Chapter Thirteen
Bonding with Nayan had been the best experience of Qulpa’s lifespan. If he could have done so, he would have spent the next planet rotation inside his gerel.
That wasn’t possible. He had a sunrise appointment with Lead Medic, required her clearance in order to train more intensely, using his new fingers. Nothing could dull his edge. He had a female to protect now.
He’d failed his family. They had all died while he was fighting the wars, attacked by beings he’d once considered friends.
He wouldn’t fail his gerel. Reluctantly, he rolled away from her naked form. They’d bonded four times. That would suffice until he returned to her.
“You’re leaving?” She sat on the sleeping support, her big brown eyes slightly unfocussed from sleep.
He stood, sweeping a cleaning cloth over his body, flicking the fabric square to renew it. “I have to train.” Once Lead Medic gave him the approval, he would visit the training chambers, challenge warriors to mock battles, test his fingers, hone his skills.
“And I have to design some weapons for us.” She hopped off the sleeping support and padded across the chamber, her beautiful body bare, her long black hair swaying over her back.
He set the cleaning cloth aside, put on his ass coverings and blindly stuck his feet in his boots, keeping his gaze on her. His cock had hardened again, tenting his leather ass coverings. His stunning gerel had the power to arouse him, even after his desire had been well sated.
She searched through a multi-level support, moving various devices, none of them identifiable. They must be prototypes of some kind.
She selected a gun-shaped object and what appeared to be a holster and returned to him, a pleased smile on her gorgeous face.
“This is a new gun I’ve been working on.” She held it up to him. “This is the sight.” She indicated a small screen. “When you lock on your target, press this button once.” She showed him the trigger. “Press it twice to shoot.”
She handed it to him. He hefted it in his hands, liking the solid weight of it. A quick perusal didn’t reveal anything special about the weapon. There was a shoot setting, a stun setting, an inactive setting. The barrel and handle felt the same.
“It looks similar to the guns we use now.” He wagered it was different in many ways.
“Keeping the look the same hastens the speed with which the warrior becomes accustomed to using a new weapon.” Her smile spread. “It might resemble your current guns, but it has one significant feature those weapons don’t have. Once the target is locked and there’s any projectile-sized access at all to that spot on the being, it will make contact.”
He lifted his eyebrows, that advance surprising him. “It has tracking capabilities?” It would follow the target until the being was downed?
His gerel nodded. “You can abort the kill.” She tapped on a red button. That was a new addition. “But this will abort all of the kills, so be careful with it.”
He gazed at the weapon, impressed as all zondoo. “The males will love this.”
Pink streaked over her cheeks. “It might require calibrating.” She admitted to that. “Test it and let me know how it works.”
“I will give you a detailed report.” He took the holster from her, strapped it around his waist, and slipped the gun into it. It hung low on his hip.
She was trusting him with one of her brand-new inventions, a gun that might or might not work. He recognized that as the honor it was.
“Stay in the laboratory while I’m gone.” He bent over and smacked his lips against her forehead.
“I don’t plan to leave.” She hugged him, her curves flattening against his muscle, her embrace tempting him to stay. “Be safe.”
“I will.” He kissed her again, this time on the lips, and forced himself to leave her. No one would harm his gerel in her laboratory.
Warriors lingered in the hallways. When he drew close to them, they sniffed the air and straightened, respect in their eyes. They all knew he had bonded with the Head of Ship and Weapons Design.
His status had meshed with hers. That would add a layer of protection for his gerel. She not only held an esteemed role within their Warlord’s team but she was also Qulpa’s, and he was Second’s main pilot.
No one would mess with her.
Upon entering the medic bay, he was directed to a chamber. As he waited, he studied the gun his gerel had given him to test. It was finely crafted, almost lovingly pieced together.
He caught glimpses of her in its design. The weapon was an extension of the female he adored. As were her bots and her drones. He brushed his fingers over the handle, feeling her in it.
