“I know, gara. I know. You are safe with me.” He cradled me then, and as wild as our fucking had been, he was now a gentle giant holding me safe in the storm of my own emotions. I couldn’t hold anything back, not my desire, my pleasure, or the deepest, darkest corners of my heart and soul. And there, in his arms, I didn’t fight my emotions, because I didn’t have to. The mask society forced me to wear was gone. He’d stripped me bare and held me protected and secure in his arms.
“Promise me, Tark. Never leave me,” I said to him.
“Gara, you’re the one who’s leaving. I will contact our liaison at the program, see if something can be arranged so that I may accompany you to Earth, and bring you safely home.”
I stiffened beneath him. “Really? You can do that?”
“I will whatever must be done to keep you safe. You are mine. I understand that you must do what is honorable and right. You must return to offer your testimony, but I will not allow you to face a brutal killer alone.”
I snuggled into his chest with a happy sigh. How I’d gotten so lucky, I had no idea. But Tark was indeed the only man I could imagine spending the rest of my life with. He was my perfect match.
A slight buzz sounded in the room and I shook my head to clear it as a strange voice spoke into the silence.
“The transport protocol for Eve Daily had been activated.”
The personal transport nodule hummed against my ear and I could hear the voice clearly in my head. Had Tark heard it, too?
Tark slipped his cock from my body and yanked me up onto my knees. “What was that?” he said, all softness and pleasure from our fucking gone. His seed dripped down my thighs as I knelt on the bedding.
“I… I think it was the transport nodule and I’m being returned to Earth.”
My heart started to pound and Tark’s hands gripped my upper arms.
“Now? You can’t go. We just agreed you’d stay.” He looked frantic, as if this was the one thing completely out of his control and there was nothing he could do, no matter how much he fought or talked his way out of it.
“I want to stay with you,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and hugging him tightly.
“We can take the transporter from you, cut it out of your body.”
I shook my head against his chest, the springy hairs there soft and ticklish on my cheek. “I must put the man away. It is the honorable thing to do.”
“I know of honor, gara, but it is dangerous. You do not have to confront this killer on your own. We will contact the authorities on Earth and arrange for me to accompany you.”
“I don’t think there’s time. I should be safe. I’ll be protected by the police and the prosecutors. They will offer me their protection,” I countered.
He pushed me away from him so he could look me in the eyes. “And yet they had no faith in their ability to keep you safe before. That is why they sent you here, to me.”
“Thirty seconds to transport.”
“Tark, it’s happening now. I’m sorry,” I pleaded, hoping he’d understand that I had to go. I had to make things right on my world.
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” he sighed, but I felt the fierceness in his hold. “Know this, Eva. There is no one in this galaxy for me but you. You know this.”
I nodded as tears dripped down my cheeks.
“Five.”
“I will miss you,” I told him.
“Four.”
“Eva!” His eyes widened.
“Three.”
“There’s no one on Earth for me,” I vowed, lifting up onto my knees to kiss him.
“Two.”
He pulled back, his breath mingling with mine. He curled his hand around my nape, kept me close. “You are my mate, my heart.”
“One.”
“Master,” I said as I no longer felt his touch, could not detect his spicy scent, could no longer see him.
Chapter Nine
I didn’t wake gradually from the transport as I had the first time. I woke up with a start as if I had a bad dream, jolting upright with a gasp.
“Good, she’s awake,” someone said. It wasn’t Tark.
I blinked my eyes and looked around.
I was in a small room with a wooden desk and chairs. Two men sat across from me, studying me closely.
“Robert,” I said, perhaps more to myself because I recognized him than because I was glad to see him. The district attorney wore his usual crisp suit and was eyeing me carefully, perhaps wondering if the transport would have returned me misshapen or missing a limb or perhaps even naked.
I gasped and looked down at myself. I couldn’t help the sigh that escaped when I saw I wore a plain white blouse and skirt. I felt the usual heeled shoes on my feet, but couldn’t see what kind or color because they were hidden beneath the table. Patting my hair, I discovered the wild mess had been pulled up into a neat style and pinned in place at the back of my head.
“Do you feel all right?” Robert asked. I glanced at him and the man beside him.
“Sorry, Eva, this is Special Agent Davidson with the FBI. He arranged for your transport off-planet.”
I nodded to both men. “Robert, I… it hasn’t been three months yet. What happened?” It had only been a few days since I was sent to Trion; surely the trial hadn’t been moved up so far.
Both men frowned. “What are you talking about? Eva, it’s been four months.”
“Are you sure you’re all right, ma’am?”
I was confused, my mind a blur. I’d only been on Trion, one, two, three, yes, three days. How could four months have passed? “I think… I think time is different on Trion.”
“You went to Trion?” Robert’s eyes lit up, eager like a child.
I nodded.
“Well, what was it like? Is it true the matching program works?”
I thought of Tark and how, just moments ago—at least to me—I was in his arms. I hugged myself as if I could feel him still, but no. It wasn’t the same. I recognized the temperature control of the rooms in buildings on Earth. On Trion, the air, while hot, was not overly so. It was… balmy.
