Pieces of Three (3 page)

“Beg me, and maybe I’ll throw you a bone.” The guard smiled. “Or maybe you would like a little more juice.” He lifted the oversized case which no doubt contained more poison. If he could only get hold of one of the vials he might be able to figure out the antidote.

“I thought she was coming with us.” Julian managed to sit up and offered his hand.

The girl. Of course Julian noticed the girl because she caught his attention with a few simple sentances, but it was enough to have Julian think she was some sort of ally. Damn, if he didn’t think it as well. Most likely she was only trying to better herself, all humans were selfish and spiteless.

“She’s not here and she didn’t help us.” He took Julian’s offering.

“It doesn’t matter.” Julian shook his head.

“Unless you want me to lead you down by a leash, I would get going.” The guard pulled a baton out of his belt loop.

“All right.” He glanced around the deck. Several other Aktrosian guards as well as humans in uniform gathered around to gawk. He took a breath, trying to fill his lungs with a last blast of cool night air before they were quarantined to the bowels of the ship. No one on their island would search for them, not with the illness running rampant.

“Now are we going to stand or do I have to get you down there myself?” The guard lifted his baton.

“Stop!” A woman’s voice yelled behind him.

He turned. The girl stood on the far end of the ramp leading to the ship waving some papers above her head and holding a large suitcase.

“She’s here.”

Julian glanced over his shoulder. “What is she doing?”

He wanted to ask the same question. She continued to stand at the edge of the ramp with her papers while peering off to one side and then the other. More than once she lifted her foot as if to board the ship, but stopped mid air and put her foot back down.

“Sit pretty for the official, and maybe I’ll pour you some kibble.” The guard swung the baton and stomped toward her.

Porter wiped his brow thankful for the moment to take a breath. Humans chose odd specimens for enforcement. On any other day neither of them would even have to shift to break every bone in the big galoot’s body.

“I’m going to get sick again,” Julian groaned.

“Don’t touch me.” She fanned her papers at the guard.

Porter tensed, the girl’s words wanting to send him into action. She must have had the same effect on Julian. For the first time since the administration of the human’s special elixir, he straightened up.

“Are you coming aboard?” The guard bowed and reached for her bag. “Let me help you.”

“I’m coming aboard, but not until you step back and keep your mouth shut.” She pulled her suitcase closer to her.

A lone, sick laugh escaped Julian’s throat.

The guard moved aside, bowing once more.

“He needs to die,” Julian mumbled.

“Yes.” Killing the guard would be fun for the three seconds it would take, but gratifying for years afterward.

Once again, the girl glanced over the sides of the ramp and raised her foot.

Porter found himself holding his breath. Would she make the move or not? What was wrong?

“Are there life vests on board?” She crumpled the papers in her fist.

“Help us all.” He let loose a chuckle masking it with a cough. His chest ached from the exertion. Water, she was afraid of the water. Not convenient for a girl who lived on an island.

The guard nodded.

“Don’t tell me I caught you abusing the Lykans.”

“Ms. Wilkinson.” In an instant, the guard slipped his baton back into the holder on his belt. “They are not cooperating.”

“Don’t you see they are ill?” She motioned toward them.

Please, no. Porter pressed his fingers to his temple to stop the pounding. Maybe he was still delirious, he didn’t want to remember the last female who took on such an attitude, it was better left in his memory. They couldn’t have the girl defend them when they couldn’t return the favor. In all likelihood, they would have to get rid of her once they made a plan.

“They did it to themselves.” Again, the guard offered his hand.

“I saw you with the syringe.” She swiped his hand aside. “I asked you to back away.”

No matter how sick, Porter swore he would find the strength to get rid of the guard if he touched the girl.

Julian panted, no doubt trying to prime his body to react as well.

“You are getting wet.” The guard retreated. “Come aboard and I will personally make sure you stay warm and dry.”

Porter ground his teeth together.

“I assure you I can take care of myself.” She looked at the sails, over the side one more time, and rushed across the ramp.

