Page 33 of Alien Devil’s Wrath (Vinduthi Stolen Brides #2)

T he Penumbra’s docking bay was everything Zarek had described during our flight. Sleek. Dark. Built for war.

“There,” Zarek said, guiding our stolen courier toward the bay. His hands were steadier now—three hours of flight time had let his healing factor start working again. The worst wounds had closed. His breathing came easier.

I felt his anticipation mixed with wariness. Not of the ship, but of what came next. Introducing me to his brothers. His crew. His family.

The bay doors opened silently. We landed between two modified fighters, everything here clearly built for speed and violence. Good.

“They’re waiting,” Zarek said.

I could feel them—six distinct heartbeats in the bay. All Vinduthi. Except, one wasn’t quite the same. That would be Tamsin, Talon’s mate. Zarek had mentioned her during the flight.

“They think you’re alone,” I said, reading the formation. “Expecting you to report mission success and injuries.”

“Yes.”

The hatch opened with a hiss. Zarek went first—protocol, probably. I counted to three, then followed.

The bay lights were dim, but my new vision turned shadows into clarity.

Five Vinduthi males stood in formation, with a human woman nearby.

I recognized them from Zarek’s descriptions during our flight—his brothers, his crew.

Deep violet traceries on Rylos, the leader.

Emerald green on Varrick. Cobalt blue on the massive one, Talon, with his mate Tamsin beside him bearing matching blue sigils.

Black traceries, barely visible, on Kallum. Gold on Brevan.

They all stared as Zarek walked toward them with me beside him.

The silence stretched. I could smell their shock—sharp and metallic. Their eyes tracked the iron grey patterns visible on my neck and arms. The designs that matched Zarek’s.

“Zarek.” Rylos broke the silence. “Report.”

“Mission successful.” Zarek pulled the Regalia from his vest, tossed it to Rylos. “Second key recovered.”

Rylos caught it without looking, his narrowed eyes fixed on me.

“And this?”

“Bronwen.” I answered before Zarek could. “His mate.”

Varrick choked. Brevan’s hand moved toward a weapon he wasn’t quite drawing. Even Talon shifted, though Tamsin touched his arm lightly.

“You claimed her.” Not a question from Rylos. Just flat acknowledgment.

“Yes,” Zarek said simply.

“During a mission. Another one? First Talon brings back Tamsin, now you?—”

“It wasn’t planned,” Talon rumbled.

“She’s human,” Brevan said. “Was human.”

“Now I’m improved.” I kept my tone clinical. “The transformation optimized every system.”

“You brought another civilian into our operations,” Rylos said.

“I brought my mate.” Zarek’s words carried finality. “Who saved my life multiple times. Who got me through security I couldn’t have navigated alone. Who killed Joric Slade.”

That got their attention.

“Slade is dead?” Talon asked.

“Very.” I let a small smile touch my lips. “Crushed trachea, severed carotid, separated vertebrae. Three seconds.”

Tamsin made a small sound—approval, I thought.

“She’s a complication,” Rylos said.

“So was I,” Tamsin said. “Complications can become assets.”

Rylos’s jaw tightened, but he couldn’t argue with results.

“She needs quarters. Training. Integration into our protocols.”

“She doesn’t need training,” Zarek said. “She needs equipment.”

“Equipment?”

“Weapons. Gear. Medical supplies.” Zarek’s hand found mine. “While the Regalia’s being decoded.”

“While—” Rylos started.

“The decoding takes weeks,” Zarek interrupted. “We’ll be back before you need us for the next retrieval.”

Rylos’s jaw tightened. “You’re taking leave. During an active operation. For what?”

“To eliminate a threat,” Zarek said.

“What threat?”

I spoke up. “A Lyrikan noble who knows my face. Who could identify me, connect me to you.”

Rylos studied me. “And this noble just happens to need killing?”

“He’s the one who sent me to that prison planet. After I failed to kill him properly the first time. Miscalculated the dosage. Won’t happen again.”

Brevan studied me with new interest. “You tried to assassinate a Lyrikan noble?”

“Successfully poisoned him. He survived due to medical intervention I didn’t account for.” I met his gaze steadily. “Now I’m stronger. More precise.”

“She survived on that planet,” Kallum observed. “Alone.”

“Not alone,” I corrected. “I had the local fauna. Very educational companions.”

Rylos shook his head, resignation clear in his expression.

“Fine. Quarters on deck seven. Brevan can arrange identities for your... excursion.” The word came out pained. “But you’re both back before we move on the next Regalia.”

“Understood,” Zarek said.

“Welcome to the Sovereign’s Hand,” Rylos said to me. Not warm, but not hostile either. “Tamsin can help you adjust.”

Tamsin stepped forward as the men started to disperse. “The transformation gets easier. The new senses, the strength. Give it a few days.”

“How long since yours?”

“Weeks.” She glanced at Talon, who was talking with Zarek. “Best thing that ever happened to me, even if the process was... intense.”

“Intense.” I considered the word. “Yes. That’s one way to describe systematic cellular reconstruction.”

She smiled. “You’re going to fit in perfectly here. Come find me when you’re settled. Deck six.”

Then we were alone in the bay.

“That went better than expected,” I said.

“They didn’t try to kill you.”

“Your standards for success are concerning.” I pulled him down for a kiss, careful of his still-healing ribs. “Though I appreciate Tamsin’s presence. Makes me less of an anomaly.”

I felt his relief. His satisfaction that I was accepted, even grudgingly.

“Quarters?” I suggested. “You need rest. And I need to test how these new systems perform under... different conditions.”

Despite everything—the exhaustion, the wounds, the tension—he smiled against my mouth.

“Insatiable.”

“Scientific curiosity.” I traced my fingers over the faint lines that were all that was left of his wounds, already planning which ones needed kissing first. “Among other things.”