by L P Peace
At the same time, Sophia stood, using her body to block the shot.
A nightmare unfolded in front of Ronin’s eyes.
Sophia punched Dar in the knee as she stood. A shot was fired, and she buckled, falling to the floor.
Ronin’s vision dimmed. Roaring filled his ears, and his vision seemed to swim.
Without meaning to, he rushed forward. The Bentari was still holding the weapon, still pointing it at Sophia.
Even as Dar tried to swing the weapon at him, Ronin saw her grabbing his wrist and swinging his arms away. The gun was fired again, energy hitting the wall and blowing a section out and venting gas into the hallway. Somewhere in the dim twilight of his mind, Ronin became aware that the walls here weren’t made of amot.
Dar said something, but Ronin didn’t hear, couldn’t hear over the pounding in his skull. He grabbed Dar’s head in both hands and twisted.
Dar dropped like a rag to the floor. His eyes open, the glow dimming to nothing.
Ronin dropped to his knees and saw Sophia’s bright eyes, dark and beautiful, looking up at him.
‘That really hurt,’ she whimpered, her voice conveying her agony.
Growling, Ronin pulled up her top. The shot hit her right side. There was extensive damage, both the wound and the tissue around it, which was scorched across her torso. Within the wound, Ronin could see things he wasn’t meant to see, and blood pooled and dripped down her side.
‘Oh, fuck!’ Sophia lifted her head and looked at the wound. ‘That really hurts!’ When she looked up at Ronin, there was fear in her eyes.
No. I will not lose her!
‘The next few metri, there will be much pain,’ he whispered, stroking her face. ‘But I must get you to a medic now.’
‘Do what you gotta do, baby,’ she gasped.
Ronin stood, grimacing as Sophia cried out. He held her in his arms and looked at the guard, who was stirring.
‘I trust you’ll get Markalion out. Or not, I don’t give a vrok. It was he who set off the explosion.’
‘He what?’ The guard rubbed his head, looking at Markalion, who was now conscious and staring at his dead father.
The guard ran to Markalion.
Gritting his teeth, Ronin turned and ran, heading to the dock. He didn’t care if the guard helped or killed Markalion. He needed to get Sophia far away from this area before it was vented. He needed to get her to the medbay on Alethia and safe.
The halls passed in a blur. Ronin could hear crowds moving out, running from the section, as well as the ever-present cries and whimpers of his mate. Whenever he slowed, she spurred him on with her words.
It wasn’t until they were almost at the dock that more chaos descended.
Protectorate, aliens, and humans were everywhere.
The red-scaled alien with the horns had his cream mate secured in his arms as he raced to get on board Alethia. Danithor ran by, Tara in his arms, a determined look on his face as he made his way aboard.
Protectorate guards covered the humans as they ran.
‘Sophia!’ Zoe’s voice called for her. Ronin saw her; her mate had her swamped in his arms, and he led her to safety.
‘We’re okay,’ Sophia called, her voice ragged and full of pain. ‘Get on the ship.’
Ronin passed them all and raced to get on board.
‘Vernaya?’ Sophia pointed at the ship as he ran by, heading to Alethia.
‘I will not risk you for the ship,’ he said through gritted teeth.
‘Our ship,’ she whispered.
‘We’ll buy another vrokking ship!’ he snapped. ‘MEDBAY! MEDBAY!’ Ronin shouted even as his feet connected with the deck of Alethia.
It was Dantan who found him. His eyes widened when he saw Sophia. ‘This way!’
Ronin chased the hybrid through the halls of the massive battlecruiser. When they were in the lift, he felt the unmistakable shudder as the ship took off.
‘Thanesh,’ Sophia whispered.
Ronin looked down at her face. It was tight with pain and so pale it scared him. Her skin was supposed to be dark. He loved her skin. He loved her.
Fighting through the fear, he forced a smile to his lips. ‘What is it, my little Kietta?’
‘We have to warn Thanesh. Markalion. Tell him. They’re going to blame us.’
The longer she spoke, the quieter her voice became. She was losing strength, and all sense wiped from his mind on a tide of panic when her eyes closed.
