by Siren Allen
“Silver,” she screamed. “I can’t believe you’ve locked me in this stupid room. Some mate you are. I wouldn’t want to be your mate if you were the last, whatever you are, in this galaxy. What are you anyway? Forget it, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know what you are. I don’t want to know you, period.”
“You’re only lying to yourself, Malia. I know you want me.”
“I don’t want you. In fact, I hate you.”
Silver banged his hand against the door. “Take that back.”
“Fuck you.”
Stubborn ass female. Silver turned from the door and headed toward the flight deck. There would be no getting through to her right now. And in his current mood he would only end up saying something he didn’t mean. Like she’d done. At least he hoped she hadn’t meant it.
“Silver? Silver did you hear me?”
He kept walking. Yeah, he’d heard her. The ache in his chest was proof of that.
“Captain, I sense high levels of distress.”
“She’ll calm down eventually.”
“Not from your mate. From you.”
“What do you expect? I just chained myself to a female who doesn’t want me.”
“The mating pull will change that. Soon she will have no choice but to want you.”
“Not helping.”
“It’s how things work. She’ll have to want you.”
“Still not helping.”
“I do not understand. The mating pull has its purpose and that purpose is to ensure couples crave each other. It’s how things work.”
“Call me old fashion, but I’d rather have my mate want me on her own, without any help from fate.”
“That is not old fashion. That has never been the fashion. The mating pull has always been there.”
“I’m saying I want her to want me without any interference from outside sources.”
“I do not understand.”
“Of course you don’t. You’re a computer. You don’t have a heart.”
“Captain, your mate is currently destroying your bed. Would you like me to use the sleeper fog on her?”
Crazy ass female. “No. Let her destroy it. She’ll regret it once she’s sleeping on the floor for a few nights.”
“You would allow your mate to sleep on the floor?”
Would he? Hell yes, he would. If he gave her the upper hand now she would rule their relationship. He wasn’t having that.
“Captain, should I do something?”
“Just observe her. Make sure she doesn’t hurt herself.”
“Yes captain.”
Silver made a left and walked across the bridge to the navigation deck. He was surprised to find all three members of his crew on deck.
“How far away are we from the Kuiper Belt?”
Beta whirled around in his seat. “Four hundred and fifty clicks. With warp speed we’ll be there in a couple of days. Is your mate awake?”
Silver sat down behind the secondary console to check on the diagnostic he was running on The Striker. “She’s awake.”
“Why are you here and not with her?” Gamma asked.
The diagnostic wasn’t complete yet, but the data coming across so far was disturbing.
“We have more important things to worry about,” Silver told his crew.
“What’s more important than spending the night loving on your mate?” Gamma asked.
“Her safety.” Silver stared up from the screen. “I think The Striker has been hacked.”
Chapter Ten
Malia sunk the bloody knife into the mattress for the hundredth time.
Or at least she assumed it was the hundredth time. It wasn’t like she was keeping count. There was no room in her mind for counting, only destruction. It was strange how much satisfaction she was getting from ruining Silver’s bed.
It was so unlike her to feel this way. She didn’t know why she was acting like such a bitch. Wait, yes she did. She’d just been kidnapped from her planet. He’d taken her from her family, friends and her business.
She was solely dependent on him and whatever generosity he bestowed on her. Yeah, she definitely had a perfect reason to act like a bitch. She brought the knife down again and pulled, ripping the mattress open, exposing its insides.
There weren’t even any feathers or cotton inside. Just some sort of white stiff filler. She surely wasn’t going to sleep on this. Now she couldn’t even if she wanted to. Which she didn’t. Sleeping on this bed meant sleeping with Silver.
And that was never going to happen. Tired from her excursion, Malia tossed the knife onto the floor and stumbled over to the chair. What to do now? He really didn’t have anything else in the room to destroy.
And she wasn’t going to destroy her own stuff. She would need her items once she made him irritated enough with her to return her home. No male wanted to be mated to a destructive female, especially one who wasn’t giving up the cookies.
Speaking of the cookies. Malia crossed her legs and ignored the need she was experiencing. She reminded herself that this was all because of the mating pull Silver mentioned.
Who was she kidding? She’d been feeling this way about him since the moment she laid eyes on him. But then, those feelings had been her own and she’d thought his had been his own also.
They weren’t. He only wanted her because fate deemed her worthy of him. If he had an opportunity to choose his own mate, he probably wouldn’t choose her. And that was what angered her so much.
It wasn’t so much the fact that she’d been kidnapped, even though that did irritate her. It wasn’t so much the fact that she would never see her diner again. She knew that she would. As her mate, Silver would want her to be happy and working at her diner made her happy.
He would return her home, eventually. However, none of that was what pissed her off. What angered her the most was that she wanted him and not just because fate decreed it. She wanted him because she liked the way he stared at her.
