by Hope Hart
Butterflies dance in my stomach, and I know Vazta’s near. I have this crazy awareness of him, and the moment he comes close, my body is instantly ready for him.
His eyes meet mine, his face serious, and I blow out a breath as Jessica tenses by my side.
“It’s time,” he says.
Jessica pulls me into her arms.
“Be careful,” she says.
“I will, I promise.”
Jess glances at Vazta. “Look after her.”
He smiles. “If my female wasn’t so stubborn, she would be staying here with you.”
I give him a look, but Jessica’s rare laugh makes me smile.
“Let’s go.”
Vazta takes me up to the control center, where we watch Udan’s ship in the distance. It’s much, much smaller than ours, and I feel savage pleasure dance through me.
This time, he’s going down.
Vazta grabs my hand and we head to the dock, where Arcav are currently gearing up, arming themselves with blasters and shields and piling into the smaller ships that we’ll take to board Udan’s ship.
Bregaz grins at me. “Ready?”
I smile back. “You have no idea.”
Vazta hands me armor, ordering me to put it on. Thankfully, it’s been made especially for a woman of my size, and while bulky, it’s nowhere near as big as the vest Vazta is putting on. While the Arcav don’t bother with armor on Earth, it’s a different story when they’re going up against another alien species which is likely to have access to much better technology than us humans.
We get in the smaller ship and I clutch Vazta’s hand while Bregaz pilots us. There are approximately ten of us in this ship, and most of the Arcav are silent— apart from Bregaz who keeps up a steady stream of jokes, even while his mouth firms and his eyes narrow on the smaller ship.
“Something’s not right,” he says suddenly, and Vazta leans forward.
“What is it?”
“That type of ship has missile defenses, but they haven’t made contact with our main ship or given any kind of warning. I know they can see us.”
“I thought Arcav ships were shielded?”
Bregaz glances at me. “These smaller ships have standard shields, and it’s extremely likely that their ship has noticed a blip or two on their radar.”
“You think it’s a trap?”
“I think we need to be very careful.”
Vazta’s jaw is firm beside me, and he gives me a look. I know what he’s thinking. If he could, he’d turn this ship around and dump me back on the SSA Vengeance.
I narrow my eyes at him and he simply leans closer.
“You will remain next to me the whole time,” he murmurs into my ear and I nod.
“How will you make their dock open?” I ask.
Vazta smiles. “Our AI system is better than theirs,” he says smugly and I grin.
Within a few minutes, we’re almost on top of Udan’s ship. As soon as we’re a few hundred feet away, it begins firing missiles, but our ships easily counter, their shields holding strong. Bregaz still doesn’t look happy, but he nods as the dock doors open and Arcav begin boarding the ship.
We all file out of the ship, weapons up and ready.
The dock is completely empty, and even Vazta narrows his eyes at me.
“I want you to stay in the ship,” he says, holding up a hand as my mouth drops open.
Bregaz nods his head. “Good idea,” he says.
“Traitor,” I hiss at Bregaz, and he smiles.
“Peyton,” Vazta says. “This does not feel right. I promise I will find Udan and bring him to you. I will not let anyone kill him. But I would not survive if something happened to you, little female.”
Vazta’s eyes are on me, but all of the Arcav surrounding us are listening in unapologetically. For Vazta to admit to any kind of weakness…
I can’t ignore his logic. “Fine.”
He smiles at me and I turn to get back in the ship.
That’s when the firing starts.
Chapter Nine
Vazta
It’s a trap. Bregaz glances at me, and we both pull Peyton down to the ground, covering her as the air lights up with shots fired. I recognize the type of blasters they’re using by the color of the laser, and we have superior firepower.
Unfortunately, we are surrounded.
Udan must have been expecting us because the dock isn’t empty at all. False walls. They’re firing from behind false walls.
To set up a defense like this…
“Bad intelligence,” Bregaz grinds out, firing through a wall. We hear a scream and Bregaz shoots me a savage grin.
