Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
D’Var
I am shaking. My body is pulsing with the need to comfort her. My mate is safe in my arms. She is crying as I hold her. She has been so strong, attacking me with a bone club the minute I entered her cell. I gently grab her head with both hands and tilt it up, her eyes meeting mine.
“Are you hurt?” I ask as I wipe away her tears. She stiffens, then she nods.
“Where,” I growl, I cannot contain the anger in my voice waiting for her to flinch, she doesn’t. A strong, proud surge pulsing through our bond.
“My leg…” she begins and then she pulls away from me, grabbing my arm to steady herself as she shows her left leg to me. It is… mangled somehow. I let out a growl as I fall to my knees to examine her wound. Her skin is red and blistered, crusts are already forming, it seems like I am looking at some kind of symbol. I look up, murder in my eyes as I realize they have branded her, but she caresses my cheek.
“It’s okay, D’Var," she says. “I am yours, only yours.” I blink. What does this mutilation have to do with being mine? She must see the confusion in my eyes, because she continues.
“They… um… my old master sent them to get me back, they branded me with his house crest. But it doesn’t matter. I will never be his again," I growl, interrupting her as I stand, taking her hands.
“You will never be his again. This I swear to you. After we have killed all these filthy Sternotheri, I will go hunt this fucker and bring you his head. It is my vow to you, my mate, my Zarra.” My voice is rough with emotion, and I am struggling to maintain my calm, because I see red. They hurt her…
“We kept one alive for you, and for information,” O’Rec calls me through our link, I grin menacingly.
“Where are you?” I ask and after he answers I look at L’Ren.
“That was O’Rec, we are needed at the bridge.”
I sweep L’Ren up in a careful embrace.
“Are you okay, my Zarra? Does it hurt like this?” She shakes her head. I carry her through the ship to the bridge.
Whe make our way to the bridge and my crewmates. As we enter I immediately shield her eyes because there are 5 dead Sternotheri lying on a pile in the corner. I feel my crewmates’ relief at seeing L’Ren through our connection.
“What are you doing?” she protests, but I shush her.
“I do not want you to see all the dead.” Still, she pushes away my hands, then wriggles so I have to put her down. She pulls my head towards her and our brows touch.
“I will only say this once, but I am okay. These fucking aliens TOOK me, they took from me what I did not want to give, and somebody has to pay. I am so angry for all the things they did to me and if that makes me a bloodthirsty bitch, then so be it. They took me, killed all the girls at the space station and no doubt did many other unspeakable things. So, I can handle this D’Var. I promise you.”
I do not know what to say, my Zarra, this vicious side of her is not something I have seen before, and I like it. I like it a lot.
“I am proud of you, my mate,” I say.
I hear someone clear their throat behind us. “I applaud your newfound strength, L’Ren, but we really should not be here any longer than we need to,” T’Rak says and I turn towards them, letting L’Ren hold onto my arm.
Seated in the captain’s chair is a Sternotheri. His eyes spit fire, but T’Rak confirms to me that he is paralyzed from the waist down and cannot hurt my mate.
“Can you assist L’Ren for me?” I ask O’Rec. He quickly moves to my side. I shift so that L’Ren can lean on him. I see his concerned look and the fire in his eyes when he realizes she is injured.
I stalk towards the Sternotheri in the chair, like a predator stalking his prey, and he flinches. I take out a knife and stand before him.
“Did you touch her?” I ask and he looks past me towards her. I growl and press my knife against his neck. “DID YOU TOUCH HER?” I growl and he spits at me.
“I did not touch that filthy whore.”
I howl and take away my knife from his neck, push it into his upper arm, stapling him against the chair.
“You do not speak of my mate that way.” I see something passing in his eyes, it is clear he had no idea who she was to me.
“Why did you take her?” I growl, pressing a new knife back against his neck. He swallows and I pierce his skin, then I turn the blade. He starts breathing heavily .
“Yalix,” he pants. “He wants her back. Paid us a fortune to retrieve her.”
“How did you find us?” I ask and when he doesn’t answer fast enough, I yank the knife out of his arm and stab his other arm towards the chair. He howls in pain.
“Tracker!” he shouts. “There is a tracker behind her ear, near the translator. It is short range, but you were seen at Centauri IV and someone called it in.”
“Thank you,” I grin at him before I take my knife and slit his throat.
Lauren
I am shaking, holding on to O’Rec for dear life. I know I said all those things, my inner bad-ass bitch totally took over, but seeing the pain and torment D’Var put on the alien, it makes me feel a bit nauseous. I have to look away at point when D’Var goes for the kill. I know I will have nightmares about it, but also, it was worth it. I needed this. I needed some kind of vengeance. The bond is pulsing with satisfaction. I look up, knowing I need something else. I need D’Var.
The minute the thought enters my mind, he’s beside me. Cradling me in his arms again.
“Let us get you back to our ship and destroy this fucking monstrosity.”
I couldn't agree more.
