by Sadie Carter
“Traitor,” she whispered to it.
Dex spun her around and she swallowed heavily as she got a good look at his thunderous face.
She held her hands up, taking a step away from him. “Now, why don’t we just all take a moment to calm down?”
“You could have broken your neck,” he stated, following her. “You could have badly hurt yourself.”
“Well, it’s your fault!” she cried.
He stilled. “What?”
“You left me up there! What was I supposed to do?”
Grumpy frowned at her. No surprise there. “Don’t you ever smile?” she snapped at him.
“Do not speak to Koran that way,” Dex growled. “You will speak to other warriors respectfully at all times else I will be forced to punish you.”
“Like hell! You just stay away from me. All of you. You know, all this talk of punishment is not helping your whole ‘I’m-your-mate-so-fuck-me’ case.”
“If you anger a warrior they could hurt you badly. It is my job to protect you.”
He sounded offended. Like she was the unreasonable one. Righteous indignation filled her. “What kind of bent logic is that? Punish me to protect me from being hurt. Don’t you see something wrong with that?”
“I don’t envy you having to tame her.” Grumpy shook his head with clear disapproval.
“No one is taming me.” She took a step towards Grumpy, glaring up at him. “You need a personality transplant.”
“And you need—”
“Koran!” Happy interrupted him. “We don’t have time for this and it’s not helping. Dex, you need to calm down. And female, you need to put this on.” He handed her a garment. “I borrowed it from one of our warriors. He bought it for his sister. Your people want to talk to you.”
Dex tried to bring his temper under control. He was losing his mind. He had trained hard, learning how to harness his temper, and a few hours after meeting his mate, his control had nearly completely unraveled.
“Have you got yourself under control?” Thor asked with a disapproving frown.
“Don’t look at me like that. It wasn’t your mate dangling in the air, about to drop to the ground.” Intense fear, unlike anything he’d felt before, had slammed into him as he’d walked into his quarters to find her dangling in the air.
He was still reeling with fear. He’d known he would care about his mate. He’d hoped to like her, maybe even love her as he got to know her better. But he’d never imagined that after knowing her such a short time he would feel so protective of her.
“Why the stars didn’t she just order the masic to lower itself?” Koran asked. The three of them were standing in the corridor outside his quarters, waiting for her to dress.
“I may have forgotten to tell her how,” he admitted. He’d been in a temper when he’d left and he hadn’t given a thought to her safety. He’d failed her and brought shame on himself. If anyone deserved punishment, it was he.
“I apologize for the way she spoke to you,” he said to Koran.
“Don’t be,” he replied with a rare smile. “Truly, your life is going to be very interesting with her.”
“She’ll settle down. Once she realizes the way a proper mate should behave.”
He hoped.
***
“Where are we going?” Zoey asked as she walked with Dex, Thor, and Koran down the corridor. Well, they walked. She had to run to keep up with their long legs. It didn’t help that the outfit they’d given her was far too long. It was an almost sheer wrap-around dress that barely concealed her privates. Someone actually bought this for their sister?
Dex had finally introduced Thor and Koran to her, although she’d always think of them as Happy and Grumpy.
Not that she’d tell them or Dex that. She guessed that might be considered disrespectful and all this talk of punishment was starting to worry her. If Dex decided to hit her, there wouldn’t be a lot she could do about it. She’d only had basic training at the academy before taking up this post on Solim, and Dex was twice her size.
He could do a lot of damage with one fist.
Dex stared down at her. “Your people are demanding to see you. We are taking you to them so that they can see you are unharmed.”
She’d thought she would feel more relieved. This was her chance to get away from Dex, she should be happy. Instead, there was an uneasy feeling in her gut. As though running away was the wrong decision, the wrong choice.
“We’re going to see them face-to-face?” she asked, breathing heavily. Wow, she really was out of shape.
“Yes.” Dex frowned. “What’s wrong? You’re breathing heavily.”
“Because the three of you forget that my legs are half the size of yours. It’s like running a freakin’ marathon.”
Immediately, the three of them slowed.
“Why didn’t you say something?” Dex asked. “Do you need to be carried?” There was real concern in his voice. When was the last time someone had been concerned about her? Yeah, he was a barbarian, with some weird ideas about how a female should act, and all this talk of punishment was wearing thin. But he also acted like he cared about her.
He’d been worried about her hurting herself as she dangled off the masic. Since her mother died, no one had really taken an interest in anything she did.
“I’m fine. They’re going to insist you let me go.”
Would he let her go? Did she actually want him to?
Of course she did. She really wanted to go back to her boring life on this crappy planet where her biggest excitement was pissing Pressad off.
But she couldn’t stay with Dex, even if she did have some weird sexual connection with him.
“They will not take you.”
“What will you do if they try?” She didn’t like the determination on his face.
“Then they will learn who the superior power is.”
“You’d hurt them?” She had friends in that compound, people she actually cared about.
“If they try to take you, I will destroy them.”
“But I have friends who live there. You can’t just kill everyone. Earth will declare war.”
He shrugged.
