by Presley Hall
“Hello. I’m Elizabeth Banfield.”
She sticks out her hand, and he takes it slowly. He shoots a glance at me and then moves her hand up and down stiffly. I get the impression that this isn’t something he’s used to doing, and I realize with a start that he must’ve picked it up from watching me greet his men.
I flush slightly. Great. How weird did they all think I was for shaking their hands?
My friend seems fascinated by the man standing in front of her, and it reminds me a little of the way Droth’s men all looked at me. Not with fear, but with obvious curiosity.
She mutters under her breath as she lets go of his hand, her gaze scanning up and down his body. I don’t think her words are meant for anyone but herself, and I’m not even sure she realizes she’s speaking out loud.
“Pigmentation consistent with low-light habitat… eye shape further identifies nocturnal hunting. No, undertone is warm. Sunlight species. Possibly evolved from cave-dwelling bipedal species.” She nods to herself and turns to the group with a big smile. “Nocturnal apex predator. Just as I thought.”
“But they’re friendly, I swear.” I raise my hands, and the women’s gazes dart from me to Droth to the men in the forest.
The warrior beside me watches our interaction carefully. As he does, he steps closer and slips his arm around my waist, the gesture familiar and protective.
“Oh!” Elizabeth’s eyebrows shoot up so high they practically brush her hairline. Her gaze shoots to mine, her mouth dropping open a little. “A nocturnal apex predator indeed.” A slow smirk crawls across her mouth. “What exactly have you been up to, Charlotte?”
I’m not a very good liar. It’s always been an issue when I have to keep a straight face or deflect a question.
Right now, that particular character flaw is out in full force, because I can’t keep the guilty smile off my face.
23
Droth
Charlotte’s cheeks flush pink, and she looks up at me through her hair. It’s a shy look, but I can smell the faintest hint of her arousal.
These are her people. It’s important for them to understand that I pose no threat. I cannot speak their language, so in lieu of words, I will show them that Charlotte is valued, safe, and protected. Maybe if they see that I’m a fit mate, they’ll stop aiming their weapons at my head.
That, and she smells so good. So tempting.
I bend my head and nuzzle my nose against her neck, and the sweet scent of her arousal jumps higher. There’s a collective gasp among the females before they begin whispering among themselves.
Hmm. Maybe that was the incorrect thing to do?
It’s fine. I learn quickly and will understand their customs soon enough. I stop nuzzling Charlotte and stand straight once more, taking in the women around me.
The females of Charlotte’s species are as varied in appearance as Voxerans. They range from very short to moderately tall, from light as bleached sand to dark as obsidian, from thin to curvy. The one who took my hand seems to be their commander. She carries herself as such, and she speaks with authority. She’s the one that I have to become friendly with, and so I stare into her eyes, unblinking, showing her my strength and unbowed character.
She frowns and stares right back. After a customary few seconds, she is supposed to nod, but she doesn’t. Instead, she looks away and says something to Charlotte. Maybe that isn’t right either.
Charlotte holds her hands up and starts speaking. I wish, now more than ever, that I knew what she is saying. These are my people as well now. And if these women like it here, then maybe Charlotte will want to stay.
The ship is in worse shape than I thought. I don’t see any escape pods either. What I do see is layered metal on the underbelly of the ship, crushed computers on the middle level, and the sort of vessel architecture that I’ve only seen a few times in my life. It seems that Charlotte’s people are very advanced. But if they’re so advanced, then why doesn’t Charlotte have a multi-language implant?
Maybe it’s because the translator chips were supposed to be implanted when they reached their destination.
My brows furrow as a new thought occurs to me.
Perhaps Nuthora wasn’t the ship’s intended destination. After seeing the pieces fly through the sky, I assumed the pilot made an error and the ship got caught in the rings during its descent. But perhaps the error happened long before that. Perhaps the ship was en route to some other planet and only ended up on this prison world by accident.
If that’s true, then my mate is not a criminal. She truly doesn’t belong on this world.
That thought both breaks my heart and lightens it. It doesn’t surprise me at all to think that Charlotte is innocent of any wrongdoing, but I suddenly understand more clearly than ever why she wants to leave.
Slanch. There are so many things I want to ask her, so many questions I need answers to.
My gaze darts to the hulking mass of metal that was once part of a very large ship as a wave of determination fills me.
Just because Charlotte and the other women don’t have translators chips implanted, that doesn’t mean none are on board the ship. It may be a fool’s errand, but I will turn the wreckage inside out until I know for sure.
I look over my shoulder at my men, all of them waiting on my orders. “Search the ship for multi-language implants!”
They move as one, stepping out from the trees. A female barks something, and by the time I turn around, there are several more blasters leveled at all of us.
Akhi. I thought Charlotte had convinced her people that we are their allies, but perhaps not.
I just need to get inside the ship. I try pointing at it and making a giving gesture with my hands to the woman who is glaring the hardest, but she frowns and looks at Charlotte, who bites her lip.
Curse the fates. My jaw tightens in frustration. If there’s a chip in there, it will allow me to talk to my mate. I have to get on board that vessel.
