by Lynn Hagen
“But there’s still a chance.”
Thoran cupped Eaton’s cheek, his thumb brushing over his skin. “You have to trust that I know what I’m doing, that my training and gut instinct will keep me alive.”
“Can’t you just stay here with me?” Eaton knew there was no chance Thoran was going to stay behind. He was a warrior through and through. The other Breed Assassins were his family and Thoran would rather have his body parts cut off than stay while they fought.
“You know I can’t, kitten.”
“Stop coddling the pussycat and give him a weapon,” Ben said when he returned to the bridge, strapped to the teeth with weapons. “Your mate should be able to fight at your side, not whimper at your heels.”
Thoran bared his canines. “Mind your own fucking business.”
Ben’s statement only solidified Eaton’s resolve to go with Thoran. “He’s right, Thoran. I don’t want to stay here pacing with worry the whole time.”
“But you’re carrying my fucking child!”
Thoran’s eyes widened and then narrowed as he looked over his shoulder at Ben. It was as if his mate hadn’t wanted anyone to know.
Ben gazed between them. If Eaton wasn’t mistaken, something painful passed through the runner’s eyes. Eaton wasn’t going to ask and he knew Ben wasn’t going to tell. The Marauder kept his gaze on Eaton and it was the first time he looked at Eaton with something close to kindness. “He stays.”
“No!” Eaton argued. “You just said—”
“That was before—” Ben waved his hand at Eaton’s stomach. “You stay.”
“Who the hell do you think you’re ordering around?” Thoran snarled at Ben. “He’s my mate.”
“Make up your mind,” Ben said. “Either you want him to stay or you want him to go.”
“I’ll tell him, not you,” Thoran replied before turning to Eaton. “Go to our quarters.”
“Don’t take it out on me because you two are having a pissing contest,” Eaton grumbled as he walked off the bridge. Fine, he would capitulate for now. But as soon as he could, he was going to leave this ship and help them find Jade. He could hear Ben and Thoran going at it on the bridge, but Eaton ignored the two.
Instead, he headed toward his quarters. Thoran had moved Eaton’s things into his quarters just two days ago. There wasn’t much to move considering Eaton had fled Crossover with the sheer clothing on his back. But he liked sleeping next to Thoran and waking up in the man’s arms.
That was something he cherished, and he wasn’t going to risk losing it because Thoran was too pigheaded to let Eaton come along. Once in his room, Eaton changed into his battle suit, slipped his boots on, and then gazed out of the porthole, watching as the shuttle left the Venture and headed toward the planet.
He’d been on this ship for a month and a half and he was ready to breathe some fresh air.
Eaton waited another half an hour, and then crept down to the shuttle bay. He had no clue what he was doing, but how hard could it be to fly one of these things? From what his father had told him, most of the aircrafts were automated. They’d discussed the subject once when Eaton stood outside the blacksmith shop, watching the smaller ships whizz by the village. He was five at the time and thought being up in one of those sleek ships would be the coolest thing.
Now that he’d ridden on one, he was positive it was the coolest thing.
Eaton slipped into the shuttle and took a seat, staring at the console. It might as well have been in another language because he had no clue what he was looking at. He began searching for something that might read auto pilot.
And he found it.
Eaton pressed the silver button and panicked when the shuttle lifted. The bay door wasn’t open, but the aircraft began to move forward. He frantically searched for the control that would open the bay door and allow him to fly away from the ship. The shuttle drew closer to the side of the wall and Eaton hadn’t found anything to open the doors. He was going to crash into it. At the last second, he found what he’d been looking for. The bay doors opened, Eaton passing through with barely a hair’s breadth on either side of him.
That had been close.
Halfway to Sator, Eaton realized another of his mistakes. The shuttle was taking him directly toward the palace instead of somewhere in the outlying lands. Since this ship belonged to Sator, it was more than likely programmed to return to the palace bays.
Not good.
Oh, not good at all when the clouds cleared and he could see men working on the ground. None of them were paying him any attention, yet. Something beeped on his console. Eaton hit the button.
