Dathrow

by Leora Gonzales

  “Pixie! Breathe in and out. In and out.”

  Pixie tried to focus on Wheaton’s face and voice as he spoke but her vision was starting to gray around the edges, his concerned expression becoming fuzzier and fuzzier the more she stared.

  * * * * *

  “Are you with me yet?” Wheaton’s voice came through the fog in her brain.

  “What?” Pixie spoke the one word and felt her head spin. Leaning her head against his chest, she realized she was being carried down the corridor.

  “You passed out after scaring me to death,” Wheaton grumbled.

  “Wait, what happened?” Pixie shook her head and then regretted the action. She felt as if she’d been on a weekend bender.

  “We have been attacked. I am taking you to Poppy and placing you both under guard until we can figure out what exactly has happened.”

  At his words, it all came rushing back to her. “Is he really gone?” Pixie’s voice broke as she asked the one question she needed an answer to. “Please say no.”

  “Pixie, we are trying to find out. The defense system is showing there were no survivors from the blast.” Wheaton’s pace quickened as he neared the corridor both their apartments were on.

  As they neared the door that led to her home, another siren started ringing. This time both their bands were flashing with lights as well.

  “Shit!” Wheaton yelled, increasing his speed.

  “What’s happening?” Pixie asked, sensing his panic.

  “We have been boarded.” Wheaton stopped in his tracks. Turning to her apartment door, he waved his arm.

  “Stay!” Wheaton shoved her inside the opening the minute the entrance swished open.

  “But—”

  “Pixie, the system shows intruders on this floor. I need to find them.” Wheaton hit a red button on the side of the door. “This will lock you in for safety. I will come back with Poppy as soon as the threat is eliminated.”

  The door slid shut before Pixie could say anything else.

  “Shit.” Pixie paced by the door. Every so often she would stop and stare at the controls next to the door. The red light was still shining bright, showing the door was sealed against entry.

  Popping noises sounded just outside the door. Pixie jumped every time the short bursts of noise broke the silence. “Sweet Jesus.”

  Moving a little further into the apartment, Pixie’s breath caught in her throat when she heard the entry tone buzz from the door.

  “Please be Wheaton. Please be Wheaton. Please be Wheaton.”

  As the door began to slide open, her breath caught in her throat. Feeling lightheaded again, she said one word before crashing to the floor.

  “Dath?”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Wake up, sweet one.”

  “Dath?” Pixie opened her eyes slowly.

  Damn. Her ass hurt.

  “Are you okay? I wasn’t able to get to you in time.” Dathrow’s voice was soft and concerned.

  “I’m fine. What the hell is going on?” Pixie waved off his concern. Touching his face and chest, she patted him to make sure he was real. “You’re not dead.”

  “No. I’m not.” Dathrow hugged her to him as she finished her inspection.

  “You’re not dead,” Pixie repeated. Saying the words again made her feel better. In fact she wanted to repeat them again and again. “Thank God.”

  Pixie pulled away enough to be able to place kisses over his face. Peppering them over his cheeks and lips, she hugged him as close as she was able to. After a moment, she noticed his tunic was singed.

  “What the hell happened?” Sitting back, Pixie ran her finger over the blackened spot on his torso.

  “It is a long story,” Dathrow started.

  “Tell me,” Pixie interrupted, wanting to know everything.

  “I was on the shuttle—”

  “Which we will talk about by the way.” Pixie gave him an evil look and smiled when he grimaced.

  “I was on the shuttle, but as we were about to take off, I knew I needed to speak to you. I spoke to the other security officers and Taron was willing to take the lead position on the mission.”

  “Oh no, not Taron.” Pixie felt her eyes tear up at the thought of the warrior’s death.

  “I left the docking bay and headed to your sister’s quarters. I believed that you would be there since the apartment was scanning empty. After she explained that you had already left, I was about to leave when the alarms sounded.”

  “So you’ve been with Poppy the whole time?” Pixie asked.

