The Virgin’s Cyborg by Candice Gilmer

8

Jedriek walked to the door, and he looked back one more time at Eleanor. His hair was not super dark but almost golden-colored, like the sand outside. She took in his form. Being very close to him, and with all they'd been through in the last few hours--had it only been that long--she had not really looked at him.

Granted, he was huge. She felt like he could carry her in one arm. He was so big and thick. His uniform was sculpted to him, like a second skin, and she might have thought it was his skin had she not seen him up close in his ship

And while he could physically dominate her, she didn't feel afraid that he would. He did not have that aura about him. She truly felt like she could trust him. A fascinating thought, since just a few days ago, she would have never expected she would have faith in one to keep her safe. A treaty, yes. Friendly? Sure. But trust with her life? No, that wasn't what she thought she'd be doing today.

Even in an underground shelter. It felt like a buried building. Maybe it was, she didn't know. Quiet. She didn't see any signs that anyone had been at this location for quite a while.

Still, it was clean. Silvery and clean, a little dark, but clean. When she looked closer, she could see remnants of the sand and rock. A sheen of color against the silver and gray of the structures.

Then there was the bed. It was huge. Built for much more giant humanoids, evidently. It felt like she was lying down on a zero-g bed. But not. Like it made a mold of her, and when she moved, the mold adjusted with her movements.

Pretty comfortable.

She needed the sleep. She rolled from her side to her back. Not that the bed didn't do everything possible to make her comfortable, but she couldn't get her mind to calm down and allow herself to sleep.

For one, she was utterly shocked over her day. This morning, she was on transport, coming to negotiate a peace treaty and end the war. Now? She was on a bed, hiding with her Rhimodian protector.

Just in case they were discovered by the ship full of Charro and Terran soldiers--though she only speculated that much, they could have been slaves or something.

Not actual Terran Military.

She shook her head. "It's so funny how you lie to yourself, Eleanor," she whispered. Because she knew what she'd seen. What she saw before, and what she saw now. The Terran military was attacking their own people.

And most likely, her father was involved. If not, the one giving the orders.

She shouldn't be surprised by this.

Really.

The sisters were doing this because they'd witnessed their entire lives what war did to the Terran Empire. How much it could tear them apart. Surely her father wanted to bring peace and prosperity back to their people. She didn't know why this one little war with the Rhimodians took so much from the Terran Empire.

But it was taxing their people.

Ending the war would help a great many in the Terran Empire as well as the Rhimodians. It could create a new kind of export. The Terrans and the Rhimodians working together instead of against one another? They could do amazing things. Eleanor had seen up close what the Rhimodian tech could do. Materializing weapons out of thin air? What else could they do with that tech?

A great deal, she thought. If they could come to peace with the cyborgs. But that was why they were here. To make that peace.

A lot of good that mission is when she's stuck underground on a desert planet. Moon. It was a moon. Still, it was a desert. And she was hiding because there were mercs up there, looking for her.

Caoimhe. They were looking for her sister.

Hopefully, they believed she was her sister.

"At least I can protect my sister that way. Someone has to." She shifted on the bed again. Maybe she needed a blanket to get comfortable with.

She climbed off the bed and started looking through the different cabinets for some kind of blanket or sheet. She wasn't sure if it would actually help, but it was worth a shot.

Something to make her stop thinking because right now, her mind was running so fast, she could barely keep up with herself.

Like how could she fight the Terran Military? She wasn't a strategic planner or anything. She didn't know how to fight off military movements. Especially when they were shooting at her.

"Ugh, why are there no blankets?" She tried to jerk a jammed drawer open. Probably filled with medical supplies, she guessed. While it might be rather fun to see what all the Rhimodian drugs and other repair meds they used, really, all she needed was a blanket of some sort. Or a few sheets. Anything to cover her legs with.

One of the drawers she pulled on was being stubborn and wouldn't come out. It felt like the metal was grinding against metal.

"Come on." She yanked really hard.

The drawer came open. Sort of.

Not enough to get much out of, but enough to see that it did not have what she needed.

And now it was off its track because the drawer hung and a weird bent angle in its spot.

"So you're breaking things?" Jedriek asked from the doorway.

She jumped and spun, hip-checking the broken drawer, and winced when the corner poked her.

"I thought you were taking a nap."

"Funny, I thought you were too," he said.

"Well, I just, um. I needed a blanket."

