TakeMeHard Read online

  “Medical is the green stripe. The scanners are set for all of our species, so it should be able to work out what is going on within you if you need it.”

  “Thank you.” Maasha bowed as gracefully as she could and smiled.

  “Tirk.”

  The male stood apart from the woman next to him. They were albinos, no pigment anywhere aside from the red of their blood visible in their eyes.

  The pale female nodded her head. “Carrah.”

  The pair on the other side of the spectrum of colouration stood close together. The female gestured to her and her partner. “Delari and Delios.”

  Zoe smiled while she took in their postures. “You are siblings.”

  Delari grinned. “Yes, we are. Very good. Most think we were designed to be mates, but we simply are not interested.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  Zoe nodded. “I understand completely.”

  Her set bowed to her. “We are Jarix, Leos and Trin. Peacekeepers.”

  “I am aware of your origins, gentlemen. Now, shall we commence with the tour?”

  The customized genetic creations nodded for her to start. She didn’t keep them waiting.

  She toured them through the entertainment centres, the bridge, the controls and the dining halls. For the final bit of the tour, she showed them the heart of the ship.

  “Welcome to my favourite place in the ship, the gardens. They not only add oxygen to our atmosphere, but they provide a source for additional food supplements and vitamins. Feel free to enjoy them in any way you see fit.” Zoe threw her arms wide and turned around, letting the air of the gardens wash over her.

  The silk of her gown clung to her. The humidity pressed it against her skin. Her males didn’t stare, but they did start scenting the air.

  She shivered at the confused expressions in their faces. “T’shnadar, please set the light cycle for standard Norville daylight.”

  “Of course, Zoe. Would you and your mates like to adjourn to your quarters?”

  Zoe froze as three pairs of astonished eyes and six amused gazes made her their targets.

  Her men grouped around her, sniffing her hair, skin and clothing. She stayed very still, trying not to cause any more ruckus than normal. “Thank you for that, T’shnadar. I was going to ease them into the idea.”

  Jarix reached out and his hand shifted from almost human to a claw. He shredded the front of her elegant gown into tatters, exposing her mark on the inside of her left breast, over her heart.

  “Ours. Our woman came to save us and we didn’t even see her.” Leos shook his head in amazement.

  Trin stood behind her and inhaled deeply. “She doesn’t smell right.”

  Zoe flinched as they all took another deep snort of her body.

  Leos and Jarix shook their heads. “This isn’t right. We should recognize her.”

  T’shnadar’s voice came out of the ship’s speakers. “Gentlemen, she has been taking supplements to hold off her heat. The chemicals have altered her physiology slightly. Her body chemistry is a little skewed. It will return to normal in the next two days.”

  Zoe sighed as the computer, with her mother’s voice, filled in all the blanks for them and amused the hell out of her other companions.

  She faced the three accusing males and winced. “I was going to tell you, I swear.”

  Jarix shifted his hand back from claws to fingers and caressed the skin he had exposed. “Why do I think that you are lying?”

  Chapter Three

  Arousal started to override her chemical suppressant. She winced as lust caused a rush of honey between her thighs while Jarix traced the lion in black and gold embossed on her skin.

  “I think we will just leave you alone.” Maasha and her mate gave them a wide berth and she jerked her head to get the others to follow her.

  Zoe was alone with her men and they were circling her with a lazy, predatory stride. Her senses were on edge, but the chemicals dampened her reactions. As she watched them, they shifted into their feline forms and wandered around her, rubbing against her thighs.

  They nudged and steered her toward one of the benches before resuming their other forms.

  She sat in her shredded gown and stared at them. “I really was going to tell you.” Zoe waited while they assessed her from head to toe.

  Trin finally pronounced, “I thought your hair would be lighter.”

  She chuckled and flicked at her dark honey locks. “It is a rinse. My eyes are a little freakish, so I wear lenses and dye my hair.”

  Jarix knelt in front of her. “Take the lenses out.”

  His earnest bronze eyes convinced her.

  She reached up and slipped the right lens off, earning a gasp from Trin and Leos. She knew that they were staring into a bright gold feline eye and when she removed her other lens, her vision resumed its usual acuity.

  Everything became brighter, motions caught her attention and her senses kicked into high gear. The leaves in the garden rustled in the winds generated by the fans, bringing a memory of her home.

  She sighed in relief and balled up the lenses. “I was going to stop wearing them anyway.”

  Leos used a light touch to turn her head toward his. “How long have you hidden yourself?”

  “Only for the last four years. When I took a position at my father’s design firm, I had to blend in.” She laughed lightly. “A blender blending in, get it?”

  They smiled.

  Now that she had a chance to relax and enjoy their presence, she let herself actually look at them. Jarix had a scar that crossed his exposed chest on the right shoulder, ran across the left and down to his navel, disappearing into the waistband of his trousers.

  His skin was shades darker than her own, his hair a burnished bronze. His eyes were a golden green at close range. The mark of their set, the lunging lion, was set proudly over his heart.

  Leos was made in shades of gold, right to his eyes, while Trin had a hint of blue in his golden eyes and waves of red in his hair.

