Vanya grabbed a fistful of Shay’s hair and yanked her head back as far as the wall and collar allowed. “Silence, ji’tas!”
Drakkal roared. The sound was deafening within the confines of the transport, rocking the entire vehicle.
Shay glared up at Vanya and spat. Bloody saliva splattered on the azhera’s face. “Fuck you!”
Vanya recoiled, shock briefly claiming her features. An instant later, her lips pulled back to reveal her pointed fangs, and she raised a clawed hand high as though to strike.
“Master Foltham wants the terrans unharmed,” Nostrus called from outside the vehicle.
Halting her hand, Vanya stared at Shay. The female azhera’s chest was heaving, her nostrils were flared, and her eyes were burning with rage. She curled her fingers, extending her claws further. After a frustrated growl, she dropped her arm and stormed away from Shay.
Just removing herself from temptation, Shay thought, carefully tonguing the sliced flesh of her inner cheek.
“Then he best hurry before I change my mind,” Vanya said as she stepped out of the transport. “He isn’t the only buyer seeking terrans.”
Nostrus looked past Vanya into the vehicle. For a moment, his hate-filled eyes fell on Shay.
Yeah, fuck you, too.
Shay flipped him off.
“You made an agreement with my employer,” Nostrus said, turning back to Vanya.
The female azhera laughed; there was little humor in the sound. “Until we make the exchange, they’re my prisoners. I can do whatever I want with them.”
“Ah, my wayward bounty hunter has finally returned,” Murgen boomed from somewhere outside the transport. Vanya and Nostrus turned to face the direction from which his voice had come.
“Are you all right, kiraia?” Drakkal asked.
Shay looked at her mate. His hackles were raised, and there was a wild, furious gleam in his eyes. He looked like a beast barely in control. And could she blame him? Shay was afraid—especially with her still unconscious baby locked up in here—but she was angry, too. No, not just angry. She was fucking pissed.
“I’m fine,” Shay replied quietly.
Murgen and Vanya were speaking now, but their voices were too low for Shay to make out their words.
“We’re going to get out of this,” Drakkal said. His features tightened, and his muscles strained as he fought against the restraints. The wrist cuffs slowly moved away from the wall, a millimeter at a time, trembling with the stress he was putting on his body. Then the breath he’d been holding burst from his lungs, and his arms slammed back into the wall.
Drakkal’s chest heaved as he panted through his bared fangs. “We’re getting out.”
“Yes, you are,” Vanya said, again calling Shay’s attention. The female azhera climbed back into the transport, followed by two of Murgen’s burly guards. Vanya lifted her left wrist and input a command on her holocom. Simultaneously, Drakkal’s and Shay’s arms dropped away from the wall, only to be swung behind their backs, where the cuffs clanked together and locked tight.
The guards moved to Shay and Drakkal, grabbing the couple by their upper arms. Drakkal growled, opened his mouth wide as though to bite, and lunged toward the guard holding him; a light flashed on the collar around his neck, and his body seized. He dropped to his knees, held up only by the guard.
Shay clenched her teeth against the ache in her heart at seeing her mate in such agony.
“Behave yourself,” Vanya said, patting Drakkal’s cheek before she turned away from him and leaned over Leah’s box.
Red filled Shay’s vision. She snapped her head backward, smashing her skull into the face of the guard behind her. He staggered back, his hold loosening enough for Shay to break free.
She dove for Vanya. “Keep your fucking hands off my baby, you goddamned jealous bitch!”
Shay’s shoulder rammed into Vanya’s chest. The female azhera stumbled into the wall. Pressing her advantage, Shay lifted her knee, slamming it unto Vanya’s middle and knocking the wind out of the azhera. Before Shay could strike her again, the guard grabbed her shoulders and dragged her away from Vanya.
“I do hope everything’s all right in there,” Murgen called from outside.
