Page 108 of Tempting Cargo

Mating marks weren’t just a legend?

A myriad of emotions danced through his eyes. “Shohari, these marks are fresh.” His gaze went distant. “I remember when I received mine.” He sucked in a breath and returned to hisformal bearing. “We need to get you back with yourtaamhia kizathi. What do we need to do?”

Mytaamhiakizathi. My soulbound mate.

A howl lodged in my throat, and I pushed it down. “I need to find my crew. And… my other companions.”

“Do I want to know who these companions are?” I tensed at his gruff tone, but the hand he placed on my arm was gentle, if stiff. “I cannot pretend not to be outraged at the idea ofoutsiderstouching our soil.” He swallowed, headspines twitching, the only emotion I’d seen from them. With a terse set of his jaw, they stilled. “As long as they mean Orith no harm and are leaving with you, I shall find it in me to pay no heed.”

I stepped into the window’s light and turned my face to the sun, letting his example seep into my bones. In this place where wearing a mask was compulsory, I had to trust, had to shed my prickly armour, had to be real.

Crossing the room to meet him, I placed my hands in his, ignoring the stinging protest in my bones. “Thank you, Rokharu. I am touched by your kindness. Shall we pay my mother a visit? It might be advantageous to”—I sucked in a lungful of air—“pretend all is as she wishes for now. Buy some time for my friends to do as they need.”

He gave a deep incline of his head. “As you wish, mistress. It would be my pleasure.” He held out his arm. “Shall we?”

Of all the things I hadn’t expected to do today, I took the arm of Rokharu fei Sinla with a smile.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

Familiar walls

Garrison

FOR THE secondtime in as many months, I was marched to a cell at blaster point.

This time, I was on my own.

We’d had no choice other than surrender. But before the guards had gotten to us, me positioned in front of Airida, the other shaa’ith had melted away into the shadows.

It better be because they had a plan B and not because they were saving their own skins.

As we walked through the red stone passageways, I was too busy berating myself to pay much attention to my surroundings. I’d failed Shohari and her brother.

And us. I’d fucked up the only way we could have had an ‘us.’

“Stop there.” The guard punctuated his words with a blaster jab to my back.

I glanced into the bare stone room, and any thought I’d had of fighting fled. Paiata and Muzati slouched against the back wall, raising their heads as we approached.

I let myself get pushed inside and watched the purple forcefield seal behind me.

“You too?” I said, the weight of the words hanging heavy in the air. “We were so close to getting back to the ship. They took Airida.”

“Not your fault,” Paiata said.

“We weren’t expecting armed guards.”

“We were at least expecting to get some refreshments.” Muzati pushed off the wall and shook her head, headspines fanning out around her. “We went to the kitchen for some food and got seized straight away.” She huffed as she paced the small room. “I’m hungry.”

I slumped on the floor, more uncertain than I’d been on the Reserve ship. At least there, we’d all been together. Where had they taken Airida? Was Shohari okay?

I traced patterns in the dust with my boot. “Did they say what they were planning?”

“No.”

I knew why I was here, but why had they taken the crew straight away?

Bitter failure needled at me. I didn’t punch the wall. I didn’t roar my frustration. I didn’t let any of it show on my face, though my jaw ached with how tight I clenched it.