Magnet (2 page)

Polly enjoyed the hug on several levels. He was an attractive man and he had given her pointers on dealing with pheromone-sensitive species. Their fooling around had remained within the strictures of tutor and student, but she had definitely learned a few things. Despite his outward control, if he got too excited, she had to be firm with her
no
and firmer with the use of her talent. It only took once and they had agreed to cease all physical friction. For Polly, having her partner lunge at her wasn’t much of a turn-on.

He carefully released her and they both smiled. It just wasn’t quite right and they both knew it.

“Come on, Polly. Your going-away party is waiting.” Tov offered her his arm, and she placed her hand on his forearm.

Learning etiquette along with control of her talent had been a bonus that she hadn’t been expecting. Since her assigned world was already known, the rules and regulations of the W’lyn were her primary concern. She had managed to absorb as much as she ever would.

With the hug as her final farewell, she walked to the common room and had cake and ice cream with her fellow Terrans. Some of those at her party had just arrived, others predated her time on the moon base. It didn’t matter, they were all there to see her off and wish her well. Their time would come eventually when they had the right placement.

A few of the tutors that she had spent a day or two with along the way were there and enjoying the ice cream.

Master Sanyria sat next to her, the dark velvet of her skin rubbed against Polly’s arm. “Are you ready for the W’lyn?”

“You mean after my time with an Azon?”

The Selna chuckled. “Yes, that. I know it didn’t work out well, but it did give you an idea of what you might face in an intimate situation.”

“Fangs and claws?”

Master Sanyria smiled, “Well, not the claws.”

“Have you been to W’lyn?” It was a question that she hadn’t dared ask before. Now there was nothing left to lose.

“Once. I was a Companion to an ambassador, and I had to attend some trade functions with her. The population appears to be refreshingly open when it comes to sexual matters.”

“And I am coming from a society that isn’t.”

Master Sanyria laughed. “You are curious and that counts for a lot. I am sure you will get along fine, just be careful. According to our reports, you already smell like sex to them, so don’t start anything you have no interest in finishing.”

“I know, I know. I will behave, I promise.”

“Good girl. Enjoy yourself. You are being given the opportunity to leave your world and do whatever you like in a society that isn’t your own. As long as you obey their rules, you will be perfectly fine. Have fun.” The sexual etiquette instructor nudged her arm.

“That is your response to every situation.” Polly nudged her back.

“And it never fails to land me in very interesting adventures. Like coming here to train Terrans in the art of love, lust and conversation.” She grinned and her teeth were dazzlingly white in her black velvet features.

“You were a thorough instructor. If I was inclined to chase after women, I would have been at your door.”

“No, I would have had you at my feet and done whatever I wished to you. You were not meant for me.”

Polly looked around the party at the aliens who had offered themselves for experimentation, and she scowled. “There is a lot of that going around.”

“Shut up and enjoy your party.”

With her bag over her shoulder, Polly stepped out of the shuttle and went through the immigration process. She was scanned, interviewed and demonstrated her talent when one of the officers decided that since he hadn’t slept with one of her kind before, now was the time.

A female officer came in and laughed at the predicament, giving Polly clearance to join the Guardians waiting for her outside the offices.

Even with her suit on, Polly could feel the gazes of the men on her once they caught a whiff of her scent. She deliberately thought the word men, because the tall, grey-skinned creatures were not like anything she had met before. She kept her mind on the business of meeting the Guardians, and when the men wearing armoured bodysuits stood to meet her, she had an idea that she was in the right place.

“Polly Garner?” A man with grey skin and pale blue hair smiled as he spoke.

The other man with him rolled his eyes. They were related, that much was certain. The one who hadn’t spoken had darker hair, but he had the indulgent expression of an older sibling watching a younger on a first date.

“Yes, I am Polly Garner. You are the Guardians?”

The one with the paler hair nodded. “I am Loesh; this is my brother, Drovin. We have been sent to bring you to the base.”

