by Renee Rose
Despite what she’d told them, Cass was nervous. She’d never maintained a meditative state for more than twelve hours before. A shiver ran down her spine as the cold seeped into her body. Hurtling into the void in the darkness in a metal box felt a little like being sealed in a tomb.
She forced the thought out, emptied her mind, and began the process of turning herself, for all practical purposes, into a corpse.
RYN
The moment the alarm sounded, he knew what she’d done.
“Secure the exit portals,” he shouted.
The android on duty at the control console gave him an infuriatingly calm reply. “Your order is unnecessary, sir. The exit portals seal automatically after a craft departs. According to the equipment roster, cargo hauler number one has already left the ship. ”
“Reprogram the course headings and get it back here.”
“Wait.” Rom came toward him, put an arm around his shoulders. “Much as I hate to say it, she may be right. We can’t overtake the Luna. We’re just not fast enough. We hoped to catch up with the pirates on another world. Take them down in the midst of one of their raids, not in deep space. Under the circumstances, her plan is our best chance to rid the Universe of them. Cass knows her ship better than anyone. It’s programmed to allow her total control.”
He sighed. “By the Sacred Ones, I would never have chosen this path. I know it goes against everything we are, everything we hold dear, Brother, to sit back while our female goes into battle for us. But we’ve dishonored her enough already. She’s doing her duty as commander. We need to trust her and show her the respect she’s due. We won’t be going to the rescue of a helpless female. This is an alliance of two worlds against a common enemy.”
“What if her bioengineering process was flawed? She could die out there!” He sagged against his brother. “We can’t even reach out to her, Rom. I already tried. She’s dimmed her life force so much, the Bond is gone.”
“You were right, Ryn. We should have Mated with her. Then the Bond would be stronger. I wasn’t ready. I thought it was wrong to try to replace Zara so soon. But now I believe the Gods in their wisdom sent this female to us to heal the hole in our hearts. I cannot accept that They would be cruel enough to take her from us so soon.”
Rom stared out the window, his eyes trained on the tiny speck disappearing into the void. “Although why They saw fit to send us such a willful one, I will never understand. I swear, when this is over, I will take the vela to her stubborn little ass until she begs for mercy.” His voice dropped to a whisper. Almost a prayer. “And then we’ll take her in our arms and make her our Mate.”
Forty hours passed. It felt more like forty days. Neither brother slept. They barely ate. When they weren’t preparing the androids for battle, they paced back and forth in front of the huge window on the bridge, as though their eyes were more likely to spot the cargo hauler than the Gemini’s tracking system.
“We have located the hauler, sir. It is currently linked to the starship Commander Randall identified as the Luna.”
The android currently at the control console broke the news to Ryn. They’d finally agreed to take turns on the bridge, knowing they needed rest to be in optimum shape for a battle.
Ryn’s heart soared. She was alive. She had to be.
“How soon will we be within range?”
“The Luna’s propulsion system is not engaged, sir. We will rendezvous with it in fifty-seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds.”
“Let me know the results the minute you are near enough to do a life form scan.”
“Yes, sir.”
He reached out, woke Rom. We’re close, Brother. Less than an hour before we rendezvous with the Luna. She did it.
His brother responded instantly. Thank the Gods. Now it’s our turn.
The Luna was a much smaller vessel than the Gemini. The life form scan reported seventy-eight alien bodies in the hold and thirty-one elsewhere on the ship, including six on the bridge. The pirates had a precious cargo. Those seventy-eight, no doubt females kidnapped from the planets they’d raided, would bring a hefty sum at a slave auction.
Dressing for battle aboard a starship was different than dressing for a hunt on Cephaia. Instead of long cloaks tied around their necks and the garments Cass persisted in calling skirts, the brothers wore head-to-toe deep-purple body armor, molded to fit them like a second skin. Flexible yet able to deflect most weapons. Five androids accompanied them, all dressed as they were. The sixth stayed on the Gemini.
