“Thank you,” Artie said, turning to us.
“Zaya, Protector Steele, this is my husband Arthur Brown. He’s the farrier here in town.”
“Pleased to meet you both.” He gave us each a friendly nod, and we returned the gesture. “Lucy, I’ll get some boards from the pile out back and nail them up until I can get Nate Travis to make us a new one.”
I was glad that Steele was holding me against him because I was still feeling pretty shaky after staring down and killing a Mesaarkan. I couldn’t get those eyes out of my mind. He was looking at me like Gar’hako looked at me as he tormented me. Until that moment, I thought I had pushed it all to the back of my mind like an event in my distant past. We had thought they were all gone after their mountain base blew up. But they weren’t, and we didn’t even know how many were here.
Lucy was safe with her husband, who was there to take care of her and the broken door. I wanted to go home, but I didn’t know whether Steele was still needed to help his team finish cleanup.
Steele
“Sergeant Rowe, do you need additional assistance with the Mesaarkan prisoners?”
“We have secured them. Lieutenant Hawk is interrogating their leader while we wait for transport. Per our treaty with the Mesaarkans, we cannot hold them for any reason other than to send them off-world. Thus far, we learned they are not military.”
“Then why are they here?”I asked.
“They are slavers specializing in human trafficking. Since the war, elite Saarks have acquired a taste for human pets.”
“Like what they did to Zaya.”That realization made me wish I had killed all of them. But I knew that would only solve the problem temporarily.
“Unfortunately, yes. I’m sure we all feel the same way you do, Steele. We would not want that to happen to any of our mates.”
“My mate is deeply distressed by this attack. She was forced to kill one of the invaders. If I am no longer needed, may I take her home?”I asked.
“Dismissed Protector Steele. Thank you for your assistance.”
“Lucy, we’ll be back in a few days to settle up for the soap. I want to take Zaya home.”
“No worries, Protector Steele. I will credit Zaya’s account.”
I nodded to her and started walking Zaya out of the store. I suspected she was in shock as she had said very little since I returned. A Mesaarkan attack was the last thing she needed after what she had already been through.
Helping her onto my sky cycle, I quickly climbed on and engaged the cockpit to fly us home. Minutes later, we landed in the front yard. Retracting the cockpit on landing, I swung my leg over the bike’s front and got off.
Zaya hadn’t moved to climb off. She sat staring into space, shell-shocked.
“Baby, we’re home.” I gently gripped her upper arms and gave her a little shake. “Zaya, look at me!” I commanded—this time, she did.
“Steele.” She reached up and cupped her hand against my cheek.
“Yes, I’m here.” I lifted her off the sky cycle, urging her to wrap her arms and legs around me. “You’re safe now.” I brushed her lips with mine a few times until she kissed me back, and then I deepened the kiss, using my tongue to tease and caress hers.
We kissed for a long time until Zaya was thoroughly aroused. I was already hard just thinking about breeding with her. It would not only take her mind off the shock of seeing and killing a Mesaarkan, but the infusion of nanites with my cum would help recede the memory and balance her brain chemistry.
Most of all, I needed our joining to offer and receive physical comfort and reinforce our love for each other. Cyborgs only get one genetic mate, and Zaya was my one. I was anxious to soothe her emotional damage.
Today’s events made me wonder if I could properly do my job as a Protector and keep my mate safe as well. We were already short-handed for this new threat. Lieutenant Hawk requested four more teams to help us find the invaders. I sent the problem to my CPU for further analysis.
Zaya needed my full attention. I carried her into the house and our bedroom.
“I want to breed,” she said huskily, kissing my face and caressing my head.
I claimed her mouth in another deep kiss, rubbing her back and squeezing her butt cheeks until she ground her mons against my hard cock. As we ended the kiss, Zaya straightened her legs for me to set her down.
“We have too many clothes on,” she said and pulled her t-shirt off over her head. When she was naked, she turned back thecover on the bed and rolled into the bed. I was right beside her a second later.
Starting with a tender kiss on her soft lips, I worked my way down her body, dragging my mouth over her soft, smooth skin, kissing and licking her tenderly. I paused to suck each nipple as she caressed my body. I devoted myself to arousing her to center her mind on my love for her.
