Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Saxon
Although I manage to control my facial expression, my emotions are rolling.
I can’t believe what I’m seeing. How did an Aaz’axian end up on Earth?
And how exactly did the Earth Alien Alliance get their hands on him?
What did he do to draw their attention to them?
There hasn’t been a sighting in years. I’m sure most of them use a glamour to blend in, so what happened with this guy?
All of these thoughts whirl through my mind as the warlock and I make our way through the ship to the detention cells. He’s bound up in a spell and unconscious, so he’s really no trouble, but I am dying to ask him some questions.
“So?” Xavier breaks the silence that had been hovering between us.
“I never would have thought you and I would end up bonded to the same woman.” He finally brings up the subject we’d both been tiptoeing around—not that we’ve really seen each other to discuss it.
I’ve been sedated, and he’s been dealing with a wayward harem.
I chuckle, glad to have the subject out there now. “I know, right? I had seriously thought that you and I would be feeding off each other for the rest of the tour. I couldn’t stand the thought of drinking from my clan.”
“And my harem was being stingy with their emotions unless they were getting something in return. Lila is a blessing for both of us, but I won’t deny that I’m going to miss feeding from you. Your anger and aggression were always so fucking tasty.”
“And your power-filled blood is delicious.” I think about what Link said.
Even though I haven’t discussed it with Lila yet, I’m going to broach the subject with Xavier since he’s already comfortable feeding me.
“The doc actually suggested that Lila may not be able to fully sustain me. Although her body has changed, she still may not be able to provide the amount of blood I require. He suggested that I would need to feed from others.” I pause, trying to get my thoughts in order.
“The thought of having to feed from others hurts. I don’t want my blood rose to feel inadequate and betrayed.
Link suggested that feeding from her other mates may be a solid alternative. Will you still feed me if I need it?”
I can’t see it, but I can practically feel Xavier smirking at me through his mist. “Absolutely, as long as I can get a bit of quid pro quo. I also want an invite into your bedroom with Lila sometimes, even if I just watch and feed, but I’m sure the two of you together are really something.”
“I will speak to Lila about this. She needs to be the one to make the final decision.”
He slaps me on the back. “Believe me, our mate will agree, she’s got a kinky streak a space leap wide.”
The detention levels are on the last floor of the mothership just before the circus pod’s docking station.
That level still shows as red in the elevator, so it still hasn’t arrived back from Earth.
We get off, and there’s an office for security personnel.
Normally it’s empty because we never have anyone in the cells, but today, it’s manned.
The guard has his feet thrown up on the console and is leaning back in his chair with headphones covering his ears and his eyes closed.
I’m about to tell him off for his attitude when a god-awful screeching sound penetrates my hearing.
Xavier’s mist floods back into his body as we both clap our hands over our ears.
“What the fuck is that?” he demands, and I shake my head, not wanting to remove my hands—not that they are blocking out the horrible racket. I bump the guard with my hip, and he startles, dropping his feet to the ground and leaping up. He relaxes a little when he sees us.
“What is that noise?” I demand, and he frowns, pointing at his ears and shaking his head.
Right, he can’t hear me. “Can you do something about that?” I ask Xavier, and he quickly waves a hand, and a barrier goes up around us, blocking out the sound.
I breathe a sigh of relief and drop my hands, as does the warlock.
The guard reaches up, removes his headphones, and sighs with relief.
“Thank you. She has barely stopped for a breath since you brought her in here,” he tells us. “I had to find headphones to block out the racket. It was driving me nuts.”
“That’s the lightning cat?” I ask with disbelief, and he nods.
“Yes, fuck, you would think someone was in there killing her, but I’ve gotten up and checked a few times, and she’s just in cat form, pacing around the cell and blasting it with lightning every now and again.
Thankfully it’s warded and protected, so it just bounces back off.
It tends to hit her, which then makes her madder.
Last time I looked, she wasn’t looking so hot—a bit fried around the edges to be honest.” He can’t hide his glee as he imparts this information.
“I’ll ward her cell against noise so you and this guy don’t have to suffer through it,” Xavier offers, and he quickly agrees.
