"Of course. You don’t even need to ask," Lodar said, placing his hand on Vox’s shoulder and squeezing it briefly in comfort. "You are not the only one who has fallen in love with her. She is a very special female."
Vox didn’t respond. He simply stood rigidly, staring out into space. He knew the moment Lodar left. That was the moment the tears he had been holding back broke free, and his shoulders began to shake. Never in his life had he cried. Not when he watched men he considered his friends fall during the war, not when he was tortured—never—but the idea of his beautiful, delicate mate suffering the assault of another male was too much for him. He cried silent tears of rage, hurt, and fear before he ran the sleeve of his shirt over his eyes. He felt the chill of ice as it coursed through his blood. He would kill any and everyone involved in hurting his mate. The gods would have no mercy for them.
* * *
"Sir, the last of the four transports has been searched. Lady Riley is not aboard it. That leaves the trader’s ship. We are almost within range," the helmsman informed Vox who stood rigid on the bridge.
"Hail the trader’s ship. Tell him to prepare for boarding," Vox instructed in an emotionless voice.
Information about the trader had come from Adalard. His warship had intercepted one of the transports. After interrogating the merc on board, he had been informed the trader’s name was Pud. Adalard had forwarded the translated information the merc had on the trader to Vox. It had not taken long for the Curizan to decipher the files. Mercenaries were renowned for having information on those they did business with in case they needed something to blackmail them with later on.
The information had almost driven Vox crazy. The trader was a known sex slave trader, stealing and sampling the females before he delivered them. The females were always physically alive when he delivered them, but their mental state was questionable. The information gave graphic detail about his sexual preferences. He knew his cub would not survive an assault by the trader. That was the first thing that came to his mind. The trader liked to use tools on the females to clean them out first before he sampled them—repeatedly. Lodar and Tor had reviewed the information as well, becoming quieter the more they read. Lodar excused himself shortly after the report was finished so he could prepare a bag with the items he would need to help Riley.
Vox straightened and clenched his fists tightly when the beady-eyed creature answered the Shifter’s hail. "This is Captain Pud Rasp. State your business."
"Prepare to be boarded," Vox said stiffly.
"Why are you boarding me? I am not in the Sarafin star system. You have no call to board my vessel. I am a legitimate short-haul freighter," Pud said nervously.
"We are boarding you. Don’t try to stop us," Vox said with a wave of his hand to cut the transmission. "Prepare the fighters. Take out his engines. I don’t want to take a chance he has modified them. If he has any weapons, take them out as well but do not breach the hull. We do not know where he may have hidden Lady Riley."
"Raghu, you have the bridge. Do not let that bastard out of your sight," Vox ordered to the current first officer on duty.
"Yes sir," Raghu responded taking over command.
"Let’s go get my mate," Vox bit out to Lodar and Tor.
* * *
Riley worked the cover off the control panel with the Leatherman she had in her purse. She flipped it around until it had the pliers showing after she tossed the cover onto the bed. She was not about to sit around waiting to be rescued. Hell, she thought, cold, dank, and ugly might decide to test her theory about ripping his dick off. The thought of touching him was enough to make her want to vomit.
"That is so not going to happen," she muttered as she studied the wires.
With a shrug, she snipped the red wires crying out in startled pain when she cut the back of her hand on a sharp edge of the panel when she jumped at the sparks flying out at her. She cursed and reached over to wipe the blood off on the cover of the bed before pulling a bandage out of her purse and covering the cut. When she was done, she quickly snipped the rest of the wires being more careful as the sparks flew. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally heard the click of the door.
"At last," she sighed impatiently. "Now, to do the amazing disappearing act. And they thought Houdini was the only one who could do it." She giggled. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the amazing Riley St. Claire-d’Rojah performing her ‘I’m-getting-the-fuck-out-of-here act!" She said with a flourish of waves and smiles for her non-existent audience.
She slipped out the door and moved rapidly down the corridor. She would hide on a different level. She decided that to drive the spaceship you probably went up, so she would go down. After all, someone had to drive the damn thing, didn’t they? she reasoned. So, as long as monster man was up top she wanted to make sure she was as far away from him as possible.
