Redemption Ch. 05

"About fucking time," the weretigri snarled.

"Just needed to take care of one last thing," Lucien sighed yanking his flight suit up his torso.

"But we'll be back. You'll see Rayne again when we get back," Remi said from his position in the navigator's chair.

Lucien closed his suit and sat in one of the gunman's chairs to pull on his boots. The new uniform was navy blue.

"Aren't you at least going to ask about Boy?" Remi continued.

Lucien strapped himself in as Seth began to lift the craft to hover over the exit chute.

His heart lurched strangely at the mention of Boy. "Where is he?" Lucien got out through clenched teeth.

"She" Remi said stressing the word, "is onboard. She's going to be part of our crew.

She?

Was Boy still dressing as a female?

Remi clutched his arm as they hurtled through the different airlocks out of Alpha 7. "Technically, the battle pet is a true hermaphrodite, neither male nor female, but both."

Lucien jerked his arm away. "I know that. So, technically you should call the battle pet an it then."

Remi grinned molar to molar. "She wants to be a girl now. If you nail her enough, she'll revert to full female." Remi chuckled. "Gotta love Merulians, eh?"

Lucien turned away from the grinning red weredragon. "Fuck you, Fyre."

"You'll have two lovers, Lukey-boy. Think your dick can handle that many holes, man?'

"All of you better start using some form of birth control," Seth grumbled. "Babies keep popping out the way they are, we'll be able to populate our own planet."

Lucien remained quiet, his heart hurting. It would have been beautiful...having both Raynes. He could almost see himself draped with one black, one white mane as they both sought to pleasure him.

It could never be though. Even now, Master Guardians hunted for him as well as demons. He should never have a true mate much less two...and definitely no children—ever. God only knew what he'd spawn. As the son of Davariel, his blood was cursed.

*******

Rayne reached for the warmth that had awakened her. His taste was intoxicating, drugging...and she wanted more.

The passionate kiss ended just as she lifted her arms to hold him close, whoever he was.

Empty air greeted her searching hands for a moment before her left hand brushed soft feathers.

Frowning she opened her eyes at the same time she sat up. To one side of her stood Chameleon, to her left stood Cyneolle. It was Cyn's feathered wing she clutched.

"Happy birthday," he said his face devoid of emotion.

Rayne smiled. She knew what birthday was. Rising to her knees, she wrapped her arms around Cyneolle's neck and slid her mouth over his. He flinched, but otherwise did not move.

Rayne drew her tongue across his mouth, trying to kiss him, but it was like licking a lifeless doll.

This wasn't the person who'd kissed her.

Turning to Chameleon, she released Cyn to kiss Chameleon instead. Chameleon responded, kissing her back, but it still wasn't the same. She released the second cyborg.

"That was interesting," the silver-haired cyborg commented touching his lips. He looked at Cyneolle. "Did you feel anything?"

Cyneolle's green-flecked golden eyes shifted to Chameleon's. "I felt her tongue make unusual contact across my oral opening."

Rayne hunched her shoulders as she let out a sad sigh. She must've been dreaming. The sun had been shining and a golden-haired angel hovered over her...or maybe he'd been a prince. He'd kissed her, warmed her from the inside out.

"Actually," Chameleon continued, "It made me feel strange."

"You also thought she'd make a meal of you?" Cyn asked, tipping his head to the side.

"No. I felt..." His brows drew together before his face went blank again. "It doesn't matter. Perhaps I need to run a few diagnostic tests on myself. It has been a while."

A pretty girl with raven tresses, much like Rayne's, and glowing golden eyes, rushed into the room. "Am I too late? Is she...? Oh, Rayne," she squealed with delight before practically toppling Rayne over in an enthusiastic hug.

Alluna hugged her tight. "Oh, I wanted to be here when you opened your eyes." She released her to lean back, grinning into Rayne's face. "Happy birthday."

"It's my birthday? Really?"

Alluna nodded. "The children and I prepared a picnic out by the lake in the envirolevel, but we gotta hurry. I left Jazz minding the babies, but I don't like leaving them alone for too long. You'll never know what they'll get up to."

Alluna helped Rayne out of the stasis unit. They hurried out of the lab, waving to Dr Quinn on the way out.

Moments later, they were stripping at the entrance to the envirolevel, and then running down to the lake.

The babies were all there. Jazriel was helping little Ashniel stand, Kaden and Ky were chasing Ishana, Ivana and Iliana around. The triplets were squealing and giggling in delight, their curly blonde hair bouncing in the sunlight.