‘Sophia?’
Her eyes flickered open, then closed again.
‘Sophia!’ Ronin shook her in his arms, but she seemed suddenly boneless.
The lift doors opened, and Dantan pulled him out. ‘This way.’
Ronin forced his feet on, down the hall and into the medbay.
Inside, the room stilled as soon as they entered. Medical staff treating burns and injuries stared at the two of them, shocked looks on their faces.
He stood there with Sophia, unconscious, blood dripping to the floor, a gaping wound in her side. ‘Help her!’ Ronin didn’t recognise his voice. His world was coming to an end, and no one was moving!
‘This way,’ a Protectorate medic said. ‘Put her here.’
The room came alive as Ronin moved across the carpet on feet that were too slow and gently laid her on the table.
Almost immediately, he was pushed aside and there were people around her. The medic who’d caught his attention was barking orders.
‘Ronin?’
Ronin turned to find the fair-haired female, Zoe, and her mate standing behind him. They must have followed them from the station and he hadn’t even noticed. Had they been in the lift? Behind them, Dantan stood still, staring at the table.
‘Ronin, I’ve called Thanesh,’ she said. ‘He’s on his way.’ Tears poured from the female's eyes, which were glued to the bed behind him—the bed where his Sophia fought for her life.
‘Sophia knows most of it,’ he said through a throat too thick and raw. ‘A Todaal did something to Endurance, to the radiant, but he didn’t know about her fighter that can jump. Markalion and his father plan to blame humans. I killed Hekalion.’
The last sentence was almost an afterthought, a regret. If he could, he’d resurrect the filth and kill him all over again, but slowly this time. He’d savour every moment, make him suffer. His thoughts turned to Markalion. He could ensure the son joined his father!
Ronin’s eyes drifted to Daris, whose own were filled with sympathy. He turned his back on them and stared at the bed as the medical staff moved around it. It was almost elegant, the way they anticipated each need, each move, almost like a dance.
‘Thanesh will want to speak to—’
‘I’m not leaving her!’ he snapped. He’d stay here until she opened her eyes and smiled her beautiful smile at him, or…
‘I’m not leaving.’
The medical team got Sophia stabilised then they were pulling her into an operating theatre. Her wounds were too severe for even the most sophisticated Amaran medical tech. The only option was direct intervention.
Despite his intent to stay, Ronin found himself stepping into a room full of people, his mind only able to focus on Sophia Abara’Dosh’Ventis. His mate.
Thanesh was sitting inside the room, along with several Protectorate males. Zoe, Daris, Tara, and Danithor were also sitting there. Tara had her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking. When she looked up and saw Ronin, her face crumpled and she stood, running to him and wrapping her arms around him.
Ronin returned the embrace, finding himself momentarily overwhelmed. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be there, but there was nothing to do there but wait. At least here, he could share what he knew.
Danithor walked over and gently pried Tara off him. He looked at Ronin with genuine empathy, the first time Ronin had seen anything like that on his face. He rested a hand on Ronin’s shoulder for a moment. ‘She is strong. She will be in your arms again soon.’
Ronin thought throug
h Danithor’s words as he took the empty seat left for him by the females his mate loved above all other females. Sophia was strong. She was going to come back to him.
She had to.
‘This is what we know,’ Thanesh began. ‘The IGC have shut down the section of the station where the central chamber was located. They are still fighting electrical fires. They have it mostly under control. A large section of the northern pole of the station was destroyed, and everyone within is presumed dead. So far, that is several thousand at least.’ Thanesh’s eyes moved briefly to Ronin. ‘The IGC has demanded everyone stay—’
A chime filled the room. Thanesh turned and looked at a small screen on the desk where he sat. A moment later, a large wall turned into a screen, and the face of Ilan Dahnus appeared.
‘Dahnus—’
The Ilan held out a hand. His face was full of tension and there was a light in his eyes that added urgency to his expression. ‘The council are about to approve your membership and force you to turn over the humans. Markalion Dar told them his father discovered a plot by them to destroy the IGC, and when they found out the Dars knew, Ronin and Sophia were sent to kill them.’ He glanced at Ronin. ‘You must act quickly.’ With that, the screen went blank.