He tensed as she neared them, her heels clicking on the wood, but she ground to a halt on her own, only taking an extra step when her suitcase hit her in the back of the leg. She reminded him of an unorganized whirlwind.

“Looks like you need a little help.” The guard joined her. “I was just taking these two dogs down below and then I’ll see where else I can be of service.”

He pushed himself up on his knees, as did Julian.

Like the storm she was, the girl twisted around, almost losing her footing, before supporting herself on the suitcase. “I told you not to say another word. These two males may have come illegally, but they are sentient, advanced beings and abuse will not be tolerated.”

With the aches subsiding and the rain acting to cleanse him, he took the time to study her. Technically, her appearance and her knowledge were correct, but something about her was off. She was different, disheveled and a disaster. Her dark hair was combed back straight and secured with a barrette and pins, but it seemed as if it wanted to be let loose to curl and wave as it saw fit, frame her face. Unlike Lykan females, her features were tiny, almost breakable, matching her shorter stature. What didn’t match was the sharp makeup she caked on in contrast to her loose fitting shirt and pants. Strange, interesting, intriguing.

He pulled his stare away from the girl and got a glimpse of Julian. The way he gazed at her, Porter would have thought she was the cure to the well-guarded swill they injected into the two of them.

“Do you understand?” She lifted her head and stared down the bear. “I will not tolerate any further abuse.”

“Yes ma’am.” The guard lowered his head.

The boat moved.

“Oh my God.” She lunged forward, right toward them.

Reflex caused him to put his free arm out, but rather than catching her, she collided with one of the masts.

“Ms. Wilkinson?” The guard shrugged.

She dug her nails into the wood as if trying to grab on. “Are we expecting rough seas?”

“It’s a little choppy, but once we go to our quarters we’ll be fine.” The guard winked at them. “We’ve sailed through worse storms.”

Porter balled his hand into a fist.

The boat rocked again. She pressed her forehead to the mast, squeezing her eyes shut. “I will be going down below with the Lykans.”

Julian made a noise.

“We have quarters on deck.”

She opened one eye.

Porter leaned back into her line of sight.

“I never thought I would be able to meet a true Lykan. I want to continue my research.” She pushed away from the mast and held her arms out if she were trying to balance. “I will go with them.”

“It’s not often we get to be with a dignitary.” The guard moved in front of her.

“My father was the dignitary.” She took her suitcase and stuffed her papers under her arm. “Maybe it will be less choppy below.”

The guard motioned in the direction for her to take.

As she walked past them the sea breeze blew her damp shirt tight against her, showing off the curves she apparently tried to hide. Sweat broke out over his body, chilling his skin, but his core heated. Both he and Julian wiped their brows.

He glanced up at the sky, but there were too many clouds to see the moon. No matter, he felt the pull, more powerful than the poison. Maybe she shouldn’t go down below with them.

* * * *

“I will be coming with you to make sure the prisoners behave.” The guard bumped into Alyssa as she made her way down the last step.

She shuddered at having any part of his body touch hers and faced him. “I’m fine, they are chained and weak.”

“I can’t leave you alone with them.” He crossed his arms.

“You will inhibit my research.” She held up a paper. “There are laws governing interfering with my work.”

He leaned forward, touched her hair and smiled. “I said I can’t leave you alone with them.”

“I said I can handle myself.” She pushed his hand away, swallowing away the sour taste in her mouth at his touch, his breath, him in general. “I am asking you to leave, and I don’t want to be disturbed.”

“Fine.” He straightened up. “They will get their second dose in three hours. We can’t have animals on the boat.”

“Best you remember that as well.” She narrowed her eyes. While almost every person on Anthros seemed enamored with the bears, they always made her uneasy. They seemed to seep into every corner of the island watching everything. “As long as humans are aboard, our vessel is considered an extension of Anthros and there will be no shifting.”

He took a breath. “Once you’re through maybe we can have a drink or something.”

Without acknowledging the vile sentence that spewed out of the bear’s equally vile mouth, she closed the door and turned. The two males sat on a cot on far wall chained together, pale and slumped down. The only issue was the far wall wasn’t all that far away.