The ship was eerily quiet when they docked. The androids took off in separate directions, leaving Ryn and Rom to head for the bridge. In less than a minute, they heard shouts, then a scream.
“Enemies sighted. Defied order to surrender. Two aliens dispatched, sir.” An android voice came through the communication device built into their headgear.
“Acknowledged.” Ryn gave the response. “Twenty-nine to go,” he remarked as he and his brother turned a corner, weapons drawn and ready. “How many do you think we’ll be able to take alive? The Tribunal wants them to stand trial for their crimes back on Cephaia.”
“I don’t care about the others. But the ones who tortured Zara are ours. They don’t deserve the decency of a trial. I want them to see our faces, hear us speak her name as they die.”
Ryn nodded. He and his twin had planned for this moment, imagined it over and over. The thought of having their revenge was all that kept them going when grief nearly brought them to their knees. Before they Bonded with Cass.
By unspoken agreement, neither of them mentioned her. The life force scan couldn’t distinguish Cass from the other Earthers, so they had no way of knowing where she was on the ship. He hadn’t been able to reopen the Bond, and he knew his brother hadn’t either, even though they knew she had to be awake and alive. Somehow, when she shut down her life force, she broke the fragile connection with them. It had never been complete, because they hadn’t Mated with her. Now it was gone.
He got in two more android transmissions. Seven of the pirates had been taken prisoner, three others killed. With six life forms detected on the bridge, that left nineteen pirates unaccounted for. Unless Cass was one of the Earthers on the bridge.
They rounded a corner and were met with blasts from a photon Blazar. Magnus had stationed guards in the corridor leading to the bridge. Rom flew backwards, slamming against the wall. Ryn ducked back around the corner, then jumped out, firing. Bodies slumped to the ground. He turned to see Rom staggering to his feet. Thank the Gods for Cephaian body armor.
“Two more aliens dispatched,” he announced to the androids.
A chorus of voices replied in his ear. “Acknowledged.”
By now, Magnus would have heard the shots, known they were near. Without speaking, he and Rom went into hunting mode. They split up, advancing on the bridge from opposite directions.
A scream split the air, cut off suddenly. Cass. Magnus had her there, on the bridge. Ryn refused to let himself dwell on what the monster was doing to her. He leveled his phazer and ran for the door, spraying the room in a wild burst. Knowing he risked hitting Cass along with the pirates made it hard to do, but the shocking pain and paralysis would wear off within a few hours. Better to have her alive and furious with him for shooting her than have her dead at Magnus’s hands.
Rom burst into the room from the other side, firing nonstop. They took one look around and both of them stopped in their tracks.
Four bodies lay twitching on the floor. A fifth stood behind the commander’s post, holding Cass in front of him, with a knife to her throat. His other arm, wrapped around her, ended in a crude metal hand. He’d pulled the straps of her gown aside, baring her breasts, and the metal fingers gripped one of her nipples. That explained the scream.
One side of her body sagged. The filthy alien had used her for a human shield. She’d taken a hit when they sprayed the room, but, fortunately, not a full-on blast.
She lifted her head and met his eyes, the
n transferred her gaze to Rom. “It’sss… about time… you got here.”
Her words were slurred, almost unintelligible. He could see the pain in her eyes and knew what the casual response had cost her.
“We went on a tour of the Luna first. You’ve been bragging about your Earther ship for so long, we had to see it for ourselves.” Rom surveyed the bridge. “It’s nice, but not as large as ours.”
“You malesss… are all alike,” she managed to mutter. “Always measuring to… sssee whose is bigger.”
“Shut up!” The man holding her dug the knife in. A trickle of blood ran down her throat.
