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  Haunt chuckled and led the way into the station. "We have created adjoining quarters for you, Neva. There is a food dispenser in your rooms and you can roam as soon as you are fed and rested."

  "That sounds lovely." Neva ignored the part about the adjoining rooms. It was standard operating procedure in the Guard and she was going to have to get used to it.

  As she walked, she stumbled a little.

  Archer and Haunt both caught her.

  "Sorry about that."

  "Should we take you to medical?" Archer was worried, his wing-like eyebrows were drawn together.

  "No need. I just need a hot soak and some stretching. Is the gym where it was the last time?"

  Haunt nodded, firming her grip.

  They walked in silence, the tension of the past few hours piling into her shoulders and back. Her hands curled into claws and she declined any trip to medical.

  "If it persists, I will call medical tomorrow, but for now, I just need some rest." Her smile was forced, but she put as much determination behind it as she could.

  Her escorts nodded, but she could tell that they weren't happy about it. She managed to uncurl her fingers enough for the biometric sensor, but the moment that she was alone, she drew a bath and tried to soak the contraction out of her body.

  Sighing in relief at the heat generated by the water, she began the regimen of flexing and relaxing her fingers, then arms and shoulders.

  Back on earth, her body had been degrading. A series of three vehicular accidents left her with only her hands and mind free to work. It had been her dexterity that had gotten the attention of the Volunteer coordinator at the centre. She had been there with her cousin as Rayanne applied for a position with the Volunteers.

  Her cousin had been rejected, but the charming attendant had spent two hours speaking with Neva as she sat curled in the corner. Tharrin had been his name and he had jotted down everything that she said as he verbally gave her the questionnaire. He had seen something in her that even her family had never noticed, the urge to work with her hands for the good of those around her.

  Neva unkinked more of her upper body. At times like this, the alterations that the Alliance had made to her body could not fight muscle memory. Her body lapsed back into the shape that years of surgeries and accidents had created every time she overworked herself. Hauling fifty beings around and stacking them like cordwood was definitely overworking. Her body could do it, but it didn't like it.

  She groaned and wiggled her toes, flexing her legs and idly tracing the scars that even the Alliance doctors could not completely disguise. Instead of a map of ridges and gouges, she now had a silvery tracing everywhere that a piece of metal had once pierced her flesh.

  "You are about as far from fine as you can be, Neva."

  The voice startled her into splashing and covering herself, her hard-won relaxation disappearing in an instant.

  "What are you doing here, Archer?"

  "You were in rough shape, so I thought I would check on you. Turn your back to me and I will see if I can help." He was wearing a loose black shirt and black trousers. He looked good, but then he always looked good. It was probably part of his freaking talent.

  "Go away."

  "No. You are my partner and you are in pain. Hold still." Archer wet his hands in her bathwater and did something so shocking, she froze in place. He began a hard, deep tissue massage on her shoulders and kept going despite her squeaks.

  To her surprise, the tension eased almost immediately. "That…feels better. Thank you, Archer."

  "Brav. Brav Welkin."

  She tried to turn to look at him, but he kept her pointing toward her toes. "Brav?"

  "I have waited quite a while for you to say my name. It was worth every second." He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

  She sighed and relaxed as he worked at the knots in her back and shoulders. He worked his way down each arm, his thumb rubbing into her palm and working her fingers loose.

  When she was slumped in the cooling water, he scooped her out, wrapped her in a towel and carried her into the bedroom. He patted her dry and rolled her onto her bedding, then went to work on her lower spine.

  As he worked, his voice came to her through the roaring of blood in her ears. "What are these marks?"

  "Scars."

  "What happened to you?"

  "Accidents. One when I was five, then nine and the last one at eleven."

  He made a soft noise and his voice sounded funny when he spoke again. "Why didn't the Alliance physicians erase them when you came on board as a Volunteer?"

  She grunted and shifted under his hands as he bore down on her lower back, unknotting the base of her spine. "Too deep. I am a patchwork person. Too many torn muscles and broken bones. Is why my tendons are so short. Too much sewing inside me."

  He continued his work on her thighs and calves, right down to rolling his knuckles along the arches of her feet.

  He cleared his throat. "So that is why you agreed to physical enhancements so readily?"

  "Yup. My body has never been comfortable as long as I can remember. Discomfort for the sake of improved ability seemed a fair trade."

  "When did your talent come to the fore?"

  He moved off her and wrapped her in her blankets, shifting her so that she was lying on her side and so he was curled around her.

  Cuddled against him, she smiled and let the warmth and lack of pain wash over her. "Tharrin saw it right away. It was my talent that kept my arms moving. No one else ever noticed that my hands weren't actually bending and flexing as I worked."

  "How would you classify your talent?"

  "Transient physical effect on strands of thread. I can imbue them with the physical characteristics I want them to have." She was getting sleepy and she let her mind drift on the cloud of pain-cancelling endorphins generated by the massage. "Thank you, Brav. I haven't felt this relaxed in a very long time."

  His hand smoothed her hair away from her face in a rhythm that had her smiling as she let herself slip into sleep.

