by T. S. Ryder
He kissed her gently. "I found Bethy."
Erica's eyes lit up. "Really? Where is she? How do we get her back?"
"She's on a planet controlled by the Walian Corporation. While I consider them one of the better corporations out there, the planet is far from the core worlds, and not under the protection of the United Species. What the corporation does there is highly secret, but it's generally assumed that they are conducting hybridization experiments. It could be to help interspecies couples have children or to build super-soldiers. Either way, they aren't going to be happy with us just waltzing into their territory."
"But we have to try." Erica's gaze was steely as she looked at the screen. "How long until we get there?"
"A few days." Ronan squeezed her hand. "We'll get her back. But…"
Erica's head whipped around and she narrowed her eyes at him. "But?"
"You should prepare, in case—"
Her face went white.
"In case she ended up liking the man who bought her," he finished lamely. "You know. Something like what happened to you and me."
Erica shook her head firmly. "The fact that we get along is a total fluke. Besides, I saw the person that bought Bethy, and trust me, she would never go for him."
"A big, scary looking man?" Ronan gave her his best roguish grin.
"A man. Bethy's a lesbian. And like I said, you were a fluke. What if the man who bought her doesn't care? What if…" She trailed off, twisting her hands. Ronan put his hands over hers and met her eyes. A single tear ran down her cheek. "I've been trying so hard to tell myself that we could get her before it's too late. But what if it isn't? You said it's an experimental planet. What better than use a human, the species that all other species are descended from and still share DNA with, to try to fill in the genetic gaps and create hybrids? We're the only ones that can carry hybrid babies."
Ronan cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, wanting to reassure her. "Erica, I promise. If anything has happened to your cousin, I will destroy whoever hurt her. I swear by the star that birthed my soul."
The ship went black.
Erica let out a surprised shout but Ronan jumped to his feet. Everything was utterly silent. The ship was dead in space. Which could only mean one thing. He cursed, fumbling in the darkness for his blaster. When the screech of metal attaching itself to the hull echoed, he cursed again. This could not be happening. Not even he had such terrible luck!
"What's happening?" Erica's voice was pitched with fear.
"Pirates. Slavers, most likely. There's a gang of them that specializes in this type of technique. Stay behind me."
He felt Erica's hands on his skin and she hissed. "I can't see anything in the da—"
There was a thump and hiss as the cargo doors were forced open. Blinding lights flashed towards them. Erica screamed, her hands leaving Ronan's body. He threw an arm over his eyes, pain stabbing in his brain. He let off a few wild shots before hands clamped on his wrist, yanking his arm behind his back. The gun was taken from him. A knee to the stomach had him collapsing to one knee, wheezing for breath.
When his vision cleared, he saw a tall Odap standing over Erica. Her arms were held behind her back by a T'shav, but she still fought. She was a fighter. It was one of the things he loved about her. But right now he wished she wouldn’t. They had to play this smart to get out of this situation.
"Erica. I finally found you, my dear." The Odap beamed. "When I went to pick you up from the bridal agency, I was told how a T'shav had stolen you."
Erica glared at him. "It was the 'bridal agency' that stole me. Ronan is my husband, so let us go now."
Ronan would have laughed at Erica's spitfire bravado, but the situation was too grave. Guns pressed into the back of his head. The Odap was looking at Erica with clear lust. How could he get them out of this one? He swallowed hard.
If the Odap had purchased Erica from the bridal agency, it could only mean one thing. They had double-booked her sale.
"I am your husband," the Odap said, his voice growing deeper with threat. "I bought you fully legally. You are my wife."
"Touch me and die!"
The Odap shook his head. "I'll have to break this rebellious streak of yours. Space the T'shav and take the human to my chambers."
Chapter Seven: Erica
Erica had never heard a sound fuller of inhuman rage than at that moment. Her skin crawled, her stomach churned and instinct told her to run. It didn't matter where–she had to get away from the sound that was being emitted from Ronan's mouth.
