Deus
The mere thought of being taken from my mate again has my mating gland pumping the mix twice the usual amount, or so it seems. The fact I was taken in the first place is enough for the warrior in me to want significant destruction.
But while my mate is here, by my side, there will be nothing unless it is to keep her safe.
My claws are for her, and for her alone.
I have Lydia in my arms when my comm chimes.
“You nevver,” Dante rasps into it. “Where did you get this thing?”
“It was put around my neck. Hope to the ancestors I do not put it around yours,” I growl back.
“Driok is scanning for the lifeforms I identified on it at this moment,” Dante says. “He should have a match shortly, providing there is anything, and Driok is adamant there is not.”
“He would say that. It is his job to keep Sarkarnii on Vorostor, and all enemies off world,” I grumble under my breath.
“Driok has appraised me of the situation, Deus,” Dalox growls, striding towards us. “Should there be anything on Vorostor, as you suspect, you will not engage with it, not on your own.” Dalox strides towards us.
Unable to stop myself, I tuck my mate behind me. She squirms a little and I rather like it.
“I will do what I see fit,” I respond.
Lydia comes away from behind me, her hand on my chest, warm and fragrant.
“Deus,” she says, and I avert my eyes from Dalox, dangerous as it may be. “Maybe it’s time to work together?” Her eyes study my face. “Because together we are always stronger.”
“Are we?”
“If it wasn’t for my friends, I couldn’t have persuaded Darax and Driok to come looking for you. I couldn’t have done it on my own,” she says. “But together, we were able to move a bunch of big bad Sarkarnii warlords into action.” A smile plays over her lips.
I lift my head to glare at Dalox. “Fine. I will wait for your orders, on this occasion.” I wrinkle my nose.
“What is that?” Lydia asks. “The smell?”
“Hold your breath,” I fire at Dalox. “It’s the gas they used on me.”
I feel my knees buckle, taking me to the floor. “Tell the others,” I say to Lydia, grabbing her shoulder before I feel consciousness slipping from me.
Her eyes are wide with fright, but she pulls from my grip as I fight the effects. Dalox has done as I instructed, and he grabs hold of my shoulder as Lydia darts away.
I hear her shouting at all the warriors in the vicinity to hold their breath as I manage to stand upright with Dalox’s not so gentle assistance. I give him a nod.
We are getting close to unmasking whoever is attempting to infiltrate Vorostor, or why else would they attempt to attack a hangar filled with Sarkarnii warriors?
I gesture to Dalox across the hangar from us where there is a warrior slumped against the wall. A quick scan shows the rest are still standing, and given the proximity of our fallen warrior, it would be a good guess he was closest to the entry point for the gas.
Together we stalk across the hangar. There is a small vent near the downed warrior. Dalox slams his hand through it and twists, pulling free a canister which he instantly disables.
“What the nev is this?” he growls as the air clears.
“Never mind that.” I look down at the warrior. “Look at this.”
I push his head to one side, and his scales are lifted, flaking, his skin raw.
“What is it?” Dalox says, leaning in closer.
“It’s a collar.” I use my claws to pull away the remnants of previously shed scales to reveal the thing underneath. “It’s how they’re being controlled.”
“Nev!” Dalox snarls. “How many warriors have these?”
“I can tell you,” Driok says, striding towards me. “You were right, Deus. There has been an infiltration of Vorostor by the Ulep, and what they left behind was the one thing we’d never look for. Our own warriors.”
“Wait.” I listen.
There is nothing.
“Where are the females?” I growl. “Where is my female?”
I scan the hangar, but my little Lydia, who went off so boldly to help the other warriors, all of whom are still standing, is nowhere to be seen.
She wouldn’t have gone off on her own, would she?
“We need to secure the females, immediately,” Dalox snarls, going for his comm.
“No,” Driok growls. “These collars are everywhere. We have to identify the warriors without collars first before we move on those who have them,” he says in a low voice.
“Our females cannot wait.”
“I have already assembled a cohort of my warriors whom I can trust. They have been sent to secure the mated females and the sarkarnlings,” Driok says swiftly.
“We also know all the female Sarkarnii are free of these collars, presumably, because they were not on this continent until recently. They can be trusted at all times.”
“Where is my mate?” I snarl at Driok. “I have to find her. She was assisting all the warriors in this hangar.”
“Spread out,” he says quietly. “If she’s still here, we’ll find her.” He gives me a brief flash of fang.
Part of me wants to reject their assistance, to tell them not to go near her. The mating mix which fills me is still too nevving strong.
But Lydia said trust them. She said accept their help. She said we’re better together.
Dalox and Driok move silently, fanning out ahead of me. They are completely concentrated on finding my female, when their own might also be in danger.
Something sweeps through me, something I haven’t felt for a very long time.
Part of a team.
A warrior again.
As Driok and Dalox make their way into the hangar, I take the line which will take me along the side wall up to the exit which goes through to the neutral sector.
Whoever has taken my mate had better not have harmed a single atom of her being or they will not survive. I will ensure it, collar or no.