“Meaning it could’ve hurt you?”
“Not a lot, but it wouldn’t have been overly pleasant. Anyway, I’m not sure how he got a hold of it, but he’s gone now. Too bad I can’t let command center know those fiends have access to something they shouldn’t.”
“Why can’t you?”
“Haven’t you been listening? I’m in trouble too.” Renard griped.
Dominic appeared apologetic. “Fuck, yeah sorry. Hey man, I’m tired as hell and hurting all over. Got any painkillers to give me?”
“Painkillers? You can’t self-heal?” Renard asked, sounding surprised.
“Not now, because I can’t shift. Maybe a few more days and I’ll be able to. For now, I’m stuck in this form.”
Renard nodded and continued to run the sponge over Dominic’s back. “All right, I’ll see what Baal can cook up. Being a gargoyle, I don’t need them, so I have no idea what would help you.”
“You could let me go and not turn me in.” Dominic said, sounding hopeful.
“I already told you I wouldn’t, okay? Until I figure out what our next course of action is, neither one of us is going back to our respective homes. We’re gonna be space buddies for a while.”
“How cute.” Dominic said, sounding sarcastic. He flexed and turned over slightly, letting the water hit his ass. “Ah damn, that feels great. You think you can turn that water on a higher setting? I want it to pelt my back like a fucking meteor storm.”
Renard cocked an eyebrow, enjoying the view in front of him. If his hands weren’t wet, he’d give his cock a little tug. “Sorry, man this is as high as she goes. I told you it’s nothing like what you’re used to.”
“Well, shit. Fine. I’ll deal. It’s nice not to wallow in my own shit and piss.”
“Yeah, I tossed that cage onto the fucking disposable shaft under the ship.” Renard washed Dominic’s backside.
“Good. That thing was uncomfortable as hell.” Dominic wiggled his behind and shook out his hair. “Easy, man, easy. Don’t put your hand nowhere near my anus, okay? That shit is raw.”
Renard stood transfixed, eyeing Dominic’s gorgeous body. “I wouldn’t.”
Not right now, anyway.
“Thanks. By the way, do you have a spot on this ship I can sleep? I swear I’ll be knocked out for probably a good two or three days because that fucking bastard kept me up to play with me.”
Renard released a low growl thinking of how Cogo mistreated Dominic. If he had the ability to kill the sucker again, he would. “You can have my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch towards the cockpit. I’ll need to keep an eye on our journey since I’ve got no clue where we’re going.”
“We could go back to Gocara.” Dominic turned over to sit. He leaned back, letting the water splash onto his face. “I’m in a lot of trouble, sure, but I’ll serve my punishment, and everything will be okay.”
Renard only nodded. “Yeah, well, we’re days away from Gocara my friend.”
Dominic shook off the water. “How far?”
“At least five now, and Baal is an older ship not able to change course as quickly. I’d have to make a stop on some unknown planet before turning back around.”
Dominic ran his hand over his head. “All right, and have you figured out what planet that’ll be?”
“Not yet. I will, once I get you settled. I got some food, as well as some in reserves, but it isn’t a lot.”
“Shit, really? I’m starving. Fucking Cogo only fed me plants. This is when Gocarians have the biggest appetites, right before Cold Season.”
“Which is?”
“Cold Season is hibernation for us. We either do what traditional bears did in the old ages, or we relocate to places like Hunarth. After what I did, I’m sure the assholes won’t allow us back there.”
“Well, you can have what I got left. I was well fed on Megiddo so I can last a few days without food.”
“Are you sure? That’s kind of you, but… well damn.”
“It’s fine. Like I said, I need to take care of you, so if that means giving up most of my food rations, then so be it. Anyway, lets finish up so I can get back to the front of the ship.” Renard had to do something to distract himself from the gorgeous shifter. In all truth, Renard had no desire to take Dominic back home, even minimalizing Baal’s abilities when he knew that Baal could turn at a moment’s notice.
