“What Ari want As’ni do with bad furry?” The purple behemoth shook the unconscious Ozevroc.
Morgan started at the sound of his gravelly voice. She glanced at Ari with a raised eyebrow. “I thought you froze everyone.”
Ari shrugged. “I guess As’ni‘s psychic powers are getting stronger.” He turned to address As’ni. “Go ahead and put him down. Gently!”
As’ni raised his arm and held the alien above his head, then dropped the Ozevroc like a stone.
The sound of snapping bones as Grozzik hit the hard floor on his side echoed. Being held in a frozen psychic state, he didn’t utter a word.
Morgan was certain he’d make plenty of noise once Ari released his psychic hold.
“Well, I wouldn’t call that gentle.” Ari chuckled.
“Oopsie.” As’ni snickered behind his hand. “As’ni hurt bad furry.” The crystals and mirrors on his body reflected in the low light as he shrugged. “Oh’s well.”
Morgan frowned at the immobile Ozevroc. “You know, he said something to me just before he tried to kill me.” She stepped away from Ari and toed the prone alien to his back. A thin trail of blackish blood seeped out of his snout. She glanced back at Ari. “He stopped me from fixing the navigational system. And he said it in English.”
“That’s because he’s been the one sabotaging the ship.” Ari crossed his arms as he glared at Grozzik. “At first he had some help, but once he had the Talon of Ancients, he made As’ni kill his co-conspirators.”
“As’ni no want.” The crystals on the purple giant’s broad cheeks darkened. “Bad furry promise As’ni food if he hurt other furries.”
“We get it, big guy.” Morgan patted As’ni‘s arm. “No one is mad at you for that.” She turned to Ari. “I guess you know all that because your memory has returned, and with it you can access your psychic abilities.”
Ari gave her a sheepish grin as he scratched his scruffy jawline. “Yeah. Well, when that asshat threatened to kill you, it broke something inside me.”
She couldn’t resist placing her hand on his forearm. “How do you feel?”
“I feel great!”
Without warning, he swooped her into his arms, giving her no choice but to wrap her legs around his taut waist and her arms around his thick neck. Just to hang on, of course.
“Especially now that I don’t have any doubts about you loving me.”
The low tone of his evil whisper made her shiver all over again. “Hey!” Morgan lightly slapped his shoulder and gave him a mock frown. “No fair using your mojo to read my mind, buster.”
“I don’t have to read your mind to know that.” After a quick peck on her lips, he set her down. “But, first things first. Business before sexy times,irnini.”
She stuttered, unable to separate what to say first. He was the one… she never… aargh! She popped her fists on her hips and gave him a narrow glare, resisting the urge to stomp her foot. Damn it!
Ari’s wicked smirk didn’t fool her one bit. The man loved to tease her. She crossed her arms. No worries. She’d spent years honing her mental security features to keep psychics out, and she’d have no trouble building barriers against him. It might take some time, but she was confident she could do it.
“What should we do first?” He looked around at the frozen Ozevroc. “Should we use theNebula Viperto head into Federation Consortium space while I’ve got them contained like this?”
“Ozevroc ship, stand down!”
Morgan jumped. The booming sound of someone speaking over the ship’s external communication array had startled her.
“Comply within the next five clicks, or we will fire upon you with full force.”
Ari snorted. “Well, I guess that answers what we should do first.”
Morgan nodded at Ari’s dry tone. “While I stop the ship, why don’t you find out what bossy voice wants?” She brought up her working floating monitor. “I’ve opened a channel for you.” She gave him an absent wave, her attention focused on the information scrolling in front of her as she slowed, then stopped the ship.
“Um, okay.” Ari raised his eyes to the ceiling. As if that would help him see who he was talking to. “Hello, disembodied voice. What do you want?”
He grinned at the telling silence.
Morgan couldn’t help but grin back.
