Jo's Journey (14 page)

“I can’t believe you set up my brothers and me. I was going to tell you that I had changed my mind about using you as bait. I should have known you wouldn’t have listened to me even if I did,” Manota murmured quietly later that night as they lay in his massive bed back at the East House.

“
Not really,” Jo replied as she snuggled closer, resting her head on his chest. “You need us. Your plan is a good one. You know it will work.”

“
I know,” he replied softly. “I just wish there was a better way,” he added with a tired sigh as he held her closer to him.

Exhaustion bit deeply at both of them. It was well after midnight by the time everything aboard the
Seeker
had been transported down. A landing pad for the transports had been built on the grounds reserved for the humans and their animals. The transports had made trip after trip, making sure that all the humans, their animals, and equipment were safely delivered.

It had taken a little longer as the circus crew had to set up the needed areas for both their homes and the animals before all of it could be deposited. Each shipment was done as if a beautifully choreographed dance was being executed. Ricki and Walter oversaw the entire operation, one handling the equipment for their living accommodations and the other the animals and other equipment. The only mishap had been when Sacha and Mushie got a little over-protective when two of the transport crew tried to step between them and their mistress. Fortunately, Katarina had kept the huge creatures under control long enough for the warriors to retreat back into their transport ship.

He had spoken with Jazin several times over the past few days. He wanted to warn him of the strange creatures that had returned with him. He knew both of his brothers were nervous about whether Tami and Alan would accept them. Even though they were not River’s birth parents, Torak had shared that River considered them as close as her own parents had been.

He had talked to both Torak and Jazin after
they had finally calmed down. His father had joined them and had agreed that the plan was the best possible solution to catching Tai Tek once and for all. His father mentioned that he was concerned about the fact Ristéard Roald, The Grand Ruler of Elpidios, would be on Kassis during the ceremony. He wanted to make sure nothing endangered the huge ruler.

“
The last thing we want is a war between Elpidios and Kassis. Right now, Ristéard is on our side. I would like to keep it that way. I also want to get his planet accepted into the Alliance. Someone targeting him while he is on our world would not look good,” Ajaska said heavily. “I don’t know enough about him yet to go into the details of what Tai Tek has been doing.”

“
We may have to let him know what is going on,” Manota said reluctantly. “Is it possible to postpone his visit?”

Ajaska shook his head.
“No. I don’t think it would go over well, especially after I gave my word. His planet needs the crystals. Torak is making sure all the crystal plants are cleared. Jazin, Jarmen, Armet, and Dakar are working on additional securities. Dakar knows Tai Tek. He agrees that your plan is the best opportunity to pull Tai Tek out of hiding.”

“
K’tar and Kev have been successful at closing just about every line of credit Tai Tek has hidden. Unless he has a substantial stash somewhere else, he will be limited in his ability to hire mercenaries,” Manota had shared.

“
Gril has been working on shutting down the rebels who were following Trolis before his death. He says there are still two warships unaccounted for. He warned us that they may be with Tai Tek. Each has over a hundred Tearnats and mercenaries,” Torak responded.

“
Jarmen and Armet are working with Dakar trying to find any more hidden bases. We are passing the information on to Gril who has two of his generals with squadrons on standby to take them out,” Jazin added.

Manota hid his surprise to hear Jarmen was actually there working with them. He knew about the male whom his younger brother had rescued from a research facility. Jarmen was very quiet, reclusive. Manota had been worried when he first discovered that his brother was helping the male but over the years, it was obvious the unusual male meant no harm to his little brother. Now, he was grateful for any and all help they could get. He wanted Tai Tek dead. He had too much to lose if the former councilman was not dealt with as soon as possible.

Both of his brothers had reluctantly agreed that the plan was solid and would work but none of the men liked it. It went against every instinct of a Kassisan warrior to use a female in battle.

“
Sleep, Manota,” Jo’s softly whispered voice echoed in the darkness drawing him out of his thoughts. “I can feel the tension in you. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”

“
Help me relax,” he murmured back gruffly as he pulled her closer.

