Past Tense Read online

Midnight sighed, but he didn't argue. All Past Tense had to do was shift uncomfortably and he was there to catch her. What do you recommend, brother?

  Let her set the pace. She will come to you in her own time, but don't let up on the courtship. Calm persistence will win your lady. That and a home of your own.

  Do I have permission to build on your lands?

  For as long as you need it. I have rarely seen Finder as happy as she is with your female. This is something I want to continue.

  Selfish Drai, but I will take it. Keslin will wait.

  They flew the rest of the way in silence except for the heavy beats of their wings.

  Chapter Eight

  "A planet has never looked so welcome." Past Tense sighed as Teklan came back into view. She was at the helm again, Finder had puked after the jump, so she simply handed over the coordinates and went to lie down.

  Midnight fidgeted next to her. "I can hardly wait to sit in a proper chair and stretch my wings."

  "I can hardly wait for a water-based shower and a trip to medical so I can get this ion trace off." She shivered as she thought of the foreign substance and energy embedded in her skin.

  "I might have to recruit your assistance in getting the traces off my neck as well since you put them there."

  She chortled and located the ping of the base. "This is Guardsmen Past Tense, Midnight, Frost and Finder requesting landing authorization on Teklan base."

  "Welcome home, Pete. Follow the beacon all the way."

  The cheerful voice was welcoming and when she had locked on the signal, Pete did follow the beacon.

  The tarmac was empty, the other shuttle still in its hangar. Rolling to a stop and engaging the parking brake, relief spilled through her. They were back.

  "Is it weird that after spending a few hours here, this already feels like home?" She unbuckled her harness and took Midnight's hand to exit the shuttle. Finder and Frost were already waiting for the atmospheric cycle to process.

  When the door opened letting light and air spill in, their entire group took a relieved breath.

  "Was it just me, or was that extremely intense?" Back on Teklan, she was Mayden again and it was an incredible relief.

  "That was a rough one. Personally, I am glad we filed most of the reports while still there. Less debriefing to do." Roxy stretched under the approving eyes of Esur. "Don't get any ideas sport. That last jump did me in."

  Brodin was waiting for them. "Then give me the debriefing I demand and you can go home."

  His horns gleamed in the light and he looked incredibly patient. "They have finished the conference room to my specifications. Come along. Mayden and Harusk, go to medical first. You need to get rid of that ion."

  Harusk tucked his arm around her waist and hauled her to the medical bay.

  The woman waiting for them was straight faced and businesslike. "Healer Gralial. Call me Gray." She had a red flush to otherwise chalky skin and features that were a melange of races. The navy blue hair was her only extraordinary feature.

  "You are a reader, so I will use new equipment and glove up." It was nice that she walked Mayden through the steps, but she already knew them by heart. There was only a slight recognition when the flushing compound went into her body--the bland satisfaction of the man who successfully tested the injector.

  "While I have you here, do you mind a full workup?" She gave Harusk his shot almost absently, intent on Mayden's response.

  "Sure. May as well. I only have a debriefing to look forward to after this."

  A brief nod and Gray set the scanners for a complete workup. They whirred to life and with efficiency that Mayden had never seen in medical equipment, they completed her biological scans.

  "You still need sleep, but you can graduate to solid foods. Your digestive tract is working in fairly regular order. Drink a lot of water though, or things may grind to a halt." Gray was matter-of-fact about everything so it was impossible to take offence.

  "Thank you, Gray."

  "You are welcome. You can go now." Gray was already in the data provided by the scanners. She waved dismissively to send them on their way.

  Harusk showed her the way to the conference room and they joined the debriefing for its last moments.

  "At that point, Midnight grabbed the weapon in his jaws and broke the outer jets, then flew it down to the surface. The king was more interested in our partners being females than the governor taking out the line of succession, so we have no idea what the final outcome of any trial may be."

  Brodin made a few notes and nodded. He looked up and smiled at the new arrivals. "Well done, Past Tense, Midnight. You did exactly what was needed and no more. You did not interfere with local politics or try and enforce your personal philosophies, very important matters by the way."

  "Thank you. We tried to be unobtrusive. I particularly enjoyed the aplomb with which Frost and Midnight accepted the cramped conditions of the crime scenes." Roxy was smiling at her partner.

