The Healer's Kiss: Book Four of the Forced To Serve Series Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  The Healer’s Kiss

  Edition License Notes

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  More About Donna McDonald

  Excerpt from THE DEMON’S CHANGE

  Contemporary Books

  The Healer’s Kiss

  Book Four of the FORCED TO SERVE Series

  by

  Donna McDonald

  * * * *

  Copyright 2012 by Donna McDonald

  Cover by LFD Designs for Authors

  Edited by Toby Minton

  Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should delete this file from your device and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is coincidental.

  This book contains content that may not be suitable for young readers 17 and under.

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my editor, T Minton, for taking time out from writing his amazing book to edit mine.

  Thanks to the readers and fans of the Forced To Serve Series for continually asking for it.

  Dedication

  This book is for Paulette R

  I hope Boca inspires you while you follow the path of your own warrior journey.

  Go in peace, Sister. May the Creators watch over you.

  Chapter 1

  Chiang walked into the Liberator’s main conference room, saw Boca sitting beside Ania, and immediately went to sit in the vacant seat beside her. Glancing around the room, he didn’t see the captain yet. Perhaps he could get to the bottom of his greater concerns before the meeting began.

  Trying to keep their conversation as private as possible, Chiang leaned sideways to whisper his demands. “Where were you last night, Boca? And how did you manage to stay one step ahead of where the com unit said you were?” When Boca continued to ignore him, Chiang soften his tone and tried a different approach. “I tried to find you to apologize.”

  “No apology is needed. Nor do I intend to request one,” Boca said, staring straight ahead across the table.

  “I realized I behaved poorly yesterday. I interrupted your training with the ensigns, perhaps embarrassed you. At least look at me while I’m groveling,” Chiang ordered, his voice rising on the final complaint.

  The room went silent in surprise at Chiang’s raised voice. Everyone’s gaze turned to them. Boca lifted her chin, trying not to be mortified by all the attention.

  “Your emotional state is not my concern,” she declared, hissing the words. “Now be at peace and let me do the same, Chiang.”

  Chiang drew in a frustrated breath and swore in his native Greggor tongue as he turned sideways in his seat to face her more fully. Just as he was about to demand a full explanation about why she was avoiding him, the door opened to let in both Captain Synar and Malachi. The demon came immediately to the empty seat on the other side of him and had the audacity to return his frustrated glare with only a respectful nod. Chiang hated that Malachi so thoroughly enjoyed his conflict with the stubborn Sumerian female.

  “Our discussion is not over,” Chiang warned in another whisper before facing forward to listen to Synar. He flinched as Boca glanced at him nervously and swallowed hard. What had he said to scare her now?

  “Good. No one had conflicts today I see, not that I would have allowed any to prevent this meeting,” Synar said. His tone full of sarcasm, but for once he didn’t care what his crew thought of his emotional state. “This discussion is long overdue, and implementing my requests will take some time. So let’s get to the point right away. No one—and I mean no one—is leaving the Liberator on any mission again until new tracking measures have been put into place.”

  “Captain? I detect some very strong emotion in that order. Are you angry with our performance?” Gwen asked.

  “Angry? No, not angry, Commander. Just finally exercising my right to change some things and run the Liberator as I see fit.” Synar pressed the com button firmly, looking at the entire group as he spoke. “Audio recording requested for this assembly. Grant general access to data. Record and distribute to all participants in the room at this time. Use visual scanning to determine full list.”

  “Recording on. Visual scan commencing,” the comp unit responded.

  Synar stood so he could walk around the table.

  “We’ve had three high ranking crew members and a guest on the Liberator get captured. Some were taken right off my own ship while everyone watched. I’ve decided changes are required to make sure this never happens again. Up to now, I haven’t been much more than just the person who sets our course and arranges missions,” Synar said. “You are hereby put on notice that going forward I plan to be the person who makes the rules as well.”

  “Again I ask, with all due respect, Captain Synar—what the hell has got your shorts so twisted concerning us?” Gwen demanded.

  “Despite your irreverent tone, that is a good question, Commander. For starters, I’m tired of my crew getting abducted,” Synar said. “We lost a crew member on Lotharius during the last mission there, which will not happen again if I can prevent it. While the ensign’s death was the culmination of our weaknesses, the fact is we’ve spent more time recovering our own crew than rescuing officials for several missions now.”

  He turned his full attention to Ania.

  “Peace Keeper Looren, I let you talk me into your going with Commander Jet on the Terris Rein mission without Malachi. I convinced myself your Khalsa training would protect you, which it might have if you not been rendered and kept unconscious. My instincts were screaming at the time that it was a mistake though. But did I honor my intuition? No, I did not. I think we both know why—as does every other person in this room.”

