Page 35 of The Alien Warrior's Vow

“With me and Eema…” Clavas licked his lips. “It is not what you think.”

“What Eema does with you is none of my concern.”

Clavas grinned a little harder. “You are a very bad liar, Lans. If you expected me to believe that, you should at leasttrynot to make it so painfully obvious.”

“I have no idea—”

“We all saw you embrace her. You held her like she was the most precious gem in the world.”

Lans snapped his mouth shut.

He had moved on instinct, not caring that they were surrounded by the others. It had not occurred to him that his actions might have been observed.

“Korben, did you notice us too?”

“I would have brought it up when the mission was over,” Korben said, his eyes on Tiegan’s zapten that alighted next to Clavas’s. “I will tease you the moment the females are safely beside us.”

“Don’t you dare,” Lans growled.

Tiegan, Pin, and Zar strode toward them. They observed the Plutonian camp. Warriors sharpened their weapons and prepared their zaptens. It was not their way to be so heavily armored, but the fight between the Heronas and the Plutonians had been brewing for a long time. It would require more than their spine daggers.

Just then, footsteps crunched nearby. They turned and spotted a warrior striding toward them. He had leather straps crossing his broad chest. In the satchels attached to the straps were two swords. His eyes were hard as flint and his lips did not inch up in welcome when he called their names.

“Na’vak is this way,” the messenger said, gesturing to a broad tent with the Plutonian flag waving in the wind.

Korben took the lead and Lans was right there on his heels. They needed to complete this task quickly so they could check in on the females. The mission should be over soon.

Eema, you must return alive.

He let the thought loop through his mind. Lans had never been the type to hope for the best. The world was a dark place filled with evil and wickedness. Trust was hard to build and easy to break.

And lives were easily lost.

But Eema made him nervous.

Or, more accurately, the thought of Eema in trouble made him nervous.

Death was not allowed to touch her.

Muscles tense, he followed the scout to the open flap of Na’vak’s tent, hoping that the unease in his stomach was not a warning.

Na’vak sat around a circular table filled with the other elders. They all wore firm frowns and stared at them darkly as they entered.

Na’vak stood, his eyes trained on Korben. “Welcome, comrades.”

“Na’vak, what is this about?” Korben demanded. “You tore us away from the mission. It must be an emergency.”

“Clavas is back whole and well,” Na’vak said, his gaze sliding to Clavas.

Clavas dipped his head. “Yes.”

“Were you not held in captivity with the Healer?”

Clavas hesitated, his gaze darting to his brother.

Korben’s jaw clenched. “He was.”

“And why did you not rescue the Healer when you had a chance?” Na’vak approached them slowly. “Why did you save one instead of all?”