Chapter Ten
My molecules abruptly stopped whizzing about. The light faded, and I was sitting on an ice-cold platform. I quickly checked to see if I had all my parts. Two hands, ten fingers, two arms, and two legs. The best yet, no foreign objects protruded from my forehead, and I hadn’t transformed into a human fly.
I could feel KeeKee mucking about in my goopy hair and let out a big sigh of relief. We had made it, and maybe I should cut back on watching old horror movies. “You okay, KeeKee?”
“Me ’kay. He scary.”
I looked up. Sariel, the Askole High Commander was studying me intently. He bared his rather awesome fangs in a ferocious smile. “Your piloting skills are unusual.”
“I’m alive. The wannabes and eight hundred Tai-Kok aren’t.” I got to my feet.
“An interesting claim.”
“Fact. Ask Voss if you need verification on the Tai-Kok kills.”
“Female warriors are rare.”
“Not on Earth.”
“Your species is unique.” Sariel’s tentacles knotted and unknotted. The High Commander didn’t seem happy to have me on his ship.
“Why did you save me? I thought I wasn’t proper mate material. You know, being child-size and weak.”
His eyes narrowed. “You are my son’s chosen.”
“Don’t you need another blood test to prove that?”
“The mental connection has already been completed.”
It had? Yikes! That did explain my growing attraction to tentacles. They were soft and silky and doubled as sex toys.
KeeKee dropped down on my shoulder. “Me hungry.”
Sariel pointed a scanner at me. “No food until you have been decontaminated and your injuries healed.” He pushed a lever. The transporter light grabbed us and presto! We were standing in the Askole version of a sick bay.
“I could have walked.” I knew my tone was surly, but my give-a-damn button was busted. I didn’t like my molecules being spread hither and yon. If there had been a transporter malfunction, my cells would be lost in space. Forever.
Sariel’s voice was equally surly. “I cannot allow you to contaminate my ship.”
Or taint the Askole race? “Take me back to Earth, and you’ll be rid of me.”
“It is too late for that option. You have started the change and will soon be Askole.”
Fuck. Tentacles, scales, and fangs. A horrible thought hit me. “My hair!”
“Serves no purpose.”
“I like my hair, and I don’t want tentacles.”
“What you want is irrelevant. Do as Yann commands.” Sariel broke our link.
My jaw dropped as a pygmy Askole walked up to me, a bio scanner in one hand. At five foot two, I was a couple of inches taller than him.
“I am Yann the medic.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I held out my hand.
He ignored it and pointed to a regen tube. “Remove your clothing and climb inside.”
Guess Askoles weren’t into shakings hands. God, the cultural differences between our two species were enormous. I’d probably piss people off without even knowing it. “What about KeeKee? She was exposed to the radiation too.”
“No wanna die,” KeeKee cried pitifully.
With a sigh, Yann inputted data into his scanner. “Place the Tabor in the smaller tube.”
“Thank you.” Stroking her grungy fur, I put KeeKee in the regen cylinder. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” I stripped down to my underwear.
“Remove all your garments,” Yann ordered, his gaze never leaving the scanner.
Basic training had cured most of my modesty, but getting naked in front of strangers still bothered me. I pulled off my panties and bra and scrambled inside.
“Lie down,” Yann directed.
Reluctantly, I complied. I knew Tihar would never hurt me, but this guy? I didn’t know or trust him. The instant the lid closed, a thick white smoke swirled around me. With one breath, I was so tired, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I floated off.
Angry grunts, groans, and clucking jerked me awake. Tihar? I reached out psychically. No. Someone else. An Askole. Make that a very angry Askole. Wonder what had crawled up his butt and died?
Then I realized Yann was making awful, gurgling noises.
My eyes popped open. A horrifically scarred Askole was choking the life out of Yann. “Tihar! Get your ass to sick bay.” I pushed at the glass imprisoning me. How did I get out of this thing? I randomly hit icons until the lid slid back. Grabbing a scanner off a metal tray, I hurled it at Scar Face. Thunk! It bounced off his head.
Damn. He hadn’t even flinched. I flashed Tihar an image of Scar Face. “He’s killing Yann!”
A clanging noise erupted, followed by a bunch of grunts, cackling, and groans. Must be the Askole version of an intruder alert.
Yann’s skin turned a sickly gray, and he hung limply in Scar Face’s grip.
“Hey, asshole! Let him go.”
The asshole dropped Yann. He bared his fangs and bellowed his battle cry.
“Mwah-hah-hah,” I shouted back, scrambling out of the tube.
Scar Face blinked in disbelief.