"So you're not just in here breaking into the medical supplies?"

"Why would I do that?"

He shrugged. "I don't pretend to understand why humanoids do what they do. I only see what they do. And you look like you're breaking into drawers."

"Maybe I am. Really though, I just wanted a blanket."

He crossed the room to a panel on the wall.

Touched it.

The panel popped open. Inside was a pile of linens. "Take what you need," he said.

She glanced at the broken drawer. "Should I be allowed? I mean, I already broke the drawer." She hadn't gotten to that side of the room to check things, although that particular cabinet was hard to see, and she might have overlooked it anyway.

Sounded like a good story, didn't it?

Of course, she could have just asked in the first place. And that said something about her, didn't it?

She walked over and grabbed two blankets, and laid them on the bed.

Jedriek crossed to the broken drawer, his attention away from her. "It can be fixed."

"How can I help you?"

He raised his eyebrow. The way his mouth tipped up in the corner like he knew that she was not going to be much help. Because, well, she wasn't. It's not like she did a lot of mechanical repairs. She was a princess. Most of her life had been about protocol and rules and regulations.

How did he look at her like that without saying anything?

It both infuriated her and made her want to grin.

"I can help," she said, though the protest was mostly just on principle than any actual ability to be helpful.

He turned back to the drawer.

She crossed her arms. This attraction for Jedriek was unlike anything she'd ever had for a male in the past. Oh, sure, she'd crushed on males before, but this wasn't the same. Jedriek was different. And it wasn't the cybernetic parts in him, either. The way he carried himself. He was certainly confident, but also seemed to struggle.

Like he wanted to make sure they were safe, and he'd brought her down to this underground.

But he was obviously attracted to her.

No one kissed like he did without being attracted.

Not that she was complaining. He tasted like ambrosia, and he smelled like her own personal heavenly-made musk. And even through all the long dress layers, she felt every bit of him in flight, and she felt so beautiful when she laid there. Especially when he'd put his hand on the small of her back. It had been to secure or to guide her as they walked. It wasn't too low or too high. It was just enough to feel very cherished and protected.

And now, he knelt before the drawer, tipping it up and down to assess the issue.

"Do you, uh, like to fix things?"

"No."

She blinked. Wanted to say something but held her tongue.

He slammed the bottom of his palm into the drawer. The echo in the room seemed to bounce off the walls forever as he yanked it out of its casing.

All the things in the box fell out onto the floor--medical supplies. Basic first aid things like healing patches and foam repair spray to seal up wounds. The kinds of things anyone would have in their medical bay.

"Well, that was disappointing," she said.

He glanced at her. "What is?"

"Seeing that you have the same things in your medical bay aseveryone else does."

"What do you mean?"

"You're the mighty Rhimodians. You're these powerful cyborgs. One wouldn't expect you to be using a foam repair spray for wounds or basic healing patches."

"Medical supplies are the same no matter what species someone is. "

"I know. I just, I thought you'd have your own tech."

"That's in the locked cabinet over there." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. He didn't look at her as he worked on repairing the drawer.

"So that's where all the magical scanners are," she said. She was kidding, mostly. Their own tech was understood to have like the nanites. They had to have stock of them somewhere so they could have more if they ran out. Right?

That made sense, didn't it? She was so tired, she wasn't even sure anymore if her brain was working.

"How bad is it?"

"It is not horrible," he replied.

It looked like she'd somehow broken one of the drawer's connectors inside the panel.

Of course, she did. She should have expected that she'd break things. After all, she was a menace. Just listen to her father. He could tell all about it.

"Well, do you need any help from me?"

"No."

She sighed. "I'm sorry."

This did make him pause. "What for?"

"For breaking the drawer, and now you have to fix it--"

He shoved the drawer back into the cabinet. "Fixed."

She blinked. "Well, um. I didn't realize you would fix it so fast."

He tapped it on the corner, and it slid out and back in like he had never had to fiddle with it.

"I know that you are independent, Princess, but please, if you need something, please ask me. I can help you."

She sighed. "I'm always helped. So much so that when I do try to do things on my own, I wind up screwing it up."

"You need a unit."

She blinked. "A unit?"

"A group that takes care of you. You work together, and as a unit together, you solve problems and fix issues. No one is more important than the other."

"That's the issue. I'm not important."

"You are."

"No, really. I'm not. I can't remember much before my mother died. And after? Well, my position was defined quickly by my father, so I would never forget where I was in the order of things." She took a seat on the bed, pulling her legs up to her chest.

