Kyele sat up too, his arm wrapping about her to offer shelter. Joni pushed and kicked. Worried she'd cause one of them harm, he let go as she scrambled from the bed, sheets twisting about her feet and fell.

"Joni!" He jumped up, fearful she'd injured herself.

Joni snatched the sheet from the floor and covered her front. Her gold eyes scanned the darkened room. She missed seeing him in the dim lighting. "K-Kyele?"

Her frantic voice seared him as Kyele rose to his feet, unconcerned with his nudity. "Right here, tesa."

Relief loosened her hold on the sheet, which dipped to her waist. Kyele's gaze dropped.

"Hey." Joni snapped her fingers.

Hey. The females used the Earth word often to cover a multitude of things. Kyele approached her slowly, hands gentle and slid the sheet back around her shoulder. "I think it's time we talk."

Joni stiffened and stepped back. "I'm not sure there's anything to talk about. We had sex."

Kyele masked his flinch. According to Torkel and Arak, their Chosens referred to the act as making love. They didn't use the term sex sharing but perhaps Joni had not considered what they did to be on the same level as what his friends experienced.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Very well. That does not dismiss the fact that we need to talk about what happened at your place tonight."

Her gaze darkened. This time she closed the distance between them. Her hand feathered over his scar, then the ends of his hair. Like silk grazing his skin. There was severe nerve damage varying from sensitive to the lightest flicker or completely numb. Kyele didn't move from her touch.

"You first. Tell me about how you got this and why you don't want your hair pulled."

Kyele stilled. He'd known the moment would come when she'd ask. The corner of Joni's mouth dipped, believing he wouldn't answer. Kyele scooped her in his arms and put her back on the bed. Joni squealed in surprise as he came down over her, pinning her arms to the bed.

"When I was younger I believed myself in love with a female." The fight went out of her instantly. She zeroed in on his face and Kyele swallowed the distaste from retelling this story. "I shared things about myself because I wanted her as my Chosen."

Joni tugged on her wrists and Kyele let her go. He'd never hold Joni against her will unless it was for her safety. She didn't move as he expected. Once more she surprised him as her finger traced his scar. "What happened?"

He'd been unprepared for the female's actions. While kissing him, she'd gripped his hair tight to keep him close and sliced his face. Shock held him immobile as she claimed he'd disgraced her.

Joni focused on Kyele's eyes and mouth as he recounted an obviously painful story. The green of his eyes swirled with pain and bitter acceptance. Then he blinked, hiding the deeper emotions once more.

"I told Gita that my birth maman was a sex slave. I never had a chance to reveal the heritage of my papan before she reached for the knife I'd placed on a table beside the bed we shared."

Joni knew where this was headed and wished she could go after Gita with her Marenian knives and show her what a fool she'd been.

Kyele rolled to the side and made as if to rise. Joni grasped his forearm halting his escape. "Tell me the rest."

He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her. "You are not bothered by this knowledge?"

Joni hated his toneless voice. She smacked his back and pinched the taut skin. "Watch it! I was a sex slave too."

Kyele twisted around, eyes wide. He reached for her hand. "I wasn't insulting your past, Joni."

She bit her inner cheek, regretting her inappropriate humor and squeezed his hand. "I was kidding."

He studied her with a bemused expression then continued. "Gita was not pleased. She held my hair, pulling it tight as we kissed. Before I could react, she used my own weapon on me and shoved me away."

"That bitch," Joni spat as she scooted closer to Kyele and curved her arms around him from the back. She placed her mouth on the cool skin of his spine. His muscles twitched but he didn't move. She teased the salty flesh with her tongue and he jerked. "What did you do?"

Kyele didn't move away but he fairly vibrated beneath her kisses. "I left. Gita taught me a good lesson that night."

Joni's head snapped back from her ministrations as she frowned and peered around the bulk of his shoulder to catch a glimpse of his face. "What lesson?"

His chest rose and fell within her arms, the flex of his lower stomach brushing the fingers she had resting there. "I will never have a Chosen. My birth right makes me an unlikely match. Females wish for someone honorable when they walk the sands-a male with a lineage they can respect. I can not offer that in a presentation."

Joni's mouth fell open at the garbage he spewed. She scrambled up to her knees and with creative pushing and shoving, managing to get him to face her as she slid in front of him. Her legs parted and wrapped around his waist, but she overestimated and lost her balance. Kyele caught her at the hips and pulled her close. The action was almost innate, his care for her second nature. Foolish alien.

"I think we might have to disagree on that point." She poked at his chest with her fingertip. "Where I come from men are in limited supply and anyone with a grain of sense would be happy to have you as a Chosen. Besides I have good taste and I wouldn't have let you near me if I thought you weren't an honorable person. You're a Jutak warrior and that's worthy of respect right there."

