The Breeding Experiment (Veslor Mates Book 3) Page 12

  “That’s classified information, if you pulled those facts from a sealed file,” Woods grit out. “You both just committed a violation by sharing that information in front of witnesses.”

  “It actually isn’t. Ten minutes ago, I unclassified his entire file and sent a copy to his supervisor. Doctor Kane should know that Doctor Jenson is motivated to cause trouble. So should other investigators…if they half-ass it and don’t dig deeper than the surface files. Now it’s all there. I’m also making a report about you, Woods. Sloppy work.”

  Woods looked furious at that statement.

  Gnaw watched them, fascinated. Humans didn’t have the same relationships as Veslor groupings did. They seemed to turn on each other easily.

  “You are free to go, Gnaw.” Palmer walked around the table and held out his hand.

  Gnaw glanced at Clark. The male nodded at him. Gnaw was aware of the Earth custom, and he shook the male’s hand.

  Clark stood. “Have a good day, gentlemen.” He opened the door. “Well, the two competent ones. Hey, Woods. I suggest buying adult diapers.”

  Gnaw held back a laugh as they left. He heard Woods cursing before the door sealed.

  Clark chuckled. “What a dickhead. All that was worth it, seeing him piss his pants. Totally deserved.”

  “Did you think that would happen when you asked me to show them my battle form?”

  “No, but wasn’t it great?”

  “Urine smell is never pleasant.”

  “It took the vinegar right out of Woods, though.”

  “Why did you ask me to transform?”

  “To make a point. Let’s face it, you can be a hell of a killing machine and cause a shit ton of hurt if you wanted to. That dickhead didn’t seem to understand. Now he does. Flat out, you could have saved your own ass a hell of a lot faster if you hadn’t given a damn about the human hostages the Elth were keeping. You played by their fucked rules to keep those women alive. Now he gets that—or he’s a bigger dumbass than I pegged him to be.”

  Gnaw nodded.

  Clark lowered his voice. “I also wanted him to see you that way to prove another point. No human would survive if you decided to sexually assault them. Or at least they’d be suffering some serious damage.”

  “I would never.”

  “I know, son. I’ve got some more shit to do before my shift ends, and have to check in with all the teams to make sure they don’t want me present if they still need to give statements. Are you good to make it back to your family cabin?”

  “I am. My gratitude, Clark.”

  The male grinned at him. “None of that crap. You’re one of my boys, son. Don’t you ever forget it. I’ve got your back. Go assure Roth that I didn’t let you down. I know it bothers him when I take charge.”

  “He respects you. We all do.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.”

  Gnaw left the male and hurried to his home. His grouping was waiting, some of them appearing worried. “It is fine.”

  Roth came to him first. “You stuck to the slightly altered version?”

  “Yes.”

  Maith growled. “This doesn’t mean we owe anything to Doctor Brick. I’m not allowing her to poke at me with needles, or willing to lie still for her invasive scans. Nor am I answering her rude questions.”

  Gnaw hid a smile. He knew the male got annoyed when the alien specialist requested anything from him. Maith complained about it often.

  Chapter Eleven

  Darla felt guilty about telling Becky the edited version of what had happened between her and Gnaw, once they’d had time to really talk. She trusted Becky, but someone could trick her sister into sharing what she knew. Then they’d all get into trouble for lying to officials. Darla wasn’t willing to risk her job, Jessa’s position, or Gnaw’s future.

  That had been a few days before. Now, Becky was nervously pacing in the one-bedroom cabin Darla had been assigned. Their new cabins ended up being a few doors apart on the same level. It was the first day of their new jobs. “What do we know about working on a fleet ship? Nothing!”

  Darla had eaten breakfast before the door chime had announced her sister’s arrival. “We grew up working in a greenhouse. I’m sure it’s similar. They grow things. We grew things.”

  “That’s different.”

  “It’s not. You always wanted friends, right? Well, I was told at least forty people work in the gardens during the day shift.”

  Her sister paled. “Forty?”

