Crath, p.11
Crath, page 11
She opened her mouth again. “Just like that? We had sex and now you own me? I thought I was free.”
“You are.”
“Really? Did you ask me if I wanted to marry you?”
Crath quickly realized his mistake. Nara had given him a lot of advice but he’d been caught up in the moment. “I apologize. I will wait until we are rescued and do your human custom ritual of replicating you a sparkling ring and getting down on bended knee to ask you to become my wife.”
“Just like that? You barely know me. Are all aliens crazy or is it just you? We can’t possibly get married. We just met!”
He smiled. “You’re no longer on Earth, and I’ve been schooled on your culture. Most of your males no longer take wives, or they wait for years before deciding to commit. And it is often not for life. Your race has many divorces. Tryleskians do not. I’m much improved from one of your males. I know what I want, and that is you. I do not own you, my Kelsey. You own me. I am yours as much as you are mine. I will spend every day proving to you that I am the correct male to make you happy.”
She stared at him some more.
He decided to remind her how much pleasure he could give her, and planned to feed from her again. He leaned in to kiss her—but was interrupted by a loud boom.
“What the hell?” Kelsey shouted, sounding panicked.
He wasn’t. “The Vorge has arrived.” He hated to get dressed but his family would come soon. He separated from Kelsey with regret and stood. Then he bent, offering her his hand to help her up from the ground. He took one more look at her sensual body. He couldn’t wait to get her to his bed inside his cabin.
She grasped his hand, and he gently pulled her to her feet. Crath released her, picked up his shirt, and passed it to her. “Wear this. I don’t want any others to see you bared. Your beauty is too appealing.”
She made a strange noise as she put on his shirt. He got his pants on and sat on the ground to yank on his boots. He really wished he had some for Kelsey.
“What if it’s the Cristos?”
He checked his wristband. The signal blocker remained active. He shut it down. His littermates would easily locate them sooner that way. “It is not. That is them saying they have arrived. They knew I’d hide our life signs. The Vorge would have scanned for the downed shuttle wreckage and come near that location. They vented plasma into the atmosphere and ignited it. It’s harmless but loud. That is our signal.”
“How can you be sure?”
He admired the way his shirt looked on her. It was much too large but it covered Kelsey’s beautiful breasts and hung down to her soft thighs almost to her knees. “Cavas, my older littermate, used to be in the military. He was concerned after the last time I was captured and went over plans with me if I were ever in trouble again. They know about my wristband and what it can do. He explained that is what they would do if I needed to hide until they could reach me.” He smiled. “I am just grateful I didn’t have to set a large fire. That was the option if my wristband was damaged or stolen.”
Kelsey moved closer but stared at the cavern walls and the ceiling. “What if the rock here is too thick for them to receive a signal?”
“We have advanced technology. They will find us, my Kelsey.”
“Does your fancy wristwatch come with a built-in cell phone so you can talk to them?”
“I understand what you mean. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have that ability.”
“How are they going to get us out?”
He opened his mouth to tell her but the ground under them vibrated a little. It was a small tremor. Bits of rocks fell around them, some of them splashing into the water. Kelsey gasped.
Crath moved fast to grab hold of her, pulled her against his body, and protected her as much as possible. “That is how. The last time The Vorge had to come for me, I was also being held inside a mountain. We’ve upgraded our equipment since then in case it happened again. It’s how I knew they’d be able to reach us deeper inside. We now have a way to scan the interiors of large masses and cut through rock.”
She wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. “By bringing down the cavern around us? We’re going to die!”
“We won’t. That was a fracking scan. Hold still and do not move.”
“A what?”
“They have located our life signs but realized we aren’t on the surface. That was them running a scan of what is underground. They will do one more. Pre―”
The ground shook again but it wasn’t as strong. “Prepare,” he finished. “The first one mapped our location. The second one was to make certain we know to stay in place and haven’t moved since the first scan. Now they will make an opening to reach us.”
