Tracker

by Cyndi Friberg

  He didn’t react, didn’t hesitate. Keeping pressure on the wound with one hand, he turned and sprinted for the Wheel. She had no hope of keeping up with him, so she didn’t even try. Wenny, on the other hand, had no problem and had no intention of being separated from her sister.

  By the time Sara got to the Wheel, Xorran was nowhere in sight and guards surrounded Wenny, who was snarling and snapping at anyone who came close to her. She’d made it within feet of the ramp. Go, Wenny.

  Sucking in a much needed breath, Sara commanded, “Deztee!” Wenny looked at her and Sara raised her right hand, palm out.

  Wenny whined but sat down and stopped growling. Her mental barrage, however, grew louder. Luppa. Luppa. Luppa.

  Sara knelt in front of Wenny and took her face between her hands. She looked deep into her blue eyes, determined to make her understand. “You can’t go in there, baby. My mate is taking care of Luppa. They will do everything they can to make her better.”

  Wenny hung her head and whined, the plaintive sound breaking Sara’s heart.

  “Can you control her if I let you onboard?”

  She looked up and found Kage standing a few feet away, his expression intensely concerned.

  “Yes, sir.” She struggled back to her feet, still slightly out of breath. “I’m not sure I can get her back into the enclosure and even if I do, I’m not sure she’ll stay.”

  “Then come on.”

  Seriously? He was going to let her walk through the Wheel with Wenny?

  “Tell her to stay by your side. If she moves away from you, I’ll stun her.”

  She noticed the pulse pistol in his hand for the first time. She switched back to Sarronti and said, “They’re going to let us go to Luppa, but you have to stay right by me. Do you understand?”

  Wenny be good. Go. Go now.

  Sara took three slow steps to see if Wenny understood. The cub advanced as fast as Sara, but not a step farther. “Good girl.”

  Wenny turned her head and licked Sara’s hand.

  Gasps and shocked expressions followed them all the way to main medical. Kage took them to the small waiting room just outside the clinic, then said, “Let me find out what’s going on before we waltz in there with a battle cat.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  He frowned. “You were calling me Kage the other night.”

  “It made Xorran mad,” she admitted.

  He chuckled as he scanned open the door. “All the more reason to do it.”

  She sat on the chair closest to the door and Wenny sat on the floor at her feet.

  Luppa soon?

  “Yes, baby. You’ll see Luppa soon.” Please, God, let her still be alive, she finished silently, then looked at Wenny, afraid the cub heard her thought. Wenny didn’t react, so Sara tried to relax.

  There was no way she was going back to Earth, and the thought didn’t even scare her anymore. She was already more invested in this world than she’d ever thought possible. She’d managed to meet the most amazing male in any star system, and hopefully she’d have two karrons to care for now instead of one.

  Odd that it took this sort of crisis to make her secure in her feelings for her mate. As with everything they’d faced so far, Xorran dealt with this calmly and authoritatively. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve him, but she would be eternally grateful.

  Wenny was starting to get restless, when Xorran came out of the clinic. He sat down next to Sara and gave her a hug, then reached down and stroked Wenny’s head. “Dr. Foran has her stabilized, but she lost a lot of blood.”

  “Can’t they just put her in one of these regeneration tubes?”

  “They need to scan a healthy karron before the regen unit can work. Luppa’s too damaged right now to—”

  “Hello.” She motioned toward Wenny. “Healthy karron at your service.”

  “Why didn’t I think of that?” Without another word he stood and went back inside the clinic.

  When he returned a few minutes later, he had Dr. Foran with him. Foran had an injector in his hand.

  “Wait. Let Wenny see Luppa and you won’t need to sedate her. I’ll just explain what you need her to do.”

  The doctor looked at Xorran, clearly thinking Sara was hysterical.

  “My mate can talk to animals, what else do you need to know?”

  “I’d feel much better if it was on a leash.” He eyed the cub distrustfully. “Do you realize how many karron bites I’ve had to repair?”

