Second Chance (6 page)

28 Second Chance

Chapter Four

Laci was escorted back up the stairs and out of the lab. Darion and Alek stalked beside her in stony silence, harsh angry lines carved in their faces. She expected to have a long walk to their landing site, but there was no hike to a clearing. A shuttle hovered just above the side of the building, over the treetops.

Alek’s fingers circled her wrist when she merely stood there and stared. Without a word, he urged her over to the ladder on the side of the building. The climb up onto the roof proved awkward with her chained hands—the chain on the cuffs proved too short for her to reach from one rung to the next. After several near falls, she learned to grasp the lower rung near the right hand side with her left hand while she slid her right hand up the outer vertical bar as far as the chain would reach. Gripping the outer bar, she could then reach for the next rung with her left hand. Even then she almost fell off the ladder when she was about halfway up. Only Darion’s solid bulk as he climbed the ladder almost right on top of her saved her from a nasty tumble.

After stumbling to her feet, fear welled in her, forming a hard knot in her gut, as she looked at the shuttle. Once she boarded that craft she doubted that she would have a chance to get away from them. Only full knowledge of the futility of an immediate escape attempt kept her from trying a dive off the building. With a large, glowering escort on either side of her, she walked up a ramp to the shuttle hovering near the building.

After buckling her into a third row seat, Darion and Alek took the seats on either side of hers. Laci looked from one captor to the other. She felt her conflicting emotions growing as the silence stretched—something in her wanted to soothe them, but another part of her wanted them to stay just as angry as she was. Their posture was stiff at first, but after a few moments their hands moved to her legs. Alek’s hand settled on her right thigh and Darion’s on her left.

Alek’s hand moved up and down over her thigh, but suddenly stopped and tightened. A rumbling growl rolled from his throat. “I still don’t like you wearing pants. I want to feel the warmth of your skin, to be able to run my hand up to your smooth pussy and slide my fingers inside you.”

Laci blushed as those heated words seemed to ring in the confines of the shuttle. She looked down at his large hand as it slid over the smooth fabric and then swung her gaze up to his face. He was still frowning down at her, but this frown was different. This frown was more frustrated than angry.

“They offend me.” Alek cast a hard glare at the gray cloth encasing her legs.

“I didn’t dress to please you.” Laci stared straight ahead at the back of the seat in front of her, trying to ignore the warmth of those hands and just how high they were

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roaming.

“Maybe you didn’t, but undressing you will please us.” Darion’s hot breath rolled over her ear as he leaned close to her, his hand sliding down to her knee. “Those pants will never be wearable again when we’re done.”

“Do you know how relieved we are to find you? You are finally back where you belong and this time, you won’t be bargaining your way out of our arms.” Alek’s golden eyes burned as they locked with hers.

Laci swallowed, biting back a moan at the images that sprang to mind. She wondered if there was something wrong with her. Her want was already clawing at her and their touch had not been meant to seduce or entice. Their words hadn’t been sweet. She shouldn’t burn with desire at the mere rumble of their voices. Not for these men who had bound her in cuffs and given her no choice about following them.

Her mind whirled in turmoil. All too conscious of the other men in the shuttle, she balked at giving in to her desire. The confusion in her mind could not overrule her feelings. She wanted them, but did not want to want them. She longed to be free of this complicated situation, but she felt compelled to be with them.

“I can smell your need,” Alek whispered, leaning close, his hand sliding up to cup her pussy through the cloth, one of his fingers sliding between the lips. “Fighting it is useless, Laci.”

Alek growled his approval when he found the crotch of her pants damp. He stroked her through the fabric, a smile on his face as her legs splayed wider. She bit her lip and pressed back against the seat, locking a whimper of desire in her throat.

“Give me your lips,” Darion urged as he leaned close and brushed his lips across her cheek.

Laci closed her eyes, accepting defeat for now. That deep resonant voice alone sent ripples of want through her entire body. Couple that with his scent and those eyes and the desire already ripping through her, and she didn’t have a chance of denying him or the equally devastating man on her other side, either. She turned to Darion and brushed her lips across his.

