Chapter Ten
Allik had never been more relieved in his life than when he arrived back on board the transport ship and saw that the medic he’d requested was standing by. As he strode across the docking bay, he was aware of others stopping what they were doing to take in the strange sight of the enormous, scarred warrior cradling a fragile infant in his arms with such reverence. Taking great care, he placed the child on the waiting stretcher and watched as she was whisked off immediately to the medical bay.
He’d felt so helpless the whole way here with that tiny creature lying limp across his lap and the ten-minute journey had seemed to take an eternity. With every move he made, he was worried that he was hurting her. She hadn’t stirred even once, though, and he knew that was a bad sign. Kyree and her team would, hopefully, know how to help her. Part of him wanted to follow the medic and find out whether the child survived but there was a far greater pull on him to go and see Victoria. She would be wondering what was going on and he didn’t like the thought that she’d been waiting alone in their rooms all this time and worrying. She’d looked quite anxious when the alarm went off and he wanted to reassure her that all was well. Besides, they had unfinished business to attend to. Before the alert sounded he’d been ready to claim her fully. It had been clear from the way she’d looked at him that she’d wanted him to.
He was halfway down the corridor on his way back to his quarters when the communications device on his lapel vibrated, indicating that there was an incoming transmission. Pressing the metal button, he waited for the person on the other end to speak. He had a sinking feeling that whatever they were about to say, it was going to delay him getting back to claim his mate.
“Lieutenant Taryn requires your immediate presence,” the stern female voice told him. “Please make your way directly to his quarters.”
With reluctance, Allik turned and walked back the way he had come. Taking the elevator, he went to the upper deck where the superior officers had their accommodations. He knocked on the third door on the left and then entered when he heard Taryn call out to tell him to do so. He hoped that this was not going to take long.
“It is good to see you, Allik,” Taryn greeted him.
Allik inclined his head in acknowledgement and glanced at the human female who was kneeling at his friend’s feet. Her hair was golden, her piercing blue eyes wide and innocent. She was shorter than Victoria. Her curvaceous form was clad in a skintight white bodysuit that revealed no skin, yet left nothing to the imagination. There was no denying that she was an attractive woman, but really not his type. Sitting there trembling, she looked as though she might start to cry at the slightest provocation. It gave him a new appreciation for Victoria’s strength. Beneath his mate’s grace and poise, there was a backbone of steel and he admired that. As challenging as he would undoubtedly find her at times, he never wanted to see such trepidation on her face as there was on this young woman’s right now.
“I see you’ve noticed my pet.” Taryn’s voice held no small measure of pride. “Her name is Lucy. She makes a very pretty little kitten, don’t you think?”
Allik nodded, not really sure how to respond. He looked at the young woman again and noticed that she had a fluffy white tail trailing out behind her, presumably attached to a butt plug inserted in her bottom. The white bodysuit she wore did give her the appearance of a sleek little cat. Now that he thought about it, there was something very feline about the way she rubbed her face against Taryn’s leg. All that was missing was a pair of pointed ears and Allik had no doubt that Taryn would see to that soon enough.
Although it wasn’t the type of relationship Allik wanted to have with Victoria, he was pleased that his friend had found a woman who conformed so beautifully to his particular requirements. How Victoria would react if she saw her friend like this was another matter. It would, no doubt, confirm her worst fears about the males of his species.
“Tell me about your mate,” Taryn said. “Are you pleased with her?”
“She is interesting,” Allik replied. “I like her.”
Taryn nodded his approval and then reached down to stroke Lucy’s hair as he addressed her. “Allik is the man I told you about, pet, the one who is going to look after your friend, Victoria.”
The young woman’s eyes went wide and she stared at Allik appraisingly. He could tell that she was examining his scars from the way her mouth formed a pout of disapproval. Like so many other females, she seemed to be repulsed by them. She was probably wondering if her friend was safe with a monster like him.
