Alien Overnight (7 page)

It hadn’t taken long for him to appreciate Dr. Teague’s blunt assistance in handling all matters Terran. Even better, her interactions with the other Terrans, which he observed on a daily basis, afforded him considerable enjoyment. She was a prickly little bundle of contradictions who held herself aloof from the tight-knit community and took great pride in lobbing frequent and well-aimed verbal grenades at several of her more condescending colleagues.

33

Robin L. Rotham

If she’d made any effort to fit in, she might have been a favorite of the group. As it was, she would be lucky to have any Terran companionship at all once aboard the Garathani vessel. It was unfortunate her jumpy little nurse friend had enlisted for domestic service only. While Kellen would be pleased to fill the gaping hole in Dr.

Teague’s social life once they departed, he regretted that she would be so completely alone when her Sparnite transition began in earnest. He dreaded the physical ordeal she faced as much as he was impatient for it, and he liked her enough to almost wish it would pass her by.

Almost
being the operative word.

Already, the pain she was experiencing grated on his conscience, which admittedly was a somewhat egocentric reaction on his part. His weren’t the only pheromones that had initiated her transition, after all. But he was the one who stood to benefit the most from it, and it was up to him to make certain that she suffered as little as possible, which was why he’d finally lain with her last night, poised on that cusp between heaven and hell.

He’d made many stealthy excursions into her quarters over the last three weeks and implemented a number of measures designed to enhance his awareness of her, not the least of which was the insertion of a hypodermic biomet unit under her left arm. The tiny multipurpose sensor sent him a continuous stream of data via cerecom link, ensuring that at any given moment, Kellen knew more about the doctor’s physical condition than she did herself. It was through the biomet, as much as his own quiet study of her as she slept, that he’d learned of her rapidly developing leg pains.

What she needed now was the relief that only intimate contact with a Garathani male could provide, and he intended to see that she got it as often as she needed it.

However, that relief was not without its price for either of them. Such contact tested the limits of his self-control even as it stimulated her already erratic transition. But he couldn’t just sit idly in the haven of his flare field each night and watch while she writhed in agony upon her narrow bed. His discussions with one of the Garathani physicians had convinced him that going to her was his only course of action.

So he’d lain with her, covered her with his warmth and bestowed the analgesic properties of his pheromones, all the while stoking the fires of both her maturation and his own lust with inquisitive hands. He’d enclosed them both in the versatile bubble of his flare field, deceiving her eyes and easing her mind with its vivid images as he gave her the barest taste of the pleasures of the flesh.

Kellen groaned as the memory curled through his groin.

My
,
oh my
,
Commander
, Shauss drawled in his head.
Guess who
’
s emitting now
…

34

Alien Overnight

“No way, Commander.”

Monica’s head jerked vigorously in denial, her temper threatening to slip its fragile leash. She stood toe-to-toe with the expressionless knothead, wound tight with anxiety about getting in the face of a man who’d nuked a whole civilization, but unable to back down now that she’d made her stand.

Talk about a self-fulfilling prophecy, she thought with disgust. It was only nine a.m.

and already her day was showing signs of taking the express handcart to hell.

Yesterday had gone from bad to dog shit. After lunch, she’d stumbled her way through the orientation packet as if she’d received it at the last minute instead of designing most of the damn thing herself, earning a lot of confused and doubtful looks from her flock of recruits. The commander’s watchful presence at the back of the theater had done little to curb her nervous rambling, and by the time she’d blathered her way through the final page, she was ready to spit in his eye.

She’d marched straight to her room with her head once again pounding like a bass drum and kicked her dresser so hard, her last full bottle of foundation had rolled off and cracked open on the thin carpet, spilling into an ugly stain. Too tired and upset to eat dinner, she’d tossed her lab coat and scrubs on the floor and crawled right into bed, desperate for the asylum of sleep. Of course, then she’d suffered incredible leg pains and tossed for hours before drifting off.

