Unwelcome

by Annalise Alexis

  If we die in a blaze of glory… well, shit, at least we tried.

  Ren grabs a small silver band from underneath his seat and throws it onto my lap.

  “What’s this?” I ask, anxious to leave. I just want to get the jump over with. The tension in here is stifling.

  “A pressure regulator. Wrap it around your ears. It will help to protect your ear drums. You will be unable to hear once it has been put into place. Just hit the button to retract it when I give you the signal.”

  The headband-looking metal strap is lightweight and carries a sheen that reflects the cabin lights. I glance over my shoulder. No one else is wearing one.

  Then why am I?

  “Your ears are human. Less hardy than ours.”

  All right, here goes nothing.

  Pressing the cool strap to my forehead, I tense as the band wraps around the back of my head and sinks into my ears. A cold wet feeling fills them, silencing the sounds around me.

  “Are you ready, my Aciana? The initial pull is violent. But do not be afraid. It is to be expected.”

  Nodding my head, I do my best to give Ren a reassuring look. Caught somewhere between pleasant ignorance and dread, I reach for his hand.

  Rivan hovers over the buttons, waiting for Ren’s signal, and Sol haphazardly wraps a blanket around a bulky machine, trying to ensure it’s secured to the wall. Finally getting to his seat after a less than pleased look from Ren, Sol signals he’s ready, and Ren nods to Rivan.

  Here we go.

  Wrapping his hand around the red lever, Rivan shoves it forward, hard. All at once, a push and pull sensation makes my stomach sink, and I squeeze Ren’s hand in panic. The push relents and the pull takes over, pitching us forward with such force, my hair tumbles into my face. The floor and walls vibrate, and, although I can’t hear the crash, anything unsecured goes flying behind us. A heavy pressure bears down on me, cementing me in place. I rest my forehead on my knees, unable to right myself under the weight of whatever pins me down.

  My eyes tear, and my muscles strain as I attempt to turn my head to check on Ren. I know it’s stupid to worry about his safety, but I can’t help it. He’s my person.

  “I am fine. It takes more than this to break a male as strong as me,” he whispers to my mind, sending me a lovely wave of calm.

  “How long is this going to continue? I can’t move, and it’s hard to breathe.”

  “Not much longer, my Aciana. The jump is almost complete. Just a few more moments.”

  I bear down, trying to combat the cramp burning in my side. It feels like I’m trying to tread water thousands of miles under the sea.

  “Stop trying to fight it…” Ren whispers.

  Fight what? I’m just trying to fucking breathe. This has been going on for what feels like an hour.

  My head slams into my seat as I’m flung backward. Rivan mouths something that looks a lot like the Illusian word for shit and wrenches the lever toward him, trying to bring us to a stop. He yanks on another, then shoves up the drive control to narrowly avoid a group of ships forming some kind of perimeter. Punching a blue button, he steadies us and glides into one of two only openings in the line of ships.

  I yank off the silver strap, trying to regain my composure, and the sound of heavy breathing fills my ears. Outside the ship, twin moons shine directly on the free-floating station, and dim light illuminates the interior.

  They’re really in there. Holy shit.

  “So, this is the place? It looks so…busy. Shouldn’t it be more, I don’t know, inconspicuous?” I sputter and cough, trying to clear my throat. There’s nothing like almost slamming into someone in the middle of space to give a girl a little dry mouth.

  “One would think. There is zero tolerance for hovering. The crafts dock, drop off, then leave. The line of ships waiting to pick up their captains is what we almost collided with. It is the only way to minimize the chance of being discovered.”

  “And this is invite-only, I’m guessing?”

  Ren nods. Not being on the list is a big issue, and by the looks of Ren’s inky pupils, no one has thought up a solution.

  Rivan eases us toward the station, and everyone unstraps.

  “All females are to remain in their rooms. Ragar and I are going to attempt to gain access through the main door like regular buyers. Rivan will then circle around at the accepted proximity and wait for my signal to return.” Ren paces the nav bay, and the anxiety radiating off him is making me nervous.

