Chapter 20

20

" C ovak," Jesh whispered, her voice cracking with emotion as she turned toward him. "You're alive. I thought… they told me…"

In three long strides, he closed the distance between them and swept her into his arms, nearly crushing her against his chest. The feel of her, warm and alive, sent a wave of relief through him so intense it nearly brought him to his knees.

"I'm here, sweetheart ," he murmured into her hair. "I'm here, and I'm never letting you go again."

Her arms tightened around him, her fingers digging into his back as if to reassure herself he was real. "I thought I'd lost you," she said, her voice muffled against his chest. "When Tanner said you were dead, I wanted to tear this place apart."

He pulled back slightly and cupped her face in his hands. Tears sparkled in her eyes and he used a clawed thumb to gently wipe them away.

"It'll take more than a few assholes to keep me away from you," he growled and bent his head to claim her lips in a kiss filled with desperation and relief. He poured all of his fear, his rage, and his love into that kiss, and when he finally pulled back, both their breathing was ragged.

He pressed his forehead against hers and murmured, "I love you, Jesh. More than I ever thought possible. And I swear to you, I will spend every day of my life proving that love to you."

His gaze dropped to the metal that encased her like a form-fitting bodysuit, and a low growl rumbled in his chest.

" Frexxing hell, what did they do to you?" he asked, his voice rasping with barely contained fury.

She put her hand on his chest. "It's okay," she said, her voice low and reassuring. "It's just a support unit until I regenerate. Jex… he made it for me."

"Jex? You found him?"

Covak's head snapped up, and he looked around the room. In the corner stood a Scorperio suit, its metallic surface gleaming dully in the low light. It hadn't moved so he'd assumed it was inactive, the faceplate clear and no human pilot inside.

But now he looked at it, he realized it wasn't dormant. Tiny lights flickered somewhere within the empty cockpit.

His gaze flicked down to Jesh and then back to the suit. "Is that… Jex?"

She nodded. "That's Jex. Or rather, Jex's onboard system is the pilot. He helped me escape."

He smiled, sweeping his thumb over the nape of her neck where he held her. Rescuing the damsel in distress didn't work when the damsel had decided to rescue herself. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

Jex stepped forward, the metallic lines of the huge Scorperio suit gleaming under the harsh lights of the lab. He raised his hands slowly, his palms out in a universal gesture of peace, the servos in his arms humming with the movement.

"Greetings, Covak Vorr and members of the Reaper team," Jex's voice was calm and measured despite the array of weapons that had been trained on him the instant he'd moved. "I am J10-8M7E, though you may call me Jex. I'm Jesh's batchmate, and I mean you no harm."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Ryke growled, his finger hovering near the trigger of his weapon. "For all we know you could be under human control. That is their tech after all."

Jex inclined his head. "I understand your caution. While this is, indeed, human tech, it was created from the tech that created both Jesh and me. I have merely… reclaimed it."

Ryke tilted his head. "What if the humans hack it and take it back?"

An odd sound emanated from the Scorperio's speakers. It took Covak a moment to realize Jex was laughing. "Hack me? A MedGen unit? I don't think so."

The air buzzed with tension as the Reapers exchanged glances.

"He's a fleet-enabled general. Basically, the highest-level Zodiac there is. So knock it off, all of you," Jesh ordered, her eyes flashing with anger. "He can be trusted the same way you trust me."

"Well, if Jesh vouches for him, that's good enough for me," Covak rumbled, retracting his fangs and claws as he lowered his weapon in a clear sign of his support.

His eyes narrowed as he saw movement behind Jesh. A human male, disheveled and trembling, pressed himself against the back wall of the lab as if trying to disappear into it.

Covak's nostrils flared, catching the sour tang of fear rolling from the male's pores.

"Who is this?"

Jesh's fingers tightened on his arm.

"This is Dr. Tanner," she said, her voice hard. "He's the one who experimented on me. Who tortured me… the one who told me you were dead."

Something within him snapped, and rage, hot and all-consuming, flooded his system. His vision went red at the edges as he focused on the cowering human.

A low, menacing growl rumbled in his chest, his fangs dropping down to fill his mouth as he took a step toward the doctor. This male had hurt Jesh, had hurt his bonded mate.

"I'm going to tear you apart with my bare hands," he promised, his voice straight from his Vorrtan side. "I want to taste your blood as I snap your bones between my fingers."

Tanner's eyes widened in terror, and a whimper escaped his lips as he pressed himself even harder against the wall.

