Chapter Two

Chapter Two

BaOBy

" I am a prisoner," she answered him. " My jailers are tired of me. Bored. They've been at it for months and I haven't done anything worth watching. I haven't tested their skills. Until tonight. Hopefully, they won't discover I'm gone. I plan to be back in bed before they realize I left. Who are you? Why are you up here?" Her voice was low, soft, and worried.

Bao felt every note as if his body were a tuning fork. There was fear, stress, and hope that she'd found her savior.

He could be that for her. Or die trying. It didn't matter to him what troubled her. She was his mate. His damn bands were doing cartwheels under his skin. There was no mistake.

She didn't come closer. Or ask if he'd been spying on her. The answer to that was an obvious yes. The why he did it was a little harder. And he was at a disadvantage, lying down, staring up at the stars. "Do you mind if I sit? It's uncomfortable on my back, looking up. I can't protect you from this position. I am not here to harm you."

Snorting at his offer of protection, she still agreed to his request. "Put your hands in front of your body where I can see them. Keep them there. Don't stand, but you can sit. Stay where you are."

He was almost positive she had a weapon of some sort. Good. He didn't want her wandering around at night, avoiding her jailers, without one. He would have followed her directives even if she weren't armed. There was no need to cause his woman more anxiety than he already felt from her.

Slowly, Bao did as he was told. He crossed his legs and kept his hands where she could see them. He tried to relax. To be non-threatening. He would begin this relationship as he intended it to grow, with honesty. "My name is BaOBy. I am on this planet with my nineteen brothers. Well. To be truthful, four brothers are with me now. One is helping an Earth woman escape the Andaran, and the others are on our ship, caring for her sister, who turned out to be the mate of another one of our brothers. Both Earth women were recently kidnapped and brought to this planet. We saved them."

The female didn't say anything for a long moment. When she did, she wasn't happy with him. " Are you nuts? Why would you tell me all of this? I could turn you over to the Andaran and…" she trailed off.

Bao sighed. "Then it would make it more difficult for me to save you. And I'm not sure he has anything you want. Am I correct?"

"Why the hell are you so honest?" she demanded.

He took a deep breath, hoping for a hint of her scent. She needed to trust him, to see that he had a stake in all this. To eventually understand that she would always come first with him. "It's a complicated story and I fear we don't have time tonight for the long version. So, I'll condense it. I was born with mating marks. They only—move and itch—when I am in the presence of my fated mate. Even if I see her from a distance, those marks ensure I don't overlook her. I came up to the garden, thinking it would be a good vantage point to watch the streets below. And found you. You are my fated mate."

She laughed. Only it wasn't a happy sound. "Boy, are those marks wrong?" She sounded defeated.

Bao heard movement and avidly watched as his female stepped from behind a large bush. He sucked in a breath. She was so lovely. The hood of the robe she wore was thrown back, exposing long blonde hair and very pale skin. He could see her eyes in the mixture of moonlight and streetlamp. They were an amazing green. She had pink, lush lips.

In her hand was a stun gun. Still pointed at him. She looked tired. So, in need of care. And she was very, very pregnant.

He didn't expect that. Bao allowed himself a heartbeat of pain and sadness. Dropping his head, he used his long hair to hide the emotions from her. That thought straightened his spine. For him, this didn't change anything. She was his mate. His. The bands wouldn't lie. Or he didn't believe they did. Was there already a male in her life?

His heart hurt when he considered that she might have been raped. He needed to be strong for her.

His last wild thought was to question if the bands made a mistake.

Could they make a mistake?

Bao drew in a slow, steady breath. No . He knew this female was his. The pregnancy just complicated things a bit. He would be understanding, no matter how she got this way.

For now, he needed to help her escape her captors. Everything else would come with time. Raising his head, he met the shimmering green eyes of his mate. "As I said, my name is BaOBy. My brothers call me Bao. Can you tell me your name?"

A small smile touched her lips. " BaOBy . I like Baby better than Bao. My name is Catalina. A long time ago, my family and friends called me Cat. I haven't had a friend since the red, furry aliens kidnaped me from Earth, about twenty years ago. I would like it if you called me by my nickname."

"If you want to be known as a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal—I can do that. You would call me baby—a newborn human?"

"Baby or Babe is also a term of endearment or closeness. I need to go back soon. I'll try to come over again at about the same time tomorrow night, but we should have a serious talk. Please."

"There are two chairs over here. A little way back from the edge. It's sheltered so no one can see us from the street, but we could monitor the house where you've been a prisoner. You would be more comfortable." Bao waited for her approval. He didn't want to move until she agreed to sit.

Catalina nodded her approval.

