Chapter Seventeen

Ekron had called someone while he shredded a chunk of fabric off her skirt to tie around her arm and stifle the slow bleed in her shoulder. She grunted, and he apologized.

She asked, “Who did you call?”

“Salat. He and Khytten are still in town, so she is going to get you a healing vial.”

She blinked. “That isn’t necessary. I will heal in time.”

“We are not patient, and I am sorry that this happened, Drin.”

“You didn’t shoot me.” She widened her eyes and stared at him. “How are you? That last one would have hit me in the midsection.”

“I know. I had to crouch, so it only made a hole in my shirt.”

She nodded. “Good. I don’t want you hurt.”

He smiled, but there was tension around his lips. “We didn’t want you hurt either, but apparently, I have a fan who is about to find out how effective my legal counsel can be.”

The legal counsel in question had a ridge of spikes down his back, his horns were large and gleaming, and his teeth jutted out as he held the shooter, face first, onto the ground.

When the peacekeepers finally pulled up, the agents were landing.

The agents stepped in to handle Vikor, and when they took the shooter into custody and handed them to the peacekeepers, they tried to talk Vikor down.

Drin patted Ekron’s arm and said, “You can fuss more in a minute.”

She walked past the hero team and walked up to Vikor. “Hey, sweetie. You can calm down now. You did good. I have delayed our reservation with Klauz for now, but if you don’t get small enough to fit in the car, we are going to have to strap you to the roof rack. As it is, I am going to need to stop off at your apartment and see if there are any other clothes for me there. Or I can go shopping at a discount store.”

His blue eyes grew amused, and he started to slump, and his normal shape resumed. The agents behind her exhaled in relief.

She beckoned to him. “Mobility is limited at the moment. Come down here, and then, Ekron wants to finish tearing my dress into bandages. I hope he stops before he gets to the neckline.”

The kiss reassured both of them. Vikor knew Drin was alive and healthy, and she knew he was back and able to think for himself again. She touched noses with him. “The giant beast is kinda hot, but I am just getting used to the normal you, so no experimenting yet.”

He chuckled and kissed her again.

Ekron eased her away. “You are still bleeding, pet, and none of us is strong enough to heal you.”

“I can heal her.” Remark of the Aksalla agent team stepped forward.

She looked at Remark and swallowed. He had always been a little intent on her when she was there to see Vaka off.

“Uh, okay.”

Vikor held her hand. “Squeeze my hand if it hurts.”

Remark smiled slightly. “It won’t hurt, but you can’t be touching anyone else. Is the bullet still in you?”

She nodded.

“Okay, I have to get it out.” He unravelled the wraps, and to her embarrassment, he pressed his lips to her shoulder and sucked. A few seconds later and he spat it into his palm. A watching peacekeeper collected it.

He licked her blood off his lips and then smiled. “May I have your name, precious?”

“It wouldn’t suit you, sir.”

Vikor jolted, and she guessed that he caught on.

Remark was pulling her in close, and she was bleeding again. “A name, precious.”

“Ella.”

His red eyes lit with delight, and he swooped in and kissed her. Soft healing warmth flooded through her, and she got dizzy and hung in his arms. The kiss went on and on, well after the point when her shoulder and arm were healed. The use of his tongue had come as a surprise, but the kiss hadn’t been unappealing, just more intense than she would expect from a stranger. But as the kiss went on, she recognized that he wasn’t a stranger. He hadn’t recognized her as Drin, but he had recognized her as his escort. He was one of her patrons.

He lifted his head, and that knowledge was in his eyes, and then he said, “I tried to book you, but your account wasn’t there.”

She swallowed. “I was removed from active status by management. They found something unusual in the way I handled my patrons.”

Vikor growled. “Let her go, Remark. She’s not yours.”

Ekron grunted. “That is correct, Remark. She’s ours.”

Techor walked up with Shisha and Vaken. “She’s ours.”

Remark watched as Shisha and Vaken carefully hugged Drin.

“She’s Vaka’s good luck charm?” He stared at her as if he couldn’t balance the two images in his mind.

She looked at Remark. “I was, while it lasted, and then, it was over. I thank you for the healing.”

He reached for her cheek, and Ekron caught his wrist. “She’s ours by contract, Remark. If you want the consortium to consider you, you will have to meet with us all and plead your case.”

He frowned. “Consortium?”

Techor stepped up. “We are a legal entity that has us all in essential positions. She is in control of the consortium’s assets. We are literally useless without her.”

Ekron held out his arm, and Klauz’s voice came through clearly. “As the officer in charge of food services and hospitality, I can state that it is important that she get her ass to my restaurant as soon as possible. She’s hungry.”