  “She won’t leave my side,” Sara assured him.

  With obvious reluctance Dr. Foran led them through the door. A stunned hush fell over the clinic as they crossed the room. “She’s back in isolation,” Foran directed.

  Wenny started to lunge ahead, but Sara said, “Wenny,” in a warning tone and the cub immediately repositioned at Sara’s side. “Good girl.”

  Luppa lay on a treatment table, an IV catheter in her neck. Her laceration had been sutured and her breathing appeared less labored. Wenny went up to the table, but the surface was too high for the cub, even when she went up on her hind legs. Seeing the dilemma, Dr. Foran lowered the table to Wenny’s eye level. Wenny lay her head next to her sister’s and made a sound Sara had never heard before. Luppa stirred for a second, then went limp again.

  “Wenny, come here.” With some reluctance, the cub returned to Sara’s side. “Luppa is still very sick. Do you want to help her?”

  Yes. Do anything.

  She looked at the doctor. “How does this work. Does she need to lie in the regen unit?” That might be really frightening. Maybe she should let him sedate Wenny.

  “If she holds still enough, I can scan her right here. But she cannot even blink or the scan will fail.”

  She knelt and explained this to Wenny. She wasn’t sure the cub understood until her eyes widened and stopped blinking. “She’s ready.” Sara crawled backward, out of the way.

  “Most people can’t pull this off, but...” He activated the scanner and red bars of light crisscrossed and scrolled the entire length of Wenny’s body. Sara thought it was over and started to tell Wenny she could move, when the glowing bars reversed direction and repeated the sweep. She held her breath, praying for a miracle. “Unbelievable.” Dr. Foran breathed a sigh of relief. “It worked.”

  Wenny did good?

  Happy tears blurred Sara’s eyes. “Oh, baby, Wenny did very good!” Still on her knees, she crawled over and gave the cub a hug.

  Luppa heal?

  She didn’t want to make false promises, so she looked at Dr. Foran. “Will you be able to regenerate her now?”

  “I don’t see why not. The unit works flawlessly with anything for which it has an accurate pattern. Thanks to your extraordinary pet, I now have an accurate pattern.”

  “Wenny’s not my pet,” she objected. “She’s my friend.”

  The doctor just smiled, then went to go load the pattern into the regen unit. A few minutes later they moved Luppa into the unit and started the regeneration cycle.

  “How long will this take?” Sara asked no one in particular. Xorran stood next to her and Kage was lounging against the wall near the door.

  “Several hours, at least,” Kage told her. “You should go get some sleep.”

  “I can’t leave Wenny. She’s still too upset.”

  He just chuckled and looked at the cub, then Sara heard his voice inside her mind. Wenny, your mistress needs to get some sleep. Why don’t you stay with me so her mate can put her to bed?

  Wenny got up and moved over to him, then sat and looked at Sara expectantly.

  “That’s cheating,” she complained. He was clearly a skilled telepath. What else could their mysterious leader do?

  “Take your mate to bed,” Kage ordered.

  Xorran scooped her up in his arms and headed for the door, “With pleasure,” he said as he passed the overlord.

  “You can put me down now,” she said once they’d reached the main corridor.

  “And have you run
back in there? Not a chance.”

  She smiled and looped her arms around his neck. “Have it your way.”

  “Oh, I intend to.” He grinned, making sure she knew exactly what he meant.

  “I’m supposed to sleep, not share pleasure with you,” she pointed out, but already her body was warming, preparing for their joining.

  “You sleep better after we’ve shared pleasure. Can you deny that it’s a fact?”

  “I could, but why would I want to? After a day like this I need a release, or two,” she said with a mischievous smile.

  “Happy to oblige,” he promise, and lengthened his strides.

  Chapter Ten

  Refusing to be rushed, Xorran ignored Sara’s urging to hurry and undressed her slowly. “Wenny has monopolized your attention for the past three days. Right now you’re mine, and I will not share you with anyone. Even your ‘baby’.”