The doors opened. Lead Medic entered, a handheld device gripped in her hands. Her eyes widened as she spotted him.
“Put the weapon away, warrior.” She extracted her tiny gun from one of her white jacket’s pockets, pointed it at him.
He hastily holstered the prototype weapon. “I was examining it. I would never use it on you.”
“Not if you know what’s good for you.” Lead Medic pocketed her gun also, her stance relaxing. “Sit on the sleeping support.”
He plunked his ass down on the horizontal surface. “My new fingers are working better than the old ones.”
“I’ll determine that.” Second’s gerel scanned them and scowled at her handheld’s tiny screen. “I heard you set a record on the flight simulator.” Her gaze shot upward. “That’s not confidential information. Pilots are asking the other medics how they can get enhancements like yours.”
“They should be asking you.” And his gerel. They, combined with his skill, were responsible for his record setting.
“I’m not a Chamele medic.” Lead Medic shook her head. “They don’t ask me anything.”
They discriminated against her because she was human. His lips flattened. They would judge his gerel as harshly.
In the past, she’d dealt with that intolerance alone, her strength impressing him. Now and in the future, he would be standing by her side. They would battle their naysayers together.
He wagered they would have support from Second and Lead Medic.
The female examined his fingers, twisting them, poking at them. Her hand coverings provided the now-needed barrier between their skin.
A bonded warrior couldn’t touch a female who wasn’t his gerel without enduring pain. And he was now fully bonded to Nayan. His chest puffed out with pride.
“I looked into Chamele Ancestritis a bit more.” Lead Medic didn’t gaze at him. “It might not be as rare as we believe. There are rumors there’s a boy with the same birth defect in a small settlement on Chamele 3.”
There was another being like his female. That news surprised him.
“He was abandoned.” Second’s normally gruff gerel was uncharacteristically chatty this planet rotation. “A group of unbonded females are providing shelter, nourishment, beverage for him.”
“He’s being cared for.” Qulpa relaxed. The boy wasn’t in danger.
“That’s not the expression I would use to describe the situation.” She sighed. “Normally, I wouldn’t speak of another medic’s patient to anyone.”
That she felt compelled to do that couldn’t be good.
“Tell me.” He growled those two words. The boy was unique like his gerel, had been abandoned as she had been. That made the youngster Qulpa’s concern.
“He was treated for lifespan-threatening trauma.” Lead medic met his gaze. Her eyes were bright with emotion. “While the medic was tending to him, he sterilized the boy. The boy has six solar cycles. Six.” Disgust hardened her voice. “And his ability to have children has been taken away from him. That is a lifespan-changing decision and they made it without his input.”
Normally I would say medics couldn’t be trusted. Nayan had told him that during their first meeting. Rage coiled inside him.
In the boy’s case, she had been correct. The medic had betrayed the child.
“He needs protection.” Qulpa would insist upon that. The boy was six and surrounded by enemies. He required a being to speak for him, defend him.
“Second has sent a warrior to talk with his guardians.” Lead Medic informed him. “It will be stressed that if anything happens to the boy, they will be held accountable.”
Qulpa would be the being to hold them accountable. He couldn’t protect Nayan when she was a child, but he could safeguard the boy, considered him now to be his responsibility. “I’ll speak with Second.”
Approval shone in Lead Medic’s eyes. “I assumed you would do that.” She placed her handheld in her pocket. “You can use your fingers as you normally would now. If there is any pain or breaking of skin, see me.”
“Thank you for agreeing to be my medic.” He was grateful to her for attaching the mechanical fingers, for giving him the opportunity to better protect his gerel…and now the boy.
Lead Medic nodded curtly. Without another word, she turned and stalked out of the space.
Qulpa left also, heading toward the training chambers. He would hone his fighting skills, test his new fingers in mock combat.
He had a gerel and a boy to safeguard.