She blinked. Klaus was right. The exertion must have caused her to get hungry. She knew she had dumped a lot of power into the guys the moment she had gotten hit.

Remark blinked. “Hungry?”

She chuckled. “Long story.”

The peacekeepers got her statement, had Ekron’s statement, and Shisha and Vaken explained what happened to Vikor in regard to his sudden physical boost.

Remark kept staring at her as she tried to gather the shreds of the dress to cover the area that had just been shot and healed.

An older officer grabbed her and pulled her away from Vikor before Ekron got Varun on the com, and he confirmed that Drin was now a valued member of the family.

Once in the car, she asked Ekron if she had any clothing left at Vikor’s.

He scowled and called his mother. His driver acknowledged the change in address, and they headed to Evali’s salon.

Techor was driving Shisha and Vaken and keeping them calm. They all arrived at the salon together, and Shisha’s eyes were huge as she looked at the designer clothing everywhere.

“Hello again, Evali. Sorry for the emergency.” Drin nodded her head, and the woman caught her in a hug.

“My son said you were shot.”

“I was. A healer was called to the scene when Vikor got a little bulked up.”

Ekron snorted. “A team of agents showed up. One of them knew Drin, so that was fun. But he didn’t know her looking like this.”

“What happened to your dress? The bullet didn’t do this, and the silk wouldn’t tear that easily.”

She glanced at Ekron, and Evali laughed. “Ah, of course. First aid.”

“She’s hungry, Mom. Can we make it quick?”

Evali nodded and walked to a rack. “Since it is early afternoon, I thought that one of these would suit.”

“Oh, speaking of suit, I don’t suppose you have any shirts for Vikor and Ekron? They have holes in theirs.”

“I will find something while you get changed, Drin.”

Ekron walked up behind her and picked a dress. “This one.”

She took the dress, and Shisha was losing her mind over the gowns. In the changing area around the corner, she unzipped, but the dress was covered in blood, and it had fused to her skin. She called out, “Evali, I have to clean up a little in the bathroom.”

Ekron followed her.

“Doesn’t your mom need you?”

“She knows my sizes. Blood sticking the dress to you?”

“Yup.”

He escorted her to the back room and the restroom. He entered the space with her, and he cocked his head. “Did you want to go for a shower?”

“No, we don’t have time, but I have trashed another bra.”

“Good thing the dress I picked doesn’t need one.”

She sighed. “Fine, but I am keeping the panties.”

He grinned. “Remind me to spill something in your lap later.”

She stroked a finger down his neck and the muscles of his chest. “You do, but it just disappears.”

He ran some warm water, got a towel and soaked it, pressing it against the dried blood marks on her shoulder and arm. It took five minutes, and the sink was pink with her blood when the clothing came off. Her pretty bra was trashed with blood. That was going to be a long soak in cold water.

She carefully stepped out of her dress as Ekron held the bloody fabric away from her. The new dress was sleeveless with a fitted bodice and draped skirt. It was also dark blue and hit her mid-thigh.

He rummaged around and found some hair ties, putting her hair up and in a cascade over her shoulder. Drin could feel the air of the room on the mark on her neck. Ekron licked at it, and her body throbbed.

She elbowed him. “Don’t do that.”

“Fine.” He lifted her, pressed her against the door of the bathroom, and wrapped her thighs around him. He pushed her high and buried his face between her breasts. The soft, licking kisses moved across her as he eased the fabric from the injury mark that had been left behind. “You had me worried.”

“You were the one who got shot in the back.”

He lifted his head. “Oh, yeah. You are supposed to be praising me for how heroic I am.”

She cupped his face. “My hero.”

“And only yours.”

She kissed him softly and whispered, “But we have to go feed me because I am hungry, and with my nephew out there, I am not going to satisfy that hunger.”

He sighed. “Right.”

He slowly set her back on her feet and then peeled his shirt over his head. The hole in the back of his shirt was about three inches.

“Oh, wow.”

“Yeah, they splat flat.”

They left the bathroom with her clothing in a wad. E just tossed it casually into the trash.

Evali snorted. “Any excuse to strip off in public.”

Vikor was tucking in a black dress shirt, and he smiled. “Me, too.”

Shisha was wearing a new dress, and Vaken had a lollipop.

Evali smiled. “I keep those around for Ekron. But, since I now have a great-nephew, I think my son needs to share.”

A white shirt was tossed to Ekron. He got dressed, hugged his mother, and they were on their way to the restaurant.

When they got to the building, they entered together, and the doorman buzzed in access to the elevator to the restaurant. The hostess smiled. “Miss Drin. Welcome again. Come this way.”

