by Sadie Carter
Shockingly, Darac actually found himself close to grinning.
Chapter Ten
Darac stretched and his stomach rumbled. How long since he had eaten? While waiting to speak to an Elder back on Zerconia, Darac had debriefed with Koran. Along with Koran’s ship, two other Zerconian warships had been sent to rescue them. They had run interference with the other Coizil warships while Koran and his warriors extracted Darac and the others.
The Elder had assured him that it would be impossible for him to harm his mate. Protecting his mate was a primal instinct that he couldn’t ignore. There was no guarantee that mating Willa would fully pull him free, but because he felt more in control around her, the Elder felt that fully mating with Willa would allow him more control.
Relief filled him. He could survive. He could have her. Now, he had to figure out how to convince her to mate him.
She had kissed him. She was attracted to him.
But she also thought he had rejected her.
***
“You wish to become part of our crew?” Rye leaned back against the wall, watching Darac closely. “Why would I agree to that?”
“We both know Willa is my mate. I must be with her.”
Rye crossed his arms over his chest. “Way I see it, that’s your problem, not mine. Not Willa’s either.”
“You are correct. But our mating is a process. It is finalized with joining and formalized with a ceremony, but it begins when two mates meet. When they touch. When they kiss.”
Rye stiffened. “Are you saying that your mating to Willa has begun? She didn’t consent to that.”
“No. I understand that our way of mating is foreign to your culture. But the fates choose our soul mate. Willa is mine. I cannot live without her and now that the mating process has begun she may start to feel symptoms of the mating process.”
“Symptoms?”
“I would rather not go into details. But they may cause her to act more irrational. I have recently learned that once we mate, my control should return.”
“Should?”
“There has never been an instance of someone who was totally gone being brought back by finding their mate.”
“And you expect me to bring you into my crew? To allow you around my sister?”
“I would not hurt her.”
Rye snorted. “So you say.”
“So I know.” The conversation with the Elder had reassured him he could never harm her. “You are in my debt.”
“And your price is my sister?”
“Of course not. My price is a place on your crew so I can get to know your sister better. So I can watch over her. Make certain she is not adversely affected by the mating process.”
“And try to get her into your bed, right?”
“I would never force her.”
“Damn right you wouldn’t because you’re not coming with us.”
“Her need for me may grow to such levels that it becomes painful. I can help her. You cannot.”
“Help her by mating her?” Rye asked incredulously.
“Yes.”
“But you said you wouldn’t force her so how does that work?” Rye asked curiously.
“To force a female is abhorrent. I could never do that.” The thought sickened him. “But I believe Willa feels something for me as well.”
“That so?” Rye tapped his fingers against his thigh. “All right. I agree we do owe you. So you can crew with us.”
Good.
“Until we determine that Willa isn’t adversely affected by whatever has gone on between the two of you.”
That was fair. Not exactly what he wanted, but more than he had expected.
Rye moved away from the wall towards the door. “Oh, and I would say she definitely feels something for you. But it ain’t interest. In fact, I think you’re pretty high on her shit list.”
“Shit list?” That did not sound pleasant. “Why do you not take care of your sister as a brother should?” If he had been blessed with a sister, she would want for nothing. He would protect her from any and every threat.
Rye narrowed his gaze. “Willa can look after herself.”
“Are you forcing her to work on this crew to pay you back for looking after her when she was young? If that is the case, I have plenty of credits. I will pay for her release.”
“Be careful what you say. Very careful,” Rye whispered.
“Is that not the case?”
“No, it is not the case. I do not own my sister. She is free to do as she pleases.”
“You do not feel that she owes you?”
“No, of course not. Willa is her own person. She has never owed me anything. I don’t know where you’re getting your idiotic ideas from, but you can take them and stick them where the sun doesn’t shine.”
“Where the sun doesn’t shine? Do you mean Quashtar?” Quashtar received very little sunlight.
Rye frowned then shook his head. “It’s a saying. It means you can stick your misguided beliefs up your ass.”
He shook his head. Humans. Why did they not say what they meant? It would make life much simpler. “I believe you were lucky to have siblings and that as the eldest it was your privilege to take care of those younger and weaker. Willa believes she was a burden to you. That she must make this up to you. That she owes you for raising her.”
Rye stared at him for a long moment before turning and walking away.
***
Willa slammed her fist into the punching bag, trying to work off some aggravation.
He’d kissed her.
Then he had shoved her away.
Begged someone to take her away from him.
“Ouch, remind me not to get on your bad side.”
Willa paused, sweat covering her skin, limbs trembling with exhaustion as her breath heaved in and out of her burning lungs.
“Did you want something?” she asked Mila, who walked towards her. The other woman was dressed in a baggy shirt and an ugly, gray skirt that almost reached her ankles.
“Not really. Just thought I’d check up on you to make sure everything was okay.”
Willa smacked the punching bag again. “Didn’t think you’d have something so primitive as a punching bag onboard. I was expecting fighting droids.” The punching bag could be programmed so it was a certain weight and size but it couldn’t fight back the way a droid could.
