Oz (The Telorex Pact Book 1)

by Phoebe Fawkes

  Not that she was normally a Walden — her mom, who loved old shows, had forced her to watch it once — and she couldn’t really say good night to anyone from here, but still… “Night mom, night dad, night Max,” she whispered, going on through the list of her family’s names. “…Night Joe.” Okay. Maybe she was a bit of a Walden.

  When she fell asleep, the dreams were strange and violent, then she was falling and falling. Nothing was holding her up. Molly didn’t know where the bottom was. She just knew she would break when she reached it.

  Molly jerked awake to the sound of screaming and her heart beating a rapid staccato to the nightmare.

  Moments later, Molly’s door slid open, and something big came through. Molly pressed back against the bed post, breathing hard and trying to squint around the sudden light from the hall.

  “Who’s there?” she called out, and her voice quavered in fear.

  “It’s me,” said a vaguely familiar voice. “I heard you scream.”

  The shape moved stealthily to her bathroom and closet. It then moved closer to her bed.

  The memory of what happened yesterday came crashing back to her. I’m in space. On a ship. Then she placed the voice. She whispered in a shaky voice, “Oz?”

  “It appears that everything is secure,” he said, leaning over the bed at her. “Is there danger here?”

  “I… no… I thought. I…” Molly studied the forest scene still playing on the wall. She could make out the moving shapes in the dim light from the hall. “It was a dream.” Molly took a deep breath, feeling her heart slow down. “I thought I was falling and… that I was going to crash.”

  Molly ran her hands through her hair and rubbed her eyes. “I’m SO sorry! This is so embarrassing.” Half joking, she continued, “It’s not a warrior code thing, is it? I’ll be ostracized or something?”

  Oz chuckled. “No fear of that. It’s only that I was in close proximity. The others are sleeping; I’m sure they didn’t hear.”

  “That’s a relief. Could we maybe keep this between us?”

  “Of course, mah lo ma.”

  Molly could almost hear the grin on his face. She felt herself relax and realized how tired she still was. “What time is it anyway?”

  A dim light glowed from Oz’s wrist. “It’s oh-one-hundred. Should I stay until you fall asleep again; will you feel safer?”

  “No, I’m good now. Really.”

  He dipped his head to her and retreated out of the room.

  As the door closed, Molly clicked off the forest scene and tried again for sleep.

  14

  Oz

  Oz settled back on the floor in front of her door, falling into meditation to quiet his mind. He hadn’t expected to feel so nervous for his mate already, and the surge of adrenalin took longer than expected to leave his body. He would keep her safe from any harm though, imagined or otherwise.

  He set his internal clock to awaken at 06:00 before the rest of the crew would make their appearance. No point enduring the teasing of his warrior brothers… er, mostly Haze.

  But — considering he’d built the ship and the security system — it was silly to feel any fear for the girl behind the door. Still, he couldn’t leave just now, when she’d only just arrived. He must be available to her if needed.

  Oz was sleeping deeply when the whoosh of the door sliding open brought him instantly to his feet. He was in warrior stance, before he’d even come fully alert. Ready to face any danger, he held his hand near his hidden knife, ready to grab it out.

  “Molly,” he said a moment later as he relaxed.

  The female gasped. “My gosh. I. What are you doing here?”

  Oz shook his head to free himself of the last of his cobwebs. He glanced at his wrist. “It’s only just near 05:30, mah lo ma. You rise early for a civilian.”

  “I couldn’t really sleep any more. I was just planning to glance outside, trying to remember how this floor was setup.”

  “Did you wish for the first meal? I could take you.” Oz glanced down at himself, ashamed for his dissembled appearance in front of her. “I’ll just need a few minutes to ready.”

  Molly moved her hand through her hair as though she couldn’t decide. She looked as though she was about to say yes when Haze walked by, on his way to Command.

  “Oz,” Haze acknowledged, smirking at Oz’s rumpled appearance as though he knew what had caused it.

  Haze would be early this morning. Actually, the entire away team would probably be out and about soon, coordinating the final details of their mission plan.

  Molly glanced over and blushed, taking a step back. “I… ah.” She stuttered. Her voice dropped to a near whisper, so Oz had to lean in to hear. “I’ll just need a moment to get ready.”

  The door closed almost in Oz’s face. He took a step back and turned to stare at the command door entrance where Haze had disappeared through.

  His only mah lo ma blushed for another and for anyone to see. What if, despite the danger, his mate had chosen another?

  His heart crushed slightly inside. He walked back to his room to change, trying to re-gather his senses. For the humans, this was probably only the commitment needed to give over one son to the cause. Nothing beyond. He must be more guarded with his feelings, more centered.

  Oz changed quickly so that his mate… his matched… the earth female… so that Molly would not have to wait long. Her dimples came to mind as he changed uniforms and freshened up, finally splashing water on his face to complete his morning ablutions in only a few minutes.

  Calmness filled him.

  He couldn’t make decisions so quickly. Who knew what Earth customs were for females? After all they had no tail to make their intentions known.

  Perhaps Seban would know…? After all, he had spent time amongst the humans on their moon base.