She quickly slipped down the ladder between levels and kept going. She wound up one corridor and down another. After half an hour she decided she was so lost that she wouldn’t even be able to find herself. That must give her some advantage. She trotted down another corridor, skidding to a stop when she realized she was in some type of cargo area. There were huge crates everywhere. She looked up at one group and decided if she could get to the top of it, she could lie down and no one would be able to find her. She bit her lip before an excited grin crossed her face and she shifted.
In her four-legged form, jumping from crate to crate was easy. She was also warmer with the fur coat she was wearing. She turned in a circle several times before she laid down on the top container, exhausted. She opened her mouth in a huge, sharp-tooth yawn and settled her head down on her front paws.
Nap-thirty, she thought drowsily. Escaping and getting lost is hard work.
She rubbed the side of her mouth against her paw as her mind began to cloud over with sleep. She would just wait here quietly until Vox came. It shouldn’t take him long, and she would be much more of a help once she was rested.
Baby makes us sleepy too, her cat yawned before the exhaustion they were feeling overwhelmed them both.
* * *
Vox stood frozen in frustration. The damn trader had released some type of fragrance bomb into the ventilation system. The entire ship smelled of oil and sweat. The two smells covered any scent he would have had of Riley. On top of that, the slimy bastard had rubbed the same stuff all over his clothing.
He turned when the lead of Team Three came up. The warrior shook his head. "Nothing, sir."
He turned back to the trader who was shifting back and forth on his feet between two warriors who were positioned on either side of him. He took a menacing step toward the sweating male. His face darkened as Team Two reported they had found nothing in the lower cabin areas.
"Where is she?" Vox snarled, letting his right hand shift until his sharp claws were extended. "I won’t ask you again."
"I…I…I told you," Pud stuttered. "I’m just a short-haul cargo freighter. I don’t carry passengers."
Vox roared, letting his teeth drop down and shifting partially in rage. He could smell the lie on the man, even over the oil and sweat. He raised his clawed hand and swiped it down along the trader’s face, ignoring the male’s screams as he collapsed and gripped his shredded cheek in his palm.
"You dare lie to me," Vox snarled out in rage.
"Sir! We’ve found something," Team One called out. "There is a cell with the panel disconnected."
Vox turned dark, thunderous eyes on Pud. "Bring him. If I find her on this ship, he will die a slow death."
He ignored the trader’s pitiful begging. He moved down the corridors heading down to the level where Team One waited for him. His heart thundered in his chest as he approached the door where his men were standing. He stumbled when he saw Lodar, who was kneeling by the bed, look up at him with a tight, grief-stricken face. Tor stood rigid by the door, the muscle in his jaw working back and forth.
"Is she in there?" Vox asked hesitantly.
"No," Tor said looking coldly at the sobbing trader.
"What?" Vox forced out.
"The blood on the bed matches Riley’s blood," Lodar said, standing up. "She was held here."
Vox heard the words "Riley’s blood" over the thunder in his ears. He spun around, grabbing the trader by the throat and holding him up against the outer wall of the corridor. He ignored the blood running down the man’s face onto his arm. He ignored the desperate gasps as the trader tried to draw in air from where Vox was crushing his throat. He ignored the men surrounding him as grief and pain unlike anything he had ever experienced washed through him.
"Where is she?" He roared so loudly the walls vibrated with his rage. He pulled the trader back and slammed him back against the wall again. "Where did you put her body?"
"I…swear. I…swear," the trader tried to say. "I…swear I didn’t hurt her."
Vox’s face twisted in pain and grief. Pulling his left hand back, he swiped the trader across his gut, slicing him almost to his backbone. He dropped the dying male who was trying to hold his internal organs as they spilled out. Vox stepped back from the gore with a look of disgust.
"Find her," he ordered quietly. "I will not leave her here."
