“Do you need me?”
“No. But we will be disembarking in a few and you’ll be required for debriefing by central command.”
Mac groaned. “Yes, sir. Is Dr. Neeve all right?”
“She’s doing fine.”
He rolled over onto his back. His commanding officer looked fit and very pleased with himself. Mack remembered the sensation of them both being inside Neeve and his cock twitched. Covering himself with his hand he sat up.
“I’ll take a quick shower and I’ll be right there.” He hesitated. “The debriefing, sir. Do we mention Dr. Neeve’s mating needs?”
“We mention them, but we don’t need to go into details.” Kaiden nodded. “I’ll go and get the preflight checks started.”
Mac found his way into the shower again and hastily washed. It felt like only five minutes since he’d last been in there, washing off the combined scents of Neeve, Kaiden and himself. He still couldn’t believe that they’d all…
Damn. He forced himself to step out of the shower. Whatever had happened it was irrelevant now. He’d done his duty as had Kaiden. Dr. Neeve had been satisfied and kept alive. His job was
done
. He’d do well to remember that.
Mac opened the fridge and stared at the contents before shutting the door again. They’d been back at Nimbus for almost three weeks, one of which had been taken up with fucking military protocol that had left him wanting to scream. As a super soldier his actions were always suspect. He was sick of being treated like an unstable animal. It made him want to behave like one, which would, as Kaiden had calmly pointed out just prove the military’s point that he should be eliminated.
At two in the morning, nothing looked very appetizing and the shit the military served up was a disgrace anyway. He checked how much coffee was left in the pot and how warm it was and decided to make a fresh pot. He’d need it if he were going to survive the next few days.
Kaiden had taken the majority of his men and gone back to London leaving Mac in charge of a base with new superior security and an increased compliment of highly trained guards. The majority of the scientists hated it. He couldn’t even tell them why things had changed because he’d been ordered not to.
The consensus was that the Etruscans might try to take Dr. Neeve out again but no one was telling
him
why, even though he was supposed to be in charge of her security detail. When he’d pressed Kaiden for information, his commander had stated he didn’t know anything more than Mac, which was probably a lie as well, seeing as he’d gotten so cozy so quickly with the doc.
He sat down at the table and stared at the coffee maker. If it didn’t hurry up and make the damned stuff he was going to start mainlining the powder up his nose.
Dr. Neeve was due another three days off for mating purposes soon. He’d dutifully reported the fact to Kaiden at HQ and been told they had the matter in hand and would be sending a Pavlovan volunteer to service the female.
Fuck that.
Mac snorted and went to get a mug for his coffee. Half the reason he couldn’t sleep was because of waking up hard for her, wanting her, dreaming about her only to find the walls he’d deliberately erected against her in his mind held all too well. Either that or she was blocking him too, and he was a damn fine liar.
“Oh.”
He looked over his shoulder wondering if he’d imagined her so clearly that he’d somehow summoned her presence.
“Doc.” He cleared his throat. “I’m just making some coffee.”
She nodded but lingered in the doorway.
His hand tightened on his mug. “Don’t worry I’ll go in a minute.”
“You look tired.”
He looked at her properly for the first time in weeks. She was wearing a blue robe over a pair of fleeceteck pajamas and pink socks.
“I’m the commander of this base and we’re on high alert.”
He tensed as she came further into the room and sat down at the table.
“And this increase in security is my fault.” She pushed her long auburn hair out of her eyes. “I feel like such a burden. There aren’t any ships scheduled to return to Pavlovan for another few weeks, so I’m not even able to leave.”
The thought of her going hit him somewhere low in the gut like the punch of a gunshot.
He slammed the coffee pot on the counter and the glass trembled. “I bet you can’t wait to get home.”
“Not really.”
Ignoring his impulse to ask why, he held up the pot. “Do you want some?”
“Yes, please.”
He poured her a cup and brought it over to the table. Fuck it, he was sitting down. He’d been there first. If she didn’t like it she could always leave. He concentrated on adding sweetener to his coffee and stirring it in. Just sitting this close to her made him hard, made him want to inhale her warm scent instead of oxygen.
