by Tana Stone
Caro swung her head back to Tori. “Boyfriend?”
Tori cleared her throat. “That’s not exactly the word I would use. Like I said—“
“It’s a long story,” Caro finished for her. “How about you start telling it, then? We’ve got time, right?” She looked up at Rukken, and saw that his face had gone rigid as he stared up the ramp. “What’s wrong?”
A bare-chested Dothvek with thick bands of ink around his arms emerged from the ship, taking long steps to come stand behind Tori. His eyes, however, were locked on Rukken.
“What is the traitor doing here?”
Twenty-Seven
Rukken stilled, his breathing slowing as he locked eyes with the Dothvek standing with his hands on the hilts of his blades. “I am no traitor.”
Tori swiveled her head to look at the Dothvek he recognized as Vrax, her eyes popping open. “What do you mean, traitor?”
“This Dothvek was exiled from our clan.” Vrax’s voice was a low rumble. “For murder.”
“What?” Tori glared at him, then her gaze shifted to Caro, who’d slipped her hand in his. “Did you know this, Caro?”
Caro squeezed his hand. “I know what he’s been accused of, but I also know he didn’t do it.”
Vrax made a noise low in his throat that said he clearly didn’t believe that. “You know nothing.”
Rukken’s heart clenched. He was too pleased that Caro had defended him to care what the Dothvek thought of him. If she believed him, he did not care what anyone else thought.
“Excuse me?” She squared her shoulders. Obviously, she cared. “You’re the one who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”
One side of Vrax’s top lip curled up. His gaze had never left Rukken, and his fingers tightened their grip on the hilts of his blades.
Even though the warriors were similar in age, and both wore their hair loose, that was where the similarities ended. While Rukken had been living alone on the sands, Vrax had been safely in the Dothvek village. His snug, leather pants were not worn through, and his blades were sharp. His tribal markings had been done by one of the village artists, and no scars marred his gold skin.
Hostility radiated off of the young warrior. That, and a desire to prove himself. To him, Rukken was nothing more than a criminal—one who by all accounts should have been dead.
“I would not if I were you.” Rukken sensed the Dothvek’s urge to lunge at him. Even though his heart was knocking against his ribs, the steady pressure of Caro’s hand sent a feeling of calm pulsing through him.
Tori held up both hands. “I can’t believe I’m the one being the peacemaker, but why don’t we all take this down a notch or two.” Her gaze went to her friend. “Do you two want to come inside and explain everything?”
Rukken didn’t move.
Tori put a hand on Vrax’s arm and shot him a look. “I promise you’ll both be safe.”
Vrax grunted, but nodded reluctantly.
Caro looked up at him. “It’s better than staying out here and freezing.” When he hesitated, she leaned in. “I trust Tori. If she says we’ll be safe, we’ll be safe.”
He gave a curt nod of acceptance. He did not sense deception from the female with wild hair, or the Dothvek. And he wanted to trust his mate. She would not trick him.
They walked up the ramp with Rynn and Tori leading the way and Vrax bringing up the rear, while Rukken walked backward, keeping an eye on the warrior. Tori led them through the ship’s maze of corridors to a room with a large, oval table made of some kind of ebony wood, the surface shiny but with knots and swirling patterns. There were no chairs, only benches pulled out at angles like jagged teeth.
“Can you get us something to eat?” Tori asked Rynn before he walked inside.
The boy gave an exaggerated sigh, but hurried off down the corridor.
“Now we can talk freely.” She walked into the room. “And he’s the best cook of the three of us.”
Tori walked around to the far side and sat, motioning to them to take a seat, as well. Vrax seemed torn, finally sitting next to the Zevrian. Rukken decided not to sit, taking a position behind his mate and clasping his hands behind his back.
Rukken watched the Dothvek’s body language and could sense his possessive desire toward the female with dark curls. Despite her claims, Vrax definitely considered himself her mate.
Caro seemed to pick up on it, as well. She looked between the two as she sat. “So, you two are a thing?”
Tori sighed. “I don’t think that’s what’s important right now.”
