Another Fine Mess

Chapter 10 – Fever

########

Dim lighting filled the chamber with a calming glow, and amber eyes opened with the release of a satisfied growl. The female stretched through plush furs feeling recent exertions work their way out of her system, and her eyes drifted to an enticing figure at the viewport. Stifling a yawn she rose to cross the room, sliding her fingers around the male's waist as an exhausted purr shivered through her frame. Having been lost in thought he flinched at her touch, but quickly met her cadence with a pleasurable rumble of his own.

"What are you looking at, Shl'nar?"

The tension in his body changed, and he returned his gaze to space. "The last ships are leaving. It will be very quiet for a while."

Mr'sah nodded against his tresses and then pushed them aside to lick the side of his neck. "Quiet enough to hear when it is not, yes?"

The aide snorted out a laugh and covered her hands with his own. "Such is the way every mating season. Nearly everyone goes to Ikar Prime, and we are left to hold make-believe council for the Elders." He abruptly turned to lock Mr'sah's hands behind her back, nudging with his hips to maneuver the slightly taller female back toward the furs. "Though there is one thing that is different this season."

The young female growled low in her throat, her tusks flaring as her eyes began to blaze. She struggled in his grip, though by her scent he knew that she was enjoying his actions. His right foot darted forward at the last second to block her steps and she fell beneath him, their landing a tangle of limbs and chorus of snarling barks.

Several hours later Shl'nar's eyes returned to the viewport, and the female finally risked prying into his private affairs uninvited. "What thoughts have so captured your mind that you return to them almost immediately after we mate?"

The male shivered in her arms. "Kh'aan. Kayla."

Mr'sah sat up astonished. "Now? Here? You do not even know if they are alive and you think of them now?"

Shl'nar rose to his knees before her, pressing his brow to hers as his tusks caressed her furious features. "No…it is not like that! You have asked and I will try to explain." He purred and ran his talons along her arms until her ire settled, but her words surprised him.

"Forgive me, Shl'nar. You are my friend as well as my mating partner. I must not let one overpower the other." Her eyes met his, calmer and full of curiosity. "Tell me why you think of them now?"

He had never experienced a female so amiable after mating, and as he pulled her down to the furs the words spilled forth.

"You are right, I do not know if they live, but High Elder Kh'alik is adamant that they do. He claims that he would feel if Kh'aan was dead, and if he is so certain then I must believe him. It is mating season. Kh'aan is out there with her and…it is dangerous for him. I know that they care for each other, but for the Firstborn it is…" He hissed under his breath, turning to snarl into the furs before again meeting her eyes. "He is alone out there, during mating season, with an ooman female, whom he cares for."

His words were forced, and Mr'sah knew that he was trying to summarize the issue. "Is her being ooman the problem, or is it something else?"

The aide clamped his tusks shut, his features expressing that he'd said too much already. Having served the Grand Matron for so long, she knew a political secret when it was being withheld, and now Shl'nar was exhibiting a plethora of symptoms. Very well. I admit that I am not privy to every trace of information in the clans, but now is not the time for you to be distracted. Rather than force the issue, she shrugged out of his arms and sat up to straddle his hips. She sat high on her knees leaving space between his re-awakening shaft and its goal, and when she met his gaze he realized that she intended to stay there. Her voice growled through the air and tingled through his groin.

"It is no matter." She braced her hands on his chest. "You will please me, male, until your seed is all but spent. Comply."

The aide trilled into a series of eager barks, and he braced his heels against the base of the sleeping platform while rising onto his elbows, his fingers seeking purchase in the furs. How have I endured mating season before her? He bucked his hips in one powerful penetration, and Mr'sah howled in ecstasy as her talons gouged into his flesh.

For the first time since becoming aides to the High Elder and Grand Matron, the first Interim Conference of the season occurred without them.

####

Kayla gripped the back of the command chair and stared at the sensors in disbelief. Nothing had been detected the entire time they'd occupied the room, yet now a formidable vessel was attempting to lock onto their side. "How the hell did a ship sneak up on us?"

Her companion snarled as his hands danced across the console. "I do not know, unless it is equipped with a masking field." His eyes blazed with fury at the thought of another being installed. An identification code flashed across the screen eliciting a low growl from the hunter. "It is an Arbitrator."

"Shit!"

Another loud bang reverberated through the ship, and moments later they felt the weight of the enemy vessel compromise their stability as it latched onto the airlock. The marine's mind raced through every invasion scenario her team had ever faced, and she took a step back from the chair as the mental gears began to race. "Prevention, interception, expulsion."

Kh'aan turned to face her, analysis merging with curiosity in his eyes. "Prevent the enemy from gaining access; intercept the enemy if they breach vessel; expel the enemy from the ship?"