His tongue glided over her lips, tasting them, before it thrust between her parted lips. His crisp taste swamped her senses. She stroked her tongue along his, hungry for more. She tried to raise her hands to touch him, but they were pressed to her body by a male arm. She shifted, moaning against Darion’s lips in protest at the restriction.

“No,
be’rai
, it’s not your turn to touch,” Alek growled.

Darion slipped his hand under her green shirt and up over her abdomen. His fingers unfastened her bra, freeing the lush mounds. His hand brushed over her nipple and her back arched, thrusting the hard, pebbled peak against his palm. He smiled, loved her eager response and the evidence of her desire. “I could spend hours just feasting on your breasts, savoring your taste, the feel of those tight peaks thrusting into my mouth, and playing with the lush full globes.”

Laci felt a tug at her neck and then the cloth was pushed aside and Darion began to

30 Second Chance

knead the aching flesh before rolling and tugging at her nipple between his fingers. She turned her upper body into his touch. She stiffened, crying out under his mouth as he pinched and tormented her nipple. The sharp sensations excited her, heightening her need. She sank into Darion’s kiss, her last rational thought fading beneath the fiery onslaught.

“You want our touch, don’t you, Laci?” Alek pinched her clit between his fingers, tugging at the hard little nub, letting the fabric of her pants add another layer of sensation to the caress. Her hips rolled against his hand.

Darion’s lips left hers to nibble and nuzzle the sensitive column of her throat. Laci glanced down and saw that her shirt had been ripped open. The loose fabric had been pushed apart. Her breasts were exposed—the nipples were hard, red and puckered. She couldn’t believe that he had to ask. A few more of those devastating touches and she would come.

“Yes, I want you,” Laci moaned and twisted, brushing her breast against Darion’s hand, which didn’t move from its position just above her nipple. “Give me more, please.” She licked her lips in invitation.

“Soon, Laci.” Alek’s eyes traveled over the rosy tint desire had cast over her face and breasts. “We have arrived on the
Chimau
. Just so you don’t get any ideas about an easy escape, the
Chimau
is a Taurog battle-class ship.”

Laci groaned as their hands and lips left her. With the absence of new sensation, she felt the cool air on her hot skin and the contrast caused her desire to grow even more. Laci felt a blush rise from her neck and explode over her cheeks.

Alek drew her to her feet, curving his arm around her waist. Attempting to keep a shred of modesty, Laci tried to draw her torn shirt over her breasts, but strong hands stopped her as two deep growls announced the men’s annoyance. Tugging the material out of her hands, they pulled the shirt wide. They pulled the bottom ends behind her and tucked them into her pants.

“You have beautiful breasts. We want to see them.” Darion’s hard stare dared her to argue.

“But everyone else…”

“They will envy us this lush feast.” Alek ran his eyes over the reddened nipples and licked his lips. “I want to taste those nipples, to feel them harden beneath my lips and tug at them with my teeth. The others have seen breasts before. We will want to touch you at times. It’s completely normal for a woman to be seen with a man at her breasts.”

“Maybe it’s normal among the Norik,” Laci grumbled, frustrated and angry as they marched her out of the shuttle without giving her any more time to argue.

“As you are Norik, it’s normal for you as well.” Alek gave her a pointed look which she ignored. “You have absolutely no fear of us, do you?”

“Genetically I am, but I can’t do anything about my genetics.” Laci glared at Alek. “And, no, I don’t fear you.”

31 Rebecca Airies

A stinging swat landed on her right butt cheek. It didn’t actually hurt, but it got her attention. Surprised, she realized that that tingling blow also caused a flood of moisture to rush to her pussy. That flare of sensation had intensified the pleasure coursing through her. She shifted as she felt the hot moisture on her inner thighs.

“That’s enough.” Darion’s hand tightened in warning on her arm. His deep, bass voice was stern and uncompromising. His hand released her and moved out of sight. It brushed over the rounded flesh of her ass once more in a clear warning.

Laci swallowed, watching the two men with wary green eyes. She had never encountered anyone like them. They were arrogant, supremely confident and exuded a masculine menace that seemed to incite a feminine defiance in her that she hadn’t known she had. Even if she had ever found someone similar, it would have been just one man. Dealing with two of them offered a set of trials she’d never known existed.

As they left the shuttle, a young lab tech came forward from a group of men standing near another shuttle. “Everything is ready, Jatohn.”