Kelsey buried her face against his chest. “You’re all crazy! This damn cavern is going to cave in. We’ll be crushed to death!”
He chuckled, amused. “Our technology is much more advanced. Prepare to hear a loud, annoying sound. Do not move.” To be certain, he wrapped his arms tighter around Kelsey to prevent her from panicking.
The high-pitched whine had him wincing when it sounded. “Close your eyes,” he yelled over the noise, protecting his own eyes. The laser used to cut a hole into the surface would be blinding. He lifted one hand to protect Kelsey’s face just in case she didn’t follow his order.
He could see the light even through his closed eyelids. A slight burning smell and dust filled his nose. The noise stopped seconds later, and he opened his eyes, viewing what had happened. There was no bright light coming from anywhere.
It confused him for a moment. The Vorge’s updated lasers should have been able to slice through the mountain…
Fresh air entered the cavern, and then he saw a flicker of blue light. It came from the roof over the pooled water.
Kelsey pulled her face away from his chest and turned her head. “What is that?”
“I’m not certain.”
Suddenly, something large dropped into the cavern, dangling from the roof. He chuckled when he identified the blue male wearing a black jumpsuit. “York!”
The male lowered a few more feet, turned on pale lighting that surrounded his body, and located them with his gaze. “We’re here. Is the water safe or are there dangerous creatures?”
“It seemed to be safe when we were in it,” Crath called out.
“Then swim over to me. I’ll have to lift each of you out. Cavas is piloting the shuttle I’m hooked to.” York reached up and touched his ear. “I have Crath and the human. They both appear mostly unharmed. I’ll bring the female up first and let you know when I have her secured.”
Crath didn’t like that plan. “Can’t you cut another hole where we don’t need to go into the water?”
“This was the safest option,” York replied. “We had to bore through a large piece of solid rock to prevent it from crumbling and collapsing on you. The section where you are isn’t as stable. Have the female swim to me.” York did something to the harness he wore and tilted forward until he hung upside down, just a few feet from the water’s surface. “Have her come to me and I’ll take her out. If you’re lucky, I’ll come back for you.”
Crath knew the Parri joked, but Kelsey tensed in his arms. He immediately soothed her. “That is York. He’s a Parri who believes he is very humorous. He will come back for me. Swim to him.”
She still hesitated.
Crath released her and nodded. “York is an honorable male with a human wife. You are safe, my Kelsey. Swim to him. I know the water is cold but we’ll have you warmed soon.”
“We don’t have much time,” York yelled out. “We had to take out a Cristos vessel and there were traces indicating more were in this area recently. It’s possible the ones we killed got a distress signal out.”
“Go,” Crath ordered.
Kelsey softly muttered something but then she went into the water with a splash. Crath was tempted to strip but he didn’t want to abandon his clothing in the cavern. He watched as his female made it to York, treading water.
“Now what?” she asked, just as York reached for her.
“Give me your arms, female. You are safe. I’m going to grab you and lock on. Don’t worry. All of our equipment is safe. We have much more advanced technology than your Earth.”
“So I keep hearing.” Kelsey sounded angry but she reached up an arm toward York.
The male grabbed her at her elbow and lifted her a little out of the water. He used his other hand to grab hold of her upper arm on the other side. “I’ve got her, Cavas. Yank us up.”
“Aren’t you going to harness me in?” Kelsey screamed as she and York were quickly pulled upward.
Crath snarled, diving into the water. He swam to where Kelsey had been and stared up at the large hole in the cavern roof. He saw stars in the distance. It explained why he hadn’t seen daylight. It was already night on the planet.
He tread water, impatiently waiting. York suddenly lowered from the opening minutes later and grinned at him. “She’s safe. You ready to take a ride? I’m so glad to be a part of this rescue to see our updated tech in action. Cavas is feeling a little jealous that reaching you in a cave is much easier this time.”