Rayne pressed her hands to her belly. A memory came to her. She wanted a baby too. She'd been in a bed with two males, both blond. One she remembered clearly. He'd been shy and sweet as she sucked his cock, his face showing her the devastation she was wreaking upon him.

The other male...his scent was familiar, his body glorious and hair...a thousand shades of gold.

Her heart soon began to ache, and she felt her eyes fill. She loved him, wanted him...but she couldn't remember his face or name.

Why? How could she love someone who's face or name she did not know.

She sat on the big pink blanket spread near the bank of the crystalline lake and remembered cuddling up next to him, only he'd been so thin, starving. She'd tried to entice him to eat, but he only turned his head away, silent. Boy had been there too, but Boy was afraid of her. Again, she didn't know why.

"Where are the others?" Rayne asked Alluna.

The girl turned to look at Rayne with her bright golden eyes rimmed in the deepest, longest black lashes. "They've gone on a mission."

Rayne could see and sense the sadness in Alluna. She blinked back tears before wiping them away to look back out toward the children.

Jazriel ambled over to Alluna and sat on her lap, a pout making his lower lip stick out adorably as he cupped her cheeks.

"It's oaky, Jazzy," she laughed with a little sniffle. "Momma and dada will be home soon, you'll see."

"Why were we left behind?" Rayne asked confused.

Alluna blinked at her. "Well, the babies couldn't be left alone, for one. It was too risky taking them along."

"There are thousands of reapers, both male and female aboard Alpha 7. You miss your mate, and I would have liked to join the mission."

Alluna's eyes widened. "Zak would never allow me to be in a situation where there might be danger. Besides, neither of us know how to fight."

Rayne frowned, her mind going over all the information it contained. She had access to over a thousand different ways to battle an opponent, with or without a weapon."

"I can fight," she informed Alluna.

The girl's eyes widened. "You can? But I thought..."

Though her skin was the color of deep golden caramel, Rayne saw how Alluna's cheeks grew ruddier.

"What did you think?" Rayne asked, intrigued.

"Well." Alluna began after nibbling her lower lip.

She opened her mouth to continue, but the sound of the girls squealing louder drew her attention.

Alluna screamed, jumping to her feet.

Rayne jolted up also, just in time to see two little dragons making off into the air with the triplets, one of whom was holding onto one of the baby dragon's tail.

Next to them, baby Ashniel laughed and clapped her hands, her jet-black wings fluttering excitedly behind her back as Jazriel whooped with laughter.

*******

One moment she'd been using Lucien's bulging pectoral as a pillow, the next he'd just vanished, jolting Boy Rayne out of her slumber.

She'd sat up in the dark, rubbing scratchy eyes, wondering where he'd gone.

Lucien cursed softly in the hygiene room drawing her attention, his voice a dark whisper within the gloom.

Boy's hearts pounded at the sound.

And then, the hygiene unit activated, lighting him in a ray of soft blue light like a heaven sent angel.

He was glorious. Beautiful. Just looking at him, made Boy Rayne's hearts ache. The frosted partition couldn't disguise the fall of long blond hair sliding off bulky shoulders, or the perfectly sculpted body standing within the glass hygiene cylinder.

A fallen angel, that's what he was—temptation incarnate.

She looked down at her body. Her breasts were still there, high and round, nipples two little points of need. Leaning back, she inspected the area between her legs. Her cock was erect making her gasp and slam her thighs shut.

Horrified, she stared in the direction of the hygiene room, desperately trying to tuck it back inside herself like last night, but she was still so full of Lucien's cum, her cock kept springing back out.

And was it her imagination, or was her cock actually growing? It looked longer and thicker.

It throbbed like a sore tooth. It wouldn't bend or give, making it impossible to stuff back inside her pussy. If Lucien saw her cock...he hated men. He'd hate her too.

A sob bubbled up her throat.

Oh-no-oh-no-oh-no-she thought desperately.

"Is it safe to come in?" a feminine voice called from the lounge area making Boy gasp.

Boy grabbed the rumpled black sheets and scrambled off the bed. There was nowhere to hide, and the females, because he could scent more than one, were coming closer.

Terror had her racing into the hygiene room...and tripping over the long sheet.

She crashed down into the glossy black floor, pain shooting bolts of fire into her belly.

When she lifted tear-filled eyes to Lucien, she discovered he was gone...again.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" a tentative voice asked.

Trembling started in Boy Rayne's body, and she couldn't help the snarl that erupted from her lips.

