Feral Series V: Feral Foretaste Page 6

  So, if things got bad, I could jump on a ship, even stowaway, and get the heck out of here. I guess. Where would I go? The Order left me here. Abandoned me. To what? A future without eyesight. What was that?

  A black mass blurred in the corner of my eye.

  Vult. He carefully placed a tray of food before me on the metal tabletop. Food. Food was good. Everything looked somewhat familiar. Two mounds of green. One pile of yellow sticks. Most likely boiled. And white steamed flesh. Fish. I suppose the fillet was steamed.

  "Enjoy.” Olwan nodded. Again.

  These !Dakos were all nods. Nods are body language. Didn't body language imply they were expressive beyond mechanical motions? Maybe I just needed to get them into a good biased discussion. Observe their reactions. “So, what do you all do for fun around here?"

  "Recreation?” the white-haired Nass asked.

  Vult sat beside me.

  Too close. My vision of melt-in-your-mouth fish transmuted into smoky bacon. Time to forget about enjoying a meal. “Of course. Doesn't every culture in the universe have games and hobbies?” Why did I get the feeling this question would result in one-hundred percent verification !Dakos were machines?

  "We have our areas of specialization. We find great pleasure in expanding our knowledge in these fields and spend our spare time advancing the !Dakos’ scientific knowledge."

  Okay. I know how to test them. Teach them some simple games and see how they react.

  Vult sat across the table from his intended and wondered what the female had in mind with these things she brought with her, playing cards. The twinkle in her brown eyes warned of mischief.

  My arousal strained to be liberated from its leather shackles.

  Unwise, my friend. Just what was Cassie up to?

  "Okay, does everyone understand the rules to Poker?” she asked.

  "Fortunately, we can access Anwa's central node and review the rules as we play,” Nass noted in our minds.

  "So, everyone is playing for himself,” she announced, shuffling the cards, then beginning to lay them out, one before each Father and herself. “And we're going to play a special kind of Poker called Strip Poker. Now, as we play each hand, somebody will win. That person is immune to the stripping."

  "Stripping? Of what? Flesh? This can't be a safe game for the Goddess,” Hobe said.

  "Surely she can't mean that,” Olwan said.

  With her interest in whether we are machines or sentient beings, I wouldn't put it past the sinister twinkle in her eyes. “She's toying with us. Let her continue until we must end this madness."

  "Now, I'll get to the particulars after we play the first hand.” She placed the cards down on the table where we couldn't see any of the faces. “Okay, boys, carefully view your cards and attempt to find some of the patterns I noted. I'm certain you'll all enjoy searching for patterns given your infatuation with science."

  "You're correct. She is toying with us. Look at her smug smile.” Kain focused on his cards while speaking.

  We all had exceptional vision thanks to our nanites correcting any physical inadequacies each of our bodies had from birth. Add to that Anwa channeling everything she caught on camera through the central node and Cassie's expression would be available for any !Dako aboard at any point in time. And my hearing couldn't detect any fluctuation in her heart rate.

  "Okay.” She scanned the circle of Fathers. “Does anyone want to trade in any cards?"

  She went from warrior to warrior around the table, exchanging cards for new ones, and finally swapped out three of her own.

  "She relinquished three cards of the same value, Fathers,” Anwa announced. “Does this not conflict with her rules of collecting cards of the same value to win?"

  "Yes,” Olwan said. “She's up to something. Play along."

  "Females,” Nass would have mumbled if he had spoken with his mouth. “If the time has come that we Fathers must take mates to spread our Sacred Seed, we are in trouble."

  Just wait until Anwa activates their reproductive systems.

  "Let's see your cards.” Cassie almost chuckled, placing her cards face up, no pattern whatsoever in the cards’ symbols.

  Each Father had at least two of a kind. Olwan had a flush.

  "You won, Olwan. Now each of us has to remove a piece of clothing."

  "She isn't serious,” Nass said.

  Apparently, my charge was. I choked back a growl. “Go along with her. See what she does."

  In one swift motion, she dropped one of her boots beside her chair.

