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Chapter Twenty-Five

Aboard the Mula Pesada.

“W e have the security protocol, but there are still two hours before we will be in range.” Drafe gripped Vic’s arm and ran his thumb over where her wound had been. “I need to speak with you.”

She offered a small smile. “Sound’s serious.”

He nodded. “I need you alone.”

She peered around Drafe at a grinning Caah. “Please go with Dez. Make sure the shuttle is ready for departure.”

The bridge cleared.

Drafe hesitated to speak after several minutes had passed.

“What is it?” She frowned and captured his hands, running her thumbs over his knuckles.

“Nenn suggested I share a little of my home, of its blazing suns, the endless sand plains, the rolling dunes, the vasquva, the hudu, the garak, the venai stones. But none of those convey the sunbaked scent greeting you in the morning, the crunch of salt beneath your boots, the sweet tang of dried vasquva, or the warm glow of a venai stone across your beloved’s face. ”

“Beautiful, Drafe.” He had her at sunbaked scent. “Are we going to Qaldreth? To your tribe?”

“Yes, after we have appeased the Q.C.C. There is more, Vic.”

“I don’t doubt that. Why don’t you start with gevatia . Why does Caah find the use of it alarming?”

Drafe’s eyes glowed a brilliant amber as he cupped her cheeks to tilt her face to his adoring gaze. “It is Qaldreth for…‘my heart.’”

She gaped, then blinked to clear her blurring vision. He couldn’t mean… She shook her head as the tears slipped free despite her best efforts. “Is it the symbiotes talking?” They’d only known each other for weeks. Love couldn’t stem from that. It was illogical and lacked a strong foundation.

“No.” He smiled and snuck a kiss, his lips lingering on hers. “I loved you from the moment you told me not to waste your time and from the second you kissed me.”

She laughed through the tears and threw herself into his arms. “I love you too.”

Air rushed out of his lungs, and the release of tension drooped his shoulders an inch.

“You were worried?” She ran her hand across his collarbone, marveling at the velvet texture of his armored skin.

“Yes. I feared you would choose to stay.” He closed his arms around her. “I would not have forced you to come with me to Ivoy or Qaldreth.”

“I do have a quest I need to complete.” She nibbled on her bottom lip, debating telling him when it might ruin his opinion of her. “I want to return to the Ring and kill Sebastian Carne.”

“A noble endeavor, and one you will not do alone.”

Gasping at his unwavering support, she snatched a kiss. He deepened it, groaning when he crushed her against him and slid in his tongue, conquering her thoughts. For that moment, sorrow didn’t dare linger. When he drew away, she fought to breathe as lust unraveled in her core.

“We’re dating?”

He laughed. “No, Vic, it’s much more serious than that.

” He buried his fingers in her hair, cupping her head to hold her still for yet another plunder she happily submitted to.

“We are vatia sahaar …love mates. When we step on Qaldreth soil, all will know you. The symbiotes will whisper to you, will record who you are, and what you mean to me, to my tribe. You will be known for thousands of generations to come.”

“For eternity?” Many promised to love each other until the stars ceased to exist, but this shit was real.

“Yes. You will adore my sister and her mate, Vic, and they you.”

He had a family? “You have a sister?”

“As do you now.” He captured her escaped tears with his lips before claiming her mouth. “This is meant to bring you joy,” he said into her hair.

“It does. I’m…happy.” She hugged him, pressing her cheek to his chest.

“I know. I share it.” He nuzzled her temple with his chin. “I wanted you to know, let you decide for yourself to stay with me.”

“I will stay with you, Meorri aac Drafe Arrak.” She grinned, unable to resist teasing him.

“This pleases me, Meorri aac Victoria.”

She jerked back. “My name changes?”

“This bothers you?” He pulled away, frowning. “You are part of my tribe, and all should know this.”

It sounded like she was married, like she had found a place to belong. Tears prickled behind her eyes again, as if she hadn’t cried herself out an hour ago. “I’m honored, gevatia .”

A slow smile dominated his lips. Farg, he is magnificent.

She snatched a kiss, climbing him like a solar tower. Grabbing her ass and without breaking the kiss, he spun and pinned her to the bulkhead, grinding his hard cock at the apex of her thighs. She moaned, needing more, him, now.

“Please,” she whimpered between kisses and gasps for air.

“You better not be doing what it sounds like. I may be blind, but I’m not deaf,” Tiny called from the med bay.

Vic broke the kiss, panting.

