Untrained Fascination (3 page)

She jerked her hand back, away from him. “They can vary in intensity.”

“Excellent answer. Oh, these are my seconds, Korisk and Lumar. If they come for you, it is at my request.”

He got to his feet. “Thank you for the answers I sought. Take care of yourself. Your skin is far too precious to mar in such a way.”

She nodded, frowned and watched the hunting party leave her alone. Her tea was still hot.

Lianne nibbled at a scone. She had to admire their efficiency. In and out in under two minutes with only three vague threats. Impressive.

“I want every scan possible run against her bloodwork. If she is allergic to felines, I will retire.” Sorrok ignored the fact that his hackles were raised and tried to keep his voice calm.

Korisk’s claws tapped on his monitor. “You think she has found a way to hide from the breeding classification?”

Sorrok cocked his head slightly. “I know what she tastes like, and she wasn’t showing any of the signs that an allergy would offer. I accosted her several times before she was selected, and she did not react in a negative manner at all.”

He remembered her reaction to him brushing past her while she was on her way to her friend’s place. She had looked surprised but in no way shocked. Her pupils had flared, and her scent had gotten stronger. She nodded and left him, returning to her purpose.

Like most of the Zjin-Rrassic scouts, he had been targeting women. Other races of the Rrassic chose the men.

Lianne Whelling had been one of dozens of women that he identified as possibilities for this project, but seeing her again reminded him of why he had chosen her to begin with.

Confronted by three Hunters, she had remained calm and articulate. She was cool under pressure, and it was only the flutter of her pulse, visible in the slender column of her neck, that gave away her stress.

She hadn’t lied. There wasn’t one moment when she wasn’t telling the truth, but she didn’t remember him. The moment he had looked into her eyes, he couldn’t believe that she didn’t recognize him. It was his greatest annoyance that a holographic image generator had been used when they were walking around the human world. He was magnificent, and he knew it; several of the new arrivals had confirmed that Earth females found him attractive. He wanted to hear it from her.

Sorrok paused, shocked at the turn that his thoughts had taken. The technical investigation of the collapse should be done, and he could find out if there was actually someone he could arrest. He was suddenly in the mood for a chase.

* * * *

Lianne was in the mood to hit something. Instead of heading home, she went to the gym.

The amenities that were offered to workers were actually quite extensive. For a slave labour force, they were treated exceptionally well.

She hiked through the commercial sector and entered the gym, scanning in and ordering a set of clothing to sweat in. A quick change and she went in to order her workout.

Tomic was another Nool-Rrassic, but he was a familiar face.

“Lianne, aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

She shrugged. “I have a hand injury. What would you recommend?”

“Something with gloves. Let me check on the stations.” Tomic smiled, his silvery skin gleamed and his eager-to-please attitude was as friendly as always.

“Ah. Holographic combat instruction. Station seven. Here are your gloves.”

Tomic helped her into the wraps and gloves. “Enjoy.”

She made a face and walked barefoot to station seven. Her ident band opened the door, and she stepped inside.

“Identify combat level.”

She exhaled. “Beginner.”

“Level one selected. Step into the ring.”

She stepped forward, and her opponent appeared. It was Tomic’s joke that her instructor always looked like a Zjin-Rrassic. Her so-called allergy made it amusing for him.

The instructor started by explaining stance and weight distribution, and then, they started to fight in slow motion. Gradually, the attack and defense picked up pace, but she kept her focus on punching that smug tiger-striped face as often as she could.

She didn’t know why Sorrok had set her off, but if this projection was a representation of him, she hoped he had a headache.

The instructor stopped the lesson. “You need to seek medical attention. You have an injury.”

She scowled and looked at her hands. They were fine.

A pattern of blood on the floor led to her leg. “Aw... balls.”

She had injured her knee. She winced. She had managed it on a damned hologram.

She walked to the control panel and pressed the com. “Tomic?”

“Yes, Lianne?”