“I had a communication from Commander Kaiden about your next mating period.”
“What did he say?”
“That he has the resources necessary to fulfill your requirements.”
“Great.” She put her cup down on the table very precisely.
“Then I suppose we’ll be seeing him soon.”
“I doubt that’s what he meant.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Humans aren’t a reusable resource to you, are they? You probably need fresh meat.” He gulped down the rest of his coffee, scalding his mouth and rose to his feet. “Excuse me.”
She looked up at him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Just a general comment about the difference between your race and mine.”
“Oh, that’s
right.
Humans are so
good
at staying with one person their whole lives, aren’t they? How dare you criticize my behavior!”
“I can’t speak for the entire human race, but I know that I was damn faithful to my partner. I have to assume that even if Malke had been around last month, you still would’ve fucked someone else as well.”
“Then you would’ve been wrong. I never needed any other male when I had him.”
Mac stopped walking. Did he deserve that low blow to his male ego? He should let it go.
“Sorry I wasn’t man enough for you, princess.”
She glared at him. “Do not
ever
call me that.”
“Next time start with Commander Kaiden. He’s obviously the right male for you.”
He reached the door and just remembered to slam his coffee cup down on the counter. With one last glance at the doctor’s rigid back he sauntered out into the hallway and stopped moving. He slowly let out his breath and stared unseeingly at the grey floor tile and then up at the ghostly strip lighting over his head.
Through his own anger, something reached him, a thread of feeling, of
pain
that made him turn around and go back into the kitchen. Closing the door behind him he leaned against it.
“Doc. I—should apologize. That was completely out of order.”
She didn’t move or speak. He walked around until he was in front of her. She had her face buried in her hands and her shoulders were hunched forward.
“Dr. Neeve?”
“I’ve never thought you were disposable.”
“As I said, I apologize for my thoughtless comments about a society I know fuck all about.”
“If you are Pavlovan, you are taught how to manage a Pavlovan mating cycle if the third member of your triad isn’t available.” She bit off the words as if she resented having to utter every single one of them.
“That makes sense.”
“Sometimes we do need to use an unconnected third, but it is highly unusual for any Pavlovan to enter adulthood without being aware of at least one of his or her mates.” She placed her hands palm down on the table and contemplated them. “Losing a mate is never easy. If I were on my home planet, I would be sent before the Oracle to be given another. I don’t have that option here. I didn’t even know there
were
any telepaths here. I thought I was all on my own.”
He nodded even though she wasn’t looking at him.
“To suggest that my pain in losing Malke was in any way less than yours in losing your mate was grossly unfair.”
“I know.”
She slowly raised her gaze to meet his. “Then why say it?”
He shrugged. “Because I was angry.”
“I got that. What I don’t understand is
why
?”
“Because I—” He closed his mouth and simply stared at her. There was no way in hell that he was going to admit he missed anything about her. What was the point? She was a security risk of gigantic proportions and it was his job to keep her safe until they got her off planet. And, despite telling him they’d been linked telepathically forever, she’d cut herself off from him so completely that he felt like there was a hole in his skull. It had taken all his psychic energy to do the same to her.
She put her coffee mug in the sink. She was so close to him that he could’ve reached out and yanked her hard against his chest and the swell of his cock. And then what? She didn’t need him. It wasn’t her mating cycle, so he was pretty damn useless.
She wrapped her arms around herself and straightened her spine.
“Will you let me out of here?”
He belatedly realized that he’d gone back to guarding the door and stepped to one side. “I apologize again.”
She stalked past him, her chin in the air and walked off down the hallway toward her quarters. Mac stared after her and then returned to his seat and the table and buried his head in his hands.
That had gone well.
