Magnet Read online

  “Yes, I am Polly Garner. You are the Guardians?”

  The one with the paler hair nodded. “I am Loesh; this is my brother, Drovin. We have been sent to bring you to the base.”

  She inclined her head, and her hair fell forward over her shoulder. “Thank you for the lift. I haven’t gotten the hang of skimmers or riot runners yet.”

  The moment her hair moved, so did Loesh’s nostrils. He was scenting her and it hit him hard. He blinked and reared his head back as he shook it to clear it.

  Drovin looked at Loesh in amusement. “Pardon him. He doesn’t get out much. If you will come this way?”

  Her sealed suit should have kept the worst of the pheromones tucked in, but it seemed that her opening it for the immigration scans had let a little more out than she intended.

  Drovin led the way and Loesh trailed after them. She wracked her brain for their stats and came up with Drovin’s ability for telekinesis and Loesh’s heightened senses. She nearly came to a halt when she realised that whatever a normal W’lyn sensed when she was around would be magnified for Loesh.

  Once she was seated in the skimmer, she put up a repulsion barrier between her and her companions. Loesh immediately relaxed. Drovin’s lack of response revealed that he was already mated. Only his wife would get a rise out of him.

  It was a quaintly charming situation on W’lyn. Once a couple committed, only their spouse aroused them until one of them died. In many cases, the survivor chose to follow their partner into death if they had no minor children. It was a situation where they simply willed themselves to die.

  Polly smirked. Of course, the population did as much hunting and seeking as it could without locking in for a permanent connection for as long as it could.

  Loesh rubbed his forehead. “What just happened?”

  He was addressing her and his charcoal grey eyes were serious.

  “I am guessing that I need to shower and change my suit again.” She grimaced.

  “No, why did it stop?” He had an expression that was telling her she had taken his toy away.

  Polly blinked. “Oh, I put up a shield. I can’t do it while I am walking, it messes up any electronics that I pass, but when I am stationary, I can make fairly accurate boundaries that don’t interfere with anything digital or mechanical.”

  “Do not stress yourself on my account. I will get used to it.” His expression was suddenly shy.

  Shrugging, she removed the shield and watched him shiver again. His voice was husky when he said, “See? I am fine.”

  Drovin laughed, “He is going to rip a hole in his suit, but he is fine. Ignore my brother, Polly, he doesn’t know how to deal with the opposite sex.”

  Loesh snarled, “And my brother was so desperate to find his mate that he had a woman transformed and mailed to him without gaining her explicit consent first.”

  Polly sat back and didn’t know where to look or what to do with that. A chirp came through the com unit, and Drovin spoke in low and rapid tones before cutting the conversation off and changing course.

  “I am sorry to do this to you when you just want to settle in, but we have been called to an attack on one of the research facilities. We are closer than Toyo, and we need to do what we can as quickly as we can. The shuttle already landed.”

  She nodded. “Take us in. I am ready to stretch my legs.”

  Loesh gave her an approving smile, and Drovin hit the accelerator.

  It was one helluva way to learn the layout of her new world.

  Chapter Three

  Polly made sure that her suit was closed, and she slipped in the com device that had been specially designed for her. The Guardian frequency was set and she was ready to go.

  With the surreal view in front of her, she saw a delicately built building that had to be the research station, and the grey ship parked next to it was definitely not crafted by a species with the same sensibilities.

  The dark and squat ship vibrated to her senses. She got out of the skimmer and listened to Loesh’s orders. “Polly, keep anyone from returning to the ship. They can’t get back on board to take off. Got it?”

  “Understood.”

  Drovin and his brother headed into the building, and Polly stayed on alert.

  The guard that came out of the ship really shouldn’t have. Polly felt like adhering to the letter of the instructions she had been given.

  Moving toward the ship, she magnetized the man’s harness and weaponry, sticking him to his own ship like a fridge magnet.

  When the first mech came out of the building, she was a little surprised. Her mind grappled with the internal workings before peeling it open and prying out the being controlling it. The suit was wadded into a ball and the man inside got stuck to the ship. It was a nice, big storage space.

  The second and third men were taken out of their suits with more efficiency and less broken limbs. She felt bad about the breakage until the exit blew open with Loesh bleeding and ripping holes in the mech under him who was carrying a case that looked serious.

  Drovin’s voice came through her com, “Polly, that case is dangerous. It needs to be kept safe at all costs.”

  “Understood.”

  Polly grappled for the case from a distance, but it slipped away from her magnetism.

  She made a face and did what she had been trained to do. The armoured gloves came away from the rest of the suit, and she pulled them toward her. The box was surprisingly heavy, but she retreated with it back toward the Guardian skimmer.

  Loesh’s hands tore the head off the mech, and he punched the occupant until he fell to the ground. From there, Loesh bounded to the next man, and he tore that suit apart from the outside in.

  The shy expressions from the flight in were completely gone as he savagely tore the interlopers apart. Polly was fixated on watching him, so when the bright flare came up from her left, all she could do was watch it while turning to protect the box in her arms.