She didn't see how he did it, but in a blink, the T'shav was on his feet. The guns that had been pressing into the back of his head were now in his hands. His black eyes blazed, his face twisted, teeth bared like a predator lunging for the kill. The Odap captain jumped back, eyes widening.
The two pirates holding her loosened their grips. Erica twisted away from them, but the Odap grabbed her biceps. Ronan's fists flew every which way, colliding with the pirates who attempted to bring him down. He was like a graceful mountain lion one moment, pirouetting through the blows, dodging every fist that came towards him. And the next moment, he was a bull moose, his bellowing rage echoing through the ship, using sheer strength and bulk against his enemies.
He didn't use the guns to shoot. Rather, he used them as clubs. One of the pirates fell, his crushed skull exposing gray matter. The others withdrew slightly. The captain let off a few rounds from his blaster, but Ronan was too quick and used another pirate to absorb the bolts. Erica kicked the Odap on the shins, struggling against his grip. Ronan roared and redoubled his attack.
How could a man still somewhat recovering from being shot in the back display such force?
Ronan threw one dead pirate on top of another and lunged for the captain holding Erica. Two pirates blocked his way. He kicked out, the large claws on his toes tearing through flesh. Blood spurted against Erica's face, and the captain let her go, shouting. He stumbled backward as he let off another couple bolts.
"Run!"
Erica staggered away from the fight, but where was she supposed to run?
Ronan roared, taking on another pirate. "Erica! Run!"
The panic in Ronan's voice jolted her back to her senses. Her heart bruised itself against her ribs and her mouth was dry. Again, Ronan shouted at her to run. Instead, she dove for one of the fallen guns. The captain didn't notice her until her hands locked around the barrel. He cursed and swiveled to face her.
Erica held the blaster close to her chest and pumped the trigger, letting off a steady stream of energy blasts. Most missed her target. Consoles exploded in a shower of sparks. The kickback sent tremors up Erica's arms, but a few bolts slammed into the captain's chest. He fell to his knees, gun still tight in his hand.
The gun rose.
A blast came from the other end of the room. It hit the captain in the shoulder. His gun clattered to the floor. Erica's head swiveled, her breath locked in her chest.
Ronan stood on top of two corpses, a blaster in his hand. Blood splattered him from head to toe. That blaze was still in his eyes, but instead of a snarl on his lips, his mouth was set into a determined line. He let off another blast. This one hit the captain square in the face. The Odap dropped like a rock.
The echo of the blaster fire rang in Erica's ears. Her hands trembled, and the gun in them suddenly felt too heavy. It slipped from her grasp. Ronan was beside her, catching it before it reached the floor. He set both guns aside and cupped Erica's face in his hands.
"Are you injured?"
"I don't think so." Erica glanced down at herself. The red dress was splattered with blood. Her stomach roiled.
Ronan pressed a kiss to her forehead, leading her into the bedroom. "Stay in here. Lock the door. I'll go search their ship. Don't unlock the door unless you know it's me."
Erica opened her mouth to tell him that she wasn't dumb and didn't need such specific instructions. But a glance at the pirates' corpses littering the floor had vo
mit rising up her throat. She clamped her mouth shut again and nodded. She felt herself going into shock. Maybe she did need such specific instructions. People didn't think clearly when they were in shock.
In the bedroom, she stripped off her dress but didn't dare shower. Not yet, at least. Instead, she wet a cloth and scrubbed her skin. It took off some of the blood, but not all of it. Once she was done, she wrapped herself in a sheet, shivering, and waited.
After what seemed like forever, Ronan returned. He brought a worker's uniform. Erica gratefully dressed.
"It's not a large ship. Bigger than ours, but I'll be able to fly it. They have a medical bay that's got a lot of good equipment in it. I suspect that it was a research vessel that they stole. Our ship is damaged beyond repair, we'll have to take theirs." Ronan frowned in concern, stroking her hair. "Are you going to be okay?"
