“Oh, my... What’s wrong with me?” she moans, turning over to retch into the bucket beside her. She’s been vomiting nearly the entire time Ragar and Ren have been gone, and I’m starting to get worried. I have no clue what’s going on.
Naya hovers near. “Do human females grow ill easily, Ajayla?”
I turn to dip the cloth into a bowl of water once again and try to remember when I was last sick.
“I guess? Most illness on Earth have been eradicated. There are instances of humans becoming ill from diseases brought in by other species, but I never get sick. Our immune systems vary.”
Amina jumps up from her seat. “I can make her some Lor tea. It is effective for nausea…”
Dreya gives her an odd look, but I nod, desperate for anything to help, and she jets out of the room. Between worrying about Ren, and now, Leandra, my nerves are completely shot. Saying I’m overwhelmed would be an understatement.
“I’m fine, Jay, just some bad food or something.” Leandra tries to sit up but sways, plopping back onto her pillow. “Oh, shit. You moved me in here with the Mageran? Am I going to die or something?”
“No. Don’t say that. You’re going to be fine. This room is the cleanest and most private. Plus, Injari has agreed to help monitor you while I’m in and out waiting for Ren and Ragar to return.”
Injari nods, easing a now cognizant Hana up slightly in bed. She can’t sit up completely but at least she tolerates leaning against a pillow.
Those antibiotics worked quick.
“Don’t be so glum, human. Consider yourself lucky to stay with me. I’m excellent company.”
Leandra gags again and groans. “Ugh, I’m not staying in here. I’ll be fine. Seriously.”
I press her shoulders back against the mattress as she fights to sit up. “Stop. Just lie down for a little longer. You look like hell, and it’s not like Ragar will be back anytime soon. You know how he and Ren are. They like to, eh, take their time.”
Leandra grimaces. “Shut up, Jay. You’re making it worse…”
Holding up my hands, I sink back against the wall right as Amina comes gliding through the door. The tea in her hands smells terrible. I’m about to wave it away when Leandra leans up and reaches for it.
“I have cooled it for you, Leandra. It should be fine to drink.”
I cock a brow. “Are you sure you should—”
Before I can even finish my words, Leandra downs the tea in two large gulps and falls back onto her pillow. “Is there more?” she asks, sucking in a deep breath.
Amina giggles and gives a knowing look to Dreya. “There is plenty. But for now, perhaps you should try to rest. I will have another cup ready for you when you rise.”
Half expecting Leandra to start violently gagging again, I’m pleasantly surprised when she closes her eyes.
What the hell was in that tea?
Chapter Ten
Ren
The two male soldiers stir. Their curses are muffled by the gags Ragar shoved into their mouths. Tied back to back, they are shirtless, facilitating Ragar’s favorite pastime. He does not rush, making paper thin cuts down the length of their abdomens. They will pay for their abuse but they do not get to die…not by my hands.
The honor is owed to another.
Xen’s starved, battered form is sprawled on the floor in his enclosure. He does not stir as I approach, does not bother to lift his head from the dirt and filth beneath him. The compartments are vented, yet he shows no sign of recognizing my scent.
“Have you come to kill me?” he asks in Meta. Fucking ingrate does not stand for his Acia or bother to speak his natural language.
“Get to your feet, you pathetic waste.” I point to the door, then glare at the human scientist. He rushes to open it, then backs away. The male soldiers both squeal as Ragar collects the salty sweat dripping down their faces and slaps it into the freshly created wounds.
“I do not deserve to stand in your presence. I do not remember your name. They have stolen so much from me, but certain feelings cannot be erased.”
“Then you know why I am here.”
“I have failed you. Leave me here to die.”
Rage overwhelms me. He dares to ask for a swift death? The door shatters, ripping from its hinges as I lunge for Xen. Pain radiates up my shoulders and into my neck as Ragar clamps down on my wrists, preventing me from getting to him. Xen scoots back, eyes leaking, and crawls to the enclosure wall.