Drafe chuckled. “Your old quarters?”

“Farg, a closet will do.” She grabbed his hand and tugged him behind her. “Good thing my quarters is the size of one.” Giggling like children, they hurried to her room. When the door closed, she shoved him against it and unsnapped his trousers.

He rubbed her hands aside, but she insisted.

“Trust me, Drafe.” She met his gaze and waited.

When he lowered his hands to his sides, she stroked his hips until his armor faded and his cock sprang free. Heat flushed her cheeks, and she licked her lips, nervous but oh so eager to try this.

She wrapped her fingers around the girth and slid up and down the length of him, amazed at the silky, hot feel.

He moaned when she ran her touch over the ridges along the top.

She grinned. So, he was sensitive there.

Good to know. She followed the path of her hand with her tongue.

The velvet heat of his skin warmed her, and a hunger like nothing she had ever experienced burned in her core, urging her to be brave and bold.

She wrapped her mouth around the head of his cock and sucked while stroking those ridges.

“Vic,” he rasped. “Osnir save me, that feels…incredible.” His voice roughened, hoarse, like gravel along her senses. Encouraged, she sucked harder, pulling him deeper into her mouth, relishing how much joy pleasing him brought her.

He stroked her hair, his touch switching between gentle and rough, until he cried out, and tugged on her shoulders.

She released his cock and smacked her lips. “What? You don’t like it?” She widened her eyes, adding a pout while stroking the length of him.

“Strip. Now.”

“Spoilsport,” she chuckled. “Fine.” Since she was crouching, she unclipped her boots.

“Leave your boots. I cannot wait, Vic.”

He hoisted her to her feet, spun her, and unsnapped her pants, shoving it and her panties down.

Then with a thrust of his hips, she toppled, her ass in the air.

He grabbed her hips, angled his cock until he rubbed against her entrance, then with a thrust, buried himself.

She moaned, arching her back, despite being bent over like a paper straw.

Within a few powerful thrusts, she didn’t care as she rode a wave of splintered pleasure so exquisite, stars circled her vision.

He wrapped around her, thrusting even as he layered her back with his chest. Releasing one hip, he squeezed her breast while pressing kisses to her neck.

Another orgasm barreled toward her. She couldn’t hold it back and didn’t want to.

Screaming, she exploded into a kaleidoscope of shivers, pebbling her nipples, tightening her core, and stealing her breath.

He roared, stilled, and shuddered, panting her name.

After pulling out, he gathered her into his arms, crossed to her bed, and sprawled her onto it.

Climbing over her, he pressed her into the mattress and spent minutes kissing her, not sparing an inch of her face.

He gazed into her eyes between kisses, his pupils glowing amber.

“I love you, Vic.”

She nodded, unable to trust her voice. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

W hen they strode to the bridge with Drafe gripping her hip, he unsheathed a dagger from his boot. “Take this, Vic.”

She accepted the weapon and spun it, testing its weight. The handle looked like bone, the blade an unusual shimmering steel. “It’s beautiful, Drafe.”

“The handle is a hudu tooth, the blade is made from an old star that fell in our territory.”

A gift? She sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her wrist. Only Ande had given her things, and she had cherished each one no matter how small. Most were extra food parcels, fighting lessons with a master, or a vid of her home.

Once on the bridge, she slipped the weapon into her boot then squeezed Drafe’s hand. “Thank you.” Rising onto her toes, she kissed his chin. Any higher and back to her quarters they would go.

She smiled at Tiny and Nenn manning the console. “Glad to see you two. We’re getting ready to take the facility.”

“I’m staying, of course.” Tiny stilled and didn’t glance at Nenn.

“I will be heading moonside with you, Vic.” Nenn squeezed Tiny’s upper arm, captured a lock of her hair, and tucked it behind an ear. His fingers trembled.

“Good. I like knowing there’s someone I can trust on the Mula Pesada .

How’s Themba?” Guilt slammed into Vic, tightening her chest as if a cybernetic hand reached into her to crush her heart.

Drafe draped his arm across her shoulder and pulled her in for a kiss.

She leaned against him, drawing strength from him.

“I administered a calming drug. It will knock him out for a while. The computer is monitoring his vital signs.” Tiny paused. “I’m sorry for his loss.”

“Thank you, Tiny.” Time to start this . Vic released a slow breath. “Computer, ship-wide broadcast. Mula Pesada , this is the captain speaking. Report to the docking bay. The shuttle leaves in ten.”