Shay struggled against the guard’s hold, lips peeled back to bare her teeth; she was ready to tear Vanya to pieces. “I’ll fucking kill you if you touch her! I swear I’ll—”
An electric current blasted through Shay’s body, locking all her muscles and sparking a white-hot flash in her brain, more intense than any migraine. Though it must only have lasted an instant, the fiery agony beneath her skin felt like it had persisted for hours and didn’t immediately fade when the current ceased. Her knees buckled, and her muscles spasmed in the aftermath of the shock collar’s pulse. The guard grunted and held her upright by her biceps.
Arms drawn in close to her stomach—with one hand at her holocom’s control screen—Vanya straightened and snarled, “Get that ji’tas out.”
The guard dragged Shay toward the open doors. She had no control over her twitching limbs, no feeling in her fingertips. She understood now why Murgen had never used such force on her while she was his prisoner—there was no doubt in her mind that it would have caused her to lose her baby.
She slitted her eyes as she emerged from the transport; the lights outside were bright and pure, possessing a quality that was dreadfully familiar to her. Once they’d adjusted, she was unsurprised to find herself in a large room—a loading bay or garage—with the same sleek, clean walls that made up most of Murgen Foltham’s zoo.
Murgen himself was standing a few meters away from the transport, grinning around his big stupid tusks with his hands folded over his gut. He was flanked by Nostrus and several security guards.
“Give me a hand in here,” called the guard still inside the transport.
Two of his comrades, dressed in the same suits as all the guards—a strange blend of military and upper-class fashion—hurried into the transport. The vehicle shook, and the guards cursed and shouted amidst Drakkal’s snarls, which halted abruptly after another pained growl.
A few seconds later, the three guards dragged Drakkal’s limp form out of the transport. His eyes were open, and his fangs were bared, but he was unable to resist them; what could he have hoped to do, anyway?
What had she hoped to do?
Vanya stepped out of the transport carrying Leah’s box. She set it on the floor before Murgen. Leah was still unconscious.
Cold, nauseating fear slithered through Shay as she stared at her daughter, who looked far too pale. Leah was so small, so fragile. Had that gas harmed her? If it’d been potent enough to put down Shay and Drakkal, what had it done to Leah?
Murgen’s grin widened. He placed his hands on his thighs and ponderously squatted to examine Leah. “Fascinating. I wonder, are terran infants usually so lethargic?” He frowned and swung his gaze up to Vanya. “You didn’t damage it, did you?”
“It’ll wake eventually,” she replied nonchalantly. “Needed a stronger dose of gas for the other two. It always hits the small ones harder.”
Murgen glanced down again and tapped a thick finger on the glass. “You certainly achieved results, even if you were slow in delivering. I must admit to having had my doubts about you, azhera. These months have been troubling. I wondered if I had made a mistake hiring a being like you to hunt your own.” He straightened with a soft grunt and glanced at Drakkal, his lips dropping into a displeased scowl. “I’ve not been impressed by the trustworthiness of your people before now.”
“You hired me to do the job, I wanted to do it right. Your cargo is delivered, more-or-less unharmed, and there’s no trail linking you back to it. That takes time. You got what you wanted in the end.”
“Yes, I did.” Murgen’s grin returned, and he approached Shay.
She glared up at him as he reached for her hair. He took several strands of it in his meaty hand and forced Shay’s head to one side, then the other.
He touched the raised scars on her shoulder. “Bite marks, hmm? Has that azhera already been breeding with you? I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; he had that desire in his eyes the day he stole you away. Perhaps we’ll be lucky, and his seed will have taken root already. If not, we’ll just have to find another suitable specimen.”
Vanya growled, but it was cut short when she said, “I want the male.”
Murgen’s eyes widened, and he shifted his gaze back to the female azhera. Shay froze.
No!
“No,” Nostrus snapped; Drakkal snarled at the same instant.
Without looking at the volturian, Murgen lifted a hand and waved his fingers, as though to quiet Nostrus. “The male azhera was part of the deal. Changing the agreement at the last moment is not something I’m inclined to accept. It’s…rude.”
“I’ll make it worth the insult I’ve caused,” Vanya said.
