Viola grace terran tim.., p.1
Viola Grace - Terran Times 17 - Enraptured, page 1
Maura is the best pilot for experimental small craft that the Alliance has seen in decades. When a research treaty allows a representative from Nyal space to participate, she has a fight on her hands.
Alzor is the best his species has to offer and that is saying something. When Maura's craft becomes stranded in a test flight, the giant kitty comes to get her. His craft has a difficulty and they are forced onto a hospitable world. Now that they are on equal footing, Alzor has only to defend himself against her viper tongue for two days when her engines will have recharged. His ways of keeping her mouth busy become quite inventive.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Enraptured
Copyright © 2010 Viola Grace ISBN: 978-1-55487-512-2
Cover art by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.extasybooks.com
Enraptured
A Terran Time Novella
By
Viola Grace
Chapter One
ith the light of the stars flying past on either si
W d e of her small craft, Maura was in her element. The ship handled well under the stressful conditions. Each and every twist and turn through the obstacles of the course brought her time closer and closer to that of the current leader—Alzor. A pilot and ship from Nyal space didn’t surprise Maura, but his attitude rubbed her the wrong way. He had a way about him that set her teeth on edge while it increased her heart rate.
She was conflicted. No other pilot even began to trigger her lust, but with him, she was always ready to punch him or kiss him senseless. It wasn’t logical.
Fortunately, she had been able to keep out of his way when they were in the analytical portion of the experimental craft assessment. She lived in hope and dread of running into the tall shifter in the halls of the station. They were working for competing research teams and they were both pilots. Nothing else should get between them. Not 1
Viola Grace
even clothing.
Damn. Why does my brain keep going to the bad place? She needed to keep her eyes out for the next buoy to circle and from there, it was a straight shot back to home base. Her little ship was currently on its best time through the obstacle course and she didn’t want to wreck her record by screwing up.
The controls were a little soft on the hard banking. A slight shiver ran through the ship as she straightened out for the hard burn back to base. She made a note on the vocal recorder. It was her black box to mention all problems and her team’s responsibility to fix them.
As she increased her speed, the shiver increased and a snap followed by lights flaring on her control board let her know that this was not a little problem. Part of her ship had broken off. “Shit!
This is Pilot Maura in the Xeno One. I require immediate assistance. My ship has lost the left wing and I am losing oxygen.” She had safety levels and her little ship was moving toward the station, but she would probably miss it if she didn’t get some help.
Docking at a mobile station was iffy at the best of times. With the controls rapidly seizing under her hands, she fought the mental image of slamming into the side of the station and leaving a giant splat mark.
“This is research station Del. We acknowledge 2
Enraptured
your distress call and a rescue ship has been deployed. Hang tight, Maura. Help is on the way.” The friendly tone was practiced, but Maura Aitcheson appreciated the sentiment. Survival was everything and keeping your mind on the possibility of it was something that would keep you alive.
“Acknowledged. Preparing for anything.” Maura left the com open, but squirmed around to close the seals on her suit and buckle her helmet into place. She left the air circulation on, breathing the remaining air from the shuttle until she didn’t have a choice. It was slowly bleeding out into space, but there was enough to keep her alive for a few minutes.
She fastened her gaze out the front port, watching a tiny speck leave the larger bulk of the station. Part of her relaxed. Help was indeed coming. She was hoping to get the ship hauled back to the station, but she would abandon it for retrieval by a follow-up crew if she had to.
She watched the speck grow larger and as the minutes passed, she shifted to suit breathing. Her shuttle was out of air, but her tanks would keep her alive for three hours if necessary.
Though the slow approach was frustrating, it was necessary. If the team came in too hot, it could blast past her, not stop in time or flip her around, none of which was an excellent option.
3
Viola Grace
“Xeno One. This is the Reeva Nahrad. Prepare for magnetic linkage.”
The voice made her run hot and cold at the same time. She pressed her com link on her suit.
“Reeva Nahrad, ready for linkage.” Alzor’s deep, calm voice asked, “What is your atmosphere status, Maura?”
“I am on suit breathing. I have two hours forty-five minutes of air.” She kept her breathing even, though her heart was beating frantically in her chest. “Thanks for asking.”
“I will try and make this quick.” There was a tone of concern in his voice, but it didn’t stop her from saying, “I have heard you were quick.”