Kayla grinned and rubbed her hands together. "You got it! In the event of invasion, P.I.E. is our first response. Ha! Makes me wish that I had one to smash in his face!" When the hunter let out a curious chirp she waved away his concern. "It's a baked dessert."

Before she could explain further an indicator flashed on the console. Kh'aan's eyes snapped to the controls with a growl, and he quickly rose from his seat flexing his fingers. Their attacker was attempting to hack into the access codes for the outer hatch, if not the entire ship. He swiftly marched from the room with a short bark over his shoulder. "Come."

Kayla followed his imposing figure to the armory and began scanning the options, but her mind was not on weaponry and a shudder ran through her limbs. The last time we faced an Arbitrator didn't go very well. Head-on seems futile against such a determined killing machine. But what if we can catch him off guard? She abruptly dropped the blade in her hands and spun around to the hunter.

"Hey, you keep him busy. I've got an idea."

She headed for the door but a heavy hand on her shoulder made her stop. Preparing for an argument, she took a breath before turning to meet his gaze. The hunter's eyes blazed in anticipation of battle, but they also reflected a surprising amount of fear. "Stay close to me, Kayla. Do nothing foolish!"

"Have faith…I'm a marine, not a moron." She shrugged off his hand. "If we're lucky he'll be a pushover, and if we're very lucky we won't have to kill him…at least not directly."

Kh'aan growled and gripped her shoulders tightly, offended at what she seemed to be suggesting. "The only honor is in direct combat. I thought that you understood this."

The defiance in her eyes faded slightly, and she reached up to cover his hands. "I do understand, which is why I'm leaving that fun to you. Meanwhile, I intend to make damn certain that bastard doesn't get a chance to kill you!"

Her tone hardened with the words, and Kh'aan saw fierce determination in her eyes that settled his ire in an instant. Before he could think about it, he pulled her against his chest and purred deeply. "I am fully capable of defending myself, but I am honored that you wish to protect me." He leaned back enough to gently grasp her jaw in his lower tusks, the upper tracing down her cheeks. "However, if any harm comes to you, his suffering will be eternal."

Kayla returned the embrace with surprisingly little hesitation, her heart picking up speed as the soothing rumble quaked through her frame. When he locked her in his gaze all thought to discomfort or impropriety fled, and she closed her eyes at his tender gesture as tingles followed in his wake.

"Don't worry," she sighed. "I'll be fine."

She backed out of his arms slowly, and felt him tremble beneath her fingers as they trailed along his waist. Kh'aan's eyes widened at the unexpected caress, and she chuckled as a bright flare of heat obscured her features. "What? You started it!"

While he stood with mandibles agape, Kayla smirked and dashed out of the armory. Kh'aan listened as she raced down the steps, and then forcibly shook himself before his body reacted any further to her touch. My mate returns to me. Control and patience…for a little longer.

####

Kayla darted through engineering blindly, her mind fixed on what had just occurred in the armory. She absently rubbed her fingers together while hunting for a suitable hiding spot. He was shaking! Do I really affect him so much? Maybe I'm not imagining it…maybe I am being stupid. Hallelujah! The sleeper awakens! Oh for crying out loud!

The marine growled and focused on the task at hand. As she scanned the deck for ideas a loud alarm sounded through engineering, and she knew that they'd been breached. Spinning around she spotted a vent steaming nearby, and ducked beneath the manifold just as Kh'aan roared from the upper deck. It was answered by a throaty bellow from the airlock, and a heavily armored Yautja charged past her to ascend the stairs. Kayla counted to twenty before daring to emerge, and she winced at the sounds of battle overhead. Give him hell, and don't you dare die on me!

She peered around the deck as her mind formulated a plan. Jones and his cartoons…oh boy what a doozy! Thanks buddy! This one's for you!

As war waged between the behemoths, Kayla scrambled to pull the needed materials together. She feared running out of time, and when the battle drew close to the stairs she swore and pushed herself to work faster. Finally the trap was set, and the marine eased carefully toward the open airlock. Now to plant the bait.

####

Kh'aan waited impatiently for the intruder alarm, preferring to meet his foe directly but hoping to give the human time for her 'idea'. Whatever you are planning, my mate…do not die. As a shiver raced down his spine the shrill alarm cut through his thoughts. Kh'aan hurried to the access stairs and roared with every bit of strength he could muster. As he hoped, the challenge was answered from below deck and seconds later the Arbitrator charged up the stairs.

The hunter extended his wristblades just as their enemy plowed into him. The Arbitrator was half a head taller, but his lean build gave Kh'aan the advantage in strength. They slammed into the wall beside the trophy room, and he wasted no time turning the hold. He grasped the Arbitrator's arm and snapped around behind his back, spinning him in a wide arc to slam his skull into the trophy room door. The metal dented from the impact, and the startled Arbitrator was nearly decapitated as a secondary hatch snapped shut over the door. Kh'aan took a surprised step back from the unexpected trap, inadvertently giving his opponent time to roll to his feet.

