Alien Love (7 page)

“Thank you.” Orlen eased Kiele to his back. “Hold his shoulders, Anji. This is going to hurt him more than the poison.” He grabbed Kiele’s ankles, and nodded to Lili. “Now.”

She coated her palm, then laid it against Kiele’s wound.

He let out a scream and arched off the floor.

Anji fought to keep him from recoiling as Lili applied more of the antidote. Smoke curled out of his wound, and he convulsed, his muscles clenched so tightly they looked like corded steel under his skin. Lili dipped two fingers in the oily mixture and slipped her fingers inside his wound. Kiele screamed again, reaching for the source of his torment.

Orlen let go of his ankles and lunged forward, trapping his wrists before he could touch Lili. She kept all her focus on his wound, pushing more of the antidote inside. Finally, she sat back on her heels, sweat trickling down her face.

“It is done. All we can do now is wait, hope the antidote reached the poison in time.”

Kiele relaxed under Anji’s hands, too fast. She let him go and leaned over him, checking his pulse. It was slow, too slow even for a T’An.

“Orlen—ˮ

“We have done all we can, Anji.” He lowered Kiele’s arms and stood. “Now it is time to face the demon who poisoned him.”

“Then turn around, Orlen.” A cold, feminine voice echoed across the room. The T’An who stood in the doorway was obviously Sonia; she radiated authority, and was a female version of Kiele, so striking Anji stared. Her next words snapped Anji out of her admiration. “I want to watch your face as you both die.”

She raised her arm. Before Anji had time to register the weapon in her hand Orlen shoved her out of the way, rocking back as he clutched the dagger buried in his chest.

“No!”
Anji pushed to her feet and rushed Sonia. The T’An looked surprised, and Anji took advantage of that by slamming into her, knocking them both into the wall behind her. “Damn you—” Anji aimed both fists at her gills, but like all T’An, Sonia instinctively protected her back. So she changed tactics and went for Sonia’s face.

“Useless human.” Sonia picked her up like she weighed nothing and pinned her to the wall. “You think to…” Her voice faded, dark eyes narrowing as she stared at the tattoo on Anji’s left wrist. “He did not—my foolish nephew mated with you? A human who has no value?”

“He did.”

“Then you will join him in death.”

Sonia closed her hand around Anji’s throat and started to squeeze. Because Sonia was so polite to warn her, Anji already had her hand in her pocket when the T’An started to strangle her. She knew she didn’t have much time.

Her fingers closed over the laser screwdriver, fumbling for the switch, lightheaded from the slow, steady pressure on her throat. Sonia obviously wanted to stretch out the torture. That gave Anji the extra time she needed, because her hand had become floppy and hard to control. She jerked the screwdriver out of her pocket, hoped she’d pushed the switch in the right direction, and jammed it into Sonia’s stomach.

The laser flared, and Sonia screamed, letting go of Anji’s throat. She stumbled back, still screaming. Anji hit the floor, one hand on her throat, and blinked her vision clear. Her screwdriver worked even better than she hoped.

Sonia’s thin, floaty dress caught on fire, and she had to tear it off. An ugly, raw burn spread over her muscled stomach. She stared down at it, and by the time she lifted her head, the rage on her face twisted it into an ugly mask.

“You clumsy, stupid—” She switched into her own language, but Anji needed no translation.

She dove to one side when Sonia lunged forward and rolled across the floor. That quick move saved her life.

A dagger bounced off the stone where she had just been. Sonia shrieked, wearing only a small thong and heels as she chased after Anji.

Anji kept rolling—and trapped herself when she smacked into the bottom of the fountain. Smiling, Sonia lifted her right foot and slipped off her shoe, flinching at the movement.

“I have never killed one of you pathetic, weak humans with such a crude weapon. But you have earned it, and I will make certain you die slowly, and in more pain than you have ever experienced. I am a doctor, after all, and pride myself on my skills.”

Anji waited, terrified that she wouldn’t move fast enough—and threw her left arm up as the thin, deadly heel headed for her chest. Agony burst in her forearm, the heel puncturing, going all the way to the bone. She bit back a scream, tightened her shaky grip on the screwdriver, and pressed the tip against Sonia’s exposed breast.

Her high-pitched scream threatened to break Anji’s eardrums. Sonia jerked away from the source and landed on her back. Before she could retaliate again, Orlen appeared, a bloody dagger in his hand. He dropped to his knees and held the dagger next to her cheek, inches from her skin.

