Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you so much to Fameanon (and Meral's parents), Ahlysha, and maba7x for reviewing.
A/N: V'Lok is a criminal investigator, and appears in the story "Dear Ambassador Soval".
Also, this chapter contains adult matters. Fair warning.
Judith drifted awake, frowning at the beeping sounds in her ear. She opened her eyes and blinked the sleep away, and she found herself resting on a broad, muscular chest, the morning sun streaming across the bed.
"Good morning," she heard a familiar voice murmur, and she closed her eyes, nuzzling into her living pillow. Meral stroked her hair with an absentminded hand, absorbed in a PADD. His scrolling beeped in her ear as he moved down the page, but he set the PADD aside and gave her his undivided attention as she became more aware of herself and her surroundings.
The bedcovers were a tumble around their legs, their vigorous activities and the heat of the Vulcan sun making them rather unnecessary. It did get cooler at night, but it took hours for heat to dissipate into the atmosphere; however, they had made better use of that time, and she groaned as she rolled over onto her back.
Meral shifted his position and kissed her shoulder with tenderness, and she smiled lazily.
"Mister Vulcan man," she whispered. "Perhaps I stay 'ere wit you, and Emmie-girl and Mister L'Vek can deal wit dat good-fer-no-ting dirtbag on der own, ai?"
"That would be irresponsible of us," he purred, moving his kisses further in towards her neck. "We must assist them in any way we can."
"But how?" She leaned back into the pillows, allowing him access to more of her neck.
"The ambassador has invited me back to Earth for consultation. He has instructed me to find housing outside the Consulate."
"You can stay wit me," she replied immediately. "Don' husband 'n wife stay togetha?"
"Indeed they do." His hand curled around her ribs and stroked downward over her curves. "My parents wish to accompany us."
Judith couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, dear, dey made de trip back home a blast, now."
"They do have the tendency to make things interesting," he replied, nibbling her earlobe. "Years of being...cautious with their finances have led to an impressive amount of savings. They do not need my help any longer. My wages will go towards supporting you, and all future children."
His voice slipped down into that attractive growl she had come to love, and she turned towards him, forcing him to abandon her ear in favor of her lips.
"You have made me feel whole, ashaya," he purred. "And for that, I can never thank you enough."
She smiled and pulled him down for a more intimate kiss, and he straddled her, knowing she wanted to start the dance again.
…
Renuk zipped up his pants and straightened his tunic, fixing his hair in the bathroom mirror. Portia, niece of Cordo Amirault (speaker to the United Nations Council), was currently getting dressed in the bedroom, rearranging her hair and smoothing her clothes, just as he was doing.
On the whole, he was rather satisfied with himself and with her performance. Earth women did make the most delightful little noises during coitus, but this was nothing truly worthy of his attention. There were plenty of attractive, naïve young women willing to share his bed, and as long as he was here, he saw no reason why he couldn't explore the natives and their primitive culture.
She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her slender body against his back, and he stiffened, not expecting the affection after their rather impersonal coitus (at least on his end). He turned to her and carefully brushed a lock of blonde hair out of her face, and she smiled at him.
"Will I see you again?" she asked, sounding almost like a child. You weren't that remarkable, human, he thought to himself.
"I will see if my duties allow me more contact with you," he said aloud. "But for what you did for me last night..." He paused and cupped her cheek, maintaining the illusion of attraction for a few minutes longer. "I thank you," he whispered, lowering his voice in the way that made her shiver.
But her eyes were distant as she stepped away from him, frowning in sudden coldness. "Well, I had a good time," she offered, throwing him an unconvincing smile. He simply raised an eyebrow.
"I enjoyed myself as well," he replied evenly. "I am pleased that you had a...'good time'."
She rubbed the back of her neck, and he contemplated the unmarked patches of skin visible on her neck. Biting her flesh was an intimacy he wasn't interested in granting her, and besides, that would have left physical evidence of their encounter, possibly scarring and implicating him later on. That would not do, as he intended this encounter to be clandestine.
"I've got to go," she said suddenly, looking up at him beneath those lovely dark lashes of hers. She even looked childish now, and he smirked at her, pulling her in for one last kiss.
"Thank you, Portia, for allowing me the pleasure of attending you," he purred, nosing her hair. She gently shoved him away and shook her head.
"Yeah...see you around, I guess."
He watched her go, then turned back and continued fixing his hair.
…
V'Lok activated the comm and waiting for his younger brother to answer. He waited for a few minutes, and then Renuk's face appeared on screen.
"Brother," the investigator began, his shrewd eyes searching his brother's face. "How goes your assignment on Earth?"
"It is primitive, but acceptable," Renuk replied coolly. V'Lok understood his brother to be very Vulcan-centric and dismissive of other species, so his answer did not surprise the investigator.
But what intrigued him the most was Renuk's changed appearance. His brother's pupils had swollen to twice their normal size, swallowing his cold blue irises. And his breathing was slightly abnormal, the relaxed but still heavy breathing of one who has just engaged in intimacy...
"I have been attempting to contact you for several hours now," V'Lok stated, seeing if his brother would take the bait. Renuk's nostrils flared slightly.