The Arbitrator charged swiftly, ducking his shoulder to smash into the hunter's stomach. Air whooshed from Kh'aan's lungs as the plasma caster gouged into his abdomen, and he slammed his elbow down on the male's spine just as they crashed into the central railing. He twisted his arm to bring his wristblades into the fray, but the Arbitrator ducked and slammed a closed fist into his side. By the sudden weakness in his knees, Kh'aan realized that the blow was meant to debilitate, and this was confirmed when he spotted the glint of an injector.

He means to capture us! Kh'aan had no intention of being returned to the Council, not when he was so close to crossing them entirely by mating with Kayla. He swiftly blocked the Arbitrator's hand and the injector cracked against his gauntlet. Launching a heavy kick to his enemy's gut, Kh'aan locked his arms around the Arbitrator's elbows, raising them behind his back until the male's struggles risked dislocating them.

"You are foolish to attempt capture. We will never be taken prisoner again! You will have to kill us both."

"A pity, Firstborn. You do not know…"

Kh'aan did not let him finish, slamming his left knee into the center of his mask and knocking the male off of his feet. The Arbitrator recovered quickly and rolled out of the path of a descending foot. Kh'aan heard the unsheathing of wristblades, and leapt over a swipe that would have severed the tendons in his ankles. He roared in the invader's face, and when his opponent lunged forward Kh'aan dodged to the side and pushed at his shoulders. The surprised warrior slammed into the railing with enough force that he toppled over it, plunging head-first down the stairs.

Kh'aan approached the opening and peered down into an emotionless mask. His enemy was breathing heavily and clutched at his chest, possibly cradling fractured ribs. The Arbitrator snarled and began to ascend the stairs when another shrill alarm echoed through the ship. The armored male let out a harsh growl, sparing one glance at the hunter before disappearing into engineering. Kh'aan thundered down the stairs in pursuit, realizing that it was an intruder alarm from the Arbitrator's ship. Kayla! What have you done? As they tore around a corner and the open airlock appeared, Kh'aan caught a scent that made him stop in his tracks. He hissed at the retreating Arbitrator, who paused and turned to face him.

"Where is the ooman, Firstborn?"

"What ooman?" Kh'aan snorted.

"Up here, asshole!"

Two pairs of eyes snapped up to the support beam overhead just in time to see a heavy canister drop from the dark rafters. Its arc missed Kh'aan by inches, whizzing past to crash into the Arbitrator's face. The mask absorbed most of the impact, but the male was knocked cleanly off of his feet and thrown through the airlock to slide to a stop against his own hatch.

Kh'aan raced beneath the human to seal the airlock, and then released the clamps for the access tube before returning to her perch. He stared up into the gloom at his female, and a surge of pride flowed through his heart. "Crazy ooman!"

Kayla beamed down at him while wiping at a smudge of dirt across her forehead. "Of course I am!" She peered back at the upside-down hatch and snorted. "When that alarm went off I didn't think I'd be able to get up here in time."

"You entered his ship?" There as a trace of disapproval in the hunter's tone.

"Hell no! I didn't get more than halfway across the umbilical before it started screaming at me. That was the plan, after all." She wormed forward until half-dangling from the support beam, and then glanced up at him with a sheepish grin. "Sorry you didn't get to maim and destroy."

The hunter snorted. "He would not have given me the chance. I believe he intended to capture us alive."

The human grunted as her skins got caught on a connector. "That was stupid of him. He obviously didn't know who he was messing with."

Kh'aan heard pride in her tone, and when their eyes met he realized that it was all for him. He puffed up slightly at her praise, and on an impulse opened his arms as his tusks quirked into a sly grin. "Come down from there, monkey."

"Monkey? You dare insult my heritage, lizard?" The marine chuckled and then reached forward until her hands found his shoulders. He gripped her waist as she slid down from the support beam, relishing in her unwavering trust. She allowed her legs to swing forward once free of the rafters, and as their bodies collided she linked them around his waist. Kh'aan barely budged from the impact, and a deep rumble coursed through his frame as he tightened his hold, one hand at the back of her neck and the other curled beneath her rump to grasp her hip. The female let out a small gasp at the tight embrace, but the thrill of a job well done distracted her thoughts.

"Mission accomplished! Put me down and let's get out of here before he wakes up."

Kh'aan's eyes closed and the purr deepened until Kayla's bones melted, and to her surprise the hunter turned for the access stairs. "There is…NO NEED…to put you down." His words ground out under a harsh breath, and the female whimpered before quickly linking her arms around his neck. His eyes twinkled when they met hers and she shivered in his arms.

"Seriously, um…maybe you should, uh…"

"No." He tightened his hold for emphasis, the talons of his right hand dancing light touches along her neck. Kayla's eyes fluttered closed and she shivered violently at the sensation. With the hunter's chuckle shimmying through her insides, she opened her eyes and gave him her best 'look of death'.

