Bound to the Alien Engineer (Alien Brides Book 2), page 9
"Alright," Mindy said with a nod. "You're a prisoner, Aidan is on his way to see his mom, she-" Mindy waved at the woman starting to stir on the medical table, "was abducted but by aliens, not by station first terrorists. Why am I here?"
"You had fallen asleep," Alvola said gently. "And I could not bear to wake you."
"You couldn't get me back to my room? My keycard was in my bag," she said, her arms crossed across her chest. Her fingers itched for the usual contents of her pockets and she cursed the fact that she'd chosen a robe without them.
"We had to leave," Aidan said. "Seriously, their cover was about to be blown."
"I didn't ask you, monkey," Mindy said. "Unless you're the one who carried me aboard this ship, you're not the one who has to explain themselves."
"There was little time," Alvola said. "But if I could have stood to be separated from you, I would have made the effort. As it was, I could barely stand to put you in the bed, where I knew you would be safe while we made our escape."
"That's sweet," Mindy said, swallowing hard. "So, what happens next? And how long are you planning on keeping me here. I'm assuming there's another ship?"
"Yes," Alvola said. "This is just a shuttle we use for surface missions. Your friend and her mate are there and waiting for you. As for what's next, I came to assist in the placement of a translator for Aidan, as he has asked for one and it really needs two people to place."
The nurse behind her let out a string of angry sounding words and Alvola nodded.
"What'd she say?" Mindy asked, glancing at the angry alien woman.
Alvola gave her a smirk. "That it would have been easier before she was hit in the head but that she will endeavor to carry on."
She spoke again, even angrier, and Mindy raised an eyebrow.
"And that I am a son of a disreputable woman's congress with a, well, with an animal we hunt for food for being able to speak to you," Alvola said. "There are some nuances that are missing in the translation, I believe."
Mindy watched him for a long minute then turned to look at Aidan. "You're getting a translator?"
"Yeah, mom says it's scary as shit but doesn't actually hurt and she hasn't had any issues with it so why not? I always wanted to be a cyborg," Aidan said with a grin.
Chapter 14
Alvola admired the way Aidan kept his aunty occupied while they prepped everything needed for the translator to be implanted. She was even laughing when they pulled out the device to do the procedure and set it up next to him. It was a sound he could have listened to for hours.
They both went very quiet when they saw the device for the translator and Aidan smirked.
"Well, no wonder mom said it was scary as shit," he said. "If I didn't know what it was for, I'd be terrified. Even then, I'm not sure I want it pointed at my head."
"You don't have to," Alvola said. "You can just have one of us follow you around everywhere and explain things and translate for you. Though, some of your phrases are unfamiliar and I might get the translation wrong."
Aidan glared at him. "I'm getting the damn translator," he said. "You just need to work on the presentation. Put, I dunno, cute little bunnies on the thing or something."
"They probably don't have cute, cuddly bunnies on their planet. I bet they're horrible things with metal teeth and giant claws," Mindy said, making a face and raising her hands into claws, which she swiped at Aidan until he laughed.
"Probably," he said. "Alright, let's get this over with, what do I need to do?"
"You're going to hold very still and I'm going to hold you steady," Alvola said. "Face forward and don't clench your jaw. Try and keep your neck and shoulders loose."
"Can I watch?" Mindy asked, watching him move around the chair.
"You can come back here and watch, if you'd like," Alvola said, indicating a place behind Aidan's head. "Don't get too close, and don't touch him while we're working."
"Okay," Min-dee said, eyes wide. She moved around Aidan and stood directly where he'd pointed.
The nurse picked up the injector device and flipped on the screen. The glow of the light lit up the side of Aidan's face and Min-dee took a breath.
Aidan and the nurse shot her a concerned look and Alvola frowned. "Are you well, Min-dee?"
"Yeah," she breathed. "This is just so cool. I can see where all the parts are and they're moving. I've never gotten this clear a view of the ear and jaw muscles before."
The nurse smirked and refocused on her task. Aidan's breathing was increasing and Alvola put his hand under his jaw and on the back of his neck. He tensed and let out a breath, closing his eyes and forcing his body to relax bit by bit.
Min-dee was fascinated by the display on the device. She'd moved around to get a better view and was biting her lip to keep from interfering. Once the nurse pulled the trigger, it was a quick moment for the needle to shoot out and place the translator. It was already out of his skin when Aidan flinched.
He worked his jaw and took a breath once Alvola let him go.
"How does it feel?" Alvola asked him in his own language.
"That was weird," Aidan said. "A bit unpleasant but mostly just surprising. The extra language bypassing my ear into my brain is kinda weird, though. Again, not bad, just weird."
"Dude, it was the coolest thing to watch her place that. You have no idea."
Aidan looked up at her and grinned. "You wanna get one so I can watch? I bet Mintonar sent extra translators."
Indecision warred across her face. "I'm sure they're not really for me, though. If he sent extra, they're probably for other people. Maybe to barter?"
"There are extra," the nurse said. "You gonna tell her that one was specifically sent for her? Or do you want me to when she can hear me?"
"Dude, really?" Aidan asked, turning to him.
