Hers, Untamed Page 13

  She didn’t have time to shop for groceries or cook, so she ordered food delivered to her apartment again. They ate amidst the scattered maps and 3D projections.

  “The way I see it,” Alyssa said, pointing her fork at the golden projection of the spaceport, “getting from the public area to the industrial shuttle launch site is the most dangerous part. We’re not supposed to be there, so if we’re detected, we’re in big trouble.”

  “We’ll take this corridor here,” Jax said, tracing a golden underground tube with his own fork. “The staff access in sublevel two. Not much electronic surveillance, although there’s a chance of running into staff. If we cripple that camera and sprint, we’re good.”

  “But we might get trapped,” Alyssa said, stabbing a piece of grilled zucchini and putting it into her mouth. “There’s only two ways out of there and nowhere to hide. I don’t like it. They can lock us in too easily.”

  “The corridor is about two hundred meters. It takes, what, twenty to thirty seconds to run from one end to the other.”

  “If there’s an alarm, it’ll take them only two seconds to lock the doors. I like this route better.” Alyssa pointed at a long and winding corridor above ground. “Plenty of potential escape routes in case something goes wrong.”

  “That means taking a goddamn scenic tour around the launch pads,” Jax groaned, chewing on a piece of spicy, dried meat. “Something will definitely go wrong if we stroll all the way through there.”

  “Still, the risk is lower. If we’re caught there, I can always try to explain that we got lost. Sabotaging cameras near the staff tunnel is more likely to get the security AI’s attention and trigger an alarm.”

  “I have a shuttle to catch,” Jax said. “We’ll sprint.”

  Alyssa rolled her eyes, but let him have his way. “I’ll get us some water.”

  She got up, gathered the empty food boxes and took them with her to the kitchen. She hummed happily while recycling the waste. Everything was still a mess from when she and Jax were ill, so she activated one of her household bots to do a quick, general tidy-up. When she reached for the water bottles, she heard a yelp and a thump from somewhere in the apartment. Alyssa frowned, forgot about the water and went to inspect.

  “What was that sound?” she called out to Jax.

  He was no longer in the living room. She found him in the entry hallway, standing over a smartly dressed red-haired woman lying motionless on the floor.

  “Lucia!” Alyssa cried out, recognizing her friend.

  She rushed to her side, but Jax caught her and pulled her back.

  Alyssa kicked and fought against his grip. “Let me go! What did you do to her?”

  “Shut up.” Jax shoved her against the wall. He trapped her wrists above her head with one hand and put a palm over her mouth. Alyssa squirmed, fear and anger churning inside her. What did he do to Lucia? Was she dead? She would never forgive Jax if he hurt her friend. She glared at him.

  “Who is this bitch?” Jax demanded, his expression like a thundercloud. “What’s she doing here?”

  “What did you do to her?” Alyssa yelled as soon as he took his hand from her mouth. “I swear, if you hurt her—”

  Jax grabbed her shoulders and shook her. “How did she get in here? If this is some scheme of yours—”

  “She’s my friend! She has a spare key! If you hurt her, I’m done with you.”

  “She’s not hurt,” he said in a menacing tone. “Yet. But I’m not having any witnesses here, you understand?”

  Alyssa’s eyes widened. “No! Let me talk to her. We’ll work something out.”

  “Work something out? I want her to disappear.”

  “I can get her to leave. Did she see you?”

  “If she walks out of here, she’ll go straight to where she can raise an alarm. It’s better if I—”

  “Listen to me, Jax! Did she see you?”

  “Of course she didn’t see me. I don’t approach people from the front if I want to ghost them.”

  “Good. I can talk to her and get her to leave. But she mustn’t suspect anything! Everything has to look normal here. She came to check up on me because she hasn’t heard from me for a while. I’ll just show her that everything’s fine and she’ll leave.”

  “That is, if you can convince her.”

  “It’s the only way. If something happens to her, people will wonder why she doesn’t show up at work.”

  Jax glared at her, but Alyssa could tell that she had won the argument. She freed herself from his grip and knelt at Lucia’s side to check her. Her friend was still breathing and had a steady pulse. Jax had merely knocked her out.

