Coletti Warlords: Vexing Voss (27 page)

An Alliance medic in a rumpled green tunic bustled into the room. “Good, you’re awake.” He ran a scanner over me. “Your life signs are back in the normal range, but let me give you something for the pain.”

My head did feel like it was going to explode. I winced as he triggered a pressure injector against my neck. “Is Voss going to be okay?”

The medic nodded. “Fortunately we got to him in time.” He gave me a stern look. “You, however, came very close to dying.”

I shrugged. “What’s a girl to do? I was the only one who could stop Malik.”

His skepticism obvious, the medic replied, “Females do not engage in battle.”

My temper flared, and I glared at him. “You’ve never been to Earth, have you?”

He gave me a condescending smile. “No matter what the species, females are genetically not suited for battle.”

“Would you like a demonstration of my abilities, honey?”

Hothar’s eyes widened in horror, and he yanked me out of the regen tube. “No! He does not.”

“I think he needs one.” Okay, I was being a cranky bitch, but I’d had it with his snotty attitude.

“Witnessing such a battle can overcome a female’s fragile sensibilities.” The medic picked up his pressure injector.

Fragile sensibilities? What an ass. “Get away from me before I hurt you.”

He raised the injector.

Twisting in Hothar’s grip, I kicked the pissy little medic in the family jewels and smiled in satisfaction when he doubled over and made a gagging noise. “Who’s fragile now, huh?”

With a groan, Hothar dropped me to my feet.

“I did warn him.”

“That you did,” Zarek commented drily.

Spinning around, I met his merciless gaze and stated firmly, “I’m not apologizing to that little prick.”

A dangerous smile touched Zarek’s mouth. “Have I asked you to apologize?”

“No.” I blinked as the room danced dizzily around me. “Whoa. I think I need to lie down.”

Totally ignoring the medic’s groans of pain, Zarek scooped me up and plunked me on an examining table. “You need blood.” He drew a big-ass knife from his boot and slashed his palm. “Drink.”

I stared at the blood welling up in dismay. “Uh. No offense, but couldn’t I wait until Voss is feeling better?”

A low growl rumbled in his chest. “Are you defying me?”

“No! Not at all, it’s just… It’s not Voss’s.”

“In emergency situations, you may drink from a male other than your mate,” Zarek advised.

“Drink,”
Voss hissed in my head.

“Sir, yes, sir.”
I obediently lapped up Zarek’s hot blood. It tasted kinda funny, but boy did it have a kick to it. I was getting one hell of a buzz on.

“No chocolate for the next two months,”
Voss stated suddenly.

“What! That is so unfair.”
I pushed Zarek’s hand away and angrily wiped the blood off my mouth.

“You disobeyed me.”

“I saved your ungrateful ass. Again.”

“You almost died.”

“But I didn’t. Since I stopped Malik from killing you, you owe me big-time, buster.”
I scowled at his regen tube.
“I want a really big box of chocolate, a case of soda, and some play time with Johnny.”

Hothar asked, “Who’s Johnny?”

Crap, I was broadcasting my thoughts again. “Nobody you know.”

“When can I meet him?”

“Ah… Well…you can’t.”

“Johnny wants to come out and play,”
Voss murmured in my head, raining phantom kisses down my neck.

A blush stained my cheeks.
“Stop it.”

“I haven’t even begun.”

I wiggled frantically as Voss stroked my clit.
“Listen, you horny bastard, we are so not doing it in front of Zarek and Hothar.”

“Zarek understands a warrior’s needs.”
His mouth closed over my right nipple.

Ever the persistent teenager, Hothar asked, “Why can’t I meet Johnny?”

“It wouldn’t be proper,” I gasped, fighting back the urge to scream as Voss licked and nibbled my clit.

With a confused frown, Hothar pushed on. “Is this
Johnny
our enemy?”

Oh dear God. Why me? “Not exactly. Look, let’s just say Johnny is a personal matter between Voss and me.”

“I see,” Hothar said, when clearly he didn’t.

Voss slid his finger deep inside me, and a shocking heat clenched my muscles. He thrust again, and pleasure rocked me. Panting hard, I managed to ride it out without screaming.

Hothar frowned as I shuddered and shook on the table. “Is Zoey having a seizure? Should we get another medic?”

“No! I’m good,” I squeaked.

His amusement evident, Zarek instructed Hothar, “Take Zoey to her chambers and make sure she eats something other than chocolate.”

I gave him a grateful smile. “When is Voss getting sprung from sick bay?”

“In another hour,” the medic croaked. He looked at me like I was something that had climbed out of the toilet and snarled. “Get that creature out of my sick bay.”

Excuse me? Before I could tell him where to stick it, power suddenly roiled around the room. Uh-oh. He had done gone and pissed off the Overlord. I slid off the examining table and waited for the fireworks to begin.