Chapter Nine
ROM
He froze. He’d lived this nightmare over and over for months now. The female he loved, with a knife at her throat. The face next to hers that he knew as well as his own. He’d memorized every detail that night. The cold black eyes, the sunken cheeks, the angle of the jaw. Even the shape of the ears, plainly visible with that dull-gray hair pulled back into a skinny braid. Magnus. The Earther who’d ordered the brutal rape and murder of their Mate Zara. How cruel were the Gods to have him hold the life of another woman they loved?
Love. The realization hit him. He loved Cass. Over the last few months, she’d penetrated the walls around his heart. Beautiful, intelligent, brave enough to defy the two of them when she thought she was right. And caring. She’d been fiercely determined to rescue not only her crew, but the other female captives as well.
You’re right, Brother. You love Cass. We both love Cass. And we’re going to save her. Ryn’s voice rang clear as a bell in his head, breaking him out of the nightmare. This time would be different. This time they were here, instead of far away, helplessly watching the tragedy unfold through the Bond with their Mate. He and his twin would die themselves before they’d let the beast hurt her any more.
See if you can get him talking. Ryn’s voice went on. Distract him. I’m going to try to Bond with Cass.
Rom inclined his head a fraction of an inch and then broke the connection with his brother.
“Magnus.” He lowered his weapon to his side. “I’ve traveled a long way to meet you.”
“You and your freakish alien twin have caused me a great deal of bother,” Magnus replied. “I’ve been dragging those whores all over the galaxy. Word has gotten around about you two trailing me. None of my usual customers want anything to do with buying my cargo. They’re afraid you’ll come down on them with a vengeance for doing business with me. They figure you’ll steal back the bitches and they’ll be left with nothing—if they’re lucky enough to be alive.”
“I can’t say I’m sorry to have disturbed your normal business routine.”
Magnus lifted his other arm to display the stump with its poorly built mechanical hand. “I haven’t even been able to make enough to get a decent replacement.” He looked from one brother to another, gave them a cold smile. “She was worth it, though. Your female. I’d never had an Amazon. Such a tight, hot ass. And the way her pussy looked when I had her spread apart—I still jack off to it. With my other hand.” He threw back his head and laughed.
Rom stiffened. This pile of offal would die a horrible death. Today.
“You’ve taken the one I loved,” he said. “The only one who mattered. You can’t hurt me any more. But we can hurt you. Your crew is gone. Thirteen taken prisoner by my droids. Twelve dead.” Rom stopped, ran his gaze around the room. “No, my mistake. Make that sixteen. We’re going to kill these four after we kill you. I recognize them. They were all there with you that night.”
“You won’t do anything. I’ll slit your whore’s throat right in front of you if you come near me.”
Rom shrugged. “Go ahead. She’s one of you. Another filthy, disgusting Earther. We only kept her alive so she could get us on this ship.”
He saw Cass’s eyes widen. Saw the hurt. It looked like Ryn hadn’t been able to open the Bond and communicate with her.
“You’re bluffing.” Magnus dug the tip of the knife farther into Cass’s throat. The trickle of blood became a narrow stream.
“Get it over with. The only reason we haven’t killed her already is we can’t risk hitting you instead. My brother and I want you alive when we start hacking off the rest of your body parts one by one. In memory of Zara.”
Cass screamed then, a wild cry torn from the depths of her heart. “You bastards! You pigs! You never cared about me. You’ve been lying to me, both of you fucking me night after night. One of you making me suck your cock while the other shoved his in my ass.”
Rom fought to keep the look of triumph off his face. Her voice was stronger. The effects of the phazer were wearing off. And Ryn must have made contact with her. This was all an act, her crude words meant to distract Magnus. She’d let him know it just now—because they’d never taken her in the ass.
She tilted her head a fraction, looked up at the pirate with tears pouring down her face. “I want these bastards dead more than you do. They used me, made me their slut, while pretending to love me.” Cass’s tears stopped. Her face changed, twisted into an evil mask. “There’s a Blazar hidden in a secret compartment under my chair. It will vaporize them before they can get to us. If you’ll crouch down a little, I can reach it.”
