by Golden Angel
What better way to capture this moment when she'd finally begun to accept her new life as Tarrik's mate?
Back to the balcony with his wings slightly spread, giving them a bit more space in the crowd, Tarrik grinned down at her as she pressed against his side, under his arm. One arm wrapped around her waist, the other grasped her free hand, and his tail coiled around both of her legs. Jules stared up at him and it felt like the Celestial Bursts were already happening inside of her.
"All right you two... go ahead and look at each other or look at me, whichever you prefer! The show's about to start."
As the first swell of cheers began to rise, Jules looked up at Tarrik and he looked back down at her... and she saw everything she'd ever been afraid to want, right there in his hot, black eyes.
******
Something had changed. Tarrik wasn't sure exactly what, but something had definitely changed with Juliette while they'd been on Chrysili. She'd opened up. Although he couldn't describe exactly how, he could feel the difference. They held hands the whole afternoon, without her trying to surreptitiously step away to create distance between them. They'd laughed, joked... and when he'd pull her into a narrow alley for nothing more than deep kisses, she had enthusiastically responded, without trying for more. Without saying anything afterwards to remind him that this was 'just sex.'
They were like any other couple in the crowd, flirting, talking, and giving each other long, meaningful looks when it was too loud to speak.
His only complaint was that the day was over with far too soon - and when they got back to the ship it was obvious that everyone not needed on the bridge wanted to gather together and talk about the glorious day, including Juliette. She was practically humming with energy and having a good time exchanging stories and opinions with everyone. Tarrik was so pleased to see her truly, completely relaxed that even though he wanted to drag her off to their cabin for his own enjoyment, he didn't want to cut her off from everyone else...
At least not yet. He could wait. They had all night.
They were all gathered around a table in the mess, showing off their purchases from the day, when Shonik hailed him on his comm.
"What's happening?" Tarrik asked, trying to keep his concern out of his voice. They'd left Chrysili behind a while ago and this next leg of the trip should be completely routine... but it was Shonik and he considered it a point of honor not to bother Tarrik during his time off unless it was absolutely necessary. If it had been Korik, Tarrik wouldn't have been nearly as worried.
"We have a situation." Shonik's voice was tight and Tarrik felt his own body immediately begin to tense in response.
The entire ship shuddered as it began to slow its momentum and the rest of the crew looked up in confusion, conversation coming to a grinding halt even faster than the ship.
"What's going on?" Tarrik asked. He didn't bother to lower his voice or try to hide whatever was happening from the rest of the crew; they were all in this together.
"There's a very large ship with a very large gun pointing at us, demanding that we come to a halt," Shonik replied. He sounded calm, but his words had Tarrik wheeling around and everyone else coming to their feet. "He calls himself 'the Representative.'"
"Sounds like an asshole to me," Tarrik said, snarling. "I'm on my way."
Because he'd already turned his back, he didn't see the look of abject terror and horror that crossed Juliette's face.
Chapter 8
No, no, no...
Jules' fingers trembled as she hacked into the main communication line from the privacy of Tarrik's cabin. She refused to think of it as 'her' cabin or 'their' cabin right now. Because that stupid, traitorous hope that had crawled inside of her head, that had made her think she might actually have found happiness, had let her down again.
If the Representative was here for her, it was better that she didn't think of anything or anyone here as belonging to her.
Because she was toast.
The screen came to life with the image of a surprisingly attractive man with dark-blond hair and the iciest blue eyes she'd ever seen. Maybe she was just projecting, but he looked like the coldest man in the universe; the hard lines of his face were without mercy and his expression was completely blank as he threatened an entire ship of beings because he was after one insignificant woman.
She couldn't bring up a visual of Tarrik, but she could hear him.
"You're going to have to explain why you want Juliette, or you're going to get nothing." Tarrik's voice was hard, uncompromising. Her heart bled a little listening to him, because she could almost feel the phantom heat of his tail around her ankle.
"She's wanted on Earth," the Representative said flatly. Behind him, large shapes moved in the background; whatever kind of aliens had helped track her down and brought him all the way out here were big. Probably really nasty too. Jules started to chew on her thumbnail, riveted to the screen.
Tarrik was going to hand her over. He had to. Why was he stalling?
Tears welled up in the back of her eyes. She got it, she did. She wouldn't blame him or be mad at him.
But it was going to hurt so much.
"Well then we can take her there after we finish this run and find out what charges she's been brought up on," Tarrik said silkily. "I can promise you both that we will be there and that we will fight whatever those charges are."
The Representative paused. "There are no official charges," he admitted.
"Ah, I see. Then why exactly should I send her to you again?" Tarrik asked, sounding almost amused.
Jules covered her mouth with her hand as tears pricked the back of her eyes. The crazy bastard was going to get this whole ship killed if he kept this up. Maybe he just didn't like being told what to do, but he obviously didn't realize who he was dealing with. He needed to agree to hand her over. Now.