The silence on the other end of the com made her wince. Her mouth had run away with her again. He brought out the worst in her—every snaky, snippy comment that floated through her head came out of her mouth when he was near. It was frustrating for her and embarrassing as well.
The bulk of his ship hovered over hers and she watched the magnetic couplings extend, fighting an erection joke. The sharp clang of the connection caused her to jump in her chair.
“There, that didn’t hurt a bit. Hold tight and we will be on our way.” The slight rocking as the magnets retracted and pulled her ship tight against the belly of his made her wince. It was 4
Enraptured
horrible for a pilot to have someone else in control of their craft.
“Ready when you are. Go as fast as you want to.” She raised her eyebrows when he retorted,
“Promises, promises.”
Surprised by the banter, she sat back in her chair as the Reeva Nahrad pulled her smaller ship along all the way back to the station. Pinned to him like a bug, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have nothing between them.
No metal, no suits, just skin and heat.
Her mind took her back to dangerous places where she tasted him from head to toe, learning his textures and if he was ticklish. The shape that he could shift into was also a mystery.
Coming into the Alliance from Earth had created a number of shocking discoveries for her.
The creatures of legend were alien races—
shapeshifters existed in a number of forms and telepathy and forms of empathy were prevalent among her people even though no one wanted to admit it. It was moments like this when she was alone in space that her mind thought about where she was and how amazing it was that she had made the cut.
Maura’s reflexes had made her an ideal test pilot. Her enthusiasm for life made her suitable for experimental ships. She would not take chances 5
Viola Grace
with her own life in order to save a piece of tech.
That self-preservation was an instinct which enabled her to learn everything there was to know about the ship she was in, as well as safety protocols.
Her knowledge of the Xeno One made its failure one of two likely candidates. She was leaning toward the final fuel drop resulting in a partially closed vent. Since she had been in the cockpit when the go signal had been given, the fuelling bot had probably not sealed the vent, so when she put stress on it, it cracked.
She was hoping that that had been the problem.
If it was genuine sabotage, she was in a whole new world of weirdness.
The heads-up display in her helmet gave her the reading that she had twenty minutes of air left.
Fortunately, Alzor was lowering her into position for a mechanical docking.
“How are you doing, Maura?”
“Twenty minutes of air, Alzor, but otherwise perky.”
“You always are. Docking clamps are extended and I am releasing the magnetic connections…
now.”
The slight drop into the waiting arms of the station made her blink. She had spent far too much time with her own thoughts. Her mind had scampered from sex to home and back again the 6
Enraptured
instant she heard his low, rumbling voice.
The Xeno One was lowered into the station and the seals closed over i
The first time it happened, she had been near the doorway and was able to cling to some wiring until the exterior seals engaged. Her suit had kept her from freezing, but the memory of almost being blown out into space was something she didn’t want to relive.
She walked to the air lock by the most direct route she could find, always keeping her hand on a rail or some grippable surface. When she was in the airlock, she still didn’t blow her suit seals, even though she had less than five minutes left.
Safety first, kids.
The moment she was in the hall outside the airlock, she opened her seals and removed her helmet. The stale air of the station was welcome, an unlimited source of breathable atmosphere.
Another welcome sight was striding toward her with a determined glint in his silver eyes.
“Alzor. Thank you for the retrieval.” She extended her hand.
When he gripped her by her shoulders and 7
Viola Grace
lifted her up against a wall for a punishing kiss, surprised was the least of her emotional responses.
He ravaged her mouth, using lips, teeth and tongue to subdue her. Her choice was to fight or submit and damn he tasted good. Her blood pooled in her womb and she groaned as a pulse started between her thighs. She was reaching up to tangle her fingers in his hair when he abruptly pulled away.
He held her until she was standing on her own again, her legs straight and back stiff. With a jaunty grin, he turned and walked away. “You are welcome.”
She may have stared after him slack-jawed, but not for long. A medical team was stampeding down the hall. It was time for the post-incident medical exam and there was no avoiding those hands, even if there was another set of hands that she would much rather have running over her body.
Damn it.
8
Enraptured
Chapter Two
rinking a glass of juice at the bar, Maura m
D u
lled over the events of the day. The investigation had shown that it had indeed been a fuel-valve issue. The setup was non-standard and the ground crew had simply chosen the closest match. The problem with that was that the match was inexact and therefore the bot didn’t know what to do with the extra flaps and closures, so it had left them alone.