He stepped next to the bed. His hands grazed the top of the mattress as he spoke. "Master System would not want you protected if you were not important. Master System is always right."

"Master System doesn't know me," she said, her gaze running over him. He was very close to her, standing at the edge of the bed like that. But it didn't frighten her. She wasn't fearful of him at all. He was just there.

There was a soothing feeling she felt from his presence. A comfort she'd felt from very few people.

He shrugged. "I don't question Master System. While I can adjust my interpretation of protocol, I still trust that Master System has a bigger vision of the situation than I can see."

That was it, though. Seeing the whole picture. Sometimes, Eleanor wanted to see everything and couldn't. Or wasn't allowed to. "Unfortunately, the one who has the bigger picture is also the one that's causing all the problems," she said. "My father is manipulating this, I am sure of it."

"You misunderstand what I mean."

"Then explain it to me."

"It is like when your ship was attacked. There were five of our ships surrounding yours. One, maybe two of us Rhimodians saw what actually happened, including the point of attack. I was not one of them. Because we are connected, Master System saw it. Master System knows what happened and adjusted orders based on the latest data."

"But what if you're wrong? What if this is a waste of time?"

He stared at her for a beat. Maybe two. The way his expression shifted and emotions, or perhaps it was understanding, passed over his features, she felt terrible.

"It is not a waste, meeting you, Princess. Regardless of how this progresses from this moment on, I will never regret meeting you. Protecting you. Or even kissing you."

Her cheeks heated, and she covered them, staring at the bed mattress.

"Do not do that," he said and put his hand on her arm, guiding her hands down.

She looked at him. "Do what?" His unique eyes drew her in. White as they were, she could feel them. She could see them. It was intense, the growing attraction between them, and she felt so odd about it.

She didn't expect to find it.

Not with him.

Not really with anyone. As much as she fought her father, she knew deep down she would wind up a barter with another system, some way to solidify a treaty. She could fight it all she wanted, but that would be her lot in life. She had always hoped she'd be mildly attracted to them if she was forced into something and would have some sense of connection.

Jedriek, though.

She felt far more with him than she ever expected to feel.

With anyone. And from the way he stared at her, she knew he felt it too.

He called it the Craving, but it was the same thing. That growing, burning attraction.

His thumb caressed her cheek, and she felt so much moving between them. Intensity and attraction. She'd felt a lot when they'd kissed, but this was different. Granted, she thought he was hot. And he made her feel tiny and protected whenever he was near, just from the sheer size of him.

Maybe the intensity of the day was what sparked this desire between them.

Perhaps that was all it was.

But did it matter? Really? If all it happened to be was sparked desire from a very intense introduction and encounter? She had read plenty of books in her life where the main characters met under extreme situations and wound up being very attracted to each other.

"I," she whispered, still a little embarrassed that she'd not been able to look him in the eyes.

"Do not be afraid to look at me with those beautiful eyes of yours."

She looked away. His words hit her hard. Because no one called her eyes beautiful. There was no belief that they were.

He must have seen the confusion on her face because he stood up straighter and looked around for a second. "What?"

"Now I know you're lying. You said my eyes are beautiful."

He stepped closer to her, as close as he could be to the bed without touching it.

"I do not lie. They are stunning to behold. I could stare at your eyes all day. I love how they shift from one color to the other, blue and silver and darker blue and hints of gold mixed into the flecks."

"No one has ever told me my eyes were beautiful."

"Your eyes are special."

"I--"

"Shh," he said. He leaned into her. "You are. You are special, Princess Eleanor. And anyone telling you otherwise is not worth your time."

One of his hands touched her side, and she leaned into the warm contact. He felt so safe and strong to stay in. "And what are you going to do? Protect me from all the negativity?"

"If that is what must be done, then yes."

She'd had guards and protectors around her all her life for the sake of the Imperial family. Yet, not one of them seemed to be as committed as this Rhimodian was, and she'd met him merely a few hours before.

"At least the negotiations won't last too long. You'll only have to do it for a few days." She leaned into him, and they were doing this sort of side-hug embrace, where she was on the bed, he stood next to it. It was more than he had his arm around her, but not a full-on body-to-body hug.

Yet it was enough that she could feel him breathing and smell that warm musky man smell he had.

He shook his head. "I will protect you for as long as you need me."

