Hope Awakened by Charlene Hartnady
Chapter 4
Reece wasn’t entirely sure that this female had all of her faculties. She gripped his claws tightly and screamed as he ascended. Not so long after, she laughed. A little later, she laughed a second time.
Laughing.
Why was she laughing like that?
What was so funny?
Quite frankly, he wasn’t sure that she was the right person for the job. All she had done so far was stare at him. How would others of his species react when she stared at them like that? It was rude. You would swear that she had never seen a naked male before. From a regular human he might expect as much, but not a healer. What was the big deal about a naked male?
Then again, he had reacted to her. It was a shock to him that he had. Something he hadn’t expected, since the human was so tiny. So unferal-like. Perhaps it was her feminine scent that had set him off. Reece had started to feel his prick stir under her scrutiny. His balls had pulled tight and his prick started to prepare to mount.
Even though he wasn’t convinced about Dr. Bristol, he needed to keep that particular fact in mind. His harder, thicker cock would explain her staring. Then again, it was his understanding that human females were timid. The doctor hadn’t shrunk away. She was brazen in her scrutiny of him. Perhaps she was on Feral territory to do more than just be a healer to the queen. Perhaps she wanted to choose a Feral mate of her own. The idea didn’t sit well with him. He was going to keep a close eye on her and report back to his king if there was anything untoward. The queen was relying on this healer to help her through the laying.
He was worried about Claire. The queen needed someone who would give her their undivided attention. It was a good thing that Delise would also be in attendance.
Reece spotted the human accommodation in the distance and descended slowly. He landed on the lawn in front of the squat-looking nest. It was at ground level and didn’t look appealing to him at all. Reece carefully put the female down. She staggered a step or two, grinning from ear to ear.
“That was exhilarating. Thank you,” she told him as he put her bags and his jeans down next to her.
He noted that she averted her eyes when he began shifting back into his human form. Her gaze was firmly on the nest in front of her. The human gasped loudly. “That’s some house. Am I the only one who will be living there?”
“Either a colleague or I will stay with you. Do not fear,” he put up a hand, “we will stay out of your way. It is a precautionary measure to ensure your safety during these troubled times.”
A frown formed on her forehead. “I was informed during the briefing yesterday about a dangerous Feral wanting to become king. He was dethroned years ago. He thinks that if he steals the royal babies, that he will be king again?” She shook her head. “Is that right? I have to say that I’m a little concerned.”
“Yes, you are correct.” He watched as her eyes clouded. “You are in no danger, Dr. Bristol,” he tried to reassure her. “The Fallen king Ekon wants to kidnap the chicks as soon as they are born. His reasoning is that whoever has the heir is the rightful king.”
“Forgive me, but it all seems a little…strange that he would do this. I don’t know enough about your culture.” Her frown deepened. “I guess I’m trying to figure out just how much danger I might be in. I think it’s terrible that the queen has to worry about this during what should be a magical, exciting time of her life.” He saw what looked like fear flare in her eyes, hence all the questions. It made sense that she would be apprehensive.
“It has nothing to do with our culture. Ekon isn’t of sound mind. His reasoning is flawed, but it won’t stop him from trying to carry out the task. He desperately wants the throne back. We can’t let that happen.” Reece picked up her bags. “Like I said, you have nothing to fear. Ekon has no interest in a human healer.”
“Why not just arrest him?” Her eyes were wide.
“Ekon has his followers. He’s known as the Fallen King. Taking him down, even attempting it, could start a war. Certain protocols need to be followed. Do not worry about Ekon. You only need to worry about the queen and the chicks.”
“Noted.” She nodded. “Thank you for the explanation. I was given very little information yesterday. I was wondering.” She lifted her eyes in thought. “It was bugging me.”
“There are security measures in place. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Only,” she chewed her bottom lip, “I will need to see the queen regularly. I’m sure I’ll need to spend a whole lot of time with her in the coming period. That would put me in the line of fire.”
Reece couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He dropped the bags and stopped walking. “You have the facts. I’m sorry that some of the information was omitted. You are not the target, Dr. Bristol. There is some risk, though. Again, I will reiterate, if this assignment is not going to work for you, then I urge you to leave now. The queen is going to lay her eggs in less than a moon cycle. If you are not the right person for this job, speak up now so that we can replace you. It would need to happen sooner rather than later. Should I call the helicopter pilot? Perhaps he hasn’t left yet. If he has, he can come back to collect you.”
Her eyes narrowed on him as he spoke. She sucked in a deep breath. “No, you don’t have to call him back. And stop saying that I’m not the right person.” Her eyes narrowed even further as they locked with his. “It’s starting to seriously irritate me. Just because I’m someone who likes all the facts, does not mean that I need replacing. The more I know, the better. I could help you keep the queen safe.”
He choked out the start of a laugh. “No, human! You are small and weak. You could not help. You would get in the way. There is nothing you could do to—”
“Stop there!” Her soft voice had turned gruff. “I have eyes and ears. If I know what I’m looking for, and understand the situation, I could perhaps alert you or one of your guys to something unusual. I could be a big asset. I refuse to go into this blindly. I might not like everything I encounter, but that does not mean that I’ll run home with my tail between my legs. I might be small, but I’m fierce.”