  “Yes but it was innocent, I swear to you—” Dathrow said quickly.

  “Dath, stop. I know it was innocent. You don’t even need to explain. In fact, you never need to feel the need to defend yourself about Pops. I get it now.” Pixie snorted under her breath at her own insecurity. “It took me a while but I get it.”

  Dathrow leaned his forehead against hers and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank the stars.”

  “You still didn’t explain what happened to make your shirt have a burn mark,” Pixie said as she touched the black area again.

  “Verge warriors tried to enter Wheaton’s dwelling.”

  “Oh my God, is everyone okay?” Pixie asked, panicked.

  “Poppy is fine. Her guard was injured but I was able to stop the attack quickly.” Dathrow moved to pull off his shirt. “When Wheaton came down the corridor, he distracted them long enough for me to pull Finch into the apartment and provide backup to Wheaton against the intruders.”

  “So they were after Poppy?” It was all too much for Pixie to take in. If Dathrow hadn’t gotten off that ship, not only would he not be alive but her sister could have been killed or taken.

  “I believe so. She is not only the wife of a senior council member but also carrying the start of a new generation of warriors.”

  “I need to tell—” Before Pixie could finish her sentence, the door tone indicated someone was about to enter.

  Dathrow stood up in front of her. Pulling a small gun out of a side holster she only now noticed, he shielded her behind him.

  Four men dressed in guard uniforms entered their apartment. Behind them trailed a man Pixie had never seen before.

  Dathrow lowered his weapon and nodded to the men. “Councilor Tharon.”

  “Dathrow.” The slender warrior nodded back, his expression grim.

  “What brings you to my quarters? Has the threat not been dealt with?” Dathrow asked, his voice tense.

  Pixie stiffened when Dathrow continued to use his body to shield her. Casting a side look at her husband, she realized that he was protecting her from what he perceived as a threat. Apparently Wheaton wasn’t the only one who didn’t trust this councilor.

  “That is not why I am here.” The councilor nodded to the guards standing at his sides. “Let us get this over with.”

  One of the guards pulled restraints out of his pocket while another raised his gun and pointed it at Dathrow. Using one hand to hold her back and out of the way, Dathrow stepped forward so Pixie wasn’t close to the guards as they approached him. Moving quickly, the men secured his hands together before placing what resembled a piece of tape over his mouth.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Pixie sputtered.

  Before Pixie could comprehend what was happening, Poppy and Wheaton rushed into the apartment.

  Pixie threw her hands up into the air. “Will someone please tell me what’s happening and why my husband is being handcuffed and gagged? Now!”

  “Pixie, I—” Poppy started talking but stopped when the council member put his hand in her face.

  “Hell. No.” Poppy smacked the hand out of her way and looked as if she was about to launch herself, pregnant belly and all, at the man who dared shush her.

  “Tharon, a word of warning, if you ever disrespect my bride again, I will end you.” Wheaton spoke in a deadly voice, causing everyone to freeze in place.

  “Thanks, babe,” Poppy whispered out of
the side of her mouth. “Now take care of that,” she ordered, pointing to a bound Dathrow.

  Pixie rushed over to Poppy and hugged her tight. “Thank God you’re okay.”

  “Those alarms are getting pretty old pretty quick,” Poppy said, shaking her head.

  Pixie turned back toward the men. “Someone tell me what’s happening.”

  “Dathrow is being charged with abandoning his post. He is to be taken into custody until the council schedules a hearing to decide his punishment,” Tharon stated as he adjusted the front of his tunic. “We are wasting time. Bring him along.”

  “The council has not voted to charge him with anything yet, Tharon. You overstep your bounds,” Wheaton bit out.

  “Wheaton, he is being charged with leaving his post. I am tempted to add the deaths of our Phaeton brothers aboard the shuttle to the case against him.”

  Wheaton crossed his hands over his chest and planted himself in front of the smaller councilor. “And how do you presume that?”

