Creature Worlds: Solar Slick (5 page)

“What are you up to?” Tigg asked. “I know you’ve got questions about what your parents were trying to do, but we’re here to clear your name. We can’t afford to get side-tracked.”

“If there’s a way to stop the shift then I need to have it. Even if I don’t ever use it then I want it for the baby. It’ll be his or her choice whether or not they take it.”

A gleam came into Tigg’s eyes. “If you can’t shift, Clay will no longer have need of you.”

“The same thought occurred to me,” I said. “It may come down to me having to choose between staying who I am or losing part of myself to be free of Clay.”

“Whatever you decide is fine with me,” Tigg said.

I sighed. “Unfortunately, I think the only way to ever be completely free of Clay is to remove that part of me that’s so attractive to him.”

“Or I could just kill him.” His lips turned up into a little snarl.

I couldn’t believe he was so protective of me. Even willing to kill for me. No one, other than my parents, had ever loved me so much.

Love!

Was Tigg in love with me? I reached up and ran my finger down the side of his chiseled green jawline. He was so handsome. I wondered if our child would take more after him or me? Perhaps I’d give birth to a green shifter? Wouldn’t that be something?

“It’s night here, we’ll have to wait until morning to go to the lab. Perhaps we should try and rest?”

“But I’m not tired,” I said looking into his eyes. He got my message loud and clear. The attraction I felt for him bordered on obsessive. Perhaps he was right and my hormones were out of whack? All I knew was I wanted him inside me—now.

I began clawing at his clothing, suddenly desperate to see him naked. His shirt came off over his head bearing his glorious broad chest. Ignoring my pawing hands, he got to his feet to pull his pants off. Then he started on my clothes. I was suddenly very grateful for the comfortable, easily removable outfits of Treox.

Once I was naked, Tigg kneeled down on the floor and opened my thighs while I lay back on the couch. Lowering his head, his long flicking tongue beat against my pussy in fast strokes making me writhe in delight. Sensing my urgency, two of his thick webbed fingers slipped inside me, pushing deep into my core. My hips rose up off the couch and my head thrashed from side to side. “Please,” I begged. “Fuck me, Tigg. I need you.”

His other hand squeezed my ass while another finger slipped inside me. I opened my legs wider and pushed against him, urging him deeper. His lips wreaked havoc with my clit, that tongue of his moving with lightning fast speed. I couldn’t hold on. I couldn’t wait for him to bury his rods inside me. “Tigg!” I cried, unable to wait for him to join me.

“Go, Minka,” he urged. “For you, my love.”

My world shattered making me cry out as I came. “I love you. I love you.”

And as I sailed slowly back to Earth I heard Tigg’s gentle voice. “Love you too, Minka.”

Chapter 8

When next I opened my eyes daylight was streaming in through the windows. Despite my insistence of not being remotely tired, I’d slept like a log. Remembering Tigg’s attentiveness last night, I smiled and stretched out on the couch like a Cheshire cat.

“Ahh, you’re awake.” Tigg came up before me holding two steaming cups of coffee. He placed them on the end table and sat down beside me. “You look well rested. That’s good. Growing babies is hard work.”

Yeah, that had to be it. “Did you sleep?” I asked.

“A little. Lizords are actually more active at night, but I managed to shut my eyes for a few hours.”

I sipped my coffee and eyed Tigg speculatively. “Think we’ll find some answers today?”

“Hope so. If not we’re back to plan B.”

“Clearing my name. That’s not gonna happen. Clay’s too good at keeping people under his thumb.”

“I suppose we could always hurry back to Treox and get him the menite.”

“And hope that he keeps his word? Yeah, don’t see that happening either.”

“Or I could just kill him.”

“There is that,” I concurred. He smiled and kissed my lips. Despite the circumstances, I was glad we were together. He was easy to be with. Easy to love.

There was that L-word again.