Her life had almost come to a screeching halt and all because someone on the flight deck thought that close counted.
She slugged back the juice and asked for another. There was no way she was going to get drunk, but the relaxing effect of drinking in a full establishment was helping.
“How are you doing, Maura?” The bartender was a female Ontex, Stoal was her name. “I hear that you almost met the big freeze today.”
“You heard right. Fortunately, I was close 9
Viola Grace
enough to the station for retrieval before my air ran out.”
Stoal was studiously cleaning the counter. She looked down and then up at Maura with her large black eyes. “I also hear that Alzor came to your rescue.”
“That is true as well.” Another glass of juice appeared in front of her and she took another slug. She shuddered. It really wasn’t very good juice, but it was all that the station had available in the non-intoxicant beverages unless she drank water and the water wasn’t that good either.
The Ontex whistled. It was odd coming from one of the classic grey aliens of Terran culture, but Stoal was very relaxed in her mannerisms. She matched her manner to her clients on an individual basis.
“Well, it’s about time. He’s been sniffing after you for weeks.”
That caught Maura completely off guard.
“What?”
“The whole station knows that he watches your runs and the instant you were in trouble, he hopped into his ship against the orders of his team leader.” She was still cleaning the area that she had rendered spotless. The innocent look Stoal gave Maura was far too-knowing to be truly genuine.
Maura slugged back the rest of the juice and 10
Enraptured
made a face. She nodded to Stoal and hopped off the barstool. The festivities on the stage were just getting underway. Teams were celebrating successful runs and others were consoling themselves with intoxicants. The music pounded and rolled through her as she walked to the door, dodging hands, claws and other appendages as they reached for a female form.
Shaking her head, she wandered the halls of the station. Without willing it, she walked into the Nyal segment of the station. She froze when some of the other pilots saw her and watched her with speculative looks.
Maura took a deep breath, turned on her heel and went back to her quarters. Tomorrow was long-range jump practice with the Guardian Echo, a ship designed by one of the Sector Guard. It was more of a light shakedown than a test flight, but she was being paid to pilot it, so pilot it she would.
She fell asleep going through the schematics of the Guardian Echo. It looked like a tight and fast ship for long-range travel—one pilot and up to five passengers. The true test was the miniaturized jump engine. If it worked, then there would be a new boost in long-distance travel, at least for the Sector Guard.
Her alarm blared and she bolted upright. It was 11
Viola Grace
her secondary alarm. She must have slept through her initial one. “Sonofabitch!” She took the fastest gel shower of her life, waiting only until the gel hardened before using the sonics to shatter it. Maura pulled on her signature red flight suit and double-checked her braids. Having long hair in a helmet was a pain, but braiding it into a tight coil made it easier for maintenance. The inky black was tightly contained and she was ready for action.
Her flight boots fought her, but she got them on. As soon as she was ready, she was out the door and running to the flight deck. She hated being late.
The flight director was waiting for her. “You missed your window. You are now at the back of the line. Six-hour wait.”
Cursing would get her banned from the deck.
The Dhemon flight director was a stickler for propriety, especially when the speaker was female.
“Accepted. I will wait in the observation area.” It was the most polite thing she could say, her mind seething with tension. Perhaps if she got some food and a coffee-equivalent, she would be able to put a few sentences together.
The observation area was almost empty, but Alzor’s team was up and watching the in-flight cameras. He was currently piggy backing in a 12
Enraptured
jump ship, his smaller ship being taken out for weapons runs in an asteroid field.
“Aw. Looks like the Guardian Echo won’t make it out today. Too bad. They are only doing the one jump-run.” One of the techs for Alzor’s ship was sneering at her.
The jump ship was scheduled to return to base in a few hours. She was supposed to be on the outgoing launch and then jump back to space near the station. “He is staying out overnight?”
“Of course. It’s a complete test. They will retrieve him tomorrow.”
Alzor was not one to take unnecessary risks, but floating around blasting asteroids was not a risk-free task.
She bit one of her nails. It was a bad habit, but it let her know how upset she really was. “Is he alone out there?”
“There are a few other ships in the area, but they will return with the jump ship today.” That worried her more. She pushed her worries aside as she grabbed food from the dispensers.
The rations that were given were not flavourful, but they were filling and nutritious, like bland oatmeal. She could get better food at some of the kiosks on the mezzanine but that would mean leaving the observation area and she had a gut feeling that she needed to stay.