Jo softly chuckled as his hands moved up her back and side before they slid down where he grabbed her hips, turning her until she was on top of him. She tilted her head back so she could gaze down at him. There was just a sliver of light coming in through the windows from the moonlit sky. Shadows played over his face but she could clearly see the silver flames burning brightly in his eyes.

“You’re incorrigible, you know that?” She teased as heat flooded her when she felt his cock pulsing against the inside of her thigh.

“
Maybe you should try to redeem me?” He suggested as he wound his hands in her hair. “Love me, Jo.”

Jo
’s breath caught as she heard the slight whisper of desperation in his voice that he didn’t realize was there. She knew at that moment that he was not as calm as he was pretending to be. Her heart melted to know that deep down, her proud warrior was terrified of losing her. She bent down and brushed her lips against his. A shudder shook his body at the tender touch.

“
I’ll love you forever, Manota. When this is over I think I’d like to start a family,” she whispered against his lips. “If you want to, that is.”

“
Gods yes! You are so beautiful, my Jo,” Manota groaned out, pulling her head down so he could kiss her deeply.

They drank from each other, both desperate for different reasons. The dark shadow of what was to come disappeared as they came together in a tangle of limbs. Jo poured every ounce of her love into the kiss, tangling her tongue with his in a fierce battle to drive his fear for her away. She refused to believe they would not be successful in their fight against the man determined to bring down the ruling family.

“I love you so much, Manota,” Jo whispered as she pulled her lips away from his.

She continued sprinkling little kisses across his chin and jaw before she began working her way down to his neck and chest. She wanted to taste and explore every inch of him. She was overwhelmed with the need to just touch him. The exhaustion from the long day was forgotten as a desperate energy filled her with a need to drive his fear away.

“Jo,” Manota groaned out as she ran her tongue over his left nipple. “
Mi t’belle
, you drive me insane.”

“
Just wait,” she breathed out as she wrapped her hand around his long thick shaft. “You wanted help relaxing. I planned to do everything in my power to grant you your wish.”

She didn
’t wait to give him a chance to respond. Scooting further down until she was kneeling between his thickly muscled thighs, she wrapped her lips around the head of his long length. It was time to show him that she was not only an excellent aerialist; she was pretty damn good at sword swallowing too. His cry filled the bedroom as she slid his thick cock into her mouth, taking the entire length.

*.*.*

Manota had only dreamed that Jo would want to take him into her mouth but he never dreamed she could take the entire length. Never with all of his other lovers had they taken him the way she was doing now. He watched as she pulled back, tonguing the tip again before sliding it back down her throat.

A shuddering cry ripped from his throat as she swallowed. The movement of her throat moving up and down rubbing the entire length of his penis as it fisted tightly around him. The sight was so erotic he felt the tingling starting at the base of his spine and working upwards. He knew he wasn
’t going to last long between the sight, sounds, and feel of her wrapped around him. When she slid her other hand between them and cupped his heavy sack he exploded with a harsh groan. His head fell back against the pillows as she continued to swallow his seed as it pumped from his body down her throat. His fists clenched the covers in an effort to not grip her as he pulsed. The overwhelming climax was so strong he could feel his body trembling as he jerked out the last of his orgasm.

His loud hiss filled the room as she slowly pulled back, releasing his trembling form. Harsh, uneven breaths echoed as he continued to shake from the waves of intense pleasure rocketing through his body. He slowly unclenched his fists as he came back down from the paradise she had taken him to.

He forced his eyes open far enough so he could see her kneeling between his legs, a soft knowing smile curving her swollen lips. He was trying to figure out how in the hell she swallowed him like that when a sudden memory flashed through his sated brain.

His mind flashed back to a morning that seemed a lifetime ago. He and Jo had been sitting with his father, brothers, Star and River in the main living quarters of the North House. They had been watching
‘home movies’ that Walter had given to River of the girls when they were just children. He had been shocked to discover they were performers, not warriors on their world. It was during one of the movies that Torak had choked out a startled exclamation.

“
So that’s how you know how to do that,” Torak had murmured in disbelief.

“
Know how to do what?” Manota had asked glancing at his brother who had an expression of awe on his face. When Manota had looked puzzled at River, her face had been a bright, bright red.