  “Do not blame yourself for what happened to me, Liam. I did not foresee my abduction either,” Ania said, trying not to sound defensive. She still did not understand how she had been caught so totally off-guard. And she didn’t need Liam reminding her.

  “My point exactly—neither of us saw it. Dorian was unavailable. Chiang was in denial. And Gwen’s intuition was not fully developed at the time. I knew that, but I still ignored it.”

  “Liam, recriminations serve no one,” Ania said.

  “On that we agree, which is why from now on, Malachi will always accompany you, either in your
body or as mist. Is that clear, Peace Keeper Looren? This is your captain speaking, not just your mate,” Synar said for clarification, pointing to the com. “This order is being entered into the official record for my ship. You will obey it or you will never leave the ship again.”

  “Aye—your command is clear, even if perhaps not practical,” Ania conceded, mostly ignoring Liam’s attempt to use his authority.

  Both of them knew she was not an official crew member. Technically, as Malachi’s host, she wasn’t an independent entity at all. She was all but invisible.

  “You know it was the demon they wanted, not me. Malachi’s presence may or may not have made a difference in that particular case,” Ania argued.

  “It is not a request, Ania,” Synar said flatly. “Malachi will accompany you on all future missions. End of discussion.”

  Ania lifted a hand in surrender when she saw further debate would gain her nothing.

  Synar nodded at her gesture. “Good. Now for the next issue.”

  He paced down the table and away from the female who was always distracting to him.

  “Having crew members abducted is bad enough, but not being able to locate a captured crew member is unacceptable. Boca Ador served as a senior medic at a facility that placed Sumerian agents in covert places. She and I have consulted about some alternatives that would make crew members traceable with a handheld device at planet ground level even when ID scanners on ships cannot find them. I’ll let her explain how it works.”

  When all gazes swung to Boca expectantly, she swallowed against the tightness in her throat and lifted her chin. “There is an ink made from the Andrius plant that puts off a distinct and traceable biological signature that a handheld scanner can easily find. Sumerian agents often draw a design in this ink on their bodies, which looks like a normal adornment. When ID chips are scrambled or even removed, the ink allows the agents to be found anyway.”

  Gwen laughed. “So what are you suggesting, Boca? We’re all supposed to get tattoos using this ink?”

  “Tattoos?” Boca repeated, looking instantly at Chiang in confusion.

  Chiang calmly stood and pulled off his doctor’s tunic, turning his back to show Boca the markings on his shoulder. “A tattoo is just the Earthling word for this kind of body adornment. Mine is my Greggor family’s marking.”

  Boca’s gaze fixed itself initially to the intricate design of the mark on Chiang’s shoulder, but she couldn’t prevent it from following the smooth skin down over the rest of his impressive back.

  When Chiang turned back to face her, his gaze held hers to see if she understood. Awareness happened in a rush and was followed by an arousal so intense it was painful. Boca swallowed nervously again. Using all her willpower, she wrenched her gaze from Chiang’s body while he tugged the tunic back on.

  But the damage was already done.

  Rampant unchecked desire to be with Chiang the Greggor was not unfamiliar to her now, but it was still unwanted. Her knees trembled, and she pressed them tightly together to stop them. If he would have reached for her, she would have crawled into his lap even with everyone watching. Her programming had already started to encode him on her energy. She was tuning herself to him, involuntarily maybe, but it was happening nonetheless.

  Boca had to clear her throat to speak again. Ironically, the gazes of others in the room no longer unnerved her. All could she think of was running her hands over the Greggor’s back and listening to him moan. Her husky voice betrayed her arousal when she finally spoke. She hoped those listening merely thought she was in fear of her own words.

  “The design need not be as large as Chiang’s family mark or cover so much area of the body,” Boca said, holding up her hand to Gwen and circling her palm. “This much is all that is needed. We will concentrate the ink in small designs for maximum effect and to be less noticeable as an adornment.”

  Gwen turned and smiled at the incredibly handsome male at her side. “Looks like we’re getting tattoos, Zade. Can we get matching ones? I vote for kickass dragons.”

  “Fictional Earth creatures do not appeal to me. Pick something alluring. Or perhaps symbolic of your beliefs,” Dorian ordered softly.

  Gwen laughed at her mate’s order, promptly deciding she would talk her mate into the dragon tattoos later, when they were alone and she could have her way with him until he agreed. “So, Synar, I assume you want us all to get these marks?” she asked, working hard not to smile.