Tor and Lodar nodded. They left Vox, spreading out to search the ship thoroughly. Vox stood standing in the empty corridor watching dispassionately as the slave trader finally quit jerking. A horrible wave of grief overcame him, and he roared as the pain swept through him in never-ending waves of agony. Pulling his fist back, he slammed it into the metal wall over and over, ignoring the pain and blood from the strikes. It was nothing compared to the pain in his heart and soul.
Chapter 25
Riley rolled over onto her side taking the weight off her expanding belly. She was having the most wonderful dream. She and Vox were chasing each other around the meadow near the ancient city, only this time the guards weren’t looking. She felt her back leg jerking as if she was running. Suddenly Vox sprang out from behind a bush, tackling her and rolling her over and over. She moaned softly in her sleep as she felt him mount her from behind, his teeth buried in her neck and his cock buried deep inside her womb. Another low moan escaped her before a noise in the cargo area disturbed the dream.
Wake up! her cat hissed quietly. I smell danger.
What? Riley muttered sleepily. Tell it to come back later. Vox and I are getting it on, and it is so amazing.
You are bad as mate! All you think about is sex, her cat hissed back in aggravation. Wake up!
Riley rolled over with a silent grumble. You’re damn right all I think about is sex. Hell, I was good for the first twenty-four years, for crying out loud! Double hell, if you consider I’m a St. Claire and was a good girl. I think I totally get to think of nothing but sex for the next forty or fifty years at least!
You have to be alive to have it, her cat reminded her with a huff.
Great! Just great! Everything has to have strings attached. You have to be alive if you want to have sex. Fine! I’m awake, Riley growled silently to her cat. So, where is this danger?
I not know. I just feel danger, her cat replied. Funny smell makes my nose burn. I not smell anything right.
Well, don’t stick your big-ass head up like a target. Just keep quiet, lie still, and wait. That is what the cats on my world do. Then they pounce when the target gets close, Riley responded logically.
I wait, her cat promised.
Riley kept her head down, letting her ears flicker back and forth, trying to pinpoint where the sound that disturbed her came from. Everything appeared to be quiet, but the hair on the back of her neck was standing straight up telling her that she wasn’t alone in the cargo bay any longer. Her ears flickered again, perking up when the door to the cargo bay suddenly opened. She froze, barely breathing as she heard the sound of footsteps entering the room. They seemed to echo overly loud in the silence.
"This is the last room that hasn’t been searched," a deep voice whispered.
Riley shivered as she heard the footsteps divide before everything became silent again. Whoever was searching was very light on their feet. Riley curled up into a tight ball, trying to make herself as small as possible on the top of the crate. She heard the door open again, and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the cargo bay.
"Have you found anything?" a familiar voice called out harshly. "I want every crate opened and searched thoroughly."
Vox! Our mates! Riley and her cat both cried out in excitement.
Riley uncurled her huge body and stood up on shaky legs. Damn, she was a nervous wreck. She was so going to be a total crybaby when she got Vox’s arms wrapped around her. She shook her body and moved over to the edge of the crate. At the same time, a movement between two crates a short distance away caught her attention. Antrox 157 stepped out, raising a laser pistol, pointing it at Vox’s chest. Riley didn’t even think about what she was doing. Her horror and fear for her mate overrode all thought. Leaping from the crate at Vox, she shifted as she fell toward him, screaming for him to look out at the same time as Antrox 157 fired the laser pistol.
Riley felt her body jerk when she hit Vox in the chest as he turned toward her scream. They tumbled down, rolling over and over until Vox lay sprawled on top of her. She gripped his shoulders tightly in panic.
"Are you okay?" she asked in a frightened voice.
"Yes, you…" Vox tried to speak over the sounds of laser fire.
"I’m good." She smiled up at him, brushing her palm against his cheek. "Go get that bastard," she gasped as laser fire barely missed them.
"With pleasure," Vox grinned, showing his sharp teeth.
Riley lay still as Vox rolled off her and called out commands to his men to surround the crate where Antrox 157 was hiding. She reached down and touched her side which was beginning to burn fiercely. Her eyes widened when her fingers came away covered in blood. From the feel of it, the damn Antrox hadn’t missed after all. Riley coughed slightly as her throat filled, beginning to choke her as she tried to breath in.