She inclined her head, and her hair fell forward over her shoulder. “Thank you for the lift. I haven’t gotten the hang of skimmers or riot runners yet.”

The moment her hair moved, so did Loesh’s nostrils. He was scenting her and it hit him hard. He blinked and reared his head back as he shook it to clear it.

Drovin looked at Loesh in amusement. “Pardon him. He doesn’t get out much. If you will come this way?”

Her sealed suit should have kept the worst of the pheromones tucked in, but it seemed that her opening it for the immigration scans had let a little more out than she intended.

Drovin led the way and Loesh trailed after them. She wracked her brain for their stats and came up with Drovin’s ability for telekinesis and Loesh’s heightened senses. She nearly came to a halt when she realised that whatever a normal W’lyn sensed when she was around would be magnified for Loesh.

Once she was seated in the skimmer, she put up a repulsion barrier between her and her companions. Loesh immediately relaxed. Drovin’s lack of response revealed that he was already mated. Only his wife would get a rise out of him.

It was a quaintly charming situation on W’lyn. Once a couple committed, only their spouse aroused them until one of them died. In many cases, the survivor chose to follow their partner into death if they had no minor children. It was a situation where they simply willed themselves to die.

Polly smirked. Of course, the population did as much hunting and seeking as it could without locking in for a permanent connection for as long as it could.

Loesh rubbed his forehead. “What just happened?”

He was addressing her and his charcoal grey eyes were serious.

“I am guessing that I need to shower and change my suit again.” She grimaced.

“No, why did it stop?” He had an expression that was telling her she had taken his toy away.

Polly blinked. “Oh, I put up a shield. I can’t do it while I am walking, it messes up any electronics that I pass, but when I am stationary, I can make fairly accurate boundaries that don’t interfere with anything digital or mechanical.”

“Do not stress yourself on my account. I will get used to it.” His expression was suddenly shy.

Shrugging, she removed the shield and watched him shiver again. His voice was husky when he said, “See? I am fine.”

Drovin laughed, “He is going to rip a hole in his suit, but he is fine. Ignore my brother, Polly, he doesn’t know how to deal with the opposite sex.”

Loesh snarled, “And my brother was so desperate to find his mate that he had a woman transformed and mailed to him without gaining her explicit consent first.”

Polly sat back and didn’t know where to look or what to do with that. A chirp came through the com unit, and Drovin spoke in low and rapid tones before cutting the conversation off and changing course.

“I am sorry to do this to you when you just want to settle in, but we have been called to an attack on one of the research facilities. We are closer than Toyo, and we need to do what we can as quickly as we can. The shuttle already landed.”

She nodded. “Take us in. I am ready to stretch my legs.”

Loesh gave her an approving smile, and Drovin hit the accelerator.

It was one helluva way to learn the layout of her new world.

Polly made sure that her suit was closed, and she slipped in the com device that had been specially designed for her. The Guardian frequency was set and she was ready to go.

With the surreal view in front of her, she saw a delicately built building that had to be the research station, and the grey ship parked next to it was definitely not crafted by a species with the same sensibilities.

The dark and squat ship vibrated to her senses. She got out of the skimmer and listened to Loesh’s orders. “Polly, keep anyone from returning to the ship. They can’t get back on board to take off. Got it?”

“Understood.”

Drovin and his brother headed into the building, and Polly stayed on alert.

The guard that came out of the ship really shouldn’t have. Polly felt like adhering to the letter of the instructions she had been given.

Moving toward the ship, she magnetized the man’s harness and weaponry, sticking him to his own ship like a fridge magnet.

When the first mech came out of the building, she was a little surprised. Her mind grappled with the internal workings before peeling it open and prying out the being controlling it. The suit was wadded into a ball and the man inside got stuck to the ship. It was a nice, big storage space.

The second and third men were taken out of their suits with more efficiency and less broken limbs. She felt bad about the breakage until the exit blew open with Loesh bleeding and ripping holes in the mech under him who was carrying a case that looked serious.

