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I roll my eyes. “Why, because I’m a woman?”
“Because you are small, and you are clearly not accustomed to these parts of the universe.”
“I managed to get away from you, tie you up, and almost escape from this shithole. So maybe you should have had more faith in me.”
“You are quite feral for a little thing,” he admits. “Where do you come from?”
Him callingmeferal after his display of violence? That’s rich.
“Earth,” I say. “It’s been an Alliance colony for years now. And I’m not feral; I’m just not a fan of pirates.”
“What would a newly colonized planet know of pirates? How did slavers penetrate the far reaches of Alliance territory?”
“I joined a terraforming mission on an uninhabited moon. I had a farm of my own, and we had a few visits from thieves and conmen. We dealt with them, but this last time was different. They took a dozen women from the colony, including me. We’ve been shuttled all over, woken up in tubes, kept in cages . . . Believe me, I wish I knew less about pirates.” I apply healing tape. It’s the same bandage material that was included in the government-issued health kits we had on the colony. I watch with interest as the alien’s jaw flickers and his pupils flex larger.
“I’m glad you’re safe now,” he says in a serious tone. “I’m sorry for what you’ve suffered through.”
I don’t know how to feel about his reaction, but I decide to appreciate the kind sentiment, even if it hints at his strange attachment to me.
“Is getting dropped mid-space safety?”
“With me it will be,” he says. “I’ll take you to safety.”
I pull away, ready to wrap up the medical tape, but Niko catches my wrist.
“You might not believe in this mate bond, but can’t you see that I believe in it?” I feel his gaze seeking mine, but I keep my own eyes fixed on his large hand.
“And what should that mean to me?”
“It means you can trust me with your life,” he says.
I finally meet his eyes and find honesty there. With the pupils back to normal size, I can see that the irises are not black, but a cloudy charcoal gray.
A response is on the tip of my tongue, but a rapping at the door interrupts us. They don’t wait for a response before opening it.
Two burly Plax flank Captain Kyrrth where he waits on the threshold of Niko’s quarters.
“You won’t make it difficult, will you?”
“Let’s just get it over with,” Niko replies as he finds his shirt and throws it over his head.
“I’m dropping Varger at another location to avoid unnecessary problems for you.”
“How thoughtful of you,” Niko says brightly. His lack of concern eases me, but he could be bluffing.
The captain doesn’t react to the sarcasm and turns to lead the way down the hallway. We head in the opposite direction from the common areas I explored earlier. The hall becomes tighter until we’re walking in single file, the captain in front. I follow him and Niko follows me, growling when one of the guards moves to step between us. The lizard man shrugs and joins his partner in taking the rear. It reminds me of the way he reacted when those pirates grabbed me during the brawl just now. He went from pirate to animal, eyes fully black and practically foaming at the mouth. Whether this mating call is real or not, it seems clear that his possessive feelings toward me won’t be disappearing anytime soon.
The path leads to a stairwell, but before we reach it, the captain stops at the end of the hall and turns around to face us.
“Hand them some breathers,” the captain says to his guards.
I glance over my shoulder to see them pull some mouthpieces out of their pockets. I’ve seen them before, but rarely used one. Breathers are placed over the mouth and nose. It can used for underwater breathing, or when the space function is engaged, it will protect someone’s entire head.
“Take mine,” Niko insists, putting one in my hand. He takes the one the guards are offering. “I’ll link them so we can communicate.”
I nod, knowing there is no time to ask questions now. Thankfully, I’ve been clothed in an ill-fitting flight suit since the day I woke up in captivity. I check for any tears that might have happened during our confrontation, but the air-seal fabric remains strong. When I settle the breather over my face, I feel a sucking pressure as the invisible bubble of oxygen snaps into place. My ears pop painfully quick, forcing me to stretch my jaw as if I’m chewing gum until the discomfort subsides.
Once we’re equipped for space, the captain wastes no more time.