“Get me to my female.” Crath lifted his hand toward the Parri.
York flipped upside down again. The male grasped his forearm and Crath felt the strong bond that formed where they touched. The male obviously wore Kippy restraints. The race had created technology to literally lock prisoners together with an invisible forcefield through touch. Crath held up his other arm, locking it to York’s.
“Where did you get Kippy restraints?”
York chuckled. “Marrow owned some. I bought them off her to show my Sara how they work. She believes they are kinky. That means sexually appealing to her. We locked our upper bodies together once.”
“I don’t want to know. Get me to my female.”
“You heard Crath,” York called out. “Bring us up, Cavas.”
There was a slight jerk, and then Crath and York were rapidly being hauled upward. He realized the crew had to laser through at least ten feet of solid rock. They were in the air in seconds, giving Crath a view of the planet at night and the shuttle above. It was one of their shuttles for supplies. The back of it was open, with a crane extending outward that York was hooked to. It pulled them to the shuttle door leading into the cargo area.
“Watch your feet,” York warned.
Crath drew his legs up as the crane swung them inside the shuttle. He was grateful he’d listened or his lower legs would have smashed against the floor on entry. They stopped, swinging a bit from the movement. The restraints released. Crath crashed to his butt but it didn’t matter. He rose fast as York spun his body upright and then began to unharness himself from the cables. All Crath cared about was his Kelsey.
She sat huddled in the far corner with a blanket wrapped around her. He reached her side and crouched. She made small chattering noises with her mouth and didn’t appear well to him. “Were you hurt?”
“Just…cold. And…motion sick. Never…worked in a…circus. Now…never want to.”
Crath ignored his own discomfort from his wet pants and reached for his life-lock, carefully picking her up. Her words made no sense to him. He heard the crane retract and the exterior cargo doors sealed. York rushed in front of him and opened the door that separated the cargo section from the pilot station.
Crath hated that they were on a cargo shuttle. It had a bathroom but not one he wished to take Kelsey to. It would be too cramped for the two of them and didn’t contain a shower. He met Cavas’s gaze. His littermate sat at the controls and had turned his head to watch them enter.
“Where is The Vorge?” Crath took the only other seat, wrapping Kelsey tighter in his arms as he adjusted her on his lap. “She needs the medical android and a warm shower.”
“It is good to see you too.” Cavas faced forward. “Your thanks for coming after you are deeply appreciated.”
Crath snarled, nuzzling Kelsey’s head with his face. He wasn’t in a good enough mood to appreciate his littermate’s attempt at humor.
York crouched down between the two seats in the piloting station. “The Vorge bore into the mountain to reach you but was too large to hover and pull you both out. That took the precision of a smaller vessel.”
“Hold on,” Cavas ordered. “We’re getting out of here. Sensors are showing planet inhabitants rushing up the mountain toward our location. We’re too high for them to reach unless they can fly. We’ll be back with The Vorge in minutes. Almost everyone is standing by to assist the human.”
“My Kelsey,” Crath informed both males.
His littermate shot him a smile. Crath looked down at Kelsey. She remained still in his arms. It alarmed him greatly. “York!”
The Parri braced against the side of Cavas’s seat and pulled the blanket back from Kelsey’s face to check on her. “Her eyes are closed, her lips are a little blue, but she’s breathing. I think she passed out.”
“Get us to The Vorge,” Crath demanded. “Now!”
“We’re almost there.” Cavas focused on the controls, reaching out to open communications. “We’re coming in fast. Have the medical android activated. The human needs it.”
Cathian responded. “Nara and Dovis are in the shuttle bay waiting.”
Crath was relieved when they reached The Vorge. The much larger vessel hadn’t left the planet but stayed at a high altitude. The shuttle bay doors were wide open and he spotted Dovis and Nara inside.
His littermate set down the cargo shuttle with barely a bump and Crath rose to his feet. York ran in front of him, getting the side door open and the ramp automatically extended. Crath stormed off the shuttle with Kelsey in his arms.