Shay pressed her lips together and bit back her words. Nothing; there was nothing she could do. Vanya would only shock Shay into compliance the instant she spoke out. She looked first at Leah, then at Drakkal, who was on his knees with two guards holding his shoulders forward so he couldn’t straighten. Her mate and her daughter were her world, and she was completely helpless. She couldn’t save them.
Nostrus stepped forward and opened his mouth, but another sharp wave from Murgen silenced him.
A thoughtful sound rose from Murgen’s throat, and his neck flesh expanded. “I’m intrigued enough to hear what you have to say. Please.”
“He’s an escaped slave, wanted on Caldorius,” Vanya said. “Big reward for this one. I’ll waive the fee for capturing him and split the profit I make from hauling him back to his masters with you.”
“A lying zhe’gash,” Drakkal grumbled. “You two are well matched.”
Murgen snorted; he didn’t so much as glance at Drakkal. “I hardly see how that benefits you. No Caldorian slave master would pay as much as I’ve agreed to in this case, and that doesn’t even take into account the expenses you would incur for transporting him all the way to Caldorius. It would be far easier for all of us for me to simply pay your fee and dispose of him as I see fit.”
“It benefits my reputation. I bring him back all the way from Arthos, and it’ll impress the right people back on Caldorius—people with powerful ties. That results in more work for me.” Vanya shifted her gaze to Shay and smirked; it was an arrogant, hateful expression filled with gloating. “I’m trying to think of the larger picture, Master Foltham. I consider it a long-term investment that will pay off very well over time.”
I am going to fucking kill her.
Nostrus glared at Vanya before turning to face Murgen. “Sir, we have him here now. Just let me—”
“Enough, Nostrus,” Murgen said. “I’m well aware of what you want, but I didn’t agree to pay that exorbitant amount just to fulfill your need for revenge. I agreed to fulfill mine.”
“And what better revenge than what I’m proposing?” asked Vanya. When Murgen tipped his head toward her, she continued. “He’ll go back to Caldorius and receive harsh punishment from his owner. When—if—he recovers from that, they’re going to throw him into the fighting pits or set him to some backbreaking labor. Either way, he’ll suffer until his very last breath, knowing all along that you won, and that his…mate is here, part of your collection.”
Shay clenched her hands into fists.
Drakkal’s already furious expression darkened with Vanya’s every word, and the guards grunted, straining to hold the big azhera down as he swayed. With a growl, Drakkal got one of his feet beneath him and pushed up with his leg.
Stop, Drakkal. Please, just stop!
A third guard hurried over. It took all three to wrestle Drakkal back down; they forced him face-first onto the floor and knelt on his back to keep him pinned. His tail lashed stiffly.
Murgen thoughtfully tapped one of his tusks, taking in the display as though it were nothing important—and Shay didn’t doubt that he saw Drakkal as just another animal, no different in his eyes than Shay and Leah.
“He has cost me a significant sum through his actions. Buying the terran to begin with and then paying again to retrieve her has been quiet expensive,” Murgen muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Recovering a portion of it would be preferable, though the amount itself is not what’s important. And I must admit, the level of suffering you’ve described…well, it is certainly tempting…”
Nostrus’s jaw ticked as he glared at Drakkal, squeezing his fists at his sides.
A sudden, soft cry filled the garage.
Shay snapped her eyes toward Leah, who fidgeted and kicked as she woke, her cries growing louder. Shay’s heart pounded; she needed to go to her daughter, to hold her, to soothe her, needed to take her out of this goddamned place.
Murgen’s throat swelled again as he looked down at Leah. “What an unpleasant noise it makes.”
Drakkal growled and thrashed on the floor. One of the guards swore as he was nearly thrown off. Vanya calmly lifted her wrist and flicked a command, triggering Drakkal’s collar again. His growls took on an agonized tone as his body locked up, limbs straightening, for a second.
Stay still, Shay. Don’t move, don’t yell. There’s nothing you can do right now.
Though she knew that was the truth, seeing her proud, powerful mate brought so low and in so much pain wrecked her. Her body itched to move, to fight, but she knew it was a losing battle. She needed to bide her time. Gut reactions would get her nowhere.
“We in agreement or not?” Vanya asked.
