The Healer's Kiss: Book Four of the Forced To Serve Series (2 page)

But the damage was already done.

Rampant unchecked desire to be with Chiang the Greggor was not unfamiliar to her now, but it was still unwanted. Her knees trembled, and she pressed them tightly together to stop them. If he would have reached for her, she would have crawled into his lap even with everyone watching. Her programming had already started to encode him on her energy. She was tuning herself to him, involuntarily maybe, but it was happening nonetheless.

Boca had to clear her throat to speak again. Ironically, the gazes of others in the room no longer unnerved her. All could she think of was running her hands over the Greggor’s back and listening to him moan. Her husky voice betrayed her arousal when she finally spoke. She hoped those listening merely thought she was in fear of her own words.

“The design need not be as large as Chiang’s family mark or cover so much area of the body,” Boca said, holding up her hand to Gwen and circling her palm. “This much is all that is needed. We will concentrate the ink in small designs for maximum effect and to be less noticeable as an adornment.”

Gwen turned and smiled at the incredibly handsome male at her side. “Looks like we’re getting tattoos, Zade. Can we get matching ones? I vote for kickass dragons.”

“Fictional Earth creatures do not appeal to me. Pick something alluring. Or perhaps symbolic of your beliefs,” Dorian ordered softly.

Gwen laughed at her mate’s order, promptly deciding she would talk her mate into the dragon tattoos later, when they were alone and she could have her way with him until he agreed. “So, Synar, I assume you want us all to get these marks?” she asked, working hard not to smile.

“No one is leaving the Liberator again for a mission without a ‘tattoo’ in this ink,” Synar agreed, using Gwen’s word for the mark. “Not even Malachi.”

When the others looked at him in surprise, Malachi shrugged and smiled. “For clarification, what our captain means is that my host body has to have a way to be found as well. I quite agree with him. I would hate to lose my current home.”

“I thought you were invincible,” Chiang challenged.

“Energetically, that is a profound truth, Doctor. Certainly not much can block me or stop me, but there are metals like Ceruse that seem impervious to my energy. I would explain, but the physics are boring, and likely beyond the ability of most in this room to comprehend,” Malachi said.

“Explain it to those of us who can,” Chiang challenged.

“There are many more important things to discuss. You will just have to take my word that to protect my host I would as gladly allow the mark applied to this body as I would to Ania Looren’s,” Malachi said. He bowed his head to the Greggor, but did allow himself a smirk of satisfaction over Chiang’s irritation.

Synar looked between the battled males. “
Every crew member that leaves the ship will be marked.
This is non-negotiable. Pick a design and submit it to Medical by tomorrow. The ink arrives Friday on the supply ship.”

“Any other decrees you want to drop on us today?” Gwen asked, grinning at her superior, mostly because he was acting more like one than usual.

“I have two more pieces of general information to share. The first is that a new Lieutenant will be joining us soon. Her expertise is in tracking, which I deliberately sought, since the ship is not equipped with advanced scanning. There will be more about her after she signs her contract to serve on the Liberator. I want to meet her face-to-face before deciding if she is going to be a good fit. She is currently on the crew of the Paladin.”

Synar paused and looked between Chiang and Boca.

“The second and more important issue concerns our upcoming return mission to Lotharius,” he said softly. “Ensign Ador has asked that Ensign Karr be considered to accompany her on the mission as her owner mate. I am taking her request under advisement.”

There was a moment when Chiang’s angry gaze fell on her that Boca felt a full blown panic attack coming on. She met Ania’s gaze across the table and watched her trainer bow her head, respecting Boca’s recommendation. Ania’s support helped her keep her chin in the air.

“That’s all for now,” Synar said, hoping to defuse the situation before his new doctor ended up making a professional fool of himself because he couldn’t control his feelings. He looked at Dorian for support, but his counselor only shook his head. Synar’s gaze swept the table again. “The mission will commence near the end of next week. Our team will go in as soon as we get word the second ship is near the rendezvous point.”

As everyone stood to leave, Chiang turned to Boca. “It was decided that I am to accompany you as your mate. Why have you asked for this change?”

