Shalia's Diary Book 6 (8 page)

Yet Katrina, Ama, Mihi, and I agreed there was more to it than that. Candy was acting completely unlike herself. Something was terribly wrong.

We discussed the matter with Oses and Betra, detailing the fight Candy had gotten into with Katrina a few days ago, her quiet demeanor since, avoiding her Nobek friends for no reason, and then her bizarre behavior minutes ago.

Oses listened carefully. He looked to Betra. “Have you ever observed Matara Candy acting in such a manner before?”

Betra shook his head, his brow creased in worry. “Never. The girl is always as sweet as she can be. Even when she’s mad, she’s more likely to pout than go on the attack.”

Katrina’s eyes spilled tears off and on as we talked. Her cheeks were red from her rubbing them dry. “It’s not just the attitude. She tossed these two brutes like they were dolls. How could she have done that?”

Ama straightened. “I wouldn’t say she tossed us. My feet never left the ground.”

I didn’t want to waste time on Nobek pride. “Okay, so she didn’t throw you, but that was a pretty powerful shove. She damned near knocked you both on your butts.”

“Psychotic breakdowns can allow people to demonstrate more strength than is typical,” Oses mused. “Plus, no man would ever expect someone that dainty to get physical. Catching you two unawares probably had a lot to do with it.”

I centered on the first part of Oses’ statement. “Psychotic breakdown! What makes you say that? Candy’s never shown any sign of psychological issues.”

“Some people fall apart with no warning. It could be her typical cheerful attitude was a mask for problems all along.”

Betra scratched his head, looking concerned. “That’s kind of hard for me to swallow when it comes to Candy, but you have a point. She survived Earth’s Armageddon, but her family didn’t. She’s been through plenty of danger and stress in the last few months, just like the rest of you women. It is a possibility she’s in some sort of emotional crisis.”

Katrina, of course, saw right to the heart of the matter. “The first thing we need to do is find Candy. We need to make sure she’s all right – that she won’t hurt herself. The rest can wait until then.”

Oses nodded. “Absolutely. I’ll contact my subcommander, who is running security while I’m off. I’ll let him know what’s happened, and he can institute a ship-wide search for Candy.”

Betra added, “I’ll com Dr. Feru and fill him in. As soon as she’s located, we’ll have him talk to her and run tests if he thinks they’re needed.” He turned away and got right on the matter.

Mihi looked at Ama unhappily. “I wish we could help look for her, but we’re due back on the destroyer. We’ll be on report if we don’t show up for duty.”

Ama’s expression darkened. The slight rumble of a growl sounded from him. “Duty be damned,” he snarled.

I appreciated how much they worried for Candy. I knew she would not want them in trouble over her. “Give me your frequencies, and I’ll com you as soon as we find her. I’ll let you know everything as I learn about it.”

Ama relaxed a little. Mihi managed a suggestion of a smile as he said, “Thank you, Shalia. We would appreciate that very much.”

A small crowd gathered near us in the corridor, their curiosity plain to see. Oses told us in a low tone, “I will contact my subcommander from my quarters so as to keep this matter private. There is no need for anything embarrassing to Candy to become common knowledge.”

We nodded, and he left. Betra was still talking on his com to Feru, keeping his voice quiet. Ama and Mihi also reluctantly departed, leaving me and Katrina to stare down the other women who were whispering amongst themselves.

“Party’s over,” I announced in a forbidding don’t-fuck-with-me tone. “Nothing to talk about here, so don’t ask.”

I got a lot of surprised looks, but the women drifted away.

“I’m going to lie down for a little while,” Katrina said. She rubbed her temples as if she suffered from the  world’s worst headache. She probably did. “Let me know the moment you hear something?”

“I will,” I said and gave her a hug before watching her walk the few feet down the corridor to her room. She walked with her head down and shoulders hunched. For the first time since I’d met her, Katrina looked old.

Betra clicked off his com and gave me a wan look. “Feru said to bring her to him as soon as we find her. He says it sounds more like an emotional overload and probably not anything to really worry about. Still, with Candy’s demeanor changing so abruptly, he wants to see her right away.”

“Good,” I said. Feru gets on my nerves when he goes probing in my head, but the man is good at what he does. I owe most of the little bit of sanity I’ve got to him.

“I’m due for afternoon break if you’d like me to go back to your quarters with you,” Betra said.

I linked arms with him. “Of course I would. Fretting alone sucks.”

He chuckled, though his heart didn’t seem to be in it. “I always prefer fretting with friends.”

We entered my quarters. For a few moments, Betra and I just stood there, both of us at a loss as to what to do next. We were both worried about Candy.

“Damn it,” Betra mumbled and took to pacing back and forth across my sitting room. “I feel like I should be trying to find her.”

“Tell me about it,” I said, reaching up to rake fingers through my hair. “I’m scared about how she’s acting. It didn’t seem like her at all. Nothing she said made sense.”

He came to me and grabbed the hand I’d mussed my hair with. He kissed my fingers, his thumb rubbing over the bracelet Candy had given me for my birthday. Seeing it made me want to cry, and I had the urge to pull free of Betra’s grip. I was too upset to want comfort. I felt like wallowing in my fears.

Yet when Betra’s lips found mine, I realized I wanted to be soothed after all. I couldn’t look for Candy because I would only get in the way. Besides, I knew nothing of hunting down someone who might not want to be found. There were those much better trained for that, and if I knew Oses, they were already scanning for her.