  Oz shook his head as he returned to Molly’s cabin. He was most definitely not going to expose such weakness to a war brother, even one as soft as the doctor.

  15

  Molly

  Molly changed quickly, brushed her hair and teeth. She hovered at the door nervously, not wanting to open it.

  It was silly, right? To feel like a whore when that was the condition of this arrangement. She was here to mate with the man. Who cares what anyone thought?

  She should find some way to ask Seban what the expectations were.

  She slid the door open, not sure what she wanted to find there. The hall was empty. No teasing men or prying eyes to deal with, but still, how awkward to wait.

  A moment later, Oz came jogging up, and she felt herself unfreeze inside. She wasn’t alone.

  Already there was just something so comforting in his presence. He was… hmm, safe? She could tell he was capable, intelligent, strong, and lethal. Something about watching him fight made her hyper-aware of his body and those crazy muscles of his, of how he moved and held his body with so much assurance. It touched off a hint of desire to watch him move, even now.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  Molly pulled her eyes away embarrassed and reached in her pocket to touch the edge of her mom’s note. She felt even more reassured. “Breakfast?” she asked.

  “Break-fast it is.” His voice broke halfway through the alien-to-him word. He paused for the translation. “Yes, how apt: it is truly the time to break-the-fast. I like it.”

  A few of the men marched by them: Haze, Xain and another. It took her a moment to place the other man from dinner: the first officer, Fyn. Oz stood next to Molly for a moment to let them pass.

  As the men disappeared down the ladder to a level below, Molly hazarded a question, “Where are they going? Is that the mission- the one with the—” warships, she finished silently, remembering the talk of the Suhlik ships that might come. “They decided to go anyway?”

  Oz nodded, not seeming to notice her residual fear of the danger the others had talked about at dinner. “They’ll be gone for several hours. Let’s head up to eat. After, I can s
how you more of the ship.”

  Once they were sitting at the table, Molly asked, “You think it’s safe? Last night they mentioned warships?”

  Oz didn’t meet her eyes, which Molly found deeply unsettling.

  “I checked,” he said almost too quickly, in an undertone. “The readings are clear. We should be good for another 48 hours, at least. I have the situation continually monitored, and the captain agreed that the haul is worth the risk.”

  “The haul?”

  “It’s the biggest deposit we’ve ever seen, that’s ever been found.”

  Molly shook her head confused. Were they treasure hunters or something? It seemed an odd occupation for the fabled Mahdfel warriors. “What kind of deposit?”

  “It’s a mineral. You won’t have heard of it as it’s not in your solar system. It was one of the things our doctor Seban scanned for while he was at your moon base.”

  “This mineral— what is it for?”

  Oz looked uncomfortable for a minute. “We don’t like to speak of it with outsiders. It’s…” He shook his head slightly. “…private.”

  “Outsider?”

  “Apologies. It’s not meant to offend. Just think of us as crazy, zealot collectors.”

  Molly felt surprise and disappointment seep into her bones: Outsider? Okay then. Not like she was stuck here too or anything…

  She felt herself draw into herself and her body shrink, trying not to be part of the room around her, trying to enlarge the space between herself and the warrior.

  Apparently, they were risking her life for some secret that she couldn’t even know about.

  The nurse’s words filtered through her head again. Something about them taking the value of her life seriously, that they wouldn’t risk her unnecessarily. What a load of crap. If the DNA match was close enough, they’d send her anywhere, even off to collect some stupid rock.

  She’d already known it, in a way. Stories had filtered back of women lost on actual battle fields. She’d always figured they were baseless rumors, bolstered up to stir up dissension against the draft. It was all different than knowing it, than it being her. This was just stupid.

  Even though it wasn’t completely fair, she blamed Oz most of all. The captain had asked for a report in order to make a decision. Obviously it’d come down to Oz’s report, and he’d decided to stay, even with her on board.

  Seban came into the room and sat at their table, breaking the silence. “Molly, you should try the eggs. I found your planet’s popular dish with the ‘chicken’ eggs very similar to one of our break-fast dishes. ‘Scrambled’ I believe you say?”

  The thought of food made her feel sick. She glanced up and stared at the wall, her hands clenched under the table. “I’m not hungry.”

  “You must be,” Oz broke in. “I can prepare something for you. It’s one of the few things I can cook well, from my mother’s recipe. …I mostly remember it.”

  Oz hastened through the doors behind them. She could hear the clatter of pans. Molly listened for a moment and felt her heart melt a little. There was something very cute about a man trying to be so efficient at something which he obviously wasn’t.

  Don’t get attached.

  Molly took a deep breath and leaned toward Seban. “Is there any chance I could go home …after? I mean once I have the baby. How does that all work?”

  Seban glanced toward the door and back to Molly.

  Molly felt her face warm in a blush. She suddenly felt like a traitor. What kind of mother would ask about taking a baby from its father?

  “We can return you as soon as you give birth, if that’s your wish. Typically, the woman wishes to stay with her child until he is older, or even to have another child, or marry even, but that’s not a requirement, at least not by us. We would never force you to stay here.”

  “Wait.” Cold crept over her as disbelief shot through her. “You don’t mean I’d have to leave my child here, on this ship, alone?”

