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I got up from the crate I’d been sitting on and stomped back toward the main building and my shuttle. I needed to transfer some of my things, like my weapons and healing device, to my temporary home. But when I got there, they’d already opened the garage doors at the back of the building and Jask’l’s vessel was inside magnetizing the main part ofmyshuttle to his ship’s hull.
He wasn’t alone.
Sam worked with him, and they were chatting and laughing together. I pushed down the strange, angry feeling that told me to go over and position myself between them. That would look too much like I cared, which I did not.
Sam wasn’t my mate, no matter how much my shuttle insisted she was. My shuttle was abnormally obsessed with the female; I was sure it was because she’d messed with its programming. Now she was trying to brainwash poor Jask’l too.
She’d tried her female magic on me as well. In response, when Nov’k had convinced me to go up to the mothership to have a thorough physical examination after my imprisonment, I’d gotten my fertility block reinstated. I’d thought it would help me resist her charms. I didn’t know when it was supposed to kick in. Clearly, it hadn’t yet.
The only human female I trusted was Heather. She’d been the one who brought me food when I was locked up, and had helped Nov’k free me, risking her own safety in the process. She was Nov’k’s mate, and didn’t make me feel strange things the way Sam did.
Sam picked up a bag from her desk chair and I realized with horror that she really did plan on joining Jask’l on the mothership. I’d thought maybe she’d thought better of it now that I was gone from her workspace. Next to her was the human named Lenny. He too had a bag.
I marched over. “Where do you think you are going?”
It was Jask’l who spoke. “Kan’n, you can use the shuttle Ror’k came down in while we fix Pip. It’ll double as your communicator too. We should have Pip back here and fully operational in a few days.”
Now he tells me!If I’d known I’d have a temporary shuttle, I wouldn’t have wasted all that time finding a camping spot. But I focused on the more important matter. “You are taking the humans.”
He frowned. “Yes. We need more people like Sam, who can fix all the shuttles you hunters keep wrecking. And Lenny understands the programming for devices and computers a lot better than we do. He’s going to help Ror’k while Sam and I fix your ship.”
“I will come along too.”
“That’s not necessary. Sam and I will take good care of your shuttle.”
Sure, they would.Together.
“I will come along,” I repeated. “If everyone goes in one shuttle, that is too crowded. Sam will ride with me.”
Sam scowled at me. “I’m going to go up to the mothership whether you like it or not, Kan’n. And wasn’t it you who wanted me out of your hair, anyway?”
“Itispretty crowded in the shuttle,” Ror’k said, eyeing Jask’l and the two humans.
“He’s only doing this because he doesn’t want me near Pip,” Sam snapped. “He seems to think I’ve brainwashed his shuttle or something. As if that’s possible. The ship has a mind of its own. Kan’n is probably going to hover over me like he does here and make work on the shuttle difficult.”
“I do nothover.” I did, however, plan on watching her every move.
The two hunters exchanged an unhappy look, not sure what to make of our interaction.
“We do not usually allow hunters to observe the process while we work. It slows us down,” Ror’k said. “You can bring her up if you like, but you can’t stay in the repair bay while she makes the repairs.”
“Agreed.” I grumbled. I didn’t like the fact that she was going onto the mothership at all, but at least now I could still keep an eye on her—when she wasn’t in the repair bay.
“Fine,” she huffed.
“Great. Argument averted.” Jask’l turned to Sam with a grin. “I’ll see you on the mothership.”
Chapter 5: Sam
Like most shuttles, there was only one seat, and that was for the pilot. There was no way I was sitting on Kan’n’s lap, and sitting on the floor while the shuttle broke through the atmosphere didn’t appeal either. I’d rather be in the sleeping nook, preferably with the privacy screen closed so I couldn’t get bounced around the shuttle.
I put a hand on the panel to open the privacy screen to the nook. Nothing happened. Unlike Pip, this shuttle didn’t recognize me.
I hadn’t needed to program Pip to let me in or listen to my commands; he’d given me access all on his own. Then, he’d promptly declared that I was Kan’n’s mate.
Pip was exceptionally smart for a machine, but he really needed to work on his matchmaking skills. There was no way I was Kan’n’s anything, most definitely not his mate.
The not-my-mate asshat was currently in the pilot’s seat, checking everything before taking off. Then, without any warning, the ship jerked, lifting off the ground and catching me off balance. I reached out for the wall to stop myself from stumbling, which is when strong arms wrapped around my middle, lifted me up, and deposited me on Kan’n’s lap.