  “Acia, you and Ragar would be unprotected,” Nexx calls out, eliciting a deep growl from both males.

  “You believe us to be incapable of handling ourselves?”

  Nexx cowers at the promise of violence in Ren’s voice. “Never, Acia. I simply mean without additional males, you will have a much more taxing time navigating through the station if their numbers are excessive.”

  “We will be fine.”

  “But what about the possibility of entering from the posterior side? Is that no longer up for discussion?” Tao adds.

  “No. We are to minimize possible casualties. This is the most efficient way.”

  “But, Acia…” Nexx rises to stand but sits back down, dipping his head low. I’d sit down too if Ragar threw me a similar glare.

  “I will discuss it no further. Ragar, get changed. Find the filthiest clothes available, the more adorned, the better. The unclaimed belongings in storage should suffice. Everyone to your rooms now. We have little time.”

  Jogging to keep up with Ren as he files out of the nav bay and heads for our room, I stumble to a stop at the sound of the captain beating on his door.

  “Please, let me out! I got to piss.”

  It’s likely that Ren and Ragar will be gone for some time, and he isn’t allowed out without at least one of them present, so I release him.

  “It’s about time, I almost wet myself. That was one hell of a ride.” The captain stretches his neck and starts off toward the bathroom with hurried steps.

  Someone has a tiny bladder.

  I linger for several minutes, trying to decide what to do. Technically, I should wait on the captain and lock him back in his room, but we’re almost there. I’m not letting Ren walk into that mess without telling him goodbye. He’s lucky I’m not kicking his ass for forbidding me from going. Taking off at a soft run, I head for our room.

  Already on his way out of the door as I turn the corner, Ren strides confidently toward me. I stop dead in my tracks, startled by the sight of him. Tight leather pants. Silver shirt stretched across his chest, the outline of every muscle peeking through. He looks bulkier—meaner even—under layers of ratty knee length coats and those unforgiving black pants. He’s fashioned a bull-like nose ring and lined his fingers with stacks of gold.

  “You look—”

  Clutching my face between his broad hands, Ren captures my lips and pulls me to him. The heat of his chest radiates into mine, reminding me how good it feels to be in his arms. The hilt of one of his blades digs into my thigh, and I pull back and rub the stinging flesh.

  “Damn. Got enough weapons?”

  Ren chuckles, then opens his coat, revealing the arsenal hidden underneath. “Would you rather I go in unarmed?”

  My gaze drags down the front of his chest, snagging on his eight-pack. “You wouldn’t dare.” A growl rumbles in Ren’s throat as we make our way toward the anteroom exit, and he cocks his head to the side.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Wait here.” He takes off toward the nav room with heavy, anger-infused steps. I follow, ignoring his command. He should know better by now than to tell me to stay put.

  “They are scanning the ship, Acia. This is not good,” Sol says, checking, then rechecking the screen in front of him.

  “Why does that matter? Isn’t that normal protocol for receiving a ship?”

  Sol shakes his head. “No, Aciana. Groups like these avoid using any advanced technology. Nothing that can leave a signature. The only reason
they would scan is if they recognized us as foreign.”

  Oh. Damn.

  “What do we do?” I ask.

  Ren grunts and grabs my wrist, gently tugging me away back toward our room. “You will go to our room. It is the safest place.”

  I raise a brow. “Not until we figure out how to get you onto that ship without getting blasted.”

  “This is not the time to argue.”

  I lock my knees as Ren attempts to push me further. “You know… I couldn’t agree more. So, what are we going to do?”

  Rivan swivels in his chair. “Acia, you must prepare yourself. We are about to enter the docking process. There will be no turning back at that point. Am I to proceed?”

  Ren nods. “Yes. Ragar and I will handle this.”

  “You can’t be serious.” I reach out to grab the corner of his coat as he passes but miss and have to chase after him. Sprinting through the kitchen, I nearly plow into the captain as he comes barging out of his room.

  “Get back in there,” I hiss over my shoulder as I jog by. Skidding to a stop in the anteroom, I’m knocked forward as the captain runs right into me.

