by Averi Hope
And that’s when it hit her that her team had been silent for too long. They didn’t know where she was, and she was about to be raped by the enemy.
Her only chance to save the mission was to get that necklace back and stab the massive Vuret with the nano blade. She honestly didn’t know if she could win, but she sure as hell was going to try.
Time to fight, even if it means death.
Gritting her teeth, she reached for the blade at her back.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“What do you mean something is going wrong with her mission?” Caleb asked, a note of panic lacing his words.
“That’s all I know,” Captain Vernan said, his image frowning on Caleb’s screen. “Find out why ship-to-planet communication is down, and take a shuttle to Sunja.”
“Yes, Captain.”
The second his image faded, Caleb contacted Hunter.
His friend’s serious face appeared on the screen. “Yes, Commander?”
“I need ship-to-planet communication reestablished now!”
Hunter’s brows rose. “My team has done everything it can, but we can’t work around this problem.”
Caleb clenched his fists, his heart hammering in his chest. “And why the hell not?”
“There’s been some kind of solar flare. It was small, but enough to knock out communication both on the ship and, from what we understand, on the planet’s surface, too.”
Caleb cursed, rising to his feet. “Fine, keep working at it, but I need a shuttle to Sunja. Now.”
“Done.”
It took everything in him not to race down the hall. What kind of trouble could Erin possibly be in? He’d been ignoring the panic building in his chest, imagining it had more to do with learning that his mate had been living a double life all along. But now he knew he’d been a fool, his Keltair side had been screaming that his mate was in trouble.
And he’d been ignoring it.
When the elevator doors opened, he stepped inside, his thoughts spinning. The captain had told him little about what Erin was doing, other than trying to provide evidence to take down a criminal. But how that equated to her being in danger on the planet’s surface, he didn’t know.
The truth is, you know nothing about her. She’s been lying all this time. Lying about who she is and what she can do.
Probing into your most private dreams and exploiting them for her own benefit.
Anger rushed to the surface. I’m going to make her life hell.
The second he knew she was safe.
In the docking bay, he was directed to door number two. He alone took the shuttle down to the planet, asking himself if he was rushing to save Erin because he loved her despite what she’d done, or because he’d been ordered to.
She’s my mate; I can’t help but love her. He pushed the thought aside.
I’ll never be able to forgive her.
I’ll be like Hunter—accept that there’s no room in my life for a mate.
I’ll forget Erin and move on.
After I am sure she is safe.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Erin’s bound hands closed around the blade. The nano-laced blade. I might not be able to get the necklace back, but at least I can accomplish one part of the mission. She twisted and caught sight of her target one second before she lopped off his cock. Blood splattered across her face and the floor. A scream ripped from his lips, a horrible sound that seemed to cut right into her head.
She leaped to her feet, heading for the open tent flap. Three more steps. Two more.
Two silent men cut off her escape, their daggers held out before them even while their faces remained impassive.
Her heart hammered in her chest. Blood pumped through her limbs. Either she killed these men or she stayed and faced the angry Vuret. And he’d be pretty angry now. She clenched her blade tighter and narrowed her eyes.
The Vuret’s screaming cut off behind her, followed by ragged panting. “Bring her back to me,” he snarled, her death in every word.
The two men in front of her came closer, their lifeless eyes staring through her.
She tensed, preparing for her attack. Sweat dripped down her spine.
Suddenly, a blade pressed against her throat from behind, jerking her neck back. She felt the prick of the sharp edge slice into her neck, followed by a warm trickle of blood against the cold air.
She bit down on her hiss of pain. On both sides of her, more of the silent men had closed in. And that’s when it truly hit her. There was no escape.
Her blade, with its shimmering edge, was knocked from her grasp. It tumbled to the thick carpets, lying so close, even though it didn’t matter. The man with the blade hauled her back and threw her down in front of Master Kurfter.
The Vuret held his severed penis in one hand, while the other squeezed the tiny stump that remained. His chest heaved, his eyes wild as he gazed down at her.
“Kill me then,” she spat.
He stared for a painfully long time. “No. That would be too easy.”
Her body went cold. What the hell will he do to me now?
“You carved me up, little human, now I’m going to carve up every inch of that pretty flesh.”
The hairs on her arms stood on end as she forced her terror down. “Sure you have time for that? Because I’m no doctor, but I think you might want to hurry if you want that thing to be more than dog food,” she said, gesturing at the tube of flesh in his hand.
He roared, eyes flashing. “We’ll see how funny you are in a minute!”
“Master Kurfter?” A man’s hesitant voice came from the opening of the tent.
The Vuret whirled. “Prince Kegler, you were supposed to remain in the ship.”
Prince Kegler raised one finely sculpted brow, staring down a narrow nose. “It was taking too long. Have you got her or not?”
There was a moment of strained silence. “I got her, but you can’t take the bitch yet.”
He crossed his narrow arms over his sunken chest. “And why exactly not?”
