Chapter 5
Sara fumed silently at Ak’kel's feet. Her fists clenched tightly in her lap, her legs folded underneath her butt. Voro had been right. She should have tossed the Vrak’rir out an airlock the moment she’d had the chance.
If she’d take Voro’s advice, her crew might still be alive.
All her hard work... spaced. Fuck. She'd worked hard for this rust bucket.
A rust bucket she loved. She didn't want to call it her baby, but it was close. She loved this ship, and Ak’kel had made his opinion of it very clear.
Her gaze slid back up to him as he surfed through the information on her ship by using the small console attached to her captain’s seat.
His mate? On one hand, she doubted she'd heard him correctly.
On the other, he had threatened to rip her head from her shoulders and he had yet to do that, which only helped to solidify the mate comment.
She'd never been interested in settling down. Her life as a scavenger could be dangerous. Well, actually, space was dangerous. Period. She didn’t need to add a family to that mix.
When Sara had heard Ak’kel order a warship, hope filled her chest. Maybe, despite the mate thing, he might leave her behind. Then she could salvage what she could of what was left of her crew and get back to business as usual.
Ak’kel turned, his piercing gaze meeting hers. "I recommend you say goodbye to your ship. In a couple of days, you and I will be leaving."
The hope sizzled away leaving a cold emptiness in her chest, feeling like a black hole swallowing everything. Desperation gnawed at her. "I’d only get in your way." She tried to reason with him.
Ak’kel cocked his head to the side as he seemed to think about her words. Slowly, he shook his head. "No, mate. You will come with me."
Sara’s stomach twisted as she felt her chances slipping away from her. "I'd be a weakness." She insisted, a small tremor of fear entering her voice.
"And a strength." He countered smoothly.
"How can something be a strength and a weakness?" Sara frowned. "It's one or the other. That doesn’t make any sense."
Ak’kel leaned toward her, bracing his forearms on his knees. "You are weak, but you make me stronger."
Sara's frown only deepened. Weak? Physically, sure. She wasn't stupid enough to think she could go up against a Vrak’rir. But mentally? She’d argue there were plenty of humans who could give a Vrak’rir a run for their credits when it came to intellect.
Without warning, Ak’kel's hand snapped out, wrapped around her arm, and yanked her to her feet as he suddenly stood. "Now," he leaned closer, "which way to your quarters?"
Sara seemed unable to find her words as her heart sped up and her hands became clammy with sweat.
Her heart pounded against her ribcage, and her words failed her as her thoughts raced around inside her head.
This massive blue Vrak’rir wanted her to lead him to her most private space.
Her sanctuary. His implications were clear to her.
"Don't try my patience, mate." Ak’kel growled low, his voice rumbling like distant thunder.
"Follow me." Sara squeaked, her voice barely audible. Hesitating a moment, she gathered the last few bits of her courage, and then turned to lead him through the ship. Could she lead him to an airlock and shove him out? No. That would never work. He wasn’t stupid, unfortunately for her.
The cunning that sparkled in his black eyes spoke to the intelligence he possessed.
Instead, she found herself coming to terms with the fact she was about to lead a Vrak’rir male, a male who thought they were mates back to her quarters. It left no doubt in her mind as to exactly what he'd want from her.
Her feet felt like lead as they entered the lift.
She pushed the button for her floor. As the lift took off, she kept sliding glances his way.
He was attractive, she’d give him that, but she wasn’t so sure about being mated to him.
With the threats he’d tossed her way in the brig, she had no doubt he was exactly like her ex.
The lift stopped, and the door opened with its normal mechanical hiss, and she led him out.
The idea of leading him to an airlock like Voro had recommended kept flitting through her mind, but she wiped the idea from her mind.
Even if she did manage to pull it off, she had his men swarming her ship.
She doubted they'd enjoy her killing their leader.
Despite his temper and threats to let her kill them, his men appeared weirdly loyal.
Maybe he paid them well enough to make the risk of death worth the loyalty to the mad man walking beside her.
"Here we are." Sara said as she stepped to the side and waved an arm at the door before them.
"You first." Ak’kel instructed her, his expression unreadable.
Sara scoffed. "Think I have it booby trapped?"
Ak’kel shrugged one massive shoulder.
