The Stars For Valentine’s Day (The Journeyman's Way) (4 page)

Her cat-man smiled down at her. “Think of this as a deep massage. Doesn’t it feel great?” Once more the ship rocked, to the left this time. Saber swayed, gripping the table. “You’ll be safe here. I have to go.” He leaned down and kissed her lips softly before spinning and leaving her alone in the strange room.

She looked around as the heat from the table eased the muscles in her body and her head. The cat-man was right about one thing. This table was amazing. Along with the heat soaking into her, there was now a little vibration going on which had her sighing. “Now all I need is music,” she mumbled and laughed when her favorite old song from Elvis Presley, “Jailhouse Rock
,
”
filtered into the room.

Even if the room looked sterile, never had anyone pampered her so much, even on her world. It was like she was lying on a cloud, not a table. The pain dissipated and her vision once more returned to normal. She closed her eyes. The only thing Shantel would really miss from Earth was her best friend, Zandra. The only one who stood beside her when everything fell apart.

“Um, got to talk to her,” she whispered and allowed the music to take her away to her dreams. One place where all her hopes and fantasies always came true.

Knight grunted when they took another hit to their shields. He had messed up. There wasn’t just one
tribop,
but six. Where the
tribops
had gotten hold of the
Samsx
354, one of the most powerful ships in their galaxy, would have to be explored later. Right now he had to destroy this ship before any others went to Earth. Was this the same
tribop
who had attacked Shantel or was that one still on the planet?

“Why aren’t you using the
skizze
?” Saber asked coming back into the room to take his seat. “Because we need to make sure that the
tribop
that attacked our woman is on board. The com is now comparing the body imprints. We’ll know soon. Until then we’ll damage their ship and monitor them.” Knight glanced at Saber.

“What are you thinking? You’ve been quiet,” Knight said.

“Our woman only has one friend. She, too, is pretty much a loner. What do you think about taking her back with us also? If Shantel agrees, that is. We didn’t court her. She was thrust into our world so quickly.”

Saber nodded to the screen as the other ship moved once more back into position.

Moving his chair to the right, Knight opened the panel and set the coordinates needed to disable their weapons and their ship. “Now let them drift and try to figure out what we are doing.” He relaxed a little. “You are right, but it would be cramped. The other sleeping quarters are small.”

“It will be a great surprise for our little human. Now, I’ve been thinking about this Valentine’s Day. Since this holiday seems to be sexual in nature, let’s make it our joining night. It will give her something special to remember.”

“I was thinking the same thing. Raven is already setting up things I collected for Valentine’s Day. Some of the special treats he told us to gather are in our quarters. I’ve had a few of her personal things also added so she wouldn’t feel so lost.” Saber leaned back in his chair.

“Then let’s eliminate this threat, shall we?” Saber turned back to the controls. The scan on the
tribop
came through, indicating the same one was on the ship facing them.

“Let’s end this.” Knight was reaching over to start the
skizze
when the enemy creature opened up communications. What he saw had him shutting the weapon off. The woman being held in front of the
tribop
was none other than their female’s friend.

“Can we lock onto her and bring her over?” Saber asked.

“No, that is one thing I can’t get around. Their hull has something in it that prevents transportation unless they allow it. Even with their ship damaged…I just don’t know. We would risk her life if we tried.” He tapped his fingers on his chair, staring at the creature that held the female. There were clear signs of her being tortured, pieces of her skin missing on her leg.

“Go get our little human. I won’t make this decision myself,” Knight said.

Saber didn’t say a word. He left to wake up Shantel.

Put some of her clothes on her also. There is no sense in making her uncomfortable in front of these monsters.
Raven used her word for the creatures, speaking into their heads from somewhere else in the ship at the same time the radio came alive. Nothing happened on this ship without Raven knowing about it, and whenever either of them had ever needed anything, Raven was there.

“What is the status there?” their commander, Bane asked over the intercom. “You activated the
skizze
then shut it off. Why?” As always, he’d been monitoring their activities from home base.

