Offered to the Cyborg Read online

  “And my other child?” she asked.

  “Nothing yet, but Norkov is working on it.”

  “If he hasn’t found my baby, then it means the father didn’t keep it. The Vrotu was the least cruel of my owners. Not to say he was a kind man, because he took what he wanted and demanded obedience in all things, but at least he didn’t share me with others. I’d hoped maybe he’d kept our child.”

  “Norkov won’t stop until the baby is found. He’s trying to go through your previous owner’s transactions to see if the child was sold. There hasn’t been a lead yet, but it doesn’t mean there’s no hope,” Wrylack said.

  “What about death records?” Shaylee asked. “Did he check those?”

  Wrylack held her close. “Norkov will leave no stone unturned. He will not stop searching until we find out what happened to your baby, Shaylee. This I promise.”

  “Should we check on Mishka?” she asked.

  “Soon.” His fingers trailed over her cheek. “There’s something I need to do first.”

  Before she could ask what he meant, his lips lowered to hers, and he kissed her with a passion that took her breath away. Wrylack’s hands caressed her curves and slowly pulled up the hem of her dress. His palms gripped the cheeks of her ass and lifted her until her legs went around his waist. She could feel the hard ridge of his arousal through his pants and knew what he wanted.

  Wrylack walked her toward the bed and dropped her onto the soft bedding. As he pulled off his clothes, Shaylee removed her dress and let it fall to the floor. His cock was already hard, and the tip glistened with pre-cum. He stroked his shaft a few times, his hand going up and down the length.

  “Spread your legs, sweet mate,” Wrylack said, his voice having a hint of growl to it.

  Shaylee’s thighs parted, and he groaned as he stared at her, his gaze fastened on her pussy. She felt herself grow wet, just watching him and knowing what was to come. Wrylack reached for her, his fingers sliding down her wet lips before plunging inside her. She gave a soft cry, trying to stifle her sounds of pleasure so they wouldn’t upset Mishka.

  Wrylack pumped his fingers in and out of her tight channel, his thumb brushing against her clit. Shaylee moaned and thrust against his hand, wanting more. It had been a week since Wrylack had left, and she ached for him. He continued to stroke his shaft as he pleasured her with his fingers.

  “Come for me, Shaylee. I want you nice and wet when I enter you.”

  She whimpered as her body tightened and strained for release. He stroked her faster with his fingers, and the hand on his shaft did the same. She watched, her passion rising, as his cock seemed to harden even more. She came with a soft cry, biting her bottom lip, and as the last tremor left her breathless, Wrylack thrust his cock inside her.

  He groaned and grasped her hips with both hands, slamming his cock into her over and over, driving into her deep and hard. The fierceness etched on his face left no doubt that he was claiming her all over again. She was his, and it seemed Wrylack wanted to make sure she knew it. Sweat glistened on his skin as he pounded into her, and soon she was coming, harder than ever before. She bit down on her lip to keep from making too much noise as Wrylack came inside her. With every jerk of his hips, she felt another splash of cum bathe her channel, until he finally stilled.

  “I’m sorry that didn’t last longer,” he said, then leaned down to kiss her. “But I promise next time I’m going to make you come and come again, until you’re begging me to stop.”

  Her toes curled at his words, and she gave him a soft smile.

  “You’re mine,” Wrylack said. “My mate. The mother of my children. My heart. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

  “As long as you love me, that’s all I need,” she said.

  “I will love you until I take my last breath,” he promised. “You’re everything to me, Shaylee.”

  He withdrew from her body and helped her stand. The room spun, and Shaylee fell against his chest. Wrylack’s arms tightened around her a moment. She closed her eyes and focused on breathing, and slowly, she got her legs back under her.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Was I too rough?”

  “No. Just dizzy.”

  Wrylack frowned and held her at arm’s length. His eyes began to glow, and she knew he was scanning her. When he stopped on her stomach and his gaze seemed frozen, she panicked.

  “What do you see?”

  The glow in his eyes faded, and he looked at her, stunned. “You’re pregnant.”