“Someone got to our spies,” I growl.
Peyton wiggles underneath me, reaching for her weapon. My every instinct is urging me to throw her into a ship and take her back to the SSA Vengeance
But we are unlikely to get that far, surrounded as we are. I should never have brought my female into danger, despite her quest for revenge. I should have known better.
Bregaz is on his ComScreen, updating the main ship of our situation.
“More backup is on the way,” he tells me, with tension in his voice. Our ships are pouring into the dock, but unlike us, they’re ready, and the Arcav stay undercover while shooting back at unseen targets.
Ahead of us, Agerx goes down, his body falling to the ground, head thumping as a blaster rips through him. Peyton moves forward as if to help him and I grab her arm, holding tight as I round on her, teeth bared.
“Do not dare,” I roar, and she flinches but nods, her mouth firm. Instead, we both fire back at the direction of the strike.
By now, the false walls have been destroyed under heavy fire. Our enemy no longer has anywhere else to hide.
“Do you see Udan?” I ask, and Peyton shakes her head.
“No, but that’s Tuska— one of his top generals,” she says, firing in the direction of the Brexar. He’s surrounded by his men, and while we manage to hit one or two, the general simply smiles, his red eyes glinting in the light of the blasters.
“Can you get me to Agerx?” Peyton asks, and I scan the dock. We are under heavy fire, but more Arcav are pouring into the dock, laying down heavy fire. Two of the men protecting the General fall and the smile slips from his face as he is forced to duck.
I glance at Bregaz and he nods, providing cover as I guide Peyton to Agerx, ensuring my body covers hers. She drops to her knees at Agerx’s side and we’re both immediately covered with blood spraying from Agerx’s thigh.
One look at Peyton’s face tells me that it is bad.
“Shit. I’m guessing that’s also a major artery for Arcav too.”
Her face immediately clears, her brow lowering in determination as she scans his body.
Bregaz makes his way to where we are kneeling, guarding us and laying down fire to keep the attention off us.
“Pass me a knife,” she yells and I lean forward, cutting away the leg of his pant.
“Kneel on it,” she orders, screaming at me when I hesitate. “Do it!”
Agerx rouses enough to groan as I kneel on his thigh.
“Good,” Peyton says. “Stay exactly how you are. We need to make sure he doesn’t bleed out.”
She scans my body, eyes landing briefly on my belt, and then she shakes her head, reaching for her own armor.
I grab her hands.
“What do you think you are doing?”
“We need a tourniquet and your belt isn’t going to work. We can use my shirt.”
I bare my teeth at her. “Keep your armor on or I will haul you out of here,” I growl.
Then I pull off my own armor and rip off my shirt, handing it to her. She folds it, hands quick and confident, and then wraps it around Agerx’s upper thigh, tying it into a knot.
“I’m going to need you for this,” she says. “It needs to be tight enough to cut off the blood supply, which means it needs to compress his thigh muscle. I don’t have the strength to do that to an
Arcav.”
I nod, careful to keep my knee where Peyton ordered it to go. “Show me.”
“Okay. We need something strong to secure it.”
She describes what she needs and I reach into my pocket, revealing a small flashlight. She frowns, but I press a button and it extends until Peyton grins.
“Perfect.”
She slips it between Agerx’s thigh and my shirt and then begins to twist. Then she gestures for me to take over. I twist, wincing sympathetically as it Agerx groans again.
“How much more?” I ask as I continue to tighten.
“Until the bleeding stops. Take your knee off for a moment and let me have a look.”
I slowly lift my knee and we both let out relieved sighs.
“Okay,” she says. “Now we just need to secure it.”
She uses the ends of the t-shirt to tie the flashlight in place and the leans back.
“Well,” she says. “He’s alive but we need to get him back to your healers. Now.”
