by DJ Michaels
"All good?" Glen asked.
"Yes, sir." Sal handed over a camera data card and made his way to the section of the wall nearest the door. He assumed a nonchalant pose, but his eyes were in constant motion.
Glen walked around his desk and sat in his chair. Slotting the data card into his computer, he invited Jonathan to share the view. "Would you like to see the footage, Senator?" Glen wasn't sure if Jonathan would say yes or no. Plausible deniability and all that.
"Yes, please."
By the time Jonathan had come around to the work side of the desk, Glen had the screen pulled up and the footage ready to go.
The quality started out great. The light was adequate and all the images were clearly identifiable. But after a few seconds the person filming—Sal's driver—had zoomed in so far the slightest movement jolted the frame.
For a few moments there was nothing but closed elevators doors. Then the light went on, the chime sounded and the doors opened. An alien stepped out of the lift, dressed in black leather with his hair hanging free. After scanning the area he moved forward, and it was only then Glen noticed the alien was holding hands with a human woman.
A shot rang out, the noise startling the camera man enough that the next few seconds were blurry. Glen couldn't see exactly what was going on, but it looked like the alien and the woman took shelter behind a car.
There was the sound of tires squealing. No doubt someone else in the car park had heard the shot.
Off camera, Glen could hear the sound of a gun being broken down. "If whoever just peeled out of here called the cops, we've got less than three minutes." Sal's voice.
"You go, I'll keep filming. Rendezvous in ten."
"Copy that."
The camera jerked again as the operator moved into a better position. Glen's eyes were glued to his monitor and he didn't miss the blur of movement at the bottom of the screen. The alien was crouched low, scurrying between the parked cars with the woman hot on his heels. When they got to his car, the alien reached up and opened the back door before lurching in, one hand clutched to the side of his neck.
Glen would have to watch the footage again, but it seemed as though the alien had taken a direct hit. He could hardly contain his excitement, but he didn't move from his seat until the video had played in its entirety.
"He looked wounded," Jonathan said.
"Yes, I think so, too." Glen leaned back in his chair and looked up at the senator. "I'll have to go over it again to be sure."
"Of course." Jonathan walked around the desk to resume his seat. "Do we know who the woman is?"
Glen nodded. He knew how to do his homework. "Jasmine Teale. She works for the Wishing Star Foundation, helping sick and terminally ill children. Our source at the hospital knows her professionally, and we've done a thorough background check on her. She came back clean."
"Can we use her?"
Glen raised his eyebrows. "To get our hands on the alien you mean?"
"Yes."
It had long been a goal of the coalition to capture a Jendari. It was imperative that humans study the aliens so they could search for, and hopefully find, a weakness. The interlopers had to have an Achilles heel. The coalition scientists were ready to discover what that vulnerability might be, but they could do little without a live subject.
"We don't know if we can use the girl yet, but it's something we're looking into. Our informant will give us a report about what transpired at the meeting and how the alien interacted with the humans present. She'll let us know if there's something more than professional courtesy going on between the Jendari and Ms. Teale."
Jonathan smoothed down his silk tie. "I don't want her hurt. She could be completely innocent for all we know."
Shaking his head, Glen leaned his elbows on the desk. "It doesn't work like that, Senator. If we use her as bait, or otherwise, we put her at risk. I can tell my men she's not to be hurt, and I can give you all the assurances at my disposal, but the truth is we can't predict what the alien will do. If we use her to draw him out, there are a hundred ways for the situation to go wrong." He sat back, maintaining eye contact with Jonathan. "I need to be very clear about this, Senator. If we use Jasmine Teale to entice, trap, or harm the alien, then she is automatically at risk. No matter how hard we try to protect her."
Jonathan was quiet for a moment. He was smart enough to understand the necessity of their fight, but Glen wasn't sure he was practical enough to comprehend the operational realities.
Eventually the senator nodded. "I'll leave the decision up to you. Just keep me informed."
"Will do." Glen looked over at his best marksman, still loitering by the wall. "Good work today, Sal. Go home and rest up."
Sal nodded and was gone before the senator had a chance to say goodbye. "Not very chatty, is he?"
"Ortega had some ugly missions when he was in special forces, and that kind of horror never leaves you. He's a good man, though, and an excellent operator."
Glen had firsthand experience of the demons that came at you in the dark hours, and he hadn't always been successful at fighting them off either.
Jonathan gave a nod of understanding. "I've got an hour before I have to leave for the airport. Do you have time for an impromptu planning meeting?"
"Of course." Glen's live-in partner was used to his hours, and she believed in HEC as much as he did. She didn't begrudge the time he spent working. "Let me put on a fresh pot of coffee and we'll get to work."
Chapter Eight
Tallis woke a little before dawn. He'd spent most of yesterday afternoon and all night in the kind of deep, healing sleep that made him blind and deaf to everything. A state any rhe'hashan would consider reckless outside the safety and protection of a Jendari settlement. And no warrior in his right mind would allow himself to be so vulnerable in front of a human.
Unfortunately he'd had little choice. Being on a clandestine mission meant his usual resources were closed to him, so he'd had to rely on himself. And Jaz.