  “But… you said you went and got that shot, the one that prevents you from getting me pregnant.”

  “I did. I never assessed my systems to make sure it was working.”

  Shaylee studied him and could tell he was doing that very thing. “And?”

  “There’s not even a hint of the serum in my body, but that’s impossible. I watched Liroz dose me.”

  “Could he have mixed up the serums?” she asked.

  “No, I… “ Wrylack frowned. “Another cyborg was there at the same time, getting an injection of vitamins.”

  “It sounds like Liroz accidentally switched them,” she said softly.

  “I’m sorry, Shaylee. It’s my fault for not being more careful.”

  She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Wrylack, I’m not sorry we’re having a baby. I told you before that I wanted to have children with you. You’re the one who insisted on the shot. Do you… do you think you could be happy about us having a baby?”

  Wrylack kissed her softly. “I can’t think of anything I’d love more than to watch you grow round with my child. I just wanted to give you more time.”

  “I don’t need time, Wrylack. I just need you. And Mishka. We’re a family, and we’re growing. That’s what families do.”

  “Go get cleaned up. I’ll join you in a moment. I need to connect with Liroz and let him know what happened. If that other cyborg already had the serum in his system and got double dosed, it could have bad side-effects.”

  Shaylee nodded, kissed his cheek, then went into the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her hand splayed over her belly. A baby had never been something to celebrate for her, but this time would be different. She had the love of Wrylack and could already tell he was a good father. He was so gentle with Mishka, and she knew he’d be the same with this baby.

  Her new little family would be perfect… if only they could find her other child.

  Chapter Nine

  A month had passed and while Mishka grew more confident every day, Wrylack knew that his mate was still worried about her other child. Norkov had left two weeks ago to find the Vrotu and ask him directly about the child, as no amount of digging had produced any results. The commanders had given him access to enough funds to purchase the child if necessary, assuming the Vrotu even still had the baby. Wrylack hadn’t mentioned the trip to Shaylee in case things didn’t end well. The other cyborg was due back any time, and Wrylack hoped it was with good news.

  He stood in front of the glass doors that looked out over the back of the house. A courtyard, Shaylee had called it. His mate had asked for a bench to be added to the space, and Wrylack had provided one for her. In addition, Maggie had helped set up some planters with various flowers along one wall so there was a splash of color out there. Shaylee took Mishka out back every day and let her run around in the fresh air for a while, carrying out a handful of toys with them.

  Something made Wrylack turn from the touching scene in front of him and go to the front door. He pulled it open and saw two commanders on his doorstep. Norkov stood behind them, a resigned expression on his face. The males stared at him and Wrylack stepped back, allowing them entry into his home. If Norkov had returned without the child, the news couldn’t be good. He hoped Shaylee remained outside until he’d heard what they had to say.

  “Your trip went well?” Wrylack asked Norkov.

  “I found some disturbing things while I was there,” the cyborg said. “You’re certain Sha
ylee said he was the least brutal of her owners? The male was clearly unstable.”

  “She said he wasn’t exactly kind, but he didn’t pass her around.”

  Norkov shook his head. “I won’t tell you the things I witnessed while I was there. You’d never sleep again.”

  “And the baby?” Wrylack asked.

  “The Vrotu’s mate claim it died within minutes of being born,” Norkov said.

  “Mate? He’s mated and keeps slaves?” Wrylack asked.

  “She’s Perigen and can only mate once per month, is only fertile once per year, so she allows him to keep one slave… as long as no children are born between them. And Shaylee had a child,” Norkov said.

  “So she was sold because of that,” Wrylack surmised.

  “The mate forced the Vrotu to get rid of her, but even though I have no doubt he abused Shaylee, I think in some twisted sense he cared for her. You should have seen his face when I mentioned her,” Norkov said.

  “So the child is dead,” Wrylack said.

  The commanders looked at one another. Then Warver focused on him. “The child is in medical. We thought you should be the one to run any necessary tests.”

  “Why would tests be necessary?” Wrylack asked, a feeling of unease settling in the pit of his stomach.