Boca lifted her chin. “I talked with the captain about the growing complications of our—
situation
—especially considering your intense reaction to my training. Ensign Karr shows no remorse in his interactions with me.”

“That young male is not going with you,” Chiang whispered, towering over her as they both stood. “I meant what I said, Boca. No one is going to control you. But if you must have a temporary torturer, then by the Creators, it’s going to be me.”

“I believe that is a decision for the Captain to make, not you,” Boca stated, hiding her trembling hands in the pockets of her Medical smock. Defiance was still very hard for her, but especially with this male. Her desire for him weakened her. “Now I must meet Lieutenant Zade for meditation practice. Excuse me, Doctor.”

“You can run for now, but this discussion is not over,” Chiang told her firmly as she turned to leave.

“Of course not,” Boca replied as confidently as she could. “Captain Synar hasn’t made his decision yet. Now I really must go.”

Chiang’s hands fisted at his side as he watched Boca flee on the heels of Gwen and Lieutenant Zade. The masculine laugh near his ear had his hot gaze swinging to the male who owned it.

“Watching you and the lovely ensign fight over your mating is nearly as entertaining as seducing her would have been,” Malachi commented. “She’s a determined female. And I do believe she is quite angry with you.”

“Didn’t she tell you about Sumerian females, demon?” Chiang asked, his tone flat and hard. “They can’t be seduced.”

“Boca lies to protect herself,” Malachi said with a grin, slapping Chiang hard on the arm and earning a searing glare. “But then, you already know that for a fact, don’t you? You both carry images of each other which are quite stimulating to the rest of the intuitives on this ship.”

Chiang took two cleansing breaths wondering what would happen if he punched the smirking demon just once, really hard. It probably wouldn’t hurt the foul mist he was, and then he’d also have to hear all the whining about the damage to the host body. Or worse—he might have to fix it.

“As much as I find your anger appeases my irritation that the lovely Boca is not meant for me, I have to ask you to set aside your possessive mate inclinations for the moment, Doctor. I wish to discuss the possibility of serving on your Medical team. Liam—I mean, Captain Synar—has given me permission to ask. To start my service, I could easily apply the tracking marks, even the dragons our adorable Earthling commander is secretly hoping to talk Lieutenant Zade into getting,” Malachi said, bowing his head to the still fuming Greggor male. “I didn’t mean to look at the images in Gwen’s head either, but she was so excited, I couldn’t resist.”

“Sounds great. Having you in Medical will ensure I always know what the Helios you’re doing. I expect you to commit to no mind reading as a condition, and I assure you that I will come up with inventive tortures to incapacitate that beloved host body of yours if you don’t behave yourself under my command,” Chiang said.

“Kinky and very appealing since it’s been a while since I was properly punished, as I am sure you are well trained in how to do. But I prefer females to make me suffer, so I must decline your offer of bodily torture,” Malachi said. “I assume behaving myself also includes stopping all attempts to seduce the delectable Sumerian you consider yours already.”

“You start work for me tomorrow,” Chiang said roughly, ignoring the comment about Boca being his, choosing to glare his agreement instead. “Your stasis unit is arriving on the Paladin. If Captain Synar agrees, you can fly over with Zade to retrieve the unit, as well as our new Lieutenant. On your return, you can spend the required time setting it up. I’ll connect it to the Medical analysis system afterwards. We’ll do the testing as soon as it is functional.”

“As you wish, Doctor,” Malachi said, bowing his head again. “Thank you for agreeing to my request. You will find me an obedient medic.”

Not bothering to offer respect, Chiang turned abruptly and left, heading out of the conference room door to the nearest com port not in hearing distance. He wanted to know where Boca kept hiding and would enlist the entire Medical staff to help find her if needed, including the cursed demon who would no doubt enjoy the task.

The angry Greggor slamming the conference room door made Malachi laugh again. He turned to see Liam and Ania standing, arms crossed, both glaring at him. He couldn’t fight the additional laughter welling up inside at their matching irritation over his argument with Chiang.

Humor was an odd sensation in a corporeal body, Malachi decided. Normally, he only experienced such things at the mercy of his host’s senses. He was still getting used to feeling his own amusement again after so many years of not doing so. And Conor’s body wasn’t used to feeling mirth, so he was doubly challenged.

