Skhye Moncrief - [Feral 01]

by Feral Fascinations (lit)

  Okay. The commander. Boss smells just as tasty though. Where’s his meat? “I’m hungry. What do you want?” He licked his lips.

  Goro’s eyebrows squared. “I don’t understand you. Straightarrow. You’ve shifted into were-form. Where’s Red Trekaar?”

  What in the Hell have they done with my mate?

  “Don’t you know where she is?” Goro demanded.

  If she were anywhere in sight, she’d be on her hands and knees as I rammed into her moist heat. Nothing would come between us until I burned out this freaking hard-on. “No, you idiot.”

  “Straightarrow, she must be found. She’s endangered.”

  My mate’s in trouble? He scanned the corridor back the way he’d come.

  Nothing but empty space.

  “You don’t need to see her. Follow the scent. You can smell her.”

  So Kindrist made my mouth water.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  The roar echoing through the empty quarters and the lavatory door on which Kindrist leaned upon was a sound that scared the skins off psychics more than the sight of a torch. A loose were-assassin could flay a person in seconds trying to reach his mate. Were-assassins were also capable of flying pod fighters given enough training to climb inside in were-form. Hopefully, Jake had enough awareness about him to follow orders. He didn’t seem like the irresponsible type. Still, the only way to test him was to provide a mission. This test run just might take care of Sevra too.

  Another roar thundered.

  The lavatory door shuddered beneath her palms.

  Her heart skipped a beat.

  Jake was coming. For her. And nobody dared get in his way.

  Someone pushed into her mind in a different manner, the way one did to mindspeak to all the crew members. “Red Trekaar, we need your assistance. Straightarrow has attacked Sevra and pursues them to the docking bay. Hurry before he kills one of them.”

  In Jake’s words, no problem. “Open door.”

  The hatch slid wide.

  But a delay meant Jake could accidentally kill the traitors. Alas, seeing the couple squirm during interrogation would be more satisfying than death by decapitation. She stretched her stride.

  Two male crew members crouched in the corridor beside a man’s body. They shot her a glance.

  She pushed into one’s mind. “Does that crewman live?”

  The man nodded.

  Sacred Devros, one life lost in Goro’s plan would not bear well on Jake’s reputation. Or mine. She raced toward the docking bay.

  But the commander had laid everything out. Certainly, the struggle was staged for Sevra’s benefit.

  “Red Trekaar, where are you?” Goro shouted inside her head.

  “I’m almost to the docking bay.”

  “This volatile earthling you brought aboard my ship is tearing the pod-fighters’ docking bay apart.”

  Shouting blame across the crews’ minds in one blanket announcement was never part of this grand strategy. Maybe replying with a general don’t forget this was your plan would shut him up. She skidded around a corner and rammed into a wall as a lift’s door opened.

  The door shut at her heels.

  Would the elevator ever move?

  A vibration and slight shifting of the floor shook her.

  Come on. Come on. She stared at the silver door.

  The movement ceased.

  The door swooshed open.

  The docking bay laid too many steps down the passageway where many hunkered forms dressed in black and white peered into the spacecraft-holding area.

  Goro wore the black.

  A tumultuous shriek reverberated down the corridor. A frenzy of erratic movement rushed beyond the docking-bay door’s round windows.

  Goro turned a reddened mask her direction and pushed into her mind for mindspeaking. “There won’t be a pod fighter left if you don’t get in there.”

  Something was wrong. Was the commander actually blaming her with his accusatory glare? She slid to a halt before the huddled forms and searched Goro’s glare.

  Not one fraction of conspiracy danced in his eyes.

  Why did this sudden shift of blame surprise her after hearing the ludicrous plan? There was nobody left to trust but her soul mate. And Jake needed her. She shoved the door open and crossed the threshold.

  The doors thumped at her back.

  Jake’s shaggy brown shoulders and head loomed beyond one upturned pod fighter. Another pod shifted effortlessly past the upset spacecraft’s end.

