Punished

by Tana Stone

  Stepping over the moaning man, I glanced down at my wrists. They were a bloody mess, but I didn’t care. I was getting the hell away and joining the fight. Bandages could wait for later.

  I pushed open the door and ran out onto the path. Villagers were rushing in both directions, the din of yelling and crying almost drowning out the sound of fighters swarming overhead. The sky glowed with the red beams of laser fire and the orange bursts of explosions.

  I turned to rush down toward the village square and ran smack into a sweaty, bare chest. My fingers splayed across the hard muscles as I braced myself and peered up at the face of the Vandar raider.

  “Sienna!” Corvak closed his hands over mine, his gaze raking across my face. “I thought you were…”

  “I was detained,” I said. “I see you started the war without me.”

  Corvak cocked one eyebrow, squeezing my hands to his hot flesh. When I flinched from the contact on my raw wrists, his gaze dropped to them. Then his face became stone.

  “What happened?” He gently lifted my hands, a muscle ticking in his clenched jaw. “Who did this to you?”

  “Don’t worry about him. He’s currently searching for his balls.”

  The fury faded from his face. “That’s the warrior I trained.”

  A few villagers bumped into us, and Corvak pulled us over to the side so the crowd could pass.

  “Shouldn’t you get back to the fighting?” I asked. “I’m ready to fight with you.”

  “Not until you know that I’m not leaving this planet without you.”

  I held my breath for a beat. “What do you mean? You want to stay?”

  He lifted one of my palms and pressed a kiss to it. “I want you to come with me. After we defeat the empire and secure the future of the planet, I’ll be leaving with the bounty hunters. They’ve offered me a place on their crew. I want you to join me.”

  My pulse fluttered. “Live on a bounty hunter spaceship?”

  “You’d get to do what you love to do, and you’d do it by my side.” He traced a finger along the line of my jaw and down my neck, hesitating when his callused finger reached the hollow of my throat. His dark eyes flashed with possessive desire. “As my mate.”

  I tried to swallow, but my throat was too thick. Instead, my mouth fell open.

  Corvak dragged his hand down, pulling the fabric of my shirt aside like Donal had done, but more gently, his fingers caressing the burning flesh that prickled from his touch. “You have my mating marks.”

  I instinctively attempted to look down at my own neck, but it was impossible.

  “Are my marks expanding?” he asked, touching a hand to his own chest.

  I glanced at the black swirls adorning his chest that I knew so well, my breath hitching when I realized that they were different. “They’ve spread up your neck and down your shoulders.”

  A deep growl escaped his lips. “This means we are true mates.”

  “I don’t understand.” How could I get Vandar marks? “I’m not a Vandar.”

  A smile teased his mouth. “Human females can get our marks. A Vandar only has one true mate, and when we find that mate, our marks will grow and appear on our mate’s flesh as well. It also means that now our mating can produce a child.”

  Primal arousal pulsed through me at the thought of being marked by Corvak. “This means…?”

  “What I have known in my heart for a while, Sienna,” he husked. “You are the only female for me. You are mine and will always be mine. Will you come with me and be my warrior mate?”

  I was overwhelmed with emotions, but the answer was so easy it tripped off my lips. “Yes, of course. I’ve always been yours.”

  When his mouth crashed into mine, and he swept me into a wild embrace, all rational thought left my mind. I didn’t even notice when the imperial battleship exploded and turned the sky white or when all the fighters were then picked from the sky one by one. Only when the blasts stopped, and the skies went quiet did Corvak and I rip ourselves apart from each other.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Ch 37

  Corvak

  “You are sure?” Raas Vassim eyed me, his thick arms crossed over his chest. The suns were setting, sending warm light shooting across the shallows and backlighting the fierce warlord. The effect was that the Raas appeared before me almost in shadow, masking the blood smeared across his chest, and even his face. I hadn’t seen the remains of the imperial soldiers who’d been unfortunate enough to land on the planet, but there were whispers that their bodies were hacked to bits.

