Damaged Control Read online

  “I need more support than the original species intended for this design, so I had to improvise. Fortunately, with the skirt on, I knew what length of fabric I was working with.”

  Etska wrapped his arm around her midriff. “What was the original design?”

  The assistant pulled it up on the monitor. Five layers of gossamer fabric moved upward from the hips until the entire works were held in place with a single tie above the bustline.

  “I prefer this arrangement.” His hand wrapped around her waist and squeezed.

  She chuckled. “Thought you might. Anyway, I would prefer most daily wear in two parts for ease of movement. I need support for my breasts, or things get uncomfortable. The undershirts that are issued to the foragers have the right idea; they compress and lift. When everything is kept from jiggling around, I am much more comfortable.”

  The men were staring at her, and the two women nodded. The assistant nodded. “Understood. So, even in the floating garments, a support layer is requested.”

  “Right.”

  Her head felt the weight of Etska’s chin as he leaned on her. “Whatever keeps her happy.”

  She grinned. “And doesn’t let me blend in with the colonists.”

  “That too.”

  The researchers had a moment of understanding, and the assistant smiled and said, “Which of the designs would you like next?”

  Athena tried to step forward, but she was restricted for some reason. She tapped the fingers on her abdomen, and he whispered, “Just reach over from here.”

  She leaned forward from the waist, and he went with her as she flicked through the options once before going back and making rapid-fire selections. She picked out a dozen outfits that she wouldn’t be horrified to wear as a disturbing number of the designs were translucent or clothing in an aspirational sense.

  Etska reached out with his free hand and picked two. “Just for me.”

  She winced but nodded. “If you try to make me wear either of those in public, I am breaking contract and running for it.”

  He whispered in her ear, “I would find you.”

  She nodded. “I know, but I wouldn’t be in public anymore.”

  She got a squeeze that nearly took her breath away.

  She beckoned to the assistant who came closer, and she whispered in her ear. When she straightened, the assistant nodded and said, “I will work on a blend to stop that.”

  Athena chuckled and leaned back against Etska. He didn’t stumble like she thought he might. He discussed a number of the details on acquisitions and the supply requirements, but they would have to head to the warehouse to see what samples were being brought in.

  “I believe we have our next stop.”

  Athena nodded, but inwardly, she was grimacing. “Yes, my lord.”

  They finished their updates, took their leave, and headed to the roof—time to hit the warehouse.

  Chapter Eight

  The workers at the warehouse stopped when they entered, and everybody bowed. Athena’s cheeks heated and remained warm while they walked up to the warehouse manager’s station.

  Etska didn’t set her on her feet. He held her close as the workers gathered around them.

  She raised her hand to Manager Stetho. “Hey, Stetho, how are you doing?”

  “Good, Theena. How about you?”

  She winced. “Been a weird day.”

  He chuckled.

  “Oh, Manager Stetho, this is the overseer. He owns this whole place, top to bottom, and the bonds on everyone on it. He likes to be greeted first.”

  Stetho’s grey eyes paled. He bowed low to Etska. “I apologize, my lord, but Theena has a presence once you get to know her.”

  Athena was smug. “You have to address me as my lady now.” She burst out laughing.

  Stetho grinned and bowed, “My lady.”

  “We are here to check on the incoming samples for textile manufacturing and file a request for a few of them to be sent over to textile research.”

  “Oh, we have been getting some of those reeds and a lot of the seed pods.”

  She kicked a little, and Etska set her down. “How about those floofy flowers or trees with the fibre buds?”

  Stetho grinned and led her to the area of the warehouse with those samples, and she fluffed them out and examined them.

  One of the assessors came in and scowled. “Forager Theena, I heard you were in medical. What are you doing here and not out with your team?”

  Etska murmured, “Am I just invisible here?”

  She laughed. “Assessor Yutan, this is the overseer. He has had me reassigned.”

  “That explains the non-standard uniform.” He grinned, then paused. “Are you really out of foraging?”

  The overseer answered for her. “Yes, she is.”

  He was plastered against her back again, his arms around her.

  “Oh, of course, my lord. I just thought that since she wasn’t classified as companion grade that she would remain managerial or labour classification.” Stetho shrugged.

  “I have upgraded her classification.”

  “Ah. Right.”

  Athena chuckled. “I have been given the position of colony controller, so I will still be poking around.”

  “What does that entail, my lady?”

  She snorted. “Keeping an eye on all of this and prodding you in the spine if you start slacking on your management.”

  He chuckled, and it came out a hiss.

  She leaned back as Etska ordered the supplies to be brought to the research lab for processing. She felt lightheaded, and he picked her up.

  “That is enough for today, Manager Stetho. We will return as things progress. The order for colonists has been placed, so we need to prepare for an incoming rush of five thousand.”

  Stetho nodded. “How long do we have before they arrive?”

  “Eleven months. They are being cold-shipped. We have time.”

  Athena’s head was spinning, but she asked, “Cold-shipped?”