Nara reached him first. “How is she? Is she hurt?”
Crath rushed onward. “Kelsey will be fine. She’s cold.”
Dovis went ahead and opened the doors to the interior corridor. “Do you need me to carry her?”
“She’s mine.” Crath snarled. He knew the male was just attempting to be helpful and immediately regretted the words. It was just that his protective instincts were kicking in hard. “Nara? My Kelsey will need clothing soon. Please see to that now.”
“I’ll go to the replicator,” Nara called out. “I’ll get her measurements from the android as soon as she’s scanned.”
Mari waited at the lift, the doors already open. Crath rushed inside. “Medical android.”
Mari activated the lift. “How bad is she? I was so worried when we got your message and realized you were going to have to crash on a planet. We got here as fast as possible.”
The lift stopped and when it opened, Raff stood there. His cousin motioned him onward. “Lilly has the android activated. Go.”
Crath jogged forward, avoiding jarring the female in his arms as much as possible. The doors were already parted and Lilly stood there to keep them from closing. He knew everyone followed him. He gently placed Kelsey on the medical bed and stepped back. “Proceed, android,” he ordered.
The bed lit up, scans activating, and the android moved on the other side of the bed to gain better access to Kelsey. Someone gripped his shoulder. Crath tore his gaze from his female to stare into Cavas’s concerned gaze.
“Are you injured?”
“I’m well.” He took a second to glance at York, Raff, Lilly, Mari and Dovis.
“Where are Cathian, Jill and Sara?”
“On the bridge,” Dovis informed him. “They are watching for any Cristos ship signatures on long-range scanners while Cathian pilots. Don’t bother asking about Midgel or the Pods.” He chuckled.
Their shy cook avoided most of the crew unless it was time to serve them meals. The Pods would be mentally monitoring everyone. “And Marrow? Was she able to rescue my Kelsey’s Titan female?”
Cavas softly growled. “We haven’t heard from her.”
That alarmed Crath. “Not at all?”
“No. We’re going to search for Marrow next, but you were a priority since we knew you were actively in danger with your human after receiving your message.”
Raff scowled. “I’m going to the bridge to start running more scans for the slaver ship that Marrow snuck aboard to rescue the Titan female.” He quickly left.
The medical bed hummed and a protective cover lowered, shielding Kelsey from their view. Crath wanted to rush forward to get to her but the android stopped him when it spoke.
“The patient is being treated for a lower-than-normal body temperature and slight dehydration. Running blood tests now. So far, no abnormalities have been found. I have temporarily sedated the patient to keep her calm during the procedures. The female is being stripped of her clothing. Please remove all males from the room. Programing states that is the appropriate action. Notification will be sent when the patient is stabilized.”
“I’m not leaving.” Crath hated not being able to view Kelsey through the protective covering, even if it was giving her the warmth she needed by enclosing the medical bed.
Cavas squeezed his shoulder. “You heard the android. She’s sedated. Lilly and Mari will remain here. Nara is getting your female’s clothing replicated. Go shower, put on dry clothing, and return after.”
Still Crath hesitated.
Mari moved closer to him. “We’ll stay right here. You’re soaking wet, Crath. There’s a puddle forming under you.”
He growled low in frustration. “I’ll be back quickly.” He fled, and the remaining males stayed with him all the way to his quarters, even following him inside.
“Did she agree to be yours?” York took a seat on his couch.
“Yes.” Crath stripped. “Her name is Kelsey. She was law enforcement on Earth.”
“That is good that you are both justice seekers.” Dovis picked up Crath’s discarded wet pants and boots, taking them to the cleaner.
“I’ll get you a nutrition drink.” York stood again, moving toward his food replicator.
“I am grateful that you are both well. We were all worried.” Cavas followed him directly to his shower, halting feet away. “Has she agreed to life-lock to you?”
