Page 39 of Chieftain (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #1)
“What do you mean Lord Utar is dead?” a deep growly voice came into range.
All three Vaktaire crouched, their backs pressed against the damp embankment, while I remained snug in Khaion’s arms. The steel gray hangar loomed overhead like a sentinel. We were in a precarious position—within earshot but at risk of discovery should someone wander toward the edge of the tarmac.
Khaion lowered himself onto one knee, holding me securely on his muscular thigh. Tilting my head backward, although at an odd angle, offered a sight of the area at the front of the hangar. Ten Kerzak stood rigidly at attention behind their leader, who faced off with Nansar and his dozen guards.
"The Vaktaire killed him. There was nothing I could do about it." Nansar's voice was smooth, unfettered, even though the Kerzak could wipe him out with a swipe of his paw.
"I will scatter his guts throughout the stars," the Kerzak bellowed, waving a fist the size of my head.
I glanced at Khaion, who rolled his eyes dramatically at the threat.
“Just so you’re not in Aljani space,” Nansar snapped, the angry turn of his head making his hair ripple like moonlight on water. “I cannot be tied to this or the Kerzak.”
The leader—Barkkus perhaps—issued a low, threatening growl, but Nansar stood his ground, arms crossed, glaring at the Kerzak, who caved with a huff.
"Where is our payment and the body of Lord Utar? He will receive a hero's burial. We will drench his shroud in the blood of his killer."
This time I rolled my eyes at the blustering.
"I'll have my guards gather his body and your payment.
" Nansar waved his hand, half his guard splintered away, heading toward the villa.
"If you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend.
" The Aljani turned and walked away without a backward glance.
The grizzly-aliens trundled into a loose huddle, their conversation reduced to roars and snarls.
"We need to get to the shuttle," Khaion whispered, his golden eyes flickering to where our shuttle sat unfettered in the center of the hangar—if we made it through the gathered Kerzak.
"The onboard weapons are enough to destroy the Kerzak skiff and the villa if necessary.
" His palm glided across my back, just a simple caress reiterating that he was near, protecting, and loving me.
My breath released in a low hum, almost a purr, as I melted into his touch.
"This ditch runs alongside the hangar." Charick's nod indicated the direction. "We can enter from a side door unseen."
“What about Willa? We have to find her before we leave.”
My skin prickled, my heart racing as Charick and Bartuk disengaged the invisibility of their suits so I could plainly see the expressions of solemnity and disappointment. My insides twisted and knotted with dread, and instinctively I snuggled closer to Khaion.
“Bartuk and I surveyed the villa on our way to rescue you.” Charick tapped a long gray box hanging from his belt that I recognized as some sort of scanner. “There are a few non-Aljani in the villa—servants, I would guess—but no human signatures.”
“Where is she?” My voice wavered as I stared up at the looming silhouette of the house.
Khaion pulled me firmly against his chest. His lips brushed my temple, warm breath caressing my cheek. “We will find her, my mate; I promise you this. But for now, we must get to safety.”
As much as my gut rebelled at the idea, I knew he was right. It wouldn’t take Nansar long to discover we'd escaped, and who knows how many more guards were here, not to mention the Kerzak.
I nodded, and Khaion rose, carefully setting my feet into the few inches of water at the bottom of the ditch.
It seeped through the leather of the flats I wore, making my toes squelch.
We moved in single file, Charick leading and Bartuk bringing up the rear.
The trench was deep enough that I could stand without fear of being spotted, although because of their nearly seven feet in height, the Vaktaire crept along in an uncomfortable crouch.
Darkness swallowed us whole. Unlike Earth's bright moon, the dull brown surface of the other two Korfu moons barely gave off any light. The Vaktaire were unfazed by this black veil; I could barely find my hand in front of my face.
Charick led us forward without a single misstep while Khaion clasped my hand, his surefootedness an anchor in this abyss.
We abruptly stopped at his signal, waiting until he grunted that it was all clear.
In one swift motion, my mate swung me into his arms and vaulted us out of the drainage ditch.
The wind whipped around us as we took off running, and it strangely reminded me of the convertible BMW I'd left on Earth.
The side door of the hangar stood open, just wide enough for us to slip inside. Khaion held me tightly as if he feared something might reach out from the darkness and snatch me away. Bartuk scampered ahead in a crouch, like a scout on patrol.