“Our warriors mostly like to fight each other. Every time they try to use a droid, they break it. Someone could be very rich if they could invent a droid that could stand up to a Zerconian warrior in a temper. Fighting is a way of exerting their aggression.” Mila sat on a bench. She had to half-jump as it was made for large Zerconian frames rather than smaller human ones.
“I hear you guys are leaving us soon,” Mila said.
Yep, soon they would be headed back to Joyadan, and she could forget all about Darac. Hopefully. She smacked the punching bag again. Once, twice.
Forget him. He meant nothing to her. Nothing.
“Yeah, we’re headed home.” Wow, way to make great conversation, Willa.
“I’ve been searching for you. Finally had to use our surveillance cameras to track you down.”
“That so?”
“Makes me wonder if you’re hiding.”
Great. An amateur detective. Just what she needed.
“Why would I be hiding?” Willa didn’t look at her. What did she want? What was her game? There had to be an ulterior motive. She wouldn’t search her out just for a chat.
“Why don’t you tell me?” Mila asked.
“What is this? Amateur hour? Can’t you decide whether you’re playing detective or therapist?”
“Maybe a bit of both.”
She turned to look at Mila. “Did your boyfriend send you?”
“Koran? Why would Koran send me to find you?”
“I don’t know, to grill me for information.”
Mila laughed. “If Koran wanted to know something he would ask you himself, believe me. Subte
rfuge isn’t really a Zerconian trait, not for the males anyway. They’re much too direct. Now, the females, they’re the sneaky ones.”
Willa eyed her. “Yeah, that’s usually my experience, too.”
Mila tilted her head to one side. “Are you accusing me of having an ulterior motive?”
“Don’t you?”
Mila seemed to think about that for a moment. “I want my friend to live, but you already knew that. Otherwise, nope. I just wanted to check on you.”
“Why would you care about me? We don’t know each other.”
“No, but we could. There are very few human mates, us girls need to stick together.”
“Right,” she said skeptically.
Mila’s gaze narrowed. “Wow, you’re suspicious. Is it so hard to believe that I might want to check on you? To make sure you’re okay?
She studied her closely. But she didn’t seem to be lying.
“I’d like to be your friend, Willa.”
“I don’t have friends.”
Mila’s eyes widened slightly. “None?”
“People aren’t that trusting or open where I live. You can just as soon expect your ‘friend’ to stab you in the back as you can your enemy.”
“Sounds awful. My sister and I traveled around a lot; it made it hard to make friends.”
Ah-ha. She knew this tactic. Try to make out that they were kindred spirits, look for a weakness then pounce.
“Willa?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re watching me weirdly. Like you think I’m about to attack.”
Willa blinked. “Sorry.”
“What about the men who were brought in with you? Aren’t they your friends?”
“They’re my crew. My brothers.”
“Oh, but you must trust them.”
“Most of them. But we’re not friends.”
Mila watched her closely. “Sounds lonely.”
Great. Pity. She hated being pitied. “It’s not. It’s fine.”
Mila sighed then climbed down from her seat. “I don’t have many friends. And my only friend on Zerconia is the Crown Princess. I thought you could use a friend, and I need one too. But I can understand why you don’t trust me. I’ll get out of your way.”
She turned to walk out.
Let her go. You don’t need her. It’s a trap.
“He rejected me.” Crap, she hadn’t meant to blurt that out. Willa closed her eyes briefly. Fatigue weighed on her.
Mila turned back. “Darac? You think he rejected you because he pushed you away after kissing you?”
“Yes. In front of everyone.” It was humiliating. “He pushed me off him like I was a piece of crap on his shoe.”
“I don’t know what was going through his head, but he wasn’t in his right mind. You’re his mate.”
“That’s what you believe. Obviously, he doesn’t.”
Shake it off. Don’t show how affected you are.
“Not that it matters. I was about to push him away anyway. I don’t want him.”
“That so?” Mila drawled.
“Yeah, it is.” Willa turned away and grabbed a drink, gulping it down.
“Didn’t seem that way during your kiss.”
Why couldn’t she let this drop? “Look, he’s hot, alright? I can’t deny that. Would I fuck him? Probably. But long term, the two of us would never work. We’re worlds apart. He wants a little mate who he can tuck away somewhere safe while he goes off and does manly things. Then he can come home, beat his chest, and pat himself on the back for taking care of the little woman. I have my own life. I’m nobody’s pet. I worked hard to get where I am, and I’m not giving it up. Not for anyone.”
“And nobody is asking you to.”
She turned to see Darac standing just inside the doorway.
“Damn right, they’re not. And even if they did, I’d tell them where to shove it.” Great. Way to show your maturity, Willa. She took a steadying breath. “You’re looking better.” There that sounded somewhat civil. She could be mature. At least for the next few hours until they left.
“I feel more like myself. Thank you.”
She shrugged. “No biggie. I owed you one. Now we’re even, right?”
“Not at all. I still owe you a great deal.”
