Untrained Fascination Read online

  “I am good with water. I have tomorrow off, but I thought I would go rock climbing or something fun.”

  “We always have the day after a mixer off. Even if we are just on the Breeder schedule. It keeps us from running off too early. We can’t claim a reason to shorten our time here.”

  “Do we need a reason to leave?”

  “No. But politeness often kicks in before you do something you think you might regret. Don’t worry. They are not in a hurry, so you should enjoy yourself—”

  A chime broke up conversation, and all the ladies looked at their wrists.

  Lianne glanced across the room, and the men’s side was doing the same.

  To her horror, her band lit green. “Oh, fuck.”

  Sarah’s band wasn’t lit, but she gathered Lianne and introduced her to the others.

  Lianne watched one of the other ladies, and they retreated into the shadows to work on choreography.

  The night got a little surreal, and when they were giggling and laughing at their efforts, Lianne knew that there was a lot of alcohol involved.

  Another chime rang, and they walked to the edge of the dance floor. The combination of Luthin, Regiz and Zjin on the other side faced off against them, and when the music started, all hell broke loose.

  Rrassic dancing for the men was a combination of martial arts, haka and a Slavic folk dance. They stomped, clapped, flipped each other around and gradually worked their way across the dance floor. They spaced themselves out and began a powerful choreography that had Lianne’s heart pounding as they jumped, flipped and twisted just a few feet away from her.

  She watched. They showed off, and her feet absorbed the vibrations from the floor. Sorrok wasn’t one of the dancers, and she was thankful for that. The men thundered to a halt after back flipping to their side of the room.

  Their skin was gleaming with sweat, and their chests were heaving, but there was challenge in their eyes.

  The girls looked at each other, shrugged and their music started up.

  It was the standard challenging sway with fists on hips and a hitch as they stepped. The music had a solid beat, and the singer was speaking in one of the alien languages that was popular with the Rrassic.

  Lianne waited for the musical cue, and then, they turned and began to weave in and out, taking hands and whirling. It wasn’t a complicated set of motions, but all of them moving together must have looked dizzying as they moved faster and faster to the beat of the song.

  When the music built to its climax, they spun around, feet away from the Rrassic, before slowly stepping and swaying back across the dance floor.

  The rest of the ladies applauded as soon as the music was over.

  The Rrassic dancers bowed, and the human ladies returned the gesture.

  The other dancers had suggested this part to her. Lianne was in to mix, so she stepped forward when the music started up again and walked to the other side of the room. This time, she extended her hand to a Regiz-Rrassic, and he joined her on the dance floor.

  The other dancers chose from the ten, and soon, they were all moving around at a steady pace.

  “You are a good dancer,” her partner murmured.

  “As are you, though I am pretty sure you do it more often than I do.”

  He grinned. “What gives you that idea?”

  “Oh, the choreography. You guys all moved like you do that in a physical education or meditation course.”

  “Close. It is a variant of our combat training. You have a keen eye.”

  She glanced up at his brilliant-green eyes in his tawny, feline face. Everything about him screamed lion, just as the Zjin were tigers. Whatever had mixed their genes had had a fascination for the animal kingdom.

  His high-set ears were perked toward her, and his black and gold hair waved back from his face.

  “I have to notice things. It’s my job.”

  He looked at her in surprise. “You are maintaining an occupation and are a registered Breeder?”

  She winced. “I am a loader, and the Breeder part is just something that the administration tagged me with. Oh, look. The song is over.” She pulled her hands away.

  He reached out to grab her arm, but a hand gripped his wrist. A Luthin shook his head. “No.”

  Lianne retreated to the safety of the girls’ side and waited for the end of the night.

  Chapter Seven

  Sorrok slammed the Regiz into the wall. He snarled and flexed his claws into the neck of the man in front of him. “What is your problem? Why did you try and touch her?”

  “She smelled hot. I lost my senses.”

  “You tried to touch her. The rules are that we don’t touch them unless invited.”

  “I just wanted to keep her with me for a moment longer.” The ears of the Regiz were down.

  Sorrok bared his teeth and growled. “She isn’t yours to keep. She is mine to protect.”

  The Regiz stiffened. “She hasn’t chosen you.”

  “Would you care to discuss this in an open arena?”

  “I think I might. The T’berr Facility? Tomorrow at noon?”

  “I will see you there. Bring your own medic.”

  Sorrok let him go, and the other male dropped back to his feet.

  The Regiz left the mixer, but Sorrok had his blood on his claws. He would find him as soon as he got near a scanner.

  He went to the back of the building and got a towel. He wiped the blood off and stowed the towel in his locker. The ladies might get to show up, but the males had to change on site. They were coming from work.

  With the identity of the idiot secure, he scrubbed his hands and returned to the mixer. If that moron had scared Lianne away from dancing, he was going to feel it in the arena tomorrow.

  Sorrok was going to make him pay for startling his little human.

  * * * *

  Lianne stayed in the shadows, but the Rrassic were starting to mix on the ladies’ side of the room.

