“Okay,” Nellia sighed, “I’ll transport him. Thank you for the additional security.” Nellia was obviously unhappy but did as she asked. With a link established the male in all black disappeared.
“That leaves the last one.” All three of them moved to the final pod. When it was open they found another male. This one had a blue shirt, the black pants, and boots and…Cali smiled faintly.
“Are those shells in his hair?”
The male had a single braid on either side of his face, his normal hair color appeared to be platinum blonde like her, but the braids were colored a nice cobalt blue. Tiny shells were attached in various positions along the braid. It was very interesting to her, where the other males didn’t have any type of adornment, this one seemed to be shouting his individuality.
“Again, he’s perfectly healthy,” Nellia muttered.
“Send him to medical. We can all go and see how these four fare.” Cali moved toward the lift with Vareen following. Nellia arranged the last transport and hurried to catch up.
“Computer, level two,” Cali asked the lift when everyone was inside. “Vareen, arrange for quarters for the four men. As soon as they wake up, I’m sure Drake will want to see them.”
“They can have rooms on the security level as well. That’ll make it easier for the guards to watch over all five of them.”
“Agreed,” Cali was distracted by the snort from Nellia. “What?”
“How many guards are you going to put to watching over those five? I’m not sure we have enough to manage the task.”
“You’re being cautious, which is admirable Nellia, but I still don’t see the danger in the men that you do.”
“Why not ask Drake to come to medical. He might want to greet them when they wake.” Vareen made the suggestion as the doors to the lift opened at level two.
“I’ll call for him in a few hours. If these four are anything like his case, they won’t wake up until much later anyway. I want Drake to get some rest.”
“So now are we going to get the details?” Nellia swept down the hall. “Does he lack stamina?”
Cali blushed at the teasing but refused to rise to the bait. Tapping her comm badge she called, “Computer connect me to the security chief.”
“Security here captain,” a male voice rang out.
“Detail an additional eight men to the medical unit,” Cali ordered. They arrived at the medical room and the double doors opened automatically.
“Confirmed. I will send an additional eight men to back up the two already stationed there.”
“Thank you, chief. Clear.” Cali broke with the male security officer and looked to Nellia. “Should I add more guards?” Cali teased.
Chapter Fifteen
Drake woke up and stretched widely. Dammit, he forgot about Cali in bed with him.
Jerking his arms and legs back together he started to roll over, “Cali, I’m sorry—” He stopped his apology when he realized the bed was empty. Sitting upright he looked around his bedroom.
“Cali?” he called. If she were in his quarters, she would hear him. When he didn’t get an answer, he knew she’d left.
“Dammit.”
Rolling off the bed he grabbed his pants and jerked them on, careful to tuck his dick out of the way of the clasp. Striding into the solar shower, he requested a cleaning for himself and his clothing. Once he was spotless, with angry strides he went to the console at his door.
“Computer, location of Captain Edal,” he snapped out.
“Unauthorized user. Request not recognized.” The computer answered.
He knew it had been a long shot, but he wanted to try anyway.
“Computer, can you relay to Captain Edal to contact this room?”
The computer denied him again.
“Computer, can you tell me the status of the scans for stasis pods?”
And again.
Stepping away from the console before he did something he would regret, Drake stormed to the food dispenser. Getting some sustenance would be imperative. All of the energy he’d expelled during the last hours would need to be replenished. He made sure to order triple of everything he liked.
With a satisfied smile, Drake ate his food and thought about what to do now. Everything had changed. Somewhere deep down he’d known it would. The way Cali pulled him like a lodestone was telling. There were other unmistakable signs as well if he chose to study them.
He had a lot to explain to her. It would take some time, but she would surely understand. It wasn’t just the physical attraction between them, it went deeper than that. Thinking about her soft cries, and her bodies savage response to his, made him want Cali again, and he wasn’t sure if he could last until her return on her own.