  The thump didn't give me much reassurance. The little female was up to something. And we had no idea where she was going other than nude. And I'd be cursed to stand by and watch her strip much more than two boots. Raging hormones or not.

  All the others removed a boot. Except me.

  She locked her conspiratorial brown gaze upon me. “Vult?"

  I am not complying. “I don't know where you're going with this, Cassie. But I'm not playing.” I dropped my cards on the table.

  "Vult, you can't admit such things to the Goddess,” Olwan snapped.

  Truth would keep her behavior in check. “And respect what? This little game of hers? Play along and you're obligated to continue to do so in the future."

  Olwan's purple gaze flicked to anchor on me. “You only say that because she's chosen you and threatens to undress."

  The obnoxious onk. “She's chosen no warrior."

  "How do you explain her little kiss in the gardens?” Anwa cooed.

  If a computer could coo. “Pheromones."

  "You gave her your hand,” Nass noted.

  How logical. So they'd monitored my interactions with the Goddess. Nass and his reason. “I merely attempted to prove my hand was as biological as hers. I had no idea the females of her species would respond in such an extreme manner to !Dako pheromones."

  "How convenient for you,” Nass noted.

  "So, you give up?” Cassie's challenging stare only made me want to leap across the table, throw her over my shoulder, and lock her in her quarters.

  But I hadn't acted this way since my early years. Long before The Changing Times. Before my innocence was lost forever. Until now. Until Cassie lit a fire in the hearth of my soul. “I find my time will be best spent guarding you from the other Fathers."

  "Oh?” Her brown eyebrows arched innocently. “I thought I was safe here among the wisest of !Dakos."

  I should just walk out the door. Leave before being dragged deeper into the bottomless well of futilely arguing with a female. The Goddess. But fate had a different plan for me. Duty called. I'd ignore her.

  The rapid flutter of the cards drew me back to find her shuffling the deck. “Let's see. Who will be fortunate enough to win next time?” She shot some of the others a seductive smile.

  Females. The Order of the Marshals had to be attempting to break down !Dako society from the inside out and the top down. Either way, throwing Cassie into the mix would be the end of civilization as we knew it. One female would be all it took to cripple the Five Fathers. Only one because she would be yanking her shirt over her head shortly. Or at least set one Father off on a killing spree. Because we could no longer trust Anwa after she activated my reproductive system. Computers with hidden agendas should be deconstructed.

  How could I simply sit and not react?

  Again she lost, tossing her other boot aside with the lighthearted enjoyment of a hunter setting his trap with smelly bait. Tempting prey into making a mistake.

  Enough. Curse Anwa. I didn't have to ask the computer for the value of the cards Cassie exchanged. Cassie knew what she was doing. Like the seasoned hunter choosing its bait.

  Another round of cards flew around the table. People exchanged their cards. And Cassie surprisingly lost again.

  She reached for the hem of her shirt.

  This would end now. “Enough!"

  She eyed me with a pinched stare. “What's wrong with you, Vult?"

  "You will not u
ndress in public. Show some self-respect."

  She shoved onto her feet, the chair scraping at the floor behind her. “I suppose I have to respect myself given you can't seem to respect me."

  What was she thinking? “I am not the one in question here."

  "You're the one who thrust that bare hand at me and knowingly let me touch you. Knowing your pheromones would set me off on some uncontrollable mating frenzy!” Her voice dropped a few octaves. “You set me up."

  Maybe. Yes, maybe I had. But admitting this at the moment would only cause more problems. “No. I had no intention of dishonoring you. You wanted to see what my clothing concealed. And then it only seemed logical you investigate a !Dako hand and skin. Now your curiosity is satisfied. And you're as safe as you were before touching my skin."

  "Safe?” she growled. “You have no idea what I feel.” She stepped back and straightened her shoulders. “Go ahead and keep the cards, gentlemen. Practice Poker. I won't need the deck to keep busy when I'm bored. There are more than enough mind games going on around here to keep me entertained.” She glared at me and stormed toward the door. “We'll just call my entertainment a hobby."