  She stilled, her expressive gaze searching his. “Have I been that bad?”

  He framed her face with his hands and kissed the tip of her nose. “Your tender heart is one of the reasons I love you so much. But I’ve earned a little selfishness.”

  “I agree. You’ve been faultlessly supportive through all of it.”

  So she slowed down, undressing him with the same caressing care that he used to rid her of her clothing. When they were both naked, she turned and prepared to crawl into bed. He encircled her waist with one arm and drew her back against his front.

  “I want to touch you first,” he whispered into her hair.

  “You can’t touch me in bed?” But she didn’t pull away. Instead, she wiggled her bottom against his thighs and pressed more firmly against his aching cock.

  She was so tiny he could tuck her head under his chin. It made kissing challenging, but she didn’t seem to mind. He ran his free hand over her breasts, loving the weighty feel of her soft flesh. Her nipples pebbled beneath his lightest touch and she was always wet when he eased his hand between her thighs. The pull was heightening their attraction, he knew. Still, he suspected she would always be a highly responsive mate.

  He lingered over her nipples, rolling them between his fingers and thumbs and gently pulling on the sensitive peaks.

  “I like it better when you use your mouth.” She arched her back, pushing against his fingers

  “I know, but you’re going to stand there and let me touch you.”

  She chuckled. It was a familiar game. “Why would I do that when what I really want is your hard cock deep inside me?”

  “Because you’re not getting my cock until you come for my fingers.”

  She shivered, then moaned. “How do you do that?” she whispered. “I don’t even like dirty talk and yet with you I can almost come just talking about coming.”

  He laughed. “We’ll have to put that to the test some time.”

  “But not tonight?” she asked hopefully.

  “Definitely not tonight.” He kicked her feet apart, making more room for his hand between her silky thighs. Thrilled by the wetness already gathered on her folds, he pushed two fingers up inside her.

  She sagged against him with a moan. “That feels so good.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He moved his fingers in and out, savoring her heat and the slick slide of her obvious arousal. “Now come for me.” He found her clit with his thumb and ensured that she obeyed. It took about two seconds and her inner walls were rippling around his fingers. “Good girl.”

  She laughed and caught his wrist. “I say that to Wenny when she obeys me. You need to find another phrase.”

  He picked her up and placed her on the bed, not bothering to pull down the covers. He crawled onto the bed and stretched out on his side facing her. “Now you’re going to do it all over again because I want to watch your face when you come.”

  “Oh you’re in one of those moods.” She even managed to sound annoyed, but mischief and anticipation lit her gaze. “Go on,” she teased, “Get it over with. Give me orgasm after orgasm until I pass out from the pleasure.”

  He laughed. “Such a sacrifice.”

  He slipped one arm under her neck and cupped her breast as his mouth covered hers. Her taste was addictive and he intended to fully indulge his habit tonight. He explored her soft lips and the velvety interior of her mouth before curving his tongue around hers. As always, she returned the kiss with equal fervor, one of her hands combing through his hair.

  I love you, Xorran. Never doubt it. She emphasized the thought with tingling affection.

  And I love you. He pushed his devotion into her mind.

  Once they were bonded the exchange would be effortless. Sharing thoughts and feelings would be as natural as breathing. Once they were bonded. The phrase echoed in his mind and a pang of frustration disturbed his arousal. He hadn’t asked her about accepting his claim in over a week. There had been too much conflict in their lives, and he’d been content to support and comfort her. She was his only match, but she had many more matches to choose from. Was she considering anyone else?

  “Where’d you go?” she asked when he pulled away. “Suddenly I couldn’t sense you anymore.”

  “The transfer link is starting to deteriorate.” It was, but he’d also withdrawn from the link, not wanting her to sense his frustration. “It will need to be reestablished if we want to continue sharing emotions.”

  “Ooor,” she drew out the word, then smiled. “You could just create the real link. I know I’m ready. Aren’t you?”