"Some of us have work to do. I was running an errand for Osu L'Vek."
"Ah," V'Lok said, feigning understanding. His brother's lips were swollen as well...
"Was there something you wished to discuss?"
The investigator raised an eyebrow. "I simply wished to check on you and make sure your progress on Earth was going smoothly."
"That was considerate of you, but unnecessary," Renuk replied coldly. "I am not a child any longer, brother. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself."
"Truly," V'Lok said, a hint of derision in his voice. "Well, if you have nothing further to say to me, I will leave you to your business. Good day, Renuk."
"And you, brother," he replied, perhaps as a last-ditch attempt at cordiality.
V'Lok flared his nostrils and fetched a PADD, and he remotely activated the tracking device he had planted on his brother before Renuk had left for Earth. He leaned back in his chair and watched the data flow in, and he narrowed his eyes at the PADD.
He knew his brother was up to no good, as was his nature. The man was too used to getting everything he wanted; it came as a shock to Renuk when he was bonded to a woman from a lower house. V'Lok had met the woman once, and as far as he knew, they had never touched each other.
The investigator sighed and put in a request to speak with Ambassador Soval on a secure channel, then smirked ever so slightly as his request was acknowledged.
"Ambassador," he said cordially, raising the ta'al. Soval returned the gesture. "I have some information on one of your employees."
…
Judith was settling in to their cabin and having tea with his mother, so Meral walked with his father to the flight deck, gazing out at the stars as Sivik asked him questions about Earth.
"Tell me, son," his father began, folding his hands neatly in front of him. "Did you engage in intimacy with your wife when you went to the springs?"
"Yes, father," Meral replied.
"How did you find the experience?"
The younger Vulcan closed his eyes. "No priestess could ever match her fire, father. She was nearly overtaken with her own fever by the end of it. She allowed me to engage in coitus with her for nearly ten hours, before she became too exhausted to continue. However, when morning came, she allowed it again, and has hardly left my side since."
Sivik's eyes widened slightly. "I was not aware that human women were so...enthusiastic."
"She is not anomalous," he declared, allowing a hint of pride to taint his voice. "Most human women are agreeable to intimacy. She told me several times that I was skilled, that she enjoyed the way I pleased her. I lost track of our shared completions after number fifteen."
His father's eyes widened even further. "You have found yourself a very advantageous bondmate, my son."
Meral bowed his head. "She says she is eager to see my Time, father. I am truly fortunate to have found her."
Sivik was silent for several moments, then lowered his voice. "Should your mother pass untimely..."
He left the rest unspoken, but Meral knew his father was now more curious than ever about human women. He felt a surge of pride as he felt the openness in his bond with Judith, and he gazed out at the stars, appreciating their beauty even more now.
…
Renuk nuzzled his nose into Maureen's shoulder, groaning in satisfaction as she pushed him over the brink. The secretary (first secretary to the Secretary of the Space Council in the Senate) had given him a thorough education in human intimacy, including some things he hadn't even considered. She was even more delightful than Portia, though not as aesthetically pleasing.
She moaned as they rolled into completion together, and he offered her a smile as she collapsed over him.
"You felt wonderful," he purred in her ear, stroking her inky black locks. She raised herself up and stared down at him incredulously, but he simply smirked.
"Would you like to go again?" he asked, palming her bare breast. She sighed.
"No, not tonight." She got off of him and laid down beside him in the plush hotel bed. "I've got a ton of meetings in the morning...I need to get some sleep."
He lightly kissed her forehead and gave her a look that had made her tremble earlier. "Then go to sleep...I'll be here when you wake."
Her expression softened, and she drifted off into a deep slumber. Once she was unconscious, he let his expression return to neutrality, and he slipped out of bed and got dressed. She was snoring lightly by the time he was back to his impeccable self, and he left her the key as he slipped out the door.
…
Sorak glanced over the Vulcan News Network as his lunch break drew to a close, and he spent a few minutes absorbed in an article about protests breaking out on Mazar. He made a mental note to contact his sister, Ambassador V'Lar, and ask for more information about what was causing the riots. The article was rather skimpy on details, and he wanted to make sure his sister was not in any immediate danger, as the Vulcan News Network often exaggerated violence, making all species but their own look barbaric and primitive. For all he knew, the Mazarites had a logical reason to protest.
He put the matter out of his mind and turned to his work, but just as he was about to continue a report he was working on, a message popped up in his inbox.
Their was no sender, no traceable signal, just a data stream. He noted it had been sent to Soval as well, and he knew Osu was in his office, most likely taking tea. Sorak put down his stylus and walked into the ambassador's office, where Soval was staring at his monitor.
"You received a message from an unknown sender, am I correct?" the aide asked gently. The ambassador nodded.
"It was sent to me as well. It is simply a data stream, and from what I can tell, there is no way to trace the signal. It passed the virus protection shield, so it must not be contaminated," Sorak continued. "Shall we watch it together?"
Soval nodded. "It was intended for both of us." With the press of a button, the door to his office was locked.
"Let us see what information this mystery sender wishes to share with us."