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T he fact my brother is loose is reason enough to confine my sweet mate to the female quarters. I know she’ll hate it, but she hates me already because she thinks I didn’t tell her the truth.

And maybe I didn’t. Kerra is my mate, my heartsfire, the reason I’m not going to go the same way as my brother, providing I keep her safe.

Why would I risk her at all?

So, I will deal with her anger when the time comes. She will understand. Once she is safe.

The control room is packed with warriors who scatter as I enter and fling myself into my seat. I’m handed a vid-screen detailing the damage and the initial investigation.

“Repairs are underway, Lord Darax.”

“Additional guards have been posted, Lord Darax.”

“The incursion has been identified as Veseli, Lord Darax.”

I grab hold of the nearest warrior. “Get me a link to the warlords,” I snarl. “Bring me the warriors who came into contact with Dexx.”

In no time, three warriors are standing in front of me.

Each one keeps his eyes steadily on the wall behind me, not daring to meet my gaze.

They’re all good warriors. One sports a freshly healing wound across his chest which was definitely inflicted by a Sarkarnii.

I don’t want to draw the conclusion it was Dexx, given warriors fight all the time, but chances are it was the dirty nevver who broke into my sector.

“How did he enter?” I growl.

“He used the broken exhaust port,” the first warrior says. “We were fixing it.”

I snarl silently under my breath. “Did he say anything?”

“He asked where the females were,” the second warrior says. “We didn’t tell him anything.”

My eyes slide to the injured warrior. “Nothing?”

“Nothing, Lord Darax,” he says, teeth gritted.

I slam my hand into his throat, extending my claws to their full extent.

“I have your bond?” I growl in his ear. “That nothing was said.”

The entire control room has gone completely silent. They all know I could take the warrior’s head off if I choose.

What he says will determine what I choose. My rut has to be at its peak. I am both in control and have none. My blood is both on fire and turned to ice.

“You have my bond, Lord Darax. Lord Dexx asked where the females were, and we did not tell him. But I believe he may have scented them,” the injured warrior says.

“Then the three of you get a jewel from my hoard for your service.” I release my warrior and pat him on the shoulder.

The tension in the room drops instantly.

“Make sure you shift as soon as possible to heal. I need all the fit warriors I can muster.” I glare at him. He taps his fist over his heart, grinning wildly.

“The Lords are on the comm,” Dalat informs me.

“Nev,” I growl.

“I’ve stalled them for half a nova-hour already, my Lord,” he says.

I don’t even want to imagine Dalox being stalled. They will all know there is an issue in my sector, even if they don’t know what it is. I would prefer to investigate further, to have more answers for myself before speaking to the warlords.

“Put them on screen.”

“They wish to link via holo, my Lord.”

I release a stream of curses aimed at my ancestors. “Do it.”

There’s a shimmer in the air in front of me and full-sized images of each warlord appear. Dalox snarls instantly.

“Why are you avoiding us, Darax?”

“I am busy.”

“Our sensors show Veseli.” Driok growls at me. “Is it true?”

He’s always been paranoid, even before we came through the wormhole. The biggest Sarkarnii I’ve ever encountered, his ability to cause mass destruction is legendary. Not a single other warlord is prepared to trust him.

“It is true.”

“The Veseli are no more,” Dante says, his left eye twitching. “I destroyed their last ship.”

Trust any of them, back when we worked together, like a fleet.

“Then you clearly did not,” Driok growls at him.

There’s a further shimmering, and Dexx appears, picking at his teeth.

“Nevver,” I snarl. “You broke the accords by coming into my sector.”

“And you are a liar, Darax,” Dexx retorts. “There are more females, females which could be our mates. You have them, and you are keeping them from us.”

All the warlords glare at me. I know Kerra wanted the females to have a choice, but the Veseli are not just back but here on Vorostor and capable of breaching our ships, something they wouldn’t have risked when they were prevalent in the galaxy.

“There are females. We only recently found them, and they are, or they were, still acclimatizing to their situation.”

“The rut has made you go soft in the head,” Dalox says, his voice low and dangerous.

“This choice was mine with the blessing of my mate as the females are of her species. We have not had compatible females since we came to this galaxy. They needed protection.”

“And who is to say we couldn’t have protected them?” Dexx snarls. “You will pay for this, Darax.”

“And you need to fight the Veseli alongside the rest of us.” Dante faces him. “They have not gone as we thought, and they dare to enter another warlord’s sector.” He curls up his fists, his entire body shaking with rage.

Dante has never done confrontation well. Things normally explode. He normally explodes, and it is never, ever pretty. Dante has to be the dirtiest fighter ever to have been part of a Sarkarnii battle fleet.

I’d be grateful for his support if it wasn’t likely to get me killed.

“Darax should have informed us about the females, but his rut has left him misguided. He did as we all might have done in his situation,” Dalox rasps. “Sheathed our cocks as well as thinking with them.”

Driok and Dexx glare at him. Dante remains shaking with anger, the concept disappearing over his head. I doubt he will ever mate. I’m not sure he’s capable.

“My mind is the clearest it’s ever been,” I respond. “I will contact you with any further information I have once my investigation is concluded and to determine the next best course of action.”

I terminate the comm, and each of the holo forms disappears slowly, leaving me with a tight feeling in my chest. I tap my claws on the arm of my seat, the tips burying themselves deep in the metal.

“We are continuing the search for your brother, Lord Darax,” Dalat says quietly. “I did not think you wanted the warlords to know.”

“Deus?” A cold set of claws encloses my insides. “Do we have any intel on where he is?”

“We believe he has not yet left the Silver Star , Lord Darax.”

I’m out of my seat, out of the control room, and struggling to contain my ship as I race back to the female quarters, unlocking the doors and bursting inside.

It is empty. One symbol is carved into the wall.

Revenge.