by S. E. Smith
Mine! His cat snarled.
Viper moved cautiously down the narrow hallway. He stopped to sniff at the first door. The scent was there, but faint. He moved on to the second door with a low rumble of anger. Tina’s scent, mixed with another human, was stronger around it. He glanced at the door. It was closed. Not bothering to waste time shifting, he pressed a massive shoulder against it.
The lock was no match for the power behind his cat. The massive head pushed the door open. The sound of wood breaking pulled his attention to the left. Viper slipped through the door and moved in slow, calculated steps across the living area. A movement out of the corner of his eye froze him in mid-step.
Viper fought the urge to release a loud snort when the small, feathered creature that Tina appeared fond of stepped out from behind a chair. It tilted its head sideways and stared at him for a moment before sitting down on the rug in front of the chair as if it was used to seeing large cats walking through its living room.
Damn thing isn’t more than a snack for my cat, Viper thought in disgust.
No snack, his cat grunted back at him. Mate pet. Mate get mad if eat.
Viper turned his attention back to the male. He could hear the man’s mocking voice as he talked to Tina. Slipping around the couch, Viper caught a glimpse of the male just as he entered the bathroom. He started forward when a soft scraping noise above his head drew his attention.
Turning his head, he lifted his nose and sniffed. It was difficult to get a scent through the thick ceiling plaster. He turned in the opposite direction of the man trying to break through another door and followed the sound toward the room.
Viper shifted as he entered the kitchen. Another soft sound, this time of wood on wood made him walk over to a large set of double doors against the far wall. Opening one of the doors, he looked up and caught sight of Tina’s right foot as she felt for the top of the shelf in the pantry.
He stepped into the long narrow room and closed the door behind him. Relief surged through him as he moved forward so that he could reach up and steady her. Afraid he might startle her, he waited until she was all the way out of the hole before he quietly called her name.
*.*.*
Tina’s arms and legs trembled as she reached the other attic access. Thankfully, the contractor had laid a floor in the attic. The two accesses were from the original floor plan. She had a collapsible ladder entrance installed, which she normally used when she needed to access it.
She breathed in tiredly when she reached the panel over the pantry. Her plan was to climb down, sneak out the door, and somehow get past Knockletter so she could warn her grandmother and call the police. It wasn’t the best plan, but at the moment, it was the best she could think of.
Pulling the panel back, she peered down before she rolled over onto her stomach and slipped her right leg over the lip. She felt along the edge until her foot found a good spot. It took a bit of creativity to wiggle through the hole as it was a bit smaller than the other one had been.
A low squeak escaped her when she heard her name just as a pair of warm hands wrapped around her hips. Her arms waved in alarm when she suddenly found herself plucked off the built-in shelving. A sense of relief flooded Tina when she realized that there was no way the bastard trying to kill her could have lifted her the way she was being held. There was only one person… alien that she knew was strong enough to do that.
“Viper,” Tina gasped in a barely audible voice. “There’s a man…”
“Shush,” Viper whispered in her ear as he lowered her body against his. “I know.”
Tina twisted in his arms. She wanted to ask him how he knew, but decided getting away was more important. A soft gasp escaped her when he suddenly bent and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. Her lips parted and his tongue swept in, claiming her in a short, intense possession that promised more.
“Stay behind me,” he murmured against her lips.
Tina nodded, before she grabbed his arm when he started to turn. She held out the paring knife in her hand. Looking up at him in the dim light of the night light that she kept on in case she wanted a midnight snack, she gave him an apologetic smile.
“Here, take this,” she mumbled. “It was all I could grab.”
Viper’s eyes danced with amusement as he stared down at the toy of a knife she was holding out to him. Reaching down at his side, he gripped the handle of his laser knife. With a flick of his wrist, a six inch blade formed. He grinned down at Tina when her eyes widened.
“Show off,” she muttered, surprised when he took her pitiful little knife out of her hand. “It still is no match for his gun.”
