Chapter Four

  The team was sitting in a conversational room and chatting while under guard by the men whose names were on the collars.

  Nyik-Yosh looked at the men. “The ladies are being moved to their own quarters, their other team members are in medical, and my mate’s mother is being assigned quarters. All mothers of this team and any other mixed Kek citizens are being invited to the ship with their children.”

  One of the women whistled. “Wow. You really were not expecting girls.”

  Another one grinned. “Did Commander Vel injure her leg or something?”

  Haru shrugged. “I think he’s stretching his arms or something. That, or I am under some weird confinement, but... I saw my father.”

  That got their attention, and they leaned forward in their shredded ladylike outfits.

  “What was he like?”

  She grinned. “He still has a thing for Dr. Jenok. Big and burly with black bands incised on his tusks.”

  They looked at Nyik-Yosh. Yer-ai asked, “What do the bands mean?”

  “He found his mate and lost her. It also means he is unmated with no children.”

  “Sorry, Haru-vel, you don’t exist.” Yer-ai chortled.

  “I suspected something when my clothes started evaporating.” She put her hand to her chin and tapped it.

  The quartermaster rushed in and looked at the ladies, then the commander holding the commander. “Commander Yosh. You were quick.”

  “Yes, I am aware. These ladies need quarters, close to each other and in a hallway that can be secured to keep out crewmen.”

  “Yes, Commander. Seven quarters?”

  “Twenty in total. This one has been given into my keeping by her parents. But her mother will need a room of her own.”

  Haru narrowed her eyes at her mother, and Jenok grinned. “What? You two look cute together, and I can only imagine the tall, bossy grandbabies you would make.”

  The Kek who were watching over the ladies frowned. “Commander Yosh, why do you get your female when we do not?”

  “First, they are half-breed Kek; second, her mother is in favour of the alliance; third, her father ordered me to watch over her with only one caveat, which is a non-issue as she is not a maiden.”

  “Wow. Tell the whole place.”

  Yer-ai laughed. “We all went to school together, Haru. We all know.”

  Haru snickered.

  He looked to the quartermaster. “Get them quarters, meal cards, and clothing. Have someone show them around the vessel, and if any of the fathers wish to speak to them and they wish to speak as well, make it happen. Medical has the records, and the general has indicated that most of the fathers are on the way. The ones who still live.”

  The girls looked at each other.

  He continued. “Those whose fathers have passed on will have a male relative of his line so that they may learn about that person.”

  The ladies nodded. It had been thirty years. It was expected that some of the males would be dead.

  Haru started checking out her nails and had to admit that the groomer had put a helluva epoxy on them. All that scrambling around and no damage. Just dirty.

  She looked to Yer-ai. “How filthy am I on a scale of one to ten?”

  “Twelve.”

  She grinned. “It feels like a twelve.”

  The male holding her turned to the quartermaster and said, “Have you got this? They are rather rambunctious. You might want to bring the guards from the female quarters.”

  The quartermaster blinked when the ladies got up and started to examine him from head to toe. The males who had initially captured them stepped in to pry them away from their target.

  The commander sighed. “See?”

  He turned and stalked off to an area of the ship where there were doors with insignia. When he walked up to one that she recognized as his name, she squinted. “Why does it say Lyrik Commander?”

  “Because that is my title.”

  He walked into the room and straight to what was a cleansing chamber of some sort. “Clothing off, and I will show you how to work a sonic shower.”

  She snorted and said, “It is going to take a minute. This is clipped on in a billion places.”

  “May I?”

  She looked at him. “Sure. But no funny stuff.”

  He looked at her in astonishment and then grinned. “You are a little crazy.”

  “I am.” She stood still while he moved swiftly, and the fabric fluttered to the floor. “I was too big to be a kid and not quite an adult, so I was in between and telling everybody what to do... and they did it.”

  “Shoes.”

  She kicked off the slippers. “What am I supposed to wear when I run around the ship again?”

  “You can pick something off the supply list. Step in and press your hands to the wall, feet apart. It will go over any parts that are especially grubby.”

  “So flattering.” She chortled and read the directions on the controls, and she triggered the cleaning pulse and yelped when the pulse tidied up the liquid mess she had begun to seep every time he snuffled against her neck. That would not have been on her top ten sexiest sounds, but that and his groan were now right up there.

  When the unit hummed its completion, she stood straight, and he clicked his tongue. “I think I will check to make sure that the machine did its work properly.”

  “Nyik, you are just going to get me back into the same situation but with cleaner nails.”

  He grinned. “You said my name.”

  “I did.” She faced him and looked him over. “You might benefit from a cleanup yourself. I mean, if I am all squeaky clean, I would hate for you to get me all grimy.”

  Nyik chuckled. “Good point. Where do you stand on getting really sweaty.”

  “All in favour. I love a good workout.”

  She stepped back as he ran his finger over the figure-hugging vest, opening it and exposing his tremendously wide and tempting chest, unbuckled his belt, and then he kicked off his boots and removed the lower half of his suit.

