Kissing Steel (24 page)

“He risked an asset for a human!” Zorus stood. “You both are the ones championing

your own causes here today with your preference for those useless beings.”

Both men sat down almost in unison. “Don’t go there, old friend.” The blond’s voice

had dropped to a harsh tone.

Zorus faced Steel. “Fine. They don’t want to punish you for taking the
Bridden
but

there is the issue of you freeing the human after she was captured. Why did you do that?

By doing so you put us at risk for her to expose us in the first place.”

“She is no threat to us.” Steel looked tense as he spoke. “She had earned her freedom

and those reasons are not up for debate here. I don’t have to explain why I would free my

own slave. It was no harm to us to release her.”

“Then why did you have to retrieve her if it was so safe to let her go?”

Steel’s jaw clenched. “We were unaware that Earth knew we had the
Star
so that

factor wasn’t part of my calculations when I deemed it was safe to let her go.”

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Kissing Steel – Laurann Dohner

“Fine. You released her so she is no longer your property. She is now property of

this council since you used the
Bridden
to retrieve her.”

“No,” Steel took a step toward the front of the room before he suddenly halted. “She

is mine.”

“You released her,” Zorus smiled coldly. “Then you used a shuttle you were not

authorized to take to capture her again. Under code five-four-six that makes her general

property under the authority of the council.”

“As my job contract states, I am permitted to claim property as my own and she falls

under that claim.” Steel’s voice had gone deep and harsh. “If you want to throw code out

there, keep in mind that she wasn’t actually part of my salvage rights, but Flint’s. He

gave her to me as a gift.”

“Then you released her, making her free. That voids out your ownership. She may as

well have been garbage you discarded. She doesn’t fall under your salvage right claim

since you weren’t on duty when you took her the second time. The human is now council

property.”

Rena panicked. “What does that mean?”

Steel’s fists were balled at his sides. “No. She’s mine.”

“Steel?” Rena looked at him in distress over the notion they could take her from him.

The blond stood up. “I regret to inform you of this, Steel, but unfortunately Zorus is

correct. You released her, absolving your rights of ownership and you don’t have salvage

claim on her for unapproved missions. I wish I could think of a way for you to retain her

but the law is clear.”

Zorus smiled. “Guards, take the human to the council house. I’m sure I can think up

many duties for her to perform.”

The guard gripped Rena’s arm and tugged her to her feet. Her horrified gaze locked

on Steel. As he turned she saw how pale he’d gone.

“I’ll buy her,” Steel said loudly. “I’ll indenture myself to service. Whatever you

want, but sell her to me.”

“No.” Zorus shook his head. “Humans are a damaging influence on cyborgs. The

fact that you want her is evidence enough to make my point. You are acting irrational to

offer your freedom in any way for a mere human. Take her away.”

The guard tugged Rena toward the door they’d entered, taking her further from Steel.

She realized what was happening, horrified that she’d gone from belonging to Steel to

becoming the property of a group of strangers, her future totally in their hands.

“Steel!” She jerked out of the guard’s hold and ran toward him.

He turned and opened his arms wide so when she slammed into him, he held her.

“I’ll get you back somehow,” he said softly. “Don’t fight them or they could harm you.”

Hot tears burned her eyes as she lifted her head. “Okay.”

“Rena Gates, I make a promise to you that I will get you back. That’s as good as a

contract and you know how important those are to me. I will bargain for you, brand you

as my own and you will be with me again very soon.”

She nodded, still fearful but aware of how determined Steel was. He’d get her back

one way or another. “Okay.”

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Kissing Steel – Laurann Dohner

“Gates?”

It was the black-haired cyborg sitting next to the blond one who spoke suddenly.

“Your last name is Gates? Your name is Rena Gates?”

She turned her head, staring at the man. “Yes.”

The black-haired man and the blond glanced at each other before both of them turned

their attention to her. Both stood up. How they moved in unison was something Rena

found unsettling.

“Give us the first name of your mother now.”

She frowned at the blond male but answered him. “Rora. Why?”

The blond caught his weight on the desk when he leaned forward. “What is your

father’s first name?”

“Dean. Why do you want to know? Why are you asking me this?” She was confused

about why they would want to know who her parents were.

The black-haired cyborg closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them.

“She does not belong to the council. She belongs to Rais and me.”

“That’s impossible,” Zorus growled. “What code are you using to attempt to take

sole possession of her?”

The blond straightened and moved as he walked toward the door nearest to him. He

opened it and disappeared. The room was silent. Steel’s hold on her tightened when Rena

looked up at him for answers, even more confused. He shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know what is going on either.”

“I demand an explanation,” Zorus ordered the black-haired cyborg. “Tell me now,

Coval. What is your claim to the human?”

The door opened behind the council desk and drew Rena’s attention. There was a

small woman, a pale-skinned human one with long black hair who walked in front of the

blond. As she moved around the tall desks to take steps down to the floor, the blond

cyborg remained behind her, gripping her arm. The woman’s head rose and a pair of dark

brown eyes fixed on Rena.

A tingle ran along her spine. That woman looked very similar to her Aunt Marge, her

mother’s sister. So much so that… Rena’s knees went weak and Steel had to grip her

harder to keep her on her feet as the woman drew nearer.

“Rena?” The woman’s voice shook.

Hot tears spilled down Rena’s face. “Mom? Is that who you are? Are you my

mother? You look like my Aunt Marge.”

