42. Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Zoric woke up sore and satisfied. His mate snored softly in his arms and he could only think of how adorable the sound was. Eventually, this rosy glow of a new relationship would fade but he could already feel the foundation they'd started to build. Mutual affection and respect, along with a smoldering desire that he would do everything he could to keep alive.
She was worn out and he couldn't be sorry for it. After days of torment, months of fear and confusion, he'd given her hours of pleasure. They didn't make up for it all but he hoped, in the coming weeks, he could begin to make a dent in repaying her pain and torment with pleasure.
When she'd fallen asleep early this morning, a smile of deep satisfaction on her face, it had been with his cock still buried deep inside her. She'd whined a little in her sleep when he'd finally pulled out, and he'd felt his chest fill with pride.
He was tempted to wake her up with his tongue on his favorite bundle of nerves but he worried that she would be as sore as he was. He'd heard that women needed some time to recover after the kind of vigorous lovemaking they'd done the night before.
Before he could talk himself into taking action, Angela rolled over and wrapped her leg around his waist. The heat of her core teased at the head of his cock and he ached to close the distance between them. Instead, her eyes still closed, Angela beat him to it.
She moaned as he filled her and he couldn't help but echo it. Hunger and satisfaction pulsed through their Bond and he knew she was awake. So, he wrapped his hands around her hips and gave her what she wanted. They started slow and lazy, enjoying the feel of each others bodies, but it didn't stay that way for long.
When she screamed his name, he roared in pleasure and triumph.
His stem didn't deploy this time and he found himself disappointed that they wouldn't be forced together for a while longer.
Someone banged on the door to their bedroom.
"That was your breakfast," Ae-cha shouted. "You're running late for work."
Angela looked up at him, her eyes wide, and he smiled.
"Do you think she heard everything?"
"Or smelled it," he said.
"Oh god," she said, burying her face in his chest.
"Did you not know that?" he asked with a small laugh. "I guarantee it wasn't anything she hadn't heard before. There isn't much that can be hidden in a Chelion enclave."
"Still," she protested. "It feels rude."
"Why?"
"We're being loud and obvious about something that she can't have for herself."
Zoric considered it. He'd always been happy for his men who had found their Mate, even if he couldn't have his. Despite the accusations that had been lobbed at him and his people, there had been plenty of women who enjoyed their Chelion mates. Maybe not with the enthusiasm Angela had demonstrated but they weren't unhappy.
"There's nothing stopping her from finding her own Mate," he protested.
"But she doesn't have one now," Angela argued. "And that's enough to make someone jealous, at least, and we're not helping the situation by rubbing her nose in it."
"Maybe, since we didn't discover any other triggers last night, she can get her own accommodations," Zoric suggested.
"I'd be surprised if she doesn't ask for them," Angela said. "Now, do I have any clothes here? I seem to recall you shredding what I was wearing last night."
"Oh," Zoric said, grinning at the memory. "Sorry?"
Angela snorted and he thought of how adorable the sound was before he pulled on his kilt and the shirt missing most of its buttons and stepped out into the house.
Ae-cha was sitting at the breakfast bar and she pointed to a stack of clothes on one of the clean chairs. They'd manage to spill dinner and other things on half of the chairs in the dining room and Zoric had the vague feeling that he should apologize for that.
"Someone brought her by PT clothes while you were having breakfast," Ae-cha said, refusing to look up at him. "But nothing for you. Sorry."
"Ae-cha," Zoric started, picking up the small stack of clothes. "Thank you. And I'm sorry."
She took a deep breath and continued to focus on the tablet she held in front of her. "You're welcome and apology accepted. I'm sorry, too."
"Already forgiven," he said.
He wasn't certain what she was apologizing for but he knew they both had a lot to talk about. For now, it was enough that they seemed to have gotten past the worst of their anger at each other. Getting their people to move beyond their differences would take time but it felt like they might have it. If they could work together now.
Angela took the stack of clothes and kissed him on the cheek. Affection and another emotion he refused to name traveled down their Bond and he knew she'd heard him apologize to Ae-cha. He didn't know why it was so important to her that he did it but he was glad he had, if just for her.
They'd been sent an escort to take them to that morning's meeting and Zoric was surprised to see the Orvax delegation and the human contractors from the plane, but no Dr. Phillips or Dr. Torres.
"Now that everybody is here, we can get started," Colonel Schuh said, taking his seat. The leather chair creaked beneath him as he moved and everybody else started looking for their own.
Two chairs had been altered to make it easier for Zoric and Ae-cha to sit and Zoric gave the Colonel a nod of appreciation for the accommodations.
Colonel Schuh gestured to the Orvax in the room and Zoric was pretty sure he'd met at least one of them before but he couldn't remember their names.
"In our pursuit for answers and a cure for one of the Orvax mates, we've been researching various rumors," the first one started. He didn't introduce himself and Zoric got the feeling that he was being deliberately vague about what they'd been pursuing.
"When we were contacted by Colonel Schuh to track a strange signal, our research had already brought our attention to certain actors in the area. To get a better view of what was going on, we contacted some help that came highly recommended."
With that, he gestured to the human contractors who nodded.
"And what do you do?" Colonel Schuh asked, though Zoric got the feeling it was for his benefit more than the Colonel's.
"Tech Support," one said, at the same time the other said, "I.T."
Zoric raised his eyebrow skeptically but didn't say anything.
"They've managed to isolate the signal and get a good view of where it's been and where it's going. What we've been able to find from this information is that whoever was following you wasn't using a vehicle to tunnel."
"But we saw the sand moving," Angela protested.
"I'm sure you did," the Orvax said. "However, there was no vehicle in the area. Whatever made the sand move was organic."
"You mean, it actually was a sandworm?" She asked, her eyes wide.
"Probably not," they said. "But we're at just as much of a loss as you are about what could have done it."
"I have some ideas," Ae-cha said. "Though they're mostly rumors and myths."
"That's more than we have," the Orvax said.
"Ae-cha, I need you to work with the Orvax on this," Colonel Schuh said. "And I'd like to call in the help you mentioned."
"I can't make that call," Ae-cha said slowly, and turned to Angela.
With a deep breath, Angela nodded. "I can. But I can't do it from here. I'm going to need a truck."
Zoric knew who she was going to call and understood that she needed to go home to do it. He even agreed with making the call, but he worried.
All signs pointed to her Uncle Saul being the one to put the original triggers and suggestions in her mind. What if it was someone he'd trained, someone he'd sent after Angela, that had set the rest. She might think of him as a benevolent relative but Zoric wasn't convinced he wasn't playing a deeper game, using Angela's life as a way to make his moves and remain unseen.
An argument broke out about the inherent danger in letting a known criminal out of their custody to contact an unknown entity. Even with the reminder that she was his Mate and technically in his custody, nobody wanted to send them out into her home territory.
A compromise was eventually struck with the Orvax offering a sophisticated tracker and a promise to keep an eye on her while she was out of government custody. Zoric didn't like it but it was better than not being allowed to go at all.
"Angela, if you'll follow Mintonar, he'll get the tracker set up and I'll work on finding you a vehicle," Colonel Schuh said.
Zoric's eyes narrowed. He knew the name Mintonar. He was a doctor of some description and something else. The memory of nagged at the back of his mind but Zoric couldn't place why he didn't trust the Orvax.
Unfortunately, at the moment, he didn't have any choice but to trust him. The humans trusted the Orvax and everything they'd done to that point had been benevolent. But implanting a tracker in Angela could be used for so many worse purposes, he hated that he couldn't remember why he didn't trust Mintonar.