“That would be great. So what’s this guy done?
” he asks, turning to look at the new prisoner before his mouth drops open in shock.
He takes a step back involuntarily before quickly recovering.
“Is that what I think it is?” he asks, the brief glimpse of fear covered by fascination and not a small amount of bravado.
Most of the time, the detainees from Earth haven’t really done anything wrong except for expose themselves to the wrong person, and usually that’s by accident, which is what this guy apparently did too. Usually, we let them out of the cells, but we need to question him first.
“Yes it is. We’ll just stick Brannock here in the farthest cell away from Natalia, but let’s allow her to have a good look at him as we go past. It might frighten her into silence,” Xavier suggests, and I scoff.
“Not likely. She is a stubborn woman who believes she has been wronged. They don’t scare easily.”
Xavier winces. “No, my friend, you are right, they certainly don’t.” I guess he’s thinking about the harem member he just killed. She wasn’t going to give up her fight, and I doubt Natalia will be any better.
Xavier releases the sound barrier, and the noise has stopped.
I sigh with relief as Xavier starts moving our prisoner.
He floats the still unconscious man down to the last cell.
As we pass Natalia’s cell, she snarls and leaps at the barrier, her claws extended as she foams at the mouth.
She smashes against it and slides to the ground.
Shaking her head, she picks herself up, her fur bristling and looking a little singed, and tries again.
Once more, she hits the barrier and slides to the ground.
This time when she picks herself up, she paces back and forth along the length, not taking her eyes off us, that yowling sound returning.
I slap my hands over my ears. “Fuck, can’t you do something?” I demand of my sometimes lover, and he rolls his eyes at me. “Damn Vilaxian hearing,” he grumbles but waves a hand, erecting a sound barrier around her cell.
“Like you can tell me that wasn’t affecting you as well,” I snap, and he shrugs, but I see his shoulders droop at the lack of noise. He can pretend he wasn’t affected, but I know the truth.
Xavier lays the prisoner gently on the bed before stepping out and activating the cell forcefield. He then waves a hand, unbinding the Aaz’axian and waking him from his impromptu rest.
His eyes are slow to open, but when they do, he jumps to his feet.
He groans and puts a hand to his head as he looks around, then he takes a deep breath and drops his hand to his side.
Clenching his fists, he returns to his human glamour.
“Where the fuck am I?” he demands when he sees the two of us on the other side of the cell.
“Relax, you’re in the containment cells in the mothership of the Galaxy Circus.
We have a few questions for you. If you answer them to our satisfaction, we will release you and you can decide where you want to go and what you want to do.
” Xavier does all the talking while I observe.
The alien’s heart rate is unusual. If I’m not mistaken, he has more than one, like a Vilaxian.
In fact, I think he may have three. They beat irregularly, with each one pulsing after the other, making it seem like one continuous heartbeat, and then on the fourth, it pauses momentarily before the first one kicks in again.
One, two, three, stop. One, two, three, stop.
I scan his body. His heart rates are certainly fast, and I can see a bead of sweat forming on his brow. He seems nervous and agitated, but I can’t really blame him. I don’t really have a baseline to judge him off of, so I’m not going to be all that much help.
A whisper of a touch brushes across my mind, and I know it’s Xavier asking for entrance. I nod my head, and he projects his thoughts so the alien can’t hear.
What do you think? he asks me, and I shrug.
I don’t know. I have no baseline to judge him, so I’m afraid I won’t be much help.
He has a wall around his mind that is almost impenetrable. I think I could get through it, but it would cause him excruciating pain. Xavier sounds matter-of-fact, like he doesn’t care about that. But I think he may be another case of Smith being a prejudice asshole.
I sneer at the mention of the Earth agent.
I have met him before and almost ripped his throat out.
It’s why Eric doesn’t allow me to retrieve prisoners anymore.
The only thing we really need to know is how he came to be on Earth, so let’s ask.
We have no record of him using the GC as transport.
If he answers without hesitation, I say we trust him.
He is but one Aaz’axian, so how much trouble could he be?