I point to myself, then to my men. Then I make a walking motion with my fingers, point to the ship, cup my palms, and stretch my invisible offering out to the females. Charlotte’s face lights up, and she starts talking rapidly to the women. The tall one that shook my hand says something back, then gestures for the others to lower their weapons. With some reluctance, they do.
Good. They’ve given us permission to move in.
“Maek shour e dozent due nethen stoupahde,” the shorter, dark-haired one says. She crosses her arms and steps aside, gesturing to the ship.
I shoot a glance at my mate. If Charlotte is confident they won’t open fire on us, then I trust that we are safe. I don’t generally like being treated as an enemy when I’ve given no cause, but I would do the same in their place. The inhabitants of this planet are brutal and vicious, and suspicion is a way of life here.
The tall one I believe to be the leader guides me and my men carefully through the mines that have been laid out at irregular intervals in the clearing around the ship.
Charlotte sticks close by my side, her posture defensive, and something warms in my chest at the way she angles her body close to mine.
It’s both protective and possessive, and it makes my cock twitch as heat burns in my veins.
When we reach the ship, Charlotte grabs a metal cable dangling from the top level of the wreckage and starts to climb, using the deep gouges of each section as footholds. Once she’s up, I follow her, and my men are right behind us.
In the shade of the vessel’s interior, I can see how sleek and well-made everything is. If it were not so badly destroyed, the metal twisted and charred, it would be nearly luxurious. I have no idea what race built this ship, but it may be a cruiser model, based on the sleek design and attractive surroundings.
Charlotte takes my hand and leads me deeper into the ship. There are females walking on either side of us, their blasters poised to be raised at any moment. Jaro’s hard stare lands on a woman with light hair, and she tenses, her footsteps faltering
a little.
He backs away from her and serves as an example to the rest of the men, who keep their eyes forward.
They are all rather beautiful, so I can understand the fascination, but to my eyes, none are as beautiful as my mate. There has never been, and will never be, another like her.
“Droth, where should we start?” Axen calls from the middle of the group.
“The first rooms,” I tell him, excitement thrumming through my veins at the reminder of what I hope to find here. “Work toward the nose of the ship. We’re looking for their supply of multi-language implants, if any are on the vessel. They would be in a med box, most likely.”
If they have any other valuable tech, it’ll be in the captain’s cabin, so I start walking in that general direction, my hand clasped in Charlotte’s. The rest of the men start peering into the open doors that are spaced out along the hallway.
When we reach the captain’s cabin, I draw up short. It’s been ransacked. Every drawer and locker is wide open, wires strewn about everywhere. If the translators were in here, the women would have already found them. Still, I look, just in case. Charlotte doesn’t know what we’re searching for, but she starts rifling through things anyway.
After we sweep half of the room, Jaro strides in, escorted by a female standing a respectful distance with a blaster leveled at his spine.
“We found the implants,” he tells me. “An entire case of them.”
The serious expression he always wears doesn’t break as he speaks, but I smile widely, barely able to contain the rush of excitement that swells in my chest.
“Excellent.” My hand finds Charlotte’s, squeezing it tight. “Show me.”
Jaro leads me and my mate down the corridor to a wide set of double doors. They’re closed, and five females stand before the room’s entrance, guarding it. A black box sits in the middle of the hallway, its top propped open.
And sure enough, there are the translator implants. They’re almost microscopic, resting in individual foam cases.
“They wouldn’t actually let us in the room. They just brought out boxes when we asked. I think they have more blasters in there.” Jaro shakes his head, catching my gaze. His green eyes glint as he frowns. “I don’t trust these females, Droth. They want to shoot us—I can see it on their faces.”
“Of course they do.” I grin and clap him on the shoulder. “We’re strange men on a prison planet. I would be more suspicious if they seemed entirely at ease. They will come to trust us, I promise. Especially once we can understand each other.”
Jaro’s frown only deepens, and he crosses his arms but doesn’t reply.
His reaction doesn’t surprise me. Jaro was not among the group of rebels who were banished from Vox alongside me. He ended up on Nuthora through an entirely different set of circumstances and joined our settlement three years ago after one of our hunting parties found him nearly dead in the wilderness.
He’s had a hard life and has seen the worst of what the universe can offer. Although trust doesn’t come easily to him, his loyalty, once earned, is unwavering.
I know he distrusts these women, but I also know he will defer to my judgement and give them a chance if I command it.
Kaide loosens one of the translator implants from its foam casing and looks at me, holding it out.
“I can put it in for you,” he offers.
He’s the most qualified to handle the delicate procedure. All of my men are warriors, but Kaide has training as a medical tech as well.
“Thank you.” I nod, then hesitate, considering. “But I want the commander to watch you do it.”
Charlotte may be royalty—I’m still not sure if my guess is correct—but regardless, her commander will not permit her to act in a way that seems dangerous. If she and the other women see Kaide implant the chip in my head, hopefully it will put them at ease.
It will also allow me to confirm that the devices aren’t actually dangerous. I haven’t seen this specific model of MLI before, only similar multi-language devices, so I need to make sure that it works and has no adverse side effects.
