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“That’s a rich ship, all right. But what’s it doing out here?” Miri asked. “They usually stay close to their private Space Ports and just go out for ‘joy rides’ in low orbit.”
“I don’t know but it seems to be adrift. Look—there’s a beacon.” Saxon pointed. “They’re sending out a distress signal.”
“Can you put it on screen?” Miri asked. “I wonder if it’s someone I know.”
“On screen now.” Saxon manipulated the controls and a thin, pretty, feminine face filled the viewscreen.
“If anyone can hear this, please help us!” she exclaimed. “It’s just me and my maidservant, Tati out here. My pilot had some kind of attack and I think…I think he might be dead!” Tears filled her big blue eyes and she began to sob. “I don’t know how to fly and we don’t have much air left. Please—if anyone can hear us, I’ll give you anything you want! I have money, gold, credit—anything. Only please, just help us!”
The message began to repeat at that point and Saxon cut it off.
“Well, what do you think?” he asked, looking at Lynx and Miri. “Do you know her, little one?”
Miri shook her head.
“No, but that’s not surprising. I haven’t been in Opulex that long and there are still Mistresses I haven’t met yet.”
“She seems to be in real trouble—and she’s in a bad position,” Lynx said, frowning. “If any pirates happen by…”
“She’s lucky they haven’t yet,” Saxon pointed out. “If they had, the whole damn ship would be stripped already and she and her maid would be taken as slaves—or worse,” he added darkly.
“We should help her,” Miri said. “She’ll never get home alone. And besides—she looks nice.”
“Anyone can look nice when they’re in trouble,” Saxon growled, but he got up from the pilot’s chair. “Well, what are we waiting for? Come on—I’ve set the coupler to form a bridge between our ship and hers.”
“I just hope we get to her in time,” Miri murmured as she followed the Monstrum towards the hatch that led to the bridge between the two ships.
None of them had any idea what they were walking into.
FORTY
SAXON
Saxon sniffed the air suspiciously as they opened the rich platinum hatch and entered the Space Yacht. Wealth—especially extreme wealth—had a scent to it. A distinctive aroma that was rich and complex—a mixture of the premium materials used to make a dwelling or ship and the ultra expensive objects which had been curated inside it.
He was also smelling for the scent of the female they’d seen on the screen. She would also smell of wealth—with a feminine undertone. But as yet, he wasn’t catching any of that.
His mind was still more than half on the conversation they’d been having before the proximity alert had gone off. He could feel Lynx’s determination through their Bond that he would change his mind and accept Mirabella as their new mate, but he wasn’t going to do it. Wasn’t going to risk losing another mate that he loved—and he did love Mirabella. She’d found her way into his heart and the thought of watching her die the way he’d watched Kara slip away was too fucking much to bear…
“What’s this? Where is everybody?” Lynx asked, sounding bewildered. “Hello!” he called. “Is anyone there? We’re here to help!”
But there was no answer.
They had reached the living area of the ship by now but there was nothing in it but two metal chairs.
Chairs with thick iron manacles on both the arms and the legs—as though they were used for chaining someone in place, Saxon saw. He was beginning to get a bad feeling about this ship—a very bad feeling indeed.
“This is no rich Mistress’s Space Yacht,” he growled, glancing around the abandoned interior of the ship, where only stale air circulated. “This is a fucking Honey Pot!”
“A Honey Pot?” Mirabella looked confused. “What’s that?”
Shouldn’t have let her come with us—it’s not fucking safe! Saxon thought.
“A Honey Pot is a trick used by pirates sometimes.” Lynx sounded troubled. “They take a rich-looking ship and put out a beacon and a distress call with a helpless looking female pleading for rescue—usually an AI simulation. Some enterprising pilot hears the distress call and comes by to check—maybe hoping to get a reward and—”
“Bam! The pirate’s got them,” Saxon growled. “We need to get the fuck out of here right fucking now!”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”
The new voice came from behind them. All three of them jerked to look but Mirabella was stopped short—a thick arm was suddenly around her throat and a curving silver blade was pressed to her neck.
Saxon wanted to spring forward but Mirabella’s captor shook his head.
“Uh-uh-uh—I don’t think so, Kindred,” he sneered.
It was Captain Furx, the over-muscled head of Mistress Bloodmuch’s guards and he was flanked on either side by equally muscular males. Both of them were armed with blasters pointed directly at Lynx and Saxon, while Furx continued holding a knife to Mirabella’s neck.