My arms pressed against my nipples and I felt the rings and the gems Tark had put there. They were still there!
“Are you sure you’re all right?” the FBI agent asked.
“I just transported from Trion, so please give me a minute to adjust. I would assume that I am the only person to return since the program is traditionally one-way.”
“It is,” the man confirmed. “We programmed your transport so that you would arrive in the courthouse—as you can tell from the room we’re in—and dressed appropriately for the hearing.”
That explained the rings and the gems. The man didn’t know what the Trion customs were, what Tark had done to me, therefore he didn’t know they needed to be removed on transport back. He assumed I just needed to be put into the correct clothes for the trial, nothing more.
I was relieved actually, for the nipple rings, the gems, were all that I had left of Tark. I was on the opposite side of the galaxy from him and there was nothing I could do about it.
“I’m fine. If I could have a glass of water, then we can go over whatever you need me to say. Then I’d like to go home.”
I was going to cry, but I swallowed back the tears. I couldn’t cry now, in front of these men. I couldn’t let them know that I’d fallen for my match, that I wanted to stay on Trion. It didn’t matter now. I was going to do the right thing, put the man behind bars, and then I would return to work and get on with my life.
* * *
A week later, the trial was over. The man had been found guilty and sent to prison. His sentencing would occur in the next few months, but my part was done. Since I wasn’t actually Evelyn Day, my personal record never showed the fake conviction and my sentencing to the bride program. Instead of returning to my life as I’d suspected—and I’d been told would happen before I left for Trion—I’d been put into the witness protection program. The threat to my life h
ad not gone away when the trial was over. The man had put a price on my head and I was not safe.
The FBI agent dumped me in a small town in Iowa with a new name, unable to practice medicine. I was given a job as a school librarian. I missed Tark keenly, night and day. I lay in bed at night—in a strange new home—and played with the gems on my nipple rings. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get them to vibrate. I refused to remove them, for they were a part of me. I only had to wear padded bras and be cautious in my shirt selection, otherwise no one knew. I had no intention of sharing them, for what could I say?
They were mine. Mine and Tark’s, and they were private. My pussy was still bare. I’d originally thought I’d been shaved, but after the few days on Trion and the time back on Earth, none of the hair between my legs had grown back. I touched myself there and just like with the stimspheres, no matter how I played with my clit, I could not climax. I needed Tark.
All of the men on Earth seemed so small, so weak in comparison. I found I used Tark as a basis for the perfect man and not one person I knew, or met, or came across in the grocery store matched up.
I had no friends in my new life. I had no family, since both of my parents had died when I was young. I was alone and sad and I felt as if a piece of me was missing. I was the same person I’d been before I witnessed the murder, but stepping back—or off-planet—made me see what my life here had been like. And that barren existence was a far cry from what I wanted it to be. Before Tark, work had been my life. When I’d left Earth, I barely had real friends, no family.
I wanted Tark. I needed him so intensely that I was willing to give up Earth for him. I touched myself, circling my fingers over my clit, heating my body as I thought of my mate, wishing it was his hand and his mouth on me. As he’d said, my pleasure belonged to him, so as I felt arousal, I cried out in desperation for his touch. Then I cried my heart out.
Something had to be done. I had to get back to Tark and I knew just the person to talk to.
* * *
“Enter.”
At my shout, the flap opened and Mara and Davish were escorted into my tent. Mara looked returned to health. Her cheeks were full of color, her hair a long mane down her back. Her shift dress was free of blood and the modest robe she wore over it shielded most of her body from my gaze.
Not that it was needed. Nothing about the woman appealed to me. She was attractive enough and she was Davish’s mate, but I didn’t like her lithe build, her small breasts, the usual dour expression. I wanted Eva.
It had only been a day since she had literally slipped through my fingers, transported back to Earth. I felt empty and hollow, as if a part of me had been yanked and taken with her across the vast expanse of space that separated us.
“High councilor, we came to bid your mate many thanks.” Davish looked about the room for her. If he’d taken Mara from the harem, he knew Eva was not there.
“You are both well?” I asked.
“Yes, high councilor,” Mara whispered as Davish nodded.
“Good. While your visit is appreciated, my mate is not here.”
They both frowned in confusion.
“She was transported back to Earth.”
Mara looked shocked. “Was it because of me? I was… unkind to her.” She looked embarrassed about it, ashamed even. “I made her angry, which upset you. Your denial of her is my fault.”
She lowered herself to her knees and dipped her head.
I looked to Davish, who clenched his jaw at the news, which was obviously a surprise to him. I was not happy to learn that Mara had been hurtful to Eva, but it was not my place to punish her.
“Rise,” I said. She did, but kept her head down. “She was not transported at my wishes. Quite the contrary. Her testimony was needed to send a man to prison.”
“She was not a murderer?” Davish asked.
I shook my head.
Something akin to admiration lit his eyes. “Your mate is honorable,” Davish remarked. “Her actions yesterday were one example. Leaving a mate because of duty is another. I will tell the council.”