  When she caught a familiar masculine scent, she turned slowly to see Sorrok leaning on the wall near her. “Why are you lurking back there?”

  “Because you aren’t near the dance floor. If you were there, I would be lurking there.” His smile was slow with just a hint of his fangs.

  “I am not sure that I am up for dancing again. My last partner nearly got insistent. I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “He will be taken care of for his lack of etiquette.”

  She looked at him and then the couples on the dance floor. She gritted her teeth. “Would you like to dance?”

  He nodded. “I would like to hold you again, even in a formal dance.”

  “What constitutes an informal dance?”

  She looked at the couples, and they were all in the steady measures that Sorrok had taught her.

  He stepped toward her. “It is slower. More contact and much more improvisational.” The rumble in his voice was verging on a purr.

  “Let’s start with formal and see where the music takes us?” She bit her lip. She was flirting with a walking, talking tiger. This was new. Mrtok was like a scaly human; Sorrok was something she wanted to take home and cuddle up with.

  He held out his hand, and she slipped her fingers into his palm, letting him lead her to the dance floor.

  The music was steady enough to begin the measured steps once again, and Lianne stepped along with Sorrok until she closed the distance between them.

  Sorrok slowly wrapped his arms around her, still holding her hands and pinning them to the small of her back. Her breasts brushed against his chest, and her hips grazed his.

  Sorrok asked softly, “Do you intend to continue your combat studies?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You have a knack for it.” He slowly spun her out and then pulled her back against him again.

  Lianne could see them getting glances, but she didn’t care. They moved at close range, making the formal dance a lot more fun a
s he lifted her and slowly slid her down the front of his body.

  Her body was tingling from head to toe when the music stopped. She was plastered against him, and she sighed in regret. “I think I should head home.”

  He chuckled. “Just when things were getting interesting.”

  “I think things are interesting enough.” She looked at his chest and pulled her hands free. She pressed her palms to his skin and slowly pushed him back. She patted the wall of muscle in front of her and sighed wistfully.

  “That should do it for tonight. I don’t want to break whatever rules they have in place.” She stepped back.

  “Is your escort here?”

  “They are waiting outside. Apparently, my wristband will trigger them.”

  “It will notify them that you are leaving the facility. Do you mind if I see you safely into their custody?”

  “No. That would be nice. Thank you, Sorrok.” She smiled slightly.

  “What are you doing tomorrow for breakfast?”

  His question came as they were on her way to the door.

  “Um, nothing. I was going to sleep in until eight and then go and find breakfast.”

  “Would you join me for a meal?”

  She paused. “You can ask me out?”

  “Of course. That is the point to this.” He grinned.

  “I thought I had to do all the asking.”

  “That would be true if you were a normal woman in the breeding class. You are not. Also, we have already begun communication. Sorry, Lianne, your asking me to dance allows me to ask you for breakfast.”

  She sighed. “I suppose I will have to put up with it. Will you come get me or should I meet you there?”

  He chuckled. “I will meet you at your home.”

  Lianne nodded. “Of course you know where I live.”

  They were nearly to the door, and she spotted the small monitors that were reading her bracelet.

  “Thank you, Sorrok, for making this a less-than-terrifying experience.” She went up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

  He froze and closed his eyes for a moment before opening the golden orbs. “Thank you for being brave enough to ask me for a dance.”

  She winked. “You have already flipped me on my ass. It was time for you to risk your feet.”

  “I will call on you in the morning. Good night, Lianne.”

  He stroked her cheek, and she quickly left him before she leaned into his touch. She wanted to lean in more than anything, but it was time for her to get to the relative safety of her apartment.

  Her guys were waiting for her, and they silently packed her into the transport and whisked her back home. It was Cinderella’s pumpkin with the prince showing up in the morning. It wasn’t the worst fairy tale she had heard.

  She had her hair in a neat braid and was wearing a long, belted tunic and leggings with black shoes the next morning. Lianne had also crafted a list of all the things she wanted to know about why humans had been picked by the Rrassic. Sorrok might answer them, he might not, but she really wanted to know.

  She heard the voices outside the door, which was odd, because the shift change had occurred two hours earlier.

  Lianne pulled open the door, and her two Luthin guards were arguing with three Regiz. The count set her off, and she immediately moved to close the door.

  Her motion caught their attention. One of the Regiz struck the door while the other two took on her guards.

  Lianne grunted and pushed as the male shoved against the door. Desperation made her stronger for an instant, and she got the door to close and flipped the latch.

  He thudded against her door, and she ran for the com unit, sending out an emergency beacon.

  Her door splintered open, and she turned to face her attacker, but he rushed in, backhanded her and hauled her out of her apartment.

  Lianne started to struggle the moment that they had her in public. Her captors had tried to make it look like a standard escort, but her screaming at the top of her lungs caught them by surprise.

  Claws dug into her arms, and she heard growls as they tried to get her into a vehicle.