  “The delay that Dathrow created when he decided to leave the shuttle could have contributed to it not clearing the firing range of the Verge ship. If he had stayed with his crew, the shuttle may have been able to complete their mission.”

  “Or he could be dead along with them!” Wheaton shouted at the man. “The Verge were lying in wait for that shuttle and used the original blast as a diversion.”

  Pixie felt as if she were stuck in some strange nightmare. First Dathrow was dead, then he was alive, but now they were trying to take him away from her. What was next?

  “Guards, take him to the brig. He will await the hearing in our custody along with the others we have arrested today.”

  Pixie sputtered and tensed into a fighting stance, ready to spring forward, ready to do what it took to free her husband. Wheaton held out his arm to hold her back, his look stern. “Pixie. Let this happen right now. I will take care of this. You have other things you need to focus on currently.” Giving a quick glance to her stomach, Wheaton conveyed what he was talking about without giving away her secret.

  Taking in the serious face on her sister’s husband, Pixie let out a deep breath and nodded. She trusted Poppy and if her sister trusted her husband, then she did as well.

  Tharon waited while they walked out with Dathrow before turning around to smirk at Wheaton.

  “You may want to prepare your sister-by-marriage. I have a feeling that Dathrow will not fare well during the hearing.” Tharon gave a short mocking bow before leaving.

  Wheaton put his hands on his head and growled angrily, the sound reminding Pixie of an angered wild animal. A sound she wished she could mimic at that moment.

  “What just happened?” Pixie walked up to Wheaton and poked him in the stomach.

  “Hey, don’t poke him. He tried to help,” Poppy defended. “We didn’t know they were on their way until a few minutes ago.”

  “Wheaton?” Poppy ignored her sister’s jabbering, staring down the man who would be able to give her some answers.

  “Pixie…” Wheaton turned away, obviously frustrated and paced across the room. “Dammit mother of bitches!”

  “Well…he’s trying,” Poppy whispered to Pixie when they both couldn’t help but stare.

  “The charges were logged into the system at the same time as the Verge prisoner information. I almost did not see it at first,” Wheaton explained.

  “What does it mean?” Pixie asked again, getting more and more twitchy the longer he stalled.

  “He was assigned as head security officer of that shuttle. When he had another officer take over, it wasn’t with official permission.”

  “So basically they’re charging him with going AWOL?” Pixie asked, unable to believe the situation.

  “I am unsure what that means but he will be charged and possibly stripped of his status,” Wheaton answered.

  “Well, that isn’t too bad, right?” Poppy threw in, obviously trying to help.

  “If that is all he is charged with. I have a feeling Tharon will try to get him charged with more.”

  “Yeah, that guy is an asshat,” Poppy seconded.

  “And if that happens?” Pixie prodded, focusing on Wheaton.

  “Pixie, if he is charged with the deaths of those men on the shuttle…”

  “Tell me,” she demanded, walking over to where he was standing. “Please.”

  “He faces hard labor on the mining planet.”

  Pixie felt her stomach drop. Swallowing hard, she sank to her knees.

  “This can’t be happening.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  “I want to see my wife.”

  “You are facing serious charges, Dathrow. Are you not more concerned about what will happen to you instead of your fat little human?” Tharon goaded from the chair he was occupying on the other side of the room.

  “Councilor Tharon, if I hear you speak one more word about my wife…” Dathrow gritted out, his voice wavering with the anger he was feeling. The tremble in his voice could also be attributed to the fact that he hadn’t been allowed food since arrested. Water was his only allowance in the cell that Tharon had placed him in. Soon he was going to be too weak to fight if approached by one of the councilor’s lackeys.

  “You will what? You are the prisoner here, Dathrow. Make no mistake that you will be found guilty of the crimes you have committed and be punished accordingly. Might I add that you are not looking very well. I guess the food for the prisoners is not as good as expected?”

  Dathrow thumped his bound hands down onto the table he was secured to and yelled, “I did not commit any crimes!”

