Page 17 of Star Crossed Delta

MAK

M ak sat at his office on the executive level of the Sombra , reviewing legal paperwork for a new supply chain contract with a hydrogen mining concern in the Wildlight.

A ping sounded on his comm tab. ‘ Naam ,’ he rumbled, swiping to take the call.

His head Sauvage strongman, Koda, appeared onscreen, his dark, sculpted face grim.

‘It’s the ?arim , she’s gone,’ Koda blurted.

Mak let out a grating growl. ‘The fokk ? How?’

‘She found a way out of the lodge through the gardens at the back, we believe.’

Mak’s blood ran cold.

‘Find her,’ he commanded Koda, knifing up in his chair. ‘Bring her back to me by whatever means necessary.’

‘ Naam, ?ar .’

When Koda was about to sign off, Mak lifted a hand. ‘Wait. Better still, I’ll come with you. What’s the tracker telling us?’

Koda held up a comm tablet. ‘She’s heading towards the port deck. She’s moving fast, so we think she’s in a flyer.’

Mak’s lip curled, partly in satisfaction that his investment in her wedding ring was paying off.

It was made of nanite-infused diamonds and silver.

As she soon found out after their nuptials, each attempt to remove it tightened the band on her finger without her knowing the unique twist required to release it.

The same nanobots also emitted a distinct energy locator signal.

‘Send me the location,’ Mak rasped.

Koda swiped, and on Mak’s end, he stared at the pulsing dot on the map displaying her whereabouts.

A surge of fury coursed through Mak at the thought of her making her escape, slipping past his guards, and vanishing into the night.

She was more resourceful than he had given her credit for, and the thought infuriated him.

Beneath the anger, a sliver of emotion stirred within him.

Was it a hint of respect for her audacity?

Or perhaps a flicker of regret for how he had treated her, like a pawn in his own game of enraged payback for the years of humiliating rejection?

Regardless, she was a challenge he had not anticipated, and a part of him admired her tenacity.

He pushed his growing intrigue aside, steeling himself against any trace of weakness and needing to bring her to heel.

She had defied him, and he was not going to let either the Lisades or even his wife inflict more shame on his name.

Bound to him by law and duty, she would return to fulfill her obligations whether she wished or not.

He jerked his chin at Koda. ‘Meet you at the Signet executive entrance to hunt her down.’

Hell, hunting was what he specialized in.

She had no chance against his apex lycan and soul venator abilities.

Koda nodded, his expression grim as the display shuttered.

Mak rose, strode to his cabinet in the office, and armed himself.

Throwing on a jacket, he sprinted to the elevators and into a waiting flyer.

Koda raised his chin to Mak from the helm.

The craft lifted off, the roar of the engines drowning out all other sounds.

Mak gripped the rest of his seat, his gaze fixed on the glowing screen that tracked Saba’s movements as they flew over the sprawling interior of Sombra, the size of a major city on Earth.

His soul churned with heated annoyance, feeding his salacity to vent her spirit.

Yet underneath the roiling ire lay concern for her.

Why the hell did he care so much that she’d run from him?

He licked his extended fangs and dismissed the stab of experiencing rejection and abandonment once more.

The thought of her running free, unfettered and unrepentant, stoked a righteous fire within him.

She would not escape him.

She would learn that there was no evading the consequences of defying him, that he was not a lycan to be trifled with.

SABA

The ship’s internal facade, buildings, bridges, flyers, and offices blurred past the flyer’s windows as Saba clenched her jaw, nerves thrumming beneath her skin.

The Selburnia was her only sanctuary, where she might find solace and safety from the ?ar’s grasp.

That said, it was a wild reach.

Mak had unimaginable resources, and she realized she was assuming a significant risk trying to leave him, but she had no choice.

Besides, the man had made it clear he didn’t want her.

She kept checking over her shoulder, bracing at the sight of every burly, tall man, expecting his strongmen to come for her.

The ?ar would not let her go without a shit fight; of that, she was freakin’ sure.

Worse still, what would he do to her if he caught her?

Her flight of fancy would come at a price; she was sure he’d drag her back to the lodge, and the punishment he might mete out was nothing she wanted to contemplate.

She shivered, but refused to cower.

She had made her choice and would see it through to the end, no matter the darn obstacles in her path.

The flyer slowed to a stop outside The Sombra’s port terminal.

She generously tipped the pilot via her comm tab before stepping out and dashing into the bustling depot, her heart pounding with fear and exhilaration.