All he’d done was upset her because he was a fucking judgmental ass incapable of moving on from what had happened. She hadn’t asked him to get all emotional around her, and she’d probably be mortified if she ever guessed that he had. Telling Neeve he’d never been unfaithful to Leah was the truth. He hadn’t the nerve to tell Neeve the rest—that after fucking her; he didn’t think he’d want anyone else again, either.
He was a fucking idiot. Which was highly appropriate.
With that in mind, he made his way back to his office and called up Commander Kaiden’s message service. To his surprise, Kaiden picked up.
“Mac, is everything okay?”
“Yes sir.” Mac rubbed a hand over his unshaven chin. “I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you planning on coming up here for Dr. Neeve’s mating cycle?”
“I don’t think I have a choice. I was just about to contact you. The Pavlovan government has put a hold on any of its citizens traveling on Earth until the Etruscan issue dies down.”
“Great.”
“What’s the problem?”
“If you’re here, then I don’t need to be. I’m requesting five days leave.” He made it a statement rather than a question.
“Mac—”
“She’ll be fine with you.”
“Request denied. You were her first contact. I require you to be there in case you’re needed.”
Mac set his jaw. “And if Dr. Neeve doesn’t want me there?”
There was a definite pause. “Has she said that?”
“If she doesn’t require my presence, I’ll ask her to contact you. Over and out.” Mac shot to his feet and shoved back his chair. He might as well ruin the rest of the night and go and get that confirmed by Dr. Neeve. Somehow he doubted it would be a problem for her to give him his marching orders.
Neeve sat on the side of her bed and scowled before jumping to her feet and pacing the small space again. What was it about Captain McNeil that made her behave like a bitch? She wanted to slap his face, scratch his skin until it bled, and then climb on top of him and ride his cock until he begged for mercy.
She wanted him to be like a Pavlovan mate. Wanted all of him, mind, body and will. And he thought she saw him as some kind of disposable sperm dispenser. She went back over their conversation in the kitchen. Where had it all gone wrong? Why couldn’t she have reached out to him telepathically or even physically?
Because she was a coward. Losing Malke had been bad enough. She’d felt like someone had ripped out her heart. Messing around with a human telepath with extraordinary powers was just stupid when there was no future in it. They’d made a deal to keep their relationship sexual. That was it. If she wanted more, she was just asking to be hurt all over again. She had to protect herself.
A knock on her door has her spinning around. “Who is it?”
“Captain McNeill.”
She let out her breath and retied the sash of her robe. “Come in.”
He entered, his gaze dropping to the security panel beside the door. “Don’t tell me you left it unlocked.”
She tapped her skull. “I just opened it. I can manipulate power circuits from here. What do you want, sir?”
“Commander Kaiden just informed me that he can’t get a Pavlovan up here to mate with you, but he will be coming himself.” His mouth curved up at the corner. “No pun intended.”
“Why can’t he get a Pavlovan?”
“Your government is on high alert and won’t let anyone travel.”
She turned away from him and pretended to adjust the blind. “Okay, thanks for telling me. I estimate I’ll go into my mating cycle in about five days.”
“I’ll let him know.”
She waited, but he didn’t leave.
“There’s one more thing. If Commander Kaiden is here, you won’t need me, will you?”
She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself.
“If that’s the case, and I assume it is, will you contact him in the morning and tell him so? He’ll want to hear it from you rather than me.”
Slowly she swung around to face him. “You told him that you didn’t want me?”
“No, I told him that
you
didn’t want
me
.”
“And how did you work that out? Was it before or after we fucked each other so hard that you ran out of come?”
He went still like the predator he was and his eyes narrowed but not before she’d caught the gleam of lust.
“Wasn’t I good enough for you, Captain McNeil? Damn I feel so
disposable
.” She set her teeth and glared at him so hard it hurt. She marched over to him and stuck her finger in his face. “You’d bloody better be here when I’m mating because this time I’m going to suck you dry until you’re nothing but a broken husk.
Then
you can crawl away and die.”
The next second was a blur as he reached for her and slammed her against his hard body. His mouth descended and she opened hers to him, biting and nipping at his lips as he tried to kiss her.