No, she told them. But I think we’ve been lied to. I think the Abbaleer can lure women with their scent.
There was a second of stunned silence, and then dozens of voices rose up, all asking their own questions. Lanie’s was the loudest. WHAT? Where are you? Did one of them force you?
Dee sniffled. It’s Muscles—Tugarth. I like him, but everything happened so fast. One minute we were talking, and then he went into bloodlust; he puffed up and his purple veins darkened, and then…she paused. It was hard to explain. He smelled so good, just like the first time we had sex. I jumped him, but that’s not something I would normally do. It was weird and a little scary, but I couldn’t even think about stopping!
There was another long beat of silence, and then Brandon spoke. Are you sure it wasn’t your own needs, Deegan?
I can’t be sure, but I don’t think so. I think he lied about the Abbaleer, about how they lure mates. The Lu’O and their semen, the Gkiven and their tails…it makes sense that the Abbaleer would have a similar trick.
True, Brandon murmured, echoed by a few others.
He asked me to be his Charm, and I turned him down. Both times, he gave off the scent and we ended up having sex. It’s a gut feeling, one that’s freaking me out, she told them. Can someone please come to the Medbed room? Get me out of here!
She needed time away from Tugarth, time to think and put the pieces together.
I’m on my way, bestie, Paul told her. I’m in the lab with Henta and Candi so I’ll be there quick.
We’ll discuss this more tonight, Brandon said. If it’s true, we’ll have to pair up so no one is caught alone again.
Thank you, Dee whispered into the beehive, and then let the image slip away. Hivemind vanished, and she was left staring up at a frantic Viking.
Chapter 4
“Deegan?” he cupped her face and pressed quick kisses to her nose, cheeks, and forehead. “You’re awake.” The relief in his voice was clear, and it touched her—despite her suspicion and fear.
“Yes, I’m awake,” she said. His massive arms were wrapped tight around her, but she pulled away, even when he tried to cling. “It was just hivemind. Us humans get sucked into it regularly; it’s nothing to worry about.”
“You had an aneurism!” he argued. “And hivemind exacerbated it—of course I’m going to worry.” He was right, of course, so she didn’t contradict him.
A knock on the door kept Dee from having to answer. “Just a second!” she called, jumping to her feet and tugging on her pants. Tugarth stood too, but his pants were still on, just gaping from where she’d attacked him. They watched each other as they righted their clothes, the silence stretching awkwardly.
Dee skirted around her Viking and flipped the lock. Paul was standing there, his face creased with worry. “Hey, honey bun,” he said. “I know I caught you at a bad time…” he looked from her hair—which was probably wild from being bunched in Tugarth’s hands during sex—to their creased clothing. Paul cleared his throat. “Yeah, uh, sorry about that. But we gotta go, remember? Lanie needs help.”
Dee cast Tugarth a look from the corner of her eye. “She called the hivemind to ask for help with, uh, a project. I volunteered.”
The Viking cocked his head but didn’t say anything. He was looking between Dee and Paul with a crease between his eyes. He stepped out of the bathroom and moved aside for Dee to pass and then watched quietly as she fled with Paul. The silence was unnerving, but she didn’t stop to reassure him or ask questions.
“Come on,” Paul said. “Lanie should be somewhere near the Life Support hub.”
Going to Lanie was smart. The woman was bonded to a brakka of Lu’O and was a font of information, both about the aliens and their spaceship. She’d know where Dee could go to lay low.
Dee didn’t say a word until they were standing in front of the petite woman, who was red-faced and huffing. The Lu’O in front of her was calm and looked unperturbed by his Charm’s temper.
“Hilom, I’m not joking! Go away!” she snapped. “We talked about this.”
“You spoke,” the alien agreed, “but nothing you said made any sense.”
Lanie’s blue-black hair rippled down her back when she stomped her foot. “I need time away from the three of you!”
“I’m the only one here,” he said, tone reasonable. Too reasonable.
Dee saw the quick flicker of amusement in the male’s eyes before he covered it. He was baiting his Charm, and Lanie was too worked up to notice.
“No sex!” Lanie declared. “For three days.”
Hilom staggered back. “What?”