Drovin’s voice came through her com, “Polly, that case is dangerous. It needs to be kept safe at all costs.”

“Understood.”

Polly grappled for the case from a distance, but it slipped away from her magnetism.

She made a face and did what she had been trained to do. The armoured gloves came away from the rest of the suit, and she pulled them toward her. The box was surprisingly heavy, but she retreated with it back toward the Guardian skimmer.

Loesh’s hands tore the head off the mech, and he punched the occupant until he fell to the ground. From there, Loesh bounded to the next man, and he tore that suit apart from the outside in.

The shy expressions from the flight in were completely gone as he savagely tore the interlopers apart. Polly was fixated on watching him, so when the bright flare came up from her left, all she could do was watch it while turning to protect the box in her arms.

Pain hit her, and she stumbled to her knees. As soon as the blast stopped, someone was going to get it.

* * * *

Loesh watched the light flare and expand around Polly as the beam hit her. He roared in reaction and bounded toward the mech with the beam weapon.

He let out his fury on the attacker and tore at him until there was nothing left.

* * * *

Wincing, Polly headed toward the bloody mess that Loesh was working on. With the box tucked inside the skimmer, she was free to make her way to the Guardian’s side. “Whoa, you have destroyed him, Loesh. Knock it off.”

He turned and his expression smoothed to one of amazement. “You are alive.”

Drovin stumbled out of the building behind a wave of techs and researchers.

The mechs were down and the Guardians had survived it.

Polly touched Loesh’s arm. “I am alive. I am a little scorched, but the suit took the worst of the hit.”

Drovin looked around and sighed. “This is going to be a lot of paperwork.”

He sent up a signal, and peacekeepers streamed in from wherever they had been hiding. The mechs, their drivers and the men stuck to the ship were soon in custody once Polly remembered to release them.

Remembering anything was difficult. She and Loesh were having a staring contest while Drovin filed the reports with the peacekeepers on duty.

Looking into his eyes with the adrenaline of pain still ripping through her was a strangely peaceful experience. Despite his physical action, there was no anger in his expression; the lovely planes and angles of his features were simply fun to look at, even if his pale blue hair was spotted and streaked with blood.

Drovin came to stand next to them, and he put his hand on Loesh’s shoulder. “She needs medical attention, brother. We need to get back to base.”

Loesh nodded, and he extended the hand that was still covered with dried blood. “We will get her back to base.”

Her back prickled as she took his hand, and they walked back to the skimmer, handed the peacekeepers and researchers the box then returned to their original flight plan.

The cool air let her knew that her suit was in shreds. Loesh’s bloody hands held her steady as she swayed. The pain was building as her body figured out that the burn was real.

She heard Drovin speaking urgently to someone, but her ears were roaring and it sounded like everything was being said down a long tunnel. Loesh caught her as she pitched forward. She hung onto him as her world dissolved into pounding pain.

They eventually stopped flying and gentle hands helped her onto a floating platform. Talking wasn’t an option.

Cool gel was poured over her back, and she sighed in relief, letting the fatigue she felt carry her away.

Polly woke up on her stomach, wearing nothing but a sheet that covered her from hips down to her toes. She moved carefully and sighed in relief. The pain was gone.

“You had a nasty burn and your suit was trashed.”

The voice was speaking English and was definitely feminine. Polly turned her head to look at the woman with the shock of white-grey hair and silvery skin. “Oh, hello.”

The woman grinned. “My name is Wren and I am the base Caretaker and Drovin’s mate. I am also Terran.”

Polly scooted her arms over her breasts and leaned up to look around at what was obviously a medical office of some sort. “Um, Polly Garner. Also Terran.”

“And a redhead. Not too shabby.”

“You live with elves and you find a redhead exotic?”

“A redheaded Terran. I figured for sure that you would be a brunette.” Wren grinned. “Would you like some clothing?”