* * *
He didn’t have to search hard for opponents. Members of Second’s team, including Second himself, were already in the training chambers. Only Yesun was missing. The youth was still recovering from his wounds.
“Someone is now bonded.” One of the warriors announced Qulpa’s changed status as he walked through the chambers.
Chameles cheered. The males slapped him on his back and tossed jibes his way. He accepted the good-natured teasing with a grunt, battling the urge to grin.
“You’re a lucky male.” Ariq nudged his arm. His friend’s gaze then lowered to the weapon strapped to Qulpa’s hip. “Or maybe you’re not. Why did you bring a gun here?” His eyebrows lifted. “Lead Medic didn’t give you approval to fight claws-to-claws?”
Second frowned. “The fingers didn’t attach properly?”
“I have approval to fight.” Qulpa hastily corrected their wrong conclusions, not wanting any rumors about his abilities or lack of them to spread. “Head of Ship and Weapons Design asked that we test the gun.”
“It’s a prototype.” Ariq’s eyes gleamed with interest. His battle-loving friend had an interest in all weapons old and new. “Let me see it.”
Qulpa handed him the gun. Both Second and Ariq examined it.
He watched them, bemused, as the lines on their foreheads and around their lips deepened. They appeared as bewildered as he had been, unable to determine what make the weapon unique.
“What does it do?” Ariq finally gave the gun back to him.
Qulpa changed the setting to stun. “Run and I’ll show you.”
The warrior complied without question. That was how much faith they had in each other. Ariq knew Qulpa wouldn’t harm him…permanently.
Qulpa would never betray that trust. He aimed the weapon at his friend, lining him up in the sights, and he pressed the trigger. The projectile zoomed toward Ariq.
The warrior zigged and zagged. The projectile did the same. He grabbed a shield from a fighting male. The projectile went around that defense.
“Son of a Gechii.” The shield dropped, revealing Ariq, the male frozen in place. His mouth gaped open and his eyebrows were raised, shock and surprise stamped all over his face.
The other warriors laughed, mocking the male, telling him he should have run faster.
Second gripped the gun, taking a closer look at it. “That’s impressive.”
“It has to be calibrated.” The red mark on Ariq’s arm was a finger’s width away from the spot Qulpa had targeted. That could make the difference between the enemy living or dying.
“That’s necessary with most guns.” Second transferred the weapon from one hand to the other, testing the weight of it. “Chameles value strength. The source of that strength can vary. There were rival Warlords who had more warriors following them than Khan or Berke or Murad had. But none of those beings had their combined strength.”
Qulpa understand the message Second was imparting. “Head of Ship and Weapons Design is stronger than most warriors.”
“I wager she could defeat us all without breaking a sweat.” Second’s lips twitched. “Her devices won some of the battles during the Succession Wars. Our Warlord is unlikely to ever forget that. I won’t forget that. Other Chameles?” He shrugged. “They might require a reminder of her strength.”
Qulpa straightened. “I won’t allow anyone to harm her.”
No one would test her strength, not with him standing by her side. She was his gerel and her battles were his to fight.
Second stepped closer to him. “I won’t allow anyone to harm Lead Medic either.” His voice lowered. “But sometimes the best way to protect someone is to allow them to defend themselves…safely, of course.” He grinned. “My gerel’s little gun can only shoot one being at a time, and I can’t be deprived of all my fun.”
Second could joke about the situation. He hadn’t lost his entire family, everyone he once loved. His superior wasn’t haunted by the terrible awareness of how easily that could happen again.
Qulpa would never put his gerel at risk. To do that merely to send a message to others was unfathomable. She was much too precious to him.
“The projectile tracked me.” Ariq had recovered, walked toward them with awe shining in his eyes. “I have to try it.”
“The aim is off.” Qulpa passed the gun to him.
“I’ll adjust it.” The warrior looked around him. Some of the other members of their team were discussing something, their hands waving as they talked. “Leave that to me.” He strode toward the males.