“I need a scrub in station seven. I managed to hurt myself.”

“Is there blood?”

“You could say that.”

“Stay there. I will bring a med kit.”

She chuckled. “Nowhere I would rather be.”

She sat against the wall and waited. Three minutes later, there was a knock at the door before it opened.

Hunter Sorrok came through, and he frowned. “How could you hurt yourself in combat simulation?”

He knelt next to her with a med kit.

Her brain shorted out. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to punch something, and all Rrassic have med training. I was a Nool once, too.” He moved quickly and cleaned the cut on her knee.

“There is a lot of bruising here, Ms. Whelling. What happened?”

“I was aiming for the groin, and I hit too hard, going through the beginner setting and into the wall.” Beginner holograms were great, but they didn’t have a lot of substance. They were designed to be gone through. Walls were not.

He cleaned her injury and used the pads of his fingers to hold the cut together while he applied the synthetic skin.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she cleared her throat. “Where is Tomic?”

“He is dealing with another client. I happened to be passing, and I offered to assist you.”

She frowned. “I thought that the Rrassic used a larger facility on the other side of the city.”

“Usually. We have access to all, just as you do. I was restless, so I came here.”

She nodded, as if she understood, before she smiled. “I can’t imagine you as a Nool-Rrassic.”

“I was only a Nool into my second decade. I changed early.”

Lianne nodded and noted that he still has his hand on her leg, long after the new skin had set. The fine velvet of his skin was a surprise. She had heard about their skin texture from other humans who dabbled, but she had never actually felt one herself. Well, technically he was feeling her.

“Do you have any other discomfort?”

She shook her head slowly. “I just need to get back to the front desk to get these gloves off.”

“I can help with that as well. The bots are already working on your blood.”

She looked past him, and small cleaning robots were scrubbing the blood from the mat.

He took her left hand in his and untied the glove, easing it off before unwrapping her hand. “You have calluses.”

She nodded. “The lift controls. Do it long enough and your hands show it.”

He nodded, his nose twitching a little.

He slowly stripped her right hand, and when he unwrapped it, he checked the healing.

“How do you know which hand was sliced?”

“I have read your medical records. Oddly enough, you should be sneezing up a storm by now. Funnily enough, you appear to be fine.”

Lianne looked into his gold eyes and fought for a plausible lie. “Perhaps the allergy was a typo.”

“You didn’t correct it?” He was rubbing one thumb slowly along her palm.

“Why would I? I had a job I was good at. I was content.”

“Were?”

“Am. I am content. I like my job.” She smiled tightly.

He pulled her wrist to his lips. “That is the truth.”

She shivered. “How can you tell?”

“Your heartbeat. You are nervous, excited, interested and in a little bit of pain. Your body tells me anything I need to know, and the Zjin-Rrassic know how to listen.”

His lips were just above her skin, but she could feel the heat from his body. The small distance felt more intimate than a kiss.

“Well, currently, the rest of me is saying goodbye. It has been an eventful day for me. I think I should make it to my quarters and call it a night.”

He smiled slowly. “It is the middle of the afternoon.”

She scooted up the wall and got to her feet. “Well, I have lost a bit of blood. Need to compensate for that somehow. Where are the other Hunters?”

“Working on the accident investigation.” He was still crouched casually on the floor. His head was now even with her breasts.

“Yet, you came here for some recreation?”

“It is always safer to work these things out before they become distracting. You were ordered to rest by medical, and yet, you came here. What logic was behind that?” He collected the med pack together and stopped staring at her.

“Oh, I wanted to hit something.”

He got to his feet. “Apparently, you succeeded, and it hit you back. If you ever want to hit something that is a little more prepared for you, contact me.”

He lifted her wrist with her ident band and tapped in his code. “If I do not answer, leave a message.”

She stared up at him. “Why? I am sure you have other things to do.”

He smiled. “I love a good mystery, and you are definitely a mystery. A delicate flower that wants to be a tiger but doesn’t know how to do it. It is a fascinating combination, and I am riveted to see what will happen next.”