“We have a problem. Seems the
tribops
have gotten smarter. They have a live hostage who happens to be our mate’s friend.”

“You know you can’t save her. Destroy this threat and join with your woman,” his leader said. Knight heard the gasp behind him and turned to see her standing there with Saber.

“You will not!” Tears rolled down her cheeks, but anger swirled in her gaze. “Please try anything,” she insisted. “Zandra was my only true friend. She was there for me when my mom died. Hell, she’s the only one who has been there.” She swiped away the tears. “I was considered a freak on my world. Only Zandra understood me.”

“I can try to extract her. It could kill her, but there is a small chance it could work.” Knight tried to convey the level of risk. Would their woman ever forgive them if her friend died in their efforts?

“What hope does she have on that ship?”

He shrugged. “They have already started...and, Shantel, if this does not work, it’s going to be a mess. Her death will be instant.” Instant death was better than being tortured and eaten. “I’m surprised she is still alive.”

“If it works, can you save her?” Shantel moved closer to the screen, and her friend lifted her head and stared, her lips moving, probably in silent prayer.

“Try it, she can’t die like that,” their woman said. Her voice shook as she reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “Thank you for telling me.” Saber joined them in front of the monitor, wrapping his arms around Shantel and pulling her tight against him.

“We wouldn’t make this kind of decision without you.” Raven entered and twined his fingers with hers, completing their family group. “Do it.”

Without another word, Knight went to work, watching the
tribop’s
every move. “Saber, if I can get her over here, I’ll have her transferred to land right in the med room. You better get ready. Shantel, go with Saber. If she appears, she’ll need a friendly face.”

“It will work and thank you, Knight. Tell your boss to suck an egg for me.” She leaned close to the console where Bane would no doubt be on his end listening to everything they said.

Saber laughed and escorted her out of the control room.

“You heard her, Bane. Go suck on an egg, whatever that is supposed to mean.” Knight began working on the coordinates, hoping he had damaged the enemy ship enough. “If this works there, we will know how to work around this shield.”

“It will work,” Raven said behind him. “I’ll finish the room.”

“Your mate is a strong woman. I look forward to meeting her when you return. The
alerassa
will be in Earth’s solar system within hours. There is no sense in you waiting. Finish this and get back to base. Oh, I’ve sent a gift for your human. A present from me after you are joined.” He laughed and disconnected the line just as the transfer locked onto her friend.

At first there was nothing. The monster behind her started to reach for a knife and she screamed. But, within seconds, her friend disappeared, on her way to their ship. Hopefully in one piece. But it was done and they could wait no longer to take action.

Knight turned on the
skizze
once more and allowed it to do its job. He watched the ship disintegrate. Nothing left to travel to other planets. It was totally destroyed. One of the reasons every ship carried this weapon was watched carefully. Only the fates and their leaders could stop the tool if need be.

***

Shantel paced back and forth, watching Saber prepare the room for her friend’s arrival. Only a few minutes ago her spa haven, now a full-blown medical facility. “Do you really believe we can save her?” She looked down at the scars on her arm, for the first time really seeing them. “She’ll be more scared than I am, won’t she?” she asked.

Saber nodded and placed an instrument on the table. “I’m allowing you in here because the vine won’t attack you since you now carry the antivenom to kill it. But you will not touch her till I remove it. Is that understood?” He came around the table to give her a piercing stare. “She has been hurt far worse than you were. We arrived in time for you, but we don’t know how much damage the bonding has done. Not to mention what the monsters did to her. She’s going to need you to be strong.”

They split apart fast as her friend appeared in the room, screaming.

“Zandra, you’re safe!” Shantel shouted, darting toward her but Saber caught her friend before she could fall on her face.

“Do not move, Shantel. Stay there till I destroy what binds her.” Saber’s voice was soft, with a little bite to it. Raven was still a question in her mind, but of Knight and Saber, she had no doubt who the true dominant was. Where Knight controlled the ship, Saber would be the master of their bodies.

Saber grunted and flashed her a look that had her blood heating. But her best friend’s whisper was the best thing she could have heard.