  She had no idea how her mother had dealt with General Vel and that. Haru stared at his erection as he got into the shower.

  “You know, my eyes are up here.”

  “Shut up. I am trying to see if it talks.”

  He snorted. “Thankfully, it doesn’t.”

  “Does it do tricks?” She leaned against the wall next to the shower with her arms crossed.

  He laughed in the shower as it completed its work, and he cupped her neck. “You can let me know.”

  She blinked, and he kissed her. She parted her lips and let the heat wash through her again. She shivered and pressed her hands to his chest. He was warm and hard and very, very alive.

  She lunged at him and pressed him against the wall, sliding one thigh against his hip. His cock was a hot presence against her sex, and she rocked her hips against him, and he grunted and pulled his head back. “Too fast, pet.”

  “Says you.” She growled and nipped at his neck.

  “I am beginning to see why you don’t have a current sexual partner. They are in hiding.” He chuckled.

  His words were like a splash of cold water. She reached back, grabbed the collar and snapped it open.

  “Right. Forgot. Here. Give it to someone else.”

  She backed up and turned around to leave. He grabbed her arm, and she used everything she had and flipped him.

  He got to his feet and gave a command to lock the door.

  She looked at him with a sneer. “You think it can keep me in? You don’t pay attention.”

  “I am sorry. I just wasn’t expecting such enthusiasm.”

  “Yeah. I get that. Trust me. That was very fucking clear.”

  She looked around and saw a chest at the foot of the bed. That would do.

  “Don’t lift that. It’s heavy.” He frowned.

  She gave him an incredulous look and lifted the chest and then walked toward the door. It was heavy, but she could lift it if she was upset, and she was very upset.

  She slammed the chest into the door, and alarms flared.

  Nyik gripped her arms and said, “Enough. Put it down. What I said was ridiculous, but you are hurt. Very hurt.”

  “Will you let me leave without me having to beat you nearly to death?”

  He paused. “Yes. But, I would like one more kiss.”

  She looked at him and sighed. “I haven’t had a lover in a decade. I hurt him, and I can’t injure you, so I was excited. And yes, my last lover was hiding after he got out of the medical centre. He never let me apologize.”

  Nyik’s face got very guilty. “I am very sorry.”

  “No. I am sorry for not waiting for you to make all the moves. I get that it is what you are taught to expect, and that’s fine. I was more than you were expecting. I hear that a lot.”

  She looked at the door. “Now, open it.”

  “One more kiss and I will get you something to wear.”

  She nodded. “Fine.”

  She stood still as he cupped her jaw, and the kiss pressed against her lips. Her body still heated, but her soul didn’t.

  He tried to stir the fire again, but she waited until he lifted his head. “Right. So, something to wear, and then, you can pick one of the Myvik blends. They should be here in a couple of days.”

  He showed her a clothing unit in the corner. She stepped on it, it scanned her, and she was presented with options in her size. A bodysuit in subdued grey suited her mood, and she waited for it, put it on, and then walked to the door. “Can you open it, or do I have to beat my way through it?”

  Nyik said softly, “I will open it and escort you to the area where your team is being housed.”

  “Thanks. I am sure you will find your mate out there somewhere.”

  He frowned, opened and then closed his mouth. He had gotten dressed while she was waiting for her suit.

  He typed in an override, and the door opened but screamed as it did.

  They walked out in silence, and he led her to the area that was now guarded by the purple guards from the women’s quarters.

  She was so tired. “Is there a room available for me?”

  The guards nodded, and she was led to a tiny room with a bed and a small sanitation unit. She saw the bed and crawled into the sheets and let her disappointment wash over her. For a few hours, she had had a mate. A potential partner had made her blood sing, and she had wrecked it like she always did. She was going to be alone. It was probably safer for everyone involved. It was certainly safer for the men.

  * * * *

  Nyik-Yosh replayed that moment in his head over and over, and he wished he could turn back time. She was right. She needed to find someone better suited, and he needed to deal with that. Everything about her excited him, but now, there was no way to persuade her that it was true.

  Any move he made would be interpreted as pity.

  He growled and stalked toward the lift to the bridge.

  “Commander... where is Haru? You didn’t tire her out already, did you?” Jenok was with a group of the ladies and their Kek suitors.

  “She has been given quarters and is resting... alone.” He remained polite to the tiny woman.

  Jenok looked at him, and he looked back. She grabbed his arm and hauled him to the side where she could speak to him. “Did she injure you?”

  He reared back. “No, but I joked that she might and that her lovers were hiding, and she shut down and snapped off my collar.”

  Jenok looked at him. “You said...”

  The hand that turned his head sharply to the side had a lot of force behind it.

  “Where is she now? Has she eaten since the battlefield?”

  He scowled. “I have not fed her, nor has anyone else.”

  “Oh, fuck. On top of that, she’s hangry.” Jenok asked, “Where did you put her?”

  “The guards gave her quarters.”

  “There wasn’t anything nice left. I am going to make her eat, but that is going to be difficult now.” Jenok looked at him. “Fuck off and rot.”