I summoned every ounce of power I had and hurled it at him. His head snapped back, and he toppled over like a pole-axed steer.
The little Askole wasn’t moving. “Yann?” Dropping to my knees, I put my ear to his chest. Shit. He wasn’t breathing either. I started CPR. “C’mon, breathe.”
With a roar, Scar Face shot to his feet.
“Oh crap.”
The sick bay doors slid open, and Tihar zoomed in. His terrifying war cry echoed around the room.
Scar Face yelled something and attacked Tihar.
I quickly dragged Yann into a corner and continued CPR. His thick armored skin made mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions difficult. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught brief glimpses of the fight. Both warriors were moving so fast, all I could see were black blurs as their terrifying claws flashed in a dizzying display of death.
Blood sprayed across the room. Thud. Scar Face’s head rolled to stop by my foot.
“You got any more medics? ’Cause this one isn’t doing so good.” I hastily wiped the blood out of my eyes and continued doing chest compressions.
Tihar watched me for a moment. “What are doing?”
“CPR. He’s not breathing.”
Tihar grabbed a medical scanner and ran it over Yann. “His trachea is crushed.”
“Will the regen tube help?”
“It will.” Tihar picked Yann up and placed him in the cylinder.
“Momma Sarah,” KeeKee wailed from the tube.
“It’s okay, sweetie.” While Tihar programmed the regen tube, I freed KeeKee and cuddled her. “You’re okay. The bad man is dead, and he can’t hurt you.”
“Wanna go home.”
“Me too, but it ain’t happenin’ any time soon.” I spotted my underwear. Yay. Clothes. Putting KeeKee on my head, I scrambled into my panties and bra.
Sariel shot into the room. He sized up the situation and started spouting a bunch of Askole gobbledygook at Tihar.
Whatever Tihar told his father made him furious.
Nothing like being ignored. “Care to tell me what’s going on?”
“Shandev is a rebel assassin we have been hunting,” Tihar answered, pointing at the head.
“So, the billion-dollar questions are: how did he get on this ship, and why did he try to kill Yann?”
Tihar’s tentacles squirmed wildly. “We believe Shandev was sent to capture you.”
“Me? Why?”
Sariel responded, “The rebel Askole warriors have joined forces with the Legionnaires, and Malik wants you badly.”
“Right. I’m the perfect Coletti breeder.”
“Not once you become Askole,” Tihar growled.
Sariel nodded in agreement. “The conversion must be completed. Once Zarek arrives, we will begin the negotiations.”
“Are you nuts? The last thing we want to do is let the Overlord know about us.”
“We have a treaty. It is necessary,” Tihar stated.
It was? Detja was going to be so pissed, and I wasn’t ready to become an alien. I needed more time. “Wait! We’re still in the courting stage. Remember?”
“No longer.”
Think. Think. How did I stop this? “I’m human. I don’t know your customs.”
“You are becoming Askole, and you will learn our traditions,” Sariel replied gruffly.
“I’d make a horrible mate. I’ve got a bad temper. I’m always getting in bar fights. I like killing monsters. I can’t cook, and I snore.” I gave myself a mental head smack. Snoring? That was the best I could come up with?
Tihar gently wiped the blood off my face. “You are perfect.”
A smile curved my mouth. He thought I was perfect? That was so sweet. Other than being an alien, Tihar was my ideal man. A strong, sexy warrior who stood by me no matter what, and he actually listened to me. I’d snap him up in a heartbeat if he were human, but he wasn’t.
My shoulders sagged. Had I started the change? I didn’t feel any different. No scales popping up, and I still had my hair. Should I take Tihar up on his offer? It was such a life-altering step. We had known each other for such a short time. Everyone had bad habits. Did Tihar throw his underwear on the floor or fart excessively?
In the pro column, Tihar had always been there for me. I knew he would make a great wingman, but a mate? Who knew? I had two choices: Lothel or Tihar. I wanted to smother Lothel in his sleep. Tihar? The urge to lick him all over was growing stronger every hour. His torso was sculpted perfection, and who knew black scales could be so sexy? Tihar’s tentacles reminded me of long dreadlocks that moved.
The thought of sleeping with Tihar didn’t freak me out, and his promise of a thousand nights of utter ecstasy made my pussy clench. Could I live with fangs, claws, tentacles, and scaly skin? Yeah, I could.
“Me like Tihar,” KeeKee whispered encouragingly.
“Me too.” I took a deep breath. “You’re positively sure you want me as a mate, Tihar?”
“You are everything I want in a mate.”
Damn. His answer was perfect. “You’re the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time. You are my chosen.”