Viper grinned, showing off his sharp teeth as he pressed the laser knife into her hand. “No, but I am,” he assured her. “I will make sure he is still in the other room. Once it is clear, I want you to head downstairs to your grandmother.”
Tina shook her head frantically. “There is another one downstairs,” she said urgently.
“Not any longer,” Viper said. “I killed him and the other men with him.”
“You…,” Tina’s eyes rounded as she suddenly noticed the spots on his face. “You… killed….”
She closed her eyes briefly when Viper cupped her cheek with his warm palm. Opening them again, she stared up into his unusual eyes. They were glowing with an intensity that took her breath away.
“They threatened my mate,” he murmured in a hard voice. “Anyone that threatens the mate of a Sarafin Warrior will die.”
Tina blinked in confusion. “Your mate? Who’s your mate?” She asked confused.
“You are,” he declared.
She remained frozen in shock as he leaned down and pressed another hard kiss to her lips. It took a moment for her realize that he had opened the door and stepped out of the pantry. She stepped to the door and peeked out. Viper had shifted into the form of the large cat again.
She nodded when he turned to look at her. She slipped out of the door behind him. Her hand instinctively fell to the beast’s right hindquarter. The soft, thick fur took her by surprise. She expected it to be coarse and stiff, not a silky coat that made her want to bury her fingers in it and rub her body against it.
Flushing, she jerked when Viper’s long tail wrapped around her waist. She bit her bottom lip and moved cautiously forward, making sure she kept pace with him. Tina pulled away when Viper suddenly froze and released her. Pressing her back against the wall near the entrance to the kitchen, she tried to make herself as small as she could when she heard the sound of muttered curses and footsteps returning to the living room.
“Come out, Chica, I know you are here,” the man was saying. “You have guaranteed your grandmother’s death. How she dies depends on how quickly you give up.”
Tina closed her eyes and held the knife that Viper had given her against her chest. Nausea rolled in her stomach and threatened to choke her. Her eyes snapped open in determination. She wouldn’t let the bastard harm Pearl.
Viper’s loud snarl reverberated through the apartment, scaring Ruby and her. Tina turned in time to see the Orpington launch up off the floor from where she had been hiding. Bright flashes and thuds followed the chicken’s frantic flight. Viper took advantage of Ruby’s distraction. He charged across the room toward the human.
She watched as his front paws connected with the back of the couch. His back legs pushed off the floor at the same time. The killer turned toward Viper and fired twice before the huge cat hit him in the chest and knocked him off his feet. Tina moved at the same time. Horror gripped her when she heard the loud sound of bones breaking and a strangled gurgle.
“Viper!” She cried out, knowing that he must have been hit by the round of bullets. “Oh, God! No!”
Rushing forward, Tina rounded the long, tan couch. She froze when she saw the man’s feet jerk twice before they stilled. The laser knife in Tina’s hand fell from her limp hand to the floor with a soft clatter. She blinked several times at the black tiger when it turned to look at her.
She flinched when she saw the blood around its mouth.
A slight peck on her leg made her jump. She looked down to see a very ruffled Ruby looking up at her in curiosity. Bending down, she gently scooped the chicken into her arms and soothed a hand over its feathers. A low cry escaped her when she pulled her hand back and found blood.
“No,” she cried softly. “Oh, Ruby.”
The chicken rested its head against her chest. Tina looked in panic at Viper before her gaze flashed to the window where the sound of sirens and flashing lights lit up the room through the windows lining the east side of the living room.
“Viper,” she whispered in a husky voice filled with alarm.
“It is time to go,” Viper instructed as he stepped over the body of the male. “Two to beam up. Lock on my location.”
Tina started to stumble backwards when a blood covered Viper stepped closer. She shook her head at him when he reached for her. The look of determination showed he had already made up his mind.
“No…..” Tina’s voice faded as the world suddenly turned white around her.
Chapter 13
Viper reached out for Tina the moment the transporter released him. He steadied her when she swayed in disorientation. His eyes swept down over her face in a searching assessment. His lips twisted when he saw the dark bruising on her right cheek. A wave of concern flooded him when he saw the blood staining her fingers.
