Raff (The Vorge Crew Book 4) Read online

  He crouched down with less than a foot of space between their bodies. The device in his hand wasn’t something she’d ever seen before. Of course, not much alien technology was available on Earth and if it was, it sure wasn’t in her price range to own. He gently used his free hand to take her wrist and pushed the cool metal against the inside of her arm just under her elbow.

  “You’ll feel a wet spray sensation but that will be all. Hold still. It won’t hurt.”

  “What’s it going to do?”

  “Take a small sample of your blood to see what drug you were given.”

  She jerked a bit when the cold spray hit her skin but it was fast and painless. Her gaze locked with his golden eyes. His eyelashes were blond, matching his hair. They were thick and long. He really did remind her of a cat man though with the shape of them and the odd color they were. As strange as they looked, she really did find them mesmerizing. He was handsome for an alien. She tried to think of anything else besides his looks.

  “Your cousin is really married to a human?”

  “Yes. Cathian loves Nara. They are very happy together.”

  She let that sink in. Someone like him had married someone like her. She knew of at least two alien races that could breed with humans. The exploration teams had first found a human male married to a green alien female on the second planet they’d visited. Two children had resulted in their union. On the fourth planet, that team had met a human woman married to a big blue alien. They had a daughter.

  It had been a hard thing to understand why a human would be attracted to an alien. Then again, she hadn’t seen whatever Raff was before though. He was hot and kind of sexy, albeit a bit scary.

  The device made a very low hum and he removed it from her arm, peering at it. Symbols flashed on a screen of the scanner but it wasn’t a language she could read. Her gaze lifted to his face to watch his reaction. A low growl burst from him and he tapped the screen, scooting back a few feet.

  “Am I contagious or something?” It was the first explanation that popped into her head with him inching away.

  “No. They injected you with Narortion, probably to counteract the sleeping drug that is also in your system. Thankfully, it’s only trace amounts or they could have killed you by overdose. I hate the Rexis.” He sounded furious as he tapped the device with his finger, more like stabbing at it. He lifted it then, staring at her. “Hold still. I’m going to have it scan you for any wounds.”

  “It’s just my lip, my face, and my knee.”

  “You could have internal injuries. Hold still.”

  She did but that didn’t mean she couldn’t ask questions. “What is Nortona or whatever you just said?”

  A faint white light came out of the device. It had a wide beam. He pointed it just over her head. “Hold still. It’s going to scan you.”

  She froze, not even daring to breathe, but she did close her eyes. A flash of white showed through her eyelids. The urge to peek became impossible to resist. He ran the light lower down her body, all the way to under her toes. He fell forward, going from a crouch to resting on his knees.

  “What does it say?”

  “It’s processing the information. It will tell us in seconds.”

  “Was that light like an ultrasound?”

  “I don’t know that term. It will see your body on the outside and inside.” The device made another hum and he lowered it, reading the display. That time he held still though, not retreating more. He finally looked up.

  “Cuts and bruises but nothing serious.” His golden eyes locked with hers. “You weren’t sexually assaulted. I’m grateful for that. They didn’t tag you with a tracker.”

  That first bit of information was something she already figured since she wasn’t hurt to indicate someone had messed with her while she was drugged. The second part stunned her. “A tracker?”

  “Yes. Some slavers install them to retrieve runaways.” He rose to his feet, walked over to the med kit, and bent. He rummaged inside and held a small container when he straightened. “This will heal you. I can’t do anything about the drugs in your system.”

  “You never told me what that M drug is.”

  “I’m hoping the sedative, as little of it that remains in your bloodstream, will counteract the other.”

  He was avoiding her question and it pissed her off. “Look, Raif.”

  “Raff,” he corrected, crouching in front of her.

  “Raff. Sorry. My research vessel was attacked, I watched a few of my co-workers being murdered by aliens, and those bastards threw me into a cage. If that wasn’t traumatic enough, they hit me with something that looked like a shock stick to knock me out every time I woke. I don’t know where I am, what happened to the rest of the crew, or if I’m the only one who survived. I’m hoping that others were taken too and are still alive. I woke up to be told I’d been bought to work in a brothel and to take off my clothes because someone had paid to fuck me. I had to fight my way out of there and then, well, you know the rest. I just want you to tell me the truth. I deserve that. What was I given and am I going to die?”

  Something close to sympathy softened his features. “You will you not die. It’s a drug given to stimulate activity in a person and make them feel good under bad situations.”

  She let that sink in. “Good? Can you be more specific?”

  His gaze left hers. “Happy. Calmer. It dulls your fear in alarming situations.”

  She mentally reviewed what he said, trying to understand. “You’re saying they shot that is like a happy pill? To change my mood?”

  He nodded. “They must have given it to you in hopes of waking you more but they didn’t want you to have negative moods when you became fully aware of your situation.” He cocked his head. “You still fought them and escaped. I’m impressed.”

  “I’m not um, feeling happy. I’m just tired and feel a little drunk. It’s probably from shock.”

  “Good.” He held up the tiny bottle. “May I treat your injuries?”