Torak
had then turned to look at Jo. “Do you know how to do that?” He had asked with a mischievous grin.

“
Of course, Kid taught all three of us how to do it,” Jo had responded. “Why?” She had flushed and looked at Torak with a silent look a moment later.

Now he understood why
Jo had suddenly turned as bright red as River and shot his brother a look that spoke of severe pain should he say anything else on the subject.

Torak
’s knowing smile as he looked at him now spoke of his own personal experience. “I only hope you find out one day, brother. Both of you. It is a most incredible thing,” his brother’s voice echoed in his memory.

The scene of the girls swallowing swords instantly replayed in his mind over and over as he came down from his sated bliss. Manota hadn
’t understood Torak’s question to Jo until now.

I will have to tell Torak he was right,
Manota thought as he reached for his smiling mate.
I have truly discovered what an incredible thing it is!

“
My turn,” he growled out as he flipped her so she was under him. “You are a truly amazing female.”

“
How about you show me how amazing I am?” She teased before her breath escaped her as he did just that.

Three days later, Manota looked over the large area set aside for the humans searching for Jo who had come over earlier to visit with her parents and Ricki. It was incredible to watch the humans work. They moved with a seamless organization that spoke of years of training.

One section was reserved for their mobile living quarters. Engineers and builders were working on more permanent structures for them but the humans did not appear to mind living in the small, cramped quarters they had brought with them.

His eyes scanned the area pausing on the two Kor d’Lur Mimes. The two men moved silently among the crowd of workers. They often wore the face paint when the Kassisan workers were present. He suspected they were not comfortable with letting others know who they were. Manota knew very little about the species but suspected they were wary of being around the native Kassisans.

Both his brothers and his father had returned to Kassis the previous afternoon. He looked forward to meeting with them but needed to make sure his mate was safe before he became locked up in meetings. The Ceremony of
Zephren was scheduled to take place in two weeks and they had several security issues that needed to be reviewed before they were ready for the confrontation that was bound to occur. Manota turned when he heard a small commotion coming from near the entrance to the big tent that was set up in the center of the compound. The noise was coming from two men who were talking rapidly with each other. Behind them, two strange looking service bots followed. One was large and had to stop frequently so it did not step on the two men who were speaking in a strange language while the other service bot was smaller. It rolled in and out of the two men’s legs as they argued.

“
Je dis que nous mettons en place un restaurant de la ville!”
I say we set up a restaurant in the city!
The one man was saying.

“
Vous ne comprenez pas l’affaire comme je le fais, Luc! Nous pouvons mettre en place en place comme ils l’ont à Las Vegas! Dîner et un spectacle. Il suffit de penser de lui!”
You do not understand business like I do, Luc! We can set up it up as they have in Las Vegas! Dinner and a show. Just think of it!
The other man argued.

“
Bonjour, messieurs! Mon nom est Jo Strauss.”
Good morning, sirs! My name is Jo Strauss.
Jo called out from the entrance to the tent as she listened to the men arguing back and forth while the service bots just grumbled and groaned.

Both men turned at the same time with a huge grin on their faces. They both bowed with a flourish before walking over and kissing Jo on each cheek. Manota had reached them by the time the second man was bending to kiss Jo. He lifted the man up by the collar of his shirt and growled in a low, menacing tone at him.

“Ah, Luc,” Jon Paul chuckled. “You have met another one who wishes to cause you harm.”

Luc squeaked and looked with wide eyes at the burning silver flames staring back at him.
“Please, monsieur! I mean no disrespect,” he said hurriedly.

“
Manota, put him down,” Jo giggled. “You two must be Jon Paul and Luc.”

“
Oui, Madame,” Luc started to say before he let out another squeak and tried to shrink into his shirt when Manota shook him.

“
You will speak English so I understand you,” he ordered before he dropped the man.

“
Yes, sir,” Luc muttered and curled into Jon Paul as he put his arm around him.

“
Forgive us, monsieur. We are new to your world. I am Jon Paul and this is my partner, Luc. We are but two lost Frenchmen looking for a place to start a restaurant. We mean no harm to you or your lovely mate,” Jon Paul with another bow to Jo.

