“I like that. Good business plan, Joyzal.”
He grunted. “Some of my peers prize speed over all else, or fire power. I prefer a ship that works.”
“I understand where you’re coming from. Back on Earth I had a ground vehicle I drove that took me from place to place. I got tired of the cars I had when I first started driving, the ones that might have been fast or cool but would break down constantly. I ended up leasing cars, trading them in every two years. That way I was always driving a new car with all the latest bells and whistles.”
“I plan on trading this ship for the newest model next planet rotation.”
She smiled and lifted her arm, palm first. Then she paused and dropped her hand. She looked away. He was stung with disappointment. His Bride had been about to join her hand with his, some type of human bonding gesture, and then had closed herself off again. He did not know how to convince her of his caring. She was his heart and his life. How did she not understand this? “I do not need to fix the ship, but I do need to contact the Hunter Guild and send a mission log. While I do that you can make yourself familiar with the ship,” he said. “This ship is yours now. What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine. We are one line.” He waved the tool in his hand around in a small circle. “Take some time to walk around and explore while I finish here.”
Joyzal was offering to let her roam the ship all by herself?
Actually, a little alone time would probably do her some good. She needed time to cool off and think about her future among the Xylan. Never in her life had she felt so much fear and desire for a man. She literally didn’t know what to do with it, or him. “You don’t mind if I open drawers and look inside?”
He’d already turned back to the console, focused on his work. On the bridge of his ship, Joyzal stood tall and confident. His chest broad, his legs firmly planted, and his feet in a wide stance. Just watching him like that, dominant and in control, made her hot and bothered. Thinking of what he could do with his sinful mouth and his big hands and his large, gorgeous cock… And yet he was always thinking of her needs and wishes, doing his best to take care of her and show her that she was his, in every way possible. Her chest tightened in a way she’d never felt before.
“No,” he gruffly replied over his shoulder. “I have no secrets from my Bride.”
Hmm… Well, okay then.
This was unusual. Men didn’t usually encourage her to riffle through their underwear drawer or go through their medicine cabinet. They usually were hiding something from her, a side of themselves, a way to keep things shallow. But this alien was giving her the keys to the kingdom, yet again proving to her he was unlike any man she’d ever met.
So she left him so he could get stuff done and went on a self tour, eager to get to know her new surroundings and to find anything to help her understand this man who was now her mate. She walked out of the bridge and looked to her left and then to the right, deciding which way to go first. The ship was indeed very new. It almost had a new car smell. Everything looked shiny clean, unlike the dark, shabby interior of the space pirate ship. There, the walls and floors were marked and scuffed. Here, the interior gleamed.
She realized she was able to read the signs. There was a map of the ship posted on the wall. She studied it and then continued with her plan to snoop, more confident of her location within each section of the ship. She passed the cargo bay, which was easily one fourth the size of the one on the pirate ship. She placed her hand on the pad to the right side of the door. It swished open. Good. The ship knew to accept her commands. It made her feel comfortable, like she really was welcome and that nothing was a secret or hidden.
In the cargo bay was Joyzal’s target, the captain of the pirate ship. His eyes were closed and he was held upright in a metal case that had a window to see his face. She’d only seen him that one time when he came to announce they would all be sold to the Hurlians, and mainly she’d just heard his voice during announcements. She knew Joyzal was going to turn the captain over to the Hunter Guild so that he could be brought to justice. Hopefully they’d throw him in the worst prison in the universe for the rest of his life.
She flipped him off. “Good riddance, asshole.” Then she turned on her heel and left.
Farther down the main hallway was the medical bay. She paused in front of the door, curious as hell. She had to check it out. The door swooshed open, and she stepped inside. Holy mother of God. It was small but mighty. There was a lounge chair that she could tell was the main examination and work area. It could only hold one patient at a time, but there were cabinets all over the walls that she was sure held equipment and supplies that would shock the hell outta her, but really, there weren’t as many medicines and tools as she would’ve thought. Mainly it was a chair and a wand. This must have been where Joyzal had taken her when she first arrived, to take away the effects of her time with the space pirates. She imagined him carrying her in here, dirty and exhausted, placing her on the chair and ordering the computer to care for her.
She walked in and touched the chair. Should she use it? Joyzal had said she was pregnant. Now was her chance to check if it was true. Not that she thought he was lying to her, but seeing it confirmed by the computer would sure make it real. She sat down on the chair, scared for a moment when it automatically reclined and equipment moved over her. She almost bolted out of the chair but forced herself to stay still.
“What procedure do you require?” The computer spoke to her in English. It was refreshing to hear her own language without needing the translator. She could get used to this technology quick.
She wasn’t sure exactly what to say, so finally, it just seemed okay to wing it. “Computer, perform diagnostic on Jacole of Two.”
“Confirmed.”
Thank God it worked. She leaned back into the chair, getting comfortable, placing her arms on the rests that were provided. The machines in the medical bay came to life and made a soft humming sound. Jacole tried to relax. It wasn’t painful, nothing was actually touching her. A wand ran over her body. The computer began to respond with a litany of information, most of which she already knew. It confirmed her blood type and her height and weight and rattled off a few other things about her medical history and then said, “Jacole of Two is pregnant.”
