The Stars For Valentine’s Day (The Journeyman's Way) Read online

  Before he could stand, Saber was up and scooping her up in his arms then took his seat again. “I’m sorry, Shantel. I didn’t mean to upset you, but we didn’t bring you here like this just because you are our woman. If there was no danger, we would have courted you like humans do, but we had no time. As for why you…I’m afraid he sought us out for some reason, a vendetta as Earth people would say. How he knew you were our woman we don’t know. Are we so bad you don’t want to be with us?” Saber wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly against his chest.

  “Shantel, look at me please.” Knight turned his chair to face them. He leaned over and touched her chin, drawing her watery gaze. “Please don’t cry. Your tears hurt us inside here.” Knight covered the left side of his chest where his heart was. “We can be with no other female. You are our softer side in this family, I believe humans call it. Out there, we have no choice but to do our job. Destroy those who would have hurt you. If we could have given you time, we would have. I’m afraid our job is a little different from human officers. Once we are assigned a job we don’t leave it till it’s done, which could be years. That’s why this ship is our second home.” He leaned back and smiled. “But there is no reason we can’t give you a Valentine’s night like you dream of.”

  Saber purred and rubbed his cheek against hers. “Oh, little human, we are going to have fun,” Saber said once more turning up the heat and drying her tears.

  Gibberish broke the heated tension in Shantel. This had to be the navigation room. Two seats sat in front of the huge window that stared out to the stars and her planet. Lights lit up the dashboard below the window in front of the chairs.

  A Syfygeek would be in his glory at all the weird things she noticed in the room. She almost wanted to reach over and start pushing buttons.

  Saber picked her up, his fur soft on her skin as he placed her onto Knight’s lap then turned to the radio thing and spoke in the language they used when speaking to one another. Shantel jumped when something cold was placed on her skin.

  “Hold still and allow the language instrument to connect to your thought process. It’s sort of like a little computer, but it’s also an organism that will grow with you.” Knight hugged her as the cold turned to hot. “It will only be a few more seconds. Then you’ll be able to understand Saber and our leader.”

  She nodded. Sure enough, as the warmth faded, seconds later, Shantel could understand them. She almost wished she couldn’t. Her face heated and she glared at the machine that spoke.

  “Bane, if you could see our little human’s face right now, you might be backing up. I believe she does not like hearing you talk about her pussy and if my voyflen will fit into her,” Saber teased. Her gaze flew to his. She refused to look below and draw more attention.

  A low voice from the radio laughed and responded in kind.

  “Not to worry, Bane. I’ll fit. You know our species has its ways. Back to business. We need an alerassa brought onto the planet. We don’t know if the tribop left any samples of vatacore on their world,” Saber stated as she worked on figuring out what a few of those were—perhaps English didn’t have translations for some of them.

  Knight stroked her hair back from her face. “A valacore is the plant-like vine that bound you and scared you. It grows fast and will take over your planet if it’s not eradicated. We have special men or you would call them hazard units that clean up dangerous things. While these men are hunters, like us, they are also equipped to clean up large messes.”

  “That is the second time you knew what I was thinking, how? I don’t understand. Is that thing that attacked me called a tribop? Or is that his name? Was there more than one of him?” Her voice squeaked the last part. She started to shake, thinking of more than one of those on Earth. The old movie, The Blob came into her mind, and Knight grinned.

  “I don’t know about this thing that popped in your head. I really hadn’t thought of other tribops being with the one we were tracking, but a good question. We were so worried about you and yes, I can read your thoughts, silly. You are our woman.” Knight nodded to Saber who reached over and flipped on another panel. “And no, you won’t be able to read ours. You just aren’t built like that.”

  Knight placed her on her feet and started to work on the board in front of them. “Do you see his transport? It has to be around here somewhere—” Just as his words were out, the ship jerked to the left and threw her into a bank of instrument panels. Sirens and lights flashed in the navigation room, but then again it could be her head. Right now, she was not feeling too hot.

  “Get her to the medical lab and strap her down before she gets hurt. Then I need you up here,” Knight ordered.

  Shantel couldn’t understand what was going on.

  “Come, Shantel you’re hurt and need to be strapped down while we deal with his threat.” Saber gently picked her up off the floor. “I’ll turn on the mizule. It will help your head and any other injuries you have while we are working.” He kissed the top of her head and moved fast through the ship.

  His speed had her groaning as everything to seem to spin. “I need off this ride,” she said. He placed her once more onto the table she had wakened on earlier.

  “Not to worry. When you awake again, the threat will be gone. We will have a nice Valentine’s Day surprise for you. Sleep well, our human.” He kissed her lips softly before reaching above her. A flimsy but very warm white sheet covered her, starting with her toes and moving up.

  “But I don’t want to sleep,” she groaned. Her head throbbed as the table formed to her body. A soft, warm material surrounded her head, immobilizing it along with her arms and legs, leaving only her face exposed.

  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.

  Chapter Four

  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.

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sp; 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 coul
d 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.