  "It was rough, but we managed." He smiled back. "Is that it, Brodin?"

  "Yes. You can go." He finished a few keystrokes on his data pad and looked up at Mayden. "I have to show you your quarters here. They are large enough to share if you are comfortable with that and have never been used by another crew member."

  "Good. You would not believe how creepy that can be."

  "I would believe it. I also know that you are grounded for a week. Healer's orders. She wants to make sure that your systems adapt to solids once again before trapping you on a shuttle with limited food options."

  Harusk smiled. "Nice, you can do some exploring of Teklan with me. Esur is allowing me to build a home here, so I need you to help pick the location."

  She smiled. "That could be fun. I always enjoyed property shopping back on Earth."

  "I thought your planet was called Terra?" Brodin scowled.

  Giggling she filled in the blanks. "It is. It is also called Earth. Both words mean dirt. I have found in my travels that almost ninety percent of worlds are named dirt if they are origin planets. The fancy names only come in when there are colonists."

  The Dhemon nodded sagely. "That makes sense. Dhema means great rock. What do you think of our new physician?"

  "Gray? She's businesslike. I will give her that."

  "She's a new transplant from Station 13. Her brother is imbued with living armour and Gralial can repair any tissue to original specifications. This is fine for pure bloods, but with your altered chemistry, you will never be a recipient of that kind of healing." Brodin was telling her clearly that she would get the basics and nothing else.

  "Got it. I have been tinkered with and now can only be sealed up if I am leaking. Understood." She nodded and Harusk came closer to her, a protective move if ever there was one.

  "Well, right. That is out of the way. Now to show you your quarters." Brodin got to his feet and his customary grin was soon back in place.

  The quarters he showed her was a small house a few hundred yards from the base border. "We prefer you to have the feeling of privacy and relaxation. With Esur allowing us as much space as we need, each Guardsman is entitled to their own house."

  She looked around and smiled at the duffle on her bed. Picking it up, she noted it had been handled by bots, how considerate.

  "You can either prepare your own meals here, or you can eat at the base. It is entirely up to you."

  "Is there any Drai-friendly furniture?" She had to ask, the couches and chairs did not seem Harusk friendly.

  "I will have some brought in for your house if you wish it."

  "I do. I am guessing that Drai guests will be a common feature in this house."

  The pleased light in Harusk's eyes started something she hadn't felt in a while. He was singing to her again.

  * * * *

  What about here? He circled a meadow on high ground with a wide circle of trees for a windbreak, a large lake and plenty of landing space for Mr. Tough and Scaly.

  It looks lovely. She co
uld see a low sprawling ranch house in her mind with a small barn for short animals that she could pet and play with. A fenced-in area and plenty of room to grow.

  You want animals?

  I can't read animals. I can pet them and not feel anything. It soothes me.

  I understand. I may not be around all the time, but you can pet me all you want when I am.

  She slapped his neck as she straddled him and looked around the expanse that he was considering. It isn't the same.

  I am willing to try it if you are.

  Pervert.

  We have yet to find out if I am or not. He banked sharply, making her squeal and grip his crest. See you already enjoy touching me.

  Why did I let you talk me into flying with you again?

  Because I am incredibly charming and you are hot for my body?

  Those are your reasons for wanting to be around me. For me, this is just a pity date.

  He turned back and headed for the base. Ouch. Mean. Are all Terran females this mean?

  I don't know. I haven't met the whole population. I would say probably when confronted by a dragon. The snerk in her tone was palpable.

  The base was reached in under five minutes of moderate flying. Plenty of time for Brodin's requested response time. As the investigative branch of the Sector Guard, they were rarely called upon for emergencies. Being on base was not a requirement.

  Mayden loved the look of her tiny house from the air. The scars of Harusk's dragon landings added a certain charm to the front yard.

  They had gone on picnics, played Frisbee--though he had an unfair advantage with the wings--and he was even able to play cards with her as long as the deck was fresh. She couldn't read his traces, so it was a pretty fair fight.

  Her life was as normal as it could be for a psychic Terran living on a strange world being courted by a mythical being with her commanding officer of a race that was villainous in many Terran religions. Just another day at the office for the Terran Volunteers.

  Her private moments were spent reading the Terran Times notices that she had missed. She loved learning about the strange and wonderful places her people were getting to, she enjoyed the feeling of camaraderie that she had with every one of the surviving Volunteers. They were a family and she was lucky enough to be on a world where another one of her kind was nearby.