Last night, in the throes of passion, I’d cried out that I loved him. He’d responded in kind.
Did
I love him, really? Or was it those dastardly hormones along with the great sex that had made me say it? Whatever it was, I was feeling decidedly warm and fuzzy toward him.

“We should eat before we go,” I said. Neither of us had Earth currency, and I’d cleaned out every bit of money I could find when I left here years ago. So, it was freeze dried gourmet for us again.

It didn’t take me long to boil us up some breakfast. Before I knew it we were uncovering the space ship and on our way. The only thing I took from the cabin was a few sheets from my parents’ folder. They could hold more answers to questions we had later on. Now I sat in my seat, pouring over the documents once more, searching for a contact as Tigg maneuvered the craft.

“Are you sad?” Tigg asked.

“About what?”

“Leaving your home again.”

I shrugged. “You’re my home now.” Strange, but that was exactly how I felt. Tigg smiled at my reply.

Being in the craft it only took about an hour to get to the city. We traveled at the speed limit otherwise we’d have made it much faster. We parked on the outskirts of town in a city-owned field that served as a makeshift parking lot for spacecraft. We didn’t have the required permit to park in town. A shuttle service was offered, which would bring us into town. Alas, we lacked the required funds. Tigg swung me up into his arms and began to run since time was of the essence. Nestled in his strong arms I rested my head on his chest while his long strides ate up the ground.

As we neared the main hub of the city, Tigg slowed his pace and then stopped. He set me down on the ground beside him as I looked around trying to jog my memory of where we needed to go.

“Anything familiar?” he asked. From the way his head swung around and his eyes bulged at the sights I knew this was probably the first time he’d ever been in a thriving metropolis. Sure, there was some pretty high-tech stuff on Treox, especially in the domed cities, but nothing compared to this.

Overhead was a complex monorail system stretching across the city as far as the eye could see. Several ground-riding vehicles scooted about, much like the one my parents had owned. The popular mode of transportation here were the smaller personal crafts like the one Tigg had. Some smaller buildings, ten or twenty stories high were scattered about —like the kind I’d lived in when I first arrived. But mostly, the skyscrapers dominated the scenery. They soared all around us practically blocking out the blue sky, giving the city a hazy appearance. Single dwellings were non-existent in big cities such as this, there not being enough room to accommodate them. The virtual annihilation of anything green and growing made this a cold, metal, unwelcoming place. And yet, it thrived. Populations soared. So much so that the city had expanded its size to almost double in the past ten years.

I tried to get my bearings and searched for anything familiar. In the distance I saw a building shaped like the letter ‘T’. “There,” I said. Tigg looked in the direction I pointed. “That’s familiar.” We started to walk along the wide busy sidewalk, keeping our eyes on our destination while trying to avoid bumping into others. If anyone thought Tigg’s appearance strange, they didn’t show it. I suppose in this day of interplanetary space travel, aliens were no longer an oddity.

Soon we were standing near the building I had recognized. We stopped while I gazed around trying to picture the building I was looking for. In my pocket I had a folded up piece of paper that I’d discovered a name written on. Dr. Jeneva had been jotted down in my father’s handwriting. He had to be the contact in the city.

“That’s it,” I exclaimed, seeing a short, wide building made mostly of glass. Kelasio Labs was written on the outside in big, fancy letters. “That’s the place.”

We entered the building and walked up to the big wide desk. A young woman sat behind it and looked up at us and smiled. “Can I help you?” she asked. Tigg smiled charmingly and I had to admit he was strikingly handsome. Knowing he was mine, warm fuzziness enveloped me again.

“Yes,” I said, getting her attention. “Does Dr. Jeneva work here?” I kept my fingers crossed that he did, it’d been five long years since my last visit.

“He does,” she affirmed. “Twice a week only, but you’re in luck, he’s here today.”

“Lucky break,” Tigg said.

“I don’t have an appointment, but would it be possible to see him? It’s very important.”

