightmare. Her breathing began to come in gasps as she struggled harder to break loose from the tight grip holding her. Unable to think of what to do she threw her head forward in a head butt and clobbered the huge man holding her in the nose.
“Ouch! Dammit!” Tink fell onto the floor at J’kar’s feet. She rubbed her bruised forehead while trying to scramble to her feet.
“Bloody hell!” J’kar grabbed his nose. A small amount of blood dripped from it. “Why the hell
did you do that?”
His eyes were watering from the impact. For someone so small she packed a powerful punch. Zariff and Borj hurried into the medical room on hearing the screech Tink let out.
“My dear, what happened? Did you hurt your head?” Zariff asked with concern pulling his scanner from his waist belt.
“Yeah, on his hard nose.” Tink said still holding her throbbing forehead.
“J’kar, what did you do to the poor girl?” Borj asked unable to hide his amusement at his brother’s obvious discomfort. He walked over and handed him a cloth.
Holding the cloth to his bloody nose, J’kar growled. “Why did you do that?” He demanded dabbing at the blood.
Looking around Zariff, Tink glared at him, “You wouldn’t let me go. You keep your cotton-picking hands to yourself!” Tink winced when Zariff touched her forehead.
“I will touch you whenever I please!” J’kar said furiously standing up and glaring down at Tink’s petite frame. “You are my bond mate and belong to me!”
“Bond mate?” screeched Tink. Pointing a finger at J’kar, Tink glared up at Zariff and Borj, “Your buddy there needs some serious medicine. He is totally delusional. I don’t belong to anyone and if you lay another finger on me it’s going to be another part of your body I’m going to bloody!”
Zariff and Borj looked at the two furious faces glaring at each other. Zariff looked at Borj grinning and nodded towards his office. “I think we had better leave these two alone to sort out their differences.” Both men grinned at Tink before disappearing into the office located off the side of the medical unit.
“I want to go home. Now!” Tink said through clenched teeth and stomped her foot for added emphasis.
J’kar looked at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. His nose hurt like a son-of-a-grator’s butt and his eyes were still a little watery from the impact but he couldn’t help but think how beautiful she was. Her hair was flying in all different directions with a mass of curls floating out as she glared up at him with stunning dark brown eyes. They seemed to sparkle with the light shining from her soul. He felt his groin tighten. Taking a deep breath through his battered nose he caught her scent and he felt the answer surge through his body as his desire grew. He was so close to her he could hear her heart beating. Her blood called to him. J’kar’s eyes began to glow with a deep silver fire. He had to have her, taste her, feel her.
Tink’s eyes widened when she saw J’kar’s expression change from fury to desire. She saw the moment it happened. One minute his eyes looked like they were molten silver; the next, they began to glow and small sparks, almost like sparklers, seemed to appear. His pupils dilated becoming larger and more intense. Taking a step back, she stumbled into a small table. Pulling it in front of her she took another step stopping only when she heard the growl in his chest getting louder. Deciding not to tempt fate any longer, Tink shoved the table at J’kar and took off running for the door yelling for RITA to lock it after her.
J’kar heard Tink’s yell but it was too late. He was already charging her; flinging the small table to one side with a crash. Growling louder, he barely missed grabbing her as she twisted back and down right outside the door. Regaining her balance, she took off at a dead run for the end of the corridor. J’kar hit the outer wall of the corridor before pushing off and leaping after Tink’s running figure.
Tink made the mistake of glancing behind her giving up precious time. She felt hard hands grab her from behind lifting her feet off the ground. Screaming, she fought like a maniac twisting and kicking.
“Enough!” J’kar said. Tink’s scent this close up was overwhelming what little reserve he had of his control. He barely moved his head in time to prevent Tink from head butting him again. He wrapped his arms around her tighter; drawing her so close she couldn’t get in a good kick or blow. Walking to the lift, he ordered it to go to Level 5 ignoring the stares of his men and Tink’s loud curses.