I snarl. “Fine. He is your responsibility now. Take this useless piece of shit to the loading dock in front.” The human scientist attempts to cower underneath a nearby desk.
“Get up. You will enter your credentials to arrange for our ship to dock unnoticed. If I so much as suspect you have entered something incorrectly, I will throw your ass into space and watch you suffocate.”
He jumps up. “Okay, okay. Just don’t kill me.”
A brief look of disappointment crosses Ragar’s face as he stares at the soldiers. I did not allow him to finish his work. He need only wait, his thirst for violence and mine for vengeance will be slaked.
As Ragar drags Xen to the station’s loading dock and arranges our ability to safely board our ship, I finish sweeping the area, obtaining the supplies Jayla requires, and also gathering any document that has not been destroyed. These log books may contain information that will identify the humans’ exact intent, and maybe even allow us to anticipate their next move.
Getting the signal from Ragar that the lock on the door is properly disengaged and our ship has circled around to dock, I trek back into the room holding the now ravenous Yriq female. Her eyes are crazed, burning with the instinct to feed. I will have to immobilize her. To protect her from herself. She will fight me and tire herself out attempting to sate her hunger on my flesh. She deserves to run freely, no long suffering under such harsh isolation.
Having no patience and no longer caring if the alarms are triggered, I smash the glass—using my gifts to subdue the female before she can reach me. Tossing her tiny frame over my shoulder, I prop the office door open, leaving the soldiers a small bit of hope.
They will try to free themselves and they will fail. No one escapes Ragar’s binds. But it will make it so much more fun for the Yriqs.
The Yriq male whines as I approach carrying his mate, screaming in a language I do not understand. He stands to his full height, ignoring the deformed tail he is propping his broken body up on. Rage bubbles up from my gut and explodes, burning my veins. So much undeserved misery. Yriq males are able to use their legs, arms, and tail to ambulate. It appears all but his left leg has been shattered. Similar to Illusians, the Yriq can heal their mates.
These two will need to make use of the escape pod before the Universal Community officials arrive. Setting the female down on the ground, I rifle through the map of the station I obtained from the evacuation plans left in the scientist’s desk. Several escape pods remain, enough for the two of them to elope. The male crawls out of his enclosure as it shatters, bleeding a deep orange as he drags his belly across the jagged glass, eyes locked on the female at my feet. Her mind is strong, fighting against my hold on her. I cannot help but think of Jayla. The unimaginable lengths I will go to keep her safe. To punish those that harm her.
They all deserve to die.
Not two minutes after I release my hold on the female and seal the door separating the main floor of the station from the loading zone, she finds her way to the soldiers, likely dragging them back to her wounded male. It appears Ragar’s binds did indeed hold. The sounds of screaming echo through the silent station, and the scent of human blood permeates the air.
Now what to do with the scientist…
Lumbering over to where Ragar operates the lift gate, helping Rivan guide our ship into the station, I weigh my options. The scientist is a wretched being and deserves to suffer. But using him as a means to deliver a message to the scum that oversee this chamber of horrors serves our purpose greatly. He will live. And he w
ill let them know.
We are coming for them. And there is nowhere in the Universe they can hide to escape my reach.
Jayla
Ren shakes the floor with heavy steps, rushing to clear the hatch as it begins to lower. Ragar barrels through not two seconds later, dragging a limp male by the ankle behind him. My mouth drops open in horror. This is Xen? An Illusian male?
Mottled with bruises, his clothing hangs off his body as Ragar throws him into the anteroom, and I cringe at the flop he makes against the wall. He doesn’t fight back. Doesn’t even attempt to brace himself for the impact. Just lies there. Completely defeated.
Within seconds, the room fills with angry Illusians, and the tension explodes when Injari parts the crowd.
The unmated female kicks Xen’s side, turning him over with her foot. “You have found him?” The intensity of her violet gaze makes me shiver. Hell, it makes me want to run. The hate in her eyes nearly boils over when Xen coughs and rolls into the fetal position.