In fact, as she got a good glimpse of the tiny space, nothing could ever be considered any distance away from her. “It is rather tight in here.” The two of them seemed to take up over half the available square footage alone. With her, her suitcase and her papers, there truly wasn’t any open space remaining. She lifted her hand to her mouth and fought the urge to bite down on one of her nails.

“Oh no.” The one named Porter shook his head.

“What?” She peeked up at the ceiling. If she stood on her tiptoes, she could touch it. When her two captives entered, they needed to bend down to get inside.

“Water and enclosed spaces?”

“I’ll be fine.” In an attempt to slow her heartbeat and keep from running, she inhaled.

Neither answered her. The one she dubbed as the nicer one, Julian, hadn’t spoken a word since she joined them on the deck. He simply sat back with his head resting on the wall behind him.

It wasn’t only her dislike of water, vast open expanses of water, deep water, that made her come down below with them, but she had work to accomplish, namely fixing them. She opened the crumpled pages in her hand. “I’m going to help you.”

No sooner was the sentence out of her mouth, than the boat swayed. She backed up against the wall. Boats floated, that’s what they did, if all went well. They must be leaving the dock.

“Do we get even more presents?” Porter held his hand up. “We’ll pass, thank you.”

“Maybe you can give me a chance.” Once they got moving above deck they seemed a bit better. Several hours had passed since the administration of their injection, but the fact they were holding up as well as they were still surprised her. She tiptoed toward them, but the floor beneath her rolled. “It’s okay.”

The boat lunged forward and tilted back and forth. “Help!” She jumped toward the only anchors in the room, landing across the laps of the Lykans. For several moments she froze, trying to choose her next action. Though she longed to grab on to one of them, she inhaled, put her hand on one of their legs and went to push herself up.

“No, no, no, not so fast.” Porter pressed his hand on the small of her back.

The heat from his hand radiated through her and she bit her lip. Perhaps she needed to think twice before scheming to get down here with them. All her life any tale that mentioned the Lykans began with how they were irresistable to humans. Maybe the decades apart from the rest of those in the Federation made them even more savage. They told her they needed medicine, maybe they were sick and their illnesses killed humans. It wouldn’t be the first time. “I don’t want to hurt you. I want to help.”

“Strange, you called to us for help.” He inched his fingers up her back. “What could you possibly have that we need?”

“You need to give me a chance.” The boat continued to toss and turn. Her heart sped up and she gave in, grabbing the leg closest to her hand.

Julian groaned.

“I’m sorry.” She loosened her grip. The turbulence of this trip matched the twisting in her stomach.

“It’s fine.” His voice didn’t dance and play with her as it did in the Secretary’s office.

“All right. You get one chance. Stay perfectly still.” Porter’s hand trailed up her spine to her neck.

“Oh God.” She shut her eyes and lowered her face to what she assumed was Julian’s leg. The aroma of the sea and something woodsy or earthy swirled in her nose, allowing her to take a breath. She did her best not to move an inch. They had been pushed to their limits. Maybe if she showed them she could be trusted, they would let her help. She risked everything to get down here with them. Her father would have insisted the Lykans be treated fairly, given their chance to speak.

The boat bounced, and she attempted to stifle a whimper.

“She’s obedient.” Porter wove his fingers into her hair. “Let’s start by letting the animals loose.”

She shuddered at the shivers he created as he unfastened her barrette and let her hair loose, taking care to remove all the bobby pins. “What are you doing?”

“Shh.” He patted the top of her head.

A click echoed throughout the room and one of the shackles fell to the ground, followed by a second click and the second shackle.

“You used me.” She gasped as she was pulled up and placed between them.

Porter grabbed her arm. “Seems to me you used us to get away from the cuddly teddy bear upstairs.”

“You don’t understand.” Deep down she wanted to believe their story, wanted to make a difference, wanted to prove Secretary Girard wrong.

“We won’t be the subjects of any more research.” He waved her away. “The quarters may be cramped but there’s still a bit of room. Don’t think you’ll be leaving anytime soon, but if you’re good, I won’t reuse the shackles.”