“Surrender now, Sonia, or you will share my fate.” He sounded horrible and looked worse, his right hand shaking as it held the knife up. His left hand was spread across the right side of his chest, stained with dark blue blood.

“I will never—” She cut herself off and froze when the edge of the blade nearly scraped her cheekbone. “Fine, Orlen. You have made your point—”

“I have only begun.” He took in a ragged breath, more blood leaking through his fingers. “The lab will be dismantled, the experiments discontinued. And you will be brought before the Council of the First, for crimes against other species.”

She screamed in outrage, and Orlen raised the dagger. Anji covered her mouth, waiting for him to stab her. He drove the blade down—and pinned her braid to the floor, the dagger sinking into the water softened mortar between the slabs of stone.

The mansion door flew open, at least a dozen uniformed T’An running into the room. Lili appeared behind them, and flashed a smile at Anji, nodding. The cavalry had shown. Better late than not at all.

Orlen let out a ragged breath, and started to slump sideways.

“Whoa—” Anji caught him with her good arm and eased him to the floor. “Lili—I need more of the antidote here!”

“Too late,” he whispered.

“Don’t you dare.” His eyes opened, the green depths dark with pain. “Don’t you dare die on me. I’m just starting to like you.”

“The feeling is—reciprocated, Anji.” He swallowed, trembling against her. “I have moved too much. The poison—”

“Can be thwarted.” Lili knelt next to him, the bowl on her hand. “Hold still, now. You know this is going to hurt you.”

He nodded, let her ease his hand away. She scooped up a huge glob of the oily herb mixture and dug her fingers into his wound. He arched off the floor.

Anji pushed down on his left shoulder, her heart pounding. A shadow spread over Orlen and she looked up, tears blurring her eyes when she saw Kiele. He crouched next to her, cringing at the movement. But he didn’t have that desperate look anymore, some of the color back in his face.

“Let him go, now,
t’anling
. You should not be expending your energy.” He laid his hand on Orlen’s shoulder and held him down, nodding to a T’An wearing a white lab coat. “She is your first patient, Dr. Calen.”

“I can see that.” He set his bag on the floor and reached for her left arm. “This will hurt, my dear girl.” He lifted her shoe-impaled arm and she nearly passed out. “I want them all taken to the clinic, immediately.”

They were surrounded by uniforms, the strong hands that lifted Anji gentle but supportive. She didn’t have time to thank her personal guard before the pain dragged her under.

“I will not
have her disturbed for this, Father.”

Kiele’s deep, quiet voice filtered into Anji’s half-doze. He sounded strong and healthy, not at all like the injured, broken man she had found in the underwater city. Another, unfamiliar voice pulled her closer to the surface.

“She saw the lab, Kiele, is witness to the atrocities committed there. Too many on the Council are inclined to be lenient with Sonia, and that I will not tolerate. As your mate, and a human, her words will carry more weight with them.”

Now she heard disapproval, and she wanted to wake up so she could defend Kiele. It took some effort, but she managed to open her eyes. Kiele bent over her, taking her right hand.

“Good evening,
t’anling
. I am sorry we disturbed your rest.”

“Okay,” she whispered. Why did she feel like she’d been beaten with a stick?

Kiele studied her, his voice gentle when he spoke. “Your arm became infected. Whatever was on the bottom of Sonia’s heel had been driven into your wound. She also cracked the bone.”

Anji finally looked down at her left arm. One of the portable healing chambers surrounded it, light pulsing from both ends. She couldn’t feel her arm, which was probably a good thing. But if she was still in the infirmary, Kiele was seriously downplaying how bad it really got. She’d interrogate him later, when they were alone.

Once she got enough of staring at her immobilized arm, she looked up at Kiele, and to the T’An standing behind him. He was an older version of Kiele, with grey streaking his dark hair at the temples, deeper lines in his face, and an aura of power. Kiele was going to age just as beautifully.

“Hello, Anji.” He nodded his head to her. “I am Mika. It is a pleasure to finally meet my son’s chosen mate. I must apologize for this, but my first request as your father by joining is to give your statement to the Council.”

“Father—”

“Of course.” She raised her eyebrows when Kiele frowned at her. “I’m not letting her get out from under this, not after what we went through to stop her. Orlen—is he—”

“Better. The stubborn fool is on the bridge.”

She smiled, relieved to know he made it. “Pern?”

“He tired of waiting for us and swam down in time to see all of us being carried to the city’s clinic. He is still down there, helping to reorganize the local government. Sonia had proclaimed herself the head of the city, acting as a near dictator and cowing the citizens into doing as she demanded. Pern’s father is the governor of a large city on our home planet, and can offer suggestions for rebuilding their leadership.”

