by Tana Stone
“We are here to negotiate the release of the human captives.”
The pirate captain leaned back in his huge chair, pulling Hope so that she was forced to sit on his lap. “There is only the one. I am open to selling her, although I must admit she intrigues me. If you do not offer a good price, I might be tempted to keep her for my own amusement.”
“Not in a million fucking years,” Hope said, shooting daggers at the captain.
He grabbed her jaw quickly, squeezing it until she drew in a sharp breath from the pain. “I would be careful if I were you, female.”
The man who’d been staring at her let out a low rumble that reverberated against the curved metal walls.
The other warrior ignored it but shifted one hand closer to his blade. “We do not take kindly to our brides being damaged. Where are the others?”
“Sold.” The captain dropped Hope’s chin and waved his hand in the air. “You do understand the concept of piracy, don’t you?”
His men laughed behind him, and both of the visiting men tensed.
The tattooed man shrugged. “Of course. Just as you, no doubt, understand the concept of Inferno Force warships.”
The pirate captain let out a weary breath. “You Drexians always make everything a battle.”
Drexians? These were Drexians? Hope squinted at the two men. She’d seen some of the Drexians when she’d been evacuated off the Boat, but she’d been too irritated and freaked out to pay much attention to them. At the time, she thought they looked like oversized human men in military uniforms.
Well, these guys were certainly big, but they’d lost the uniforms. And aside from being big, they didn’t look very much like aliens. Or, she should say, what she’d thought aliens would look like. Their skin was bronze, and they appeared to have no bonus appendages. Even Serge and Reina had looked more alieny than the Drexians.
“We do not wish for a battle,” the tattooed Drexian said. “But we are always prepared to fight to the death.”
“Yes.” The pirate captain rapped his fingers on the arm of his chair. “That’s one thing we can count on.”
Tattoo shrugged. “We’d hate to disappoint.”
The pirate captain leaned forward, a grin creasing his face. “I have a proposition for you, Drexian warriors.”
Both Drexians shifted slightly, as if bracing.
“I will give you the human.” He ran a rough hand through Hope’s hair without looking at her. “But only if you entertain me. I’ve always wanted to see a Drexian in action.”
No one spoke, and the captain flopped back in his chair, readjusting Hope so she was nestled between his thighs. “Fight one of my men for her, and she’s yours.”
“Agreed,” the Drexian with short hair who hadn’t spoken before said, causing the other man to snap his head over to him.
“Not so fast,” Tattoo said. “Who does he fight?”
The pirate captain rubbed his hands together, and she was pushed out of the way as the crew parted, revealing a hulking creature with horns curling out of the top of his head.
For a moment, Hope wished the tattooed Drexian had been the one to volunteer to fight for her. On the surface, he looked more menacing. Then she locked eyes with the Drexian who had agreed to the fight. His eyes blazed fury as he pulled out his blade, then he focused his gaze on her and her mouth went dry. She could almost feel his rage pulsing from all the way across the room. Maybe this was the warrior she wanted fighting for her, after all.
Five
Kos drew in a long, steady breath, his gaze on his tribute bride. He’d seen her image before, but only on a view screen, and that hadn’t done justice to her. It hadn’t been able to portray how her eyes sparkled and how sexy her pale hair looked when it was tousled around her face.
A static image also didn’t portray her quick mouth or her fondness for Earth curses. He suspected that if they didn’t get her out soon, her sharp responses to the pirate captain would land her in serious trouble, although Kos had to admit feeling a certain amount of pride that she’d snapped back at her captor. His mate was brave, even if she needed to learn to temper her impulses.
He’d quickly assessed that she wasn’t hurt. Scared, yes, but he didn’t see any bruises or signs of mistreatment. Not that he thought the Ganthar space pirates were humanitarians. He was sure they wanted to maximize their profit when they sold her, and a healthy slave was much more appealing than a battered one.
