Page 179 of Pets in Space 10

Ahain glanced in Kari’s direction. His gaze roved over her bruised face and darkened noticeably. “Welcome, Kari. We are pleased to have your company.”

She inclined her head. He frowned and looked from her to Luka and back again. Questions flickered in his gaze, but he didn’t ask them. He took a sip from his cup and stared at her. “Tell me what brings you to Orion?”

She wasn’t sure how to respond without revealing too much. Luka jumped in. “Ahain, I need to take advantage of your hospitality further and ask if you have any clothes for my friend. As you can see, she was injured in a minor accident and needs rest.”

“An accident indeed.” Ahain paused, then whistled sharply. A bearded man with brown skin ducked his head in the tent opening. Ahain pointed at her. “She needs something to wear. Ask Fiora.”

As soon as the man left, Ahain rose. “Come, I will take you to a tent you can use for the night. The winds have increased and minor sand storms are brewing. The morning will be safe enough to continue your journey.”

She stilled, gaze shooting between both men. Instead of being offended at the statement, the corner of Luka’s mouth hitched up. “In other words, don’t linger.”

Ahain burst into laughter. “Something tells me your presence brings trouble and I have no wish to participate. I grow weary of skirmishes with the Atoro and Rudurian.”

“Understood. I need you to get a message to Harlo for me,” Luka said.

Ahain’s lips tightened. “You know I want no parts of this, my friend.”

“Just a message,” Luka insisted. “Tell him it’s code green.”

There was reluctance in the shake of Ahain’s head then a heavy sigh and a nod. “I will do this.”

Luka turned toward her. Body aching, she managed not to flinch as she stood with him and his brother. Fatigue dodged her steps but her mind whirled. She wanted to know Luka’s connection to the syndicates mentioned.

An uneasy alliance currently kept the two factions in a peaceful standoff which could change at any moment. The USF tracked chatter related to both criminal enterprises.

Outside the warmth of Ahain’s tent, wind whipped around.

Grains of sand stung her battered face. She lowered her head and followed as Ahain stopped before one tent and Zair disappeared inside.

At the second one, he met the bearded man again and accepted a bundle which he shoved at Luka. “Tomorrow, friend.”

Luka touched her lower back, nudging her inside. A lit brazier provided a flickering glow to the interior. Blankets were tossed in a pile and thick rugs covered the flooring.

“Here. Change and give me your uniform afterward.” Luka handed her the bundle and ducked back outside before she could question him.

Alone, she thought about her options. There weren’t many.

Safety and getting back to her teammates were the priority.

She shrugged off the heavy coat and ditched her uniform.

The clothing Ahain provided consisted of a long sleeve, high neck shirt in a thick brown material.

Pants in the same color and fabric completed the outfit.

She kept her black heavy-duty boots and straightened after she finished dressing.

As if he could see her, Luka came back inside. He eyed her from head to toe then extended his hand, fingers wiggling. “Uniform.”

She passed it over and he disappeared again. Unable to stand a moment longer, she made her way to the blankets and grabbed one. It seemed like they’d be spending the night here and she was out of steam. She folded to her knees on a wince, looped the blanket around her and laid down.

At some point, she must have drifted off because her lids flickered open as a heavy arm wrapped around her waist from behind and a large body aligned itself against her back. A mew of concern rumbled from her throat.

“Drink.” A steaming cup was shoved in her face. Luka. She recognized the scent of an herbal tea and tried to turn her head to the side. First rule in hostile territory was to refuse food and drink, but he pressed it back. “A mild sedative and pain reliever. It’s safe.”

At his insistence and wanting to return to sleep, she drank until the container was empty, grimacing at the metallic, bitter taste it left in her mouth.

“Easy. Rest,” Luka whispered.

And to her surprise, she did.

But not before she thought she felt the sensual scrape of teeth against the side of her throat.

***

Luka held Kari in his arms, the blankets and their clothing keeping the contact from being overly inappropriate.

He’d procured a healing herbal from one of Ahain’s people for her.

All of them had watched her limp and wince from her injuries.

From his experience with the drink in the past, her bruises should be gone by morning.

He buried his face in the hair at the back of her neck and inhaled her scent. His lips parted on the exhale and he accidentally grazed the side of her throat with his fangs. He jerked back, appalled.

Taking without consent wasn’t his style. It was something his father taught him and he’d promised never to be like other Gwyfed. Or blood drinkers as they were commonly referred as.

Closing his eyes, he focused on the events of the night and tried to piece together his next course of action. First, ensure the lieutenant made it off world safely. It wasn’t his responsibility but Zair had put him in a difficult position with this whole mess.

Next, he needed to return to the Kratos sector and hope Gubu didn’t mention his involvement to Iban, the leader of the Rudurian. The cantankerous bastard would love an excuse to end the treaty between them.

Beside him, Kari shifted and whimpered in her sleep. He nestled closer, rubbing his hands up and down her forearm. She continued to cry in her sleep and he had a strong feeling it had to do with reliving the encounter with Gubu.

Without jarring her too much, he shifted enough to nudge his sleeve higher and murmured, “Zsusa, release.”

The gathos flowed from his arm and landed with a hiss, then lunged for his face and nipped his nose. It barely stung but he knew if she wanted to, she could have ripped his nose from his face.

“You bad master.”

“Yes, I am. The worst,” he readily agreed.

Her gaze dropped, catching sight of Kari. “Ohhh, lady sleep.”

Another whine came from Kari.

Zsusa stilled, then cocked her head to the side. “She have bad dreams?”

As a young kit, Zsusa often had nightmares reliving the attack where she lost her siblings and parent. Due to her telepathic nature, those images were thrust into his head without warning many a night before he understood what was happening.

“I think so.” He didn’t say more. There were times he let Zsusa come to her own conclusions. He hoped her earlier affinity for the lieutenant would aid in the decision.

“I make better.” She plopped herself in front of Kari’s mid-section, curled into a tight ball and shoved her face next to Kari’s.

For a moment, he feared Zsusa’s rough actions would wake her. Instead, Kari curled inward and lifted her knees to cup Zsusa’s bottom half. Then, she buried her hand in the gathos’ thick fur, releasing a heavy sigh as the tension in her body drained away.

“Thanks, Zsusa, you’re the best.”

“I very smart,” she smugly agreed.

He chuckled and closed his eyes. A few minutes of rest wouldn’t hurt.