Leah’s cries grew more frantic, her face reddening as tears streamed from her eyes.
Murgen frowned at the baby and slowly folded his hands over his gut. He nodded curtly. “Fine. You brought the youngling back unharmed, so we’ll consider that enough in lieu of the azhera. Nostrus, pay her the bounty for the terran. I want these two examined immediately. Have the medical team assembled.” He turned his head to look at Drakkal, and his lip curled. “Make sure he suffers. Profusely.”
Vanya grinned. “I’ll see to it.”
Nostrus strode forward, making no effort to mask his displeasure as he tossed a credit chip to Vanya. Her grin didn’t falter as she caught it. For a few seconds, they stood staring at each other, Nostrus brimming with cold fury, and Vanya with smug triumph. The tension in the air between them was palpable; Nostrus seemed ready to reach for the blaster undoubtedly holstered under his jacket, and Shay wanted nothing more than to see it happen.
So long as the prick didn’t shoot Drakkal, too.
Vanya finally dropped her gaze to the controls on her holocom and tapped a selection. “Her manacles are open for you to interface with now.”
Nostrus produced a small remote control from his pocket. Still scowling, he held it up to Shay’s collar and pressed a button. The device beeped softly, and he tucked it away.
Vanya swung her attention to the guards restraining Drakkal. “Mind tossing him in back?”
Murgen motioned to the guard behind Shay and another beside Leah. “No more standing around. Get the terrans inside, and the rest of you get that beast into her vehicle so we can be rid of him.” As he turned and walked away, he grumbled, “And someone quiet down the youngling!”
The borian guard beside Leah bent down to pick up her cage, a distinct look of distaste on his face. The guard behind Shay shifted his hold to her biceps, lifted her onto her feet, and forced her to follow the borian.
Shay turned her head, her eyes locking with Drakkal’s as he was hauled off the floor and dragged toward Vanya’s transport. His teeth were bared, and the light on his collar was on—that bitch was shocking him again—but the guards were still struggling to move him as his powerful legs fought for purchase, claws scraping the floor.
Though he didn’t speak—probably couldn’t speak—his eyes said everything.
I will get back to you, kiraia.
Then the guards dragged him into the back of the t
ransport, and he vanished from her sight. Shay shifted her gaze slightly aside to see Vanya staring at her, still wearing that arrogant grin.
Though she didn’t know how she’d do it, or when, Shay was going to knock that bitch’s teeth out before this was all done.
Twenty-Four
Despite his resistance, the effects of the shock collar were too strong for Drakkal to resist for long. After a couple minutes of struggle, Foltham’s guards finally managed to stand Drakkal up against one of the transport’s interior walls, and Vanya swiftly locked the manacles against it, forcing his hands up and to either side of his head. Growling through his teeth, Drakkal strained against the bindings and kicked at his captors. The panting guards stumbled backward to avoid his clawed feet.
“I’ll take it from here,” Vanya said, appraising Drakkal with smoldering, half-lidded eyes.
The guards wasted no time in exiting the vehicle, smoothing their rumpled suits and attempting to don an air of dignity and composure along the way. The doors closed behind them. The space was plunged into darkness but for the faint blue glow of instrument panels from the cab, which was through an open entryway up front. That light granted Vanya’s features a fittingly sinister cast.
Drakkal wished he’d seen her in such a light when they’d first met.
She sauntered toward him, and the raging fires in Drakkal flared with the intensity of an exploding star. He threw his weight forward, ignoring the pain in his shoulders and chest as the muscles were stretched beyond their normal range of motion, and snapped his jaws shut on the air a few centimeters from her face.
Vanya reacted only by widening her grin. Her eyes moved over him from top to bottom. “You always were big, Drakkal, but you’ve filled out very well over the years.”
Her scent, old, familiar, and despised, filled his nostrils; Drakkal focused past it, shifting his attention to the lingering scents of his mate and cub. His instincts thrummed with wild energy. He’d never wanted so badly to taste someone’s blood, to feel it running warm over his lips and down his throat, to watch it drip from his claws.
Untamed Hunger Page 33