The pirate leader grinned as his fighter strode forward. He was clearly enjoying this, grinning widely as the horned creature cracked his neck and prepared for battle.
“You don’t need to do this,” Captain Brok said to him under his breath. “We have enough firepower to take them out.”
The Ganthar captain reached back and tugged Hope forward, pulling her back down into his lap as she slapped at him.
“Get your fucking hands off me, you fuckwit.”
Kos’s skin prickled with heat as he watched Hope struggle while the pirate gave her a swat on the ass and settled her between his legs. “Yes, I do need to do this.”
Brok looked from the horned alien to him and sighed. “You’re sure you’re not secretly Inferno Force?”
Kos gave him a brief smile. “Thanks. Just get the female out of here, whatever happens.”
Brok passed him his own blade, which was longer than Kos’s. “Take this. And all that ducking and moving you did with me? Do even more of it with this guy.”
Kos took the blade and nodded, then turned his attention to his opponent and stepped into the wide open circle on the floor.
The horned pirate was also shirtless, but he had straps crisscrossing his slightly furry chest that were studded with metal. Kos made a mental note to avoid getting in a lock with the guy. Those studs would not feel great jabbed into his flesh.
The creature’s eyes were small and solid red, giving him the appearance of a demon, and his horns were nearly black, with sharp points at the ends. Something else to avoid.
Kos’s heart knocked in his ribcage, but not from fear. Anger coursed through him, firing his blood and making his fingers tingle in anticipation. He wanted to rip the pirates apart for holding his tribute captive, but even more for frightening her. Seeing Hope fight off the pirate captain as the alien put his hands on her sent fresh waves of rage through him.
The horned pirate sidestepped around the edge of the makeshift ring, his huge feet echoing off the metal floor. He didn’t hold any weapons, but he flexed his meaty hands, his knuckles cracking.
Kos knew he should be worried. The alien was clearly comfortable in hand-to-hand combat and was confident enough not to feel the need for weapons, even as Kos stood across from him holding two curved blades. If he’d been thinking straight, Kos might think he was outmatched. But he wasn’t thinking. He was reacting to the sight of another male touching his mate. He growled and twisted the blades in his hands.
The pirate crew cheered loudly as the fighters circled each other, but the Inferno Force captain did not move from where he stood on the edge, his thick arms crossed. He didn’t seem worried, although Kos had never seen an Inferno Force warrior appear worried. It didn’t seem to be in their DNA.
Focusing on his opponent, Kos watched the way he moved. He was big, but he wasn’t fast. His steps were deliberate, and when he moved closer and thrust out an arm in a punch, the movement was powerful, but plodding. Kos ducked easily, rolling underneath him and coming up on the other side, spinning and swiping at the pirate’s bare arm.
His blade nicked him, and the creature howled. Rushing forward, the alien lowered his head to butt Kos with his curved horns. Kos saw it coming and spun to the side, hitting the pirate hard on the head with the flat of one of his blades. The metal made a loud noise as it hit the horns, and the alien staggered back, shaking his head.
The pirate crew groaned and jeered, their yells angry. Kos glanced over at Hope. Her eyes were fixed on him, and she nibbled the edge of her bottom lip. He wanted to te
ll her not to worry, but before he could open his mouth or even give her a comforting smile, he saw a flash out of the corner of his eye. The horned alien plowed into him, lifting him off his feet and slamming him onto the ground.
All the air rushed out of Kos, but he managed to roll away before the creature could slam a heavy foot down on his face. He jumped up, slightly dazed, and danced to the other side of the ring. The pirate bore down on him again, but Kos was ready. Feinting to one side, he pivoted quickly then somersaulted in the air and came down behind his opponent, slashing at the creature’s hamstrings.
With a bellow of pain, the alien sank to the ground as blood rushed from the backs of his legs. The pirate crew gasped and then went quiet. The captain leapt to his feet, causing Hope to fall forward onto the floor.