She exhaled and placed a hand on her lower stomach. Wow. It was true. “Computer, can you show a visual of my offspring?”
Immediately a three-dimensional ultrasound appeared before her. And there was her baby, not just a cluster of cells but already a tiny shape with an umbilical cord attached. She could hear the heart beating steadily.
Tears formed in her eyes. This was really happening. She was going to be a mother.
Her life had changed irrevocably.
The door to the medical bay swished open, and her new husband entered the room. “I told the computer to watch you, to let me know if you were in trouble or doing anything unusual,” he said.
She pointed at the screen. “That’s our baby.”
Joyzal glanced up. Jacole watched emotions play across his stern features. The ridges on his forehead were pronounced and kept his face less expressive that a human’s, but his eyes were mirrors into his soul. He walked over to stand next to her and took her hand in his. His Adam’s apple moved up and down as he watched his child for the first time. She squeezed his hand and stared at his profile, her heart heavy in her chest, wondering how in the hell she was going to be able to make this all work out in the end.
Chapter Seven
They only had a moment to take in the wondrous visual of their offspring before a proximity alarm blared throughout the ship. His Bride gasped with surprise.
“Come with me,” Joyzal shouted to her. She swung her legs over and stood up. He grabbed her hand. They ran down the hallway and reached the Bridge.
“Alert” the computer intoned. “A ship of unknown origin is approaching.”
“Show holo-map,” Joyzal ordered. He let go of his Bride’s hand as
the map formed and grew in the space between them, showing their ship and another that was trailing behind in their direct path. He touched the image of the other ship, and it zoomed in and enlarged. He immediately recognized the insignia and designation.
Fucking pirates.
He threw back his head and roared out his anger, slamming his fist against the console. “When will they reach hailing range?” he snarled.
“Three minutes,” the computer answered.
“What is going on? Who is following us?” his Bride asked. She stepped around the map to stand closer to him.
“Krillian pirates. And where there is one, there will be many more.”
“Pirates?” Her jaw clenched and her eyes went hard. “Are these—?”
“Yes, these are the same pirates who stole you from your home world. They do not care about laws or the dignity of species and respect for women and children. I have their leader, Groogan Mar, on this ship. They must be here to retrieve him. I am surprised at their boldness. They will soon discover this is a mistake.”
“Alert. Long-range sensors detect one hundred ships,” the computer updated. “They are hailing.”
“Oh fuck,” his fierce Bride whispered.
Joyzal met her steady gaze. “We will stand together here on the Bridge so they can see that you are mine and that I am your champion.” He cupped her lovely, flat face with his claws and looked deep into her beautiful eyes. “I love you,” he proclaimed. “You are my beating heart. You and our offspring are the most important thing to me. I put your life before mine.”
He loved her? She stared at him with her jaw open because…no one, not even her grandmother who’d raised her, had ever said those words to her before. It hit her like a sledgehammer. She grabbed the edge of the console for support.
And she didn’t have a moment to process this or respond. A vid screen materialized before them, showing the image of a green alien dressed in the same ragtag clothes she’d seen the other pirates wear, like they’d stolen bits of military clothing and armor from soldiers and warriors all over the universe and didn’t care who knew.
“Bounty Hunter,” the green pirate snarled, “you will give us what we want or I have over one hundred ships with the firepower to blow you out of space.”
“You are too late. Groogan Mar has already been handed over to the Bounty Hunter Guild,” her husband answered. She glanced at him, impressed with his ability to lie so smoothly and on the fly.
“Groogan Mar?” The alien looked confused. Another alien leaned into the scene and whispered into the green pirate’s ear. He nodded and continued. “We do not care about Groogan Mar. He is dispensable. We are here for the human female.”
“What the fuck?” Jacole exclaimed. That was the last thing she expected to hear. Why would they send a one hundred ship armada just to retrieve her? That didn’t make one bit of sense. She turned and met her husband’s equally puzzled gaze.
Joyzal looked back at the pirate. “Why do you want my Bride?”
“Your Bride?” the pirate snorted. “Well, we want her anyway. She has been sold to a special Hurlian bidder who is willing to pay any price to have a human with royal pigment. We have intercepted the transport that was returning the other women we had also promised to the Hurlians. This human will make our sale complete. The human was the most valuable of all the women, the one who will make us the most money. We want her now. A transmission code has been sent. You will send the human female to this ship immediately or we will blast you from space. If we can’t have her, then we will kill you both and blame our lack of delivery on Bounty Hunter interference.”
“I am not giving up my Bride,” Joyzal stated.
“You have a quarter rotation to transport her to our ship or you will be blasted from space,” the pirate sneered. The screen went black.
Jacole took a deep breath, her mind made up. She knew what she had to do.
Her husband was already striding across the bridge, a man on a mission. “Joyzal?” He stopped and looked back at her. “I’m going with them,” she said.
His eyes blazed with anger. “You’re not.”
“I am. You and I both know there’s no other choice.”