We retrace our steps to the torn-away opening where the ship split apart. I slide down the cable and approach the commander, who stands near the ship’s base, regarding me with keen interest. She seems fascinated by me and my men, and I take the fact that she doesn’t appear as suspicious as some of the others as a good sign.
They will accept me, I tell myself. They will not try to keep me from my mate.
Charlotte isn’t far behind me, and I take her hand as we approach the group. I can hear my men descending behind us.
I hold my hand out and show the women the case with the translator nestled inside. As Kaide steps up to my side, I drop to my knees and hand the chip to him. The warrior plucks the chip from the foam with his deft fingers and then tilts my head down. I can’t see what he’s doing, but there’s a slight sting at the base of my skull, then I feel the tiny thing slip under my skin.
The sting fades away a moment later, and I look up to see all of the women watching me with wide eyes—my mate included.
I reach up to take Charlotte’s hand, bringing her knuckles to my lips. Her expression immediately softens, the line between her eyebrows disappearing, and I feel a small thrill of happiness that I can have this effect on her.
With my free hand, I point to Kaide, then to Charlotte. I pantomime talking as best I can, trying to show her what the translator implants will do.
At first, she looks hesitant, but I kiss her knuckles again and plead inside my head that she understands what I want. She glances at her people, who are all watching her, waiting to see what she will do. She doesn’t move or speak for a minute, and I’m not sure what decision she’ll make, but then she drops to her knees on the soft ground in front of me.
Our gazes catch, and then she drops her head like I did, giving Kaide silent permission.
With a satisfied grin, Kaide steps up behind her and presses a second MLI into the small indentation where her neck meets the back of her skull. The sharp edge pierces her skin. It’s only the tiniest cut, and only a small droplet of blood wells up. Hundreds of microscopic arms emerge from the chip and lengthen, as if drawn to the cut. It catches on her skin, and Kaide lets go of it. It only takes a fraction of a second for the arms to pull the chip into her body. There’s no bump left behind. It’s like nothing is there at all.
But that one little chip will change everything.
I look at my mate as she lifts her head, her delicate fingers reaching back to touch the place where the chip was implanted.
She wrinkles her nose, her eyes widening. “I don’t feel anything.”
“Nothing?” The commander steps closer, tucking a strand of light brown hair behind her ear. “Those had to be neural conductors. How can you not feel it? Does it work?”
Charlotte looks at me, something shifting in her expression as our gazes meet.
A smile spreads across my face. I couldn’t contain it if I tried.
Finally, I can speak to my mate.
I understood everything both she and the other woman said. Charlotte’s voice was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard even before I could comprehend her words, and now that I can grasp their meaning, her voice is even more addictive.
I stand up, and Charlotte stands too. We have an audience, both my people and hers, but I don’t care.
“Charlotte.” I whisper her name. I can say anything I want to her now, but that’s the first word that comes to my mind.
“Droth? Can you… can you understand what I’m saying?” She bites her lip as if afraid her words can’t possibly be true.
It’s past midday, and slanting sunlight streams down from above, cascading around her and pillowing her body in white light, like a goddess made to be worshipped.
“I’m so blessed to meet you, Charlotte Navarro,” I say in a low voice. “I am Droth, Prince of Toorin, of the planet Vox.”
She blinks at me. “Prince? You’re
a—?” Then she shakes her head as if gathering her focus. “I’m happy to meet you too, Droth. I… I’m Charlotte. United States ambassador and linguist.”
Ah. So she’s an ambassador, not royalty after all.
No matter. Poor or rich, royal blood or no, she is precious to me. Her lineage makes no difference. It wouldn’t have mattered on Vox, and it matters even less on this prison planet.
“I’m so happy to hear your words,” I murmur. I kiss her knuckles again, and she blushes. I like it when her cheeks go pink like this. I want to make it happen over and over again, in as many ways as I can find to do it.
I’m vaguely aware of the others gathering near. Kaide is dispersing the multi-language implants like treats, and my men are mingling with the crowd of females in a bid to get one quickly. Everyone is eager to communicate, and I’m glad of it—but I couldn’t focus on any of them right now even if I wanted to.
The woman before me holds my full attention.
“Charlotte.” I release her hand so that I can cup her face instead, gazing into her wide eyes. “I have so many questions.”
“Me too,” she says quietly. “There’s so much I’ve wanted to say to you. To tell you. To ask you.” She swallows, blinking hard. “I can’t believe we can talk.” Mirroring my gesture, she cups my jaw and looks up at me with big green eyes full of wonder. “Say my name again?”
“Charlotte.”
She grins. “Your voice is so beautiful.”
I’ve never been told that before. When I was a child, I thought that I wanted to sing at the war feasts, but Kardax liked to remind me that I sounded like a dying torcek, and those dreams were dashed. I was only five at the time, but the memory of what he said always stayed with me.
But here is a woman who thinks my voice is beautiful—who loves the sound of her name on my lips. It’s one of so many signs from the gods that Charlotte is my absolute, true mate.
“Where did you come from?” I ask, running my fingers through her rich brown hair.
“Earth. We were supposed to be making first contact with other life forms, but something happened. I think we went through a wormhole, and that damaged the ship, so we crashed.”