‘Field a call to…’ Thanesh let out a deep breath. ‘Kemar Eteran.’
A few moments passed before the screen lit up.
‘I formally withdraw my application for IGC membership,’ Thanesh said before the Adosian could open his mouth. ‘I do this under the agreements as set out in my application.’
The Adosian stared into the room before a small grin spread across his face. ‘It seems someone has leaked our actions.’ His eyes hardened as they passed over Ronin. ‘The humans would have gotten a fair hearing. Now we will take them by force.’
Thanesh barked out a laugh. ‘You will try. End comm.’ Thanesh turned to one of the males, a long-haired Protectorate. ‘Vaydan, get us back to Tessan space immediately.’
The male stood, saluted, and was gone.
‘The rest of you can go. We’ll pick this up once we’re safe back in Protectorate space.’
Ronin stood, confused but relieved, anxious to get back to Sophia.
‘Ronin.’ Thanesh still had his back to him, but as the room emptied Ronin moved against the tide to Thanesh’s side. ‘How is she?’ Thanesh didn’t turn.
‘She’s—’ Ronin couldn’t speak.
Thanesh turned to face him. The pale Protectorate was paler than usual. The lines of his face harsh, his jaw muscles clenched. ‘Tevin is working on her. He has been a medic for a very long time. He will save her.’ Finally, Thanesh met his gaze. There was guilt there.
Ronin opened his mouth to speak but found he had no words. Thanesh saw the look on his face and nodded his understanding. ‘Go. Alethia and I will be there shortly.’
Ronin left the room. In the hall, Zoe, Daris, Tara, and Danithor were waiting for him. As a group, they made their way back to medbay.
There was a tightness to one side as Sophia clawed her way back to awareness. To the other side, heat was pressed up against the entire side of her body. It curved around the top of her head and touched the cheek of the opposite side. Breath moved over her face. It smelt of the ocean and outdoors and sunshine. It also wrapped over her chest and held her shoulder in a grip that was hot and comforting.
Sophia smiled. She would know that smell anywhere.
When she opened her eyes, she was looking into Ronin’s. His black pupil expanded, swallowing the chartreuse of his irises before he took in a deep breath and they closed.
Lines of tension she’d never seen before relaxed, and he pressed his face to hers, taking in deep breath after deep breath as his whole body shook.
Sophia moved her arm. It was heavy and pulled at the tightness in her side, but she grabbed Ronin’s arm over her chest. His hand was there a moment later, grasping hers and pulling it to his lips. He kissed it over and over, his hold like that of a drowning man gripping the side of a boat.
Sophia pulled on his hand but was too weak to pull his hand to her. When Ronin realised what she wanted to do, he moved his hand, still gripping hers, over to her lips. She kissed him, breathing in the scent of him, masculine and perfect.
‘I’m really tired,’ she admitted.
‘The medical staff wish to see you, my Sophia. Then you may sleep.’
The medic, Tevin, asked her simple questions, testing her basic cognitive function. When he was satisfied, Ronin climbed back onto the bed, pulled her into his arms, and Sophia fell to sleep.
The bond had helped her recover faster. Tevin told her that her body was so stressed when she was away from Ronin that they’d had difficulty treating her. As soon as he was touching her, her body relaxed and focused on healing. The bond had strengthened her bodies systems, and what should have been at least several days of recovery took five.
Sophia was sitting up in bed, Ronin to her back while they waited for Tevin to discharge her. She’d gone through every test and passed and was ready to get to the suite that Dantan arranged for them. Ronin had visited it once, so he’d know where it was. Otherwise, he’d refused to leave her during her entire stay. Even when it was clear she was okay, he still struggled to leave the room. A haunted look would settle over his features, and he simply wouldn’t go. Sophia squeezed his arm. She wasn’t sure if it was to reassure him, or her.
Before they could settle in their suite, they were being dragged into a meeting.
Sophia was exhausted just thinking about it.