  “You’re nervous. It’s understandable. But we’ll be together. It’ll be fine.” She ran her hands over her new brown uniform. It was two pieces, a short-sleeve shirt and long pants. The shoes were strange, with holes on the tops. The pamphlet that had come with the package of work wear had stated they were designed that way to help them dry faster. She supposed it made sense. Garden work meant dealing with a lot water.

  “I’m glad we were assigned the same hours and days.”

  Darla smiled at her. “Me too. That was really nice of them.”

  “Do you think it’s because of what happened?”

  “You mean the Elth?”

  “Yes.”

  “Maybe. Either way, I’m grateful.” Darla glanced at the clock. “We need to go or we’ll be late. I memorized our route to work yesterday.”

  “So did I. This ship is so big!”

  “It is. I’d heard that fleet ships were like cities in space. They really are.”

  Darla led her out of the cabin and they made their way to a lift, traveling alone up a few decks. Then they got off, following the signs that led them to the garden section. The massive double doors opened at their approach, and she smiled.

  The lighting in the room amazed Darla. It appeared as if they were stepping off a spaceship and right onto a planet surface. Not like Radison. It was all bright colors, sunshine, and neat sections and levels.

  A man who looked to be in his late fifties, who also wore a brown uniform and sported the same holey shoes, turned to them with a smile. “You must be Becky and Darla. I’m Joseph, your one-man welcoming committee. Are you ready for a tour?”

  Becky grinned. “It’s so beautiful. Is this what Earth looks like?”

  “No. A good portion of our produce is from Earth, though.” He started walking, pointing out different sections of colors, explaining what was being grown in each area. He stopped by a small bench and lifted the seat, pulling out two book-sized data pads. “These are yours. Keep them stored inside your lockers, which I’ll show you in the employee area later, when you’re not on shift. It’s not only contains a map of the facility, but what’s planted in your current location, and what needs done, with detailed directions. They’re linked to the computers running the gardens, so watering happens at a touch of your fingertip. You’ll learn the operating systems pretty quickly. We grow over four hundred types of vegetables, over three hundred fruits, and I believe we’re up to a hundred and sixty-three herbs.”

  “That many?” Her sister seemed flabbergasted and impressed at the same time.

  Darla was happy to see her reactions. Her guilt over taking her from their family eased a little more.

  “Yep. And that’s just this one big section. Wait until we get to the tree room. It’s even larger. We also grow flowers. Most are edible, but we still love beauty, too.” Joseph went on a spiel about how the gardens grew more than enough produce to feed everyone on Defcon Red. Then he turned to ask Darla, “You both worked for a greenhouse on Radison, correct?”

  “Yes,” she admitted. “It wasn’t like this, though. We had a few different growing rooms, but they weren’t this big.” She glanced up, looking for the lighting, but found only what appeared to be a bright blue sky. “Where are the growing bulbs?”

  “Oh, they’re up there.” He chuckled. “We just like to camouflage them. Those levels you see are there for a reason. The vegetation growing closer to the ceiling needs more UV rays than the ones on the lowest sections.”

  They pass
ed a few other workers who were pulling up bushes that had big ball-shaped things attached at the roots, under the soil. Dara stepped closer, watching. “What are those?”

  “Potatoes,” Joseph answered.

  “They’re blue…and the size of watermelons!” Becky’s eyes widened.

  “These are genetically altered hybrids from Earth and Rayna.”

  A smiling woman in her thirties stood and held one out. “They take three weeks to grow from seed to this size. Each one will provide four portions of whatever the cooks make. We’ll clear this section, rejuvenate the soil, and replant by the end of the day.”

  Darla turned her head to meet her sister’s gaze. They both smiled. The fleet not only had technology that was way more advanced in their greenhouses, but their plants grew at an accelerated rate.

  Joseph finished the tour and then assigned them their first task. It was picking berries off rows of bushes in another room. He showed them where the gloves were located, how to fill the baskets, and then where to load them onto a mechanical belt system that whisked them away to be cleaned. At that point, he explained, the berries were either sent directly to the main kitchen that fed the fleet, or to an automated processing center that made jams, juice, and other berries products.