I sense that D’Var, O’Rec and T’Rak are communicating silently as to their next move. I honestly don’t mind. I trust them and feel comfortable with them. Making me become attuned to them.
The adrenaline that has been keeping me going is slowly leaving my body now that I am safe in D’Var’s arms. I cling to his harness, hiding my face in his hard chest. I am tempted to breathe in his scent deeply, but I feel something sticking to my cheek. Knowing it could be the castoff from the Sternotheri I think better of it. He probably reeks, as I am sure I do.
We hurry through the alien ship. When D’Var starts climbing I get curious and I peek out from my hiding place. We are in some kind of air duct. I try to look over D’Var’s shoulder, but I fail.
“Where are we?” I ask him.
“We entered the ship through a hole in the hull,” he answers. “We have to hurry to our ship and get the fuck out of here, because the Sternotheri ship is set to self-destruct.”
I sigh. That sounds like an awesome plan. I cannot wait to be far away from here, blowing this ship to pieces sounds like music to my ears.
We return to the Command Center of the ship. T’Rak and O’Rec immediately get into their chairs and start to work. D’Var gently sets me down on the bench. The ship starts to move, turning away from the ship of the Sternotheri, I take a final look.
It’s a crazy coincidence that Yalix is working with them, but I guess that only shows the level of psychopath he is. Still, there is so much to unpack, but for now it can wait.
“Are you hungry, thirsty?” D’Var asks, and I see the concern on his face. I feel so dirty, and I am tired.
“I would love some water,” I say. He takes a step towards the mess hall, but I feel his struggle and my bond starts screaming as well, so I grab his hand.
“Don’t leave me,” I whisper, he nods in understanding. O’Rec heaves a sigh, but he winks when he walks past us and goes to get me a bottle of water. He hands it to D’Var, who then hands it to me. I smile at O’Rec, thankfully, and he crouches before me.
“We have to get you to the med bay as soon as possible. We need to heal your leg. Also, we have to disable the tracker, so they cannot find you again. We want to take you home.”
“Home?” I echo, it’s the first I have heard of that.
“Home,” D’Var confirms and when I put the cap back on the bottle, he scoops me up and carries me towards the med bay.
He gently sets me down on the table and I hiss, my leg is throbbing. With all the adrenaline gone from my body, the pain has come back with double the intensity.
“I have you,” D’Var murmurs and he calls out to O’Rec, who appears with scanners by our side.
“Tracker first,” I grimace. “I can hold on for a bit longer, just get the damned thing out.”
O’Rec nods approvingly and gets to work. He probes my head with the scanner, then with his fingers. A piercing pain arises from my skull causing me to cry out. D’Var gets to his feet immediately and shoves O’Rec, so I grab his arm, while I grit my teeth.
“It’s okay, D’Var. What needs to be done, needs to be done.” I look at O’Rec.
“Was that the tracker?”
He nods.
“Just get it out, please.”
“It will hurt," he begins, but I yell at him.
“JUST GET IT OUT!” Tears are streaming down my face again and I am panting. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m just…” D’Var wipes away my tears, touching my forehead with his.
“Do not apologize. Squeeze my hands, it will hurt, but O’Rec will get it out fast.” He gives O’Rec a menacing look .
“Will you not, O’Rec?”
O’Rec just laughs. I feel a piercing pain in my skull, and everything goes dark.
Slowly I come awake, I realize I am lying on the table, D’Var is holding my hand, O’Rec is nowhere to be found. I moan as I try to sit up, and D’Var reaches around me to help.
“Is it done?” I ask and he nods. I sigh with relief as a tear escape down my cheek. “Thank God. The thought of Yalix being able to track me again makes me sick. It just … it had to come out.”
D’Var smiles. “You are a strong fierce warrior, my mate. And even strong fierce warriors do sometimes have enough. It did make it easy for O’Rec to tend to your leg.” I turn my leg a bit so I can look at my inner thigh. It’s cleaned up and the wound has healed quite a bit.
“Did you give me nano’s again?” I ask and he nods.
“Yes, we did. Unfortunately, we cannot heal the brand itself. It is there permanently.” I swallow hard. I feel tears burning, but I am determined to push them away.
A lonely tear still escapes my eye and trails across my cheek. D’Var wipes it away, holding me close.
“I hate that.” I choke out. “I hate that I will always have to be reminded of my terrors.”
D’Var shakes his head. “It is not a reminder of your terrors - it is a reminder of your strength. You have been through the worst, yet you came out on top. You won. The sight of you with that bone club is a sight I will always remember. I am so proud of you, my Zarra, my fierce and strong mate. There is no other like you in the entire galaxy and every day I thank the stars for finding you.”
I sniff. “Don’t make me cry.”
D’Var just holds me close, his scent and his warmth make me relax. I take a deep breath, then one more. The mark sucks, but I am safe and back home. I carefully free myself from his arms.
“It will be fine,” I firmly state. “I am safe and I’m with you. That is good enough for now.” I yawn. “Time for a shower?”