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M y blood hums with all that’s good about the mating mix. My mind is completely clear, my body feels like I could take on a space worm single handed, and I have my mate by my side.

“Report?” I fire at Dalat.

My warriors are also in good spirits. Everywhere I look, I get respectful glances. My good mood from mating, it seems, is infectious. It even quells the pit within me which makes my desire to rip males to pieces while my mate is present soar.

Kerra is mine.

No one else gets to claim her.

“I have set the charges, Lord Darax,” Dalat says. “Ready when you give the word.”

“The word is given,” I order. “This is going to be loud,” I warn Kerra who is standing on the ramp to the ship.

There is a ripple of excitement among the warriors, easily mirroring my own. I join Kerra and retrieve a set of volume adjusters, applying them to each of her ears. I can’t imagine something as small and delicate as her would enjoy the noise as much as a Sarkarnii.

Kerra smiles at me. I want to mate her mouth with an intensity I’m not sure I’ve ever felt.

So, I do. And, as my lips hit hers, the charges Dalat has laid go off.

The noise, the vibration, and the shockwave flow through us.

My cock is instantly hard again, the tip pushing from my pouch until I get the nevving thing under control.

“You liked that?” she yells.

I take the volume adjusters off. “I did.”

Kerra spots my warriors. “So did they.” She laughs.

“What can I say? Sarkarnii males like a good bang.” I shrug.

“You certainly do.” Kerra chuckles to herself.

I look over at Dalat.

“I believe I have taken out the seeding,” he says. “It’s safe to re-enter the area.” He bows. “Providing you do not require more mating,” he adds pointedly.

I readjust my pouch.

“Cohort one, go ahead,” I growl, glaring at Dalat.

The first tranche of warriors leaves, diving into the grass ahead of us. With Kerra, I move with the second cohort.

The air in between the grasses is filled with the scent of burning. If it wasn’t for the fact this area contains Aravas, which make good eating, I’d burn the place to the ground.

We reach the clearing the humans were found in.

“I want samples, a DNA sweep, and eyes sharp for any anomalies.” I growl out my orders.

“What’s wrong?” Kerra asks me quietly.

“The seeding wasn’t present when we found your friends. It was laid later, after we left,” I say quietly. “It means someone came back and wanted to ensure we didn’t find anything.”

“That isn’t good.” Kerra matches my tone.

“It also means they think they didn’t do a good enough job of cleaning up.”

Kerra looks at me. “I knew you weren’t just a pretty face, Darax.”

I drop my face close to hers. “Lord Darax,” I growl.

Her gaze doesn’t waver. “Lord Darax,” she breathes.

My cock is desperate to unpouch. I take her chin between my claws because if I can’t mate her body, I will mate her mouth.

“Lord Darax!” a warrior shouts.

“Nev you,” I snarl. “If this isn’t important, you will be picking burnt scales off for a nova-month.” I turn, releasing my wicked little mate to see a warrior holding something. It glints in the light. In no time, I’m across to him and taking hold of the small item.

“Dalat.” I hand it to him. He places it on his scanner.

“Lord.” He stares down at the item.

“What is it?”

Dalat is silent for too long.

“Dalat, what is it?” I growl.

“It’s a metal the scanner hasn’t got in the database, but the DNA on it is clear,” Dalat says carefully.

“What DNA?” I enclose his shoulder with my hand, the tips of my claws pricking into his skin as a warning.

Dalat again doesn’t speak. I drive my claws deeper.

“Veseli,” Dalat says quietly.

“They are all dead,” I respond. “We killed them all.”

“It would appear they are not dead, my Lord. As this DNA is not decayed. It is fresh.”

“What in the nev are the Veseli and the Madar doing working together?” I mutter under my breath. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“It might, if the Madar have done what they usually do and thrown their lot in with those who they think can give them what they want,” Dalat says.

“And what do you think they want?”

“Sarkarnii flesh,” Dalat responds, emotionless.

“Nev!” I rasp. “I need to speak to the warlords.”

My heart sinks to my stomach. I can no longer keep this incursion into my sector to myself, not if it involves our old enemy, one which is supposed to be no more.

“Keep looking,” I growl at Dalat and my warriors. “Anything else you find, I need to know.”

Kerra appears by my side. “What’s happening? Did you find something?”

“Yes, little mate, we found something.”

“Not good?” she queries, studying my face. Her ability to read me is impressive, given I’ve spent nova-years with my warriors, and they’re still unable to get out of my way when I need them to.

“Not good. We need to go back to Vorostor Central. I’m going to have to report our findings to the warlords, and”—I take her little hand in mine—“I’m going to have to tell them about your friends.”

Kerra bites on her bottom lip. “At least let me tell them first, before you inform the warlords? I think they should be prepared.”

I want to say there is absolutely nothing which will prepare any of the females for my fellow warlords, particularly Dante, but there is little point. Kerra knows. She has met them, all save Dexx.

“Then we need to return.”

“Lord Darax!” A warrior from the cohort remaining with the ship stumbles through the grasses. “You need to get back to the Silver Star !”

“I know that,” I growl at him. His chest is heaving, his eyes wild.

“There has been an attack. The females have been taken.”

“What?” I fire out smoke and embers.

“No!” Kerra cries, clutching at me. “Darax!”

“And there’s something else, Lord.” The warrior stills. He studies his boots.

“Out with it,” I bark.

“Your brother…he has escaped.”