  “I’ll check on you soon.” Then he left them with a wave.

  Becky was openly gazing at all the colorful bushes around them, and the ones set at higher elevations.

  “It’s so pretty, isn’t it?”

  “It smells really great, too,” Becky added.

  “You have to admit this is better than Radison.”

  “It’s not all dingy.”

  “We might get a tan for once, since their growing bulbs are safe for humans to stand under. At least, I assume so. None of the other workers have sunburns, but they aren’t nearly as pale-skinned as we are.”

  Her sister’s laugh did her a world of good to hear.

  Darla moved to a bush to fill a basket. It was terrible being kidnapped by the Elth, but now they were both safe. She hadn’t ruined her sister’s life, after all.

  Thoughts of Gnaw kept taking over her mind, as well. She hoped he was okay. It had been tempting to try to use the ship’s communications system to contact him, but she’d refrained. It was possible he didn’t want to hear from her. He might even want to forget that they’d ever met.

  That thought made her sad. Not everything had been horrible when they’d been locked up together. She missed the feel of him sleeping behind her, his arm wrapped around her middle.

  Then there was the sex…

  She was embarrassed by the way her body instantly responded to just the memory of Gnaw touching her. He’d taught her that sex could be highly pleasurable. But she couldn’t forget how much he’d resisted her at first. It was possible her aggressiveness overshadowed any good memories for him.

  “Dang it,” she muttered.

  “Are you okay?”

  She forced a smile and turned her head, lying. “I grabbed a berry too hard and almost squished it. These are way more fragile than the ones we grew on Radison.”

  “I bet they taste better. Is it allowed if we pop one into our mouths to try?”

  Darla laughed. “Let’s not do that yet, since I’m not sure. We’ll see if any are available at lunch in the cafeteria. You heard Joseph. The gardens produce fresh fruit and vegetables so they’re available at every meal.”

  “Good plan. We don’t want to get into trouble on our first day.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “Hey, sis?”

  Darla met her gaze again.

  Becky grinned. “I think I’m going to like it here.”

  “I’m so glad.” And that was all too true.

  * * * * *

  Gnaw watched the human males spar in the training room. His grouping was seated on benches, waiting for their turn. Clark always had them take on the winners at the end, since their skill and strength were more advanced. Sometimes the male asked them to teach newer recruits some fighting moves.

  “You look sad,” Maith observed next to him.

  “Not sad.”

  “Unhappy?” The male scooted closer. “You’re thinking of the female.”

  “No. He is not,” Roth answered for him, keeping his tone low. “He is bored.”

  Drak snorted. “He is thinking about the female.”

  “He isn’t,” Roth argued. “That would mean he didn’t listen to me when I told him to forget about her. It’s for the best.”

  “There’s a human term Abby has taught me. You are cock-blocking Gnaw.”

  “I don’t know what that means, and I don’t want to learn it, Drak.” Roth frowned at him. “It is best if Gnaw avoids that female.”

  “Best for whom?” Maith shot their leader a glare. “Abby is a blessed addition to our grouping. Why not have another human with us?”

  Roth grumbled deep in his chest. “We are here to do what our king has asked. Not to seek mates.”

  “We can do both. I did.”

  Gnaw glanced at Drak. He envied the male for that.

  Drak smiled at him. “We can do both. And you are thinking about her.”

  “Clark asked me to stay away from Darla,” Gnaw admitted. Then he looked at Roth. “I would like to see her.”

  “No.” Roth broke eye contact. “Clark knows humans best. We agree on this matter.”

  Gnaw felt his fingertips tingle, his claws threatening to slide out as the frustration and anger grew inside him.