"Covak." Jesh's voice cut through the red haze of his anger. "Don't. He's not worth it."

But he was already moving. In three long strides, he reached the cowering human. His hand shot out, and he grabbed Tanner by the throat. With a snarl of fury, he lifted the human off his feet.

"Please," Tanner gasped. "I was just following orders. I didn't want to hurt anyone."

"Liar," he growled pulling the human closer and taking a deep breath. He rolled it over his tongue. "I can smell your lies. I can smell your fear. You'd say anything to save your sorry ass. And you know what?"

He grinned, mouth full of fangs and tusks.

"It's not going to work."

With a sharp twist, he snapped the human's neck. The sickening crack echoed through the suddenly silent lab like a gunshot. The doctor's body went limp like a puppet with its strings cut. Covak let go and the corpse dropped to the floor with a dull thud.

He stood there for a moment, towering over the dead human, his heartbeat thundering in his ears as he fought back the urge to rip the body apart. Then, with a low growl rumbling in his throat, he turned back to face the others.

To face Jesh.

But rather than the condemnation he expected at his animal side, she smiled at him. "Saves me having to overload my power core to get rid of the asshole."

He crossed the space between them in a heartbeat and scooped her up into his arms.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he murmured and claimed her lips again in a quick, hard kiss.

"Oh for heavens' sake, can we leave the lovey-dovey shit until we're back on the ship? In case you haven't realized, we're in the middle of enemy territory," Ryke informed them, a frown between his brows as he looked around the lab. "Download everything you can find."

"No," Jesh broke in, her voice sharp. "We need to destroy it. All of it. No one should have access to this kind of technology."

"Look around you, Jesh," Ryke said, gesturing to the walls. Covak followed his gaze, noticing for the first time the case studies pinned up. Faces of women, human women, all bearing the marks of experimentation and suffering. "There are women out there who have suffered. We should take this to help them."

Jesh blinked as she looked, and he saw realization wash over her features. It wasn't just about her anymore. He placed a hand on her lower back, over the new metal encasing her skin, but he knew she could feel it.

She leaned into him, as if drawing strength from his presence, and nodded. "Alright. But we destroy anything that could be weaponized. Agreed?"

Ryke smiled. "Absolutely."

As the others moved around the room, gathering what they could, Jesh squeezed his hand.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For coming for me. For bringing them all."

He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. "Always, sweetheart. I will always come for you."

Their moment was interrupted by Jex. "Hate to break up the reunion," he said, his head swiveling toward the lab's entrance, "but we've got company coming. A lot of company."

The sound of boots on metal flooring echoed down the corridor, growing louder with each passing second.

"Time to go," Ryke barked, his voice cutting through the tension. "Davis, Anson, you got everything?"

"Downloaded and purged," Davis confirmed, unplugging a data crystal from the main terminal.

Covak turned to Jesh, his heart swelling with a mixture of love and fierce protectiveness. "Stay close to me," he growled softly.

"Always." Her lips quirked in a small smile.

"Now let's get the fuck out of here."

Back on the ship, two days had passed for Jesh in a blur of recovery and rehabilitation. So much so, she was completely and utterly sick of looking at the inside of the medbay. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Jex had deemed her systems recovered enough that the support exoskeleton could be removed, allowing her to move more freely for the first time since her ordeal.

"You might feel a bit weak at first," Jex warned. "Take it slow and?—"

Before he could finish his advice, Covak scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his broad chest. She couldn't help a sudden squeak of surprise at the moment, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"That's not a problem," he rumbled, his deep voice vibrating through his chest and into her body. His eyes were a warm grey as he looked down at her. "My mate never needs to walk again if she doesn't want to."

The possessive note in his voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she nestled closer happily.

With a nod to the hulking cyborg-turned-Scorperio, Covak turned and carried her out of the medbay. The ship's corridors seemed different from this new perspective, cradled in his arms, and not for the first time did she realize how much bigger than her he was.

"You'll put your back out carrying me like this, you know?" she commented. She wasn't like most girls. Literally. She was mostly made of metal.

"A little thing like you? Pffft." He grinned down at her. "You're as light as a feather."

"Yeah right, you keep telling yourself that when Jex is rebuilding the vertebrae in your lower back after you popped them," she snorted.

Covak paused by the door to their quarters, a glint in his eyes.

"I have ulterior motives. Apparently there's an old human tradition," he said. "When mates enter their new home for the first time, the male carries the female over the threshold. It's supposed to bring good luck."

She raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "That's sweet, but you do realize I'm not human. Right? Not really anyway," she teased, her fingers tracing one of the intricate markings on his forearm.

