The Lasaran (Aldebarian Alliance Book 1)
Page 36
“Are you still headed my way?”
“Yes.”
“Have you found any other survivors?”
“No. But the Lasarans have recovered several escape pods.”
“Were any of my people rescued?” she asked, hope brightening her voice.
“Not yet.”
“Oh.”
“But we are all still searching.”
“Thank you.” She had a nice voice, deep for a woman and a little husky from sleep. He didn’t like hearing the disappointment that darkened it now. “What about the Yona? Has anyone found any of them yet? I know those guys look and act as though nothing ruffles their feathers, but I’m sure they don’t want to die out here either.”
“No Yona soldiers have been rescued yet.” He opted not to tell her that the bodies of several had been drifting in space near some wreckage found by his fellow Segonians. The soldiers had done what they were trained to do—they had remained on the ship, fighting until the last minute, and died when the ship was blasted apart.
“That sucks.”
He frowned. “I don’t think my translator is accurately defining the word suck.”
She laughed, a happy sound that made his lips twitch until she grunted in pain again. “I was wondering how you were speaking English to me. You have a translator?”
“A translator chip,” he elaborated. “All starship commanders and crew members have one. The Lasarans sent us an upgrade that included ten Earth languages so we would be able to communicate with you when we found you.”
“Cool. I’m guessing your chip is telling you that suck means to close your lips around something and create a vacuum?”
“Yes.”
“That’s actually correct. But the phrase that sucks is slang used to express… well, either annoyance or sympathy, depending on how it’s used. Like if someone said My boss just fired me, you might respond with Wow, that sucks.”
He nodded. “I shall commit that to memory.”
“So you’ve spoken with the Lasarans?”
“Yes.”
“Do they know who attacked the ship?”
“Gathendiens launched the attack.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she practically shouted, fury entering her voice. “The Gathendiens did this?”
Eyebrows flew up all around the bridge as crew members exchanged looks of surprise.
“Yes.”
“The same Gathendiens who used a bioengineered virus to try to exterminate the Lasarans?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, seriously, Dagon, you have got to find a way to reach me before I die so I can hunt those bastards down and kick their collective asses.”
Barus grinned. “I like this woman.”
“Who was that?” she immediately asked. “I don’t recognize his voice.”
“He’s my second-in-command, Barus.”
“Nice to meet you, Barus,” she said, her voice still full of pique. “I take it you don’t like the Gathendiens either?”
“I loathe the Gathendiens,” Barus replied.
“Good. Then do me a favor and help Dagon find a way to reach me faster so I can help you kick those fuckers’ asses.”
Grins broke out among the crew.
She didn’t ask them to find her so she would live. She asked them to find her so she could exact vengeance. Every man here understood that.
She cleared her throat. “Sorry about that,” she said, the words more calm and carrying a little chagrin. “I hope I didn’t offend you. I tend to have a foul mouth when I’m upset, and I know nothing about your culture. Do you guys, by any chance, curse or use foul language when you’re angry?”
Dagon grinned. “Yes, we do.”
The hesitance left her voice, replaced by a smile. “Good. Now if you really want to put my mind at ease, you’ll all answer Hell yes, we do the next time I ask you that.” She cleared her throat. “Okay. Here we go. Do you guys, by any chance, curse or use foul language when you’re upset?”
“Hell yes, we do,” every male on the bridge chorused.
She laughed in delight, then grunted in pain once more. “Thanks, guys. I needed that, even though it hurt.”
Dagon frowned. “How are you? How are your injuries?”
“Still there, still annoying, but I’ve had worse,” she said, a shrug in her voice. “Do the Lasarans know I’m out here?”
“Yes.”
Heavy silence ensued.
He frowned. “Did you not want me to tell them?”
“No. It isn’t that. It’s…” She sighed. And for the first time since waking, she sounded hesitant and unsure. “Did they by any chance mention Seth? Does he know I’m out here?”
“They did not mention anyone by that name. Was he on the ship with you?”
“No. He’s back on Earth.”
“Is he your male?” For some reason, the notion unsettled him.
“My male?”
“Are you bound to him?” He sought the correct English word. “Are you married?”
“To Seth?” Amusement entered her voice. “No. I’m not married. Seth is… my commanding officer, I guess you’d say. But he’s also a father figure to me.”
“Ah.”
“I lost my own father a long time ago. When Seth found me, I was in a really bad place. And he… saved me. I owe him everything. He took me in, gave me a family, gave me a purpose.” Her voice thickened. “I can’t believe I’ve failed him like this.”