  She closed her eyes but nodded. It was all too much. Everything. The attack. Seeing her co-workers die when those aliens had shot them down in cold blood. One of the bastard aliens had grabbed her when she’d tried to run, tossed her over his shoulder, and taken her to a cage on another ship. The alarms on Bax had been blaring. She’d heard screams and people yelling. Her worst fear was that they’d murdered everyone but her. She wasn’t sure how to live with that kind of guilt.

  No, she told herself. They stole me to sell to alien men. Those bastards had to have taken others too for that same purpose. She wasn’t important or special. Her job wasn’t even vital. There had been four other data collectors on Bax. Even as far as being in shape and attractive, she was just average. Leslie, her team boss, would be the type of woman they’d want to sell. She was gorgeous, tall, and slender. Leslie had been on break when the attack happened. She had no idea what had happened to her. Please don’t let me be the only survivor. Please.

  A cool spray hit her lips and she startled.

  “Easy. It will heal your injuries. Don’t lick it. It won’t harm you but it doesn’t taste good.”

  She felt her skin tingle but it wasn’t unpleasant. He sprayed some on her cheek next where she’d been hit. It was tough not to protest or jerk away when he moved her robe, exposing her knee. She opened her eyes to look down. Her skin there was scraped and bloody. He sprayed that too. It was amazing to watch as it began to heal in seconds.

  “It works on humans.”

  “I see that.” She forced her gaze up, staring into his golden eyes. “Thank you.” He’d saved her. She understood that. “Once we’re off this planet and your um, ship, comes, can you return me to Earth?”

  He sighed, watching her, blinking. “No.”

  Panic hit. “Why not?”

  “Earth is on a list of banned planets to visit.”

  “Why?”

  “Most recently, they began to sell their females.”

  “That can’t
be true.” She shook her head. “It’s a lie.”

  “Talk to York’s human female when we reach The Vorge. He’s a crew member on my ship that is coming for us. Your Earth sold his Sara. She was taken from her work in one of your cities by your own kind and handed over to alien buyers.”

  The information stunned her. Was it possible the crew of Bax had been set up and sold their employees? It had been taken over quickly. She dismissed that suspicion though. The people she worked for had invested too much money into their research program. They wouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t cost effective. That’s what it always came down to with big corporations.

  “Try to relax. A shuttle will be here in the morning to pick us up, Lilly.”

  She wasn’t certain if that should comfort her or not. At least she wasn’t still in that brothel and Raff hadn’t hurt her. He’d killed to protect her. The sight of all those hanging dead bodies in that marketplace area would give her nightmares. She’d almost ended up as one of them.

  She touched her throat when it began to ache. Raff noticed, frowning.

  Chapter Three

  Raff made the female expose her neck to him. The material of her robe had hidden the red marks on it caused when Prix had grabbed her. Bruises would form soon if not treated. He sprayed her pale skin. Next, he studied her hands. They had a few tiny scrapes. They were so minor the handheld scanner had missed them. He took care of them as well.

  “You’re doing well, Lilly.”

  “It’s hot in here.”

  His head snapped up to study her face. She looked a bit pinker than before in her cheeks and forehead. The cave was cool, not warm. Even with the bulky robe she wore, she shouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

  He had a bad feeling that the sedative might have just delayed the effects of the illegal stimulant that Lilly had been given to alter her mood. Some aliens died from it if they got overheated from their heart rate going too fast and their bodies overheated. He stood fast, worried. There were no drugs in the kit to help her and he was afraid to use another sedative to put her to sleep. Humans were frail creatures, probably easy to kill if given too many substances.

  The pool caught his attention. “Bathe,” he ordered.

  Lilly stared up at him. “What?”

  “You need to cool down. The water isn’t cold enough to harm you but it should help. I have spare clothing inside my shuttle. My things will be large on you but I’m certain you might wish to get clean. Did the Rexis allow you to do that?”

  “Rexis?”

  “The aliens who were chasing you from the brothel and I’m certain they are also the ones who attacked your ship you spoke of. Were they the same?”

  “Yes. Who are they?”

  “Pirates. They have a habit of attacking all vessels.” He didn’t want to tell her that they tended to murder all the crew, normally focusing on the sale of the ships and merchandise they carried instead. That hadn’t been the case with her but she was a human. He’d learned they sold for a good profit on the black market. It would have tempted the pirates to keep the females alive. “Were your crewmates all humans?”

  “Yes.” She stood and swayed on her feet.

  Raff lunged forward to gently steady her. She didn’t flinch away, allowing him to touch her arms.

  “We were all from Earth. Are,” she quickly amended. “Forty-eight onboard Bax, consisting of seven teams of five people each. Six exploration teams visited planets to collect data on the aliens who lived on them. My team recorded all the information. There are six bridge crew members and three security officers. All of them were also trained for maintenance and repairs. Two food workers. We also have a doctor and a nurse aboard.”

  It sounded as if her ship had been large to support that many humans. He led her toward the pool. It wasn’t deep enough to be dangerous for her, even if she didn’t know how to swim. “How many were females?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Were you the only one?”

