Chapter 4 #2
"All hands," Sara wasted no time addressing her crew through the comm system. "Arm yourselves or get to a sheltered area. We're being boarded." She cut the transmission. "Berg, who the hell is boarding us?"
"Don't know, Captain." Berg shrugged as he grabbed a plasma pistol, checked its charge, and then laid it across his lap.
Cat drew out two plasma pistols, one in each hand, a slightly crazed smile. "Who's ready for a little bloodshed?"
Voro’s words about getting Ak'kel off her ship rang in Sara's head and she wondered if this had to do with the Vrak’rir in her brig. Leaning over the side of her captain's chair, Sara grabbed a plasma pistol and checked the charge.
"We defend the bridge." She said over the shaking of the metal ship.
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At the feel of the first jolt. Ak'kel smiled. It was the kind of shaking that rattled the bones in his body. It was an unmistakable sign that the ship was under attack. His men had received the distress call he’d sent out.
They’d probably already been in the area after his ship had been destroyed by Haldon, searching for him.
Too bad the human woman hadn’t thought to search inside his body.
Rising from his cot, he caught himself on a wall of his cell as the ship lurched around him.
The vessel shuddered violently, the metal groaned and protested the attack like a live animal.
Ak’kel grimaced. This rust bucket might fall into pieces if his men weren't careful with their shots. It’d be slightly ironic if his men killed him after he survived Haldon.
It didn't take long for Ak’kel to hear plasma shots and boots running around outside the brig. His smile widened. He almost felt sorry for the human woman who captained this vessel. How could she have known she had one of the deadliest aliens aboard her ship?
Suddenly, the brig door opened with a hiss, revealing a heavily armed Vrak’rir in the doorway. Drax entered the brig, hefting a plasma pistol in one hand before holstering it at his hip with a practiced ease.
“Ak’kel!" Drax called out. His gaze fell on Ak’kel before he glanced back at the door. "How did you end up the captive of the humans?"
"They saved me from asphyxiating to death." Ak’kel replied.
"Ha!" Drax laughed with a snort. "You die? I'd eat my shoes if it ever happened." Drax turned his attention to the console in front of him, fingers flying over the simplistic controls. "You always manage to cheat death."
"Some day it will get me." Ak’kel murmured, a flicker of weariness passing over his face, too fast for Drax to catch. His luck would run out one of these days. "Now hurry up and release me.” Ak’kel growled low as anticipation filled him. “I promised to rip the captain's head from her shoulders."
"One moment." Drax mumbled as he continued to focus his attention on the console in front of him. When he couldn't figure it out, he pulled a small device from his pocket and attached it to the console. With a small spark of blue lights, the force field in front of Ak'kel dissolved with a crackle.
Ak'kel strode out of the cell, stretching out his limbs. "Feels good to be free." He said cracking his knuckles and rolling his shoulders.
"Here," Drax passed Ak'kel one of his plasma pistols.
Ak’kel gladly accepted the weapon, the weight familiar and comforting to him.
"The men have probably reached the bridge by now.” Drax informed him. “So, if you want the honor of killing this captain, we best get up there."
"You know the way?” Ak’kel asked.
Drax nodded firmly. "Downloaded the schematics of the ship. Follow me." He said as they exited the brig.
They stepped into the corridor, a couple of human bodies laid sprawled right outside the door.
Dark pools of blood soaked the flooring around their bodies.
Ak’kel stepped over them without a flicker of remorse.
They deserved what they got. No one took Ak’kel Drokenal prisoner and lived.
Even if they had saved him from the debris field.
If they'd released him the moment he'd awakened, he may have considered sparing them.
He wasn't completely heartless after all.
A faint sweet scent ticketed his nose, catching him mid-step, and Ak’kel paused in the corridor.
It almost smelled like faint traces of flumdrops.
Something his grandmother would bake when him when he’d a bad day as a child.
It was a comforting smell, and one that confused him.
Why would he smell flumdrops on a human ship?
"What is it?" Drax asked as he noticed Ak'kel standing in the hall motionless.
"Nothing." Ak'kel replied as he shook his head. Maybe one of the men Drax had brought on board had recently eaten a flumdrop. "Let’s get to the bridge before the honor of killing the captain is stolen from me."
"This way." Drax gestured ahead of them before he led Ak’kel through the ship.
Signs of the recent fight were all around them.
Char marks scorched the walls where random plasma shots had landed.
And then there were the bodies and blood.
The corridors of the ship looked like a war zone.
The fighting hadn't gone well for the captain’s crew.
So far, he hadn’t noticed any of his crew lying dead in the corridors.
They arrived at the bridge, and the scent of flumdrops smelled even stronger.
Ak’kel growled low in his throat before the door to the bridge slid open with a hiss.
Walking in, he quickly took in the scene before him.
The bridge crew kneeled before his men. A few laid on the ground dead, plasma shots having seared through their skulls in a clean merciless shot.
Then Ak'kel watched as one of his men stepped up behind the female captain. When the man raised his plasma pistol to her head, Ak’kel barked," Stop!"
The man hesitated, his head whipping up. When his eyes landed on Ak’kel, he pulled back his hand, aiming the plasma pistol towards the ceiling.
Ak'kel's eyes fell back to the woman kneeling on the floor, and his eyes greedily took her in. She was striking, her eyes glaring daggers at every single Vrak’rir aboard her bridge. If he gave her a knife, he had no doubt she’d come up swinging.