Pacing his quarters, he took deep breaths. The slight smell of flowers lingered in the room. Concentrate on the flowers, he told himself. Don’t lose control—
He heard Cali over the intercom, “This is the captain—” her voice reeked with panic and his heart froze.
There was a loud growling noise and Cali was cut off.
“Cali,” he snarled and a red haze went over his vision. Taking deep breaths, he drew her scent into his lungs. He felt his body expanding and his senses intensified. Running at the door, he smashed through the solid metal without breaking stride.
There were two guards at his door, but they ran screaming the other way. Mindless with worry for Cali he ran in the direction of the lift. Cali would’ve had them taken to medical. What floor was that? Think… “Computer. The medical floor.” Drake growled and thankfully the lift started moving. Though the ride lasted only seconds, Drake tore at the walls in his anger. He would apologize later for the long grooves he clawed into the metal if there was later. His mate was in danger, which meant this ship was in worse jeopardy.
When the lift stopped, he charged out. Ignoring the hallways and locked doors, Drake ripped through walls until he made it into the medical unit, not caring if he cut himself in the process. He picked up their scent instantly. Dak’za, Tae, Arik, and Mica. Cali had found his friends. He forced his arms to his sides, and his eyes flashed around the room. Male guards were lying prone on the ground, and his senses reached out, Drake felt six living bodies that were wounded and unconscious but alive.
Another scent reached his nose. Flowers, he smelled flowers.
“Let me go!” That was her friend, Vareen. “Cali, No. Don’t shoot.”
If Cali had a weapon the others would see this as a threat.
He tore with superhuman speed into the next room. Four more male guards, along with Nellia were prone on the ground, but his priority was his mate. She had her back to him, with a weapon pointed at the others.
“Let my friend go or I will kill you.” The little hellcat’s voice was steady, and his heart swelled with pride at her courage, and his dick swelled at her nearness.
The others had raised their eyes to him when he entered. He towered over Cali, his stance protective. “Leave this one.” His voice was unearthly and menacing. He needed to be very careful not to hurt his mate, she was precious to him.
She had gone rigid and with agonized breaths he waited. She slowly lowered her gun and turned to stare, first at his chest, and then up his body to his face.
“Drake?”
Panic took hold when Cali fell into a heap at his feet in a dead swoon.
Chapter Sixteen
Cali was having a nightmare. She was standing with Nellia and Vareen between the doorway and the beds in the medical unit. There were ten security guards placed throughout medical and at the doorway.
“Now that the extra guards are here do you think I should add more?” Cali teased Nellia.
“Ten is plenty.” Nellia laughed.
“I think even the large one would have trouble with ten Cestori security guards.” Cali looked over to Vareen, who hadn’t stopped staring quietly at the black clothed male.
The medical computer started beeping at one bed, then another. Befor
e Nellia had made it to the first bed Cali gaped in horror as the four prone males moved so fast as to be flashes of color.
Nellia screamed and fainted dead away. A golden blur swept past her, along with red and blue ones. She heard fighting coming from the other room. The scariest part was there was no screaming or gun blasts, just the soft thuds of flesh striking flesh and bodies hitting the ground.
Cali tapped her comm badge, “This is the captain—” her knees buckled and she stopped her emergency announcement. The largest male suddenly towered over her, and that he wanted her to stop talking was clear. She slowly tapped her comm badge to break the connection. His eyes were glowing an impossible electric shade of blue. Growling menacingly, he reached for her.
“Leave her alone.” Vareen jumped between them and Cali stumbled back and fell over the body of one of the guards.
“Vareen. Don’t—” she fumbled to see if the guard was still alive. With a small sigh of relief, she found that he was. His weapon hadn’t even been drawn, so Cali wrenched it from the holder on his hip.
“I wouldn’t hurt the small female.” The black clothed male’s voice was so deep it rumbled around medical. “Dak? Tae? Arik? Is this area secured?”
Cali looked behind her to see the other three had returned. They strode to stand next to the tallest male.
“Yes, Mica, there were only ten guards.” The golden male seemed to find this amusing.
