Rescued by the Zoran: Zoran’s Chosen Book 3 Page 4

  I’m finally getting through to Kariza. It wasn’t easy to stop her trying to make me and Leto have sex right here and now, but I pulled it off. Somehow.

  It all went over worse than I feared. I can’t believe she freaking pantsed me in front of the Zoran. I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.

  If I had known, I’d have worn something a bit sexier. Now he must think I’m boring.

  That is not how he looked at me when I came back, though. No, his eyes were filled with desire.

  I haven’t forgiven my synth housemate for her transgressions, but if we’re going to solve Rinor’s disappearance, we need her help. Whether I like it or not.

  “I need you to hack one of those Zukari Flu posts,” I say. “We need to know what they are really doing there.”

  Kariza’s pulls down her collar a bit. For the first time since I met her, she’s flustered. Finally, I’m not the only one anymore.

  “Hacking a megacorp? That’s not really part of my primary programming…”

  “I need you to do this,” I say “For me, for Leto. For our, uhm, relationship.”

  Her clear eyes light up like a Christmas tree. “Relationship?!”

  “Keep it down, will you,” I whisper as I glance over her shoulder. “He doesn’t have to hear!”

  Leto is in the bathroom, cleaning up after Kariza showered him with red wine like the gracious host she is. My eyes keep darting towards the door, as if he’s going to waltz out naked.

  A girl can dream.

  “So you do like him?” Kariza says. “I did a good job?!”

  I swallow my real answer — no you most surely did not — and force myself to smile. “Help us hack the SINTRA outpost, and you’ll have done an excellent job,” I say. “Leto and I can’t be together until we find out what happened to Rinor. So, if its your main programming to get us closer together, then you really need to hack the outpost for us.

  It’s a white lie, of course. I haven’t committed myself to Leto… although I must admit that there’s something there. We both have strange powers, and they seem to affect one another. And I haven’t mentioned the obvious physical attraction, the tension that’s constantly in the air, the chemistry that I feel…

  “Caia!”

  The low growl comes from my bathroom, and it makes my heart jump right into my throat.

  “Y-yes?” I ask.

  “I need you.”

  “Excuse me,” I say as I stand up.

  “Please, be my guest,” Kariza says, barely hiding her smug grin.

  “We’re not... you know what, forget it.”

  “No, don’t mind me,” she says. “Do what you gotta do. Or want to do.”

  “Get your mind out of the gutter!”

  “Get your butt in the shower,” she winks.

  My face turns as red as a beet. “I’m not... ugh, you’re impossible.” I storm towards the bathroom and yank the door open, the frustration from Kariza’s teasing making me act rashly. “What is it?!”

  Leto turns towards me.

  Stark, butt ass naked.

  “Good god,” I say, my hands flying towards my face. “Can’t you hide that thing?!”

  He looks down quizzically. “Does my form offend you?”

  It does a LOT of things to me. Offend not being one of them...

  I quickly step inside and close the door behind me, so that I don’t have to deal with Kariza’s curious eyes.

  “What do you need, Leto?” I say, catching glimpses of him from between my fingers.

  He grabs my hands and slowly pulls them away. I keep my eyes locked with his, even if that takes an incredible amount of effort.

  “You’ll break your neck if keep straining so hard,” he chuckles. “I do not know how to operate your shower.”

  He turns and gestures at the wall, which gives me an opportunity to check out his broad, muscled back and perfectly sculpted ass. A fire rises up inside of me, and I quickly snap my eyes back to the wall.

  “Ah, yes, it’s, uhm, voice activated,” I stammer. “It’s simple. Shower, turn on!” I say loud and clear.

  Instantly the water faucet starts spouting big jets of water down on Leto’s impressive, naked frame. I watch as the water drips down his purple shoulders, and all the way down to his powerful thighs and calves.

  It’s like he was carved from marble. If his skin wasn’t purple, and his eyes not sea green, he could have been an ancient statue. The kind that illustrates what absolute perfection looks like.