"That would be the VX-83 plasma canon I have pointed at your ship right now. You can either deliver Juliette Blum to me, or I will take care of the problem by killing all of you. Believe it or not, I actually do prefer the first option. The Voran will charge me for the use of the canon and that cuts into my profits on this job."
"That sounds awful," Tarrik said, his voice calm and even. "However, neither of those options are acceptable to me, so let's see if we can negotiate a third one."
What?
The Representative was obviously just as taken aback as Jules, and for the first time a real expression crossed his face - incredulity. He blinked. "You are willing to risk sacrificing your life, your entire crew's lives, for one woman who has barely been with you for a month?"
No.
"Yup."
You complete twit. Jules practically choked on the sob that rose in the back of her throat.
The blond man made a frustrated noise, his brow furrowing. "I would think your crew would have something to say about that."
"We do!" Someone shouted. Jules was pretty sure she recognized Verrik's voice. "I think the Earther translation is 'Go to hell, fuck face!'"
"She's one of ours," Shonik chimed in, his clipped tones distinctive. "You can't have her." There were actual cheers following his words, loud and clear, accompanied by more than one choice insult in various languages, all aimed at the Representative.
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she realized the crazy assholes were all seriously willing to die rather than hand her over. The hope that had promised her so much had half-delivered... they really were her people.
But that meant that she had to leave them.
Blowing her nose, Jules choked back her tears as she scrambled over to the wall where she could access the ductwork, moving as quickly as she could. If she was going to save everyone's lives, she was going to have to be really fucking quick.
******
Fury seethed inside of Tarrik, although he did his best to hide it. Fortunately the vidcom didn't go low enough to show the violent way his tail was thrashing. It wanted to wrap around the blond asshole's neck and squeeze u
ntil his head popped off. At the very least, until his eyes popped out.
He could see the mercenary Voran lurking in the background. For sale to the highest bidder, they were fearsome fighters, but they were also survivors. Tarrik did have one final card up his sleeve, but he preferred not to get into a suicidal standoff unless it was absolutely necessary.
Catching Verrik's, the other Hadesian gave him a sharp nod. Myrik had everything ready to go in the weapons room if they needed it. Tarrik really fucking hoped they didn't. He was ready to die for Juliette, and so was everyone else - they didn't give up up or leave behind one of their own - but he would really prefer it wasn't necessary.
"There is no third option."
Tarrik studied the human male on the screen in front of him. He could have easily blown them all away before they'd even known what hit them. Which meant he had a reason for not doing so.
"Do you get more if you bring her back to Earth alive or something?" He asked. He couldn't think of anything else. Although the human's expression didn't change, something flickered in his eyes.
Yeah, he'd focused in on exactly what this guy was looking for - the bigger paycheck. It made Tarrik sick to think about what fate might await Juliette at the hands of individuals who were willing to send a man all this way just to collect her.
She'd seriously pissed off the wrong people.
Well, Tarrik knew a little something about that.
He rubbed his chin. "I don't suppose you'd agree to me matching whatever they've offered you," he suggested. "Or even doubling or tripling it."
"I don't accept secondary offers," the male said flatly. "Once I'm hired, I do the job."
"Hmm... I wonder if your Voran allies feel the same way." Tarrik grinned when he heard the rumbling of the Voran mercs. The human scowled at him.
"Trust me, I can match whatever you offer them." He was beginning to sound frustrated. "In a minute, if you don't surrender Ms. Blum to me, I'm going to pay them very well to dispense with all of you."
"What the- Captain, an escape pod just left the ship!" Lessys announced, his head whipping around to look at Tarrik, horror in his gaze.
Gark it!
"Verrik, get communications open to that pod!" Tarrik shouted, hoping against hope that he was wrong, but already knowing that he knew exactly who was in that pod and what she was attempting to do. The Representative's face had lit up with acquisitive greed and he was already turning and shouting his own instructions at the Vorans. "Shonik, retrieve that pod, now."
******
The forward momentum of the pod ground to a halt, the vidscreen coming on. Tarrik’s furious expression filled it and Jules hiccupped a completely hysterical and inappropriate laugh. She hadn’t known his face could get redder.
“Juliette, what are you doing?” The roar of his voice made her jump and wiped away the impulse to giggle again.
“Saving you,” she answered, blurting the words out before she could stop them. “Saving all of you.”
His mouth opened. Closed. Then he scowled again, his skin beginning to glow. Not in arousal, but in anger, which she’d never seen before. “We didn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t have to,” she whispered back. Unable to stop herself, she reached up to touch the holo. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t hot. But it was the closest she could get right now. “You have to let me go. I pissed off the wrong people, I stole from them, and I knew how dangerous it was when I did it. I brought him there. I am the only one who should pay the price.”
It only made sense that, for the first time in her life, someone wanted to keep her and she had to leave them. After her father had gotten sick of her and her mother, after her mother had decided that her money would be better spent on booze and drugs than on feeding Jules, after Carter had betrayed her and her so-called friends had deserted her when she’d been arrested, Jules had finally found a real family. People who were willing to die for her.
And she would be damned if she let them.
