Captain Vellar made Mari take a seat. His office was nice, but it was where he held official meetings. She felt nervous and worried as she stared at him over his big desk. “Are you going to fire me?” She blurted her worst fear.
“No. Of course not.”
She wanted to profusely thank him, and opened her mouth to do so. The thought of having to leave The Vorge was enough to give her nightmares. Slavers would snatch her up and she’d be sold back into servitude. He spoke before she could.
“You’re a part of my crew, Mari. You also did a very brave thing by getting our engines working. We’ll dock to the Grover station within the hour and the part will be delivered. Do you need help with the install?”
“No. It’s pretty easy and basic.”
“How long will it take?”
She thought for a moment. “Three hours max. I’m going to have to clean up the coupling holder first, after I rigged one to work. It’ll be a mess when you shut down engines ,and it needs time to cool.”
He leaned forward and braced his hands on the desk. “Can I trust you, Mari?”
“Of course you can. My life is in your hands.”
That didn’t seem to please him, as he scowled. “I’m not your new owner.”
“My life is still in your hands. I don’t know what I’d do if you were to fire me and send me off The Vorge. Slavers would target me fast. I know I’m weak and defenseless, but I make up for it by being a good worker. I’m loyal, too. I’d never do anything to upset you or betray your trust.”
“Damn the Teki for labeling you as either of those things. Humans are a sturdy race.” He rose to his feet, rounded his desk, and took a seat on the edge of it closer to her. “I’m about to tell you things you won’t understand…but I can’t offer you more of an explanation. I just need you to accept it and keep it secret. Not even the other crew can be told. Including Nara. Do you understand?”
“Yes. I give you my word. Until death and beyond.” She bowed her head and offered her palm to him by straightening her arm.
“What the hell is that for?”
She glanced up. “To accept pain to prove my commitment.”
“Fuck,” he snarled. “No one on The Vorge will ever hurt you. Put your arm down.”
She tucked it against her body.
The captain sighed. “Here’s the basics. Dovis saved your life. I can’t tell you how. But it’s dangerous for him if anyone were to find out, and it’s why you’re feeling attraction toward him. It will fade, Mari. Don’t ask questions. Again, I can’t answer them. And Dovis won’t. He’s going to avoid you until the physical attraction you feel for him stops, but it’s best you are aware of it. It’s the result of what he did to save your life.”
She remembered how she’d tried to thank Dovis in the dining hall, for pulling her out of that crawl space—and then suddenly she’d wanted to touch him. More than that. She’d rubbed up against him, the need to touch him so strong it became a physical ache. Her body had gone crazy. Nothing like that had ever happened to her before.
Her cheeks burned with heat at the memory and she dropped her gaze to her lap.
“Do you understand, Mari? Secret stuff that must remain that way. You weren’t breathing and your heart had stopped by the time he reached you. You owe Dovis your life and your silence.”
She forced her head up, stunned. She’d died?
The captain seemed to read her thoughts, or maybe just the shock on her face.
“Dovis is special,” he explained. “Different. It’s a crime among his people that he can do what he can. That’s more than you need to know, and you must not ever tell anyone what happened. They might send people after him.” He paused. “To kill him. We’re loyal to each other on The Vorge. A family. We protect each other. It’s why he refused to let you die. You’re one of us now. Do you give me your word you’ll stay silent?”
“Yes. I swear.” She flashed to when she’d seen Dovis shapeshift. Did the captain know Dovis could do that? She wasn’t about to ask, just in case he didn’t. She figured he must though, because he said Dovis was special. She knew they were close friends. “It couldn’t even be tortured from me.”
The captain smiled. “You’re an odd one, Mari. No one will torture you, but I’m glad you gave your promise. Just avoid Dovis and all will be fine. If anyone asks, tell them you had an odd reaction to the berry cake to explain why you acted that way with him in the dining room.”
She instantly saddened. “Okay.”
“What?”
She met his gaze. He seemed nice. “They won’t let me have more berry cake. It was good.”
He laughed. “Tell them it was the drink Nara gave you, then. I bet that was your first taste of wine.”
“It was. The Teki don’t give slaves any special food or drinks.”
“Blame the wine. I hate the taste of it. Nara loves it but it’s too sweet. There are various kinds she had me order.”
“It was too sweet.”
“There we go. We have a reason to offer if anyone asks why you practically molested Dovis.” He smiled. “He can claim to have been shocked when you touched him as a reason why he didn’t knock you on your ass. Not many females are attracted to him.”
Her cheeks heated again. “Please give him my apologies. I don’t know what happened. I’ve never felt that way before. Ever. It was so confusing. My body did weird things. I’ve been avoiding the Pods since it happened. They probably know what I was thinking and what I wanted to do.”
Captain Vellar chuckled. “The Pods keep all our secrets. No worries about them. I saved them from death. They can be trusted.”
She was curious but didn’t ask.