  He turns around, eyes closed, and I can’t help it. I drop my gaze down to his cock.

  Holy moly.

  To my surprise, his big, Zoran cock is the same color as his eyes — a warm mixture of blue and green. Except for the big, shiny head. That is pure gold, like a beautiful piece of jewelry.

  Well, I wouldn’t mind having that resting on my chest.

  The wicked, intrusive thought appears suddenly and out of nowhere. I shake my head to try to get it out, but it’s lodged in there. No putting that baby back in the bag.

  His eyes open, and a cocky smirk adorns his face.

  “You are still here.”

  It’s not a question, just a fact.

  “Yes,” I say, my voice hoarse.

  “Do you need to use the shower as well?”

  I do need to cool the f down, that’s for damn sure.

  I search for the right words, but I can’t find them. With my heart racing I reach for the door handle and dart outside, slamming it shut behind me.

  If I stayed inside for one moment longer, I would have done something crazy. Something unimaginable.

  Okay, to be honest, I can imagine sinking down to my knees and letting that tall, ripped Zoran have his way with me quite well...

  Chapter Six

  Leto

  Freshly showered, I join Caia and Kariza in the living room. Caia’s face is still as red a supernova, and she avoids my gaze completely.

  I love the effect I’m having on her. I can sense her heat, her hunger, and part of me wanted to grab her wrists and pull her right into that shower with me… but the time isn’t ready yet.

  I’m going to take my time. It will be worth the wait.

  “Caia told me all about Rinor,” Kariza says.

  I snap back to attention. Yes, Rinor. That is why I’m here.

  Not to seduce this female, no matter how attractive she is. No matter how much I long for her.

  “I will help you hack their systems,” the synths says decisively. “Anything for you two.”

  “Us two?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

  “Forget that part,” Caia whispers. “Let’s go break the law before I change my mind, okay? I’m putting everything on the line here. I must be crazy.”

  “Let’s do it,” I answer.

  We head towards the Docks District in silence, rapidly moving through the long, winding corridors of Corlis Station. Kariza leads the way, expertly avoiding all the SINTRA monitors and scanners that litter the station.

  I paid little attention to them at first, but the station is absolutely swamped with them.

  “There it is,” Caia whispers as she peers around the corner.

  A few synths are peddling their wares, trying to entice the many passerby's into getting a Zukari Flu shot.

  If such a thing even exists.

  “I had a bad feeling about those things from the very start,” Caia whispers. “I hadn’t even heard of the Zukari Flu before, and they’re pushing it hard. Everyone on Station Patrol is supposed to get one.”

  “Let’s go check it out.”

  Caia takes a deep breath, and together we all head towards the outpost. The synth outside sees us coming and instantly turns towards us.

  “Ah, a lovely young couple! I can see you two are truly in deep, deep love. How awful would it be to see your life cut short by sudden illness - especially if it could be prevented! I’m happy to be able to offer you the Zukari Flu shot, so that you’ll stay healthy and safe!”

/>   We exchange a glance. A couple? In deep, deep love?

  I know it’s just a sales pitch, but I wonder if the synth isn’t right on the money. Caia is the single most attractive woman I have ever met in my entire life. She is sexy as hell, and cute us a button when she gets all flustered.

  “How much does it cost?” I ask.

  “Nothing!” the synth says. “It’s free of charge.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “How does that work? Aren’t you interested in making money? Why would SINTRA do anything for free?”

  His synthetic smile doesn’t waver. “If people die, they can’t very well consume SINTRA products, can they? So in the end, it’s about SINTA’s wellbeing as well!”

  “Hm,” I growl, exchanging a glance with Caia. “Very well. Lead the way.”

  The synth lights up. “Please, follow me!”

  We enter the makeshift building, Kariza right behind us both. The interior is almost barren. The walls are made out of metal. The chairs are bolted to the floor.

  This reminds me more of a prison than a doctor’s post.