The hangar reminded me of the ones back home—our shuttle parked in the middle with two smaller ships on either side. Crates and equipment were stacked against the walls so high that they nearly touched the ceiling. A sweet, musty smell drifted from inside one of the containers and filled the air.
Bartuk halted abruptly, raising his hand like a barrier, and we squatted behind a double-stacked wall of crates.
A group of Kerzak argued at the front of the hangar, their voices rising as fists waved in the air.
Beyond them, emerging from the deep shadows of the orchard, came an entourage of Nansar’s guards, carrying a large metal box balanced atop three metal poles.
“What do you think Nansar paying the Kerzak?” Bartuk murmured, lowering onto his belly to get a better line of sight.
“Nothing good, whatever it is,” Charick huffed. He, too, shifted his stance for a better view.
I felt Khaion's strong arms circle my waist as he stepped behind me, his steady heartbeat pounding in my ears, echoing my own.
In the moonlight, Aljani guards hoisted the heavy box onto the tarmac.
Then, as if in slow motion, they opened the lid, tipping the box to its side, and disgorged its contents.
A flash of long, wavy brown hair and a flurry of limbs brought a scream to my lips.
Willa!
My heart stopped as I tried to call out her name, but Khaion's hand clamped over my mouth, silencing me. His golden eyes locked with Charick's worried gaze, and his lips curled in fury as his other hand rose to his lips to gesture for us to remain quiet.
"The box must be lead. That's why our scanners did find her," Charick muttered his expression a twist of self-recrimination.
"Bartuk, can you make it to the shuttle?" Khaion's hushed voice dripped with authority.
“Of course, Chieftain,” The crewman did not hesitate. “I left the engine access panel in the belly of the ship unhinged in case you needed to retrieve your stealth suit. I can easily slip inside.”
“Good job.” Bartuk preened at Khaion’s compliment.
“Fuckers!” Willa’s screech cut through the air as sharp as a dagger.
Barkkus claws dug into Willa's scalp, her hair clutched in his furry hand.
Her screams filled the air like a banshee, fists flying wildly against his furred chest. The Kerzak laughed, a deep rumbling noise that sent chills down my spine.
As she fought, I saw Bartuk roll out from behind the crates and belly crawl to the shuttle's belly.
“When I give the signal, use the shuttle’s cannon to destroy the Kerzak skiff and take out as many as you can,” Khaion murmured into his comm. Hand to hand, the three of them against the Kerzak and Aljani guards would be a bloodbath. Using the shuttle weapons evened the odds considerably.
My mate grinned as he drew a long blade from his belt. “How many Kerzak have you fought, Charick?”
"More than you," Charick snorted. Seeing the Sage in anything but his ceremonial robes was strange. Standing beside my mate, the gray stealth suit molded to his muscles; he looked every bit the Vaktaire warrior.
“We should recount,” Khaion retorted, grin deepening. “I have killed two just recently, one with my bare hands.”
“Braggart.” Charick quipped.
“Will you two stop with the chest-thumping and save my friend,” I huffed. Witnessing Willa’s onslaught, every punch and kick fueled by fierce determination, was like watching a wild animal fight for its life. My heart splintered at the sight.
Khaion's arm snaked around my waist and yanked me against his body, the hard planes of his chest pressing into mine. His lips were warm and demanding as they met mine in a searing kiss that seemed to last an eternity yet ended too quickly. He pulled away, eyes smoldering with something wild and untamed, and tugged the alien Nerf gun from where it hung at my waist. With rough hands, he placed the weapon in my grip. “Stay here, don’t move. If anyone comes near you, just aim and shoot.”
I nodded and rose onto my tiptoes, pressing my lips to his once more. "You just stay safe and don't make me have to come to rescue you," I warned, trying to lighten the tension radiating between us.
An earsplitting shriek filled the air, and my head jerked in Willa's direction. Thick crimson rivulets ran from her bicep where Barkkus' razor-sharp claws were embedded in her flesh.
Charick raised a beefier version of my Nerf gun and fired. The grizzly creature bellowed an anguished howl as the shot severed the Kerzak’s arm at the elbow with a puff of gray smoke.
Khaion and Charick charged forward, their battle cries as terrifying as the weapons glinting in their hands. A single shot from the shuttle cannon tore through the Kerzak ship, engulfing it in a blazing inferno. Bartuk felled half the Aljani guards before anyone seemed to recognize the attack.
Willa scrambled backward on her hands and feet, searching for safety, her eyes wide with panic.