  Harusk landed with a thud and she dismounted. With the practice she had gotten over the last week, it was almost easy to lower herself to the ground with the help of his extended claw. He shifted into his bipedal form with ease and bowed low. "I enjoyed our day out, as always, Mayden."

  His stress on her name made her roll her eyes. "You get a kick out of that, don't you?"

  "What?" His tone was all innocence.

  "My name being Mayden. The dragon and the maiden. Very cute."

  He was suddenly looming over her, "I think it goes beyond cute and into irresistible."

  She leaned up and pressed a kiss on his lips, taking in the years of sleep, the intense loneliness and the almost euphoric happiness that he felt when he was around her. It was impossible not to respond to someone who loved you and proved it with his touch.

  He reached up to grip her habitual ponytail and released her hair with a few gentle tugs. His hands tangled in her locks, holding her mouth to his own. She shivered under the onslaught of emotion and sensation.

  She felt that they were moving, but she couldn't put up a fight. For the first time in years, her own urges were coming to the fore and they were a little upset at being subverted for so long.

  She was wearing a loose tunic and trousers and suddenly she was wearing air. Harusk's hands were deft, even her feet were free from her sandals before she felt anything happen.

  Naked, eager and feeling the love he had for her with every touch, she moved with him as he covered her, arched into him as he entered her and rocked with him on every plane of their existence until they burned together in a blaze of emotion and starlight.

  "Did we just?" Now that the storm of emotion was gone, she had to make sure that what she thought had transpired had indeed occurred.

  He looked at her with an indulgent grin. "Yes."

  Harusk was on her, inside her and his wings were covering them both.

  "Just making sure." She lifted her hips and shifted lightly. "It was…"

  "It was indeed." He rubbed his cheek along hers. "I thought I would go out of my mind before you agreed to my home."

  She was shocked and then she realized that she had confirmed his choice of the meadow. "That isn't a home. That is a site for a home."

  "Picky, picky. I will build it between assignments and soon we will be living there." He chuckled and started nuzzling her jaw and neck. "You liked it and I will take that as a resounding agreement."

  "You must be desperate."

  "Desperate, lonely and very happy that you are with me, here, like this." He shifted his hips and started to move slowly.

  "I have to admit that I might not be able to give a concise analysis of my own feelings at this time." It was amazing that she could work out that much of a sentence with what he was doing to her nerve endings.

  They moved together until the stars came to dance in her mind once again and he was with her.

  When she got her breath back, Mayden decided that she needed to do more research on the cascading orgasm. She triggered him, he triggered her and then she triggered him again. It was one heck of a cycle.

  They were showering when a peculiar chirping got Harusk's attention. He stopped mid-scrub of her back and left the bathroom, stark naked.

  He came back and looked both aroused and disappointed. "You are off medical probation and we have an assignment. We have to meet Brodin within the hour."

  She groaned and pressed her head against the tile. "Where is my uniform?"

  "I think it is in your clean laundry."

  Mayden paused in mid-towel, "I have clean laundry?"

  "Yes, I did it earlier in the week when you were meditating." He waited until she was almost done and then he engaged in behaviour that she had only seen him do in dragon form. He shook himself dry and got her soaked in the process.

  "Bet I can get dressed before you can." He chuckled and darted out of the bathroom.

  She cursed, wrapped the towel around herself and tackled him onto the bed. If she couldn't get dressed, neither could he. With his uniform around his knees, his balance was off and he was at her mercy.

  As she knelt astride his back, pinning his wings to the bed, she tried to lunge for the pile of clothing that contained her uniform. She had to admit one thing, Past Tense was a lot more fun than vetting documents and there was nothing like a little Midnight in the middle of the day.

  Author's Note

  With Past Tense, I finally got my Mayden and the dragon. Yes, I enjoy playing with names, but some of you like it. Some don't and I am sure that I will hear from them, but my editor says too bad so don't bother. So, here we are at book 16 of the Sector Guard and the series just seems to be evolving with every instalment.

  Thank you for continuing to enjoy the Guard.

  Viola Grace

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  About the Author

  Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there.

  She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis.

  In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others tha
t have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.

  Viola's fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush.

  Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.