Once the lift doors closed Tink quit yelling. It was obvious no one was going to help her. She was going to have to help herself. Going suddenly limp, she melted in J’kar’s arms in the hope he would either think she was unconscious and loosen his hold on her or drop her suddenly limp form. Either way, she would try to take advantage of his loose grip. Unfortunately, he did neither. If anything, he tightened his arms pulling her impossibly closer.
“I will not let you go.” J’kar murmured in Tink’s ear, brushing his lips seductively along her bent neck.
Outraged, Tink stiffened and tried struggling again. “Let me go you, you, Neanderthal!”
“Computer, pause lift.” J’kar said slowly lowering Tink to the floor of the lift.
As soon as her feet hit the floor and his arms loosened, Tink backed up against the side of the lift. Putting her hands out in front of her as J’kar growled again lowly and moved slowly toward her, she tried to make herself as small as she could in the narrow confines of the lift. Looking up was a huge mistake. As soon as she looked into J’kar’s eyes, she was lost. When he moved so close her palms rested against his chest, she didn’t have the will power to push him away. Instead, she found her hands were running up and over his broad chest. She wanted to feel him. To taste him. Shaking her head while never breaking eye contact with him, she ran her tongue over her lips. She didn’t have long to wait to wonder what it would be like to kiss him.
J’kar watched as Tink’s eyes suddenly became heavy with desire. He let out a shuddering breath when her hands moved over his chest. When he saw the tip of her tongue touch her lips, he quit resisting his primal urge to claim her. Wrapping his hands along her jaw, J’kar lowered his head and took Tink’s lips savagely with his own. Groaning, he slid his hands down her body, pulling her closer, sliding them under her ass and lifting her up.
Tink loved the taste of J’kar. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she felt him lifting her off the floor again. Only this time, instead of fighting, she wrapped her legs around his waist locking them at the ankles fitting his growing length against her. Moving in time to their kiss, she moved her hips in small circles, pressing down trying to get closer to him.
J’kar broke the kiss with a groan and rested his forehead against hers. “Feel my heart. It beats for you.” He reached out and took one of her small hands in his and placed it over his heart.
Tink looked up into his eyes. Hers widened when she felt his heart beating. When he pressed his hand against hers, she felt it was beating at the same time as his. His eyes were glowing with the internal silver flame.
“What is happening?” Tink whispered in a soft, confused voice.
“You are my mate. My wife. We are one.” J’kar pressed Tink between himself and the wall of the lift. He did not want to let go of her. He leaned over and sniffed along her neck and jaw line, closing his eyes as the scent flowed through his mind and body. “I have lost you three times. Never again. I will never let you go.”
“What do you mean, you lost me three times?” Tink was confused. She could only think about when Bachman stabbed her.
“The first time was when you first came aboard my warship. I had only discovered you. Then your friend took you from me. I wanted to kill him. The second and third time was when your life force left you.”
Tink watched as pain flashed across J’kar’s face. “My life force?”
“The wounds you received were grave. Twice, while Zariff worked on you, your life force almost left you. I bound my life force to yours to give you the strength you needed to live. I could not lose you.” J’kar said quietly as if the pain was more than he could bear remembering.
Tink stared into his eyes and realized the cost her near death had caused to the man holding her. She saw the truth and it overwhelmed her. She had never felt anything so intense before and it, well…it scared the hell out of her. Unlocking her ankles, she slid her legs down to the floor again. She had to think. Too much had happened, in too short a time, for her to understand and absorb it all.
“I need
to go home. I need to see Cosmos.” Tink said biting her bottom lip in confusion.
A deep growl left J’kar when Tink mentioned Cosmos’ name. “No. We will finish the mating rites when we return to my world. You will adjust.”
“You can’t just keep me. I’m not some pet or anything! I have a family, a life, and friends.” Tink pushed at J’kar’s hard chest, growing angrier when he didn’t move.
“You will have a new family, a new life, and new friends.” J’kar grounded out.
He would not let her return to a world so full of danger. It would be hard enough for his people when they learned of females who were not only compatible but who they could actually bond with. If his people found out females were in danger, it could be all out war on the males of Earth.
“You need to get a life if you think you can tell me what to do. I don’t care who you think you are I will see my friends and family again or you will see what hell looks like up close and personal, mister.” Tink was spitting fire.