His deep chuckle echoed along the corridor. "Neither am I, little one. But I'm not turning down free good luck." He shifted his grip as the door slid open in front of them. "Besides, I quite like the idea of carrying my mate to our bed."

"Well, when you put it that way…" She pretended to consider it for a moment and then grinned up at him.

"Next time." He winked at her. "You can carry me."

She grinned. "You're on, handsome."

The door slid shut behind them, and she blinked as she looked around the room. There were what looked like rose petals scattered over the fresh white sheets on the bed and candles all around.

She cut a glance at him, and he had the grace to blush. "Yeah, so I read a few human romance novels. I wanted this to be perfect." He studied her expression with worry. "This is good. Isn't it? I got it right?"

"Oh, yes, you definitely got it right." She leaned in to whisper against his lips.

He carried her to the bed, kissing her as he lowered her. She sank into the softness, the cool sheets a delicious contrast to the warmth of his skin.

She reached for him, her fingers trailing over the contours of his chest and the hard ridges of his heavy muscles. Yanking him toward her, her lips crashed into his in a fierce, demanding kiss that left no doubt about what she wanted. She'd nearly died. She wanted to feel alive again. And the best place she knew to do that was in his arms.

He groaned into her mouth as their tongues danced, the kiss deepening. Her hands roamed his body, a thrill running through her at the feel of the solid muscle beneath his clothing. This big, powerful man was all hers… and she needed to feel his skin against hers. Right. Now.

"Covak, please," she begged, pulling at his shirt.

He got her message, his eyes filled with dark heat as he undressed her with a reverence that made her heart ache, stealing kisses for every inch of skin revealed. His expression tightened as he smoothed gentle touches over the new scars that marred her skin.

"They're just scars," she whispered. "I'm here. You're here. That's all that matters. Now are you going to get naked or what?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He grinned, his voice thick and raspy despite his teasing.

Rolling off her, he undressed with a speed that was impressive. She leaned up on one elbow to watch the view, catcalling when his cock sprang free to slap against his toned stomach.

"Come here," she murmured, reaching out as he crawled back over the bed.

She wrapped her hand around his thick cock, her grip firm as she stroked him. His breath hitched, and a surge of feminine power rolled through her at the sound.

"Don't think I'm going to leave you out," he purred.

Settling on his side next to her so she could still reach his cock, he parted her thighs. They both sucked in a breath as his fingers slipped in the slick wetness of her arousal. Locking his gaze with hers, he stroked her clit even as she stroked him. Each touch brought her closer to the edge, tension winding tighter and tighter deep inside her.

"I can't wait," she breathed, pushing him onto his back and straddling him.

He smiled as he lay beneath her, his large hands smoothing over the flare of her hips.

"Take what you need, sweetheart. It's all for you."

Her breathing was short and hurried as she positioned herself over him, the broad head of his cock nudging against the entrance to her pussy. She'd never been so wet in all her life, but still he was that big that the stretch as she lowered herself onto him bordered on pain. It was a sweet ache, though, one that eased almost immediately as she rocked on him, impaling herself on his broad girth until he was buried in her to the hilt.

"Gods," he groaned, throwing his head back and the cords standing out in his strong neck. "That feels frexxing phenomenal!"

She had to agree but didn't have the words. Instead, she let her actions speak for her as she rose up and then rode him with an abandon that left no room for thought, only feeling. His hands gripped her hips, guiding her movements as she rose and fell on his cock, impaling herself over and over. Their eyes caught and held. In his darkened gaze, she saw everything she had ever wanted—love, acceptance, home .

"You're all I've ever wanted," he confessed, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I never wanted the harems or the battles. I just wanted you, Jesh. Only you."

"I'm yours, Covak," she vowed in a soft whisper. "Now and forever."

Their rhythm quickened, the sound of their bodies moving together creating an erotic soundtrack. Sweat slicked their skin, and the scent of their arousal filled the air. It was intoxicating, a sensory overload that heightened every touch, every kiss.

Their climax hit them at the same time, pleasure exploding through them with the force of a supernova. She shattered apart, her pussy clenching around his cock as she screamed her release with his name. He roared in reply, his hands hard on her lips as her orgasm triggered his.

She looked down at him and managed a smile. In that blinding moment between one heartbeat and the next, everything was perfect. She had found her home—not in the stars or the countless planets she had visited before but in the arms of the alien warrior who held her heart.

Covak was her sanctuary, her safe haven.

Her perfect alien mate.