  “That is for the council to decide.” Tharon stood and smiled confidently. “I will leave you to your thoughts.”

  “You won’t get away with this, Tharon,” Dathrow growled.

  “That is Councilor Tharon to you.”

  With that parting remark, the councilor left the room.

  Slumping as much as his restraints would allow, Dathrow let out a low groan. How had this happened? He had everything he had ever wanted within his grasp and it was snatched away at the last minute. Was Pixie okay? Wheaton had given him the message that she was fine but wouldn’t say any more.

  Dathrow cursed when he remembered Wheaton telling him that she refused to go to medical after her fainting spells. His little human was going to drive him crazy at this rate. Folding his hands into fists, he moved them to his mouth. No matter what, Pixie was the only thing that mattered right now. Not him or his future. Pixie was his focus and that was the only thing that was getting him through this.

  * * * * *

  “Don’t tell me I can’t see him!” Pixie yelled, causing Poppy to flinch.

  “Pix, give him a break. He’s been working on it but the council isn’t really helping.” Poppy’s voice relayed the frustration everyone was feeling.

  “That’s what I don’t get. Why is the council being a giant bag of dicks?” Pixie tossed her hands in the air and walked to grab another brownie from the table.

  “Kaine and the rest of the council, who would see this as a foolish power play, are on their way. It is simply taking longer than expected for them to arrive,” Wheaton explained.

  “This is ridiculous!” Pixie said hotly. “It’s been four days and they won’t even let me see him. He doesn’t even know he’s going to be a father yet.”

  Poppy moved to her sister’s side. Snagging the brownie out of Pixie’s hand, she took a bite before setting it down. “Maybe if Wheaton gave him the news, it would cheer him up,” she suggested.

  “No. I refuse for him to find out I’m pregnant in a jail cell. That just screams white trash.”

  “He is not doing well, Pixie. Poppy is right. Giving him something positive to focus on might be a good idea,” Wheaton prodded.

  “No. I want him to hear it from my own lips. I have to be able to see his face when he finds out,” Pixie argued.

  “Fine,” Poppy said as she cuddled onto Wheaton’s lap. />
  “Did the council learn anything more about the shuttle explosion?” Pixie asked, wanting to change the subject from the baby news.

  “Nothing yet. The shuttle recordings are still being studied.” Wheaton shifted Poppy off his lap. Giving her a soft kiss when she pouted at being displaced, he smiled softly. “I need to send a message, little flower.”

  When Wheaton walked over to the message center, Poppy and Pixie grumbled about the situation to each other. Their bitch sessions didn’t solve anything but they made them both feel better. Pixie had the mindset that voicing your displeasure was a good way to relieve the stress. Just the other day, she’d screamed into a pillow for a few minutes while Wheaton stared at her with fright on his face.

  “Good news.”

  Both women sat up expectantly at Wheaton’s words.

  “Please tell me it’s really good news,” Pixie begged.

  “It is actually two pieces of good news,” Wheaton said, smiling.

  “Spit it out!” Poppy snapped, her brownie-induced calm having worn off.

  “First, the council members we’ve been waiting for are docking.”

  “And second?” Pixie asked, wondering what else he’d found out from the ship’s system.

  “The analyses of the shuttle explosion recordings are complete. They have come to the conclusion that there was a device on the shuttle that caused the explosion.”

  Pixie shook her head, not understanding what exactly that meant. “How is that good news?”

  “If there was a device on the shuttle then it was intended to explode regardless of when it left the docking bay. Dathrow’s actions had no bearing on the deaths of the men,” Wheaton explained.

  “Holy shit,” Poppy breathed out. “You know what this means, right?”

  Wheaton and Pixie both gazed at her in question.

  “If there was a bomb on the shuttle, then you have a traitor in the docking bay.”

  At Poppy’s words, Wheaton jumped up and ran to the door.

  “Where are you going?” Pixie yelled as he left.