  Pain hit her, and she stumbled to her knees. As soon as the blast stopped, someone was going to get it.

  * * * *

  Loesh watched the light flare and expand around Polly as the beam hit her. He roared in reaction and bounded toward the mech with the beam weapon.

  He let out his fury on the attacker and tore at him until there was nothing left.

  * * * *

  Wincing, Polly headed toward the bloody mess that Loesh was working on. With the box tucked inside the skimmer, she was free to make her way to the Guardian’s side. “Whoa, you have destroyed him, Loesh. Knock it off.”

  He turned and his expression smoothed to one of amazement. “You are alive.”

  Drovin stumbled out of the building behind a wave of techs and researchers.

  The mechs were down and the Guardians had survived it.

  Polly touched Loesh’s arm. “I am alive. I am a little scorched, but the suit took the worst of the hit.”

  Drovin looked around and sighed. “This is going to be a lot of paperwork.”

  He sent up a signal, and peacekeepers streamed in from wherever they had been hiding. The mechs, their drivers and the men stuck to the ship were soon in custody once Polly remembered to release them.

  Remembering anything was difficult. She and Loesh were having a staring contest while Drovin filed the reports with the peacekeepers on duty.

  Looking into his eyes with the adrenaline of pain still ripping through her was a strangely peaceful experience. Despite his physical action, there was no anger in his expression; the lovely planes and angles of his features were simply fun to look at, even if his pale blue hair was spotted and streaked with blood.

  Drovin came to stand next to them, and he put his hand on Loesh’s shoulder. “She needs medical attention, brother. We need to get back to base.”

  Loesh nodded, and he extended the hand that was still covered with dried blood. “We will get her back to base.”

  Her back prickled as she took hi
s hand, and they walked back to the skimmer, handed the peacekeepers and researchers the box then returned to their original flight plan.

  The cool air let her knew that her suit was in shreds. Loesh’s bloody hands held her steady as she swayed. The pain was building as her body figured out that the burn was real.

  She heard Drovin speaking urgently to someone, but her ears were roaring and it sounded like everything was being said down a long tunnel. Loesh caught her as she pitched forward. She hung onto him as her world dissolved into pounding pain.

  They eventually stopped flying and gentle hands helped her onto a floating platform. Talking wasn’t an option.

  Cool gel was poured over her back, and she sighed in relief, letting the fatigue she felt carry her away.

  Polly woke up on her stomach, wearing nothing but a sheet that covered her from hips down to her toes. She moved carefully and sighed in relief. The pain was gone.

  “You had a nasty burn and your suit was trashed.”

  The voice was speaking English and was definitely feminine. Polly turned her head to look at the woman with the shock of white-grey hair and silvery skin. “Oh, hello.”

  The woman grinned. “My name is Wren and I am the base Caretaker and Drovin’s mate. I am also Terran.”

  Polly scooted her arms over her breasts and leaned up to look around at what was obviously a medical office of some sort. “Um, Polly Garner. Also Terran.”

  “And a redhead. Not too shabby.”

  “You live with elves and you find a redhead exotic?”

  “A redheaded Terran. I figured for sure that you would be a brunette.” Wren grinned. “Would you like some clothing?”

  “Is my back okay?”

  “Yup, all repaired and back to its semi-freckled perfection. I have to say, I miss my skin tone, but this one is growing on me.” Wren chuckled.

  With the news that her back was okay, Polly sat up and looked at the sad heap of purple and black fabric that had been her travel suit. It was never meant for battle. She sighed and wrapped the sheet around her as she got to her feet.

  “Whoa, where do you think you are going?”

  “I want to walk around.”

  “Not naked you aren’t. The guys are on an assignment, but they could be home at any moment. You don’t want to be at a physical disadvantage when they are here.”

  Wren held up her hand and left the room for a moment. When she came back, she was holding a bodysuit that matched the poor dead article of clothing Polly had arrived in. “They sent me your measurements, and since I don’t sleep much, I made this before you got here. It has more armour to it than your suit but is lighter weight.”

  Wren turned her back as Polly pulled the suit on. The fabric slid over her skin easily and it fit like a glove as she sealed the closure. She twisted and bent her knees. “It is perfect.”

  Wren smiled brightly. “Good, now come and meet Beryl.”

  Polly nodded. “I thought there were four Guardians.”

  “There are. Rand is with his new mate, Nanette. His hometown was hit by an earthquake, so they are remaining there in a combination honeymoon and rebuild.”

  Polly followed Wren into the hall and down to the kitchen of the base. Beryl was apparently baking cookies.

  “Hello, Polly.” Beryl waved.

  “Hello, Beryl. You look…lovely.” Polly didn’t know what else to say to the obviously pregnant woman.

  Beryl made a face. “I know. I am only five months along, but I look at least seven. Wren and the doctors tell me that the baby looks big but normal. Congratulations for going from Terran to W’lyn Guardian with nothing in between.”

  Polly looked at the other two, “Aren’t you?”

  Beryl grinned, “I work with the peacekeepers and try to anticipate where criminals will strike. It is basically an analyst job, and I can do it from the base with only a few visits to the main cities when needed.”