The trip to the bay was in silence. No words were necessary. The plan was simple. The prisoners would pretend to be drugged captives. Once they were escorted into the facility, shit would hit the fan.

She loved the plan. Drafe hadn’t wanted anyone to be harmed, hence why Nenn was along for the ride.

As she slid down the ladder into the bay, she gaped at the shuttle which looked like a boxcar with strips of rusted metal.

Pieces of painted letters formed no legible words but added to the dystopian feel.

“Caah, does this thing even fly?” She scanned it as they approached the lowered ramp. The closer she got, the worse it looked with gaps between the twisted or bent metal.

“I thought the same, but she’s space-worthy.” Caah leaned out of the shuttle, one hand gripping the door’s edge. “I present the Burro Lento , or so the manifest claims.”

Now that she’d believe. “Cute.” She chuckled. “Just as long as this ‘slow donkey’ is safe.” When she stepped into the shuttle, she smiled at those boarded with Dez in the front. “Weapons?”

They nodded, some held up daggers or blasters, and one had a rusted machete. It was the state of their hearts that mattered, not the condition of their arsenal.

“Vic,” Grant panted as he stumbled into the shuttle. “I can’t aid your cause, but if you could record it, you might capture incriminating information I can later claim I don’t know the source of.”

She laughed. “Sure.”

“Stand still.” He held a device over her eye.

Blinded by the light and the image of a multi-colored hot air balloon, she waited.

Something tickled the bottom eyelashes and pinched her eye.

She jerked back. “Done.” He pocketed the device and tapped his arm, swiping across a small screen to the right of the console.

What she was seeing flickered into existence. “What you see, I’ll record.”

She blinked to clear her teary-eyed vision.

“Don’t worry. By the time you land, you’ll be fine.” He winced. “It’s just going to hurt in a few days when you pee out those bots.”

She punched Grant on the arm.

He yelped and leaped away. “Sorry, should have led with that.” Stumbling down the ramp, he waved and disappeared up a ladder.

“All aboard?” Caah claimed the pilot seat.

“Yes,” Dez responded, his fingers twitching where he gripped a blaster.

“Initiating start up,” Caah called as he typed on the console, his fingers blurring. “We are good for pre-flight. Final checks completed. Ready to launch.”

“Okay, Caah, take us down.” Vic faced the worried faces.

“Brace for detachment. Arm uncoupled.” Caah chortled. “This is going to be fun.”

The shuttle jerked, and with a high-pitched scream, its ass swung outward, filling the screen with the back end of the hauler and the retracting arm.

“Descending, reducing speed by a hundred knots. Temperatures are a balmy negative one-six-zero degrees Celsius. The atmosphere is a thin layer of oxygen. No marking to use as a point of entry, other than the red cruiser on a landing pad.”

“Carne.” Vic rubbed her hands together. “Hail Vesalius , this the Burro Lento requesting permission to land.”

“ Burro Lento , we’ve been expecting you. What’s the delay?”

“Shuttle malfunction, Vesalius . Tends to happen with these rust buckets.” Vic grimaced.

The man paused before he cleared his throat. Not a good sign. “Where’s Nikko?”

“Had an emergency. Had to journey home.” She grinned and whispered, “to hell.” Raising her head, she said, “Left everything in my control.”

“And Themba?” Doubt warbled the man’s voice.

“Just found out his son died. Give me a break here. Leah has laryngitis, Dieter’s busy with engine repair, which leaves me, the newbie, delivering the cargo. Man, it stinks too. Fargen lot of them need sol-baths stat.”

Silence followed her outburst. She met Drafe’s calm gaze. Knowing him, he would storm the place if sneaking in didn’t work.

“No can do, Burro Lento . Permi—” The man paused. “Wait, my boss would like a word. Patching vidcon through.”

The screen flickered to a face Vic hated more than her pa’s.

“Ah, Victoria Harper, what a small galaxy. You'll be delighted to know your precious Ande lost his match. Of course, his death came as a surprise, and Devlin will be dealt with most severely. Alas, I digress. I thought Nikko disposed of you.”

It took all her strength not to wince with the memories of her solo-flight still fresh. “Sebastian, I didn’t know it was my birthday. I can’t resist saying how happy I am to see you off-world.”

She grinned, the need for revenge twitching her fingers. Slitting his throat came to mind and with Drafe’s dagger in her boot, her plan would be realized.

The universe had blessed her. She would capture Vesalius and take her revenge at the same time.