Sara rolled her eyes, stepped forward, and pressed one of the buttons beside the door. When it opened with a loud drawn out squeak, she grimaced. She'd forgotten to have someone oil the damn thing. When she slid a glance at Ak’kel, he didn’t seem to be bothered by the high-pitched noise.
She walked into her quarters, and then she turned to watch Ak’kel as he strode inside. Would he be disappointed her quarters weren’t more exquisite?
"Small, but I suppose it will do." Ak’kel commented as he took in her room with a critical eye.
"It was made for a human, not a giant Vrak'rir." Sara grumped. Could he find nothing good about her ship?
"Don't test my patience, mate." Ak’kel warned as he began snooping around the room, opening drawers and such.
"Then stop insulting my ship." Sara shot back, her voice rising with her irritation.
Perhaps she should be a bit more scared of him then she was, but insults to her ship really riled her up.
"I bought this ship with my own hard-earned credits.
Maybe she isn't the best, but she keeps on chugging along. "
Ak’kel stopped in his inspection of her room and faced her, and then went back to searching… for whatever it was he was seeking. "I can buy you something newer and better."
Sara scowled. He tossed it out so causally, like she'd worship where he walked because of his generosity. "I don't need you to buy me a new ship." She said slowly but firmly. "I already have one."
"A newer one would cost less to run." He lazily opened her lingerie drawer, hooked one black claw under the strap of a purple bikini bottom and pulled it out. He turned with a stupid grin on his face. "I'd love to see this one on you."
"Now, you look here." Sara marched right up to him and jabbed him in the chest with a finger.
"I don't know who you think you are, but you can't insult someone's ship.
.. or," she yanked the bikini off his black claw, "go through people's things.
This," Sara shoved the bikini near his face, "is personal. "
Sara wasn't entirely sure what came over her and as she lowered her arm, she readied herself for his anger.
Instead, a slow smile crept over his blue lips and before she could blink, his hands wrapped around her waist, and he tossed her onto her bed. Throwing her hands out behind her, Sara’s eyes widened, that move completely unexpected.
When his hands moved to his shirt, and he lifted it up and over his head, she tried to avert her eyes, but the expanse of muscle he exposed to her view had her rapt attention.
And all those black swirling tattoos. She’d heard that each and every Vrak’rir tattoo had a meaning.
A death of a family member, a birth, a mating, etc.
His hands worked on the button of his pants, and Sara licked her lips.
It had been a long time since she last been with a man…
since her ex. She’d never trusted a man to get that close to her, but she didn’t need to trust Ak’kel to enjoy what he offered.
Sex didn’t always need emotions. It could be an itch.
Call her crazy, but she wasn’t too sure she’d refuse him. Despite everything he’d done, there was some sort of pull she felt towards him. She almost wanted to call it an animalistic pull.
His pants dropped to the floor.
And her mind went blank. He could definitely scratch an itch for her.
He toed his boots off and then stepped out of his pants. When her eyes slid up his muscular frame to his face, she found a cocky smile turning up one side of his mouth.
“I’ve seen better.” Sara lied as she schooled her features, even as her eyes skimmed right back down to the long, thick cock he sported between his thighs. The engorged shaft was a slightly darker hue of blue than the rest of his body.
“I somehow doubt it.” Ak’kel smirked. “Do you have a shower?”
Sara’s brows drew down as she frowned. “Excuse me?” She blinked several times. Had she heard him correctly?
“A shower.”
“Huh,” she pointed to the open door on the other side of the room, “it’s over there.”
Ak’kel winked at her, then turned, and strode through the doorway, disappearing from sight. The blue light inside the sonic shower lit up, some of the light pouring out from the doorway of her bathroom.
“What just happened?” Sara shook her head as she looked around the room, feeling so confused. Had he just rejected her? It wasn’t like she’d offered anything, so she supposed she hadn’t been rejected. She felt annoyance rear its ugly head.
Rising from the bed, she stormed over to the doorway.
With pursed lips, she peered around the doorway and watched him washing in her sonic shower through the clear glass.
Her eyes roamed over his toned physique, and she felt her core heat and liquid pool between her thighs.
No other man had made her body this heated.
Not only did she find him attractive, but she also felt an unidentifiable pull towards him.
Like the universe wanted her to trust him…
but she wasn’t there. She didn’t want him ripping away her independence.