They walked to the owner’s table. Arcady and Kritz were seated and waved the party into the booth. They got up, and introductions were made between Shisha and Kritz. Arcady already knew everyone. She had interviewed Techor.

Vikor kept Drin on the outside of the wide booth, and the others scooted inside.

Kritz frowned. “That isn’t usual. Why is she on the outside of the—oh.”

She didn’t know what he was talking about until Klauz lifted her for a hug and held her tightly. “They said you were shot.”

“I was. There was a team agent there, so he healed me.”

“You have to let me know his name, so I can offer him and his team a free meal for helping you.”

Ekron laughed. “They showed up to subdue Vikor. He was all big and pointy. Well, bigger and pointier. It looks like he managed another level of activation.”

She turned her head and murmured, “That isn’t his last activation. That is just his protective mode if I am boosting him. Ekron got faster to protect me. Techor was able to paralyze the woman with the gun.”

Klauz stroked her back down to her butt and back again. “So, you burned off a lot.”

“Yeah. Oh, you have to meet my nephew. And my unofficial sister. Vaken, this is Uncle Klauz. Klauz, this is my nephew and his mother, Shisha, who is having a surprisingly upbeat day.”

Shisha grinned as Vaken waved. “Pleased to meet you. Drin is very special. She has taken care of us for six years. I think it’s time that someone takes care of her.”

Klauz was warm, and his hands kept her against him firmly but gently. “We definitely want to do that. She looks so cute when she’s taken care of, and her clothing is getting a marked improvement already, and we have found a way to stabilize her, for the most part.”

She blushed scarlet and pressed her forehead to him. He tilted her head up, and he kissed her softly. The kiss got more intense, but she stopped it when Vaken said, “Wow!”

She whispered up at him, “Kids. Nature’s birth control.”

He murmured, “Thanks to tech, we can get around that.”

He gave her a last kiss and was going to settle her at the table, but Ekron got out and tucked her in.

“Oh, and Remark was the team member who healed me,” she mumbled.

Klauz smiled. “Interesting. His team is coming in twenty minutes. What a coincidence.”

She thudded her forehead against the table, and Ekron rubbed her back. “Face it, pet. You are adorable.”

She mumbled, “He didn’t recognize me from my conversations and going out for snacks with Vaka and the team.”

“Ah, your other face.”

Vaken was excited. “Are the team coming here? Wow.”

Shisha smiled. “They will be in the restaurant. We won’t see them.”

“Oh.”

Drin looked at Klauz, and he nodded. “I will send them over to say hello.”

She nodded grimly. “Thank you.”

“You owe me, pet.”

“Collect when you can, sweetie.” She wiggled her fingers at him.

He grinned, and Kritz jolted. “Klauz, you don’t have pointed teeth.”

Klauz laughed. “If you say so. The appetizers will be out in a few minutes. See you soon, pet.”

The moment he was gone, she heard the question, “Auntie Drin, why do they all call you pet?”

She looked at him and sighed. “Do you know how I call you buddy?”

“Yeah.”

“It is like that.”

“But I am your buddy.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know why they call me pet. Maybe one of them can tell you.”

Vikor was sitting next to him. “We call her pet because she is small and cuddly and needs taking care of so she won’t be tired all the time.”

“Ohhh.” It made sense to his mind. “Like she was lost, and you found her. Like a puppy.”

She dropped her head to the table and covered her head with her hands. Ekron was laughing, but he rubbed her back before circling the bite mark with his fingertips. She gasped and sat up.

Techor put his arm behind her and circled the mark slowly with his fingertips. She started to vibrate with tension, and her small skirt was no barrier when Ekron started to slide his fingers up and down her inner thigh.

Arcady looked at her and stifled a smile. “So, you seem to have adapted to your situation.”

Drin grimaced. “Not yet.”

Vikor asked, “Is she going to be off suspension any time soon?”

Arcady grinned. “Why? She already has all of her patrons.”

Ekron shook his head. “Not all.”

“Oh, right. He just got back into town.” Arcady grinned. “Hey, he’s coming here today. What a coincidence.”

Drin looked at her arms, and she was turning gold.

Shisha stared. “Holy smokes, Drin. You are getting all sparkly.”

Ekron continued his light touch between her thighs. “That happens when she gets really happy. When she gets super happy, her eyes light up.”

She elbowed him, and her three guys laughed.

Her appetizer was three different types of breaded cheese wedges with dipping sauces. She zipped through them and then started looking at other people’s plates. She sipped at her water and didn’t eat anything off anyone else’s plate, but it hurt.