Jo giggled as she bit her lip and looked in amusement as understanding dawned on Manota
’s face. He remembered Jazin telling him about these two human males. They had taken Star aboard their freighter before it was attacked by Tai Tek. They had barely made it off the dilapidated ship before it imploded. Jazin had warned him the two were very strange and was amazed they had survived in space as long as they had because neither one had an ounce of common sense between them.

“
Have you talked to Walter yet?” Jo asked coming to the two men’s rescue when they looked hopefully at Manota who just glared at them. “I think opening a restaurant is a wonderful idea. Walter can help you get things organized and introduce you to the others,” she added shooting a warning glare at Manota as she turned to head back inside the huge Big Top. “How on Earth did you two end up in outer space?” Jo was asking the men as she walked away.

Manota looked down when he felt a tug on his pant leg. He frowned when he saw the small service bot looking up at him with huge, glowing eyes. The damn thing was running its three digit hand over his calf, squeezing his muscles.

“Hey good looking, my name is IQ. But you can call me ‘
votre bot d’amour
’. Your love bot,” the small bot said in a deep voice. “You can be my Man-o-lala.”

Manota scowled down at the small bot before growling at it as he shook it off his leg.
“I don’t think so,” he snapped. “Touch me again and I’ll dismantle your metal casings,” he added before he strode off after Jo and the other two humans.

“
Damn, another one slips through my grasp,” IQ muttered as he turned on his wheels.

A small giggle caused both service bots to turn. Jane stood over to the side, peeking out from behind a small trailer. IQ
’s eyes flickered as he processed the small human female staring at him and Numbnuts with wide dark brown eyes.

“
How do I look, Numbnuts?” IQ asked as he scanned Jane again as she stood staring at both of them in bemusement.

Numbnuts looked down and ran a scan over IQ
’s small metal body. “Silver and black,” the larger service bot replied.

“
Good enough for me,” IQ said with a low growl and started toward Jane. “Ma belle fleur d’étoile, où avez-vous été toute ma vie?
My beautiful star flower, where have you been all my life?
IQ said in his best Pepe Le Pew voice.

“
I don’t speak French,” Jane softly replied as she bent down and reached out to touch the small bot. “You are so cute.”

IQ
’s eyes flashed for a moment as a surge of new programming flashed through his processor. Jane never noticed as the information flashed through the smaller bot’s memory. No one but those who knew either of the service bots would recognize their programming had been changed within seconds.

“
My name is IQ,” IQ said in a soft voice “I am now your protector.”

Jane looked up as the larger bot stepped closer to her.
“I am Numbnuts. I will protect you as well, my lady.”

Jane
’s eyes flashed with confusion as she looked around. She didn’t understand what just happened. She had been watching the two metal creatures all morning as the two Frenchmen had walked around the circus compound arguing, introducing themselves to everyone, and arguing some more in French. She had been fascinated by the two robots that had acted so funny. The little one kept making outrageous comments to everyone while the larger one tried to keep the two men from running into things or stepping in front of some of the workers.

Now, it was as if they were focused only on her. They ignored the others who walked by, moving closer to her instead. She looked down as the little robot gently picked up her right hand, holding it tenderly in-between his three digit hand.

“You are safe,” IQ said quietly.

Jane
’s shaky smile grew as she wrapped her fingers around the tiny hand. “Thank you. For the first time, I feel like I really am. Would you like to see where I live?” She asked hesitantly, biting her lower lip in uncertainty.

“
Take us home,” Numbnuts said reaching down and helping Jane up. “We will stay with you from now on.”

“
But… what about the other two men?” Jane asked looking toward the huge tent. “Won’t they miss you?”

“
Naw!” IQ said with a shrug. “They are Frenchmen! They are in love – with food, wine, and each other.”

Jane couldn
’t stop the lilting laughter that escaped as IQ spoke in a voice that was the perfect imitation of Luc’s voice. Neither Jane nor the two service bots saw the glowing red eyes following their movement through the maze of campers and trailers. The hooded figure moved silently among the shadows. A silent protector to the small human female who shied away from the dark areas as if she feared there was something lurking in them – waiting for the moment when she would stumble into it.