“Declare yourself.” A man’s voice came over the shuttle’s intercom.
Buttons were lighting up everywhere in front of Eaton. He spotted one that read Life Support. There was an image on the panel of a light going up and down an outlined body. The man must be reading Eaton’s vitals and realized Eaton wasn’t one of the Breed Assassins.
“Declare yourself,” the man repeated.
Eaton jerked when something latched onto the shuttle and pulled him in. When he looked out the window, he could see guards in blue-and-gold uniforms standing on the bay where his shuttle was being directed. They had their hands on their blasters, watching as Eaton descended.
Maybe he should have listened to Thoran and Ben. There was no way Eaton could talk his way out of this mess. Even if he could find a weapon somewhere on the shuttle, Eaton couldn’t risk a firefight when he was pregnant.
He would have to surrender and pray like hell that Thoran found him.
His mate was definitely going to paddle his ass for this one. Eaton wasn’t even sure why he was being so rebellious. But the thought of losing Thoran had made him act irrationally.
Now he was going to pay the price. He’d heard of people doing stupid things when in love, but this had to take the cake.
The shuttle touched down and Eaton’s mind scrambled to come up with a solution, but there was no way out of this. Not when his shuttle was surrounded.
His goose was as good as cooked.
* * * *
The anger and worry was etched deeply on Kayden’s face as he exited the shuttle. Thoran didn’t blame the man. They had all wished for a family to call their own. Kayden had thought he’d found his, only to have the rug pulled from under his feet. And to top the bitter treachery off, he’d left Jade here with these imposters.
Kayden had to be whipping himself over the back for that one.
Thoran placed his hand on his weapon when a tall and muscular man approached from a vehicle that had been waiting on them. Even though Ben trusted this man, Thoran didn’t. They were in enemy territory.
Thoran hadn’t been too thrilled about the royal family from the word go. Finding out they weren’t who they said they were didn’t bother him. But he felt deeply for Kayden’s pain and that alone made him want blood.
“I see you gentleman have made it,” the stranger said. “Top of the morning to you all.”
Thoran and the others glanced at the newcomer.
“Let’s not waste any time in our efforts to overthrow our government. Shall we hash out the details or go in with our weapons blazing?”
The guy was talking in a high-pitched, aristocratic tone. Thoran wasn’t sure how to take the man. This was the head guard? He spoke as if his balls hadn’t dropped yet.
“Does anyone know that we’ve landed, Tardyon?” Ben asked.
“All is well in the kingdom of deceit. I had a close friend of mine check in on Jade. He tells me the young prince has been moved to an undisclosed location.”
Kayden growled. “How in the fuck is all well if Jade was moved?”
The man seemed a bit ruffled at Kayden’s tone. “Well, I suppose you have me there.”
“Who in the fuck is this guy?” Kayden asked Ben. “Is he really in charge?”
There was a slight smirk on Ben’s face. “Don’t let his highbrow persona fool you. Tardyon is as lethal as they com
e.”
Thoran highly doubted that boast. Tardyon appeared as lethal as a puppy. His uniform was crisp, creased in all the right places. His nails were manicured and his hair was impeccable, not a strand out of place. He looked more like the palace stylist than a weapon.
“I’ve had just as much training as you men,” Tardyon stated, offended, before turning on his shiny booted heel and walking back toward his vehicle. No, that was definitely not a walk. It was more like a sashay. “If you barbarians would follow me, we have some strategic planning to do. We don’t have time to bumble around.”
Kayden glanced at Ben. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
For the first time ever, Thoran witnessed Ben chuckling. He was admittedly handsome when he wasn’t scowling. “One of a kind,” Ben said before getting into the front of the all-terrain vehicle.
“Why do I suddenly feel like tea and crumpets?” Dax asked as he rubbed his jaw.
“His accent,” Nyk answered. “I feel like I should say bloody hell.”
The rest of the men climbed in before Tardyon drove them to a cave on the side of the mountains that lined the city. Men were standing guard, ion rifles resting on their shoulders. They were wearing all black, militia style.
