“Let’s get a few things straight, Mister. First of all, I’m not your anything, let alone a tasty morsel. Secondly, even if I was yours to taste, it’s not ever going to happen. You’ve feasted on every female on this planet, and that’s fucking disgusting, so go flirt, tease, and use your alien mojo on someone who is interested. You have plenty of admirers … go play with them and leave me the hell alone.”
Her anger and flushed cheeks make me smile as I fight the urge to capture her in my arms. “Do not be like that, little human. You cannot judge a male for doing the things that simply come naturally. Surely you have enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh as an unmated female.”
“My prior love life and you being a whore are two completely different things. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we’re done here.”
I should have known there was something about her smell that was pulling me in, especially since I have watched my brothers and their extreme reactions to their mates, but I never dreamed that a simple brush of her hand would change my entire world. Seeing the anger in her eyes, I had moved back slightly, and because she was watching me, she didn’t notice the water on the floor and started to slip. Before I can reach for her, she grabs onto my arm, and I instantly see her eyes widen when my body changes before her eyes.
The roar that leaves my throat as my mating collar clicks into place shakes the entire area, and before I can catch my breath, she is running from me. I allow her a head start, but nothingshort of death will keep me from her side now that I know she is mine.
With a snarl on my lips I turn, my nose easily tracing her unique smell, only to feel a vibration under my feet, and then screams come from the main entrance. I am torn, do I go after her or …
Ruarc’s voice pours out of my comm, “Falon, get your ugly carcass outside, we are being invaded!”
The decision is taken from me and I run toward the entrance and the shuttle where my weapons are. Ruarc throws me a phaser along with a weapons belt just as I run up the ramp. A huge, dark shadow begins to converge over the mountain fortress as the ground shakes under our feet.
Things are happening so fast, I do not even realize the others have returned until I see them standing in front of the fortress with a few armed female scouts behind them. The sound of a large boom echoing through the valley marks an atmospheric disturbance, and all six of us turn as a shuttle heads our way.
“Slavic, Einar, Murgul, I am glad you decided to join us, but that is a Banhan destroyer hovering above us, brothers. We are in serious trouble here if they sent any of their elite to this region. You may have been wiser to have taken your mates and fled the void.” Murgul’s tail thumps the ground as he paces back and forth.
“We would never abandon mam or the others, and you know this, Falon. We watched the ship break through the veil and decided to return when we saw it turn directly toward Deapra. They are not here by chance; they are looking for something.”
We stand together in unity as the large shuttle lands just a short distance away. Ready to do battle, with weapons drawn, a lowgrowl leaves my throat as the ramp lowers. However, instead of a Banhan, a huge metal soldier calmly walks down the ramp in front of two others, with no weapons in sight. But I am no fool, I can feel the scans coming from the ship above. They can take us out with one strike if signaled.
The second one is a dark shade of purple. He is tall and has the same demeanor as Slavic. This male is used to telling others what to do, but the last one makes you look twice; it is like he was sewn together. One half male, the other something I cannot name, but you can see the fire living within his veins and the heat coming from his fiery skin as his bright yellow and orange eyes flare when he sees our weapons. The purple one steps up beside the massive metal one and holds his hands up.
“You can lower your weapons. We are not here to harm anyone, simply looking for information.”
I can feel the metal one scanning the surrounding area. When his eyes stop on Bikar, he tilts his head slightly, like he is calculating our resistance or our worth.
Slavic’s boisterous voice echoes all around. “Ask your questions and be gone from here. There will not be any trouble unless you provoke it. We may be few, but death is not something we dread, and we will fight you until the God of Ruk takes us if threatened.”
The purple one nods his head in understanding, as the other two pick us apart with their eyes. I watch Murgul line up with the fiery one, as in his eyes, the fiery male is the biggest threat, but I know the real danger is the metal one. He is more than a living being, he is also part machine, but without touching him, I cannot tell which part is the strongest.
“As I said, we are not here to cause a confrontation. We are following a set of signals. There were rumors that four cryopods were dumped in this area several orbital rotations ago by a Korgon ship on the run with contraband cargo. We would like to know whether there were any survivors among them. We also believe another pod landed here recently from a world called Earth. The signal is still transmitting, and we would like to examine it if possible.”
“Why would we give you this information? Who are you to demand these things?” This time it is Ruarc who asks the questions.
“Forgive me, I am not used to being unknown. I am Captain EvO, son of Commander DaR and grandson of Senior Elder, Tyberius. This is one of my brothers, ViN and the second-in-command of Destiny. I believe one of you may already be familiar with SCOUT. Who may I ask are we in the presence of?”
Our eyes turn toward Bikar, and he shrugs his massive shoulders before looking away, guiltily, and Slavic lowers his weapons slightly. “My name is Slavic, and these are my brothers. Einar, Ruarc, Murgul, Falon, and Bikar. How have you come to be in the Void, and where did you obtain a Banhan destroyer?”
“My father, Commander DaR, destroyed the majority of the Banhan race orbital rotations ago, and we recommissioned the ship. We came to the Void looking for a species protected directly by the Commanders of Darverius. I have already told you that we are seeking five pods in this area that are still transmitting signals. We know that you must have some investment in the Earthlings or one of you would not have been researching them so intensely, alerting SCOUT and ANDI in the process. We are not here to harm or take them away if they havebeen integrated into your culture. Their choices will be honored, on this I give you my word.”
“Why are these survivors so important that you would enter into the Void to locate them?”
“We had no knowledge of the Void until this rotation as it was simply a rumor. However, the main reason for us to be here is because of a promise Father made to his human mate that all signals or hint of living humans would be investigated, and he is known for his word.
My ship, Destiny, just returned from a recovery mission that was able to retrieve over a hundred of the Earthlings who were lost in the Nebula.”
Before Slavic or anyone can say another word, I hear small footsteps running behind me. Ruarc barely catches Ginger before she runs right past us.
“PUT ME DOWN!” She screams out as she fights against Ruarc’s hold. “He might know where my husband is!”
Now weapons that were previously invisible are drawn upon us, as is a Death Ray directly from the ship above.
“Release the female immediately!”The words echo through the valley, not spoken from any tongue among us, but from the air all around us.
Ruarc fights her flailing limbs, trying to get her to listen before she gets us all killed. “Calm yourself Ginger, he is full of words unproven.”
