Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Binding Pollen

He needed to use the Binding Pollen to quickly heal her body. Then they needed to escape—with or without help. But escape wouldn't happen until healing started. The woman created just for him by the Interstellar Gods was unconscious and moaning quietly. She had to be in so much pain. Every whimper, every groan, and every sigh tore at his psyche.

It didn't matter that she hadn't had the opportunity to accept or reject him in this lifetime. Dahvid's soul recognized hers. Healing his Keeper was one of the specific things his body had been created to do. He was physically programmed to see to her health in every way.

Dahvid waved his hand and dropped the magic he used to look human while he was on Earth. Quickly morphing into his true form once the glamour needed to pass in her world slipped away. His features, size, and shape were similar to the biker dude. But instead of the long blonde hair he used in this Realm, his hair was neon green. His eyes were an even brighter greenish-yellow than his hair. In place of a golden tan, his flesh was in tones of dark silver. Binding Pollen caused his skin to glimmer.

Kimberly's injury bothered him on an instinctive level. His body was pumping out Binding Pollen at an alarming rate. His flesh was covered in it, intended to temp his mate.

But in this condition, Kim couldn't be tempted.

He would never take a mate by force. Doing so was punishable by death. The Keeper always chose and had the right to refuse. Injured as she was, Kimberly couldn't decide for herself. He had to believe she would choose life, so he would use the only healing option available to him, the Binding Pollen.

He knew she hurt. Knew she was a little confused by what had happened to them. He wanted her healed, whole, and feisty. Binding Pollen coated his body. If Kim were awake, she could lick it off his flesh. When the Keepers first claimed their Guardians, they needed to ingest a large amount of pollen to convert them. The pollen helped make their bodies immortal and heal anything causing pain or harm. It also reversed the signs of aging. A Keeper would rejuvenate to optimum health and age.

He also had a bump along the roof of his mouth filled with the Binding Pollen. While kissing, his Keeper could stimulate that bump and a deluge of pollen would flood her system, speeding healing. If she didn't need it for healing, the pollen worked as a potent aphrodisiac. But healing always took precedence over sex. If he had any other choice, he wouldn't do this. The Binding Pollen would tie them together as a mated pair. It would heal Kim, save her life, and allow them to escape their captors—yes. But it would also bind them together for life.

Dahvid self-stimulated the bump in his mouth and then he shifted Kimberly in his arms, putting a finger under her chin and gently tilting her face to his. She didn't open her eyes or move even a tiny bit on her own. When she moaned, Dahvid flinched. He didn't want to hurt her. Dahvid covered her lips with his and kissed her softly.

In the beginning, she didn't respond. Then oh, so slowly she moved her lips, a little at first, opening so he could slip his tongue inside. As the Binding Pollen started healing, she improved a bit and reacted more.

He nudged the bump, and the spicy, sweet essence filled his senses. Kim's tongue slipped between his lips. She moaned at the taste. Her reaction was instinctual. Part of her recognized that the pollen contained a potent healing elixir. In a few moments, she would consume enough that he could move her without causing more damage.

Kissing her was both the best and the worst thing ever.

He'd wondered how she'd taste. How soft her lips would be. What it would be like to hold her in his arms, her body next to his. Dahvid had many lifetimes to dream about their first kiss. He never imagined it would happen to save her life and couldn't transform into something purely physical.

He remembered she hadn't been able to say yes to this. Once more, he prodded that small bump at the roof of his mouth—self-stimulating the area until a flood of Binding Pollen was exchanged. Dahvid closed his eyes for a moment and pulled back. He sighed into the dark, "I promise you, Kimberly, I will do everything I possibly can to make you happy."

It was done. Now she could escape and chase down their attackers to find out who they were and why they kidnapped her. Dahvid had healed Kim, allowing her to seek vengeance. He hoped that she would eventually forgive him for what he'd taken away. He figured she'd be happy to be alive, but he knew she would be irritated at having so many choices made for her.

He closed his eyes for a moment, waiting. Almost immediately, Dahvid noticed the changes in Kimberly. She was breathing easier. The moaning stopped. He removed the makeshift bandage from her head and gently touched the area. There was no longer any bleeding. The bump had gone down and her skin knitted together.

His instincts told him he could move her now. Dahvid gently slipped from under Kimberly and stood up. He stretched again, for the moment remaining in his silver Guardian form. His Keeper wouldn't see him in the dark. Even if she opened her eyes, she wouldn't be able to see him. He wouldn't change yet. There were things he could do in his natural form that weren't possible in others.

