Unexpected Hero, page 6
Hazda smiled. “Well, your nest here has been feathered a little. The clothing that Mekked picked out has started arriving, so you have a choice tomorrow for clothing and shoes.”
Misty smiled.
Kekkari grinned. “Time for dessert. Misty, are you going to partake?”
“No. I am just going to head upstairs and get some rest. It has been a bit of an emotional day.” She got up from the table and nodded. “Please, excuse me.”
They nodded, and Misty headed up to the bedroom, hung her dress in the cleansing unit, washed her face, hands, and feet, and walked to the bed, crawling into Mekked’s side of the bed. She rubbed her face against the pad where he rested his head, and she breathed deeply and smiled as she relaxed.
“Misty! Misty! Wake up!” Kekkari’s voice was frantic.
Misty pulled herself out of a horrific dream, and she opened her eyes, covering her mouth as she stopped screaming her throat raw. She looked at his frantic eyes and burst into tears. “Sorrysorrysorrysorry.”
He sighed. “Aw. You poor little thing.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her onto his lap, holding her and stroking her hair.
She sniffled. “I am sorry if I woke you.”
“You didn’t. Mekked called me and told me to wake you.”
“He did?”
“Most of the house is wired for security, so I am guessing that he saw you or heard you.”
“Oh, I don’t know if that is sweet or creepy.” She sniffled and held onto Kekkari.
“He owns the planet. Consider it restraint. He could have had everyone you have ever met here soothing you or have the therapist sitting with you right now.”
She sniffled and wiped her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”
He cuddled her against him and pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “It’s fine, little one. You have been through a lot, and it all came to the surface today. You are going to be experiencing issues with this for a while. You can let it out.”
Misty huffed. “I don’t like to let it out.”
“Let out the bad and let it soar into the night.”
“I can’t. It keeps creeping out when I don’t expect it.” She sniffled.
“You can, and you should. Mekked has authorized the mind healer, so you can have the block removed, and Dr. Remak will be able to work a little faster.”
Misty blinked. “I thought there wasn’t a hurry.”
He chuckled and smoothed his hand along her hair. “Mekked said something about adhering to the contract and then muttered about his time running out.”
“His time?”
“Sea folk run a little hot when they have a mate, and he has a mate that he has agreed to let go through therapy and come out whole before he begins to demand her attendance on him when he needs her to.”
She paused and chuckled. “Ah, so this is to get me to work as quickly as possible.”
Kekkari chuckled. “Something like that. The sensors are set now. If you cry out again, I will be here in a moment.”
“Thank you. I will be fine.”
“Hm. You plan to just stay awake through the night.”
“How many more hours are there?”
“Five. You will go to sleep, and I will stay with you.”
She nodded, and he let her crawl back into the bed, and she pulled Mekked’s pillow to her. There wasn’t enough scent left, so she sighed and moved over to her side.
Kekkari came around, and she took in his loose trousers and naked torso. Like most Vecchin, he was made of muscle and smooth hide. She pulled the sheet up, and he stroked her hair. “Why did you move, little one?”
“The scent was gone, so no point.”
“Ah. I thought that might be it. I will be back in a few minutes.”
She let her fatigue pull her under, and when the scent of Mekked was near her, she smiled and fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up with light streaming around her, she saw the shirt that had been tucked near her head, blushing. Hazda wasn’t waiting for her, but there was a ribbon tied around Misty’s wrist that led to one of the compressed wardrobes that the Vecchin favoured. She had no option. She had to walk to the wardrobe and open it to find a display of an astonishing array of clothing, some of which were lit up. She took the hint that she was supposed to select something new, so she did. Long sleeves, long skirt, and high neckline.
She took the dress as it was whirred forward and fluffed up. She carried it to the shower room and went to get showered and dressed. The dress was more modest, but it fit like a second skin from shoulder to hip.
Misty put on some matching shoes and headed down to the kitchen. Kekkari was talking as he worked, and he said, “She was fine after I found your gym wear. I just have to remember and save the shirt before the bots get to it and scrub it. I don’t know how much of your scented gear is left around here.”
Misty spoke up. “I put it in a cupboard in the lav. It should be safe there until tonight.”
Kekkari turned, and there was a slightly guilty expression in his eyes. “Ah, Misty. You are up early.”
The display on the counter turned, and Mekked’s face was in the unit. “Good morning, Misty. Rough night?”
“For Kekkari more than me.” She walked toward the display. “Getting the freighter fixed?”
He gave a slight nod of his head. “I hear therapy was hard.”
“Worse for the therapist than me. I knew what was going to come out of my mouth.”
“Do you ever have a bad day?”
She shrugged. “It is always worse for someone else.”
He chuckled. “Too much empathy. Are you going to keep yourself healthy and safe until I get home?”
She inclined her head. “Of course.”
He smiled. “The mind healer will be there today, and I would recommend not eating an hour before they remove the block. That dress looks lovely on you. The style suits you.”