Perhaps Renard could stall enough to get to know Dominic a little better before he returned him. If Renard’s unforgettable charm worked, maybe Dominic would want to stay instead of suffering the fate of his own people’s wrath.
Chapter Five
Dominic
Truthfully, Dominic felt guilty for eating all the food, but Renard assured him he could go for days without sustenance. He remarked as long as he had water and coffee, he’d be fine, also adding if he did get hungry, he’d just turn himself into stone which scared the hell out of Dominic. He hoped Renard would do that when he wasn’t around because that ordeal seemed mighty painful.
After Dominic finished, Renard walked him to his dormitory on another part of the ship. A full window was above the bed, giving one a perfect view of the universe. Renard’s dormitory was very minimal with only the bed, a dresser, and a nightstand with a few books on top. For a ship that Renard claimed to be outdated, Dominic was impressed by its size.
“Are you sure you wanna give up your bed.” Dominic sat down slowly, still feeling soreness in his back and joints.
“I’m sure. I’m stone, remember? Actually, I only use this room to heal.”
“Oh.” Dominic leaned back on the pillow and sighed contently. “Shit, this feels amazing. Don’t be surprised if I sleep longer than I said at first.”
“I won’t. I’ve got work to do anyway. Gotta find a place to get supplies that won’t tip off the Federation. I wish I would’ve thought of that before we’d gotten so far from Megiddo, but my first thought was getting the hell outta dodge.”
“Yeah. I appreciate this, Renard. Or should I call you Captain?”
“Won’t be once I return to Damascus. Renard’s fine.” He sounded gruff.
Dominic cocked an eyebrow, staring at the creature. He was handsome as hell but seemed a lot more agitated than he did earlier. “Um, did I piss you off by eating everything and taking your bed?”
Renard frowned and twitched his nose. “Nah. I’m a little tired and worried about where we’ll land, that’s all.”
“Ooohhkay. Will it really be that difficult? Not every planet could be looking for a runaway bear and a stone face, are they?”
Renard snorted. “You’d be surprised. It’s not just that, my father is a G-Force general. What I did is an embarrassment to him as well as the Federation. Plus, he asked me to be back in three days, so, of course I’ll be late.”
“Oh, I get it.” Dominic dropped his head. “Decorated family, huh?”
“Very.” Renard harrumphed and folded his arms. “One, two medals aren’t good enough. If I don’t win an award, the guy is automatically disappointed in me.”
Dominic wished he could relate. “Yeah, well at least you have a father you could be proud of.”
Renard tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“My dad, Denman was a traitor to our planet. He joined the human rebels and was killed in battle.” Dominic sighed.
“Oh, I… I’m sorry to hear that. Was he young?”
“He was. Just when my mother thought he was coming to grips with being a shifter’s father, he turned his back on us. My mother couldn’t handle it, so she killed herself soon after he died.”
“Dammit, Dominic. That’s such a horrible story.”
Dominic sniffed and wiped away a stray tear. He had no idea why the hell he was pouring his heart out. Only Merkin and a few select others in the Messoli knew his story since he was practically raised by them. Perhaps Renard’s talk of his father spurred him on.
“Dominic?”
“Sorry. I, um… I wasn’t supposed to get al
l emotional.” Dominic half chuckled.
“It’s fine. You’re allowed.” Renard softly rubbed his head.
Dominic’s breath caught in his chest and he eyed the gargoyle, seeing the gray tint in his eyes once more. Feeling safe, Dominic leaned into that touch, despite his brain telling him to retreat.
What the hell am I doing?
Immediately, he forced his eyes open and moved back. “Um, sorry, I…”
Renard gasped, then frowned. “Why are you apologizing?”
“I shouldn’t, I…” Dominic slid over on the mattress so he wouldn’t do it again.
“Uh, okay.” Renard ran his hand over his head. “Get yourself some rest. I’ll see you when you wake up.” He left without saying another word.
