Page 12 of Alien Knight Teddy Bear Troubles

The big warrior had carried Ion to the small bedroom adjoining his own personal quarters, laying him down atop the bed. Then he’d told her she could take his room before promptly exiting the room.The cretin. He didn’t apologize for throwing me over his shoulder or smacking my ass. The arrogant beast forces me to leave that ship before I get the data chip and doesn’t even bother recognizing that I could be a threat on this one. The man is clearly deranged.

Not to mention he doesn’t bother explaining anything to me. Not how to use the bathroom, not where to find a towel, or where they’re going or how long it will take to get there. Nothing.Cassandra recalled the spacious room she’d been given. The masculine décor. The extra large bed against the far wall. Her gaze narrowed suspiciously as she continued walking.That better not be Taeger’s bedroom!

She was still mad about the way he’d manhandled her in the heat of battle. She’d worked too hard for too long to get where she was; a highly trained combat pilot. Trusted. Respected. She’d earned her place at the top. One swing over the big brute’s shoulder, though, and she’d been reduced to girlish mush.

Cassandra huffed a sigh, her fists clenched. That was the real problem. The reason she was still so mad. Because part of herlikedfeeling small and helpless. Part of her had melted at his masculine display. His strength. His desire to protect her, even if she didn’t need protecting. She’d gone tingly all over. Totally hot for the warrior.In. The. Heat. Of. Battle. Shaking her head in self-disgust, she rounded the corner.

One of the Caldorians, Belsaran if she recalled correctly, turned to glance her way along with another warrior she didn’t recognize. They didn’t try to block her way, or ask her where she was going. Spine straight, she waved like she belonged there and kept going.

Judging by the number of empty corridors she’d passed, the ship was not huge, but could easily hold forty or fifty soldiers. Maybe more. Which made the distinct lack of people slightly creepy. Where was everyone? And for that matter, why did the ship look so..so..old wasn’t the right word.Ancient. That’s what this is. I can see wear and tear that only comes with things that are really old. From what I’ve seen of other Caldorian tech, they maintain the best fleet. Newest tech. So what the hell is this? The dinosaur ship? This IS a Caldorian ship, isn’t it?

She shook her head at such fanciful thoughts, snorting inwardly as she pressed onward. Surely a ship this size needed more people to run it than she’d seen so far. If they were in a meeting, then she needed to be included. She couldn’t go back to Earth empty handed. She had to retrieve the data chip from the Dark Ones ship and the package from Mora Five and get it back to Earth before the next attack. The Caldorian’s secretive ways had set Earth’s leadership on edge. While her people couldn’t deny the help they’d received had been invaluable, to be excluded from the process was completely foreign and unacceptable. And so they’d gone about creating their own plans, secret and secure from Caldorian eyes.

Cassie’s mind shifted back to the big warrior.Eyes like Taeger’s. All dark and sinister one minute, full of heat the next.She flushed with renewed embarrassment, then went cold with fury. She’d been ready to do her part. Help them escape. Protect Ion. And what had Taeger done, she fumed, but throw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes?And don’t forget that spank, girlfriend. I can still feel his big warm hand resting on my ass. Like heownsit.

Cassandra paused and took a good look around. Hard, shiny metal panels laced with a liquid metal, similar in appearance to Earth's mercury, which liquefies at room temperature, carving random paths through the metal. Spectacular. Beautiful. A wave of nausea hit her. Her head spun as she stared at the strange metal. Sweat broke out on her forehead.

Fingers trembling, she reached out to steady herself against the wall. To her horror, instead of solid wall, her hand disappeared right through it, causing her to stumble as she was thrown off balance. Heart thundering, head spinning, she instinctively took a step forward to balance herself, her knee solidly bumping the wall.What the hell kind of wall is this?Yanking her hand back, she wiggled her fingers. They tingled, and were coated in some sort of crystal residue. Opalescent, with a rainbow of fiery color. What. The. Fuck?

Did that just happen? Did my hand go through the freakin’ wall or am I sick and hallucinating? Damn alien tech. This is what got Earth into this situation in the first place, isn’t it? Couldn’t just leave us alone, had to help the poor little Earth people. Just had to start us on the path to Intergalactic Trade.

Cassandra sank down to the floor, her breathing short and rapid. She needed to calm down. Think. Stay in control. Her heart was hammering so hard in her chest she could feel every pounding beat.Shit. Shit. Shit. Her palms were damp with sweat as she rubbed the tips of her fingers over the residue on the other, turning her hand over to see if any of it came off. Nope.

Stay calm, Cass. They wouldn’t put anything dangerous on the walls. Keep it together. No freaking out.One minute passed, perhaps two. Slowly the residue began to fade along with her dizziness.See? No need to panic just because you ran into some freaky alien tech.I prepped for this, remember? What had General MacGregor said? Going offworld, expect the unexpected. Adapt. Adapt. Adapt.