"If you bang my head, I'm going to hurt you." Her voice was much deeper than he'd ever heard it, and Kh'aan shuddered as her scent spiked through his senses.

"Is that a promise?"

Startled by the invitation in his tone, Kayla's bluster fled leaving her in a cold sweat. She could only whimper an affirmative while meekly nodding her head, and Kh'aan nuzzled her cheek before heading for the access stairs. The female bit her lip and held on for dear life as he carried her out of engineering. As independent and hard-assed as she usually behaved, her arms simply refused to let go and no argument came to her fevered mind. Instead she was lost in the heat radiating from his body, the texture of his skin against the inside of her thighs, and the return of his spicy musk that was quickly becoming too enticing to ignore. My god, what am I doing? Feeling pretty damn good, ya think? This is not normal…I am not some crazed hormonal floozy! But he's so warm…and if his claws don't stop that…

"Ow!"

The marine gave her captor a half-hearted punch to the shoulder as the other hand reached back to rub her skull. She glared at the offending pipe as they passed beneath it, and then turned her gaze on the hunter. "I told you to watch it, buster! Do I have to be so high?"

Kh'aan snickered, the sound more like the chatter of a thousand crickets. "Forgive me, I am distracted." His arm squeezed her hips for emphasis before he loosened his grip, allowing the female to slide deliciously down his torso until at eye level. Truth be told he was thoroughly intoxicated by her, and wondered how he was still walking when the overwhelming impulse was to press her against the nearest wall. Heat from her core now throbbed so close to his loins that he began to match her rhythm, and at the top of the stairs he stopped to breathe only for her scent to flood his receptors.

"Yes, I am very distracted."

"Then put me down."

"I would rather die."

His tone ended the argument, though Kayla was not entirely sure why she was protesting. Her body hummed with pleasure at his possessive grip, and their proximity was sending off a thousand signals that universally demanded satisfaction. It's no use...if he wants me, by god he can have me!

Kh'aan stumbled to a stop in the short corridor outside of command. Kayla's scent suddenly strengthened one hundred-fold, and he realized in delighted shock that she had finally accepted him. His knees went weak at the thought, and in a split second he had her pinned against the conference room door. The hunter growled low in his throat as he pressed her into the surface, his growing arousal searching out the enticing heat from her core, and he leaned down to nuzzle her throat. Paya help me, I can take this no longer. I need her!

Kayla's mind went offline as his hot breath electrified her skin, and his name escaped her lips in a surprised gasp. His tusks toyed with the neckline of her skins while he purred a near-constant staccato that rumbled through her frame. His hands squeezed her rear as he ground his erection against her, and she briefly entertained the notion of shifting aside her wrap. Just a little closer…god help me, I'm lost! Just as her eyes drifted shut and the tips of her fingers reached out to graze his tresses, he pulled back to gaze at her with hungry eyes.

"My control has dwindled, Kayla. I desire…I need you!"

The longing in his voice elicited another whimper from her, but the marine knew that now was not the time. Even as her heels pressed into his back urging him closer, she released one hand to push against his burning chest. A moan escaped her lips as his rough tongue snaked along her ear, and her voice was laced with her own arousal.

"Maybe," Kh'aan's teeth nipped at her earlobe and she hissed. "Maybe we should…get out of here?"

Kayla managed to pull away from his teasing tusks to hold his fevered gaze. Kh'aan's breath came in heavy pants, and she no longer felt the friction of her skins as they slid across her moistened center. "Really…before he gets up." She shivered at her own words.

The hunter groaned, reluctantly stilling his movements while burying his face in her throat. He'd never felt so helplessly consumed by need in his life, but he knew that she was right. He heaved several deep breaths before daring to speak. "Yes. We must go."

His body trembled in frustration, but Kayla's hands cupped his jaw tenderly, drawing his eyes back to hers. She felt his disappointment as tangibly as her own, and had no intention of leaving this moment unfinished. Already anticipating the rematch, she forced her voice to be firm. "Put me down…for now."

Kh'aan's tusks widened with his eyes, and then he purred deeply and nuzzled her cheek, delighted when she pressed back. "For now."

His hands opened beneath her, and the marine released her legs to slide down to the floor. With her arms stretched to reach around his neck she leaned forward to breathe in his scent, teasing the tip of her nose along his chest until the hunter let out a deep growl. She leaned back against the door as he towered over her, and for the first time felt completely at ease with the knowledge that he desired her. Ducking under his arm with a quiet chuckle, Kayla slipped into command wearing a wide grin.

Kh'aan's eyes followed her before he closed them to lean against the door, breathing in her scent. "I fear I may ravage you, mate, and we will not be able to function for a long time thereafter."

Her laugh echoed through command with a hint of anticipation in its tone. "Is that a promise?"