He ignored her gasp as he bent to sweep her up into his arms. Stepping down off the transporter, he growled at the warrior standing near the console to warn Medical that he was on his way. He strode through the doors as they opened and turned left without breaking stride.
“Where are you hurt?” He demanded.
Tina blinked up at him in confusion. “What?” She mumbled, turning her head to stare at the warriors that moved to the side to allow them to pass. “Hurt? Where are we? What happened? Pearl?”
“There is blood,” Viper snarled under his breath. “On your hands. We are on the Horizon, a Valdier Warship. Your grandmother is fine. I did not scent any other males except those that I killed in the transport and the bar.”
He heard Tina’s loud gasp. “Just how many men did you… kill tonight?” She asked in a barely audible voice. “I saw that man shoot you. How can you not be hurt?”
Concern washed through him when he saw her close her eyes and lay her head against his chest as the lift that he had stepped into started to move. His eyes flickered to where Ruby quietly laid in Tina’s arms. He couldn’t quite keep his nose from wrinkling. He couldn’t ever remember seeing a more unusual pet, though he remembered Zebulon telling him that Mandra Reykill’s mate, Ariel Hamm, had a large variety of them.
“Four,” he replied as the lift slowed. “The metal balls the male fired could not penetrate the thick fur of my cat.”
“Four!” Tina repeated in horror, opening her eyes to stare at him. “You killed four people tonight? What if you had killed someone you shouldn’t? What if... ? How can your coat be thick enough to stop a speeding bullet, but not rock salt?”
Viper glanced down at Tina with an amused look in his eyes. Truthfully, he didn’t know the answer to her last question. It would be something he would ask his twin brothers, Gable and Qadir. They loved anything that involved a mystery and experimentation and would see this as a challenge to go around shooting his other brothers, Walkyr and Pallu in the ass; All in the name of science, of course.
“How bad is she?” Tandor, the healer aboard the Horizon, asked, moving to the side as Viper entered the room. He immediately pressed a translation injector against Tina’s neck so she could understand him. He smiled reassuringly down at her. “I will help you.”
“I don’t know,” Viper replied as he lowered Tina onto the bed. “Her face is bruised and she has blood on her hands.”
“I’m not…,” Tina interrupted when she realized that she could understand the new man towering over. She tried to awkwardly sit up. It wasn’t easy with Ruby in her arms. “It’s…”
“Stay down,” Viper ordered in a soft, firm voice. “Tandor will help you.”
“But, I don’t…,” Tina tried to say in aggravation.
“Remove the creature,” Tandor ordered with a raised eyebrow. “She is injured and you have her carry food for you? That is low, even for a Sarafin.”
Viper’s lip rose and he flashed his teeth in warning at Tandor. It took a moment for him to realize the Valdier healer was teasing him. Still, it rubbed him wrong that the other male thought he wasn’t concerned about his mate’s welfare, only his stomach.
“It is her pet,” Viper replied in a clipped voice. “It…”
“… Is the one that needs medical attention,” Tina interjected in exasperation. “This isn’t my blood, it’s Ruby’s blood. That horrible man shot her. Can you help her?”
Viper watched a wide range of emotion sweep across Tandor’s face, surprise, doubt, exasperation, a touch of distaste before resignation finally settled into place. He frowned when he heard a slight rumble come from Tandor as the healer picked up the feathered creature. A dark flush swept up Tandor’s neck as he apologized.
“My dragon thinks it is a snack,” he mumbled as he turned away and handed the plump creature to his assistant. “Don’t eat it,” he instructed under his breath. “See if the portable regen will work on it.”
“Viper…,” Tina watched in dismay as the assistant gingerly took Ruby from Tandor and disappeared into another room before what was said suddenly registered in her brain. “His dragon… He can turn… Just like you can turn into… He’s a…”
Viper tenderly brushed Tina’s hair back from her face. “Yes,” he said.
