“What’s a MECO?” Suki asked.
“You don’t want to know,” Lucie said. “But I’ve heard they’re unpredictable at best.”
“It would take years to reach our world without the MECO,” Tark pointed out.
Lucie bit her lip and shifted from foot to foot. It was obvious she wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure if she should. Suki was curious what was on the woman’s mind. Was she about to suggest they shouldn’t return to Xpashta? She’d only been there a short while before getting on a ship again, but Suki had liked the small planet and the home Tark had created.
“Perhaps discuss this later,” Healer suggested. “Your mate will likely want food and some fresh air. I believe your quarters are in the royal hall and have a balcony that overlooks the grounds. I’ll make sure furniture is placed out there so she can be comfortable.”
Tark carried Suki out of the room, away from Healer and Lucie, and down many twisting hallways and up several staircases. She’d never been such a large place before. Even when she’d “visited” other royal families, they’d never lived in a place this grand. She was curious how large the family was that they needed so much space. Would she get to meet more of their mates? Were they human too?
The room Tark entered made Suki’s jaw drop. It was the most beautiful suite she’d ever seen, and she could hardly believe it was theirs until they returned home. He eased her down onto the bed, the cover made of something soft and velvety. Suki ran her hands over the fabric and sighed in pleasure.
“You like it?” Tark asked, nodding to the cover.
“It’s nice.”
“I can ask about purchasing one before we leave, so you can have one at home.”
Suki smiled and patted the bed. Tark hesitated only a moment before carefully joining her. She curled against his side, resting her head on his chest. Placing a hand over her belly, she marveled over the fact they’d created a life together. She’d be a mother, and that scared her beyond belief, but she had no doubt that Tark would be amazing. He was so kind and gentle with her that she knew he’d be the same with any children he might have.
Tark pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held her close. It was comforting, having his arm around her. If they could stay like this for a while, she’d be content. It didn’t feel like they’d lost a week of time together, but the worry she’d seen in his eyes was enough proof. Not to mention, there wasn’t so much as a bump or bruise on her. Although, the med pod at the clinic Tark had taken her to the night he’d saved her had healed her immediately. Her head injury must have been rather severe if the one here couldn’t do the same. Or were the pods different depending on the planet? Different technology?
“How are the others?” Suki asked. “Are the women adjusting?”
“They’re grateful to be free. Aside from the one who bonded to a Tourmalane warrior, the others seem content. I’m not certain if they’ll want to stay here or move on. The Zelthranites have also offered to either take them to Zelthrane-3 or return them to Earth. They have a lot of options, and none seem overly taken with my cyborg brothers.”
“Maybe they just need to get to know them better,” Suki suggested.
“Perhaps. Norkov is rather taken with one of them, but he hasn’t been obvious about it. I think he feels she’d be better off here, or back on Earth. He would never force her to go home with him.”
“That’s because you’re all so wonderful,” Suki said with a smile. “If she doesn’t pick him, then she’s an idiot. Norkov was really sweet and tried to keep me calm when you entered the brothel. I think he’d make a good mate to the right woman.”
“After you’ve eaten and rested, would you like to meet the women?” Tark asked. “Perhaps you could reassure them more even though I know Lucie and the other human princess have done their best. Neither are familiar with my people, and I think we scare the females the most.”
“I’d like that,” Suki said.
There was a knock at the door and Tark bade them to enter. Tourmalanes dressed in some sort of uniform entered. Two were carrying trays of food, and the others brought plush looking chairs and carried them out onto the balcony, along with a small table. Tark helped Suki rise from the bed and led her out to the balcony. After she was situated on one of the soft chair cushions, he went inside to retrieve food and put a plate in her lap. He left and returned again with one for himself. It was peaceful here, and the scenery was breathtaking. Suki could see why some of the women might want to stay.
She ate until she thought she might pop, then set her plate on the little table. Tark had practically inhaled his food. A few strange looking birds swooped in front of the balcony, then dropped down to a pond. Suki stretched her legs out and pointed her toes while reaching her arms over her head. Even though she’d been unconscious during her stay in the med pod, her body was tight from not moving much.
“Would you like a hot bath or shower?” Tark asked.
“Only if you join me,” she said, smiling a little. “I woke up scared because you weren’t there, and I’m not ready to be apart just yet.”
His lips tipped down at the corners and he knelt in front of her, reaching for her hand. “Suki, you know I would never leave you. Not willingly. I’m sorry it frightened you, but they assured me that I would be called the moment you showed signs of waking.”
“I’m not blaming you or trying to make you feel guilty. I was just trying to explain why I’m not ready to be left alone,” she said. Suki reached out and cupped his cheek, his whiskers rasping against her palm. “The thought that I might never see you again made my heart hurt.”
His gaze softened and Tark turned his face, placing a kiss in the center of her palm. “My sweet mate, I was ready to die with you if they couldn’t heal you. Life wouldn’t be worth living without you, but now I not only have you back in my arms, but we’re going to have a little one as well.”
Suki pressed a hand to her belly. “What if I’m a bad mother?”
“You won’t be,” Tark assured her. “My mate, you are kind and have a good heart. Any child would be lucky to have you as a mother.”
