Page 10 of A Mate for Vasek
He'd been so young at the time, naïve too, about the ways of the universe. He’d thought he’d be helping soldiers regain what they’d lost. But instead, the Dominion had treated the wounded soldiers as test subjects.
To the best of the Dominion’s knowledge, the old Vasek was dead. Had been for a very long time. And none of the soldiers they’d sent his way since had realized who he was.
Certain people knew, like Kean and Zharor. And their personal medic, Ulkin, knew as well. Then there was Ulrek and those who’d left with him when he switched sides.
Vasek remembered their surprise when they realized Vasek, a male they’d thought was long dead, was still alive and working out here. Most people had no idea he was ex-Dominion, and he liked to keep it that way. He preferred they didn’t know anything about him at all.
Vasek spared another glance at Dawn. Yes, Kean’s compound was probably the best place for her. Morad would think twice before looking for her there if his interest really was in her and not the bejeweled dress.
He’d contact Kean once he was on his way to Vosthea.
For now, he checked his monitoring networks for signs it would be safe to return to Vosthea. The Dominion team that had the gall to corner Vasek and demand he rat out a male he’d recently treated had left after losing a few members to some friends of Vasek. But there was talk of a secondary team that had landed on Vosthea, asking similar questions. This one was a little smarter; they came in an unmarked ship and did not wear their uniforms. In fact, they didn’t even look or act Dominion, according to his intel. But their goal on the planet was too similar, and Vasek didn’t trust it.
They were causing enough shit at the port that some of the locals were gathering to drive them away. It would be best to stay here a little while longer. Anyone bleeding out in Vosthea would just have to find another doctor. The males who used his services understood that he wasn’t always available.
The shuttle was already alerting him that they’d arrived at his hideout, which was just in the wilds outside of the port. The shallow cave was more of a large overhang, just big enough to hide his shuttle from detection. Anyone trying to scan the area would only see a whole lot of rock.
Vasek carefully maneuvered his shuttle into the makeshift hangar, back end first. Being able to fly out at a moment’s notice in case of an emergency was key. Unlike the takeoff, the landing was quick, nimble, and barely noticeable.
Dawn still lay asleep on his bed.
He sighed. What was he going to do with a human!
That was a problem for later. He looked down at his arm. He hadn’t gotten away completely unscathed from his little tussle with Bakum. The artificial skin over his bio-mechanical arm was torn, showing the metal underneath, and he hadn’t noticed it until he was sorting through the gems.
One would think that being his own medic was convenient, but it really wasn’t, especially since it was his good arm he always had to work on. Still, years of caring for the robotic enhancement that replaced his arm from the elbow down meant he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Besides, changing out the skin was easy.
As Vasek gathered his equipment, he noticed a canister tipped onto its side with the wordsolfactinullin bold lettering. He picked it up, an idea forming.
Olfactinull was a compound that deadened the olfactory nerves. Years ago, it had been a novel chemical, used by those who wanted to hide their nefarious dealings. But it was such a simple chemical to replicate that it was now available readily at most ports, and advertised for multiple uses. Sometimes, it was the only way to make living on a ship full of unwashed males for weeks at a time bearable.
The trick to avoid temporary loss of smelling capabilities altogether was to use it sparingly and spray it into the room, and not to inhale it directly.
Holding his breath, he sprayed it everywhere in the shuttle except where Dawn was sleeping. He’d get the bed later; it would probably need it since it would smell like her the most after her nap. After letting the olfactinull disperse and settle, he took an experimental breath. Nothing.
No, not nothing. He picked up an unused robotic hand from the stash and sniffed it. It still smelled like metal and composite, but only very faintly. Good. This he could work with.
Things like mate bonds required time together and the right scent to form. No sense of smell, no mate bond, that much at least had been tested ad nauseum. This meant he could now enjoy Dawn’s company, and maybe even other offerings, he thought, remembering her lust back on the pilot’s chair.
Too bad this canister was already half-empty. He’d have to pick up some more back at the port before they left the planet. Putting the canister back on the shelf, upright this time and near the front for easy access, he sat down with his equipment to work on his arm.
His work goggles not only magnified his work when needed, providing just the right light at the right angle for the task at hand, but they also had an in-ear extension that played music. Vasek had a special playlist for different surgical tasks, and he found they helped him concentrate better.
He’d gotten the old, torn synthetic skin removed and was struggling to get the replacement in its place—the initial placement was always the trickiest—when he realized he had an audience.
Chapter 6
Dawn
Dawn woke to soft cursing and was instantly on alert. An ornately decorated ceiling greeted her. Was she back in Kotch’s room? The design was different though; there was a lot less gold paint. And the sheets and blanket were so much softer!
Sheets? Oh no! She’d fallen asleep on the bed! She wasn’t supposed to do that. Maybe she’d be able to sneak back down to her mat before he woke.
That was when Dawn realized she wasn’t in Kotch’s room at all. She wasn’t even in the same port.
Kotch was dead, and had been for days. She wasn’t even with Bakum anymore. She was on Vasek’s shuttle. She’d been living off of sheer will and adrenaline for so long that she’d crashed hard the second her head had hit the pillow.
The shuttle no longer hummed, which meant they’d landed. They must still be on New Rhea. Perhaps the other port? How long had she slept? She felt a lot better. Whatever medication Vasek had given her earlier was working like a charm.