  “No.” She stopped at the edge of the pool, frowning at it. “It’s moving.”

  “There’s a slight current, yes. It’s not strong.” He pointed toward the left side of the pool. “Avoid that area. There’s a waterfall that flows out of this cave. I doubt your body could accidently be swept down it since the opening is small but stay in this area. It’s safe.”

  She shook her head. “What if there are alien fish? Do they eat people?”

  Lilly amused him. “No fish or wildlife. At the top of the mountain is a lake formed by all the rain that is collected there. Water leaks down from it into this section through very tiny cracks. Nothing in there will harm you. The water is even drinkable.”

  She peered up at him. “What about you? Do you really expect me to strip off my clothes, few as I have, and trust you not to do something bad to me?”

  It injured his pride that his word wasn’t enough but he could understand her distrust. Lilly was smart and obviously a survivor. He respected that she’d fought her captors and even clawed at Prix with her tiny little finger claws. That took courage.

  Eventually, she’d learn that he’d never do her harm and keep her safe at all costs. He found her very attractive but it wasn’t the time to show his interest. She needed him to keep her safe until they reached The Vorge. Then he could pursue her in a sexual way.

  He peered into her blue eyes, feeling a little guilt. Finding her had been lucky for him but the circumstances which brought her into his life had been the opposite for her. It wouldn’t matter. He’d take care of her from that moment forward.

  His male crewmates had each been fortunate to end up with human females. They made excellent companions. Cathian, York, and Dovis were content. Raff wanted the same thing. Lilly had literally fallen at his feet. The fact that she’d been shot by a stun blaster wasn’t relevant. What was, he’d been there to save her. It had to be fate. She would become his.

  “You can trust me, Lilly. Get clean. It will help with the drugs you’ve been given.” He hoped. “I’ll start a fire. You’ll probably be cold when you get out. I’ll get you clean clothing to wear. I would never force myself on you, Lilly. There’s no honor in it. Your recent experiences have left you traumatized. In the words of some of the human females that live on my ship…” He paused, trying to remember exactly what Nara said often. “I look scary as fuck but I’m not a dick.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Was that correct? A person who treats others badly and isn’t trustworthy?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m not one. I’m going to remove my shirt now. You’ll need something to dry off with.” He released her and backed off, pulling his shirt over his head, and tossing it at the edge of the pool.

  She frowned, staring at his chest. “You wear shiny undershirts?”

  He looked down. “It’s armor that protects my vital organs.”

  “It doesn’t look thick enough to do that.” She reached out and her fingertips brushed against the fabric over his belly. “It feels like satin.”

  “I forget that Earth is so far behind with your technology. This will stop a blade or projectile from penetrating to my skin. It also will absorb one of those stun blasts you took to the back. One wouldn’t have taken me down. Just irritated me.”

  She yanked her hand away. “That’s amazing. We don’t have that material back home. I mean, we have protective gear but it’s bulky.”

  He silently promised to get her armor for under her clothing if she ever left The Vorge, once he got her there. He never wanted his future…he wasn’t certain what to call her. His race life-locked to females. He couldn’t form that kind of bond with one.

  It didn’t matter. He wanted Lilly and planned to keep her. Humans got married. He’d researched everything about Earth once Nara had come to Cathian.

  Lilly felt sweat tickling down her back and between her breasts. Raff walked to the shuttle and climbed inside it. She turned away, debating the intelligence of trusting him. He had saved her life and
if he’d wanted to rape her, he could have just done that. He looked strong enough to take what he wanted. Instead, he’d been a gentleman.

  The idea of getting clean decided it for her. She began to strip off the rough textured, smelly robe. It had been horrifying to wake inside the cage after being take from Bax, her uniform stripped from her body, only wearing her undergarments. At first she’d feared she’d been sexually assaulted but a quick examination of her body had assured her she hadn’t been violated. It had been freezing cold in the cargo hold though and she’d huddled in her bra and panties, her teeth chattering. A guard had come to check on her, perhaps she’d look pitiful enough to earn his sympathy, and he’d shoved the garment between the bars. She’d put it on and then he’d promptly knocked her out again with the shock stick weapon.

  She went into the water in her undergarments. No way did she feel comfortable stripping bare. One glance toward the shuttle revealed Raff still inside. Maybe he was contacting that deep voiced Dovis again. The pool water was comfortable and only deep enough to rise to her ribcage. She sank down to her shoulders, using her hands to rub at her skin.

  It helped cool her down. A slight noise drew her attention and she stared as Raff got out of the shuttle. He held folded clothing in one hand and some kind of small package his other. He avoided her gaze though, walked to the charcoal looking thing, and put the clothes down. He looked at her then, holding out the package.

  “Soap and hair cleaner. May I approach?”

  She nodded but backed away from the edge of the pool. He came closer, laid down what turned out to be a bag instead, and then straightened, giving her his back. She watched as he went to a large pile of wood and twigs in the far corner, got an armful, and dumped them into the firepit. He crouched in front of it and took something from his boot. Flames erupted seconds later and began to burn bright. He straightened again and returned to his shuttle, leaving her alone.