She recognized the smile he fought to hide. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He leaned in and whispered against her ear. “Christina stayed with him.”

“Oh.” Anji remembered the tall blonde’s constant appraisals of Pern. It didn’t surprise her. “And Pern—”

“Will be returning to the ship when his job below is done. There is room if he decides to bring a companion.”

Voices echoed in the hall outside the infirmary.

“I will see her, you grumpy bastard. Get the stick out of your ass before you—”

“She does not need to be assaulted by your loud presence—”

“Why don’t you let her decide that?”

Kiele straightened. “Orlen, Melissa—please come in. Anji is already awake.”

Melissa stomped in, her anger fading when she caught sight of Anji. “Thank God!” She rushed over to the bed and gave Anji a careful hug. “I’ve been worried sick, and Grumpy didn’t make it easier, keeping any news of you to himself.”

“Grumpy?” Mika raised one eyebrow, so much like Kiele she blinked.

Orlen sputtered, and Kiele came to his rescue. “Humans enjoy giving each other what they call nicknames, Father.”

“Lord Suun.” Orlen bowed. “It is an honor to have you aboard
Watersong
.”

“I understand I have you to thank for my son’s life.”

Orlen stared at his hands. Anji swore he blushed. “I merely acted on my knowledge, my lord, and my duty to my commander.”

“As humble as always. It is good to see you have some fire under all that humble. I will have the Council scribe take Anji’s statement here, with witnesses, myself included. It will be enough for the records.” He stepped forward, waited for Melissa to back away, and took Anji’s hand. “I look forward to learning more about my new daughter. It seems, from what I have been told by the crew, that you are a worthy mate for my son.”

He kissed her cheek and left them, silence in his wake. Melissa broke it, sitting in the chair at the head of Anji’s bed.

“I want to hear every detail. Nathan is relieved and envious. He wanted to be the one to take the lab down. At least there’s one human representing us.”

Anji couldn’t help herself; she smiled at Melissa’s sparkling presence. If she had her eye on Orlen, he didn’t stand a chance.

“It may take some time. Things are still a little jumbled.”

“So that’s a yes?”

Anji looked past her at Kiele. He sighed, and she smiled. “It’s a yes.”

***

Anji ran along
the ship’s corridor, thrilled that she could. It had been a long three months, waiting for her arm to heal completely, then for Kiele’s body to completely purge the last of the poison.

He and Orlen had been forced to seriously modify their immersion cycles, keeping their wounds from the poisoned dagger dry, since any contact with water would reignite the poison. Yesterday they both received a thumbs up from the ship’s doctor.

That meant tonight she and Kiele could finally make love. Finally. Just the thought had heat flushing her cheeks. She’d missed touching him so much, feeling his body next to her as she slept.

She rounded the corner and almost ran into Orlen.

He raised his eyebrow. “Is an engine on fire?”

“No. I—” She blushed, flustered by the rare smile on his face. “I’m happy that I can run again.”

“As am I, Anji. There is a bit of fine tuning that needs to be done on the main engine. It should only take you an hour. Then you are dismissed for the day.”

“Yes, sir.” She gave him a jaunty salute. “Thank you, sir.” His even rarer laughter followed her as she ran toward the engine room.

***

Smoothing her hands
over the knee length, strappy blue dress, Anji took a deep breath. She hadn’t been this nervous since her first meal with Kiele. It felt like a year ago, but it had only been a few months since they met, in Captain Johnson’s disgusting excuse of a ship.

Her life hadn’t been the same since.

Now it was about to change again, in a way she never expected. She wasn’t quite sure how to break the news to him.

The door slid open and Kiele stepped inside, still wearing his dress uniform. He had spent the day aboard his father’s ship, attending a private reception, and presiding over the final sentencing of Sonia. He looked exhausted, but he smiled when he saw her.

“You are a sight for these tired eyes,
t’anling
. Come here.”

She moved to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “What happened?”

He let out a sigh. “Sonia was sentenced to life in the prison colony.”

“Is that bad?”

“She should have been given a sentence of death, after all the lives she took. Because they were human lives, and the T’An she did attack survived, the Council decided to be lenient, claiming they did not want to lose such a rare talent. She will be the colony’s new doctor.”