“We’ll be there in a few moments.” A predatory, very satisfied smile flashed across Alek’s face as he released the cuffs at Laci’s wrists.

“What are you talking about?” Laci edged back a step. That was as far as she could go. Alek still had a hand on her arm.

“Laci, you know that you can’t remain as you are. You must change. You must be as we are, so that if you’re ever in need we can easily aid you.” Darion’s voice was calm and reasonable, and his hand settled on her lower back.

“You son of a whore,” Laci growled. She narrowed her eyes and tried to find a weakness to attack. “Let me go. You just want to be able to know where I am at all times.” She struggled, but to her disgust, found she couldn’t break even the light grip Alek had on her arm.

“You are determined to be wild, aren’t you?” Darion shook his head. “You know I admire your fiery passion, but we will only tolerate so much. If you would calm down, you’d see that this is the only way. You are here to stay.” His hand securely gripped her other arm. Laci writhed and twisted, kicking, but they held her in an unbreakable hold.

“I have the equipment set up in med-bay,” the tech announced.

* * * * *

They hauled her to med-bay, pulling and towing her when she became especially resistant. Laci fought them every step of the way, lunging, twisting and pulling. She tried to bite them, but every time her mouth neared one man’s flesh, a tug from the opposite side pulled her away from her goal.

There was no return from what they wanted to do. Her nano-cytes identified her as Third Gen and tied her to the other Third Gen women. If the First Gen nano-cytes were injected into her bloodstream, they would replace the ones she carried now. The First Gen nano-cytes were very aggressive which was why the scientists had altered the

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nano-cytes in their later experiments. Injected with those, she wouldn’t be able to return to her home among her friends. The signal of the nano-cytes would serve as a beacon to any First Gen male close enough to feel it. She would never risk her friends’ safety in that way.

“Laci, you know we aren’t going to hurt you.” Darion held on to her struggling form. “I didn’t think you would react this strongly. Settle
down
.”

The two men pulled her through the door to med-bay when it swished open at a touch on the pad beside the door. For a moment, she stood in the doorway as they tugged at her arms. Her heels dug into the carpeting, but she stumbled forward when they pulled her off-balance.

“You’re going to cut me off from my friends, from everything I know if you put those in me.” She was almost hysterical by now.

“We’re going to make you one of us,” Alek growled. “It would happen anyway, Laci. At least by changing you now, we can be assured that we’ll be able to treat you if you get seriously hurt.”

“How can you be certain that there would be blood-to-blood contact?” Laci swung her fist at Alek when Darion’s grip relaxed, but the blow never landed. Alek dodged and Darion recaptured her wrist. “I would be very careful. I won’t get hurt.”

“It’s part of the Norik marriage ceremony.” Darion raised his free hand to her shoulder. The touch was almost soothing for a moment, but then his grip tightened. “This has to be done even if you don’t want it. I want our medics to be able to easily help you if something happens to you. Right now, they couldn’t do much if you were hurt. Most importantly, we need you to be a part of us, with us in all possible ways.” He and Darion guided her to the exam table. “When you finally settle down and accept that you belong with us, we will have the ceremony.”

“What if that day doesn’t come?” Laci’s voice was strained. She lunged away from them, but they tugged her back and urged her to sit on the table.

“It will.” Darion’s confidence was obvious. “Time will change how you feel. Do you think you’ll resist us forever? You underestimate our determination and the attraction you feel toward us. We’ll make you happy.”

That confidence grated on her nerves. They thought they knew what was best. Well, they didn’t know her. When would they see she wasn’t the woman they once knew?

The tech waited beside the table with a tray of syringes laid out on a small cart. He swabbed both her arms with a sterile wipe. Picking up a syringe, he injected the clear fluid into her arm. After the first injection, Laci slumped in defeat. She sat motionless and, with dull eyes, watched the tech. He picked up a second syringe and injected it into her other arm.

“Bring her to med-bay sometime tomorrow for the last of the injections. She shouldn’t feel any pain or even mild discomfort from the transition from Third Gen to First Gen nano-cytes. If she does, bring her back to med-bay.” The tech began gathering his supplies and tidying them away as Darion and Alek pulled her to her feet.