Flicker (3 page)

Chapter Six

The rest of the four days of negotiations went along smoothly with Ben behaving professionally and Nar rolling his eyes at their conversations. It was on the final day of his trip, after all the documents had been witnessed, signed, ratified and recorded, that he took her aside.

Nar sat her down while Ben was changing out of his ceremonial uniform. “Seval, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean? We are getting you ready to leave on the next shuttle.”

“No. I mean with Vorabenik. He is a great man, an excellent game player and he has great affection for you.” Nar was earnest as he paced back and forth in front of the chair where she had agreed to sit.

“Does he? He also has great affection for at least three professional companions on the station.” She sounded a little surly, but couldn’t help it. She was jealous. As soon as she admitted it, she would have to request a replacement for Ben. They would not be effective as a team if she saw him as hers alone.

“He is part Nyal, and part Azon. They have heightened sexual needs, they have sex by necessity, not really by choice half of the time. But both species mate for life.”

“Ah, Nyal. I did wonder what the other part of him was. And of course you would side with him. You are both men.”

“Yes, but I am of the Mathi. We live celibate lives until our women are chosen for us. Our biochemistry can make or break a union. It is imperative that the research be done before we even meet.” Nar touched the arm of the chair and then took her hand. “Give him a chance. You can always have him fired if it doesn’t work out.”

The smile that he aimed at her head was comforting and amused all at the same time. “I suppose that that is true.”

A voice from behind them rang out, “And I will go gladly, but all I wish is the chance to get to know the real you behind your shield.”

She looked behind her to find Ben in all of his standard-issue uniformed glory. She almost drooled. “Fine. You get one week.”

“I accept. Now let us escort the esteemed Nar of Mathi back to his shuttle.” Ben took position to escort Nar and she was left with no choice but to take point.

She sighed heavily. “Goodbye Nar, it has been nice seeing you again. My best to Srrah.” She kissed him gently on the back of his hand, the formal goodbye of one friend to another.

He reciprocated and then gave her a pat on her shoulder. “It will be all right, Seval.”

“Positions, boys. Let’s go.” Opening the door to the rest of the station, she led the way to the shuttle bay. His shuttle, the Morning Guard, was primed and ready for launch to the Dawn Guardian. It was no coincidence that the two ships were named for her. She had saved Nar’s life and his virginity twice since she had met him, both of prime importance to himself and his people.

The repulsion fields were really getting a workout this visit, but it was worth it. Nar needed to be mated to Srrah and he needed to do it intact. No possible interference could be allowed at this time. The walk was bittersweet. She had to take point on sending one of her best friends back to his home.

The Dawn Guard was ready in all of her shining glory. It was when they were within twenty meters that Xara made her move. Fortunately, Nar of Mathi was already inside and taking off. The shuttle was moving down the ramp to the launch bay with Ben and Seval heading back up the ramp when she moved to block them. Well, him. Xara didn’t know that Seval existed.

She was wearing a low cut gown that left not an inch of her to the imagination. “Why, Agent Vorabenik is your assignment done?”

He stopped short and bowed formally. “This one, Ambassador. The next will start in a few hours.”

She oozed up to him and stroked her hand down his arm. “Oh, then we don’t have much time. Well, you don’t. I have days to fill.”

“Enjoy your time off then, Ambassador.” He was trying to be polite, but there was a strain in his voice.

“Xara, please.”

“I am afraid not, Ambassador.” Sweat dampened the velvet of his skin.

Alarmed, Seval examined him closely. He was not wearing his filter. Shit! She moved forward silently and, when Xara shifted her weight, Seval struck. Her feet lashed out to knock the Ambassador down and she shoved at Ben to separate him from the Olankan. Her voice hissed, “Move,” as she pushed at her partner to get him in motion. She cranked his repulsion field up and physically hauled the stunned Azon up to Medical, leaving Xara on the floor.

The doctor took one look at the fist-sized handful of tunic that was leading the large Agent and he began to prep his instruments. “Agent Seval, is there trouble?”

“He has been given an enormous dose of Olankan hormones, both inhaled and via contact. Fix him.” She sat aside and waited for him to get to work.

He took Vorabenik and put him on an examination table. “There is no cure for that.”

“Why not?”

“Because they do not break into his system, they ride his own hormones and intensify them. The only thing that could override them would be another set of female pheromones.” He readied a shot, “All I can do is sedate him until they wear off.”

“You have to be kidding.”

“No, I am not. Only another female’s hormones can override the Olankan’s. That is why she chooses men separated from their mates. They can’t fight back.”

“And since Ben has no mate…”

“Yet.”

“Yes, yet. He has no way to override the pheromones.” The subject of their conversation was sitting bemused, with a raging erection.

She mulled over the pros and cons of the situation. “Can you reactivate
my
glands for this purpose?”

“Of course I could. But are you sure? It would be two months before I could redo the procedure to subdue them.”

“Fine. Go ahead. He is already attracted to my mind. Let’s see if he likes how I smell.” She took a deep breath and hopped onto the table next to Ben’s. “Ready when you are.”

He finished prepping the hypo and walked toward her with the spray, one hand outstretched to find her on the table. She became visible to help the doc and looked over to Ben’s vacant face. She reached out to take his hand and everything went dark.

Chapter Seven

“What do you mean that he’s gone?” Seval woke, only to find that her partner had been taken by the Olankan Ambassador.

“Less than half an hour ago. I did try to stop her from taking him, but he is still under her thrall. He hit me.” The darkening bruise on his cheekbones was proof of the attack.