“Don’t mention it. I say we’re even.” She strode past him. Don’t show you’re affected by him. Don’t show anything. “Nice to meet you, Mila. I doubt I’ll see you again so thanks for the hospitality.”
“Sure, anytime,” Mila called back.
Darac longingly watched Willa walk away. Her butt was encased in some sort of tight material that displayed every curve. He had never seen her wear something so tight, and he wasn’t sure he liked it.
Or at least he liked it too much, and he worried other males might as well. He frowned at the thought of others seeing her dressed that way.
A sudden smack to his chest got his attention, and he stared down at a scowling Mila. “Why the hell did you reject her like that?”
“Reject her?”
“Yeah, when you kissed her. You practically shoved her away from you. Got your work cut out for you now, Darac, if you want to win her over. I thought I taught you better than that.”
“I was trying to protect her.”
“By hurting her, yeah, that sounds like male logic. Willa doesn’t strike me as someone who forgives easily. You hurt her, Darac. Now you have to make it up to her. You got a plan on how to do that?”
“Any suggestions?”
“Grovelling? On your hands and knees would help.” Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m glad you’re alive.”
“Me too, small human. Me too.”
***
“I can’t believe you let him come with us!” Willa raged, pacing back and forth. Rye sat on the chair in his office while Zuma lounged on another chair in the corner, playing with a hoverbe. He flicked it out, and it flew around the room, hitting each corner then diving under the desk to return to him.
“Why would you do that? He’s not one of us.”
“We owed him,” Rye told her.
“He saved us, I saved him. We’re even,” she insisted.
“The two of you might be even, but we are not. He stays.”
“For how long?” she asked.
“As long as necessary and before you keep arguing with me, last time I looked I was in charge of this crew.”
She ground her teeth together. “Why does he even want to come with us?”
“Probably because you’re the only thing keeping him sane,” Zuma replied with a grin.
“I am not his mate!”
“Yeah, ever think you might be protesting too much?”
“Screw you.”
“I’d rather not screw myself. I prefer a partner with curves, boobs, hips, an ass to hold on to.”
She rubbed her temple. She was developing another migraine. Two in less than a week. That was a record.
“You told me to choose, Rye. I did. I chose you guys. My family. So then why would you give him a damn job?”
“I didn’t give him a job, just let him come along with us. Besides, I was wrong about forcing you to choose.”
Something crashed, and she turned to find Zuma on the floor, looking dazed. “Did you just say you were wrong? Am I dead? Did the Coizils kill me? I died, didn’t I? I must have for you to say you were wrong. You’re never wrong.”
She ignored Zuma’s rambling and stared at Rye. “Wrong? What do you mean, wrong?”
“I shouldn’t have told you to choose.”
“But you were right.”
“Was I? So I should expect you to remain single? Deacon has a girlfriend back on Joyadan, and I haven’t made him give her up to be on this crew.”
“But this is different.”
“Really, how?” Rye drawled.
“Wait, are you trying to convince him that he wasn’t wrong?” Zuma asked incredulously. “Are you ill? Is whatever is wrong with Darac s
tarting to affect you?”
She gave Zuma an irritated look.
“How is it different, Willa? Because Deacon’s a man?” Rye asked.
“Of course not. You’re not sexist.”
“No? Then what am I?”
“He was our prisoner. He tried to kill us.”
“Yep. But he’s no longer our prisoner. And he saved us. So why would I stand between the two of you now and make you choose?”
Agitated, she spoke without thinking. “Because I owe you.”
Rye leaned forward, looking interested. “How do you figure that?”
“You gave up everything for me,” she blurted out. “If it wasn’t for me then you could have gone off and done anything. If it weren't for me, you wouldn’t have turned Gabriella down when she wanted you to leave with her. I heard you tell her that you couldn’t leave because of me.”
“Damn it,” he said under his breath.
But she was on a roll, and she wasn’t stopping now.
“When Mom and Dad died you had to give up your life. Because of me. They died. Because of me.” She sobbed out a breath.
“Jesus,” Zuma said.
She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her blurry eyes.
“Willa, look at me.” Rye moved in front of her. But she couldn’t look at him. Not after she’d blurted out all of her issues. He placed his finger under her chin, tilting her face up. “Willa, why didn’t you tell me you felt this way?”
“It’s the truth. I owe you everything.”
“No. You owe me nothing and do you know why?” he asked almost harshly.
She shook her head.
“Because we are family. I love you, Willa. Maybe I’ve never said that. But I do. You are my sister. I didn’t give up anything for you. My life is better because of you.”
Sniffling, she wiped her eyes, feeling utterly embarrassed.
“But Gabriella?”
Rye sighed. “That was wrong of me to use you as an excuse.”
“An excuse?”
“I was a lot younger than I am now and she was very insistent.”
“Pushy, bossy,” Zuma interjected.
Rye gave him a quelling stare. “I didn’t want to hurt her so I used you as an excuse. Had I known you were listening in, I wouldn’t have done so. What’s the rule about eavesdropping?”
