Claim

by Tana Stone

  “No,” Bexli said. “It’s only been a few days. The night the ship was taken actually.”

  Holly smiled broadly. “I’m glad someone got laid that night. As soon as the Cresteks came on board, they separated us from the Dothveks. I’m telling you, I cannot catch a break when it comes to honeymoons.”

  Max rolled her eyes. “I take it Lycithians can’t shift when they’re pregnant, and that’s how you knew?”

  “Pretty much,” Bexli said. “And I found out at a really bad time. If Tommel hadn’t come along when he did, a giant sand scorpion would have been the last creature to see me alive.”

  Danica put an arm around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry. It must have been terrifying not to be able to shift like normal.”

  “It’s been a lot to get used to,” Bexli admitted, feeling hot tears threaten the backs of her eyes again.

  “It’s going to be okay.” Danica pulled her into a hug. “We’re all here for you. Have you decided what you want to do?”

  “Aside from keeping it, no.”

  Holly put a hand over her mouth, blinking away her own tears. “I can’t believe you’re going to be a mom, Bex.”

  Tori groaned. “What’s with all the crying? What happened to the toughest bounty hunter bitches in the galaxy?”

  “We’re still tough,” Holly said through tears. “I don’t know why I’ve been really emotional lately.”

  “Maybe you’re pregnant, too,” Max suggested with a laugh.

  Holly froze and swung her gaze at the woman. “Oh, fuck. You might be right.”

  “Wait, what?” Max glanced around at the women. “I was joking.”

  Holly sank back onto the bed. “I told you that T’Kar’s dad had my implant removed, and it’s not like we’ve been careful.” She giggled briefly. “Actually, we’ve been fucking like it’s going out of style.”

  Tori nudged Holly, pointing at Rynn. “Try not to corrupt the kid, please.”

  “It’s okay,” Rynn said, even though his cheeks were red. “I’ve heard worse at the pleasure houses on Kurril.”

  Holly made a face at Tori. “See?”

  “Do you really think you might be pregnant, too?” Bexli asked.

  Holly shrugged. “I don’t know for sure. It’s not like I have a power like shapeshifting that’s stopped working, but my boobs have been tender. The other day, T’Kar said he thought they were bigger. He could barely fit one in his hand.”

  “And we’re back to the oversharing,” Tori mumbled.

  Danica held up her hands. “As amazing that it is that two of you might be pregnant, we need to focus on the real reason Bexli and Rynn are here.”

  “To get us the hell out of here.” Tori glanced at Bexli. “But how are we going to do that if Bex can’t change? Our plan centered around her taking out some of the Cresteks as a Jendervian viper or some other terrifying creature.”

  “We’ll adapt,” Danica said. “The bounty hunter babes are nothing, if not creative.”

  “And we still have Pog.” Bexli pointed to the sleeping puff of green fur on the bed. “He can shift.”

  “And don’t forget this.” Rynn pulled a blaster from the back of his pants.

  Tori took the weapon and turned it over in her hands, her eyes dancing. “Where did you get this?”

  “The nice lady in the gold robes gave it to me,” Rynn told her.

  “We ran into K’alvek’s mother on our way here.” Bexli looked at Danica. “Your mother-in-law is a pretty big badass, by the way.”

  “She’s technically not my mother-in-law.” Danica ran a hand through her wavy hair. “Did you tell her about Zatvar?”

  “She won’t be crying over him anytime soon,” Bexli said.

  Danica furrowed her brow, her mind obviously whirring. “K’alvek will be glad to know his mother is okay, but why is she here? I thought we were near the Crestek city.”

  “She brought a bunch of Dothvek warriors with her. They’re all outside, waiting for Rynn to open up the ship’s ramp so they can come on board and help us take out the Cresteks.” Bexli debated whether or not she should tell them the next part, but she decided not to hold back. “Apparently, their high priestess had some sort of vision or premonition that this battle would change the future of their planet.”

  “You’re shitting me,” Holly said.