For one thing, he was stronger and more flexible.

Standing in front of the door, Dahvid wondered if it could be that easy. Reaching out, he tried turning the handle. The strength of ten powerful human males surged through his veins and… nothing. No amount of two-handed wrenching on the cold metal shifted the lock.

Moving his fingers around the frame, he searched for enough space to slip between the cracks, thinking he might be able to pull the door from its hinges. In his Guardian form, he could elongate all or part of his body. Even changing the size and shape of his fingers. So, he thinned and flattened them, and searched for room to stick them through to the other side. But there was nothing.

Until he came to the hinges. The door opened into the room, so the hinges were on this side. He slid the tips of his fingers along the right side of the door and felt the three hinges. He didn't have a screwdriver or anything metal that would allow him to remove the screws, but maybe he could pull out the pins. This was a large metal door, the hinges were proportional to the size of the door, which meant they were also larger. The pin holding the two hinge plates together had a head about the size of an American quarter, only chunkier.

Which made them easy to grasp. It took time, and some frustration on his part, but eventually Dahvid managed to pull out the pin from all three hinges. The tips of his fingers were bruised, but they'd heal.

Using all his strength, Dahvid managed to force the door out into the hall, leaving an opening for his elongated Guardian body to slip through. He cautiously stepped into the hall, happy to find he was alone. Pulling on the metal, he expanded the gap to allow him to carry Kim to freedom.

An internal check with his spaceship's database told him it was two in the morning. Time to leave. Gently, Dahvid scooped Kimberly into his arms and slipped through the dismantled doorway.

There wasn't a great deal of light in the hallway, and all of it came from the green exit sign in front of the door a few steps away. If Kim opened her eyes, the green glow would be enough for her to notice the very nonhuman look of the man who carried her. Dahvid changed back to his biker dude persona. He looked up at the ceiling, wondering if there were cameras in the hall. He'd have to worry about that later. He needed to get Kim out of here.

Pausing at the door, Dahvid considered his options. He could balance Kim in his arms, open the door, and hope no one was on the other side. Or he could put her down, check what he assumed was a stairway, pick her back up, and take his chances.

Turns out—there was a third option. Dahvid tensed when the door slowly opened a few inches and a hand stuck out—holding a credit card. He grinned when he realized the gray card with red lettering was issued by Helpers, Inc. Thank the Interstellar Gods… help had arrived. He whispered, "Open the door."

A twenty-something, dark-haired human male pushed open the door. Besides the credit card, he was holding a Guardian tracker, which led him right to Dahvid. It's how he knew they were in the hall. "I'm Michael Adams. My brother Gabriel is up a flight—watching the door on that floor and the stairs above. We've taken down the cameras and sealed all the doors shut except for the one leading to the roof. We're safe to head up. Would you like me to carry the woman?"

"She's my Keeper." In other words, no. "I don't know if anyone else is on the floor. I don't think so. I made a lot of noise getting out of the room they kept us in."

Michael grinned, stepped to the side to let them into the stairway, and took an aerosol can out of one of his many pockets. He sprayed its contents around the doorframe and pulled the door shut. "In less than a minute, the seal will set. Go on, I'll catchup."

Gabriel and Michael had to be identical twins. Except this brother was loaded down with weapons, not gadgets. When he saw them, he nodded and started moving upward. They reached the roof in record time. With all the doors sealed shut, they didn't need to be careful. They simply moved upward… all twenty-five flights. At the top, Gabriel and Michael eased open the door and slipped outside. A moment later, it opened again, and they nodded.

Dahvid stepped out onto the roof. Happy to find his glide was already there. His connection to the ship's database ensured the small transport vehicle would find them. He turned to the Helpers. "Thank you."

Their grins were also identical. Michael spoke for both of them. "We know who owns this building. That information has been uploaded to your ship's database. We also downloaded camera feeds for the last several days, along with all the files from the three computer servers in the building. The rest of our family has restocked your ship and verified the med bay has everything you need. Contact us if you need anything."

Dahvid nodded as he climbed into his glide, carefully setting Kim in one of the seats. As soon as he closed the bubble ceiling, the small craft became invisible to both humans and any tracking systems. He waited until the brothers slipped on hidden jet packs and left the roof. Thankfully, everyone got away safely.

He was taking her home to his spaceship and the med bay. Already he was using the small vehicle to monitor her vital signs. He couldn't lose her now. She needed more Binding Pollen, more rest, and for Dahvid to do what he did best… go through the information gathered and find who had attacked them. He would have answers when she woke.