AHealingCaress Read online

  “So, because you became a stunning young woman, they wanted you away from them?”

  She blushed. “Yes. I suppose. It sounds nicer when you say it though.”

  He laughed. “We are going into jump. Hold tight. Next stop, Teklan.”

  Chapter Five

  Flying through the atmosphere of Teklan was a treat. Bren had never seen a shifted Drai before, let alone two. The huge beasts followed them down to the base and Bren stared at the musculature of the Drai the entire time.

  “Should I be jealous?” Tracker’s voice was amused.

  She smirked. “Ha. I know very well that these two are Drai sleepers and that they have mates. I am simply drawn to the shifts in musculature and am marvelling that they can fly.”

  He chuckled. “As long as you marvel from afar.”

  Bren turned and realized that her companion was jealous. It wasn’t the first time someone had expressed it in relation to her, but it was the first time that it sent a secret thrill of warmth down her spine.

  “How did you get assigned to Teklan?”

  He started their landing trajectory. “I was originally assigned to Station 13, but when Teklan specialized in investigations, a Tracker was called for.”

  “It seems like strange work.”

  “Oh, it is, but it is also rewarding. Sometimes when I track something, I find something that I am not even looking for.”

  He set the shuttle on the tarmac and powered it down. “Welcome home, Brenawyn.”

  She grinned and unbuckled her harness. With eager strides, she moved to the hatch and waited for Tracker to join her.

  He had her bag and his slung over his shoulder and he opened the door with a flourish. The air of Teklan rushed in and Bren breathed deep.

  “It smells like a new world.”

  Tracker took her hand and led her down the steps.

  A Kozue woman with long, dark hair came toward them, a column of mist at her side. “Welcome to Teklan, Healer.”

  Bren recognized a Citadel greeting when she saw one. “Thank you for your welcome, Healer.”

  The women cracked a smile. “I am Gray. Welcome home.”

  “I am Bren. Thank you for your welcome.”

  Tracker cracked a smile. “The mist is Canil, Gralial’s partner.”

  The mist thickened and became a male with Kozue features. “I am pleased to meet you, Bren.”

  She smiled politely. “A Nishan animorph?”

  Canil grinned. “Precisely. You know your species.”

  “It was a hobby of mine. I enjoy the study of exotic races, being one myself.” Bren inclined her head.

  “Please, come into the base. Or would you prefer to see your housing first?”

  “Tracker?”

  He answered. “Our housing first. The base will still be there when Bren has settled in.”

  Gray reached out and clasped Bren’s free hand. “I will see you soon.”

  Bren felt the surge of power up her arm and her own talent fought it as she stroked her palm against Gray’s. Her own talent crept across Gray’s skin and the woman widened her eyes. “That is amazing.”

  “It is different, but it will work well on folks who have implants as well as any animals in the vicinity.” Bren grinned and they parted.

  Gray blinked and grinned in reply. “This is a very good thing.”

  “I really hope so.”

  Tracker laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist. “This way, Brenawyn. We have a charming home just outside the main base.”

  She blinked. “How do you know that? Were you planning to bring me here this whole time?”

  He chuckled. “I always find what I am tracking and when I started to think about a partner, my senses led me to you over and over again.”

  She smiled. “That is both sweet and creepy.”

  His laugh was genuine. “I try.”

  There was a small village sprouting up on one side of the base. Neat houses with tidy yards were being built with what seemed to be attention to detail. One house was in an environmental bubble, another had a huge pool where the yard was on the others.

  “They seem to be very specific in matching the needs of the Guards to their houses.” She raised her brow at the pool.

  “A few of the support staff are amphibious and they like a place to hang out on their days off.”

  “I see.”

  “Our home is this way. The forest will not be developed, so if you make friends with any of the local critters, you are welcome to them.”

  She chuckled. “Don’t tempt me. You may end up living in a menagerie.”

  He grinned. “I would not mind that at all.”

  She laughed and smiled as he opened the small, neat gate to a house that was trimmed in dark grey with a tidy yard. “How is it that you are so accepting of me as a partner?”

  His smile didn’t fade. “I could ask you the same thing. Sometimes you meet someone and you just feel the sense of rightness. For me, it was the moment you fell in my lap in that tea shop.”

  She laughed. “I had almost forgotten that. For me, it was the moment when you followed me to the animal pens. You were so calm despite the fact that I had stolen from you. You were all that I could see from that moment on.”

  Bren didn’t bother telling him that he had featured rather vividly in her fantasy life, but she had the feeling that he knew.

  The house was as neat on the interior as the exterior. The furnishings were standard for bipedal species with regular joints.

  Tracker dropped her bag in one room and his in the adjoining room. A sense of relief flooded her and fought with a surge of disappointment.

  Of course they weren’t sharing a bed. They didn’t know each other.

  She unpacked swiftly and hung up her robes. She had a few casual outfits, but they would wait until she was not going to be meeting people for the first time. For today, she just made sure that she wasn’t still wearing any of Tracker’s blood. While she had washed up in the shuttle, the edges of her robes were stained in his blood.