  Maith suddenly pushed against his side to gain his full attention. “It is not healthy for a Veslor to deny our instincts. What do yours say about this Darla? Is it possible that you began to lock onto her? We trust that you’d never do it intentionally, but you spent a lot of time with that female. Denying a bond that has started to form doesn’t make it cease to exist. Sometimes it happens, even if we wish it to or not. You’re exhibiting depression, Gnaw. We will not think badly of you. Did you begin to subconsciously lock onto the female?”

  Gnaw half expected Roth to demand they stop talking, but their grouping leader remained silent. He glanced at the male.

  Roth appeared resigned instead of angry. When he spoke, his tone was even. “You did spend days with the female. It wasn’t a normal circumstance, or one of your doing. We wouldn’t think less of you if you have feelings for her, Gnaw. I’d rather add another human to our grouping than watch you deteriorate from a broken heart.”

  “I will never be like my father,” he swore. “Regardless of how deeply I want Darla.”

  Roth slid off his seat and moved to crouch in front of him. Maith scooted away to give their leader room to clasp both of Gnaw’s shoulders. “There is no question of that ever being a possibility. You’re a strong, honorable male. You would never harm a female or force her to be with you. I believed you were only feeling guilt because you’ve been haunted by your father’s actions. Now I’m aware it’s much more than that. You should have the opportunity to see if the female is capable of locking onto you, as well. Do you wish to spend time with her to find out if she would agree to become your mate?”

  Gnaw didn’t have to think about it. “Yes.”

  Roth sighed and gave his shoulders a squeeze. “Then we will have Abby ask if this Darla is agreeable to seeing you. I will never stand in the way of my males finding mates.” He glanced at the rest of their grouping. “Even if I dislike the timing.”

  Would Darla agree to see and spend time with him? He hoped so. It had been three days since he’d seen Darla. They’d felt like the longest of his life. It was even difficult for him to sleep now, without her securely in his arms, and he worried about her constantly. Was she happy on Defcon Red? Were human males treating her with respect?

  Jealousy reared inside him, too. What if one of the males became interested in copulating with her?

  Pure rage reared suddenly—and an irrational urge to tear apart any male who approached her, limb by limb.

  “Gnaw?”


  He stared at his grouping leader. “Can you have Abby contact her today?”

  Roth nodded, giving his shoulders another squeeze before he stood, releasing him. “After our training session ends.” His nostrils flared as he inhaled. “Your emotions are unstable. You are excused from sparring with the humans. Why don’t you return to our home?”

  “Try to make your sleeping room more appealing, in case Darla agrees to see you tonight. Abby said we are so neat that our spaces don’t appear lived in. That can make humans uncomfortable,” Drak shared. “Order more pillows for your bed. You’ve seen what Abby has done to ours.”

  Gnaw made a mental note to do just that. Abby did seem to like many pillows at the top of the bed she shared with Drak.

  “Go,” Roth urged. “I’ll tell Clark that you need a few more days before you’re back on duty. He will understand.”

  Gnaw got up and gave a nod to his grouping, striding out of the training room. He felt the stares of humans but ignored them as he left.

  Excitement increased his pace. He hoped that Darla would come to his home. He’d take her into his sleeping room to give them privacy. They could talk and spend time together.

  At that thought, his rod began to stiffen.

  He groaned, ordering his body to calm. There would be no copulating. Humans weren’t like Veslors. He didn’t need to demonstrate his skill as a lover again to convince her to become his mate. Instead, he needed to study United Earth culture on how to lure a female into accepting a male.

  He had a plan. Now he only had to implement it.

  * * * * *

  Darla’s head pounded and she felt hot. She raised her hand, wiping her brow. Only there wasn’t any sweat. Her forehead just felt warmer than it should be. She glanced up at the artificial sunny sky above her. Then she checked her exposed skin. It wasn’t red from sunburn.

  “Are you okay?”

  She dropped her hand and turned. “I’m getting a headache. I guess it’s going to take some time adjusting to their growing bulbs.”

  Becky frowned. “I feel fine.” Her sister came closer. “You look flushed. Maybe you should ask Joseph if you can leave an hour early. That’s all that’s left on our shift. I can finish watering this section myself.”