  Were-assassins had incredible strength. The ultimate weapon. But Jake’s struggle to disarm the suspected traitors seemed uncontrollable. “Jake,” she shouted.

  The creature stopped and swung a wolfish muzzle her direction.

  Her mate required blood. She unsheathed the knife in her white boot and held the glinting blade for his inspection. “Take your measure.”

  He hopped onto the upturned fighter then back onto the bay’s metal floor.

  Effortlessly.

  The floor trembled beneath her shoes.

  Would he know to take care with me? He had to sense she carried his child. She walked toward his towering form.

  One could claim to fear these mercenaries. But to stand steadfast at a were-beast’s approach was the only way to truly test one’s bravery.

  At least, he had calmed. But four of his strides remained between them. He needed a Beast Tamer now. She slid the knife’s stinging edge across her upper arm.

  He halted and stared into her eyes.

  What did he search for?

  Or did he fear his own strength?

  His hairy leg took one questioning step toward her.

  “My blood is yours, Jake.”

  Slowly the space between them disappeared until she stared up where his eyes waited above his glistening canines. The mouth bent down to her face, to her arm.

  Gods, if he bit down on her arm she would certainly scream.

  But what should one expect from a volatile mate?

  The loss of a limb was treatable. Survivable.

  He ran a sharp claw across her dribbling cut.

  Did he toy with her?

  Or was he fascinated by the drug of soul mates?

  What went through a were-assassin’s mind?

  He licked his claw.

  Her gut sank.

  Care.

  He was being careful.

  And he realized her situation.

  Two of her breaths passed before his body began the great shift.

  He fell forward, his palms striking the floor.

  Exhaustion was a high price to pay for his rearranging a docking bay. She sank to her knees and grabbed his slumped shoulders. “How do you feel, Jake?”

  “God, I’m wiped out,” he gasped.

  Almost completely metamorphosed back into his nude human form, he would need to rest. She pulled his head to her shoulder and rubbed his long sweaty black hair.

  There was plenty of time to rest now that the torch had been removed from Sevra’s possession.

  Footsteps thumped behind her.

  “Sevra, you and Paul take this human to detention,” Goro commanded with normal speech.

  What? She shoved up from her lump of a soul mate and scanned the charging mob. “What are you doing?” She searched the blank faces for Goro’s gaze.

  He would explain.

  Her heart fluttered erratically.

  Goro broke through the approaching throng. “He’s going to stay where we can watch him until we know if he’s reliable,” he announced in mindspeak.

  The commander didn’t even speak with his mouth so Jake could hear the accusation.

  “Coward,” she growled. “He’s done nothing wrong.”

  The five white-cloaked men stopped a step away.

  “You were warned when you chose him,” Sevra asserted in mindspeak where she stood behind Kindrist. “One man lies injured. Must another die because of your foolishness?”

  Choking air closed in on
her.

  The commander wasn’t after Sevra. Jake had been his prey all along. Her gaze slid down to find her soul mate staring up at her as if she offered all the answers.

  What have I done?

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Muscles burned where they had to be tearing around Jake’s shoulders. He struggled to focus what remained of his energy after shape shifting on regaining his footing. Talk about impossible with the piercing pain tearing into his shoulders.

  Sevra and Paul each gripped both of his elbows where his arms were twisted up behind his back, his wrists somehow tied together. They silently dragged him down the corridor to the ship’s retaining area.

  As if he were the traitor.

  My ears don’t lie. Neither does my gut. Talk about some fucked-up justice. Join the free thinkers. Get your ass nailed for following orders. Not to mention butt naked on the stake. There has to be something comical about this.

  The floor peeled skin from his bare knees.

  Footfalls clipped behind them.

  Probably Kindrist. Her red hair meant she wasn’t in on this twisted tale. Would she continue waiting helplessly in her quarters like she’d done after being ordered to remain there because of her pregnancy?

  The pressure paused.

  Everyone stood still.