  Bren was amused by Gray’s lack of alarm when she met them, covered in Tracker’s blood, but if her handshake was any example, Gray was a very powerful healer indeed.

  A quick change of clothing and she was ready to go.

  She knocked on the adjoining door and when his voice called out, “Come in,” she entered.

  “Oh. Wow.” She quickly closed her eyes, but the memory of every grey and silver muscle from his head to toes was burned in her mind. It was a lovely view, but seeing Tracker naked was an unexpected shock.

  “Is nudity a problem, Bren?”

  She fought her blush. “Not usually, no.”

  He laughed. “I will be dressed in a moment.”

  She peeked frequently, trying to make it seem casual as she wandered around his room. “You have lived here for a while.”

  “For six months while I was not on assignment.” He stepped into a pair of trousers and slipped on a loose vest. It hung open enough for her to catch glimpses of his chest as he moved. “This afternoon will be a casual introduction to the base, you can dress in something less formal if you wish to.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. I will wait in the living room until you are ready.”

  Shrugging but smiling, she returned to her quarters and reached for her leathers. It felt so good to be out of the heavy robes that she even checked out her rear image in the mirror. Her butt looked pretty good to her gaze. She hoped that Tracker agreed.

  Bren worked her hair into a long, loose tail down her spine and checked her reflection one more time. It was as good as it was going to get.

  Chapter Six

  “I am ready for my tour, Tracker.” She took a deep breath and was gratified when his gaze followed the rise and fall of her breasts.

  “Ah, yes. About that. When we are on base, you can call me, Patrig.”

  “Why?”

  His lips quirked. “It is my name.”

  “R
eally? Patrig?”

  “Patrig Relios Narchenic. My parents have a lovely sense of humour.”

  The phrasing gave her pause. “Your parents are still alive?”

  He blinked in surprise. “Yes. My folk live for over three hundred years, like the Trinial.”

  A startled laugh forced itself from her throat. “Really? I wasn’t even planning for my seventies. How is it that you know about the Trinial? I have had one heck of a time finding out about them.”

  “I have access to all of the Alliance archives. Your people are secretive, shy and only leave their world under duress. Your parents were very brave to strike out on their own.”

  Brenawyn bit her lip as a soft swell of pride rippled through her. “I don’t know why they ended up on Gwellen, but I look forward to finding out one day.”

  “You will be able to study freely. I am sure that the Gwellen authorities will have some records, as will the government of Trin. Shall we take the tour?”

  His grin was fascinating and she shook her head to clear it. With a sigh of inevitability, she took his arm and together, they began their tour of Sector Guard Base Teklan.

  It took a few hours, but they finally made it through every nook and cranny of the base, including the gardens and the gym. Gray was waiting for them in medical, filing reports.

  “I see you got your tour. Tracker, get on the scanner. I need you to get in for an overhaul.” Gray smiled.

  Patrig smiled. “As you wish, Reset.”

  Bren watched as he stood on the panel and pressed his hands to the marked areas on either side.

  Gray pressed some tabs and the scanner hummed and covered him with light for a moment. “You have some light bruising under your skin but nothing that won’t heal in a few days.”

  Gray checked her readouts. “There is no residual nerve sensitivity either. Whomever healed you, did an amazing job.”

  Bren grinned. “Thank you. I do try.”

  Gray grinned. “You do wonderful work, didn’t traumatize him at all. Can you show me your technique?”

  “Sure. Just bring me a cut or a burn to heal. It’s sort of a visual thing.”

  Gray nodded and went to her com unit, asking someone named Gerretta to come to medical. They only waited five minutes before a Tival was in, her arm bound in a pressure seal.

  “Gerretta, this is our new healer, Bren. She would like to take a look at your burn.” Gray smiled.

  “Oh, sure.” She held out her arm and Bren moved toward her slowly.

  Despite Gerretta’s agreement, she was very nervous. Bren began a slow, happy hum that relaxed the woman while she peeled off the seal.

  It was a deep burn—blisters and sticky secretions were still very much in evidence. “Ouch. How did you come by the burn?” While she spoke, she stroked Gerretta’s forearm and slowly started the healing process.

  “I turned too quickly and ran into Rafil while he was holding a greasy pot. It connected with my forearm and this was the result.” Gerretta was staring at Bren’s face.

  Bren saw the moment that the pain faded. “You have implants?”

  “I do. I was born deaf, so I have implants for that purpose which means that Reset was unable to help me out. My immune system is also not great, so I have to wait to heal just like everyone who isn’t within walking distance of a healer.”

  As her patient heaved a relaxed sigh, Bren kept the slow stroke on her forearm. Direct contact on the wound would heal it faster, but that was not ideal when you were dealing with a creature in pain. They were very good at striking the area of irritation, but a little foggy on finding a light, pleasurable touch.

  Gray was standing where she could see but would not be in the way.

  “Well, you did well to get help so quickly. Was first aide applied at the scene?”

  “Yes, we iced it immediately and then Gray had to work on removing the solidified fat before she could treat the wound.” Gerretta smiled. “It feels much better just being open to the air.”