  She could feel the arrival of her guards before she saw them. They surrounded the Regiz and sucker punched them, cuffing two of them quickly while the third tried to get away with her.

  The Luthin came after her as the Regiz was shoving her into the transport, and her captor was pulled away, leaving bloody streaks on her arm.

  The pain registered, but she ignored it as the newly arrived Sorrok took possession of the Regiz. The elegant fighting techniques were left behind as he snarled, slashed and bit at his opponent.

  The Regiz wasn’t expecting the savagery of Sorrok’s attack and was soon lying on the pavement, bleeding.

  “Lianne, are you all right?” He reached for her, and she winced when he grabbed the sliced part of her arm.

  “I have been better. I will have to take a rain check on the breakfast. I think I need medical treatment first.” She looked over at the man that the Luthin were cuffing up. “Him too.”

  She looked Sorrok over and checked him for wounds. He had some small slices of his own. “And you too.”

  She spat blood onto the sidewalk. Her teeth had cut her cheek on that first hit. “What was that about?”

  “The Saya will find out. For now, you need tending to.”

  He was going to carry her, but she slapped at him. “I can walk.”

  He cocked his head. “What if I need to carry you?”

  She looked up at him and glared. “You are out of luck. I am not going to be man-handled again today.”

  Two other teams of Hunters had come to her rescue, and they were all hauling the Regiz group away.

  Sorrok walked her to his vehicle, and she smiled. It was one of the bike types. Instead of settling her behind him, he squeezed her in front of him and headed to the med centre. Wrapped in the cage of his arms, she didn’t have to worry about going anywhere.

  Lianne focused on the road ahead of them as her brain began to pound. The feeling of pressure in her head wasn’t comfortable, and she lolled against his shoulder. He sped up.

  She wasn’t in any shape to argue with him when they arrived at the med centre.

  The Nool that was the initial attendant asked questions, but Lianne didn’t hear much beyond the roaring in her ears.

  She was set into a machine that monitored her brain, and the roaring of sound was now accompanied by searing pain.

  The Nool gave her a spray injection in the jaw and did something that sent a crack through her skull.

  He frowned. “The blow to the head gave you a concussion and dislocated your jaw. I have reset it.”

  She scowled and slowly said, “He just hit me once.”

  “Did you lose consciousness?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then, it was hard enough.”

  Sorrok muttered, “If I had known, I would have ripped his throat out.”

  The Nool got a headband and set it around her skull. Warming pulses ran through her head, and each pulse washed away a teeny bit of pain.

  While the band was working, the medic cut away the sleeve of her shirt and worked on the skin that was hanging in flaps.

  Sorrok growled low when he saw the damage. “If they don’t eject him, I will tear him apart.”

  Her jaw was feeling better, as was her head. “What good would that do? You got there before he could stuff me in the vehicle. That is what I appreciate. Threatening death after the fact is just macho bullshit.” She gritted her teeth as her wounds were cleaned.

  Even though he used numbing sprays, she could still feel the skin moving around on its own. It was unsettling.

  Her hands clenched and relaxed restlessly, but she tried to hold still. Sorrok came to her side and held her hands while the Nool did his work.

  “This is the easy part.”

  She glared at him. “This is not the easy par
t. Getting out of bed was the easy part.”

  He gave her a sad look from his golden eyes. “I am sorry that this happened to you.”

  “I am not. The option would have been to go quietly. That isn’t really my style.”

  The medic chuckled.

  Sorrok stroked her hands with his thumbs. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Well, I was waiting for you to show up and heard raised voices by the door. I opened it, saw the three Regiz on the other side of the Luthin and tried to slam the door. Two attacked the guards, and the third lunged for me. He hit the door, and I pushed back, shoving until I got the latch to catch. Then, I ran to my com unit and called for help right before he came through the door. He hit me, and I was able to focus when they got me to the street. I screamed, the Luthin attacked while invisible and you showed up.”

  He chuckled. “Call them Hunters. To call them Luthin is like dividing you up by your racial grouping.”

  “Fine. The Hunters on guard did a great job. They took on three of the bad guys, and that is why I am free right now.”

  Sorrok nodded. “They did well, though they will be called to account for why they didn’t sound the alarm when the strangers arrived.”

  She made a face. “They did fine.”

  The medic moved to her left side and cut the sleeve open as well. These were just the punctures from the claws.

  “Now, as to the matter of you. No matter the cause for this event, your time being out in the open is about to come to a halt.”

  She stiffened, and the medic hissed, pinning her back in her seat. “You are joking. It wasn’t my fault.”

  Sorrok shrugged. “It was and it wasn’t. A female in heat is always a temptation, and right now, you have the scent of desire around you.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. “I am not ovulating right now.”

  “No, but it is merely weeks away, and a male who wants a child needs a woman who is fertile. Your blood analysis confirms it, but your scent draws us in.”

  “Why hasn’t this been an issue until now?”

  He chuckled. “Because of your feline allergy. All but the Sthik have some type of hide that would trigger it. Now that it has miraculously passed, you are out where we can find you.”