Caro leaned her elbows on the table. “Oh, I don’t know. My badass friend, who’d spent the past few astro-years avoiding men at all costs suddenly hooks up with an alien? I think that’s pretty big news.”
“We are mates.” Vrax ignored the look Tori gave him as she twisted around.
Caro grinned. “Mates? I can’t wait to tell Danica.”
Tori spun back around to face Caro, leveling a finger at her and opening her mouth, then clamping it shut again. “You know what? Fine. You got me. Vrax and I are together. Happy?”
“Very,” Caro said. “Are you?”
Tori cut her eyes to Vrax, a grin teasing the corners of her mouth. “Actually, I am.”
Caro stared, finally giving her head a shake. “I honestly never thought I would see this.” She looked at Vrax. “I don’t know how you managed to do it, but congratulations.”
Vrax smiled at her, inclining his head slightly. “It is good to see you again.”
Rukken frowned. His mate knew this Dothvek?
Caro turned to him. “I met him when I stayed in the village. Before he and Tor took off with Mourad.”
“Enough about us.” Tori took the sharp sticks out of her hair and let her curls spill down over her shoulders. She waved the shiny points at Caro and then at him. “Why don’t you explain how this happened?”
Caro took a deep breath before she spoke. “I know you think that Rukken committed murder, but he didn’t.”
“So he says.” Vrax glowered across the table.
“Zatvar was the one who actually killed the warrior and he made it look like Rukken did it. Since Rukken was known as a hothead and Zatvar was good at kissing ass, everyone believed Zatvar and not him,” Caro continued. “Isn’t the punishment for murder death?”
Vrax grunted that it was.
“If that’s true, then why wasn’t Rukken executed?” Caro asked. “Why was he exiled?”
“Exile is as good as death,” Vrax said.
Caro shook her head. “But it’s not the same thing. Your former ruler didn’t think Rukken was guilty, but he also couldn’t prove it, so he imposed exile.”
“K’alron.” Vrax’s voice was hushed.
“He took mercy on me,” Rukken said. “And now he is also dead, and Zatvar is in power.”
Vrax twitched. “That is true.”
Tori glanced at Vrax. “How did that asshole become your clan leader, anyway?”
Vrax’s brows furrowed and he pressed his lips together. “It all happened quickly. We assumed K’alvek would take his father’s place as ruler, but he was consumed with grief. When he left for the sands, Zatvar claimed K’alron’s queen.”
“What do you mean claimed?” Tori asked, her expression stony. “I thought Dothveks didn’t force women.”
“They do not.” Vrax bristled. “She accepted him, but we did not understand why.”
“Perhaps Zatvar threatened her or her son.” Rukken leaned his hands on the table. “He has some allies in the clan. Warriors who are just as ruthless as him.”
Vrax met his gaze. “That is also true.”
“Rukken thinks Zatvar might be behind K’alron’s death, just like he was responsible for the other murder,” Caro said. “And if he is, that means he has a good reason to silence Rukken.”
Vrax was silent for a moment. “There is still no proof you are innocent.”
“Search my mind.” Rukken straightened. “You
will find no deception.”
Vrax focused intently on him while Rukken opened his mind, allowing the Dothvek warrior to assess his intent.
“I sense no deception,” Vrax said. “But that does not mean you cannot mask your thoughts from me. Many are experts at hiding their true nature.”
“And Zatvar is one,” Rukken told him.
“Listen,” Caro said. “I believe Rukken. I also think that if Zatvar knows now that he didn’t die once he was exiled, he’s going to want him dead. That’s why we’re here in the middle of the desert. We’re running from them.”
Vrax’s shoulders tensed. “Zatvar is after you?”
“I do not know for sure,” Rukken admitted, “but someone is, and I sensed malice.”
Vrax stood, pacing behind the bench Tori sat on. “If what you say is true, K’alvek needs to know.”
Tori gave a low whistle. “He already can’t stand the guy. Even I could see that much.”
“He has good reason,” Rukken said. “Zatvar is the real traitor, and the Dothvek responsible for destroying his family. I would stake my life on it.”