Lanie sneered. “That’s right. Three days of no sex, Hilom. I’ll start adding days if you don’t listen to me and go away!”
“My sweet, sweet Charm, you don’t mean that.” Hilom’s face was openly desperate. “I just want to spend my free time with you.”
Lanie pointed at the door. “I explained why I need alone time, Hilom, and you ignored me. Later, if you want to make it up to me, I…may be open to bribes.”
The handsome Peacekeeper relaxed, his face creasing into a knowing grin. “You know I live to please,” he murmured.
Lanie blushed and shooed him out of the hub. He laughed and shut the door behind himself.
“I need me one of those,” Paul muttered. “So much sexy.”
Lanie snorted. “So much bossy.” She looked at Dee, her amusement fading. “Which brings us to you, my friend. Sit down, explain everything.”
“And she does mean everything,” Paul emphasized.
Lanie slapped the back of his head. “Stop thinking with your pogo stick.”
Paul pouted and rubbed at his head. “I haven’t had sex in so long that I’ve considered switching teams!” he cried, nose wrinkled in apparent disgust at the mere thought of vaginas. “Give me a break and let me live vicariously.”
Their banter relaxed Dee, allowing her to explain everything—just like they asked—in complete detail. In embarrassing detail, really. Paul dragged out relevant…and not-so-relevant…specifics, his glee making her laugh even though her heart was hurting.
After a few minutes digesting all the information, Lanie sat back with a frown. “I’m going to talk to Brandon and see if we can’t get our hands on some scans. The Peacekeepers now have documentation of human anatomy, thanks to the Medbed, so it shouldn’t be hard to convince them that we want the same…in the interest of future lifebonding, of course.”
“I love when you’re devious,” Paul said, grinning.
“What should I do?” Dee asked. She felt guilty for her suspicions, but now even Lanie seemed to agree that something was fishy. “There’s no way I can be around him until we know for sure. I’d be a nervous wreck.”
Lanie shrugged. “There’s not a lot of places to hide.”
“But there are a lot of people to help,” Paul said. When both women raised their brows in question, he shrugged. “She is a rather calming person to be around. Normally,” he added, winking at her. “She’s also a hard worker and doesn’t mind doing what needs to be done. Instead of just hiding, give her legitimate reasons to be busy.”
“That’s brilliant!” Dee said. “I would hate to twiddle my thumbs while hiding anyway.”
“You hear that, Lanie?” Paul puffed out his chest and strutted around like a silly peacock. “My nickname should be Brilliant, not Drama Queen!”
Lanie snorted. “Brilliantly Dramatic sounds like a good compromise to me.” She turned to Dee and asked, “How about Jane? She’s had a hard time—maybe the hardest.” Lanie frowned, obviously concerned for the single mother. And she should be—Jane had successfully hidden herself and her young son from the infected colonists and the aliens for two full days before being snatched up. Both mother and child were traumatized and skittish, but alive. That was a testament of Jane’s strength in Dee’s opinion.
“She’s probably in her room; Logan naps around this time,” Paul told them. He had a soft spot for the boy, and th
e two of them loved to play pranks on the other survivors.
“I’ll go to her room now,” Dee said.
“And I’ll go find Brandon.” Lanie didn’t look thrilled about her mission, but her determination was clear. Brandon might’ve become their unofficial male leader, but he was evenly matched by his female counterpart. Lanie’s choice to lifebond her brakka had proven her strength, through self-sacrifice, and had given her room to swing her giant brass balls around.
Brandon had grown used to taking charge of their ragtag group, making all their decisions while Lanie mainly just dealt with the interpersonal interactions, and was having a hard time loosening the reins…but Lanie was a good counterbalance. She understood the women, and their trauma from slavery, in way that the men never could. Likewise, Brandon provided strategy and ruthlessness when it came to decision-making; his life as an enforcer on Paradise prepared him for leadership.
Dee smiled, thinking back to when cocky young Brandon Sergmont had strutted around in his brand new uniform. He’d gone to a military academy on Earth—making him one of a small handful to leave Paradise after it was founded—and returned ten years later as an officer, completely full of himself. Dee was the same age as Brandon, which was why it had always amused her when he acted so important. The arrogance of youth, she mused, was as inescapable as death and taxes.