  “What are you doing, human?” Ren snarls, shoving his way between the captain and me.

  “I’m comin’ with you.” He squares his shoulders but doesn’t manage to meet Ren’s gaze.

  Fury blazes down the bond. “You let him out and failed to verify he was secure when he returned?”

  I roll my eyes. “Who cares? What are you going to do?”

  Ragar stomps into the anteroom in all black, looking like death on legs. The captain shrinks away, pressing himself against the wall to let the male pass.

  Ren grabs my shoulders firmly. “They are already waiting on us to open the hatch. You have to go back to the room. Now.” He looks to the captain. “Both of you.”

  “No,” we both say in unison.

  “I’m goin’ with you. I ain’t asking permission neither. My granddaughter could be on that ship.”

  Ren’s anger-fueled gaze focuses on the captain, and I grab my mate’s chin, yanking it toward me.

  “Don’t you dare hurt him. He’s just scared.”

  A loud clang outside sends my heart into a frenzy.

  They’re knocking on the door.

  Teetering on the edge of violence, Ren once again looks at the captain. “Get back in your room.” There is no mistaking the order in the drawn-out syllables.

  The captain’s gaze slides to mine. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re sorry for wh—shit!” The captain elbows the release button on the door, and with a whoosh, reveals us to the armed guards standing outside.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Ren

  The room blurs as my rage threatens to consume me. Stupid fucking human. Opening the hatch—putting my mate and the rest of our group at risk. I should have ended him days ago. Now I will pay for my leniency.

  I instruct Ragar to hold. Without a plan, we must be smart and gauge our enemies. Rushing into action could be foolish and prematurely cause an altercation. There are four males up front, their sights all trained on my chest. I inhale, letting the scent of sweat and greed fill my nostrils. Three more in the back. Blast shield armor. Stale, intoxicated, unbathed.

  A light-skinned human male approaches. “Well, what have we here, boys? Did someone decide to crash our party?” he asks, stepping up on the grated walkway. His slight limp suggests a weak point at the knee or hip joint of his left leg, and the stiffness of his right shoulder suggests limited range of motion. If he touches my mate, I will start with those.

  “Whoa. You sure are some big fuckers, aren’t ya? What are you? Drafs?” The human male moves closer to where Ragar and I block the door. The captain and Jayla still remain out of sight.

  “No, you dumb ass. Drafs are green.” Another male of medium build comes to a stop behind him. The light on my chest flickers slightly with his speech. He is easily distracted. Good.

  “Like I can tell them apart. All right, fellas, this is an invite-only party. And your vessel’s not on the list. Time to come with us.” He raises the gun higher, as if the weak piece of metal in his hands can stop me if I want to rip off his head.

  Nothing can. I would destroy him.

  The closest male—the one in charge—looks over my shoulder. I step up, shoving my chest in his face, and he spits on the ground at my feet.

  The insolent prick is begging for a painful death. Any more disrespect and I might give it to him.

  “What goodies are you hiding back there, eh?” He nods to the left, signaling his men to fan out in a wide arc around us.

  “We hide nothing. We have come to—” I clench my teeth, forcing out the words, “—buy.” Disgust burns in the back of my throat. My honor demands that I slice off his face and watch it slide to the ground, but I cannot. Not yet.

  The male snorts, then glances over his shoulder. “Oh, I don’t believe that for a second. What about you, boys? What do you think?”

  Three more sets of footsteps. Three more sniper sights trained on my chest. Fuck. I really do not want to kill them all. If I do not bide my time, our females could be relocated, and they have suffered too much already.

  The male steps back, gaze locked on the barbs protruding from my clenched fists. Ragar stiffens at my side, readying himself for battle, as the cadence of their steps changes, telegraphing their intentions. The scent of my mate’s fear and apprehension envelops me.

  These assholes are going to bleed.

  “Jameson, you jackass. What in the hell are you doin’ slumming it out here?” The human male cocks his head to the side at the sound of the captain’s voice.