Kyele mused on Joni's words. He wanted to believe what she said. No one was that fortunate. His past, the females of Enotia and elsewhere would never consent to choosing him. Only Joni saw him as worthy and the possibility of being her Chosen was too precious for him to contemplate.

In self-defense he brought the topic back to one they needed to discuss. "I gave you what you asked. Now you will tell me what I need to know."

"I don't know where to start." She looked to the side of him refusing to face him as she spoke.

"I want to know it all. What happened during your time with the Marenians? And not the story you told us when Dr. Maku asked."

She shook her head and pushed away until she'd cleared his lap. Since she stayed on the bed next to him, Kyele let her get away with it but his lips thinned in frustration. "Answer me, Joni."

"What do you care?" she snapped, dragging a hand through her tangled hair.

He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Anger was not the solution. He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers. "I want to help you, Joni. We need to figure out how to protect you."

The fight went out of her. He knew the moment she decided to give him the truth. He braced himself to prepare for what she'd say.

"The first person to buy me wanted a companion." She dropped his hand and folded in on herself. The desolate pose bothered him but he left it for now.

"The gardener." Kyele remembered everything about the day they'd rescued Joni and Sylvie. Both had been distraught and abused.

"Yes. But then he died and someone in his family sold me back to the Marenians." She gritted the words out and her eyes blazed. "There were three others...they wanted to force me but I escaped. I refused to be a sex slave. No one owned me. Except I kept getting caught and sent back to the Marenians."

Kyele stroked his thumb over her knuckles. He couldn't stop touching her when it was clear she hurt. "You're a strong female for all you went through."

Joni fingered the thin chain about her neck. "This belonged to my grandmother. All of the things I brought from Earth were lost or stolen and this is all I had to remember I was me."

Her voice wobbled on the end and Kyele gave up on keeping his distance. Using her hand, he tugged until he could ease her back onto his lap. Once there, he wrapped his arms around her waist. She curled into his chest and he lost the last of his resistance to his fight. Joni was going to be his.

He pressed his mouth to the top of her head. "Tell me about Dr. Kirkem, Joni."

She faltered then firmed her lips. "Dr. Kirkem was the last."

Her words caused Kyele to stiffen. It didn't make sense nor did it align with someone sending assassins for her. The motive was unclear. "Then who is The Collector and why does he want you?"

"Dr. Kirkem," she said so softly he almost missed it. "Dr. Kirkem is The Collector. He promised to kill me if I ever escaped him."

Kyele's eyes hardened and his fists curled. He spoke carefully, taking his time with each word. "He will never have you again, Joni. I promise."

Her breath hitched from the declaration. She knew he meant it. "I need you Joni and I will kill anyone who tries to take you away."

Chapter 20.

Joni awoke alone. She sat up in the bed amidst tangled sheets with no sign of Kyele. She tucked her knees beneath her chin and curled her arms about them as she reflected on the night. They'd slept together. She'd finally had sex with Kyele and it was better than anything she could have imagined.

The gentle perfume of their night together rose from the sheets. She dropped backward and took a moment. He'd been fiercely passionate and yet protective and gentle during their love making. The way he held her and tended to her after the brutal nightmare seemed even more unbelievable in the light of day.

The Jutak who scared everyone around him had a softer side. After all his dire warnings who would have thought? Joni climbed from the bed, lower muscles and thighs tender. A goofy grin spread across her face as she wobbled her way to the bathroom and showered. Enotians took high tech bathrooms to the extreme. The multi-jet shower was one of the many things Joni would never tire of using after spending much of her captivity covered in her own filth. The experience was less enjoyable than last night's when she'd had the pleasure of Kyele's nude body to feast on.

Pausing at the mirror after she finished, Joni studied her reflection. Her hair was pulled back, sleek and smooth but as soon as it dried, curls would spring on the ends. The glow in her eyes took her aback however. Joni considered the reasoning and realized she was happy.

It had been a long time since she could genuinely say that she was happy and the result was all because of one man. Kyele. He had no idea of what last night meant to her. She suffered no illusions about it either. They'd needed one another and though the experience deepened the earlier blooms of feelings she had for him, there was no guarantee Kyele felt the same way.

His promises and words could stem more from his protective nature then a declaration of his heart. At least that's what she had to assume since he'd pushed her away initially. Her lips twisted in a grimace. All of this back and forth made her head hurt. He was not an easy man to figure out.

Back in his bedroom, she liberated one of Kyele's black buttoned down uniform shirts from the closet. Pulling the collar to her nose, she frowned at the lack of his scent on the freshly laundered material. The next time she claimed an article of his clothing, she'd have him wear it first. If Kyele didn't find it creepy. Another silly smile graced her face.

Joni floated into his living area on a bubble of euphoria and almost tripped over her feet at the two people present.

"Joni!" Sylvie leaped up from the sofa and snatched Joni into a tight hug.