Zoey gaped up at him. Who did that? Who threatened to start a war over one person? Over her? “You’re a monster.”
“No.” He stopped and looked at her. “But you don’t realize how serious I am about you. When I say you are mine, I mean it. I realize that you don’t understand what finding my mate means to me, but it is everything. I have despaired of ever finding you. I have seen warriors go insane when they went too long without finding their mate. Without you, it means a slow decline into madness for me and that is dangerous for our entire race. Because I am the Crown Prince and I am the last in my line. There is no one to rule after me. My death would create chaos you can’t even imagine.”
He was serious. He truly believed he would go insane without her.
“Wow, you really know how to lay on the guilt, don’t you?” she tried to joke.
“Do you think that I wished for this? That it wouldn’t have been easier if you had been a Zerconian? I always believed that my mate would be an asset, someone who would instinctively know what I needed.”
She couldn’t help but feel hurt at his words.
“Instead of understanding what an honor it is to be my mate, you fight me at every turn. You insult me, disobey me, and try to harm yourself.”
“I wasn’t trying to harm myself,” she muttered, but he ignored her.
“You are weak, foolish, and uneducated.”
“Dex, ease down,” Thor warned, but Dex waved him quiet.
“No. I would not wish for you to be my mate. But you are, and I must do my best to take care of you because I can do nothing else. Now, make your decision. Are you going to fight me and risk starting a war your people cannot win or are you going to come with me of your own free will?”
“You ask for too much.” She tried to keep her face blank, but she
heard the wobble in her voice. Was it her fault that she was from a different culture? She didn’t ask for any of this to happen.
But then neither had he. She swallowed. She’d thought him arrogant and unbending, but wasn’t she the same? They both believed that their way was the right one.
“Perhaps. But if you believe nothing else, believe this, mate. I will never let you go.”
Chapter Four
Dex gently pushed her behind his back and two of his armed guards sandwiched her in as they walked out of the battleship.
“Hey, I can’t see anything,” she complained.
“Quiet,” Dex commanded.
Zoey flipped him the bird. A useless gesture since he didn’t bother to glance back. Not that he’d probably understand anyway. Insulting someone who didn’t understand really took the fun out of the gesture.
“Put your weapons down,” she heard Commander Montclare order.
“When you do the same,” Dex replied.
The commander must have agreed because the warriors surrounding her dropped their weapons to their sides.
“Where is Ms. Mira?” she heard Pressad ask.
What was the dickhead doing here? She was shocked he’d stepped out of the safety of the dome. He wasn’t one to risk himself when someone else could do the job.
Zoey jumped, trying to see over Dex’s shoulder.
“Damn it, why’d you have to be built like a brick wall?” she muttered. Her gaze landed on his parted legs. Ah-ha, if she couldn’t go up or around, she’d go under.
Crouching, she ignored the incredulous looks from the guards around her and crawled between Dex’s legs.
“Aw, Pressad, you came to see if I was all right. I’m touched.”
Pressad glared at her. Then he ran his gaze over her. “Interesting outfit,” he said coldly. “Didn’t take you long, did it?”
“Long to do what?” she asked, puzzled. Sure, her outfit was a bit more revealing that she would have liked, but it covered her. At least she hoped it did. She checked that she was decent. Yep, all good.
“To get friendly with the aliens.”
“You bastard!” She took a step towards the shrink, balling her hand into a fist. She might be a bit out of shape, but she could still take down that weasel.
“Get behind me, mate,” Dex growled, grabbing her arm.
She froze as her fellow Earthers raised their weapons. Behind her, Dex’s men did the same. Suddenly, she was smack in the middle of a stand-off. Like an old western movie. She analyzed the situation. If the Zerconians decided to attack, it would be a total slaughter. Her people were outmanned and outclassed.
She needed to diffuse things fast.
“Whoa, what’s going on?” she asked, raising her hands. Tension filled the air, making her stomach clench. This is exactly what she’d been trying to avoid. There was no way she wanted any bloodshed on her behalf.
“Let her go,” Whiz ordered in a low voice, staring at where Dex had his hand on her arm.
“It’s okay, Whiz,” she reassured him. “He’s not hurting me. You can lower your weapons.”
“Only once they hand you over,” he replied steadily.
Behind her, Dex’s men all stood at the ready.
“You raised your weapons in front of my mate.”
A tendril of alarm swirled through her as she heard the cold fury in Dex’s voice.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
“Everyone just calm down.” Since when did she become a mediator? “Dex, they’re not aiming their weapons at me.”
She patted his hand.
“Whiz, guys, I appreciate you coming to my defense, but he’s not hurting me. Dex, tell them you don’t want me harmed.”
“I would kill anyone who harmed you, including myself. I would rip them limb from limb, I would tear out their intestines and shove them down their throat and then I would toast the Gods as their bodies bled out on the ground.”
“Okay, a little more graphic than was necessary, but you guys get the drift. The barbarian here isn’t out to hurt me. So everyone slowly put your weapons down. Dex, it might help if you let go of my arm.”
“Only once you are safely behind me.”