  I clicked my heels and bowed my head. “I am grateful for the offer, Raas, but I promised my mate that we would stay closer to Kimithion III.”

  He grunted, making it clear what he thought of my answer, but he nodded. “I do not understand the appeal of these human females, but I respect your mating marks. If you have made a promise, you should keep it. It is true we will be returning to the hinterlands once we leave this primitive place.”

  He glanced back at his raiders who were preparing their transports for departure, although the ship that the Raas stood in front of was larger than a usual transport. I’d noticed that all of Raas Vassim’s ships were augmented to look even more terrifying than our warbirds, with spikes bolted to the metal hulls. I suspected it took an even firmer hand to rule a sector that was defined by its lawlessness and brutality.

  “The residents of Kimithion III extend their gratitude for your assistance, as do I. We would not have defeated the empire without you and your raiders.”

  “That is true.” He unfolded his arms and rested one hand on the hilt of his battle axe, drumming his fingers. “Destroying a Zagrath battleship was its own reward, as was cutting down the soldiers they sent to the surface. It has been too long since my warriors and I tasted imperial blood.”

  I forced myself not to look at the flecks of blood on his cheek. Were the rumors true? Did the Lunori Raas tear into his enemy with his teeth?

  As if reading my mind, the edges of his mouth quivered. “If you ever tire of hunting bounties, you always have a place in my horde. Your lust for vengeance and talent for torture would be put to good use, battle chief.”

  “It would be an honor to serve you, Raas.”

  His gaze flicked over my shoulder. “Once you have sated your lust for your mate, of course. There is no place for a female on a Vandar warbird roaming the hinterlands, even one who fights.”

  “Yes, Raas.” I did not need to turn to know that Sienna was approaching. I could sense the change in the air and the tingle skating across my skin.

  Raas Vassim turned to board his transport then pivoted back around. “One more thing, Corvak. The empire sent a lot of firepower to take a planet of caves and dirt. I suspect it does not have anything to do with their plentiful algae.”

  “It does not,” I admitted. The information about Kimithion III was so sensitive I hesitated to share it, even with one who’d been responsible for saving the planet from the Zagrath.

  He raised a palm. “You do not need to tell me. It is better I do not know. That way, I do not have to deny anything.” He twisted the hand to reveal a thin scar across the back of it. “I suspect it has something to do with my vanishing scar.”

  I opened my mouth, but he shook his head. “Do not worry, battle chief. Their secret is safe with me. The last thing I would wish for is immortality or regeneration. Not when I chase death with such determination.”

  I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I didn’t, clamping my mouth shut and giving him a single nod.

  The Raas turned and joined his warriors who were debating over the wooden boxes of algae tea and kelp jerky that the Kimitherians had insisted on gifting them after the battle.

  “Did he take it well?” Sienna slipped her hand in mine as she joined me.

  “Me not joining the horde?” I threaded my fingers through hers and walked her away from the Vandar ships and toward the hulking bounty hunter cruiser. “He understood.”

>   “I’m surprised. He doesn’t strike me as a true love kind of guy.”

  I stole a quick glance back at the Raas they said was deranged. He didn’t look much different from the Raas’ I knew, although I’d recognized a fury behind his eyes that he might not always be able to control. “He respects our mating marks. They are Vandar tradition.”

  Sienna brushed her fingertips across the dark swirls that had appeared on her chest. “Even though I’ve seen them with my own eyes, it’s hard to believe it. These things don’t come off.”

  I tilted my head at her. “You wish them to come off?”

  “I didn’t say that, but being marked takes a little getting used to.”

  I wrapped an arm around her waist. “I never imagined I would see my mating marks on a human female, but now I cannot imagine them on anyone else.”

  “At least I don’t have to worry about telling everyone we’re together. The marks do the trick pretty well.”

