Page 40 of The VaDorok’s Unexpected Mate (The Mate Index: Dorok #1)

Kull scowled at the pressing crowd that filled the Intergalactic Space Station.

The argument with the Agraaks over their claim over the humans had not only demanded their presence on the space station far from their homes but had been singularly one of the most unpleasant experiences of his life.

Not in the least because one of the males speaking on behalf of the Agraaks regarding their findings and intellectual properties and rights in addition to whatever mating rights they tried to contrive, had not ceased staring at Katie the entire time.

It made Kull’s fur prickle with annoyance.

But at least it was over. The council had returned, ruling in favor of the VaDorok and striking down all claims of rights that the Agraak believed that they possessed over the human females.

Currently, and in terms of any human females in the future.

There were even those pushing for the return of any humans taken to their planet, but Kull knew that would be a difficult process.

He could not see it being very successful.

Agraak were wily enough that he was certain that they would hide away any of those females who were not cooperative.

He wished the council luck, but at least he had the comfort of knowing that his mate was not going anywhere.

His innards had felt twisted and scalded with fire ever since the Edoka told them of their summons, and that tension had not loosened its grip on him until the verdict of the council finally came in.

Now that it had, he was eager to get back to the ship and be on their way.

After having too many strangers too close to his mate, he was eager for the inhospitable icy flats and sprawling snowy forests of his home world that discouraged others from visiting.

That included the humans.

The representatives from Earth had not inspired any great feelings of warmth within him the way they had fought against the mating between their females and VaDorok males. It disgusted him to such a degree that he decided that would not miss the lack of human visitors to their world.

“How much farther to the ship?” he grumbled to A’Jular as he adjusted his grip on his mate, drawing her tightly to her side as a large group of males came through.

The male glanced over his shoulder and gave him a commiserating look.

“Sorry about the crush. There always seems to be a bit of a tangle around the docking bays during certain timetables run by the space station. The intergalactic mean they like to call it—it regulates all business here and is also a massive pain in the ass.”

Kull nodded, though he only understood about half of what the male said.

He understood enough, however, to get that it was inconvenient but normal.

Still, it was irritating to shuffle along like an alpak, and even more so when he was surrounded by unknown males.

Then there was the Agraak to consider. He did not believe for even a minute that they would have docilely filed off the space station already, which meant that they were still out there. .. somewhere.

He glowered suspiciously, his eyes raking over the crowd.

“Kull, it’s alright. Just relax,” Katie murmured at his side. “I am not going anywhere. If your idiot cousin couldn’t steal me, I doubt a comparatively puny Agraak will be any more successful.”

“That doctor looked at you,” he growled in protest. “I do not like it. It was not a casual glance but possessive.”

“Doctor Xixon is a creep,” she confirmed, her nose wrinkling in a distinctive look of disgust.

“If he tries anything, I am here,” Ren piped up from just behind them, and Kull snorted in amusement. His brother had certainly become actively protective of Katie ever since they arrived.

“What are you going to do?” Kull asked as he looked back at the male questioningly.

Ren frowned in response, a sullen look coming over him. “I do not know yet. I would do something. I would not merely stand by and allow anyone to steal or harm my sister.”

Kull nodded with approval. Despite their difficult start, that was gratifying to hear.

Now, if only he could make it through the space station without stepping on anyone or disrupting anything with his considerably larger size.

He had already accidentally knocked over a vendor’s display with his tail the day before, and he did not wish to think too much about the bed that he broke while rutting Katie.

Just thinking of it brought a sense of shame for the ease with which he seemed to damage things.

“Our hanger is just ahead,” A’Jular called over his shoulder and pointed. “There’s the ship. Not much farther now.”

Finally. He was tempted to lift Katie off her feet and wade through the crowd to get there quicker when the crowd suddenly parted enough that he was drawn short by a glimpse of a thin Agraak male staring at him with hard eyes.

Dr. Xixon.