“Jacole.” In two strides he was in front of her, gripping her shoulders. “You and my offspring are not leaving the safety of this ship.”
“It’s the only way. Don’t worry, I have a plan. I will only be with them for a short time and then I’ll be back. This is a way for all of us to come out of this safe and together. Trust me.”
A string of words flew out of his mouth that she supposed were Xylan curse words. He paused and stared at her, his nostrils flared.
She swallowed hard and forced a light tone into her voice and pasted on a fake smile. “You know what you can do for me while I’m gone? You can get me some Earth music. I’m never going to be able to make it on your world and in your life without my tunes. You hear me?”
“Earth music,” he repeated, confusion in his voice.
“Eighties music especially. My grandma listened to it all the time. She said it used to be my mom’s favorite, too. I love it.”
“Eighties music…” He trailed off.
“Some old LL Cool J. Beastie Boys. And Prince. Dear God, can’t get enough of Prince.”
“Jacole,” he growled.
“Computer,” she announced, cutting him off.
“How may I help you?” the computer asked in that perpetually cheerful voice.
She locked eyes with her mate as she spoke to the computer. “While I’m gone I want you to make sure Joyzal allows me to leave the ship and doesn’t follow me. Tranq him if you have to.”
Her husband snarled.
She held both of his clawed hands in her own. “Honey, I need you safe, waiting here, so I have something to fight to get back to. And I don’t need you to rescue me. I can take care of myself.”
His ridges went up an inch.
“I’m going in as a Trojan horse. It’ll be okay. I’ll be back. Now take me to the transporter room, quick before we run out of time.”
He didn’t know she had a plan. A risky plan, but a plan nonetheless.
And it would work.
It had to.
Chapter Eight
Exactly one hour later, Jacole found herself in basically the same position she’d been in before Joyzal had rescued her off the original pirate ship—locked up in a cage with Lizard Lady, in the exact same set-up as last time. Sadly, the space pirates had rounded up all the same women as before and put the prisoners back in their cages. Only the space ship was different, the cargo bay a little bit smaller. It was damn freaky how they’d managed to recreate the situation so exactly.
“So, how are we getting out of here this time?” Bird Lady asked from her cage next to theirs.
“I’m sure ‘royal pigment’ over here has a plan,” Lizard Lady quipped, pointing a claw at Jacole.
Jacole tried to hide her smile but couldn’t. She loved these women. And sweet baby Jesus, was it good to be able to understand every word they said. Too bad they kept meeting in bad situations. When this was all over she’d have these women over so they could formally introduce themselves, celebrate, and just hang out.
“As a matter of fact, I do have a plan,” Jacole answered. And thank God she did, because that would’ve been embarrassing if she hadn’t. She had her rep as a kickass human to maintain, after all.
She pulled a Xylan invisible blade and a tiny silver device out of her waistband. The pirates had found neither object when they’d patted her down.
Lizard Lady hissed with joy. “A Xylan detonator? You can blow this whole ship up, can’t you? Damn, humans are fierce. I need to meet more of your kind. Did your warrior give that to you?”
“I think he forgot I had it. He’d been showing me his Cabul earlier and arming me to the teeth, teaching me how everything worked. I think he forgot I still had these.”
“You are lucky to have a Xylan warrior as your ma
te,” Bird Lady sighed, and her eyelashes fluttered like she was talking about a movie star. “Xylans are feared because they mete out harsh punishment and have little patience for weaker species, but they have honor. And the reason why women all over the universe love Xylan males is because they never rape.”
“Never?” She hadn’t thought of that. But yeah, if Joyzal had said that Xylans only became sexually active when they meet their mate, then…
“It has never occurred. Xylans are physically unable to have sex with a being who is not their mate. For both male and female Xylan, their blood only runs hot for their mate. On their world and in their cities, there are areas where there is gambling and drinking and a black market for drugs and all the things that other cities have in their underworld, but there is no prostitution. None. They don’t even understand the concept. Because why would they? If you only physically respond to your mate, then there is no need for prostitutes. Because of this, the Xylans are highly respected. Especially by women.”
“Also, they’re big and, well…big.” Lizard Lady grinned.
“Nothing a woman couldn’t handle,” answered Bird Lady.
“Oh, please, I don’t want to hear it. I know about your planet,” answered Lizard Lady.
“What’s wrong with her planet?” Jacole asked.
“Nothing. She’s jealous. My planet is matriarchal, so the women are in charge and there are twice the amount of men as women. I am eager to return home because I was about to marry my two husbands and start a family.”
Jacole’s eyes widened. “Two husbands?” She tried to imagine trying to satisfy two Xylan warriors, and her mind short-circuited.
“Everyone has two husbands on my planet. It is normal. We have already tested compatibility—”
A small vid screen blinked into existence, cutting off Bird Lady’s story. “Jacole of Two? It is I, Melachine of Eighteen.”
What the fuck? “How were you able to do this?” Jacole hissed, looking furtively from side to side, scared out of her mind one of the pirates would show up and notice something as obvious as a vid cast on the wall.
Joyzal's Prize (Alien Bounty Hunters Book 2) Page 8