Anji lifted her head, met his eyes. “If you think I’m mad, you’re wrong. As long as I never see her again, I’m satisfied with her punishment. You did a good thing, Kiele—all the labs are gone now, and my people have a new trust, one that can mean more cooperation.”

“It will make those of us who love your women easier to be accepted.” He slid his hands down her back, and she shivered at his touch. “Is that fish stew I smell?”

“Yes. I wanted you to have a good meal.” She smiled up at him. “I have plans for you.”

“Do they involve you and a bed?”

“To start.”

He kissed her until she was breathless, then let her go, striding to the bathroom. When he came back out, he wore only a thin robe, his erection tenting the front of it. After another brief but heady kiss, he sat at the table.

“I want you, my heart, as you clearly saw. But my body is demanding food.”

“Then let’s eat.” She served him this time, then sat, letting one strap slide off her shoulder. His spoon halted inches from his mouth, green eyes focused on her now bare shoulder. He swallowed, then shoved the spoon in his mouth. “How is it?”

He nodded, and shoveled in another spoonful. Anji reached up and pulled the hair sticks holding her thick bun together, her hair falling around her shoulders and down the front of her dress. He swallowed again, staring at her half covered breasts.

She picked up her spoon, took a small amount of stew and slowly ate it, licking every inch of the spoon. Kiele didn’t know it, but she’d eaten earlier, so she could tease him now, and not worry about being hungry later.

She lifted her hair and let it fall down her back. Her other strap slipped off her shoulder, with a little strategic shifting, and the deep v of her dress started gaping, revealing the curve of her breasts. Warmth flushed her at the sheer lust in his gaze.

His spoon clattered on the table as he stood. Before she could take in a breath he had her in his arms, his lips on hers, kissing her with such passion, such need. She slipped her arms around his neck and hiked herself up, gasping when his hands found their way under her dress and cupped her bare ass. Another surprise for him.

He pulled back, his eyes wide. “You are not—”

“Wearing underwear. No.”

He whispered something in his language and captured her lips again, shifting her until his erection pressed against her, only her thin dress between her and his hot, smooth skin.

“Anji. I need you.”

“I need you back.”

“It will not be slow.”

“God, I hope not.”

He smiled, and carried her to the bed, letting her go long enough to get rid of his robe. She yanked the dress over her head, ready for him when he nearly tackled her. Laughing, she nuzzled his throat, thrilled to feel his weight pressing her into the bed, his cool skin, his thick, hot cock sliding against her.

“So wet,” he whispered. “It is one of the things I love most about you. That you are ready without considerable—what do you call it?”

“Foreplay?” He nodded. “Kiele, all you have to do is look at me, and that’s foreplay enough.” He slid against her again and she moaned. “That does help, though. I want you inside me. Now.”

“Your command,
t’anling
.”

He positioned himself over her, his thick head pressing into her. Anji arched up, wanting him in her, all of him, now. He drove himself in to the hilt and she nearly screamed.

“Kiele—move, fast.”

He pulled out and thrust into her, fast, hard, deep. She dug her fingers into his ass and lifted her hips, taking him even deeper. He felt perfect, filling her, taking her higher with every stroke. Her body was already clenching around him, her orgasm coming at her long before she was ready to let go.

With a cry she shuddered, heat pouring through her as her release took over. Kiele kept stroking her, until she collapsed on the bed. Then he leaned in and kissed her, his lips gentle.

“Kiele, you didn’t—”

“I want to fill you in the water, join with you again, my heart.”

“I’d like that.”

She moaned when he eased out of her, missing him already. He picked her up and carried her over to the huge glass tub, climbing in with her cradled against his chest. Anji had never felt so treasured, so cherished. Only Kiele had ever given her that, and she loved him even more for his care of her, even when his need shook him.

They settled in the cool water, and he pulled her to him, slipping inside her with a low groan.

“Anji. You feel so good. I have missed you, my heart, missed loving you like this.”

“Give me your wrist.”

He did, and she kissed his sensitive spot, gasping when he spilled hot liquid deep inside her. She wanted more, and brushed her lips over his other wrist, arching into him as he filled her. He moved, trapped her against the glass, and thrust into her, hard and fast. She knew he was close to the edge, and she wanted to help him fall over.

Holding on to his shoulders, she lifted her knees, taking him even deeper. He groaned and pounded into her, so thick and hard she knew he was close. He lowered his head, gripped the edge of the tub, and drove himself into her.

“Anji—I love you—”

She kissed him, her tongue sliding over his at the same fast, frantic pace. He growled against her lips and stiffened, moving faster, until he spilled himself deep inside her.