Dominic blinked and shrugged, making himself comfortable. He’d probably upset Renard while he tried moving away but it was for the best. The last thing he needed was to hook up with a gargoyle. Dominic had no prejudices, but again, Renard was not a friend, he was an enemy.
As Dominic settled in, he stared at the constellation above his head. He wondered what his captain and fellow Gocarians were saying since he hadn’t returned home in almost three days. By now, they knew he’d been captured, and would probably go after the Federation when they found out Renard had taken him from Hunartheon warriors. If only he could connect with them and inform them of his welfare. Then again, they probably wouldn’t care, knowing he’d broken the rules, risking time in prison to prove a point.
And what a stupid point it was.
Even knowing that Cogo reprogrammed Merkin, he shouldn’t have listened to the machine. He should’ve accepted that he didn’t get the position and moved on with life. Now he was in a lot of trouble with his own people and despite what Renard said, a captive of a stone-faced warrior. Who knew if the man would tire of Dominic and decide to imprison him after all? Renard might be sexy, but Dominic shouldn’t let all that cloud his better judgement.
As Dominic continued to stare at the shooting stars beaming overhead, his eyes started to feel heavy. That meal of meat and vegetables was more than enough to last him for a while, especially since it was close to Cold Season.
Perhaps this detour was exactly what he needed to figure out his next move before returning to Gocara.
With his body being too exhausted for anything more, he finally closed his eyes and fell into deep slumber.
Renard
Leaving Dominic was the last thing Renard wanted to do. He wished he could lay beside the shifter that intrigued him and rub oil over his body. He’d promised Dominic he’d have medicine when he woke from his sleep. Renard kind of wished he had the ability to heal Dominic, but he wasn’t equipped with such power.
“Renard, come in? Renard?”
Hearing Whimpsy’s voice, he pressed his earpiece. He tapped another button to take Baal out of autopilot. “Yeah?”
“Care to explain to me why you scared my dealer and all my patrons, caused significant damage to my casino, killed a Hunartheon without due cause, and destroyed two of my robots?”
Renard blew out a ragged breath and leaned back in his chair. He crossed his arms. “Don’t be so overdramatic.”
“Overdramatic? Did you just hear what I said?” Whimpsy sounded annoyed.
“I did, and I’m sorry, okay?”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it, Renard. Your stunt will cost me a pretty penny in the end, you know.”
“I’ll pay you back, man, I promise. I had to get the Gocarian out of there.”
“A Gocarian? Seriously, you caused all that damage for a pretend bear?”
“All right, shut it, Whimpsy! Gocarians are bears. Just because they aren’t the Old World’s grizzlies or polars doesn’t make them fake.”
“All right, fine. Would you rather me remind you how the Gocarians refused to be our allies? And did you forget that you didn’t want to go visit the planet which is why you ended up on Megiddo in the first place?”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it, okay? It’s something different with him, Whimpsy.”
“Oh? Is his ass more attractive than anyone in the harem I provided you with?”
“Fuck off, okay? It’s not about how handsome he is. He’s someone I needed to help. Besides, that oversized worm raped and tortured him.”
“Are you asking me to feel sorry for an enemy?”
“Yeah I am. If you wanna hold the destruction I caused to your casino against me, fine, but leave the Gocarian out of this.”
“Whatever. When am I going to be reimbursed for the damages?”
“When I return to Damascus.”
“And that will be?”
“I haven’t the faintest clue because I’m days away from both Megiddo and the mothership.”
“Renard you need to come back. General Kirk has already sent out several G-Force warriors to recover you while he convinces the president not to throw you out. You must turn that ship around and plead your case.”
“I can’t. I… I got things to do first, Whimpsy. I promise you when I return, you’ll get paid handsomely for your trouble.”
“Oh, I know, but in the meantime, I’m running interference for you. I need to tell your father something.”
“Tell him I went on vacation. Just make sure not to mention Dominic, okay?”
“Who’s that?”
“The Gocarian. Anyway, I gotta go.”