The male’s eyes darted to Katie, his expression shifting to a merciless look of possession and hunger that made Kull’s fur aggressively rise to stand on end.

Worse, he knew the moment that Katie saw the male.

Despite her words, she froze as she stiffened with a fear that beat through his external and more inward senses born of the ulukskinon.

Regardless of his own feelings about the male, he would not allow him to cause his ulukska such fear.

He bared his teeth at the male, a growl rising from his body.

The Agraak frowned and straightened as he appeared to speak rapidly to the males closest to him.

With his face twisted with disgust and a look of superiority that made Kull want to rearrange his face, the male marched toward them, his spines rising along those of his companions in preparation for the confrontation.

Kull’s growl deepened with aggression, his fists clenching until his claws ripped through the thick, callused flesh there.

He could smell his own blood in the air, and he knew he was drawing looks of concern from the other males of his tribe as aliens skittered out of the path between him and Xixon.

He was fully prepared to rip the male into a mass of bloody parchment hide and bait as the male crossed the space.

Nudging Katie behind him, he flexed his claws, eager to take anger out on yet another alien who wished to harm a mate of his.

He would gladly separate the male from his life; except he did not have the opportunity.

He jerked in surprise as a click echoed in the air and A’Jular and E’budar casually raised blasters and pointed them at the males.

“I believe you heard the verdict with your own ears,” E’budar said, a grin spreading slowly over the male’s face.

“This means that if you come any closer and try anything that we will be perfectly within our rights to violently protect this VaDorok’s human mate.

And really, any of them if your friends are having strange ideas. ”

Xixon froze in the middle of the walkway, his expression hardening as he glowered at the Edoka. He appeared as if he was about to argue except something moved along Kull’s peripheral and he glanced over just in time to see Katie lift a blaster and also point it at the male.

Where did she get a blaster?

Unlike the Edokas, she lowered the nose of the blaster and pointed it at the doctor’s crotch, her eyebrows raising when the male stared at her with a look of shock.

“Just try it. You better hope that they don’t miss because if I hit you, you are going to really regret coming any closer to me,” she said, her voice dripping with a feigned sweetness.

The Agraak’s face grew pale as the blood drained from it, and he retreated a step, his hands raised.

“Very well, Katie,” the male crooned in an intimate way that made Kull’s desire to dismember him grow exponentially.

“I meant no harm. After so many months caring for you, and weeks longer isolated in the lab, I was merely concerned for you. Dorok is not a hospitable world for your species, and you are such a small and delicate female that I—”

“Need to mind your own business,” Katie finished, a hard note creeping into her voice.

“You are not fooling anyone here, so I suggest that you leave... now. I know exactly who I should be with and who I should trust, and it sure as hell isn’t you.

Now get moving,” she said with a wave of the blaster.

A look of anger broke through the male’s calm mask.

For a moment, it appeared that he would try to argue as his spines rose higher and dripped with venom.

But then he snapped back his arm and spun before stalking away with his little contingent of Agraaks following behind him.

The males gave them uncertain looks but seemed to be relieved at being spared from conflict with the VaDorok as they followed the doctor from the hanger.

The nose of Katie’s blaster remained trained on them until they disappeared from sight, and it was only then that her armed sagged with the weight of the blaster as a strangled groan escaped her as she handed it over to A’Jular who holstered both it and his own blaster with a grin as E’budar let out an appreciative whistle.

“Are you sure you would not rather upgrade to an Edoka?” E’budar asked cheerfully and, though Kull shot him an offended glare, Katie laughed and shook her head.

“Not a chance,” she said, hugging Kull’s arm. “I know exactly where I want to be... and it is with Kull in our den in our woods on Dorok.”

Warmth filled Kull’s chest, and he bent to press a kiss to her brow.

This was exactly as it should be. How had he ever doubted in the beginning that it could not be possible with her?

A long life stretched out ahead of them, and he could not wait to get Katie back home.

Whether together in their woods, or in their den—with Katie was where he belonged and he wanted nothing more.