  Minutes later a nurse calls us into the room. All three of us rise, and a light panic fills her eyes.

  “Only one at a time, please,” she stammers.

  “I’m terribly afraid of needles,” I say. “I need their emotional support.”

  Before she has a chance to stop us we enter the doctor’s office.

  A man dressed in a white coat is waiting for us there. “Please, take a seat,” he says to me. “I’m afraid your wife and servant will have to wait outside.”

  “Servant? Well I never,” Kariza mutters.

  “They stay,” I growl, squaring my shoulders.

  “Eh, that’s not the procedure… but that’s okay,” he continues when he sees my angry frown. He pulls out a needle and taps it. “I’ll be taking a small sample of your blood, for analysis.”

  Time for our plan to kick into action.

  “WHAT?!” I bellow. “A NEEDLE?! GET AWAY FROM ME!”

  I jump and grab the doctor’s wrist, pinning his arm down on the floor.

  “P-please sir, c-calm down!” He stammers. “It’s for your own good!”

  While I keep the man distracted, Kariza and Caia grab his keyboard and go to work on his comm.

  “You’ll never stick a needle in me!” I say, overly dramatic. “You’ll have to kill me first!”

  “Th-that won’t be necessary, I-I-I assure you,” the doctor says.

  I glance up at Caia and Kariza. They have deep frowns on their faces as they comb the data — not a good sign. I’m distracted for a moment as I gaze at the human female. I can’t help but notice just how damn cute she looks with her brow all furrowed. And that one moment of distraction is all the synth doctor needs to escape.

  He slips from my grasp and jumps at the door, aiming for a big red button that can only spell trouble. In a flash I grab his shoulder and squeeze as hard as I can. The synth crumbles to the floor, the pain overloading his circuits.

  “Oh my god,” Caia gasps. “Did you kill him?!”

  I shake my head. “He’s out for a few minutes, tops. Synths aren’t that easy to kill. What have you found?”

  She raises her hands in frustration. “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s all garbage. Junk data.”

  “What about Rinor? Is his info in the system?”

  Kariza’s fingers fly across the keyboard. “They did ‘treat’ a Zoran here, yes, red-skinned… his status is ‘in processing’.”

  “In processing? What the hell does that mean?”

  “Nothing good, I can imagine.”

  A high-pitched noise grabs my attention. The unmistakable sound of gas canisters being opened. My eyes fly up the ventilation shafts, and to my horror, I see green gas flooding the room.

  “We’ve got to go,” I growl,” grabbing both Kariza and Caia and pulling them towards the door. I hit the button, but the damn thing doesn’t budge an inch.

  “What’s going on?” Caia asks.

  “They’re poisoning us,” I say, covering my mouth with one arm as my other fist pounds on the metal door. “Don’t breathe!”

  I pound on the door over and over again, the weak metal caving to my great strength. My knuckles bleed, and I feel the dry thump of pain with every strike, but I must continue.

  My movements are slow and sluggish, the gas slowly seeping into my system. Caia is slumped against me, her eyes closed, while Kariza is in full-blown panic mode.

  With a heavy kick I finally bust the door down, only to find a dozen armed guards with gas masks waiting for us on the other side.

  “Get em!” One of them screams.

  The next moment we’re pelted with rubber bullets, and everything goes dark.

  The last thought I have before my conscience slips away is of Caia.

  If those bastards hurt even a hair on her head… I’m taking them all down, no matter the cost.

  Chapter Seven

  Caia

  I feel like I’m soaring. Like I’m flying through the sky, and nothing can’t stop me.

  Wait.

  No, I’m riding a lion. My arm is wrapped around his thick, warm mane. It’s Luan! He’s guiding me to safety.

  He’s taking me towards a… vortex. A swirling, colorful, gaping hole in time and space itself.

  And it’s calling my name.

  “Caia! Caia! Wake up!”

  I open my eyes to see Leto leaning over me, his beautiful eyes searching mine.

  “Are you okay?!”