  Bren smiled in return. “That is because it is healed.”

  She removed her hands and stood back while Gray came forward to examine the injury site. “That is amazing. She didn’t even notice that you were healing her.”

  Gerretta looked at her arm, touched it with her other hand and broke into a wide grin. “That is amazing. Thank you.”

  “You are welcome. It is nice to be able to work with my talent.” She inclined her head and after a brief examination, Gerretta returned to her post.

  Gray shook her head. “I have never seen anything like that. Most healing is done by overwhelming the patient and forcing the healing. Your technique was so soft, gentle. Well done.”

  Bren blushed as Patrig put his arm around her.

  “You should be on the receiving end of her touch. It is quite stimulating and certainly keeps you alert.”

  Gray grinned. “Will you agree to a full scan, Bren?”

  “Certainly. I haven’t had more than regular check-ups at the Citadel. This will be rather interesting.”

  Bren followed Gray’s direction and moved into one of the largest scanners with her hands and feet in the appropriate spaces. The pressure of the scan caressed her in a slow stroke from head to toe and then reversed to repeat the process again. Bren meditated quietly, making sure that her mind was calm.

  The moment that the machine released her, she stepped free and stood next to Patrig, seeking his stability. “So, what is the situation, doc?”

  “You are healthy, I think. The Trinial are one of those races that don’t have any normal levels recorded. I don’t really know what you are supposed to register.” Gray looked a little embarrassed.

  Bren smiled. “It is all right. I feel fine, so I am sure that nothing untoward is going on.”

  “I will send away a request for any records that the Trinial are willing to part with.” Gray sat behind her desk and started on the request. “They should have a response for me by the time you return to the base.”

  Patrig tilted his head. “Return?”

  “Have you seen Might yet?”

  “No. He was out of the office when we arrived. Echo just got back this morning, so I am fairly sure that they were busy for the last few hours.”

  Gray’s lips twitched in amusement. “Try him now. We have had a peculiar request and Brodin isn’t sure that you will take it on.”

  Bren grinned. “I am seriously curious. What could be so bad that Tracker wouldn’t want to try it?”

  Gray’s smile deepened. “I will let Brodin explain it to you.”

  Bren looked to Patrig. “What are we waiting for?”

  Chapter Seven

  Brodin was a Dhemon and he had the formal manners of his kind, standing to press a kiss to the back of her hand. “Welcome to Teklan base, Brenawyn.”

  “Thank you, Brodin, is it?”

  “Or Might if you wish.”

  “I will stick with Brodin.” She removed her hand from his and smiled pleasantly at him.

  Patrig wrapped his arm around her waist, “And I will stick with her.”

  Brodin smiled and sat behind his desk. “Have a seat. We have a request.”

  Patrig held Bren’s chair for her and sat next to her, his possessive posture unmistakable. “What is the request?”

  “This is best seen in person.” With a flick of Brodin’s fingers, the shades came down and an image of a young woman was outlined in light.

  “Hello, Sector Guard Base Teklan. My name is Miriil and I am the imperial princess of the Yeven clan on Warshos.”

  The woman was wearing a lovely gown and she looked as soft and new as spring. Bren smiled slightly at the image even though the princess could not see her.

  “I am sending this request to the Guard, because I don’t know where else to turn. My father is about to throw open the games for my hand in marriage. I don’t want to marry any of the candidates here on Warshos, I want you to find the man I have loved my entire life.

  “His name is
Polai Markos and he was a gardener who left Warshos when my father denied his interest in me. I have heard that he is a botanist on an Oefric colony world, but I have no way to get in touch with him. Raxos isn’t open to communication from Warshos, so there is no way for me to find him.

  “I want to know that he knows time is running out. I need him here, but if he doesn’t want me anymore, I need to know it so I can start my life with my new husband. I can’t stand the thought of not knowing one way or the other.”

  The young woman sighed, her shoulders drooping. “If you choose not to help me, that is fine, but I have expended my energy to get you this message on the off chance that you will find him. Thank you for considering it.”

  The message flared out and Brodin brought the lights up. “So, Tracker, do you think that your skills are up to finding this lost love?”

  Tracker brought Bren’s hand to his lips. “Oddly enough, love is very much on my mind these days.”

  Bren blushed. “Can I go with him?”

  Brodin looked surprised. “Of course. You are a representative of the Citadel and a travelling healer. Doors will open for you that might resist the pressure of the Guard.”

  Understanding finally lit in her mind. “That makes a certain amount of sense, though I am sure that it wasn’t Tracker’s initial intent.” She turned to glare at the man who still had possession of her hand. She arched her brows and he opened his mouth, but it was Brodin who spoke.

  “Once Tracker expressed his desire to have you with him, we researched you as best as we were able. There is not a lot of data on you and you have no correspondence.” Brodin shrugged. “The moment we uncovered what information there was on you, we agreed with Tracker that you would make him a suitable companion.”

  Bren blinked. “I see. Well, I am glad that I made the grade.”

  “The people of Trin are rare and leaving your world is even more so. Having one of your race on our side will open doors and worlds that will simply be curious to see you.”