The door to Tevin’s office opened and he entered the room. ‘Everything is settled.’ He smiled at them. ‘Ronin, you are about to go back into heat. I suggest the two of you take it easy. Other than that, you are free to leave.’
‘I am going back into heat?’
Tevin nodded. ‘In around eight rotes or so. You should be prepared for that. The point of heat is to conceive a child. If you do not, your body will go back into heat as soon as it realises.’ Tevin stepped in front of them. ‘Also, I believe your instinct is eager to re-establish your bond, in the wake of Sophia’s injuries.’
‘Something to look forward to,’ Sophia said. Turning to her mate and cocking an eyebrow.
He laughed and shook his head, but Sophia could see there was genuine concern there.
Dantan picked them up and brought them to the meeting room. Thanesh sat inside with Alethia. Rhona was there, and Zoe and Daris were sitting next to Tara and Danithor. Other than them, the room was empty.
Ronin pulled out a seat for Sophia, and she took it, smiling at everyone in the room, even as they looked at her with grim expressions. She braced herself for the news.
‘How are you feeling?’ Zoe asked.
Everyone had been to see her over the last handful of days since she’d woken up, but Ronin chased them away again quickly.
‘A little weak still,’ Sophia admitted. Tevin had her on supplements and treatments to build up her strength. It was going slow while her body rebuilt itself. ‘I’m getting there.’
‘We thought we would take this opportunity to fill you in on everything,’ Thanesh said. ‘Get you up to speed with no one else around.’
Sophia nodded.
‘We’re on our way to Tessa. We have to take the long way around, through the corridors of space we control. We have agreed this with our member worlds while they try to calm everyone at the IGC down.’ Silence descended as Thanesh stopped speaking.
‘That makes sense,’ Sophia said finally.
‘I have formally declared Zoe my mate,’ Daris said. ‘As a bonding species, they can’t take her away from me, and as my record was recently formally expunged,’ he glanced at Thanesh, ‘they have no reason to come for me. Though I’m sure they’re looking for one.’
Sophia smiled and reached across the table. Zoe took her hands and smiled back, but still, that dark look was there.
There was more to what was going on right now than what was being said.
>
‘My species is not recognised as a bonding species, so Tara and I must subject ourselves to testing. The Amarans have volunteered to do it as a neutral party.’
‘That’s great. Can they do that for us?’ Sophia looked at Ronin and the burgeoning smile on his lips died.
‘Unfortunately…’ Sophia turned back to Thanesh. ‘You and Ronin are both wanted for the murder of Hekalion Dar, the murder of an IGC guard, and the attack on Markalion Dar. I am sorry, Sophia. It is not safe for either of you to leave Tessa once we arrive.’
Sophia replayed the words in her mind.
She expected to feel anger and frustration. Instead, she felt something like relief. Sophia had been single-minded in her mission to bring the data packet to the IGC. While the final intent—membership—had fallen from their grasp, she had succeeded in that mission. The rest was up to diplomats now.
Sophia wanted to help, but she felt a desperate need to find another way. She had done her part. Played her role. Even though they weren’t nearly where they wanted to be, all Sophia wanted to do was settle down on Tessa with her mate.
She looked up at them. ‘I’ll find another way to contribute,’ she said.
‘There are many things you can do from Tessa,’ Thanesh said. Still, the grim look was there.
‘What’s going on?’ Sophia looked around at the gathered faces.
Unusually, it was Tara who cracked first. A sob burst out of her mouth, and she covered her face.
‘Tara, what’s wrong?’
Zoe took Tara’s hand. ‘There are…’ She swallowed, looking at Thanesh who nodded encouragement for her to continue. ‘There are ten women unaccounted for,’ Zoe continued. ‘Ten of us who made it back to IGC but didn’t make it out when Endurance exploded.’
‘Who…’ Sophia’s voice broke, and she took in a deep breath. ‘Who’s missing? Not Danielle!’
‘We thought she was. But the Temerin contacted us. They got her out. Aerdan said as soon as they can coax her out of her room, they’ll put in a call to us. In the meantime, they have someone on their tail so they’re keeping their heads down until they can deal with it.’