  Bexli shook her head.

  Tori huffed out a loud breath. “So, the fate of an entire planet rests on the outcome of this fight? Well, that’s no pressure at all.”

  “I don’t think we can worry about that,” Danica said after a few moments of heavy silence. “We need to focus on doing what we do best, and let fate take care of itself.”

  Tori straightened her shoulders. “Agreed. All we can think about is kicking some serious alien ass.”

  Danica nodded, winking at Bexli and Holly. “Then we can think about the fact that our crew is about to grow.”

  Tori looked at the women. “Maybe you two should hang back.”

  Bexli put her hands on her hips. “Hang back while my friends risk their lives?”

  “No fucking way,” Holly said.

  “It was just a thought.” Tori grinned slightly and shifted her grip on the blaster.

  Rynn waved his hands to get their attention. “Before you all run out there, shouldn’t I go tell the Dothveks next door what we’re doing?”

  Bexli stifled a laugh. “The kid has a point.”

  “And this is why I made him an official member of our crew,” Tori said, as she hoisted the boy up through the gap in the ceiling.

  “The more, the merrier.” Danica flitted a glance at Holly and Bexli. “Which apparently should be our new team motto.”

  Thirty

  Tommel dragged his hand down his stubbly cheek as he crouched next to Rukken behind a copse of bushes. His gaze had not left the closed ship ramp since they’d taken position with the other Dothveks. Several Crestek soldiers stood at attention outside the hulking ship, their dark cloaks covering them and hiding the blasters Tommel knew were at the ready.

  Even as his muscles flexed and tensed in anticipation, he knew they could not attack. Not until the ramp was lowered by Rynn, a sign that the Dothveks and females inside had been freed.

  Why was it taking so long?

  Rukken shifted on his haunches next to him, and Tommel sensed that the warrior was also impatient. They’d left Caro with Kyrana and the priestess farther back, so the Dothvek couldn’t be worried about her, but he also knew that the priestess’ words were bothering both of them.

  Why was this battle so important, and how could it possibly change the course of their planet’s history?

  Rukken nudged him and made a low noise in the back of his throat. There was movement near the ship.

  Tommel clenched the hilt of his blade as both warriors watched the Crestek soldiers turn in surprise when the ramp began to lower. The robed fighters backed away, pivoting to face the ship, their attention fully on the moving ramp.

  “That’s our cue.” Tommel sprang from behind their hiding place and ran on silent feet toward the unsuspecting Cresteks.

  Rukken was right beside him, his arms pumping and his expression fierce. From the corner of his eye, Tommel saw the rest of the Dothveks surging forward from behind boulders and more clumps of shrubbery. Even as the mass of warriors rushed forward, they were noiseless, and the Cresteks did not turn.

  With a few swift movements, Tommel and Rukken brought down the enemy outside the ship, the bodies crumpling without so much as a protest. They then rushed up the metal ramp, Tommel being careful to land softly on the hard flooring so it would not rattle. Unlike substances in his world—like sand and rock—the things used to create the spaceship were cold and hard and echoed unforgivingly.

  After they’d reached the top of the ramp, Tommel motioned with a single jerk of his head for them to split up. Rukken would go toward the front of the ship and the bridge, while he would make for the quarters where the females were bei

ng held.

  The sound of blaster fire came from somewhere deep inside the ship, causing Tommel to move faster as he ran down the tight steel corridors, bending as he went through arched doorways. He remembered little about the layout of the ship from his few times on board before it was taken. Only that it was a tangled web of passageways that was difficult to navigate.

  Using the sound of the blasters to guide him, he rounded a corner and found K’alvek and Kush battling two Cresteks. The enemy soldiers had blasters, but the Dothvek warriors were deflecting the fire with the wide curves of their blades.

  Tommel slashed at one of the Cresteks from behind, dropping the unsuspecting enemy.

  “Where are the females?” he asked his Dothvek clansmen.

