Enraptured

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Creatures, Creations and Critters

 Excerpt:

With the light of the stars flying past on either side of her small craft, Maura was in her element. The ship handled well under the stressful conditions. Each and every twist and turn through the obstacles of the course brought her time closer and closer to that of the current leader—Alzor. A pilot and ship from Nyal space didn’t surprise Maura, but his attitude rubbed her the wrong way. He had a way about him that set her teeth on edge while it increased her heart rate.

She was conflicted. No other pilot even began to trigger her lust, but with him, she was always ready to punch him or kiss him senseless. It wasn’t logical.

Fortunately, she had been able to keep out of his way when they were in the analytical portion of the experimental craft assessment. She lived in hope and dread of running into the tall shifter in the halls of the station. They were working for competing research teams and they were both pilots. Nothing else should get between them. Not even clothing.

Damn. Why does my brain keep going to the bad place? She needed to keep her eyes out for the next buoy to circle and from there, it was a straight shot back to home base. Her little ship was currently on its best time through the obstacle course and she didn’t want to wreck her record by screwing up.

The controls were a little soft on the hard banking. A slight shiver ran through the ship as she straightened out for the hard burn back to base. She made a note on the vocal recorder. It was her black box to mention all problems and her team’s responsibility to fix them.

As she increased her speed, the shiver increased and a snap followed by lights flaring on her control board let her know that this was not a little problem. Part of her ship had broken off. “Shit!”

“This is Pilot Maura in the Xeno One. I require immediate assistance. My ship has lost the left wing and I am losing oxygen.” She had safety levels and her little ship was moving toward the station, but she would probably miss it if she didn’t get some help. Docking at a mobile station was iffy at the best of times. With the controls rapidly seizing under her hands, she fought the mental image of slamming into the side of the station and leaving a giant splat mark.

“This is research station Del. We acknowledge your distress call and a rescue ship has been deployed. Hang tight, Maura. Help is on the way.” The friendly tone was practiced, but Maura Aitcheson appreciated the sentiment. Survival was everything and keeping your mind on the possibility of it was something that would keep you alive.

“Acknowledged. Preparing for anything.” Maura left the com open but squirmed around to close the seals on her suit and buckle her helmet into place. She left the air circulation on, breathing the remaining air from the shuttle until she didn’t have a choice. It was slowly bleeding out into space, but there was enough to keep her alive for a few minutes.

She fastened her gaze out the front port, watching a tiny speck leave the larger bulk of the station. Part of her relaxed. Help was indeed coming. She was hoping to get the ship hauled back to the station, but she would abandon it for retrieval by a follow-up crew if she had to.

She watched the speck grow larger and as the minutes passed, she shifted to suit breathing. Her shuttle was out of air, but her tanks would keep her alive for three hours if necessary.

Though the slow approach was frustrating, it was necessary. If the team came in too hot, it could blast past her, not stop in time or flip her around, none of which was  an excellent option.

“Xeno One. This is the Reeva Nahrad. Prepare for magnetic linkage.”

The voice made her run hot and cold at the same time. She pressed her com link on her suit. “Reeva Nahrad, ready for linkage.”

Alzor’s deep, calm voice asked, “What is your atmosphere status, Maura?”

“I am on suit breathing. I have two hours forty-five minutes of air.” She kept her breathing even, though her heart was beating frantically in her chest. “Thanks for asking.”

“I will try and make this quick.”

There was a tone of concern in his voice, but it didn’t stop her from saying, “I have heard you were quick.”

The silence on the other end of the com made her wince. Her mouth had run away with her again. He brought out the worst in her—every snaky, snippy comment that floated through her head came out of her mouth when he was near. It was frustrating for her and embarrassing as well.

The bulk of his ship hovered over hers and she watched the magnetic couplings extend, fighting an erection joke. The sharp clang of the connection caused her to jump in her chair.