Each fiber of her soul urged her to blend into the crowd, to disappear among the throngs of travelers and workers hurrying about their business.

As evening flights were announced, the place was a hive of activity, with people rushing to their gates.

But she couldn’t shake the feeling of being hunted, of eyes watching her every move.

She hurried through the terminal, pulling her hoodie over her head and casting furtive glances over her shoulder as she found the departure boards overhead.

She spotted a skimmer flight bound for The Selburnia, leaving in fifty minutes.

Perfect.

She headed towards the ticketing counter and slid into line behind an arguing family.

They shuffled forward, and she relaxed, with freedom within her grasp.

Until a steel arm banded around her waist.

She stifled a gasp as it wrapped tight, pulling her back against a solid chest.

The familiar scent of sandalwood and leather filled her senses, sending a shiver down her spine as she struggled to resist the unyielding hold.

‘Well, well,’ a deep voice murmured in her ear, relaying a jolt of recognition, fear, and horror through her. ‘Did you think you had what it took to escape me, wife?’

Lips trailed her neck, and for a second, the tips of his razor-sharp, diamond-tipped incisors nipped at her.

A wild, chaotic energy rush flooded her, rushing through her veins like liquid fire.

Her mind exploded with a brilliance she’d never felt before, an acute, all-encompassing bliss like her senses had been dialed to an impossible level.

What the everlovin’ fokk?

He relaxed his hold with a soft laugh.

Shaking, she clenched her fists, anger and defiance bubbling as she twisted to face him, his arms still held around her.

He wore black sweats and sneakers, with a cap on his dark hair.

Reflective visors concealed his eyes.

A get-up that ensured no one would recognize him.

She glimpsed a hint of his eyes behind the opaque lenses as his penetrating gaze bore into her eyes.

A mix of amusement blended with a more dangerous fury flickered within them.

‘Mak,’ she hissed, her utterance vehement. ‘I’m not going back with you.’

His mouth curved into a smirk as he tightened his grip on her. ‘Going to make a scene now, are you?’ he murmured. ‘Why don’t we give them something delicious to feast on?’

His head bent down, and before she realized it, his lips crushed down on hers.

The fierce and possessive kiss sent a shockwave of conflicting emotions through her.

Her hands pushed against his chest.

Attempting to break free from his hold, a part of her couldn’t deny the spark of desire that flared to life at his touch.

Mak pulled back, a smug grin playing on his mouth as he regarded her with dark eyes full of challenge. All the while licking his glittering canines with sensual laziness, like he was contemplating eating her for dinner.

‘You can’t resist me, Saba, nor escape me,’ he taunted, his timbre rough with suppressed emotion. ‘You belong to me, body and soul.’

She struggled to control her tumultuous feelings, which conflicted with her anger at his arrogance and the undeniable attraction she felt for him.

But beneath it all, a steely resolve took root in her heart. She refused to be caged again, to be controlled by him or anyone else.

Also, she didn’t throw like a girl.

Her sisters and she had mastered the ancient martial arts of taekwondo.

Twas the only sport her uncle had allowed, stating she needed the skills to defend herself after a spate of bullying at school.

It had helped shore them against the intense socialization inflicted on them to be ‘ feminine .’

She learned not to rely on her strength, which was less than that of males, but instead to focus more on her speed and running prowess if necessary.

To be faster and more agile when faced with larger, more muscular men, such as Mak.

With a sudden surge of force, she brought her knee up.

He twisted, and she missed his ball sack and connected with his upper thigh with a satisfying thump, catching him off guard.

Stifling a curse, his steel clasp fell as he released her with a grunt of pain.

She ran.

Through the crowds of confused passengers, dodging the reach of Koda, who she recognized looming ahead of her.

The dense throng made it easier to evade her pursuers, who raced behind her with light, fast footsteps.

Her head swiveled to see both men chasing hard and gaining on her.

Until they forced her out of the terminus.

Into the Sombra’s controlled night scape.

She darted away, skirting and weaving around the foot traffic till a wall appeared in her way.

She came to a crashing stop and twisted her head, looking for an escape point.

Mak and Koda were thundering toward her.

She only had egress to her right and found it in an unlocked set of sliding doors. She dove towards them, barreling into an airy, open space.

She realized she’d been herded into a private hangar.

Her heart pounded, spotting a sleek, menacing flyer and little else in the vast, covered aerodrome.

In a panic, she spun around, only to see Mak and Koda strolling in her direction.