She turned her head, so her face was pressed against his chest for a minute, savoring the comfort of him. Then she tipped her head back and rested her chin on his chest, so she could see his face. "What if I need you more than just through the negotiations? Will you come back to the Terran Empire with me? Protect me there, too?"

"If you wish."

"I was kidding." And she was. Sort of. Because no one made those kinds of commitments to her. She wouldn't expect that from anyone. Though it was fun to joke about such things.

He cupped her face in his hands and leaned down so they were almost nose to nose. "I promise you, Princess Eleanor, I will do whatever you need. If you need protection, I will take care of you. Here. On Sol-3, when we get there. Or on your homeworld, if it is needed."

"That is a lot of commitment."

"You need a lot of protection. You keep breaking things. It is good I can fix things." He ran his hand along her shoulder. Again, she loved how he felt touching her. Safe. Comfortable. Trustable.

And then there were her own versions of the Cravings, the part of her that really wanted to stop talking right now and find other things to do.

She smiled. "You're not wrong. I need a lot of things."

"Such as?"

"Another kiss. Even if it's pointless."

"As you like."

He leaned down toward her, and their lips brushed. In a moment, the kiss deepened. His tongue touched hers, and the intimate dance between them began. It was a waltz of sorts, him moving forward and savoring her. Then she repeated the steps back to him.

A kiss could be so many things.

Something chaste and straightforward.

Hard and cold.

Or friendly and silly.

Or this.

It could be this.

And she didn't really have words for what this was.

Besides, intense.

Every part of her body reacted, just from the kissing. He pulled her closer, though she remained on the bed.

So much larger than she was, she couldn't wrap her arms around him, or heck, barely her legs as far as that went. The sideways pose they were in long forgotten as she scooted as close to him as she could on the bed.

He grabbed her hips and yanked her against him.

She cried out in surprise. And then she was pressed against him. And she realized that what she'd seen in his little uniform must have been flaccid. Because, oh my, was he much more prominent than before.

Would she even be able to stretch enough to accommodate him?

He paused. "Did I hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No. I just was, uh, calculating."

He raised his eyebrow. "I was not aware that calculations were necessary for pleasure times."

"Mostly, I was wondering if your, uh, rod will fit in my port."

He blinked for a second.

Like was trying to figure out what she meant.

It took him a beat.

Then he chuckled. "I do not think that will be a problem. I will lubricate the port."

She nodded and couldn't help smiling. "You may need a lot."

"Are you, what do you call it. Virginal?"

"Depends on your point of view, I suppose."

He blinked. "It should not. You either have, or you have not, if I understand it."

She wrapped her arms around him. "I made a choice to have a partner because of a decision my father made. As such, he threatened to repair me to my virginal state so I could do what he wanted."

Jedriek got very stiff--and not in a good way. "He. What." The words came out as a growl.

She waved her hand. "It did not happen. The doctors refused to perform the procedure. Yet another thing my sister saved me from." She sighed. "I don't know if she spoke to the doctors or if they just came to an agreement."

"Why would your father do that to you?"

"He wanted me to marry an old man. The old man wanted a virginal bride. I was a virgin. So I made a choice to remove that from the negotiations."

Jedriek shook his head. "How does one humanoid have the right to dictate how another humanoid can experience life?"

"I am the daughter of an Emperor, who controls most of this corner of the galaxy. I have certain responsibilities that need to be fulfilled. And as such, I likely will have to marry for political reasons."

"Horrible."

"It's not that bad."

He shook his head. "Horrible that your father, your family unit, treats you like a commodity rather than a living being."

"It is my lot in life."

"What if it did not have to be?"

"Have a plan, do you?"

"You could stay here," he said. "Do not return to the Terran Empire. Stay here. I would keep you safe."

She wrapped her arms around him. "You're sweet. But the galaxy doesn't flow like that."

"It could."

"No, not really."

He ran his hand over her hair. His fingers got wrapped up in a few pieces. "What if your father died? What does that do to your power?"

"It doesn't matter. He will never die."

"Is he not mortal?"

"He is. I just don't think he will ever let go of his position or his power without a fight."

"That much is obvious," Jedriek said.

"Yes, it is. Why do you want to know what happens to me when he dies?"

"Would you be the new Empress?"

"My sister would be. I would still be a princess."

"So you would no longer be bound to the Terran Empire?"

"I would always be connected to the Terran Empire. It is my home. And if anything happened to my sister, I would be expected to be the Empress."