With a sigh, Alvola realized he was outnumbered even before he'd contemplated keeping the information from her. "You are a friend of Maw-lee," he said. "I brought one to offer you if you decided you wanted to accompany us back to the ship."
The nurse snorted and started disassembling the parts of the device that needed to be changed between insertions.
"Really?" she asked with her eyebrow raised.
"Maw-lee thought you might make your way on to the shuttle and insist on being taken with us to see that she was well with your own eyes," Alvola said, not meeting her eyes. Mintonar had agreed because he knew what Min-dee was to him. Or, at least, what he'd suspected she would be.
His tribe was so remote that, should they wish to procreate with someone other than a cousin, they had to be in contact with others via comm. They'd developed the ability to start recognition through sound in addition to touch. Many was the bride brought to his home territories who was meeting her husband for the first time in person.
Of course, that was planet wide by the time they'd left, with no hope of recognition between the couples except by blind, random luck. And, if Mintonar was to be believed, it was actively being worked against.
Min-dee took a breath and he watched her look at Aidan. "Does this obligate me to anything beyond just receiving the translator?"
"Of course not," Alvola said.
"Really? Pull the other one, it's got bells on," she said, folding her arms across her chest.
"Other one what?" Alvola asked and Aidan snorted.
"Idioms and nuance, man," Aidan said. "I'll explain it when you're older but suffice to say, she's skeptical."
"Nobody gives that kind of technology away without wanting something in return," Min-dee said. "I might not be opposed to whatever conditions you have, though, so I'd like to know what they are up front."
Alvola thought about it for a moment. "I would want you to learn how to read the language, as well, though I understand it's easier once you understand it spoken. I would expect you to make an effort to communicate with others you meet. And to help your people understand ours when it comes time to make official first contact."
With a deep breath, he continued in his own language and watched Aidan stiffen. "And I would expect you to allow me to pursue you in the ways of my people."
"Dude," Aidan said.
"I'll repeat it when she has the translator in," Alvola said.
"What'd he say?" she demanded, suspicious.
Damina snorted and finished changing out the device for another translator.
Aidan looked between them and threw his hands up, getting out of the chair. "It's not something I think you'll object to but I think it's a dirty trick saying it like that and so far beyond anything I want to know about any of you that I am officially washing my hands of the mess."
"Officially?" Min-dee said with a chuckle.
"Officially," Aidan said. "Now sit your ass down and get the thingy put in your brainy so I don't have to act as a translator for the rest of you disgusting people."
"No other conditions?" Min-dee asked, looking at him.
"None," Alvola said.
"You're a sneaky trallix," the nurse told him, lifting the device. "And she's going to hurt you for that one of these days."
"It'll be worth it," he said. "And there's a human phrase about love and war and this counts as both, I believe."
"Laying siege to her bed is not the same thing," the nurse replied, looking at Min-dee expectantly.
Min-dee sighed and sat down. "Let's get this over with so I'm not the only person in the room who doesn't know what's going on."
Aidan moved to stand where she'd been and Alvola took his position next to her. She was sitting straight, her spine stiff, and focusing hard at a point on the wall.
"Relax," he told her, his voice low. One hand cupped the back of her head, the other lightly stroked the skin down the front of her neck, and she shivered.
With a lick of her lips, a sigh that shot straight through him to his groin, and a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. He could see the tension flow out of her as she closed her eyes and let go of the tension in her jaw.
"Cool," Aidan breathed from the other side of the nurse.
She glanced at him with a smirk and hit the inject button.
Min-dee flinched briefly then worked her jaw, moving her chin around in little circles that drew his eyes to her lips.
"Well, that's done," the nurse said, putting the device down so she could disassemble it. "Is there any pain? Can you understand me?"
Min-dee's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, yes, I can! And no, there's no pain. It stung a little I guess but I've had shots that hurt worse."
"You were, by far, the most relaxed person I've ever done this on awake," Damina said with a grin. "You need to teach the rest of my patients that trick. It'll make a lot of things so much smoother."
Min-dee grinned. "I'd be happy to."
"I'm Damina, by the way," she said. "Since he's too preoccupied with being a jerk to tell you.
"It's a pleasure," Min-dee said then stilled.
Alvola lightly stroked his fingers down the front of her neck again and she turned her gaze on him, suddenly obviously aware of where his hands were. Her pale cheeks flushed red and she bit her lip, her eyes glancing up at him through her lashes.
"You can understand me now?" he asked, his voice low.
She nodded, her pink tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip again.
"Good," he said and leaned in to kiss her gently on the cheek. Recognition shot through him and he savored it, the sharp almost-pain of his body's reaction, a reminder of what was to come. Soon, he promised himself, soon.
Min-dee gasped and turned to him, her eyes unfocused. "What is that?" she demanded, her voice breathy.
With a smile, Alvola stood and held out his hand to her. She took it without thinking and he could feel her tremble. "Why don't I give you a tour of the shuttle and I will explain the wonders of recognition."
"Wait," the nurse said as they went through the door. "Vaccinations before we get to the ship. If you want them, come back in an hour so the translator has a chance to heal and connect first."
