Page 47 of The Dreamer and the Deep Space Warrior (Xaal Alien Romance #1)

Ved

“ They are almost here ,” Exxo alerted.

Ved had known the Blood Vultures would come for them if they were still on the planet. His ship didn’t have the same capabilities as the Kroids’ to go undetected, after all.

He sensed them the moment he boarded the ship. “Isobel.”

“Hm?” she hummed noncommittally as she looked at her small mountain of belongings with a slight crease in her brow.

“Stay behind me,” he ordered, closing a hand around her wrist and pulling her toward him.

Her honey eyes widened, her body tensed. But there was little fear there—only lavender and sunshine. She trusted him to protect her.

“What’s—” She didn’t have time to finish the question as Ved moved between her and the ship’s entrance.

The Blood Vultures decloaked at the same time, both only paces from him. They each held pistols—one aimed at his hearts, the other at his head.

Isobel gasped as she squeezed closer to him. Ved grunted.

“We must stop meeting like this,” Sevrin said .

“What’s your purpose here, Qon?” Noxol asked. “I thought the nature of our arrangement was well understood.”

Both of their aims were steady, but Ved had no plans of dying this day. It was all rather simple. “She is my starborn mate and will be coming with me.”

“And you think the Authority will allow you to take her?” Noxol asked. Ved swore he could almost hear exasperation in his dry voice.

Ved could feel the Blood Vultures’ focus move on to Isobel and resisted the urge to snap their necks for looking at her.

“Would the Authority want to know that there’s a copy of that ship’s security footage already on its way to Runus?

How do you think the galaxy will react when they find out that a creature they were told was dead is very much alive? That the Authority made a mistake?”

They remained silent.

“I have no intention of ever revealing that,” Ved said easily, “as long as we can leave without a fight and her family is left alone.”

“We could detain you,” Sevrin said.

“Or kill you,” Noxol suggested.

“Maybe. But something tells me that’s not how this ends.

We had a deal originally. Let me take my mate and return to my planet.

You have the information you need to continue on here and a debt owed to you by a formidable qon if you or yours should ever need it.

If the Authority decides to clean up after your mission, it doesn’t need to involve anything I’ve done here. ”

An unspoken threat lay in his words. He was leaving with his mate one way or another.

They considered him with slight tilts to their heads. He couldn’t see their hearts, if the bastards even had them, and they gave no indication of what they were thinking. Exxo showed him multiple scenarios but ultimately couldn’t determine their next moves, either.

Then they seemed to come to the same conclusion at the same time. They lowered their weapons and holstered them, eerily in sync.

“Did you leave any bodies in your wake?” Noxol asked. He almost sounded exhausted at the prospect. As if his biggest concern was the reports he’d have to do if Ved had killed anyone.

“No.”

“Not even that Richard human?”

Ved curled his lip beneath his mask. “Not even him.” Regrettably. Though it’d been satisfying to watch Isobel’s brother punch him, he’d have preferred more violent options with a bloodier conclusion.

The Blood Vultures heads tilted down, clearly looking at Isobel now. She pushed her shoulders back and held her head a little higher. His bold and fierce mate. “And you, human, you are willingly leaving your planet with this Xaal?”

“I am.” She came to stand fully beside him, her hand reaching for his.

Another long silence settled between them. Exxo played a suspenseful tune in his helmet. Calculations of how fast Ved would have to be to cut them down before they drew their pistols again flashed in his internal display.

“Let’s be done with this. What’s it going to be?” Ved asked.

Severin hissed a breath out in annoyance.

“We don’t take such debts lightly, Qon,” Noxol said at last.

The threat was clear. If ever Ved was called upon and didn’t hold up his end of the bargain, they’d make certain he suffered. “I don’t offer it lightly,” he said, pulling Isobel tighter to him. “I won’t forget.”

“Then congratulations are in order,” Sevrin said in a monotone voice.

“To the happy pair,” Noxol rasped.

Then they were gone .

Before Ved could fully seal the entry behind them, Isobel burst with questions.

“Who are they? They’re obviously not Xaal as their masks are different. Why are they here? Which planet do they come from? Do they—”

So curious, his mate. He took his helmet off and gathered her up. She trailed off, her cheeks taking on that tinge of pink he loved as her lips parted—already flustered.

“They had weapons pointed at us, and you didn’t rip them to shreds. That must mean something . I must know,” she said breathily.

“I’ll explain everything soon,” he promised, then kissed her tenderly just like she’d taught him. Her lips responded to his immediately. Fierce need rushed through him. How upset would she be if he ripped her lavender-colored dress off her and took her right then and there?

“They’re waiting, Ved,” she murmured against his lips.

Nevskol. He’d promised Clara—after she begged—that he’d uncloak his ship for a brief moment at the tree line. High enough that she and Henry should be able to see it from an upper window, yet not high enough to reveal the shadowdrifter to anyone looking up from the city.

“They could wait a little longer,” he rumbled as he lifted her skirts up enough to slip a hand under.

“Ved,” she gasped as his hand gripped her hip, “we must go before Clara decides to march out here herself.”

He tamped down his desire with a frustrated growl. As he set her back down, Isobel straightened her gown and stepped out of his reach. Then she smirked. “Exxo, my good sir, will you please tell me who those two were?” she asked, folding her hands in front of her demurely.

“ Despite the Qon’s unwillingness, or rather because of it, it would be my absolute pleasure to answer any and all questions you may have, my lady ,” Exxo said, smug tone evident.

Ved grunted. The two had become quick allies on the journey here. He had to fight the urge to tell Isobel that the AI had been adamant about killing her not that long ago. It was a good threat to hold against Exxo—he wouldn’t hesitate to use it if he had to.

Exxo launched into who the Blood Vultures were, and Isobel tried not to interrupt with more questions.

Ved, sliding into the pilot’s seat and starting the engines, could only smile.

Whether he knew it or not, something had been missing from him for a long time.

And now that he’d found it in the shape of a curious and brave curly-haired female, he would never let her go.

He’d only ever bargained with the gods once—while cut open and bleeding out on that icy field as a youngling. But now, as he listened to his mate’s spirited chatter, he made another.