“So, you believe us?” Caro asked.
Tori looked at Vrax, who shrugged. “I believe your story feels true. I believe K’alvek needs to hear it from you. And I believe Zatvar needs to answer more than a few questions.”
“None of which he can do tonight.” Tori stood and joined Vrax.
“Agreed.” Vrax took Tori’s hand in his. “You should stay on the ship with us tonight. You will be safe here. Tomorrow, we will find K’alvek and tell him.”
Caro turned and looked up at him, her gaze eager. “It would be really nice to sleep in a real bed.”
Rukken’s pulse quickened as he thought of his mate in bed, and he tried to dampen his desire and hide his thoughts. He nodded at her. “We will stay on board tonight.”
When he looked up and met Vrax’s eyes, the Dothvek had one brow raised. He did not know how much the warrior knew about how he and Caro ended up together, but he knew enough.
Twenty-Eight
Caro lay looking up at the ceiling, hearing Rukken’s rhythmic breathing beside her. How had he fallen asleep so easily? Her mind raced, keeping her from sleeping, or even laying still. She flopped to one side, pillowing her arm under her head, and let out a huff of breath. It was no use.
She sat up and swung her feet onto the floor, feeling the chill of the metal. Like most of the ship, the room was gunmetal-gray steel, with curved walls and a high ceiling. Even though the room Tori had given them was dark, her eyes had adjusted to only the sliver of light coming under the door from the corridor.
Moving silently from the platform bed to the door, she glanced over her shoulder. Rukken was sleeping soundly. She didn’t want to wake him just because she couldn’t sleep, and she knew she would only toss and turn if she stayed. If the ship was indeed an alien warship of some kind—and it definitely appeared to be equipped for more than a few soldiers—she knew she could locate some booze on board somewhere. And at least the search would keep her mind occupied so she wouldn’t have to think about what was going to happen next.
Caro slowly opened the door and crept outside, closing it silently behind her and blinking a few times at the light in the corridor. They’d convinced Tori and Vrax—or at least convinced them that Rukken’s innocence was a possibility—and next they needed to convince the rest of her crew and the Dothveks. One problem—all of them knew Rukken had abducted her and held her against her will. She doubted that would be a mark in his favor, even if Caro had forgiven him.
She padded barefoot down the narrow corridor, trying to remember the turns they’d taken from the conference room. This ship was significantly bigger than their last bounty-hunting ship, and she thought she could easily get lost if she wasn’t careful. After a few more turns, she peeked into a room that looked like a kitchen.
“Let’s see what you’re hiding,” she muttered to herself, as she entered the space that was lined with shiny counters and equipment she’d never seen before.
Caro wondered what kind of aliens had crewed the ship before Tori commandeered it. Not human, she thought, spotting curious food items in the cabinets that were not recognizable or appealing. When she finally located a stash of clear bottles, she let out a small whoop. No matter the species, there was always booze.
She held up a bottle of purple liquid and swirled it around.
“I wouldn’t drink that.”
Tori’s voice from the doorway made her almost drop the bottle.
“Jeez, Tor.” She put the bottle down on the long table in the center of the room and touched a hand to her heart. “Don’t scare me like that again.”
Tori grinned as she walked in and hopped up on a stool across from her. “I can’t have you drinking alone.” She pointed to the bottle. “And I can’t have you drinking that.”
“Why?” Caro asked when her heart rate had slowed down again. “What is it?”
“Zevrian moonshine.” Tori wrinkled her nose. “You might not survive more than a glass.”
Caro replaced the bottle. “So, was this a Zevrian ship? Did you end up back on the Zevrian home world?”
“Yes and no.”
Caro looked up from where she peered into the cabinet of bottles. “Care to elaborate?”
“Vrax and I ended up on Kurril, and I ended up running into my old crew.”
Caro had heard little about the ship Tori had been on before joining theirs, but she did know that she hadn’t left under good circumstances. “I take it the reunion didn’t go well?”
Tori smiled but her lips quivered. “You could say that. Luckily Vrax saved my ass.”