Tina’s eyes widened and she looked back and forth before she relaxed back against the pillow under her head and closed her eyes. Viper watched as she breathed in several times, pausing to hold her breath, before she released it again. She did the procedure four times before he could tell that the tension that had been gripping her melted away.
“You said she was attacked?” Tandor asked in a quiet tone. “Let me check her over. I can heal the bruising on her face, as well.”
“Thank you,” Tina and Viper’s voices intertwined as they spoke at the same time.
For a brief moment, Tina opened her eyes and stared up at him. There was a look of confusion in them that he wanted to brush away. After a minute, her eyelashes fluttered down until they rested against her pale skin.
“Viper,” she whispered as he stepped back to let Tandor care for her.
“Yes, Tina,” Viper murmured.
“I’m not your mate,” she whispered.
Viper didn’t respond. He noticed that Tandor bowed his head and a small smile pulled at the corner of the healer’s lips at Tina’s comment. She might not understand it yet, but she was. Tandor understood what it meant for a warrior to claim a female. It was the same for a Valdier as it was for a Sarafin. When they mated, they mated for life. This was serious to them. The male or female recognized its mate and would do whatever it had to do to keep the other safe.
“Why don’t you get cleaned up,” Tandor suggested. “This may take a little while.”
Viper nodded, glancing down at Tina’s pale, still face. She looked like she was sleeping, but Viper knew she wasn’t. A soft purr escaped him at the knowledge that she was here, on the Horizon, and alone.
Mine, his cat purred.
Ours, Viper silently responded with a grin.
*.*.*
Confusion, curiosity, and more than a touch of awe, ran through Tina later than evening. She felt refreshed and alert. Tandor had decided she needed rest to help with the healing and had given her an injection of something that made her sleep like a baby.
She smiled at Tandor as he explained the different levels they passed on their way down to the dining area.
“I thought you might prefer seeing a bit of the ship instead of eating in the Medical unit,” he replied, nodding to several warriors as they passe
d them in the corridors.
“Yes…,” Tina commented, turning to walk backwards a few steps before turning back around. “Viper was telling me about someone named Carmen. Is she here?”
“No,” Tandor answered with a small smile. “She and her mate have gone down to the planet to attend to some matters.”
“What… What are those?” Tina asked in a tight voice.
Tandor followed Tina’s gaze. Several warriors stood to the side, their golden symbiots in various shapes and sizes stood next to them. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the Medic that worked with him standing to one side pointing to the ground. Tina’s red feathered creature was walking in a small circle trying to peck at the tiny bits of gold that danced on the ground. The men laughed when the creature named Ruby caught one, shook it, then released it to try to catch it again.
“Ruby!” Tina cried out in delight, before blushing when the men looked up and focused their gaze on her.
“It would appear your pet has nothing to worry about,” Tandor chuckled. “The symbiots have taken a liking to her. Even a dragon knows better than to upset its symbiot.”
“A symbiot?” Tina asked, watching as one of the gold creatures dissolved into a dozen overgrown Orpington chickens.
“They are another part of the Valdier,” Tandor explained with a shrug.
Tina just nodded as they continued down the corridor. Tandor told her that Viper had returned after he had cleaned up to find her passed out. He hadn’t been too happy about it, but Tandor finally convinced him that it had been the best thing for Tina after the traumatic event she had gone through. Tandor told her that Viper had reluctantly left her under his care while Viper returned to Earth.
“He knew that your grandmother would be upset,” Tandor had explained. “He also knew that you would wish for her to know that you were safe. I believe he hopes to return with her.”
Tina hadn’t replied. What was there to say? Yes, I hope he does.
Suddenly feeling very self-conscious, Tina decided she didn’t like being on the Alien spaceship. Unlike Riley, she wasn’t used to getting the stares that her big sister did. Glaring back at the men, she felt like telling them to all get a life, that she wasn’t the weird one of the bunch. Hell, the weirdest thing about her was that she had a pet chicken! She didn’t turn into things like tigers or dragons or do mojo things with energy. Stopping in the hallway, she turned to frown at Tandor.