Overwhelmed by her acceptance, the hunter's triumphant roar reverberated through the ship, and when he entered command his eyes were glowing.

####

A deafening roar echoed through the corridors of the High Elder's transport, startling the crew and drawing Grand Matron Sh'aan from her chamber in a blur of robes and tresses. She halted the ancient healer in the corridor as she hurried by, and Mr'aal shook his head before heading toward the medical bay. He may have a permanent need for sedatives, or I fear he will never sleep well again.

Sh'aan squeezed through the opening door and dropped to her knees on the edge of his sleeping platform. Kh'alik's eyes were wide and his hands shook as they gripped his skull. "It is all my fault! I have failed him! Paya forgive me!"

The regal female grasped his hands and pulled them down to the Elder's lap before he gouged out his eyes. "Who have you failed, Kh'alik? What is wrong?"

He growled and tried to free himself, but her grip would not be contested. "All of his life wasted! Years of training, unwavering duty, instilling within him the magnitude of his station, all for nothing! He is lost, and I am to blame!"

Kh'alik found a moment of superior strength and wrenched out of her hold, throwing himself from the furs to settle on the floor against the wall. He refused to meet Sh'aan's eyes, and as she slid from the platform he cringed away from her approach. His behavior shocked the Grand Matron, and she dropped to the floor with some distance between them.

"What has upset you so, my friend? Kh'aan's life is out of our hands, lost to us already. There is nothing that we could have done…"

"NO! YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!" Kh'alik shuddered before growling in frustration. "I have spent his entire life preparing him for the Ascension, for the moment when he takes my place as High Elder and achieves his destiny. I could not conceive of any other future for him, and now in my blind hubris I have weakened him. He is completely defenseless!"

The Elder's tone approached hysteria, and Sh'aan scooted forward to rest a hand on his knee, disturbed by his implication. "Kh'aan is the most honorable Yautja in the clans! How can you refer to him as weak? This is not like you at all."

He kicked out his leg like an unruly pup and lurched to his feet, a weak squeal escaping his throat. "You know what I speak of, Sh'aan. Do not patronize me! He is out there, alone with that ooman, and there is nothing that I can do about it!" He turned away from her searching eyes, his tone growing wistful in memory.

"As it was with my sire, and back through the ages to the second High Elder, I have taken Kh'aan on The Hunt every season since his blooding. It is our tradition, it is an essential part of preparing the Firstborn for his destiny, and I have never once questioned it."

"Nor should you…"

Kh'alik hissed at her interruption. "Had I known where his future would lead, I would have heeded his request during the third season…the only time he ever asked 'why?'." Kh'alik turned remorseful eyes to his consort. "He wanted to stay, to know what occurred after we disappeared each mating season. But I told him that it was not his place, that he had a duty to uphold the honor of his ancestors, and continue the hunt in their footsteps. He never asked again."

The frustrated High Elder sank onto the sleeping platform and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "I never dreamed that he would not become High Elder. I had no idea that upholding our traditions would now be his undoing." He raised weary eyes to meet her gaze. "He should be here with his own kind…not lost out there with an ooman female. I cannot stand the thought…"

Sh'aan rose from the floor and carefully stepped over to sit beside him. His distress soured his scent, and she tried to find reason within his discontent. "Is it that he could mate with her, or is it that he will not produce the next Firstborn?"

Her stark declaration cut through Kh'alik's haze of inadequacy, and he cautiously met her gaze. "As Firstborn, his first mating should be with the next Grand Matron, so yes, I am disappointed that there will never again be a 'Firstborn'. But do you not see, Sh'aan, that he knows NOTHING! As the code dictates, discussion of mating practices around the Firstborn has always been expressly forbidden, punishable by death if the culprit is caught. Anything he might know was gleaned from gossip he should not have heard. It was always the place of the High Elder to explain things before the Firstborn's mating. Because of my neglect he is blind! He is naïve, helpless and alone! And he is with her!"

Kh'alik took a deep breath to contain himself, but it escaped his mouth in an indignant bark when the Grand Matron began to laugh. "Kh'alik…the act of mating is older than life, older than time itself. Do you really think he would have no idea what to do if the need took him?"

He snorted and did not meet her eyes, a sign that he realized the stupidity in his words, but the High Elder refused to back down. "He will not know our ways; he will not understand his instincts."

"He does not need to know 'our' ways, you old fool."

"Do not mock me! He could lose control! He could tear that female to pieces in the throes of rut, and if he cares about her it will destroy him."

Sh'aan leaned back to observe the frustrated Elder. "If he cares about her, nothing will allow him to harm her."

"That is not the point! If he were with a Yautja female, their behaviors would balance each other and all would occur naturally."