  Wren grabbed the bowl from Beryl and kept mixing, adding a few handfuls of small items that looked like chips of some kind. With expert movements, she dolloped the cookies out on the pans that were prepped and waiting.

  When the pans were in the oven, Wren tidied up with a flourish.

  Beryl smiled, “You should see her make them without hands.”

  Polly looked over curiously and a pot of boiled water was poured over leaves in a teapot. No one touched it.

  Beryl grinned, “Drovin’s mate has Drovin’s power, just like I got Toyo’s.”

  “What about Nanette?”

  Wren chuckled. “Nanette had a working talent back on Earth; it mixed with Rand’s into a weird molten bioelectric talent.”

  “So, if I already have a talent and hook up with a W’lyn, what will happen?”

  Beryl grinned, “A hookup? Nothing. If you trade bites, it will be something else entirely. You would only get an alteration to your talent if your mate had his own power.”

  The teapot flew slowly through the kitchen and headed for the dining room table with the cups and accessories.

  When six places set themselves without a sound, Polly looked curiously at Wren as she finished the dishes and pulled the cookies out of the oven.

  Beryl fixed her hair and straightened her shoulders. “Wren is never wrong about this.”

  “About what?”

  Wren took a prepared roast out of the cooler and she slid it into the oven. “The boys are home.”

  The skimmer appeared outside the dining room window, and three exhausted men left the vehicle and came inside.

  Wren looked up and smiled. “Tea and kisses after you shower and clean up.”

  The men smiled tiredly and went past the ladies and headed into the base.

  Polly raised her eyebrows, “Tea and kisses?”

  Beryl grinned. “It was Wren’s way of making sure that they showered before trying to have sex with us. It also lets the adrenaline drain from their systems. They can come home a little keyed up. It doesn’t make for the best judgement.”

  Wren snorted, “And it is hell on the laundry.”

  Polly was still laughing when the men returned all neat and clean.

  True to what was promised, Beryl got to her feet, crossed over to Toyo and pulled his crimson head down to hers. The kiss was carnal in the extreme, and Polly had just averted her eyes from one couple to the next as they were leaning back on the counter for a lip lock that involved hands and one thigh.

  Loesh shook his head and took a seat at the table. He smiled at Polly. “You get used to it.”

  She couldn’t abide that there was no one to give him a welcome-home kiss, so she got up, walked around the table and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Welcome home.”

  He blinked and smiled shyly. “What was that for?”

  “You were promised tea and kisses for cleaning up. It wasn’t fair that you were the only one without a mate to administer the kisses.”

  He gave her a sly smile. “Kisses imply more than one.”

  She blushed and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips that escalated so quickly, she jerked back with her fingers to her lips. “Implication fulfilled.”

  Polly walked around the table and took her seat. The other clinches broke up and everyone sat at the table for afternoon tea as sandwiches floated toward them out of the cooler.

  Toyo smiled politely at her and said, “I have heard good things about you, Polly.”

  “I have heard a few things about you as well. One or two can even be mentioned in polite society.”

  Toyo grinned, his scarlet hair gleaming from its washing. “That sounds like you were speaking to Beryl. Wren is far more circumspect.”

  Wren grinned, and Drovin lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against it.

  “Where were you today, gentlemen?” Polly thought she would start the conversation.

  Toyo sighed, “A wildfire started on a hillside and we had to create a barrier as well as evacu
ate two towns in a matter of hours. We could have used Rand and Nanette.”

  “They will be back soon enough, honey. The repairs to the town are almost finished.” Beryl soothed him.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because Nanette can work a com line. It was a nice conversation. She looks forward to returning to the base. I am glad we finished the additions.”

  Polly cocked her head. “Additions?”

  “Yes, things get a little noisy when Toyo and I let ourselves go, so it was necessary to give us separate quarters. Rand and Nanette have talents that need extra space for heat and insulation against the electrical impulses during intimate moments. So, they got a new pod.”

  Polly chuckled. “What about you?”

  Wren grinned. “I am the base Caretaker. I need to be here to attend anything that pops up, including Drovin. We saved the third living pod for Loesh and his mate. Something tells me that it could get a little noisy.”

  Loesh pasted an innocent look on his features. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  Wren laughed. “When you finally meet your mate, I am sure that we will all figure it out in short order.”

  He focussed on his cup of tea, and the rest of the table went quiet.

  Polly felt more than one gaze on her, but when she looked around, everyone had their attention on tea or sandwiches.

  She was getting the feeling that she was the mail-order bride that no one ordered.

  Chapter Four

  Polly enjoyed her room and her small bag of possessions. She wandered around and put up her small photo frame containing herself and her family, her pressed flowers and hung up her six spare suits.

  “Well, I guess that it is time to check out the rest of the base.”

  She straightened and headed out of her rooms and into the quiet halls. It seemed that the two with mates were occupied and Loesh was nowhere to be seen.

  The common area was neat, tidy and had a huge view screen with a projected remote control. Polly looked around the gym, worked at bench pressing for a few minutes and then she got up and headed through the door adjoining the dining room.