Alvola waved and left Aidan in the medical bay with the nurse and the other human male who had been remarkably quiet during the whole thing. So had the other woman, he thought, and he would have thought she'd be awake by now.
They passed the door to the sleeping quarters and Min-dee looked inside. One of the other hammock-like bunks was occupied but she couldn't see who was in it.
"How many of us did you take?" she asked, her voice pitched to keep from waking the sleeping figure.
"To my knowledge, it was just the three of you," Alvola said. "The man in the medical bay was a surprise."
"So your nurse abducted herself a human, too?"
"It would seem so," Alvola said with a slight laugh. They walked out into the command deck and he could see Chaegar at the controls, his eyes on the screen in front of him, as he made tiny adjustments to compensate for the debris field around the planet.
"Oh," Min-dee said. "He's a pilot. I guess-"
"What did you guess?" Alvola asked, watching as Chaegar glanced over at her.
"I don't know, I didn't know what he did and he couldn't speak to me so I guess I didn't figure he'd be a pilot," Min-dee said.
"What did you think I did?" Chaegar asked, not looking away from the screen.
"Paratrooper," Min-dee said. "A young one, definitely, but you have the swagger of the kind of guy that likes to jump out of planes."
"Can't say I've jumped out of a whole lot of planes," Chaegar said.
"How many things have you flown that only made it down with you, a seat and half an engine?" Alvola asked.
Chaegar's face split into a wide smile. "More than one."
Min-dee nodded. "Test pilot, then," she said. "What are you doing all the way out here?"
"That is a story for another time," Alvola said, steering her away from the screen. "It may not look like much but handling the controls is typically a two-person job. I'll have to resume my post shortly."
"Oh," Min-dee said. "I shouldn't keep you then."
"I'll make sure and give you the tour, first," Alvola said. "And help you get comfortable. It's the least I can do after abducting you."
She smiled at him. "I'd appreciate that."
Chapter 15
Mindy was impressed by the shuttle. And even more impressed by the technology she'd seen on display in the medical bay. The imaging alone for the translator device was far and away better than anything they had on Earth. And the accuracy of the device with a person holding it was amazing.
The control deck, which she would have called the bridge just out of habit, was very pared down from what she would have expected. She wondered if she'd be allowed to see the same space on the ship or if that was for crew members only.
As they approached what Alvola referred to as the galley, she heard angry voices that sounded like they were being very careful not to shout at each other. When the door opened, she saw Trina and the captain step back from each other and she recognized the stiff posture in Trina's shoulder.
"I thought you said there were only three of us you knew about," she said, rounding on Alvola.
"Aidan didn't count," Alvola said. "He was a volunteer."
"I see," Mindy said, then she had another thought. "How long was I asleep for?"
"Hours," Trina said, glaring at the captain who was pouring himself a drink from what looked suspiciously like a wet bar. "It's almost eight in the morning on Earth."
"Have you slept yet?" she asked Trina gently.
"No," Trina snapped. "I've been spending most of that time trying to convince him to take us back. They had no right to take us off the planet against our will."
"You insisted on coming with me to the shuttle," the captain said back. "You insisted on seeing the inside. Your concern for both Aidan and Mindy has had you haranguing me for hours and if you'd listen to reason, you'd understand that we can't possibly go back at this time."
"You brought us here under false pretenses," Trina insisted. "And presented yourselves under false colors in order to, to abduct us away from our homes and keep us as your sex slaves."
"As...what?" Mindy asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"That is not what I said," the captain protested. "That is how you interpreted it. I cannot help if you have chosen to demean yourself in such a way but I shall not."
Trina flushed bright red and Mindy was, quite frankly, impressed with the range of color she was capable of.
"Um," Mindy said, softly. "I might be speaking out of turn but I get the feeling that you're both very tired and could use some rest. And maybe something to eat. Have you had anything since we got on board, Trina?"
"No," Trina snapped.
"Because you turned down my offer for food," the captain said.
"And your insistence that I sleep in your bed," Trina retorted.
"I woke up in a bunk hammock kind of thing," Mindy said, letting go of Alvola's hand and approaching her friend. She immediately missed the warmth and wanted it back. "Why don't you and I have breakfast and we can get you settled down in a bunk rather than somebody else's bed."
She could see Trina's face screw up in the sour face she made when she knew she was being handled. "Fine," she said. "Since I'm very certain you haven't eaten yet, either."
"Nope," Mindy agreed. "I woke up to Aidan getting his ass kicked and got a very nice tour of the infirmary."
"Is he okay?" Trina asked, looking for the door.
"He's fine," Mindy said, steering her friend towards a chair. "This is an adventure for him and their infirmary is amazing. I think the worst thing he suffered was a bruised shin and possibly his ego. He's eighteen, he'll heal both of them quickly."
Trina sighed and rested her head on her hand. "You're right," she said and Mindy could hear the fatigue in her voice. "I just worry about that kid."
"We all worry about the kid," Mindy said, making eye contact with the men. The captain was standing by the door, beverage in hand, and watching them closely. Alvola nodded and moved to the galley and began putting things on the counter.