  He tensed. Had she heard his mental grumbling? He did not want to pressure her in any way. This had to be something she wanted desperately. “There’s no rush, Sara. I know you’re still—”

  She pressed her fingers over his lips, stemming his words. “As long as I can still interact with my family, there is nothing more to decide. I know exactly what I want, and I’m looking at him.”

  This was what he’d wanted, what he’d literally ached for ever since he met her. So why the hell wasn’t he claiming her? “The past few days have been extremely stressful. Are you sure you’re not just...”

  “Just what?” She sat up and crossed her arms over her breasts. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  “Gods no! I just want this to be perfect. I don’t want you to feel pressured or rushed.”

  She smiled and pressed her hand against the side of his face. “Sweetheart, you won my heart when you took off your shirt and used it like a blanket on Wenny, but you earned my loyalty and unconditional trust when you promised to sneak back into the Underground to steal another cub. You are the most selfless person I’ve ever met and I’d be a fool not to hold on to you with both arms.” She bent down and kissed him before adding, “I want to bond with you, Xorran Entor, and someday—in the not too distant future—I want to have a bunch of babies that look just like you.”

  His heart was beating so fast it stole his breath. He sat up and wrapped both arms around her. Their mouths found each other and fused while their tongues sensually danced from mouth to mouth.

  I will spend the rest of my life making you happy, he vowed. I will protect you with my life and love you in this life and the next.

  Without separating their mouths, she crawled onto his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. I accept your claim, my love. Form the soul bond. I am and will always be your mate.

  Say please, he ordered playfully and her joyful laughter sounded in his mind.

  He lifted her slightly and found her wet core with the tip of his cock. She quickly folded her legs beneath her and brought her body into better alignment with his. Slowly, oh so slowly, her snug heat enveloped his rock-hard shaft. It felt so good, so right, as if a missing piece of his soul had been finally snapped into place. She paused with his entire length inside her, savoring the fullness, the completeness. Her pleasure heightened his, but the link was definitely fading.

  Ride me, love. I need to concentrate.

  My pleasure, she assured and began to move, rolling her hips while flexing her knees.<
br />
  He focused on her mind, on what was left of the transfer link. He needed to dissolve it completely before he formed the soul bond. One cleansing pulse was all it took to eradicate the connection, and suddenly he was alone.

  She tore her mouth away with a gasp. “I didn’t realize how isolated I was without you in my mind. I don’t ever want to feel like this again.”

  “My thoughts exactly,” he whispered and began to form the much more complex link.

  Apparently sensing his distraction, she braced her hands on his shoulders and went back to pleasuring him with her amazing body. Her breasts rubbed against his chest and her inner muscles hugged him firmly with each slow stroke. His arousal generated the extra energy he needed to form the bond, but it was damn distracting. He wanted to lay her back across the bed and regain control of their joining. He wanted to take her fast and hard, proving once and for all that she was his.

  But first he had to finish the link. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes. Weaving the strands of energy into an intricate pattern that would help them locate each other at even great distances, he gradually linked his soul with hers.

  So much better, she whispered as their emotions began to flow again. She was curious about how much different this would feel from the transfer link, and more than a little frustrated by his distraction.

  Almost done, he assured her as he secured the final few strands. Now all he had to do was anchor each side. Should he warn her or just do it?

  Just do it.

  He chuckled. Apparently, the link was fully functional. She’d heard his thought without his assistance.

  Here we go. Without pause, he blasted the connection with a massive pulse of energy.

  She cried out and shuddered, clutching his back as her body shook. “You could have mentioned that it would hurt like hell.”

  Rather than point out that she’d asked for it, he grabbed her hips and flipped her onto her back. “So much better,” he echoed her words as he started to move in earnest.

  She raised her legs high against his sides and arched into each of his downward thrusts. Their joining grew almost frantic after that. He filled her completely with each demanding stroke and she clawed at his back. His gaze bore into hers as emotions flowed freely across their soul bond.