“Enough!” the Ganthar leader said, holding up a fist. He stared at his crew member, his lips twisted in disgust. “You’ve made your point.”
Kos was breathing hard, but he straightened and lowered his blades. “We’ll take the female now.”
The captain grunted, looking down at Hope and kicking her down the few steps to the open area. She yelped, but caught herself with her arms, standing and shooting daggers over her shoulder at the alien.
Kos tossed Brok his blade, and the Inferno Force captain stood over the horned pirate as he lay on the floor grasping his legs and howling.
Kos strode forward, fighting the urge to run, and put an arm around Hope. He searched her face, and she managed to give him a weak smile. “I’m fine.”
Brok met his eyes as he walked Hope away from the rumbling pirate crew. “Go to the shuttle. I have unfinished business with our Ganthar friends.”
Kos hesitated, twisting his head and seeing the pirate captain flinch.
“You have what you came for,” he said, baring his grimy teeth.
“Not quite.” Brok flexed his shoulders and readjusted his grip on his blade. “Before we can leave you to continue your life of piracy, I’m going to need the names of who you sold all our humans and crew members to.”
The Ganthar leader leaned back, clenching the armrests until his knuckles went white. “You’ll never find them all. By now they’re spread across the galaxy.”
Brok gave the man a smile that made Kos go cold. “For your sake, let’s hope that is not the case.”
Kos realized that neither he nor Hope was breathing. He tightened his grip around her shoulders and propelled her forward, out of the round chamber of the pirate ship. Hurrying down the steel corridor, her body stiffened as they passed door after door with small porthole windows.
“Are these the cells where they held you?” he asked.
She nodded but didn’t speak. When they were halfway down the long, curving hallway, Hope stopped. Her eyes were downcast, and he thought she might feel ill.
“We’re almost to the shuttle,” he said. “Soon you’ll be off this ship forever.”
“I don’t suppose the shuttle is very big?”
He shook his head. “Not really. The three of us will fit, though.”
She bent down and picked up a flat steel card lying on the floor. “They may not be able to come with us, but maybe this will give them a fighting chance.” She moved quickly to one of the cells, inserting the card into a slot and standing back as the door swung open.
Kos watched open-mouthed as she moved quickly down the rest of the hallways, opening doors and freeing prisoners. Soon the corridor was filled with aliens of all kinds, many of them clearly fighters bound for gladiator slavery.
When she’d freed everyone, she handed the access card to one of the prisoners. “If I were you, I’d head to the bridge. You should be able to take control of the ship before the crew knows what’s going on.”
Brok ran up to them, his head swiveling as he took in the aliens moving freely. “What’s going on? I thought you two were already in the shuttle.”
“Slight detour,” Hope said. “Just had to start a revolution before we left.”
Brok cut his eyes to Kos. “I like her.” He pushed them both forward toward the waiting shuttle, lowering his voice. “But you’re going to have your hands full, my friend.”
Kos took Hope by the hand, pulling her behind him and running as screams erupted behind them. So much for a smooth getaway.
He suspected the captain was right about his bride. She was far from a helpless female.
Six
Hope rushed onto the shuttle behind the Drexians. Her heart was racing, partly from running and partly from the exhilaration of releasing all the prisoners and unleashing them onto the pirate crew.
“That was awesome,” she said, pausing after running up the ramp.
The two Drexians exchanged a look, and the one who’d fought for her pushed her down into a chair and strapped her in before taking one of the black swivel chairs in front of the main console.
“Come on, guys,” she said, heaving in a breath as the ramp behind her slammed shut and the engines powered up. “You have to admit that was pretty amazing.”
“Let’s get out of here,” the tattooed Drexian said, tapping the shiny console as the ship shot forward and out of the small hangar bay.
Hope peered out the slanted front window of the ship as they burst into space. Two hulking gray ships hovered nearby, and they appeared to be heading toward the smaller of the two.
