Protected: Alien Mate Index Book 2: (Alien Warrior BBW Paranormal Science fiction Romance) (The Alien Mate Index) (22 page)

Which was really fucking reassuring. Especially since I could swear I felt the cylinder of the image generator shifting around against my hip bone.

Just stay in place,
I thought at it, as though it would do any good.
Just a little while longer, you little fucker…

Why hadn’t I used eight staples instead of just seven? For that matter, why hadn’t I taken a laser needle and stitched it into my flesh more securely?

Well, it was too late now. I just had to pray it would hold.

The Reverend Mother introduced us to the warden—a tall female with slightly darker pink skin than most of the other Geminians we’d met so far. She was carrying the same, sparking power-spear the guard in the parking area had held and seemed to know how to use it.

“Tullah, dear, these are the Acolytes of Naamah, here to question Haenah, who was warding little Teeny Kiv’orop when she was taken,” she said to her. “Have you made any progress with her?”

“I’m afraid not.” The warden frowned. “She refuses to say anything—you know Thonolins. So stubborn.”

“Well these acolytes have just imbibed a truth-drink that should enable them to get something out of her,” the Reverend Mother said. “You’re to let them into her cell so they can talk to her at close range.”

“Let a
male
into the cell with a female prisoner?” The warden eyed me as if I had the Crimson Death plague.

“I know it’s not the usual protocol but this male is Ma
jor
an,” the Reverend Mother emphasized. “As such, he is completely devoted to his bonded mate.” She nodded at Leah. “And so will have no interest in harming or molesting any other female.”

“Bad enough that he molests his mate,” the warden snapped, glaring at me.

“Grav doesn’t
molest
me,” Leah said, jumping in to defend my honor, to my surprise. “He, uh,
cares
for me.” I noticed she didn’t look at me while she said it, as though she wasn’t sure what I would think about her statement.

I wished she knew how true her words were. But I couldn’t let her know.

“So your
mate,”
the guard spit the word out like a bite of rotten meat. “doesn’t use you sexually? Doesn’t force himself inside you in order to pollute you with his essence?”

“I…he…” Leah’s face had gone pink with embarrassment. “He never
forces
me—we…we make love.”

“There is nothing loving about being penetrated by a male,” the warden snapped. “It’s an abomination.”

“All right now, Tullah,” the Reverend Mother said briskly. “Just go unlock the cell if you would please and the two acolytes will be along directly.”

The warden gave me one more look burning with hatred and then turned and stomped off down the narrow stone corridor.

“You’ll have to forgive Tullah,” the Reverend Mother remarked. “We of Gemina hold very strong religious views about the roles of males and females. Some are more…
intolerant
than others. I’m afraid our warden is one of those. But then…” She sighed. “She’s seen so
many
males trying to break into the Temple to steal our holy artifacts. I’m afraid it’s no wonder she has a rather bad view of them all.”

“Not all males are bad,” Leah said, frowning. “Not even most of them. And I say that even though I know what it’s like to be with a male who’s abusive and cruel.”

“Do you really? You poor dear.” The Reverend Mother pressed her hand gently. “Was it before you met your mate?” She nodded at me.

“Yes.” Leah’s cheeks were pink again and for some reason, my own face felt hot as she blushed. I wondered why that was.

“Well, Gemina, as I’m sure you know, is a sanctuary planet. Often females who have been…hurt by males come here. But I, like you, don’t believe males are
all
bad.” The Reverend Mother gave a tinkling laugh. “At least, Ma
jor
an males aren’t. After all, it isn’t as if your mate is
Braxian.”

“No…no, of course not,” Leah whispered faintly. “That would be…ridiculous.”

“Well, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. And I do hope you get the information you need to help find Teeny. Poor child—I didn’t know her well but she did come to the Temple to pray quite often when she had time off from her classes.” The Reverend Mother sighed. “I hope you can get to her before…before it’s too late.”

“That’s the plan,” I said, wishing she would let us get the fuck on with it already. The damn truth-drink she’d made us take hadn’t seemed to have much effect at first, but now I was feeling kind of weird.

“Some of those that took her were
Biters,
you know,” the Reverend Mother said to Leah in a low voice. “I pray to the Goddess daily that they don’t infect her with the Biter’s Curse.”

“That’s our prayer too.” Leah squeezed her hand and smiled. “But now we really need to interview Teeny’s guard before the truth-drink wears off.”