“You will be able to see Victoria when you’re settled on Taar-Breck,” Taryn said and Allik nodded his agreement. It was something that Commander Rossingham had been adamant about. The women they were rescuing were to be allowed to see each other without the fear they’d felt back on Earth. Their mates would keep a loving eye on them and punish bad behavior firmly but they would let them socialize and have fun together. Allik had not had a problem in agreeing to that condition when he’d been gifted Victoria as his mate. “Would you like that?”
“Yes.” Lucy’s small, quivering voice betrayed her nervousness. Taryn reached down and fisted his hand in her hair, pulling her head back to force her to look up at him. His actions had been swift and, to Allik’s eyes, were not brutal, but Lucy let out a squeal of surprise. She rocked from side to side, her cheeks reddening with obvious embarrassment at being manhandled that way in front of a third party. “Yes, sir, I would like that.”
“Good girl.” Taryn stroked her head with obvious affection. She made a little mewling noise and nuzzled into his leg, seeming to need reassurance. Either she was a natural pet or she was playing the part to perfection.
Allik wasn’t sure that he could cope with such a skittish creature but the grin on Taryn’s face told him that his friend was enjoying taking her in hand.
“You wanted to see me,” Allik said, trying to move the conversation forward.
“Yes, take a seat.”
That was the last thing Allik wanted to do. He needed to get back to Victoria. His cock ached thinking about her pretty pink pussy and how he was going to thrust himself inside her over and over until she was in no doubt who she belonged to. But, Taryn was his superior officer as well as a friend and the invitation to sit had contained a hint of command.
Allik settled himself in a large, comfortable chair and watched as Taryn did likewise. The other man pointed to his feet and Lucy crawled across the floor to take up her position, kneeling between Taryn’s legs. Allik had to admit there was something incredibly alluring about the way her tail swished as she moved. Recalling how Victoria’s hips had swayed as she crawled around the medical room earlier, he wondered how she would look with a tail. He quickly dismissed the thought. Although he intended to maintain control in their relationship, he didn’t want to push her into becoming something she was not. He knew somehow that she would never be happy as his pet and he was fine with that. There were plenty of other ways he could demonstrate his dominance over her.
“I hear you found the infant.” Taryn pulled him from his thoughts.
“Yes, but I do not know if she can be saved.” Allik frowned as he thought about the poor little thing, barely clinging to life.
“You did all that you could,” Taryn said. “You found her and brought her back. It is in the hands of the medics now. So, tell me your preliminary findings.”
Allik was grateful for the change of subject. Speaking about the infant risked the conversation becoming emotional and that was not something Taar-Breckian males were good with.
“It is my belief that one of the fuel cells was hit by a single shot from a laser cannon. The shuttle crew reported that the enemy ship was an F-class fighter and I believe that is accurate.” Allik paused for Taryn’s nod of acknowledgement of what he’d said and then continued. “The fuel cell exploded and ripped through the floor of the main cabin. The fatally wounded were directly above the point of impact; the injured were struck by debris or burned in the fire that broke out.”
Unconsciously, Allik’s hand went to his own face as he thought about the damage that could be inflicted by fire.
Taryn nodded. “Your findings are consistent with what I observed during the incident.” He sat forward and stroked Lucy behind the ear as though soothing her when she gave a little sob. Allik realized she was probably still traumatized from being caught up in the attack on the shuttle. Human females were, by all accounts, much more sensitive about such things than their Taar-Breckian counterparts. “But tell me, who do you think is responsible?”
“It looks like the work of the Bylanthians.”
“Looks like?” Taryn had clearly picked up on the doubtful tone in Allik’s voice.
“Well, I am sure the Bylanthians were involved but if they were, then they weren’t acting alone.”
“What makes you say that?” A different male voice spoke and Allik looked around with a start. He hadn’t realized that their commander had joined them via audio conference.
“Commander Rossingham, sir, I did not realize you were there.”
“No need to worry, Allik,” Rossingham replied. “I just wanted to find out what’s going on out there.”
“Well, sir, I believe that a Bylanthian ship was responsible for the attack but it must have come from somewhere close by. The F-class fighters have a short range and our scanners detected no vessel close enough for them to have come from.”