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  Chapter Five

  Something was wrong with my approach to the Goddess. I needed to prove my intentions are good. Rather, find a way to convince her that making a pact with me to work toward finding a solution to my people's dilemma was the best way to deal with both of our problems. But how? She just stormed out of the room. Probably headed back to her personal quarters. To hide. What I'd give for the luxury.

  "Father?” Anwa spoke through the Central Node.

  Always lurking. How could a warrior think for himself when the computer stole away with his thoughts? “Yes, Anwa?"

  "The Goddess is changing her clothes. Should it be odd since she just disrobed in the mess hall?"

  As long as she's donning more clothing... Females. The !Dakos are better off without them.

  "Vult?” Anwa asked again.

  Encouraging me to check on the Goddess, no doubt. “I'm going to check on her.” Going to insist we work together before we both go insane.

  Waiting for something to change wouldn't get me anywhere, Cassie thought. I needed to run my frustration off. So, I yanked on some spandex leggings, a tank top, and my coveted pair of running shoes that needed to be replaced a good nine months ago. But the universe didn't have an athletic store on every moon, asteroid, or planet. No, I had to make do. And running clothes equated to making do. At least enough to attempt to catch up with my fleeting sanity.

  The gardens had an upper metal track in the canopy area that encircled the inner side of the habitat's ring. So, I planted one foot after another firmly on the metal grating and trotted down the four-foot wide path. I felt like a greyhound with the metal railing guiding my progress. Security or not. Flashes of a rat on an exercise wheel stuck to me like sweat dampening my brow. This was my future. Running the Marshal's rat race.

  I'd have to find something here to keep me busy. Challenge my mind. Like the Five Fathers and their scientific endeavors. Did the subject point toward the !Dakos having a more human need to become bored and require entertainment? Or were the Five Fathers merely playing with my mind, teasing me with something I obviously desperately wanted. To find myself in them. Self-validation. Was I really that weak? Or just searching for a way to survive? Save my vision. Self-preservation.

  Vult's reaction to my disrobing during the card game was nothing less than explosive. Why? What drove his response?

  Something metallic thumped behind me.

  And thumped.

  What? I stopped and panned my field of vision around where I stood on the metal grating feeding around the ring structure of the gardens below.

  Black. Moving swiftly. Long yellow-blond hair swinging. Vult. His long strides eating up the space between us fast.

  Annoying jerk. I wasn't finished with my run anyway. I turned and thrust a foot forward.

  Within six breaths, he jogged gingerly at my side.

  Gingerly? How odd. The man had a metal chassis for Christ's sake. I slid him a sideways glance.

  "Where are you running? There's nowhere for you to go?” he asked.

  "I'm not running away. Just leave me alone. Nothing will bother me here. I'm just getting some exercise.” And burning off some irritation.

  "Exercise?"

  Don't !Dakos have to do anything to stay healthy? Nanites! The life of a machine sure looked better and better with every ridiculous revelation. I halted and planted my hands on my hips, facing his moving body squarely.

  He stopped, facing me with a thoughtful mask.

  "What do you want, Vult?"

  His gaze strolled down my spandex-covered body like an interested man sending a message loud and clear. “This is not the way the Goddess would dress."

  Not the answer I expected after all that freaking touching we'd done. “It's clothing. Exercise clothing. And you're the one who wanted to kiss, Mr. Here's-my-damned-skin. So, get over it already. I'm wearing my running clothes to run.” I stretched my stride again.

  But he was there. Behind me with all that damned magnetic skin. Warm. Electrifying.

  My cells even tingled.

  "Why not me?” he bellowed.

  Did the big blond actually call after me as if he worried I wouldn't choose him? Were these Five Fathers so displaced from mating that they lacked self-confidence with women? No way. I spun and planted my feet again in the metal grating. “You can't be serious."

  He slowly stepped toward me.

  His damned magnificent persona turned my knees into quaking noodles. He obviously wasn't lacking self-confidence. And here I stood with him willingly confessing in his prolonged presence that he wanted me. Machines didn't have wants. They had needs. So, who's the lab rat now? Maybe not the dumb Earth girl.