“Oh, of course…of course. You two go on—and best of luck to you.”

She gave us one last smile and finally turned and left us.

I looked at Leah and she looked at me.

“All right,” I said in a low voice. “Let’s go—it’s show time.”

Leah

Haenah, Teeny’s former guard, sat against the wall of her cell looking defiant and sullen. She had pale green skin like her former ward’s, dark purple eyes, and brownish-black hair which had been cut short and spiky all over her head. Apparently she was a Thonolin, from the same race of people that Teeny was.

And just as clearly, she had no intention of talking to us.

“If you’re here to ask questions about that little Teeny brat, you can forget it,” she said flatly as soon as the warden had shut us into the cell with her—sparing one last baleful glare at Grav, whom she really seemed to hate, just for being male. “I got nothing to say.”

“Tell us about Arn,” I said, stepping towards her. “The man, er,
male
you were talking with before Teeny was taken. Was he involved in the plot to kidnap her?”

“What would
you
know about someone like Arn?” she sneered at me. “He’s T’varri—you know what that means? He’s a
real
male in the bedchamber.”

“What?” I frowned at her. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the best sex you ever had—T’varri know how to master their females in bed. They know how to take charge—not like
your
mate.” She sneered at Grav who so far had remained motionless and silent. “Probably gets down on his knees and begs to kiss your pussy, doesn’t he?
‘Oh please, my lady goddess, let me pleasure you,’
” she mocked.

“That’s enough.” Grav’s voice was a low, dangerous growl though he still hadn’t moved from his spot by the door.

“What I and my…my mate do in the privacy of the, uh, bedchamber is none of your business,” I said, feeling my cheeks get hot. “We’re talking about your involvement with Arn here. I hope you’re not saying he kidnapped Teeny to—”

“No.” She lifted her chin. “She’s too young for him—he’s only interested in
me
that way.”

“So you’re protecting him,” I said flatly. “You think he’ll wait for you while you rot here in prison?”

She shrugged. “It’s not so bad here. Three meals a day. Time outside to exercise. Really quite enjoyable. I can wait here until Arn comes for me.”

“He’s not coming,” Grav rumbled.

“That’s what
you
think,” she sneered. “Arn says I’m the best submissive he’s ever had. He’ll never let me go.”

“Where did he take Teeny?” I demanded.

“I don’t know.” She shrugged airily. “No idea—he didn’t tell me.”

Suddenly, I got a strange tingling sensation at the base of my spine and I
knew
she wasn’t telling the truth—not even close. At the same time, I saw Grav’s nostrils flare as he inhaled.

“She’s lying,” I said.

“I know.” He looked grim as he took a step back to stand by me.

“Did you get a tingling sensation too?” I asked him under my breath. “Or can you just smell it on her?”

“Both,” he growled, his eyes never leaving the sullen Haenah who was glaring back at him.

“Do you think it’s the Spaghetti’os liquorish drink?” I said in a low voice.

“What?” He frowned. “What does that really mean anyway—Spaghetti’os? I know it’s not a fuckin’ Ma
jor
an exclamation of delight.”

“It’s a canned pasta dish you give to kids on my planet,” I told him. “It’s what the truth-drink tastes like. Well that and hot, salty liquorish.
Ugh.”

“Yeah, it was kinda nasty.” Grav shrugged. “But who knows what real truth-drink is supposed to taste like?”

“Truth-drink?” Haenah sat up straighter on her straw mattress, surprising me. I’d thought we were talking too low for her to hear us. “You mean the
Liquid of Desire?”

“What?” I looked at her, frowning.

“You two took Truth-drink?” she demanded again.

“Yeah but what was the other thing you called it?” I couldn’t help feeling apprehensive. After we had first drunk the nasty truth-drink the Reverend Mother had prepared us, I hadn’t felt much of anything. But it was starting to kick in now, making me feel jittery and strange—hyper alert to everything around me and hyper sensitive in every part of my body for some reason.

“
Liquid of Desire,”
Haenah sneered at me. “Tell me, is that the only way your male can get it up for you? By dosing himself with that stuff?”

“We took it to help us in your questioning,” I snapped.

“Oh, so it has nothing to do with the fact that a mated pair who imbibes the drink at the same time has certain, shall we say,
interesting
side effects?” She opened her eyes wide, as though she really wanted to know.