Her amusement lasted the entire trip to Jane’s suite. Most Paradins only needed single-room accommodations, but with a three-year-old, Jane had been allowed a two-bedroom suite. It was on a separate corridor from where the other humans stayed, allowing for a buffer in case young Logan had a restless night.
As Dee raised her hand to knock, she heard Jane’s muffled scream. Shoving aside manners, Dee used the wrenching tool on her belt to snap open the control panel next to the door; a tweak of two wires, and it swooshed open.
“Jane!” she yelled, running inside with her gun up and finger on the trigger. “Jane, are you okay?”
“Wait!” the woman yelled. “I’ll be right there!”
Dee skidded to a stop and cautiously lowered her weapon. It didn’t sound like Jane was hurt…but she’d screamed. “Are you sure? Do I need to call Candi?”
There was loud music coming from one of the rooms, muffling Jane’s answer. “No!” Then Jane flung open her bedroom door, which was dark and quiet behind her, and emerged looking rumpled. “No, I don’t need Candi. Please don’t bother her!”
“I heard you scream…” Dee stepped closer, worried.
“It’s not, uh—well, I’m okay. Thank you.” Jane blushed and tried to smooth down her hair. “How did you get in here?”
Dee gestured to her tool belt. “Sorry. I’ll fix the panel.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks. While you do that, I’ll get dressed.” And then she fled back into the room, shutting her door with a snap.
Dee couldn’t figure out what had happened. She stood in Jane’s living room, still as stone, as her confusion built. It wasn’t her business, but she was bothered by the whole situation. Maybe Jane had just been frustrated, or had stubbed her toe…but maybe there was something else going on?
Dee just couldn’t figure out what.
She shook off her speculation and went about fixing the door panel. She was just about done when she heard Jane’s bedroom door open and close again. And then, much to her shock, a Peacekeeper strode past her and out into the corridor.
Dee stared, mouth agape.
She could tell he was Abbaleer, even from behind, but she never saw his face. And then he was gone.
The panel closed with a snick, and then Dee went into Jane’s suite. Her friend was sitting in the living room, doing her best to look composed and calm. The music from Logan’s bedroom—well, what Dee assumed was Logan’s bedroom—was still playing, giving the awkward situation its own soundtrack.
“He didn’t have to leave,” Dee whispered. “I would have come back later.”
Jane waved off Dee’s words. “It’s no biggie.” She smiled, and it only looked a little forced. “Now, tell me what’s up.”
“Um.” Dee scratched at her neck, still embarrassed at having interrupted her friend’s afternoon delight. “I need a place to lay low.”
“From Mr. Pheromones?” Jane asked.
Dee nodded. “Lanie and Brandon will try to get scans from the Medbed. We’re hoping those will tell us something.” She sighed. “I’m going to feel so stupid if this is all just my imagination.”
“It’s not in your head.” Jane stood and walked over to give Dee a hug. “You’re not a dreamer. If anything, you’re too practical.”
Which was true, but it stung for some reason. “I have dreams.”
Jane snorted. “I didn’t say you were unambitious, Dee.”
Which was true, again. “Sorry, I guess I’m just feeling defensive. I hate having doubts about Tugarth, especially based on something as silly as a smell.” Dee shook her head. “I’m being dumb.”
Jane sighed. “Stop fretting. We’ll get to the truth. Sit down and I’ll make a snack.”
Dee collapsed onto Jane’s sofa—well, the equivalent of a sofa. The aliens used individual auto-inflate seats that molded to the body, like super-advanced beanbags. It felt like sitting on a cloud.
A minute later, Jane set a glass of water and a plate of quasi-cracker squares on the low table next to Dee. “Eat up. I have to go wrangle the toddler.”
That cracked Dee up. She loved kids; the little ones were like tiny wild people, with no manners or filter. They were hilarious. She turned in her seat to watch as Jane turned off the music and then hurried Logan—who was wearing earplugs?—from the bedroom to the washroom. He tried to pitch a fit about leaving behind a toy, but Jane really and truly wrangled him.