Suki smiled and leaned forward, pressing her lips to Tark’s. He seemed to always say the right things. If anyone was lucky, it was her. He was almost too perfect, but she wasn’t going to let anyone else have him. For whatever reason, Tark wanted her, and Suki wasn’t stupid enough to let him go. Men like him didn’t come along but once in a lifetime.
“I’ll prepare a bath for you,” he said, “and if you’d like me to join you, then I will.”
“And after that, we can find out what Princess Lucie meant when you discussed going home. If we can’t go through the… whatever it was called, there has to be another way. I haven’t had a home in a long time, and I won’t give up my new one without a fight.”
Tark kissed her. “We’ll find a way.”
He rose and left her sitting on the balcony. Suki closed her eyes, lifting her face toward the rays of the suns. The air smelled fragrant, and there was a slight breeze that ruffled her hair. Callused fingers brushed against her cheek and she opened her eyes. Tark gazed down at her tenderly.
“The bath is ready, my sweet mate.”
She nodded, and he helped her stand. It would have been easier for him to carry her, but Tark merely placed his arm around her waist and allowed her to walk into the bathroom. She didn’t feel like she was at full strength, but each moment she was awake, she felt better than the last. Her sexy cyborg helped her undress before removing his own clothing. He lifted her into his arms then stepped down into the sunken pool of water. The heat of it lapped at her skin as he submerged them and Suki sighed in bliss. As the water closed over her, she felt as if all her worries were melting away.
There was a gasp from the doorway and Suki jerked her head in that direction, her eyes going wide when she saw Lucie, a hand clapped over her mouth and her eyes rounded with horror.
“You’re pregnant!” Lucie screeched. “You can’t b
e in that hot water!”
“What? Why?” Suki asked.
“Really hot water isn’t good for the baby,” Lucie said.
Her words shot panic through Suki. She struggled to get up, but Tark held her tight. He glowered at the other woman.
“The baby she carries isn’t fully human. What makes you so certain it will be harmed? Zelranians are strong, and so is our child.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t take a chance?” Suki asked. She didn’t want to anger her mate, or make it sound like she was siding against him, but she didn’t want to harm the baby either.
Lucie turned her back to them. “I’ll wait in the other room. I came to see if you would be willing to join my husband, his brother, and two of the Zelthranites for a meeting. One of the other cyborgs is joining them as well.”
Tark stood with Suki in his arms. Air blew across their skin, drying them, and he used his shirt to cover her. After pulling his pants on, they went into the bedroom to speak with Lucie. Suki was curious why they were all meeting, and if it had anything to do with them leaving to go home, but she knew her mate would tell her anything important. Suki tuned out most of what Tark and Lucie discussed as she found a change of clothing, then scurried back into the bathroom to change. When she was finished and had braided her hair, Tark was fully dressed and Lucie was no longer in the room.
“Should I go with you?” Suki asked.
Tark nodded. “If this pertains to your future as well, then yes. I won’t decide anything without your input. However, if I feel your suggestions will put you in danger, then I may overrule you.”
It seemed reasonable enough. Suki took his hand. In the hallway, Lucie was waiting for them. They followed her down the winding staircase and down so many corridors that Suki was lost after the second turn. They stepped into a room with a table that could easily seat forty large males. Both Tourmalane princes were there, as well as two Zelthranites, and Norkov. Tark took a seat next to his brother cyborg and pulled Suki onto his lap. She went willingly and leaned against him.
“I think it’s time we discussed your options, and the other human females,” Prince Drexyl said.
Chapter Nine
Tark’s arm tightened around his mate as he stared at Prince Drexyl. The thought of never returning to Xpashta made his chest ache, but he would do whatever was necessary to keep his mate and child safe. They were his priority now.
“As I’ve mentioned previously,” Prince Drexyl said, “we have quite a few human females here who haven’t bonded with any of my males. If they haven’t by now, they aren’t going to. Unfortunately, the only way for my people to have children is if they are paired with their true mates. One of the females you brought with you has bonded with a Tourmalane warrior already. I’d like to make a suggestion.”
Tark and Norkov nodded, and the Zelthranite, Ryx, narrowed his eyes but waved a hand for the prince to continue.
“The females who aren’t bonded, those who were already here, can return with your people. Either of you,” he said looking at both the cyborgs and Zelthranites. “However, my sympathies lie with the cyborgs. The Zelthranites have a sure way of getting females to their world since they have an agreement with Earth. The cyborgs are like my people and will die out if something doesn’t change soon.”
“So all the human females should go home with the cyborgs?” Ryx asked.
“If that’s what they want,” Prince Drexyl said. “For those who wish to return to their world, I understand that you have a way to make that happen.”
Ryx nodded.
“Then I see no reason the females who want to return to Earth can’t go with the Zelthranites. As for Tark and his mate… The MECO is too dangerous for a pregnant female, according to Healer. They’re welcome to remain here, but I don’t think either would be happy with that scenario,” Prince Drexyl said.