“What are you two angry about now? Chiang the Greggor said yes to my offer,” he protested. “I will serve him well. I gave you both my word and swore by the Creators.”

Malachi couldn’t help laughing more when both his keepers rolled their eyes.

Chapter 2

“How long do you think you can avoid him?” Dorian asked kindly, turning his back discreetly to the woman before dropping his pants. “The mating urge will make him very motivated. He will find you eventually, especially on a ship this size.”

Dorian hung his clothes on nearby empty pegs and lifted his black robe from another, wrapping it around him as he chanted a prayer to cleanse himself from negativity. When he turned to face Boca, he fought the urge to smile at her gaze fixed determinedly on the ceiling of the meditation room.

“Does my nudity offend you, Ensign Ador?” he asked. “That was not my intention. If you had come at your appointed time, I would have been already properly dressed for our session.”

“A lack of clothing never bothers anyone trained as a medic, Lieutenant. Your male form is most pleasing. It is just that I am currently in a vulnerable state, and you are an alluring Siren. I appreciate your mate’s continued faith in training me,” Boca explained. “Also, I fear her agitation should she discover I have seen her mate nude without medical cause.”

“My mate and I have had no discussions concerning my nudity. The only helpful advice I can offer is that your vulnerable state to other males can be easily fixed by claiming your own mate,” Dorian said, walking to where the diminutive female stood frowning at him now.

He gazed down at her kindly, noting Boca Ador barely reached his shoulder in height. Like many others who had come into contact with her, Dorian was also concerned about Boca’s continued resistance to a connection that would make her stronger if she would only bond with the Greggor. If her will was not unbreakable in its intent when she returned to Lotharius, her body might not support her survival if captured again. Boca’s mind was far more vulnerable than any other part of her.

“Sumerian females do not claim, Lieutenant. The males of my species do the claiming,” Boca explained tightly.

“Don’t you think it’s time to set aside your self-deceit? Your spirit has chosen a male, and his energy calls to you. And Sumerian females
can
claim when they choose to do so,” Dorian informed her. “It was not so many millennia ago that this was done commonly. You were sired into one of the old families of your Sumerian lineage, which means you are quite capable of binding a mate to you. Your lack of honesty is a waste of our time together because you are too distracted by your rebellion to meditate.”

“I’m sorry, Lieutenant. I have no wish to waste your time,” Boca said stiffly, hurt by his words.

“Let us be honest then about this problem, because do not be mistaken, it is a very real problem for you. Your fear of giving up control to a mate is as great as your physical fear of the very large Greggor you are drawn to. If you cannot conquer these lesser challenges of your life, how can you prepare yourself to face a planet of males who would sexually enslave you again given any opportunity to do so?”

“Do you really believe that bonding with Chiang would not be conceding to the same fate for me?” Boca demanded, lifting her chin. “You know how Sumerians are in mating. We are not that much unlike Sirens, but the difference is that I will be bound to him much more than he will ever be bound to me.”

“Bonding is always a risk. Often mating is the largest one a being ever takes,” Dorian said. “The mental turmoil of feeling that much compassion rivals any other torment I have known.

“Mating is enslavement, no matter the circumstances. I know you feel nothing when I look at your unclothed form. The Commander holds your full attention. Do you like being bound in all ways to her? What of your own free will? What of your other desires?” Boca demanded, feeling herself tremble in anger at her teacher’s lack of understanding.

Dorian walked around the frightened Sumerian female, studying her projected energy. Boca was so angry after her exchange with Chiang in the conference room that she was shooting spikes out in every direction. Each one was a loss that could be better used to fuel her will to survive. In fact, the Sumerian female was so upset he could barely constrain her from disturbing the energy of his sacred space.

“How interesting that you consider me enslaved to my mate. That’s an odd term to place on what is as much a spiritual connection for me as a physical one. Gwen Jet is my everything, an unexpected gift from the Creators of All. I have but to think of a need and she comes immediately to mind. I suppose some might call Siren devotion a form of enslavement, but I find it quite comforting to be bound to only her,” Dorian said. “And I find it a strength of our relationship to know the warrior in her would fight for me, as she has already proven.”