SavingAttractions (5 page)

His arm tightened against her back. He leaned down. His
fingers threaded through her hair, tilting her head up. Her mouth opened as his
lips brushed slowly over hers. She thrust her tongue into his mouth, wanting to
discover his taste. A spicy tang burst over her tongue.

She lifted her hand and worked at the seal to his shirt. It
parted down to his waist. Her hands spread over his broad chest. The heat of
his skin almost seared her palms. His tongue stroked against hers. His fingers
combed through her hair and brushed over her shoulder. She sank into the kiss,
savoring the feel of his tongue and lips. She didn’t want it to end. A low
groan tore from her as he pulled back to nibble on her lips.

“You taste so good.” He licked at her lips before once again
lowering his head to kiss her.

His fingers trailed over the curve of her breast. She
shivered and her nipple tightened. She wanted to feel his hands on her skin.
The fabric felt abrasive to her suddenly sensitized skin. She eased back from
the kiss to look at what she’d exposed.

A tattoo spread across his chest but under it, two stripes
swept out of sight over his ribs and around to his back. She didn’t know if
those were tattoos as well, but they were different from the elegant design on
his chest. She drew her fingers over his chest and found the hardened, flat
nubs of his nipples before she eased in for another kiss. She pulled at them.

He groaned. The sound flowing into her mouth was almost as
sweet as his kiss. She wanted to provoke him into slipping his hands inside her
clothes. His thumb swept across her nipple. Her back arched.

Pain slashed through her side. She flinched and moaned. He
immediately pulled back, but his arm remained steady behind her. A blush heated
her cheeks. It hadn’t been a great idea, but she wouldn’t go back and change it
if she could. She’d enjoyed that kiss even if she hadn’t liked the pain that
stopped the moment.

“Are you all right?” He drew his fingers over her cheek.

“Yes, the pain surprised me.” She gripped the sides of his
shirt that she’d opened.

Dropping her eyes, she looked at the muscled expanse. It was
a shame that she wouldn’t be able to enjoy it more right now. He smelled so
good. Part of her wanted to plaster her body to his and just breathe him in.
After the kiss, she knew that she’d want more than to simply lie there though.
Even now with the pain still lingering, she wanted to explore.

“”Why don’t we eat our fruit as we walk back? I don’t want
to put too much strain on you or cause you to reinjure yourself.” He rose to
his feet and helped her to stand as well.

Damn it,
Ada inwardly cursed. She didn’t want to go
back yet. She wanted to be alone with him. He was concerned for her, but she
didn’t want to rejoin the others. She’d like more time to touch and learn about
him. Although touching was definitely at the top of her list.

He handed her the
pini
fruit or
kisla
as he
called it. She took a bite of the red fruit. The sweet taste burst in her mouth
and juice ran over her lips and down her chin. She groaned with pleasure at the
delicious treat. Wiping at her chin with her free hand, she glanced at the
succulent fruit in her other. The light-reddish-orange inner flesh dripped with
juices. So good. She lifted the fruit for another bite.

Well, she could enjoy this, at least, even if she couldn’t
enjoy Jagger.

Jagger smiled as they walked back into camp. Ada strolled
easily at his side. She didn’t appear to be in any pain. He couldn’t smell any
pain. He’d known that it wasn’t exactly the best idea to kiss or hold her. His
scent would draw her to him. He’d known that, but he’d thought that he could be
close to her and resist the urge himself. He’d underestimated the draw to her.
She might not have the pheromones of a Zarain, but he felt the drive to claim
his mate and change her so that she’d be safe.

She seemed to have relaxed around him. That had been his
main goal today, although when she’d taken the initiative and asked for a kiss,
he’d been very encouraged. He didn’t have to rush in and make at the very least
a verbal claim. That extra time offered a little relief.

He wanted her to come to him of her own volition. If the
Vigilant
had arrived hours after Jagger and the other Zarain had landed, verbally
claiming her as his mate would have been the only way to keep her in
Shifter-Protected space legally. On this side of the boundary, shifters had
their own laws. Mating took priority. She wouldn’t be allowed to leave as long
as he claimed her here. Even though she hadn’t come into Shifter-Protected
Space of her own will, it was a well-known law. When inside Shifter-Protected
space, any female could come under the claim of any shifter she met if she was
his mate.

He escorted her back to her tent. She went inside and he
took a stroll around the camp. Overall, everything looked normal. Even the
trade ship crew looked in good spirits. Jagger saw some of his men working
around the pump to the shower that had been erected.

He paced over to the group to check on any problems,
although they were probably simply tinkering with the flow or water pressure.
After discovering that they were trying to improve the pressure, he left them
to their job. He continued on his way around the camp, noting a couple of lines
that looked to be loose. Stopping, he tightened them, even though they wouldn’t
cause huge problems unless there was a strong wind or rain. He finished at the
medical tent, which was set up close to where they’d landed the shuttle.