"Do you want to?"

"What, be the Empress? Never."

"If you could do anything, what would it be?"

"Besides stop the war?"

"Besides stop the war between our people, yes."

It was a question she'd been asked many times over the years. And she'd always had her stock responses she'd been coached and practiced to answer when those kinds of questions happened.

But she'd never really thought about it beyond those answers.

"I don't know," she replied. "I know what the Empire would want me to do. I have standard answers for such questions when they come up. I can feel them on the tip of my tongue, ready to come out. Grandiose and noble answers, like feed the hungry or help those who need it. Start a foundation for whatever is fashionably disastrous at the time."

"Fashionably disastrous?"

"That's what they would call it. Meaning that certain charities and other kinds of service to my people would come in and out of focus. I was always to answer according to what the people wanted me to say."

"I do not want to hear what the people want you to say. I am asking you."

She nodded. "And I know. I just don't have an answer. Because I don't know what I would do with myself. Most likely, some kind of help and support for those who need it. But how, I do not know. Beyond the war, anyway."

He nodded. "The war has caused a great deal of damage to places around the Sol system."

"It has," She said. "Before I worry about what I can do to make myself happy, I will attend to the people of the Terran Empire. For we need to heal from all these years of war."

He nodded. "It can be done," he said. "I will help you."

She smiled. "That's kind of you."

"You will need a representative."

"And you're nominating yourself for the job?"

"I am."

"There are certain requirements," she said.

"Such as?"

"You will have to kiss me often."

He smiled. "Sounds challenging."

"And fix things I break."

"I am good at repairing things."

"And you may have to fight for me."

"I like to fight too. I add that to my list of assets. This size makes me very intimidating."

"Which could be an asset."

He stroked her hair. "Whatever you need, princess."

"I have been told that my entire life, but I think you mean it more than anyone who has ever told me that."

"I do."

She smiled. "Your sincerity is admirable."

"Good."

Their lips crashed together, and the kissing overtook them. Lost in the flavor of him, she continued to savor every part of his kiss. Their tongues danced around each other.

She giggled when his tongue swiped against hers.

"Now you find my kissing funny?"

"I find your kissing amazing," she said. "And if I cannot laugh and smile during intimate moments, then what is the point?"

"Point accepted," he replied, a smile on his big face.

And the kissing resumed.

She wrapped her arms around him and tipped her head back as he kissed down her throat. The feel of his lips on her skin intoxicated her. His large hands roamed over her back and stroked her spine. She mimicked the movements, feeling his back, though she couldn't envelop him like he could her.

As she stroked his skin, she felt the ports round divots on his otherwise perfect back. Her fingers lingered on the indentions, stroking the round circles in the otherwise organic skin.

"My ports," he whispered.

"What are they for?" she asked.

"Connections. To my ship when I fly. To other systems."

"In your back?"

"It is one of the ways we connect." He met her gaze. "Did you want to see?"

She nodded.

He turned, and his flight suit vanished. The material became almost liquid, like mercury. It oozed back into his skin, most of it going into the round ports. She held her hand up to touch them but stopped.

"May I, uh,"

"Touch them as you like," he said. "You cannot hurt them."

"I'm sure they can be damaged," She said, a light tone in her voice, but honestly, she was mesmerized. She traced the one on his left shoulder, running her finger around the edge. Which was strange because it didn't seem to have an edge. It wasn't like a plug or something. It was just his skin. Like something was underneath, but it seemed to be connected.

The sleeve of her white dress brushed his skin, and a flash of white ran over it.

She pulled her arm back. "Did that flash just change because of my gown?"

"It can adapt fast. I adapt faster than previous generations."

"But you haven't become the walls or anything here."

"In my flight suit, it does not change like that unless I want it to.

"So you want me to see you in all the colors now?"

"I want you to see me in any way you like."

She smiled. "Maybe I want to see you naked."

"As my princess wishes."

And with that, the entire flight suit disappeared, and he was naked before her.

His male part was large and proud before her. And oh my, was it large. Much bigger than what Colt had a year ago.

This she would certainly feel, that's for sure.

"You are quite beautiful," she said. Her gaze ran over his body.

"If it pleases you, then I am happy."

She smiled. "You're very concerned about how I feel about you."

"I wish to please you."

"Oh, you please me," she said.

"Good." He stepped back close to her. "Let me continue to please you."