  A possessive growl rumbled deep in my throat. “They tell the universe that you are mine. What did your sister say when she saw them?”

  Sienna’s mouth thinned into a tight line. She’d returned to her quarters to pack her meager belongings before our departure and to say her goodbyes. “I didn’t see Juliette or my father. He’s probably drinking with his buddies to celebrate a victory they had no part in, and I don’t know where my sister is. Too afraid to show her face after she betrayed me?”

  As a Vandar, I’d been trained to have very little tolerance for duplicity and disloyalty. But I also knew how much Sienna’s younger sister meant to her. “She could not have known what Donal would do with the information she gave him.”

  Sienna pulled back and looked askance at me. “Don’t tell me you’re taking her side? Because of her, I was knocked out and tied up. Who knows what that asshole would have done to me if I hadn’t gotten away from him? Even if she didn’t know he would go that far, she still shouldn’t have picked him over me.” Her voice cracked. “I’m her sister, and she betrayed me.”

  “You will not see her before we leave? Although we will not fly as far as the hinterlands, I cannot guarantee where the bounties will take us. It could be a while before we pass by Kimithion III again.”

  “Then she’ll have time to think about how much she hurt me,” Sienna snapped. “I left her a note telling her that I’m leaving with you and why, but I just can’t see her right now.” She touched a hand to her bandaged wrists. “I’m afraid I’ll say something I’ll regret.”

  “Something you will regret more than leaving her without saying goodbye?”

  “Yes.” She shifted her gaze to the cave dwellings that were being bathed in the golden light of the setting suns. “In my note, I told her I would come back for her one day, and maybe then she’d be ready to leave. I know she isn’t now. She doesn’t have the courage, and I can’t give it to her.”

  I peered over my shoulder, hoping to see the curvy blonde running toward us. But there was nothing but the Vandar packing up to leave, and some stragglers from the village watching the rare sight of alien ships departing from their planet.

  “At least we’re leaving the planet with improved defenses and updated communications systems. If the Zagrath so much as glance at Kimithion III, messages will go out on all encrypted frequencies.”

  Sienna let out a relieved sigh. “And maybe all the Zagrath who knew about the planet’s unusual properties were eliminated in the attack. The Vandar and bounty hunters did take out a sizable battleship and at least a hundred fighters.”

  I made a mental calculation of all the Zagrath battleships the Vandar had destroyed recently. Entire fleets had been taken out when the hordes had worked together, and now we could add another significant blow against the empire’s might. After making small dents in the enemy’s formidable armor for a long time, the momentum finally seemed to be in favor of the resistance.

  I took Sienna’s hand in mine and led her to the ramp of the bounty hunter ship. “Then you’re ready to join your new crew?”

  She pivoted toward the village one last time, her gaze lingering on the place she’d lived for all her life. I wondered how many good memories were mixed in with the bad.

  When she turned back to me, her eyes glistened. “I’m ready.”

  Tori poked her head from the ship. “Skirts here says you’re a decent fighter. You interested in joining the security team?”

  Sienna’s face lit up. “Do you get to kick ass?”

  Tori flashed her a pointy grin. “Hell yeah, we do.” She waved us on board. Come on up. Caro’s itching to take off.”

  We walked up the steel ramp as the engines fired up. Footsteps echoed as crew members bustled around, preparing for the imminent departure. Kush met us at the top, clasping my arm with his hand as the ramp slammed shut behind us.

  “Welcome to the crew!” Holly called out from one of the corridors that split off the central belly of the vessel.

  A small ball of green fur rolled by us, making what sounded like barking noises followed by a loud purr.

  “We are more than a crew,” Kush said, squeezing my arm. “Welcome to the family.”

  I cut my eyes to Sienna, who was beaming. I was back on a ship with brave warriors, and now I had my mate by my side. It was good to be part of a family again.