We hurt, her cat hissed frightened. I feel essence leaving. We hurt bad.
Our baby? Riley begged.
Our poor baby, her cat moaned softly. Our poor baby.
No! Riley screamed as she struggled to draw in a breath. No! She cried out as darkness blurred her vision. No, damn you! I won’t lose them. I love them both too much, she whispered, fighting against the pull on her to give up and let the pain go. Never! she thought as she felt the tug of hands and the cry of despair shattering the sudden quiet of the cargo bay.
* * *
Vox motioned with his hand for the four warriors on each side to circle around the crate. There was nowhere for Antrox 157 to go. He was dead, he just didn’t realize it yet. Vox looked up and with a swift leap, he landed on silent feet on top of the crate. Running along the edge, he could see the Antrox jerking nervously back and forth trying to keep the openings to the crates in his view. He never looked up. If he had, he would have used the laser pistol on himself instead of worrying about the other warriors. Vox dropped down behind him when 157 turned again. He reached his hand around and gripped the thin creature’s wrist, snapping it like it was a twig. Antrox 157’s screams filled the cargo bay before they were silenced as Vox lifted the creature up and slammed him against the crate with a grin.
"Now, you die," Vox said letting his right hand shift. "Slowly," he added before he ran one razor-sharp claw across Antrox 157’s stomach. "You will never harm my mate again," Vox said, dropping the Antrox when he heard Lodar’s desperate cry for him.
Vox spun around, squeezing through the opening between the crates. He stopped in horror when he saw Lodar kneeling over Riley, his hands covered in blood. He moved with jerking, running steps toward her. Dropping down next to her, he cupped her face, turning it toward him.
"What have you done now?" he croaked out.
Riley tried to smile up at Vox as he stared down at her face with worry. "Guess I’m not okay," she whis
pered weakly. "This sucks."
"Yes, yes, it does," Vox said tenderly. "You are not supposed to get hurt. I do not like it when you are hurt."
Riley’s eyes filled with tears. "Don’t want to die," she choked out. "Thought I was the heroine this time."
"You are," Vox whispered as he stroked her cheek with trembling fingers. "You will always be my heroine."
Riley smiled softly before her eyelids flickered and closed peacefully. She looked so beautiful. Her hair was spread out in a curly mass of waves around her, making her look just like he had made love to her. Her eyelashes lay like crescents, begging him to kiss them until she woke up.
Vox looked at Lodar in panic. "Help her," he begged his friend. "You have to help her."
Lodar shook his head. "I would need to get her into a regen bed," he said. "There is none on this ship, and she won’t survive if we move her."
Vox shook his head in denial. He couldn’t lose her. He just couldn’t lose her and their son. His shoulders shook as the magnitude of the situation flowed through him. Never had he expected to find his mate. Never had he expected to love someone so much she would become the very fabric of his existence.
"Sir, look!" One of the warriors exclaimed as he picked up the spilled contents of Riley’s oversized purse that she carried everywhere. "She has everything in here!"
Lodar glanced up, his eyes widening when he saw the portable regen device the Curizan had developed and kept secret. His breath escaped him in a disbelieving chuckle. Only Riley would have a top-secret medical device the Curizan prized in her purse.
"Give that to me!" Lodar demanded, holding out his hand and waving his fingers urgently at the man. "What else does she have?"
"Everything!" The warrior laughed. "She has medicine in here that will take care of everything from a toothache to ulcers to internal bleeding," he replied, bundling up all the small vials of medicine Riley had taken from the medical unit on the asteroid.
Lodar pulled the portable regen open and attached the probes to her temples to keep her brain functioning before he used the scanner to start the healing process. He ordered one of the men who worked with him in medical to begin using the vials she had taken to stop her internal bleeding and prevent her from getting an infection. They worked steadily while Vox knelt beside Riley, talking to her about all the things he was going to do to her when she woke up.
Captured Boxed Set: 9 Alpha Bad-Boys Who Will Capture Your Heart Page 107