Erica nodded. She opened her mouth–and a projectile of vomit flew out. Ronan was just able to jump out of the way. She covered her mouth, eyes widening.
Her T'shav embraced her. "Don't worry about it. It's the shock from killing for the first time."
"I've seen deaths more grizzly and violent than that before," Erica protested, though nausea still swam in her stomach. "Maybe I'm getting sick."
"You've seen deaths. But have you ever killed someone before?" Ronan's black eyes which had been so deadly and terrifying before were soft and gentle now. "It's different."
Erica nodded. That made sense. But there was still something nagging at the back of her mind. Something that all the blood around her reminded her of. Her stomach threatened to rebel again. "I'm going to go to the medical bay. I should double check, just in case. Maybe they released a gas or something that only affects humans. I… just for my peace of mind. And if it's just shock, I can treat it there."
"That's a good idea. Just don't give yourself any medications or injections until I can verify it's what the labels say, okay? We don't know what these pirates were actually doing."
"They were coming after me. Because apparently that 'bridal' service double booked my sale." Erica closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. "I'm going to go now."
Ronan nodded. "I'll take care of this."
Erica didn't bother responding. She felt like she was a ghost as she crawled through the opening and into the pirate's ship. It was definitely a newer model than Ronan's and looked in better shape. The entrance led to a central area with barracks, medical bay, cockpit, kitchen, and cargo bay branching off from it. More space to live. That was nice.
The medical equipment was a little old, but still much more extensive than what Ronan had. She programmed a scan in one of the larger pieces, and laid down on the examination bed, her eyes closed. Her heart was still pounding, images of the dead pirates flashing before her eyes. Ronan was dangerous. Erica hadn't realized just how dangerous until now.
A beep told her the scan was done. She swung up, taking a closer look at the results. And screamed.
Chapter Eight: Ronan
Ronan's whipped towards the sound.
The scream was of pure terror. He hadn't searched the ship thoroughly enough, he hadn't checked and rechecked to make sure it was clear. And now Erica was in danger. He scrambled back into the pirate's ship, leaving behind the store of perijan he had been gathering.
When Erica's scream abruptly stopped, so did his heart. Images of her hurt or dead flashed through his mind and he pushed himself harder. He was in the medical bay in seconds, guns ready. His gaze swept over the room, but there was nobody there. Nobody but Erica, curled into the fetal position on an examination table. Sobs wracked her body.
In two steps Ronan was by her side. She flinched when he rested his hand on her shoulder. He kept one gun up, ready in case of attack.
"What is it? Where is he?"
Erica shook her head, curling up tighter.
He stroked his human's hair from her face, his hand trembling with worry. What was wrong with her? If she had been attacked, where was her attacker? There couldn't have been time for someone to leave before he got there. And she didn't look like she had been injured. So what could make her cry like this?
"What is it? Erica, please."
Slowly one arm broke free of the ball she had made herself. It pointed to a holoscreen projected beside a scanner. Ronan glanced at in confusion. He froze as he read the results. And then he read them again, just to make sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. The results didn't change. Plain as day, he could see exactly what had Erica sobbing like this.
Pregnant. She was pregnant. Two standard months. Ronan sank onto the examination table next to Erica, staring in disbelief.
The possibility of Erica getting pregnant had never occurred to him. He had been out among the stars for so long that he didn't even have anything that they could have used to take precautions. Judging from Erica's reaction, she hadn't thought about picking up condoms or birth control, either. It was too late now. His child was already growing inside of her.
He rested his hand on the small of Erica's back. A strange feeling bubbled up in his chest. A feeling like when he was a boy, and he won a tournament against an opponent that he didn't think he could beat. Or when he fell asleep tucked in the safety between his mother and father. When he played with his two best friends, Tang and Tom, or when they completed little missions together. A warmth that spread from his heart to fill his whole being.