“Just look at what she did to me!” he screamed, spit flying from his mouth, shaking his severed cock with one angry hand.
The prince finally seemed to notice the item in his hand, and the blood streaming down the large creature’s furry legs. “This tiny princess was able to wound you? Well, apparently, Ahmed exaggerated your abilities.”
The huge alien took a step toward him. “She needs to pay for this.”
For the first time, the prince’s gaze swept over the other men in the room. “I allowed you a dozen of my finest guards, and still you allowed one helpless female to attack you? No, Master Kurfter, she will not be paying for this. You will be.”
He turned, speaking behind his back. “Men, take her. And kill him.”
“No!” she cried, before realizing she’d spoken.
The Vuret was useless to her dead. The nanos that were currently flooding his body from the wound in his groin were her best chance at finally taking down Ahmed, now that she’d lost the necklace. Somehow, she needed to do more than survive. She needed to keep Master Kurfter alive and get her necklace back.
“Did you say something, my sweet?” the prince said, his gaze lingering on the swell of her breasts. “Perhaps you plan to beg for your release. I’d really like to see you beg…”
“No,” she said, more softly, imitating the princess’s voice. “I want you to leave the Vuret alive, and have him return my necklace to me. He stole it.”
The prince raised an arrogant brow, his ice-blue eyes sparkling with interest. “Even on your knees, you’re making demands. How very…like you. Perhaps I should give into you, what do I care about one stupid henchman?”
A wave of relief swept through her. If he did as she asked, she could still try to escape the second they exited the tent. He wouldn’t expect it if she played along. And what was more, her mission would also be a success.
He strode across the room. Tension built in the room like an explosion.
His men had silently gathered more closely to the Vuret, crowding both her and him. A soft sob reminded Erin of the two naked women concealed behind the throne. The prince ignored all of them, instead reaching for Master Kurfter.
“Give me this necklace she cares so greatly about.”
The Vuret held it out, soaked in his blood.
Prince Kegler didn’t reach for it. His nose scrunched up. “You really want this so badly? Some cheap gold, with what? Is that…wait…that’s the symbol of the Goddess of Lust.” His eyes narrowed. Unbuttoning the top of his white shirt, he withdrew a matching necklace. “What the hell trickery is this?”
The necklace holds all of Ahmed’s plans. Is it possible all of his more important henchmen carried the same information in identical necklaces?
Things had just taken an interesting turn.
The Vuret shook his head, his voice filled with pain. “My prince, she had it concealed in her ass.”
For the first time, the man turned his gaze on her. “You were carrying jewelry in your ass?”
“No,” she denied. “In my underwear.”
“And why exactly were you doing that?” His narrowed eyes slid down and stopped between her legs, where she was sure her ridiculously short leather skirt barely concealed her womanhood. “Think carefully before you speak.”
She swallowed around the lump in her throat. My life probably depends on answering him correctly. An answer she didn’t have. But she did have something else.
Moving slowly, while he watched her suspiciously, she slid a finger slowly between her breasts. His gaze snapped to the sight. The pure hunger in his slackened face made her sick.
“Do you like touching yourself?” he asked, his voice thick with need.
She hesitated for only a moment. “Yes.”
He was silent for a long second. “The things I’ll do to you…” He cleared his throat. “But it still doesn’t explain how you came by this necklace.”
She forced down her rage and disgust, keeping her tone even. “I found it in the market.”
“And why exactly was it in your ass?”
Gritting her teeth, she gave the only lie she could think of. “It’s a bit of a fetish of mine.”
“A fetish?” Excitement laced the words.
“Yes,” she said, striving for shy and embarrassed. “I like things…you know…”
He groaned. “Just wait until you see my special shelf. There are items in every shape and size…perfect for sticking in whatever hole I most want to see them in.”
She shivered, hoping he would think it was with desire. What a sick piece of shit.
“Let’s stop wasting time then.” He grabbed her arm and started hauling her out. “Master Kurfter, it looks like you’re going to live another day.”
Looking back, she gave a prayer of thanks that he’d left the Vuret alive, but wished she’d retrieved the necklace. I can’t be sure the prince’s necklace has the same data.
Can I escape and grab the one from Master Kurfter? Probably not.
Outside, the entrance to the ship was too close. Summing up all her strength, she kicked as hard as she could at the prince’s knee and took off running. Her pulse beat in her ears, her legs pumping as she watched the market slowly growing closer. But it’s still so far away.
Tugging at her ear, she muttered, “I’m just behind the market. A gray tent. A large ship. I’m almost—“
A heavy body slammed into her, and she went crashing to the ground, the hot sand tearing into her bare flesh as she slid along the surface. Not pausing, she rolled into a standing position and faced the silent man in dark colors. He hadn’t pulled out his blade, so she knew she had a chance.
“Come on then!”
He ran at her.
At the last second, she spun, kicking him square in the face. Blood spurted from his nose, but he didn’t react. Reaching for her, he grabbed one arm. She kneed him in the crotch, but his viselike fingers simply bit deeper into her. He started to drag her. Stumbling she fell to her knees, grasping his pants as she fell to the ground.