The sympathetic Grand Matron, eager to alleviate his fears, sank to her knees before Kh'alik and allowed a soothing purr to charge the air between them. "Would you like my personal insight, High Elder? I feel that if his first mating is not with a Yautja, then at least it will be with someone he cares for. I cannot ask for more than that, can you?"

Kh'alik slumped in defeat. "Yautja do not have deep feelings for mates, it is a function of procreation and nothing more." He let out a harsh breath before reluctantly meeting her gaze. "You would not care if he mated with an ooman?"

"No, Kh'alik, I would not care if he mated with Kayla."

The Elder snorted and looked away, unwilling to admit that the infuriating human female who had ruined his Firstborn's life, also seemed to be the only acceptable alternative. Grand Matron Sh'aan saw in the set of his shoulders that this issue would not settle easily. She quickly rose to her feet and crossed the room to lock the door. When she turned her eyes blazed, and the regal female began to remove her robes. Kh'alik's eyes widened and a surprised chirp escaped his throat.

"What…what are you doing, Sh'aan?"

Once the last of her vestments were carefully folded on a side table, the gloriously naked female stalked forward toward her former mate and glared down into his eyes. "You cannot officiate at the Gathering in this state, Kh'alik, or the clans will be in an uproar." The growl within her chest grew stronger and elicited an answering yowl from the Elder. "You will calm yourself, or I will do it for you."

"But…" Kh'alik was beside himself, both in surprise and anticipation. "It is forbidden for the High Elder and Grand Matron to join again! You…you know this!"

"Not forbidden, my first," She paced along the edge of the sleeping platform like a caged animal, flexing her fingers as a shudder visibly shook her frame. "Merely unheard of."

The sounds of an intense battle echoed through the ship, unsettling all on board except for the ancient healer. He stationed himself in the corridor leading to the Elder's chambers and prevented the curious and alarmed from drifting any closer to their preoccupied leaders. Once again I witness the impossible within my lifetime. He chuckled at the irony and returned his attention to the latest data feeds from the various clan healers. They were not this noisy before.

####

Kayla gritted her teeth against the deafening grinding that echoed through the ship. Her companion growled irritably at the controls while repeatedly inputting commands for full thrust, but they had yet to shake off the Arbitrator's ship. An idea surfaced in her mind, leftover from younger years when she was less cautious and had a reckless streak a mile long, but something told her not to break the hunter's concentration. If this keeps up I'm going to crack my jaw!

Kh'aan snarled as they inched forward, and cut power in order to reinitiate the commands. "We cannot break free. We are only pulling his vessel." He grunted at the strain on the engines. "If this continues we will overload the manifold."

"Pop the clutch!"

He peered at her in confusion. "What does that mean?"

The human released her death grip on the loose harness and waved her hand at the controls. "Hold position until the engines are at full power and then punch it! It will be too much torque on the umbilical and the clamps will snap." She pointed to the manual control release. "You'll probably need to be in Manual. Hell, I don't even know if it'll work. This isn't an ATV."

Kh'aan's wary expression remained as he tried to understand her words, but he trusted her judgment and activated the hand controls. The arm rose from the floor only to stop at his knees, and the hunter glared out of the corner of his eye while adjusting the height. Kayla snorted beside him.

"Whoops, sorry. Forgot to put the seat down." She laughed out loud at his wide eyes. "Forget it…human humor."

"I will remember, and you will explain later." Her strange euphemisms still confused him after all of their time together, and he was determined to learn every nuance of his mate's speech. Something told him it would be an enjoyable experience.

"Ha! That'll be an interesting conversation."

Kh'aan snorted and returned his attention to the controls. The power matrix indicated a full charge, and he secured his grip as the ship began to vibrate around them. "I believe we are ready."

"Here goes nothing." She gripped the harness and braced her head against the seat. "You've got to do it quickly or we'll tear ourselves in half instead."

"You wait until now to tell me this?"

Kayla snickered, but the sound was cut off as the hunter abruptly engaged the engines. She snapped forward in the seat and bit her tongue as a loud metallic groan vibrated through the bulkheads. The shearing force lasted mere moments before the ship suddenly broke free, throwing her back to smack her head against the metal back rest. The ship bucked forward and the excess power shot them away from the Arbitrator's vessel like a rocket. Stars danced in her vision as her skull began to throb, and the human was vaguely aware that the unsettling vibrations had ceased.

Kh'aan's tusks remained clamped shut over his mouth, and he begged Paya for success before engaging the engines. To his surprise, the human's idea worked perfectly. The abrupt jolt of power broke them loose of the access tube, and once free he immediately set a course that would put as much distance between them and the Arbitrator as possible. The hunter tried to ignore the well of concern building within him; the sound of Kayla's head hitting the chair struck fear into his heart that was startling in its intensity. Is this what it means to care for my mate? Will I constantly fear for her? This cannot be normal, can it? He removed his own harness and quickly turned her seat to kneel before her, a concerned chirp escaping his throat.

