Chapter 5 #4
Excess energy still pulsed through Alex from his confrontation with Gabriel.
Alex reacted to the challenge instinctively.
A vicious jab caught Caden in the jaw, snapping his head to the side.
Alex didn’t hesitate. He followed the first punch with a well-placed combination, driving the breath from his cousin’s lungs.
Then Alex wrapped his hand around Caden’s throat and allowed his claws to extend.
With just enough pressure to draw blood but not cause lasting damage, Alex dug his claws into Caden’s flesh.
Caden grabbed Alex’s wrist with both hands then held perfectly still.
“Is this a challenge?” Alex demanded, his gaze locked with Caden’s.
“No, alpha.” The response sounded choked and uncertain. “I’m just trying to understand.”
“If I can get the women back without losing any more wolves, isn’t that worth a try?” His hand tightened, a silent reminder that there was only one appropriate answer.
“Yes, alpha.”
* * *
Aboard the Azrithal
“Are you ready for your big debut?” Avery asked as she pushed her empty plate aside. They sat in the officers’ dining hall as they had every evening for the past few weeks, but the ship was finally in orbit around Rydaria. And Avery was struggling to contain her excitement.
“I’m going to ease into this,” Natalie told her. “I’ll appear to the raptor shifters first. They’re less volatile than the others.”
Avery agreed. “As I’ve confessed, I’m hopelessly addicted to the wolves, but they’re going to be the biggest challenge.”
“I don’t know about that,” Natalie argued. “Have you seen Zion?”
The lion pride leader was massive and ruthless, but the wolves were even worse. “I didn’t set out to watch the wolves’ latest attack, but I inadvertently triggered the file.”
“I’m sorry. I thought I’d password protected all the files with graphic content.”
She looked at Natalie and admitted, “Fallon has been hacking your security features ever since we left Earth. What was she arrested for? She’s frighteningly intelligent.” Fallon was one of the few volunteers who talked to Avery. The rest liked to pretend she didn’t exist.
“She was arrested for theft, but I suspect that her cyber-crimes were never discovered. And I agree. She’s too damn smart for her own good.
” Natalie shook her head, unable to conceal her smile.
“I should be worried about Fallon, but I’m not.
There’s very little technology on Rydaria and we’ve both seen how the hybrids deal with defiant females. ”
“So have the volunteers,” Avery warned.
Natalie’s gaze shot back to Avery as she asked, “What are you talking about?”
“The volunteers were watching a very graphic video last night when I walked into the hold. It was courtesy of Fallon, I’m sure.”
“Graphic violence or graphic sex?” Natalie wanted to know.
“Both. Three feline shifters were disciplining their mate. The belt they spanked her with left her bottom striped in red and each male… enjoyed her vigorously afterwards.”
“They vigorously enjoyed her?” Natalie laughed. “You can’t say it, can you? Repeat after me, silly senator, they fucked her brains out.”
Instead of obeying, Avery made a face and said, “Most of the volunteers were shocked, but Fallon thought it was funny.”
“She won’t when it’s her ass they spank,” Natalie predicted grimly.
Heat crept up Avery’s neck as she lowered her voice and asked, “Have you ever been spanked by a lover?”
“A couple of times, but it was playful, not punitive,” Natalie told her. “You?”
Avery shook her head. “I’m vanilla all the way.”
“I need to get going,” Natalie concluded. “Wish me luck.”
“You don’t need it, but good luck.”
“I programmed one of the hummingbirds to record the encounter. Will is going to pull me out if the eagles aren’t willing to talk.”
William Megoni was captain of the Azrithal. He was nice enough and seemed to be a competent commander, but only Natalie knew him well enough to call him Will.
They left the officers’ dining hall together but got off the lift on different decks.
Avery made her way to the hold turned volunteer dormitory hoping to watch the first contact encounter between Natalie and the raptor shifters.
All the volunteers knew who Avery was, but few tried to engage her.
Most resented authority and Avery represented the worst offender on the planet, the United States government.
The large open room had been divided into two sections.
Multi-level bunks made up one end of the room while the other contained tables and chairs for meals and socializing.
Fallon sat with a small group of women waiting for the show to begin.
A large section of the hull had been transformed into a video display.
Avery knew nothing about Fallon’s background, but she appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent, maybe Indian.