“Lord, bless me with some patience,” she muttered to herself. “Why don’t I stand beside you? It’s kind of hard to talk when I’m facing a brick wall.”
“What?” There was confusion in his voice.
“Your back, Dex. I can’t talk to your back.”
“Fine.” He glared at Whiz. “But if you raise your weapon in her presence again, I will destroy you.”
“Everyone lower your weapons,” Commander Montclare said with a hint of impatience. “Look, I think we all got off on the wrong foot. We were concerned when Ms. Mira didn’t return. But now we can all see that she’s fine. Perhaps we could go somewhere quiet and talk about my proposition. Ms. Mira can then return to her duties.”
He sent her an impatient look. What? Like this was her fault?
“She is going nowhere without me,” Dex stated.
His possessiveness would have pissed her off if his statement hadn’t wiped the smugness right off her commander’s face.
“Fine, she can come too.”
“You’re in charge?” Dex asked.
The commander puffed up. “I am. Commander Jared Montclare at your service. I’m in command of this outpost.”
“Truly?” Dex sneered, looking him up and down.
The commander didn’t seem to notice the look of disdain Dex gave him.
“So you’re the one who sent an unarmed female out on her own into an unknown situation.”
The commander went pale and glanced over at Pressad. “Ms. Mira was the most well-equipped to handle negotiations.”
“Truly?” Dex asked, stepping forward, his voice dropping further. “Why? Because she’s small and delicate? Because she’s female? Or because she was expendable to you?”
“Now, see here—”
“Quiet.” Dex pointed his finger at the commander. “You haven’t once asked after her welfare. You sent her out here with no back-up and no way to defend herself. We could have killed her on sight and there would have been nothing you could have done about it. What do you say to that?”
“Well, well,” Commander Montclare blustered, walking back into one of his own men. “It was his idea!” He pointed at Pressad who looked furious.
“You’re a coward. I don’t negotiate with cowards,” Dex stated, turning his back on him.
It was a huge insult. Even her commander could see that.
“But your superiors—” the commander continued to bluster.
Dex turned. “I am the Crown Prince of Zerconia,” he boomed. Around them, everything went silent. “And that is my mate you put in danger. The only reason you are all still breathing is because I don’t wish to upset her. But do not push me.”
“Zoey,” Whiz spoke up bravely. “What is he talking about?”
Zoey sighed. This was it. She could tell them that she didn’t want to go with Dex, that he was holding her against his will, but what could they do? They were outnumbered and out-skilled. It would be a blood bath.
That was if they even did bother to help her. She was pretty sure that Pressad and the commander wouldn’t lose any sleep if she disappeared. But Whiz was her friend, even if he was a bit spineless at times, and she wanted him to remain in one piece.
“It’s like the big guy said. I’m his mate. We’re going to fly off into the sunset and live happily ever after.”
“You’re kidding, right? You can’t just go off with this guy. Unless there is some crazy time portal inside their ship, you only met him a couple of hours ago.”
Zoe shrugged. “Hey, when you know, you know. Love at first sight, right?”
Did that sound convincing? Maybe not, from the way Whiz gaped at her incredulously.
“Zoey—”
A loud screech from above interrupted Whiz, and Zoey yelled out as she looked up and saw th
ree of those crazy lizard creatures swooping down. Fire streamed from one of the lizard’s nostrils, only just missing her as Dex grabbed her and spun her away.
He turned her toward the ship. “Inside. Now.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. She raced toward the entrance to the ship, pausing on the ramp as she heard a terror-filled scream. Glancing over, she saw one of the creatures swooping over Pressad as he cowered out in the open.
The stupid idiot didn’t even have a weapon. He was toast unless someone helped him. She looked around. Everyone else was engaged. It was up to her.
Fuck it.
Zoey sprinted inside the ship and looked for something to fight with. Two men raced towards her, stopping to grab some weapons out of a large chest. They ignored her as they ran down the ramp to help fight off the lizard creatures. Zoey raced over and picked up a blaster.
She was actually a decent shot, but this wasn’t a weapon she was used to. And it weighed a frickin’ ton. Cradling it in her arms, she ran back down the ramp.
Hell, Pressad was probably toast by now anyway. But she saw the giant lizard was toying with him, blocking him off each time he tried to escape.
“Hasta la vista, baby,” she yelled, raising the blaster. The creature turned to her, its bright red eyes glowing. There was a demonic look in its gaze and she shivered as it swooped toward her.
“Oh fuck, oh shit.” She raised the blaster, balanced it against her shoulder and fired. The force of the blast caught her by surprise. She flew back, the blaster flying from her arms as she landed heavily on the ground.
Wheezing, she lay there, fighting for breath. Pain radiated throughout her body. A shadow fell over her and she glanced up, certain she was about to become a giant bonfire.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh crap, make it quick.”
“Zoey? Are you okay?” She opened her eyes to find Pressad standing over her.
“Is it dead?”
“Yeah, you killed it. Come on, we need to get out of here.”
“Mate!” she heard Dex yell. She turned her head, trying to find him. Was he all right? Did he need her? Alarmed, she tried to sit.