Today hadn’t started out much better. She’d managed to wake up in time to put her face on, but hadn’t been able to find any scrubs long enough to cover her ankles. Then she’d shrugged into the rumpled lab coat she’d discarded so carelessly the night before and been both surprised and amused to reach into the pocket and find a dollar instead of a tooth.

Wondering how in the hell Shelley had accomplished that, she’d actually headed for breakfast with a smile on her face. Then Shelley had totally denied her role as Tooth Fairy and made a big show of speculating about who might be responsible. Not that it was such a humongous deal, but Shelley had decided to make it one. All the blasted woman had to do was fess up and they’d have had a good laugh about it. Instead, she’d maintained her wide-eyed innocence and Monica had left the cafeteria bristling with annoyance.

All the stresses of the last twenty-four hours had led to her present condition—

puffy-eyed, woolly-brained and spoiling for a fight with the irksome Commander Kellen.

Her hyperawareness of him hadn’t faded away overnight, as she’d hoped. Oh, no.

Thanks to the explicitly sexual dreams riding her in those meager hours of pre-dawn 35

Robin L. Rotham

sleep and the vivid flashbacks still riding her this morning, she was more exquisitely sensitive than an exposed nerve and ready to scream with the frustration of it.

Once again, she’d fallen asleep on her stomach and he’d lain over her like a living blanket. But this time, after teasing her meager breasts without mercy, he’d slid one of his hands down into her panties as he rocked against her ass. She’d tried to crawl forward, away from his rough fingertips as they stroked her pubis, and he’d pressed all his weight down on her, forcing one of his long fingers into the shallow cradle of her cleft. Even now, she could hear herself keening as that finger pulsed gently against her flesh, and even now, she was profoundly grateful to know it was only a dream. The idea of Commander Kellen exploring her malformed genitals made her intestines twist with fear and shame.

And damn it, yes—need. God, it sucked to wake up throbbing with sexual arousal.

Why had she ever wished for such a thing, when there was no hope in hell it would ever be fulfilled?

Her nipples were sore now, stinging with every brush of scrubs against long underwear, and the glands that surrounded them were swollen and warm to the touch.

Damn it, she was going to have to forget the undershirts and find a training bra or something. Did they even make them in her size? Oh, that was going to be fun, asking the burly, cigar-chewing quartermaster to hunt down a thirty-eight double-pancake for an ultra-late bloomer.

Her life was shit. Complete, egg-sucking shit.

Kellen interrupted her bitter thoughts. “I’m afraid I must insist.”

“Ditto!” she snapped back, humiliation and resentment pricking the back of her neck. “I’m sorry, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to let you guys clutter up the women’s eval rooms. Those evaluations will be uncomfortable enough for them as it is.”

“If they were so concerned with personal comfort, they would not have volunteered for copulative services,” he countered easily.

Monica cringed. Copulative services! God, could they possibly have thought of a term less personal or caring?

What really pissed her off was that he was right. Most of the applicants who’d been accepted for evaluation had rated themselves “indifferent to” being observed in intimate situations. The remainder had actually checked the “excited about” option, which made her squirm with discomfort. These women couldn’t care less who saw them being probed and measured. It was her own sense of propriety, of personal dignity, that railed at the idea of these mega-sized alpha males playing voyeur while the recruits were subjected to such intimate examinations.

For all intents and purposes, the women were going to be little more than well-paid Garathani whores and broodmares, but she would do her damnedest to make sure they were all treated with respect. After all, they were the ones stepping up to the plate to 36

Alien Overnight

save the commander’s whole godforsaken race. At the moment, Monica wondered if they were even worth saving.

“Forget it. You can just take my word for their suitability.”

“No, Doctor, I can’t,” Kellen explained with exaggerated patience. “Council decree requires two Garathani witnesses.”

“To do
what
?” Her voice had risen a full octave, but she was beyond reining in her anger. “Do you intend to take a peek into the speculum when I do the pelvic exams, or maybe palpate their uteruses yourself?”

“If I deem it necessary, yes.”

