Desert World Savages: The Complete Series (18 page)

"How many?" he asked. "How many reverted?"

"Five," said Jankit, the lead Staukub. He seemed melancholy and depressed.

"How many died?" Rev's voice was cold, and Tracy shivered.

"Three."

"Where's Carol?" asked Tracy.

"Who?"

"Grubba," said Rev.

"The pink one, like you!" he pointed to Tracy.

"Yes, pink, like me. Where is she!"

"In the Doctor's room, in a pod."

"What?" asked Tracy, her voice rising in panic.

"He means she's in a stasis pod, Tracy. It's the best place for her."

Rev tried to be as reassuring as possible, but the fact was there wasn't much anyone could do if Carol was near death.

"I want to see her."

"Take her," said Jankit, motioning to another Staukub. Tracy looked to Rev, and he nodded.

"They understand the stakes here. Everything they do to help you will make them look better to the judges."

Tracy nodded her head. "Let's go, blue guy. Take me to my friend."

"And show me to your communications room," said Rev.

After Rev made a report to his superiors, he found Tracy in the medical bay. Rev stood behind Tracy and put his hands on her shoulders. They stared at Carol floating in a stasis pod. Her blue quills were stunted, and her face was a mottled confusion of blue and pink skin.

Tracy buried her face in Rev's chest. "Oh, Rev."

Rev stroked her hair, feeling sad for his part in their suffering.

"I told my superiors exactly what was going on here. An Enforcement Wing ship will be here tomorrow." said Rev.

"And they'll help Carol?"

"If they can. But Tracy, we need to talk about a few things."

"Like what?"

"Not here. Somewhere private."

He gently steered her out of the room. A Staukub woman stood in the hall.

"I'm to take both of you to your sleeping quarters. You can clean up there. Which do you want to do first?" She said these words crisply, as if she didn't want to speak to them.

"Clean up," said Tracy and Rev.

The woman nodded, her quills bobbing with the motion of her head. "This way," she said.

She led them through a maze of corridors that ended with some stairs leading down. The steps opened onto a large expanse of steaming water that spread into the shadows of a cavern. More stairs led into the water, and an underwater stone wall ran around the edge of the pool.

"Water comes up through the rocks. I like it here," said the Staukub woman.

"A hot spring!" said Tracy.

"Yes, a hot spring," said the woman.

"I like it here. I like my husband. I don't want to leave. Will you make me leave?"

Rev shook his head. "No one will make you do anything you don't want to. My people will come, and there will be Counselors to help. You will have a voice in determining your future."

"Good," she said. "Clean. I'll be back later." She walked up the stairs, leaving Rev and Tracy alone.

Rev stared at the water.

"All of this for cleaning?" he said.

"What? You've never seen a hot spring before?"

"Tracy, on our worlds, we conserve what water we have. We don't wash in it, not like this."

"You don't know what you're missing. Here, help me with this suit."

Rev helped her unclasp the suit, and she stood naked before him. Just the sight of her lovely pink skin churned thoughts of what he wanted to do to her.

With a smile, she put her foot in the water.

"Perfect! I'm going in." Before Rev could protest, she did a shallow dive into the water, disappeared under the surface, and popped up shaking her hair.

"Come on in, water's great."

Rev removed his clothing and cautiously moved down the steps. He immediately slipped and found his head under water. He thrashed about wildly until he felt Tracy gently pull his chin up and move his face out of the water.

"Hey, space cowboy. It's only water. You know you can stand up. It isn't deep."

He put his feet at the bottom of the pool and laughed. Tracy moved his arms around her neck, pressing her body against him.

"See, it isn't that bad."

Rev wasn't sure of that, but he didn't mind Tracy's body being held next to his as if they were weightless in space. Not at all.

"Now," she said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm not so interested in talking now," he said.

She pushed away and moved her hands and arms back and forth in the water; her head was half submerged.

"What are you doing?" asked Rev.

"Treading water." At his confused expression she added, "It lets keep my head above water without moving around too much."

"Doesn't look like it's working."

She blew a water bubble at him and bobbed her head up.