“Shantel?”

“It’s me, Zandra. Please allow Saber to help you. He’ll get rid of that vine and start the healing process. I can’t come closer till the vine is dead.” She smiled at her friend as Saber picked her up and laid her onto the padded table.

“You’re lying on the most wonderful spa table in the world. Close your eyes and rest. You are safe now,” she whispered.

Knight stepped into the room and kissed her cheek. “It’s done. The ship is gone and we’re on our way back to our world. The other team is moving in and will make sure nothing was left on Earth. She’ll need monitoring for the next few days. I’m afraid your Earth doctors wouldn’t be able to help her. Plus, they don’t need to be even experimenting on that creature. When one planet discovered it, they believed they could control it. They were wrong. It killed most of their world. There are only three planets where the thing can’t grow. On Saber’s,
tribops,
and another species I won’t even mention here.” He approached her friend with a comforting smile. “Zandra, I’m called Knight and my partner over there killing this vine on you is Saber. As soon as the vine is destroyed, he will sedate you so he can look at the rest of your wounds. I’m not going to lie. There will be scarring. Your friend Shantel has suffered the same fate, but not as badly as you.”

“Thank you. They ate some of my skin.” She shivered and tears clouded her eyes as she rolled over, revealing gaping wounds on her back. Parts of the vine started to peel away from her body, taking the skin with it.

Saber grasped her shoulder. “I want you to stay on your side. I need to take care of this vine. You should have told me before what they had done to you. Had I known, I wouldn’t have lifted you like I did. I don’t take pleasure in hurting women.”

She glanced up at Shantel, and a small smile appeared. “Then you are not going to get far with Shantel.” The smile disappeared as she retched again.

“Zandra! How could you!” She stomped her foot, but didn’t have the heart to really get mad. “At least I’m not like you, craving the whip,” she teased, and Zandra groaned.

“Okay, you two, enough. The bonding is off, and I’ve placed a seal over your wounds in the back. Gently roll over when you are ready. Don’t worry, the bot will clean the mess on the floor.” Sure enough, a small robot thing whirred into the room, followed by Raven. Right away, it cleaned the mess on the floor.

“Our quarters are ready and that gift for Shantel showed up.” Raven smiled down at her. “I will be happy to stay with your friend and watch over her while she sleeps.” “I hate to be rude, but I have to ask. Are you part human, too? Are any of you human?”

Raven laughed as did Saber and Knight. “No, he is from a world far more advanced than ours. We are all from different worlds. He monitors our worlds but also helps us. Each of us Journeymen have one of his kind along. They know ahead of time whom they belong with.” Knight stepped back to her side.

“Shantel, go with Saber while I help this one sleep and heal.” Raven leaned close. “I give you my word I’ll make sure she is well soon, Shantel.” His lips covered hers. They were cold and hard. His tongue slid inside her, sampling and heating her up.

It was a quick and a possessive kiss. “Shantel will now live as long as we do. I believe the water thing you like is ready for you all.” Raven lifted his head and reached out to grab onto Knight’s hair, pulling his head back.

“Even though you saved her friend, never doubt yourself. What you did was right. Your commander was being grumpy is all.” Raven covered Knight’s cock with his hand and the heat coming from both of them had her squirming where she stood.

Even Zandra wasn’t unaffected. She mouthed, “Three, bitch.” With care, her friend moved to her, flinching when her back hit the table.

“Of everything on our world, you were the only thing I would have missed. I’m glad you are coming back with us. I love you, lady.” She reached out and squeezed her shoulder.

“Love you, too. Now go. I need to rest. We’ll talk later in detail, my friend.” Shantel laughed. Saber escorted her out of the room with Knight behind them.

Knight adjusted his cock as they led Shantel into what humans would call a bathroom. When building the ship, Knight couldn’t understand why Raven had insisted on putting the huge metal thing in here. From the pictures he’d gotten from their woman’s mind, Knight now understood.

“I take it Raven is the one really in charge?” she asked when they stepped into the bathroom. “Oh my god, for me?” she squealed, and they both laughed.