She shivered and cursed her thin workout clothing. Her nipples had hardened, and his gaze had definitely caught on to it.

“I think I need to leave now. Can you step aside? I just got the knee fixed; I would hate to have it fixed twice in one day.”

His grin showed the sharp white fangs that made the girls tremble. Apparently, biting was saved for their mates, but the rest of them were open for business if fun was on your mind.

Sorrok stepped aside, and she slipped out the door with the gloves and wraps dangling from her fingers. Tomic was on his own at the desk, and she dropped the gear off.

“Did you finish with your rush?”

He shrugged. “There wasn’t one. Hunter Sorrok came in right before your call. He offered to help out, and I can’t really say no. Are you all right?”

She looked over her shoulder, and the lazy, graceful, wall of the man-shaped tiger was coming toward her. “Right. Well, great, and I am out of here. See you later, Tomic.”

Lianne headed for the changing rooms as quickly as she could. She got a feeling that the gender block was all that would stop Sorrok from following her.

In less than a day, she had gone from normal and boring to injured and stalked by a Hunter. If things kept escalating, she wasn’t going to leave the house.

There was a certain calm repetition to her job, with the calculations needed to keep a completely balanced load. She hadn’t been informed why it was important, but balance was key on the pallet. It had to glide through evenly.

She was on her third prep of the day when Mrtok came to her lift. Deep in her mind, she groaned. “Yes, supervisor?”

“You have an appointment at the assessment station.” He crossed his scaly arms.

“When?”

“Now. It is a good thing you have already completed your day’s work. Full pay for it.” He winked and beckoned her down.

She settled her machine and tried to think of ways out of that situation. She was on an alien world with her family under threat for her behaviour. Lianne pretty much had to go where they sent her.

She got out of her lift and brushed her coveralls. “Like this?”

Mrtok chuckled. “It isn’t for fashion. You are being granted an interview. I wasn’t told why.”

Lianne wrinkled her nose. “How long do I have?”

“Well, there are three Hunters here to escort you, so I would say enough time to relieve yourself, and then, you are on your way.”

Always pee before you leave
was an adage that Lianne believed in her heart and soul. She used to take road trips with family, and it had never steered her wrong.

She headed to the bathroom and took care of the nervous flip in her stomach. She tried to spend extra time scrubbing her hands, but there was only so much she could do. When she had checked her hair, her suit and the crescents of her fingernails, she had no excuse and nowhere to hide.

She sucked in a deep breath and headed out, past the security gates and into the common areas where the commissary and break rooms were located.

Three Hunters were waiting for her but not the ones she was expecting. The men waiting for her were Luthin-Rrassic. They specialised in chasing the folk who tried to run. Camouflage was built into their skin, and they could and would keep after her until they caught her. The Zjin were immediate Hunters in the heat of the moment, but the Luthin were in it for the long haul.

“Lianne Whelling?” The central Hunter inclined his head.

“Yes.”

“We are your escort. Please, come with us.”

She nodded and tried to keep her shoulders relaxed. It wasn’t an easy task. She was surrounded at a respectful distance, but she was given no room to run.

The trip to the offices that she had been to only once before was done with folk on the street stopping to stare.

Lianne was escorted through the building and up to the highest level. A wide desk was host to one of the rarer branches of the Rrassic. His wings were huge and swept behind him. The chair he was sitting on had to be custom made.

Lianne got very nervous when she noted Bella sitting in a chair in front of the desk and another Rrassic in the shadows.

Bella had a calm expression on her features and that was generally not a good thing.

“Please, Lianne Whelling. Have a seat.”

The Hunters who brought her in formed wall behind her. She was definitely surrounded.

She sat.

“I am Overseer Iktabi, and I have been looking into your case.”

She blinked. “My case?”

“Yes, the situation that we find ourselves in. You were initially clearly marked to be a Breeder, but the file was altered at the point of interview.”