“Did the captain give you the names of the buyers?” one of the Drexians asked the other.
The other nodded. “He was right that they’re spread out. He didn’t sell the brides and our crew members to just one alien. For the most part, he sold them individually. It will take one ship a while to track them all down.”
“You should take two.”
The tattooed warrior cocked his head. “We need to get your tribute bride back to the outpost first.”
Hope made a face. Were they talking about her? “Hey! Do you mean me? Am I the ‘tribute’ you need to take somewhere?” She held her fingers up to make air quotes.
Both aliens turned to face her.
“First of all,” she continued after taking a breath, “I have a name, and it’s Hope. Second of all, I’m no one’s tribute, and I’m certainly not a bride.”
The Drexian who’d fought for her flinched. “My name is Kos of House Kavison and you are, in fact, my tribute bride.”
Hope arched an eyebrow at him. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Kos. I appreciate the rescue and all, but, like I said, I’m no one’s bride.”
The edges of the tattooed Drexian’s mouth trembled, and he spun back around. “Regardless, we cannot take her to rescue the rest of the tributes. She must be taken back to the outpost.”
“Agreed, Captain Brok,” Kos said. “I will take her back in this shuttle. You and the rest of the Inferno Force hunting party should take both ships to find the others.”
Brok studied him for a moment. “You are sure you wish to take her back alone?” He slid his eyes to her. “You know tribute brides have been known to be less than cooperative.”
Kos also glanced at her, then back at the captain. “We will be fine. Taking an Inferno Force ship from the hunt will lose valuable time. The faster you can go after the tributes and missing crew members, the faster you can get them back.”
“Are you talking about going after the other women who were abducted?” Hope asked. “Because I should go with you. I could help.”
“Out of the question,” Kos said. “It’s too dangerous.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Because I’m a woman or because I’m human?”
“Both,” Captain Brok said. “We cannot risk you again after finding you, and there is no place for a female on an Inferno Force ship.”
Hope huffed out a breath and sat back. She hated the idea of being hurried off to safety while the other women—not to mention Serge and Reina—were still out there. She thought about the kind-hearted Vexling, and her throat tightened.
The shuttle approached the smaller of the two ships, sli
ding into an opening on one end. They hovered above the hangar bay before setting down with a small shudder.
The captain stood, giving her a brief bow. “I wish you a quick journey and a happy bonding.”
Hope’s mouth opened and closed. That was definitely the strangest goodbye she’d ever gotten. “Uh, thanks, I think.”
He pivoted to Kos, who had also stood. The Drexians clasped each other’s arms at the elbow.
“There is always a place for a warrior like you in Inferno Force,” the captain said. “A fighter like you should not be stuck on a space station bridge.”
Kos nodded, something between regret and acceptance flickering across his face. “Thank you, Captain. Good hunting, sir.”
Brok released his grip and gave the warrior a flicker of a smile. “Good luck.”
He strode off the shuttle, and Kos twisted back around toward the console as the ramp started to rise again.
“That’s it?” Hope asked, unhooking her safety straps. “We’re leaving?”
Kos glanced over his shoulder. “You should be seated during takeoff.”
She took the seat at the console that the captain had abandoned, giving him a sweet smile. “Better?”
He shrugged. “As you wish.”
Despite wanting to be angry at him for being so bossy, she couldn’t stop her gaze from lingering on his bare chest, still glistening with sweat from his fight and their escape from the ship.
“So, what’s the plan?” She tore her gaze from his impressive bare skin and leaned back in the chair. “We fly off into the sunset, get back to this outpost place, get married, and live happily ever after?”
His fingers hesitated over the console. “Something like that.”
“One problem, mate. I’m not tribute bride material. I keep telling everyone, but no one listens. I have zero plans to get hitched; I never have. It’s not my style to be with one person forever, or even for longer than a month. So, I hate to ruin the plan, but you and I aren’t going to happen.”
