“I didn’t moan!”
Ohem nodded his head. “You moaned. You stuck that little nose against my skin, inhaled my scent, and moaned. I remember it clearly,ursang.”
I could practically taste the smugness in the air. I leaned further back so I could take him all in. He sat with his back straight as a board, shoulders squared, head held tall. He was the picture of male arrogance. I grinned wider and shook my head. He was adorable.
I leaned forward and wrapped my hand around one of his black horns and pulled his face to mine so I could kiss him. He cupped the back of my head and rubbed his hard lips across mine before slipping his tongue inside. Things were getting heated when Rema burst into the room, chest heaving like he’d sprinted the entire way here and with a tablet in hand.
I had been so absorbed by my mate that I hadn’t been paying attention to the sounds outside the break room. Really stupid, since we were under attack from spies. Ohem didn’t look surprised to see Rema, so he’d heard him coming. Man, my mate was way better at multitasking than I was.
Ohem hugged me tighter to him and shifted his body to face Rema. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Rema looked both angry and devastated, and my heart stuttered before it started racing.
He took a deep breath and then waved a hand over the tablet to cast a screen onto the wall and a video started playing. It was of Rakis. Ohem stiffened me and I leaned harder into him, grabbing his hand to clasp it in mine. Rakis was addressing a large crowd in front of a massive black glass palace. He looked so like my mate, only slightly smaller in stature and covered in fine burgundy robes. His Izi was shining dimly and strobing in distress as he spoke to the crowd.
“It is with deep sadness that I address the Unity today with news of my brother, General Ohem At’ens, who has conspired with the criminal Councilor Vero to incite a war with our independent trade partners. I have no other choice but to issue an order of arrest for the General in all Unity sectors. He has been stripped of his military rank and status as a Unity citizen. He is cast out from his House.”
White hotwrathspread through my body like a slow river, lazily licking at my nerve endings. I looked back at Ohem and his Izi was strobing slowly with an odd mixture of amusement and irritation. He was taking this much better than I was. I turned back to the viewscreen. I could be stoic for his sake. I would not rage kill the furniture in this room.
“Be aware that he is still in possession of our warship Solus Geshgid and should be approached with extreme caution. Please report any sightings to your local security forces who will immediately relay the messages to me.” Rakis looked directly at the camera and his face was a perfect mask of solemn sadness.
What a joke.
“To Ohem’s loyal crew, I say this to you; I honor your loyalty to my brother, but know that you serve a traitor. You will be given full amnesty from any crimes you were ordered to commit under his command. The Unity will welcome you back with open arms, free of judgment. We only ask that you report your false General’s whereabouts. You will be rewarded as a hero and loyal citizen of the Unity.” Rakis’s face grew hard and his Izi dark. “Any who aids my brother will be branded a traitor to the Unity. You will face the full consequences of our laws for your continued association with Ohem.”
The video ended and Rema stared at Ohem, his face stiff with rage.“I had been monitoring the feeds since our communications were shut off for security and saw the broadcast. It was sent out to the broad net. It’s everywhere now.”
Ohem sighed and stood, allowing me to slide down his body until I landed on my feet in front of him before his arms fell away from me. “I had wondered when he’d make his announcement.”
Rema blinked at him. “You knew he’d do this? He’s branded you a traitor to the Unity!” Rema shouted and paced the room.
Ohem approached the agitated male and placed his hand on Rema’s shoulder to stop him. “Yes. It was the next logical course for him to take. He will want the whole of the Unity’s military might behind him. The other Councilors will be on board with him if he has a common enemy. With my apparent alliance with Vero, the council will now have all the incentive they need to launch a full assault.” Ohem sighed and released Rema’s shoulder. “Even if my escape from capture went against his original plan, I’m afraid it gave him an even better course of action. My brother was always a shrewd tactician.”
Rema closed his eyes, his wings pulling in close to his body like he was trying to shield himself from the news. He opened his eyes again, and gave us a hard look. “What do we do about this?”
Ohem flashed his Izi and shook his head. “What we have been doing. Shuttling any who wish to leave off this ship and investigating the Rijitera ruins on Detritus. What we find there will determine our next move.”
Rema nodded and saluted before he turned on his heel and left the room.
I looked at Ohem, and his shoulders dropped. He ran his hand over one of his horns and down his face before he met my gaze. “It would seem you were dragged into a war when you were taken from your planet. I can still take you back to Earth. You and our girls.’’
I snorted and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me forever, mate. Though it was nice of you to offer.” I leaned back and bared my teeth at him, “Do it again and die.” I smiled sweetly at him, and he chuckled and gave me a squeeze.
“You can offer the other ladies an out, but you’d have to pry this life of space adventure out of Patty’s cold, dead hands.” Ohem chuffed and shook his head. “Callie might take you up on the offer, though. She’s got a loving family and a career back home. Though I’m not sure how that career will hold up with her weeks’ long absence.” I shrugged. “And Sam is enamored with your super fancy science and medicine, so she’s staying forever and I think she has a crush on your science doctor.”
Ohem sighed and hugged me tightly, and then stepped back with his hands on my shoulders. He bent down until he could look into my eyes at face level. His eyes glowed softly, and when his hands moved up my shoulders to cup my face. He was about to make me cry by saying something sweet.
I girdled my loins and waited for his emotional bomb to drop.
He closed his eyes and tipped his forehead against mine. “I love you, myursang. My brother betrayed me. There is a war brewing that will no doubt rip the fabric of my nation apart. I will lose friends and soldiers under my command. All of this turmoil and I feelstrong. I feel secure knowing that we will prevail. You make me feel strong.” He lifted his head away from mine to look into my eyes again, his palms hot against my face. “I have found a miracle in all this chaos. Not a Rijitera, just you. I foundyou. You have given me a new family. I love you more than any of my words could say. I am so very, very glad that my brother was a treasonous bastard, and I ended up on that Vrax ship.”
Tears spilled over my cheeks and wet his hands. I breathed out a shaky laugh. “Damn, Ohem. You sure know how to make a woman feel all warm and mushy inside.” I lifted my hand up to grip his forearm and smiled at him. “I love you too, my creepy alien mate. Tentacles, tails and all. Wouldn’t change a thing. Don’t you worry about that brother of yours. He’s on my shit list.”
Ohem laughed softly and rubbed his face against mine, careful not to knock me out with his horns. We were a sappy mess when Aga walked into the room, casually wiping blood off his hands with a cloth. Ohem stood tall and looked at his officer. Aga gave a nasty smile and shrugged his wide shoulders. “He held stronger than most, but I got someveryinteresting things out of him before he died.”
I grinned at the green giant, and his eyes twinkled at me. We understood each other.
Chapter 18