A low moan drew him around to the back of the tent. Kairn
sprawled on the ground alongside a woman. The hair on the back of Jagger’s neck
stood on end. His hand lifted and rested on the grip of his
rusu
stunner. Jagger looked around for sign of what or who had done this.

His muscles relaxed a little when he saw no indication of
anyone close to him other than the two people sprawled on the ground. He didn’t
spot any clue to warn of danger. Taking a deep breath, he quickly tried to
identify any strange scents. He didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary other
than the light scent of blood. There wasn’t even any sign of struggle. Both of
them appeared to have been ambushed.

The back of the tent flapped in the light breeze where
someone had cut it from about head height down. Even from just his brief
glimpse of the inside of the tent, he could tell that someone had been looking
for something. Small boxes littered the tent floor. Equipment had been moved.

With a last glance around for a nearby threat, he knelt. He
turned Kairn over and saw a lump on the side of his head and blood trickling
from the wound. The woman’s dark hair covered her face. He rolled her over to
check for wounds. She didn’t seem to have any obvious bump or head wound, but
she was out cold.

Jagger lifted his head. He’d need help getting them both
into the tent and Dafin, a trained medic, would have to start treating Kairn
and the woman. Jagger’s mind focused on one question.
Who did this?

“Cort!” Jagger remained beside them but kept an eye on the
area around them. Someone had hurt these people and they might still be close.

A slight scuff behind him drew his attention. He turned his
head. Something hard hit above his ear. Pain exploded through his skull. He
stumbled and crumpled to the ground. Blackness tinged the edge of his vision.
He blinked, trying to clear away the blurriness. The sound of running footsteps
drew his attention. Turning his head, he saw someone running away. The person
wore dark brown clothes and had dark collar-length hair. The figure appeared to
be thin, but Jagger couldn’t see well enough to gauge his build or height well.
If it was a man, it was a short man.

He pushed to his hands and knees. Where in the hell were his
men? “Cort, Burris, I need some help here.”

He rose shakily to his feet. The world spun in front of him.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He swayed unsteadily. For a moment,
it felt like his body was swinging or he was in a rocking boat.

The sound of rapid footsteps sounded. Finally. What had
taken them so long? He straightened. The pain in his head throbbed with every
beat of his heart and his stomach lurched with each movement. He breathed
slowly and strove for control. The last thing he wanted to do was lose his
breakfast. He would find whoever had done this and deliver a few lumps to match
his.

Cort and Burris rounded the tent. They skidded to a stop.
Their eyes rounded and then they burst into movement again. They rushed over to
the woman and Kairn.

“What happened and did you know you’re bleeding?” Cort shot
a look at him.

Jagger put his fingers up to the side of his head. He winced
as his fingers encountered the bump and came away wet. He hadn’t realized it or
even felt the sticky wetness of his blood.

“Found them on the ground, called for you to help me with
them and then was hit from behind. Where were you?” Jagger narrowed his eyes.
“After we get these to the treatment tent, I need one of you to check on those
damn pirates and make sure that they haven’t come this way.”

“We’ll check. Do you need some help?” Burris looked at him
as he picked up the woman.

“No, I can walk.” Jagger frowned at Burris. He hadn’t missed
that Burris hadn’t answered the question.

“We were talking with some of the other men and a few of the
trade crew. We heard something but didn’t realize it was a name until the
second call,” Burris said as he started around the tent.

Cort carried Kairn, and Jagger followed him. He focused on
walking in a straight line, his steps slow but not quite steady. He knew he
probably looked drunk. There was too much to be done to let the symptoms
overwhelm him. His vision blurred. He shook his head, trying to shake off the
weakness. Pain exploded through his head and he stopped to let the sensation
pass. When he could see without the horizon tilting in front of him, he went
into the medical tent.

Kairn began to rouse as Jagger entered. Hopefully, he could
shed some light on what had happened. Jagger hadn’t thought the pirates would
want anything to do with such a large group of men. The attack made no sense.
They were all stuck here until the
Vigilant
arrived.

“I’m going to check on the pirates. I’ll be back as soon as
I get a visual from the satellite in orbit.” Cort put the woman down on the bed
and briefly looked to Jagger as before walking to the opening of the tent.
“I’ll also send in Dafin to take care of all of you.”

“Good.” Jagger sat on a bench. Every sound seemed to bounce
inside his head, especially his own voice. Moving his head only made the pain
worse.

Dafin arrived quickly. For a moment, he stopped in the
entrance and looked around at the mess. He began treating the woman first. She
was still unconscious. Kairn sat quietly with a hand to his head. Jagger
watched and waited. He wanted to know where the pirates were, both of them.
Then if they were where they were supposed to be, he had to rule out an unknown
person on the planet. Although he couldn’t think of why someone stranded or
staying here would attack without any kind of confrontation.

Many groups of shifters used this planet for recreation or
training occasionally, but it remained undeveloped because of its isolation. No
one was supposed to be here. If there was no sign of a crash, that left one
possibility. The attacker came from within the camp. He’d have to wait to
speculate on why someone from within this group would attack until he knew if
the pirates were still where they had been.