  “Not alone, but yes,” Seban continued awkwardly. “The child wouldn’t belong to you, not really, but for your own life, you can decide. Our situation is more uncertain than an ideal Mahdfel match would have to face, but unfortunately it is part of being with a Mahdfel. Although — thanks to Oz — in some ways our ship would be the safest place you and your son could be.”

  Molly glanced back toward the kitchen and thought of those stupid rocks she couldn’t know about. “Except right now,” Molly whispered.

  “Ah. Yes.” Seban paused. “Molly?—”

  When Seban didn’t continue, Molly finally glanced reluctantly over at him, her heart squeezing tight in frustration.

  “We didn’t wish to have a female sent here, but now that it’s happened, we have to make the best of it. We will do our best to keep you safe while you’re here.”

  While I’m here?

  Seban said it as though she’d actually leave her own child. It wasn’t that she hadn’t already known the draft was meant to be forever. Somehow, hope had crept in anyway.

  Molly looked back at the wall as a tear rolled down her cheek. None of them wished to have a female — meaning her — here. Everyone was apparently as thrilled about the situation as she was. She swiped at her eye in aggravation. Why do tears happen when a person’s actually mad?

  Seban broke in. “Oz won’t let anything happen to you, Molly.”

  Molly shook her head in frustration as yet another tear fell. Outsider. Why did she even care what Oz had called her? Stupid. She’d just freaking met him… them. Obviously she was an outsider.

  Why was Oz cooking for her? Ugh.

  “It’s fine. Really. Just been a long couple days.” Her voice sounded shaky. She tried to smile; no point making Seban any more uncomfortable. She’d already blubbered in front of him.

  “I understand, Molly. So much has changed for you, so quickly. Give it time before you decide what you want to do.”

  Molly’s smile tightened, and she nodded her head, staring at the table.

  She could ask Seban about the other thing that dug at her — what that stupid rock thing was about — but what did it matter if Seban trusted her, or whether he still thought of her as an Outsider, even though her life was officially over? It mattered nothing at all.

  The doors swung open behind them, and Oz walked over with a platter of something white and soft.

  Damn, he was so big and handsome. Grr. …Just stop being cute already.

  …Stop looking already!

  Molly tore her eyes away.

  “Yes, all right,” she said to Seban. To Oz, she attempted a smile as he set down the platter. “I think eggs were a good idea.”

  After breakfast, Oz stood beside her chair. “Molly, why don’t I show you around your new home?”

  She glanced at Oz, then Seban. Home. Like he knew what they’d been talking about. “Sure.”

  They made their way back down the ladder. “You saw the crew quarters on this floor, some of engineering, the dining room, kitchen, and The Pit upstairs. The Command Center is through here.”

  Oz led the way past her room to the area where Haze and the other crew members had gone that morning. It was a brief hallway and a few steps up, and it opened into a large semi-circular room with a few seats and command stations and viewscreens. “Up ahead, you can see the Yrastomus cluster where the crew is harvesting minerals today. The captain is probably in his office deciding the best area to harvest next. Although this location could keep us busy for quite some time.”

  Oz flicked a few buttons, and a small area lit up with a red circle indicator. “That’s the signal from our crew’s spacesuits. They’ll probably be gone for a few hours today.”

  It was as Molly moved toward the viewscreen, past a door beside her, that she heard the loud growls of animals. They were so loud that they sounded like they were right by her ear. She jumped toward Oz and practically capsized him.

  “Easy, easy,” Oz said. “I wasn’t even thinking. It’s the Captain’s frengs. T
hey’ll be on edge with most of the crew away. Come toward me just a bit.”

  “Mars! Io! Here!”

  From up a corridor, two fierce, lethal looking animals padded slowly toward her, their ears back and heads low. Instead of fur, they had rough skin like an alligator. Horns pointed toward her from the top of their heads. As they made their way into the corridor, she saw spiky crests around their neck and down their back. Their front paws had long, sharp talons that clicked on the floor.

  They were something out of Molly’s worst nightmare.

  The animals stopped in front of Oz and sat down, watching Molly.

  Oz held out his hand to them, and they each sniffed it. A long tongue darted out to touch his knuckle.

  They blinked toward her and growled.

  “Mars, Io, down. Friend.”

  They dipped their heads and shook them toward Molly, seeming to display their horns and spikes as a warning.

  “Molly, slowly put your hand out toward mine.”

  The frengs immediately stared at Molly and shook their heads again. After another moment, they tipped their heads up and gradually bent their horns away from her.

  “Good. They’ll let you pet them now.”

  “Pet?”

  “Just pet this area here, very slow. It will transfer your scent to them, so they will know you are part of the pack.”

  “Um.” Molly put one hand on Oz’s forearm, clutching slightly and reached toward the beasts slowly. “Um…” She reached out slowly and touched the cheek of one of the frengs.

  “Here you go. Nice doggie. Nice doggie.” Molly’s voice shook slightly as she moved her finger down its cheek.

  The freng glanced slightly at her and lowered its head.

  “Mars,” Oz called with a stern voice.

  Mars glanced at Oz and took a step back.