Page 2 of Rescuing Mara (Warriors of Arracate #2)

CHAPTER 2

O’Rec

“I have to act. I need to make a plan. I need to go.” I am rambling, pacing through my living quarters on the Ring. Our new home is a big space station that looks like a giant floating ring. It connects all the refugees from our lost planet, Arracate, with the Warrior crews who are still out in space protecting the innocent.

Most Warriors stay in their spaceship, docked into the Ring when they are home. But unfortunately, I am not most warriors. I am O’Rec of Arracata, the last of our royal family. People throughout the galaxy call me the lost prince. A title that is even more fitting now: I found my mate only to lose her to our nemesis. The Sternotheri. A foul race of usurpers who bring nothing but hate and destruction to the galaxy. Now, my Zarra is at the mercy of the daughter of their High Commander. I ball my fists and stop in my tracks, looking at M’Ran, who is standing stoically in a corner of my room.

“I need to find her, M’Ran. I am going crazy here, doing nothing, while I know that every minute of every day she is hurting.”

He nods, his lips pressed into a thin line. “You need to craft a solid plan, sir. Going out unprepared would be suicide. And if you fall, what happens to our people? We would lose our last shred of hope!”

I sigh, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes. M’Ran is my most trusted advisor; he was my father’s advisor long before I was even born. I am truly grateful to have him here, but he worries. He worries so much. I am actually surprised he has not died from it yet. He is also a little bit dramatic. Okay, maybe more than a little bit. I try to smile, but a flash of pain is slicing through the bond, making me rub my chest—a bond to a female I had to leave behind right after I saw her. Maybe I am not worthy of my mate. I start pacing again.

Apparently, M’Ran is still talking because when I hear an insisted “Sir!” I stop and pivot around.

“What!” I growl, immediately feeling ashamed of myself when I see him flinching. “I am sorry, I am on edge. We have been back on the Ring for multiple days. The bond is hurting. It is urging me to search for her.”

The look on his face softens when he walks towards me.

“I know, sir. I wish I could help you, but I do not think I am the right person for that task.”

I stalk towards the couch in the corner and flop down on it. I may be a prince, but there is no regal bone in my body. I let my head hang, my hands covering my face.

“You need to talk to T’Rak, sir.” I turn my head up to look at him. “T’Rak is your captain. He would most certainly want to help you. He has exceptional strategic and tactical insights. I would be astonished if he does not have a plan of some sort already.”

I sigh at his words. “I did not tell him.”

“How could you not?” M’Ran looks shocked. I blink and groan.

“D’Var was in bad shape; we had to help him reconnect with his mate. When we could leave him, T’Rak went to his brother, and I sought refuge here, locking myself up in this room.” I hit my forehead with my palms and take a deep breath.

“You are right, he will be able to help me. I should have told him. I guess I was also a little ashamed. Because what kind of warrior would leave his mate?”

I feel M’Ran standing next to me, he clutches my shoulder in a rare touch.

“A warrior who wants to stay alive for her,” he says softly. I clasp his hand, resolve starts to form in my heart because he is right. I left her so that I would be able to get her back.

I look at him. “I should go find T’Rak, then.” He nods approvingly, then steps away from me.

“Your father would be proud of the man you have become, O’Rec,” he says. I give him half a smile before I leave the room in search of my captain.

* * *

I find T’Rak at the ship, tinkering with the controls.

“Greetings, O’Rec,” he formally tells me through our mind link without stopping what he is doing. “Glad to have you back, my friend.”

I take a deep breath and scrape my throat. “We need to talk.”

This has him turning around in his chair. He is wearing magnifying goggles, which he pushes back on his head. He looks me up and down before he slowly nods. “Let us go to the mess hall. You look like you need a strong drink.”

I huff. He is right, so I turn around and lead him to the mess hall.

The mess hall is a creation of D’Var’s mate, L’Ren. We have been a crew of three since D’Var and I were finished with training. T’Rak just got promoted to captain when we mastered all of the trials. He saw the potential and our already forming bond, so he requested us to become his crew.

All of that changed a couple of weeks ago, when we found L’Ren in a space station on the outskirts of space. D’Var recognized her as his mate. We stood by them when he won her trust and formed the mating bond with her. They had to face challenges because our nemesis, the Sternotheri, was there as well, causing trouble. In the end, everything turned out well for them, and we made a couple of adjustments to the ship to make L’Ren feel more comfortable. Hence, the mess hall.

We enter through the sliding door in the hall, a breeze comes out of the mess hall caused by our mechanical ventilation system. T’Rak gestures at me to have a seat at the table, moving to one of the chilled cabinets to get us drinks. As soon as he puts the bottle in front of me, I take a healthy swig. When the liquor burns in my throat a comforting familiarity falls over me. I know I should have gone to him sooner.

“I need to tell you what happened when we were on the moon where we killed Yalix,” I blurt out. “Ananta was there. The High Commander’s daughter.”

T’Rak arches a brow, while I take another swig of the liquor.

“We decided to split up when we entered the compound. There were two places where hostiles resided, so we wanted to take them out simultaneously.” He nods, and I continue. “Scans also showed an entire floor filled with his victims, so we had to take all the hostiles out before we could rescue them.” His relaxed face makes a complete transformation, menace coming off him in waves. He does not like it when the weaker and vulnerable are abused.

“D’Var went after the security guys and Yalix. I went to the other part of the compound to see who else resided there.” I pause, somehow scared of saying the words.

“Ananta was there, with a couple of other Sternotheri, but she also had a human with her.” I blink, my eyes turn glassy, and my voice suddenly sounds croaked. I look up at T’Rak.

“She is my Zarra.”

He growls but does not say anything. He chugs half his drink, then silently gets us refills.

“So, Ananta was keeping a human pet,” he begins.

“Yes.”

“How did she look? Did Ananta treat her well, or were there signs of trouble?”

I think hard before I shake my head. “She looked okay, a little bit thin, her hair was short, and her clothing simple, but there were no prominent signs of abuse.” He nods pondering a bit about that, giving me space to continue my story.

“I accidentally let it slip. I called her Zarra, and I am pretty sure Ananta knew exactly what I meant because she used her as a shield and put two knives in me that brought me to my knees. Then she disappeared through a side door towards a spaceship, taking my mate with her.”

The bottle is empty, and T’Rak nudges the second one towards me with his tail. He leans back in his chair. I pick up my drink and mimic his movement.

“You could not defeat Ananta and also ensure the safety of your mate,” T’Rak begins. “Did you manage to save Yalix’s victims?”

“Yes, we send them to Novarron in escape pods.”

“Good. It was a terrible situation, and you made the best choice to stay alive to go after her later. I assume Ananta sent back-up your way?”

I nod and he leans back in his chair, contemplating.

“Later is now, T’Rak. I am going crazy, and my bond is aching. I need to get to her. I need to go after her, but I cannot even imagine where to start.”

T’Rak grins a feral smile. “You might not, but I can.”