Magnus laughed again. “Do you take me for a fool?”
“Right now, I’m dead either way. You’ll kill me now or they’ll kill me to get to you. You still have a knife to my throat. You could shove it in the rest of the way before I have time to turn the weapon on you.”
Rom saw the flicker of interest in Magnus’s eyes. He could almost hear the wheels turning in the man’s mind. If he cooperated with Cass, they’d be able to vaporize the androids, too. He could take back control of the ship. A Blazar was a formidable weapon. With it and the four men in this room, he could put together another crew.
“All right. But if you try anything, you’re dead.”
Magnus lowered his body into a crouch, taking Cass along. She slid her good hand along the side of the commander’s seat. Her fingers spread and she laid her palm flat.
“Casseopeia.”
The compartment slid open, and she grabbed a weapon. Twirling it so the barrel pointed backwards, she pulled the trigger.
Magnus stared in disbelief at the gaping wound in his side. His body slumped over, driving the knife into Cass’s neck to the hilt. A geyser of red erupted.
She winked at Rom, then her eyes drifted shut. Cass and the pirate collapsed together in a bloody heap on the floor.
Chapter Ten
ROM
Ryn rushed to her side. He tore off her gown. Then he yanked the knife out of her neck, wadded up the delicate fabric, and pressed it over the wound.
“Get to the hold. Find Aliya and bring her back here. She’s a member of Cass’s crew, their medical officer. Tell her what happened. Be sure to let her know Cass has checked out.”
When he stood there, frozen, Ryn glanced up at him and gave him a reassuring nod. It’s going to be all right, Brother. I swear. But hurry.
Checked out? Rom felt sick as he dashed down endless corridors to the hold, calling up Cass’s diagrams of the ship in his mind. He didn’t try to reach out to his brother. Ryn had to concentrate on Cass right now. He didn’t need another voice in his head, questioning him.
He ran into two of the androids and had them follow him. When they opened the door to the hold, he found a mass of females huddled in the corner, as far away from the entrance as possible. He made out members of at least half a dozen different alien races, including several Cephaians.
Five female Earthers rushed toward them and assumed combat stance.
He held up both hands and spoke in their language. “We’re here to rescue you. We’ve come with Commander Randall.”
They all began talking at once. He broke in, using his most authoritative tone. “Attention!”
The females automatically fell silent and formed a line.
Thank the Gods military train
ing was the same all over the Universe. “Your commander is gravely injured. I need Aliya to come with me. As for the rest of the crew, you can assist my androids.”
He didn’t have time to explain they’d be collecting the names and home planets of all the kidnapped females, so their loved ones could be notified as soon as possible that they’d been rescued.
A raven-haired beauty stepped forward. “I’m Aliya. Where’s the commander? What happened to her?”
“She’s on the bridge. Come. I’ll explain on the way.”
He took off down the corridor at a dead run. Despite his longer stride, Aliya kept pace with him. He told her about Cass’s stab wound, the blood pouring from her neck. “My brother said to tell you Cass has checked out.”
“Thank heaven. We have a little time. I need to get my medical kit. Follow me.”
“What do you mean ‘we have a little time’? I saw her collapse. She’s dying! At the rate the blood was pumping out of her body, she’ll be gone before we get back there.”
“Cass took a huge risk. She’s betting that she can slow her heartbeat, her respiration, all her bodily functions enough to keep the blood loss to a minimum and stop her organs from shutting down completely. It takes an incredible amount of concentration to do that under the best of circumstances. With her injury, the level of stress her body is in right now, it’s going to take everything she has.”
“But you can save her, right?”
“I’ll use a laser wand to seal the slit in the carotid artery. Everything else can wait until we move her to the medical bay and begin replacing the blood she’s lost. After that, I’ll cool her body down, put her into a state of suspended animation to reduce the stress on her brain. We’ll give her time to heal and gradually restore her bodily functions.”