“No.” Tarrik’s expression was uncompromising.
The pod jerked slightly and he snarled, turning his head at Shonik’s curse. Then he disappeared from the screen entirely.
“Captain Tarrik, I suggest you do as the lady asks.” The cool, slick tones of the Representative sent a shiver up Jules’ spine. "All I want is her. The rest of you can go."
Tarrik didn't answer, though, Shonik did. "We already told you, fuckface, she's ours and we're keeping her."
Hearing Shonik's clipped tones tripping over the unfamiliar insult nearly made Jules want to start giggling again. This whole situation was completely surreal.
For the first time in her life, she was the one choosing to leave people she cared about... and for the first time in her life, they didn't want her to go. The irony was so fucking tragic that she almost couldn't believe it. It was too insane to be real and yet she was living it.
Just in case, she pinched herself again. Really hard.
Ow.
Yup, still real.
"Tarrik?" she asked hesitantly. "Please... I want to do this. I can't... I can't bear the idea of any of you being hurt because of me. I shouldn't even be here. I didn't apply to Celestial Mates because I wanted to a mate, I applied because this is what I was running from. I brought this on myself and now I've brought it on you. This is all my fault."
He'd been mad at the beginning about what he thought were her lies, so finding out she'd actually been lying, from the beginning... he had to be willing to let her go.
Please.
He popped up into the view of her vidscreen again, his expression determined, and her heart wilted. The asshole wasn't listening! He was going to get them all killed! And she had the terrible sensation of anguish mingling with joy, because some part of her was so happy that they all felt the same way about her as she did about them.
"Too bad," he said grimly. "You're my mate and I'm not giving you up. Definitely not to this korgun-eater."
Jules had no idea what korgun was, but she did hear some of the crew snickering at the description.
"You're insane," she said, pleading. His next words nearly stopped her heart.
"No, I'm in love."
Her mouth dropped open.
"As touching as all of this is-" The representative started to say, only to be cut off by Tarrik's next command.
"Mrik, fire up the Rezruga." The hard edge to Tarrik's voice was entirely new and unfamiliar to Jules. She also had no idea what a Rezruga was, but the Vorans definitely did. Their reaction was immediate and loud enough for her to hear, even though they were in the background of the Representative's call.
"Stop it! Stop panicking, he's lying!" The Representative shouted.
"I am not," Tarrik said coolly, his voice just as lethal and chilling as the Representative's had initially been. "Check your scans."
There was a short pause.
"That's... that's not possible... that's Riknari tech!"
If Jules wasn't so terrified and anxious, she'd really have enjoyed the Representative's sputtering. Hope, that obnoxious fucker, was starting to climb in her chest again.
******
The human male no longer looked so self-assured. Behind him, the Voran were definitely panicking. On the screen to Tarrik's left, Juliette looked confused but hopeful.
Tarrik didn't discount her bravery or her self-sacrifice, but he was still going to blister her ass when he got his hands on her again. She couldn't have known the kind of firepower his crew was packing, but she hadn't bothered to ask either. Just tried to give herself up to save them all.
She was so perfect... and he was going to tie her to the bed when he got her back to make sure she didn't try to go anywhere else without him ever again.
The Voran's canon was a good weapon. Fast. Lethal. It would definitely be enough to take out Tarrik's ship.
But it wasn't fast enough to keep Tarrik from firing back, and even though the Voran's ship was bigger, faster, and had better shields than
his own, the Rezruga would completely annihilate them.
Blue eyes glared furiously at him, finally showing some emotion. "Where the hell did you get Riknari tech?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Tarrik said, smirking. "Working on the right side of the law does have its advantages."
"Firing that thing will likely rip your ship apart," the man snarled.
"It's possible... What's the probability Lessys?" he asked.
"Sixty percent likelihood," Lessys answered cheerfully.
Tarrik gave the human male a toothy grin. "So. One hundred percent chance of your annihilation, one hundred percent chance for Juliette to live, and a forty percent chance that we'll make it through as well. I find those odds acceptable."
"Tarrik..." Juliette started to say and he turned his head to give her a hard look.
"Not. One. Word." If she screwed up this negotiation with another attempt at sacrificing herself, he was... well, he didn't know what he would do to her that he hadn't already thought of, but he would find something.
She glared at him.
He glared back.
The Representative had taken that time to have a very brief discussion with the Voran, who were clearly ready to leave the situation entirely. Tarrik was counting on that. The Voran were good mercenaries, but they refused to do suicide missions... which this had just become. Earning money they weren't alive to spend did them no good.
"All right." The male sighed. "My client will not be pleased, but as long as she does not return to Earth - ever - my job will be considered done." He looked a little sour.
"I will personally guarantee that she never steps foot on Earth again," Tarrik said. From what she'd said about her lack of connections to the place, it shouldn't be that hard to convince her. He glanced at the screen showing her face. She was chewing on her thumbnail, but didn't protest.
The human nodded. "Be warned, if she does step foot on Earth, there is no force that can protect her from me on my home planet. Her life will be forfeit."