“No, wait, you have to tell me more, Renard. Don’t leave me—”
“Renard out.” Renard touched his earpiece, cutting off all transmission. He also pressed anther green button to make Baal unable to be tracked.
Surely Whimpsy was trying to keep him talking so they could find him on the radar.
While carrying a known adversary to G-Force, Renard couldn’t afford to be found.
Now Renard needed to find a place to hide. There weren’t many options considering how far they were from Damascus. Only three visible planets were in this area: Xeritron, Ferolax, and Abugendi with only Ferolax not being under G-Force protection. Renard wondered if taking the chance to land on a friendly planet would be better than one not so nice.
Knowing G-Force, they’d probably already alerted Xeritron and Abugendi to be on the lookout for the Baal ship since he was on the run.
After turning Baal on autopilot, Renard scrubbed his chin and leaned back in his chair. Abugendi was closer and very eager when the G-Force offered them protection. Being such small beings, hedgehogs, the Abugendi needed someone to defend them. Perhaps when Renard stopped there, they would be open to him staying there a few hours to refuel, rest, and load up on food.
Thankfully Abugendi had favorable weather conditions, warm throughout the year. Although this planet’s inhabitants might not have the meat Renard would want, he knew their love for vegetables would favor Dominic.
Sometimes being made of stone had its advantages.
Another positive for landing there was the amount of time it would take. Only three days, while the aforementioned Xeritron and Ferolax would take five. Also, neither of those planets liked strangers, so he figured he’d rather take his chances with the Abugendi where he had allies.
Hopefully, Dominic would use that entire time to stay asleep. With there being no other food for him to eat, Renard didn’t want the bear to get aggravated, thus making him hard to contain.
With that decided, Renard could finally relax. Baal had plenty of fuel to last them for trip, but it would be nice to take some back for reserves. His biggest problem other than fighting exhaustion and hunger was his desire to get close to Dominic before he was ready.
Renard refused to be like Cogo, the one he killed for forcing himself on the bear. He’d have to be patient until the two of them discussed how they’d move forward.
Chapter Six
Dominic
When the sun shone in Dominic’s eyes, he blinked, then opened one. He had no idea how long he’d been asleep, but from what his groin was telling him it probably had been quite a while. Unfortunately
, the lavatory wasn’t near the dormitory, so Dominic would have to rush to it to relieve himself. Hopefully the act wouldn’t be as painful as the last.
Once he finished, Dominic washed his hands while eyeing the looking glass in front of him. Plenty of scruff on his face and dark circles around his eyes greeted him as did the multiple lines in his forehead. Despite the rest, he didn’t look like a man that enjoyed sleep, but at least his body no longer felt like a pin cushion. He hoped Renard would’ve come up with some painkillers for him that may lessen the discomfort enough for him to shift later on.
“Mornin.”
Dominic jolted and looked a little to his left to see Renard standing approximately ten feet behind him. Unlike Dominic, the stone face’s features were clear and well rested. Dominic wondered how someone made of rock could have such smooth skin.
“Mornin. By any chance did your ship find drugs?”
“Yep.” Renard held up a bottle and a jar. Old World medicine. Ibuprofen and some kind of cream for aching joints or muscles.”
“Good enough. I’ll take it. Just leave it in the bedroom. I’ll get it once I take another shower.”
“Oh, um.” Renard frowned and dropped his head.
“What?” Dominic turned up his lips and eyed him through the mirror.
“I was…well.” Renard rubbed the back of his neck. “I was gonna help you.”
“With what? I can give myself meds.”
“But you’ll need help with the cream. You know, to get all those spots you can’t reach.” Renard smirked.
Dominic sighed and looked away from him. “I suppose you’re right. I’ll just take a shower then and meet you in the dormitory when I finished. Should I go grab the towel I had or…”
Renard grinned and held up another fluffy towel for him to dry off with. “I’ll help. No sense in you injuring yourself trying to do it alone.”
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