“That one isn’t a secret. Pods are normally protected on their planet, but sometimes a few greedy or powerful ones will sell their own kind to other alien races. Usually when the Pod family isn’t well connected to a lot of others. No one raises a fuss if a small group of them disappear. Our Pods were captured and sold to a criminal who used their abilities in horrible ways. They were enslaved. They were forced to read the minds of their master’s enemies, and then had to watch them die in gruesome ways.
“Pods are gentle beings. It was incredibly difficult for them to exist that way. They were bombarded with fearful thoughts and suffering every moment they were in captivity. We were on Max station when we found them. They approached us after reading our minds and pleaded for help, having escaped their guard. I granted them safety on The Vorge, the criminal attacked us, we won, and now they’re part of my crew, no longer tortured or kept against their will. I offered to return them to their planet but they feared being sold again. Here, they are safe and happy. As I said, the crew is a family on The Vorge. We protect each other.”
“Thank you for telling me about them, and for saving me, too. My life on the Teki repair station would have become very difficult if you hadn’t hired me.”
“The Teki didn’t sell you to me. He just wanted to make sure you were safe and paid well. It was a great deal for me, because your skills are amazing. We’re lucky to have you.”
She beamed, happy for the compliment. “Thank you.”
“We’re docking with Grover station within the hour. They have the part we need. Once it’s delivered and you install it, you’re welcome to take the rest of the day off. The station is a large one with some great entertainment venues.” He paused. “They have brothels with males, I’m sure, if that’s your preference. Charge anything you purchase to The Vorge account. We’ll take what you spend out of your pay.”
He stood and smiled. “Just don’t blow all your creds. I’d also ask you to wear a wrist comm and one of the outfits with the patch that identifies you as part of my crew. I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to mess with you then. You could also ask to tag along with Midgel. She’s always looking for a crew member to accompany her while on leave. She’s shy too…but be warned, she’ll drag you food shopping for rare spices.”
“I don’t need to leave The Vorge.” She dropped her gaze. “I also have no need to visit a brothel. I’ve never… I mean…never.”
The silence between them grew, and she peeked up.
He offered a small smile. “Oh. You’ve never had sex?”
“No. The Teki protected me well.”
His expression hardened. “It’s not always by force. I forget sometimes that you were a slave and how your life must have been. I take it that the other slaves left you alone?”
“K’pa let it be known he valued me as his hardest worker. The other slaves knew they’d be killed or harshly punished if they injured me. I struggled and broke free when a few of the males tried to touch me. They immediately backed off.”
“I’m thankful for that.”
“Me too.” She hesitated. “May I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
She worked up her courage and sat straighter in the chair. “You’re mated to a human. I could ask Nara, but…it’s about what happened with Dovis.”
“I can’t answer questions about Dovis.”
“It’s not how he did what he did to save me. It’s about how I felt.”
His eyes widened and he sat back down on the desk. “Ask.”
“My body did weird things. Is that normal or is that only because of Dovis?”
“The feeling of being strongly drawn to him without warning…that was Dovis.”
She lowered her chin, not able to look at him anymore. “My nipples got hard, and I felt wet and it throbbed between my legs. Was that also Dovis? Or normal?”
He cleared his throat slightly. “The Teki never had any talks with you about sex at all, did they?”
“No.”
The captain sighed. “I’m not exactly qualified for this.” He cleared his throat again. “Everything you described sounds perfectly natural for a human to experience when sexually aroused. Maybe you could mention to Nara that you’ve never had sex and don’t know anything about it. She’s suitable to have that talk with you. Just leave all mention of Dovis out of it.”
“Thank you.”
Captain Vellar stood once more, walking around his desk. “You can go now. The new U coupling should be delivered by York or Raff to you in the engine room soon. Let either of them know if you need assistance. Just don’t call Dovis.”
“I won’t.” She got up and fled, happy that he hadn’t fired her.
The other emotion she felt was gratitude, to be a part of The Vorge crew.
It reminded her that she owed Dovis her life. She might not be able to go near him, but she could think of ways to repay him for saving her.
* * * * *
Dovis reached his cabin after leaving the bridge and saw a package sitting on the floor in front of his door. He frowned, sniffing the air. The faint scent of Mari filled his senses.
He bent, picking it up. Another scent came to him—and his stomach rumbled immediately. He tore open the top of the box and stared at the meat pie rounds inside. There were a dozen of them.
He accessed his lock, went inside his cabin, and used communications to contact Midgel, since she was the only one who made the pies and knew how much he loved the treat. She answered.
“What is this?”
The shy woman giggled. “Mari is building me a drawer to keep food warm and installing it later today. In return, she asked me to make your favorite cake. I made the pies instead. Are they good?”
He reached inside the box and shoved one into his mouth, closing his eyes in delight as he chewed. “Perfect.”
“Enjoy.” Midgel ended the call.
He swallowed and contacted her again. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did Mari want you to make these for me?”
“I didn’t ask. All that matters is I’m getting a warming drawer. It will make my life easier.” She swiftly cut comms again.