He cocked his head, looking down. Humans didn’t have tails. What was she talking about? As to being fierce…please!
“There won’t be much to hear or see since they will not send a large army. It will be a few trained males who would use stealth to try to take the chicks.”
“Exactly. I can help you. I can be an extra set of eyes and ears. I can scream loudly if I see anything. I have a decent set of lungs.”
He had noticed. Her squeal at take-off had been piercing. “Fine. Just stay out of the way so that you don’t get hurt. Having a human injured or killed on my watch would be a major blemish on my record.”
“Heaven forbid your record is affected.” She rolled her eyes.
“I take my job seriously, Dr. Bristol.”
“As do I. Forget I even offered to help.” She huffed. “This Ekon person may not even make a move.” She shrugged.
“Oh, he will make a move. Or at least, one of his men will make a move. I will stop them.” He opened the door, standing back so that she could go inside.
“Oh, my gosh!” The human covered her mouth with both hands and walked in a small circle. Her eyes were very wide. “This place is gorgeous! That view.”
“The view would have been better from up high.”
“I saw that you guys live in towers.” Tiny frown lines appeared between her eyes.
“Nests,” he corrected her. “We build our nests on tall rocky structures. We have to shift to enter and leave. We fly wherever we want to go; we don’t have vehicles. We are a base species who spend a lot of time in our animal form.”
“Interesting. And this house?” She looked around them.
“We built this house as a human accommodation. You really need to read that booklet.” He felt annoyed. This was taking too long, and the human was asking too many questions. He had a feeling she was going to ask more, so he might as well explain everything. “Our people lost most of our females almost twelve years ago. They—”
“I heard about that. Clutch sickness, I believe the illness is called.” She looked solemn, her eyes darkening with concern.
He nodded. “We were a species of males for many years. The Feral have since discovered that we are compatible with humans. The nests are not deemed suitable and therefore, we are making adjustments. The royal nest now has an elevator. Humans get around in four-wheelers. We are busy installing electricity. Many of our nests are equipped for humans. They have electricity and running water. We even have cellphones and computers.”
“That’s great. I’m glad to hear it since I would like to be able to stay in touch with the outside world. This really is a lovely space.” She continued to peer about.
“This is the first house our species built especially for humans. Females seeking nonhuman mates come and stay here from time to time. There have been quite a few matings as a result, including the king. We are building more units for mated couples. It is a work in progress. We are learning as we go along. For example, although this is a four-bedroom house, there is only one bathroom. That small oversight still needs to be rectified.”
“That’s fine.” She shrugged, “I don’t mind sharing.”
Reece didn’t like the idea at all, but kept his thoughts to himself. He was trying to be cordial to the human. His king wouldn’t want it any other way.
“The swimming pool is beautiful,” she gushed, opening the back door and stepping onto the deck.
Reece didn’t say anything. It was getting late. He had things he needed to do. Namely, his team would be assembling soon for their first meeting. He had greatly underestimated how long it would take him to welcome the healer. In his opinion, aside from one or two small hiccups, it had gone very well. He had done his duty sufficiently.
Dr. Bristol put her hand into the water. “It’s perfect. I can’t wait to take a dip.” The female must have caught the look on his face because she went on, “What? Don’t you like swimming?”
“I’m half bird and half cat. The thought leaves me cold. A quick, hot shower is one thing. Choosing to immerse myself in water for any length of time…” He shook his head. “If you’ll follow me, I’d like you to choose a room so that I can help you with your bags.”
“Oh! Of course. I’m sorry.” She paused mid-stride. “Are you always this serious, Reece?”
What kind of question is that?“I am on duty. As I mentioned before, I take my job very seriously. I hope you will do the same.”
Her eyes widened for a moment. “Of course I will. I already told you that.” She walked ahead of him. “Which bedroom would be best?” she asked as they arrived in the hallway.
“They are all very similar. This one is closest to the bathroom, so perhaps—”
“I was asking from a security standpoint. I mean, I know it’s strictly precautionary, but perhaps there is a bedroom that would be better from a strategic standpoint?”
The female had a point. He’d give her that. Perhaps he had underestimated her to some degree. “Take the second bedroom,” he said. “That would put myself or one of the others between you and the threat. Just precautionary, of course.”
“Okay, then.” They bypassed the bathroom and the first bedroom. She walked into the next room. “This is lovely,” she said, stopping dead.
He had to stop abruptly, almost bashing into her. He put down the bags and walked backward – not before he caught another whiff of her scent. He couldn’t say what she smelled of exactly. All he knew was that it was good…amazing even. She smelled soft and feminine. He wanted to step forward…step in closer and get another whiff. Reece refrained. In a couple of months, he could get his fill of female scents. Not now! Not with this particular human. Dr. Bristol was strictly off-limits to both him and the rest of the royal guard. He would be sure to convey that to his team. “I will leave you to settle in,” he stated, his voice a rough rasp. Reece didn’t wait for her response. He turned and left.
