Reve Read online

  They were an even mix of male and female around the table. Throughout the corridors he’d noticed more females than males. “From our observations and calculations, you are about 4:1 female’s to males?”

  “We are,” Jorge nodded. “We lost a lot of men in the first two visits of the pirates. More in the last 3. They were the defenders of our world and went out to meet the aggressors. Winning against them, came at a high price. We added females to defend us after that. It was a difficult decision, not welcomed by everyone but if we were to defend against them, we had no choice. And Bren insisted. The women wanted to do it and had the right to fight.”

  Reve nodded in appreciation. “It was the right decision. It probably saved you. That and the maze out front. Ingenious and deadly.”

  “That was Bren too. She stepped up when Robert was killed.”

  “Do you intend to take her and any other females you want?” Mary looked unsure. Reve scented the air. She was afraid. So were several around the table.

  He shook his head and sat back. He spoke quietly. “We don’t take people against their will. Such action is abhorrent to us because of our own history. We protect now. Offer help where it’s needed. Humans and other races can choose to take the help or not. We are not offended if they do not wish to. It is up to them. I have no intention of taking anyone who does not wish to go. It is not who we are. After decades of abuses against us, we are all about choice. Ours, yours, theirs. Everyone gets a choice and no one, does anything against their will.”

  That last conversation seemed to reassure them a bit more. Before breaking up he asked for permission to access the vid screen in the meeting room to display the message from the Admiral. He’d received it that morning. It was a welcome message from the Empire if that was what they wanted to do. Mary got agreement from the room and he played the vid. Rage came on screen. He reassured them of their sovereignty and Kim also made an appearance, telling Rage to move over and he made room for her. You could see his annoyance, indulgence and love. Some in the room chuckled as she did so. It was a warming moment and clearly the female appeared to have the upper hand in that relationship. And that, seemed to clear up any last doubts people had around the table. Once the vid was finished, Reve stood shaking hands before leaving the room. He had a good feeling it was a starting point for further negotiations. These people had nothing to fear from the Empire and everything to gain.

  ***

  Brenna had spent most of the rest of the day seeing patients and checking charts. It was miraculous. Injuries that were not entirely healed and had been problems for years were fixed. Illnesses that had lingered and caused raspatory problems or circulatory were gone. New injuries were completely healed. Brenna found herself heading into medical and the area set aside for the three med beds. She walked around an empty one. The other two were being used. She’d seen the results for herself. She couldn’t dispute the evidence. People she’d known for years with disabilities she wasn’t able to completely heal, were now, pain free for the first time in their lives and the aliments completely gone. It seemed like a miracle worker. Too good to be true.

  Coming to the panel she wondered if it were possible to get a read out of all those that had been in it. Before and after the treatment offered. She wanted to do a comparison and also wanted a damn manual on how it worked. “Excuse me.” Bren jumped, she hadn’t heard the medic come in.

  “Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” She stepped back and watched as the medic ran what seemed a diagnostic on the equipment. “What is it you’re doing?” Brenna checked herself and held out her hand, “my manners are all over the place, my apologises I am Dr Colman. The lead Doctor here.”

  The Cyborg moved slowly and held out his hand and shook hers then dropped it quickly. “I am called RedX. I named myself after the medical organisation back on Old Earth. It seemed appropriate. I’m the ships medic.” Bren looked at him uncertain. He was the strongest looking medic she’d ever seen. A large man like all of them and just as broad and tall. “I am looking at the nutrient filters to make sure they do not need topping up. The med bed takes a diagnostic of the body, assesses what is wrong based on 100% functionality for the human male or females, based on age, their height and weight, and cross references it to over millions of examples and deduces what is defective and what treatment is required to put it right. It then supplies the technician looking after the subject with its results and if the medic or tech is in agreement, they give the go ahead for the bed to do the job.”

  Bren looked over to see where he was checking. “What nutrients does it use?”

  “The building blocks of life. The same ones they used to create us in our human form before the cybernetics were added. We can regrow anything.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. She’d just seen it. “What about problems or after effects?”

  RedX shook his head. “We don’t have any. The Designers might have been assholes, but they did a number on this. It works. He looked up and over at her. Have you been checked?”

  Brenna blinked and took a step back. “Me? I’m not injured.”

  He stared at her then spoke slowly. “That is not strictly true female. You carry more weight to the left than the right, suggesting you have had a serious injury at one time on your right side. You move your shoulder trying to release it suggesting you carry an old injury there too. I can tell that just by looking at you. We all can.”

  Bren blinked at him in shock. “How do you know that?” she murmured as a chill swept over her.

  “Its who we are. We look for injuries that will give us an advantage in combat. A simple program in our data banks provides an assessment of everything around us. It hi-lights vulnerability. We do it automatically. No offense meant. Our systems constantly scan those around us for many reasons.”

  “That, is a breach of a person’s privacy.” Her hand flew to her chest. She suddenly found it hard to breath. They could tell so much just by looking at them? How do you fight that?

  He went back to his work on the med bed. “Like I said, we have no control over it, no offense meant. You are at liberty to accept the facts or ignore them.”

