Chapter 28 Brynn
brYNN
The hidden lagoon appeared through the morning mist like something from a fever dream—crystalline water amid black volcanic stone, steam curling from natural hot springs in thin, ghostly veils.
Ancient channels carved into the rock still guided the thermal flows, a testament to White Tribe ingenuity that had outlived its creators.
But the scene itself wasn't what made me pause at the lagoon's edge.
It was the hush that fell over CG's mercenaries.
Seven hardened males—thieves, raiders, survivors of uncounted horrors—froze as soon as I stepped into view, nostrils flaring in unison.
Their eyes flicked to my belly, now visibly rounded beneath my tunic.
A faint, strangled sound escaped Sinx's throat.
It wasn't quite a whimper, more a broken hitch of breath that betrayed pure, animal need.
"Fucking hell," Ferix muttered, voice cracking like a boy's. "She's actually—"
CG clapped a hand over his nephew's mouth, but the word hung in the air: pregnant. Not just pregnant—carrying the future of their endangered race in my alien womb.
Nif, the largest of the crew, stepped back and lowered his gaze. "Forgive me, my lady," he rumbled, swagger gone. "I didn't mean to stare."
My lady. Not Brynn. Their reverence stoked heat along my cheeks, a flush at odds with the morning chill and my own pregnant body's surging hormones. They looked at me as though I were a living miracle they'd only half believed possible.
"It's all right," I managed, voice unsteady. "I realize it's... significant."
Significant. What an understatement for the people of this world.
The barest word for an impossible reality—a hybrid pregnancy after a thousand years of hopeless attempts.
I felt like an impostor standing before them, living proof that could change their destiny.
Yet I couldn't deny the proof growing inside me.
Snarz cleared his throat, shattering the awed silence. "The fathers... who...?"
I flinched. Having been raised to believe in monogamous bonds, the concept of multiple mates still made me uncomfortable.
Good thing I wasn't on Earth anymore. Before I could speak, Nim stepped behind me and rested a possessive hand on my shoulder.
Mine. Protected. His calm dominance warned them not to intrude where they didn't belong.
But these mercenaries weren't looking to claim me. They looked ready to drop to their knees. I sensed their awe warring with a thrilling buzz they didn't fully understand—my scent stirred instincts kept dormant for generations.
"There," Sinx said abruptly, pointing across the lagoon. "Movement."
I turned and saw Coone slip from the trees, his lithe Neko physique instantly recognizable.
Matte-red skin, catlike ears, and a swaying short tail set him apart from the furred Manasties.
Roqs followed, golden fur streaked with bruises and scratches.
Relief sang through my veins even as my pulse thudded.
The mercenaries eased back, silent as Coone and Roqs approached. Heated glances lingered on my belly before they resumed their positions. That uneasy hush told me they smelled something powerful—hope and fear mingled together.
Nim and Sim flanked me as I stepped forward. My swollen abdomen tightened in protest, but I ignored the discomfort. "Coone, Roqs. You made it."
Coone's golden eyes darted from the lagoon to my midsection. "Brynn..." He stopped, letting the sight of my changed body speak for itself.
"Brynn," he whispered, my name a prayer on his lips. "You're so..."
Beautiful. Round. Perfect. Those better be the words he wanted to say, otherwise I would introduce my laser pointer to him.
"You've... changed a lot."
Worry registered on his face, and I understood why—my pregnancy didn't look anywhere near six days along.
I was visibly rounded, every breath reminding me I was carrying precious cargo.
"It's been rough," I admitted, wishing I could convey the relief we'd found in the White Tribe's healing crystals.
"But I'm okay now—truly—and I'm more concerned about you. Both of you."
Roqs inhaled, tension running through his broad shoulders as though bracing for confession. "We're all right, but Zirc isn't. Kilo's men took him. We found a lead."
Coone folded his arms, tail flicking. "We have news on Zirc's location, but no guarantee it's not a trap. Trill—" his lip curled slightly "—Roqs's mate—contacted us."
The moment he spoke "mate," a dark flicker passed over Roqs's face. "We have details," he added. "They're forcing Zirc into a pit fight soon."
My stomach clenched. Zirc, the proud and loyal Silver Beast, reduced to a spectacle for gambling crowds. "How soon?"
"Trill warned it's happening at dawn," Roqs said quietly. "We can't wait, or we'll be too late." Guilt shadowed his gaze as he spared a glance at my belly. "I'm sorry. I should've warned you all about Trill sooner."
Before I could reply, the rising hum of machinery cut the air.
A silver droid dipped from the canopy, wings glittering as it landed on a flat rock.
The mercenaries tensed, including Xy and Clitasoxdfwe'h, who I was scandalized to find out was nicknamed 'Clit'!
What was with the Purple Tribe people on this planet?
They all had their weapons half-drawn.
A thin, red filament encased a tiny capsule in the droid's core.