  He toed a foothold, climbed upright, and faced a lift door.

  Both grips above his elbows slid away.

  Who just released him? His ass-wipe targets? God damn, Goro. After recognizing his commander and the traitors while he was in were-form and successfully taking Sevra’s torch, one could only suspect being suckered into this grand finale by the master manipulator, Goro.

  Why hadn’t my gut caught this one?

  The door slid open.

  Sevra jabbed him in the kidney.

  Fine. He stepped onto the lift and turned.

  Nothing could define the pissed-off expression on Kindrist’s face. Her unwavering glare never left him. She claimed a spot inside the door as Goro stepped aside, out of her way, waiting to ride wherever they were headed.

  His gut jittered with the rising elevator.

  What kind of discussion was unraveling inside this huddle of telepathic minds? If Kindrist heatedly debated anything, she never winced. Nor need she say she had nothing to do with his entrapment. But what in the Hell had he done to deserve imprisonment?

  The lift stopped, the door whispering as the metal glided open. Sevra and Goro exited toward three doors breaking up a curved wall. Sevra jabbed his kidney again.

  Good thing the bitch tied down his hands. He followed his wife’s flaming mane.

  Goro wore Sevra’s torch at his hip beneath his long black coat.

  Talk about irony. The master manipulator now wielded the infamous weapon that made Kindrist rethink one or two moves.

  Winner takes all and raises his flag on the hill!

  Goro shoved a door wide.

  Probably showing off his fancy matchstick. Bastard. Jake stepped across the threshold into a barren white chamber.

  One wall on the end had a strange glow.

  A shove at his back suggested he move toward the odd wall.

  The glow vanished.

  A man couldn’t laugh at Darla anymore for hiding in The Chamber. He strode forward.

  “There’s no reason for you to enter the cell, Red Trekaar,” Goro announced in English.

  Apparently, Goth Babe wasn’t going along with the plans.

  “I want to go with my soul mate.”

  Yep. Leave it to the revolutionary to balk.

  A force struck his back.

  His body fell forward.

  He caught himself with a couple footsteps and turned, watching the traitorous couple smirk with satisfaction. At least, his arms no longer felt like they were ripping out of their sockets.

  A strange glowing curtain of light now separated him from his redhead’s intense stare. Goro held her by her jerking elbows.

  “He’s not an animal,” Kindrist shouted.

  If only she’d calm down and think about the baby.

  The baby. So I am just the stud. Mission accomplished. Let’s turn him into glue. Just how useless or dangerous were earthlings? And hopefully my child will survive to kick some psychic butt. What would become of Kindrist after the child arrived? Maybe Kindrist’s fears weren’t so far-fetched.

  Goro released Kindrist. “Stop fighting Destiny.” He headed for the exit.

  Sevra and Paul followed in his footsteps.

  Kindrist scowled at their backs until they were out of sight, and turned.

  What zipped through the mind behind her defeated expression? A pregnant woman, she had to be ready to fall off the sanity cliff after the past few days. “Go take care of the baby, Kindrist. See he has a future. Or she? Do you know if it’s a girl? If it’s a girl, please don’t name her Desiree. I hate that name.” A little humor couldn’t hurt.

  She carefully stepped up to the luminous barrier and paused.

  White streaks of light emitting from the energy field seemed to dance across her face.

  Poor thing. She didn’t seem up for jokes.

  “I’m sorry, Jake.” She wagged her head. “I didn’t know Goro’s plan.” She turned to the door and back again, resolve washing away the defeat on her features. “I don’t know what just happened. But you’ll be released, or they’ll be prepping my carcass for funerary service.”

  The baby actually made for great leverage. Who would want the chrysalis dead? “Just get my arms free.” He chuckled more to make her laugh than make fun of the shackles.

  Her eyes closed, and she tipped her nose toward the metal floor.

  His soul mate looked pained. “What’s wrong, Kindrist?”