  Alyssa motioned at her pet. “Come on. Carry her to the couch. Gently. I’ll hide our paperwork.”

  Jax huffed out a breath in annoyance, but he picked up the unconscious Lucia and carried her to the living room. Alyssa hurried to switch off the 3D projectors and dump them in a drawer out of sight. She collected all the scattered papers and stuffed them into drawers as well. She cast a frantic look around the room. It looked relatively normal now. Then her eye caught Jax’s collar lying in a corner. Alyssa picked up the collar and fished its control wristband from behind an armchair.

  “Jax…” She went to him and held up the collar.

  His eyes narrowed. “What? I’m not putting that fucking dog collar back on.”

  “You have to,” Alyssa said in a low voice, glancing at Lucia on the couch. “Everything has to look normal here. We have to pretend you’re still my pet and under my control.”

  “So what? Can’t you just tell her that you decided I can do whatever I want?”

  “I can let you out of the cage, yes, but you can’t go without your collar under any circumstances. You haven’t passed your POT yet.”

  “What’s a POT?”

  “Pet Obedience Test.”

  Jax groaned and rubbed his brow as if the information gave him a headache.

  “Pets who haven’t passed their POT must wear a training collar at all times,” Alyssa explained. “It’s the law. If Lucia sees you without it, she’ll know right away that something has happened here, and then we’re all screwed.”

  Jax looked away, his jaw furiously clenched.

  “Look at it this way,” Alyssa went on. “Put on the collar. I’ll take it off again as soon as Lucia is gone. If you can trust me to take it off you today, you can trust me to take it off you on Sunday when we go to the spaceport. This is important.”

  Lucia shifted and moaned. Alyssa’s heart practically stopped. “Hurry!” she hissed at Jax and shoved the collar at him. She strapped the control wristband on her left wrist and strode to her friend’s side. “Lucia? Are you okay?”

  “Ow,” Lucia said and winced. She rubbed the back of her neck and tried to sit up, but Alyssa put her hands on her shoulders.

  “No, no, stay down. Tell me first if you’re okay. You passed out. Scared the hell out of me.”

  Lucia blinked at her. “What?”

  “You passed out. All we heard was a thump and we found you on the floor. I thought about calling an ambulance, but it looked like you just fainted. Please tell me you’re okay.”

  “I’m okay,” Lucia replied with a frown. She sat up slowly and swung her feet on the floor. “I fainted? Seriously? Shit…maybe I’m overworked.”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised. Whatever the case, don’t get up yet. You might get dizzy again. I’ll get you a glass of water. Stay here and admire Jax. It’s him you came to see, isn’t it? Maybe you just got too excited.”

  Lucia looked past Alyssa and seemed to notice Jax for the first time. Her eyes popped wide open. “He’s out of his cage!”

  “Yeah, isn’t it great?” Alyssa said, struggling to keep her tone light. She hoped Lucia wouldn’t freak out. Thankfully Jax had the sense to wear the collar. “I’m making great progress with him. He’s such a smart pet.”

  Lucia grabbed Alyssa’s sleeve. “Are you crazy? You’ve only had him for two weeks!
”

  “Take it easy. Everything’s fine.” Alyssa gave her friend the most reassuring smile she could manage before striding to the kitchen to get the water.

  She took a deep breath before returning to the living room. Lucia remained seated on the couch, warily observing Jax, who leaned his shoulder to the wall, his arms crossed. He looked at the same time casual and menacing. Alyssa ignored him, trying her best to act like a happy pet owner who had everything under control. She handed Lucia the water and plopped into the armchair next to the couch.

  “So what were you doing, sneaking in here without ringing?” she asked Lucia with a friendly wink. “Were you so eager to catch an eyeful of him?”

  “Um,” Lucia said, taking a sip of water. “Your phone was dead.” Her gaze darted between Alyssa and Jax, as if trying to piece together what was going on.

  It was Alyssa’s turn to look surprised. “What? My phone is not dead.”

  “I tried several times,” Lucia insisted. “All I got was a message saying it was switched off.”

  “I never switch off my phone.”

  “My point exactly. Last thing I heard was that you were both sick, so I had to come and see. But it seems you’ve recovered.”