  "I wouldn't have allowed the kiss if my intentions weren't serious, Cassie.” His muscled bulk was but a step away.

  Touchable. Smoky.

  My mouth watered.

  "Listen, Romeo. I had a life back home. I traded it for promises. And what I got in return was being dumped here with the only way out being to mate with an alien that will inject me with microscopic robots. Robots that will alter me forever. By the way, I like me the way I am! I was born this way. And don't forget I'll be blinded from this whole process of saving your culture too. Just call me a pessimist. But only a fool would embrace that sweet deal.” Okay. Maybe a fool who sounded like she was turning down prime bacon. But he didn't need to know. And thank the twinkling stars beyond the glass he couldn't read my mind.

  He took another step.

  All sauntering. Seductive. Right until he was but a forearm away.

  He studied me with intense scrutiny.

  What for? I had to be a pain in his ass. And he was invading my personal space. I'd act like it didn't matter. I crossed my arms and glared at him.

  "I promise you won't lose your sight,” he said. “The Five Fathers can devise a solution to the blindness. There's no reason our Goddess has to suffer to resolve the issues we created for our people. And if you're happy, immortality isn't such a bad thing."

  Did he think that a solid argument about his nanites changing my DNA? “Are you happy with immortality?"

  "It's been a long time, Cassie. But I know I can be happy with you."

  Oh. Dear. God. Was he selling himself?

  Something warm and fuzzy curled up in my belly.

  No. Bacon wasn't moving in. Taking over. Not when I couldn't believe anything he said at the moment. I know what's happening here. He is doping me up with pheromones.

  But those finely carved lips kept calling to me. And he was so close. So smoky-bacon close.

  He raised a gloved hand and stretched a gloved finger to my cheek. “I vow not to let anyone cause you harm, Cassie. Not even through forcing you to cleanse a planet. I'm your guardian. As Anwa has announced. It's my duty to see you safe.�
� He brushed my cheek with the back of his index finger. “Trust me, Cassie. I'll devise a plan circumventing blindness. Just give me time."

  Such a sweet promise. Dare I buy into it? Look at all his packaging. And he kept acting more and more like a man with a mind of his own. Human. Anything but a machine. God, he was gorgeous.

  Oh the way his lips fluttered. They had been as soft as velvet. Luxurious silk. So accommodating. And he wanted to protect me.

  Trouble.

  I'm in trouble. I tried to suck in a breath.

  Lips. Lips. Just one kiss.

  Suddenly, his mouth pressed against mine.

  Warm tingling prickled my face, spreading downward through my body's cells.

  My heart sank, falling.

  But his arms crisscrossed my lower back, clutching me against his iron body, catching my pulsing heart low in my belly.

  Oh the serenity cozying in around me. Or was that muscles? Lots of massaging muscles.

  His skilled tongue skewered my sighs into nonexistence. And I hooked my arms around his neck to keep from losing the kiss.

  He was going to make my job all better. He promised. To take care of me. Protect me. He needed his clothes off. Now. And why hadn't he ripped off mine? If only I could rub my palms across what had to be the hottest damned flesh around. Yes.

  "I want you, Vult,” I whispered against his lips. “In bed. Standing here against the glass. On the metal grating. Just do it. Now."

  But he pushed back, slightly, retreating to peer into my eyes. “You don't know what you're saying. The pheromones are making you speak. If we do what you ask, my nanites will claim you as mine. Forever, Cassie. And you haven't reacted to well to that fact yet."

  What in the hell was I doing now? “Take a good long look, Vult. I'm almost inside your skin. My legs are wrapped around your waist.” A solid tree trunk of a waist. “And we just swallowed tongues. I think that's an excellent mating gauge to operate on.” Was this the pheromones?

  Did it matter he didn't play fair?

  Not the way I needed to turn inside out or get him inside me.

  All her sleek curves and her thrashing heart barely weighed anything in my arms. And she is giving herself to me. What should I think of the offering?