Mara squeezed her hands together. “She saved my life and I will be forever grateful.”
The couple left without more comment, the tent empty once again. I saw the ceremonial stand in the corner, the bed with the blankets that still held Eva’s scent. I dropped my head into my hands and relived the conversation I’d had a few hours ago. I had successfully contacted the Interstellar Bride Program liaison for Trion and was coldly informed that if my mate had chosen to leave me, there was nothing they could do. It was my fault for not enticing her, for not pleasing her. My name would be placed back on the register of available males from Trion, at the bottom of the list, since I could not satisfy a female.
I wanted to leap through the communication screen and strangle the female officer with my bare hands. She implied that I was not worthy. That Eva left me because I was not good enough to deserve her.
Perhaps that bitch was correct. Eva was gone. If I’d been a better mate, I would have questioned Eva earlier, I would have had time to prevent the transport from taking her back without me. If I’d acted on my instincts, the instincts that insisted she was not a murderer, I could have forced the truth from her lips and made arrangements to protect her on her trip to Earth and keep her at my side.
I’d failed as her mate, but her brief presence in my life haunted me. Memories of her taunted me everywhere I looked, but she was gone. Forever.
I tossed a bowl filled with fruit against the wall, but it did nothing to make me feel better.
Chapter Ten
I was once again in the small room at the processing center, although this time I wasn’t wearing the prison garb and I wasn’t strapped in. Warden Egara stood next to my processing chair and glared at the FBI agent who sat in a small plastic chair in the corner of the room. Today her suit was navy blue, the insignia on her chest was still red, almost as red as her cheeks. Warden Egara was clearly furious with Agent Davidson.
“Is this DNA scan correct?” She raised her eyebrows and scowled at the FBI agent. “This woman’s DNA sample is already on file in our system. She is not supposed to be on Earth. According to our records, she is, at this very moment, on Trion, with her mate. And her name is not Eva Daily, it’s Evelyn Day.”
“Yes, the DNA is correct. But her real name is Eva Daily.” He had the good sense to sound contrite.
“And how did this woman return to Earth without permission from the Interstellar Bride Program?” She crossed her arms and I would swear she grew two inches taller as she towered over the seated man. When Agent Davidson didn’t respond, she put her hands on her hips.
“Are you aware, Agent Davidson, that in deceiving me, as an official representative of the interstellar coalition, and as head of this Interstellar Bride Program processing center, I could bring charges against you with the interstellar council? Fraud and impersonation are crimes on all worlds, agent.” Warden Egara looked ready to take his sidearm from him and shoot him dead on the spot. I jumped off the table to stand between them.
“Please, warden. The matching process was perfect. I’m sorry I lied to you. I didn’t have a choice. But now, I just want to go home.” I hoped the longing and sincerity of my request would convince her to help me. This strange, formidable woman literally held my future in her hands. She was the only one who had the power to send me back to the man I loved. “Please. Help me. I just want to go back to him.”
“You are aware that this time, Miss Day, or Daily, or whatever name you are using this week,” Warden Egara gave the FBI agent a withering glance, “you will not be able to return to Earth.”
“Yes. I know. I don’t want to be here. I want to be on Trion, with my matched mate.”
Warden Egara’s eyes softened just a bit, and I caught a glimpse of the beauty she’d be if she ever smiled. “The matching process is truly miraculous, Eva. I have witnessed it many times. It’s why I protect my brides so fiercely. The warriors who p
rotect us, who protect all life on coalition worlds, deserve to be loved. They deserve to find true happiness. And when someone fucks with my warriors, I am not amused.” This last she directed at Agent Davidson, who had the grace to blush.
“My apologies. I already told you, I swear, I’ll never use your program to hide a bride again. You have my word.” The FBI agent held his hands up in complete surrender. I’d called Agent Davidson two weeks ago and told him I wanted to go back to Trion. At first, he hadn’t understood why I would want to do that. I wasn’t a prisoner and I’d certainly given more of myself than any other witness he’d ever helped before. He didn’t understand the matching process and most likely never would. Even though I’d tried to explain the connection I felt to Tark, more than once, he’d forced me to wait two full weeks, to think about it, before he would fulfill my request.
They had been two very long weeks of waiting. Knowing he would help me get back to Trion, and to Tark, filled me with eager anticipation. This time, I knew where I was going. This time, I knew who I was going to be with. This time, I wanted to go. If Tark wanted to bend me over a ceremonial stand and fuck me for the entire council to see, I didn’t even mind. Well, maybe a little, but it would be a worthy price to pay to be back in his arms and his life.
“Please, Warden Egara. Send me home.” I whispered the words as butterflies danced in my stomach. I sat back down on the chair and waited impatiently for the woman to start the process.
“We do not need to complete the matching tests again as they have been done once. However, protocol demands I ask, do you wish to reject your match and be sent to a different warrior?”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I choose to keep my match to High Councilor Tark of Trion, permanently.”
Agent Davidson angled his head and studied me. “You love him.” It wasn’t a question and he said it with a hint of awe.
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