by Celia Kyle
“Curse you to the seas, Kozav.” Impe’s voice reflected his anger, but she heard something else in there too—crazed fear. “I will show you.”
Yeah, she didn’t want Impe showing anyone anything. “What’s going on? What are you doing?” The first words were hardly a whisper and it hurt to form each one. She ghosted her fingers over her lips and winced when she found the large split. He must have hit her again while she was passed out. She cleared her throat and tried again. “What are you doing, asshole!”
She could be obnoxious. It wasn’t like he could hit her while he tried to navigate and avoid whatever kept sending their shuttle swaying through the air.
“You.”
“Me. What are you doing? Where are you taking me? What—”
“Do you ever fall silent?”
“Sure. Usually when I’m not held captive by a poor excuse for a Preor warrior.” Yes, she poked the dragon.
“I will kill you in front of him. I will show him what happens when a Preor deserts his race. I will show him what happens when a Preor takes a human to mate. I will show them all.”
Cue the maniacal bad guy laughter.
No, Impe didn’t laugh, maniacal or otherwise. He did curse more though. Another tremor shook the shuttle, sending them into a spin that had her stomach protesting and the contents threatening to make an appearance. She clutched at the straps holding her in place, gripping them tightly in an effort to ground herself. She didn’t have time to get sick. She had to focus and figure out a way to get out of this mess and… back to Kozav.
A resounding thud echoed around the shuttle, vibrating everything, and Impe shouted, joined by the sound of a fist striking a console. “No, no, no!”
“Having a little trouble up there? Men have problems asking for directions? Want help?” She couldn’t have stopped herself if she’d tried.
“You will quiet your mouth or I will rip your tongue out and feed it to you.” His yell was nearly as violent as the next tumble of the shuttle.
He’d have to get to her first and she didn’t see Impe getting a chance to leave his post and attack her. “Promises, promises.”
The angrier he got, the more likely he’d be to make a mistake. At least that’s what old vids said.
They pulled out of yet another tumble but still listed to the left, pulling hard on one side. “We lost an engine.”
Fear that’d been threatening to overwhelm her didn’t give her a choice now. She was gonna be scared and that’s all there was to it. Funny thing—Impe seemed afraid, too. His voice rose in pitch, sounding like a frightened woman instead of an in control warrior.
Grace’s body seemed to take fear cues from her kidnapper because that’s when cold sweat broke out to coat her skin and her teeth chattered as terror overtook her. Tears welled in her eyes and slithered down her cheeks while a knot formed in her throat. She would die like this—strapped to a chair by a madman and plummeting to the…
She peeked past the pilot and navigator chairs, trying to determine their location on the planet. Maybe they’d go down near an Ujal station and the sea-living aliens could save them before the sharks really did turn them into dinner. Maybe…
That’s when she saw it—salvation or the continuance of her torture, depending on the way she looked at things.
“The training platform.” Impe acted as if he hadn’t heard her and she battled to raise her voice. “The training platform.”
He had to see it, right? It was massive, easily two football fields long and wide, a space where the Preors could shift, train, and run drills as dragons. There wasn’t space on the ship to really get in a good workout so the Preors installed several training platforms above the middle of the Gulf of Mexico for just that purpose. There were no humans around to scare them and the warriors enjoyed the challenge of the salty air and sure death if they failed.
Impe roared but the shuttle soon turned toward the hovering metal platform, which meant he’d heard her.
Their approach was jagged and jerky, the ship bouncing up and down while sliding from left to right. She didn’t tear her gaze from the front of the ship, staring at the projections of the world outside their small pod. The platform grew larger and larger until it nearly filled the view screen and that was when they finally landed. Sort of. The ship pounded down on the flat platform, sliding across the expanse while spinning like a top. Metal grated against metal and she held onto the restraints as hard as she could while they skidded over the training station.
The rolling went on and on, each second feeling like a year passed until their speed gradually slowed, easing until they came to a jarring, rocking stop.
Then it was just Grace and Impe—and he was no longer distracted.
Grace wasn’t one to sit around and wait to be rescued. She pushed and prodded her restraints, searching for a way to crawl free of the webbing that held her captive. Clip after clip slowly released, giving her more space to breathe while she tried to get away. Groans came from the front of the shuttle, the sounds spurring her to go even faster than before.
“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon…” she mumbled and then released a shout when the last buckle popped open. “Yes!”
Impe snorted and growled. “Female!”
She should learn to keep her mouth shut. She tossed off the straps and pushed to her feet, stumbling forward when wooziness overtook her. She listed right and then left, catching herself on a nearby seat for a moment. She straightened and pushed one foot in front of the other. She’d get away. There had to be others on the training platform. It wasn’t like they Preor would leave it unattended, right?
Grace poked, prodded, and pounded the identipad beside the shuttle door, silently begging it to let her free already.
But it didn’t do anything. I remained passively red, denying her the chance to escape. “Open.” She pressed. “Open.” She slapped. “Open, open, open.” She punched the identipad with each word. More tears, more pain, more flat-out desperation. “Ship, open the fucking door!”