Inhaling, his chest expanded and her scent flooded him.
She smelled like home and fresh baked flumdrops.
Mine.
Ak'kel's instinct roared to life inside him.
A day every Vrak’rir waited for eagerly.
A mate.
The one person the universe had created specifically for him.
Swiftly, he strode forward. She craned her head back to eye him when he approached.
Reaching out a hand, he noticed the smallest twitch of fear in those dark brown, almost black, eyes.
Grinning, his hand wrapped around her throat, and he drew her up onto her feet.
Leaning down, his nose skimmed past her cheek before he pressed it into her neck and inhaled. Home, comfort, and flumdrops.
The scent emanated from her.
"Mate." He growled, his voice low and rough, uncaring if the men on the bridge heard. They all feared and respected him. Although a mate could be a blaring weakness, it could also be an immense strength.
Struggling slightly, her eyes flashed with an inner fire. He grinned revealing his sharp canines. Her eyes widened for one second before they narrowed on him.
"Like fuck." Sara, he believed she’d said during one of her visits to the brig, sneered as she glared up at him. Her eyes spit fire.
Leaning into her ear, Ak’kel whispered, "Don't fear, mate. We will fuck in time." His cock jumped to attention in his pants at the idea of her beneath him. The idea of her fire mixed with arousal was the perfect dream. Yes. Her fire in bed would be more than pleasing.
Ak'kel pulled back and released his grip on her neck.
"Clean up these bodies." He motioned to the two men lying prone on the bridge.
Only then did he notice another woman on the bridge.
"Throw that one into the brig." He might be considered a brute by some, but he did try to spare women and children whenever possible. Sometimes he’d spare men if they were truly innocent in dealings with him, but sometimes the bloodlust won out in the end.
Two men strode forward, and they each grabbed one of the woman's arms, yanking her to her feet and dragging her off the brig.
She tried yanking her arm back, but Sara called out, "Just do as they want, Cat.
" Sara turned to glare at Ak’kel. "He's already killed the rest of my bridge crew. Don't need to lose you as well."
Ak’kel chuckled darkly. "I've killed more than your bridge crew, human. I think you'll find bodies littering the halls of your ship."
She bared her flat little white teeth at him.
He bared his teeth back, allowing her to get a good view of his sharp canines.
Canines that would taste her flesh soon enough.
The urge to strip her and claim her nearly overwhelmed him, but he fought the urge down.
He could refrain from acting on his baser urges.
For how long, he wasn’t sure. He’d heard the mating urge drove them hard, but he’d had yet to experience it. Until now.
"You know how hard it is to find loyal people these days?" His mate grumped as she watched his men grab the legs of the dead bridge crew and begin dragging them off. "Our universe isn't a friendly place. Everyone is looking out for themselves."
"People die." Ak'kel replied with a dismissive shrug.
Her gaze snapped to him. "What if I killed your crewmates? How do you think you’d feel?”
A slow smile spread across Ak’kel’s lips. "Here." He flipped his plasma pistol around presenting her with the butt of the weapon.
Sara's eyes widened, and he didn’t miss it as his men tensed, unsure whether or not he’d let her kill them. As much fun as it'd be to watch her kill them, she was just as likely to turn the weapon on him, and he refused to be downed by a human female.
Right as she reached for the weapon, he whipped it away. With a tsk, he said, "Too slow." Then he sheathed the plasma pistol at his waist, and the men on the bridge seemed to exhale in relief as one.
"Didn't think you'd let me kill them." Sara rolled her eyes.
Ak’kel leaned in closer, invading her personal space. "If it pleases you, mate. I'll let you kill them later. But right now, I need them alive." He whispered it too low for the bridge crew to overhear.
Straightening, Ak’kel leisurely walked over to the captain's chair and took a seat. He patted his lap, "Come here, mate, and have a seat."
Sara scoffed. "I'm not going to sit on your lap."
"Then you can sit here." He pointed to the floor beside his boots.
She folded her arms in front of her chest defiantly. "Not happening."
Ak'kel snapped his fingers. One of his men withdrew his plasma pistol and pressed it to the back of her head. When she felt the barrel against her skull, she moved towards him on stiff legs. With one last glare, she plopped down at his feet. She didn’t dare test his resolve.
Despite the declaration of her being his mate, there was always the chance he might still end her.
"Happy?" She growled from her seat on the floor.
"Very." Ak'kel confirmed with a satisfied smile. Then he turned to Drax. "What ship did you arrive on?"
"The War Bird."
A small ship. Not one of his warships despite its name.
"You." Ak’kel pointed to one of the men on the bridge. "Man the communications console. I want one of our closest warships to meet up with us."
"Yes, sir." The man sat down and began the process of contacting the closest warship.
"Order them here." Ak’kel added before addressing Drax.
"We will remain here while we wait. You'll find some remains of my other warship somewhere onboard.
" He glanced at Sara. "I get the feeling my mate here is a scavenger.
She's probably sold some by now, but see if there's anything useful.
We won't be keeping this ship once the warship rendezvous with us. "
"Consider it done." Drax nodded and then strode off the bridge to execute his orders.
"I've reached the Shadow Reaver, they'll be here in a few days." His man said from the communications console.
Ak’kel eyes fell to Sara. He knew exactly how to amuse himself while he waited.