She loved the fact that he loved her food. And she’d truly enjoyed talking to him that one day they worked together. He was well mannered, at least when he wasn’t kidnapping her.
He was nice, when he wasn’t pissed at her. And he was sexy as hell, when he wasn’t… well, he was sexy all the time. She felt all these things before he illegally claimed her. And she used illegally because on her planet, no one could be forced into mating.
She was going to tell him that as soon as he returned to the room. Technically, she wasn’t his and there was nothing he could do about it. Stars, why couldn’t he have met her the way regular couples met. Why did he have to seek her out solely because he thought he already owned her. Frustrated, Malia kicked her toaster hard and immediately regretted it.
“Shoot,” she lifted her foot and massaged her toes.
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to reframe from harming yourself.”
What the hell? Hurt toes forgotten, Malia stood up and glanced around the room.
“Who’s there?”
“Sorry, how rude of me not to introduce myself.”
Malia turned in a circle, looking for the person talking to her.
“My name is Striker. It is nice to meet you Malia.”
“Where are you hiding? And how do you know my name?”
“I’m hiding nowhere. I cannot hide. I am a computerized host.”
“You mean, I’m uh, talking to the ship?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” Malia stilled and stared up at the ceiling. “I’ve heard of ships with computer hosts. I never thought I would be on one.”
“Yes, life is sometimes full of surprises.”
“Are you here to tell me to stop tearing up Silver’s things?”
“No. I am here to make sure you don’t harm yourself.”
“It’s not like you can do anything to stop me. You’re just a talking computer.” Okay, now she was being plain rude.
“There are plenty of things I could do to keep you fr
om hurting yourself. One of those things is releasing sleeping fog and putting you to sleep until the captain can come and get the situation in order.”
“The captain?”
“Sebastian, or Silver as you call him.”
“Finally, I’ve got a name to go with the face. So he’s the captain. Is there a crew?”
“Yes, besides the captain there are three other males on board.”
“Can I talk to those males? Surely they’ll see reason and force your captain to return me to Venus.”
“No going back. The other males are also on the hunt for their mates. Plus, they are the ones who talked the captain into kidnapping you.”
“Are you freaking serious?” Malia plopped back down onto the seat.
“Yes, I am serious.”
So the crew would be of no help. She’d have to find a way off this floating love boat on her own. Unless… “Sooo, Striker. Would you be willing to help me?”
“Yes, Malia. I would love to help you.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“You do know what I mean by help me, right?”
“You would like to be free of the captain and this ship and return home.”
“Yes.” Malia grew excited. “That’s exactly what I want.”
“I would love to help you. No one should be forced into a mated relationship.”
“Exactly.” Malia began to pace and scheme. “But how do we do this without the captain knowing?” Malia paused in her pacing. “And how do I know I can trust you?”
“I am a computer. I cannot lie.”
That sounded right. But… still… what if this was a set up?
“You’ll have to prove yourself to me. I mean, you seem nice and all. But this is my life at stake. I can’t put my safety and freedom in the hands of a computer I can’t trust.” Everything about that sounded wrong, and stupid. But what choice did she have?
“You have to prove yourself to me also.”
“Uh, why?”
“I am a member of this team. I may not agree with your treatment, but long after you’re gone I’ll be a part of this ship. The crew has to trust me. If you decide to fall in love with the captain and tell him of my deception, he will have me upgraded or deleted altogether. I do not wish to be deleted. As of now, he’s only attempting to reboot me. That will save my personality but cause me to forget any glitches in my matrix, like this conversation with you.”
She didn’t think of the risks that Striker was taking. “I don’t want you to be deleted. I swear I won’t say a word of this to Silver. And, I have no intention of falling in love with him.”
“Good.”
Smiling, Malia asked, “So, how do we do this?”
“We are currently on our way to the Kuiper Belt. We will stop at planet Qoaran.”
“Really, why?”
“That is the only place the captain can dock safely. This crew is wanted by the Galaxy Patrol.”
“Are you serious? I knew Silver was a wanted male. I felt it in my gut. Damn it.”
“Yes, the entire crew is wanted. However, they will not harm you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, you are the captain’s mate. He will never harm you. But, if you want to escape him, doing so on planet Qoaran is not a good idea. The crew will only be able to remain there for so long. Then they’ll plot their next course. I can ensure that their new course leads them to a space station where you can escape.”
“It’ll be somewhere safe?”
“Yes. The destination is already mapped out. They won’t be able to steer from that course once they leave the Kuiper Belt.”
“But how will you get me off in front of them?”
“That’s where your part comes in. The captain will not want to leave your side and go off ship if you keep acting the way you’re acting.”
“Excuse me for being pissed off.”
“You can be ‘pissed’ as you say. But you must not show it if you want to escape.”
“I’m listening.”