“Oh, that does it.” Monica reached out with both hands and shoved at his massive chest with enough force to make Kellen fall back a step. His shaggy head tilted to one side as he watched her and the sight of his wary stance sent fierce satisfaction sizzling along her veins. He
should
be worried!

“Why don’t you just beam back to the mother ship, Captain Jerk-off,” she shouted.

“And find another planet to harvest your sex toys from!” She shoved him again, as hard as she could, and he took another step back. A red haze of fury tore through her, sending waves of heat rippling over her skin, making her shoulders hunch defensively as she continued to rage at him.

“These women, these human beings,”
shove
, “you’re so damned callous about, are willing to give up everything they’ve ever known just so you and your cohorts can get your fucking rocks off!”
Shove
. “And in return, you’ll show your appreciation by ogling them while they’re lying there helpless,”
shove
, “with their feet in stirrups and their legs spread wide, you dirty, thankless son of a bitch!”

The brisk knock at Kellen’s office door froze her mid-shove.

“Everybody okay in there?”

Jasmine’s tentative inquiry snapped Monica out of the
Twilight Zone
with the force of a roundhouse kick. She felt the tears streaming down her blistering hot cheeks, heard the respirations that were as harsh and rapid as her bounding pulse and was immediately racked by shudders. She wrapped her arms around her waist as if to ward off a sudden chill.

Kellen still watched her, his back nearly to the wall now, his face as unreadable as ever.

“We’re fine, Miss King,” he said calmly. “Just a little misunderstanding. You may return to your duties.”

After a pregnant pause, Jasmine’s uncertain “Okay, then” floated through the door.

“Oh my God,” Monica hiccupped. “I’m so sorry, Commander. I don’t know what just happened here, I swear I don’t.” A sob wrenched from her throat.

For just a moment, she thought everything was all right. Kellen’s face softened into what might have been compassion and he took a step toward her. Then her stomach 37

Robin L. Rotham

growled and she suddenly became aware of the thick, savory sweetness of pheromones bathing her respiratory tract.

Commander Kellen was aroused.

By her.

“Stop!” she cried, putting up her shaking hands to hold him at bay. “Don’t you touch me!”

*

Empran
,
dispatch Ketrok to my office immediately
, Kellen ordered. At first he’d been bemused by her show of temper. Then arousal had set in. If the shouting hadn’t done it, the pushing definitely would have—nothing fired his blood more quickly than a physical confrontation. The temptation to lay her over his desk and show her the error of her ways had wound deliciously through his belly, but he’d ignored it, allowing the fire to mount slowly even as he allowed her to propel him backward across his office.

He’d never been more thankful for his steely control over the demands of his flesh than at this moment.

Dispatch confirmed
came the reply.

Hopefully the Garathani doctor would know what to do with Monica. Obviously some major upheaval was taking place in her body and Kellen was at a loss about how to handle her rising hysteria. Color blazed under her pale skin and beads of sweat trembled on her brow and upper lip. Peserin’s eye, what must she be going through?

Taking that last step back, pressing his buttocks and shoulders against the wall, he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “It’s all right, Doctor. I’ll stay right here.”

“See that you do,” she said tremulously as she hugged herself. Then she blinked repeatedly before she doubled over at the waist and gasped.

“Monica, what’s wrong?”

“Stay back!” she screamed. “I mean it, stay back!”

“I will,” Kellen promised urgently. “Just tell me what’s hurting you.”

“My stomach,” she gasped. “My head, my eyes…” Then she crumbled to her knees and laid her forehead on the floor with a ragged cry. “What’s happening to me?”

Empran
,
I need Ketrok NOW
!

*Ketrok ETA nine seconds
.
*

The last time Kellen had felt so powerless, he’d watched his mate and young daughter succumb to the final destructive wave of the Narthani bio-war virus. They’d died in such unbearable pain that it had splintered his mind and ripped out his soul.

This helplessness was just as maddening. He wanted to slam his fist into something, drive it hard enough to crush his very bones. Instead, he locked down the impotent rage and maintained his position behind the door, unwilling to frighten Monica further by sweeping her up into his embrace as every instinct screamed that he 38