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“Reede is a wanted criminal with identifiable features.” Rossa gestures to the red-skinned Zaledian with the facial plate and prosthetic arm. He gives me a lopsided grin and wiggles his mechanical fingers. “That leaves Dash and Honey. Dash is usually our choice for these kinds of environments, and he’s worked this auction before, but most other times, we plan ahead and get him an escort or buddy. Whether they’re in on it or not, it’s more realistic to see males use this as a form of entertainment. Honey makes for excellent muscle, but he’s not very good at distractions that don’t involve explosions.”
Dash is the other Zaledian that Rossa keeps on her main crew. Unlike Reede, he’s well-dressed, smooth-talking, and unblemished by any battle scars. He’s a bona fide lord, a member of the Rathe System’s upper classes. For some reason, he spends his free time aboard this ship.
“I’ve tried to subtly request updates to my social capability settings, but Kira’s attempts never succeed,” the kill-bot named Honey says. He’s visibly crestfallen by his inability to partake in grift. “We believe that the art of nuance is simply too oppositional to my original programming.”
“We like you just the way you are,” Reede says with a pat on the robot’s back. “Dash is the one who could use updates. Maybe a reduction in ego?”
Dash and Reede exchange fanged grins.
“I can pick up a female anywh—” Dash starts to brag.
“I can go.” It’s my mate volunteering.
Every one of the crew turns to stare at Raina. Then one by one, their eyes swivel over to me.
“No,” Rossa quickly says. “She’s a civilian.”
“This is important to me,” Raina insists. “It’s my friends lives on the line here. I can help. Aren’t Zaledian men into humans? If Dash’s other option is picking up a random girl, wouldn’t it be better to use me? At the very least, I won’t be an unpredictable variable.”
“She has a point,” Dash slowly says, still watching my expression for approval.
“I don’t know why everyone is staring at me,” I say. “Raina is the one who volunteered herself. It’s not a bad idea.”
Rossa is slightly surprised but shrugs. “It could be a mostly silent role. Dash showing off his human girlfriend is believable.”
“Whatever you need.” Raina nods along.
“Niko, you can’t be serious about letting her do this.” Satto says, whipping his gaze back and forth between my mate and me.
“It’s Raina’s decision.”
I’m not going to lie and say that I love the idea. Internally, I’m panicking. Not only will she be at risk of exposure, but she’ll be in the presence of many criminals, slave owners, and other perverted males that lack morals. No male in their right mind would be comfortable with it. But I don’t have to be comfortable; I just have to let her do this.
The worst part is that I won’t be there. I’d rather let Raina do dangerous deeds when I’m right by her side to back her up. But in this case, I’ll be forced to rely on Dash and Honey to keep her safe.
Satto isn’t ready to give in, but I’m not sure where he gets off thinking he can have an opinion about my mate.
“You’re lucky enough to have a mate, so why put her at risk? She’s a civilian, and these humans are small. On display in a place like that is an invitation for poachers to put her right back where she started. I know your bond is on shaky ground, but Niko, you must put some reason in her head.”
When he’s done, I stare him down furiously. Raina is surprisingly silent, but the way she’s looking at me, I can tell my eyes have turned black. The room hushes.
“When you have a mate of your own, you can handle matters how you wish. But Raina belongs tome.Luckily, I should say, because you couldn’t begin to understand how to please a female such as her.” My voice booms through the bridge. “I’ll only say this once more.It is Raina’s decisionwhether she will or won’t go. I support her regardless. And if you embarrass my female one more time by questioning our bond while she’s standing right there in front of you, Iwillresort to violence.”
I’ve made it awkward, and I’m practically shaking from theamma’karesponse. It’s strange how my hormones will happily respond to verbal threats as if they are physical ones, shooting me full of aggressive energy I shouldn’t be using.
“Anyways,” Rossa loudly cuts through the silence by clearing her throat. “Let’s go with that. Dash, Honey, and Raina will attend the auction and verify that the humans there are the ones we’re looking for. Before you leave, you’ll need to hit the checkout computer with a data tracker so that we can get the buyer information from the auctioneer’s database. Everybody got it?”
There’s a dull murmuring of affirmative responses.
Rossa shoots Raina a look. “Take your posturing male out of here and get him under control, will you?”
I let my mate grab my hand and drag me away. I’m careful not to catch Satto’s eye, because if I did, I might get enraged all over again. I’ve seen males act strangely during the height of mating fever before, and at the time, I thought it was funny. But to feel out of control like that? It’s not fun at all. Satto was one rude comment from getting my boot in his throat. I mindlessly follow Raina’s silhouette and her tugging hand as I contemplate my behavior.
We end up in her room.
Once we’re alone, I drop to my knees and press my face against her body. The welcoming curve of her breasts beneath her jumpsuit is enough. I don’t even need to feel her soft skin; I just need to hear her heartbeat. Its thumping soothes me. I close my eyes and try to force my hormones to remember that she’s perfectly safe. Slowly theamma’kareleases its grip on me.
“Don’t tell me this is the part where you say you don’t want me to go on this mission,” Raina says. Despite her caustic tone, her fingers are sliding into my hair. She strokes my scalp, sending pulses of warmth down my spine.