“Confirmed.” When the mechanical voice filled the area, Grace didn’t question its response or next actions. She simply took advantage of them. The doors parted and she hobbled away, fighting to go as fast as she could before Impe realized—
The roar seemed to vibrate the platform and she stumbled forward, catching herself on her hands and knees. She grunted and shook her head, trying to banish the dizziness that came with the new position. She didn’t have time to sit down and rest. She had to keep moving. Had to keep running. Had to keep—
A fist snatched her hair, fingers digging into the strands and yanking her backward until her back slammed against a hard front. Her head was jerked aside, exposing her neck, and a rough cheek scraped her throat.
“Did you think I would let you escape? Let you make a fool of me again?”
“If you don’t let me go, they’ll…”
“They, who, breeder?” he purred. “There’s no one but me and you.”
“But I thought…” Her lungs froze and she snapped away from him, wincing when he held her fast. “The training platforms are staffed.”
Impe snorted. “A her-eh-cane forced evacuation. They do not even know you are missing. The shuttle had mechanical malfunctions and was not monitored by the battleship.” He lowered his head and a wet, warm tongue traced her skin from shoulder to jaw. “No one will save you, breeder. No one even knows where to look.” Sharp fangs cut into her skin and she hissed with the pain.
He released her hair and shoved, sending her sprawling to the scraped and damaged metal ground. His shoulders grew in width, scales slinking over his skin and eyes fully that of his dragon. He spread his wings, stretching them outward, and gave her a smile that chilled her to her bones. “And no one can stop me while I teach you how to behave.”
Grace froze, heart stuttering to a stop and lungs refusing to work. This was it. This was where she’d die. At this crazed monster’s claws and with no one around to stop him.
Not even Kozav.
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20
Kozav would destroy the ship with his bare claws if he did not get answers soon. “Where is my mate?”
Warriors searched every inch of the ship, going room-to-room as they sought Grace. With each failure to locate her, his anger grew.
As did his fear.
He’d gone after her when she’d walked away, but when he’d emerged from the senchamber, it was to find an empty passageway.
And a splatter of blood on the wall. Her blood.
The ship’s sensors were down and monitoring systems had worked spottily at best, which only left a physical hunt.
Every male had been rolled out of their sleep chambers and ordered to find Grace, and each male vowed he would not stop until she was returned to him. Grace wasn’t merely a female—Preors valued all females—but also a symbol of hope. She was another human who’d matched to a Preor. Another human who may bear his dragonlet.
Gone.
Kozav stood in the middle of the command deck, gaze not straying from a layout of the entire ship. He sought any odd readings, any hint of where else Impe had sabotaged. Impe had caused havoc and now he had Grace in his clutches. The last time she encountered the male, he’d knocked her unconscious.
What would he do now?
Reports from warriors flowed through the room, comm operators making note of each searcher’s location and failure to save his mate. She needed saving. That thought was upmost in his mind. It thrummed in his veins and pounded in his head. His mate needed him and he was not there for her.
He fisted his hands, frustration and pure rage turning his nails into dragon’s claws. He sought an inner calm that seemed to linger just out of reach, and then he merely begged his body to remain on two legs. He could best find her if he could walk.
“Kozav!” The deep voice was familiar and he turned to find Jarek approaching with Taulan right behind him. Jarek reached him first. “Catch us up on your progress.”
Catch us up…
A human colloquialism. Each day Jarek spent on Earth with his mate resulted in even more changes to the old Preor’s mind and body. Good? Or bad? Impe felt associating with human breeders was definitely to the detriment to their people.
That knowledge fueled his rage to burn hotter.
“Warriors are searching every corridor and cargo hold. If it has a door or an access panel, they are exploring the space. They have not found her.” And Kozav’s dragons fire burned hotter because of it.
“What is the status on your hunt for Impe and Sugal?” Jarek spoke once more, acting like the War Master even if he no longer held the title.
“Impe remains unfound and Sugal was recently discovered hiding within one of the engineering tunnels. The sensors were modified so the ship could not sense his presence. Engineer Master Vende located him.” Kozav ran a hand through his hair and cursed himself once more. So many things he could have done differently to stop this and now his mate was gone.
“Does Sugal have anything to say about Impe’s intent?” Taulan’s voice was equally forceful but his tone held something more.
“Not yet.” He shook his head. And the skies knew he’d tried to learn what he could from the Healing Master.
Taulan grunted. “I believe I will speak with Sugal.”
Kozav looked forward to hearing whatever Taulan could discover. In the meantime, the search would continue.
“Do you believe he has taken her off the ship?”
Kozav would not snap at the male. He was to be respected. But did Jarek think he hadn’t had the ship count their shuttles the moment he knew Grace was gone? “No. Shuttle count shows that all are still onboard.”
Jarek grunted. “Ship.”
“Yes, Esteemed Warrior Jarek joi Melissa?”
Exhaustion and worry had him snapping at the elder warrior. “I already asked—”
Jarek held up a hand to silence him. “You are a newly promoted Primary Warrior. When you request something of the ship, its answers are based on pre-programmed inquiries. You ask it how many warriors are on the ship, it will tell you how many able-bodied warriors are on the ship. It will not count those who cannot help in its defense.” Kozav nodded and remained silent. “Ship, prepare shuttle count—inoperable and able. Compare it to current shuttle count—inoperable and able—and calculate any discrepancies.”