Caro held up another bottle, this one filled with pink liquid, freezing as something occurred to her. “Is this their ship? Is this the ship you used to work on?”
Tori nodded, not meeting her eyes. “Trust me when I say that they got better than they deserved.”
Caro watched her. The woman had been rattled, and Tori never got rattled. “I believe you, and I’m glad you won, and they lost.”
Tori’s grin widened. “Me, too.” She cut her eyes to the bottle and gave a single nod. “That’ll do. It’s Lurling gin. Sweet, with a bit of a smoky kick at the end.”
Caro put the bottle on the table along with two glasses she saw in an open rack of shelving. “Not the way I’ve heard a beverage described before, but I’m willing to try it.”
She unscrewed the cap and poured them each two fingers’ worth, sliding a glass over to Tori. She raised her glass. “Cheers.”
Tori clinked her glass. “To being back together again.”
Caro sipped her drink as Tori slammed hers back, swallowing it all in a single gulp.
Her friend slid the empty glass back over, tapping the rim. “So, you want to tell me the real story?”
Caro choked on the drink, which was just as sweet and strangely smoky as Tori had promised. “The real story?”
Tori looked at her and held her gaze. “You’re right that Vrax and I are together, but it’s obvious that you and Rukken are, too. You mind telling me how that happened, since he’s supposed to be exiled?”
Heat suffused Caro’s cheeks. “Only if you promise not to freak out.”
“When have I—?” Tori started to say, then stopped herself when she saw Caro’s face. “Fine. I promise not to freak out.”
“Rukken kind of took me from the village.”
Tori cocked her head, and a few curls came loose from the pile on top of her head. “How do you ‘kind of’ take someone?”
Caro slumped over the table. “Okay, he abducted me, but only because he knew were supposed to be together. He felt my mind when he saw me on the desert looking for T’Kar, and he said he knew immediately we were mind mates.”
Tori’s voice was calm, but Caro could see the muscle ticking in her jaw. “So, he just kidnapped you?”
“Yes, but—“
Tori cut her off. “How?”
&nb
sp; Caro hesitated. “He snuck into the Dothvek village when everyone was gathering to watch T’Kar do the tahadu and knocked me out with some kind of herb.”
Tori’s eyebrows shot upward. “He drugged you?”
“Only so he could carry me across the desert more easily. Once we were at his camp, he didn’t knock me out again. I mean, he did tie me up, but that was after I tried to escape.”
Tori stood. “He tied you up?”
Caro flashed back to how much she’d liked what he’d done to her when she was tied up. “It wasn’t actually so bad.”
“Do you know how crazy you sound defending him right now?”
“I know it sounds nuts. I thought it was nuts, but there’s something between us I can’t explain away with lust or attraction or wherever you might think. There’s something more. I can feel what he’s feeling, and he can do the same with me.”
Tori glared at her. “I should throw him in the brig right now. You should want me to throw him in the brig.”
“Please, Tor. I know it’s hard to believe, but I think I…”
Tori sank back onto her stool. “You love him, don’t you?”
Caro nodded, her throat thick with emotion.
Tori nodded at her glass. “I need another.”
Caro poured them both more of the Lurling gin and took a tentative drink as she watched Tori pound hers. “Let me guess. You’re in love with Vrax.”
Tori darted a glance at her, then looked into the bottom of her empty glass. “Unfortunately, yes.”
Caro laughed. “Why do you look so miserable? He’s incredibly hot, and it’s obvious he’s crazy about you.”
Tori threw her arms wide. “Look around you. I finally got the bounty hunter babes a new ship—a great ship that’s even bigger than our old one. But almost all of us have fallen for aliens who live on a primitive planet and have never even thought about leaving it. How do we go back to being the baddest crew in the galaxy if no one wants to leave their guys behind?”
The truth of Tori’s words hit her hard. Since they’d been marooned, all she’d cared about was finding a new ship and a way off the planet. Now that Tori had found both, the thought of leaving Rukken behind made her stomach roil. The gin wasn’t helping, either.