“Thank you.” She smiled wryly. “And thank you for picking it out.”
He grinned. “You are welcome. I am glad to see that it lives up to my imagination.”
“Keep your mind on your work, Master. I will be here when you return.”
He sighed. “You don’t need to call me that.”
She shrugged. “That is the instruction that they gave us at the station.”
“I am not full Hmrain.”
“So... Mister?” It was hard finding a Vecchin equivalent word.
He snorted. “Enjoy your day, nap if you have to after the removal, and wait until you feel better. The repair here is going well and should be done soon. We should be back in a few days.”
She nodded. “I will see you when you get back.”
“You definitely will, and if Hazda offers to take you out and you want to go... go. Hazda will pay, and if she doesn’t, I have a spare credit chit in the bedroom inside my clothing organizer. You can bring that with you. It doesn’t require any code.”
She smiled. “Thank you.”
“Well, I have to sign off. Take care of yourself until I can, and you can trust Kekkari and Hazda.”
“I know.” She smiled. “He found one of your sweaty shirts for me and tucked it in near me.”
“I didn’t know you were scent attached.”
Misty grimaced. “Neither did I.”
He chuckled. “Communication out.”
The screen went dark.
Misty looked to Kekkari, and he delivered a plate to the table where a carafe of kio was sitting. “I’m sorry. Did you need to discuss anything with him?”
“You were the topic of conversation, and you managed that just fine.” He smiled and patted her shoulder. “Eat. Are you always an early riser?”
“The café started to get busy early, and I couldn’t sleep through the sound, so I got up and started my day.” She settled and started to eat.
She had finished her meal and was sipping a cup when Hazda came in with her tablets and frazzled appearance. She looked so carefree at the café, but now, she was working.
Hazda grinned and said, “Sleep well?”
Kekkari snorted.
“Not particularly.” She smiled. “It got better eventually.”
Hazda sighed and put one of her tablets aside. “There. Done. Fortunately, when they are off-world, the damage is minimal.”
Kekkari brought Hazda her breakfast, and he chuckled. “They must be getting old.”
Hazda laughed. “Not fast enough.”
Misty sipped her beverage and filled Hazda’s cup.
Kekkari made himself a plate and joined them.
Misty finally asked, “Does anyone know when the mind healer is arriving?”
Kekkari smiled. “In forty-five minutes.”
Hazda smiled. “Mekked made the call?”
“He made the call. Poor Remak was all stressed out, so she wants to do it the quick way.”
Misty sighed. “Once she realized I wasn’t hiding anything from myself, she started crying.”
They sighed and talked about the day, and Misty got up and said, “I am going to wander around outside.”
She exited through the kitchen door and walked past the fresh veg and herb gardens. The patterned hedges called to her, and she ran toward them with a giggle.
* * * *
Mekked watched the surveillance on the gardens, and he grinned and felt relief that Misty would run and skip when she thought no one was looking.
She was laughing as she ran. Completely carefree. Her hair rippled out behind her, and she romped around for quite a while.
Soith looked over his shoulder. “This is seriously creepy, Mekked. She doesn’t know you are watching.”
“She knows.”
“How can you tell?”
Misty paused in the middle of some flowers, and she bowed toward the camera before she scampered off again.
Mekked chuckled. “That’s how I can tell.”
“How does she know?”
“Last night, she had a nightmare, and my sensors alerted me to audio interference in my bedroom. I called Kekkari, and he went to her and comforted her.”
“How is she today?”
“Trying to distract herself before the mind healer removes her block. I am very curious to see what happens when the block is lifted.”
Aldrun asked, “Do they know we are coming back today?”
Mekked sighed happily. “No, they do not.”
Soith laughed. “You are an ass.”
Mekked chuckled. “I know. It will be a bit of torture as her therapy won’t be complete, but I will get to hold her again.”
Aldrun muttered, “And that is all that matters, after all.”
Mekked watched Misty playing in the flowers and twirling in the early morning light. “Yes, it is.”
* * * *
The mind healer was efficient and a little bit brutal. When he left, Hazda touched her mind gently, and she didn’t faint.
The call to Remak happened quickly. The therapist arrived, and in between cups of tea, she ran the cycle through Misty’s thoughts until the horrors were worn shadows. It took hours, and Misty was lightheaded when it was over, but the memories were no longer slipping into her thoughts. She felt clean.
Misty’s legs wobbled as she stood up, and Kekkari helped her up and to the kitchen table. He got her a cup of kio and made her a meal of cheese and meat pastry with a side of crisp marinated vegetables.
He rubbed her back every time he passed.
She laughed. It was like he was trying to soothe a toddler.
Hazda got called away, and Misty was a little sleepy, so she headed to bed and lay on the covers, still dressed. She hadn’t taken an afternoon nap in ages, but Mekked had said to rest when she needed to, and her head pounded and memories now felt so small. It was like they didn’t fill her head anymore.
With her head aching and empty, she decided a nap would help settle her. She lay back and wrapped an arm around her ribs and slept.