I study her, surprise shooting through me for a moment, but then it clears, replaced by pride. My female has dreamed of her revenge, but instead of finding Udan herself, she is choosing to help one of my fellow Arcav while he is near death.
The dock is empty now, Arcav pouring through to the ship. I glance at Bregaz.
“Make sure no one kills Udan. He is to be brought back to our ship alive,” I say, and he nods.
Peyton moves so I can pick Agerx up, cradling him in my arms. I gently place him in the ship and Peyton moves up beside him, monitoring his vitals.
“I can’t believe he hasn’t bled out,” she murmurs, one hand to Agerx’s neck as she monitors his pulse.
“Our bodies can survive a greater loss of blood than humans,” I say, firing up the ship and immediately navigating it out of the dock. “Our heart rate slows down to prevent blood loss.”
Peyton raises her eyebrow. “Thanks to the Alni plant or just Arcav physiology?”
I shrug. I have no idea, but I am gratified to see Peyton interested in something other than Udan, even if it is just temporary.
As soon as the ship is parked in the dock, I jump out, grabbing Agerx. Healers are waiting, and I place him on the ground as Kehas moves in.
He takes in my shirt around Agerx’s thigh and raises his eyebrow.
“Simple but effective,” he says with a glance at Peyton. “I will need to scan it immediately while also working to stop the bleeding. Can you remove the shirt while I scan?”
Peyton nods and Kehas glances at me. “We do not have time for pain control. You will need to be ready in case he wakes up.”
I nod. It is not uncommon for Arcav to appear unconscious when really in a deep meditative sleep in an attempt to preserve their core functions. If Agerx wakes suddenly, surrounded and in pain, he may not react well.
I move to his chest, ready to hold him down if I need to. Peyton glances at Kehas who nods, and then she begins removing the shirt, her hands moving quickly as Kehas sprinkles a clotting powder over the site. He runs one of his instruments over the wound and nods at whatever reading he sees on the screen.
Peyton watches, fascinated as he goes to work. At one point, Kehas hands her the instrument and she studies it, watching the lights change from black to a light blue before Kehas takes it back again.
Finally, Agerx is stable enough to be moved. Kehas gestures to some of his fellow healers, who step forward with a medi-bed, carefully loading him onto it before they move toward the medi-center.
I glance at Peyton, who is staring at the chaos in our dock. Healers are methodically treating the injured, but there are five Arcav bodies lying next to each other, never again to open their eyes.
“Five dead,” she says softly, her face white. “Almost six. And for a trap.”
I nod, fury hitting me. Whoever was responsible for checking this information will be going before Varian to explain themselves. Something I would not wish on anyone once he learns of the loss of five of his people. And whoever provided us with false information… they will pay.
I lead Peyton back to the control center, where we listen to reports from each of our teams. Udan was not on the ship. We have taken the General to be interrogated, and the rest of his men are still under heavy guard on the ship.
“Any civilians?”
“One human woman, found chained to the bed in General Tuska’s room,” Gethix says between his teeth, face dark. Heavy silence hits the room.
“She has been taken to the healers,” he continues. “What should we do with the Brexar on the ship?”
I glance at Peyton, who is white-faced after the news of the human woman.
“Blow it up,” she says hoarsely. We stare at each other for a moment, and then I nod, gesturing to Gethix.
He gives me a wide grin, although his eyes are still hard, and we all watch as he ensures all Arcav have left the ship.
One final headcount is performed ten minutes later, and Udan’s ship turns to dust.
Peyton
I’m covered in blood. Helping to save Agerx’s life today was like being back in the OR. For the first time in a long time, I was entirely focused on something that didn’t involve Udan.
And it felt good.
My heart sinks as I think about the five Arcav who are lying dead on the dock. They lost their lives today. If there is anything that can make me question my need for revenge, it’s the thought of those men and their families.
“Come with me, my female,” Vazta murmurs in my ear.
I follow him, and we’re both silent as we walk back to his quarters.