Which complicated his world in ways he didn't have the energy to fully consider right now. Despite his determination not to become involved, he found himself irresistibly drawn to the curvy human. He trusted her on a level that had nothing to do with intellect or the short-term nature of their acquaintance. And it wasn't just the two-legged part of himself who trusted her. His tigaren trusted Jaz with the certainty of animal instinct.
Right now the feline aspect of Tallis was completely in charge. He was in paws and fur, sprawled on his side on the floor with Jaz pressed full length against his back. Her arm was wrapped over his body and her small, soft hand was buried in the thick ruff on his chest. The cat was in utter bliss, and the Jendari part of Tallis wasn't complaining either.
Keeping his body relaxed he savored the feel of her, fantasizing about lying with her like this in his other form, skin to skin. He was so tempted by the proposition that he eventually had to force himself away from her. Easing himself from her hold, he rolled to his paws, padding across the lounge and heading into his bedroom.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, putting enough distance between himself and Jaz, he phased back into his two-legged shape. As was the way with the Goddess's magic, Tallis resumed his form in the clothing he was wearing prior to the phase. His battle leathers were resistant to any kind of damage, including bloodstains, but he was quick to shuck them nonetheless. Heading straight to his oversized bathroom Tallis turned on the shower and stepped under the spray before the water had time to heat up. Scooping a handful of lightly scented sandsoap from the dispenser, he scrubbed himself from head to toe. Phasing from one shape to another had eliminated all the dirt, sweat and blood from his body, but it didn't alleviate his need for soap and hot water.
Once he was clean he shut off the shower and stepped out of the stall. After a vigorous rub down with a thick bath sheet he bent at the waist and wrapped his shoulder-length hair in a second, smaller towel. Then he made his way to the wall mirror to assess the damage of his
injury.
Due to his rhe'hashan healing gifts, his body was in better shape than he had a right to expect. Thankfully the bullet wound on his neck had sealed over. Now there was nothing more to the injury than a jagged line of pink skin. He pushed and prodded, stretching his head up and to the side. The wound pulled a little, but he was satisfied it had healed enough to give him normal mobility. A neck wound was dangerous, half an inch could mean the difference between life and death. However, the healing rate was quick if one could survive the initial impact. The searing pain he'd experienced yesterday had muted to a dull ache. He knew from experience his nerves, muscles, and tendons would now hold together.
Satisfied with his recovery, Tallis turned his attention to his next big problem. The tempting human now sleeping on his lounge room floor. Closing his eyes and stretching out his senses, he locked onto her as she slept. Her body was relaxed and her mind immersed in deep sleep. It would be a while before she woke so Tallis took the time to comb dry his hair.
When he was done he strode into his walk-in closet and pulled a pair of loose silk trousers from a drawer. All Jendari wore silks in the privacy of their own homes, and most rhe'hashan chose colors to honor their birth clans. Tallis was born and raised in the Flame Mountains and the majority of his silks, both tunics and trousers, were ember red.
Considering himself decently covered despite his bare chest and feet, Tallis headed back into the lounge room. His eyes automatically sought Jaz's sleeping form, and she kept his interest even as he walked to the window. Half-closing the drapes he diffused the incoming morning light, darkening the room so Jaz could sleep a little longer. He stood there for a moment, ignoring his multi-million-dollar view in favor of the small human sleeping on his floor.
Her pull was stronger now than it had been before the attack. It was so strong in fact, that Tallis began to wonder if he should take the edge off. To give into it, just a little.
Before he'd consciously decided to move, he found himself crossing the room and dropping to his knees next to Jaz. His hand reached out to stroke her hair while she slept, and in that moment Tallis realized his error. There would be no taking the edge off with this woman. He was already in too deep.
Retreat was the only sensible option. He pressed his hands to the floor and was about to roll upright when Jaz stirred.
It was enough to halt his movement. When he was sure she'd continue to sleep, he took a deep breath of relief. He didn't want her to catch him while he was trying to escape. But the breath was a mistake. He took her scent into his lungs, and the essence of her seemed to spread out to permeate his whole body. Everything in him leaned towards her and his cat howled in need.
Silently he listed all the reasons he should walk away. He was Jendari, she was human. His first duty would always be to the clans. Her first duty was to her kids. He didn't want a relationship and Jaz wasn't designed for casual sex. He had secrets to protect, secrets that ensured the safety of his people. And she posed a threat to those confidences.
Through no fault of her own Jaz had more information than any human should. Just knowing rhe'hashan could phase was enough to put every settlement on Earth at risk. And she didn't just know about his ability, she'd seen it with her own eyes.
Having that information also put her at risk. If any of the clan's hardcore separatists realized she'd stumbled onto this particular secret, they would be calling for blood. They'd argue that sacrificing one human woman was a small price to pay for the safety of thousands of Jendari. An argument Tallis would have agreed with until recently. But not anymore.
There was something honest and honorable about Jasmine, and Tallis believed she would keep his secret if he asked it of her. Which started him thinking about other secrets she might be willing to keep. Secrets that were theirs alone, whispers exchanged when they were body to body, skin to skin.