  Bren blanched. That, had felt cold even to her. Bren swallowed, drawing air into her lungs. Her Doctors side was full of curiosity wanting to experience it for herself, the other part, not so much. But he was right. She’d had her share of injuries growing up. Both gave her problems at times and the birth hadn’t gone so easily…. She looked over at the bed. “Is it possible to get before and after scans to do an evaluation of a subject?” He gave her a nod. “Is this needed for someone?”

  He shook his head and looked up. “Not at the moment.”

  “I would like to try it.”

  He lifted the lid of the bed. “The sterilisation of the last use has been completed. I will need to reset it for you. It will scan you first, do a diagnostic of issues and then provide the solutions. It is better if you get in naked. You can change over there. Robes have been provided.”

  A growling could be heard from the doorway. Both of them turned towards it. Reve stood there with a glazed expression in his eyes, then it was gone. Bren wondered if she’d imagined it. “The Commander will help you with this.” RedX told her putting down the datapad and walked from the room. WTF?

  She got it then. Reve had done something and made the Medic leave. “What did you do?” He ignored her and walked to the med bed, starting it up. He wanted to play that game? Well, she didn’t. Bren turned on her heel and headed for the door. She almost got to it too before a hand caught her arm and gently held her.

  “You wanted to try it. I’m offering to do it.” He told her quietly. She could feel the heat in his eyes as she looked up into them.

  Bren pulled her arm from his hand. “I was interested with the medic,” she hissed. “A trained Doctor. Not with you.”

  Reve frowned he looked confused. “Why not?” I am as well trained as he is on the equipment. We all are.” Bren looked at him incredib
ly and shook her head. He didn’t get it. He might know how to use it as well as the medic, but he wasn’t the damn medic. He was……… she wasn’t sure quite what the hell he was, but he wasn’t her Doctor. “I cannot allow him to see you naked.” He told her.

  Bren blinked. What the hell? If he didn’t get it, she wasn’t going to explain it. “Forget it, I was curious only.” She walked out the room down towards her office. She was glad the med bed did its job, but she wouldn’t put up with his interference. I cannot allow him to see you naked? What was that about? She’d find a way to try it without his intervention, in the meantime, there were still plenty of patients out there that would benefit from a scan. Mentally she could list a couple of dozen off the top of her head and reasoned, that now the urgent cases were out the way, they could concentrate on the children first, the women, then the men. Before the Cyborgs left, she’d get as many through those beds as humanly possible and put it to the committee that they needed to purchase a dozen at their earliest convenience and the nutrients to keep them going.

  Bren pushed open her door and walked to her desk. The door closed behind her. She didn’t bother looking up as she took her chair, turning on her datapad. She had a list of messages to get through and sat down in a slump. She was so tired. Two fairly good night sleeps and it still hadn’t made much difference. It told her just how exhausted she truely was. The sweeping emotion threatened to roll over her and she pushed it away. That wasn’t going to get her work done.

  “You are tired. You need more rest.”

  Fuck! The voice came out of nowhere. Bren jumped and looked up. Reve stood leaning against the wall next to the door. His arms across his chest. He’d followed her? She hadn’t heard a damn thing! She sat staring at him incredibly. She couldn’t hear him moving around her, it was irritating and unnerving. She narrowed her eyes on him. How had she not known he was behind her? Bren huffed. “Your giving me a headache,” she told him pointedly expressing every nerve he was pissing off.

  He moved to pour her some water, then handed it over. “You are dehydrated. You should have taken the med bed test. It would have sorted the headache and the shoulder, not to mention that leg and hip. To not do so is irrational. Explain why you wouldn’t allow me to do it for you?”

  She huffed again and shook her head looking at him ruefully, while taking the cup and sipping it. He was right, she ran dehydrated these days. The fact that he was exasperated her, and she was ready to throw a fit. “Isn’t anything private with you people?” she bit out.

  Reve shrugged, she was angry with him again. He liked her fire. “We are not people female, we are Cyborg. Why would you not let me help you?”

  Bren’s feathers ruffled. He was driving her nuts. “I told you. You are not the medic. It’s the medics job not yours. It would be like me asking a farmer to do a medical assessment. It requires …. delicacy and appropriate training. It is not the farmers job and we do not feel that is right. It’s a private and personal matter.”

  Reve gave a nod. He didn’t like her tone or her telling him what he could and couldn’t do when it came to her. “I see,” he told her. “We are Cyborg. Nothing is private unless we choose it to be. And where you’re concerned, I choose not to.”

  Chapter Five

  I choose not to, she mimicked. He’d moved back to the wall having handed her the water and his explanation. What the hell did that mean? Bren looked back at her datapad. “Go away. I’m busy.”

  Reve didn’t move. She got the impression he didn’t like her challenging him. That he did everything in his own time. He didn’t scare her, she thought and realised he didn’t. She knew he wouldn’t harm her. Time dragged then she saw him move in her periphery vision but didn’t hear him at all. It was strange and a little weird. Like he floating or something. Which she knew to be impossible. He stalked across the room and came around her desk. Bren looked up and frowned as he pulled her chair out from under the desk towards him. He picked her up easily, “Hay!” She called out as she clung onto him and he placed her on the desk. Then moved into her crouching down. Pulling her legs apart. He closed the distance pulling her bodily towards him. “You can’t just come in here and take over!” she told him spluttering, leaning away.