  She wagged her head and met his gaze. “I’m ashamed of my people. Nothing makes sense anymore. And I brought you to this demise.” She slid her gaze around his cell.

  Kindrist stood so alone. Looked so lost. I proved her demon. My life was something she stole to fight her war. But her people didn’t see me in the same light. Oh to clutch her tight, tell her she hadn’t caused this mess.

  Surely, she hadn’t when a battle greater than any single person raged in the universe. Bigger than any mercenary. And who cared if anyone back home caught him soothing a woman? Those guys never had a soul mate cheated out of her life and dream. A woman who deserved some peace in this god-forsaken universe. But where did that leave him? Half hog-tied and staring out a cage like an animal incapable of communicating with telepathic beings. Even incapable of clothing himself. Jake Straightarrow was no animal. They could stick their assessment up the ass with Darla’s blood-fucker label. Jake Straightarrow may have found himself on a wild adventure in space. But he had feelings and needs. And a wife who needed him. “What happens now?”

  She shifted her footing but wouldn’t look at him.

  His gut sank.

  Not a good premonition. “What happens now, Kindrist?”

  Her gaze slid to his.

  Tears shimmered in her eyes.

  What could squeeze tears from a mercenary? “Kindrist, you’re making me nervous.”

  “I’ve spent half my life on this ship. Only two people ever detained for suspicious behavior have been released from Detention.”

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Nothing spilled out of his wife’s eyes. Jake waited for something to change where he stood handcuffed behind the bars of light.

  She didn’t collapse the light-headed pregnant female. Nor did she scream with hysteria. She stood the cold hard mercenary wielding one hellacious slug of unyielding reality.

  I’m going to be terminated.

  “You are all I have, Jake. That’s more than I’ve had in a long time. Rest assured I will see you are released.” She pivoted and walked away.

  * * * *

  “Goro,” Kindrist shoved out into the ship’s telepathic network as she stormed toward the lift to the helm. “I will speak with you now. In private or to the ship, I
don’t care. But I will speak with you now.”

  A presence pushed back into her head. “Show me the respect my rank demands, Red Trekaar. Or you’ll find yourself detained with your soul mate.”

  Goro probably wanted the chance to detain her. “Better to die with one’s soul mate than be shafted by one’s brethren.”

  “Report to the helm, Red Trekaar.”

  Sterile orders meant the commander was insulted. Good. Nobody deserved death for an accident occurring during the commander’s mission. If Goro attempted to end Jake’s life, the crew would hear about everything.

  And Jake only cared about what I named his daughter.

  Just as she reached the lift leading to the helm the elevator opened. Sevra, Paul, and Goro marched into the corridor.

  Goro locked a stern gaze on her and pushed into her mind. “Come with us. I’ll speak with you when I’ve finished with the others.”

  Why not accompany them to witness the next chapter in free-thinking madness? She fell into the rear behind Sevra and Paul. Goro led them to the docking bay housing the ship’s standard transportation spacecraft.

  “Sevra and Paul contact me as soon as you’re ready for departure. I’ll see Kindrist walks the path of free thinkers,” Goro commanded for them all to hear.

  As if I need supervision. She followed.

  The traitorous couple headed into the docking bay.

  Goro shoved Kindrist back into the corridor. “Stay here,” he whispered.

  “What else do you think you need to hide from me?” she snarled.

  Goro yanked something out from beneath his coat.

  Gods, no. The torch. “You’d kill me? Have we not always fought the same enemy?”

  He nodded once. “Ashes to ashes. From dusk to dust.” He shoved the torch through the docking-bay’s gaping door.

  A blinding yellow light flashed beyond the thick safety glass.

  Why had he spoken with his mouth? So his thoughts couldn’t be detected during telepathic communication.... Always, he was so clever.

  Goro stepped back into the corridor and released the door.

  The hatch, one of the few swinging hatches aboard, thumped until silence echoed.

  Calling to the ventilation to shush everything so that it could take note of their death by cremation, no less.