“And what conclusions do you draw from that?” Rossingham asked.
“That they have established a base on Earth.”
Allik braced himself for denials or perhaps even ridicule from his superior officers. It seemed improbable that their enemy could have set up a base right under their noses. Yet, he couldn’t see any other explanation.
“That is what I suspected.” Rossingham’s tone was one of resignation. “Well, thank you for the information, Allik. I will send a team to look into it. Now, on another matter, has Miss Walton told you anything about my wife’s sister?”
“Not yet, sir.” Allik realized that he’d been so preoccupied with Victoria that he hadn’t remembered to ask her about Elizabeth Chatterton’s whereabouts yet. He silently chastised himself. Victoria had become too great a distraction for him and he knew that until he claimed her, he was not going to be able to think straight.
“Well, if she does tell you anything useful, contact me immediately. My wife is anxious for news.”
Allik heard the telltale beep that let him know the commander had severed the connection. Assuming that Taryn had no further business with him, he got to his feet. Luckily, the other man seemed too interested in his little pet to want to detail him any further. He had to get back to his mate.
* * *
Victoria stood well back as the child they were anxiously waiting to treat was wheeled into the room. She was ready to help if called upon but until that happened, she really didn’t want to get in the way of the medical professionals. As the child was carefully lifted onto the examination table, she craned her neck to get a better look. It was a little girl, judging by her clothing, of no more than nine or ten months in age.
Children were not usually permitted to travel. Victoria wondered how she had come to be on a passenger shuttle. The parents must have been attempting to flee; there was no other explanation for it. Increasing numbers of people were looking for a way out of the oppressive New Cambridge society. Few made it and Victoria suspected that someone at the shuttle base had given them assistance. With both the mother and father dead, they would probably never know the truth.
“Fetch a warming blanket,” Kyree instructed and the apprentice rushed off to bring one back. She looked to Victoria. “She’s very cold. We should warm her up a little.”
If Victoria didn’t know better, she would have thought that Kyree was seeking her approval for her actions. The Taar-Breckian woman did seem more nervous than Victoria had seen her up until now. Clearly, she was very anxious about looking after such a tiny human.
Victoria watched as Kyree placed the blanket over the little girl, drawing it up to just below her chin.
“How old would you say she is?” Kyree asked Victoria.
“Nine, ten months at most,” Victoria replied. “Certainly less than a year old.”
“Really?” Kyree sounded incredulous. “I’d have said two or three months.”
Victoria shook her head. What did that say about the size of Taar-Breckian babies? A startling thought crossed her mind as she wondered whether the offspring between humans and the aliens were super-sized as well. She had no immediate plans to become pregnant but one day she and Allik might want a child. Victoria shook her head once again. She barely knew Allik so it was premature to be thinking about having babies with him. Besides, this was hardly the time to be thinking about such things.
She watched as Kyree picked up the diagnostic scanner that would help her determine why the child was unresponsive. She moved closer so she could see what Kyree was doing. The tablet had a three-dimensional image of the child on it. There were numbers and symbols on the screen that Victoria couldn’t decipher. Kyree pressed a button and the image changed so they were now looking at the internal organs. Victoria had never seen anything like it. Similar technology did exist back in New Cambridge but she’d never been allowed to get a close look at it.
“What does it show?” she asked.
“There is some swelling in the brain,” Kyree said, “but we can treat that easily.”
Victoria nodded and stepped back once more as Kyree prepared a syringe and made a mental note to ask about the strange silvery liquid it contained later. She watched in fascination as Kyree injected it into a vein in the little girl’s arm. She could actually see the liquid slither up the vein toward the child’s head and then disappear under the hairline. Imagining the cold solution moving through her own body made her shudder.
Kyree put the syringe down and placed her fingers on the child’s neck, apparently to check the pulse.
“No, no, no,” she muttered under her breath and Victoria’s heart lurched.
Kyree picked up the scanner once more and held it up to capture the child’s data.
“She’s gone.” Her voice cracked with despair.