His already aroused cock grew even harder at the thought.
In the battle to resist Jaz, Tallis had all but admitted defeat. The events surrounding the attack had forged them together both physically and emotionally. They'd reached a level of mutual trust that had been accelerated and magnified by their mutual peril.
He liked her, he admired her, and he really, really wanted to fuck her. A situation that wasn't helped by the fact that his cat adored her and couldn't wait to smother himself in her scent.
Tallis knew he shouldn't allow his mind to play "what if". He couldn't afford the temptation. And it was becoming obvious that if he spent more time with her the "what ifs" would eventually become "why nots". It was all a mess. He was a mess.
Bracing himself, he finally forced himself to turn away.
Then Jaz started to wake, stretching like a sleepy kitten and letting out a soft moan. Tallis couldn't stop his head from swinging around to track the source of that sexy noise. Then he made the fatal mistake of scanning her, allowing his eyes to caress her skin while his fisted hands stayed by his side. He might even have made his escape if Jaz hadn't chosen that moment to come fully awake. Her blue-green eyes blinked open and she gave him a fuzzy smile. "You're back."
"I am."
Then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she lifted the blanket. "Are you getting back in?"
He should have said no. He should have climbed to his feet and walked away. This had disaster written all over it and she deserved so much better than the little he could offer.
She smiled and rolled back a little further, making room for him next to her warm, soft body.
Unable to withstand the twin assault of his cat's need and his heart's desire, Tallis gave in. Stretching out on the floor next to her, he slid under the blanket and edged close to Jaz. Pulling a pillow under his head he turned so they were lying face to face. Their bodies only touched at the knees, but he could feel her warmth, and the memory of those curves was making it hard to behave like a civilized male. And she smelled so, so good.
Closing his eyes he took a moment to steady himself, and when he lifted his lids she leaned closer, her gaze bright and wide awake. He gave her a half-smile. "How are you faring after yesterday and last night?"
"Well," she frowned a little and bit her lip. "Truth be told, the whole shooting thing scared the fuck out of me. I think I would have peed myself if we hadn't been so busy scrambling for cover." She wriggled closer and placed her fingertips on his naked chest. "Do you know who shot at you?"
Desperate to feel more than her fingers, Tallis contented himself with pressing her hand tight to his skin. "It could have been any one of several groups. Sadly, there are a lot of humans who don't want us here."
"But there are a lot who do."
He shrugged. "Perhaps." But they weren't the ones he needed to worry about.
When the Jendari had first arrived, hate groups had sprung up like weeds in a garden. They were loud, ill-informed, and spouting all kinds of rhetoric—from the absurd to the scarily believable. Over time they began to band together, eventually forming the Humans for Earth Coalition. The organization had a wide-ranging membership which included politicians, community leaders, clergy, business people and everyday men and woman. HEC also had a quasi-military arm that was more than capable of setting up an assassination—successful or otherwise.
"So." Jaz pressed closer until all he could see were her blue-green eyes. "Let's talk about how you turned into a ginormous black cat."
He stared at her in the early morning light, her face so close he could feel her breath, her soft hand still pressed to his chest. In that moment, all his arguments and vows ceased to exist. Far from keeping his distance, Tallis slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, hip to hip, belly to belly. She felt perfect pressed against him.
"This has to stay between the two of us," he said, keeping his mind on the conversation while his body gloried in the warmth of her skin. "You can't tell any of your people. If humans found out about phasing, they'd try to experiment on and then eradicate the Jendari. And the rhe'hashan wouldn't let that
happen without a fight. It would be an ugly battle, devastating to both sides." He eased his hand down, resting it on her enticingly rounded hip. "No Jendari can ever find out that you know, either." Because if the Council could be convinced she was a security threat, they would order her extermination without a second thought.
"All right." She nodded, petting his chest in what he assumed she thought was a comforting gesture. "Just you and me."
Cupping her face, he rubbed his thumb across her silky skin. "This is a life and death promise, Jasmine. If you break my trust, people will die."
"I understand."
He stared deep into her eyes and realized that she did understand. She was smart enough to connect the dots and she knew one of the lives he was talking about was her own. He hated that he'd been the one to put her in this position, but letting himself die to keep her ignorant was a step too far. His injury had been life threatening, and he'd made the best choice he could in a situation that was short on options. Besides, it was done now, so they'd just have to deal with it.
Praying his confidence in Jaz wasn't misplaced, he began with the basics. "The Jendari devote themselves to the natural world. We have access to technology, and we use it when it's expedient, but it's not an everyday part of our lives. We eat the food we grow, we make the things we need by hand, we rely on nature not industry to give us what we need." He could see by her expression she had no idea where this ramble of his was heading. To her credit she didn't ask questions, she just nodded to show she was paying attention.
"The essentials of our way of life haven't changed for millennia," he continued. "We live quietly in small villages, and our regions are divided up into clans. The Jendari are, for the most part, strong but peaceful folk." Tallis let his hand slide up a little, coming to rest at the dip of Jaz's waist. "The exception to this rule is the rhe'hashan."
"And that's what you are?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.