Qulpa had lost a potential sparring partner to the excitement of testing his gerel’s prototype. He stifled a sigh, returned his attention to Second. “The boy on Chamele 3 is my responsibility.”
“It’s unusual for a bonded pair to care for another couple’s child.” Second tilted his head. “Are you prepared for that speculation, warrior?”
Speculation. Shit. Assuming responsibility for the boy would draw attention to his gerel, might expose her secret. He couldn’t do that, especially not without consulting with her first.
“Train with me while you think about it.” Second extended his claws.
Qulpa did the same. They circled each other. Some of the warriors on their team gathered around them, wagering on the possible winner. Others cheered for Ariq’s targets as they ran through the training chamber, trying to avoid the projectiles.
Second lunged forward. Qulpa defended himself. Claws connected with claws. He summoned all of his strength, and with a grunt, pushed his superior back. Second spun, lowering into a crouch, swinging his right leg. Qulpa jumped over the limb, counterattacked.
They exchanged blows, their arms moving faster and faster until their movements blurred. Qulpa was in the zone as he had never been, his strikes controlled, precise.
He wasn’t training for battle. He was honing his skills to protect his gerel, to keep her safe. And one mistake could make the difference between her living and dying.
He jabbed and withdrew, bounced on the balls of his feet. Perspiration streamed down his spine. His muscles flexed.
He caught Second’s claws and pushed forward. Second pushed back. He started to slide on the floor, braced himself, leaned into the standoff. Both of them huffed, their biceps bulging. His body ached with the strain.
It was a good ache like how he felt while bonding with his gerel. Stars. He missed her, needed her, her touch, her voice, her scent. Breathing deeply, he could almost smell the distinct fragrance. She—
Second twisted out of his grip. Claws pricked his neck.
Qulpa cursed. He’d been defeated.
“You allowed yourself to become distracted, warrior.” Second’s eyes gleamed. “That’s why, when possible, we don’t send Chameles into battle during the early stages of bonding.”
Qulpa scowled. That excuse wouldn’t protect his gerel.
“If your experience is anything like mine, you’ll need to see her within the shift.” Second retracted his claws. “Your hands will start to shake.”
If his hands shook, Nayan’s hands would be shaking also. That would frustrate his little Chamele. She wouldn’t be able to work on her designs.
He pulled in his natural weapons and flattened his palms. There were no signs of tremors. “My hands remain steady, Second.”
“Then you can assist me.” Second slapped his arm. “Our Warlord has given us a choice of replacement ships. As our main pilot, that’s your area of expertise. I would benefit from your input when making our decision.”
“Our Warlord hasn’t yet decided who will be your main pilot.” Qulpa was compelled to be honest with his superior.
“I heard you broke the simulator record.” Second waved his hands dismissively. “You’re our main pilot. If you need time to grow accustomed to your mechanical fingers and solidify your bond with your gerel, that isn’t a concern. I gave Yesun my vow we wouldn’t take another mission until he was fully healed.”
Second’s faith in his abilities warmed Qulpa’s chest. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“You won’t disappoint me.” The male agreed with him. “I might disappoint you. We don’t have a wide choice of ships. There were only three models suitable for our needs.”
“Is one of them the AXT594?” Excitement buzzed through Qulpa.
That was the model Tolui, the rogue Chamele, had stolen. Qulpa hadn’t yet flown that ship, would like to test its abilities.
His gerel had designed it. He would see bits of her in its layout.
“That’s the model I’m leaning toward.” Second’s head dipped. “We need to match our enemy for firepower.”
The new ship Nayan was designing would be superior to the stolen vessel. As that wasn’t his information to share, Qulpa remained silent.
“Team.” Second addressed the chamber, his voice snapping like a whip through the space.
Warriors straightened and turned their heads. The ones that could do so. Two of the males had been stunned and were unable to move.
Second shook his head. “No more stunning. We have a ship to evaluate.”
The males cheered.