The woman woke and Dafin diagnosed a concussion. She’d need
to be watched. Impatience built in Jagger. He wanted the answers, and the
headache wasn’t making the wait any easier. They’d come into the medical tent.
Had that been a deliberate choice or coincidence? Had they been looking for
something specific or taken the opportunity when they found it?

Cort returned as Dafin began treating Kairn. “The pirates
and their shuttle are still where they were when we landed. I checked back to
earlier in the day and last night to be certain that I hadn’t missed something.
They haven’t moved.”

“Not them. Any sign of an unknown group or shuttle we missed
as we were landing?” Jagger asked. They hadn’t expected anyone other than the
pirates and their shuttle. After they found the pirates, they hadn’t looked any
longer.

“No, but I’ll go start a thorough search. We did only a
cursory scan as we came down to the planet.” Cort grimaced. “I’ll be back as
soon as it’s started and I have someone on it.”

Jagger knew there was a good possibility that it was someone
within the camp. The problem was, he had no idea why they’d attack, what they’d
want in the medical tent or who it was. It went against the grain to wait for
something else to happen.

He was going to ask questions. It might antagonize whoever
had done this, but he needed information. It was the trade crew that was the
big unknown. The men with him had been chosen because they could work well with
humans. He didn’t believe it was one of them. He needed to know more about the
trade ship crew and about the attack on them.

“Go get the captain of the trade ship.” Jagger looked at
Burris. He had questions for the man.

“Yes, sir.” Burris nodded and left the tent.

“Your turn, Jagger.” Dafin came over to him. He had the
instruments he’d need in his hand.

Dafin checked the small gash behind Jagger’s ear and gave
him something to ease the pounding head and dizziness. It helped. Jagger knew
that if he had a concussion it was mild. He’d heal before the human did, but
the attack angered him.

“Can you tell if anything is missing from here?” Jagger
winced as his own voice rattled through his head.

Dafin looked around the tent. “Well, they focused on the
drawers and tore apart those with any drugs or medical supplies, but I can’t
see anything obviously missing. We’d need the inventory and Kairn’s notes to
see what he’s used so far.”

“I’ll start checking things here.” Kairn reached for a cart.
“If something was taken, we might be able to discover the motives in the
medication or tool’s purpose.”

Why had they attacked? More important, who were they? He
suspected that the pirates did have help from a person inside the
Setona’s
crew.
Someone who for some reason was still focused on getting the information the
pirates wanted. It infuriated him that someone had snuck up on him and managed
to hit him. He’d have to be more on his guard. Especially since he had
something to lose now.

Burris returned with the captain of the trade ship. The
man’s eyes rounded as he walked into the tent. He stopped and looked at the
woman, Kairn and then Jagger.

“What happened? Is Keegan all right?” Captain Thomas asked.

“She has a concussion. She was attacked, as were Kairn and
I. I found them at the back of the tent unconscious. We’re checking to see if
there’s anyone other than us and the pirates on the planet, because we know it
wasn’t the pirates.” Jagger glanced over at the woman. “We haven’t asked her
questions yet. She just became conscious. I have some questions for you after
we talk to her.”

“Of course.” Captain Thomas nodded.

Jagger stood and was relieved when there was no dizziness or
spike of pain through his head. He walked over to stand near the portable table
but didn’t get too close to her. He didn’t want to scare her. After being
attacked, she’d probably be nervous if anyone came close to her.

“Can you tell us what happened to you?” Jagger asked softly.
The medication she’d been given had longer to work, but with a concussion, he
wasn’t sure if the headache would have faded completely.

“I went around the tent to go for a walk. I wanted to move.
I thought about heading to the river but decided that the trees would be
cooler. I didn’t want to walk far, but I’m used to doing things almost all the
time and was feeling restless.” Keegan put a hand up to her head.

“Did you see anything as you came around the tent?” Jagger
tilted his head and frowned. Maybe she’d seen someone trying to steal
something.

“The back of the tent was cut. There was no one there. I
remember that. I remember hearing something, but I don’t remember much after
that until I woke in here.” She bit her lip, and her brow furrowed. “I’m pretty
sure I heard your physician call to me, but I don’t remember seeing even him
until a moment ago.”

What someone could steal or even why was beyond him. They
had packed necessities but only a few luxuries. Because they’d known the
victims would likely be injured, they’d wanted to ensure their comfort. Someone
had gone through the supplies in here, but he didn’t know yet if anything was
missing. If that was what they were after, there was no reason for the person
to still be around the camp after they’d searched the medical tent.

Why had they returned? Could they have returned to get
Keegan or perhaps another of the stranded traders? They might have knocked her
out and gotten the drugs but been spooked when Kairn arrived. They didn’t seem
to be experienced at this. Returning to take one of the traders was the only
thing that made sense. They might have thought if they could get her alone,
they could make her tell them what they wanted to know.