  "Goodnight, Neva. I will be here when you wake."

  Chapter Eight

  Waking pain free was a completely new experience for Neva. She moved her limbs carefully and stretched her fingers out. When a second set of fingers caressed hers, she froze. "Archer, are you still here?"

  He chuckled and slid his fingers through hers, weaving them together. "You called me Brav last night."

  She winced as she realized that not only did she tell him anything he asked of her, but he had seen all of her naked. Every scar, every pale inch of her had been under his hands and he hadn't stopped until she was out of pain. Tears pricked in her eyes as she acknowledged that all her secrets were out.

  "I did. I will understand if you don't pursue a physical relationship with me as is so common with the Guardsmen."

  His arms clutched at her as if he was afraid she would bolt. "What do you mean?"

  "If I need to spell it out, I acknowledge my disfiguring scars and understand if someone like you doesn't choose to pursue a physical relationship." She tried to keep her tone cool and unemotional.

  He rolled her to her back and peeled away the bedding that she tried to keep between them. "Neva, since we first met two years ago, I have imagined myself at your side and in your bed. Now that I am here, I have no intention of leaving. By the way, your skewed instincts are once again in full force."

  He pressed his mouth against hers and the pressure near her hip gave her the confirmation that he was, indeed, focussed on her.

  She pushed him away for a moment and stared into his leaf green eyes as his deep auburn hair flowed around them. He was serious. There was an intensity in his gaze that settled something deep inside her and she leaned up to return his kiss.

  Being pain free for the first time in her memory was acting on her senses like several stiff drinks. His touches were no longer therapeutic but aroused her with deliberate attention to her reactions.

  When t
hey came together, she pressed him to his back and mounted him. Her body was exposed in the bright light of her bedroom and she didn't really care. The intensity of internal sensations overrode her embarrassment and when release came to her, she shuddered with her hands braced on his chest until he tumbled her to her back so that he could pursue his own pleasure.

  His groan and the exhausted slump against her breasts elicited a giggle from her. She threaded her fingers through his hair and enjoyed the texture as well as the novelty of having a man of any species in her bed.

  When her fingers grazed the tips of his pointy ears, the shudder that ran through him as well as the instantaneous arousal in his body widened her eyes. "I had no idea how sensitive your ears were."

  He nuzzled her breasts and mumbled. "It isn't something we advertise. More Virdu than Admaryn, but it still can get embarrassing when getting haircuts."

  He moved his hips slowly and when she started to move in response, he withdrew and shifted her to her side and rejoined them with her upper leg lifted to give him access.

  They spent hours shifting, twisting and writhing together until Haunt popped up through the floor with her hand over her eyes. "Neva, the doctor wants to check you out and, Brav, you have to do the same."

  He chuckled and held the sheets up to conceal Neva's assets. "You usually call me Archer."

  "You usually have pants on. Now, shower separately and get your respective butts to medical." Haunt receded through the floor in dismissal.

  Neva looked up from under the impromptu tent. "How long do you think we have?"

  "Knowing Kaylee, a few minutes until she comes back. We had best get ourselves to the shower."

  Walking was not easy, but it was due to unusual muscle activity and not to pain. She didn't get halfway across her room before Brav wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her.

  "You are very sore, how long has it been?"

  She didn't want to answer him. Instead, she stood under the shower and let the water course over her. Her skin was abraded in a few places and sensitive in more than a few, but that was no reason to distress her partner.

  He grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her to face him.

  She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows.

  "I am serious, how long has it been?"

  "How long has what been?" She blinked up through wet lashes.

  "How long has it been since you had a lover?"

  "I don't want to answer that."

  "I will let you know if you wish."

  "No more than three years for you. We first met three years ago, not two."

  He furrowed his brow. "I would have remembered you, I am sure of it."

  She finished her shower and stepped past him. "You were with two very attractive ladies at the time. We were at the reception for the new Corusian embassy. You grinned politely, took my hand and then released it and walked away."

  He froze in place. "You were wearing heavy robes and you didn't meet anyone's gaze. You kept to yourself and stayed near the walls."

  "You do remember. Yes, it was shortly after Mala did my implants. I wasn't that comfortable with them yet."

  A blush started on his cheeks. "I am sorry that I was…"

  "Distracted is a fine word. Don't worry about it. I didn't know you, you didn't know me."

  "But you remember meeting me."

  "You are very pretty and the women were barely confined by their clothing. It was quite a picture." She towelled her hair dry and combed through her honey brown locks.

  Brav finished his shower and mimicked her earlier motions as he dried himself.

  She was about to leave when he flicked his towel around her and pulled her toward him for a kiss.

  They were together and she had her hands in his damp hair when Haunt came up through the floor, again her hand was over her eyes. "Tick tock, folks. The medics are getting impatient. This is an order from your base commander. Now, get dressed and go."

  They parted with grins.

  Neva smirked. "I suppose that we can continue this later."

  "We will."

  She walked over to the wardrobe where extra suits for visitors were stored. She only had the one full-armoured uniform and she didn't need it for a medical visit.