“We have brought back what is left.”
Injari spits on the ground, then backs away, giving Ren one last look. She bows her head and slams her hand against her chest. “Our blood debt has been paid in full, Acia. You may do with him as you see fit.”
Wait, what? I don’t understand. She’s giving Ren permission?
“When a female is greatly mistreated and a blood debt has been laid at her feet, it is her right to dispose of the offender how she chooses. Injari is returning the choice to me out of respect.”
Warmth spreads through me at the sound of Ren’s voice in my head. I’d tried my best to stay out of his mind, and after Amina thought she caught a glimpse of them crawling on the station’s wall, I nearly dove into the bond to check on him myself. But I didn’t. I couldn’t have lived with myself if I’d distracted him and something bad had happened.
Not bothering to respond, I jet past Xen to latch on to my mate but stop as my brain recognizes what’s all over him. Surely, that’s not…
“It is indeed, Skara. Ragar and I breached the compound through the refuse shoot.”
Ewww.
Not willing to pass up the physical contact, Ren grabs my face and kisses me, pressing his filthy hands to my cheeks. The second his lips touch mine, I jump into his arms, unable to contain my need to feel the warmth of his body beneath my fingers. He’s safe. He’s whole, and I’m betting he brought a shit ton of much needed information back with him.
I jerk at the sound of Leandra’s familiar coughing and jump out of Ren’s arms. That girl needs to learn to listen and follow directions. I told her not to get up.
Ragar's nostrils flare, and he tilts his head, scenting the air as Leandra hobbles up to the door, carrying her barf bag. She chirps in surprise when Ragar appears in front of her and yanks her off her feet into his arms. He buries his head in her neck and stomps off toward their room. Neither of them say a word, they just hold each other.
Scurrying after them, I stop at the door. “Make her drink tons of water. And don’t listen to her lying ass, she’s not all right, she’s been throwing up since you left!”
A sudden warmth on my ankle makes my skin crawl. A hand. Not just any hand. Xen’s. I don’t even have time to react before Ren is there, ripping the male off the ground by his throat and shoving him against the wall.
“Touch her again, and on my honor, I will rip you from limb to limb. Answers be damned.”
Xen crumples to the ground as Ren releases his grip, but my male continues to tower over him, stuck somewhere between wanting to crush his skull and needing to save his people. Xen’s eyes are open, fixed on the wall.
“Ren,” I say, wrapping my hand around his waist. “Let’s go. We can lock him in where the captain used to sleep.”
Ren hesitates a moment, then grabs Xen by the ankle and begins to drag him out the door toward the kitchen. He stops, then ushers me forward. “Go on. I want you far enough ahead this traitorous piece of shit cannot reach you.”
I nod, and the Illusians still gawking at the spectacle part so that I can lead the way. I can’t help but wonder if I missed something. I know Xen failed to protect his people, but does he really deserve to be called a traitor? Didn’t he unwillingly help the enemy? Didn’t Ren say they wiped his memory?
My head swings around so hard, my neck cracks at the sound of Ren growling. I raise a brow, and he looks at his feet.
Oh, excuse me? Did he just growl at me? Oh, no he didn’t. We’re about to have a conversation…
“Who is that?”
I turn around searching for the source of the high-pitched shriek.
Illaria shoves her way past Dreya and Nexx, trying to get to us. “Where are you taking him?”
I roll my eyes and turn back around. If she had of shown up and greeted Ren like she should have when he returns from a mission, then she would have known. Hell, I don’t even think she realized he left.
“It is Xen. The Acia found him,” Amina calls out as Illaria barrels past her. She all but runs up to Ren and grabs his wrist.
A hiss tears from my throat, and I jerk back in surprise. Where the hell did that come from?
Ren stops mid-stride and stares at her fingers like they’re the filthiest things he’s ever seen. “Unhand me, female. This is not your concern.”