He growled, eating another small pie. They were his favorite. Midgel only made them for him when she needed a favor, which was rare.
His door chime rang, and he put the box down and strode over, opening it.
Raff stood there, looking annoyed. He held out one of his precious Jorki fur blankets.
Dovis stared at it before frowning. “What?”
Raff sighed and threw it at him. He caught it. Raff pointed and said, “Yours.” Then he turned to walk away.
“Wait! Why are you giving me one of your blankets? You search for them every time we’re anywhere near Gluttren Four because you swear they’re the softest thing in existence.”
Raff swung around and stomped back. “Two words—blue lights.”
Dovis frowned deeper. “I don’t understand.”
“I like the blue lights in the observation lounge. Mari is putting them in my cabin. Get it?”
Dovis ran his fingers over the luxurious blanket. “So…why give me one of your blankets?”
Now Raff looked annoyed. “Ask her. I get lights, you get the blanket.” Then he sighed. “She likes you, Dovis. Don’t be a dumbass. Keep her. You’re as flawed as I am. It might be your only chance to have a mate.”
“Her feelings aren’t real. They’re just because I had to bite her.”
Raff stepped closer. “I didn’t want to fuck your ugly ass, and you bit me. Ditch the fur and seduce her while you have her attention, moron. I hope you’re a great fuck to make up for your shit personality.”
Shock jolted through him and he reached out fast, grabbing Raff by the arm when he tried to walk away.
Raff stilled, glancing down at his hand before arching one eyebrow.
“Ditch the fur?” Dovis was alarmed. Raff shouldn’t know he could shift. Cathian wouldn’t betray his trust.
Raff smiled. It was a scary sight. “I survived growing up by learning everything about the people around me and finding their weaknesses and secrets.” He withdrew his arm from Dovis’s hold. “I put a vid device inside your vent when I first came aboard because I wasn’t sure I could trust you. I’ve since learned I could. I haven’t watched the feed since about two weeks after that, but it’s got a motion sensor. I recently got a bunch of alerts. Mari has been crawling through the vents all over The Vorge to clean them out. She’s not lazy like Harver was, only doing the outside of the grates. I watched the footage—she saw, Dovis. She knows you can ditch the fur. Bet she hasn’t said shit about it, has she?”
He was too stunned to speak but he turned, staring at the two grates in his room that led to the vents running through the ship.
“Mari’s a tiny thing compared to us. She crawls right through the vents on every level, using her clothes to catch the dust inside the ducts, and then she sprays the grates down a few times if they’re bad. Hard worker. She’s been doing it at night while the crew sleeps. Ex-slaves are always extreme people pleasers, her life depended on not pissing anyone off and making her owners happy. They also know how to keep their lips sealed.”
Dovis faced him and tried not to show his panic. Raff and Mari had both seen too much. They knew he was a shapeshifter. “This is the most I’ve ever heard you say. And I’m tearing out the fucking vid device. You shouldn’t be spying on anyone.”
Raff shrugged. “Old habit. It kept me alive. Do you know how many times I overheard someone plotting to murder me? Too many. Lose the fur and seduce the human, Dovis. Your bite did something to her. Use it. I would. Didn’t you notice how I stormed off after Cathian said something about Mari being attracted to me if your DNA was still in my bloodstream? I was tempted to have you bite me again just for that purpose. Unfortunately, it would only be temporary.”
Dovis gawked at him.
“What? I’m fucking lonely and flawed. I wasn’t born with a second heart to give to a female, like Cathian. It means I can’t life-lock to one. Take advantage of what your body can do, dumbass. Shift and track her down. Mari sure as hell isn’t going to want to kiss that muzzle and the pointy teeth you usually wear. Cathian and the crew would also be pissed if you scratched her with your claws. Ditch those, too, when you fuck her.” He turned and walked a few steps but then glanced back, grinning. “You might be less of a shaft-head if you had a mate.” Then the male walked out of sight.
Dovis backed away until the sensor triggered his door to close. He rubbed his fingers over the soft material of the blanket and sighed. How many of the crew had figured out his secret, that he could switch forms?
He snarled and walked to his couch, throwing his body down. Then he remembered the vid device and jumped up again, stalked to the first grate and yanked it open.
He found it inside the second one, cleverly hidden inside the vent. He growled, destroying the device.
One thing was certain. He and Mari needed to talk. She couldn’t keep exchanging favors to get him gifts. He wasn’t even sure why she felt the need. Was it because his bite made her body want him? In his culture, males perused females. Maybe with humans it was reversed. Either way, everyone would be talking about it. He didn’t like being the source of gossip.
It would be smarter to use the comms to speak to her but he wanted to do it in person, to see her face and read her expressions for honesty. He’d just avoid getting too close to her. She’d been fine in the dining room until she’d approached him.
That was the key. Space.
He took a few deep breaths and then ran a scan to see where she was at that moment. He found her in engineering. The new part had come and was being installed. He would wait for her to finish and then go visit her.