The woman froze and tears ran down her cheeks as well. “It is you. Do you

remember me?”

Shock rolled through Rena. “No. I was too young when you left but Aunt Marge told

me all about you and showed me your pictures often. You’re alive. I thought you died

when you stopped contacting her and sending us messages.”

“It became too risky once we settled here on Garden.” The blond male said softly.

“She grieved heavily for your loss. I am Rais and he is Coval. We are contracted to your

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Kissing Steel – Laurann Dohner

mother in a family unit.” He turned his head to glare at Zorus. “She is the biological child

of Rora so therefore this human belongs to us.”

Zorus fumed. “This is not the last you will hear of this.” He spun and stormed away,

leaving the room quickly in a fit of frustrated rage.

Rora reached out a shaky hand and touched Rena’s face. “You’re so beautiful.”

Rena was still in shock as she gawked at the woman she thought was long dead.

“She’s mine,” Steel said softly. “I won’t let her go. We are together.” He paused.

“We love each other.”

Rena’s head jerked up to stare at Steel. He looked down, his beautiful silvery blue

eyes sparkling.

“I love you,” he said softly. “You love me. There is no denying that is what is

between us. The more time we spend together the stronger our bond grows.”

Rais frowned. “We’ll work this out later. Right now let’s get out of here. You will

both come with us.”

Steel didn’t budge. “You’re council. I have demands and you can fulfill them. You

are obviously pro-human and you are in a family unit with one. I refuse to give up Rena.”

Rais’ gaze narrowed on Steel. “What is it you want?”

“Rena belongs to me. Reinstate my property rights to her and I want to be removed

from my current breeding pact and put in one with all healthy breeders so there is never a

need for me to be called to donate. Rena would be emotionally harmed if I had to breed

with other women. I also need a special consideration to be allowed to not breed my own

children. I have successfully donated eight times so my DNA is added to the general pool

but I don’t wish to contract in a family unit with any female but Rena. She’s human so I

realize having children isn’t an option.”

Rora let her hand drop away from Rena as she looked up at Steel. “You can have

children with my daughter. We,” She motioned between herself and the two cyborgs

beside her, “have had four healthy sons so breeding between human and cyborg is

successful.”

Steel frowned. “I was informed this wasn’t possible since the children would be too

damaged.”

“They lied. There are many here who do not approve of cyborgs and humans mating

and will go to great lengths to keep that secret.” Coval, the dark-haired cyborg had come

forward, speaking very softly. “Our sons are very healthy. You could breed with her if

she’s willing.” He looked at Rena. “You care for him?”

She didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I love him.”

Rais looked down at his wife. “Rora? It’s your call, our love.”

“Whatever makes her happy. I owe her that.”

“Let’s go somewhere private.” Coval sighed. “We’re being watched.”

Rena turned her head and noticed that the courtroom was still filled with a lot of

curious cyborgs. She still reeled from the astonishing fact that her mother was alive, that

she had two stepfathers, and she had four half-cyborg brothers if her mother had given

birth to them. It left her so stunned that Steel had to guide her up the stairs and through

the council doors into a large office.

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Kissing Steel – Laurann Dohner

“I told you it would work out,” Steel said softly. “Your mother is contracted to two

of the strongest council members who can make sure we get contracts in place that assure

our happiness together. They can take me out of my current breeding pact so I can offer

you monogamy, and they are stating our breeding together would work. It is all we could

want.”

The other council members had already cleared the room when they entered so they

had the privacy they needed to talk. Rena stood across a table facing her mother and both

her stepfathers. Steel took a seat and tugged her down on his lap.

“I’m so sorry for leaving you,” Rora said softly. She glanced at Coval and then Rais

before she looked back at Rena. “I once loved your father but our marriage wasn’t a

happy one. We were too different and I tried to make it work but it didn’t. I believed in

my cause to save cyborgs while your father wanted them all destroyed. I always loved

you the most over everything, but I had to save their lives. I couldn’t live with doing

nothing and watching them die. I wanted to take you with me but it was too dangerous,

we didn’t think we’d survive long, and you had a better chance at a happy, long life on

Earth. After I helped them escape we were together all the time and we fell in love.”

Coval took Rora’s hand. “She’s everything to Rais and me.” Coval’s other hand

reached out to brush Rais’ cheek, both men sharing a tender look before he let his hand

drop. “The three of us are in love with each other.”

Rais nodded. He turned his attention to Steel. “You must swear to protect and honor

her as if she were a cyborg woman, not just property, if you want us to transfer her

ownership back to you. We have tried to change the laws of humans being owned, but

cyborg memory of Earth is far reaching and long. Rora is still property status but it

matters not. She is our equal in every way.”

“I give my word.” Steel agreed.

“Then you have permission to marry my daughter if she’ll have you,” Rora said

softly, staring at Rena. “Life is good here.”

Rena turned her head to smile at Steel. “I believe that.”

“My husbands will draw up a family unit contract and Coval will replace you in your

breeding pact so you won’t be used to donate your sperm anymore.” Rora smiled at them

both.

“Done,” Coval said softly but then laughed. “It’s not like we haven’t done this

before. It’s harder to do, but we pulled ourselves out of breeding pacts entirely.” He

smiled at Rena. “The pacts are in groups of twelve. We have odd numbers out and those

are easier to get displaced. They are considered floaters until we have twelve of them to

put into a pact.” He smiled at Steel. “They can’t add you if you aren’t on the waiting list.