  “Jimmy? That you, you old prick?” I ease back, allowing the captain to move into sight.

  Perhaps he will be of use after all.

  “Well, by God, it is. I haven’t seen you in, what’s it been? Ten years? You still smugglin’ booze?”

  The captain trembles, the stink of fear pouring off him so dense, it saturates all available air. He is lucky humans have a shit sense of smell. “Not at the moment. I’ve moved on to something more…lucrative.” He twists his facial hair, an obvious tell of his nerves.

  “Oh, yeah. What’s that?” The male adjusts his weapon, moving the strap off his shoulder. The urge to drive my barbs into the joint and watch him scream tempts my control.

  “Well, that’s what I was hoping to show ya, son. Got a mighty fine addition to your auction right here.” He jerks his thumb behind him to my mate. “You get me in to talk to the being in charge, I’ll cut you a little something off the side of the deal.”

  I am going to rip off his arms and beat him with them.

  “Did he just say what I think he did?”

  The scent of my mate’s fear dissipates. She is not afraid. She likes the idea.

  “If anyone touches you, they all die. You will not go.”

  “No. This is our best chance. I’ve got Lumin if I need it, so unless this entire station is made of cyborgs, I should be fine. Go along with it, Ren. Let me go find them.”

  “No.”

  “Listen to me. Your Life Giver is in there. Along with who knows how many others. We have to do something. If this is the only way to get in there, so be it. Just go with it, please. “

  She cannot ask this of me. She is my mate, my life’s purpose, and she wants me to allow her to be taken. Again? Absolutely not.

  “You can’t stop me. I’m doing this.” My mate’s will grows stronger by the second. She’s determined. Why does she insist I sacrifice her safety for that of my people?

  “You will not go. Do not make me exert my will.”

  Jayla’s fury blazes down the bond. “You either get to be my ruler or my mate, Ren. You don’t get to be both. If you wanted a servant, you should have chosen someone else.”

  Fuck. She is right. My anger and frustration swell, and I bite my tongue, the taste of blood helping to silence my raging desire to refuse. “We will be given entra
nce. And the ability to negotiate, or no deal.” A low growl laces my demand. The human male whispers into the comm beneath his collar, then looks to the captain.

  “Who’s this, Jimmy? Got you a bodyguard or somethin’? You know I can’t get you in if he’s gonna cause a scene. He has to play nice or nobody’s makin’ any money.”

  The captain smooths his white hair and pushes forward to stand next to the human male. Their blood calls to me. It begs to be spilled.

  “Oh, he’ll behave, all right. It’s his slave bitch we’re selling. He wants the money to buy a newer model at the auction.”

  “What the hell? Who is this guy? You think he’s been pretending this entire time, or is he pretending now?”

  “I do not care. The captain is expendable. We no longer have need of him. If he dies, let him rot.”

  “Damn. Tell me how you really feel.” The increase in her heart rate speaks to her worry.

  “Well, let’s see her. My boss has pretty high standards. Has a reputation to keep.” The male grins, and I fight the urge to rip out his tongue as he licks his lips.

  “This is the last time I will ask you, my Aciana. You are sure of this?”

  “No. But it’s all we’ve got. They either take us all, or just me. Either way you can still kill everyone that pisses you off, if you want. This way at least I can find the females, check them out, and then give you a better idea of how and when to start ripping these pervs’ heads off.”

  Jayla creeps forward out of the shadows. The male beside the captain rakes his eyes down her body, and my vision goes red.

  “Calm down or you’ll kill him before we even get inside.”

  “I will not allow you to be hurt like before. What you are asking of me—I do not think I will be able to control myself if they attempt to defile you.”

  “I’m not asking you to. Just let me find the other females. Then you can do whatever you want.”

  “My, my, my…” The scent of lust follows. “She’s plain but has great tits. How’s the whisker biscuit? She tight?” The human male looks to me, then back to the captain. “Who am I kidding, he probably tore that shit up. Whatever. Just keep her mouth closed, and she’ll sell. Come on in.”