“There, that didn’t hurt a bit. Hold tight and we will be on our way.” The slight rocking as the magnets retracted and pulled her ship tight against the belly of his made her wince. It was horrible for a pilot to have someone else in control of their craft.

“Ready when you are. Go as fast as you want to.”

She raised her eyebrows when he retorted, “Promises, promises.”

Surprised by the banter, she sat back in her chair as the Reeva Nahrad pulled her smaller ship along all the way back to the station. Pinned to him like a bug, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have nothing between them. No metal, no suits, just skin and heat.

Her mind took her back to dangerous places where she tasted him from head to toe, learning his textures and if he was ticklish. The shape that he could shift into was also a mystery.

Coming into the Alliance from Earth had created a number of shocking discoveries for her. The creatures of legend were alien races—shapeshifters existed in a number of forms and telepathy and forms of empathy were prevalent among her people even though no one wanted to admit it. It was moments like this when she was alone in space that her mind thought about where she was and how amazing it was that she had made the cut.

Maura’s reflexes had made her an ideal test pilot. Her enthusiasm for life made her suitable for experimental ships. She would not take chances with her own life in order to save a piece of tech. That self-preservation was an instinct, which enabled her to learn everything there was to know about the ship she was in, as well as safety protocols.

Her knowledge of the Xeno One made its failure one of two likely candidates. She was leaning toward the final fuel drop resulting in a partially closed vent. Since she had been in the cockpit when the go signal had been given, the fuelling bot had probably not sealed the vent, so when she put stress on it, it cracked.

She was hoping that that had been the problem. If it was genuine sabotage, she was in a whole new world of weirdness.

The heads-up display in her helmet gave her the reading that she had twenty minutes of air left. Fortunately, Alzor was lowering her into position for a mechanical docking.

“How are you doing, Maura?”

“Twenty minutes of air, Alzor, but otherwise perky.”

“You always are. Docking clamps are extended and I am releasing the magnetic connections…now.”

The slight drop into the waiting arms of the station made her blink. She had spent far too much time with her own thoughts. Her mind had scampered from sex to home and back again the instant she heard his low, rumbling voice.

The Xeno One was lowered into the station and the seals closed over it. Maura waited until the lights showed a breathable atmosphere in the shuttle bay and popped the seal on her ship. She didn’t shut off her suit’s oxygen, it was a habit born of personal experience. She had no urge to suffocate if the seals on the station didn’t hold.

The first time it happened, she had been near the doorway and was able to cling to some wiring until the exterior seals engaged. Her suit had kept her from freezing, but the memory of almost being blown out into space was something she didn’t want to relive.

She walked to the air lock by the most direct route she could find, always keeping her hand on a rail or some grippable surface. When she was in the airlock, she still didn’t blow her suit seals, even though she had less than five minutes left. Safety first, kids.

The moment she was in the hall outside the airlock, she opened her seals and removed her helmet. The stale air of the station was welcome, an unlimited source of breathable atmosphere. Another welcome sight was striding toward her with a determined glint in his silver eyes.

“Alzor. Thank you for the retrieval.” She extended her hand.

When he gripped her by her shoulders and lifted her up against a wall for a punishing kiss, surprised was the least of her emotional responses.

He ravaged her mouth, using lips, teeth and tongue to subdue her. Her choice was to fight or submit and damn he tasted good. Her blood pooled in her womb and she groaned as a pulse started between her thighs. She was reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair when he abruptly pulled away.

He held her until she was standing on her own again, her legs straight and back stiff. With a jaunty grin, he turned and walked away. “You are welcome.”

She may have stared after him slack-jawed but not for long. A medical team was stampeding down the hall. It was time for the post-incident medical exam and there was no avoiding those hands, even if there was another set of hands that she would much rather have running over her body.

Damn it.

The first book in this set ... Entranced available from Extasy Books

The second book in this set ... Entwined available from Extasy Books

The Third book in this set...Enchanted available from Extasy Books

The Fourth book in this set...Enthralled available from Extasy Books

Enraptured...available from Extasy Books