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“Not sure,” I admit.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“Do not fear, my ma—” I cut off my words when I realize what I was about to say. My mate. But she’s not mine. “I will protect you.”
She rolls her eyes at me, reminding me so much of her mother. “I’m your equal, Theron. Not some damsel in distress. I can help, but I need to be on the same page as you. What has your hackles raised?”
“The visitors could be another passing vessel,” I state, “or they could be on a reconnaissance mission.”
“For us?” Her lips press together and her blue eyes flare.
“Perhaps.”
“So you want to warn the Facility and Exilium?”
“Better to be aware. It could be nothing.” I watch the movement of the dark blip. Steady and away from us. “Could just be passing by.”
A feral wave of protectiveness washes over me.
My senses tell me it’s more than nothing.
And the thought of my mate in danger has my sub-bones popping.
Not my mate.
It’s going to take a lot to convince my mind of that considering my body wholly disagrees.
To distract myself, I pull up the comms and make contact with Sayer. As soon as I see his familiar face, I grin.
“I’d recognize that ugly rekking face anywhere,” I tease, leaning back in my chair and crossing my arms over my chest.
He smirks. “Because we all can’t be as handsome as you, Theron.”
Jareth steps into view behind Say and clutches his shoulders as he leans in to squint at me. “Only good-looking thing I see is the Molly lookalike sitting beside you.”
Willow stifles a laugh.
I know he’s having humor at my expense, but I don’t particularly enjoy him noticing how beautiful she is. He has a mate—two, actually—so he needs to look away.
“Aww,” Jareth teases. “He’s growling. Say, you think the great and wonderful captain of the Mayvina has finally found someone more interesting than himself?”
“Why is he naked?” Grace asks, joining in with her mates. Their mortling is nestled against her chest, nursing. My heart pangs a little to see the mother with her wee one.
“Right?” Willow grumbles. “It’s difficult working under these conditions.”
“I’m wearing pants,” I offer, shrugging.
“Thank rekk for that,” Jareth mutters. “Are you two—”
“No!” Willow yells out at the same time I say, “I’m just a one-night stand.”
Grace’s brows lift high while the two morts frown in confusion. “You two fucked just for fun?”
Jareth and Sayer dart their eyes to me for answers I don’t have. Shamefully, I look away and shrug.
“Humans like to have sex for fun sometimes. Not procreation. Write that in your book, Say,” I growl out, a little testily.
Willow lets out a heavy sigh. “It’s been…weird. We talked it out. It’s fine. Just a little one-time thing. Anyway…about the real reason we are contacting you guys. There’s a ship.”
I lift my eyes to see Jareth and Sayer no longer looking at me like I have three nogs. Concern flashes over their expressions.
“What sort of ship?” Jareth demands.
“We’re not sure,” I admit. “I want to keep an eye on it, though. If it’s enemy…”
Jareth straightens to his full height and I hear his sub-bones popping. His fingers sweep through Grace’s hair and I can see the rage rippling from him. He feels the threat inside him much like I do. Willow’s not mine, but I still have this urgency throbbing inside of me—begging me to protect her.
“Enemy?” Sayer says, scratching his nog. “Like more aliens?”
“Say, you and I stole those pods. What if…” I trail off, not needing to say the words.
Willow clears her throat. “And we took over the prison. Cut off contact with Earth II. It’s possible they could send out scouts.”
Jareth disappears and seconds later, Breccan and Draven squeeze into the view. Grace kisses Sayer on top of his head and disappears. All four morts glower at me, which means Jareth must have already filled them in.
“What do we do?” I ask, needing the guidance of my superior.
Breccan’s brows furl together. “I want eyes on it. Sayer will watch it from here and we’ll make sure Hadrian has eyes on it too. You do the same. It could just be passing by.”
“And if it’s not?” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
Draven speaks up, his tone dark and ominous. “Then we hunt.”
Willow stands and walks over to my chair, sitting on the arm. “I know you guys hunt monsters all the time, but humans are different. They’re cunning and sometimes evil. Most of the ones from Earth II are. If they’re looking for us—and it’s a possibility they are—then we need more than a few macho guys running after them with blasters or knives.”
“What do you suggest, female?” Breccan demands.
“Do you have bigger weapons?”
Jareth shakes his head. “No, but Ozias and I can make anything. Tell us what it is you want.”