Illaria’s eyes are wild as her gaze cuts between Ren and the male on the floor.
“Let him go, Acia. He needs to be cared for…” Illaria’s voice is strong, but wavers slightly with her command. She should not be speaking to Ren in such a way. Naya appears at Ren’s side.
“Illaria,” she says sharply. “You do not speak to your Acia in such a way. What has come over you, girl? Remove your hand from this mated male or I will do it for you.”
Illaria shakes her head wildly. “No, it is not right. Look at him. He is unfed, withering away. He cannot be handled in such a way.”
Naya’s eyes widen in surprise. “Acia…I stand ready for your orders. The female’s actions justify a physical reprimand.”
Illaria’s shoulders dip slightly as she cowers under Naya’s crimson gaze, but she steels her spine and removes her hand. Rather than apologizing, she goes to stand in front of the captain’s old quarters in an attempt to keep Ren away from the door. “I will move only after you allow me to feed the male. And I insist the Aciana examine him for wounds—”
A snarl tears from Ren’s lips, and Naya bolts over, hand raised, ready to slap her into next week.
“Stop!” I yell, forcing Naya to stay her punishment. “It is about time she cared about someone other than herself. Ren, you don’t want him to die, right? Not yet, anyway. So, let her feed him. I don’t expect you to let me near him, but I found an old body scanner in the bag of medical supplies from the anteroom. I can teach her to use it.” I turn to Illaria, ignoring the chorus of loud growls behind me. “Is that good enough? Or do I need to let Naya kick your ass?”
Tears well in her eyes, and she visibly relaxes a fraction. “Thank you, Aciana. That would be most appreciated.”
My jaw nearly falls to the floor. She sounds…genuine. Like she is actually grateful for something for the first time in her snarky life. First, Leandra getting sick, now Illaria being nice. I feel like we’ve fallen into a wormhole and jumped into an alternate universe.
What other weird shit is going to happen today?
Chapter Eleven
Jayla
The feel of Ren rubbing circles on my lower back is divine, but it does nothing to help me sleep. I swear every time he touches me, my lady bits flare to life and suddenly become very needy. He’s just so…Ren.
“So how long before UCom is notified that the facility was breached?” I ask, rolling over and snuggling closer against his chest. Nothing beats Ren after a shower. I mean, I love him covered in sweat, smelling like male, but his natural scent—the one that lingers on his skin—is addictive.
“They were notified the moment I smashed the glass and released the female Yriq. S
ol estimated that the nearest University Community patrol was over half an Earth day away.”
A light chill floods the room as the air compressors begins to push oxygen through the vents, and Ren pulls me closer, noticing my shiver.
“I’ve never ever heard of that race before. How’d you even know what she was?”
“Yriqs are fierce, loyal creatures, but they are not complex. They are instinct driven and do not kill for sport, only food. When their existence was discovered, they were labeled monsters and hunted. Most of them were completely wiped out. I believed them to be extinct. Like us, the race has survived despite the Universal Community’s attempts to eradicate them.”
“All because the females eat…people?”
Ren turns on his side, propping his head up with one hand, then using the other to twist my hair between his fingers. He’d never admit it, but he always does this when he’s tired.
“It is natural to fear what you do not understand. But it is unacceptable to destroy life simply because you do not agree with the way it survives. Yriq females eat any meat. And they cannot sustain themselves without it.”
Concern zips across the bond, and I furrow my brow. “What’s wrong? What are you worried about?”
He releases my hair and runs his thumb along my frown lines. “I only wish I could have done more for the Yriq and her mate. They were wounded. Not gravely so, but enough to slow their exit.” The thoughtful look that transforms Ren’s normally stern face catches me by surprise. I know he feels deeply and loves just as hard as anyone, but he rarely shows his feelings. After growing up being unaccustomed to exploring them, he might not actually know what they are.
“I’m sure they’re fine. You left the map, and you said they had plenty to eat. You did everything you could. A lesser male would have been too frightened to help her.”
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