After another charming smile from Tigg, the young lady nodded her head. “No harm in asking, right?” She got on the phone and after a few moments she hung up. “Third floor, go into the office on the left and wait. He’ll see you there as soon as he’s free.”

“Thank you,” Tigg and I both said in unison. We headed for the elevator and went up to the third floor as instructed. We entered the office and found it was vacant, which suited our purpose. Being half Ventillian, and an outlaw on Earth, discretion was imperative.

“Want to sit down?” Tigg gestured toward the pair of seats against the wall.

“No.” I opted to pace instead, knowing every second the clock was ticking and Clay was awaiting our return. If this turned out to be a bust then precious hours would have been wasted.

It seemed like forever before we heard the doorknob turn and an older gentleman shuffled into the office. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, a friendly smile on his face.

I walked right over and offered him my hand. “Hi Doctor Jeneva, my name is Minka and this is my friend Tigg.”

“Minka?” the doctor asked. “That name sounds vaguely familiar.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the piece of paper that had his name on it. I passed it into his hands. “I think you may have worked with my parents in the past. Teal and Haddon Bain?” I hoped their names sounded familiar to him as well.

“Haddon Bain? Oh yes! I knew him well. Terrible tragedy that happened to him and his wife. You’re their daughter?”

“I am.”

He looked at me cautiously. “And are you still able to control your shifts?”

“Yes.” It was a little unnerving that this virtual stranger knew my deep dark secret.

“Good, good,” he said nodding his head.

“Doctor, we’re here because we’re hoping you’d discovered a way to stop the shift altogether,” said Tigg.

The doctor looked up at Tigg and raised an eyebrow. “Young man, are you from Treox?” he asked, excitement in his voice.

“Yes. And before you ask, I’m a Lizord.”

“Amazing! I’ve never actually met a Lizord before. How wonderful.”

“Please, doctor. It’s very important,” I said, urging him to remember.

He pondered the paper in his hands for a moment as though it would jog his memory. Then he looked up at me with a gleam in his eye. “Why, yes. I’m not sure how much you remember of that day, but before the terrible tragedy, you and your parents had met with me. All of you gave me a blood sample and with the help of your parents’ meticulous research I was able to concoct a remedy for the shifts. It took me some time, months in fact, but I did it. Now, if I still have it is another matter.”

“
If
?” I asked.

“Let’s go back to the lab shall we? If I have it, that’s where it’ll be.”

We followed the doctor from the office and down the hall. Tigg gripped my hand tightly in his, knowing my life was hinging on whatever we were going to find in the lab.

Chapter 9

We entered the lab and thankfully no one else was in there. The doctor walked over to a glass case with shelves inside. He slid open the door and a puff of cold air escaped. Trailing his finger along the many vials, scanning their labels, he finally picked one up.

“Ah, ha!” he exclaimed. He set the vial carefully on the metal table behind him.

“Is that it?” I asked, trying to contain my excitement.

“Yes, I still have it,” the doctor answered.

To my embarrassment I began to cry. Never one to give way to tears I was shocked and embarrassed at my reaction. “Damn hormones,” I said, trying to explain my emotions to the doctor who was looking at me worriedly.

When Tigg went to reach for the vial to get a closer look, the doctor suddenly snapped it up in his hand. “Just one moment young man.”

We eyed the doctor in shock. “Aren’t you going to let me have it?” my voice came out in a squawk.

The doctor waved his finger between Tigg and I. “Tell me something. Are you two lovers?”

My face flamed. Were we
that
obvious?

“What has that got to do with the cure?” Tigg demanded.

“Everything,” the doctor insisted. “Minka, if you’re expecting a child then you cannot take this cure until after the baby is born.” He saw the dumb expression Tigg and I shared and explained. “Think about it. The baby could also be shifting even while in utero. Do you want to risk stopping the shift if the baby is in spider form?”