"Kayla, you are bleeding." He eyed a dab of blood that was cooling at the corner of her mouth.

The marine took several deep breaths before opening her eyes, the sting in her skull making her orbs throb. "Bit my tongue. Banged my head. It's all good."

Kh'aan snorted and released the loose harness from her shoulders. Without a word he scooped the human into his arms, and walked quickly to the med lab with Kayla protesting vehemently.

"I do not need a medic! I've been dropped on my head dozens of times and never needed a medic! I am not an invalid!"

The hunter grunted and tightened his grip. He noted with pleasure that for all of her insistence, she had yet to tell him to put her down. "Dropped on your head? It is no wonder that you are insane."

He expected an outburst or another punch from her small but precise fists, but not her body curling into his arms with a contented sigh. "We've been over this before…You…Like…Me…That…Way…" She tapped a finger against his chest with each word, and he shivered when her hand splayed across his skin in a light caress before dropping back to her lap. "Ox."

They entered the lab and Kh'aan set her down on the exam bed, its Yautja height placing her just below eye level. "You like me that way."

Kayla's eyes shot up to his, and then rolled as she swayed on the platform. He gripped her waist and chittered frantically. She held onto his arms until the vertigo passed, and then carefully met his gaze. "Yes, I do. But I also like you when you're not an ox."

Kh'aan purred happily, pleased with her easy admission. He steadied her on the platform, reaching up to lightly brush his talons across her cheek, and then turned to rummage through the cabinets. "How do you feel?"

"Huh?"

He glanced over his shoulder to see her massaging the pulse points above her eyes. Closing the cabinet, he returned to her side holding a square tub of anti-inflammatory ointment. "Do you feel ill?"

Kayla's gaze fixed on his abdomen as she chewed over his words, and then the haze clouding her mind cleared. "Concussion! Um, no…I do not feel ill. I see only one of you, and there is no metallic taste in my mouth. I'm just a little dizzy, but it's fading." She hazarded a slow glance around the room, wincing at the sting when her eyes rolled down to the floor. "Hurts to look down, though."

Kh'aan peered down at her brow allowing his eyes to slowly adjust. Her features faded into a haze of heat, and he studied the varying levels to seek out her injury. Once reverted to his usual Yautja vision, and with a snort of continuing disbelief at the change, his hands settled on her waist and pulled the female forward to the edge of the platform. He stood between her legs and carefully tilted her head down, leaning over her shoulder while the pad of his thumb probed her skull. "The skin is not broken, but it will swell if it is not taken care of now."

Kayla nodded slightly and then gasped, presumably at discomfort brought by the movement. Kh'aan purred lightly before opening the tub. The cooling ointment was designed to quickly numb an injury, and he hoped it would work as well for her human physiology. Using a small scoop from the lid of the tub, he carefully applied the salve to her scalp and gently rubbed it into the exposed rows of skin. "This will heal the tissue, but you will lose feeling in the area for…"

The hunter froze as a delightful wash of breath crossed his chest, and as he dropped the scoop and hazarded a step back to gaze upon her, Kayla's hands pressed against his waist to hold him in place.

As the dizzying swirl faded from her skull, the marine came back to her surroundings with a surprised gasp. First to come into focus was a splash of deep brown on a sea of greenish-ivory, puckered in several places by scars that bended into the hunter's palette. With each breath his chest rose and fell before her eyes, and if she concentrated on the point just beneath his breastbone, she could see the slight thump of his heart beneath the thick skin. Her eyes trailed along his torso as Kh'aan leaned closer, and his spicy scent enveloped her in its intoxicating hold. As he massaged the ointment into her scalp she struggled to hold back the moan building in her throat, but the restraint transferred it elsewhere and she felt her hands being to tremble.

Kayla's eyes eased shut as his voice rumbled overhead, and before she knew it her hands had settled on his skin. Their tremors ceased immediately, but seemed to transfer to the hunter as a shudder quaked through his frame. Very slowly her gaze moved to his chest; rising to meet bronze orbs that seemed to grow brighter the longer she stared. Enormous hands settled lightly on her hips, his long fingers nearly meeting at the small of her back. Unable to stop herself, Kayla pulled at his waist while scooting forward, and the hunter's own heat flared between her legs.

Kh'aan's hands left her back, claws trailing from her waist slowly up her arms to cradle her cheeks, and a deep rumbling purr ricocheted between them. Kayla turned into his palm and whimpered against his skin before again meeting his eyes.

"I…I don't usually behave this way…I mean…" She groaned as her head dropped forward against his chest, but the smitten male once again tilted her chin to hold her gaze.

"Nor do I," he answered with complete honesty. She flared with heat in his gaze, and looked away for a moment before turning to brush her nose across his chest.

"Then we both may be in a lot of trouble."