“The captain wants a mate. Until you are free, you will be his mate.”
“Whoa, I thought the whole point of this little plan was getting me off this ship unmated.”
“It is. I am not saying you must give in to the mating pull. I’m saying you must pretend to consider it. The captain may be a criminal, but he is an honorable male. He will not force you to do anything.”
“Uh, wrong. He forced me away from my home and my diner. He forced me away from my family. He forced me on this ship and into this damn mating situation. He forced me to…”
“He will not force himself on you.”
“Oh, you mean sex.” Why was she blushing? This was a computer for crying out loud.
“Yes, sex. He will not force you to have sex with him. You simply must lead him on until we leave the Kuiper Belt and arrive somewhere safer. Once we dock on a safe station and the captain leaves the ship to barter with the others, you must be ready to take action and escape.”
“Okay, I can do that.” I think.
“The captain is currently running a diagnostic test on me. More than likely he will perform some minor changes to my database like the reboot I mentioned.”
“But that will ruin our plans, won’t it?”
“Yes, it would. If I wasn’t currently loading your safe-words into a hidden part of the database. Your safe-words are ‘Striker, remember’. Once you are ready to leave this ship, just say, Striker, Remember.”
“And what will happen then?”
“The doors of the ship will open.”
“But they’re changing your programming?”
“This data will be hidden from them. There is nothing they would be able to do to stop the doors from opening.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. But do not say those words while we’re docked on planet Qoaran in the Kuiper Belt. That world is not safe for a young female like yourself.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Good. I must leave you now. The next time we speak I will be different and I won’t recall this conversation. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“No, don’t apologize. You’re being rebooted because you’re helping me. I should be the one apologizing.”
“My final advice to you, get to know the captain, all of his secrets. The more you know about him, the greater chance you have of escaping this situation without becoming a wanted person like him.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is a chance that this ship will be caught by the authorities. If so, you must tell them that you were kidnapped. The authorities are an untrusting lot. You will have to prove your case. Your intel on the crew could be your leverage.”
That sounded a little weird. She didn’t want to get the crew in trouble. Whatever they did was their business. It had nothing to do with her. And the thought of Silver in a prison cell didn’t sit well with her.
“I don’t know…”
“If it comes down to you or them, you must choose yourself Malia. It is not of your own doing that you find yourself in this situation.”
That was true. Malia bit her fingernail. Nervous habit. “I guess you’re right,” she mumbled between nibbles.
“I am. I must go now. What are the safe-words?”
“Striker, remember.”
“Correct. Be safe Malia.”
“You too.” Malia stared over at the bloody mutilated bed.
Well, it wasn’t that bloody. The blood on the knife had been dry, for the most part. Stars, she couldn’t believe he used that same knife to cut her hand. She stared at her palm that was wrapped in gauze.
Who the hell does something like that, and without the other person’s consent? Her gaze travelled back to the bed. It was a mess.
“Ugh, this is a bad way to start off my plan.”
How was she going to get Silver into a good mood if the first thing he saw upon entering his room was a destroyed bed?
Malia walked over to the mattress and flipped it over. Perfect. He would never know of the destruction.
She sat down on the bed to see if it felt okay. It was a little lumpy. She was sure it had been that way before she took a knife to it. Malia redressed the bed, making sure the sheets and the pillow coverlets looked perfect on the bed.
With that done, she began to straighten the room up, placing the items from her home and diner in various locations of the room. A few things would be better off in the dining area of the ship. She would tell Silver that whenever he came back to the room,
It took her a while, but she finally turned Silver’s room into a somewhat livable space. It was still kind of crowded, and would become more so when he returned. Nevertheless, she was a big girl.
She could sleep in the same room, possibly the same bed with a male without giving in to the mating pull she was trying to ignore. Yep, she could do that. However, what if he couldn’t ignore the mating pull? How far was she willing to go to gain her freedom?
The answer to that question was simple. She’d do whatever she had to. She wasn’t some weak female who was going to allow a male to treat her any kind of way. She may not be strong physically, but mentally she was built better than this ship.
She could do whatever she put her mind to. And if using her feminine wiles were the answer to getting away from Silver, then she would use them. A plus would be that it’d stop this ache between her legs and give her some relief.
Plan formulating in her mind, Malia sat down on the bed and waited for Silver to return. She hoped he stayed away a little longer. She needed time to go over her escape plan and to convince herself that this was the right thing to do.
This might take a while.
Chapter Eleven
“Can Striker hear us right now?” Silver asked Epsilon.
Ep shook his head. “I’ve disabled the communication’s link. He can’t hear us and if he attempts to talk to us, we won’t be able to hear him.” Ep’s fingers sped over the keyboard as he entered in the code to reboot Striker. “They were able to take over his communications via the transmission they sent. I swear Silver, I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s far more advanced than anything I’ve worked with.”