"Hah! Now spill the beans, Reven."

"Beans? I have no beans. What use are beans?"

She rolled her eyes. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Tracy, come here. Let me hold you."

Tracy kicked out and soon wrapped herself around Rev. He breathed deeply in satisfaction.

"Tracy, my mission wasn't sanctioned by the Enforcement Wing. I pursued this investigation without authorization."

"So you're in trouble with your bosses?"

"Maybe. Trackers are typically given wide latitude in our investigations, but I wasn't actually on an investigation when I went to look for my brother."

She shrugged her shoulders. "But you didn't find him, did you?"

"No."

"Then I don't see the problem. We have a saying, "No harm, no foul."

"Is that how Terrans see things? That if nothing is harmed, there isn't a problem?"

"Rev, we have so much stuff to worry over. We don't sweat the small stuff."

"This isn't 'small stuff,' Tracy. My family takes great pride in the service we provide to the Aligned Worlds."

"Ah, so this isn't a 'boss' thing. This is a 'family pride' thing. You sure twist yourself up in a thousand different ways. If you don't find your brother, you fail your family, but if you try to, you fail them too."

Again Tracy surprised him. "So you do understand."

"Yeah," said Tracy dryly. "It sucks to be you."

"What!" he sputtered, "I didn't mean-"

"Sure you did."

"This is a serious problem."

"Complexity."

She stared at him, and he understood what she was trying to say.

"Strip it down to the essential parts," he said.

"I'd say that finding your brother would be job one, regardless. You did the right thing. Regardless of the consequences, you did the right thing. If your bosses don't understand that, fuck them if they can't take a joke."

"Fuck them? I'd rather fuck you."

"Now there is something I agree with."

"But you have to understand, Tracy. They may arrest me when they arrive."

"Um," she said wrapping her fingers in his hair. "I'm pressed against a dangerous outlaw," she murmured in his ear. "Should I be concerned?"

In the warm water, Rev's cock hardened at her teasing words and from her body. His thoughts filled with burying his cock deep inside her.

"Yes, absolutely," he murmured in her ear. "Apparently, I am a criminal and am ready to take you right here and now."

"I think it's a toss-up on who is going to take whom."

She slipped down his chest, kissing it, and sucking at his dark nipples. Rev was surprised at the tingle of pleasure that shot through him. He felt the ridges on his cock flare, and an overwhelming need to enter Tracy. He pressed his cock against her opening and pulled her down. She gasped, wrapped her legs around his waist, and rode his cock. Her legs felt like a vise holding her to him. Rev gripped her ass and rocked her so she fucked him harder.

"Oh god," she gasped, and her muscles clenched within her. At that, Rev exploded, thrusting as hard as he could.

This time once wasn't enough for him. He needed her, again, now. Right now.

Rev spun her around and pressed her against the walled edge of the pool. He pulled her legs apart, held her hips, and thrust inside her again. The feeling of her round ass beneath him drove him into a frenzy, and he pounded her wildly, needing to claim and own every bit of her. He came, crying her name, and shooting deep inside her as she came too. For a second, he rested his head against her back.

He held her tightly to him. His cock was throbbing inside her. He needed more and he didn't understand why. Still hard, he moved inside once again, and she moaned insensibly. She met each one of his thrusts with a backward push of her own. He increased the pace, driving into her. A fire consumed his body.

He could not stop, even if he wanted to. The only thing that existed in his universe was joining together. She was his, inalterably his, and nothing mattered more than giving every part of himself to her.

His fangs descended and he struck the back of her neck. Everything released at once, the explosion shattering him as he filled her with his venom and his seed.

Tracy felt hot and confused. Was she dreaming or awake? When she managed to open her eyes, the room spun around her even though she was lying down.

She heard hushed voices and snatches of conversation.

"He growled when we tried to take her away..."

"Had to tranq him..."

"She's lucky to be very resistant, that much venom..."

"Never saw anything like this..."