“Those men were proud warriors who knew what they were fighting for,” Vazta says gently, wiping my face, and I realize tears are streaming down my cheeks.
“They died because I insisted Varian go after Udan,” I say, and surprisingly, Vazta laughs.
“Do you truly believe you could convince the Arcav King to do something he does not already want to do? The moment you revealed what had been happening on Cilphi, and that Udan was not dead, was the moment that the Arcav became involved. He is mated to a human. And the Arcav hold our part of the universe while avoiding an all-out war because our enemies know that retaliation for breaking our rules will be swift and fierce.”
“What are your rules?”
“No slavery,” he says. “Nothing that negatively impacts lesser races, particularly humans.”
I narrow my eyes at the ‘lesser races’ part, and Vazta gives me a slight smile.
“Technologically, humans are considered to be a lesser race. That means that they are under our protection. Particularly now that they are our mates. Varian would have sent a team to Cilphi at some point regardless,” he says. “The only difference is that you would have been unlikely to have been on the ship.”
I think that over. Varian’s a sneaky guy. Of course, he would never tell me any of this, so I was forced to bargain, staying longer on Arcavia so that Vazta could slowly knock down my defenses and become someone I trusted.
But I’m not sorry. I need to see Udan’s death for myself. If I hadn’t watched him escape last time, maybe it would be different. But I’ll never believe he’s truly gone until I kill him myself.
Vazta gestures for me to get into the bathing chamber, and I smile at him. He’s already turned it onto the human setting, and hot water hits me as I step in, watching as Vazta takes off his clothes, his eyes burning as he takes in my naked body.
I’ve finally put on some of the weight I’ve lost, and my breasts are rounding out, my hips no longer sharp and bony. His icy eyes lighten further, telling me he likes what he sees as he steps into the bathing chamber with me, his hands immediately cupping my face as he takes my mouth.
My heart races, but not from fear. I could have lost him today. It could have been Vazta shot. If the General had succeeded, I never would’ve felt Vazta’s huge hands on my body, never would have experienced him moving inside me.
I gasp into his mouth, my thighs
clenching as I become slippery with need. My hands move to his chest, my fingers clutching at him, nails digging in, and he growls against my lips.
I slide my hand down, finding his hard length. His body tenses even further as I stroke him and he shudders against me, finally trapping my hand in his and lifting it from him.
I look up, meeting his dark eyes.
“Uh-uh, female.”
He turns me around, pressing me back, and I gasp as the cool wall hits my nipples.
“Stay there,” he growls.
He moves, and I hear a lid click open. My heart melts as the scent hits me. He noticed the soap I prefer in Arcavia and made sure to have it in his quarters on this ship.
For some reason, this tiny action brings tears to my eyes, and then I’m groaning as Vazta begins washing me, his body blocking the spray of water while he rubs the soap into my skin, creating a scented lather. His hands knead my shoulders and neck and I almost purr, and then they slip around to my breasts, caressing and stroking and my groans become more guttural. He plays with my nipples, pinching and rolling them until they’re hard and I’m squirming with need.
His laugh is low and amused when I attempt to reach for him.
“You have driven me crazy,” he murmurs in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Now it is my turn.”
His big hand slides down my stomach and then between my thighs as he traps my body against the wall. I feel dazed and relaxed, needy and desperate all at once, and I tremble as his hand makes its way between my thighs.
His fingers part my lips, and I almost blush at his guttural groan as he finds the wetness waiting for him. He strokes and plays, finally moving one finger higher to circle my clit.
I gasp against the wall, my entire body clenching as he rubs my clit.
And then he stops.
“Vazta!”
“Tell me you want me.”
I groan, attempting to rub myself against him. But he moves his hand out of reach, driving me crazy.
“I want you,” I growl.
“Good.”
He spins me around and I blink up at him as my shoulders hit the wall. He’s careful not to hurt me, but the look on his face…