  K’alvek cut his eyes behind them as Kush held off the remaining Crestek. “Some of them went for T’Kar in the captain’s quarters.” His expression softened for a moment. “I believe the shifter is with them. Go. We have this one well in hand.”

  Tommel didn’t have time to wonder how much K’alvek knew. He nodded and ran past him. Now that he was inside the metal beast, he reached his mind out for Bexli. It had been difficult to sense her when she’d been inside and he’d been out, but now he felt snippets of her emotions through the noise and chaos of the battle erupting throughout the ship.

  She was close, and she was not alone. He picked up on multiple females, and also…Cresteks. He clenched his blade tighter as he raced down another corridor, finally slowing when he heard sharp voices coming from inside an open doorway.

  He stopped, taking care to slow his breath so he would not be heard as he flattened himself against the cold wall and slid closer to the door.

  “It is over, father.”

  Tommel knew that voice. It was T’Kar, the Crestek who had sought refuge with his people and chosen to join their clan.

  “Nothing is over.” The Crestek voice was biting, although the slight shake betrayed the chancellor’s age.

  “The war with the Dothveks is over.” T’Kar’s voice was a calm contrast to his father’s. “There is no reason to fuel hostilities with our former kinsmen.”

  His father laughed. “The war is not over. Don’t you hear it now? They are coming to destroy us all.”

  “They are coming to take back what you stole. This is not your ship.”

  “I did not attack for the ship.” The Crestek raised his voice and slammed a hand on something hard. “I attacked to rescue you from the clutch of the barbarians.”

  “I did not need rescue,” T’Kar told him. “I am with the Dothveks of my own free will. I have chosen to be one of them.”

  “It’s the female isn’t it? She’s turned you against your own kind.”

  There was a small squeal in the room, and Tommel moved forward so that he could peer inside and see one side of the room. The old Crestek stood in silver robes, angled slightly away from the door, with T’Kar, Holly, and Bexli across from him and facing the end of his blaster. Another Crestek soldier flanked the chancellor, his own blaster aimed at the prisoners.

  Holly clutched T’Kar’s arm as the Crestek chancellor waved his blaster at them, but Bexli saw him. She didn’t change her expression or look fully at him, but he felt a pulse of happiness from her as the corner of her mouth twitched up for a moment so brief that Tommel wondered if he’d imagined it. But he had not imagined the swell of emotion that bubbled up in him and came from her. She was pleased to see him—happy even.

  He pulled his head back, considering his options. He could probably strike down one of the Cresteks if he ran in with his blade slashing, but he could not be certain he could eliminate both. The possibility that one of them might shoot Bexli in the scuffle made his heart pound. He had never been afraid to attack before, but he had never seen someone he loved being threatened with death, either.

  And he did love her. Seeing her had only solidified his feelings, and made his longing for her like a deafening roar in his ears. His paternal instincts wanted to protect the baby she carried, but it was his love for Bexli that pounded through him like a raging torrent. Love that had been growing slowly and steadily since he'd first known her.

  Tommel steadied his emotions. He would do her no good if he lost control and let his feelings take over. With a slow breath, he focused on her mind—the soft warmth of it as she thought of him. Then he sensed the gentlest flutter beneath it—an indistinct swirl of contentment that he knew instantly was the baby. His baby.

  Joy made his knees nearly buckle, but he steeled himself. The Crestek’s words and angry blur of emotions were spiraling into a dark haze of hate. He had no choice but to attack before old man did. He adjusted his grip on his blade and prepared to lunge.

  Then he heard the blaster go off.

  Thirty-One

  Bexli’s heart had leapt when she saw Tommel peeking around the open door frame. Even seeing his solemn face for a moment made her feel like everything was going to be okay, despite the fact that the old Crestek was raising his voice and waving his blaster.

  She shifted her gaze and attention back to the old man as he glared at his son, his eyes glittering with malice. He’d flipped back the hood of his silver robe, and his brows were dark slashes that formed a V over his eyes as he scowled at the pair. Even though the Cresteks and Dothveks usually looked similar, the chancellor’s lined face and beady, bloodshot eyes were a stark contrast to his broad-shouldered son in Dothvek clothing.