Cassandra deliberately slowed her breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In. Out. Slow. Easy. Standing, she turned back toward the wall. She wasn’t going to let a stupid wall beat her. She could adapt. Overcome obstacles. Soldier on. This time she braced herself before raising her hand to the exact spot they’d gone through the wall before. Fingers stiff and straight like a knife, she pushed gently. Again, her head swam with dizziness, but this time she expected it, was prepared for the spin. The very tip of one finger disappeared. Then the others. She let out a slow, measured breath. So far, so good. Minor tingling was all she felt in her fingertips. Then her hand. Her arm up to the elbow.

So weird. What was on the other side of that wall? Even tingling, she could tell it was cold on the other side. No freezing, but definitely chilly. Did she dare go any farther? Could she go farther? Before she could decide, another wave of dizziness assailed her and she stumbled forward. This time her knee didn’t hit a solid structure, instead passing through the wall.Oh god. Gonna vomit. Shit.Stabbing pain sliced through her head, making coherent thought nearly impossible. Through the pain, she pushed forward.Maybe just need to be on one side or the other.

As she pushed forward, fear choked her vocal cords. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t call out for help. This was so not what she’d prepared for. She wasn’t stupid. She took calculated risks. This was crazy. She didn’t know what was on the other side, or if she’d be able to get out. Her stomach knotted. Cold sweat trickled down her temples. Her arm tingled now, too. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the rest of the way through the wall.

A huge room greeted her on the other side. She’d bet this was the cargo area. Rows and rows of crates, some large, some small, were held, one after another, in some sort of individual levitation fields. More alien tech. She let out a low whistle. What she wouldn’t give to peek inside one of those crates.

Looking at her hands, she was relieved to see the crystal residue was also fading again. Her dizziness and nausea weren’t fading, though, and her vision tunneled.Now where’s the big strong alpha when you need one?

“Taeger,” she whispered as her knees buckled and everything went black.

Chapter Six

Shower on, Taeger froze as a mere whisper of sound reached him. He was not alone. Someone or something was in the dark cargo area with him. None of his Knights would disturb him for at least another hour. They knew his routines after battle. There must be an intruder on the ship. They were still within striking distance of the Dark Ones.

Taeger quickly assessed the situation. He’d already removed his chest armor, leaving him bare from the waist up. His mind raced with possibilities. Strategies. He couldn’t activate his cloaking armor, but if by some chance a Dark One had made it onto the ship, that wouldn’t matter. The Dark Ones could see through the cloaking technology somehow. If one were on his ship, it would rip and shred his armor. He would have to rely on his speed and agility. He was a fierce fighter. Elite. Master of close quarter combat with centuries of training.

Every muscle tensed. Ready. He was a Lumerian Knight. A warrior without equal. Leader of his people. Powerful. Ancient. Deadly. He was larger than humans, stronger, faster than the eye could track when he wanted to be, his vision and hearing exceptional. He could see in the dark nearly as well as full day. He bared his teeth in a silent snarl. Whoever was out there had picked the wrong target. His skills had been tested in thousands of battles. He’d survived for centuries on a savage, nearly uninhabitable planet. Taeger squared his shoulders.Ion and the human woman are onboard. I will not fall to the enemy and leave them unprotected.

Silently Taeger slipped a dagger from the sheath strapped to his leg, held at the ready. It was the best he could do without making more noise and alerting the intruder. Treading softly, he left the decontamination shower running to cover any potential noise as he made his way toward the sound he’d heard.

Stealthily he advanced on his target, maneuvering swiftly around the cargo area, weaving his way ever closer until he sensed a lifeform hidden behind one of the largest crates along the far wall. Small. Low to the ground. The intruder’s breathing was slow, controlled, nearly silent.

Taeger stilled. Listened. His eyes narrowed dangerously. A muscle ticked in his jaw. He scented something feminine.

A woman? Small. Human. Cassie? His thoughts turned dark. Why was she here? She was an unknown. What had she really been doing on Mora Five? Could she be a human spy sent from the Intergalactic Council, swept up in the attack just like everyone else?

Had the Council discovered there were Lumerians hidden on the rogue planet filled with thieves and cutthroats, that his men were at the center of a hive of black market trading? Had she been sent to find them? Would she try to seduce one of them? Was that her goal?

No. She does not strike me as a spy. She is too direct. I’ve dealt with too many not to know the difference. She’s definitely beautiful.Athletic yet still soft in all the right places.

Remembering how she’d squirmed on his shoulder as he’d carried her to safety with his hand on her firm, round ass made his blood heat. His cock hardened, forcing him to adjust his stance. So, not a spy. The only real question remaining was how had she broken into the secure area?

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