“What side effects?” I was starting to feel panicky.

“Yeah, right—like you don’t know.” Haenah jutted her chin defiantly. “I know what you’re thinking—that you’ll get what you want out of me and then go fuck like Gilbranian leporines. Well good luck—I’ve been a merc for a long time. You think this is the first time I’ve been questioned by interrogators using truth-drink?”

“I—” I began but she kept on talking.

“The best way to beat truth-drink is to not say anything at all. You can’t tell if I’m lying or not if I don’t answer your questions.” She crossed her arms and glared at me defiantly. “So from now on, my lips are sealed.”

“Sorry, sweetheart—you don’t get that luxury,” Grav growled. “Not when Teeny’s life is in danger.”

“What are you—” Haenah began but Grav was already in motion.

He stepped forward and I saw the long, thin porcupine quill appear in his hand. Before Haenah could protest, he had jabbed her unprotected arm with the end of it.

“Ow! You fucking Ma
jor
an bastard!” She kicked out in retaliation, aiming for his crotch. Grav turned to the side just in time but her booted foot still caught him in the right hip.

I felt a sharp pain in my own right hip for some reason and then I saw his image flicker…and then fail. Haenah’s eyes grew wide as she saw him revealed in full Braxian mode—blue skin, white-on-black eyes, and twisting black ram’s horns.

“Holy Goddess!” she gasped, staring at him. “You’re…you’re…”

“That’s right, sweetheart—I’m not a Ma
jor
an bastard—I’m a fuckin’ Braxian one.” Grav leaned in close, getting his face right up to hers. I knew he wouldn’t hurt her but Haenah didn’t know that. I saw her dark purple eyes get wider and wider and her green face grew pale.

“You…you’re the Protector—Teeny’s Protector. She was always talking about you!”

“That’s right. And the Princepae broke my contract with her and hired
you
instead. And what did you do? You sold her out!” Grav’s voice was a low growl but the intensity of his words made them sound like a shout. “Well now you’re gonna tell me everything—
who
took her,
where
they took her, and
why.”

“It was Arn who took her—he was hired by Yo’lox—Teeny’s grandfather’s main political rival.” Haenah’s eyes went even wider. “Oh my Goddess—why did I say that? What did you do to me?”

“Just made sure you can’t lie, that’s all.” I smiled at her sweetly. “Now where did they take Teeny?”

“I’ll never tell you that. I’ll…I’ll…”

Her lips worked and it was obvious she was trying not to say any more. But the green porcupine truth-spine that Shekk had sold Grav clearly worked better than the faulty image generator. Before she could stop herself, words came tumbling out of Haenah’s mouth.

“The Lavara system—on Chndra. It’s a moon orbiting Hallux Two,” she babbled. “Right in the middle of the Spider’s Web.”

“The Spider’s Web?” Grav frowned. “Nobody gets in and out of that fucking place alive.”

“Arn does. He and his crew have an understanding with the Widow. They let her have first pick of everything they get on their pirating runs.” The words were flowing from her mouth like water. “Arn says it’s a good deal—not even the Imperial Guards mess with the Widow.”

“Well, somebody’s gonna fuckin’ well mess with her now,” Grav growled. “And you’re gonna have to kiss your pirate goodbye, sweetheart. If he so much as touched a hair on Teeny’s head—”

“He didn’t—he wouldn’t!” Haenah protested.

I waited anxiously but didn’t feel the tingle at the base of my spine. Thank goodness—she seemed to be telling the truth about that at least.

“So he was just gonna trade her to the Widow—was that the plan?” Grav demanded.

“No—the Widow didn’t have anything to do with it,” Haenah said. “Arn was just supposed to keep her on Chndra. He wanted to ransom her back to her grandfather eventually but…”

“But what?” Grav growled.

Haenah slapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head, her eyes wide.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Grav growled. Leaning forward, he pried the hand off her mouth. “Talk, damn you!”

“Some of the others—the mercs especially hired by Yo’lox—wanted to give her the curse.”

“The curse?
What
curse?” Grav leaned in even closer and it occurred to me that as scary as he was when his Braxian nature was showing through, he scarcely needed the truth-spine.

“The
Biting
Curse. They wanted to turn Teeny into a Biter. That way she could never rule Thonolax when she gets older.”