“I see my men have made it,” Ben said from the front seat.
“Yes,” Tardyon replied. “And what beasties they are. No manners at all.”
Ben appeared proud of Tardyon’s complaint. His golden-amber eyes gleamed with pride as Tardyon came a stop. When they entered the cave, Thoran nearly gaped at the sheer number of men waiting inside. There was no way Ben Hur employed this many Marauders. There had to be a good fifty to sixty men.
Ben turned toward Thoran and the others. His smile was wicked and malevolent. “Breed Assassins, meet the full extent of my Marauder forces.”
Chapter Ten
Eaton pressed his back to the cold stone wall as he gazed at the people in the dungeon with him. One man was pregnant.
Very pregnant. The sight was disturbing and fascinating. Aside from a bruised cheek, the man looked to be in perfect health. He was wearing a flowing blue-and-gold gown that accentuated his swollen belly, showing off the fact that he was with child.
Eaton couldn’t take his eyes off the guy. This must be Jade.
There were three more people as well. One was a young girl, a teenager judging by her youthful but gaunt appearance. Was she Thoran’s long-lost sister? She had Thoran’s eyes and nose, even his stubborn chin. She was wearing something like a potato sack and was curled up in the corner, watching Eaton with wary eyes. Eaton wanted to run over to her and let her know he wasn’t going to harm her, but she looked as if she’d pass out if he went anywhere near her.
Then there was an elderly couple. The man, although thin as a rail and wearing threadbare clothing, appeared regal to Eaton. He was bone thin yet his eyes held a strength Eaton admired. The man had been locked in his own dungeon for a decade, but his eyes said he would never stop fighting for his freedom.
“Who are you?” the pregnant man asked.
“Are you Jade?” Eaton asked. “Kayden’s mate?”
“I am,” he said as his eyes dropped to Eaton’s own distended belly. He wasn’t as big as Jade, but Eaton was showing.
“You know Kayden?” the elderly man asked. He pushed his hands into the wall, standing on his wobbly legs. The guy didn’t appear too stable on his feet. “How do you know my son?”
So this was the real king of Sator. Eaton had an overwhelming urge to bow. “I’m Eaton, a friend of Kayden’s.”
Eaton’s eyes shifted over to Nyda once more. She looked like a little lost mouse. His heart went out to her. She’d been down here just as long as the couple. She’d missed out on a life no young girl should be denied. Unlike the strength in the king’s eyes, hers were dull, as if she’d given up all hope of being rescued a long time ago.
“The Breed Assassins and Marauders are coming,” Eaton whispered. “They learned of the imposters and Ben and Kayden want blood.”
Jade smiled. “That sounds like my Kayden.”
“Ben?” the king asked as his eyes slightly widened. “Are you talking about my brother, Ben Hur?”
“Yeah, him,” Eaton said. “Not a very nice guy. He’s scary, too.”
The king smiled. “I’m glad to know he’s still alive.”
Eaton turned to Jade. “How long have you been down here?”
“A few hours,” Jade answered. “When the king”—Jade glanced at the elderly man and his smile was filled with apology—“the fake king found out that the Breed Assassins were in the area, he had his guards bring me down here.”
“I don’t get it,” Eaton said. “They were welcomed home and then given a ship to search for Nyda. Why would the fake king do that?”
Jade rubbed his belly as he paced the room. “I overheard a conversation the imposter king had with someone on his Vid-pad. He was hoping that either the Breed Assassins would be arrested by the Feds, or that Ben Hur would kill them. He even told the Feds where the Breed Assassins were located. There is a homing beacon on the Venture. He used that to triangulate their location.”
Jade winced and then began to rub his back. Eaton glanced around for something soft the man could rest on, but there were only three sad-looking mattresses on the floor.
“I even found out why the Empire is after them,” Jade continued. “They learned that some guy named Draven taught the Breed Assassins humanity. That they aren’t the soulless killing machines they were trained to be.