Tracy was having problems organizing the bits and pieces she was overhearing into a coherent story. Wisps of memory floated through her mind. She and Rev in the hot tub, Rev pounding into her with an otherworldly stamina. Somehow they made it a bedroom, she thought. She didn't remember much about that, except he kept fucking her, over and over. She didn't resist, didn't protest. She didn't want him to stop.

It felt too good, especially when...he bit her?

That made no sense either. There would be sharp pains around her neck, but that felt good too. Each time she felt the pinch, she knew ecstasy would follow. She touched her neck unconsciously.

"Rev," she said.

"Her fever has broken. She's waking."

"Get the Doctor."

"Noc Walsh, can you hear me?"

"My name is Tracy, not Noc."

"Yes, Noc Walsh, we know. It's a short version of Non-Citizen, an honorific."

Tracy drew a deep breath. "If you say so." She turned over on her side. Her body wanted to sleep and her brain was overloading. Either way she didn't want to be here.

"Noc Walsh, please wake up. We'd like to ask you some questions."

Tracy reluctantly opened her eyes again. Around her bed were people with white skin, not like hers, but pure white and black eyes set in very rounded faces. They wore blue uniforms. Two others stood distinct from the white skins. One was official looking, a male wearing a military uniform with greenish skin. Like Rev. Another wore white robes and had brown skin.

Tracy looked around and figured she wasn't on the miner's planet anymore. Everything here was smooth, smooth white walls, smooth blue floors, smooth fabrics covering her.

"Where am I?"

The green man spoke. "You are on the Enforcement Wing vessel, Tor. I am the Captain, Sa-Moten, and this is Doctor Akar, Nurse S'den, and our Counselor, Ja-Idin Du.

"How are you feeling, Noc Walsh?" asked Doctor Akar.

"I'm tired. Where is Rev and Carol?"

"Your friend lives," said the Doctor, "but she is gravely ill."

Tracy paused for a minute, working up the courage to ask the question. "Is she going to survive?"

"If she can make it through the next few days, her chances are good. Each day she remains stable or improves is a good day. We are monitoring her closely. It is a long process to repair this much damage."

"And Rev? Where is he?"

"Tracker Ar-Reven is not your concern," said Captain Sa-Moten. We regret any intrusion he had on your life. You will, of course, have recourse to present damages to his family—"

She sat up and looked them all in the eye. "You've got to be kidding me. I have finally accepted the existence of space cops, now you want me to accept space lawyers too? I don't want damages. I want Rev. Where is he?"

"Noc Walsh," said the Doctor, "we understand you've been through a traumatic experience. We are doing our best to reverse the effects of the mating—"

"You're what?" said Tracy gripping the sheets of her bed. "How dare you!"

"Noc Walsh," said the Counselor, "Are you saying you don't want treatment?"

"Hell, no! I didn't ask for treatment."

"You don't understand, Noc Walsh," said the Doctor. "The mating bite of Tracker Ar-Reven's species is highly addictive. He violated several laws when he attempted to mate you."

"Attempt? What do you mean attempt?"

"Typically his species uses the mating venom once per partner. He envenomated you six times. This is the sign of a failed mating, and from what we can see, your are highly resistant to his species' venom. Add that to the fact you aren't pregnant-"

"Of course I'm not pregnant. I use contraception."

The Doctor's head picked up, "What contraception?"

"I call it the pill, though that's stupid, because it isn't one. It's just easier to say to a boyfriend that I'm on the pill. It's an implant under my skin, in my arm. If you press here, you can feel it. I chose it because my work schedule is so different I'd forget to take the pill on a regular basis. It provides continuous protection against conception for three years. I've got another two left on it."

"That could explain it," said the Doctor. "If he couldn't get her pregnant because of the contraception, his mating drive…"

"You don't have to draw me a picture," said the Captain. "I'm well aware of my species' mating drives. He still broke the law when he attempted to mate Noc Walsh."

"He's a member of the royal family," said the Counselor gently. "Do you really want to be the officer to bring up charges on the Emperor's nephew?"

"I won't be the officer that's too afraid to do it."

"Gentlemen!" said Tracy sharply. "Where is Rev?"

"Noc Walsh, he is NOT your concern. The treatment will be finished soon, and you can explore your options then."