“How many dead Tae?”
“You even need to ask?” The red-shirted male answered. “No need to be insulting.”
“I only got to watch.” The blue clothed male had laughter in his voice.
“How is it insulting?” Vareen snapped. Cali had never seen her friend so angry, and she couldn’t blame her. “You’ve killed innocent guards. They were only protecting us.”
Before Vareen had finished her sentence, Mica was pressed indecently against her friend. A male that large shouldn’t be so graceful! To Cali’s further astonishment, instead of backing away, Vareen stood her ground and glared up at him.
“I like this one,” Mica announced, and then bent his head to breathe deeply at Vareen’s neck.
Cali drew her weapon up.
Mica snatched Vareen as if weightless and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Let me go,” Vareen yelled. Cali could only watch as her friend strained against the hand on her back.
Cali jumped up and pointed her weapon at Mica.
“Cali, No, Don’t shoot,” Vareen called and Cali met her friend’s serene gaze.
The other three males growled low in their throats but didn’t move.
“Let my friend go or I will kill you.” Cali was seething, how Vareen could be so calm was beyond her.
Behind her an inhuman voice growled. “Leave this one.” Cali’s whole body felt like she was being encased in freezing gel, beginning with her brain, which stopped working and oozing down her body. Her arm lowered and she turned slowly. Drake?
His chiseled chest was in front of her, but she refused to believe it. Raising her eyes, she saw his stubborn chin, slightly crooked nose…electric blue eyes?
“Drake?”
Cali snuggled into his warm body and sighed sleepily. “What a terrible nightmare.” Pressing her face into his smooth chest, her lips automatically caressing the skin. “It seemed so real,” Cali smiled mischievously when gooseflesh rose along Drake’s chest.
“Cali…” Drake’s voice held an uncertainty that had her frowning. What was wrong? She struggled to wake up. Opening her eyes, she found she was lying on Drake’s chest, hips and thighs. On a medical bed? In the medical unit? Her other senses picked up slight noises and she stiffened.
“Tell me it wasn’t real?” her eyes flashed to Drake’s and she knew instantly it hadn’t been a nightmare. His slightly glowing blue eyes were a testament to the truth. “Oh, Drake,” She struggled to get up.
“I can explain.” He held her against him.
“Let me up.” She pushed at his chest. “Now Drake!” He instantly let her go. She rolled off the bed and landed clumsily on her feet. Backing into the wall, she looked around.
The injured crew members were gone and only one of the four males from the pods were in the room with them. The giant, Mica she’d heard him called, was gone, along with Vareen, Nellia, Tae, and Arik.
“Where are the crew? My friends?” She turned accusing eyes on Drake.
“The wounded guards are in holding cells, along with the doctor and anyone else who resisted my friends. Your doctor friend is seeing to them. As for Vareen.” Drake swung his legs around and stood to lean against the bed, “Mica is with her. I think he will claim her.”
“It’s how it’s done,” Dak spoke from across the room.
“Not now Dak, go help Tae and Arik,” Drake ordered and the golden male bowed slightly and then hurried from the room.
“What’s going on Drake?” Cali couldn’t keep the confusion out of her question. She had no idea what the hell had happened, but she had a really bad feeling about it.
“I wanted to tell you so many times, so many things” Drake held out a hand and she ignored it.
“Start now.”
With a sigh, Drake motioned for her to take a seat on the medical bed. She stubbornly stayed standing. Her eyes narrowed in pain and frustration on the man she thought she knew. The man she thought she could love.
“We are from Titus.”
“Titus?” Cali gasped. “That planet is inhabited by barbarians—”
“I’ll thank you for being careful with your words,” Drake interrupted softly. “We aren’t ‘barbarians’ Cali. Different, yes…but not barbaric.”
Cali was reeling from what Drake was telling her. The humanoids on Titus had advanced enough to be spacefaring? Why didn’t anyone on Cestori know this was happening?