Ebony hair hung past her shoulders in relaxed waves.
Surrounded by thick dark lashes, her light brown eyes appeared gold in certain lights.
Though not classically beautiful, her features were striking and memorable.
“Here we go,” Fallon said as the wall display flickered to life. Hummingbirds hovered at the edge of a forest presenting the scene from multiple angles. Deep male voices rumbled in the distance, but the spybots faced the other direction.
“It won’t be a threat next time. You have one week to deliver my third of the females.”
Avery sucked in a breath. That was Alex, the lupine village alpha. She’d spent enough time spying on the wolves to recognize his voice. But why was he threatening the eagles?
The next few exchanges were too muffled to make out, then Avery heard, “Elias wanted blood. Alex just wants females.” Avery didn’t recognize the voice, but it was likely one of the eagle brothers.
A subtle flash of light preceded Natalie’s appearance as she was transported down to the planet.
“Well, he can’t have ours,” a different male insisted. “So, what’s our next move?”
“That’s a very good question, Raphael,” Natalie said as she walked out of the forest.
Damn, the woman knew how to make an entrance. Avery couldn’t hold back a smile.
One of the hummingbirds flew along beside her, rotating slowly until it faced the males. They were tall and leanly muscled. Two stepped forward at the same time. They had similar features, so Avery concluded that they were Raphael and Gabriel, coleaders of Eagle Village.
“I’m in a unique position to give you an unexpected option,” Natalie was saying.
“Who the fuck are you?” The one who spoke had lighter hair, but Avery wasn’t sure if he was Gabriel or Raphael.
Natalie held out her hand and whistled an intricate tune. “Come to me.” One of the spybots flew in a semicircle, agilely landing on the palm of her hand. “I believe you’ve already met my eyes and ears.”
The dark-haired brother lunged for Natalie and her guards surrounded her in an instant.
“Fight, fight, fight!” one of the volunteers chanted playfully.
“Hush,” Fallon urged. “I want to hear this.”
The others obliged her just in time for Natalie to speak again.
“My name is Natalie Morgan and I’m here to assist you.” Her laugh sounded forced, an understandable reaction to the highly volatile situation. “That might seem hard to believe, but it’s the truth. Lower your weapons,” she told her guards. “They’re not going to hurt me. Are you, gentlemen?”
“They’re welcome to hurt me,” the smartass said in a stage whisper. “Damn, those men are fine.”
“Where did you come from?” the dark-haired brother asked. His expression was semi-hostile.
“Earth, originally. The ship is in orbit above this village as of a few moments ago.”
The blond brother brightened, hope widening his eyes. “You have a spaceship, here and now?”
Natalie released an audible sigh as she shook her head. “We both know you can’t leave the planet, but I have a proposal that should please you. Give me fifteen minutes of your time and I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
“A pleasing proposal?” Fallon grumbled. “Is that really what we’ve become?”
“What happens if they refuse?” a mousy brunette asked. “I don’t want to go back to Earth.”
“They won’t refuse,” Fallon predicted as she pushed to her feet. “They don’t have a choice. We’re the only ones foolish enough to volunteer for this shit.”
The other women continued to watch Natalie while Fallon walked away.
Avery followed Fallon, curious about her negative reaction. “If this wasn’t what you wanted, why did you volunteer?”
Fallon glared impatiently as she walked out into the corridor.
Natalie and Avery had the run of the ship, but the volunteers were restricted to the hold and a small workout room nearby.
The workout room contained the only toilets and showers near the hold so refusing to let the females use the facility hadn’t really been an option.
Fallon entered the workout room, but made no move toward any of the devices. “Every woman in that room volunteered because she has no other option. None of us want to be bartered away to a group of savage hybrids. Would you?”
Heat cascaded through Avery’s body, but she shook her head and muttered, “Of course not. It was a foolish question.”
Fallon crossed her arms over her chest and studied Avery for a tense moment. “Natalie is some big shot with the DOJ. Why are you here?”
“A senator with a lot of seniority wanted a break from me,” she admitted. “He did it to spite me, but I’m honestly interested in what Natalie is trying to do.”
Again, Fallon assessed her silently for a long time before she said, “Natalie claims to be our advocate. Can we trust her?”
“Yes,” Avery said firmly. “There are limits to what she can do, but Natalie will fight for you.”