  Reve tilted his head studying her. She’d challenged and dismissed him. Both actions did nothing but pull him in. Her face showed a myriad of emotion. Fear, embarrassment, uncertainty, indignation and a little antisipation. It was clear to him she wasn’t over their previous encounter and didn’t know how to handle him. Reve smiled, breathing her in and found her unique scent, tinged with a flare of desire.

  Reve’s mouth watered he wanted her on his tongue. She might have confused him with her previous mate before, but now, her desire was for him. He wondered if she knew the difference. “Why not?” he asked. “You like it. I can smell your desire.” Rumbled from his throat. He stroked a hand from her shoulder to her breast bone. She didn’t try to stop him. “I do not like knowing you are carrying injuries and my logic is for once in agreement with my emotions. They need putting right. Your pain is unacceptable and fixable. Ummmm,” he told her breathing in deeply. “Your scent is delicious. Your heart rate just picked up, your scent carries desire and that’s, anticipation….” He flicked his eyes back to hers.

  Bren flinched. Jesus, he could smell her? And felt his hand move on her. She slapped it away as she remembered what he’d just said. “A heart rate increases for a number of reasons, including disgust and fear.” She told him harshly to put him off.

  Reve laughed, removing his hand. He liked her spunk and bracketed her in within his arms. “You are not disgusted with me female, or fear me. Do I need to tell you how I know that?” She stilled around him. “Ummm,” he told her moving in towards her, breathing in deeply again. “I can scent the difference between emotions female. Hate, disgust, fear, are all dark, burnt emotions. That is not your scent. You, are so delicious on my tongue I could eat you and I badly want to. I can taste you in the air around us, your need seeping from your skin, begging for me to drink you in and fuck you.” He bent quickly and sucked in her breast through her shirt. They were pearled and aroused, no matter what she said, she couldn’t hide her bodies responses to him. He nipped at the nipple as he leaned her back on the desk, talking full advantage of the desk behind her. She moved with him, no objection flowed from her mouth as he covered her with his body.

  He played and nipped at her until she was squirming and moaning, telling him ‘yes’. Her voice throaty and needy. Everything, he wanted to hear as he pleasured her. He was rock hard, wanting in her. His own passion rising. He growled and pulled away, ripping open her fly on her trousers, he held her and pulled them down, giving him all the access he needed. Flipping off her shoes, he pulled them free of her feet and started kissing his way up her legs, tasting her hot flesh. Licking and sucking, exploring her with his hands, moving to the apex of his desire. Lifting and pulling her legs open over his shoulders, she fell back as he parted the lips waiting for his touch and saw the honey seeping from her. Reve growled. “So fucking mine female.” The sparking desire around them now saturated the air. Reve clung to her and threw his head back and roared in pure dominance, face planted and fed.

  Bren cried out in delight as he feasted on her, wrapping her legs around his head. She gripped the desk hard as he took everything he wanted. Licked and sucked on her, played with her clit, tongued her ferociously, his teeth grazing her just where she needed it. Her passion flew to the surface, as she cried out again at the pleasure he was giving her. Her climax rolling through her body, so close to coming. She wanted it badly. “Yes,” she cried uncontrollably and grabbed for his head, rubbing herself more firmly against him. She needed this. Needed to come, needed him again. Reve growled again, the rumbling vibrating against her skin and threw her headlong into oblivion, bringing her to new heights she’d never known, then the bite to her clit, sent her crashing over the edge. Bren couldn’t hold back the cry on her lips as she crashed in
a wave of pure euphoric release. She clung to him, … OMG….had she ever come like that before?

  Reve quickly pulled back from her and looked his fill. She was open and naked to him from the waist down, her upper body showing the marks he’d left by his mouth. Her pleasure filled body hummed. Something roared inside him. Take her! She was poised to take him. In a flash his trousers were down, and his cock was in his hand. “Female,” he called to her. She moved her head and look towards him. Her face a picture of satisfied female. He liked the look on her way too much. Never wanted to see anything else. “Do you want my cock? You need to say the words. I am trying to hold back and there is much to talk about but for now, do you want me in you?”

  He moved his other hand and slipped in three fingers into her stretching her. The pain/pleasure boundary hit her. She looked up sharply and focused on him. “Do. You. Want. My. Cock. In. You? Tell. Me. Now.” He demanded, as he stroked himself and pump her at the same time.

  Bren’s body responded to the pounding his fingers were giving her. Her passion rolled through her again. Her body moving in time with his fingers. She wasn’t done. Her orgasm still lingered, as if it knew, it wasn’t over. She licked her lips, hearing his words. Her body ached for him. She wanted more, wanted him to come in her. Have him coat her insides, make her feel whole again. “Yes, I want you in me,” slipped from her lips as his fingers pulled free and his cock lined up at her entrance and he pushed in, breaching her. She reached out and clutched his arm. “Tight,” she told him breathlessly.