  T’Kar’s body was tensed as he stood slightly in front of Holly, one arm braced across her and pushing her behind him. He looked every bit the barbarian as he stared down his father, putting his body between him and his mate.

  When she and Holly had located the captain’s quarters, T’Kar had looked weary—no doubt from his father berating him for so long. But as soon as he’d spotted Holly, he’d regained his strength. They’d almost gotten away with him, but the chancellor had returned before they could escape, surprising them with a blaster and a back-up guard.

  “If she is the reason you abandoned your people and your duty,” the chancellor said, spittle flying from his mouth, “perhaps we can do something about that.”

  Bexli desperately wished she could shift, and also wished that Pog hadn’t run off with Rynn. Her eyes darted to the door, wishing that Tommel would burst through before the Crestek chancellor hurt Holly.

  When the blaster went off, she jumped and swung her head toward her crew mate. T’Kar had forced Holly all the way behind him, and she’d dropped to the floor. Bexli bent to make sure she wasn’t hurt, then glanced up as Tommel entered the room with a roar.

  Her pulse quickened as she saw him rush in with his blade drawn. His muscles gleamed, and his hair was wild. His eyes immediately found her, scanning her body and relaxing visibly when he saw that she was unhurt. He then swung toward the others in the room, ready to attack. Then he stopped and stared.

  Only one Crestek remained standing, and he was not moving to attack or defend. T’Kar stood over his father, who lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. It took both Bexli and Tommel a moment to see that it was the Crestek guard who held a blaster pointed at the dead Crestek.

  T’Kar narrowed his eyes at the guard. “Vadon?”

  The Crestek guard pushed back his dark-brown hood. “It is good to see you again, T’Kar.”

  “You shot my father.” T’Kar gaped at him. “But you were his faithful guard for so long.”

  Vadon inclined his head. “And also a founding member of the resistance.”

  Holly pushed herself to her feet. “I didn’t see you with any of the resistance members when T’Kar and I escaped the city.”

  Vadon smiled at her. “The resistance has grown larger than anyone knows. We have members scattered everywhere throughout the city, including in positions of influence, and we have been waiting for a time to make ourselves known.”

  “This is a good time.” T’Kar’s gaze remained riveted on his father’s body. “Thank you for saving my mate.”

 ; Vadon inclined his head in a small bow.

  Bexli could barely focus on what the men were saying. She knew she should probably care about the Crestek resistance, but all she could think about was Tommel. He’d come for her—again. After everything she’d said, and all the times she’d put herself in danger and terrified him, he’d still come for her.

  Pushing past T’Kar and Holly, Bexli crossed the room to him, her heart hammering in her chest. She didn’t know what she was going to say to him, but she needed to tell him how she felt. She had to tell him that she did want him—and for more than just recreational sex, although she wouldn’t say no to more of that.

  When she reached him, his breath was labored, and his eyes blazed with heat. She didn’t blame him for being furious at her after all the stupid risks she’d taken. Pressing her hands to his chest, she tipped her head back to look at him.

  “Tommel, I’m so—“

  Before she could finish her apology, he scooped her in his arms and crushed his mouth to hers. She was startled by how forcefully he took her, parting her lips with his tongue, and also how quickly she melted into the kiss.

  Bexli wound her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss, loving the feel of his tongue as it tangled with hers. There was nothing soft about the way Tommel kissed her, and there was no question that he was claiming her, as he threaded his fingers in her hair and held her to him.

  When he pulled away, she took his face in her hands and felt him shaking. “Tommel, it’s okay. I’m okay.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “The baby is okay.”

  “I thought I might lose you, and you would never know.”

  “No, I get it. I know I was stupid. I ran into danger again, and totally freaked you out.”

  He moved his head up quickly. “That is not what you need to know.”

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