  “I’m fine, I think,” I say, still groggy.

  He hugs me tightly, thanking every Zoran mythical figure in existence.

  I use the moment to take in our surroundings. The room we’re in is dark, and damp.

  Wait. It’s a cell!

  “Where are we?”

  I stretch my arms above my head, ignoring the deep pain in all of my muscles.

  “We’re in some kind of prison ship,” Leto says. “SINTRA has abducted us.”

  My eyes grow wide and I feel sick to my stomach.

  “That can’t be right.”

  “I wish it wasn’t.”

  I crawl up to my feet and grab the bars of our cell. Try as I might, I can’t get them to budge even an inch.

  “What about Kariza?!” I say. “What happened to her?!”

  Leto shakes his head. “I don’t know, Caia. I woke up here, same as you.”

  If she gets decommissioned because of me, I’ll never forgive myself. She could be a major pain in my ass, that’s for damn sure, but at the end of the day she was also my friend. Our friendship might have been a little dysfunctional, but eh, it worked for us.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” I whisper. “I’ll make them pay, whoever these bastards are!”

  Leto chuckles. “Now that is something we can both agree on.”

  “The only question is… how?”

  “I think you have the key in the palm of your hands Caia. Literally.”

  “My powers?”

  He nods. “I’d summon Luan, but he’s not good at opening doors.”

  I take a deep breath and try to focus… but I can’t. Try as I might, my thoughts keep turning to Kariza, and to the horrors that might await her on this awful ship.

  The metal that’s all around us, the only thing shielding is from the darkness of space, groans loudly every few seconds. I’m afraid this whole ship is going to cave in at any moment.

  I grab the cold bars and close my eyes. I need to find my focus. My strength, my core… but my mind just keeps slipping.

  As I sigh deeply, full of frustration, a door in the distance opens.

  I jump back. Leto instinctively wraps his big arms around me, shielding me with his massive frame.

  A mechanical synth walks up to our cell, and I hope furiously that he’ll pass us by.

  We have no such luck, of course. The robot stops right in front of our cell and unlocks the door.

  “Zoran,” he says. “Come w
ith me.”

  He notices us glancing at one another, and raises his fingertips at the both of us.

  “I would advice against that course of action, or I will be forced to stun you both.”

  Undeterred, Leto leaps out at him — and my Zoran mate is hit square in the chest with a laser beam. He collapses on the ground, gasping for air, and a shriek leaves my lips.

  “Foolish organics,” the synth says. “I process reality at a much faster pace than you do. My heliographic motherboard and quantum processor make me superior to you in every way. Now, follow me, Zoran.”

  “How can you do this?!” I say. “Work for them?! You’re not like any other synth I’ve ever met!”

  The synth turns to me, his face cold and completely devoid of emotions. “Those were mistakes. Feeble attempts at reproducing humanity by ZuberiSynth. Wellington Consortium doesn’t make the same mistakes. We are programmed to do our jobs — and nothing more.”

  He points his finger at Leto once more.

  “Don’t make me repeat myself, Zoran. Follow. Me.”

  Leto scrambles up to his feet. “I’ll be back,” he says to me. “Don’t worry about me.”

  “Wait,” I plead. “Don’t leave me here!”

  He glances at the robot. “I have no choice — but I will return. I promise that on my very life.”

  “How touching,” the synth says sarcastically.

  It seems he does have some semblance of a personality... but it’s far from charming.

  Chapter Eight

  Leto

  The corridors are long and empty. I do my best to memorize the lay-out, but the ship is too damn big for that. Is this synth taking the long route on purpose? I wouldn’t put it past him.

  They’ve finally done it, the crazy bastards. They created a synth completely devoid of humanity, a pure-bred killing machine. For eons the Zorans were the most dangerous beings in the known universe, but it seems our time might be up.

  If I don’t come up with a plan quick, my time might be up. I’ve travelled all this way to save Rinor, but all that I’ve accomplished is getting myself into even more trouble.