Her body was not under her control as she sat up. Her mind tried to take control of it and go invisible, but all she could manage was a flicker. “Where are they taking him?”

“To the shuttle bay. They are leaving and it seems she wants a souvenir of her stay on Kalish Station.”

She stretched out her legs. Seval was quickly formulating a plan and, as soon as she got the doctor’s all clear, she ran. There were several ways down to the shuttle bay, but a quick communication with the launch bay had the Olankan ship delayed. Seval took the fastest one. There was limited oxygen, but she could hold her breath for two minutes and it was almost enough. The Olankan ship was clearly marked and there were some Station repair techs waiting for her next to it. As she arrived out of the service shaft, they opened the hatch on the ship and boosted her in. One stowaway was now officially aboard and she was not leaving until she got her man.

As soon as the
technical
issue that the launch bay had reported had cleared, the Olankan ship was on its way, with her tight inside. She worked her way into the main portion of the shuttle and was heading for the cockpit when she heard a moan through the metal of the deck plates.
Bitch
. She was so going to kick Xara’s ass when she got a hold of her. Kidnapping an Alliance Agent carried a very stiff penalty.

Seval ignored the moans and sighs that Ben was exuding, as well as those that Xara was now joining in with. She had a focus, a goal, and she was going to get there.

The plate swung open to drop her into the cockpit. She used the medical stunner to knock out the pilots and then set a new course. They were going down. She locked the controls and then sheared them off with one of the pocket tools on her belt. Now to retrieve her mate. Uh. Her partner. Yeah, that was it.

Invisibility was no longer a concern. Xara had only had the two guardsmen who also acted as pilots. They were not going to be in any shape to help or hinder. Nor was the Ambassador when she got a hold of her.

The reverberations of Ben’s voice were drawing her. He was just around the corner. She rounded that corner and threw open the door to see the unforgettable image of her partner pinning the Ambassador of Olanka to the wall. By her neck.

The urge to laugh fought with her urge to scream. This was just her luck. Ben had fought his way free on his own.

“Agent Vorabenik. Put the Ambassador down and follow me to brace for impact. This shuttle is crashing.”

“Who are you?” The hoarse gasp was emitted the instant that Ben let Xara down to the floor in a heap.

“She is Agent Seval Wythin. Senior Agent of Kalish Station and my mate.”

She was sure that he meant to say partner. Of course he did. The blood red impact of his eyes showed his Nyal ancestry and that he was definitely under hormonal control. He swept toward her and picked her up to kiss her, her legs dangling off the ground as he ravished her and woke up parts of her body that had been in permanent hibernation.

“You have a mate? On the Station? Hells.” Xara looked disgusted. “I am sorry, apparently my research was faulty.”

Seval was unable to correct the false assumption that Ben was her mate. His mouth still hadn’t left hers. She finally fought herself free. “Ben! Crash landing! Now!”

His eyes were still vague, but he followed her to the crash station and strapped himself in. Xara came in next to them, contrite and quiet. The klaxon hooted the imminent impact and they simply hung on for dear life.

“Will it be a water impact or land?” Xara was petrified.

“Water, three skips, then a slide onto an uninhabited beach. They are waiting for us to crash.”

“Who are?”

“The Kalish.” Seval smiled evilly. The Kalish did not like Xara. They found her lack of respect for individual choice to be faithful to a mate distressing.

“Of course.” There was no more time for talk as the shuddering of the craft drowned out all conversational avenues. They hit hard, once, twice, three times and then a shuddering slide took them straight onto land.

It was the last thing Seval noticed before Xara knocked her out.

* * * *

The instant that the doctor had pronounced Seval’s reversal complete, Ben had known. Her scent came to him, weak at first, then gaining in strength with every second. His. A perfect match. When he tried to hold her, the doctor moved to stop him so he struck him. Seconds later, the Ambassador and her guards were there stunning him and dragging him off.

He came to consciousness on the shuttle, bound to the bed by manacles. This creature was keeping him from his mate and he would not participate in her little games. She grew irritated when he would not play along and it was only when he used his mating strength to snap the cuffs and held her against the wall that she gave up on her attempts.

The instant that Seval walked through the door, fully visible, his heart began to pound through his veins. She was gorgeous, her hair wild, waist tiny and eyes that were full of fire. She was his and he would prove it to her. But first, a kiss.

When she told him to release the Ambassador, he did, almost forgetting that she was dangling by the neck. Seval drew him like no other ever would. Her scent intoxicated him and the feel of her in his arms was incredible. Her taste burned through him, marking him, making a memory of perfection.

Idly, he followed her to the crash seats and buckled in. The women were talking about the shuttle, but he could only concentrate on Seval until the moment when Xara struck her. That he could not bear.

She turned to him while hovering over his mate “Now, I can enjoy you without the stress of your mate nearby.”

“Get away from her.” He backhanded Xara, sending her flying into the wall, then unbuckled his beloved. Her eyes opened blearily and she began to flicker in and out of visibility. He carried her away from the crash site and into the forest. It was just like his home on Azon, lush, green and dangerous.

Ben could smell blood on Seval where Xara struck her. The cut was over her temple, but not too deep. It was probably more shock than anything else that was causing her to go in and out of consciousness.

With Seval out of commission, he needed to make a shelter, so he used tools on her belt to sever tree limbs and assemble a rudimentary roof, then collected long leaves to create the walls. By the time he tucked her inside, night was falling and he was content to sleep on a bed of fronds with his partner and mate curled against him. It was perfect, if not the mating night that his mother had always imagined for him.