So I poured all that pent-up emotion into kissing Betra back. I have already enumerated the many wonderful things about that Imdiko’s kisses. This time, I gave him something to think about.

Betra’s kiss had started off soft and gentle. Mine was anything but. I kissed that man like I owned him. Some assertive part of me decided it wanted to claim him, to make him mine as he had done to me too many times to count. I even climbed him like a tree, clambering up his body to wrap my arms and legs around him in a demanding clutch. My growing girth was no hindrance in to the need to have him. When he tried to break the kiss earlier than I wanted, I even snarled and captured his lower lip between my teeth to keep him from moving away.

“Sha-wee-ah!” His lipless protest made my name sound funny. Any other time, I would have laughed. But I wasn’t in a laughing mood. I had decided I wanted this man, and I was going to fuck him until he cried ‘uncle’.

I reared back and gave him a smile that felt more like a snarl on my lips. “My bed. Now.”

My demand brought the light of challenge to his purple eyes. “Excuse me? I believe I will have you where I want to.”

For whatever reason, I didn’t want to surrender this time. For once, I felt assertive sexually. “That’s where you are wrong, Imdiko. We’ll do this my way or you can leave. In sort, give me what I want or sholt.”

The crazy thing was, I meant it. I have no idea what got into me, but I wanted all the power. I wanted control. It was the only way I was going to have sex.

Betra’s jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide. I’d never insisted on dominating. I’d never wanted to. We were both shocked.

“What has gotten into you?” he asked.

“You, if you’re a good boy.” I relaxed, some of my power-happy feelings easing to see him that uncertain. “I guess I need control for a change, Betra. After all that’s happened, and now Candy—” I shrugged. “Damn it, I have to be able to claim some power over my life once in a while.”

He considered me for a long moment before the hint of a sad smile touched his lips. “I can understand that. It’s just unlike you to not let me take care of things.” He chuckled and planted a quick smooch on my lips. “If it will make you feel better, I can let go for a little while. Just don’t tell Oses.”

“I believe he’s figured you out by now,” I snickered. “To the bedroom, you yummy thing.”

“So demanding. Maybe you can be my Dramok,” he teased, but he obligingly headed to the next room. Still hanging off him, I rode along.

I climbed down once we were next to my bed. I took a few steps back, looking over my prize. Would he really let me be in charge? “Strip. Do it nice and slow, so I can enjoy it,” I told him.

“Let me take my boots off first,” Betra said. He gracefully stood on one foot and then the other as he yanked the nearly knee-high black boots off and tossed them carelessly to one side. “All right. Prepare to feast your eyes on what you’ve already seen dozens of times before,” he joked.

“It never gets old,” I sighed, enjoying the sight of those broad shoulders coming into view as Betra opened the top of his uniform and shrugged it down. He bared his defined chest next, and I sighed again. No, it was still good to look at. I might never tire of seeing Betra naked.

He slowly peeled the formsuit down to his waist, revealing himself to me and smiling saucily the entire time he did so. I walked around him to take the view in. Mmm, I seldom get to enjoy that muscled back, and it is so damned fine.

“Stop,” I told Betra before he could slide the uniform over his hips. Yes, I wanted to see that gorgeous ass in the worst way, but his back had to be given its due. I’d neglected appreciating it the way it should be.

He froze and looked questioningly at me over his shoulder. I stepped up close and traced the line of his spine. I grinned at his responding shiver and did it again. He jerked.

“You are beautiful from every angle,” I said. My fingers investigated every ridge of muscle that I saw. “Never turn your back on Oses, my friend. He wouldn’t be able to control himself if he saw this.”

I saw those delicious muscles tense the slightest bit. “That’s not exactly a thrill for me to hear, you know,” Betra smarted off.

“It’s true though.” I ran my palms down from his shoulder blades to that trim waist, feeling every exciting bump and curve of his body as I did so. “If I was a man, I’d want to shove my cock in you too. Whether you liked it or not.”

“Shalia—” Betra started in a tone that told me he’d heard enough.

“Hush, Imdiko,” I said, caring little for how uncomfortable I might be making him. I stepped back. “All right. Show me that hot ass.”

He hesitated for a moment, as if he might refuse me. Then Betra slid his formsuit down, revealing the double curves of his delectable rump.

Oh hell yeah. If I was a guy, I’d definitely want that. Betra was lucky Oses had such good command over himself. Better command than me.

I leaned in to kiss that amazing rear. Betra gasped and went still. Oh man, that butt was wonderful. I knelt down to get better access. I was all over that smooth, rock-hard flesh, my hands framing it as I kissed and licked it all over. It wasn’t enough. I had the mad urge to actually devour him.

I bit. Hard. Betra yelped and turned around. “Hey! Are you trying to draw blood?”

I couldn’t help but grin up at him. “Sorry. You are too yummy to resist.”

He scowled but looked somewhat amused too. “I don’t know if this is fun or not yet. What I do know is I’m drawing the line at you using your teeth. That hurt.”

“Okay.” His cocks were right there, so I kissed their tips in apology. “Better?”

Betra smiled. “Much.”

“Good. Finish taking off those clothes and lay down on the bed. Now that I’ve had a taste, I want the whole damned Imdiko.”