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“Strange sounds you say,” Crystral hummed, and she smiled slowly in a manner that Varik personally found disturbing. “Well, that would just be giant sea serpents coming up from the lower caverns to eat you. But if it sets your mind at ease before your eminent demise, your mates are quite safe with me. Say hi, ladies,” she said, flicking another switch to set it to intercom.
“Hi, you bastard,” Stacey chirped happily, which set off the room full of shocked females.
The sound that swelled within the room with all the vulgarity and shouts of rage he found even more satisfying. But beyond that was the broad grin that grew across his mate’s face as the male on the other end of the link faced the freed rage and pain of the females he had terrorized. To his surprise the breeders screamed the loudest, their faces contorted as they wished forms of death on the male that made even Varik’s brow climb upward with surprise. Human females were a creative bunch when they were angry it seemed.
Crystal flicked the switch off again, shifting it back to her stations comm with a smug smile. “Yeah, it certainly seems like they will miss you a bunch.”
“You… you cannot do this. You cannot leave me to die down here,” Gaix choked. “I was good to you. I honored you with this Valentines gift. If you leave me here, I will make sure that you…”
Varik’s eyes widened slightly when the male’s voice was suddenly drowned out by a vicious rumble of something moving through stone pathways. He glanced over at Lerix and the male’s smug smile grew.
“There might be certain caves that open up directly into the well,” the Kadesh drawled. “Seems that a senthei has caught his scent and isveryhungry.”
A triumphant look crossed his mate’s face, and she stalked toward Crystal’s station with barely a glance at the Terils at either side of their female. Varik made a low sound of warning in his throat, but Borth waved him off impatiently. She was safe.
Leaning forward over the pilot’s shoulder, Stacey’s smile hardened. “Enjoy being the main course in your new vacation home, you piece of shit.”
The male cursed loudly but with another loud rumble all they heard was screams, and each female seemed to relish it even as they clung to each other until the link disconnected. Crystal cleared her throat as she slowly spun in her chair to eye them.
“Not to spoil the party early but we’ve now got uplink capability with King’s Glory.”
Varik took a deep breath as he gathered his female once again into his arms and squeezed her gently to him, his tail wrapping around her as she snuggled lovingly into his warmth once again. Whatever happened, even if he would no longer be captain of theAcasai Horinthi, he had her.
“Patch them through.”
ChapterTwenty-Four
Stepping through the airlock into King’s Glory strangely felt a lot like coming home for Stacey. This was the ship that had taken her from Earth, and it was the place where she first met Varik as well as taste her last breath of freedom—and yet it was carrying her away now to freedom with a dozen escape pods heading back toward Kaidava occupied by those Lorgor unable to desert the Calysii Empire for various reasons. With them were those among the human women who wished to return to Caysta and their children—and supposedly with word to the Empress regarding her son’s behavior, though all agreed to simply stick to the story that they got separated from him and he fell to the cursed wildlife he has been so fascinated with.
She understood, though. Freedom was scary and sometimes there were things that kept people in their chains because they could not bear to be free without the ones that they loved the most. Varik proved that to her the moment she learned, quite by accident from Jornesh, that Varik had remained loyal but only because his loyalty had belonged to her long before they had finally come together. It was terribly romantic, and though it had embarrassed her stern Lorgor mate, she kept that information close to her heart.
And it seemed that her mate was back to his old self again now that they were back onboard, the tension that he had carried during their time on Kaidava and on Freedom virtually disappearing the moment they had entered the airlock. Of course, it didn’t take long for Varik to start issuing orders as his crew scurried about in preparation to depart Kaidava space. All of that was thanks to the woman strolling through the starship at their side, followed closely by her two males, both carrying a number of instruments. The pilot’s eyes sharp with interest as she took it all in on their way to the flight deck. Crystal, naturally, was the key. When it came to removing the tracers from the ship, it turned out that was her team’s specialty.
“I am glad that we are going to be on our way soon,” Stacey sighed, leaning into her mate as they stepped out onto the bridge and Crystal hurried toward the terminal that the Lorgor stationed at was already vacating.
Varik squeezed her gently against his side, his broad tail resuming its position curled around her with spines slightly raised. She smiled down at it, somehow feeling both safer and even more loved than ever every time he did that.
“We will all breathe a sigh of relief,” he replied quietly. “You do not need to be here, blossom. The other females have already retired, and a few of them with company,” he added drily.
Stacey smiled into his uniform. She hadn’t failed to notice Zarg sneaking off with Quin. She was going to eat the sweet male alive and she was totally there for it.
“They’ve earned it. But one thing I’m curious about… the poison food. Was that negligence or something more sinister from Gaix?”
Varik shook his head. “I do not think we will ever know but it is likely that the prince thought to kill you before hand easily in the hotel before transporting you to the island for an illegal “burial” to “romantically” honor you. The male was insane.”
His lip curled in revulsion, and she laughed softly. Her mate wasn’t one for huge romantic gestures but given that she had seen enough of that attached to a particular brand of insanity she was happy to forgo it. Snuggling back into his side, she smiled happily as she watched the activity mill about the flight deck. Jornesh, wearing a crisp uniform once again—unlike her mate who hadn’t been able to tear himself away long enough to change—stepped onto deck with a short bow.
“Welcome home, captain… and my lady,” he added with a wink in her direction.
Home. In a starship preparing to take off for parts unknown deep in space with her captain at her side, Stacey was finally home.
Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
Varik adjusted the collar of his uniform as he approached his quarters, the large bouquet of rare flowers from Nasai, Quapor, and even Lorgoon, nestled in the crook of his arm. He had spent the last weeks studying on the custom of the human Valentine’s Day, preparing to surprise his mate. His blossom deserved a first Valentine’s Day to remember after the disaster of the previous year. Although it had been the happiest day in his memory, since he had found his mate and love, he wanted to make this day special for her, especially after the whirlwind year that they had which had culminated with the birth of their daughter—who apparently, according to every human on board, was shockingly huge compared to average human babies.
Yet, his mate had emerged from her birthing room like a warrioress. If anyone deserved some extra doting from her mate, it was his blossom. But that was just one of many reasons. Truly, the way she supported him and stuck by his side as they flew across the quadrants of space—no male had ever had a better mate. And Zarg and Jornesh could fight him on that. As could Gewell who won over the shy female Nancy during the high winter holiday and was beyond intolerable with how smitten he was with his new little mate.