“One inoperable shuttle is not onboard.”
Kozav felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest. He stumbled forward and caught himself on the back of a comm officer’s chair, using it to hold him upright. Impe had taken her on a shuttle—an inoperable shuttle.
“Time of departure?” Jarek barked.
“My shuttle bay was opened thirty-one minutes, fifty-two seconds ago.”
“Destination?” Jarek still ignored him and continued questioning the ship.
“Ultimate destination unknown. Direction indicated an Earth sea landing near the coast of Florida.”
“No,” he rasped. He did not believe his mate could survive in the waters. Humans were not made… Kozav straightened. Humans and Preor did not like the oceans, but there was an alien race that did. “Ship, transmit last know shuttle coordinates to the Ujal and request recovery assistance. Include images of Grace and Impe for identification. Grace to be rescued, Impe to be captured and held for arrival.”
“Confirmed.” The ship was quick to acknowledge his orders.
Jarek squeezed his shoulder. “And now we will search as well.”
“The oceans of Earth are vast.” He shook his head.
“And your connection to her can stretch across any distance. Ship, transmit all data to the short flight in bay kuik.”
Kozav did not get a chance to question the warrior. Not when they began their rapid winding through the passageways and finally to the shuttle bay. He followed Jarek into the shuttle and strapped himself into the co-pilot’s chair. “How will we find her?”
“You will find her.” He raised his eyebrows and Jarek grumbled. “Ignorant youth.” Jarek started the engines and in one smooth move had the bay doors open and the shuttle shooting out of the ship. Kozav would not remind the male that he was elder of them. “Mates share a biological connection. When that connection is recognized, the Knowing manifests.” Kozav knew enough to remain silent. “Because of your genetic connection, you can find your mate anywhere. You can connect with her mind.”
“After a mating has been sealed.” Kozav pointed out the obvious. “Grace and I have not.”
“Sealing is not necessary. I communicated with Melissa mind to mind before we joined fully. Emotions are the core of the connection.” Jarek had them diving toward the planet, streaming through the layers of the atmosphere. “Do you care for her enough to find her?”
“Yes.” His answer was immediate and heartfelt. He would do anything for Grace. He would live and die at her word and would happily do either on her behalf. “Yes.”
“Then search for her with your mind. I will take us to the coordinates supplied by the ship and we will travel from there.”
It went against everything ingrained in him as a warrior, but Kozav closed his eyes, making himself vulnerable, and looked within. He should be visually searching or relying on technological systems, but he would put his trust in Jarek.
He slowed his breathing and looked inward, searching for any foreign presence and discovered nothing. More and more nothing.
Jarek’s words drifted through his mind. “Mates share a biological connection.”
Grace wouldn’t be a foreign presence. She was part of him. So he sought a softer side of him, one that was tough yet vulnerable. A portion of his soul that welcomed being cared for by others and was also fierce in its protectiveness.
Kozav sought his rasi. And found her huddled and crying, calling out for him while blow after blow rained down on her. Scarred metal cut into her flesh, the burnt surface stained red, and he saw through her eyes. Saw Impe lift his hand and then her flinch as she closed her eyes and braced herself for
pain. But before she erased his vision, he observed something else.
Something that told him exactly where to find his mate, and with whom.
His eyes snapped open, the rush of battle’s fire coursing through his body and it felt as if his nerves were aflame. He pointed into the distance. “That way. Training platform ruor. Come in silently from the North and twenty feet above the waves.”
“Kozav, you can’t—”
Risk being that close to the tumultuous waves. A recent hurricane made the entire area dangerous.
However, he could. It was what he’d trained for. It was why he had a home at the edge of the Gor Ari and why he hated, yet loved, the waves. He’d trained to collect things that would make him worthy of a mate. Now he would use those tools and rescue his Grace. This act would make him more than worthy.
“I can. Do it.” He would not be denied and Jarek must have sensed that determination in him.
Jarek brought the shuttle around, communicating with the Ujal within the waves while maneuvering. When they were finally in position, the warrior opened the rear doors, exposing them to the salty air. Jarek approached and hissed with the sting while Kozav rejoiced in the hint of pain.
“I will comm you once it is done.” Kozav stared into the sky, watching the clouds and gauging the gusts of wind. Flashes of color in the seas showed him the Ujal waited and he was pleased the other race would help if needed. He lowered his attention back to the male at his side. “Impe will not survive this.”
The esteemed warrior squeezed his shoulder. “As long as you and your mate live, I do not care.”
Kozav jerked his head in a quick nod, turned his attention back to the sea below… and leapt.
If the situation were not so serious, Kozav would laugh at Jarek’s surprised shout when he jumped from the shuttle. Others would have immediately fought to go upward, but he allowed himself to fall, to nearly skim the uneven surface. His wings caught the updraft coming from the waters and he used the push to launch himself upward. Then steady beats of his wings took him higher. He kept his gaze trained on the metal platform hovering above, refusing to allow his attention to drift in any way.