“I’ve discussed the issue with my council,” Ryx said. “They found records of our people who did indeed leave and never return. We hadn’t realized that they’d crashed on Zelran or that they’d bonded with those already living on the world. Since the cyborgs’ ancestors are half-Zelthranite, and they carry our DNA, we see no reason that Tark and Suki can’t make their home on our world.”
Suki opened her mouth to respond, but Ryx held up a hand. Tark wasn’t certain what to think just yet. Leave his home?
“In exchange, Tark can lend his expertise as a warrior, but he can also pave the way for human females to find mates among the cyborgs. It seems there is a Keshpan on this world who is an inventor. He’s willing to discuss the creation of a portal from Zelthrane-3 to Xpashta, similar to the technology on their ships, but it would need to be stronger to cover a much larger distance.”
“You mean teleport?” Tark asked.
“Yes,” Ryx said. “It wouldn’t necessarily be safe for a pregnant female to teleport such a great distance, but those who wish to pair with a cyborg could make the journey. Or perhaps the cyborgs could come to our world for the pairing.”
“But if there’s a portal to Xpashta, why couldn’t we go home after the baby is born?” Suki asked.
The other Zelthranite, Malin, cleared his throat. “It isn’t that you wouldn’t be able to, but perhaps that it would be better if you didn’t. If his people only have two or three other mated pairs, then there won’t be a lot of children on that world, or an educational system in place for them. Your child would benefit greatly from remaining on our world. We’ve been mating with the humans for years now, and have children ranging from infants to those in their early teens. Your child would have others to play with, and you would have a larger support system from the other mates.”
Suki twisted so she could look at Tark, and he glanced at her. He could see the hesitation there, but he wasn’t sure if she hesitated over asking him to never return to Xpashta and his people, or if she wanted to go back to his world. It was a big decision to make, and not one that could be made overnight, nor made lightly. He would hate for his children to bond with those on Zelthrane-3, then uproot them to go back to Xpashta in the future.
“Our world has quite a few of the creature comforts of your Earth,” Malin said. “The human females who live there now have brought many of their customs with them, as well as made requests for some of your technology such as movies and music. Zelthrane-3 is a good blend of how things used to be on our world, and how things are now on your Earth. I think you would enjoy your time there, Suki, and there are many human females you could befriend.”
“The females willing to go to Xpashta won’t be harmed from the MECO?” Norkov asked. “As much as I would love to take them home with us, I don’t want to endanger them.”
“They’ll be fine since they aren’t expecting,” Prince Lyros said, speaking for the first time. “I understand this is a difficult decision for all of you. We not only need to consider what’s best for the unmated males, but also for the females. And in Tark’s case, his mate and unborn child. We know it’s a lot to take in, and much to think over. You’re welcome at the palace and on our world for however long you’d like to stay.”
Norkov looked at Tark. If you wish to go with the Zelthranites, it not only sounds like a good opportunity for your mate, but for our people as well. I know you feel like you’d be abandoning us, but you’d be helping. If the human females aren’t afraid of you, then they won’t fear the rest of us.
Tark didn’t take offense to the words, knowing they were true. He was the scariest-looking of the cyborgs. As much as he wanted to see his home again, raise his children alongside the others on Xpashta, Norkov was right. He could do much good for his people by living among the Zelthranites, and his Suki would have more opportunities to make friends and have access to things from her home. He didn’t know what a movie was, but he’d heard music at the different outposts. Perhaps not the same kind, but his people didn’t dance so music wasn’t part of his world. Though, if humans liked things like that… He glanced at Ryx.
“The technology y
ou use to offer the human females things from their home, like music and whatever a movie is -- can be it shared with my people? Is there a way to bring those things to Xpashta so the mates there will be as comfortable as the ones on your world?” Tark asked.
Ryx nodded. “There is much we can share with your people.”
“Are you really thinking of going with them?” Suki asked. “Where would we live? All our things are on Xpashta. The home you built, your clothing and personal items.”
Tark’s lips twitched. “What personal items? You saw my home, mate. It was rather plain.”
“I like our home,” she grumbled.
“I will make sure a home is provided for you,” Ryx said. “If there isn’t one ready, you may stay in the tower, which I’ve been told is like a human apartment building. There are some larger suites there, but if you prefer having a yard or garden, a home would be better.”
“No one is living in Syl’s old quarters,” Malin said. “The lab was dismantled and moved elsewhere, but it would give them space for a growing family and it has a great view.”
Ryx nodded, and they looked at Tark expectantly.
“Any place would be fine,” Tark said. “As long as there’s room for my mate and our child when it arrives. There are vaccines my people use, serums that prolong life and some that are essential for those with cybernetics. We need access to those things.”
“The council has assured me that they will do whatever is necessary to make you and your mate safe, comfortable, and happy.” Ryx shrugged a shoulder. “Obtaining the formulas and creating the serums shouldn’t be an issue as long as your people are willing to share those secrets.”
“I won’t frighten your women and children?” Tark asked softly. “Most people scream when they see me, or run in fear. Suki is the only female to ever come to me willingly.”
“You and your family will be welcomed,” Malin said. “No one will fear you. Or at least they won’t once they meet you and see that you mean them no harm. Some people fear that which is different, until they realize that inside we’re mostly the same.”
Saved by the Cyborg Page 9