The bitter-sweet stench of synthetic blood wafted from it.
Roqs moved closer, ignoring Coone's hissed warning, and touched the filament.
It dissolved with a hiss, spraying crimson droplets that vanished once exposed to air.
Then the droid began to shake, metal plates sparking.
"Back!" Coone barked. His Neko reflexes kicked in.
He hooked a hand around my elbow and jerked me aside while Nim yanked Sim clear.
Roqs yanked the capsule loose just as the droid's central coil exploded in shards of melted alloys and circuitry.
Pieces pinged off the rocks in a brief rain of twisted metal, leaving a scorched shell behind.
Coone spat. "This technology is no doubt from Kilo's gang. He rigs them this way to self-destruct once the message is delivered. No evidence left."
Roqs unrolled a note from the liberated capsule. His eyes skimmed the short lines:
Zirc deteriorates faster than expected. Pit fight at dawn. North tunnel compromised, main gate guarded. Emergency shaft opens at second bell. Your scent is the only thing stopping him from total feral state. Risk everything or lose him. —Trill
Roqs swallowed, shoulders taut. "Zirc's time is running out."
Coone's tail lashed. "And we're supposed to trust the one who helped take him?"
Nim frowned, scanning the smoking droid fragments. Sim rested a supportive hand on my arm as if sensing my dread. "We might have no choice," Nim said quietly. "Zirc needs us."
Sim helped me settle on a smooth outcropping before speaking. "We slip in by night, minimal force. I'll meet Trill, confirm the route, then get Zirc out."
Roqs narrowed his eyes at Sim when the latter mentioned his mate. "I will go," he simply declared. Nim and Sim exchanged a look but they did not counter Roqs's words.
Coone's ears flattened. "We'll see if Trill proves trustworthy. If not—"
Roqs's jaw tightened. "I'll kill him."
I tried to calm my racing pulse. Roqs...
I wouldn't want to be in his place right now, having to choose between us, Zirc, and his fated mate.
Knowing I couldn't join them, I still wanted to be near them just in case.
"Set the plan. I can't charge into the pit, but I'll stay near the perimeter to coordinate with Nim and Sim. "
All of my mates—yes, I considered Roqs included—wanted to protest. Except for the one mate who always wanted to push me to be the best version of myself.
Coone nodded, casting another worried glance at my belly. "We won't let you or the child get close to that hell-hole."
That single word—child—made my heart clench. "Children," I corrected under my breath. Even I wasn't certain how many, only that there might be more than one, and they grew quickly.
The mercenaries hovered at a discreet distance, still radiating protective awe. They'd act on any command I or my mates gave. This pregnancy had turned me into something revered, a symbol they believed could save their kind.
Nim smoothed a hand across my back, where the ache throbbed. "We'll form multiple teams. Sim, Roqs, and Coone infiltrate. CG's crew, Clitasoxdfwe'h, and I provide cover. Brynn coordinates from the fallback point."
Coone shifted his weight, tail gliding low. "We'll reach Kilo's hideout by dusk. That gives us time to plan, rest, and get you comfortable."
"All right," I said quietly. "Just... bring Zirc back to us. And Roqs's mate."
Roqs squared his shoulders, gaze flicking from my belly to Coone. "No matter what it takes, we save him."
My heart hurt for him. For Roqs's sake, and from what I knew of Scarface, I wouldn't be surprised if Scarface would rather sacrifice himself so that Zirc would live.
Coone gave a curt nod. I sensed their unspoken truce—a fragile alliance born of shared heartbreak and ferocious loyalty. Roqs wanted Trill's redemption, but Zirc's life hung in the balance. They'd stand together.
Nim and Sim began organizing positions with CG's crew, ensuring the mercenaries knew their roles. I watched a few of them exchange awed looks whenever I shifted. Their near-worship was strange, but we needed every hand.
When Roqs glanced back at me, a storm of guilt and need crossed his expression. He stepped nearer. "Brynn... I—"
"Don't apologize again," I whispered, reading the torment in his eyes. "Zirc and your mate are the priority. We'll deal with the rest once they're safe."
He exhaled. "Then that's what we'll do."
A hush wrapped around the lagoon. Spent shards from the courier droid glinted on wet stone like broken teeth. Clouds drifted overhead, shifting the light until the water took on a faint silver sheen.
Finally, Coone jerked his chin at Roqs. "Come on. Let's see if that infiltration route is workable."
They strode away, tension obvious in their stiff backs. Even so, they were moving in one direction—united for Zirc.
I stared at the glimmering waters, ignoring the tightness in my spine.
Our time was short, and the rescue fraught with risks.
But the memory of Zirc's warm embrace steadied me.
We'd do whatever it took to bring him back.
Even if it meant Roqs confronting his mate, or Coone and Roqs guiding us straight into a viper's nest.
No matter the threat, we'd stand as one. If Trill had truly betrayed us, Roqs would make sure he never threatened our family again.