  They were equally well muscled but wore scars in different places.

  Zoe was curious but didn’t ask where they had come from. It would be enough for her to learn it later, when they were safe.

  “Gentlemen, while this is all very charming and I do look forward to spending more time with you, this dress is a little drafty and I need to check in with T’shnadar to determine the level of pursuit that Dorsos has launched. He is going to be very excited if he survived the attack on his facility.”

  Jarix nodded. “We will accompany you. Everything that concerns you concerns us and so, we will come with you wherever you go on this ship.”

  She twisted her lips. She had been looking forward to some alone time to adjust to the overwhelming sensations that they were sending through her by their very presence.

  “Fine. First to my quarters and then to the bridge.” She took Trin’s hand and he helped her back to her feet.

  Pattering along the halls with her set around her was surreal. For years, she had focused on crafting the ideal battle ship, but now it was a haven for other folks just like her. While she remembered some of the girls that she had left the decanting facility with, she had never considered the others who were being created just for the purpose of scientific exploration.

  Dorsos’s little menagerie was only the tip of the iceberg. Dozens of genetic splices, blends and mutations were held captive around the worlds and she was only beginning to realize the larger problem that she faced.

  If she started to collect her own people, she would be no better than Dorsos.

  Her quarters were near the bridge. The door slid open silently when she palmed the lock.

  Trin whistled at the expanse of her rooms. “I have never seen captain’s quarters so large.”

  She grinned and crossed the room to her wardrobe. “I designed them with our set in mind.” Zoe blushed as she let the gown simply slide from her shoulders, leaving her in nothing but panties. She grabbed a ship suit from
her selection and tugged it on.

  When it was up to her waist, she gestured to the other wardrobes around the room. “You all have a selection of clothing if you want to change. Boots, suits, trousers and shirts.”

  She turned to pull the suit up over her shoulders and smiled when she saw them delving into all the tech that had been installed. Drawers, bunks, amenities were all sliding in and out of the walls as they touched and explored.

  Trin was fascinated by her data station, Jarix by the lav and Leos was going through her linen cupboard.

  She closed up her suit and took a pair of socks and boots, sitting on the chest at the end of her bed. Zoe pulled her socks on and slid her feet into the boots, wiggling her toes happily. New socks were a pleasure that she never outgrew.

  Zoe got to her feet and put her hands on her hips. “You can continue to explore, I am heading to the bridge for a heart to heart with the stealth system.”

  Jarix grinned and poked his head around the door, shampoo causing the gold locks to spike. “We will meet you there soon. This ship is amazing.”

  Laughter burst out of her and she wove her hair into a loose braid, leaving her rooms to the three men scavenging her belongings and playing with her toys.

  She made it to the bridge and took the captain’s chair, bringing the three-dimensional displays up to assess their position. Heading back to Norville Nine was out of the question, but she did have to make a call.

  “T’shnadar, please call my father.”

  “Of course, Zoe.”

  The reply system was set up to remind Zoe that she was in charge. She had a tendency to forget that she was responsible for the ship unless reminded. Directly addressing the computer by name let it run an inflection and voice comparison to make sure that no commands were being given under duress.

  “T’shnadar, while you are at it, give me a report of all transmissions coming from Gathara.”

  “Of course, Zoe.”

  She watched the data scrolling past and made a few notes. Gathara had boasted one micro climate and Dorsos’s archive and his facility was the entire economic base for the region. If Dorsos survived, he would need an influx of money to rebuild his facility. That would mean selling off pieces of his collection and based on the protective fire shielding that had covered the documents they might soon be back on the market.

  Dorsos was not yet broadcasting any information. That gave her a twisted hope that the base attack had killed him, but she knew that she couldn’t be that lucky.

  “Zoe, your call has gone through. Tornen is waiting.”

  Zoe flicked her fingers on the console to open the flashing link. “Hello, Papa. This is the Solar Knife.”

  Her father’s face appeared in front of her, his dark hair and black eyes so familiar. “Zoe, thank the mother tree! What are you doing out there?”

  “I have found my men, Papa, and several others who have similar origins. I don’t know where we are going to go.” She bit her lip.

  “Don’t bite your lip, seedling. You are destined for great things and gnawing your lip bloody ruins your presentation.” His smile was warm.

  She nodded and released her lip. “I understand. Thank you for answering my call. I wasn’t expecting this kind of thing when I decided to pursue this course of action.”

  “It is the least I could do when you decided that now was the time. I couldn’t keep you a child behind the scenes. I want you to stand at my side, proud and strong. I have always been proud of you and now is no different.”

  “Keep yourself safe, Papa.”

  “Stay strong, Zoe.” He waved at her and blew a kiss across the stars.

  She returned the salute and waved as T’shnadar stopped the connection.

  “Zoe, standard scrambling of signals has been commenced.”

  “Good. T’shnadar, set course for Ked Ten. Take the scenic route.”

  “Of course, Zoe.”

  She stretched and kept a watchful gaze on the data and audio feeds streaming from Gathara.

  Behind her, she heard a throat clear. She rotated her chair and took in the sight of her men dressed in ship suits that matched her own.