His arms curled around her back, the left hand exploring the expanse of skin between her garments while the right settled behind her neck. She burned with heat, and he would have thought her ill if he did not know the true cause of such fever. A thrilling jolt raced up his spine and he leaned forward to press his brow to hers.

"I welcome it."

Kayla blinked rapidly as she stared into his eyes, but then the lids fluttered closed as his talons curled inward along her spine. Kh'aan's body throbbed when she moaned at his touch, but as aroused as he was, curiosity was becoming a formidable opponent for his desire. Are all oomans so sensitive or is it just her? Or is it me? A prideful growl rumbled through his chest, and the hunter leaned to the side trailing his tusks down her throat. Kayla hissed at the sensation, her hands reaching further around his waist as she bared more of her neck to his attention.

With her eyes closed she missed his triumphant smirk, and all thought to his own need faded. K'aan pulled her flush against his chest and then leaned forward to trap her between the exam bed and his throbbing bulk. Her hands left his waist to slip around his neck and he turned to taste the soft texture of her inner arm, lapping at the pulse as it raced beneath her skin. Kayla groaned shamelessly, linking her legs around his waist as she squirmed beneath him. Kh'aan licked a trail of fire along her arm, his tusks following in a searing wake up toward her jaw. When she bared more of her throat to him, the hunter felt his length strain against the confining loin cloth, and pressed into her heated center while pulling her tight against his groin.

His wonder grew as her reactions intensified, each touch eliciting a gasp or hiss of pleasure from her luscious mouth. His right hand palmed the back of her head, pulling back to expose more skin to his eager mouth. As he held her in place with his tusks latched around her slender neck, the hunter swirled his rough tongue along her flesh, reveling in every whimper, shudder and pleasure-filled moan of his name.

His organ throbbed again as heat flared between her legs, and Kh'aan was suddenly startled by a pleasing sensation. He pulled the wanton female upright against his chest and centered her over his raging arousal. Kayla groaned as her eyes snapped to his, and once again he felt something small and hard pulsate against his length. Thoroughly intrigued the hunter pressed his brow to hers, solidified his grip on her trembling frame, and mashed their bodies together as tightly as he could without breaking her bones.

Kayla gasped at the sensations racing through her body. Kh'aan's hands on her hips pulled her tight against him, and his erection throbbed directly against the most sensitive part of her womanhood. She arched against his chest, digging her heels into his spine in silent plea and the hunter growled as he eagerly obliged. His hips barely moved, but each minute shift against her swollen bud and heated flesh sent stars racing through her vision. She was vaguely aware of her hands scrambling to hang onto his arms, finally finding purchase behind his shoulder blades as he rocked into her again. Oh dear god, and we're not even…

"Oh god!"

Kayla went rigid in his arms, her grip nearly painful as she squeezed him within the noose of her limbs. Her skin burned against his, and Kh'aan pulled back just enough to watch the pleasure cross her features. A flare of heat, her lip between her teeth, or the gasping cry of his name was all it took to adjust his hips or change the pressure in his movements. He glanced down between them, shocked by the white heat of her core against his groin, but a high shriek from his mate demanded his attention.

"Please! Oh god, Kh'aan! PLEASE!"

Her voice sang to him, and the former Firstborn buried his face in her throat as a surge of pleasure arced up his spine. Clawed toes sought purchase in the floor grating as he braced one leg against the exam bed. Kayla's gasping cries grew shrill, but were nearly blotted out by the rush of his pulse as his pleasure grew to unbearable proportions. He was vaguely aware of her rocking against him, matching his subtle gyrations as they raced toward an endless fall, and then his vision went white as a strangled roar ripped from his throat. Wave after wave of pleasure surged down his spine and through his length in a thundering explosion, offset by the sudden rigid vice of her thighs on his hips.

Kayla screamed as an unrelenting orgasm threatened to split her in two. Kh'aan panted against her throat, twitching violently as his already impressive length seemed to double in size between her legs. A splash of hot liquid ran down her thighs from beneath his loin cloth, and the human laughed in hysterical gasping breaths as the magnitude of what they'd done settled over her fevered mind.

Minutes or hours may have passed, but time went unnoticed in the med lab. Kh'aan lay draped across the exam bed with Kayla pinned beneath him, his hands idly stroking her sweaty, heaving body as her arms and legs slowly relaxed their hold. He raised clouded eyes to gaze upon his mate, and met her grin with a crooked one of his own. Her right hand reached up and a shaky finger traced his tusks from base to tip, eliciting a purr from his exhausted frame.

As she opened her mouth to speak, her weakened voiced was drowned out by a shrill alarm. Human and Yautja groaned at yet another interruption before he reluctantly pulled her upright. Their eyes met and held as a thousand silent promises passed between them, and finally she smirked.

"We'll talk about this later."

Kh'aan growled while pulling her to her feet. "Correction – there will be no 'talking' involved."

####