  “The Vrotu kept the child hidden from his mate. He made sure the baby ate, and it had clothing. I suppose he took care of it the best he could under the circumstances,” Norkov said. “But there’s something not right. A Vrotu-human pairing shouldn’t have produced a child that looks like this one. We need to know what the baby’s genetics are before you bring it home to your mate.”

  “Why do you keep saying it and baby?” Wrylack asked. “Is it a female or male?”

  “We don’t know,” Kiril said.

  Wrylack stared at them. “You don’t know? Has it been so long since you’ve been with a female you’ve forgotten the differences between us?”

  Kiril snorted. “No. The baby won’t let anyone near it.”

  Wrylack opened his mouth to question them, and then decided to just go see for himself. They left and walked to medical on the other side of the facility. All was quiet when they entered the room, and Liroz was staring intently at a bundle on the table. It lay still, and Wrylack didn’t understand what they meant when they said the baby wouldn’t let anyone near it. How could a swaddled baby keep full-grown cyborgs at bay?

  “Show him,” Kiril demanded.

  Liroz winced and slowly approached the child. When he was within arm’s reach, the cyborg grabbed his head as if in severe pain and dropped to his knees. Wrylack stared in shock and looked from his fellow medic to the child on the table. Approaching, he paused partway across the room. How had they managed to rescue a child who had that kind of power?

  “Does the baby have a name?” Wrylack asked.

  “Lycon,” Norkov answered.

  Wrylack watched the baby, unable to see so much as a hint of what lay under the blankets. The name sounded male to him, but what did he know?

  “Lycon, my name is Wrylack. I’m mated to your mother, Shaylee. Do you remember your mother?”

  He felt ridiculous talking to a baby who couldn’t be more than a year old, but if he was part Vrotu, then he would understand. Perhaps that’s how the baby had been rescued? Had they reasoned with the child? The blankets shifted, and a small head poked out. The first thing he noticed was the silvery hair and the pale icy blue skin. A set of violet eyes peered over at him as the baby sat up completely.

  No, this child wasn’t just a mix of human and Vrotu. There was definitely something else in there. The silvery hair came from the Vrotu genes, and the baby’s sense of knowing. The eyes came from Shaylee. But that ice-blue skin… and the ability to cripple a full-grown male with some sort of psychic ability. There was only one race like that, and Wrylack could hardly believe what he was seeing. The Kristos were supposed to be extinct, and yet this child clearly had Kristos genes.

  “Lycon, I need to make sure you’re healthy, and then I’ll take you to your mother. Some of the tests might hurt a little, but I would never willingly cause you pain,” Wrylack reasoned with the child who had the power to knock him on his ass.

  The baby stared at him, and Wrylack took that as a sign of acceptance. He retrieved a needle and a few vials so he could take blood samples. Getting the painful part out of the way first, he kept a steady eye on the child. Lycon merely watched him. When he’d gathered the samples he needed, he handed them to Liroz and then scanned the child.

  “He’s perfectly healthy,” Wrylack said. He looked over at Liroz who was testing the blood samples. “Anything?”

  “It’s fascinating, and I don’t understand it at all,” Liroz said. “He’s not just a mix of Vrotu and human. There’s Kristos in there, which shouldn’t be remotely possible, and even some Keshpan.”

  “Shaylee is just a human,” Wrylack said. “Are you certain the father is Vrotu?”

  “He looked Vrotu,” Norkov said.

  Wrylack reached for the child, hesitating only a moment, before lifting the baby boy into his arms. The child was an anomaly, and something of a miracle. But Wrylack didn’t understand how this baby’s genetic makeup was even possible. Lycon reached a chubby hand toward Wrylack’s face and placed his palm against Wrylack’s forehead. Images burst into his mind that left him reeling.

  “How do you know that?” Wrylack asked the child.

  Lycon gave him a grin with two teeth showing and then more images burst into his mind.

  “What’s going on, Wrylack?” Warver asked.