She clutched the sheet against her breasts tighter as she peered over her shoulder to bare fangs at the three women that stood there.

"It's okay, sweetheart," the dark skinned woman named Anniel cooed. "We're not going to hurt you."

Rowie and Angel stood to either side of Anniel, Staring at Boy Rayne as if she'd lost her mind.

Boy Rayne stopped snarling. These women would never harm her. It was just instinct, the terror, the memories any and all women triggered within her.

They helped her up, helped her use the hygiene unit, and then helped her dress.

Clad in a form-fitting, dark blue flight suit, and shiny, black, knee-high boots, she allowed them to teleport her to the transport hangar.

When the time came to board one of the transports, Remi took her hand, Rowie the other.

"Come-on, sweetness. You're coming with us," Remi said with a big grin.

Seth suddenly dashed out of one of the transports, his eyes wide. "Fyre. You're kids are killing Lucien."

Rowie cried out, and both her and her crimson-haired mate rushed within the decrepit looking craft Seth had dashed back into.

Killing Lucien?

The words finally registered in Boy Rayne's mind, and she ran for the craft as well.

A pair of reapers blocked her way, a male, and a female.

Boy Rayne almost collided with their jet black wings as they entered the transport ahead of her. She recoiled, terrified of the female death angel.

Thankfully, neither paid her any mind.

Still, Boy lingered behind them as them pretty much blocked the entire doorway where he could hear shouting and babies crying. The craft wasn't very big and the reapers and their wings took up most of the space in the interior.

Enormous hands on her shoulders, had Boy Rayne jumping like a nervous cat.

"Easy, sweetness," Zak grumbled easing past Boy with an apologetic half grin.

Zak wedged his six and half foot, muscular bulk between the reapers, excusing himself again. He went into the front compartment of the craft and then reappeared carrying a red-haired toddler in each arm.

The little boys had blood smeared on their lips and were sniffling, looking very repentant.

"You two are lucky you aren't my boys. I may take a switch to your behinds yet," Zak growled as he exited the transport again.

There was allot of commotion within what Boy suspected was the cockpit of the transport. She heard Remi cry out in pain, and Lucien and Rowie's voice afterwards.

The girl reaper turned, both her and the male chuckling. Her gaze roved Boy Rayne head to toe.

Boy backed away, but she stalked Boy until the back of Boy's knees connected with the edge of a seat.

When Boy tripped back, falling into the seat that molded itself around her, she let out a warning snarl for the female reaper.

"Leave it alone," Natanael said pulling Amadashiel away by one arm. "Go on and strap yourself in. We're leaving," he told the girl reaper with a frown. Turning back to Boy, he smiled and leaned down, his lips brushing over Boys in a soft kiss. "Hey, sexy. Let's get you strapped in. You okay? You look a little green around the gills."

Boy nodded. Truth be told, she felt a little queasy, but that was most likely due to all the stress she'd encountered since becoming conscious that waking cycle.

"Why so quiet? Did Lucien eat your tongue last night?" Natanael smirked wickedly. "Aside from other things?"

Boy felt her face heat.

Don't tell anyone about what we just did-she recalled him telling her the night before.

"No," Boy croaked out.

Natanael chuckled and gave her a light slap on the thigh before rising to his full seven-foot stature. "Right, pumpkin. He didn't eat your tongue or anything else. He devoured it."

Still chuckling, Natanael moved away and strapped himself into the seat across Boy Rayne.

From the cockpit, Boy Rayne could hear Seth yelling again and Remi laughing. Rowie's voice threaded through the chaos.

"Where the hell did he pop off to?" Seth ranted. "I swear—"

Boy didn't hear the rest because the female reaper swiveled her seat around to regard Boy with the eyes of a predator.

"So you're a girl and a boy?"

Boy didn't answer. Her eyes drifted down Boy's body. The reaper's jutting nipples were about ready to poke through her skimpy attire.

She rested her elbow on the armrest of her seat and cocked her head to the side to nibble on a nail, still regarding Boy with hungry silver eyes.

"I'd love to fuck with you. You're really pretty, you know that? I don't think I've ever been with a Merulian before."

Boy gulped.

When she didn't say anything, Amadashiel frowned.

"Come-on, Dashy. Leave it alone," Natanael admonished.

Amadashiel pouted at him. "You just want the battle pet for yourself."

Natanael laughed softly. "I believe Boy's ass has been claimed, sister." He smirked at the girl reaper. "I'll fuck you though, if you're so desperate."