Happiness like he had not felt since his father had died.
Without warning, he began to laugh. Erica's sobs quieted and she raised her head to stare at him, but he couldn’t stop laughing. It was ridiculous. After all this time and all these years in which he hardened himself, sworn off love and the pain that always came with it–now he found happiness in knowing that he was going to be a father. He had never wanted children until that moment. Wasn't even sure he liked kids all that much.
But knowing that Erica carried his child filled him with such joy. Such love. When had that happened? When had he fallen in love with her, rather than just seeing her as a challenge? Or had he always loved her, from the moment he first laid eyes on her?
Erica pushed herself up into a sitting position, still looking at him like he had lost his mind.
"I thought someone had attacked you," he said, not knowing how to explain his reaction or his epiphany. "I thought you had been hurt. But you're not hurt. You're pregnant. A little T'shav warrior is growing inside of you."
He placed his hand on her belly, unable to stop himself from beaming. He knew it was the wrong way to react. Erica was sobbing about this, there was no way she thought it was happy news. And yet his happiness was still there.
"Don’t." She pushed his hand away. "Ronan, no."
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I can't stop smiling." He tried to straighten his face, but the only result was that the thrilled laughter came back. He gathered Erica into his arms. "I know that this must be frightening for you. But it doesn't have to be. I won't ever leave you, Erica. We'll raise this baby together. You're not on your own."
Erica put her hands on his chest, pushing him away. She shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "There isn't any room in my life for a baby."
The smile slipped off Ronan's face.
He heard what she didn't say. There wasn't any room in her life for him. The disappointment hit him hard. He tried not to let himself feel hurt. She was merely saying what the truth had been all along, after all. She hadn't wanted him. He had bought her, against her will no less. She owed him nothing. Not her body, not her love. Not even this baby.
Ronan stood, pacing away. "You don't have to change your life for it. I will keep it. I'll raise the baby."
"How? In your ship? Going from place to place, killing people? You'll raise a child surrounded by the violence that is a regular part of your life? It will be better for the baby if I returned to Zon's sanctuary, and let it be raised by T'shav parents there. I heard that Zon's son has a human, and they have a little boy. Maybe they'
ll take another half-human, half-T'shav baby."
Tom had a mate? And a child? Ronan's mind reeled–it had been so long since he had broken ties with his childhood home. After his father died, he had left Zon's fleet, determined never to return. But the news that the man he once considered his best friend had a child—
No. That was irrelevant. "I will take the child."
"And I ask you again, how can you raise a child when you're a… a mercenary?"
Ronan bowed his head. Erica was right–his life was no life to raise a child. Or have a mate.
"I'll decide what I'm going to do after we get Bethy." Erica mopped her face with her sleeve. "Until then, forget that I'm pregnant."
"Right." Because it would be so easy to just forget about something like this. Ronan let out a pent-up breath. Whatever Erica's choice, he had nothing to gain from letting possible futures destroy his present. "I'll bring over the rest of the supplies from my ship and set our course."
"And then come back here." Erica slid off the examination bed. Emotion drained from her face. "You're all banged up and I want to make sure you haven't hurt yourself too badly. Internal bleeding is a killer."
Ronan nodded. As he left he thought he heard another choked-back sob, but he didn't turn around.
***
He delayed himself as much as he could before returning to the medical bay. Fortunately, by that time Erica had dried her eyes and though she looked a little shell-shocked, she was back to her normal self. She scanned him and began using a tissue regenerator on his various bruises and cuts.
"Bethy and I were both attending medical school on Earth," Erica said after half an hour of silence. "We had all these big plans for our futures. We were going to join doctors without borders and set up free clinics in poor places. We were going to help the people who needed it most. We shared an apartment, a car. Basically everything. She was always my best friend. Our fathers are brothers, and growing up we lived only a block away from each other."