“What?” Victoria shrieked. “She can’t be.”
“She’s stopped breathing.”
“So resuscitate her,” Victoria said.
Kyree shook her head despairingly. “I can’t. We have drugs that can restart the heart, but they’re not suitable for adult humans, never mind such a fragile infant.”
“Well, what about chest compressions?” Victoria was astonished by the blank looks on the faces of the Taar-Breckian medics. “Mouth to mouth, the kiss of life?”
“I don’t know what that is,” Kyree said.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Victoria cried out.
She looked at the tiny little person lying on the table. Resuscitation techniques were one of the things she and her friends had studied in secret, from the books in Caroline Chatterton’s extensive forbidden library. It wasn’t something she’d ever had to do before and she wasn’t sure she could get it right. She knew, though, that with every moment that passed, the situation would become more and more hopeless. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, all but shoving Kyree out of the way.
“Never mind.” Her tone was resolute. “I can do it.”
She drew back the warming blanket and placed two fingers in the center of the baby’s chest. Sending up a quick prayer to whoever was listening, she started the first round of chest compressions. She had no idea if this was going to work, but she had to try. She would never forgive herself otherwise.
* * *
As soon as Allik left Taryn, he headed straight for his own quarters, practically running all the way. This eagerness to see Victoria was almost overwhelming and he knew he had to get a grip on himself. He was acting like some lust-filled youth, not a man of experience. Since he’d first laid eyes on Victoria, there had been a nervous energy pulsing through his veins. It would only be satisfied once he had sunk his cock into her warm and welcoming body.
Allik entered his room, expecting to find Victoria pacing anxiously around the main living area as she awaited his return. It was disappointing to find that she was not there. He made a quick search of the other rooms, but there was no sign of her. Perhaps she was still down in the medical bay with Kyree. If that was the case, he just hoped she wasn’t getting in the way of the medics. If she was making a nuisance of herself in the middle of a crisis, he would blister her bottom.
He made his way toward the medical bay, ready to throw her over his shoulder and carry her back to his bed the moment he found her. But, as he came to the emergency room, he stopped in his tracks. A crowd of about a dozen men had gathered around the window and were watching what was happening inside the room with intense interest.
“What’s happening?” he asked.
“They’re attempting to revive the youngling you brought in, sir,” one of the men replied.
Allik should have known that the child’s presence would create a bit of a sideshow. Despite their fearsome reputations on the battlefield and their equal need for dominance off it, his race was a compassionate one, especially when it came to innocent children.
He pushed his way to the front of the group to get a glimpse of what was going on. The tiny form of the child on the examination table made his heart lurch. He was amazed to see that Kyree and the other medical staff were standing well back and that it was Victoria who hovered over the child.
He watched as she pressed down on the little girl’s chest and then seemed to blow air into her mouth and nose. What she was doing was a mystery to him, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She looked so confident, capable. Far from the anxiety he’d imagined she would be in the grip of, she was calm and in control of herself. He should have known better than to think that she would be anything other than magnificent in a crisis.
“The child stopped breathing,” someone told him. “Our medics could do nothing, but then your female came forward.”
Allik nodded, too intent on watching Victoria to offer any other response. She repeated her movements three more times, alternating between pumping down on the infant’s chest and blowing into its airway. Suddenly, she stepped back, a broad smile on her face. Kyree rushed forward and placed her hand on the infant’s chest. Allik felt the air grow tense around him as everyone seemed to hold their breath. Then Kyree almost jumped up and down in delight and waved her arms in the air, showing greater emotion than Allik had ever seen from a Taar-Breckian female.
All around him, shouts of relief broke out, echoing through the corridors. Victoria looked up in apparent surprise, seeming to realize for the first time that she had an audience. As her eyes met his, Allik felt a pride in his mate that came close to overwhelming him. Whatever it was that she’d done, Victoria had saved the child’s life. As he marched into the room, intent on finding out exactly what had been going on, he decided there would be no more delays. Tonight, he was claiming this remarkable female as his mate. It would be an honor to have her by his side, bound to him forever.