Amadashiel huffed out a sigh and spun back around.

Boy looked back at Natanael who was silently mouthing at her—"stay away from her," as he made a spinning motion with his finger near his temple.

"And stop telling it I'm crazy," the girl reaper snapped still looking forward.

Natanael only chuckled.

The craft began to move. Boy dug her claws into the seat's armrests and looked out through the tiny porthole opening by her seat.

The craft slowly turned and moved forward toward the enormous pulsing funnel-like tunnel in the center of the hangar. Moving over the funnel, it just hovered there a few minutes.

Something soft brushed against Boy's knuckles. Looking down, she realized Natanael had spread a wing across the aisle toward her.

"Don't be scared. If you want, hold my wing." He grinned then. "Just don't pull the feathers. That hurts."

"You can pull my feathers," the girl reaper said with a grin over her shoulder.

Boy stiffened when the sound of the engines revved louder. The transport tipped, nose pointing down into the center of the funnel. Boy began to pant and then grew dizzy when she felt gravity shift. Closing her eyes, she clung to the soft feel of Natanael's primary flight feathers. A jolt and then something akin to weightlessness. Boy's stomach twisted, sweat beaded her forehead.

"Baby, you oaky?" Natanael asked.

Her stomach heaved and she gagged, but since she hadn't eaten anything that morning, nothing came out, only drool that slid down her chin to soil her pants.

Natanael unstrapped himself and knelt before her. Rummaging through a compartment just below the porthole window, he retrieved a dark grey cloth he used to wipe Boy's face.

"Hey, newbie. You okay?"

Boy just groaned. She felt sick.

"Not used to launching?"

She shook her head.

"Talk to me, baby. Come-on. Tell me what you're feeling."

Boy eyes went to the closed door of the cockpit. So far, Lucien hadn't said a word to her, hadn't even acknowledged her existence after literally fucking her unconscious the night before.

Boy felt...hollow...empty...abandoned.

Natanael caressed the side of her face, understanding lighting his beautiful silver and black-flecked eyes. "I know how it feels, cutie pie. Been there, walked the walk."

The girl reaper leaned forward, having turned her seat again. "The trick is making it not matter. Just fuck someone else...and then another and another until the faces are all just a blur in your mind." Her eyes glazed over, lost in her own thoughts. "Always works for me," she said softly. "I never let myself love anyone. No one will ever love me anyway, right? Fuck 'em all."

Natanael frowned at her, but Amadashiel just turned her seat around again with a sigh.

After staring at the back of the girl reaper's seat for a few second, Natanael gave a little shake of his head and regarded Boy Rayne.

"Don't listen to that. Everybody deserves love in their life. Sometimes it just takes longer for some people to find it." He grinned. "I haven't lost hope, and I've been looking for one hundred and fifty years. I was defiled when I was only sixty years old, so I'm still just a kid practically." Natanael's gaze searched Boy's. "You feeling any better?"

"A little," she answered.

"They're speeding us along, at least until we're far enough from Alpha 7 to keep it from being detected. Once we're far enough away, they'll actually pilot this thing for real until we reach our destination. Ever been to Crimbregeere Six?"

Boy knew where the planet was. It was part of the information the Gorgundt cap had stuffed into his head. "I don't know if I've ever been there. When I was an arena fighter, we were transported in crates. I only ever saw the back rooms were the cages were kept and the arenas."

The unbidden memories of those horrific days replayed in his mind, the struggle to remain alive.

Natanael kissing the knuckles of her right hand brought her out of that dark place.

"Want to play a game?"

"Game?" boy repeated.

Natanael grinned. Standing back up he flipped a metallic-like hood over Amadashiel's head.

"Hey," she exclaimed in protest.

The hood was centered over each seat. Natanael pulled one over Boy Rayne's head as well.

"All three of us can play," he said laughing.

Boy just stared at the sight of space stretching out everywhere around her. The inside of the bubble-shaped hood projected an extremely realistic holographic reproduction of the immensity of space. The image shifted and suddenly Boy found herself sitting at the helm of a transport with both reapers. Natanael sat between her and Amadashiel.

"So what are we playing?" Amadashiel asked.

Natanael gestured to the front view screen.

Before them, a glowing red cloud of hundreds of other transports approached.

Wait. Not transports, but armed Vipers.

"We're going to play a little game of war," Natanael growled with a diabolical chuckle.

*******

They'd played for what seemed like hours. After running the Vipers space war scenario three times, Natanael switched to a post apocalyptic city scene and they battled legions of demons and devils.