  Epilogue

  Juliette

  I hurried across the village square, hoping the darkness would mask me. The strap of my bag dug into my shoulder and I hitched it higher, wishing I hadn’t decided to bring so much with me. Then again, I was leaving for good.

  Casting a quick glance back at the stone obelisk in the center of the square, I swallowed down any remnants of hesitation and fear. I couldn’t be afraid, if I was going to stow away on the alien ship with my sister. Even though Sienna was still furious at me, she’d have to forgive me once she realized we were stuck together in space. Of course, I’d have to hide on the ship until we were well away from Kimithion III. If my sister caught me before then, she might send me right back.

  I clenched my jaw, determination urging me forward. I was not going to be left behind. Now that Sienna was leaving with Corvak, there was nothing left for me on the planet. Just days stretching out endlessly, worrying about my drunk father. Even marriage wouldn’t take me away from his shadow, not that anyone would want me now that I was the sister of the woman who’d taken a barbarian as a mate. Kimithion III was a lot of things, but forgiving wasn’t one of them, and people who were immortal had very long memories.

  The three moons that usually glowed in the sky were all dim tonight, so the path was darker than usual as I hurried past the amphitheater and toward the hulking ship firing up for departure. One of the ships who’d come to the aid of the planet had already departed, but word had reached me that the ship Sienna was leaving on with her Vandar had not.

  I hadn’t gotten much of a look at the bounty hunter ship when it had landed, but it looked even more menacing now with its dark outspread wings that curved toward the ground. Nerves made my stomach do a flip as I peered up at the looming ship, more beast than bird. Could I really do this? Could I actually stowaway with the Dothveks and female bounty hunters and spend the rest of my life with them?

  I hesitated at the base of the ramp, glowing blue lights in the metal floor providing the only illumination into the pitch blackness of the ship. From what I’d seen of the bounty hunters, they were impressive. Even the pregnant females had taken part in preparing the planet for the attack. Brave women like that wouldn’t be so bad to live with.

  I tightened my grip around the strap of my bag and rushed up the sloped steel and into the ship before I could talk myself out of it. Once I was inside, I blew out a breath as my heart hammered in my chest. This was by far the most daring thing I’d ever done, and I just hoped I would be able to get through it without puking.

  As my eyes adjusted to the blackness, I glanced around furtively. The engines rumbled loudly now, and a deep voice bellowed from the fr
ont of the ship. I ducked down a short corridor, a little surprised that the ship all the bounty hunters lived on wasn’t bigger inside. When footsteps thundered toward me, I slipped through a door and into what appeared to be a cramped storage closet.

  Okay, not the greatest place to stow away, but not the worst. At least I couldn’t be seen. The rumbling of the engine was now a roar, and my stomach lurched when the ship lifted off the ground. It took every ounce of self-control—and fingernails digging into my arm—not to rush out and beg to be returned to my home world. But when I imagined my sister’s face as I begged to go home, I knew I’d never do it. She already thought I was a traitor. I wasn’t going to let her think I was also a coward.

  “No turning back now,” I whispered to myself, my soft voice a comfort in the darkness.

  I focused on my breathing as I stood in the dark closet, waiting to be far enough away that I could reveal myself. I wasn’t sure how long that would be, but when the ship jolted and the engines powered down, I nervously nibbled my thumbnail.

  Had we returned to the planet for some reason? Was there any way they could know I was here?

  Voices boomed around me, and then grew fainter. What was going on? The ship was no longer flying, and it sounded like the crew was disembarking. I opened the door and peeked out. The ramp was down again but instead of darkness outside, light poured in.

  I tiptoed to the top of the ramp, peering down. Instead of dirt, the ramp rested on a shiny floor. Where was I? It wasn’t Kimithion III, that was certain.

  I walked down slowly, bending my head and gasping when I realized I was inside another, much larger, ship. At the bottom of the ramp, staring up at me with equal shock were a cluster of bare-chested Vandar raiders.