  Stetho smiled. “Biological transport. Cold sleep chambers, they burn less oxygen and don’t eat. It also lets us bring them in when we are ready, and we won’t run out of supplies in the meantime.”

  “Is it safe?”

  Stetho chuckled. “I have been cold-shipped three times. Mind you, I used to be purple.”

  She smiled. “Fine. Okay. I will stop worrying.”

  She nodded against Etska’s shoulder.

  He sighed. “And that is all for today. She’s still recovering from the K’liir purge.”

  Stetho hissed. “She’s already running around?”

  “She’s stubborn and strong. Glad to know she has limits, though. We will be talking to you soon, Stetho.”

  Stetho bowed. “Take care of her, my lord. She is one of a kind.”

  Etska chuckled. “I am aware of it. Good day to you.”

  He carried her out of the warehouse and took off, back toward his home. Athena faded in and out as he flew. She blinked. “Why am I so tired?”

  He landed and carried her into the building. “You lost half your blood volume when they got the toxin out of your system. They replaced most of it, but your body still has to populate the replacement with appropriate cells. Simply put, your body has been at work all day, and it is exhausted.”

  She yawned and blinked. “I am not tired.”

  He chuckled. “We will have dinner when you wake, but first, you are going to get more fluids into you, or didn’t you think it was strange that you haven’t needed the facilities?”

  She let herself fall into the warm expanse of his bed. She slept and was woken up every now and then to drink a glass of watered juice. When she finally woke, she was still dressed, the suns had set, and Etska was sitting in a chair near the bed, reading a tablet.

  “You were watching over me?”

  He looked up with a smile. “You look better. Less grey.”

 
“Um. Thanks.”

  He got up and poured another glass for her. He helped her with it, and she finally nodded. “Got it. Thank you.” She swallowed half of it and remembered, “My lord.”

  He grinned. “We can skip the formalities when we are alone.”

  She chuckled and swung her legs out of the bed. It seemed that her fluid levels were back on track. “Please, excuse me.”

  He leaned forward. “Do you need assistance?”

  She held out a hand and waved him off. “I swear to call you if I do.”

  She got up and her skirt tangled with her legs as she took a few wobbly steps, but she made it over to the lav and back to the bed before her legs gave way.

  Athena blinked at him. “Where did my strength go?”

  “You used it up. Come on, we are going to get some food into you, and then, you can recover some more.” He picked her up again and carried her to the main floor where a dining room that could have hosted a banquet was waiting for just the two of them.

  Melr was smiling as he came into the room. “Lady Theena, it is good to see you up.”

  She looked at Etska and frowned. “How long was I out?”

  He shrugged. “Two days.”

  She was stunned. “What?”

  “You were in and out of consciousness for two days. Your vitals have all stabilized, and the medics have given you clearance for normal activities. So, you are to have a meal, a bath, and then back to bed.”

  She closed her eyes and remembered something. “You held me.”

  “As often as I could. I was trying to make sure that my newest acquisition was still breathing.” His words belied the careful way he held her. “Your team is in the building, by the way.”

  She perked up as he sat in one of the chairs. “They are here?”

  “Yes, they can see you tomorrow after you are dressed and rested. For now, Melr has been working hard to figure out an invalid menu for you that is not completely appalling, so let’s eat.”

  Melr brought in a cart and served soup that smelled heavenly. She wasn’t given the chance to sit on her own, but after the soup, there was bread, and after bread, there were thinly sliced vegetables that she recognized from her time foraging. The dessert was something that she wanted to spend private time with. There was custard, pastry, and some poached berry-fruit. She had the first two gone before Etska snagged the third, and she sighed in disappointment. To her surprise, she was literally growling as she watched the dessert disappear.

  “I believe your people say, respect your elders.” When he finished popping the last of the pastry into his mouth, he tapped her nose while he mumbled.

  Athena grimaced. “By that logic, everyone here has to listen to and respect you.”

  He grinned. “How funny that that is the way it worked out.”

  She sighed. “I lost two days. I can’t believe it.”

  “You snort when you roll over, and you roll over a lot.” He chuckled. “Come on, we will get you showered and bathed and tucked back into bed.”

  “No sex?”

  He snorted. “No sex. It isn’t any fun when the partner is too exhausted to participate. I want to end with you limp in my arms, not start that way.”

  Melr came out, and Athena thanked him, complimenting his efforts.

  Etska agreed, got to his feet, and carried her back to the bedroom. He hadn’t been joking as he took her to the bathing room, helped her disrobe, and then dispassionately gave her a rubdown with a soapy cloth before rinsing her off.

  When she was clean from head to toe, he set her in a huge tub, and while she soaked, he disrobed and scrubbed down as well.

  She stared at his naked form. There was the superstructure of muscle covered with soft dark brown skin. His penis was what she wanted to figure out. It was at half-mast if she guessed, and there was a strange conical structure to it that intrigued her. It looked like it would go in easily, even if it increased in proportion. She could just stop when it go too tight. She blushed as she realized that he was looking directly at her.