Something soft caressed her lips, and the smell was flowers. She stretched and smiled, squirming in place.
She opened her eyes, sat up, and scooted back. “Mekked!”
He grinned and twirled the flower between his fingers. “We finished early and headed back. It seems that you finished your work as well.”
She stared into his black eyes. “I did. I took a nap because my head hurt.”
“How does it feel now?” He stroked her forehead with the flower.
“Better.”
“I have decided I want you to greet me with a hug and a kiss when we have been separated.”
She looked at his mouth. “When does that start?”
“The moment that I left. It seemed like a good idea that turned into a better idea as time went on.”
She leaned forward and touched his neck, pressing her lips to his softly. Misty felt his arms go around her, and he held her head as the kiss deepened until her soft sighs and gasps were filling the room along with his low humming and slow growling.
The kiss filled her with heat, and she relaxed into his grip. He slowed the stroking of his tongue, and his touch on her legs preceded his hand dragging her skirt upward. He didn’t hesitate, his fingers touched between her thighs, and he smiled when he found her slick and hot.
He touched and stroked; his fingers slipped and slid.
She clutched at his neck, and her other hand gripped his wrist as fingers delved into her, and she moaned, then whined as his very intuitive hand found the right spots to lead her to a deep, throbbing conclusion. She pressed her forehead to his and panted as her body pulsed and clasped around his fingers.
“And hello to you, Misty.” He chuckled.
She looked into his eyes, and tiny pinpricks of stars were forming in them. “Are you going to do that every time?”
He chuckled. “I certainly hope so. Are you?”
She blushed. “I certainly hope so.”
He grinned and kissed her again, slowly moving his fingers inside her. “No weird memories?”
“No. They have been run to ash. The therapist was exhausted but satisfied. It is a very efficient system.”
“And available only to the Vecchin.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t heard of it before. Also, nice tip on waiting an hour before letting a mind healer in. I am guessing they get barfed on a lot.”
He laughed. “They do, and they do not like it.”
She giggled and then gasped as his fingers sought and found her g-spot. She whined as his fingers began to slide over it rapidly. He flattened her to the bedding and kissed her again as he built the heat in her until she dug her fingers into his shoulders and screamed into his mouth.
He lifted his head slightly. “Oh, I liked that one. The energy streaming off you was intense. And tasty. I will be doing that again. You are lovely.”
She knew her expression was glazed, and she felt a little sweaty. She was a mess. She met his gaze, and there was satisfied admiration. To him, she was lovely. Oh, she was lost.
Chapter Seven
Misty was sitting on a bench in the shower, dazed and tingling. Mekked was humming with energy. “I now understand why my father is so protective of my mother. The rush of energy is incredible.”
He played the spray over her back and then around to her breasts. “How do you feel?”
She chuckled. “Fine. A little dazed. I didn’t expect to be seeing stars in your bedroom.”
He hummed happily. “How many times did you climax?”
“I lost track after six. I think you wore my clit out.”
He leaned in and stroked his hand gently over her sex. “No, it’s still here and as pert as ever.”
At his final gentle pat, she gritted her teeth to keep from sighing. “Am I clean yet?”
He knelt next to her and stood her up with her foot on the bench. She hadn’t expected him to look... but he looked. “You appear to be clean, but I think—” He leaned forward, and his tongue did the checking.
Despite his hands being on her thighs, she nearly pitched forward. She braced her hands on his shoulders and slipped down his back. She felt nodules under his skin near his spine and gasped and whined as his tongue delved into her, swirled, and he teased and taunted her until the slow circles around her clit caused her to whimper as her knees gave way. He caught her with a laugh and held her while she shivered and twitched.
“I think that’s enough for now. Kekkari will be upset if he has to hold dinner for us.”
She looked at him with wary eyes. “We can get dressed now?”
He kissed her softly. “Yes. Once we are properly connected, I will not have to take so much from you. Now, you are just a delightful source of energy that I can call on, but soon, we will be in a much better situation. Then, I can take energy from you, and you can take it from me.”
“What would I need it for?”
“Strength, healing, whatever you need.”
She swallowed. “Oh.”
He nuzzled her cheek in a sign of Vecchin affection. “Come on. Let’s pick something for you to wear, and after dinner, we can go walk in the plaza.”
“A walk?”
Mekked chuckled. “Just a walk. They have fountains and floral displays and stalls that sell all kinds of sweets.”
She perked up. “Fountains?”
“You like fountains?”
“I have seen vid clips on customer’s units, and they looked so pretty.”
“Fountains it is.” He stroked her cheek.
They got up, and he chose an outfit for her that was two pieces of fabric pinned with gemstones at strategic points. It covered her, but it wasn’t very thick and fluttered a lot when she moved.
He wore a Roman-style skirt and knee-high boots. His tunic was the same silky material that hers was.
He dialled up her shoes, and she grinned when it was boots that matched his. She hopped up and down and then stopped when he grinned.