  “Yeah, we’re both better since yesterday. But what on earth is wrong with my phone?”

  Alyssa frowned, trying to remember where she’d left it. A suspicion arose, and her gaze slid over to Jax.

  “Jax?”

  Her pet remained straight-faced, but he looked away for a second.

  Alyssa’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do to my phone? Actually, don’t answer that, I think I know what you did.”

  “What did he do?” Lucia asked.

  He wanted to make sure I can’t call anyone. Probably destroyed it or disabled it.

  Alyssa rolled her eyes. “Nothing that a new phone can’t fix. He has a destructive side I haven’t trained him out of yet. See the feathers in his cage? He took a pillow apart. He’s ruined several shirts, keeps tearing them to pieces. When the vet came over, he broke her medical bot—just grabbed it and crushed it. And now my phone’s gone missing? I swear this pet is going to cost me a fortune…” She threw Jax a mock scolding look. “Yes, I’m talking about you. You naughty pet. Naughty Jax. The next thing you break, I’ll put you back in the cage.”

  Jax raised an eyebrow.

  Lucia laughed, looking pleased with this explanation and sympathizing. “That’s what you get when you buy a wild creature. Look at the bright side; at least he hasn’t destroyed furniture.”

  “Don’t give him any ideas,” Alyssa grumbled.

  “So he keeps tearing his shirts, huh?” Lucia took another sip of water and batted her eyelashes at Jax.

  Alyssa laughed inwardly and continued, “Yeah. I’ll have to shop for a new set for him before the end of the month. Just guess how much that’ll cost. All the designer brands are over a hundred credits a piece.”

  “Where do you get them? Ralphie’s?”

  “Pet Premium. I know they’re the most expensive, but they have the best cuts and quality.”

  “I wish I had a pet,” Lucia sighed. “It’d be so great to go shopping for them together.”

  “You can get one anytime,” Alyssa reminded her. “But you always whine it takes too much time and trouble. Face it, girl…you’re just lazy.”

  “Yeah, but…” Lucia could hardly take her eyes off Jax. “Now that I see what a hunk you have, I’m getting crazy pet fever!”

  Alyssa’s heart glowed with possessive pride as she looked at him, all tight muscle wrapped in snug-fitting black. “He’s really sweet, isn’t he?”

  Lucia grinned. “I’m not sure if ‘sweet’ is the word… More like ‘melting hot’. It’s a crime you’re hiding this eye candy in your apartment.”

  “I did tell you our first walk was a disaster.”

  “I think it’s exciting that he’s so wild. And he’s such a gorgeous combination of human and alien. Say, I would love to see him naked.”

  It was nothing unusual that the guest wanted to see the pet stripped. It was simply another form of appreciation for the host’s property. On any other day, Alyssa wouldn’t have a problem with it, but now she cast a nervous look at Jax. She couldn’t command him, and he was probably fed up with Lucia’s presence already. She tried to come up with some excuse to deny her friend’s request. But much to her surprise, Jax pushed himself away from the wall and said, “All right.”

  He sauntered over to face the couch, pulling his shirt up over his head. He didn’t appear the least bit bothered.

  “Oh wow,” Lucia sighed, touching a finger to her lips. “Look at those abs.”

  Without haste, Jax opened his pants. Lucia ogled shamelessly when he dropped them.

  “Whew. I think I’m gonna need more water.” Lucia quickly drained her glass. Then she leaned into Alyssa, eyeing Jax’s equipment. “Is that thing as big as I think it is?”

  “Oh yeah,” Alyssa confirmed, feeling hot inside.

  Alyssa saw a hint of a grin on Jax’s lips. He stood before them perfectly relaxed, apparently enjoying the two hungry female gazes roaming over him. His cooperation puzzled her, but then she remembered that being admired was a novelty to him. Lucia’s obvious attraction must have been flattering.

  Lucia stood up and circled Jax, examining him thoroughly with her eyes. Jax remained where he was, his grin widening. When Lucia touched the scales on Jax’s arm, Alyssa’s gut tightened. Tame pets were supposed to allow any human to touch them anywhere, but Jax didn’t know this rule. It was safer if Lucia didn’t get too familiar.