He said her name in his mind. Thinking it was perfect for her. As he stood slowly, she backed up a few paces. Bao realized he towered over her. He was over six feet tall, and she had to be about six inches shorter. Maybe more. He walked over and moved the two small chairs, placing them under the plant arbor so it would hide them from anyone on the street. Then made sure to put a few feet of space between them.

Sitting first, he rested both hands on his lap and waited for her. Bao noticed she kept the stunner in her hand. She was ready, but relaxed. He had no intention of spooking her.

Cat sighed. Carefully following him. "I'm not as pregnant as I look. I've used a small pillow to add to the girth of my belly. I want my guards and the Andaran to believe that my size makes it difficult for me to move around."

BaOBy nodded. "That was smart of you." It was smart. It was probably why Cat managed to leave the house tonight and come to him without her guards knowing she'd slipped out. They believed her to be impaired and didn't watch her as closely as they should. "When you escape, this deception will buy you extra time."

Catalina shook her head, her blonde hair cascading around her in a beautiful cloud. Every move she made transfixed Bao. With the small teeth biting her lower lip, with the gleam of unshed tears in her eyes, he couldn't concentrate on anything else but her. He was so fascinated that he almost missed what she said next.

Her voice was firm and committed. "You misunderstood my reason for being here. I don't plan to escape ."

Catalina

She heard the man she couldn't help but think of as Baby… take a deep breath. His body tensed. Before he could comment, she explained, "If I escape, it wouldn't do any good and others would be in danger."

Cat bet he relaxed only because he thought that eventually, he'd rescue her and any others she believed needed help. For now, she'd let him imagine there was hope. She wanted to believe it herself. But Catalina knew better. It was too late for her.

She needed to take control of the time they had left tonight. They'd get to know each other and share stories later. She needed to stick to the plan. First… "You need a re-breather. Many species come to this planet and believe their innate breathing systems will protect them from the perfumed air. But the Andaran has added chemicals that override any biological protection."

He grimaced. "I realized tonight that might be the case. My brothers and I can filter the air, but I'm not feeling my normal, confident self. We're going to see if we can find something at the market tomorrow."

Bao looked confident to her. He was tall, strong, and muscular. With long dark hair and just a touch of beard scruff, he was physically stunning. Some would say the Andaran was handsome. But he was rotten to the core.

Bao had a way of moving, of talking, that made her feel cared for. And she hadn't asked him to do anything yet. So, her hopes were high that he'd help her.

The rich, vibrant green color of his skin mesmerized Cat. On his right bicep, the arm closest to her, she noticed markings that reminded her of tribal tattoos. It triggered thoughts of a stylized star or compass. The north and south points swooped up and down. They were the longest rays. While east and west were half the size and looked like small, curly anvils. There were small, tiny lines shadowing each line of ink.

Shaking her head, Cat explained why he wouldn't find what he needed at the market. "Re-breathers are illegal. The Andaran forbids them unless you have a role to play that demands a clear head. If anyone sees you with a re-breather, his many and varied spies will turn you in. I was given one several years ago because I kept track of all his money and interests. Not by choice, but that is another story. The ones like mine fit deep inside the nose. You would need to be examined for them to be discovered. The longer you stay in the city, the more the air will affect your thought process. I can tell you where you can get several of the kind that can't be seen."

Frowning, Bao turned to face her and the streetlight bathed his face in enough light for her to see the serious look in his dark brown eyes. She knew he wanted to ask so much more of her, and there just wasn't time. Not tonight.

Tonight, before she moved forward with the second part of the plan, she needed to ask him some questions. To decide if she could trust him. When all was said and done, she had to go back across the street and climb through the window and into bed before her guards figured out she was gone.

Cat knew she probably wouldn't get a better chance to seek revenge, but she still had to ask. "Before I tell you where to get the re-breathers, I need you to explain why you believe you can help me?"

Baby got points for not asking questions. "I am one of twenty clone brothers. Our creator Father holds a prominent position within the Galactic Alliance. He created our Band of Brothers when he needed help… righting what he considered wrong. For instance, we are often sent out to verify the anti-slaving policies of the Alliance are being upheld. Obviously, Viant is no longer complying with that law."

Cat rolled her eyes at him. "That isn't the only issue here."

Bao grinned his agreement and continued. "Sometimes, my brothers and I act as mercenaries for a good cause. We've also been couriers or delivery boys. But our main charter is to right the wrongs we find in the universe. We fight inequality. Assist the downtrodden and oppressed. First and foremost, we rescue any soul who needs saving. Our creator fashioned the brothers for just that purpose."

Closing her eyes, Cat knew Baby believed what he said. He was a fucking knight in shining armor … who had nineteen brothers and high-level contact within the Alliance. If it were all true, she'd never find better help. And she didn't have the time or means to research his claims. So she'd move on to the third part of her plan.

"I'll tell you where you can get the internal re-breathers. While you are there… I need you to collect something else."