*.*.*

Manota sighed when he saw Jo talking with her younger sister across the center ring. A moment later she had disappeared with her. His gaze jerked around when Marvin and Martin stepped in front of him and pointed up into the stands that had been erected. He saw his younger brother sitting about halfway up the stands. He nodded to the two men and began climbing. He walked along the long wooden plank until he was almost to the center.

“
I didn’t expect to see you here this early,” Manota commented as he sat down.

“
Star was up with the sun. She couldn’t wait to see her parents,” Jazin said with a small smile.

Manota studied Jazin with a critical eye for a moment before he asked the question that had
been bothering him. “Are you well, brother?”

Jazin glanced at Manota and nodded grimly.
“No thanks to Tai Tek. I owe that bastard big time,” he replied in a low tone.

Manota
’s eyes moved back to the ring where a woman was walking in a big circle as two small striped beasts called zebras trotted around the center ring. The female had a small hairy creature wrapped around her neck and back. Jo had said the thing was called a Spider monkey.

“
We will get him this time,” Manota said in a quiet voice. “I will not give him another chance to harm my family. I should have been there with you.”

Jazin glanced at his middle brother and released a sigh. He knew Manota felt guilty as hell for having left for Earth instead of being there with him. It was the same way he had felt when Manota had been injured in the war and Jazin had almost not reached him in time.

“I am glad you went for our mates’ parents. I have never seen my Star so happy as when she found out you were returning with them. I survived thanks to her, Madas, Jarmen, Armet, and Dakar. Jarmen was able to download a good portion of Tai Tek’s files while we were at the prison fortress. He said he found several hidden files that were encrypted. He notified me this morning that he was able to decipher them. He discovered that this is about more than just Tai Tek,” Jazin said with a grim look on his face. “He will meet with us in an hour to debrief us.”

Manota nodded solemnly.
“I was afraid of that considering the amount of resources that Tai Tek has had at his disposal. He has been able to fund far too much considering his family holdings. We had a traitor aboard the
Seeker
. If the rest of the crew had not been so good, things could have turned out much different. Well, the crew and the humans,” he added with a grim smile.

“
I heard,” Jazin said tightly. “Jarmen, Dakar and Armet are re-running thorough screens on all personnel in the Houses, in addition to another one on Tai Tek’s former House to see if any more altered or hidden records can be found. Now that Jarmen knows what files to look for, he hopes to uncover any we may have missed before.”

Manota nodded before looking up as a movement near the top of the tent caught his attention.
“Gods, she is so beautiful when she flies through the air but I swear it gives me heart failure every time,” Manota said as he stared at his mate who was standing on a narrow platform high above the ground.

Jazin let out a low curse as well when he saw Star on the platform next to Jo. Both of them swung off together on the same bar. A moment later, a male caught Star as she flew through the air. Jo bent at the waist as she swung back and forth. She wrapped her ankles around the bar so she was now upside down.

“They are beautiful,” Jazin breathed out, before he groaned as Star twisted in a graceful arc and Jo caught her hands. “I need to have a talk with my mate though. She is expecting our first child and I am not sure she should be doing this,” he added with a sigh of relief as she landed on the platform again.

Manota bit back the groan of dismay. The plan he had finally accepted was going to happen whether he liked it or not had just taken another twist. How could he endanger both of his brothers
’ pregnant mates? If anything happened to them, if something should cause them to lose their child or worse their life, he would never forgive himself.

“
We have to come up with a different plan,” he growled out in frustration. “There is no way I will accept the responsibility for both Star and River, especially now. It is too much!”

Jazin shook his head.
“I would agree but Star has already agreed to the plan and so has River. There is no changing their minds. I feel confident this will work, Manota. I have a feeling once Jarmen shares what was in Tai Tek’s files you will agree and understand why this is so important. We have no choice but to bring him down. There are others working with him that have to be dealt with. We cannot do that until he has been captured or killed. We have believed all along that it was just him wanting to bring down the House of Kassis. It is more than that. It is a systematic attack on the Alliance,” Jazin said.