Jo's Journey by S. E. Smith

the first time. She had passed him earlier in the corridor as he was getting off of his shift. He had caught the sweet fragrance of wildflowers and sunshine. When she ran by him, everything inside him demanded that he chase and capture her. It was almost as if a primitive urge had overcome him. The feelings startled him and made him curious.
    “What are you doing out of your area?” Jai asked again, pressing closer.
    Mattie shifted uncomfortably. “No one said we couldn’t explore,” she said defiantly. “The dogs and I needed some exercise. Why? It isn’t like it’s dangerous or anything to walk the hallways, is it?”
    “ It can be,” Jai said quietly, stepping even closer so he could see if she smelled as good as he thought.
    Mattie took a half step back, almost tripping over Peewee, the mastiff. She gasped as Jai reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her closer to his body. A shiver ran through her as he pressed her against his body.
    “You are invading my personal space, you know,” she whispered nervously. “I… You… can let me go.”
    Jai shook his head and smiled. “I don’t think so,” he murmured. “I am claiming you as mine, female.”
    “ Claiming…” Mattie’s startled response was cut short as Jai bent his head, claiming her lips in a heated kiss.
    Peewee sneezed loudly before falling over onto his side and putting his huge paw over his eyes. Bouncer, the small terrier mix, jumped up on his hind legs, pawing at the air before sitting back down and cocking his head sideways to watch his mistress. The other four dogs just laid their heads down on their paws and waited – and waited – and waited until they just gave up and closed their eyes. It looked like they were going to be there for a while.

Chapter 12
    Jo looked around as the door to the medical unit opened. Shavic has been in just a few minutes earlier to check on Jane. Since the young girl in the bed hadn ’t awakened yet, they were calling her Jane Doe. Personally, Jo thought she looked a little like a Jane. While the girl hadn’t opened her eyes, Jo suspected that she was aware of what was going on around her.
    Jo smiled in amusement as Manota stood in the doorway looking at her as if he was unsure of his welcome. She knew Kev must have told him about her discovery of Annie Cabot in the detention cell and Jade Ryan who had escaped from where Kev had locked her in his living quarters. Jade had followed Perry as he rode his unicycle around the warship.
    Perry wanted to set a record to be the first human unicyclist to ride uninterrupted the entire distance of an alien warship. Walter had gruffly informed the twenty-one year old from Little Rock, Arkansas that ‘of course he would set a record, dumbass, there were no other humans but them on the damn ship!’ It had not dissuaded Perry in the least and he had set out this morning, returning a short time later with a very irate FBI agent who had been assigned to investigate the kidnapping of Jo, Star, and River.
    “ You can come in,” Jo said in amusement. “I’m not going to bite you.”
    Manota grinned sheepishly. “You can bite me any time you want,” he responded with relief before his eyes turned to the still figure on the bed. “How is she? Did Shavic say whether there was any permanent damage?” He asked quietly.
    Jo ’s eyes softened as she turned back around to where Jane lay looking like a fragile china doll that had been shattered and put back together. There were no more signs of bruising and her broken wrist, fractured ribs, and concussion had been healed. Still, she looked so young lying against the white sheets. Her shoulder length light brown hair fanned out around her small face.
    “ He said she should recover completely but she still hasn’t woken,” Jo responded slipping her fingers around the slender hand as she looked up at Manota. “I wonder what happened to her. Nema said they had returned to pick up their Fifth Wheel and she was curled up