Techor offered her some of his carpaccio platter. He forked up some rare beef and held it out to her. She opened her mouth, and he fed her.

Her hunger was still howling, but she tucked it in as she swallowed. She didn’t want Techor to give her all his food.

Drin sat back, and he stroked her cheek. Techor asked, “You are still hungry?”

“I will be fine. I can wait.” She sat while the others finished their first course.

The server collected the plates and disappeared.

Arcady smiled. “Always nice to come here for lunch.”

Kritz looked at Drin. “How did you give him sharp teeth?”

She blushed and shrugged. “Uh, no idea.”

“Can I run some diagnostics?”

She twisted her lips. “No.”

Arcady laughed at the confused expression on her mate’s face. “He doesn’t hear that a lot from ladies. Certainly not from a BDC escort.”

The second course arrived, and Drin nearly cried. It was a tiny salad and nothing else. She looked to Ekron. “I need the ladies’ room.”

He got out of her way, and she kept her mind blank as she headed to the bathroom to cry. She wanted to flap her hands to focus, but she couldn’t. The server gave her a smug smile as she passed, but Drin blindly walked to the restroom and wet a towel before she pressed it to her eyes.

She used the facilities and used a compress on her eyes again. She could get food elsewhere.

She felt the cooling touch of Techor and got her mind into calm lines again. A bright sting hit her thoughts. The bugger had spanked her.

The walk back to the table was long. Drin folded her hands in front of her and passed the serving staff and the window to the kitchen. The white chest that she collided with belonged to arms that came around her. He stroked her arms and murmured, “She’s been fired.”

“I told you that human ladies can be aggressive with me.”

He nodded. “I do remember hearing that from someone. I thought my staff was better trained. How hungry are you still?”

She looked up at him, and her hunger howled.

He said, “Give me a minute.”

He left her standing there and walked into the kitchen, speaking rapidly to the folks working there. He then came out and wrapped an arm around her waist. He didn’t say anything, and those who were watching gasped and giggled at the sight of the most exclusive restaurateur in Aksalla or the capitol hauling a drab-coloured woman in a dress that was too large for her into a hallway.

He carried her to his office and set her on his very neat desk before he grabbed her underwear under her skirt and said, “Lift.”

She lifted her hips, and her panties were whisked away. Klauz adjusted his trousers and fitted himself to her. He slid the head of his cock against her, and she gasped.

He chuckled. “I knew that Ekron would have kept you slick.”

“It was Techor, actually. Ekron just kept checking on the progress.”

He withdrew and slid back into her. She moaned and clutched at him, her head lolling on her neck.

He chuckled, put an arm behind her, and lifted her until she was against the wall. He pulled her dress off her shoulders and down. He licked and sucked at her breasts while his hips hammered into her until she moaned as her muscles clasped at him, and he groaned and thrust deep, shuddering as heat filled her.

Drin held him as he continued to jerk into her and her body pulled in all the heat. She realized what had just happened and knew she was getting dark. “Oh my god. I am so sorry.”

He laughed. “Why? This is the best day at work I have had in a while. It is certainly memorable.” He nuzzled her breasts.

“Don’t you have to be doing chef-y things out there?”

“They have their instructions.”

“What happened to my food?” she whined.

“She dumped it. How hungry are you now?”

She licked her lips. “Not bad. Can use some dessert.”

He grinned. “I will get you something nice.”

“Oh, food is good, too.”

He laughed and started to move again.

* * * *

Techor addressed the table. “There was something wrong with her order, so Klauz is fixing it.”

Vikor laughed. “Yeah, I bet he is making sure that she isn’t hungry.”

Ekron chuckled.

Arcady looked at them suspiciously. “What am I missing?”

Techor sent the information to Kritz, and he blinked. “Ah, that is why she doesn’t want to demonstrate.”

She came back to the table as they were finishing their meal, her skin flushed and her curves visible once again. She was smoothing her skirt down, and Techor started to laugh when she came to the realization that her underwear was missing.

Klauz was behind her and smoothing his hand down her back. He looked smug and a little sweaty. Drin leaned into his touch, and Techor smiled. Drin met his gaze, and she muttered, “Ohmygod.” He grinned wide.

Ekron moved aside and said, “She can just slide right in.”

She reached back and squeezed Klauz’s hand. “Thanks for the help.”

“Oh, you never need to thank me, pet. That was my pleasure.”

She moved past Ekron, and his hand slid under her skirt on the way past. She gasped and fell into Techor. He caught her and straightened the top of her dress.

They had all felt the boost when she had come. There was no doubting that Klauz had been efficient but thorough three times. Drin’s skin was actually glowing. She was accepting offered help. It was progress.