  “I need to talk to Shaylee before I discuss it with anyone else,” Wrylack said. “I’m going to take my son home. Please have his belongings delivered.”

  The commanders stepped aside as Wrylack carried Lycon back to his home, and his waiting family. During the mental link with the Wrylac, Lycon had seen images of his mother and sister, and now the child seemed to buzz with excitement. The moment Wrylack stepped through the door, Shaylee and Mishka came toward him. Shaylee’s gaze was fastened on the child in his arms.

  The baby reached for her, and Shaylee cuddled him close.

  “His name is Lycon,” Wrylack said. “And he’s different from what we expected.”

  Lycon placed his hand on Shaylee’s temple, and she gasped, her eyes going wide. Wrylack didn’t know what the child was showing his mother. He gathered Mishka in his arms, and they waited until the mental link was broken.

  “I don’t understand,” Shaylee said softly. “How is that even possible? Kinlor was Vrotu. I saw plenty of them while he owned me, and he looked just like them.”

  “It seems he’s hiding something from his people. Without testing Kinlor’s blood, I can’t say for certain, but it seems he’s a hybrid of three races. During my medical studies, I was required to study many races. The Vrotu were one of them. Their females are… unique. Their bodies are designed to take more than one male at a time. If I had to guess, Kinlor’s mother was Vrotu, and he has two fathers. A Kristos and a Keshpan. I know such a thing isn’t common on your Earth, but there are races where such a thing is possible.”

  Shaylee stared at the child in her arms. “And my baby looks different because of those genetics?”

  “Yes. I tested Lycon’s blood. It shows a mix of human, Vrotu, Keshpan, and Kristos DNA. He shouldn’t exist, but he does.”

  “Why shouldn’t he exist?” Shaylee asked. “If Kinlor’s mother had two mates, then it seems logical to me.”

  “Kristos are thought to be extinct. No one has seen them in several of your Earth centuries. Their race was supposedly wiped out because of their abilities. People feared them.” Wrylack came closer and smoothed his hand over Lycon’s silvery hair. “He’ll need to remain on Xpashta until he’s old enough to seek a mate. There are those out there who would hurt him, want him dead just because he exists.”

  “How did you get Lycon?” Shaylee asked. “Kinlor wouldn’t have just handed him over, no
t if it would expose who he really is. If he’s kept that part of himself hidden all this time, he wouldn’t risk it now.”

  Lycon snuggled against her shoulder and grabbed a handful of her hair. Wrylack wouldn’t tell her the other images the baby had shared with him. Not in detail. Shaylee had had enough violence in her life and didn’t need more. She especially didn’t need to know what the baby was capable of, not just yet. The feelings Lycon had shared through the mental link assured Wrylack that his family was safe with the child. Anyone the boy deemed a threat was another matter. His psychic abilities were stronger than anything Wrylack had witnessed before, and a little frightening.

  He felt Warver linking with him.

  The child poses a problem, Warver said.

  He’s my son. Shaylee’s son. If you didn’t intend him to live with us, you wouldn’t have brought him here.

  Norkov told me what happened. Your son psychically killed his own flesh and blood, making his head explode, when the male refused to let Norkov take Lycon. What happens when your mate tells him he can’t have something? Warver asked.

  The male brought up a good point, but he didn’t think Lycon would ever harm his mother. The link he’d shared with her had not only projected images into her mind, but if he had the abilities Wrylack believed he possessed, then he’d been able to read her memories. The boy knew what his mother had been through, even if he didn’t quite understand everything. Or maybe he did. The way the boy looked at Wrylack made him seem ancient. There was something in his eyes that spoke of a being far older than any Wrylack had met, and yet the child was only a year old. He didn’t understand it. But after what he’d witnessed in medical, he had no doubt the boy understood far more than he should. As long as he understood he was safe here, that no one on this world was a threat to him, then everything should be fine.

  I don’t think he would ever harm Shaylee, Wrylack said.

  If he kills anyone on Xpashta, you know what will need to be done, Warver said. He may look like a baby, but he’s not. He’s something more, something dangerous.