  Leos raised a brow and crossed his arms. “Where are you taking us?”

  She laughed and played with the seal of her suit. “Anywhere I want to.”

  Chapter Four

  She sat in her chair and watched as they explored her bridge. It was surprisingly comforting to see them treating the ship with respect.

  Trin came toward her and she admired the fit of his suit. “It looks good on you.”

  “Thank you. This is quite the ship. How long did it take you to design it?”

  She smiled and ran a hand along the arm of her chair. “Nine years. I started it shortly after I was placed with my family and it became my obsession after my mother began to get ill.”

  He crouched next to her and took her hand in his. “How long has it been since you lost her?”

  She blinked at his guess. “She isn’t dead. She suffered from Accarric syndrome. Her mind slowly stopped communicating with her body and she needed to be put in stasis to keep her alive. My father has been funding extensive research efforts and we have hopes of a cure in the next five years.”

  “Accarric syndrome is congenital, right?”

  “Yes. It is why they agreed to Dr. Argent’s request. They wanted a child, but Weelia didn’t want to take the chance that the child would inherit the disease and Tornen wasn’t willing to risk his wife. So, they got me.” A soft smile played around her lips at the memory of being loved, cherished and protected.

  “You had a good life with them.”

  She grinned and wiped a tear away. “I did. Still do on occasion. Papa has wired his mind to Mama’s and they converse with each other daily for at least twenty minutes. The implanted patch I wear allows me to do the same when I am home.”

  Jarix turned to look at her, Leos did the same. Without speaking a word, they left their explorations and came over to her. Trin tugged her up and she was embraced by three men who seemed in sync with her melancholy.

  The group hug surrounded her with the comforting scent of her set. Tears flowed down her cheeks as every chemical signal her body had ever craved surrounded her. At peace. This was what it felt like to be at peace with muscle pressing against her on all sides. Heads bent and touched hers and she felt a low rumble that woke every nerve ending she had. As a group, they were purring for her.

  Zoe breathed deep and relaxed in their embrace. The noise they were making soothed her and unknotted stresses in her spine. When a pair of lips pressed against hers, she turned her head to him feeling the heat of his lips, the warmth of his breath and touch of his skin.

  Her belly warmed, honey flowed and her thighs slipped where they touched. “Uh, guys, this is going to get a little more serious if you don’t stop it right now.”

  Trin laughed and lifted her into his arms. “We will do serious now, fun later. We have been waiting quite a while to find a woman exactly like you.”

  Leos opened the door to her quarters and Trin carried her to the bed, setting her on her feet and working at the front closure of her suit.

  “There is no woman like me in the entire universe. Dr. Argent only made you one mate.” She held still as Trin slid the suit off her shoulders and it pooled around her waist.

  Being naked in front of a male was not a new experience for her, but to have three of them looking at her with an intense hunger was a little overwhelming.

  She stood and felt the tightening of her nipples and the slide of her hair across her shoulders, all senses heightened by their attention. Her skin felt the rasp of fabric around her hips, the slight tightening of the waistband that kept it in place. Her sex throbbed, the lips swelling as her pulse localized between her thighs.

  Jarix shifted and her attention focused on him as he leaned forward, threaded his hand in her hair and leaned in for a kiss. Her eyes widened as the kiss deepened, his tongue scraping inside h
er mouth. She didn’t have time to do more than squeak as a companion to that feline tongue rasped along her breasts and sensitised nipples.

  She shivered and moaned into Jarix’s mouth while Leos lapped his way across her torso. Trin knelt before her, but his aim was her boots, not her body. Leos held her as Trin lifted and stripped her feet one at a time.

  The multitude of hands on her was an efficient distraction, but when she was tilted onto her bed, she squawked and pulled her head away from Jarix while the world spun.

  He chuckled and helped her get into a sitting position a moment after Trin had disposed of her clothing. She leaned back on her hands and crossed her legs so as not to advertise the honey that the minutest bit of foreplay brought out.

  “You seem to have me at a disadvantage, gentlemen. My clothing is gone and yours is still in place.” She could see the erections tenting the suits, but she wanted to see them without the suits. She had never wanted men more in her life and she didn’t care which one was first as long as she got to feel them all inside her, one after the other.

  Explaining her cravings to other lovers had not even entered her mind. There was no way to quantify the hunger that she felt when she thought about her mates. Even as faceless entities, they had run through her fantasies bringing her to orgasm time and again.

  The reality had her on the edge of arousal and they hadn’t even used their hands on her yet.

  “The clothing is for your benefit. It will slow us down.”

  She lunged up and grabbed Jarix, pulling him down onto her bed and rolling on top of his surprised form. “I don’t want slow. I want you to take me hard, one after the other. No doubles. This is all about feeling you inside me and learning each sensation, one by one.”

  She felt an arm around her waist and she was pulled back against a very naked Trin. His voice was a dark growl next to her ear. “If it is flesh you want, you shall have it.”

  She gasped as hands cupped her breasts, Jarix reached between her thighs and rubbed at her clit until she screamed, arching against Trin, her belly tight and limbs trembling.