A few minutes and a flush later, the pair emerged triumphant. “Wahoo!” Jane cheered. “Logan gets to flyyy!”
Huh? Dee cocked a brow but didn’t interrupt as Logan jumped around for a minute before running into the living room, his little face bright with excitement. Jane followed and then dropped to the floor next to her son. “Ready?” He nodded, and she lay flat on her back. “Come here!”
The little boy clambered up onto Jane’s stomach and was lifted into the “superman” pose, where he screeched with joy. “Fying!” he yelled.
Dee grinned as she watched them. Logan was adorable. Brown messy curls and chubby cheeks, his stout little body full of wiggly energy. Dee just wanted to pick him up and snuggle him! Add in his tendency to drop “L” from words and he just about melted her heart.
Baby-speak was simply too cute.
Hiding out with a tiny wild person would be awesome.
***
Only two hours later, Dee was reassessing.
“No!” Logan stomped his little foot and then threw himself on the ground—again. “Noooo!” With big, fake crocodile tears and ear-splitting wails, the little boy went into a full-tilt tantrum. If it hadn’t been so annoying, it would have been impressive.
“Yes,” Jane countered, reaching down and picking up her squirming, red-faced child. “It’s time for bed.”
Logan was sweating from his antics and out of breath from screeching, but he pouted like a champ. He also kept pointing at his small collections of “toys”. The pile of mismatched playthings had been scavenged by the crew, gathered over their six-month voyage. None of it would have belonged in anything but the garbage back on Paradise, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
He seemed particularly fond of a metal cylinder that had been welded shut, small pellets inside causing it to make noise when shaken. The damn thing needed to be chucked out of an air lock.
Jane didn’t seem bothered by the toy, or her son’s grumpy demands. She hustled him off to the bathroom without raising her voice or rolling her eyes. The woman was a saint! Dee collapsed onto her seat and closed her eyes; just two hours with the kid and she was exhausted. How did Jane do it?
A few minutes later, her friend was back. She relaxed in her own be
anbag-ish chair and sighed. “I won’t miss tantrums.”
Dee snorted. “I’m already over it and that was my first experience! You’re a miracle worker!”
Jane’s chuckle was husky, revealing just how tired she was. Dee looked over at her, worried. Their mission to survive and protect their species came first, which sometimes meant details got overlooked. Details like sleep, grief, and single parents who never speak up about how overworked they are.
Jane’s eyes were closed, but even the dark sweep of her lashes couldn’t conceal the baggage under her eyes. And though her skin was normally a lovely light mocha, it seemed…dull. Jane was exhausted, Dee realized.
“Go to bed,” she ordered. “And in the morning, when Logan gets up, leave him to me. I’ll brush his teeth, make sure he goes to the bathroom, feed him, and then play with him while you catch up on sleep.”
Jane blinked owlishly. “Uh…”
“I’m not joking,” Dee said. “You should have asked for help before now. I’m actually kind of mad that you’re so exhausted. You know I would have been here helping if you’d asked. Any one of us would.”
Jane bit her lip. “Thank you, Deegan.”
Dee grunted. She didn’t want thanks, she just wanted her friend to be okay. If Jane worked herself to the bone…well. Dee swallowed back worry. She wouldn’t let that happen. “I mean it.”
“I know.” Jane got up and brushed a kiss over Dee’s head, then silently went into her room. She came back out a minute later with armfuls of extra nightclothes, blankets, sheets, and pillows. “I’ll make you a pallet out here.”
“I’ve got it,” Dee said, shooing Jane away. “Go sleep.”
When the door to the bedroom closed, Dee let out a sigh. She got everything organized and then went to the washroom. Her mind wandered as she prepped for bed, inevitably going back to Tugarth, no matter how many times she redirected her thoughts.
She tossed and turned all night. His scent was a phantom, wafting just out of reach. Rich, decadent. Sexy. She felt his hands sliding over her body and his mouth trailing from nipple to nipple; his teeth punished her when she writhed away as the ecstasy became too much, nipping until she begged for mercy; his cock throbbed, buried to the hilt in her pussy…Dee moaned and wrenched herself from the dream.
Deegan's Rescue: Survivors of Paradise Book 2 Page 6