The medic took one look at Zarek’s furious gaze and messed himself.

My eyes began to water at the stench. Hooboy. What had he been eating?

His voice soft and menacing, Zarek stated, “That
creature
is a Coletti warrior, and she will be treated with the respect due her. Do you understand me?”

The medic’s head bobbled crazily, and he slowly backed out of the room. “Please… Please accept…my apologies. It won’t… Won’t happen again, my lord.” The medic fled.

A horrified scream sounded from the corridor.

I stepped out the door and shook my head in disgust when the medic crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

Bebo slithered over to me.
“He frightens easily.”

“The poor thing suffers from fragile sensibilities,”
I said, trying to work a touch of sympathy into my mental voice.

Hothar grinned at me and nudged the medic with his foot. “He needs to change his shorts.”

“Perhaps a warship is not the correct place for him,”
Bebo added. A tentacle gently petted my hair.

I shrugged.
“Probably not.”

“I’ve summoned Commander Zan to deal with him,”
Zarek added, staring down at him.

Zap! Someone’s career just went in the toilet. What a pity. I turned to Bebo.
“Your kingdom is once again secure?”

“It is. I owe you a great debt for saving Bedan.”
His tentacle settled on my shoulder.

“I really didn’t do anything. Bedan saved himself.”
I eased way from the tentacle.

“Zoey is being modest,”
Zarek said, shooting me a warning look.

A frisson of dread snaked up my back. He actually wanted me to get stung again? I had enough tattoos, thank you very much.

“We wish to honor Zoey with the Rite of Ascendance.”

Rite? Oh hell no.
“It’s not—”

Zarek cut me off.
“She accepts.”

“I do?”

“You do,”
Voss growled in my head.

“The Rite will be held when the third moon rises,”
Bebo replied.

A gleeful light in his eyes, Zarek gave a slight bow.
“We accept this great honor.”

My mouth tightened.
Like hell “we” do.

“We do,”
Voss insisted.

“But—”

“Be safe, little one.”
A starburst of gold enveloped Bebo, and he was gone.

More than a little pissed, I turned to Zarek and demanded, “Does this Rite involve more tattoos?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not going, and you can’t make me.”

“You are going,”
Voss snapped.

His teeth bared in a menacing smile, Zarek answered, “Are you challenging me?”

Fear knotted my stomach. Did I have a big mouth or what? “No, sir. What can it hurt to get another tattoo?”

“Good answer.”

The medic groaned, sat up, took one look at the Overlord, and fled, screaming blue bloody murder.

“Malik hasn’t been under the medic’s tender care, has he?”

An evil smile spread across Zarek’s face. “No. Bey and his warriors are guarding Malik.”

Why was that name so familiar? Wait a minute. “Isn’t Bey a Kotsor?”

“He is.”

“Can I meet him?” Kaylee had written me about them. Kotsors were a telepathic race that resembled tarantula spiders.

“If Voss is agreeable, I will arrange a meeting.”

“Cool.”

A familiar voice cried, “Zoey!”

I turned and watched my very pregnant cousin waddle toward me. “Oh my God! Kaylee, you’re pregnant!”

She laughed and patted her stomach. “Very.”

Zarek hissed his displeasure. “Talree agreed to this?”

Not a bit intimidated, Kaylee answered, “When Detja heard what had happened, she insisted on coming too.”

A petite woman in a moss-green tunic appeared in the corridor.

I gawked. She was drop-dead beautiful, with long silver hair that emphasized her high exotic cheekbones and delicate features. One look at her pointed ears and I knew who she was. I walked toward her and held out my hand. “You have to be Detja.”

“I am.” She hugged me. “Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you.”

“You should not be here,” Zarek roared.

“My place is at your side,” Detja replied, not batting an eye at his rage.

An exasperated Coletti warlord who bore a striking resemblance to Zarek popped in and wrapped a protective arm around Kaylee. “Father.”

The Overlord locked a menacing glare on Talree. “Have you lost your mind?”

A melodious laugh broke from Detja. “Your son has no control over me.”

A low growl rumbled in Zarek’s chest. “You risk too much.”

I gingerly patted the Overlord’s arm. “Relax. The good guys won. Malik’s locked up, and the galaxy is safe once again. What could possibly happen now?”

Loose Id Titles by Gail Koger

The COLETTI WARLORDS Series

Vexing Voss

Gail Koger

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for thirty-one years and to keep insanity at bay, I took up writing. Not to worry. The insanity isn’t catching…much. Other than the addiction to chocolate and the twitch in my left eye, I’m good. My current project is
Reality Bites
, the next in the Coletti Warlord series.

Check out my Web site at
http://www.gailkoger.com
.