“We worked with Atheon to build a starship.”
“Atheon?” The surprises kept coming didn’t they. She was beginning to rethink standing to hear this.
“Yes, They approached us to acquire trianium. They scanned our planet and since we use trianium in our transportation system they detected it. We began diplomatic talks and they helped us with building a spacecraft we named The Maxon. It was during a trial run to Atheon that The Maxon had technical difficulties and the crew escaped into stasis pods.”
“We only found five of you. What could’ve happened to the others?” Cali asked.
“We sent out a distress signal to The Cariyel, an Atheon ship. It must have found the others. My pod along with Dak, Tae, Arik and Mica were probably knocked off course when The Maxon exploded.”
“You remembered all of this from the beginning.” Cali could feel her eyes blurring with unshed tears. “You didn’t tell me this before? Why?” at his pained look it came to her.
“Cestori’s history with Atheon? Someone from Atheon warned you about having anything to do with us. What else were you told?”
“Nothing,” he denied but it was too vehement. Cali knew he was lying.
“You were,” Cali couldn’t take it anymore. “If there is one shred of hope for this day to end with us parting amicably, you’ve better start telling the truth.”
Drake stiffened at her words. “You’re upset Cali and I understand.” His voice grew harder, “Please don’t threaten me when I know you’ve been holding something back as well. Can you honestly say you’ve told me everything?”
Chapter Seventeen
Cali bit back a retort, her guilt eating at her. She hadn’t told him everything. He didn’t know she was betrothed to Vathral, her plans to return to Cestori, or of her mother’s intentions to have her sitting on the council one day.
“Okay, I may not have been entirely open with you,” Cali admitted unhappily. “There are things I would’ve told you if we hadn’t found your friends and ended up in this mess.”
“I’ve told you the truth about everything you asked me before.” Drake moved slightly and Cali’s eyes narrowed on him. “Wh
at else can I say? Your crew from this level are the only resistance my friends encountered. They’re safe and will be released as soon as you order it. We only locked them in the holding cells so there wouldn’t be any more misunderstandings. When my friends woke in the medical unit they thought they were in danger. It was instinct for them to defend themselves. Everything else I’ve already confessed to you. My ship, our alliance with Atheon, my purpose for being in the Buffer Zone. I know you’re angry, but you must believe me.”
Drake leaned forward to hold her, but she held up her hand in warning.
“We need to get all the lies out in the open. Until then, stay back.” Even she didn’t recognize her own voice. It had never been that cold in her life.
“Can you please announce for your people to remain calm. Then I will tell you anything else you want to know.” Drake’s eyes were still faintly glowing and Cali noticed his stance was stiff. He was on edge still, but then so was she.
Tapping her comm badge, Cali spoke clearly, despite her raging emotions. “This is the captain. There was an emergency in the medical unit, but it has been dealt with. Everything is under control. Please continue to follow your normal routine. Thank you. Clear.” She tapped her badge again to stop transmitting.
“What do you want to know Cali?” Drake relaxed against the medical bed, and Cali slid to the bed across from him cautiously and leaned back as well.
“I want to know about you, Drake.” Cali’s voice was raw. “What are you…”
“It’s a long story,” Drake hedged.
“We have time.”
With a sigh, Drake started explaining. “On Titus, we belong to different clans. Many years ago, a relative of mine united all of the different factions for the safety of the citizens. Each clan is distinguished by the color they wear. Dak’za, or Dak as he prefers, is from the Denary Clan. They wear the golden color to symbolize the agriculture zone they control. Tae is from the Takari Clan. They wear red to symbolize industry. Arik is from the Metari clan. He wears blue for the water zones his clan controls. Mica wears black, to symbolize blind justice since it’s his clan’s duty to oversee all punishments. They are called the Jataci. My full name is Chan’ Drake. My clan is the Renari, we wear purple to symbolize the Chan Mountains we control. That is where the trianium comes from.”
Cali & Drake (The Alliance Book 1) Page 8