  They entered medical together and were each shuffled off to a separate alcove for testing. Neva endured the standard medical scans and then huffed as she was escorted to the large detail machine that she needed for her implants.

  The machine was designed by Mala for exactly this kind of thing, checking on implants in Guardsmen and support staff.

  "You put your hands on those bars and stand on those blocks."

  She grinned at the new physician. "I have done this before."

  She reached up and put her limbs in position for the scan. The beams ran across her, around her and checked everything inside her.

  "Thank you, Winder. You should probably have something to eat now. Your blood sugars are severely depleted."

  She shook her hands as she released the handles and absently rubbed them together to keep the tension minimized.

  Neva looked around for Brav, but didn't see him in the common spaces of medical, so she went in search of food.

  Her wayward partner was waiting for her outside in the hall and he took her hand in his, idly rubbing her palm with his thumb. Her hand immediately relaxed and Neva had to admit that it was either his knowledge of pressure points or his bioelectric talent, but it worked.

  A little tidbit of information flickered in her mind. "How did Haunt know to come through the floor with her eyes covered?"

  "Hunter and Rumble broke their celibacy when they were needed for an assignment. Haunt came through the floor and got an eyeful. Now, she is simply more careful." He laughed quietly.

  "Dirven shared that tidbit with you, didn't he?" Neva was amused.

  "Of course. Even men enjoy a bit of gossip. Now, my lady. What would you like for brunch?" They turned the corner and entered the galley.

  She grinned up at him and waved at the variety of food on display. "It may be a bad instinct but surprise me."

  Chapter Nine

  Brav didn't stop touching her in the days that followed. Every night, he started with a slow massage that usually ended up in a very intimate tangle of limbs.

  When he started adding oil to the mix, it was like the universe's most erotic game of Twister and Neva couldn't stop laughing.

  The assignment came as a bit of a break from their sudden intensity and it was with some relief that Winder put her uniform back on. A spare had come from Morganti with two pictures of a smiling stick figure of Winder standing next to Archer and Arrow. To prove that they were Mala's children, the little girls had rendered the ship in extreme detail while the living figures were simply in colours.

  Haunt met with Winder and Archer in her offices. "There are three escapees from a prison planet. We need you to retrieve them."

  Archer nodded and watched the dossier flick over on the display screen. The escapees looked violent, nasty and brutish.

  Winder had to ask. "Who organized the breakout?"

  "Dovin Garfoly. He and his cohorts were apprehended by Psyche and Bore. They chose to land on the wrong planet and our folk were waiting for them." Haunt looked satisfied at that.

  Winder cocked her head. "So, how did these guys get out with him?"

  "They overpowered a supply shuttle, killed the pilot and flew it off Skavol. The guards were busy locking down the facility, so they called us to do the mopping up."

  "What is retrieval status?" Archer's voice was serious.

  Haunt gave them a serious look. "Dead or alive. You are to take every precaution you can to avoid putting yourself in danger."

  Winder nodded but raised one eyebrow. "That goes against all my instincts, but I will try."

  Archer scowled at her. "You will succeed or we will have a discussion when we get back here."

  She cleared her throat at Haunt's smirk. "I will try.
Aside from that, I make no promises. Besides, my instincts have led me here."

  Haunt cackled and waved them off. "Go, retrieve, deliver and return to base. Safely!"

  Winder snapped to her feet and whipped off a salute. "Yes, Commander. Whatever you say, Commander."

  Archer grinned and leisurely rose to his feet as well. "To the Arrow."

  Winder took his hand in what was now a reflex and they marched together to the shuttle bay.

  They had been in transit for four hours when he turned to her and asked her again. "Now, before our first time, how long had it been before you had a lover?"

  She kept her eyes on the navigation screen. "Well, if you believe in reincarnation, I am sure that one of my past lives would have seen some action but nothing in this one."

  He had the grace to look appalled. "But, by your species specifications, you were not a virgin."

  She ran her hands along her tightly braided and coiled hair. "Most members of my species did not have their pelvis crushed at age nine. It also did a lot of damage to my soft tissue, including my hymen. Is that what you were referring to?"

  She pursed her lips and watched his face flush.

  "So your first time was when we…"

  "Yup. When we had a frolicking orgy for half a day." She grinned and propped her head on her fist. "Why is it a concern?"

  He opened and closed his mouth several times before blurting out, "A virgin's first time is supposed to be flowers and candles and romance."

  She unbuckled from her seat and crossed to his. She sat in his lap and draped her arm around his neck. "You gave me a massage that gave me the first pain-free night in over two decades. That was more romantic than a garden of flowers and a flotilla of candles. You gave me what I needed, Archer."

  She leaned in and gave him a kiss that was soft and held a wealth of emotion. As she stood, she gave one of his ears a flick and then jumped out of his reach as he lunged for her, getting caught up by his harness.

  Laughing, she returned to the navigator's chair and buckled in. They had hours of travel and three jumps ahead of them. His glare couldn't squelch the spark of humour and he promised retribution.