She had behaved with bravery and honor. “You haven’t failed him.”
“Yes, I have. He trusted me to keep my people safe. He trusted me to protect them. And I failed to do that.”
“You got them to the escape pods. That’s all you could’ve done.”
“What’s worse is I’m probably going to die before you reach me, so I’m even going to fail to bring the assholes who did this to justice.”
Dagon took his seat. He didn’t want to lie to her. Even with her astonishing ability to conserve oxygen, she would still likely be dead within a few days. “Should that happen, I will seek vengeance for you.”
“Thank you.”
Quiet fell.
“The next time you talk with the Lasarans, would you please ask them not to say anything to Seth about me?”
“You do not wish him to know you survived?” He and Barus shared a frown. “Surely he will not blame you if you are the only survivor from Earth. You did everything you could to save your friends.”
“That’s the thing,” she said, voice solemn. “He won’t blame me. He’ll blame himself. That’s just how he is. He’s going to blame himself for putting us at risk, for putting us in this position, for agreeing to let us leave Earth. And if he thinks I died out here alone, in pain, while floating in space for days or weeks, waiting to be rescued… it will tear him up inside. He’ll never forgive himself. And I don’t want that. So I’d rather the Lasarans just tell him you’re all still searching for survivors. That way if I don’t make it until you reach me, you can just say I died in the initial attack. A quick death. No suffering.”
Dagon could find no response.
“You still there?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“You seem like a real stand-up guy.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Honorable. You seem like an honorable man. I mean, you wouldn’t still be heading my way otherwise. And I doubt lying comes easily to you. I’m sorry if this is a lot to ask, but please think about it, okay? If I die, I die. Seth doesn’t need to torture himself imagining a long, drawn-out death. So please ask the Lasarans not to mention me beyond saying you’re still searching for me. He doesn’t need to know the rest.”
Her words made Dagon’s chest ache. “I will do as you ask.”
“Thank you.” Her words soughed out like a sigh of relief. “If I ever get to meet you in person, I’m going to give you a big hug.”
He smiled. “I’ll look forward to that.”
&nb
sp; She chuckled again, the sound ending abruptly in a grunt of pain.
Barus’s frown deepened. “How bad are her injuries?” he asked softly in Segonian.
Dagon shook his head. “I don’t know. She won’t tell me.”
“What’s wrong?” Eliana asked. “Are hugs and public displays of affection forbidden in your culture? I know the Lasarans are pretty strict about that sort of thing.”
“No,” Dagon assured her. “Even if they were, I would still look forward to receiving yours.”
“Good. One hug coming right up.”
Acknowledgements
First, I would like to thank fans of the Immortal Guardians series who asked me if they would ever get to “meet” any members of Ami’s family. I have wanted to write this story for a long time and grinned big every time one of you expressed an interest in it.
As always, I’d like to thank Crystal. I don’t know what I’d do without you. And, of course, I want to send a huge thank you to my fabulous Street Team. You rock!! Your continued support means so much to me. Another big thank you goes to the members of my Dianne Duvall Books Group on Facebook. I have so much fun in there with you all. It’s such a positive group. Like my Street Team, you never fail to spark a smile and can make me laugh even on stressful days. For the readers who enjoy my books but haven’t joined yet: We’d love to see you there.
More thanks go to the bloggers and reviewers who help spread the word about my books. Some of you have been with me since my very first release. And I want to thank all of the wonderful readers who have picked up copies of my books. You’ve made living my dream possible. Thank you for sharing in my excitement with each release. Thank you, too, for recommending my books to friends and family or taking time to post reviews. I appreciate you all so much.
More thanks go to Anne Victory, who is always a joy to work with, as well as the cover designer, proofreader, formatter, and other behind-the-scenes individuals who helped me bring you The Lasaran.
And, of course, I’d like to thank my friends on social media who make me laugh and smile so often. You’re the best!
About the Author
Dianne Duvall is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the acclaimed Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, The Gifted Ones medieval and time-travel romance series, and the Aldebarian Alliance sci-fi romance series. Audible chose her Immortal Guardians audiobook Awaken the Darkness, as one of the Top 5 Best Paranormal Romances of 2018. Reviewers have called Dianne's books "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly), "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), "extraordinary" (Long and Short Reviews), and "wonderfully imaginative" (The Romance Reviews). Her books have twice been nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and are routinely deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews.
Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the psychotic vampires she creates in her books.
For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit www.DianneDuvall.com. You can also connect with Dianne online:
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