“So they want to kill the Breed Assassins and wipe all records that they even existed,” Jade finished. A trickle of sweat ran down the side of Jade’s face. That wasn’t good considering it was chilly in this place.
“Are you okay?” Eaton asked.
“My back,” Jade said. “It really hurts.”
The woman who had been clinging to the king waved for Jade to come to her. Eaton assumed she was the queen. She looked younger than the king, but just as regal. “Come to me, my child. I think you are in labor.”
“He can’t be!” Eaton ran to the door, ready to pound on it when the king grabbed his arm.
“Don’t let anyone know Jade is in labor. If the imposter finds out, he might kill the babe.”
Eaton jerked his hand back, gazing over his shoulder at the strained expression on Jade’s face. Thoran needed to hurry this rescue up. Jade didn’t look so hot.
Both Eaton and the king rushed over to the window when they heard a loud crash. Eaton curled his fingers around the bars, straining to see what was going on.
“Well?” the king asked.
Eaton’s heart began to pound wildly in his chest. “The Marauders are attacking the palace. There has to be at least a dozen fighter jets swarming the air.”
“Then the battle has begun,” the king stated.
Eaton could hear shouting, return fire, and things exploding. He jumped back when crumbling concrete landed on the ground in front of the window, kicking up dust and making him cough.
Men began to shout outside the cell door. Eaton glanced at the king, wondering if someone was going to barge in here and kill everyone in the room. With the real king locked down here, the imposter was taking a huge risk of being exposed.
Where are you, Thoran?
The door burst open and a guard entered. His eyes landed on Jade before he curled his lip back. “It seems I’m just in time.”
“For what?” Eaton asked.
“For his execution,” the guard answered and then aimed his weapon at Jade. “All evidence must be destroyed.”
“You’d shoot a pregnant man?” Eaton asked incredulously. “What kind of freaking monster are you?”
“A well-paid one,” the man answered.
Without a thought to his own safety, Eaton threw himself at the guard, knocking the man off of his feet. The guard’s blaster slid from his hand and the king picked it up, pointing it at the guard’s head. “Not one move.”
Someone else appeared in the doorway and the king aimed and fired.
Kayden ducked just in time before the blast hit his head. It hit the concrete instead, creating a large hole.
“Oh, dear,” the king said. “My apologies.”
And then the king stilled, gazing at Kayden as if he were seeing a ghost. Tears welled up in his eyes as he dropped the blaster to the floor. “Kayden?”
Kayden hesitated at the entrance until he spotted Jade on the mattress, breathing heavily and crying out his mate’s name.
“He’s in labor,” the older woman stated. “He must be taken someplace safe to give birth.
Kayden crossed the room and tucked his arms under Jade. For a man of Kayden’s size, he was surprisingly gentle as he lifted Jade from the mattress. “It’s okay, little bit. I’m here.”
The man’s soothing and worried tone pulled at Eaton’s heartstrings. It also made him want to be in Thoran’s arms. He missed his mate terribly and wanted nothing more than to go back to the ship where he and Thoran had spent so many hours making love and getting to know one another.
Kayden turned and gazed right at Eaton. His eyebrows lifted slightly. “Aren’t you supposed to be on the ship?”
“Long story,” Eaton said.
“And one I’m dying to hear,” Thoran said from the hallway. Eaton turned to see his mate standing there, his arms crossed over his chest, glaring daggers at Eaton.
Oh boy.
Eaton didn’t like that look. Not one bit. It promised punishment for his disobedience.
“We need to get out of here,” Kayden said.
Thoran entered the room, reaching for Eaton when his eyes landed on the girl huddled in the corner. Eaton watched as Thoran’s features morphed from angry to shocked, and then from shock to pain the likes of which Eaton had never seen before. The expression was one of utter despair.
“Nyda?”
She curled in closer to the wall, as if she were trying to make herself as small as possible. Eaton’s throat grew tight as he watched Thoran slowly approach her, his hands held out to his sides. “Are you Nyda?”
“She is my niece, Nyda,” the king stated as he moved to the corner and shielded Nyda from Thoran. “And you are?”