She gasped. The space between his legs was nothing but a mangled scar.
“He’s a eunuch,” the prince said, and suddenly shadows blocked out the light. “We take them as little boys. Some get to keep their cocks, and learn how to use them to please their masters. The others are taught to fight…something they certainly don’t need a cock for. You can guess which lucky one he got to be.”
He knelt down in front of her. “Now, Princess Jewta, how in the hell did you learn how to fight like that?” And that’s when his eyes widened, running over her face for the first time. “Wait a minute! You’re not the princess. Who the hell are you?”
Master Kurfter spoke from behind him, his voice strained. “Whoever the hell she is, can we both agree we don’t need her alive any longer?”
A coldness rushed over the prince’s face. “I thought I finally had her. I could finally make her mine. Whoever you are, you ruined that. And yes, I agree with my weak friend, I certainly don’t think we need you alive.”
A blade touched her throat. “If you have a god,” the prince’s harsh voice slid over her, “I think it’s time you pray to—“
The prince’s pale eyes widened. His mouth opened and blood gushed out.
“What the hell?” Master Kurfter said, stepping back.
Bodies fell to the ground all around her.
The Vuret screamed and started running for the ship.
Erin rose to her feet, staring around her at the bodies that littered the ground.
“Shall we go after him?” A familiar voice whispered in her ear.
The Intaqual!
A wave of relief swept through her. My father’s team. I don’t know how they found me, but thank God!
She released the breath she hasn’t realized she’d been holding. “We need him alive.”
But he has the necklace!
Turning, she raced after him. Almost in slow motion, she saw him enter the silver ship and watched the door slide closed. A second later, a roar surrounded her as it rose up into the sky, hovered for a moment, a massive shadow over them all, and then shot into space.
Frozen, all she could do was stare.
She couldn’t call her mission a complete success, but she hadn’t failed, either. I can pull the identical necklace off the prince’s body and see if it has the same information. And when I get back, I can make sure the nanos are working inside the Vuret’s body.
Sinking to her knees, she took a moment. A moment to gather herself before she had to report to her father.
Chapter Twenty-Four
When Caleb’s shuttle finally reached Sunja, a message full of static came through the ship.
“Erin will be meeting you at the shuttle as soon as you land. Please escort her back to The Odyssey,” the captain commanded.
Caleb froze. Erin is okay? He felt a rush of gratitude. As he’d sat impatiently in the ship, he’d begun to imagine every kind of awful thing that could’ve befallen her. It’d made his anger seem so trivial.
But now that he knew she was safe, he didn’t know how to feel. What would he do when he finally saw her? What would he say?
The doors to the shuttle opened, and he stepped out.
She was standing perhaps a hundred feet away with her back against a wall, and her eyes closed. She looked tired. Her mouth was pulled into a narrow line, her complexion pale. Almost ashen. The top two buttons on her uniform were left open, and the entire uniform was slightly wrinkled.
His heart lurched. What had she been through since the last time he saw her?
He went to her, as if compelled by some force greater than himself. He stood still just in front of her, watching as her stunning green eyes flashed open. She stiffened, then winced, looking away from him and to the ground.
“What are you doing here?” she asked. There was no attitude to her words, no fight.
A million responses leaped to his mind, bu
t instead he simply said, “I came to collect you.”
She followed him into the ship, easing herself into her seat. It took her a painfully long time to reach for the straps of her belts. But when she did, she fumbled with them, hands shaking.
Kneeling down, he buckled them for her.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, exhaustion and surprise coloring the word.
He sat down across from her. “What happened?”
She was silent for a long moment. He held his breath.
“Too much shopping,” she said.
It felt as if a cruel hand clutched his stomach. “Shopping?”
She nodded, then let her eyes close as she leaned her head back.
“Yet, you didn’t buy anything.”
“I meant helping our guests with their shopping.”
How easily she lies straight to my face.
“What guests?”
“Princess Jewta and her friends for one.”
He clenched his hands. “They returned to the ship about an hour ago.”
At last, she opened her eyes and looked at him. “I was helping the guests with their shopping, okay? What’s your problem anyway?”
The shuttles’ engines roared to life, and a moment later they were rising into the air, the cabin shaking slightly around them.
“You want to know what my problem is?” He felt the muscles in his jaw twitch. “I know you’re lying to me. Lying straight to my face.”
Her expression gave away nothing. “Believe it or not, I don’t give a damn.”
His knuckles cracked as he clenched them harder. “So what? I’m just a fool to you?”
“You said it, not me.” Her words were laced with arrogance.
He snapped, the words exploding, “So you weren’t hunting the criminals you’ve been investigating through their dreams?”
Her brilliant eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open, “How did you—?”
“I know,” he said, his anger making the words an accusation. “I know everything.”
She shook her head. “That’s impossible—“
“Tell me, how long have you been going into my dreams, Erin?”
