Page 24 of Keeping Freya (Warriors of Arracate #3)

Freya

T ’Rak murmurs something in my hair. His tail wraps around my waist protectively, and he pulls me into his arms. I sigh. He can be my blanket anytime, and then I remember something.

“T’Rak…”

“Sleep,” he whispers.

“But uhm… You didn’t, you know...”

He huffs. “I can go without, just watching you come undone is good enough for me.”

Still doubting his words, I move my hand towards his upper leg, but he firmly takes it and places it back in front of me.

“Sleep, Fr’Ya. When we are safe again, you can touch me any way you want.”

I can’t help feeling a little bit disappointed. I really enjoy touching him. Knowing that I’m the first woman to touch him turns me on, and I grin when I think of the utter adoration on his face, every time we touch .

He kisses the top of my hair, and it’s my last conscious moment before I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.

When morning comes, I find myself alone in the tent.

For a moment, I feel scared. Did he abandon me anyway?

But that thought leaves my mind as soon as it arrives.

He would never. I can trust him. The realization makes my heart skip a beat and brings up feelings I quickly shove back.

There’s absolutely no time for feelings because I am going back to Earth.

I move towards the tent's opening and softly call out for him. “T’Rak?”

“What is wrong?” He quickly appears from behind the tree.

“I couldn’t find you.”

“I was doing a quick perimeter check. We should leave early, so we have plenty of time to find you a good hiding place and I can lie in wait.”

“That sounds like a good plan. But what will you do after that?”

He glares at me. “Kill the High Commander and the others, then retrieve you and return to the ship.”

I laugh. “You really think it’s that simple.”

He shrugs. “It should be; they are inferior to my strength and speed.”

I raise an eyebrow, and he starts breaking up the tent.

“I will try to kill him from a distance, but if I fail, I will raid the location he is at. He will not escape me this time.”

“Well, may the odds be ever in your favor then.”

He gives me a funny look.

“Did you think what would happen to me if you get killed there? ”

“I will not get killed,” he deadpans.

“Humor me.”

He shrugs. “It is not happening, so I do not have to think about it.”

“Just because you think it’s true, doesn’t make it true!” I’m shouting now, and my hands are on my side.

“Why are you mad?” he asks, confusion written all over his face.

“Because this is a suicide plan!”

He shrugs. “It is the only plan.” He hoists the pack on his shoulder and starts walking. “Are you coming?” he calls out over his shoulder.

Grumpily, I follow. I don’t speak, and neither does he. We avoid the path and trek through the jungle. It takes all my effort, and after an hour or so, my muscles ache and I’m about to give up, when T’Rak holds up his hand and turns around.

“We have arrived,” he whispers gruffly and crouches down.

I quickly walk towards him and crouch beside him.

For a moment, I’m too stunned to speak at the sight unraveling before me.

A conglomeration of buildings lies before me.

There is no logic or pattern in the architecture or set-up of the little village.

It’s like the Wild West but without the main road, because there are no roads or paths.

It’s also eerily quiet, and a couple of lost souls stumble around.

I see someone just tumbling over to the ground.

The person next to him just laughs and moves along.

T’Rak wordlessly points to the right, where all different kinds of space ships are parked, near a dark and dreadful sea.

“You have to go in, don’t you?” The words leave my lips before I can think better of them.

“Yes,” he clips. I understand now, but I still don’t like it. I’m about to tell him that when he turns to me .

“You were the one who wanted to come on this mission. I wanted to keep you safe on Novarron. So yes, I did think about what would happen if I got killed here. Things are different now, but it will not change that I am going in to kill the High Commander.” He sighs and rakes a hand through the pieces of hair that escaped his braid.

“D’Var and O’Rec have the location of the ship.

If I do not make it back, make sure you stay hidden. They will look for you, I promise.”

“I’d much rather have you back, big guy.” My voice trembles, and I hate that.

He tips my chin and looks me straight in my eyes. “I will do everything in my power to get back to you.” His eyes are swirling, and I get lost in the galaxy inside. The moment is broken by a shout far away, which brings us back to the reality of being at enemy lines.

“Come.” He takes my hand and gently guides me towards a group of trees. They are leafy and tall and make for an excellent hiding spot. The first branch is high, so I hesitate for a minute.

“I will get you up,” T’Rak says.

“I know, but… Just be careful, okay? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

He pulls me in for a quick kiss. I cling to him, and desperation deepens the kiss. He brusquely lets go, and we are both panting.

“I need to go.” His voice is strained, so I do the only thing I can do.

“I understand.” And with those words, he lifts me. When I’m atop the branch, he gives me the pack and then starts walking away.

“Wait!” I softly call out. He stops and turns. “We need a secret password, so I know it’s you and you’re okay.”

He grumbles something. “Buttercup,” he states, and I put a hand in front of my mouth to stifle a laugh .

“Okay. Uhm… good luck.”

Without a word, he walks away, leaving me to the daunting task of climbing the tree.

I make it all the way up with the pack and sit down when I find a comfortable branch.

And then I wait. And wait. And wait. The village starts waking up, and I can see people walking towards different locations.

Bars open, people gather outside. It actually gets boring after a while, watching aliens crawl from bar to bar.

I try looking for T’Rak a couple of times, but he must be very good at hiding that big body of his because I can’t seem to find him.

The day passes, and I nibble on some trail rations I found in the pack. I also sip some water, but not too much, I don’t want to have to pee.

A sudden rustling in the canopy has me on high alert.

T’Rak, it must be him, that means he must have spotted the guy he’s after.

Squinting my eyes, I look at the aliens in the village and spot the Sternotheri.

A shiver runs down my spine. Fucking assholes.

They meet up with a couple of other aliens before they enter one of the bars at the side of the village.

Thank fuck, it’s not the one in the center.

I look down, and T’Rak is slowly emerging from under the canopy.

You would have missed him if you didn’t know he’s there.

A gnawing pit of terror claws at my intestines when I see him crawling towards the bars.

Danger—Danger—Danger, my mind screams, and anxiety floods my system.

He’s at the village now, and with a quick look around, he rounds the corner, and he’s out of my sight.

I wait a minute. Five minutes. I count and count, but there’s no movement, gunfire, or yelling.

Shit, I feel like I need to go with him.

I need to help him. I have all these weapons; he needs someone to watch his back.

He must be gone for at least half an hour now. That is too long to stay unnoticed.

I’m already halfway down when my subconscious tells me this may not be my best idea, but I don’t care. I cannot stay here. I thought I could play the damsel and wait for him, but my stubborn ass has decided I need to take control of the situation myself.

Hoisting the pack on my back, I quietly jump down and make my way to the outskirts of the town.

Gun in hand, I’m ready for anything. When I round the corner, I see there’s a back entrance.

As I creep closer, I notice the door is open and T’Rak is hiding behind some big crates, focused on the inside of the bar.

To my utter horror, a strange, bird-looking guy appears from another corner and walks straight towards T-Rak.

He’s gonna see him, he’s gonna blow his cover. He’s…

Laserfire rings loud in the air, and the dude drops down immediately. T’Rak turns around, scowling and gun ready. His scowl deepens when he sees me standing there, smoking gun in my hands.

He rushes towards me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he whispers angrily.

“You were taking so long, I got nervous and scared and needed to help you. It seems I was just in time, wasn’t I?” I smirk at him, and he growls when he sees the dead alien.

Without a word, he grabs the body and stuffs it behind a dumpster at the back of the bar.

“You might as well come with me now that you are here,” he sighs in resignation.