  “Don’t think for a minute that I wasn’t memorizing my view of you while I bathed you. I have a lot of patience, but I am still a male who prefers females.” He finished his showering before he walked over and eased into the bath.

  The water level rose sharply, and she was suddenly floating. He caught her and pulled her in next to him. “Relax. The water isn’t too hot for you. You are too feeble right now for me to pursue our bond. I could give you strength if we had already bonded, but that isn’t what has occurred.”

  She frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “That connection that I mentioned earlier with the venom involved. It creates a symbiotic relationship. It is easier for me to get what I need from you, and I can also transfer what you need to you. There is a mutual benefit.”

  She felt the weakness in her limbs. Getting any kind of infusion would be better than simply waiting for her body to catch up, but that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Well, I guess I am glad you aren’t in a hurry. But why didn’t you remove my clothing while I slept?”

  He smiled. “You were comfortable, and I did not wish you to suspect that I had taken advantage of your weakened state.”

  She frowned. “Good call. That would have been my first guess.”

  “It would have been a good guess, but I prefer my partners responsive.”

  She blushed. That was true. The few times he had made contact, he assured himself that she was responding before he moved to the next level.

  When they finished their warm soak, she was tired again and irritated as hell. She hated being weak, and it was one thing for the K’liir venom to be working on her. That she had control of, but to have her body on the road to recovery and have the road be an unexpected one was frustrating as fuck.

  She took the drying sheet he gave her and blotted herself dry before wrapping it around her. He chuckled and took the towel from her and dried her hair with it. He sat her down and brushed her hair, and then, he smoothed his. “Ready for bed?”

  She blushed and nodded. Being around him while they were both dressed was definitely different than with both of them being unclothed. When he tucked her into bed and then curled up against her back, her heart pounded for several minutes before it was obvious that the hand cupping her breast was going to remain there.

  He whispered in her ear, “Rest. Recover, and then, we will have time for anything and everything else.”

  Athena nodded, and she fought sleep for several minutes before her body told her she was an idiot and pulled her into slumber. There would be time to figure out what she was going to do next when she woke up.

  Chapter Nine

  Athena got up in an empty room, got dressed in the clothing that Tolr had laid out for her, and headed to the office. She did the whole thing without saying anything or whispering to the walls. Two additional days of recovering, and she was finally feeling like herself again. She had gone against Etska’s advice and watched the medical recording of the purge procedure and now understood why she was weak. Contaminated blood had flowed out of every orifice, and the team’s efforts had been to transfuse her with as much plasma as possible. She had gotten enough injections to give her body the basic building blocks, but she had nearly bled to death. It was chilling to watch.

  Today, she felt better. Her muscles responded when she moved, and she didn’t feel like she was under water. Even the outfit that Tolr had laid out was to her taste. An open-panelled skirt in cerulean blue and a copper to pale peach top with fluttery sleeves. A breastband underneath kept everything confined and comfortable.

  She finished the task at her desk and headed downstairs for the dawn meeting and breakfast.

  Team Vel was now operating out of the overseer’s home. Etska gave them special assignments and locations, and they brought the samples to a priority holding area in the warehouse. The samples were all for special projects, and since Etska
knew what had been planted in those zones, he was interested in their current status.

  She went down the stairs until she heard the low voices and found the guys gathered around the larger garden table. Upgrades happened quickly around the overseer.

  The first sun wasn’t up yet, and the guys were talking softly around the table.

  “If you are keeping it quiet for me, you don’t need to. I can sleep through Tber snoring, so I can sleep through most things.”

  Etska turned toward her and smiled. “You are looking well this morning, Athena.”

  She nodded. “I feel normal, as in before the K’liir venom normal.” She paused and remembered, “My lord.”

  He chuckled and beckoned to her. “Come here, my lady. Time for breakfast.”

  As if he had been watching—because he probably was—Melr arrived with the first course and served each of the foragers in turn before placing a double portion of everything on the plates in front of Etska. She grimaced and walked toward him. “I am feeling better. I can manage my own food.”

  “You eat too fast. Sit.” He patted his thighs, and his expression got stern.

  Athena felt her face pucker a little, but she stalked over to him and sat down with a thud that made him grunt.

  Tohba chuckled, and the other two snickered.

  Tohba smiled. “It is good to see you more yourself, Theena. You were getting weaker with each passing day. Now, you are close to the psycho we were teamed with originally.”

  She made a face and said, “What are we waiting for? The food’s getting cold.”

  Hivr cleared his throat. “No one eats at the overseer’s table before he does.”

  Athena turned and looked at Etska. She grabbed a piece of toast and stuck it between her teeth. He narrowed his eyes and leaned in, taking the other end of the toast in his teeth, and he bit down. She took the piece of toast and turned her back on Etska. “There. He’s taken the first bite.”

  She leaned forward, felt the press of Etska’s mouth on her shoulder, and the next thing she felt was teeth. She grabbed the table, and it shuddered. “Son of a bitch.”