Joni hugged her friend back, her gaze going to the man getting to his feet slowly.

"Greetings, Joni," Arak said, his eyes on his mate and her effusive greeting. "Kyele wished for us to await you. He is scheduled for training this morning."

Joni relaxed, unwilling to admit she'd been concerned about his disappearance. The history she and Kyele shared didn't lend itself to either of them skipping off into the sunset but she wasn't quite sure what to expect from him now. "Thanks."

"How about you come back to our place and change clothes. I have a gazillion things of yours there." Sylvie released Joni from her death grip.

"Sure." Joni considered the shirt she wore and Arak's knowing grin then shrugged. "Let's go."

Sylvie leaned in close. "You slept with scary Jutak."

Joni choked and elbowed her friend. "And you sleep with the kitty Jutak. What does that say about us?"

"We both win?" Sylvie edged her voice up on the end as if questioning.

Joni laughed. "We both win."

Arak escorted them upstairs where Joni changed quickly into a pair of spike heeled boots, knee length skirt made of a buttery leather in a camel color and a turquoise shell with beading at the collar. As she and Sylvie talked about her night and the attack, the half-shifter Jutak stayed close, occasionally brushing his hand over Sylvie's blonde head or kissing her shoulder.

Unlike in the past, the affection didn't seem obsessive to Joni anymore. After her night with Kyele, she viewed Arak's actions in a new light. Each touch caused a spark in Sylvie's eyes and the occasional purrs Arak emitted had her friend blushing. Arak's constant petting was a physical reflection of the love he bared for Sylvie.

"Do you have any idea why someone would send people to kill you?" Sylvie asked, relaxing back against the sofa as Arak took a seat behind her.

"I'm not sure if they were supposed to kill me." When Sylvie and Arak frowned, Joni said, "I believe it may have been one of the men who bought me in the past trying to abduct me again."

Sylvie flinched and Arak's arms tightened about her waist. "Why?"

Her friend's question didn't hide the fear in her voice.

Joni took a careful sip of the hot kaff, Enotia's version of coffee. She needed the stimulant right now. "Because he promised he'd kill me before he let me go."

Arak rose to his feet, fingers caressing Sylvie's cheek. "I'll contact Torkel on the communicator. He's going to wish to speak with Joni right away."

Kyele glared at Jaron. It almost felt as if the Team One Leader was going out of his way to delay Kyele's departure.

"Have you spoken to Rydak about his interest in having you work more with V'hor?"

Kyele shoved his dirty shirt in his locker and reached for one of the clean ones hanging inside. "I've agreed to the schedule changes he requested."

Throughout his training rotation and the other work assigned him as Team Leader, his mind had constantly been filled with images of his night with Joni. As soon as he was done, his plan was to head back to his place to see her. If she was still there. Doubt plagued him. She'd listened to his story about Gita and didn't seem disgusted. He didn't let himself believe she wanted a future with him as she'd hinted. In hindsight her words had to be an emotional response due to the attack.

But what if she'd left? Kyele needed her where he could keep her safe. It hadn't crossed his mind to tell Arak to keep her there if she chose to leave. Fear teased at his senses.

"Have you noticed any differences in Vee since he's been back?" Jaron's question broke through his thoughts.

Kyele slid his head through the hole of his shirt and tugged it down his torso. He dropped the towel from his waist and stepped into a pair of black pants, fastening the closure. "Vee's behavior before he went to infiltrate one of the Marenians ranks has been questionable."

In truth, Kyele had noticed Rydak and Bane from Team Three keeping a closer eye on the Serpine. From his confession the night they'd sparred, Kyele knew Vee was dealing with a lot in his efforts to combat his desire for his mother's approval and the shame it inevitably wrought.

"This is true." Jaron leaned against a locker. "Torkel hasn't seemed concerned but I'm not sure his head's in the right place considering everything that's been happening of late."

Kyele slammed his locker closed and arched a brow in Jaron's direction. "Is there a reason you want to talk to me? Usually you stay out of my way."

And Kyele preferred it.

Chuckling, Jaron didn't move from his relaxed pose. "I thought since we're both Team Leaders now we should have a better relationship."

It was true while Kyele respected his Unit, he found no need to extend his time in their company with the exception of Arak. The half-Argoran was different. Kyele tolerated his company because Arak made a deadly opponent and the jovial facade could fade from one moment to the next. In addition, Arak's Chosen was Joni's best friend and he needed that connection more than he wanted to admit.

Joni. The memory of the night they'd spent sex sharing slammed into him. Inhaling sharply, Kyele shook his head and made to step around Jaron.

"Why the hurry, Kyele?" Jaron's smug grin taunted as he shifted his body in a subtle move to block Kyele's exit from the locker room.

"Move." The one word contained a promise and a threat.