  “No one is leaving the Liberator again for a mission without a ‘tattoo’ in this ink,” Synar agreed, using Gwen’s word for the mark. “Not even Malachi.”

  When the others looked at him in surprise, Malachi shrugged and smiled. “For clarification, what our captain means is that my host body has to have a way to be found as well. I quite agree with him. I would hate to lose my current home.”

  “I thought you were invincible,” Chiang challenged.

  “Energetically, that is a profound truth, Doctor. Certainly not much can block me or stop me, but there are metals like Ceruse that seem impervious to my energy. I would explain, but the physics are boring, and likely beyond the ability of most in this room to comprehend,” Malachi said.

  “Explain it to those of us who can,” Chiang challenged.

  “There are many more important things to discuss. You will just have to take my word that to protect my host I would as gladly allow the mark applied to this body as I would to Ania Looren’s,” Malachi said. He bowed his head to the Greggor, but did allow himself a smirk of satisfaction over Chiang’s irritation.

  Synar looked between the battled males. “Every crew member that leaves the ship will be marked. This is non-negotiable. Pick a design and submit it to Medical by tomorrow. The ink arrives Friday on the supply ship.”

  “Any other decrees you want to drop on us today?” Gwen asked, grinning at her superior, mostly because he was acting more like one than usual.

  “I have two more pieces of general information to share. The first is that a new Lieutenant will be joining us soon. Her expertise is in tracking, which I deliberately sought, since the ship is not equipped with advanced scanning. There will be more about her after she signs her contract to serve on the Liberator. I want to meet her face-to-face before deciding if she is going to be a good fit. She is currently on the crew of the Paladin.”

  Synar paused and looked between Chiang and Boca.

  “The second and more important issue concerns our upcoming return mission to Lotharius,” he said softly. “Ensign Ador has asked that Ensign Karr be considered to accompany her on the mission as her owner mate. I am taking her request under advisement.”

  There was a moment when Chiang’s angry gaze fell on her that Boca felt a full blown panic attack coming on. She met Ania’s gaze across the table and watched her trainer bow her head, respecting Boca’s recommendation. Ania’s support helped her keep her chin in the air.

  “That’s all for now,” Synar said, hoping to defuse the situation before his new doctor ended up making a professional fool of himself because he couldn’t control his feelings. He looked at Dorian for support, but his counselor only shook his head. Synar’s gaze swept the table again. “The mission will commence near the end of next week. Our team will go in as soon as we get word the second ship is near the rendezvous point.”

  As everyone stood to leave, Chiang turned to Boca. “It was decided that I am to accompany you as your mate. Why have you asked for this change?”

  Boca lifted her chin. “I talked with the captain about the growing complications of our—situation—especially considering your intense reaction to my training. Ensign Karr shows no remorse in his interactions with me.”

  “That young male is not going with you,” Chiang whispered, towering over her as they both stood. “I meant what I said, Boca. No one is going to control you. But if you must have a temporary torturer, then by the Creators, it’s going to be me.”

  “I believe that is a decision for the Captain to make,
not you,” Boca stated, hiding her trembling hands in the pockets of her Medical smock. Defiance was still very hard for her, but especially with this male. Her desire for him weakened her. “Now I must meet Lieutenant Zade for meditation practice. Excuse me, Doctor.”

  “You can run for now, but this discussion is not over,” Chiang told her firmly as she turned to leave.

  “Of course not,” Boca replied as confidently as she could. “Captain Synar hasn’t made his decision yet. Now I really must go.”

  Chiang’s hands fisted at his side as he watched Boca flee on the heels of Gwen and Lieutenant Zade. The masculine laugh near his ear had his hot gaze swinging to the male who owned it.

  “Watching you and the lovely ensign fight over your mating is nearly as entertaining as seducing her would have been,” Malachi commented. “She’s a determined female. And I do believe she is quite angry with you.”

  “Didn’t she tell you about Sumerian females, demon?” Chiang asked, his tone flat and hard. “They can’t be seduced.”

  “Boca lies to protect herself,” Malachi said with a grin, slapping Chiang hard on the arm and earning a searing glare. “But then, you already know that for a fact, don’t you? You both carry images of each other which are quite stimulating to the rest of the intuitives on this ship.”

  Chiang took two cleansing breaths wondering what would happen if he punched the smirking demon just once, really hard. It probably wouldn’t hurt the foul mist he was, and then he’d also have to hear all the whining about the damage to the host body. Or worse—he might have to fix it.