  She stalked away from him, and the ladies saw her walking and followed her. He turned and went to the bridge. He needed the distraction of the mundane. He had almost had paradise, and he had lost it because he was thrown off-balance.

  He wished that the invaders were still on Myvik. He would enjoy smashing a few skulls.

  * * * *

  Jenok had the guards open the door and saw her daughter on the covers, grey and shaking. “Fuck. I need to get her to medical right now. Can you help me carry her?”

  The purple guard picked her up, and they moved at a fast pace to medical with the team around them.

  Yer-ai asked, “What’s happening, doc?”

  “She’s exhausted, hungry, and rejected. She’s pulling in. Knowing her, she probably exerted herself after he rejected her.”

  Yer-ai was shocked. “Rejected? What the fuck? He was all over her.”

  “Apparently, the moment she was all over him, he decided to joke about it, and she was reminded of Kromer.”

  “Fuck.” Yer-ai understood the ramifications.

  The other members of the team were just silent and concerned.

  Hormonal collapse wasn’t common in the Myvik because they generally went through with unions once they agreed to them.

  Jenok was grim when they headed to medical, and she hoped they had what she needed to save her daughter. Everything had just gone wrong.

  * * * *

  Nyik-Yosh was sitting at his desk and going through stocking reports when his second in command came in.

  “Roth-Lin, what are you doing here? I thought you would be courting your mate.”

  Roth-Lin shrugged. “She’s been in medical for the last two hours. One of their team members is not doing well.”

  “They were in battle and then cascaded. It is likely that they will have adaptation issues.”

  Roth-Lin shrugged. “You are probably right, Commander.”

  Nyik-Yosh kept working, and an hour later, he casually checked to see which of the new females was in medical. There was no name, simply unbonded female—critical condition.

  Ice ran down his spine. He got up and left his office, heading for medical at a run.

  * * * *

  Jenok looked through the supplements available and cursed. She had tried everything available, and Haru was still unconscious and shivering.

  They had given her nutrients, warmed her with a thermal blanket, and she remained grey.

  Jenok rubbed her forehead. The last time a version of this happened, there had been less of an issue. She hadn’t really been in love. Her stubborn, strong, and capable daughter was about to die of a broken heart, just like tragic Myvik folk heroes. Jenok wished it wasn’t literal for her people, but when you design a species and make mating straightforward, rejection is absolute and fatal. Someone who chronically gets rejected dies to remove their burden on society. It was brutal, but even Jenok’s research hadn’t managed to stop it.

  “Where is she?” The commander’s voice was harsh. He was in the entryway to medical, but his growl reverberated through the space.

  The team formed up between Haru and Nyik-Yosh.

  “Out of my way. Where is she? What’s wrong with her?”

  Jenok muttered, “Let him through.”

  Yer-ai growled. “But he caused this.”

  Yel-nata cocked her head. “I don’t think so. I think it started when we were ordered to surrender and hand ourselves over to the Kek. He was just the final rejection.”

  Jenok blinked and cursed. “Right. Fucking hell. Doc Ural-Thed, do you have a stasis pod?”

  “Certainly. I will need authorization to let you use it.” He looked over to Nyik-Yosh. “Commander, do I have authorization?”

  The commander looked at Jenok, and he said, “What the hell is wrong with her?”

  She explained about the constant rejection and how it simply had collapsed her emotional equilibrium, and it was taking her body along for the ride. “I have a daughter, she is a hero, and now she’s dying, and there is nothing that I can do.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Go back and don’t reject her.”

  “I didn’t. I pulled back to gather my thoughts and used words to buy time. They were the wrong words. I know that now, but she went cold and stayed cold. Nothing I did could warm her.”

  Jenok looked at him, and the desperation on his face as he stared at her daughter, grey and shaking, on the med bed.

  “Did you tell her you want her?”

  He scowled. “What?”

  “Did you tell her that you wanted her? Did you whisper what you wanted to do to her in her ear? Did you touch her? Hold her? Anything?” Her voice was urgent to her own ears.

  “I held her jaw.”

  Jenok rubbed her face. “Unless you were planning on fucking her face, you weren’t getting any kind of point across. She would have taken the contact for pity.”

  “What can I do?”

  Jenok shrugged. “Nothing. It is up to Haru now, and as much as I want her to live for me... she won’t. She took the first alteration dose, and it was far too high, but she went through the pain and transformation so that she could tell the others what to expect and prove that it worked. For everyone else, we halved the dose. She was always the first to go and then tell others how to manage.” Jenok looked at him. “She was trying to let her team know that there wasn’t a reason to fight the Kek.”

  He blinked. “What?”

  “Just because the government threw them to you doesn’t mean that they were excited about the prospect. Haru was trying to be an example, and she remained passive while you hauled her around like a toy. The choice of the suit she’s wearing is telling. She’s hiding. She never hides. She was very proud of her body. This says she isn’t anymore.”

  Yer-ai looked at him. “You might want to leave now or authorize stasis. If I have to build a unit from the equipment here, I will.”

 

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