  “Be careful,” she called out to her friend. “Don’t touch him. He’s a little unpredictable.”

  As if to accentuate her words, Jax bared his teeth at Lucia and snarled. Lucia yelped and jumped backward. Alyssa jumped up from the armchair, ready to dive between them if things got out of hand.

  “Jax, behave yourself,” she nervously scolded him.

  “It’s all right,” Lucia said, although her smile had a nervous edge to it, too. “He’s just wild. Wow.” Jax didn’t take his eyes off Lucia, which made Lucia fidget and ask Alyssa, “Why is he looking at me like that?”

  Jax’s grin turned feral. “There’s a thing or two I could do with you. Such a nice, soft female.”

  “Jax!” Alyssa was scandalized.

  Lucia’s eyes widened. “He…What?”

  “Let’s take this shirt off you.” He made a grab at the front of Lucia’s blouse.

  Lucia shrieked and backed away. Alyssa grabbed Jax by the arm and shoved at his chest. “Stop it!” She looked over her shoulder at Lucia. “I think you better go. He’s a little too interested in you.”

  Lucia gulped and nodded before fleeing in the direction of the front door.

  “Bad boy,” Alyssa said to Jax. “Stay here. I’m going to see Lucia out.”

  Alyssa made a face at Lucia when they were alone in the entry hallway. “Sorry about that. Still in training, as you can see.”

  Lucia only smiled. “Oh, you’re so lucky, Alyssa! You have such a sexy beast in the house. Where can I find me one of those?”

  “Uh.” Alyssa hesitated. “Interstellar Pet Training Inc. But remember to look in ‘New Acquisitions’.”

  Chapter 16

  Lucia departed, the gleam in her eyes indicating pet fantasies now filled her head. Alyssa closed the door and went back to Jax, her brow furrowed. She couldn’t help the gnawing jealousy. Why was he so eager to strip in front of Lucia and harass her?

  Does he find her more attractive than me?

  Lucia was her best friend, but the idea of being surpassed by her in Jax’s desires was painful. Alyssa entered the room just as Jax pulled his shirt on, once more fully clothed. His playful air gone, he advanced on her in quick strides.

  “Right. Take this damn collar off.”

  A thousand tiny demons jumped to life in Alyssa’s brain.

  He’s yours, keep him! Don’t let him go! Enslav
e him!

  Sorely tempted for a second, she couldn’t say or do anything. Just one tap on her wristband would activate the pain on his collar. She could force him to do anything. She could order him back to his cage and make sure he never overpowered her again. She could even send him back to IPT for professional training. They’d bring him back to her tame and obedient. He would be hers, forever. He would no longer look at Lucia or anybody else without her permission. She could take him out with her everywhere and show off her magnificent possession.

  But reason told her this future wouldn’t satisfy her. Even broken and tamed, deep down Jax would always hate her for her betrayal. He would never love her—and she wanted him to worship her.

  Jax shook her. “Do it!”

  Alyssa sensed the fear behind his aggression. Maybe he was thinking the same thought as she. She deactivated the collar. Jax exhaled and snatched the collar off him, tossing it on the floor. “I hate that fucking thing.”

  He turned away and started digging the blueprints out of the drawers. Alyssa stared at his back, annoyed. He could at least say thank you. Didn’t he realize what a generous thing she’d just done? She could have kept him for a slave, but she released him instead. Jax only seemed interested in getting back to his plans. Alyssa had never been prone to jealousy or pouting, but now her mood remained murky.

  “Did you find water?” Jax asked over his shoulder, meaning the water Alyssa was fetching before Lucia interrupted them.

  “In the kitchen,” she replied.

  Jax looked up from the blueprints, taking note of the fact that Alyssa—uncharacteristically—wasn’t going to fetch it for him. He went to the kitchen and came back, draining a bottle while walking.

  “Something’s not right,” he said when he finished drinking. He planted the bottle on the table with a thump. “You’re hiding something. Did that woman suspect anything?”

  Alyssa crossed her arms and shook her head. “No, she’s fine. I think you knew exactly how to play her. She had a lot of fun and she’s going to tell everyone what a hot pet I have.”

  “Isn’t that good?”

  “Yes, it’s good. No one’s going to suspect anything.”