Malice’s female glowed. “It was my role.”
She was too blasted modest. Pride expanded his chest. His female was skilled at repairing beings.
“It’s a role we very much need filling on Mercury Minor.” Cadet’s tone was sincere. “We have no one who has expertise on human and humanoid repairs. There are 1,035 humans and humanoids on the planet, and 97.1981 percent of them are female. Male cyborgs are taking on the tasks of repairing beings, but they require trainers. Patch relayed you were skilled at that role also.”
“He learned quickly.” His little medic redirected some of the praise.
Malice squeezed her. He was honored to be her warrior.
“The role of Lead Medic to the humans and humanoids on Mercury Minor is yours if you desire it.” Cadet surprised both of them with that offer, his female jerking in his arms. “You will have your choice of domicile, will have the best medic bay we can fabricate, the best equipment and supplies we can obtain.”
“Whoa.” Illona glanced at him as though needing to confirm the female’s words.
Malice nodded. Cyborgs didn’t lie.
“I project you will want to stay by your female’s side, C Model.” Cadet’s tone turned dry. “But we also have training structures and mock battles and other tasks to keep a warrior occupied.”
He grunted. Stopping his female from damaging herself would fully occupy his time.
Cadet glanced at Valor. Her nose wrinkled. “Patch relays you have eased some of the humanoid females’ emotional damage, E Model. There is always a role on Mercury Minor for cyborgs who are skilled at interacting with newly-arrived humans and humanoids.”
“I would have a role on your planet?” Valor’s disbelief irritated Malice.
“Their processors would have to be fraggin’ malfunctioning not to give you a role.” He frowned at his friend. “Your prowess in battle and your loyalty would be coveted by any being.”
“I’m damaged.” The E Model held out his arms.
“You are damaged if you project that diminishes your value, you illogical bag of bolts.” Malice shook his head. “I should—”
“If you stay on Mercury Minor, there are rules.” Cadet interrupted their communications. “You can receive transmissions, but you can’t transmit. You’ll keep your recording abilities deactivated until stated otherwise. Details about the planet won’t be shared with anyone off-planet. Disagreements with other residents are discussed with me before they are acted upon. If the planet and its residents are threatened, you will help defend it. And all the previous agreements also apply.”
They would have to give her their support when she asked for it. Malice grunted again.
Nothing asked of them was a hardship for him…except “If someone touches my female, I will pound him into the ground.”
“No one will touch your female.” Cadet rolled her eyes. “Fraggin’ hole, you sound like my dad.” She blew out her breath. “Process the possibilities. I will ask each of you for your individual answers one shift from now.”
“There will be no individual answers.” Malice glared at the female’s already retreating back.
Grudge lumbered behind her.
“The role on Mercury Minor is appealing.” Valor watched them depart also. “I would be needed.”
He was needed. Malice cast his friend a dark look.
“But I will be transported wherever you decide to go.” The E Model shrugged. “My place is by your side.”
His friend would choose staying with them over accepting the role on Mercury Minor. Malice would do the same. He gazed down at the female in his arms. “What is your preference, Medic?”
He would give his little human control over their futures.
She pursed her lips. Her forehead furrowed with thought lines.
“No.” He rejected whatever was flowing through that suicidal brain of hers. “We are remaining together. Our individual answers will be the same, female. Delete any other processing.”
Because they wouldn’t survive their separation. He would kill every being he saw, and she would sacrifice her fraggin’ lifespan to save a blasted blade of vegetation.
His anger, and his trepidation, spiraled upward.
“You two discuss it.” Valor bumped against him. “Tell me what you decide.”
The E Model returned to the chamber, leaving Malice with his stubborn female.
“I have to think about what is right for each of us.” She patted his body armor-covered chest.
“There is no each of us.” He bellowed that truth, trying to blast it into her big brain. “There is all of us. All of us.”
Fraggin’ hole. He had to breed with her, release some of the tension inside of him before he exploded. Holding her tiny form tight against his chest, not allowing her to escape him, he stomped toward the storage chamber.
His female touched his chin, that caress almost bringing him to his knees. “Malice, you—”
“There is no me.” He shook with need. “There is only us.” He entered the storage chamber with her. Blast it. The space was tiny. But he would make it work for them.
Before he did that, he had to tell her the state of things between them.
“I’m not skilled at repairing like the J Model is.” He begrudgingly admitted to that inadequacy. “I don’t chatter like Valor does. I won’t tell you I see you and only you when you walk into a chamber. Or I live for your clever observations, holding my breath while I wait for you to speak. Or the mere scent of you gives me a hard-on.” He sported one for her right now. “I’m often angry and I prefer to kill rather than save lifespans.”
Her lips parted.
“No.” He pressed one of his fingertips against that lush flesh, silencing her. “Don’t speak. Not yet.” The words bubbling inside him had to be fraggin’ said. “Other males might be more worthy of you, but none of them will ever protect you as I do. I would die for you, kill for you. No one will tend to you as I do, cleaning your white medic jacket, bundling your hair neatly on top of your head the way you prefer it, ensuring you eat nourishment bars and drink beverage and sleep, restoring your energy levels.”
He propped her against the wall, leaned his forehead against hers. That contact soothed him, allowed him to say the rest.
“No one will ever desire you as I do, with all of my body, my heart, my soul.” Frag. He wanted her—all of her, her curves, her mind, her caring. “No one will ever be as proud of a being as I am of you.” He brushed his lips against hers. “There will be no individual answer from me because I live for you, only you. You are mine. My answer is your answer.”
She gazed at him, her eyes wide, her mouth slightly open.
He gazed back at her, showing her all the emotions he was trying to express.
“You love me?” She whispered that question.
That she had to ask it irritated the fraggin’ hole out of him.
“Yes. I love you.” He scowled at her. “That’s what I’ve been communicating for the past few moments, chattering like a blasted fool in this cursed cramped space.” He kicked a container. “I feel the human love emotion for you. And I’m not leaving your side. Ever. Add that input when you’re processing your answer to Cadet.”